excellency and glory that there is in God to know much of God in his own essence and being and elevates the sould to converse with God in a higher way abundantly then reason can doe though it is true a great deal of God is understood by reason And then by faith the soul comes to know what riches there are in these excellent and glorious things of God It first sees them in God and then after that it sees this God to be infinitely willing to communicate and let out himself to his creature And then by faith the soul converseth with the deep and glorious councels of God between himself and his Son It sees into the great designe God had in sending his Son into the world for the working and bringing to passe those high and glorious intentions he had in communicating himself to the children of men through a mediator Again faith converseth with the great things of the covenant of grace and there sees into those unsearchable riches as the Apostle speaks that have no footsteps in the creature so the word signifies we cannot see them by reason or the creature A speciall object faith works upon is the covenant of grace in the Gospell and it sees the riches that are revealed there And faith receives the testimony of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is appointed by the Father and the Son to witnesse these great things to manifest to the soul the deep things of God those things that are but meer notions otherwise to the heart of a man the spirit of God discovers these to the soul and so faith working upon these objects and closing with them as the proper spheare for it to move in it makes all those glorious things that are revealed concerning the happinesse of those that God intends eternall good unto substantiall and reall to the soul such things as the soul can build upon and dare venture its self and its eternall estate upon and we had need have a good foundation in those things we are content to venture our eternall estate upon and because it must be the work of faith when God intends to save the soul to have such apprehensions of the Gospell as to be willing to venture its eternall condition upon it therefore it had need have a sure foundation and hence faith is the substance of things hoped for and gives a reall being unto these things And as it makes them reall and substantiall so there is another thing included in this word It makes them present though they are but things hoped for yet by faith they have a present subsistence to the soul they are lookt upon by faith as now subsisting though in themselves they doe not faith partakes much of the nature of God it hath a kinde of omnipotent power in it out of nothing to create something there are many excellent works of faith and amongst the rest this is a speciall one to give a being to that which in itself hath none to make it for the present a substantiall reall being to the soul the work of faith in this kinde is very observable for evill things that are very high faith can make them at a mighty distance and for good things that are never so far off faith can make them to be as present to it Observe what the Scripture speakes of it this way first for evils that are very nigh and encompasse us round about when we are in the midst of them faith can put the evill at a distance as Psalm 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee not come nigh thee If he had said it shall not be upon thee it had been somewhat but to say it shall not come nigh thee this is a strange kinde of expression how could it be said not to come nigh him when thousands fell on the both hands and he was in the midst of it it was by faith faith put that at a distance which was just upon him The strength of reason will help one when the plague is a great way off then a man thinks I am safe enough because farre enough from it but suppose the plague come into thy house into thy chamber now to believe a promise it shall not come nigh thee here is a mighty work of faith faith puts evils present at a farre distance And then on the other side for good things that are absent a great way off faith can make them as if they were really subsisting therefore Heb. 11. 13. It is said of the Fathers that they saw the promises afarre off and embraced them the word in the originall is saluted the promises now friends when they salute must be nigh one another their faith made the promises which were a great way off to be with them as if present therefore it is said of Abraham that he saw Christs day and rejoyced and the Scripture speaks of taking hold of eternall life and that we doe by faith and of being in heaven receiving the end of your faith T is not you shall receive but now you are receiving Psalm 108. 7. 8. God hath spoken in his holinesse I will rejoyce I will divide Sechem c. Gilead is mine Manasseth is mine marke is mine he presently concludes as if the thing were already done for it was so by faith faith gives a present subsistence to things Reason it self hath a great deale of power to make things that are future to be as present both in evill things and in good In evill things a man that is a contemplative man and hath a wicked heart he will fetch the sweetnesse of his lust and sinne which is a great way off and make it as present by mediation and roling it up and down in his thoughts in a way of discourse and so acts his sinne contemplatively though he may be in hell before he act it really Now as reason and discourse can fetch in a lust and make it as if it were present so reason can goe a great way in making a future good thing as if it were present And this is the difference between a rationall creature and a sensuall a sensuall creature is only for the things that are before it but now reason can fetch things that are absent and make them as present and in regard of this God hath a mighty advantage of mankinde either for the bringing of his wrath upon them or for bestowing happinesse upon them as you can fetch in your lusts that are absent and make them as present to you in your thoughts by the work and discourse of reason so by the worke of this faculty God can make evils and plagues though future yet to be as present with you And in this respect the wofull evill of those that perish eternally may be set out dreadfully namely thus they being reasonable creatures by the work of their reason they may fetch in all the
JEREMIAH BVRROUGHES Late Minister of the Gospell J. Croâ—s Sculpsit THE SAINTS TREASURY Holding forth 1. The incomparable Excellency and Holinesse of God 2. Christs All in All. 3. The glorious enjoyment of Heavenly things by Faith 4. The Naturall mans bondage to the Law and the Christians liberty by the Gospell 5. A preparation for judgement Being sundry SERMONS preached in LONDON By the late Reverend and painfull Minister of the Gospel JEREMIAH BURROUGHES LONDON Printed by T. C. for John Wright at the Kings head in the Old-baily 1654. TO THE HONOURABLE FRANCIS ROUS Esq Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England and Provost of Eaton-Colledge Honoured Sir IF a Heathen Poet could say Non omnis moriar I shall live though I die supposing his Works immortall though himselfe were mortall Upon how much better an account may a Prophet of the Lord say Non moriar sed vivam I shall not die but live both in respect of his immortall soule to which death is as the gate of life and in respect of the immortall travell of his soule being conversant in the Word of the Lord that abideth for ever The workes of the Saints of God in whom is the spirit of prophecie not onely live when they are dead but are instrumentall in the hand of grace both to plant life where it is not and water it where it is that it may spring forth more abundantly The chosen Vessell of the Lord by whose Ministry he was pleased to give out the Heavenly treasures laid up in these Sermons hath some yeares since put off his earth and put on that Inheritance of the Saints in light for which the Lord seemed earlie to have fitted him by his earnest and assiduous Travail in sitting others But though the Vessell be broken or rather indeed refined and translated to his masters more immediate use yet the Treasures abide for the common enrichment of the Saints For spirituall Treasures like the loaves blessed by our Saviour multiply in their use and when thousands have been enriched by them doe still remaine sufficient to enrich thousands To you honoured Sir is this small but Precious treasury presented not as though your own store were not already full for who knowes not how many precious Jewels through the riches of Christ in you you have richly set and polished for the adorning the Bride the Lambs wife Surely the spirit of Christ seemes to have chosen and sealed your Spirit to celebrate his own Nuptials in your Mystical Marriage and song of loves But as gold besides its own internal worth receives an Authentick impression from the Image and Superscription of the Prince And as in honouring the Lord with the best part of our substance An humble acknowledgement of his Interest both in the whole and our selves not any Addition to his fulnesse is intended So is this Treasury presented to the touch and test of your Judgement First as the Standard of approving things that are excellent And then as an humble testimony how much he owes himselfe to you that presents it That the Lord would make you long an Ornament and defence to his Saints and prosper his own pleasure in your hands is the prayer of Honoured Sir The most humble and most obliged of your Servants J. W. To the Christian Reader THe Authour of these ensuing Sermons hath so abundantly approved himselfe to the Church of God by his former labours both in preaching and writing that it would be rather a disparagement to him to offer any thing by way of commendation His name is yet like a precious Oyntment and so may it be so long as the Sunne and Moon endures These Sermons will discover themselves to be his genuine issue the severall lineaments and proportions of his stile though stiles differ as much as faces are here discernable Those that had the happinesse to be conversant with him and auditors to him are able to say Sic oculos sic ille manus sic ora ferebat So he opened his Text so he handled his Doctrine so he delivered his Application It is true these fragments of his are under the prejudice of being Posthumus works yet we may say of them as Paul said concerning himselfe We suppose they are not inferiour to the rest of his Works though they are born out of due time and fragments though they are yet are they to be esteemed Ramenta auri sunt pretiosa These Sermons are to be prized for their own worth and intrinsecall excellency whoever was Authour And this Authour is to be honoured for his reall worth whatsoever he is the authour of We shall adde this also for thy encouragement that these Sermons have been very happily taken by the pen of a ready writer Mr. Farthing now a Teacher of Shortwriting one who hath given ample testimonie of his great skill and dexteritie in writing Short-hand We think we may say there are not many words delivered by the Author that are left out However confident we are that there is nothing materiall which was by him preached but is here by the care and faithfulnesse of the Scribe presented to thy view The desire of the publishers is that the name of this worthy man of God may be kept in honour that thou maist transferre these things to thy own use and expresse them in thy life that what was spoken to some may be common to all what was accepted by them that heard it may be received and improved by those that read it This is all we have to communicate to thee it would be an injury to detaine thee longer from the reverend Author we only commend thee to the grace of God which is able to make thee abound in every good work and bid thee Fare-well Ja. Nalton Wil. Cooper Tho. Jacomb Matthew Poole Allen Geare Ralph Venning Septemb. 29. 1653. Imprimatur EDM. CALAMY THE SAINTS TREASURY EXODUS 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders THis Scripture is this day fulfilled in our Eares and before our eyes that which God hath already begun to doe for this Kingdome and the neighbour Churches doth shew unto us that there is none like unto the Lord Who is glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders The words though they be in the middle of the song yet they are a kinde of an Epiphonema which usually is at the end but the spirit of Moses being raised in admiring at and blessing God for the great things he had done for his people he containeth not himselfe till he comes to the end but breakes forth in the very middle with this applause of the glory of God Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders You see then the words are a part of Moses his song occasioned upon the goodnesse of God in delivering of his
cut then thou art gone for ever For after death comes judgement In the meditation of this point me thinks I cannot but look upon God as beholding all the children of men in their fallen lost sinful and miserable estate with pity and compassion saying poor creatures they have sinned against me and have made themselves liable to eternal wrath which they understand not which they are not able to beare well a little time I will grant unto them to sue out their pardon and to come in and make up their peace with me and I will give them meanes for that end but let them look to themselves for according to the improvement of the time that I now give them so shall it be with them to all eternity if they neglect it they are gone for ever mercy then shall doe them no good so that the tenour upon which we all hold our lives it is no other then as a malefactor condemned to dye who hath granted to him through the favour of the Prince a little time of reprieval and some intimation withal given of a possibility in that time to sue out his pardon and according as he spends that time so it shall be with him for life or death Thus I say we all hold our lives we are all condemned before the Lord onely God hath out of his infinite grace provided a way and meanes of salvation for the children of men and gives us a little time we know not how long whether two or three dayes but as long as we live to look about us to provide for the making of our peace with him and if that be neglected all is gone and we are undone for ever great things then doe depend upon this uncertaine small time of our lives It is reported of Alexander that when he went against any City he did use to set up a lampe burning and would make proclamation that whosoever came in while this lampe was burning should finde favour and have his life but whosoever staid till this lampe was out he was but a dead man and must expect no mercy brethren know that God hath set up a lampe and our life is this lampe and God proclames Whosoever comes in while this lampe is burning shall finde mercy but if you stay till the lampe be out there is nothing but eternal misery to be expected Now this lampe of your lives may not onely goe out upon the consumption of the oyle but it may be put out by accidental meanes and if this lampe be once out and your work not done you are lost for ever We read 1 Kings 6. 7. that when Solomon was preparing the Temple he made all things so ready before hand that there was no noise of axe or hammer heard there Whosoever God intendeth for a living stone in the glorious Temple of Heaven he squares and fits them here there is no noyse of repentance and sorrow for sin after this life what is to be done must be done here nothing will doe it hereafter Whatsoever thou hast to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nos knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whòther thou goest Eccles 9. 10. and Chapter 11. vers 3. In the place where the tree falleth there it lyeth Which way thou fallest when thou dyest that way thou shalt lie eternally if Godward then God is thine for ever if sinward then misery and destruction is thine for ever Eccles 12 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it The souls of wicked men doe returne to God that gave them as well as the souls of the godly that is they doe presently returne to God to receive the sentence of their eternal doome from him and to be stated in their everlasting condition there is a mighty change in the soul immediately after it is departed from the body and is brought to stand before the glorious God to be stated in its eternal condition There are twelve houres in the day sayes Christ wherein a man may worke but the night comes when no man can work John 9. 4. The time of this life is thy working time I but the night is coming and then no man can work Revel 6. 8. And I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him Hell immediately followes death where death surprizeth any in their natural condition that have not finished the work of making their peace with God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the flesh whether it be good or bad It is not according to what we doe afterwards but according to what we have done here in the flesh so it must be with us for ever There can be no repenting no believing after this life body and soul being parted the whole man is not capable of a work of God upon it And besides immediately after death God takes all meanes away you shall never heare Sermon more never have admonition more never have good connsel more never have any working of Gods spirit more to draw you soules to Christ And not onely so but God then withdrawes himself so fully in regard of all the common workes of his spirit that there is a kinde of stating the soul in sin which yet cannot so properly in regard of God be said to be sin as evil so that it shall be impossible for thee to doe any thing but sin as the Saints though while they live here they have many lusts and corruptions in them yet immediately after death their souls are so fully possessed of the spirit that then they cannot sin so on the contrary though wicked men while they live here have divers common gifts of Gods spirit and many restraints upon them yet immediately after death they are so fully separated from God and God so fully withdraws himself from them that it is impossible for them to doe any thing else but sin and rebell against God and blaspheme him to his face There was in Adam in innocency a possibility not to have sinned there is in us while we live in this world an impossibility but that we should sin but in the world to come there is in the Saints an impossibility that ever they should sin and look how the impossibility is on the one hand with the Saints so is the impossibility directly contrary on the other hand with the wicked therefore the wicked must needs be stated in an everlasting evil condition There is no more possibility for the damned souls in hell ever to doe any thing but to blaspheme God then there is a possibility for the Saints in heaven ever to sin against God And yet further at the great day Christ gives up the kingdome to the Father and then there will be another manner of administration then before