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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87567	The stil-destroyer or, Self-seeking discovered. Together with the curse it brings, and the cure it requires. A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen of the city of London, upon occasion of a solemne anniversary meeting, April 9th 1645. / By William Ienkyn Master of Arts, and minister of Gods word at Christ-Church London.	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1645 (1645)	Wing J655; Thomason E277_6; ESTC R200004	55,281	61

The Stil-Destroyer OR Self-seeking Discovered Together With the Curse it brings and The Cure it requires A SERMON Preached BEFORE THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORD MAIOR and Court of Aldermen of the City of LONDON upon occasion of a solemne Anniversary meeting April 9 th 1645. By WILLIAM IENKYN Master of Arts and Minister of Gods Word at Christ-Church LONDON Serpit putrida tabes hypocrifis per omne corpus Ecclesiae et quo lativs co desperatius eoque periculofius quo interius Omnes sunt amici et omnes inimici omnes necessarii et omnes adversarii omnes domestici et nulli pacifici omnes proximi et omnes ferc quae sua sunt quaerunt non quae Jesu Christi Isa 38.17 * Sic Vulg. Ecce in pace amaritudo mea Amara pri●● in nece martyrion amarior post in conflictu haereticorum amarissima nunc in moribus domesticorion Bern. Serm. 33. in Cantic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus Lib. 5. Ep. 498. LONDON Printed for Christopher Meredith at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Lord MAYOR and Court of ALDERMEN of the famous Citie of LONDON THe occasion was solemne upon which this Sermon was preach●t the age is censorious in which 't is printed that did not make me forward to be in the Pulpit this made me backward to be in the Presse But the concealing of my Sermon would have been the discovering of my disobedience and I rather chuse to be in Print then in such an opposition The season is stormie wherein my name puts forth and who observes not Shipwracks in the Seas of this my passage enough to make the sufferers pitied and the spectators warned For my selfe the wisdome of your Commands is embarqued in the same bottom with my name you make by far the greater adventure and should there prove a miscarriage your losse cannot be inferiour But why speak I of storms or losses may my vessell but set Christ on shore upon any soul it matters not afterward what becomes of it or me My aime was service not safetie I went not out upon pleasure but employment Sermons are but Machinae scaffolds to set up Christ in the heart they obtaine their end in the furtherance of his work not in the firmness of their owne standing Our continuing longer then'till Christ be erected is upon favour not necessitie The way whereby I desire in this Sermon the advancing of Christ is principally I confesse by destroying of that enemy which both hinders the setting of Christ up and if let alone will also cause our downefall for the sin I here strike at is very improperly called self-seeking he who is usually termed a self-seeker neither attending upon that which is truely self nor upon the right seeking of it That cannot be said to be done for self which is not done for the soule whatsoever is otherwise done being for lusts or at the best for the moth the theefe the carkasse rather then for ones self The soule-seeker is the true self-seeker Nor can this attending upon self be called a seeking unles by it we understand a laborious painful toyling and in that sense every sinner is a true seeker but in respect of any wise disposall or right ordering of endeavours toward the thing principally desired which is good happines it may more properly be termed a losing then a seeking rather a going from then toward the thing after which there is made a seeming enquirie To seeke our selves by sinning by distrusting Gods providence by excessivenes in earthly industries by deserting the Cause of Christ especially by driving our owne unworthy designes under pretence of friendship to the Church this kind of self-seeking is in Scripture politiks no better then selfe-losing This is the enemy against whom I bend the force of this ensuing Sermon wherein if I see me to charge him with too much adventurousness let the hurtfulnes both of his nature and practise be my excuse for though it would be most happy living when self-seeking were dead ye who would not with Sampson even willingly die so as but this one Philistine might bee killed also God hath followed this Sermon with two others Preach'd of late by the mouth of the sword in the very bowels of this Kingdome The one was a punishment upon self-seeking by our losse of a * L●icester Towne the other a blessing upon seeking him by our winning the * In that glorious victor●e at Nasiby Field In the first hee taught us this lesson seeking our selves and not God ruines us In the second this Seeking God and not our selves revives us Oh that hee would please to Preach once more and that by the Sword of his mouth the power of his owne Spirit for otherwise 't is possible indeed to scatter Armies and overcome Cities Pro. 16.32 but never will this Spirituall and Beloved enemy self be vanquished However I have laboured to discharge my trust and thereby to quice my Conscience in discovering the Destroyer The Lord grant that England may voyce him and think him to bee as that people did Sampson when hee was brought before them the Enemy and Destroyer of their Countrey and Kingdome Iudg. 16.24 In particular I knew not better how to expresse my dearest respects to this famous City whose Lord Mayor with sundry of her Aldermen and Commons have been formerly pleased to assist my now dear charge in calling mee to the place of my present Ministery Besides this former love to my self that of late to my plaine dealing more then which I know nothing that procured your approbation to this Sermon deserves a larger expression in this kind of my gratefull resenting your religious favours However this testimony such as it is of my desires to serve your souls I humbly present to your Honourable acceptance beseeching God that Christ-seeking and not Self-seeking may ever be your Honor and Londons happinesse as a Minister wherein I am even to humblest acknowledgements Your servant for Iesus sake William Ienkyn Christ-Church London THE STIL-DESTROYER DISCOVERED 2 PHILIPPIANS 20.21 For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state For all seeke their owne not the things of IESVS CHRIST AT the writing whereof the body of Paul was under the restraint of bonds and imprisonment but never was the soule of this blessed man more then at this time enlarged his soule was happy in a double enlargement First in that of spirituall ioy secondly of spirituall desire His ioyes were so abundant that hee expresseth them neare twentie severall times in this no long Epistle never made he so frequent mention of death bonds and dissolution as in this Epistle nor ever made he more frequent expressions of Divine joyes and comforts now he exhorteth the Philippians for he had of this oyle of ioy for their lamps also to rejoyce Chap. 3.1.4 to rejoyce alway and againe to rejoyce The thorne was at his breast and never

you to the account Ta●●mus sed non ●●tinguim●s people may be silent of it and forget it themselves but they cannot make Christ forget it Seek the things of Christ in his Church in his Cause in his Word in his Servants if ever you would have him regard you hereafter regard him here Be a shield to Christs cause now if thou wouldst have him to be a shield to thee hereafter Paul saith that Onesiphorus sought him out diligently 1 Tim. 1.17 18 and refreshed him even in his chaines and we see what follows even a prayer that he may finde mercy from Christ in that day of account since hee had sought these things of Christ before And thus I have done with the first generall part of the Text the nature of the offence 2. The generality of the offenders follows The second generall head in the Text is the generality of the offenders All saith the Apostle seek c. An expression which I conceive comprehends a threefold reference or looks with a threefold Aspect 1. Vpon Paul 2. Vpon Timothy 3. Vpon the generality of whom the Apostle here complains that they sought their own things I shall name all the three respects 1. As it hath reference to Paul it notes two things 1. Sorrowfull resenting of the neglect of the Church even as if every one had forsaken it and not one left to own it and the things of Christ A gracious person deeply and sadly layes to heart the neglect of the things of Iesus Christ Wee finde as I said before Saint Paul once weeping in this Epistle Phil. 3.18 but 't was because of some that were not friends to Iesus Christ Sir Fr. Bacons Nat. Hist When two strings of an Instrument are tuned one to the other if the one be struck upon and stir'd the other will move and tremble also A Saints soul is harmoniously consenting in its affections to Christ and if he suffer and be struck a Saint will tremble and bee moved likewise 2. 2 Tim. 4.3 In reference to Paul it notes courage in reproving zeale in opposing a spreading fault Paul dares speak even against all if all will neglect Christ A gracious heart will stand for Iesus Christ in the midst even of a prevailing number that oppose him the multitude and generality of resisters hee meets withall will not must not make him desist And therefore hence we may gather a probable mark of a Christians or a Ministers sincerity doe they oppose the spreading prevailing sinnes of the time wherein they live It 's ordinary to see and hear men cry down sinnes that are put down and discountenanced to their hand that perhaps have few or none to plead for them but the sinnes of the age and place as suppose it be erroneousnesse in judgement or contempt of the publique Ordinances reviling the Saints slightnesse in religion c. these sinnes that are in fashion and are prevailing require a courage and a faithfulnesse like to Pauls to deal with them There 's the first respect in the word All viz. to Paul 2. The second respect of this word All is as it concerns Timothy whose graces of zeal and integrity the Apostle doth clearly here beautifie and adorne by that foyl of self-seeking in others In the foregoing verse he had commended Timothy for his uprightnesse and zeal for the Churches good here hee amplifies that commendation from setting down how opposite the generality was to him he was for the things of Christ though the most were against him And thus it notes The true commendation of a Christian That Christians piety and zeal for Christ is most highly commendable which holds up Phil. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in times and places when and where Christ is neglected The darknesse of the night makes the candle or the star the more bright and shining There 's the second 3. As this word all here refers to the generality who were Brethren and ●ellow-labourers and professors even together with Paul and Timothy it notes Discovery by difficulties even of the fairest pretenders to the things of Iesus Christ It 's a rare thing even among great numbers of Christs seeming friends to find those that in straights will cleave to him Who is it almost that forsakes him not and flies when following him is followed with dangers Very few that continue with Christ in an hour of temptation Christians for the most part take up profession of Religion as some people go to Sea upon pleasure and recreation when the weather grows stormy they presently think of comming back again Vnsound fruit will hang on the tree in a fair Sun-shining-day but in a boysterous windy day it soone falls off Outward troubles will overcome a meerely visible and outside professor but they cannot ●each the soul truely implanted into Christ FINIS

earth-ward selfe-ward therefore ebbing heaven-ward Christ-ward All seek He speakes not of those that had made an open defection from the faith totally forsaking the Apostle as Hymeneus Philetus c. but of those who were Brethren and fellow labourers Nor yet doth hee intend that simply all these were so neglective of the things of Christ as that there was not one but Timothie that regarded the Church for there was Epaphr●ditus and others who did regard them but the word All is here to be taken as els-where in common speech it is used that is not as importing its full extent and as it is most comprehensive but as importing the generalitie the many the most so when Paul speakes as if all the Cretians were evill beasts and slow bellies Tit. 1.12.13 So we ●ay Nusquem ●uta sides●nem● castu● in Italia Om●es in Hispa●ia superbi he must be understood as speaking of the most the generalitie of the fault causing an expression of universalitie All almost or for the generalitie seek their owne things Seek The word signifieth an eager and studious prosecution and desire by way of enquirie after any thing as Mark 12.12 Luke 11.18 sometimes also the requiring or exacting of a thing Luk. 12.46 here 't is taken in the former sense and imp●rts a too ●ager immoderate prosecution of our own things not a lawfull subordinate endeavour to preserve our selves and ours so as to advance Gods glory thereby but an immeasurable vehement out-going of affection after our own things which we make our aime and end and scope in a way of oppositnesse even to the things of Christ himself when both come in competition Their own Or things for themselves and that belong to themselves and here they are to be understodd of bodily comforts as riches health pleasures c. Luk. 19.12 though Christ cals these anothers Luk. 16.12 those onely our own which are our souls Grace being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your own spoken of in that place and indeed spirituall blessings onely deserve this title of our own because they are onely qualified for that part of a man that is the man the soule and they onely continue Other things the own things spoken of here being rather our Carcasses then our own they shall have others to own them ere long but in regard of our civill propriety in them among men and in regard of the opinions of carnally minded men using and desiring them as if their souls could be satisfied with them as also own them always these folicitously immoderately regarded things are called our own Not the things of Iesus Christ What he had called the state and things of the Church in the fore-going verse he here calls the things of Iesus Christ in regard that Christ hath a true interest in the Church and all that belongs to it The Church is his Church Esa 63.19 John 10.3 Eph. 5.17 her grace glory conditions all his Not That is Comparatively to Timothy they were not equally hearted to him for the Church not that they did simply throw off all care of the Church but their owne private proper profits and interests did so take them up that they had not at that time hearts suited to so difficult an imployment for Christ To seek the things of Christ is to make the glory of Christ principally in our ay●●es to employ our parts and endeavours chiefly for advancing his Honour preferring him to all our private conveniences or exigences to make Christ the scope of our life so Phi. 1. Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ Contrarily not to seek him is not onely not to regard him at all and purely to throw off all looking after the things of Christ but not to seek them in the first place and not to propound them as our chiefe end but rather to undertake employments seemingly for Christ but intending principally our own benefit honour case c. more then the things of Iesus Christ The words of both the verses thus opened those of the twenty first verse which I shall onely insist upon containe a proof and an aggravation of a fault more lightly touched in the foregoing verse by occasion of Timothies commendation The fault was Carele●nesse of the Churches state the Apostle amplifieth it here th●●e wayes First by she wing what it was to be carelesse of the state of the Church t' was to neglect the things even of Christ himself it is a considerable person that is neglected with the Church Secondly by she wing how or upon what ground these things of the Church came to be neglected it was by reason of the seeking their own things it was a very inconsiderable ground upon which they were so careles of the things of the Church Thirdly by she wing the generality of those that were so careles and neglective of these things All saith Paul in a manner all by f●r the most seek their own things c. Or we may observe two things mainly considerable in this o●e and twentieth verse Division of the words First a fault or offence described Secondly the generablitie of the delinquents or offenders First 1. Part. the fault hath two branches First a positive branch They sought their own things Secondly a negative branch not the things of Iesus Christ In the first the positive first here is an act seeking there is eagernesse Secondly an obiect their own things there is unworthinesse In the second the negative branch there is first the kinde of ●ffence it was an omission the state of the Church was neglected o●●itted not the c. Secondly the d●gree of it or the aggravating and heightning of it the things o●●s of Iesus Christ were neglected in the neglect of the Church Thirdly the cause of all this neglect necessarily implyed it was in regard of following inordinately their own things The generality of the offenders is to be handled under severall considerations 2. Part. In prosecution of this second division sundry fruitfull observations in every branch would offer themselves 1. Part. as from the first part the offence as considered first in the positive branch 1. Branch of the 1. Part. the seking their owne things First observe as this eager act of seeking was bestowed upon things that were licita non inhonesta owne things permitted by God to be sought after that wee are very liable to offend in lawfull things Observation Secondly as these things were privata non publica their own private not the Publike things Obser that it is a very ignoble temper of soule for Christians in times wherein the Publike wants them to regard immoderately their owne private affairs Thirdly as these things were dissimulata non manifesta things sought underhand no man professing or seeming to seek his own things but the contrary the good of the Church Obser that it is ordinary but very discommendable for Christians under pretence of seeking the

m●dus Aug. when wee doe not exevcise our limbes but cra●●● out sinewes 〈◊〉 them not dip the tip of our rod in tasting the honey o● profit ple●sure honour c. but thrust it in even all over and engulph and swallow up our selves in matters of se●fe 〈◊〉 going beyond what is enough for our calling and condition resolving to have these things what even they cost us as the Apostle speaks of some 1 Tim. 6.9 who will berich who will through five and water and difficulties armies of these shall not hinder them from the water after which they thirst Fourthly The seeking our own things unleas●nably bastowing houres upon them that are due to other things is a seeking which makes us neglect the things of Iesus Christ when weroh the 〈◊〉 of her opportunities pil●er from God clip the Sabbath our Prayer● Religion the Church and Cause of Christ when the senlofeth here 2 Kings 5.26 that so it may gaine upon our owne things which we will seeke through Christ in his Saints and cause requires the contrary Is this a time said the Prophet to Gehazi to receive money and garments So might Paul have said to these tender delicate brethren that were so unlike to Timothie Is this a time to minde case and rest and safety and selfe such a kind of seeking our own things must needs hinder the seeking the things of Iesus Christ I have done with the first thing that I propounded to be ●pened viz. what seeking it is that hinders us from seeking the things of Iesus Christ The second followes 2. Bran●● of Expli●●tion Secondly the point opened by she wing what things of Christ Self-seeking hinders us from seeking 1. It hindred fró seeking and regarding Christ a himself what things of Christ this self-seeking hindereth 1. This caused a neglect of Christ himselfe when he was here upon the ●●●th even to an earnest soliciting him sometimes to depart out of their ●●●sts Matth. 8.34 Sometimes it made people fearefull to acknowledge him Iohn 9.22 At other time●openly to 〈◊〉 him T was this that derided him in the 〈◊〉 Pharis●●s Luke 16.14 T was this that persecuted him in the Ruler●●● T was this that 〈…〉 M●● 19 2● Danyed him so far as it prevailed in Peter Matth ●6 30 That bewayed him in Indas Matth. 26.47 That conirived his death in the chief Priests they were wholly bent upon presetving their owne place and their nation Iohn 11.48 T was this that conde●ned him in Pilate Luke 23.24 In a word it made his whole life a life of neglect and 't was the reason why Christ came to his owne and his owne received him not His owne sought their owne things Secondly Inordinate self-regarding hath ever caused and expressed a neglect of Christ and his things 2 And from seeking the things of Christ in his servants in mens cariage toward his servants What was it but this which made them accounted the burdens of the earth the wondermen of the world the plagues of their severall ages they were against selfe and selfe in every man was against them T was seeking their owne things that made Diana's worshippers so loude in their out-cryes against Blessed Paul Acts 19.28 that made Peter and Iohn threatned for that miracle of mercy that imprisoned and abused the Apostles Acts 4 18.5.40● that ston●d S●●ven for feacre of suffering a change in old and owne customes that moved Herod to kill James Acts 6 13.7.59● Acts 12.3 and endeavour the murder of Peter Self-regarding was the winde that ever raised stormes against the servants of Christ at the best it made them lookt upon with neglect and contempt it made people fearfull to accompany with them or ioyne to their Societie Acts 5.19 or if some did goe so fa● as out ward Compliance with them yet hath this self-regarding caused squint-eyed aimes and secret resolutions upon occasion of difficultie to forsake them What but this hath neglected Christ in his distressed members often denying reliefe to them 1 Sam. 25.11 T●ties dixit me t●● meum 〈◊〉 tandem 〈◊〉 fecit siant● st●rving Christ in his Saints Was it not this that made Nabal branded with the name of a churle and caused that unkinde deniall of Davias slender request Shall I give saith he my bread my water my fi●sh c. Thirdly This immoderate regarding our own things From seeking the things of Christ in the cause of Religion hath neglected the things of Christ in the cause of Religi●n What but this kept Meroz back from helping the L●rd What if not this detained R●nben among the sheep-folds to hear the bleating of the ●●ocks when the cause of God was in ●copa●dy Judg. 4. Chap. ● This t●ed D●n to his ships This shut up the hearts and hands of the men of S●ccoth and Pennel against the Fai●ting bodies of the pur●●ers of Gods and his ●hurches 〈◊〉 'T was the seeking their own things that would have cursed the Church by B●l●●●● Numb 22. disturbed it by Cora● Dathan and Abir●●● N●●●● 26.9 and 16.3 that abolished the purity of worship out of the kingdom of Israel by Jeroboam 1 King 12.26 27. that hindered the full reformation of it in Jehu's time 2 King 10.19 that retarded the reformation after the Babylonish-captivity Z●ch 2.7 Rom. 16.17 In a word all the home-bred distractions and divisions 〈◊〉 the unsound opinions sidings half-reformations sinfull limitations to go thus far and no farther ungodly bredths which people have indulged to themselves wretched allowances of grosse sinnes and errors in some though persecuting the appearances of them in others all these with infinite more have self-seeking in the Church for their source This hath been ever the * Tine● babet damnum non sonitum m●th of the Church Amariss●ma mea amaritudo in moribus domesticorum pax a paganis ab haere●●cis sed non a filiis making up in hurt what it wants in noise Sions Still-Destroyer to which the Church may say as I●phtah to his dangliter I am and ever was brought low for thy sake O self-seeking and therefore holy Bernard makes it a greater enemy to the Church then the most raging persecutions Fourthly 4. And from seeking the things of Christ in his word it hinders Ministers by making them to be sinfully silent Ephes 6.19 To adulterate it with humane wisedom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper in fames habit● quod mer●es adulterant To wrack it for false opinions Tit. 1.11 Phil. 3.19 2 P●● 2.1 2 3. This seeking our own things neglects the things of Christ in the preaching of the Word Self-seeking hath made Ministers and people neglect Christ in his Word For Ministers it hath made them neglect the Word sometime by sinfull silencing some truthes and un worthy face-fearing A sinne so ready to creep into the Pulpit that Paul desires the Ephesians Ephes 6.19 to pray it down even