behold the Preacher stand ouer the graues of their soules now dead by sinne crying out and proclaiming the vengeance of God against euery sin and weeping for the daughter of Sion because of the neemesse of her iudgement and for the hardnesse of her heart that at the least they may be forced to say within themselues Behold how he loueth vs It may be the best meanes also to prouoke them to consider of the estate of their soules and to search and try out all their wayes and to turne againe vnto the Lord. Thus let our charitable compassion in teaching win the people to contrition and conuersion and let the hearers teares be the Preachers praise And here I must admonish you beloued that you doe not rashly and vnreuerently accuse your Teachers and when they generally aime to smite at sin with the two edged Sword Gods Word that then you make no priuate or particular application of his words against his meaning For we come not as Nathan did to Dauid poynting at the sinner 2. Sam. 12.7 Mat. 13.3 to say Thou art the man but as the sower that comes to sowe his seed if it lighteth on stony ground where it cannot take root that is hearts so hardened by sinne that they cannot repent we sorrow that we haue laboured in vaine and may iustly take vp Saint Peters complaint to our Sauiour that we haue fished all night and caught nothing And if our seed fall by the high-way-side as when we speake to vnprepared hearers where the fowles of the ayre gather it vp such are wandring lookes idle apparell vnreuerent gesture of the body the like stil we haue cause to mourne because you sorrow not or if our seed fall among thornes where the couetous cares of the world the lustfull pleasures of the flesh and the diabolicall life of pride spring vp to choke the Word and to catch and cauill at him that sowed the Word yet still we must arme our selues to beare this iniurie But if our seed fall vpon the good ground of a sanctified heart an honest heart prepared to receiue the Word with ioy and to imbrace the Teachers thereof with delight lo those are easily moued with our doctrines and sweetly drawn by our entreatings to bring forth the fruits of a godly life in the holinesse of their conuersation And these we doe beseech and for their sakes and by their examples all the rest that they receiue not the grace of God in vain And so I come to the last and great part of my Text the Apostles fidelity who laboureth to teach that onely vnto them which is most profitable for them namely how to retaine the grace of God and that they in no wise receiue the same in vaine Thirdly and lastly in speaking of the Apostles fidelity marke heere how hee doth not seeke to please them with words but in soundnesse of doctrine doth instruct them and teach them the way that they should chuse namely that they may grow in grace and not to receiue the grace of God in vaine Amongst many other attributes and titles whereby God is described he is called Gracious Exod. 34.6 not for that onely he is so in himselfe but because he gratifieth all sorts This word Grace is vnderstood three manner of wayes 1. Sometimes it is taken for grace and fauour by which a man through his gracious carriage in word and conuersation becommeth acceptable and obtaineth grace and fauour in the eyes of all that are not enuious Prou. 3.34 Luk. 2. vlt. and so he giueth grace to the humble and so Iesus grew in wisedome and stature and in grace and fauour with God and men 2. Sometimes it is taken for the vndeserued grace and fauour which is offered to any out of good will or to an offendour after some iniury receiued at his hands as when the King pardoneth offendors and one forgiuing another their trespasses Gen. 6.1 So Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord when all the rest of the world were drowned saue onely himselfe and his small Family And so the Angel told Mary Luk. 1.30 that she had found grace and fauour with God Therefore without any merit of hers at all it pleased God to chuse this Virgin aboue all other Virgins in the world to beare his Sonne her Sauiour in her wombe Thus Paul also by the grace of God became a faithfull Preacher to the Church of God that a little before was a cruell persecutor of the same and now became a chosen Vessell to beare the Name of God vnto the Gentiles Act. 9.15 3. Sometimes it is taken for those gifts that come of Gods grace and that as well such naturall graces such are faith repentance and all the godly motions of an holy soule as Lydia when she beleeued Peter when hee repented and Iob when hee trusted God as also vnnaturall gifts such are knowledge vnderstanding vtterance and grace Grace is effectually in the Elect by the sense knowledge and effects thereof but simply it is in God alone in whom all vertues are most perfect and absolutely excellent for the proper seate of grace is in God and consequently in his Sonne Iesus Christ and all that we receiue is from God and commeth downe from aboue Iam. 1.17 euen from the Father of light with whom is no variablenes neither shadow of turning The least gift is a grace therefore let our prayers and praises ascend vp vnto God that he may bee pleased to powre downe the blessing of his gracious Spirit vpon vs when we feele Gods grace let vs giue humble thankes and praise vnto God for it and when we feele the want of grace let vs pray heartily vnto God Almighty for it and God giue vs all grace to performe this duty faithfully for euermore Grace is a name deriued of ioy for nothing is so fruitfull of ioy as grace and grace in the primitiue signification is nothing else but a free loue and fauour of a superiour to his inferiour for his comfort and ioy as of a Prince to his Subiects of a father to his children of a master to his seruants and of God to the faithfull whereby euery one in their seuerall functions diligently and faithfully doe the worke of their calling in cheerfulnesse without grudging being alwaies assured of their Soueraignes gracious loue and fauour vnto them Moreouer grace is said to bee the light of the soule and therefore hee that is destitute of the light of grace dwelleth in the darknesse of sinne and without it shall neuer see the light of glory and ioy for grace is the pledge of glory and bee cannot lose the one that keepes the other nor obtaine the one without the other Heb. 4.26 Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the Throne of Grace that wee may receiue mercy and find grace to helpe in the time of need By grace a man is taught to know his sinne to loue God aboue all and
A RECEITE FOR GRACE IN A SERMON PREACHED in the Parish Church of Westminster By CHRISTOPHER STYLES PSALM 84.12 The Lord will giue grace and worship and no good thing shall he with-hold from them that liue a godly life â—EACE PLENTY 〈◊〉 WISDOM 〈◊〉 AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON 1620. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LADY FRANCES BARONESSE OF BVRGH Dowager of Thomas Lord Burgh Knight of the Honourable order of the Garter and somtime Lord Deputie of Ireland and Gouernour of Brill grace and peace bee multiplied MAdam as euer since my first coÌ„ming to Westminster I haue liberally tasted of your Honourable bounty so now your daily charity vnto mee hath made my life so much more comfortable Many who haue receiued great and speciall fauours done by your Honour for their good haue confessed themselues bound in all thankfulnesse of duty and seruice as debtors vnto you Amongst the which my selfe most deeply ingaged haue thought it meete to shew some token of this my duty and thankfulnesse to your Ladyship And that is this booke an vnworthy present which I beseech you to accept of as you shall bee pleased to iudge of the matter not of the bringer So it is that God being the spiritual Physicion for the soule and Mankind his Patients the Prophets and Preachers of Gods Church are if I may so tearme them his Apothecaries to apply the spirituall Physicke prescribed vnto them in the sacred bills of Gods Booke the holy Bible Of which number my selfe being one though the most vnworthy of all men hauing receiued this sacred bill my text as a receit for grace which I haue applied vnto this Congregation And now by experience finding it probatum part of the best physicke that can be ministred to such an vngracious world as this wherein wee liue I haue therefore committed the same vnto the Presse for the publike benefit so farre as may be of Gods holy Church and doe commend the same vnto your Honourable protection For which I shall euer acknowledge my selfe bound to remaine Your Honours daily Orator CHRISTOPHER STYLES TO THE READER GEntle Reader I confesse the Presse is oppressed and there is no end in making of bookes and euery Preacher is not fit to be a Writer I doe also humbly acknowledge my defect in both what bold presumption then doth spurre me forwards to so dangerous aduentures Onely these weake reasons First a diligent desire not to bee idle as also to vse it for a better meanes whereby to shun idle and euill company Secondly writing maketh our knowledge more certaine and our speech more ready and perfect Thirdly because we are called to teach the Word of God as well by writing as by word by pen as by voice therefore the Prophets wrote hidden mysteries the Apostles profound doctrines and Iohn the Euangelist a whole booke of Diuine Reuelations and not without command What if my plainnesse be not well taken of the enuious let them that are gald kicke my faithfull meaning heerein is for the common good of the multitude and yet I know the most good will redound vnto my selfe Therefore good Christian though I write not excellently pleasing things to delight thee and to profit all yet if I write honestly plaine truth which no doubt will comfort many especially my friends and all such as feare God without dissembling Straine not thy conscience to cauill at words and to wrest them contrary to good meaning if any small fault hath escaped me consider thy selfe in another or the like kind maist commit a worse for Humanum est errare It were beyond humane nature not to erre therefore let thy charity couer that which thy enuie would disclose for Diuinum est amare it makes vs like vnto God to loue for God is loue Vse thy discretion and so farewell C. S. A RECEITE FOR GRACE 2. COR. 6.1 Wee therefore as workers together doe beseech you that you receiue not the grace of God in vaine IT is wittily obserued that all the Epistles of Paul stand on two legs that is Doctrine and Exhortation therefore to trouble you with no further circumstances this Scripture my Text is nothing else but an exhortation to reduce the wandring Corinthians from their disobedience and ignorance to the carefull practice of religious holinesse And for as much as they haue heard the voices of Christs spirituall Trumpetters now a good space threatning the iudgements and fierce wrath of God against the obstinate and impenitent sinner and proclaiming the free pardon of Gods rich mercy to all that truly repent and vnfainedly beleeue his holy Gospell that therefore they would no longer dis-hearten their teachers and despise the Grace that is brought vnto them by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and so forsake their owne mercy but humbly to submit themselues in all obedience vnto those holy counsels and walke worthy of their vocation in newnesse of life that others may glorifie God for their gracious conuersion and holy conuersation Now for our better ease in proceeding to handle these words let vs obserue these circumstances following First the Apostles vnity and consent with the other teachers in these words Wee are workers together Secondly his humility in these words doe therefore beseech you Thirdly his fidelity in these words that you receiue not the grace of God in vaine Now repeat all the Text. First to speake of vnity we reade that vnity is said to be vnderstood three waies first it must be within vs touching our selues by an absolute assent consent of al our vnderstanding parts that the mind may be settled Psal 108.1 as Dauids was who said O God my heart is ready c. that is that we may be firme and stable in all our counsels and resolutions Iam. 1.8 for the Apostle saith A wauering minded man is vnstable in all his wayes Secondly it must bee in vs touching God by faith and loue for faith vniteth our vnderstanding and loue our affection vnto God while we endeuour to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 Thirdly it must be in vs touching our neighbour by brotherly loue for it is meet that he which is vnited vnto God should bee in vnity with all the world as the Apostle speaketh elsewhere Aboue all things put on loue Col. 3.14 which is the bond of perfectnesse and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which you are called in one body and this is the vnity heere meant Psal 3 3. Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnity The Apostle Paul not presuming to build the faith of the Church vpon the foundation of his owne doctrines onely confesseth himselfe to be but a fellow-labourer saying 1. Cor. 3.9 Wee together are Gods labourers ye are Gods building and Gods husbandry Our Sauiour Christ chose twelue Disciples whom he sent forth to minister comfort to the Elect of God as well
by doctrine as by miracles wrought among them and there arose a strife amongst them Luk. 22.24 which of them should be the chiefest but hee told them plainly The Kings of the Gentiles raigne c. but it shall not be so but let the greatest among you be as the least and the chiefest as he that serueth In the members of the body all are not created for one seruice and all the members haue not one office for the eye cannot say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head vnto the feet I haue no need of you yea much rather those members of the body that seeme to be most feeble are most necessary Thus you see as in the building of an house all are not master-builders but some are bringers of stone some hewers of stone and some are appointed to bee drawers of water and hewers of wood in the Lords house yet all but fellow-seruants to God the great King and fellow-labourers in Gods Church What a shame and scandal then must needs come vpon the Church when some will domineere most imperiously and some of necessity shall be forced to serue as slaues and to performe their daily taske for scorning taunts Our Apostle speaketh in another place thus I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle for who is worthy of these things yet I haue laboured more than they all so it is most miserable if any spirituall labourers should bee forced to take vp the iust complaint of churlish Nabals seruants 1. Sam. 25. and say to their Mistrisse the Church Surely euill will come vpon our Master and all his family for he is so wicked that a man cannot speake to him But my purpose is onely to apply this doctrine to you beloued Behold the Master is maintained by the diligence of his seruants the seruants are all vnder the same subiection and obedience to their Master shall hee therefore that is put in the chiefe place smite the seruants and the maids and eate and drinke with the drunken Surely the master of that seruant shall come in a day when he thinketh not Luk. 12 45 46 and in an houre when he is not aware and shall cut him off and giue him his portion with the vnbeleeuers I feare it is a fashion amongst many masters that the Master will make small conscience in the vsage of his seruants for the most part although they bee their chiefe vpholders But let them know they also haue a Master in heauen And I feare also that too many seruants will bee dogged to their fellowes if they bee but a little inseriour vnto them in time or place but I say vnto you from the powerfull authority of Iesus Christ it should not be so Follow the example of this blessed Apostle and if you be workers together liue in vnity of loue and peaceably one with another and so no doubt but the God of peace shall make you prosperous with the rich blessings of his abundant loue for euermore Secondly we are to obserue this blessed Apostles humility in these words I beseech you It is truly reported by a reuerend Doctor that the Ministers duty is set foorth at large and that most sweetly in 1. Corinth 4. and in this present Chapter of my Text. The Lambe of God Christ Iesus sent foorth his Disciples Luk. 10. to be Lambes amongst Wolues not Wolues amongst his holy Lambes and he called Peter to feed them Ioh. vlt. and not to fight with them And the Apostle Peter himselfe tels vs We must be labourers in Gods vineyard 1. Pet. 5.3 not Lords ouer Gods heritage Spiritus Dei nec mendax nec mordax He that hath the Spirit of God is neither a lyar nor a reuiler they must bee Doues not Serpents Lambes not Dogs without gall without sting without byting that is they must study to bee loued not lothed for their doctrine And heere let mee tell you beloued though some be of a generous hopefull disposition euen such as will bee easily drawne by good words to doe good yet this Age affoords so many obstinate Atheists that will not know God and so many hypocrites and Machiauilians that will not obey God in Spirit and truth but follow after vanity and lyings that scarce can most forcible arguments driue them from their wicked errours Heere I accuse none let euery mans conscience be his owne iudge Thus our Apostle after long labour amongst the Corinthians finding them diligent obseruers of his doctrine reioyceth for the confidence hee hath of them as in the next Chapter at the last verse and therefore now hee teacheth them no more with a rod 1. Cor. 4.21 but with loue and in the spirit of meeknesse Ye are a building beloued and yee know euer the building will decay without repairing Doctrines for faith and exhortations for life and manners are the only meanes which the Ministers of Christ must vse for the repairing of mans decaying soule Therefore suffer the words of exhortation gladly knowing that you are bettered thereby in the estate of your soules concerning God your selues and all the world An excellent example we haue from our Sauiour himselfe Discite ex me Mat. 11.29 quia mitis humilis sum corde Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart And surely if reuerent humility had not been the best ornament for vs Christ himselfe would neuer haue been a patteme of that glory vnto vs but as the Apostle sheweth elsewere I beate downe my body lest I should teach others and be my selfe a Cast-away So I pray and beseech you holy Fathers and reuerend brethren 1. Tim. 4.16 that you take heed vnto your selues and to your doctrine to continue therein that so you may saue your selues and them that heare you Consider how vile a reproch it must needs bee vnto the Gospell of Iesus Christ if we shall teach others to obey that which our selues will by no meanes endure as the Scribes and Pharises laid heauie loads on the people which themselues would not touch with the least of their fingers Therfore this blessed Apostle doth teach the same thing which he did practise and as he was humble of life in his publike conuersation so in the humility of words he frames his exhortation with gentle perswasions to winne them to God and to doe good And surely in denouncing the threatned iudgements of God no doubt it is as I my selfe haue obserued by experience great ease and comfort to the sinners soule if in condoling sorrow with all meeknesse and humility they doe beseech that may command that is if wee doe so teach the people that by our gentle words and humble speeches they may conceiue our louing compassion towards them And as the Iewes said of Christ when they saw him weeping for the hardnesse of their hearts at Lazarus graue Ioh. 11.36 Behold how he oued him So the people when they shall