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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58958	The Second and last collection of the late London ministers farewel sermons preached by Dr. Seaman, Dr. Bates, Mr. Caryll, [brace] Mr. Brooks, Mr. Venning, and Mr. Mead ; to which is added a farewell sermon preached at Dedham in Essex by Mr. Matthew Newcomen ; as also Mr. Lyes sermon at the conclusion of the last morning-exercise at All-hallows in Lumbard-street, being a summary rehearsal of the whole monthly-lectures.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Bates, William, 1625-1699.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.; Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.; Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing S2257; ESTC R41075	195,536	326

Cure so there can be no sweeter peace then when mercy and peace meet together and when Conscience and Pe●ce kisleth each other The former is the tast of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by Faith If Christ had peace who was made our sin● needs must the Believer have peace who is made the righteousness of God in him Secondly Sanctifying grace has a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the root from the fruit The peace of Justification is a radical peace the root of peace but the peace of Sanctification is the Bud the Blossom of the Tree The former flows from the Bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latte● from the conformity that is between the Word and Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rules grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that peace is the frui of sanctifying grace Now as the bloud of the Paschal Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the Posts of the Egyptians but upon the Posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the posts of the carnal sinner but on the post of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guil no grace no peace that is God's Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and Conscience when Word and Conscience when Law and Conscience and all the Attributes of God are against the sinner No peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that Chapter it begins with peace and ends in no peace In vers 2. it 's said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous In the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It 's the state of grace that 's the onely state of peace And thus I pass from the double grace desired grace and peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a Question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known rule thar the transient exernal works of God are attributed to all the Three Persons in the Trinity the same Works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same Works attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so grace and peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from mercy and from merit From mercy on God's part to us from merits on Christ's part for us They are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us They are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the Fountain of all grace and peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all grace and peace Man in union to Christ is the Cistern into which these streams of grace and peace run God wills grace and peace to us and Christ works them in us God gives grace and peace to be applyed to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the Soul is from the merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double Spring of this double Blessing Time will not serve me further The onely Observation is That all the grace and peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That grace and peace are the Believer's priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That grace and peace are the Saints priviledge if grace is then peace is But grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us This is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the Soul of a Believer The Believers Title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you take grace for the fruit of God's love to the Soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption Pardon of Sin purging from Sins strength against Sin Holiness Love Faith Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the being of a Christian as reason to the being of a man Secondly as grace so peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace Eternal peace Supernal peace Internal and peace External There is peace External this is peace with Men There is peace Supernal that is peace with God There is peace Internal that is peace with Conscience All these three are to be had upon Earth and then there 's peace Eternal and that is onely to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter Peace with man is a good thing to be 〈◊〉 but peace with God and Conscience is 〈…〉 to be desired Peace with God is the 〈…〉 things both within and without both below and above both in time and Eternity so says Job If he gives peace who then can make trouble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge It is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a Copy of his Will then look in John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you There is it seems a peace in the Worlds power to give and there 's a peace of Christ's bestowing Now Christ would have us here not to mistake the World's peace for his for the difference is very great for first the World's peace is a false peace it is a counterfeit Coyn it has not the currant stamp of Heaven on it but the peace that Christ gives to a Believer is true peace and perfect peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Secondly the Worlds peace is an outward peace It is but skin-deep it wets the mouth cannot wash the heart Prov. 14.13 In laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness The Worlds peace is but the shell of peace their Conscience lowres when their countenance laughs but the Peace that Christ gives is an inward and spiritual peace Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time

that their Corn and their Wine increased Thou hast put gladness in my heart Peace is that gladness that peace smooths the brow but this fills the breast as the Sinner has trouble within in the midst of all his peace without so a Believer has Pea●● thin in the midst of all his Troubles with 〈…〉 World you shall have trouble but in me 〈…〉 have peace Thirdly The Worlds peace has onely a neather Spring arising out of the Creature out of World● comforts therefore it must needs be unclean for an unclean Fountain cannot bring forth clean Water But the peace of Christians his an upper Spring it flows from the manifestation of the love of God in Christ it 's from the sprinkling of Christ's Bloud on the Conscience it flows upon the workings of Christ's Spirit upon the Soul which is first a Counsellour then a Comforter Oh! how pure must this Peace be in a Believers Soul that flow from so pure a Spring Fourthly The Worlds peace is a peace given to Sinners it 's a peace in sin and it 's a peace with sin as the Prophet Isaiah tells us It 's a Covenant with Hell and an Agreement with Death God deliver us from that peace Again Christ's peace is given to none but Believers it 's their priviledge onely a stranger don't intermeddle with his Joy Prov. 14.10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness but a stranger doth not intermeddle with his Joy Fifthly The Worlds peace is a fading dying transitory thing it withers in the Sand The triumphing of the Wicked is but short and the joy of the Hypocrite is but for a moment Job 20.5 Solomon does elegantly liken it to the cracking of Thorns under a Pot which is but a blaze and is gone Eccles 7.6 So is the Sinner's peace it is for a spurt and is soon gone but the peace that Christ gives to Believers is durable and abiding peace Your Joy no man shall take from you it appears in Life in Death and after Death First it 's our peace in Life grace brings forth present peace It 's said of the Primitive Christians They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 It 's a remarkable expression Psal 19.11 In keeping thy Commands there is great Reward he does not fay for keeping them which respects the end of the Work but in keeping of them which looks at the Work it self My Brethren Every Duty done in sincerity reflects a peace in Conscience as every flower carryes its own sweetness It 's possible I grant a Believer may not always find and feel this peace few do some seldom find it few find it so always the remains of corruption breaking forth to interrupt or Temptations to hinder And God's desertion may darken and hide it and a Believer may seem to be totally lost yet in this condition which is the worst a Child of God can be in he hath a double peace First a Peace in the Promises in this very Condition and what you have in Bonds and Bills you account as good as money in your Pockets Secondly he has it in the Seed Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97.11 Grace is the Seed of Peace which Christ has sown in the furrows of the Soul and therefore Peace shall spring out of the furrows of the Soul Indeed this Seed springs up sooner in some then in others yet every Saint shall have a reaping time sooner or later Psal 126.6 He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious Seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him If he stays long for the Fruit he shall have a greater Crop at last if he reaps not now he shall be sure to reap hereafter Psalm the 37.37 Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the and of that man is peace Secondly by this peace which is the peace of a Child of God it s a peace of death grace will minister to us then and that ministration shall be peace The Sinners peace leaves him when he comes to the grave though in Life it fills him yet in Death it leaves him A believer has a two-fold spring of peace The first is from above him the other is from within him That spring that runs with peace above him is from the bloud of Christ sprinkled on his Conscience the other that is from within him is from the sincerity of his heart in the wayes of obedience My Brethren when we lie on our Death-beds and can reflect on our sincerity in all Gods wayes this will be peace at last so it was in Hezekiah Isaiah 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a prefect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight There 's nothing makes a Death-bed so hard and so uneasie as a life spent in the service of sin and lust and nothing makes a Death-bed so pleasant as a life spent in the service of Christ Grace will bring forth Peace if not in this life yet certainly it will be sure after Death if Time brings not this fruit to ripenesse yet Eternity shall grace in Time will be glory in Eternity Holinesse now will be Happinesse then what ever it is a man sows in this world that he reaps in the next world Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life ●verlasting Gal. 6.7 8. When Sin shall end in sorrow and misery Grace shall end in peace in joy in glory Well done thou good and faithfull servant enter into the joy of thy Master Mat. 25.21 Whosoever shares in the grace of Christ in this world shall be sure to share with the joy of Christ in the next world and that joy is joy unspeakable and full of glory I will wind up all in a threefold Application by way of exhortation to three sorts of perso●s First To such as have this grace and peace Secondly To such as have this grace and no peace Thirdly To such as have neither grace no● peace First To such as have both grace and peace I l'e speak to them in two or three things First Admi●e thankfully the Father and Son the Fathers Grace and the Sons Love for both had a hand in this therefore blesse both the Father for willing it to us and the Son for working it in us Grace and Peace are the fruits ' of Gods eternal Election for this blessing the Father gives but the Aplication of it to us is the fruit of Christs Redemtion and Intercession How can you think of Hell and damnation and see your self freed from it And how can you think of the Dreadfull Fury and Vengence of God your self not under it How can you look on your state

charge that God hath been at that you have grown no more into communion with God and conformity to God and into the lively hope of the everlasting fruition of God Here are your Legacies and the Lord make them to work in your souls and then they will be of singular use to you to preserve you so that you may give up your accompt before the great and glorious God with joy Labour to make conscience of putting these Legacies into practice of sucking at these breasts which will be of use to us till we shall be gathered up into the fruition of God where we shall need no more Ordinances no more preaching or praying Mr. MEDE His Fare-wel SERMON 1 Cor. 1.3 Grace be unto you and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ YOu will wonder possibly that I should pitch on the Apostles Salutation for my Valediction and make that the Conclusion of my Preaching which he made the Beginning of his Writing and therefore I have made a double Plea for it I find that this was a form of Blessing peculiar to this Apostle both in the beginning and end of this Epistle for as there is scarcely one Epistle but begins with it so many end with it likewise As in Eph. 6. ver ult The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit So in the 2d of the Thessalonians the last verse of the last Chapter The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all So that I finding the Apostle to use it frequently at the beginning and end of his Writing I thought as I made it the matter of my prayer for you in the beginning so I might make it my farewel to you in the ending and therefore Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Besides this As Isaac said to his Jacob concerning his Venison when his Father asked him How he found it so quickly he answered Because the Lord thy God brought it to me The same I may say of this Scripture for Considering of what subject I should speak in my last Labours here among you this Scripture came to my thoughts and opening the Book came immediately to my sight and therefore I may say God brought it to me Which I no sooner looked upon but methinks I saw the Apostle on Mount Ger sim and his mouth filled with blessing for what greater blessing can a man wish then that which comprehends all blessings and that is Grace and Peace Being therefore now to part I thought to go to the top of the Mount and leave with you Grace and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ In which words there are two generals 1. A double Blessing desired 2. A double Spring discovered 1. A double Blessing desired and that is Grat● and Peace Grace is of all Blessings the richest Peace is of all Comforts the sweetest both these the Apostle begs for the Cor●nthians and so do I for you Beloved Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Here is a double Fountain discovered and that is the Father and the Son God and Christ The Father is called the God of Grace the Son is called the Prince of Peace not that grace is from the Father without Peace nor Peace from the Son without grace but both grace and peace are from God the Father through the Lord Christ The Order of the words is worth noting Grace be to you and peace First grace then peace for there can be no peace without grace nor grace but there will be peace but there can be no true peace but from God nor from God but as he is a Father nor from God as a Father but as our Father and he cannot be said to be our Father but through our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore he saith Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ both are manifested as a golden Chain linked together not grace without peace nor peace without grace but both conjoyned together to cram the believers soul with grace and peace Now from the Order of the words we might raise several Observations 1. That Peace is the fruit of Grace 2. That Grace and Peace are both from God 3. That Love which is the spring of Grace and Peace is from God as a Father 4. That we share not in his Love but only as he is our Father All is from propriety First Our Father then Grace and Peace from God our Father 5. That God is our Father onely through Christ But before we draw any thing from the Text by way of Observation we will speak to the terms by way of Explication Grace be to you What is here meant by Grace This is a sweet word i● perfumes the breath it cherishes the Conscience 〈◊〉 warms the Heart it ravishes the Soul As the Spouse was ravished with the rayes of Christs glory so Christ revives the Soul with one of his Gracious rayes discovered to the Heart Grace is the life of the Soul thou art dead till grace quickens thee thou art lost till grace finds thee undone till grace saves thee Grace is the Marna of Angels● the spiritual Bread which those that are holy in being 〈◊〉 rished with and subsist by Angels live on 〈◊〉 and stand by Grace Man that shares in the grace of God is made fellow-Communor with Angels eats Angels food and shares in Angels blessings Grace is the substance of the Scripture the end of the Law the fulness of the Gospel Gregory calls it the Heart and Soul of God I am sure Grace is the Heart and Soul of the Word It 's a little word but it comprehends all good here is more then Homers Iliads in a Nut-shell it 's the Epitome of all the good in Heaven and Earth name any word that signifies good to the Soul here or hereafter and it is found in the Index in this little word Grace Grace comprehends Gods love to us and out love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the sum of all Duty grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another Nature a new Nature a spiritual God-like Nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the Nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the Nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great Mystery of grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner For the Lord Christ could not be more debased then to be born It was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to dye but being the great God it s a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the

changed your hearts renewed grace ratified and reconciled and your Conscience quieted How can you think of these things but must admire the love of the Father in giving this to you and the love of the Son in purchasing this for you All the grace and mercy that is given to us is by Christ purchased for us Grace and Peace are fruits of the redeeming bloud of Christ purchased Secondly Do not envy the conditions or possessions of the men of the world they have Riches and Honours Prosits and Pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace Therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Romane that was condemned by the Court-Martial to die for breaking his ranke to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envyed at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now sayes he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loth to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the Children of Grace and peace don't envy at the men of the world at their Riches their Comforts their Pleasures for I am sure you would be loth to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things are Death Thirdly Don't complain of the worst condition that the Providence of God shall cast you into in this world it may be you shall suffer hard things but remember so long as thy soul is secure never complain of hard things My Brethren As God your Father brought you into a state of Grace and Peace and thereby secured his love to your souls in Christ can you complain of hard things So let the joy of the Lord be your strength Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say Rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Gra●s nor Peace May I not say I speak to many such● I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without Peace They may have the world's peace but they have none of this Peace let me beg of you to get out of this graceless condition if you love your Souls don't live one day nor one hour nor one moment longer in a graceless state Oh that you would believe the words of a dying man for so I am to you and such words use to be remembred Oh remember this as a Testimony I leave with you that the love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruin and destroy every Soul at last But you will say How shall I get a share in this grace and peace I answer First Break off all your f●lse peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selve with false peace you will never seek that peace which Christ hath purchased for you while you content your selves with that cursed peace which the Old man has wrought in you Oh therefore break off all false peace which is not the fruit of Grace Secondly Labour to see and be convinced of the miserable and of the naked condition your Souls be in for want of the righteousness of Christ for a covering without this oh Soul thou art miserable wretched poor and naked Be convinced also what a miserable thing it is to have God our Enemy God is the sinners Enemy it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh be convinced of thy nakedness without Christs righteousness and thy emptiness without his fulness Thirdly Labour to go out of your selves to Christ for grace and peace surely in the Lord shall one say I have righteousness and strength I there it 's to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of Soul for the promises run farr to such that he will fill the hungry with good things Go to Christ oh Soul begg pray never leave God till he hath given thee an interest in Christ for none can come to me except the Father draw him there is no pardon for the least sin out of Christ but there is pardon for the greatest sin in Christ one sin will damn the Soul out of Christ but no sin can hurt the Soul in Christ Oh go to Christ Soul never give rest to thy eyes nor slumber to thy lids till thou hast made peace with God in the bloud of Christ one sting of the fiery Serpent was mortal without looking upon the brazen Serpent So one sin will damn a Soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a Soul in Christ Thirdly To such as have grace but no sense of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace pray much believe much use grace much for the exercise and improving of grace will produce peace There are ten duties which are to be the sphere of grace in activity and in performing of them we shall have peace First make Religion your business the main design of your lives be Christians to purpose be not only Christians by the bye but let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Phil. 1.27 Secondly Put forth renewed Acts of Faith 〈◊〉 Christ every day and remember it 's as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before Oh live by Faith every day and this will bring peace to you Thirdly Maintain a constant Communion with God daily this Communion with God is man● chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of 〈◊〉 Wife is in communion with her Husband and this is the happiness of a Believers Soul communion with God the Father through Christ our Head and Husband The seed of peace its true it is low● in the Soul in Union but then it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward Spiritual peace will never be obtained if communion with God be not maintained that gives comfort in the midst of all sorrows and satisfies all doubts and reco●pences all wants Lo this is the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose their reins of Religion to avoid the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like the Winter fire that burns the hottest when the Air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among Thorns so should a Child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions chuse sufferings rather then sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather then sinning he that value●● peace with God or peace with Conscience he must make this his choyce thus Daniel rather chose to be cast●o Lions then to lose the peace of his Conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace then bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin

ever men call Truth or offer as Truth we must examine it by the un-erring Rule of Truth that is the Word of God In these things it is a clear Canon which we have 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good Prove them by the Word of God and if they hold Truth by that then receive them and hold them fast Divine Scripture-Truths we are to hold fast Thirdly Scripture-Truths Truths that are grounded and warranted in the Word of God they are either such as are immediately and expresly laid down in Scripture or such as are mediately contained in Scripture and by deduction drawn thence Now those Truths that are immediately and expresly laid down in Scripture we are with out dispute to receive and hold fast But those Truths that are drawn thence we may make use of our Reason to examine them by the Word and so far as we see them to be drawn from Scripture we are to receive them and hold them fast Fourthly Divine Truths from Scripture are of two sorts Either the great and weighty things of the Truth of God and of Religion which we call Fundamental Truths or else they are those things that are of less weight in Religion and yet Truths of God Now we are not onely to hold fast those Truths of God that are the Fundamental Truths as That there is a God and but one God and That there is a Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence Father Son and Holy Ghost and that there is but one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and that He is both God and Man in one Person and that he hath given full satisfaction to Divine Justice for all that by Faith close with him and the like These are the great Points in Religion these we must be sure to hold fast And not onely these but even the lesser Those Truths of Religion that comparatively are far less then these we must hold them fast You know what our Saviour says of the Commands There are some that are the first and great Commandements and there are others that are the lesser But whosoever shall break one of the least of God's Commandements and shall teach men so the same shall be least in the Kingdom of God So whosoever shall renounce the least Truth God will be eaven with him for it For those Truths of God which are 〈◊〉 and small comparatively they may be of great weight and consequence in their Sphere L●ther said Let Heaven run together as a Scrowl r●ther then one Filing of Truth should be parted with Surely those Servants of God the Martyrs were not so prodigal of their lives but knew what they did when they suffered for such Truths as men now call Trifles and not worth standing for the least Truths of God must be held fast Thus you see What we must hold fast DivineTruths Scripture-Truths whether greater or lesser we must hold fast what we have received I should but that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to be held fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by Word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this Place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this Though there were some Doctrines of Faith and Matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God that we have heard and received First In our Judgments being fully resolved and settled in our Judgments concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by ●ny means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the errour of the Wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgments Hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we shall never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the World no man will part with that which he loves What makes ●he covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather then with his Lust Why it is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly You must hold fast the Truth in the Profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the Profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not onely believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Teter denyed his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denyed him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in words or outward Profession to renounce the Truth or any part of it Hold fast the Profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our Life and Conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truth of God in our Lives Fifthly We must do all this Constantly Hold fast the Truth in our Judgment and Affection and Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always even unto the end We must not onely in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the World hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but in stormy Times when Truth may burn a man's fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received Resolutely against all opposition whatsoever whether of Friends or Foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother h●● elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave not place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Will and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the

when death affliction comes Jonas lay quietly asleep till the storm came O my Friends we must shortly lie a dying the Lord knows how soon O what wil you do for comfort in a dying hour all other comforts may forsake you before that time you may meet with sorrow heavy afflictions so that all your friends in the world wil not do you good your friends may fail your hearts may fail then no comfort but the comfort of the Holy Ghost will do you good the time may come that all your friends may pr●●●● miserable comforters when God comes to 〈◊〉 with the so●● to set sin home upon the conscience to lay sin before us then what will you do We are all guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission when these come to be changed upon the soul what will you then do Then no plaister of comfort wil stick but those of the Spirits laying on unless the Spirit seal up the pardon of sin the love of God to the soul nothing will be quiet and comfort the soul however men may be merry for a time yet there is a time of sorrow that will come when they shall reflect upon their ways when they shall see nothing but sin behind them and terrors before them Oh! what amazement will seize upon their souls they have no interest in God in Christ they have no interest in the Promises there is nothing that will comfort you unless you have an interest in the Spirit But then what shall I do that I may get this comforting Spirit into my Soul First Thirst earnestly after it The promise is made to those that thirst after it Isa 44.3 Thirst after him in his convincings in his humblings in his sanctifying mercy Oh let the desire and longing of thy soul run out this way no matter for an Estate no matter for friends and outward comforts if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast that is paramount to all outward comforts Secondly Pray earnestly for the Spirit You are not so willing to give your children what they want as God is to give his Spirit to them that ask it Cry mightily Lord give me thy Spirit and cry to the Spirit and say as Laban to Jacob Come in so pray the Spirit so come into thy Soul Thirdly If you would have this Comforter to come and abide with you You must resolve to become Christs Disciples It is only for such that Christ prays that God would send the Comforter you must hearken and obey him and follow him wheresoever he goeth You know the terms upon which you must be Christs Disciple Matth. 16 24. He must deny himself and take up his Cross and daily follow Christ He 〈◊〉 deny him-self There is two selfs in a man nay three selfs and they must be denied but however 〈…〉 two must be denied if you intend to be Christs Disciple 1 A mans righteous self If any thing that we are that we have or can do from our works or duties any thing of our own all must be denied in point of Justification 2 Sinful self A mans corruptions must be denied pride passion and love to the world 3 Natural self Friends Estates Relations Credit and Honor and outward comforts these may be denied you may be called to part with them but if they come in competition with Christ they must be denied 2 You must take up the Cross of Christ rather then forsake his honour or disobey his commands You must resolve to follow Christ wheresoever he shall lead you either in a way of active or passive obedience you must take up Christs load you must undergo his burden Now Christians are you resolved upon this now sit down and consider what it will cost you to be Christians and if you would have the best you must be contented with the worst and if you are resolved upon this then you are the true Disciples of Christ and you are under the promise of his comfort and Christ is praying the Father to send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever The second use of Exhortation 2 Use Is of Exhortation wherein I shall apply my self to the true Disciples of Christ those that have had communion with Christ in his sanctifying presence labour after communion with him in his comforting presence To all others that are without the Spirit of God I may say as Jehu to Jehoram What hast thou to do with these things Labour to be convinced of the need and want of Christ but such as have been partakers of the Spirit of Christ as a sanctifying spirit labour after communion with him as a comforting spirit and to this end I shall stir you up to this 1 By way of Motive 2 By way of Comfort First By way of Motive Though you have some comsort it is but little in comparison of what you may have and in comparison of what you may stand in need of though a Saint would not change the saddest hour of his life for the sweetest hour in his former condition If the Saints of God did enjoy the comforts that they might oh what blessed lives might they live but they are so full of trouble as if there were no holy Ghost the Comforter The people of God are oftentimes troubled without a cause as that holy man Why art thou cast down oh my soul He could not render a true account of his trouble he was sad but he could not tell why or wherefore 2 When there is cause they are apt to be troubled without measure In those cases where it is a sin not to be troubled at all the people of God are apt to be troubled overmuch as the Israelites in their bondage in Egypt It were a sin for them not to be troubled but they were so full of troubles that they could not hearken to Moses and Aaron and so the Disciples in the Text it were a sin for them not to be troubled for the absence of Christs body but so to be troubled as if God could not comfort them without him this was their weakness And to come to our case it were a sin to slight this Dispensation of God that is coming upon us if we should not be troubled for the loss of the Ministers of Jesus Christ but to mourn before God under the sense of this Dispensation to mourn so much as to think that when these are gone all is gone to be so much troubled as not to hearken to the words of the Text That we have a Comforter I remember an admirable expression of a child to his mother when his father was dead to shew That out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings God can manifest his praise Why Mother says the child though my Father be dead yet God is alive May I not say so to you Though your Ministers be as it were naturally dead yet is not God alive is not the Spirit of God alive Though you have some

must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnaba●'s Sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be dammed up the houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our troubles increase and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eys the comfort of our hearts in respect of the outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want bread for our souls we want cordials for our hearts blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Ambassadors do come to us by thy Spirit do now in heaven as thou didst on earth pray the Father for us do not leave us as so many Orphans without father or mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our souls see how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy spirit 3 If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed that you do not lay up your comforts in the creature This is for to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it well at your hands to seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4 Sit down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall find this Psalm was penn'd when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5 Be much in the exercise of grace Then they walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the mind of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of Comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ 1. Sure your comforts will be satisfying Comforts sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad newes to the Disciples who where ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comforts that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wildernesse where no water is when he doth deny the meanes he can cumfort us without where he denies the stream he can make us drink out at the Fountain 7. And Lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banish'd your Ministers may be imprison'd but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not Preach any more to you I shall Pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green His Farewel Sermon in the afternoon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace who is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified THe words are part of S. Pauls Farewel-Sermon or discourse to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus one of those famous seven Churches of Asia that we read of in the book of the Revelations It is not to be doubted as Calvin doth Comment upon the place that though the Apostle speaks immediately to the Elders yet he doth comprehen● the whole Church in the Speech Our holy Apostle had been a long time with the Church preaching among them taking pains with them both in publick and private as you may see in the 20 verse and declares to them the whole Counsel of God verse 27. and now being called away taken off by divine Providence by the will of his Master the last and best office that he thought he could do for them was to commit them to the care of God and to leave them in his arms and to recommend them to his Grace It would be more then the time would permit to look over the whole Apostles Sermon which is partly Narrative and partly Consolatory Narrative to put them in mind in what manner he had preached to them from verse 17. to verse 27. And it s partly Consolatory from the 27. to the Text wherein the Apostle could hold no longer but his love constrains him and makes him to break forth into this pathetical wish or rather prayer And now Brethren I commend you to his grace As if he had said I am just now going 〈◊〉 you not knowing that I shall see your face any more now I am a dying man as to my conversing with you an● more now I am departing this is the best Legacie I can bequeath unto To commend you to God and to his grace And he speaks to persons as standing in the same relation with God and Christ and having the same Father and the same elder Brother As if he should have said you are as dear to me as my own flesh as if you were my brethren by consanguinity and it is my sorrow that I must leave you but as it is my greatest grief to part with you yet I must leave you and this is the comfort that I shall leave you in safe hands I do not leave you to the wide world I do not leave you as Orphans without a Father as Sheep without a Shepherd but I commend you to God and to his grace O happy word Though I must leave you yet I trust God who is able will keep you as God is present every-where