are two things to name no more that are hugely obliging in this very act with its qualification first it is a manly act to hold fast that which is good and it is a childish act to let it go I say it is a manly act it argues something of a great soul and of a great understanding and of a manly resolution to hold fast that which is good but it is childish to let it go and therefore see how the Apostle puts these together Ephes 4.13 14. saith he speaking there That God hath given some Prophets some Apostles and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for edifying of the work of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Now he comes in the 14 verse to add That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereas they lay in wait to deceive it is not for a man to be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine for a child to be bought out of a Pearl with a bauble is no great matter but for a man what a shame is it why we should be men not children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine now beloved you know the Scripture calls upon us in such Language as this Be couragious and quit your selves like men be not children that will dance after every pipe tossed to and fro and always unstable Secondly It is not only a manly act to hold fast that which is good and childish to let it go but it is a Christian act a proper Christian act a right Christian act it is that which doth distinguish a true Christian from a hypocrite and a counterfeit you know it is a character of a Godly man he is a praying man there went up two men into the Temple to pray the one was a hypocrite the other a Publican now what is there then in prayer that doth distinguish these two men why faith Job will the hypocrite pray always no not he I will warrant you that is well he held out in the profession of God and of his Worship and Service the Sains are always said to pray but as for the hypocrite will be pray always no not he for here the true children of God they will hold fast but Hypocrites and Formalists they will let go Now mark here the Apostle makes this distinction Heb. 10. ver last But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of their souls that is of them that believe to the end for the end of our Faith is the salvation of our Souls now pray you mark by the way what you draw back to when you draw back you draw back to perdition they that go backward go to Hell How saith he We are not of them that draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of their souls that is of those that believe to the end and this is the difference he makes between them that are the People of God and them that are not that to the end holds fast the other lets go Thus I have given you an account of the Arguments that are couched in these words drawn from the Subject the Object and the Act with its qualifications I think I promised you a few helps with which I shall conclude take them in these three or four particulars First Would you hold fast I cannot but believe it to be all your desires well then if you would hold fast let me beseech this of you take heed of all and every sort of men that make Religion a Trade to get mony by which perhaps you will say are there any such in the world Oh I would there were not See that 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. where the Apostle acquaints you with such men saith he If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godliness the wholesom Doctrine the healing Word what then in the 4. verse saith he he is proud knowing nothing but doating about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that gain is Godliness or as most read it that godliness is a gain a meer trade to get mony by from which withdraw thy self If you be not baptized they will tell you you are not a Christian and baptized you shall not be unless you pay for it they will tell you cat flesh you must not at such and such times but if you will pay for it you may they will tell you you must not sin by no means but if you will pay for it you may and have a pardon for it when your have done such a one as they can give Oh I beseech you when ever any make use of Religion to get money by take heed of them faith the Apostle from those that make godliness a Trade to get money by withdraw thy self and know that godliness with contentment is great gain Doubtless godliness is the best Trade in the world if closely followed but the worst if worldlily followed but to take up a Profession of the Christian Religion meerly for pomp and state and to get gain Oh rueful Is Christian Religion made use of for such ends as this Oh! take heed therefore as ever you would stand fast in the Faith and hold fast the profession thereof take heed of all and every sort of men that makes use of Religion to get money by Secondly Take heed of the error of the wicked lest you fall from your own stedfastness this advice you have from the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest you also being led away by the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness the error of the wicked is like to make one as wicked as they pray what was this error of the wicked It was this there were a generation of wicked men that said It was in vain to serve God for say they Where is the promise of his coming Only Beloved it was as much as to say there was no reward for godliness nor no wages for ungodliness Oh! take heed of this error of the wicked it is a wicked error and none but wicked ones hold it to wit That it is in vain to serve God therefore keep this still in your hearts that Verily in keeping his Commandments there is great reward if there were no more but the very work it is great honour to us that we may be servants to such a God but Beloved
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
to the hardning of them in their sins Did we seriously consider how great hinderers riches pleasures and worldly prosperity are to grace and holiness we should not be so discontented at our mean and afflicted condition in the World nor so over-desirous of those accommodations which have proved the bane of so many and the hinderers of their salvation peace and plenty honor and prosperity doth very often increase pride and covetousness security and earthly-mindedness when as affliction tribulation want reproach being sanctified by God doth tend to the exercising and increasing of patience humility and a heavenly conversation and upon this consideration the Apostle Paul gloryed in tribulations because it wrought in him the grace of patience Rom. 5.3 and not only so saith he but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. There are many souls now in torments for that pride security worldly-mindedness and other sins which were nourished and fostered up in their prosperity in the world and many souls now in heaven which were helped forward in their way thither by the exercise of those graces which were nourished and encreased by their adversity crosses and calamities here below Be not therefore dismayed and discontented Christian with that condition though it be grievous to thy frail flesh which doth tend to the encreasing of grace and holiness Lastly thou that art a believer heir of heaven art thou in affliction be not dismayed because these things being sanctified by God will tend to the fitting of thy soul for and to the bringing of thee nearer to heaven afflictions and tribulations do tend to the uniting of souls closer to Christ and to the fitting and preparing them more and more for eternal glory and hence it is that God hath ordained that through many tribulations we must enter into glory Acts 14.22 God doth discipline his dear Children by sorrows and troubles here and so fit them for to raign with him hereafter and shall we be dismayed at such a condition that doth tend to the fitting of us for our Heavenly Inheritance and to the bringing of us nearer to Christ and Salvation Oh let not afflictions nor tribulations dismay you that have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven to support you but let the consideration of your Heavenly interest keep you from fainting at all your afflictions and tribulations that you meet with in your way to Heaven And now beloved hearers give me leave to trespass a little more upon your patience seeing this is like to be the last opportunity that I shall have to speak to you from this place being prohibited to preach unless upon such terms as I confess my conscience dares not submit unto being therefore enforced to lay down my Ministry I thought good to let you know that it is neither out of singularity nor stubbornness in opinion which many it may be may conjecture but because the things required are such as my conscience cannot close withal could I see a sufficient warrant from the Word of God for those Ceremonies and other things that are enjoyned I should readily submit unto them for I can take the great God to witness with my conscience that nothing in the world grieveth me a hundred part so much as to be hindred from the work of the Ministry and to be disabled from serving my great Master Christ in that employment but seeing I cannot finde my warrant thence I dare not go against my conscience and so do evil that good may come thereby Those strict prohibitions recorded Deut. 42. and 12.32 Prov. 30.6 and in other Scriptures wherein we are prohibited to make any addition to Gods own institutions in his worship and the terrible threatnings pronounced against those that shall transgress in this particular hath such impression upon my heart that I dare not give my assent nor consent to any thing in Gods Worship which is not warranted from his word but I think it the lesser evil of the two to expose my self to sufferings in the world rather than to undergo the checks and reproaches of a wounded and grieved conscience Dearly beloved While I had liberty to speak unto you I may say with the Apostle Paul Act. 20.27 I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God but according to that strength and ability that God hath given me have laboured to instruct you and to press home upon you those great and saving truths which are of necessity to be known and practised in order to salvation And as the Apolste Paul writ to the Philippians Phil. 1.8 So may I say to you that God is my record how greatly I have longed after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ your conversation unto God and eternal salvation is that which I have had in my eye for this I have prayed for this I have preached for this I have studied neither is there any thing more joyous to me than to hear of any of my hearers that are walking in the truth and that have set their faces towards Heaven But seeing God is pleased for ends best known to himself to suffer my Mouth together with the Mouths of many others my Dear and Reverend Brethren in the Ministry to be stopped I desire to leave a word or two with each of you which I would have you to look upon as the words of a dying Minister or of a dead Minister in a civil sence and therefore suffer them to take the deeper impression upon your hearts I shall therefore direct a word or two to three sorts of persons First To those that do much rejoyce at this time and that have earnestly looked and longed for it to such who hug themselves and make merry because the troublers of Israel as wicked men account the Ministers of Christ to be which have told them of their sins and reproved them of their carnal sensual unholy lives are not suffered to preach nor to trouble them with the unpleasing Doctrines of repentance conversion mortification of sin and other truths which they dislike to those who look upon the faithful laborious convincing preachers of the Word of God to be their enemies because they have told them the truth and could not sooth them up in their sins and rejoyce as the inbabitants of the earth did rejoyce over the Witnesses and make merry Rev. 11.10 To you I say whosoever you are that none have more need of our labours and of our preaching than you and if you were but acquainted truly with your own state in which you are which is a state of death and wrath without you repent and turn and become new creatures you would be of other minds than now you are and turn your mirth and jollity into mourning Consider that is never the better with any City when the watchmen are removed nor for a traveller when the light is gone which should direct him in his way and it cannot be but sad when
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
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
resist him to his face Shall Paul resist Simon Peter and shall not the Saints of God resist Simon-Magus shall they resist Hymenaeus and Philetus and shall not we contend with Alexander the Copper-smith 't is but suitable to what God expects and the Exhortation here given us That we should maintain with might and main as that which is our treasure which we will not let go the Faith once delivered to the Saints To put you upon this I might encourage you with several things All the Reasons mentioned are as so many Motives to this holy spiritual contention Shall I tell you of three words further 1. The mercy of God delivering the truth to you should engage you to this holy contention 't is such a mercy as is a Non-such mercy Psal 147. the two last verses He hath given his Judgments to Jacob and his Statutes to Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation How many of the greatest part of those that we call Christians in the world are put like Sampson to grind among the Philistinis Superstition Popery Idolatry Will-worship such things as Jesus Christ never delivered to his Saints having both their eyes out the Scripture light that should have shewed them the truth taken from them and their Consciences that should teach them carried in the pocket of some base Priest that dare not think any other than what he will tell them How many are there even of the very reformed of the world who only get upon some broken plank of Ship-wrack'd truth whereby they swim to the Lord Jesus But God does not deal thus with us you have had the whole Counsel of God revealed to you a glorious light set up in the Nation for a hundred of years past which hath been like the light of seven dayes For these twenty years past the running to and fro of men hath increased knowledge you have learned the truth from Gods faithful Ministers you have received it with much affliction with many temptations it hath cost Jesus Christ dear to send it it hath cost you dear to receive it and will you let it go Your sin above all others will be most provoking to the Lord Jesus 2. I might tell you that 't is a time wherein many let go the faith and methinks the Lord Jesus does by his poor and unworthy messenger speak to this great Congregation as sometimes he did to his Apostles Will ye also go away There are many that have been forward and eminent Professors of the Faith delivered to the Saints that have made Ship-wrack of Faith and a good Conscience will you split upon the same rock God hath kept the truth for you and kept you in the truth hitherto and is coming to see whether you will cleave to it and keep it or no. We have been sucking at the breasts of the Ordinances and dandled upon the knees of Providences and gone on in a smooth way of Profession but what will you do now when you must come possibly to suffer persecution for it to keep the faith you may lose your Liberty Life Estate And there 's a great deal of hazard upon this account because it hath pleased God so to dispose it as that those that should be your guides into truth the Lord is removing them into corners Possibly while they have been with you you have kept the faith but what will you do when they are gone While Moses was with the people they cleaved to the Lord when once he was gone into the Mount they fell into their Idolatry and worshipped a Calf While Paul was at Ephesus the flock kept pure but saith he I know after my departure grievous Wolves shall break in not sparing the flock c. So while you have heard of God who sends voices and warnings to scare away the Wolves and Foxes from you possibly you may keep the Faith but what will you do when God removes them 3. God hath ever had in all ages of his Church a word of his Patience to be kept to try his Saints and therefore it does concern you for to be valiant for the truth In all the series of Gods dispensations with his Church there hath been something or other of the faith of Christ that hath cost them resisting to bloud to sacrifice their lives to lay down all that they have for it by suffering Now even as they so we if not in the same thing yet in the same faith we have still some word or other of Gods patience to keep therefore we need to have on the Armour of Light you must wrestle with the fiery Tryal for there is some Jewel that Jesus Christ puts upon you to wear that Persecutors and Persecutions Heresies and Hereticks will scratch at which you must hold out with loss of life to keep and this must be till the latter part of the rage and reign of Antichrist is out and even as you keep that so will God keep you Rev. 3.10 As you honour the word of Gods patience so God will honour you As you are faithful to him so will he give you the Crown and no otherwise Hence therefore it concerns us all to be armed with a holy confidence and resolution as to this spiritual Warfare in contending for the faith delivered to us But the great thing I shall speak to is Wherein may Christians be helped in this holy strugling and contention I shall only mention five or six things some to fit you for it others to help you in the mannagement of it I shall name them mixtly and not distinct Rule 1. First Bring all Doctrines that are offered you to believe and all practises that are put upon you to practise to the Scriptures the Word of God try them there whether they be to be retained or to be rejected You will have this double advantage by it 1. To discover what is right and what is wrong 2. To have on the best part of your armor whereby to contend against it 1. To discover what is right and what is wrong for the Scripture alone is the Touch-stone of Doctrines and the Trial of Spirits The Scripture does discover it self and doth discover all things that are contrary to it when you are bidden to try all things 't is not by practising all things as some poor giddy-headed Christians of late days have done who have made the practising every opinion to be their trying of it till they have run themselves into all Opinions but 't is the Scripture you are first to trie and then to practise who are like the noble Bereans that were more noble than those of Thessalonipa because they searched the Scripture To bring the Truths that have or shall be taught you or the Doctrines that shall be imposed upon you to the Word of God to see whether they be according to the Truth or no for false Doctrines and false Worship of all things they hate the Scripture most they are alike false coyn or
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
to apply our selves to the knowledge of the things of the Gospel We must with the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoop down to look into to have a clear thorow perfect sight of those things that are discovered in the Crystal Glass of the Gospel We must look into the perfect Law of Liberty James 2.25 2. As the Word imports an act of memory or remembrance it affords us this Observation viz. Next to our knowing of it should be our care to retain and remember the glorious Truths of the Gospol It is all one not to remember as not to know We must not only attend to Wisdoms words but must keep them in the center of our hearts Prov. 4.21 2. If you do hence observe 'T is not enough to know and remember but we oâ—ght to do according to what we know and practise according to what we remeâ—ber 'T is some slight kind of happiness to know but so to know as to do that is the happiness If you know if you do We must not only be Hearers of the Word but Doers of the Word Knowledge without Practice it is Rachel-like fair indeed but barren Practice without Knowledge were it possible Leah-like fruitful but blear-eyed both together Rachel's fairness with Leah's fruitfulness a fit Spouse for a Solomon 2. For the Position Happy are you if you do them hence observe There is a blessedness annexed to so knowing the truth of God as to remember and so to remember as to do the work of that Word If you do know if you do not other wise blessed are ye Thus I have cut the words in pieces The second Observation is that I would first commend from the Supposition If you know that carries in it an act of memory namely That as it is our first care to know so it should be our next care to remember what we have known To this end let us help our memories by way of a Summary rehearsal of our Morning-Exercises The first Sermon that was preached to you was built upon Isa 55.3 Hear and your Soul shall live FRom that Text this Doctrine That that Soul shall surely live spiritually blessedly eternally that so hears as to come to Christ himself The grand question upon that point was this What is to be done that we may soo see 'T was answered something was to be done before something at something after hearing First Before hearing That holy duty of Hearing calls aloud for holy preparations so much at least as settles the bent of the heart Heaven-ward so much at least as makes us humble and hunger after spiritual Manna so much at least as raises the heart into a posture of expedition of some divine and spiritual good from God Secondly A right demeanour in or at hearing which consists First The Hearer ought to propound to himself spiritual and right ends and that 1. Negatively This must not be the Hearer's end to come and judge either the Word or the Minister of it nor 2. To come and hear things that will tickle his fancy if he desire that let them go to those sinks of all Wickedness Play-houses nor 3. Must we propose this our end meerly to better our parts nor 4. Meerly to know much less meerly to be known that it should be said of us that we have been at the Morning-Exercise every day this month But our end should be to profit by what we hear Psal 119.33 We should hear that our souls may live Secondly We must labour to approve our selves true Gospel-hearers And to that end 1. We must be wakeful-Hearers it is dangerous sleeping by a Candle set up by God 2. We must be reverent-Hearts in the fear of God we must worship though not towards yet in his holy Temple 3. Attentive-Hearers our Ears and Hearers should be like Lydia's open to attend to those things spoken by Paul Act. 16 14. 4. Receptive-Hearers We must take in what we hear Acts 2.41 And this must be done with Faith with Love with Joy with Delight with Meekness with particular Application and this too not as the word of such a man or such a Minister I abhor that wicked notion among you the head of such a Party and I know not what But as it is indeed and in truth the Word of God That man never hears as a Saint that when he hears doth not look mostly at the Word as it is the Word of the God of Saints And if thus we apply our selves to the Ordinances truly we are in immediate capacity to have the Glory Spirit and Power of Christ to rest upon us in hearing And this leads me to The Second Sermon 2 Cor. 12.9 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me FRom this Text you had this Truth That a Christians chiefest glory under his infirmities is in the power of Christ resting upon him In the prosecution of this Point there was these four particulars propounded to be opened and prosecuted First What kind of power of Christ it is which Christians may hope to have experience of notwithstanding all their infirmities To this question it was thus answered a power that Christ hath with his Father with whom he is extraordinarily prevalent more than the fondling is with his dearest affectionate Mother A power of Christs which enables us to do what God requires and to suffer what God commands a powerful Application of Jesus Christ himself unto his people and that not only of light to them but of living of spiritual growth of spiritual strength of strength unto conquest yea to be more than Conquerors Secondly What is it for the power of Christ to rest on the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for the power of Christ to come and take its residence in the Soul to make the Soul to be that which a Tent or Tabernacle is to him who takes up his repose therein to come and lodge in the Soul of a Believer as in his Tent or Tabernacle Thirdly What is it for a Believer to glory in the power of Christ resting on him That is 1. To have the heart so full of Christ that it cannot contain it self but it must be bursting out as it were and running over in holy Exultations and Triumphs 2. To be so much in the admiration of Christ as that to a carnal eye it makes a man seem to be ridiculous what a goodly person was David in Michols eye when he danced before the Ark. 3. To rest on Christ so as to look out for nothing else c. To terminate and confine all the desires of the Soul in and upon and towards Christ Jesus 4. To oppose Christ to any to every thing that doth any way in the world either enjure or endanger him Fourthly Why should a Christian rather glory in this power of Christ resting upon him than in any inherent grace that is given unto him Upon these Accounts 1. Because all
interest in the Heavenly Kingdom they have Heavenly hearts if their Treasure be in Heaven their hearts will be there also Mat. 6.20 21. Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt and Thieves break through and steal for where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also And is it so with us are our hearts taken up with the Heavenly glory Are our meditations and contemplations much on Heavenly objects Or else are they taken up only or mostly with earthly vanities Are our hearts on our Riches Pleasures c. Or else are they placed upon Heaven and Heavenly things If we have a title to the Kingdom of Heaven our hearts minds and affections will be Heavenly and taken up with Heavenly Objects Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth Thirdly Wouldest thou know whether thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven or no How dost thou like the employment of Heaven if thou likest the employment of Heaven then thou mayest comfortably conclude that thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Canst thou say thou delightest to be employed in serving and in glorifying God and in worshipping of him in spirit and truth according to his word Canst thou say in truth that thou delightest to do the will of God here on earth as it is done by the Angels in heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect there Dost thou take delight to be employed in that employment that the Saints of heaven are and shall be for ever employed in Dost thou take pleasure to adore and praise and magnifie the ever blessed God Dost thou take pleasure in the duties of Religion and rejoyce to be conversing with God in prayer and in other holy exercises and to be enjoying communion with him if it be thus with thee as I have now described this this will evidently make out thy Title for Heaven Many Thousands pretend that their designs are to go to Heaven and they presumptuously conclude that they have an interest in that Kingdom when as they like not the Heavenly employment in themselves or others and they care not to get acquaintance with God here on earth and are strangers to the duties of Religion and to a life of holiness and perhaps spends and hour in a week or it may be in a moneth in secret prayer or in other holy exercises and it may be neglect the worship of God in their Families too but if we are unacquainted with the imployment of Heaven which is to praise and magnifie worship and adore God if thou delightest not so to do thou canst not conclude that thou hast a Title to Heaven but if thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven then thou dost most of all delight in that imployment which hath most of Heaven in it Fourthly If thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou hast a special love to the heirs of Heaven and thou hast a near and dear affection to the people of God though they be despised rejected scorned and persecuted by the prophane world and thou dost delight in the company of those on Earth which are like to be thy companions in Heaven and thou hadst rather have the society of those howsoever mean and low in the world that have the trueth of grace in them than of all the stately and glittering gallants of the World that are strangers to a Life of holiness and the more holy and heavenly they are in their hearts and lives the more amiable will their company be to thee 1 Job 3.14 Psal 15.4 Put thy self to the question whether it be thus with thee or no and thou shalt finde out thy title to heaven thereby Lastly If thou hast a title to Heaven then thou art so far at a point with all the riches and pleasures and enjoyments of the World as that thou wilt rather forgo them all than forsake Christ and rather part with them all rather than they shall hinder thee in thy way towards Heaven and if thou art brought so far at a pinch as that thou must either forsake thy interest in Christ and Heaven or to forgo thy worldly accommodations thou art very willing to forgo them all that thou mayest stick close to Christ and go forward in thy way to thy Heavenly Inheritance thus it was with the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.7 8. But what things saith he were gain to me those I accounted loss for Christ Yea doubtless I account all things but loss for the exceâ—ency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do account them but dung that I may win Christ And is it so with us then when riches honour and pleasure do stand in competition with Christ and hinder us in our progress in grace and holiness are we willing and ready to cast them away as we would cast away Dung if it be thus with us in reality then we may conclude we have a title to Heaven and an interest in the eternal glory By these things Beloved you may try whether you have an interest in Heaven or no. Having finished the Use of Examination I shall come to the next Use which is the last that I shall speak unto which an Use of Exhortation Is it so that the consideration of a Believers interest in the Heavenly Glory is enough to bear up his spirit under all the trials and tribulations of this Life then Oh that you which cannot upon Trial finde that you have a title to Heaven that you would labour after an interest in the Heavenly Glory if thou hast no interest there what good will all the enjoyments of the World do thee how quickly will all thy comforts and pleasures leave thee and what little cause hast thou to rejoyce in the abundance of outward things if thou hast no title to the durable riches if thou art void of the riches of grace here and hast no title to the riches of Glory hereafter what wilt thou do in a day of Tryal and in an hour of trouble and calamity What wilt thou do when Losses Crosses Troubles and Vexations shall compass thee about if thou hast not an Heavenly interest to support thee under them What wilt thou do when Pains and Anguish when Diseases Sickness and Death shall seize upon thee if thou hast not a Title to thy Heavenly inheritance These things will certainly and speedily come upon us how far off soever we may put them in our thoughts the proud looks of the lofty will quickly be turned into an earthly paleness though they look as big and carry themselves as high as if they had a protection from Hell and the Grave and those bodies which we now take so much care to please and pamper will
pass and as vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 2. Take heed of such persons as by whom if you be not the more watchful you may be so offended as to be turned out of the way More particularly 1. Take heed of your selves This is that our Saviour calls for in that Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Our greatest danger is from our selves while we have within a deceiver and a traytor who is still conspiring to turn us out of the way Take heed therefore of your own selves consult not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.10 2. Beware of Satan This is that which the Apostle suggests 2 Cor. 3. I fear by any means lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And out of the like fear concerning you I beseech you beware of Satan and the rather for that as the Apostle saith vers 14. Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2. Beware of false Teachers This is the advice of our Saviour in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which comes to you in sheeps cloathing c. And though I cannot say I know with the Apostle in Acts 20.29 yet I am greatly afraid that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciple after them 4. Beware of worldly Friends such as will counsel you to spare your selves such as savour not the things of God but those that be of men This our Saviour calls for in that of Luke 14.26 Answer them as Christ answered Peter Mat 16.22 23. The proper use of this Point with respect to the people of God is to exhort and perswade them to wait on the Lord and keep his way however it be whoever they are that watch and plot against them however they may prosper in bringing wicked devices to pasâ— however they may prevail in oppressing the poor Saints yet this is the Exhortation that I have received from the Lord for you Wait on the Lord and keep his Way There are two branches of the Exhortation I shall speak to both of them distinctly And because the latter of them is the main and the former a help thereto in bad times I shall invert the order of the Text and speak to what is here the latter in the first place and the other as time will give leave 1. However it go Saints though the wicked watch to do you a mischief yet keep you the Way of the Lord diligently observing the way of his Commandements the way of your duty to walk therein For as much as it hath been the design of mâ— preaching all along to expound the Way of God to you and to instruct you in the way of the Lord And I am now directing my speech to the Saints of God who know own and profess the way of the Lord I shall not spend much time while I have so little left in recounting to you what I have taught you concerning the way of the Lord onely in general that way of truth and righteousness the way of faith and holiness which I have taught you from the word is intended You know the way of Gospel-Doctrine Gospel-Fellowship Gospel-worship Gospel-Discipline and Gospel-Conversation which I have preached and you have received And here beloved I call God to witness in whose Name I have preached to you that I have preached the way of the Lord sincerely and faithfully as I have received of the Lord by the teaching of his Spirit through the Word I therefore beseech and entreat you out of that hearty love I bear to you and that affectionate care I have for you that as you tender the Glory of God your own Peace here and eternal Happiness hereafter and the spiritual and eternal good of others that you will remember how you have heard and received and keep the way of the Lord. In the prosecuting of this I shall speak to these two things First Open this duty in a few particulars Secondly Give you some directions to help you herein For the first of these take it in these particulars 1. Be exhorted to keep the way of the Lord in your memories So Rev. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast I am speaking to those that have received the knowledge of the way of the Lord that they retain what they have learned and that they maintain an actual remembrance of it and the rather take heed to this every one of you with the greater diligence for that you are like to be deprived of the help of your Remembrancers viz. the faithful Ministers of Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 you have had their help a lâ—ng while in putting you from Sabbath to Sabbath in remembrance but this is taking from you as the Apostle in another case Heb. 2.1 Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip 2. Keep the Way of the Lord in your judgments and Consciences I am speaking to those whose judgments are enlightned and Consciences renewed to approve of the VVay of the Lord As therefore the Apostle unto them 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye be led amay with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness So say I seeing ye know the VVay of the Lord and approve of it beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked and your own judgements being thereby corruped and your Consciences defiled you fall from your own stedfastness and I the rather press this for that as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 3. Keep the Way of the Lord in your Profession I am speaking unto those who as Rom. 10.10 with the heart believe unto Righteousness and with the month make confession unto Salvation And you have the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Faith without wavering Be not ashamed of your profession as our Saviour speaks Mar 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my Words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels with Mat. 10.32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven 4. Keep the Way of the Lord in your hearts and affections loving rejoycing and delighting in the Way of the Lord
and turn again unto the Lord Sin is aversio a Deo conversio ad creaturam Reformation is a turning again from the creature to God 3. Frequent and fervent prayer let us lift up There 's the frequency let 's do nothing else but pray let 's be continually lifting up our prayers make our houses houses of prayer Thus David Thou foughtest against me without a cause Did he take counsel against Princes to be disloyal to take up arms No. But I gave my self unto Prayer Psal 109.4 Therefore if you prayed before now do nothing else it notes habitual and constant prayer Our hearts with our hands to crave and as it were to pull down mercy as if we would wrestle with God and say Nay nay I will not let thee go until thou bless me Gen. 32.26 it notes our fervency And for our encouragement it is Unto God in the Heavens which expresses his Soveraignty Omnisciency Omnipotency Everlastingness c. 4. Judging our selves or confessing of sin We have transgressed 5. Aggravating our sins and have rebelled i.e. we have turned sin in-into rebellion rebellion hath been the aggravation of our sin we have sinned against the clearest light dearest love c. Neh. 9. Ezek. 9. Dan. 6. 6. Justifying God thou hast not pardoned A word not of murmuring complaining or accusing God of hard dealing but by way of justifying God we have transgressed therefore thou hast not pardoned Why shouldest thou repent of the evil of punishment when we have not repented of the evil of sin Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve So in the Text Do thy first works Sin is a departure from God Repentance a coming back again to God Turn thou to him from whom the Children of Israel have deeply revolted The soul hath many turnings and windings but there 's the best motion of all when the soul with the Dove returns to God from whom it came Apostacy is the loss of our first love Repentance is the recovery of it and Reformation is the doing of our first works I have not time to enlarge as I desire I shall only offer a few things that might help to quicken you to this great duty My Brethren we have no great cause to boast of Englands first love Never so good as it should be yet many can remember when England hath been much better than it is Time was when Doctrines have been more sound Discipline more exercised for the suppressing of sin and prophaneness Ordinances kept more pure from sinful mixtures when London kept Sabbaths better than now loved their godly Ministers more than now honoured them that were set over her for their works sake would have thought nothing too good for a faithful Minister when Christians loved one another with a dear hearty fervent love when there was less complement but more real love and affection among Christians when Christians improved their meetings converse Christian Conference and other soul duties to better purpose than now not to foolish disputations or wanton sensual excess but to their mutual edification when they improved their times for comparing their evidences communicating their experiences and building up one another in their most holy faith when there was more industry in Professors than now to bring in Converts when private Christians thought it their duty to be subservient to the works of their Ministers to bring in others to Christ especially their family Time was when more care of young Converts than now when none could have looked out after Religion but some or other ready to lend them their hand and shew them the way explaining it clearly to them but now young Converts may be snapt into separation and error and none look after them Time was when more care of the truly godly poor when error was more odious when Popery was more hated than now when the name of a tolleration would have made Christians to have trembled when Christians were better acquainted with their Bibles when more time spent in secret prayer when more tender of one anothers names and honours would heal one anothers reputations and would spread the lap of charity over those mis-reports and scandals that might be cast upon then when Christians rejoyced more in one anothers good and mourned in one anothers sufferings when Christians did more earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints c. Oh do you not only your first works but our fore-fathers first works be as zealous for God and his truths as tender mutually careful of one another as they Our fears be very great and truly our provocations be greater our dangers are great but our sins greater yet here is a word here is matter of encouragement that yet there is Balm in Gilead Physick of Christs own composition for the reviving and healing of a back-sliding people Christians Christ Jesus is become your Physician he hath prescribed you a potion made up of these three ingredients Self-reflection Holy Contrition Thorow Reformation Christiians now take this Receipt Christ advises you if you will not there is no way but one Or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick There is yet a means or two I find in Scripture for the preventing of threatned ruine that hath been very near that God hath prescribed for a people or person in great danger when ready to be cut off and destroyed Now that which I would commend to you in reference to what you would beg of God for England is First in your addressing your self to God for that mercy your souls are set upon and you wrestle with God for that you would make some special vow to God I find the Saints have done so when reduced to great straits not knowing what to do Thus Jacob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keep me on this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God And this Stone which I here set for a pillar shall be Gods house Gen. 28.20 21 22. The special thing Jacob vows is that he would continue in the pure worship of his fore-fathers that he would still honour God as his God in that way he would be worshipped the speciaâ— thing is that he would build a house for the worship of God here he would erect a place of publick worship And thus Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord and said If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand then will I utterly destroy their Cities Numb 21.2 They vowed they would not spare any of the enemies of God if he would deliver them into their hands Thus Jeptha Hannah David c. Judg. 11.31 1 Sam. 1.11 Psal 132.1 2. Certainly in times of great distress 't is nor improper or uncomely but that which God may expect and take well that you make some special vow if God
it is said Exod. 23.17 Three times in the year all thy Males shall appear before the Lord. And Acts 27. the Eunuch there went unto that place that God had commanded 5. He doth command that he would have these places reverenced and no civil employments used there when the holy service was doing and that after the service was done at that very time the place should be only for God 6. And lastly He annexed a promise unto that place that he would accept of a duty done there rather than in any other place even because it was done there hence they prayed in the Temple rather than in their private houses Luke 2.27 and when they could not be present by reason of Gods providence in the Temple if they do but look to the City and the temple God accepted of their duty 1 Kings 8.48 So that God did promise that that place that he had instituted for his worship and service that the service performed there should be more acceptable to him than else-where This shews the reason and foundation of a places holiness the precept of God and the promise and presence of God And thus I have opened to you the second thing Now having thus explained and opened the Question to you 2. I come to resolve the Question according to what I think in my conscience to be the truth of God and this I shall do two ways 1. By granting that which must not be denyed 2. By denying what must not be granted 1. By granting what must not be denyed and here I grant willingly these four things 1. That in the time of the Gospel it is not onely lawful but it is often very commendable and necessary to design and dedicate places unto God Now when I say it is lawful to design them and to dedicate them I pray you bear me witness I do not say it is lawful to consecrate them or to sanctifie them but I say it is lawful to design and dedicate them Now for this take notice That between 1. The designing and appointing of a place 2. the dedication of a place and 3. the consecrating of a place there are these differences 1. Concerning the designation of a place then is a place designed when it is appointed to be made use of for the most convenience for such a service as Tuesday and Wednesday may be appointed for Lecture-days not consecrated Now you must know that this designation of a day may be altered and so may a place if such a place be designed it is in our power to make use of it so as to leave off the use of it when we please 2. As to dedication I mean so lawfully to dedicate a place which is of our own right to dispose of so to dedicate it as not again to be able to revoke it or call it back from such a use and purpose It is lawful and commendable for a rich man to dedicate so much ground or money for building a House for a Free-School or for the poor and to give it away from our selves and from our own right and power and if so be that a man hath power or propriety over a place or thing it is lawful for a man to alienate such a thing And yet this you must know by the way that this Dedication that now is in the time of the Gospel doth very much differ from that dedication of Free-will-offering unto God in the time of the Law for they were dedicated to God in the time of the Law immediately that is to his immediate Worship it was part of Gods Worship it was a part of Religion to do that thing whereas it is not now dedicated to the immediate Worship of God but it is dedicated immediately to such a Priest or Minister or Place or company of people that we have a good will to gratifie and so it more remotely redounds to Gods glory not immediately For God hath not declared in his Word the same acceptation in the Gospel of things done in an immediate way as he had in the time of the Law of which acceptation now we have no such promise And therefore it is observable as one speaks concerning that Benefactor in the Gospel to the Jews He hath loved our Nation and builded us a Synagogue it is not said for God but for us This man out of love to us hath bestowed these things to God which though a giving our selves out of our own power yet it doth differ from the Free-will-offering in the time of the Law Ay but now Sirs ye must know that sanctification or consecration that is a great deal more when we sanctifie a thing or consecrate a thing this thing that is so consecrated it is so holy that there must nothing at all of unholiness or of a civil or secular employment and concernment be done in it Now we do not dedicate a thing but there may be secular things in an ordinary and civil way done in them and our services are not more acceptable for the place nor the places less holy because of those civil employments There is the first concession that in the time of the Gospel there may be a designment and dedication of places and it is not only lawful but commendable 2. I grant that in times of the Gospel some places are to have Religious services performed in them rather than in other places I mean places of natural conveniency and fitness for the meeting of people together whereby they may be free from disturbance from the violence of Enemies and from tempestuous weather As publick meetings whereby we have the society of Gods people their examples to stir us up to zeal and their joynt help in prayer and holy performances to go along with us that we may joyn our forces together and with a great force wrestle with God and overcome him which is invincible And therefore my Brethren I desire you to bear me witness this day that I plead for publick Ordinances for the purity of Gods Ordinances to be administred in publick places rather than other places so that I do here profess that I do avowedly and openly declare my judgement to be for publick meetings in publick places and the purity of Gods Ordinances if they may be enjoyed without humane mixture which may hurt and pollute them 3. I grant that in the time of holy service we are not then to use secular employments at that time in those places as eating drinking and talking it being unsuitable to the work in hand and howsoever they may be lawful at another time yet unlawful then because against the Apostles command Let all things be done in decency and in order and that which is unsuitable to the commands of God the taking his Name in vain My Brethren I will go further with you we are to abstain from all other Religious Services when not in season and therefore when the Minister is in Preaching we must not run into
their house for the crowd of the people that are going thither For shame let not this be told in Gath nor published in Askelon What! shall we stand up for the holiness of places and yet oppose the holiness of the Lords day which God hath enjoyned and instituted Oh! that the Magistrates of London Oh! that Englands King Oh! that Englands Parliament would do something for the Reformation of this to oppose wickedness and prophaneness which will otherwise bring upon us the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah and make us guilty and worthy of a thousand punishments And labour by Prayer in your Families to overcome that flood of prophaneness which you cannot by your strength prevent And then for the Sacraments of Christ Baptism and the Lords Supper these are Ordinances of Gods appointment they are holy and therefore should not be given to those that are unholy and yet those who are so much for the holiness of places do not care who come to the Sacrament if they have but a Nose on their Face they shall come and partake of the Ordinances let them be what they will this is to prefer mans Institution before Gods Institution And then for the Lords Message and Word that is a holy thing and therefore love his Messengers the Messengers of God delivering his message with fear and reverence you are to hear them with the same fear reverence and resolution to be holy as if Christ were present And for the Word of God it is not enough for you to have a choice Sentence written upon the Walls of your Churches but let Gods Law be written in your hearts and consciences and practised in your lives that all the world may see you live as men dedicated to the true God in all the duties of his wayes and obedience Many of these things might have been enlarged What I have give you with the right hand I pray you Christians do not take with the left for if you do you will make your selves guilty of a double sin First Because you do not obey the truth you hear And secondly For putting a wrong construction upon it But I have better hopes of you my beloved hearers and hope that the Lord will be better unto your souls than his Ministers than his Word or any thing else can be God bless you and his Ordinances and discover his mind and will at this time to you Mr. Baxter's Sermon Coloss 2.6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abunding therein with thanksgiving OMitting the division and in part the opening of the words the Observations is That those that have received Christ Jesus the Lord must accordingly bee rooted built up in him and established in the Faith and walk in him as they have been taught and abound therein with thanksgiving This receiving of Christ signifies to believe in him It is not only to receive his Doctrine or Benefits but to receive his person to receive him as related to us for the uses and end for which he came into the World and for which he offers himself to souls by the Preaching of the Gospel Sinners have lost and undone themselves Christ comes to be the Physitian of Souls hee will not save the unwilling and Despisers of his Grace while they continue in their unwillingness He will save them by the way of covenant while he consents and tenders them his Grace he will have them consent to the terms of his Covenant The consent of the heart exprest by our covenanting with him is this receiving of Jesus Christ He is willing to be our Physitian and when we take him to be so we receive him He is willing to save us from the guilt and power of sin willing to be our Lord Head Intercessor with God Justifier and all unto us and if we consent to this and take him as offered this is receiving Christ with whom his benefits are also received the remission of sins in-dwelling renewing comforting spirit title to everlasting life c. In receiving Christ all this is received Receiving of Christ contains these two things or these two things are essentially contained to make up the nature of saving Faith that is to believe the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ to bee true and to consent that the goodness that is therein revealed and proposed shall be ours To believe what Christ is and what he hath done so far to believe it as here we are resolved to venture our souls though there may be some weakness through our Faiths imperfection and believing the Gospel to be the certain Word of God Then next to entertain the Christ that is offered in this Gospel to be ours with all the benefits that accompany and to all the blessed ends to which he is revealed Thus the Water of Life is freely tendered to all that are athirst and there is no more required but come and drink Then there is two things implyed that are the immediate products of saving Faith and inseparable from it that is trusting on him as the Redeemer and obeying him as a Lord. To rest upon him as a Redeemer Romans 15.12 And here as far as the soul feels entertainment and encouragement by Christ overcoming his doubts that Christ will reject him c. so far he hath quietness of soul in Christ and will trust his soul upon Christ And then the obeying of him in order to our full recovery as a Patient must obey his Physitian in using his Remedies and Means he prescribes for killing our sins restoring our souls to Gods love and being with him to eternity The nature of Faith is to receive Christ the sincerity of it lies in the suitableness of the act to the object that we receive him as he is Now in Christ there is something essential to this act that he be a Saviour and our Saviour c. and there is something makes unto the well-being and fuller attaining of the end The first are the objects of Faith it self as 't is of absolute necessity to Salvation The second sort are the objects of Faith as it is strong and makes to the well being of a Christian All that is essential to Christ as a Saviour and Redeemer is to be believed by him that will approve himself a true Believer And thus to receive Christ as the eternal Son of God made man the Redeemer of the World ruling us upon the right of Redemption justifying us before God bringing us to God and interceding for us And thus Christ must be received according to his Offices and as those uses for which he is given to the soul do import and imply For the Application of this Point First Let us begin with those that our business at present doth not mainly lye on Must men walk in Christ as they have received him What shall we say to those that have not
Hearts hear what the Text saith A New Command I give unto you c. Wherein First you have the Command A New Command I give unto you It is not left to our discretion but we are bound to it by vertue of a Command A New Command I give unto you Secondly This Command is enforced by Gods own example as I have loved you It is called a new Command but Love is an old Command this Law is written in the Nature of Man It is engraven in every mans heart by Nature and it is an old Command because found among Gods antient Statutes the antient Records of his Law I but 't is a new Command too because pressed by a new Example of Christ As I have loved you so do ye love one another Doct. Christians ought to make Conscience of this duty of loving one another Confident I am We shall never see Religion thrive in the World until we see this Grace of Love flourish in the heart of Christians Nor the illustration of this proposition I shall do these two things First shew you the truth of this Love Secondly the extent of this Love First Truth of this Love If you love one another saith Christ see you do it purely not dissembling but from the heart 1 John 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth dissembling love is like painted fire that will never warm we must not be like the Bee that hath honey in her mouth but withal hath a sting in her tail we must not pretend to love to have honey in the mouth but withal have the sting of malice in the heart no said the Apostle Let us love in deed and in truth Secondly Extent of our Love this Fountain of Love must run in three streams 1. We must love all men love their persons although we must not love their sins we have all the same make the same lump and mould and therefore must love there is a natural Love that every creature bears to his own species and kind 2. Our love must especially stream out to the Saints of God the houshold of Faith It is with our love as it is with our fire you keep fire all the day upon the Hearth but upon special occasions you draw it out larger so our Love must always burn to all I but to the Saints you must draw out the fire inlarge your affections we must love as God loves he doth especially love the Saints love every creature with a common love but especially the New Creature and indeed there is that in every true Saint that may excite and allure our Love What are the Graces of the Spirit but so many pearls to adorn the Bride of Christ What is holiness in the heart 〈◊〉 the imbroidery and curious Workmanship of the Holy Ghost here is enough to entice and draw out our Love and Beloved if we love the Saints for their Graces then we love all the Saints And here I beseech you consider these six pariculars First We ought to love the Saints in what condition soever they are although they be poor in the world low in their condition for commonly so it is They that have the lowest hearts have the lowest condition too I read of the King of the Moors that he was offended at the Christians because of their poverty and truly when wicked men do fleece the Saints it is no wonder if they be poor methinks grace in a poor man is like a Pearl that lies in the dust or like a cloath of Gold that is hid under Rags you must love the Gold that is the Grace notwithstanding the Rags The poorest Saint alive hath the Angels riches the poorest Believer is a Member of Christ and shall we not love him we love the picture of a friend although it be hung in a mean frame we must love a rich Christ in a poor man Secondly We are to love the people of God although they have many weak infirmities shew me the man that is perfect and let him throw the first stone even the best Saints like the Starrs they have their twinkling they have their blemishes and their failings in some there 's too much pride in others too much censoriousness in others too much rash anger and passion but we must love the Grace that is in them notwithstanding the infirmities that are in them you love Gold though in the oar and mixed with much impurity a Saint on earth is like a Diamond that hath its flaw like to the Rose that is sweet and perfumed but yet hath its pricks The best Saints have some mixture and infirmity and we must love them for the good that is in them this is our great fault we are apt to over-look all the good and so take notice of the stain and blemishes in them as those that see a little stain in a piece of Scarlet despise the cloath for the stains sake so do we But God doth not do so by us he is pleased to over-look many sad failings he seeth the Faith and winks at the failings of his people you that cannot love a Brother because you see an imperfection in him would you have God do so by you would you have him damn you for every blemish of sin Thirdly We must love the Children of God though weak in parts all are not born Politicians But though the Saints of God have not always so good intellectuals as others yet if they have good Vitals and the life of Faith in them love them for that Grace you do not despise your Children because they are weak but you love them because they are your Children Oh! do not despise a Saint because he is of low parts but love him as he is a Child of your Heavenly Fathers Fourthly We are to love the Saints of God though in some lesser things they differ from us if they keep the foundations of Religion and hold the Head Christ yet we are to bear other things one Christian hath more light than another and shall we un-saint all that cannot come up to our light It s great wisdom to separate between the precious and the vile O what a blessed place will Heaven be because there our light shall be clear and our love shall be perfect And that is the fourth Fifthly Love the Saints of God when reviled and persecuted a bleeding Saint should be the object of our love Onisiphorus saith Paul was not ashamed of my chain a sign he loved Christs Graces in Paul Christ Jesus loveth no Saints more than his persecuted Saints his Martyrs have the highest Thrones reserved in Heaven for them we must love to see Christs Livery upon a man though sprinkled with bloud he that is ashamed of a persecuted Saint will never suffer for a crucified Jesus Sixthly We must love the Saints of God though their Graces may eclipse and out-shine our Graces Beloved in the sweetest fruits worms are apt
your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together not to pluck out one anothers throats no more of that but striving together not against one another but for the faith of the Gospel So 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my Brethren be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 'T is our Duty to stand But 2. Wherein must we stand fast I have no new Doctrine to preach now I shall but mind you of what I have formerly spoken when you would not believe I confess I do not begin to be of a new judgement now and should I be continued in the Ministry a mercy I can hardly hope for I should be of the same judgement and preach this Doctrine Stand fast God will certainly bring the people of God in England to his own terms or else fare them well for ever What is that we should be stedfast in I would advise to a stedfastness 1. Of Judgement 2. Of Resolution 3. Of Fatih 4. Of Conscience So stand fast in the Lord in your Judgement in your Resolution in your Faith in your Conscience 1. I would advise you to a stedfastness of Judgement Strange Doctrines are the greatest Fetters that do assault a sound Judgement they are like waves if they do not split they will shake the Ship to purpose therefore your way is to cast Anchor well to stand firm on the Rock of Truth I had almost said all in a word Protestant truth though the market may rise somewhat high yet stand firmly there while strange Doctrines like so many impetuous Waves are beating upon you break themselves in pieces they may but if you stand can never hurt you I am not to begin to warn you against Popery not that I have the lest reflexion on any thing in the World but on the Scriptures I am apt to think the wound of the beast must be healed however do not you spread a plaister for the Beast to heal his wound Be no more children tossed to and fro carried about with every wind of Doctrine with every wind of windy Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness that can cog the die notable Gamesters there are in the world but you must stand steady in judgement you must be firm to your principles I would have you Stars not Meteors for Meteors are carried about with every blast of wind I hope better things of you I shall pray God would make you stedfast in judgement First be sure to get good principles and secondly be sure to stand in those principles that you have got And though I cannot say but some Tares are sown among this Parish yet I bless the Lord for the generality I hope I may say I have an Orthodox Ministry 2. 'T is not enough to stand in judgement but we must be stedfast to our Resolution 1 Cor. 15.58 Be stedfast unmoveable such as stand firm on some basis and foundation that doth not totter and stagger if they find you staggering to be sure the next moment they look upon you as falling Be as they say of one or both of the poles of the heavens though all the world turns the poles are immoveable If I mistake not you may see a great turn in the world and behold at this day the greatest turn that ever was in England but yet you must not move you must not stir be true to your Resolutions but just to your first Love go on in the Lords work let nothing take you off If I have preached any false Doctrine among you witness against me at the day of Judgement but if the things I have preached be true stand to the truth if you do not witness against my Doctrine mine 't is not but rather witness for it remember if you leave it that very Doctrine will witness against you at the day of judgement Oh! the excellent Heroe Queen Hester thus and thus will I do and if I perish I perish You cannot imagine against how many thousand temptations a stedfast resolution will guard you 3. There 's a Stedfastness of Faith too when we so believe as that we do not waver or do not deviate Will you give me leave to propose to you my dear friends though my Congregation I cannot call you that question which our Saviour did unto the Jews whom he hated though I love you The Baptism of John whence was it from Heaven or of men The Doctrines you have heard have they been from Heaven or from men Answer me if from men abhor them man is a false Creature man would make merchandize of your faith and Souls but if from Heaven why then should you not believe them I bless the Lord my Conscience bears me witness I never did so far propose a Doctrine to you I would have you believe without Scripture if the Doctrines have been from God believe them if not abhor them and any of those that shall dare to bring a Doctrine but dare not bring the Authority of the Scripture to warrant them You may not be like those in Jam. 1.6 That wavereth like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed The most godly man may stumble in his way i. e. tread awry but a wavering minded man is never setled concerning this way Blessed be God I am not now on this day that looks as like my dying day as can be in the World to begin to fix upon a Religion fix upon my way I know my way if God will but keep my steps and guide me in that way If God be God I appeal to your Consciences worship him if Baal be God worship him do not stand in disputing and doubting do not say shall I shall I if the ways you have found be the ways of God follow them God hath but one way to Heaven there is but one truth if Baal be God follow Baal do not stand wavering do not consult with flesh and bloud t is an infinite mercy that God will give any of us to leave Relations Estates Congregations any thing for Christ 't is an infinite mercy we do not split upon a Rock Be sure to be either for God or Baal a godly man many times halts in his way but never halts between two opinions 4. Stedfastness of Conscience Indeed the genious of my Ministry hath lain this way and here I could casily lanch out but I must be short I would speak a word in season to those that are weak it becomes you to be stedfast in conscience then have a God-decreeing a Christ-redeeming a Spirit-quickening a Gospel-promising a Heaven-prepared a God infinitely more ready to save him then he can possibly be desirous to be saved by him Be stedfast in Conscience against the guilt the filth of sin against the temptations of Satan c. Let us draw near with full assurancee of Faith you can never believe Gods
taken away from the evil to come WE are here met this Evening to perform the last office of Love for an eminent and ancient servant of Jesus Christ and excellent Minister of the Gospel Mr. Simeon Ash one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers and now we are met to perform this office for him and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us so frail so brittle and so uncertain is the life of man Now the Text that I have chosen is suitable for this occasion for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man he was righteous in an Eva gelical sense he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly he was a merciful man both in active and passive sense he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ and he was one to whom God shewed mercy this righteous and merciful man is now perished as to his outward condition not as to his everlasting condition but as to his outward bodily condition he is perished and he is taken away the word in the Hebrew is very emphatical merciful men Colliguntur are gathered it is the same word that is used concerning Josiah 2 Kin. 22.10 Thou shalt be gathered to thy Fathers and go to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation This godly and righteous man is now gathered as ripe Corn into the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from beholding that evil that is to come upon this sinful world he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are comming upon many he is taken away from the evil to come And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable for the righteous and merciful man saith the Text perisheth and no man considers nor layes it to heart These words are verba commentantis objurgantis the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy Now I desire that this part may not prove sutable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful and righteous man The Observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as the unrighteous Secondly That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but his gathering to God Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels Thirdly A righteous man as long as he lives is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdom the Chariots and Horse-men of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from Heaven a Beacon set on sire to give notice of evil approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they might not see the evil that is coming on a Nation Sixthly That it is a great and common sin not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man 1. It is a common fin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart that is very few And merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few 2. It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Jeremy in the former Chapter calls to all the beasts of the field to devour that is all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel because they drank strong drink filling themselves with merriment and promised themselves happy dayes but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come He begin with the first that the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous How is it that the righteous perish not in their soul they cannot perish so nay the truth is they cannot perish properly in their bodies for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish for the very dust of the Saints in the grave is precious in Gods sight and they are asleep in Jesus and by the power of Jesus Christ they shall be raised glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Justin Martyr observe perit perisheth that is not according to the truth of the thing but according to the opinion of the world and the proper language of his expression is this the righteous perisheth that is the righteous must dye and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that up upon a fore-fold account First Because the righteous are included within the statute of death as well as the unrighteous statutum est Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all men ance to dye the righteous as well as the unrighteous it is true Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death but not death it self Jesus Christ hath disarmed death made death like the Viper that fastened upon Pauls hand but did not hurt him he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting but a healing power in it Christ hath sanctified death conquered and sweetned death at the present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. ult 2. The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust I their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous 3. The righteous must dye as well as others because they have a body of sin which they carry about them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccles 7.10 wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous perish upon a peculiar account For if we have hope only in this life saith the Apostle we are of all men most miserable and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing they must say as Themistocles Perissem nisi periissem they must dye that they may rest from their labour for here is not our rest Mich. 2.10 there remaineth a rest for the people of God there is no rest in this world the word quies wants the plural number 2. The righteous must die that they may have their reward their crown of glory that God hath laid up for them they must first fight the good fight and finish their course and then they shall receive a crown of glory 3. They must dye that they may be free from sin for they shall never put off the body of sin till they put off the body of the flesh 4. They must dye that mortality may be swallowed up of life that corruption may put on incorruption 5. They must dye that they may be perfect in grace Lastly They must dye that
That it is the Duty of Christians to hold fast the Truth that they have heard and received Doct. 3. That continued repentance is the Duty of Christians as well as initial Repentance Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent The first of these Doctrines I applied my self to and applied to the people last Lords-Day and shall not now say any thing of it but proceed to the next Doctrine that it is the Duty of Christians To hold fast the Truths that they have heard and received That which the Apostle enjoyns on Timothy in proportion the duty of all Christians 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus The whole entire body of Divine Truth Hold it fast against all opposition whatsoever Now if they that are themselves Teachers of the Truth to others must hold fast the Truth according to the Plat-form that hath been delivered to them then much more is it the duty of private Christians who are supposed not to have that latitude of Parts and Gifts that Teachers have And therefore you shall finde that Christ requires this not only of the Pastors but of the Members of his Church Rev. 2.24 speaking not only to the Angels but to the Body of the Church But to you I say and to the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already bold fast till I come As if he should say This is all I require of you my people keep your selves and hold fast that which you have till I come And so in Rev. 3.11 Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take away thy Crown As if he should say That Divine Truth that thou hast heard and received it is thy Crown thy excellency therefore hold it fast This duty of holding fast the Truth it is thy Crown thy excellency therefore hold it fast This Duty of holding fast the Truth is urged in many other places of Scripture under other expressions as that of continuing in the Word of God Christ says If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed And continuing in the Faith Acts 14.22 Paul and Barnabas visiting the Churches exhorted them to continue in the Faith And so those terms of being rooted in the Truth of standing and standing fast and many others they all inforce this Duty Now for the better handling of this point I shall do these four things First I will shew you what Christians are to hold fast Secondly How they are to hold fast Thirdly Why they are to hold fast what they heard and received Fourthly I will apply it First What Christians are to hold fast the Doctrine says they are to hold fast the Truths they have received Now Truths are of two sorts 1. Some are Natural and Moral 2. Some are Supernatural and Divine Truths called Truths of God because they come from God and conform the Mind and Soul that receives them to the Image of God 2. Now though it is true it is good for a man to be right in Moral things and to know and cleave to that which is Truth in Morality yet the Truths that we are here called upon to hold fast they are Divine Truths Supernatural Truths Truths in Religion Truths in the things of God Secondly Again Religious and Divine Truths Truths of God they are either such as are so in name and in the estimation of some men or else they are such Truths as are Truths of God in the truth and reality of the thing Now when I say that Christians are to hold fast the Truths they have received the meaning is not that whatever any man or company of men offer as Truths should be received and held fast for then we must hold fast many errours But whatever men call Truth or offer as Truth we must examine it by the un-erring rule of Truth that is the Word of God In these things it is a clear Canon which we have 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good Prove them by the Word of God and if they hold Truth by that then receive them and hold them fast Divine Scripture-Truths we are to hold fast Thirdly Scripture-Truths Truths that are grounded and warranted in the Word of God they are either such as are immediately and expresly laid down in the Scripture or such as are mediately contained in Scripture and by deduction drawn thence Now those Truths are immediately and expresly laid down in Scripture we are without dispute to receive and hold But those Truths that are drawn thence we may make use of our Reason to examine them by the Word and so far as we see them to be drawn from Scripture we are to receive them and hold them fast Fourthly Divine Truths from Scripture are of two sorts Either the great and weighty things of the Truth of God and of Religion which we call Fundamental Truths or else they are those things that are of less weight than Religion and yet Truths of God Now we are not onely to hold fast those Truths of God that are the Fundamental-Truths as that there is a God and but one God and that there is a Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence Father Son and Holy-Ghost and that there is but one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and that he is both God and Man in one Person and that he hath given full satisfaction to Divine Justice for all that by faith close with him and the like These are the great points in Religion these we must be fure to hold fast And not only these but even the lesser those truths of Religion that comparatively are far less than these we must hold them fast You know what our Saviour says of the Commands there are some that are the first and great Commandments and there are others that are the lesser But whosoever shall break one of the least of Gods Commandments and shall teach men so the same shall be least in the Kingdom of God So whosoever shall renounce the least Truth God will be even with him for it For those Truths of God which are little and small comparatively they may be of great weight and consequence in their Sphere Luther said Let Heaven run together as a scrowl rather than one filing of Truth should be parted with Surely those servants of God the Martyrs were not so prodigal of their lives but they knew what they did when they suffered for such Truths as men now call Trifles and not worth standing for the least Truths of God must be held fast Thus you see what we must hold fast Divine Truths Scripture Truths whether greater or lesser we must hold fast what we have received I should but
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
to things that are to be believed and duties that are to be practised But why is it said The faith that was once delivered that is invariably irrevocably once for all To the Saints respects the priviledge the Saints of God had in the faith that God had left 't is the faith of the Gospel committed as a Treasure And the Church is called a Candlestick not only to hold out the light but to hold the light whence the Church is called the Pillar or the ground of truth not that they are to make Doctrines but to hold forth the Doctrines of Christ even as Tables and Pillars upon which Proclamations are hung and held forth to be made publick so is the Church of Christ 't is that in which the Truths of the Lord Jesus are kept and will be kept from one age to another But what 's the import of the word Earnestly contend It 's a word used only once in the New Testament in the Composition The word in the root is frequently used and imports a struggling with might and main as those that use to run at games It is used for Jesus Christ in his sufferings He was in an Agony the same word from whence this word is compounded The Apostle would imply such a contention such a strugling to keep the faith of the Gospel as one word in the English is not able to express it and Interpreters very much differ what 's the import The best do centre in this that we should contend for the Faith as men that would contend to keep their very lives The Proposition is this That it is the duty of the Saints of God to maintain an earnest contention to struggle for and to keep the Faith that was betrusted with them Wherein doth this contention consist 1. It is not a carnal contention the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual the Saints are not called to contend for the Faith with carnal weapons with carnal power and force not by might and power but by the Spirit of God force and power and a fleshly Arm Prison Pillors and Chains and taking away of mens comforts and Estates upon the account of the Faith of the Gospel hath been the usual way of Error 's detending it self Prayers and Tears are the Churches Weapons 2. 'T is not a contention of uncharitableness This Contention allows no murthering either of the bodies or souls of men Christians are so to contend against Error and sinful Practices as to love their persons and pitty those they contend with There are some opinions that there is no way to shew a holy way of zeal against nor to be able to destroy them but by a holy separating from the persons there were such to whom it was not lawlul to say God speed or receive them into their houses but yet this in order to the saving their souls Saving some plucking them as brands out of the fire But positively this holy contention it consists in these four things 1. In managing the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God against Errors and sinful Practices to be able to confute them mightily as Apollos did out of the Scriptures shewing the Jews that Jesus is the Christ 2. By Prayer for to pray down sinful opinions and practises That we mean when we pray Thy Kingdom come that the Gospel may run on and be glorified that these nights of darkness may be dispelled that Truth may shine to the perfect day 3. By holy practising against them by holding forth the Word oâ— Life in your Conversations by striving together by a mutual provocation for the Faith of the Gospel in respect of holy walking 4. By being able to suffer for them The reasons of the Point I gave you I shall now sum up all in a word of Exhortation to press every one that bears the name of a Saint to take up this Exhortation of the Apostle Earnestly to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints The sum of all is to beg that you would be valiant for the Truth of Christ that whatever hath been delivered to you consonant to the truth agreeable to the faith delivered to us that you would struggle might and main by all Christian courage by argument practice prayer by suffering rather than let go those truths that God hath taught you by his faithful Ministers that Christ hath been preached to you those Scriptures you have in your hands those Doctrines you have learned by experience by prayer by searching the Word those ways of Worship God hath taught you those patterns of his house and out-goings and returnings there that he hath taught you be exhorted to hold them fast and not let them go Contend earnestly for the faith c. It is to be lamented that there is so sad a spirit of indifferency among Christians as we find at this day Many do so carry it as if there were nothing in the Gospel of Christ that were worthy the owning by practising or worthy owning by suffering This luke-warm indifferent temper hath done the Church of God a great deal of mischief formerly and if admitted now will do you as much mischief again It hath been one of the sins which the Lord at this day is judging and punishing his poor people for that our zeal hath been so hot against one another for meer circumstances and so cold when we are like to lose the substance that our contentions rise so high in matters hardly of any moment and our spirits work so low when they are to gain the great things for which Christ suffered which he delivered to us It is my work therefore to beg you that you would put on a holy resolution that there may be no contention among us for we are Brethren but only that contention who may most retain evidently witness the Faith that is delivered to us It is the trust God hath committed and he doth expect and look how we will manage it with courage and confidence to keep the Faith of the Gospel There are very great oppositions against you and there ought to be great resolutions of Christians to maintain themselves against such oppositions It is a very sad thing that Christians should see the Faith and the ways of the Gospel of God as it were taken from them at any time and they have not one word to speak nor any thing at all for to venture in suffering for the wayes and truths of Jesus Christ Moses had such a holy zeal that when Aaron was an example to the people to lead them to Idolatry he contended with him earnestly to his face The zeal of Gods servants is so small now that though Balaam be about the work we have not a word to speak Though the small Prophets of Antichrist be about the business yet no Christian hath courage to speak The holy Apostle Paul when Peter walked with an uneven foot and began to Judaise he tells us he did
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
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
take up for to hide themselves as under a covert to beat down the Gospel-warrants and commands to suffer for the Faith delivered 1. The motion that a Christian hath of indifferencie of things that they are but toyes and trifles that they may be done or not done It is not my work to tell you what is indifferent or name any thing in particular As I remember in the Book of Martyrs the usual Argument was Why cannot you worship the Idol why cannot you bow down as well as others it is a small matter cannot you shew your outward reverence and keep your heart to your self Indeed if there were any thing that is indifferent a Christian hath a marvellous latitude in point of Doctrine in point of Worship I would caution you therefore The term of indifferent I suppose it is devised as a Pillar to rest the Conscience on which otherwise would startle and look with a broad face upon them Things that come under this notion had need well to be weighed and considered If they tell you plainly they came out of Rome and had the Plague of Popery upon them they came from Hell were hatched there and the curse of God is upon them no body will entertain them They must pretend they came from the Church from the Apostles descending from the Scriptures and hence they are entertained with the freedom and willingness as that most Christians take no notice but fall down under them and so the very power and life of Religion and holy practice is eaten out The Devil hath three wayes whereby he makes men seek after him First Commonly he doth cover holiness with other names Secondly He perswades that sins are but little Thirdly That they may repent hereafter The first is suitable to my purpose That vertue or grace is covered with other names therefore if a man be holy he is called precise if zealous he is said to be rash and if it be really a sin it shall come under the name of indifferency a toy a trifle and things of that nature therefore you had need be cautious for it is not so much what name the sin has what title it goes under as what it is really As to things of Doctrine and Worship I know there is no medium every man must give an account to the Lord what he does therefore I do not tell you what is indifferent and what not but search the Scripture take heed what you receive for indifferent The second thing Christians will say is I hope without danger I may comply with them considering I bear them as my burthens This is very like the young man in the Gospel he came to Christ and would have him come up to his terms and when Christ told him Yet he lacked one thning Goâ—â—ell all c. he went away sorrowful So many Christians they would follow Christ but they cannot because there is not such security in it but they will go away sorrowful Thou Hyvocrite Art thou willing to forsake all for Christ yet canst not leave life liberty and some of these small things Will you wound the name of Christ and pretend to be sorrowful for it I conclude â—hy pretence shall not excuse thee for so was Pilate loth to crucifie Christ and as a means and expedient he calls for water and washes his hands saying I am innocent from the blood of this just man But do you think God excused Pilate no more will he you Whatever is brought to you is either forbidden or commanded by God If forbidden by God why do you meddle with it If commanded of the Lord why are you burdened with it why do you it heartily for the Lord loves one that is chearful in his service Neither man nor God is pleased with such A third thing which satisfies many is That they may follow in some things the opinions of wise men holy men and good men That they may do as they do I shall say but these two words First Many men are reputed good wise and honest that are not so A man may be accounted an honest man that yet may be covetous he may be accounted a very good man yet be really corrupt in heart and in his lusts therefore 't is good to try men I dare not trust mine own heart unlesse God give strength of grace and assistance every moment lest I should betray the truth of Christ upon some advantage when the Devil would set abroach an evil opinion or practice it 's his comon way to tunn it up in some clean Vessel Men of civil honesty and goodness You read the old Prophet drew the young one in though expresly forbidden by God himself When you do not fear a young Christian it may be the example of an old Minister shall draw you therefore it 's good to mind who you follow Secondly Grant they are all good and reall they are men fearing God as there are some yet God will not let his people know all his mind There are some that would but cannot know all his mind and will the Lord is free and voluntary he reveales things necessary to salvation but for other things he withholds But what is your rule Call no man Master you are to follow no man further than he follows Christ And indeed for a man to follow the examples of others wherein they sin and do not know it it is just like the case of holy Noah who was a gracious man and knew not the strength of the Grape he was drunk with his own Vineyard But what 's the fruit of it his Son Cham saw his nakedness and discovered it If good and holy men taste of the intoxicated Wine that is too strong for them and know it not will you sip after them unless you will discover your nakedness and proclain it from Generation to Generation and make your selves Chams not sons of the Prophet Therefore I know not what warrant you have to follow such examples The fourth things is this Christians usually do no good by standing out Answ Whether we get good or do good or no we are to do our duty The Lord will honour you for suffering for the Truth 2 Thes 1.2 3 4 5. And by suffering you shall confirm the Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false Doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and Patience when you suffer not as evil-doers but as those that suffer for the Word of Righteousness the Word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious than Heaven and Earth than any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all Generations when those that Apostatize Persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Rich Treasure in Earthen Vessels A Sermon Preached Jan. 1. 1662. at the Funeral of that Reverend and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. James Nalton late Minister
condition of the Apostles themselves they were Earthen Vessels they had such weaknesses men subject to the like passions as we Vse 2. Secondly As for the people this may improve in all the notions and considerations of an Earthen Vessel First In regard of the meanness you must not esteem the Gospel according to the Vessel according to the disparagement of the Vessel a Vessel of dishonour in respect of its matter may be a Vessel of honour in regard of the Gold that is in it those members of the body that are weak and in themselves less honorable we afford a great deal of honor upon them in deeking and cloathing them So the Ministers work and employment and the Doctrines they bring are excellent and of great use when all is done we have that we serve for according to the imployment we are put to we are honorable though outwardly mean Wicked and base men are called Filii Terrae they are Sons of the Earth Job 30.8 Children of Fools yea Children of base men they are viler than the Earth i.e. Men of no account as one saith the Earth groans under such ungracious persons but gracious persons are Vessels of honor as it was said of the Giants of old so it may be said of these They are men of Renown and so we shall esteem of them Worldly men look at the outside and so esteem of them so was Christ dealt with Is not this the Carpenters son So those Teachers in Corinth endeavoured to render Saint Paul his presence weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.11 that so they might make his Ministry contemptible also But this glorious Treasure is in Earthen Vessels You know saith Paul Gal. 4.13 that through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at first This was their commendation v. 14. But my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Jesus Christ All his weaknesses and whatever was matter of discouragement they did not despise but honorably entertained him even as Christ himself So it was the commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.13 That they received not the word as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God looking to the mighty God to make it effectual so should all others do upon this consideration 2. Seeing Ministers are Earthen Vessels in regard of moral infirmities which adhere to them in respect of their corruptions and weaknesses judge of them as men but esteem of what is righteous in them though they have great advantages against sin yet notwithstanding they are not totally exempted and free from sin as they are Ministers so they are men 3. In regard that Ministers are Earthen Vessels in respect of their frailty Seeing then they are so frail and transitory therefore accordingly you should make use of them deal kindly and affectionately with them in that they are quickly broken What is sooner broken than a Glass or an Earthen Vessel Ministers are quickly taken away and therefore you should be tender of them while you have them Where are all the Fathers Do the Prophets live for ever The Word of the Lord indeed indureth for ever but the Preacher of it doth not the Gospel is eternal but the Dispenser is mortal the Calling is lasting but the Minister is transitory and therefore you should carry your selves with all tenderness and respect to them take heed of grieving their spirits seeing they are so soon broken Endeavour also to improve by them and to get as much good as you can by them It is a great argument to work while it is day because the night comes when no man can work whilst God affords means and opportunities make use of them we are but Passengers therefore this is a great ground for you to get all the good you can by Ministers seeing they are frail Lastly By way of Improvement Take notice of the wayes of God as different from mans God puts excellent Treasure into Earthen Vessels we keep treasure in Strong Holds in the strongest Repositories Gods wayes are not as our wayes he goes another way than we do he makes use of the poorest meanest and most frail Creatures sometimes he layes aside many times men of greater abilities parts and quality and makes use of weaker to do this great work Chrysostome makes an Expostulation If it be excellent Treasure why in Earthen Vessels therefore it is a Vessel of Earth because an excellent Treasure Thus Gods wayes are unsearchable this is the Improvement Now besides this interpretation given of it there is another that will not be impertinent Some understand by Earthen Vessels the Expressions Words and Phrases of the Ministry through which the Doctrines and Truths of the Gospel are conveyed this is agreeable to what went before Some false Teachers in Corinth pleased themselves with eloquent and enticing words of worldly Wisdom and so endeavoured to render Pauls preaching despicable in regard of the plainness of it Therefore saith the Apostle we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels i. e. familiar conveyances that so we may easily understand it Thus I have explained this Earthen Vessel and so have done with the first considerable part viz. the Dispensation it self This Treasure we have in Earthen Vessels I come now to the second viz. II. The account of this Dispensation That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Which words may be considered two wayes First Either Absolutely as lying in themselves Or Secondly Connexively to the words before going 1. Take them absolutely as they lie in themselves and two things are exhibited 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry it self called Power 2. The Author and Original of it laid down two ways positively of God and negatively not of us 1. The excellency of the Gospel and Ministry thereof called Power There is a great deal of power and efficacy in the Gospel 't is in its nature powerful and efficacious so the Ministry of it Rom. 1.16 I am not ashâ—med of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one thâ—t believeth See 1 Cor. 2.4 Paul's preaching was in the dimonstration oâ— the Spirit and of â—ower c. 'T is called the Arm of Gods Power the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 'T is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit c. Heb. 4.12 and many other places We may conceive it to be so according to the various effects and consequences of it viz. as to 1. Conviction 2. Conversion 3. Consolation 1. 'T is powerful in regard of Conviction 't is a word of Conviction and one part of the work of the Ministry is by the Spirits co-operation to convince the World of sin to open mens eyes to shew them the vileness of their ways to discover such courses to be sinful the
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
to look after a better Would any man be content to dye a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in Drunkenness How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again We may read of many that have dyed in their drunken fits God doth not always send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee How knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden What will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to dye in Balaam was not such a Wretch but he could cry our Good Lord let me dye the death of the righteous Thirdly Lay up for suffering times there are few of you I believe are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sickness comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be careless of your souls O be careful to provide for stormy weather you have winter garments for your bodies to preserve them from cold oh let patience be your winter garment to preserve keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godlily in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulations and sufferings we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven shall I not then provide for them But you may say What doth persecution attend all the godly A man may escape them as well as suffer them Put case afflictions should not come thou wilt be never the worse for being provided for them for he that is fit to dye is fit to live that man that is fit to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Paul's Exhortation to the Ephesians 6.10 Finaly my Brethren put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdom in a man to provide for a misery before it comes There is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord Mayor every year whilst they are in their annual Government they lived in all abundance of state have all the fulness their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp glory is over too they banisht into some obscure remote place for ever where they spent the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over this Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it before him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that bur a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godlily in Christ Jesus it is not wisdom in us then to provide for them Take heed then to avoid sufferings you do not commit sin to commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run our of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lyon What is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destroy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into Hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of Counsel and Direction is this Be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do them seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall asleep while he was telling of Money for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking Truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so careless in receiving the Word they hear and so lazy withal that rather then they will try the Word they hear they will take all for truth the Minister tells them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much confidence in a man as to receive a summ of Money without teâ—ling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it You must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the uttermost You must make the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force But then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better than none and a little is better than none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the Word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Word First Try the Word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonate to that believe it not let who will preach it Paul exhorteth the Galathians so to do Chap. 1.8 9 But though we 〈◊〉 an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed sure you will call in your words again Nay instead thereof he repeats them over again As we said before â—o I say again If any one preach any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Beraeans for your Example they would not believe Pauls Doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no. But then as you are to try the Word you hear by the Truth so try your selves by the Word You hear as a Truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this Truth and see whether or no you walk after the Flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching of the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not But first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the Person for the Words sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which aâ—e over you to admonish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of them very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My Direction in the
no be more afraid of disinheritance look on sufferings with Scripture-spectacles Labour for integrity and uprightness of heart that preserves when falling Be watchful over thy thoughts and wayes Be a resolved Christian if thou be not thou wilt turn an Apostatizing Christian You must set your faces as thorns resolution is absolutely necessary not only under but before a day of suffering Be resolved for God and be resolved against sin and that for fear lest in a day of suffering thou shouldst halt and founder and so lose the things which thou hast wrought which brings me to The Tenth Sermon 2 John 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full Reward IN these words you have a Warning-piece discharged to an Elect Lady a serious Item to an Elect Lady and her Religious Family to look well to themselves that they lost not the things they had wrought And this is grounded on a double reason 1. From the damage of such as begin well and hold not out They lose the things they have wrought That were sad that so much should be done and all should be lost at last 2. From the advantage and benefit if we do go on then we shall receive a full reward The Observation was It much cancerns all those that have begun well that are looked upon by Ministers and those that are Godly as if they were truly godly that have entertained the Truth and the profession of the Truth to look well to it how they stand to continue to go on to hold out in their holy Profession and Conversation Look to your self you Elect Lady you her Religious Family look to your selves that you lose not the things you have wrought There 's all the reason in the world it should be so the Election of Believers engages us it should be so we are chosen that we should be so If we do not look well to our selves we may chance to lose all we have wrought It too too often falls out that after a hot fit of Profession there comes a cold fit of Apostasie this cold fit of Apostasie caused by a sharp wind of Persecution or by a melting thawing Sun of Prosperity either by our natural inconstancy and mutability within we love new changes we love to be changeable or else the subtilty of Seducers from without Again there hath been are and will come trying seasons were you never so sincere Think not all the work overdone as soon as converted As soon as come out of Egypt there 's a Wilderness and Red Sea to pass through Midianitish women Giants c. to contest with Therefore no wonder he writes Look to your self Then 1. Here see Election shuts not out the use of means You are an Elect Lady yet look to your self 2. You scandalous Papists the Doctrine of Perseverance we preach is no Mother of Sloth and Security Though you shall be saved yet look to your selves you shall not perish yet keep in the Ship 3. Orthodoxness of Faith and soundness of Profession is not enough to make a good Christian Elect Lady you make profession you are sanctified but you must look to your self 4. It is not enough to have a well-ordered Family Oh Lady Look to your self as well as to your Family 6. The business of Religion is not the work of one day As long as you have life look to your self 2. For Exhortation Look to your selves take heed of Apostasie Take heed of that which occasions cold fits after a cold fit comes a dead fit as after a hot fit usuall comes a cold fit Apostasie is the Quartan Ague of the Soul if it be not death it is exâ—reme dangerous 3. By way of Direction Would you look to your selves Look up to God beg to be strengthened with all might in the inner man that he who hath begun a good work would be pleased to finish it To that end Lord give strength while in begging and begging hearts for continuance of that strengthening Ordinance amongst us that it may be never said as it was said of those precious Israelites the Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open Vision Which leads me to The Eleventh Sermon 1 Sam. 3.1 The word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open vision THe Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes Was it not alwayes precious Yes but there is a two-fold preciousness 1. Of worth and excellency 2. Of want and scarcity The Word of the Lord hath not been so precious to the Israelites in regard of its worth and excellency therefore God made it precious to them in regard of its want and scarcity There was no open vision Hence observe 1. There hath been there may be such a day overtake a Church and People of God wherein the Word of God may be precious that is may be scarce rare and hard to come by 2. 'T is most just with God to teach them how to prize the word by the want of it that know not how to prize the word of God by the worth of it the Use was for Direction what to be done to prevent this judgment of a scarcity and famine of the Word of God 1. Learn to prize the word by the worth of it 2. Improve the word as to the fruit of it 3. Adorn the word in your lives and conversations 4. Be earnest with God in publick and private for the blessed continuance of that word Learn to prize the word by the worth of it We do prize the word c. Do you prize the word in the truth Then 1. What hath meant that horrible wicked general contempt of the word of God and Ministers of that word through the Land though blessed be God they have not taken the vilest of the People and made them Priests yet the best of Ministers have been esteemed as the worst and â—ilest of People 2. What means the want of the word read repeated looked into 3. What means the general disobedience to the word 4. Why are you so ready to sell the truth farr more ready than to buy it 5. What means that easie forsaking of the blessed truths of the Gospel that a Popish Jesuite cannot come and vent one of his wicked Opinions but presently let it be vomited it must be sucked up by one or other 6. What means theâ— having of the faith of Christ in so much respect of persons as hath been here amongst us Judge your selves then for what is past and for the future learn to prize the word according to its worth consider what an admirable excellent thing this word of God is and that is and that may be known 1. By the Metaphors unto which it is resembled in Scripture which speak either its profit pleasure usefulness or necessity Thy word is a light to my feet what more precious than light without which the world were but one great
Dungeon c. 'T is compared to Bread Manna Food Water Precious Stones Rain c. Nay 't is more necessary As they formerly we can better be without the Sun than without Chrysostom Love for God makes us sensibly to say we can as well be without fire or water as without the word of God As it is the more excellent because compared to those things what they are naturally it is spiritually so it is spiritual Bread spiritual Water spiritual Pearl c. 2. By its precious Properties Operations There is a Scripture to me tastes like honey in my mouth Ps 19.7 8 9. Where the word is discovered by its properties and operations The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart The Commandements of the Lord are pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether What are these the Metaphors to which the Word is compared Are these the Properties and Operations of the Word No wonder then Job sets such a high valuation upon them as he doth in our Twelfth Sermon Job 23.12 I have esteemed the Word of his mouth more than my necessary food IN these words you have the matter and the measure of Job's valuation 1. The matter of Job's valuation i.e. the words all the words of his mouth precepts as well as promises threatnings and directions as well as promises and priviledges 2. The measure of his valuation as his food as his necessary food nay more than his necessary food Hence this truth was raised The Ordinances of God are exceeding precious to all truly Religious Persons All the Ordinances of God and amongst them his word which is not the least part of his worship This appears 1. From their desires after the Ordinances My Soul panteth longeth after c. 2. From their hearty content and satisfaction in them 3. From their bitter Lamentation under the want of them 4. From their diligent endeavours to enjoy them Religious Persons really understand their worth and want of them They know the Ordinances of God to be the food the spiritual fodder of the Soul the walks of God where God is pleased to take his turn the Instruments of Divine Glory the Legacy of Christians their Christian Armour and Accoutrements to contest with Sin Satan the World and as Stars that lead to Bethlehem no wonder the Ordinances are so precious in the esteem of all truly Religious Then 1. Know your priviledge yet you enjoy Ordinances 2. Lament the sad condition of those poor titular Christians on the one hand that have Ordinances but enjoy them not they know not the worth of them And true Christians on the other hand from whom the Ordinances are gone and whether ever they will return they know not 3. This reproves those to whom they are not precious But how shall I know the Ordinances are precious to me Answer If thou carriest thy self towards them as towards what thou lookest on as precious tell me 1. Art thou greedy of all opportunities of enjoying 2. Heartily troubled when hindred of enjoying them 3. Hast thou a dear respect to those that help thee to the enjoyment of them 2. By way of Conviction to those mad men that tell us of being above i.e. without Ordinances What was it ever heard of any of Gods Saints in Scripture that ever they said they were above Ordinances 3. For Instruction to Christians It will be seasonable to consider what you ought to do if God should deprive you of your Ordinances He did not say it is probable but such a thing is possible Therefore make provision lay in provision before-hand Provision of Knowledge of Grace of Comfort of Light against a day of darkness And if it should come here is Counsel given to us and Consolations laid before us 1. Counsel given us if ever it should be 1. Lament bewail mourn over the Lords absence weep till you can weep no longer 2. Seek after pursue them Let them go where they will be sure thou follow the Ordinances 3. Be more frequent and serious in the use of private Ordinances 4. Frequently reflect back on thy former enjoyments Oh the House the Tabernacle of God c. And reflect 1. To excite your thankfulness to God that ever you did enjoy them 2. To suck strength from the Ordinances To chew the cud and get strength of them 3. For Humiliation for finning away and provoking God to take them away 2. For Consolation that the People of God may not utterly fail then 1. Know in such a condition That though your condition be exceeding bad yet better than many thousands they never had Ordinances 2. God is able in such a case to support without Ordinances When he calls into the Wilderness he can carry along without Circumcision 3. Remember those that have had them but not now What is become of Sion Of the Church of c. 4. Your Salvation may be carried on without Ordinances 5. There is a time coming when you shall have no need of Ordinances In the mean time if you cannot get up to the Ark of God Take heed of bowing to the Calves at Dan and Bethel If you cannot serve the God of Israel Take heed you serve not the gods of the Amorites What you will do I know not to be sure Joshua would not Chuse you saith he this day whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell But as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. Which brings me to The Thirteenth Sermon Josh 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. IN the words two things 1. An indefatigable Exhortation Take your own choice follow your own discretion If you will go and bow down to a dumb Idol to a captive God c. 2. An admirable Dehortation We are at a pitch we are resolved and if there be any attractive in me or my Family you have it in this I and my Houshold we will serve the Lord. The Observations were 1. Pious Governours of Families are very zealous that their Families as well as themselves shall serve the Lord. Never hope of thriving in godliness till you bring your Families right for God to be of the same Religion with your selves 2. A true sincere Christian is resolved to chuse and follow God what ever else the World chuse and follow 1. Sincere Christians have much more satisfaction in the judgment and practice of God his Word Saints than in the judgment and practice of the World He knows their judgment to be depraved their choice and practice corrupt their end and conclusion worst of all Therefore no wonder he makes a better choice 2. They have the best testimony in
the World for their choice the Spirit and Son of God that this is their choice Therefore no wonder c. But how do they chuse God Answer They chuse God as the object of their souls love as the chiefest of ten thousand as the lot of their inheritance as the companion of their souls to converse with him as the Commander of their ways to bt guided by him as a shelter of their hearts as a refuge to fly unto in the time of danger The first Vse was by way of Examination Is God chosen as the chief object of our souls love Can we truly say There is none in Heaven but thee none upon Earth I can desire besides or in comparison of thee Can we say in having God The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage Is communion with God our Heaven upon Earth Is God the Commander of our ways as well as we hope to be the Saviour of our souls Is God our shield or buckler our retreat in danger The second Vse was by way of Consolation Believers have you made choice of God Happy are the people that are in such a case thou hast the best assurance in the world to come to the best possession in this world peace and joy Peace within if not Peace without And Joy the best Joy in the world Joy unspeakable and full of glory And truly if so be that this be thy portion in having chosen God 't is no wonder thou dost not Apostate from him It is no wonder that whatever comes upon a Believer yet for that his heart is not turned back neither his steps declined from Gods way And this leads to The Fourteenth Sermon Psal 44.18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way FRom these words two Observations 1. In times of sufferings and afflictions true Christians are to make a narrow inspection into their hearts to see how they stand affected Thus did the Church here 2. To keep stedfast and close with God notwithstanding all afflictions and sufferings we undergo either from or for God is the duty and commendation of Saints 'T was our duty and 't is our honour Lord c. In prosecution of this point these seven preliminary Theses were laid down 1. When man was first created his heart stood rightly bent towards God as his great centre and mark 2. When man fell his heart immediately drew off and turned back from God 3. Though this be the case of fallen man yet poor creature he sees it not 4. The very Formalis Ratio of sin that wherein the Formality of sin consists is in this not so much in finning against God by outward Acts as in the hearts departing from God 5. All true Conversion to God begins at the Heart 6. It is an Argument of infinite love in God to bring back our hearts to him 7. When once the heart of a Believer is brought back to God no suffering or affliction is able to turn that heart from him Quest When may a mans heart be said not to be turned back notwithstanding all sufferings and afflictions Answ 1. When a man still retains the same esteem and estimate of God that ever he had When Job looks upon God as a God fit to be lessed though God be plundering of him 2. When a man still retains the same affections the same love to him delight in him fear of him as much as ever 3. When we hope and trust in God as much as ever Though he kill me yet will I trust in him 4. When we have the same resolutions to cleave to God as ever If a God in Israel as long as a God in Israel 'T is all one makes not to the God of the Philistims this is for a mans heart not to be turned back from God By way of Vse 1. Learn The heart of man is very apt to turn from God in dayes of affliction our heart is not though theirs were 2. It concerns us in time of affliction and suffering to see if our hearts be not turned back from God But what means shall I use that I may not turn a base Apostate Answ 1. Be watchful over your hearts they are exceeding slippery and deceitful The veriest Thieves in the world 2. Be still bending of your hearts from the world and the flesh unto God as you bend a crooked stick to make it streight 3. Do not only bend but bind your hearts tie them shackle them as you would one that hath broken Prison by holy serious Scriptural necessary vows 4. Converse much with God That man that converses much with God it is not the frowns of men shall bring his heart off from God To spur you on to this duty with these motives 1. If you turn from God the soul of God will turn from you If any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. Keep close to God in such a time and God will keep close to you Here 's a people that not all their sufferings could make them fall from me God glories in such a people 3. This will be one of the greatest comforts by way of argument of your sincerity that your heart is upright with God This will make an Hezekiah look up to God in the time of sickness with a Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 4. If you will not turn from God by way of Apostacy you may run to God and find in him a Sanctuary And so you have it in The Fifteenth Sermon Isa 8.14 He shall be for a Sanctuary THe words are an allusion to a City of refuge and from hence this Observation Jesus Christ will be for a sure refuge to all those that make him their fear and dread And the truth is there is the greatest reason in the world Christ should be so Saints stand in greatest need of this Sanctuary They are a poor weak helpless generation of Creatures but they have a Rock of refuge The Conies are but a feeble folk yet make their Houses in the Rocks Christ bears dearest love to them they are most precious to him they are his Jewels what will a man preserve if he will not preserve his Jewels Will Christ be a Sanctuary Then 1. See the true reason why the Saints of God are of such an heroick Spirit even when troubles look them in their faces and ring in their ears they have a God to fly to a Christ to rest on 2. See the reason of that consternation of spirit that seizes on wicked men in times of troubles Hide me from the wrath of the Lamb why they have no refuge to go to and however it is with them now you shall hear nothing but howling and lamenting when God shall come to avenge the blood of his Saints 3. Be exhorted to make Christ your Sanctuary get into this City of Refuge and for Motives
Felix trembled Hence observe These that are first in enjoying may be last in receiving the Gospel Drusilla was a yet turns a wicked Apostate yet when come to hear a Sermon her heathenish Husband Felix that served the Devil in stead of God trembled but not she Backsliding professors from the truth are infinitely farther from melting under the Gospel than prophane Sinners that never heard of it A man had farr better go to preach to Heathens than Apostates Then for the words Felix trembled Why there was Righteousness prosecuted and convinced Judgment to come threatned against him Now his knees began to smite together now the writing on the Wall now Felix trembles Oh poor soul wouldst thou not tremble at the preaching of Judgement to come submit to the Judge before he come wouldst thou not have thy Judge to condemn thee then let him be now thy King to rule thy Prophet to instruct thy Priest to reconcile would you avoid the terrour of a Judgment to come accept of this offer of a Christ coming coming did I say nay he is come already Do but lay your ear close to the third of the Revelations and the twentieth you shall hear your Judge knocking Which brings me to The One and Twentieth Sermon Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me THese are the words of our blessed Saviour words coyned as it were for the close of the Morning Exercise A continued Metaphor wherein you have 1. An important thing of weight intimated in that Particle Behold 2. The state of men in the visible Church implied though they profess a Christ high thoughts of him and obedience to him yet many most of them keep their hearts shut against him Behold I stand without at the door 3. Christs dealing or transaction with the poor Creatures for opening their hearts to him and that in four things 1. His standing waiting or dancing attendance on the Soul and the place where I stand at the door 2. His earnest desire and importunity of entrance and knock 3. His Call and invitation for where a hearing is enjoyned there must needs be a calling implied 4. The Argument or Motive he uses to perswade poor Creatures to set him in 1. Ab honesto If he will but open I will come in and take my abode An admirable thing to have such a Tenant 2. Ajucundo I will sup with him I will vouchsafe him fellowship and communion 3. He shall sup with me There shall be mutual fellowship between him and me What I have shall be his and what he hath shall be mine we will walk love and lodge together I will lodge with him and he shall lodge with me 4. To whom this invitation is made to every one all If any man or woman that have slighted my Ministers voyce months or years if yet he will open I will come in 5. The sinners duty and interest 1. The opening the heart when Christ knocks that 's his duty because Christs invitation is his command 2. His interest because then Christ will come in c. The Doctrine was When Christ knocks and calls at the doors of our hearts it is our duty and interest to open admit and let him in These two questions were proposed and prosecuted 1. When or how is Christ said to knock and call at the hearts of sinners 2. How are sinners said to hear and open Christ said to knock and call at the hearts of sinners 1. If you regard the means whereby he knocks i.e. by natural light of Conscience within or by the Ministry and Gospel without 2. If you regard the manner of Christs knocking or calling it is either externally by the Word Ordinances Providences his Rod hath a voice as well as his Word or internally by the spirit of God that accompanies that Word by the means of Grace by the motion of his Spirit 2. How are sinners said to bear his voice and open 1. For hearing it must not be an external but an internal hearing a hearing of the heart through the heart it must be a particular distinguishing hearing it must know the voyce of Christ it must be a sensible and humble satisfying Hearing 2. For Opening it is either 1. Special Opening at first when the door is shut those everlasting doors are at first open to entertain the King of Glory in our first Conversion 2. Progressive i. e. When the Soul opens more and more for there is no door but it s shut as close on him after entrance that it is as much as ever Christ can do to creep in This Opening appears 1. In parting with and putting away whatever keeps possession of the heart against Christ The strong man must be turned out 2. The Soul freely consents to Christ by an entire resignation to his Will and Spirit to take him upon those terms And when Christ doth thus knock and call at the door of our hearts it is our duty and interest thus to open admittance 〈◊〉 him The Vse was for Exhortation to plead with poor sinners that yet Oh yet they would open to Christ Jesus knocking and calling Arguments here these were used if they did not melt it it was not because they were not powerful but our souls marble 1. It is a matter of greatest importance more than your earthly Jointures it concerns your everlasting Souls Souls that are more worth than ten thousand worlds Whether you will now believe it or no you will hereafter 2. Consider the Person that comes to call who is it It is a King that stands aâ— your door it is the King of kings God of gods that stands there 3. It is he that deserves admittance a God of abundance superabundant love by his undertaking he hath deserved admittance Will you keep out your Father your Mother Thou Wretch that was rescued the other day wilt thou keep out thy Redeemer 4. It is he that hath a great love and affection for you however you have dealt with him thou that brought'st him to Hell yet can he never be at quiet till he hath brought thee to heaven 5. Consider the posture I stand must you sâ—t and I stand 6. I have stood a long time I have been staying and waiting for you many years I can reckon every day and night I have stood and waited for you you would have abhorred to have waited on the greatest man in the world as I have waited on you a worm nay I stay still waiting for you And this one thing sticks yet with me I stand ready to depart I have knocked a great while but now knock no more what if this would be the last knock you should hear How many did knock and the last knocked yet stand I knock this once more it is very questionable whether Christ will ever knock again at least in such a waâ— and by such
painful Labourers at once but it is our duty to suffer patiently and not complain 2. As our troubles must be great so many will fear and in fearing faint we see it come to pass and you will find it more and more There are those that run with the Foot-men that will not keep pace with the Horse-men that may be left behind and be trod under foot our troubles are likely to rise according to all we can learn from Scripture and Providence and very many there be that will shrink 3. Consider it is a very difficult thing to stand stedfast in a day of evil you cannot name any of God's Children but when they have indeed come to it their carnal sears have been working so as their feet have almost slipt they have been almost gone but that for the promise of God that he would â—â—y no more upon them than he would enable them to bear O but you will say What will become of the publick interest of the name and Church of God and what shall become of my private interest I answer you have no ground of fear according to Scripture in either of these respects First as to the publick Name of God the interest of his Church of his truth of righteousnes or of a real Reformation the interest of our prayers and hopes be not afraid 1. God bears a dear respect unto his People they are represented in Scripture by all names that may import dearness and nearness imto him the interest of his glory is bound up in his people he calls Israel his Glory We know the interest of men is that which moves the world but the interest of God of his Glory no doubt will be the ground of safety and security unto us even till God takes us to Heaven For the interest of Gods Justice God made Hell and for the interest of his mercy and grace be gave Jesus Christ to die to take effect here among the children of men Do you think God will forget his interest 2. Remember Gods ways are in the deep you cannot tell what God is doing when you think thoughts of destruction and confusion my thoughts towards you saith God are thoughts of peace And truly God he does not save a Soul nor does not promote the salvation of his Church in any eminent degree but it is in a way that is cross and contrary to the sense and expectation of flesh and blood insomuch you know the darkness of our condition has been the entrance upon deliverance as just before the day dawns it is the darkest of the night when God looked and there was none to help them says he My arm brought salvation Thus it was with you that are effectually called you have received the sentence of death the entrance upon your deliverance is the darkest time of your condition 3. God can do great things Joel 2. Fear not thy God O Sion can do great things 'T is a disparagement that we offer to God we ascribe more to the Creature than we do to God when we give way to carnal fear fear not what man can do because of the power of God which is his shield and buckler Is any thing too hard too heavy for God And when God does great things he usually goes on to do greater though he may seem to suffer his work to be thrown back to confusion and his people may be ready to say we thought he had redeemed Israel that degree of Reformation shall not be lost You know in Luthers time take any special degree of Reformation in the Church and it seemed to be opposed by the gates of Hell when it was brought upon the stage to any hopeful degree when it was taken as it were utterly out of sight for a while but it was never lost thus God is but making way for his own glory to appear in these great works O but you will say What shall become of my particular It is enough God hath promised that we shall not want any thing that is truly good and that nothing that is evil shall fall upon us and lye upon us though we do not see deliverance it shall be whatsoever our sad thoughts and tremblings of heart may be yet give God the glory of his Word Take these few directions 1. Strive to strengthen thy Faith Faith is that which lays hold on Christ and Christ is your strength therefore Faith is said to do that which Christ doth let every day drive thee to a renewed Act of Faith Take heed be not shaken in the Faith of the Cause be not shaken in the Faith of Christ fides causae fides Christi Be not shaken upon the Cause which upon utmost examination we find to be according to the Word hold that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot and tittle of this Cause And then do not shake in the faith of Christ that is in your laying hold in your applying your selves to him in your resting and settling upon him beg of God to strengthen your Faith 2. Get more Self-denial we must forsake all we must not accept any thing A man would part with his life as easily as with a pin off his sleeve if he had but some considerable growth in Self-denial 3. Get a great deal of love towards that Christ that loved us with love stronger than death get love of that Christ that may be stronger than life Let nothing in the world be of any consideration with you so as Christ be magnified in your bodies love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God carnal fear before me 4. Get a true insight in an account of suffering and troubles whence they are they issue from the same love with redemption of your souls from Hell and your glorification God doth every thing in pursuance of the purpose of his love he doth every thing according to the platform and pattern of his thoughts towards us from eternity Confider what troubles are and to what end not to destroy but to try to wean from the world to fit for heaven 5. Get an insight into the vanity of the Creature you reckon the Creature some great matter and that is the reason of your love and of your fear 6. Get the fear of God that may over-rule other fears Fear not him that can but kill the body but fear him that is able to cast Body and Soul into Hell-fire 7. Keep a clear conscience void of offence towards God and towards men by a heart-abasing confession of what is past and the application of the blood of Christ and by mortification and watchfulness therein keep your selves from evil for the time to come 8. Get a better assurance of eternal life a glimpse and sight of this would make a man run through the very flames of hell How comfortable was Stephen when a shower of stones was about his ears to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God! I wonder how
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
City c. i.e. I will betake my self to all publick Ordinances and shew more zeal and life in my duties and in these I will make enquiry Thirdly I asked the Watchmen the Ministers of the Gospel which are or should be as faithful watchmen that watch for our Souls and be able to speak a word in season c. So nothing will satisfie the Soul that truly loves Christ without him and no means shall be negected till she enjoy him Secondly Why must he be thus beloved First Because he is lovely altogether lovely First Lovely in his Life observing all the will of God there was a wonderful beauty upon him if we behold and can understand that hidden glory of an untainted Holiness and exact conformity to the will of God Secondly Lovely in his Death never more lovely and amiable to the believing sinner than when he was most despicable in the eyes of rebellious sinners O then he appears most beautiful and desirable when he hangs on the Cross there making our Peace procuring our pardon obtaning life and glory for us by that shameful death Thirdly Lovely in all his Graces each Grace a matchless Jewel Rocks of Diamonds Mountains of Pearl not worthy to be mentioned with the least of his excellencies If he put a little of this Grace upon any Soul though he be never so vile cloathed with corruption as in Ezek. 16. from the 9 to the 16 Verse Yet he may be made beautiful by his comeliness Fourthly Lovely in all his Ordinances in which the more immediate sight the Soul hath of him the more he is taken with his Beauty No wonder he is called in Hag. 2.7 The desire of all Nations Secondly Because of his deserving love We love him because he first loved us Consider in his love these four particulars First He laid down his life for us such a love will deserve love and life too John 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Secondly He lives now in Heaven for us Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for us He is there minding our necessities agitating our affairs by his sitting there we have Liberty of coming thither his sitting there in glory we have our standing here in grace Thirdly he accounts that as done to himself that is done to them that are his Zach. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his eye and Mat. 10.40 41 42. c. He that receiveth you receiveth me and so he said to Saul Acts 9.4 Why persecutest thou me when he was with commission from the High Priest dragging the poor Professors of Jesus Christ to the prison Fourthly He longs to have us with him John 17.24 Father I will that where I am there they may be also to behold my glory He is not satisfied with out their Company and is always imparting his most secret counsels to them John 15.16 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Thirdly Because otherwise we shall not regard his words which is intimated in the Text If we love him we shall keep his words but if we love him not we will not keep his words It is want of Love to Christ that is the cause of the abounding of every sin for if we did love him we should keep his commands which is the second particular Secondly What it is to keep the words of Christ First There is a Natural and Mental keeping of the words of Christ and so we must keep them that is Remember his Words his Promises Counsels and Appointments The Memory is man's storehouse or cabinet that should be kept Sacred for the truths of Christ so the Disciples kept the word of Christ when they remembred his sayings and David Ps 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickened me i.e. I will keep thy precepts for what we forget we lose and what we remember we keep And thus as Friends take pleasure to look sometimes on the love-tokens of their absent friends So may we have singular comfort and refreshment to see the heart of Christ in the counsels promises and appointments left with us Secondly There is an Evangilical and Practical keeping of the words of Christ When we do believe promises and obey commands Promises not believed and precepts not obeyed are as water spilt on the earth besides the Vessel that should receive it Heb. 4.2 but when they are believed they be as liquor put into the Vessel for its proper use Hence saith Christ Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Then we keep the words of Christ when we believe his promises observe his precepts in all our conversation and walk by his appointments and institutions in all our duties Thirdly Why it is their Property and Duty that love Jesus Christ to keep his words First Because true love is comprehensive He that loves Christ truly loves also all that is his He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten The nearer any thing is to Christ the better it is beloved and then we love the Word when we keep it as a special pledge of his love To have his Word and a heart to keep it is a double blessing and indeed such a gift is the Word of Christ as wordly to be loved for it self and kept for the Givers sake Secondly Because true love is Operative It is the principle of Gospel-obedience 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us Where there is the disposition of a Son there will be obedience to the Fathers commands so where there is spiritual love to Christ it will set the Soul on work and quicken it to keep the words of Christ As is said of Faith Shew me thy Faith by thy Works So shew thy love to Christ by thy works as Faith without works is dead so is love without obedience Thirdly Because keeping the words of Christ gives the clearest and surest testimony of the truth of our love to Jesus Christ Probatio dilectionis est exhibitio operis Obedience is the most lively testification of love as Christ said to Peter Lovest thou me c. shew it in this in doing thy duty Feed my sheep So Christ tells us in the Text Where the fire of love is in the breast there the flames of duty and service is in the hand Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you In the 1 Joh. 5.3 In this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements Vse 1. For Exhortation First To a mental keeping of the words of Christ according to that word Heb. 2.1 We ought therefore to give the more diligent heed to the things which we have received lest at any time we let them slip And that we
may not forget but keep in our memories the words of Christ First consider That all the promises and counsels which Jesus Christ hath made known to us are not only for the present but for the future use Isa 22.23 Hearken and hear for the time to come We should hear as if we were to hear no more The Cordial which hath sometime revived us must not be lain aside lest for want of it another time we faint quite away The reason why they were ready to faint under afflictions Heb. 12.5 was because they had forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh to them as to Sons For this cause Jesus Christ often bids his Disciples remember the word he had spoken to them and knowing their frailty promises his Spirit Joh. 14.26 and that says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bring to his remembrance Secondly consider Not to remember the words of Christ is a sad sign of our dis-esteem of Jesus Christ We usually remember Precepts Counsels and Sayings according to the authority which the person hath with us from whence they come It is a very great dishonour to Jesus Christ when he shall cast his words behind our backs Did we honour Jesus Christ as our King Lord and Law-giver we should be more careful to remember what he hath spoken to us We often blame our Heads as if the fault lay only there that we do not remember the words of Christ when indeed the fault lies most in the Hearts that we have not more and esteem of Christ there Thirdly The time will come when we shall dearly repent every Truth forgotten that we did not endeavour to seal instruction upon our Hearts First When God shall with-hold instruction from us because we have refused it the time may come when as Amâ—s 8.12 Men shall run to and fro and seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it and then we shall see the worth of the Word that now we prize not Secondly When God shall call us to account for all Sermons and Instructions we have received as he will certainly do though we forget yet he will remember and he will ask how we have kept and improved the Word he hath spoken to us To help us in keeping or remembring the words of Christ First Let our hearts be affected with the worth and excellency of the Word that it is more precious than Gold or Silver and then we shall keep it as choyce Treasure That which a man prizeth he will keep in safe custody and have often in his eyes as David sayes of the Word Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day long If a man account the Word as his Treasure he will not forget it as Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attires This they forget not Yet because we account the Word as excellent and necessary as these therefore it follows Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Secondly Apply every word of Christ to your own Soul though men will not keep what is anothers yet usually they keep what is their own while men carve away the Word to others as if it concern'd not them it is no marvel if they keep it not but if we accounted every word as spoken to us and our portion we should hear and keep it Men remember the news which concerns themselves We should hear Christ speaking as Job 5.27 Hear thou this know it for thy good Thirdly Meditate often upon what you have received as Mary pondered the sayings which she heard in her heart The way to keep any thing safe is to have a constant eye upon it Meditation is the Souls serious retiring into it self to take a view of all that of God that is laid up within it self Fourthly Hasten to do all that you have heard and learned Psal 119.16 It is said by David I made haste and prolonged not the time to keep his Commandements A man will not easily forget his Trade for if we daily obey commands and believe promises we cannot easily forget the commands and promises given to us which last direction leads me to the second Exhortation Secondly It may exhort us to keep the words of Christ with an Evangelical and Practical keeping Keep the Word as a man keeps his Rule or the Souldier keeps his Weapon let not the Word depart from thee and do not thou depart from it by forsaking the appointments and commands of Christ First Consider That if we do not keep the words of Christ by obeying and a suitable walking we do but in vain pretend love to Jesus Christ as they that had no more of Christ but to call him Lord Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven c. So not every one that sayes he loves me but he that doth my Word he is my friend Secondly Consider What a sin it is to pretend love to Christ and not so truly to love Him as to keep his Words 't is Hypocrisie they be Christs false friends an open enemy is less dangerous than they Ezek. 33.31 They hear my words but they will not do them their heart goes after convetousness They be false to themselves and delude their own souls with a bare profession and hearing Jam. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own souls Thirdly Consider What judgment they incurr and who can tell how great it is 'T is called a beating with many stripes when the least stripe from that hand can break the loyns Luke 12.47 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stâ—ipes Fourthly Consider This is the clearest evidence of our interest in Christ of his love to us That we keep his Commandements By this we know that we love him as our Christ when we do not only love him as a Jesus a Saviour but obey him as a Lord and follow his Law When God shall write his Law in our hearts is not this an evidence that Christ is ours Fifthly Great and many are the encouragements which he hath promised to them that keep his words There be many blessings in the Word but they only have the blessings for theirs who keep his Word James 1.15 Whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed he shall ask what ye will and have it Job 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done unto you That we may do the words of Christ First Let it be the aim and intention of our Souls when we come to hear to turn hearing into doing Say as Paul did Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do and Cornelius Acts 10.33 Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things
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
Let God have all your thoughts let him be your meditation this is the way to have the best company when you be alone David would meditate of him day and night and professed the meditation of him should be sweet to him Here consider two particulars First Consider that no place state or condition can hinder the soul of this way of secret communion with God and Christ this priviledge could not be denied to a benighted Jacob to an imprisoned Jeremy to an exil'd John in Patmos by this says Jerome Solitudo fit Paradisus a man may turn a Wilderness into a Paradise and therefore we read in Cant. 11.12 how the Spouse invites Christ to go with her as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate Come let 's go into the Fields and lodge in the Villages Secondly Consider in these secret silent visits of the Soul God and Christ do take abundance of delight our Night-thoughts our Field-thoughts our Closet-thoughts are very welcome to them yea when we can do no more but think of God our very thoughts shall be an accepted service Cant. 2.13 He loveth the Fig-tree that putteth forth her green Figges The ripe fruit is in the bud so holy endeavours in pure breathings and desires God accepts when our Infirmity or the Iniquity of the Times may be such that we can doe no more Seventhly If we will have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us then let us walk humbly with God He that beholds the proud afar off will be nigh to them that humble their Souls under his mighty hand Isa 57.15 Thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit God hath two Heavens in which he dwells First His Glory dwells in the high and holy place in Heaven above Secondly His Grace dwells in the humble and lowly spirit Here will I dwell says God Eighthly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you be sure to look to your Hearts that you walk in your uprightness be true to the Word of God be true to your profession There is not in the world a more lively representation and image of God than the heart of the upright therefore God loves so much when he hath drawn his likeness upon them to walk with them therefore David resolves Psal 101.2 I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart O when wilt thou come unto me This was the comfort of the Apostle that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world God will be with such and such shall be with God Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man behold the upright the end of that man is peace And thus God appointed Abraham to walk that he might be with him a God in Covenant Gen. 17. Walk before me be thou perfect and gives him this incouragement I am God all-sufficient God's all-sufficiency being sufficient to keep the soul upright being rightly improved There be two things which usually biass the soul away from God and makes it warp from its holy principles First the Frowns Secondly the Flatteries of the world Against both which there is a sufficient remedy in the All-sufficient God First That which often perverts the soul from the truth is the fear of troubles and wants If I keep my integrity says the soul I shall be undone I shall lose my estate embroyl my self in many troubles perhaps a Prison Exile or Death comes next But what force is there in this tentation if we hear on the other hand God saying If thou wilt be upright fear no troubles no wants I am a God All-sufficient as in Job 22.25 to the end of the Chapter The Almighty shall be thy defence then fear not force Thou shalt have plenty of silver thou shalt gather gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Then fear no wants Secondly There is another thing in the world that hath a very great influence upon the spirit of a man to pervert him and turn him from his integrity and that is the hopes of preferment and greatness of the world But this is but a poor bait if we look upon the All-sufficiency of God Doth the world promise thee Riches God will out-bid the world and give Eternal riches Will the world give Pleasures God will give better with him is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore Will the world give Gold God will give Diamonds Will the world give all its glory God will give thee the glory of a better world rather than that shall be a snare unto thee Ninthly Pray much pray continually God will be in the hearts and houses of his praying people when he hath a curse in store for Prayerless Families in Jer. 10.15 And especially pray for these two things First That God will abide with you and the Kingdom in his Gospel and pure Ordinances that you may dwell in Bethel and not in Bethaven a house of vanity and grief Pray that God would not remove his Candlestick from you not utterly extinguish the light of the Kingdom Secondly Pray and I shall pray with you that God will give you a faithful Pastour after his own heart not according to your hearts that he may teach you by his Doctrine and his Life too a faithful Teacher to go in and out before you to shew you the Word of the Lord one that may be among you as it was said of Athanasius that he was Magnes Adamas 1. Magnes As a Load-stone to draw your souls with a gentle hand and melting heart from your sins Heaven-ward 2. Adamas as an Adamant of an invincible courage and zeal against all sin and prophaneness one that will not spare sin that he may save your souls Pray that God would give you a Star a Star out of his right hand not a churlish Orion that brings a cold barren and cloudy Winter but a benevolent and friendly Pleiades that there may be many Sons brought in to God and your souls may finde a continual spring and that you may be as Trees of his own planting And may flourish in the Courts of the House of our God And may bring forth fruit in old age Tenthly and lastly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you conform conform universally and fully to the Gospel of Christ consent and assent unfeignedly to all the Truths and Doctrines thereof that you may walk worthy of God and all that grace which hath been revealed to you for Christ hath said If a man keep his Word the Father will love him and both Father and Son will come and make their abode with him Wherefore I shall conclude this Exhortation with that of the Apostle Phil. 1.2 7. Only let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you
or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel And to shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Mr. Sclater's Farewell-Sermon 1 John 5. v. 1 and 21. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Little Children keep your selves from Idols THis general Doctrine I have already delivered unto you from this Text which indeed is the marrow and substance of the whole Chapter That Gospel-believing is a duty which they that really perform are highly priviledged by to their greatest advantage I have spoken concerning Gospel-believing and that is a duty and that they that do really perform it are highly dignified and priviledged by it as hath been made to appear from the Chapter that which remains to be done and shall be as God enables the work of this morning is to make improvement of this Doctrine which is one of the most material and momentous Doctrines that can be preached to us Gospel-believing it hath most precious priviledges entailed upon it Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Son of God that Jesus is come in the Flesh is born of God knows God and shall be eternally blessed of God and with God surely then the world runs upon a very great mistake I have hinted something already to that purpose but I have left the more full discussion and discovery of the matter untill now Why who is there among the generality of common Professors that is not very pregnant to hold forth this to be their Faith If so be that it should be put to the Question Friend what is your Faith What belief are you of Why not one in a thousand I think but will be apt to say Why truly I will give you this account There is a Gospel Gospel which is preached among us and in the world and this Gosspel doth hold forth this for true Doctrine that Jesus the Son of Mary that was born at Bethlehem is the Christ is the Messiah which was promised by the Father and which the world did live in expectation of so long This Jesus I believe is the Son of God this Jesus I verily believe is come in the flesh and he is come to be the Saviour of the world This is the Belief and that which is the common Profession that is made by the generality of people Why but will you consider now this Text and other Scriptures do speak fully to the purpose Whosoever doth believe this that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he is come in the flesh whosoever believes this is of God is born of God And it doth clearly appear and may be most convincingly made out that many thousands that profess their belief concerning these things yet notwithstanding are not born of God Why certainly there must needs be a great fallacy in the business Gospel-faith and Believing it is not so common a thing as many take it to be and therefore if this be Gospel-faith and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious priviledges truly it concerns us to look well to it that we be not mistaken concerning this belief Now this I would say there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the world and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ And this we are to say that in such a time as that was when this was the critical point as it were the discriminating thing in such a time for any to make this Profession and to hold forth this to be their Faith and Belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God it was of high signification and might very well as to man beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons that certainly they were born of God as to man and according to rational Charity it might be very comfortable that such persons as did thus believe and profess this to be their Faith and Belief there were some blessed beam upon their Souls for mark you it hath been thus in the world and among the people of it concerning matters of God and Godliness that there hath been such and such a Truth that hath been the Critical Truth as I said that hath been as I may so say the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another I allude to that passage in the Book of Judges concerning the Gileadites they made a profession of themselves to be such and such and they were put to it to pronounce Shiboleth they that could not speak out the word and clearly pronounce it they were not judged to be persons that they professed themselves to be but they that could do it held their liberty so such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point upon the account of the desperate opposition that the world makes against it and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers and the rest of the world were desperately bent against Jesus they called him Jesus but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God it was an Act and Decree amongst them That whosoever should confess Jesus to be Christ should be put out of the Synogogue should be excommunicated Now for persons at such time wherein it was as much as their liberty it may be their lives weâ—â— worth to own that Jesus Christ was the Son of God for persons now â—t such a time to own this Jesus that was in so mean a condition to be the Christ there is very much in it infinitely more than for persons now to take up this profession Why because this Doctrine hath obtained in the world and it is a Doctrine among Papists as well as Protestants there is no such danger now for persons to be of this belief But shall I say this that for all that to believe this really according to the right account and true genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing the case is the same with them and with us at this day setting aside the consideration of times and time the danger then and the encouragement now the Case is the same Gospel-believing of these truths according to a genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing it is the same now as then and then as now And therefore we must consider and look further I would put these few things to your Consciences You profess this to be your Faith you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that he is come in the flesh these things you profess to believe if you do so indeed you are highly
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
cannot serve God in one way let me not be discouraged but be more earnest in another You may also now think it is a time for you to exercise what you have learned God is calling you to see if you have not lost all the advantages he hath allowed you ye have been a long time learning as if God should say unto you Let me now see if you can do or endure and if you have forgot all yet Christ hath made a promise the Spirit shal bring again to remembrance when there is occasion for it Consider also Christ is touched with the feeling of the infirmities of a people in such a condition Let none of you be troubled in your hearts you believe in God believe also in Christ Jesus He saith In my Fathers House there are many Mansions and in them many wayes of dispensing of his Grace Read the 14 15 and 16. Chapters of John Christ hath promised to give Pastors according to his own heart that shall feed his Flock with Truth and Understanding He can finde one or frame one that shal fulfil his Ministry better than a weak Instrument He is the great Bishop of our Souls and is never non-resident He hath alwayes a care of his Flock Think therefore of his care who hath promised not only to be but to give unto you Pastors The 34. Chap. of Ezekiel is but a Comment on that promise Let not your hearts be troubled but let us commend you yea each other to God and let him do what is good in his own eyes Mr. WATSON's Sermon against POPERY 1 Cor. 10.14 Wherefore my dearly Beloved flee from Idolatry WHen I consider that saying of the blessed Apostle St. Paul I am pure from the Blood of all men Acts. 20.26 And that which made him say so was because he had not shun'd to declare unto his hearers then committed to his charge the whole Council of God Paul had been faithful to the Souls of people he had preached up Truth and preached down Error The consideration of which hath put me at this time upon this Scripture Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry From whence I shall by Divine permission and assistance assert the truth of the Protestant Religion against popish Innovation and amongst all the Errors that are levelled against the Gospel none are more gross dishonourable nor dangerous than those broach'd and set a running in the Popish Conclave and therefore there was good reason why the Apostle should say VVherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Idolatry doth bud and blossome in the Popish Religion It should be the earnest prayer and endeavour of every good Christian that none of those poisonous streams that flow from the See of Rome may ever infest this British Isle My main and principal designe at this time is to shew unto you some few of those many grand Errors that are in popery or in the popish Religion and likewise to fortifie you against them Among many others there are these thirteen grand Errors in popery that every good Christian must take off and flee from The first Error is this The papists do hold That the Pope is the Head of the Church This is diametrically and point-blank opposite to the Scripture Col. 2.9 Christ is there called The Head of the Church Now to make the Pope the Head of the Church is to make the Church monstrous by having two Heads This is to make the Spouse of Christâ—an Harlot I read Rev. 13 1 of a Beast rising out of the sea By the Beast their Interpreters understand the mystical Antichrist i. e. the Pope Now if the Pope be the Beast there and elsewhere spoken of how rediculous yea how impious is it to make a Beast the Head of Christs Church That is the first A second Error which I shall but name is this The Papists hold That the Pope is above Scripture and that his Laws Decrees and Canons bind more than the Scriptures than the Word of God Well may he have that name written upon his Miter that 's mentioned Rev. 13 1. And upon his head was written the Names of blasphemy But I add Their third Error is the Mass which indeed is gross Idolatry there is in it these two Errors 1. Transubstantiation Bellarmine with other Popish Writers say that the Bread the Host after consecration is turned into the very body of Christ Now this is against Philosophy as well as Scripture and Divinitie 'T is against Philosophy for this is clear if Christs Body be in Heaven then it cannot possibly be in the bread But Christs Body is in Heaven Act. 3 22. Whom the Heavens must contain speaking of Christ until the restitution of all things Moreover that the bread in the Sacrament is not turned into the Body of Christ I prove thus the wicked they do not receive Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 But if the bread be the very body of Christ then the wicked when they eat of the bread do eat the very body of Christ This is so gross an Opinion that most of the antient Fathers wrote against it as Cyprian Origen Tertullian Austin Ambrose with many others But 2ly The second Error in the Mass is they do daily offer up Christ in the Mass I grant there are Priests in Gospel times and Sacrifices too but they are as such are spiritual as the sacifice of Prayer of Praise of a broken and contrite heart But that there should be any external offering of Christ by way of Sacrifice is a blasphemy against Christs Priestly Office for it supposeth that Christs Offering on the Cross was not perfect That is notoriously contrary to the very letter of Scripture See Heb. 10.12 That man i. e. Christ God-man after he had once offered a Sacrifice for sin sat down at the right hand of God and vers 14. he saith That by this one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified This Scripture sheweth the compleatness of Christs Sufferings and Sacrifice and that now there needs no offring up any more Sacrifices That is the third But Fourthly A fourth Error is the Doctrine of Popish Satisfaction they hold that we do in our own persons satisfie Gods justice by our Penance VVhippig Fasting Alms-deeds Thus the Council of Trent and the Popish Rhemes But where is any thing of this in Scripture alas what is our confession of sin that is no satisfaction for sin If a Traytor confess his guilt this is no satisfaction for but rather an agravation of his Treason Alas our Repentance Fasting Humiliation the best of our actions are be-leopard and mixt with very much sin our Humiliation is mixt with very much pride our Repentance and Confession with much Hyporrisie and Dissimulation Ther 's much of sin in the cream of our services and sin cannot satisfie for sin This is a sure rule and I pray you mark it that what ever offering we bring to God for acceptation we must lay it upon the Altar Jesus
meek spirits as Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises There is as much in the Promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Shower down thy blessings even the choicest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies let him count those his best subjects that are Christ's subjects Bless him â—n hâ—s Royal Consort in his Royal Relations the Lords of his Privy Council let them be a terror to eviâ— doers and incouragers of those that do well Bless all thy Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them Oh pour in Wine and oyl into our souls let us be a watered garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust and nourishment for our Grace Hear us be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce to Christ with thee and thy holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen Mr. Lye 's Prayer at Allhallows Lumber-street O Lord our great God thou canst do all things for thou dost dispose and govern all the wayes and works and words of thy Creature to thâ—ne own praise We thy poor Creatures the workmanship of thy hands the price and purchase of thy Sons blood do desire this morning to fall down and humble our selves at the Throne of thy Grace we desire to lift up an eye of Faith to thee that thou mayest dart an eye of Love to us since thou hast commanded us to come unto thee Oh bless us now we come Let it not be in vain for any of us from the high'st to the low'st from the richest to the poorest that we have sought thy Face this morning Blessed Father pour down a spirit of Prayer a Spirit of preaching a Spirit of Rejoycing a spirit of Practising in the midst of us let us not only be enabled to know what to do but to do what we know Thou that distd cure the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle Oh heel that natural dimness that is in the best of us Thy Rod in the hand of Moses brought water out of the Rock Oh do thou strike upon those rocky hearts that our adamantine hearts being softned may gush out into Rivers of tears Oh drown our sins in the Red sea of our saviours blood help us to smite upon our thigh and to ask our selves what we have been and what we have done and humble us under the omission of any commanded duty and the comission of any for bidden sin sins of thoughts wordes and dieds sins against the Law against the Gospel of youth manhood and old-age sins before under and since conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths Oh Lord if thou didst prefer thy Bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the balance of the Sanctury we should be found too light but holy Father remember not against us our former sins but rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquities blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judath in the promise that the sins of Judath should be sought for and not found O bathe our souls in that Fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as Scarlet let them be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson let them be like Wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains Oh let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins We desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the spirit of Christ to wash us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the Law but under Grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland It is thy promise that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Oh let thy people possess the Land from Dan to Beersheba Oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy VVord be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a Refiners fire to purge our dross and take away our tin And holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept to the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zalmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us Oh put upon uâ— all the whole Armour of God Now in these days of Errour gird us with the Girdle of Truth Oh now in these days of falsity give us a helmet of Hope Now the Devil darts at us give us the Sheiâ—d of Faith Oh give us the Sword of the Spirit of the word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain-saying of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly fervently faithfully feelingly that we stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and it is doubled upon the Lords day Oh let us be as thy servant John in the Spirit upon thine own day let God by his Spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy Word Enable thy Servant to deliver thy Word faithfully God forbid thy Servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the Wisdome of Man one iota of thy Word hath more wisdome in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played
by the light of the Candle slighted thy Manna so long Oh now therefore to day give us to hear and know and believe and do the things that concern our everlasting peace Hear us for Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be glory now and for ever The Prayer of Mr. Caryl at Magnes Bridge foot OH our Father what a priviledge is this that we may draw near to thee all our springs are in thee the Creature is but a dry heap a barren wilderness 't is but a Cistern and a broken Cistern It hath no water of its own nor can it hold that which is poured into it Oh that our hearts were taken off and dis-engaged from all things on this side thy self that we could say with thy Servant Whom have we in heaven but thee and on earth there is none that we desire in comparison of thee Then though our flesh and hearts fail us yet God would be our portion for ever VVe pray thee manifest thy Grace to us at all time and especially at this time that we may come before God in this publick worship as we should Let us see thy goings out in thy Sanctury and let us be satisfied with the fatness of thy house and drink of those pleasures that are for evermore Lord we have given thee cause to withdraw from us for we have not laboured to be fruitful under means and therefore thou in judgement mightest make them hereafter to be fruitless unto us and because we have taken no pains to get good by them thou mightest justly say they shall do you no good VVe have heard much of thee but we know thee but little we acknowledge thou mightest judge us because we know so little and thou mightest punish us because we do so little of what we know according as that faithless Servant was punished which knew his Masters will â—nd did it not Oh where be those manifestations of God that we have had Have we had not the light of the knowledge of God shining to us in the face of Jesus Christ But we have not rejoyced in this light but have compassed our selves about with sparks of our own kindling and therefore it is just we should down in sorrow and yet thou lengthenest out thy patience to us and yet we have one opportunity more to come unto thee Oh we pray thee let us understand the things belonging to our peace before they be hid from our eyes let our souls be bound in the bundle of life with Christ Jesus We pray thee that that Spirit of thine may strengthen us that the Spirit may guide us and lead us into all truth leave us not to our own strength nor to our own councel but shew us the secrets of thy Word and Works Thou hast promised Thy secret shall be with them that fear thee and thou wilt shew them thy cevenant And as thou dost give us thy Sabbaths so give us to thrive by them and help us to grow as the Herb and sent forth our fruit as Lebanon Let thy Word come with power one every one of us that it may not be as the beating of the air but let it fit us for Duty that we may honor our God in the midst of these changes until we come to that place where there is no change and all for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus to whom with Thee and the blessed Spirit be Glory and Honour now and for ever Mr. Venning's Prayer at Olaves before Sermon OH Lord God thou art the Fountain of Life yea thou givest to all Life It is necessity draws us now unto thee and we acknowledge it is a very great favour that thou wilt admit us to come into thy presence Indeed the services we do are not worthy thy acceptance thou gettest nothing by them but the gain of godliness is to our selves But wo unto us what a loss and what a curse will â—t be to us to haâ—e a form of Godliness and yet be ungodly Oh Lord how should this indear thee and thy word and thy service that thou wouldst have us do good for our own sakes thou turnest our obedience into priviledges thou hast made the means of our happiness a part of it If there were no other glory but to glorifie thee oh what a glory would it be to be found doing thy will there is a sweetness to be found in it more than in the Honey or in the Honey comes It is a great happiness to be conformable to God to be loving to God to be like to God is the greatest happiness that we can be capable of if we were now in heaven we could not have other happiness but this in a greater degree O Lord how should our souls be drawn forth to acknowledge thee may we not cry out in admiration Lord what is man and among the sons of men what are we that thou art so mindful of us Thou mightest have displayed thy VVord to many thousands in the world and we left ignorant But blessed be thy Name thou art pleased to admit eâ—en us also thereunto Oh let it not be a small thing unto us seeing we may yet live to serve God Oh Lord in Christ it will be worth our while to live and in him 't will be worth our while to die Oh that we may mind the end of living and the end of dying that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Indeed it were not worth our while to live and spend so much time in the world if it were only to have pleasure and honour and gratifie our selves to eat and drink and to be merry this is not worth our while What would it be O Lord to die in our sin and be eased of the miseries of this world and be sent to the place of torment But seeing thou hast provided for our living and our dying well give us to improve these means and that we may live and dye well let not our affections though our bodies be upon the earth though we converse with flesh yet let not our conversation be after the flesh but let us be like them which have sent their hearts up to heaven and do but tarry here to finish their Masters business and then we shall go where our hearts are and where our dear Lord Jesus Christ is Indeed Lord we have cause to complain of our hearts how we minde this world as it never would have an end and the world to come as if it would never have any beginning as if we had no souls to mind or had no mind to look to our souls We live as if all those glorious Reports thou hast made were but as a tale that is told we have cause to be ashamed that we have the means and the names of Christians and have not lived answerable to the discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ Indeed we have cause to bear our shame yet how few of us know what
wicked watcheth to mischief you when the wicked even your Enemies and Foes come upon you to eat up your flesh as sal 27 2. then to wait on the Lord to stand your ground to follow the Lord to keep his way This is an argument of a brave and gallant Spirit Was it not a proof of a heroick and brave Spirit in Paul when he saies to them Act. 21 13. What mean you to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but to dye a Jerusalem for the Nâ—me of the Lord Jesus VVhen men are bold and daring in a wicked way and will resolutely keep on whatever difficulties or opposition they meet with this is not true valour but a mad hardiness and desperate stoutness of spirit But when men are couâ—arious and undaunted in following the Lord stedfastly keeping and walking on in his way maugre all opposition that Satan and wicked Men make against them this is true valour and galantry of Spirit Such brave and heroick Spirits were they mentioned Heb. 11 35 36 37. who have this honourable Testimonial of the Lord vers 38 of whom the World was not worthy Persons whereof every one was more worth than the VVorld or too excellent to abide in the VVorld being worthy of better and greater honour than the world could give them 4. 'T is the way by which you shall most victoriously triumph over all your enemies wait on the Lord and keep his way and you shall go on conquering and to conquer over Sin Satan the VVorld and Antichrist over all our enemies Though God you shal do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down all your enemies Psal 108.13 For this is the victory that overcommeth the world even your Faith 1 John 5.4 Through Faith whereby we wait on God and keep his Way we shall overcome the world that is Satan and all his wicked crew with all the instruments of mischief they make use of against us Hence that Rom. 8.37 In all these things we are more than Conquerours through him that loved us and this honour have all they that wait on the Lord and keep his Way 3 'T is the way by which you shall bring most honour to God to the Lord Jesus Christ the Captain of your Salvation That the people of God are imployed in service whereby God is honoured that reflects hunour upon them and the more God is honoured the more honour have they that serve him the Queen of Sheba counted Solomon's servants happy who waited continually upon him 1 King 10.8 how much more honourable is it to wait on the Lord in that a greater than Solomon is here Now wait on the Lord and keep his way herein you will greatly honour the Lord. As they that dissert and forsake the Lord and his waies when it comes to any hard service do greatly dishonour him as if there were not enough to be had to make amends for all their hardships they endure so they that follow the Lord and heep his way through sharp oppositions and sufferings they greatly honour him in the world to cleave to the Lord and follow him when all the world are about out ears for his sake to keep his Way when that his Way is every where spoken against to continue faithful in his service when nothing but bonds and persecutions attend us for it this commends his Service and tendeth much to the honour of his Name and Wayes 4. This is the ready way to true Honour As the wise man hath it in that Prov. 27.18 He that waiteth on his Master shall be honoured So wait on the Lord and keep his Way and you shall be honoured and that with true Honour even that honour that is of God In that John 5.44 our Saviour distinguisheth between that honour that is of men and that Honour that is of God and that is the the true Honour that is of God For as they say Honor est in honorante non in honorate in him that honoureth and then that is true and highest honor that is from the only true God that high and only One. Now this honour have all they that waiting on the Lord and keeping his Way do honour 1 Samuel 2 3â— Him that honoureth me I will honour and sayes our Saviour John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall my servant be and what honour that is you may gather from that Col 3.4 and it further followes If any man serve me him will my Father honour Thus it appears to be the most honourable way 5. Lastly This is the most comfortable way It must be granted 't is a way that is attended with sufferings tribulations and distresses 2 Tim. 3.12 and yet it is the most comfortable way as will appear In that 1. It is the ready way to have peace inward peace the best peace in the midst of all the trouble the world can bring upon you in that Joh. 16.33 the Lord Jesus saith to his Disciples that in the world they should have tribulation but in him they should have peace And to wait on the Lord and keep his Way is the ready way to attain his Peace as appears from Isa 26.3 Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee That which rendered perfect peace iâ— Peace Peace in the Original the reduplication according to the Idiome of the Hebrew denoting the excellency perfection abundance and duration of Peace But to whom is this promise made saith the text to him whose mind is stayed on the Lord and trusteth in him and in verse 2. to the righteous Nation which keepeth the Truth which according to the point in hand may be exprest to them that wait on the Lord and keep his Way So Psal 119.165 Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 2. 'T is the ready way to have the holy Ghost who is stiled the Comforter to abide with us What more comfortable way than that wherein we may be sure to have the Comforter to be with us to abide and continue with us Wait on the Lord and keep his Way so shall the Comforter abide with you for ever Express is that of our Lord to this purpose John 14 15.16 If you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever So ver 23 If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him So that this is the way to have Father Son and holy Ghost to come to us and abide with us 3. The Comforts which are to be had in this way are true solid substantial and abiding Comforts such as fill the soul with inward joy and mirth under the forest outward trouble so as that they can sing in prison
The keeping of it in your memories judgements and profession will be but in vain unless you keep it in your hearts Lay up and hide the Word of God in your hearts let the desire and delight of your soul be in the Way of the Lord with the Psal 119.111 Thy Testimonies have I taken for mine heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 'T is the Caracter of the Godly man Psal 1.1 2. He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 5. Keep the VVay of the Lord in your lives and conversation walking therein conscientiously observing the Commandments of God to do accordingly I am speaking to those who have chosen the way of the Lord to walk in and they may read what the Lord saith in that Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left you shall walk in all the Wayes that the Lord your God hath commanded you and to as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God Having this opened this Duty take these few Directions among the many that might be given 1 Let the Spirit of Christ be your guide and principle I am speaking unto such as have the Spirit of Christ Now if you consult that Ezek 36.27 You shall find that the Lord promiseth his people that he will put his Spirit within them and to what promise viz. both to encline enable and guide them to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandmenâ—s to do them There is no entring into the way of the Lord but by the Spirit Joh. 3 3. we all naturally being gon astray wander from the way of the Lord and it is the spirit only that can and doth reduce men into this way and the best being but lame and having not only a principle of halting in but declining from it there is no walking in this Way but by the assistance and guidance of the Spirit Let therefore the Spirit of God be your guide it is comprised that he shall lead you into all truth John 16.13 Let the spirit be your principle walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 then you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Make the Word of God your rule I have heretofore from that John 6 39. and 1 Tim. 3.15 and several other places cleared to you that it is given of God for this end to be the rule both for Faith and Practice Keep therefore unto this and by no meanes depart from this if you would keep the Way of the Lord. Here you have the Lord revealing his Way and that clearly and plainly so that the most simple that apply themselves to it may understand it the Scriptures are a perfect and a constant rule Therefore as in that Isa 8.26 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them There are some that make the Light within their rule and that in opposition to the Word but the Light in such is Darkness for if they speak not according to this Word if it be but diverse from though not directly opposite unto it then there is no light in them Indeed the Light within that is Concience enlightned is a rule but it is Regula Regulata a Ruled Rule There is Regula Regulans and Regula Regulata A Ruling Rule and a Ruled Rule The former is a Rule to the latter by which it is to be tryed and approved The Word of God is a Ruling Rule and Conscience is a Ruled Rule which is to be obeyed as far as it speaks according to the Word and no further If therefore you would keep the Way of the Lord do not despise Conscience do not neglect the Light within but make it not thy Rule make the Word of God thy Rule admit not of any thing that is belonging to the Way of the Lord that is not grounded upon or not warranted by his Word If you would keep the Way of the Lord hold fast to what is written stick to the Word That saying of Austin is famous Sive de Christo sive de Ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re non dico si nos sed si Angelus sed coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis accipistes Anathema sit Not to say If we but if an Angel from heaven shall preach any thing of Christ or of the Church or of any other thing besides what ye have received in the Scripture let him be accursed Like to that Gal. 1.8 9. The Word is the heavenly Compass whereby we may be directed to steer our course aright to the Haven of happiness Keep you to the Word while one says this is the way and another that Try all things by the Rule of the Word and make that your Rule to walk by Hence when Paul was taking his leave of the Church at Ephesus in that Acts 20. in his Farewel-Sermon that after his departure they might keep the way of the Lord you may read what he commends to them verse 32. And your brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified He commends the Word of God to them So Beloved now that I may no more speak to you from this place for the teaching of you the right and the good way I recommend to you the Word of the Lord which will be a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your paths to guide you in the Way of the Lord till you attain the end of your Faith the Salvation of your souls What knowledge I have of the way of the Lord what I have taught you of the way of the Lord I have been taught by the Spirit of the Lord through the Word and though you want the great help of a plain powerful and faithful Ministry for the future yet let not those that are sincere in desiring to walk in the way of the Lord be discouraged by those who would make them believe that the Word is hard to be understood for that as it is more from malignity in us than difficulty in the Scriptures that the most do not understand them so they are easie to be understood by them that sincerely endeavour it being not onely most plain and clear in teaching the way of the Lord but also appointed to enlighten the eyes and make wise the simple Psal 19 7 8. Yea the entrance of it giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119.130 And how weak and simple soever any of the Saints may be in worldly matters and in the Worlds account yet of them all is that spoken 1 John 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him
of humiliation to give unto Civil Magistrates and Rulers what was their due yea to forgo somewhat of his Civil Right rather than to offend them For giving unto Civil Magistrates their due notable is that of Mat. 22.21 Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are God's And as he taught them so he practised himself for he was not of those that say and do not but his practise was always conformable to his Doctrine When therefore they that received Tribute-money at Capernaum came and demanded of him he will rather recede from his Civil Liberty than offend them Mat. 17.25 26 27. Now go ye and do likewise If ye will keep the way of the Lord give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars be subject unto the King and all that are in Authority Let the Exhortation be that 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake What is here meant by Ordinance of man is clear from what follows whether to the Kings as Supream or unto Governors c. Be ye therefore subject Saints not only for wrath but for Conscience sake for the Lord's sake and as Rom. 13.7 Render to every one their due Tribute to whom Tribute Custome to whom Custome is due c. Such subjection to Magistrates as thwarteth not our obedience unto God â—â—es within the Way of the Lord Yield therefore active obedience unto â—he King as far as Conscience towards God will give leave Fear God and honor the King 1 Pet. 2.17 Give all that honor to the King that is consistent with the true fear of God Let nothing but Conscience towards God hinder you at any time from yielding active obedience to all the King's Laws And here Beloved I shall take occasion to open my heart sincerely to you You know what is required of me if I will continue a publick Minister in this Kingdom I hope no sober persons can think me such a humerous perverse Phanatick as to throw away my Maintenance much less my Ministerial Capacity which is much more dear to me than Livelihood yea than Life out of a proud humor and vain-glorious fancy In brief therefore as I shall answer it before the great God the searcher of all hearts and the righteous Judge Did not Conscience toward God forbid me I would willingly and readily do all that the Act requires But seeing I cannot declare an unfeigned Assent and Consent as the Law requires As from the fear of my God I dare not so from the Love you generally have to me I know you would not have me dissemble with God and men I do therefore humbly choose to submit to the Penalty rather than by a hypocritical conformity for such it must be in me if any to dishonor my God wound my own Conscience and dissemble with men knowing assuredly that my God hath no need of my sin And if he have any work for me in the publick Ministry he will encline the King's heart to grant Liberty and Encouragement therein to me with the rest of those who desire to be faithful in preaching of the Gospel which that the Lord will grant I promise my self the help of all your prayers who have been favoured with any spiritual blessings through my Ministry 4. It was the practice of Jesus Christ to be so far from making resistance by the Sword to keep himself from suffering that he refused such help as was offered him that way So Mat. 26.52 Then said Jesus unto him Put up again thy Sword into his place for all they that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is not all that use but all that take the Sword without a lawful call So John 18.11 Put up thy Sword into thy sheath The Cup which my Father will have me to drink shall I not drink it If you would keep the way of the Lord herein follow Christ so as not to resist those that are in Authority however unjustly you may suffer from them for 1 Pet. 2.19 This is thank-worthy if a man for Conscience sake towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully It was the practice of Jesus Christ to be so far from avenging himself as to render good for evil to forgive his enemies to seek their good and welfare So in Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Thus follow Christ according to that he teacheth in Mat. 5.34 Love your enemies Bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you And what the Apostle exhorteth in Rom. 12.19 20. Dearl beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink c. 6. The Lord Jesus Christ had great compassion for poor wandering sinners Mat. 9.36 Great love for his Saints John 13.1 with tender pity towards them in all their sorrows and afflictions Isa 63.9 Herein also be ye followers of Christ according to that Col. 3.12 13. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of minde meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye 7. The Lord Jesus counted not his life dear when that he was called to give it up in bearing witness to the Truth as you have it in that John 18.37 he bears witness to the Truth when called to it with the hazard of his life Herein follow Jesus Christ in bearing Witness to the Truth of God though with the hazard of your lives as Paul doth in that Acts 20.24 What ever mischief be threatned by wicked men yet deny not be not ashamed of the Words Truths and Ways of Christ for 't is the Word of the true and faithful Witness which we have Mark 8.36 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful Generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels And Oh how sad if this be thy portion for if in that day Christ shall be ashamed of thee Wo be to thee for ever thou shalt be wretched and miserable to all Eternity But be faithful couragious and constant in confessing him and his Ways and Truths for he hath said Mat. 10.32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess before my Father that is in Heaven And Oh how comfortable if this be thy portion for if Jesus Christ confess thee at that day Peace be to thee for ever thou shalt be blessed and happy to all Eternity Though therefore thy confessing of him be attended not only with eproaches and Revilings but with Fines Bonds Imprisonment