times as they are good or evil to the soule is beyond their skill to discerne of the vice of the times any farther then it makes to the hindring of their outward commodities or their corporall affaires is more than they are able this our Saviour noteth of them Luke 12. 54 55 56. they cannot discerne the times saies he that is the danger of them in respect of the soule but they rather sing peace peace to themselves being the servants of corruption till sudden destruction comes upon them 1 Thes. 5. 3. For indeed evill times are most sutable to the humours and tasts of evill men they relish them best sinne is sweet to the sinner and sinfull times are sweetest to sinfull men they thinke them the best times for they call evill good and good evill bitter sweet and sweet bitter Es. 5. 20. although there is a woe belonging unto them for their so doing nor are they indued with the spirit of discerning as the godly are for these things and times in this sense are spiritually discerned and to this purpose God bestowes his Spirit upon his owne 1 Cor. 12. 10. there is mention made of the gift of discerning which the Lord bestowes and then further they are taught of God John 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be taught of God and James 1. 6. God gives them wisdome and prudence and Ephes. 1. 8. he abounds towards them in all wisdome and prudence so that their spirits can discerne perverse things Job 6. 30. their eares are open to heare and their hearts to beleeve what is threatned by Gods Prophets against sinne and if sinne goes before they know that without repentance judgement will follow Whereas other men that are not godly promise liberty and peace to themselves and others although they be the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2. 19. and cannot abide to heare of judgements or that the times are evill when at any time they so be you may remember to this purpose the story of the old world when Noah no doubt did preach of the insuing evill time that would come upon them but they beleeved it not And the story of Sodome when Lot preached of the same point and to as little purpose you may remember also the times wherein Jeremy lived and into what troubles he came for his fore-telling and speaking of the dangerous times that were to come upon the people see Jer. 20. 1. and chap. 26. 8 9. and chap. 38. 4. Thus you see that some men though wise enough in other matters yet not to discerne ill times nor can they abide to heare of them they will not beleeve although they bee told but hate them that speake of them and indeed what was it they had to lay to Stephens charge when they put him to death why see Act. 6. 17. they pretended that he spake blasphemous words against the holy place and the Law and what blasphemy doe you thinke it was why I warrant you he said that for their sinnes God would bring judgements upon that place and take away the Law from them and give it to others according to our Saviours doctrine in the Parable of the husbandmen Matth. 21. 41 43. which at that time also was very ill taken by them whom it did concerne as yee may see vers 45. 46. of that chap. But now with the godly and wise it is not so they like Mary lay up what they see and heare to that purpose in their hearts and wisely provide and fit themselves against those evill and dangerous times some one way and some another as it pleaseth the spirit of wisdome for to guide them Jonadab the sonne of Rechab wisely weighing the sinnes of the times and the judgements threatned by the Prophets and beleeving them to be true that they should be carried away captive into a strange country where they were like to have but course fare small drinke and hard lodging therefore doth traine up his children accordingly before-hand and sets them downe rules to live by which they observed they must drinke no Wine dwell in no Cities but lodge in Tents c. that so they might be fitted for the hardship which they and their posterity in succeeding evill times were like to indure so we reade in the booke of Martyrs of two women that hearing of Boners cruelty in Queene Maries dayes how little food in the prison was allowed to the poore prifoners of Jesus Christ and expecting that ere long themselves should be in that place did before-hand against that evill time accustome themselves to eate and drinke but the value of three farthings a day whereby they did afterward indure his hard usage So we read Rev. 12. 14. the Church foreseeing the evill times did wisely apprehend the occasion having a way made for her safety and security in the Wildernesse to Pella in the dayes of Jerusalems sacking and as some will have it upon a like foresight many doe flie to New-England now so the Spirit taught Noah to provide an Arke for his owne safety against the evill time that was comming upon the world and some by the same Spirit are inabled with faith and patience to beare the brunt Luke 21. 19. speaking of evill times they were bid to possesse their soules with patience inferring that by it as by a safe armour they might be secured and kept safe for as in dangerous times the safety of some may consist in flying so the safety of others may consist in sitting still Es. 30. 7. their strength is to sit still speaking of some and vers 15. of that chap. In rest shall yee be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength that is in a silent waiting upon God if God cals upon some to goe yet no doubt but he commands others to stay Esa. 26. 20. and as we judge not but some may beleeve that make haste to be gone so let none censure but some may beleeve that make not such haste for surely this is Scripture phrase He that beleeveth maketh not haste Es. 28. 16. A beleever may with quietnesse sit still were the times farre worse then now thâ—y be and with confidence expect better dayes he is well armed with faith patience and prudence for his owne safety and security and so we come to the Use. If the godly and wise are able to distinguish of evill times inabled of God therunto then we should not slight their judgements concerning these matters we may repent us of it afterward if we do see Acts 27. 10 11. compared with v. 21. where was an evill time toward a great tempest and Paul warned them of it but the Centurion beleeved the owner of the Ship rather then Paul for commonly indeed of all men Gods Ministers are least beleeved least credit is given to what they say for feare of making them too proud forsooth but they had as good have heeded what Paul said for I beleeve they repented
particular befall the Church and flock of Christ which hee mentions vers 12. as causes of those generall ones forenamed and they would be violent apprehensions persecutions imprisonments and arraignments before Kings and Rulers for Christs name sake that is for his truth and religion sake because they will not forsake that for the perswasions and compulsions of the forementioned deceivers and then to vers 16. 17. he reckons up more of this sort namely treacheries of friends of kindred and acquaintance and hatred at all mens hands for the same cause Now against these errours and erroneous men and also against these troubles and sorrowes our Saviour doth fore-arme his people by his fore-warning them of the same his promonitions he would have to be their premunitions as John 16. 3 4. These things have I told you that when they come to passe you may remember that I told you namely to this end that you might not then bee much moved at them as the Apostle in a like case 1 Thes. 3. 3 4. I would not have you moved by these afflictions for you know we were appointed to them faithfull Ministers it seemes are appointed and ordained to suffer as well as to preach even as faithfull Christians are as well as to beleeve and this yee know saies he how did they know why when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation it was the manner of Christ and his Apostle you see to foretell the sowre as well as the sweet the hardship as well as the comfort of Christianity yea and the sweet as well as the sowre the comfort as well as the dolour John 16. 33. in the world yee shall have trouble there is the sowre but in me yee shall have peace there is the sweet and in this chap. of the text he doth not onely tell them of the dolorous times as hath been mentioned but he doth also strengthen them against the same with the sweet promise of his assistance vers 14. 15. and of his protection and preservation vers 18. But withall he tels them in the text of one thing that they must see unto and that is that they be patient they must not be malicious or revengeful they must not plot or prate they must not slander or provoke they must not vex nor trouble themselves in any sort onely let him alone to doe all be they still and say no more then he shall put into their mouthes when they are called in coram and he will keepe them well enough from all harme-taking when they are judged or abused not the value of a haires dammage shall their soules sustaine let them only but rest in patience In a word as Moses the man of God said to his people Exod. 14. 13. Feare not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord so saies Christ the sonne of God and our good Shepheard unto us Feare yee not be but still patient and quiet and you shall see what salvation the Lord alone will worke for you Nay moreover you shall hereby keepe your selves in possession of that which all your enemies aime chiefely to deprive you of and that is your soules your soule indeed is the prize they strive for both by their cunning and by their cruelty that is the Helena of their aimes Satan and his servants desire above all things to have mens soules and consciences at their command but saies Christ you shall keepe them out of their hands by this one meane I tell you of namely by your patience and the truth is the adversaries are in a wrong box the way to get soules is not that which they take violence and struggling opposing and contesting bearing downe things with a strong hand is the way to get possession of goods and bodies but not of hearts and spirits not of soules it is the way to lose them both their owne and others the onely way to get possession of hearts and soules is patience bearing and forbearing this way indeed Christ kept possession of his owne and got the possession of all ours and this way the blessed Martyrs kept their owne and got the hearts of many to their religion where of Justin Martyr professeth himselfe to be one the patience of the Christians wanne his heart to them and their religion yea many persecutors themselves have beene taken this way to be sure of this every one may get and keepe the possession of and the command over his owne soule by this vertue and grace of patience and this chiefely the text teacheth By your patience possesse yee your soules your owne soules and so you have the context Now in the text it selfe confider two things The purchase the soules possession  The price patience We will first speak of the purchase then of the price first what you shall have then what you must pay for in point of purchase you will all know for what before you will part with your money Truly the purchase is exceeding great specially if compared with the price it is as if the whole world should be compared to an halfe-peny you have heard of Merchants that for glasses pins and small hookes things of little value have bought of the Indians gold pearles and precious stones such a bargaine nay a better is here offered you What are tribulations and afflictions in which you must shew your patience but as brittle glasses for short continuance but as the prickings of a pinne for paine but as small hookes by which God puls us to himselfe with a little smaâ—ting and what is that you shall get by induring the same why your soules possession here and a possession for your soules hereafter the worth of either which doth exceed mans heart to conceive or his tongue to expresse our text speakes but of the one and of that onely must we speake though we can never speake the worth of it I meane of the soule either in respect of its Author its nature or resemblance the truth is as one saies of Christ the Redeemer of the soule that he had divers names as Jesus Emanuel Christ Messias Lord c. because no one name was enough to expresse all his perfections so may it be said of the soule which he redeemed one name alone cannot intimate to us all its excellencies and therefore it hath divers names as Isiodore well dum corpus vivificat anima est dum vult animus dum scit mens dum recolit memoria dum judicat ratio c. in respect of its quickning power it is called the life in respect of its desire the will of its knowledge the mind of its recordation the memory of its judgement the reason c. Indeed me thinkes our Saviours monition here to look to that and to that only doth exceedingly set forth the excellencie of it above all things else and that shall be the Doctrine from this first part even in these words The soule above all things is to be
and words In a word shall I tell you what Tertullian saies in the praise of patience in his booke of that Subject which doth notably set forth the excellency necessity of it fidem munit saies he pacem gubernat dilectionem adjuvat humilitatem instruit c. it preserveth faith it orders peace it helpeth love it teacheth humility it rules the flesh and serves the spirit it bridles the tongue and holds the hands it treads upon temptations and perfects martyrdome it selfe for it is not suffering but patience in suffering that pleaseth God it comforts the poore and tempers the rich it easeth the sickly and maintaines the health it delighteth the faithfull it inviteth the unbeleever it commendeth the servant to the Master and the Master to the Lord it beautifies a woman and purchaseth esteeme to a man it is loved in a child praised in a youth and honoured in the aged in omni sexu in omni â—tate formosa cst it is beautifull in every sexe in every age therefore a vertue of great consequence and a grace most needfull But of all arguments this in the text must be observed patience preserves the soule namely from the hands of its enemies and the peace of it from being broken and therefore must needs be of that consequence and so needfull as wee say for the soule is a thing of the greatest consequence in the world and of which a man hath most need to be carefull now by patience this is preserved and kept safe for patience frustrates all the aimes of Satan and the wicked against the same and therefore most craftily doe they indeavour to deprive a man of patience for if he lose this they know he will lose God and so in conclusion the soule it selfe for the enemy knowes well that as patience keepes God in the soule so impatience thrusts him out God will not dwell in perturbations for as he came to Eliah in a soft still voyce so he dwels onely in a quiet and still spirit In all Jobs afflictions what was aimed at but to breake his patience Job 2. 9. to make him curse God in a mood as many use to doe and so should he empty his soule of God and let the Devill in in his stead as anger and impatience alwayes doth and therefore note the Apostles Caveat Ephes. 4. 26 27. Let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath not give place to the Devill that is to say if you grow wrathfull and impatient you let the Devill in and then farewell the soules possession he will not so soone give it up againe And as Satan so all his servants in all their oppositions against Gods people and Ministers have the same aime to deprive the soule of patience A bad neighbour that comes to his Ministers house on Saturdayes in the afternoone and there stands barking at his doore and baying at his window what can he aime at thereby but to move him unto impatience to distemper his spirit and so to unsute him for the doing Gods worke on the morrow And why are your foul-mouthed people so luxurious of their malicious foame against any Christian but for the same cause to make a breach upon their patience it appeares most plaine for if they cannot prevaile therein but see their words and doings passed over with a carelesse neglect how above measure are themselves vexed as I have read of one that hang'd himselfe for very vexation that he could not by his railing speeches move another unto impatience Patience indeed unto the soule is as the lid unto the eye or as a shield unto the head it breakes the stroake of every crosse and keepes the spirit harme-free it is as the balast of the ship to make it stable and therefore James 5. 8. be patient stablish your hearts a ship well balasted is not easily ore-turned by waves or winds whereas that which wants the same is tost every way many will balast themselves with wealth with riches and friends but when winds and stormes and blowes come these will not quiet the spirit and keepe out feares so as patience will for he that is balasted with patience how ever the world goes though the wind blow and the stormes come though his eares be loaded with revilings threatnings and reproaches and his body beaten with stripes and buffets yet his soule is unwounded he is not dozed nor at his wits end his spirit is not straitned with griefe or feare nor his faculties tied up though his passions be he hath the free command of himselfe and tongue and lookes and speakes as he was wont to doe his stomach swels not his mouth vapours not his eyes sparkle not his bloud boyles not nor doe his fingers itch or his colour change he is still the same onely perhaps looking to Heaven-ward saies in himselfe Christus gravior a tulit Christ indured more then this or omnia possum confirmante me Christo I shall or I can beare my burden through the strength of Christ or meliora spero I hope better dayes are comming or dabit Deus his quoque finem this world will not last alwayes Such is the temper of the soule wherin patience dwels it is like Mount Sion which cannot be moved or like a rocke on the Sea on all sides disquieted with assaults yet still quiet in its scituation whereas he that wants patience doth laniare animam suam furore suo as it is Job 18. 4. teare and butcher his owne soule in his rage whose picture you may see Mar. 5. 5 6. for as he there would not be tamed or bound with chaines or fetters but broak all and went raving about and cutting himselfe with stones so the impatent man being not himselfe will be kept in with no bonds or ties of God or man but breaks all to doe himselfe mischiefe and it is a true saying Neâ—â— laeditur nisi à seipso none can hurt a man till hee hath hurt himselfe by letting goe his patience and so you see the benefit and need of Patience 3. But there is one particular more in the Doctrine still to be further proved and that is to a Christian it is a grace so needfull to none as to a Christian. For he of all others hath most occasions of vexation a Christian is a Crucian a man of sorrowes Christs younger Brother he doth not onely take up but also beare his crosse daily by faith he takes it up but by patience he beares it The waters yea the bitter waters of afflictions come daily in upon his soule as David speakes and patience is like the tree mentioned Exod. 15. 25. which takes away their bitternesse from them and therefore of all others to a Christian it is most needfull and a Christian also is apt to fret and grieve at the occasions and sight of evill as well as another man and to be troubled when he sees cause which he is forbidden to doe as you mâ—y see Psal. 37. 1. Fret not thy selfe
why a Christian hath more need of patience then other men more might be alleadged but we must not be too tedious we descend to the Use which shall be onely of exhortation to get patience You see of what consequence patience is and how needfull and for a Christian in speciall wherefore mind your owne good sirs and store your selves with it that you may keepe the possession of your soules that you may be perfect and want nothing that you may be fruitfull that you may doe the will of God and inherit the promises that you might be armed against all occurrences that you might have a salve for every sore an Antidote for every malady these are motives now I need not give you any more then you have had already onely one and that is this Patience can ease your mind when nothing else can There be many sorrowes and griefes which something beside patience may haply afford help and ease unto but there be others and such as Christians are often liable to meet withall that nothing but patience can ease and for those things sake you should store your selves with patience I will instance in a case or two of this kind and nature Perhaps here you see one exalting a humane invention by his more diligent observance before a Divine command there you see one that can swallow a Camell without coughing and stand straining at a Gnat in one place you see Pastors most unkindly hunting and scattering their owne flocke in another you see people most cruelly hunting and persecuting their owne Shepheard sometimes you meet with men of such inlarged charity that they can wish well to all places yea to Rome it selfe though under Gods curse excepting onely to New-England sometimes againe perhaps you meet with others of such contracted bowels that they can wish well to no place but onely that now this grieves your hearts but what remedy have you but onely patience it is not in your powers to temper the differing spirits of men no more then to rule the winds Againe perhaps you see men set upon vexing one the other and to this end they will preferre themselves and their opinions before Christ and peace with our power we will prevaile cry some on the one side and make these Puritans stoope yea that we will no but with our tongues we will prevaile cry some on the other and mouth it against them yea that we will we have long reaching hands cry they and we have loud sounding Cymbals cry these and would to God they were but as well tuned may you say when with griefe you behold these passages but no remedy can I tell you for your griefe but onely patience So againe perhaps you see sinne flourish and spread it selfe to the disgrace of Christ and of his Church in some of them that should suppresse it who are more apt for money-sake to commit folly Hermaphrodite like with both sexes with all sorts then to punish any and then perhaps you observe further some of them that should looke to these to be Gallio like quite regardlesse of any complaint that is made to them especially against such their owne Beadsmen and this vexeth the spirits but what remedy save onely patience Or againe perhaps you see some that professe Pauls faith and thereupon are in the Briars as he was but doe cleane contrary to what he did for deliverance not trust Christ with his owne cause but because corrupt Felix looks for mony they will feed his appetite so flesh the greedy Hound with the bloud of their purses that he will never leave hunting sucking till he hath undone many a poor Christian that according to example must stretch too beyond the compasse of ability or else ab inferno nulla redemptio and this moves your minds but where is your help onely in patience Againe perhaps you see Christ wounded in the house of his friends as in the precedent verses brother betraying brother one professor by the mediation of a second a third or a fourth man delivering up another for some private spleene into the hands of the common enemy as the Jewes did Christ unto the Romanes and when the mischiefe is done the contrivers crying out as they of Christ he is justly smitten of God and Gods just judgement is fallen upon him for his dissent with them and their humours though in the meane time he hath done nothing amisseas they are told by their owne consciences yet they feele no remorse for their bringing him into trouble their consciences are so seared for the blind Pharisee thinkes if he doth but in forme give in false reports and suborne false witnesse so he doth not kill or draw bloud he is no transgressour And Judge Pilat he conceives if he doth but prosecute according to presentment and passe sentence according to information though false in the judgement of his owne conscience why he may wash his hands and cry I am free from the bloud of this just person and the souldiers the under-officers they beleeve they doe but their duty to inflict punishment according unto sentence though upon the most holy and so betwixt them all Christ and his members goe to wracke and none of them will be a whit to blame such is their stupid blindnesse these things are grievous to a Christan heart but what remedy only patience Once againe when you see some under the names of Christians goe up and downe rending and tearing the names and credits of their brethren and taking all occasions to speake evill and to publish mens faults to the world when they are not urged nay coyning faults of them to make them odious to others câ—st iniquity upon them that others might hate them dealing with their brethren as the Heathens did with Christians in the Primitive times to provoke the brute beasts to rend and teare them they would wrap them up in beasts skins that so the ravenous beasts might ignorantly who otherwise would not fasten upon them And thus doe fome Christians deale with their brethren wrap them up in beasts skinnes that is in beastly vices by their false and criminous imputations to the end that worldly and carnall men might be provoked to abuse them who otherwise would deale more friendly with them these call themselves Christians but these conditions prove them rather to be like Butchers dogges whose lips are alwayes bloudy with the slaughter of one thing or other O how it gâ—ieves the spirit of a holy man to see such courses and carriages among those that weare the name of Christ who should be altogether harmlesse and undefiled but no remedy save patience Last of al somtime a Christian some of you perhaps see those whom you know to be the best to be most basely used and the most unworthy in most credit you see the most sincere accounted hypocrites and the most hollow-hearted most religious the one goes away with the name and the other with the thing and this offends
that suted not with the end of his comming and therefore our Saviour rejects it as naught so when Peter beganne to move and stirre with his sword our Saviour bade him put it up into its place for he came not to move that way not to fight against but to fight for his enemies not to kill them but to save them And so now adayes we see the world is full of motions and almost of commotions many active stirring spirits this age hath brought forth if their motions and stirrings doe tend to the destruction and hurt of others and not to the good of men if they looke not the way Christ looked if they sute not with his end they are naught and sinfull But in very deed as in our Saviours time men were much mistaken in the end of Christs comming they thought hee came to destroy his enemies and to restore againe the kingdome to Israel and to advance his servants to temporall honours and therefore as you heard hee had motions made to him tending to that purpose so in these our dayes men are much mistaken in the same at least they doe not remember it as they ought to doe whereas it is a matter of the greatest consequence to bee knowne and thought upon as appeares by those many inculcations thereof in Scripture I shall therefore for the better remembrance thereof and comfort therein a little inlarge my selfe in the discovery of it from the Word of God The end of Christs comming saies the text was not to destroy mens lives but to save them and saies the spirit in another place God sent his Sonne not to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saved and againe The Sonne of man came to seeke and save that which was lost and the Apostle It is a saying most faithfull and true and worthy of all acceptance thâ—t Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. that was the end of his comming that he aimed at And indeed there was nothing of Christ or that Christ did but did teach the same His name Jesus that signifies a Saviour his relative names of Shepheard Husband and the like doe speake him a Helper and a Defender the similitudes used to expresse him by are of harmlesse and helpfull creatures He is called a Lamb not a Wolfe that devoures a Hen not a bird of prey a Vine not a Bramble out of which came fire to consume the trees of the Forrest Judg. 9. 15. The manner of his comming did also teach the end of it he came not in thunder and lightning as the Law did causing feare and trembling but as raine on a fleece of wooll or on the mowen grasse Psal. 72. 6. that is gently and with out noyse and Matth. 12. 19. it is said He neither strived nor cryed nor was his voyce heard in the streets at his Baptisme the holy Ghost sate on him like a Dove to shew that he should be a Dove-like Mediator and of Dove-like conditions In the execution of all his offices he onely aimed to further the comfort and salvation of men By his propheticall office hee taught us in the way and doth so still by his word and spirit he dictated a forme of prayer for us he put words into our mouths and his spirit into our hearts and still himselfe intercedes for us and with us by his Priestly office he died for us to heale our soules with a plaister of his bloud and to save us from that death which our selves had procured and by his Kingly office he defends and fights for his people as a meeke King he admits mourners to his presence he hath both beames of Majesty and bowels of mercy he is the Prince of peace yea all his actions from first to last doth prove that he came only to doe good How sweet and helpfull and affable he was in all his carriages How willing to acquaint himselfe with these churlish Samaritans to the end that he might have occasion to doe them good He vouchafed to discourse with a meane woman of that Countrey to the admiration of his Disciples John 4. 7. and sent his servants to buy meat of them as it is shewne in that Chapter and here he would have taken up his lodging amongst them and after this discourtesie was offered to him he cured a Samaritan of his leprosie Luke 17. 16. and was so courteous to that Nation that the Jewes call'd him Samaritan for his labour And how lovingly did he cure Malchus ear that came to apprehend him and how fervently did he pray for them that put him to death he came with blessings in his mouth at his first publike appearance and manifestation Matt. 5. 1 2 c. and he departed the world with prayers in his mouth Mat. 27. Father forgive them In a word Christ never did hurt or mischief to any man he never revenged himselfe on any though he had more power then any and was more wronged and abused then any but he was alwayes and to all meek gentle courteous helpfull a man might even drown himselfe in Divine pleasures by thinking and speaking of Christs conditions and of the comfortable end of his comming But I come to the Use which shall bee to advise all men to acquaint themselves well with the end of Christs comming it is worthy of all acceptance saies the Apostle i. e. of all mens knowledge to be acquainted with this that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners to doe good to unworthy and undeserving persons it is a matter of the greatest consequence that is to know it for thereby we shall come to know Christs spirit we shall come to know our owne spirits and we shall come to know other mens spirits 1. We shall know Christs spirit which else we shall not doe as appeares in the Disciples here for had they knowne and remembred the end of Christs comming they would also have considered that he had had a spirit onely driving thereunto and so would never have made such an unsutable motion as here they did they might easily have concluded that Christ would never so farre have allowed of Elias spirit as to doe or to countenance to be done that which did contradict the end of his owne comming they would never have begg'd of the Prince of meeknesse a licence to be cruell for had he given way to this he should have seemed to come rather to destroy then to save Now this our knowledge of Christs spirit of the nature and temper of it may be usefull to us for consolation and for instruction 1. For consolation we being all men and women of a sinfull dye when we be apprehensive of our danger by sinne and how unkindly we have carried our selves towards good Christ how we have many a time denied him a lodging in our hearts as the Samaritans here did in their Village when by his motions he hath sent unto us I
his blood cryed Justice Christ dyed in these later dayes and his blood cryed mercy Now by all this you may conclude what kinde of spirit the spirit of the Gospell is which he expected here his Disciples should rather have discovered in themselves and which all that live under the Gospell are bound to manifest in all their wayes it is a spirit of peace and love a spirit of meekenesse and sweetnesse of patience and forbearance it is such a spirit as Christ himselfe had which was in no sort furious or revengefull mischievous or harmefull yea such a spirit as now a dayes discovers it selfe in God our Father It is a spirit that will not suffer it selfe to be outgone by any in wayes of love or goodnesse it is a noble and a free spirit no way niggardly or unthankfull no way churlish or unkind it delights in well-doing it speakes onely glad â—ydings it cannot abide to sad or grieve the hearts of any it joyes not in wounding mens wounds or in raking in their forrowes it rather weepeth to behold them it is a healing spirit it bindes up the broken-hearted and truely compaâ—â—ionates all mens miseries and afflictions it never brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe it never did discourage any in the wayes of goodnesse by word or action of unkindnesse It is an affable and a courteous spirit no way scornefull or supercilious Stand further off I am holyer than thou is not its language it was the spirit of the Phaâ—â—sees that tooke offence at Christs eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners It is a faithfull spirit that will not allow of any man in a sinfull way for any relation sake or similitude of opinion and yet a wise and sweete carriaged spirit that indevours to draw all opposites to God and to it selfe by faire meanes it affects to deale with the chaines of Love iâ— cannot abide to use the caâ—â—-ropes of feare it likes not of Satans way to hold men in a slavish awe to skare them by threatnings it is not a driving spirit but a leading spirit Let thy loving Spirit lead me in the way everlasting sayes the holy man it knoweth how to beseech and perswade it cannot tell how to terrifie or compell It is a spirit of a good language it is no railing or slandering spirit no lying nor defaming spirit it hateth to invent blame and to cast iniquâ—ty upon men that are not of the same opinion that so others might dislike them it loves not to make the worst of things but the best rather it is a charitable spirit and Charity thinkes no evill rejoyceth not in iniquity inlargeth not evill reports but suppresseth them rather it is kind-hearted and kind-spoken it beleeves hopes and speakes the best of others and is suspicious onely of it selfe It is a meeke and a milde spirit rather quietly passive then vexatiously active in dealing with opponents it is an humble and a selfe-denying spirit rather suffering ten thousand wrongs then willingly offering one it is a mercifull and a pardoning spirit no wayes inclining to blood or cruelty or to take revenge it is a prous and plaine dealing spirit it workes not by policy craft or guile in a word it is a dutifull and an obedient spirit it was never yet weary of the yoke of loyalty it quakes with abhorment to see durt cast upon Gods image it loathes the conditions both of Shimei Sheba and Achitophell King James relates in the Preface to his Remonstrace against the Cardinall of Perron that France was once reduced to such miserable termes that it was counted and become a crime for a Frenchman to stand for his King or perhaps to speake for him it was a signe that the Spirit of the Gospell swayed not there then but the spirit of Popery for it is Antichrists spirit and not Christs that ruleth in the children of disobedience the true Spirit of Christ and of the Gospell hath never yet beene wont to tread in the deadly paths of rebellion it never yet knew how to forsake infâ—nge or break in the least degree the sacred bond of Allegeance this is that sweet and blessed spirit of the Gospel And indeed Christ by the Gospel doth offer this very spirit to all that live under the Gospel if they be aware of it yea and he doth really dispense it to those that be his true servants Even this peaceable meeke and mercifull spirit this loving sweet and affable spirit this noble harmelesse and helpefull spirit this humble selfe-denying and pitifull spirit this faithfull patient and well-spoken spirit this loyall obedient and dutifull spirit this spirit which was and is his owne Spirit for he had it above measure and every one of his members have it according to their measure it was the same oyle that was powred upon Aarons head which ran downe to the skirts of his cloathing And the truth is if Christ should not bestow this spirit upon his People they would not be capable of that salvation which he came to procure for them This very spirit and none else doth fit them for that happinesse for you must remember that we had lost both salvation and a fitnesse to re-enjoy it Christ by his life and death hath recovered our salvation by his Gospell and the spirit thereof he workes this fitnesse and by no other meanes can it be effected the Law which was before Christ came was never able to doe it the spirit of that was a provoking spirit it presented wrath to the soule and so made the sinne therein more outragious more exceeding sinfull as the Apostle speakes Rom. 7. 13. not by ingenerating rage therein but by awaking the fury thereof the Law is as oyle to the flame in respect of sinne it makes it more violent and therefore in this sense it is said to be the strength ofsinne and the life of it without which sinne is dead sayes the Apostle viz. as dead in a naturall man it lyes like a dead thing and is neither felt in the Conscience nor so sensibly furious till it be stirred by the Law But now the Gospell hath an effect cleane contrary for its spirit is contrary that presents not wrath buâ— mercy and pardon to the sinfull soule it offers Christ unto it sweet Christ loving Christ patient Christ dying Christ soule-saving and soule-quickning Christ and by a certaine energeticall influence that it hath it doth calme the rage of sinne and extinguish the heate ofit it is as blood to the fire and quenches the flame it takes away the strength of sinne and quite kills it by degrees it so tames the soule of the sinner that he is cleane of another temper he hath a new frame put upon him and a new spirit put into him see the confirmation of this in Esay 11. from the sixt verse to the tenth the Prophet having spoken of the spirit of Christ and of the Gospell in the beginning of the Chapter comes there to shew
or wickednesse I doe not say but they seeme to take a pleasure in troubling and vexing the spirits of their brethren in sadding their hearts for with a kinde of beleefe and delight they love to tell them onely of those evill and false things which are abroad conjectured and spoken of them which themselves perhaps did helpe to invent or at least by their hungry receipt or greedy hearing them did give incouragement to the venters of them and commonly too this their newes is edged with a sharpe reproofe to manifest their owne beleefe of it seldome doe they second it with a word of Consolation for the parties better bearing of it nor will these Newes-mongers ever care to be the bringers of any such reports as may adde to the spirit either life or chearefulness Truely I have often thought that if such persons as these are had beene by when our Saviour asked his Disciples what men said of him they would not have answered as those did Some say thou arâ— Elias some John Baptist and some one of the Prophets but rather they would have said Some say you are a Samaritan some say you have a Devill and some say you are a friend and companion of Publicans and sinners as supposing that the hearing of these kinde of reports would have beene more galling to his harmelesse spirit But to conclude in a word Christ did not delight in trampling upon those that were already downe he joyed not in the fall of any of his enemies no he wept at the foresight of their ruine that sought his he would take advantage from mens miseries and misfortunes to shew the graciousnesse of his spirit in doing them good when his servant had cut off his enemies eare he healed againe the eare of his enemy he was to his last of a most meeke and peaceable spirit never was he turbulent in the Common-wealth never outragious cruell or bloody he never in all his life wished for bloody dayes he never said Better Jerusalems streetes runne downe with blood then that these Pharisaicall High Priests should still stand or then one old tradition should still continue No no Christ wished the reformation of things as truely as any of us can do in such a case and he could as little away with the manners of those men as any of we and he did as much distaste humane sinfull Ceremonies in Gods service but he valued mens lives at a higher rate then to desire the abolition of such things with so much humane blood as that the streetes should swimme therewith Christ knew the price of mens lives and it cost him more to redeeme them then to have them destroyed so lightly he knew that it was never Gods minde that his Sion should be built with the blood of Brethren as Rome was Christ would rather hope and pray that all offensive things might be removed in a peaceable manner for he came not to destroy but to save mens lives and the same minde as I have heard have all they that have the spirit of Christ the true spirit of the Gospell of what manner spirit therefore those are of that are contrary-minded and conditioned I leave to you to judge from that which hath beene spoken and come to the other use which is of Exhortation I will direct my Exhortation in the first place to my Brethren of the Ministery in particular and then with them unto all Christians in generall First My Reverend Brethren you in speciall whom God hath restrained and guided by his Spirit from falling into those scandalous faults and offensive wayes which too too many of our Order are reported to have slipped into you who have beene lately under burdens and pressures of troubles and molestations whom God hath now delivered you to whom he hath given favour in the eyes of men if Providence shall ever bring these weake lines unto your Christian view I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ and by the vertue of the true Spirit of the Gospel which I hope is both in you and me that you all indeavour both by your teaching and practice to discover at large that which hath here but in briefe beene discoursed upon even the nature of this holy sweete and gracious Spirit of the Gospell and to perswade you hereunto be pleased to consider of these few particulars First the times require this at your hands how distracted and broken they are your eyes are able to see better then I am to expresse and there is no other meane to make up the breaches of our Sion and to prevent the lamentable ruines that are threatned unto our Israel but onely this Spirit of the Gospell and this yeelding pardoning loving humble selfe-denying and obedient Spirit is able to set all right againe both betwixt God and us and amongst our selves were this spirit but well planted in every heart that we Preach unto and in every bosome we converse withall there would be both a generall and a particular fitnesse both for divine Mercy and for a mutuall closing Secondly Your relation to God calls for these indeavours the Lord hath put you in place to advance this Spirit nay he hath intrusted you to dispence the same you are intituled Ministers of the Gospell and your Ministration is called the Ministration of the Spirit and you are alwayes beside your Text and out of your Office when you are not labouring to plant the same nay you should be not friends but enemies to God and to the soules of men if you should not oppose and discover the seeds-men of schisme and the waterers of sedition if you are favourers of factions you are makers of fractions and God in the end will neither blesse you nor reward you Thirdly Your bounden duty and sworne Allegeance to your Prince and Soveraigne under the wing of whose gracious government you have already both done and received much good to the advancement of your present comfort and future Crowne doth challenge you to move with all your strength to the implanting the Spirit of the Gospell in the hearts of all his subjects that their piety and loyalty their obedience and love to God to him and to each other may speake him to all the world to be the happyest King of the truest and best Christians yea and his Majesty too thus seeing his Saviours Spirit and his owne in all his people shall hereby with comfort amongst us prolong his dayes and the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand I am confident and dare boldly say it it is in your powers to compose and settle all our distractions and divisions if you would all worke one way and let that one way be this way it being Gods way he would helpe you and blesse you in it he hath already given some of you the hearts of men for an ingagement hereof and he would doubtlesse incline them to goe with you Fourthly Pity may begge this favour at your hands if
all seeke their owne I but may not men seeke their owne and Christs too O no Christ and themselves in this respect are alwayes in competition and Saint Paul here makes them Opposita which is the last Proposition of the three to be considered None can seeke both their owne things and Christs together not their owne ease nor their owne praise nor their owne profits together with the things that are Jesus Christs I le give you a proofe of each particular and so hasten First we cannot seeke Christ and our owne ease together the Prophet Ezekiel as you know in the 34. chap. 2. vers hath these words Woe to the Shepheards that feede themselves that is that seeke their owne ease Should not the Shepheards feed the flock saies he intimating by the word should that these two did not could not stand together feeding themselves and the flock and the Apostle Gal. 1. 10. saies expressely If I should goe about to please men my selfe or any other in seeking my owne ease and carnall quiet absolutely I were not the servant of Christ. Secondly we cannot seeke our owne praise and Christ together see Iohn 5. 44. How can yee beleeve that receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth of God whence we learne that they can neither beleeve nor seeke Gods glory that receive honour to themselves much lesse sure can they that seeke it Thirdly we cannot seeke our owne profits and Christ together you know the place Yee cannot serve God and Mammon and yet more plainely speaking of a Souldier of Christ 2 Tim. 2. 4. No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life because hee would please him that hath chosen him for a Souldier as who say he that doth intangle himselfe cannot please God nay doth not desire it and so briefely you see the point proved now for the Use. Application as it is sometimes the death of Sin so it is the life of doctrine give me leave therefore to adde some of this killing life to that which hath beene spoken And Brethren I beseech you all by that holy Communion and fellowship that we have with one another in the worke of Christ that you would seriously consider of these things and as you desire that your people should apply unto themselves such doctrines as you propound unto them and take unto themselves such reproofes as come from your mouthes and doth concerne them So doe you apply and take to your selves that which I shall speake and may concerne your particular persons Nay be you well assured that as your selves shall receive the Word so shall the Word from your selves bee received You are all strangers to me I scarce know your faces much lesse your natures and conditions and therefore I neither have aimed nor can aime at any your particular persons to hit some I confesse I desire as no doubt but he did that drew the Bow at a venture 1 Kings the last chap. and it was a hundred to one if shooting among the croud the Army he hit not some though who hee knew not it was Gods providence to direct the Arrow into Ahabs breast so it is twenty to one if in this so great Assembly I hit not some yea if I hit not many the Lord direct my Arrowes as he did his into the bosomes of the most guilty for undoubtedly if among the Clergy there be so many sorts of selfe-seekers as hath beene said then who dares affirme with Corah that the whole Congregation is holy that this whole Congregation is holy You therefore in the first place pray give me leave to speake in the second person you I say that seeke your selves in your owne ease whose strength is to sit still as Esay speakes in another sense that feede not the flocke but onely upon the flocke in the feare of God thinke upon it How can you without terrour read all those threatnings against idle Shepheards denounced against you by the Prophet Ezekiel How can you without trembling heare that woe to them that be at ease in Sion proclaimed by Amos How dare you by your practice say after him in the Gospel Soule take thine ease or body take thine ease when he is gone to Hell before you will not ease slay you in the end then Solomon is no man of his word did not ease fit Moab for destruction doth not Jeremy say that that was the cause shee settled upon her Lees Is not to be given up to ones own ease to be given up to ones owne selfe to ones own hearts lust and did you ever read of any such a one that was freed from himselfe againe till the Devill freed him wee read of some that were delivered up to Satan that were freed againe as was Job in one kind and the incestuous Corinthian in another their spirits were saved notwithstanding in the day of the Lord Jesus but you never read of a man that was delivered to himselfe but went to Hell Now for a man to be given up to his owne ease I say is to be given up to his owne selfe even over to the very highest kind of impiety to sit in the seate of the scornefull which of three degrees is the highest as we gather from Psal. 1. 1. for you may see what the Prophet saies in another place Psal. 123. 4. saies he Our soule is exceedingly filled with the scorning of whom of them that be at ease And Brethren is it not so have yee any such scorners flouters and gibers of painfull Preachers and of Sermon-hunting as they scoffingly terme them or rather more truly of Heaven-hunting people as those idle lasie non-preaching Ministers But derisores Deus ipse deridet saies the Wiseman yea he will laugh at their calamity and mocke when their feare commeth Be wise now therefore O yee Ministers be painefull O yee Beneficed men lest by taking to your selves too much liberty you be given up to your owne liberty and so become in the end the objects of Gods derision O I beseech you by those mercies of God which your selves have tasted above other men I le put my selfe into your number as I have good cause I beseech you I say let us be carefull that these received mercies breed not our future miseries but while our wages is greater then our fellow-labourers let us if it may be exceed them in our paines-taking lest it fare with us as it did sometime with the Israelites Psal. 106. 15. God having granted our request for our bellies we have leannesse therewithall sent into our soules If we remember well the Apostles words He that will not labour must not eate we would never conceit that God gives us foode to lie still or if he doth it is to that end as men feede their swine to fit them for the slaughter O while we may
therefore let ut thinke upon it Is not well done good and faithfull servant a more pleasing word then you idle and unprofitable will not enter thou into the joy of thy Lord sound more sweet then throw him into â—â—ter darknesse Will it not be a heavie hearing when Christ shall urge Why stood yee all the dayidle when he shall bid remember how thou in thy life time receivedst thy pleasure Well Brethren for the love of Christ let us thinke on these things and drive ease betime from our luskish sinfull bodies that we may partake of that promise Psal. 25. 13. His soule shall live at ease that we may have cause to say at the last day with the sonne of Sirack Modicum laboravi inveni mihi multam requiem And you that have not yet these occasions to be idle I meane Lecturers Curats and the like that it may be more through the idlenesse of the Pastors then out of your owne due worth doe gleane away the affections of the people take you heed that hereafter when your table is set it doth not in like sort prove a snare unto you as it doth to many others you may haply for the present inveigh bitterly against them that are guilty in this kind and hereafter be condemned your selves de eodem crimine Let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest hee fall for it is not poverty as the common vote goeth but rather plenty that proves the man As the fining pot to the gold and the furnace to the silver so is a man according to his dignity saies wise Solomon Prov. 27. But so much for the first Now for the second sort you that are non-Residents that neither feed your flocke nor know your flocke what shall I say to you you are like the good Shepheard in no respect for you neither know yours nor are known of yours the Thiefe comes not but for to steale saies Christ John 10. speaking of the false Shepheards so you come not but to take that wages you never earned Againe he speakes in the same Chapter of some that came before him that were Theeves and Robbers and he addes the Sheepe did not heare them it may be said of you that come after him your Sheepe doe not heare you verily you are worse then the hireling there mentioned for he flees not till he sees the Wolfe come but you flee before-hand to give occasion to his comming it was the hirelings fault in Christs time not to care for the Sheepe but now it is the fault of our chiefe Shepheards he cares not for the Sheep saies Christ because he is an hireling but if Christ were here now he must turne his note and say he cares not for them because he is their Shepheard Sure you know Shepheard is a Relative word and must confesse his Correlatum and so no doubt but you will doe you will not deny that you have a Living but withall you have a rule which you learned when you were freshmen and make more use of it now then you did then and that is this Distantianon tollit Relationem But by your favour that rule is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Non tenet in Sacris But however what say you to Pastor then that inferres a presence and for the word Watchman to be sure that forbids non-Residence Well Brethren the day will come when you shall hear the voyce Reddite rationem villicationis vestrae How you will be able to say Of them thou hast given us in charge we have lost none I know not Nay see you to it if yee shall not rather have cause to say Of them thou hast given us in charge we have looked to none Certainly of all men you have cause to feare a Nescio vos as a due reward to a Nescio Oves wherefore for your owne sakes while you have time doe as the Apostle bids feed the flocke of Christ that depends upon you 1 Pet. 5. 2. Nay remember but what Christ said to Peter Peter saies he Lovest thou me then feed my Sheepe Probatie dilectionis est exhibitio operâ—s And for you in the third place that preach plausibly to live peaceably that seeke ease by soothing you faithlesse unfaithfull faint-hearted Preachers you are in the esteeme of Gods Spirit a Generation of the vilest men for you are called Es. 9. 15. the taile of the people the Prophet that teacheth lies is the taile and you teach lies when you dawbe with your untempered morter when you promise to the rotten and unhumbled soules of men life and peace when terrible things are at hand even garments roll'd in bloud devoâ—ting flames and everlasting burnings Assuredly it will little availe you at the last day to say Have not we preached in thy Name for you are if not enemies at least disdainers of the Crosse of Christ your preaching in his Name is to little purpose unlesse it be sometime with his Crosse upon your shoulders they preach best in Christs name that preach by sufferings I pray Brethren let us lay it to our hearts we in a speciall manner have taken the Lords presse-money when we were ordained into the Ministery and therefore bound to goe to warre yea and to bid defiance to the whole world in as much as Saint John saies it lies all in wickednesse Bellum you know in Latin signifies both warre and good and sure in this they goe both together no warre without no good within free from opposition voyd of goodnesse we can never play the parts of right Souldiers or valiant Captaines but when the enemy is about our eares we are never to any purpose laying siege to Heaven but when we are suffering violence and the violent take it by force saies our Saviour not the plausible No we cannot upon sufficient grounds thinke that we are rightly sowing Gods Pearles unlesse some Dogges turne againe and rend us that we are of Jeremies perfect stampe unlesse we be accounted contentious that we are true Ezekiels unlesse the Scorpions bite us or like David men after Gods owne heart unlesse the Lions roar upon us that we are any of God Almighties Lambs unlesse our habitation be among the Wolves What Christs Sheep must beare Christs marks I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Jesus saies the Apostle and what are they but railings revilings oppositions chaines if need be and imprisonments for the hope of Israels sake saies the Apostle I am bound with this chain yea and he was as proud if we may use that word of that his Iron chaine as the best Alderman in London of his chaine of gold and more â—eason he had for it and the Apostle commends Onesiphorus for this that he was not ashamed of his chaine and doth it become us to be affraid of its chinking We read of John the Baptist how he
cared for to bee looked after For it is onely possidete animas vestras it is not villas vestras as August notes your villages your houses and lands your wealth and riches for it had beene vaine to have advised to this in times of trouble and persecutions when such things are sure to goe to wracke nor indeed had it beene worth the while to have looked after such things specially then for what are they nec vera nec vestra saies Bernard neither true goods for they bide not by you nor your owne for you cannot carry them away with you and had he advised to the keeping of these he would not have prescribed patience as the meane for that is the way rather to lose all he should have said rather bestirre your selves put up no wrong one injury will draw on another talke and prate scold and raile lye and sweare tugge and pull for this is the course that men commonly take to get and keepe riches Nor doth he say possidete honores vestros looke to your Honours your Credits your good esteeme see you lose not an inch of that for he knew that this was not in their owne hands to keepe Honor est honorantis non honorati it is in the mouth of the people and what is Vox populi Why Hosanna to day and Crucifige to morrow even honest mens credits are often forced to lodge upon the tongue of Knaves and beside our Saviour knew also there was not so much need to advise to be carefull of this for he foresaw that too too many that would professe his name would be more carefull of their credit then they would be of their Conscience yea they would be religious to no other purpose and weare the Hood of Profession to no other end but to get them a good esteeme among men Nor thirdly t is not possidete amicos vestros keepe your Friends lose not the love of them however for he knew that friends were slippery ware and to keepe them was more then could be done with a good conscience as the world was like to goe with them in those succeeding dayes when one friend and brother would betray another to death unlesse they would resolve to humour them at all turnes never contradict them or reprove them doe they or speake they never so crossely never speake against those faults which the world notes them to be guilty of for example if they be noted to be railers slanderers backe-biters whisperers censurers evill speakers of Rulers Governours men of place and authority why never find fault with them for these things never alleadge Scripture against these conditions but rather animate them in their way commend their zeale and against Gods word and conscience bee as they bee and doe as they doe or else no possibility of keeping them Nor fourthly it is not possidete opiniones vestras hold your opinions sticke close to your owne fancies what ever reasons shall be brought against them etiamsi suadent non persuadent tamen though you be convinced never so yet be sure you hold your owne be resolute for he knew indeed that men without bidding many of them would hold faster their opinions then the faith it selfe yea rather then they should sinke they care not though religion and peace and all goe to wracke they will turne every stone but their owne conceits shall take place Nor fifthly it is not possidete delicias vestras your delights your pleasures see you abate not your selves of them whatsoever plagues and judgements and miseries and troubles come amongst you follow your sports and pastimes your feasts and pleasures still Nor lastly it is not corpora vestra your bodies looke well to them that they pine not see they lie soft and be well fed drinke good store of Sacke and Sagar that your bodies may looke plump and faire and fat and be in good liking for all your troubles No Brethren here is not a word of any of all these things here is onely possidete animas vestras looke to your soules either because he fore-saw men were apt to be more carelesse of them then of other things and so needed to be called upon or else to teach them according to the doctrine that your soule above all things is to be cared for to be looked after And so it is by reason of its excellencie above all things which you may take a glimpse of from these three considerations I shall propouâ—d unto you which may serve for so many proofes and reasons of the point First consider that the divine graces of Gods holy spirit which of all things that can be imagined are the most excellent are appointed to adorne the soule of man now thinke if the hangings are so excellent what may you conceive of the roome for which they are appointed of the soule that is to be adorned sure that is most excellent and regardable above all things Secondly consider how he that best knew yea that only knew the worth of a soule for the truth is no meere man while he is in his mortall condition is able to set a true value upon the soule or to esteeme of it according to its worth but he onely that paid the price for it the Lord Jesus he alone knew the worth of it and consider how he preferres it above all the world Matth. 16. 16. What will it profit a man to â—inne the whole world and lose his owne soule the whole world it seemes is not worth one soule sure then it is to be looked after above all things Thirdly consider the price he gave for the soules redemption not any corruptible thing but the very precious life bloud of himselfe the sonne of God 1 Pet. 1. 19. any thing that is mortall may be valued by a mortall man and one earthly thing may be purchased by another but mans soule as appeâ—res is neither mortall nor earthly for the Sonne of God only is able to value that and his bloud onely to make purchase of it therefore sure to be esteemed above all things But perhaps you will say Doth not the text tell us it may be purchased by patience and we thereby may be they that may make purchase of it I answer True but Christian patience is no corruptible thing it is a vertue post funera vivit vertue never dies with the body but lives for ever Jobs body is dead but his vertue lives James 5. 11. You have heard of the patience of Job Patience is a Grace and Grace in the godly is never extinct as sinne is not in the wicked both grace and sinne goeth to Heaven or Hell as the foule doth and abides in it and with it for ever to beautifie or to torture it Besides you must not conceive that by your patience you shall make such a possession of your soules as Christ did by his bloud for he thereby purchased the fee-simple of them the full right both title and tenure from the
hands of Justice and therefore they are wholly his as we our selves are all over 1 Cor. 6. 19. 20. but we by our patience shall oâ—ely become capable of the benefits and blessings of Christs purchase we shall from the hand of mercy and free grace have the command over and the free use of what he payed so deare for for the truth is Christ did not enter upon this purchase for his owne behoofe but for ours onely and therefore it was made in our name because he meant we should have the benefit of it he would freely put us in possession and keepe us in the same so long as we continue qualified with patience which also he bestowes though it be called ours in your patience for that is oâ—rs as our soules are wee have it of his free gift not of our selves I le make it plain by an example A Prince hath won or purchased a Castle and made it â—ensible against the enemy with his owne munition and then puts a servant in possession of it and tels him So long as you continue faithfull to me and make use of this munition for defence so long shall you injoy the benefits and priviledges of this Castle you shall be defended in it and have the command over it and the free use of it and much honour by being Captaine thereof So our Lord Jesus having purchased the Castles of our soules with his bloud at the hands of his Fathers justice out of the power of sinne and Satan that before under Gods justice had the power and keeping of them and then fortifying them with his divine power strengthning them with his grace gives us command over them and tels us so long as we continue faithfull to him and patient that is make use of his Ammunition and Grace we shall keepe the possession of them and of all the comforts and priviledges that doe appertaine unto them which to us both is and will be greater honour and more happinesse then if he should have put us in possession of a Kingdome You have heard the saying My mind to me a Kingdome is nay Solomon saies to have freedome of mind and command over ones owne spirit is better then to have command over a City Prov. 16. 32. He that is patient and slow to anger is better then the mighty and he that can rule his owne spirit then he that can rule a City what this freedome and rule is we shâ—ll in part shew when we come to the next point we will now come to the Use of this Is the soule so excellent a commodity that grace from Heaven is sent to adorne it that the bloud of the Sonne of God onely is able to redeeme it and that the whole world with all its treasure is not to be compared unto it How farre beside themselves then are they that make but little or no account of it some there are that will scarce beleeve they have any soules at all because they never saw them for they are resolved to beleeve no more then they see and they have the same opinion concerning God indeed they thereby sufficiently declare that their soules serve them onely in stead of Salt to keep their bodies from stinking Others there are that will oft protest as they have souls to save but if you looke upon their wayes of worldlines drunkennesse malice and opposition to the meanes and messengers of the soules salvation you may well be perswaded that they beleeve no such matter And a third sort there is that though perhaps they may beleeve that they have soules yet they thinke them not worthy above all things to be cared for their wealth shall have the upper hand sixe whole dayes shall willingly be imployed about that and not one without grudging about the soule I warrant if I should hold you two houres now in dispensing among you provisions for the soule there would be more maundering and it would irk some more then if they should spend ten houres in some shop about their worldly imployments and I pray what cheating what couzening what lying what swearing what injustice what oppressing to get wealth and riches is every where practised and for Gods sake what doth all this prove but that men preferre the world before their soules And so for friends will not too too many hazzard their soules to get or keepe the favour of them of some rich worldly man whom they hope may be a good Master to them wil they not be ready to say what he would have them yea and perhaps to sweare to it too And for credit doth not many stand more upon that then upon their soules safety to have a name for great Preachers great professors great gifted men to be esteemed the holy ones sans pere without parallell then to be truly gracious humble sincere and secretly upright with God I would they did not for then we should not heare such vaunting bragges nor see such wilfull uneven walkings as sometime in private we doe and in deed are ashamed to name because they would be thought incredible they being the conditions of some of them that are most famous for good Againe have we not many that love their opinions better then they doe their soules and study more to uphold them then to preserve these nay alas how many be there that make their opinions theâ—r consciences and have no other conscience then their bare opinion the truth is they doe not know nor will they learn to know the one from the other And for the body alas who almost regards not that in the first place the body the body they are all for the body and I pray how doth your body Sir and make much of your body and so they will without bidding that shall be cloathed and fed and nourished and Physicked but the soule in the meane time shall be tattered and torne and ragged and leane never will they mind its welfare nor well indure those that perswade thereto the bodily Physitian shall be welcome to them whensoere he comes and if they be but sicke of the finger-ake he shall be sent for with much intreaty and wel paied for his pains in comming but for the Physitian of the soule if he will come he may but he shall never be sent for and when he doth come he shall have the coursest and homelieft entertainment that can be imagined scarce welcome scarce Godamercie for his paines in comming if they be sick when he hath asked them how they doe he had best take heed he goe no further then the out-side if he beginnes to speake any thing about the soule why then Sir I did not sleepe well the last night I pray spare me at this time talking is somewhat tedious unto mee some such paltry tricke or other they will have to rid the house of him Now alas what simple men are these that are thus all for the body and as I may say thus nothing for the soule
that is a stranger to patience to doe any worke acceptable to God but on the other side he that hath patience in his heart and lets the same perfectly appeare in his life and practice is so perfect and intire a man that he wanteth nothing which may make him acceptable either to God or man James 1. 4. But in handling the poinâ— I shall tell you what kind of patience is here meant then I shall prove the necessity of it according to the doctrine and then we shall conclude onely with an Use of exhortation thereunto First what kind of Patience is here meant The coyne patience is of two sorts in the one is Caesars Image in the other is the Image of Christ the one was in use among the Merchants of Egypt the Heathens and Gentiles but the other onely among the Merchants of Israel that former which they had was not of like value with this latter it carryed with it the like poena it was circa res adversas but not the like price it was not seconded with the like hope because not alike grounded upon precious promises nor exercised to a like end in obedience to God nor was it from the same principle for it was the fruit onely of well-ordered nature and not of grace as the Sooth sayers of Egypt could do the like miracles that Moses did but not by the same spirit and power as he so the Heathens could suffer many such afflictions as Christians doe with a like strength but not with the same comfort multa tulerunt animo forti nulla tamen sâ—lida consolatione saies one they shewed more valour then they found comfort in their sufferings miranda erat stupiditas sed neganda patienâ—ia suis Aug. we admire their stoutnesse but doe deny they had any patience at all For the patience which we intend it is a divine grace wrought in mans heart by Gods spirit whereby a man in obedience to Gods command in expectance of his promise and in consideration of his power and providence over all his wisdome and goodnesse in all doth meekly beare and quietly suffer all the bitter of sowre that doth befall him or that is unjustly offered him how grievous and harâ—h soever sensui carni to sense and reason without any hatred or heart-rising against any that are meanes of the same Every particular of this description I durst undertake to make good by the word of God but that it would take up too much time and I feare should I presse it home many that take themselves for good Christâ—ans might find that they are quite without this grace according to this description and if without this I cannot warrant them that they have any more then a bare shew of any other for the reason fore-alleadged But further you must note that patience in Scripture is also called long-suffering though some distinguish betweene these two and say the one signifies bearing and the other for-bearing bearing when we cannot revenge for-bearing when we can but doe not Aretius also saies the one is circa graviora pericula about greater evils and the other circa leviora about lesser but I here understand Patience to signifie both the one and the other bearing and for-bearing both the greater and the lesse wrongs even wrongs of all sorts and I say this Patience is a vertue of great consequence and a grace most needfull for a Christian. 1. It is a vertue of great consequence 2. It is a grace most needfull 3. For a Christian above all other 1. That it is a vertue of great consequence I prove thus First that must needs be a vertue of great consequence which to obtaine a man should not onely be content but also exceeding glad to fall into many miseries into divers temptations But such is Patience James 1. 2 3. v. Brethren be exceeding glad when yee fall into divers temptations knowing that such trials worke patience therefore it is a vertue of great consequence Secondly that must needs be a veâ—tue of great consequence which being obtained makes a man perfect intire and to want nothing But such is Patience James 1. 4. Let Patience have her perfect worke that you may be perfect intire and wanting nothing therefore it is a vertue of great consequence Thirdly That must needs be a vertue of great consequence which preserves a man from all shame But such is patience Rom. 5. 4 5. Patience brings forth experience and hope which maâ—eth not ashamed and hee that hath patience discovers not his nakednesse by his passions whereby he might be shamed therefore it is a vertue of great consequence 2. That it is a grace most needfull it is plaine from Heb. 10. 36. where it is said you have need of Patience it is not said it were well if you had it or it were a convenient thing but you have need of it you cannot be without it and why see there First that doing the will of God you may inherit the promises it seemes you cannot doe the will of God without it indeed Gods will is done by patient suffering Not my wil but thine be done saies Christ when he went to suffer nor as seemes can we receive the promises without it see them and touch them we may by faith but by Patience we receive them inherit and injoy them for promises are not received so soone as they are apprehended therefore patience is needfull even as faith indeed they stand together in the same ranke Heb. 6. 12. Be yee followers of them that through faith and patience inherit the promises Secondly it is needfull because without it a man cannot be fruitfull though his heart be honest and good for even such a heart if it brings forth fruit from the Word heard it must be by patience Luke 8. 15. they that receive the word into an honest and good heart keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Thirdly it is needfull because our life is a race and without patience we cannot runne it Heb. 12. 1. Let us runne with patience the race that is set before us nor without it can we receive the reward at the end of it for Rev. 2. 3. chap. to him that overcommeth to him that indureth to the end to him that is patient unto death shall be given the things there promised the Crowne the new name the white stone the morning starre Fourthly it is needfull because our life specially our Christianlife Christianity is a warfare where the victory is gotten non feriendo sed ferendo not by giving but by bearing blowes by patience In the Olympian and so in all worldly combats the Champion gets the day and winnes the Garland that bestowes most blowes upon his Antagonist but in the warres of the Lord whose wayes and courses are alwayes contrary unto mans he beares away the Crowne and gets the day that receives most blowes from the hands of his adversaries and in lieu thereof returnes nought but good workes
spared because there were so many in it that knew not their right hand from their left Therefore you see the example of Elias was not rightly alledged and good men may through ignorance misapply Scripture And if good men may then no doubt but evill men may and will too indeed not an Heretique or Schismatique that ever was but they would alledge Scripture for their opinions but it was Scripture mis-applyed and peâ—verted as the Apostle sayes many doe to their owne destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. We have many now adayes of this ranke whom the Apostle describes by their conditions and by their followers 2 Tim. 3. from the first to the tenth verse and among other their conditions he sayes ver 5. That they have a forme of godlinesse that is they can alledge Scripture to their owne ends though they deny the power of it in their lives Secondly he sayes they are men of corrupt mindes and reprobate concerning the true faith and he compares them to a couple of Conjurers Jannes and Jambres that withstood Moses the true called servant of the Lord. Thirdly he sayes further they are housecreepers they love to worke in secret And then their followers with whom they most prevaile are silly women that are not able to withstand them that through their sillinesse do admire them these they take captive and so they doe some men too that are as silly and as weake as those women laden with sinnes and divers lusts And Oh how fast such corrupt hearers doe drinke in corrupt Doctrines Indeed corrupt hearts will always swallow downe corruptions and errours faster then truths How many yeares have many of Gods faithfull Ministers beene painefully Preaching truthes in publique as Christ did to some people and yet they have not received the same but now of late we have had a brood of Sectaries and they have whispered up and downe in corners men that have come in their owne names and what abundance of followers have they gotten upon the suddaine It was a true saying of our Saviour to such kind of followers I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his owne name him ye will receive Joh. 5. 43. And indeed you may alwayes know an error by peoples readinesse to receive it like will to like a corrupt Doctrine will quickly take a corrupt heart and you may discover evill men and false teachers by this they that cannot or doe not apply Scriptures to themselves for the humiliation of their owne hearts and for the sanctification of their owne tongues and lives as many of these doe not cannot rightly apply them for others instruction at least they may be suspected in their allegations for the Spirit of truth is the Spirit of sanctification good men may be mistaken in alledging Scriptures therefore much rather may evill But I will hold you no longer in the Context I come to the carriage and words of our Saviour in the Text it selfe wherein we have two things 1. Our Saviours dislike of their motion 2. His confutation of it His dislike in the first words He turned and rebuked them His confutation in the rest And first of the first He turned and rebuked them Doubtlesse the Apostles expected another kinde of turne then they here met withall they looked he should have turned and commended them for their zeale and said Well I see yet some body loves me though others care not for me yet you doe I see it grieves you that this disgrace is offered me you are worthy for this your tendernesse towards me to sit the one on my right hand and the other on my left in my kingdome Sure I say the Disciples did expect some such like words as these with the confirmation of their motion but sayes the Text He turned and rebuked them They were zealous indeed but they were rash withall and therefore he turned and rebuked them from whence we learne that Rash zeale deserves no commendation but rather to be rebuked When men out of their private spirits will goe about to revenge Gods quarrell upon sinners they shall have no thanke at his hand for their labours here was sin against God committed and as great a dis-respect offered to Christ as almost could be yet we see he doth not approve of their desires to revenge it Men of blood that have cruelty in their hearts and mouthes and hands too if they have advantage against their owne enemies that have used them ill or against Christs enemies that have used him ill are to be rebuked we Ministers may nay we must rebuke such spirits and such motions And a great many such spirits have we now adayes whom if we should rebuke as Christ here did his Disciples they would cry out upon us for no friends of Christ or of his cause no but friends of Publicans and sinners rather as the Pharisees said that Christ was when he rebuked them The Pharisees indeed would have had Christ rebuked none but those that themselves called and counted Publicans and sinners and never to have meddled with them though they were never so hypocriticall and vile for if he did at any time they would be sure to defame him and exclaime upon him and miscall him so now we have many that would have us Ministers Preach onely against the sinnes of Drunkards and prophane persons and superstitious Papists but by no meanes they would not have us touch the sinnes of Professors be they never so blameable for they cannot they will not beare it at our hands our good names at least shall surely smart for it if we doe the least glaunce in a Sermon against their hypocrisie or headlong zeale is a sufficient ground with many of them to make them whisper us about the Country to be men of most bitter spirits against all goodnesse and against Gods people Indeed few men doe we meete withall that will take rebuke as the Disciples here did specially when they are rebuked for their rash zeale in the cause of God or Christ for which they expect commendation rather and perhaps it is that onely which many of them ayme at but it shewes that such are Professors rather of the Pharisees stampe then of the Disciples However our Sâ—viours example and action doth here 〈◊〉 us that rash 〈◊〉 deserves no commendation but rebuke rather Observe againe that Christ doth not bid his Disciples consider whether the good that might come by burning the Towne would out-weigh the losse thereof as the Powder Traitors when the case was propounded among them whether the Popish Lords and Knights in the Parliament house should be blowne up among the rest they consulted whether the good that might come to the Catholique cause by that deadly blow would not out-weigh the losse of them and finding in their hellish thoughts that it would they concluded to blow up them too No our Saviour Christ did not go that way to work here with his Disciples
by a double Argument First from the calling of the Apostlcs themselves you know not what spirit ye are of as if he had said desire of revenge is not sutable to men of your spirits or of your calling you are Ministers of the Gospell and you are my Disciples and you must doe onely that which sutes with my spirit which becomes the Gospell Secondly from the end of his owne comming who was their Master which was to save mens lives and not to destnoy them as if he had said What doe you tell me of burning Townes or of Elias example in calling downe fire from heaven to doe hurt is there no difference betweene me and Elias betweene the end of my comming and his if he came to destroy men and to pray against Israel yet I came to save men and to pray for Israel therefore a very unfit motion this is which you propound unto me and very impertinently doe you propound the example of him But I know you doe it ignorantly Nescitis you know not what spirit ye are of or of what spirit you ought to be ignorance is the cause of your Errour and your motion is naught because it springs from ignorance ignorance of your selves and of me too of your owne spirits and of the end of my comming Hence we gather these observations 1. Motions that proceed from ignorance are evill motions 2. Good men may be ignorant ant of their owne spirits 3. Ignorance of a mans owne spirit or of the distemper therein is a cause of that evill that comes from him 4. All motions that are unsutable to the end of Christs comming are sinfull motions And to these we shall adde one lesson more that fals naturally from the former Argument of the two as it hath beene opened or rather from our Saviours scope in the whole Text and that shall be this 5. Those that live under the Gospell must mind and speak and doe onely that which suites with the spirit of the Gospell These are the observations or lessons that we shall further dâ—scourse of briefely from the Text and of them in their order 1. Motions that proceed from ignorance are evill motions No good can come of ignorance without knowledge the minde is not good sayes Solomon and from amind not good no good can spring In Matth. 20. 23. there was a request or prayer made to Christ by the Mother of these two Apostles James and John but it proceeded oâ—t of ignorance and therefore our Saviour condeâ—nes it as no good request You aske sayes he you know not what And so that worship that proceeds from ignorance is no good worship You worship you know not what sayes our Saviour to the woman of Samaria Joh. 4. 22. and so he disallowes their worship as a sinfull worship And so Rom. 10. 2. the Apostle speakes of a zeale without knowledge and disallowes of it as not good ignorance is no mother of devotion or of goodnoffe as the Papists teach but rather of all errour of bloodshed persecution blasphemy oppression and of all filthy lusts of all ill motions as I could make good by divers particular Scriptures O that this truth were beleeved and remembred in these dayes for then perhaps people would not follow ignorant and unlearned teachers so fast as they doe of whom the Apostle speakes that they neither understand what they say nor whereof they affirme none more bold then the blind and none more ready to follow the blinde then those that are like them but if the blinde lead the blinde both will fall into the ditch sayes our Saviour Matth. 15. 14. But be it knowne from hence that the zeale of ignorance is not good nor the prayer of ignorance nor the preaching of ignorance nor the worship or devotion of ignorance nor any motion that proceeds from ignorance alisnaught that comes from this roote ignorance is darknesse and darknesse hath relation to Hell these Apostles here I warrant you after they knew this they were but little taken with this their owne motion nor did they delight to start any more of the like kinde I wish that all men were like the Apostles herein to take notice of their owne ignorance and to curbe and keepe in the fruites thereof But we proceed what ignorance was it that our Saviour blames here in these his Disciples why it was first the ignorance of their owne spirits You know not what spirit you are of and hence arises our second observation Good men may be ignorant of their owne spirits That is of that frame and disposition of heart that temper â—f spirit which themselves are of or ought to be of at such or such times and seasons or upon such occasions The Apostles here were good men yet they did not understand themselves you see nor what the nature of that spirit was which God at those times did give unto his servants God is the Father of Spirits and the giver of all good Spirits and you must know that God gives to his servants spirits sutable to the times and seasons the same spirit may be good at one time and not at another Elias spirit was good in his time but the times being changed his spirit or the temper of his spirit may not be so good now Jesus Christ the Son of God being come by his comming he made a change of the times and so by consequence of the spirits too as we shall shew anon And indeed the Disciples inconsideration of the alteration of the times was the occasion that they were ignorant in this fort of their owne spirits And so still ignorance of the times and seasons and places where men live is often the cause that good men are ignorant of their owne Spirits or of what spirit they ought to shew a spirit that may be good at one time or in one place may not be so at or in another for example Luthers spirit was good in Luthers time God did fit him with a spirit according to the time and place wherein he lived and to the worke he had to doe but whether Luthers spirit be so good now and in these Realmes or whether all they that boast themselves to be of Luthers spirit are so indeed and have it from God as he had many wise men both doe and well may make a question But if we should grant that Luthers spirit were as good in these times as it was in his owne yet whether Carolostadius his spirit that was never good in Luthers time be good now or no is and may be a further question This Carolostadius was an ignorant Doctor in Luthers time that loved popularity and to be counted some body as well as Luther in the great worke of Reformation He was indeed a pretty tolerable man according to the condition of those times onely he had two defects and they were want of wit and want of sufficient learning and therefore he fell to Preach and
stirre up the people of their owne heads and accords to pull downe Images and pictures in Churches and glasse windowes in a most disorderly way and not to stay till they might be removed with quietnesse by Authority whereupon Luther writ against him and called him ignorant dunce for his labour And by that very tricke of the devill in stirring up Carolostadius to doe so Images stand to this day in the Lutheran Churches for Luther writing and preaching against Carolostadius his folly and disorder some have interpreted him thereby to write in the defence of Images and his followers doe still maintaine them as approved by him which surely is but a mistake for had Luther lived longer no doubt but he would have used meanes to have had them abolished too as wel as other Popery but in an orderly way by the hand of the Magistrate and not by popular fury and folly but now I saâ— whether the spirit that was never good be good in these dayes I thinke there is good cause to question it Nay my friends if any man should act with Carolostadius his spirit and boast that he were of Luthers spirit you would say here were ignorance indeed and injury too thus grossely to abuse Luther in attributing unto him such a spirit which as all men of reading know he did both write and speake against and sure if Luther himselfe were now alive he would say that the loome or the shop board would better become such teachers then the Pulpit Luthers spirit I am sure was a peaceable spirit in the Common wealth his indeavours were that reformation might be wrought orderly by them that were appointed thereunto and not by the mad hare-brained drunken multitude Well therefore we may conclude that it is a matter of great consequence to know the times and seasons wherein we live and to know what temper of spirit doth best sute the same it was the Apostles errour in the Text they were ignorant of the time and season at least inconsiderate of the same and hence it came to passe that they were ignorant of their owne spirits and the effect of this their ignorance was that evill or sinfulnesse in the motion that proceeded from them and that is our third observation Ignorance of a mans owne spirit or distemper therein is a cause of that evill that comes from him The Disciples ignorance of their owne spirits or their distemper in regard of their present passion at the sight of the Samaritans churlishnesse was the cause that they did not see the sinfulnesse of this their motion when the eye is yellow it thinkes all things to be of the same colour so when the minde is evill it appâ—ehends evill to be good Indeed the wisest man that is may easily be deceived in an action or motion if he knowes not the spirit or tempeâ— from whence it proceeds There be divers sorts of spirits in the world or divers tempers of spirit if you will and we are bidden to try them whether they be of God or no and why even to the end that we may know whether that which comes from them be good or no for one and the same act proceeding from divers spirits or divers tempers of spirit may be good or bad this act of Elias from him was good because he had a spirit inflamed only with divine zeale of Gods glory at that time much darkned in Israel but if the Disciples had done the same it had not beene good in them for their spirits were some what too carnall and did looke too much toward private revenge so prayer is a good act from a sincere spirit but from a proud and Pharisaicall spirit it is not so for our Saviour in the Gospell condemnes such prayers for the spirits sake they proceeded from so Almes is a good act from a tender-hearted selfe-denying spirit but from a selfe-seeking spirit it is not so fasting from an humble-broken spirit is a good duty but not so from an high selfe-conceited spirit as appeares also from our Saviours rebuke of those duties from such spirits zeale from a knowing spirit is good and commendable but not from an ignorant spirit as the Text shewes and the like may we say of all actions and motions they are good or bad according to the temper of the spirit from which they proceed O that this were well weighed and considered of in these times for then I doubt not but many of our now a day motions much of our fond zeale and many of our furious expressions against those we know not and against the things we are not acquainted with and many of the mad carriages of private men in ordering as they call it or rather in disordering of things in Church and Common-wealth would be found not to be very good or commendable as not comming from such spirits as becomes the followers of Christ to be guided by and to worke withall Well let us all be admonished to set a watch before our hearts and to examine all those actions and motions that proceed from us whence they come and whither they goe from what spirit they proceed and to what end and purpose they tend even as a carefull watchman that is set to watch at a doore will examine all passengers whence and whither and what about they come and goe for by this we shall come to have some knowledge of our spirits and when we once know our spirits to be right and good we shall have a great deale more comfort in our actions and motions then else we can have And truly we have great reason to indeavour after the knowledge of our owne spirits for we shall never know our selves nor God nor Christ as we ought to doe to aime at Gods glory in all we doe till we know our owne spirits And so much the rather too should we study this point because we see two great Apostles here ready to precipitate themselves into a bloudy act from their ignorance of this point and if such as they did then very easily may we if they were ignorant of their owne spirits then may we be ignorant of ours notwithstanding that great good conceit we have of our selves but how we shall know our spirits to be right indeed I shall intimate to you anon when I come to the Use of the next point which is this All motions that are unsutable to the end of Christs comming are sinfull motions You may observe that our Saviour doth dislike the Disciples motion here because it did not sute with the end of his owne comming it did not looke that way it was a destructive motion and his comming was to a saving end and had saving effects therefore I may conclude what ever motion sutes not herewith is not good but blameable And I may warrant my conclusion by those faulty motions which have beene exemplified in already as that which was about a place of temporall preferment a matter
say when with griefe and sorrow we thinke of these miscarriages we cannot but be comforted to remember withall that Christs spirit is cleane contrary to the spirits of angry and revengefull men as hath appeared by the end of his comming and this passage with his Disciples It was a great comfort to the Syrian King and his Nobles when they were in the King of Israels danger to remember that the Kings of Israel were mercifull Kings so may it be to us being in Christs danger to consider that he is a Prince of a mercifull spirit onely let us be carefull not to abuse his goodnesse in after times and doubt not but we shall taste of the sweetnesse of his spirit not withstanding what is past 2. For instruction and information that we doe not henceforth molest and grieve the spirit of Christ with such unsutable motions as the Disciples here did and as we sometimes use to doe you know it is the condition of many a man if he be but crossed in his way and vext by an enemy especially unjustly presently he is ready to desire that ruine and destruction might fall upon him and perhaps by prayer or imprecations is bold to request Christs aide in the businesse nay such is the weaknesse of some that if any man or creature dogge or horse or hawke offends them they will curse the same and call upon the name of God and Christ to send some judgement from Heaven upon it to joyne with them in doing a mischiefe well I say we should never doe thus never should we make any revengefull motions to Christ to grieve his sweet spirit did we well know Christs spirit and the end of his comming therefore I say note well the nature and temper of Christs spirit 2. By being well acquainted with the end of Christs comming and with the nature of his spirit we shall come to know our owne spirits and whether the motions that come from them be good or no the Disciples here were ignorant of the evill of that motion that came from themselves because they considered not the end of Christs comming It is a matter of great concernment for a man to know himselfe Nosce teâ—psum is a necessary lesson and a mans spirit is the best part of himselfe as is the spirit such is the man and we know the spirit to bee right and straight if it concords with the rule Christs spirit must be the rule to ours and to what end Christs spirit tended to the same must ours the aimes and indeavours of our spirits must bee to save and to helpe men no man doth sufficiently know Christs spirit and the end of his comming but he that hath a spirit tending the same way for this knowledge is influentiall into the soule or subject and makes it sutable to the object or thing known so that when such a one is moved or tempted unto any thing he bethinkes himselfe Is it sutable to the end of Christs comming doth it tend to the welfare of others would Jesus Christs spirit allow of it would he if he were here and in my case doe it and even as he thinkes Christ would doe in such a case so doth he doe and no otherwise but more of this in the next point 3. We shall know the spirits of others by being acquainted with the end of Christs comming and the nature of his spirit which naturally we desire to doe more then to know our owne nor indeed is it unlawfull to desire and indeavour to discerne them we are bidden to try the spirits whether they be of God oâ— no 1 John 4. 1. and no safer or quicker way to this then by knowing the end of Christs comming and then by considering whether mens spirits tend the same way if they doe we may conclude of them to be good and of God if otherwise not Christs spirit is diffused into all his true members and they all reckon themselves to be sent into the world for the same end as Christ was as Christ came not to hurt or mischiese any but to doe good to all so they and they have received vertue and power to that very end and purpose from Christ as the Apostle ingenuously confesseth 2 Cor. 13. 10. The Lord saies he hath given us power to edification and not to destruction and therfore in another place I became all things to all men that I might winne some in a word the spirit of the Gospel is in all the children of the Gospel and they account it their duty to doe nothing but what is sutable to the spirit of the Gospel which also is a matter that concernes all that live under the Gospel and that is our last point 5. It is the duty of them that live in the times of the Gospel to minde speake and doe onely that which sutes with the spirit of the Gospel This also is manifest from the text by our Saviours dislike and confutation of his Disciples motion because it did not savour of a Gospel-like spirit what doe you tell me saies he of Elias his spirit now the Sonne of man is come Now to informe you somewhat of the nature of the times of the Gospel and of the spirit thereof I must tell you that there is a great difference betweene the former times and these not in respect of time it selfe for that is alwayes the same but in respect of a new spirit which Christ by his comming brought with him we have a phrase of speech the Genius of the times or the spirit of the times some times are turbulent and then we say a turbulent spirit is in the times some times are more placable and then we say a more peaceable spirit ruleth in some times the vulgar sort of men generally are more bold and impudent with their betters and superiours then is decent and comely and then some will say the Genius of the times is a sawcy fellow sometime the world travels with perversnesse sometime with envie and hatred sometime with one domineering sinne and sometime with another and men in their language will attribute it to the spirit of the times But indeed such as the spirits and conditions of men are such are the times for men denominate times to be good or bad plenty of good men make good times and abundance of wicked men doe make the times abundantly wicked But concerning the difference between the former times and these The times before Christ were times of ignorance and darknesse men were bad and did not know it but when Christ came he brought with him a spirit of light and knowledge to discover sinne and to convince the world thereof and so the times were changed to be times of light and knowledge and Christ himselfe in this respect was called A light to lighten the Gentiles and those that sate in darknesse Againe before Christ came the times were times of terrour of the Law which was called fiery the ministration
the fruites and effects thereof upon the sonnes of men there intimated under the names of other creatures The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye downe with the Kid and the calfe and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little childe shall lead them And the Cow and the Beare shall feed their young ones shall lye downe together and the Lion shall eate straw like an Oxe and the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned Childe shall put his hand on the hole of the Cockatrice den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountaine The meaning in a word of all is this Those that were as Wolves Leopards Lions Beares and Aspes before for their doing mischiefe and cruelty shall by the sweet spirit of the Gospell be so wrought upon be so altered and so changed that they shall be in condition like those meek and harmelesse creatures that formerly were most hatefull to them they shall no more hurt as before they did but they shall be of a like disposition unto Christ himselfe who never did doe hurt to any and so shall they become fit inhabitants of Gods holy Mountaine And thus we have seene what the times of the Gospel are and what the spirit of the Gospel is and the naturall effect thereof Now to draw to an end our Use shall be onely of examination and of exhortation Frst of examination what times doe you conceive these are that we now live in are they times of the Gospel or no and whose Disciples doe we reckon our selves to be Elias his Disciples or Christs Let us remember this that the Disciple and the Master must both have one spirit if we be Christs Disciples we must shew Christs spirit in all our wayes if we live in the times of the Gospel it is our duty to mind speake and doe only that which sutes with the spirit thereof When we purpose any thing in our hearts or ruminate of any thing in our thoughts we must aske our owne consciences Is this purpose are these cogitations sutable to the spirit of the Gospel are they gratefull to Christs spirit would Jesus Christ were he in my case purpose the same thing would he ponder and meditate upon such thoughts as I now doe So for our words we must consider whether they doe become the Gospel of Christ whether they be gracious and seasoned with the right salt and doe tend to the edification of others for such words onely become the Gospel a man should aske himselfe Was it Christ Jesus his manner to speake thus to use such words as I now doe so when we act a thing we must consider and ask our consciences Whose worke is it is it such a worke as the Gospel allowes of or as Christ was wont to exercise himselfe in I live under the Gospel and it is my duty to thinke speake and doe onely that which becomes the spirit thereof I am a member and a servant of Christ and it is my duty to approve my selfe onely such a one I have heard that in Venice every one doth so mind the publike good that if a motion be propounded to any of them the first thought and question about it is how it may availe to the benefit and honour of the Common-wealth so all we should mind the honour of the Gospel in such sort that we should consider of every motion we have and of every thing we doe how it may and doth sute with the same O if every of us were but carefull in this our duty we should not behave our selves as some of us often doe If when we are tempted to any sin as to lie to raile to slander to whisper men out of credit to get our selves in to be churlish to blow the coales of contention amongst men to be disobedient to revenge and the like we would seriously consider whether these be the fruits of the spirit of the Gospel we professe and whether by maniâ—esting them wee any whit credit and honour the same or cause men to speake well of it and would we but aske our selves Did Christ use to doe so and so did he use to lie and dissemble did he use to raile upon any that disliked him was it his custome to goe up and downe a slandering of men and aggravating their faults backbiting and whispering them out of credit to get himselfe in did he use to beare malice in his heart and to take occasions to revenge himselfe did he use to curse his enemies and to returne like for like was he churlish to any did he pâ—actice to set men at oddes and to make strife and contention where ere he came did he ever by his word or practice teach disobedience and doe I professe my selfe to be his member and to have his spâ—rit and shall I doe these things I say if we would thus sift and examine all our thoughts all our words and actions whether they are the thoughts words and actions of Christ I dare say we should not doe as we often doe Beleeve it it is our duty to sift our selves in this sort nay if the spirits be truly Gospel-like it is your customes to do thus and so from hence all that ever proceeds from you will savour of meeknesse and love of sweetnesse and goodnesse all your indeavours will tend the same way as Christs did to save and helpe others to doe good to all hurt to none onely your labour will be to destroy sinne and the workes of the Devill in all for to this end Christ came 1 John 3. 8. lying slandering malice divisions churlishnesse unkindnesse disobedience and the like these are the workes of the Devill and these Christ laboured to destroy and of the same minde and indeavours are all his servants Yea if your spirits be right you will alway beleeve that you were borne into the world to this very end to imitate Christ to set forth his conditions to others eyes by your life and carriage to be an instrument of mercie as he was the author of it to manifest your strength and power even as Christ did namely in bearing wrongs in pardoning offences and in praying for offenders I say if your spirits be right indeed this is their temper for God doth frame a mans heart to the same end for which hee sends him even as he did furnish Christ himselfe with a spirit suâ—able to the end of his comming Luke 4. 18. But be you assured and let us all be assured that if our spirits be contrary to Christs if we be cruell mischievous spightfull revengefull if our aimes and indeavours be contrary to the end for which Christ came doubtlesse though we live under the Gospel we have not yet received the right spirit of the Gospel we are still in the state of sinne however we thinke of our selves or however others thinke of us for they that have received the spirit of the
Gospel have the very mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 16. they have Christ in them and if Christ bee in us he hath wrought the effects of his comming in us to be of his mind of his conditions and of his spirit and to intend the same things as he did examine your selves by this We have many in these dayes that thinke and say they have the spirit of Christ onely because they are professors of Christ although they discover none of his conditions nay I wish they did not rather discover themselves to be enemies unto them as they are in others shall I instance in a few particulars We have some even of those that professe Christ if they see a man of a good nature of a patient and yeelding spirit that is for peace and that indeavours to gaine them as Christ did by love and suffering and selfe-denying why they will be sure to lay on load enough like those unreasonable men that Saint Paul desires to be delivered from they will never leave burdening him with injuries and unkindnesses that so if possible they may turne his love into hatred and his patience into passion and so force him to be weary of his good way and to doe something in a distemper as may helpe to confirme in mens minds their fore-vented slanders of him Christ did not doe thus nor doe such doings savour of the Gospel it is not our profession therefore or our pretensions but our conditions that must prove us right Againe Christ found men bad and made them good and opened all the wayes of good for them to walke in but we have many that say they are for Christ who if they doe not find men bad will take a course to make them so at least in others eyes they will invent evill and cast it upon them as that holy King complained they dealt with him Psal. 55. 3. They cast iniquity upon mee saies he and in wrath they hate me as the Heathens in the Primitive times first cloath'd the Christians in skins of beasts and then set dogges on them so doe some that call themselves Christians deale with their brethren now and because they shrewdly feare these abused ones will by their harmlesse carriages confute their contrived slanders they will indeavour if they can to barre up all wayes of good and of discovery and to force and drive them if possible into wayes of evill Againe Christ hides our blemishes he covers our sinnes yea if we have once truly with griefe confessed them he quite forgets them and blots them out of his remembrance for ever this was his way of winning men but we have some that goe for the best in their owne esteemes who if they get a matter against another that deserveth blame as what man liveth and sinneth not they will be sure to lay it up as they say till a rainy day that is they will remember it and upon all occasions for their owne conceived advantage and the others vexation dammage and disgrace repeat and publish it though perhaps it hath beene confessed on the delinquents part againe and againe both to God and them with sorrow Sure this was not Christs way not is it a way of winning but rather of making an everlasting separation although before there was never so neere a conjunction Tegens praevaricationem persequitur charitatem saies Solomon he that covereth a transgression seeketh love sed iterans rem he that repeates a maâ—ter disâ—ung it ducem saies Tremelius but our English translation is separates very friends Christ was of a winning and gaining disposition the young man in the Gospel that had but onely a good nature as they say our Saviour looked on him and loved him saies the text and said Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of Heaven so by his sweet carriage and language he indeavoured to draw him nearer to it and he called Judas the traitor when he came with a company to apprehend him Friend friend wherefore art thou come inferring thereby his loving nature and that though the bond of friendship was broke on Judas his part yet on his part it still remained intire so that if Judas had but then said Master I have sinned hee would have replied Friend Judas I have pardoned thee in a word he was not harsh to any but courteous and affable to all wondrous lowly he gave every man his due he rather preferred all before himselfe then himselfe before any though he was and is above all yet he alwayes did and still doth yeeld first to every man whereas we have many that boast of his spirit that are harsh and rugged even to incivility they are unreconciliable if once offended they are high spirited they will stand upon their termes and will yeeld to none no not a haires breadth though they are never so much yeelded unto whereby they doe onely purchace disgrace to the Gospel which they pretend to professe and losse to themselves namely in mens opinions the imputation of religious and wise and of mens hearts and love which else they might gaine yea and perhaps they are meanes hereby even to destroy souls for the neglect of due retributions hath often driven men into indirect courses It is reported of Lucian and Porphirie both Christians at first but being wronged by their brethren one in words and the other with blowes and not receiving satisfaction out of stomach they renounced their religion turned Atheists and became enemies to their former profession yea even to Christ and God and all corruption crossed growes madde with rage the harshnesse of the Law makes sinne violent whereas the mildnesse of the Gospel tames the same nay even a good nature by harshnesse is made oft to doe contrary to its desire and disposition Pressura nasi educit sanguinem the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood Further yet Christ tooke no pleasure in sadding mens spirits but rather in gladding the hearts of men by telling them newes of his Fathers love and affection and willingnesse to be reconciled and by comforting those that were contemned abused and slandered chearing up their spirits against the worlds malice Blessed are ye sayes he when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad then for your reward is great in Heaven and thus they have dealt with the Prophets And againe Let not your hearts be troubled trust in God and trust in me thus have they used the Master and thus will they use his servants and be of good comfort in me you shall have peace though in the world you have affliction and in the ninth of John when the man was excommunicate and cast out from the society of men Jesus sought him out for to comfort him This was Christs delight this was his Practice But we have many that beare Christs name whose practice is cleane contrary whether it be out of weakenesse
will comfort you that will assure you from the pity towards others of Gods pity towards youâ— that you are forgiven as you practice forgivenesse and if you are of a gentle Gospel-like disposition all that are good will think themselves happy in your neighbourhood and acquaintance 6. And lastly Whereas there is much talke now adayes and men pray that Christ alone might rule in his Church consider and know that by acting onely with his spirit and by manifesting the conditions thereof in your words and wayes you advance him faster into his Throne then all the Bookes that are written for or against Church governement are able to doe whereas on the otherside by pride and contention and faction and cruelty and divisions and the like Christ is kept out of the chaire of his Kingdome surely the spirituall Government of Christ is chiefely exercised over the spirit or inward man and therefore it is a matter of more concernment to indevour the Introduction of that into your hearts that so there may be a fitted matter then to busie your heads with fancyes about externall Administrations God would quickely advance Christ into the Throne of his Church if he were first well enthroned in all our hearts if his spirit were but all in all there himselfe would quickely be all in all elsewhere and every where but while men will hand over-head doe all themselves revenge themselves pull downe their enemies themselves and thinke nothing either will be done or can be well done unlesse themselves have a finger in the businesse and suffer Christ to doe nothing alone or in his owne way leave nothing to his power wisdome and providence to be effected in his time for my part I cannot see any such unjust keepers of Christ out of the Throne of his Kingdome as are these themselves But you beloved of the Lord be you wise and waite upon Christ in his way submit your selves wholly to the governement of his sweet spirit let it command all your members let it order all your carriages let your thoughts words and actions savour of it and so you shall approve yourselves the faithfullest and truest friends to Christ in furthering his progresse into the Throne of his Kingdome And so much for this time Consider of these things and the Lord give you understanding Gratia Gloria Deo Christo Jesu adjutori meo Amen FINIS Iob 32. 21 22. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Job 29. 13. Iohn 3. 22. Doctr. 1. Propos. 1. Owne ease 1. Ezek. 34. 3. â—say 56. 10 11 12. 2. Iohn 10. 27. 3. Ier 6. 14. Luke 11. 21. Iames 4. 7. Act. 19. 13. 16. Gal. 1. 10. 2. Owne praise 1. Philosophy 2 Cor. 10. Sir Arthur Capell â— Act. 5. 36. 3. Matth. 24. 28. 1 Cor. 4. Gal. 4. 17. 3. Owne profit 1. 1 Tim. 3. 2. Matth. 6. 2. Luke 9 23. 2. Matth. 23. 4. Hâ—s 10. 1. 3. Hâ—â— 2. 6. Ier. 48. 10. Cor. 12. 14. Mal. 3. 8. Matth. 8. 20. Mal. 3. 8 9. Matth. 16. 26. Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 5. Haniball 2. Propos. 2 Cor. 5. 20. 2 Tim. 4. v. 2. ad 5. 3. Propos. 1. Ezek. 34. 2. Cal. 1. 10. 2. Iohn 5. 44. 3. Matth. 6. 24. â— Tim. 2. 4. 1 King 22. 2â— Numb 16. 3. 1. Es. 30. 7. Ezek. 34. 2. Ezek. 13. Ezek. 34. Amos 6. 1. Luke 12. 19. Prov. 1. 32. Ier. 48. 11. Iob 2. 6. 1. Cor. 5. 2 Cor. 2. Psal. 1. 1. Psal. 123. 4. Prov. 3. 34. Prov. 1. 2â— Psal. 106. 15. 2 Thes. 3. 10. Matth. 25. 21. v. 30. Matth. 29. 6. Luke 16. 25. Psal. 25. 13. Ecclus. 51. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Prov. 27. 21. 2. Iohn 10. 10. Vers. 8. Vers. 12. 13. Luke 16. 2. Iohn 17. 12. Matth. 7. 23. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Iohn 21. 17. 3. Es 9. 15. Ezek. 13. 10. Es. 9. 5. Es. 33. 14. Matth. 7. 22. Phil. 3. 18. Gal. 6. 12. 1 Iohn 5. 19. Matth. 11. 12. Matth. 7. 6. Ier. 15. 10. Ezek. 2. 6. Psal. 57. 4. Matth. 10. 16. Gal. 6. 17. Act. 28. Col. 1. 24. 2 Tim. 1. 16. Matth. 14. 11. Iohn 8. 59. Matth. 21. 45. Luke 20. 19. Iohn 13. 15. Ier. 1. 18. 19. Prov. 28. 23. Tit. 2. 15. Mal. 2. 9. Matth. 11. 7. Luke 1. 17. 1 King 18. â—1 Matth. 14. 4. Cor. 16. 13. Matth. 22. 16. Rev. 21. 8. Ezek 13. 18. 4. 1 Cor. 2. 4. Heb. 4. 12. Mar. 4. 33. Mar. 12. 37. Matth. 25. 21. 2 Cor. 10. 18. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Act. 3. 12. Act. 19. 2â— Col. 4. v. 7. 12. Matth. 25. v. 2â— 23. Phil. 2. v. 20. c. Veâ—s 25. ad 30. 6. Act. 8. 18. Act. 28. 3 4 5 c. 7. 8. 9. Iohn 18. 36. â— Tiâ— 4. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 10. Iohn 15. 19. Matth. 5. 13. Deut. 10. 9. Matth. 6. 33. 1 King 27. 4. Psal. 37. 16. Rev. 11. 18. Matth. 5. 12. Dan. 12. 3. 2 Cor. 2. 17. 2 Pet. 2. 15. Iude 11. â— Pet. 5. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 3. Tiâ—â—â— 11. 1 Tim. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 20. Iude 16. 30. 〈◊〉 2. 29. Reason Use 1. Use 2. 2. Prov. 6. 6. Reason Use. 3. Reason 1. 2. 3. Use. 2. 4. Phil. 1. 29. Doctr. 1. Use. Miâ— 2. 7. Han is Serm. Ep to the Reader before Samuels funerall Doctr. 2. Objection Answer Objection Answer Observ. Observ. Observ. Matth. 11. 29. Rom. 2. 14. Eccles. 8. 11. Observ. Jam. 3. 2. Observ. Part 1. â—â—serv Observ. Iob. 13. v. 7. 9. Observ. Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 15. Use. Part 2. Observ. 1 Prov. 19. 2. Mat. 22. 29. Act. 3. 15. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Thes. 4. 15. Use. 1 Tim. 1. 7. Observ. 2. Heb. 12. 9. Observ. 3. Mat. 6. v. 2. 5. 16. Use. Observ. 4. Matth. 20. 21. Matth. 26. 52. Iohn 3. 17. Luke 19. v. 10. 11. Use. Observ. 5. Luk. 2. 32. â— 79. Deut. 33. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 7. â— Luk. 2. â—4 Gen. 3. 24. 19. 24. Num. 16. 〈◊〉 Psal. 94. 1. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Acts. 9. Ephes. 5. 8. Rom. 12. 18. 1. Thes. 5. 15. Num. 35. 19. Psal. 94. 1. Ieâ— 11. 2. 2 Kings 2. 24. 2 King 1. Acts. 7. 60. Rom. 11. 2. 2 Sam. 13. 3â— Ezâ—k 16. 5. 1. Kings 2. v. 5. 6. 7. c. Luk. 23. 34. â—eb 12. 25. Use 1. Prov. 17. 9. Marke 10. 〈◊〉 Matth. 26. 50. Prov. 30. 33. Mat. 5. 11. 12. Iohn 14. 1. 16. 33. Mat. 16. 13 14 Use 2. 1 Cor. 6. 15. A'rov 16. 7. Iohn 16.
it be a favour and not a duty pity to the poore spirit of the Gospell it selfe which hath of late as some of you have thought beene wounded slandered scandalized yea almost banished the Land for a rebellious factious and seditious spirit and some of you perhaps have beene banished with it by the enemies of it but now God hath removed them and remembred you and why thinke you surely that you should be meanes to recall and relieve that to justifie its Innocency its Humility and its Loyalty which was so much traduced that you might by your Preaching and by your Practice raise up againe as it were unto life this holy sweete and gracious spirit of the Lord And know this if you faile herein and doe conceale the beauty of it having now power to discover and inlarge the same God may and will for this bring you under hatches againe and your latter condition shall be worse then your former Fifthly Never had you the like occasion as now to honour Gods Spirit in the eyes of your enemies and to put forth the vertue of it for their conversion what know you but that the sight and taste of the Spirit of the Gospell in and from you may cause some of your enemies that haply now are in that darkenesse and disgrace wherein they would gladly have kept you to looke upon their owne spirits with indignation and shame surely Brethren as we should alwayes interpret an enemy his injury to be Gods call to us to pray for him so we should apprehend the sight of an enemies misery to be an indigitation of God to us to doe him good and to discover to his eyes which at such a time are at best leasure to see it the nature and disposition of Christs Spirit in our selves And thereby we may haply as was said bring such a one out of love with that spirit which he formerly traded withall when he compares the present sweetnesse of our spirit with the bitternesse of that and hereby we may bring them to love our Master Christ that rules us with a better spirit then their Master ruled them Sixthly and lastly though I might propound many particulars more if you doe not study and indevour to shew forth Christs Spirit the contrary thereunto both must and will discover it selfe in you even that which before you disliked so much in other men God will even give you up unto it now consider how uncomely it will appeare for Gods Ministers to walke in condemned paths you censured such and such men for their cruelty for their mercilessenesse and want of compassion for their pride their harshnesse and superciliousnesse towards their Brethren and for these things sake I suppose you counted them antichristian but if you now tread in those their steps wise men will thinkâ— you to be as Antichristian as they and that most truely for what ever some say doubtlesse it is not Prelacy but sin that makes men Antichristian And suppose those your enemies were altogether as bad as you thought them then those their conditions will worse become you then they did them it is cruelty in the Wolfe to hurt the Sheepe but more naturall then for the Sheepe to pursue the Wolfe they say revenge is sweet and the taste of bloud will make even a Sheepe Wolvish he that once hath drunke the bloud of an enemy will afterward thirst for the bloud of his friend upon a small occasion Doe you thinke it will be comely to heare people say of us it seemes the Lambes are let out to play the Wolves Christs Ministers are call'd from prison and banishment to revenge themselves to persecute those that hunted them their former afflictions wee had thought had meekened their spirits and taught them to be pitifull to their enemies and to them in misery as Christ was we beleeve Gods providence laied them upon them for that end but we see they have done them little good surely brethren such speeches will be but little for our credits and let us know if we turne rampant now we are got loose and deale with others as they did with us and not shew the spirit of Christ to our enemies God the great Shepheard hath an hooke to catch us by the legge againe and to hamper us worse then ever if the Wolfe could not run from him the Sheepe cannot Therfore I say from these considerations let us onely preach and practise the spirit of the Gospel be pitifull be courteous pity the sorrowes of our enemies but most of all their sinnes that have brought them into the same if ever we loved them according to Christs command we shall now pity them for true love alwayes turnes into pity when the parties loved fall into misery let us not delight to spur on others against them let us not aggravate and inlarge their faults let us not repeat them it is a sad thing to heare Ministers or any others to publish openly and with joy how many hundreds of their scandalous brethren have beene complained of I doe not read that ever Christs spirit delighted in such like publications Christ was mild to offenders let not us be rugged Christ indeavoured to draw men from their sinnes unto himselfe by love let not us thinke ever to doe it by currishnesse our enemies could never prevaile by this meane they that thinke by force of feare or unkind dealings to draw men either to God or to themselves will sooner drive them both from God and from themselves we must trade for Christ in Christs way else let our aimes and ends be never so good though God may haply accomplish them yet he will crosse and shame us in a word my Reverend Brethren if some of our calling and function have stumbled and fallen if they like those branches Rom. 11. are for a season broken off and any of us are ingraffed in their stead and doe now partake of the favour and fatnesse of the times let us not boast our selves against these branches but remember that we stand onely by mercie be not high-minded saies the Apostle but feare Breathing times of the Church unthankfully entertained or too wantonly proudly or unprofitably imployed have beene heretofore followed with most sharp and sad calamities 2. But now last of all a word more to all Christians in generall and then an end You redeemed of the Lord whom in mercie he hath reserved till these last dayes to live under the Gospel and to partake of the spirit thereof and to manifest the fruits of it to the honour of his name I beseech you also even by the mercies of Christ and for that honour-sake which you are bound to advance that you would lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evill speakings and that you would study by all meanes to glorifie the Gospel which you professe that you would according to your duty onely minde speake and doe that which is sutable to the spirit thereof let your intentions