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
Christ in White In opening the Text I told you white might be considered two wayes 1 As it respects our state and so that by way of Justification and thus they shall walk with Christ but this is not the walking in white the Text means 2. Here is a further walking in white and that is matter of reward to the people of God 1. To walk with Christ in white it is matter of honour white garments are matter of honour Princes great Kings walk in white garments so the Saints of God shall walk in white Christ will honour them and give them honour among them because they have kept their garments undefiled They shall walk in white like great Princes and honoured persons A good name is better then precious oyntment they that are good indeed they shall have a good name they shall walk in white To keep the conscience â—ean is to keep the credit clean and they who are careful not to blot their conversation Christ will take care of their reputations that they be not blotted that they walk with men in honour It was worâ—hily spoken in the 11th of the Hebrews they kept their garments undefiled and it was by the power of faith and they obtained a good report by faith keeping themselves from the pollutions of the world they kept to themselves a good report This honour and good report which we get by keeping our garments undefiled is sure Abraham had an honourable title Abraham my friend and a man after mine own heart Isd 45 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou wast honourable And not only so that the people of God are honourable in his eyes but they also sometimes walk in white in the eyes of the men of the world he can give his people room in the opinions of men he moves their hearts to think well of them and he opens their mouths to speak well of them though indeed the honour which they who keep their garments undefiled have in this world it is most usually from good men from godly men and indeed honour of them is most honourable It is not much to us hat others say or think of us what the wicked world judge of us yet I say God can and doth sometimes raise a testimony of honour for his people amongst carnal men of the world Joseph would not defile his garments he walked in white amongst men true he was cast into prison what of that he was respected by the keepers of â—he prison afterwards he walked in white In the whole Egyptian Court Daniel was one that walked in white with â—â—mmon men of the world first with the Princes of the Eunuches he had tender favour with him he told him he would not disobey God to Please men yet he did not rail against him and call him a stubborn fellow because he would not bow to Baal and afterwards Daniel was as great a man as any in all that Province he walked in white God hath created testimonies of honour for his People from some men of the world yea they many times put white garments upon them so it was with Christ in Mat. 27. and verse 4. common men put a good report upon Christ a white garment Truly saith the Centurion this was the Son of God Truth this was a righteous man saith he when he saw how he carried himself at his death he gave him a good report thus it doth come to pass God doth somtimes keep up heir honour in the world who will not defile their garments nor touch the sacrifice of Baal and it follows so with them that the Lord shall clear up their credit and reputation and the shall walk in white in honour before the men of the world Rev. 6.11 where the souls under the Altar are spoken of who were miserably used in this world white Robes were given them to every one of them that is their evidences were cleared This may teaâ—h us the readiest way to the white Robe to the Robe of Honour it is to keep us from being defiled with sinful practises certainly they who please God he can make the world to honour them if God approves us he can make the world approve us too yet we must not think to have all speak well of us yet this we may say if we keep our garments undefiled we shall walk in white in the eyes of men if God see our garments in the dire and spotted with the filth of the world it will spoil the honour we should have in the world as it was said of Arius when his garments were defiled they called him Satanarâ—us that is to say devilsh thus it may be for the Lord hath a time to take our good name from us to cause our light of honor to be taken from us And as he hath caused us to walk in the white of honâ—r in the world so he doth somâ—imes cause us to walk in reproach with the world they who defile their garments lose their honor with men and they lose their joy they should have hereafâ—er Mal. 2.9 You have departed from my law therefore will I make yâ—u câ—nâ—emâ—tible in the eyes of all men It is a design of the spirit of wickedness to draw men to sin that they may upbraid them that I conceive is the sense of the Apostle Gal. 6.13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you circumcised that they might glory in your flesh saith he Oh there are some of this wicked spirit that would draw men to such and such wickedness not that they joy in their returning but that they might glory in their flesh when as they who stand fast do even force a good testimony from their enemies So it was the unhappy chance of Cranmer the Pope did perswade him to subscribe and did he get any honour by it No truly they did upbraid him and reproach him and so he had dyed in a raving condition had not the Lord been merciful to him I remember a speech of St. Austin about drinking of healths Oh say they 't is upon the Kings Birth-day and we cannot avoid it if we deny it say they we shall be reproached and scorned of all men He gives them many answers to it one of which as I remember was this God will so work that if you will not comply with them they in their hearts will honour you and whereas if you did comply with them they would dishonour you and say you are base spirited That is one thing of this point that keeping close to Jesus Christ will get you this reward you shall walk with him in the White of honour with his people and it may be with the World too 2. They shall walk in White in the White of peace and joy and inward comfort I shewed you in the opening of the Text how the Scripture calls that walking in White then the point is this Whatever becomes of the other White of
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
would prevent your fears if God would continue forfeited mercies dearer to you than your lives you would set apart some special thing for God something for the propagation of the Gospel abroad for the maintenance of a godly Ministry at home for setting up the preaching of the Gospel in the dark corners of the Kingdom c. This must have some cautions with it As 1. We must be sure our vow be of what is in our own power we must not make vows of that which is none of our own I hate robbery for burnt-offerings We must not make a vow to God of that which hath been unjustly or unrighteously taken away or with-held from any 'T is Sacriledge instead of a Sacrifice 2. It must be of things warrantable and justifiable by the Word 3. It must be of such things that we are not bound to do before vows by the standing obligation of Religion and of our profession but of something that is in our own choice that we will voluntarily make a free-will offering of it to God 4. We must take heed that we do not entertain a superstitious thought of our own vows as if we had merited a mercy at Gods hands by our vows God looks for some special vow at our hands that we may shew how much we prize and value the mercy we would have that we would be content to part with any thing though to the half of our estate for it 2. Another thing I find is that in the mean time we should do something by way of extraordinary bounty and charity to the relief of Gods indigent servants Thus the Prophet Daniel Wherefore O King let my counsel be acceptable to thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquility Dan. 4.27 The Prophet advises him to break off his sins by Righteousness there 's Reformation and besides Reformation that he would do something in an extraordinary way to the relief of the poor Mercy to the poor what 's that Interpreters conceive by the poor here he understands Gods poor i.e. the poor Jews that were now in the Babylonian Captivity he advises he would do something by way of sympathy to the Jews to ease their yoaks and oppressions break off thine iniquities by pittying and shewing mercy to thy poor Captives under thy power now at this time take off their yoak ease their burdens and restore them to their liberties again Thus do you and those that have been the instruments of your conversation or edification set apart something extraordinary for their relief and supply The Prophet Daniel seems to advise this to the King as it were by way of satisfaction There be two things in repentance in wrongs we have done there must be confession and satisfaction or restoration he seems to advise this to make up compleat repentance namely to make restoration and retribution of what he had injuriously taken from the Jews Oh then let me say without breach of charity that whatsoever except it be in this case of extraordinary supplies for his poor it will be found but making restitution and satisfaction It may be upon a twofold ground 1. With some it may be truly restitution and restoration of what he hath taken away by unjust means God knows how that 's between God and their own souls what unlawful means have been used to augment the heap and swell their Estate If there be any that hear me this day whose consciences shall tell them that they have increased their estate by undue and unwarrantable means Oh Restore Restore break off your iniquities by shewing mercy c. by making reparation as you can it will be but like Zacheus giving half his goods to the poor and restoring four-fold c. in a liberal Contribution to the poor 2. It will be restitution in another sense in reference to an unjust withholding some have injuriously and I am afraid too too many have kept injuriously Have we not rob'd the poor by an unjust denying of what God hath commanded us to distribute to their necessties there is that withholdeth more than is meet c. Prov. 3.17 and 11.24 It may be God hath given you so much there 's Gods share there 's the Ministers portion c. Now all that you have with-held beyond the Rule of Scripture is all stolen goods and is like a Wheat-sheaf on fire will burn down the whole Barn of Corn. That which I would exhort you to is for every one to set a part some considerable part of your Estate and account it as a hollow thing dedicated to God as a thing which to touch were sacriledge that you may be ready on all occasions in all regular and due ways to bring out for the relief of the poor you know objects abounding in every place and you may expect warrantable means for dispensing of what God shall put into your hearts in this matter Mr. Jenkin's Forenoon Sermon Heb. 11.38 The former part of that Verse Of whom the world was not worthy THe Apostle in this excellent Chapter that by some is deservedly called a little Book of Martyrs discovers the tryumph of faith or victory against all difficulty we meet with 1. Faith it assents to truths be they never so improbable 2. It puts men upon duties be they never so irrational or against carnal interest 3. It enables to sufferings be they never so afflictive These Worthies went through all by the victory that overcame the world the bitterness as well as the sweetness thereof In these verses the Apostle doth two things First he sets down the greatness and smartness of their sufferings which are by some learned men reduced to three heads First those sufferings that were to tempt them and draw them from God by those pains and tortures they were to undergo Secondly Those sufferings they underwent in dying Thirdly their sufferings in regard of wandering and leaving their comforts rather than they would lose God There were all kind of persecutions laid upon these Saints through all which they waded and never would be brought to forsake God and his truth for any of them 2. We have here the excellency of the sufferers and that is in that expression These men or these persons when they were under all these distresses from the world yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Brethren the excellency of these saints and servants of God is considerable two ways that we may proceed distinctly and clearly First in reference to the wicked their excellency was so great that the wicked World was not worthy of them Secondly their excellency is discovered from the estimate or judgment that the Apostle passes upon them who tells us that he accounted them to be such though they were under such distresses and troubles yet they were a people of whom the world was not worthy I shall fall upon the due estimation the blessed Apostle
in Gods account the Angel smote him and he became worms-meat There is a silent dignity in reproached piety and a silent ignominy in advanced iniquity As it was with Christ so it is with the servants of Christ when he was on earth no man had more ignominy poured upon him yet there was a secret glory attended him in all that befel him though born in a manger yet worshipped there sometimes he was driven to be hungry the fish brought him money sometimes a weary at that very time converts a woman sometimes laid hold on by his enemies at that very time his enemies fell down before him Look through the whole course of his life there was a secret glory under all ignominy Just thus it is with the servants of Christ they are in trouble disgrace but there is a secret glory dignity shines in them the Spirit of God of glory rests upon them If ye suffer for righteousness sake blessed are ye To be in high place and yet to be a Drunkard a Swearer a Whoremaster or Prophane this spoils all thy glory be thou never so high 4. Inference This is the way for a man to have a good name wouldst thou gain a good report living and dying Take heed of sin take heed of dishonouring God then God will have thee in everlasting remembrance 5. Inference Note here the certain happiness of those beholders that do see certain excellency in holiness though disgrac'd under valu'd if there be any thing in the world that is a sign of sincerity it is this to love holiness when disgrac'd abused and spit upon to cross the stream and thwart the multitude is a sign of the truth of grace and strength of grace this is a sign of true sight and strong sight To see beauty in a godly man in sufferings the Lord will certainly have an eye upon thee in times of trouble Here is comfort in thine infirmities Dost thou love holiness when compassed about with sufferings and persecution God will take notice of thy grace though compassed about with abundance of infirmities the Lord will take notice of a little of his in a great deal of ours Here 's comfort in sufferings if you regard his in their sufferings the Lord will remember you in your sufferings the Lord will remember what thou didst for such and such a servant of his own in trouble or distress God doth not cast away any in their lowness that have kept clofe to him in their highness and this will be comfort in inward trouble when thou canst find nothing from which to fetch comfort And this will be comfort in the last day though we can say nothing in that day by way of merit yet will it be comfort to be able sincerely to say that thou hast owned God and his people in the midst of sufferings Do ye think that Judge would not save that Malefactor that had saved the life of his wife If thou hast owned Christ when he was in his Rags do not fear but he will own thee when he comes in his Robes 6. Inference and last The people of God should learn not to be discouraged under any misery or affliction that can befal them in this world at this very time God hath a high esteem of you at this time you are his delight his Garden his Spouse The Saints of God are the wise men of the world they have chosen that which cannot be taken from them I profess Sirs the love of one Saint makes amends for all the hatred you undergo for sinners the very wicked themselves have a good opinion of you when you do not basely comply their Consciences cannot but have an high esteem of you when peradventure their tongues might speak against you If all this will not do remember your own consciences are more than a thousand witnesses for you will then comfort you no man is a miserable man for any thing in the world that is done to him or said of him No it is a good Conscience that will give the best acquittance for thee to have the whole number of Gods people to look upon thee as an unworthy wretch and as a vile person I look upon it as a greater ignominy and disgrace then to have all the disgraces of wicked men cast upon thee That man that hath a godly man to be afraid of him had need to he very much afraid of himself I shall conclude all with this one word There is great reason to look narrowly to your hearts and ways when they stand at a distance from you and are afraid to come near you Mr. Jenkin's Afternoon Sermon Exod. 3.2 3 4 5. And the Angel of the Lord appeard unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed And Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burnt And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said Moses Moses And he said Here am I. And he said Draw not night hither put off thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thoustandest as holy ground LEt us take a short view of the foregoing Verses and that this may be the more useful and profitable to us we may take notice That as in the former chapter there is described Moses preservation to his future imployment so in this Chapter there is described his preparation and his sitting for that imployment i.e. by a Vision or rather 〈◊〉 suitable Apparition in which God discovered unto Moses his care of his people of whom Moses was to be a speedy deliverer You have here in the words read unto you the preparation afforded to Moses for the great work of being called to be Israels deliverer and in this preparation you may take notice of three principal parts 1. An Apparition that is here presented to the view of Moses a burning though not a consumed bush 2. Moses care to observe it I will turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burned And then 3. Gods Monitory Precept or Admonition which he afforded unto Moses when he was drawing near to see this wonder in which we have principally considered two parts 1. This Precept propounded 1. Negatively That he should not draw near 2. Affirmatively That he should put off his shooes from off his feet 2. You have considerable the Reason or Argument whereby God doth back this Precept or Admonition i.e. because the place whereon he stood was holy ground The time would fail me if I should go over all these parts we shall onely touch on the two former The Apparition which Moses saw and Moses's desire to observe it of the first I shall onely speak transitorily and insist on the latter more fully which I chiefly intend 1. For the Apparition or emblematical
Hearts hear what the Text saith A New Command I give unto you c. Wherein First you have the Command A New Command I give unto you It is not left to our discretion but we are bound to it by vertue of a Command A New Command I give unto you Secondly This Command is enforced by Gods own example as I have loved you It is called a new Command but Love is an old Command this Law is written in the Nature of Man It is engraven in every mans heart by Nature and it is an old Command because found among Gods antient Statutes the antient Records of his Law I but 't is a new Command too because pressed by a new Example of Christ As I have loved you so do ye love one another Doct. Christians ought to make Conscience of this duty of loving one another Confident I am We shall never see Religion thrive in the World until we see this Grace of Love flourish in the heart of Christians Nor the illustration of this proposition I shall do these two things First shew you the truth of this Love Secondly the extent of this Love First Truth of this Love If you love one another saith Christ see you do it purely not dissembling but from the heart 1 John 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth dissembling love is like painted fire that will never warm we must not be like the Bee that hath honey in her mouth but withal hath a sting in her tail we must not pretend to love to have honey in the mouth but withal have the sting of malice in the heart no said the Apostle Let us love in deed and in truth Secondly Extent of our Love this Fountain of Love must run in three streams 1. We must love all men love their persons although we must not love their sins we have all the same make the same lump and mould and therefore must love there is a natural Love that every creature bears to his own species and kind 2. Our love must especially stream out to the Saints of God the houshold of Faith It is with our love as it is with our fire you keep fire all the day upon the Hearth but upon special occasions you draw it out larger so our Love must always burn to all I but to the Saints you must draw out the fire inlarge your affections we must love as God loves he doth especially love the Saints love every creature with a common love but especially the New Creature and indeed there is that in every true Saint that may excite and allure our Love What are the Graces of the Spirit but so many pearls to adorn the Bride of Christ What is holiness in the heart 〈◊〉 the imbroidery and curious Workmanship of the Holy Ghost here is enough to entice and draw out our Love and Beloved if we love the Saints for their Graces then we love all the Saints And here I beseech you consider these six pariculars First We ought to love the Saints in what condition soever they are although they be poor in the world low in their condition for commonly so it is They that have the lowest hearts have the lowest condition too I read of the King of the Moors that he was offended at the Christians because of their poverty and truly when wicked men do fleece the Saints it is no wonder if they be poor methinks grace in a poor man is like a Pearl that lies in the dust or like a cloath of Gold that is hid under Rags you must love the Gold that is the Grace notwithstanding the Rags The poorest Saint alive hath the Angels riches the poorest Believer is a Member of Christ and shall we not love him we love the picture of a friend although it be hung in a mean frame we must love a rich Christ in a poor man Secondly We are to love the people of God although they have many weak infirmities shew me the man that is perfect and let him throw the first stone even the best Saints like the Starrs they have their twinkling they have their blemishes and their failings in some there 's too much pride in others too much censoriousness in others too much rash anger and passion but we must love the Grace that is in them notwithstanding the infirmities that are in them you love Gold though in the oar and mixed with much impurity a Saint on earth is like a Diamond that hath its flaw like to the Rose that is sweet and perfumed but yet hath its pricks The best Saints have some mixture and infirmity and we must love them for the good that is in them this is our great fault we are apt to over-look all the good and so take notice of the stain and blemishes in them as those that see a little stain in a piece of Scarlet despise the cloath for the stains sake so do we But God doth not do so by us he is pleased to over-look many sad failings he seeth the Faith and winks at the failings of his people you that cannot love a Brother because you see an imperfection in him would you have God do so by you would you have him damn you for every blemish of sin Thirdly We must love the Children of God though weak in parts all are not born Politicians But though the Saints of God have not always so good intellectuals as others yet if they have good Vitals and the life of Faith in them love them for that Grace you do not despise your Children because they are weak but you love them because they are your Children Oh! do not despise a Saint because he is of low parts but love him as he is a Child of your Heavenly Fathers Fourthly We are to love the Saints of God though in some lesser things they differ from us if they keep the foundations of Religion and hold the Head Christ yet we are to bear other things one Christian hath more light than another and shall we un-saint all that cannot come up to our light It s great wisdom to separate between the precious and the vile O what a blessed place will Heaven be because there our light shall be clear and our love shall be perfect And that is the fourth Fifthly Love the Saints of God when reviled and persecuted a bleeding Saint should be the object of our love Onisiphorus saith Paul was not ashamed of my chain a sign he loved Christs Graces in Paul Christ Jesus loveth no Saints more than his persecuted Saints his Martyrs have the highest Thrones reserved in Heaven for them we must love to see Christs Livery upon a man though sprinkled with bloud he that is ashamed of a persecuted Saint will never suffer for a crucified Jesus Sixthly We must love the Saints of God though their Graces may eclipse and out-shine our Graces Beloved in the sweetest fruits worms are apt
you may play fast and loose with man you must not think ever to carry it away by playing fast and loose with God 4. If you should not stand you lose all you have wrought all your prayers tears professions practises sufferings are all gone if you give out at last c 5. While you stand by God God hath promised to stand by you and the truth is I have but one God it is no great matter for all the tiles in Worms There be a thousand Devils but all those Devils are in one chain and the end of that chain is in the hand of one God Oh! God will shew himself strong 2 Cor. 1.6 9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him Quest But what shall I do to stand Answ 1. If ever you would stand if ever you woul'd be firm standing Christians indeed take heed you be not light and proud Christians a feather will never stand against a whirl wind error and profaneness are most apt to breed in proud hearts The Proud and Blasphemers are put together 2 Tim 2.2 Be but humble Christians that 's the way to be standing ready Christians if ever you would be steady in your stations you must below in your own eyes do not you go and judge And now we shall have another kind of Religion come up as we have had it a great while such a man cannot be an honest man alas he is a Presbyterian he is an Independant he is an Anabaptist c. Now all your great business will be such a man cannot be good an honest man for he doth not Conform on the other side he cannot be an honest man for he doth Conform These are poor things I bless God I lay not the stress of my salvation upon on these It is true I cannot in conscience conform but I do not lay the stress of Salvation on it as I did not lay the stress of my Salvation on my being a Presbyterian I confess I am so and have been it hath been my unhappiness to be always on the sinking side yet I lay not the stress of my Salvation upon it It is my Conscience but it may be I have not so much light as another man and I profess in the presence of God could I conform without sin to my own Conscience I would if I should do any thing against my conscience I should sin and break my peace and conscience and all and never see good day do not then spend the strength of your zeal for your Religion in censuring others That man that is most busie in censuring others is always least employed in examining himself Remember good John Bradford he would not censure Bonner nor Gardner but saith he they called Jo. Bradford the hypocritical Jo. Bradford c. I do not speak this as though I can or did in Conscience approve of those things for which I must suffer that I cannot approve of them but take off people from those things that are so far from the foundation look you but to the main things look into your own hearts examine them and then you need not be much perswaded to look about to others 2. You must take heed you be not loose Christians will you remember one thing from me the God of Heaven grant you never live to see it verified a loose Protestant is one of the fittest persons in the world to make a strict Papist Tell me not of his Protestantism being a drunkard it is because his King or Countrey are Protestants where they live There is no Religion in a loose liver if ungodliness be in the heart it is no difficult thing for error to get into the heart A loose heart can best comply with loose principles see if they will not be of any Religion in the world that 's uppermost let the Turk prevail they would soon be of his Religion 3. Take heed of being a worldly Christian Oh! this is the David that hath slain his ten thousands A worldly heart will be bought and sold upon every turn to serve the Devils turn Come to a worldly heart and but promise him thirty pieces of silver he will betray his Saviour The Temptations of the world are great upon us at this time you that are Husbands and Parents know it the world is a great temptation but if we be overcome by the world and the world not overcome by us we shall never be able to overcome any one Temptation that is offered to us Therefore that 's an admirable support In the world you shall have Tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world I have overcome the world for you and likewise I have overcome the world in you Oh Lord if thou wilt but overcome the love and fear of the world if thou wilt but arm us against the smiles of the world then come what will we shall stand stedfast 4. Take heed you be not Hypocritical Christians i.e. take heed you do not receive the Truth and onely the Truth and not receive the Truth in the love of that Truth Thess 3.10 You have received the Truth but have you received the Truth in the love of that Truth which you have received want of this is that damnable occasion to Popery And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved c. It is just with God that they should fall into errors whose hearts did never love real Truths better never received the Truth then to receive it and not in the love of it 5. Take heed of being ventrous and God-tempting Christians What is that when do I tempt God I tempt God when I run into a Pest-house and say God will preserve me from the Plague Take heed of running upon temptations to sin whether it be in principles or in practice I could tell you of two Spiritual Pest-houses in England if I had time for principles one and for practice another I do not say that I mean Play-houses on the one hand or Mass-houses on the other hand Certainly Brethren I read of Julian that wicked bloudy Apostate that he sunk into that his Apostacy first by going to hear Libanius preach mistake me not I am not against your going to hear the Ministers of Christ for a man may be a true Minister though he be a bad man all the World can never answer the instance of Judas who was a true Minister though a bad man while I plead for the truth of his Ministry I do not spread a skirt over the wickedness of his life The Scribes and Pharisees set in Moses chair hear them But that which I mainly aim at is this do not you go and run and venture your selves upon temptations you have heard of a superstitions or idolatrous Worship you have a months mind
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
that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to hold fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this though there were some Doctrines of Faith and matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of the Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God which we have heard and received First In your Judgements being fully resolved and setled in your Judgements concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by any means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgements hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we should never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the Word no man will part with that which he loves What makes the covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather than his Lust Why It is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly you must hold the Truth in the profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not only believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Peter denied his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denied him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in word or outward profession to renounce the truth or any part of it Hold fast the profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our life and conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truths of God in our lives Fifthly We must do all this constantly hold fast the Truth in our Judgement and Affection Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end We must not only in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the world hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but it stormy times when Truth may burn a mans fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received resolutely against all oppositions whatsoever whether of friends or foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother his elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave no place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Wills and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truth of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious than Gold better than Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the daughter of God Divine Truth is the child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver this Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancie in them I say we have received the Truth under the Nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an heritage Thy Testimonies have I spoken for mine heritage saith David in the 119 Psal Though a mans personal estate may be alienated yet that which is his heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with that Truth is the inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a Thing committed to mans trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him the Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good matter and it tends to a good end the saving of our souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keep it that it may be re-delivered and redelivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may redeliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This is the duty of all Christians thus to keep the word There is a committing of the Truth to all the Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in his Epistle verse the third That ye should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints the Faith that is the doctrine of Faith the Truth of the Gospel
which was delivered to the Saints We have but one Gospel and it was delivered but once God means no more to deliver his Gospel and the Truth of it therefore you had need strive hard to keep them and hold them Thirdly We should hold fast the Truth that we have received because if we do not hold it fast we do wrong God and if we wrong our selves and we wrong the Truth and we wrong our posterity 1. It is our duty To hold fast the Truths we have received because if we do not we wrong God for Truths are more Gods then ours They are ours as to the use of them but they are his as he is the Original and Author of them Truths are Gods Jewels there is never a Truth of Religion but God owns it as his and for us to barter away any of these Truths of God it is Sacrilege it is a robbing of God it is a wrong to God This is that God complains of by the prophet in the second of Jeremiah the eleventh and twelfth verses Hath a Nation changed their gods which are yet no gods but my people have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. The Prophet indoed speaks of a total forsaking of God and all his Truths but there is in the forsaking of every Truth a proportion of wrong to God 2. It is a wrong done to the Truths of God when men having received the Truth and embracing it hold it not fast but cast it off this is a wrong to the Truths of God We say it is less reproach to a man when he comes to my house to shut the door against him and not receive him in at all than when he hath been in a while with me I turn him out all the world now think I find cause to be weary of him They who have shut their hearts against the Truth and never gave any entertainment to it they are less injurious to it than they that have received it and professed it and yet turn from it These tell the world that the Truths of God are not so sweet and worthy of their entertainment as they supposed them to be 3. This is an injury and wrong to our selves this is a wrong to our Credit and reputation Now though we may make Credit our end in Religion yet we may make use of our Credit or Reproach as an argument to hold fast the Truth and this iâ— injurious to our own Souls John 8.31 Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples Indeed here Christ doth seem to distinguish his disciples he hath some that are so in name that are not so in Deed and he hath some that are so in Deed and in Truth and of these he gives a character here If ye continue in my Word You now profess to believe my Word but if you hold fast and continue in my Word then you are my Disciples indeed But if you continue not in my Word you have the name of Disciples only and that will not save you You can never be saved unless you be indeed the Disciples of Christ and you can never approve your selves to be the Disciples of Christ indeed if ye continue not in the Truth 1 Joh. 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which you have received and heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye shall continue in the Son and in the Father Hold fast the truth of God which you have received then shall you continue in the Son If the Truth of God which you have received and believed remain in you and be held fast by you ye shall continue in the love of the Father and Son but not else according to what he expresseth again Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God therefore he cannot be saved he that abideth in the doctrine hath the Father and the Son Therefore as you would be saved hold fast the Truths you have received Now here but I have not time to speak to it is a Case of Conscience Whether every error doth cut a man off from God I Answer No God forbid But this we cannot speak to now Fourthly They that hold not fast the Truth of God are injurious to their posterity Our fore-fathers holding fast the truth of God in the day of their trial and sealing it with their bloud was the means of transmitting the purity of the Gospel to us their Posterity and if we in our Generation hold not fast the truth of God but carry it loose in our Consciences and Judgements and we let it fall out of our hands and hearts we forfeit the Truths of God not only from our selves but also from our Posterity Thus you see we shall wrong the God of Truth and the Truth of God we shall wrong our selves and our Posterity if we hold not fast the Truth we have received Thus we have the reasons of the Doctrine Application For Application here first I might bewail the general want of the care of the performance of this Duty which hath appeared many years in this Land We have had little care of holding fast the Truths we have received For holding fast the truth of our Judgement How many are there whose Judgements have been perverted with many Errours This is that which the Apostle calls A turning aside to another Gospel in the first of the Galathians and the sixth verse And so for holding fast the truth in the love of it How many are there that have failed in that which Christ calls The forsaking of the first Love Revelations the second and the fourth verse And we should hold fast the truth in the profession of it and how many are there that have failed in that this the Apostle calls in the tenth of the Hebrews A drawing back unto Perdition And for holding fast the truth in the practice of it How many have failed in that that have been Professors and now are grown loose and debauched This the Apostle Peter calls A turning aside from the holy Commandments All these things call for our lamentation Exhortation But the whole work that I will apply my self to is to exhort every one of you to the care of this duty To hold fast the Truths that you have heard and received Hold them fast in your Judgement hold them fast in your Will and Affections hold them fast in your Lives and Conversations hold the Truths you have received constantly and hold them against all opposition on the right hand and on the left from friends and foes To press this upon you I think I shall need to use no other Motive than what I have laid down before you in the Doctrinal part only this one thing more and that is take notice how urgent the
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
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
If you miss the Lord Jesus by the Grace of Faith you will never hâ—ld fast the Doctrine of Faith you are built upon the Doctrine of the Apostles not their Persons upon which the Lord Jesus is the Corner-stone he that does not know Jesus Christ himself will certainly lose his Faith What 's the reason the stony ground in time of Persecution fell away why they had not root they were not planted upon the Lord Jesus Rule 3. Thirdly those truths that God hath taught you and those wayes of Worship God hath committed to you love them as your lives love them above your lives for no man will ever contend to hold them if he do not love them Things of low price and esteem are presently let go he that loves the Word above his life will let life go rather than the Word If you receive not the Word out of love every Imposter and false Prophet every fear and terrour of men will rob you of it Hide the Word in thy heart saith Solomon Love the truth dearly It was a great speech of Calvin Never did any one Apostatize from the truth of Jesus Christ but it was because he did not love the truth And I add this That never did any Apostatize from the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ but it was because they did not receive them in love or else they have lost their love for there 's a decay of affection as well as having no affection if you love them what will you not suffer for them but more of that by and by Rule 4. Fourthly Guard all the truths of God and those wayes of God that have been taught you guard them strongly especially truths that are most material and fundamental for leading truths are like Captains of Armies if they be routed the whole rout follows them There is great opposition that will be made against your faith The whole power of darkness of Antichrist of his seducing spirits likely and probably enouâ—h will overspread the whole face of Christianity once more for she must sit as a Lady before she be desolate and forsaken for ever The Apostle bids you beware of Dogs beware of the Concision beware of Evil workers guard your selves against them guard the truths you have learned by Argument by Scripture by Reason that you may have wherewithal to confute them by the word of truth mightily out of the Scripture as the Apostle did Three things you are to guard against 1. Your own deceitfulness especially in a rash and sudden forsaking of those wayes that have been taught and the profession you have taken up for Christians would never be so mad to Apostatize were they but seriously deliberate about the weight of them Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you would not obey the truth c. and 1.6 I warvelled what ailed you that you soon turned away to another Gospel One would have thought they might have spoken with Paul first and sent to him and reasoned the case with him There 's a marvellous bewitching in false Doctrines to take men presently who are not watchful over themselves It is in disputations and practising truth as it is in contentions if you make a Judgment before you hear both parties speak you judge unrighteously if you forsake the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ before you can hear what can be said for them you do unrighteously 2. Guard them against the lusts of your own hearts The great work of a Chrisâ—ian is contention it is not so much against Antichrist those that are without him as that which is within him If all Heretical Doâ—trines and wayes were rooted out of the World not onely the being but the memory the heart is bad enough in one day to set them all oâ— foot again therefore guard the truth Men of corrupt minds will presently grow â—eprobate as to the Faith 1 Tim. 3 6. Such Doctrines and Worships as shall suit with our lusts as shall suit with exalting Self and laving Christ low as shall suit with an easie way to Heaven when the Scripture saith Straight is the Gate as shall suit with self-preservation So I might secure my Estate my Liberty I would suspect such Doctrines as these before I take them up for the wayes of Christ Guard the truth against false Teachers such as shall come among you in Sheeps cloathing yet are Wolves in heart men that creep in at unawares among you to subvert souls I will not here describe them you know them well enough by their fruits onely this let me tell you in opposition to those though you cannot come at the publick Ministrâ— or those God hath set over you yet make Conscience for to take fences to take defences from them as you may by their Counsel Prayer Help and Assistance for to guard you against false Teachers When the Church of Christ is in the Wilderness you will find this is that the Holy Ghost advises them to Cant. 1.8 You are to guard your selves by communion one with another as to go forth by the foot-steps of the Flock so also you are to go and feed your Kids by the Shepherds tents for though 't is not the work that God calls for to pin your faith upon their sleeves yet 't is your duty to enquire of the Lord by them for he is the Messenger of the Lord to you Rule 5. Arm your selves with Resolutions to suffer for the faith of the Gospel and for the wayes of Jesus Christ As you should love the truth above your lives so labour to be made willing to part with Life Estate Liberty any thing for to keep the wayes of Jesus Christ It is not the honour of the Gospel of Christ to hear Christians to break out into murmurings passions discontents contentions that are carnal and sinful your work is humbly meekly and patiently to lie under the hand of God and under the hand of man too that becomes Christians Suffering is that that will restore the glory of Religion that will keep the truth delivered to you that will honour the Cause of Christ best of all follow the example of blessed Paul his his expression is worthy of consideration 2 Tim. 2.9 he gives a charge of keeping and propagating one of the most glorious truths that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead yet a thing that is farthest off from sense and reason wherein I suffer trouble Mark Paul does not say wherein I make trouble no but wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound If this blessed and glorious Apostle would have had the faith of God bound and have contented himself with sinful silence and not propagated the Gospel Paul might have been free but Paul would not have the Word of God bound therefore Paul would suffer for it Shall we go higher a great deal than this You have the glorious commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this account that
take up for to hide themselves as under a covert to beat down the Gospel-warrants and commands to suffer for the Faith delivered 1. The motion that a Christian hath of indifferencie of things that they are but toyes and trifles that they may be done or not done It is not my work to tell you what is indifferent or name any thing in particular As I remember in the Book of Martyrs the usual Argument was Why cannot you worship the Idol why cannot you bow down as well as others it is a small matter cannot you shew your outward reverence and keep your heart to your self Indeed if there were any thing that is indifferent a Christian hath a marvellous latitude in point of Doctrine in point of Worship I would caution you therefore The term of indifferent I suppose it is devised as a Pillar to rest the Conscience on which otherwise would startle and look with a broad face upon them Things that come under this notion had need well to be weighed and considered If they tell you plainly they came out of Rome and had the Plague of Popery upon them they came from Hell were hatched there and the curse of God is upon them no body will entertain them They must pretend they came from the Church from the Apostles descending from the Scriptures and hence they are entertained with the freedom and willingness as that most Christians take no notice but fall down under them and so the very power and life of Religion and holy practice is eaten out The Devil hath three wayes whereby he makes men seek after him First Commonly he doth cover holiness with other names Secondly He perswades that sins are but little Thirdly That they may repent hereafter The first is suitable to my purpose That vertue or grace is covered with other names therefore if a man be holy he is called precise if zealous he is said to be rash and if it be really a sin it shall come under the name of indifferency a toy a trifle and things of that nature therefore you had need be cautious for it is not so much what name the sin has what title it goes under as what it is really As to things of Doctrine and Worship I know there is no medium every man must give an account to the Lord what he does therefore I do not tell you what is indifferent and what not but search the Scripture take heed what you receive for indifferent The second thing Christians will say is I hope without danger I may comply with them considering I bear them as my burthens This is very like the young man in the Gospel he came to Christ and would have him come up to his terms and when Christ told him Yet he lacked one thning Goâ—â—ell all c. he went away sorrowful So many Christians they would follow Christ but they cannot because there is not such security in it but they will go away sorrowful Thou Hyvocrite Art thou willing to forsake all for Christ yet canst not leave life liberty and some of these small things Will you wound the name of Christ and pretend to be sorrowful for it I conclude â—hy pretence shall not excuse thee for so was Pilate loth to crucifie Christ and as a means and expedient he calls for water and washes his hands saying I am innocent from the blood of this just man But do you think God excused Pilate no more will he you Whatever is brought to you is either forbidden or commanded by God If forbidden by God why do you meddle with it If commanded of the Lord why are you burdened with it why do you it heartily for the Lord loves one that is chearful in his service Neither man nor God is pleased with such A third thing which satisfies many is That they may follow in some things the opinions of wise men holy men and good men That they may do as they do I shall say but these two words First Many men are reputed good wise and honest that are not so A man may be accounted an honest man that yet may be covetous he may be accounted a very good man yet be really corrupt in heart and in his lusts therefore 't is good to try men I dare not trust mine own heart unlesse God give strength of grace and assistance every moment lest I should betray the truth of Christ upon some advantage when the Devil would set abroach an evil opinion or practice it 's his comon way to tunn it up in some clean Vessel Men of civil honesty and goodness You read the old Prophet drew the young one in though expresly forbidden by God himself When you do not fear a young Christian it may be the example of an old Minister shall draw you therefore it 's good to mind who you follow Secondly Grant they are all good and reall they are men fearing God as there are some yet God will not let his people know all his mind There are some that would but cannot know all his mind and will the Lord is free and voluntary he reveales things necessary to salvation but for other things he withholds But what is your rule Call no man Master you are to follow no man further than he follows Christ And indeed for a man to follow the examples of others wherein they sin and do not know it it is just like the case of holy Noah who was a gracious man and knew not the strength of the Grape he was drunk with his own Vineyard But what 's the fruit of it his Son Cham saw his nakedness and discovered it If good and holy men taste of the intoxicated Wine that is too strong for them and know it not will you sip after them unless you will discover your nakedness and proclain it from Generation to Generation and make your selves Chams not sons of the Prophet Therefore I know not what warrant you have to follow such examples The fourth things is this Christians usually do no good by standing out Answ Whether we get good or do good or no we are to do our duty The Lord will honour you for suffering for the Truth 2 Thes 1.2 3 4 5. And by suffering you shall confirm the Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false Doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and Patience when you suffer not as evil-doers but as those that suffer for the Word of Righteousness the Word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious than Heaven and Earth than any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all Generations when those that Apostatize Persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Rich Treasure in Earthen Vessels A Sermon Preached Jan. 1. 1662. at the Funeral of that Reverend and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. James Nalton late Minister
in this place where he spent his labour and pains many years I could give large accounts and testimonies of him if need were from my own knowledge of him having been acquainted with him many years He was not only a Minister but the Son of a Minister his birth and education suiting together He look'd upon it not only as an honour but an engagement to be careful to walk in those steps set before him and to continue the work of the Ministry begun by his religious Father Certainly the Children of godly and holy Parents cannot come off so cheap in their carriages as others they have greater accounts to make as having greater examples set before them greater advantages of Prayer Exhortation c. and so greater engagements this was thought on and observed by him And as he was the Son of a Minister so when he came to years and was sitted he took upon him the Ministry as he was one of great abilities so accordingly he discharged them faithfully and conscienciously He was a spiritual powerful consciencious Preacher he preached by his life for as Erasmus saith we should not only love to speak truths but we should digest truths on our own hearts before we commend them to others and so they will be the more effectual He was a man of a very meek sweet and humble spirit a man of a great humility and of great meekness in the midst of great abilities which was a great Ornament in him a man full of tenderness and condescension to others a man of a very yielding and melting frame of Spirit soon dissolved into tears It was the saying of one that a good man is full of tears so this good man was full of tears not affected but very real and hearty drawn from the fulness of his Spirit as the Apostle Paul saith he served the Lord in much humility and many tears This was remarkable that in these times our Reverend Brother was full of tears in delivering his Doctrine which was suitable to the age we live in being full of sin and calamity there is much need of a bewailing spirit to bewail the iniquities and miseries of the times they that cannot bewail themselves need the tears of others He was a man of great integrity and single-heartedness in his exhortations he had much of the simplicity of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks In reference to the Ministry he had no worldly and base affection he had no carnal designs therein but his chief design was to bring Souls home to Christ that was his chief business What the Apostle saith of himself may also be said of him that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 He was a man had ability to speak a word in season he was very compassionate to wounded spirits he himself having been much afflicted He was a man much in communication with God and had much acquaintance with God and was careful in improvement therein He was a Jacob in wrestling with God a Moses that stood in the Gap an Elijab that prayed earnestly the whole Land was the better for such a person being much with God the made many addresses to him and had much holy familiarity with him And as in his publick performances he was very faithful and beneficial so in his Family and privately he was very fruitful and serious In a word not to multiply much in this kind you need it less in this Auditory but only by way grateful memorial there was much of God and Christ in him and he was a great example to his fellow-servants there was much of this Treasure spoken of in the Text in this Earthen Vessel as in the matter of it he was one of a Gospel Spirit and in the conveyances of it he had great abilities for the work of the Ministry and discharged it with a great deal of success As he had this treasure in an Earthen Vessel so his Vessel his frail body was no disparagement to him but the advancement of the treasure in setting forth the power to be of God his outward man was much weak and worn away but his inward man was upheld by the grace of God His first work in the Ministry was in that place where my self have relation to he was an assistant to my Predecessor being then past labour Mr. Richard Couder and performed the work so well that he was exceedingly beloved of Mr. Couder and well beloved of the Parish and other places He left a good impression behind and I found good effects by the foundation there laid The Apostle Paul indeed desired not to work there where another had laid the foundation but I thought it a great advantage that the foundation was laid by such a Master-builder He was called into the Country to Rughy in Warwickshire there he continued very fruitful and did much good For some occasion he removed returned into the City and came into this place where he continued about 18 or 19 years discharged the work of the Lord carefully I need not say much of his carriage in this place I appeal to your own consciences I may say of this servant of Christ as the Apostle Paul said of himself 1 Thes 2 10 11 12. Ye are his witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameable he behaved himself among you as you know how he exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Therefore there lies an engagement upon you to walk answerable to the truths he delivered and to follow his steps considering the end of his Conversation I shut up all in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians chap. 4. v. 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in him Do and the God of Peace shall be with you Mr. Beerman's Farewel Sermon BEloved I know you are not ignorant that I am called by Authority to depart from you which for Conscience sake we must obey and were it not for the breach of Conscience I think I could be content to undoe my self to stay with you I shall now in love and tenderness take my leave of you all with that large portion of Scripture in the 20th of the Acts from the 17th Verse to the end they were Paul's parting words to the Ephesians Verse 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church and when they were come unto him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befel me through the lying
all thy worldly concernments thy relations diseases c. are all numbred Nay more remember this Believer all thy distrusts disquiets murmurings despondencies the meanest lust unseen and the most secret sin are all numbred 6. Are our hairs numbred This is sad news for Unbelievers Are your hairs numbred then certainly your Oaths Curses contempts of Gods people all your sinful thoughts words actions wilful omissions of commanded duties commissions of forbidden sins all your disputings against God his people his word wayes will are all upon the file they are all numbred 7. What an encouragement is there here for poor sinners to come in to God Do but come into God and thou shalt come into such a condition of safety that the very hairs shall be all numbred And if thou wilt not come in certainly thou art wanting to thy self For look as well as thou canst to thy self thou hast not a promise to keep one hair of thy head till to morrow morning Not a promise of a sup of water bit of bread nor a promise of one minutes safety till to morrow morning And if so be thou hast not a God no interest in him if God should turn his back on thee a thousand to one but afflictions come And if afflictions come thy heart is gone thou having no spiritual strength in heart no eternal Rock of ages to flie to no wonder if thou faint under them and so thou wilt certainly do If a Believer that hath but little strength is apt to faint thou that hast no strength wilt utterly fall when afflictions find thee And this leads to The Eighth Sermon Prov. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small THe Observation from hence was To faint in the day of trouble argues a mans inward strength to be but small his judgement weak his reason low his graces feeble his inward comfort peace and joy not much but very little This 1. Shews whence our mis-givings of heart whence our want of liveliness of spirit in and under troubles proceeded even from hence that our strength is but small 2. Teaches us how to judge what our spiritual strength is namely this way How dost thou bear afflictions How is it with thee in a day of distress Dost thou faint and fail It argues thy strength is but small By way of Dehortation Do not thou faint in the day of affliction in the day of adversity Take heed of fainting in three things 1. Under work or duty be it never so great grievous troublesome or dangerous 2. Under the with-holdings of mercy be they never so long detained 3. Under afflictions be they or may they be never so grievous whether 1. Publick afflictions the afflictions of the Church of God Suppose Sion is now clad in Sack-cloth there 's a time coming when she shall be arrayed in Scarlet When the Whores Scarlet shall be turned into Rags the Churches Rags shall be turned into Gold Or 2. Personal afflictions faint not under them be it this or that or the other be they never so great never so long or never so many But what shall I do to bear up my spirit and to preserve me from fainting 1. Live in the holy dependence and filial fear of the great God He that fears God most to be sure will faint least 2. Strengthen Grace There are two graces to be strengthened viz. Strengthen Faith I had fainted unless I had believed c. Strengthen Patience dejection of soul usually comes from impatience 3. Be much in Prayer Is any man afflicted let him not go and sinfully murmur and complain but let him pray 4. Make use of heart-strengthening considerations and that is 1. Turn over the promises They are left on purpose as Gods bottle his Vial of Cordials to keep the soul from fainting 2. What ever befalls remember it proceeds from Gods love 3. All that God aims at is to do thee good 4. Be the affection never so great 't is as necessary as prosperity as health This thy Physick is as necessary as thy food 5. The issue of all a Crown of glory these light afflictions which are but for a moment worketh out for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory And therefore if so be there be such principles from which afflictions flow and such ends to which they are managed It is no wonder Christ will not pray that we may be taken out of the world from affliction but keep in this world from the evil So we fall on The Ninth Sermon Joh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil GOd hath spoken once yea twice have I heard this That power belongeth to God When God is pleased to strike twice upon the same string it seems he hath something more than ordinary mind that you should observe the turn The Doctrine was That it is the will of Jesus Christ that his servants should continue in the world though they meet with nothing but trouble in the world I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world let them stay Lord be thou but their Pilot and then keep them at Sea as long as thou wilt God knows his Saints are very serviceable in their generation They are as it were a Pillar of fire unto the rest of the world for guide and light By their Doctrine and Conversation they instruct the godly and convince the wicked God will have his people stay in the World that his power providence mercy and goodness in their preservation may more clearly be discovered that their afflictions here may work out for them an eternal weight of glory These are the reasons why God will have them stay in the World c. Then 1. Saints carry your selves as becomes such in midst of such a World with that wisdom faithfulness carefulness humility that may bring honour both to your selves and to your Profession Walk as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Walk closely warily innocently patiently submissively c. All these are necessary while you are to converse here in this wicked world 1. From that truth But that thou shouldest keep them from the evil Observe preservation from sin is a greater mercy than exemption from suffering Which 1. Informs us of a truth that carnal men will never believe till they come to Hell that that is the height of folly which the men of the world count to be the top of wisdom they think it wisdom to choose sin rather than suffering 2 This will evidence that the people of God are not such Fools as the men of the World think they are but the wisest that will choose the greatest suffering rather than the least sin 3. This reproves those that will take more care to have their afflictions removed than sanctified 4. Be more afraid of sinning and less afraid of suffering what afraid of a lash my child
consider 1. Your absolute need of a Sanctuary You are in the power of the world in the paw of the Devil in the mouth of Danger in the mouth of Hell 2. All other things in the world are not sufficient to become a Sanctuary You may run to the Rocks but they cannot hide you you may make an arm of flesh your strength but it will prove an Aegyptian Reed and run into your hands you may make Riches your refuge The rich mans wealth is his strong Tower but rather it is a Castle in the Air you may make Honours your refuge c. All things unable to be your Sanctuary 3. Consider what a large free present well-furnished unchangeable Refuge and Sanctuary Christ is There are many nay all things in Christ in which a poor soul may take Sanctuary Dost thou want Righteousness He is the Righteous one Dost thou want Sanctification Wisdom Redemption He is all in him Refuge and Sanctuary mayest thou take in his Providence for thy Protection in his Offices for thy Salvation in his Promises for thy Consolation and amongst the rest that which is like the Diamond in the Ring see that great Promise in The Sixteenth Sermon Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna TO him that overcometh i.e. Not that hath by one two or more acts conquered but to him that Overcomes that hath and doth and is overcoming still that goes on conquering and to conquer 2. To him that overcomes thus and this way and this Enemy this greatest Enemy that God hath Truth hath in the World Antipas especially that keeps my Truth inviolable that in a Scriptural way opposes that greatest Enemy I have and opposes him to a conquest To him that overcomes that goes on to overcome that thus overcomes Hence this Observation Believers are all a generation of Conquerours all Conquerours they are all like the Sons of Kings but some Believers are more Conquerours than others some that lay Antichrist upon his back such as out-shoot the Devil in his own Bow that stand out against Satans greatest Batteries that turn his Cannon on himself and cuts off the head of that Goliah with his own sword These are something more than Conquerours But how come Believers to be thus Conquerours They are actuated with a six-fold power 1. With ability to discern all necessary heavenly mysteries and this enables them to overcome Antichrist as he is an erroneous fawning Heretical Prophet 2. With a power to believe all things even such things as though they do not contradict yet exceed the reach of Reason 3. With a power to do all duties I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me These Conquerours cannot do any thing against but any thing for the Truth 4. With a power to suffer all things These Conquerours are ready not only to be bound but to suffer to die for the Name of Jesus and to conquer by dying 5. With a power to forsake all things To look upon all things as dung and dross that they may win Christ 6. They have not only a power of might but of right too as Kings conquer c. But what means are to be used to overcome in the sense of the Text. Answ 1. Study well that little Book of the Revelations indeed the Book of Books the Book of Sacred Scripture in which we have at once the sum of the Saints duty and priviledge and of Gods care and providence over his Church in the latter dayes of the Church c. 2. Concoct this Book by a practical belief of what is revealed in it do not think your own Notions to be Divine Revelations 3. Familiarize the Cross of Christ dye daily in expectation of it and provision for it do not say as Rev. 8.17 I sit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow 4. Labour by a prospect of Faith to antedate those great joyes God hath prepared for those that so suffer as to conquer 5. Buckle on the whole Armour of God and above all leave not out the Shield of Faith 6. Let your Love abound higher by opposition That becomes a Martyrs spirit indeed The more the wind blows it in thy face let that blow up more of thy blood into thy face Let it warm thee more c. 7. Live not by Example but by Rule Those that follow the most whither go they Wide is the gate broad is the way that leads to Damnation and many there be that enter therein The flock of Christ is a little Flock 8. Esteem duty above safety As one It is necessary Rome should be ruined it is not necessary I should be preserved 'T is necessary Religion should be advanced the power of godliness preserved it is not necessary I should be in this or that condition 9. Indulge not the least sin else thou wilt never be Conquerour That-man that will not lay down his Lust for Christ will never lay down his Life for Christ A man can never be resolved for Christ's ways without if not resolved against all impurity within 10. Harden and anoint your selves with practical improvement of Christ's sufferings in Christ's death There was an estimable price to purchase our Conquest an infinite merit to strengthen to encourage our Conquest an all-sufficient virtue to cause our Conquest a pledge of our eternal Conquest we are Conquerours already we do but gather the Spoil Make use of Christ's death as the merit pattern and motive of your Conquest 11. Labour for Sincerity 12. Get well acquainted with Divine Attributes and Divine Promises And such especially as may be most suitable for your condition 13. Abhor the relicks of superstition The very Nest and the very Cage of the Bird is unclean Not a crum of that old Leaven it will sowre the whole lump Antichrist is hugely like the Devil let him get in but one â—aw let him but get in his head he will quickly get in the whole body if you would avoid the paw of Antichrist avoid as much as you can the very parings of his nails 14. Get an experimental knowledge of Gospel-Truths they are your Head-Professors that turn Apostates 15. Let this be your first and chiefest care your first and last to seek and serve God Which if you do as all other things so this priviledge of Conquest shall be added unto you as your Crown Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you Which opens the door to The Seventeenth Sermon Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you FRom this Scripture you had a remedy against solicitous thoughts and fears given in this Proposition that a serious inquiry and earnest pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof is an excellent remedy against distracting cares and fears about provision and safety Seek First and trouble your selves no more Seek
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
Let God have all your thoughts let him be your meditation this is the way to have the best company when you be alone David would meditate of him day and night and professed the meditation of him should be sweet to him Here consider two particulars First Consider that no place state or condition can hinder the soul of this way of secret communion with God and Christ this priviledge could not be denied to a benighted Jacob to an imprisoned Jeremy to an exil'd John in Patmos by this says Jerome Solitudo fit Paradisus a man may turn a Wilderness into a Paradise and therefore we read in Cant. 11.12 how the Spouse invites Christ to go with her as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate Come let 's go into the Fields and lodge in the Villages Secondly Consider in these secret silent visits of the Soul God and Christ do take abundance of delight our Night-thoughts our Field-thoughts our Closet-thoughts are very welcome to them yea when we can do no more but think of God our very thoughts shall be an accepted service Cant. 2.13 He loveth the Fig-tree that putteth forth her green Figges The ripe fruit is in the bud so holy endeavours in pure breathings and desires God accepts when our Infirmity or the Iniquity of the Times may be such that we can doe no more Seventhly If we will have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us then let us walk humbly with God He that beholds the proud afar off will be nigh to them that humble their Souls under his mighty hand Isa 57.15 Thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit God hath two Heavens in which he dwells First His Glory dwells in the high and holy place in Heaven above Secondly His Grace dwells in the humble and lowly spirit Here will I dwell says God Eighthly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you be sure to look to your Hearts that you walk in your uprightness be true to the Word of God be true to your profession There is not in the world a more lively representation and image of God than the heart of the upright therefore God loves so much when he hath drawn his likeness upon them to walk with them therefore David resolves Psal 101.2 I will walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart O when wilt thou come unto me This was the comfort of the Apostle that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world God will be with such and such shall be with God Psal 37.37 Mark the perfect man behold the upright the end of that man is peace And thus God appointed Abraham to walk that he might be with him a God in Covenant Gen. 17. Walk before me be thou perfect and gives him this incouragement I am God all-sufficient God's all-sufficiency being sufficient to keep the soul upright being rightly improved There be two things which usually biass the soul away from God and makes it warp from its holy principles First the Frowns Secondly the Flatteries of the world Against both which there is a sufficient remedy in the All-sufficient God First That which often perverts the soul from the truth is the fear of troubles and wants If I keep my integrity says the soul I shall be undone I shall lose my estate embroyl my self in many troubles perhaps a Prison Exile or Death comes next But what force is there in this tentation if we hear on the other hand God saying If thou wilt be upright fear no troubles no wants I am a God All-sufficient as in Job 22.25 to the end of the Chapter The Almighty shall be thy defence then fear not force Thou shalt have plenty of silver thou shalt gather gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Then fear no wants Secondly There is another thing in the world that hath a very great influence upon the spirit of a man to pervert him and turn him from his integrity and that is the hopes of preferment and greatness of the world But this is but a poor bait if we look upon the All-sufficiency of God Doth the world promise thee Riches God will out-bid the world and give Eternal riches Will the world give Pleasures God will give better with him is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore Will the world give Gold God will give Diamonds Will the world give all its glory God will give thee the glory of a better world rather than that shall be a snare unto thee Ninthly Pray much pray continually God will be in the hearts and houses of his praying people when he hath a curse in store for Prayerless Families in Jer. 10.15 And especially pray for these two things First That God will abide with you and the Kingdom in his Gospel and pure Ordinances that you may dwell in Bethel and not in Bethaven a house of vanity and grief Pray that God would not remove his Candlestick from you not utterly extinguish the light of the Kingdom Secondly Pray and I shall pray with you that God will give you a faithful Pastour after his own heart not according to your hearts that he may teach you by his Doctrine and his Life too a faithful Teacher to go in and out before you to shew you the Word of the Lord one that may be among you as it was said of Athanasius that he was Magnes Adamas 1. Magnes As a Load-stone to draw your souls with a gentle hand and melting heart from your sins Heaven-ward 2. Adamas as an Adamant of an invincible courage and zeal against all sin and prophaneness one that will not spare sin that he may save your souls Pray that God would give you a Star a Star out of his right hand not a churlish Orion that brings a cold barren and cloudy Winter but a benevolent and friendly Pleiades that there may be many Sons brought in to God and your souls may finde a continual spring and that you may be as Trees of his own planting And may flourish in the Courts of the House of our God And may bring forth fruit in old age Tenthly and lastly If you would have the constant abode of God and Christ with you conform conform universally and fully to the Gospel of Christ consent and assent unfeignedly to all the Truths and Doctrines thereof that you may walk worthy of God and all that grace which hath been revealed to you for Christ hath said If a man keep his Word the Father will love him and both Father and Son will come and make their abode with him Wherefore I shall conclude this Exhortation with that of the Apostle Phil. 1.2 7. Only let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you
or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel And to shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Mr. Sclater's Farewell-Sermon 1 John 5. v. 1 and 21. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Little Children keep your selves from Idols THis general Doctrine I have already delivered unto you from this Text which indeed is the marrow and substance of the whole Chapter That Gospel-believing is a duty which they that really perform are highly priviledged by to their greatest advantage I have spoken concerning Gospel-believing and that is a duty and that they that do really perform it are highly dignified and priviledged by it as hath been made to appear from the Chapter that which remains to be done and shall be as God enables the work of this morning is to make improvement of this Doctrine which is one of the most material and momentous Doctrines that can be preached to us Gospel-believing it hath most precious priviledges entailed upon it Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Son of God that Jesus is come in the Flesh is born of God knows God and shall be eternally blessed of God and with God surely then the world runs upon a very great mistake I have hinted something already to that purpose but I have left the more full discussion and discovery of the matter untill now Why who is there among the generality of common Professors that is not very pregnant to hold forth this to be their Faith If so be that it should be put to the Question Friend what is your Faith What belief are you of Why not one in a thousand I think but will be apt to say Why truly I will give you this account There is a Gospel Gospel which is preached among us and in the world and this Gosspel doth hold forth this for true Doctrine that Jesus the Son of Mary that was born at Bethlehem is the Christ is the Messiah which was promised by the Father and which the world did live in expectation of so long This Jesus I believe is the Son of God this Jesus I verily believe is come in the flesh and he is come to be the Saviour of the world This is the Belief and that which is the common Profession that is made by the generality of people Why but will you consider now this Text and other Scriptures do speak fully to the purpose Whosoever doth believe this that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he is come in the flesh whosoever believes this is of God is born of God And it doth clearly appear and may be most convincingly made out that many thousands that profess their belief concerning these things yet notwithstanding are not born of God Why certainly there must needs be a great fallacy in the business Gospel-faith and Believing it is not so common a thing as many take it to be and therefore if this be Gospel-faith and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious priviledges truly it concerns us to look well to it that we be not mistaken concerning this belief Now this I would say there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the world and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ And this we are to say that in such a time as that was when this was the critical point as it were the discriminating thing in such a time for any to make this Profession and to hold forth this to be their Faith and Belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God it was of high signification and might very well as to man beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons that certainly they were born of God as to man and according to rational Charity it might be very comfortable that such persons as did thus believe and profess this to be their Faith and Belief there were some blessed beam upon their Souls for mark you it hath been thus in the world and among the people of it concerning matters of God and Godliness that there hath been such and such a Truth that hath been the Critical Truth as I said that hath been as I may so say the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another I allude to that passage in the Book of Judges concerning the Gileadites they made a profession of themselves to be such and such and they were put to it to pronounce Shiboleth they that could not speak out the word and clearly pronounce it they were not judged to be persons that they professed themselves to be but they that could do it held their liberty so such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point upon the account of the desperate opposition that the world makes against it and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers and the rest of the world were desperately bent against Jesus they called him Jesus but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God it was an Act and Decree amongst them That whosoever should confess Jesus to be Christ should be put out of the Synogogue should be excommunicated Now for persons at such time wherein it was as much as their liberty it may be their lives weâ—â— worth to own that Jesus Christ was the Son of God for persons now â—t such a time to own this Jesus that was in so mean a condition to be the Christ there is very much in it infinitely more than for persons now to take up this profession Why because this Doctrine hath obtained in the world and it is a Doctrine among Papists as well as Protestants there is no such danger now for persons to be of this belief But shall I say this that for all that to believe this really according to the right account and true genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing the case is the same with them and with us at this day setting aside the consideration of times and time the danger then and the encouragement now the Case is the same Gospel-believing of these truths according to a genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing it is the same now as then and then as now And therefore we must consider and look further I would put these few things to your Consciences You profess this to be your Faith you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that he is come in the flesh these things you profess to believe if you do so indeed you are highly
privileged people blessed of God shal be to all eternity but do you not mistake Do you believe this that Jesus is the Christ How came you by this belief What account can you give of it How were you brought over to this belief Did you not come to this Faith and belief by common report You were born to this Doctrine you look upon it as that which is the benefit you have by your being born in a Nation and among a people that profess the Name of Christ and this hath been instilled into you by Education and upon this account you take it Did you ever buy this truth It is a Truth that Jesus is the Christ How came iâ—to be yours Did you ever buy this Truth Buy it I say buy it For the very Truth is we are never able to make a good Title to any Scripture-Truth untill such time as we can say we have bought it How why by serious meditation studying the Scriptures searching into them seriously pondering and weighing of them crying mightily to God that he would manifest them to us and encountring temptations from without and from within being at a point willing to engage liberty and estate and life and all for this Truths sake Can you say we have pondered and are so fully satisfied about it as that if all the World should come in a way of contradiction and rise up in opposition to us and come with fire and sword to beat us out of this Truth yet we are resolved to stick to it Can you give such an account of your selves That you have not taken it up upon a common report but are able to say there hath been an inward Revelation made of these things to your Souls that there hath been a sanctified work of the Spirit upon your understanding that you come to see into the mystery of these Gospel-Testimonies Is there an habitual frame of Spirit wrought in you whereby you are carryed out to close with every Truth of God and to close with it upon this account because of a Divine Authority stampt upon it When we give assent to common Truths but not with a common spirit but in the strength of an inward conviction we assent to it upon the account of an Unction that we have received from the Holy One and we assent to this and that truth upon the account of a Divine Authority which we see to be stampt upon it and withall we finde that there are suitable workings of our heart in the loves and desires and delights of them to these Truths as there will be a kindly working of the heart where there is a right assent suitable to the Truths assented to as if there be a Threatning the Soul assents to it and will tremble before God If a Promise be made or a Gospel-Revelation it will be accompanied with a holy rejoycing in God that ever he should make such a Promise or Revelation and then there will be a holy resolution of Spirit Come what will come I will never part with this Truth I have bought the Truth that was my duty and having bought it I will never sell it that is my duty too can we give such an account as this But then withal let me a little further improve that which I have already spoke from the Chapter You say this is your belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of GOD but can you give an account of those priviledges that are entailed upon this belief For you must know that the priviledges which belong to such will serve as evidences that they are such Now if you believe it is your priviledge to be born of God and this being born of God must be the evidence of this belief Can you give an account of your being born of God If you are not born of God you do not believe That Jesus is the Christ Can you give an account of your overcoming the World Are you such as are enabled to stand out in opposition to the Errours and Heresies and corrupt Doctrines and Practises that are in the World Can you bear up against the lust of the Eye the lust of the Flesh and the pride of Life If you are in slavery to the World in bondage to the beggarly Rudiments of the world you are mistaken if you believe That Jesus is the Christ For he that believeth according to the true interpretation of Gospel-believing That Jesus is the Christ doth overcome the World and by vertue of this belief he is enabled to get a conquest over the World and over the Corruptions that are in it through lust And then again you profess to believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Oh! but are you able to give an account that you have believed into this Jesus and upon this Jesus For that is it the Text holds forth He that believes that Jesus is the Christ doth believe on Jesus the Christ Are you by vertue of this believing which you profess drawn out to a closing with Christ Do you roll your selves upon him Own him for Righteousness and Salvation and are willing to yield your selves up in subjection to him You believe Jesus to be the Christ but do you believe on that Jesus whom you profess to be the Christ Now this being thus laid down as a Foundation I would inferr thus and so go on to a farther branch of this Application Either you do really believe with a Gospel-believing the Truths and Doctrines concerning Christ or you do not Why they that do profess they do but in truth they do not there is a clear and manifest contradiction which this profession meets withal and that upon the accounts I have formerly given as alas this profession suffers contradiction generally generally the Professours of this Faith That Jesus is Christ doe clearly make a flat contradiction and I am very confident that there are thousands that if they should be put to the trial Will you stick to this truth If you do it shall cost you the losse of your Liberty and Estates Nay your Life shall go for it Oh! I am very apt to think that you shall have thousands that will turn their backs upon this Profession renounce this Profession Now concerning such this I would say First That the condition of such persons as are not right in Gospel-believing is a most mournful and miserable condition however it may be with them in other respects yet it is sad to think what a condition they are in for consider first of all they that do not perform this great duty of Gospel-believing according to the truth and reality of it I will tell you what they do they do give God the lye they do by interpretation tell God to his face that he is a very Liar and what higher blaspheming can there be than to give the lye to the God of Truth every one will be apt to bless themselves and say Oh far be it from me God forbid
that I should be charged with such a horrid impiety as this Oh but Brethren the very truth is it is a very common thing by interpretation to give the lye to God and all that do not believe according to that Gospel-believing that you have heard do tell God to his face that he is a Liar How doth that appear Why take a little help such I am able to give you To profess that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that he came to be the Saviour of the World is ordered out to be our Righteousness is sent of God to preach Liberty to captives to heal diseased souls and to deliver poor creatures from the bondage of the Devil these things people generally profess to believe but mark you now they never come to Christ nor never set in with him upon this account and to this purpose O Lord thou art the Jesus the Anointed of God I come to thee for life I am a poor dead creature I am in a state of unrighteousness and thou art given to be for righteousness Lord I flye to thee for it I am a poor diseased creature the Plague is set upon my soul and thou art appointed to heal the Soul of the Plague I come to thee for healing There is not one of thousands that come thus to Christ Will you now see how the lye is given to God I profess for my part saith one I know no such matter Jesus is the Christ and I profess to believe so and he is appointed of God for such and such things he is sent to preach liberty to the captives I know not that there is such bondage Christ came to save sinners alas I know no need of any such salvation by him he came to heal diseased Souls I am well enough what need have I of Christ What is this but to give the lye to God He that receives not Christ makes God a liar for he doth in effect say Lord thou sayest so and so concerning the World I know nothing of all this and so the lye is given to God And is it nothing to give the lye to the great God the God of Truth And I tell you while you profess this Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God and in the mean time flye not to him you believe him to be the Son of God and that all authority is given unto him and you will not subject to his authority why you give the lye to God and is this nothing 2. Consider the sad condition of such as believe not according to a right Gospel-believing they are such as are liable to the dreadfulest touches from the Devil that possibly can be He that believeth is born of God overcomes the World and is enabled to keep himself that the wicked one doth not touch him with a mortiferous touch But I tell thee whatever thou art that are under the power of unbelief thou are in danger of a dreadful touch from the Prince of Darkness And if thou livest and diest in a state of unbelief thou wilt fall under the power of condemnation I remember what our Saviour speaks and consider well of it You stand out in opposition to my Doctrine but I tell you Except you believe I am he you shall dye in your sins a dreadful word you shall dye in your sins and what then be damned eternally this is the condition of all such as are in a state of unbelief But then on the other hand in case we be able to give a good account of our believing that Jesus is Christ the Son of God and of our believing on him concerning whom these Testimonies are given Oh what cause have all such to rejoyce in their condition the condition of such persons is happy beyond all expression and comprehension that have owned these Truths owned that Jesus of whom these faithful testimonies are given Now all the Chapter according to the account I have given you comes in to the purpose of comforting and rejoycing the hearts of such persons Here is your comfort now really believing according to a right interpretation of Gospel-believing this is your priviledge you are the persons that are born from above you are the persons that shall be enabled to overcome the world to bear up against all opposition that Men and Devils can make against you you are the persons that have the witness within you and you shall be able to bear up against all the contradictions of sinners you are the persons that have Christ and have eternal life by him you shall have it nay you have it already He that believeth on the Son of God hath eternal life he hath it in the beginnings of it and shall have it in the compleat state of it being brought over to Gospel-believing you may come with boldness to God in a way of Prayer with holy confidence that whatever else you ask believing you shall have a good account of it God doth not neglect any believing Prayer of a believing Soul And all the priviledges of the Gospel are entailed upon you and you are entitled unto them and you shall have the benefit of them while you live and when you dye unto all eternity well may it be said of such a person Blessed is be and she that hath believed with a Gospel-believing Gospel-Truths and Testimonies concerning Christ and on Christ on whom those Testimonies are given for there shall be a full and perfect accomplishment of what ever God hath spoken with his mouth concerning such And then lastly if the Grace of God hath brought us over to a closing with Christ of whom these Truths and Testimonies are given why the last branch of the explication is but this That you would but justifie your believing and labour to manifest the reality of your believing according to the Gospel by a suitable walking this is that that shall be the closing up of this application Oh Brethren let us consider well our Saviour tells us in Matth. 11. Wisdom is justified of her Children Why if ever we mean to approve our selves to be Wisdoms Children our care must be for to give in our Justification of Wisdoms sayings and for to carry it in a congruousness and suitableness unto that Gospel-believing which we profess to be by grace brought over to Why but what is that you will say why consider the Text and see what remains of the Chapter I shall make it our give it out to you in this way Why first of all this one special duty that lies upon you That you would study your mercy and know what God hath been to you and done for you and how highly you are dignified and not be always in a fluctuating state and upon the questioning and disputing point but to come to some well grounded confidence that you may be able to say We know that this and that is our condition and this and that is our dignified priviledge that we are planted under Do but
the Cross Father into thy hand I commend my Spirit Believe it Christian thou that art truly such it will afford thee more comfort than that God is thy Heavenly Father and thou his Child by Adoption and Regeneration then if thou wert related to the greatest Prince and the puissant Monarch in all the world Thus I have done with the first Use which is a Use of Consolation to the godly upon this consideration that they are the Children of God and that he is their Heavenly Father 2 Vse for Caution Secondly If it be so that all true Believers are the Children of God and that he is their Father then this should caution wicked men to beâ—are how they meddle with Gods Children Oh! have a care of afflicting wronging persecuting hurting of the people of God lest you be found fighters against God have a care of anoying and troubling those that are so near and dear to God that are so tender to him as the apple of his eye beware of vexing and molesting those that are so nearly related to the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords you may think it may be that you may do what you will to the godly because they are low and mean in the world as many of them are But I must tell you as mean and as low as they are in your esteem they are near and dear to God carnal men may think they may oppress and wrong and do what they please to the people of God because they are weak and not able to help themselves but little do they think how nearly the great God doth account himself concern'd in their affairs little do the great ones of the world consider what heavy reckoning will be laid to their charge one day for injuring wronging and molesting the poor servants of God if they did surely we should not have them so busily imployed therein as they are Thus for the second Use 3. Vse for Examination Thirdly Is it so that Believers have God for their Heavenly Father then here is matter of Tryal how shall we know whether God be our Father or no and whether we be his children in this peculiar manner by Adoption and Regeneration It is true God is a Father to us by Creation and we are his Children by Profession but if this be all the relation that we bear to God this will not entitle us to holiness and salvation without we are regenerate and born again and are become his Children by Regeneration and God be our Father by vertue of the new Covenant We are all by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 How shall we know then whether we are gotten into the state of Son-ship by Adoption and Regeneration and whether God be our heavenly Father there are manâ—â—hat pretend that the have God for their Father when as yet they are under the Dominion of their lusts and are strangers to a work of true conversion and regeneration and enemies to a life of holiness and a groundless presumption that men are the Children of God when there is no such matter hath proved the bane of many thousand souls I shall therefore give you these characters whereby we may know whether we are the children of God in this peculiar manner or no. First Whose Image do you bear do you bear the Image of God or else do you bear the Image of Saran Those that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration they are such as bear their Fathers Image the Image of God which is created in righteousneâ—s and in true holiness is ingraven upon their souls they are such as do bear the Image of the heavenly Adam 1 Cor. 15.49 And they have put â—n the New man which is created in knowlâ—dge after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.10 And it is so with thee dost thou bear the Image of God hast thou a new and holy nature put into thee inclining thee to all holy duties and avoid all sin art thou renewed in holiness then thou art a Child of God and God is thy Heavenly Father but if it be not thus with thee if thou hast not this new and holy nature wrought in thee but thy old corrupt nature is predominant inclining thee to sin whatsoever groundless presumption thou mayst have yet thou art no true Child of God by Regeneration and Adoption Secondly Wouldst thou know whether thou art the true child of God or no by whose spirit art thou led by the spirit of God or by the spirit of Satan they that have God for their Father are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God try thy self then by this art thou led by the spirit of God Dost thou live after the flesh and not after the spirit Dost thou mind the things of the spirit and not the things of the flesh if so then thou mayst comfortably conclude that thou art the Child of God and that he is a heavenly Father we may know our Sonship by our spirit if we are the Sons of God by Adoption and Regeneration then we are led by a spirit of God which is a spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.15 A spirit of liberty making us free from the dominion of our lusts and from the slavery of sin and Satan 2 Cor. 3.17 John 8.32 A spirit of love to God and to the people of God 1 John 5 2. Thirdly We may know whether God be our heavenly Father or no by this do we labor to set forth the honour of God Children they are very tender of the honour of their Parents this is a great duty to honour earthly Parents Exod. 20.11 much more should we honour God which is the Father of Spirits If I am your Father where is mine honour saith Christ if God be our Father where is that honour that we should yield to him if we are the Children of God by Regeneration and Sanâ—â—ification then we are tender of the honour of Christ it will make our hearts rise to hear his Name blasphemed or taken in vain his Salbaths prophaned his Worship corrupted by humanâ— mixtures his Creatures abused unto excess his Commandments broken these things will grieve and trouble us more than any thing if we are Gods Children in truth But if we can see God dishonoured by the unholy lives of carnal men his Commands trampled under foot and yet not be grieved at this but canst close in with those that make it their business to dishonour God then thou art no Child of God in this particular sense the great dishonour that is brought to God in the world is a sad sign that there 's but few very few that are in truth the Children of God and the abounding and increasing of all sorts of sin whereby God is exceedingly dishonoured drunkenness swearing Sabbath-breaking uncleanness lying extortion oppression scorning and deriding at Holiness contempt of Gods Ordinances Persecution of his
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
interest in the Heavenly Kingdom they have Heavenly hearts if their Treasure be in Heaven their hearts will be there also Mat. 6.20 21. Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt and Thieves break through and steal for where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also And is it so with us are our hearts taken up with the Heavenly glory Are our meditations and contemplations much on Heavenly objects Or else are they taken up only or mostly with earthly vanities Are our hearts on our Riches Pleasures c. Or else are they placed upon Heaven and Heavenly things If we have a title to the Kingdom of Heaven our hearts minds and affections will be Heavenly and taken up with Heavenly Objects Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth Thirdly Wouldest thou know whether thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven or no How dost thou like the employment of Heaven if thou likest the employment of Heaven then thou mayest comfortably conclude that thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Canst thou say thou delightest to be employed in serving and in glorifying God and in worshipping of him in spirit and truth according to his word Canst thou say in truth that thou delightest to do the will of God here on earth as it is done by the Angels in heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect there Dost thou take delight to be employed in that employment that the Saints of heaven are and shall be for ever employed in Dost thou take pleasure to adore and praise and magnifie the ever blessed God Dost thou take pleasure in the duties of Religion and rejoyce to be conversing with God in prayer and in other holy exercises and to be enjoying communion with him if it be thus with thee as I have now described this this will evidently make out thy Title for Heaven Many Thousands pretend that their designs are to go to Heaven and they presumptuously conclude that they have an interest in that Kingdom when as they like not the Heavenly employment in themselves or others and they care not to get acquaintance with God here on earth and are strangers to the duties of Religion and to a life of holiness and perhaps spends and hour in a week or it may be in a moneth in secret prayer or in other holy exercises and it may be neglect the worship of God in their Families too but if we are unacquainted with the imployment of Heaven which is to praise and magnifie worship and adore God if thou delightest not so to do thou canst not conclude that thou hast a Title to Heaven but if thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven then thou dost most of all delight in that imployment which hath most of Heaven in it Fourthly If thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou hast a special love to the heirs of Heaven and thou hast a near and dear affection to the people of God though they be despised rejected scorned and persecuted by the prophane world and thou dost delight in the company of those on Earth which are like to be thy companions in Heaven and thou hadst rather have the society of those howsoever mean and low in the world that have the trueth of grace in them than of all the stately and glittering gallants of the World that are strangers to a Life of holiness and the more holy and heavenly they are in their hearts and lives the more amiable will their company be to thee 1 Job 3.14 Psal 15.4 Put thy self to the question whether it be thus with thee or no and thou shalt finde out thy title to heaven thereby Lastly If thou hast a title to Heaven then thou art so far at a point with all the riches and pleasures and enjoyments of the World as that thou wilt rather forgo them all than forsake Christ and rather part with them all rather than they shall hinder thee in thy way towards Heaven and if thou art brought so far at a pinch as that thou must either forsake thy interest in Christ and Heaven or to forgo thy worldly accommodations thou art very willing to forgo them all that thou mayest stick close to Christ and go forward in thy way to thy Heavenly Inheritance thus it was with the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.7 8. But what things saith he were gain to me those I accounted loss for Christ Yea doubtless I account all things but loss for the exceâ—ency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do account them but dung that I may win Christ And is it so with us then when riches honour and pleasure do stand in competition with Christ and hinder us in our progress in grace and holiness are we willing and ready to cast them away as we would cast away Dung if it be thus with us in reality then we may conclude we have a title to Heaven and an interest in the eternal glory By these things Beloved you may try whether you have an interest in Heaven or no. Having finished the Use of Examination I shall come to the next Use which is the last that I shall speak unto which an Use of Exhortation Is it so that the consideration of a Believers interest in the Heavenly Glory is enough to bear up his spirit under all the trials and tribulations of this Life then Oh that you which cannot upon Trial finde that you have a title to Heaven that you would labour after an interest in the Heavenly Glory if thou hast no interest there what good will all the enjoyments of the World do thee how quickly will all thy comforts and pleasures leave thee and what little cause hast thou to rejoyce in the abundance of outward things if thou hast no title to the durable riches if thou art void of the riches of grace here and hast no title to the riches of Glory hereafter what wilt thou do in a day of Tryal and in an hour of trouble and calamity What wilt thou do when Losses Crosses Troubles and Vexations shall compass thee about if thou hast not an Heavenly interest to support thee under them What wilt thou do when Pains and Anguish when Diseases Sickness and Death shall seize upon thee if thou hast not a Title to thy Heavenly inheritance These things will certainly and speedily come upon us how far off soever we may put them in our thoughts the proud looks of the lofty will quickly be turned into an earthly paleness though they look as big and carry themselves as high as if they had a protection from Hell and the Grave and those bodies which we now take so much care to please and pamper will
takes from you it 's less then you owe him and how little soever he leaves you it 's more than he owes you therefore in stead of murmuring that your condition is so ill bless God that it is no worse saying with Ezra Ez. 9.13 Thou O Lord hast punisht us less than our Iniquities have deserved Mr. COOPER'S FAREWELL-SERMON PHIL. 4.9 Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of Peace shall be with you THE Amannensis or Pen-man of this Epistle was Paul the Apostle who being Prisoner at Rome takes occasion from the benevolence of the Philippians sent unto him by Epaphroditus for the supply of his wants there to confirm them by this Epistle in the Faith notwithstanding his bonds to encourage them in godliness and walking worthy of the Gospel but especially in stedfastness unity and lowliness of mind to warn them against certain perverse Zealots of the Law who mingled Works with Faith in point of Justification and in a word to quicken them to the practice of all Christian duties My Text salls under the last of these heads wherein our blessed Apostle being about to Epilogize and drawing towards a conclusion endeavours to Epitomize his whole Epistle and to give them in a few words the sum of all his Apostolick Advice which was That they should live up to their knowledge practising with all saithfulness the things they had both learned and heard and received from the Lord by him Those things saith he which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you In which words you may observe these two things 1. A Precept holding forth the duty and employment of a Christian Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do 2. A Promise holding forth the priviledge and encouragement of a Christian And the God of Peace shall be with you First For the Precept it holds forth the duty an employment of a Christian and that is to live up to his knowledge to transcribe the Law of God into his life and to practice with all diligence what ever he hath learned and heard and received from the Lord whether by precept or example Secondly For the Promise it holds forth the priviledge and encouragement of a Christian and that is that doing what he knows and exercising himself in the practise of what he hath both heard and learned and received from the Lord he is sure to have God's presence with him not only in regard of his Essence for so he is every where and with every man present neither can he be otherwise but also in regard of his grace and savour Doct. Those that walk in obedience with God he will always be graciously present with them The God of Peace will vouchsafe his gracious presence to all those who have heard received and learned whether by Precept or Example the Truth as it is in Jesus are careful to do accordingly Such as yield obedience to God's holy Will endeavouring to practice what they have heard and to live up to the Truths they have learned shall never be forsaken but God will always afford them his gracious presence If any man practice what he knows provided that he know the Truth as it is in Jesus if any man walk in obedience with God endeavouring to express what he hath heard and learned and received from him by the holiness of his life and conversation the Lord will be graciously present with that man as a Pilot to guide him as a Rock to sustain him and as a Fountain of living water to minister all fulness to him In the prosecution of this Doctrine having shewed you how the Lord will be present with them that walk in obedience with him I shall give you the Reasons evincing it and so come to the practical improvement of the whole by way of Use and Application First Therefore by way of Explication The Lord will be graciously present with those that walk in obedience with him these eight wayes 1. By way of gracious Acceptation Never did any man yet study to approve himself to God in a way of dutiful obedience but the Lord also was present with him in a way of gracious acceptance A wicked man not studying obedience to God finds no acceptance with him in ought that he doth the sighs of a wicked man are unsavoury his solemn Sacrifice is as dung and his prayers are abominable God will not come near him for his breath is infectious But for those that live up to their knowledge God highly favours them and takes all that they do in good part Not a good word falls from their lips but is recorded Mal. 3.16 Not a tear drops from their eyes but 't is taken up and bottled Psal 56.8 Their weak prayers sound like melody their broken sighs smell like Incense Gen. 8.21 and their very stammerings seem Rhetorical Cant. 2.14 When all the glistering shews of hypocrites evaporate and come to nothing yet they that study to walk in obedience with God are crowned with acceptation We oftentimes come to God with broken pravers but if we be such as make it our care to practice what we have heard and learned and received God spell can out our meaning and will take our weak performances as a most grateful present 2 Cor. 8.12 2. By way of Direction The Pilot by his presence in the Ship and by his Skill and Activity turns the Rudder of the Ships and guides the course thereof steering a right course towards the desired Haven So God as a spiritual Pilot is present in the Ship of every obedient Soul guiding it by his Counsel and enabling it by the direction and guidance of his own holy spirit to steer a right course to the Haven of Eternal Rest By nature we understand not the things of the Spirit of God neither indeed can we because they are spiritually discerned but saith Christ if any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God John 7.17 Knowledge is the Pilot to guide us in our obedience if Zeal be not according to knowledge it 's will-worship and there is no better way to become knowing than by doing and practising what we have already learned The disobedient and ungodly are in darkness until now neither can they discern as they ought what concerns their everlasting peace but the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him endeavouring to do what they know and he will teach them the way that they should choose Psal 25 12 14. Oh then how great is this priviledge that God will resolve our doubts acquaint us what is his Will and give his Spirit to lead us into all necessary Truths when we make it our care to answer our knowledge with suitable practise He that doth not what he knows shall not shortly know what to do
Christ Jesus Consult with flesh and blood and that will never teach you to believe but an ignorant presumptuous Faith This concerneth me not to have my thoughts plunged about this or that worldly care but to become a new Creature in the renewing of the spirit of the mind Fourthly Consider ever 1. To follow Peace 2. To follow Holiness 3. To exercise Patience 1. To follow Peace Two of these you have in the Hebrews Heb. 14. Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which none shall see God Do not esteem it your interest to contend Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts Fret not thy self because of evil doers It is an easie matter to sin in our Anger a rare thing to moderate anger against sin so as not to sin in that anger 2. To follow Holiness Refuse Peace that cannot be enjoyed without Holiness It is upon the view of God I shall see what kind of love he is and Christ saith Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Resolve to follow holiness not greatness riches c. And he that will do so Christ saith shall suffer persecution in this present world Wherefore it will be good to consider 3. To exercise patience Let us add upon that account 1. Love not the World 2. Love not your own Wills 3. Value your own Souls 1. Not the World The Text saith 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the Love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the Lust of the flesh the Lust of the eye and the Pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World And the World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of the Father abideth for ever The love of this world maketh a man to be in respect of the Prince of this world as a Bird in the Fowlers snare There is no way sooner to sin away their everlasting Love than to love this present World 2. Love not your own Wills That person is neither prepared to do for God nor to suffer for him that nath not learned something of this lesson of Self-denial There is no divine service but in doing Gods Will and that I cannot do but by parting with my own delivering up my self unto him to be led and guided by his holy Spirit Christ saith If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself take up his Cross and follow me 3. Value your own Souls The great care and consult is for gratifying the body if but part of that time were spent on the soul which is on the needless care of the body it might render it in a far better and more goodlier posture Let every one think I carry that in my bosome is of more value than the whole worlâ— neither can the whole world recompence the loss of it and if we have such jewels let us take care to secure them A careless common spirit doth not become a Christian Let none imploy their time in disputing this or that vain Opinion but spend it on your souls Secondly In order unto the particular divine Providence now ending of our Ministry unto you 1. Whatever happeneth on this account let it be your exercise to cry out for the holy Spirit of Christ he will grant you a greater supply than you may expect from any man whatever So Christ comforteth his Disciples Though I go yet I will pray unto the Father and he shall send you another Comforter and he biddeth them pray for it also Even so as for what concerneth us this we cannot be denyed to pray that God would send out his holy Spirit among you and upon you and while we may speak unto you we desire you to pray for it also Our work did lye but to bâ—ing men to Repentance by conviction of sin to believing by the shewing of Righteousness and to convince of both by Christs conquest over sin This Christ sheweth his holy Spirit the Comforter can do Joh. 16.8 9 10 11. And when he is come he shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of sin because they believe not on me of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more of Judgment because the Prince of this world is Judged This is a suitable and sufficient reply 1 Joh. 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him That Anointing was the Spirit pour'd out on our Head Christ Jesus and ran down the skires of his garments not that instruction should cease but this Spirit can either fill it administred or supply it being wanting And the withdrawing of this present Ministry may be to cause you to pray more incessantly for this holy Spirit day and night And Christ promiseth The Father will give it to them that ask it 2. Be more frequent in your converse with the Scripture It is the Pillar of Truth and by a frequent converse with it also you will find a pure mind stirred up to remember 3. Be more frequent in Meditation Let not the world swallow up all your time so as not to meditate on your Souls the Scriptures and Heaven The meditation on Gods Law keepeth us from the Counsel of the ungodly from standing among sinners or sitting down in the seat of the scornful Psal 1. It is worthy of our wonder any should read the Scriptures believing them indicted by a holy Spirit and yet scorn Holiness Religion c. 4. Be more usual in personal private and family Duties Devotion God doth call those that know how to address themselves unto him to a more earnest private devotion Jacob was alone when he wrestled for a blessing There are particular seasons in which God calleth his people into a retirement Isaiah 26 20 21. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy dores about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities So also Zech. 12.11 12. And in that day shal be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the Land shal mourn every Family apart the Family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Levi apart and their Wives apart all the Families that remain every Family apart and their Wives apart In that day there shal be a Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and for Vncleanness If I
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless
The keeping of it in your memories judgements and profession will be but in vain unless you keep it in your hearts Lay up and hide the Word of God in your hearts let the desire and delight of your soul be in the Way of the Lord with the Psal 119.111 Thy Testimonies have I taken for mine heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 'T is the Caracter of the Godly man Psal 1.1 2. He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 5. Keep the VVay of the Lord in your lives and conversation walking therein conscientiously observing the Commandments of God to do accordingly I am speaking to those who have chosen the way of the Lord to walk in and they may read what the Lord saith in that Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left you shall walk in all the Wayes that the Lord your God hath commanded you and to as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God Having this opened this Duty take these few Directions among the many that might be given 1 Let the Spirit of Christ be your guide and principle I am speaking unto such as have the Spirit of Christ Now if you consult that Ezek 36.27 You shall find that the Lord promiseth his people that he will put his Spirit within them and to what promise viz. both to encline enable and guide them to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandmenâ—s to do them There is no entring into the way of the Lord but by the Spirit Joh. 3 3. we all naturally being gon astray wander from the way of the Lord and it is the spirit only that can and doth reduce men into this way and the best being but lame and having not only a principle of halting in but declining from it there is no walking in this Way but by the assistance and guidance of the Spirit Let therefore the Spirit of God be your guide it is comprised that he shall lead you into all truth John 16.13 Let the spirit be your principle walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 then you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Make the Word of God your rule I have heretofore from that John 6 39. and 1 Tim. 3.15 and several other places cleared to you that it is given of God for this end to be the rule both for Faith and Practice Keep therefore unto this and by no meanes depart from this if you would keep the Way of the Lord. Here you have the Lord revealing his Way and that clearly and plainly so that the most simple that apply themselves to it may understand it the Scriptures are a perfect and a constant rule Therefore as in that Isa 8.26 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them There are some that make the Light within their rule and that in opposition to the Word but the Light in such is Darkness for if they speak not according to this Word if it be but diverse from though not directly opposite unto it then there is no light in them Indeed the Light within that is Concience enlightned is a rule but it is Regula Regulata a Ruled Rule There is Regula Regulans and Regula Regulata A Ruling Rule and a Ruled Rule The former is a Rule to the latter by which it is to be tryed and approved The Word of God is a Ruling Rule and Conscience is a Ruled Rule which is to be obeyed as far as it speaks according to the Word and no further If therefore you would keep the Way of the Lord do not despise Conscience do not neglect the Light within but make it not thy Rule make the Word of God thy Rule admit not of any thing that is belonging to the Way of the Lord that is not grounded upon or not warranted by his Word If you would keep the Way of the Lord hold fast to what is written stick to the Word That saying of Austin is famous Sive de Christo sive de Ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re non dico si nos sed si Angelus sed coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis accipistes Anathema sit Not to say If we but if an Angel from heaven shall preach any thing of Christ or of the Church or of any other thing besides what ye have received in the Scripture let him be accursed Like to that Gal. 1.8 9. The Word is the heavenly Compass whereby we may be directed to steer our course aright to the Haven of happiness Keep you to the Word while one says this is the way and another that Try all things by the Rule of the Word and make that your Rule to walk by Hence when Paul was taking his leave of the Church at Ephesus in that Acts 20. in his Farewel-Sermon that after his departure they might keep the way of the Lord you may read what he commends to them verse 32. And your brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified He commends the Word of God to them So Beloved now that I may no more speak to you from this place for the teaching of you the right and the good way I recommend to you the Word of the Lord which will be a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your paths to guide you in the Way of the Lord till you attain the end of your Faith the Salvation of your souls What knowledge I have of the way of the Lord what I have taught you of the way of the Lord I have been taught by the Spirit of the Lord through the Word and though you want the great help of a plain powerful and faithful Ministry for the future yet let not those that are sincere in desiring to walk in the way of the Lord be discouraged by those who would make them believe that the Word is hard to be understood for that as it is more from malignity in us than difficulty in the Scriptures that the most do not understand them so they are easie to be understood by them that sincerely endeavour it being not onely most plain and clear in teaching the way of the Lord but also appointed to enlighten the eyes and make wise the simple Psal 19 7 8. Yea the entrance of it giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119.130 And how weak and simple soever any of the Saints may be in worldly matters and in the Worlds account yet of them all is that spoken 1 John 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him
abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye even as it hath been taught you ye shall abide in him Though they corrupt and pervert this Text that make use of it to the disannulling of all Ministerial teaching for if John had meant so to what purpose did he write this Epistle yet when God depriveth us of this help this Scripture affords support and comfort to the Saints that by the Spirit in them they shall be enabled to understand what he teacheth in the Word so as to abide in the Lord and in his Way as they have been taught Having then the Spirit for your principle and guide let the Word be your Rule and you shall keep the Way of the Lord according to that promise Isaiah 35.8 The wayfaring-men though fools shall not erre therein 3. Let the example of Christ be your pattern that you may keep the Way of the Lord set this Copy alwayes before you He always kept the Way of the Lord as he came down from Heaven to do the Will of his Father John 6.38 so he did alwayes those things that did please him John 8.29 He never departed in the least from the Way of the Lord He knew nâ— sin neither was guile found in his mouth If then you would keep the Way of the Lord learn of him follow him walk even as he walked Indeed in the things that are proper to Christ as God or as Mediator therein he is not to be imitated by us but in the things that he did or suffered as man he left us an example or pattern that we should follow his steps 2 Pet. 2.21 Hence that Exhortation of his Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meâ—k and lowly in heart That then you may be directed as well as encouraged to keep the Way of the Lord look to Jesus and walk as you have him for an example Indeed the Apostle exhorts to walk as you have him for an example Phil. 3.17 But knowing that he could give you but an imperfect Copy he exhorts in that 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ It may be of good use to us to minde the examples of the Apostles and faithful Ministers of the Gospel that have walkt on in the Way of the Lord before us But forasmuch as there in none of them even Peter himself but went awry more or less therefore make the example of Christ your pattern Time will not permit to prosecute this at large I shall only offer some few particulars from the example of Christ to you such as may be most seasonable to further you in keeping the Way of the Lord. 1. It was the work and business of the Lord Jesus Christ to do the Will of his Father to do what pleased him As he came down from Heaven to do his Father's Will as you before heard from John 6.68 so he made it his work and business To this purpose is that Luke 2.49 How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business with that John 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his work If then you will keep the Way of the Lord herein be ye followers of Christ let it be your work and business to do the Will of the Lord and to walk in all well-pleasing before him Let the Exhortation be in the words of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.1 Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exhort you That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God so ye would abound more and more 1. It was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ to look on all the sufferings that came upon him as coming from the hand of his Father in accomplishment of his Word and therefore quietly to submit to them To this purpose is it that he tells Pilate in John 19.11 Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above He looks beyond Pilate to him that was above So John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it He overlooks the instruments and looks on his sufferings as a Cup put into his hand by his Father And as he observed the hand of his Father in the sufferings that came upon him so he takes notice that they are in accomplishment of Scripture Mat. 26.53 54. Thinkest thou that I could not now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be and he takes notice that the Scripture had foretold that thus it must be and that he must suffer and enter into glory as he clears iâ— in that of Luke 24.25 26. Therefore though he prayed if it be possible as Matthew hath it and if thou be willing let this Cup pass from me as Luke hath it yet he quietly submits to his Father's Will with a Not my will but thine be done And as Mat. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it let thy will be done Thus you see how by looking to the Fathers hand he willingly submits to what sufferings came upon him That you may keep the Way of the Lord in the midst of all the sufferings you are like to meet with herein following the Lord Jesus Christ eying the hand of your gracious Father in all the sufferings that come upon you of what nature soever and by whomsoever inflicted and what ever may be the ends of those by whom you suffer yet that they are all ordered by him in accomplishment of his Word Do ye not believe this I know that ye do believe it by Faith therefore improve it for the quieting of your hearts in all your sufferings This is that the Apostle presseth the Saints unto in the 12th of the Hebrews where he taketh for granted that all kind of sufferings more especially such as come upon us by the contradiction of sinners are fatherly corrections from the Lord and so in accomplishment of the Word of God according unto that Psal 89.30 31. and therefore humbly to be submitted to so Heb. 12.9 10. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live for they verily for a few days chastened as after their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Seeing therefore whatsoever befalls you in the way of the Lord is by your Father's ordering in accomplishment of his Word for your profit that ye may be partakers of his Holiness submit your selves to him eye your Fathers hand and end and be quiet 3. It was the practice of Jesus Christ in his state