love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the summe of all Duty Grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another nature a new nature a spiritual God-like nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great mystery of Grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner for the Lord Christ could not be more debased than to be born it was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to die but being the great God it is a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the debasement of Christ yet if he had been born to a Crown to Honour it had been something but he was born to shame to sorrow and death but man by grace is born to a Crown to a Kingdom he hath a title to all the glory and blessedness of heaven from the first moment of his new birth So it is in the Text Grace be unto you and Peace Peace in Scripture is a very comprehensive term it carries in it all happiness It was the common greeting of the Jews Peace be unto you Thus David by his Proxy salutes Nabal peace be to thee and thy house and the Apostle here alludes to this form of salutation that he might mix new Testament mercy to old Testament manners he first stiles Grace before peace as Jacob did with his Venison he made it a savory meat such as Isaac loved Peace is the glory of Heaven in the bosom of God and brought into the world in the arms of Angels the first peace you read of in the Gospel was peace by the Administration of Angels Luke 2.3 4. And suddenly there was with the Angels a multitude of the heavenly Host praising saying glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when our Lord Christ first sent out his Disciples this was the Doctrine that he bid them preach Mat. 10.12 13. When you come into a house salute it and if it be worthy let grace and peace come upon it Mark here by the way our Lord Jesus Christ is no enemy to good manners he would not have Christians to be Clowns which is the use of some among us who would have their Religion quarrel with good manners no but In whatsoever city or town you enter salute it and let grace peace come upon it that is wish peace to them saying the peace of God be upon this place upon the head and hearts of all in it So that peace is both a Gospel-salutation when Ministers and people meet and it 's a Gospel-valediction when the Minister and the People parts So did the Apostle and so do I now Grace be with you and Peace I observe in Mat. 10.13 14. our Lord bids his Disciples when they enter into a house If the house be worthy to let their peace come upon it but if they be not worthy let grace peace return unto you Instead of leaving peace with them to shake off the dust of their feet against them that is to shew that God will shake them off as dust and tread them under feet as fuel My Brethren your diligent attendance on the Word at this place hath comfortably prevented that part of my charge to shake off the dust of my feet for how beautiful have the feet of a poor worm been unto you being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Christ And therefore seeing our Lord Jesus Christ said If they be worthy of their peace abide with them on this account I wish to you grace and peace from God our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ But what is that peace It s the beauty of Vnion the harmony of the Creation the pleasure of Life the feast of a good Conscience 't is that which makes life sweet and death easie Peace sweetens all our possessions and all our afflictions without this the fulness of the world is a burden with this poverty and emptiness is a pleasant Companion without this our bread is gravelled with sourness and our water mingled with bitterness with this green Herbs become a feast and our water is turned into wine peace it is the most beautiful creature in the world And therefore it is beloved of all courted of all many seek her but few there be that enjoy her they do not go the right way to find her for In the ways of Righteousness is peace Peace is the seminary of all blessings temporal as Grace is of all blessings spiritual in grace you have implyed all Holiness in peace all happiness in grace all inward in peace all outward blessings grace and peace are the Alpha and Omega of all blessings as God iâ— of all beings no bleâ—â—ing comes before grace and no blessing lasts longer Then see in this phrase of speech the Apostle wishes upon them as I do upon you all the blessings both of time and eternity and yet he wished not more to them than God promised to give them 1 Tim. 4 8. For godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come grace be unto you and peace c. not one without the other though a man may have peace without grace as in a time of dissertion or temptation and a man may have peace without grace as in a secure and unregenerate Condition grace without peace is often found in a troubled conscience and peace without grace is often found in a seared conscience as grace without peace is very uncomfortable so peace without grace is very unprofitable like Rachel beautiful but barren therefore the Apostles desires ye should have both Grace and Peace we say the Sun and Sali are the most useful creatures in the world the one for shining the other for seasoning My Brethren grace and peace are the Christians Sun Salt grace is the light of their souls and peace is the savour of their comforts grace shines through all their faulties and Peace seasons all their mercies The blessings of God are become as twins as Christ said of the Spouse Cant. 4.2 She is like a flock of sheep that are even shorn which come up from the washing whereof every one bear twins and none is barren among them grace and peace here are knit together by the spirit of God in a sacred knot not to be untied as Castor and Pollux when seen together portend happiness to the Marriner so when Grace and Peace are found in a soul together they portend the highest security and blessing to the Believer they are said in Scripture to be bound together where God gives the one he never denies the other
if he gives you the upper spring of Grace he will give you the neather spring of Peace for they go both together If he gives you the Dew of Heaven you need not question the fatness of the Earth if his right hand be full of mercy his left hand shall not be empty Therefore grace and peace be with you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Grace hath a double sense either for the grace of God to us that justifies us or the grace of God in us that sanctifies us Now there is a different flowing from each of these but still it is grace and peace First justifying grace hath a peace attending that Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God So far as we have confidence in justifying grace there remains no conscience of condemning sin As there can be no bitterer War than between conscience and the ear so there can be no sweeter Peace than when Mercy and Peace meet together and when Conscience and Peace kiss each other The former is the taste of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by faith If Christ had peace who was made our sin needs must the Believer have peace who is made the Righteousness of God in him Seconly Sanctifying grace hath a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the Root from the Fruit. The peace of Justification is a radical Peace the root of Peace but the Peace of Sanctification is the bud the blossom of the Tree the former flows from the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latter from the conformity that is between the Word and the Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rule grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that Peace is the fruit of sanctifying Grace Now as the bloud of the Pascal-Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the posts of the Egyptians but upon the posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the Posts of the carnal Sinner but on the Posts of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile no Grace no Peace that is Gods Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and conscience when Word and conscience when Law and conscience and all the Attributes of God are against a sinner No Peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that chapter it begins with the peace and ends in no peace In ver 2. it is said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous in the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It is the state of Grace that is the only state of peace And thus I pass from the double Grace desired Grace and Peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known Rule that the transial external works of God are attributed to all the three Persons in the Trinity the same works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same works are attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so Grace and Peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from Mercy and from Merit From Mercy on Gods part to us from Merit on Christs part for us they are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us they are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the fountain of all Grace and Peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all Grace and Peace Man in union to Christ is the cistern into which these streams of Grace and Peace runs God wils Grace and Peace to us Christ works them in us God gives Grace Peace to be applied to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the soul is from the Merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double spring of this double blessing Time will not serve me further The only Observation is That all the Grace and Peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That Grace and Peace are the Believers priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and Peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That Grace and Peace are the Saints priviledâ—e if Grace is then Peace is But Grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us this is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the soul of a Believer the Believers title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you aske grace for the fruit of Gods love to the soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption pardon of Sin purging from Sin strength against sin Holiness Faith Love Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the Being of a Christian as reason to the Being of a man Secondly As Grace so Peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace external peace supernal peace internal and peace eternal There is peace external this peace with men there is peace supernal that is peace with God there is peace internal that is peace with Conscience all these three are to be had here upon earth and then there is peace eternal and that is only to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter peace with man is a good thing to be desired but peace with God and Conscience is much more to be desired Peace with God is the spring of all things both within and without both below and above both in time and eternity so saith Job if he gives peace who then can make troâ—ble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge it is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a copy of his Will then look in Job 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you There is it seems a
of thy Spirit and all for Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to him with thee and thy holy Spirit be Praise and Glory for evermore Dr. Anesley 's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and Earth suâ—h his the condescention of thy Grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy special presence to thy poor creatures though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite Love though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity yet thou art pleased to manifest thy Love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord when shall we admire enough thy Grace and Love how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man Dear Father raise and fix our hearts help us to mind the business that we come about and to deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternal moment Oh that we could pray so that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing O that we could wait upon thee to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit Lord grant that our souls may know what it is to be in the Spirit in the Lords day Dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee do it we must needs acknowledg hadst not thou laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost we must have perished to all eternity for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then our selves The very agravations of our sins to render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirrings of thy spirit in us the patience and goodness of God towards us makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish But dear Lord we do find by experience that our immortal souls are much debased all the faculties of our souls are out of tune our understandings are so dark our conceptions of God are so low our consciences are so benum'd that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spent upon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the dross and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our souls what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the spirit of God can subdue in our souls teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the latice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put thy hand in at the hole of the door and let thy fingers drop honey upon the handle of the Lock And oh set open these everlasting Doors that the King of glory may enter in Subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we be willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowst is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy hatred of it and pour out thy grace upon us according to thy love of grace that our souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours as high as heaven is above the earth Dear Father it is thy promise that those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devil bastles us our own hearts are treacherous to us The world intices us to sin against God oh deliver us from all these enemies especially from the plagues of our own hearts that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God give us spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou deniest us thou knowest thou art rather willing to give us spiritual blessings than any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most Oh oh give us spiritual Mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where grace is not wrought work it where it is begun increase it Dear father convince those that are not yet convinced Make thy word a quickning word an ingrafted word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King bless him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again Help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in ways that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy word above all thy Name do us good receive us quicken us that we may live in heaven upon earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulness of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledg Communicate thy self to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singleness of heart set our selves to mind thâ— concernment of our immortal souls and all we beg for Christ his sake who hath taught us thus to pray Our Father c. Dr. Bates his Prayer at Dunstans in the West O Lord thou art a most holy high God the Glorious Angels when they stand before thee cover their faces yet they dâ—d never violate thy Laws and if they how much more need have we to do it We are sinful dust and ashes our solemn Services are sin We desire to approach thy presence and to have an eye to thy glory in all our services and addresses We beseech thee give us a serious and a deep sense of our own hearts and vile affections that we may cast our selves down at thy feet with all humility We have infinite reason to be abased in our selves our God help us We came into the world with sin and as soon as we did breath in the air we infected it there is an infection and pollution in all our faculties what coldness is there in our affections and what unbelief in our faith and our wills do stand apopsite against thy holy nature VVe confess we have had ten thousand experiences of those corruptions that are within us for our while lives are full of provocations against God How many vain thoughts and how many rebellious actions Blessed Father we confess we are out of measure sinful we have sinned against the clearest convictions of thy word and the tender compassions of thy Gospel against the most severe promises we have made of our service to God against the checks of our own Consciences we confess the sins of the Heathens who live without God in the world are small in comparison of ours and we fear therefore a greater degree
by the light of the Candle slighted thy Manna so long Oh now therefore to day give us to hear and know and believe and do the things that concern our everlasting peace Hear us for Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be glory now and for ever The Prayer of Mr. Caryl at Magnes Bridge foot OH our Father what a priviledge is this that we may draw near to thee all our springs are in thee the Creature is but a dry heap a barren wilderness 't is but a Cistern and a broken Cistern It hath no water of its own nor can it hold that which is poured into it Oh that our hearts were taken off and dis-engaged from all things on this side thy self that we could say with thy Servant Whom have we in heaven but thee and on earth there is none that we desire in comparison of thee Then though our flesh and hearts fail us yet God would be our portion for ever VVe pray thee manifest thy Grace to us at all time and especially at this time that we may come before God in this publick worship as we should Let us see thy goings out in thy Sanctury and let us be satisfied with the fatness of thy house and drink of those pleasures that are for evermore Lord we have given thee cause to withdraw from us for we have not laboured to be fruitful under means and therefore thou in judgement mightest make them hereafter to be fruitless unto us and because we have taken no pains to get good by them thou mightest justly say they shall do you no good VVe have heard much of thee but we know thee but little we acknowledge thou mightest judge us because we know so little and thou mightest punish us because we do so little of what we know according as that faithless Servant was punished which knew his Masters will â—nd did it not Oh where be those manifestations of God that we have had Have we had not the light of the knowledge of God shining to us in the face of Jesus Christ But we have not rejoyced in this light but have compassed our selves about with sparks of our own kindling and therefore it is just we should down in sorrow and yet thou lengthenest out thy patience to us and yet we have one opportunity more to come unto thee Oh we pray thee let us understand the things belonging to our peace before they be hid from our eyes let our souls be bound in the bundle of life with Christ Jesus We pray thee that that Spirit of thine may strengthen us that the Spirit may guide us and lead us into all truth leave us not to our own strength nor to our own councel but shew us the secrets of thy Word and Works Thou hast promised Thy secret shall be with them that fear thee and thou wilt shew them thy cevenant And as thou dost give us thy Sabbaths so give us to thrive by them and help us to grow as the Herb and sent forth our fruit as Lebanon Let thy Word come with power one every one of us that it may not be as the beating of the air but let it fit us for Duty that we may honor our God in the midst of these changes until we come to that place where there is no change and all for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus to whom with Thee and the blessed Spirit be Glory and Honour now and for ever Mr. Venning's Prayer at Olaves before Sermon OH Lord God thou art the Fountain of Life yea thou givest to all Life It is necessity draws us now unto thee and we acknowledge it is a very great favour that thou wilt admit us to come into thy presence Indeed the services we do are not worthy thy acceptance thou gettest nothing by them but the gain of godliness is to our selves But wo unto us what a loss and what a curse will â—t be to us to haâ—e a form of Godliness and yet be ungodly Oh Lord how should this indear thee and thy word and thy service that thou wouldst have us do good for our own sakes thou turnest our obedience into priviledges thou hast made the means of our happiness a part of it If there were no other glory but to glorifie thee oh what a glory would it be to be found doing thy will there is a sweetness to be found in it more than in the Honey or in the Honey comes It is a great happiness to be conformable to God to be loving to God to be like to God is the greatest happiness that we can be capable of if we were now in heaven we could not have other happiness but this in a greater degree O Lord how should our souls be drawn forth to acknowledge thee may we not cry out in admiration Lord what is man and among the sons of men what are we that thou art so mindful of us Thou mightest have displayed thy VVord to many thousands in the world and we left ignorant But blessed be thy Name thou art pleased to admit eâ—en us also thereunto Oh let it not be a small thing unto us seeing we may yet live to serve God Oh Lord in Christ it will be worth our while to live and in him 't will be worth our while to die Oh that we may mind the end of living and the end of dying that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Indeed it were not worth our while to live and spend so much time in the world if it were only to have pleasure and honour and gratifie our selves to eat and drink and to be merry this is not worth our while What would it be O Lord to die in our sin and be eased of the miseries of this world and be sent to the place of torment But seeing thou hast provided for our living and our dying well give us to improve these means and that we may live and dye well let not our affections though our bodies be upon the earth though we converse with flesh yet let not our conversation be after the flesh but let us be like them which have sent their hearts up to heaven and do but tarry here to finish their Masters business and then we shall go where our hearts are and where our dear Lord Jesus Christ is Indeed Lord we have cause to complain of our hearts how we minde this world as it never would have an end and the world to come as if it would never have any beginning as if we had no souls to mind or had no mind to look to our souls We live as if all those glorious Reports thou hast made were but as a tale that is told we have cause to be ashamed that we have the means and the names of Christians and have not lived answerable to the discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ Indeed we have cause to bear our shame yet how few of us know what
freely possessing all things The VVorld may put us into a sad estate as to the VVorld yet we are not out of our white garments always rejoycing Heb. 3.13 Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat and the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls this cannot take away the VVhite garments no saith the Prophet Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation 'T is a conquering joy turns all sorrow into joy and blackness to VVhite therefore keep clean Thirdly Consider this this VVhite of peace and joy as 't is a joy unconquerable so 't is that will be with us most when we most need it when VVorldly joys are farthest from us then this joy will be near to us that is a marvellous comfort to have comfort in its season The Martyrs who have kept themselves VVhite have had this VVhite and walkt in this VVhite but when they have most need of it and come Actually to suffering then they have had most of it This is a blessed thing this the Martyrs of Jesus Christ hath given witness of although they have had peace and joy in their consciences at other times yet never so much as in the hour of temptation VVhen they have been cast into the Cole-house they have had white garments when they have been cast into prisons and dungeons how have they rejoyced 'T is said of Paul and Silas they were men that kept their garments undefiled and they had a great deal of peace and joy when they were put in the flocks and dungeon then they sung at midnight what an enlargement of heart had they at that time So in the stories of ancient and latter times how have they rejoyced and gone triumphing to the Gibbet for then Christ gives most of this White It hath been the use of persecutors to put filthy garments upon the Martyrs drawing Pictures of Devils upon them and as their malice hath risen to the height that in the time of sufferings to make them look like Devils then the love of Christ hath risen to the height and they have been full of peace and joy at that time therefore be encouraged to walk with Christ in this White This White is an Angelical Habit 't is an unconquerable Habit and 't is that will be with us most when we have most need of it I should have added a third that walking with Christ is an honour and 't is walking in the White of peace and joy So thirdly 't is a truth of walking with Christ in the White of glory as in the Transfiguration which was a Type of Heaven his Rayment was White so as no Fuller on earth was able to whiten it and that is it which I might have spoken of to you that they who keep their garments undesiled here shall be sure of that to walk with Christ in glory hereafter If we should miss of the White of honour and have not much of the White of joy yet be sure we shall walk with Christ in the White of Glory I would only say this to you That as I have from this Text and many more laboured to bring poor souls into a White state to a state of Justification to a state of Holiness and as I have been pressing you to keep your garments White that you may be in the Habit of White as your Reward so it shall be the desire and prayers of ray heart that if I should have no more opportunities among you that as you have been stirred up to get into this White of Grace that you and I may meet in the White of Glory where we shall never part Here are three Whites The White of Honour is good the White of Peace and Joy is very good the White of Glory is best of all that is the answer of all our prayers and that is the issue of all our working then we shall have as much as we can hold for ever Mr. Case's Sermon Revel 2.5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove the Candlestick out of his place except thou repent CHrist here prescribes precious Physick for the healing of this languishing Church of Ephesus 'T is compounded of a threefold ingredient 1. Self reflexion Remember from c. 2. Holy contrition and humiliation before the Lord Repent 3. Through Reformation Do thy frst Works I left the last time upon the second of these namely Repentance and that which I did upon this part of Christs advice was not so much to open to you the nature of Repentance which is not so proper for this place as to give in a Catalogue or List of such special sins as Christ doth expect that all his people in these three Nations should lay to heart and repent of before the Lord I gave you in a List of eleven special sins that we should repent of and humble our selves for before the Lord. As 1. Omission of Duty Prayer reading the Word Meditation c. any thing will be for excuse to say by duties and we are secretly glad of an excuse 2. Remisness of Duty In things of the World we are all in all and all in every part a man cannot thrust another thought into us but in prayer how many things are we doing 3. Hypocrisie How unlike are we at home to what abroad and in company to what in secret 4. Pride In Apparel Houses Parts Blood Birth-right yea of Grace it self of Humility Ministers Ordinances c. 5. Covetousness Never did Covetousness invade the professing party as now The more goods men get the less good they do 6. Sensuality Voluptuousness Wantonness Christians let themselves loose to the Creature lay out their affections on things below as if part in the Serpents curse as well as their own 7. Animosities and Divisions among Christians many have been active to kindle but few to quench Divisions 8. Vncharitable censuring one another 9. Formality in Duty Witness 1. Unprepared coming 2. Unsuitableness of spirit to And 3. want of reflexion after duty how we have sped what we have got Sabbaths Sacraments comes and goes Monday morning finds us the same as before 10. Mis-spent Sabbaths some prophane others idle away the Sabbath c. 11. Neglect of our Bibles in our families and closets I pray God it forego not some great evil coming upon you as before the massacre in Germany it was observed c. I proceed 12. That want of mutual forbearance among Christians Alas Christians know not how to bear one with another in the least kind of measure Oh the short-spiritedness among Christians they cannot bear one anothers burthens they cannot bear with one another 'T is very sad that we that stand in need of so much forbearance should
is the fruit of the Spirit and it is only God that is able to convey this peace to us And upon a particular account this Title is given to him by way of eminency and property as 1. He is alone able to allow and dispence this peace unto us for all our sins are injuries committed against him against the Crown and Dignity all the Arrests of Conscience are made in the Name of God and therefore 't is only he that can speak peace As in the civil state it is an Act of Supremacy to give a pardon only he that can condemn is able to speak pardon so it is our God that is our Judge provoked and incensed by us he hath a judicial power to cast Body and Soul into Hell fire is alone able to speak peace and pass a pardon for us in the Court of Heaven and this is experienced by a wounded spirit It is just with such a person as with a Malefactour who stands condemned at the Bar he cannot receive encouragement from any of his spectators till the Judge speak peace unto him So if an Angel from Heaven should come and speak to a wounded Spirit it were impossible unless God did order command and dispence it that the Spirit should receive any peace because our sins are immediately committed against him 2. He is alone able to reveal and discover it there is nothing harder in the World than to calm and quiet a disturbed Conscience it must be the same power that makes light to spring out of darkness that must cause a chearful serenity in a dark and disconsolate Soul I know there is nothing more easie than that false peace which is so universal in the world for the most amongst us cheat themselves with presumption instead of peace with God and security instead of peace with Conscience but that peace which is solid and true can only be revealed by God himself We have an instance of this in David Psal 51. although Nathan had told him from God Thy sin is pardoned yet notwithstanding he saith Make thou me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce He still addresses himself to God that he would cause him to hear the voice of pardon and reconciliation for his soul could not be quiet by the voice of the Prophet There is so much infidelity in the soul of a man that when he comes to take a view of his sins in all their bloody aggravations only the Spirit of God himself is able to allay the terrors of the Conscience And this he doth by an over-powering Light when he doth in an imperative and commanding manner silence all the doubts of the soul and restablish it in peace with God Certainly he that shall but consider the terrors the faintings the paleness of a wounded Conscience when you shall see a person dis-relish all the things of this World upon this account fearing lest God is his enemy when all discourses that are addressed to him are ineffectual and but like warm cloaths to a dead carkasse cannot inspire any heat into him This shews only God is able to reveal peace So Job If he hide his face who is able to be at peace There needs no other fury to compleat the misery of a man than his own accusing Conscience Conscience is a verier Devil than the Devil himself and able more to torment and lash the creature Therefore if that be once awakened 't is only God to whose Tribunal Conscience is liable which is able to speak peace to the soul Now you see in what respect this Title The God of Peace is attributed to him as he is the Author and Worker of it 2. As he loves and delights in peace This is that which is so pleasing to him that he adopts those into the Line of Heaven who are Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Mat. 5.6 This characterizes persons to be his Children to be allied to him God he only delights in the reflection of his own Image for those things that we admire in the World and delight in do not affect his heart He delights not in the strength of the Horse he takes no pleasure in the legs of a man the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in thâ—se that hope in his mercy Nothing attracts his eye and heart but his own similitude and resemblance and therefore where he sees peaceable dispositions that is that which endears the soul to him and makes it amiable in his eyes You may judge of his delight in peace by this It is that grace which in an especial manner prepares us for communion with him for we can never really honour or enjoy him unless we bring to him those dispositions which if I may so speak are in himself And therefore it is no wonder that those have little peace of Conscience who make so little Conscience of Peace You know when God appeared to Elijah he did not appear in the storm nor in the fire but in the small still voice and when Elisha was transported with anger he was fain to allay that passion by Musick that so he might be prepared for the holy motions of the Spirit he called for an Instrument and then the Spirit moved in him I bring it for this end to shew how God delights in Peace and he will only maintain communion with those that are of calm and peaceable spirits So much way as we give to anger so much proportionably do we let in the Devil and cast out the God of peace Now the reason why this Title is given to God is upon a double account partly with respect to the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant which made peace between God and us partly with respect to the Covenant it it self which is founded in that Bloud 1. In respect of the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant For it was the bloud of Christ that hath sprinkled Gods Throne and made peace in Heaven You shall read therefore when Christ came into the World 't is said Luke 2.14 that the Heavenly host appeared and sang Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace c. Since the fall God and man are enemies there is a reciprocal enmity between God and man God hates the creature as it is unholy and man hates God as he is just the avenger of sin the Author of the Law Now Christ was the Umpire that composed this difference he was God and man in one person and so being allyed to both he was a fit person to reconcile both He was as Job speaks a days-man between us He hath paid every farthing that was due for he did not compound with God but paid the utmost that was due to him He it is that hath reconciled us to God by the power of his spirit in changing and renewing our Natures and Creating in us those dispositions which are like to God so that his bloud is the foundation of
conception but it was never compleatly declared to the World till after his Resurrection for before Christ was a Prince in disguise the beams of the Divinity was abated by the vail of his Humanity but then he was declared by power to be the Son of God It followes That great Shepherd of the Sheep for the opening of this 1. We will consider this Title of Christ 2. The Person for whom this Title relates First This Title The great Shepherd 'T is a wonderful condescention in Christ that he will take upon him the Title of a Shepherd that which rather expresses Love and Care than Power and Dominion yet he is pleased to assume this Title to express his affection to us For the opening of it wherein he appears to be the great Shepherd I shall lay down these particulars 1. He is great in the Dignity of his Person for he that is Lord of Angels is become the Shepherd of the Sheep and the humiliation of his person in this respect is the exaltation of his Office It is looked upon in the World as a mean and low employment to have the care and inspection of a Flock but now herein appears the love of Christ he was pleased to become our Shepherd that so he might secure and bring us to the Fold of Heaven and there make us to feed upon those Pastures and to drink of those Rivers of pleasures which flow from the presence of God 2. In the derivation of his Authority That Authority which is communicated to him whereby he is our Shepherd and that is originally from God himself It is not by any mediate deputation but from God himself He is our Shepherd and hath a Title to his Flock upon a double account 1. They are committed to him as his charge and custody John 6.37 c. All the Elect of the world were given by God the Father to Christ not by way of Alienation but by way of Opigneration as so many pledges which he was to bring to grace and glory And this charge he doth most fully execute for there is none missing of those committed to him 2. They are given to him by way of Reward and Recompense for all his Bloud and Sufferings Isai 53.10 The Lord put such a value on souls that he purchased an interest in them by his own bloud and he thinks himself exceedingly recompensed for all his pains on the Cross Agonies in the Garden Temptations in the Wilderness c. if souls will submit to his care And here observe the course of Heaven God would endear souls to Christ upon all Reasons by vertue of his command and that charge he gives to them and by vertue of his own purchase 3. If you confider the extent of his care and affection For all the Saints of the World those who are dispersed in all places in all ages they are all his Flock and therefore 't is the Royalty of his Administration John 10.16 There shall be one Fold and one Shepherd As Christ is the onely Catholick King so he is the onely Vniversal Bishop For all other Shepherds have but particular Portions of his Flock committed to their charge and they should be such portions as they have regard to and are under their inspection And at the last day all his sheep shall congregate together and stand at his right hand All the Saints of God that are now scattered as so many Stars in the Firmament shall be united in one constellation when they shall appear in glory before him 4. In respect of his endowments and qualifications which fit him for the discharge of his Office And 1. Take notice of his affection and love to us and that is the wonder of Heaven and Earth Christ laid down his life for his sheep Joh. 10.11 This is strange that Christ should be a sheep for the slaughter that he might become our Shepherd that he should be a sacrifice before he could take his Office upon him Other sheep lay down their lives for the Shepherd but Christ laid down his life for the Sheep So great was his love that it brought him from Heaven to seek and find those that were lost he left a Palace to come to a Wilderness a Throne of Heaven to come to a Fold here upon Earth We read of David that he exchanged a Sheep-hook for a Scepter but Christ quite contrary he exchang'd a Scepter for the Rod and Staff of a Shepherd It was said by one There is nothing so conspicuous in Christ as the prodigality of his love to us Oh! do but consider how great love that was that should make him to die for us that he might bring us home to his Fold We were all of us like erring sheep who had strayed from him and fell to the Lord of the Soil as strange Cattel we were gotten into the possession of the God of this World the Lord Christ would buy us off from thence though we forfeited our right in him vet he would not lose his right in us but he laid down his life that he might reduce us to his Fold that of Wolves he might make us Lambs and sit us for the comforts of his Presence 2. In respect of his exact diligence and inspection over them When but one Sheep went astray from his Fold we read he left the ninety and nine and went and sought for that One Luke 15. where we have that Parable to express the diligence and watchfulness of Christ over his Sheep There is no person be he never so mean never so obscure though lost in the number and account of the World if he be one of Christs Sheep he is always under his inspection and watchfulness We read of the High-Priest that he carried the names of the Tribes upon his Brest-plate the Lord Christ carries the names of all his Sheep in his heart therefore Rev. 13. speaking concerning the Saints all that dwell upon Earth Whose names are written in the book of Life His diligence and care is so exact that he hath all their names writ in his Book He that tells the Stars counts their hairs and always exercises the most watchful providence over them for good You know Sheep are either liable to rage or erring and wandring Christ's diligence is such that he protects them from the rage of Satan reduces them from all their wandrings and brings them home to himself 3. In making proportional all their services and sufferings to those degrees of strength which he gives to them Isai 40.11 He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young Christ always makes a proportion between the Services Sufferings and strength he calls them to He it is that with that tenderness speaks to Peter Peter lovest thou me feed my Lambs He hath provided for them the most ample and most satisfying nourishment the Ordinances of the Gospel
they may see God face to face and be for ever with the Lord which they cannot do till they dye therefore blessed by God that the righteous must perish If a man should always live on earth always be young rich and healthful it would be unwelcome news for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and subject to sin and therefore when Peter asked Christ what should be done with John Christ tells him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee from henceforth there went a report abroad that John should not dye Now the Apostle himself was much displeased with this report and looked upon it as a great affliction that he should not dye and therefore he himself confutes it But yet Jesus said he said not that he should not dye as if he had said God forbid that I should not dye Before I come to Application of this point give me leave to speak somthing to the second point and so I shall apply them both together The second Doctrine is this That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but a gathering him to God Christ and the blessed society of Saints and Angels in Heaven This is contained in the second expression merciful men are taken away the word in the Hebrew is Colliguntur they are gathered it is evegetical of the former they did not perish but they are gathered to God and Christ there is a great deal of excellency and a Magazine of sweetness in this expression They are gathered It implies two things First That the righteous are in a scattered condition while they are in this world and that three ways 1. They are scattered among the wicked and ungodly of the world as sheep among wolves as lambs among Lyons rent and torn in pieces forced to wander up and down in Sheep skins and Goats skins 2. The righteous are scattered in the world one from another and that two ways 1. They are scattered by their different habirations for the godly are forced one from another as Lot from Abraham 2. They are scattered one from another by the cruel persecution of wicked men and therefore you read Acts 8. that at that time when there was a persecution against the Church at Jerusalem that they were all scattered abroad 3. The godly are scattered in this life from the glorious presence of God in Heaven indeed they are never scattered from the gracious presence of God but sometimes they are scattered from the comfortable presence of God as long as we live in the world we shall be scattered from the glorious presence of God for while we are in the body we are absent from the Lord. Secondly This implies a bringing of Gods people out of this scattered condition it is a gathering of the Righteous out of this world into another from a sinful persecuted world into a sinless glorious world from diversity of dwellings on earth to dwell altogether in one Heaven it is a gathering out of the reach of Men and Devils and a gathering them not only to the gracious but to the glorious presence of God and Christ and to the souls of just men made perfect and to the general assembly of the first born and to the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem where they shall live together never to be scattered again To understand this the better let me offer three things to you shewing you that the Godly are gathered to God three ways in this life at death and at the day of Judgment First The Righteous are gathered to God in this life and that is at their first conversion for by nature we are Aliens and strangers to God scattered from any union or communion with God not only scattered from the glorious but from the gracious presence of God God made men at first to enjoy communion with himself but Adam lost this by sin and now we are all Cains and vagabonds scattered from the love of God and from union and communion with God but when God converts any of the Elect he gathers them home to himself for conversion is nothing but Gods gathering them to himself in the second Adam that were scattered from him in the first Adam the first Adam was a Root of scattering a Root of separation from God but the second Adam was a Root of union and conjunction Christ is the head and the Elect are all gathered together in him that he might gather together in one all things in Christ so that conversion is nothing but a gathering of the Elect of God to Christ by faith and a gathering to one another by love and charity Secondly Gods people are gathered at death here they are gathered to Christ by Grace but at death they are gathered to Christ in glory here they are gathered to God by hope but at death by fruition here Christ is gathered to us he comes down and dwells with us but at death we shall be gathered to him we shall go up and be joyned with him There 's a great deal of difference between esse cum Christo and esse in Christo esse cum Christo to be one with Christ is a Christians great security but esse in Christo to be one in Christ it is a Christians great felicity in this life we are gathered to God by Faith but at death by vision Lastly We shall be gathered to God at the day of judgment it is called the day of the gathering of the Saints together a day when all the Saints that are have been or shall be shall be gathered together 2 Thes 2.1 I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him at the great day At the day of Judgment we shall all be gathered together and shall all be taken up to Heaven I mean all the righteous and be ever with the Lord and so much for the opening of the Doctrine But here it may be objected Are not the unrighteous gathered by death as well as the righteous I answer it is true the unrighteous are scattered in this life and gathered by death as well as the righteous but with a great deal of difference First the wicked are scattered in this life but they are scattered from God but the Godly are scattered for God and for a good conscience many times as they at Jerusalem were scattered The godly are scattered from the glorious presence of God in Heaven but the wicked are scattered from the gracious presence of God on earth Again the scattering of the wicked is a curse to them and it is threatned as a curse Lev. 26.32 I will scatter you among the Heathen and draw out my sword after you and where-ever the wicked come in what part soever of the world the wicked are scattered they bring the curse of God with them and they bring the judgments of God on Towns and Cities where they are as plague famine and
little business will buy a Priesthood and so they are said to be without the true God without a teaching-Priest and without Law Mark what followes And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Country and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity 3. Safety and security goes when the Gospel goes so in the Text but now cited The Ark was taken away their strength and safety was gone When the Jews rejected the Gospel the Romans came and took away both their place and Nation John 11.48 If we let him thus alone the Romans will come and take away both our place and Nation About forâ—y years after Titus and Vespasian took away their City they cried If we let this man alone the Romans will take away our Nation and this was the ready way to bring the Romans upon them 4. When the Gospel goes Civil liberty goes when the Jews slighted the Gospel and turned their backs upon it they quickly became Bondslaves to the Romans 5. When the Gospel goes the honour and glory splendour and beauty of a Nation goes It is the Gospel that is the honour and beauty of a Nation and when that goes all the glory goes As old Eli said when the Ark was taken away the glory was departed from Israel 1 Sam. 4.22 Jer. 2.11 12 13. Hath a Nation changed their gods which are yet no gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit that is the Worship of God into the Traditions of men What is it that lifts up one Nation above another but the Gospel Above all Nations of the Earth England hath been lifted up to Heaven 6. When the Gospel goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes The Gospel you know is the means appointed by God to bring Souls to an acquaintance with Christ to an acceptance of Christ to an interest in Christ to an assurance that he is theirs and they are his Now when this goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes 7. When the Gospel goes the spiritual presence of God goes for that still goes with the Gospel There is a general presence of God as the Psalmist speaks Psal 139. Where shall I go from thy Spirit Whither shall I fly from thy presence This presence of God reacheth from Heaven to Hell in that sense God is included in no place nor excluded out of any place But alas What is this general presence When the Gospel goes the special presence of God goes This leads me by the hand to the third Query Query 3. And that is this Whether God will remove the Gospel from England or no It is the fear of many but I humbly suppose No whatsoever darkness may be upon it yet that God will not remove it if you please I will offer a few things that signifie something as to my own satisfaction and it may be so to you 1. The rooting that it hath got in the hearts of sinners and Saints in the Judgment Affections and Consciences both of sinners and Saints Certainly it hath got so deep a root in the hearts of many thousands of Saints and sinners that it shall not be in the power of Hell to raze it out 2. The glorious anointings that are to be found upon many thousands of Gods servants in this Nation to preach the everlasting Gospel and who would be glad to preach upon the hardest terms keeping God and a good conscience to preach it freely as the Apostles of old did And certainly God hath not laid in the Treasure that it should be turned into a heap of confusion but that it should serve to the end for which he laid it in 3. The ineffectualness of all former attempts and designs to destroy the Gospel You know what endeavours of old there hath been to darken this Sun to put out the light of Heaven in the Marian dayes and in other dayes since them and yet it hath not been in Prisons Backs Flames Pillories nor any thing else to extinguish the glory of it And then 4. All Designs and Attempts to extinguish the everlasting Gospel have turned to the advancement flourishing and spreading of the Gospel 5. God never takes away the Gospel from a people till the body of that people have thrust the everlasting Gospel from them When indeed they have been so bold as to thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath been severe unto them But till the body of a people have thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath not taken it away from them 2 Chronicles the 36. Chapter from the 15th verse to the end God sent his Messengers early and late they abused slighted and scorned them till there was no remedy So in the 35. of Jeremiah from the first to the twelfth it is a famous Text for this So in the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts and the 45 46 and 47. verses Because you haue thought your selves unworthy of Salvation Lo we turn to the Gentiles till the Jews came to thrust away the everlasting Gospel the Lord continued it to them 6. The spreading of the everlasting Gospel is the special means appointed by God for the destruction of Antichrist First he is to be consumed by the spirit of his Mouth then destroyed by the brightness of his coming the spirit of Faith and prayer in them that would be willing to lay down any thing rather than part with the Gospel God will not put his blessed Church to the blush he will not make them ashamed of their confidence 7. Are there not multitudes of the Children of Believers that fall under many promises And will not God make good his engagements to them I will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your seed and the seed of the Vpright shall be blessed c. 8. The strange and wonderful affections and tenderness that God hath wrought in his children to the Gospel What meltings and mournings and what a spirit of prayer hath God put upon his people 9. There are many young tender plants and buds of Grace such in whom the spirit of God hath stirred a hungering and thirsting and longing after the great concernments of Eternity I would upon these grounds and others of the like import hope and believe that the Lord will not remove his everlasting Gospel however he may correct his people for their trifling with and slighting the glorious Gospel I have several times thought what a day of darkness was upon the World in respect of sin and superstition When Christ brought the everlasting Gospel what a day of darkness and superstition was on the whole Earth But you know what the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe When it is nearest day then it
that a Christian by inherent grace is able to do himself is through Christ I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me 2. Because if there be any acceptance of what a Believer doth with the Father this also is through Christ the gift is accepted not for the gifts sake but for the sake of the Merit of Christ 3. If so be a Believer should glory in his graces there is a possibility of falling but being clad with and resting in the power of Christ there 's an impossibility of miscarrying Thus the Saints of God have their infirmities frailties their multitude of frailties and infirmities yet have they reason to glory in that power of Christ which rests on them on Earth but much more reason if they will look up and see the tongue of Christ engaged for them i. e. interceding for them in Heaven And that lets me into The Third Sermon John 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil I Pray not that thou shouldest not take them out of the world Let them stay there and glory even in their very infirmities But I pray that thou shouldest keep them from the evil In this Scripture you have our Saviors Intercession for his Disciples Preservation and in this his Intercession two things observeable 1. In the Negative part for what Christ doth not pray Not that thou shouldest take them out of the world 2. In the Affirmative part That thou shouldest keep them from the evil of the world For the Negative part wherein you have 1. Something implyed Not that thou shouldest take them out of the world This implyes That God hath the disposal of our continuance in the world else Christ would never address himself to his Father that he would not take them out of the world If so then 1. Live constantly Believer above the flavish fear of Death Times are not in thine Enemies hands no not in the Devils hands but in Gods hands 2. Be patient under the loss of thy dearest Relations God hath taken them who hath the disposal of our continuance 3. Seek to God for a blessing on all those means which at any time are prescribed or used for your preservation 2. There 's something mainly intended I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world and tha't this That God will have his people oftentimes continue in the world though they should meet with much trouble in the world And if so this should teach you for ever how to carry your selves in the midst of a sinful wicked rude God-hating Saint-persecuting World that is 1. Patiently to wait Gods leisure you must stay his time 2. Carry your selves Innocently be sure you in a salt Sea like good fish retain your freshness 3 Carry your selves Wisely you walk among Devils Snares c. walk Wisely And 4. Walk Serviceably continue you must but 't is Gods time how short you know not therefore walk serviceably For the Affirmative part But I pray that thou shouldest keep them from the evil of the World Wherein something Absolutely and something Relatively Take the words Absolutely thence these four Notions That thou shouldest keep them from the evil 1. Sin is an eminent evil the evil of evils 2. That we are utterly unable to keep our selves But 3. God can keep his people in and from the evil of a sinful World 4. That 't is the Godly onely that are kept from the evil that is in the World but Relatively especially I pray c. No great matter of their sufferings but their sins that 's the thing let them be preserved from that Thence observe Preservation from sin is a far greater mercy than exemption from suffering And so then 1. See the folly and madness of those that embrace sin to avoid suffering take a stab in their hearts that they may avoid a scratch upon their finger 2. See the folly of those that desire the removal of their sufferings rather than of their sins take away the Frogs not my hard heart 3. This shews what should be our greatest complaint in the midst of a troublesom world not my sorrows plunderings imprisonments Lord but the scarcities of my soul c. 4. This shews the grand mistake of the nature of true safety Men think safety to be meerly to sleep in a sound skin but 't is not safety to be preserved from danger but from sin True the men of the world yea the best of Saints are too too apt to mistake in this case there 's a heart within them that is very apt to think sometimes sinning to be chosen rather than suffering not in wicked men only but in the best of men for As in water face answereth to face so the heart of man to man Which lets me into The Fourth Sermon Prov. 27.19 As in water face answereth to face so doth the heart of man to man IN this Proverb two things 1. The Proposition and that by a Similitude As in water face answereth to face 2. The Reddition So doth the heart of the man to man Or in the words these two Generals to be observed 1. A Glass 2. An Object to be seen in this Glass 1. A Glass a notable one that 's two-fold a dead Glass Water a living Glass the Heart of a Man 2. The Object to be seen in these Glasses in the dead Glass the face of man is to be seen in the living Glass the heart of man there 's all the Species and Complexions of the Sons nay of the Souls of the Sons of Men to be seen That as by looking into the Water you may discern your own and other mens countenances and that plainly and clearly So by looking into your own hearts if you could have a Casement into the hearts of other men there may you see of what Spiritual Complexion Constitution and Make you are as clearly as a man may see his face in water As in water c. From these words this great Truth that the Heart of every man in the world is a Looking-glass 'T is such a Looking-glass wherein he may see himself his Condition Constitution special Complexion whether it be Morally Spiritually Scripturally Good or Evil. For the right improvement of this Looking-glass three things necessary which are optick Principles but clear to those that have either Physical or Natural Light 1. There must be an Object that must be seen And oh what visible Objects are there in the hearts of men Man is called a little World a Compendium of the whole World The heart of man is the Man The heart of man is like the Ark of Noah which contains all sorts all kindes of clean and unclean Beasts 'T is an Epitomy of Heaven and Hell What is there in the heart of man Who but God can fathom the depth of it There are more Objects in the hearts of men than Stars in Heaven or drops in the Ocean
here Object This is a Doctrine that tends to loosness Answ Not so It did not work loosness in Paul Job c. I laboured more than they all Nothing under heaven so soveraign to stave off and preserve from lust as the assurance of Gods love to the Soul Such assurance comes from the highest act of Faith and one of the great things of Faith is to purifie the heart and life Such an assurance must needs constrain the Soul The love of Christ constrains us Nay so far is it from inclining to loosness that it casts the soul upon its knee lifts up the Souls hand sends him to Heaven continually constantly arms it with petitions resolutions never to let the Lord of Heaven and Earth alone gives him no rest begging of him as for other things so especially for this Lord as thou art pleased to give me the priviledge of enjoying promise so give me the power to perform duty Thus saith he Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And so I am come as far as The Sixth Sermon Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THere is a two-fold Will of God 1. Preceptive to be done by us 2. Providential to be done upon us The Minister carried the words in the last sense the will of God be done upon us Hence 't was observed Gods children must not onely do but submit to their Heavenly Father's providential will They must not onely do his will the will of his precepts but they must submit to his will the will of his providence Let God do what he will they must lay down their head upon the block and with patience and resignation say Thy will be done There are but two grand instances wherein Saints ought to shew this submission First When God deprives them of spiritual priviledges and enjoyments they must submit now they must not murmur then and that upon these considerations 1. Suppose a deprivation of publick Ordinances yet the holy Scriptures are left 2. The holy Spirit too that shall bring home the Scriptures to the Conscience 3. There are old experiences of former love to live upon 4. Yet none can detain or debar us from making secret addresses unto God 5. 'T is a most noble thing it becomes a Christian exceedingly to live upon pulse yet thrive 6. By the want of such publick Ordinances God thinks fit to convince his people of their folly in sinning away the Gospel Secondly When the Lord makes a breach upon our temporal comforts and estates now for submission and that upon these accounts 1. Come what will come yet no strange thing doth or can happen to us no temptation but what is common to man 2. With what comely submission have those old Believers behaved themselves to the will of God Elijah Job Samuel Daniel and the Captain of our Salvation our blessed Savior Not my will but thy will be done 3. There 's a glorious day coming when God will un-riddle all his dark providences and shew you that there is love in the bowels of them 4. God hath made a breach upon some of thy comforts how many Comforts hath he yet left thee 5. Thou art now deprived of thy comfort thou hast enjoyed it twenty years thou hast reason to be thankful it was continued so long and not to murmur that it is taken away now 6. Thou hast some goods the best of goods there 's no plundering a man of his grace no putting him out of Gods favor 7. God doth thee a kindness in this were it good for thee it should be continued to thee He with-holds no good thing he takes away nothing but what is evil or would be so This life is a transitory vapor and hadst thou enjoyed it thou couldst not long do so 8. Compare thy self with thy self and others The other day thou wert a pittiful poor brat and what shalt thou be Compare thy self with others We are low how many thousands are beneath us 9. All outward things are not properly formerly good or evil As we fancy them to be good or evil so they are they are but fancies Vse Labour after this submissive frame of spirit Get but this and this will evidence that though he frowns yet he favours thee this will make thy faith appear to be a glorious faith it will shew that the Kingdom of God is not only come to thee but in thee and rules in thy heart to that end But What shall I do to submit 1. Let not a day of adversity take thee unawares 2. Do not over-value thy self do not think too great of thy self that the wind must not blow on thee 3. Retract the superlative of thy desires do not look at so much as what is necessary 4. Design nothing as thy main end and business but the honour and glory of God mind but his honour and let him alone to take care of thy external comforts Believer who art so much in his heart in his book in his soul that he numbers the very hairs of thy head And thus we fall upon The Seventh Sermon Matth. 10.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbred FRom this Text you had this great Conclusion The special and distinct Providence of God extendeng to the smallest things and creatures and in a special manner to the smallest concernments of Believers is a great Argument to remove their fears and inordinate cares and to quiet and confirm their souls in confidence upon God The very hairs of c. Is it so Then 1. We have no reason to repine at wicked men when they prosper let them ruffle puff throw and sweat what then They will cut off the head no they cannot touch a hair 2. Be not over-much troubled with any particular changes or passages in the world they are all managed by a particular and distinct Providence 3. Fear not man slavishly this use our Saviour makes of it 4. This rebukes our inordinate and distracting cares thou art mighty inquisitive what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be cloathed Friend thy hairs are numbred content thy self God will take care c. 5. In all the passages of the World observe and acknowledge not only a general but be sure to observe a particular providence and then conclude 1. That nothing shall befal thee for want of faithfulness sufficiency knowledge love of God 2. Nothing shall come unto thee that shall in the least damnifie or injure thee 3. That all the plots designs contrivances attempts of the Devil and all his Party against Gods Church are all under a Providence they are all numbred All the hours of thy sufferings all thy tears fears griefs pains wants every one numbred Thou tellest the Clock at midnight under thy pains and God tells thy pains more than thou the Clock Nay more the hairs of thy head are numbred therefore not the meanest Believer in the greatest croud is over-looked by God And then
means never did Christ knock louder 7. I stand at the door a poor cold place I stand despised and contemned but besides many in the mean time are let in and I kept out and that out of my own house 8. I stand at the door ready to have my Patience turned into Fury therefore let me come in quickly 9. I stand I that am blessed in my self I that can make thee infinitely eternally blessed I that am c. do stand therefore prethee prethee open What 's that 'T is hear and know remember believe and do And this would give me a fair retreat into my Text If ye know these things happy are ye if you do them I beseech you to consider you have known these things cursed wretched for ever are ye if ye do not do them happy for ever if you do them Thus I have given you a short account of these things lately delivered to you you must not impute any of my weaknesses to my Reverend Brethrens labors that went before the God of Heaven bless you and reward them a thousand fold And oh whatever God doth keep up this exercise in the midst of us You have abundantly reaped Gods Spirit I hope there is something done in this Congregation that Eternity it self shall never be able to blot out I confess this is no Fasting-day but yet however we may make it such a day as since God is pleased to give us an Ocean to return him some drops Beloved 't is very probable that it will be the last motion that ever I shall make to you while I live in this way if I were now to go from my Pulpit to my Grave this should be the double motion I would make to you 1. For Gods sake prize the Word of God 2. Labor to prize the Word of God by the worth of it that you may never come to prize the want of God by the want of it And if you would express your prizing of the Word Never any man repented he had given so much to a good use doubtless my children wants it now or my Wife wants now c. And I can assure you I think there was never so many Thanksgivings made to God for this City of London as for their abundant Charity in this respect Mr. Craddacott's Farewel Sermon Phil. 4. latter part of Verse 9. And heard and seen in me do and the God of Peace shall be with you FRom this Verse we may observe three Doctrines That the Peoples eyes must be taught by the Ministers holiness of life as well as their ears by the Ministers soundness of Doctrine Paul did not preach one thing and practice another he practised as he preached and he both practised and preached the fore-mentioned Duties in the verse before the Text. And to this end the Lord appointed a Ministry to be perpetuated through all Ages of the World And it is the Lords appointment that the peoples ears should be taught with sour'd Doctrine to the matter and manner of it and it is the Lord appointment that the Peoples eyes should be taught by the Minister holiness of life as well as their ears by their soundness in Doctrine and this is necessary for the Minister himself and necessary for the people No marvel then that a faithful Ministry is the Butt of the Devils malice of his craft and cruelty and that the Devil hath in all Ages attempted and endeavoured utterly to overthrow the Ministry or to poyson and fly-blow it shamefully and this is the method whereby Satan hath endeavoured to fly-blow the Ministry Why then see the folly and madness of those people who affect or cry up those Ministers who do not teach their people with sound Doctrine or a holy life and whether there be no such Ministers which do not teach their peoples eares with soundness of Doctrine or their eyes with a holy life and whether there be not such a people as do cry up such Ministers and whether or no such people are not guilty of spiritual folly and madness judge ye Doct. A Ministers soundness in Doctrine and holiness of Life and Conversation doth lay a very great obligation on a people to a due conscientious practice of every commanded duty The Apostle we see maketh his Preaching and Practice an argument to excite the Phillippians to the fore-mentioned commanded duty as in the Text and the verse before the Text. As first of all the Appellations and Titles given in Scripture to such Ministers whose Doctrine is sound and whose lives and conversations are exemplary holy They are called 1. The Salt of the Earth as Math. 5.13 read that saith Christ to those great Teachers of the Gospel and Dispensers of his Oracles and in them to their Successors Salt hath two things in it namely Sharpness and Savouriness and thus Ministers First must rebuke sharply that people may be sound in the Faith as Paul enjoyns Titus as in the 1. of Titus and 13. verse And secondly Ministers must speak savoury things to every person and to every palat that their people may be savoury both in heart and life but to be as unsavoury as stinking Carrion in the Nostrils of the Almighty God under such a savoury and seasoning Ministry this is woful It is the nature of Salt to cause barrenness where it seasoneth not Therefore we read of Abimelech in Judges 9. ver 45. That be sowed the City with Salt So that people who live under a sharp and savoury Ministry and are not seasoned therewith and preserved from putrefaction in their sin and corruption thereby their case is very dangerous They are called again The Light of the world in Mat. 5.14 read that As for their Doctrine The Salt of the Earth so for their lives The Light of the world and they must therefore lead convincing lives as Job 5.35 read that It is there said of John the Baptist our blessed Lord and Saviour gives him this commendatory Character or Testimonial That he was a burning and a shining light burning in himself and shining to others Or as it was said of Basil Thundring in his Doctrine and Lightning in his Life and Conversation Now if good Ministers be the Light of the World then hence we may inferr 1. Inference First That without a godly and faithful Ministry the World lyeth in darkness ignorance error sin and misery It is said of Galilee in Mat. 4.16 That the people that sate in darkness saw great light read that Why had they not Priests and Levites I answer They had indeed sorry Priests but they had not a faithful Ministry and therefore the Evangelist tells them They sate in darkness yea in the region and shadow of death notwithstanding the sorry sottish Priests they had But when they had a faithful Ministry they are said to see a great light Again if good Ministers be the Light of the World then we may draw this Corollary That to be offended at the Light of a faithful a
powerful Ministry argues and speaks a very sinful and wretched frame of heart Nothing is so excellent but some will be displeased at it and with it as Eccles 11.7 Even the Light it self we know is offensive to sore eyes And thus the burning and shining Light of a godly and faithful Ministry is offensive and terrible to some but who are they Sore diseased souls the Lord knows The Ark of God which was the monument of his presence whom did it smite with Emrods but the Philistims What then is the Ale-house more easie to thee than thy Pew is to thee in this place than a Conscience Soul-searching Sermon What art thou offended at a powerful faithful Ministry Oh fearful Plague-tokens 2. To do all that men can do to put out the Light this is worse It is the most horrid hellish Plot that can be designed or named and of this I am sure the Church of Rome cannot plead Not Guilty which like the Scribes and Pharisees take away from the people the Key of Knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men How terribly doth our blessed Lord thunder-strike those stupid Pharisees for this Mat. 23.13 And as did the Pharisees so did the Papists For 1. Heretofore they made it a moral sin to read Gods Word 2. Afterwards they clogged the liberty they granted with such cautions and restrictions as that very few escaped of those that were within the reach of the Inquisition 3. Those cloggs contented not but now it is thought fit utterly to deny liberty and can there be a more horrible hellish Plot assigned than this to take from people their knowledge of salvation And thus the Church of Rome whether they have Church-snuffers or not to be sure they have Church-extinguishers and various means to put out the Light Oh fearful is this as in Joh. 3.19 20. That is the reason men hate the light because their deeds are evil Again If good Ministers be the light of the world then hence may we draw this Conclusion That it concerns people very nearly to believe in the light and to walk in the light and to work while the light lasteth as our blessed Savior exhorteth in Joh. 12.35 36. read that God sets up his Ministers as Lights as Candles on the Candlesticks of his Church to awaken men and to light men unto eternal life And ought not people to pray hard and to work hard while the light lasteth God removes many times the Candle and Candlestick and makes the Sun to go down at Noon-day as Amos 8.9 so darkens the Earth at clear day Good Ministers they are called the light of the world and they are called 3. Stars as in Rev. 3.1 And who are meant by the seven Stars Rev. 1. ult they are the Angels that is the Ministers of the seven Churches Now the Stars are said to affect those inferiour bodies 1. By their influence And thus godly and faithful Ministers by the influence of their lips they feed many with the bread of life 2. By their regular motives of their lives they confirm many 3. By the light of both they confirm many One while their employment is to instruct poor souls and so they are like stars shining in a dark winter-night Another while they are to converse in their courses Judg. 5.20 Now to enjoy and live under the Ministry of such Stars and yet to walk in darkness and to have fellowship with the works of darkness to remain unconvineed unconverted unhumbled unmortified unfruitful this is woful this is a very lamentable state 4. They are called the Lords Messengers and Embassadours Mal. 2.7 and the Ministers of the Gospel for indeed the Ministers of the New Testament they are no where called Priests they are called Embassadors for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 Godly faithful Ministers are the Lords Messengers and Embassadours in matters concerning the soul the precious immortal never-dying soul of man not in the matters of this life but for the soul Now this is no mean imployment to treat with God for the Soul 5. They are called the Lords Husband-men Gods Church is his Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 and Ministers are Gods Husbandmen naturally we are like a barren Wilderness Now the Lord sends his Husbandmen to those barren Wildernesses to make a fruitful Paradise Now for Gods Husbandmen to plow sow and harrow and yet no fruit no crop Isa 5.6 When Gods Vineyard brought forth no fruit I will take away all their rainy clouds saith God you shall have clouds but you shall have clouds without rain you shall have Ministers still but such as shall never do your souls any good Well you see the Titles given to them in Scripture they are called the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World and Scars and the Lords Messengers and Embassadors and Husbandmen all which doth import a very great obligation lying on a people who live under such a Ministry and who live under and practice every commanded duty 2. Inference Secondly Dangerous and fearful is the state of those who have enjoyed and lived under and have not been wrought upon by such a Ministry And this will appear if we consider 1. How fearful a sentence the Lord Jesus Christ hath given to those that live under but despise and profit not by the Ministry of his faithful Servants Mat. 10.14 15. And do not think that Christ said this touching the Ministry of the Apostles onely certainly the Lord Christ would have it to be understood of the Ministry of all his faithful Servants whom he sendeth to teach his people Joh. 13.20 whomsoever he sends and so He that despiseth whom ever I send despiseth me Then is the Message of the Lords faithful Messengers received aright when people do not only hear it but receive it and bring forth fruit as our blessed Lord speaks of good hearers Mark 4.20 Those are they that hear and receive the fruits sown in good ground And thus our blessed Lord expounds himself Mat. 11.24 he telleth us there that they of Capernaum shall be in a worse case than they of Sodom and Gomorrah and why because they repented not at Christs Sermons and Miracles they were not to be seen in their lives notwithstanding Christs Ministry notwithstanding Christs preaching and his miraâ—â—â—s among them they did not amend their hearts and ways O how feaâ—â—â—l a sentence hath our Lord Jesus Christ denounced against such 2. If a People be not wrought upon by such a Ministry what hope can such a People have that any thing should do their souls any good For is not the Ministry of Gods faithful Servants the power of God to salvation and the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 That is that Ministry whereby the spirit of grace and holiness is infused into the hearts of the Fathers chosen ones in Christ Jesus The Poeâ—s speak of excellent Musicians who by the power of their Musick made stones to leap into a wall A godly faithful
the worm Jacob to thresh Mountains and the Mountains to become a plain before Zerubbabel Zach. 4.7 All the Nations of the Earth are but as the drop of the Bucket or dust of the Balance compared with him and all hearts are in his hands Therefore says the Prophet in Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength or the Rock of ages He is no broken Reed but that strength in which we may confide As David says Psal 46.1 2 3. Si fractus illabatur Orbis If the world be dissolved God is our refuge and strength c. therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea c. Secondly Consider his Immutability We have standing comfort in the unchangeableness of this God Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed And for this we have the experience of David Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee and the Churches experience Isa 63.9 He bears them and he carried them all the days of old This great unchangeable Saviour saves his people these four ways First He will save and preserve them from evils and will be a Chamber of safety when the indignation is abroad to hide from the storm Ezek. 11.6 Yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuary in the countries where they shall come I will be with thee is God's great Promise and his People's Security it was Joshua's Guard and Jeremab's Brazen-Wall Secondly He will save his people in afflictions as he did the three Children in the burning Furnace Thus he delivers in six troubles and also in seven as 't is promised in Isa 43.2 3. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee for I am the Lord thy God the holy One of Israel thy Saviour Job's experience is an everlasting proof of this that when the Lead is consumed the Gold is preserved in the Furnace Thirdly He will save or deliver out of afflictions 1 Cor. 10.13 In the midst of all temptations he will make away for us to escape them Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all He is Emmanuel God with us Our Redeemer from Hell and from trouble Fourthly He will save by afflictions and by the evils they meet withal Prov. 29.15 The Rod and Reproof give wisdom and as David says It was good for me that I was afflicted All things shall work for good 2 Cor. 4.7 These afflictions work for us a for more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory The Vessel is usually covered with dirt by the cleanser's hand that it may shine with the more brightness So by afflictions God makes us partakers of his Holiness Afflictions and outward evils come alike to all but with much different effect All men fall into afflictions Good and Bad but as the Israelites and the Egyptians went both into the Red-Sea and the one was drowned and the other passed through to Canaan so the Righteous and the Wicked fall under Calamity the one finks through unbelief and the other passes through safely And by Faith and patience comes to inherit the Promise Secondly The Abode or Presence of God and Christ with Believers iâ— instead of a sure Guide and Light unto them They can never want a Guide who have God with them As the Pillar of a Cloud by day and of Fire by night was unto Israel in all their March the same and more is God to his People in all their Pilgrimage Consider three things First Consider That Man cannot be without this Guide The best of man have very great need of the presence of God to lead them that they be not mes-led and that they don't saint in the way What can the Sheep do without a Shepherd Such is God to his Psal 23.1 Without God 's abode with us it is as Children without a Father and none to direct them and so left to run themselves into mischief What is the World without a Sun Jer. 10.23 The way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Secondly Consider That it is our great wisdom to commit our way to the guidance of this God and Christ Every wise man will commit his way to God and not move a step without him as Moses in the Conduct of Israel would not move a foot without God That was a good Petition or rather Resolution of David in Psal 73.24 That shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterwards receive me into Glory I am resolved be guided by Gods Counsels and an excellent and imitable practice of Isaac in Gen. 26.24 25. that where he had met God at Beer-sheba and where God had blessed him there he pitched his Tent so we should move as God leads Thirdly Consider That if God undertakes to guide us we shall not miscarry he will certainly bring us safe to Heaven Our feet may be almost gone but shall not be altogether gone Psal 73.2 My feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt So it may be with the choicest of Gods Servants but in the 23. verse Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand The more dark and dangerous the times be the more we should desire Gods abode with us the nearer a night of trouble or of death is to us the more earnestly beg his stay as the two Disciples Luke 24.29 They constrained Christ saying Abide with us for it is towards evening and the day is far spent Thirdly The abode or presence of God and Christ with his people is in stead of a Treasury and Store-house of all Provisions Where Jesus Christ is and where God makes his abode there is a Spring-head of comforts that cannot be drawn dry Isa 33.16 Bread shall be given them and their waters shall be sure who have God with them So was God to Israel Deut. 29.5 6. He fed Israel in the wilderness forty years their cloaths did not wax old You have not eaten bread neither have you drunk wine or strong drink that ye might know that I am the Lord your God Consider three Particulars here First Consider God is such a store that he is alwayes full He hath an Autarchy in himself and says to his creatures as in Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Ask what you will and there it is to be had There be full treasures of temporal and spiritual good things with them with whom God and Christ do make their abode As the Ark of God brought all kind of blessings to the house of Obed-Edom so when God comes he brings all
things Deus meus omnid My God and all things When Jesus Christ came to Zacheus he tells him This day is salvation come to thine House that is both temporal and spiritual preservations and deliverances Salvation doth consist in the total absence of all evil and in the presence and possession of all good Secondly God and Christ have left with us the promises of the Covenant to live upon till we come to the inheritance of the purchased Possession These be like the Widows Cruse that never fails this like the Manna will not be with-held while we be in the Wilderness till we come into Canaan to feed on the fruits of that Land Heb. 13.5 That is a sure Promise in which we may by faith see present supplies I will never leave thee nor forsake thee and in Phil. 4.19 We may possess in that Promise whatever we want My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Thirdly God hath given us his Son and Jesus Christ hath given us himself as an ensuring pledge of all mercies contained in the promises Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him for us how shall be not with him freely give us all things He that hath not spared his Son will not withhold any mercies He that hath given us the best of blessings will not with-hold smaller mercies He doth always tell his people as in 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for you Thirdly The abode of God and Christ with Believers is their Heaven upon Earth All our happiness is in the abode of God and Christ with us First Consider it is a wonderful mercy of the great God that by his common Providence he is with the works of his hands which is mans safety and David admires at this Psal 8.4 Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Secondly Consider it is a mercy of the greatest worth and to be for ever admired that God and Christ do not only visit us by common Providence and Inspection as his creatures but make their abode with us as with children and friends O this is our glory God doth not come with a short life for a day for a few dayes but makes an everlasting abode The Church complained when she thought God was departed because he had been with them and made so short a stay Jer. 14.8 Way shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night c. But when she remembred the Covenant of eternal abode she comforts her self 8 in 9 Verse Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us To be ever with the Lord is all we can hope for and it is mans contemplative happiness to converse in his thoughts with that glory First Consider Jesus Christ hath promised this as our great glory and full reward I will take you to my self they shall behold my glory 1 Joh. 3.3 We shall be like him we shall see him as he is Secondly This abode with God and Christ is the highest Option and aim of all the people of God This was Paul pressing in Phil 〈◊〉 That he might attain to the Resurrection of the dead i.e. the state of them that are risen and with God and Christ Therefore resolves after a long debate with himself Phil. 1.2.1 To be with Christ is best of all And David in Psal 73 at the latter and professes He had none in Heaven but God and there was none upon Earth that he desired in comparison of him Use First of Lamentation and laments three sorts of persons First Let us lament such as be without God and Christ in the world all ignorant and ungodly persons yea this is the sad case of all the Sons of Adam ever since he sinned and lost communion with his God They be brought forth in the world with their backs upon God and with God's face against them What was Cain's grief How was his heart hurried into a world of inconceiveable distempers and distracting thoughts when he must be turn'd out of Gods presence from the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances Gen. 4.14 Behold thou hast driven me out this day says poor Cain from the face of the earth but this is as nothing and from thy face shall I be hid and now where is my comfort and safety It shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me Such persons be as Lambs in a large place Hos 4.16 without a keeper in their most plentiful state What hope have such to escape Hell and Destruction Consider these particulars First Consider it is a very sad case when God and Christ withdraw or depart but for a moment 't is a sad and intolerable moment as we see in the complaint of Christ when God withdrew himself from him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and in the example of David Asaph and Heman in Psal 77. and 88. and the whole Church laments in Jer. 14.8 Secondly Consider if God and Christ do never come to make their abode with us here we are never like to make our abode with them hereafter and then it were better we had never been born Psal 73.27 They that are far from the shall perish And this is Hell to be separated from God and Christ 2 Thes 1.8 9. They i. e. the wicked shall he punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power It is Heaven wherever God is in his special abode and that is Hell where he is not present in his mercy and grace Second Vse of Lamentation Let us lament over a worse sort of men and they be such as in Job 21.14 That say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways that refuse the Word of Christ and be weary of God and his Ordinances and so reject God as if one house could not hold them both as in Isa 30.10 11. Who say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not c. Cause the Holy one to cease from before us They that stop the mouths of them that speak the Word of Christ or turn away their ears from hearkening to that which is spoken say in effect Let God be gone let Christ depart from us First Consider what an ill frame of spirit it is for men to refuse the presence of God Was there ever wickedness like this that the great God should be as an unbidden guest with his own creatures and have no better entertainment than Christ with the Gaderens who besought him to depart out of their Coast yea which is far worse rejected as Christ was by the possessed in the Gospel Matth. 8.29 What have we to do with thee Art thou come to torment us before the time Secondly Consider it will be a very terrible day when God and Christ
alimur ex quibus generamur is a true Maxim We are nourished of those of whom we are begotten Fathers when their children ask bread will not give them stones nor when they ask fish will they give them scorpions Mat. 7.9 He that provides not these things for his children is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 4.8 and hath God commanded this from Parents towards their children and will not God much more provide for his children that are truly regenerate and born again and that have his Image by faith engraven on their souls he would do it much more abundantly Mat. 7.11 If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him This then is one great priviledge that believers are made partakers of by vertue of this relation having God for their heavenly Father God will certainly provide good things for them both for their being and well-being here and hereafter and they may come to God as a Father with holy boldness of faith for all things that they shall stand in need of God takes care for those that are strangers and enemies to him and makes his rain to fall upon the unjust as well as upon the just Mat. 5.4 5 He giveth them rain from heaven silling their hearts with food and gladness Acts 14.7 And will he not much rather feed his own children he giveth food to all flesh Psal 136.25 And will he not much rather take care for his own children that are engrafted into him by faith that do love and serve him if God's bounty be largely extended to those that are strangers and enemies to him even to those that go on in sin and wickedness as many times it is then certainly he will kill the farted Calf for his own children as the Father of the prodigal did for his returning Son Nay in this the great God exceedeth earthly Parents as far as Heaven is above the earth for natural Parents they give good things to their children when they ask them but God the Father of Spirits will do much more abundantly for his children aboye what they are able to ask or think the Petitions of God's children may be large their desires and thoughts larger than heir Petitions for we are not always able to express outwardly what inwardly we desire but God will do more abundantly for his people beyond all these Let us look into the Word of God and we shall there see what noble provision he hath made for his people what food yea angels food he hath provided for them what a feast of fat things I mean of spiritual dainties and delicates he hath dressed for them for their bread they shall have the bread of life he that eateth thereof shall never hunger John 6.48 they shall have their fill of that hidden Manna laid up in the Sanctuary We read of Benjamins Messe Gen 4.3 last That it was five times as much as any of his Brethren but the children of God their food that they shall have from their heavenly Father shall be a thousand times better and more satisfactory than that which shall be given to the men of the World they shall have their measures heaped up pressed down and running over Psal 34.10 The young Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but the children of God those that cry unto God their Father shall want no good thing but especially spiritual good things they shall be sure to have their fill of these and shall be satisfied with them even as with marrow and fatness and for their drink they shall have the heavenly Nectar the water of Life the bloud of Jesus Christ the which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more John 4.14 they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house he will make them drink of the River of his pleasures for with God is the fountain of life in his light they shall see light Psal 38.8 9. there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Psal 46.4 and his Children shall drink of this River of Water of life clear as chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 22.1 it is for these especially that God hath provided the spiritual milk of the Word that they may grow thereby they shall suck sweetness out of the promises those rich breasts of consolation and for their apparel the Children of God may say as the Prophet Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels What shall I say they shall be cloathed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ a garment without spot or blemish white as snow even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of those Thus you have the first ground of consolation to Believers upon the account of having God for their Father he will certainly provide for them those things that shall be necessary both in this life and in the life to come Secondly Is God a Father to Believers then another ground of consolation is this That he will defend them from their enemies How mightily doth it provoke natural Parents to see their Children abused How quickly will their eye affect their heart and stir them up to come in and rescue them So will the Lord do for those that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration he will defend them he will be a wall of fire round about them so that all their enemies both spiritual and temporal shall not be able to do them any real hurt the Devil and all his wiles and temptations the World and all its tempting allurements yea all the policy and malice of Earth and Hell shall not be able to work their ruine the Lord is on their their side and they have more for them than they have against them Upon this consideration it was that David tells us in his Book of Psalms Though I walk saith he in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none ill for thou O Lord art my Rock and my Fortress and my salvation eke for ever Would we not account him unworthy the name of a Father that would suffer his Children to be beaten and abused and destroyed before his face and not act in their defence and will God suffer his dear Children so to be No certainly He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 and God accounts what is done to them as if it were done to himself in person In as much as ye did it unto those little ones ye did it unto me Will Christ say one day as he tells us Mat. 25.40 and in as much as ye did it not unto the least of these my brethren ye did
keep him from being dismayed at all the trouble and calamities that he meeteth withall in the world Fear not saith Christ little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom In this Observation there is two things supposed First It is supposed in this Doctrine that believers have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven This I need not now stand to prove having spoken to it already in the handling of the former Observation God being their Father he hath provided an eternal inheritance of glory for them in his eternal Kingdom Secondly It is supposed in the Doctrine that believers are like to meet with opposition from the world they are diligent in the practise of godliness are driving a Trade for Heaven they shall be sure to meet with abundance of trouble and hindrance from the world and the Prince of the world this is a truth exceeding manifest both from Scripture and experience We shall be hated of all men for his names sake Mat. 10.22 And because Christ hath chosen his people out of the world therefore the world hated him Jo. 15.19 And experience makes this evidence in all ages of the world those that are godly walk with God they have been sure to have their portion of afflictions and tribulations from the hands and tongues of the malicious and ungodly world my design is to shew what little cause the Servants of God that have an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven to be afraid or dismayed at any of these hindrances and oppositions that they meet withal in their way to Heaven For the handling of this Doctrine and the fiting of it for our improvement by Application I shall speak to these three things First I shall shew you by some instances from the word of God how the Saints that have had an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven have been incouraged in the ways of God and have had their spirits born up in their lowest condition and in their greatest tryals and troubles here below Secondly I shall shew you that believers are dehorted from dispondency and being dismayed under their sufferings upon the consideration of their Heavenly interest Thirdly I shall give you some Reasons why believers that have a Title to the Heavenly Glory should be couragious and undaunted and not dismayed at all their eternal Trials and Tribulations that they meet withal from the world and so shall come to the Application First For the first of these I might give you many instances from the word of God of the courage and magnanimity of the heirs of Heaven in their Tryals as David how couragious was he in the Lord even in his lowest condition Psalm 46.1 2 3 4. God is our resuge and our strength a very present help in Trouble therefore saith he will we not fear though the earth be removed though the Mountains be cast into the midst of the Sea though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah Psalm 118.6 The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me David he had put confidence in God and therefore was not afraid of man where the fear of God is and where the hope of glory is there the slavish fear of man will quickly vanish away this no doubt was that which made the three Children not to be afraid of the fiery Furnace nor Daniel of the Den of Lyons Dan. 3.16 and 6. We have a notable example to this purpose Hab. 3.17 18. Although the Fig-tree should not blossome nor fruit be in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat though the flocks should be out off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation The consideration of his heavenly interest and that God was the God of his salvation was that which not only kept the Prophet from being dismayed but also made him to rejoyce in the absence of all creature joys and comforts the want of these worldly things were not able to abate his heavenly joy which he had in the God of his salvation The consideration of their heavenly interest and their title to the everlasting glory was that which made the Apostles of Christ so couragious and comfortable under all their sufferings that they underwent for Christ This was that which made the Martyr Steven so fearless and undaunted when he was on the brink of death and when the stones flew about his ears when he could look up into Heaven the place of his Inheritance where he was going and take a view of that Heavenly glory Acts 7 55. A believer that can look up by an eye of faith upon Christ and Heaven and take a view of the unseen world the place of his eternal rest and felicity will be able in some measure to undergo with comfort the sharpest and bitterest persecutions that the malice of Men or Divels can expose him to This was that which made Paul and Sylas sing praises at midnight when they were shut up in prison and their feet in the stocks Acts 16.25 This was that which caused the believing Hebrews to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods even the consideration of their interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 10.34 For ye bad compassion of me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing that in Heaven you have a better and a more enduring substance Their knowledge of this their interest in the Heavenly riches made them willingly to part with the earthly riches for the sake of Christ Secondly The next thing to be spoken unto is this to shew that the people of God upon this consideration of their interest in the Kingdom of Glory have been dehorted from fear and dispondence and exhorted to courage and magnanimity in the ways of God Upon this consideration it is that Christ exhorts his little flock in the Text not to fear because that God would give them the Kingdom of Heaven How often are the Servants of God in Scripture dehorted from fear Isa 41.10 Fear not I am with thee be not dismaied I am thy God Vers 14. Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 50.7 8. Fear ye not the reproach of men be not dismayed at their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wool but my Righteousness shall be for ever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation And again Vers 12. Wâ—â— art thou that shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgetteth the Lord thy Maker that stretched out the Heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth And our Saviour in the New Testament to the supporting of Believers
intemperately to the honour of his Idol only in dead Vessels of Gold and Silver But these in doing thus abuse living Vessels living bodies and living souls such Vessels as by Baptism were markt out for God and separated and sealed to his holy service they abuse and prostitute to a Lust to a Whore to the Devil Ah! who can but weep and weep again to see how much of our English Bloud is poyson'd with these beastly Enormities at this day and how many of our otherwise hopeful Gentlemen who might do God and their Country much service and be a great help to the publick good and peculiar blessing to the place where they live do basely and unworthily melt away their youth and Emasculate their spirits in drunken Societies and Effeminate Embraces Alas that so many Noble Births so many sparkling Wits should be prostituted to Satans service and imployed in carrying on Satans cause while they know it not If they had found a Golden Chalice as Augustine observes of Lucinus they would have given it to the Church But God hath given them a Golden Wit a golden Head and golden parts and in these golden Cups and Challices they drink themselves to the Devil both body and soul for evermore Ah deluded and degenerated Gentlemen think with your selves seriously what answer you will make to your Judge at the general Audit-day for taking the Members of Christ and making them members of an Harlot Never see my face more said Joseph unless you bring your brother Benjamin with you Oh friends never think to see Gods face to your comfort in Glory if you carry not holy bodies and holy souls and holy affections with you God tells you his minde in Heb. Follow peace and holiness without which you shall never see the Lord You may go to Heaven without a peny in your purse but you shall never come there without holiness in your heart Heaven is a City where Righteousness dwells and therefore though God in his wonderful patience to poor lost man suffer the Earth to give the ungodly a little house-room a while yet sure I am he will never cumber Heaven with such a crew Before Enoch was translated to Heaven he walkt holily upon Earth else God had never desired his Company so soon as he did And before the Saints departed commenced and took their degree of Glory they kept their Acts and performed the exercises of grace and so must you the Scripture is plain Without Holiness none shall see the Lord. It 's true none goes to Heaven for his Holiness and this shews the Insufficiency of Holiness But it 's as true that none goes to Heaven without holiness and this argues the necessity of holiness And therefore though it be no plea for Heaven yet it will be your best Evidence and will you have your Evidences to seek when you should have them to shew Ah then as you value a portion among the Saints in Light and hope to live in Heaven when you can live no longer upon Earth Be holy as your Father which is in Heaven is holy Caesars money must be known by Caesars Image and Superscription and so must the Christian at the Reckoning day by the Terror of his Conversation Not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of the Lord shall be saved saith Christ Your works must be your witnesses and your deeds must declare whose you are and to whom you belong And therefore begin to live that life now which you intend and hope to live for ever and continue not one day longer in that condition in which you would not die and appear at Judgment in Therefore go home and dress your selves not with good Cloaths but with good works and while others are querying what they shall eat and what they shall drink and what they shall put on study you how to live and how to dye and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof And when others are projecting how to improve a barren piece of ground let your contrivance be how to improve a barren minde and as their care is that their fields should not lye fallow so let it be your study not to let your hearts lye fallow and the rather because you see that this is the will of God even your sanctification that every one of you should possess his Vessel in holiness 1 Thes 4.3 4. Now that this is the will of God will appear upon a two-fold account 1. First from the price with which he hath redeemed us to it 2. And Secondly from the Promise which he hath made to Reward us for it 1. The price he paid down upon the nail was his own blood Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people Had man kept his primitive holiness Christ might have kept his life and have spared his pains It was mans lost Righteousness lost Holiness that Christ came to recover But this is a Point that needs pressing rather than proving which I shall undertake to effect by these ensuing obrestations and intreaties I beseech you upon the account of these three Considerations that you would approve your selves a holy Nation a Seed which the Lord hath blessed I beseech you 1. For my sake 2. For your sakes 3. For Christs sake First for my sake who am to come to you as a Petitioner and Messenger from the Lord and the sum of my desires is this I beseech you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God I am not courting you for your silver but for your souls and what will you grant me if this be denied me O the Lord make you a willing people in the day of his power God hath sent me to you as Jesse to David with this Present in mine hands and these Breathings in my heart after your Salvation O may they but prove serviceable and successful to your souls and I shall bless God that hath put it into mine heart thus to visit you But if you will not hear nor fear to do no more so wickedly My soul shall weep in secret for you Is it not sad to a tender Physitian to see his Patients to dye under his hands much sadder sure to a poor Minister to see souls drop to Hell one by one under his Pulpit and cannot help them cannot save them this must needs be a heart-sadding sight to one that 's sensible of the worth of souls It costeth the Mother no small pains to bring forth a living Child But ah the bitter Throws of that Minister that travels all the year long nay all his life long with a dead Child a dead-hearted people That spends his strength and like a Candle Swails out his life amongst his Parish and is forced at last to take up the Prophets complaint Who hath believed our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord
can truly be called or by Christians can be counted heavy but sin and this is a burthen which makes the whole Creation to groan under it take away sin and a man's life will be no longer a burthen to him this is the heavy burthen as for other burthens they are light and that first Absolutely Secondly they are light comparatively 1. If you compare them with the pains which Christ endured Or Secondly With the pains of Hell which you deserved First If you compare them with the pains that Christ endured look but into Isa 53. and you shall see that whole Chapter spent in relating that bloody Tragedy which Christ acted for the Salvation of the World He was despised and rejected of men saith the Prophet He hath bore our Griefs and carried our Sorrows ver 4. He was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities And thus the Text runs on in Teares O what a suffering-Race did he run that he might overtake us before we got to Hell Methinks I see what haste he makes on this suffering-Errand and hear him cry to his Father while yet afar off Lo I come to do thy will O my God See here how the heart of Christ like an Eccho rebounds to his Fathers call When his Father spoke to him to undertake the Redemption-Work of saving a lost and undone World he did not reluct nor answer with Moses Exod. 4.13 I pray thee send some other on this Message but Lo I come saith Christ to do thy will O my God And now Christians tell me Doth not thy dear Lord deserve thus much from thee to endure a little for his sake who hath endured so much for thine What though thy afflictions cost thee Tears Christ's afflictions cost him blood and though thou losest the comforts of this Life this is nothing comparable to Christ's loss who lost life it self Ah! what loss can match this loss and whose sufferings like his sufferings Do'st thou sigh under the sense of thy grievance thus My soul is sorrowful But Christ went further and said My soul is sorrowful to death Mat. 26.38 Do'st thou cry My God my God why hast thou afflicted me But Christ said more My God my God why hast thou forsaken me consider this and leave complaining Secondly Your Cross is easie if you compare it with the pain of Hell which you have deserved Ah! there 's never a one of you but would be in Hell before to morrow if God should give you your due there are many there for those very sins which you live in Dives is in Hell for making an Idol of his Wealth have none of you done so Haman is in Hell for pride and are you not proud Sodom is in Hell for contempt of the Prophets of the Lord and for neglecting the day of Peace and the day of Grace the day of Gods patience and striving with them and is not this Englands sin at this very day The old Word is burning in Hell for burning in lust on Earth and was this sin ever more predominant than in this juncture of time Herod hath been lying in Hell a thousand and six hundred years for taking John Baptists Head from him Ah England England Is not this thy charge Hath not this been thy practice these late years And art thou not plung'd deep in thy own blood-guiltiness Herod did but cut one mans Head off and he is gone to Hell for it Oh what an Hell may est thou look for who hast got so many Heads and drunk the Blook of thousands of the Saints and faithful Servants of the most High What City is there wherein there is not some Noble Births some of Englands Worthies Sacrificed to the bloody itch and Bedlam Surges of a Civil War I had almost said of an Vncivil Peace What Town is there wherein there is not some Families repeating over the Lamentations of Jeremiah and saying I am the man that hath seen affliction by the Rod of his wrath Sion doth mourn Judah is gone into captivity the prophets sigh the sheep are scattered and wo is my soul because of murderers How many of the dear Children of God are crying for bread for the powerful Preaching of the Word amongst them and there is no bread to be given them nor the pleasant voice of their faithful Ministers to be heared amongst them and they left to lament over their silenced Ministers as King Joash wept over the dying Prophet 2 Kings 13.14 O my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the horse-men thereof Will not God visit for these Will he not be avenged on such a Nation as this Yes yes he will Israel's woe may be England's warning Amos 4. Thus will I do unto thee and because I will do thus unto thee therefore prepare thy heart to meet thy God O England But this is a digression That which I am to speak to is this You are to bear the Cross contentedly because what ever you do Endure it is nothing to what you deserve or to what the damned in Hell Endure In Hell there is variety of torments and extremity of torments and eternity of torments not one way but a thousand wayes to make a poor soul miserable everlastingly miserable And who can bear variety Who can bear Eternity Who can bear Eternity of torments Yet all this you must bear if ever it be your lot to lie in Hell Here it may be you want one mercy but blessed be God you have another in lieu of it you want health but you want not friends you want money but you want not a Christ you want an Estate but you want not a contented mind though your life be not absolutely made up of comforts which is your misery yet it is not altogether composed of crosses and is not this a Mercy And thus is your life checqu'rd with blacks and whites so that you have never such cause of Mourning but withall you have some just ground of rejoycing but in Hell there 's nothing to be seen but objects of sorrow and nothing to be heard except inducements to grief not one merry day and one sad not one hour of pain and another of ease not one cross and one comfort but all crosses and curses do meet there like lines in their proper center Compare now your sufferings with the sufferings of Hell and let this quiet you That School-boy thinks he gets well off when deserving a Rod he escapes with a Reproof What a mercy then may you count it that when you deserve a Curse from Christ you escape with the Cress of Christ afflicted on Earth when you might justly be tormented in Hell Think of it then are you corrected It 's the Lords mercy that you are not consumed Hath God taken away your health from you it's well you escape so he might have taken away your life from you and your Christ from you and where had you been then In a word how much soever God
is such as shall endure for ever Your Riches your Comforts your Friends may be with you to day and be gone to morrow but with whom God is once graciously present to them he continues the presence of his grace his love and his favour for ever God may indeed withdraw the light of his countenance for a time but totally and for ever he will never desert those that walk in obedience with him All things without God are full of vanity and change onely the Lord will never utterly absent himself from us if once he be graciously present with us He is a faithful Friend loving at all times his favour is a Sun that knows no setting and his presence a Well of comfort springing up to eternal Life John 4.14 13.1 So that if you regard a Treasure that shall never be taken from you that favour which shall never end in frowns make sure of God's gracious presence by walking in obedience with him according to what you have heard and learned and received from him 9 Consider Such is the presence of God with those that walk in obedience with him that it 's every way suitable and correspondent to their souls necessities What ever the soul can desire what ever it stands in need of may be found in God's gracious presence this is beauty to adorn this is gold to enrich this is balm to heal this is bread to strengthen this is wine to comfort and make glad the soul in the time of heaviness Are we in danger this is a shield Are we disconsolate this is a Sun If in a word we be pursued by any calamity this is like the munition of Rocks an hiding-place against the storm and a Tower wherein we may find safety If then God's gracious presence be thus proper to our wants and so suitable to all our necessities how ought we to labour for it by walking in obedience with him according to what we have heard and learned and received from him 10. And lastly Such is the presence of God with those that obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received that it fit them for everlasting Communion with him in Glory God's people they go from Communion to Communion from Communion with God in a state of grace to Communion with God in a state of glory For with whomsoever God is graciously present here they shall hereafter enjoy his blissful soul-ravishing and beatifical presence to all Eternity If then you desire to be with the Lord for ever where you shall see his glory enjoy his presence and be satisfied with pleasures at his tight hand for evermore then see that you walk in obedience before him For those onely shall enjoy God's presence in a state of glory with whom he is now present in a state of grace There is no commencing Saints either Militant on Earth or Triumphant in Heaven per Saltum If we draw not nigh to God in a way of obedience here we must hereafter be punished with everlasting destruction from his presence and from the glory of his Power Thus by Divine assistance I have shewed you the excellency of Gods presence with all such as obey him according to what they have heard and learned and received from him Now then do not deprive your selves of so glorious a privilege but see that henceforth you walk in obedience with God giving diligence to practise those things you have learned But that you may not at length be disappointed neither finding God graciously present with you here nor enjoying his presence in glory hereafter be sure that in doing what you have heard learned and received you observe these following directions 1. Be sure that of all which you have heard and learned and received tither of me or of any other you practice that onely which you find to be of God and according to the unerring Rule of his Word We have one Heavenly King and must therefore observe one Law we have one God and must Worship by one Rule We have one Shepheard and must be commanded by one Voice We have in a word one Head and must follow upon that account one direction All that builded Noah's Ark builded by one pattern so all that intend to build themselves an Heavenly and Spiritual House to GOD must build by one Rule All Israel travelled to the Land of Canaan by the light of one fiery Pillar So all that will travel to the Heavenly Canaan of God's gracious presence must make his Word a light to their feet and a lanthorn to their paths All the passengers in a Ship sail by one Compass so all that will fteer a right course to the Haven of Eternal Rest must keep close to the unerring Rule of Gods Word as their onely Compass Phil. 3.16 For it 's Gods Prerogative to prescribe and mans duty to conform our service is no service not will God be present with us in any thing that we do farther then we have heard and learned and received it from him Mat. 15.9 Let then every man amongst you that desires Gods presence either in grace here or in glory hereafter be like those noble Bereans examining the ground of their Faith and obedience Oh do not offer to God a sacrifice without eyes your Religion must be Scripture-Religion and all your obedience commanded therein would you ever be accepted of God in what you do 2. Be sure that what ever you have heard received and learned you do it cordially without dissembling The obedience of the life without when integrity of heart and the life of grace is wanting within finds no acceptance with God nor will he ever be graciously present with those who onely draw nigh unto him by an external conformity Obedience without the heart and to practise what we have heard and learned and received but not in sincerity will bring neither glory to God nor comfort to us Do not then dissemble any longer with the God of Heaven Oh be not industrious to plot your own death and through your hypocrisie go to Hell in the way of duty but what ever you have heard what ever you have learned what ever you have received be sure that you do it heartily as unto God 3. Be sure that what ever you have heard and learned and received you do it univerfally without any reservation True obedience is universal doing many things and neglecting others will not save one leak in the ship of thy Soul is enough to sink it in eternal perdition Psal 119. The hypocrite will walk in some of Gods Statutes but with David you must have respect to all his Commandments if you ever desire the Lord to be present with you as he was with David Every duty therefore commanded be sure that you do it and every sin forbidden be sure that you shun it as Hell it self Many wholsom Doctrines have been taught and many soul-saving Truths have been made known among you well of all that you ever
Martyrs 7. And lastly the Remish religion is a self-contradicting religion One of their Canons saith a man in some cases may take the Sacrament at the hand of an Heretick another Canon saith he may not A learned and judicious Writer observes above an hundred Contradictions in their Religion Therefore again I press the words of my Text Wherefore my beloved nay let me say my dearly beloved flee from Idolaâ—ry To shut up all let me exhort you to these two or three things First Hold fast the Doctrine of the true Orthodex Protestant Religion the very filings of this gold is precious Keep all the Articles of the Christian Faith if you let one fundamental article of your Faith go you hazard your Salvation When Samson pulled down but on Pillar immediately the whole Fabrick tumbled so if you destroy one Pillar if you let go one Fundamental of Truth you endanger all Secondly Hold forth the profession of the Protestant Religion I say do not only hold fast the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion but hold forth the Profession of the Protestant Religion Be not ashamed to wear Christs Colours Christians remember this one thing those Persons that are ashamed of Christ are a very shame unto Christ The Religion I exhort you to flee from is a novelty that which I press you to stand to is a verity it is consonant to Scripture it is built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and hath been sealed to by the blood of many Saints and Martyrs Thirdly and lastly do not only hold fast and hold forth but also adorn the Protestant Religion this is holy Pauls Exhortation to Titus Tit. 2.10 Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour Adorn Religion with a holy Conversation There is nothing hardens Papists so much as the loosness of Protestants Therefore adorn your holy Religion with a holy Conversation Do as Christ did tread in his steps make your Saviour your Pattern Let me assure you I can hardly think they do truly beleeve in Christ that do not really conform unto Christ The Primitive Christians Sanctity did much-what propogate Christianity And this is that beseech you carry home with you Hold fast and hold forth the Protestant Religion and adorn it with a Holy and Bible-Conversation and when you do not hear me Preaching to you yet let me beseech you hear this good Word speaking in you Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Consider what hath been said and the Lord make it advantagious to all your Souls The Prayers of several of these Divines Mr. Calamy's Prayer at Aldermanbury OH most Holy thou ever blessed Lord God thou fillest Heaven and Earth with thy Presence We pray thee fill all our hearts with the Presence of thy Grace and let it appear that thou art in the midst of us with that powerfull assistance of thy Spirit that we may receive a token of thy love from thee at this time It is a singular favour that the doores of thy Sanctuary are open to us and that yet we may meet together in thy Name we pray the continue it to us and sanctifie it to us that every Sabbath may add to our stature in Jesus Christ We confess we have forfeited all our mercies wee have heard much of God and Christ and Heaven with our ears but there is little of God Christ and Heaven in our hearts We confess many of us by hearing Sermons are grown Sermon-proof VVe know how to scoff and mock at Sermons but we know not how to live Sermons It is a miracle of free grace thou hast not taken the Gospel from us ere this time but thou art a merciful God and though we cannot please thee yet Mercy pleaseth thee and we have no argument to bring along with us to beg thy favours but thy Mercy in Jesus Christ We pray thee that thou wilt glorifie thy Soveraignty in being gracious to us and pardon our many and great transgressions Thou makest use of the malice of men for thy Glory Thou killest Goliah with his own Sword O help us to put our trust in thee thou that canst kill and cure by killing Blesse these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and find out yet a way to save us Pour down thy blessings upon the head and heart of our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace King of Great Britiain thou hast done great things for him let him do Great things for thee Bless him in his Royal Consort in his Royal Relations in his Council Bless the Magistrates and Ministers of this Realm Lord forgive us for we live as if we had been delivered to work wickedness we cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do we pray thee humble us under our great and grievous sins give us repentance unto Salvation and a lively Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ Quicken our graces forgive our sins make alive our Souls let us be such as thou wouldst have us to be make us Christians not only by an outward Profession but an inward Conversation that we may live in Heaven while we are on Earth and come to Heaven when we shall leave the Earth To that purpose bless thy Word unto us at this time and give us all grace to make conscience of what we hear and how we hear and all for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be all Glory and Honour Amen Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane ETernal most Mighty and most glorious Lord God thou art God alone and besides thee there is no Saviour or helper our strength stands in thy Name who hast made both Heaven and Earth of our selves we are able to do nothing that is pleasing in thy sight we can pollute thy Name but we cannot honour thy Name we can run away from thee but we cannot run unto thee unless thou dost powerfully draw us by the holy spirit We can grieve thy spirit but we cannot grieve for grieving of thy spirit Oh let thy strength be manifested in our weakness look upon us with the favour thou bearest to thy children Enter not into judgment with thy servants for we cannot answer thee one of a thousand not one thought of a thousand thoughts not one word of a thousand words most of our actions have been reproveable and the best of our services have been unprofitable our omissions commissions and presumptions have been multiplyed intolerably Oh! how often have we take 〈◊〉 Name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often haâ—â— we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sins and from committing sins to the confessing sin again as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty Though we know thy Favour is better than life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into tears for our unkindnesse and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs have
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless
wâ—th us all thine remember thy people from one end of the world to the other Thy people are very low this is a time of Jacobs troubles the Bush is burning every day Oh thou the Hope of Israel the Saviour therof shew thy self in mercy to these Nations We bless thee for all thy mercies that thy judgements do not seize upon us every day that thou dost not sweep us away that thou dost not rain Fire Brimstone on England as thou didst on Sodom our sins cry aloud to heaven for vengeance God is greatly provoked every day it is a miracle of patience that thou hast not destroyed us God can pardon the sins of the Nation at once but we are not fit for pardon we do not humble our selves O Lord humble us give repentance to England from the highest to the lowest that we may return unto thee We desire to bless thee that our Eemies have not had their wills over us they said they would pursue and overtake and satisfie their lusts but God did blow upon them and they did sink in the mighty Water and thou hast yet preserved thy Church we pray thee do not leave us nor remove thy Gospel whatsoever thou dost Pour down elle choicest of thy bâ—essings upon our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace of England Scotland France and Ireland Bless him with the Blessing of Heaven and Earth make him a blessing to all of us Bless him in all his Relations the Lords of the privy Councel Look on them that have desired an interest in our prayers known to thee are all of them know their souls in this time of adversity make their beds in their siekness Give Faith to them that complain of unbelief give the Spirit of Prayer to those that complain they cannot pray be a Councellor to those that wan councel in their affaires either by Sea or Land let thy blessig go with them whereever they go Spare the lives of Children if it be thy will Prepare us for thy good and holy Word let it be a savour of lise unto life and let it come with power unto us Oh let us hear it as thy Word not as the word of a poor man but as the Word of God and all for the Lord Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to whom with thee and the Spirit of Grace be given Glory and Honour for evermore Mr. Waltons Prayer in Walbrook O Lord God all our springs are in thee it is good for us to draw nigh to thee through Jesus Christ thou art all fulness thou art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and in him our Father thou art our light thou givest us these blessed opportunities of enjoying communian with thy self God blessed for ever These mercies are forfeited mercies we have abused the blessings of thy House we have grieved thy blessed Spirit therefore it is just with thee to deprive us of these comforts and to make us know the worth of these mercies by the want of them Lord we desire to judge our selves that we may not be condemned with the world Righteous art thou O Lord and just in all thy judgements we confess we are unworthy to have any converse with so holy a God we are polluted dust and ashes not worthy to tread thy Courts and it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed how often have we pluckt fruit from the forbidden tree we have sinned presumptuously against the clearest Light and the dearest love alwaies have we sinned thy footsteps have dropt fatness thou hast shewen mercy to us but the better thou hast been to us the worse we have been to thee thou hast loaded us with thy mercies and we have wearied thee with our sins when we look into our selves Oh the poyson of our natures whatever the Leper did touch was unclean Thus do we by our spiritual Leprosie infect our holy things our prayers had need have pardon and our tears had need have the blood of sprinkling to wash them how vain are our vows how sensual are our affections we confess we are untuned and unstrung for every holy Action we are never out of tune to sin but alwaies out of tune to pray we give the world our male affections and our strong desires we should use this world as if we used it not and alwies we pray as if we prayed not and serve thee as if we served thee not there is not that reverence nor that devotion nor that activeness of faith that there should be Lord if thou wouldst say that thou wouldst pardon all our sins to this time only judge us for this prayer wo unto us what breathings of unbelief and hypocrisie is there now when we approach unto thee we pray thee pardon us for Christs sake Who can tell how oft he doth offend we can as well reckon the drops of the Ocean as number our sins we have filled the number of the Nations sins but we have not filled thy bottle with our tears This is that that doth exceedingly aggravate our sins that we cannot mourn for sin we can grieve for our losses but we cannot mourn for our unkindnesses we have crucified the Lord of life sin hath not only defiled us but hardned us nothing can melt us but the love of Christ nothing can soften us but the blood of Christ O with-hold not thy mercies from us O help us to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let us look on Christ weep over him let us look on a broken Christ with broken hearts and on a bleeding Christ with bleeding hearts let us mourn for our dis-ingenuity that we should grieve that God that is always doing us good Oh! humble us for our unkindnesse and for Christs sake blot out our transgressions they are more than we can number not more than God can pardon Though we have lost the duty of children thou hast not lost the goodness of a Father Let us be held forth as patterns of mercy so shall we trumpet forth thy praise to all Eternity Whatever afflictions thou layest upon our bodies let not our sins be unpardoned let not sin and affliction be together upon us let their be peace in Heaven and peace in the Court of Conscience We have found this part of thy Word true In the world we shall have troubles let us find the other part true in Jesus Christ we shall have peace Oh let peace and holiness go together make us new Creatures that we may be glorious Creatures Without Faith Christ will not profit us when we can call nothing in the world ours let us call Christ ours Lord draw thine Image every day more lively upon us a more lively hope and a more inflamed love to Christ let us have a spirit of courage and resolution keep us from the fallacies of our own hearts keep us from the defilements of the times make us pure in heart that we may see God that we may have Gospel spirits humble spirits