please others the sins we have committed in our own persons and the sins we have occasioned others to commit the sins we know and the sins we know not the sins that we have so long striven to hide from others knowledge that we have even now hid them from our own memories these O Lord are more in number then the sands upon the Sea shoar or the Stars of Heaven which cannot be numbred We have sinned against the light of Nature and against the light of Grace against thy Law and against thy Gospel against thy Promises and against thy Threats against thy Mercies and against thy Judgements against all vows and promises and resolutions of better obedience against the reproofs of thy word against the many motions of thy good Spirit in our souls against thy Fatherly admonitions against thy loving corrections against the many fearfull examples of thy Judgements against the infinite obligations of thy favours and against the checks of our own consciences These things have we done and because thou held thy tongue we have also thought wickedly that thou art altogether such an one as our selves or that either thou dost not see or dost approve or wilt not severely punish the crimes that we have so long doted on If thou Lord God shouldest be extream to mark what is done amisse Lord who is able to abide it but with thee there is mercy and with thee there is plenteous redemption and thou desirest not the death of him that dies but rather that be should turn from sin and be saved and seeing that without thee it is not possible for us of our selves to be able to please thee Lord turn us to thee and we shall be turned for thou art the Lord our God Draw us and we shall run after thee draw us by the cords of love and with the bands of loving kindnesse work powerfully upon our spirits by thy holy Spirit work contrition in our hearts and godly sorrow for all our sins even a sorrow to repentance and repentance to salvation never to be repented off Break these hard and stony hearts of ours by the hammer of thy word mollifie them by the oyle of thy grace smite these rocky hearts of ours by the rod of thy most gracious power that we may shed forth rivers of tears for all the sins we have committed Lord make us grieve because we cannot grieve and to weep because we cannot weep enough O that thou wouldest humble us more and more under the true sight and sense of all our ungodlinesse of all our wickednesse and of all our unworthynesse And O thou Father of mercies have mercy on us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world take away the world of our sins they are too heavie O Lord for us to bear thou only art able to bear them and thou didst bear all our sins upon thine own body upon the tree O thou that wast wounded for our sins and bruised for our transgressions we beseech thee let the chastisement of our peace be upon thee and do thou by thy stripes heal us Hide us most gracious Redeemer hide us from the wrath of God in the glorious skars of those meritorious wounds which thou didst suffer for us and by the vertue of them create peace in heaven for us by reconciling the Father to us And O thou that wast our Saviour on earth we beseech thee be thou our Advocate in heaven be thou our High-priest still offering up thy self a Victim to the Father for us and besprinkle us with thine own most pretious bloud that through that bloud of sprinkling our persons our services and the desires of our souls may be acceptable to the Father Be thou our King set up thy throne in our hearts dismantle and disgarison all the strong holds and fortifications of sin that sin may no longer have dominion over us but do thou rule and over-rule us enable us to do thy will write thy Commandements in our hearts and thy Statutes in our inward parts put thy fear into our souls that we may fear thee and love thee and diligently live after thy commands Be thou our Prophet leading us into all truth Oh do thou inform us and teach us the way wherein we should go and do thou guide us by thine eye be thou the voice behind us still directing us this is the way walk in it guide us by thy counsels here and hereafter receive us unto thy glory And O Holy Spirit the Comforter do thou help our infirmities and with thy unutterable groans make intercession for us And thou that workest both to will and the deed in us of thine own good pleasure put into our hearts good desires and let the continuall assistance of thy grace help us to bring the same to good effect plant in our souls the love of thy name graffe in our hearts true Religion nourish us with all goodnesse and of thy great mercy keep us in the same so long as we have to live make us to love that which thou commandest and to desire that which thou hast promised that among the sundry and manifold changes and chances of this mortall life our hearts may surely there be fixt where true joyes are to be found And thou that sheddest the pretious ointments of thy grace upon all thy faithfull people O do thou open the eyes of our souls that we may see thee who art invisible that beholding thy glorious but invisible presence in all our actions we may be so awfully affected towards thee that whether either the Devil shall tempt us or the world shall allure us or our own carnal lusts and sinfull affections shall incline us to commit any wickednesse thy Holy Spirit O Lord may in all things so direct rule and overrule our hearts and awaken our consciences to aske us How shall we dare to commit any wickednesse and sin against thee Gratious God keep us from sinning against thee though it were to gain the whole world for it will not profit us to gain the whole world and lose our own souls help us rather we pray thee to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure Help us to eschew and decline all the occasions all the opportunities that have betrayed us unto sin and to hate the very garments spotted with the flesh O Lord with what affliction soever thou shalt punish us do not punish us with spirituall judgements and desertions give us not over to our own hearts lusts to our own vile lewd and corrupt affections give us not over to hardnesse and impenitency of heart but make us sensible of the least sin and give us thy grace to think no sin little committed against thee our God but that we may be humbled for it and repent of it and reform it in our lives and conversations
to our deserts and that with speed too for the time draws neer when God will come to judge the earth righteously and the nations with his truth Psal 96.13 He will try all things as the refiner by fire which will discover and make legible that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blind and subtil characters of mens thoughts and actions which before could not be read or perceived and all this by the power of his righteous judgement and the unerring law of his revealed will those righteous statutes the breaking whereof will make the wicked call to the mountains to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb when he shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance upon all ungodly and impenitent sinners whose destruction is of themselves their sins being the measure of his punishments for he will reward every man according to his works whether they be good or whether they be evil for with him is no respect of persons for as suffers the pesant so shall the Princes of the earth if found in their impenitency if their steel melt before his fierceness what shall man do whose clay-cottage continually sticks in the mire of sinne Oh sit down then and hang your mournful harps upon the willows of contrition cast away from you all terrene hopes of comfort which at last like Egypts reeds will prove no further useful then with sorrow to pierce your troubled sides lean no longer upon the staffe of your own understanding lest your falling thence become irrecoverable but betake your selves with true and pure devotion to that golden mercy-seat whence none ever returned empty that sought aright for there is no armour able to resist or divert Gods severe judgements but pious prayers and fervent ejaculations and no doubt but if you thus do but he who lends an ear to the cry of speechless blood will not turne it away from the voice of your petitions especially if put up in the name of him whose employment it is to propitiate for the sins of the whole world you must needs confess your selves sinners and if living and dying such you may be sure the end thereof will be eternal misery Therefore it s every mans great concernment as he would escape the last to provide against the former and the sooner the better because we know not how soon our accounts will be demanded and God come with ah thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee c. Therefore to day while its called to day let 's hear his voice and not harden our hearts against him 2 Seeing none can say his heart is clean and all have reason to say every one is more righteous then we Oh then what fountains of tears should we shed if possible to bath our sinful souls in and baptize our selves anew in penitential teares not that the water alone hath any cleansing virtue in it for the very springs must be purged by the rock Jesus Christ yet contrition is ofttimes an inseparable signe of being cleansed for when sins by us are truly repented of Gods favourable eye of compassion looks on those sins as if they were never committed and where our sins look as red as crimson we must endeavour to have our tears as white as snow that falling sincerely from the eye of a true penitentiary they prevail with the father of mercies to pass over our souls when his judgements begin to be executed so then we must put off the redness of guilt that so we may be clothed with the white robe of innocency by getting our sins and iniquities blotted out But do not deceive your selves it is not a seeming holiness or appearing innocency acquired by our own strength that will avail us such weak lights are easily blown out and extinct by the gust of every temptation or like the costly gilt of a well-tuned instrument appearing pleasant while such but when once the strings begin to jar the impatient hand with fury casts both them and all its beauty from it as if no such loveliness had ever there been found Therefore above all things t is our concernment to make sure work in the things of eternity not taking them upon trust or others credit but our own experience not fearing others so much as our own eternall weal for there is nothing hath been so much the bane of Christian community as an overweening conceit of our own sanctity saluting every man with a Pharisaical Stand off I am more holy then thou disdaining to think any are so high in Christs esteem as our selves whereas our truest glorying is onely in the cross of Christ and an humble heart which in the sight of God is of great price For if thou Lord be extreme to mark what is done amiss who can abide it And this brings me to the second observation propounded namely That the mercy of God is such he 'l not alwaies be extreme to mark what 's done amiss Mercy is Gods proper work it is that wherein his chief delight doth rest what was reported of Dionysius the Emperour and left upon record for his eternal fame viz. that he wept when he came to subscribe his name to condemne a man as being loth to dip his finger in the blood of his fellow-creature is much more true of the Father of Mercy witness those tears that dropt from the eyes of our Saviour over impenitent Ierusalem a sad presage of approching ruine and yet a true symptome of his unwillingness to put the same in execution though they were already come to the Zenith of impiety killing the King of Glory and the Saviour of the world and though but beholding this at a distance such was his mercy that it made him weep Mercy is an attribute that of it self properly belongs to God justice is as it were by accident because of mans evil therefore is he said to wait to do the one but sparing in execution of the other yea he is unwilling to execute determined wrath therefore he saith how shall I give thee up O Ephraim and I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger c. Hos 11.8 9. therefore he that hateth nothing that he hath made will not alwaies be extreme with what he hath not made lest with it he destroy the work of his hands for the mercy of God is exercised towards man as considered in a twofold capacity 1. As a sinner 2. As his creature 1. As a sinner that he may do away his sins Isa 43.25 he makes open proclamation thereof I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins so willing is God to free the sinner from mistaking the person that he ingeminates the word as if he had said if thou art unacquainted who it is that must do away thy sins know that it is I I who am thy maker and put thee in a blessed condition whence thou fell and it is I who again will restore thee
NINE SELECT SERMONS Preached upon special occasions in the Parish Church of St. Gregories by St. Pauls By the late Reverend JOHN HEWYTT D. D. Together With his publick Prayers before and after SERMON LONDON Printed for Henry Eversden at the Greyhound in St. Pauls Church-yard and Tho. Rooks at the Holy Lamb at the East end of St. Pauls near the School TO The Right Honourable LADY THE Lady Mary Hewyt Relict of the late Reverend JOHN HEWYT D. D. Madam THe principal intent of our publishing these ensuing Sermons is no other then Edification and for the avoiding all suspition of being accounted spurious and illegitimate we have assumed the boldnesse to dedicate them to your Ladiship with a confident hope of your Honourable Protection and that whereas heretofore they have been beneficiall to his Auditory they may now prove no lesse successful to the intelligent Reader it being pity the Works of so Famous and Eminent a Divine should be raked up in the embers of Oblivion And though they have no other Originall then the Pen of a ready Writer yet such diligent care hath been imployed in emitting them to the World that we doubt not but you will conclude we have endeavoured the perpetuating the memory of your Pious Consort For here lurks no Snake under these Verdant Herbs nor Poysonous Serpent under these Fragrant Flowers in this inclosed Garden growes no Root of Schisme no slip of Error no fruit of Disobedience but within this pleasant Grove are such variety of refreshing contentments to be found as may delight your Ladiship amidst your more Solitary Cogitations and yet these are but parts of that Image which ere long we hope to erect and in a larger Volume We shall crave leave to as we doe at present subscribe our selves Madam Your Ladiships humbly devoted Servants H. E. T. R. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader IT was not popular applause nor private interest that induced us to expose these ensuing Discourses to publick view but only an ardent desire to draw a Landskip of the reverend Authors abilities and though but in Transitu to give a dark representation of that glorious light which continually with unwearied beams did radiate the Souls of his faithful Auditory They are but the shadows of a faithful life therefore be not displeased to find them fall short of the living Voice such curious pieces cannot be drawn without the concurrence of sable lines so that if thou find them halt and only with a crooked finger to point at the Authors stile be not discouraged thereat nor with a prejudicate opinion deem this naked Babe illegitimate because destitute of a Patron for thou wilt find assuredly they are the true off-spring of that worthy Parent and want only the Fathers hand to lead them into and preserve them from a captious world Lay aside all partiall interests and we are bold to presume that thou canst not but with unspeakable profit give them perusal we are sensible of the many calumnies that will be cast upon our persons for this innocent work having already in part undergone the reproach of some malicious tongues who have indeavoured to render the Sermons abortive and our selves contemptible in the eyes of a deceived multitude nor are we able to divine what acceptance they will gain at the hands of any But we question not ingenious Reader whoever thou art but that thou wilt love the picture for the persons sake and wilt impute whatever defect shall be found therein to the want of the Authors pen and not the ignorant or willing mistake of the Perusers thereof for they are notes taken by the pen of a ready VVriter the swiftness of whose motion is able to overtake the most voluble tongue yet thou canst not but know that sometimes the smallest hair interposing it self will make a breach in the fullest sentence thereby interrupting the perfect sense therefore our care hath been extended to the utmost that no remarkable fault might appear obvious to the most critical Reader still indeavouring that those sacred truths which formerly have been beneficial to the intelligent Hearers when preached by the reverend Author may now prove advantageous to the eternal welfare of every Soul that shall peruse them which is the earnest desire of Reader Thy unfeigned Friends and Servants H. E. T. R. A Table of the Titles and Texts of the Sermons contained in this Book MErcy and Iudgement 2 Sermons Page 1. 28. Psal 130. v. 3. If thou Lord wilt be extreme c. A Nativity Sermon page 62. Saint Luke 2. v. 7. And she brought forth her first-born son c. A Funeral Sermon p. 81. 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life onely we have hope in Christ Testis Fidelis or the faithful witness Five Sermons upon 18. St. Iohn v. 37. To this end was I born c. whereof 1. Upon St. Thomas day p. 106. whereof 1. Upon Christmas day p. 126. Three more upon the same Text on several occasions Dr. Hewit's publique Prayer before Sermon O thou that hearest Prayers unto thee shall all flesh come for our help standeth in thy name O Lord which hast made heaven and earth we beseech thee therefore let the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and evermore acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer O Most glorious and most powerfull Lord God whose dwelling is so far above the highest heavens that thou humblest thy self but to look upon the things that are in heaven and that are in earth thou art omnipotent and omnipresent dost whatsoever thou wilt both in heaven in earth in the sea and in all deep places thou art about our beds and about our paths thou spyest out all our wayes understandest all our thoughts long before we thought O Lord when we look up unto thee and consider thee to be a God of so pure eyes as that thou canst not behold iniquity without indignation and wrath and when we look within our selves and see that world of corruption that lyeth hidden in our breasts and those innumerable acts of transgressions that have stained both our persons and our lives we cannot but be confounded and ashamed before thy face and are not able to open our mouths for our sins witnesse against us and our iniquities are as sore burdens too heavy for us to bear they cry up to heaven for vengeance against us and it is of thy infinite patience and longsuffering towards us that thou hast not long since powred upon us the Vials of thy wrathfull indignation nor sentenced us to the pit of eternall destruction Lord who can tell how oft he offendeth The sinfulnesse of our natures the sins of our lives the sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies our secret and whispering sins our crying and open sins our idle and wanton sins our presumptuous and deliberate sins the sins we have committed to please our selves and the sins we have committed to
Esay from the sole of the foot even unto the Head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores c. Esay the 1 c. 6. v. so total a defection hath seized upon our nature that not now the pool of Bethesda or the waters of Iordan must be washt in to heal our Leprosie but the fountain of life set open by a crucified Saviour to wash and bath our sinful souls for sin and for uncleanness yea so foul is our Crime that it hath made man out of order both in Soul and Body His very spirituals are much carnalized look upon him in his soul and that you 'l find is amiss and very much disordered 1 In the understanding which is the eye of the soul is there not much dimness contracted if the light that is in us be darknes how great must our decay in sight needs be What St. Paul saith of the Gentiles is true of every one of us by nature in Eph. 4.18 having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts and untill he the power of whose death tore in pieces the Temples vail rent the vail of ignorance from off our rocky hearts we did abide benighted with the black clouds of sin and rebellion it being just with the Almighty either totally to Eclipse or finally to withdraw that spiritual light our wills voluntarily cast away as being puft up with an overweening conceit of being made like Omnipotency it self in the knowledge of good and evil Such towring thoughts being likely to lead to no other place but that of darkness yea and that irremediless too without the assistance of that true light graciously promised to enlighten every soul that cometh into the world for our nature hath not onely led us from the way of truth but the best discerning our souls have is onely to find our selves involved in misery and a total deprivation of good So that you see our understanding can onely let us know our selves miserable but can no way relieve us 2 The will is perverse and utterly unconformable to the law of God the relish of Eves forbidden fruit is still fresh on the palate of every son of Adam delighting to go astray rather then follow the straight rules of Gods command so that he puts his people to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and since he cannot affright us with our dangerous estate nature hath left us in by its unskilful choice he would faine convince all men of their extreme madness putting the question with a quare moriemini Why will ye dye O house of Israel Ezek. 18.31 and the more folly you will finde lodges in the heart of every man who wilfully turns off from the truth of Gods law if you but seriously consider that his inducement thereunto arises from no experienced comforts he ever found in those gilded vanities which most account the worlds pleasures or fleeting trifles which are reckoned for profit for we have all good reason to believe Solomons knowledge who distilled all the quintessence of sublunary beings into his own cup of delight and what 's the summe total at the foot of this account you may take it in his own language I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of Spirit Eccles 1. ch 14. vanity in their being and vexation of spirit in their operation for they are no other but pricking goads and stinging thornes in the sides and hands of him that enjoyes them so that by this time you may well sit down and take up a lamentation both on the behalf of your selves and others that so great folly should be entailed upon your actions as voluntarily to run from the straight path that leads to eternal life and wilfully to follow the perverse guidance of your own unbounded appetite seeing therefore there is so much evil in vice and so great glory in virtue that even wicked men would appear godly Sejanus incipiente adhuc potentia bonis consiliis notescere volebat Tacit. Annal. l. 4. p. 116. that Sejanus himself whilest a young courtier took care for nothing but to grow famous by his integrity let us al learn this pious prudence to run with speed to heavens merciful throne and with uncessant cries beg that our crooked mans will may be made straight by the guidance of Gods commands 3 Our affections are placed upon wrong objects for its the object and the end together with the manner of performance which makes every action either good or evil we covet our own pleasure and are unsatisfied without it though the purchasing thereof cost us no less then the loss of Gods heavenly countenance such fools have we made our selves that our chief delight is folded up in the enjoyment of a few transitory beings forgetting the onely Jewel which the worlds treasure is of too mean a value to make purchase of for as one saith Well no glory that 's woven in the finest tapestry of this world but will lose colour decay and perish whereas saving grace and the knowledge of Iesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a possession for eternity and we are so wedded to our carnal interests that we cannot endure to have mention made of their removal and are so besotted with their imaginary beauty that we seek to cover all their deformities dealing with our affectionate lusts as the painter did with Antigonus who had but one eye he drew his picture imagine lusca half faced and so buried the deformity out of the beholders sight We usually present our seeming contents with the fair face of outward joy while in the mean time we draw a curtain before their cloven foot and stinging tail such is the unhappiness our first parents folly hath reduced us to that we naturally choose the evil and let pass the good court the shadow and let the substance flee away Greedy affection was the inlet of our sinne and misery and still the same porter keeps open the doors for our unruly appetites With how much eagerness therefore should we endeavour to get our desires and affections placed upon their proper object that so they may attain the truest end by the rightest means and not rest contented with a few lifeless wishes and cold desires which at the best as one saith well can gain but this mean character bene cogitare est bene somniare a good thinker is but a good dreamer whose awakened sight serves onely to let him see he hath but the cloud instead of Iuno therefore above all things it teaches us the truth of this lesson that needs must men do evil whose very affections are wrong placed Our souls being amiss we must needs do amiss for man is borne to evil as naturally as the sparks flye upward saith holy Iob for the best of men without renewing grace are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of uncleanness oh that thou wouldest sanctifie and beautifie them by thy glorious presence they cannot be happy or blessed one minute without thee yet shall be as thou art if thou comest but into them but alas we are many of us as the Bethlemites that would not entertain Christ in the inne for there was no room for them in the inne Which brings me to the 4 thing viz. the peoples inhospitality 4 There was no room for them in the Inne What was the suddenness of the journey any cause of the virgins speedy travail or her sudden travail rather a cause of the Bethlehemites uncharitableness poor virgin and yet happy mother of so blest a babe she comes too late to be lodged in the Inne that came too soon to be entertained of her kindred but too late for the Inne and all the room was taken up before she came and therefore must be in the stable rather then an honest traveller will be burthensome the meanest room to his humility shall be great satisfaction indeed some had their delicates and fed onely for wantonness though she wants necessaries the Carpenter that had built many a house now wants a house wherein to rest himself and almost wearied traveller contentedly accepting the beasts for his companions rather then want a lodging just so the God of heaven and earth having left heaven was glad to shrowd himself in this clay of ours Ioseph came to his City and the Citizens received him not because they knew not that the Lord of glory was with him thus the Ox knows his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel did not know the Bethlemites did not consider Esay 1.3 Whom have you rejected you Bethlemites Will ye rather reject God in a stranger then entertain a stranger for Gods sake What do you throw God into a stable Know you not that out of you shall come the ruler of Israel Mich. 5.2 And are you so stupidly ignorant that now you will lose the accomplishment of that promise How unlike art thou to Bethlehem the house of Bread in regard thou neither affordest him house to harbour nor bread to succour him But alas woe unto us we censure thee O Bethlehem but if we had lived in thy dayes we should have been worse and now can expect nothing but that Bethlehem should rise up in Judgment against us for in this she is more righteous then we for Christ came but once to them and in humility but he comes often to us in power and we regard not How often doth he knock at the door of our hearts by his Word and by his Spirit yea and that untill his head be filled with dew and his locks with drops of the night but we will not entertain him O! if those rude heaps have had the dust of his feet shaken against them for their inhospitableness how shall these hard hearts of ours that will not receive him be ground to powder Matth. 21.24 when that great milstone shall fall upon us for our hardness and impenitency do not your hearts tremble to hear the sad doom I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not therefore ye shall go into everlasting punishment S. Mat. 25.43 46. With what sadness of countenance shall we hear this woe denounced and that by Christ himself and certainly without repentance it will be our portion how then should we pray oh that our hearts were worthy the harbouring of so rare a guest With what diligence and care should we sweep our houses set open our doors and make us in a readiness when we heard of some earthly monarch that were coming to us and thus we should by repentance and holy devotion prepare our hearts that they may be meet Tabernacles for him and labour to get all those graces his Spirit confers on those that love him that so our Lord might not come before expected nor passe by uninvited but freely turn unto us and dwell by Faith in us that we may dwell in him by the same Spirit that Christ dwelling in us here we may dwell with him for ever hereafter In whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore A Funeral Sermon SERMON IV. 1 COR. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable THere is a time to be born and a time to die saith Solomon Eccles 3.2 And the day of a mans death is better then the day of a mans birth for he is born to misery and trouble as the sparks flie out of the fire but by death he is delivered out of the misery of this sinfull world to enjoy true blisse and happinesse therefore why should we hang down our heads like a bulrush and afflict our souls or rather why should we not were it not that we know that God will give us beauty for ashes Isa 61.3 and the spirit of joy for the garment of heaviness or give us the felicity of his chosen and make us rejoyce with the gladnesse of his people or with S. Paul 1 Cor. 15 32. Why should I fight with beasts at Ephesus or contend with unreasonable men Why should I subdue the beastly lusts of the flesh or overcome sinfull corruptions or rather not run to all excesse of riot were it not that after this life there is laid up a crown of glory 2 Tim. 4.8 which God will give to them that love and serve him Why should we arraign and judge our selves for to bring these dayes to an end were it not that upon this moment hangs eternity which we shall be possessed of when death shall be swallowed up of victory 1 Cor. 15.54 and mortality shall put on immortality or why should we account all things loss and dung for the excellency of Christ Phil. 3 8. but that besides the hundred-fold which we shall receive here below God will reckon us among his precious Jewels Why should we not embrace liberty and freedom rather then abide a furnace of trials were there not the Son of God to comfort us and a fiery Chariot whereby to escape the fire that never goeth out And who can dwell with everlasting burning or who can abide with devouring fire Isai 33.14 Why should we not be discouraged at the death of friends and with great despondency hang down our heads in discomfort when we see the lives of our relations are cut off and withall remember that we our selves must shortly turn to dust were we not assured that he who out of stones can raise up children unto Abraham Mat 3.9 will from among these stones raise us again and give us a crown of righteousness And set this crown aside well may the world think Christians the most miserable Take away the hope of a better life I say take away the hope we have in Christ of a
and all that is within me praise his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy infirmities which saveth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles for he will not deal with us after our sins nor reward us according to our iniquities Testis fidelis OR A faithfull Witness SERMON VII St. IOHN 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse unto the truth Introduction THe words of my Text are like the eye of a well-drawn picture that still which way soever you go looks towards you for which way so ever you consider the words they still have reference to all the parts and circumstances of Christs coming in the flesh if you look upon his conception which coming was foretold by an Angel as witness thereof S. Luke 1.31 yet there it was but the preparation to that coming which is in my text viz. his Nativity which is not left without a witness neither in that St. Stephen one of the twelve who was to testifie of him is joyned next unto the birth-day of our Saviour he being the first that suffered for him and therefore called by the Holy Catholick Church St. Stephens day but that Protomartyr who here is a witness to that witness in my Text did witness what the great witness did both do and suffer but that this truth might be established by more then a single testimony our Mother the Church doth celebrate St. Iohns day in commemoration of that beloved Disciple whose faithful affection begot in him an Eagles eye wherewith to behold those glorious mysteries which none else of all the Disciples were able to reveal and that we might not be without occasions of stirring up our affections also God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son and here is the onely begotten Son so loving that he gives himself for us and as his Disciples testified the truth of Christ living and dying so the innocent babes slain for his sake by cruel Herod did witness to the truth not by speaking but by dying but he who is the great witnes both by speaking dying did bear witness for us while himself was an infant antedating his cruel passion by a bloody circumcision instituted as a pledge of our interest in his covenant which was wonderfully effected by his own person when manifested in the world hence the Epiphany is famous for the wise men who first made discovery of this blessed babe by the guidance of an unusual light and here now is that star of Iacob which leads to the rising in his birth and by this was the King of the Jewes first found out that afterwards by his people was betrayed into the hands of enemies to be condemned as a malefactor and as an enemy to Caesar and that with the greatest formality of justice being brought before a President and arraigned for his life and yet notwithstanding their malice and cruelty he still asserted his innocencie though he knew he should die for it and therefore he saith To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness of the truth Look upon the words once more and they present you with the faithfulness and constancy of our blessed Saviours testimony even then when he was deserted by his most intimate friends and servants and at that time especially wherein as man he stood most in need of them being now had in examination before the Judgement-seat of Pilate wherein you have fulfilled that saying of his that he came to his own and his own received him not Nay he was so far from being received by them that he was forsaken by all despised of most and pitied by few and yet herein also he came to do his Fathers will by a willing death witnessing to that truth which some had foresworn and others denyed saying To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the truth In which words you may remember I have observed these parts 1. An action 2. An end 3. The object 1. The action he was born he came into the world 2. The end 1. pointed at 2. pointed out 1. Pointed at to this end and for this cause 2. Pointed out to bear witness 3. The object the truth And whereas the end in every action is first in intention though last in execution I did begin with the end the right end and that pointed at To this end and for this cause c. and I came to the second thing namely 2. The action which was Christs incarnation and his coming into the world To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world and come now to the third thing the end of the action wherefore he came and why he was born and that is 3. The object the truth to bear witness And to bear witness to the truth and in this third part there are two things considerable 1. The end 2. The object The one in reference unto Christ the other unto Christians 1. In reference unto Christ as the primary intention of them and so the words concern our Saviour as he was a witness unto the truth in his own person 2. In the extent of them so they concern us for we also are to bear witness to the truth and as in the testimony of our Saviour so in ours there must concurre to demonstrate our fidelity 1. The end 2. The action 3. The object For we are in our particular station to bear witness to the truth as well as others for Christ in all the ages of the world hath still had some faithful servants to witness for him though they continually met with opposition For though under the Law witnesse was given unto him at divers times and in sundry manners c. yet not onely the vain errours of the Gentiles but also the careless perversness of the Iewes led multitudes of people into a disbelief of God himself and the truth of our blessed Saviours coming into the world insomuch that the Prophet Esay saith Who hath believed our report Esay 53.1 Yea the people changed the truths of God into lies and caused the way of truth to be evill spoken of endeavouring by all means if possible to banish truth out of the earth but notwithstanding all their malicious oppositions the truths of God were not left without record for there is not any one person in the Sacred Trinity but bears witnesse to the truth for there are three that bear record in Heaven The Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one St. John 5.7 The Father promising the holy Ghost preparing and the Son assuming or taking what was
that shall deceive many c. 2 St. Peter 2.12 though indeed he tells us that they were the unlearned and the unstable that wrested the Scriptures to their own destruction ch 16. yet he admonisheth the faithful that they should not be led away by the errors of the wicked 2 St. Peter 3.17 18. and St. Paul saith if he or an Angel from heaven should come and offer any other doctrine let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 which implyes that there would some come which would offer another doctrine and that to the eminent Christians of Galatia and if it were possible the very elect should be deceived so saith our Saviour Saint Matth. 24.24 therefore I say in a matter of so high concernment as divine truth is we cannot do better then to confirme and bear witness to the truth as by speaking of it to the religious so Secondly by speaking of it against the erroneous passing the sentence of condemnation upon them that contradict the Scriptures that by it we may confirme the truth to the faithful by confutation of the opposite errors with the holy Scripture which is the word of truth and as it is the will of God so the rule of righteousness and they that will rove from this rule of truth are erroneous whether it be in understanding or conversation for those teachers that are already gone astray and by breaking Gods commands teach others so to do are chiefly erroneous however they may think to pacifie the world onely with a bare pretence to the truth and call the wisdome that is above their father thereby intending to deceive the simple with a shew of relation unto Almighty God while indeed they are the servants of the Devil for they know that if error should come in its proper shape it would be loathsome to every eye but now that it comes in the name and semblance of truth they think none will refuse it for many saith our Saviour shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many Saint Mat. 24.5 so that you see truth is wounded by her own bow and as Iacob got the blessing in the hairy garment of Esau his elder brother thereby deceiving his Father so the wicked and erroneous men that are in the world seek to deceive the Church and servants of God in the apparel of our elder brother Christ Iesus so the Devil that father of lies could come and tempt our Saviour with the words of holy Scripture for when Christ alledged Scripture against him he did the same to our blessed Redeemer St. Mat. 4.6 no cunninger way for Apostates to bring in others under the same condemation with themselves then by pretending truth and piety to be the ground of theit actions The Prince of darkness will not think scorne to borrow the shape of an Angel of light if he thinks it may prove to his advantage and is it not a countenancing of blasphemy for any nation or people to give dispensation for all manner of heretical opinions who are ready upon all occasions to betray the truth and the professors thereof into a state of sin and misery Examine but Acts 18.19 and 1 Kin. 22.20 therefore seeing the factors of Satan are ready to betray many souls to perdition by corrupting Gods holy word is it not time for us to snatch the sword out of their hands and beat them with the strength and edge of those spiritual weapons which they endeavour to wound our heads withal for the truth is not like wax which is made to receive the image of every phanatical brain no where doubts arise in the holy Scripture they must be answered by its own spirit and not anothers But as we must defend truth with our tongues so Secondly practically by our words and works when the doctrine of Christianity is that way of truth which is evil spoken of and when men in profession are Christians but in conversation are Pagans and Papists c. Ro. 2.24 and St. Iam. 2.7 and when that truth is disgrac'd by the bad lives of men their sins become ours if we rebuke them not therefore Saint Paul saith have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 That tongue which rebukes not his brother when he sees him go astray draws all the guilt of the action upon himself and so we make our selves sharers with him in misery for it is most certain he gives consent that holds his peace and no way contradicts the action Num. 30.4 the father by his silence at the daughters vow is there made co-partner with her and not onely the father but the husband also or any other person by their silence are said to give consent to the action as appears at large in that chapter Indeed there are two waies to keep a man from evil The one by reproof The other by not consenting to the action when committed For the truth is any Christians connivance or evil example but Masters and Rulers especially do harden the sinners heart and make him think well or ill of himself according as they approve or condemn the actions they see committed by him the truth is the Ministers silence at the sins which he sees committed often encourageth his people to go to hell therefore it is St. Pauls complaint The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Rom. 2.24 and God himself hath commanded expresly Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Levit. 19.17 not to rebuke thy brother when he does amisse is as much as to hate thy brother therefore it is said cry aloud and spare not tell Iudah of her sins and Israel of their transgressions if we please men we cannot speak the truth and we must speak the truth what man soever we displease Indeed there are three things especially which breed enmity in men against us for speaking the truth unto them 1. Displeasure 2. Disprofit 3. Discredit 1. Displeasure for hearing of the truth onely spoken many times galls some for let but truth be rightly spoken or seeme in the application but to touch their iniquities and they will presently like the frantick patient flie in the Chirurgeons face when he searches deep though it be for their safety so sometimes the least touch of truth will make men fret and fume and vent their malice in furious words against them who do but discharge their duty by a faithfull reproof of their sinfull actions 2. If it be against their profit or against their trade when application of truth is so made they cannot endure such doctrine but presently the Minister must suffer an ejection at least for his faithfulnesse and this must be done too with the greatest pretence of Piety for they think it no sacriledge to take the houses of God and make them dens of Theeves so that you may see and cannot but finde that many times the witnessing of the truth against that where the gain of wicked men lies