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
for we grant that flesh and blood might have found reasons enough to burne the Towne had they beene consulted with for First Hereby there would such a feare have beene strooke into all the Townes about that Christ should have beene the more respected ever after he should never have beene denyed a lodging more Secondly Hereby Christ should have salved his reputation among his owne Country-men who thought very hardly of him for being so courteous to the Samaritanes they suspected him to love them too well insomuch that they called him Samaritan Thirdly It might have beene much to Christs reputation to have had Disciples that could doe as great things as Elias and fetch fire from heaven with a word as well as he But none of these reasons could sway with our Saviour the act being evill of it selfe he would by no meanes allow of it and thereby he teacheth us that we must not doe any evill that good may come thereon We must not mischiâ—fe a Sâ—mariâ—aâ—â— nor doe hâ—â—t to any sinner to doe any good to our selves to further our owne cause or opinions no nor to get respect to Christ himselfe or glory to God It was Jobs saying to his friends when they unjustly charged him with wickednesse because God had so afflicted him that they might as they thought justifie the Lord in those his dealings sayes he to them Will you speake wickedly for Gods defence will you speake deceitfully for his cause will you make a lye for him as one man useth to tell a lye for another surely he will reprove you God needeth not mans lyes to his glory he can carry out his owne worke and gaine respect to himselfe and cause without our indirect assistance But who doe you thinke will beleeve this report how long may we Preach before this Doctrine will be credited yet you see our Saviours carriage in this businesse of the Text doth warrant it for good he would not have any man hurt by any of his servants for his sake and so at another time when Peter drew his sword in his defence and strooke of Malchus eare He bad Peter put up his sword againe and he healed Malchus eare againe for sayes he the end of my comming was not to hurt men but to doe them good to save and not to destroy Christ would have no man hurt for his sake No no But we many of us will rather approve of the Jesuites and Popish way as being more agreeing to our reasons and to flesh and blood then this is and if by destroying and ruinating such and such we may but further the cause though not the Popish or Catholique cause as they terme it but perhaps the Puritan cause Christs cause as we call it why then we conclude it lawfull to doe any thing lye slander defaâ—e vex and â—njustly grieve the spirits of our opposites doe them what mischiefe we can possibly devise and be doing God and Christ good service all the while But alasse alasse if Christ were in the right we in this are much mistaken I know friends it is not safe for a Minister if he loves his credit his safety or his peace to say thus much in the hearing of some because it is contrary to their opinions but I hope though I dye for it I shall ever say Vivat Christus pereat Barrabbas let Christ and his truth flourish and be knowne and let Barrabbas and every false heart and way perish and be overthrowne But yet againe observe this motion of the Disciples was a revengefull motion they would have payed the Samaritans their owne againe and that with an overplusse they would have required churlishnesse with cruelty and therefore our Saviour doth utterly distaste their motion and thereby doth further teach us that They that will returne like for like inpoint of wrong or rather worse then is offered them arâ— not in that their way allowed of God Such may haply like of themselves and their owne wayes but Christ likes them not you see though in their relations they are never so neere unto him Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you there Christ gives the Precept and here you see he gives you his owne practice And so recompence no man evill for evill and see that no man render evill for evill to any man they are Evangelicall Lessons and must be learned by the professors of the Gospell nor were these precepts in the old law given to private men eye for eye tooth for tooth if they were they are out of date now Matth. 5. 38 39. c. but to Magistrates unto whom as being in Gods stead we may upon sufficient occasion declare our wrongs and what punishment is thereupon by them inflicted on our Enemies is done mediately by the hand of God to whom alone vengeance belongeth And yet neither must we make use of the Magistrates helpe purposely to revenge our selves upon an adversary for that were to make the Law the Magistrate and God himselfe too the instruments of our vile and malicious spirits no but onely to have Justice in a case of wrong as we must not rejoyce De malo inimici in the hurt of an eneny when we see it done so we must not ayme thereat before-hand but onely at the manifestation of Truth and Justice in our complainings But let me say this I am confident that at the great day that man shall have most honour and most comfort that hath put up his complaints immediately to God and referred most wrongs to him This therefore in a word discovers unto us that those spirits are not right and Christian that resolve upon it concerning others to give them as good as they bring and to deale with them as themselves by them have beene dealt withall and will be sure to indeavour it to the uttermost so long as or whensoever as power is in their hand they will persecute those that when time was did persecute them and be as mercilesse now as those were cruell when they were in place surely it becomes not Gods Children to walke in condemned paths to tread in those steps which themselves formerly did truely censure as Antichristian if cruelty and revenge be a sinne in any then most of all in Christs Disciples in Gods children whom it beseemes to approve themselves by their carriage toward their enemies to be of a better spirit then other men But I conclude this with Solomons advice Prov. 24. 29. Say not thou I will doe to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his workes and remember too whoever thou beest that there be with thee even with thee sins against the Lord thy God I proceed in the Text to our Saviours confutation of their motion and of their abuse of Elias example which they brought to warrant it and this he doth
them afterward for as Saint Paul tels them If you had harkened to me you had not gained this harme and losse and so the Prophets Esay and Jeremy were never beleeved when they spent their judgements of those matters and even so still for the most part peace peace is best musicke to the carnall eare and they that sing that even when dangers are at the dore shall be applauded by many a one so were Ahabs Prophets but if a man play Micaiah and speake the truth and tell the danger that is close by then cast him into the prison-house lay him by the heeles feed him with the bread and water of affliction But how ever men take the thing yet God likes it well for we may observe though he often in his word finds fault with the Prophets for preaching smooth things for crying peace yet never for preaching his lawes and judgements never for foretelling dangers And yet here too though the godly are able to distinguish of evill times I doe not say all that talke of evill times must needs be godly for many are alwayes complaining of the badnesse of the times wherein themselves live and never any saw such bad times as they though indeed they will not be known that themselves and such as they be doe make them so bad as they are they whisper and backbite and slander and persecute with all bitternesse in their way with their tongues and so move and provoke others to crosse their minds another way with their power they will speake evill of dignities of men in place and authority And authority cannot abide to come under the lash of inferiour tongues nor is it fit it should if it doth it will make them smart another way and complaine for somewhat as the Master will the servant and the Father the child that speakes against him Authority supposes and well may if men murmure against it that they dislike of it that they would not it should rule over them and therefore it accounts such as enemies unto it and deales with them often as with such you know the saying in the Gospel Those mine enemies that would not I should raigne over them bring them and slay them before me and so then comes evill times but of mens owne occasioning Authority cannot abide to be forced if things be amisse it cannot indure to be as it were compelled by the exclamations of any to amend them it loves to be free and to shew its owne goodnesse which it will rather doe through an humble seeking of redresse thâ—n by a malepert finding of fault that things are not redressed Authority is suspitious that men goe about to get to themselves those things which belongs to it namely the hearts and affections of people and an opinion of singular prudence yea of more zeale and piety and care for the safety of Church and Common-wealth thâ—n Authority her selfe which sits at the sterne of both thus I say Authority suspects and well may from those bitter complaints and loud out-cries which many make of the evilnesse of the present times Now I say Brethren all that thus complaine are not the wisest men in so doing how ever they thinke themselves nor perhaps the most truly zealous for true zeale is joyned with prudence and it is not bitter and were the times as bad as they pretend why the prudent would be silent in them and not talkative which is the third thing noted from the text to which we now come It is the property of wise and godly men and their custome in evill times to keepe silence to say little to bind their tongues to their good behaviour But before we prove the point we must distinguish of wise and godly men some are publike persons and some are private the publike are Magistrates and Ministers I say not that it is their custome being godly and wise to keep silence in evill times especially when they are in the discarge of their office for the Magistrate if he be right will speake then in speciall and doe too for the removing of evill and the Minister being a Watchman set as it were on a hill to give warning will so doe both of the evill present and of the danger comming if he be of the true stamp he neither will nor must spare to speak though not his owne words yet the words of God out of Gods booke in a discreet way with due respect to those above him that no disaffection by his meanes be wrought in mens hearts towards them their persons or places this I say he will doe if wise and godly when he is in place I meane in the discharge of his office though at other times and seasons he be as a private man and like such a one at such times demeanes himselfe for indeed of such I suppose the Prophet here speakes of private men underlings as I may so call them such as are liable to be afflicted by the mighty and turned from their right for if you marke the former verse he there speakes of such so abused the just afflicted bribes taken against them and the poore turned from their right in the gate then he addes this verse of the text and brings it in with an illative therefore which notes a dependance therefore shall the prudent keepe silence in that time for it is an evill time id est those just ones so afflicted those poore ones so oppressed that have prudence in them shall keepe silence in that time that evill time they shall pocket up the wrong they shall goe their way and say nothing binding their tongues to their good behaviour So you see the words are chiefely meant of private men such as you here be of which ranke and order no doubt but there be some that be godly and wise as well as of others I say it is their custome nay it is the condition Brethren if you be wise and godly in evill times to keep silence That silence is a token of wisdome Solomon affirmes in many places take one or two for many Prov. 17. 27 28. He that hath knowledge is sparing in his words Et frigidus spiritu vir est intelligentiae and a man of understanding is of a coole spirit in the midst of provocations he can temper himselfe nay silence is such a token of wisdome that even a foole when he holds his peace is counted wise and he that shuts his lips is a man of understanding vers the next so Prov. 11. 12. He that is voyd of wisdome despiseth his neighbour that is when he sees any thing in him that dislikes him he is ful of his despightfull words against him but a man of understanding holds his peace a wise man is not clamorous that is the meaning and so Prov. 12. 16. A fooles wrath is presently knowne if he sees any thing that he mislikes either in Church or Common-wealth or among his neighbours every body shall know it presently and his dislike
our brethren if they be of this condition how much more then may others who are strangers to us as 2 Sam. 16. 11. Behold my son saies David that came out of my bowels seekes my life how much rather may this Benjamite doe it or as Moses said Exod. 6. 12. Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharaoh heare me so may we say Behold they that are professors will not hearken unto us when we advise them for their soules good how then shall they that are open and prophane wretches hearken unto us if they that call themselves Gods peoples be enemies to their owne soules and take sinnes part against them and us and account us their enemies for telling them the truth against their sinne how shall we hope for better respect from others Truly Brethren your soules have enemies enough you need not be enemies to them your selves the Devill and devilish minded men seducers or what you will in all their oppositions aime only to mischiefe your soules bee wise therefore and remember God hath set your soules at a high rate as appeares by the price given for their redemption and Christ set them at a high rate in preferring one of them before the whole world and the Devill sets them at a high rate for rather then hee would lose a soule he would give the whole world for it if it were his owne as appeares by those his words Matth. 4. All these will I give thee In deed the Devill is not such a foole to give so much when he may have it it for lesse yea for nothing for so he hath the soules of many Which of you will give a pound for that you may have for a peny For Gods sake therefore give not away your soules for nothing part not with them for trifles sell them not away for sinne Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will he give for his life the life of his body the life of the soule should be more deare O abstaine from all things that may pollute your soules or that warre against them such are fleshly lusts 1 Pet. 2. 11. that may choake your soules or drowne them in perdition and destruction such are worldly cares 1 Tim. 6. 9. that may poyson your soules such is false doctrine you will not give to a beloved child that which may choake or poyson it and will you give to your divine soules that which will And we Ministers must be carefull from consideration of the soules excellencie not to starve soules they are committed to us to feed and without vision the people perish Prov. 29. 18. and then our life shall goe for theirs if through our default Ezek. 3. 18. and therefore the Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. chargeth us as we will answer it before God and Jesus Christ that we preach the word and be instant in the same not onely in season but also out of season if those words had but a good Canonicall exposition perhaps some of us would preach oftner then we doe But friends if we give you meate and you will not take it or will throw it away and not eate it your bloud shall be upon your own heads for as we are Shepheards over you so are you every one over that one sheepe that God hath intrusted you withall viz. your soule you are men and women that have reason as well as weto looke to your charge and the lesse that is the greater shall the punishment be if you be carelesse of it we may be faithfull in our greater charge as he in the Gospel was that had ten talents and you may be faithlesse in your lesser as he was that had but one But so much for the Use of this point and for the first part of the text the purchase We come to the other and that is the price as we at first called it which is Patience By your pâ—tience If the soule be so excellent a commodity as hath beene said and Patience be that which makes us capable of the possession of it then sure we may conclude that Patience is a vertue of great consequence a necessary grace for every Christian and that shall be the point Patience is a vertue of great consequence and a grace most needfull for every Christian. It is a grace of the same ranke with faith and love for by faith we possesse God by love we possesse men and by patience we possesse our selves we have need of faith for we have need of God we have need of love for we have need of man and we have need of patience for the world is so bad we had need looke to our selves to have our wits about us and they are kept at home onely by patience He that wants faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the head and he that wants love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the body and he that wants patience is not himselfe nor his owne man A Traveller saies He that will travell to Jerusalem had need be indued with these three vertues or gifts faith patience and money faith to beleeve what ere he sees or heares there patience to indure the injuries of the Infidels that shall be offered him there and money to make him friends and to discharge all tributes and cost there put but charity in the roome of money and the same three vertues must he have that will travell to the new Jerusalem that is in Heaven and the truth is this Trinity of graces consists in a Unity of person he that hath one of them hath all and he hath none of them in any true measure that hath not every of them in some measure you may see how they are joyned together Titus 2. 2. sound in Faith Charity and Patience For indeed as vices are linked together so are vertues united and Patience is as the common Palace wherin all are preserved or as the doore of the soule which keepes all the other vertues in it and unlesse this doore be opened there is no danger of losing any of them but if it be they are soone liable to be gone and we ready to commit any sinne experience will witnesse that if Patience bâ— broken the grace of prayer is lost for the present and the gift of hearing too and of well-doing we cannot in perturbation of spirit either speake to God as we should nor receive any wholsome counsell from any nor performe any duty of love to whom it is due nay by impatience of delay we make shipwracke of our faith and distrust God by impatience of wrongs and words we make breach of Charity and fall a hating a railing a slandering a backbiting by impatience of a sober estate we fall to be covetous worldly and oppressing and therefore Tertullian saies Patience is such a Governour in our affaires ut nullum opus Deo complacitum perpetrare extraneus à patientia possit that it is not possible for him
those servants Matth. 13. 28. think they cannot deale badly enough with ill men pluck up the tares presently doe any thing to them that are none of Gods couzen defraud rob steale from the Egyptians these are but usurpers but what said the Master to these servants no let them alone till the harvest friend you must hold your hands your time of commanding and adjudging is not yet come and in the meane time you must be commanded ruled and adjudged your selfe couzened defrauded and cheated and have your goods taken away and you must be patient and returne good to those that offer these things to you O this is brave doâ—trine for some whose practice is to offer wrong they hope it will tie honest men hands and tongues and spirits that they may wrong them as they please as the Usurer hoped that the Ministers preaching against usury would make his neighbours give over the trade and so his money should never lie dead by him for want of customers I wish Gods people would make but as good benefit of it for their soules as worldly men wil for their purses I have knowne a Minister by preaching peace and patience preach many of his people theeves and cheaters they would wrong him to his face and then tell him he must be patient and peaceable else he would contradict his owne doctrine 4. He that is truly patient must not onely returne good for evill and for beare to revenge when he hath power but he must be content to have the contrary reported of him namely that he returnes evill for good and is patient perforce because he cannot helpe himselfe I tell you this is a hard lesson yet you must learne it before you can enter Heaven gate whose motto is this Do good and heare ill none but such enter there it alwayes was and ever will be the worlds custome to father their owne vile conditions upon Gods people Tacitus tels us that when Nero had set Rome on fire he laid it upon the Christians 5. You must also be content that men should beleeve your enemies so reporting for men will so doe whether you be content or no if the Viper leaps on Pauls hand though he be the honestest man in the company yet all will conclude him to be the worst so if a viperous slanderer railer or whisperer laies hold of any honest Christian all hereby will conclude him to be according to what they see or hear the Psalmist saies every man is a lie and like loves like they will therefore naturally beleeve lies before truths and this vile people know will brag of as one told his Minister to his face that he could be beleeved before him by his betters you know the Proverb The more knave the better lucke well this you must be content wi thll if you be truly patient 6. And lastly you must be content that not onely the worser and common sort and strangers should beleeve of you the contrary to truth but that the better sort also even Christians and friends should beleeve such lies as the wicked raise and whisper against you and that they should suspect you to be guilty of all that is reported and thinke amisse and also speake amisse of yo that they should breake your head with their precious balms that their tongues which should heale your griefe should wound you and make your griefe bigger that they should also lay to your charge things you are not guilty of and interpret every thing at the worst and charge iniquity upon you thus Jobs friends good men honest men did by him and this you must be content to suffer it is more irksome to be ill thought of or ill reported by those that are good then by those that run into all excesse of riot it is matter of comfort rather that these like us not but I say if you be Gods he will try your patience even by the others by the best and you must bee content with it and wait with patience till the day come when hee shall make your righteousnesse appeare as the light and your just dealing as cleare as the noone day and in the meane time you must be content to live neglected and suspected you must be last and the least in mens esteeme but then the last will be first and the first last And thus Brethren I have taught you patience and I have tried your patience if I have done amisse I le doe so no more for thus much shall serve for this text this time and this place Gratia Gloria Deo Christo Jesu adjutori meo Amen FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON PREACHED IN ESSEX Anno 1641. Wherein is discovered the right spirit of the GOSPEL By EDVVARD SYMONS Minister of Rayne in Essex MATTH 21. 5. Tell the Daughters of Sion Behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke 1 PET. 3. 4. A meeke and a quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price LONDON Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1642. THE RIGHT NATVRE AND Temper of the Spirit of the GOSPELL LUKE 9. 55 56. But he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them THese words doe note unto us Christs entertainement of a certaine motion that was made unto him by two of his Disciples in the former verse it was we see entertained with dislike for he turned and rebuked them for it and then he tels them the reason why he did dislike it because it proceeded from ignorance namely of themselves and also of him of themselves or of their owne spirits you know not what spirit ye are of And of him of the end of his comming for the Sonne of man came not to destroy mens liues according to the supposall of your motion but to save them Before we fasten directly upon the Text we must for our better proceeding a little consider of the motion and of the occasion of it The motion we have in the foregoing words Lord wilt thou thaâ— we command fire to come from Heaven and consume them as Eliâ—s did And the occasion which stirred their spirits to make such a cruell motion was the sight of the churlishnesse of the Samaritans for as appeares in ver 52 53. Christ was travailing towards Jerusalem and being benighted he sent his servants before him to take up a lodging in a village of the Samaritanes but they would let him have no lodging there because he was going to Jerusalem this was their churlishnesse And the roote of it as we may conceive was a certaine nationall hatred betweene the Jewes and the Samaritans which did arise from difference in opinion for as you may reade Joh. 4. 20. The Samaritans faid God must be worshipped after their fashion on their mountaine but the Jewes said and
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
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
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
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