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A55489
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The life of Mr. John Hieron with the characters and memorials of ten other worthy ministers of Jesus Christ / written by Mr. Robert Porter ...
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Porter, Robert, d. 1690.
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1691
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Wing P2987; ESTC R33944
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94,309
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is taking away spiritual food As the Soul is more excellent than the Body so much worse is it to take away the bread of life far worse than to take away corporal food Pray consider how in consistent this is with love to God and Christ which all Christians profess Joh. 21. 15 17. Peter lovest thou me feed my lambs feed my sheep A Minister can no way better testify his love to Christ than by diligent and faithful feeding the flock with sincere milk of the word nor a Magistrate than by incouraging the faithful dispensers of the word whom to discourage and punish for doing their duty how highly displeasing and provoking to the Lord is such an act who rebuked even Kings for their sakes saying do my Prophets no harm Psal 105 14 Nor can you alledge justly that you punish them not for preaching and hearing but for transgressing the law when you know they have authority both to preach and hear by his Majesty's Declaration and License under his hand and Seal yea and a Bill of ease is under consideration of this present Parliment to justify their proceedings And doth it become inferiour Magistrates to interpose or rather to oppose that Indulgence which both King and Parliament have thought meet to grant Nor need you to fear the loss of an hundred pounds in case you had refused to act For men of judgment are of Opinion that the forfeiture is not at all reoverable in Law And if it were what Informer dare contend with you for it But suppose the worst read 2 Chron. 25. 9. What shall we do for the hundred Talents The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Oh how vile a thing is the love of money 1. Tim. 6. 9. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. I will not be so uncharitable towards you as not to hope and believe that you love Jesus Christ really yet if you love the world i. e. money esteem credit or any thing in the world above Christ you love him not sincerely Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother c. more than me is not worthy of me is no good Christian Give me leave to cite one passage out of Mr. Baxter In Q. Mary's days when Martyrs were condemned to the fire there were many great men who really loved them and wished them well and their hearts grieved in pity for them as knowing them to be in the right But they loved their honour wealth and safety so much better that they would sit on the Bench yea and give Sentence for their burning for fear of hazarding their worldly happiness was this sincere love c. Mr. Baxter Saints rest p. 3. pag. 238. Say not these men under conviction are Dissenters Phanaticks c. I will not hazard my reputation to be esteemed a favourer of such You know Christianity hath ever been reproached and hath suffered under black names Christ himself was blasted with the odious name of Samaritane His Apostles and the first Christians were termed the sect of the Nazarenes of which Paul himself was counted the Ringleader Acts. 24. 5. an Heretick v. 14. The Christians of former ages in England were called Lollards Hereticks c. and in our age Puritans Phanaticks But what if Christ own them for his people and members whom the world prosecutes with odious titles What a case are they in then that vex and spoil them of their goods What if you had been ill thought of by some vile persons for wicked men are vile Psal 15. 4. Dan. 11. 21. you should the more be had in reputation of wise and good men To be dispraised and disparaged by lewd men is no disgrace but a commendation yea God himself will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2. 30. But Christ will be ashamed of them that are ashamed of him Mark 8. 38. Oh! how fearful is their case who fear men more then God who will rather deny the truth or act against a good cause or a good conscience than they will displease an Informer Rev. 21. 8. The fearful are set in the forefront of the damned crew Now good Sir consider your ways look them in the glass of the word not in the glass of this world say what have I done It had been better wisdom to have done so before the act to have viewed the obliquity of it the consequences with all the circumstances of it and to have resolved with Joseph how shall I do this c. Gen. 39. 9. to have said with Nehemiah shall such a man as I do this I whom God hath blessed with so great an Estate invested with authority to sit in the Seat of Justice should not I honour God with my substance with my authority Should I be instrumental in vexing good people for righteousness sake Should I hinder the inlarging of Christs kingdom by surppressing the Gospel What evil hath the Gospel of Christ done That the preacher of it the professors of it should be thus despightfully used by the world by professing Christians What account can I render to the Lord of this when it shall be said give account of thy Stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward Should I that was looked upon with much respect by all sober Christians be the first of all those of my rank and the leading Man in that action which tends directly to the pulling down the walls of Gods Jerusalem and make the builders thereof to cease by force and power which was the work of Heathens and enemies to Religion Ezra 4. 23. 24. Then ceased the work of the house of God Think how many sighs and tears you wring from the mourners in Sion how many prayers and cryes are sent up to Heaven for the enlargment of the Gospel and Gospel Ministers by your means silenced Acts 12. 5. And will not God avenge his own Elect Luk. 18. 7. which cryed day and night though he bear long Is it good that you do to incourage the Vipers and Caterpillars of the land who thirst after the spoil and prey that they may inrich themselves with the labours of innocent men For which cause even for filthy lucre they act the Devils part the grand enemy of mans salvation They as he go about seeking to devour To draw a conclusion wherefore O Sir to use Daniels words Chap. 4. 27. Let my counsel be acceptable break off your sin by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthening of your Tranquillity Do what lyes in you to deliver the oppressed from violence and spoill let the Informers be checked and discouraged by Missing their expected pray Let reparation be made to the Sufferers by causing that every man have his goods taken from him restored again In cases of wrong and offences done to our Neigbours repentance to God is not sufficient without satisfaction to man if there be ability as
destruction is from your selves I did more for them than for you but the denyal of my Grace is not the Cause of your perishing but your own sinful wilful forsaking of your own Mercies 3. Do you not believe that he who testified Gods mind to you must one day come forth at the Call of God to testifie against you And they that have not â—â—â—nned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God will be as full in their Testimony against you For they will be so swallowed up with the Glory of God that they will speak out even against the dearest Relations they have And those that while they were here they could have gone upon their knees to to beseech them to be reconciled to God they will then have no such tenderness for but utter every whit that God may be justified when he speaketh and clear when he judgeth I pray you accommodate that part of Josephs Story Gen. 45. 3. when Joseph discovered himself his Brethren could not answer him for they were troubled at his presence how will it be at the great day with all his People in all places when you stand at the barr and this Witness is called against you Oh what trouble what consternation will you be in when Conscience within and such a Witness without appears against you and such a manifesting light is round about you But I do betake my self to you that made a good use of him that neglected him not but attended on nis Ministry that esteemed him highly in love for his Warks sake that gave your own selves to God and to him by the Will of God 2 Cor. 8. 5. To you I give a few hearty Advices and Counsels Advice the First 1. Admire that wise Providence of God that good Providence of God that ordered a tempest upon the Church to bring Mr. Hieron like the Goods of a shipwrackt Ship upon your Coasts The loss of other places was your gain An Instance you have which calls your thoughts to it Acts 8. 4. Acts 11. 19. 21. Philippi 1. 12. It was in greater Mercy to Greasley Parish that was first blessed with him because precious Mr. Smally outed of that place A man in whom a very found Judgment and lively Affections met finished his course something sooner than divers others of his Brethren Now for God to provide such a stake was an admirable Mercy And though he removed from you yet to be still within the reach of many of you was still more Mercy And that God found a resting place for him at Losco was a very great Mercy to them and that Parish and Neighbour places Second Advice Remember how you have received had heard and hold fash He gave you sound Bottoms continue upon them It is very grievous to hear of the waverings of some in Greasly Parish so well instructed by Mr. Smally built up by Mr. Hieron Let Children be tossed Let not Men of understanding be so Beware of defection Have you attained no discerning of Spirit Have you lost your Palate Cannot your taste discerne perverse things Will you bid them God speed that teach other Doctrine Have you not said when you have heard Mr. Smally Mr. Hieron Oh the Blessedness Shall any Body have occasion to say to you Where is the Blessedness you speak off Do you think if such things had been Truths that your dear faithful Ministers would have hidden them from you Do you not know they were no ignorant Men Do you not believe they were faithful Men Surely if such things had been bread they would have broken it to you If they had been food they would have set it before you Oh I beseech you believe that Doctrine can never edifie you that undermines the Doctrine taught you Believe all the Doctrines Strange that your Teachers did never acquaint you with I am well satisfied their Doctrine remembred believed and practised will bring you to Heaven Read and Apply John 6. 67 68 69. Third Advice Remember what of a Christian you saw in Mr. Hieron and imitate him Much of a Minister much of a Christian was with him When his heart was dull he went to some good lively Book so do you He went to Secret Prayer and found God answering by Fire so do you He kept by him a Catalogue of Sins to renew his Repentance for them before Sacraments so do you He had a Catalogue of Mercies he looked back even to his Childhood to stir up thankfulness particular thankfulness herein follow him He communed with his Heart in his Solitary Houres he looked up his Evidences and kept them fair he entred protests against special Sins upon special occasions and took notice how he kept touch with God follow him He never met with any Experience either in a way of quickning or comfort but he made quick returns of Praise Let every descent of Mercy return back in the quick ascent of Praise What shall I render Was his question let that be more familiar with you Teach your Tongues to praise as some teach their Tongues to lye and blaspheme He was a close walker an unblameable Conversation was with him turn not you loose Libertines now his Eye inspects you not Gods doth Do not that in Gods Eye you would not durst not have done in Mr. Hieron's If you feared his reproofs how should you dread the Reproofs of God Let that comprehensive Rule be before you Phil. 1. 27. Fourth Adviâ— Follow after all those wayes wherein he led you and accompanied you Meer still in days of Prayer keep up your Sacraments your Sabbaths as far as you can And if the Word be not so nigh you as it hath been make out for it as health and stength will permit Forget not the last Exhortation he gave you his farewel Speech Tho' you may go far and not meet with a Preacher like Mr. Hieron yet honour the Ordinances be thankful for meaner fare Ordinances Blessing is from their Institution and not the Excellency of him that administreth them Gods Blessing will be upon honest Endeavours and honest Attendances upon God in them If you were truly fed by him you will hunger after the Word The Thirst of Total Indigence is taken away by the Well of Water in your springing up by your first draughts of the Water Christ gives you but not the Thirst after sweeter and fuller Enjoyments David's sights of God in his Sanctuary set him a longing to see as he had seen Spiritual satisfactions satiate not glut not Gods people They rise with most appetite from their fullest meals Fifth Advice Pay your respects to his Name and Memory keep up Communion with him in your Thoughts and Mind cast no Reproach upon him by looseness lenity infalibility give no Body occasion to say with scorn justly This is a Hearer of Mr. Hieron's Loose not the things you have wronght Be not as Joash or Jehoash 2 Kings 12. 2. 2 Chron. 24 2. 16. that did what was right in the