of God never departs â—here hee once takes up his loâ—ging there is no question therefore of the salvation of the righteous they are as it were saved already Let this teach us thus much that in all the changes and alterations which the faith of man is subject unto hee is sure of one thing all the troubles and all the enemies of the world shall not hinder his salvation If it bee possible the Elect should bee deceived but it is not possible Oh what a comfort is this that in the midst of all the oppositions and plottings of men and Devils yet notwithstanding some what we have that is not in the power of any enemy to take from us nor in our owne power to lose namely our salvation set this against any evill whatsoever and it swallowes up all Put caâ—e a man were subject to an hundred deaths one after another what are all these to salvation Put case a man were in such griefe that hee wept teares of blood alas in the day of salvation all teares shall be wiped from his eyes Set this I shall be saved against any misery you can imagine and it will unspeakably comfort and revive the soule beyond all But it is here said hee shall scareely be saved This is not a word of doubt but of difficulty it is not a word of doubt of the event whether hee shall be saved or no there is no doubt at all of that but it is a word of difficulty in regard of the way and passage thither so it is here taken which leads mee to a second point that the way to come to salvation is full of difficulties Because there is much adoe to get Lot out of Sodome to get Israel out of Egypt it is no easie matter to get a man out of the state of corruption oh the sweetnesse of sinne to an unregenerate man oh how it cuts his very heart to thinke what pleasures and what profits what friends and what esteeme amongst men he must part withall what a doe is there to pull him out of the kingdome of Sathan wherein the strong man held him before Againe it is hard in regard of the sin that continually cleaves to them in this world which doth as it were shackle them and compasse them about in all their performances They would doe well but sinne is at hand ready to hinder stop them in good courses so that they cannot serve God with such cheerfulnesse and readinesse as they desire to doe Every good worke they doe it is as it were pulled out of tho fire they cannot pray but the flesh resists they cannot suffer but the flesh drawes back in all their doing and suffering they carry an enemy in their owne bosomes that hinders them Beloved this no small affliction to Gods people how did this humble Paul when no other affliction laid upon him Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death it was more troublesome to him than all his irons and pressures whatsoever Besides it is a hard matter in regard of Sathan for hee is a great enemy to the peace of Gods children when they are once pulled out of his kingdome hee sends flouds of reproaches and persecutions after them and presently sends hue and crie as Pharaoh after the Israelites oh how it spights him What shall a piece of dust and clay bee so neare God when I am tumbled out of heaven my selfe though I cannot hinder him from salvation I will hinder his peace and joy he shall not have heaven upon earth I will make him walke as uncomfortably as I can thus the Devill as hee is a malignant creature full of envy against Gods poore Saints so hee is a bitter enemy of the peace and comfort which they enjoy and therefore troubles them with many temptations from himselfe and his instraments to interrupt their peace and make the hearts of Gods people sad all he can TheÌ„ by reason of great discouragement il usage which they finde in the world form wiâ—ked men who are the Devils pipes ledd with his spirit to vexe and trouble the meeke of the earth for though they thinke not of it Sathan is in their divellish natures hee joynes and goes along with their spirits in hating and opposing the Saints of God for indeed what hurt could they doe but by his instigation How are good men despised in the world How are they made the onely Butt to shoot at Alas beloved wee should rather incourage men in the waies of holinesse wee see the number of such as truly feare God is but small soone reckoned up they are but as grapes after the vintage or a few berryes after the shaking one of a City two of a Tribe they have little incouragement from any but discouragements on all sides Besides this Scandall makes it a hard matter to bee saved to see evill courses and evill persons flourish and counten anced in the world Oh it goes to the heart of Gods people makes them slagget at Gods providence it is a bitter temptation and shakes the faith of holy men as wee see Psal. 73. Againe it makes the heart of a good Chrisâ—ian bleed within him to see scandalls arise from professors of the Gospell when they are not so watchfull as they should bee but bring a reproach upon Religion by their licentious lives Yea Gods children suffer much for their friends whose wicked courses are layd to their charge and sometimes even by their friends for whilest they live here the best of all are subject to some weakenes or other which causeth even those that are our inâ—ouragers through jealousy or corruption one way or another to dishearten and trouble us in the way to heaven This likewise makes the way difficult we are too to apt to offend God daily giving him just cause to withdraw his spirit of comfort from us Which makes us goe mourning all the day long wanting those sweet refreshments of spirituall joy and peace wee had before the more comfort Gods child hath in communion with God the more hee is grieved when hee wants it When Christ wanted the sweet solace of his Father upon the Crosse how did it trouble him My â—od my God why hast thou for saken mee How did hee sweate water and bloud in the garden when hee felt but a little while his Fathers displeasure for sinne Thus is it with all Gods children they are of Christs minde in their spirituall desertions And when they have gotten a little grace how difficult is it to keepe it to keepe our selves in the sense of Gods love To manage our Christian State aright to walke worthy of the Gospell that God may still doe us good and delight to bee present with us What a great difficulty is it to bee alwaies striving against the Streame and when wee are cast backe to get forward still and not bee dâ—scouraged
day for suffering their spirits to thove them too farre into sinne Many suck out the delight of sinne before they act it as Esau pleased himselfe by thinking the day of mourning for his father would come wherein hee might bee revenged of his brother Yet this sinne was not onely spirituall and imminent but transient likewise it reached against the second Table and therefore against the principles of nature and against society out of which God gathers a church there was false witnesse and murther in this finne In this respect it is that the sinnes of the second Table are greater then the sinnes of the first because they are against more cleare light A naturall conscience hath a cleerer eye in these things here is light upon light for both grace and nature condemne these sinnes Yet for order in sinning the rise of all sinne against man is our sinning against God first for none sinne against men but they sinne against God in the first place whereupon the breach of the first commandement is the ground of the breach of all the rest for if God were set up in the heart in the first place there parents would be honoured and all kinde of injury suppressed for conscience sake the Scripture gives this as a cause of the notorious courses of wicked men that God is not in all their thoughts they forget there is a God of vengeance and a day of reckoning the foole would needs inforce upon his heart that there is no God and what followes Corrupt they are there is none doth good they eate up my people as bread c. they make no more bones of devouring men and their estates than they make conscience of eating a peece of bread What a wretched condition hath sinne brought man unto that the great God who filleth heaven and earth should yet have no place in the heart which he hath especially made for himselfe The sunne is not so cleare as this truth that God is for all things in the world are because God is if he were not nothing could bee It is from him that wicked men have that strength they have to commit sinne therefore sinne proceeds from Atheisme especially these plotting sinnes for if God were more thought on hee would take off the soule from sinfull contrivings and fixe it upon himselfe But by whom and against whom was this plotting by children of the Church not uncircumcised Philistims Opposition is bitterest betwixt those that are neerest as betwixt the flesh and the spirit in the same soule betweene hypocrites and true hearted Christians in the same wombe of the Church Brethren they were but strange children Children by the Mothers side all bred in the same Church but had not the same father Children by the mothers side only are commonly persecutors Popish spirits count it presumption to know who is their father which shewes them to bee bastard children The greatest sins of all are committed within the church because they are committed against the greatest light whereupon that great sin against the Holy Ghost Which like lonas his whale devourous all at once is not committed out of the Church at all Oh beloved how should wee reverence the blessed truth of God and gracious motions of his Spirit If it bee sinne to kill infants in the wombe what is it to kill the breed of the blessed spirit in our hearts But against whom was this plot directed even against David a prophet and a King a Kingly Prophet a man after Gods owne heart though not according to theirs A sacred Person and therefore inviolable Touch not mine Anointed and dâ—â— my Prophets no harme it was a prohibition from heaven David was a man eminent in goodnesse and goodnesse invested in greatnesse is a faire marke for envie to shoot at What men for sloth care not to doe for weaknes cannot or for pridâ— will not imitate that they maligne sitting cursing and sretting at the 〈◊〉 oâ— the hill a those which they see goe aboveâ—hem â—hem whose life gâ—â—â—gth witnesse againâ—t them When goodnes shines forth it presently meets with envy until it come to the height to bee above envie as the Sunne at the highest hath no shadow Envie hathan ill eye it cannot looke on goodnesse without griefe the spirit that is in us lusteth after envie pursuing of goodnesse in men and men for goodnesse is a sinne of a deepe dye because whosoever hates a man for goodnesse hates goodnesse it selfe and he that hates goodnesse it selfe hates it most in the fountaine so becomes a hater of God himselfe and if Christ were in such a mans power he should escape no better than his members doe for Christ is joyned either in love or hatred with his cause and children he and his have common friends and common enemies Men thinke they have to deale with silly men but they shall one day finde that they have to deale with the great Lord of heaven and earth But what was the manner of carrying their designe this cruell plot was cunningly carryed for they kill him in his good name first and accuse him as an enemy to the State that so their slanders may make way for violence Satan is a lyar first and then a murderer yea therefore a lyar that he may be a murtherer the better he is first a Serpent then a lyar and first a lyon couchant then a lyon rampant he teaches his Schollers the same method Cruelty marchâ—â—h furiously and under warrahâ— with priviledge when it hath slander to countenâ—nce it Taiâ—o men once in the opinion of the world and then they lye open to any usage it is not onely 〈◊〉 but glorious to oppose 〈◊〉 and thus Vertue comes to have the reward due to wickednesse and passes under publike hatred the open cause and pretence is one and the inward moving cause another which perhaps lyes hid till the day of revelation of the secrets of all flesh as in a clock the wheeles and the hand appeare openly but the weights that move all are out of sight But what course took David herein Innocency was his best apologie and when that would not doe then patience hee saw God in the wrongs he suffered God bad Shimei c. but this invites more injuries therefore by prayer he layes upon his soule to God Davids prayer prevailed more in heaven than Achitophels policy could doe on earth Carnall men are pregnant and full of wiles and fetches to secure themselves but godly men have one onely refuge and hiding place yet that is a great one namely to run to God by prayer as to their rocke and tower of defence in their distresses From all this that hath beene said there ariseth these conclusions First that even the best of Gods Saints are lyable to bee the subjects of the plots of wicked men 1. From an Antipathy betweene the two contrary seeds in them 2. Because God will not have his children love the world therefore he suffers
they thought to bring upon David This defeating ariseth by five steps 1. They were disappointed 2. they fell into danger 3. they were contrivers of this danger themselves 4. there was a pâ—â—nall proportion they fell into the same danger which they plotâ—ed for another 5. they were a meanes of doing good to him whom they devised evil against and raised him whom they thought to pull downe David sped the better for Shimeis malice and Achitophels pollicy See all these five likewise in the example of Haman and Mordecai 1. Hâ—man missed of his plot 2. he fell into danger 3. hee fell into the same danger which hee contrived himselfe 4. he fell into the same danger which hee contrived for Mordecai and 5. was the meanes of Mordecaies advancement It had beene enough to have woven a spiders webb which is done with a great deale of art and yet comes to nothing but to hatch a Cockatrices egge that brings forth a viper which stings to death this is a double vexation Yet thus God delighteth to catch the wise in the imagination of their owne hearts and to pay them in their owne coine The wicked carry a lye in their right hand for they trust in man which is but a lye and being lyars themselves too no marvell if their hopes prove deceitfull so that while they sow the winde they reape the whirlewinde The reason of Gods dealing in this kinde is first in regard of himselfe God will not lose the glory of any of his Attributes he will be knowne to be God onely wise and this he will let appeare then especially when wicked men thinke to over-reach him Secondly in regard of his tender care over his children they are as the apple of his eye and as they are very neare so they are very deare to him they cost him deare they are his Iewels and hee gave a Iewell of infinite price for them he is interessed in their quarrells and they in hâ—s If they bee in any misery Gods bowells yearne for them hee is alwayes awake and never slumbereth as we see in the parable the Master of the house waked while the servants slept Gods eye is upon them for good hee hath them written in the palmes of his hands Christ carryest them alwayes in his breast Christ who is the husband of his Church is Lord of heaven and earth and hath all pâ—wer committed to him and will rule in the midst of his enemies He is the onely Monarch of the world and makes both all things and persons serviceable to his owne end and his Churches good he is higher then the highest Satan the God of the world is but his and his Churches slave All things are the Churches to further its best good Another reason is the insolency of the enemies whose fiercenesse turnes at length to Gods praise for as hee is a just Lord so hee will be knowne to be so by executing of judgement it shall appeare that there is a God that judgeth the earth Againe Gods children will give him no rest when he seemes to sleepe they will awake him with their prayers They will not let him goe without a blessing from him they will prevaile by importunity as the widow in the Gospell Having to deale with a just God in a just cause against common enemies his as wel as theirs they binde him with his owne promises and hee is content to be bound because he hath bound himselfe first hee will not lose that part of his title whereby he is knowne to be a God hearing prayers But it will be objected that wicked men doe not onely set themselves against the people of God but prevaile over them even to the scorne of the beholders Tully could say The gods shew how much they esteeme of the Iewish nation by suffering them so often to be conquered Hath not Antichrist a long time prevailed and was it not foretold that the beast should prevaile where is then the bringing forth of a lye I answere the enemies have power but no more then is given them of God as Christ answered Pilate they prevail indeed but it is for a time a limited time that a short one too ten dayes c. and what is this to that vast time of their tormâ—nt the time will come when there shall be no more time for them to persecuâ—e in Besides even when they doe prevaile it is but over part onely not over the whole they prevaile over persons it may be not over the cause that stands impregnable they prevaile over mens lives perhaps but not over their spirits which is that they chiesty aime at A true Christian conquers when hee is conquered Steven prevailed over his enemies when they seemed to prevaile over him God put glory upon him and a spirit of glory into him The Chuâ—ches enemies may prevaile in some place but then as the sea they lose in another The more they cut downe Gods people as Pharaoh did the Israelites the more they multiply and the more they are kept strait the more they spread and are inlarged God suffers the enemies of his truth to prevaile in some passages to harden their hearts the more for destruction as Pharaoh prevailed in oppressing the Israelites and He rod in killing Iohn c. but yet lay the beginning and the end together and then wee shall see they prevailed not and so farre as they did prevaile it tended onely to hasten their owne ruine because the present successe lifts up the heart Wee see Antichrist prevailed but spiritually onely over those whose names were not written in the Lambes booke of life and outwardly over the Saints for so it was prefixed Revel 18. that he should make warre with the Saints and overcome them and this was objected as a fiery dart against the Christians in those times that therefore they might thinke their cause naught because they were so prevailed over but they by helpe of the spirit of God understood so much of the Revelation as concerned themselves and used this as a weapon confessing that they were the conquered people of God but yet the people of God still But the chiefe stay and satisfaction of the soule herein is to look to the day of the righteous judgment of God when wee shall see all promises performed all theatnings executed and all enemies troden for ever under Christ and his Churches feete This is a point of marvellous comfort when Israel can say They have afflicted mee from my youth but yet they have not prevailed over me the gates of hell may let themselves against the Church but shall not prevaile the Church is not ruled by mans counsell Wee neither live nor dye at mans appointment Our lives are not in our owne hands or Satans or our enemies but in Gods they can do no more they shall doe no lesse then God will who is our life and the length of our dayes God
souls Nay rather then those that belong to God shall want that which will drive them unto him God himselfe will bee a Lion unto them as unto Ephraim Hosea 5. 14. which made David pray O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy het displeasure Of all the troubles which a child of God undergoeth in his way to heaven these bring him lowest when the body is vexed and spirit troubled it is much but when God â—rownes when neither Heaven nor Earth yeelds comfort to a distressed soule no evill in the world is like to this Imagine the horrour and straits of such a soule when all things seeme against it and it selfe against it selfe as neare to the paines of the very damned in hell The reasons of this dispensation of God are 1. because we are so desperately addicted to present things and so prone to put conâ—idence in the arme of flesh that unlesse God driveth us from these holds by casting us into a perplexed estate wee shall never know what it is to live by faith in God alone when all other props are puld away and when the streame of things seeme crosse unto us That God therefore may traine us up to live the spirituall life of the just which is by faith in him when all else faile he suffereth us to fall into the Lions mouth that so our prayers which are the flame of faith may bee more ardent and peircing rather cryes than words Why cryest thou unto me faith God to Moses when was this even when hee knew not what way to turne him It was out of the depths that David cryed most earnestly unto God and Christ in the dayes of his flesh cryed unto God with strong cryes and teares in a deepe distresse and was also heard in that which he feared strong troubles force from the afflicted strong cryes even experience shewes in prosperity and a full estate how faint and cold the prayers and desires of men are 2. Besides it is meet that the secrets of mens hearts should bee discovered for when all is quiet we know not the falsehood of our owne hearts Some over-value their strength as Peter others underprize themselves and of the gifts and graces of Gods spirit in them thinking that they want Faith Patience Love who yet wheÌ„ God calleth theÌ„ out to the crosse shine forth in the eyes of others in the example of a meeke and faithfull subjection The wisdome of God therfore judgeth it meet that there should bee times of sifting that both the Church and our selves may know what good or ill is in us what soundnesse or loosenesse remaines in our hearts When therefore we are wanting in fanning our selves God in love takes the fanne into his hand It is likewife behoovefull that false Brethren may be discovered Afflictions are wel called tryalls because then it is known what metall men are made of whether Pure of Reprobate silver thinke it not strange then when our estate seemes desperate it is but with us after the manner of Gods dearest ones why should we have a severed condition from them Remember this that God as he suffers his children to fall into the Lions mouth so he delivers them out and that hee never leaves his especially in extremity but in fit case of soule to receive the greatest comfort and to render him the greatest glory for then it is knowne to be Gods worke our extremity is his opportunity God will especially shew himselfe at such a time and make it appeare that the Church stands not by mans strength When Christians are at a losse and know not which way to turne themselves then is God nearest hand and careth most for them And this the Lord doth both for the greater shame of those that contrive mischiefe when they make themselves sâ—rest to bring their wicked plots and purposes to passe then their designes are most frustrated As also to draw on others not yet called that they seeing Gods immediate care over his Church and children may come in and obtaine like protection and deliverance The manner how God delivereth his children out of the Lions mouth is divers 1. By suspending their malice for the time as in Noahs Arke the fiercenesse of the wilde creatures was stopt by Divine Power from preying upon the tamer so the Lions mouthes were stopt from preying upon Daniel in the Lions Den. 2. By stirring up one Lion against another as the Persians against the Baby lonians Grecians against Persians Romancs against the Grecians and the other barbarous nations as the Gothes and Vandals against them so whilst Lions spit their fury one upon another the Sheepe are quiet Thus the Turke and other enemies have kept Popish Princes from raging and tyrannizing over the Church to the height of their malice 3. By casting something unto these Lions to divert them another way from their intended prey as when a man is in danger a Dogge is cast unto the Lion Thus when Saul was ready to devoure David the philistines made a breach upon him invaded the Land and turned his fury another way 4. By altering and changing Lions to be Lambes as when Paul was set upon havock and mischiefe God by changing his heart gave the Churches cause to glorifie God for him of whom before they were most affraid 5. God shewes himselfe a Lion to these Lions by breaking their teeth and Jaw-bones striking them with sudden and fearefull judgement as Herod and the persecuting Emperors and as in 88 when God with his foure windes fought for us against the enemies of his truth 6. By making them Lions to themselves witnesse Achitâ—phel Saul and other such like enemies of Gods children 7. Againe God maketh them friends without changing their disposition by putting into their hearts some conceit for the time which inclineth them to favour as in Nehemiah God put it into the Kings heart to favour his people Esau was not changed onely God for the time changed his affections to favour Iacob so God puts it into the hearts of many groundedly naught to favour the best persons 8. Lastly God maketh his owne children sometimes Lions to their Adversaries for the Image of God shining in his children hath a secret Majesty in it and striketh an awe upon wicked men so Pharaoh at length could not endure to see Moses and Aaron any more and Foelix trembled whilst Paul disputed of temperance and judgement Thus we see the Lord knows how to deliver his and can if he will and will doe it in their extremities when is most â—or his glory his peoples comfort and confusion of his owne and their enemies never despaire therefore of thy selfe or the Church of God it shall rather than faile breed in the Lions den Paul salutes the Philippians from the Church in Caesars house a place in appearance little fitter for a Church than hell it selfe what though things seeme
thou wilt not be better thou art in league with some secret sinne thy heart riseth against those that reprove thee of it thine owne conscience tells thee that thy heart is naught for if thou wouldst set thy selfe to obey God in truth assuredly he would deliver thy soule And therefore the Apostle to prevent such doubts speakes of deliverance from evill workes as comming from God But some may object we sin every day and if we say we have no sinne wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us You must not understand this Phrase Legally in the vigor of it as that God will deliver us from every ill thought or rising in the heart or from every outward slip and failing c. But by every evill worke the Apostle meanes every reproachfull sinne that breakes the peace of our conscience that swallowes up a mans salvation from such kinde of sins that bring a staine and discredit unto a mans profession that wound his soule and may discourage others the Lord will deliver his he will keepe them from greater sinnes altogether and from being in league with lesser You know in falls there are severall degrees there is a slip a falling and a falling on all foure as we say a flat falling Now God will deliver his children from falling so fouly Nay Sometimes he will deliver them from evill workes by not delivering them from evill workes Hee will deliver from great ill workes by letting them alone in losser ill workes God delivers from evill divers wayes he delivers from falling into ill and he delivers out of ill when we are fallen he delivers from ill likewise by supporting us nay which is more he delivers from ill workes by ill workes How is that How doe Physitians deliver from an Apoplexie â— from a Lethargâ—e Is it not by casting the sicke person into an Ague to awaken that dull sicknesse so God to cure the conscience of a man when he sees him in danger of security by those soule-killing sinnes Pride Covetousnesse Loosenesse Hypocrisie and the like suffers him sometimes to fall into lesse offences to awake his conscience that being rouzed up he may fly to Gods mercy in Christ so infinite is Gods care this way that he will deliver either from ill workes or from the evill of ill workes or if hee deliver not from ill workes yet hee will deliver us from worse workes by those ill workes Austin saith I dare presume to say it is profitable for some men to fall if a man be of a proud peremptory disposition or of a blockish dull and secure nature it is good he should bee acquainted what sin he carryes in his breast where his corruptions are c. that so he may know himselfe and his danger the better I beseech you make use of this to helpe your faith and thankfulnesse when we are delivered from evill workes it is God that doth it The consideration whereof mee thinkes should strengthen our faith against Satan and all his fiery darts and incourage us to set confidently upon any corruption that we are moved to by others or our owne naturall inclination It is Gods enemy and it is my enemy it is opposite to Gods will and it is an enemy to my comfort God will take my part against that which is opposite to him he hath promised me to assist me against every evill worke by his holy Spirit A Christian is a King and hee hath the triumphing Spirit of Christ in him which will prevaile over all sinne in time But some poore soule may object Alas I have beene assaulted by such a corruption a long time in a grievous manner and am not yet delivered from it God doth by little and little purge out corruption as every stroke helpes the fall of the oak the first stroke helpes forward so every opposing of corruption never so little helpes to root it out and it is weakned by little and little till death accomplish more mortification But to proceed God doth not onely deliver from evill workes but preserves us to his heavenly Kingdome We must take preserve here in its full bredth he preserves us whilst he hath any worke for us to doe in this life and when he will have us live no longer he will preserve us to heaven howsoever by death he takes us away yet even then the Lord still preserves us Hee will preserve us in our outward estate by himselfe and by under-preservers for there be many such under God as Angels that are his ministring spirits and Magistrates who are the shields of the earth they may preserve under God and likewise Ministers that are the Chariots and horsemen of Israel and good Lawes c. but God is the first turner of the Wheele we must see him in all other preservers whatsoever And therefore the Apostle in the language of the holy Ghost and of Canaan saith here The Lord will preserve me And rather than a man shall miscarry when God hath any thing for him to doe God will worke a miracle The three men could not be burned in the fire God so suspended the force thereof Daniel could not bee devoured of the greedy Lions c. rather than Gods purpose shall faile that a man should perish before the time that God hath allotted him the Lions shal not devoure and the fire shall not burn God hath measured our glasse and time even to a moment and as our Saviour Christ out of knowledge of this heavenly truth saith My time is not yet came so let us know that till 〈◊〉 houre comes all the Devils in hell cannot hurt one haire of our head And this is a wondrous ground of confidence that we should carry our selves above all threatnings and above all feares whatsoever Thou canst doe nothing except it were given thee saith Christ to bragging Pilate who boasted of his power alas what can all the enemies of Gods people doe except God permit them If a King or a great man should say to an inferiour Goe on I will stand by thee and preserve thee thou shalt take no harme what an incouragement were this Oh but when God shall say to a Christian walke humbly before me keepe close to my word be stedfast in the wayes of holinesse feare not man you are under my protection and safeguard what an incouragement is this to a beleeving soule But put case wee cannot bee preserved from death for so it was here with the Apostle hee dyed a bloody death Why let us observe his blessed carriage in all this and doe likewise I regard not that saith hee doe your worst God will preserve me still So it should be the bent of a Christians soule to come to God with this limitation in his faith and in his prayer Lord if thou wilt not deliver me from suffering ill preserve me from doing ill If thou wilt not preserve mee from death preserve me
every way he carryed himselfe as much as earth would suffer him as they doâ— in heaven Certainly He that hath the hope of a heavenly kingdome is pure as Christ â—s pure He endeavours and aimes to be holy as God is holy who hath called him Faith is of efficacy to conforme a Christians carriage to the likenesse of him whom he beleeves to be so excellent And therefore they are insidels and have no saving faith prophane persons who live in sinnes that staine their consciences and blemish their conversation not beleeving that there is a heaven Deceive not your selves neither Whoremongers nor Adulterers nor Extortioners c. shall inherit the kingdome of God Doe men who live in these sinnes without remorse thinke to come to heaven as though they should come out of the puddle to heaven no no away you workers of iniquity I know you not faith Christ. Let no man cherish presumptions of a heavenly kingdome except hee abstaine from all sinnes against conscience The Apostle when hee would urge to holiness of life uses this argument If you be risen with Christ seeke those things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of the Father Well let us oft I beseech you present unto our soules the blessed condition to come which will be effectuall to quicken and stirre us up to every good duty and comfort us in all conditions whatsoever What will a man care for crosses and losses and disgraces in the world that thinkes of a heavenly Kingdome What will a man care for ill usage in his pilgrimage when he knowes he is a King at home Wee are all strangers upon earth now in the time of our absence from God what if we suffer indignities considering that we have a better estate to come when we shall be some body What if wee passe unknowne in the world It is safe that we should doe so God will preserve us to his heavenly kingdome and all that we suffer and endure here it is but a fitting for that place David was a King annointed many yeares ere hee was actually possessed of his Kingdome but all that time betweene his annointing and his investing into the Kingdome it was a preparing of him by humility that he might know himselfe and learne fitnesse to govern aright So wee are apointed Kings as soone as we beleeve for when we beleeve in Christ who is a King Priest and Prophet wee communicate with his offices we have the same blessed anointing powred on our Head and runnes downe about us But we must be humbled by crosses and fitted for it wee must bee drawne more out of the world and bee heavenly minded first Would you know some rules of discerning whether heaven belongs to you or not In brief doe but remember the qualification of them that must reign those that labour daily to purge themselves of all pride and self-confidence that see no excellencie in the creature in comparison of heaven that see a vanity in all outward things which makes them humble in the midst of all their bravery those that see themselves empty of al without Gods favour The poore in spirit c. theirs saith Christ is the Kingdome of Heaven 2. Faith makes us Kings because thereby wee marry the King of Heaven the Church is the Queene of Heaven â—and Christ is the King of Heaven Where this grace is in truth happines belongs to that soule 3. Those that are Kings have aâ—royall spirit the hopes of a yong Prince puts into him a great deale of spirit otherwise perhaps above his disposition So all that are Kings have a royall spirit in some measure which naiseth them above all earthly things and maketh them see all other things to bee nothing in comparison of Christ to bee but drosse and dung as holy S. Paul saith Those therefore that are slaves to their base justs to riches honour pleasure c. know not what belongs to this heavenly Kingdome What doe men thinke to reigne in heaven when they cannot raigne over their owne hase corruptions Wee see David prayes to God for an inlarged spirit that hee might bee capable of the best things and certainely those that have this knowledge are of a spirit above the world more excellent than their neighbours as the Wiseman saith You cannot shake them with offers of preferment or with feares they will not venture their hope of eternity for this or that base earthly thing they are of a more royall spirit than so I beseech you therefore let us discerne of our spirits what they are whether God hath stablished us with a free spirit or not the kingdome of Heaven is begunne upon earth the doore whereby wee must enter in is here Those graces must be begunne here which must fit us for happinesse hereafter as the stones of the Temple were first hewne and then laid upon the Temple so wee must bee he wne and fashioned here ere we can come thither those that are not fitted and squared now must never thinke to be used of God as living stones of his Temple then A word now of Pauls use of all and so I conclude To whom be glory for ever and ever When he had mentioned the heavenly kingdome and set himselfe by faith as it were in possession of it hee presently beginnes the employment of heaven to praise and glorifie God even whilst hee was on earth For faith stirres us up to doe that which wee shall doe when we obtaine the thing beleeved it is called the evidence of things not seene and makes them as it were present to the soule Because when we are in heaven indeed we shall doe nothing else but praise God Faith apprehends it as if he were now there for all is sure to faith God having said it who will doe it and sets the soule upon that employment here which it shall have eternally with God hereafter It is therefore Christian wisdome to fix our soules on good meditations to have them wedded to good thoughts to have those praeclar as cogitationes beâ—itting Christians that may lead us comfortably in our way to heaven Let a man thinke of Gods deliverances past and that will strengthen his faith for the future deliverances Let him thinke of future deliverances and that will lead him to a kingdome to praise God and this praising of God will stretch his soule forâ—ver and for ever as if there were no time sufficient to glorisie God that is so excellent and glorious What a blessed condition is this to have Gods spirit warming our soules and perfuming our spirits with holy ejaculations continually putting us upon the employment of heaven till at length it hath safely brought us thither Here then is the use of al uses What is the former use which Paul makes of the experieÌ„ce of Gods deliveraÌ„ce The Lord hath delivered me aud therefore he will deliver me but what use doth he make of this that God
have the Church and Common wealth flourish to have a happy Kingdome happy government and happy lawes not onely to have the Church in his owne Familie but that the Church may flourish in those that stand up when we are gone the way of all flesh and therefore to declare the minde of God and his favours to us and our children that they may strengthen their experience with their fathers experience and say to God Thou art the God of my Fathers therefore be my God those that are called to places of dignity should consider that it is required at their hands to labour that there should be meanes to continue Religion even to the worlds end if it may be and to stoppe all the breaches in this kinde And if it were possible it were to be wished that there were set up some lights in all the darke corners of this Kingdome that might shine to those people that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death One way is to have a care that there be no breaches made upon the sound doctrine that is left unto us and hath beene sealed up by the blood of so many Martyrs Wee had it dearely it hath beene taught by our forefathers and sealed with their blood shall we betray it No let us labour to deliver it to our posterity from hand to hand to the comming of Christ and then wee shall in effect and not in word onely doe that which Paul saith here labour to glorifie God for ever and ever both in the Church and in heaven Surely those that will glorifie God in heaven hee will have them so disposed to glorifie him on earth It is a dangerous thing when persons are naught wee see what comes of it especially if they be great It is said of Manasseh when God had forgiven him his sinne yet afterwards God plagued the Kingdome for the sinnes that Manasseh committed how can this bee because he by his sinne though he repented himselfe yet set the Kingdome in an evill frame And no question but hee had naughty principles and among people that are given to licentiousnesse if there bee any thing in great men it will goe to posterity after them So that when Governours are naught they are not onely a poison to the Church and State while they live but the mischiefe of it is after and after still And so it is in the best things if the Governour be good hee layes a foundation of good for the Kingdome in time to come as well as for his owne time How will it shame a man when he shall thinke I doe these things now but what will Posterity thinke of me what will be the remembrance of it when I am gone then my name will stinke The wicked Emperour Nero was of this resolution wheÌ„ he should die Let Heaven and Earth mingle together saith he when I am gone He knew himselfe to bee so naught and that he should be so evill spoken of that he wished there were no posterity but that the world might end with him So it is the wishes of those that are wretches themselves and that lay a foundation of wretched times after they wish that Heaven and Earth may mingle that no man might censure them when they are gone What a shamefull condition is it for men to gratifie a number of unrulie lusts and give such sway to them as to doe ill while they live and to lay a foundation of misery for after-times On the contrary what a good thing is it like Iosiâ—â— and Nehemiah to bee full of goodnesse while wee live and to lay a foundation of happinesse and prosperity to the Church and State when we are gone What a happy thing is it when a man is gone to say such a man did such a thing he stood stoutly for the Church for Religion he was a publique man he forgat his owne private good for the publique he deserved well of the times wherein hee lived What a blessed commendation is this next to Heaven to have a blessed report on earth and to carry such a conscience as will comfort a man that he hath carryed himselfe well and abounded in well doing I beseech you let us thinke of this For ever and ever it is not enough that we be good in our times that are circumscribed to us but as God hath given us immortall soules and preserves us to immortall glory and a crowne of immortality so let our thoughts and desires be immortall that God may be glorified in the Church world without end Oh what a sweet comfort will it be when we are on our death-bed to thinke what we have done in our life times then all our good actions will come and meet together to comfort and refresh our soules The better to incourage us to glorifie God while we are here and to lay a foundation to eternize his glorie for the time to come Consider I. Gods gracious promise Those that honour me I will honour If we had inlarged hearts to honour God God would honour us he hath passed his word for it If a King should say so O how would we be set on fire how much more when the King of Kings saith it 2. Consider that wee honour our selves when wee honour God nay the more we honour God the more we are bound to God for it is from him that wee honour him the sacrifice comes from him as well as the matter for which we sacrifice Hee found a Ramme for Abraham to sacrifice hee gives the heart to be thankfull the more wee are thankfull the more we shall be thankfull and the more wee ought to bee thankfull for our thankfulnesse The more wee praise God the more we should praise him for it is the gift of God when God sees we honour him and frame our selves that we may be such as may honour him by emptying and disabling our selves to be sufficient to doe him any service he will bestow more upon us as men cast seed upon seed where there is fruitfull ground but they will sow nothing upon a barren heath So the more we set our selves to doe good in our places the more we shall have advantage thereunto and the more wee doe good the more we shall doe good When God sees wee improve our talents so well that he trusts withall he will trust us with more Againe consider Our glorifiing and praising God causeth others to doe so which is the main end wherefore wee live in this world It is the imployment of Heaven and we are so much in heaven as wee are about this worke and when God gives us hearts to glorifie him here it is a good pledge that he will afterward glorifie us in heaven Who would lose the comfort of all this to be barren and yeeld to his base unbeleeving dead heart to save a little here to sleepe in a whole skin and adventure upon no good action Who would not rather take a course
that hath such large encouragements attending it both in life and death I beseech you thinke of these things Christ ere long will come to be glorified in all those that beleeve He will come to be glorified in his Saints Our glory tends to his glory shall we not glorifie him all we can here by setting forth his truth by countenancing his Children and Servants by doing good and deserving well of ingratefull times we live in Let men bee as unthankfull as they will we looke not to them but to the honour of God the credit of Religion the maintenance of the truth c. Let men be as they will be base wicked enemies to grace and goodnesse we doe it not to them but to God Consider this will Christ come from Heaven ere long to bee glorified in us and shall not we labour to glorifie him while we are here Hee will never come to be glorified in any hereafter but those that glorifie him now As we looke therefore that he should be glorified in us and by us let us glorifie him now for so he condescends to vouchsafe to be glorified in us and by us that the may also glorifie us Saint Paul saith The Wife is the glory of the Husband what meanes he by this That is she reflects the graces of a good Husband if he be good shee is good she reflects his excellencies So let every Christian soule that is marryed to Christ be the glory of Christ reflect his excellencies be holy as he is holy fruitsull as he was in doing good meeke and humble as he was every way be his glory and then undoubtedly when he comes to judge us he will come to bee glorified in us having beene before glorified by us Beloved these and such considerations should set us on worke how to doe Christ all the honour wee can as David saith is there any of Ionathans posterity alive that I may doe good unto them for his sake so considering we shal beso glorified by Christ and that hee will doe so much for us in another world Wee should enquire Is there any of Christs posterity here any of his Children in this world that I may doe good unto them Is there any way wherein I may shew my thankfulnesse and I will doe it Let us consider that wee shall bee for and ever glorified the expression of it is beyond conceit wee shall never know it til wee have it Let this I beseech you stirre us up to study how wee may bee thankfull to God set forth his glory and deserve wel of the Church and times wherein wee live God hath children and a cause in the world which hee dearely loves let us owne the same and stand for it to the uttermost of our power maugre all the spight and opposition of Satan and his wicked instruments The Lord in mercy settle these truths upon our hearts and incourage us in his most holy way FINIS CHRIST IS BEST OR S. PAVLS STRAIT A SERMON PREA ched at the Funerall of Mr. Sherland late Recorder of Northampton BY R. SIBBS D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and Preacher of Grayes-Inne LONDON PSAL. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard I634 CHRIST IS BEST PHIL. 1. 23 24. For I am in a strait betweene two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is best of all neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is most needfull for you THe Apostle Paul here had a double desire one in regard of himselfe to be with Christ another out of his love of Gods Church and people to abide still in the flesh and betweene these two hee is in a great straite not knowing which to choose but the love of the Church of Christ tryumphed in him above the love of his owne salvation so as he was content out of selfe-deniall to want the joyes of heaven for a time that hee might yet further comfort the people of God In the words you have 1. S. Pauls straites 2. his desires that caused them as in regard of himselfe which was to bee with Christ so in respect of the Church of God which was to abide still here 3. the reasons of both 1. to be with Christ is farre better for mee 2. to abide in the flesh more needfull for you and 4. his resolution upon all being willing for the Churches good still to abide here rather than goe to heaven and enjoy his owne happinesse S. Pauls soule was as a shippe betweene two windes tossed up and downe as iron between two Loadstones drawne first one way then another the one loadstone was his owne good to bee in heaven the other was the good of Gods people to abide still in the flesh Observe hence that the servants of God are oftentimes in great straits some things are so exceeding bad that without any deliberation or delay at all we ought presently to abominate them as Satans temptations to sinne to distrust despaire c. some things also are so good that wee should immediately cleave unto them as matters of Religion and pietie there should be no delay in these holy businesses deliberation here argues weaknesse Some things againe are of an ambiguous and doubtfull nature requiring our best consideration such was Pauls strait in this place he had reasons swaying him on both sides and such is the happy estate of a Christian that whatsoever hee had chosen had beene well for him onely God who rules our judgements will have us to make choise God might have determined whether Paul should live or die but he would not without Pauls choice that which is good is not good to us but upon choice and advice when God hath given us abilities to discourse and examine things hee will have us make use of them and therefore the Apostle useth reasons on both sides It is better to die for me It is better to live for you c. Wicked men have their deliberations and their straits too but it is with the rich man in the Gospell What they shall doe how they may pull downe their barnes and build bigger c. Their maine strait is at the houre of death live they cannot die they dare not there is so much guilt of sinne upon their consciences they know not which way to turn themselves oh what fearefull straits will sinne bring men into but the Apostle was straitned in an higher nature than this whether it were better for the glory of God which he aimed at above all for him to goe to heaven and enjoy happinesse in his owne person or to abide still for the comfort of Gods Saints on earth The ground of this difficulty and straite was his present desire I have a desire Desires are the immediate issue of the soule the motion and stirring
farre better And is it much farre better to die that we may be with Christ than to live here a conflicting life Why should we then feare death that is but a passage to Christ It is but a grimme servant that lets us into a glorious pallace that striks off our bolts that takes off our rags that wee may bee clothed with better robes that ends all our misery and is the beginning of all our happinesse why should we therfore be affraid of death it is but a departure to a better condition It is but as Iordan to the children of Israel by which they passed to Canaan it is but as the red-sea by which they were going that way therefore we have no reason to feare death of it selfe it is an enemy indeed but now it is harmelesse nay now it is become a friend amicable to us a sweet friend it is one part of the Churches joynture death All things are yours saith the Apostle Paul and Apollos life and death death is ours and for our good it doth us more good than all the friends we have in the world it determines and ends all our misery and sinne and it is the suburbs of heaven it lets us into those joyes above It is a shame for Christians therefore to bee affraid of that that Paul here makes the object of his desire But may not a good Christian feare death I answer Not so farre as a Christian is led with the spirit of God and is truly spirituall for the spirit carryes us upward but as farre as wee are earthly and carnall and byassed downward to things below wee are loath to depart hence In some cases Gods children are affraid to die because their accounts are not ready though they love Christ and are in a good way yet notwithstanding because they have not prepared themselves by care as a woman that hath her husband abroad and desires his comming but all is not prepared in the house therfore she desires that he may stay awhile so the soule that is not exact that is not in that frame that it should be in saith Oh stay awhile that I may recover my strength before I goe hence and bee no more seene but as farre as wee are guided by the spirit of God sanctifying us and are in such a condition as we should be in so farre the thoughts of death ought not to be terrible to us nor indeed are they Beloved there is none but a Christian that can desire death because it is the end of all comfort here it is the end of all callings and employments of all sweetnesse whatsoever in this world If another man that is not a Christian desire heaven he desires it not as heaven or to â—e with Christ as Christ he desires it under some notion sutable to his corruption for our desires are as our selves are as our aymes are no carnall worldly man but hath carnall worldly aymes a worldly man cannot goe beyond the world it is his spheare a carnall man cannot goe beyond the flesh therefore a carnall man cannot desire heaven a man that is under the power of any lust can desire nothing but the satisfying of that lust heaven is no place for such none but a child of God can desire that For if we consider heaven and to bee with christ to be perfect holines can he desire it that hates holinesse here can he desire the Image of God upon him that hates it in others and in himselfe too can he desire the communion of Saints that of all societies hates it the most can he desire to be free from sinne that ingulfes himselfe continually in sinne he cannot and therefore as long as he is under the thraldome and dominion of any lust he may desire heaven indeed but it is onely so farre as he may have his lusts there his pleasures honours and riches there too if he may have heaven with that he is contented but alas brethren heaven must not be so desired S. Paul did otherwise he desired to be dissolved to be with Christ hee desired it as the perfection of the Image of God under the notion of holinesse and freedome from sin as I said before Which is farre better Againe we see that God reserves the best for the last Gods â—aâ—t workes are his best workes the new heaven and the new earth are the best the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best spirituall things are better than naturall A Christians last is his best God will have it so for the comfort of Christians that everyday they live they may think My best is behinde my best is to come that every day they rise they may thinke I am nearer heaven one day than I was before I am nearer death and therefore nearer to Christ what a solace is this to a gracious heart A Christian is a happy man in his life but happyer in his death because then he goes to Christ but happiest of all in heaven for then hee is with Christ. How contrary to a carnall man that lives according to the sway of his owne base lusts he is miserable in his life more miserable in his death but most miserable of all after death I beseech you lay this to heart mee thinkes considering that death is but a way for us to be with Christ which is farre better this should sweeten the thinking of death to us and we should comfort our selves daily that we are nearer happinesse But how shall we attaine this sanctified sweet desire that Paul had to die and be with Christ Let us carry our selves as Paul did and then we shall have the same desires S. Paul before death in his life time had his conversation in heaven his minde was there and his soule followed after there is no mans soule comes into heaven but his minde is there first It was an easie matter for him to desire to bee with Christ having his conversation in heaven already Paul in meditation was where he was not and he was not where he was he was in heaven when his body was on earth 2. Againe S. Paul had loosed his affections from all earthly things therefore it was an easie matter for him to desire to be with Christ I am cruciâ—ied to the world and the world is crucified to me c. If once a Christian comes to this passe death will be welcome to him those whose hearts are fastened to the world cannot easily desire Christ. 3. Againe holy S. Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience in all things herein I exercise my selfe to have a good conscience towards God and men c. It is easie for him to desire to be dissolved that hath his conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ free from a purpose of living in any sinne But where there is a stained defiled polluted conscience there cannot be this desire for the heart of man naturally as the Prophet saith
army is as good as a fighting army Moses did as much good by prayer as the soldiers in the valley when they fought with Amelek they are favorites with God in heaven therefore S. Paul saith It is needfull for you that I abide in the flesh Gracious men are publique treasures and store-houses wherein every man hath a share a portion they are publique springs in the wildernesse of this world to refresh the soules of people they are trees of righteousnesse that stretch out their boughs for others to shelter under and to gather fruit from You have an excellent picture of this in Daniel in the dreame of Neâ—â—chadnezar the Magistrates there are compared to a great tree where in the birds build their nests and the beasts shelter themselves so a good Magistrate especially if he bee in great place is as a great tree for comfort and shelter Oh beloved the lives of good men are very usefull A good man saith the Philosopher is a common good because as soone as ever a man becomes gracious hee hath a publique minde as he hath a publique place nay whether he hath a publick place or no he hath a publique minde It is needfull therefore that there be such men alive If this be so then we may lament the death of worthy men because wee lose part of our strength in the losse of such Gods custome being to convey much good by them and when there is scarcity of good men we should say with Micah Woe is mee the good is perished from the earth they keepe iudgements from a place and derive a blessing upon it howsoever the world iudgeth them and accounts them not worthy to live yet God accounts the world unworthy of them they are Gods Iewels they are his treasure and his portion therefore we ought to lament their death and to desire their lives and we ought to desire our owne lives as long as we may be usefull to the Church and be content to want heaven for a time Beloved it is not for the good of Gods children that they live as soone as ever they are in the state of grace they have a title to heaven but it is for others when once we are in Christ we live for others not for our selves that a father is kept alive it is for his childrens sake that good Magistrates are kept alive it is for their subjects sake that a good Minister is kept alive out of the present enjoying of heaven it is for the peoples sake that God hath committed to him to instruct for as Paul saith here in regard of my owne particular it is better for mee to bee with Christ. If God convey so much good by worthy men to us then what wretches are they that maligne them persecute them c. speake ill of those that speake to God for them doth the world continue for a company of wretches a company of prophane blasphemous loose disorderly livers Oh no for if God had not a Church in the world a company of good people heaven and earth would fall in pieces there would bee an end presently It is for good people onely that the world continues they are the pillars of the tottering world they are the stakes in the fence they are the foundation of the building and if they were once taken out all would come downe there would bee a confusion of all therefore those that oppose and disquiet gracious and good men are enemies to their owne good they cut the bough which they stand on they labour to pull downe the house that covers themselves being blinded with malice and a diabolicall spirit take need of such a disposition it comes neare to the sinne against the holy Ghost to hate any man for goodnesse because perhaps his good life reproacheth us such a one would hate Christ himselfe if he were here how can a man desire to bee with Christ when hee hates his image in another therefore if God convey so much good by other men that are good let us make much of them as publick persons as instruments of our good take away malice and pride and a poisonfull spirit and all their good is ours what hinders that wee have no good by them pride and an envious spirit c. A second thing that I observe hence is this Holy and gracious men that are led by the Spirit of God can deny themselves and their owne best good for the Churches benefit They know that God hath appointed them as instruments to convey good to others and knowing this they labour to come to Pauls spirit here to desire to live to have life in patience and death in desire in regard of themselves for it were much better for a good man to bee in heaven out of misery out of this conflicting condition with the devill and devilish minded men The reason is because a good man as soone as he is a good man hath the spirit of love in him and love seeketh not its owne but the good of another and as the love of Christ and the love of God possesseth and seizeth upon the soule so selfe-love decayes what is gracious love but a decay of selfe-love the more selfe-love decayes the more we deny our selves Againe Gods people have the spirit of Christ in them who minded not his owne things If Christ had minded his owne things where had our salvation beene Christ was content to leave heaven and to take our nature upon him to be Emanuâ—l God with us that we might be with God for ever in heaven hee was content not onely to leave heaven but to be borne in the wombe of a Virgin he was content to stoope to the grave he stooped as low as hell in love to us Now where Christs spirit is it will bring men from their altitudes and excellencies and make them to stoope to serve the Church and account it an honour to bee an instrument to doe good Christ was content to be accounted not onely a servant of God but of the Churches My righteous servant c. Those that have the spirit of Christ have a spirit of selfe-deniall of their owne we see the blessed angells are content to be Ministring spirits for us and it is thought to bee the sinne of the devil pride when he scorned to stoope to the keeping of man an inferiour creature to himself The blessed Angells doe not scorne to attend upon a poore child little ones A Christian is a consecrated person and he is none of his owne he is a sacrifice as soone as he is a Christian he is Christs he gives himselfe to Christ and as he gives himselfe so he gives his life and all to Christ as Paul faith of the Corinths they gave themselves and their goods to him when a Christian gives himselfe to Christ he gives all to Christ all his labour and paines and whatsoever hee knowes that Christ can serve himselfe of him for his Churches
the soule Being justified by faith wee have peace with God Those that are hurried in their life with false doubts and perplexities What shall become of mee what shall I eate and what shall I drinke c Though they use lawfull meanes yet commit not themselves to God as they should for where there is a dependance upon God in the use of meanes there is an holy silence in the party All stubborne and tumultuous thoughts are hushed in him My soule keepe silence to the Lord saith David and trust in God why art thou so vexed within me still there is a quieting of the soule where there is trust Can that man put confidence in God that prowles for himselfe and thinkes he hath no Father in heaven to provide for him Doth that childe trust his father that besides going to schoole thinkes what hee shall put on how he shall be provided for and what inheritance he shall have hereafter Alas this is the Fathers care and belongs not to him Wheresoever these distractions are there can be no yeelding up of the soule to God in truth There be two affections which mightily disturbe the peace of Christians 1. Sinfull cares and 2. Sinfull feares to both which we have remedies prescribed in the Scripture 1. Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your fathers will to give you a kingdome As if he had said Will not hee that gives you heaven give you other things In nothing be carefull saith the Apostle that is in a distracting manner but doe your duty and then let your requests bee made knowne to God and the peace of God shall keepe you and therefore were we redeemed from the hands of our enemies that wee might serve him without feare all our dayes A Christian should keepe an inward Sabbath in his soule and goe quietly on in doing all the good hee can what a fearfull thing is it to see men lie groveling in the earth and live without God in the world troubling and â—urmoyling themselves how to compasse this thing and that thing as if they had no God to seeke unto nor no promise to relye upon Againe where this committing of a mans selfe and his soule to God is there will bee a looking to God onely in all a man doth not fearing any danger or opposition that may befall him from without as the three yong men said to Neâ—ucâ—adnezar Our God can keepe us if he will But what if hee will not Yet know O King that wee will not worship nor fall downe before thy Image So it is with a Christian foreseeing some danger disgrace or displeasure of this or that man which may befall him he resolveth notwithstanding in despight of all to commit himselfe to God in doing his duty come what will whether God will save him or no hee will not breake the peace of his conscience or doe the least evill hee is no foole but foresees what may befall him for well doing this inconvenience may come that trouble yet he sets light by these he hath an eye to heaven and sees more good to himself in the Creator that gave him his beeing of nothing and more good for the time to come that will make him a blessed Saint in heaven then there can be ill in the creature therefore come what can come his heart is fixed to trust the Lord and rather than hee will displease him desert his honour and his cause or doe any unworthy action he will commit himselfe to God in the greatest dangers The ground hereof is this A Christian is the wisest man in the world and hee understands well enough that God is Alsufficient hee sees there is a greater good in God than hee can have in the Creature and counts it madnesse to offend God to please the creature because there is a greater evill to bee expected from God than from the Creature though it were the greatest Monarch in the world considering therefore that he hath his best good in his union with God and in keeping his peace with him hee will not breake with him for any Creature And thus hee doth wisely for hee knowes if hee lose his life he shall have a better life of God than hee hath in his body for God is his life God is his soule and his comfort and hee hath his beeing from God hee is his Creator and hee hath a better being in God when hee dyes than he had when he lived for our beeing in God makes us happy and therefore Christ saith He that loves his life before God and a good cause hates it and hee that hates his life when Christ cals for it loves it for hee hath a better life in him wee give nothing to God but hee returns it a thousand times better than we gave it Let us yeeld our lives to him wee shall have them in heaven if they be taken away on earth Hee will give us our goods a thousand sold we shall have more favour in God then in any Creature and therefore a Christian out of this ground commits himselfe to God though hee foresee never so much danger like to fall upon him Againe if we doe in deed and not in pretence commit our selves to God as to a faithfull Creator we will not limit his Majesty as many carnall hearts doe oh if God will do so and so for them then they would trust him if they had but so much to live on a yeare and sâ—ch commings in c. then they would depend upon God but they must have a pawne and so much in hand first What a shame is it that wee should trust the vilest man in the world as farre as wee see him and yet unlesse wee have somewhat to leane on we will not trust God Beloved when a man limits God in any thing such a one may talke but hee trusts him not at all Indeed wee should indent with God and tie him to looke to the salvation of our soules but for other things leave them to his owne wisedome both for the time for the manner and measure doe what hee will with us Suppose it come to the Crosse hath hee not done greater matters for us why then should we distrust him in lesser If times come that Religion flourish or goes downward yet relye on him still hath hee not given his Sonne to us and will hee not give heaven also Why doe wee limit the holy One of Israel and not cast our selves upon him except hee will covenant to deale thus and thus with us A true Christian hath his eye alwayes heaven-ward and thinkes nothing too good for God O Lord saith he of thee I have received this life this estate this credit and reputation in the world I have what I have and am what I am of thee and therefore I yeeld all to thee backe againe If thou wilt serve thy selfe of my wealth of my selfe of my strength thou shalt have it If
may give way a while that the thoughts of many may be reveâ—led and that his glory may shine the more in raising his children and confounding his enemies but he will put a period in his due time and that is the best time There is a day of lacobs trouble when his enemies say This is Sion whom none regards but God sets bounds both to the time of his childrens trouble and to the malice of the wicked Their rod shall not rest over-long upon the backe of the righteous God will put a hooke into the nostrils of these Leviathans and draw them which way hee pleaseth Againe we see here that mischievous attempts are successelesse in the end for did ever any harden themselves against God and prosper long Let Cain speake let Pharaoh Haman Achitophel Herod Let the persecutors of the Church for the first 200. yeares let all that ever bore ill will towards Sion Speake and they will confesse they did but kick against the pricks and dash against the rocks The greatest torment of the damned Spirit is that God turnes all his plots for the good of those hee hates most Hee tempted man to desire to become like God that so he might â—uine him but God became man and so restored him God serveth himselfe of this Arch politician and all his instruments they are but executioners of Gods will while they rush against it Iosephs brethren sold him that they might not worship him and that was the very meanes whereby they came at length to worship him God delights to take the oppressed parties part Wicked men cannot do Gods childreÌ„ a greater pleasure then to oppose theÌ„ for by this means they help to advaÌ„ce theÌ„ The ground of the miscarriage of wicked plots is that Satan and his maintaine a damned cause and their plots are under a curse Every one that prayes thy kingdome come prayes by consequence against them as opposers of it and how can the men and plots of so many curses but miscarry and prove but as the untimely fruit of a woman they are like the grasse on the house top which perks above the corne in the field but yet no man prayes for a blessing upon it when men come by a goodly corne field every one is ready to say God blesse this field c. Beloved it is a heavyer thing then Atheisticall spirits thinke of to be under the curse of the Church for as God blesseth out of Sion so usually the heaviest curses come out of Sion Wo be to the Herods and Iulians of the world when the Church either directly or indirectly prayes against them This is a ground of staying the soules of Gods people in seeming confusion of things there is an harmony in all this discord God is â—itting his people for a better condition even when they are at the worst and is hardning and preparing the wiâ—ked for confusion even when they are at the best The wicked practise against the righteous but God laugheth them to scorne for hee seeth all their plottings and his day is acomming whilest they are digging pits for others there is a pit a digging a grave a making for themselves they have a measure to make up and a treasure to fill which at length will be broken open Which mee thinkes should take off them which are set upon mischiefe from pleasing themselves in their plots Alas they are but plotting their owne ruine and building a Babell which will fall upon their owne heads If there were any commendation in plotting then that great plotter of plotters that great Engineir Satan would goe beyond us all and take all the credit from us But let us not envie Satan and his in their glory they had need of something to comfort them let them please themselves with their trade the day is comming wherein the Daughter of Sion shall laugh them to scorne there will be a time wherein it shall be said Arise Sion and thrash And usually the delivery of Gods children is joyned with the destruction of his enemies Sauls death and Davids deliverance the Israelites deliverance and Egyptians drowning The Châ—rch and her opposites are like the scales of a ballance when one goes up the other goes downe Hamans wife had learned this that if her husband began once to fall before the Jewes hee should surely fall Wicked men have an house and they will be sure to take it and God hath his house too and will be as sure to take that The judgements of the wicked are mercies to the Church so saith David He flew mighty Kings Ogg King of Basan for his mercy endureth for ever c. God hath but two things in the world that he much regardeth his Truth and his Church begotten by his truth and shall we think that he will suffer long wretched men who turne that wit and power which they have from him against his truth Church No assuredly but he will give them up by that very wit of theirs to worke their owne destruction they shall serve their turne most whom they hate most God sits in heaven and laughes them to scorne Shall God laugh and we cry They take counsell together on earth but God hath a counsell in heaven that will overthrow all their counsells here Marke the bitter expressions in Scripture Why do the heathen rage without feare or wit Goe to now saith God gather a counsell c. Beloved it goes to the heart of proud persons to be scorned especially in the miscarriage of that which they count their Master-peece they had rather be counted Devils then fooles Let us worke wisely saith Pharaoh when hee was never more foole they usurp upon God and promise themselves great matters for the time to come whereas that is only Gods prerogative and they neither know what the wombe of their counsels nor what the wombe of to morrow may bring forth that which they are big of may prove an abortive or a viper to consume the wombe that bred it Goe to now saith the Propher all yee that kindle a fire walke in the light of your fire but take this of me you shall lye downe in sorrow c. The Scripture is full of such expostulations and up braidings Man is become like one of us saith God When men will have a way of their owne and think themselves wiser than God then it stands upon Gods honour to out-wit them Yet God is wise saith the Prophet you thinke to goe beyond God deceive not your selves God is wise and you shall finde him to be so â—e hath a way to goe beyond you Doe not many men spinne a fine thread and weave a faire webb when by their turnings and devices they turne themselves into hell Woe be to them that dig deep faith the Prophet and think to hide their counsels from the Lord God hath an eye to see into the most secret dark conveyances of
conceit a latitude and breadth in their courses that they may doe so and so and yet doe well at last but who tells them this Is it not a spirit of illusion Indeed punishment is often deferred it comes not like thunder and lightning all at once yet as sure as God is true sinne will be bitternesse in the end when the hony is gone the sting will remaine To conclude this point when we are tempted to any hurtfull designe let us look upon Christ and that great project for our redemption undertaken by him and reason thus with our selves Hath he plotted and wrought my salvation and shall I plot against him in his members I beseech you stirre up your hearts to conceive and bring forth good purposes Satan is an enemy to all strong resolutions and masculine conceptions indeavoring to kill them in the very birth Alas how many good thoughts are conceived whilest the word is hearing which yet prove abortive and sticke in the birth How few actions come to their due ripenesse and perfection I am sure our incouragements to good are farre more than our incouragements to evill we serve a better master and for better wages they may prosper for a time but nothing is more wretched than the happinesse of wicked men it first hardens them and then destroyes them Our onely way is 1. to get into Christ the true vine then wee shall take and beare fruit presently and draw and sucke out of him the same disposition 2. And then lay up good principles and looke with a single eye to the maine end of our life and see that all the particular passages of our life tend to that It is an arguement of a narrow heart to bewise in some particular businesse for some particular end and yet to bee carelesse in the maine Other creatures are carryed by a particular instinct to some particular thing A spider is witty to catch flies a bird to build nests c. As man hath larger parts so hee should have larger aimes That which we should especially labour for is 1. to bee good in our selves and 2. to doe all the good we can to others even as God our father is good doth good and the further our good extends the more we resemble our Father Such as we are such are our thoughts such are our devices A good man wil devise of liberal things c. Every vermine can doe mischiefe we see some are never in their element but when they are plotting or working mischiefe as if they were borne for no other end but to exercise the graces of men better than themselves It is a poore commendation to be counted a cunning person for selfe-ends alas the heart of man which is deceitfull above measure hath abundance of turnings and windings in it and can suggest trick enough to circumvent the best of us I come in the third place to our duty which is to Behold the ordinary beakon kindled to discover some extraordinary thing But what is here to bee beheld Behold the subtlety malice and restlesse indeavour of the enemies of goodnesse Is it not a matter with griefe to be beheld that one member should teare another that one professing the same religion should study to supplant and devoure another behold likewise their bootlesse enterprise they bring forth a lye But especially behold the mercy of God to his children his wisdome in discovering his justice in confounding the mischievous practises of their enemies making them the workers of their owne ruine The things which especially deserve our beholding are either 1. things excellent and so are all Gods works in their reason yea Iustice it selfe or 2. Things rare as comets and eclipses or else 3. Great things as starres of the first magnitude c. Even such and much more is Gods mercy to his children and justice against his enemies Behold what great things hee hath done for them Shall the heathen say so and shall not Israel much more Beloved wee ought to seek out Gods workes and shall wee not take notice of them when they are offered to our view this is especially the duty of the Saints of God All thy workes praise thee and thy Saints blesse thee saith David The workes of God praise him by our mouths by our tongues Were it not for some few that by a more divine light and spirituall eye see more of God than others doe what glory should God have in the world God hath not brought us on the stage of this world to be meere gazers but to extract something out for our owne use and to give him the glory of his excellencies But we are too wise to admire any thing it is a matter too meane for our parts to take notice of God and his workes you have some that can see nothing in the workes of God worth the admiring and yet they will have mens persons in admiration in hope of some advantage by them Wee are apt to admire any outward excellency like the disciples before the Holy Ghost came upon them who stood admiring of the goodly stones of the temple When our mindes are thus taken up it were good if we heard Christ speaking to us as he did to them Are these the things you wonder at Beloved it is our duty to observe speciall occurrences not out of any Athenian curiosity but to begin our employment in heaven now whilest wee are upon earth to take occasion from thence to blesse God We should compare the ruâ—e and the event together and observe what truth or attribute God makes good by that which is so fallen out see how God commenteth upon himselfe by his owne actions and from observation of particulars it is good to rise to generals as Deborah from the destruction of one enemy to the destruction of all So let all thy enemies perish O Lord This was Moses song and Hannah's and the Virgin Maries c. they mounted from a consideration of their owne particular and had their thoughts inlarged with the mercy and instice of God to others in succeeding generations And among all Gods works wee should more take notice of his mercy to the Church than of his iustice towards his exemies because his justice is as it were a foile to give lustre to his mercy God delighteth more in mercy as being his proper worke issuing from his owne bowels than in works of â—ustice that are occasioned by the malice of men God is wonderfull in his Saints and more in saving them than in destroying his enemies Considering therefore that mercy beares the chiefe office in the great workes of God we ought to dwell most in consideration thereof and feede our thoughts more with the meditation of his saving workes to his Church than of the ruine of his enemies We pray hallowed be thy name unlesse wee practise what wee pray for we mock God and deceive our owne soules Let not God lose any glory
by us Let not us lose such a pledge of future happinesse as glorifying God is Oh that men would praise the Lord saith David who fearing lest God should lose any glory from his creatures stirres up Angels and all creatures to blesse the Lord God takes it very unkindly when we do not observe especially the excellent peeces of his workmanship A foole considereth not this c. The Lord hath done marvellous things for his Church of late whereof we should rejoyce Wee should doe as Moses did when hee came out of the sea as the Church in resemblance of that deliverance from Egypt did who sang the song of Moses being delivered from their spirituall Pharaoh We see now the viall poured upon the Sunnâ— we see the Prophecies against Antichrists kingdome in fulfilling God hath vouchsafed to strengthen our saith by experience wee have something to lay hold on which may incourage us to expect more from God and to look for those Hallelujâ—â— to be sung from all creatures in heaven and earth upon the utter confusion of Antichrist which whosoever labours to hinder any kinde of way hinders the glory of God and the joy of his people It is good to observe how the Scripture sets out the enemies of God Church in a double representation 1. as terrible terming them Lyons Bulls c. 2. as Base comparing them to chasse and dust before the winde dung c. that when wee see them in their present ruffe and jollity we should stay our selves with consideration of their future besenesse Faith looks on things as present because it looks upon them in the word of Iâ—hovah who will give a being to all his promises and threatnings and therefore faith is called the subsistence of things not seene because it gives a kinde of being of things to the minde and affections of man as if they were present therefore the beleeving of the finall deliverance of Gods people and the ruine of his enemies cannot but raise up the soules of good men to a marvellous degree of joy and thankfulnesse to God Who would not feare to cleave to Antichrist if they did but present to themselves by faith the certaine ruine of that state which the Scripture sets downe in a Propheticall manner as a thing already present Babylon is fallen c. But to come to a more particular application sutable to the present time the occasion and the text are as parallel as may be Our gun-powder-plotters were as pregnant in mischiefe as ever these For conception It could not but come from beneath the Vault there was the very qnintessence of devillishnesse in it Sathan emptyed all his bowells as it were in this project If all the devills in hell were set a worke to devise the like they could hardly doe it There was scarce from the begginning of the world a designe more prodigious and unmercifull of greater depth and extent of villany Were not this Anniversary Commemoration of it posterity would hardly beleeve that a plot so hollish could be hatched in the hearts of men of English men of Catholike men as they would be termed of men so borne withall notwithstanding their dangerous corresponcy with forraine enemies and but halfe subject their better parts their spirits being subject to another visible head who can untye the bond of Allegiance at his pleasure Neither did they onely conceive this hellish wickednesse but were bigge of it and kept it close many moneths and pleased themselves in the same as monstrous and mishapen as it was there wanted neither wit nor counsell nor combination nor secret incouragement to effect it Nay it was an holy villany sealed with oathes sacrament and all the bonds of secrecy that could be invented Oh horrible prophanation to set Gods seale to Satans plot But God who delighteth to confound all presumptuous attempts discovered it when it should have come to the birth and so it proved but the untimely fruit of a woman They brought forth a lye for whereas they intended to have blowne up King and Kingdome Church-men Church Statesmen yea the whole State it selfe all at once without any warning to prepare themselves for another world they not only missed of this but brought that ruine upon themselves which they intended to others whereas they thought for ever to have established their Religion shall I call it or Idolatry or superstition they have by this meanes made it more odious than ever before As the Northerne Gentleman could say that though he was not able to dispute yet hee had two arguments against Popery equivocation and the Gun-powder-treason But they turne it off easily as they thinke Alas it was but the plot of a company of unfortunate gentlemen It was our happinesse that they were unfortunate whereas if it had succeeded well they would have had other termes for it successefull villany goeth for vertue Well the net is broken and we are delivered God thought of us when wee thought not of him and awaked for us when we were asleepe here is a place for behold for what a miserable face of things would there have been if their plot had succeeded Now what returne shall wee make for all this they conceived mischiefe let us conceive praise and travell of holy resolutions to give up our selves to God who hath given us our King our State yea our selves to our selves He hath given us our lives more than once every one of us in particular especially in the last heavy visitation but had it not beene better for many in regard of their owne particular to have beene swept away in that deluge than to live longer to treasure up further wrath to themselves Many are not content to goe to hell alone but they will draw as many others as they can into their fellowship here and torment hereafter Oh beloved the preservation of such is but a reservation to further iudgement What good got the King of Sodome by being delivered once and then after to bee consumed with fire and brimstone from heaven What got Pharaoh by being delivered from ten plagues and then to perish in the Sea What are all our remporall deliverances if wee live still in sin goe on in sinne die in our sinnes and so perish eternally Blessings without returne of due thankes increase the guilt of sin and the increase of guilt causeth the increase of judgements The most proper homogeniall way of thankes is to stirre up our selves to a greater harred of that Religion they would saine free it as if it were the fault of some persons onely but alas what can be else distilled from those dangerous points they hold as that the Pope hath teâ—porall jurisdiction over Princes that he may excommunicate them that he may out of fulnesse of power dispence with the oath of allegiance that he cannot erre that subjection to him is a point of absolute necessity to salvation c. What I say can be distilled froÌ„ these
will deliver him To glorisie God here is the end of all ends to praise God happy wee when Gods end and our end meet together Hee hath made all for his owne glory and when wee with a single eye can ayme at that too what a sweet harmony is there To direct us in this duty in praising God let us with Paul for I goe no surther than the text leads me seriously meditate on Gods mercies both past and to come nothing moves thankfulnesse more than this A Christian when hee lookes backwards hath comfort and when he lookes forward he sees comfort still for preservation and Kingdomes and Crownes abide for him If a man would praise God therefore let him consider how graciously God hath dealt with him Hee hath delivered me already by Jesus Christ from sinne and eternall wrath and he will deliver mee from every evill worke to come that may indanger my salvation Thinke of these things and see whether your hearts can bee cold and dead or no see if your spirits can be streightned Certainely both heart and mouth will be full thou canst not but say in the apprehension of Gods mercies To him bee glory for ever 2. Consider the kindes of favours thou receivest they are either positive or privative spirituall or temporall Positive the Lord will preserve me privative the Lord will deliver mee from every evill worke Temporall the Lord in this life will keepe me spirituall he will deliver me from the power of sin Eternall Hee will preserve mee to his heavenly Kingdome Thinke forward or backwards outward or inward spirituall or temporall where ever you looke tell me if you can doe otherwise then breake out with the holy Apostle in the praises of so good a God And 3. Thinke of the greatnesse of all these the greatnesse of the deliverance from sinne and damnation The Apostle to make himselfe the more thankfull saith he was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion he had large apprehensions of Gods goodnesse So should we beloved consider the greatnesse of the misery we are in by nature being slaves of Satan in danger to slip into Hell every moment and when God hath secured us from this thinke of the greatnesse of the benefit a heavenly kingdome When we think not only of the benefits but of the greatnesse of them it is a wondrous incouragement to bee thankfull Labour then to have a due and high esteeme of every mercy God hath brought us out of darknesse into marvellous light saith the Apostle Great is the mystery of godlinesse and the unsearchable riches of his grace he had not words bigge enough to expresse Gods goodnes Oh the heighth and bredth and depth and length of his love When we consider these dimensions our thankfulnesse must be answerable Againe if you would bee thankfull Labour to have humble spirits to see God in all things and then you will sacrifice to him alone not to thy parts and graces friends abilities c. the meeke are fit to pray to God Seeke the Lord yee meeke of the earth and an humbled meeke soule is the fittest to praise God of any other he that knowes he is worthy of nothing will blesse God for any thing he that knowes he hath nothing in himselfe will be thankfull for the least measure of grace an humble soule is a thankfull soule We see it was Pauls disposition here he gives all to God which makes him so breake out in praising his name Againe if wee would bee thankfull as Paul here and beginne Heaven upon Earth Labour to be assured of salvation and perseverance in thy Christian course The Papists that speake against Assurance and Perseverance kill prayer and praising of God Shall a man praise God for that which he doubts of I cannot tell whether God will damne me or not perhaps I am but fitted as a sheepe to the slaughter c. how shall a man praise God for any blessing hee enjoyes when these thoughts are still with him how shall a man praise God for salvation when perhaps he shall not come to it how shall a man praise God for that which perhaps he may fall from before hee die when perhaps hee is Gods to day and may be the Devills to morrow How can there bee a hearty thankes but when a man can say The Lord will deliver me from every evill work that by mine owne weaknesse and Satans malice I may occasionally fall into betwixt this and Heaven Therefore if we would praise God as we should let us worke our hearts to labour after assurance of Gods favour let us redeeme our precious time and every day set some time apart to strengthen our evidences for heaven which will set us in a continuall frame to every good worke Thus wee see out of Pauls example how we should be disposed here to be in heaven before our time For undoubtedly he who praiseth God is so much in Heaven as he is given to thankfulnesse for hee is in that imployment now which shall be there altogether But how long doth he desire that God should have glory For ever and ever A Christian should have the extent of his desires of Gods glory carried to eternity Upon what ground because God intends him glory for ever and ever a Christian that is assured of his salvation is assured that God will eternally glorisie him He knowes that Christ is King for ever He knowes that Christ is a Priest for ever He knowes that the state and condition that he is kept for is everlasting It is an inheritance immortal and undeâ—iled that fadeth not away and therefore he saith Hath God eternall thoughts of my good and is Christ an eternall head an eternall King to rule me both in lise and in death Surely I will extend my desires of his glory as farre as hee extends his purpose to doe me good Now his purpose to doe mee good is for eternity and my desire that he may have glory shall be â—or eternity world withont end This is the disposition of a gracious soule not that God may be honoured by him alone but of all To whom be praise not by me but by all I am not sufficient enough to praise him To him be praises in the Churches throughout all ages for ever David had not largenesse enough in himselfe to blesse God and therefore hee stirres up his spirits and all within him to praise his holy name as if all were too little to set out the glory of Gods infinite goodnesse mercy wisedome and power those gracious attributes that shew themselves glorious in bringing man to salvation and in governing the Church Learne this duty therefore If we will make good to our owne soules that we are in the state of grace we must plot for eternity and indeavour to lay a ground and foundation that the Church may flourish for eternitie No man can warrant himselfe to be a good Christian but he that labours to
of the same to something that likes it when there is any thing set before the soule having a magneticall force as the Loadstone to draw out the motions thereof we call that desire though for the present it enjoyes it not S. Pauls desire was 1. spirituall not after hapinesse so much as holinesse oh miserable man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from this body of death his desire of death was to be freeed from the body of sinne more than to be taken out of the flesh and his desire of holines to have Christs image stamped on his soule was more than of eternall happinesse nature cannot doe this it s a worke above the flesh for that will not heare of departing but rather bids God and Christ depart from it 2. This desire came from a tast of sweetnesse in communion with Christ and those desires that most ravish the soule in apprehension of heavenly things are ever the most holy S. Paul knew what a sweet communion Christ was 3. It was a constant desire he doth not say I desire but I have a desire I carry the same about me and that carryes mee to a love of Christ and his members 4. It was efficacious not a naked velleity not a wish of the sluggard I would and I would but a strong desire carrying him even through death it selfe to Christ desires thus qualified are blessed desires as where wee soe vapours arise there are springs usually below them so where these desires are there is alwayes a spring of grace in that soule Nothing characterizeth a Christian so much as holy and blessed desires for there is no hypocrisie in them I desire to depart There must be a parting and a departing there must be a parting in this world with all outward excellencies from the sweet enjoyment of the creatures there must be a parting between soule and body between friend and friend and whatever is neare and deare unto us all shall determine in death And there must be a departing also here we cannot stay long away we must we are for another place Oh that we could make use of these common truths how farre are wee from making a right use of the mysteries of salvation when we cannot make use of common truthes which wee have daily experience of Holy Moses considering the suddennesse of his departure hence begged of God to teach him to number his dayes that he might apply his heart unto wisedome Death is but a departing which word is taken from loosing from the shore or removing of a ship to another coast wee must all be unloosened from our houses of clay and bee carryed to another place to heaven Paul labors to sweeten so harsh a thing as death by comfortable expressions of it It is but a sleep a going home a laying aside our earthly tabernacle to teach us this point of heavenly wisdome that wee should looke on death as it is now in the Gospell not as it was in the Law and by nature for so it is a passage to hell and lets us in to all miseries whatsoever Some things are desireable for themselves as happinesse and holinesse some things are desirable not for themselves but as they make way to better things being sowre and bitter to nature themselves as Physicke is desired not for it selfe but for health wee desire health for it selfe and physick for health so to be with Christ is a thing desirable of it selfe but because we cannot come to Christ but by the darke passage of death saith Paul I desire to depart that so my death may be a passage to Christ so that death was the object of S. Pauls desire so farre as it made way for better things I desire to depart and to bee with Christ. To be with Christ that came from heaven to be here on earth with us and descended that we should ascend to be with him that hath done and suffered so much for us to be with Christ that delighted to be with us to be with Christ that emptyed himselfe and became of no reputation that became poore to make us rich to be with Christ our husband now contracted here that all may bee made up in heaven this was the thing Paul desired Why doth he not say I desire to be in heaven Because heaven is not heaven without Christ it is better to be in any place with Christ than to be in heaven it selfe without him all delicacies without Christ are but as a funerall banquet where the master of the feast is away there is nothing but solemnnesse what is all without Christ I say the joyes of heaven are not the joyes of heaven without Christ he is the very heaven of heaven True love is carryed to the person It is adulterous love to love the thing or the gift more than the person S. Paul loved the person of Christ because hee felt sweet experience that Christ loved him his love was but a reflection of Christs love first he loved to see Christ to embrace him and enjoy him that had done so much and suffered so much for his soule that had forgiven him so many sins c. The reason is because it is best of all To be with Christ is to be at the spring-head of all happines it is to be in our proper element every creature thinkes it selfe best in its owne element that is the place it thrives in and enjoyes its happinesse in now Christ is the element of a Christian Againe it is farre better because to bee with Christ is to have the marriage consummate is not marriage better than the contract is not home better than absence to be with Christ is to be at home is not triumph better than to be in conflict but to be with Christ is to triumph over all enemies to be out of Satans reach is not perfection better than imperfection here all is but imperâ—ect in heaven there is perfection therefore that is much better than any good below for all are but shadowes here there is reality What is riches what are the worme-eaten pleasures of the world What are the honours of the earth but meere shadowes of good At the right hand of Christ are pleasures indeed honours indeed riches indeed then is realitie If wee speake of grace and good things it is better to bee with Christ than enjoy the graces and comâ—orts of the holy-Ghost here Why because they are all stayned and mixed here our peace is interrupted with desertion and trouble here the joyes of the holy ghost are mingled with sorrow here the grace in a man is with combate of flesh and spirit but in heaven there is pure peace pure joy pure grace for what is glory but the perfection of grace grace indeed is glory here but it is glory with conflict the Scripture calls grace glory sometimes but it is glory with imperfection Beloved perfection is better than imperfection therefore to be with Christ is
casts up myre and dirt it casts up feares and objections and murmurings and repinings Oh beloved wee thinke not what mischiefe sinne will do us when we suffer it sease upon our consciences when it is once written there with the claw of a Diamond and with a pen of iron who shall get it out Nothing but great repentance and faith applying the blood of Christ it is no easie matter to get it off there and to get the conscience at peace againe and when conscience is not appeased there will be all clamours within it will feare to appeare before the judgement â—eaâ— a guilty conscience trembles at the mention of death Therefore I wonder how men that live in swearing in loosenesse in filthinesse in deboisednesse of life that labour to satisfie their lusts and corruptions â— wonder how they can thinke of death without trembling considering that they are under the guilt of so many sinnes Oh beloved the exercising of the heart to keepe a cleare conscience can onely breede this desire in us to depart and to bee with Christ you have a company of wretched persoÌ„s proud enough in their owne conceits and censorious nothing can please theÌ„ whose whole life is acted by satan joyning with the lusts of their flesh and they do nothing but put stings into death every day and arme death against themselves which when once it appeares their conâ—cience which is a hell within them is wakened and where are they they can stay here no longer they must appeare before the dreadfull Iudge and then where are all their pleasures and contentments for which they neglected heaven and happinesse peace of conscience and all Oh therfor let us walke holily with our God and maintaine inward peace all we can if we desire to depart hence with comfort 4. Againe Paul had got assurance that he was in Christ by his union with him I live not saith he but Christ lives in mee therefore labour for assurance of salvation that you may feele the spirit of Christ in you sanctifying and altering your carnall dispositions to be like his I know whom I have trusted saith he he was as sure of his salvation as if he had had it already How few live as if they intended any such matter as this assurance of salvation without which how can we ever desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ will a man leave his house though it bee never so meane when hee knowes not whither to goe will a man leave the prison when he knows he shall be caryed to execution Oh no he had rather bee in the dungeon still So when there is guilt on the soule that it is not assured of salvation but rather hath cause to feare the contrary can it say I desire to depart and bee with Christ c No they had rather abide in the flesh still if they could for ever for all eternitie therefore if we would come to Pauls desire labour to come to the frame of the holy Apostles spirit he knew whom he had beleeved he was assured that nothing could separate him from the love of God neither life nor death nor any thing whatsoever could befall him 5. Paul had an art of sweetning the thoughts of death hee considered it onely as a departure from earth to heaven when death was presented unto him as a passage to Christ it was a easie matter to desire the same therefore it should be the Art of Christians to present death as a passage to a better life to labour to bring our soules into such a condition as to thinke death not to bee a death to us but the death of it selfe death dyes when I die and I beginne to live when I die It is a sweet passage to life we never live till wee die This was Pauls Art hee had a care to looke beyond death to heaven and when he looked upon death he looked on it but as a passage to Christ so let it bee our art and skill would we cherish a desire to die let us looke on death as a passage to Christ and looke beyond it to heaven All of us must goe through this darke passage to Christ which when we consider as Paul did it will be an easie matter to die I come now to the next words Neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you This is the other desire of Paul that brought him into this straite he was troubled whether he should die which was farre better for himselfe or live which was more needfull for them but the love of Gods people did prevaile in holy S. Paul above the desire of heaven and the present enjoying his owne happinesse Oh the power of grace in the hearts of Gods children that makes them content to be without the joyes of heaven for a time that they may doe God service in serving his Church here upon earth Observe hence that the lives of worthy men especially Magistrates and Ministers are very needful for the Church of God The reason is because Gods manner of dispensation is to convey all good to men by the meanes of men like our selves for the most part and this hee doth to knit us into a holy communion one with another therfore it is needful that holy men should abide in regard of the Church of God their lives are very usefull If we consider good the great benefit that comes by them wee shall easily yeeld to this For what a deale of sinne doth a good Magistrate stoppe and â—inder when there were good Iudges and good Kings in Israel see what a reformation there was Antichrist could not come in when the Romane Empire flourished though now the Romane Empire hinder the fall of Antichrist because Antichrist hath given her the cup of fornication and they are drunke with the whores cup but at the first it was not so Beloved whilest good Magistrates and good Ministers continue in a place there is a hinderance of heresies and sinne c. If they bee once removed there is a floodgate opened for all maner of sin and corruption to breake in at Yea there is abundance of good comes in by gracious persons 1. By their counsell and direction The lips of the righteous feed many 2. By their reformation of abuses by planting Gods ordinances and good orders whereby Gods wrath is appeased they stand in the gappe and stop evill they reforme it and labour to stablish that which is pleasing to God 3. Gracious persons in what condition soever they are cary the blessing of God with them wheresoever they are God and his blessing goes along with them 4. They doe a great deale of good by their patterne and example they are the lights of the world that give ayme to others in the darknesse of this life 5. They can by their prayers binde God as it were that he shall not inflict his judgements they doe a world of good by this way a praying force and
touch some circumstances and then fall upon the point it selfe as 1 The time wherein hee was forsaken a time of darknesse the sixth houre in which there was a darknesse over the whole earth and in the land of Iudea especially Neither had hee darknesse without onely but within likewise his soule was troubled from a sense of his fathers displeasure two Ecclipses seazed upon him together the one of the glorious light of the Sunne the other of the light of his Fathers countenance Hee must needes be in a disconsolate estate and doubly miserable thaâ— is incompassed with such darknesse whatsoever was done to Christ our surety shall be done to all that are out of him blacknessâ— of darknesse is reserved for them As Christ wanted the comfort of light from heaven so those that are out of Christ shall have no comfort from any creature at at the last the Sunne shall not shine upon them the earth shall not beare them they shall not have a drop of water to coole their tongues they were formerly Rebels against God and now every creature is ready to serve the Lord against them when the King is displeased with a man which of his servants dare to countenance him This darknesse being in Iudea did likewise portend the miserable condition of the Iewes here and that eternall darknesse in the the world to come which should be their portion if they repented not Another circumstance may be this God was a great while ere he removed his heavy displeasure from Christ he was three houres in torment And though God delayed him long yet hee said nothing til now by way of complaint wee should beware of darknesse of spirit in trouble God may delay helpe to his dearest children as here he did to his onely Son to perfect the worke of sanctification in them therefore submit to his wil rest contented with whatever hee sends looke to thy Head and Saviour c. But of this more anone 3 His greatest griefe and conflicts were towards his latter end towards the shutting up and cloze of his life though a little after hee saith All is finished yet now he cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Afflictions are sharpest toward our Ends. I speake this for prevention of discomfort in those that finde extremities upon them when miseries are extreame helpe is nearest They will either mend or end then the darknesse is thickest a little before the morning appeares and Sathan raged most a little before his casting downe As also to prevent security from seazing upon people take heed of deferring repentance till thy last houres there may be a confluence of many extreamities then upon thee paines of body terrours of conscience Sathans temptations Gods wrath c when all these meete together and the poore soule in its best strength findes enough to doe to conflict with any one of them what an unhappy condtion will that be Oh put not off your repentance to this time But I passe these circumstances come to the point of forsaking it selfe In the unfolding whereof I wil shew 1 In what sense Christ was forsaken 2 In what parts hee was forsaken 3 Upon what ground And 4 To what end all this forsaking of Christ was For the first forsaking is nothing else but when God leaves the creature to it selfe either in regard of comfort or of grace and assistance I will shew you how Christ was leâ—t of his Father and how he was not leâ—t 1 Hee was not forsaken in regard of Gods love for my Father loveth me saith he because I give my life for my sheepe God never loved Christ more then now because hee was never more obedient than at this present 2 Nor in regard of Vnion for there was no separation of his divine nature from the humane there was a suspension of vision indeed hee saw no comfort for the present from God but there was no dissolution of Union for the divine nature did many things in this seeming forsaking that was it which supported his humane nature to suâ—taine the burthen of our sinnes and the wrath of God as also that gave merit and worth of satisfaction to his sufferings 3 Neither was this forsaking in regard of grace as if faith or love or any other grace were taken from Christ Oh no for hee beleeved before he said My God my God Would hee have committed his dearest jewell into the hands of God if hee had not beleeved in him How then was Christ forsaken 1 In regard of his present comfort and joy hee could not else have beene a sacrifice for as wee cannot suffer by way of conformity to Christ unlesse there be some desertion that wee may know the bitternesse of sin no more could Christ have suffered for our iniquities had there not beene a suspension of light and comfort from his gracious soule 2 He was not onely privatively deprived of all joy and happinesse but positively hee felt the wrath and fury of the Almighty whose just displeasure seazed upon his soule for sinne as our surety All outward comforts likewise forsooke him the Sunne withdrew his light from above and every thing below was irksome to him He suffered in all the good things he had body soule good-name in his eyes eares hands c. hee was reproached proached and forsaken of all comforts about him Hee had not the common comfort of a man in misery pity none tooke compassion upon him hee was the very object of scorne But in what part was Christ forsaken In all both in body and soule too as may plainly appeare First because hee was our Surety and wee had stained our soules bodies too offending God in both but in soule especially because that is the conâ—river of all sinne the body being but the instrument Some sinns we call spirituall sinnes as pride malice infidelity and the like these â—ouch not the body yet are the greatest sinnes of all other Secondly if he had not suffered in his Soule the sense of Gods displeasure why should he thus cry out when as the poor theeves that suffered by him made no such exclamation If he had suffered in body onely the sufferings of Paul and Moses had beene more for they wished to be separated from the joyes of heaven out of a desire to promote Gods glory on earth therefore it was hee saith in the Garden My soule is heavy unto death Some will grant that Christ suffered in soule but say they it was by way of sympathie for there are sufferings of soul immediately from God and sufferings by way of sympathie and agreement with the body when as the soule hath a fellow feeling of thâ— torments thereof and so Chrisâ— suffered in soule indeed That is not all beloved but there were immediate sufferings even of his soule also which he groaned under God the Father laid a heavy stroake upon that Hee was smitten of the Lord and when God
Though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill why because thou art with mee my God and my shepheard Though wee be in the valley of the shadow of death yet notwithstanding if God bee with us if wee bee in covenant with him and can lay just claime to his promise by giving up our selves to him we shall not feare one beame of Gods countenance when wee are in covenant with him will scatter all Clouds whatsoever I beseech you therefore labour more and more for this precious grace of faith and increase it by all saâ—ctified means hearing the Word reading the Scriptures and treasuring up promises considering what speciall use wee have of this above all other graces But to proceed Christ here doth not onely beleleeve but He vents his faith by prayer Good workes are but faith inincarnate faith working they differ not much from it so prayer is but faith flaming the breath of faith as it were for when troubles possesse the soule it sends out its Ambassadour presently it speeds prayer forth and prayer stayes not till it come to heaven and there takes hold upon GOD and gets a message and answer from him backe to comfort the soule faith and prayer are all one in a manner when the soule hath any great desire of grace or is in griefe apprehending the displeasure of GOD faith would if it could worke to heaven but we are on earth and cannot till wee dye therefore when it cannot goe to heaven it sends prayer and that mounts the soule aloft and wrastles with God and wil give him no rest till the petition bee granted and it can say My God Therefore if you have any faith at all exercise it and make it bright by often prayer The prayer of faith prevailes much How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved Indeed it is no prayer at all without faith great faith great prayer weake faith weake prayer no faith no prayer they both goe on in an even strength Christ here prayes to God under this complaint Why hast thou for saken me There is a hidden prayer in it oh doe not forsake mee deliver me out c. I beseech you even as you would have comfort from the â—ountaine of comfort that usually conveyes all grace and comfort to us by a spirit of prayer labour to be much in communion w th God in this blessed exercise especially in troubles Call upoÌ„ me in the day of trouble the evil day is a day of prayer of all daâ—es in the day of trouble especially Make your request knowne to God But perhaps GOD will not heare mee Yes this fruit followes The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes When you have eased your soules into the bosome of God by prayer you may goe securely and know that he will leâ— you reape the fruit of your prayers in the best time Yea but 〈◊〉 prayed long and have had no answer Wait in prayer Gods time is the best time The Physition keepes his owne time he turnes the glasse and though the paâ—iâ—◠〈◊〉 ouâ— that he tormeÌ„ts him it is no matter he knows his time The Gold-smith will not take the metall out of the fire till it bee refined so God knowes what to doe waite his good leasure In the meane time because wee must have all from God by prayer I beseech you derive all from him this way pray for every thing and then we shall have it as a blessing indeed But put the case I cannot pray as sometimes wee are in such a case that we cannot make a large prayer to God Then doe as Christ did Crie If thou canst not pray groane and sigh for they are the groans and sighes of Gods Spirit in thee there is a great deal of oratorâ— in these words What is the use of eloquence but to perswadeâ— and what could perswade God more than when Christ shewed how he esteemed his love and how he was now In the absence of it environed with griefe before him Here was Rhetorick if Christ had not spoken his wounds had said enough and his pittifull ease spake sufficiently every thing hath a voyce to 〈◊〉 for mercy 〈◊〉 â—hee adds his voyce to all and cries vocally aloud My God my god why hast thou forsaken me Beloved if you acquaint your selves with GOD in prayer then you may goe readily to him in any extremity therefore in time of health and prosperity cherish communion with his blessed Majesty make him your friend and upon every good occasion improve this plea Oh my God If wee have riches if we have a friend in the Court wee will improve them if wee have any thing we will make use of it have we a GOD and will we not improve him have wee a God that is our GOD and doe wee want grace doe wee want comfort and strength and assistance and have wee a God the Fountaine of all to goe to Shall we have such a prerogative as this to have Jesus Christ to 〈◊〉 be our great peace-maker that we may go boldly to the Thron of grace through him and shall we not improve the same Wee may goe boldly to God and welcome because GOD is infinite and the more wee goe and beg the more he gives wee cannot exhaust that Fountaine oh let us improve this blessed prerogative then wee shall live the life of heaven upon earth especially when the Conscience is troubled with sinne as Christ was now with the displeasure of his Father then let us go to God plead with his Majesty and we may plead lawfully with him Lord thy Iustice is better satified in Christ than if thou shouldest send me to hell if thou wilt thou maist destroy me for conscience must come to a great resignation it cannot desire mercy but it must see its own misery Lord 〈◊〉 maist justly cast me to hell but it would not bee so much for thy glory thou art more glorious in satifying thy justice in Christ than if thou shouldest damne mee to hell Why Because Gods justice is better satisfied in Christ. Man sinned but God-man satisfied for sinne man would be like God in pride God becomes man in humilitie the expiation of God is greater than the sinne of man He prayed for his persecutors and gave his life for them doth not this proportion more the justice of God than the sinne of man The Law doth but require a nocent person a guilty person to suffer Christ was innocent The Law requires that man should suffer Christ was GOD therefore Christ hath done more than satisfied the Law the satisfaction of Christ is more than if we had suffered Wee are poore men creatures that was the satisfaction of God-man our sinnes are the sinnes of finite persons but he is infinite therefore the soule may plead Lord I am a wretched sinner but I should take
free us from the hands of Sathan and bring us to an eternall estate of communion with himselfe in heaven for all the old heaven and the old earth shall passe away and the old condition of creatures and a new life shall bee given them God that made the new heaven and the new earth hath made us for them Considering therefore that God gave us our first being and when we were worse thaÌ„ naught gave us a second being in regard of our new creation how should it stirre us up to coÌ„mit our soules unto him especially if we consider that in him wee live and move and have our being that there is not the least thought and affection to goodnesse in us but it comes from God wee are what wee are by his grace What is the reason that love descends so much Because a man lookes upon that which is his owne and loves it now God lookes upon us as upon those into whom hee hath infused mercy and goodnesse and hee loves his owne worke upon us and therefore having begun a good worke will perfect the same Doe not men delight to polish their owne worke As in the first creation God never tooke off his hand till hee had finished his worke so in the second creation of our soules he will never remove his hand from the blessed worke of grace till hee hath perfected the same therefore wee may well commit our soules to him But suppose a man be in a desperate estate and hath no way of escaping Remember that God is the same still he hath not forgot his old Art of creating but is as able to helpe now as ever and can create comforts for thee in thy greatest troubles As in the first creation hee made light out of darknesse order out of confusion so still hee is able out of thy confused and perplexed estate to create peace and comfort Thou knowest not what to doe perhaps thy minde is so troubled and disquieted why commit thy soule to God hee can raise an excellent frame out of the Chaos of thy thoughts therefore be not dismayed consider thou hast God in covenant with thee and hast to deale with an Almighty Creator who can send present helpe in time of need Doest thou want any grace doest thou want spirituall life goe to this Creator hee will put a new life into thee he that made all things of nothing can raise light out of thy darke minde and can make fleshy thy sâ—ony heart though it be as hard as a rocke Therefore never despaire but frequent the meanes of grace and still thinke of God under this relation of a Creator and when hee hath begun any good worke of grace in thee goe confidently to his Majesty and desire him to promote and increase the same in thy heart and life Lord I am thy poore creature thou hast in mercy begun a blessed worke in mee and where thou hast begun thou hast said thou wilt make an end When thou createdst the world thou didst not leave it till all was done and when thou createdst man thou madest an end Now I beseech thee perfect the new creature in my soule as thou hast begun to inlighten mine understanding and to direct my affections to the best things so I commit my soule unto thee for further guidance and direction to full happinesse THE SAINTS SAFETY IN EVILL TIMES SERMON V. 1 PET. 4. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as to a faithfull Creator I Am now to treate of that other Attribute of GOD which should move us to trust in him namely as hee is a faithfull Creator Now God is faithfull 1. In his nature Hee is I AM alwayes like himselfe immutable and unchangeable 2. In his word Hee expresseth himselfe as he is the word that comes from God is an expression of the faithfulnesse of his nature 3. In his workes Thou art good and doest good as the Psalâ—ist saith God being faithfull in himselfe all must needs bee so that proceeds from him whatsoever Relation God takes upon him hee is faithfull therein As hee is a Creator so hee preserves and maintains his owne worke as hee is a Father hee is faithfull in discharging that duty to the full for his childrens good as bee is our friend hee likewise performes all the duties of that Relâ—â—ion c. And why doth God stoope so low to take these Relations upon him but onely to shew that hee will certainly accomplish the same to the utmost Whence is it that men are faithfull in their Relations one towards another that the father is faithfull to his childe is it not from God the chiefe Father That a friend should bee faithfull to his friend is it not from God the great friend All his wayes are mercy and truth they are not onely mercifull and good and gracious but Mercy and Truth it selfe If he shew himselfe to bee a father hee is a true father a true friend a true Creator and Protector as one saith Shall I cause others to feare and bee a Tyrant my selfe All other faithfulnesse is but a Beame of that which is in God Shall not hee bee most faithful that makes other things faithfull Now this faithfulnesse of God is here a ground of this duty of committing our selves to him and wee may well trust him whose word hath beene seven times tryed in the fire there is no drosse in it Every word of God is a sure word his truth is a Shield and Buckler wee may well trust in it therfore wheÌ„ you read of any singular promise in the New Testament it is said This is a faithfull saying c. that is this is such a speech as wee may trust to it is the speech of a faithfull Creator Considering therefore that God is so faithfull every way in his promises and in his deeds let us make especiall use of it Treasure up all the promises we can of the forgivenesse of sinnes of protection and preservation that hee will never leave us but be our God to death c. and then consider withall that hee is faithful in performing the same when we are affrighted by his Majesty and his justice and other Attributes then thinke of his mercy and truth He hath cloathed himselfe with faithfulnesse as the Psalmist saith In all the unfaithfulnesse of men whom thou trustest depend upon this that God is still the same and will not deceive thee When we have mans word wee have his sufficiency in minde for mens words are as themselves are What will not the word of a King doe If a man bee mighty and great his word is answerable This is the reason why wee should make so much of the word of God because it is the word of Ieâ—ovah a mighty Creatour who gives a being to all things and can onely bee Lord and Master of his word we know Gods meaning
carnall policy or others to knit our selves to that for I beseech you doe but think what is true in all Stories not onely in the Scripture but elsewhere the most infortunate meÌ„ that ever were otherwise wise enough were alwayes too confident of themselves The greatest Swimmers you know are often drowned because relying overmuch on their owne skill they cast themselves into danger and are swallowed up of the deepe Even confidence in wit is usually unfortunate though it bee great let Salomon bee an example you see how hee strengthened himselfe by carnall supports but what became of all alas it soone vanished and came to nothing the Iewes would runne to the reed of Aegypt and that ranne into their hands in stead of helping it hurt them GOD takes delight to overthrow the ripenesse of all the carnall policy of man that advanceth it selfe against his word and Gospell Take heed of confidence in prosperity in wit in strength take heed of whatsoever hinders the committing of our soules to God and alway remember that bonestic is the best policy and that GOD reconciled in Christ is the best sanctuary to flee unto The name of God is a strong Tower saith Salomon the righteous flee thereto and are safe Let Christians therefore have nothing to doe with carnall shifts and politique ends for they have a strong Rocke and a sure hold to goe to the Almighty is their shield Beloved God will bee honoured by our trusting of him and those that will bee wiser than God and have other courses distinct and contrary to him must looke for confusion in all their plots A Christian should thus thinke with himselfe Let God beâ—wise for me his wisdome shall bee my direction his will shall bee the rule of my life hee shall guide me and support me I will adventure upon no course that I dare not commit my soule with comfort to God in Oh beloved if we tender our owne welfare let us shun all unwarrantable courses and adventure upon no action whatsoever wherein we cannot upon good grounds desire the Lords protection It is a fearfull estate for a man to undertake such courses as that hee cannot if hee were surprized by judgement suddenly commit him selfe to God in The throne of iniquity shall not abide with God hee will not take a wicked man by the hand nor owne him in a distressfull time Study therefore I beseech you to bee alwayes in such a blessed condition as that you may without tempting of God in a holy boldnesse of faith resigne up your soules to him A guilty conscience cannot seeke the Lord naturally it runnes away from him peace is not easily gotten nor the gapp soone made up therefore preserve conscience cleare and unspotted if thou wouldest have God thy refuge in time of need Adam when hee had sinned ranne from God Peter when our Saviour discovered more than an ordinary Majesty in his miracles said Lord depart from mee I am a sinfull man It is the worke of flesh and blood to depart from God but when a man goes to God it is a signe hee hath more than flesh and blood in him for this cannot bee done without a supernaturall worke of faith which alone will make a sinfull conscience flie to God and looke to him as a father in Christ and desire him by his Almighty power whereby hee created heaven and earth to create faith in the soule And when thou hast cast thy soule into the armes of the Almighty labour to settle it there and to quiet thy selfe in the discharge of thy duty say thus Now I have done that which belongs to mee let God doe that which belongs to him I will not trouble my selfe about Gods worke but in well doing commit my soule to him and let him alone with the rest Christians should not out-runne Gods Providence and say What shall become of me this trouble will overwhelme mee c. but serve his Providence in the use of the meanes and then leave all to his disposall Especially this duty is needfull in the houre of death or when some imminent danger approacheth but then it will be an hard worke except it be practised aforehand Labour therefore for assurance of Gods love betimes get infallible evidences of thy estate in grace that thou art a renued person and that there is a through change wrought in thy heart that God hath set a stampe upon thee for his owne and that thou hast something above nature in thee then maist thou cheerfully say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit I am thine Lord save mee c. otherwise having no interest in God how canst thou expect any favour from him Oh the sweet tranquility and heaven upon earth which those enjoy who have God to be their friend This layes a heavy prejudice upon Antichristian Religion which maintaines a doctrine of doubting affirming that wee ought not to labour for assurance of Gods favour Oh beloved what deprives a poore Christian soule of coÌ„fort more than this Alas how can a man at the houre of death commit his soule into the hands of Almighty God that staggers whether he bee his childe or no and knows not whether he shall goe to heaven or hell Therfore it should bee our dayly indeavour as wee would have comfort in the time of resigning and giving up our soules to God to gather evidences of a good estate that wee are in covenant with him that hee is our Father and that wee are his children in Christ Jesus For will a man trust his Iewels with an enemy or with a doubtfull friend how can the swearer commit his soule to God how can loose livers and your filthy uncleane wretches that live in continuall enmity against the Lord commit themselves with any comfort unto him They pray Leade us not into temptation and yet runne daily into temptations into vile houses and places of wickednesse wherein they feed their corruptions and nothing else They say Give us this day our daily bread and yet use unwarrantable courses seeking to thrive by unlawfull meanes Beloved a man can coÌ„mit his soule with no more comfort to God than hee hath care to please him If a man knowes such a one hath his Evidences Leases and may hurt him when hee list how carefull will hee bee of provoking or giving offence to such a man Suppose wee knew a man that had the keeping of a Lyon or some cruell beast and could let it loose upon us at his pleasure would wee not speake such a one faire and give him as little cause of discontent as may bee Beloved God hath Dâ—vils and wicked men in a chaine and can if we offend him set loose all the powers of darknesse upon us he can make Conscience flie in our faces and cause us to despair and sinke All our evidence and assurances of 〈◊〉 are in Gods hands 〈◊〉 can bring us into a state â—ll of discomfort and misery and make
alas who can not doe this Our study therfore should bee to know the depth and meaning of the same how that wee are not onely to commit the essence of our soules to God that hee would take them into heaven when we dye but also to commit the affections of our soules to him that he might owne us and governe us whilest wee live for how are our soules knowne but by those active expressions in ouâ— affectioÌ„s which immediately issue from them when we coÌ„mit all our thoughts desires and affections to him setting him highest in our soules and making him our hope our trust our joy our feare c. Thus I have spoken of the duty of the thing to be committed our soules and to whom to God and the manner in weldoing and why because hee is a faithfull Creator Now I beseech you consider how nearly it concernes us all to bee throughly acquainted with the practise of this duty God knowes what extremities wee may fall into certainly in what condition so ever we bee either publike or private whether in contagion and infection or warre and desolation happy are we if we have a God to goe to if we have Him to retire to in Heaven a good conscience to retire to in our selves we may rest secure Though the earth be removed and the mountaines bee carried into the midst of the sâ—a yet we shall bee safe that is Though the order of nature were confounded yet there is a river shall refresh the house of God there are Chambers of divine protection that the Christian enters into as the Prophet saith Enter into thy Chambers and God is his habitation still If a Christian had no shelter in the world yet hee hath an abiding place in God continually as God dwels in him so hee dwels in God Sathan and all other the enemies of man must breake through God before they can come to us when once we commit our selves to him as to a Tower and habitation and enter into him as into an hiding place the enemies must wrong him before they can hurt us so blessed an estate it is to bee in God having commended our soules to him as unto a faithfull Creator But wee see many of Gods deare children that commit themselves to his care and protection miscarry and goe by the worst in the world Beloved it is not so for when they commit themselves to God they are under safety and if he keepe them not out of trouble yet he will preserve them in trouble I will be with thee in the â—ire and in the water saith God he saith not I will keepe you out of the fire and out of the water for hee brought many holy Martyrs into it some were drowned some burned c. Though God will not keepe us out of trouble yet hee will preserve our spirits in trouble nay God many times by a small trouble preserves us from a greater Even the sufferings of the godly are oft preservations to them Was not Ionah preserved by the Whale What had become of him if that had not swallowed him up A Whale that one would have thought should be a meanes to destroy him was a meanes to carry him to the Coast and bring him safely to land Againe God seemes for a time indeed to neglect his children when they commit themselves unto him but marke the issue All the workes of God are beautifull in their season he suffers them it may be a long time to bee in danger and trouble till hee hath perfected the worke of mortification in their hearts and crucified their confidence in earthly things till he hath made them more sensible of the evill of sinne and watchfull against it but waite a while and you shall see that the end of the righteous man is peace Gods presence and assistance to support his children in trouble is invincible they have gladnesse and comfort that wee woâ—e not of they commit the safety of their soules to God and hee seemes to neglect them if we looke to their outward man but they have a Paradise in their conscience God preserves their soules from sinne and their consciences from despaire they have an invisible protection There was a sence about Iob that the Devils saw and a guard of Angels that Elias saw and that his servant saw afterwards Wicked men see not the guard of spirits that is about the children of God as Christ saith They have meate the world knowes not of they feed on hidden comforts As for carnall men that doe not commit themselves to God they have no preservation but rather a reservation to a further evill Pharaoh was kept from the tenne plagues but was drowned in the sea at last and Sodome was kept by Abraham hee fought for them but yet it was destroyed with fire and Brimstone afterwards Let us then try our trust in God those that intend to imbarke themselves and their estates in a shipp will bee sure to try it first This committing of our soules to God must be our shippe to carry us through the waves of this troublesome world to the heavenly Canaan of rest and peace Wee should therefore search and prove the same whether it be indeed safe and sound able to support our soules in the evill day and not leake and prove insufficient for us Those that commit themselves to God aright are farre from tempting his Majesty God will bee trusted but not tempted What though things fall not out according to thy expectation yet waite thou and thinke God hath further ends then thou knowest of God will doe things in the order of his Providence therefore if wee neglect that it is our owne fault if hee doe not helpe us If Christ had committed his health to God and had cast himselfe downe from the Pinnacle what an act had this beene but hee would not so tempt the Almighty Neither should wee unadvisedly runne into dangers but serve his Providence upon all occasions God useth our indeavor to this very end He saves us not alway immediately but by putting wisedome into our hearts to use lawfull meanes and using those meanes hee will save us in them A Christian therefore should bee in a continuall dependance upon God and say I will use these meanes God may blesse them if not I will trust him hee is not tyed to the use of meanes though I bee Againe those that commit their soules or any thing to God finde themselves quieted therein Is it not so amongst men If a man commit a Iewell to a trusty friend is hee not secure presently Have wee not Gods Word and faithfulnesse ingaged that hee will not leave us nor forsake us but continue our Alsufficient God and portion to our lives end why then are wee disquieted Those that are full of cares and feares may talke their pleasure but they never yet had any true confidence in God for faith is a quieting grace it stils
thou wilt serve thy selfe of my credit and reputation I will adventure it for thee If thou wilt have my life of thee I had it to thee I will restore it I will not limit thy Majesty come of it what will I leave it to thy wisedome use mee and mine as thou wilt onely be gracious to my soule that it may goe well with that and I care not Thus wee should wholly resigne our selves to the Lords disposall and thereby wee shall exceedingly honour his Majesty and cause him to honour us and to shew his presence to us for our good which hee will assuredly doe if we absolutely yeeld up our selves to him But if a man will have two strings to his Bow and trust him so farre but not so farre so hee may bee kept from this danger or that trouble c. this is not to deale with God as an Omnipotent Creator For hee that doth a thing truely in obedience to God will doe it generally to all his commands so farre as the reason of his obedience reaches his trust extends hee that commits any thing to God will commit all to him he chooseth not his Objects but upon the same ground that hee commits his soule to God when hee dies hee commits his estate liberty and all hee hath while he lives Hee can never relye on God for greater matters that distrusts him in lesser Againe a man that truely trusts God will commit all his wayes unto him hee will take no course but what hee is guided in by the Lord hee lookes for wisedome from above and saith Lord though it is not in mee to guide my owne way as thy Word shall leade mee and the good counsel of thy Spirit in others direct me so I will follow thee Hee that commits not his wayes to God will not commit his comforts to him God must bee our Counsellor as well as our Comforter Therefore the Wise man bids us Acknowledge God in all our wayes and leane not to our owne wisedome Most men looke how safe their counsels are not how holy and agreeable to God is this to trust in him Will God save us at last and yet suffer us to live as wee liâ—t now Deceive not your selves hee that will have his soule saved must commit it to GOD before hand to bee sanctified Againe those that commit themselves aright to God will commit their posterity to him their wives and children c. Why doe not men make their Wils and commit their goods to them Oh but how doe they resigne them how covetous and full of distrust are they I must leave such a childe so much and so much and why I pray you because God cannot blesse him else Oh fearefull Is God â—yed to meanâ—s cannot heblesse with a little as well as with a great deale Is not the earth the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Why must God have so much in hand or else hee cannot inrich and raise up thy Children Oh consider he hath declared himselfe to bee the father of the fatherlesse and lookes to the Widdow in a speciall manner he doubles his Providence there hee provides for all but takes speciall notice of them therefore quiet thy selfe they are in covenant with God and God is thy God and the God of thy seed also therefore if thou wilt commit thy soule why not thy Wife Children goods c. Looke into the course of Gods people in all times those that have left but little with honest dealing God hath blessed the same exceedingly whereas those that have left great matters ill gotten in stead of a blessing have often left a curse and a snare behinde them Why then should men take indirect courses and wound their consciences for worldly pelâ—e Consider 1. thy children are Gods and not thine hee gave them to thee at first and he can provide hereafter when thou artgone thou art the father of their body but he is the father of their soule 2. He provided for them before they were borne doth not hee provide care and affection in the Mothers heart doth not he provide suck in the Mothers breasts and will hee not care for them now they are borne as well as he did before they came into the world it is Atheisme to thinke such a thought Those that commit themselves to God in one thing will doe so in all things otherwise they deceive their owne soules for it is a universall Act that runnes through their whole life Committing is an Action of trust and there is a kinde of entercourse of trust betweene God and a Christian continually Lastly those that commit themselves to God wil be faithfull stewards in whatsoever hee hath trusted them withall Thou committest thy selfe and thy health and estate to God and at length thou wilt commit thy soule when thoudiest unto him very well but what doth God trust thee withall hath hee not trusted thee with a Body and a soule with a portion of goods with place time strength and abilities to doe good Hast thou not all thou hast from God as a Steward to improve for thy Masters advantage If ever thou expectest the performance of what thou hast put in him bee faithfull in that trust which hee hath committed to thee Those that have misused their bodies and wounded their soules in their lives how can they commit theÌ„ to God at their deaths How dares the soule looke up to him when the life hath beene nothing else but a perpetuall offending of his Majesty I beseech you let us learne this wholesome lesson great is our benefit thereby Hee that trusts in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that cannot bee moved wee may be shaken but shall never be removed The earth is shaken with Earthquakes but the earth keepes its owne Center still Our best peace is in God and our chiefest safety in his protection I laid mee downe to rest because thou Lord watchest over me saith the Prophet and Returne O my soule to thy rest for the Lord hath beene very beneficiall to thee Is it not a good thing to have a sweete security of soule that whether I sleepe or wake whether I bee at home or abroad live or die I have a Providence watching over mee better then mine owne When I yeeld my selfe up to God his wisedome is mine his strength is mine whatsoever hee hath it is for me because I am his What a heaven upon earth is this that a Christian out of a holy familiarity with God can resigne up his soule to him upon all occasions Set heaven and salvation aside what greater happinesse can be desired How sweet is a mans rest at night after he hath yâ—elded himselfe to God by faithfull prayer I beseech you let us bee acquainted with the practise of this duty and labour to bee in such a state as God may owne us and receive our poore soules to himselfe Let us keepe them pure and undeâ—iled
from sinfull workes This we may build on that either God will preserve us in life or if we die he will preserve us in death to his heavenly Kingdome And sometimes God preserves by not preserving from death for indeed death keepes a man from all danger whatsoever hee is out of all gun-shot when he is once dead death is a deliverance and a preservation of it selfe it sends a man to heaven straite and therefore the Apostle knew what he said The Lord will preserve mee to his heavenly Kingdome That is he will preserve me til I be possest of Heaven hee will goe along with me in all the passages of my life he will cary me through all and bring mee thither at last As the Angell that strooke off Peters bolts shined in the prison and carryed him out into the City So God by his Spirit shines into our soules and carryes us through all the passages of this life never leaving us till he have brought us to his heavenly Kingdome And not to open unto you things that are beyond my conceit much more my expression what a state this heavenly kingdome is unto which S. Paul hoped to be preserved observe briefely thus much 1. It is a Kingdome of all conditions the freest 2. The most glorious 3. The most abundant in all supplies 4. It is a heavenly Kingdome 5. It is an everlasting Kingdome Things the neerer the Heavens they are the purer they are 1. heaven is a most holy Kingdome no uncleanenesse can enter there 2. it is a large Kingdome and 3. an everlasting Kingdome Other mens Kingdomes determine with their persons perhaps they may live to out-live their glory in the world as Nero did the king that Paul was under now when hee wrote this Epistle who came to a base end But this Kingdome can never be shaken Gods preservation shall end in eternall glory Here is a speciall ground to Gods children of perseverance in weldoing what doth God undertake even from himselfe to deliver us from evill works which might indanger our salvation and to preserve us untill he have put us into heaven where is the popish doctrine of falling away then Oh but I may sin and so fall away I but God will deliver us from evill workes he takes away that objection Hee that keepes Heaven for us keepes us for heaven till he have put us into possession of it We are kept we are guarded as the word is by the power of God to salvation Salvation is kept for us and we for that If we indanger heaven any way it is by ill workes and God keepes us from them what a most comfortable doctrine is this But to adde a second against that foolish vaine and proud point of Popish Merit we see what a straine they are in first before conversion they will have Merit of congruitie that it befits the goodnesse of God when we doe what we can that we should have grace 2. When wee are in the state of grace they will have Merit of condignity but how can that be when as free grace runnes along in all God preserves us from evill workes and preserves us to his heavenly Kingdome of his meere love and mercy where then is the merit of man Indeed wee doe good when we doe good but God inables us wee speake to the praise of God but he opens our mouth we beleeve but God draws our heart to it as Austin sayes we move but God moves us I beseech you observe further here How compleat Gods favours are to his He deales like a God that is fully and eternally with his children If he deliver it is from the greatest evill if he preserve it is to the greatest good Who would not serve such a master O the basenesse of the vile heart of man that is a slave to inferiour things and affraid to displease men never considering what a blessed condition it is to be under the government of a gracious God that will keepe us from ill if it be for our good for ever Outwardly from evill workes inwardly from the terrors of an il conscience that will preserve us here in this world and give us heaven when we have done I beseech you let this compleate and full dealing of God quicken us to a holy courage and constancy in his service And see here a point of heavenly wisdome to looke when we are in any danger with the Apostle to the heavenly Kingdome When we are sicke look not at death Paul cared not for that but sayes he The Lord will preserve me to his kingdome Hee looked to the bank of the shore as a man that goes through a river hath his eye stil on the shore so the Apostle had his eye fixed upon heaven stil I beseech you therefore in all dangers and distresses whatsoever if you would keepe your soules without discouragements as you should bee much in heaven in your thoughts minding the things above and conversing with God in your spirits Look to the Crowne that is held out to us let our mindes be in heaven before our soules It is a wondrous helpe to our weakenesse in the time of trouble not to thinke I am full of paine I must be turned into the grave and rot and what shall become of me then c. away with this carnall reasoning it much weakens faith and damps the hearts of Christians Againe How doth this arme the soule with invincible courage in any trouble God may call mee to trouble but he will preserve me in it that I shall not staine my conscience What a ground of Patience is this Patience is too meane a word what a ground of joy and triumphing is it We rejoyce under the hope of glory Rom. 5. 2. A Christian should triumph in soule over all evills whatsoever and be as the Apostle faith more than a Conqueror considering that God will be present with him all his life long and after that bring him to an everlasting kingdome what an incouragement is this Heaven is holy and shall we not fit our selves for that blessed estate There is much holinesse required for heaven the sinfull wicked malicious poysonfull world layes reproaches upon holinesse but without it no man shall see God Doth that man beleeve he shall obtaine a heavenly kingdome who never sits himselfe with holinesse for it Oh no Faith and hope have this efficacie in the breast wheresoever they are to frame the heart to the thing beleeved If I beleeve a kingdome to be where righteousnes and holinesse dwelleth this beliefe forceth me to carry my selfe answerable to the state there And therefore saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence we looke for the Savioure c. because he was assured of heaven therefore he conversed as a Citizen of heaven before he came there Hee praised God kept himselfe undefiled of the world and conversed with the best people