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A40656
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A collection of sermons ... together with Notes upon Jonah / by Thomas Fuller.; Sermons. Selections
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Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing F2418; ESTC R21301
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51,193
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163
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his heavenly Sermons holy life and happy miracles he was hated by carnall men chiefly on this account because such as followed his Doctrines must be sure of persecution here and waite for a reward hereafter 41. Let not the Ministers of the Gospel be disheartned and discouraged if with all their painfull preaching and pious living and courteous carriage to and good usage of their people they can never get nor gaine their generall good will The Disciple is not greater than his Master nor the servant than his Lord let us know to our comfort that Christ himself could never be long in peaceable possession of a generall good esteeme but for the reasons aforesaid fell into peoples displeasure though he went about doing of good 42. Now to make some use of the Text in generall and first is it so that our Saviour went about doing of good serveth in this the first place to confute such who will not at all go about but immure themselves in a Cloister pent within the walls thereof and then pride themselves in this their will-worship as the highest and holiest state of perfection though there they zily wither on the stalk they grew on without contributing any thing by their paines and parts to the Church or Common-wealth May not both Church and State as their creditors justly sue them on an Action of Debt for imbezilling these their part or if you will ingrossing them to themselves alone wherein the Communion of Saints doth claime a joynt and publique interest sure I am our Saviour that grand Exemplar of Holinesse did not confine himself to a Cell but went about doing of good 43. Secondly confuteth such who goe about but how not to do good but to do mischief every place they come at faring the worse for their company Thus as a Snaile may be traced by the slime she leaveth behinde her so these men may be tracked whithersoever they remove by the sootsteps of their own wickednesse Here they have a wanton speech there a drop an uncharitable passage there they scatter a profane expression they may be followed and found out by their bad words in one place and worse works in another these leave Satan for their Sovereigne or chief of their order Job 1. 7. Who came from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it But what to do The Apostle telleth us 1 Pet. 5. 8. Walking about seeking whom he may devoure Lazinesse is better than such labour idlenesse than such employment to go about doing of evil 44. Thirdly it confuteth such who to give them their due do some good and go doing of some good but they go not about their motion is circular but semicircular at the best they are onely beneficial to some of their own gang of their own party of their own faction their goodness is not generall and universall to all the true and proper objects thereof 45. What saith S. Paul Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunities let us doe good to all men especially to them who are of the houshold of faith those indeed are to have a Hanna's part of our Favour a Benjamine's portion of our Bounty yet so as all in extremity are the objects of charity we are to baulk none who come in our way not to say that some of plentifull estates are bound to seek out such objects for their liberality 46. It is observed that the disease called S. Anthony's fire or the Cingles because it clippeth and surroundeth the body in fashion of a girdle is never mortall till it wholly compasseth the wast both sides of the inflammation meeting together but on the contrary Charity is never Soveraign effectually and cordiall to purpose untill it finisheth its full circuit and taketh its compleat compasse going about to do good 47. It is an use of comfort to the Saints and servants of God considering that Christ who on Earth went about doing of good now in heaven antiquum obtinet keeps his old wont still retaineth his former mercifull and bountifull disposition he hath not lesse goodnesse for having more greatnesse lesse grace for having more glory yea rather now he doth greater and better things for us because he is gone to the Father John 14. 12. Whilst on earth his power was limited and confined his lustre was clouded and eclipsed with his humanity whereas now he is put into a better capacity to expresse himself and assist us able to work what we wish and doe what we desire 48. But now he doth not goe about doing of good because after his long wearinesse on earth he is reposed in ease and honour and fixed at the right hand of his Father in heaven yet still in some sence he may be said to goe about doing of good such the extensivenesse of his providence through the whole circle of Creation from Angels to worms though the Master-piece of his mercy is the daily making of intercession to God for his servants 49. Some difference there is amongst learned men about the manner of his making intercession some conceiving it done onely with his mouth others onely really by vertue of his merit probably it may be done both waies the rather because our Saviour hath a tongue as also a whole body but glorified in heaven and it is not likely that the mouth w ch pleaded for us on earth is altogether silent for us in heaven but in what manner soever this intercession be made it is so done as makes it both acceptable to God and effectuall for us by him who now reigneth in glory and formerly went about doing of good Amen Finis A GIFT FOR GOD ALONE S. LUKE 10. ver 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. LONDON Printed for JOHN STAFFORD at Fleet bridge 1655. A Gift for God alone PROV 23. ver 26. My son give me thy heart THese words My son are used more than sixteen times in this Book It is therefore well worth our inquiry what particular persons Solomon designed by that relative compellation First Negatively know that Rehoboam Solomon's son begotten by him heir but to two parts of twelve of his Father's Kingdome but not to the hundred part of his wisdome was not particularly reflected at herein nor any other of his bodily extraction where by the way though we read of Solomon's Wives and Concubines we can give but a slender account of his Children finding but one Son and two Daughters 1 King 4. 11 15. And probably he was not fruitfull in issue proportionably to his marriages 2. Nor Positively know Solomon was but the instrumentall Pen man Gods Spirit the principall Inditor of this Book And as our Saviour said Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother sister and mother So whosoever shall attentively hear and conscionably practise the precept in my Text the same is the beloved son and dear daughter therein intended My son give
come within the hearing of a Sermon no Church but a Chimney-corner or a Bed is the place of their aboad whose Candle is in the socket and Lamps ready to goe out for want of oyle to feed them To all these severall sizes I mean to so many of them as are capable of understanding GOD in Solomon speaks Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creatour I say now now is an Atome it will puzzle the skill of an Angell to divide now is a Monosyllable in all Learned and many other Languages best otherwise the name should be longer in pronouncing than the thing in continuing God grant that what size soever the Candle of our life be we may instantly remember our Creatour Amen FINIS NOTES UPON JONAH By Thomas Fuller LONDON Printed for Iohn Stafford in George-yard neer Fleet-bridge 1656. NOTES UPON JONAH Chap. 1. ver 1. The word of the Lord came also unto Jonah the son of Amittai saying SOme thing must be premised of the Name Parentage Time and Place of this Prophet His name JONAH signifying a Dove in Hebrew but he answered his Name rather in flying so fast away than in want of gall wherewith he abounded Parentage son of Amittai Men are differenced in the Bible 1. by their Fathers as Benaiah son of Jehoida 2. Mothers as Joab son of Zerviah 3. Husbands as Mary the wife of Cleophas 4. Brothers as Judas the brother of James 5. Sons as Simon of Cyrene the father of Alexander and Rufus But that this Prophet was son to the widow of Sarepta I believe no more than that Dinah Jacob's daughter was wife to Job Or that Ruth was daughter to Eglon King of Moab both which are as fondly fabled by Jewes as justly rejected by Christians As for the Time and Place of this Prophet when and where he lived though here omitted is supplied 2 Kings 14. 25. He was of Gath Hepher a City of the Tribe of Zebulon and lived in the time of Ioash King of Israel The word of the Lord came All Prophets and Preachers ought to have their Patent and Commission from God How can they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10. 15. That is how can they Preach lawfully and profitably though de facto they preach to their own great harm and others little good But as long as there is currant coyne there will be counterfeit Ieroboam's Priests under the Law and Sheva's Sons in the Gospel and at this day some who leap from the Loom to the Pulpit I must confesse an Asses head was good food in a famine course meat is dainty when no better can be had But now thanks be to God great is the company of Preachers able and learned and for ought I see the Universities afford more Vine-dressers than the Countrey can yeeld them Vineyards No necessity therefore that such blinde Guides should be admitted Verse 2. Arise and goe to Niniveh that great City and cry against it for their wickednesse is come up before me The words contain Ionah's Commission The place whither he was sent What he should doe there The Commission Arise As if he had said Thou hast long preached in Israel to little purpose Great the pains Small the profit of thy Ministery I will therefore transplant thy preaching to see if it will bring more fruit in another soyle It is a signe of a ruine of a Church when their Pastors are called from their Flocks to go to Forraigners As Ionah who was here made Non-resident against his will When the eye-strings are broken the heart-strings hold out not long after The Prophets are called Seers their departure presageth that their Parishes soon after will dye and decay For sure the Children of Israel prospered not long after that Ionah a starre of the first bignesse was falne from that firmament to arise into the horizon of Nineveh Goe to Nineveh that great City It is more than probable that this City being the Metropolis of Assyria was not a little proud of the greatnesse of it as able thereby to out-face the judgments of God and to blunt the edge of his revenging sword with the populousnesse of her Inhabitants before it could cut clean through them But let no City though never so great thus presume upon her multitudes the greater the fairer mark she is for the arrowes of Gods judgements though indeed nothing seems great in his eyes save that man that seems little in his own and God can quickly substract in a day by sword plague and famine what health peace and plenty hath multiplied in seven yeares This Island since the ends of two Kingdomes were made the middle of one Monarchy hath got the addition of Great Britain yet if compared to the Continent we may say of it as Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one Isa 40. 15. Behold the Nations are as the drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of a ballance he taketh up the Iles as a very little thing Let us the Inhabitants thereof not be proud of the greatnesse of it which probably puffed up Niniveh the great City And cry against it Ministers must not mutter but publickly and strongly cry against sinners First because sinners are afarre off Isa 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Mat. 15. 8. Their heart is farre from me Ephes 2. 13. You who sometimes were afarre off Secondly because they are deafe Thirdly asleep Fourthly dead If any object why then it is lost labour to cry against sinners Preaching to the Dead is as unprofitable as Praying for them I Answer Not so For it is said Iohn 5. 25. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Too blame then are those that are cruelly kinde unto their people in sowing pillows under their elbowes Honey-dewes though they be sweet in tast doe blast and black the corn And smoothing of people in their sinnes though pleasant to the palate of flesh damneth and destroyeth the soule And yet this command to cry no whit favours their practice who change the strength of matter into stentoriousnesse of voice Such peeces make a great report with powder but are charged with no shot and are uselesse to the beating down of sin And it may be said of their crying that they doe but whisper whilst they hollow For their wickednesse is come up before me What the particular sin of Nineveh was is not exprest Some think had that City been arraigned for the sins of Sodome it would have been found guilty And no doubt Sorcerie the sin of the East was no stranger in her own Countrey and therefore the Ninevites thereto much addicted But that Oppression was certainly their predominant sin may be gathered out of the third of Nahum ver 1. O bloody City it is full of lyes and robbery the prey departeth not Not content to be a Queen of those Countreys she had