for theÌ„ why did he cry out My God my God c. Sight was due to him from his Incarnation in himselfe considered not as our sâ—rety Now that which made a stopp of the influence of comfort to his soule was that he might fully suffer for our sinnes that hee might bee humbled and â—empted and suffer even death it selfe Therefore in regard of the state of humiliation there was faith in him faith of dependance thâ—re was hope in him and he made great use therof to support himselfe But what supported the faith of Christ in this woefull rufull estate he was in being forsaken of God as our Surety Christ presented to his faith these things The unchangeable nature of GOD My God c. Whom he once loves hee loves to the end therfore he layes claime to him Thou hast beene my God heretofore and so thou art stâ—ll Againe faith presented to the soule of Christ Gods manner of dealing he knew well enough that God by contraries brings contraries to passe Hee brings to heaven by the gates of hell hee brings to glory by shame to life by death and therefore resolves notwithstanding this desertion I will depend upon my God Againe Christ knew well enough that God is nearest in support when he is furthest off in feeling so iâ— is ofâ— where hee is nearesâ— the inward man to strengthen it with his love he is furthest off in comfort to outward sense To whom was God nearer than Christ in support and sanctifying grace and yet to whom was he further off in present feeling Christ knew that there was a secret sense of Gods love a sensible sense of Gods love he had a secret sense of God that hee was his Father because he knew himselfe to be his Sonne but he had it not sensibly Faith must bee sutable to the thing beleeved Now Christ in saying my God suites his faith to the truth that was offered to him he knew GOD in the greatest extremitie to bee nearest at hand Be not farre off for trouble is neare c. This should teach us in any extremity or trouble to set faith on worke and seed faith with the consideration of Gods unchangeable nature and the unchangeablenesse of his promises which endure for ever we change but the promise changeth not and GOD changeth not My God still The word of the Lord indureth for ever GOD deales with â—is people in a hidden maner hee supports with secret though not with sensible comfort and will bee nearest when he seemes to be furthest off his Children I beseech you acquaint your selves with these things and thinke it not strange that GOD comes neare you in desertions considering that it was so with Christ present to thy soule the nature of GOD his custome and manner of dealing so shalt thou apprehend favour in the middest of wrath and glory in the middest of shame we shall see life in death we shall see through the thickest Clouds that are betweene GOD and us for as God shines in the heart in his love secretly through all temptations and troubles so there is a spirit of â—aith goes backe to him againe My God my God for faith hath a quicke eye and seeth through contraries There is no cloud of griefe but faith will pierce through it and see a fathers heart under the carriage of an enemy Christ had a great burden upon him the sinnes of the whole world yet he breakes through all I am now sinne I beate the guilt of the whole world yet under this person that I sustaine I am a sonnâ— and God is my God still notwithstanding all this weight of sinne upon mee And shall not wee beloved say My God in any affliction or trouble that befals us oh yes In the sense of sinne which is the bitterest of all and in the sense of Gods anger in losses and crosses in our families c. let us break through those clouds and say My God still But you will say I may apprehend a lie perhaps God is not my GOD and then it is presumption to say so Whosoever casts himselfe upoÌ„ GOD out of the sense of sinne to be ruled by God for the time to come shall obtaine mercy Now dost thou so doth thy conscience tell thee I cast my selfe up on God for better direction I would be ruled as GOD and the Ministery of the Word would have mee hereafter If so thou hast put this question out of question thou doubtest whether ther God be thy God I tell thee God is the God of all that seck him and obey him in truth but thy conscience tels thee thou dost this certainly then whatsoever thou wert before God is now before hand with thee hee offers himselfe to bee thy God if thou trust in him and wilt be ruled by him and not onely so but he intreats us we should beseech him but he intreates us such is his love nay he coÌ„mands us to beleeve in his Sonne Jesus CHRIST Now when I joyne with Gods intreatie Oh Lord thou offerest thy selfe thou invitest mee thou commandest me I yeeld obedience and submit to thy good word then the match is stricken and made up in doing so God is thy God and Christ is thy Christ and thou must improve this claime and interest here in all the passages of thy life long Lord thou art my God therefore teach me thou art my GOD I have given my self to thee I have set up thee in my heart above all things thoâ— art in my soule above all sinne above all profits and pleasures whatsoever therefore save mee and deliver mee have pitty upon me c. The claim is good when we have truely given our selves up to him else Goâ— may say Goâ— to the gods you have served 〈◊〉 were your gods for whom you cracked you consciences â—â—ches and pleasure were your gods goe to them for succour Oh beloved it is a harder matter to say My God in the middest of trouble than the world takes it there was a great conflict in Christ when he said My God when he brake through all molestations and temprâ—â—â—ons of Sathan together with the sense of wrath and could say notwithstanding My God there was a mighty strong spirit in him But no wonder faith is an Almighty grace wrought by the power of God and laying hold upon that power it layes hold upon Omnipotency and therefore it can doe wonders it overcomes the invincible God hee hath made a promise and cannot deny his promise hee cannot deny himselfe and his truth put case his dealing be as an enemy his promise is to bee as a friend to those that trust in him he is mercifull forgiving sinnes his nature now is such satisfaction to his justice makes him shew mercy I speake this that you might beg of God the gift of faith which will carry you through all temptations and afflictions yea even through the shadow of death as David faith
businesse God hath a key to open the closet of their hearts let them bee never so close locked up Oh that men would more feare this al-seeing eye of God be wise for themselves and not against themselves It is a miserable wisedome when men are wise to worke their owne ruine Beloved when men have had all their plots God hath a plot still beyond them he takes them failing in something or other their devices are like a curious clock if the least thing be out of frame all is marred God suffers them to spinne a â—ine thread a great while and at length cuts the webb and there is an end And they may thanke themselves for all this for they carry a justification of God in their owne breasts they perish because they will perish and this will be the torment of all torments to gracelesse persons that they polled destruction upon themselves Malice blindes the understanding in Satan and his instruments for if their malice were not above their wit would they to gratifie their ill affections knowingly rush into the displeasure of God and into such courses as will unavoidably bring their ruine malice drinks up the greatest part of its owne poyson His owne iniquity shall take the wicked himselfe saith Solomon and he shall be holden with the cords of his owne sinne This may bee inlarged to all sinfull courses every sinner worketh a deceitfull worke and bringeth forth a lye Austin saith well Every sinne is a lye Men would be happy yet they will not live so as they may be happy what more deceitfull than this It will be the complaint of every sinner at length that was Fvah's The Serpent hath deceived me It was S. Pauls complaint and it will be the complaint of all sinfull wretches at the last day What hath pride profited us What can the favour of men upon whom wee beare our selves doe us good now Sinne promiseth us contentment continuance secrecie full satisfaction c. but doth it make good this Were ever any when the beginning and ending was laid together established by wickednesse Take it from God himselfe we have a commission to speake it Say it shall not goe well with the wicked though they escape an hundred times yet it is but a reprivall for some further service which God hath to doe by them Be not deceived God is not mocked When wee can bee more subtile than the Devill or more strong than God we may thinke to thrive by sinne Can wee thinke God will alter the course of divine justice for us Had we not better beleeve this than finde it so hereafter Beloved hell is for those to feele that will not beleeve Certaine it is that those who will sinne notwithstanding Gods justice shal be severely punished notwithstanding his mercy God is not more peremptory in any one thing than in this If any man blesse himselfe in an ill way my wrath shall smoake against him therefore it is a good prayer Lord give mee not over to lying that is not to trust in that which will lye and deceive me This is the unhappinesse of us Ministers all other professions are beleeved when they discover danger but who beleeveth our report Wee are mens enemies because we tell them the truth Wee labour to take away the sweet morsells from men their Herodians and to divide betwixt men and their sins which they love better than their soules No creature but man loves that which will bee its owne bane Onely wretched man seek os happinesse in the way to misery and heaven in the way to hell I beseech you therefore as you would not bee deceived as indeed who would take heede of the deceitfull workes of darknesse Satan that tempts us is but a lying spirit which hee is not ashamed to confesse and sinne is like unto him What got Ahab by his vineyard Iudas by his thirty peeces of silver What god Haman and so of the rest by their sinnes at the last Men are usually ashamed of an ill bargain because the very thought thereof upbraids them with weaknesse and folly What ever we get by sinne for the present it will prove the worst bargaine that ever we made Oh therefore let us use our wits and parts to better purpose if wee will needs bee plotting let us plot for eternity that is worth the plotting for Let us plot how to avoide Satans plot Our time is short Opportunity the flower of time shorter Our talents are many our accounts strict our Iudge unpartiall Let us be sowing to the spirit Let us labour to be like our judge who went about doing his Fathers worke and came to destroy the workes of the Devill Oh beloved shall we build up that which Christ came to destroy All his miracles tended to goods he wrought the salvation of those that wrought his destruction hee shed his blood for those that shed his blood Satan is all for mischiefe and rather than he will not doe hurt he is content to be set about drowning of swine And such are all those that are led with his spirit men witty to destroy and acute to malice others who take a great deale of paines to goe to hell and carry others with them Those that are skilfull in the story of nature write of the Scorpion that hee whets his taile often upon stones that so it may bee sharpe and ready for a mischiefe some crooked wits there are which make it their exercise to vexe the quiet of the land it is as naturall to them as poyson to a Scorpion But our happinesse is how to be like the Idea the patterne of all grace and the glory of our nature by whom we hope to bee saved Our happinesse is to bring forth fruit and our owne fruit in due season to have opportunity ability and a heart to doe good how comfortable is death when it takes men so doing The time will be ere long when it will comfort us above all things in the world besides that wee have beene honoured to be instruments of doing good and stood in the gappe to hinder evill Beloved we serve a good master we shall not lose a good word for a good cause there is a booke of remembrance for every good word and worke we doe When wicked men have beaten their braines spent their spirits and wasted their strength what becomes of them at length A conscience often wounded will receive no comfort but take Gods part against it selfe When the other powers are wearied then Conscience comes and doth its office then the eyes of the soule are opened to see what it would not see before then sinne that lay at the doore at the going out of this life flyeth in our faces pleasure and profit for which wicked men project and contrive so much comes all to nothing but sinne it selfe and the punishment of it abides for ever Men like Popes will dispence with themselves and
opinions but treason in a people that live under a Prince of a contrary Religion the dispositions of many of them are better then their positions However perhaps the present Pope may be more moderate and neuter all yet this is the infusion of their religion where ever it prevailes and these tenents shall bee acted and in full force when they please and it will please them when it shal be for the advantage of the Catholike cause This was Bellarmines tenent If the Pope should erre in commanding vice or forbidding vertue the Church is bound to beleeve vice to be good and vertue to be ill or else it should sinne against conscience for it is bound to beleeve what hee commands thus they make the judgement of man the rule of truth and falsehood good and evill Whereas truth is truth and that which is false is false whether men think so or no there is an intrinsicall evill in evill which the judgement of any man cannot take away and the truth and goodnesse of things stands upon eternall grounds not flexible or alterable by the will of any creature otherwise it were all one as to thinke the course of the Sunne should be guided by a dyall Is there any hope of their comming to us when they had rather have the rules of nature and Religion which are as unmoveable as a mountaine of brasse to vary than bee thought to confesse that the Pope may erre which indeed is the grand and leading error of all But how should wee expect our words should prevaile when as the great workes of God prevaile not at all with them The efficacy of error is so strong in many that though they should see the viall powred out upon the throne of the beast yet will they not repent For our selves we cannot better shew our thankfulnesse for this deliverance by meanes wherof wee enioy our lives and our Religion than to preserve that truth that is grounded upon the foundation of truth which hath been derived unto us from those that went before who held out the same truth that hath beene sealed by the blood of so many Martyrs that hath beene established by the Authority of gracious Princes that God hath given witnesse to by so many deliverances that concurres with the confessions of all Reformed Churches that God hath blessed with a constāt tenor of peace even to the rejoycing of all Neighbour Churches to the envie of our enemies and to the admiration of all c. We see all countryes round about us in a confusion and wee as it were the three young men in the fiery furnace safe without so much as smoak or smell of fire as if we were the onely people of Gods delight Now what is that which God careth most for amongst us but his truth which if we suffer as much as in us lyeth to take any detriment God may justly make us the spectacles of his wrath to others as others have beene to us Beloved God hath a cause and a people in the world which hee esteemeth more than all the world besides let us therefore owne Gods cause and people his side one day will prove the better side I beseech you consider what hurt have wee ever had by the reformation of Religion hath it come naked unto us hath it not beene attended with peace and prosperity hath God beene a barren wildernesse to us hath not God beene a wall of fire about us which if hee had not beene it is not the water that compasseth our Iland could have kept us So long as wee keepe Christs truth Christ will keepe us Otherwise trust to it Christ and his truth will leave us No nation under heaven hath so much cause to say Behold as we have Men are ready upon all occasions to be sensible of civill grievances as in Solomons time gold was as stones in the street but we should be sensible of the spiritual favours we enjoy If wee looke upon other kingdomes abroad what nation under heaven hath the like cause to blesse God for Religion for Prince for peace c. as we have Beloved we cannot better deserve of our King Church and State than to give up our lives to God who hath thus blessed us The greatest enemies of a Church and State are those that provoke the highest Majesty of heaven by obstinate courses against the light that shineth in their owne hearts It is seriously to bee considered what Samuel saith to the people and therefore if not for love of our selves yet for the love of our King Religion and State let us take heed of provoking courses and take heed of tyring the patience of God over-long To conclude all it is prayer that gets but thankfulnesse witnessed by obedience that keepes blessings and what can our thoughts devise our tongues utter or our lives expresse better than the praise of our good God that even loadeth us with his benefits that so God may delight still to shew himselfe unto us in the wayes of his mercy think thoughts of love towards us and dwell amongst us to the worlds end FINIS THE CHVRCHES VISITATION DISCOVERING The many difficulties and tryalls of Gods Saints on earth Shewing wherein the fountaine of their happinesse consists Arming Christians how to doe and suffer for CHRIST And directing them how to commit themselves and all their wayes to God in holinesse here and happinesse hereafter Preached in sundry Sermons at Grayes-Inne LONDON BY R. S. D. D. LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1634. THE SAINTS SAFETY IN EVILL TIMES Manifested by S. Paul from his experience of Gods goodnesse in greatest distresses out of 2 TIM 4. 17 18. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by me the preaching might be fully knowne and that all the Gent les might heare and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord shall deliver mee from every evill worke and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdome to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen BLessed Saint Paul being now an old man and ready to sacrifice his dearest blood for the sealing of that truth which hee had carefully taught sets downe in this Chapter what diverse entertainment hee found both from God and Man in the preaching of it As for men hee found they dealt most unfaithfully with him when hee stood most in need of comfort from them Demas a man of great note in the end forsooke him Alexander the Copper smith thus it pleases God torry his dearest ones with base oppositions of worthlesse persons did him most mischiefe Weaker Christians forsooke him c. But mark the wisdome of Gods Spirit in the blessed Apostle in regard of his different carriage towards these persons Demas because his fault was greater by reason of the eminency of his Profession him hee brands to all posterity for looking backe to Sodom and to the world after hee
that hath such large encouragements attending it both in life and death I beseech you thinke of these things Christ ere long will come to be glorified in all those that beleeve He will come to be glorified in his Saints Our glory tends to his glory shall we not glorifie him all we can here by setting forth his truth by countenancing his Children and Servants by doing good and deserving well of ingratefull times we live in Let men bee as unthankfull as they will we looke not to them but to the honour of God the credit of Religion the maintenance of the truth c. Let men be as they will be base wicked enemies to grace and goodnesse we doe it not to them but to God Consider this will Christ come from Heaven ere long to bee glorified in us and shall not we labour to glorifie him while we are here Hee will never come to be glorified in any hereafter but those that glorifie him now As we looke therefore that he should be glorified in us and by us let us glorifie him now for so he condescends to vouchsafe to be glorified in us and by us that the may also glorifie us Saint Paul saith The Wife is the glory of the Husband what meanes he by this That is she reflects the graces of a good Husband if he be good shee is good she reflects his excellencies So let every Christian soule that is marryed to Christ be the glory of Christ reflect his excellencies be holy as he is holy fruitsull as he was in doing good meeke and humble as he was every way be his glory and then undoubtedly when he comes to judge us he will come to bee glorified in us having beene before glorified by us Beloved these and such considerations should set us on worke how to doe Christ all the honour wee can as David saith is there any of Ionathans posterity alive that I may doe good unto them for his sake so considering we shal beso glorified by Christ and that hee will doe so much for us in another world Wee should enquire Is there any of Christs posterity here any of his Children in this world that I may doe good unto them Is there any way wherein I may shew my thankfulnesse and I will doe it Let us consider that wee shall bee for and ever glorified the expression of it is beyond conceit wee shall never know it til wee have it Let this I beseech you stirre us up to study how wee may bee thankfull to God set forth his glory and deserve wel of the Church and times wherein wee live God hath children and a cause in the world which hee dearely loves let us owne the same and stand for it to the uttermost of our power maugre all the spight and opposition of Satan and his wicked instruments The Lord in mercy settle these truths upon our hearts and incourage us in his most holy way FINIS CHRIST IS BEST OR S. PAVLS STRAIT A SERMON PREA ched at the Funerall of Mr. Sherland late Recorder of Northampton BY R. SIBBS D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and Preacher of Grayes-Inne LONDON PSAL. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard I634 CHRIST IS BEST PHIL. 1. 23 24. For I am in a strait betweene two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is best of all neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is most needfull for you THe Apostle Paul here had a double desire one in regard of himselfe to be with Christ another out of his love of Gods Church and people to abide still in the flesh and betweene these two hee is in a great straite not knowing which to choose but the love of the Church of Christ tryumphed in him above the love of his owne salvation so as he was content out of selfe-deniall to want the joyes of heaven for a time that hee might yet further comfort the people of God In the words you have 1. S. Pauls straites 2. his desires that caused them as in regard of himselfe which was to bee with Christ so in respect of the Church of God which was to abide still here 3. the reasons of both 1. to be with Christ is farre better for mee 2. to abide in the flesh more needfull for you and 4. his resolution upon all being willing for the Churches good still to abide here rather than goe to heaven and enjoy his owne happinesse S. Pauls soule was as a shippe betweene two windes tossed up and downe as iron between two Loadstones drawne first one way then another the one loadstone was his owne good to bee in heaven the other was the good of Gods people to abide still in the flesh Observe hence that the servants of God are oftentimes in great straits some things are so exceeding bad that without any deliberation or delay at all we ought presently to abominate them as Satans temptations to sinne to distrust despaire c. some things also are so good that wee should immediately cleave unto them as matters of Religion and pietie there should be no delay in these holy businesses deliberation here argues weaknesse Some things againe are of an ambiguous and doubtfull nature requiring our best consideration such was Pauls strait in this place he had reasons swaying him on both sides and such is the happy estate of a Christian that whatsoever hee had chosen had beene well for him onely God who rules our judgements will have us to make choise God might have determined whether Paul should live or die but he would not without Pauls choice that which is good is not good to us but upon choice and advice when God hath given us abilities to discourse and examine things hee will have us make use of them and therefore the Apostle useth reasons on both sides It is better to die for me It is better to live for you c. Wicked men have their deliberations and their straits too but it is with the rich man in the Gospell What they shall doe how they may pull downe their barnes and build bigger c. Their maine strait is at the houre of death live they cannot die they dare not there is so much guilt of sinne upon their consciences they know not which way to turn themselves oh what fearefull straits will sinne bring men into but the Apostle was straitned in an higher nature than this whether it were better for the glory of God which he aimed at above all for him to goe to heaven and enjoy happinesse in his owne person or to abide still for the comfort of Gods Saints on earth The ground of this difficulty and straite was his present desire I have a desire Desires are the immediate issue of the soule the motion and stirring
failed them So when a man sets up a righteousnesse of his owne neglecting the righteousnes of Christ it is impossible he should ever be saved living and dying in that errour Therefore I beseech you take heed of disobeying the Gospell of Jesus Christ in any kinde whatsoever for of all sinnes this is the greatest as shall appeare by these reasons First bâ—cause sins against the Gospel are sins against those Attribâ—tes wherin God wil glorifie himself most as his grace mercy loving kindnes c. Therfore the Gospel is called grace because it publisheth offers and applies grace Now sinnes against â—â—rcy are greater then sins against justice for God hath made all things for the glory of his mercy Even among men are not sinnes against favours the greatest sinnes To wrong a man whether hee deserves well or ill is an offence But what man will have his courtesies rejected though never so meane Love deserves love Favour deserves respect againe But now when weâ— obey not the Gospell wee neglect and dispise the goodnesse and mercy of God Oh what excelleÌ„t blessings doth the Gospell reveale if wee had hearts to value them Doth not the Gospell bring salvation Is it not the word of grace the word of life the word of the Kingdome Beloved I beseech you lay these things to heart for whensoever your refuse the Gospell of Christ you refuse with it the word of grace of the Kingdome of Heaven and eternall life and all therefore the sinnes of the Gospell must needs bee the greatest sinnes Againe sinnes against the greatest light are most sinnefull What makes sinne out of measure sinfull but this when it is committed against a great measure of light What makes a man fall foule It is not when he falls in a mist or in a darke night every one will pitty him then alas he wanted light but when hee falls at noone day Beloved had we lived in former times when the light was not powred forth so abundantly as now it is our sinne had beene the lesse but now in this cleare Sunshine of the Gospell for us to live in sinnes condemned by so great a light either in our judgmeÌ„t or practice it must needs make our sinne the greater If I had not come and spoke to them saith our Saviour they had had some pretence for their sinnes but when Christ had once spokeÌ„ all excuse was takeÌ„ away they could not theÌ„ say they knew not the will of God and this is the reason of that speech of the Apostle Now you are in the light walke as children of light And This is the condemnation that men hate light not that men for want of light stumble but that men love darknesse more then light It is not the sinne it selfe but the love liking of sinne which aggravates mens wickednesse when as the malice poison of their hearts rebells against the discovery of Gods good pleasure in Christ. No people oâ—t of the Church are capable of this sin for how can they sinne by infidelity and unthankfulnesse for the Gospell that never had it And therfore Negative infidelity is as it were no sin in comparison If I had not come among them they had had no sin saith Christ. Negative I call that when as men beleeve not having no meanes as infidells and Heathens c. And therefore as they sinne without the Gospell so they shal be damned without the Gospel the rule of their daÌ„nation shal be the law of Nature writteÌ„ in their hearts for this is an undoubted truth No man ever lived answerable to his Rule therefore God hath just ground of daÌ„nation to any man even from this that hee hath not lived answerable to the rule of his owne conscience so that we need not flie to reprobation c. Againe an other aggravation of sinnes against the Gospell is that they are against the better covenant The first covenant was Dâ—e this and live â—gainst which wee all sinned and were uâ—der the curse But now wee are under a more gracious covenant a covenant of mercy Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and wee shall be saved therefore sinnes now must needs bee more heinous for if we sinne against the Gospell either by presumption or despaire or els by prophanenes professing the Gospell but denying the power of it c. there is no remedy left for us If a man sinne against the Laâ— against Morall honesty and Civill Righteousnesse there is a remedy in the Gospell for him but when a man sinnes against the sweet love and goodnesse of God in rejecting the Gospel of his deare Sonne Mercy it selfe shall not save such an one That must needs bee a strange sinne that makes a man worse then a sodomite yet wee reade it shall bee easier for Sodome and Goâ—â—rrha in that day then for those that heare the Gospell the blessed allurements and invitations to beleeve and to lead an holy life answerable to our faith and calling and yet live in sins against conscience despising the precious bloud of Christ. Herod was a wretched man yet notwithstanding it was said hee added this to all he put Iohn in prison a Preacher of the Gospell sinnes against the Gospell in a loose malignant Professor are many times worse then all the rest Oh therefore take heed of sinning against the favour and goodnesse of God for this will confound us aâ— the day of judgment when we shal think What was so great mercy offered me did I slight it in this manner Have I lost the favour of God eternall life and the glorious company of the Saints in Heaven for a base pleasure of sinne for a seasâ—n to gratifie a bruitish lust Have I lost Christ and all the Good by him for ever only to satisfie my sinfull disposition to please a carnall friend c. Oh how will this lie heavy upon the soule another day we shall not need accusâ—rs our owne hearts shall justifie the sentence of God against us bee it never so sharpe that we have resused mercy so often tendred to us in the bloud of Christ. Marke what Saint Paul saith The Lord Iesus shall bee revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance upon those that know not God and obey not his glorious Gospell he saith not only on those that are swearers and prophane persons but ignorant sots that care not to know God though they bee not open sinners Hâ— saith not those that persecute the Gospel or oppose it shall bee punished with eternall destruction froÌ„ the presence of God which is true but those that sin in a lesse degree sâ—ch as obey not the Gospell that value not this inestimable jewell that sell not all to buy this pearle unto whom all the world is not drosse and doung in respect of the glorious Gospell of Christ Jesus how shall they escape which neglect so great salvation Oh say some this concernes
but will bee ruled partly by carnall wisedome and partly by the Spirit it leaves them at last altogether 3. But some there are who give up themselves wholly to the government of Christ to be ruled in all things by his blessd Spirit highly esteeming the treasures of heaven and comforts of a better life above all the fading outward felicities which this world can afford who would not to gaine any earthly thing hurt their consciences or once defile themselves with unfruitfull workes of darknesse fearing lest they should in any thing dishonour Christ or grive his good Spirit and to such only hath the Gospell come in power Therefore I beseech you seriously coÌ„nsider of this truth if you would not disobey the Gospell disobey not the Spirit accompanying the same deale faithfully with your owne soules Which of you al hath not some time or other had his heart warmed with the sweet motions of Gods Spirit Oh doe not resist these holy stirrings within you give way to the motions of the blessed Spirit of God second them with holy resolutions to practise the same let them sinke deepe into your hearts roote them there and never give over the holy meditation of them till you make them your owne till you come to see Grace and the state of Christianity to be the most amiable and excellent thing in the world sin carnall courses to bee the most accursed thing in the world worse than any misery than any beggery tormeÌ„t or disgrace whatsoever Beloved til we have our spirits wrought upon to this high esteeme of good things to a base undervaluing of all things else we shal rebell against Christ first or last for untill such time as the heart of maÌ„ is overpowred with Grace hee cannot but disobey the Gospel either by shutting it out altogether or by making an evill use of what he knoweth thereby turning the grace of God into wantonnesse or else by revolting from the truth received altogether When times of temptation come unfound Christians wil do one of these three either despise refuse or revolt from the truth Therefore I beseech you let your hearts be cast into the mould and fashion of the Gospell of Christ let it bee soundly bottomed and ingrasted in you that so you may grow more and more obedient to the truth revealed and so your end shal not be theirs here which obey not the Gospell of Iesus Christ. But how may I come to obey the Gospell Begge earnestly of God in the use of the meanes else prayer is but a tempting of God that thy soule may bee convinced of what evill is in thee and what evill is towards thee unlesse thou repent Labour for sound conviction for you shall not need to stirre up a man that is condemned to seeke out for a pardon or a man that seeles the smart of his wound to get balme to cure it oh no when our hearts are once truly humb'â—d and pearced with a sight of our sinnes then Christ will bee Christ indeed unto us mercy is sweet at such a time any thing for a Saviour then and not before Therefore labour every day to see more and more into the venemous filthy nature of sin make it as odious to thy soule as possibly thou canst hearken to the voyce of conscience give it full scope to speake what it can that so thou maist fly to Christ. Consider how God plagueth us in this world for sinne how it fils us with feares and horrors causing our consciences to torment us and fly in our faces consider what threatnings are denounced against sinne and sinners for the time to come Consider the fearfull judgements of God upon others for sinne how it cast Adam out of Paradise the Angels out of heaven being so offensive to God that it could no otherwise bee expiated then by the death and blood shedding of the Lord Jesus I beseech you let your hearts dwel upon these things and consider with your selves how bitter you have found it to offend God though now it be a time of mercy Secondly coÌ„sider how the Gospell layes open Christ unto us this is his coÌ„mandement that we beleeve in the Lord Iesus he that coÌ„mands us to doe no murther not to â—teale c. commands us likewise to beleeve in Christ Hee commands us to love our owne soules so much as to take the remedy which may cure them so that now it is our duty to be good to our poore soules and wee offend God if wee bee not mercifull to our owne soules Oh what a favour is this that God should lay a charge upon me noâ—â—o reject my owne mercy as it is in Ionah They who follow lying vanities forsake their owne mercies If I doe not love my owne soule and accept of mercy offered I make God a lyar and offend his Majesty Againe consider how God allures those that might except against mercy Alas I am laden with sinne will some poore soule say why Come unto mee all you that are heavy â—aden and I will case you But I have offended God I have broken my peace c. yet I beseech you be reconciled to God though you have offended yet there is hope do but consider how ready God is to helpe you how continuall his mercies are and how he stretcheth out his hands to receive us Consider further what a sweet regiment it is to be under Christ as a King and as an Husband will hee not provide for his owne family for his owne Subjects Beloved it is not meere dominion that Christ stands upon he aymes at a Fatherly and Husband like soveraignty for the good of his children and Spouse it is their welfare he lookes after therefore I beseech you be in love with the government of Jesus Christ and his blessed Spirit oh it is a sweet regiment the Spirit of God leades us quietly inlightning our understandings upon judicious grounds what to doe by strength of reason altering our natures and bettering us every way both in our inward and outward man it never leaves teaching and guiding of us till it hath brought us to heaven and happinesse To conclude marke what the Apostle saith here What shall bee the end of those that obey not the Gospell he cares not what they know Many say we have heard the Word and wee have received the Sacrament c. it is no matter for that how stands the bent of your soules what hath your obedience beene this is that God lookes after every man can talke of religion but where is the practice a little obedience is worth all the discourse and contemplation in the world for that serves but to justifie Gods damning of us if we live not answerably value not your selves therefore by your outward profess oÌ„ neither judge of your estate in grace by the knowledge of good things nothing but the power of godlinesse expressed in our lives will yeeld reall comfort