not beat folly out of our hearts We have been unprofitable all our days some have done thee more service in one year than we in all our time We have forgotten thee in the day of prosperity and sung a lullaby to our own Souls Oh that we could speak these things with broken and bleeding hearts But as in the time of our ignorance we could sin without reluctancy so now we can sin without repentance Oh that thou wouldst smite the rock that there might flow out tears VVe can do nothing by way of expiation if we would weep out our eyes nothing but the blood of Christ can take away our guilt O that there might be a spring of that blood upon our souls at this time Oh that that blood may at this time bring a report of love and a message of mercy to us Do we beg any more than thou hast promised Oh hast not thou accepted of that satisfaction that Christ hath made in his own person If we had suffered the torments of Hell it could not have made that satisfaction that Christ hath made Give us the witness of thy spirit and thy Love and we will say we have enough give us hearts of flesh crush the head of the serpent in our souls O Lord Christ thou camest into the world to destroy the works of the Devil in our hearts and to build up the Kingdom of the spirit in us Oh when shall we see the old man decay in us and the new man to live more and more O be wisdom to guide us and Righteousness to cleanse us from guilt and redemption to deliver us from the wages of sin let us be nothing in our selves that we may be all in thee our saviour Oh honour us so far that we may honour thee VVe pray thee strengthen our weak saith quiet our consciences we would not live a day longer than that we may honour thee tread Satan under our feet fit us for our places and imployments let not our conditions be so low but that our hearts may be lower we are posting to death Oh let sin die before we die let us know our names are written in the Book of Life before thou take away our life Look upon thy servant our dread Sovereign Charls of Great Britâ—â—â—n France and Ireland King oh inrich his Royal heart with all those saving graces of thy Spirit in order unto a wise and happy Government of these Kingdoms Look upon his Royal Consort his Royal relations the Lords of his Privy Council and make them blessings to this Nation oh sanctifie thy good word oh give thy gracious assistance to us both in speaking and hearing let us hear it as that word by which we must be judged that we may be convinced by it and say it is the power of God to salvation to every soul of us Let our meeting be for the better to all of us that we may be built up in the most holy Faith and let us know we have not sought thy face in vain for Jesus Christ his sake our dear Saviour for whom we bless thy Majesty to whom with thee and thy Spirit be praise for ever Amen Mr. Jenkin's Prayer at Christ Church MOst blessed and holy Lord God thou art infinitely beyond our apprehensions who wast infinitely happy before the worâ—d was made and wantest none of thy creatures nor their services to make thee more excellent than thou art in thy self we daily want thee thou never wantest us thou art pleased to make use of ordinances Ministers Sabbaths as thy Institutions to accomplish and bring about the great work of thy Glory and mans Salvation yet Lord thou dost not need them thy Spirit is not made efficatious by these things but it is that that makes these things efficatious though thou art pleased to tie us to them when we may have them and duly enjoy them yet thou dost not tie thy self to them We desire in these our addresses to eye the happiness of Saints that depends upon him that depends upon none we are here in thy presence by thy goodness and grace O whither should we go but to thee and how should we come but by thee Oh strengthen our faith kill our corruptions inflame our love give us assurance of thy love to our souls oh that God would teach us how to pray that we may taste and see how good the Lord is this day that our souls may be filled as with marrow that we may by our own experience be able to say It is good for us to draw nigh to God and that a day in his house is better then a thousand elsewhere that there may be a communion between us and God let there be a disunion between us and sin we confesse we brought sin enough into the world with us to cause thee to with-drawâ—th blessed self from us and to cast such unproffitable servants as we are into utter darkness we have been a long time in thy school and yet how dull are we we might have been teachers of others but we need our selves be taught which are the first Principles of the oracles of God we love less than we know and we do less than we love we have neither done that good nor received that good which we should or might have done and received We have been trees that have cumbred the ground in thy orchard but we have brought forth no fruit Wo unto us that we have not known the day of our visitation many of us have one foot in the grave and yet we have lived without God in the world we are wise in every thing but in our own Salvation we live as if Hell were a priviledge those of us that have some knowledg of thee have great cause to repent that we have walked so unworthily of God Which of us pray continually and fervently or live the life of saith we confess we neither take our afflictions humbly nor our mercies thankfully nor want our comforts contentedly nor fill up our relations fruitfully We live as if Hell were a scare-crow as if all the threatnings of thy word were an empty noise as if there were neither sweetness in Heaven nor bitterness in Hell When we come into thy presence where are our hearts what earthly dispositions do we bring along with us the sins of our Prayers cry louder then the Supplications of our prayers what hypocrisie and formality cleaves unto us If thou dost not look upon the iniquities of our holy things with an eye of pitty what will become of us O Lord be pleased to smell a sweet savour of rest and peace through thy dear Son O Lord it is only his precious Blood that can sprinkle our hearts and quiet our Consciences and no other thing We do renounce our own Works and we cry out in our selves Undone undone It is through thy beloved Son that we are accepted and therefore to that end bring us to him by a saving operation on thy part
love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the summe of all Duty Grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another nature a new nature a spiritual God-like nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great mystery of Grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner for the Lord Christ could not be more debased than to be born it was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to die but being the great God it is a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the debasement of Christ yet if he had been born to a Crown to Honour it had been something but he was born to shame to sorrow and death but man by grace is born to a Crown to a Kingdom he hath a title to all the glory and blessedness of heaven from the first moment of his new birth So it is in the Text Grace be unto you and Peace Peace in Scripture is a very comprehensive term it carries in it all happiness It was the common greeting of the Jews Peace be unto you Thus David by his Proxy salutes Nabal peace be to thee and thy house and the Apostle here alludes to this form of salutation that he might mix new Testament mercy to old Testament manners he first stiles Grace before peace as Jacob did with his Venison he made it a savory meat such as Isaac loved Peace is the glory of Heaven in the bosom of God and brought into the world in the arms of Angels the first peace you read of in the Gospel was peace by the Administration of Angels Luke 2.3 4. And suddenly there was with the Angels a multitude of the heavenly Host praising saying glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when our Lord Christ first sent out his Disciples this was the Doctrine that he bid them preach Mat. 10.12 13. When you come into a house salute it and if it be worthy let grace and peace come upon it Mark here by the way our Lord Jesus Christ is no enemy to good manners he would not have Christians to be Clowns which is the use of some among us who would have their Religion quarrel with good manners no but In whatsoever city or town you enter salute it and let grace peace come upon it that is wish peace to them saying the peace of God be upon this place upon the head and hearts of all in it So that peace is both a Gospel-salutation when Ministers and people meet and it 's a Gospel-valediction when the Minister and the People parts So did the Apostle and so do I now Grace be with you and Peace I observe in Mat. 10.13 14. our Lord bids his Disciples when they enter into a house If the house be worthy to let their peace come upon it but if they be not worthy let grace peace return unto you Instead of leaving peace with them to shake off the dust of their feet against them that is to shew that God will shake them off as dust and tread them under feet as fuel My Brethren your diligent attendance on the Word at this place hath comfortably prevented that part of my charge to shake off the dust of my feet for how beautiful have the feet of a poor worm been unto you being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Christ And therefore seeing our Lord Jesus Christ said If they be worthy of their peace abide with them on this account I wish to you grace and peace from God our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ But what is that peace It s the beauty of Vnion the harmony of the Creation the pleasure of Life the feast of a good Conscience 't is that which makes life sweet and death easie Peace sweetens all our possessions and all our afflictions without this the fulness of the world is a burden with this poverty and emptiness is a pleasant Companion without this our bread is gravelled with sourness and our water mingled with bitterness with this green Herbs become a feast and our water is turned into wine peace it is the most beautiful creature in the world And therefore it is beloved of all courted of all many seek her but few there be that enjoy her they do not go the right way to find her for In the ways of Righteousness is peace Peace is the seminary of all blessings temporal as Grace is of all blessings spiritual in grace you have implyed all Holiness in peace all happiness in grace all inward in peace all outward blessings grace and peace are the Alpha and Omega of all blessings as God iâ— of all beings no bleâ—â—ing comes before grace and no blessing lasts longer Then see in this phrase of speech the Apostle wishes upon them as I do upon you all the blessings both of time and eternity and yet he wished not more to them than God promised to give them 1 Tim. 4 8. For godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come grace be unto you and peace c. not one without the other though a man may have peace without grace as in a time of dissertion or temptation and a man may have peace without grace as in a secure and unregenerate Condition grace without peace is often found in a troubled conscience and peace without grace is often found in a seared conscience as grace without peace is very uncomfortable so peace without grace is very unprofitable like Rachel beautiful but barren therefore the Apostles desires ye should have both Grace and Peace we say the Sun and Sali are the most useful creatures in the world the one for shining the other for seasoning My Brethren grace and peace are the Christians Sun Salt grace is the light of their souls and peace is the savour of their comforts grace shines through all their faulties and Peace seasons all their mercies The blessings of God are become as twins as Christ said of the Spouse Cant. 4.2 She is like a flock of sheep that are even shorn which come up from the washing whereof every one bear twins and none is barren among them grace and peace here are knit together by the spirit of God in a sacred knot not to be untied as Castor and Pollux when seen together portend happiness to the Marriner so when Grace and Peace are found in a soul together they portend the highest security and blessing to the Believer they are said in Scripture to be bound together where God gives the one he never denies the other
sword and all miseries But the Godly when they are scattered they are scattered as a blessing into what country or town soever they come they come as a blessing they come like a Ship laden with Corn to a Town ready to perish with famine they come as a blessing four ways First they pray down a blessing on the place where they come Secondly they come as a blessing by their holy life and conversation that is a Load-stone to draw others to holiness Thirdly they come as a blessing by their holy advice and counsel that they give to the place where they come Nay fourthly their very presence is a blessing as long as Lot was in Sodom Sodom could not be destroyed so long as Paul was in the ship the 300 could not be drowned So that the godly come as a blessing wherever they are scattered but the wicked are as chaff scattered by the wind and they are scattered as the dust of the earth You know when the dust is scattered it gets into mens eyes and blinds them and falls upon their cloaths and sullies them so the wicked wherever they are scattered they defile the place where they are scattered The godly are as Planets that wander move from one part of Heaven to another carrying light to the world Secondly as the wicked are scattered while they live so when they die they are gathered it is true but how not to God and Christ and his Angels but they are gathered to the Devil and his Angels and to damned spirits not as bundles of Wheat in the Barn of Heaven but as bundles of Tares to be burned for ever in everlasting fire Now if the righteous perish as well as others and if their perishing be nothing but a gathering to God and Christ then First learn hence the preciousness of every righteous man the great God will not gather things of no value great men do not use to gather chaff and straw and therefore when Christ said of Josiah I will gather thee to thy Fathers it was a sign he was a precious Pearl worth the gathering and of a high value and account in the sight of God and so is every true Child of God right dear and precious are they in the sight of God both living and dying they are bought with a great price not with Gold and Silver and other corruptible things but they are bought with the precious blood of the Son of God they are as precious to God as thee Apple of his eye so precious that he hath given Christ for them and to them so precious that he called them his Jewels his peculiar treasure his Jedidiahs and therefore God will not suffer them to perish but gather them to himself before the evil day come as the Husbandman gathers in the Corn before the Beast go out into the field Secondly Learn hear what reason we have to be comforted in the death of a righteous man or woman because their death is not a perishing but a gathering to God and Christ and the society of Saints and Angels The death of a righteous man is no more than if a Merchant that hath abundance of Jewels in a far Countrey he should send for theâ— home Why death to a righteous man is nothing but God sending for his Jewels home Such a phrase there is in Mal. 3.17 In the day that I make up my Jewels they shall be mine In this life they are imperfect Jewels they are like Gold in the Oare mingled with a great deal of dross and death is nothing but a perfection of the Jewels death is nothing more and God doth nothing by death but as a Gold-siner gathers up all his ends of Gold and Silver it is nothing but just as if a Father should send for his Son home that had been a long time absent from him to his own house it is a carrying us to our Fathers house And therefore let us be comforted when our Righteous Friends dye though their death be matter of sorrow to us in regard of the loss that we sustain by their death and because their death is a warning-piece of evil to come yet in regard of them we have no cause to mourn I speak this of those that are related to the righteous when they dye did you ever here of a Husbandman that mourned for the carrying in of his Corn into the Barn or a Jeweller mourn for making up of his Jewels Let us mourn rather that we are lest scattered among the wicked of the earth and from the glorious presence of God and Christ and let us morn for those that are scattered from Christ and from grace and for those that whilst they live are scattered and when they dye are gathered to the Devil and his Angels Let us not mourn for those that dye in Christ but let us mourn for those that live out of Christ let us not mourn over the body the soul hath left but let us mourn over the soul God hath left The third use is of Consolation to all the people of God in reference to evil times that are coming upon us or to the evil of times Whatever befalls a Child of God in this life though he be scattered by wicked men from England into forreign Countries though he wanders up and down in Desarts and Wildernesses though he be scattered from house to prison yet there shall be a gathering time shortly there will a time come when all the Saints shall be gathered to Christ and to one another never to part any more The death of Gods people is not a perishing but a gathering comfort your selves therefore with these words against the fear of death look upon death as a gathering as a gathering to Christ you are here as Daniel in the Lyons Den as Jeremiah in the dungeon yet there will come a gathering and if you dye in a good cause you shall not perish but be gathered to Christ to his Saints and Angels But you will say If I were sure when I dye that I should be gathered to Christ to live for ever with him this would be matter of great consolation to me but you told me the wicked are gathered by death as well as the Godly how shall I know whether when I come to dye I shall be gathered to the Devil and his Angels or to Christ and his Angels How shall I know whether I shall be gathered at death as a bundle of tears to be burned in Hell or a bundle of Wheat to be carryed up into the Barn of Heaven I answer You may know it by four things 1. If you are righteous then you shall be gathered to Christ at death For the Righteous shall go into everlasting life Heaven is entailed upon righteous men by Righteousness I mean the imputed Righteousness and imparted Righteousness of Jesus Christ I wave the explication of them because time will not give leave Know you not saith the Apostle that no unrighteous man
his sheep The Shepherd of the sheep yea the great Shepherd of the sheep Whatsoever glory was to be communicated to any Member of the Church it was first put into the head before they were to be made partakers of it Some were to be made inferior ranks Ephe. 4.11 but it was not fit any should have such glory to be called Shepherds before he had that honour of him Therefore 't is the Great Shepherd he that is Shepherd not of a particular Congregation but of the whole Church of God he is the Saviour of all his body he hath the full number of all the Elect both among the Jews and Gentiles committed to his charge to save 2. What betides this great Shepherd through Gods grace towards him that is that he is brought again from the dead i. e. that he doth attain to a state of Resurrection and here take notice of this by the way for consolation The great Shepherd of the Sheep doth dye but the great Shepherd of the Sheep rises again Herein argues Gods love that though he would suffer him to dye yet not to see corruption Psal 16.10 because he is the great Shepherd therefore he must dye but because he is the great Shepherd therefore he cannot continue in the state of the Dead Death must not triumph over the great Shepherd of the sheep no not by any means As it was necessary that he should dye much more that he should rise again We read Rev. 11. concerning two Prophets when they had finished their course they dye and their dead bodies are cast into the streets c. but we read also of their resurrection There is a twofold state incident to those persons one state of dying another state of rising and so it is not peculiar to Christ only but to others with him The great Shepherd of the Sheep dies no wonder if the little Shepherds dye too But the great Shepherd is raised so shall the little ones in their order and in their time 1 Pet. 5.6 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away Resurrection is that which Christ exemplifies first in his own Person in order to assure all his members they shall attain to the same state with him and God is as easily able to provide when he sees expedient to raise them from the dead as to suffer them to dye Christ he brought again by a high hand and in a tryumphant manner he did not with so much sorrow and trouble to himself and his Disciples go to but as triumphantly come from the grave So can God with a word in a moment bring them to life again 2. By what means the great Shepherd comes to have this honor conferred upon him that he should be raised from the dead There was worth enough in his person but 't is not altogether ascribed to this but through the blood of the everlasting Covenant i.e. by and in the virtue and efficacy of it he had died as a Priest and his blood was a blood of sacrifice and it was shed for the remission of sins and salvation of souls because Christ did die for so noble an end as this and in such a manner as that his death became a sacrifice and did seal the everlasting Covenant wherefore Christ is the Mediator therefore with consideration of this blood of Christ and of the ends uses and benefits of it hereupon it is that Christ is raised from the dead In Zac. 9. the resurrection of Christ was prophesied of but by vertue of his blood-shed so that Christ was more fit to be raised who dyed for such noble and honourable ends as the glory of God and salvation of his people in the vertue of that Covenant God hath made and in the vertue of the blood of Christ shed for the sealing of that Covenant Now what this Covenant is is worthy to be considered because of its Epithets called here Everlasting Covenant There was a Temporal Covenant God made with the people of Israel and that was sealed and confirmed by the blood of Bullocks c. Christ took not on him this Covenant he did not bind men to stand by those terms contained in the Covenant for indeed Christ came to make void There is an Eternal Covenant and that is nothing else but those terms of grace and favour which are proposed to us in the Doctrine of the Gospel which amounts to this who ever repents shall be saved he that repents and forsakes his sin shall find mercy and that he will be merciful to all on these conditions in all parts of the world for these terms God will not repent of If men repent they shall have the benefit of it and whoever believes shall be saved 'T is called Everlasting because God will abide by it both here hereafter the states of all shall be determined according to the terms of this Covenant Now Christ shed his blood to procure those terms contained in that Covenant for the case of poor sinners was so miserable that they could never come to have all their sins pardoned and their Souls certainly saved unless Christ had died and shed his blood and so to satisfie Gods justice that it might be free for him to be merciful where he would be merciful The Covenant is founded in the blood of Jesus Christ that blood being the blood of the Everlasting Covenant therefore the Apostle so magnifies it of all the great and Gospel-blessings that belong to the New Testament to the condition of a child of God there is not any like unto this the blood of the Everlasting Covenant they that come to this and have the benefit of this they shall be surely justified and eternally saved in the vertue of this blood In the business of being saved by Faith it contributes nothing more but as 't is an Instrument to bring us to be made partakers of the benefit of this blood we are saved not by vertue of our believing but by the vertue of his blood so that 't is not so much the Act as the object of Faith that saves Christ rose in the vertue of his blood all our comforts and hopes are founded in his blood The blood of Christ was of so much value with God as that he will raise him from the dead and 't is of so much vertue to us that through it we shall have Justification and Sanctification and Salvation God being so good and gracious a God to Jesus Christ and his Church hereupon the Apostle emboldens himself to desire his further manifestation of his love that where he hath so bountifully provided for the justification of sinners through the blood of Christ that he would provide for their sanctifying by his Spirit Hence observe 1. God is with some fingularity the God of Peace 2. To the end that God might shew himself to be the God of Peace he hath provided an all-sufficient Saviour for his people here called
the Great Shepheard of the flock and God being of a gracious disposition towards them provides to that end Christ shall take care of them and to all those things that pertain to their eternal welfare 3. It was expedient this person should dye though the Great Shepheard Nay it was necessary that it might be so much more verified and manifested that he was the great Shepheard of the sheep that he should lay down his life for his flock 4. It was as necessary that Christ should be raised from the dead as that he should dye Therefore his continuance was but a temporary nay a momentary time to him Now Christ is risen yea all power in Heaven and Earth is committed to him and if he was able to do any thing for his people before much more now 5. The Resurrection of Christ doth arise partly from the tenour of the Covenant God made with man and partly from the virtue and benefit that was in the blood of Christ God put himself into a Covenant Christ was Mediator of it and in vertue of that Covenant sinners must be saved but the Saviour must first save himself raise himself from the dead and then hath all power committed to his hand c. There are two things that I would have you further observe and carry away 1. That Christ is indeed the only Great Shepherd of the sheep Whatsoever others there are they make to his own interest whosoever there be that may possibly intitle themselves under the name and notion yet this is undeniable that Christ is the only Great Shepherd of the Sheep therefore in the concernments of the Church there is none Christians should honour as Christ and whose voice they ought to hear before his or by whom they should be ruled and governed but by him If Christ be the great Shepheard then the Church must hear his voyce for my Sheep hear my voyce c. And if he be the great Shepherd then the Church must be ruled by him for the Shepherd must have the ordering of the Flock and the Flock must be at the disposal of the Shepherd And then thirdly The Flock of Christ must be careful to please him for fear he set his Dog upon him that we provoke him not to exercise his correcting power He hath his correcting power He hath his Rod of Discipline as well as his Staff and Crook which is to performed by others as seems good to him for he hath many ways to let loose the Devil on his own Children Satan had a desire to afflict Job and God gave way to it c. The Church of God is Gods Spouse and there is a great deal of love between the Husband and the Wife between Christ and the Church Yet Psal 4.5 this she is solemnly charged withal God hath made Christ a head to his Church therefore his Church must be ruled by Christ and 't is not for the Church to say the inferiour Shepherds would order me thus and thus we must in the mean while say but what doth Christ say in such cases It is not for the Church to go aside by the Flocks of his companions Cant. 1.7 The companions of Christ pretended to be Shepherds of the sheep as well as he but have not that power Christ had They have their societies and would have the ordering of them but the Church desires to know where she may hold Communion with Christ that she may not turn aside by the Flocks of her companions There are many Disputations among inferiour Shepherds but this is out of all dispute that Christ is the great Shepherd of the Sheep That great man at Rome never pretended higher then to be the Vicar of Christ and Successor of Peter now we know that the Principal is much more to be regarded then the Vicar therefore if Christ be the Great Shepherd surely the Sheep of Christ must hear his voice before all other Shepherds especially since Christ hath spoken so signally in the case My sheep hear my voyce and they follow me a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voyce of strangers And God having so solemnly commanded Mat. 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him The Great Shepherd must be heard before all little Shepherds The little Shepherds have their divisions Acts 20.29 After my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them True Shepherds are always careful to make Disciples for Christ and to bring all Disciples to Christ All Johns work was to make Disciples to put them over to Christ not to make Disciples to him but to make over all his Disciples unto Christ If any man will gather he must gather for Christ not himself others would draw men to any matter or manner of Doctrine Government c. But our eye must be upon Christ and our ear open to his voice and our hearts awed with his will and mind in Scripture made known to his Church and they love not Christ as they ought that desire not to hear his voice before any others in the world for he is the great Shepherd of the sheep 2. Though he be the great Shepherd of the sheep ye he died and though he die yet because he is the great Shepherd of the sheep he is raised again The great Shepherd dies the little Shepherds must not think much of it if they be called to die We must be contented if it be exemplified in us if occasion serve for if God spared not the great Shepherd what have the little Shepherds to plead for themselves that they should be spared If the case fall out while Habour to serve the Church as I can I come to suffer for the Church in the end I do reioyce and I will rejoyce And truly we had need to pray for such a spirit as this for if this was in the great Shepherd of the sheep it will very well become the little Shepherds But against the fear of death here 's the comfort The great Shepherd of the sheep dies yet is raised from the dead so shall the little ones not one Member of the flock death can always triumph over him In this respect Christ will have all his Members to be raised in that he got the victory over death for Christ arose as the First Fruits and ascended into Heaven as a fore-runner Though we may have denial as to the advancing of Christs service c. yet the resurrection of the dead is that we must take into our thoughts and 't is our solid comfort God will one day bring all the sheep together into one Fold and David shall be their King and have the ruling and ordering of them to all eternity There is a Resurrection to little Shepherds when we come to lay down our natural lives we-can look for no other recompence for
Now give me leave this morning to speak three things to these sort of men and O that my words might prevail with them 1. Consider it is sin only that makes trouble deserve the name of trouble for when we suffer for Gods sake or a good Conscience these troubles are so sweetned by the consolations of Heaven that they are no troubles at all therefore in Queen Maries dayes the Martyrs wrote to their friends out of prison If you knew the comforts we have in Prison you would wish to be with us I am in Prison before I am in Prison saith Mr. Sanders Famous is the story of the three Children they were in a great strait when cast into the fiery Furnace Bind them 〈◊〉 and and foot and cast them into the Furnace but when they were there they were unbound Dan. 3.25 saith Nebuchadnezzar Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire and loe I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I have often told you when three are cast into the fire for a good Conscience God will make the fourth therefore I say straits and sufferings for God are not worth the name of straits David was often driven into straits 1 Sam. 30.6 he was sore distressed when his Town was burnt and his Wives and Children taken captives by the Amalekites I but that was a distress of danger not of sin therefore he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Jehosaphat was in a great strait 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to do saith he this was a strait of danger not caused by his sin and God quickly delivered him but the strait that David was in was caused by his sin and that made it so bitter I am loath to enlarge here St. Paul was in a great strait Phil. 3.23 but this was a blessed strait an Evangelical strait saith St. Chrysostome He knew not whether to die for his own sake or to live for the Churches sake were best he was willing to adjourn his going to Heaven for the good of the people of God Nay Christ was in a strait Luke 12.15 I have a baptism to be baptized withal and how am I straitned till it be accomplished I am to shed my blood for my Elect this is the baptism he speaks of This was a strait of dear affection to the Elect of God all these were blessed straits but now a strait caused by sin these are imbittered and envenomed by the guilt of sin and sense of Gods wrath It is sin that maketh straits deserve the name of straits therefore you are spiritually mad that commit sin to avoid straits 2. There is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest outward calamity whatsoever this the world will not believe therefore St. Austin saith That a man ought not to tell a lye though he might save all the world from hell for there is more evil in one lye than there is good in the salvation of all the world I have often told you the story of St. Austin saith he If Hell were on one side and sin on the other and I must chuse one I would chuse hell rather than sin for God is the Author of Hell but it is blasphemy to say he is the Author of Sin There is a famous story of Charles the ninth King of France he sent a message to the Prince of Conde a zealous Protestant gives him three things to chuse either to go to Mass or to be put to death or to suffer banishment all his life long saith he Primum Deo juvante nunquam eligo The first God helping I will never chuse I abhor the Idolatry of the Mass but for the two other I leave it to the choice of the King to do as he pleases there is more evil in the least sin than the greatest misery 3. The third thing I would have you consider that whosoever goeth out of Gods way to avoid danger shall certainly meet with greater danger Balaam went out of Gods way Numb 22.22 and God sent an Angel with a drawn sword and he riding upon an Asse verse 26. the Angel stood in a narrow place where was no way to go from the right hand or from the left if his Asse had not fallen under him he had been run thorow by the sword of the Angel Jonah for fear of the King of Nineveh went out of Gods way but he met with a mighty tempest he met with a Whale What do you do when you commit sin you make way to be cast into the eternal prison of Hell you destroy your precious souls to save your perishing bodies Vse 2. If sin be the father and mother of all perplexity and distresses then I beseech you let us above all things in the world abhor sin all the curses of the Bible are all due only to a sinner and all the curses not named in the Bible for that is observable Deut. 28.36 every plague that is not written in the Book shall light upon him there are strange punishments to the workers of iniquity Job 31.3 Is not destruction to the wicked a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity sin it bringeth the sinner to little ease little ease at death little ease at the day of Judgment and little ease in Hell tribulation and anguish the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little ease to every soul that doth iniquity O my beloved will you promise me to look upon sin and consider it in all its woful consequence as the Father Mother and Womb out of which come external eternal and internal straits more particularly there are twelve sins I especially command you to take heed of and avoid 1. Take heed of Covetousness the love of the world will pierce you thorow with many sorrows the love of money is the root of all evil the love of the world drowns men in perdition 2. Take heed of the sin of Pride into what a woful strait did Pride bring Haman God crossed him in what he most desired God made him hold the stirrup while Mordecay rode in Triumph and God hanged him on the Gallows which he had made for Mordecay 3. Take heed of Drunkenness Look not on the Wine when it gives its colour in the cup c. Drunkenness will bring you into snares in will bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder 4. Take heed of Disobedience and Rebellion against the Commandments of God it brought Jonah to the three nights and three days in the Whales belly 5. Take heed of Fornication and Adultery and all uncleanness this brought Sampson to a woful strait this brought David and Solomon into great perplexity 6. Take heed of Oppression and all acts of Injustice this brought Ahab into great straits insomuch that the Dogs licked his blood 7. Take heed of unnecessary familiarity with wicked men this brought Jehosaphat into a
raises upon these persecuted Saints who was enlightened by the Spirit of God and so was able to pass a right sentence upon these persecuted Saints from this I raise this ensuing observation Observe That a godly man doth see a very great worth and excellency in the people of God in the midst of all their troubles and distresses or That a godly man a gracious heart one that hath spiritual spectacles does see an excellency and worth in the people of God in the midst of all trouble and persecution that can befall them Here I shall handle it first doctrinally according to my constant method then come to improve it by way of Application For the doctrinal handling of it there are two things must be discovered First wherein the high estimation of a gracious heart does appear wherein it doth discover it self wherein they shew they have such an high estimation Secondly whence it is and how it comes to pass that Godly men have this high and honourable esteem of the Saints and people of God in their troubles and distresses which befall them For the first wherein the high estimation of a gracious heart does appear I shall shew it in five or six following particulars First it appears in this in that they are not ashamed of owning their persons and faith that they profess in their troubles and distresses the society of the people of God and the fellowship of the faith and profession is highly respected by a gracious heart let the Saints lie under never so great distresses This is manifested in Moses in the 25. and 26. verses of this Chapter He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy all the pleasures and preferments of Pharaohs Court The Israelites Religion the profession of the truth of God and owning the faith and those truths the Israelites stood up for this was that which Moses would not desert and thence it was he did not desert their company and society but went and visited them when they lay under those burthens under which they lay Secondly the second thing wherein is discovered so high an estimation of the Saints and people of God in suffering is their sympathizing and fellow-feeling with them in their suffering If it goes ill with the Church and people of God all the rest sympathize with them if one member suffers all the rest suffers Instance Nehemiah who had the greatest favour of the greatest Prince then on the earth he looks with a sad countenance because of the sufferings of the Saints and people of God Nehem. 2.2 Wherefore the King said unto me Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick This is nothing else but sorrow of heart Then I was very sore afraid and answered the King because of the distresses the people of God lye under The pleasure of Musick should never be with him says David in Psal 137.6 If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy As it is with two strings in an instrument rightly tuned if one be touched the other trembles if one servant of Christ be in a suffering condition the rest suffers with him this is the damp of all worldly delight if it be ill with any of the people of God the rest suffers in the way of compassion Thirdly in that they can plead for them and take their parts when they are never so much out of favour when they are never so much despised and abused This was in the case of Jonathan how he pleaded for poor David before his cruel father Saul though Saul called him a cursed Son and fell soul on his Mother because of him See this in the case of Esther though it was death to go into the King to plead for the Jews yet for all this she says If I perish I perish resolved I am come what will come of it in I will go I can dye but I cannot be silent Fourthly in that they will relieve them and help and supply them with all needful good things they can if they cannot do what they would they will do for them what they can See this in the case of Jeremiah Chap. 28. v. 8 11 12 13. Ebedmelech went forth of the Kings house and spake to the King So Ebedmelech took the man with him and went into the house of the King under the Treasury and took thence old clouts and old rotten rags and let them down by cords into the Dungeon to Jeremiah And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine arm-holes under the cords And Jeremiah did so So they drew up Jeremiah with cords and took him up out of the Dungeon Jeremiah remained in the court of the Prison He would never be quiet till he got the Prophet out of the Dungeon and though the cords were lined with rags yet more with love and this favour of Ebedmelech God remembered 1 King 18.4 Obediahs master was not only an oppressor of the Saints and Prophets of God but a very great Persecutor This good man Obediah took and hid 400 Prophets of the Lord and led them with bread and water I will not undertake to prophesie to you this day yet time may come when bread and water may be good food for a faithful Prophet Here note the gracious disposition of good Obediah as well as the providence of God in this act 2 Tim. 1.16 17 18. The Lord give mercy unto the douse of Onesiphorus for be oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain But when he was in Rome he sought me out very gently and found me The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministred unto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well A most admirable Scripture to this purpose blessed Paul being thrown into prison being in bonds Onesiphorus often refresht him and was not ashamed of his chains How did he shew this When he was in Rome he sought him out diligently By the way note That Rome was the place where the cruel Nero was Emperour it was the place where much bloud of the Martyrs was spilt yet there this good man sought out Paul diligenly Mark what follows which is the prayer of Paul The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day I profess Sirs I had rather have the prayer of Paul than the preferments of the greatest Court on earth Christians it is the greatest treasure in your house to have the prayers of good men to God for you you that have shewn your great and abundant love to the Saints and servants of God in distress I do from my soul beg the mercy for you that whatever you have done for his may be ten thousand times made up by him that you may finde mercy in that day and truly Sirs in
persons that take the bread out of their mouths the means that should save them out of their hands while you deny them one of the commanded means of salvation that is the eminent example of your lives And if it be so great a sin to stop Preachers mouths how great a sin to neglect this Ordinance Nay are you not a dishonour and disgrace to the Church Is it not because of Professors ill lives that the prophane deride Religion while they see not the glory in it that should over-power an unbelieving and denying soul and should indeed effectually manifest its excellency Are these the Professors that are proud stubborn passionate censorious self-conceited contemptuous envious as any others I know the World is apt enough to slander and the Servants of God to bear a world of unjust reproaches but oh that there were not this occasion c. 12. Those that are not confirmed and established in grace the devil when he hath prevailed by a temptation on themselves can easily make them his instruments to draw and tempt others from their duty to discourage them in their Religion and to do that mischief in the world he hath done by temptation of their own soul 'T is ordinary for Satan to make use of lapsed distempered Christians to be the instruments of his temptations to those that are better c. An honest Christian will not so easily hearken to a Drunkard Swearer as to a Professor he had good thoughts of Gal. 2.23 13. For want of strength and establishment in grace poor weak Christians are a very great encouragement to the carnal hopes of wicked men I think scarce any thing in the world hinders our Preaching more than this when the wicked see those that make the greatest profession no better than themselves and in some things worse this hardens him against all the convictions that can be brought against him tell him he cannot be saved without conversion he looks upon professors sees them contentious worldly peevish passionate c. sees some sin or other this makes him think he is as well as they must there be so much ado to bring men to this state is this the difference c. 14. Methinks it should be some trouble to an honest heart that yet we must be so like to the children of the wicked ones and the weakest Christians are the likest to the wicked I do not not mean weakness in gifts or knowledge c. but a weakness in practical saving knowledge love of God self-denial mortification heavenly mindedness c. they that are in these the weakest Christians are the next and likest to the wicked and doth not this grieve thee that though thou art not a child of the Devil thou art so like one We should not be conform'd to the world nor like to them in any thing no not in outward vainities but to imitate the fashion of the world as to outward corruptions to go in their garb when a palpable vanity to have so much of their pride peevishness malice worldliness Oh look upon thy heart with humiliation 15. Consider what a dangerous and lamentable standing those have that be not established c. you stand but it is as unrooted plants or trees that stand shaking in the wind beholders are always looking when they fall you stand but it is as a sick man wavering reeling like Lots wife looking back and always upon every occasion ready to repent you have been believers little things perplex and trouble you little tribulations and afflictions discompose and disturb you little temptations make you question the Scripture the providence of God his love and care of his people the great foundations of Religion Foundation seems to shake because you are shaking and tottering c. And what is like to become of such a soul If thou standest shaking under small temptations for want of confirmation what wilt thou do when a Papist or Quaker c. shall so speak concerning Religion which thou art not able to answer and so the surest foundation seems nothing when thou hast so weak hold our greatest afflictions next to the misery of the ungodly is to think of our weak ones what will become of them and verily we do expect a considerable part of our Congregation should be carried away those that are Christians know not why yet have not humility enough to make use of others and to keep close to those that should assist them Remember when you see such times when Seducers are able to say the worst shall make the strongest assaults on the weak ones how many will be like to fall Again sickness death dying times will come when you shall find a little grace will not easily do your work and though you perish not yet you may faint and to your sorrow find the want of confirmation You cannot but know how the strongest are put to it in trying hours or at death Will slack unsetled hopes of another life such distempered hearts fight and encounter with such tryals Never think of dying comfortably if you follow not after confirming grace 16. It should humble you the more that you have been so long so many years in the School of Christ and love God c. no better Should not you in this apprentiship have learned better your Religion and been teachers of others when perhaps if in the principles you are assaulted you will shew your weakness as soon as any May not Christ say Have I been so long time with you and yet have you known lived c. no better reached no higher attained no further weaklings still Nay confider in this time what advantage you have had for growth A tree planted on a barren Wilderness may not grow so much as in a fruitful place but you have had the plenty and power of the Ordinances of God the choicest of the means and helps of salvation 17. Consider the nature of true Grace tends to this will you cross the nature of it shall we be such weaklings in Religion which cross so the nature of Grace for Grace the more it is exercised the more it encreases 18. Heaven it self is perfection and the work of a Christian is to press towards Heaven and therefore 't is to press towards perfection You should make towards the end in a manner and way that is suitable to the end Persons that enjoy so much already and hope for so much greater should not put off God with such little things 19. Little grace shall have but little glory You know not how great a difference there is between the least and highest in the kingdom of God Nay 't is not onely for a Christian to desire to be glorified but to enjoy the higest degree in glory to serve God with the best and improve his talent to the utmost that his heavenly reward may be according A Christian should not slight it when 't is tendred to him and in his eye Q. But how shall
studying diligence unwearied labour and patience through that time that is necessary to attain it Set your selves to the reading of the Scripture and other good Books study good truths think not to attain mastery in a day And if ever such a conceit come in your minds that you are strong confirmed Christians do not easily entertain it there must be time industry and diligence ordinarily suspect the conceit you may have of strength and confirmation you must grow by degrees Gods method is to begin like a grain of mustard-seed we are not born men labour in the proper means with patience infused gifts are given according to the manner of acquitting them God gives as if our acquisition did attain it never think of having this without patience labour and diligence 2. Grow up in the Church of God and under his Officers and Ordinance and among his people Do not transplant your selves from the Garden and Vineyard of the Lord if you will thrive no prospering in the Commons where weeds will choak c. Keep within the Church of God in the communion of his People among his Servants under the guidance of his Ministers for that is the duty of Ministers to bring up train up and help the weak ones till they grow to be strong they are to be Gods Nurses and helpers of the weak in the House of God do not think to prosper by breaking over the hedge under pretence of any right of holiness whatsoever following any party that would draw you to separation 3. Make it amongst others the principal study of your lives to study the love of God in the Redeemer the nature of the New Covenant and the infinite goodness revealed in the face of a Mediatour how it was his design to attract the hearts of men to the love of God by revealing his infinite love in the Redeemer unto which end Christ came for even to represent Gods goodness in sinners hearts of their being reconciled to him and ravishing them with his love Study the glory and ravishing love of God and unspeakable goodness in a Redeemer 4. Live not by sense or upon worldly hopes nor in the exercise of it See that you live a mortifi'd life take heed of glutting your selves with creatures or letting your hearts out to any creature or letting any creature be too dear to you live not too much on any sensible thing or upon any worldly hopes or expectations Shut your eyes to the world let not your desires run out to the world and live as much as you can upon the world to come 5. Let holy self-suspicion always make you fearful of temptation and keep you out of the Devils way Would you keep your standing grow better and strong in grace let not the pride of your hearts or confidence of your strength make you meet among any unlawful communion see any enticing spectacle or thrust your selves upon temptation you are never safe if you thrust your selves upon temptation think with your self my weaknese is great I must not gaze upon this enticing object lest my heart take fire I am not so strong as to be able to stand against such c. 6. When you cannot attain to that heat of internal affection you would be sure you walk uprightly with God sin not wilfully keep your garments clean set his Law before your eyes Sin not wilfully for a world be but found in the way of duty and God will bless you and meet you in that way be as exact in obedience as if you had that frame of soul you desire 7. In a special manner keep all your bodily senses and desires in subjection mortifie the flesh keep under your carnal desires in a due subjection to the spirit let none of your sences take the reins out of your hands keep a dominion over your sences Lastly all your life long be longing to die Let the work of your life be to learn to die Consider what necessity to the safety and comfort of death to consider frequently what assaults will be made upon dying men that you may every day fortifie against it to consider what graces and duties will be most needful and useful then that you may be most conversing with and exercising those graces and duties He that hath well learnt to dye is no weak Christian The strength of your Grace lies in the exercise of these things faithfully practise them and you will stand when others fall you will have comfort when others cast away their comfort you will dye in peace when others dye in horrour Dr. Jacomb's Forenoon Sermon John 8.29 And he that sent me is with me the Father hat not left me alone for I do alwaies those things that please him THese are the words of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are spoken by himself and they are spoken of himself though yet in a sober and modest sence they are applicable to all his Members that which Christ here affirms is that the presence of God was always with him and this is first propounded He that sent me is with me and then it is amplified and the Father hath not left me alone and then thirdly the reason of this is annexed for I always do those things that please him I shall speak but very little of the words as they do refer to Christ he tells us where his Father was with him he did not leave him alone in all the troubles and difficulties that he met withal in the finishing the great work of mans Redemption still God was with him It is true there was a time when Christ was without the sensible manifestation of his Fathers presence when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why but yet even then in truth and in reality his Father did not leave him for though he had not the evidences of his Fathers presence yet he had the influences of his Fathers presence It would take up much time to shew you how in all particulars the Father was present with Christ I will onely speak this one word and instance in this one thing Gods assisting presence was always with him both in his active and also in his passive obedience and indeed he had that work to do and those miseries to suffer that if God had left him if he had not been mightily assisted by the Divine Nature Christ as meer man could neither have done nor have suffered what he did but the Father was with him and to support him Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold You shall find that Christ did act faith upon this in Isai 50.7 The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded vers 9. The Lord will help me So to the same effect is Psal 16.9 And you shall find this made good to him in Scripture in his greatest necessities Take a double instance In the first place after he bad been engaged in the combat with Satan you read in Mat. 4.
the Word the Promises which are the breast of Consolation these are all provided by him for his people And in this respect he is the great Shepheard for he doth not onely allow them means but blesses the me ans to them he is able to enlighten the dark mind he can make pliable the stubborn Will and he can spiritualize drouzie affection which all other Shepherds in the World are not able to effect 4. He is the great Shepherd if you consider his power to preserve them from danger not onely those dangers which respect Satan for that fell under his care before but those diseases to which they are liable which threaten ruine Other Shepherds possibly may cure diseases but not defend them from danger Christ it is that gives eternal life to his sheep he begins the life of holiness which though at present is but a spark in the Sea yet he keeps it alive till it shall break forth into a triumphant flame That life that is encompassed with so many enemies and liable to so many weaknesses the Lord Jesus will bring forth judgement to victory and will make them to be powerful over spiritual and eternal enemies The summe is this the Lord Christ is so perfect a Shepherd so compleat as to all the qualifications of that office that the Prophet David breaks forth into exultation Psal 23. The Lord is my Shepherd c. and then afterwards expresses all those provisions which are made for him by God as a Shepherd He makes me to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters So that you see Christ whether for diligence love tenderness for preserving us from danger for securing us to life eternal he is only the great Shepherd he is the God of Shepherds as well as the God of Sheep and all other Shepherds are but inferiour to him and must be accountable to him for the Souls of his Sheep which are more valuable then all the world It follows The great Shepherd of the sheep I shall not spend any time in making any resemblance between the People of God and the Sheep Only 1. They are Sheep in respect of their Innocency You know of all creatures the Sheep are unarmed other creatures either they are armed with strength or skin or swiftness to guard themselves and offend others but the Sheep hath neither the strength of the Lion the craft of the Fox nor the swiftness of the Deer and of all creatures is most weak inoffensive and most liable to dangers and injuries Of all persons Gods people are most liable to danger and when out of Christs protection the weakest persons in the world 2. In respect of their Meekness A Sheep is an Emblem of Meekness that 's their temper and therein they imitate Christ who hath propounded himself to be their pattern Learn of me for I am meek and lowly both these qualities are exprest by the Prophet Isa 11. where speaking concerning the times of the Gospel he saith The Lamb shall lie down with the Wolf Now where the Prophet expresses their safety there he expresses their Innocency and Meekness This is the reason why the Prophet saith For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter because of all creatures most liable to injuries that which doth least resent them And where-ever the grace of Christ comes it sweetens the most cruel nature and polishes the most rough disposition and makes them to be like Christ meek and lowly 3. In regard of their Profitableness for of all creatures they are most profitable the food as to their flesh the cloath as to their fleece And the people of God however they are exposed to the contempts and injuries of the world they are the most profitable for were it not for them the whole frame of Nature would fall into pieces the Stars would fall like leaves in Autumn and all the Elements would fall into confusion we see it by one Lot who kept showres of fire and brimstome from falling on Sodom till he was got out of it And it is the people of God for whom this frame of Nature is continued and when they are brought into the fold of Christ the Justice of God will have a solemn triumph over all the world 4. As they are liable to wandring sheep are wandring creatures and when strayed not able to reduce themselves And in this respect the people of God are sheep they have a thousand allurements to draw them from the ways of God and if God should not guide them by his eye 't is impossible they should go in the way that leads to Heaven Therefore David saith I have gone astray like a lost Sheep seek thy Servant Psal 119.176 This shall suffice to make the Parallel and Resemblance of the people of God to sheep The second Argument is this That he hath design'd Christ to be the Shepherd of the Church The great Shepherd of the Sheep this is another argument and evidence that he is reconciled to us and that he is the God of Peace For when God gave Christ to be our Sacrifice and raised him up to be our Shepherd these are the most clear Testimonies of his Love For although Christ now sits in Heaven and all the Angels of God worship him yet he doth not disdain to exercise the same care and to express the same Love to his People that he did when he was upon the Earth All the Offices of Christ express Gods love to us for he feeds us as a Prophet died for us as a Priest Governs and defends us as he is a King and all these meet together in this Title feeding of us dying for us desending of us as he was God he loved us as he was Man he died for us This doth express the effects of his two Natures in this Title and therefore an admirable evidence that God is at peace with us It follows Through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant The bloud of Christ is that which cements God and us together For you must remember our original peace with God was broken that peace we have with him now is called Reconciliation it is as a broken bone which well set is stronger then before because Nature conveys most liberal supplies to the weakest part so now being reconciled to God through the bloud of his Son we stand upon surer terms with him than we did in Innocency The Bloud of Christ speaks better things for us than all our Sins speak against us it speaks peace to our souls that in Heaven purchased by his death Christ died as a Testator and bequeathed to the Church a Legacy of Peace he lives as the Executor of that Covenant and now in Heaven conveys to us that blessing of Peace which he bequeath'd in his death And as our Peace was founded in his Bloud so it is conserv'd by his Intercession he appears in the Court of Heaven as our Embassadour
beautiful and glorious thing it is the Angels glory and shall we be ashamed of that which makes us like the Angels there is a time coming when wicked men would be glad of some of that holiness that now they despise but they shall be as far then from obtaining it as they are now from desiring it 17. Think not the better of sin because it is in fashion think not the better of impiety and ungodliness because most walk in those crooked ways Multitude is a foolish Argument Multitude doth not argue the goodness of a thing the Devils name is Legion that signifieth a multitude Hell-road is this day full of Travellers esteem not the better of sin because most go this way do we think the better of the Plague because it is common the plea of a multitude will not hold at Gods Bar when God shall ask you Why did you prophane my Sabbath why were you drunk why did you break your oath to say then Lord because most men did so will be a poor plea. God will say to you then seeing you have sinned with the multitude you shall now go to Hell with the multitude I beseech you as you tender your souls walk Antipodes to the corruptions of the times if you are living Fish swim against the stream dead Fish swim down the stream Ephes 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 18. In the business of Religion serve God with all your might Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no device or work in the Grave whither thou goest This is an argument why we should do al we can for God serve him with all our strength because the Grave is very near and there is no praying no repenting in the Grave our time is but small and therefore our zeal for God should be great David Danced with all his might before the Ark and so should we act vigorously for God in the sphear of Obedience Rom. 12.12 Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Take heed of a dull lazy temper in Gods service you must not onely say a prayer or read a prayer but you must pour out your souls in prayer not onely love God but be sick of love to God God in the old Law would have the Coals put to the Incense Levit. 16.13 and why so to typifie that the Heart must be enflamed in the worship of God your prayers must go up with a flame of Devotion I confesse Hell will be taken without storm you may jump into Hell with ease but it is all up-hill to Heaven and therefore you must put forth all your might Mat. 12.11 The violent take Heaven by force Heaven is not taken but by storm do you not see men zealous and very active for the Devil and for their Lusts and shall they take pains for Hell and will not you take pains for Heaven 19. Do all the good you can while you live to others God hath made every Creature useful for us the Sun hath not its light for it self but for us the Fountains run freely and so doth the myrrh drop from the Tree every Creature doth as it were deny its self for us the Beast gives us its labor the Bird gives us its musick the Silk-worm its silk Now hath God made every thing useful for us and shall not we be useful one for another O labor to be helpful to the souls of others and to supply the wants of others Jesus Christ was a publick blessing in the World He went about doing good We are Members of the Body politick nay we are Members of the Body mystical and shall not every Member be helpful for the good of the body That is a dead Member that doth not communicate to the good of the body O labour to be useful to others while you live that so when you dye there may be a miss of you many live so unfruitfully that truly their life is scarce worth a prayer nor their death scarce worth a tear 20. Every day spend some thoughts upon Eternity O Eternity Eternity all of us here are ere long it may be some of us within a few days or hours to lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity Eternity Eternity is status interminabilis says Boetius no Prospective-glass can see to the end of Eternity Eternity is a summ that can never be numbred a Line that can never be measured Eternity is a condition of everlasting misery or everlasting happiness if you are Godly then shall you be for ever happy you shall be always sunning your selves in the light of Gods countenance if you are wicked you shall be always miserable ever lying in the scalding furnace of the wrath of the Almighty Eternity to the godly is a day that hath no Sun-setting Eternity to the wicked is a night that hath no Sun-rising O I beseech you my brethren every day spend some time upon the thoughts of Eternity The serious thoughts of an Eternal condition would be a great means to promote Holiness 1. The thoughts of Eternity would make us very serious about our Souls O my Soul thou art very shortly to fly into Eternity a condition that can never be reversed or altered how serious would this make us about our Heaven-born souls Zeuxes being once asked why he was so long in drawing of a Picture answered Aeternitate pigno I am now painting for Eternity Oh how frequently would that man pray that thinks he is praying for Eternity Oh how accurately and circumspectly would that man live that thinks upon this moment hangs Eternity The thoughts of Eternity would make us slight and contemn all the things of this World what is the world to him that hath Eternity always in his eye Did we think seriously and solemnly of Eternity we should never over-value the comforts of the world nor over-grieve the crosses of the world 1. We should not over-value the comforts of the World worldly comforts are very sweet but they are very swift they are soon gone the pleasures of the World are but for a season just like Noah's Dove that brought an Olive-branch in her mouth but she had wings and so did presently fly from the Ark so are all outward comforts they bring an Olive-branch but they have wings too with which they flie away 1. The thoughts of Eternity would make us not to over-grieve the crosses and sufferings of the world What are these sufferings to Eternity Our sufferings says the Apostle are but for a while 1 Pet. 5.10 what are all the sufferings we can undergo in the world to Eternity Affliction may be lasting but it is not everlasting Our sufferings here are not worthy to be compared to an Eternal weight of Glory And thus my Beloved I have given you these twenty Directions for your precious souls I beseech you treasure them up as so many Jewels in the Cabinet of your breast Did you carry
you Oh! that I might drop in the Oyl of gladness into every broken heart and rejoyce every troubled spirit Oh here is good news from Heaven Say unto the Righteous it shall be well with him But here is a question must be answered You 'l say to me but how doth this appear that it shall he well with the Righteous for we often see it is the worst with them in this world he is deprived of his comfort many times he loses his very life in that quarrel he is made the very reproach of the world oftentimes how then is it well with the Righteous To this I answer yet still it is well with the Righteous though he meet with trouble in the world and one follows on the neck of another yet it is well with the Righteous as will appear in these three or four particulars 1. The troubles that the Righteous man meets with they turn to good and so it is well with him that is a most famous Scripture in Jer. 24.5 Whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Ghaldeans for their good Gods own Israel were transported into Babylon among their enemies but it is for their good saith the Lord. The troubles of the Righteous are a means to purge out their sin I have read a story of one who running at another with a sword to kill him by accident his sword run into an Imposthume and broke the Imposthume thus all the evils and troubles of the Righteous serve but to cure them of the Imposthume of pride to make them more humble when that the body of a Saint is afflicted his soul that revives and flourishes in Grace At Rome there was two Laurel-trees and when one withered the other did flourish so when the body is afflicted yet the soul that Laurel doth revive and flourish God doth distil our of the bitterest drink his Glory and our Salvation saith Jerome that that the world looks on as a punishment God makes a medicine to heal the sore why then it shall be well with the Righteous The rod of God upon a Saint is but only Gods pencil whereby he draweth his Image more lively on the soul God never strikes the strings of his Viol but to make the Musick sweet Then it is well with the Righteous 2. In the midst of all the trouble that doth befall the Righteous yet still it is well with them in regard of those inward heart-revivings that God doth give them We see a godly mans misery but we do not see his comfort we see his prison-gates but we do not hear the musick that is within his Conscience God doth sweeten to his People outward trouble with inward peace it is the Title that is given to God 2 Cor. 7.6 God that comforteth them that are cast down The Bee can gather honey as well from the thistle and from the bitter hearb as from the sweet flower the Child of God can gather joy out of sorrow out of the very carkass sometimes the Lord gives honey when the body is in pain the soul may be at ease as when a mans head akes yet his heart may be well thus it is well with the Righteous God gives him that inward comfort that revives and sweetens his outward pain 3. In the time of trouble and calamity yet still it is well with the Righteous because God doth cover his people in the time of trouble he hides them in the storm God hath a care to hide his Jewels and will not let them be carried away and thus he makes good that Scripture litterally Psal 91.4 He shall cover them with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust no evil shall touch thee God oftentimes verifies this Scripture litterally He makes his Angels to be his peoples life-guard to hide them and defend them when a floud was coming upon the world God provided an Ark to hide Noah when Israel is carried and transported into Babylon God hid Jeremiah and gave him his life for a prey Jer. 39.11 and in this sense the Saints of God are called hidden ones Psal 83.3 Why so not onely because they are hid in Gods decree and hid in Christs wounds but oftentimes God hides them in a time of danger and calamity they are hidden ones he reserved to himself seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal The Prophet knew not where there was one but God knew there were seven thousand In this sense it is well with the righteous in time of publick misery I but you 'l say sometimes it fares yet worse then all this sometimes the righteous they die and perish they are carried away in a Tempest why yet still it is well with the Righteous and that in a two-fold sense 1. Many times God doth take away the Righteous by death and that in great mercy he takes them away that they shall not see the misery that comes upon a Nation Virgil the Heathen Poet saith They are happy that die before their Countrey his meaning was they die before they see the ruine of their Countrey and truly God many times takes away his people in mercy that they may not see the ruine that is coming on a Land you have in Scripture for this 1 King 14.13 He onely of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave in peace because in him there is found some good things towards the Lord God of Israel God puts him in his grave betimes in mercy because he should not see the evil coming upon the Land and there 's a parallel to this 2 King 12. last It is spoken of Josiah I will gather thee unto thy Fathers thou shalt be gathered unto thy Grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see the evil I will bring upon this place Josiah he dyed in Battel how then was it said he went to the Grave in peace We must understand the meaning of it is this Josiah went to his Grave in peace because he was a holy man and he had made his peace with God and so he went to his Grave in peace and because he should not see the evil approaching God gathered him to his Grave in peace Jerom speaking of his friend Nepotian you must observe Jerom lived to see some troubles before he died saith he Oh! how happy is my friend Nepotian that sees not these troubles but is got out of the storm dies and is arrived safe in Heaven Luther died in mercy before the trouble in Germany broke forth and thus you see the Righteous though they die yet it is well with them God takes them away in mercy that they may not see approaching evils 2. Though the Righteous die and are taken away yet it is well with them because death cannot hurt them Death can neither hurt their body nor yet their souls and then it is well with them 1. Death cannot hurt their bodies the body of a Saint it doth not perish though it die the bodies of the Saints
to see this and what if so be when you are found in Satans way Satan should lay his paw on you and claim to you what do you there in Satans ground would you be found when you come to dye in a Play-house or in such a place where the true God is Idolatrously worshipped It is a great truth if you would not be found in the Devils power do not be found in the Devils pound Brethren we must know Satan is busie enough to tempt us we need not go to tempt him Eve lost all that she had by hearing one Sermon but it was from the Devil Therefore if you would not have you pockets pickt do not trade amongst Cheaters 2 Tim. 6.3 5. If any man teach otherwise c. than that ye have received and we Preached from such withdraw thy self that is a good honest laudable separation from such withdraw thy self 6. Where God doth not find a mouth to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe pray mind it this I am sure is of concernment this is one of the grand points in my Cards or Compass on which I hope I shall venture all If any man come with a Doctrine not according to the Word of God let him carry it whither he will what have I to do with it either you come from God or no if you do shew me his Word and I le believe it if not open your pack where you please c. where God doth find a mouth to speak where you have not a Precept Promise Threatning or Example in the Word of God let them talk their hearts out it is nothing to me to my Religion to my Salvation Object But what ground have you for this Answ Jesuit I will tell you my ground this is my great hold I have against Popery could they convince me of this That I must believe with an implicite faith because they say it I think it would not be long before I turn'd Papist Quest But why must I not believe it with an implicite faith Answ Look you into these three great Scriptures Mat. 15.2 Why do thy Disciples transgress the traditions of the Elders The Jews come and tell Christ he was not a true Son of the Church of the Jews he was disobedient to the Church of the Jews why thou hast Disciples that walk not as they ought what do they do they commit an unpardonable sin they transgress the traditions of the Elders they break one of the greatest Commandments what 's that tradition They wash not their hands when they eat bread This was the great sin and they charge it on him eat with unwashed hands why bring you in this Tradition What have you to say to it what is that to the purpose prove Jesus Christ that there is any thing in the word of God that is against washing but prove you out of the word of God where they are bound to wash before they eat if you will give out your imposition make out your institution let me tell you you talk of Tradition but first you set up an Altar God never thought of and secondly you pull down Gods Altar Why do you all transgress the Commandments of God by your Tradition for God Commanded saying Honour thy Father and thy Mother and he that curseth father or mother let him die the death but ye say whosoever shall say to his father or mother it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me and honor not your Father or Mother he shall be free thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition ye Hypocrites you were told of it long ago well did Esaias prophesie of you saying This people draweth nigh unto me with their moâ—th and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me They draw near wash their hands wash their cups and have filthy souls they honor me with their lips c. But though their principle their heart is bad their worship is good is it not so no In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men So then my Brethren remember all those that teach for Doctrines the precepts of men in vain do they worship God Here 's an innocent Command not against the Word of God but this Command you must wash before you eat if you do not wash you do transgress the tradition of the Elders but let you starve Father and Mother if you give but to the Church to a Nunnery Friery c. it is all one so that all those that will for Doctrines teach the traditions of men will render the Commandments of God of none effect in vain do they worship me Look therefore where-ever God doth not find a tongue to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe Christians if you expect Christs benediction always call aloud for Christs institution so Col. 2.18 19. one of the greatest steps you have against Popery Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind c. Deut. 12.13 What things soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it There are no Wens in the body of Gods Precepts therefore none of them to be cut off You must not deal with Gods Ordinances as that Tyrant Procustes did with men if they were too long for his Bed he would cut them shorter if too short he would pull their limbs out of joynt to make them longer Never think your selves in conscience bound to lend an ear to that which God doth not find a mouth to speak 7. Would you stand fast beware of shaking Doctrines what are those there are a great many of such Doctrines that are shaking give me leave to instance in three or four 1. As you love your souls beware of Doctrines that tend to and preach up licentiousness loosness and prophaneness should any tell you you may lawfully violate and prophane the Sabbath do not believe it the doctrine of the Gospel is a doctrine of godliness it teacheth us to deny ungodly and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world therefore if you find any Doctrine at any time that should have the least tendency to encourage you in any sin know 't is a doctrine against the Gospel 2. Where ever you find any Doctrine that shall tend to the lifting up of a mans free will and debasing of Gods free grace know it is a wicked doctrine and against the genius of the Gospel perhaps the Papists will tell you you are alive Paul tells us we are dead they say that we can do any thing many things that we talk to the world we cannot do they say That we can save our selves and close with Christ if we will whereas the Apostle tells
taken away from the evil to come WE are here met this Evening to perform the last office of Love for an eminent and ancient servant of Jesus Christ and excellent Minister of the Gospel Mr. Simeon Ash one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers and now we are met to perform this office for him and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us so frail so brittle and so uncertain is the life of man Now the Text that I have chosen is suitable for this occasion for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man he was righteous in an Eva gelical sense he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly he was a merciful man both in active and passive sense he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ and he was one to whom God shewed mercy this righteous and merciful man is now perished as to his outward condition not as to his everlasting condition but as to his outward bodily condition he is perished and he is taken away the word in the Hebrew is very emphatical merciful men Colliguntur are gathered it is the same word that is used concerning Josiah 2 Kin. 22.10 Thou shalt be gathered to thy Fathers and go to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation This godly and righteous man is now gathered as ripe Corn into the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from beholding that evil that is to come upon this sinful world he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are comming upon many he is taken away from the evil to come And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable for the righteous and merciful man saith the Text perisheth and no man considers nor layes it to heart These words are verba commentantis objurgantis the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy Now I desire that this part may not prove sutable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful and righteous man The Observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as the unrighteous Secondly That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but his gathering to God Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels Thirdly A righteous man as long as he lives is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdom the Chariots and Horse-men of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from Heaven a Beacon set on sire to give notice of evil approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they might not see the evil that is coming on a Nation Sixthly That it is a great and common sin not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man 1. It is a common fin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart that is very few And merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few 2. It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Jeremy in the former Chapter calls to all the beasts of the field to devour that is all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel because they drank strong drink filling themselves with merriment and promised themselves happy dayes but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come He begin with the first that the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous How is it that the righteous perish not in their soul they cannot perish so nay the truth is they cannot perish properly in their bodies for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish for the very dust of the Saints in the grave is precious in Gods sight and they are asleep in Jesus and by the power of Jesus Christ they shall be raised glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Justin Martyr observe perit perisheth that is not according to the truth of the thing but according to the opinion of the world and the proper language of his expression is this the righteous perisheth that is the righteous must dye and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that up upon a fore-fold account First Because the righteous are included within the statute of death as well as the unrighteous statutum est Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for all men ance to dye the righteous as well as the unrighteous it is true Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death but not death it self Jesus Christ hath disarmed death made death like the Viper that fastened upon Pauls hand but did not hurt him he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting but a healing power in it Christ hath sanctified death conquered and sweetned death at the present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. ult 2. The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust I their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous 3. The righteous must dye as well as others because they have a body of sin which they carry about them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccles 7.10 wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous perish upon a peculiar account For if we have hope only in this life saith the Apostle we are of all men most miserable and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing they must say as Themistocles Perissem nisi periissem they must dye that they may rest from their labour for here is not our rest Mich. 2.10 there remaineth a rest for the people of God there is no rest in this world the word quies wants the plural number 2. The righteous must die that they may have their reward their crown of glory that God hath laid up for them they must first fight the good fight and finish their course and then they shall receive a crown of glory 3. They must dye that they may be free from sin for they shall never put off the body of sin till they put off the body of the flesh 4. They must dye that mortality may be swallowed up of life that corruption may put on incorruption 5. They must dye that they may be perfect in grace Lastly They must dye that
shall inherit the Kingdom of God Damnation is entailed upon unrighteous men 2. If you are merciful you shall be gathered to Christ if you are one that is full of bowels of compassion to the distressed members of Christ Jesus for Christ hath said it Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy now if you are hard-hearted covetous worldly minded remember that Text He shall have judgement without mercy that shews no mercy 3. He that is gathered to the second Adam by faith in this world shall certainly be gathered unto Christ by vision in the other world Christ Jesus will save all his members and you must know that faith is a transplanting grace it is not only a heart-purifying but a world-overcoming grace It takes a man out of the old Adam and puts him into a new Adam it takes a man out of the root of scattering and puts him into the root of union and conjunction Wherefore you that are now joyned to Christ by faith here shall be joyned to Christ in glory hereafter But now you that are vagabonds Cains and aliens from the life of God and from the life of grace You that are wooden members wooden legs in Christs body that have no real conjunction with Christ you shall not be gathered to him in glory Lastly If you are gathered here to the Saints by love then you shall be gathered to the Saints in Heaven and to the everlasting injoyment of God with them to all eternity Confider this every man shall be gathered when he dies to those whom he delights and chooseth to keep pany with while he lives in this world If you are gathered to the wicked in love and affection here you shall be gathered to them at death in hell and destruction for it is pity companions should be parted wheat must to wheat and tares to tares for wheat and tares shall not be bound together at the last day The last use is of exhortation If the righteous must perish and if their death be nothing but a gathering then take this threefold Exhortation First Let us labor to make the best use we can of our godly friends and Ministers before they be gathered let us do as Elisha did he was told that his Master Elijah was to be taken up to Heaven and therefore he would never leave him till he had got the spirit of Elijah doubled upon him If Elisha had not thought that Elijah would have been taken up that day he would never have followed him so punctually and inseparably as he did O beloved did you believe that Text Zach. 1.5 of which we have often had experience Your fathers where are they and the prophets do they live for ever Indeed if they did live for ever we might get good from them when we please because we are sure never to lose them but they live not for ever but must perish and be taken up to heaven And therefore whilst we have them let us make what use we can of them before they be taken away from us It is a great fault among the people of God that they make no more use of their Godly friends and Ministers I have known many that have godly relations that have died that it hath been the greatest burden on their consciences that they got no more good by those Godly Relations while they lived Many of us deal with our Ministers as we do with a strange sight that is to be seen near our doors we are not so much solicitous when we see it but a stranger that comes from a far Country is curious and very careful presently to see it So do we in this City especially I have had experience of it by being here many years strangers that come out of the Country many times get that good by a Minister that his own people do not because they think their Minister is continually with them but a stranger knows he is there but for a day and he hears so that he carries Christ home with him and a great deal of consolation also Beloved this is a great fault I beseech you remember the Righteous must be gathered let us therefore do with them as we do with Books that are borrowed if a man borrows a Book he knows he must keep it but for a day or two and therefore he will be sure to read it over whereas if the Book be a mans own he laies it aside because he knows he can read it at any time Remember your Ministers are but lent you they are not your own and you know not but that God may take away your Elâ—jahs from you this night Therefore make what use you can of them while you have them Secondly Must the Righteous be taken away Then let the Righteous make conscience of doing what good they can before they are taken away Beloved if it were possible for the Godly to grieve in Heaven this would be their greatest sorrow that they have done God no more service here upon earth Be wise for God O ye Righteous do as old men that have rich places offices they labour to buy the reversion of their places for their Children So must you to whom God hath given great gifts and graces labor to propagate your gifts graces that there may be no loss by your death Observe the cares of St. Paul the aged in his exhortation to Timothy 2 Tim. 3.4 5 Watch thou all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry why so for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand and therefore work thou see that thou endure affliction preach the Gospel as becomes a Minister of the Gospel that there may be no loss by my departure So in 2 Tim. 2.2 The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men that shall be able to teach others also Hath God committed any thing to you a treasure of Learning or Grace commit it to young Ministers that they may commit it to others that so there may be a succession of Gifts and Graces Do as Physitians do that labour to communicate their skill to their Children and to others so should we that there may be a succession of Godly ones that Godliness may be entailed upon us and our Relations Thirdly and lastly let us all labour to be such that when we dye when we come to be gathered we may be gathered to Christ and his Angels not to the Devil and his angels And for that purpose let us labour to be merciful and righteous and let us be gathered to Christ by Faith and to one another by love and dear affection and then we shall be gathered at the great day to Christ and the blessed company of the Saints Angels There are 4 observations yet behind but I must wave them at this time I have now another Sermon to preach and I cannot without
know not any Minister in this City more careful in visiting the sick than he was 5. Another Jewel was his Prudence and Spiritual wisdom he was not onely a Pious and Godly but a Wise and Prudent Minister that had zeal for God but knew how to mingle his zeal with discretion discretion is nothing but frantick fury discretion without zeal will quickly eat out the heart of Religion and eat Religion out of the heart Zeal without discretion is not a coal from the Altar but a coal kindled by the wild-fire of passion that is able to set a Nation on fire but this Reverend Minister had zeal sweetly tempered with discretion 9. Another Jewel was his Patience God was pleased to exercise him with long and great afflictions by reason of the Gout that did often especially of late years affix him to his bed and afflict him with great pain but God was pleased to put his everlasting Arms underneath him supporting him under all his pains and giving him a great measure of patience insomuch that in patience he did possess his soul and patience had its perfect work in him The 7 Jewel was his high valuation of Jesus Christ a written coppy for us to follow and for you his people also Being with him in his last sicknesse he exhorted me and other Ministers with him to preach much of Jesus Christ and to speak to him of Jesus Christ and he said When I consider my best duties I sink I dye I despair but when I think of Christ I have enough he is all and in all I think these were his very words I desire said he to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him Crucified I account all things dung and dross that I may be found in Christ To this effect he spake in the morning before the evening in which he dyed speaking much of Jesus Christ 1. Another Jewel was his diligence in preaching the Gospel in season and out of season in the time of his health he was a painful laborious Preacher one that did not preach to tickle the ear but to wound the heart not to please but to profit not seeking the applause of the People but the salvation of their souls This you all know to be true 2. Another Jewel that did beautifie and adorn this Reverend Minister was his excellent gift in Prayer and herein he was very eminent and did exceed many nay I may say most of his Brethren As Apolies was mighty in the Scriptures so was he as you all know mighty in Prayer he was a Jacob very skilful in wrestling with God like Moses he often stood in the Gap and at most Fasts all the time of his health he was a Minister that was chosen to conclude with Prayer and this heightens the loss that we sustein by the death of this Godly Minister because we have lost the benefit of his Prayers which is an invaluable losse for though I doubt not but he prays in Heaven for the Church in general yet I believe he prays not for any in particular as not knowing what our condition is For Abraham knows us not for the Saints in Heaven know not what is done upon earth The losse therefore is the greater because we have lost not only a preaching but a praying Minister And give me leave to add that this excellency in this Minister is sufficient to prove 1. That there is a gift of Prayer which some against all reason do denie 2. That conceived prayers when uttered by one that hath the gift of prayer are not vain tautologies or empty repetitions and a rate of non-sence as some unjustly charge men with but they are the bleatings of Gods Spirit that pierce not onely into the ears and hearts of the hearers but into the ears and heart of God himself 10. The next Jewel was he had great acquaintance and communion with God for he was of a long standing in the School of Christ and a good Proficient in that School Much acquaintance he had with God he was often in the Mount with God and came down with his face shining though he in his modesty did not see it and when he came to dye he was able to say as Dr. Preston did when he lay a dying I shall change my place but not my company 11. Another Jewel was his comfortable passage out of this world dying with a great deal of calmness and serenity upon his Conscience The morning before he dyed I heard him say these words It is one thing to speak of Christ and of Heaven and another thing to feel the consolation of Christ and of Heaven as I do clapping his hand on his breast Another time I heard him say The comforts of a holy Life are real soul-supporting and that he felt the reality of those comforts and that by him we might know it was not in vain to serve God And I cannot forget this speech the morning before he dyed I am a little straitened but I care no more for my life than I do for this phillip That which was said of old Simeon Luke 2. may be said of this reverend Mr. Simeon Ash who was a Simeon a just and devout man an old servant of Jesus Christ one that waited for the consolation of Israel one that dyed though not with Christ in his bodily Arm yet with Christ in the Arms of his faith and when he dyed could say as it is there Now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Lastly Another Jewel was his constancy and perseverance he was not a Reed shaken with every wind but as firm as a Rock an immoveable pillar in Gods house he was unchangeable in changeable times in Religion he was a house built upon a Rock not on the Sand and as he lived so he dyed holily even as the ancient Patriarchs that dyed in the faith and endured faithfully unto the death Now this excellent Minister of Christ thus beautified with these Jewels is now perished as to his outward man gathered to God to Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels The Application that I shall make of this discourse is this 1. To us Ministers 2. To you of this Parish and Congregation First to us Ministers God hath of late years taken to himself many famous men seven of the Lecturers of Cornhil are dead Mr. Burroughs Dr. Bolton Mr. Sedgwick Mr Whitakers Mr. Cranford Mr. Vines and now Mr. Ash I might name many other excellent Ministers that are dead as Dr. Gouge Mr. Walker Mr. Gataker Mr. Marshal Mr. Robinson and lately Mr. Cook with many more Now all these are warning-pieces from Heaven of Judgements approaching For the righteous perish and no man lays it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Thus Methuselah dyed a year before the Flood Now Methuselah in Hebrew signifies a messenger of death Thus Austin dyed
to look after a better Would any man be content to dye a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in Drunkenness How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again We may read of many that have dyed in their drunken fits God doth not always send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee How knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden What will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to dye in Balaam was not such a Wretch but he could cry our Good Lord let me dye the death of the righteous Thirdly Lay up for suffering times there are few of you I believe are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sickness comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be careless of your souls O be careful to provide for stormy weather you have winter garments for your bodies to preserve them from cold oh let patience be your winter garment to preserve keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godlily in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulations and sufferings we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven shall I not then provide for them But you may say What doth persecution attend all the godly A man may escape them as well as suffer them Put case afflictions should not come thou wilt be never the worse for being provided for them for he that is fit to dye is fit to live that man that is fit to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Paul's Exhortation to the Ephesians 6.10 Finaly my Brethren put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdom in a man to provide for a misery before it comes There is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord Mayor every year whilst they are in their annual Government they lived in all abundance of state have all the fulness their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp glory is over too they banisht into some obscure remote place for ever where they spent the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over this Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it before him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that bur a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godlily in Christ Jesus it is not wisdom in us then to provide for them Take heed then to avoid sufferings you do not commit sin to commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run our of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lyon What is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destroy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into Hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of Counsel and Direction is this Be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do them seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall asleep while he was telling of Money for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking Truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so careless in receiving the Word they hear and so lazy withal that rather then they will try the Word they hear they will take all for truth the Minister tells them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much confidence in a man as to receive a summ of Money without teâ—ling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it You must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the uttermost You must make the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force But then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better than none and a little is better than none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the Word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Word First Try the Word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonate to that believe it not let who will preach it Paul exhorteth the Galathians so to do Chap. 1.8 9 But though we 〈◊〉 an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed sure you will call in your words again Nay instead thereof he repeats them over again As we said before â—o I say again If any one preach any other Gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Beraeans for your Example they would not believe Pauls Doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no. But then as you are to try the Word you hear by the Truth so try your selves by the Word You hear as a Truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this Truth and see whether or no you walk after the Flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching of the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not But first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the Person for the Words sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which aâ—e over you to admonish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of them very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My Direction in the
Lord and to enquire in his Temple Now love stirreth up the affections as young Cresus though he were dumb yet seeing his Father like to be killed cryed out Do not kill my Father Such is the love of the Saints of God to the Ark that they cannot be silent they cannot but tremble when they see the Ark in danger and for Sions sake the cannot hold their peace and they cannot be silent until the Lord make the righteous thereof go out like brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth 2. The people of God are troubled at this because of the interest they have in the Ark of God Now interest stirreth up affection as when another mans house is on fire as you had a lamentable and sad providence this last week and it is not to be forgotten how suddenly in all our feastings may God dash all our mirth Now consider how were they affected that had an interest in those that were burned so the people of God have an interest in the Ark. God is the Haven of a child of God the portion and inheritance of a child of God and when God begins to forsake them they cannot but be afflicted and troubled The Ordinances of God are the Jewels of a Christian the Treasure of a Christian and the loss of them cannot but trouble them And Jesus Christ is the joy of a Christian and therefore when Christ is departing they cannot but be much afflicted at it 3. The people of God are much troubled when the Ark is in danger because of the mischiefs that comes upon a Nation when the Ark of God is lost woe be to that Nation when the Ark is gone The Heathens had the Image of Apollo and they conceived that as long as that Image was presented among them they could never be worsted but be preserved and the Romans had a Buckler upon which they had a Tradition that as long as that Buckler was preserved Rome could not be taken Shall I give a hint and set it out a little in five particulars 1. When the Ark of God is taken then the ways of Sion mourn and none come to the solemn Assemblies it was the complaint of the Church Lam. 1.4 that is matter of sadness 2. When the Ark of God is taken then the Ministers of Christ are driven into corners And this is matter of heart-trembling 3. When the Ark of God is taken then the souls of many are in danger when the Gospel is gone your souls are in hazard There is cause of sadness 4. Then do the enemies of God blaspheme and are ready to say Where is your God then do the enemies of God triumph Ps 42.10 As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me Where is thy God 5. Then is Jesus Christ trampled under foot and the Ordinances of God defiled and trampled on and then Blasphemy and Atheism comes in like an armed man 4. The people of God must needs tremble when the Ark is in danger because of their accessariness to the losing of the Ark this was that which made old Eli so much troubled because he knew it was for his sin that God suffered the Ark to be taken He knew that his not punishing his two sons was one cause of that great slaughter the people of Israel met withal and that made him tremble There is no person here in this Congregation but his heart will tell him he hath contributed something towards the loss of the Ark. None of us so holy but our consciences must accuse us we have done something that might cause God to take the Ark from us And therefore Mr. Bradford that blessed Martyr said in his Prayer Lord it was for my unthankfulness for the Gospel that brought in Popery in Queen Mary 's dayes and my unfruitfulness under the Gospel that was the cause of the untimely death of King Edward the sixth and those that fled in Queen Mary 's dayes sadly complained that they were the cause of Gods taking away the Gospel from England O beloved it is for thy sin and my sin that the Ark of God is in danger and therefore the Lod gave us trembling solicitous hearts what shall become of the Ark. I come now to Application Vse 1. If this be the property of a true child of God to be solicitous when the Ark of God is in danger and to have such a trembling heart for fear of the Ark then this is a certain sign there are but few that are the children of God in truth O where is the man and where is the woman that like old Eli sits watching and trembling for fear of the Ark And that will appear by these reasons First in reference to the many sins in this Nation for let me tell you there is not one sin for which God ever took away the Ark from any people but it is to be found in England Did the Church of Ephesus lose the Candlestick because they had lost their first love And have not we lost our first love to the Gospel and to the Ordinances And did the Church of Landicea lose the Candlestick because of lukewarmness and are not we lukewarm Did the people of Israel as here in the Text lose the Ark because they abhorred the offerings of God and do not you do so are not the sins of Israel amongst us the sins of Germany and the sins of all other Nations about us and can any man here before God this day in this Congregation that considers the great unthankfulness of this Nation the great prophaneness wickedness of this Nation but they may conclude the Ark is in danger God may justly take the Ark from us I might tell you of the Drunkenness Adultery Covetousness Injustice and Uncharitableness c. that doth abound among us and I might tell you of Sanctuary sins prophanation of Sabbath and Sacraments our unthankfulness and unfruitfulness and unworthy walking under the Gospel and you of this place God may very well take the Ark even from you and indeed it was the great interest I had in you the which while I live I shall ever own and that great affection and respect I had to you that I would not send you home this day without a Sermon and let you go without a blessing Now can any of you in this Parish and this Congregation can any of you say God may not justly take the Gospel from you Secondly shall I add the discontents and divisions of a Nation as Christ saith A Nation divided against it self cannot stand but I leave these things to your considerations I believe there is none here but will confess the Ark of God is in danger to be lost But now where are our Eli's to sit watching and trembling for fear of the Ark Where is Phinehas his Wife that would not be comforted because the Ark of God was taken Where are our Moses our Elijahs
revealed O my dear friends think solemnly and seriously what answer you intend to give me before I leave you Christ will not always cry Come the Spirit will not always cry Come neither must I the time is at hand when you will say one to another We had a Preacher we had a Teacher we had a well-wisher and a lover of our souls amongst us but we did not improve and profit under him as we might and therefore God hath sent him away from us as he did Jonah to Nineveh when Jerusalem despised him O hear me then while you may and pray with me while you may and accept of the tender of Salvation from me while you may Yet a little while and you that have seen me shall see me no more and you that have heard me as Job saith shall say Where is he It 's but a little and those Seats shall have other Hearers and this Pulpit have another Preacher It 's but a little that you have to hear and I have to speak in this place and shall not my Dying words be Living words to you shall my Farewel-Sermon be a forgotten Sermon and the last request I am like to make to you be repulsed and slighted by you O my dear Neighbours and Friends of whom I travel till Christ be formed in you Awake and live seek the Lord before the Grave and Hell shut their mouths upon you and before the Servant of the Lord sent now to warn you take his last leave of you and see your faces no more I am wounded I am wounded to think this Sermon should be Concluded before all your Souls be Converted and to leave any of this Congregation walking on in Hell Road when I am gone Oh that I knew but what to do to get you to do that to day which must be done or you may be undone to morrow If it were to follow you home and there to beg your Conversion on my bare Knees as a Câ—ild begs his Fathers blessing If it were to go to my Closet 〈…〉 is done and there to wrestle with God as Jaâ—â—â— did 〈…〉 you my loving Parishioners till I get this anâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—ssed them and they shall be blessed Nay though I were sure to go to Prison as soon as I come forth of the Pulpit yet I should think all well bestowed could I but see you begin to turn this Sermon into practice And to follow peace and holiness without which you cannot see the Lord. Oh what a joyful hours work would I esteem this and how heartily would I bless your God and my God that prospered his Word in the mouth of his servant making it a Salvation Word to as many as our Ear-witnesses of it this day This is the first Argument I beseech you for my sake Little do you think what a joy it 's to your Minister to see his Children as St. John speaks walking in the truth And on the contrary what an affliction to see you walk in Error and Sin Little do you think what a comfort it 's to me to think of making this account to God at the Judgment day Here are the Children which thou gavest me and I have lost none And on the other hand what an aking it is to my heart to think of bespeaking God at that time on this manner Here are none of the Children O Lord none of the Souls that thou didst commit to my trust for I have lost them all But I hope better things of you though I thus speak II. Secondly I beseech you for your own sakes Who will have the worse of it if this advice be not followed you or I Alas though it may be matter of Grief to me yet not of Guilt God will reward me according to my labour not according to my success We are said the Apostle A sweet Savour of Christ in them that perish mark in them that perish as well as in them that be saved Though the Patient dye yet the Physitian must be paid So albeit the people dye in their sins yet Gods Ministers may comfortably conclude with the Prophet Isa 49.4 Though I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought yet surely my Judgment is with the Lord and my work namely the reward of my work with my God Ah my friends it 's you that will have the worst of it one day if this Sermon be not faithfully followed and obeyed Read at your leasure Ezek. 3.16 17 18 and see whether I speak truth or a lye It 's you that must have the reward of punishment It 's you that must stand or fall that must be the Subjects of the pleasures of Heaven or the Objects of all the pains in Hell and should not you then be as much concern'd for your selves as I am for you Now you enjoy your health and the sad Accents of a dying sinner are not heard in your habitations but will it be always thus Now each of you sit under his Vine with delight and there is no carrying into Captivity nor no crying in your streets but will such times last always Now you can hawk hunt swear and drink and then you think you are qualified like Gentlemen but will this last always Suppose thou hadst a Crown on thy Head how long wouldst thou wear it Suppose thou hadst a Scepter in thy Hand how long wouldst thou hold it They are sick at Rome and dye in Princes Courts as well as at the Spittle yea Kings themselves cannot keep their Crowns on their heads nor their heads on their shoulders but must stoop when death strikes and go as naked to their Beds of Dust as other men and in that day all their thoughts their projects and their pleasures perish with them only their guilt of their sins which were the Ladders by which they did climb up to the top of their pleasures the top of their honors and preferments will dog them into another world Hence said Abner to Joah 2 Sam. 2.26 Know'st thou not that these things will be bitterness in the end You will now have your sweet-meats and your sweet drinks your sweet pleasures and pastimes let the Minister say what he will but do not you know that this will be bitterness in the end In Hell all the Sugar will be melted off wherein the Pill of your sins and temptations is wrapt and then the note you 'l fing will be that of the Emperor O quantum ob quantillum O what an eternity of pain have I for an inch of pleasure or an Ell of sinful delight As the Malefactor said to his Neighbour dost thou envy me my Grapes that I have stolen Alas they I cost me dear I must dye for them Ah envy not at the pleasures of a poor sinner they 'l cost his soul dear one day what doth Dives his Wine-cellar advantage him now in Hell while he cries out for a Cup of cold water and cannot have it O Sirs you cannot now conceive
as fire brands out of the fire Yet I say that where there is one we have need of ten But though our disease is dangerous yet it is not desperate there is one way for us to prevent those heavy judgements that the Lord doth threaten to inflict upon us and that is by Repentance by a serious Repenting of the sins past of our lives and to amend what hath been amiss in us I shall now come to make some Application of what I have formerly delivered unto you Vse 1. In the first place Is this a Truth That Repentance is the only way and means to prevent the Judgements of God that are threatned against a People by God for sin Then first of all I would have you to observe the cursed nature of this cursed thing called sin Sin must be repented of or it will destroy us it will destroy our bodies it will destroy our souls it will destroy our Kingdom this is the cursed nature of this thing called sin My beloved I think it is one of the hardest things that is to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin to understand that deadly Poyson that is in it it is for want of the true knowledge of it that causeth that deadness of heart that you so much groin under Thus you see that sin that thing which we so much slight what a terrible thing it is Alas what think many of us of a vain word or an idle thought or swearing an Oath what a trifling thing it is to neglect Prayer But let me ask you that think sin to be so slight a matter What is the reason that God is so angry that he made man What is the reason that many a sinful Church hath made God repent that ever he made them a Church I say therefore consider the exceeding venom that there is in sin Oh take heed of sin it is a Child that although it be conceived in joy yet it shall bring forth sorrow in the end Cursed be the day that ever sin was born into the world Sin it is so vile a thing that it makes God for to cry out at it and Jesus Christ for to cry out at it and makes them to say they will be gone If you continue in your sins I will take away my Ministers and leave you in darkness Tush say you what is sin I say it is the venom and poyson of our natures it is that which is as the hand to unsheath the sword and to thrust it into our own bowels Sin it is as a milstone that is tied about our necks that will pull us both soul and body into the bottom of that Sea of the wrath of God from whence there will be no recovery sin is a Plague that will follow our posterity after we are gone out of this world sin it is a worm upon the Tree of life that eats up the fruit of it sin it is that which makes the Lord to take away the Gospel from amongst us sin it is a devilish charm within us that drives away God and Christ and the Gospel from amongst us This is the evil of that cursed thing called sin Oh do not you make a liitle matter of it do not you say when you have been drunk what harm is there that I have drunk a cup too much do not say what harm is there in my telling a lye or swearing an oath Oh my beloved what a sad thing is this sin that it should cause God for to throw Angels out of Heaven into Hell Pride cast Angels into Hel take heed it doth not so by you Sin made God to destroy all the old world sin made God to repent that he had made the world sin made God for to burn Sodom Gomorah sin made God for to threaten Ephesus to remove hiâ— candlestick from among them Therefore I say do not think sin to be a small matter make Conscience of the least of sins believe God that it is a vile thing consider with thy self what a vain labour this labour of sin is it is a vain troublesome work when you commit it you must resolve for to die the death or to undo it again Sin it may well be called the Labour in vain When thou art a doing any thing that is evil thou must repent of it or else it will undo thee Sin is a long thred of the sinners spinning that when he hath spun it out he must sit down in sorrow and labour to undo his work again While thou art a sinning I can compare it to nothing better than to the journey that Joseph and Mary made to Jerusalem and left Jesus Christ behind them My beloved it is a sad journeying without Christ in your company when you go on in sin you must return again or else you will lose your souls This I say is the labour in Vain of sinners they are doing a work that they must undo again they are running a race that they must run back again or else it will undo them You are gathering up of sticks that will help to burn you you are whetting a knife that must cut your own throats you are spinning a thred that must hang you Oh my beloved little do you think that you are doing this when you are sinning Do not you say therefore that sin is a little matter for God will damn thee soul and body for it he that will damn thee for lying he that will damn thee for neglect of praying he doth think that these sins are great matters Will you lay these things to heart I shall speak but a few words more and I shall have done and God knowes whether ever I shall speak to you any more I say take heed of sin and do not you go away with light thoughts of it Vse 2. Is Repentance the onely way and means for to prevent the Judgements of God which are threatned by God for sin Then from hence you may learn the excellency the usefulness of that Grace of Repentance Oh what an omnipotent grace is this it is a grace that can do any thing with God Why what can this grace do what can it not do This grace of Repentance it can redeem your morgaged blessings it can repossess you of those blessings that you have foolishly played away Repentance can make God to stay here in our Kingdom when he is a departing Repentance it is a heart-breaking for sin it brâ—aks the heart of God likewise when thy heart yearns for sin his heart yearns towards thee as thou mayest see in the yearnings of God's bowels towards Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoak Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I
ye also may come to joyn with the Apostle in saying I am perswaded nothing shal separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Secondly The Apostle is perswaded neither Death nor Life can do this Deaâ—h in its self hath in it by reason of its terrors and torments a great tendency to separate those from Christ which have not real firm hold of him but those that have seen everlasting love and thereby have had love bâ—gotten in them unto Christ that love also being everlasting have something that will cause them never to depart from him Death is Christs servant he did abolish it and carry it Captive in his Resurrection and then as it were renew unto it its Commission to bring his Beloved out of the world unto him Therefore with what terrors soever Death cometh it is granted to him by the Commission of the Prince of Life and this is only to shew that neither its terrors not torments can overcome the love and life of Christ Jesus in the soul but they remain still everlasting Neither can Life separate us Although a love unto Life and a fear of Death are of like power to separate from Christ It doth sometime happen that we see persons out-live thâ—ir goodness and how much better had it been for such to have died sooner But the Apostle is confident neither Life nor Death could separate him from Christ This ye shou'd expect the tryal of every Christian whether there is any thing he feareth more then God or loveth more then Christ yea even his own life And it is only Faith that makes this union with the love of Christ that neither life nor death can separate from him Did we understand the smal value of this outward life we should not adventure our everlasting health for it Thirdly Neither Angels nor Principalities nor Powers These are Powers on which are built sereral gradations of Angelical eternal Dominions and in each Dominion are multitudes of Angels divers of which rebelled against God and these only he here mentioneth for the other would not endeavour to make any separation from Christ neither are these able though Angels in the highest gradation of evil spirits because stronger is he who comes to save us than he who attempts to destroy us Yea Christ's derivative power is greater than the power of evill 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one Fourthly Nor things present These were the Opposition envy and malice of the Jewe they called the wayes of the Christians Heresie and resolved to extirpate them under a sense that thereby they did God good service 2. Opposition from the Gentiles who lived in common prophaneness and so contrary to the Christian Profession 3. That which the Apost a mentioneth with more regret the Divisions among the Christians them selves some glorying to be of Cephas some of Apollo and false Brethren also watching to betray them yet the Apostle saith while in the view of all these round about him did perswade him all these could not separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus tour Lord. Fifthly Nor things to come And this not only in reference unto the time of the Apostles life on earth but after also so that the Apostle wroke not only for his own faith but of those also which were to be true Christians hereafter and he saw there was to come a time of Apostacy wherein men would give out Doctrine of Devils and Wolves which should not spare the Flock but here was Faith which all these things could not separate from this love in Christ Many times things to come are greater terrors then things present because fear consults what they would be and that is apt to multiply things in the imagination and render them also greater than indeed they are how many soever therefore of these may come upon us let us see that they have not power to work this separation in the Apostles example Sixthly Neither height nor depth Heights have in them a great power to separate from Christ high Gifts Saint Paul himself saith There was a Thorn given me in the flest least I should be exalted above measure God would not have sent that remedy had he not been in danger And therefore Paul would not have his Bishop a Novice 1 Tim. 3.6 One newly planted in the faith lest when he is listed up in his Office he he lifted up in pride also and fall into the Devils condemnation being cast down for lifting up himsel too high To fall by pride is a dangerous snare to separate from Christ Jesus These God beholds afar off but giveth more grace to the humble It is a great grace to have exaltations in temporals or spirituals which leads us into no danger Nor depths this is that the Pselmist tels us Psal 44.9 c. But thou hast cast us off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Thou makest us to turn back from the Enemy they which hate us spoil for themselves Thou hast given us like Sheep appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the Heathen Thou sellest thy people for nought and doth not increase thy wealth by their Price Thou makest us a reproach among our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them which are round about us Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the People My confusion is daily before me and the shame of my face hath covered me For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth by reason the enemy and avenger All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant The deep distress could not separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Seventhly Nor any other Creature Let it be what it will so it be but creature and not God it cannot separate from the love of the Creator Exalt Creator in your hearts and creature will be but little in your eyes Eightly Shall not be able There are many enemies want nor will but they shall not be able So it was with the enemies of Gods King in the Psalms Psal 21.11 For they intended evil against thee they imagined an evil device which they were not able to perform Ninthly To separate us To make us without the love of God in Christ Jesus they may drive us and turn us into it but not beyond it there the malice of Man and the Devil leaving those that are truly Christs And this because it is 1. The Love of God 2. In Christ Jesus It must be somthing able to turn the Divine affections which nothing can do nor alter the love of God in Christ Jesus because it is not built on our worthiness or stability but on Christ And none can cause the Father not to love his son And if ye
wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Laws of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renuing and restraining grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men our lives have been a continuall piece of rebellion against God who did make us and doth feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatted for thy love Oh foolish men and women that we have been I we acknowledge our Gospel-sins are of a deep dye Thou hast not been a VVildernss or Land of darkness to us we have been exalted to heaven in the means of salvation but Oh! how short do we come of knowledge to the time and means we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee Oh do thou open our eyes and present us to our selves show us the vilenss of our lives Blessed be thy Name that thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleeve on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his Offices in our hearts help us to give him the keys of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that died for us and let our souls be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our conscienees in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead works inform our understanding conform our wills to thy holy VVill let our hearts and lives be comformed to the Image of thy Son that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will und suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou maiest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of Self-denial in our souls and let us take the Cross of Jesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on beds of sickness and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come and they that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them than their Faith or our prayers and look graciously upon poor children entitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that deâ—re the conversion of Relations that walk in waies of perdition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter eud Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy Message plainly and powerfull and give thy People hearing ears and obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upo thee in thy Worship this day and all For Christ his sake in whose Name and Words we call upon thee Our Father ' which art in Heaven c. Doctor Manton's Prayer at Covent-garden O Lord God all that we can do is nothing of our selves we can do nothing Oh let us have the gracious Assistance of thy Spirit as this time let thy love constrain us say unto us Thou art our Salvation Do not say that we shall fill up the measure of our Iniquities and there shall be no hope for us O Lord we are ashamed that we have waited so long in thine Ordinannances and have got no more profit to our toor pouls but we have given up our hearts to the pleasures and vanities of this world that are but for a season even those that thou hast drawn out after thee do not walk worthy of thee anseerable to that blessed hope of future Happiness in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Jesus Christ is to many of us become a stumbling-blook and a reck of offence while our hearts are caried out after the wirld with such strong affections Oh! when shall we carry our selves so as those that profess themselves to be secke's of a better life We come into thy presence now for strength do thou manifest thy self to us thou hast promised to pour out thy Spirit upon all Flesh Oh let it be unto us according to thy promise O Lord our hearts naturally are averse to thee so that of our selves we shall never be able to do any thing that may be wel-plensing to thee but do thou regulate us by thy blessed Spirit that we may observe thy statutes and do them and that thy Commands may not be grievous to us that it may not be burdensom for us to do the work of God O Lord when shall our hearts be made sound in thy statutes we wait upon thee in the use of thine Ordinances that we may have a new supply from thee that at length we may come to see that thou art at work with us to save our soules O help us to be followers of them who with faith and patience do follow thee to do nothing unbecomming our holy Call suffer us not to swerve from thy Commandments but let us have a constant and earnest desire after thee Let the choicest of thy Mercies come down on our Sovereign Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland let His heart be guided by thee let him always set the before his eyes that under the shadow of his Goverment we may have Peace in all Godliness and honesty Bless him in his Relations in his Councils Teach our Senators wisdom Be with all thy Faithfull Magistrates and Ministers let them be a terrour to evil doers and an encouragement to them that do well Be with us in the way of thy worship we are here met together to hear and handle thy holy Word Oh do thou command it to light upon all our hearts let it come in the evidence and demonstratian
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless
a little before Hippo was taken and Pareus a little before Hiddleburg was taken and â—uther a little before the wars in Germany began The death of the Godly is like the separating the Israelites from the Tents of Corah and his company like the taking of Lot out of Sodom When the Israelites departed from Corah and his company the earth swallowed them up and when Lot departed out of Sodom God rained down fire and brimstone upon them Let the thoughts of these things cause us to provide our Arks to get our Zoars Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elies young Elisha's in the room of old Elijahs and young Timothies in the room of Paul the aged that there may be a succession of Gospel-ministers to hold forth the Word of life to the Nation And let us labour to be Inheritors of the Twelve Excellencies that beautified this our Reverend Brother Secondly Let me speak a few words to you of this Parish the Auditors of this worthy Minister There is scarce one man of an hundred that understands the tye and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his People Oh the Love and Affection that ought to be betwixt them Paul tells the Galatians that they could have plucked out their eyes for him if need were Chrysostom tells us that when Miletus was taken away by death from his People their hearts sunk with sorrow and such love had they to him that they called all their Children by his name and got his picture engraven on their Rings And I have read of Chrysostom that when he was banished from his People there was not a corner in the City but was full of People weeping and lamenting The loss of a Godly Minister is a publick loss and therefore there ought to be a publick mourning it is a soul loss and therefore methinks every one of you should weep and mourn you have lost your common Father you of this Congregation have lost your spiritual Father your spiritual Shepheard you have lost your eyes your guide and indeed it is you that are his Flock that must commend your Minister by practising that which he preached saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.1 Do we again begin to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of Commendations to you or Letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistle written in our bearts known and read all men As if the Apostle should say do we need Letters of commendation is it necessary that we should spend time in commending our Ministry you are our Letters of commendation your holiness piety commends a Minister above all other things As when a man comes into an Orchard or Vineyard saith Chrysostom and sees every thing skilfully handled and neatly trimmed he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser or Carpenter the work its self commends them So ought it to be among you When we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers we must look into the Parish or Congregation and see what Letters of commendation there are whether the proficiency of the Auditors commend their Ministers I grant it is not always true God doth not always give suceess to a godly Minister but the worst is yours I had almost said the curse is yours but I will speak modestly the worst is yours Tell me how many of you are able to say I bless God that ever such a Minister was sent among us blessed be God that ever we heard him preach what seal of his ministry is there here among you he was in another and another place of this City it may be here are people from all places that have been his Auditors what seal of his Ministry is there now to be found among you how many Souls hath he pluck'd out of the snares of the Devil how many of you have gone weeping from a Sermon knocking your breasts and pricked at the heart of sin crying out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved your tears and mourning for sin these are the Auditors that commend your Ministers Go home now and think with your selves what can I remember of all the Sermons that I have heard from Mr. Ash and give me leave to tell you woe be to you if as your Minister be dead so all the Sermons he made die with him for as Abel being dead yet speaketh so shall the Sermons of this worthy Minister at the great day speak for you or against you for they are spiritual Talents that God hath be-trusted you with and you must be accountable both he and you shall appear before the Tribunal of God your Minister shall be examined how he can free himself from the guilt of Soul-blood and you shall be examined what fruit you brought forth answerable to the means you have enjoyed and if it appear you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers Christ will say Cast the unprofitable servants into utter darkness But I hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation What ever was good in this reverend Minister let iâ— live in you and though he be dead yet let not his Sermons that he preached die with you but let them be in you that at the great day when he and you appear before God he may be able to say here am I and the Children that thou hast given me Dr. Seaman's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle being now upon the conclusion of this Epistle after a very large discovery of Jesus Christ in all those things that belong to his Person concerning his Nature as God as Man and concerning his Offices especially concerning his Priestly and concerning the blessings and benefits especially in matters of Sacrifice doth in this last Chapter insist on matters Hortatory and in the words draws near to a conclusion which contains a Prayer wish or desire which he puts up unto God in the behalf of them in order to their good and benefit Now the God of peace c. In which words there are two things considerable 1. The matter of the Apostles Prayer 2. The grounds which he doth insinuate for Audience In the things he desires the Matter of the Prayer is laid down in v. 21 and is summarily and generally propounded in several expressions yet nevertheless so as they have their Specialities belonging to them In the beginning he shews what he aims at make you perfect c. In general it refers to their Sanctification and that they be throughly sanctified as to their inward man and outward conversation as to those things that belong to them in the habits of their minds and Eternal carriage The Grounds