meat make my Brother to offend I will never eat flesh more while the world standeth Paul was like some tender Mother who forbears to eat those meats that she might for fear of hurting the child that she gives suck to Thus you see he was a spiritual Father made up of love and surely my Brethren this affection in some degree is in all the true Ministers of Jesus Christ they are full of sympathy and bowels unto those over whom the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers I shall only glance at the Reason why it will be thus and why it should be thus that such flaming affections there should be in all Christs Ministers to their People It will be thus for these two Reasons briefly First From that Principle within that teacheth love Grace doth not fire the heart with passion but with compassion Grace in the heart of a Minister files off that ruggedness that is in his spirit making him loving and courteous Paul once breathed out persecution but when Grace came this Bramble was turned into a spiritual Vine twisting himself about the souls of his People with loving embraces Secondly There will be this ardent love in a Ministers heart from the spiritual relation that is betwixt him and his People he is a spiritual Father and shall we think him to be without bowels 1 Cor. 4.15 Though you have ten thousand Instructers yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Some he begets unto Christ others he builds up in Christ Doth not a Father provide cheerfully for his Children Can a Father see bread taken from his Child and not have his heart affected with it Is it not a grief to a Parent to see his Child put out to a dry Nurse Thirdly There should be this ardent love and affection in all Gods Ministers for this reason because this is the liveliest way to do most good knotty and stubborn hearts will soonest be wrought upon with kindness The fire melteth the hardest metal the fire of love with Gods blessing will melt the most obdurate sinner A Boanerges a Son of consolation who comes in the spirit of Love is the fittest to do a piece of Gospel-chyrurgery to restore and put such a one in joynt again that is taken with a fault Gal. 6.1 Restore such a one with the spirit of Love and Meekness Thus much in short for the Doctrinal part Give me leave now to make some Application And first here are several Inferences that may be drawn from this As First See here the right Character of a Gospel-Minister He is full of love he exhorts he comforts he reproves and all in love he is never angry with his People but because they will not be saved how loath is a Minister of Christ to see precious Souls like so many Jewels cast over-board into the dead sea of Hell a conscientious Minister would count it an unhappy gain to gain the world and lose the souls of his people he saith as the King of Sodom to Abraham Give me the Persons and take thee the Goods Gen. 14.21 The second branch of Information is this are true Gospel-Ministers so full of Love then how sad is it to have such Ministers put upon a people as have no love to Souls The work of the Ministry it is a labour of Lope Oh! how sad it is to have such in the Ministry that can neither labour nor love that are such as are without bowels that look more at Tyths than at Souls it must needs be sad with a people in any part of the world to have such Ministers set over them as either poisons them with error or do what in them lies to damn them by their wicked example How can the Devil reprove sin How can the Minister cry out in the Pulpit against drunkennesse that will himself be drunk Rom. 2.22 Thou that teachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man ought not to commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery We read that the Snuffers of the Tabernacle were to be made of pure Gold Exod. 37.23 those who by their calling are to reprove and snuff off the sins of others they should be pure Gold holy persons In the Law God did appoint the lip of the Leper should be covered he ought to have his lip covered he should not be permitted to speak the Oracles of God who though he be by Office an Angel yet by life is a Leper Thirdly See from hence the happiness of a Minister who is placed among such a people as give him abundant cause of love how happy is he that can say to his people from his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my dearly beloved And here let me speak by way of encouragement to you of this Parish I find St. Paul commending the good he saw in his people 1 Thess 1.3 We are bound to thank God always for you Beloved because your Faith grows exceedingly Here Paul is commending his People in imitation of the Apostle let me at this time speak a commendatory word to you I have exercised my Ministry now among you for almost sixteen years and I rejoyce and bless God that I cannot say the more I love you the less I am loved I have received many signal demonstrations of love from you though other Parishes have exceeded you in number of houses yet I think not for strength of affection I have with much comfort observed your reverent attentions to the Word Preached you rejoyced in this Light not for a season but to this day I have observed your zeal against Errour and as much as could be expected in a critical time your unity and amity this is your honour and if for the future there should be any interruption made in my Ministry among you though I should not be permitted to preach to you yet shall I not cease to love you and to pray for you but why should there be any interruption made where is the crime some indeed say that we are disloyal and seditious Beloved what my actions and sufferings for his Majesty have been is known not to a few of you but however we must go to Heaven through good report and through bad report and it is well if we can get to glory though we pass through the Pikes I shall endeavour that I may still approve the sincerity of my Love to you I will not promise that I shall still preach among you nor will I say that I shall not I desire to be guided by the silver thred of Gods Word and of Gods Providence my heart is towards you there is you know an expression in the late Act that we shall be now shortly as if we were naturally dead and if I must die let me leave some Legacy with you before I go from you I cannot but give you some counsel and advice for your souls and I hope there is no hurt in that There are
healing spirit This Legacy I would leave with you as matter of great concernment Labour mightily for a healing spirit away with all discriminating names what-ever that may hinder the applying of Balm to heal our wounds labour for a healing spirit discord and division becomes no Christian For Wolves to worry the Lambs is no wonder but for one Lamb to worry another this is unnatural and monstrous God hath made his wrath to smoak against us for the divisions and heart-burnings that have been amongst us Labour for an oneness in love and affection with every one that is one with Christ let their forms be what they will that which wins most upon Christs heart should win most upon ours and that is his own grace and holiness The question should be What of the Father What of the Son What of the Spirit shines in this or that person and accordingly let your love and your affection run out this is the tenth Legacy Leg. 11. Be most in the spiritual exercises of Religion Improve this Legacy for much of the life and comfort joy and peace of your souls is wrapt in it I say be most in the spiritual exercises of Religion There are external exercises as hearing preaching praying and conference and there are the more spiritual exercises of Religion exercises of Grace Meditation Self-judging Self-tryal and Examination Bodily exercise will profit nothing if abstracted from those more spiritual The glory that God hath and the comfort and advantage that will redound to your souls is mostly from the spiritual exercises of Religion How rare is it to finde men in the work of Meditation of Tryal and Examination and bringing home of truths to their own Soul Leg. 12. Take no truths upon trust but all upon trial â— Thes 5.21 So 1 Joh. 4.1 Acts 17.11 It was the glory of that Church that they would not trust Paul himself Paul that had the advantage above all for external qualifications no not Paul himself Take no truth upon trust bring them to the balance of the Sanctuary if they will not hold water there reject them Leg. 13. The lesser and fewer opportunities and advantages you have in publick to better and enrich your Souls the more abundantly address your selves to God in private Mal. 3.16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another c. Leg. 14. Walk in those ways that are directly cross and contrary to the vain sinful and superstitious ways that men of a formal carnal luke-warm spirit walk in this is the great concernment of Christians But more of that by and by Leg. 15. Look upon all the things of this World as you will upon them when you come to die At what a poor rate do men look on the things of this world when they come to die What a low value do men set upon the pomp and glory of it Men may now put a mark upon them but then they will appear in their own colours Men would not venture the loss of such great things for them did they but look on them now as they will do at the last day Leg. 16. Never put off your Consciences with any plea or with any argument that you dare not stand by in the great day of your account It 's dreadful to consider how many in these dayes put off their conscience We did this and that for our families they would have else perished I have complied thus and wronged my conscience thus for this and that concernment Will a man stand by this argument when he comes before Jesus Christ at the last day Because of the Souls of men many plead this or that Christ doth not stand in need of indirect wayes to save Souls he hath ways enough to bring in Souls to himself Leg. 17. Eye more mind more and lay to heart more the Spiritual and Internal workings of God in your Souls than the External Providences of God in the World Beloved GOD looks that we should consider the operations of his hand and the despising the works of his hands is so provoking to him that he threatens them to lead them into Captivity for not considering of them But above all look to the work that God is carrying on in your Souls not a Soul but he is carrying on some work or other in it either blinding or enlightning bettering or worsâ—ing and therefore look to what God is doing in thy Soul All the motions of God within you are steps to eternity and every soul shall be bless'd or curss'd saved or lost to all eternity not according to outward dispensation but according to the inward operations of God in your Souls Observe what humbling work reforming work sanctifying work he is about in thy spirit what he is doing in that little world within If God should carry on never so glorious a work in the world as a Conquest of Nations to Christ what would it advantage thee if Sin Satan and the World should triumph in thy Soul and carry the day there Leg. 18. Look as well on the bright side as on the dark side of the Cloud on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark side of Providence Beloved there is a great weakness amongst Christians they do so pore on the black side of Providence as that they have no heart to consider of the bright side If you look on this black side of the Providence of God to Joseph How terrible and amazing was it But if you look on the bright side his fourscore years reign How glorious was it If you look on the dark side of the Providence of God to David in his first years banishment much will arise to startle you but if you turn to the bright side his forty years reign in glory How amiable was it Look on the dark side of the Providence of God to Job Oh! how terrible was it in the first of Job but compare this with the last of Job where you have the bright side of the cloud and there God doubles all his mercies to him Consider the patience of Job and the end that the Lord made with him do not remember the beginning only for that was the dark side but turn to the end of him and there was his bright side Many sins many temptations and much affliction would be prevented by Christians looking on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark Leg. 19. Keep up precious thoughts of God under the sowrest sharpest and severest Dispensations of God to you Psal 22.1 2. and 3. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent There was the Psalmist under smart dispensations but what precious thoughts hath he of God under all But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praise of Israel though I am thus
they can bring nothing to perfection it brings a brawn and a deadness upon the Conscience and Affections there is nothing that hardens the heart so much as the softness of carnal pleasure Jude 19. Sensual having not the spirit Sensuality quenches our natural bravery and briskness of spirit that becomes a man much more doth it hinder the sublime operations of the spirit of God Well then remember Christians you are not only Travellers by the way but Runners in a Race If we were to speak to you only under the notion of Travellers in a way this were enough to wean you from the delights of the flesh 1 Pet. 2.11 As strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which was against the soul The more you indulge these fleshly lusts the more you hearten and strengthen the great enemy of your souls and starve the better parts but you are as Runners in a Race by this Metaphor the duty is more bound upon you much more should you beat down the body and keep it in subjection the Apostle hath a notable word 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it in subjection c. I heat down my body you must either keep under pleasures or pleasures will keep you under for a man is soon brought under the power dominion and tyranny of evil customes and me so bruitish pleasure by indulging the lusts of the flesh 1 Cor 6.12 Be but a little addicted to an one thing and you are brought under the power of it the flesh waxes wanton and imperious and a slavery grows upon you by degrees The more you cocker carnal affections the more they increase upon you and therefore you must hold the reins hard exercise a powerful restraint Solomon in his Penitentials gives us an account of his own folly and how fearfully he was corrupthis way Eccles 2.20 Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them I with-held not my heart from any joy c. This was that which brought him to such a lawless excess and at length to fall off from God When we give nature the full swing and use pleasure with too free a license the heart is insensibly corrupted and the necessities of life are turned into diseases and all that you do 't is but in compliance with your lusts your eating and drinking is but a mea-offering and drink-offering to lusts and carnal appetites I remember Solomon saith Prov. 29.21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his Son at length i.e. allow a servant too much liberty and he will no more know his condition but grow contemptuous bold and troublesome so it is here We are all the worse for license natural desires unless they feel fetters and prudent restraints grow unruly and excessive And therefore it is good to abate the liberty of the flesh that the body may be a servant and not a Master when you deny your selves in nothing but satisfie every vain appetite a custom grows upon the foul and Intemperance proves a Trade and an habitual distemper so that you cannot when you would upon prudâ—m and pious respects refrain and command your desires and therefore 't is good sometimes to thwart and vex the flesh as David poured out the water of Bethelem that he longed for 2 Sam. 23.17 not to deny our selves in what we affect and covet lust grows into a wanton and bold and imperious and so prescribes upon us and we are brought under the power of these things 2. The business and cares of this world for these immoderately followed and not in obedience to God are a sore burden and makes the soul heavy and allows no time and strength for God and his service and those happy opportunities of private communion with him when we are incumbred with much service we neglect that one thing necessary Luke 10.42 and therefore Christians must take heed that the lean kind do not devour the fat that Sarah be not thrown out of doors in stead of Hagar that Religion be not thrust to the walls which should be our prime and chief business while every business hath its time and course The Scriptures knowing the proneness of our hearts to temporal things deals with us as we do with a crooked stick we bend it so much the other way and therefore sometimes they forbid necessary labour John 6.28 Labour not for the meat which perisheth c. the meaning is not chiefly but it bends the stick another way set not your affections on the things of the earth A man must have some kind of affection to hiâ— work here below but we had need to be bent the other way We may gather 〈◊〉 is from this Precept 't is better incroach upon the world then the world should incroach upon Godliness In short things are a burden and clog to us according as our delight and scope is if the pomp and increase of the world be our end and scope then Religion will be looked upon as a burden that will be a weight and all duties of godliness as a melancholy interruption as they Amos 2.8 When will the Sabbath be over The exercise of godliness will be a troublesome thing and we shall go about the work of Religion as if we went about it not But on the other side if Heaven and heavenly things be our scope then the world is a burthen and then we shall use it in the way but not abusing as taking up our rest here 1 Cor. 7.31 32. Man hath a body and soul and he doth provide for both but for one in subordination the soul is the chief and therefore we must not so look after the interests and concernments of the bodily life as to forget the interests of the soul or to neglect them Many will not so grosly idolize present things so as to renounce things to come I but they so often follow the things of the world that they neglect their eternal concernments The happiness of a people in communion with God and therefore that must be looked after we must take heed that the cares of the world have not such a hand and power over us as either to divert us from or unfit us for these higher and nobler pursuits the enjoyments of God in Christ This is the first thing the Apostle speaks to these spiritual Racers to lay aside every weight that is the delights of the flesh and the cares of the world Secondly The next thing to be laid aside is sin which doth so easily beset us As we must guard against things without so we must mortifie our corrupt inclinations within or else it will soon make us weary of our heavenly Race or faint in it Sin you know is two fold Original and Actual Actual sin is not meant primarily for that is not peccatum agens the sin that easily besets us but peccatum transiens the sin that passes from us and original sin is that which is semphatically called
Hearts hear what the Text saith A New Command I give unto you c. Wherein First you have the Command A New Command I give unto you It is not left to our discretion but we are bound to it by vertue of a Command A New Command I give unto you Secondly This Command is enforced by Gods own example as I have loved you It is called a new Command but Love is an old Command this Law is written in the Nature of Man It is engraven in every mans heart by Nature and it is an old Command because found among Gods antient Statutes the antient Records of his Law I but 't is a new Command too because pressed by a new Example of Christ As I have loved you so do ye love one another Doct. Christians ought to make Conscience of this duty of loving one another Confident I am We shall never see Religion thrive in the World until we see this Grace of Love flourish in the heart of Christians Nor the illustration of this proposition I shall do these two things First shew you the truth of this Love Secondly the extent of this Love First Truth of this Love If you love one another saith Christ see you do it purely not dissembling but from the heart 1 John 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth dissembling love is like painted fire that will never warm we must not be like the Bee that hath honey in her mouth but withal hath a sting in her tail we must not pretend to love to have honey in the mouth but withal have the sting of malice in the heart no said the Apostle Let us love in deed and in truth Secondly Extent of our Love this Fountain of Love must run in three streams 1. We must love all men love their persons although we must not love their sins we have all the same make the same lump and mould and therefore must love there is a natural Love that every creature bears to his own species and kind 2. Our love must especially stream out to the Saints of God the houshold of Faith It is with our love as it is with our fire you keep fire all the day upon the Hearth but upon special occasions you draw it out larger so our Love must always burn to all I but to the Saints you must draw out the fire inlarge your affections we must love as God loves he doth especially love the Saints love every creature with a common love but especially the New Creature and indeed there is that in every true Saint that may excite and allure our Love What are the Graces of the Spirit but so many pearls to adorn the Bride of Christ What is holiness in the heart 〈◊〉 the imbroidery and curious Workmanship of the Holy Ghost here is enough to entice and draw out our Love and Beloved if we love the Saints for their Graces then we love all the Saints And here I beseech you consider these six pariculars First We ought to love the Saints in what condition soever they are although they be poor in the world low in their condition for commonly so it is They that have the lowest hearts have the lowest condition too I read of the King of the Moors that he was offended at the Christians because of their poverty and truly when wicked men do fleece the Saints it is no wonder if they be poor methinks grace in a poor man is like a Pearl that lies in the dust or like a cloath of Gold that is hid under Rags you must love the Gold that is the Grace notwithstanding the Rags The poorest Saint alive hath the Angels riches the poorest Believer is a Member of Christ and shall we not love him we love the picture of a friend although it be hung in a mean frame we must love a rich Christ in a poor man Secondly We are to love the people of God although they have many weak infirmities shew me the man that is perfect and let him throw the first stone even the best Saints like the Starrs they have their twinkling they have their blemishes and their failings in some there 's too much pride in others too much censoriousness in others too much rash anger and passion but we must love the Grace that is in them notwithstanding the infirmities that are in them you love Gold though in the oar and mixed with much impurity a Saint on earth is like a Diamond that hath its flaw like to the Rose that is sweet and perfumed but yet hath its pricks The best Saints have some mixture and infirmity and we must love them for the good that is in them this is our great fault we are apt to over-look all the good and so take notice of the stain and blemishes in them as those that see a little stain in a piece of Scarlet despise the cloath for the stains sake so do we But God doth not do so by us he is pleased to over-look many sad failings he seeth the Faith and winks at the failings of his people you that cannot love a Brother because you see an imperfection in him would you have God do so by you would you have him damn you for every blemish of sin Thirdly We must love the Children of God though weak in parts all are not born Politicians But though the Saints of God have not always so good intellectuals as others yet if they have good Vitals and the life of Faith in them love them for that Grace you do not despise your Children because they are weak but you love them because they are your Children Oh! do not despise a Saint because he is of low parts but love him as he is a Child of your Heavenly Fathers Fourthly We are to love the Saints of God though in some lesser things they differ from us if they keep the foundations of Religion and hold the Head Christ yet we are to bear other things one Christian hath more light than another and shall we un-saint all that cannot come up to our light It s great wisdom to separate between the precious and the vile O what a blessed place will Heaven be because there our light shall be clear and our love shall be perfect And that is the fourth Fifthly Love the Saints of God when reviled and persecuted a bleeding Saint should be the object of our love Onisiphorus saith Paul was not ashamed of my chain a sign he loved Christs Graces in Paul Christ Jesus loveth no Saints more than his persecuted Saints his Martyrs have the highest Thrones reserved in Heaven for them we must love to see Christs Livery upon a man though sprinkled with bloud he that is ashamed of a persecuted Saint will never suffer for a crucified Jesus Sixthly We must love the Saints of God though their Graces may eclipse and out-shine our Graces Beloved in the sweetest fruits worms are apt
little business will buy a Priesthood and so they are said to be without the true God without a teaching-Priest and without Law Mark what followes And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Country and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity 3. Safety and security goes when the Gospel goes so in the Text but now cited The Ark was taken away their strength and safety was gone When the Jews rejected the Gospel the Romans came and took away both their place and Nation John 11.48 If we let him thus alone the Romans will come and take away both our place and Nation About forâ—y years after Titus and Vespasian took away their City they cried If we let this man alone the Romans will take away our Nation and this was the ready way to bring the Romans upon them 4. When the Gospel goes Civil liberty goes when the Jews slighted the Gospel and turned their backs upon it they quickly became Bondslaves to the Romans 5. When the Gospel goes the honour and glory splendour and beauty of a Nation goes It is the Gospel that is the honour and beauty of a Nation and when that goes all the glory goes As old Eli said when the Ark was taken away the glory was departed from Israel 1 Sam. 4.22 Jer. 2.11 12 13. Hath a Nation changed their gods which are yet no gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit that is the Worship of God into the Traditions of men What is it that lifts up one Nation above another but the Gospel Above all Nations of the Earth England hath been lifted up to Heaven 6. When the Gospel goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes The Gospel you know is the means appointed by God to bring Souls to an acquaintance with Christ to an acceptance of Christ to an interest in Christ to an assurance that he is theirs and they are his Now when this goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes 7. When the Gospel goes the spiritual presence of God goes for that still goes with the Gospel There is a general presence of God as the Psalmist speaks Psal 139. Where shall I go from thy Spirit Whither shall I fly from thy presence This presence of God reacheth from Heaven to Hell in that sense God is included in no place nor excluded out of any place But alas What is this general presence When the Gospel goes the special presence of God goes This leads me by the hand to the third Query Query 3. And that is this Whether God will remove the Gospel from England or no It is the fear of many but I humbly suppose No whatsoever darkness may be upon it yet that God will not remove it if you please I will offer a few things that signifie something as to my own satisfaction and it may be so to you 1. The rooting that it hath got in the hearts of sinners and Saints in the Judgment Affections and Consciences both of sinners and Saints Certainly it hath got so deep a root in the hearts of many thousands of Saints and sinners that it shall not be in the power of Hell to raze it out 2. The glorious anointings that are to be found upon many thousands of Gods servants in this Nation to preach the everlasting Gospel and who would be glad to preach upon the hardest terms keeping God and a good conscience to preach it freely as the Apostles of old did And certainly God hath not laid in the Treasure that it should be turned into a heap of confusion but that it should serve to the end for which he laid it in 3. The ineffectualness of all former attempts and designs to destroy the Gospel You know what endeavours of old there hath been to darken this Sun to put out the light of Heaven in the Marian dayes and in other dayes since them and yet it hath not been in Prisons Backs Flames Pillories nor any thing else to extinguish the glory of it And then 4. All Designs and Attempts to extinguish the everlasting Gospel have turned to the advancement flourishing and spreading of the Gospel 5. God never takes away the Gospel from a people till the body of that people have thrust the everlasting Gospel from them When indeed they have been so bold as to thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath been severe unto them But till the body of a people have thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath not taken it away from them 2 Chronicles the 36. Chapter from the 15th verse to the end God sent his Messengers early and late they abused slighted and scorned them till there was no remedy So in the 35. of Jeremiah from the first to the twelfth it is a famous Text for this So in the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts and the 45 46 and 47. verses Because you haue thought your selves unworthy of Salvation Lo we turn to the Gentiles till the Jews came to thrust away the everlasting Gospel the Lord continued it to them 6. The spreading of the everlasting Gospel is the special means appointed by God for the destruction of Antichrist First he is to be consumed by the spirit of his Mouth then destroyed by the brightness of his coming the spirit of Faith and prayer in them that would be willing to lay down any thing rather than part with the Gospel God will not put his blessed Church to the blush he will not make them ashamed of their confidence 7. Are there not multitudes of the Children of Believers that fall under many promises And will not God make good his engagements to them I will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your seed and the seed of the Vpright shall be blessed c. 8. The strange and wonderful affections and tenderness that God hath wrought in his children to the Gospel What meltings and mournings and what a spirit of prayer hath God put upon his people 9. There are many young tender plants and buds of Grace such in whom the spirit of God hath stirred a hungering and thirsting and longing after the great concernments of Eternity I would upon these grounds and others of the like import hope and believe that the Lord will not remove his everlasting Gospel however he may correct his people for their trifling with and slighting the glorious Gospel I have several times thought what a day of darkness was upon the World in respect of sin and superstition When Christ brought the everlasting Gospel what a day of darkness and superstition was on the whole Earth But you know what the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe When it is nearest day then it
Conscience is awakened by the Spirit in the Ministry of the Word herein 't is powerful and efficacious There are divers instances in Seripture how powerful the Word hath been in point of Conviction in Felix the Apostle Paul preached to him of righteousness and judgement to come c. he trembles The Judge at the Bench trembleth at the Word delivered by the Prisoner at the Bar So powerful is the Ministry of the Word as to discover our sinfulness So the Disciples going to Emaus their hearts burnt within them when our Saviour opened to them the Prophets c. So it was with St. Peters Auditors Acts 2. they were pricked in the heart when they heard this he did preach to them in the power and demonstration of the Spirit and plainly discovered that sin that they were more especially guilty of and when they heard that they were pricked in the heart c. 2. It was a Word of Conversion also Conviction is one thing and Conversion in anoâ—her Sometimes men may be convinced and yet have no change wrought in them therefore Conversion is another work it is a turning men from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God c. To receive an inheritance among them that are sanctified Herein is the Word powerful viz. in Regeneration I have begotten you by the Word to a lively hope c. Of his own will hath he begotten you c. 4. It is a word of comfort and consolation it is a powerful word and able to comfort the heart and the Ministry is very effectual herein when set on by the Spirit to quiet satisfie and pacifie the Consciences of men which declareth the remission of sin and whosoever's sins are forgiven must needs be comforted Indeed it is not in the power of men to forgive sins yet they can speak a word of comfort in season by the administration of the promises the Spirit of God going along with them and then they are not onely declarative but operative Where I say it pleaseth God to bless and sanctifie the Word it is effectual for quieting of the minde for pacifying of the conscience and setling of the troubled soul Thus you see how powerful the Ministry is and seeing it is so this should teach us how to behave our selves under it it is powerful in it self and powerful in its dispensation and hath none of that weakness mentioned before of the dispenser of it 'T was with you saith St. Paul in much weakness and in fear and in trembling 1 Cor. 2 3 4. And my speech was in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power These may seem to be contradictory but 't is answered the Word is powerful in the demonstration of the Spirit though delivered by one of humane weakness as before is declared This spiritual power we should look at and labour after which power doth not consist in matter of elocution the inticing words of mans wisdom nor in matter of voice which indeed is a good thing and suitable to the nature of the matter A quick and powerful delivery is of great efficacy and power for the setting home of truths Yet this doth not make a powerful Ministry for a whisper in the ear may cause a thunder-bolt in the conscience the power lies first in the nature of the matter the matter consists in the nature and condition of Mankinde the certainty of the Judgement the necessity of Christ the Covenant of Graceâ— and the graces and priviledges thereof c. These carry a great deal of power and effiacy with them when they are carefully and frequently dispensed and Gods Spirit going along with them so they become powerful for the Ministry consists not in empty notions and speculations that will onely fickle the fancy but never reach the conscience Moral discourses though they be of great use yet if we rest in them they leave us as they found us Evangelical truths which are manifold are to be delivered in the Ministry Now as the matter of the Ministry must be powerful so the expression must be powerful there should be suitableness of expression to the matter i. e. with gravity sobriety and affection c. Strong lines make but weak preaching and take away the efficacy but delivering truths in the demonstration of the spirit and in power that is most effectual when we speak feelingly and from our hearts it comes then through the blessing of the Lord with it with power This is then to learn us of the Ministry viz. 1. Use Let us be careful that the matter of our Ministry be powerful so that the handling and dispensing thereof be powerful that so it may come home to the conscience thus we should deal with all The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Ministers of the Assemblies c. So our words should have a force and power in them This as the Apostle says is mighty and powerful to the beating down of strong holds c. Vse 2. Secondly In reference to hearers seeing the Ministry is powerful you must then submit your selves to the power of it Many people are Sermon-proof and think to stand out against the power of the Word but if it comes in power to the conscience they will not be able to resist it as it is said of them in the Gospel They were not able to resist the Spirit by which he spake viz. Stephen And for those that desire the conversion of others what course should be taken by them for that end but by good counsel instruction prayer and good example to endeavour them and more especially to bring them to the Word and administration thereof which God hath sanctified for this end So much for the excellency of the Gospel viz. The excellency of the power c. I come to the second 2. The Author of it 1. Positively it is of God And 2. Negatively it is not of us First Positively it is of God and that in all the considerations of it in the full extent of it it is of God So the Ministerial gifts the performances of it and the success of it are all from God First Ministerial gifts are from God it is he that makes us able Ministers of the New Testament There are saith the Apostle Paul diversity of gifts to one is given the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit c. 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. It is God that bestows every good gift Secondly The performance also is from God his grace concurrs and assists therein the habit and the act are both from him God gives gifts to men and he enables them to dispense them Ministerial employments are not onely for general but particular applications and so need not onely general but particular assistances That I might be enabled saith Saint Paul to fulfill the work c. the Lord stood by me and strengthened me that my preaching might be fully accomplished It is God
Martyrs 7. And lastly the Remish religion is a self-contradicting religion One of their Canons saith a man in some cases may take the Sacrament at the hand of an Heretick another Canon saith he may not A learned and judicious Writer observes above an hundred Contradictions in their Religion Therefore again I press the words of my Text Wherefore my beloved nay let me say my dearly beloved flee from Idolaâ—ry To shut up all let me exhort you to these two or three things First Hold fast the Doctrine of the true Orthodex Protestant Religion the very filings of this gold is precious Keep all the Articles of the Christian Faith if you let one fundamental article of your Faith go you hazard your Salvation When Samson pulled down but on Pillar immediately the whole Fabrick tumbled so if you destroy one Pillar if you let go one Fundamental of Truth you endanger all Secondly Hold forth the profession of the Protestant Religion I say do not only hold fast the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion but hold forth the Profession of the Protestant Religion Be not ashamed to wear Christs Colours Christians remember this one thing those Persons that are ashamed of Christ are a very shame unto Christ The Religion I exhort you to flee from is a novelty that which I press you to stand to is a verity it is consonant to Scripture it is built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and hath been sealed to by the blood of many Saints and Martyrs Thirdly and lastly do not only hold fast and hold forth but also adorn the Protestant Religion this is holy Pauls Exhortation to Titus Tit. 2.10 Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour Adorn Religion with a holy Conversation There is nothing hardens Papists so much as the loosness of Protestants Therefore adorn your holy Religion with a holy Conversation Do as Christ did tread in his steps make your Saviour your Pattern Let me assure you I can hardly think they do truly beleeve in Christ that do not really conform unto Christ The Primitive Christians Sanctity did much-what propogate Christianity And this is that beseech you carry home with you Hold fast and hold forth the Protestant Religion and adorn it with a Holy and Bible-Conversation and when you do not hear me Preaching to you yet let me beseech you hear this good Word speaking in you Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Consider what hath been said and the Lord make it advantagious to all your Souls The Prayers of several of these Divines Mr. Calamy's Prayer at Aldermanbury OH most Holy thou ever blessed Lord God thou fillest Heaven and Earth with thy Presence We pray thee fill all our hearts with the Presence of thy Grace and let it appear that thou art in the midst of us with that powerfull assistance of thy Spirit that we may receive a token of thy love from thee at this time It is a singular favour that the doores of thy Sanctuary are open to us and that yet we may meet together in thy Name we pray the continue it to us and sanctifie it to us that every Sabbath may add to our stature in Jesus Christ We confess we have forfeited all our mercies wee have heard much of God and Christ and Heaven with our ears but there is little of God Christ and Heaven in our hearts We confess many of us by hearing Sermons are grown Sermon-proof VVe know how to scoff and mock at Sermons but we know not how to live Sermons It is a miracle of free grace thou hast not taken the Gospel from us ere this time but thou art a merciful God and though we cannot please thee yet Mercy pleaseth thee and we have no argument to bring along with us to beg thy favours but thy Mercy in Jesus Christ We pray thee that thou wilt glorifie thy Soveraignty in being gracious to us and pardon our many and great transgressions Thou makest use of the malice of men for thy Glory Thou killest Goliah with his own Sword O help us to put our trust in thee thou that canst kill and cure by killing Blesse these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and find out yet a way to save us Pour down thy blessings upon the head and heart of our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace King of Great Britiain thou hast done great things for him let him do Great things for thee Bless him in his Royal Consort in his Royal Relations in his Council Bless the Magistrates and Ministers of this Realm Lord forgive us for we live as if we had been delivered to work wickedness we cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do we pray thee humble us under our great and grievous sins give us repentance unto Salvation and a lively Faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ Quicken our graces forgive our sins make alive our Souls let us be such as thou wouldst have us to be make us Christians not only by an outward Profession but an inward Conversation that we may live in Heaven while we are on Earth and come to Heaven when we shall leave the Earth To that purpose bless thy Word unto us at this time and give us all grace to make conscience of what we hear and how we hear and all for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be all Glory and Honour Amen Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane ETernal most Mighty and most glorious Lord God thou art God alone and besides thee there is no Saviour or helper our strength stands in thy Name who hast made both Heaven and Earth of our selves we are able to do nothing that is pleasing in thy sight we can pollute thy Name but we cannot honour thy Name we can run away from thee but we cannot run unto thee unless thou dost powerfully draw us by the holy spirit We can grieve thy spirit but we cannot grieve for grieving of thy spirit Oh let thy strength be manifested in our weakness look upon us with the favour thou bearest to thy children Enter not into judgment with thy servants for we cannot answer thee one of a thousand not one thought of a thousand thoughts not one word of a thousand words most of our actions have been reproveable and the best of our services have been unprofitable our omissions commissions and presumptions have been multiplyed intolerably Oh! how often have we take 〈◊〉 Name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often haâ—â— we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sins and from committing sins to the confessing sin again as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty Though we know thy Favour is better than life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into tears for our unkindnesse and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs have
not beat folly out of our hearts We have been unprofitable all our days some have done thee more service in one year than we in all our time We have forgotten thee in the day of prosperity and sung a lullaby to our own Souls Oh that we could speak these things with broken and bleeding hearts But as in the time of our ignorance we could sin without reluctancy so now we can sin without repentance Oh that thou wouldst smite the rock that there might flow out tears VVe can do nothing by way of expiation if we would weep out our eyes nothing but the blood of Christ can take away our guilt O that there might be a spring of that blood upon our souls at this time Oh that that blood may at this time bring a report of love and a message of mercy to us Do we beg any more than thou hast promised Oh hast not thou accepted of that satisfaction that Christ hath made in his own person If we had suffered the torments of Hell it could not have made that satisfaction that Christ hath made Give us the witness of thy spirit and thy Love and we will say we have enough give us hearts of flesh crush the head of the serpent in our souls O Lord Christ thou camest into the world to destroy the works of the Devil in our hearts and to build up the Kingdom of the spirit in us Oh when shall we see the old man decay in us and the new man to live more and more O be wisdom to guide us and Righteousness to cleanse us from guilt and redemption to deliver us from the wages of sin let us be nothing in our selves that we may be all in thee our saviour Oh honour us so far that we may honour thee VVe pray thee strengthen our weak saith quiet our consciences we would not live a day longer than that we may honour thee tread Satan under our feet fit us for our places and imployments let not our conditions be so low but that our hearts may be lower we are posting to death Oh let sin die before we die let us know our names are written in the Book of Life before thou take away our life Look upon thy servant our dread Sovereign Charls of Great Britâ—â—â—n France and Ireland King oh inrich his Royal heart with all those saving graces of thy Spirit in order unto a wise and happy Government of these Kingdoms Look upon his Royal Consort his Royal relations the Lords of his Privy Council and make them blessings to this Nation oh sanctifie thy good word oh give thy gracious assistance to us both in speaking and hearing let us hear it as that word by which we must be judged that we may be convinced by it and say it is the power of God to salvation to every soul of us Let our meeting be for the better to all of us that we may be built up in the most holy Faith and let us know we have not sought thy face in vain for Jesus Christ his sake our dear Saviour for whom we bless thy Majesty to whom with thee and thy Spirit be praise for ever Amen Mr. Jenkin's Prayer at Christ Church MOst blessed and holy Lord God thou art infinitely beyond our apprehensions who wast infinitely happy before the worâ—d was made and wantest none of thy creatures nor their services to make thee more excellent than thou art in thy self we daily want thee thou never wantest us thou art pleased to make use of ordinances Ministers Sabbaths as thy Institutions to accomplish and bring about the great work of thy Glory and mans Salvation yet Lord thou dost not need them thy Spirit is not made efficatious by these things but it is that that makes these things efficatious though thou art pleased to tie us to them when we may have them and duly enjoy them yet thou dost not tie thy self to them We desire in these our addresses to eye the happiness of Saints that depends upon him that depends upon none we are here in thy presence by thy goodness and grace O whither should we go but to thee and how should we come but by thee Oh strengthen our faith kill our corruptions inflame our love give us assurance of thy love to our souls oh that God would teach us how to pray that we may taste and see how good the Lord is this day that our souls may be filled as with marrow that we may by our own experience be able to say It is good for us to draw nigh to God and that a day in his house is better then a thousand elsewhere that there may be a communion between us and God let there be a disunion between us and sin we confesse we brought sin enough into the world with us to cause thee to with-drawâ—th blessed self from us and to cast such unproffitable servants as we are into utter darkness we have been a long time in thy school and yet how dull are we we might have been teachers of others but we need our selves be taught which are the first Principles of the oracles of God we love less than we know and we do less than we love we have neither done that good nor received that good which we should or might have done and received We have been trees that have cumbred the ground in thy orchard but we have brought forth no fruit Wo unto us that we have not known the day of our visitation many of us have one foot in the grave and yet we have lived without God in the world we are wise in every thing but in our own Salvation we live as if Hell were a priviledge those of us that have some knowledg of thee have great cause to repent that we have walked so unworthily of God Which of us pray continually and fervently or live the life of saith we confess we neither take our afflictions humbly nor our mercies thankfully nor want our comforts contentedly nor fill up our relations fruitfully We live as if Hell were a scare-crow as if all the threatnings of thy word were an empty noise as if there were neither sweetness in Heaven nor bitterness in Hell When we come into thy presence where are our hearts what earthly dispositions do we bring along with us the sins of our Prayers cry louder then the Supplications of our prayers what hypocrisie and formality cleaves unto us If thou dost not look upon the iniquities of our holy things with an eye of pitty what will become of us O Lord be pleased to smell a sweet savour of rest and peace through thy dear Son O Lord it is only his precious Blood that can sprinkle our hearts and quiet our Consciences and no other thing We do renounce our own Works and we cry out in our selves Undone undone It is through thy beloved Son that we are accepted and therefore to that end bring us to him by a saving operation on thy part
meek spirits as Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises There is as much in the Promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Shower down thy blessings even the choicest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies let him count those his best subjects that are Christ's subjects Bless him â—n hâ—s Royal Consort in his Royal Relations the Lords of his Privy Council let them be a terror to eviâ— doers and incouragers of those that do well Bless all thy Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them Oh pour in Wine and oyl into our souls let us be a watered garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust and nourishment for our Grace Hear us be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce to Christ with thee and thy holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen Mr. Lye 's Prayer at Allhallows Lumber-street O Lord our great God thou canst do all things for thou dost dispose and govern all the wayes and works and words of thy Creature to thâ—ne own praise We thy poor Creatures the workmanship of thy hands the price and purchase of thy Sons blood do desire this morning to fall down and humble our selves at the Throne of thy Grace we desire to lift up an eye of Faith to thee that thou mayest dart an eye of Love to us since thou hast commanded us to come unto thee Oh bless us now we come Let it not be in vain for any of us from the high'st to the low'st from the richest to the poorest that we have sought thy Face this morning Blessed Father pour down a spirit of Prayer a Spirit of preaching a Spirit of Rejoycing a spirit of Practising in the midst of us let us not only be enabled to know what to do but to do what we know Thou that distd cure the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle Oh heel that natural dimness that is in the best of us Thy Rod in the hand of Moses brought water out of the Rock Oh do thou strike upon those rocky hearts that our adamantine hearts being softned may gush out into Rivers of tears Oh drown our sins in the Red sea of our saviours blood help us to smite upon our thigh and to ask our selves what we have been and what we have done and humble us under the omission of any commanded duty and the comission of any for bidden sin sins of thoughts wordes and dieds sins against the Law against the Gospel of youth manhood and old-age sins before under and since conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths Oh Lord if thou didst prefer thy Bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the balance of the Sanctury we should be found too light but holy Father remember not against us our former sins but rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquities blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judath in the promise that the sins of Judath should be sought for and not found O bathe our souls in that Fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as Scarlet let them be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson let them be like Wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains Oh let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins We desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the spirit of Christ to wash us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the Law but under Grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland It is thy promise that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Oh let thy people possess the Land from Dan to Beersheba Oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy VVord be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a Refiners fire to purge our dross and take away our tin And holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept to the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zalmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us Oh put upon uâ— all the whole Armour of God Now in these days of Errour gird us with the Girdle of Truth Oh now in these days of falsity give us a helmet of Hope Now the Devil darts at us give us the Sheiâ—d of Faith Oh give us the Sword of the Spirit of the word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain-saying of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly fervently faithfully feelingly that we stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and it is doubled upon the Lords day Oh let us be as thy servant John in the Spirit upon thine own day let God by his Spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy Word Enable thy Servant to deliver thy Word faithfully God forbid thy Servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the Wisdome of Man one iota of thy Word hath more wisdome in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played
Others say he sinned in numbring all ages whereas he was to number but from twenty years but these are conjectural reasons I conceive the sin of David was because he did it without a lawful call and for an unlawful end Sine causa legitima he sinned in the manner rather than in the matter for there was no cause for him to number the people but curiosity and no end but vain-glory Go through all the tribes of Israel and number the people that I may know the number of my people v. â— Davids heart was lifted up with pride and creature-confidence he begins to boast of the multitude of his people and to trust in an arm of flesh therefore God sends the Prophet to David to prick the bladder of his pride as if God should say I will teach you to number the people by lessening the number of your people Now the burthen of his sin did add much to the burthen of this heavy message vers 13. After David had numbered the people his heart smote him the message smites him and his heart smites him and he said I have sinned greatly in that which I have done now I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly If David had been to suffer this great punishment out of love to God or for a good Conscience he would not have been so distracted There are two sorts of straits in Scripture some suffered for God and a good Conscience and there are straits suffered for sin 1. There are straits suffered for God and a good Conscience Heb. 11.36 37. those Martyrs there were driven to great straits but these were straits for God and a good Conscience and these straits were the Saints greatest enlargements they were so sweetned to them by the consolations and supportations of Gods Spirit a Prison was a Paradise to them Heb. 10.34 they look joyfully at the spoiling of their goods Acts 5.41 They departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Straits for a good conscience are greatest enlargements therefore St. Paul glorieth in his strait Paul a Prisoner c. 2. There are straits suffered for sin and these are envenomed by the guilt of sin sin puts poyson into all our distresses and perplexities Now such was the strait into which David was now driven it was a strait caused by fin and that made it so unwelcome and uncomfortable so that from hence I gather this Observation Doctrine That sin and iniquity brings persons and Nations into marvellous labyrinths and perplexities into time real and great molestations and a man free from sin is free in the midst of straits a man guilty of sin is in a strait in the midst of freedom After Adam had sinned in eating the forbidden fruit the whole world was a prison to him Paradise it self was an Hell to him he knew not where to hide himself from the presence of God After that Cain had murthered his Brother Abel he was brought into such a strait that he was afraid that every one that met him would slay him Alas poor Cain how many there was then in the world We read but his Father and Mother yet such was his distress teat he cryeth out every one that met him would slav him Gen. 4.14 Into what a strait did sin bring the old world the deluge of sin brought a deluge of water to drown them Into what a strait did sin bring Sodom and Gomorrah the fire of Lust raigning in Sodom and Gomorrah brought down fire from Heaven to destroy them Sin brings external internal and eternal straits upon persons and Nations 1. Sin brings external straits Sin brings Famine Sword and Plague Sin brings Agues and Fevers Goâ—t and Stone and all manner of Diseases yea Sin brings death it self which is the wages of sin Read Lev. 26. and Deut. 23. and you will see a black Roll of curses which were the fruit of sin Sin brought Sion into Babylon and when the Jews had murthered Christ forty vears after they were brought into that distress when the City was besieged by Titus Vespatian that they did eat one another the Mother did eat her Child that whereas David had a choice which of the three he would have either Famine Plague or Sword the poor Jews had all three concatenated together in the siege Sin brings all manner of external Plagues 2. Sin brought persons and Nations into eternal straits sin brings soul-plagues which are worse then bodily plagues sin brings hardness of heart blindness of mind a spirit of slumber a reprobate sense sin brings a spiritual Famine upon a Land it brings a Famine on the Word Amos 8.11 Sin causes God to take away the Gospel from a people sin brings internal plagues sin awakens Conscience and fills it full of perplexities Into what a strait did sin drive Judas after he had betrayed Christ Into what a strait did sin drive Spira Saint Paul glorified in his tribulations for God but when he speaks of his sin he cryeth out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death David a valiant man when he speaks of sin saith they are too heavy a burden for him to bear A wounded conscience who can bear saith the wise Man 3. Sin bringeth eternal straits O the strait that a wicked man shall be brought into at the great and dreadful day of Judgment when all the world shall be on fire about him when he shall call to the Mountains to hide him and to the rocks to cover him from the wrath of God then will he cry out with David I am O Lord in a great strait And when the wicked shall be condemned to Hell who can express the straits they then shall be in Bind them hand and foot and cast them into everlasting darkness Mat. 25. When a wicked man shall be bound with ever lasting chains of darkness then he will cry out I am in a great strait Consider what Dives saith to Abraham he desires that Lazarus might but dip the tip of his finger in water and that he might cool his tongue not his whole body but his tongue but that would not be granted It is impossible the tongue of man should set out the great straits the damned suffer in Hell both in regard of the greatness and everlastingness of them This is all I shall say for the Explication Vse 1. I chiefly aim at the Application Doth sin bring Nations and Persons into external internal and eternal straits then this sadly reproves those that chuse to commit sin to avoid perplexity There are thousands in England guilty of this that to avoid poverty will lye cheat and couzen and to gain an estate will sell God and a good conscience and to avoid the loss of estate and imprisonment will do any thing they will be sure to be of that Religion which is uppermost be it what it will
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world So that we have many fellows our lot is no harder than the Saints of God that have gone before us for there is a Cloud of Witnesses 3. Observe the Apostle calls it a Cloud that compasses us round about i.e. We have instances for every Tryal Temptation Duty that we are put upon Here we have examples of those that have fulfilled the commands of Christ on this side with an undaunted courage and the examples of those that have born the Cross of Christ with an invincible patience here we have examples of those that have conquered right-hand temptations that have despised the delights of the world and there are those that have conquered left-hand temptations that have not been broken and affrighted with the terrors of the world all the Saints of God have trodden that way the same paths wherein we are to walk after them we cannot look this way or that way but we have instances of Faith confidence in God and patience we are compassed about c. In short here lies the encouragement that Christians should propound to themselves 1. That there are examples Christians of latter times have more to answer for their infidelity than those of former Ages they that first believed the promises believed without such a cloud of witnesses or multitude of examples many have gone before us that have broken the Ice and that found good success from their own experience they have commended God to us as a true and faithful God and will not you go on When Jonathan and his Armour-bearer climbed up the Rocks of the Philistins then the people were encouraged to go up after so here are some that have gone before you and it hath succeeded well with them 2. These examples are many not one or two that might be supposed to be singularly assisted and to have eminent Prerogatives above the rest of their brethren but many in every Age a whole cloud of them 3. There are examples of many rare and excellent men the best that ever lived under Heaven Take my brethren the Prophets for an example c. Jam. 5.10 4. They are propounded to us not for their words only and for their profession but for their deeds for their bitter sufferings and they abundantly manifest to us that there is nothing impossible in our duty or any thing so difficult but may be overcome through Christs strength enabling us They all had the same nature we have they were of the like passion with us flesh and blâ—od as we are of the same relations and concernments and then on the other side we have the same cause with them the same recompence of reward to encourage us the same God and Saviour to recompence us he suffered for us as well as for them therefore we should follow in their steps and hold fast our confidence to the end for they have shewed us that poverty reproaches death it self and all those things that would look harsh and with a ghastly aspect upon the eyes of the world are not such evils but that a Believer may rejoyce in them and triumph over them I say they have shewed the blandishments of the world have not such a charm but they may be renounced without any loss of considerable joy and contentment and that the duties of Christianity are not so hard but that a little waiting upon God will bring in grace enough to perform them therefore saith the Apostle Seeing we have a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside c. And so I come to the Encouragement to the Second thing and that is the duty here pressed 1. Here is the privative 2. The positive part of our duty Here is Mortification and Vivification Mortification Let us lay aside c. Vivification Let us run with patience c. In both the branches he alludes to terms proper to Races In a Race you know men strip themselves of their cloaths and whatever is burdensome and heavy that they may be the more light of foot and so the Apostle bids us lay aside every weight and they do withal diet themselves that they might have no clog from within 1 Cor. 9.25 Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things i.e. They took care that they did not clog and indispose themselves for the race they were to run but they verily run only for a corruptible Crown we for a Crown that is incorruptible and glorious so according to this double practice of Races we are to cast aside every weight from without c. So here 's a double object laâ—ing aside every weight and of sin There 's onus externum the weight without that presses us down and hinders our speed and then there 's impedimentum internum there 's sin that which weakens within by reason of the former we make little speed by reason of the latter we are often interrupted and therefore we must do as they that they might be swift and expedite lay aside ever weight and be more temperate in â—lâ— things Herein a Runner in a Race differs from a Traveller a Traveller strengthens himself for his Journey as well as he can his cloaths on sometimes carries a great burden with him but a Runner of a Race makes himself as light as he can But to come more particularly to the words First lay aside every weight By weight is meant those things that burden the soul and make our heavenly progress more tedious and cumbersome and by weight is meant I think the delights and cares of the world the multitude of secular business all our earthly contentments and affairs so far as they are a burden to us hinder us in our way to heaven these must all be put off Luke 21.3 4. saith Christ Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life c. The heart that is deprest cannot be so free for God and the Offices of our heavenly Calling when we give way to surfeiting drunkenness and cares of this world 1. The heart may be overcharged with the delights of the World Surfeiting and Drunkenness must not be taken in the gross notion you must not think of spewing reeling vomiting as if to avoid these were a full compliance with Christs direction the heart may be over-charged when the stomack is not there is a dry drunkenness and a more refined surfeiting and that is when the heart grows heavy unfit for Prayer relishes not the things of the Spirit when the delights of the Flesh clog the wheel abate that vigour and chearfulness that we should shew forth in the worship of God and holy Actions when the delights of the flesh withdraw us from that watchfulness and diligence that is necessary in taking care for our souls then the heart is overcharged voluptuous living is a great sin it choaks the seed of Piety so soon as planted in the heart so that
sin Rom. 7.8 Now this original corruption may be considered as meerly native or as acquired and improved into evil customes and habits for according to mens tempers and constitutions as they are severally disposed so by the corruption of nature they are inclined to one sin more than another as the chanel is cut so corrupt nature findes a vent and issue every man there in some predominant sin and in every regenerate person some reliques of that sin from whence is the greatest danger of his soul thus David speaks of his iniquity Psal 18.23 Well then this is that sin that doth easily boset us original sin improved into some tyranny or evil custome which doth increase and prevail upon us more and more Now this is said easily beset us for three reasons Partly because it hath a great power and restraint over us and implies the whole man the members the body the faculties of the soul so great an interest hath it acquired in our affections it doth easily beset us it hath great power and command over us Partly because it sticks so close that we cannot by our own strength lay it aside Jer. 13 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his sports c. A man can as soon change his skin as lay aside his customes that are so deeply engraven as the blackness of an Ethiopian or the spots of Leopard And partly because it mingles it self with all our motions and actions Rom. 7.21 c. It easily besets us 't is present with us it impels us and sollicits us and draws us to sin further and further and doth make us negligent in what is Gods we cannot do or speak any thing but it wil infest us in all our duties of Piety Charity Justice on every side it is interposing vexing thwarting the motions of the Spirit and so abates our strength vigour and agility and retards our course towards heaven and glory therefore lay aside as every Weight so every Sin c. Quest Now what is it to lay aside or how can we lay aside since sin sticks so close to us and is engraven in our natures Answ Certainly something may be done by us for this is every where pressed as our duty Ephes 4.22 Put off the old man and 1 Pet. 2.11 we may put it off more and more though we cannot lay it aside Then we are said to lay aside the sin that so easily besets us when we prevent and break the dominion of it that it shall not reign over us Rom 6 12. Let not sin reign c. Though it dwells in us lives in us and works in us yet it should not overcome us and bring us into bondage and so it will not be imputed to our condemnation and at length when then the soul shall be separated from the body we shall be wholy free from it Quest I but what must we do that we may so repress it the question returns that we may break the dominion of it Answ I answer this is the work of the Spirit of God but we must know the Spirit of God doth work the work of mortification two waies by Regeneration and after Regeneration By Regeneration and so he doth immediately without any co-opperation of ours mortifie the deeds of sin gives sin its death-wound that which is left is a thing mortified it broken The Scripture often speaks of this first work of Regenration Rom. 6.6 Colos 2.11 First when we are planted into Christ then we put off the body of sin and though it doth not presently die yet 't is weakned that it cannot reign though it be not destroyed 2. After Regeneration the Spirit doth more and more destroy sin the relqiues of sin this crucified body of sin till it dieth wholly away this he doth in us but not without us Rom. 8.13 Through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Not the Spirit without us nor we without the Spirit but ye through the Spirit What is then required of us 1. Seriously purpose not to sin and promise to God to yeild him unfeigned obedience Especially should we make this promise in the use of those solemn Rites by which the Covenant between God and us is confirmed Take up a solemn purpose not to grive the Spirit nor to break his Law Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements This purpose of heart is the root of all good actions therefore in the confidence of Gods help in the sense of thy own weakness Psal 119.32 we cannot lay wagers upon our own strength yet 't is our duty to engage our hearts to God To sin against the light of our own conscience and illumination of the Spirit and the chastening and instruction of our own reins that aggravates our sin but to sin against and besides our fixed purpose of not sinning that lightens sin for then 't is a sin of weakness and infirmity not of wilfulness and malice and then we can say as Paul Rom. 7.19 When the heart is fixedly bent towards God The evil which I would not that do I Two wayes may we be said to sin against purpose either when we are over-born besides our purpose or our purpose still remaines to please God As when the water breaks over the bank the bank remaining in such a case the fault is not in the bank but in the violence of the flood Or 2. when we break off our purpose or consent to do evil as when we cut thorow the band the water may easily make thorow Ther 's a great deal of difference between sin dwelling in us and sin entertained by us between sin remaining and sin reserved when you have a firm purpose against all sin there is sin remaining but 't is not reserved 't is not kept and allowed 2. Watch over thy self with a holy suspicion because thou hast sin within thee that doth easily beset thee therefore consider thy wayes Psal 119 59. Guard thy senses Job 31.1 but above all keep thy heart Prov. 4.23 Conscience must stand Porter at the door and examine what comes in aad what goes out watch over the strategems of Satan and seducing motions of thy own heart 3. Resist and oppose strongly against the first risings of the flesh and the tickling pleasing motions of sin that doth easily beset us when it doth entice us away from God or do any thing that is unseemly contrary unto the duties of our heavenly calling Oh remember we are not debtors to the flesh Rom. 8.20 Thou art tyed to the Lord by all obligations and indulgencies therefore break the force of sin by a serious resistance check it and let thy soul rise up in indignation against it my business is not to pleasure the flesh but to please the Lord. 4. B. wail thy involuntary lapses and falls with penitential tears as Peter went ouâ— and wept bitterly Mat. 26.57 Godly sorrow is of great use for laying
honour in the World they shall be sure of this that abundance of peace and joy and comfort shall possess their souls that keep their garments White they shall walk in the inward White of joy and peace with Jesus Christ and this is a blessed reward Indeed now this joy this White of joy arises in the Soul three wayes 1. From the testimony of their own Consciences O they who have a good testimony from their own consciences walk in White 2 Cor. 1.12 We have this for our rejoycing the testimony of our consciences that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in Heaven that is walking in White this is our rejoycing our conscience speaks well of us and kindly to us and who is able to express the sweetness of this thing None can know what this is but they that have it as it is said of the New Name written upon the White Stone Rev. 2.17 'T is a thing beyond expression what the joy and peace of a good Conscience is Now this I say that our White garments and our walking in White ariseth from the testimony of our Consciences 2. As from the testimony of our Consciences so from that testimony which is greater than our Consciences the Spirit shedding abroad of Divine Love thus it is with those that do not defile their garments but endure any thing rather than defile their garments Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in tribulations knowing tribulations worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed and whence was all this because of the Holy Ghost which was given to us this causeth joy unspeakable The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God This witness doth cause wonderful joy much more than the witness of our own Consciences 3. This joy doth arise from a well-grounded hope which that soul hath that keeps himself clean hope of enjoying Heaven at last hope of future glory is our present joy Rom. 5.2 By whom also we have access by faith into his grace even we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Now they who keep their garments white have good ground of hope of the love of God therefore this must needs cause them to walk comfortably as they who have this hope purifie themselves so they who purifie themselves have good ground of their hope and therein great cause to rejoyce 1 Pet. 1.5 6. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through many temptations We walk in white in hope we have of that inheritance now lay these three things together If they who keep their Garments undefiled have the testimony of their own consciences and the testimony of the Spirit shedding the love of God in their hearts and a well-grounded hope of future glory how can it be but these must walk in white with Jesus Christ that is in comfort and joy of the Spirit and of their own spirits Thus David walked he had abundance of joy upon his conscience of his own integrity and of keeping his heart and hands clean from those iniquities his enemies charged him with Psal 3. The Lord shall judge his people Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me He appeals to the Lord the Lord shall judge his people Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness Thus he appeals to God himself he had so much confidence and his heart gave him he kept himself from those sins So Job walkt in white though his friends black't him exceedingly yet he walkt in white in his conscience Job 16.10 Behold my witness is in Heaven and my record is on high I have not only a witness in my conscience but my witness is above He walkt in white notwithstanding all his afflictions from God and his friends Hezekiah walkt in this white when death looked him in the face Lord thou knowest I have walkt uprightly with thee I need not stay in the proof of the thing let me make some Use and Improvement of it Vse Is this blessed reward to those who keep their garments white to walk in the white of peace and joy then here we see the happiness of all those who are true to Christ and his ways Psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. 'T is just in the language of the Text they indeed shall walk in white it is a great part of our blessedness to have peace of conscience and inward joy Oh how much better is it than the peace and joy of this world and the comforts of this world Prov. 15.13 A merry heart or as another translation saith A good conscience and indeed a merry heart and a good conscience do but one explain the other a merry heart or a good conscience is a continual feast Here is no surfeiting in this feast but a continual musick continual joy and comfort Oh how blessed are they who are undefiled in the way That which Christ said of the Lilly Solomon in all his Glory was not arrayed like one of these so may I say of the Lilly-white soul that keeps himself white in the world who keeps himself white in matter of practice and worship Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Lilly-white ones Oh the Rivers of Consolations that flows to them that keep themselves out of the puddles of the world if you keep your selves from the puddles of the world from the dung of the world ye shall have rivers of joy flowing into your souls I may say to all such as Solomon saith Eccles 11.9 Go thy way it is a familiar speaking to them Go thy way blessed soul eat thy bread with joy though the world feed thee with the bread of adversity and though the world give thee nothing but the water of affliction yet let thy Garments be always White though the World cloath thee in mourning and cause thee to prophesie in Sackcloth with the Witnesses yet be of good comfort O Lilly-white soul for God now accepteth thy works now drink thy Wine with a merry heart thy labour thy ambitious labour is that whether present or absent thou mayest be accepted of him thou hast the fruits of thy labour the Lord accepts thy works therefore rejoyce in it Here is the happiness of those who keep themselves clean from a defiled and a defiling World 2. This point gives us an account why the servants of Christ stand so strictly upon their terms with the World even while some call it peevishness others ignorance others wilful stubbornness What is the reason the reason is because they understand in some measure and have had experience in some measure what it is to walk in some measure with Christ
express so little to our Brother 'T is an Argument we know not of what spirit we are of as Christ told his Disciples Oh! how unlike to that God whom we profess to be our God He is long suffering patient full of goodness gentleness mercy c. we can bear nothing we can suffer nothing one from another 13. Our great murmuring against Reformation and Reformers God hath heard the voyce of our murmuring Exod. 2.6 As if there had been nothing that would have undone us but Reformation and truly God seems to speak such a word as that was Numb 7.5 in displeasure and anger I will make your murmuring to cease I will take away the cause of your murmuring I would have reformed you and you would not be reformed As Christ to Jerusalem I would but you would not Mat. 23. The time may come when we would and God will not when we shall cry Other Lords have had dominion over us c. Isa 26.13 but thou Lord set up thou thy Government rule thou over uâ—â— and God may say No 't is too late I would have healed you and you would not be healed 14. The great neglect of the care of our Families Truly 't is not the least sin that threatens the removal of our Candle-stick How generally have the duties of Religion been let fall in our families reading the word singing Psalms c. time was when one could not have come through the streets of London on an evening in the week-day but we might hear the praises of God singing of Psalms now 't is a stranger in the City even upon the Lords own day Oh! how have Governours of Families cast off the care of the souls that God hath committed to them How careless are they of the souls of their yoak-fellows that lye in their bosome of their Children the fruit of their loins Masters of their servants c. And in the mean time are ready to stand up and justifie themselves with the boldness of Cain to say to God Am I my brothers keeper Am I the keeper of my yoak-fellows Childrens servants souls Yes thou art the keeper c. God hath put them into thy trust and if they perish through thy fault they may die in their sins but their blood shall be required at thy hand God will say to thee as he did to Cain Thy Brothers blood cryeth in my ear 15. Our indifferences as to matter of faith and doctrine That we have not been more zealous for the Truth of Christ that great trust and depositum which hath been committed to us We have accounted it no matter of what opinion or judgment men be in these latter times 'T is an universal saying No matter what judgment men be of so they be Saints as if truth in the judgment did not go to the making up of a Saint as well as holiness in the Will and Affections As if Christ had not come into the World to bear witness of the truth which was his great design as if it were no matter if God have the heart so the devil be in the head as if no matter that be full of darkness so the heart be for God 16. The unsuitableness of our conversation to the Gospel of Christ 'T is the only thing the Apostles puts the Philippians in mind of and commits to their care Phil. 1.27 and truly in these unhappy dayes it hath been the only thing men have neglected and despised how little care that our conversations should honour the Gospel c. 17. Our living by sense and not by faith Surely my Brethren among all the sins in England that the people of God have cause to be humbled for there is not any whereby we have more provoked God than by that sin of our unbelief murmuring and infidelity have been our two great sins for which it is the wonder of Gods mercy that he hath not caused our carkasses to fall in the Wilderness he may take up that complaint of us that he did of Israel Num. 14.22 Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I diâ—â—â— Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voyce surely they shall not see the Land c. And this is the lamentation we may take up that truly to this very day we have not faith enough to carry us from one miracle to another from one deliverance to another from one salvation to another let one deliverance pass over our head and no sooner one Wave rises higher than another but we are ready to cry out with Peter Lord save me I perish and well were it if our fears did issue into tears and cryes after Christ we rather are ready to cry out as those in Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are out off for our parts We are a people that never knew how to honour God in any distress God hath brought us into never learnt to glorifie God by believing if we cannot see him we cannot believe him surely that which God hath done for us in such a succession of miracles it might well at least have been found for our faith during our so journing In our Pilgrimage we might have learned by all that we have seen to believe God we might have made experience to be the food of our faith and upon all the Providences of Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness we might have discoursed our selves into belief as David 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon and of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine So Paul He hath delivered and doth deliver we trust he will also deliver Oh my Brethren we dishonoun God and starve our faith by forgetting our experience while we proclaim by our own unbelief that we have a God that we dare not trust If we perish we may thank our selves for it surely if we miscarry that account may be given for it that we find Mat. 13 58. Because of our unhelief There is a rest of God before us if we do not enter in it is because of our unbelief 18. Went of sympathy with the bleeding gasping groaning dying Churches of Jesus Christ They have been in great afflictions round about have call'd to us pitty me Oh pitty me my friends for the hand of God is gone out against me We cannot look any way but we see cause of bitter mourning but we have not laid the blood of Germany Lituania Piedmount c. to heart therefore God may justly lay it to our charge Want of fellow-feeling with our Brethren in their afflictions it is a kind of persecution a kind of being accessary to their sufferings That we have not mourned wept bled with them that we have not lien in the dust smote on our thighs c. God may justly say to us as Ames 6.6 7. They shall go captive with the
heart that the sanctifying knowledge of God hath warmed your affections captivated your souls that God be in throned in your hearts by the belief and knowledge of your minds Know your selves so as to be humble know Christ so as he may be sweet unto you and exalted by you set up Christ in your souls nearest to your hearts know sin so as to hate it c. 'T is the entertainment of the good things of the Gospel by the will that is the principal part of your Religion 'T is a matter of lamentable consequence in all your lives when there is not a sound work at the heart how little life will there be from any truth in reading or hearing The Fundamentals of Religion must be so received as not only to have an old heart mended but a new heart made Thus understand believe and give up thy heart to that thou believest and understandest 2 Know and remember the work of your Salvation must be as long as your lives and that you have never done till you have done living I give this direction because I find something in Christianity the remains of earnality is apt to hinder c. And some professors when converted they are reconciled to God and safe c. but there 's a great deal to be done after c. 3. Understand well wherein it is your confirmation stability rootedness and growth in Religion doth consist The chief part of your growth in grace is not to know more things then you knew before but to grow in the knowledge belief entertainment and improvement of the same truths that at first you did receive not that you may not or should not know more for the clear knowledge of the fundamentals guide you unavoidably to the sight of many other Truths which a darker knowledge of those Fundamentals will not discover to you 'T is not additional to your former knowledge but the clearer known sounder believing heartier entertaining and improving of the Truths you know at first as the health of a man consists not in having every day variety of food but in the parting and digestion of the same food that 's fittest for him get but a more perfect conviction or concoction of what you knew before and this is your growth You may grow in the knowledge of Gods Attributes by knowing them more clearly orderly distinctly satisfactorily and believingly then before There is a world of difference in the manner of knowledge between a dark and clear knowing things grow in greater love to them and greater skill in entertainment improvement and practise of them 4 Grow downward in humility and inward in the knowledge of your selves and above all maintain a constant abhorrence and jealousie of the sin of pride grow in humility and fly from man keep a constant apprehension of your unworthiness and weakness of the odiousness and danger of sin of spiritual pride so called because exercised about spiritual things of being puft up with pride of any thing in your selves of being too confident in your selves be low in your own and expect not nor desire others good thoughts of you Humility lies not in humility of opinion of speech garb or carriage but in opposition to high thoughts of our own parts gifts godliness when we think of these above their worth still remember Psal 25. Prov. 26.19 Isa 57.15 John 20.29 as ever you would grow in grace and be confirmed Christians keep a low esteem of your selves be mean in your own eyes be content to be mean in others and hearken not to secret flatterers that would puff you up Take heed of any thing that would puff you up c. 5. You must understand that you are Disciples in Christs School where Ministers are his teachers and guides the Ordinances his means for his peoples good and the Scripture the book you must learn therefore keep in this order keep under these guides commit your souls to those that are faithful and fit for souls to be entrusted with and when you have done with humble submissiveness to their teaching keep in this School under those Officers in their Discipline and dwell in the Catholique Church and Communion of Saints and understand the duty of Pastours and people Heb. 13.17 18. 1 Thes 5.12 Obey them that have the rule over you If God had seen the poor Christians sufficient to support themselves he would never have made it the duty of all to be marshalled and rankt in several schools ranks orders and all to walk in this order to heaven If you with-draw from under Christs Officers and Ordinances you are in danger of being snatcht up as straglers Q. What shall we do who shall we take for our guides if God take them away c. A. 'T is not the denial of publick liberty that loses that relation between a Pastour and his flock nor any word from man should cause a poor soul to trust its self for guidance of salvation to one that is not able a mans soul is not to be hazarded upon damnation by being deprived of the Officers and Ordinances of Christ and cast upon the conduct of a blind guide meerly for the pleasuring of a meer man 6. Be sure you understand the nature of Church-union and necessity of maintaining it and abhor all ways that are truly Schismatical that would rent and divide the Church of Christ As you must not under pretence of avoiding Schisme cast your soul upon apparent hazard of Damnation so you must maintain the necessity of Church-union and Communion when Christs Members walk in Communion with Christs Members supposing that which is singular to the generality of judicious men Take heed of any thing that would with-draw you from the communion of the generality of those that are found in the faith Take heed of with-drawing from the main body of Believers Christ is the head of his Church he will never condemn his Church walk in those substantials Christs Church hath walked in Divisions amongst Christians is a sin God hath described as odious and tending to the Ruine of Christians Be very suspicious of any that would draw you from the main Body of Believers and keep communion with the Universal Church of Christ with the generality of the godly in love and affection c. 7. Be sure your own hearts and ways be the matter of your daily study and when hypocrites have their work abroad let yours be much at home while they make it their business to censure this and that man let the main of your business be in pressing the inward of your own hearts in keeping all right between God and you Observe your hearts inclinations If any inordinate inclination after any thing set a special guard mark which way your thoughts go that you may know your inclinations by your thoughts In an especial manner preserve tenderness of conscience fear of sin loathfulness to displease God Let Truth have the mastery maintain such a conscience that dares not
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation and usually we have most of consolation from God when we have most of tribulation from without as our sufferings do abound so our consolations doth abound much more The childe that is beaten when it is well is cherished when it is ill when persons are sick then you give them Cordials God gives the best of comforts in the worst of times when the burden is heavy upon the back then the peace of conscience is great within the worse it is without the better it is within when men discover most of anger God discovers most of love Fifthly God is with such in his strengthening presence to enable them and to support them to undergoe what ever he is pleased to call them unto this is the way of our good and gracious God he always gives out strength as he layes on affliction he never leaves his children alone in this respect he will be with them to support them though it may be not to deliver yet he will certainly be with them to support the Rod and the staff they go together Psal 23.4 the afflicting Rod and the supporting staff when one is upon the Saint to afflict then the other hand is underneath the Saint to support Isa 41 10. I will uphold thee I will strengthen thee fear not I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness This David found I cryed unto the Lord in my distress he answered me and strengthened me in my inward man Psal 138.3 Oh! when men afflict God supports when men puts the children of God into the deep waters then God takes them by the chin and holds them up that they shall not sink and be drowned Sixthly God is with them in his sympathizing presence Oh he hath a tender sense of all the sorrows and calamities of his people Oh it grieves him that they are grieved they that touch thim touches the apple of his eye in all their afflictions he is afflicted Saul Saul why persecutest thou me every blow that is given to them God bears a part of it himself as they are sensible of Gods dishonour so God is sensible of their suffering it pains him to the very heart to see his children wronged and abused by a malicious World Seventhly He is with them by his sanctifying presence all their troubles are to do them good and to make them good and therefore the Furnace it is but to refine them from their drosse the pruning-hook of affliction it is but to cut off their luxuriant Branches God takes the sharp knife into his hand and lances them but it is only to fetch out their corruption By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Eightly God is with them by his quickening presence to make their Prayers more fervent to make their requests to the Throne of Grace more Importunate The Children of God cry most to him when they suffer most from men and their prayers are best when their condition is worst Prayer shortens Affliction and Affliction heightens Prayer God is with them to hear their Prayers Oh the prayer of the Afflicted that comes up to Heaven God hears the sighs and groans of his oppressed ones their tears pierce the Heavens they call upon God in time of trouble and pour out their sorrows before the Lord and he doth hear them Ninthly God is with them by his raising presence to raise up their hearts higher to elevate their souls and bring them more near to himself Gods people when they meet with troubles in the World Oh! nothing so sweet unto them as the enjoyment of God then no life so sweet unto them as the life of Faith then they relish a sweetness in the promise then every smile of God oh how welcome is it then all the affections of their souls center in God and run to God as in Winter-time all the sap of the Tree runs to the root in Summer-time it spreads it self in the body but in the Winter goes to the root when a man is sick all the blood goes to the heart so in a suffering condition all the affections of the soul go to God But now what are the reasons why God will not leave his people that thus desire to please him Why God loves them therefore he will not leave them persons we love we cannot leave especially when they are in a distressed condition and as God hath set his love upon them so they have set their love upon him they love him Psal 91.15 you have there an expression Because he hath set his love upon me therefore I will deliver him He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble God is a God of bowels of great pity and compassion and therefore he will not leave his people in a time of distress you know bowels how they stand in you towards them that are in misery it goes to the heart of a merciful man to leave a person in misery Oh how great are the bowels and compassions of God! It Ephraim my Son is he a pleasant Child Oh my bowels are turned within me I will have mercy on him 2. Such as please God shall have his presence under sufferings because now they need God most if God will not leave his people as to temporal supplies because they need such and such things they need meat and they need cloathing surely much more God will not leave his children as to spiritual supplies under times of distress because then they need God Oh what can a Believer do or what can a Believer suffer when God leaves him his strength is in God his support is in God his comfort is in God his All is in God and therefore if God now leave him what will become of him he needs God at all times but never so much as when his condition is dark and troubled What was Sampson that man of so great strength when his hair was gone and what is a Believer when his God is gone 3. God loves to see his people chearful in a time of suffering and therefore he is with them he loves not that they should walk dejectedly When God is present Paul and Silas can sing in Prison the Apostles can rejoyce that God honours them to be reproached for him When God is present the people of God are not only chearful under tribulation but can glory their cross is their Crown but if God be with-drawn what can there be drooping hearts and pensive sorrows 4. God will not leave them because they will not leave him God will not leave them because they suffer for his sake were they not tender of Gods glory and careful to please him they might be free from suffering as well as others but it is for Gods sake they suffer For thy sake we are killed like sheep all the day long Lastly It is thus
man that shall dye or of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy maker Oh poor Creature who art thou that goest about to please a mortal dying man and dost not go about to please the great God thy Creator and Sovereign 2. Consider that relation wherein you profess your selves to stand to God he is your Master you his servants he is your Father you his children he is your Lord you his subjects You know all that are in close relations will study to please them that are above them as the servant his Master the childe his Father the subject his Prince All persons that are in a state of inferiority will study to please their superiors especially when they do depend upon them Oh! how infiuitely is God above those relations Alas there is but a very little distance betwixt you and your servants and yet you expect they should please you will you not therefore please God especially considering your dependance upon him 3. You shall not loose by pleasing God that is enough to put us upon this He that pleaseth God profiteth himself in that very act wherein we please God we profit our selves men can do but little for us yet for what they can do we study to please them Let me open this in a few particulars 1. If you will sincerely endeavour in all things to please God God will give you a gracious return to all your prayers Oh what a mercy is this for a man to have his prayers answered by God! 1 John 3.22 Whatever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his sight Never expect that God should hear any prayers if we do not endeavour to do those things that please him 2. Do you please God then he will please you mercy pleaseth us and duty pleaseth God Now when we please God in a way of duty he will please us in a way of mercy If we order our ways so as to please God he will order his ways so as to please us 3. Great is the benefit of pleasing God even as to men and this Solomon sets before you Prov. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him and he hath such another expression Prov. 22.11 He that loveth pureness of heart the King shall be his Friend the meaning of this Scripture is this when we keep close to God and walk in compliance with his Will and make it our great design to please him he will give us to sind favour in the eyes of men He that maketh God his friend God will make that mans Enemies to be his friends Men are possibly full of anger revenge and exasperation be it so Do you desire to please God God can turn their hearts towards you God can sweeten them in their spirits and take away that venome that is in them so you know he did in the case of Esan to his Brother Jacob. 4. This is the way to Heaven and Happiness God will be pleased before the sinner shall be saved Heb. 11. Enoch before his translation had this Testimony That he pleased God there is no way to Heaven but this the Child pleases the Father and then the Father gives him the Inheritance So it is here 5. Let me return to the Argument in the Text God will never leave them alone that desire sincerely to please him Methinks this should be a very prevailing motive to you especially now please God and he will never leave you no not in a time of distress and trouble Here is the great difference betwixt a faithful God and a false man In time of trouble and adversity men leave us and forsake us in time of prosperity then they flatter us and pretend a great deal of friendship and kindness but as no man looks upon a Dial when the Sun is under a cloud so these very men that pretend so much of kindness and friendship if so be we do but come under a frown or into trouble then their friendship and kindness is at an end as Paul said No man stood by him when he came to be tried before Nero all men forsook him but God did not forsake him The wise man hath an expression Prov. 17.17 A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity but where shall we find such a friend or indeed such a brother But now if you will please God he will stand by you when all men leave you when you have the greatest need of God he will then stand by you if you be in a Prison he will be with you if you be banished he will be with you if sin doth not part God and you certainly no affliction shall part God and you Study to please God oh is it not a sad thing for God to leave you that is the saddest of all when we lose God then we lose all Hos 9.12 Woe unto them when I depart from them What are all the mercies if God leave you no more then if a man had a fair pleasant House and should never see the Sun more Oh do the things that always please the Lord and he will never leave you under mercies under afflictions he will be with you and then your mercies shall be very sweet and your afflictions shall not be very bitter You know how earnest Moses was Num. 10.13 with his father in law Hobab the Midianite Leave us not I pray thee forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness and thou mayest be to us as eyes Oh keep God to you especially when you are entering into the wilderness of trouble God will be to you in stead of eyes he will be your Counsellour your Comforter your Guide your Treasure your Portion your All. I might add one thing more in the last place Study to please God because he is so easie to be pleased this is a motive to us to endeavour to please those persons who are easie to be pleased a child that hath a father that is easie to be pleased a servant that hath a master that is easie to be pleased will study to please them Sincerity pleaseth God though in the midst of much infirmity he is so gracious and merciful that whatsoever a poor sinner doth but desire to please God he will accept of those desires If we can but please God it is no great matter whether we please men or not I shall conclude this branch with 1 Thes 4.1 We beseech you brethren and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God that you would abound more and more Vse 2. By way of direction I should here shew you how you are to please God I told you in general in the morning this pleasing of God lyeth in two things 1. In suitableness to his Name 2. In
only knoweth Do not add affliction to affliction be not uncharitable in judging of us as if through pride faction obstinacy or devotedness to a party or which is worse than all in opposion to Authority we do dissent the Judge of all hearts knows it is not so but it is meerly from those apprehensions which after prayer and the use of all means do yet continue that doing thus and thus we should displease God therefore deal charitably with us in this day of our affliction If we be mistaken I pray God to convince us if others be mistaken whether in a publick or private capacity I pray God in mercy convince them but however things go God will make good this truth to us in this work he will not leave us and our Father will not leave us alone for it is the unfeigned desire of our soul in all things to please God Dr. Bate's Forenoon Sermon August 17. 1662. Heb 12.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever IT would give light to these words if you consider the scope and design of the Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrews the summe of which is he writes to them that he might animate their spirits against apostacy from the Doctrine of the Gospel they were liable to this from you and others upon this account because they dare not displease God I may in this caution aim at my self and other of my brethren this upon a double account 1. Partly in respect of those persecutions to which they were exposed for the Jews were filled with a bruitish zeal for the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law and exprest the greatest rancour against those who lest Moses to follow Christ This is the reason why the Apostle lays down so many preservatives against their revolting from Religion and he spends one part of this Epistle in a most passionate Exhortation to perseverance and doth in the tenth Chapter insinuate himself into them You have already tasted the first-fruits of affliction ver 3.4 You took joyfully the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance This is that temper that Martyrs have exprest who have not only parted with their goods but with their lives for the Gospel When they came to the Stake they would not so much as shed a tear to quench those flames wherein they should ascend to God as in a fiery Chariot You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have a better and an enduring substance Thus he insinuates himself by representing what they had done to encourage them to perseverance and partly he fortifies them against Back-sliding by those terrible judgements which he threatned against Revolters as you read Chap. 6.7 2. As they were liable to this Apostacy upon the account of Persecution so upon the account of the unsettledness and instability of their own spirits There were several of those who had given up their names to Christ who did compare the Ceremonies of the Law with the purity of the Gospel Now the Apostle to secure them from this mixture his great design is to represent the vanity and infectiveness of all the Ceremonial Law and to express and prove the virtue and efficacy of the Lord Jesus his death which was the substance of all the shadows And this takes up one great part of his discourse with them Now in these two verses he sums up by way of Recapitulation all that which he had discoursed of at large and in them you may observe these two things 1. A description of God to whom he addresses this Prayer 2. The substance of the Prayer it self The Description of God that he amplifies by these two things 1. From the Attributes and Qualities of God if I may so express it Now saith he the God of Peace 2. From the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep And these Titles they are not here set down by the Apostle to adorn his discourse meerly as an ornament but they have all a peculiar efficacy as to the obtaining of the request which here he makes for them I shall begin with the first the Description of God from that Attribute Now the God of Peace the Title that is used in the Old Testament frequently is this The Lord of Hosts but in the New he is called The God of peace There were darker representations of the mercy and love of God than the more full discoveries of his grace were reserved till the coming of Christ Their discoveries under the Old Testament were but as the Day-star which ushered in the Sun of Righteousness Now this title of the God of Peace imparts two things 1. That he is the Author of Peace and works it 2. That he loves and delights in peace First That he s the Author of it And if you consider Peace in all its notions and kinds it is a fruit of God and that which descends from him 1. Peace in Nature is the harmony that is between all the parts of the World the union that is between the disagreeing Elements that is from God for without him the whole Creation would presently disband and return to its first Chaos of confusion 2. Civil Peace which is among the Societies of men that which is so amiable and lovely and which needs no other foil to commend it and set off its lustre than the miseries and cruelties of war this peace comes from God likewise Every rash hand is able to make a wound or to cast a Fire-brand but it is only the God of Peace that is able to heal breaches and to allay those storms that are in a Nation You know those showers which render the Earth fruitful descend from Heaven from God so all the counsels of peace descend from above The fiery Exaltations ascend from the Earth Counsels of War disturbance proceeded from the devilish hearts of men Or 3. If you consider that Rational Peace which is in the spirits of men that is when the understanding exercises a coertion and restraint over our licentious appetites when all our inferior Faculties are under the empire and conduct of Reason this proceeds also from God For since the fall there is a great deal of tumult many riots and disorders in the soul of a man Reason hates a bad Guide and our Appetites those are evil instruments and so many times hurry Reason from its regular actings But 4. much more if you consider Spiritual Peace that peace doth not only import an Agreement of a man within himself but the Agreement of the soul with God This
Sacraments it is a little gall imbitters a great deal of honey So where there is a little of this Gall of malice and hatred it imbittereth and spoileth all the honey of your Graces and Duties The Apostle bids us in prayer to lift up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim. 1.2 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting What the Apostle speaketh of the duty of Prayer I may say of the Lords Supper when you come to see the Body and Blood of the Lord Lift up pure hands without malice bitterness and wrath That is a sad speech of Augustine He that is full of rancor and malice he is a man-slayer Nay the Apostle saith it in the first Epistle of John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know no murderer hath Eternal life abiding in him Do not think this Ordinance will profit you if you do not come in love to the Saints suppose a man drinketh down poison and afterwards taketh down a Cordial surely this Cordial will do him but little good so thou that drinkest down the poison of wrath and maliceÌ„ into thy soul and comest afterward to drink down the Cordial of Christs bloud in the Sacrament why certainly this Cordial will do thee but little good EXHORTATION Therefore to conclude by way of Exhortation I beseech you in the Lord that you would remember this Text this day when you come to the Lords Table read over this Lesson A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you come to the Sacrament in love to Jesus Christ and in love one to another be not full of bitterness but full of bowels the primitive Saints were of one heart you all expect I know one Heaven and will you not be of one heart this I believe is a great reason why the Sacrament hath no more profited many receivers you know if there be a stopping at the stomack the meat taken in will never concoct and nourish why thou that hast wrath and anger and malice at thy heart there is an obstruction as it were at the stomach and therefore it is that the bread of life doth not nourish thy Soul Why Christians are not we all Souldiers under one Regiment under Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and Captain of our salvation Are not we all Branches of the same Vine and are we not all Members of the same Body and shall there be a schism or rent in the Body I shall only say this we should do all as the Serpent Naturalists observe the Serpent that before he goes to drink at the waters he casts up his poison so before you come to the Table of the Lords Supper cast up your poison of bitterness wrath and malice and then Christs bloud will be both a Medicine to heal you and a Julip to refresh you Mr. Watson's Afternoon-Sermon Aug. 17. 1662. 2. Cor. 7.1 Having these promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves IT is the Title that I intend now by the help of God to insist upon that sweet Parenthesis in the Text Dearly Beloved wherein you have the Apostle breathing forth his affections unto this people he speaks now as a Pastor and he speaks to them of his spiritual Children Dearly Beloved where you have First the Title Dearly Beloved Secondly the Exhortation to Holiness Let us cleanse our selves Thirdly the means how we should be cleansed and sanctified Having these Promises It is the first of these that I intend the Title that the Apostle gives to his Children Dearly Beloved From hence observe this Doctrine That the affections of a right Gospel-Minister towards his People are very ardent Dearly Beloved there are two things in every Minister of Christ that are much exercised his Head and his Heart his Head with labour and his Heart with Love his Head with labour in the work of the Ministry if done aright it is a work fitter for Angels than for men it is our work to open the Oracles of God even those sacred profound things that the Angels search into and if God did not help us we might soon sink under the weight of such a burden and as a Ministers head is exercised with labour so his Heart is exercised with Love and it is hard to say which of the two exceeds his Labour or his Love Thus is it here in the Text My Dearly Beloved In these words we have St. Paul laying fiege to these Corinthians and labouring to make a happy victory to conquer them with Kindnesse Dearly Beloved St. Pauls heart was the spring of Love his lips were the Pipe the Corinthians were the Cistern into which this spring did run this Holy Apostle was a mirrour and a pattern of Love towards the sinning Corinthians Pauls tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians his Love did burn Holy Paul was a Seraphin his Heart did burn in a flame of affection to his People How many passages do we find scattered in his Epistles he tells his People which sometimes he did write to and sometimes he preached to he looked after their souls more than their silver 2 Cor. 12.14 We seek not yours but you as a tender Nurse cherisheth her child with the Brest so St. Paul gave his People the breast-milk of the Word in 1 Thess 2.7 this man of God did not onely bestow a Sermon upon his People but was willing to impart his very soul to them if it might save theirs 1 Thess 2.8 We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls because you are dear unto us Such was St. Pauls affection to his people that without a complement he loved them more than his life Phil. 2.17 and if I be offered upon the sacriâ—â—ce and service of your Faith I rejoyce with you all that is as if he had said if it be so that my bloud be poured forth as a sacrifice if my death may be any way serviceable unto you if it may help forward the strengthening and confirming of your Faith I am willing to die I rejoyce to do it so full of affection was this Apostle that he could not choose but love his people though the more he did love the less he should be loved In 2 Cor. 15. Oh! how did Paul sweeten all his Sermons with Love 2 Cor. 12. if he reproved fin yet he was angry in love he dipt the Pill in Sugar Gal. 4.9 10 11. How turn ye again to weak and beggarly Elements ye observe days and moneths and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain Brethren I beseech you be as I am See how St. Paul chides their sins and yet at the same time courts their souls no sooner did he lanch the wound but presently he poured in Wine and Oyl into it so did Paul love his People that he would not justly give any offence to the weak Believer 1 Cor. 8.13 If
Christians by meeting often together setting good discourse on foot keep up the Trade of godliness that else would decay and soon be lost is not the communion of Saints an Article in our Creed do not then live so asunder as if this Article were blotted out The Naturalists observe there is a sympathy in Plants they say some Plants bear better when they grow near other Plants as the Vine and the Elm the Olive and the Myrtle thrive the best when they grow together it is true in Religion the Saints are trees of Righteousness that thrive best in Godliness when they grow together Ninthly Get your hearts screwed up above the world set your affections upon things above Col. 3.5 We may see the face of the Moon in the water but the Moon is fixed above in the firmament so though a Christian walk here below yet his heart should be fix'd above in Heaven there is our best kinred our purest joy our Mansion-house Oh! let our hearts be above it is the best and the sweetest kind of life the higher the bird slies the sweeter it sings and the higher the heart is raised above the world the sweeter joy it hath The Eagle that flies in the air is not stung by the Serpent those whose hearts are elevated above the lower region of this world are not stung with the vexations and disquietments that others are but are full of joy and contentment Tenthly Trade much in the Promises the Promises are great supports to Faith Faith lives in a Promise as the Fish lives in the water the promises are both comforting and quickning they are mitralia Evangelii the very breast of the Gospel as the Child by sucking the breasts gets strength so faith by sucking the breast of a promise gets strength and revives the promises of God are bladders to keep us from sinking when we come into the waters of affliction the promises are sweet clusters of Grapes that grow upon Christ the true Vine O! trade much in the Promises there is no condition that you can be in but you have a Promise the promises are like Manna that suit themselves to every Christians palate Eleventhly To all you that hear me live in a Calling Jerom gave his friend this advice To be ever well employed that when the Devil came to tempt him he might find him working in his Vineyard Sure I am the same God that saith Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy saith also Six days shalt thou labour The great God never sealed any warrants to idleness an idle Professor is the shame of his Profession 2 Thess 3.11 I bear there are some says the Apostle that work not at all but are busie-bodies such we exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work Solon made Laws to punish idleness and Cicero saith of an idle man Spiritum trahit non vivit he draws his breath but doth not live he is not useful but a good Christian acts within the sphear of his own calling 12. Let me entreat you to joyn the first and the second Table together Piety to God and Equity to your neighbour the Apostle puts these two words together in one verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2.12 That we should live Righteously and Godlily Righteously that relates to Morality Godlily that relates to Piety and Sanctity always remember this every command hath the same Divine stamp and authority as another command hath I would try a Moral man by the Duties of the first Table and I would try a Professor by the Duties of the second Table some pretend Faith but have no Works others have Works but they have no Faith some pretend Zeal for God but are not just in their dealings others are just in their dealings but have not one spark of Zeal for God if you would go to Heaven you must run both sides of the Table the first and the second Table joyn Piety and Morality together as we blame the Papists for blotting out the second Commandment let not the Papists blame us for leaving out the second Table 13. Joyn the Serpent and the Dove together Innocence and Prudence Mat. 10.16 Be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves We must have innocency with our wisdom or else our wisdom is but craftiness and we must have wisdom with our innocency else our innocency is but weakness We must have the harmlessnesse of the Dove that we may not wrong others and we must have the prudence of the Serpent that others may not abuse and circumvent us not to wrong the truth by silence here is the innocency of the Dove not to betray our selves by rashnesse here the wisdom of the Serpent How happy it is where these two are united the Dove and the Serpent the Dove without the Serpent is Folly and the Serpent without the Dove is Impiety 14. Be more afraid of sin then of suffering A man may be afflicted and yet have the love of God but he cannot sin but presently God is angry Sin eclipses the light of Gods countenance in suffering the conscience may be quiet When the Hail beats upon the Tiles there may be musick in the house and when there is suffering in the body there may be peace and musick in the conscience but when a man sins wilfully and presumptuously he looseth all his peace Spira abjured his faith and he became a terrour to himself he could not endure himself he professed he thought Cain and Judas in Hell did not feel those terrors and horrors that he felt He that will commit sin to prevent suffering is like a man that lets his Head be wounded to save his shield and helmet 15. Take heed of Idolatry in 1 John 5.21 Little children keep your selves from Idols Idolatry is an image of jealousie to provoke God it breaks the Marriage-knot asunder and makes the Lord disclaim his interest in a people what kind of Religion is Popery it is the Mother of many Monsters What soul-damning Doctrines doth it hold forth as the meriting of Salvation by good works the giving of pardons the worshiping of Angels Popish indulgences Purgatory and the like it is a soul-damning Religion it is the breeder of ignorance uncleanness and murder the Popish Religion is not defended by strength of Argument but by force of Arms keep your selves from Idols and take heed of Superstition that is the Gentleman-Usher to Popery 16. Think not the worse of godliness because it is reproached and persecuted wicked men being stirred up by the Devil do maliciously reproach the ways of God such were Julian and Lucian though wicked men would be godly on their death-beds yet in the time of their life they revile and hate Godliness but think not you the worse of Religion because it is reproached by the wicked Suppose a Virgin should be reproached for her chastity yet chastity is never the worse if a blind man jear the Sun the Sun is never the less bright Holiness is a
you Oh! that I might drop in the Oyl of gladness into every broken heart and rejoyce every troubled spirit Oh here is good news from Heaven Say unto the Righteous it shall be well with him But here is a question must be answered You 'l say to me but how doth this appear that it shall he well with the Righteous for we often see it is the worst with them in this world he is deprived of his comfort many times he loses his very life in that quarrel he is made the very reproach of the world oftentimes how then is it well with the Righteous To this I answer yet still it is well with the Righteous though he meet with trouble in the world and one follows on the neck of another yet it is well with the Righteous as will appear in these three or four particulars 1. The troubles that the Righteous man meets with they turn to good and so it is well with him that is a most famous Scripture in Jer. 24.5 Whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Ghaldeans for their good Gods own Israel were transported into Babylon among their enemies but it is for their good saith the Lord. The troubles of the Righteous are a means to purge out their sin I have read a story of one who running at another with a sword to kill him by accident his sword run into an Imposthume and broke the Imposthume thus all the evils and troubles of the Righteous serve but to cure them of the Imposthume of pride to make them more humble when that the body of a Saint is afflicted his soul that revives and flourishes in Grace At Rome there was two Laurel-trees and when one withered the other did flourish so when the body is afflicted yet the soul that Laurel doth revive and flourish God doth distil our of the bitterest drink his Glory and our Salvation saith Jerome that that the world looks on as a punishment God makes a medicine to heal the sore why then it shall be well with the Righteous The rod of God upon a Saint is but only Gods pencil whereby he draweth his Image more lively on the soul God never strikes the strings of his Viol but to make the Musick sweet Then it is well with the Righteous 2. In the midst of all the trouble that doth befall the Righteous yet still it is well with them in regard of those inward heart-revivings that God doth give them We see a godly mans misery but we do not see his comfort we see his prison-gates but we do not hear the musick that is within his Conscience God doth sweeten to his People outward trouble with inward peace it is the Title that is given to God 2 Cor. 7.6 God that comforteth them that are cast down The Bee can gather honey as well from the thistle and from the bitter hearb as from the sweet flower the Child of God can gather joy out of sorrow out of the very carkass sometimes the Lord gives honey when the body is in pain the soul may be at ease as when a mans head akes yet his heart may be well thus it is well with the Righteous God gives him that inward comfort that revives and sweetens his outward pain 3. In the time of trouble and calamity yet still it is well with the Righteous because God doth cover his people in the time of trouble he hides them in the storm God hath a care to hide his Jewels and will not let them be carried away and thus he makes good that Scripture litterally Psal 91.4 He shall cover them with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust no evil shall touch thee God oftentimes verifies this Scripture litterally He makes his Angels to be his peoples life-guard to hide them and defend them when a floud was coming upon the world God provided an Ark to hide Noah when Israel is carried and transported into Babylon God hid Jeremiah and gave him his life for a prey Jer. 39.11 and in this sense the Saints of God are called hidden ones Psal 83.3 Why so not onely because they are hid in Gods decree and hid in Christs wounds but oftentimes God hides them in a time of danger and calamity they are hidden ones he reserved to himself seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal The Prophet knew not where there was one but God knew there were seven thousand In this sense it is well with the righteous in time of publick misery I but you 'l say sometimes it fares yet worse then all this sometimes the righteous they die and perish they are carried away in a Tempest why yet still it is well with the Righteous and that in a two-fold sense 1. Many times God doth take away the Righteous by death and that in great mercy he takes them away that they shall not see the misery that comes upon a Nation Virgil the Heathen Poet saith They are happy that die before their Countrey his meaning was they die before they see the ruine of their Countrey and truly God many times takes away his people in mercy that they may not see the ruine that is coming on a Land you have in Scripture for this 1 King 14.13 He onely of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave in peace because in him there is found some good things towards the Lord God of Israel God puts him in his grave betimes in mercy because he should not see the evil coming upon the Land and there 's a parallel to this 2 King 12. last It is spoken of Josiah I will gather thee unto thy Fathers thou shalt be gathered unto thy Grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see the evil I will bring upon this place Josiah he dyed in Battel how then was it said he went to the Grave in peace We must understand the meaning of it is this Josiah went to his Grave in peace because he was a holy man and he had made his peace with God and so he went to his Grave in peace and because he should not see the evil approaching God gathered him to his Grave in peace Jerom speaking of his friend Nepotian you must observe Jerom lived to see some troubles before he died saith he Oh! how happy is my friend Nepotian that sees not these troubles but is got out of the storm dies and is arrived safe in Heaven Luther died in mercy before the trouble in Germany broke forth and thus you see the Righteous though they die yet it is well with them God takes them away in mercy that they may not see approaching evils 2. Though the Righteous die and are taken away yet it is well with them because death cannot hurt them Death can neither hurt their body nor yet their souls and then it is well with them 1. Death cannot hurt their bodies the body of a Saint it doth not perish though it die the bodies of the Saints
the Lord Then First by way of Lamentation 1. Over our own Souls 2. Over hundreds of Congregations Lord we do say hundreds nay thousands of Congregations that are this day though they do not accompany us in person yet mingling tears with us and especially as I hear in the West of England 1. Over our hearts We must stand that is our Duty Oh how should it cause us to lye low by reason of the instability of our hearts and their cursed declining from the true foundation every day Alas Beloved this is that God complains of They are a Generation whose spirit is not stedfast with God and therefore we have very much reason to complain of it Oh what an unsetled people have we been to day we have been apt to cry Hosanna ' Hosanna to the son of David to morrow our note is changed crucifie him crucifie him give us Barnabas to day the Lord is God to morrow Baal any thing is God provided we may keep our Estates Oh Lord what wilt thou do with such a people as this certainly it is a lamentation and ought to be a lamentation Believe it beloved I can now count seven years if not something more wherein I have most clearly expected the days I now see no way but the severest ways to be taken with such a false people as we have been Judge in your own thoughts whether we have been true to God or man to Saints or sinners to the Church of God at home or abroad whether or no this be not matter of Lamentation 2. With respect to our Congregations It is not against the Law yet to call them our Congregations This I confess I can rather weep than speak too I cannot speak my heart is too big for my head here Lord is it the duty of people of saints to stand to be stedfast how then should we mourn over their poor souls that because their Pillars are taken away must needs for ought we know Fall unless thou dost support them what Lord dost thou complain of a flock of sheep that are scattered there is no wonder in it their Shepheard is gone Do you look on it as a strange thing to see a poor Ship tossed here and there in the Sea when her Pilot is destroyed why mothers is it a strange thing for your children to fall and knock their arms legs their brains out why their mother is taken from them Oh poor people good God provide for this Congregation I and for this City that let defacing abominable wretches say what they will is certainly one of the best Cities God hath in the world and therefore they hate it so desperately because God loves it and because they hate that God that loves it I bless God I can speak of my own people they are not a mad pestifferous people for the most of them How many thousand have their hearts at their mouths now at this time before God in England Alas alas that we should have our Seers carried away from us but what think you when poor people shall be exposed to greater temptations to an Vlcer in the very Kidneys to a Plague in the very Heart or Head you now fear it but when you feel it what then 2. By way of Exhortation Beloved I remember good Jacob when he was come into Egypt ready to die calls his Children together and before he dies blesseth his children I cannot say you are my children but I can say in the strength of God you are dearer to me than the children of my own bowels I remember what poor Esau said hast thou but one blessing my Father bless me even me also Oh my Father Oh Beloved I have a few blessings for you and for Gods sake take them as if them dropt from my lips when dying it is very probable we shall never meet more while the day of Judgement what ever others think I am utterly against all irregular ways I have I bless the Lord never had a hand in any change of Government in all my life I am for prayers tears quietness submission and meekness and let God do his work and that will be best done when he doth it Therefore be exhorted to stand fast in the Lord my own people hear me now though you shall never hear me more be exhorted to stand fast in the Lord you are not a schismatical heretical people I do not know the least person among you inclining to Popery therefore be exhorted as ye have been a people that have waited upon the Ordinances of God that have not persecuted your poor Ministers that have made it your design and business to live lovingly quietly and as it becomes Christians I am confident a Minister may live as comfortably among you as among any People in England So be ye stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Here I had prepared I confess several arguments to have moved you to this stedfastness 1. I could have told you that withdrawing of any one of you back you will meet with great temptations which will very much unfit you for Heaven If any man or woman draw back my soul saith God shall have no pleasure in him I could have urged you with examples from the Heathens Alexander being in Indea bid them tell him the greatest rarity in their Country Sir go tell them say they when you come to Greece there are many here that cannot be forced by the prowess of Alexander to change their minds I know there are some here that cannot be easily perswaded to change their Religion Saith Lactantius Our very women torment their tormenters I would never desire a more able Disputant than a woman against a Monck I could tell you of those injoyments God hath put on you our miseries have been great but our mercies have been greater I could tell you of six troubles and of seven of six wherein God hath stood by and of seven wherein he hath not forsaken and the truth is he cannot forsake his people he may forsake them as for comfort he will never forsake them as for support let him lay on a burden he will be sure to strengthen the back 3. I hope it is not dangerous if I tell you you are engaged to God there are vows upon you Baptismal vows to say no more you have sworn to God you have lifted up your hands you are those that have undertaken that you would be true to God to your lives end if these vows have been any way strengthened Oh! remember Zedekiahs case Ezek. 17.18 19. Seeing he despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant when lo he had given his hand and hath done all these things be shall not escape therefore thus saith the Lord God as I live surely mine Oath that he hath despised and my covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompense upon his own bead Remember it
a little before Hippo was taken and Pareus a little before Hiddleburg was taken and â—uther a little before the wars in Germany began The death of the Godly is like the separating the Israelites from the Tents of Corah and his company like the taking of Lot out of Sodom When the Israelites departed from Corah and his company the earth swallowed them up and when Lot departed out of Sodom God rained down fire and brimstone upon them Let the thoughts of these things cause us to provide our Arks to get our Zoars Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elies young Elisha's in the room of old Elijahs and young Timothies in the room of Paul the aged that there may be a succession of Gospel-ministers to hold forth the Word of life to the Nation And let us labour to be Inheritors of the Twelve Excellencies that beautified this our Reverend Brother Secondly Let me speak a few words to you of this Parish the Auditors of this worthy Minister There is scarce one man of an hundred that understands the tye and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his People Oh the Love and Affection that ought to be betwixt them Paul tells the Galatians that they could have plucked out their eyes for him if need were Chrysostom tells us that when Miletus was taken away by death from his People their hearts sunk with sorrow and such love had they to him that they called all their Children by his name and got his picture engraven on their Rings And I have read of Chrysostom that when he was banished from his People there was not a corner in the City but was full of People weeping and lamenting The loss of a Godly Minister is a publick loss and therefore there ought to be a publick mourning it is a soul loss and therefore methinks every one of you should weep and mourn you have lost your common Father you of this Congregation have lost your spiritual Father your spiritual Shepheard you have lost your eyes your guide and indeed it is you that are his Flock that must commend your Minister by practising that which he preached saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.1 Do we again begin to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of Commendations to you or Letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistle written in our bearts known and read all men As if the Apostle should say do we need Letters of commendation is it necessary that we should spend time in commending our Ministry you are our Letters of commendation your holiness piety commends a Minister above all other things As when a man comes into an Orchard or Vineyard saith Chrysostom and sees every thing skilfully handled and neatly trimmed he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser or Carpenter the work its self commends them So ought it to be among you When we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers we must look into the Parish or Congregation and see what Letters of commendation there are whether the proficiency of the Auditors commend their Ministers I grant it is not always true God doth not always give suceess to a godly Minister but the worst is yours I had almost said the curse is yours but I will speak modestly the worst is yours Tell me how many of you are able to say I bless God that ever such a Minister was sent among us blessed be God that ever we heard him preach what seal of his ministry is there here among you he was in another and another place of this City it may be here are people from all places that have been his Auditors what seal of his Ministry is there now to be found among you how many Souls hath he pluck'd out of the snares of the Devil how many of you have gone weeping from a Sermon knocking your breasts and pricked at the heart of sin crying out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved your tears and mourning for sin these are the Auditors that commend your Ministers Go home now and think with your selves what can I remember of all the Sermons that I have heard from Mr. Ash and give me leave to tell you woe be to you if as your Minister be dead so all the Sermons he made die with him for as Abel being dead yet speaketh so shall the Sermons of this worthy Minister at the great day speak for you or against you for they are spiritual Talents that God hath be-trusted you with and you must be accountable both he and you shall appear before the Tribunal of God your Minister shall be examined how he can free himself from the guilt of Soul-blood and you shall be examined what fruit you brought forth answerable to the means you have enjoyed and if it appear you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers Christ will say Cast the unprofitable servants into utter darkness But I hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation What ever was good in this reverend Minister let iâ— live in you and though he be dead yet let not his Sermons that he preached die with you but let them be in you that at the great day when he and you appear before God he may be able to say here am I and the Children that thou hast given me Dr. Seaman's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle being now upon the conclusion of this Epistle after a very large discovery of Jesus Christ in all those things that belong to his Person concerning his Nature as God as Man and concerning his Offices especially concerning his Priestly and concerning the blessings and benefits especially in matters of Sacrifice doth in this last Chapter insist on matters Hortatory and in the words draws near to a conclusion which contains a Prayer wish or desire which he puts up unto God in the behalf of them in order to their good and benefit Now the God of peace c. In which words there are two things considerable 1. The matter of the Apostles Prayer 2. The grounds which he doth insinuate for Audience In the things he desires the Matter of the Prayer is laid down in v. 21 and is summarily and generally propounded in several expressions yet nevertheless so as they have their Specialities belonging to them In the beginning he shews what he aims at make you perfect c. In general it refers to their Sanctification and that they be throughly sanctified as to their inward man and outward conversation as to those things that belong to them in the habits of their minds and Eternal carriage The Grounds
that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to hold fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this though there were some Doctrines of Faith and matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of the Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God which we have heard and received First In your Judgements being fully resolved and setled in your Judgements concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by any means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgements hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we should never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the Word no man will part with that which he loves What makes the covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather than his Lust Why It is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly you must hold the Truth in the profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not only believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Peter denied his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denied him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in word or outward profession to renounce the truth or any part of it Hold fast the profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our life and conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truths of God in our lives Fifthly We must do all this constantly hold fast the Truth in our Judgement and Affection Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end We must not only in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the world hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but it stormy times when Truth may burn a mans fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received resolutely against all oppositions whatsoever whether of friends or foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother his elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave no place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Wills and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truth of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious than Gold better than Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the daughter of God Divine Truth is the child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver this Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancie in them I say we have received the Truth under the Nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an heritage Thy Testimonies have I spoken for mine heritage saith David in the 119 Psal Though a mans personal estate may be alienated yet that which is his heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with that Truth is the inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a Thing committed to mans trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him the Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good matter and it tends to a good end the saving of our souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keep it that it may be re-delivered and redelivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may redeliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This is the duty of all Christians thus to keep the word There is a committing of the Truth to all the Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in his Epistle verse the third That ye should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints the Faith that is the doctrine of Faith the Truth of the Gospel
any failings in me or any failings in my Ministerial duty that you would please to pass it by and to help me in prayer to God for the forgiveness of them These are my Requests of you and that which I have to say to you by way of Advice is much the same with what I said to this particular Congregation the last Lords day Take it in these particulars 1. I would advise you and entreat you that we may all of us lay to heart this present dispensation of God towards us and the Nation in this respect that we may be sensible of it I remember when I was young and my famous Predecessor Mr. Rogers was taken off from his Ministry in this kind though but for a few weeks these parts were wonderfully sensible of that providence and laid it to heart and were much in Humiliation and in Prayer and I think I may say they received an answer again within some weeks Now Brethren though he was worth some hundreds of us yet now it is not the laying by of one man but of multitudes fifty in one place and threescore in another and fourscore in another and this not by a single Bishop but by an Act of Parliament which makes the wound the wider and the more uncapable of cure and shall not we be sensible of this shall so many precious vessels be laid by as vessels of no pleasure and none take it to heart Shall so many burning lights be quenched together so may Wells of the Water of Life be stopt up together and this not be laid to heart I beseech you consider and be sensible 2. In the deepest and saddest sence you have of this providence of God watch over your own spirits that you lay the blame of it no where so much as upon your selves Some blame the times and charge it on their iniquities others are apt to blame us Ministers and charge it on our niceness and singularity Might my advice take place with this people I would desire that every one of us might lay the blame no where so much as on our selves for certainly we have procured these things to our selves I find our Predecessors the Martyrs when by a Law Religion was changed in the Nation and Idolatry set up they lay the blame not on the Law-makers but on themselves and their own hearts One of them saith All this is come upon us because we did not love the Gospel we were Gospellers in lip but not in life Much more doth it become us whose sufferings are far less to blame our selves more than we blame any others 3. My third Advice is this and I beseech you take it in love for it is out of love that it is given you if you should perceive at this time a difference in opinion and practice among us that are the Ministers of the Gospel in this Nation standing and sticking at things that others can digest and do and others doing things that some of their Brethren cannot come up unto Be not offended thus it hath always been from the beginning it is no new thing Thus it was in King Edwards dayes If there be any of God's servants that are Learned and Holy and Faithful that do now for the enjoyment of their Ministry yield a conformity to all that is enjoyned I doubt not but many of them are grieved that they cannot have the exercise of their Ministry without this and we who cannot come up to this are grieved that we cannot come up to it the one and the other have grief enough add not your censures to this grief that is already upon them It hath been all along a merciful providence of God that when some of his servants could not satisfie their consciences and come up to the things that have been imposed upon them without injuring their Consciences yet others have had a greater freedom given them that they could yield and if not so What would have become of the people of God Therefore in those things acknowledge there may be some providence of God for good to you in it 4. My fourth advice I shall deliver to you wholly in the words of that holy man and Martyr of God Master Bradford in his Letter to the City of London saith he Let us heartily bewail our sins and repent of our evils let us amend the evil of our lives let us every one be diligent in prayer and attend with reverence on the reading and hearing of Gods Holy word let us reprove the works of darkness let us fly from Idolatry and which is the particular I would indeed commend unto you Obey the Magistrate and them that are set over us in the Lord in all things that are not against the Word and when they command any thing contrary to the Word let us answer It is meet to obey God rather than man However saith he resist not the Magistrate nor seek to avenge your selves but commit your case to God be patient and submit to all that are in Authority over you but resist not rise not against Authority but wait on God till he pleaseth to cause the Light to rise and shine again upon you This is my fourth advice 5. Now it pleaseth God that Hearing opportunities at least some of them are taken from some of us from many of us for a time My Advice and Counsel is that the less now you hear the more you will read read the Word of God much the more and take all helps for the right understanding of what you read The Book of Annotations is a great help to enlighten you to understand the Scripture and next to the reading of the Scriptures what spare hours you have I would advise you to bestow your time in reading of the Book of Martyrs a Book that hath formerly been more prized than of late in England Especially read that part of it which contains the History of Queen Maries dayes they will inform you of the great controversies that are between us and the Papists and they will inform you what you shall answer the reading how cheerfully they went to Prison and to the Stake will imbolden you against the fears of sufferings and death and the reading of their Letters will be a great means to edifie and build you up This reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is my fifth advice to you 6. My fixth Advice to you is That seeing God hath taken away your Week-dayes opportunities of hearing the Word here and in other places you would be careful that the world may not devour Gods Portion I mean that portion of time which some of you have bestowed in hearing these Lectures It was a good speech of a gracious Woman now with God when Mr. Rogers was silenced Well said she by the grace of God the World shall never have those hours that I was wont to spend in hearing heretofore her meaning was she would spend them in her Closet in holy duties It was an
thy word even as one that had found great stoils saith David so should we rejoyce alwayes in this treasure 'T is said of those that sate under John Baptists ministry that they rejoyced but for a while and that is the condition and misery of many The City of Samaria when they had received the Gospel 't is said they had great joy Acts 8.9 4. Be careful to keep and preserve it for it is a treasure and therefore we must treasure it up in our hearts and the rather because it will keep us It keeps as Chrysostome saith the house where it is other treasures cannot secure us Discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee Prov. 21.11 Thus you see the excellency of this spiritual wisdom So much for the first thing considerable in the first branch viz. the Depositum the Treasure The second thing considerable is the Repository i. e. Earthen Vessels or Vessels of Earth Earthen Pitchers these are the Repository but have this treasure in Earthen Vessels c. Earth is a word of diminution and disparagement and that in three regards 1. In regard of its meanness and baseness 2. In regard of its foulness and pollution 3. In regard of its frailty and transitoriness 'T is passing away in all respects these Earthen Vessels in the Text is to be understood the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ in regard of their outward man are so called and are so according to this threefold notion I. In regard of their meanness their outside is mean either for person or sometimes for estate body and outward deportment This was the condition you know of the first Ministers of Christ mean and ordinary persons outwardly God made use of Nay our Master our blessed Lord and Saviour was mean in regard of his humane birth and so reckoned of by most men according to his birth and parentage So it is with the servants of Christ they are in their persons generally base mean low and accordingly rendered despicable to the eyes of the World II. In regard of foulness and pollution Ministers are called Earthen Vessels they have many weaknesses they are men subject to the like passions as others 'T is true the Ministers of Christ have greater advantages than others in regard of their education knowledge gifts and employments being more free from those defilements and snares that others are entangled in yet through the remainders of the flesh in them they have many infirmities so Satan watches them more than others lays more snares for them in regard of their parts and employments so that they are more subject to his temptations than others Satan hath a desire to sift them as the Apostle Peter as wheat because he knows they will draw many after them so that they must needs be subject to many weaknesses and infirmities Sometimes God makes use of the worst sort of men even the most vicious and malicious first he changeth them and then makes use of them as instruments of glory The Apostle Paul was a Vessel of Election to carry the name of Christ unto the Gentiles yet in times past a great persecutor So it pleaseth God to make use of such that the excellency of the power may be of God c. III. Ministers are called Earthen Vessels in the regard of the frailty and mortality of their persons and Earthen Vessels are soon crackt and broken Ministers are subject to many infirmities of body This Heavenly light of the Gospel shineth often through Lanthorns of glass with some broken Ministers have weak and frail bodies Timothy had his bodily infirmities and Trophimus was left sick at Miletum 1 Tim. 4.20 and Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death Phil. 2.27 and Paul had need of Luke the Physician probably in regard of his sickness Thus the servants of God are subject to many infirmities Besides the reasons in the Text there are other reasons why God will have it so 1. That they may be more compassionate and more sensible of the weaknesses of others for likeness of condition breeds sympathy in affection Men are apt to pity those in the like condition with themselves so our Lord took our nature upon him that he mighty pity us he took flesh and bloud upon him he was tempted in all things like unto us but without sin that so he might succour those that are tempted So his servants many of them are much tempted which may breed in them a sympathy of affection to others that are in such a condition 2. God will have it so that Ministers may have the more experience of the Truths they preach to others concerning an afflicted condition those that have had no sickness or other affliction cannot preach from experience of such truths that concern such a condition they cannot preach so feelingly and savory as others when they have been under affliction they will know what affliction is both in the nature of it and the comforts of it and Gods gracious assistance therein and so they may speak comfortably and be enabled to comfort others as the Apostle Paul speaks 3. God is pleased so to order it sometimes for their humiliation to keep them low that so they may not be lifted up by reason of extraordinary manifestations and impartments thus St. Paul had given him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 A thorn was given him c. 't is twice repeated both in the beginning and end of the verse that so this thorn in the flesh might keep out pride in the heart that so they may have a more low meek and humble frame of spirit and thereby fitted and prepared for greater services And 4. That they may be also more conformable to those they have to deal with Israel desires Moses to speak to them and not God why because he was like unto them and would therefore compassionate them from whom they therefore desired to receive the commands of God Thus it pleaseth God to deal with his servants that as they may pity those they have to deal with so likewise to draw the affections of their people unto them to make them more loving and the more to attend on their Ministry seeing they are so fleeting and going away it pleaseth God that Epaphroditus should be sick even to death to endear the Philippians more to him chap. 2.25 28. that their love and tenderness may be drawn forth the more by discovery of his frailty Let us improve this Vse 1. First as to Ministers see how the condition is with us in our Calling We are Earthen Vessels taken out of dust We should often consider our frailty to make us more humble more meek and more compassionate to others more diligent in doing good that we may make amends for our frailty and natural weaknesses that are upon us We must not think much of it it being no more than in former times it was the
in this place where he spent his labour and pains many years I could give large accounts and testimonies of him if need were from my own knowledge of him having been acquainted with him many years He was not only a Minister but the Son of a Minister his birth and education suiting together He look'd upon it not only as an honour but an engagement to be careful to walk in those steps set before him and to continue the work of the Ministry begun by his religious Father Certainly the Children of godly and holy Parents cannot come off so cheap in their carriages as others they have greater accounts to make as having greater examples set before them greater advantages of Prayer Exhortation c. and so greater engagements this was thought on and observed by him And as he was the Son of a Minister so when he came to years and was sitted he took upon him the Ministry as he was one of great abilities so accordingly he discharged them faithfully and conscienciously He was a spiritual powerful consciencious Preacher he preached by his life for as Erasmus saith we should not only love to speak truths but we should digest truths on our own hearts before we commend them to others and so they will be the more effectual He was a man of a very meek sweet and humble spirit a man of a great humility and of great meekness in the midst of great abilities which was a great Ornament in him a man full of tenderness and condescension to others a man of a very yielding and melting frame of Spirit soon dissolved into tears It was the saying of one that a good man is full of tears so this good man was full of tears not affected but very real and hearty drawn from the fulness of his Spirit as the Apostle Paul saith he served the Lord in much humility and many tears This was remarkable that in these times our Reverend Brother was full of tears in delivering his Doctrine which was suitable to the age we live in being full of sin and calamity there is much need of a bewailing spirit to bewail the iniquities and miseries of the times they that cannot bewail themselves need the tears of others He was a man of great integrity and single-heartedness in his exhortations he had much of the simplicity of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks In reference to the Ministry he had no worldly and base affection he had no carnal designs therein but his chief design was to bring Souls home to Christ that was his chief business What the Apostle saith of himself may also be said of him that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had his conversation in the world not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 He was a man had ability to speak a word in season he was very compassionate to wounded spirits he himself having been much afflicted He was a man much in communication with God and had much acquaintance with God and was careful in improvement therein He was a Jacob in wrestling with God a Moses that stood in the Gap an Elijab that prayed earnestly the whole Land was the better for such a person being much with God the made many addresses to him and had much holy familiarity with him And as in his publick performances he was very faithful and beneficial so in his Family and privately he was very fruitful and serious In a word not to multiply much in this kind you need it less in this Auditory but only by way grateful memorial there was much of God and Christ in him and he was a great example to his fellow-servants there was much of this Treasure spoken of in the Text in this Earthen Vessel as in the matter of it he was one of a Gospel Spirit and in the conveyances of it he had great abilities for the work of the Ministry and discharged it with a great deal of success As he had this treasure in an Earthen Vessel so his Vessel his frail body was no disparagement to him but the advancement of the treasure in setting forth the power to be of God his outward man was much weak and worn away but his inward man was upheld by the grace of God His first work in the Ministry was in that place where my self have relation to he was an assistant to my Predecessor being then past labour Mr. Richard Couder and performed the work so well that he was exceedingly beloved of Mr. Couder and well beloved of the Parish and other places He left a good impression behind and I found good effects by the foundation there laid The Apostle Paul indeed desired not to work there where another had laid the foundation but I thought it a great advantage that the foundation was laid by such a Master-builder He was called into the Country to Rughy in Warwickshire there he continued very fruitful and did much good For some occasion he removed returned into the City and came into this place where he continued about 18 or 19 years discharged the work of the Lord carefully I need not say much of his carriage in this place I appeal to your own consciences I may say of this servant of Christ as the Apostle Paul said of himself 1 Thes 2 10 11 12. Ye are his witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameable he behaved himself among you as you know how he exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Therefore there lies an engagement upon you to walk answerable to the truths he delivered and to follow his steps considering the end of his Conversation I shut up all in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians chap. 4. v. 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in him Do and the God of Peace shall be with you Mr. Beerman's Farewel Sermon BEloved I know you are not ignorant that I am called by Authority to depart from you which for Conscience sake we must obey and were it not for the breach of Conscience I think I could be content to undoe my self to stay with you I shall now in love and tenderness take my leave of you all with that large portion of Scripture in the 20th of the Acts from the 17th Verse to the end they were Paul's parting words to the Ephesians Verse 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church and when they were come unto him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befel me through the lying
2. There must be light to actuate this Object if it were dark we could never see it There must be light both to actuate the eye and object Now this light that actuates the eye and object 't is either the natural light the light of Nature the light of Conscience the light of common Illumination the light of the Word or the light of the Spirit of God By all these Lights we come to look into the Looking-glass our Hearts 3. There must be an Irradiation from the Object i. e. a beaming forth from that Object some Species or Idea's that carries the object to the eye and clearly makes out to the sense what that Object is this beaming is by action from the heart mark it for it may be as necessary truth as was preached among you that look what the Stream is to the Fountain what the Beam to the Sun that the action is to the heart whether the act be manent or transient whether Internal in thought purpose election assection in joy in love in fear Or External in the life in the practice and in the conversation So that look as a puddle Stream always declares a corrupt Fountain so all your humble holy faithful thoughts speak a clear spiritual heart within a holy conversation speaks a holy Affection and a holy Affection declares a heavenly Constitution a new Nature Now for the Vse of this is the heart of a man a Looking-glass 1. See from hence of what concernment the Actions of men are whether internal or external The actions of men are like the streams you may certainly finde the Fountain by them they speak the heart as the Root bears the fruit 'T is of infinite concernment 't is the Fountain of what principles within and conversation without descend but into thy own heart c. 2. This shews the sad condition of all natural poor souls your Hearts are Looking-glasses but they are Looking-glasses in a dungeon of Darkness there be Toads Vipers and Devils there but thou canst not see them that hast no spiritual Light 3. Here is consolation to Gods people Is the Heart of a man a Looking-glass What reason have they to rejoyce in their hearts that are the best Looking-glasses in the world not like our Gallants Looking-glasses that must not bewray their wrinkles spots c. But theirs will represent their Heart Complexion Condition and Nature to them Nay in that Glass may be seen the face of a God Nay further because thy Heart doth answer to another Heart and his to his whatever Grace is in any Believers it is there in thy Heart in semine there 's the seed 4. By way of exhortation Is the Heart a Looking-glass Then keep the Looking-glass very chary make much of it above all keepings keep thy heart and that with all diligence in all places at all times and in all things If any thing under Heaven will keep thee holy it is the keeping of thy Heart There thou mayest see all thy spots defects desperate Hypocrisies Infernal Atheism all the deliques of thy soul How prone to commit as vile â—ins as ever was committed by the vilest of the sons of men Once more keep it clean and keep it close Look into the heart and thou shalt finde it to be a Copy of the Role of Eternity where thou shalt see thy very name written in Letters of Gold or Bloud for we looking into our Hearts may and do know that we are passed from death to life and that upon this ground because we love the brethren And thus I advance to The Fifth Sermon 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren IN these words five things 1. A supposed Estate in which we are all by nature and that is an Estate of spiritual death 2. A peaceable Recovery or mention of another state and estate of life 3. A real Transition from this state of death to life We are passed c. 4. An inseparable property of all the Regenerate Souls in the World they do not hate but love the brethren 5. A comfortable Conclusion that a Christian may make from that property he may know he may be assured by this that he is passed from death to life because he loves the brethren The Observation this A Christian may know his real Conversion and Transition to Eternal life by this Character among the rest because he loves the brethren This Proposition waâ— slit into these two particulars 1. That every Believer may have an assurance of his Transition from death to life 2. The love of the brethren is one of the great eminent Symptoms of mans Regeneration 1. A Christian may know his real Conversion and Translation to eternal life Such a great and real change is there wrought in every Believer at his Conversion and this wrought by such a great Efficient and Infinite cause the Spirit of God and this cause working by such real and powerful means and instruments the great Word of God and this done notwithstanding the great opposition that is made by a poor sinner against the Word and when wrought it hath such a real and grand effect upon a Believer that 't is impossible but a Believer must needs know this his Transition from death to life Secondly Love to the brethren is the great Symptom of mens Regeneration Love to the brethren not taken solely singly as if this was the onely Character but concomitantly taken with others but beyond and above all others this is the Privie Soul of God on the Soul if he have inflamed it with love he may know he is passed from death to life The Vse is of Confutation of the Papists those grand enemies to Gospel-Truths and Believers peace They abhor this Doctrine of Assurance by it their Purgatory would fall down their Popes Kitchin would grow cold They tell us Believers cannot have assurance in this World No 1. Why hath God commanded us to make our Calling and Election sure and will God command Impossibilities such as cannot be wrought by our or his own power 2. Other Saints have attained this Assurance this New Name and White Stone within them Object That 's by extraordinary Revelation Ans This is not upon proof Was not the assurance of Gods people in Scripture grounded upon general promises Had they many of them either extrinsecal signs or marks to assure them of it did it not spring from Principles common to all Believers Object But suppose they have assurance to day they may lose it to morrow Man is a mutable Creature he may be a childe of God in the morning and a brat of Hell in the evening Answ 'T is true man is a mutable Creature yet is he preserved by an immutable God Man is a weak Creature but yet is preserved by the power of God unto salvation Man as a Creature is no less mutable in Heaven than upon Earth there preserved by God therefore why not
all thy worldly concernments thy relations diseases c. are all numbred Nay more remember this Believer all thy distrusts disquiets murmurings despondencies the meanest lust unseen and the most secret sin are all numbred 6. Are our hairs numbred This is sad news for Unbelievers Are your hairs numbred then certainly your Oaths Curses contempts of Gods people all your sinful thoughts words actions wilful omissions of commanded duties commissions of forbidden sins all your disputings against God his people his word wayes will are all upon the file they are all numbred 7. What an encouragement is there here for poor sinners to come in to God Do but come into God and thou shalt come into such a condition of safety that the very hairs shall be all numbred And if thou wilt not come in certainly thou art wanting to thy self For look as well as thou canst to thy self thou hast not a promise to keep one hair of thy head till to morrow morning Not a promise of a sup of water bit of bread nor a promise of one minutes safety till to morrow morning And if so be thou hast not a God no interest in him if God should turn his back on thee a thousand to one but afflictions come And if afflictions come thy heart is gone thou having no spiritual strength in heart no eternal Rock of ages to flie to no wonder if thou faint under them and so thou wilt certainly do If a Believer that hath but little strength is apt to faint thou that hast no strength wilt utterly fall when afflictions find thee And this leads to The Eighth Sermon Prov. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small THe Observation from hence was To faint in the day of trouble argues a mans inward strength to be but small his judgement weak his reason low his graces feeble his inward comfort peace and joy not much but very little This 1. Shews whence our mis-givings of heart whence our want of liveliness of spirit in and under troubles proceeded even from hence that our strength is but small 2. Teaches us how to judge what our spiritual strength is namely this way How dost thou bear afflictions How is it with thee in a day of distress Dost thou faint and fail It argues thy strength is but small By way of Dehortation Do not thou faint in the day of affliction in the day of adversity Take heed of fainting in three things 1. Under work or duty be it never so great grievous troublesome or dangerous 2. Under the with-holdings of mercy be they never so long detained 3. Under afflictions be they or may they be never so grievous whether 1. Publick afflictions the afflictions of the Church of God Suppose Sion is now clad in Sack-cloth there 's a time coming when she shall be arrayed in Scarlet When the Whores Scarlet shall be turned into Rags the Churches Rags shall be turned into Gold Or 2. Personal afflictions faint not under them be it this or that or the other be they never so great never so long or never so many But what shall I do to bear up my spirit and to preserve me from fainting 1. Live in the holy dependence and filial fear of the great God He that fears God most to be sure will faint least 2. Strengthen Grace There are two graces to be strengthened viz. Strengthen Faith I had fainted unless I had believed c. Strengthen Patience dejection of soul usually comes from impatience 3. Be much in Prayer Is any man afflicted let him not go and sinfully murmur and complain but let him pray 4. Make use of heart-strengthening considerations and that is 1. Turn over the promises They are left on purpose as Gods bottle his Vial of Cordials to keep the soul from fainting 2. What ever befalls remember it proceeds from Gods love 3. All that God aims at is to do thee good 4. Be the affection never so great 't is as necessary as prosperity as health This thy Physick is as necessary as thy food 5. The issue of all a Crown of glory these light afflictions which are but for a moment worketh out for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory And therefore if so be there be such principles from which afflictions flow and such ends to which they are managed It is no wonder Christ will not pray that we may be taken out of the world from affliction but keep in this world from the evil So we fall on The Ninth Sermon Joh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil GOd hath spoken once yea twice have I heard this That power belongeth to God When God is pleased to strike twice upon the same string it seems he hath something more than ordinary mind that you should observe the turn The Doctrine was That it is the will of Jesus Christ that his servants should continue in the world though they meet with nothing but trouble in the world I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world let them stay Lord be thou but their Pilot and then keep them at Sea as long as thou wilt God knows his Saints are very serviceable in their generation They are as it were a Pillar of fire unto the rest of the world for guide and light By their Doctrine and Conversation they instruct the godly and convince the wicked God will have his people stay in the World that his power providence mercy and goodness in their preservation may more clearly be discovered that their afflictions here may work out for them an eternal weight of glory These are the reasons why God will have them stay in the World c. Then 1. Saints carry your selves as becomes such in midst of such a World with that wisdom faithfulness carefulness humility that may bring honour both to your selves and to your Profession Walk as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Walk closely warily innocently patiently submissively c. All these are necessary while you are to converse here in this wicked world 1. From that truth But that thou shouldest keep them from the evil Observe preservation from sin is a greater mercy than exemption from suffering Which 1. Informs us of a truth that carnal men will never believe till they come to Hell that that is the height of folly which the men of the world count to be the top of wisdom they think it wisdom to choose sin rather than suffering 2 This will evidence that the people of God are not such Fools as the men of the World think they are but the wisest that will choose the greatest suffering rather than the least sin 3. This reproves those that will take more care to have their afflictions removed than sanctified 4. Be more afraid of sinning and less afraid of suffering what afraid of a lash my child
Felix trembled Hence observe These that are first in enjoying may be last in receiving the Gospel Drusilla was a yet turns a wicked Apostate yet when come to hear a Sermon her heathenish Husband Felix that served the Devil in stead of God trembled but not she Backsliding professors from the truth are infinitely farther from melting under the Gospel than prophane Sinners that never heard of it A man had farr better go to preach to Heathens than Apostates Then for the words Felix trembled Why there was Righteousness prosecuted and convinced Judgment to come threatned against him Now his knees began to smite together now the writing on the Wall now Felix trembles Oh poor soul wouldst thou not tremble at the preaching of Judgement to come submit to the Judge before he come wouldst thou not have thy Judge to condemn thee then let him be now thy King to rule thy Prophet to instruct thy Priest to reconcile would you avoid the terrour of a Judgment to come accept of this offer of a Christ coming coming did I say nay he is come already Do but lay your ear close to the third of the Revelations and the twentieth you shall hear your Judge knocking Which brings me to The One and Twentieth Sermon Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me THese are the words of our blessed Saviour words coyned as it were for the close of the Morning Exercise A continued Metaphor wherein you have 1. An important thing of weight intimated in that Particle Behold 2. The state of men in the visible Church implied though they profess a Christ high thoughts of him and obedience to him yet many most of them keep their hearts shut against him Behold I stand without at the door 3. Christs dealing or transaction with the poor Creatures for opening their hearts to him and that in four things 1. His standing waiting or dancing attendance on the Soul and the place where I stand at the door 2. His earnest desire and importunity of entrance and knock 3. His Call and invitation for where a hearing is enjoyned there must needs be a calling implied 4. The Argument or Motive he uses to perswade poor Creatures to set him in 1. Ab honesto If he will but open I will come in and take my abode An admirable thing to have such a Tenant 2. Ajucundo I will sup with him I will vouchsafe him fellowship and communion 3. He shall sup with me There shall be mutual fellowship between him and me What I have shall be his and what he hath shall be mine we will walk love and lodge together I will lodge with him and he shall lodge with me 4. To whom this invitation is made to every one all If any man or woman that have slighted my Ministers voyce months or years if yet he will open I will come in 5. The sinners duty and interest 1. The opening the heart when Christ knocks that 's his duty because Christs invitation is his command 2. His interest because then Christ will come in c. The Doctrine was When Christ knocks and calls at the doors of our hearts it is our duty and interest to open admit and let him in These two questions were proposed and prosecuted 1. When or how is Christ said to knock and call at the hearts of sinners 2. How are sinners said to hear and open Christ said to knock and call at the hearts of sinners 1. If you regard the means whereby he knocks i.e. by natural light of Conscience within or by the Ministry and Gospel without 2. If you regard the manner of Christs knocking or calling it is either externally by the Word Ordinances Providences his Rod hath a voice as well as his Word or internally by the spirit of God that accompanies that Word by the means of Grace by the motion of his Spirit 2. How are sinners said to bear his voice and open 1. For hearing it must not be an external but an internal hearing a hearing of the heart through the heart it must be a particular distinguishing hearing it must know the voyce of Christ it must be a sensible and humble satisfying Hearing 2. For Opening it is either 1. Special Opening at first when the door is shut those everlasting doors are at first open to entertain the King of Glory in our first Conversion 2. Progressive i. e. When the Soul opens more and more for there is no door but it s shut as close on him after entrance that it is as much as ever Christ can do to creep in This Opening appears 1. In parting with and putting away whatever keeps possession of the heart against Christ The strong man must be turned out 2. The Soul freely consents to Christ by an entire resignation to his Will and Spirit to take him upon those terms And when Christ doth thus knock and call at the door of our hearts it is our duty and interest thus to open admittance 〈◊〉 him The Vse was for Exhortation to plead with poor sinners that yet Oh yet they would open to Christ Jesus knocking and calling Arguments here these were used if they did not melt it it was not because they were not powerful but our souls marble 1. It is a matter of greatest importance more than your earthly Jointures it concerns your everlasting Souls Souls that are more worth than ten thousand worlds Whether you will now believe it or no you will hereafter 2. Consider the Person that comes to call who is it It is a King that stands aâ— your door it is the King of kings God of gods that stands there 3. It is he that deserves admittance a God of abundance superabundant love by his undertaking he hath deserved admittance Will you keep out your Father your Mother Thou Wretch that was rescued the other day wilt thou keep out thy Redeemer 4. It is he that hath a great love and affection for you however you have dealt with him thou that brought'st him to Hell yet can he never be at quiet till he hath brought thee to heaven 5. Consider the posture I stand must you sâ—t and I stand 6. I have stood a long time I have been staying and waiting for you many years I can reckon every day and night I have stood and waited for you you would have abhorred to have waited on the greatest man in the world as I have waited on you a worm nay I stay still waiting for you And this one thing sticks yet with me I stand ready to depart I have knocked a great while but now knock no more what if this would be the last knock you should hear How many did knock and the last knocked yet stand I knock this once more it is very questionable whether Christ will ever knock again at least in such a waâ— and by such
Ministry hath done more it hath taken the stone out of mans heart and hath given them new hearts it hath made all the Commandements of God easie to maâ—p a poor soul because it loves its Father its Redeemer and Comfoâ—ter There is a kind of obedience in a godly faithful Minister and if this will not do nothing will as in Luke 16.31 3. Is not the cause of the non-proficiency of such a people under such a Ministry in themselves Oh men do hinder the fruit of the Word in their own souls the powerful operation and working of the Word on their own souls The Lord prophesies that sentence on the Jews Mat. 13.14 â—e lays all the blame on themselves and assigns their own sins as the reason and cause of it as in Verse 13. And thus our blessed Savior expounds the Parable of the Sower shewing how many that hear the Word are never the better for it and he layeth the blame on themselves as in Luke 8.14 What then hast thou not profited under the Ministry of the Lords faithful Servant Oh lay the blame on thy self 4. Consider Hath not the Lord himself a hand in the proficiency or non-proficiency under such a Mâ—nistry Surely the Lord hath a chief hand in making the Ministry of his Servants fruitful or not fruitful to them that enjoy it Now to enjoy and not to enjoy is it not a fearful sign that you are not of God as John 8.47 Is it not a sign that thou are not of Gods elect at least of Regeneration But you will say Did not the Jews hear Gods Word Yes they did with their bodily ears but they heard it not with saith submission and fruitfulness and therefore our blessed Savior tells them they were not of God that is they were at least in an unregenerate if not in a reprobate condition And so Joh. 10.26 Ye are those Goats saith Christ that must stand at my left hand in that great day and then Unbelievers shall reflect on themselves not on Christs Ministry by the mouths of his Servants But if any should say What then will you say that all of us are Reprobates that are not wrought on by your Ministry I say not so for that seed which hath been sowen on you may â—o your souls good hereafter though it hath done them little or no gooâ— as yet But secondly that I may boldly say That if any of you dye in your present state unconverted unregenerate you will carry with you to your grave as fearful marks of reprobation as we can finde any in the whole Book of God John Baptist compares the Ministry oâ— the Gospel to a Fan in Mat. 3.12 When the Lord Jesus maketh use of the Ministry of his faithful Servants among the people when he maketh use of those Fans it will appear who among them are Wheat and shall be gathered into the Lords Garner and who among them are Chaff and shall be cast into fire And now whether the present state that you have lived under and are not yet wrought upon by a faithful Ministry be not very dangerous judge ye And so much may suffice for the Doctrinal part If so be then That a Ministers soundness in Doctrine and holiness of sife and conversation doth lay a great Obligation on a people conscienciously and duly to practice every commanded duty Then first of all the first Use we shall make of this Doctrine shall be by way of Tryal and Examination and that in two particulars First Whether you in this Parish in this place you here before the Lord 1. Branch of the Vse of Tryal do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty Secondly Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived undeâ— doth not lay a great Obligation on you so to do For the first of these Whether you here before the Lord do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty in obedience to Almighty God you may try your selves by these three excellent Ingredients First Vniversality Canst thou in the witness of thy conscience say that through grace thou dost every as well as any part of the Lords revealed Will so far as thou knowest it 2. Vniformity Dost thou do all without prejudice or partiality 3. Vbiquity Art thou the same at home as abroad in thy Closet as well as in the Congregation and dost thou mind inward and secret as well as open and outward holiness What saith Conscience to this As first Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own Souls and Conscience Secondly Have they a Throne in thy Family First Have commanded Duties a Throne in your own souls and consciences Are your hearts fully possest with the power of those divine and heavenly Truths which you have often heard which hath been again and again inculcated upon you as it was upon the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.5 their carnal principles were confuted their passions moderated their Iusts mortified their self-ends confounded are yours so Have commanded Duties a Throne in your souls and consciences Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query Secondly Have commanded Duties a Throne in your Families Do you make conscience of Family-duties Are your houses Bethels that is houses of God house◠〈◊〉 Prayer Are your habitations of holiness and righteousness Do you make conscience of relative as well as of personal duties Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Query 2. Branch of the Vse of Tryal But now the second Branch of this Use of Tryal and Examination is this Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived under doth not lay a very great Obligation on you to put in execution every commanded Duty as Rom. 10.6 7 8. that is the Word of Faith we preach read that place And may not we take up that with some variation and say You have heard of the disease the misery and remedy When the great God shall arraign thee at the great and fearful Day and shall say thus Thou rebellious Wretch why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways thy drunkenness thy tipling thy covetousness thy snuffling at Purity thy inveterate heart and spirit against my holy ways and Ministers why didst thou not forsake thy evil ways wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under 1. A soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece indeed not to feed the flock Or 2. under a soul-poysoning Innovator Or 3. under a soul-pining dry Nurse Or 4. under a soulguiding Guide Or 5. under a soul-unsetling Temporizer Or 6. under a soul-destroying Discountenancer 1. Canst thou say that thou livest under a soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece and not to feed the flock one that looked after the wooll and fat of the flock the fleece but never minded the flock but non-residency hath been hitherto decryed as that as breeds a Minister idle and erroneous or licentious but wilt thou
we may live with the God of Peace hereafter Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the Forenoon Joh. 14.16 And I will send the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever THe Observation that I commended to you out of these words was this It is the great work for which the Spirit of Christ is given by God to comfort the hearts of his people You may remember that I have formerly opened the truth to you and have shewed you what this spiritual comfort is that the Spirit of Christ works in the hearts of his Disciples I gave it you in this Description It is that inward spiritual satisfaction that the heart of a gracious person finds in and through Jesus Christ in all the various dispensationâ— of God towards him whereby he is enabled to go on in chearfulness in the way that God would have him whether it be by a way of doing or of suffering And herein I shewed 1. The nature of the spiritual satisfaction 2. The Author of it It is God by his Spirit 3. The Object of it God through Jesus Christ 4. The proper subject of this inward spiritual comfort the people of God 5. And lastly The effects of the spiritual comfort it is to strengthen the heart both to do and to suffer I came the last time to shew you how the Spirit of God doth this 1. He doth it as an enlightning Spirit By shewing where comfort is to be had by opening the eyes of the understanding as he did Hagars bodily eyes to see the Well of Water 2. He doth it as a quickning Spirit bringing the Soul into that capacity to take in the comfort for what comfort can a dead man receiver a Cordial and Puddle is all one to a dead man 3. He works this inward spiritual satisfaction by discovering the truth of his vital Principle in the Soul for a man may have a principle of grace and spiritual life in him and not know it that though he has the spiritual comfort yet it is all one as if he had it not Now this is the great Question that is debated in the heart of a childe of God Whether he be regenerated and born again Whether he hath grace in his soul that grace that will qualifie him for glory and if he was satisfied as to this he would not be a moment without comfort But he is afraid that he is dead in sin that he is a stranger to the life of grace hence ariseth all the Spiritual troubles Now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly sorrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly sorrow Oh! it 's matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is a mortyfying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrows pride unbelief inordinate love to the World 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing that I did for the explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they are such as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel and find none in his comforting work The Sun may operate where it doth not shine A man may be in a state of Salvation when it doth not feel the joyes of Salvation Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the comforting spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of Glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in frame of longing after the state of Heaven God will have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we must make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes till sin be quite taken out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spiritual comfort in their Souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comfort but they may feel the impression of Gods anger Haman complains That the wrath of God did bang upon him and that the terrors of God had out him off A gracious heart hath real grounds of Consolation though he hath not present sensible comforts A child of God hath always that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eternal life A Child of God shall always have so much to keep up his hopes and affiance upon God A Child of God in the darkest condition though he doth not see enough to make him rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust in God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while he was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5. Those that have inward comforts from the Spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it is light within
while Stephen sees nothing but blood here below he saw Heaven above And Christ rells his Disciples In the world they shall have tribulation but in him they shall have peace 6. And lastly Though this be one great work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples yet there are some special seasons wherein the Spirit of God gives out this comfort There are seasons of sadness there is a season of heaviness and there is need of it There is a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance I shewed you some of the Seasons 1. One special season of the Spirits comforting the renewing Soul is presently upon the Souls first salvation After the spirit is become a Spirit of Adoption presently it becomes a Spirit of Consolation after the Spirit hath come into the soul in the Law it then nextly appears a Spirit in the Gospel 2. Another season when the Spirit gives out this comfort is just before the Lord layes upon his people any great affliction When was it that Christ was transfigured and his face did shine as the Sun it was immediately before his bloody passion Christ was first taken into the Mount before he was lifted up upon the Cross When was the voice heard This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased but just before he was led into the Wilderness to be tempted When was Paul lifted up into Heaven it was immediately before Satan was sent to buffet him Thus God gives his people something beforehand to support their Spirits that they may not faint the Disciples were full of comfort Acts 5 41. And when was this immediately just before they were carryed before the Council and whipt up and down like Vagabonds and Rogues for preaching the Gospel 3. Another Season when the Spirit gives out this Comfort is in the time of suffering God comes in the nick of time especially if a man suffer for righteousness sake if this suffering be upon the account of Christ he seldom sails to send the Comforter for the relieving of his Spirit 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Bodily confinement and in ward straits are the time of the souls greatest inlargement John had his vision in the Isle of Patmos When a Child of God is brought to a piece of bread then is the season for God to feed him with heavenly Manna Jacob had glorious Visions while he was flying from the wrath of his Brother when he had nothing but a heap of Stones for his Pillow It was in the Wilderness that God speaks to his Church thus I told you of Mr. Glover a Prisoner who found no comfort in the time of his imprisonment but when he was going to the stake he cryed out He is come be is come meaning the Spirit the Comforter 4. Another season of Comfort is after some special exercise of grace godly sorrow-for sin free actions in the pardon of sin and new Engageme â—â—s and Resolutions and Promises of more close walking with God after declining from him 5. Another season of Comfort is After some great Tryals and Afflictions Light is then most pleasant when we newly are come out of a dark place after Thunder comes Lightning after a Storm comes a Calm God led his people first into the Wilderness and then into the Land of Canaan It is often so in Gods Dispensations towards his people their greatest Afflictions go before their greatest Deliverances And therefore let not the Saints of God despair when they are at the lowest when they walk in darkness and see no light yet let them trust in the Lord. 6. Another Season of comfort was when men were conscienciously diligent in their particular Callings then they walk with God To this I gave you an instance in the Shepherds they were faithful and diligent in their Callings they were watching over their flocks by night and then the Angel comes and tells them To you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.11 A company of poor Shepherds keeping of their Sheep God appears unto them and manifesteth his comforting Presence when the Scribes and Phaâ—isees notwithstanding all their long prayers and their strict Rites and Ceremonies hear not a word of him 7. Another Season of comfort is when we are either preparing for or in the spiritual act of some duty When grace is exercised to prepare the heart to pray and in attendance upon such an Ordinance then oftentimes the Spirit of God is with them to let poor souls in their endeavors finde acceptance with God Hannah had been praying to God But what melody did she finde in her heart When Mary sate â—at Christs feet how doth Christ fill her heart with comfort sealing up her salvation to her I now come to close with some Application Vse of Information Use If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples then by way of Information I gather this That a poor soul is very hardly setled and satisfied in point of Comfort Sure it is a hard matter to comfort a poor soul when one of the Persons of the blessed Trinity must be employed on purpose to do it This is an office belonging to the Holy Ghost when he is to be the Paraclec the comfort of the Holy Ghost This sure is a hard matter to comfort the wounded spirit when the soul is full of the spirit of bondage Oh! the hesitates the jealousies the doubts and fears the objections that a poor soul makes against his spiritual peace and comfort now it begins to take comfort then it doubts again now he believeth and takes courage but anon he is afraid there is a great deal ado to fasten comfort upon a poor soul 2 Cor. 1.22 23. What a heap of Words are there together and it is all little enough to comfort a poor soul Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God and hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts It is not without much tugging and drawing that the soul is first brought to believe and then when it doth believe it is a hard thing to perswade it that it doth believe There is a strange kind of squemishness upon the heart he thinks that there is no comfort to be taken that doth belong to him Luther says It is a harder thing to comfort a troubled Conscience than to raise the dead Surely it must be as hard when nothing but the same power must do it The soul is hardly convinced but all the glad tidings of the Gospel are golden streams and all the Promises are but pleasant Fancies without any Reality but that these things should belong to him this he cannot believe for want of faith
So that the Spirit of God is fain to come in and end the controversie before the soul will be satisfied 2. If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of his people Then all the comfort of Christless and graceless souls is nothing worth there is no true peace for they are not the Disciples of Christ which are the proper subjects of this comfort they will not hearken to Christ nor learn of Christ but they cast his words behind their backs and break his bands asunder Those that do not learn Christs Precepts and follow Christs Canons and obey Christs Commands they are none of Christs Disciples aâ—d to be sure they have not the Spirit of Christ which is the Efficient in this comfort and without the root there cannot be the fruit for this inward peace is the fruit of the Spirit And therefore what comfort they have it is either a sinful comfort which to be sure will end in sorrow or else at best it is but a carnal comfort which will soon vanish like the crackling of thorns under a Pot There is no peace saith God to the wicked there is no peace with God as long as you are at peace wiâ—h sin 3. Here they are stumbled with the Riddle That the people of God should be sorrowing yet always rejoycing As sorrowing yet always rejoycing The carnal world think this to be a contradiction though they be troubled without yet they have peace within though they have maâ—ter of sorrow in respect of outward affliction yet they have fellowship with the Holy Ghost the comforter which gives peace in affliction joy in sorrow light in darkness which fills thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly If the Holy Ghost be the only Comforter of the hearts of Gods people then let me exhort every one of you to labour for an interest in this Comforter Friends I beseech you be restless till you have got some evidence of the Comforter in your souls by the inhabitation of the Spirit in your hearts without you have an interest in Christ there is no comfort no true comfort to be expected no comfort in prosperity no comfort in adversity no comfort in life nor in death no peace with your consciences Men may make a shift to keep themselves at quiet for the present by lulling conscience they may have a kind of peace from a false principle Ah but what will you do when storms arise what will you do when death and affliction comes Jonas lay quietly asleep till the storm came O my friends we must shortly lye a dying the Lord knows how soon O what will you do for comfort in a dying hour all other comforts may forsake you and before that time you may meet with sorrow and heavy afflictions so that all your friends in the world will not do you good your friends may fail your hearts may fail and then no comfort but the comfort of the Holy Ghost will do you good the time may come that all your friends may prove miserable comforters when God comes to deal with the soul to set sin home upon the conscience to lay sin before us then what will you do We are all guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission when these come to be charged upon the soul what will you then do then no plaister of comfort will stick but those of the Spirits laying on unless the Spirit seal up the pardon of sin the love of God to the soul nothing will quiet and comfort the soul however men may be merry for a time yet there is a time of sorrow that will come when they shall reflect upon their ways when they shall see nothing but sin behind them and terrours before them Oh! what amazement will seize upon their souls they have no interest in God in Christ they have no interest in the Promises there is nothing that will comfort you unless you have an interest in the Spirit But then what shall I do that I may get this comforting Spirit into my soul First Thirst earnestly after it The Promise is made to those that thirst after it Isa 44.3 Thirst after him in his convincings in his humblings in his sanctifying mercy Oh let the desire and longing of thy soul run out this way no matter for an Estate no matter for Friends and outward comforts if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast that that is paramount to all outward comforts Secondly Pray earnestly for the Spirit You are not so willing to giâ—â— your children that they want as God is to give his Spirit to them that ask it Cry mightily Lord give me thy Spirit and cry to the Spirit and say as Laban to Abicam Come in so pray the Spirit to come in to thy Soul Thirdly If you would have this Comforter to come and abide with you You must resolve to become Christs Disciple It is only for such that Christs prays that God would send the Comforter You must hearken and obey him and follow him wheresoever he goeth You know the terms upon which you must be Christs Disciple Mat. 16.24 He must deny himself and take up his Cross and daily follow Christ He must deny himself There is two selfs in a man nay three selfs and they must de denied but however the first two must be denied if you intend to be Christs Disciple 1. A mans righteous self If any thing that we are that we have or can do from our works or duties any thing of our own all must be denied in point of Justification 2. Sinful self A mans corruptions must be denied pride passion and love to the world 3. Natural self Friends estates relations credit and honour and outward comforts these may be denied you may be called to part with them but if they come in competition with Christ they must be denied 2. You must take up the Cross of Christ rather than forsake his honor or disobey his commands You must resolve to follow Christ wheresoever he shall lead you either in a way of active or passive obedience you must take up Christs load you must undergo his burden Now Christians are you resolved upon this now sit down and consider what it will cost you to be Christians and if you would have the best you must be contented with the worst and if you are resolved upon this then you are the true Disciples of Christ and you are under the promise of his comfort and Christ is praying the Father to send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever 2. Vse of Exhortation 2. Vse Is of Exhortation wherein I shall apply my self to the true Disciples of Christ those that have had communion with Christ in his sanctifying Presence labour after communion with him in his comforting Presence To all others that are without the Spirit of God I may say as Jehu to Jehoram What hast thou to do with these things Labour to be
another and if he hath it not from the Spirit of God he will seek it some other way if he hath not comfort from the Spirit of God he will seek some sparks of his own kindling rather than they will sit in darkness without comfort they will light their candle at the Devil's fire And as he delivereth from temptation on the right so he delivereth from temptation on the left hand he that is filled with the comforts of the Holy Ghost what are sufferings to such a man he hath that within will carry him through all danger here is that comfort and that life by Christ which may ease us in our greatest crosses this will make a child of God speak of the sufferings of this world as a light matter Our light affliction which is but for a moment shall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods because in Heaven they had a better and more enduring substance Heb. 11.35 Some were tortured receiving no deliverance because in Heaven they had a better substance Oh if you would be kept from the snares of the World let your comforts be above the power and danger of temptation from any thing here below 3. By way of Direction How shall we have communion and aâ—t fâ—ith upon the Holy Ghost as your Comforter the Holy Ghost is designed and appointed by God the Father to this Office now you know none love to be slighted in their Office and if we do not act faith upon the Holy Ghost we slight his Office therefore we should have recourse to him in a way of believing as we should act faith upon Christ for the pardon of sin so we should act faith upon the holy Ghost for a sense of that pardon 2. Go often to Jesus Christ and beg him and beseech him to entreat the Father for you Go to God the Father in the name of Christ and beg it upon the account of Christs Prayer and Intercession that he would send the Comforter and you have a good argument to enforce the Petition the very same as the Disciples That Christ would when he went away Pray the Father and he should send you another Comforter Christ tells them that some there were that would kill them and in so doing think they did God good service therefore Christ in compassion to them in the state that he left them in prays the Father that he would send the Comforter So now we must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnabas's sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be damned up the Houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our Troubles encrease and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eyes the comfort of our hearts in respect of outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want Bread for our Souls we want cordials for our Hearts Blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Embassadors to come to us by thy Spirit do now in Heaven as thou didst on earth Pray the Father for us do not leave us so many Orphans without Father or Mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our Souls See how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy Spirit 3. If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed you do not lay up your comforts in the Creature this is to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the Creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it at your hands if you seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4. Set down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my hed and meditate on thee in the night-watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall finde that this Psalm was penned when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5. Be much in the exercise of grace Then they that walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the minde of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ Sure your comforts will be satisfying comforts and sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad news to the Disciples who were ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comfort that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wilderness where no water is when he doth deny the means he can comfort us without where he denies us the stream he can make us drink at the Fountain 7. And lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances of and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banished your Ministers may be imprisoned but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not preach any more to you I shall pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the After-noon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are
my Minister and my Friend leave me yet God will not leave me he is engaged by his own promise truth and faithfulness I will never never never leave thee nor forsake thee If you do not forsake God God will never forsake you if once you have so committed your selves to God as God accepts the charge he hath undertaken that you shall never depart from him It is part of the Covenant and he is engaged to all the Relations wherein he stands to his people as a Husband as a Father as a Master But you will say How shall we commit our selves to God that God may have a charge of us I will give you one Direction for all 1. Take God to be your God and give up your selves to be his people â—f you will before you and I part heartily and unreservedly give up your selves to God to be his people it will be the comfortablest day that ever I saw though in other respects it may be the saddest As certainly God is your God so certainly he will keep you if you will avouch your selves to be Gods I will avouch God to be yours 1. You must take God to be the portion of your souls inheritance lay up all your happiness in God for if you chuse any thing else for your happiness but God God will have nothing to do with you God will be All or Nothing Your hearts must say as David's Lord thou art my portion whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee He accounted all nothing for God God was his happiness God was his Portion God was his All in All. 2. You must make God the center of all your love and delight God will have all from you or nothing you must not divide your affection between God and the World you must love nothing in comparison of him love nothing but in subordination to him as you would have God to be wholly yours so you must be wholly his 3. You must rake God to be the strength and shield of hearts As you would have God to take care of you you must cast your care upon God If you place your hope any where else there will be no sure hold the Anchor of your hope must be cast no where else if you lay your burden any where else God will not lend a finger to help you but if you place your hope in God God will help you your extremity shall be his opportunity 4. You must take God to be the guide of your hearts if you would have the priviledge of God's guard you must keep in Gods way keep in Gods way and you will be sure of Gods protection do you keep Gods precepts and God will keep your person do what God commands and avoid what God forbids and then you need not fear what will become of you Let the World frown and Friends forsake you resolve that you will follow God wheresoever he leads you then he will be your God all your dayes and he will guide you here by his counsel till at last he bring you to his glory And this leads me to the second Exhortation in respect of the Gospel Secondly Brethren I commend you to the Word of Gods Grace I commend you to the Precepts of God to be obeyed by you I commend you to the Promises of God to be believed by you 1. Keep them hold them fast carefully it is your treasure life keep it and it will keep you it is all that you can shew for Heaven I leave it as a Depasitum if you part with it take heed how you will answer it at the last day it is the Talent which God hath committed to you for which you will be commended for keeping at the great day Hold fast the Word of God's grace there is old tugging by the Devil and his instruments either to pull you from the Word or the Word from you Let go any thing rather than the Gospel let go your Friends your Estates your Lives rather than let go the Gospel Study Gods Word do not keep it by you for no purpose Search the Scriptures for in them you hope for eternal life There 's the Pearl of great price there is Directions there is Comfort this Book of God will make you wise unto Salvation If you never hear Sermon more you have enough by the use of the Bible to carry you to Heaven There 's Divinity there is holiness and Heaven almost in every syllable when you cannot have it preached to you Be much in the study of it Then practice it conscionably Be not only Hearers but Doers of it let your conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Iâ— was the Apostles advice to the Philippians and its mine to you Let your Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Let your Conversation become the Precepts the Priviledges the Promises of the Gospel Having then thus commended you to God give me leave before we part to commend God and his Gospel to you 1. Make it your daily business to walk with God make him the Companion of your lives Converse with God every day in the inward of your hearts He that is a stranger with God God will soon be a stranger to him and if you neglect God one day you may be to seek him when you most need him 2. Live in the daily exercise of Grace and Godliness 1. Live in the continual exercise of Faith live by it you have need of the exercise of that Grace every day You can as well live without food as live without Faith it is that Grace which feeds upon Christ 2. Be much in the exercise of the Fear of the Lord all the day long be afraid to sin against God in the secret of your souls mind his presence in all places in all company in all businesses 3. Be much in the exercise of Humility live humbly and think better of others than your selves Humility will exceedingly adorn your profession 4. Be much in the exercise of Repentance Be frequent and constant in Prayer Pray continually do it spiritually and do it exactly as to the season of it 5. Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Whatsoever you do for God do it with all your might do not put off God with the skin but give him the marrow 6. Be careful not only to keep up secret but Family-worship the less preaching there is in publick the more catechising and instructing there should be in private I know no more likely means than the setting up the worship of God in private Families 7. Prize the Sabbath be strict and exact in the observation of the Lord's-day I have shewed you many times wherein the spiritual observation of it doth confist it is your Seed-time your market-day it is a sign you shall one day celebrate an everlasting Sabbath with God in the highest Heavens 8. Be stedfast in the ways of God in a back-sliding Age Keep your
in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in 2 Cor. 31.18 But we all with open faâ—e behold as in a Glass the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as hâ— the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him says Christ even the spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceedeth from the Father There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his Word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the first Epist of John 23. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God in Christ It is the Spirit that doth for all us As in the Eccho the Aire being moved by the voyce returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come says the Spirit I come says the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightening Spirit a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning The Spirit reveals the counsels of God the great Mysteries of the Kingdom leads into all Truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken and comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the love of God iâ— shed abroad in our hourts Our cold and frozen spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awakened Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices â—â—â—of 〈◊〉 flow out Thirdly By his Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the ways of Holiness thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist temptations strong to suppress corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carried through all difficulties by this Spirit their infirmities are healed they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the Words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or less in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Because of their special love to and care of them that keep his words Indeed all the care of God is concerning his people that he hath in the world therefore in the second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandments that do not cast his words behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his Word he will abide with us in our work And this is the great Reason in the Text My Father will love him not but that he loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the people of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance And in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his Word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than these So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his Word observe his Will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitations on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14 15. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God says Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Sons of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14 John 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherless children He is the most affectionate tender-hearted Father Tam pater neâ—â— tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he says Terâ—ul Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his Word in a Conjugal relation and God hath laid a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People when he hath espoused to himself I will betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies I have even betreth thee unto me in faithfulness And in Isai 54.5 6. For thy Maker is thy Husband c. For the Lord hath called thee as a Woman forsaken c. Secondly Jesus Christ is the Husband of his People as we see in the whole Book of Canticles And so in Ephes 5. from the 29. Verse to the end of the Chapter Now where shall God and Christ make their abode but with their espoused Ones Doth Jesus Christ delight to
diligently enquire Thus David with a very vigilant eye seeks him whom his soul loved Psal 132.4 5. I will not give rest to mine eyes nor slumber to my eye-lids till I have found out a place for God c. Lastly Resolve with your selves never to give over till you come to the perfect and full enjoyment of them as Job said I will wait all the days of my appointed time so do you seek all the days of your appointed time if we would finde God and Christ we must all seek the days of our lives They that will finde what they seek must seek till they finde As God in the Creation did not rest till he had man so man should not rest till he hath found God and as in the Redemption Jesus Christ did never cease seeking till he found all the lost sheep of the house of Israel so we should never give over till we have made God and Christ our own This should be the work of our lives and upon this work I must leave you For now I must tell you that perhaps you may not see my face or hear my voice any more in this place yet not out of any peevish humor or disaffection to the present Authority of the Kingdom I call God and Man to witness this day it being my own practice and Counsel to you all to fear GOD and Honour the KING but rather a real dissatisfaction in some particulars imposed to which notwithstanding all endeavors to that purpose my conscience cannot yet be espoused Wherefore I hope in this and in all my abode with you I may say without ostentation with the Apostle in 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this The testimony of a good Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the World especially to you-wards And as he saith in Acts 20.26 27. So I take you to record this day that I have endeavoured to be pure from the bloud of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God both by my life and Doctrine because I knew this very well that as one says Suadet loquentis vita non oratio that the Preachers life is the most lively Preaching I shall onely add this my Friends that though my Lips be sealed up that I may not speak from God to you yet I shall not cease to speak to God for you as ever I have done And though I cannot have you in my eye yet I shall lodge you in my heart and asking nothing of you but your Prayers shall hope to meet you daily at the Throne of Grace and that at last we may enjoy one another in Heaven And because they say the words of a dying man makes the deepest impression before I am altogether civilly dead I shall give you one Exhortation more Secondly Let it be your endeavour to keep God and Christ with you that they may make their abode with you in their hearts and houses that whatsoever you loose you may not be undone In the General First Take heed you do not slight or abuse his Providences Secondly Do not despise or neglect his Ordinances Thirdly Be sure you do not grieve his spirit Secondly Observe more particularly these ten Directions which I would leave with you That God and Christ may make their constant abode with you First Endeavour to please God and Christ and to walk as the Gospel commands in all well-pleasing And for this purpose Observe these three Rules First Entertain God and Christ like themselves Now they are come to you as Solomon did his Temple which he had prepared for God The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee much less this poor Tent so with the most humble frame of spirit admire his greatness and infinite condescension for he is the King of Glory as in Psal 24. And so give him suitable entertainment for he will dwell with the humble and contrite spirit If Elizabeth wondred at the visit which Mary gave her with a Whence is it that the Mother of my Lord is come unto me then admire that the Lord himself should come not only to visit your hearts but to make such a gracious abode with you And as the Centurion said unto Christ in the Gospel I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof So acknowledge your unworthiness of so rich and unparallel'd a grace that God and Christ should come in unto you to abide with you Secondly Wait upon God and Christ with all readiness of minde to observe every intimation of the will of God to you Stand always ready as Servants wait upon the hand of their Masters saying in your hearts Lord what wilt thou have me to do or what wilt thou have me to suffer It is the frame and posture which Christ commends unto his Disciples Luke 12.35 Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning to do his will as it is done in Heaven Thirdly Take pleasure and delight in the company and society of God and Christ above all the pleasures in the world Do nothing without first calling God and Christ into the action Remember this in these four cases especially First Pray God and Christ along with you into all your spiritual duties that you may be sure to perform them all according to the mind of God None knows better what will please God than himself do not enquire so much what others say but what God appoints 't is not what this or that man says how we must serve God but what God says himself as Augustin said to the Manichee in another case Nec egote nec tu me sed ambo audiamus Apostolum So hear what God and Christ says to us as to the performance of all our duties If we will entertain God and Christ and have their company we must set before them such savory meat as they like lest we be like them Mat. 15.9 of whom Christ says In vain do they worship me c. and our service be like theirs of which the Lord said Who hath required these things at your hands O what was that great evil the people were guilty of for which there comes that heavy judgment Psal 78.60 He forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh the Tent which he placed among them Sure it was some great guilt in the former ver we find it to be their Hypocrisie Apostacy and Idolatry any taint of this kinde will make the jealous God forsake our solemn meetings Secondly Pray God and Christ into all your Civil affairs The Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God in their entrance upon every work was a commendable practise It is reported of Publius Scipio the Roman that he would always go first to the Capitol and then to the Senate so we should begin our Civil employments with spiritual duties And do as Abrahams servant when he was to take a Wife for his Master's Son he took God along with him and thus to abide with God
Plummet and what is not warranted by the Word of God or maintainable by Argument drawn from it we should not close with And for the closing up of all do but consider how this Chapter and the things that I have spoken to you and preached from it how they do all influence this Exhortation Little Children keep your selves from Idols see to it that you approve your selves in holy Worship to God and the Lord Jesus Do but argue thus You profess to be Believers and is it not your duty to answer to this profession Your Falth is a pure Faith and an obediential grace it is a grace that will tutor you to hang upon Christ and his appointments and Institutions and therefore being Believers study to keep your selves from Idols and whatever is not consonant to the will of God concerning Worship You believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God keep your selves from Idols in this respect for he is come into the world and hath shewed the pattern of his House and then you are born of God carry it like a people that are born of God that are high born and credit your holy profession by keeping a dependance upon that God of whom you are born and then being Believers you are born of God and have overcome the world and therefore shew forth your heroick spirit by standing out in all opposition to Idols and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godliness You have an Unction from the Holy One and this engages you to look to it that you keep your selves from Idols And then we know saith he that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ And thereupon he brings in this Little Children keep your selves from Idols as if he should say This is the true God God in Christ Jesus Christ the Son of the Father this is the true God and he hath eternal life with him other god are false gods and â—hat benefit will you have by following them and performing worship to â—hem Nothing but eternal death false gods can bestow no eternal life upon you but this is the true God and he can give you eternal life And therefore Little Children keep your selves from Idols And now yet one word more I would not occasion any discomposure of spirit that is not becoming you But this I must say for ought I know you have the words of a dying man and we use to say that the words of dying men are apt to take somewhat a deep impression I mean a dying man not in properness of speech according to nature and if it should be so I hope there would be cause of rejoycing on my part but I speak the words of a dying man in respect of the Ministerial Office I suppose you all know there is an Act come forth by Supream Authority and it is not for us to quarrel at all but to submit to it and hold correspondency with it so far as we can with a good conscience and there being many Injunctions that many besides my self cannot comply withall therefore we are willing to submit to the Penalty inflicted This I say you have for many years had the benefit of my poor Labours I have fulfilled near up towards forty years and have performed my service to God Christ and his People and I bless his Name not without acceptance and success My work so far I know in this course as in the weekly course is now at an end my desire is that you whose hearts have been inclinable to wait upon God in the way of my Ministry may be kept faithful to God and that you may have the blessing of the everlasting Covenant coming upon your Souls and that you may have the power of this Doctrine held forth in this Sermon put forth upon your hearts that as you do believe that Jesus is the Christ that as you profess these things you may carry it suitably to your profession that you may walk in love to God love to Christ and love to one another that you may labour to manifest a noble generous Spirit in overcoming the world in Errours Corruptions false Doctrines and unwarrantable Worship that you may in all things labour to approve your selves And littlte Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Mr. Calamy's Sermon Preached December 28. 1662. 1 Sam. 4.13 And when he came Lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side waiting for his heart trembled for the Ark of God THat you may the better understand these words you must know that whatsoever God threatned against old Eli in the second and third Chapters because he did not restrain his wicked Sons from their lewd courses is here executed in this Chapter therefore we read there were four thousand I raelites slain by the Philistines And the Elders of Israel met together to consult how to repair this great loss they confess it was the Lord that had smitten them For say they Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines And they conclude the way to repair this their loss it was to fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh and carry it into the battel whereupon they appointed Hophni and Phinehas to fetch it whereby they imagined that the presence of the Ark would save them from ruin but herein they were miserably mistaken for this judgment befell them not because the Ark was not in the Camp but because their sin was in the Camp The Ark of the Covenant would not preserve those that had broken Covenant with God And therefore there was a great slaughter of the Israelites and were slain thirty thousand men and Hâ—phni and Phinehas were slain and the Ark it self was taken Prisoner But what was old Eli doing He was ninety and eight years old and was not able to go to the Battel but sits upon a seat by the way side near the Battel and there he sits thinking what shall become of the Ark And lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his bea rt trembled for the Ark of God for fear lest the Ark should be taken He was not troubled what should become of his two sons or what should become of the people of Israel but what should become of the Ark of God In the words are three parts 1. Old Eli's sollicitousness for the Ark. 2. Old Eli's heart trembling for fear of the Ark. 3. Old Eli's preferring the safety of the Ark before the safety of his two sons wise and children He sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God But what was the Ark of God why should old Eli's heart tremble for fear of the Ark I answer this Ark was the holiest of all the things of God it was so holy that it made every place holy where it came
our Vriahs Where are they that lay to heart the dangers of the Ark you complain of Taxes decay of Trading of this civil burden and that civil burden but where is the man or the woman that complains of this misery the loss of the Ark Most of you are like Gallio he cared not for these things if it had been a civil matter then he would have meddled with it but for Religion he cared not for that every man is troubled about meum and tuum about civil concernments but who layes to heart who regards what shall become of Religion There is a strange kind of indifferency and lukewarmness upon most peoples spirits so they have their trading go on and their civil burdens removed they care not what becomes of the Ark. There is a Text of Scripture I shall not spend much time in opening it but I would have you well consider it Hos 7.9 Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not Shall I say gray hairs are upon the Gospel I come not hither to Prophecy I say not the Gospel is dying but I say it hath gray hairs for you have had the Gospel a hundred years and above and therefore it is in its old-age and I dare challenge any Schollar to shew me an example of any Nation that hath enjoyed the Gospel for a hundred years together Now that gray hairs is to a hundred years is no wonder well gray hairs are here and there and yet no man layeth it to heart Now shall I spend time to shew you what a great sin it is not to be affected with the danger that the Ark of God is in consider but three particulars First it is a sign you do not love the Gospel if you had any love to it you would be troubled more for the danger of the Ark than for any outward danger whatsoever Secondly it is a sign you have no interest in the Gospel for interest will stir up your affections it is a sign you are not concerned in the Gospel for if you were concerned in it you would be affected with it as those that were interessed in those persons that were in that lamentable fire the last week it is impossible but they should be affected and so it is a sign you have no interest in God and Christ if your hearts do not tremble for fear of the loss of the Ark. But thirdly there is a curse of God pronounced against all those that do not lay to heart the afflictions of Joseph Amos 6 1 2 3 4 5 6. Wo be to them that are at ease in Sion and trust in the Mountain of Samaria ye that put far away the evil day that lie upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches that eat the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall that chant to the sound of the Viol and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick that drink wine in bowls and annoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are nongrieved for the afflictions of Joseph Wo be to you that enjoy your fulness of outward things and make merry therewith and never consider the afflictions of Gods people and the danger of the Ark. Vse 2. For exhortation to beseech you all that God by a providence hath so unexpectedly brought this day to hear me there may be a good providence in it possibly I may do good herein I say let me beseech you all to declare you are the people of God indeed and in truth by following the example of old Eli to be very solicious of the Ark of God and let me exhort you to five particulars First let me perswade you to believe that the Gospel is not entailed upon England England hath no Letters Pattents of the Gospel the Gospel is removeable God took away the Ark and forsook Shiloh and he did not only take away the Ark but the Temple also he unchurched the Jews he unchurched the seven Churches of Asia and we know not how soon he may unchurch us I know no warrant we have to think that we shall have the Gospel another hundred years God knows how to remove his Candlestick but not to destroy it God doth often remove the Church but doth not destroy it God removed his Church out of the East as the Greek Churches were famous Churches but God removed them and now the Turk overspreads that Country Secondly I would perswade you that Englands Ark is in danger to be lost were it not only for the sins of England those prodigious iniquities amongst us and that strange un-heard-of ingratitude that is in the Land but I will say no more of that because I would speak nothing but what becomes a sober Minister of the Gospel Thirdly I would perswade you and O that I could raise you up to old Eli's practice He sate watching for his heart trembled for fear of the Ark He had a thoughtful head and anâ—aking heart for the Ark of God that was in great danger and that I might move you to this consider what a sad condition we are in if the Ark be taken what will your Estate do you good or what will your concernments do you good if the Gospel be gone wherein doth England exceed other places there is more wealth in Turkie than in England And the Heathen Nations have more of the glory of the world than any Christian King hath What is the glory of England what is the glory of Christianity but the Gospel if the Gospel be gone our glory is gone Pray remember Eli's Daughter-in-Law the wife of Phinehas she hearkned not though a man Child was born and would receive no comfort but called his name Ichabod for the glory is departed from Israel The Ark of God is taken O when the glory is gone who would desire to live I am loth to tell you the story of Chrysostome he was but one man yet when he was banished Constantinople the people all petitioned for him and said They could as well lose the Sun out of the Firmament as lose Chrysostom from among them Fourthly let me perswade you not to mourn immoderately neither be discouraged I would willingly speak something to comfort you before I leave you I know not by what strange providence I came here this day and the Lord knows when I shall speak to you again therefore I would not send you home comfortless O therefore mourn not as without hope for I have four Arguments to perswade me that the Ark of God will not be lost though it be in danger of losing First because God hath done great things already for this Nation and I argue like Manoah's Wise surely if God had intended to destroy us he would not have done that he hath done for us He that hath done so much for us will not now forsake us And therefore though our hearts tremble yet let
for ever O thou heavenly Samaritan that once poured in Wine into the half dead Traveller draw near draw near here 's a Church full of souls not half dead but wholly dead their eyes closed they cannot they cannot see thee their hearts grown stiff and cold and hard and have no feeling of thee unless in mercy thou speak a Resurrection word and make them live again to praise thee Oh let this be the time of life Oh let it be a time of love apply unto their festered sores this saving salve of Christs Bloud that they putrifie not to death nor languish in despair drop into their wounded souls the sharp Wine of thy wrath search them and pour in also the supplying Oyl of thy tender Mercy to heal them that so both them and their wills which further than they are driven will not go may be brought into a Conformity to thee and thy will Secondly It speaks terror to those that do the Devils will It was an Indictment which Christ prefer'd against the Jews and may I fear too truly be laid to the charge of many Nomical Christians John 8.44 Yeare of your Father the Devil and the works of the Devil you will do Adam when the will of God and the will of the Devil hung in equal ballance before him we know how ready he was to chuse the wrong Scale God said Touch not the forbidden fruit Satan said Take and eat the forbidden fruit and you know the sad event of that affair Now if Adam was at the Devils beck in the slate of Creation when his Nature was not depraved with sin nor his Soul debaucht with lust who in the state of Corruption can say my Heart is clean Object It may be some will Object None is so devoid of Grace sure none gone so far in the Sâ—upiâ—ication of their Conscience as to do the will of the Devil Answ Ah poor soul I could wish that the party here concern'd be not nearer than thou art aware of put thy hand into thy bosom and it may be thou mayest resolve the Objection thy self Thou wouldst possibly take it ill should I come to thee as Nathan did to David and clap thee on the shoulder with this Arrest Thou art the man I confess this would be more than my Commission warrants me to do yet give me leave to whisper one word or two in thine ear When thou makest a lye whose will dost thou Gods or the Devils not Gods for God saith put away lying Surely lying is the work and will of Satan whom the Scripture Records for a Lyar from the beginning Again when with Jezebel thou paintest thy self with pride and standest sacrificing many a precious morn to the Idol in the Looking-glass whose will art thou doing at such a time sure not Gods for in Isa 28.1 you have him declaiming against such practises Wo to the crown of pride to the crown of pride When thou art acting the good-fellow upon tâ—â—â— Ale-bench and with thy drivling Oaths damning all that are wedded to the Rules of Sobriety and dares not break off thy drunken Fraternity whose will art thou doing and in whose work art thou imployed at such a time Certainly not Gods he calls no such Conventicles nor allows no such Societies witness that Alarum which he sounds under the window where such Swaggerers fit Joel 1.5 Awake awake ye drunkards weep and howl all ye drinkers of wine for the time is at hand when your sweet draught shall be cut off from your mouth In a word when thou art finning whose will art thou doing not Gods for he saith Cease to do evil and learn to do well Certainly while it is thus with thee the words of Christ are applicable to thee Thou art of thy Father the Devil and the work or will of the Devil thou wilt do John 8.44 Vse 3. Thirdly Is it so then ever make Gods will the Standards of yours and think not to bring down his will to yours but resign up your will to his That Epitapth would not become a Christian Tomb-stone which was found Engraven upon a Misers Monuments Here lies one against his will the blessed Apostle was of another minde when he said I have learnt in what ever state I am therewith to be content Many can be content in an Honorable Estate or in a wealthy Estate or in a plentiful or prosperous Estate but to be reproacht and yet content to be bely'd and yet content to be affronted and wrong'd and yet content in such Estates as these to be content is far above Nature and none can do it but he that hath learnt it I have learnt saith Paul But alas how few Scholars hath this Great Doctor St. Paul in his Heavenly Academy Children can learn to be proud can learn to be covetous can learn to be undutiful to their Parents can learn to lye and swear before they have well learnt to speak But he must be a Man nay more than a Man that can learn to love an Enemy to forgive an injury and with Paul to be content with every Contingency For the Lords sake MAN ply this lesson well if thine Enemy lay thy Honour low intreat the Lord to lay thy heart as low and be content If Authority bring thy Estate down beseech God to bring thy Spirit down and be content when thy comforts runs a tilt and thy blessings runs dregs then let patience have her perfect work and be content feast upon thy own Lentiles quash thy penitential tears instead of luscious Wine and count thy sins instead of pounds keep thy heart at home and suffer not thy ambition to climb up beyond thy Makers pleasure Mahomet when he could not make the Mountain come down to it he went up to the Mountain So when thou canst not enlarge thy Dominions to thy minde then confine thy minde to thy Dominions and when thou hast more be the more thankful and when thou hast less be content This is the third Use Make Gods will the stan dard of yours Now if you put Pauls Query Lord what wilt thou have me to do I will answer the question tel you what God would have you to do 1. God would have you obey his Command and live piously 2. God would have you bear his Cross and suffer patiently First It 's Gods will you should live piously For the proof of this you may read 1 Thes 4.3 4. This is the will of God what is even this saith Paul your Sanctification that every one of you should possess your vessel in holiness Mark this in holiness and if so what will become of all those befooled and abused souls who debauch their vessel with uncleanness and defile themselves with drunkenness If Belshazar was so severely punisht for dissecrating and prophaning the Vessels of the Temple dedicated unto God of how much sorer punishment shall these wretches be thought worthy who have adulterated and defiled the Temple of the Holy Ghost He drank
intemperately to the honour of his Idol only in dead Vessels of Gold and Silver But these in doing thus abuse living Vessels living bodies and living souls such Vessels as by Baptism were markt out for God and separated and sealed to his holy service they abuse and prostitute to a Lust to a Whore to the Devil Ah! who can but weep and weep again to see how much of our English Bloud is poyson'd with these beastly Enormities at this day and how many of our otherwise hopeful Gentlemen who might do God and their Country much service and be a great help to the publick good and peculiar blessing to the place where they live do basely and unworthily melt away their youth and Emasculate their spirits in drunken Societies and Effeminate Embraces Alas that so many Noble Births so many sparkling Wits should be prostituted to Satans service and imployed in carrying on Satans cause while they know it not If they had found a Golden Chalice as Augustine observes of Lucinus they would have given it to the Church But God hath given them a Golden Wit a golden Head and golden parts and in these golden Cups and Challices they drink themselves to the Devil both body and soul for evermore Ah deluded and degenerated Gentlemen think with your selves seriously what answer you will make to your Judge at the general Audit-day for taking the Members of Christ and making them members of an Harlot Never see my face more said Joseph unless you bring your brother Benjamin with you Oh friends never think to see Gods face to your comfort in Glory if you carry not holy bodies and holy souls and holy affections with you God tells you his minde in Heb. Follow peace and holiness without which you shall never see the Lord You may go to Heaven without a peny in your purse but you shall never come there without holiness in your heart Heaven is a City where Righteousness dwells and therefore though God in his wonderful patience to poor lost man suffer the Earth to give the ungodly a little house-room a while yet sure I am he will never cumber Heaven with such a crew Before Enoch was translated to Heaven he walkt holily upon Earth else God had never desired his Company so soon as he did And before the Saints departed commenced and took their degree of Glory they kept their Acts and performed the exercises of grace and so must you the Scripture is plain Without Holiness none shall see the Lord. It 's true none goes to Heaven for his Holiness and this shews the Insufficiency of Holiness But it 's as true that none goes to Heaven without holiness and this argues the necessity of holiness And therefore though it be no plea for Heaven yet it will be your best Evidence and will you have your Evidences to seek when you should have them to shew Ah then as you value a portion among the Saints in Light and hope to live in Heaven when you can live no longer upon Earth Be holy as your Father which is in Heaven is holy Caesars money must be known by Caesars Image and Superscription and so must the Christian at the Reckoning day by the Terror of his Conversation Not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of the Lord shall be saved saith Christ Your works must be your witnesses and your deeds must declare whose you are and to whom you belong And therefore begin to live that life now which you intend and hope to live for ever and continue not one day longer in that condition in which you would not die and appear at Judgment in Therefore go home and dress your selves not with good Cloaths but with good works and while others are querying what they shall eat and what they shall drink and what they shall put on study you how to live and how to dye and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof And when others are projecting how to improve a barren piece of ground let your contrivance be how to improve a barren minde and as their care is that their fields should not lye fallow so let it be your study not to let your hearts lye fallow and the rather because you see that this is the will of God even your sanctification that every one of you should possess his Vessel in holiness 1 Thes 4.3 4. Now that this is the will of God will appear upon a two-fold account 1. First from the price with which he hath redeemed us to it 2. And Secondly from the Promise which he hath made to Reward us for it 1. The price he paid down upon the nail was his own blood Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people Had man kept his primitive holiness Christ might have kept his life and have spared his pains It was mans lost Righteousness lost Holiness that Christ came to recover But this is a Point that needs pressing rather than proving which I shall undertake to effect by these ensuing obrestations and intreaties I beseech you upon the account of these three Considerations that you would approve your selves a holy Nation a Seed which the Lord hath blessed I beseech you 1. For my sake 2. For your sakes 3. For Christs sake First for my sake who am to come to you as a Petitioner and Messenger from the Lord and the sum of my desires is this I beseech you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God I am not courting you for your silver but for your souls and what will you grant me if this be denied me O the Lord make you a willing people in the day of his power God hath sent me to you as Jesse to David with this Present in mine hands and these Breathings in my heart after your Salvation O may they but prove serviceable and successful to your souls and I shall bless God that hath put it into mine heart thus to visit you But if you will not hear nor fear to do no more so wickedly My soul shall weep in secret for you Is it not sad to a tender Physitian to see his Patients to dye under his hands much sadder sure to a poor Minister to see souls drop to Hell one by one under his Pulpit and cannot help them cannot save them this must needs be a heart-sadding sight to one that 's sensible of the worth of souls It costeth the Mother no small pains to bring forth a living Child But ah the bitter Throws of that Minister that travels all the year long nay all his life long with a dead Child a dead-hearted people That spends his strength and like a Candle Swails out his life amongst his Parish and is forced at last to take up the Prophets complaint Who hath believed our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Laws of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renuing and restraining grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men our lives have been a continuall piece of rebellion against God who did make us and doth feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatted for thy love Oh foolish men and women that we have been I we acknowledge our Gospel-sins are of a deep dye Thou hast not been a VVildernss or Land of darkness to us we have been exalted to heaven in the means of salvation but Oh! how short do we come of knowledge to the time and means we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee Oh do thou open our eyes and present us to our selves show us the vilenss of our lives Blessed be thy Name that thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleeve on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his Offices in our hearts help us to give him the keys of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that died for us and let our souls be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our conscienees in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead works inform our understanding conform our wills to thy holy VVill let our hearts and lives be comformed to the Image of thy Son that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will und suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou maiest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of Self-denial in our souls and let us take the Cross of Jesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on beds of sickness and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come and they that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them than their Faith or our prayers and look graciously upon poor children entitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that deâ—re the conversion of Relations that walk in waies of perdition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter eud Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy Message plainly and powerfull and give thy People hearing ears and obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upo thee in thy Worship this day and all For Christ his sake in whose Name and Words we call upon thee Our Father ' which art in Heaven c. Doctor Manton's Prayer at Covent-garden O Lord God all that we can do is nothing of our selves we can do nothing Oh let us have the gracious Assistance of thy Spirit as this time let thy love constrain us say unto us Thou art our Salvation Do not say that we shall fill up the measure of our Iniquities and there shall be no hope for us O Lord we are ashamed that we have waited so long in thine Ordinannances and have got no more profit to our toor pouls but we have given up our hearts to the pleasures and vanities of this world that are but for a season even those that thou hast drawn out after thee do not walk worthy of thee anseerable to that blessed hope of future Happiness in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Jesus Christ is to many of us become a stumbling-blook and a reck of offence while our hearts are caried out after the wirld with such strong affections Oh! when shall we carry our selves so as those that profess themselves to be secke's of a better life We come into thy presence now for strength do thou manifest thy self to us thou hast promised to pour out thy Spirit upon all Flesh Oh let it be unto us according to thy promise O Lord our hearts naturally are averse to thee so that of our selves we shall never be able to do any thing that may be wel-plensing to thee but do thou regulate us by thy blessed Spirit that we may observe thy statutes and do them and that thy Commands may not be grievous to us that it may not be burdensom for us to do the work of God O Lord when shall our hearts be made sound in thy statutes we wait upon thee in the use of thine Ordinances that we may have a new supply from thee that at length we may come to see that thou art at work with us to save our soules O help us to be followers of them who with faith and patience do follow thee to do nothing unbecomming our holy Call suffer us not to swerve from thy Commandments but let us have a constant and earnest desire after thee Let the choicest of thy Mercies come down on our Sovereign Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland let His heart be guided by thee let him always set the before his eyes that under the shadow of his Goverment we may have Peace in all Godliness and honesty Bless him in his Relations in his Councils Teach our Senators wisdom Be with all thy Faithfull Magistrates and Ministers let them be a terrour to evil doers and an encouragement to them that do well Be with us in the way of thy worship we are here met together to hear and handle thy holy Word Oh do thou command it to light upon all our hearts let it come in the evidence and demonstratian
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless
wâ—th us all thine remember thy people from one end of the world to the other Thy people are very low this is a time of Jacobs troubles the Bush is burning every day Oh thou the Hope of Israel the Saviour therof shew thy self in mercy to these Nations We bless thee for all thy mercies that thy judgements do not seize upon us every day that thou dost not sweep us away that thou dost not rain Fire Brimstone on England as thou didst on Sodom our sins cry aloud to heaven for vengeance God is greatly provoked every day it is a miracle of patience that thou hast not destroyed us God can pardon the sins of the Nation at once but we are not fit for pardon we do not humble our selves O Lord humble us give repentance to England from the highest to the lowest that we may return unto thee We desire to bless thee that our Eemies have not had their wills over us they said they would pursue and overtake and satisfie their lusts but God did blow upon them and they did sink in the mighty Water and thou hast yet preserved thy Church we pray thee do not leave us nor remove thy Gospel whatsoever thou dost Pour down elle choicest of thy bâ—essings upon our Sovereign Charles by thy Grace of England Scotland France and Ireland Bless him with the Blessing of Heaven and Earth make him a blessing to all of us Bless him in all his Relations the Lords of the privy Councel Look on them that have desired an interest in our prayers known to thee are all of them know their souls in this time of adversity make their beds in their siekness Give Faith to them that complain of unbelief give the Spirit of Prayer to those that complain they cannot pray be a Councellor to those that wan councel in their affaires either by Sea or Land let thy blessig go with them whereever they go Spare the lives of Children if it be thy will Prepare us for thy good and holy Word let it be a savour of lise unto life and let it come with power unto us Oh let us hear it as thy Word not as the word of a poor man but as the Word of God and all for the Lord Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to whom with thee and the Spirit of Grace be given Glory and Honour for evermore Mr. Waltons Prayer in Walbrook O Lord God all our springs are in thee it is good for us to draw nigh to thee through Jesus Christ thou art all fulness thou art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and in him our Father thou art our light thou givest us these blessed opportunities of enjoying communian with thy self God blessed for ever These mercies are forfeited mercies we have abused the blessings of thy House we have grieved thy blessed Spirit therefore it is just with thee to deprive us of these comforts and to make us know the worth of these mercies by the want of them Lord we desire to judge our selves that we may not be condemned with the world Righteous art thou O Lord and just in all thy judgements we confess we are unworthy to have any converse with so holy a God we are polluted dust and ashes not worthy to tread thy Courts and it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed how often have we pluckt fruit from the forbidden tree we have sinned presumptuously against the clearest Light and the dearest love alwaies have we sinned thy footsteps have dropt fatness thou hast shewen mercy to us but the better thou hast been to us the worse we have been to thee thou hast loaded us with thy mercies and we have wearied thee with our sins when we look into our selves Oh the poyson of our natures whatever the Leper did touch was unclean Thus do we by our spiritual Leprosie infect our holy things our prayers had need have pardon and our tears had need have the blood of sprinkling to wash them how vain are our vows how sensual are our affections we confess we are untuned and unstrung for every holy Action we are never out of tune to sin but alwaies out of tune to pray we give the world our male affections and our strong desires we should use this world as if we used it not and alwies we pray as if we prayed not and serve thee as if we served thee not there is not that reverence nor that devotion nor that activeness of faith that there should be Lord if thou wouldst say that thou wouldst pardon all our sins to this time only judge us for this prayer wo unto us what breathings of unbelief and hypocrisie is there now when we approach unto thee we pray thee pardon us for Christs sake Who can tell how oft he doth offend we can as well reckon the drops of the Ocean as number our sins we have filled the number of the Nations sins but we have not filled thy bottle with our tears This is that that doth exceedingly aggravate our sins that we cannot mourn for sin we can grieve for our losses but we cannot mourn for our unkindnesses we have crucified the Lord of life sin hath not only defiled us but hardned us nothing can melt us but the love of Christ nothing can soften us but the blood of Christ O with-hold not thy mercies from us O help us to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let us look on Christ weep over him let us look on a broken Christ with broken hearts and on a bleeding Christ with bleeding hearts let us mourn for our dis-ingenuity that we should grieve that God that is always doing us good Oh! humble us for our unkindnesse and for Christs sake blot out our transgressions they are more than we can number not more than God can pardon Though we have lost the duty of children thou hast not lost the goodness of a Father Let us be held forth as patterns of mercy so shall we trumpet forth thy praise to all Eternity Whatever afflictions thou layest upon our bodies let not our sins be unpardoned let not sin and affliction be together upon us let their be peace in Heaven and peace in the Court of Conscience We have found this part of thy Word true In the world we shall have troubles let us find the other part true in Jesus Christ we shall have peace Oh let peace and holiness go together make us new Creatures that we may be glorious Creatures Without Faith Christ will not profit us when we can call nothing in the world ours let us call Christ ours Lord draw thine Image every day more lively upon us a more lively hope and a more inflamed love to Christ let us have a spirit of courage and resolution keep us from the fallacies of our own hearts keep us from the defilements of the times make us pure in heart that we may see God that we may have Gospel spirits humble spirits
by the light of the Candle slighted thy Manna so long Oh now therefore to day give us to hear and know and believe and do the things that concern our everlasting peace Hear us for Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be glory now and for ever The Prayer of Mr. Caryl at Magnes Bridge foot OH our Father what a priviledge is this that we may draw near to thee all our springs are in thee the Creature is but a dry heap a barren wilderness 't is but a Cistern and a broken Cistern It hath no water of its own nor can it hold that which is poured into it Oh that our hearts were taken off and dis-engaged from all things on this side thy self that we could say with thy Servant Whom have we in heaven but thee and on earth there is none that we desire in comparison of thee Then though our flesh and hearts fail us yet God would be our portion for ever VVe pray thee manifest thy Grace to us at all time and especially at this time that we may come before God in this publick worship as we should Let us see thy goings out in thy Sanctury and let us be satisfied with the fatness of thy house and drink of those pleasures that are for evermore Lord we have given thee cause to withdraw from us for we have not laboured to be fruitful under means and therefore thou in judgement mightest make them hereafter to be fruitless unto us and because we have taken no pains to get good by them thou mightest justly say they shall do you no good VVe have heard much of thee but we know thee but little we acknowledge thou mightest judge us because we know so little and thou mightest punish us because we do so little of what we know according as that faithless Servant was punished which knew his Masters will â—nd did it not Oh where be those manifestations of God that we have had Have we had not the light of the knowledge of God shining to us in the face of Jesus Christ But we have not rejoyced in this light but have compassed our selves about with sparks of our own kindling and therefore it is just we should down in sorrow and yet thou lengthenest out thy patience to us and yet we have one opportunity more to come unto thee Oh we pray thee let us understand the things belonging to our peace before they be hid from our eyes let our souls be bound in the bundle of life with Christ Jesus We pray thee that that Spirit of thine may strengthen us that the Spirit may guide us and lead us into all truth leave us not to our own strength nor to our own councel but shew us the secrets of thy Word and Works Thou hast promised Thy secret shall be with them that fear thee and thou wilt shew them thy cevenant And as thou dost give us thy Sabbaths so give us to thrive by them and help us to grow as the Herb and sent forth our fruit as Lebanon Let thy Word come with power one every one of us that it may not be as the beating of the air but let it fit us for Duty that we may honor our God in the midst of these changes until we come to that place where there is no change and all for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus to whom with Thee and the blessed Spirit be Glory and Honour now and for ever Mr. Venning's Prayer at Olaves before Sermon OH Lord God thou art the Fountain of Life yea thou givest to all Life It is necessity draws us now unto thee and we acknowledge it is a very great favour that thou wilt admit us to come into thy presence Indeed the services we do are not worthy thy acceptance thou gettest nothing by them but the gain of godliness is to our selves But wo unto us what a loss and what a curse will â—t be to us to haâ—e a form of Godliness and yet be ungodly Oh Lord how should this indear thee and thy word and thy service that thou wouldst have us do good for our own sakes thou turnest our obedience into priviledges thou hast made the means of our happiness a part of it If there were no other glory but to glorifie thee oh what a glory would it be to be found doing thy will there is a sweetness to be found in it more than in the Honey or in the Honey comes It is a great happiness to be conformable to God to be loving to God to be like to God is the greatest happiness that we can be capable of if we were now in heaven we could not have other happiness but this in a greater degree O Lord how should our souls be drawn forth to acknowledge thee may we not cry out in admiration Lord what is man and among the sons of men what are we that thou art so mindful of us Thou mightest have displayed thy VVord to many thousands in the world and we left ignorant But blessed be thy Name thou art pleased to admit eâ—en us also thereunto Oh let it not be a small thing unto us seeing we may yet live to serve God Oh Lord in Christ it will be worth our while to live and in him 't will be worth our while to die Oh that we may mind the end of living and the end of dying that whether we live or die we may be the Lords Indeed it were not worth our while to live and spend so much time in the world if it were only to have pleasure and honour and gratifie our selves to eat and drink and to be merry this is not worth our while What would it be O Lord to die in our sin and be eased of the miseries of this world and be sent to the place of torment But seeing thou hast provided for our living and our dying well give us to improve these means and that we may live and dye well let not our affections though our bodies be upon the earth though we converse with flesh yet let not our conversation be after the flesh but let us be like them which have sent their hearts up to heaven and do but tarry here to finish their Masters business and then we shall go where our hearts are and where our dear Lord Jesus Christ is Indeed Lord we have cause to complain of our hearts how we minde this world as it never would have an end and the world to come as if it would never have any beginning as if we had no souls to mind or had no mind to look to our souls We live as if all those glorious Reports thou hast made were but as a tale that is told we have cause to be ashamed that we have the means and the names of Christians and have not lived answerable to the discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ Indeed we have cause to bear our shame yet how few of us know what
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two
convinced of the need and want of Christ but such as have been partakers of the Spirit of Christ as a sanctifying Spirit labour after communion with him as a comforting Spirit and to this end I shall stir you up to this 1. By way of Motive 2. By way of Comfort First by way of Motive Though you have some comfort it is but little in comparison of what you may have and in comparison of what you may stand in need of though a Saint would not change the saddest hour of his life for the sweetest hour in his former condition If the Saints of God did enjoy the comforts that they might oh what blessed lives might they live but they are so full of trouble as if there were no Holy Ghost the Comforter The people of God are oftentimes troubled without a cause as that holy man Why art thou cast down oh my soul He could not render a true account of his trouble he was sad but he could not tell why or wherefore 2. When there is cause they are apt to be troubled without measure In those cases where it is a sin not to be troubled at all the people of God are apt to be troubled over-much as the Israelites in their bondage in Egypt It were a sin for them not to be troubled but they were so full of troubles that they could not hearken to Moses and Aaron And so the Disciples in the Text it were a sin for them not to be troubled for the absence of Christs body but so to be troubled as if God could not comfort them without him this was their weakness And to come to our Cases it were a sin to slight this Dispensation of God that is coming upon us if we should not be troubled for the loss of the Ministers of Jesus Christ but to mourn before God under the sense of this Dispensation to mourn so much as to think that when these are gone all are gone to be so much troubled as not to hearken to the words of the Text That we have a Comforter I remember an admirable expression of a Child to his Mother when his Father was dead to shew That out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings God can manifest his praise Why Mother says the Child though my Father be dead yet God is alive May not I say so to you Though your Ministers be as it were naturally dead yet is not God alive Is not the Spirit of God alive Though you have some comfort yet you have little in comparison of what you may have if you seek for it 2. Study the excellent nature of the comfort how little soever a man hath of this spiritual comfort it will sweeten his condition be it what it will be When a Man hath communion with the spirit God he hath comfort in all conditions then though a mans condition be never so bad yet it is very good Hâ—b 3.17 Though the Fig-tree shall not blossome though the fruit be not in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall cease and the Fields shall yeild no meat the Flocks shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He can fetch Hope and ground his Faith upon the Promises though the Providences and Dispensations of God be never so mysterious the comfort of the Spirit doth make up the want of all other comforts The comforts of Ordinances are sweet comforts Sermon-comforts are sweet comforts Sacrament-comforts are sweet comforts Ah but the comfort of the Spirit can supply the want of all these All outward crosses cannot hinder these inward comforts a man that hath these inward comforts may have a Feast with bread and water a little of this comfort is able to sweeten a whole Ocean of sorrow In the multitude of my thâ—ughts withâ—n me thy comfort delight my Soul Psal 94.10 So that when the hearts of God's people are filled with sad thoughts what will become of themselves what will become of their Families what will become of the Church of God what will become of the Ministery of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of Christ they are full of sad fears and distracting thoughts when they have a multitude of thougts in the midst of all these spiritual comforts can comfort and refresh the Soul Oh labour after a greater share of this comfort God hath cast us upon sad times wherein we shall have need of more than ordinary comfort We are like to have troubles without if we have not peace within it will be very sad we are like to lose much of Christ's bodily presence I mean in his Ordinances how many of those Messengers that present the person of Christ and stand in his stead If we should not enjoy the other comforter our estates would be doleful If we have darkness without and darkness within how sad will that darkness be 3. Labour to get more communion from the Spirit of God This will raise and sublimate your natural comforts and turn them into Spiritual comforts A man can never relish these outward comforts till he come to taste the ravishment and sweetness of the holy Ghost till he taste the love of God these give them a higher lustre than the men of the world though they enjoy much comfort yet they do not enjoy half that a child of God doth the little that the righteous hath is better than the great revenues of the wicked to a Child of God a dinner of green hearbs is more savoury and pleasant to him than the stalled Ox because a Child of God hath better sauce with it Worldly men they smell to their flowers it is the only godly man that sucks out the honey that all things are given to him in love out of this he sucks comfort A gracious heart sees all these outward comforts that they are purchased with the bloud of Christ and therefore these should do him good and he may take comfort that he hopes for what he hath not as wel as for what he may have and he may take comfort in his condition be it what it will he sees all is for his good such a one believeth what he readeth not So he believeth Gods ways are ways of Truth though some more sweet and some more bitter 4. Labor after communion with the Spirit in his comforing work is another This is the best preservative against all intanglements of sin whatsoever It is a great hour of temptation and if our comforts do do not lie above the world we shall be greatly insnared by the world If a man eat sweet-meats he cannot relish ordinary food so while these sweet comforts lie upon the soul he cannot relish these ordinary things in the world What do you tempt me with those things saith a child of God What are these to the comforts of the Holy God The heart of man will seek comfort one way or
of thy Spirit and all for Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to him with thee and thy holy Spirit be Praise and Glory for evermore Dr. Anesley 's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and Earth suâ—h his the condescention of thy Grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy special presence to thy poor creatures though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite Love though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity yet thou art pleased to manifest thy Love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord when shall we admire enough thy Grace and Love how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man Dear Father raise and fix our hearts help us to mind the business that we come about and to deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternal moment Oh that we could pray so that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing O that we could wait upon thee to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit Lord grant that our souls may know what it is to be in the Spirit in the Lords day Dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee do it we must needs acknowledg hadst not thou laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost we must have perished to all eternity for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then our selves The very agravations of our sins to render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirrings of thy spirit in us the patience and goodness of God towards us makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish But dear Lord we do find by experience that our immortal souls are much debased all the faculties of our souls are out of tune our understandings are so dark our conceptions of God are so low our consciences are so benum'd that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spent upon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the dross and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our souls what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the spirit of God can subdue in our souls teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the latice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put thy hand in at the hole of the door and let thy fingers drop honey upon the handle of the Lock And oh set open these everlasting Doors that the King of glory may enter in Subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we be willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowst is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy hatred of it and pour out thy grace upon us according to thy love of grace that our souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours as high as heaven is above the earth Dear Father it is thy promise that those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devil bastles us our own hearts are treacherous to us The world intices us to sin against God oh deliver us from all these enemies especially from the plagues of our own hearts that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God give us spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou deniest us thou knowest thou art rather willing to give us spiritual blessings than any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most Oh oh give us spiritual Mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where grace is not wrought work it where it is begun increase it Dear father convince those that are not yet convinced Make thy word a quickning word an ingrafted word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King bless him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again Help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in ways that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy word above all thy Name do us good receive us quicken us that we may live in heaven upon earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulness of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledg Communicate thy self to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singleness of heart set our selves to mind thâ— concernment of our immortal souls and all we beg for Christ his sake who hath taught us thus to pray Our Father c. Dr. Bates his Prayer at Dunstans in the West O Lord thou art a most holy high God the Glorious Angels when they stand before thee cover their faces yet they dâ—d never violate thy Laws and if they how much more need have we to do it We are sinful dust and ashes our solemn Services are sin We desire to approach thy presence and to have an eye to thy glory in all our services and addresses We beseech thee give us a serious and a deep sense of our own hearts and vile affections that we may cast our selves down at thy feet with all humility We have infinite reason to be abased in our selves our God help us We came into the world with sin and as soon as we did breath in the air we infected it there is an infection and pollution in all our faculties what coldness is there in our affections and what unbelief in our faith and our wills do stand apopsite against thy holy nature VVe confess we have had ten thousand experiences of those corruptions that are within us for our while lives are full of provocations against God How many vain thoughts and how many rebellious actions Blessed Father we confess we are out of measure sinful we have sinned against the clearest convictions of thy word and the tender compassions of thy Gospel against the most severe promises we have made of our service to God against the checks of our own Consciences we confess the sins of the Heathens who live without God in the world are small in comparison of ours and we fear therefore a greater degree
pass and as vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 2. Take heed of such persons as by whom if you be not the more watchful you may be so offended as to be turned out of the way More particularly 1. Take heed of your selves This is that our Saviour calls for in that Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Our greatest danger is from our selves while we have within a deceiver and a traytor who is still conspiring to turn us out of the way Take heed therefore of your own selves consult not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.10 2. Beware of Satan This is that which the Apostle suggests 2 Cor. 3. I fear by any means lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And out of the like fear concerning you I beseech you beware of Satan and the rather for that as the Apostle saith vers 14. Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2. Beware of false Teachers This is the advice of our Saviour in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which comes to you in sheeps cloathing c. And though I cannot say I know with the Apostle in Acts 20.29 yet I am greatly afraid that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciple after them 4. Beware of worldly Friends such as will counsel you to spare your selves such as savour not the things of God but those that be of men This our Saviour calls for in that of Luke 14.26 Answer them as Christ answered Peter Mat 16.22 23. The proper use of this Point with respect to the people of God is to exhort and perswade them to wait on the Lord and keep his way however it be whoever they are that watch and plot against them however they may prosper in bringing wicked devices to pasâ— however they may prevail in oppressing the poor Saints yet this is the Exhortation that I have received from the Lord for you Wait on the Lord and keep his Way There are two branches of the Exhortation I shall speak to both of them distinctly And because the latter of them is the main and the former a help thereto in bad times I shall invert the order of the Text and speak to what is here the latter in the first place and the other as time will give leave 1. However it go Saints though the wicked watch to do you a mischief yet keep you the Way of the Lord diligently observing the way of his Commandements the way of your duty to walk therein For as much as it hath been the design of mâ— preaching all along to expound the Way of God to you and to instruct you in the way of the Lord And I am now directing my speech to the Saints of God who know own and profess the way of the Lord I shall not spend much time while I have so little left in recounting to you what I have taught you concerning the way of the Lord onely in general that way of truth and righteousness the way of faith and holiness which I have taught you from the word is intended You know the way of Gospel-Doctrine Gospel-Fellowship Gospel-worship Gospel-Discipline and Gospel-Conversation which I have preached and you have received And here beloved I call God to witness in whose Name I have preached to you that I have preached the way of the Lord sincerely and faithfully as I have received of the Lord by the teaching of his Spirit through the Word I therefore beseech and entreat you out of that hearty love I bear to you and that affectionate care I have for you that as you tender the Glory of God your own Peace here and eternal Happiness hereafter and the spiritual and eternal good of others that you will remember how you have heard and received and keep the way of the Lord. In the prosecuting of this I shall speak to these two things First Open this duty in a few particulars Secondly Give you some directions to help you herein For the first of these take it in these particulars 1. Be exhorted to keep the way of the Lord in your memories So Rev. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast I am speaking to those that have received the knowledge of the way of the Lord that they retain what they have learned and that they maintain an actual remembrance of it and the rather take heed to this every one of you with the greater diligence for that you are like to be deprived of the help of your Remembrancers viz. the faithful Ministers of Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 you have had their help a lâ—ng while in putting you from Sabbath to Sabbath in remembrance but this is taking from you as the Apostle in another case Heb. 2.1 Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip 2. Keep the Way of the Lord in your judgments and Consciences I am speaking to those whose judgments are enlightned and Consciences renewed to approve of the VVay of the Lord As therefore the Apostle unto them 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye be led amay with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness So say I seeing ye know the VVay of the Lord and approve of it beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked and your own judgements being thereby corruped and your Consciences defiled you fall from your own stedfastness and I the rather press this for that as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 3. Keep the Way of the Lord in your Profession I am speaking unto those who as Rom. 10.10 with the heart believe unto Righteousness and with the month make confession unto Salvation And you have the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Faith without wavering Be not ashamed of your profession as our Saviour speaks Mar 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my Words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels with Mat. 10.32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven 4. Keep the Way of the Lord in your hearts and affections loving rejoycing and delighting in the Way of the Lord
The keeping of it in your memories judgements and profession will be but in vain unless you keep it in your hearts Lay up and hide the Word of God in your hearts let the desire and delight of your soul be in the Way of the Lord with the Psal 119.111 Thy Testimonies have I taken for mine heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart 'T is the Caracter of the Godly man Psal 1.1 2. He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night 5. Keep the VVay of the Lord in your lives and conversation walking therein conscientiously observing the Commandments of God to do accordingly I am speaking to those who have chosen the way of the Lord to walk in and they may read what the Lord saith in that Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left you shall walk in all the Wayes that the Lord your God hath commanded you and to as many as walk according to this rule peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God Having this opened this Duty take these few Directions among the many that might be given 1 Let the Spirit of Christ be your guide and principle I am speaking unto such as have the Spirit of Christ Now if you consult that Ezek 36.27 You shall find that the Lord promiseth his people that he will put his Spirit within them and to what promise viz. both to encline enable and guide them to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandmenâ—s to do them There is no entring into the way of the Lord but by the Spirit Joh. 3 3. we all naturally being gon astray wander from the way of the Lord and it is the spirit only that can and doth reduce men into this way and the best being but lame and having not only a principle of halting in but declining from it there is no walking in this Way but by the assistance and guidance of the Spirit Let therefore the Spirit of God be your guide it is comprised that he shall lead you into all truth John 16.13 Let the spirit be your principle walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 then you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Make the Word of God your rule I have heretofore from that John 6 39. and 1 Tim. 3.15 and several other places cleared to you that it is given of God for this end to be the rule both for Faith and Practice Keep therefore unto this and by no meanes depart from this if you would keep the Way of the Lord. Here you have the Lord revealing his Way and that clearly and plainly so that the most simple that apply themselves to it may understand it the Scriptures are a perfect and a constant rule Therefore as in that Isa 8.26 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them There are some that make the Light within their rule and that in opposition to the Word but the Light in such is Darkness for if they speak not according to this Word if it be but diverse from though not directly opposite unto it then there is no light in them Indeed the Light within that is Concience enlightned is a rule but it is Regula Regulata a Ruled Rule There is Regula Regulans and Regula Regulata A Ruling Rule and a Ruled Rule The former is a Rule to the latter by which it is to be tryed and approved The Word of God is a Ruling Rule and Conscience is a Ruled Rule which is to be obeyed as far as it speaks according to the Word and no further If therefore you would keep the Way of the Lord do not despise Conscience do not neglect the Light within but make it not thy Rule make the Word of God thy Rule admit not of any thing that is belonging to the Way of the Lord that is not grounded upon or not warranted by his Word If you would keep the Way of the Lord hold fast to what is written stick to the Word That saying of Austin is famous Sive de Christo sive de Ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re non dico si nos sed si Angelus sed coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis accipistes Anathema sit Not to say If we but if an Angel from heaven shall preach any thing of Christ or of the Church or of any other thing besides what ye have received in the Scripture let him be accursed Like to that Gal. 1.8 9. The Word is the heavenly Compass whereby we may be directed to steer our course aright to the Haven of happiness Keep you to the Word while one says this is the way and another that Try all things by the Rule of the Word and make that your Rule to walk by Hence when Paul was taking his leave of the Church at Ephesus in that Acts 20. in his Farewel-Sermon that after his departure they might keep the way of the Lord you may read what he commends to them verse 32. And your brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified He commends the Word of God to them So Beloved now that I may no more speak to you from this place for the teaching of you the right and the good way I recommend to you the Word of the Lord which will be a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your paths to guide you in the Way of the Lord till you attain the end of your Faith the Salvation of your souls What knowledge I have of the way of the Lord what I have taught you of the way of the Lord I have been taught by the Spirit of the Lord through the Word and though you want the great help of a plain powerful and faithful Ministry for the future yet let not those that are sincere in desiring to walk in the way of the Lord be discouraged by those who would make them believe that the Word is hard to be understood for that as it is more from malignity in us than difficulty in the Scriptures that the most do not understand them so they are easie to be understood by them that sincerely endeavour it being not onely most plain and clear in teaching the way of the Lord but also appointed to enlighten the eyes and make wise the simple Psal 19 7 8. Yea the entrance of it giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Psal 119.130 And how weak and simple soever any of the Saints may be in worldly matters and in the Worlds account yet of them all is that spoken 1 John 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him