upon tearms dishonourable or prejudicial to Truth They must have both together that will be blessed in either Truth without Peace is as a Jewel without its Cabinet Peace without Truth is as a Cabinet with nothing in it Peace without holiness is as a fair and promising shell with a rotten or worm-eaten kernell holinesse without peace is as a pretious kernel under a crack'd and broken shell They that have peace without truth have nothing worth the securing they that have truth without peace have little security for what they have Peace without truth is beauty without worth Truth without peace is worth with its beauty marred Let both go together and then they will be both the Columna Ecclesiae the Pillar of the Church rendring it consistent within it self and the Corona Ecclesiae its Crown rendring it comely and glorious before the World Be it thus with us and then Sathan look to thy self thy kingdom shall down amain when thou canst no longer hold up division thou losest thy dominion Then Saints lift up your heads your Communion shall be sweet your glory shall be greâ—t your light shall shine your fruit shall abouâ—d the smell of your spices shall slow forth your adversaries shall envy and your King shall greaâ—ly delight to see your beauty Oh may this Grace thiâ— Peace be granted us from the Lord and let all that love the prosperity of Sion say Amen 2. In an united Contention Striving together saith the Apostle for the Faith of the Gospel Unite but strive strive not one against another Christian against Christian but strive together Let your Contention be in Communion Strive together against sin and unbelief against hypocrisie and earâ—hliness strive against strife and debate and envyings and judgings strive together with God in your prayers and supplications We often pray but our prayers do not agree by keeping at such distance we know not one anothers hearts and are so many men so many minds every one prayes according to his single apprehension and affections What one prayes another unprayes insomuch that we should put the Lord to do contradictions if he must give particular answers to all our prayers And possibly that may be the reason why the Lord defers his answer so long he will stâ—y till we are better agreed what we would have Matth. 18. 19. If two of you agree on earth touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven Sâ—rive together in all holy and united endeavours to comfort confirm and establish one another in the faith of the Gospel Keep up the Communion of Saints and an united Contention against Sin and Unbelief Remember Heb. 10. 25. 3. In an holy boldness in nothing terrified by your adversaries In nothing that is either in no degree not at all terrified or else in nothing that you have to do be frighted out of no part of your duty or elâ—e at nothing that they do or threaten to do against you Be not afraid to be holy Tell your adversaries when they have said and done their worst you must and you will make bold to serve your God Fear them not and they cannot hurt you they never hurt you unless they divert you from your duty To establish your hearts in this holy boldness and against your carnal fears 1. Consider That 1. By how much the more you fear God by so much the less you will fear men 2. By how much the more your fear sin by so much the less you will fear trouble 3. By how much the less your adversaries fear God by so much the less need you to fear them 2. Believe Psal 27. 13. I had fainted but that I believed Faith is a Buckler against fears and faintings Ephes 6. 16. Above all take the shield of faith whereby you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the devill The Shield of faith A shield is a Wall of partition interposed betwixt a person and harm 'T is only our apprehensions of harm that raise our fear Faith will save a Christian harmless and thereby preserve him fearless The Shield is ordain'd for a security to all parts and against all assaults Some pieces of our armour are appropriated to one part only the Helmet is for the head the Breast-plate for the breast the Girdle for the loins the Shooes for the feet but the Shield is a moveable that is to be lifted up where ever the blow comes Faith is an universal security Faith may be said to be a Shield 1. Instrumentally As it provides us of a shield as it lifts up a shield and sets a guard upon the Soul to secure it It holds up Christ for a Shield it holds up the Promises for a Shield the very Commands and Iâ—stitutions of God for a Shield and Safe-guard to the Soul Sometimes the sense of guilt assails and weakens the heart It is not so much any thing without us as something within us that raises our fears How small a matter will fright a guilty Soul Guilt will make every stroke a stab It 's the barb of the arrow the venome on the dart or the sore of the heart that makes every stroke formidable and terrible 'T is the guilâ—less Soul that hath courage and boldness Hic murus ahaeneus esto Now against this dreadfull Dart Faith holds up a Buckler with a Crucified Jesus upon it and so that 's quenched Sometimes darkness and uncertainties about the way that we are in raises our fear A Christian that knowes himself in his duty in his way is out of fear Clearness gives boldness Whil'st we question the warrantableness of the way we are in every shadow of danger will shake us Against such fears Faith holds up a buckler with this Inscription Have not I Commanded thee It shews the Command and in that our warrant and in our warrant our security When we question whether our Worship for which we are like to suffer be right or no Faith holds up an Institution for our â—hield If this Fear oh I shall not hold out I shall deny my Lord and his Faith if put to it assails the Soul here Faith holds up the Promise for a Buckler He hath said I will not fail thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper 2. Formally Faith not only lifts up a Shield but is our Shield The very believing in a crucified Jesus the very believing the Command the Institution the promise stayes and supports the heart against whatsoever may befall it I had fainted but that I believed Christians whatever your duties difficulties despondencies straits temptations afflictions weaknesses are believe and you shall be carried through believe and you shall be established Believe in Christ and you shall dare to follow Christ believe in Christ and you shall go through with Christ and hold out to the end Believe and you shall neither fear faint nor fall Your Faith will
to Sin The Saints can seldom be medling with Sin but they find it too heavy for them The Cross that is nail'd at the farther end of it makes it a Burthen which they cannot bear In some sence not onely the Bloud of the Lamb but the Bloud of the Sheep may purge away Sin though onely the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can expiate and take away the guilt yet the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may have their place in purging away the filth of sin By this shall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne Our Lord beats the Devil with his own Weapons by those very means purging his Saints by which he endeavours to pollute them making those very Persecutions by which he labours to force them from Holiness to fix them in it A fawning World does them more miâ—chief than a fuming Devil By that the Devil hath cast up his Cards he will find himself a Loser by all his Rage Christians comfort your hearts those Flouds that are cast forth against you shall but wash you the whiter and make you more meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light your Purgatory prepares you for your Paradice No unclean thing must enter in thither and you are not like to be made so clean as by falling into the â—ands of the unclean The Saints never look so well like Sheep come from the washing as when they come up from the pots their very black makes them comely Oh Christians what a comfort would it be if your Experiences might come in and seal to this Truth If you could say Thus it hath been with me before I was afflicted I went astray I was proud and vain and wanton and slothful and carnal but now have I kept thy Word Sinners whatever your mind be in persecuting the Saints never think to debauch them by it if that be your aim you mistake your course the living Spark which God hath kindled in them will not be blown out but be blown up by your puffing at it the Dirt you cast upon them doth but scour them the brighter You take the best course you can to keep them closer to the Lord and his way The warm Sun will more hazard the loss of their Garments than the blustring Wind Let them alone the Spirit of the Lord within them will be too hard for Hell with all its black Regiments and will not onely secure them but advance them yet higher by all their Assaults These Stars shine the brightest when the Night is darkest When you have done your worst 't will be the better with them though they will not thank you yet they will thank God for what they have suffer'd by you If this be your aim to make them like your selves you may set your hearts at rest and give over such a vain attempt Your fury is like to do as little to force them as your vertues are to invite them to a compliance with you Your Faces are too foul to draw them into your love and yet not fierce enough to drive them into your fear Sathan try thy utmost strength and skill and if thou losest not by thine own play at last if thou find'st not the poor people of God gotten nearer Heaven by thy attempts of plucking them down to Hell â—hen let thy Lyes be believed before the Everlasting Gospel Christians make me not asham'd in this same confident boasting of you yea contradict not your God by suffeâ—ing your selves to be corrupted by evil men The Lord himself hath adventur'd deep upon your integrity and stedfastness The Honour of his Truth and Faithfulness lies at stake he hath said They shall not be afraid of any evil tidings their heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. 7. He hath said By this shall their iniquity be purged and this shall be all the fruit to take away their sin God hath said All things shall work together for good to them They shall not be the worse but the better for all that befalls them They shall love me and my holy ways the more they shall cleave unto me the closer they shall be made more pure and more tender by all they suffer for Righteousness sake they shall love Conscience and their Integrity and Faithfulness to it never the worse for that it hath cost them so dear but shall prize it the more and be the more wary and tender how they pollute and turn aside from it God hath adventur'd deep on you make not him a Liar the Devil and his Instruments will be ready to say concerning you as once he did to the Lord concerning his Servant Job Put them into our power let us have the handling of them a while and thou shalt quickly sâ—â— what truth there is in them or what trust there is to them they 'l curse thee to thy face they 'l deny thee to thy face they 'l eat their own words they 'l be ashamed of their God their Godliness and Confidence Let God be true Christians and the Devil a Liar be living commentaries on this Blessed Text Let the World and their black Prince see that they cannot make you miserable because they cannot make you sinners like themselves That you are still the more upright for falling into the hands of a crooked Generation Let them see that though your God will not suffer you yet you are contented to serve him for nothing That though his Heâ—ge be reâ—â—oved from you yet your Heart is not removed from him Be able to say Though all this be come upon us Our heart is not turned back neither have we deelined thy way Let your standing and increasing in the Grace of God and abounding in the Works of Righteousness be a standing Witness for God in the World and a Seal to his Scriptures and in special to the Glorious Truth of this Text. 4. The evil things of the Saints prepare better things for them their sufferings go into their Reward As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Every suffering comes with a comfort in its Belly and the sweet is so great as swallows up the bitter 't is a hundred fold that the Saints gain by all their Losses in this Life but how great shall their Reward be in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding Eternal Weight of Glory They shall not onely have weight for weight measure for measure their Load of Glory for their Load of Sufferings but they shall have over-weight over-measure good measure pressed down heaped together and running over shall then be given unto them According to their deep Poverty shall be the height of their Riches according as their blackness hath been in their Houses of Bondage shall be their Brightness in the Land of Promise for all thy shame thou shalt have double The double of thy
this plague and few understand or are sensible what they herein suffer to be an instrument in this hellish work is an office for a Devill and the suffering of such a plague to them that understand it is an hell above ground This darkness is the very same for kind with the darkness of Hell as the light of the Gospel is the same in kind with the everlasting lighâ— as glory under age so is this thick darkness in specie and in semine the darkness of the pit Oh what an hell of wickedness doth this World then become the Devil is then in his Region is let loose rules the World at pleasure deceives devours destroyes Souls without contradiction takes them captive at his will carries them down by whole shoals to destruction Those that observe what a World there is where the Gospel is not what oaths curses blasphemies belluine lusts then abound what Lions Tygers wild Bulls wild Boars Men then become one to another need not be to seek for an Argument to prove there is an Hell they see an Hell above-ground These dark and dismal seasons are the Devill 's Marts where he may vent his Hellish Wares his snares and temptations his deceits and delusionâ— and every abominable thing by whole sale there 's nothing so false so vile and abominable but he can put it off at pleasure Adultery Drunkenness Witchcraft Sodomy Buggery Blasphemy Idolatry Atheism any thing that Sathan hath offer hee 'l find Customers enough to receive and the truth is the Devil may spare his pains men then need not a Devil to damn them they 'l do it fast enough of their own accords Oh 't were happy if Saints were so busie in improving their Light to hasten them Heaven-wards as Sinners do their Darkness to hurry them to Hell Oh the sad proofs that the World affords of this Dreadful Truth Look into all the dark Corners of the Earth especially there where there hath been Light and see if you find not all this fully proved to your hand Can he then be accounted a Christian whose heart doth not tremble at the Thoughts and the Fears of such a sore Judgment He is both dark and dead indeed to whom such a Mist is not as the first-born of Death or the King of Terrours Christians if ever this should be your case make not light of it and take heed how sad soever it may seem in its first approâ—ch that no Tract of Time do wear off the sence of it Those that are weary of the Gospel that cry out of too much Preaching that are sick of the Light that shines unto them you may know by what hath been said what Judgment to have of them But is it not strange that there should be any such That those that have lived in the Light and seen somthing what difference there is between Light and Darkness should yet love Darkness rather than Light Is it not yet more strange that any that pretend to be set up for Lights should be for Daâ—kness That the Prophets should be against Prophecying That the Pulpits should ring against Preaching Some there are that are not ashamed to tell us that hence come all our mischiefs and miseries to tell us and to stand to it that there 's now in such a Land as this little need of Preaching that it had its use in the first publishing and planting of the Gospel but now that the Gospel is receiv'd and embraced and competenâ—ly understood there 's now little more need of Preaching Praying and Reading may now serve turn I would put in a word or two to such No need of Preaching Why Is the end of Preaching accomplish'd Till the end be attained there 's still need that the means he continued And what was the end of Preaching Was it men's Instruction onely to bring them to the knowledg of Christ to turn them from Darkness to Light Was it not for their Conversion also to turn them from the power of Sathan unto God Yea and their Edification and Building up in Holiness to Salvation Let these following Scriptures be consulted Act. 26. 18. Eph. 4. 11 12 13. the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1. 12 13. told those Christians to whom he wrote that he would and he thought it meet so to do to put them in remembrance as long as he lived and to stir them up to their Duty though says he You know and be established in the present Truth You say you need no more Preaching the Preacher can tell you no more than you know already and might not these have better said it when the Apostle acknowledgeth of them that they did know and more than that were establish'd in those very Truths he meant to continue Preaching to them And yet he tells them it 's meet they be still put in remembrance of them Sure Peter's Authority weighs not so much with these men as his that pretends to sit in Peter's Chair But hath the Gospel indeed done its Work and reached its End Witness the Objectors own cases Let not onely their Lewdness and Impenitency but their Ignorance and Unbelief come in and testifie whether it hath or no. They that have most need themselves are they that say There 's no more need of Preaching There needs no more Argument to stop such Mouthes but the shewing them themselves Or if it should have done its work upon you yet hath it done its work upon all Are there no Unbelievers left Have all men Faith Faith comes by Hearing and how shall they hear without a Preacher If you say they have Bibles to instruct them and their own Consciences to preach to them I answer First for their Bibles two Things 1. Those that are no Friends to the Pulpit are none of the best Friends to the Bible Those that would not that the people should hear care not how little they read the Scriptures And be sure when ever Preaching is let fall the Bible will in a little while be laid aside 2. Understandest thou what thou readest How canst thou without a Guide He knows but little of the Scriptures that doth not understand that they are hard to be understood There are the Apostle tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures Things hard to be understood As there are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all that read so to many that read all are so The Vulgar can as well read the Scriptures without their own Eyes as understand them without the Preacher'â— Lips Till we come to hold that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion or that Images are Lay-mens Gospell till then let it be granted as necessary that the Preacher's Lips preserve Knowledg 2. For Conscience let the Word at least be pâ—eached so long till it be made manifest in the Consciences of the Hearers That Conscience that hath not been sufficiently preached to will prove an insufficient Preacher Let preaching be conâ—inued till the Word be manifested in the Consciences of all the
Patience of the Saints By this time you see Christians that a suffering state is not so formidable nor patience under it so impossible nor your impatience so excusable as your hearts are apt to tell you Suffering you cannot avoid but you may abide them your carnal hearts will cry out I can't endure and therefore whatever shift I make I must avoid them The Gosâ—el tells you You may endure but if you will be Christians you can't avoid them All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Well since it 's thus Gird up the loins of your Minds and follow your Lord. Consider him that endured such contradictions of Sinners and be not weary nor faint in your Minds The Captain of your Salvation was made perfect through sufferings and if ye will be patient so shall you his followers Turn to your strong hold ye Prisoners of hope Prove to the World that your Faith is no fancy nor your Rock a refuge of lies that your profession oâ— holiness is not a meer talk or vapour Fear not to bear yours and thankfully accept your Lords Testimony when the Lord hath fulfilled his sad Predictions let your faith and patience seal to the fulfilling his Promises Whenâ—ver the hand of the Lord touches to the quick and you feel in earnest that 't is hot service to be a Christian when your flesh begins to fly in your face and cryes out against your Soul either as Zipporah against Moses â— bloody Husband hast thou been to me or as Job's Wife to him Curse God and die chide it into silence Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh If it will still kick and fling and groan out to thee doest thou still retain thy integrity hearken not to it leave it to groan alone as thy flesh hath left thy Soul to groan alone under sin so let thy Soul leave thy flesh to groan alone under affliction While thy Soul is quiet there 's the glory of patience though extremity of torment make thy flesh to roar nay the more the flesh roars and the Soul yet keeps silence the more patience If your fears affright you and prophecy to you before hand oh I shall never be patient if the foresight be so dreadful what will the encounter be yet be not discouraged You say you could be content to suffer if you were sure you could be patient that is you would venture into the water if you had first learn'd to swim why when you are in then you will learn and not before Tribulation worketh patience where it findeth none when you are in the fight you 'l find your Weapons your very sufferings will learn you to bear 'T is the flesh that flings and frets but by that it hath been tamed in the house of affliction it will be quieter Be jealous of your selves while you will let not fore-hand presumption hinder fore-hand prepâ—ration But whilest you suspect your selves distruct not your God follow the Cloud of Witnesses and lean on the Rock of Ages and when you are put hardest to it let your Soul take Sanctuary here When my flesh and my heart faileth me God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Lastly As that wherein I shall take in most of these former particulars Let your lives answer that Spirit of holiness which the Gospel hath powred forth upon you Let your lives be gracious and holy lives Particularly 1. Let the grace of the Gospel be visible and conspicuous in your lives shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Let your lives be the Image of that holy Doctrine or the holding forth of that word of life which you have received Admire that grace of God which hath appeared to you and let his Grace appear and be admired in you let Grace appear in you in its Purity Power 1. In its Purity represent your God and your Christ and your Religion in its holiness to the World Teach the World to love or at least to reverence holiness by letting them see it before their eyes Holiness hath such a glory in it that it will command respect and reverence when it is clearly seen Let your paths be pure as God hath separated you so separate your selves from the lusts of men to the Law of your God Keep your selves upright in thee sight of God keep your selves unspotted of the World if they will be spotting of you let it be onely with your beauty spots your Wisdom Truth Holiness Mercy Meekness Patience the Excellencies and Vertues of your god appearing upon you Let this that you are too pure too precise too tender too watchful too fearful of sin too zealous against sin be all they have to charge you with Keep thee from thine own Iniquities say not so much as this I am my beloveds and my beloved must be mine Kick out thy Dalilahs Thou must part with thy darling or thy God Let there be no secret league let there be no peace betwixt thy Soul and any Iniquity to which thou mayst either steal out to delight thee or turn in to hide thee let no iniquity be thy leisure or protection if when thou art pursued by a persecuter any sin as Jacl to Sisera should call to thee turn in hither and thou mayst escape remember the nail and the hammer let no iniquity find a corner in thee to lodge in quiet that thou mayst not think to find a corner with it where thou mayst lodg in safety say to all thy sinful delights and sinful hopes get you gone I will neither love you nor trust you however thy sin may please thee whatever it may promise thee be sure thou wilt find it a sting in thy Soul and a stain upon thy glory Keep your selves from the sins of others beware of the Leaven of the proud Pharisee of the formal and vain-glorious Scribe of the extorting Publican of the debauched Prodigal the ambitious Diotreâ—hes the virâ—lent Tertullus the backsliding Demas beware of all Epidemical Leaven the sickness of the Times you may live in Take heed lest you be dtawn away with the Errours of the Wicked and so swimming down the Stream you fall from your own stedfastness Let sinners come up to you go not you down to them Let them never say of any of you The Man is become as one of us our spot is become the spot of his Children Let your Lives be a rebuke to the ungodly World whil'st you live as the Children of GOD without rebuke in the midst of the World 2. In its Power Let the power of Grace be seen in its preserving its self in its Being and vigorous Exercise against all the Powers of Hell The stâ—ength of a Man is seen in this that he can bear Wind and Weather can live any where without impairing his Healâ—h The strength and mettal of a Sword is seen in this that Iron will not turn its edge True