mock at preaching c. Tush thou wilt not be so precise If ever thou be one of his thou wilt not only obey him but also be circumspect in all thy obedience nay if thou be broken in heart thou wilt not only stoop to every commandment of God but also count it thine honour and glory though it be the meanest office in his service Thou art my glory sayes David David that was broken from his pride counted it his glory to obey God his glory to serve God yea his glory to be reproched for his sake Thou art not broken in heart till thou count it thine excellency to serve God We use to say such a ones excellency is in his learning or wit c. but he is too precise and too holy as if it were not a mans excellency to be pure and zealous and to serve God But I tell thee if thou count it not thine honour to be forward for God and to be nicknamed for Christ thine excellency to lie in this that thou art godly and heavenly thou art a proud fool when John Husse was to write upon the Epistle of Saint James he counted it such an high office of dignity that he was confounded at his own indignity saying unto God Hei mihi laudare te contremisco he counted it such an honour to doe any thing for God that he was ashamed at his own vilenesse O my brethren God is called the excellency of Jacob it was not their valour nor wisedome but this was their excellency that God was their God thy riches are proud riches if thy excellency lie in them more than in God if thou dost not go about every commandment as thine excellency thy obedience is proud This is a third signe of a heart broken from sin if it be broken from its pride A Funerall SERMON Preached By that laborious and faithful Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A Funerall SERMON ISAI 57. 1. The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evill to come IN the end of the former chapter the Prophet reproveth the speciall sin of Idol-shepheards who followed their own pleasures and profits not regarding their flock Now he reproves the generall sin of security in the people and namely in this that whereas the righteous perish yet no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering c. This verse is a complaint of the Prophet touching the people in generall for that they considered not the Iudgements of God upon them in taking away the righteous from among them In the words themselves we are to consider First the work of the Lord viz. the righteous perisheth and mercifull men are taken away Secondly the peoples sin in not considering it not regarding this work of the Lord which is that the righteous may be delivered from the evill to come By righteous is here meant not such as are legally righteous by the works of the law for so no man is righteous but by righteous is here meant such as are Evangelically righteous by the righteousnesse of faith in the Gospell Perisheth that is from the earth for otherwise the righteous perish not No man considering that is no man lamenting mourning or grieving for the loss of them The first thing then to bee considered is from the first part and it is plain out of the words of the text That all men must dye even the most holy and most righteous for they are all subject to the stroak of bodily death as well as the wicked There is no remembrance saith Solomon of the wise more than of the fool and how dyeth the wise man even as the fool Eccles 2. 16. so zachar 1. 5. Your fathers where are they and the Prophets â—o they live for ever so that we sce Prophets and fathers dye as well as other men yea those Worthies recorded in the Scripture Noah Abraham David c. they are all gone the same way they are all dead The first reason is because it is appointed unto all men once to dye and after that comes the judgement Heb. 9. 27. God hath thus decreed it and therefore it must be so Secondly because all men and women are of the dust and therefore must return to the dust again dust thou art saith God and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 19. Thirdly because all have sinned even the most righteous man now the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. The most righteous man must dye Fourthly because as death came into the world by sinne Romans 5. 12. so sinne must goe out of the world by death and therefore it is needfull that the righteous dye that so they may be freed from sin But some may object and say Hath not Christ abolished death why then do the righteous dy I answer he hath abolished death as he hath abolished sin now he hath not taken sin quite away from us for we see it doth still remain in us neither hath he quite abolished death from the righteous for we see they all dye but he abolished the dominion of sin so that it doth no longer reign in us and so he hath taken away the dominion of death so that it doth not rage as a Tyrant over us so that it is not hurtfull unto us as a punishment but as a means to convey us into a better life Christ hath taken away the sting both of sin and death though not the things themselves away from us yet he will one day free us from them both so then the righteous must suffer death as well as the wicked though not in the same kind Let no man then look to be exempted from death for his righteousnesse nor from any outward miseries that may befall the sons of Adam nay if we are the servants of Christ we must look for a greater share in these than other men greater crosses greater afflictions greater sicknesse and harder pangs of death do oft befall the righteous as â—â— did unto this our brother who though he were old and stricken 〈◊〉 yeers yet the pangs of death were strong upon him Those whom 〈◊〉 will make heirs of Eternall life he suffers them to have a greater poâ—â—â—on in these afflictions But the wicked are fat and full and die with â—â—eir bones full of marrow as Job speaks they commonly have little sicknesse and an easie death but the godly do ordinarily undergo greater pangs let none therefore think that for his righteousnesse he shall be free Secondly consider we here how few amongst us have learned this Arithmetique namely to number our dayes and they are but short even a span long who is there almost that thinks on death who prepares himself for it and yet all even the most righteous must die for
God hath placed that fiery blade of death at the entrance into the Paridise of heaven so that none can enter before they tast of death and all must taste of it yea the most righteous are not exempted from the stroak of death This then should teach us to labour to draw our hearts from the love of this present life and what can better perswade us and wean us from the love of this world than a due consideration of death we know we must all die and therefore we should prepare our selves for it If any prophane person amongst us knew that this night must be his last night and that now he had no longer to live would not this amaze him and make him bethink himself and to prepare for death If rich covetous men which spend the whole course of their life in providing for the things of this life did truely consider of death and that their end draweth nigh would they doe as they do when this life and all the things of this life and all our joyes and pleasures of this world shall shortly have an end for when death comes they shall all be taken from us or rather we from them Oh how excellent a thing is it then for us to be drawn from the things of this life unto a due consideration of death and of those heavenly Joyes and happinesse to come Oh you that look for these things what manner of men ought you to be in holy life and conversation Thirdly seeing we all must die and this present life must come to an end this should teach us to prepare our selves for a better life to provide for a surer building a better estate which shall never perish Philosophers who were but heathen men could meditate on death setting it always before their eyes But this is not enough for us that are Christians we cannot truly prepare our selves for it unlesse we first build a surer foundation in providing for a better life which shall never have an end and this no heathen or wicked man can ever do Oh how wofull would that message be unto a wicked man that was brought unto good King Hezekiah Come set thy house in order for thou must die and not live and why should it be terrible unto him surely because he hath no hope of a better life he hath not provided for a better habitation Consider then with what comfort thou couldest entertain this message with whâ—â— comfort canst thou meet with death for he is no Christian that cannot in some measure willingly meet with death for by it we pas unto a better life for as this our brother spake often he that would have comfort in death must look beyond death he must not fix his eyes on the terrors of death but he must look beyond to that glorious inheritance to which we are passing through death and there shall he behold his Saviour putting forth his hand ready to receive him there shall he see the blessed Saints and Angels whose company he shall enjoy besides an infinite heap of Joyes and happinesse that is prepared for him also O my beloved nothing will make us willingly to entertain the message of death but only the comforts of the life to come Oh let us labour then for these comforts that so we may be provided against death were it not a foolishnesse for a man who being a tennant at will and shortly to be turned out of his house never to take care for another until he is cast out of doors Beloved we are all tennants at will and we are very shortly to be cast out of our dwelling houses of clay and shall we not provide for a surer habitation Death is at hand and our life must shortly have an end let us therefore labour to be assured of a better life when this is ended that so with comfort we may meet with death Now we come unto the second point which is here to be considered taken from the complaint of the Prophet that the people did not consider nor lay it to heart viz. the death of the righteous whence I note That the death and losse of good men must be laid to heart as a speciall cause of grief and sorrow We ought justly to be grieved at the death of a righteous man when God taketh him from amongst us How did the Prophet Jeremy and the people lament the death of that good King Josiah 2 Chron. 35. 23. so devout men made great lamentation for the death of Stephen Acts 8. 2. so all Israel lamented the death of Moses Deut. 34. 8. And Joash the King of Israel wept for the death of the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 13. 14. and thus we should lament and sorrow for the death of any righteous man yet not in respect of themselves as if their case were worse now then before for they are now more happy But first in regard of Gods glory whereof they were instruments to set it forth for since they were taken away Gods glory is impaired because there are the fewer left which doe truly serve and worship him for as David saith the dead praise not the Lord c. Psal 115. 17. so then they being dead do not praise the Lord among the faithful on earth any longer Secondly in regard of the great losse that others have by their death who have alwayes received much good by them in their life for the godly doe so order and behave themselves in all their wayes that they do good wheresoever they come therefore when they die it must needs be a great losse unto such who might if they had lived been bettered by them Thirdly We ought to lament the death of the righteous in regard of the evil to come for while they live they are as a wal about us to keep Gods judgments from us If there had been but ten righteous men in Sodome it had not been destroyed Gen. 18. 32. If there be any messenger one among a thousand saith Elihu to shew unto man his uprightnesse then is God gracious unto him Job 33. 23. Run ye to and fro in the streets of Jerusalem saith God and see if you can find a man if there be any that executeth judgement and seeks the Lord and I will pardon it Jer. 5. 1. so that if there had been but one righteous man among the people in that city the Lord would have spared them even for that ones sake and therefore the Lord speaking of the righteous saith I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place he shall be as a glorious throne unto his fathers house Esay 22. 23. Oh consider then what a losse we have when the righteous dye we are like to perish when the naile that was in the sure place is removed cut down and falls for then the burden that was upon it shall be cut off Esay 22. 25. You therefore of this Congregation consider and lament for this your losse in that this good man is
Thus you see that the Saints of God are marvellous importunate to keepe God in his ordinances Quest But may not a man be saved without preaching Answ I answer the argument is clear the Saints maintain God in his ordinances the want of which is under the penalty of death and damnation because we have more need of God in his ordinances than of all the gold in the world for all the gold in the world will not satisfy a hungry man It is bread that he must have because he hath need of it so the Saints have most need of God and of Christ for though they have but ragged coats and their bodies pincht with hunger yet God is he that they stand most in need of In Psalme the 73. and the 25. verse David fretted at the prosperity of the wicked but at the last he breaks off kindly saying whom have I Heaven but thee As if he should have said let them have what they will I will have nothing but thâ—e And why so why thou art my strength and my portion for ever mark he saith that God is his strength yea the strength of his heart hereby shewing that all the helps in the word cannot help the heart of man if God and Christ bee wanting you were as good offer a journey to refresh a weary man or the ayre to feed a hungry man as to offer riches honours and ease to help a distressed soul These will never help a man he may well dote upon them but his soule and conscience will be galled and troubled still it must be the God of peace that must speak peace to troubled soules It must be the God of peace that must speak peace to a distressed soul to a soule that is damned in it selfe it is he that must say I will be the strength of their hearts and their portion for ever no marvel then if a poor soul cryes to God when happily the heart is full when the soul gnaws and cries within it selfe I am damned I am damned happily the palate is pleased with delicates when the poor soul for ought it knows must goe down to hell oh then beloved if you will have safety goe where God is for every good gift comes in with him if once a man hath got God into his company he hath all good things with him God blessed Obed Edoms house for the Arks sake now the Arke was a type of Christ and where it came many blessings came with it even so when God comes unto a people they are married unto him in righteousnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercies for ever Hosea 2. 9. When a man is married to a wife all is his so get Christ and all is thine and then what wouldst thou have more God speaks to the raine and it heares God speaks to the corne and it heares but if thou be in Christ hell and death are thy servants but they that have outward things only as profits pleasures or the like they have their ruine unlesse they have Christ with them get Christ therefore for if he be wanting all outward and inward dangers befall that man or that Nation woe be unto him or them that are without God For though they bring up their children yet will I bereave them that there shall not be a man left yea woe also to them when I do depart from them Ephraim as Tyrus is planted in a pleasant place but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer Hosea 9. 12. 13. True indeed woe be unto that heart County or Kingdome that God is departed from when God who is the God of mercies and all consolation is departed away who can but pitty that soule County or Kingdome who will not submit to Gods peace consolation and salvation When God parts all miseries follow for that man that makes no conscience in outfacing God in the congregation mark what the text saith Deut. 28. 15. I will forsake them and many miseries shall overtake them and when the floud-gates are once up then come in all evils And then they shal say are not these things come upon us because God is not with us If therefore we would avoid woe and sorrow slaying and killing one another if the wife would not see her husband killed before her tender eyes and the man see his wife snatcht out of the world by the hands of wicked men then leave not God but hold him fast and then evil dayes will depart from us It is our holding of God that keeps miseries from us oh then what shall we think of them that are weary of God and that say to the Almighty Depart from us Job 22. 17. Ob. But are there any amongst us that are weary of God I hope there are none such amongst us I answer Thou art a servant and rejectest the Command of thy Master in it thou doest reject God and all such as have a mean conceit of the worship of God and the word of God and think that prayer or preaching is continued too long I say these men know not what they think or say but certainly it is because they would be freed from the Ordinances of God well God will free thee from them one day I will warrant thee and then thou wilt be in a miserable condition oh that thou wouldest pitty thy poor condition but thou art weary of Gods ordinances and of his mercies his presence and patience know thou that thou shalt be deprived of Gods goodnesse and thy portion shall be with those that hate God in this life here and after this life if thou repent not thy portion shall be with them in Tophet where the worm dyeth not and where the fire goeth not out and then crying will not availe God will be God over thee in destruction yea when he hath spurned thousands and ten thousands into hell such as thou art then shalt thou be the everlasting object of his never dying wrath then notwithstanding all thy shrill cries though thou couldest be heard out of that dungeon yet were thy help never the near for God is God still I advise thee therefore what to do whilst thou art here in this life make thy peace with God in Christ and lay thy self low before him and beare patiently his hand in his wrath which thou hast deserved And mark what I say thou hast deserved to be in hell an hundred times that is the least and therefore be contented with thy condition for thou hast chosen death rather than life and God should wrong himself and thee also if he should not let thee have thy choosing Will not these things move you my brethren Me thinks I see your colours rise I am glad of it I hope it is to a good end you may be wise and happily so wise as to choose life rather than death Now the Lord grant it for he delights not in your destruction I wâ—â—â—dde one word more to leave the more impression in your
upon him ibid. Five Motives to walke worthy of God 1. If we do walke worthy of God then we shall answer all the labour and cost that God hath been at 193. 2. Then we shall walk with God in white 194. 3. Then we doe not disappoint Gods account ibid. 4. Then we shall be importunate beggers and so worthy of mercy ibid. 5. Then we shall adde humiliation to every duty we do performe ibid. 2. If we do not walke worthy of God then 1. We walke worthie of destruction 195. 2. Then we are guiltie of the death of Christ ibid. 3. Then we shall be condemned ibid. Use We must be as it were even of the very nature of God 192. The Contents of the fourteenth SERMON on Col. 1. 10. IT is possible to walk in all manner of pleasing unto the Lord 200. Reas 1. Because God is not a rigorous God ibid. 2. There is a way wherein if we walk we shall please God ibid. 3. The Lord hath shewed us this way ibid. 4. Many have walked in this way before us ibid. Doct. It is a fit duty to please God ibid. Reason 1. Because God is a great King 201. 2. His pleasure is a good pleasure ibid. 3. Christ who is our better did thâ—se things that pleased God ibid. 4. If we do not please God our consciences will condem us ibid. 5. It is a duty most sutable to humane society ibid. Doctr. Pleasing of God is a large duty 202. Reason 1. It is the end of all our duties ibid. 2. It is the most acceptable of all duties ibid. 3. It is unconfinable to place or time ibid. 4. It is in all things without limitation ibid. 5. It is an everlasting duty 203. 6. It is the whole duty of the new man ibid. Doctr. It is a necessary duty to please God ibid. Reas 1. Because we have no saving grace unlesse we labour to please God ib. 2. We are in a woful case if we do not please God ibid. 3. If we doe not please God we are continually in danger of the wrath of God Use To condemn 1. Those that please not God ibid. 2. Those that please men ibid. 3. Those that please themselves 205. The Contents of the fifteenth SERMON on Luke 23. 42. EXtraordinary cases never make a common rule 209. That a wicked life will have a cursed end this is the ordinary rule ibid. Yet in some extrtardinary cases it may be otherwise 1. When God is pleased to shew his prerogative royall ibid. 2. When a sinner hath not had means of salvation in his life but only at his death 210. 3. When a sinner shall be made exemplary ibid. 4. When the Lord may be as much honoured by a mans death as he hath been dishonoured by his life This repentance of the thief was extraordinary as is proved by five arguments 1. Because it was one of the wonders of Christs passion ibid. 2. We read not of any other that was converted at the last hour as the thief was 211. 3. Because of the suddennesse of it ibid. 4. In regard of the Evangelicall perfection of it Containing 212. 1. His penitentiall confession ibid. 2 His penitential profession ibid. 3. His penitentiall satisfaction ibid. 4. His penitentiall self-deniall ibid. 5. His penitentiall faith ibid. 6. His penitentiall resolution 213. 7. His penitentiall prayer ibid. 5. This repentance was extraordinary in regard of the incomparablenesse of it ibid. Use To condemn those that rely upon this example 214. This example is once recorded that none might despaire and but once that none might presume 215. None because of this example should defer their repentance 1. Because this thief had not the means of life and grace before 216. 2. Because we never read that this thief put off his repentance till the last ibid. 3. Because at that time God was in a way of working miracles 218. The Contents of the seventeenth SERMON on Psal 147. 3. THe words of the Text opened 223. What is meant by wholenesse of heart ibid. What is meant by brokennesse of heart 224. Doctr. Christ justifies and sanctifies Or heals the broken-hearted 226. Four Reasons 1. Because God hath given grace unto Christ to heale the broken-hearted ibid. 2. Christ hath undertaken to do it ibid. 3. Christ hath this in charge to bind up the broken-hearted ibid. 4. None but the broken hearted will accept of Christ ibid. Severall objections are answered 227. 228 229. Three Reasons why Christ will heale the broken-hearted 1. This is the most seasonable time to be healed when the heart is broken 232. 2. It is the most profitablest time ibid. 3. It is the very nick of time the heart can never be healed untill it be broken ibid. Three signes of a broken heart 1. A breaking from sin 234. 2. A breaking in it self with sorrow ibid. The history of Zacheus conversion is opened in seven particulars ibid. 3. When the heart is broken then it will stoop to Gods word in all things 237. The Contents of the eighteenth SERMON on Isaiah 57. 1. The words of the Text explained Doct. ALl men must die 241. Reason 1. Because God hath so appointed it 242. 2. Because all men and women are of the dust ibid. 3. Because all have sinned ibid. 4. Because as death came into the World by sin so sin might go out of the world by death ibid. Two Objections against this are answered ibid. Use 1. Let no man look to be exempted from death for his righteousnese 243. 2. Hence we should learn to draw our hearts from this present world ibid. 3. To teach us to prepare our selves for a better life ibid. Doct. The death and losse of good men must be laied to heart as an especiall cause of grief and sorrow 244 Reason 1. Because the instruments of Gods glory are taken away ibid. 2. Because of the great losse that others have by their death ibid. 3. Because of the evill to come for while they live they are as a wall to keep off the wrath of God ibid. Use 1. To reprove those that rejoyce at the death of the righteous 245 2. To informe us what a losse it is when the righteous are taken away ibid. Doct. When God will bring any great judgement upon a people or Nation ordinarily he takes away his faithfull servants from amongst them 146. Use 1. To inform us of Gods extraordinary love to his Children ibid. 2. To inform us that when the righteous are taken away we are certainly to expect some great judgement from God to fall upon us ibid. The Contents of the nineteenth SERMON on Jeremiah 14. 9. THe opening of the context in many particulars 251. Doctr. God many times doth cast off a people 252. Four Signes of Gods casting off a people 1. When he takes away his love and respect from a people 253. 2. When he takes away his providence from them ibid. 3. When he breaks down the wals of Magistracy and Ministry ibid. 4.
and am overtaken with my infirmities yet I thank God he hath sanctified my heart For I think of God and of Christ and I oft call upon his name and let my thoughts runne on good things God and heaven are many times in my mind and I am sorry when I do amisse and the Lord hath blest me with a large portion of outward things Besides I see these and these signs of grace in me and therefore I think my case to be haphy And thus securely they live and so they go on and so they dye and so go to hell and perish for ever and ever Here is the misery of it many think of God and of Christ of death and of their last account of heaven of hell of faith and repentance of leaving sinne of crucifying their lusts and practising of holiness Now men think that their thinking of these things is a part of their discharge when indeed they are Additions to and pieces of their talents which increase their judgements God casts in a though of repentance holinesse of the remembrance of death and last account Dost thou find thy heart never the better and holier by them Then know it is only Gods haunting of thy heart and Gods calling upon thee and Gods inviting thee unto repentance to leave thy sinnes to come out of thy deadnesse and formality to prepare for thy death and judgement and therefore I say if thy heart now think not so if thy heart do not repent beleeve and grow more zealous and thou art not drawn the neerer to God I say then that the more of these good thoughts that thou hast had the greater thy doom will be if thou hast had ten thousands of them if they have been only Gods haunting of thy heart think thou then now of grace of God of thy poor soul which is not bettered by them nor made holy then know they are pieces of thy talent and it doth make thy torments in hell the greater Secondly thou hast good thoughts but the question is whether they be fleeting or abiding thoughts Many think of God of grace of heaven of the word of God and when they hear a Sermon they will think of God but these thoughts though they come into their minds yet they go away presently they are in and out at an instant in a trice they passe away and are gone Beloved there are two kinds of vain thoughts 1. vain because the substance and matter of them is vain and so all worldly thoughts are vain 2. or else for their want of durance and lasting and so are all thoughts of heaven of God and grace and of Christ if they vanish away they are all vain thoughts though they seem otherwise Hear what God saith Gen. 6. 5 God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were only evill continually all the imaginations great is the emphasis of this word all all the thoughts yea all universally are only evill continually But you will say unto me Doth not a wicked man think that there is a God why that is a good thought doth not he think that this God is to be observed and worshipped why this is a good thought doth he not think that sin is to be forsaken that is a good thought doth he not think of heaven and of Christ how then are their thoughts only evil and that continually I answer Because all the thoughts of a wicked mans heart are vain that is vanishing thoughts not vain for the matter which sometimes may be good and Holy but vain because they soon vanish away thoughts that come and carry â—ot that leave no impression in their hearts behind them these are all vain thoughts according to that of the Apostle The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain 1 Cor. 3. 20. Beloved in a godly mans heart when a good thought comes it abides and dwells a good while in him and when it goes away it leaves a good impression behind it it leaves a sweet smell and favour in the heart after it is gone it s made more holy and sanctified by it When a good thought comes into a godly mans heart it leaves the print of it behind when a wicked man hath a good thought he â—osseth it up and down and suffers it not to stay but presently puts it away let a thought of the world come in and he can give it entertainment for seven days yea for seven years yea all his life he sets his heart as a wide gate open to receive them and to entertain them but if a thought of God or of repentance of holinesse and salvation come into his mind he is tyred out with it and it soon vanisheth away therefore so long as thy thoughts are thus vain though for the matter good if thou hast never so many of them yet if they abide not but thou thinkest and unthinkest them again if they come and give thy Soul a jog and so away the more I say thou hast of them though thou hast many millions the greater will be thy doom at the last day Thirdly Thou thinkest of God but the question is whether thy good thoughts be studied or accidental thoughts A wicked man that runs gadding in his thoughts here and there over the whole world upon this and that and I know not what in the midst of a lottery of thoughts he cannot chuse but stumble upon some good he thinks on God he thinks on Christ he thinks on Heaven but it is by the by-gone these thoughts of his are not naturall but if he think of the world of his pleasures of his outward delights and contentments these thoughts arise naturally out of his heart they are his own Now it may be a thought of God comes by the way But a godly man not only thinks of God but he stadies how to think of God it is his continuall endeavour to bring his mind to be fixed upon God it is his whole care to have good thoughts to dwell habitually in him There is an excellent phrase used to set it forth Malac. 3. 16. They that feared the Lord spake one unto another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him of all them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name Where I pray you to mark that thinking upon Gods Name and the fear of God are joyned together for thinking on God comes from the fear of God a godly man thinks upon God and fears him he thinks that God is alwayes with him in every place and he trembles before him he thinks God beholds all his thoughts and affections and trembles at him he thinks as he walks up and down in his way as he he is imployed in his calling as he is performing of any duty of Religion that Gods eye is upon him and beholds him and therefore he fears to offend
in the power and sanctification of holinesse then men would say of themselves of a truth God is in these men Christ dwels in them and the Spirit of God leads and governs them indeed If thou wouldest judge the world take heed how the world judgeth thee lest thou with the world be condemned eternally It was said that Herod feared John because he was a just man Mark 6. 23. So if all thy neighbours did know that thou were a just man a holy and conscionable man in all thy wayes and in all thy actions and that cannot endure swearing lying and deceit but did see that thou wast just and one that feared God truly they would all fear thee THE PUNISHMENT Of Unworthy COMMUNICANTS AT THE TABLE of the LORD DELIVERED In a SERMON preached By that Reverend and Faithfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B. D. Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Pastor of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A SERMON OF M. WILLIAM FENNERS Upon this ensuing Text. 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep THE Apostle in this Chapter taxeth two abuses which were then amongst the Corinthians First the unseemly habit of women in the congregation from the 1 verse to the 17. Secondly the prophane usage of the holy Communion both by men and women from the 17 verse to the end of the Chapter and herein from the 23. verse to the end of the 25 he sets down the Institution of the Lords Supper and thence raiseth a point of Doctrine That whosoever would come to this holy communion they must examine themselves that so they may come worthily else it were better that they never came So we may read in the 28 verse But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup As if the Apostle had said Unlesse a man examine himself and search his own heart and find out his sins and dive into the secrets of his soul to bring out his hidden corruptions confessing them and judging himselfe for them before the Lord let them never presume to come to the holy Sacrament And then he proves it by three Reasons The first is taken from the end of the Sacrament for it is the remembrance of the death and passion of Christ so it is in 26. verse So oft as you Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come It is a reason that the men of this world are not acquainted withall and therefore it was a good wish of a Reverend Father that the Sacrament should never be ministred but there should be a Sermon to teach men the nature of it and to instruct them in the Mystery thereof We approach unto the Sacrament hand over head living in our sinnes not shewing by our coming that Christ is dead we say we profess that Christ dyed for our sins and yet not withstanding our sins live in us as if Christ had not died for us or as if we would proclaim that his death had no effect in us For were we dead with Christ then sin and the living occasions of sin would be dead in us also My beloved we should never come to this Sacrament but we should shew forth the Lords death thereby that is that Christ is dead or rather dyed for sin and that sin is also dead in us The second reason is taken from the damned wrong we offer unto Christ if we come in our sins for we are guilty of the body and bloud of Christ as it is in the 27 verse nay thou sinnest against the Lord Jesus Christ not a jot lesse than Pilate that condemned him than Judas that betrayed him and the Jews that cryed out Crucifie him crucifie him yea thou art as much guilty as if thy own hand in thy own person had been imbrued in his bloud Now we know it is a horrible sin to be guilty of the blood and murther of an ordinary man yea of a very rogue how much more is it a great and fearfull sin to be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ the onely and eternall Sonne of God Yet comest thou to this holy Communion and bringest no lesse than the guilt of the Body and bloud of Christ upon thy soul The third Reason is taken from the wofull wrong and injury that man brings upon his own soul that comes unpreparedly without examination of himselfe in the 20. verse he eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he maketh himselfe guilty of and lyable to the same vengeance that the crucifiers of Christ had inflicted on them Good had it been for that man saith Christ of Judas if that he had never been born So may I say Good had it been for that man and that woman if they had never been borne who come unworthily unto the Table of the Lord for when they eat of that Bread they eat their own bane and when they drinke of that Cup they drinke their own damnation Then commeth he to make some uses of this point and first he condemns those that as they come so they goe away from the Sacrament no more holy no more gracious than before but as they come in their sins so they go away in their sins they came drunkards and they go away drunkards they came worldlings and they go away worldlings they came mockers and they go away mockers they came in their wrath anger malice deadnesse hypocrisie and luke-warmnesse and so they goe away still never the better but living in them as they did before As in the â—â— verse You come together saith the Apostle not for the better but for the worse Whereas â—f they would have come worthily they should have gone away the better they should have received more grace and holinesse to walk with God more power and strength against sin and corruption yea the Lord would have ratified and confirmed his Covenant with them whereas living in contention and not coming with preparation they grow the worse by the Sacrament The Corinthians thought that the Apostle would have praised them for their coming to Church and receiving the Sacrament Shall I praise you saith the Apostle in this I praise you not Secondly He makes an use of terror against all those that dare come in their sins unto this holy Sacrament of the Lord for that man that cometh in his sins unto the Table of the Lord 1. Though he may think he receives the Communion yet he doth not for this is not the Table of the Lord but the Table of devils It is true thou receivest the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ but yet coming in thy sins thou receivest not his body and blood as of a Saviour to save thee from thy sins Indeed thou receivest the body and blood of Christ sacramentally but it is
confirm it with an oath that they should never enter into his rest And Saint Cyprian saith that the Lord hath shewed many miracles and declared many fearfull judgements upon the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament Judas who Ambrose thought received the Sacrament though Hilary and others that he did not but only that he did eat the Passeover and was coming to the Sacrament also but see his doom John 13. as soon as ever he received the sop the Devil entred into him and so it is with all such as come to the Communion in their sins without repentance and unfeigned resolution of walking ever after worthy the Sacrament I say unto all and every one of them that as soon as ever thou receivest the Bread and Wine into thy mouth thou receivest the devil together with it as soon as ever it goeth down into thy bodie the Devill goeth after it and taketh more full possession of thy heart and soul Now the reason why the Lord doth so severely punish both with temporall judgements and with spirituall curses the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament is in regard of the author of the Sacrament who is Christ and that not only as he was man as the Papists would make us beleeve but Christ as he was God did institute the same So saith the Apostle in the 23. verse The Lord Jesus Christ in the same night that he was betray'd took bread and brake it when he had given thanks and said Take ye and eat ye for this is my body which is broken for you Now if the Lord Jesus did institute it what an accursed thing is it for any to defile it and so sin against Christ it is a damnable thing to sin against God but to sin against God as he is God in Christ is damnably damnable The holy Ghost in the second Psalm exhorts to kisse the Son lest he be angry and so thou perish as if he should say Adore the Son Adore the Loâ—d Jesus Christ and so come and eat of this bread and drink of this Cup for if he be angry thou wilt surely perish If thou sin against God and so go out of the way Christ upon thy repentance will set thee in again but if thou sinnest against God in Christ who is the Way the Life and the Truth thou shalt surely perish from the right way for there is no other way to bring thee in again Acts 4. 12. Therefore wofull is thy case and miserable is thy condition if thou sinnest against Christ prophaning his holy Ordinances which he himselfe hath instituted and abusest and despisest that blessed Spirit of his that comes to seal unto thee the redemption that he hath purchased by his bloud Better had it been for thee that thou hadst never been born for if he be wroth blessed only are all they that put their trust in him and come preparedly unto his holy Ordinance and that by faith imbrace the Lord Jesus Christ but woe unto all prophane persons that live in their sins if his wrath be but a little kindled then woe to all drunkards swearers and unclean persons but blessed is that man that is come out of his sins For if his wrath be so terrible when it is but a little kindled O how much more fearfull will it be when it is deeply incensed Therefore if thou comest unto this holy Sacrament in thy sins without due preparation and examination what doest thou but even set the wrath of God burning upon thy soul and body from the very bottom of hell When the Lord delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai he commanded the people to sanctifie themselves yea if a beast did but touch the mountain he must dye for the same even be stoned to death or thrust through with a dart Heb. 12. Much more then now when the Lord doth deliver the Gospel especially the ground-work and master-peece thereof the Lord Jesus Christ and that in the most blessed manner that ever God exhibited himselfe unto man how much more doth God require purity and holinesse that all such as come to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in the blessed Sacrament should be sanctified purging their hearts and cleansing their souls from all their sin and uncleannesse Should not a beast touch the mountain where God did appear and darest thou touch the body of Christ and drink his blessed bloud in thy sinnes The very angels of heaven will curse thee and the clouds of heaven will pour down showers of vengeance upon thee for God hath more severe punishments to inflict upon sinners under the Gospell than he used under the Law though then he struck them with more visible and sensible plagues and judgements than ordinarily he bringeth upon men now as Gehazi for his covetousnesse was strucken with leprosie Corah Dathan and Abiram the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up quick for their rebellion against the Lord Er and Onan were strucken dead for their wickednesse Jeroboam had his hand withered for stretching of it forth to strike the Lords Prophet And though the Lord bring not such sensible punishments now as he did then yet he knows how to punish the world a thousand times more than he did then at this time As a father hath other kinds of punishments for his son when he is growâ— up than he had when he was in coats and but a child then a twig or two would serve the turn but if he come to mans estate and then rebell against his father it may be that he will disinherit him and cast him out of his family So in former time God did scourge and whip his people when they sinned against him but now he hath drawn out his Church to this age even to the age of the Gospel he hath severer strokes of plagues and curses wherewith to confound all prophane and impenitent sinners that dare to abuse that blessed Sacrament of the Lord Jesus Christ The second Reason is in regard of the matter of the Sacrament which is Christ also who as he was the efficient cause so in regard of Sacramental relation he is the matter of the Cummunion 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is it not thâ— Communion of the body of Christ Now the better matter any thing is of the more heynous is the defilement of it A master will not be so angry for casting his earthen vessels into the mire as he will be for casting his rich jewels The Bread and Wine in the Sacrament are the blessed Communion of the precious body and bloud of Christ and darest thou defile them knowest thou not that thou dost greatly encrease the wrath of the Lord against thy soul thereby That soul whatever it was from Dan to Beersheba that came in his uncleannesse to partake of any of those holy things which the children of Israel hallowed to the Lord whether he were
this it not enough This is a solemne Ordinance of God and an ordinary disposition will not serve the turn Though every child of God be ordinarily disposed to every good word and work to pray and to hear the word of God he is prepared and furnished to every well-doing ordinarily and habitually but a man must be disposed farther There is a solemne preparation required to the Communion as in Deut. 16. 15. there were solemn feasts in the Law so there is this solemn feast in the Gospel and there are solemn preparations required thereto When we come to the Communion to eat the Lords Supper it is not eating and drinking in Christs presence for so may any reprobate do and yet Christ may say to him Depart from me thou worker of iniquity It is not to come and sit in your Pewes and wait till the Bread comes and take it and till the Cup comes and drink it so many a Reprobate may doe as the Corinthians did that did eat and drink their own damnation But there must be a solemn preparation to it to be sealed with the Spirit of Promise to be righteous by faith in the body and bloâ—d of Christ For a man to be humble and empty of his sin to be â—â—â—â—sâ—y aâ—â—â—â— the precious bloud of Christ to be fed and built up in the promises It is a weighty thing to come to the Communion a man must be a worthy man or else he hath nothing to do here As Solomon said of Adonijah if he be a worthy man not a hair shall fall from his head but if wickednesse be found in him he shall dye 1 Kings 1. 52. So if we be worthy men and women not a hair of our heads shall fall to the ground none of the curses shall light on us that light on unprepared persons but if wickednesse be found in us if we be guilty of any sin if we live in any lust not mortified if there be any prophanenesse in our lives in our families in our courses and callings though we catch hold of the horns of the Altar though we partake of these holy mysteries yet we shall be so far from having any mercy as that we shall hasten our own ruine we set a seal on our own judgement and make our case worse than it was before Let us take notice of it and never dare to rush on any of Gods Ordinances You know what became of the foolish man in the Gospel that when they were invited to come to the marriage supper he thought it was nothing but to come with them that came to crowd in with them and sit down among the rest he considered not what he went about that he might be prepared accordingly the event was this he was cast out into utter darknesse Matth. 22. 13. It is dangerous rushing on any of Gods ordinances To rush upon prayer for a man to fall down upon his knees and to utter any thing before the Lord hastily with his mouth not considering that God is in heaven and he on the earth A mans word may damn his own soul and pull vengeance on his own pate his prayers may prove a curse his prayer for mercy may be turned into vengeance So the higher the service the greater the danger As the servants of Abigail said to her Consider what you do when evill was determined against them so consider what you do when you come to the Sacrament you come to a weighty thing to that that will either set you neerer to the Kindome of God or hell and condemnation But I let this passe and come to the words themselves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. In these words observe First the matter of the duty commanded that is to eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Secondly the manner of doing the duty not only to eat of that bread but so to eat and not only to drink of that cup but so to drink Thirdly the rule of direction how to come in a right manner to partake of it that is by examining of our selves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Fourthly and lastly the benefit following that direction and that is in this word But let a man examine himself He had said before He that eats and drinks unworthily is made guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord and he discerneth not the Lords body verse 27. But saith he as if he should say if a man would prevent this if a man would take order that he be not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that he do not come undiscerningly to these heavenly mysteries but with comfort and title to the promises with hope and confidence and speeding there of the benefits of Christ exhibited then let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Now I will passe over some of these points namely that we are to eat that bread and drink that cup. There is a necessity that we should receive the Lords supper I need not stand on this you know it sufficiently proved by the Sacrament of the Law which was the fore-runner of this Sacrament that soul that did not partake of that was to dye the death he was to be cut off from Gods people Num. 9. 13. If the Lord was so carefull of those Sacraments that were inferior to these and yet they were of the same substance as these that the man that neglected to come to them to partake of them was to be cut off to be excommunicated from the people of God and to be rent off from the congregation of the Saints then how much more for these heavenly and weighty and glorious Ordinances of the Gospel which are farr more glorious than them of the Law But I will not stand upon that I might here take notice too of the frequency of the duty for so it hath dependence on those words formerly As oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death and so that is as oft as ye eat do it in this manner This is the command of God that we oft receive the Lords Supper In the Primitive times St. Basil observes that they eat it three or four times in a week on Wednesdays Frydays and on the Lords day but that was a time of persecution I will not stand upon that I think it not neeedfull But it should be often we should not thurst it only upon Easter and Whitsuntide and Christ-tide three or four times in the year Again I might observe here from this mystery received in that he calls it Bread I might observe against the Papists Transubstantiation that the bread received is not transubstantiated but is bread still and against that of receiving in one kind So let him eat of that bread and drink of that
of the heart such as wherein the heart shews its own nature As for example the Univocal act of Light is to lighten the room but now you cannot judge of the Light by the heat so well as you may by the shining So an ill savour must be judged of by the stinking which is the univocal act of it It causeth abundance of other effects but this is the proper act whereby it shews it self So the thoughts of men are the univocal acts of their hearts therefore in Scripture called the way of the heart just as the heart is so are the thoughts if the heart be proud so are the thoughts just according to the nature of the heart so are the thoughts 5. They are the swiftest acts of the heart If I judge of a Scholar I will judge him by that which he doth extempore if a fool study he may speak to purpose but look what a man doth by his own inclination that a man discovers himself to be Thoughts are the extempore acts of the heart if thy heart be heavenly it will scatter out heavenly meditations if carnal then thy thoughts are carnall thoughts are as the visions in the night ergo we use this proverb his thoughts are gone a sutering If then they be the swiftest acts of mens hearts then are they most â—it to expresse the nature of the heart 6. Thoughts are the peculiar acts of the heart peculiar to God only the world may see what thy outward life is but thy thoughts God only sees neither Angel Devil nor Man can see them and as they are peculiar to Gods eye so he most regards what mens thoughts are and therefore the best way for a man to judge himself is to judge himself that way which God doth even by his thoughts The The Lord knows the thoughts of man Psal 94. 11. Examine your selves in this then concerning your thoughts whether they be metamorphosed or no a man may say he hath good thoughts of God but let him examine himself whether it be so or no. 7. Thoughts are the conscionable acts of the heart they are the greatest accusers or excusers of the heart they are Consciences Nose as we may so speak True it is the words of the tongue and the actions of the hands are all in the light and â—ight of the conscience but the neerer a thing is unto the conscience the more able it is to judge of the conscience And therefore St. Paul puts the accusing or excusing especially on the thoughts Rom. 2. 15. We grant a wicked man may have good thoughts but they are thoughts descending not ascending they are cast into the heart by God not raised out of the hear Moses thought in his heart to visit his brethren Acts 7. verse 23. Good thoughts grow out of the heart of the godly they come from the bottom of it a wicked man may have good thoughts cast into his minde but he will fling them out again Secondly we grant wicked men may have good thoughts but examine whether they close with the heart or no all the proper thoughts of a man are the possessions of the heart Job 17. 11. They take hold of the heart and they are at home in the heart Here then examine thy heart whether the thoughts of God close with thy heart Doth repentance close with thy heart dost thou think of death and do the thoughts thereof make thee die daily Or dost thou think of death and dost thou not love to be holden with that thought Dost thou think of hel and wilt thou not be holden with that thought of hell but thy thoughts are on thy pleasures So then if thy thoughts close not with thy heart it is nothing to the purpose Thirdly there may be good thoughts in thy heart but t is questionable whether good thoughts or no if they come out of due season it is nothing to the purpose If a Printer print never so well and make never so good letter yet if he place one word where another should stand he marrs all So good thoughts if they be seasonable and in their proper place they are the effects of the Spirit but if out of season they may be the thoughts of reprobates As if thou be at at Prayer and then to be thinking of a Sermon is nothing to the purpose They must be seasonable and bring forth fruit in due season Psal 1. 3. When thou art at prayer thou must have thy thoughts suteable to thy prayer for if thy thoughts be never so good yet if they be not seasonable and sutable to the action thou hast in hand they are not actions of grace grace cannot away with them Fourthly thou hast good thoughts in thy heart but the question is whether they be counselled thoughts such as thou hast determined to think on Thoughts are called the counsels of a mans heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. it may be thou maiest stumble on a good thought now and then it may be when thou art swearing thou wâ—lt say God forgive me when thou hast been drinking all the day it may be a good thought steps in and cries God mercy but thou goest not to schoole to learn the art of meditation or the science of holy thinking or to say with David O God my heart is fixed Now if that sin in thought be so great a sin this should teach us what a horrible sin it is to sin indeed therefore thoughts are the smallest sins in respect of scandal and the Psalmist makes it an argument of Gods quick-sighted power to see thoughts thou seest my thoughts afar off you will say that man is quick-sighted that can see a pins head a 100 myles off even so God sees thoughts if a pins point can stab a man then a sword can much more Now if thoughts be so haynous and capitall a sin how fearfull a sin is it to commit sinne in deed for thee to swear to lye to commit adultery to keep wicked company to mock at Gods people to live in coveteousnesse c. this is to commit in deed if small sins be so damnable what then are the greatest If the chockatrice in the egge be such poyson what will it be when it is hatcht thought sins are imperfect compared with words or acts following them yet are they perfect in their kinds T is a wicked distinction to say that some sins are Contra legem or Praeter legem for all sins are against the Law as St. James saith when lust is conceived it bringeth forth sin and â—in when it is finished it bringeth forth death thou that art a drunkard thy sin is finished thou art a true sinner in deed if thou livest in the execution of any sin Again sins in thought are simple sins but sins in deed are compounded if after thoughts follow sutable act but when it is in deed it may be the cause of a 1000 sins for a man to think too much of his bellie is a sin but for
unto thee because thou wilt not abide the physick within thee nor suffer the gripes that thou must suffer if ever thou be healed And therefore all you that are broken in heart in any measure or manner be of good cheer the Lord will heal you he healeth the broken in heart See here these particulars First for the seasonablenesse of it when it is a seasonable time to be healed and that is when the heart is in need and it is in need when it is broken as a man is in need of meat when he is hungry so a man is in need of healing when he is broken in heart God will give thee that which thou needest and that in due season sayes Augustine In an acceptable time have I heard thee I saiah 49. 8. God looks when it will be most seasonable to give grace and then he gives it therefore wait never complain of Gods delaying hand if he do it is but for a better season I have need of healing already sayest thou but if God do not yet heal thee then thou must know it is not yet seasonable and the more need thou art in the better welcome is help when it cometh Secondly when it is most profitable for thee when he is broken in heart it will do him good to be healed but if God should heale thee before it would hurt thee when the Corrosive hath wrought out his work then it is good to have a Cordial now the Cordial will help the man but if the Physitian should give him a Cordial first it would helpe the disease and endamage the man Comfortable Cordials before the time have been the damnation of many soules Oh thou wouldest faine have comfort for thy soul what before the Corrosive hath eaten out the sin thou wishest thine own poyson If God let thee wait for thy healing understand that he doth it for thy good only let his Corrosives work their full course and then he will heal thee Wait on the Lord saith David Psal 27. 14. give not over waiting how long so ever it be and he will heal thee assuredly when it shall be best for thee Thirdly in puncto even just in the very nick of thy brokennesse in heart will his healing come It is well observed that the word in the originall is put in the participle indifferent to any time whether past present or to come he doth not set down any time because he will doe it punctually just at the pinch when thou art broken in heart Oh then if thou be not yet healed know then that thou art not yet come to this punctum but when thou art come to it then thou shalt be healed What if thou dost lie under the heavy and frowning hand of God doe not shake it off but kisse that rod and humble thy self the more Sometims God lets a broken heart shake off his hand a little to soon sometimes again he will not let them David would faine have shaken it off but he could not God would not let him Lord rebuke me not in thine anger saith he c Psal 38. 1 2. How did he know that Gods arrows stuck in him fast It seemes that he had been pulling at them he would faine have had them out he would have been comforted all on the suddaine but he could not God would not let him Lord rebuke me not sayes he in thine indignation c. Rebuke me as much as thou wilt but let it not be in thine indignation chasten me as much as thou wilt but let it not be in thy heavy displeasure Oh pluck ouâ— thine arrowes take off thy hand I pluck at them but they stick fast I shake and rub to get off thy hand but it presseth me so â—â—re that I cannot get it off Beloved it is necessary that some while Gods own people should bleed under Gods wrath for by this meanes the corruption of sin is purged out Thus you see in some God will not let them shake off his hand others if they will needs have it off they shall that they may afterwards see their own folly Thus many a poor child of God in conflict of conscience and sense of Gods wrathful displeasure scrapes comfort too soon and God lets them take it before he gives it he would have had them first throughly cured but they were loth to be humbling their souls so long but see the event of it the sore is only skinned over and at the last the wound it breaks forth a fresh and then it may be they lie seven years rogether and get no comfort yea sometimes twenty yeares yea I have known some that have lived so thirty years Now they may thank their own folly for if they would have been ruled by Christ and been humbled altogether at the first they might have escaped this scouring but now they repent it every veine in their hearts and can hardly claw it off untill death I call these the children of God because they have layen a long while under Gods hand and yet still cry after God it is a signe they are his children for Gods children are many times in affliction a long while see it in Job c. Neither can I beleeve but that all those that lie sundry years on this fashion still crying after God are the children of God or at the least it is so to be hoped for if they were reprobates and had shaken off Gods hand pluckt out his arrows and scraped after comfort he would either let them fall into a perpetuall fools paradise of presumption or security or else let them moulder away in despaire not caring to seek after God in the meanes at all And therefore beloved pluck not out Gods arrowes too soon I speak not to all for some will not pluck them out when they should but I speak to all such as are over hastie for to get Cordials before the Corrosive have had his full working If men be never so little humbled reformed or wrought upon presently they think they be in very good case the very Heathen could say we are commonly deceived with seeming vertue and grace and hence it is that wicked men are humbled by halves They think they are throughly humbled when their hearts are broken by halves they think they are broken in heart And as a stick that is half in the water and half above the water seems to be broken or bent in the midst so these men when they are half in their sinnes and half out seem to themselves to be broken hearted But if the stick were either all in the water or all out it would appear as it is it seems to be broken when as it is not so many being half in their sinnes and half out seem to be broken-hearted when indeed they are not But beloved before I can give you the healing here in this text it is good reason that I examine you whether you be broken in heart or no. Prognostica praecedunt
taken from among you for who knowes whether God spared this congregation even for this good mans sake for it is the righteous only that God respects and for their sakes he will spare a whole people therefore surely as Solomon saith the righteous is better than his neighbour yea though never so poor and despised in the eyes of the world yet are they precious in Gods account when I make up my Jewels saith God I will spare them Mal. 3. 17. so that the righteous are Gods Iewels the excellent of the earth are precious in Gods sight and have we not great cause then to lament for the losse of such Seeing then it becometh all Gods children to lament the death of the righteous O how farre then are all such from the spirit of God who are so farre from lamenting that on the contrary they rejoyce at the death of the godly man because he stood in their way they could not follow their works of darknesse as they would but he hindered them he stood in their light they could not run on in sin and wickednesse but he would be reproving admonishing and telling them of their faults and this makes them long for the good mans end and to rejoyce in it when it doth come these do not consider that when the righteous is taken from the earth then they lie open unto the judgements of God But as the Sodomites thrust out just Lot out of their city that so Gods vengeance might fall the sooner upon them for till he was gone the Lord would not destroy them Gen. 19. 21. Even so doe these men desire to be rid of the righteous and rejoyce when they are taken away from them not considering that they are open to Gods vengeance which hangeth over their heads ready to devour them We ought then to be most grieved for the death of the righteous when any of the Saints are taken away by death Oh what a comfort is a righteous man to the children of God what a feeling of grace is there in such a one what comfortable words come there from the mouth of such men how full of comfortable speeches was this poor man alwayes ministring comfort to those that came to visit him what a loss is this then unto us it is more than if thousands of the wicked had gone together and shal we not mourn for the loss of such a one If one of our family or friends dye we can mourne for them and good reason and shall we not mourne for the losse of one of Gods Saints one of the spirituall family one of our fellow-members In this then examine thy self how it is with thee when thou hearest of any of the faithfull that are taken away art thou grieved for it dost thou lament and mourn for it if thou doest not surely thou art no true Christian for the children of God cannot choose but lay it to heart and lament when any of the righteous is taken from among them As Israel lamented the death of Samuel 1 Sam 25. 1. Now concerning the sin of the people in not regarding nor laying it to heart this was a great sin of security in them in that they did as it were rest on their pillows and cryed peace unto themselves notwithstanding Gods judgements upon them in taking away the righteous and freeing them from the evill to come we note that When God will bring any great judgement upon a People or Nation he will ordinarily take away his faithfull servants from among them that so they may be freed from the evil to come Thus good Josiah must perish in his young years that so he might not be taken with the evill to come I will gather thee unto thy fathers saith God and thou shalt goe to thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill that I will bring upon this place 2 King 22. 20. So when God told Abraham of the bondage and captivity whereunto he would bring his posterity he saith thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace Gen 15. 13. And thus it was with the ancient Father St. Augustine when the cruel Vandals besieged his crity he prayed that the Lord would either take him away or cause them to leave the siege and the Lord heard him and took him a way and presently after the Vandals destroyed the city So Luther writing upon this text saith that the Lord after his death would bring great affliction upon Germany and two years after it so fell out indeed Thus ordinarily God takes away his servants from the evill to come See here the mercy of God unto his children in that he takes them away from among the wicked he calls them out of this world that they may not partake of the evill to come shall any one then think it a curse to be taken away betimes in his young years nay happy is he that is taken away from these miserable and fearfull times wherein the judgement of God for our sins hangeth over our heads and is ready every day to seize upon us Secondly seeing that God when he means to bring any heavy judgement upon a people doth ordinarily take away the righteous from the evil to come this shews that when the righteous are taken from amongst us we are certainly to expect some judgement of God upon us For these are they which stood in the gap and kept off the fire of Gods wrath from us that it should not consume us but now being gone we lie open to the judgements of God and therefore when any righteous men are taken from us the losse of them ought to drive us to repentance least Gods judgements come presently upon us and consume us therefore we must forsake our sins and evil wayes and performe new obedience unto God so will he be mercifull unto us yea he will be a shield of defence unto us and a wal of fire about us and he will turn away his judgements from us THE SIGNES OF GODS forsaking a People Preached By that laborious and faithful Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford THE SIGNES OF GODS forsaking a People JER 14. 9. And we are called by thy Name leave us not TWo things Brethren and beloved in Christ Jesus are intended and expressed by the holy Prophet from the first verse to the 13. verse There is first a denomination of a judgement and that is dearth or famine from the first verse to the seventh Secondly the sword is threatned to the thirteenth verse he will send the famine then the sword and he will not be intreated Then in the eighth and ninth verses we have the importunate prayer of the Church to turne away these judgements And the praier is marvellous sweet in confession where they confesse their sinnes and seek to God for succour First they desire God that he would not take
thou dost every day draw neerer to God than other is it more and more a back'd praier a fervent and frequent praier hast thou taken from thy recreations from thy calling to give to it yea from thy belly and back and used all meanes for a prevailing with God then are thy praiers effectuall and unsatiable This then condemnes the praiers of most men in the world they pray and pray for grace and their praiers come to an end and cease before they have it the angry fretful man praies for patience and meekness and yet sits down without it the covetous worldling praies to be weaned from the world and his praiers are done before he is so so the luke-warmling deadhearted and vain thoughted professor praye for better thoughts for more zeale and yet comes to his so be it before he have it and so every wicked man prayes and he is come to his Amen before the grace is given let all suchmen know that such prayers first they are endlesse secondly they are fruitlesse First they are endlesse The Philosopher said that for which a thing is that is the end of the thing now prayer is for the speeding with God and therefore he whose prayers speed not with God his prayers are endlesse thou hast prayed against thy pride but aâ—t as proud still thou hast prayed against thy choler and art as teachy still thou hast prayed against earthlinesse and worldlinesse and art earthly and worldly still thou hast prayed against security and deadnesse of heart and lukewarmnesse in Gods service and art luke warm deadhearted and secure still to what end are all thy prayers when thou enjoyest not the end of thy prayers to what end is the worke of thy servant if thy businesse be not done and dispatched when all is done As good never pray as pray to no end a good that thou never hadst begun to pray as to cease and to giue over thy prayers before thou hast obtained the grace thou prayest for The prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. that is the prayers of a wicked man that continues in his wickednesse when his prayers are done hi prayers are an abomination to the Lord but the prayers of the upright though he were before he prayed never so wicked yet if it be the prayer of an upright and godly man when his prayers are done that his prayers rid him of his sin and make him an upright man his prayers are Gods delight Beloved many pray against distrust in Gods providence Infidelity in Gods promises Impatiency under Gods corrections c. and yet have never the more trust and affiance in God never the more patience under the hand of God all these praiers are endlesse Secondly thy praiers are fruitlesse to what purpose is a beggers begging of an alms if he be gone before the alms be bestowed his begging is fruitlesse so all thy praiers are lost if thou art gone from the Throne of grace before grace is given thee for if such a praier be endlesse then is it also fruitlesse it will never do thee any good what is a fruitlesse tree good for but to be cut down what is a fruitlesse Vine good for but to be burned So all thy praiers are lost all thy beginnings of grace are lost we know saith the man that was borne blind John 9. that God heareth not sinners we know it Why may some say how do you know that God heares not sinners why we know it by experience by examples A drunkard prayeth to God to cure him of his drunkennesse and yet he doth not leave his ill company all the world may see that God hears not the drunkards praier because he cures him not but lets him go on in his sinne and so for all other sinnes seest thou a man go on in his sins thou mayest see that God heareth not his praiers If a man should be sick on his death bed and send for the Physirians and Apothecaries in the Country and send for his father Mother and for all his friends to come to him to minister unto him yet I know he is not cured by them so long as I see his deadly disease remaines upon him so if I see a mans pride hypocrisie security deadnesse of heart his lust anger c. lie upon him notwithstanding all his prayers I know God heares not his prayers he prayes to be cleansed from his sins and to be purged from his lusts and to be redeemed from his vaine conversation if now God let his sins continue in him and lets him go on in them we see plainly God hears not him O what a pittiful and miserable case are such men in that pray and pray and yet all their prayers are endlesse and fruitless is not that man in a pittiful case and all physick all cost and charges is lost upon him when his eating and drinking his sleeping and winding and turning from this side to that side do him no good do we not say of him that he is a dead man so if a mans prayers and supplications to God be endlesse and fruitlesse that man must needs be a dead and a damned man so long as he goeth on in that case Now we come to the second part of the text the sensiblenesse of the godly soul whether it speed or no the soule that prayes aright that prays unsatiably it is able to say the Lord doth hear me the Lord doth grant me the thing that I prayed to him for Thus saith Jonah I cried unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice Jonah 2. 2. How could Jonah say God heard his voice if he had not known it therefore he knew it But against this some may object How can this be how can the soule know that God hears it we have no Angels nor voices from Heaven now to tell men as the Angel told Cornelius that his prayers were accepted and come up before God or to say as Christ to the woman in the Gospel Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee I know God heares me with his All-hearing eare and therefore I have a good belief in God but how shall I know that God heares my prayers in mercy so as to grant that I pray for There be six wayes to know whether the soule shall speed in prayer yea or no. The first is the having of a Spirit of further and further praying When God gives the soul a further and further ability to pray when God opens a way for the soule to the Throne of grace and gives him a free accesse to the gate of mercy and a spirit to hold out in prayer It is a signe that God meanes to hear it When a Petitioner hath accesse to the King and presents his Petition If the King imbolden him in his speech and let him speak
have not the condition how can I beleeve the promise God hath promised Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied There is a Promise of filling but it is with a condition of hungering Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God c. If I have not the condition annexed to the Promise how dare or how can I beleeve the Promise The Condition is not the way to get the Promise the Promise is the ground of faith and the way to get the condition because the promise is the Motive cause that moves the soul to get the condition Now the Mover must be before the Moved then if beliefe of the Promise move thy soul to get the condition of the promise then beliefe of the promise must be before that the soule can keep the condition of the promise Saul made a promise to David 1 Sam. 18. that he should be his son in law in one of his two daughters upon condition that he should give him an hundred fore-skins of the Philistins Now David did first believe the promise and therby he was allured to fight valiantly to keep the condition to get a hundred fore-skins of the Philistins So Psal 116. I believed and therefore did I speak He beleeved Gods promise and then he spake with condition So we believe saith the Apostle and therefore do we speak First the soule believes and then every action of a Christian wherein it moves to the keeping of the condition springs from this root nay beloved a man cannot keep any condition in the Bible without faith he must believe Secondly faith is the inabling cause to keep the condition Dost thou think to get weeping mourning and humiliation for thy sins and then thereby to get the promise to thy self then thou goest in thy own strength and then in Gods account thou dost just nothing John 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing saith Christ therefore first lay hold on me beleeve in me abide in me What doe you first think to pray to mourne to lament and bewaile your sinnes to do this and that in turning your selves and sanctifying of your selves Indeed you may fumble about these things but you can never do any of them in deed and to the purpose without me ye can doe nothing I had fainted saith the Propher unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27. 13. where we may see three things First the Promise that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord otherwise he could not have beleeved Secondly the Condition if he do not faint Thirdly The method the Prophet went by he beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord. As if he had said if he had not first laid hold on the Promise if I had not beleeved to have seen the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living I had fainted Beloved it is true that the keeping of the Condition is before the fruition of the Promise but not before beleeving the Promise because the doing of the Condition is effected by beleeving the Promise This is the cause that many fumble about grace but never get it they are ever repenting but never repent ever learning but never learne the knowledge of the truth everlasting ever striving but never get power over their corruptions c. because they fumble about it in their own strength and take it not in the right method Let the soul come with faith in Christ and believe it shall speed and have grace and power from Christ his grace and from Christs power and then it shall speed Christ hath promised John 14. that whatsoever we aske the Father in his name he will give it us Christ beloved is an excellent Surety Indeed our credit is crackt in Heaven we may think to go and fetch this and that grace in our own names and misse of it as the servant may go to the Merchant for wares in his own name but the Merchant will not deliver them to him in his own name unlesse he come in his Masters name and bring a ticket from him and then when the servant sheweth his Masters ticket the Merchant will deliver him what wares he asketh for in his Masters name So when a soul goeth to the Throne of grace with a ticket from Christ if he can say Lord it is for the honour of Christ I come for grace and holinesse and strength against my corruptions Lord here is a ticket from Christ most certainly he shall speed But men must take heed that they foyst not the name of Christ that they foyst not a ticket to say that Christ sent them when it is their own selfe-love and their own lust that sends them it is not enough to pray and at the end to say through Christ our Lord Amen No for this may be a â—eer foysting of the Name of Christ But canst thou pray and shew that Christ sent thee and say as the servant I come from my Master and he sent me Lord it is for Christ that I come it is not to satisfie my owne lust nor to ease and deliver me from the galls of my conscience nor to free me from hell but for Christ Lord I begge grace anâ— holinesse that I may have power to glorifie Christ It is for the honour of my Lord Christ that I come When the soul comes thus in Christs name beleeving it shall speed then his prayer shal prevail Whatsoever saith Christ ye shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you We come now to the third and last part of our Text to wit the supplies they had against danger and discouragements The Lord upheld their hearts from being dismayed in prayer thou saidst feare not There be two things that do much hurt in prayer First groundlesse incouragements Secondly needlesse discouragements First I say groundlesse incouragements and these the wicked are most subject to especially who because they pray hear the Word and perform many duties of religion therefore they incourage themselves in the goodnesse of their estates judging themselves happy though notwithstanding they go on and continue in the hardnesse of their hearts and rebellions against God We have abundance of sayings amongst us that if they were examined would prove false and unsound As that the vipers dye when they bring forth their young for say they the young eat out the old ones bowels that beares shape all their young by licking of them that the Swanne singeth sweetest at her death that the Adamant stone is softned by Goats blood c. These things are not so as may be shewn out of ancient Writers So beloved there are abundance of sayings that goe up and down amongst men concerning Divinity which if they were examined will prove to be rotten sayings as He that made them will save them It is not so saith the Prophet
in the congregation but he will find it out if he preach in particular he will discover every mans corruption fling wilde fire in every wicked mans face and throw balme of comfort into every godly troubled spirit As King James said well of a reverend Prelate of this Land Me thinks this man preacheth of death as if death were at my back so should Ministers preach as if Heaven were at mens backes or as if hell were at mens backes When he preacheth of mens sinnes and corruptions he must preach so that their consciences may see that the word of God looks into the very thoughts and hearts when he preacheth of the wrath of God and of condemnation c. he must preach so that the conscience may feele even the fire of hell flaming in it this is the way to teach the people the good knowledge of the Lord as it is called 2 Chron. 30. 22. every Minister may teach the knowledge of the Lord but not the good knowledge of the Lord. There is great difference between teaching of the knowledge and of the good knowledge of the Lord. Men may know God and his word and their sinnes but if they go on in their sins it is not good knowledge then indeed a Minister teacheth good knowledge when he makes his people so to know sin as to loath it and to come out of it so to know repentance as to repent indeed Secondly Discrimination As if he should say there are some that are in him and some that are not in him if any man say he abideth in him he ought himselfe to walk even as he walked so that here the Apostle would put a difference between the sound and the rotten-hearted in his congregation Hence observe this point That every Minister is bound to preach so as to make a difference between the precious and the vile Saint John preached so as that his hearers might say the Spirit of Christ is in me or the Spirit of Christ is not in me that themselves might know whether indeed they were true members of Christ or but hypocrites This is the duty of Ministers Ezek 44. 23. They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and prophane and cause men to discerne between the cleane and unclean Here is two things First they shall teach them the difference between the holy and prophane Secondly they shall not onely shew it before them but if they will not see it they shall cause them to see it that is they must beat it into them and rubbe it into their consciences it may be when men may see they will not then he must make them to see If there be any prophane person any luke warme or dead-hearted professor or close hypocrite in the congregation the Minister must make him see his prophanesse his deadnesse and hypocrisie in Gods worship or if there be any godly soule or broken heart the Minister must make them to see that they have a broken heart First reason because else a man defiles the pulpit and prophanes the holy things of God Ezek. 22. 26. Her Priests have violated my law and prophaned my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the cleane and unclean Those Ministers prophane the holy place of God when they make not mens consciences know which is holy and prophane when prophane persons may come and go from Church and have not their prophanenesse discovered to them a drunkard a swearer c. and hath not his sinnes laid open to him Is there any prophane person here that hath not an arrow shot into his heart but he can goe away and not take any comfort from the Sermon these men prophane the holy things of God When God gave Benhadad into the hands of Ahab and Ahab spared him and let him goe 1 King 20. the Prophet tells Ahab ver 42. Thus saith the Lord because thou hast let goe a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life c so if there be any Minister over any congregation in which there is any drunkard any swearer or whoremaster or wordling or lukewarmling or any other that lives in such sinnes which God hath apointed and decreed to eternal destruction in hell if we tell them not their sinnes and make their consciences feele them then our life shall goe for their life our soule for their soule for we might have given them such a wound as might have been a means to have cured their soule Secondly We are not the Ministers of Christ if we preach not so as that men may know that they are not converted if they are not c. God saith to to the Prophet Jeremiah if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth Jer. 15. 19. Jeremiah could not be Gods mouth to the people unlesse he would divide between the precious and the vile Unlesse Ministers preach so as to make the consciences of their hearers feele in what state they live in they may be Ministers of Satan Idoll-shepheards but they are not the Ministers of Christ Thirdly because otherwise they can doe no good Ezek. 34. 17. and as for you O my flock thus saith the Lord God behold I will judge between cattell and cattell c. As if he should say woe unto the shepheards will they not preach so as to make a difference between cattell and cattell woe unto the Priests will they not preach so as to feede my flocke I will require my flocke at their hands and now saith God will not the shepheards of my people doe it I will now doe it my selfe I will convert those that are to be converted c. I will feed and provide for my flock my selfe Austin notes that after that Peter had smote off Malchus his eare Peter came to be a shepheard and an Apostle of Christ after Paul had persecuted the Church he came to be a Preacher and an Apostle of Christ so after Moses had killed the Egyptian God made him the Captain and deliverer of his people Austin observes from this that God appoints none for his Ministers but Smiters such as be men of blows men that will smite men home to the heart men that wil wound the consciences of their hearers This I speak that you may not be offended at the ministers of Christ when they apply the word of God to your severall consciences and whensoever you have the truth of Christ preached to your soules let your hearts make use of it for if thou apply not the word of God to thy soule as it is preached thou art guilty of thine own bloud If you apply not the word you put off the word of God and then what saith the Apostle Acts 13. 46. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it farre from you and judge
Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs now if Christ be in you the body is dead if you consider the body as it hath relation unto sinne Again if you live after the flesh you shall dye verse 13. as if he should have said if your flesh be alive in you if your pride live in you and if your infidelity live in you if your hardnesse of heart live in you if your wrath c live in you and if you walke after these you shall surely die he meaneth not a temporall death for so they must doe howsoever they live but his meaning is they shall die eternally but if you mortify the deedes of the body by the spirit you shall live so then it is plaine there is no life of Christ to bee had so long as you retain your sinnes and therefore sinne must bee mortified First because Christ is a Saviour and hence he is called Jesus Matth. 1. 21. for he shall save his people from their sinnes if therefore Christ doe not save thee from thy sins and if by the power of Christ thou mortifie not thy sinnes and give them a deadly blow assure thy selfe he will never be a Jesus unto thee It is true indeed Christ dyed for sinners but it was not to let them goe on in sinne and therefore if thou goe on in sinne it is for thy damnation and not for thy salvation for he will first save thee from thy sinnes or else he will never save thee from hell so then consider if thy sinnes bear sway in thee if they doe then know thou art delivered up unto the power of thy sinnes and to everlasting darknesse For Christ is the true Physitian of the soule and you know that the Physitian doth not bring a potion to put it unto deaths mouth to kill death and so to save the sicke person alive no but hee putteth it into the sicke mans mouth to kill the ill humours that are in his body that so hee might not fall into the hands of death so Christ came not to quench the flames of hell by his spirituall Physicke but to let his Physicke fall upon the heart and soule of man to save him from hell Therefore unlesse the bloud of Christ doe mortifie thy sinnes and crucifie thy lusts there is no hope ever to get Christ to save thee from hell and everlasting damnation This is a true saying saith the Apostle and worthy to be received that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and wicked men like it well indeede For saith the drunkard I am a wicked man yet Christ came to save me The whoremonger saith I am an uncleane person yet Christ came to save me The swearer will say Christ came to save sinners and therefore I hope he will save me too No no Christ came to save sinners that is such as were sinners but now are none they have and doe repent Jesus Christ came to save sinners saith the Apostle whereof I am chiefe I was a blasphemer and a persecuter but now I am not Hence then is the faithfull saying Christ came to save sinners not still sinning No before Paul was injurious a persecuter and lived in ignorance and unbeleefe but now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was wonderfully abundant through Faith and love towards him so that the grace of God hath appeared to draw men out of blindnesse and ignorance therefore to say that Christ came to save such as live in their sins and will live in them as in sins of drunkeness prophaness or uncleaness is a rotten saying and this onely is the faithfull saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners in whom the power of sinne is broken therefore if ever we looke to have benefit or interest by Christ we must mortify our earthly members Secondly because it is impossible for sinne and grace to live and subsist in one subject it is impossible that they should ever stand together and be in a man at one and the same time it cannot be that one and the same creature can have the life of a swine and the life of a man for if he have the soule of a swine he cannot have the soul of a man for they are two contrary distinct lives and where the one is the other cannot be It is like hot water and cold if it be cold it cannot be hot if it be hot it cannot be cold Even so the life of sinne and the life of grace are two contraries and therefore they that walke in their sinnes walke contrary to God Now the Lord saith if you walke contrary to me I will walke contrary unto you Levit. 26. and two contraries we know cannot goe together He that walks in sinne walkes contrary unto God but he that goes on in the waies of grace he walks towards God Now it is impossible to walk towards Dover and towards London at one and the same time for every steppe he goeth forward to the one it carries him backward from the other so then if ever we will have the life of grace we must forsake our sinnes as it was with the house of Saul and David Sauls house grew weaker and Davids stronger so must it be with sin and grace as grace growes stronger so sinne must grow weaker as grace goes up so sinne must go down And as Saul told David he would not give him Michal his daughter to wife unlesse he brought unto him an hundred fore-skinnes of the Philistines Even so the Lord saith that he will not marry the Lord Jesus Christ unto any soule unlesse he bring the fore-skinne of every lust hee must circumcise the foreskinne of his pride of his covetousnesse of his prophanenesse this must bee the offering and condition of marriage unto Christ even the circumcision of the heart and the mortification of all the corruptions Thirdly because else it is impossible to enter into heaven if we mortify not our sinnes a man can never be capable of glory hereafter that doth not mortifie his sinnes here in this life Suppose a wicked man should enter into heaven it is impossible that he should delight in heaven if he were there You will thinke this a strange point but give me leave to explain it a little I say that a wicked man if he were in heaven he could finde no delight there As for example take a beast for so is every man by his own knowledge in regard of the life of grace as saith the Prophet Jeremy though a man take an Oxe or an Asse and bring him unto the Kings table and set before him all the delicates which appertain unto Kings let him have a dinner before him that cost an hundred pounds yet he had rather be in the fields among his fellowes eating grasse or set a Crowne of gold upon a beasts head he will not regard it but cast it off into the mire for