did that which for the matter of it was right in the sight of the Lord in a good mood was more forward and zealous in repairing the House of God than his Tutor vers 4.5 6. chides him but vers 17.18 as soon as Jehoiada was dead out of sight and hearing he feâ—l to his own Course and Bias again his eye being only to the Lords people and the Lords Minister though he did what was right in the sight of God his heart was not right with God he took up the Religion of the fawning Princes of Judah That was more for his turn his interest now But would he not repent if any of the Lords Ministers would boldly tell him of his backslidings No many did vers 18.19 them he regarded not Jehoiada's own Son did and he gave express order they should Stone him So many are righteouâ— before men that godly Ministers good people may have a great opinion of them they carry it cunningly whilst godly Ministers Parents Friends Acquaintance live yet are Hypocrites and gross Dissemblers before God 5. But the occasion calls louder upon me than the time and constrains me to be thus abrupt to omit the remainder of this and the use of consolation which will take up another Sâ—â—eet and may come to your view Thereâ—ore stay Sirs Ye that have heard Mr. Charnock Preach yea if there be any such here that first gave your own selves unto the Lord then unto him by the will of God ye will hearken ye will be exhorted and prevailed with Is it Is it not I know it is your hearts desir to be received into the Kingdom of your Father and be perfectly glorified Let it be your constant care and endeavour to be found still amongst the righteous to shine in grace in holiness and righteousness in light and love faith and new obedience above all in uprightneâ— and sincerity Be ye righteous before God in his All-discerning eye not only in your own or other mens eyes which may soon easily be dazed blinded and so deluded by you At your leasurâ— weigh these Scriptures 1 Thes 4.1 to 10. Luke 1.75 and 1 Thes 3.12 13. Thus ye will Embalm the Deceased put him in the best Repository and preserve in your minds his Remains Ye are to eternize the name of that Reverend and Excellent Divine your faithful Pastor Mr. Stephen Charnock a name of precious and eternal memory ye are to follow his faith to walk in the way of righteousness you saw how he went before you My observation of his walking growth and perseverance in the way that is called Holy makes me conclude that he was 1. A sincere Convert born of the Word and Spirit the seed of Grace and Righteousness sprang up betimes in his heart The Deed of Gift or rather Copy of it which shewed his title to Heaven I believe perished with his Books in Londons flames and I have forgot the particular places of Scripture by which he was most wrought upon which were there inserted That it was pure Gospel is evident whatever any that heard him not may think or have heard of his Preaching but Morality or Metaphysicks in all his Sermons Prayers Conversation Gospel-light appeared to each that had any thing of the spirit of discerning and Love did abound more and more in knowledg in all judgment and experience How would he deeply search into and prove things that differ which many others at first view would well approve of and allow only what he found pure and excellent whereby he might make himself others sincere without offence and to be filled with the fruits of righteousness For this I had him in my heart at my first acquaintance with him in Cambridge Thirty six years since I found him one that Josiah-like had turned to the Lord with all his heart all his soul and all his might and none like him which did more endear him to me How had he hid the Word of God in a fertile soyl a good and honest heart which made him flee youthful lusts and Antidoted him against the infection of youthful vanities His Study was his Recreation the Law of God all his delights Had he it not think ye engraven on his heart He was as choice circumspect and prudent in his election of Society as of Books to converse with all his delight being in such as excelled in the Divine Art of directing furthering and quickening him in the way to Heaven the Love of Christ and Souls Most choice he was of the Ministers that he would hear what he learnt from Books Converse or Sermons that which affected and wrought most upon him he prayed over till he was delivered into the form of it and had Christ Grace and the Spirit formed in him True he had been darkness and then he said full of doubtings fears and grievously pestred with temptations 'T is in the night the ugly Serpent crawls forth alas he was to be trained up as he might counsel and comfort others but God vouchsafed to dart such raies into his heart as gave the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face the person of Jesus Christ So was he made light in the Lord and believing on Christ and God in him filled with inward peace and comfort 2 ly He was a sound Believer and oft said he esteemed his own righteousness as none at all nor would he be found in it 't was impure imperfect defiled stain'd like a menstruous cloth All his desire was to be found in Christ and arrayed with the fine linnen clean and shining the righteousness of the Saints One excellency of this excellent Divine lay in his knowledg belief of and the soundness of his judgment to clear unto the understanding of others fundamental Truths viz. concerning the first Covenant the apostacy and defection of our first Parents by which term the Fathers in the Primitive times judiciously delight to delineate the fall of Adam and ours in him The first promise that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning Christ the seed of the Woman and that before the Judiciary sentence past The Covenant of Redemption the New Covenant of Grace which filled up the greatest room in his head heart meditations prayers and discourses the nature of Original sin want of original righteousness corruption of nature impossibility of being justified by the Law by Works Justification by Christ by faith in him the sufferings of Christ Regeneration c. and the love of God in all How oft have we found him as if he had lately been with Paul caught up into the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words magnifying and adoring the mercy love and goodness of God the freeness and the riches of his Grace in giving the promise before the sentence giving Christ righteousness and faith in him Oh! said he oft to this effect the grace of God! the freeness and exceeding riches of his grace who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath
of grace the precious and sure promise of the Gospel 1. Well Sirs you believe this truth then suffer the word of Exhortation If you have been enlightened by the Word and Spirit Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father in Heaven 'T is spoken of Ministers whose concern chiefly it is to enlighten the places where they live by their Doctrine holy conference and conversations and they that see their good works by the Sermons they preach and live will glorifie God but the Lords advice reacheth all If you truly desire to shine for ever to shine forth in glory in the most high most holy Heaven the Holy of holies If you have good hopes from your Regeneration by God the Father Vnion with Christ God the Son and Sanctification of the Spirit God the Holy Ghost and the love grace and favour of that one God blessed for ever from your being the children of God by faith united to Christ and also consecrated dedicated and set apart for God and holy uses and though but in part sanctified real and upright Saints shine as the righteous do Not only before Saints 'T is true as to your sincerity you can approve your selves only to God as to your grace and holiness only to Saints from the trade you drive they may know your calling Indeed as to particular acts some Saints may be lyable to mistakes as well as others concerning you and those particular acts of yours but by your doing righteousness giving God and man their due 't will appear there 's some excellence in you and your light will shine before men Saints and sinners What though sinners are wilfully blind and take no notice of that light of grace holiness and righteousness which shines in your lives but rather censure you as hypocrites 'T is not unusual for the vilest of sinners to condemn the best of Saints as such when they dare not speak against the principles of godliness they profess and the accurate ways of Religion they walk in Ah! if they did so in sincerity but I have heard so and so of them they are a company of hypocrites While their false and foul mouths censure you let your holy lives condemn them when they talk of your hypocrisie more carefully look to your sincerity Consider the Item which they give you to have an eye to it Alas if not only men but my own heart and God himself should charge me to be an hypocrite Shine before men as to your good works Let your graces faith hope brotherly love contentment in every condition zeal for the glory of God and the good of precious immortal souls shine before Saints they are things for Saints to judg of and your good works works of Justice Righteousness shine before men they are things that men may judg of True men can't judg of your having grace or acting of it Blind men cannot distinguish colours only such as have a spirit of discerning and a spiritual judgment can do that but men partly know by remainders of the light of nature what honesty what plain dealing a Jewel very rare and of great price is what works of charity are and they expect that men who make the greatest profession of Religion should be more just in their ways and honest in their dealings and when they see some professors at some times fall short herein many presently condemn them as to every other action and the whole Community of Professors for their sakes Yet some when they cannot but perceive a greater light shining in the lives of Professors than of other men will be induced thereby to glorifie God who hath bestowed more light and grace upon them But be they amongst whom you live what they will you know do your duty Phil. 2.15 16. So order your lives as 1. you may be blameless no man may justly complain of you If some do without a cause regard it not what though they cause others to do so 't is but at present and tiâ—l they come to a full hearing and right understanding of your actions And 2. Harmless i. e. yea without will or power to hurt which is the mark of the sheep of Christ or sincere without mixture of deceit or guile Whereas the wicked Bulls of Bashan have more power than authority more will than power to harm and being full of guile will smile in your face when about to cut your throat speak friendly when they are doing you the shrewdest diskindness 3. In the midst of an age of men that are crooked full of windings and turnings turn this way or that way according to their company and perverse or rather perverted that once had better thoughts of the ways of Religion but now are of another opinion 't is well if more be not perverted by the Devil's angels of light than are converted by Christs ye shine as stars that retain and keep their light Holding forth the word of life for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope As a most pious Divine saith There may be Justice where there is only morality there can be no Religion where there is not Justice The Text tells you the light of the salutiferous Gospel more effectually teacheth sobriety justice and piety than the light of Nature or Morality doth without which there can be no looking for that blessed hope the appearing of Christ and of our selves with him in glory with any comfort Will hopes of keeping up their credit in the world of getting a little gain thereby make men deal honestly and seem righteous before men Let hopes of eternal light life and glory make you do so and be truly righteous before God If you have taken out that lesson Live like men yea like men Evangelized of which sort I fear there are more of the poor than of the rich as there were in our Saviours time I could heartily wish the words of the forementioned Divine were imprinted on your memories engraven on your hearts When men talk so much of Godliness and of Church Discipline and others come to deal with them they are so cunning and will fetch over men as well as any as griping as any these are burdensome members to a Church that wrong Religion your injustice herein is a greater evil than the injustice of any man The injustice of a moral man does not make men shie of dealing with all moral men but injustice in you makes men shie of dealing with any that make profession of Religion and to say none are so deceitful as they and though that objection does come usually from malice yet it cannot be denied but those that make profession give too much advantage for it The truly righteous are the right Honourable a Saints Coat of
second sort of hearers by hearkening to the Word get only some notional knowledg and understanding of it and are much affected with it they receive it with joy yet taking no root in the heart brings forth no fruit though it makes impression on their memories stays long there and on their affections yet this is all the fruit which is as good as none They can only talk how well they liked such a Minister such sentences Expositions Expressions of his yet with the same breath they will speak as evil of other Ministers as well of them they receive it into their ears and memories not into their judgments into their affections not their hearrs The affections of many are much wrought upon when their wills are not else they would not run as some do from one to many seeking scratch for the Itch in their ears novelties to please their fancies but would stay most where they might profit The third sort go farther they receive the Word though not in the love of it and let it abide till it spring up in the blade in a fair profession such a liking they have of it yet there 's no corn in the ear no change in the judgment heart or conversation for the cares of the world distracting cares about worldly concerns in prosperity and the deceitfulness of deceitful riches lying vanities choak the Word when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by are they offended and let the Word go rather than any part of their Estate especially if they espy any likelihood of gain that may accrew unto themselves thereby But new-born babes must not be forgotten 3. Are you born of God partakers of the Divine Nature then 1. Do you lay up casting up all prejudice i. e. by friendly communications acquaint your nursing Fathers how corrupt you were wherewith all carnal unregenerate persons are clogged and do abound viz. all malice guile hypocrisies envies evil speakings Do you desire the milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Where spiritual life is there will be spiritual longings for spiritual food for the preservation and nourishment of it for augmentation in each part not only in the head with notions as in children which have the Rickets such are weak in their hands and feet can't act or go one stroke heavenward Do you rellish most such particular subjects concerning Grace Christ God in Christ as your hearts were at first most wrought upon by you 'l think you can never hear enough of these Truths by which you had a taste how gracious the Lord is Sincere milk of the Word that is not adulterated with humane inventions pure Gospel is spiritual may not I say Angelical food they long bow down that with their eyes fixed upon the Propitiatory on Christ they may look into the Gospel which the Holy Ghost sends down from heaven See more of Christ and the grace of God and get a sip whereby they may be fed with light in their love admirations and praises of God blessed for ever The child of God can no more digest some mens quaint Orations others sublime Discourses than Austin could Tullies works where he found not the name of Jesus The end he proposes to himself in hearing is that he may grow in grace the knowledg of Christ conformity to him spiritual and heavenly-mindedness in likeness to God holiness in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16. in abstaining from fleshly lusts and having his conversation honest amongst others that God may be glorified Consider 1 Pet. 1.4 5 6 7. 2. Do you grow by the Word But your growth being gradual and discernable rather by others than your selves resolve this question 3. Can you clear your Regeneration to your own souls by your living a new life and conversation a new life in holiness which is called the life of God argues a new a Divine nature he is born of God that is a new man created after God after his Image and likeness in righteousness and holiness of truth compare your selves with Rom. 6.4 Eph. 4 th 5 th Chapters And Col. 3. newness of life and conversation is the best evidence of Regeneration Ye did live like men according to the course of the world in the age you live in according to the Devil in disobedience the lusts of the flesh and carnal mind the fulfilling your manifold wills and pleasures do ye now live and walk like the children of God i. e. in an holy awe of God serving him with filial reverence and out of love in ways well pleasing to him Is your fear more to displease God than man your care to please him rather than your selves or others you lived a careless secure carnal life do you live a strict a spiritual life now Ye were worldly are you heavenly-minded and your thoughts and affections set on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of everlasting concernments to your precious immortal souls Ye lived in the commission of such sins the omission or careless performance of such and such duties your hearts tell you what Ministers cannot therefore speak to you only in Generals do you find through grace now ye dare not do not at least will not do it Believe it a change in the heart is best discerned by a reformation in the life mens living another life than they did whilst in a state of sin nature and unregeneracy both as to their leaving known sins and living in the practise of known duties 2. Are ye righteous through reputation after ye were wrought off from a course in sin to a constant course in duty were ye brought off from resting on your own righteousness in careful abstaining from sin performance of duty to relye wholly on Christ and his righteousness for Justification All the children of God sooner or later are brought over not only from sin to duty but also from self and self-righteousness to Christ by faith united to and ingrafted into him They see their best services are impure imperfect they need Christ and his righteousness so desire Phil. 3.9 They are brought to this at last though it may be long first faith in Christ the seed of it may be wrought in regeneration long before the perceptible acting and exercise of that grace and if you will call it so the younger Twin Repentance towards God gets the start for when man has been throughly convinced he has by sin deserved hell poor creature 't is natural for him so to do he seeks by a righteousness of his own to climb up to heaven We should do duty as if we were to get to heaven by it but trust no more to it than if we were to go to hell for it for failings I mean in the performance of it Do ye know believe ye were made sinners guilty liable to eternal death upon the special verdict of the Blessed Trinity on that righteous sentence of the Law the Covenant of Works Gen. 2.15
person so he rode in triumph into Heaven sits and shines there at the right hand of God in glory as Head of the Church of all his members that are by faith united to him And they now de jure Ephes 2.6 and de facto hereafter shall sit down with him as a Father he went to prepare and take up Heaven for the children God gave him to be brought unto glory as soon as he has prepared them for it he will receive them that where he is in heaven in glory they may be also Joh. 14.3 There 's both causaelitas efficientis causae exemplaris in the glorification of Christ the head as to the glorifying of his members 2 Cor. 4.14 Joh. 14.19 20. And since he doth all true believers shall shine out in glory Which glory is 1. Christs purchase he bought them for it and it for them and therefore prays for all believers with such boldness and freedom for such a perfect Union with himself as he had with the Father in happiness and glory 1. As God 2. As man in his humane nature united to the Divine and consequently 3. As God-man in both natures united unto one Joh. 17.20 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us And the ground of his prayer we have v. 4. because he glorified God on earth by active and passive obedience and finished the whole work God gave him to do in order to their Redemption which is called Ephes 1.14 The redemption of the purchased possession Being a redemption from all sin and misery to an inheritance of life and glory hardly procured bought with his own precious blood 2. 'T is his gift he purchased it upon no other account but this that he lawfully might and he will bestow it on them Joh. 10.28 I give unto them eternal life in happiness and glory And ch 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one q.d. By infallible promise I have conveyed it and by my last Will and Testament made it sure unto them upon their believing on me they have jus ad rem and when I am come again they shall have jus in re at their Resurrection I 'le see them take and have actual possession of it 3. Because they are in part sanctified by the Spirit they shall be perfectly glorified their bodies and their fouâ—s much more are the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 who is called the living God 2 Cor. 6. Now God the Father will have his children the Son his members the holy Spirit his Temple to be in Heaven which he will beautifie and adorn for the habitation of the ever glorious one God Father Son and Spirit to live and dwell in for ever 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Rev. 21.3 Here in part are they filled with grace inherent righteousness the fruits of it the fruits of the Spirit and shall hereafter be perfectly fill'd with glory as full as humane natures are capable Then shall they shine I had almost said infinitely in glory and should have said so but that I know they will remain creatures I will say infinitely beyond the Sun 'T is but an hyperbole and yet so mean as is far short of adumbrating the greatness of their glory 'T is a known saying of Plato Could Virtue be seen with corporeal eyes 't would appear the most comely beautiful thing in the world His Scholar spake the like of Moral Righteousness What 's Grace in it self the most amiable and glorious thing in the world Psal 45.13 as it shines out of the hearts and lives of gracious persons into the minds of other Saints how great a lustre doth it carry with it Yet though always visible 't is not always seen many things intervening intercept its light Oh how lovely glorious will all the graces of all the Saints appear in Heaven when they shall all be in the flower expanded to the full in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full growth and most absolute perfection for such glory is 'T is nothing else but grace in its growth Or all graces blown up by the blessed Spirit to the full and shining out in perfection Saints shall be perfectly renâ—wed after the Image of God whose light and glory mainly consists at least appears in his holiness and righteousness Adam was a glorious creature till he had lost the Image of God his righteousness Righteous persons excel their neighbours 1. They are glorious within being created after Gods Image in righteousness and true holiness 2. They shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life but Oh how glorious how excellent or how excellently glorious are glorified Saints who are the Temples of the Holy Ghost filled in their capacities enlarged to the utmost with the Divine the Gracious yea the most Glorious Presence of God! They are made perfectly like Christ who is the brightness of the glory of God and the express image of his person Heb. 1.3 i. e. as much after the Image and as perfectly like to the Son of God as is possible for the Almighty to make them to be when he shall try his wisdom and put his last hand to the making of them so But I foresee an Objection which I will anticipate Wherefore should Saints that are sanctified but in part be so perfectly glorified Why 4. Out of Gods grace and favour because they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Favourites Though we spoke highly of their Gratiae gratis datae yet they are not gratos facientes much less are they facientes gloria dignos and so glorificantes i. e. Graces given to them wrought in them yet as they make them not accepted with God here so not to be glorified by God hereafter 'T is God that accepts them here in the beloved that glorifies them hereafter They are righteous 't is by gracious acceptation they shall be glorious 't will be by gracious Remuneration Holy Austin writes some where to this effect If a man should live and serve the Lord a thousand years he could not by his service of God all that time earn so much as one hour of the glorious reward in Heaven much less an eternity of happiness and glory no Death is the wages of the least sin be it but an omission of duty or a neglect to persevere in it Gal. 3.10 And eternal life in glory in the gift of God through Christ Rom. 6. ult It 's given to the righteous that work righteousness but neither for their being righteous and having righteousness in them nor for their doing of it They both are from free and meer grace much more is the reward Through the same grace it is that an eternal life in Heaven and happiness in glory is the inheritance lot and portion of the righteous i. e. sincere upright Saints according to the Covenant