what 's the danger duty and particular temptation of every condition and in that condition you are most likely to expect a fall into prepare for affliction as the common lot of the Saints take it as no strange thing when it overtakes you know how to abound and how to want A great deal of a Christians safety and comfort lies in this to study the temptations and duty of every condition before it come that so you may have your remedy at hand and fall to your work and commit your selves to God 16. Be as conscionable and strict in the duties of your relations and dealings with men proportionably as in the duties of holiness more directly to be performed to God make as much conscience care study diligence about being just that you wrong no man in buying or selling as you do in duties of holiness hearing praying receiving In your trading make conscience of justice and faithfulness as well as in the Worship of God and in your own personal behaviour in your calling be diligent not sloathful in business c. And so in the duties of your Relations O that Parents knew what a charge lies on them concerning the soul of their children c. so Masters look to your servants be as conscionable in doing your duty for their souls good and being faithful to them and compassionate over them as in your duty to God keep up family duties with life seriousness diligence and vigour the life of Religion in the world must be kept up very much in families 17. Make it your study and care to do all the good you can in the world let doing good be the principal part of your business think that the safest and happiest life in which you can do greatest good suffer not opportunities to slip out of your hands take them where you have them and seek where you may have them look not only where you may get a good but where you may have opportunity to do good to others every Talent must be answered for your knowledge health c. use it as you will answer for it and know 't is one of the greatest mercies in the world for God to give you hearts in doing good with that he hath given Heb. 13.16 not for applause but be good husbands for God and consider which way you may attain your ends best by what you give or do Thus be rich in good works 18. Live still as before the living God approve your hearts to him as knowing you stand or fall unto his judgment Avoid carefully all offences unto men for the Lords sake and their conscience sake take heed of scandal and receive all the good from others you can but stick not too much on mans approbation dis-regard not suspicions or reproofs of godly men but make not mans praise to be any part of your reward it is a small thing for me to be judged of men Be not much troubled at it if you cannot please all the bawlings of the malicious should not disturb a soul that is quietly housed with God that soul is not well stablished in faith that can be so disturb'd and distemper'd by the wrath or words of malicious men Remember God himself pleases not all the most of the world are enemies to their Maker upon the account of his holiness justice c. and canst thou think to please all withdraw from the world and your selves unto God for the consolation of his approbation and for your felicity this will save you from hypocrifie and keep you from the temptations and vexations of the censorious world 19. Be every day as serious in your preparations for death and judgment as those that are always certain that it will come and know not the moment when it will come Mat. 24.29 Use often to think seriously before-hand what death is what thoughts what tryals death will put a man upon what temptations usually accompany our approaching death what you shall most need at such a time as that what thoughts are likeliest to possess you then what you are likeliest to wish for when you must needs dye about spending your time expending your estate conversing with others c. Ask your selves What will I wish I had done or been when I come to dye Think what will be most dreadful to a dying man for thus you have time to escape his judgement Will it not be to think on a life lost in vanity drencht in worldliness unreconciled to God or at least in utter uncertainty of his love God hath not fore-shewed what will be a dying mans terrour to torment thee but to get out that terrour that which will be most terrible at death conquer and destroy it presently They that were ready went in with the Bridegroom and the door was shut Mat. 25.10 Oh happy thou if while the door is open thou be found ready to go in woe if when the door be shut thou hast thy preparation to make thy graces to seek Bethink what you will either wish or fear when you come to dye and when you will say this should have been done c. let it be now done 20. Rise speedily after every fall by sound repentance and a fresh recourse to the Bloud of Christ Covenant of Grace and his intercession Lye not secure in any sin into which thou art lapsed take heed of delaying and trifling when thy particular repentance should be exercised Renew thy Covenant after thy rising deal faithfully with thy self and God favour not thy sin nor flesh go to the quick leave no corruption at the bottom If called to make restitution to shame thy self before men by confession stick not at it take the plainest course that is the way of God And let not any thought of shame dishonour or loss hinder it for the more it costs thee to rise from sin the likelier it is thou art sound in thy Conversion and the more comfort thou wilt have otherwise the fears and pains of thy disease will be upon thee when the thorow cure would have prevented it quarrel not at any mans reproof though they miscarry in it have mentioned thy faults with passion c. take that which is good and be thankful And after every fall sit not down in perpetual distress but as Christ takes the honour of thy cure take thou the comfort of thy cure when recovered See thou art truly risen by repentance and returned to him whom thou hast dishonoured Thy care must be to see thou be sincere in thy-return and then walk comfortably See that Satan make not thee walk so as to rob thee of thy comfort and God of his honour Thus having given you twenty Directions I shall reduce all to these eight Particulars 1. Do not think strength of grace will be got with ease you must do that that in other things is done for the attaining of strength increase and confirmation A man cannot attain knowledge in Law Physick or any Art without
subjection to his Law If you will please God in all your actions look to this That what you do may bear some resemblance to his Nature and hold forth obedience to his Law Consult the will of God and in all things act in conformity to that will do not allow your selves in the Commission of any known sin for that will certainly displease God as it was said of David when he took Bathsheba to Wife but saith the Text the thing displeased the Lord. Do not Bank any known duty for that will displease God In a word be holy in all manner of conversation This being too general I shall not insist upon it only in a word more particularly Do those things now now make conscience of those duties which now lie upon you in the doing of which you will certainly please God and they are such as these Be stedfast in the ways of God in the midst of a back-sliding and apostatizing age stand fast to the Law of God Phil. 4.1 Contend for the faith which is delivered to the Saints ver 3. of the Epistle of Jude Be not ashamed to own Christ before all the world if you be ashamed of him on earth he will be ashamed of you in Heaven and wo be to that sinner whom Christ is ashamed to own Reckon reproaches for the name of Christ better than the pleasure of sin that is but for a season When God calleth you to it assert the purity and spirituality of Gospel-worship do not place Religion in a sew shadows where the substance is neglected but chiefly minde self-denial mortification crucifixion to the world keeping up close communion with God love the people of God whatever the world say or think of thee for God is highly pleased when he seeth his Children loved Keep up Religion in your Families whatever scorn or contempt is cast upon you Oh that you would labour to be of Abrahams spirit I know saith God he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord Gen 18.19 I do not know any one better means for the keeping up Religion in this Nation than for Masters of Families to be consciencious in the discharging of this duty Be good in bad times be patterns of good works to those that shall behold you Let no reproach or obloquy make you to abate your exact walking with God whatever you meet withall in the ways of holiness and a strict life say If this be to be vile I will be more vile Make conscience of a strict observation of the Lords day take heed of that Sacriledge of stealing away holy times of prostituting that to common and civil uses which is impropriated and dedicated to the service of God Pray for and love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual good in the work of the Ministry whatever dirt is now thrown in their faces and though you never get more good by them Forget not to distribute to the necessities of Gods people that are many of them in a low condition for this is a sacrifice of a sweet odour and well-pleasing to him Carry your selves with all patience and Christian meekness towards them that wrong you pray for them that are your enemies and when you are reviled revile not again but commit your selves to that God who judgeth righteously Do your duty to your superiors and to those that are in Authority So carry your selves that it may be with you as it was with Daniel they had nothing against him saving in the matter of his God Bank not any duty for suffering choose the greatest of suffering before the least of sin In a word so walk as it becometh the Gospel And finally I speak to you as the Apostle spoke to them Phil. 2.16 Hold forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain The third use is for comfort to all those that do conscienciously endeavour in all things to please God the comfort lies in this you may suffer but when ever you suffer the Father will not leave you alone Pleasing of God does not secure a man from suffering from men sometimes it rather exposes a man to suffer from men But now though it does not prevent suffering yet it takes away the sting and venome of suffering it makes it to be like Sampsons Lion when it was slain he found nothing but honey in the belly of it Oh! the presence of God in a time of affliction is exceeding precious it turns gall into honey thorns into roses Be not troubled in your thoughts about what you may undergo if God be with you all will be well if God comes when the Crosses cometh the weight of it will not hurt you what is a Prison when God is there My brethren though estate leave you relations leave you all your comforts leave you so long as God doth not leave you it will be be well therefore do not fear be not dejected or discouraged Isa 43. 1 2. Fear not O Jacob why so when thou passest through the water I will be with thee We have more reason to be afraid of prosperity with Gods absence than of adversity with Gods presence A good God will make every condition to be good it is not a prison but a palace where God is they that do the things that please God whatever condition they may be brought to the Father will not leave them alone Ministers may leave you the means of Grace and Ordinances in a great measure may leave you your creature-enjoyments and comforts may leave you but here is a God that will never leave you Oh! bless his holy name Fourthly Is this pleasing of God a duty of so great importance and benefit then be tender and charitable in judging of those that do differ from you and others upon this account because they dare not displease God I may in this caution aim at my self and others of my brethren in the work of our Ministry but I am not here at present to take my last farewel I hope I may have a little further opportunity of speaking to you but if not let me require this of you to pass a charitable interpretation upon your laying down the exercise of our Ministry there is a greater Judge than you must judge us all at the great day and to this Judge we can appeal before Angels and men that it is not this thing or that thing that puts us upon this dissent but it is conscience toward God and fear of offending him I censure none that differ from me as though they displease God but yet as to my self should I do thus and thus I should certainly violate the peace of my own couscience and offend God which I must not do no not to secure my Ministry though that either is or ought to be dearer to me than my very life and how dear it is God
the Cross Father into thy hand I commend my Spirit Believe it Christian thou that art truly such it will afford thee more comfort than that God is thy Heavenly Father and thou his Child by Adoption and Regeneration then if thou wert related to the greatest Prince and the puissant Monarch in all the world Thus I have done with the first Use which is a Use of Consolation to the godly upon this consideration that they are the Children of God and that he is their Heavenly Father 2 Vse for Caution Secondly If it be so that all true Believers are the Children of God and that he is their Father then this should caution wicked men to beâ—are how they meddle with Gods Children Oh! have a care of afflicting wronging persecuting hurting of the people of God lest you be found fighters against God have a care of anoying and troubling those that are so near and dear to God that are so tender to him as the apple of his eye beware of vexing and molesting those that are so nearly related to the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords you may think it may be that you may do what you will to the godly because they are low and mean in the world as many of them are But I must tell you as mean and as low as they are in your esteem they are near and dear to God carnal men may think they may oppress and wrong and do what they please to the people of God because they are weak and not able to help themselves but little do they think how nearly the great God doth account himself concern'd in their affairs little do the great ones of the world consider what heavy reckoning will be laid to their charge one day for injuring wronging and molesting the poor servants of God if they did surely we should not have them so busily imployed therein as they are Thus for the second Use 3. Vse for Examination Thirdly Is it so that Believers have God for their Heavenly Father then here is matter of Tryal how shall we know whether God be our Father or no and whether we be his children in this peculiar manner by Adoption and Regeneration It is true God is a Father to us by Creation and we are his Children by Profession but if this be all the relation that we bear to God this will not entitle us to holiness and salvation without we are regenerate and born again and are become his Children by Regeneration and God be our Father by vertue of the new Covenant We are all by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 How shall we know then whether we are gotten into the state of Son-ship by Adoption and Regeneration and whether God be our heavenly Father there are manâ—â—hat pretend that the have God for their Father when as yet they are under the Dominion of their lusts and are strangers to a work of true conversion and regeneration and enemies to a life of holiness and a groundless presumption that men are the Children of God when there is no such matter hath proved the bane of many thousand souls I shall therefore give you these characters whereby we may know whether we are the children of God in this peculiar manner or no. First Whose Image do you bear do you bear the Image of God or else do you bear the Image of Saran Those that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration they are such as bear their Fathers Image the Image of God which is created in righteousneâ—s and in true holiness is ingraven upon their souls they are such as do bear the Image of the heavenly Adam 1 Cor. 15.49 And they have put â—n the New man which is created in knowlâ—dge after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.10 And it is so with thee dost thou bear the Image of God hast thou a new and holy nature put into thee inclining thee to all holy duties and avoid all sin art thou renewed in holiness then thou art a Child of God and God is thy Heavenly Father but if it be not thus with thee if thou hast not this new and holy nature wrought in thee but thy old corrupt nature is predominant inclining thee to sin whatsoever groundless presumption thou mayst have yet thou art no true Child of God by Regeneration and Adoption Secondly Wouldst thou know whether thou art the true child of God or no by whose spirit art thou led by the spirit of God or by the spirit of Satan they that have God for their Father are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God try thy self then by this art thou led by the spirit of God Dost thou live after the flesh and not after the spirit Dost thou mind the things of the spirit and not the things of the flesh if so then thou mayst comfortably conclude that thou art the Child of God and that he is a heavenly Father we may know our Sonship by our spirit if we are the Sons of God by Adoption and Regeneration then we are led by a spirit of God which is a spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.15 A spirit of liberty making us free from the dominion of our lusts and from the slavery of sin and Satan 2 Cor. 3.17 John 8.32 A spirit of love to God and to the people of God 1 John 5 2. Thirdly We may know whether God be our heavenly Father or no by this do we labor to set forth the honour of God Children they are very tender of the honour of their Parents this is a great duty to honour earthly Parents Exod. 20.11 much more should we honour God which is the Father of Spirits If I am your Father where is mine honour saith Christ if God be our Father where is that honour that we should yield to him if we are the Children of God by Regeneration and Sanâ—â—ification then we are tender of the honour of Christ it will make our hearts rise to hear his Name blasphemed or taken in vain his Salbaths prophaned his Worship corrupted by humanâ— mixtures his Creatures abused unto excess his Commandments broken these things will grieve and trouble us more than any thing if we are Gods Children in truth But if we can see God dishonoured by the unholy lives of carnal men his Commands trampled under foot and yet not be grieved at this but canst close in with those that make it their business to dishonour God then thou art no Child of God in this particular sense the great dishonour that is brought to God in the world is a sad sign that there 's but few very few that are in truth the Children of God and the abounding and increasing of all sorts of sin whereby God is exceedingly dishonoured drunkenness swearing Sabbath-breaking uncleanness lying extortion oppression scorning and deriding at Holiness contempt of Gods Ordinances Persecution of his
that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to hold fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this though there were some Doctrines of Faith and matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of the Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God which we have heard and received First In your Judgements being fully resolved and setled in your Judgements concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by any means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgements hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we should never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the Word no man will part with that which he loves What makes the covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather than his Lust Why It is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly you must hold the Truth in the profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not only believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Peter denied his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denied him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in word or outward profession to renounce the truth or any part of it Hold fast the profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our life and conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truths of God in our lives Fifthly We must do all this constantly hold fast the Truth in our Judgement and Affection Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end We must not only in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the world hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but it stormy times when Truth may burn a mans fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received resolutely against all oppositions whatsoever whether of friends or foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother his elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave no place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Wills and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truth of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious than Gold better than Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the daughter of God Divine Truth is the child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver this Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancie in them I say we have received the Truth under the Nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an heritage Thy Testimonies have I spoken for mine heritage saith David in the 119 Psal Though a mans personal estate may be alienated yet that which is his heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with that Truth is the inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a Thing committed to mans trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him the Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good matter and it tends to a good end the saving of our souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keep it that it may be re-delivered and redelivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may redeliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This is the duty of all Christians thus to keep the word There is a committing of the Truth to all the Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in his Epistle verse the third That ye should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints the Faith that is the doctrine of Faith the Truth of the Gospel
he gave a free and full account of the Doctrine of his Father and of his glorious person before Pontius Pilate a bloudy Persecutor It was not by saying to his Disciples Fight nor by saying My Kingdom is not of this World but he gave a glorious confession before the face of Pilate of the righteousness of his Truth Doctrine Gospel and of his Person Fear to ensnare the freedom of the Truth with your own Liberty do not ensnare it to your own lusts nor to the will of any man Oh! that we could study and improve these Scriptures more it would make us fear God more and man less This is that that would make us to say as holy David did Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word for he that hath the most fear on you and upon you you will be more afraid to fall into his hands It is a childish thing for a Christian to tread down the belief of any Doctrine or practise any Worship for fear of man who hath no more power to hurt us than we give him our selves by our fear Fear not him that can kill the body c. It was the way of Gods people formerly that they came to divide between duty commanded by God and commanded by Man You may read in all the dayes of Antichrists persecution from the beginning they came to divide in matter of obedience to God and his truth and worship and obedience to Man Christians nothing but a suffering spirit will help you to this for there is no other way of Obedience in this case to Authority but to suffer under it meekly patiently as Lambs This made the three children to divide between the command of the King and the command of God What sayes Nebuchadnezzar Every knee that bowes not shall be cast into the Furnace Very well As for that matter say they O King we are not careful to answer thee for we will not bow down c. What will they not obey him Yes they will obey him by suffering as becomes Christians and is the example of Christ as if they should say Truely we are terrified with the burning Furnace but we are terrified with Hell too We are terrified by the threats of the great King but we are likewise terrified with the threats of the great God He is able to deliver us our of your torments you are not able to deliver us from his torments so in the case of Daniel Arm your selves with this Resolution of suffering and lying down patiently and meekly under those things that you cannot do so that God may be honoured by your holy resolution upon this account for truly you never do contend successfully for the faith of the Gospel till you contend by suffering for it is said They overcome by the blood of the Lamb You never make Religion your business till the world see you can let such great things go as Life Estate Liberty to keep it then wisdom is justified of her Children You never glorifie the truths of God so much by practice or writing as by suffering for them Those glorious truths against Popish justification mixing of works with faith Transubstantiation Purgatory Idol-worship against all those things that were superadded contrary to God's Institution there is such a glory upon the truths that is hard for the Popish power ever to darken them again because we see them written in the honourable and blessed scars of the witnesses and burnings of those glorious Martyrs If you would take one another by the hand when God takes away our faithful Guides and say Brethren Sisters Friends come let us hold together there 's no way in the world to hold on together like suffering for the Gospel really would get more advantage by the holy humble sufferings of one gracious Saint meerly for the Word of Righteousness than by ten thousand Arâ—uments used against Hereticks and false Worship Compare Phil. 1 12 13 14. with the 27 28 and 29. verses How are Pauls bonds a furtherance of the Gospel Paul no doubt was called an evil doer that sowed Heresie and was hated every where saith he Many of the Brethren of the Lord waxed confident by my bounds and were much more bold to speak the Word without fear Here 's the great encouragement and that 's in the 27. verse and he speaks it as one that was leaving of them Only let your Conversation he as becometh the Gospel of Christ that you may stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your Adversaries for unto you it is given not only to believe but also to suffer c. It is given to you as a duty given to you as a priviledge O that you would confirm one another and in slippery times hold up one another by the hand do it in going after Gods call and in this way suffering for those truths you cannot otherwise hold and maintain Truly Christians you had need be armed with Resolution for the world is always counting the things Gods people have suffered for very little and they count it prudence not to meddle therein Those men that have easie soft terms to comply that they have a latitude to do any thing I believe some Christians are of that opinion that they would even think the Saints of God were ill-advised to venture their All upon those truths they see others dyed and suffered for It is a sad thing many Christians study to draw out the lines of obedience as far as the honesty of the times will give them leave but no farther that they would go on with the Lord Jesus to the High Priest's Hall and there deny him or that would be willing to do any thing for Christ but are willing to suffer nothing for Christ you do very little honour Jesus Christ in this and you will very little honour your selves at the last It is upon this account that Christians if they see even against plain conviction of Conscience and the Word that there are super-instituted things broken in as in conscience they cannot submit to yet they cannot comply why they may be used lawfuly though not superstitiously But saith the Apostle Paul Do I yet strive to please men Gal. 1.10 Am I then the Servant of Christ You cannot be the Servants of Christ if you strive to please men Wo be to you that please men and displease God He that would be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross c. What 's that deny Wife Children Relations Comforts he must be willing to go out of all Those duties the Lord Jesus Christ is most glorified in they are either those our floathful hearts are most unwilling to do or that our fearful hearts are most unwilling to suffer for Therefore arm your selves with resolutions to suffer I intended to have taken up four Appearances and Coverings that Saints usually
or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel And to shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Mr. Sclater's Farewell-Sermon 1 John 5. v. 1 and 21. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Little Children keep your selves from Idols THis general Doctrine I have already delivered unto you from this Text which indeed is the marrow and substance of the whole Chapter That Gospel-believing is a duty which they that really perform are highly priviledged by to their greatest advantage I have spoken concerning Gospel-believing and that is a duty and that they that do really perform it are highly dignified and priviledged by it as hath been made to appear from the Chapter that which remains to be done and shall be as God enables the work of this morning is to make improvement of this Doctrine which is one of the most material and momentous Doctrines that can be preached to us Gospel-believing it hath most precious priviledges entailed upon it Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Son of God that Jesus is come in the Flesh is born of God knows God and shall be eternally blessed of God and with God surely then the world runs upon a very great mistake I have hinted something already to that purpose but I have left the more full discussion and discovery of the matter untill now Why who is there among the generality of common Professors that is not very pregnant to hold forth this to be their Faith If so be that it should be put to the Question Friend what is your Faith What belief are you of Why not one in a thousand I think but will be apt to say Why truly I will give you this account There is a Gospel Gospel which is preached among us and in the world and this Gosspel doth hold forth this for true Doctrine that Jesus the Son of Mary that was born at Bethlehem is the Christ is the Messiah which was promised by the Father and which the world did live in expectation of so long This Jesus I believe is the Son of God this Jesus I verily believe is come in the flesh and he is come to be the Saviour of the world This is the Belief and that which is the common Profession that is made by the generality of people Why but will you consider now this Text and other Scriptures do speak fully to the purpose Whosoever doth believe this that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he is come in the flesh whosoever believes this is of God is born of God And it doth clearly appear and may be most convincingly made out that many thousands that profess their belief concerning these things yet notwithstanding are not born of God Why certainly there must needs be a great fallacy in the business Gospel-faith and Believing it is not so common a thing as many take it to be and therefore if this be Gospel-faith and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious priviledges truly it concerns us to look well to it that we be not mistaken concerning this belief Now this I would say there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the world and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ And this we are to say that in such a time as that was when this was the critical point as it were the discriminating thing in such a time for any to make this Profession and to hold forth this to be their Faith and Belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God it was of high signification and might very well as to man beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons that certainly they were born of God as to man and according to rational Charity it might be very comfortable that such persons as did thus believe and profess this to be their Faith and Belief there were some blessed beam upon their Souls for mark you it hath been thus in the world and among the people of it concerning matters of God and Godliness that there hath been such and such a Truth that hath been the Critical Truth as I said that hath been as I may so say the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another I allude to that passage in the Book of Judges concerning the Gileadites they made a profession of themselves to be such and such and they were put to it to pronounce Shiboleth they that could not speak out the word and clearly pronounce it they were not judged to be persons that they professed themselves to be but they that could do it held their liberty so such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point upon the account of the desperate opposition that the world makes against it and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers and the rest of the world were desperately bent against Jesus they called him Jesus but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God it was an Act and Decree amongst them That whosoever should confess Jesus to be Christ should be put out of the Synogogue should be excommunicated Now for persons at such time wherein it was as much as their liberty it may be their lives weâ—â— worth to own that Jesus Christ was the Son of God for persons now â—t such a time to own this Jesus that was in so mean a condition to be the Christ there is very much in it infinitely more than for persons now to take up this profession Why because this Doctrine hath obtained in the world and it is a Doctrine among Papists as well as Protestants there is no such danger now for persons to be of this belief But shall I say this that for all that to believe this really according to the right account and true genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing the case is the same with them and with us at this day setting aside the consideration of times and time the danger then and the encouragement now the Case is the same Gospel-believing of these truths according to a genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing it is the same now as then and then as now And therefore we must consider and look further I would put these few things to your Consciences You profess this to be your Faith you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that he is come in the flesh these things you profess to believe if you do so indeed you are highly
hath given you saith the Apostle here This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments It is not a love in word and in tongue but in reality a love discovering it self by a consciencious care to hold conformity to all the will of God and if any should object This is a hard saying who can bear it saith the Apostle No such matter there is never a believing soul will say the Commandments of Christ are grievous or burdensome No they are light to them that are brnught over to the faith of the Gospel And the last thing I have to charge upon you upon the account of your Gospel-believing and being brought over to a closing with Christ it is this and so upon the matter I have given you an account of the substance of this precious Chapter having reduced it to that general Doctrine I propounded before I say the last thing is this That you would walk suitable to a believing state by being very careful concerning your Worships that you do perform that they be according to God and according to the Gospel and this is that which the Apostle closes the Chapter withall in the 21. verse Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen As I take it in the former Translation it was Babes Babes keep your selves from Idols here it is Little Children I observe in this Epistle the Apostle makes a distinction of Believers into three Ranks as you shall finde in the second Chapter I write unto you little Children I write unto you young men and I write unto you Fathers in the close of this Epistle he concludes with this charge to little Children now whether he includes all the rest under this Title of Little Children I forbear to dispute but sure I am it is a duty lies upon one and the other whether they be Babes or young men or Aged Fathers in Christ Whatever our rank or condition be I am sure of this this is a great duty that lies upon all that will approve themselves in Godliness and be brought over to the Faith of the Gospel that they look to their worship and that they take heed of Idols as if he should say He that is born of God he keeps himself that the wicked one doth not touch him Oh Little Children shew forth that spiritual ability that by Grace you are furnished withall by being able to keep your selves from Idols It might be said what is this to us Are we in danger of Idols True well might the Apostle give in such a Charge to them in those â—â—mes when the greatest part of the World were in a state of Heathenism and in estrangement from Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel But this I say it doth really concern Christians in Gospel-times that have had the breakings out of the Gospel-light and the knowledge of the Gospel-mysteries to be careful of this Charge that they keep themselves from Idols there were the Idols of the Heathens grant it and so still there are a generation of people that our souls should mourn over to consider their state and are wrapt up in ignorance of God know nothing of the true God and our Lord Jesus Christ and it is the state and condition of the Jews at this day and what a sad condition are they in Grant it they worship not Idols after the manner of the Heathens yet they worship not the true God because they worship not God in Christ for saith the Apostle Whoever sins and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ he hath not God He that abides in the Doctrine of Christ he hath the Father and the Son And so the Jews at this day they not abiding not owning the Doctrine of Christ they have not God because they have not the Father and the Son this is their condition and thus I say there were not only the Idols of the Heathen Oh! but sadly be it spoken there are Idols among Persons pretending to Christ and Gospel Faith and the Doctrine concerning Grace by Jesus Christ How man Idols and Idolaters are there I might tell the Govetous person is an Idolater the voluptuous person and the self-justitiary sets up his own Righteousness and Idolizeth that But I say this there are Idols among Christians Papists hold forth the Name of Christ but yet what woful Idolatry is there among them There was the Dragon worship in the time of the Heathens and in the room of that there is come up the Beast-worship and of that worship the generality of the world runs upon and it concerns us to keep from Popish Idolatry it being the grossest Idolatry that ever was because there is the suitest petence of Worshipping JESUS and yet they turn him into an Idol What else means their worshipping and bowing to Image their Breaden gods and the like Oh therefore it concerns us to keep our selves from Idols and there is a Scripture if it were but well studied would cause trembling of heart and make all that have any care of their souls to look about them that Scripture I referr you to is in Rev. 13. compared with Rev. 20. In Rev. 13.11 whereas before there was Dragon-worship it is said here I beheld another Beast coming out of the earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he shake as a Dragon and he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him and â—auseth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed now look at verse 8. says he And all the dwellers upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slâ—in from the foundation of the World Oh! it is a terrible word and that that should make us to fear and tremble lest in any kind we should be drawn into the worship of the Beast for as many as were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb they were drawn into the Worship of the Beast This is that that should make us keep our selves from Idols from whatsoever hath but so much as a tincture of Superstition and Idolatry and the rather considering that other Scripture Rev. 20.15 And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire All that are not written in the Lambs Book of Life are prevailed to perform the worship with the Beast and not being writ there must be tumbled into the Lake for ever This therefore concerns us to keep from Idolatry from whatever hath a tendency that way and that hath any tincture of Superstition upon it and consider with your selves that our Duty is in matters of Worship and in things concerning the Worship of God to see to it that we keep a humble dependance upon God that we walk not according to the will of Men but according to the will of God You were bought with a price be not servants of men We are to walk by a Line by a
Plummet and what is not warranted by the Word of God or maintainable by Argument drawn from it we should not close with And for the closing up of all do but consider how this Chapter and the things that I have spoken to you and preached from it how they do all influence this Exhortation Little Children keep your selves from Idols see to it that you approve your selves in holy Worship to God and the Lord Jesus Do but argue thus You profess to be Believers and is it not your duty to answer to this profession Your Falth is a pure Faith and an obediential grace it is a grace that will tutor you to hang upon Christ and his appointments and Institutions and therefore being Believers study to keep your selves from Idols and whatever is not consonant to the will of God concerning Worship You believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God keep your selves from Idols in this respect for he is come into the world and hath shewed the pattern of his House and then you are born of God carry it like a people that are born of God that are high born and credit your holy profession by keeping a dependance upon that God of whom you are born and then being Believers you are born of God and have overcome the world and therefore shew forth your heroick spirit by standing out in all opposition to Idols and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godliness You have an Unction from the Holy One and this engages you to look to it that you keep your selves from Idols And then we know saith he that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ And thereupon he brings in this Little Children keep your selves from Idols as if he should say This is the true God God in Christ Jesus Christ the Son of the Father this is the true God and he hath eternal life with him other god are false gods and â—hat benefit will you have by following them and performing worship to â—hem Nothing but eternal death false gods can bestow no eternal life upon you but this is the true God and he can give you eternal life And therefore Little Children keep your selves from Idols And now yet one word more I would not occasion any discomposure of spirit that is not becoming you But this I must say for ought I know you have the words of a dying man and we use to say that the words of dying men are apt to take somewhat a deep impression I mean a dying man not in properness of speech according to nature and if it should be so I hope there would be cause of rejoycing on my part but I speak the words of a dying man in respect of the Ministerial Office I suppose you all know there is an Act come forth by Supream Authority and it is not for us to quarrel at all but to submit to it and hold correspondency with it so far as we can with a good conscience and there being many Injunctions that many besides my self cannot comply withall therefore we are willing to submit to the Penalty inflicted This I say you have for many years had the benefit of my poor Labours I have fulfilled near up towards forty years and have performed my service to God Christ and his People and I bless his Name not without acceptance and success My work so far I know in this course as in the weekly course is now at an end my desire is that you whose hearts have been inclinable to wait upon God in the way of my Ministry may be kept faithful to God and that you may have the blessing of the everlasting Covenant coming upon your Souls and that you may have the power of this Doctrine held forth in this Sermon put forth upon your hearts that as you do believe that Jesus is the Christ that as you profess these things you may carry it suitably to your profession that you may walk in love to God love to Christ and love to one another that you may labour to manifest a noble generous Spirit in overcoming the world in Errours Corruptions false Doctrines and unwarrantable Worship that you may in all things labour to approve your selves And littlte Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Mr. Calamy's Sermon Preached December 28. 1662. 1 Sam. 4.13 And when he came Lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side waiting for his heart trembled for the Ark of God THat you may the better understand these words you must know that whatsoever God threatned against old Eli in the second and third Chapters because he did not restrain his wicked Sons from their lewd courses is here executed in this Chapter therefore we read there were four thousand I raelites slain by the Philistines And the Elders of Israel met together to consult how to repair this great loss they confess it was the Lord that had smitten them For say they Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines And they conclude the way to repair this their loss it was to fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh and carry it into the battel whereupon they appointed Hophni and Phinehas to fetch it whereby they imagined that the presence of the Ark would save them from ruin but herein they were miserably mistaken for this judgment befell them not because the Ark was not in the Camp but because their sin was in the Camp The Ark of the Covenant would not preserve those that had broken Covenant with God And therefore there was a great slaughter of the Israelites and were slain thirty thousand men and Hâ—phni and Phinehas were slain and the Ark it self was taken Prisoner But what was old Eli doing He was ninety and eight years old and was not able to go to the Battel but sits upon a seat by the way side near the Battel and there he sits thinking what shall become of the Ark And lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his bea rt trembled for the Ark of God for fear lest the Ark should be taken He was not troubled what should become of his two sons or what should become of the people of Israel but what should become of the Ark of God In the words are three parts 1. Old Eli's sollicitousness for the Ark. 2. Old Eli's heart trembling for fear of the Ark. 3. Old Eli's preferring the safety of the Ark before the safety of his two sons wise and children He sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God But what was the Ark of God why should old Eli's heart tremble for fear of the Ark I answer this Ark was the holiest of all the things of God it was so holy that it made every place holy where it came
faithful laborious Ministers and People I say the abounding of these and such like abominations is a very sad evidence that there are very few that have God for their Heavenly Father in this special and peculiar manner and that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration Lastly wouldest thou know whether God be thy Father and thou his child by this whether thou art couragious in the ways of God and in the practice of Godliness they that have God for their heavenly Father they have a noble and Heroick spirit they are such as will not be ashamed nor afraid to lead a holy life notwithstanding all the mocks and taunts and threats of the world they that are of a base timerous spirit that are afraid of owning the ways of holiness for fear of being reproached reviled or opposed by the prophane world they that are afraid to cleave to the wayes and people of God in discouraging times they are not of the right strain say not then that thou art born of God unless thou canst prove thy noble extraction by thy noble and heroick courage resolution notwithstanding all the trouble calamity persecution thou maist meet with in the world Thus much for Examination 4. Vse for Exhortation Fourthly Is it so c. Then here is a word of Exhortation First Unto those that are Unregenerate that have not God for their Father in this peculiar manner and that is that they would never be in rest till they come to be united unto Jesus Christ and to have him to be their Father by Regeneration it is a sad thing to be void of this when we cannot go to God as to a Father and cannot expect any thing from him as from a Father Oh! how little do thousands think of this whether they are the Children of God and have God for their Father or no they care not for it they make not out after it Or take it for granted when they have no true and real ground so to do Oh! then labour to get into this state of Son-ship close with Jesus Christ by a lively operative heart-purifying faith that thou maist thereby be invested into Gods family and become his Child consider that before thou art thus by faith ingrafted into Christ thou hast woful Parents thou art a child of disobedience Ephes 2.2 A child of wrath Verse 3. A child of Satan John 8.44 Secondly Here is a word of Counsel and Exhortation to the Godly that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration First To those m◠first councel is that you would make it your greatest care and diligence to please your Heavenly Father and have a care of sinning against him consider that the sins of Gods Children are very grievous to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Caesar to his son Brutus when he saw him among his betrayers What and thou my son so will God say to his children when they grieve him by sin what and thou my son my child one whom I have Adopted my Heir what will you sin against me I thought you had had more love have I loved you so much and do you love me so little hath my spirit comforted you and will you grieve it have my bowels yearned towards you and will you kick against them have I been crucified for you and will you crucifie me again afresh by your sins The nearer the Relation is that the soul beareth to God the greater is the aggravation of the sin against God Secondly Labour to shew forth your noble extraction by your noble and raised affections it is beneath the son of a Prince to be taken up with trifles it is beneath one that is heir to a Kingdom to set his affections upon low and base things things of nought So it is beneath the Children of the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords to let their affections run out inordinately after the world and the enjoyments thereof they are born from above and therefore should set their affections upon things above and not on things on earth Colos 3.2 What an unsutable thing is it for a Christian to be taken up with the inordinate love of the world it is a Degradation to the heirs of Heaven to have their minds taken up only or mostly with Earth and earthly Vanities they are ad majora nati born to greater things it is unbecoming such to soil their affections with Earth which are born to an inheritance incorruptible which fadeth not away Oh that the children of God and such as do profess themselves so to be would manifest their holy and heavenly extraction by their holy and heavenly affections and that such as are the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption and Sanctification would not walk so far beneath that Relation Thirdly Labor to imitate your heavenly Father Be you followers of God as dear Children Ephes 5.1 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is merciful be ye holy as he is holy be ye compassionate as he is in all things labor to imitate your Heavenly Father it is a Christians honor to be like God and to imitate him Fourthly Labour more and more to obey your heavenly Father our natural Parents may require obedience of us and it is our duty to give it them much more may him that is the Father of spirits require it of us and it is much more our duty to give it him Walk as obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Yea you must obey him chearfully too The obedience of Children is herein differenced from the obedience of slaves in that slaves are drawn to their duty out of a slavish fear but children come to it willingly out of a fillial affection Oh therefore let your obedience to God be chearful and voluntary Take delight to do the will of your heavenly Father Lastly Submit to your heavenly Fathers chastisements this is the Exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 12.5 6 7. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth be chasteneth and scourgeth every Son he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bollards and not Sons Let us not then murmur and faint under our afflictions and chastisements but let us submit to them and labour to grow the better for them Thus much for the first Observation That God is a believers heavenly Father the other observation that I proposed to insist upon from this Text was the last of the five mentioned in the beginning and it contains the chief sum and scope of the whole verse and is most suitable to our Times and to this Occasion you may remember was this Doct. That the consideration of a Believers interest into the Kingdom of Heaven should make him chearful and couragious in the practise of holiness and