Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Mal. 3.13 there is the like instance Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee this God is always quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what have we said in the 14 verse Ye said it is in vain to serve God and what prosit is it that we have kept his Ordinances we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts and now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered well now what follows They they that feared the Lord spake often one to another as if they had said let not these things take any thing off the edge of our affections or quench any flame of our love did God take any notice of this now that he had any such friends in the world yes saith he God hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him there is a time coming the day will declare whether it be serving God or the Devil well then beloved as ever you would hold fast the profession of your Faith take heed of the error of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may lose bâ— it for if ye lose for him ye shall never lose by him Thirdly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then lay up the word of Faith in a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 It is said there of the good ground they are they which have heard the Word kept it or hold it fast where do they lay it up now in a good and honest heart so that you must pull out his heart before that you can pull out the Word and will any man suffer his heart to be torn from him you never hold it fast till you lay it up in a good and honest heart if it be only in the hands as a Bible in your hands or in the head it will be gone but if it be in your hearts you will never let it go therefore observe saith he Having heard it they keep it and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring with patience for if they were not under suffering what need were there of patience Well beloved consider a little further as to this the Connection between the verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled with a pure conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the profession of our faith the purity of the heart is the best preservative of the Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience a good and honest heart will never part with the mysteries of faith Lastly Would you hold fast the profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of your Faith David had got the faculty of walking with God and how was it saith he I will keep thy loving kindness before mine eyes that I may walk with thee Oh! if we do but keep the loving kindness of God in Jesus Christ before our eyes we shall certainly keep the faith Saith the Apostle having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near and let us hold fast a high Priest that is Jesus Christ our great high Priest Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren he partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God! Oh! let us be thinking of and looking to this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh! think of this condescension in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered being God for man Think how he became poor that was rich that we that were poor might become rich think how he became a curse think how he became sin for us think what a good Confession he made before Pontius Pilate even to death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty power and ascended into Heaven and ever lives to make intercession for those that come to the Father through him Think how he lived here on earth in a sad condition and joyed in it so that it might be for our good and shall we leave such a Christ as this Oh! can you look upon Christ and leave the Profession of your Faith It cannot be keep Christ before your eyes make him your pattern and you will not you cannot do amiss He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked he walked in obedience all his days and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in all obedience all our days though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for our holding fast the Profession of our Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all in the words of Jude from the 20 ver of this Epistle to the end But you Beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God and Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel-Sermon Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20.1662 Rev. 3. Verse 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard and held fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lords day in this Congregation I told you then there were three Doctrines obvious in the Text the first was Doct. 1. That it is the Duty of Christians to remember those Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 2.
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
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
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
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
express so little to our Brother 'T is an Argument we know not of what spirit we are of as Christ told his Disciples Oh! how unlike to that God whom we profess to be our God He is long suffering patient full of goodness gentleness mercy c. we can bear nothing we can suffer nothing one from another 13. Our great murmuring against Reformation and Reformers God hath heard the voyce of our murmuring Exod. 2.6 As if there had been nothing that would have undone us but Reformation and truly God seems to speak such a word as that was Numb 7.5 in displeasure and anger I will make your murmuring to cease I will take away the cause of your murmuring I would have reformed you and you would not be reformed As Christ to Jerusalem I would but you would not Mat. 23. The time may come when we would and God will not when we shall cry Other Lords have had dominion over us c. Isa 26.13 but thou Lord set up thou thy Government rule thou over uâ—â— and God may say No 't is too late I would have healed you and you would not be healed 14. The great neglect of the care of our Families Truly 't is not the least sin that threatens the removal of our Candle-stick How generally have the duties of Religion been let fall in our families reading the word singing Psalms c. time was when one could not have come through the streets of London on an evening in the week-day but we might hear the praises of God singing of Psalms now 't is a stranger in the City even upon the Lords own day Oh! how have Governours of Families cast off the care of the souls that God hath committed to them How careless are they of the souls of their yoak-fellows that lye in their bosome of their Children the fruit of their loins Masters of their servants c. And in the mean time are ready to stand up and justifie themselves with the boldness of Cain to say to God Am I my brothers keeper Am I the keeper of my yoak-fellows Childrens servants souls Yes thou art the keeper c. God hath put them into thy trust and if they perish through thy fault they may die in their sins but their blood shall be required at thy hand God will say to thee as he did to Cain Thy Brothers blood cryeth in my ear 15. Our indifferences as to matter of faith and doctrine That we have not been more zealous for the Truth of Christ that great trust and depositum which hath been committed to us We have accounted it no matter of what opinion or judgment men be in these latter times 'T is an universal saying No matter what judgment men be of so they be Saints as if truth in the judgment did not go to the making up of a Saint as well as holiness in the Will and Affections As if Christ had not come into the World to bear witness of the truth which was his great design as if it were no matter if God have the heart so the devil be in the head as if no matter that be full of darkness so the heart be for God 16. The unsuitableness of our conversation to the Gospel of Christ 'T is the only thing the Apostles puts the Philippians in mind of and commits to their care Phil. 1.27 and truly in these unhappy dayes it hath been the only thing men have neglected and despised how little care that our conversations should honour the Gospel c. 17. Our living by sense and not by faith Surely my Brethren among all the sins in England that the people of God have cause to be humbled for there is not any whereby we have more provoked God than by that sin of our unbelief murmuring and infidelity have been our two great sins for which it is the wonder of Gods mercy that he hath not caused our carkasses to fall in the Wilderness he may take up that complaint of us that he did of Israel Num. 14.22 Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I diâ—â—â— Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voyce surely they shall not see the Land c. And this is the lamentation we may take up that truly to this very day we have not faith enough to carry us from one miracle to another from one deliverance to another from one salvation to another let one deliverance pass over our head and no sooner one Wave rises higher than another but we are ready to cry out with Peter Lord save me I perish and well were it if our fears did issue into tears and cryes after Christ we rather are ready to cry out as those in Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are out off for our parts We are a people that never knew how to honour God in any distress God hath brought us into never learnt to glorifie God by believing if we cannot see him we cannot believe him surely that which God hath done for us in such a succession of miracles it might well at least have been found for our faith during our so journing In our Pilgrimage we might have learned by all that we have seen to believe God we might have made experience to be the food of our faith and upon all the Providences of Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness we might have discoursed our selves into belief as David 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine So Paul He hath delivered and doth deliver we trust he will also deliver Oh my Brethren we dishonoun God and starve our faith by forgetting our experience while we proclaim by our own unbelief that we have a God that we dare not trust If we perish we may thank our selves for it surely if we miscarry that account may be given for it that we find Mat. 13 58. Because of our unhelief There is a rest of God before us if we do not enter in it is because of our unbelief 18. Went of sympathy with the bleeding gasping groaning dying Churches of Jesus Christ They have been in great afflictions round about have call'd to us pitty me Oh pitty me my friends for the hand of God is gone out against me We cannot look any way but we see cause of bitter mourning but we have not laid the blood of Germany Lituania Piedmount c. to heart therefore God may justly lay it to our charge Want of fellow-feeling with our Brethren in their afflictions it is a kind of persecution a kind of being accessary to their sufferings That we have not mourned wept bled with them that we have not lien in the dust smote on our thighs c. God may justly say to us as Ames 6.6 7. They shall go captive with the
my beloved these twenty Directions that I desire you to take special notice of which I would leave as advice and counsel with you about your Souls First I beseech you keep your constant hours every day with God the Godly man is a man set apart Psal 4.3 not onely because God hath set him apart by election but because he hath set himself apart by devotion give God the Aurorae fitiam begin the day with God visit God in the morning before you make any other visit wind up your hearts towards Heaven in the morning and they will go the better all the day after Oh! turn your Closets into Temples read the Scriptures the two Testaments are the two lips by which God speaks to us these will make you wise unto salvation the Scripture is both a glass to shew you your spots and a laver to wash them away besiege Heaven every day with prayer thus persume your houses and keep a constant intercourse with Heaven Secondly Get good Books into your houses when you have not the Spring near to you then get water into your Cisterns So when you have nor that wholsom Preaching that you desire good Books are Cisterns that holds the waters of life in them to refresh you When Davids natural heat was taken away they covered him with warm cloaths 1 Kings 1. So when you find a chilness upon your souls and that your former heat begins to abate ply your selves with warm cloaths get those good Books that may acquaint you with such truths as may warm and affect your hearts Thirdly Have a care of your Company take heed of unnecessary familiarity with sinners we cannot catch health from another but we may soon catch a disease the disease of sin is very catching I would be as fraid of coming among the wicked as among those that have the plague Psal 106.35 They were mingled with the heathen and learned their works If we cannot make others better let us have a care that they make not us worse Lot was a miracle he kept fresh in Sodoms salt water My beloved take heed of the occasions of sin evil company is an occasion of sin The Nazarites in the old Law as they might drink no wine so they were forbidden grapes whereof the wine was made as you read in Num. 6. to teach us that all occasions of sin must be avoided evil company is belluo animatrum the Devils draw-net by which he draws millions to Hell how many families and how many souls have been ruined and undone in this City by evil company many there are that go from a play-house to a Whore-house and from a Tavern to Tyburn Fourthly Have a care whom you hear it is our Saviour Christs counsel Mat. 7.15 Beware of false prophets that come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves Let me tell you the Devil hath his Ministers as well as Christ Rev. 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood over the woman that is as the Learned expound it Satan by his Ministers and Emissaries cast out the floud of Arian Doctrine to drown the Church There are some who by the subtilty of their wit have learnt the Art to mix error with truth and to give poison in a Golden cup. Take heed who you hear and how you hear be like those Noble Bereans that searched the Scriptures whether the things that they preached were so or not Acts 17.11 Your ears must not be like spunges that suck in puddle-water as well as wine but your ears must be like a Fan that fans out the chaff but retains the pure Wheat you must be like those in the Parable Mat. 13.48 that gathered the good Fish into vessels but cast the bad away the Saints are called Virgins for their wisdom they will not let every one defile their Souls with error they have a judicious ear and a critical palate that can distinguish between truth and error and put a difference betwixt meat of Gods sending and the Devils Cooking Fifthly Study sincerity Psal 51.6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward part Be what you seem to be be not like Rowers in a Barge that look one way and Row another Do not look Heaven-ward by your profession and Row Hell-ward by your Conversation do not pretend to love God and yet love sin simulata Sanctitas duplicata Iniquitas counterfeit Piety is double Iniquity Let your hearts be upright with God the plainer the Diamond is the richer it is and the more plain the heart is the more doth God value his Jewel a little rusty Gold is far better than a great deal of bright brass a little true grace though rusted over with many infirmities is better than all the glistering shews of Hypocrites a sincere heart is Gods current Coin and he will give it grains of allowance Sixthly As you love your souls be not strangers to your selves be much and often in the work of self-examination amongst all the books that you read turn over the book of your own heart look into the book of Conscience see what is written there Psal 77.6 I commune with mine own heart set up a judgement-seat in your own souls examine whether you have grace or not prove whether you are in the faith be as much afraid of a painted holiness as you would be afraid of going to a painted heaven do not think your selves good because others think so let the Word be the touch-stone by which you try your hearts let the Word be the looking-glass by which you judge of the complexion of your soul for want of this self-searching many live known to others and die unknown to themselves Seventhly Keep your spiritual watch Mat. 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all watch if it were the last word I should speak it should be this word Watch. Oh! what need hath a Christian to be ever upon his Watch the heart is a subtile piece and will be stealing out to vanity and if we are not careful it will decoy us into sin we have a special eye upon such persons as we suspect thy heart is a suspicious person Oh! have an eye upon it watch it continually it is a bosom Traitor Job set a watch before his eyes Job 31.1 We must every day keep sentinel sleep not upon your guard our sleeping time is the Devils tempting time let not your watch-candle go out Eighthly You that are the people of God do you often associate together Mal. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another Christs Doves shall flock together one Christian will help to heat another a single coal of Juniper will soon die but many coals put together will keep life in one another Conference sometimes may do as much as Preaching one Christian by good discourse drops holy Oyl upon another that makes the lamp of his Grace to shine the brighter It is great wisdom to keep up the Trade in a Corporation
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
us 1 Cor. 1.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It may they will tell you a natural man may love God with his heart really as so and savingly whereas the Apostle tells you Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither indeed can be Remember it in all those doctrines wherein we agree with those whom we call Pelagians and Arminians so far we agree with the Jesuits and the worst of Papists 3. As you would avoid Hell avoid all those doctrines that would lift up self-righteousness and debase the righteousness of Christ I fear I shall never be in that capacity that I would to stand you in stead in this particular I confess I am against forty things in Popery but my soul is here engaged if that doctrine be a truth I never expect salvation by God either I must be saved by Christ alone or else I must never be saved by Christ at all though Christ will never save me without sanctification yet Christ never intended my sanctification should merit his salvation be as holy as you can as if there were no Gospel to save yet when you are as holy as you can you must believe in Christ as if there were no Law at all to condemn you Come and tell me of the merit of Saints c. I will believe that truth when I believe the Whore of Babylon to be Christs Spouse see Phil. 3.9 2 Cor. 5.21 8. Why should you stand you must be praying Christians I confess when most of my strings are broken there is yet one holds there is a Spirit of Prayer remember Atheist among the Saints of God I can pray yet and I had rather stand against the Canons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous Oh! pray that you enter not into temptation or if we enter into temptation Lord let not the temptation enter into us pray if possible let this cup pass from me but if not let it not poyson me but let me be bettered by it and in due time deliver me from it I believe it would be a great temptation to you if it should be said to you you shall trade with no man any more c. you have enjoyed these and these comforts bid them adieu for ever you shall have no more to do with them this would be a temptation Temptations and Tryals are great and certainly where they are so prayer should be strong There is no relief to be expected on earth all our relief is to be expected from God and that 's to be obtained by prayer Pray that God would be pleased above all things in the world to make you sincere would you be stedfast in your profession you must be sincere in your practice To him that hath shall be given that is a comfort to him that hath but truth of grace to him shall be given growth of grace Would you be steaddy Christians then make it your great work to attend the Ordinances that God hath prescribed to make you steady Christians you were told of this many years ago concerning attending the Ordinances of God Quest Pray what are those Answ 1. There are secret Ordinances it may be thou canst not be so much in the Pulpit as thou wouldst Oh! be more in thy Closet it may be thou shalt not have so many opportunities to hear so many Lectures be more conscientious in thy meditations in secret it may be thou shalt not have that freedom with God in publick be more earnest with God in private 2. Mind your families more than ever you have your Children and Servants call aloud upon you How many grave faces do I see at this time that can tell me Sir I remember some twenty or thirty years ago you could not pass the streets but here was one Family repeating the Word of God another singing the praises of God another praying to God another conferring concerning the things of God at that time we had not so much foolish absurd excursion into streets and â—ields as now O! for the Lords sake begin to take them up now let the Amorite Perisite and Jebusite do what they will but oh for you and your children and your servants do you serve the Lord up again with those godly Exercises when we cannot hear a Sermon then read a Sermon if we cannot hear a Sermon well Preached our Godly Parents would engage us to read a Sermon well Pen'd if nothing new let the word repeated and meditated call to mind what you have heard Oh! reduce your selves to your Christian frame let the debauched Atheists know that they have something among you to be feared that 's your prayers let them know that though you have not those opportunities you have had yet you will improve those you have And you Masters of this Parish for Gods sake keep in your Servants on this day more than ever you are to be accountable for their souls and they will give you a thousand thanks when they come to age especially at the day of judgement Oh! then blessed be God I had such a Master blessed be God I had such a Mistriss blessed be God I had such Parents Quest But then for publick Ordinances what would you have us do Answ 1. Where evere Christ doth find a tongue to speak I am bound to find an ear to hear and an heart to believe I would not be mistaken I bless the Lord I am not turned out of my Ministry for being a Scismatick I know Schism is a sin nor know I any of my Brethren that are so do not mistake us therefore do not go and tell the Jesuits we are Schismaticks for we are none But this I would advise I speak as though I were dying do whatsoever lies in your yower to hear such whom you think to be godly beg of God be earnest with him that he would give Pastors after his own heart and whom God hath sent not such as may daub with untempered mortar and not such as may prophecy lies in the Name of the Lord not such as may be clouds without water but such as may be guides of the blind burning and shining Lights faithsul Stewards What shall you do what did you twenty or thirty years ago what did the good old Puritans do they were not Schismaticks But as much as lies in you possible hear them whom in your conscience God doth hear Oh! then expect the Word of God should come to your hearts when you have ground to believe it comes from your Pastors heart I must confess I intend to do the same when put into the same condition with you I acknowledge I am bound in Conscience to hear the Word of God but I must take care whom I hear hear those by whom God speaks I hope God will grant several such
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
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
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
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 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
he gave a free and full account of the Doctrine of his Father and of his glorious person before Pontius Pilate a bloudy Persecutor It was not by saying to his Disciples Fight nor by saying My Kingdom is not of this World but he gave a glorious confession before the face of Pilate of the righteousness of his Truth Doctrine Gospel and of his Person Fear to ensnare the freedom of the Truth with your own Liberty do not ensnare it to your own lusts nor to the will of any man Oh! that we could study and improve these Scriptures more it would make us fear God more and man less This is that that would make us to say as holy David did Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word for he that hath the most fear on you and upon you you will be more afraid to fall into his hands It is a childish thing for a Christian to tread down the belief of any Doctrine or practise any Worship for fear of man who hath no more power to hurt us than we give him our selves by our fear Fear not him that can kill the body c. It was the way of Gods people formerly that they came to divide between duty commanded by God and commanded by Man You may read in all the dayes of Antichrists persecution from the beginning they came to divide in matter of obedience to God and his truth and worship and obedience to Man Christians nothing but a suffering spirit will help you to this for there is no other way of Obedience in this case to Authority but to suffer under it meekly patiently as Lambs This made the three children to divide between the command of the King and the command of God What sayes Nebuchadnezzar Every knee that bowes not shall be cast into the Furnace Very well As for that matter say they O King we are not careful to answer thee for we will not bow down c. What will they not obey him Yes they will obey him by suffering as becomes Christians and is the example of Christ as if they should say Truely we are terrified with the burning Furnace but we are terrified with Hell too We are terrified by the threats of the great King but we are likewise terrified with the threats of the great God He is able to deliver us our of your torments you are not able to deliver us from his torments so in the case of Daniel Arm your selves with this Resolution of suffering and lying down patiently and meekly under those things that you cannot do so that God may be honoured by your holy resolution upon this account for truly you never do contend successfully for the faith of the Gospel till you contend by suffering for it is said They overcome by the blood of the Lamb You never make Religion your business till the world see you can let such great things go as Life Estate Liberty to keep it then wisdom is justified of her Children You never glorifie the truths of God so much by practice or writing as by suffering for them Those glorious truths against Popish justification mixing of works with faith Transubstantiation Purgatory Idol-worship against all those things that were superadded contrary to God's Institution there is such a glory upon the truths that is hard for the Popish power ever to darken them again because we see them written in the honourable and blessed scars of the witnesses and burnings of those glorious Martyrs If you would take one another by the hand when God takes away our faithful Guides and say Brethren Sisters Friends come let us hold together there 's no way in the world to hold on together like suffering for the Gospel really would get more advantage by the holy humble sufferings of one gracious Saint meerly for the Word of Righteousness than by ten thousand Arâ—uments used against Hereticks and false Worship Compare Phil. 1 12 13 14. with the 27 28 and 29. verses How are Pauls bonds a furtherance of the Gospel Paul no doubt was called an evil doer that sowed Heresie and was hated every where saith he Many of the Brethren of the Lord waxed confident by my bounds and were much more bold to speak the Word without fear Here 's the great encouragement and that 's in the 27. verse and he speaks it as one that was leaving of them Only let your Conversation he as becometh the Gospel of Christ that you may stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your Adversaries for unto you it is given not only to believe but also to suffer c. It is given to you as a duty given to you as a priviledge O that you would confirm one another and in slippery times hold up one another by the hand do it in going after Gods call and in this way suffering for those truths you cannot otherwise hold and maintain Truly Christians you had need be armed with Resolution for the world is always counting the things Gods people have suffered for very little and they count it prudence not to meddle therein Those men that have easie soft terms to comply that they have a latitude to do any thing I believe some Christians are of that opinion that they would even think the Saints of God were ill-advised to venture their All upon those truths they see others dyed and suffered for It is a sad thing many Christians study to draw out the lines of obedience as far as the honesty of the times will give them leave but no farther that they would go on with the Lord Jesus to the High Priest's Hall and there deny him or that would be willing to do any thing for Christ but are willing to suffer nothing for Christ you do very little honour Jesus Christ in this and you will very little honour your selves at the last It is upon this account that Christians if they see even against plain conviction of Conscience and the Word that there are super-instituted things broken in as in conscience they cannot submit to yet they cannot comply why they may be used lawfuly though not superstitiously But saith the Apostle Paul Do I yet strive to please men Gal. 1.10 Am I then the Servant of Christ You cannot be the Servants of Christ if you strive to please men Wo be to you that please men and displease God He that would be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross c. What 's that deny Wife Children Relations Comforts he must be willing to go out of all Those duties the Lord Jesus Christ is most glorified in they are either those our floathful hearts are most unwilling to do or that our fearful hearts are most unwilling to suffer for Therefore arm your selves with resolutions to suffer I intended to have taken up four Appearances and Coverings that Saints usually
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
of Immortality on your heads in the life to come If you have Christ you have all things all heavenly graces and spiritual comforts all temporal blessings if you have Christ God will and can give you all things that are good for you without Christ you are not and you can do nothing that is acceptable to God Therefore this is my first counsel to you Crown the Prince of Peace the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearrs and lives Secondly Then maintain a constant and a conscientious intimate communion with the God of peace It was good counsel which Eliphas gave to Job Job 22.21 Would you have much of the preseuce of the God of peace Oh! then frequently fall down and lie at the foot-stool of the Lords Throne for grace and for peace and when you do so be not unmindful of us who have been often your mouths to God and Gods mouth to you And to engage and encourage you herein consider First The Lord Jesus Christ hath promised to be with his poor Ministers always even to the end of the world Mat. 28. ult If always not in the Pulpit only no the Lord hath promised to be with his faithful Servant out of the Pulpit as well as in the Pulpit in the prison sealing the truth as well in the Pulpit preaching the truth Oh then will you put this in suit by prayer that the Lord Christ will be with his poor Ministers to the end of the world Secondly We shall not fail to pray for you 1. Sam. 12.23 Our sequestring from our preaching-work from you will give us advantage to lay our more time to fetch sighs from our hearts in praying-work for you and I trust the Lord will give us hearts so to improve our time for you as Samuel said so God forbid we should sin against the Lord in câ—â—sing to pray for you as Peter did to the people with a promise as 1 Pet. 5.10 And not only for you But Secondly Even for such as have treated us somewhat uncivilly and unkindly to say no more of them although their number be very inconsiderable but such I trust we shall not forget in our prayers As Moses fell down on his face for the children of Israel when they treated him very unkindly and spit in his face I trust we shall not forget Moses's prayer for the people and so when they daueed before their Idol Jeremiab wept for those in his time as Jer. 13.17 And that we shall not for get Jeremiah weeping for you And I trust likewise that we shall remember Stephen being on his knees for his Persecutors powring out his life and prayer together Acts 7.60 I doubt not but my reverend Brother and my self shall remember Pauls willingness to spend and to be spent both in prayer and preaching for you all Though the more abundantly he loved the less he was beloved 2 Cor. 12.15 Thirdly Maintain and nourish all tenderness in your Conscience all your dayes Oh! go not without much less against the dictates of Conscience rebel not against the light of it beware of stifling and suppressing a warning Conscience lest a warning Conscience prove a gnawing Conscience and prove a tormenting Conscience And consider First Remorse of Conscience hath an eye against all sin past Secondly Tenderness of Conscience which hath an eye to all fin to come Take heed then of all calmness of heart Fourthly Take heed of Apostatizing Chrysostome hath a notable saying namely That Ministers have a greater trouble because they never find their work as they leave it as other workmen do Oh! in how short a time doth a poor Minister find all his work put out of frame and order Did not Moses find it so Exod. 32.8 Moses had no sooner turned his back as as it were but the People were turned out of Gods way of worship And did not Paul find it so Gal. 1.6 The Galathians were quickly removed Paul was but lately gone from them and they were quickly apostatized Now this cometh to pass First It is by reason of a crafty subtil deceitful Devil as in the Gospel we read While men slept the enemy came and sowed tares Mat. 13.25 And who this Enemy is we may see in Christs expounding the Parable ver 39. And secondly Partly by reason of mens own deceitful hearts as Heb. 3 12. observe it There is an evil heart of unbelief in the best it dwells in the best but it raigns in the wicked And what is that one of these evil hearts of unbelief in apostatizing in departing from the living God Thirdly It is partly by reason of deceitful Workers as the Apostle calls false Apostles It is partly by reason of such Then take heed of Apostatizing either from truth of Doctrine purity of Worship or practice of Conversation First From truth of Doctrine Be not weary of old Truths take heed and beware of itching after novel Doctrines take heed and beware of admiring this or that Opinion which as new Lights drop down from Heaven but indeed is but as the smoak of the bottomless pit Secondly From purity of Worship also Let not your zeal be cold but kindled against every bracelet of the Scaâ—let-whore How often doth the Apostle call the People Adulterers and Adulteresses because they Apostatize from the Word and Worship of God Thirdly In Practice and Conversation Priâ—e the Gospel love it and live accordingly to it With constancy look on every motion of thy soul and every action of thy life is a step of life or a step to death as a step towards Heaven or a step to Hell Heb. 10 31. To close this Counsel the Author of the Hebrews bringeth in the Lord protesting against Apostatizing If any man draw back from Gospel-principles and Gospel-worship or from a Gospel-conversation saith the Lord If any man draw back thus my soul shall have no pleasure in him Tremble then at this thou Apostatizer whoever thou art where ever thou fittest or standest My soul shall have no pleasure in thee I loath and abominate that person saith the Lord. 5. All of you then study peace and particularly you who do unfeignedly set your hearts and faces towards Heaven study peace and follow after it though it run from you pursue after it You profess your selves to be them that are truly searing God and truly honouring the King and truly loving one another Oh then seek peace You who do unfeignedly set your hearts and faces towards Heaven study peace alwayes and decline all dividing principles and practises among you and that you may not either breed or feed circumstantial differences or substantial divisions consider God is the God of peace our Saviour is the Prince of peace our Comforter is the Comforter of peace our Calling is the Calling of peace our Way is the Way of Peace Oh that we may so live in Peace that the God of Love and Peace may dwell with us and that the God of Peace may live with us here that
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
keep him from being dismayed at all the trouble and calamities that he meeteth withall in the world Fear not saith Christ little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom In this Observation there is two things supposed First It is supposed in this Doctrine that believers have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven This I need not now stand to prove having spoken to it already in the handling of the former Observation God being their Father he hath provided an eternal inheritance of glory for them in his eternal Kingdom Secondly It is supposed in the Doctrine that believers are like to meet with opposition from the world they are diligent in the practise of godliness are driving a Trade for Heaven they shall be sure to meet with abundance of trouble and hindrance from the world and the Prince of the world this is a truth exceeding manifest both from Scripture and experience We shall be hated of all men for his names sake Mat. 10.22 And because Christ hath chosen his people out of the world therefore the world hated him Jo. 15.19 And experience makes this evidence in all ages of the world those that are godly walk with God they have been sure to have their portion of afflictions and tribulations from the hands and tongues of the malicious and ungodly world my design is to shew what little cause the Servants of God that have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven to be afraid or dismayed at any of these hindrances and oppositions that they meet withal in their way to Heaven For the handling of this Doctrine and the fiting of it for our improvement by Application I shall speak to these three things First I shall shew you by some instances from the word of God how the Saints that have had an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven have been incouraged in the ways of God and have had their spirits born up in their lowest condition and in their greatest tryals and troubles here below Secondly I shall shew you that believers are dehorted from dispondency and being dismayed under their sufferings upon the consideration of their Heavenly interest Thirdly I shall give you some Reasons why believers that have a Title to the Heavenly Glory should be couragious and undaunted and not dismayed at all their eternal Trials and Tribulations that they meet withal from the world and so shall come to the Application First For the first of these I might give you many instances from the word of God of the courage and magnanimity of the heirs of Heaven in their Tryals as David how couragious was he in the Lord even in his lowest condition Psalm 46.1 2 3 4. God is our resuge and our strength a very present help in Trouble therefore saith he will we not fear though the earth be removed though the Mountains be cast into the midst of the Sea though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah Psalm 118.6 The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me David he had put confidence in God and therefore was not afraid of man where the fear of God is and where the hope of glory is there the slavish fear of man will quickly vanish away this no doubt was that which made the three Children not to be afraid of the fiery Furnace nor Daniel of the Den of Lyons Dan. 3.16 and 6. We have a notable example to this purpose Hab. 3.17 18. Although the Fig-tree should not blossome nor fruit be in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat though the flocks should be out off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation The consideration of his heavenly interest and that God was the God of his salvation was that which not only kept the Prophet from being dismayed but also made him to rejoyce in the absence of all creature joys and comforts the want of these worldly things were not able to abate his heavenly joy which he had in the God of his salvation The consideration of their heavenly interest and their title to the everlasting glory was that which made the Apostles of Christ so couragious and comfortable under all their sufferings that they underwent for Christ This was that which made the Martyr Steven so fearless and undaunted when he was on the brink of death and when the stones flew about his ears when he could look up into Heaven the place of his Inheritance where he was going and take a view of that Heavenly glory Acts 7 55. A believer that can look up by an eye of faith upon Christ and Heaven and take a view of the unseen world the place of his eternal rest and felicity will be able in some measure to undergo with comfort the sharpest and bitterest persecutions that the malice of Men or Divels can expose him to This was that which made Paul and Sylas sing praises at midnight when they were shut up in prison and their feet in the stocks Acts 16.25 This was that which caused the believing Hebrews to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods even the consideration of their interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 10.34 For ye bad compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing that in Heaven you have a better and a more enduring substance Their knowledge of this their interest in the Heavenly riches made them willingly to part with the earthly riches for the sake of Christ Secondly The next thing to be spoken unto is this to shew that the people of God upon this consideration of their interest in the Kingdom of Glory have been dehorted from fear and dispondence and exhorted to courage and magnanimity in the ways of God Upon this consideration it is that Christ exhorts his little flock in the Text not to fear because that God would give them the Kingdom of Heaven How often are the Servants of God in Scripture dehorted from fear Isa 41.10 Fear not I am with thee be not dismaied I am thy God Vers 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 50.7 8. Fear ye not the reproach of men be not dismayed at their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wool but my Righteousness shall be for ever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation And again Vers 12. Wâ—â— art thou that shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgetteth the Lord thy Maker that stretched out the Heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth And our Saviour in the New Testament to the supporting of Believers
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
is such as shall endure for ever Your Riches your Comforts your Friends may be with you to day and be gone to morrow but with whom God is once graciously present to them he continues the presence of his grace his love and his favour for ever God may indeed withdraw the light of his countenance for a time but totally and for ever he will never desert those that walk in obedience with him All things without God are full of vanity and change onely the Lord will never utterly absent himself from us if once he be graciously present with us He is a faithful Friend loving at all times his favour is a Sun that knows no setting and his presence a Well of comfort springing up to eternal Life John 4.14 13.1 So that if you regard a Treasure that shall never be taken from you that favour which shall never end in frowns make sure of God's gracious presence by walking in obedience with him according to what you have heard and learned and received from him 9 Consider Such is the presence of God with those that walk in obedience with him that it 's every way suitable and correspondent to their souls necessities What ever the soul can desire what ever it stands in need of may be found in God's gracious presence this is beauty to adorn this is gold to enrich this is balm to heal this is bread to strengthen this is wine to comfort and make glad the soul in the time of heaviness Are we in danger this is a shield Are we disconsolate this is a Sun If in a word we be pursued by any calamity this is like the munition of Rocks an hiding-place against the storm and a Tower wherein we may find safety If then God's gracious presence be thus proper to our wants and so suitable to all our necessities how ought we to labour for it by walking in obedience with him according to what we have heard and learned and received from him 10. And lastly Such is the presence of God with those that obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received that it fit them for everlasting Communion with him in Glory God's people they go from Communion to Communion from Communion with God in a state of grace to Communion with God in a state of glory For with whomsoever God is graciously present here they shall hereafter enjoy his blissful soul-ravishing and beatifical presence to all Eternity If then you desire to be with the Lord for ever where you shall see his glory enjoy his presence and be satisfied with pleasures at his tight hand for evermore then see that you walk in obedience before him For those onely shall enjoy God's presence in a state of glory with whom he is now present in a state of grace There is no commencing Saints either Militant on Earth or Triumphant in Heaven per Saltum If we draw not nigh to God in a way of obedience here we must hereafter be punished with everlasting destruction from his presence and from the glory of his Power Thus by Divine assistance I have shewed you the excellency of Gods presence with all such as obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received from him Now then do not deprive your selves of so glorious a privilege but see that henceforth you walk in obedience with God giving diligence to practise those things you have learned But that you may not at length be disappointed neither finding God graciously present with you here nor enjoying his presence in glory hereafter be sure that in doing what you have heard learned and received you observe these following directions 1. Be sure that of all which you have heard and learned and received tither of me or of any other you practice that onely which you find to be of God and according to the unerring Rule of his Word We have one Heavenly King and must therefore observe one Law we have one God and must Worship by one Rule We have one Shepheard and must be commanded by one Voice We have in a word one Head and must follow upon that account one direction All that builded Noah's Ark builded by one pattern so all that intend to build themselves an Heavenly and Spiritual House to GOD must build by one Rule All Israel travelled to the Land of Canaan by the light of one fiery Pillar So all that will travel to the Heavenly Canaan of God's gracious presence must make his Word a light to their feet and a lanthorn to their paths All the passengers in a Ship sail by one Compass so all that will fteer a right course to the Haven of Eternal Rest must keep close to the unerring Rule of Gods Word as their onely Compass Phil. 3.16 For it 's Gods Prerogative to prescribe and mans duty to conform our service is no service not will God be present with us in any thing that we do farther then we have heard and learned and received it from him Mat. 15.9 Let then every man amongst you that desires Gods presence either in grace here or in glory hereafter be like those noble Bereans examining the ground of their Faith and obedience Oh do not offer to God a sacrifice without eyes your Religion must be Scripture-Religion and all your obedience commanded therein would you ever be accepted of God in what you do 2. Be sure that what ever you have heard received and learned you do it cordially without dissembling The obedience of the life without when integrity of heart and the life of grace is wanting within finds no acceptance with God nor will he ever be graciously present with those who onely draw nigh unto him by an external conformity Obedience without the heart and to practise what we have heard and learned and received but not in sincerity will bring neither glory to God nor comfort to us Do not then dissemble any longer with the God of Heaven Oh be not industrious to plot your own death and through your hypocrisie go to Hell in the way of duty but what ever you have heard what ever you have learned what ever you have received be sure that you do it heartily as unto God 3. Be sure that what ever you have heard and learned and received you do it univerfally without any reservation True obedience is universal doing many things and neglecting others will not save one leak in the ship of thy Soul is enough to sink it in eternal perdition Psal 119. The hypocrite will walk in some of Gods Statutes but with David you must have respect to all his Commandments if you ever desire the Lord to be present with you as he was with David Every duty therefore commanded be sure that you do it and every sin forbidden be sure that you shun it as Hell it self Many wholsom Doctrines have been taught and many soul-saving Truths have been made known among you well of all that you ever