which was delivered to the Saints We have but one Gospel and it was delivered but once God means no more to deliver his Gospel and the Truth of it therefore you had need strive hard to keep them and hold them Thirdly We should hold fast the Truth that we have received because if we do not hold it fast we do wrong God and if we wrong our selves and we wrong the Truth and we wrong our posterity 1. It is our duty To hold fast the Truths we have received because if we do not we wrong God for Truths are more Gods then ours They are ours as to the use of them but they are his as he is the Original and Author of them Truths are Gods Jewels there is never a Truth of Religion but God owns it as his and for us to barter away any of these Truths of God it is Sacrilege it is a robbing of God it is a wrong to God This is that God complains of by the prophet in the second of Jeremiah the eleventh and twelfth verses Hath a Nation changed their gods which are yet no gods but my people have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. The Prophet indoed speaks of a total forsaking of God and all his Truths but there is in the forsaking of every Truth a proportion of wrong to God 2. It is a wrong done to the Truths of God when men having received the Truth and embracing it hold it not fast but cast it off this is a wrong to the Truths of God We say it is less reproach to a man when he comes to my house to shut the door against him and not receive him in at all than when he hath been in a while with me I turn him out all the world now think I find cause to be weary of him They who have shut their hearts against the Truth and never gave any entertainment to it they are less injurious to it than they that have received it and professed it and yet turn from it These tell the world that the Truths of God are not so sweet and worthy of their entertainment as they supposed them to be 3. This is an injury and wrong to our selves this is a wrong to our Credit and reputation Now though we may make Credit our end in Religion yet we may make use of our Credit or Reproach as an argument to hold fast the Truth and this iâ— injurious to our own Souls John 8.31 Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples Indeed here Christ doth seem to distinguish his disciples he hath some that are so in name that are not so in Deed and he hath some that are so in Deed and in Truth and of these he gives a character here If ye continue in my Word You now profess to believe my Word but if you hold fast and continue in my Word then you are my Disciples indeed But if you continue not in my Word you have the name of Disciples only and that will not save you You can never be saved unless you be indeed the Disciples of Christ and you can never approve your selves to be the Disciples of Christ indeed if ye continue not in the Truth 1 Joh. 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which you have received and heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye shall continue in the Son and in the Father Hold fast the truth of God which you have received then shall you continue in the Son If the Truth of God which you have received and believed remain in you and be held fast by you ye shall continue in the love of the Father and Son but not else according to what he expresseth again Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God therefore he cannot be saved he that abideth in the doctrine hath the Father and the Son Therefore as you would be saved hold fast the Truths you have received Now here but I have not time to speak to it is a Case of Conscience Whether every error doth cut a man off from God I Answer No God forbid But this we cannot speak to now Fourthly They that hold not fast the Truth of God are injurious to their posterity Our fore-fathers holding fast the truth of God in the day of their trial and sealing it with their bloud was the means of transmitting the purity of the Gospel to us their Posterity and if we in our Generation hold not fast the truth of God but carry it loose in our Consciences and Judgements and we let it fall out of our hands and hearts we forfeit the Truths of God not only from our selves but also from our Posterity Thus you see we shall wrong the God of Truth and the Truth of God we shall wrong our selves and our Posterity if we hold not fast the Truth we have received Thus we have the reasons of the Doctrine Application For Application here first I might bewail the general want of the care of the performance of this Duty which hath appeared many years in this Land We have had little care of holding fast the Truths we have received For holding fast the truth of our Judgement How many are there whose Judgements have been perverted with many Errours This is that which the Apostle calls A turning aside to another Gospel in the first of the Galathians and the sixth verse And so for holding fast the truth in the love of it How many are there that have failed in that which Christ calls The forsaking of the first Love Revelations the second and the fourth verse And we should hold fast the truth in the profession of it and how many are there that have failed in that this the Apostle calls in the tenth of the Hebrews A drawing back unto Perdition And for holding fast the truth in the practice of it How many have failed in that that have been Professors and now are grown loose and debauched This the Apostle Peter calls A turning aside from the holy Commandments All these things call for our lamentation Exhortation But the whole work that I will apply my self to is to exhort every one of you to the care of this duty To hold fast the Truths that you have heard and received Hold them fast in your Judgement hold them fast in your Will and Affections hold them fast in your Lives and Conversations hold the Truths you have received constantly and hold them against all opposition on the right hand and on the left from friends and foes To press this upon you I think I shall need to use no other Motive than what I have laid down before you in the Doctrinal part only this one thing more and that is take notice how urgent the
studying diligence unwearied labour and patience through that time that is necessary to attain it Set your selves to the reading of the Scripture and other good Books study good truths think not to attain mastery in a day And if ever such a conceit come in your minds that you are strong confirmed Christians do not easily entertain it there must be time industry and diligence ordinarily suspect the conceit you may have of strength and confirmation you must grow by degrees Gods method is to begin like a grain of mustard-seed we are not born men labour in the proper means with patience infused gifts are given according to the manner of acquitting them God gives as if our acquisition did attain it never think of having this without patience labour and diligence 2. Grow up in the Church of God and under his Officers and Ordinance and among his people Do not transplant your selves from the Garden and Vineyard of the Lord if you will thrive no prospering in the Commons where weeds will choak c. Keep within the Church of God in the communion of his People among his Servants under the guidance of his Ministers for that is the duty of Ministers to bring up train up and help the weak ones till they grow to be strong they are to be Gods Nurses and helpers of the weak in the House of God do not think to prosper by breaking over the hedge under pretence of any right of holiness whatsoever following any party that would draw you to separation 3. Make it amongst others the principal study of your lives to study the love of God in the Redeemer the nature of the New Covenant and the infinite goodness revealed in the face of a Mediatour how it was his design to attract the hearts of men to the love of God by revealing his infinite love in the Redeemer unto which end Christ came for even to represent Gods goodness in sinners hearts of their being reconciled to him and ravishing them with his love Study the glory and ravishing love of God and unspeakable goodness in a Redeemer 4. Live not by sense or upon worldly hopes nor in the exercise of it See that you live a mortifi'd life take heed of glutting your selves with creatures or letting your hearts out to any creature or letting any creature be too dear to you live not too much on any sensible thing or upon any worldly hopes or expectations Shut your eyes to the world let not your desires run out to the world and live as much as you can upon the world to come 5. Let holy self-suspicion always make you fearful of temptation and keep you out of the Devils way Would you keep your standing grow better and strong in grace let not the pride of your hearts or confidence of your strength make you meet among any unlawful communion see any enticing spectacle or thrust your selves upon temptation you are never safe if you thrust your selves upon temptation think with your self my weaknese is great I must not gaze upon this enticing object lest my heart take fire I am not so strong as to be able to stand against such c. 6. When you cannot attain to that heat of internal affection you would be sure you walk uprightly with God sin not wilfully keep your garments clean set his Law before your eyes Sin not wilfully for a world be but found in the way of duty and God will bless you and meet you in that way be as exact in obedience as if you had that frame of soul you desire 7. In a special manner keep all your bodily senses and desires in subjection mortifie the flesh keep under your carnal desires in a due subjection to the spirit let none of your sences take the reins out of your hands keep a dominion over your sences Lastly all your life long be longing to die Let the work of your life be to learn to die Consider what necessity to the safety and comfort of death to consider frequently what assaults will be made upon dying men that you may every day fortifie against it to consider what graces and duties will be most needful and useful then that you may be most conversing with and exercising those graces and duties He that hath well learnt to dye is no weak Christian The strength of your Grace lies in the exercise of these things faithfully practise them and you will stand when others fall you will have comfort when others cast away their comfort you will dye in peace when others dye in horrour Dr. Jacomb's Forenoon Sermon John 8.29 And he that sent me is with me the Father hat not left me alone for I do alwaies those things that please him THese are the words of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are spoken by himself and they are spoken of himself though yet in a sober and modest sence they are applicable to all his Members that which Christ here affirms is that the presence of God was always with him and this is first propounded He that sent me is with me and then it is amplified and the Father hath not left me alone and then thirdly the reason of this is annexed for I always do those things that please him I shall speak but very little of the words as they do refer to Christ he tells us where his Father was with him he did not leave him alone in all the troubles and difficulties that he met withal in the finishing the great work of mans Redemption still God was with him It is true there was a time when Christ was without the sensible manifestation of his Fathers presence when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why but yet even then in truth and in reality his Father did not leave him for though he had not the evidences of his Fathers presence yet he had the influences of his Fathers presence It would take up much time to shew you how in all particulars the Father was present with Christ I will onely speak this one word and instance in this one thing Gods assisting presence was always with him both in his active and also in his passive obedience and indeed he had that work to do and those miseries to suffer that if God had left him if he had not been mightily assisted by the Divine Nature Christ as meer man could neither have done nor have suffered what he did but the Father was with him and to support him Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold You shall find that Christ did act faith upon this in Isai 50.7 The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded vers 9. The Lord will help me So to the same effect is Psal 16.9 And you shall find this made good to him in Scripture in his greatest necessities Take a double instance In the first place after he bad been engaged in the combat with Satan you read in Mat. 4.
as the Word of Truth The Word was written after the Church but as it is the Word of God it 's before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution and then submit to Church-Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custom our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain When they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such customs of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Innovations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth That what is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more than there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shoes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Jesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion hath been practised a thousand years yet men may have the Word of Truth in their hearts that is ancienter than all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the World or Place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the witnesses of Jesus Christ What! will you be wiser than others Can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking Rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the Word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custom to the Word of God 'T is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what the practice of all in general is but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the Word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present World Rom. 12.1 The Word will tell you It is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil than it will be sweet to be in Hell with a great company The Word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The Word will tell you The wayes of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up a Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pitty them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.12 that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith onely with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custom of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to have any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not with the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principal is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly Bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not onely to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his Words and his Works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by faith we believe the Worlds were made by the Word of God Hebr. 11.3 It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established Spirit Do not onely hear the things of God but see them the first will but blinde you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are further remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecillity and Infirmity of Sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It 's an excellent thing not to take up the Word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through Grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he darts in some dazling light within so that you never knew a Heretick take up a false opinion but it was with a marvellous deal of sweetness and comfort so when the Lord Christ teacheth by his Spirit he comes with that light that sweetness savour and relish of truth as will be impossible for you to let it go Hence when Christ would confute the Pharisees who had the witness of his Father in his work he saith Joh. 5.37 Ye have neither heard his â—oice at any time nor seen his shape It 's an excellent thing to see the shape and hear the voice of God 2. Be well rooted upon Christ or else you will never be established in any â—ruth of Christ
in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in 2 Cor. 31.18 But we all with open faâ—e behold as in a Glass the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as hâ— the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him says Christ even the spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceedeth from the Father There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his Word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the first Epist of John 23. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God in Christ It is the Spirit that doth for all us As in the Eccho the Aire being moved by the voyce returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come says the Spirit I come says the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightening Spirit a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning The Spirit reveals the counsels of God the great Mysteries of the Kingdom leads into all Truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken and comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the love of God iâ— shed abroad in our hourts Our cold and frozen spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awakened Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices â—â—â—of 〈◊〉 flow out Thirdly By his Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the ways of Holiness thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist temptations strong to suppress corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carried through all difficulties by this Spirit their infirmities are healed they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the Words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or less in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Because of their special love to and care of them that keep his words Indeed all the care of God is concerning his people that he hath in the world therefore in the second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandments that do not cast his words behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his Word he will abide with us in our work And this is the great Reason in the Text My Father will love him not but that he loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the people of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance And in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his Word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than these So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his Word observe his Will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitations on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14 15. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God says Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Sons of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14 John 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherless children He is the most affectionate tender-hearted Father Tam pater neâ—â— tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he says Terâ—ul Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his Word in a Conjugal relation and God hath laid a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People when he hath espoused to himself I will betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies I have even betreth thee unto me in faithfulness And in Isai 54.5 6. For thy Maker is thy Husband c. For the Lord hath called thee as a Woman forsaken c. Secondly Jesus Christ is the Husband of his People as we see in the whole Book of Canticles And so in Ephes 5. from the 29. Verse to the end of the Chapter Now where shall God and Christ make their abode but with their espoused Ones Doth Jesus Christ delight to
freely possessing all things The VVorld may put us into a sad estate as to the VVorld yet we are not out of our white garments always rejoycing Heb. 3.13 Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat and the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls this cannot take away the VVhite garments no saith the Prophet Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation 'T is a conquering joy turns all sorrow into joy and blackness to VVhite therefore keep clean Thirdly Consider this this VVhite of peace and joy as 't is a joy unconquerable so 't is that will be with us most when we most need it when VVorldly joys are farthest from us then this joy will be near to us that is a marvellous comfort to have comfort in its season The Martyrs who have kept themselves VVhite have had this VVhite and walkt in this VVhite but when they have most need of it and come Actually to suffering then they have had most of it This is a blessed thing this the Martyrs of Jesus Christ hath given witness of although they have had peace and joy in their consciences at other times yet never so much as in the hour of temptation VVhen they have been cast into the Cole-house they have had white garments when they have been cast into prisons and dungeons how have they rejoyced 'T is said of Paul and Silas they were men that kept their garments undefiled and they had a great deal of peace and joy when they were put in the flocks and dungeon then they sung at midnight what an enlargement of heart had they at that time So in the stories of ancient and latter times how have they rejoyced and gone triumphing to the Gibbet for then Christ gives most of this White It hath been the use of persecutors to put filthy garments upon the Martyrs drawing Pictures of Devils upon them and as their malice hath risen to the height that in the time of sufferings to make them look like Devils then the love of Christ hath risen to the height and they have been full of peace and joy at that time therefore be encouraged to walk with Christ in this White This White is an Angelical Habit 't is an unconquerable Habit and 't is that will be with us most when we have most need of it I should have added a third that walking with Christ is an honour and 't is walking in the White of peace and joy So thirdly 't is a truth of walking with Christ in the White of glory as in the Transfiguration which was a Type of Heaven his Rayment was White so as no Fuller on earth was able to whiten it and that is it which I might have spoken of to you that they who keep their garments undesiled here shall be sure of that to walk with Christ in glory hereafter If we should miss of the White of honour and have not much of the White of joy yet be sure we shall walk with Christ in the White of Glory I would only say this to you That as I have from this Text and many more laboured to bring poor souls into a White state to a state of Justification to a state of Holiness and as I have been pressing you to keep your garments White that you may be in the Habit of White as your Reward so it shall be the desire and prayers of ray heart that if I should have no more opportunities among you that as you have been stirred up to get into this White of Grace that you and I may meet in the White of Glory where we shall never part Here are three Whites The White of Honour is good the White of Peace and Joy is very good the White of Glory is best of all that is the answer of all our prayers and that is the issue of all our working then we shall have as much as we can hold for ever Mr. Case's Sermon Revel 2.5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove the Candlestick out of his place except thou repent CHrist here prescribes precious Physick for the healing of this languishing Church of Ephesus 'T is compounded of a threefold ingredient 1. Self reflexion Remember from c. 2. Holy contrition and humiliation before the Lord Repent 3. Through Reformation Do thy frst Works I left the last time upon the second of these namely Repentance and that which I did upon this part of Christs advice was not so much to open to you the nature of Repentance which is not so proper for this place as to give in a Catalogue or List of such special sins as Christ doth expect that all his people in these three Nations should lay to heart and repent of before the Lord I gave you in a List of eleven special sins that we should repent of and humble our selves for before the Lord. As 1. Omission of Duty Prayer reading the Word Meditation c. any thing will be for excuse to say by duties and we are secretly glad of an excuse 2. Remisness of Duty In things of the World we are all in all and all in every part a man cannot thrust another thought into us but in prayer how many things are we doing 3. Hypocrisie How unlike are we at home to what abroad and in company to what in secret 4. Pride In Apparel Houses Parts Blood Birth-right yea of Grace it self of Humility Ministers Ordinances c. 5. Covetousness Never did Covetousness invade the professing party as now The more goods men get the less good they do 6. Sensuality Voluptuousness Wantonness Christians let themselves loose to the Creature lay out their affections on things below as if part in the Serpents curse as well as their own 7. Animosities and Divisions among Christians many have been active to kindle but few to quench Divisions 8. Vncharitable censuring one another 9. Formality in Duty Witness 1. Unprepared coming 2. Unsuitableness of spirit to And 3. want of reflexion after duty how we have sped what we have got Sabbaths Sacraments comes and goes Monday morning finds us the same as before 10. Mis-spent Sabbaths some prophane others idle away the Sabbath c. 11. Neglect of our Bibles in our families and closets I pray God it forego not some great evil coming upon you as before the massacre in Germany it was observed c. I proceed 12. That want of mutual forbearance among Christians Alas Christians know not how to bear one with another in the least kind of measure Oh the short-spiritedness among Christians they cannot bear one anothers burthens they cannot bear with one another 'T is very sad that we that stand in need of so much forbearance should
is your confidence in me submission to nay saving work obedience to my healing precepts If I be your Lord and Master why do you not learn of me your Master c. Your first Covenant engages you to proceed in fulfilling the things promised in your Covenant c. Better not have promised to be his people than to promise and break this promise The very mercies also you have received from him pardoning your former sin entertainment in his Church and all the blessings there found are as so many obligations to proceed 3. Ever since we came home to Christ we have had an addition of Reasons besides the first Reasons we had to believe Every day brings in new c. Certainly if a little were desireable more were more desireable If the people that stood afar off and never tryed what Christ and Grace is were bid to come in those that have tryed and tasted are bound to proceed much more You have the Spirit of God experiences of his love tasted the bitterness of sin have had some tryal of the truth of such things of which we speak when others have eyes and see not c. and will you turn back that have tasted c. 4. Consider how much hath been lost upon many a soul for want of care to take rooting and to proceed how much labour of the Ministry mercies of God pains and care of their own I speak of those that have seemed sincere not indeed so that have many times comforted the hearts of their Ministers and Friends and have had some kind of comfort to themselves in that taste they have had of the good word of God How many times hath the Preacher been gladded to see such a one come to him seemingly with a broken heart seeming to set themselves in the way of life yet the flesh prevailed for want of confirmation How many years have some spent in duty in hearing prayer gracious society profession of Religion yet afterwards the world hath drowned all What cause have you to see you lose not the thing you have wrought 5. Consider how much of the works of your own salvation when you are converted is yet undone Though you are sure your conversion is true how many temptations to resist enemies to conquer duties to perform and Heaven to be taken upon all those terms as the tenor of your Christianity therefore you had need to stand fast and having done all to stand you have need not only to believe but to wait and be patient in believing and to proceed in the way you have chosen 6. The want of strength building up makes the lives of many full of lamentable languishing weaknesses scandals unto others pain calamity trouble to themselves How long in healing And how much smart and pain while the fruit of their own folly is cured How little and how frequently do temptations prevail And hence as in a wilderness they are going one step forward another backward no evident keeping in God and all through the fruit of their own languishing weakness the fruits of the sins of Professors have been such that it should make you do all you can possible to escape the troubles at home and reproaches abroad 7. A life of spiritual weakness is usually a burden unto him that hath it it doth not only occasion his falling into sin and so renews the wounds of his Soul but is a constant burden to him not that any measure of Grace is troublesome but that which consists with so great a measure of remaining corruption this is the burden sickness is burdensome though there be life Methinks you should not then be recondiled to your fears you should methinks see so great difference between the sick and the well that for your own peace sake you should seek after confirmation Every duty they do is their pain which is anothers pleasure prayer c. their burden sometimes tir'd wearied dull c. presently overwhelmed with temptation every duty is a grievance to them through the weakness of their grade and their corruption 8. Christians that are weak and not confirmed lose abundance of the fruit of Gods Ordinances that are improved by others How many a truth that taste exceeding sweet to others have no great relish to them nor growth by it A healthy man hath more relish in ordinary fare than a sick person in varieties the full stomack loaths the Honey-comb 9. The weak and unconfirmed Christian is unprofitable comparatively unto others not that the Church would wish the weakest member out but comparatively unconfirmed Christians are very unprofitable unto others like little children in the Family that must be looked to make work for a great many more about them What doth a sick person but the work of others is to feed support and be a help to him The Church of God hath need of strong Christians that can pray in Faith servently for others and you scarcely pray son your selves Consider when the Church needs a great deal of help will you sit down with low attainments and little things when so many hundred about you need so great assistance 10. Weak persons are many times the troublers and very dangers of the Church many calamities have been occasioned by them the sins of professors have occasioned the displeasure of God on the Church their errors hindred truth and made divisions When Christians have not so much strength as to know Truth from Error that hearkens to every one that speaks with likeness What have these Christians done in the Church what mercies have been driven away so far that I think the Church of God from the Apostles days till now have suffer'd more by the sins of Professors then the malice of their Enemies and how canst thou expect God will save thy soul when thou hast set the Church on fire and been so great hindrance to others that many should perish occasionally by thy example c. The greatest sufferings of the Church have come from the miscarriages of the Church 11. Such have been the great dishonours of Christ but the Graces of ancient Christians the glory of their professions their Charity Self-denial Heavenly-mindedness Patience c. have preached the Gospel to the World more effectually then ever their words could do God expects your lives should be a considerable means for the conversion of wicked men the same God that hath commanded Ministers to teach others by their Doctrine hath commanded you should live for the conversion of the World that you zeal humility patience charity self-denial should win souls to God and if it be a sin to give over preaching when we may surely so to give over living c. If wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel then woe unto you if you by your lives preach not the Gospel How many sinners have you about you and how do you wrong and rob the ungodly of that Ordinance God hath appointed for their conversion and salvation You are the
against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so that they that are in the flesh cannot please God Why because there is that principle in them as carries out a real enmity to the Law and Will of God it is as if the Apostle had said They will not be subject to Gods will not obedient to Gods command there is a principle of enmity in them against these things so cannot please God God is pleased when his will is fulfilled his commands observed to please God is in all things so to act that whatever we do we may express a likeness to Gods naâ—â—â— and a blessed subjection to Gods revealed will and this is the first thing A second thing is the proof of the Doctrine they that thus please God he will be with them he will not leave them alone especially in an hour of tryal For my Brethren assure your selves of this that which the Father did for Christ he will do for all his Members 't is true Christs sufferings being greater then ours possibly can be and so his relation to God being higher then ours is he a Son by eternal Generation we onely by adoption he had the presence of God in a more glorious manner then we can expect but yet in our Sphere according to the measure of our tryals and according to our capacity we shall as really have the presence of God with us as Christ had with him that as we are partakers of Christs sufferings so we also shall be partakers of Christs support he that will be present with believers in heaven as he is with Christ he will be present with believers here on earth as he is with Christ in all his sorrows and sufferings Now for the confirming of this comfortable truth I need not speak much Many promises you have in Scripture for it and what ever God hath promised he will certainly make good Turn to that one promise in stead of many Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the water I will be with thee through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee And you shall find too that the Saints have experienced it in all ages God hath made it good Jacob was a man that met with many sharp tryals God exercised him with many troubles you shall find that when he was going to Padan-Aram and was in a very afflicted condition Gen. 28 15. God comes to him and saith Behold I am with thee Gen. 31.5 His father frowned upon him but the God of his father helped him Joseph Gen. 22.20 his master took him put him into prison a place where the Kings prisoners were bound he was in the Prison but the Lord was with Joseph The Prophet Jeremy was thrown into a Dungeon but the Scripture saith God was with him The three Children was thrown into the Furnace of fire but there was a fourth with them and that was the Son of God Dan. 3.25 Paul when he was brought to his trial all men forsook him but God stood by him 2 Tim. 4.16 So the Christians in all their sharp sufferings 2 Cor. 4.9 they were persecuted but not forsaken persecuted by men but not forsaken by God God hath abundantly made out this and doth so still that he will never leave those alone in a time of suffering who desire uâ—â—â—ignedly in all things to please God Nâ—â— the third thing is to shew you in what respect God is with such why this presence of God is an active presence God is not meerly with his people but he is with them in an active way for this is a certain truth God is working when the Saints are suffering I will open this in several particulars First God is with such in his teaching presence Gods correction and Gods instruction they usually go together and where there is the chastenings of Gods hand there is also the teaching of Gods Spirit Psal 90.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and whom thou teachest Christ though he were a Son yet learned obedience by the things that he suffered God teacheth his upright ones many lessons in a time of adversity which they never learned in a time of prosperity For we are like idle boys or bad Scholars that learn best when the rod is over us In a prosperous condition God speaks to us and we mind him not Jer. 22.21 Ispoke to thee in thy prosperity but thou wouldest not hear and this hath been thy manner from thy youth upwards in prosperity God speaks once and twice as Job speaks but we will not hear but in the time of adversity God opens the ears Jud. 8.16 As Gideon taught the men of Succoth with thorns and briers so doth God teach his people by affliction and oh the many blessed truths that they learn when they are under the Rod when they want liberty Oh what a mercy is it to have liberty then when they have not Ordinances as before what a mercy is it to have Ordinances then Oh what an evil thing is it then for them that they have departed from God! God teaches them these things then sin is never so bitter mercy is never so sweet as in a time of suffering Oh how vain and empty is the creature then Oh how sweet is communion with God then I say such things as these God teaches then Secondly God is with such in his guiding presence Psal 73.24 Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto glory When Israel was in the Wilderness then they had the cloud to guide them It is a blessed thing to live under the conduct and direction of the wise God we never have so much of this as in an hour of tryal indeed the people of God never fly so much to God for direction as as such a â—ime as Saul when he was in distress then he calls for the Ephod and thus it is with us under affliction then we look to God Thirdly God is with them in his preserving and hiding presence God is the Saints hiding place their shield their buckler their rock their defence the Scripture expressions are many to hold out Gods protection as to his people God hath a constant care over them to preserve them and save them oh but especially in a time of trouble as the Marriner is never so careful of the Ship as under a storm and God is never so careful of his Church and people as under affliction Jeremy is in Dungeon now God saves him Daniel is in the Den now God saves him The three Children in the Fire now God saves them Peter is in Prison now God saves him The mother never tends the childe so carefully as when the childe is sick and Providence is never so tender to the People of God as under a suffering condition Fourthly God is with them in his comforting Presence 2 Cor. 4.1
that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to hold fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this though there were some Doctrines of Faith and matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of the Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God which we have heard and received First In your Judgements being fully resolved and setled in your Judgements concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by any means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgements hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we should never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the Word no man will part with that which he loves What makes the covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather than his Lust Why It is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly you must hold the Truth in the profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not only believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Peter denied his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denied him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in word or outward profession to renounce the truth or any part of it Hold fast the profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our life and conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truths of God in our lives Fifthly We must do all this constantly hold fast the Truth in our Judgement and Affection Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end We must not only in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the world hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but it stormy times when Truth may burn a mans fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received resolutely against all oppositions whatsoever whether of friends or foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother his elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave no place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Wills and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truth of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious than Gold better than Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the daughter of God Divine Truth is the child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver this Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancie in them I say we have received the Truth under the Nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an heritage Thy Testimonies have I spoken for mine heritage saith David in the 119 Psal Though a mans personal estate may be alienated yet that which is his heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with that Truth is the inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a Thing committed to mans trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him the Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good matter and it tends to a good end the saving of our souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keep it that it may be re-delivered and redelivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may redeliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This is the duty of all Christians thus to keep the word There is a committing of the Truth to all the Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in his Epistle verse the third That ye should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints the Faith that is the doctrine of Faith the Truth of the Gospel
Spirit of God is in pressing this in Scripture Now saith Mr. Hildersham If in those days when the Apostles were yet living who taught the people of God with more Power and Demonstration of the Spirit than any of us do or can Yes if then they had need of such Exhortation to continue in the Doctrine and to abide in it to stand fast and hold fast the Word and Truth of God how much more needful are these Exhortations in our days If any say no there is not more cause for then the Magistrate was a mortal enemy to the Gospel and the Professors of it but we are thanks be to God under a Christian Magistrate who doth not oppose but Countenance the Gospel and the Professors of it If any makes this Objection I will give you Mr. Hildersham's Answer to it which I find in a Sermon of his Printed in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred Thirty and One which is now One and Thirty years agone saith he Though through the great mercy of GOD we in this Land enjoy the Gospel in great peace and have it countenanc'd by Authority and though through the Religious Disposition of the KING we may have great hopes of the continuance of the true Religion and seem to be freed from all fear of the altering of it Yet says he there is need of this Exhortation in these dayes and that for these Reasons Reas 1. First Because of the great danger we are in of being over-run or over-spread with Popery and the Firy trail before we are aware For sayes he The great increase of Papists that we dailâ— hear of and the great declining of many who are ready to receive an Errour that shall be offered to them These things give us a just cause to fear the danger of Popery over-spreading us And Brethren if it were so in his time so many years ago what is it now Reas 2. Secondly sayes he If so be there were no danger of Popery yet sayes he there are so many Errours newly sprung up that do shew how needful this Exhortation is Reas 3. Thirdly sayes he There is such a general decay of the love of Religion in all places and amongst all sorts of people and so much irreligiousness every where that it is the general disease of the Nation Therefore he concludes that in these times of ours though Religion hath the Magistrate to countenance it yet there is as much need of pressing this Exhortation as ever there was namely To hold fast the Truths that we have heard and received Now if you ask what you shall do that you may be able to hold fast the truths that you have received I will give you some directions First If you would hold fast the Truth that you have heard and received get into Christ be rooted and established in him Brethren it is not all the Learning in the world and Abilities that a man can have that will enable him to hold out and hold fast the Truths that he hath received if a time of tryal come unless Christ be his Bottom and Foundation unless Christ be his strength If a man stands upon his own legs his own Parts and Abilities to argue and dispute and repell objections alas these things will fail in a day of tryal Prison Death and a Stake are such Arguments Brethren that all the Learning and parts of the world cannot answer but only Christ and his Spirit and grace in the heart Therefore if you would hold fast the Truth which you have received and heard and not be beaten off from them in the day of tryal get into Christ be rooted and established in him then shalt thou stand nor else 2. If you would hold fast the Truths that you have heard and received then take nothing upon trust in matters of Religion whatever Preachers you hear or whatever Books you read take not things upon trust but examine them and prove them by the Scriptures and judge what foundation and warrant they have from the Scripture and accordingly receive them or receive them not It is observable in 1 Thes 5. When the Apostle sayes Despise not Prophesyings in the next word he sayes Prove all things and hold fast that which is good as if he should say though I would not have you despise Prophesying and Preachers yet I would not have you to take things upon trust in matters of Religion but prove all things and hold fast that which is good 3. If you would be able to hold fast the truths that you have heard and received get a clear distinct and certain knowledge of what is truth that which you would hold fast get a clear assured knowledge that it is the truth of God 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of If a man would continue in the things that he hath learned he must be assured of them that they are the truths of God But how shall a man be assured that such and such things are the truths of God He may know this first by the consonancy of them to the word of God Secondly by the power of them on his heart to convince or humble and quicken it 4. If you would be enabled to hold fast the truths you have heard and received then get a valuation and esteem of the truths of God Such as David had Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Better in it self all the Gold and Silver in the world all the riches in the world will never do a man so much good as that and better in my estimation I value it more I had rather part with all than with the Word A man that is of this mind he will hold fast the truth Oh! that there were such a heart in every one of you as to say The words of Gods mouth they are better than estate and better than liberty and better than Wife and Children if there were such a heart in us this would enable us to hold fast the truth of God and part with all rather than them 5. If you would hold fast the truth that you have received and heard then make conscience to practice according to what you know make conscience to obey the truths of God obedience is the sinew of constancy Christ saith Luk. 6.48 Whosoever hears these sayings of mine and doth them he is like a man which built his house and digged deep and laid the foundation upon a Rock and when the floud arose and the streams beat vehemently upon that house it could not shake it Mark ye it could not be shaken the conscionable practical hearer and receiver of the truth of God he is the man that is like to hold out and to hold fast the Word he that hath been a careless Hearer and never made conscience to hear for obedience and practice he is blown over presently it is a sad passage I have met
with in that Reverend man M. Hildersham and to me it seems to have much weight in it What hopes says he can we have of many of our Hearers in England who are willing to give the Word a hearing and outwardly profess it but what hope can we have but that if a time of trial come they will turn Papists or profane or any thing for they never loved the Word when they heard it and they never obeyed the Word but lived in known sins they take up a form of godliness and hate the power of it what hope but that if a time of trial come these will fall from the truth 6. If you would be able to hold fast the truth that you have heard and received then take heed of recâ—â—â—â—â—â— the least truth of God take heed I say of knowing and willing forsaking the least truth and knowing and willing giving way to the least errour as the committing of the least sin may render a man abominable unto God as you find in Levit. 11.43 You shall not make your selves abominable with any creeping thing that is with the eating any creeping thing Now this was one of the least Commandments that God gave out for the not eating of such such things yet by transgressing this the people might make themselves abominable the committing of the least sin may make a man abominable to God so the embracing of the least errour and the forsaking of the least truth may make a man abominable to God the least truth forsaken knowingly and the least errour embraced knowingly becomes a great sin and a little errrour makes way for a greater if once a man gives way to one errour a thousand will follow after If we would hold fast the whole body of truth we must take heed we forsake not the least truth if we forsake God and his truths whether in lesser matters or greater and if we turn back again to Popery and conform to the Papists in lesser matters saith Mr. Hildersham know of a certainty that Popery shall return again 7. If you would hold fast the truths you have heard and received then shun all such persons as would go about to draw you off from the truth of God shun all Seducers confer not with them have nothing to do with them and their ways Prov. 19.27 Cease my Son to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge thou hast been instructed in the words of knowledge and if any would instruct thee otherwise and seek to draw thee off from the words of truth and knowledge have nothing to do with them Cease my Son to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge Now my Brethren this advice I judge to be more seasonable because it is in my apprehension that this present providence of God in taking off at one stroke so many of his Servants that have endeavoured in uprightness of heart to instruct you and the people of God from this work it is on my heart to think and fear this will give a great advantage to Seducers to seek to corrupt you and draw you off from the truth to their party When the Shepherds are smitten there is a great opportunity given to the Foxes c Wolves to make a prey of the flock when God makes it dark and night then all the Beasts of the Forest creep out as the Psalmist saith Psal 104.20 When there is a night and cloud on the Ordinances of God then all the Beasts of the Forest will go forth many will undertake to be your Instructers and say here is Christ and there is Christ but believe them not memember the things you have heard and received and hold them fast cease from the instructions of those that would turn you aside 8. And lastly If you would be able to hold fast the truths of God then commend your selves and the truths you would hold to God in Prayer and beg of God to hold you that you may keep his truth Put up those requests to God that David doth Psal 15. Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not and in the 119. Psalm Be surety for thy Servant for good hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually And thus my Brethren I have done with this Doctrine and this Sermon and as far as I know with my Preaching in this place The day is at hand wherein I and many others of my Brethren shall be through not naturally dead yet civilly dead dead in Law dead as to the work of the Ministry And as I told them of this particular Congregation the last Lords day so I tell you know what I would be willing to speak to you if I lay on my death-bed and had the exercise of Reason and Memory that I have now look I say what I would say to you if I now lay on my death-bed the same I shall speak to you now through Gods assistance and first I would and in some measure do give thanks to God the God of the spirits of all flesh that hath called me a poor unworthy Creature not only to the knowledge but to the Preaching of the Gospel 〈◊〉 his Son Jesus Christ and that in this place and in this part of the 〈◊〉 and hath pleased in mercy to continue life and liberty to 〈…〉 work here almost Twenty six years Secondly I would be 〈…〉 I am in some measure thankful to God and to his people both of this Town and of the Neighbour-hood for a great deal of love 〈◊〉 respect and encouragement that they have given to my Person and Ministry here and particularly I do acknowledge my self to be greatly obliged to my Reverend Brethren the Neighbour-Ministers for the much love I have received from them their readiness to help me in supplying my place in the time of my sickness or absence and sweet society I have had with them I believe you think it is no easie thing for me to speak or think of parting with such an Auditory and society the like to which I never look to have on earth again But seeing for my sins and your sins God will have it so we must submit and lie at his feet that which he hath made crooked who can make streight But before we part give me leave to speak a few words to you something by way of Request and something by way of Advice by way of Request I would speak this First That if any of you have found any benefit by my poor Ministry that if any of you have been enlightned or awakened or strengthened and built up in the truth and encouraged in the ways of holiness by any thing that God hath put into my mouth to speak to you let God have the praise and let me have some room in your hearts and prayers however God shall deal with me My second Request is That wherein soever you have seen
false Jewels which go best in the night false coyn will not endure the Touch-stone nor false Jewels the day no more will false Doctrines the Scripture therefore it will be a great way to discover them 2. It will be a great way to vanquish them Eph. 6. Above all take the sword of the Spirit the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit by which we slay Heretical Doctrines and by which we are to slay sinful practises All those stones that the Davids of God have flung at the Goliahs of Errour they have been taken out of the Brook of the Scriptures therefore reduce all Doctrines offered you to believe all Worships that are taught you to practise to the Word of God 1. All Doctrines that are taught you to believe reduce them thither there 's no profession of Faith to be built but the stones must be fetched from that Mountain If you believe Divine Truths but not because the Scripture propounds them your faith is but humane If you believe any thing the Scripture doth not speak your faith is Diabolical the Word of God and your faith must run parallel All that is written you must believe and you must believe nothing but what is written This was the Rule of the Old Testament Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony to the Law that is to Moses and to the Testimony that is to the Prophets if they speak not according to these there 's no light in them When any thing was offered to Christ by way of enquiry his common answer was How readest thou Luk. 10.26 How is it written When the Apostle Paul would redress the abuse of the Lords Supper he does not carry the Corinthians to these and these Fathers to this and that use and custom but brings that How it was delivered from the Lord he reduces them to the Institution What I have received from the Lord that I have delivered unto you The Word of God is perfect in respect of Doctrine and in respect of Worship So that whatsoever is offered you to believe you must try it by perfect rules for 't is given by Divine inspiration to make the man of God perfect and wise unto Salvation it is such a Canon about Doctrines to be received as nothing must be added nor taken from it Rev. 22. Therefore it 's called a Testament Now no man dares adde to another mans last Will and Testament Who shall dare to adde a faith to the Faith of Gods Elect to that which Christ hath delivered I will give you this as a certain Observation that there never was any thing of false Doctrine brought into the Church or any thing of false Worship imposed upon the Church but either it was by neglecting the Scripture or by introducing someehing above the Scripture 2. Bring hither all practices of Worship as well as Doctrine to be believed try the wayes and forms of Christs house by the Word of Christ he shews us the patterns thereof the our-goings and returnings thereof he was faithful in all his house even as Moses was who did not leave a pin of the Tabernacle but did appoint it There is nothing decent and comely in the Church which is so much pleaded for but what comes in by Christs institution What-ever you worship without a warrant from the Word of God or by what-ever means you worship without a warrant from the Word of God you worship you know not what John 4.20 'T is Will-worship and by the same Rule you receive one Will-worship you may receive twenty 'T is vain worship it will never reach the end of your Communion with God for he is a Spirit and seeks such Worshippers it will never bring you to the enjoyment of God therefore in point of Worship bring it to the Word of God and as to Faith and Worship say Hitherto my Faith and my Worship shalt thou go and no further This rule rightly improved will dis-intangle you from the hooks and take you off from the baits of those cunning Fowlers for to such the Apostle doth compare them in the New Testament who seek to betray souls from the simplicity of Gospel-faith Never any did invent false Doctrine but to put up them they put down the Scripture and they put out the eyes of Christians to make them bend to it Before they use other means to compel them their great work is to darken the light or the truth and in the room of the Scripture to be your rule they set up other Rules which because there are three marvellous Popular I desire to mention them in opposition to this Rule I have given you There 's a three-fold rule men would set up to deceive poor souls The Name of a Church Ancient Customs The Generality of those where they live 1. The specious Name of a Church to make that a Rule to Doctrine and to Worship It was the plea of the Popish Party in the Marian dayes What! will you not believe the Church hath not the Church power to make Institutions and Canons about this and that and the other will you not believe the Church will will you go out from the true Church Thus do men that go about to deceive nothing like it as to the catching and deluding many poor souls by making the Church their Rule It was the way of the Popish Party of old and if Antichrist ever hath power again over the Church of Christ in that measure and degree it has had you must expect it again therefore let me caution you against it Can we enquire who this Church was It was only the decree of the proud Church Antichrist of old and the Antichristian Clergy who as you may read in their Stories would lord it over the faith of Gods heritage I must tell you the Name and Custom and way of the Churches of Christ is a reverend holy thing even of that that is a true Church 'T is a weighty Argument when the Apostle saith We have no such Custom nor the Churches of Christ And therefore I do fully close with him that said No sober man will go against reason No Christian against the Scripture and no peaceable minded man against the Church But then the Church must shine by a Scripture-Light If that be a Rule it must be ruled by the Scripture the Churches power is not Authoritative as to give Laws against the Laws of Christ it 's onely ministerial we do believe the Scripture for it self and not because of the Church we receive the Scripture by the Church Hence therefore when we set up the name of a Church let us see whether that Church walk in the way of Christ whether she be his Spouse or no whether she doth act according to his Institutions whether they bring his light yea or no then submit for it is not what a Church practises but what they are warranted to practise not what they hold for a truth but what they are warranted to hold
If you miss the Lord Jesus by the Grace of Faith you will never hâ—ld fast the Doctrine of Faith you are built upon the Doctrine of the Apostles not their Persons upon which the Lord Jesus is the Corner-stone he that does not know Jesus Christ himself will certainly lose his Faith What 's the reason the stony ground in time of Persecution fell away why they had not root they were not planted upon the Lord Jesus Rule 3. Thirdly those truths that God hath taught you and those wayes of Worship God hath committed to you love them as your lives love them above your lives for no man will ever contend to hold them if he do not love them Things of low price and esteem are presently let go he that loves the Word above his life will let life go rather than the Word If you receive not the Word out of love every Imposter and false Prophet every fear and terrour of men will rob you of it Hide the Word in thy heart saith Solomon Love the truth dearly It was a great speech of Calvin Never did any one Apostatize from the truth of Jesus Christ but it was because he did not love the truth And I add this That never did any Apostatize from the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ but it was because they did not receive them in love or else they have lost their love for there 's a decay of affection as well as having no affection if you love them what will you not suffer for them but more of that by and by Rule 4. Fourthly Guard all the truths of God and those wayes of God that have been taught you guard them strongly especially truths that are most material and fundamental for leading truths are like Captains of Armies if they be routed the whole rout follows them There is great opposition that will be made against your faith The whole power of darkness of Antichrist of his seducing spirits likely and probably enouâ—h will overspread the whole face of Christianity once more for she must sit as a Lady before she be desolate and forsaken for ever The Apostle bids you beware of Dogs beware of the Concision beware of Evil workers guard your selves against them guard the truths you have learned by Argument by Scripture by Reason that you may have wherewithal to confute them by the word of truth mightily out of the Scripture as the Apostle did Three things you are to guard against 1. Your own deceitfulness especially in a rash and sudden forsaking of those wayes that have been taught and the profession you have taken up for Christians would never be so mad to Apostatize were they but seriously deliberate about the weight of them Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you would not obey the truth c. and 1.6 I warvelled what ailed you that you soon turned away to another Gospel One would have thought they might have spoken with Paul first and sent to him and reasoned the case with him There 's a marvellous bewitching in false Doctrines to take men presently who are not watchful over themselves It is in disputations and practising truth as it is in contentions if you make a Judgment before you hear both parties speak you judge unrighteously if you forsake the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ before you can hear what can be said for them you do unrighteously 2. Guard them against the lusts of your own hearts The great work of a Chrisâ—ian is contention it is not so much against Antichrist those that are without him as that which is within him If all Heretical Doâ—trines and wayes were rooted out of the World not onely the being but the memory the heart is bad enough in one day to set them all oâ— foot again therefore guard the truth Men of corrupt minds will presently grow â—eprobate as to the Faith 1 Tim. 3 6. Such Doctrines and Worships as shall suit with our lusts as shall suit with exalting Self and laving Christ low as shall suit with an easie way to Heaven when the Scripture saith Straight is the Gate as shall suit with self-preservation So I might secure my Estate my Liberty I would suspect such Doctrines as these before I take them up for the wayes of Christ Guard the truth against false Teachers such as shall come among you in Sheeps cloathing yet are Wolves in heart men that creep in at unawares among you to subvert souls I will not here describe them you know them well enough by their fruits onely this let me tell you in opposition to those though you cannot come at the publick Ministrâ— or those God hath set over you yet make Conscience for to take fences to take defences from them as you may by their Counsel Prayer Help and Assistance for to guard you against false Teachers When the Church of Christ is in the Wilderness you will find this is that the Holy Ghost advises them to Cant. 1.8 You are to guard your selves by communion one with another as to go forth by the foot-steps of the Flock so also you are to go and feed your Kids by the Shepherds tents for though 't is not the work that God calls for to pin your faith upon their sleeves yet 't is your duty to enquire of the Lord by them for he is the Messenger of the Lord to you Rule 5. Arm your selves with Resolutions to suffer for the faith of the Gospel and for the wayes of Jesus Christ As you should love the truth above your lives so labour to be made willing to part with Life Estate Liberty any thing for to keep the wayes of Jesus Christ It is not the honour of the Gospel of Christ to hear Christians to break out into murmurings passions discontents contentions that are carnal and sinful your work is humbly meekly and patiently to lie under the hand of God and under the hand of man too that becomes Christians Suffering is that that will restore the glory of Religion that will keep the truth delivered to you that will honour the Cause of Christ best of all follow the example of blessed Paul his his expression is worthy of consideration 2 Tim. 2.9 he gives a charge of keeping and propagating one of the most glorious truths that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead yet a thing that is farthest off from sense and reason wherein I suffer trouble Mark Paul does not say wherein I make trouble no but wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound If this blessed and glorious Apostle would have had the faith of God bound and have contented himself with sinful silence and not propagated the Gospel Paul might have been free but Paul would not have the Word of God bound therefore Paul would suffer for it Shall we go higher a great deal than this You have the glorious commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this account that
thy word even as one that had found great stoils saith David so should we rejoyce alwayes in this treasure 'T is said of those that sate under John Baptists ministry that they rejoyced but for a while and that is the condition and misery of many The City of Samaria when they had received the Gospel 't is said they had great joy Acts 8.9 4. Be careful to keep and preserve it for it is a treasure and therefore we must treasure it up in our hearts and the rather because it will keep us It keeps as Chrysostome saith the house where it is other treasures cannot secure us Discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee Prov. 21.11 Thus you see the excellency of this spiritual wisdom So much for the first thing considerable in the first branch viz. the Depositum the Treasure The second thing considerable is the Repository i. e. Earthen Vessels or Vessels of Earth Earthen Pitchers these are the Repository but have this treasure in Earthen Vessels c. Earth is a word of diminution and disparagement and that in three regards 1. In regard of its meanness and baseness 2. In regard of its foulness and pollution 3. In regard of its frailty and transitoriness 'T is passing away in all respects these Earthen Vessels in the Text is to be understood the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ in regard of their outward man are so called and are so according to this threefold notion I. In regard of their meanness their outside is mean either for person or sometimes for estate body and outward deportment This was the condition you know of the first Ministers of Christ mean and ordinary persons outwardly God made use of Nay our Master our blessed Lord and Saviour was mean in regard of his humane birth and so reckoned of by most men according to his birth and parentage So it is with the servants of Christ they are in their persons generally base mean low and accordingly rendered despicable to the eyes of the World II. In regard of foulness and pollution Ministers are called Earthen Vessels they have many weaknesses they are men subject to the like passions as others 'T is true the Ministers of Christ have greater advantages than others in regard of their education knowledge gifts and employments being more free from those defilements and snares that others are entangled in yet through the remainders of the flesh in them they have many infirmities so Satan watches them more than others lays more snares for them in regard of their parts and employments so that they are more subject to his temptations than others Satan hath a desire to sift them as the Apostle Peter as wheat because he knows they will draw many after them so that they must needs be subject to many weaknesses and infirmities Sometimes God makes use of the worst sort of men even the most vicious and malicious first he changeth them and then makes use of them as instruments of glory The Apostle Paul was a Vessel of Election to carry the name of Christ unto the Gentiles yet in times past a great persecutor So it pleaseth God to make use of such that the excellency of the power may be of God c. III. Ministers are called Earthen Vessels in the regard of the frailty and mortality of their persons and Earthen Vessels are soon crackt and broken Ministers are subject to many infirmities of body This Heavenly light of the Gospel shineth often through Lanthorns of glass with some broken Ministers have weak and frail bodies Timothy had his bodily infirmities and Trophimus was left sick at Miletum 1 Tim. 4.20 and Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death Phil. 2.27 and Paul had need of Luke the Physician probably in regard of his sickness Thus the servants of God are subject to many infirmities Besides the reasons in the Text there are other reasons why God will have it so 1. That they may be more compassionate and more sensible of the weaknesses of others for likeness of condition breeds sympathy in affection Men are apt to pity those in the like condition with themselves so our Lord took our nature upon him that he mighty pity us he took flesh and bloud upon him he was tempted in all things like unto us but without sin that so he might succour those that are tempted So his servants many of them are much tempted which may breed in them a sympathy of affection to others that are in such a condition 2. God will have it so that Ministers may have the more experience of the Truths they preach to others concerning an afflicted condition those that have had no sickness or other affliction cannot preach from experience of such truths that concern such a condition they cannot preach so feelingly and savory as others when they have been under affliction they will know what affliction is both in the nature of it and the comforts of it and Gods gracious assistance therein and so they may speak comfortably and be enabled to comfort others as the Apostle Paul speaks 3. God is pleased so to order it sometimes for their humiliation to keep them low that so they may not be lifted up by reason of extraordinary manifestations and impartments thus St. Paul had given him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 A thorn was given him c. 't is twice repeated both in the beginning and end of the verse that so this thorn in the flesh might keep out pride in the heart that so they may have a more low meek and humble frame of spirit and thereby fitted and prepared for greater services And 4. That they may be also more conformable to those they have to deal with Israel desires Moses to speak to them and not God why because he was like unto them and would therefore compassionate them from whom they therefore desired to receive the commands of God Thus it pleaseth God to deal with his servants that as they may pity those they have to deal with so likewise to draw the affections of their people unto them to make them more loving and the more to attend on their Ministry seeing they are so fleeting and going away it pleaseth God that Epaphroditus should be sick even to death to endear the Philippians more to him chap. 2.25 28. that their love and tenderness may be drawn forth the more by discovery of his frailty Let us improve this Vse 1. First as to Ministers see how the condition is with us in our Calling We are Earthen Vessels taken out of dust We should often consider our frailty to make us more humble more meek and more compassionate to others more diligent in doing good that we may make amends for our frailty and natural weaknesses that are upon us We must not think much of it it being no more than in former times it was the
Conscience is awakened by the Spirit in the Ministry of the Word herein 't is powerful and efficacious There are divers instances in Seripture how powerful the Word hath been in point of Conviction in Felix the Apostle Paul preached to him of righteousness and judgement to come c. he trembles The Judge at the Bench trembleth at the Word delivered by the Prisoner at the Bar So powerful is the Ministry of the Word as to discover our sinfulness So the Disciples going to Emaus their hearts burnt within them when our Saviour opened to them the Prophets c. So it was with St. Peters Auditors Acts 2. they were pricked in the heart when they heard this he did preach to them in the power and demonstration of the Spirit and plainly discovered that sin that they were more especially guilty of and when they heard that they were pricked in the heart c. 2. It was a Word of Conversion also Conviction is one thing and Conversion in anoâ—her Sometimes men may be convinced and yet have no change wrought in them therefore Conversion is another work it is a turning men from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God c. To receive an inheritance among them that are sanctified Herein is the Word powerful viz. in Regeneration I have begotten you by the Word to a lively hope c. Of his own will hath he begotten you c. 4. It is a word of comfort and consolation it is a powerful word and able to comfort the heart and the Ministry is very effectual herein when set on by the Spirit to quiet satisfie and pacifie the Consciences of men which declareth the remission of sin and whosoever's sins are forgiven must needs be comforted Indeed it is not in the power of men to forgive sins yet they can speak a word of comfort in season by the administration of the promises the Spirit of God going along with them and then they are not onely declarative but operative Where I say it pleaseth God to bless and sanctifie the Word it is effectual for quieting of the minde for pacifying of the conscience and setling of the troubled soul Thus you see how powerful the Ministry is and seeing it is so this should teach us how to behave our selves under it it is powerful in it self and powerful in its dispensation and hath none of that weakness mentioned before of the dispenser of it 'T was with you saith St. Paul in much weakness and in fear and in trembling 1 Cor. 2 3 4. And my speech was in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power These may seem to be contradictory but 't is answered the Word is powerful in the demonstration of the Spirit though delivered by one of humane weakness as before is declared This spiritual power we should look at and labour after which power doth not consist in matter of elocution the inticing words of mans wisdom nor in matter of voice which indeed is a good thing and suitable to the nature of the matter A quick and powerful delivery is of great efficacy and power for the setting home of truths Yet this doth not make a powerful Ministry for a whisper in the ear may cause a thunder-bolt in the conscience the power lies first in the nature of the matter the matter consists in the nature and condition of Mankinde the certainty of the Judgement the necessity of Christ the Covenant of Graceâ— and the graces and priviledges thereof c. These carry a great deal of power and effiacy with them when they are carefully and frequently dispensed and Gods Spirit going along with them so they become powerful for the Ministry consists not in empty notions and speculations that will onely fickle the fancy but never reach the conscience Moral discourses though they be of great use yet if we rest in them they leave us as they found us Evangelical truths which are manifold are to be delivered in the Ministry Now as the matter of the Ministry must be powerful so the expression must be powerful there should be suitableness of expression to the matter i. e. with gravity sobriety and affection c. Strong lines make but weak preaching and take away the efficacy but delivering truths in the demonstration of the spirit and in power that is most effectual when we speak feelingly and from our hearts it comes then through the blessing of the Lord with it with power This is then to learn us of the Ministry viz. 1. Use Let us be careful that the matter of our Ministry be powerful so that the handling and dispensing thereof be powerful that so it may come home to the conscience thus we should deal with all The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Ministers of the Assemblies c. So our words should have a force and power in them This as the Apostle says is mighty and powerful to the beating down of strong holds c. Vse 2. Secondly In reference to hearers seeing the Ministry is powerful you must then submit your selves to the power of it Many people are Sermon-proof and think to stand out against the power of the Word but if it comes in power to the conscience they will not be able to resist it as it is said of them in the Gospel They were not able to resist the Spirit by which he spake viz. Stephen And for those that desire the conversion of others what course should be taken by them for that end but by good counsel instruction prayer and good example to endeavour them and more especially to bring them to the Word and administration thereof which God hath sanctified for this end So much for the excellency of the Gospel viz. The excellency of the power c. I come to the second 2. The Author of it 1. Positively it is of God And 2. Negatively it is not of us First Positively it is of God and that in all the considerations of it in the full extent of it it is of God So the Ministerial gifts the performances of it and the success of it are all from God First Ministerial gifts are from God it is he that makes us able Ministers of the New Testament There are saith the Apostle Paul diversity of gifts to one is given the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit c. 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. It is God that bestows every good gift Secondly The performance also is from God his grace concurrs and assists therein the habit and the act are both from him God gives gifts to men and he enables them to dispense them Ministerial employments are not onely for general but particular applications and so need not onely general but particular assistances That I might be enabled saith Saint Paul to fulfill the work c. the Lord stood by me and strengthened me that my preaching might be fully accomplished It is God
in this place where he spent his labour and pains many years I could give large accounts and testimonies of him if need were from my own knowledge of him having been acquainted with him many years He was not only a Minister but the Son of a Minister his birth and education suiting together He look'd upon it not only as an honour but an engagement to be careful to walk in those steps set before him and to continue the work of the Ministry begun by his religious Father Certainly the Children of godly and holy Parents cannot come off so cheap in their carriages as others they have greater accounts to make as having greater examples set before them greater advantages of Prayer Exhortation c. and so greater engagements this was thought on and observed by him And as he was the Son of a Minister so when he came to years and was sitted he took upon him the Ministry as he was one of great abilities so accordingly he discharged them faithfully and conscienciously He was a spiritual powerful consciencious Preacher he preached by his life for as Erasmus saith we should not only love to speak truths but we should digest truths on our own hearts before we commend them to others and so they will be the more effectual He was a man of a very meek sweet and humble spirit a man of a great humility and of great meekness in the midst of great abilities which was a great Ornament in him a man full of tenderness and condescension to others a man of a very yielding and melting frame of Spirit soon dissolved into tears It was the saying of one that a good man is full of tears so this good man was full of tears not affected but very real and hearty drawn from the fulness of his Spirit as the Apostle Paul saith he served the Lord in much humility and many tears This was remarkable that in these times our Reverend Brother was full of tears in delivering his Doctrine which was suitable to the age we live in being full of sin and calamity there is much need of a bewailing spirit to bewail the iniquities and miseries of the times they that cannot bewail themselves need the tears of others He was a man of great integrity and single-heartedness in his exhortations he had much of the simplicity of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks In reference to the Ministry he had no worldly and base affection he had no carnal designs therein but his chief design was to bring Souls home to Christ that was his chief business What the Apostle saith of himself may also be said of him that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 He was a man had ability to speak a word in season he was very compassionate to wounded spirits he himself having been much afflicted He was a man much in communication with God and had much acquaintance with God and was careful in improvement therein He was a Jacob in wrestling with God a Moses that stood in the Gap an Elijab that prayed earnestly the whole Land was the better for such a person being much with God the made many addresses to him and had much holy familiarity with him And as in his publick performances he was very faithful and beneficial so in his Family and privately he was very fruitful and serious In a word not to multiply much in this kind you need it less in this Auditory but only by way grateful memorial there was much of God and Christ in him and he was a great example to his fellow-servants there was much of this Treasure spoken of in the Text in this Earthen Vessel as in the matter of it he was one of a Gospel Spirit and in the conveyances of it he had great abilities for the work of the Ministry and discharged it with a great deal of success As he had this treasure in an Earthen Vessel so his Vessel his frail body was no disparagement to him but the advancement of the treasure in setting forth the power to be of God his outward man was much weak and worn away but his inward man was upheld by the grace of God His first work in the Ministry was in that place where my self have relation to he was an assistant to my Predecessor being then past labour Mr. Richard Couder and performed the work so well that he was exceedingly beloved of Mr. Couder and well beloved of the Parish and other places He left a good impression behind and I found good effects by the foundation there laid The Apostle Paul indeed desired not to work there where another had laid the foundation but I thought it a great advantage that the foundation was laid by such a Master-builder He was called into the Country to Rughy in Warwickshire there he continued very fruitful and did much good For some occasion he removed returned into the City and came into this place where he continued about 18 or 19 years discharged the work of the Lord carefully I need not say much of his carriage in this place I appeal to your own consciences I may say of this servant of Christ as the Apostle Paul said of himself 1 Thes 2 10 11 12. Ye are his witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameable he behaved himself among you as you know how he exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Therefore there lies an engagement upon you to walk answerable to the truths he delivered and to follow his steps considering the end of his Conversation I shut up all in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians chap. 4. v. 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in him Do and the God of Peace shall be with you Mr. Beerman's Farewel Sermon BEloved I know you are not ignorant that I am called by Authority to depart from you which for Conscience sake we must obey and were it not for the breach of Conscience I think I could be content to undoe my self to stay with you I shall now in love and tenderness take my leave of you all with that large portion of Scripture in the 20th of the Acts from the 17th Verse to the end they were Paul's parting words to the Ephesians Verse 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church and when they were come unto him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befel me through the lying
we may live with the God of Peace hereafter Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the Forenoon Joh. 14.16 And I will send the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever THe Observation that I commended to you out of these words was this It is the great work for which the Spirit of Christ is given by God to comfort the hearts of his people You may remember that I have formerly opened the truth to you and have shewed you what this spiritual comfort is that the Spirit of Christ works in the hearts of his Disciples I gave it you in this Description It is that inward spiritual satisfaction that the heart of a gracious person finds in and through Jesus Christ in all the various dispensationâ— of God towards him whereby he is enabled to go on in chearfulness in the way that God would have him whether it be by a way of doing or of suffering And herein I shewed 1. The nature of the spiritual satisfaction 2. The Author of it It is God by his Spirit 3. The Object of it God through Jesus Christ 4. The proper subject of this inward spiritual comfort the people of God 5. And lastly The effects of the spiritual comfort it is to strengthen the heart both to do and to suffer I came the last time to shew you how the Spirit of God doth this 1. He doth it as an enlightning Spirit By shewing where comfort is to be had by opening the eyes of the understanding as he did Hagars bodily eyes to see the Well of Water 2. He doth it as a quickning Spirit bringing the Soul into that capacity to take in the comfort for what comfort can a dead man receiver a Cordial and Puddle is all one to a dead man 3. He works this inward spiritual satisfaction by discovering the truth of his vital Principle in the Soul for a man may have a principle of grace and spiritual life in him and not know it that though he has the spiritual comfort yet it is all one as if he had it not Now this is the great Question that is debated in the heart of a childe of God Whether he be regenerated and born again Whether he hath grace in his soul that grace that will qualifie him for glory and if he was satisfied as to this he would not be a moment without comfort But he is afraid that he is dead in sin that he is a stranger to the life of grace hence ariseth all the Spiritual troubles Now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly sorrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly sorrow Oh! it 's matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is a mortyfying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrows pride unbelief inordinate love to the World 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing that I did for the explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they are such as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel and find none in his comforting work The Sun may operate where it doth not shine A man may be in a state of Salvation when it doth not feel the joyes of Salvation Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the comforting spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of Glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in frame of longing after the state of Heaven God will have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we must make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes till sin be quite taken out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spiritual comfort in their Souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comfort but they may feel the impression of Gods anger Haman complains That the wrath of God did bang upon him and that the terrors of God had out him off A gracious heart hath real grounds of Consolation though he hath not present sensible comforts A child of God hath always that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eternal life A Child of God shall always have so much to keep up his hopes and affiance upon God A Child of God in the darkest condition though he doth not see enough to make him rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust in God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while he was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5. Those that have inward comforts from the Spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it is light within
The promise of the Spirit which shall supply his absence such a Spirit as shall reach them comfort them and be in stead of All to them give them such Joy Courage and Peace as the World can neither give nor take away ver 27. Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you c. Thirdly In the 23. ver in the Text We will come and make our abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an Answer to the Question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the Answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the Promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said He will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which word there are three parts considerable First A Supposition If a man love me c. Secondly A position which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A promise which is two-fold First Of the Father's love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a Person We will come unto him and make â—ur abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ If any love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my ways treasure up my truths and counsels This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order 1. That Jesus Christ must be truly loved 2. What it is to keep his Words 3. Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity for this that the Apostle says 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be accursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly 1. Who is he that truly loves him 2. Why we should all truly love him First Who is he that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45 46. sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies he loves Christ in deed and not in shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksome duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vico c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth No sweetness like that of his bosome all his ways are peace and his paths pleasantness Christ makes every condition comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the soul hath in his life 't is communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2. â— I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and the Hinds of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the soul takes in communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at a loss and is never quiet till he enter into acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1 2 3 c. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her best thoughts in her closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations spiritual Ejaculations and secret self-Examinations in all these the soul enquires As one that loves the world by night his meditation is of the world so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season the wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed so the soul that loves Christ his are still at work after Christ Secondly I will rise now and go about the
privileged people blessed of God shal be to all eternity but do you not mistake Do you believe this that Jesus is the Christ How came you by this belief What account can you give of it How were you brought over to this belief Did you not come to this Faith and belief by common report You were born to this Doctrine you look upon it as that which is the benefit you have by your being born in a Nation and among a people that profess the Name of Christ and this hath been instilled into you by Education and upon this account you take it Did you ever buy this truth It is a Truth that Jesus is the Christ How came iâ—to be yours Did you ever buy this Truth Buy it I say buy it For the very Truth is we are never able to make a good Title to any Scripture-Truth untill such time as we can say we have bought it How why by serious meditation studying the Scriptures searching into them seriously pondering and weighing of them crying mightily to God that he would manifest them to us and encountring temptations from without and from within being at a point willing to engage liberty and estate and life and all for this Truths sake Can you say we have pondered and are so fully satisfied about it as that if all the World should come in a way of contradiction and rise up in opposition to us and come with fire and sword to beat us out of this Truth yet we are resolved to stick to it Can you give such an account of your selves That you have not taken it up upon a common report but are able to say there hath been an inward Revelation made of these things to your Souls that there hath been a sanctified work of the Spirit upon your understanding that you come to see into the mystery of these Gospel-Testimonies Is there an habitual frame of Spirit wrought in you whereby you are carryed out to close with every Truth of God and to close with it upon this account because of a Divine Authority stampt upon it When we give assent to common Truths but not with a common spirit but in the strength of an inward conviction we assent to it upon the account of an Unction that we have received from the Holy One and we assent to this and that truth upon the account of a Divine Authority which we see to be stampt upon it and withall we finde that there are suitable workings of our heart in the loves and desires and delights of them to these Truths as there will be a kindly working of the heart where there is a right assent suitable to the Truths assented to as if there be a Threatning the Soul assents to it and will tremble before God If a Promise be made or a Gospel-Revelation it will be accompanied with a holy rejoycing in God that ever he should make such a Promise or Revelation and then there will be a holy resolution of Spirit Come what will come I will never part with this Truth I have bought the Truth that was my duty and having bought it I will never sell it that is my duty too can we give such an account as this But then withal let me a little further improve that which I have already spoke from the Chapter You say this is your belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of GOD but can you give an account of those priviledges that are entailed upon this belief For you must know that the priviledges which belong to such will serve as evidences that they are such Now if you believe it is your priviledge to be born of God and this being born of God must be the evidence of this belief Can you give an account of your being born of God If you are not born of God you do not believe That Jesus is the Christ Can you give an account of your overcoming the World Are you such as are enabled to stand out in opposition to the Errours and Heresies and corrupt Doctrines and Practises that are in the World Can you bear up against the lust of the Eye the lust of the Flesh and the pride of Life If you are in slavery to the World in bondage to the beggarly Rudiments of the world you are mistaken if you believe That Jesus is the Christ For he that believeth according to the true interpretation of Gospel-believing That Jesus is the Christ doth overcome the World and by vertue of this belief he is enabled to get a conquest over the World and over the Corruptions that are in it through lust And then again you profess to believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Oh! but are you able to give an account that you have believed into this Jesus and upon this Jesus For that is it the Text holds forth He that believes that Jesus is the Christ doth believe on Jesus the Christ Are you by vertue of this believing which you profess drawn out to a closing with Christ Do you roll your selves upon him Own him for Righteousness and Salvation and are willing to yield your selves up in subjection to him You believe Jesus to be the Christ but do you believe on that Jesus whom you profess to be the Christ Now this being thus laid down as a Foundation I would inferr thus and so go on to a farther branch of this Application Either you do really believe with a Gospel-believing the Truths and Doctrines concerning Christ or you do not Why they that do profess they do but in truth they do not there is a clear and manifest contradiction which this profession meets withal and that upon the accounts I have formerly given as alas this profession suffers contradiction generally generally the Professours of this Faith That Jesus is Christ doe clearly make a flat contradiction and I am very confident that there are thousands that if they should be put to the trial Will you stick to this truth If you do it shall cost you the losse of your Liberty and Estates Nay your Life shall go for it Oh! I am very apt to think that you shall have thousands that will turn their backs upon this Profession renounce this Profession Now concerning such this I would say First That the condition of such persons as are not right in Gospel-believing is a most mournful and miserable condition however it may be with them in other respects yet it is sad to think what a condition they are in for consider first of all they that do not perform this great duty of Gospel-believing according to the truth and reality of it I will tell you what they do they do give God the lye they do by interpretation tell God to his face that he is a very Liar and what higher blaspheming can there be than to give the lye to the God of Truth every one will be apt to bless themselves and say Oh far be it from me God forbid
Christ Jesus Consult with flesh and blood and that will never teach you to believe but an ignorant presumptuous Faith This concerneth me not to have my thoughts plunged about this or that worldly care but to become a new Creature in the renewing of the spirit of the mind Fourthly Consider ever 1. To follow Peace 2. To follow Holiness 3. To exercise Patience 1. To follow Peace Two of these you have in the Hebrews Heb. 14. Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which none shall see God Do not esteem it your interest to contend Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts Fret not thy self because of evil doers It is an easie matter to sin in our Anger a rare thing to moderate anger against sin so as not to sin in that anger 2. To follow Holiness Refuse Peace that cannot be enjoyed without Holiness It is upon the view of God I shall see what kind of love he is and Christ saith Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Resolve to follow holiness not greatness riches c. And he that will do so Christ saith shall suffer persecution in this present world Wherefore it will be good to consider 3. To exercise patience Let us add upon that account 1. Love not the World 2. Love not your own Wills 3. Value your own Souls 1. Not the World The Text saith 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the Love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the Lust of the flesh the Lust of the eye and the Pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World And the World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of the Father abideth for ever The love of this world maketh a man to be in respect of the Prince of this world as a Bird in the Fowlers snare There is no way sooner to sin away their everlasting Love than to love this present World 2. Love not your own Wills That person is neither prepared to do for God nor to suffer for him that nath not learned something of this lesson of Self-denial There is no divine service but in doing Gods Will and that I cannot do but by parting with my own delivering up my self unto him to be led and guided by his holy Spirit Christ saith If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself take up his Cross and follow me 3. Value your own Souls The great care and consult is for gratifying the body if but part of that time were spent on the soul which is on the needless care of the body it might render it in a far better and more goodlier posture Let every one think I carry that in my bosome is of more value than the whole worlâ— neither can the whole world recompence the loss of it and if we have such jewels let us take care to secure them A careless common spirit doth not become a Christian Let none imploy their time in disputing this or that vain Opinion but spend it on your souls Secondly In order unto the particular divine Providence now ending of our Ministry unto you 1. Whatever happeneth on this account let it be your exercise to cry out for the holy Spirit of Christ he will grant you a greater supply than you may expect from any man whatever So Christ comforteth his Disciples Though I go yet I will pray unto the Father and he shall send you another Comforter and he biddeth them pray for it also Even so as for what concerneth us this we cannot be denyed to pray that God would send out his holy Spirit among you and upon you and while we may speak unto you we desire you to pray for it also Our work did lye but to bâ—ing men to Repentance by conviction of sin to believing by the shewing of Righteousness and to convince of both by Christs conquest over sin This Christ sheweth his holy Spirit the Comforter can do Joh. 16.8 9 10 11. And when he is come he shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of sin because they believe not on me of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more of Judgment because the Prince of this world is Judged This is a suitable and sufficient reply 1 Joh. 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him That Anointing was the Spirit pour'd out on our Head Christ Jesus and ran down the skires of his garments not that instruction should cease but this Spirit can either fill it administred or supply it being wanting And the withdrawing of this present Ministry may be to cause you to pray more incessantly for this holy Spirit day and night And Christ promiseth The Father will give it to them that ask it 2. Be more frequent in your converse with the Scripture It is the Pillar of Truth and by a frequent converse with it also you will find a pure mind stirred up to remember 3. Be more frequent in Meditation Let not the world swallow up all your time so as not to meditate on your Souls the Scriptures and Heaven The meditation on Gods Law keepeth us from the Counsel of the ungodly from standing among sinners or sitting down in the seat of the scornful Psal 1. It is worthy of our wonder any should read the Scriptures believing them indicted by a holy Spirit and yet scorn Holiness Religion c. 4. Be more usual in personal private and family Duties Devotion God doth call those that know how to address themselves unto him to a more earnest private devotion Jacob was alone when he wrestled for a blessing There are particular seasons in which God calleth his people into a retirement Isaiah 26 20 21. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy dores about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities So also Zech. 12.11 12. And in that day shal be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the Land shal mourn every Family apart the Family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Levi apart and their Wives apart all the Families that remain every Family apart and their Wives apart In that day there shal be a Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and for Vncleanness If I
abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye even as it hath been taught you ye shall abide in him Though they corrupt and pervert this Text that make use of it to the disannulling of all Ministerial teaching for if John had meant so to what purpose did he write this Epistle yet when God depriveth us of this help this Scripture affords support and comfort to the Saints that by the Spirit in them they shall be enabled to understand what he teacheth in the Word so as to abide in the Lord and in his Way as they have been taught Having then the Spirit for your principle and guide let the Word be your Rule and you shall keep the Way of the Lord according to that promise Isaiah 35.8 The wayfaring-men though fools shall not erre therein 3. Let the example of Christ be your pattern that you may keep the Way of the Lord set this Copy alwayes before you He always kept the Way of the Lord as he came down from Heaven to do the Will of his Father John 6.38 so he did alwayes those things that did please him John 8.29 He never departed in the least from the Way of the Lord He knew nâ— sin neither was guile found in his mouth If then you would keep the Way of the Lord learn of him follow him walk even as he walked Indeed in the things that are proper to Christ as God or as Mediator therein he is not to be imitated by us but in the things that he did or suffered as man he left us an example or pattern that we should follow his steps 2 Pet. 2.21 Hence that Exhortation of his Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meâ—k and lowly in heart That then you may be directed as well as encouraged to keep the Way of the Lord look to Jesus and walk as you have him for an example Indeed the Apostle exhorts to walk as you have him for an example Phil. 3.17 But knowing that he could give you but an imperfect Copy he exhorts in that 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ It may be of good use to us to minde the examples of the Apostles and faithful Ministers of the Gospel that have walkt on in the Way of the Lord before us But forasmuch as there in none of them even Peter himself but went awry more or less therefore make the example of Christ your pattern Time will not permit to prosecute this at large I shall only offer some few particulars from the example of Christ to you such as may be most seasonable to further you in keeping the Way of the Lord. 1. It was the work and business of the Lord Jesus Christ to do the Will of his Father to do what pleased him As he came down from Heaven to do his Father's Will as you before heard from John 6.68 so he made it his work and business To this purpose is that Luke 2.49 How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business with that John 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his work If then you will keep the Way of the Lord herein be ye followers of Christ let it be your work and business to do the Will of the Lord and to walk in all well-pleasing before him Let the Exhortation be in the words of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.1 Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exhort you That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God so ye would abound more and more 1. It was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ to look on all the sufferings that came upon him as coming from the hand of his Father in accomplishment of his Word and therefore quietly to submit to them To this purpose is it that he tells Pilate in John 19.11 Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above He looks beyond Pilate to him that was above So John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it He overlooks the instruments and looks on his sufferings as a Cup put into his hand by his Father And as he observed the hand of his Father in the sufferings that came upon him so he takes notice that they are in accomplishment of Scripture Mat. 26.53 54. Thinkest thou that I could not now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be and he takes notice that the Scripture had foretold that thus it must be and that he must suffer and enter into glory as he clears iâ— in that of Luke 24.25 26. Therefore though he prayed if it be possible as Matthew hath it and if thou be willing let this Cup pass from me as Luke hath it yet he quietly submits to his Father's Will with a Not my will but thine be done And as Mat. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it let thy will be done Thus you see how by looking to the Fathers hand he willingly submits to what sufferings came upon him That you may keep the Way of the Lord in the midst of all the sufferings you are like to meet with herein following the Lord Jesus Christ eying the hand of your gracious Father in all the sufferings that come upon you of what nature soever and by whomsoever inflicted and what ever may be the ends of those by whom you suffer yet that they are all ordered by him in accomplishment of his Word Do ye not believe this I know that ye do believe it by Faith therefore improve it for the quieting of your hearts in all your sufferings This is that the Apostle presseth the Saints unto in the 12th of the Hebrews where he taketh for granted that all kind of sufferings more especially such as come upon us by the contradiction of sinners are fatherly corrections from the Lord and so in accomplishment of the Word of God according unto that Psal 89.30 31. and therefore humbly to be submitted to so Heb. 12.9 10. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live for they verily for a few days chastened as after their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Seeing therefore whatsoever befalls you in the way of the Lord is by your Father's ordering in accomplishment of his Word for your profit that ye may be partakers of his Holiness submit your selves to him eye your Fathers hand and end and be quiet 3. It was the practice of Jesus Christ in his state