or wickednesse I doe not say but they seeme to take a pleasure in troubling and vexing the spirits of their brethren in sadding their hearts for with a kinde of beleefe and delight they love to tell them onely of those evill and false things which are abroad conjectured and spoken of them which themselves perhaps did helpe to invent or at least by their hungry receipt or greedy hearing them did give incouragement to the venters of them and commonly too this their newes is edged with a sharpe reproofe to manifest their owne beleefe of it seldome doe they second it with a word of Consolation for the parties better bearing of it nor will these Newes-mongers ever care to be the bringers of any such reports as may adde to the spirit either life or chearefulness Truely I have often thought that if such persons as these are had beene by when our Saviour asked his Disciples what men said of him they would not have answered as those did Some say thou arâ— Elias some John Baptist and some one of the Prophets but rather they would have said Some say you are a Samaritan some say you have a Devill and some say you are a friend and companion of Publicans and sinners as supposing that the hearing of these kinde of reports would have beene more galling to his harmelesse spirit But to conclude in a word Christ did not delight in trampling upon those that were already downe he joyed not in the fall of any of his enemies no he wept at the foresight of their ruine that sought his he would take advantage from mens miseries and misfortunes to shew the graciousnesse of his spirit in doing them good when his servant had cut off his enemies eare he healed againe the eare of his enemy he was to his last of a most meeke and peaceable spirit never was he turbulent in the Common-wealth never outragious cruell or bloody he never in all his life wished for bloody dayes he never said Better Jerusalems streetes runne downe with blood then that these Pharisaicall High Priests should still stand or then one old tradition should still continue No no Christ wished the reformation of things as truely as any of us can do in such a case and he could as little away with the manners of those men as any of we and he did as much distaste humane sinfull Ceremonies in Gods service but he valued mens lives at a higher rate then to desire the abolition of such things with so much humane blood as that the streetes should swimme therewith Christ knew the price of mens lives and it cost him more to redeeme them then to have them destroyed so lightly he knew that it was never Gods minde that his Sion should be built with the blood of Brethren as Rome was Christ would rather hope and pray that all offensive things might be removed in a peaceable manner for he came not to destroy but to save mens lives and the same minde as I have heard have all they that have the spirit of Christ the true spirit of the Gospell of what manner spirit therefore those are of that are contrary-minded and conditioned I leave to you to judge from that which hath beene spoken and come to the other use which is of Exhortation I will direct my Exhortation in the first place to my Brethren of the Ministery in particular and then with them unto all Christians in generall First My Reverend Brethren you in speciall whom God hath restrained and guided by his Spirit from falling into those scandalous faults and offensive wayes which too too many of our Order are reported to have slipped into you who have beene lately under burdens and pressures of troubles and molestations whom God hath now delivered you to whom he hath given favour in the eyes of men if Providence shall ever bring these weake lines unto your Christian view I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ and by the vertue of the true Spirit of the Gospel which I hope is both in you and me that you all indeavour both by your teaching and practice to discover at large that which hath here but in briefe beene discoursed upon even the nature of this holy sweete and gracious Spirit of the Gospell and to perswade you hereunto be pleased to consider of these few particulars First the times require this at your hands how distracted and broken they are your eyes are able to see better then I am to expresse and there is no other meane to make up the breaches of our Sion and to prevent the lamentable ruines that are threatned unto our Israel but onely this Spirit of the Gospell and this yeelding pardoning loving humble selfe-denying and obedient Spirit is able to set all right againe both betwixt God and us and amongst our selves were this spirit but well planted in every heart that we Preach unto and in every bosome we converse withall there would be both a generall and a particular fitnesse both for divine Mercy and for a mutuall closing Secondly Your relation to God calls for these indeavours the Lord hath put you in place to advance this Spirit nay he hath intrusted you to dispence the same you are intituled Ministers of the Gospell and your Ministration is called the Ministration of the Spirit and you are alwayes beside your Text and out of your Office when you are not labouring to plant the same nay you should be not friends but enemies to God and to the soules of men if you should not oppose and discover the seeds-men of schisme and the waterers of sedition if you are favourers of factions you are makers of fractions and God in the end will neither blesse you nor reward you Thirdly Your bounden duty and sworne Allegeance to your Prince and Soveraigne under the wing of whose gracious government you have already both done and received much good to the advancement of your present comfort and future Crowne doth challenge you to move with all your strength to the implanting the Spirit of the Gospell in the hearts of all his subjects that their piety and loyalty their obedience and love to God to him and to each other may speake him to all the world to be the happyest King of the truest and best Christians yea and his Majesty too thus seeing his Saviours Spirit and his owne in all his people shall hereby with comfort amongst us prolong his dayes and the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand I am confident and dare boldly say it it is in your powers to compose and settle all our distractions and divisions if you would all worke one way and let that one way be this way it being Gods way he would helpe you and blesse you in it he hath already given some of you the hearts of men for an ingagement hereof and he would doubtlesse incline them to goe with you Fourthly Pity may begge this favour at your hands if
bounty hath made her bold to bring three of her sisters with her who have all in their measure tasted of her sorrowes and desire now to partake of that rest which she begges to enjoy under your shade your protection is large enough to defend them all foure wherefore bee pleased my Honourable Lord to give them all leave together with their Author to boast themselves still and for ever in your Noble Patâ—onage 3. And my last reason of publishing these Sermons was and is to rectifie if it may be those misapprehensions which some hearers had of certaine passages in them and still have of me for the same I doe not intend to Apologize for my selfe I am a man and may transgresse and doe so daily against my will the Lord be mercifull unto his servant And I know besides that it is tedious even to good men sometimes to heare wronged innocence beginne to speake in her owne behalfe when themselves have had a hand in afflicting of her as appeares by Davids words to Mephibosheth 2 Sam 19. 29. Why speakest thou any more of thine owne matters but the Lord commands us to indeavour the reformation of those that erre and therefore for the sake of such as did not at first rightly heare what J spake J have now so spoken as they may see Seneca saies that people doe give better credit to their eyes then to their eares and therefore here is Audibile turned to Visibile what was transient is become more constant that if they please they may consider by seeing whether they did not before mistake in hearing I hope in your Lordships judgement an equall eye may herein discern such an impartiall spirit as becomes a Minister of Christ to exercise in the discharge of his office I blesse the Lord for it I can say with Elihu in Iob J know not how to give slattering titles J know not how to accept any mans person in speaking for God or from him He that will seeke to please Christ must not seeke to please men and he that will shoot at both extreanes must looke to be shot at by both them but peace at the last will make amends for all that crowne of righteonsnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give to him that from the testimony of a good conscience can say at his death I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith will more then recompence all sorrowes And my Lord although I will not attribute to your Honoâ—r Gods due who alone doth frame and governe spirits yet this I must truly confesse that your Lordships judgement and the temper of your spirit â—ath afforded much support and incouragement to mine in that even upright and hated way your constant dislike of the too much formality and superstitious incroachments of late times did secretly animate my heart against that extreame and strengthen me under the pressures of it And your fearefull tendernesse of walking in mens crypticke wayes of setting your foote among painted Sepulchers hath on the other side given me much boldnesse in the discovering opening them and hath been as a speciall Antidote to preserve me from being over-daunted with the damp and paysonous infection which from thence hath sumed out upon me Thus my Lord it pleaseth God to make the goodnesse of great persons sometimes perhaps unwitting to themselves to be as life and cordials to his Ministers I know your Lordship had rather be then seeme religious to doe good in secret and then forget it was your custome long ago I remember oâ—t the times past being a servant in your Grandfathers family and an under Minister in that Parish when I knew of any in want or misery that were sicke or lacked bread for them and theirs and did but goe in secret and tell you the least intimation stirred your bowels you appeared to my thoughts aâ—glad of an occasion to shew your pity and bounty as those afflicted were in tasting of it which was to me the language not onely of a generous but also of a gracious spirit for such kind of crypticke wayes doth God allow herein his hidden ones delight to walke And let the blessing of that God ever attend your Honour in them and let the blessing of him that was ready to perish come upon you daily let your goodnesse alway out-shine your greatnesse for the comfort and incouragement of Gods servants let sincerity and loyalty still remaine your constant supporters let them make you exemplary to all men here and fit you fully at length to weare the Robe and Diadem of perfect honour so prayeth Your Honours most humble and faithfull servant EDVVARD SYMONDS From Rayne May 4. 1642. Errataes Courteous Reader be pleased to amend these faults before you read these following Sermons and the rest which your judgement shall observe in the reading let your gentlenesse pardon PAge 3. l. 5. blot out these p. 4 l. 1. fet a collation 1. a 〈◊〉 l. 14 r. must p. 8. l. 26. for quam r. quem p. 9. l. 31. for the r. their p. 39. l. 27. for wiser r. wise p. 40. l. 12. r. as to pay l. 19. r. putses l 21. r. doing p. 42. l 29. for in r. it p. 50. l. 32. put out the last in p. 54 l. 27. for Iâ—â—n r leb p. 57 l. 33. 1. better endure p. 62. l. 4. for the r. your p. 65. l. 25. for it selfe r. himselfe p. 66 l. 18 r. openeth p. 67. l. 13. for twoo r. too p. 70. l. 15. for one r. owne p. 71. l. 17 r. of David in Shemeies case p 73. l. 4. for the r. that l. 10. for more r. most l. 31. r. that which belongs p. 81. l. 13. r. prâ—monitions p. 85. l. 30. for crossely r. grossely p. 86. l. 31. for your soule r. the soule p. 88. l. 5. for goeth r gee l 6 r. abide l. 28. for sensible r. fensible p. 92. l. 8 r. unwise p. 96. l. 8. for set r. sets p. 98. l. 14. make the poâ—nt at is p. 107. l 14. for first his r. first for his p. 112. l. 8. r. counterseit l. 16. make the point at then l. 28. for are both r. both are p. 114. l. 8. for now r. enow p 122. l 28. r. withall p. 123. l 18. for be last r. be the last p. 152. l. 7. for are much r. are as much p. 169. l. 2. for if the spirits r. if your spirits p. 175. l. 8. for as I have heard r. as you have heand p. 181. l. 29. for Christs r. Christ. p. 184. l. 31. for the pity r. your pity Read the running title of the first Sermon thus The discovery of the sin of Ecclesiasticall selfeseeking THE FIRST SERMON PREACHED AT A VISITATION AT HALSTEAD IN ESSEX Aprill 12. 1632. Wherein is Discovered the sinne of Ecclesiasticall Selfe-seeking By EDVVARD SYMONDS Minister of Rayne in Essex COL 3. 11. Christ is All in all ROM 11. 36. For of him through
thereof but a prudent man covereth shame he sees more then he would have others see and rather hides thâ—n reveales the same and therefore with Shem and Japhet shall heire the blessing when the prating foole like Cham shall fall into the curse so vers 23. of that chap. A prudent man concealeth knowledge what himselfe knowes the knowledge of which would doe others no good he concealeth he loves not to teach or discover that to others which might breed any disaffections against others but the heart of fooles proclaimes foolishnesse not onely what a foole sees but also what his foolish heart conceives and as it interpreteth so he speaketh yea Prov. 14. 16. hee rageth and is confident he rageth against those that himself dislikes is confident that his raging will mend the matter wherin he shewes himselfe but a starke foole for as it is there in the verse the prudent and wise man feareth and departeth from evill he feareth that his opposing will doe no good while things be in their heat and therefore departs from the evill quietly rests and confidently expects an alteration from Gods hand Will you see examples of wisdome expressed by silence it was the best point of wisdome that ever King Saul shewed to hold his peace 1 Sam. 10. 27. when some despised him things being at an uncertaine stay if hee had vented his distast at that time and given ill language he had done himselfe and his cause much hurt but saies the text he held his peace Yea but you will say Saul was none of the best men this might be but worldly policy in him the point is of those that be godly and wise Why then thinke upon David he was both wise and good you may see by his expressions Psal. 38. 12. that the times were ill with him and you may see his silent behaviour then vers 13. 14. So when Shimei railed at him not a word spake he but with patient silence put up all the time for the present was ill with him he was forced to flie the Kingdome and therefore no time as he thought to revenge or right himselfe so much as by words So Moses that meeke wise and godly man when he was among those mutinous people in the Wildernesse in respect of whose conditions the times were evill with him and dangerous for sometime they talke of stoning him sometime of turning him out of his office it is noted that he was meek and silent he said little though they urged him much So in the dayes of Hezekiah that good King when times were very evill in respect of the neerenesse of judgements when Senacheribs army compassed about the City and Rabshakeh railed and blasphemed so egregiously that it made their very eares glow to heare him 2 King 18. yet the text saies vers 36. that the people held their peace and the King had so commanded nay the example of all examples that of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ confirmes the same he in the time of his sufferings those evill times when they urged him and provoked him exceedingly by their false accusations for to speake yet the text saies Matth. 26. 63. Jesus held his peace and answered nothing in so much that the high Priests and Judges wondred if any thing were asked him concerning the glory of his Father or his owne Divinity he would answer to that lest by his silence Gods honour should bee in danger to be disparaged lest they should say hee durst not confesse that in his bonds which he professed in the time of his liberty but in the wrongs and injuries they offered to himselfe he was dumbe and silent like the Sheepe or Lambe that openeth not his mouth when he was reviled he reviled not againe when he was persecuted he threatned not he did not write libels nor send out railing exclamations nor use bitter invectives as some in their sufferings use to doe but the text saies Jesus held his peace for it was an evill time to be sure with him and he would teach us thereby that when we fall into such times times of sufferings we must doe as wee had him for example for times of suffering are times of silence We come to the Reasons why godly and wise men by gods grace and inablement shall and doe practice silence in evill times Because they are godly and so look upon evill times as punishments for their owne proper finnes they are conscious that they have not walked so even with God in prosperous dayes as they should have done they did not make good use of their time of visitation and therefore these evill times are come over them and they are fallen into them as it is said to Jerusalem by our Saviour Luke 19. 44. They shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee c. because thou knewest not the day of thy visitation And so they suffering as they conceive for their sinne their owne sinne for they look not so much on others as on their owne are silent under Gods hand as David Psal. 39. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it and the Church Mic. 7. 9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him and that is the first Reason because they are godly The second is because they are wise and so see that speaking may doe more hurt when men are hot in their way opposing words do but increase the heat and stir up the fire and makes it burne the more when fire beginnes to kindle in a barne of straw the way to extinguish it is not to kicke the sparkes about the Pope hath often since the time I beleeve beshrewed himselfe for doing so for when Luther beganne to kindle the good sire in Germany then hee began to stirre to prate to curse to kicke the fire about and that did but increase it against it selfe as God be thanked he hath found since to his owne cost why so it is in this case even with the fire of evill when once kindled the more it is stirred by the tongue and blowne with the blast and wind of words the more it flames and burnes to the hurt of the good and godly which the prudent considering neither will nor dare be otherwise thâ—n silent for feare their consciences and God too should afterward accuse theâ— for the increase of evill this is the second Reason because they are wise The third is because they are both wise and godly and so know that by their silence they shall the sooner move the Lord to their helpe to remove the evill and to amend the times Did not the Lord thinke you appeare the sooner in the behalfe of Moses when they so moyled against him even for his meeknesse and silence and so did not the Lord presently appeare for the helpe of his people in Hezekiahs time when they were silent and Rabshakeh railed so and so for Saul himselfe did not
FOVRE SERMONS VVHEREIN IS MADE A FOVRE-FOLD DISCOVERY viz. of Ecclesiasticall selfe-seeking A Wisemans carriage in evill times The benefit of Christian patience The right nature and temper of the spirit of the Gospel By EDVVARD SYMONS Minister of Rayâ—e in Essex 1 COR. 4. 2. It is required in Stewards that a man be found faithfull ROM 14. 12. Every one of us shall give account of himselfe to God LONDON Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1642. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY LOYALL ARTHVR LORD CAPEL Baron of HADDAM my singular good Lord and Patron My Lord I Confesse it might cause wonder that so weake and worthlesse a creature as I am should expose any thing to publike view did not the custome of the present timâ—â— plead a certaine liberty of the Presse even for weaknesse it selfe Three speciall reasons are usually given of divâ—â—lging Sermons in this kind First to helpe and benefit Gods Church and people Secondly to manifest that inward respect which the publishers owe to those Honourable or Worshipfull persons to whom they are dedicated and presented Thirdly to vindicate the truth against the mistakes and traducements of ignorant or ill-affected hearers and truly my Lord these are the reasons that have imboldened my weaknesse thus to discover it selfe in thrusting these following Sermons from my private Cell 1. I know that the wise God doth sometime surther the greatest affaires of his Church by the poore indeavours of his meanest servants and at this time one of the great matters in hand is to reforme the Clergy and to constitute such a Ministry as should only seeke the things of Jesus Christ and he that knowes all hearts can witnesse that mine aime when I preached the first of these did tend to that thing and I now conceived that with Gods providence and blessing the samemight haply at this present afford some under service towards that so pious and necessary a worke And mine indeavours in the second of these were by perswasions out of Gods booke to tie peoples tongues to their good behaviours as I apprehended did become a Minister of Christ to doe in those evill and barking dayes and the conditions of many are still the same they take and keepe to themselves I know not what strange liberty of bold speaking whereby these unsetled times are likely to prove exceeding miserable for evill tongues as they discover evill men so they doe make evill times and therefore I conceived that that Sermon also if it come into some hands and God please to say Amen to my prayers with it may not altogether at this present prove unprofitable or unseasonable And in third mine aimes were when I first uttered it to move my fellow-members and sufferers in the cause of Christ to make use of that soveraigne preservative of patience which experience hath alwayes found to be so truly effectuall against the heavie blowes of potent hands and the smarting wounds of poysonous tongues And I dare boldly say that while sinne and sorrow hath a being upon earth it will never be improper to heare or read a discourse of that subject for we have all at all times yea at this time need of patience nay I dare add further that even your Lordship in the midst of your Honours since you have resolved to follow only the dictate of Gods word and conscience in your walke and way while mens tongues runne at liberty will have occasions sometimes to thinke upon it And in the last of these I have though briefely handled a matter most needfull also I am sure for this present age to be acquainted with it is the right temper and nature of the spirit of the Gospel I preached of it onely to mine owne Parish but I pray for the inlargement of it in all places and I know your Honour and all others that have religious and loyall hearts truly aiming at the Gospels glory and the Kingdomes peace doe in like sort desire the same to the end therefore that I might be a meane to awaken others more able of my profession to make more ample discoveries of it as their duty to God and their Prince commands and these times require I have beene here bold to publish my notes upon that subject also And this my Lord is my first reason 2. My second is to manifect by this occasion to the worlds eye that true inward respect which I acknowledge of long time to have duly owed unto your Lordship your Noble Grandfather of pious memory being quickened by your most friendly solicitation did freely bestow upon mâ— that place of maintenance wherin as yet I have my dwelling upon this sole condition and charge that I should truly labour to winne soules to Christ which godly care of his as it spake him a true friend of Christ so it may expose him for a patterne to all Patrons and your Lordship herein is his true successour so that if these my first fruits of this nature were of any worth I am bound by a double tye to Dedicate them onely to your selfe as to mine ancient Noble friend as to my present Honourable Patron But my Lord there is yet another reason that doth challenge this duty from me of manifesting my selfe unto the world to be your servant and that is this When I was questioned and much menaced for the first of these Sermons and did upon that occasion to the end you might not be mistaken in the cause of my troubles present a copy of it to your view you were pleased upon the reading thereof to proffer your selfe like a true Patron to be my defender in that businesse and you would also make use of all the friends you had in England that was your owne expression in my behalfe rather then I for that matter should suffer dammage Truly my Lord the consideration of that your Noblenesse in being so freely ready to engage your selfe in the cause of Christ for me so mâ—ane a person the times being then so conflicting hath more deepely captivated my heart to your Lordships service then my hand or tongue is able to expresse yea should some crafty Zibaes unhappily so farre prevaile as I hope they never shall against your poore Mephibosheth as to move my Lord in aftertimes to thinke amisse of his servant and as David did to judge him unworthy of former favour yet I would have all men know that of necessity I am bound and therefore must and shall from the remembrance of that your goodnesse for ever honour you And my Lord whither now should that poore wounded Sermon retire her selfe at this her second and more publike appearance whither should shee flie for shelter but onely to that wing which did not disdaine of its owne accord at her first flight to open it selfe unto her in the middest of dangers And behold my Lord she comes unto you and your free
we had but hearts to consider these inconveniences and to remember that we are not for our selves but are all fellow-labourers for one and the same Master and therefore for the worke sake wee should strive to maintaine the credit of one another especially with their own people and be more afflicted to see our neighbour Minister forsaken then affected to see our selves followed for when hee is forsaken there is afault either in him or them and we should grieve at the faults of all if we marke but the Apostles custome we shall see how carefull every where he was to maintaine the credit of his fellow Ministers though they were inferiour to him in gifts yet he did not affect to beare away the Bell from them we may see in the Epistle to the Colossians how he cals Tychicus and Epaphras faithfull Paâ—tors and commends them exceedingly to their owne people for indeed a man may be faithfull in the exercise of two Talents as well as in the exercise of five and so in this Chapter of the text how doth he commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippians to whom they were appointed Preachers O Brethren if wee would but do so too I dare say God Almighty would conne us thanke for it for so should we further one another in his worke and not hinder one another as we doe And I would also that you in the sixth place would in a speciall manner consider this you black-mouthed Ministers that are so brim-full to the very mouth of envy and pride that to empty your selves you are faine to go a backbiting in secret of them that are more worthily famous then your selves to spit out your filthy venome against their harmlesse and well-deserving persons when you see the people resorting to them I say I would you would think upon this for I pray how do you rejoyce at the good they doe when you so maligne them how do you seeke Christ when you fret at the faithfulnesse and painefulnesse that is used in his service you would like Magus be famous too but with him you reape nought but disgrace by these courses and a further possibility of Hell to come Have yee not marked the story of the Viper Acts 28. Why that is the very embleme of one of you The text saies vers 3. there came a Viper out of the heat and leaped upon Saint Pauls hand now you must understand by the way that Saint Paul was the honestest man in all the company Now when the Barbarians saw this they presently concluded Saint Paul was a murderer one whom Vengeance would not suffer to live but after a while Saint Paul shakes the Viper into the fire and himselfe remained whole and sound which when the people saw they presently changed their note and said Saint Paul was a God So these venome-mouthed wretches like that Viper out of the heat of their malice lay hold on the best and honestest men endeavouring to kill them with their empoysoned tongues now when the Bishops and others that be not acquainted with the true conditions of these men heare these things of them they presently censure them as the Barbarians did Paul to be naughty and wicked men yea but let them stay awhile and they shall see the Vipers onely to fall into Hell-fire and the other remaining harmlesse and innocent shall be knowne to all to be good men and men of God You that be guilty of these things I pray you take them to your selves and see unto them In the next place you that seek your selves in your own profits there be three sorts of you I wil shut you up altogether because I begin to grow tedious to my self and I feare much more to some of you In a word you plainely discover that your paines for Christ is little worth in that you looke for a reward in this world True vertue saies a Heathen man scornes to expect or looke after an earthly Crowne our Saviour tels us that his Kingdome is not of this world and why that his Disciples might not as you doe thinke of greatnesse or riches here I pray what became of your forefather Demas that forsooke Paul to embrace this present world the text saies he went to Thessalonica and Dorotheus saies he became an Idoll Priest there and no marvell if he proves the Devils Priest that was Mammons Câ—aplaine Covetousnesse saies the Apostle is the roote of evill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrowes But thou O man of God saies he shunne these things So say I to you O men of God shunne these things you above all men because you are men of God because Christ in a speciall manner hath chosen you out of the world therefore it beseemes not you above all to mind the things of this world because you are the Salt to season others above all it becomes not you to be unsavoury because you must preach against covetousnesse of all others it becomes not you to be covetous you must helpe to draw up other mens affections to the things above therefore it beseemes not you to have your affections intangled upon the things below With what face can you preach the doctrine of faith when you your selves are so incredulous as not to trust God for the matters of this life when as himselfe hath so expressely said He will be Levies portion Deut. 10. 9. Doubtlesse the cause that many Ministers children come to penury and misery is not for that their Parents left them so little but because they left them so much namely besides the Lord if not rather without the Lord they were not so carefull to leave the Lord their portion as to leave them a portion of wealth Ah saies Christ seeke the Kingdome of Heaven and all things necessary shall be supplyed namely to thee and thine preach the Word diligently and impartially and God will provide for thee the Ravens shall feed thee as they did Elias that is the very carrionly wretches of the world shall helpe to sustain thee God hath their hearts in his hand and he shall make them doe it Ah Brethren that we would but all resolve to be at the Lords finding and to take onely that which God shall worke for us and cast upon us without our seeking or suing for by any other meanes then by following our callings though we have but a little we shall have more content in it then others have in a great deale A little that the righteous hath is better then great riches of the ungodly O Brethren how the Lords hand doth sweeten a blessing over any hand doth whatsoever I praise my God I can say it I take not so much comfort in what I have as I doe in this that God gave it it was his onely working Deus nobis haec otia fecit Or howsoever Brethren howsoever should God
conscionable some of you for feare of bringing it into a a custome and you thinke it a great credit unto your selves to be the maintainers of a Towne-faction against your Pastors O no doubt but it will be very sweet and comfortable unto you when you lie upon your death-beds yea and if you have never a foote of Land in the Towne of your owne so much the more comfortable O but Brethren in sober sadnesse let me tell you it will be but poore comfort when sad death shall lay his cold clawes upon you to summon you to the Judgement seat of him whose servants and stewards you have opposed No no but beleeve it it will be more comfortable if yâ—u can remember that you have alwayes beene in love and peace and friendship with your Minister and have never beene failing to doe him any courtesie because he is the messenger of God for your good nor did you ever desire to get any thing from him but grace and knowledge surely Brethren these thoughts will bee more comfortable then the other wherefore if you desire peace upon your death-beds thinke on these things before hand and so I have done also with you And now in the last place of all you Courtiers you will one day lie upon your death-beds too for Lawyers also die and you will heare a reddite rationem viâ—â—tatis vestrae render an account of all your dishonest doings you looke I warrant you to see a great many Presentments to day yea but when you see them and look upon them I would have you but thinke thus with your selves the time will come when we our selves shall be presented our owne conferences shall make the Bill and the Devill shall play the Churchwarden to put it in I would you would thinke thus I say when you are taking and looking upon your Presentments for it may be the thought of it may doe you some good in may make you carefull in some sort to punish sinne as your place requires and not so altogether as may be noted to take money for if an Adulterer or an uncleane person be put into your Court if he hath money you will 〈◊〉 to looâ—â— upon him if he hath enough Pope-like you will sell him a Pardon if but a little yet for that little sake you will deigne him an Order of Pennance but if he hath none I speak upon some grounds then he comes off for ought we see clearely not a word more as we heare is spoken to him and we that are his Ministers in the meane time dare not admit him to the Sacrament lest our selves should come into danger lest you should lie to get us into your lurches Now is this right is this honesty is this according to the will of God think you nay is this the mind of our Governours that permit you in your offices no I beleeve it is not but you wrong them you abuse us and you offend God and injure and defame our Church most of all And I am perswaded did they I meane our Bishops and the rest that have put you in your places but know as much of you in matters of this nature as God knowes they would not be so long-suffering as he Nay let me adde this I thinke verily if you were but as conscionable in punishing sin and evill as your place requires as you seeme to be be unconscionable in taking monies your gaine would be much more then it is and where you have one Presentment you would have three or foure for I am perswaded many Ministers had â—â—her suffer some wrong at their peoples hands then put them into your hands you are so tedious and griping in your dealings with them for my owne part it was in my mind to have presented some two or three matters but partly upon these considerations I have forborne and I beleeve some of my Brethren have bin somtime of the same mind so that if you would but doe as you ought to doe you should get more by us then you are like to get besides your gettings would be attended with Gods blessings and your soules might haply goe to Heaven in the conclusion wherefore be requested for your owne sakes to looke sometimes upon your owne selves and thinke sometimes upon your owne dealings and present sometimes your owne sinnes with sorrow teares and confession before the Lords eyes you may save the Devill a labour at the last day Thus Brethren I have held you longer then I thought I should but if you well consider I had many sorts to speake unto and to speake to every one a little I could speake no lesse and now I make no question but with Sampson I have pull'd a house upon mine owne head I meane much secret dislike and evill will from every body for my plainenesse but if I have it is no more then I fore-expected and as Sampson did if with my selfe I slay or wound the guilty I care not I say with him let me lose my life my credit my esteeme or what you will with the Philistims I am contented and if my conscience could but tell me that in every action I ever did in every Sermon I ever preached I had as truly sought Christ as it suggests unto me I have desired to doe in this I would boldly conclude with that Simeon in the Gospel Lord now let thy servant depart in peace and so farewell Gratia gloria Deo Christo Jesu adjutori meo Amen FINIS THE SECOND SERMON PREACHED AT THE PVBLIKE LECTVRE AT STORTFORD August 3. 1637. Wherein is discovered the carriage of a wise man in evill times By EDVVARD SYMONS Minister of Rayne in Essex PROV 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards LONDON Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1642. A WISE MANS CARRIAGE IN EVILL TIMES AMOS 5. 13. Therefore the prudent shall keepe silence in that time for it is an evill time THese words doe teach how godly and wise men shall behave themselves in sinfull and dangerous times for such are eviltimes they shal keep silence saies the text they shal say but little whatsoever they thinke God shall inable them with that gift by inlarging unto them wisdome and prudence for in Christ he aboundeth toward all his in wisdome and prudence Ephes. 1. 8. in so much that what is said of Christ Es. 52. 13. Behold my servant shall deale prudently may and shall in some sort be said of each of them behold they shall deale prudently which prudence of theirs they shall one way expresse by keeping silence in evill times as the text infers Many talk that these times wherein we live are evill times if they be as they say it were well if they would shew themselves prudent by this marke and keepe silence in them some thinke it their wisdome to
cared for to bee looked after For it is onely possidete animas vestras it is not villas vestras as August notes your villages your houses and lands your wealth and riches for it had beene vaine to have advised to this in times of trouble and persecutions when such things are sure to goe to wracke nor indeed had it beene worth the while to have looked after such things specially then for what are they nec vera nec vestra saies Bernard neither true goods for they bide not by you nor your owne for you cannot carry them away with you and had he advised to the keeping of these he would not have prescribed patience as the meane for that is the way rather to lose all he should have said rather bestirre your selves put up no wrong one injury will draw on another talke and prate scold and raile lye and sweare tugge and pull for this is the course that men commonly take to get and keepe riches Nor doth he say possidete honores vestros looke to your Honours your Credits your good esteeme see you lose not an inch of that for he knew that this was not in their owne hands to keepe Honor est honorantis non honorati it is in the mouth of the people and what is Vox populi Why Hosanna to day and Crucifige to morrow even honest mens credits are often forced to lodge upon the tongue of Knaves and beside our Saviour knew also there was not so much need to advise to be carefull of this for he foresaw that too too many that would professe his name would be more carefull of their credit then they would be of their Conscience yea they would be religious to no other purpose and weare the Hood of Profession to no other end but to get them a good esteeme among men Nor thirdly t is not possidete amicos vestros keepe your Friends lose not the love of them however for he knew that friends were slippery ware and to keepe them was more then could be done with a good conscience as the world was like to goe with them in those succeeding dayes when one friend and brother would betray another to death unlesse they would resolve to humour them at all turnes never contradict them or reprove them doe they or speake they never so crossely never speake against those faults which the world notes them to be guilty of for example if they be noted to be railers slanderers backe-biters whisperers censurers evill speakers of Rulers Governours men of place and authority why never find fault with them for these things never alleadge Scripture against these conditions but rather animate them in their way commend their zeale and against Gods word and conscience bee as they bee and doe as they doe or else no possibility of keeping them Nor fourthly it is not possidete opiniones vestras hold your opinions sticke close to your owne fancies what ever reasons shall be brought against them etiamsi suadent non persuadent tamen though you be convinced never so yet be sure you hold your owne be resolute for he knew indeed that men without bidding many of them would hold faster their opinions then the faith it selfe yea rather then they should sinke they care not though religion and peace and all goe to wracke they will turne every stone but their owne conceits shall take place Nor fifthly it is not possidete delicias vestras your delights your pleasures see you abate not your selves of them whatsoever plagues and judgements and miseries and troubles come amongst you follow your sports and pastimes your feasts and pleasures still Nor lastly it is not corpora vestra your bodies looke well to them that they pine not see they lie soft and be well fed drinke good store of Sacke and Sagar that your bodies may looke plump and faire and fat and be in good liking for all your troubles No Brethren here is not a word of any of all these things here is onely possidete animas vestras looke to your soules either because he fore-saw men were apt to be more carelesse of them then of other things and so needed to be called upon or else to teach them according to the doctrine that your soule above all things is to be cared for to be looked after And so it is by reason of its excellencie above all things which you may take a glimpse of from these three considerations I shall propouâ—d unto you which may serve for so many proofes and reasons of the point First consider that the divine graces of Gods holy spirit which of all things that can be imagined are the most excellent are appointed to adorne the soule of man now thinke if the hangings are so excellent what may you conceive of the roome for which they are appointed of the soule that is to be adorned sure that is most excellent and regardable above all things Secondly consider how he that best knew yea that only knew the worth of a soule for the truth is no meere man while he is in his mortall condition is able to set a true value upon the soule or to esteeme of it according to its worth but he onely that paid the price for it the Lord Jesus he alone knew the worth of it and consider how he preferres it above all the world Matth. 16. 16. What will it profit a man to â—inne the whole world and lose his owne soule the whole world it seemes is not worth one soule sure then it is to be looked after above all things Thirdly consider the price he gave for the soules redemption not any corruptible thing but the very precious life bloud of himselfe the sonne of God 1 Pet. 1. 19. any thing that is mortall may be valued by a mortall man and one earthly thing may be purchased by another but mans soule as appeâ—res is neither mortall nor earthly for the Sonne of God only is able to value that and his bloud onely to make purchase of it therefore sure to be esteemed above all things But perhaps you will say Doth not the text tell us it may be purchased by patience and we thereby may be they that may make purchase of it I answer True but Christian patience is no corruptible thing it is a vertue post funera vivit vertue never dies with the body but lives for ever Jobs body is dead but his vertue lives James 5. 11. You have heard of the patience of Job Patience is a Grace and Grace in the godly is never extinct as sinne is not in the wicked both grace and sinne goeth to Heaven or Hell as the foule doth and abides in it and with it for ever to beautifie or to torture it Besides you must not conceive that by your patience you shall make such a possession of your soules as Christ did by his bloud for he thereby purchased the fee-simple of them the full right both title and tenure from the
those servants Matth. 13. 28. think they cannot deale badly enough with ill men pluck up the tares presently doe any thing to them that are none of Gods couzen defraud rob steale from the Egyptians these are but usurpers but what said the Master to these servants no let them alone till the harvest friend you must hold your hands your time of commanding and adjudging is not yet come and in the meane time you must be commanded ruled and adjudged your selfe couzened defrauded and cheated and have your goods taken away and you must be patient and returne good to those that offer these things to you O this is brave doâ—trine for some whose practice is to offer wrong they hope it will tie honest men hands and tongues and spirits that they may wrong them as they please as the Usurer hoped that the Ministers preaching against usury would make his neighbours give over the trade and so his money should never lie dead by him for want of customers I wish Gods people would make but as good benefit of it for their soules as worldly men wil for their purses I have knowne a Minister by preaching peace and patience preach many of his people theeves and cheaters they would wrong him to his face and then tell him he must be patient and peaceable else he would contradict his owne doctrine 4. He that is truly patient must not onely returne good for evill and for beare to revenge when he hath power but he must be content to have the contrary reported of him namely that he returnes evill for good and is patient perforce because he cannot helpe himselfe I tell you this is a hard lesson yet you must learne it before you can enter Heaven gate whose motto is this Do good and heare ill none but such enter there it alwayes was and ever will be the worlds custome to father their owne vile conditions upon Gods people Tacitus tels us that when Nero had set Rome on fire he laid it upon the Christians 5. You must also be content that men should beleeve your enemies so reporting for men will so doe whether you be content or no if the Viper leaps on Pauls hand though he be the honestest man in the company yet all will conclude him to be the worst so if a viperous slanderer railer or whisperer laies hold of any honest Christian all hereby will conclude him to be according to what they see or hear the Psalmist saies every man is a lie and like loves like they will therefore naturally beleeve lies before truths and this vile people know will brag of as one told his Minister to his face that he could be beleeved before him by his betters you know the Proverb The more knave the better lucke well this you must be content wi thll if you be truly patient 6. And lastly you must be content that not onely the worser and common sort and strangers should beleeve of you the contrary to truth but that the better sort also even Christians and friends should beleeve such lies as the wicked raise and whisper against you and that they should suspect you to be guilty of all that is reported and thinke amisse and also speake amisse of yo that they should breake your head with their precious balms that their tongues which should heale your griefe should wound you and make your griefe bigger that they should also lay to your charge things you are not guilty of and interpret every thing at the worst and charge iniquity upon you thus Jobs friends good men honest men did by him and this you must be content to suffer it is more irksome to be ill thought of or ill reported by those that are good then by those that run into all excesse of riot it is matter of comfort rather that these like us not but I say if you be Gods he will try your patience even by the others by the best and you must bee content with it and wait with patience till the day come when hee shall make your righteousnesse appeare as the light and your just dealing as cleare as the noone day and in the meane time you must be content to live neglected and suspected you must be last and the least in mens esteeme but then the last will be first and the first last And thus Brethren I have taught you patience and I have tried your patience if I have done amisse I le doe so no more for thus much shall serve for this text this time and this place Gratia Gloria Deo Christo Jesu adjutori meo Amen FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON PREACHED IN ESSEX Anno 1641. Wherein is discovered the right spirit of the GOSPEL By EDVVARD SYMONS Minister of Rayne in Essex MATTH 21. 5. Tell the Daughters of Sion Behold thy King commeth unto thee meeke 1 PET. 3. 4. A meeke and a quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price LONDON Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Greene Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1642. THE RIGHT NATVRE AND Temper of the Spirit of the GOSPELL LUKE 9. 55 56. But he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them THese words doe note unto us Christs entertainement of a certaine motion that was made unto him by two of his Disciples in the former verse it was we see entertained with dislike for he turned and rebuked them for it and then he tels them the reason why he did dislike it because it proceeded from ignorance namely of themselves and also of him of themselves or of their owne spirits you know not what spirit ye are of And of him of the end of his comming for the Sonne of man came not to destroy mens liues according to the supposall of your motion but to save them Before we fasten directly upon the Text we must for our better proceeding a little consider of the motion and of the occasion of it The motion we have in the foregoing words Lord wilt thou thaâ— we command fire to come from Heaven and consume them as Eliâ—s did And the occasion which stirred their spirits to make such a cruell motion was the sight of the churlishnesse of the Samaritans for as appeares in ver 52 53. Christ was travailing towards Jerusalem and being benighted he sent his servants before him to take up a lodging in a village of the Samaritanes but they would let him have no lodging there because he was going to Jerusalem this was their churlishnesse And the roote of it as we may conceive was a certaine nationall hatred betweene the Jewes and the Samaritans which did arise from difference in opinion for as you may reade Joh. 4. 20. The Samaritans faid God must be worshipped after their fashion on their mountaine but the Jewes said and
for we grant that flesh and blood might have found reasons enough to burne the Towne had they beene consulted with for First Hereby there would such a feare have beene strooke into all the Townes about that Christ should have beene the more respected ever after he should never have beene denyed a lodging more Secondly Hereby Christ should have salved his reputation among his owne Country-men who thought very hardly of him for being so courteous to the Samaritanes they suspected him to love them too well insomuch that they called him Samaritan Thirdly It might have beene much to Christs reputation to have had Disciples that could doe as great things as Elias and fetch fire from heaven with a word as well as he But none of these reasons could sway with our Saviour the act being evill of it selfe he would by no meanes allow of it and thereby he teacheth us that we must not doe any evill that good may come thereon We must not mischiâ—fe a Sâ—mariâ—aâ—â— nor doe hâ—â—t to any sinner to doe any good to our selves to further our owne cause or opinions no nor to get respect to Christ himselfe or glory to God It was Jobs saying to his friends when they unjustly charged him with wickednesse because God had so afflicted him that they might as they thought justifie the Lord in those his dealings sayes he to them Will you speake wickedly for Gods defence will you speake deceitfully for his cause will you make a lye for him as one man useth to tell a lye for another surely he will reprove you God needeth not mans lyes to his glory he can carry out his owne worke and gaine respect to himselfe and cause without our indirect assistance But who doe you thinke will beleeve this report how long may we Preach before this Doctrine will be credited yet you see our Saviours carriage in this businesse of the Text doth warrant it for good he would not have any man hurt by any of his servants for his sake and so at another time when Peter drew his sword in his defence and strooke of Malchus eare He bad Peter put up his sword againe and he healed Malchus eare againe for sayes he the end of my comming was not to hurt men but to doe them good to save and not to destroy Christ would have no man hurt for his sake No no But we many of us will rather approve of the Jesuites and Popish way as being more agreeing to our reasons and to flesh and blood then this is and if by destroying and ruinating such and such we may but further the cause though not the Popish or Catholique cause as they terme it but perhaps the Puritan cause Christs cause as we call it why then we conclude it lawfull to doe any thing lye slander defaâ—e vex and â—njustly grieve the spirits of our opposites doe them what mischiefe we can possibly devise and be doing God and Christ good service all the while But alasse alasse if Christ were in the right we in this are much mistaken I know friends it is not safe for a Minister if he loves his credit his safety or his peace to say thus much in the hearing of some because it is contrary to their opinions but I hope though I dye for it I shall ever say Vivat Christus pereat Barrabbas let Christ and his truth flourish and be knowne and let Barrabbas and every false heart and way perish and be overthrowne But yet againe observe this motion of the Disciples was a revengefull motion they would have payed the Samaritans their owne againe and that with an overplusse they would have required churlishnesse with cruelty and therefore our Saviour doth utterly distaste their motion and thereby doth further teach us that They that will returne like for like inpoint of wrong or rather worse then is offered them arâ— not in that their way allowed of God Such may haply like of themselves and their owne wayes but Christ likes them not you see though in their relations they are never so neere unto him Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you there Christ gives the Precept and here you see he gives you his owne practice And so recompence no man evill for evill and see that no man render evill for evill to any man they are Evangelicall Lessons and must be learned by the professors of the Gospell nor were these precepts in the old law given to private men eye for eye tooth for tooth if they were they are out of date now Matth. 5. 38 39. c. but to Magistrates unto whom as being in Gods stead we may upon sufficient occasion declare our wrongs and what punishment is thereupon by them inflicted on our Enemies is done mediately by the hand of God to whom alone vengeance belongeth And yet neither must we make use of the Magistrates helpe purposely to revenge our selves upon an adversary for that were to make the Law the Magistrate and God himselfe too the instruments of our vile and malicious spirits no but onely to have Justice in a case of wrong as we must not rejoyce De malo inimici in the hurt of an eneny when we see it done so we must not ayme thereat before-hand but onely at the manifestation of Truth and Justice in our complainings But let me say this I am confident that at the great day that man shall have most honour and most comfort that hath put up his complaints immediately to God and referred most wrongs to him This therefore in a word discovers unto us that those spirits are not right and Christian that resolve upon it concerning others to give them as good as they bring and to deale with them as themselves by them have beene dealt withall and will be sure to indeavour it to the uttermost so long as or whensoever as power is in their hand they will persecute those that when time was did persecute them and be as mercilesse now as those were cruell when they were in place surely it becomes not Gods Children to walke in condemned paths to tread in those steps which themselves formerly did truely censure as Antichristian if cruelty and revenge be a sinne in any then most of all in Christs Disciples in Gods children whom it beseemes to approve themselves by their carriage toward their enemies to be of a better spirit then other men But I conclude this with Solomons advice Prov. 24. 29. Say not thou I will doe to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his workes and remember too whoever thou beest that there be with thee even with thee sins against the Lord thy God I proceed in the Text to our Saviours confutation of their motion and of their abuse of Elias example which they brought to warrant it and this he doth