Christ 1. In Dying with him and that First to the World If ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances Col. 2.20 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World is crucified to me and I unto the World Gal. 6.14 Secondly to Sin Rom. 6.6 7 8. Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with him that the body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin For he that is dead is freed from Sin Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall live with him Thirdly by Suffering with him It is a faithfull saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. If so be we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together Rom. 8.17 2. In his Resurrection and that First by walking in Newness of Life Like as Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of his Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life and thereby be planted together in the likeness of his Resurrection Rom. 6.4 5. Secondly by living to God As Christ in that he liveth liveth unto God so those that have put on Christ reckon themselves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord they yield themselves to God as those that are alive from the dead and their Members as instruments of Righteousness unto God Rom. 6.10 11 13. Thirdly in seeking the things above as their Treasure as the Apostle inferrs Col. 3.1 2. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your Affections on things above not on things on the Earth I have insisted the longer on this Point of the Path of Life because it is the main thing that concerns us to know III. How God makes known or shews this Path of Life to them This Question is not hard to be resolved from that which hath been already said God shewed Christ the Path of Life 1. By his Promise to him mentioned before at his coming into the world 2. By his Providence he make it known experimentally to him when he was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father To us he makes known the Ways of Life 1. By his Son 's Appearing and his Gospel who hath abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to life through the Gospell 2 Tim. 1.10 2. By his Spirit which he gives whereby we are assured that through it mortifying the deeds of the Body we shall live Rom. 8.13 We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 IV. Why God doth shew them this Path of Life The Reason of God's making known the Way of Life to Christ and to us is one and the same That as thereby Christ was to be strengthened in all his Temptations in all his Sufferings animated in all his Obedience to his Father's Will by having an eye to the Life which was propounded to him so should all the Disciples of Christ be confirmed in all their Sufferings encouraged in all their Actings for Christ by their Assurance of Life with Christ that they may live by Faith and not be of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul Heb. 10.38 39. That with Moses they may chuse rather to suffer Afflictions with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches then the Treasures in Egypt as having respect unto the recompence of the Reward Heb. 11.25 26. Wherefore Christ assures Believers in his Epistle to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God To the Church of Smyrna vers 10 11. Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second Death To the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life APPLICATION I may say now with Moses Deut. 30.15 19. See I have set before you this day Life and Good Death and Evill Chuse therefore Life and take hold of the Paths of it Life is a thing naturally desired It is true in extreme Anguish men chuse Strangling rather then Life In his Fits of sore Pain Job was in such a mood as to desire Death most earnestly and to abhor Life Yet simply every living thing would fain live it struggles and strives what it can to keep Life men spare no cost to continue it though it be but for a while and that not without a mixture of Sorrow and Trouble to which the best Life on Earth is obnoxious Life we say is sweet nor is the Devil taken for a Liar in this when he saith Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his Life Job 2.4 But alas this Life is too much prized and that is the reason why a greater Death is consequent upon the immoderate affecting of it because they would still live here many die for ever in Hell That Life the Way of which was shewed to Christ and now to you is indeed worthy your knowing worthy your embracing and pursuing It is a holy Life a happy Life a safe Life an eternall Life If you live in Christ you shall live with Christ if you live in the Spirit you shall be quickened by the Spirit if you live the Life of God you shall live in his Presence In a word if you walk in the Paths of Life which I have this day shewed you you shall live not the Life of Men onely but of holy Angels you shall live a Life as far beyond the Life of Kings as Heaven is above the Earth The Life of the best and happiest Kings hath been attended with much Care and many Dangers nor is any Prince's Life-time so splendid but that the Day is sometimes darkened over him and Storms beat on him and perhaps his Sun sets in a Cloud 'T is otherwise to be conceived of this Life when once attained it is never darkened never eclipsed never ended Oh that you would then learn to die with Christ to Sin to the World to live by the Faith of the Son of God to be conformed to him by putting on the same mind that was in Christ to live to God to doe not your own will but the will of your Father which is in Heaven to commit your Souls in well-doing when you suffer for him as to a faithfull Creatour Is the Loss of Credit Goods Peace Liberty Life terrible to you Why the Life
And to set out his Sin as the more venomous he derives it from his originall innate Pravity Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my mother conceive me vers 5. And S. Paul acknowledged himself the chiefest of Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The Reasons hereof are 1. Because otherwise the Heart loves and favours the Sin and the Repentance and Humiliation will appear to be but feigned True Hatred of Sin will cause us to confess and abandon it with all our might Odium est Appetitus amovendi it will stir up a desire to remove it it will cause Detestation Clearing Revenge Indignation Zeal Fear as it is said of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.11 The poor Publican durst not lift up his eyes to heaven but smote on his breast saying God be mercifull to me a Sinner Luk. 18.13 2. By this means he justifies God in his Sentence against his Sin in his Punishment acknowledgeth his own Desert which is the Reason here That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest vers 4. The more we aggravate our Sins the more we magnify the Justice of God's Law and his dealing with us 3. It also tends to the magnifying of God's Grace in Pardoning that where Sin abounds there Grace over-abounds Rom. 5.20 It is rich Grace that forgives great and many Sins They that make their Sins venial and speak of them as small matters do shew they take themselves little beholden to God to pardon them and that they owe little thanks for it To whom much is forgiven he loveth much to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Luk. 7.47 4. This is the way to obtain Pardon He that hideth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 Stultorum incurata Pudor malus Vlcera celat They are foolish persons that when they are to make use of a Physician conceal their Disease and tell not the worst of it for thereby they disable the Physicran from Curing them and are Authours of their own death But a wise Patient will relate all the Symptoms of his Disease and declare the worst of it that so there may be a through and not a palliated Cure So it is with a true Penitent he declares his Sin to God with the greatest Shame to himself in all its evil Circumstances that he may dispose God to forgive him it being God's way to justify them that condemn themselves as the poor Publican that with a dejected heart and look craved mercy to him a Sinner Which brings us to the III. OBSERVATION That the Blotting out of our Transgressions the Washing throughly from our Iniquity the Cleansing from our Sin is to be sought from God This was the course which David took and Manasseh 2 Chron. 33.12 13. When he was in Affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his Supplication No such Prayer to be found in Scripture as is in the Office of the Romanists Mary Mother of Grace Mother of Mercy defend us from the Enemy grant Pardon to the guilty Christ directs us to say Our Father which art in Heaven forgive us our Trespasses And good Reason for 1. Our Sins are against him and therefore are to be pardoned by him Against thee have I sinned saith David therefore do thou blot out my Transgressions He must cancel the Bond who is the Creditor I will say to my Father saith the Prodigall son Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son 2. It is he onely that hath power to forgive Sins Who can forgive Sins but God onely Mark 2.7 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 It is God's Prerogative which he challengeth Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins It is true the Son of man had power on earth to forgive Sins but he was also the Son of God It is true the Apostles had power to remit Sins by a peculiar delegation from Christ or as the Apostle S. Paul speaks in the person of Christ 2 Cor. 2.10 Nor is it to be denied that Ministers of the Gospel ministerially by preaching the Gospell may be said to forgive Sins declaratively and instrumentally by bringing men to Repentance and Faith on which Forgiveness and Cleansing from Sin follow but not as the Pope pretends to forgive Sins by his Indulgences authoritatively or as the Popish Priests by their Absolution certainly and immediately Men may forgive Sins by the assuring of Pardon to the truly Penitent and Believing And the Absolution of the Minister is of great moment to quiet the guilty Conscience if he doe it Clave non errante when he is skilfull in Binding and losing and the Penitent freely confesseth and sincerely believeth in Christ and unfeignedly purposeth to amend without which the Absolution is invalid And therefore which was the IV. OBSERVATION The Penitent Sinner is to beg earnestly not onely for Blotting out his Transgressions but also for through Washing and Cleansing from Iniquity and Sin not onely by Condonation of them but also by Emendation or Amendment of life So David Psal 51.9 10. Hide thy face from my Sins and blot out all mïne Iniquities Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me These are to be conjoyned As the Guilt of Sin is to be pardoned and the Stain of Sin to be washed away so is the Conscience to be purged from dead works that we may serve the living God the Heart is to be sprinkled from an evil Conscience and the Body to be washed with pure water as the expressions are Heb. 9.14 and 10.22 allusively to the Legall Purifying with bloud and water to which answers the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 which is thus expressed by S. Paul Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life And this is a principal part of true Repentance to have a renewed Heart and to lead a new Life And therefore S. John Baptist when the multitude came to him to be baptized of him for the Remission of Sins chargeth them to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance Luk. 3.7 8. letting them to understand that every Tree which bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire And our Saviour when he found the impotent man who was healed by him at the Pool of Bethesda told him Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee For as Christ saith if after the unclean Spirit is gone out of a man he
Sins have withholden good things from you Jer. 5.25 We may then thank our selves for all the Evils that come upon us we must not cast them upon Destiny Stars or any other Cause and leave out the principal Cause which is the plague of our own hearts God is neither the Authour of Sin nor the Punisher of Sin without cause It is the Devil's property to rejoyce in Evil and therefore as he tempts to Sin so he delights to torment It is otherwise with God Afflictions are Opus alienum his strange work He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth Lament 3.33 34. Is God unrighteous who taketh Vengeance I speak as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world saith the Apostle Rom. 3.5 6. We deny not that God might impose Sufferings on him that had no Sin of himself He made his Son to be Sin for us who knew no Sin 2 Cor. 5.21 Job's Calamities came on him by God's Permission though he were an upright man one that feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1.8 that he might prove his Integrity by his great Patience Of the Son who was born blind Christ saith Joh. 9.3 Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents that is there was no special Sin committed by either of them as his Disciples deemed which was the immediate cause of his Blindness but it came to pass that the works of God should be made manifest in him The Holy Martyrs suffered for Righteousness sake and were therefore to count it all Joy when they fell into manifold Temptations But in such Evils as their Circumstances demonstrate to be from a more then common Hand of God specially when they are publick and universal as we are to acknowledge the Finger of God in them so we are to discern them to be the fruit of our doings and the work of our hands The Scripture styles them God's Judgments and we are sure saith the Apostle Rom. 2.2 that the Judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things And therefore though we are not allowed to judge of the afflicted as greater Sinners then others and point out them as the Causes of common Calamities yet we are to judge our selves and impute the Evil what-ever it be to our own Sins Moses the man of God in the 109. Psalm which was made in a time of great Mortality such as is now with us having said to God vers 7. We are consumed by thine Anger and by thy Wrath we are troubled addes vers 8. Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee and our secret Sins in the light of thy countenance It is true that all outward things happen alike to all there is in publick Calamities especially one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him Eccles. 9.1 2. Yet even in these and all other that of the Prophet Lament 3.39 40. is necessary for every person to mind Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his Sins Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. Though in this day of God's Visitation we may discern many common and open Sins the increase of which may be judged the Cause wherefore God brings this sore Scourge of the Pestilence in such a manner at such a time in those places on which it lights considering that God shoots not at Rovers but at a certain Mark and so the consideration of the Practices of the Persons and Places may justly lead us to determine that such Sins as have been by them and there committed are the Sins God punisheth for instance the Uncleanness Riot Profaneness and other Sins committed among us have brought down this Vengeance on our great City yet since there are particular Sins also with us and there is never a one of us but hath his secret Sins perhaps our Security putting far from us the Evil day living in Ease and Pleasure Unmercifulness and Insensibleness of the Afflictions of others secret Atheism Lukewarmness in Religion leaving our first Love Backsliding from our Profession secret Hypocrisie Formality without the Power of Godliness which may cause Christ to spue us out of his mouth it is necessary that the best of us make a strict Enquiry into our own Bosome-sins and resolve that God by this his Judgment on others calls our Sins to Remembrance and presseth us to justifie him and to betake our selves to his Mercy as the Psalmist here Let thy Mercy speedily prevent us Which leads me to the II. OBSERVATION That the Removing of the Calamities which are inflicted by God when he remembers mens Sins is the effect of God's tender Mercies So it is expresly said Lament 3.22 23. It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not They are new every morning great is thy Faithfulness Vers 32. Though he cause Grief yet will he have Compassion according to the multitude of his Mercies And hereto accord very many speeches of God concerning himself That he is the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin as he says in his solemn Proclamation to Moses Exod. 34.6 7. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 Hence it is that the Holy Writers and all the Saints do still celebrate his Mercies as being tender abundant free rejoycing against Judgment and to instance in no other there is a whole Psalm 136. in which the close of every verse is this For his Mercy endureth for ever And this Mercy of his is the Reason of all those works of Goodness he doeth as to the World in general in causing his Sun to rise on the Just and Vnjust and being kind to the Vnthankfull and to the Evil Luk. 6.35 so as that his tender Mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 so chiefly to his own people all whose Deliverances and Benefits are made the fruits of his Mercy Above all the great Redemption in Christ of which the Apostle thus speaks Eph. 2.4 5. God who is rich in Mercy out of the great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickned us together with Christ is the effect of the highest most transcendent and everlasting Mercy Hence in all their Praises the Godly remember his Mercies as the Prophet Isa 63.7 I will mention the Loving-kindness of the Lord and the Praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great Goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his Mercies and according to the multitude of his Loving-kindnesses
and Power of God in his proceedings concerning it S. Paul in this Epistle written to the greatest and most intelligent People of the Gentiles declares both the extreme Corruptions of the whole World and the Wrath of God impendent on them for that reason as also the unparallel'd Longanimity of God in bearing with such a provoking Generation whom Hell had long waited for and especially the incomprehensible Philanthropy or Loving-kindness of God towards men whom though Enemies though weak to resist him he not onely spareth but also reconcileth to himself by the Bloud of his own Son and proclaimeth his free Pardon to all that receive him by his Apostles But lest Mercy abused should inflame the Wrath of God so much the more lest the sweetest Meat undigested through a Surfeit should be putrefied in the Stomach and turn to the most deadly Poison he in this and the following Chapters warns us of the ill Inference which men may make from so great Goodness and he begins at the words now read unto you What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid In which words are two Questions the former whereof is onely a form of Transition propounding it to the consideration of those to whom he writes that they with him should bethink themselves what Determination to make upon his former Declaration What shall we say then If this be the state of affairs between God and us it concerns us to heed what thereupon we resolve to doe The other Question is more particular Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound Shall this be the Inference we make from it The Answer is negative Absit God forbid Let no so absurd so unworthy an Abuse of so rich Mercy be yielded to though it be never so plausibly urged by our carnal Reason and our corrupt Affections would incline us to embrace the Motion In this passage of Scripture these following Conclusions are couched 1. That God's dealing with Sinners according to the Gospel of Christ is out of his abundant Grace 2. That the corrupt Heart of man is apt thereupon to harden it self by Continuance in Sin 3. That such a Determination is a most foolish and pernicious Abuse of God's superabundant Grace Of these in their order I. OBSERVATION That God's dealing with Sinners according to the Gospel of Christ is out of his abundant Grace That abundant Grace which is here supposed is the same with that which he speaks of Rom. 5.20 21. Moreover the Law entred that the Offence might abound but where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Which elsewhere Ephes 1.7 he terms the Riches of his Grace In whom we have Redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace And Eph. 2.4 5 7. God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in Sins hath quickened us together with Christ That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his Kindness towards us through Christ Jesus And Eph. 3.8 it is termed the unsearchable Riches of Christ All which Expressions are true without an Excess of speech if we consider either the State of mankind antecedent to the exhibition of this Grace or the Effects thereof or the Means of exhibiting it For what more deplorable Condition except that of Devils could the World be in then it was in before the exhibiting of the Divine Evangelical Grace of Christ to the sons of men They had all sinned and came short of the Glory of God they were concluded as Malefactours condemned under Sin under the Curse of the Law dead in Trespasses and Sins they were alienated from the Life that is in God Enemies in their minds by wicked works foolish disobedient serving divers Lusts hatefull and hating one another children of Disobedience of Darkness who walked after the course of the Prince of the power of the Air they were carried away after dumb Idols were Vassals of Satan and children of Wrath by nature And yet even to such did the Loving-kindness of God towards Man appear so as to reconcile the world unto himself not imputing their Trespasses to them He made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made his Righteousness in him and committed the Ministry of Reconciliation to chosen Vessels which might bear his Name to the Gentiles and bring Light and Salvation to such persons It was no small Testimony of his Goodness that even then when they were such when they walked in their own ways he gave them Rain from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladness that he caused his Sun to shine upon such unjust people as were both Jews and Gentiles The former of which were degenerated from the Integrity of Abraham and though claiming the privilege of his Children yet in reality were of their Father the Devil whose works they did except a few names that waited for the Consolation of Israel the rest of them were a Generation of Vipers full of Hypocrisie and Cruelty Unpeaceable Ambitious seeking the Praise of men not the Honour that cometh of God such as would compass sea and land to make one Proselyte and having wone him to them made him twofold more the child of Hell then themselves The other were filled with all Vnrighteousness Fornication Wickedness Covetousness Maliciousness full of Envy Murther Debate Deceit Malignity Whisperers Backbiters Haters of God despightfull proud Boasters Inventers of evil things disobedient to Parents without Vnderstanding Covenant-breakers without natural Affection implacable unmercifull Rom. 1.29 30 31. Yet even such as these he washed he sanctified he justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by his Spirit It might rather have been expected that he should have repented that he had made them and have executed his Wrath on them as he did on the world of the ungodly in Noah's time by a Deluge of water to wash away from the Earth that Dunghill and filth of evil Imaginations and wicked Works that had polluted the whole Earth or should have rained Fire and brimstone from Heaven to burn up and so to take away those unclean Sodomites those brutish Dogs and Swine which filled the World He might justly have caused the Earth to open its mouth and swallow up the Inhabitants of the world so as that they should go down quick into Hell as it did the Families of Korah Dathan and Abiram He might have sworn in his Wrath as he did concerning the Rebellious Israelites that they should never enter into his Rest They and we in all Generations succeeding might have expected to suffer the Vengeance of eternal fire But O Altitudo O the depth of the riches both of the Wisedom and Knowledge and Love of God! how
experience Psal 119.97 98 99 100. O how love I thy Law it is my Meditation all the day Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser then mine Enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding then all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my Meditation I understand more then the Ancients because I keep thy Precepts And S. Paul tells Timothy 2 Tim. 3.15 that the Holy Scriptures were able to make him wise unto Salvation The greatest Wisedom is that which guides a man to the greatest Happiness and that is when he avoids the greatest Evill and attains the enjoyment of the best Good No Evil is greater then God's Wrath no Good better then God's Favour Now to the escaping the former and obtaining the latter the Meditation on God's Precepts conduceth most effectually For thereby we avoid Sin against God which incites him to Anger and thereby we learn how to please him which procures his Favour And therefore it is most evident to be the wisest course we can take and whereby we can shew most Love to our selves to Reade to Hear to Study and lay to heart God's Word And herein likewise we shew the greatest Charity to others by seriously endeavouring to make them intelligent therein it tending most to their Good if with Meditation there concurre also a Respect to God's Ways Which leads us to the other part of this Verse and the Conclusions thence deduced III. and IV. OBSERVATIONS That in his Practice a Godly man heeds God's Direction and That God's Works are his Observation The word which is rendred I will have respect or I will look imports the fixing and intentiveness of the Eye upon God's Ways such as is in a Traveller when he walks or a Sailour when he sails in the Deep whom it concerns that they have their eyes waking and their minds observant the one of the Path he treads in the other of the Chanel he steers his Ship in lest the first either miss his way or stumble and fall or the second run aground on Quick-sands or split upon Rocks and Shelves and so miscarry The Commandment saith Solomon Prov. 6.23 is a Lamp and the Law is Light and Reproofs of Instruction are the way of life And therefore as the Eye makes use of the Lamp and Light for its Direction so doth the Soul of a Godly man observe the Way of God's Precepts for his Rule and the Ways of God's Acting to encourage him in his Course and to deterre him from wandering therefrom Nor are the Ways of God's Providence either towards our selves or others to be let pass without heedfull Observation For thereby we are accommodated with usefull Arguments to give God the Glory of his Truth Justice Goodness and Power We have Experiments fitted either to deterre us from Sinning against him who is a consuming Fire or to encourage us to serve him with holy Reverence and godly Fear or to strengthen our Faith in a firm Dependence on him and a Reliance on the Lord in our greatest Difficulties Thus Phineas argues Josh 22.17 20. Is the Iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a Trespass in the accursed thing and Wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel and that man perished not alone in his Iniquity That he might by this Argument deterre the Trans-Jordan Israelites from a Schismaticall departure from the God of Israel and a Communion in Worship with the other Tribes on this side Jordan Thus David in the great Trial of his Faith and undaunted Fortitude which he shewed in his heroick Encounter with the Giant of Gath recollects his own Experience of Divine Assistence formerly and fortifies himself against the fear of that Monster by assurance of the like now He alleges God's former Providences as the reason of his gallant Resolution to encounter Goliah without any hesitancy now telling Saul 1 Sam. 17.36 Thy Servant slew both the Lion and the Bear and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them seeing he hath defied the Armies of the living God As God hath given us his Word that thereby we may understand his Will so doth he exercise his Judgments that we may discern his Excellency As the Word of God his Precepts and Promises are to be remembred that we may believe and obey and therefore it is the Character of a Righteous person that the Law of his God is in his Heart and none of his Steps therefore shall slide Psal 37.31 so it is said Psal 111.2 3 4. The Works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein God having made his Work honourable and glorious that his wonderfull Works might be remembred And therefore a Woe is denounced by the Prophet Isa 5.11 12. against those Epicurean Sensualists that spent their time in voluptuous Drinking and pleasant Musick but regarded not the Work of the Lord neither considered the Operation of his hands To which answers that true Censure of the Prophet Jeremiah 5.4 Surely these are poor they are foolish for they know not the Way of the Lord nor the Judgment of their God In having respect to both kinds of his Ways we glorify him in neglecting either we vilify him and live as it were without God in the World APPLICATION Hereby we may discern whether we have the same Spirit with David and other Holy persons in their generation who have always had their Eyes fixed on God in their Pilgrimage on earth and their Minds intent on what God saith and doeth as the principall Object whereon to imploy their Meditations and Exercitations When we reade of Enoch Noah Abraham and other Holy persons that they walked with God we may thereby collect that they moved in a higher Sphere then this lower World and though their Bodies were carried up and down on the Superficies of the Earth yet their Hearts and Spirits were with God him they set before them and kept close to him And so David professeth of himself Psal 18.21 22 23. I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God For all his Judgments were before me and I did not put away his Statutes from me I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity And S. Paul Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Surely they that seriously mind being with God hereafter must make it their business to get acquaintance with him here they that look for their Portion in Heaven must have their Conversation in Heaven while they are upon Earth As it is the description of a wicked man that God is not in all his Thoughts that God's Judgments are far above out of his sight that he casts God's Word behind his back that he hides his face from God So on the other side nothing is a more reall demonstration of a Holy person
loves or yields to Unholiness and therefore they consist not together And God doth also justly deprive persons of that great Gift of his Spirit when they resist it when they vex it so as to make it become their Enemy as Princes take away their Favours and Offices and Honours which they have conferred when they are contemned and abused against them And therefore a Penitent Sinner being sensible of his Danger deprecates the ablation of God's Spirit though deserved by his Sin as David in my Text which is the III. OBSERVATION That a Repenting Sinner is an earnest Suitour to God for the Continuance of his Spirit to him It is the dolefull Expostulation of the people of God Isa 63.17 who had rebelled and vexed God's Spirit so as to make him their Enemy vers 10. when they repented and discerned their Errour and begged his Return O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardened our heart from thy Fear return for thy servants sake They at last find the miss of God's Spirit as that which yielded them the greatest Safety and chiefest Happiness They find that they by their not cherishing God's Spirit but unkind usage have driven away their best Friend They see that by their Security they have let in their greatest Enemy In a word when a Sinner hath found his Misery by acting that Sin which forfeits his interest in the Guidance and Assistence of God's Spirit he bewails it and fears left an evil Spirit should possess him and bring with it seven more unclean spirits worse then it self when his house is empty swept and garnished and dwell in him and so his end be worse then his beginning as it is Matth. 12.44 45. And therefore he begs for the Continuance of God's Spirit lest the unclean Spirit possess him as it did Saul David therefore so earnestly here deprecates the Loss of the Holy Spirit as remembring what befell his Predecessour Saul which all Penitent Sinners should likewise dread APPLICATION Now then it concerns us all to prize the Presence and Virtue of God's Spirit in us as the great Gift of Heaven and to take heed how we forfeit it by our Sins which if we have done let us by Repentance bewail our Forfeiture of it and beg of God the Continuance of it notwithstanding our desert to be deprived of it We count the Titles and Ensigns of the Favour of a King the Robes and Proclamations by which he honours a Subject of great worth Joseph's and Mordecai's riding and cloathing by the Kings of Egypt and Persia were highly accounted of and the Loss of such Advancement was terrible to Haman and others and Fear of like Disgrace makes men beg that they may not be deprived of them The having of God's Spirit is as the Seal of God as a Robe or Diadem as the Ensign of the Order of the King of Heaven as that which assures our instatement in the rank of Nobles which are as Angels before God Oh let us then value it far above all the Ensigns of Favour and Honour by which the greatest Kings on earth testifie their respect to their Favourites Let us take heed of rebelling and vexing the Holy Spirit of God lest he become our Enemy and sight against us If we have by Sin endangered our Loss of it let us beg earnestly its Restitution and take heed of Security and Remissness in sowing to the Spirit of Barrenness and Unfruitfulness in bringing forth the Fruits of the Spirit lest we lose its Comforts and Operations and our case be like Saul's that the Spirit of God depart from us and an evil Spirit from the Lord possess us for ever It is a very sad thing that any in mockery and scorn should deride the work of God's Spirit especially in fervent Prayer that any should counterfeit it that any should ascribe that to God's Spirit which is but their own Fancy Such Profaneness and Hypocrisie let us take heed of such Fanaticism is justly recompensed by a being possessed with Satan in stead of God's Spirit But however we be free from these Evils let us not content our selves without the feeling and experiment of the Guidance of God's Holy Spirit by the Fruits of it mentioned Gal. 5.22 23. by working out our Salvation with fear and trembling let us beware that a spirit of Slumber come not upon us that we do not by any sinfull Lust provoke the Spirit to leave us And if we have endangered our Loss of it Oh let us not give rest to our selves till by humbling our selves for our Sins and by fervent Prayers we recover its inhabitation its supporting and comforting Presence which will stand us in greatest stead in life and death Which the Lord grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE POWER OF True Integrity Part I. The Eighth SERMON PROVERBS xviij 14. The Spirit of a man will sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear IT was the immense Munificence of the Divine Goodness to his people the Jews that he not onely gave them the Treasures of Egypt but also the Riches of Heaven in such holy Precepts as he vouchsafed not to other Nations so that in respect of true Wisedom they might have exceeded the Egyptians or Greeks if they had applied their minds to observe them It was not altogether undeservedly that Pythagoras his Poem was said to contain Golden Verses that others of the Greek Poets and Philosophers were for their Sentences and Apophthegms magnified as wise above the common sort of men But none of them was comparable to Solomon nor any of their Sayings equal to his Proverbs amongst which this which I have pitched upon is very remarkable The Spirit of a man c. The former part of which presupposeth Man obnoxious to Infirmities which indeed all Experience proves true He hath Infirmities of Body in the outward Senses many Defects in the other Faculties many Imperfections Not onely his Eyes are dim his Ears deaf his Tast Feeling Smelling decay but also his Memory fails his Apprehension is shallow his Invention dull the whole Man is sickly withering and inclining to Corruption He hath worse Infirmities of Soul Ignorance of God of his Will proneness to yield to Seducements and Temptations of Satan Unteachableness and Untractableness Passionateness Inconstancy Prevalency of Lusts by reason of which God said of the Jews Ezek. 16.30 How weak is thine Heart seeing thou doest all these things the work of an imperious whorish woman Both these sorts may be well here meant Sickness and Sorrows Errours and Fears and both are supposed to be as Burthens which depress a man Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop Prov. 12.25 Age and Sickness cause the Keepers of the house to tremble and the strong men to bow themselves Fear to be in the way the Grashopper to be a burthen Desire to fail the silver Chord to be loosed the golden Bowl to be broken the Pitcher to be broken at
the Fountain the Wheel to be broken at the Cistern as Solomon poetically describes that State Eccles. 12.3 4 5 6. These and innumerable more Weaknesses are incident to Man whereof some are natural common to all some adventitious by our own Folly Mens Injuriousness the Creature 's Harmfulness God's just Judgments which happen to men Yet all these the Spirit of a man will sustain By the Spirit is no doubt meant the Soul of man with its vital Faculties his Reason Will and Affections of which the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man hath known the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him But then it must be understood of the Spirit of a man in its Rectitude and Integrity opposite to a wounded Spirit as the Antithesis in the latter part of the verse shews This Rectitude or Integrity of the Spirit consists 1. In the right use of Reason which is indeed the Sinews of the Spirit The less there is of Reason the more is the imbecillity of the Spirit and the weaker the Mind the less is the Patience Children can bear nothing upon every Lash every motion of a Rod presently they cry an ugly Vizor any strange Noise or unexpected Accident affrights them So it is with weak-spirited persons they are ready to faint at every Threat every Frown of a Superiour they think every Symptom of a Disease presageth Death and presently the Physician must be fetcht every Rumour of War puts them to a stand what to doe where to be every Loss is as if they were undone every Difficulty apprehended is as a Lion in the way When Gideon bids Jether his first-born up and slay Zeba and Zalmunna though they were in his hands under his feet yet the youth drew not his sword for he feared because he was yet a youth Judg. 8.20 Rise thou said they then to Gideon and fall upon us for as the man is so is his strength As is the man's Reason and Understanding so is his Courage and Fortitude of Spirit Mens cujusque is est quisque It is not the height of the Stature nor the bigness of the Bone nor the length of the Arm nor the vigour of the Members that inable a person to bear or act A little man with a lively Spirit can fight better then a Giant that is slow in motion and dull in contrivance a cunning Vlysses will overcome Difficulties and bear Storms better then a lusty Ajax Necessitas fortiter ferre docet Consuetudo facilé Men that have much Wit to find ways of evasion Skill to apply themselves to persons and times to foresee Means and Events will wind themselves out of Troubles when a man of a rude and boisterous Spirit by his self-vexing his fretfulness and fuming doth but hamper himself the more like the Bird that flutters in the Net Custome also makes many a Disease born without Disquietness many a dangerous Storm adventured through without Fear The more Experience men have of overcoming Afflictions the more are they armed against them Any way whereby Reason is confirmed Infirmities are abated The Foresight of Evils approaching makes them the less formidable Those Darts pierce least which are foreseen best Reason is indeed a Buckler that bears off many Blows which would cut a Fool to the heart The Argument of the Apostle is rational 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to men and therefore should be born Ferre quam sortem patiuntur omnes Nemo recusat is Reason in the Poet. How admirable were the Resolutions how constant were the Actings of spirit in Stoicks in bearing their Sufferings by the help of Philosophy Pains of the Stone Torture of the Rack were stoutly born without a Groan upon such Apprehensions as these This Evil reacheth not Me but my Sheath what is common to me with Beasts not that which is mine The Writings of Seneca Epictetus Suetonius and others are full to this purpose so are the Relations of the Lives of Philosophers Certain it is that for the sustaining of humane Evils Prudence is much availing That of Solomon is true of it Eccles. 7.19 Wisedom strengtheneth the wise more then ten mighty men which are in the City 2. But then 2ly Reason is much more strong when there is with it a Breast-plate of Righteousness a Conscience of Uprightness This is indeed Armour of proof such as no Infirmities no sad Accidents can penetrate Then is the Spirit of a Man whole and sound able to bear its Burthens of Afflictions and Injuries when he is Integer vitae Scelerisque purus of an innocent Life and unspotted Conscience Yea such hath been the height of Confidence in some moral Heathens such their Heroick Gallantry that they have provoked the most barbarous Tyrants to doe their worst have gloriously triumphed in the severest Tortures have vaunted of an undaunted mind though Heaven and Earth should be tumbled together Si fractus illabatur Orbis Impavidum ferient Ruinae What glorious talk have the Stoicks of their Vertues as of themselves sufficient to make them happy under any Pressures What sullen if not well-composed Deportment of Spirit have some of them shewed under Racks Strappado's and such like Engines of Cruelty What Euthymy or Tranquillity of mind have they had in Sicknesses yea in Death when Conscientia rectè factorum the consciousness of their well-doing specially for their Country hath animated them like strong Wine which chears the heart Holy Believers have if not with so daring a Spirit yet with a calmer and more gentle Submission to the Will of God held up their heads under the greatest Rebukes of God's Hand or Satan's Malice when they have appealed to God concerning their Sincerity in their Obedience to God's Will When Hezekiah was sick unto death and Isaiah the Prophet the Son of Amoz came unto him and said Thus saith the Lord Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live he turned his face towards the Wall and prayed unto the Lord and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa 38.1 2 3. He was under a mortal Disease with sense of killing Pain had a sharp Message by the Prophet which might cut him to the heart yet this did not sink him but that he held up so as in the Conscience of his Uprightness to urge God to revoke his Sentence and lengthen his Life But of all the Instances of mere mortal mens enduring Afflictions no Example is like that transcendent Mirrour of Patience holy Job for notwithstanding all the Adversities wherewith Satan had laden him notwithstanding the Provocation of his froward Wife notwithstanding the injurious Criminations of his evilsurmizing Friends and the cross Arguings wherewith they a long while baited him yet he stood firm fell not into any kind of Dejectedness of mind
which a Bee would convert to the sweetest Hony In the end this course is most pernicious to him that follows it there being nothing that more alienates Affection from a person then his abuse of Kindness God's Love abused turns to Rage and none have God more incensed against them then those that having tasted of the good Gift of God fall away into sinfull Courses that are so unthankfull for so great a Favour as the offer of Reconciliation the Sacrifice of Christ the Invitation to his Supper to the Marriage of the Son of God as that they chuse rather to be at home with their Oxen and Wives and Farms or to come without a Wedding-garment then to accept of his Motion and accommodate themselves to his Kindness that having had ten thousand Talents forgiven them take their Brother by the throat for an hundred pence When men despise the Riches of God's Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth them to Repentance after their hardness and impenitent Hearts they treasure up to themselves Wrath against the day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.4 5. APPLICATION Oh then let me in the most tender Bowells of Compassion my Heart can be touched with with the most serious Importunity that my words can express with the deepest Adjuration by the most affecting things that I can mind you of instantly press you to take heed of this most vile ugly dishonest irrational and damnable Abuse of the Divine Grace so as to continue in Sin that Grace may abound It is most meet yea natural that Love should beget Love Grace should beget Observance Is not he a most egregious Villain that hates his own Father that begat him that kills him that gave him Life Is not the Lord the Rock who begat thee the God that formed thee And wilt thou then be so unnatural as to hate God as thou dost if this be thy Requital for his Grace to persevere in Wickedness He tells thee that he is hated when thou lovest any thing more then him givest his Glory to another makest thy Belly thy God gloriest in thy Shame mindest earthly things And wilt thou thus recompense so great Goodness with such extreme Badness He saith he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain And wilt thou pollute the Holy Name of thy Holy Father with thy impure Swearing The earnal mind is Enmity against God as being not subject to his Law but inconsistent with it And wilt thou suffer vain Thoughts to lodge in thee fleshly Reason to sway with thee carnal Lusts to rule over thee All Benefits received engage to answerable Duty What art thou then but a very Miscreant that having so much taste how gracious God is how amply he hath vouchsafed to be bountifull to thee in giving Christ for thee how profusely he hath bestowed on thee the Riches of Heaven in the largess of Spiritual Blessings in heavenly things in Christ dost yet side with Sin and Satan his profest irreconcilable Enemies that canst harbour that Enemy which thy Allegeance to God binds thee to pursue zealously unto death Oh that rather the Sense of God's Goodness might make us good the Taste of his Grace might make us gracious Surely none are worse Enemies to God then such as have been acquainted with the excess of God's Grace in Christ yet exceed in their obstinate perseverance in Evil such as when God's Grace should draw Tears from their Eyes Sighs from their Breasts cause Dejectedness in their Spirits by reason of their Sinning against so incomprehensible a Love as that which he vouchsafes to the Sons of Adam in Christ have yet a Forehead of brass that cannot blush glory in their Wickedness boast of their Lewdness and are secure in their Impenitency Greater Woe was to Chorazin and Bethsaida then to Tyre and Sidon because they repented not upon such Proofs of Christ's Excellency as would have wrought on the other As they had been lifted up to Heaven so Christ foretells their casting down to Hell No people in the world are likely to have a greater degree of Torment in Hell then profane and unrighteous men among us who have the greatest Proof of God's Grace of any people on the Earth As then you either stand in fear of so great Damnation or are desirous of that abundant Grace which the Gospel of Christ exhibits abhorr the thought of Continuing in Sin that Grace may abound Let the Mercies of God lead you to present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service for that will procure his Favour here and your Blessedness hereafter Which he grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE DIVINE COMPASSIONS The Fourteenth SERMON LAMENT iij. 22. It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not I Have read to you a passage out of a most dolefull Poem composed by that Holy Prophet Jeremiah with much Art in the four first Chapters the order of the Hebrew Alphabet being observed in the initiall Letters of the Verses yet with a very deep sense of God's Judgments on Judah and Jernsalem and a tender Sympathy with them in their Affliction He had long and often foretold those Evils would befall them which he now saw come upon them quorum pars magna fuit and in which he had a great Share and he might well say Quis talia fando temperet à lacrymis Who could think or speak of such things with dry Eyes or an insensible Spirit This set may I say his Muse I should say rather his Prophetick spirit on work to endite and leave to the Church this Poem In which with much Compassion towards his Country he bewails their Desolation yet with much Piety towards God justifies him as punishing them according to the Demerit of their Sins and magnifies his Goodness as punishing them less then they deserved Both which are expressed in the words of my Text It is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not And sure we may say the like It is of the Lord's Mercies that London and all England are not consumed by the Pestilence because his Compassions fail not And therefore the handling of this Passage will be apposite to the present Face of things with us and the Occasion of this Day In it 1. The Prophet takes notice of the Mitigation of God's Wrath in that they were not consumed 2. He assigns the genuine Cause of it the Lord's Mercies or Benignities great Mercies which is exclusive of any other procuring Cause that might deserve it and intimates that there was sufficient reason did not his Mercies interpose why he should have consumed them 3. These Mercies are described 1. By the kind of them they were Compassions in the Original Bowel-mercies such as a tender Mother hath to the Child of her womb in God Pardoning Mercies Relieving
his Will before the supplying of our Bread the Remission of our Sins or our Deliverance from the Evil one's Temptations from the Exceptions God takes against them that built themselves cieled houses when God's House lay waste them that had in their flock a male and vowed to the Lord a corrupt thing from his punishing such Slighting of him and asserting his Regal Majesty to convince men of the transcendent Regard that is due to him above all Potentates from the Protestations and Practice of Saints and Holy persons preferring the well-being of God's House and Service before their chief Mirth peremptorily refusing Delights neglecting any other Glory or otherwise desirable Advantage when God's House or Honour is impaired Mourning for it more then for their own Losses and reckoning them for their best-deserving Friends that promote the Service of God and them for their greatest Enemies that hinder it The Reasons of which are 1. On God's part His superlative Excellency in comparison of whom all the Glory Beauty Goodliness Power Wisedom or what-ever else is magnified in Creatures is but a Shadow yea Vanity or a mere Nothing All the Nations of the Earth in respect of him are as a drop of a Bucket counted as the small dust of the balance as Nothing Isa 40.15 17. And therefore to prefer our own Honour the Honour of any of the Grandees of the world or the glorious Spirits of Heaven before the Worship the Regalia or Royalties of the Great God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords is to prefer a Torch-light before the Sun-light to esteem a Candle more then the glorious Lights of Heaven As there is in God more Glory then in all the Creatures so his Name his Service should be magnisied and adhered unto above and against all the Services and Names that stand in opposition to or competition with his 2. Nor is this Prelation less due on our part because of our Obligation of Gratitude to him Justice exacts it from us It is Debitum morale and naturale that we should honour our Father that begat us our Preachers that instruct us our Princes that protect us our Benefactours that help us All these is God to us in a superlative manner He is the Father that begat us the Rock that formed us we are the Work of his Hands and the Sheep of his Pasture He is our Shepherd therefore we lack nothing on him we depend from our mother's womb It is he that teacheth us Wisedom more then the beasts of the Earth He is a Sun and a Shield to us what-ever good we receive from any it is first derived from him He is the Fountain of living waters all Creatures are but broken Cisterns that can hold no water And therefore undoubtedly he should be preferr'd before all and by all Which that it may be done we should have the like Affection as David had and that is the next thing observable in this Text. II. David's Joy at the People's Forwardness to joyn in God's Worship As David preferred God's Service before his own Dignity so he rejoyced in the Conjunction of others with him therein This was it which gladded his Heart that not onely himself and his own House were ready to goe up to the House of the Lord but all the people of Israel likewise were forward to joyn with him in God's Service When the People offered willingly to the Lord for the building of the Temple it is said David the King also rejoyced with great Joy 1 Chron. 29.9 How often in the Psalms doth he invite all people to praise God Praise him all ye Nations Psal 117.1 is a Prophecy containing his Prayer for the Conversion of the Gentiles Rom. 15.11 Our Saviour teacheth us to pray not onely that we our selves who pray but all others may hallow God's Name When the Pharisees would have had the Children and Multitude that cried Hosanna with his Disciples rebuked our Saviour not onely justifies them but also animates them to it telling the Pharisees that if those should hold their peace the Stones would cry our Luke 19.40 Malignant spirits that seek the Praise of men their own Power and Interest envy the forwardness of people to joyn in the true Worship of God and the Duties of Godliness But to a holy and humble Heart it is a joyous thing As Moses said once to Joshua Enviest thou for my sake I would that all the Lord's people were Prophets and that God would put his Holy Spirit upon them Num. 11.29 Hereto every upright heart is moved both by the Love he bears to Men and the Love he hath to God who is honoured 1. Love to others makes him that loves them not seek his own Good onely but their Good also joyntly with his own Now there cannot be a greater Good to any person then when his Heart and Ways are set to glorifie God The best turn we can doe a man is to bring him into Acquaintance with God so as that his Fellowship be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ And therefore if we love men indeed we cannot but rejoyce with them when they address themselves to seek God 2. Love also to God will cause this Rejoycing at the Associating of others with us in his Service The Corinthians Bounty to the Saints is commended from hence that it is abundant by many Thanksgivings unto God whiles by the experiment of such ministration they glorifie God 2 Cor. 9.12 13. We pray that all may sanctifie God's Name what we pray for sincerely we desire affectionately and what we desire affectionately to obtain we rejoyce in it heartily when it is acquired No man prays to God rightly but he who earnestly desires God's Glory by all the more therefore glorifie him the more is their Joy increased who love God truly especially when as here the Service is voluntary ready with alacrity when they say as it is in my Text Let us goe into the House of the Lord. Which leads me to some farther Observations III. The People's Willingness and Forwardness They invite each other to goe into the House of the Lord. Not to the house of Mirth and Jovialty not to the house of Bacchus or Baal not to the Idol-Temple or other house of Iniquity And therein is discernible the End and Motive of this their Invitation It was no doubt that they might worship God as those did who went up into the Temple to pray as it is said of the Pharisee and Publican in the Parable or as it is in the fourth verse of this Psalm to the Testimony of Israel to give Thanks unto the Name of the Lord. Thus it is said Luke 1.10 while the Priest burnt Incense in the Temple the whole multitude of the people were praying without And of Anna Luk. 2.37 she departed not from the Temple but served God with Fasting and Prayers night and day And in respect of this Practice our Saviour Matth. 21.13 allegeth out of Isa 56.7
many come hither without Faith or sense of God's Presence as if they came to a Court yea to sport or play With what Drowziness Irreverence Heedlesness do many appear here How many are weary with the Service with the Sermon to whom it is tedious to sit one hour to hear God's Word though they can endure to sit whole Nights and Days at their Pastimes or to be imployed in any mischievous Design How many bring their Bodies hither and their Minds the while are roving over the world How many are filled with unclean Lusts Contentions revengefull Imaginations and Devices even while they are in the Church How many come to carp at the Preacher or justle with their Brethren How many pray with their Mouths and curse with their Hearts Alas how will such bear Crucem Domini the Lord's Cross who are so backward to goe in Domum Domini into the Lord's House How can such expect to appear in the Temple of God in Heaven who defile the House of God on Earth How weary would they be of the Service there to whom his Worship here is so tedious Brethren let me deal plainly with you It is an ominous Presage an ill Sign that such as now are so averse from the House of God and his Service here are never likely to enter into the Temple of God in Heaven it would be a Burthen to them and they to it Oh then bethink your selves of coming hither as David and his People did Prefer the Honour of God before any Interest of your own Excite one another to goe to God's House out of Love to one another out of Love and Gratitude to God Goe not to any Idol-service or ungodly Meetings Come to God's Service with Faith with Concord and Unanimity with Chearfulness and Reverence And know that if you meet with God in his Ordinances he will meet with you in his Mercies Which the Lord grant c. Amen LAVS DEO DELIGHT in GOD THE Christian's Gain The Nineteenth SERMON PSAL. xxxvij 4. Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee thy Heart's desire THIS Psalm is wholly doctrinall somewhat artificially composed after the order of the Hebrew Alphabet it is likely for the more ready learning and easie remembring of it The matter of it is a Receipt to cure that Lipothymie or Faintness of Spirit which is incident to the best men when they see the worst to prosper Which as it is in appearance rationall so it is highly dangerous as tending to undermine our Faith in God's Providence and to divert our Course from the Via Regia the high and right Way of holy Obedience to him to a walking in By-ways of our own chusing To prevent which after some Directions against Impatience and Distrust of God this Dose is here prescribed by one that could say Probatum est even by Holy David the sweet Psalmist of Israel who had by his own Experience found it true and the most sovereign Medicine and Cordiall in this case He had observed That notwithstanding the wicked man prospered a while and like a Comet blazed much yet it was but as a Meteor a Blazing-star that would soon vanish But that he who trusts in God and delights in him should be as a Fixed Star which though it be clouded or benighted for a time yet it hath a permanent Light and shall break out of its Obscurity That it is therefore best for such a one in the greatest Luster of the Wicked and in the most dismall estate that befalls himself yet to delight himself in the Lord and to assure himself that he will give him the Desire of his Heart Which words you may at first View perceive to contain in them 1. A Precept Delight thy self in the Lord. Affect not the Prosperity of Evil men Though they mount up to Heaven in Wealth Honour and Power so as that in their Luciferian Pride they say in their heart We will ascend into Heaven exalt our throne above the Stars of God we will ascend above the heights of the Clouds we will be like the Most high yet do thou humbly quietly patiently contentedly delight thy self in the Lord. 2. A Promise He shall give thee in the conclusion the Desires or Petitions of thine Heart either in that Deliverance thou wouldst have or that Comfort or Preferment which he thinks best for thee So that from hence arise two Conclusions of much importance 1. That it is best to delight our selves in God in the most elevated estate of Evill men and in our own most dejected Condition 2. That such as doe so shall have their Hearts Desire and in fine speed better then if they had been in a like illustrious estate to that of Wicked men I shall address my self to handle both in their order with what brevity and perspicuity I can I. OBSERVATION That it is best to delight our selves in God in the most elevated estate of Evill men and in our own most dejected Condition Delight is an inclining Affection of the Soul upon the apprehension of some pleasing Good that is sutable to the Mind and it is conceived in the womb of the Heart but not resting there it manifests it self by the motions of the Members by the speech of the Tongue glances of the Eyes hearkning of the Ears and by other gestures of the Members which discover the Complacency of the Spirit within Delighting then in the Lord is for a man to have pleasing Thoughts of God and thereby strengthening his Heart and Mind against all Objections concerning God or himself against all Fears and Occurrences which might cast down his Spirit Many sadning Objects do often present themselves even to the most Holy men on earth We find David sometimes complaining that God had cast him off I am cut off from before thine eyes Holy Job that God hid his Face from him and held him for his Enemy Such Complaints are frequent Thou hast cast us off and puttest us to shame Wherefore hidest thou thy Face Why sayest thou O Jacob My way is hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over from my God Others cry Wherefore doth the Way of the Wicked prosper Most fully we find this Argument urged against God's Providence even to the staggering of that Holy Psalmist in Psal 73.2 c. where he relates his Temptation and his Recovery out of it For notwithstanding what his Eyes saw his Ears heard his fleshly Reason suggested to him of the Happiness of Evil men and the vanity of Godly courses yet he upholds himself by delighting in the Lord and thus expresseth himself in that Psalm Vers 1. Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart and after vers 23 24 25 26 28. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsell and afterwards receive me to Glory Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth
hath not the Son of God hath not Life Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him But Jus in re or the Consummation and full Possession of this Life is after the Resurrection in the World to come which therefore Christ by way of Excellency terms eternall Life Mark 10.30 And this is that Life in the assurance whereof Christ laid down his Life with so much quietness when he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father Luk. 23.46 And upon the promise of Life which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 1.1 not onely of the Life that now is but also of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 S. Paul did both labour and suffer Reproach vers 10. In hope of this eternall Life Tit. 1.2 he exposed himself to daily danger of Death which he terms dying daily 1 Cor. 15.31 as being sensible as he saith vers 19. if in this life onely he and other Christians had hope in Christ they were of all men most miserable Now in hope and assurance of this Life Christ duram serviit Servitutem underwent the hardest Service that ever was undertaken he emptied himself took upon him the form of a Servant was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.7 8. Though the Cup he was to drink of were a very bitter Cup a Cup of deadly Wine such as had in it the Dregs of God's Anger and was mingled with the Sins of men for whom God made him Sin or a Sacrifice for Sin yet he drank it off yielding to his Father's Will as knowing it to be true which he himself taught the two Disciples that Christ must suffer these things and rise from the dead the third day and so enter into his Glory Luk. 24.26 46. And the Promise of this Life animated all the Holy Apostles Martyrs and Saints in their severall Generations to give all diligence to deny themselves to take up their Cross and so to follow Christ even to Death not counting their own Lives dear to them but being zealous to doe and suffer for Christ though with the Loss of all as having learned that whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his Life for Christ's sake shall find it Matth. 16.25 What things were gain to me saith S. Paul Phil. 3.7 8 9 10 11. those I have counted Loss for Christ Yea doubtless and I do count all things but Loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord for whom I have suffered the Loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him that I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death if by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead Which occasions them to seek the Path of this Life which is the next thing enquired into and is now to be considered II. What is the Path or what the Ways of this Life The Ways or Path of Life is a Metaphor taken from Travellers who have a certain Track in which they are to tread and by going in which they are guided to the place to which their Journey tends and by its direction are ascertained of coming thither if they hold on their Motion Here in this passage it can be taken for no other then the Means of assurance of their attaining this Life Which in respect of Christ are 1. On God's part the Engagement of his Father to him Isa 53.10 11. that when he should make his Soul an Offering for Sin he should see his Seed he should prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand He should see of the travail of his Soul and be satisfied Christ undertook the great Business of doing his Father's Will which was written in the volume of his Book by offering that Body which his Father had prepared him upon a Contract between them when he came into the world as it is described Heb. 10.5 7 8. And this was that he should so lay down his Life as to take it up again as Christ himself declareth Joh. 10.18 I have power to lay down my Life and to take it up again this Commandment have I received of my Father Which thing made it impossible that he should be holden of the pains of death Act. 2.24 And therefore it is said He foresaw the Lord always before his face as being on his right hand that he should not be moved with the fear of Death vers 25. being firmly assured by his Father's Covenant upon which he put himself on that great Expedition of Coming into the world to save Sinners by the offering of himself that he should not lose by his Adventure but should after his Sufferings enter into his Glory To which is to be adjoyned the Love that his Father bare to him for this reason as he expresseth it Joh. 10.15 17 18. As the Father knoweth me even so I know the Father and I lay down my Life for the Sheep Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life that I might take it up again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self This unparallel'd Dutifulness of Christ to his Father in yielding so freely to his Self-exinanition and Humiliation unto Death did obtain a singular Love from his Father to him and engage his Truth and Power to revive and superexalt him 2. On Christ's part his ready Obedience to his Father's Will was the Path to Life which therefore he allegeth in that Prayer of his wherein he opened his Bosome to his Father Joh. 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to doe And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was In respect of Believers the Path of Life to them is 1. On God's part the free Love of God in chusing them to Life termed the writing their Names in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world Rev. 17.8 which because they are given to Christ is said to be the Lamb's Book of life Rev. 21.27 and our Saviour tells them their names are written in Heaven Luk. 10.20 Hereby is Christ engaged to give Life to them as he himself testifieth Joh. 6.39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And accordingly he saith Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall Life to as many as thou hast given him Hereby it is that Christ is
become the Path of Life to them as at several times he declares Joh. 14.6 Jesus saith unto Thomas I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh to the Father but by me Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto Martha I am the Resurrection and the Life And indeed Christ is the Way of Life 1. As he is the Exemplary Cause of it All whom his Father hath foreknown being predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren Rom. 8.29 Wherefore Christ told his Disciples Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also The Life of Christ which he recovered by his Resurrection is the efficacious Pattern or Copy according to which God hath contrived our Life He is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that sleep For since by Man came Death by Man came also the Resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15.20 21 22. Hence the Apostle tells us Col. 3.3 that we are dead and our Life is hid with Christ in God it is deposited as a Treasure in Christ's hand who is the Trustee to whom our Life is conveyed ad opus usum nostrum for our use and behoof as the Lawyers use to speak he hath Livery and Seisin given of Life on our behalf and so his Life is the Pledge and Path of our Life 2. As Christ is the Way of our Life as he is our Pattern Depositary and Pledge so is he the Way of our Life as the procuring Cause thereof He is the Prince of Life Act. 3.15 the Cause or Authour of eternall Salvation Heb. 5.9 and that many ways First by his Preaching which moved S. Peter to say Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall Life Joh. 6.68 The words saith Christ that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life vers 63. The Preaching of the Law was but the Ministration of Death of the Letter that killed 2 Cor. 3.6 7. but the word of the Gospel is the word of Life Phil. 2.16 Secondly by his Death for so he tells us Joh. 6.51 I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the world And indeed it was for this very cause that as the Children were partakers of flesh and bloud so he also took part of the same that by Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death to wit the Devill and deliver them that through fear of Death were all their Life subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 15. As by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one better rendred by one Righteous deed to wit his Obedience unto Death the free Gift came upon all men unto Sanctification of life That as Sin hath reigned unto Death so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternall Life by Jesus Christ our Lord as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.18 21. His Death procures our Life both removendo Prohibens by taking away the Sting of Death Sin disarming Satan of his Power and by meritoriously purchasing our Life by paying a Price for us Thirdly by his Resurrection whereby he becomes as the First-fruits that sanctifies the rest of the Lump and so obtains Resurrection and Life for those that are Christ's As also he is impowered to give Life upon his Resurrection as himself saith All Power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Matth. 28.18 As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them even so the Son quickeneth whom he will Joh. 5.21 Hereupon the Apostle argues thus Rom. 5.10 For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life Fourthly by his Ascension whereby he is become an High Priest not on Earth but such as is set down on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8.1 He is not as the Priests of the Law who were not suffered to continue by reason of death but continueth for ever and hath an unchangeable Priesthood or a Priesthood that passeth not from one to another being made not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless or indissoluble Life and therefore he is able to save them to the uttermost or evermore that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Heb. 7.16 23 24 25. Fifthly He is the Prince of Life or Cause of our Life by shedding forth his Spirit after his being glorified which was as Rivers of living water as his own words import Joh. 7.38 39. This Gift of the Spirit of Christ is that whereby we are born again to a Spiritual Life That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit saith Christ Joh. 3.6 It is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing Joh. 6.63 Neither indeed had Christ's Preaching or his Dying availed to bring us to Life had he not given us of his Spirit And therefore herein was the Prerogative of the Gospel above the Law that whereas that gave the Command but could not give the Spirit being a dead Letter by the Ministration of the Spirit or the Law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 Christians are made alive 2 Cor. 3.6 The Gospel is become the Ministration of Righteousness vers 9. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.10 11. Sixthly Christ's Appearing shall consummate the Life of a Believer Though he now be dead in Appearance to the World to their Rites Practices Hopes Injoyments and his Life is now onely hid with Christ in God yet when Christ who is his Life shall appear then shall he also appear with him in Glory as the Apostle speaks most comfortably Col. 3.3 4. 2. On our part the Path of Life is 1. In our Union to Christ which is by Faith whereby he is our Head and we are his Members and therefore partakers of his Life I live saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the Life that I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Joh. 11.25 26. He that believeth on me although he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die The Life of a Christian is conjoyned with Christ's as that of a Child with the Mother's 2. In our Conformity to
propounded to you will sweeten all Death it self though the King of Terrours is to them that are in Christ as a Serpent without a Sting which you may handle without Danger without Fear it will but as the Poets feign of Medea's Medicaments let out your old Bloud and beget new Life When I consider the voluptuous and worldly Life of most it pities me to think that Men made to live like Angels should chuse to live more Pecudum a Life not higher then the Life of Beasts that those who are made for God for Christ for Heaven to live there should terminate their Thoughts Affections Endeavours on things on Earth on Money gay Cloathing Mirth Riot Pomp State Favour of men Vain-glory and such like momentany things which must pass away and likely lead men to Hell and end in a Life with Devils Oh follow Christ I beseech you If you value your Souls cast them not away on Trifles Learn the Path that Christ chose to Life follow him and you shall live with him Let I beseech you the serious Warning of Christ Matth. 7.13 14. take impression on you Enter ye in at the streight Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the Way that leadeth to Destruction and many there be which goe in thereat But streight is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Let your drowzy spirits heed S. Paul's monitory Alarm Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Life Amen LAVS DEO GOD's PRESENCE Fulness of Joy Part II. The Twenty-second SERMON PSAL. xvi 11. In thy Presence is fulness of Joy and at thy right hand there are Pleasures for evermore THIS Psalm is a Golden Psalm of David and the words which I have read to you make the Close of it which whether they are meant of Christ or of David or both and so are applicable to Christ and his Members hath been formerly considered In reference to both the First Proposition in them hath been already handled and therein the Encouragement which Christ had and all Believers have in their Sufferings by God's shewing them the way of Life hath though much short of what so precious an Argument deserved been somewhat unfolded to you That which is yet farther to be insisted on is the latter part of the Verse in which I told you are contained two more Observations 2. That in God's Presence there is Fulness of Joy or Satiety of Joys before his Face to Christ and all Believers 3. That at his right hand they shall have Pleasures for evermore or Pleasures at his right hand to perpetuity This latter S. Peter omits in his Citation of this Scripture Act. 2.25 c. Yet it is not improbable but he alludes to it vers 33. where he useth these words Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and that the Holy Ghost intended it for a Prediction of Christ's Ascension and Sitting at the right hand of God and so it is applicable both to Christ's Exaltation and our sitting together with Christ in heavenly places of which S. Paul speaks Eph. 2.6 But the former is expresly mentioned with some little difference in the Reading Thou shalt fill replenish or make me full of Joy or Gladness with thy Countenance Face or Presence And it is alleged as being the Cordial that strengthned and restored the Spirits of Christ in his Agony at his Death which is intimated in that speech of the Authour to the Hebrews 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Authour and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God which shews that both in the Garden and on the Cross our Saviour had his Eye on the Joy that was set before him as the Prop and Basis that did support him in those extreme Passions and heavy Burthens which no other Shoulders but his could bear so as not to sink under their pressure And S. Peter tells us 1 Epist 1.11 That the Prophets searched what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow or the Glories after them Which shews that the Prophets did testifie before-hand together with the Sufferings of Christ the Glories after them which no doubt was done in Isa 53. Psal 22. and in many other places of which number I question not but these words of my Text are by S. Peter's alleging them Act. 2.28 My II. OBSERVATION I shall consider in these Four Propositions 1. That there are Joys in God's Presence or with his Face or Countenance 2. That there is a Fulness in these Joys 3. That these Joys in their Plenitude or Fulness belong to Christ and those who believe on him to eternal Life 4. That the Assurance and Expectation of these Joys was the grand Encouragement and Support of Christ in his Obedience active and passive and is so still to all the Holy Saints who doe and suffer according to the Will of God I. PROPOSITION That there are Joys in God's Presence or with his Face or Countenance The same is in other words taught us Psal 36.9 For with thee is the Fountain of Life in thy Light that is in the Light of thy Countenance we shall see Light that is Joy and Gladness according as it is explicated Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and Gladness for the Vpright in heart To like purpose is that passage Psal 30.5 In his Favour is Life Weeping may endure for a night or in the evening but Joy cometh in the morning Though in the Night-time or Evening when the black Veil of Death covers their Faces there is Sadness and Weeping even to the Righteous yet Joy comes in the Morning of the Resurrection when the Sun of Righteousness shall appear with Healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 and they shall see the Face of God The better to conceive this we must consider 1. What Joy is 2. What Joys are in the Presence of God 3. And from what Cause or Motive they come I. What Joy is Joy is that Affection of the Soul whereby it embraceth some present or future Good For there is a Rejoycing in Hope as the Apostle speaks Rom. 12.12 Abraham rejoyced to see Christ's day and he saw it and was glad Joh. 8.56 Now of all Affections this is the sweetest to a man's self as Love is the sweetest to others Joy is that which chears the Spirits enlargeth the Heart which is shrivell'd up and contracted like a Purse by Grief and Fear It makes the Countenance lightsome the Feet and other Members lively and nimble furthers the Concoction of our Meat makes our Sleep which refresheth the body sweet to us And therefore Joy is most sutable to the Will of man and if the Mind be in its
quieting of his Spirit by remembrance of God's Covenant of Grace in Christ the Love of Christ in giving himself for him in the assurance of his Perseverance to the end and the knowledge of his Integrity Yea Holy persons do often go mourning all their days charging themselves with Hypocrisie with Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost with Apostasie condemning themselves as Reprobates uncapable of Pardon destitute of all Grace and so no better then Fire-brands of Hell and this even while they pray for Pardon repent of Sin are of so tender Consciences that they fear to sin against God and would rather die a thousand Deaths then once speak the least evil of Christ or God If none of these Clouds do darken the Joys of Holy men here yet there are other things which do and will certainly while they are on Earth much diminish them The Sins which they see committed by others are no small Vexation to Holy men Just Lot was vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked for dwelling among the Sodomites in hearing and seeing he tormented his righteous Soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds 2 Pet. 2.7 8. The Sufferings of the Saints are no small Affliction to their Fellow-members If one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it as if one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12.26 Much more are their Sins The incestuous Corinthian's sinfull taking his Father's Wife was matter of Mourning to the whole Church So the Schisms in that Church the Disorders in their Assemblies their Yielding to communicate with Idolaters in their Idolatries their going to Law one with another before Infidels and not composing their Differences between themselves were matter of Affliction to S. Paul I fear saith he 2 Cor. 12.20 21. lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would lest my God will humble me among you and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the Vncleanness and Fornication and Lasciviousness which they have committed The Ignorance Unteachableness Unfruitfulness of his Hearers much more their falling away into Errours and scandalous Practices is no small Grief to a Godly Pastour which makes him walk heavily and complain to God serving him with many Tears and Temptations Yea the deferring of a Christian's Hope makes his Heart sick he is weary with waiting so that he cries Come Lord Jesus come quickly Our selves which have the First-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.23 In this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burthened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life Being confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.2 4 8. But they that are in the Presence of God have all Good They have the most high Descent as being born of God the most perfect Beauty in Soul having the Image of God perfectly restored and at the Resurrection their Bodies fashioned like unto the glorious Body of Christ They become fully Rich being made Heirs of God Joynt-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 When they have overcome they shall inherit all things God will be their God and they shall be his Sons Rev. 21.7 They have advancement to Honour and Greatness To him that overcometh saith our Saviour Rev. 3.21 will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne I will not say that the Blessed Saints and Angels that stand in God's Presence are omniscient They know not the Secrets of Mens hearts much less the secret Counsels of God whose Ways are unsearchable and whose Paths past finding out That Conceit of some of the Papists about the Speculum Trinitatis the Glass of the Trinity as if by seeing God they could see all things in him according to that saying of Gregory Videt omnia qui videt Videntem omnia is most false though some of them make use of it to excuse their abominable Invocation of Saints deceased whom they absurdly and foolishly pray to for all sorts of Good things though they know neither them nor their Necessities much less their Hearts But I may safely say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.9 10 12. Now we know in part and we prophesie in part But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away Now we see through a Glass darkly or in a Riddle but then face to face now I know in part then shall I know even as also I am known The Beatifical Vision of God will perfect our Holiness and Wisedom so far as to free us from all Errour and Folly which now do miserably mislead us from all Ignorance which now doth sadly perplex us it will enlighten us with that Knowledge which will be sufficient to glorifie our God and satisfie our selves As the Light of Heaven exceeds the Light of the Sun so the Light of the Soul in those that are with God exceeds all the Light that was in Adam by Creation in Moses S. John S. Paul or any other of the most inlightned Saints on Earth by Revelation In a word there is no kind of Good which is meet for a created Being and an adopted Child of God to have but it is conferred on those Holy persons that are in the Presence of God which makes their Joys unspeakable and full of Glory But they are still more sweetned from the consideration of the Fountain whence they flow which is next to be considered III. What is the Cause and Motive from whence these Good things these Joys do proceed And that is the Love and Purpose of God which is immutable Ointment and Perfumes rejoyce the Heart so doth the sweetness of a man's Friend by hearty Counsell saith Solomon Prov. 27.9 The Love and hearty Welcome that a man meets with makes the Feast the more pleasant Eat not thou the Bread of him that hath an evil Eye neither desire thou his dainty Meats For as he thinketh in his heart so is he Eat and drink saith he to thee but his heart is not with thee The Morsell which thou hast eaten thou shalt vomit up and lose thy sweet words Prov. 23.6 7 8. Oftentimes men are invited to a great Feast but it is not out of Love but for some sordid Ends to engage them in something which they will find cause after to repent of it is not with True-heartedness which makes many sad at Feasts as fearing an After-reckoning Joseph's Brethren when they sate at meat with him marvelled one at another Gen. 43.33 not well knowing whereto that Invitation tended When men believe they are welcome indeed and that they are feasted in
in Christ In God's Favour and Presence are the real Joys though obscured from the World by the mean Condition upon Earth of those that possess them 2. Oh then you who have heard what Joys there are in God be persuaded to quicken and comfort your selves by them Let not the Scoffs or Censures of the profane Carnalist affright you from your Choice Place your Hope in the pursuance of those Joys that are Spiritual that are Heavenly David Moses S. Paul and He who was the wisest of men our Lord Christ slighted all the Contents on Earth and patiently underwent all Afflictions all the Reproaches and Persecutions of men that they might attain the Fulness of Joys in God's Presence Surely should all your days on Earth be spent with never so much Mirth yet you would be great Losers should you lose the Joys of Heaven Yea the want of the Peace of Conscience and Joy in the Spirit on Earth will so damp the Joys of the most Atheistical Voluptuaries on Earth that they will find them to be far short of that Sweetness they imagine in them and in the end to be as Gall and Wormwood in their Bowells On the other side the Joys of Christ and Christians in present fruition and future hope will countervail all those bitter Potions they drink here and fill them with endless and unmeasurable Satisfaction hereafter Let then the Joy of the Lord be your strength Nehem. 8.10 your Encouragement to follow all the Holy ones of God chiefly our Lord Christ running with patience the Race set before you and looking unto Jesus the Authour and Finisher of your Faith Amen LAVS DEO MAN'S Guide to Glory The Twenty-third SERMON PSAL. lxxiij 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsell and afterwards receive me to Glory WE have in this Psalm whether composed by or for Asaph to sing a Skirmish between the Flesh and the Spirit with the Victory of the Spirit thereby strengthened to stand for God and to adhere to his Party The Combat arose from the Quarrel that humane Reason had against Divine Providence as either unequall or impotent in that the Wicked prospered in the world when the Godly as poor Abjects were depressed and trampled upon by the Nimrods of the Earth As if this did argue either that God was ignorant of humane Affairs that he saw not through the thick Clouds that according to the Epicurean Fancy he followed his Pleasure in Heaven and let things below run at randome leaving them to Chance or that he would not or could not remedy such Irregularities as fell out in the Government of this lower World To which the Spirit opposeth after some Staggering this Defence That the Prosperity of the Wicked was but for a moment an empty Bitter-sweet a fansied Dream a meer Vanity ending in Terrours which suddenly and irresistibly cast them down like a Hurricane and so carry them away to Destruction and Consumption That on the other side the Godly are preserved and guided to Glory And thence is the Spirit 's Io Paean its triumphant Song ascribing Happiness to men of pure Hearts and expressing a Resolution to hold fast to God as being well assured of Divine Guidance and Advancement in the words read to you Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsell and afterwards receive me to Glory In which words the Psalmist expresseth the Foundation of his future Happiness as in the Verse before he declares the Cause of his present Standing notwithstanding the Storm of Temptation that was upon him upon what Bottom he secures his Soul notwithstanding such Onsets and Perills of wandering out of his way to Blessedness For attaining of which Felicity he ascribes nothing to a fansied Light within him or power of Free will but to that special efficacious Grace which is preventing and sustaining that worketh in God's people both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 His Tuition and his Guidance is the entire and onely Cause of a Saint's assured Beatitude And this the Authour of the Psalm doth acknowledge whilst he expresses the sense he had of his own nearness to Ruine when as it is vers 2. he found that as for him his Feet were almost gone his Steps had well-nigh slipt had not God been with him continually and held him by the right hand guided him with his Counsell and led him to Glory From whence these Observations offer themselves 1. That when God leaves a person to his own Counsell it is a Forerunner of his Perdition 2. That it is the Safety of God's Servants that they are guided by his Counsell 3. That those whom God guides by his Counsell he doth bring to Glory I. OBSERVATION That when God leaves a person to his own Counsell it is a Forerunner of his Perdition That which is said Psal 81.12 that God gave the people of Israel up unto their own hearts Lust and they walked in their own Counsells and therefore he did not subdue their Enemies nor turn his hand against their Adversaries vers 14. doth sufficiently intimate that the Cause of their wasting and spoiling by their Enemies was God's leaving them to their own Hearts Lusts and their walking in their own Counsells The like Speech we have in the New Testament in that Sermon which was made by S. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra when to take them off from their intention of sacrificing to themselves they told them of the Evil of their doings and of the pernicious Consequence of their practices in sacrificing to them that were but Vanities and how that God in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own Ways Which Passages do evince that the reason why both Jews and Gentiles were under Sin all the World were become guilty before God all had sinned and came short of the Glory of God Rom. 3.9 19 23. were under Wrath and Condemnation was because they were left to their own Counsells For in that case as it is Rom. 1.18 they held the Truth in Vnrighteousness vers 22. professing themselves wise they became fools Wherefore God also gave them up to Vncleanness through the Lusts of their own Hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves Who changed the Truth of God into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more then the Creatour who is blessed for ever Amen vers 24 25. For this cause God gave them up unto vile Affections And even as they did not like to retain God in their Knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to doe those things which are not convenient vers 26 28. which brought upon them the Judgment of God And to like purpose is that Prediction which is upon cogent reason conceived to be verified in the Roman Apostasie 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie That they all might be damned who believed
was accompanied with much inward Regret at their Sufferings Indignation against the Tyranny of them that oppressed them Vexation at their hard Destiny yea with Alacrity and Joyfulness of heart laid themselves down to sleep even in the midst of the Fire as if it had been in a Bed of Roses triumphing over the most extreme Cruelties of their violent Persecutours that were mad with Rage against the Sheep of Christ who herein followed their Shepherd who was led as a Sheep to the slaughter and like a Lamb dumb before the Shearers so opened he not his mouth Act. 8.32 This excellent Temper of spirit in Holy Believers ariseth from the Conscience of their Integrity and the vigour of their Faith A good Cause and an upright Heart are very prevalent to allay all inward Fluctuations of mind and to arm the Heart against outward though stormy Occurrences The Righteous saith Solomon Prov. 28.1 are bold as a Lion They that fear God need not fear Men or Devils Such as know the Uprightness of their Heart the Justice of their Cause especially when their Danger is for Righteousness sake for God can appeal to God with Confidence can mind God as Hezekiah did Lord remember that I have walked before thee with an upright Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa 38.3 It was our Lord's Argument in that his Soliloquy with his Father that Bosome-prayer wherein he did expectorate himself open his Heart to his Father Joh. 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to doe And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was This was his Plea when he was to be betrayed and crucified It is so in like manner with all that doe the Will of God They know the work of Righteousness is Peace and the effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever Isa 32.17 They know that God will keep him in perfect Peace whose mind is stayed on him because he trusteth in him Isa 26.3 Faith doth assure them that he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep that as it is true Diabolus non dormit the Devil sleepeth not but goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour so Dominus non dormit the Lord sleeps not but his Eyes are open upon the Righteous He is that most vigilant Shepherd that keeps his Sheep night and day They know that if God be with them none either Tyrant or Devil can be against them That the Prince of Life hath by Death destroyed him that had the power of Death to wit the Devil and delivered them that through fear of Death were all their life-time subject to Bondage That they may take up their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Triumph-song their Io Paean O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory That he that gave his own Son for them will with him freely give them all things That he is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City which hath Foundations made and built by himself in a heavenly Country where no Nero's or Domitians or Diocletians no bloudy Bonner's or Spanish Inquisitours shall come where no Infernall Spirits nor Sons of Belial shall approach to hurt None shall be able to lay any thing to their charge they have God to justifie them Christ to intercede for them And therefore neither Height nor Depth nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor any Creature shall be able to separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Hereby they have that Peace of God which passeth all understanding which keeps as a Garrison their Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus And therefore they can rest in their Beds without fear of humane Tortures or haunting Ghosts They can sleep in the dust of the Earth with expectation of a better Resurrection and after David's Example here they can resolve to lie down and sleep for that the Lord maketh them dwell in Safety and this with hope of Rising again to Life and of having Dominion over their Enemies in that Morning in which the Sun of Righteousness shall appear again from Heaven with Healing in his Wings APPLICATION And now I beseech you learn to discern between the Righteous and the Wicked How fearfull are the Minds of them that are troubled with an evil Conscience that are not armed with Faith in God! Every Report of an invading Enemy of a walking Ghost any ghastly Apparition any unusuall Noise terrifies them and takes away their Sleep Solitariness is a Terrour to them specially in the Night Cain gets him from the Presence of the Lord into the Land of Nod Caligula runs under a Bed at a Clap of thunder Adrian whines in his mournfull Ditty when he is to part with his Soul from his Body Sickness appalls others The message of Death makes a Saul fall all along on the Earth a churlish Nabal's Heart die within him as a Stone On the contrary Holy David sleeps quietly in a Cave though Saul's Army be near him he dies quietly though Adonijah go about to take his Crown from off his Head Job can trust God though he kill him S. Paul can trust in him that raiseth from the dead when he receives the Sentence of death in himself Oh then that you would consider these things to purpose Time may come wherein you may have the Name of Magor-missabib Terrour round about armed Souldiers may break into your Houses the Arrow of God may be shot into your Bodies Pestilence may enter in at your Windows sooner or later Sickness and Death will surprize you and seise on you If at that hour thy Spirit be wounded also and God call thy Sins to Remembrance if when the Decree goes forth This night shall they fetch away thy Soul from thee thou hast nothing but thy full Barns thy high Honours and Dignities the Favour of Princes to secure thee Oh how wilt thou be like Belshazzar when he saw the Hand-writing on the Wall Thy Knees will dash one against another thy Sleep will be gone thy Terrours will rush in upon thee like an armed man thou wilt feel Hell-Torments while thou art yet on Earth On the other side if thou hast Hezekiah's Uprightness and David's Faith thou wilt sleep in Peace and die with Comfort God's Grace will support thee here and advance thee hereafter He will guide thee with his Counsell and after receive thee to Glory Oh be wise then I beseech you Take heed of Sin which will defile you it will make your Bed as uneasie as if you lay on Flints or Thorns breed a Worm in your Conscience which will gnaw on you to Eternity kindle a Fire in your Bowells which will never be quenched but burn for ever produce the Sting of a fiery Scorpion which will never be cured Get
Course of his Actions by and chiefly when he opposeth God's Will his Truth his Precepts then is he perverse in his Ways Now this may happen two ways either out of Ignorance or wittingly and this either willingly or unwillingly with a pure or a mixt Will out of Infirmity through Fear Forgetfulness Heedlesness or such like Cause as abates much of the Voluntariness of the Action or obstinately resolutely presumptuously after Conviction Warning Reproof Correction not onely actually but also habitually and incorrigibly with a high hand and contumacious mind He that fears the Lord and walks in his Vprightness may sometimes actually be perverse in his Ways out of Ignorance Infirmity through prevalency of Temptation and yet not be accounted so perverse in his Ways as to be said to despise the Lord so as Solomon here means S. Paul at Antioch chargeth S. Peter and S. Barnabas that they did not walk uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel Gal. 2.14 because that S. Peter before certain came from James did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself fearing them of the Circumcision And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Herein was a kind of Perverseness out of some Timorousness incident to a holy Saint and a Pillar among the Apostles and that in a Point which so much concerned the Truth of the Gospel and yet there was no such despising of the Lord as Solomon doth here stigmatize Nor dare I say but that David did that which was not right in the eyes of the Lord in the matter of Vriah the Hittite in the business of Ziba and of Numbring the people but that he despised the Commandment of the Lord to doe evil in his sight yet was he not so perverse in his Ways as to despise the Lord so as here is meant because it was not done obstinately impenitently habitually But Eli's Sons Hophni and Phinehas who caused men to abhor the Offerings of the Lord and persisted in their Sin after their Father Eli's Admonition were obstinately habitually perverse in their Ways and despised the Lord 1 Sam. 2.17 25 29. In like manner all such are perverse in their Ways and despise the Lord so as Solomon here means who do stubbornly and impenitently persist in any sinfull Errour or wicked Practice against the Law of God or the Gospel of Christ either not relinquishing the one after Discovery or not amending the other after Reproof but upholding the one and continuing in the other against the Warnings of God and Man Of such Perverseness of men in their Ways there are many Degrees according to the several kinds of Warnings given them the Frequency of their Actings the Stifness and Stubbornness of their Wills the Proceedings of their Practices the Excellency of God's Will which they bend themselves against and the Engagements they have to conform to it Sometimes the Lord warns men of the Evil of their ways by the Reproof of an Enemy and it is Wisedom to make use of it for our Amendment Even Plutarch hath a Treatise directing a man How to get good by an Enemie's ill will this is to make Mithridate out of Poison Sometimes a Friend shews us our Evil and then it is great Perverseness to persist in it Sometimes an authourized Pastour a Parent a Yoke-fellow admonishes with due Correction and yet persons continue obstinate Sometimes God sends Warnings by his Prophets as he did to the Israelites 2 Chron. 36.15 16. He sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending them because he had Compassion on his people But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no Remedy Sometimes he warns men by his Judgments either on themselves or on others expecting that when his Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the world should learn Righteousness Isa 26.9 Yet though they be iterated varied be very conspicuous and terrible men return not to the Lord as the Prophet complains Amos 4.11 Yea they are so far from being bettered by God's Judgments that as it is said Rev. 16.11 some blaspheme the God of Heaven because of their Pains and their Sores and repent not of their deeds Yea so far are God's Judgments or Mercies from turning men from their Sins that oftentimes they multiply Abominations the more which shews extreme Perverseness The same may be said of them that abuse God's Patience and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God should lead them to Repentance as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.4 And of those that because Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore their Heart is fully set in them to doe evil Eccles. 8.11 And according to this Stifness of their Wills there are Degrees of Perverseness in their Practices For some as the Prophet chargeth the Jews Zach. 7.11 refuse to hearken pull away the Shoulder stop their Ears that they should not hear Yea saith he vers 12. they made their Heart as an Adamant-stone lest they should hear the Lord and the words which the Lord of hoasts sent in his Spirit by the Prophets therefore a great Wrath came from the Lord of hoasts Some shut their Eyes against the Light in them by their vicious Affections darken the Light of their natural Conscience and are given over to a reprobate Sense Many hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness after it is made known to them Rom. 1.18 and not onely yield not to it but also wrangle and cavil against it Yea there are not a few who in stead of being altered by any Denunciations of Judgments from God or Convictions of his Law turn the very Speeches of the Prophets and Preachers that are sent to them into proverbial Scoffs as those that scornfully said Let him make speed and hasten his Work that we may see it and let the Counsel of the Holy one of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it Isa 5.19 And those that tauntingly took up the Prophet's term of the Burthen of the Lord Jer. 23.38 To what height of profane Impudence and Perverseness in their Ways are they come who as if they counted it their Bravery abuse the very words of Holy Scripture even of Christ himself in their Discourses and foolish Jests though by themselves and those like them counted witty to make themselves sport and render them ridiculous who as if it were a part of Gallantry to provoke the God of Heaven glory in their outrageous Swearing and direfull Imprecations against themselves Others there are like Elymas the Sorcerer whom S. Paul Act. 13.10 terms a man full of all Subtlety and all Mischief a Child of the Devil Enemy of all Righteousness who ceased not to pervert the right ways of the Lord in seeking to turn away the Deputy Sergius Paulus from the Faith of Christ
your Souls and knocked that he might be let in that he might sup with you and you with him How frequently have the Preachers of the Gospel the Servants of Christ invited you to his Supper to be partakers of that Grace of God which exceeds in worth all the Treasures of the Earth all the Pleasures under the Sun which is of greater Necessity and Advantage then all the Traffick by Land or Sea and yet his Word is not believed Oxen and Farms and Wives yea that which is worse Dalilah's Idols are minded more esteemed then Christ then his Love his Spirit his Kingdome his Righteousness Where is the man that is willing to deny himself his own Contents unjust Gains unclean Affections injurious Projects yea his vain Opinions and to take up Christ's Cross after him Where is he that will suffer I will not say Loss of Life or Goods or Credit with men for Christ but even a Divorce from his Lusts that will forbear a profane ungodly Oath a devillish Revenge or undergoe so much as a Scoff or Reproach that he may follow Christ and be his Disciple If this be not Perverseness in our Ways the Despising of the Lord in the most vilifying way I know not what is I beseech you bethink your selves in good earnest what will be the End of these things Think of that Wisedom Solomon speaks of Prov. 1. v. 22. and so forwards The very reading of it methinks should awaken and affright as many of you as yet persist in your Perverseness and will none of Wisedom's Counsel but despise all its Reproof As therefore you would not be rejected by Christ despised by him in that Day when he shall bid some depart from him into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels deny I beseech you your Vngodliness and worldly Lusts obey the voice of Christ trust in him and he will then receive you and ye shall be where he is Which the Lord grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE SAINTS Future Glory The Twenty-ninth SERMON REVEL vij 15. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them YOU have here exhibited to your view the most happy and glorious Spectacle which humane spirits are capable of Brave Shows as at Princes Coronations and Marriages do greatly attract the Eyes of men One of the ancient Fathers wished much to see a Roman Triumph in its greatest Glory The Queen of Sheba was so affected with the Glory of Solomon and his Court that she took a great and costly Journey to behold them and was so transported with what she saw and heard that there was no more Spirit in her But I may well say A Greater then Solomon a braver Sight then Solomon's Court or a Roman Triumph is here Here is the God of Glory on his Throne Here the Court of glorious Spirits which are made perfect have their most splendid Robes on and the Ensign of their Victory in their hands that Palma nobilis which carries to God the Offscouring of the Earth and makes them that hid themselves in Dens and Caves of the Earth to be advanced to the Habitation of God in the highest Heavens And therefore this Show is worth your beholding which I shall endeavour to present to you though not in its Splendour yet so as I hope it may raise you up as to an Admiration and Extolling of the Divine Excellency so also to an Imitation of and a Following after those glorious Saints of whom it is said in the Verse before my Text that they came out of great Tribulation and washed their Robes and made them white in the Bloud of the Lamb and in this Verse Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them In which two Verses you have described 1. The Exploits and Estate of these noble Warriours or Combatants on Earth They had a great Fight of Afflictions They wrastled not onely against Flesh and Bloud but against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this world against Spiritual Wickedness in high or heavenly places And though they had sore Falls yet they washed their Robes and made them white in the Bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony at last they overcame Satan and the World not loving their Lives unto the death This was their gallant Fight of Faith this their glorious Victory over their proud and most treacherous Enemies 2. Their Triumph their Ascent into the Capitol their Reception into Heaven They are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them Their present State there may be seen in these Particulars 1. In the place where they are they do not as they did on Earth wander about in Desarts and Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the earth but are about the Throne of God Nor are they cloathed with Sheep-skins and Goat-skins but have Royal or Priestly Robes like the Servants of Solomon about his Throne or the Priests in their Garments at the Altar or in the Temple 2. Their Imployment is not to grind in Mills or make Brick under a cruel Pharaoh but like the Priests and Levites at the Temple they day and night serve the Great the Glorious and Blessed Potentate who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who onely hath Immortality and dwelleth in Light incomprehensible And their Service is the most pleasant and without any Tediousness to wit to praise and magnifie him everlastingly 3. Their Company is not base sordid and vexing Men or malicious and cruel Devils but he that sitteth on the Throne the King of Glory who hath all Beauty and Loveliness who will dwell among them so as to protect them and satisfie them with his Presence I shall not have time to insist upon the description of the Conflict and Atchievement of these Blessed Saints when upon Earth though the particle Therefore referring thither might induce me to consider thereof Nor is it necessary to inquire into the Time of that great Affliction which these are said to come out of I will without limitation of it to one sort of Saints as Martyrs at one time whether in the Ten first great Persecutions under the Pagan Roman Emperours or those under the bloudy Roman Popes by Burnings and most cruel Massacres apply this to all Saints and thence observe 1. That Afflictions Persecutions yea Death do not extinguish the Being of Saints who wash their Robes and make them clean in the Bloud of the Lamb. 2. That when they are removed from Men below they are placed before the Throne of God 3. That there they serve God in his Temple in Heaven perpetually 4. That they have God everlastingly cohabiting with them Of which in their order
as being before his Throne and there serving him for ever Which brings us to the III. OBSERVATION That the Saints serve God in his Temple in Heaven perpetually The Service of a great and gracious Prince though but in the meanest Office about him is an Employment much sought after for the Advantages it brings of Safety free Access Esteem and other Privileges concomitant but to attend him in a higher quality is still more desirable for the Dignity and Nearness of it to such a Majesty David chose rather to be a Door-keeper in the House of God then to be as Haman the great Favourite in the Palace of Shushan with Ahasuerus King of Persia Yet these are but petty and low Advantages in comparison of what accrue by the Service of the Great God who filleth Heaven and Earth Surely it was a Happiness to be a Servant to God though but a Hewer of wood or a Drawer of water for the House of God as the Gibeonites were they were yet far more blessed that dwelt in his House as Priests and Levites to minister before him and to serve at his Altar but it is superlative Happiness to serve God in his Temple in Heaven and to doe this for ever without any intermission especially when the Service is no other then Service of Gratitude and Praising of the Great Creatour and Benefactour of the world even him who is Optimus as well as Maximus the Best of Beings as well as the Greatest even him who is the Father of Lights from whom every good and perfect Gift cometh in whom is no Variableness nor shadow of turning They that are still praising God on Earth are blessed Psal 84.4 As all God's Works do praise the Lord so his Saints do bless him they shew forth the Glory of his Kingdom and talk of his Power Psalm 145.10 11. Much more joyous and blessed a thing is it when the great Consort of Heaven do there perpetually sound forth the high Praises of their God where they have nothing else to doe but to sing Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever where this New Song is sung with the best Musick of Heaven concerning the Lord Jesus Thou art worthy of all Benediction for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and where with a loud voice with the greatest Shout of Angels and glorified Saints this Acknowledgment is echoed forth Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisedom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Oh how glad are men to tell of the Good they have received by such and such Benefactours If a gracious Prince hath but admitted them to kiss his Hands hath deigned to speak kindly to them to promise them Preferment at Court how do men like Haman tell their Wives and Friends of it with rejoycing how highly do they esteem themselves what Regard do they expect from others how do they please themselves in the expectation of his Performance how thankfully do they receive any Intelligence of him any Message from him And yet it often falls out that Princes Favourites be as a wise Heathen said like Counters which one day stand for pounds another day are of no value So that perhaps whom they magnified to day him they will curse to morrow whom they gloried in one day him they are displeased at the next It is otherwise with the Saints in Heaven then with Courtiers on Earth Once in God's Favour and they never lose it They have no fear of Frowns when once before him in his Temple they have no occasion of Dislike at any of his Looks or Speeches There is all Serenity of Aspect Entertainment with perfect Friendship matter of eternal Love everlasting Preferment And therefore with the greatest Freeness and Chearfulness without Intermission or Weariness the Saints do serve God in their Hymns in Heaven and that in his Presence for he that sitteth on the Throne doth dwell among them Which was my last Observation and is now to be considered as the Top of all their Happiness securing it from all Loss Disturbance or Diminution IV. OBSERVATION That the Saints have God everlastingly cohabiting with them Among the Promises and Preferments which are by God bestowed on his Servants this is the chiefest That as they are his Jewells a peculiar people to him are as lively Stones built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to him by Jesus Christ so they become the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my People 2 Cor. 6.16 The Presence of God is counted so necessary to his People that Moses had rather stay in the vast howling Wilderness among fiery stinging Serpents then goe onward toward Canaan without it Exod. 33.15 On the other side the Psalmist professeth that though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death he would fear no evill because God was with him his Rod and his Staff did comfort him Psal 23.4 And indeed the chiefest Joy of Christians as well as Safety is in God's Company When God hides his Face the holiest Souls are troubled Satan affrights them the men of the World vex them their own Consciences bring their Sins to remembrance and cause Gripings and Pain in their very Bowells But when God returns when all the Clouds and Storms are dispersed Blessed saith the Psalmist is the people that know the joyfull sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy Countenance Psal 89.15 How much do Holy Saints here disquiet themselves by reason of their Cohabitation with profane and unrighteous persons When they are forced to dwell with them that are Enemies they are as a Sword in their bones when reproachfully they say daily to them Where is thy God How do they long for the Christian Society of sincere Believers and heavenly-minded Christians But their chief Prayer is Lord lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon us Their Soul thirsteth for God for the living God When shall we come and appear before God A wise and single-hearted Companion is justly valued as a most precious Jewell As Ointment and Perfume rejoyce the Heart so doth such Acquaintance a man's Spirit But the best of men are imperfect the purest Churches have their Spots Christ's own Disciples had a Judas with them They are not quite free from Satan's Haunts till they be where Christ is But when they behold his Glory are in the Company of the Lamb where he is are in the House where their Father in Heaven dwells have him dwelling with them so as that they behold his Face and are in his Hand then they are filled with everlasting Joy
abundantly satisfied with the Bread of Life drink of the River of his Pleasures with whom is the Fountain of Life and in his Light they see Light they find in God's Presence there is Fulness of Joy and at his right hand Pleasures for evermore APPLICATION And thus have I presented unto you a Shadow of that most desirable Light which is the Inheritance of all the Saints A comprehensive View of which is not attainable except there be afforded such a Sight as was to the Three Disciples at Christ's Transfiguration in the Mount or to S. Paul at his Rapture into Paradise till we be absent from the Body and present with the Lord and then we shall behold his Face in Righteousness and when we awake shall be satisfied with his Likeness In the mean time while we walk by Faith and not by Sight let us be such in our Choice in our Affections in our Endeavours as the Saints have been with Patience waiting for what we see not and running so as that we may attain it This will be our Comfort our Support when we come to the end of our Race that we have not run for a corruptible Crown but an incorruptible that we have not contended for an Earthly Portion with the men of this World but for an Inheritance laid up in Heaven for us that we have as the Saints have done parted with all to buy this Pearl laid up our Treasure not in Earth but in Heaven negotiated to be rich towards God and not to have Treasure here onely for our selves You that would be before the Throne of God must wash your Robes in the Bloud of the Lamb keep your Garments clean have your Conversation such as becometh the Gospel you must cast off the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light walk honestly or decently as in the day as Children of Light not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Dream not that you can serve Sin here and yet serve God before his Throne in his Temple that God will walk with you and dwell with you if you yield your Members as Weapons of Vnrighteousness unto Sin that if you affect the Ways of Sinners walk in the Counsel of the Vngodly sit in the Seat of the Scornfull and joyn with the Congregation of Evil-doers you shall at last have your Portion with the Saints Apply then your time and studies and abilities to purifie your selves as God is pure if you hope to see him as he is And notwithstanding all the Sufferings and Opposition you may meet with with Patience possess your Souls Let this animate and strengthen your Hearts against Fainting and Backsliding that if you suffer with Christ you shall also reign with him Which the Lord grant c. Amen LAVS DEO THE PATRIARCH'S JOY The Thirtieth SERMON JOHN viij 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad AMong other Sufferings which Christ underwent the Antilogy that is the Contradiction of Sinners the Controversie which he had with cavilling and perverse Opponents or Disputers against his Sayings was not the least which therefore Heb. 12.3 is propounded to us to analogize that is consider and ponder upon that we may not faint or be tired in our spirits when we meet with such wrangling Gainsayers In this Chapter we have a Specimen of such Sophistry in the Jews who exercised Christ with their perverse Arguings to the intent they might hinder the Reception of his Testimony of himself and the Doctrine which he was sent to teach them which he terms the Truth vers 32. that would make them free This they disdainfully except against as glorying that they were Abraham's Seed never in Bondage and therefore scorned his offer of Freedom To both which our Saviour replies refuting their vain Brags of their being Abraham's Seed and free in reference to men sith they were the Servants of Sin and utterly unlike to Abraham in their Spirits who was far otherwise affected towards him then they were For saith he Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad whereas my Day is that which you spurn against as galling and vexing your Spirits To understand which it is requisite that I unfold 1. What is meant by Christ's Day 2. How Abraham is said to be their Father whereas vers 39. Christ had said If ye were Abraham's Children ye would doe the works of Abraham which imports they were not 3. How Abraham is said to have rejoyced to see Christ's Day 4. How it was true that he saw it 5. What matter of Rejoycing this was to him and how he was glad in such seeing 1. Concerning the First It is agreed on by most that the Day of Christ here is meant of his Advent or Coming in the Flesh which we at present celebrate Though some refer it more specially to his Passion or Suffering But the Jews understood it of his Birth and the Space of his Life on Earth which usually is termed a Man's Day in the Hebrew expression and in respect of Christ the Days of his flesh Heb. 5.7 2. As for the Second He terms Abraham their Father as they gloried by way of Concession acknowledging them vers 37. to be Abraham's Seed by natural Generation But yet he denies them to be Abraham's Seed in respect of their Minds and Spirits there being so great a Dissimilitude and Contrariety betwixt them and him therein that they were more truly begotten of the Devil whom in Lying and Cruelty they so much resembled 3. As for the Third The word rendred Rejoycing signifies such a Joy as is accompanied with Leaping or other Gesticulation as when a man is superlatively affected with a thing which he hopes for hath some tidings and assurance of its futurity and apprehends it as a Beatitude And it is conceived Abraham thus rejoyced when upon God's Promise of Sarah's Conception and the Blessing consequent thereupon wherein Christ's Coming was included he fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart Shall a Child be born unto him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear Which was spoken by him not dubitativè by way of Doubting for the contrary is asserted Rom. 4.16 17 18 19 20. but out of Admiration as over-joyed at the news So it is said of John Baptist in the Womb that at the presence of Christ's Mother and her Salutation the Babe leaped or skipped in exultation for Joy in the Womb of his Mother 4. As for the Fourth Quaere It is true there be that understand the Seeing of Abraham of his beholding of Christ when with two Angels he appeared to Abraham in a Humane shape and Abraham saw him eat and talked with him as with the Judge of all the Earth which was
Desire of all Nations and that he was the Person whom the Godly did delight in and expect for what Reason appears by the III. OBSERVATION That the Certainty of the coming of Christ's Day was the Spring of Joy the Basis of Comfort the Stay and Support of their Spirits to Believers of old in the days of their Pilgrimage on Earth For this we have the words of S. Peter Act. 2.25 26 30. That David being a Prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him that of the fruit of his Loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne spake concerning Christ that therefore did his Heart rejoyce and his Tongue was glad and his Flesh did rest in hope And Heb. 11.26 it is said that by Faith Moses esteemed the Reproach of Christ greater Riches then the Treasures in Egypt And of Simeon it is said that he waited for his coming in the Flesh as the Consolation of Israel and accordingly when he had seen him he took him up in his Arms and blessed God and said his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Luk. 2.25 28 29 30. And conformable to these was also the frame of Spirit in all the Holy Believers when he appeared in the Flesh As persons over-joyed they were in a Rapture of Comfort so as that they could not contain themselves but must break out into holy Hymns of Praise My Soul doth magnifie the Lord said his Mother and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of his Handmaiden And Blessed be the Lord God of Israel said Zacharias for he hath visited and redeemed his People and hath raised up an Horn of Salvation for us in the House of his Servant David When the Wise men of the East saw his Star they rejoyced with exceeding great Joy Matth. 2.10 And when the Angel had told the Shepherds that he brought them good Tidings of great Joy which should be to all People of the Birth of Christ in the City of David upon which there were with the Angel suddenly a multitude of the Heavenly Hoast praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest and on Earth Peace Good will towards men the Shepherds in hast went to view Christ in the Manger and upon their Return glorified and praised God Hallelujahs were then the Exercise of all that knew of his Birth and so they were of all the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets when they did by Divine Revelation foresee and by Faith wait for his Coming And the same spirit of Joy shewed it self after in all those that saw his Day either with their bodily Eyes or by the Eye of Faith When Andrew finds Peter as over-joyed he tells him We have found the Messiah which is being interpreted the Christ When Philip finds Nathanael he is in the same tune We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph Joh. 1.41 45. And of succeeding Believers S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory So that I may by an Induction of Particulars raising the Observation from the Hypothesis to the Thesis conclude universally That the Day of Christ is to all Believers the Spring of their Joy the Basis of their Comfort the Stay and Support of their Spirits in the days of their Pilgrimage upon Earth The Reasons whereof are common to all Believers Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Though the Mystery of the Gospell was not so clearly nor so fully revealed before as it was by the Apostles Preaching but from the beginning of the world was in a sort hid in God yet in no Age was there Salvation in any other none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby they must be saved He onely hath been the Way the Truth and the Life so that none come to the Father but by him Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Moses David and all the rest of the Holy Saints in foregoing Generations had Salvation by Faith in Christ as really as S. Peter and S. Paul or any of the Holy Martyrs and Confessours in the Catholick Church It is true the Knowledge of Christ was not so clearly revealed to the sons of men before his Coming in the Flesh as it was after when the Day-spring from on high visited us to give Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death to guide our feet into the way of Peace And therefore John Baptist exceeded all the Prophets foregoing he being the man that could say Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World Yet the Apostles yea the least in the Kingdom of Heaven that can preach Christ Born Baptized Preaching Dying Rising Ascended into Heaven is greater then John the Baptist as having seen and heard that which many Prophets and Kings desired to hear and see but did not The Knowledge the Patriarchs had was Vespertine the Apostles and ours comparatively Meridian Besides before Christ's Ascension the Knowledge of him was not so amply revealed for though a few of the Gentiles found Christ yet the Way of Salvation was not prepared before the face of all People so as that Christ became a Light to lighten the Gentiles as well as to be the Glory of his people Israel But when S. Paul was made the Apostle of the Gentiles Christ was set to be a Light to the Gentiles that he might be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth Act. 13.47 S. Peter was taught to call none common or unclean but to preach to the Gentiles as being those to whom also God had granted Repentance unto Lefe Act. 11.18 Whence the same way of Salvation was vouchsafed to Cornelius that was to Abraham Cornelius had his Faith imputed to him for Righteousness as well as Abraham God put no difference between them and us having purified their Hearts by Faith saith S. Peter Act. 15.9 He was the God not onely of the Jews but also of the Gentiles seeing it was one God which should justifie the Circumcision by Faith and Vncircumcision through Faith Rom. 3.29 30. And hence as Abraham rejoyced to see Christ's Day so did the Wise men of the East and in all that were made Holy Converts by the preaching of the Gospel there was the same Joy for the kind which was in Abraham all with the same Spirit of Faith glorified Christ though some with more enlarged Hearts then others In the Effects of this Joy Praising God Loving Christ and Adhering to him there is the same Mind in all the same Hope the same Expressions though not to the same degree in all In some Ages the Joy was more extensive then in others in
some Persons more intensive then in others yet in all that believe in Christ it was and is bottomed upon the same Ground a Fruit of the same Faith shewing it self by the same Expressions of Thanksgiving and Love Praising God Following Christ and Loving all his Members So that we may say All Abraham's Children by Faith rejoyce to see Christ's Day they see it and are glad And thus my Text comes home to you all APPLICATION You profess your selves Believers in Christ and Abraham to be your Father if you be in truth such then it will concern you to walk in the Steps of the Faith of Abraham who rejoyced to see the Day of Christ and he saw it and was glad I deny not that in this time of Advent there uses to be much Rejoycing pretended to be in Remembrance of Christ's Nativity yea that many long for this Time as the Time in which they are wont to rejoyce nor do I except against Rejoycing at this Time But is our Rejoycing such as was in Abraham a Rejoycing at Christ's Day out of Faith a Rejoycing at the Performance of the Divine Promise for the bringing of Light and Salvation into the world whereby all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Is the sense of the Spirituall Blessings in Heavenly things I mean the Knowledge of God's Counsell the Mystery of his Will in Reconciling the World to himself by Jesus Christ not imputing their Trespasses unto them the Adoption of us Gentiles into his Family with other Riches of his Grace the grand Motive of our Joy Are the Expressions of our Joy like those of the Shepherds who glorified and praised God of the Blessed Virgin who brake out into her Magnificat Anima mea My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour like those of Zacharias in his Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people like those of the Heavenly Hoast who sang Glory be to God in the highest These Hymns I acknowledge are sung in our publick Meetings and it is the Wisedom of the Church that you are prompted to remember them But what is done in your Houses Is any such Spiritual Rejoycing there any such Praising of God for sending his Son into the world that you might live by him Are not rather your Rejoycings carnal more like the Heathen Saturnals full of Looseness vain Sports and Debauchery Are not your Feasts like the Riotous Bacchanals rather then Christian Festivals Yea is not impious profaning of God's Name more frequent there then holy Conference of such as are filled with the Spirit of God singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord If it be so I may say to you as Christ did to the Jews If ye were the Children of Abraham ye would doe the Works of Abraham If Abraham were your Father indeed if you did believe in Christ as Abraham did you would rejoyce in the Remembrance of Christ's Day as Abraham did you would rejoyce in Christ as born a Saviour from Sin a Teacher sent from God to direct you in your way to eternal Life that so you may live as Abraham did as Pilgrims on Earth as those that seek a City to come even an heavenly Heb. 11.10 13 16. Oh that your Faith your Joy in Christ might be such a Fruit of the Spirit of God as may make your Conversation such as becomes the Gospel of Christ not such as is more like theirs whose Belly is their God whose Glory their Shame who mind Earthly things Let our Conversation be in Heaven from whence we look for Christ to change our vile Bodies into Bodies of Glory like his and to give us an Inheritance above Which God of his infinite Mercy grant unto us all for the Merits of his Son To whom with the Blessed Spirit be ascribed c. Amen LAVS DEO ABRAHAM's PILGRIMAGE The Thirty-first SERMON GENESIS xij 1. Now the Lord had said unto Abraham Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Father's House unto a Land that I shall shew thee THAT after so great a Defection of the World from God as was upon the Dispersion of Mankind occasioned by the Giant-like Attempt of building the Tower of Babel God might have a Race of men who should own and adhere to him he singled out Abraham from his Fathers who dwelt on the other side of the Floud and served other Gods as it is Josh 24.2 3. And having removed him with his Father from Vr of the Chaldees where it is likely the Sun was worshipped in stead of God unto Charran his Father being dead he translated him into the Land of Canaan which he promised to give him for a Possession as it is in S. Stephen's Oration Act. 7.4 5. consonant to the words I have now read to you Now the Lord had said unto Abraham Get thee out of thy Country c. Sundry ways God used to speak to the Ancients by Prophets Dreams and Visions So Gen. 15.1 The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a Vision and Gen. 17.1 The Lord appeared unto Abram and speaking of this very Precept here given him S. Stephen saith Act. 7.2 The God of Glory appeared unto our Father Abraham Some kind of glorious Apparition there was then when God gave Abraham this Mandate The Business no doubt being as in After-ages so in Abraham's days most famous God would have it begun by an illustrious Manifestation of himself that he might be known to be the God of Glory and all the Gods that Abraham's Fathers served to be but Vanities and Lies not Numina but Nomina not Gods though so called And that there might be the firmer Impression on Abraham thereby God thus shews himself and speaks However God speaks to us we are to hearken be it in a Dream or by a Prophet if it be God's Voice it must be obeyed But then most heed is to be taken when God makes known his Pleasure in an illustrious Apparition This Command to Abraham was doubtless of very great Concernment both to God's own Glory and Abraham's and all Believers Advantage And therefore it is of no small importance for us to consider the Charge which God here gives to Abraham Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Father's House unto a Land that I shall shew thee Wherein we have 1. A Journey or Motion commanded him Get thee or Goe thou 2. The Terminus à quo of this Motion or the Place whence he was to goe Out of thy Country c. 3. The Terminus ad quem or the Place whither he was to goe Vnto a Land that I shall shew thee 1. The Journy or Motion which is here injoyned Abraham is a Transmigration expressed thus in the Hebrew Lec Leca as if it were Vade tibi Goe thou or Goe to thy self which is by some conceived a Pleonasm or Redundance of speech
love himself less If we cannot reach the height of this Document which is to die for an Enemy yet we may goe so far as not to incurre our Destruction by an affected Hatred As God's Mercy is transcendent and runs through all his other Attributes so ought ours to be our very Acts of Justice and severest Rigour must be Acts of Mercy As it is our Compassion to the Body that makes us cut off a gangraened Member so must our Tenderness of the whole season that Severity which is directed against a private person The whole Frame and Course of things seem to lesson us to this Duty If we look towards that Heaven which must be the Seat and Mansion of the Saints 't is boundless and uncomprehended so much delights his Mercy to exspatiate it self that it will not be confined whereas his Wrath and Vengeance are content with a narrow Room for the execution of his Justice He hath made Heaven of a vast Capacity which betokens an Infinite Goodness but the Place of Torments hath he bounded with streight Dimensions lest his avenging Justice should be exalted above his Mercy in the largeness of its Dominion If God have scarce afforded his just Vengeance a Point or Angle in this great Vniverse then ought not Man in so small a Room as his Heart give any entertainment to unjust Cruelty or Hardness but study rather to enlarge it that he may take in a greater measure of that Mercy whose Property is to be boundless and transcendent Page 53. line 13. for delight your Bodies reade defile your Bodies A Catalogue of some Books Printed for Richard Royston viz. THE Works of the Learned Mr. Joseph Mede in Folio The Fourth Edition Books Written by Jer. Taylor D. D. and late Lord-Bishop of Down and Connor Ductor Dubitantium or The Rule of Conscience in Five Books in Folio The Great Exemplar or the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus in Fol. with Figures sutable to every Story ingrav'd in Copper Whereunto is added The Lives and Martyrdoms of the Apostles By William Cave D. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or A Collection of Polemical Discourses addressed against the Enemies of the Church of England both Papists and Fanaticks in large Folio The Third Edition The Rules and Exercises of Holy Living and Holy Dying The Eleventh Edition newly printed in Octavo Books Written by the Reverend Dr. Patrick The Christian Sacrifice A Treatise shewing the Necessity End and Manner of receiving the Holy Communion together with sutable Prayers and Meditations for every Month in the Year and the Principal Festivals in Memory of our Blessed Saviour In Four Parts The Third Edition corrected The Devout Christian instructed how to Pray and give Thanks to God Or a Book of Devotion for Families and particular Persons in most of the concerns of Humane life The Second Edition in Twelves An Advice to a Friend the Third Edition in Twelves A Friendly Debate between a Conformist and a Nonconformist in Octavo Two Parts Jesus and the Resurrection justified by Witnesses in Heaven and in Earth in Two Parts in Octavo New The History of the Church of Scotland by Bishop Spotswood the Fourth Edition enlarged Folio The Lives of the Apostles in Folio alone by William Cave D. D. Chirurgical Treatises by R. Wiseman Serjeant-Chirurgeon to his Majesty Fol. New The Principles and Practices of several Moderate Divines of the Church of England also The Design of Christianity both which are written by Edward Fowler Minister of God's Word at Northill in Bedfordshire In Octavo The Second Edition Reflections upon the Devotions of the Roman Church with the Prayers Hymns and Lessons themselves taken out of their Authentick Authours In Three Parts in Octavo New Goe in Peace Containing some brief Directions for Young Ministers in their Visitation of the Sick Usefull for the People in their state both of Health and Sickness In 12. New The Countess of Morton's daily Exercises or A Book of Prayers and Rules how to spend the time in the Service and Pleasure of Almighty God The Practical Christian in Four Parts or a Book of Devotions and Meditations with Psalms and Meditations upon the Four last things 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Hell 4. Heaven By R. Sherlock D. D. Rectour of Winwick In Twelves The Spiritual Sacrifice or Devotions fitted for the hours of the day by a late Reverend Divine In Twelves Animadversions upon a Book Intituled Fanaticism Fanatically imputed to the Catholick Church by Dr. Stillingfleet and the Imputation Refuted and Retorted by S. C. The Second Edition By a Person of Honour In Octavo The Estate of the EMPIRE or an Abridgment of the Laws and Government of Germany Farther shewing what Condition the Empire was in when the Peace was concluded at Munster Also the several Fights Battels and Desolation of Cities during the War in that EMPIRE And also of the GOLDEN BVLL In Octavo The Sicilian Tyrant Or The Life and Death of Agathocles With some Reflections on our Modern Usurpers Octavo The Royal Martyr and the Dutifull Subject In Two Sermons By Gilbert Burnet In Quarto The Life and Death of King Charles the First By R. Perenchief D. D. Octavo