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A50490
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The pastors valediction, or, A farewell sermon preached at Sepulchres, London / by Mr. Matthew Meade.
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Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing M1556; ESTC R9094
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15,072
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30
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THE PASTORS VALEDICTION OR A Farewell Sermon PREACHED AT SEPULCHRES LONDON By Mr. MATTHEW MEADE LONDON Printed in the Year 1662. To the READER Christian Reader I Shall not need to use any Epistolary Commendations of the Author if ever any Preacher had both Urim and Thummim the one in his Word the other in his Example unreprovable in his Doctrine and unblamable in his Life then this Excellent Divine Mr. Matth. Meade is the man whose ensuing Notes being this Preachers last Valediction to his Congregation a little before his Civil though Voluntary Death are here presented to thy view But it may be God withdraws his excellent Servants from his People to admit them nearer to himself that they may have none in Heaven but himself and none in Earth beside him The ensuing Sermon was taken by the carefull hand of a ready Writer a very good Friend of the Reverend Authors to prevent Abuse by Imperfect Copies which we hear are comming forth and made Publick We shall not mention the vast Difference betwixt Hearing and Reading or the Power lost in Printing which words had in Delivering neither how neatly they might have been Clothed by the Author All that we shall say is thou hast them in such a dresse as they were clad with in their first delivery and be they Read with as good Affection as they were Preached Heard and through the Spirits Assistance will not prove a dead Letter Farewell N. D. The Pastors Valediction BEING The Farewell Sermon of Mr. Matthew Meade late of Sepulchers LONDON 1 COR. 1.3 Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ YOu will wonder possibly that I should pitch on the Apostles Salutation for my Valediction and make that the Conclusion of my Preaching which he made the Beginning of his Writing and therefore I have made a double Plea for it I find that this was a form of Blessing peculiar to this Apostle both in the beginning and end of this Epistle for as there is scarcely one Epistle but begins with it so many end with it like wise as in Eph. 6. ver ult The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit So in the 2d of the Thessalonians the last verse of the last Chapter The grace of our Lord Christ be with you all So that I finding the Apostle to use it frequently at the beginning and ending of his Writing I thought as I made it the matter of my prayer for you in the beginning so I might make it my farewell to you in the ending and therefore Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Besides this as Jacob said to his Benjamin concerning his venison when his Father asked him How he found it so quickly he Answered because the Lord thy God brought it to me The same I may say of this Scripture for Considering of what subject I should speak in my last Labours here among you this Scipture came to my thoughts and opening the Booke came immediately to my sight and therefore I may say God brought it to me Which I no sooner looked upon but methinks I saw the Apostle on Mount Gerisim and his mouth filled with blessing for what greater blessing can a man wish then that which comprehends all blessings and that is Grace and Peace Being therefore now to part I thought to go to the top of the Mount and leave with you Grace and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ In which words there are two generalls 1. A double Blessing desired 2. A double Spring discovered 1. A double Blessing desired and that is Grace and Peace Grace is of all Blessings the richest Peace is of all Comforts the sweetest both these the Apostle beggs for the Corinthians and so do I for You. Beloved Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Here is a double fountain discovered and that is the Father and the Son God and Christ The Father is called the God of Grace the Son is called the Prince of Peace not that Grace is from the Father without Peace nor Peace from the Son without Grace but both Grace and Peace are from God the Father through the Lord Christ The Order of the words is worth noting Grace be to you and Peace First Grace then Peace for there can be no Peace without Grace nor Grace but there will be Peace but there can be no true Peace but from God nor from God but as he is a Father not from God as a Father but as our Father and he cannot be said to be our Father but through our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore he saith Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ both are manifest as a Golden Chain linked together not Grace without Peace nor Peace without Grace but both conjoyned together to cram the Believers Soul with Grace and Peace Now from the Order of the words we might raise severall Observations 1. That Peace is the fruit of Grace 2. That Grace and Peace are both from God 3. That Love which is the spring of Grace and Peace is from God as a Father 4. That we share not in this Love but only as he is our Father All is from propriety First Our Father then Grace and Peace from God our Father 5. That God is our Father only through Christ But before we draw any thing from the Text by way of Observation we will speak to the termes by way of Explication Grace be to you What is here meant by Grace This is a sweet word it perfumes the Breath it cherishes the Conscience it warms the Heart it ravishes the Soul as the Spouse was ravished with the rayes of Christs glory so Christ revives the Soul with one of his gracious rayes discovered to the Heart Grace is the life of the Soul thou art dead till Grace quickens thee thou art lost till Grace finds thee undone till Grace saves thee Grace is the Manna of Angels the spiritual Bread which those that are holy in being are nourished with and subsist by Angels live on Grace and stand by Grace Man that shares in the Grace of God is made fellow Communiors with Angels eats Angels food and share in Angels blessings Grace is the substance of the Scripture the end of the Law the fulnesse of the Gospel Gregory calls it the Heart and Soul of God I am sure Grace is the Heart and Soul of the Word it s a little word but if comprehends all good here is more then Homers Iliads in a Nut-shell it s the Epitome of all the good in Heaven and Earth name any word that signifies good to the Soul here or hereafter but if it is found in the Index in this little word Grace Grace comprehends Gods love to us and our love to God and as Gods love to us is the