confess if you will keep your garments clean and undefiled with the mark of the Beast it may be you may come under shrewd temptations yet I entreat you as a dying man as you love your souls and for Gods sake flee from Idolatry notwithstanding your temptations that happen to you he will suppâ—rt you if you flee and withstand the thing you are tempted to 1 Cor. 10. verse 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it Now see what use the Apostle makes of this promise in the next Verse he follows with these words Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Seeing God will uphold us let us withstand any temptations to this end that God may uphold us This is the second Caution Thirdly Take heed of Apostacy of a degenerating back-sliding spirit that you do not fall off from the truth and ground of the wayes of God which ye have known and professed It is is true it may be for standing to your Principles you may lose the love of man I acknowledge it may be so but hear what God saith If any man fall back my soul shall have no pleasure in him If thou goest on mans soul may have no pleasure in thee but if thou fallest back Gods soul will have no pleasure in thee Thou doest by Apostacy declare to all the World that thou hast made trial of the wayes of God and thou dost not find them to be as thou thoughtest they were nay not so good as others Oh take heed of scandalizing the ways of God hear how God complains of those that so do Jeremiah 2. and 10. Go unto the Isles of Chittim and behold and send unto Kedar and take diligent heed and see whether there be such a thing Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods But my people hath changed their glory for that which will not profit Hear O Heavens and be astonished at this for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed to themselves broken cisterns that will hold no water Whatever it is that would lead thee to Apostacy beware and fly from it especially evil company of which I shall speak more anon let your love to Christ be augmented and love of your selves abased for unless you love Christ very much and your selves very little I cannot hope that you will stand to your Principles Fourthly Beware of Covetousness it is Christs Caution Luke 2. and 15. verse Take heed and beware of Covetousness Here is a Caution with a double Action Take heed and Beware Believe me Brethren it stands us upon so to do for it steals upon us before we be aware of it There is no person will deal more injuriously with a Christian than a Covetous man will He will betray his Life if it were in his hands into Enemies hands for Money as Judas did A Covetous man will injure Christ in his Ordinances he will not come at them for the love he bears to the World will not suffer him truly quoth he I have lost this or that while I was hearing a Sermon I 'le go no more I must stay at home and look after my business I could give you many instances of this but time will not give me leave I shall only touch this one What was it but the love of this World that kept those who were bid to the Marriage Feast of the Great King of Heaven from coming One had bought a piece of Ground and he must needs go see it another had bought Oxen and he must go to prove them a Third had married a Wife and therefore he could not come Of all persons in the World a Covetous man cannot nor will not endure to bear the Cross of Christ Philippians 3. verse 18. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction Who are these what manner of persons are they why they are such who make their belly their God whose glory is their shame and who mind earthly things A covetous man he will lye with Ananias and Saphira he will steal with Achaâ— he will murther with Aban he will betray with Judas what will he not do to attain his covetous desire This is the fourth Beware of Covetousness Fifthly You that have not taken warning yet I beseech you take warning now Have a care and avoid evil company Ephesians 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them and be ye separated from them Never go into a wicked mans company if before you go you have not a probability of doing good or getting good Confider with thy self is there any likelyhhood that thou by thy wholesome reproofs maist do him any good if there be then go on if not draw back avoid them flie from them for their steps tend to perdition By wicked company these two things have been effected Good men made Bad. Bad men made Worse Good men have been made bad by wicked company Jehosaphat that good King is an example of this who by the company of wicked Ahab was drawn to fight against those whom God favoured and to help Ahab in his wicked enterprise Bad men have been made worse by evil company Ahab was made worse by the Instigation of his wicked Wife Jezabel Oh can you bear when you are in their company to hear them blaspheme the holy Name of God and not reprove them Truly if you can it is a sign you are not so good as you should be Sixthly My sixth Caution is this Oh have a care of having the least finger on your hand against a Saint it is dangerous to have a thought word or act against the people of God it is dangerous to have a thought amiss of them Psal 62.3 They imagine mischief against a man that is against a Saint therefore they shall all be slain for their bare imagination they shall all be cut off It is dangerous to speak against them How durst thou saith God to Miriam to speak against my servant Moses and immediately he smote her with a leprosie as white as snow it is dangerous to act against them and it is forbidden by God Psal 105.5 Touch not mine Anointed nor do my Prophets no harm Perhaps you would say you would not do them any harm if you thought they were Gods people Oh but take heed lest they prove Gods people and then it were better for you if a Milstone were hung about your neck and you cast into the Sea than to offend the least of them Seventhly Let me beseech you all to take heed of complying with this sinful World whoever doth do not you but
heard received and learned let nothing fall to the ground but bring all into practice would you ever enjoy Gods gracious presence 4. And lastly Of all that you have heard and learned and received from God be sure that you do it constantly without going over The Lord is with you saith the Prophet speaking to Asa and all Juda while ye are with him if ye seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will also forsake you 2 Chron. 15.2 If we desire that God should always be present with us in a way of Mercy we must still strive to be present with him in a way of duty and if we would not have God cast us off and forsake us in the end we must be careful not to forsake him but to hold on with God in a way of obedience to the end He that shall endure to the end saith Christ the same shall be saved Matth. 24.13 As God condemns no man before he sins so neither will he crown any man before he overcomes We must Conquer before we can Triumph win the garland before we can wear it and obtain the Crown of Eternal Communion with God in glory by patient continuance in well-doing Rom. 2.8 Let me then once for all as a lover of your souls beseech you what ever you have heard what ever you have learned whatever you have received from the Lord that you practise it and that to the end Oh remember what you have heard give diligence to practise what you have learned and whatever you have received from the Lord whether concerning principles of Faith or precepts of Life be sure that you hold it fast that no man take your Crown Rev. 3.3 Knowledg without an answerable practice will not avail you and the practice of what you know without perseverance therein to the end will but aggravate your condemnation and serve to sink you the deeper in the pit of eternal perdition 2 Pet. 2.21 Take heed therefore that you be not carried away with the error of the wicked let no thought arise within you of departing from the living God but press on towards the Mark hold fast your Integrity persevere in obedience to God according to what you have heard and learned and received from the Lord and see that you break through all discouragements for communion with him In God you have a living Spring when all your bottles are empty in him you have a sure Sanctuary when all your Refuges and hiding-places in the World are laid level with the ground in him you have a glorious Sun when all the blazing stars of your creature comforts are extinguish'd and disappear In him to be short you shall find everlasting friendship when all your friends according to the flesh are put to perpetual silence in the grave Oh then be careful that you cleave to this God that you repose your selves wholly upon him and that you constantly without giving over walk in obedience with him according to what you have heard and learned and received that so enjoying God's gracious presence here in a state of grace you may hereafter enjoy the presential soul-satisfying and open vision of himself in a state of glory Mr. WADSWORTHS Farewel-Sermon Late Preacher at NEWINGTON-BVTTS Revel 2.5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent THese Words with the foregoing verses I have insisted largely upon already And in the Words I told you there is First of all A severe threatning in these words I will come unto thee quickly and I will remove thy Candlestick out of his place I have told you what is meant by Candlestick A Candlestick I told you signifies the Church of God or a Company or a Society of people met together to worship God in Spirit and in Truth As if he should say I will smite thy Shepherds and scatter thy Flocks I will take away mighty Lights and I will leave thee in Egyptian darkness I will cut off my Ordinances which are my golden Pipes to convey the Water of Life unto you But you will say Why is the Lord so angry with Ephesus It is Because of the Churches sins It is because thou hast not loved me as once thou didst Want of love to Christ is a sin that deserveth to be unchurched that deserveth that God should take away your Ministers For what is our preaching for but to gain your Loves to Christ and to hate the Devil Secondly In the second place I shewed you what the works of this Church of Ephesus were They had been very laborious in the external Principles of Religion in promoting the Salvation of Souls but yet notwithstanding they had gone so far yet they had not done what they did out of a right Principle that is out of pure Love to Christ this makes the Lord so angry that he threatneth to unchurch them Well but is there no remedy to prevent this heavy Judgement He that holds forth the Rod tells you a Remedy As if he should say Oh you Ephesians if you will love me better and if you will be more painful in the great Work of your Salvation if you will but repent of your sins I will not bring those heavy Judgements upon you which I threatned to bring upon you I have told you the greatness of the sins that his Church was guilty of I have likewise shewed you what a great Curse it is for the Lord to take away the Gospel from a Nation I told you that it is a big-bellied Curse it is a curse that hath a great many other curse embowelled up in it I told you when the Gospel goes God goes and when God goes Christ goes and when Christ goes the ministring Angels of the Covenant go the Candlestick goes and the Lights they go along with it What then follows when God goes Then the Devil he comes yea legions of Devils come and then there follows the Plague Pestilence Famine Sword and all other manner of evils God doth not go alone neither doth God remove his Candlestick alone I do not tell you that God threatens you to pull down all your Lights I would not terrifie you by telling you that God is a departing from you when he puts out some of your Lights But yet I must needs tell you that when God doth deprive you of so many hundreds of as Pious and as Laborious and as Learned some of them as any are in the Vineyard I say when God deals thus by you I cannot think that it is in mercy to you but in judgement The Church of England is a great People and there are many poor souls in it that are as Fire-brands in the fire that have great need to be pluckt out and as there are blessed be God many eminent Ministers at this day in England to snatch such poor souls
Nation to worship No my Brethren no Land no ground is now unholy as famous old Doctor Reynolds said every place is now a Judea no Coast but is a Judea every house is a Jerusalem every Congregation is now a Sion See here the goodness of God in indulging of us so far as to take any service done by us in a solemn and real manner as if it had been done in those places which were formerly appointed for it to be done in Thirdly I infer hence there are several persons to be reproved 1. We find hereby that all the holiness of Relicks of Saints doth fall to the ground and we see the folly of those that make Pilgrimages unto Saints and Reliques as the Papists do there was a time say they when such a Saints Relicks were laid up in such a place and these are more holy then other places so that this you see falls to the ground in its self I might tell you concerning their lying about their Relicks as one said that there were as many Reliques as would fill an hundred Carts but supposing so all that would not make that place the more holy 2. Hence the superstition of those is to be reproved which put holiness in place of Burial and make it more holy to be buried in one place then in another it is more holy say they to be buried in the Church then in the Church-yard and more holy under the Communion-Table then in any other part of the Church 3. This reproves them which cannot pray any where but in the Temple and they that use private prayers in Churches if you have houses and Rooms at home what is the reason that if Pauls or any other Church stand open you must run in thither and drop down behind a Pillar to say your Prayers 4. This reproves them that have reverence towards any place more then another as if they did deserve more holiness in one part then another as bowing to the Altar or Communion-Table or the like 5. It reproves those that have reverence for scituation of these places they must stand East and West and why not North and South All these things fall off like Fig-leaves if what I have said be true that there is no holiness in places and this I have made known to you not only as my judgment but as my duty Now for exhortation I shall desire you to take notice of four things and I have done and shall leave you to God and commit you to the word of his grace If this be so that there is no holiness in places then first of all bee the more encouraged to serve God in your Families in those places where God hath set you where God is as well pleased with your service as in publick places serve God upon your knees with devotion humility and reverence And therefore though I am against Superstition and Popish practices and those wicked cursed traps of innovations that the men of the World have disturbed the Church of God with yet I am against putting on your Hats in prayer and sitting in Prayer Those that are for holiness of places do not with Abraham in every place they come build God an Altar But let us in every closet and room build God an Altar let no morning nor evening go without a Prayer in thy Family pray often and pray continually let your houses be as so many Churches as you read in Rom. 16.5 Likewise greet the Church that is in their House and in the second verse of Philemons Epistle To the Church that is in thy Hovse There the Houses of the Saints are called Churches This will bring a blessing upon your Families And if you be not willing to have that curse denounced against you in Jer. 10.25 Pour out fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name then neglect not Family-Prayers be much in Prayer and pray with frequency and encouragement because God binds you to no place The second Exhortation is this labour to promote personal holiness as well as Family Devotion I am against local holiness As one said that I heared once when I was a Youth Happy are those garments that can carry away any of the dust of the Temple but they think not that any of their Garments are unclean in wallowing in the mire of sin But I say do you labour to promote holiness in your lives in your hearts and conversations The Holy Ghost saith Vnless you be pure in heart you shall not see God And therefore put away sin for if you regard iniquity God will not hear your prayers It is not your ducking or bowing or cringing never so much or your going with your Hat off through the Church that will make God hear your Prayers these will but dishonour you because you live not accordingly 3. Love the holiness of the living Members be not so much in love with the Holiness of Wood and Timber Bricks and Stones but wheresoever you see the Image of Christ be in love with that soul where ever the Presence of God shines and where ever thou seest one that gives up himself to God in holy duties do thou say Oh! my soul delight to come into the company of these men The Righteous is more excellent then his neighbour If there be a Heaven upon earth I tell you it is in the company of godly men I remember a famous man hath this expression saith he When I was in the company of the Saints and people of God I was as a living coal but when I was separated from them and was among the wicked Swearers and Drunkards methoughts there was a spiritual coldness and frozenness went over my soul Though the People of God are best company in Heaven yet they are very good company here on earth And Christians should stir up one another and be provoking one another to love and good works and where ever you have grace be sure to impart it to others Endeavour to love the holiness of Saints and be willing to impart your experiences to others for this is your duty Do not make a Monopoly of Holiness but carry company with you to Heaven Lastly to name no more labour to preserve the holiness of Gods true Institutions those things which are of divine Consecration What is humane Consecration without divine Institution The Sabbath day is of divine Institution labour to keep it holy this is a Holy day indeed and this labour to keep your families from profaning of but for other holy dayes and holy things they are much alike for holiness The Lords day is a holy day indeed and for shame do not let your children gad abroad on this day Truly I do verily believe that though here be a great company of people in the Congregation yet they are but a handful in comparison of what are drinking in Ale-houses and whoring and walking in the Fields that one can hardly get home to
sworn to maintain his just Power and Honour and Greatness and now behold a second Trial then I could not forswear my self the God of Heaven keep me that I never may I am apt to think I could do any thing for this loving Congregation onely I cannot sin but since Beloved there is a sentence gone out against us that we that cannot subscribe must not subsist this is the last day that is prefixed to us to Preach I shall now speak to you God assisting me if my passion will give me leave just as if I would speak if I were immediately to die Therefore hearken my Brethren dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved Paul was now a prisoner at Rome for the Gospel of Christ 't was his second imprisonment and he was not far from being offered up a sacrifice for the Gospel he had preached This Gospel the Philippians had heard him preach and the godly Philippians having heard of his imprisonment they sent so far from Philippi to Rome to visit him and to supply his wants A gracious temper which I hope the Eternal God hath given the Saints in London and for which if for any thing God hath a blessing in store for them Paul is not so much concerned in his own bonds as in the Philippians Estate Epaphroditus tells him that there were Heresies and false doctrines got in amongst them but yet the Philippians stood fast and herein Paul rejoyces writes this Epistle bids them go on stand fast keep their ground and to be sure not to give an inch but to stand fast knowing that at long run their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. I shall without any more ado enter upon the Text in which you have two things considerable A most melting Compellation and a most serious Exhortation 1. A melting Compellation my Brethren dearly Beloved c. 2. A serious Exhortation and in it first the Matter of the Duty stand and stand it out and stand fast Secondly the Manner First So stand so as you have stood stand fast Second In the Lord stand so and stand in the Lord in the Lords strength and in the Lords cause to stand in your own strength would be the ready way to fall and to stand in your own cause for your own fancy would be the ready way to expose your selves to all manner of Temptations Therefore my brethren dearly Beloved in the Lord stand and so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved In the next place by way of Observation from the words and if there be any wicked Catchers here let them know that I shall speak no more then I shall draw from and is the mind of my Text I would not give occasion to be a greater sufferer then I am like to be But for the words First For the Melting Compellation my Brethren my dearly Beloved Paul was an Apostle and an high Officer in the Church of God and he writ unto the Philippians to all the Philippians to the poorest of them and see how he bespeaks himself to them my Brethren from hence take this observation That the highest Officers in the Church of Christ though they are indeed by Office Rulers over them yet by Relation they are no more then Brethren to the meanest Saint Here we have no such Rabbies to whom we must swear because they say we must swear it Paul calls them Brethren and so writes to them Gal. 1.2 and James a Scriptural Officer one of the highest Apostles Christ ever made saith Hearken my beloved Brethren Jam. 2.5 So Peter an Apostle of Christ Wherefore the rather Brethren and John the beloved Disciple Brethren I write no New Commandment c. 1 John 2.7 Well then 1. If this be so that the highest Officer in the Church such as Christ approves of are but Brethren to the meanest Saint then certainly they are but Brethren to their fellow Officers If no more Relation to the Toe in the Body then no more to the Eyes If there be any of a light Spirit would bear Rule that love to have preheminence I would desire them to read two Scriptures the first is Luke 22.26 the second Mat. 26.27 Doth Christ say whosoever will be chief among you let him be one that will Domineer over your Estates over your Persons over your Consciencs doth not Christ say so no but Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Minister let him be your servant Even as the Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to Minister and to give his life a Ransom for many You have this also Luke 22.25 And he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them i. e. over their slaves over their vassals but ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve Sure if Paul be but a Brother to Philip then he is no more to Timothy 2. If the highest Officers in the Church of Christ be but Brethren to the meanest Saint then 't is not for those Brethren to Lord it over their fellow Brethren Lord it over Gods Heritage remember 't is Gods Heritage I hope your Consciences will bear me witness that I have laboured as much as in me lies to be a helper of your joy not to Lord it over your faith 2 Cor. 1.24 to press or cause you to believe this or that because I believe it if this may be allowed then may I turn Papist to morrow Saith Christ to him that would have had him speak to his Brother to divide the inheritance with him Man who made me a Judge over you Luk 12.14 So say I Man who made thee a Tyrant and Lord over thy fellow Brethren 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage c. 3. If the highest Officers in the Church of Christ be but Brethren and no more then there should be no discord between those Brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity and truly I may comfortably speak that and it is one of the greatest comforts I have in the World I hope we have lived together in love blessed be God Let us not fall out saith Abraham the elder to Lot his younger Cousin for we are Brethren Beloved the discords between Pastor and People have made the best musick in the ears of the Jesuits 4. Are Pastors nay the highest Officers that Jesus Christ hath and doth own in the Church but Brethren Oh! then let those Brethren if they will appear before the Bar of their Father in Heaven with comfort take care of offending the souls of Brethren for at the hand of every Brother God will require the soul of his Brother Ezek. 33.6 His Bloud will I require at the Watchmans hand We that are called by some the Dogs of the Flock what shall we
than a Crown my principal Joy Hence observe this Doctrine That the fixed standing flourishing growth of Saints in Gospel practice and Gospel obedience is or ought to be matter of transcendent Joy to their Pastors It was so to the Apostle Paul Paul heard how they stood though there was a plague amongst them yet they were not infected and though he was in the Gaol ready to be beheaded yet this was his Joy and Crown that his people did stand and I hope my Brethren it will be our joy and crown to hear of your standing and growth in Gospel-knowledge and profession And 1. If this be so as John said I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy Children walking in the truth It should be the prayers and endeavours of all Pastors really to love the souls of their People and to pray for them that when they cannot look after the souls of their Children yet that good Nurses may be lookt out for them What a joy was it that Moses's Mother was made his Nurse and who can tell it may be though not out of any merit of ours yet of their own clemency our Governours may give us to be Nurses over our own Children but if I cannot Nurse my Child my self I will wish it well and as good a Nurse as I can far be it that those that are to succeed should not prosper Lord it shall be the prayers of thy servant that those that are to succeed may have a double and trebble portion of thy spirit that they may be both painful and faithful c. 2. If the peoples growth in grace and knowledge be matter of Joy to a faithful Pastor then what do you think of those that hinder their thriving I shall give you two Scriptures John 12.19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves they durst not speak publickly but who was it against why it was against Christ perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the world is gone after him But we will order him for that we will lessen his Congregation if we cannot do that we will shut the doors against him see Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men what shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men what the Pharisees that pretended they had the Keys of Heaven and to be the guides I that it is because there is not room enough in Heaven for us and them too No faith Christ there is no such matter for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in I dare not tell you at this time what it is to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men you may better imagine it than I can speak it but thus did the Pharisees they would not go in themselves nor suffer them that were entring to go in I remember when I was a Child we had such a Minister that would one Lords day preach up Holiness and the next Lords day preach against the practice of Holiness And now my Brethren I come in the next place to speak to the last part Stand fast and because I see a Hurricane a coming keep your ground stand fast and live in the Lord here that you may live with him hereafter Mr. Lye's Second Sermon Aug. 17. 1662. Phil. 4.1 Therefore my Brethren dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly Beloved FRom this Scripture you have these three Doctrines 1. That the highest Officers of the Church of Christ though they are Rulers of them yet they are but brethren to the meanest Saints 2. That it becomes a true spiritual Minister of Christ to have a most vehement ardent strong melting tender affection to that flock or people which the providence of God hath committed to his charge 3. That the fixed standing flourishing and thriving of that flock in the profession and practice of Gospel-knowledge and obedience is matter of transcendent joy and triumph to such a godly Pastor The fourth which is that I would now prosecute is this That it is the grand and indispensible duty of all sincere Saints in the most black and shaking seasons to stand fast fixed and stedfast in the Lord. This is a grand thing St. Paul had to say to the Philippians when he was ready to have his head cut off for so it was he was beheaded for the testimony of Jesus this is all he had to say when in Goal and in Bonds and that under Heathen Romans you are now my Joy you are now my Crown Oh! do but stand and my Joy which is but two notes above Gamut will get to Ela Oh! do but stand and my Crown is studded with Diamonds we live if you stand though we dye when you stand It is the great and indispensible Duty c. Whether these are black and shaking seasons I have nothing to say but I am wholly now upon your Duty Beloved and for Gods sake let the words of a seemingly dying Minister prevail with you There is a kind of a Maxim among some that in case a person dye seemingly and revive again that the last words that was heard of that person when in a rational temper are the onely things that that person will remember when brought to life again It is most probably Beloved what ever others may think but in my opinion God may work wonders neither you nor I shall ever see the faces of or have a word to speak to one another till the day of Judgement Therefore I beseech you hear me as those that would and may live with me to Eternity mark your Duty I have spoken something concerning the Pastors Duty in the morning now for the peoples It is the indispensible duty of all sincere Saints to stand fast c. I confess I have a love for the whole Auditory I have a mess for them but my Benjamins mess is for those I once called my own people you are my Benjamins I wish I had a greater than a fifth for you This proposition I shall first prove and then secondly improve In the worst of times in the most shaking seasons and if I do not greatly mistake there is an hour of Temptation threatned by God now beginning to be inflicted if ever you would stand stand now and for your comfort let me but hint that a Christian may stand comfortably when he falls sadly that is he may stand by God when he falls by man I knew that a great many years ago First then It is our duty to stand There be Scriptures more then enough to prove this to be your Duty Col. 1.12 Stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Phil. 1.27 Onely let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you alas poor Paul thou come and see them thou wast beheaded before thou couldst come and see them but or else be absent I may hear of
the Father of all comfort and there are many gracious promises God hath made to this purpose that they may be as so many Aquavitae pledges of Consolation to his people So that this will appear That it is the best Office of a Minister both to Minister and People to commend them to God 1. To Ministers it is the highest expression of their love What greater testimony of their love can they shew to their people to do all that for them that he would willingly have done and ten thousand times more Is it not an expression of love from a dying Father to his children Dear Children I am now dying I can provide for you no more I shall leave you such a Friend that shall provide for you in a more abundant measure than if I had been with you It is the best demonstration of their Faith 1. That he will not leave them to the wide world and then 2. He will not take any one he will trust his people with none but God who is able and willing to give account of them 3. It is the greatest satisfaction to his heart A Minister leaving his People can never be satisfied in his own breast that he should leave them and commit them and not to know to whom but when he knows with whom he hath committed them when he hath delivered them over to God that first committed them to him this is a great quietment and satisfaction to a Minister's spirit God layes the people as a depositum and will require an account of them at the last day Now when a Minister is taken from his people he cannot be satisfied till he hath delivered back his trust to God Lord here they are and while I was with them I did what I could but now I am taken from them here I surrender them back into thy hand when I was in the world I kept them in thy Name And so it is best for the people to be left to such a one who will keep them in all their Dangers and comfort them in all their Afflictions 3. How should a people be commended to God 1. By Exhortation 2. By Prayer First By Exhortation Thus the Apostle before and after my Text. And then by Prayer for so doth Saint Paul Calvin looks upon those Words as a Prayer brought in Always making mention of you in my Prayers Rom. 1.19 Phil. 1.4 Col. 1.3 And I trust that I shall not only now at this solemn departure but as long as I live still recommend you into the hands of God though I shall not preach to you yet I shall still make mention of you in my Prayers that God would stablish and comfort and preserve you to his heavenly Kingdom 4. Why doth the Apostle commend them to the Word of his Grace For these two Reasons First Because all the good that any people can look for is from God it is declared and laid up in the Promises and in the Gospel there is the Treasure of God it is in the Gospel The grace of God which hath appeared to all men bringeth salvation Tit. 2.11 We could never have known of the glorious mysteries of Salvation had it not been for the grace of God we could never have expected good but from the Gospel that is the great Magna Charta wherein God hath made over whatsoever concerns the eternal good of his people We have nothing to shew for grace and comfort and heaven and glory but his Gospel That is the great deed of gift that God hath given to his People poor sinners might look a Saviour if the Word of God had not revealed it those people have no ground to expect Salvation if God had not declared it in his Gospel to bestow it upon them 2. The Gospel is the only instrument by which God brings and conveys all that good to the Soul that it stands in need of all spiritual and temporal good that accompanies salvation God works nothing immediately to the Soul but by the Gospel First If any soul be converted to God it is by the grace of God And as Conversion so Sanctification that is effected by the word of God so likewise is Edification Salvation and Preservation Vse I come now to the Application It may be I have been too long already but Gods knows that it may be the last time that I may trespass in this kind and I have the Apostles example who preached at Troas till midnight but I promise to have done in a great deal less time Vse In the Application I shall in the Apostles example Commend you to the grace of God My Brethren and dearly Beloved and longed for now God by his providence is taking me away from you in the exercise of my publick Ministry I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace This I shall do First By exhorting and counsel and then by Prayer First By way of Exhortation 1. In reference to God and then 2. In reference to the Word of his Grace First of all my Exhortation in reference to God is That you would commit your selves to God If it should be so much a Ministers care to commend his people to God it 's good reason they should commend themselves 1. A Ministers commending you to God will be to no purpose if you do not commit your selves I shall alwayes make mention of you in my prayers as long as God shall continue me in this valley of tears I shall pray that God would build you up and sanctifie you I shall pray for you but God will not hear my Prayers if you do not hearken to my counsel To commit your selves to God 2. Consider if you can so commit your selves to God as to get God to take charge of you you are made for ever 1. God will be an All-sufficient God in stead of all the friends in the world you shall not need any that shall provide for you to protect you God will be All in All in stead of Father in stead of Mother Houses Lands Relations God will be better to you than ten Husbands than ten Ministers Ah better than ten thousand Worlds God can sweeten all your enjoyments God can provide for you and make you happy in the midst of the wants of Creature-comforts God is a Sun and a Shield He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that fear him God contains all in himself Eminenter get God and you get all Let the World frown or smile let it turn upside down Though the Mountain be thrown into the midst of the Sea though the World be set on fire yet a Soul that is in Gods keeping is happy God is a present help in time of trouble 2. As God is an All-sufficient Friend so he is a firm and fast Friend to them My Father and Mother forsook me but the Lord took me up Psal 27.10 My flesh and my heart fails but God fails me not though
ground while others fall away stand fast in the Faith Be not ashamed to own Christ before all the world reckon upon the reproaches of Christ and count them greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Do not place Religion in a few shadows when the substance is neglected do not think that God will be put off with the skin without the substance and by your holy Conversation labour to put to silence the foolishness and ignorance of wicked men that men may have nothing to accuse you but in the matters of Jesus Christ that you may cut off occasion from them that seek occasion Let no reproach make you lay aside holiness and say If this be to be vile I will be viler still And love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual comfort Forget not to contribute to the necessity of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this for this is acceptable to God Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you so shall you heap coals of sire upon their heads when you are reviled revile not again Do your duty to your Superiors to those that God hath set over you and so carry your selves as it was in the case of Daniel that they may find nothing against you save in the matter of your God In all things let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ That I may rejoyce in the day of the Lord Jesus that we have not run in vain and laboured in vain And labour to keep up that Christian love which in this place hath been more eminent than any where I know I would preach St. John's Doctrine Little children love one another And that my expression may be pathetical I shall speak it in the words of the Apostle in Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind I now have but a word more speaking of yours and mine own comfort under this sad Dispensation 1. It is a Minister's comfort that when he is taken from his People he can yet Commend them to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified And truly my dearly beloved in the Lord this is my great work now when I am a dying to you as to my publick Preaching My beloved I am very sensible that it is a very sad and solemn thing for a Minister to be rent from a People that he loves as his own Soul that he hath laboured among for to bid adieu to those solemn meetings wherein I have preached to you wherein we have mingled our sighes and our tears before the Lord wherein we have rejoyced and sat down before the Lord at his Table Now to think that I must Minister with you and for you no more in these Ordinances methinks it is a heart-breaking consideration to think that I am now dving in this congregation to think that I now dying whilst I am preaching but this is my comfort under these sad thoughts that I can Commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace to one that is able to keep you and to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are senctified Like a dying Father I can commend you to the care of such a Friend infinitely able to supply all that I could not do for you It is the comfort of a dying Father when he sees his children weeping round about him that he can commend them to a Faithful Friend willing to do that for them that he desired to do and a thousand â—imes more I would hope that I have some children that I have begotten to Christ by my Ministry towards whom my bowels yearn but hiâ— is mâ— comfort that I can put them into the Arms of their and my heavenlâ— Father of their and my blessed Redeemer to be keâ—thâ— the powâ—r of God There are many poor souls that are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and if the Lord had seen good I would sain have seen of the travel of my soul in their salvation but I can commend them to God who knows them who belong to his Eleâ—ion he can either restore or can do it by another hand and you that are in any measure grown in Grace I will be willing to be helpful to your joy and instrumental to your comfort But I commend you to God who is alle to give all grace to you and to keep you sied fast It will be some alleviation of sorrow though I must leave you and dye to you as to my publick Ministry that I hope I may a while go up and down and converse with you to be among you The Lord grant this favour that I may behold your stedfastness 2. This may be your comfort as well as mine this may be the comfort of all those poor Congregations that are like to be made Widows by the Metaphorical death of their Guides and Pastors but I leave you into the hands of all Grace and of all Comfort This is a black day upon Israel when so many faithful Ministers are slain at one blow this is a day of gloominess and darkness in many Congregations for so many Ministers to be beheaded in one day What hath England committed Is it not some high Treason If we look to the cause of it why so many Ministers are as dead in one day as so many Children without a Father And if we look upon this cause what hath caused God thus to deal with us we must complain Oh! our unfruitfulness Our fearful unthankfulness under the mercies of God This will be the Emphasis and sting of our grief and this should be the matter of our grief And then if we consider the sad Prognostick what it doth seem to foretel It is a sign that when God lays aside so many faithful Ministers of some scourge or calamity that is coming upon us But you that can lament this Judgment you that can lament the sad deprivations of these powerful Ordinances Remember that though your Minister be dead God can raise you up others in their stead and where the way of instruments are wanting He can do it without them and those that are begot in Christ shall be preserved and those yet unbrought in who belong to the Election of Grace shall in Gods due time have the effectual work of the Spirit wrought upon their Souls For he is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And though I take this solemn leave of you as to this publick Exercise yet if the Lord shall open the door and take of those bands of Death that the
in such a condition as can know no want He that is not in Christ cannot be rich He that is in Christ cannot be poor Judge not of his condition by what he appears to be outwardly A Believer is worth as much as the Promises come to which are his Charter as much as the Kingdom of Heaven comes to which is his Reversion Prop. 3. Christ takes notice of all the reproaches and blasphemies of his Adversaries I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan Christ counts himself reproached when his Servants and wayes are reproached The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me A Christian doth quarter Arms with Christ Therefore all the reproaches of the black mouths they are especially taken notice of by Jesus Christ There is not a word they can speak but is presently recorded among the memorandums of Jesus Christ Repent if it be possible that the word in thy tongue the thought in thy mind may be forgiven I say if it be possible though a malicious Scoffer does seldom return Prop. 4. What ever the Children of God suffer at any time before the Grave they may suffer still I know thy works and tribulation nay yet the wind is not yet over in the next verse thou shalt suffer After great expences of bloud and treasure still more heavy calamities the water of Tribulation doth rise higher and higher till the Believer resists unto bloud striving against sin you must expect it you must go with your lives in your hands resolving upon the greatest trouble to wade through a deep floud of calamities not one piece of the Cross excepted Prop. 5. Christ usually gives notice to his people in their sufferings he tells us before hand So Joh. 16.7 Mat. 24.9 Acts 9.16 There never did besal any great trial but the Church of God had notice of it Abraham had notice of the ruine of Aegypt So the Antichristian trouble must come upon the Church rise higher and higher specially in the last days they are set down exactly in the Book of the Revelations And the reasons are 1. That Gods people may not be offended when troubles come Joh. 16.1 I told you that you might not be offended Look for them that you may not be terrified by reason of the unexpectedness of them 2. That he might convince us that there is nothing befalls us without his privity he that foresees them must needs see them he that forecasts them must needs have the ordering of them not a hair of your head falls to the ground without his Council without his hand 3. That we might provide for them know you not the coming of the Son of man When Christ comes with notable mercies usually he sends his Harbingers we must therefore be as Noah being warned of God believing his word he was moved with fear and built an Ark. Prop. 6. Whatever troubles come upon the people of God they have no cause to fear Fear none of these things thou shalt suffer be careful for nothing it is very comprehensive there is a fear that we cannot be without and there is a fear we may not admit A fear there is of dependence this furthers our preparation prayer renouncing our selves flying to the Lord Jesus under his wings that is a blessed fear of trouble that makes us to come nearer to God But then there is a fear of despondencie Apostasie a fear of Distraction so as to be dismayed discouraged There is no ground of salvish fear as to God no ground of a fear of man of any thing that man can do to us And the Reason is 1. All our sufferings are ordered by a Father 't is the potion that thy Father gives thee to drink what ever bitter ingredient there is in it still it s of thy Fathers procuring why wilt thou suspect it to be poyson and be afraid of it no be encouraged 2. Fear not Christ stands by thee in all thy sufferings The Angel stood by Christ in his Agony to comfort him but Christ stands by us in our Agony in our contending for the Faith Fear not saith God O worm Jacob I will be with thee He is alwayes with us though sometimes as to sense 't is otherwise nay if Christ be nearer to us at any time 't is when trouble is most near us O Lord be not far off for trouble is near saith the Psalmist That trouble is blessed that engages God to be nearer to us that engages us to come nearer to God 3. Fear not Whatever 't is that we suffer there shall be sufficient strength given to bear it to go through it God will never lay more upon thee than he will enable thee to bear and if thy strength be encreased proportionably it is all one to lift a pound weight and to lift an hundred pound weight 4. Fear not any of these sufferings because none of them shall hurt thee God hath said he will stave all evil from thee no evil shall come nigh thy dwelling and he that fears the Lord shall not be visited of any evil Prov. 19.23 No hurt shall come nothing shall come to thee amiss that is as to thy Soul and the Soul is the man there shall be no impairing to thy Soul to thy best interest thou shalt lose nothing but that thou canst not keep nothing that enters into the other world to make up thy happiness thou shalt lose nothing to do thee good no loss of communion with God no loss of Grace Peace and Comfort thy interest shall not be shaken thy Communion shall not be diminished But why do I speak of no hurt there shall come a great deal of good by these troubles When God calls thee to suffer and thou wilt put him off with doing make it up that way God loses by it and thou dost lose that thou dost but if you will buckle your self to that service God calls for active when 't is active passive when 't is passive this is that piece of godliness that is great gain Thou wilt either live or die and shalt gain both wayes if thou livest thy Graces shall be better the Spirit of God shall be upon thee if thou die thy Glory which is weighty shall be double the weightier the Cross the weightier the Crown be content to go as Christ did from the Cross to the Crown Let us strive against our carnal Lusts those sew things that are ready to choak our faith disparage God and cut the sinews of our endeavours to any service God calls us to 1. Consider our troubles are like to be great here is the Symptom of Gods displeasure upon us here is the pouring out of such a providence among us as is usually attended with destructive Judgments Sodoms calamity was coming when one Lot was discharged Germany's calamities was coming when one Luther was taken away Lord then what woe is this to sweep away so many faithful