persecution upon this ground because he is faithfull that hath promised and thereupon in this Verse of my Text hee shewes how they may be furthered therein viz. If they would consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works Wherein we have 1. The duty pointed out Let us consider one another 2. The end of the duty To provoke unto love and to good works Let us consider one another the words in the Originall are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Observemus Let us observe one another It doth not barely signifie to look into or consider Sed magno studio mentem in rem intendere But to bend the mind with the greatest study and diligence that can be to find out a matter To provoke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which word is taken two waies in Scripture 1. In a bad sence for a sharp contention as Act. 15. 39. where speaking of the difference which arose between Paul and Barnabas about taking John Mark along with them the Text saith The contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other Or such a provoking as makes al the body to tremble or that sets the teeth on edge of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Acetum vineger but here secondly It 's used in a good sence for stirring up or quickning one another to a necessary duty From the context as this Verse looks back to the two and twentieth we may gather this proposition That there is no true Faith which is not accompanied with love and good works The Apostle James Chap. 2. Tells us of a twofold Faith A dead Faith and a living Faith A dead Faith is that which consists in words and profession onely without good works ver. 14. What saith he doth it profit my brethren though a man saith he hath Faith and hath not workes Can Faith save him Hee meanes such a livelesse saplesse Faith For saith he ver. 17. Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone For according to the usuall Maxim as Faith justifies our persons so works justifie our Faith And Paul writing to Titus chargeth him to teach this Doctrine to his hearers This is a faithfull saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly That they which have believed in God might be carefull to maintain good works This therefore cashieres from the number of true believers all those rough and rugged Esau's who Salamander-like love to live in the fire of contention and are never well but when they are embroiled in quarrells Or that instead of provoking to love do all that they can to make Nationall and Church divisions by distinctive names and titles seeking to divide and subdivide us till they have crumbled us all to pieces A most Diabolicall sin who is the Author of Division and among the vulgar is known by his cloven foot whereas God is the God of Peace Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace the Gospell the Gospell of Peace Christs Ministers the Ambassadors of peace and therefore all his people should cry with David I am for peace Psal. 120. 7. Secondly all such Solifidians as boast much of their Faith but are not carefull to maintain good works These are barren Figtrees that bear fair leaves of profession without any fruit at all but when Christ shall come with his basket and turn up their fair leaves and find no fruit he will set down his basket and take up his Axe as Mat. 3. 10. Now also is the axe laid unto the root of the Trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Or else he will curse them for their barrennesse as he did that tree Mar. 11. 14. No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever Let us consider one another Hence observe That Christians should with much seriousnesse and diligence consider and acquaint themselves each with other Quest But what is it that they are to observe each in other Answ. 1. Their gifts graces experiences and virtues to draw them forth for their mutuall benefit 2. Their wants and weaknesse to pitty cover and heal them 3. Their dispositions and temper that we may know the better how to deal with them According to that of Jud. verse 22. 23. Of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire Therefore when we meet together we should not squander away our pretious time in frothy and idle discourses or in vain and fruitless impertinences but according to the Apostles counsell here we should consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works And this brings me to the principall point for which I made choise of this Text viz. That it 's the duty of all Christians to provoke one another to love and to good works which Point you see consists of two branches First that we should provoke one another to love So did Abraham speaking to Lot Gen. 13. 8. Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my Herdsmen and thy Herdsmen for we be bretheren And Joseph speaking to his brethren Gen. 45. 24. See that yee fall not out by the way And Peter speaking to all Christians saith Love the brotherhood 1 Pet. 2. 17. Quest What is this love that we must provoke one another to Answ. It 's a Christian virtue or Grace infused into us by the Holy Ghost whereby we sincerely love God for himself and our brethren for Gods sake I call it a Christian virtue or Grace to distinguish it from the naturall affection of love which we bring into the World with us And from that morall virtue which may be acquired by our own diligence and industry whereas this is the work of Gods spirit in us and an evidence of our future salvation 1 Ioh. 3. 14. For we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren he that loveth not his brother with this holy love abideth in death This love you see hath a two fold Objection God and man The latter I conceive is principally meant in this Text therfore I shal speak to that it is an uniting and cementing Grace that soders mens hearts one to another as Jonathans to David 1 Sam. 18. 1. The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David and he loved him as his own soul And this is that which the Apostle exhorts us to Eph. 4. 2. 4. Forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace And Col. 2. 2. That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love And this is that for which the Primitive Christians were so famous Act. 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul c. Quest What arguments may we
CHRISTIAN Good-Fellowship OR Love and Good VVorks Held forth in a Sermon preached at Michael's Cornhill London before the Gentlemen Natives of WARWICKSHIRE At their Feast November the 30. 1654. By Samuell Clarke Pastor of the Church in Bennet Fink London Manus Pauperum Gazophylacium Christi Who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Prov. 21. 13. LONDON Printed for Thomas Underhill at the Anchor in Pauls Church-yard 1655. To the Right Worshipfull Sir Iohn Burgoin Sir Richard Temple c. and to the rest of his dearly beloved Country-men Citizens of London but borne in WARWICKSHIRE SIRS WHen your Steward 's made choice of me to this service I laboured to find out and pitch upon such a subject as might through Gods blessing bring most glory to him edification to your souls and advantage to our Native Country and whereby you might be minded of the Principall ends of your meeting And as the Lord was pleased to direct me to this ensuing subject so did he of his infinite mercy appear so far in his own Ordinance that there generally appeared in you a readinesse to concur in advancing those good works which were proposed to your Christian considerations It was intended that after dinner a generall subscription should have been promoted amongst you but by reason of the shortnesse of time and multiplicity of other businesses wherewith your Stewards were taken up it was not carried on amongst a fifth part then present Yet was there more done by those few then hath been done by any one County of England in their late meetings and amongst the rest of you Mr. John Howkins whose name I cannot but mention with honour though he is unknown by face to me subscribed four score pounds towards the placing of poor boies born in Rugbie Apprentices in London It's pitty so good a foundation should want its superstructure and therefore at the request of your Stewards though I never thought any sermon of mine worthy the Presse I have adventured to publish this hoping that the same goood word of God that so warmed your hearts in hearing may by the same blessing revive and quicken your affections in reading so as to perfect what was then so well begun amongst you The names of the Stewards who are to have the oversight in disposing of your monies I thought fit to set down at the end of this Epistle Men I hope without exceptions whose Prudence and Fidelity you need not to suspect in the ordering of it Amongst them Col. Thomas Clark at the Kings head within Algate is chosen Treasurer to whom if you please to send in what it shall please God to move your hearts to contribute to so good a work I doubt not but as many shall have the benefit so your own soules will find the comfort of it hereafter Let not any one say that this Sermon might have been preached in Rome or Spain where good works are in such request whilst they hope to merit Heaven by them No it will rather vindicate our Doctrine from their fowl and false aspertions whilst they call us Solifidians and charge us as if we preached onely Faith without good works whereas on the contrary we still call upon our hearers to shew their Faith by their fruits and tell them that Faith without works is dead and can minister no true comfort and therefore exhort them to grow up to fruitfulnesse which will sweetly seal up their calling to glory and virtue as the budding of Aarons Rod did his calling to the Priesthood yea we tell them that if they be new creatures they are created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them and that if Christ be their Redeemer he hath redeemed them from all iniquity and purifieth them to himselfe a peculiar people Zealous of Good works But I fear to exceed my limits and therefore my prayer for you all is that the God of hope wil fil you with all joy and peace in believing and make all Grace abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiencie in all things may abound to every good work Amen From my study in Thridneedle street Dec. 19. 1654. I rest Sirs Yours in the service of your faith and to further your comfort and joy SAMUEL CLARK Old Stwards Col. Tho. Clark Treasurer Mr. Nicholas Enos Mr. William Hickocks Mr. Tho. Barnhurst Mr. Tho. Ashby Mr. Iohn Norris Mr. Edw. Iohnson M. Tho. Underhil New Stewards Col. Iames Drax. Mr. Tho. Hopkins Mr. Laurence Warkman L. Col. Tho. Randall Mr. Rich. Chandler Maior Raph Tasker Mr. Rich. Smith Mr. William Bridges Heb. 10. 34. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works THese meetings of Country-men are no new thing though of late years they have been interrupted by reason of the sad calamities and distracted times which our sins had plunged us into They have formerly and may again be improved to a twofold benefit and advantage First that by acquaintance and society of Country-men love might be bred nourished and encreased amongst them Secondly That upon consideration of Gods goodnesse bounty and mercy to our selves here in this City we may take occasion to remember the place of our Nativity and provoke one another to think upon and do some good works which may conduce and tend to the publik benefit of the same Now these being the principall ends of our present meeting give me leave Dear Country-men to bespeake you as our Apostle doth his Country-men here in my Text Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works But that we may better understand the occasion of these words we must look back to what went before And wee shall find that the principall scope of the Apostle in the former part of this Epistle is to prove that Christ by his Priestly office and offering up himself a sacrifice to his Father hath fulfilled and also abolished all the Legall Sacrifices and purchased eternall Redemption for his people In the former part of this Chapter he sums up this Doctrine in few words and then tells us what sweet use may be made of the same As first that therefore we should be constant in the faith of Christ ver. 23. Let us saith he hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering 2ly That we should be sincere in mutual love in our private conversing together ver. 24. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love 3. At unity in publick Church-assemblies ver. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is 4. Patient under the Crosse of Christ from ver. 32. to the end of the Chapter Verse 22. he had exhorted them to draw near unto God with a true heart in full assurance of Faith and ver. 23. To adhere unto and avow the Doctrine of Christ and that in times of tryall and
differences which are too rife even amongst Gods own people in this world when holy Grynaeus lay upon his death-bead he told a friend that came to visit him that he was going to that place ubi Luthero cum Zuinglio optime convenit where Luther and Zuinglius agreed well though they could never agree upon earth 5. In regard of the eternity of this grace it is that the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 8. tells us that charity never fails and in this regard prefers it before Faith and Hope verse 13. Now abides Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charirity 6. It 's a signe we walke by the light of Gods Word and spirit 1 Ioh. 2. 10. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him 7. This Grace is of God and sheweth that we are born of God 1 Ioh. 4. 7. Let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God 8. Without this Grace of love no duty is accepted though never so difficult or specious in the eyes of the World 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing 9. Love will draw love from others Cos Amoris amor Love is the whetstone or Load stone rather of Love ut ameris Ama If you would be beloved of others you must love others Love is a coin that must be returned in its own kind the excellent properties of it are further set forth by the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 13. 4. 5. c. Charity suffereth long and is kind c. But we must remember as was said before that love comes from God and therefore must be begged of God 1 Ioh. 4. 7. All these things considered will furnish you with arguments enough wherewith to provoke both your selves and one another to love Especially if on the contrary we do but remember what evills are attributed by the spirit of God to the contrary vice of hatred 1 Ioh. 2. 11. He that hates his brother is in darknesse and walks in darknesse 1. John 3. 15. Who soever hateth his brother is a murderer and we know that no murderer hath eternall life abiding in him 1 John 4. 4. 20. If any man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a liar For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And thus I have opened and proved the first part of my Doctrine I am come now to the second That it 's the duty of all Christians to provoke one another to good works Now in the prosecution of this Thesis or Position we shall dispatch three things First to speak something by way of explication Secondly by way of confirmation Thirdly by way of Application First for Explication we shall answer severall Queries As Quest What work may be called good Answ. There are three ingredients required to make up good works 1. They must be good materialiter or in the matter of them They must be such things as are either commanded or at least approved of by God Else he will say unto us Who hath required these things at your hands There are indeed many actions which glister much in the eyes of the World and yet are an abomination in the eyes of God As the Popish Fastings Pilgrimages Bead-prayers giving their Prayers to God by number not by weight of which I may say as the Apostle Col. 2. 23. Which things indeed have a shew of wisdom in Will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body and yet the Lord abhors them 2. They must be good quoad fontem they must proceed from a right principle A good heart a pure conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandement saith the Apostle is Charity out of a pure heart c. Charity we know is a work commended by God and yet it 's not accepted except it come from a good Fountain a good heart and a pure conscience For the same Apostle tells us Tit. 1. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure because their mind and conscience is defiled He tells us also Heb. 11. 6. that without faith it is impossible to please God and therefore all works though materially good if done by unbelievers they are but splendida peccata as the Father said But specious and glittering sins 3. They must be good quoad finem They must tend to a right end viz. the glory of God in our own and the salvation of others Christus opera nostra non tam actibus quam finibus pensat saith Zanchy God doth not so much judhe of and weigh our works by the actions as by the ends The want of a right end made Cain's sacrifice and 〈◊〉 zeal and the Pharisees Fastings and Prayers and Almes abomination to the Lord who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and knows all our thoughts a far of Wee must therefore look well to our end in all our works and see that as the Sun puts out the light of the fire so the glory of God puts out all other selfish ends whatsoever Quest But what good works should we provoke one another to upon this occasion Answ. The most seasonable is at this our feast to remember the place of our Nativity the Country where we were born and to doe some good for that I shall humbly propose these good works to your Christian considerations First laying down this Position That the chiefest work of mercy is that which tends to the benefiting and enriching of other mens souls The Gospel indeed hath through Gods mercy been preached and professed in Warwickshire ever since the first reformation in King Edward the sixth his daies of glorious memory and many blessed Martyrs suffered there for the truth under that Marian Persecution which followed As sincere Sanders gracious Glover and many others I could also name unto you many famous lights set up in the Candlestick of Warwickshire in the reign of our three late Soveraignes besides such as are now there living So that that Country hath been a Goshen when many other parts of the Nation have been in a Cymerian and Egyptian darknesse Yea give me leave to tell you that which it may be you have not formerly taken notice of that in Warwickshire about the yeare of our Lord 1519. the little Park by Coventry was perfumed with the odours of six of the Saints bodies burned in it upon one day for their profession and perseverance in the truth Besides diverse others which suffered not long after So that it appears that before the name of Luther was heard of in the Christian world Religion was propagated in our Native Country Yet 1. Are there not some blind and barren places in the same