point of conviction in Foelix the Apostle Paul preached to him of righteousness and judgement to come c. He trembles The Judge on 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 is a word of Conversion also Conviction is one thing and Conversion is another Sometimes men may be convinced but 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 whosoevers 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 only declarative but operative Where I say it pleaseth God to blesse and sanctifie the Word it is effectual for quieting of the mind 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 weaknesse mentioned before of the dispenser of it I was with you saith St. Paul in much weaknesse and in fear and in trembling 1 Cor. 2. 3 4. and my speech was in 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 wisdome nor in matter of voice which indeed is a good thing and sutable to the nature of the Matter a quick and powerfull delivery is of great efficacy and power for the setting home of truths Yet this doth not make a powerfull Ministry for a whisper in the ear may cause a thunder-bolt in the conscience the power lyes first in the nature of the matter the matter consists in the nature and condition of mankind the certainty of Judgement the necessity of Christ the covenant of Grace and the Graces and priviledges thereof c. These carry a great deale of power and efficacy with them when they are carefully and frequently dispensed and Gods spirit going along with them so they become powerfull for the Ministry consists not in empty notions and speculations that will onely tickle the fancy but never reach the conscience Morall 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 powerfull so the expressions must be powerfull there should be sutablenesse of expression to the matter h. 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 deale with all the words of the wise are as good and as nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies c. Eccle. 12. 11. So our words should have a force and power in them This as the Apostle sayes is mighty and powerful to the beating down of strong holds c. Use 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 it 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. Steven 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 to convince them and more especially to bring them to the Word and administrations 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 lie 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 wisdome 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 concurs and assists therein the habit and the act are both from him God gives gifts to men and he enables them to dispence them Ministerial employments are not onely for generall but particular applications and so need not onely general but particular assistances That I might be enabled saith St. Paul to fulfill the work c. the Lord stood by me and strengthened me that my preaching might be fully accomplished It is God that makes the work powerful efficacious and successful Alas when we have used our best endeavours all the success is from him he must make it effectual it
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 presumptnously against the clearest Light and the dearest Love always have we sinned thy footsteps have dropt fatness thou hast shown 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 poison of our natures what ever the Leper did touch was unclean thus do we by our spiritual leprosiâ—… 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 sia but always out of tune to pray we give the world our male affections and our strongest desires we should use this world as if we used it not and alas 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 saith that there should be Lord if thou shouldest say Thou woulâ—…st pardon all our sins to this time only judge us for this prayer we unto us what breathingâ—… of unbelief and hypocrisie is there now when we approach unto thee we pray thee pardon us for Christs sake Who can tell how oâ—…t he dotâ—… offend we can as well reckon the drops of the Ocean as number 〈◊〉 sins we have filled the number of the Nations sins but have not fillâ—… thy bottle with our tears This is that that doth exceedingly aggravate 〈◊〉 sins that we cannot mourn for sin we can grieve for our losses but 〈◊〉 cannot mourn for our unkindnesses we have crucified the Lord of life sin has not only defiled us but hardened us nothing can melt us but the love of Christ nothing can soften us but the blood of Christ oh withold not thy mercies from us oh help us to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let us look on Christ and 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 〈◊〉 â—…wayes doing us good Oh humble us for our unkindness and for 〈◊〉 sake blot out our transgressions they are more then we can number 〈◊〉 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 layesâ—… upon our bodies let not our sins be unpardoned let not sin and affliction be together upon us let there 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 trouble let us find the other part true In Jesus Christ we shall have peace Oh let peace and holiness go together make 〈◊〉 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 meek spirits As Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the breast of the creature to us but that we should find 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 Showr down thy blessings even the choisest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Soveraign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith Let Him see wherein His chiefest interest lies let Him count those His best Subjects that are Christs Subjects Bless Him in His Royal Consort iâ—… His Royal Relations the Lords of his privy Council let them be a terror to evil doers and encouragers of those that do well Bless all thine 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 as a watred Garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poison to our lust and nourishment for our grace Hear â—…s be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not feeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce To Christ with Thee and the holy Spirit be glory honour and â—…raise now and for ever Amen Mr. Watson's Farewell Sermon 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 as his spiritual Children Dearly beloved where you have First the Title 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 Iâ—… done aright it is a work fitter for Angels than for menâ—… it is our work to open the Oracles of God even thosâ—… 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 Minister's 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 Saint Paul laying siege to these Corinthians and labouring to make a happy victory to conquer them with kindness dearly beloved Saint Paul's 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 mirror and pattern of love
and as he lived so he dyed holily even as the ancient Patriarks that dyed in the Faith and endured faithfully unto the death Now this excellent Minister of Christ thus beautified with these Jewels is now perished as to his outward man gathered to God to Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels The application that I shall make of this Discourse is this 1. To us Ministers 2. To you of this Parish and Congregation First to us Ministers God hath of late years taken to himself many famous men Seven of the Lecturers of Cornhill are dead Mr. Burroughs Dr. Bolton Mr. Sedgâ—…wick Mr. Whitaker Mr. Cranford Mr. Vines and now Mr. Ash. I might name many other excellent Ministers that are dead as Dr. Gouge Mr. Walker Mr. Gataker Mr. Marshal Mr. Robinson and lately Mr. Cook with many more Now all these are warning-pieces from heaven of judgements approaching For the righteous perish and no man lays it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Thus Methuselah dyed a year before the Flood now Methuselah in Hebrew signifies a Messenger of death Thus Austin dyed a little before Hippo was taken and Pareus a little before Hiddleburge was taken and Luther a little before the Wars in Germany began The death of the godly is like the separating of 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 Zoar's Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elyes 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 this Nation And let us labour to be inheritors of of these 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 a hundred that understands the tie and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his people O the love and affection that ought to be betwixt them Paulâ—…ells â—…ells the Galatians that they could a pluckt out their eyes for him if need were Chrysostom tells us that when Mileâ—… 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 Chrysostome 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 losse of a godly Minister is a publick losse therefore there ought to be publick mourning it is a soul-losse 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 shepherd 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 said the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 1. Do we again begin to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistles written in our hearts known and read of 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 out letters of commendation your holiness and piety commends a Minister above all other things As when a man comes into an Orchard or Vineyard said Chrysostome and sees every thing skilfully handled and neatly â—…fimmed he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser or Carpenter the work it self commends them So ought it to be among you when we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers we must look into his 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 alwayes true God doth not alwayes give successe 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 blesse 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 in this City and 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 pluckt out of the snares of the devil how many of you have gone away weeping from a Sermon knocking your breasts and pricked at the hearts for 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 that 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 betrusted 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 have brought forth answerable to the means that you have enjoyed and if it appear that you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers Châ—…ist will say Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness But I hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation Whatever was good in this reverend Minister let it 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 say Here am I and the Children that thou hast given me Dr. Horton's Sermon at Mr. Nalton's Funeral Rich Treasure in Earthen Vessels c. 2 Cor 4. 7. But we have this Treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us THere is nothing so excellent or compleat in this world but hath its diminishment and qualifications and something that doth disparage it and abates of the excellency thereof not the things
of this world only but spiritual things in some sort as to enjoy them and partake of them in this life have their inconveniences and disparagement annext and are mingled with something that abates of their worth an instance of which we have here in this present Scripture which the Apostle Paul signifies to us concerning the enjoyment of the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ. He had in the verse before the Text told us the great priviledge that both Ministers and others had in having the glorious Gospel viz. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ shining into our hearts the consideration of which is of great encouragement to us yet adds this as a qualification of it viz. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels c. That which doth qualifie it is That this excellent treasure hath its conveyances through weak and mean persons men of frailty and mortality In the words there are two main parts I. The Dispensation it self II. The Account of it I. The Dispensation it self This Treasure we have in earthen Vessels c. II. The account of it That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us I shall begin with the first the Dispensation it self which hath two branches 1. The Depositum the thing laid up 2. The Repository in which this Treasure is laid up First The Depositum or thing laid up which is a Treasure and what is this Treasure but the Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel is a Treasure according to a twofold consideration In respect of the 1. Matter of it 2. Ministry of it Both make up a treasure The Matter of it the things of the Gospel are rich things and the conveyances of it the Ministerial gifts and ability by which the Gospel is administred do make up the Treasure 'T is a treasure in both respects 2. In respect of the matter of it therefore it is we read of the Riches of Christ of the Riches of the Gospel The Scripture makes mention of three things wherein the Gospel is agreeable to a treasure 2. A Treasure is a thing of dignity and worth it is not a company of pebbles though many that will make up a Treasure a Treasure consists of things of worth and dignity and thus is the Gospel in it are contained excellent and admirable truths the Mysteries of salvation by Christ the doctrine of the Gospel brings glad tidings of peace and reconciliation with God in Christ there we have the gifts and graces of God there we have glory and immortality c. and those things in the Gospel Gospel are administred to us there is no science in the world brings such treasure as this 2. The Gospel is a treasure for variety abundance and plurality 'T is not one thing of worth but many that makes up a treasure if few yet much worth must be comprehended in them so in the Gospel we have the manifold wisdome of God the rich Treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge The Gospel though it be but one for substance yet 't is many for improvements 't is a chain of many links one saith but divers articles of it so it is a treasure in that respect 3. 'T is a treasure for its closeness we do not open a treasure to every one but it is kept close The Gospel is a secret mystery hidden not revealed to every one it is not discovered to carnal worldly men though it may be revealed to them in the outward proposition yet not in the spirituality of it But where shall wisdome be found and where is the place of understanding saith Iâ—…b ch 28. v. 12. The peace of the Gospel is a treasure hid in the field not found by every one 2. The Gospel is a treasure in respect of the Ministry of it so the Apostle hints 't is not only light but a shining light which hath shining into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God c. 'T is a treasure in this respect viz. in the discovery and shining of it the conveyances the several gifts and graces of the Ministery by which the Gospel is conveyed to us makes up a treasure and as the Ministry is a treasure so the opportunities and advantages thereof are Thus the Gospel and the Ministry thereof is precious and ought to be esteemed and made use of by us We should highly account of the Gospel and put a high value on it for it is a treasure yea it is a treasure in the want of other treasures they are rich that are made partakers of it Silver and gold have I none saith St. Peter to the Cripple but such as I have I give it thee this is the priviledge of Ministers though it may be poor in respect of themselves yet are rich to others These excellent riches are committed to us and accordingly we must not only make use of them our selves but make them known to others the Gospel is a treasure not for us to keep but to discover reveal and manifest to others to give the light of the glory of God c. This is the work of the Ministry We have indeed this treasure but not for our selves only but for others so we are to keep it to preserve and maintain it but so as to be diligent to impart what is committed to us for the edification of others Every Scribe instructed in the Kingdome of Heaven as a good house-holder bringeth forth things new and old The Gospel is a treasure therefore we ought to carry our selves answerable to it As 1. We must labour for it be diligent in the search of it dig for it as for hidden treasurâ—…s Lift up thy voice for understanding c. Prov. 2. 2 3 4. Dig for it you know there is a great deal of pains taken and labour used to get worldly treasure Whâ—…t would not men venture for it they will go over Sea and Land go through fire and water expose themselves to all dangers for earthly treasure make unto themselves Friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness pass away a great deal of time and take a great deal of care for it 2. Esteem this treasure this heavenly wisdome this Evangelical knowledge even the Gospel of Christ labour to understand it and have the efficacy of it wrougâ—… it upon your hearts 3. Rejoyce in it how do men rejoyce in earthly treasure so should we as the Merchant in the Gospel when he had found the Pearl of Price rejoyced exceedingly so we ought as being made partakers thereof I rejoyced at thy word even as one that had found great spoâ—…ls saith David so should we rejoyce alwaies in this treasure 'T is said of those that sate under Iohn 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 Act. 8. 9.
had murdered Christ forty years after they were brought into that distress when the City was besieged by Titus and Vespasian that they did eat one another the mother did eat her child And 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. Sins bring Persons Nations into internal straits sin brings soul-plagues which are worse than bodily plagues sin brings hardness of heart blindness of mind a spirit of slumber a reprobate sense sinne brings a spiritual famine upon a Land it brings a famine of 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 Iudas after he had betrayed Christ Into what a strait did sin drive Spira Saint Paul gloryed 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 he saith They are too heavy a burden for him to bear Awounded 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 Matth. 25. When a wicked man shall be bound with everlasting 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 Use 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 choose to commit sin to avoid perplexity There are thousands in England guilty of this that to avoid poverty will lye cheat and cozen 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 Now give me leave this morning to speak three things to these sorts of men and O that my words might prevail with them 1. Consider It is sin only that makes trouble to deserve the name of trouble for when we suffer for Gods sake or a good Conscience these troubles are so sweetned by the Consolations of Heaven that they are no troubles at all therefore in Q. Maries days the Martyrs wrote to their friends out of Prison If you knew the Comforts we have in prison you would wish to be with us I am in prison before I am in prison saith Master Sanders Famous is the story of the three Children they were in a great strait when cast into the fiery Furnace Bind them hand and foot and cast them into the Furnace but when they were there they were unbound Dan. 3. 25. saith Nebuchadnezzar Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire and lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I have often told you when three are cast into the fire for a good Conscience God will make the fourth therefore I say straits and sufferings for God are not worth the name of straits David was often driven into straits 1 Sam. 30. 6. he was sore distressed when his Town was burnt and his Wives and Children taken captive by the Amalekites I but that was a distress of danger not of sin therefore he encourageth himself in the Lord his God Iehosaphat was in a great strait 2 Chron. 20. 12. We know not what to do saith he this was a strait of danger not caused by his sin and God quickly delivered him but the strait that David was in was caused by his sin and that made it so bitter I am loth to enlarge here St. Paul was in a great Strait Phil. 3. 23. but this was a blessed strait an Evangelical strait saith Saint Chrysostom He knew not whether to die for his own sake or to live for the Churches sake were best he was willing to adjourn his going to Heaven for the good of the people of God Nay Christ was in a strait Luk. 12. 15. I have a Baptism to be baptized withall and how am I straitned till it be accomplished I am to shed my blood for my Elect that is the Baptism he speaks of This was a strait of dear affection to the Elect of God all these were blessed straits but now straits caused by sin these are imbittered and eâ—…venomed by the guilt of sin and sense of Gods Wrath. It is sin that maketh straits deserve the name of straits therefore you are spiritually mad that commit sin to avoid straits 2. There is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest outward calamity whatsoever this the world will not believe therefore St. Austin saith That a man ought not to tell a lie though he might save all the world from hell for there is more evil in one lie than there is good in the salvation of all the world I have often told you the story of Saint Austin saith he If hell were on one side and â—…in on the other and I must choose one I would choose Hell rather then Sin for God is the Author of Hell but it is blasphemy to say He is the Author of sin There is a famous story of Charles the ninth King of France he sent a message to the Prince of Condy a zealous Protestant gives him three things to choose either to go to Mass or to be put to death or to suffer banishment all his life long saith he Primum Deo juvante nunquam eligam The first God helping I will never choose I abhor the idolatry of the Mass but for the two other I leave it to the choice of the King 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 he pleases there is more evil in the leâ—…st sin then the greatest misery 3. The third thing I would have you consider is that whosoever goeth out of God's way to
and souls and would force you into heaven by frighting you out of your sins Are there not some of you that by often hearing Sermons are become Sermon-proof that know how to sleep and scoff away Sermons I would be glad to say there are but few such but the Lord knoweth there are too â—…oo many that by long preaching get little good by preaching insomuch that I have often said it and say it now again There is hardly any way to raise the price of the Gospel-Ministry but by the want of it And that I may not â—…latter you you have not profited under the means you have enjoyed therefore you may justly expect God may bring you into a strait and take away the Gospel from you God may justly take away your Ministers by death or other wayes Hâ—… you not lost your first love Why did God take away the Gospel from the Church of Ephesus but because they lost their first Love Are you not like the Church of Laodicea that are neither hot nor cold therefore God may justly spew you out of his mouth what God will do with you I know not a few weeks will determine God can make a great change in a little time we leave all to God but in the mean time let me commend one Text of Scripture to you Ierem. 13. 16. Give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while you look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness Verse 17. But if you will not hear my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lords flock is carried away captive Give glory to God by confessing and repenting of your fins by humbling your souls before the Lord before darkness come and Who knoweth but this may prevent darkness Mr. Calamy's Sermon Preached at Alderman-Bury Church Dec. 28. 1662. For which he was Imprisoned in Newgate 1 Sam. 4. 13. And when he came Lo Ely 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 threatn'd against old Ely in the second and third Chapters because he did not restrain hiâ—… wicked Soâ—… from their lewd Courses is here Executed in this Chapter therefore we read there were four thousand Israelites slain by the Philistines And the Elders of Israel met together to consult how to repair this great losse thâ—… confesse it was the Lord that had smitten them 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 whereupon they appoint Hophni and Phinehas to 〈◊〉 it whereby they imagined that the presence of the Aâ—…k would save them from ruin but herein they were miserably mistaken for this judgment befel them not because the Ark was not in the Camp but because thâ—… 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 〈◊〉 liâ—…es and were slain thirty thousand men and Hâ—… and Phâ—… were slain and the Ark it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Ely sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart 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 Elies solicitousness for the Ark. 2. Old Elies heart-trembling for fear of the Ark. 3. Old Elies preferring the safety of the Ark before the safety of his two Sons Wife 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 Elies 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 2 Chron. 8. 11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharoah out of the City of David into the House that he had built for her for he said My wife shall not dwell in the House of David King of Israel because the places are holy whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come This Ark was the dwelling place of God it was the habitation of God Psal. 99. 1. The Lord Reigneth he sitteth between the Cherubims Now these Cherubims were placed over the Ark it was the speaking place of God he met his people there and there he gave an answer to them Exod. 25. 21 22. And thou shalt put the Mercy-seat above upon the Ark and in the Ark thou shalt put the Testimony that I shall give thee And there will I meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above â—…he Mercy-seat from between the two Cherubims which are â—…pon the Ark of the Testimony of all things I shall give thee â—…n commandement unto the children of Israel This Ark was Gods Foot-stool and all the people of God worshipt before the Foot-stool of God Psal. 99. 5. Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his footstool for he is holy The Ark it was the glory and the strength of Israel Psal. 78. 61. And he delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into his enemies hand And it was the terror of the enemies of God And therefore when the Ark came into the Battel the Philistines were afraid and said Wo unto us for God is come down into the Camp And indeed this Ark was called Iehovah Num. 10. 35. And it came to pass when the Ark set forward that Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered And when it rested he said Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel In a word the Ark was a pledge and a visible symptom of Gods gracious presence with his people as long as the Ark was saved they were saved and when the Ark was with them Gods presence was with them but when the Aâ—…k was gone God was gone his comforâ—…ing presence his protecting presence and his preserving presence And therefore no wonder that this good old man sate watching here for fear of the Ark. I call him good old man Many are of opinion that he was not good because he suffered his Sons to be so wicked and indeed his fault was great but surely he was a good
rusted over with many infirmities is better then all the glistering shews of hypocrites A sincere heart is Gods currant coin he will give it grains of allowance Sixthly as you love your souls be not strangers to your selves be much and often in the work of self-examination among all the books that you read turn over the book of your own heart look into the book of conscience see what is written there Psal. 77. 6. I communed with mine own heart Set up a judgment-seat in your own souls examine whether you have grace or not prove whether you are in the faith be as much afraid of a painted holiness as you would be afraid of going to a painted heaven Do not think your selves good because others think so let the Word be the touch-stone by which you try your hearts let the word be the looking glass by which you judge of the complexion of your souls For want of this self-searching many live known to others and die unknown to themselves Seventhly keep up your spiritual watch Mat. 13. 37. what I say unto you I say unto all watch if it were the last word I should speak it should be this word watch O what need hath a Christian to be ever upon his watch the heart is a subtle piece and will be stealing out to vanity and if we are not careful it will decoy us into sin we have a special eye upon such persons as we suspect thy heart is a supicious person O have an eye upon it watch it continually it is a bosom-traytor Iob set a watch before his eyes Iob 31. 1. We must every day keep sentinel sleep not upon your guard Our sleeping time is the Devils tempting time Let not your watch-candle go out Eightly you that are the people of God do you often associate together Mal. 3. 16. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another Christs Doves should flock together one Christian will help to heat another a single coal of Juniper will soon die but many coals put together will keep life one in another Conference sometimes may do as much good as Preaching one Christian by good discourse drops holy oyl upon another that makes the lamp of his grace to shine the brighter It is great wisdom to keep up the trade in a Corporation 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 thìs 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 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 on things above Col. 3. 3. We may see the face of the Moon in the water but the Moon is fixed above in the Firmament so though a Christian walks here below yet his heart should be fixed above in Heaven in Heaven there is our best Kindred and purest Joy our Mansion-house O let our hearts be above it is the best and the sweetest kind of life the higher the birds flies 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 10. 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 breasts of the Gospel as the child by sucking the breasts gets strength so faith by sucking the breasts 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 sute themselves to every Christians palate 11. All you that hear me live in a calling Ierome gave his friend this advice To be ever well employed that when the Devil came to tempt him he might finde him working in his vineyard Sure I am the same God that saith Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy saith also Six dayes shalt thou labour The great God never sealed any warrants to Idleness an idle professour is the shame of his profession 2 Thess. 3. 11. I hear there are some sayes the Apostle that work not at all but are busi-bodies such we exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ that with quietness they work Solon made Laws to punish idleness and Seneca 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 spere of his own calling 12. Let me intreat you to joyn the first and the second Table together piety to God and equity to your Neigbour the Apostle puts these two words together in one verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Titus 2. 12. That we should live righteously and godly Righteously that relates to morality Godly that relates to piety and sanctity alwayes 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 turn both sides of the Table the first and 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 innocency and prudence Mat. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves We must have innocency with our Wisdom else our wisdom is but craftiness and we must have wisdom with our innocency else our innocency is but weakness We must have the harmlesness 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 rashness here
are grieved they that touch them touch the Apple of his eye in all 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 sufferings it pains him to the 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 dross the pruning hook of affliction 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 Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Eighthly God is with them by his quickening presence to make their Prayers more servent 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 gâ—…ones 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 it 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 1. 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 God they love God Psal. 91. 15. you hâ—…ve there an expression Because he hath set his love upon mâ—… therefore I will deliver him he shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble God is â—… 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 mercifull man to leave a person in misery Oh how great are the bowels and compassions of God Is Ephraim my son is he a pleasant childe Oh my bowels are turned within me I will have mercy on him 2. Such as please God shall have his presence under suffering 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 chearfull 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 cheâ—…rfull under tribulation but can glory their Cross is their Crown but if God be withdrawn what can there be drooping hearts and pensive sorrows 4. God will not leave them because they will not leave God God will not leave them because they suffer for his sake were they not tender of Gods glory and carefull 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 because God will make it appear to all the World that he puts a difference between them that desire to please him and other men God hath a value for such Do but see how Moses argues the case with God Exod. 33. 13. and so on where he comes to God with a great request that God should shew him his way that he might know it Why saith God to him My presence shall go with thee Moses said unto him It is well thou art pleased to promise so great a mercy If thy presence go not with me carry us not hence for wherein shall it be known that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight Is it not in this that thou goest with us Observe Moses pleads with God How his favour and love and mercy should be with them unless he were present with them And so God he walks with his people in trouble for how should the world see that God regarded them and did favour them unless he manifested his presence unto them in a time of trouble and affliction Dr. Iacomb's Afternoon Sermon JOHN 8. 29. And he that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes those things that please him I Was upon these words in the morning having spoken something to them as they referre to Christ who spake them here of himself I then brought them down to his Members Believers and so propounded this Observation from them That whoever they are that desire to please God to do the things that are pleasing to him God will be with such end the Father will not leave such alâ—…ne especially in a time of suffering and trouble In the prosecuting of this point I spake to four things which I shal not now repeat but come to the mark which I intend at present that is to make some Application 1. Let me endeavour to prevail
all his people in these three Nations should lay to heart and repent of before the Lord. I gave you in a list eleven special sins that we should repent of and humble our selves for before the Lord. As 1. Omission of duty Prayer reading the Word Meditation c. Any thing will be for excuse to lay by duties and we are secretly glad of an excuse 2. Remisness in duty In things of the world we are all in all and all in every part a man cannot thrust another thought into us but in Prayer how many things are we doing 3. Hypocrisie How unlike are we at home to what abroad and in company to what in secret 4. Pride In apparel houses parts bloud birth-right yea of grace it self of humility Ministers Ordinances c. 5. Covetousness Never did covetousness invade the professing party as now The more goods men get the less good they do 6. Sensuality Voluptuousness wantonness Christians let themselves loose to the Creature lay out their affections on things below as if that part in the Serpents curse to lick the dust of the earth were theâ—…r own ss well as his 7. Animâ—…sities and divisions amongst Christians many have been active to kindle but few to quench divisions 8. Uncharitable censuring one anothâ—…r 9. Formality in duty Witness 1. Unprepared coming 2. Unsutableness of spirit to And 3. Want of reflection after duty how we have sped what we have got Sabbath Sacraments come and goes Monday morning finds us the same as before Misspent-Sablaths Some prophane others idle away the Sabbath c. 11. Neglect of our Bibles in our 〈◊〉 and Closets I pray God it forego not some great evil coming upon you as before the massacre in Germany it was observed c. I proceed 12. The want of mutual forlearance among Christians Alas Christians know not how to bear one with another in the least kind of measure Oh the short-spiritedness amongst Christians they cannot bear one anotherbâ—…rdens they cannot bear with one another 'T is very sad that we that stand in need of so much forbearance should 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 are we 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 voice of our Murmuring Exod. 16. 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 murmurings 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 Iernsalem 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 us 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 Candlestick 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 into London on an evening in thee week-day but we might hear the praises of God singing of Psalms now it 's 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 lie in their bosoms 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-fellow children servants souls yes thou art the keeper c. God hath put them unto thy trust and if they perish through thy fault they may die in their sins but their bloud 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 unsutableness of our conversations to the Gospel of Christ 'T is the only thing the Apostle 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 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 carcasses to fall in the wilderness He may take up that complaint of us that he did of Israel Numb 14. 22. Because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkened to my veice 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 mâ—… 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 cut
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 food for our faith during our sojourning 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 Wisdome and Goodness we might have discoursed our selves into belief as David 1 Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion 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 dishonour God and starve our faith by forgetting our experiences 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 which we find Mat. 13. 58. Because of their unbelief There is a Rest of God before us if we do not enter in it is because of our Unbelief 18. Want of sympathy with the bleeding gasping groaning dying Churches of Iesus Christ. They have been in great afflictions round about have call'd unto us Pity me Oh! pity 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 bloud of Germany Lithuania Piedmont c. to heart therefore God may justly lay it to our charge Want of fellow-felling 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 lyen in the dust smote on our thighs c. God may justly say to us as Amos 6. 6 7. They shall go captive with the first that go captive because they are not grieved for the affliction of Ioseph The word in the Hebrew signifies None of them have been Sick for the affliction of Ioseph Oh my Brethren when did we go to bed sick for the afflictions of Gods people abroad when did their miseries cost us an hours sleep or a meals-meat when did we lie in the dust and cry out Ah Lord their Glory Because we have not shed tears for their bloud God may justly say The next turn of Persecution shall be yours Because you have not been afflicted in the afflictions of my people c. 19. Our grievous unsensibleness of Gods Dishonour Religion never suffered the like as it hath done these latter dayes by the pride and hypocrisie of some Pretenders to it Gods name hath been thereby blasphemed by an evill and hypocritical generation the people of God have lien under the greatest reproaches and contempts that ever any did under the heavens and yet all this while we have not been concerned in it carryed our selves as if unconcern'd in the reproaches of Religion Blasphemies reflected upon the name of God Who in these times of Blasphemy have gone in secret lyen in the dust and cryed with holy Ioshuah What wilt thou do unto thy great name Josh. 7. 4. We have not laboured to preserve in our own Souls or stir up in our Brethren a holy sense of Gods name as those primitive Saints Mal. 3. 16. Where are they that have been affected with and afflicted for the sufferings of the name of God Oh consider how little is God and Religion beholden to us for our tears sighs or groans What is become of that Child-like spirit that was wont to possess the spirits of Gods people 'T is perished and with it without special timely Repentance we shall perish also 20. That Epidemical sin of Self-seeking and self-pleasing Oh my Brethreu we may revive that complaint of the Apostle All seek their own not the things which are Iesus Christs Phil. 2. 21. This This hath been the source of all our miseries While some had power in their hands to have done great things for God what did they do but neglect the interest and trust in their hands and fell a feathering their own nests and building to themselves Houses and Names that they thought would continue for ever and to divide the spoil among themselves as if their own game they hunted and others in inferiour stations began to divide and every one began to snatch as if the dust of the earth would not serve every one for a handful and in the mean time a sea of Errour like an inundation hath been ready to overturn us Yea all men seeking to be pleased not to please whereas our duty is to study to please not to be pleased c. You see in all this I have not mentioned one of those grosse prophanesses that stare Heaven in the face as Drunkenness filthy and abominable Whoredome Fornication poured out in every place horrible Blasphemy contempt of God and Religion prophanation of Gods Sabbath c. because I speak now to those that are Professers I have been giving in a Catalogue of the sins of those that professe the name of Christ that relate to Christ by a special Engagement and Relation these have been the sins of Gods family And if we would have God repent of the evill of punishment we had need to make haste to repent of the evill of sin We have been a long time in sinning we had need be a long time in repenting I tell you Christians we have been these last 20 years doing nothing else but sinning against God and should God let us live twenty years more it would be too little to weep for the provocations thereof Learn to lay these and other sins so to heart that God may never lay them to charge The third advice Christ gives here for the prevention of the removal of her Candlestick is Reformation Do the first works Reformation that indeed is a fruit and evidence of sound Repentance Repentance is nothing else but the breaking of the heart for and from sin I have spoken of it merely as it is the contrition of the Soul for sin I come to speak a word of the other part as it consists in turning to God and doing our first works This is the method God prescribes his people Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain c. under Gods asflicting hand instead of reforming Men are prone to fall a complaining not only naturally as Irrational creatures may under some pinching extremity but sinfully i. e. when their natural grief is let out in a distempered and inordinate manner when natural groans are accompanyed with unscriptural affections which vents it self 1. Sometimes upon the affliction as if but one intolerable burden in the world
Gospel see there what Christ is and thy necessity of him Believing will open the door to entertaining of him assent will procure thy consent Thirdly Keep up no Idol in thy heart against him Turn out that that keeps out Christ. How dear soever it seems now at last thou wilt see it more necessary to detest than keep it I come now to exhort all poor weak Christians that they would make after confirmation and grow to a greater measure in Grace as they have received Christ. It is not enough to be conceited that you have been converted and it will not be enough to the assurance of your conversion or safety of your souls that you think you are converted and sit down there he that is content with the opinion that he hath Grace and therefore desires to have no more because the promise of salvation is made to the Truth of Grace it 's a sign he never had Grace strength in Grace is your own felicity 't is part of your happiness Your eternal happiness will partly consist in your personal perfection and without personal perfection all heavenly glory will not be a perfect felicity If you have fixed your Anchor in Gods Promises this engages you to look up make after and proceed c. Take these Motives First Consider there is the same reason to move thee to grow and proceed as there was to move thee to thy first believing Why did you become Christians but because of the necessity of the riches and excellencies of Christ and that there was better things in Christ than in the World And are they not so still Is the case changed If Christianity was reasonable then it is reasonable now if it was necessary to begin it is necessary to hold on and proceed in your Race till you have obtained the Crown Secondly Your receiving Christ essentially contains in it an obligation to proceed and go further actually to trust and obey him whom you have taken for your Lord and Saviour from the very offices and relations of Christ received If I be a Father where is my fear If I be a Master where is my Honour If I be a Saviour where is your Confidence in me Submission to my saving-work Obedience to my healing Precepts If I be your Lord and Master why do not you learn of me as your Master c Your first Covenant engages you to proceed in fulfilling the things promised in your Covenant c. Better not to have promised to be his people than to promise and break this promise The very Mercies also you received from him pardoning your former sin entertainment in his Church and all the blessings there found are as so many obligations to proceed 3. Ever since we came home to Christ we have had an addition of Reasons besides the first Reason we had to believe Every day brings in new c. Certainly if a little were desirable more were more desirable If the people that stood afar off and never tried what Christ and Grace is were bid to come in those that have tried and tasted are bound to proceed much more You have the Spirit of God experiences of his love tasted the bitterness of sin have had some trial of the truth of such things of which we speak when others have eyes and see not c. And will you turn back that have tasted c. 4. Consider how much hath been lost upon many a soul for want of care to take rooting and to proceed How much labour of the Ministry mercies of God pains and care of their own I speak of those that have seemed sincere not been indeed so that have many times comforted the hearts of their Ministers and Friends and have had some kind of comfort to themselves in that taste they have had of the good Word of God How many times hath the Preacher been gladded to see such a one come to him seemingly with a broken heart seeming to set himself in the way of life yet the flesh prevailed for want of Confirmation How many years have some spent in duty in hearing prayer gracious society profession of Religion yet afterwards the World hath drown'd all What cause have you to see you lose not the things you have wrought 5. Consider how much of the Work of your own salvation since you are converted is yet undone Though you are sure your conversion is true how many temptations to resist enemies to conquer duties to perform and Heaven to be taken upon all those terms as is the tenour of your Christianity therefore you had need to stand fast and having done all to stand you had need not only to believe but to wait and be patient in believing and to proceed in the way you have chosen 6. The want of strength and building up makes the lives of many full of lamentable languishingweaknesses scandals unto others pain calamity and trouble to themselves How long in healing And how much smart and pain while the fruit of their own folly is cured How easily and how frequently do temptations prevail And hence as in a Wilderness they are going one step forward another backward no evident keeping in God and all through the fruit of their own languishing weakness The fruits of the sins of Professors have been such that it should make you do all you can possibly to escape the troubles at home and reproaches abroad 7. A life of spiritual weakness is usually a burden unto him that hath it it doth not only occasion his falling into sin and so renews the wounds of his soul but is a constant burden to him not that any measure of Grace is troublesome but that which consists with so great a measure of remaining corruption this is the burden Sickness is burdensome though there be life Methinks you should not then be reconciled to your fears you should methinks see so great a difference between the sick and well that for your own peace-sake you should seek after confirmation Every duty they do is their pain which is anothers pleasure prayer c. their burden sometimes tired wearied dull c. presently overwhelmed with temptation every duty is a grievance to them through the weakness of their grace and by their corruption 8. Christians that are weak and not confirmed lose abundance of the fruit of Gods Ordinances that are improved by others How many a truth that tasts exceeding sweet to others hath no great relish to them nor growth by it A healthfull man hath more relish in ordinary fare then a sick person in varieties The full stomack loaths the Honey-comb 9. The weak and unconfirmed Christian is unprofitable comparatively unto others not that the Church would wish the weakest Member out but comparatively unconfirmed Christians are very unprofitable unto others like little children in the family that must be looked to make work for a great many more about them What doth a sick person but the work of others is to feed support and be
the stress of my Salvation upon these t is true I cannot in conscience conform but I do not lay the stress of salvation on it as I did not lay the stress of my salvation on my being a Presbyterian I confess I am so have been it hath been my unhappiness to be alwaies on the sinking side yet I lay not the stress of my salvation upon it 'T is my conscience but it may be I have not so much light as another man and I profess in the presence of God could I conform without sin to my own 〈◊〉 I would if I should do any thing against my conscience I should sin and break my peace and conscience and all and never see good day do not then spend the strength of your zeal for your religion in censuring others That man that is most busie in censuring others is alwayes least employed in examining himself Remember good Iohn Bradford he would not censure Bonner nor Gardiner but saith he they called I. Bradford the hypocritical I. Bradford c. I do not speak this as though I can or did in conscience approve of those things for which I must suffer that I cannot approve of them but to take off people from those things that are so far from the foundation Look you but to the main things and look but into your own hearts examine them and then you need not be much perswaded to look about to others 2. You must take heed you be not loose Christians will you remember one thing from me the God of Heaven grant you never live to see it verified A loose Protestant is one of the fittest persons in the world to make a strict Papist Tell not me of his Protestantisme being a drunkard it is because his King oâ—… Countrey are Protestants where they live There is no Religion in a loose liver if ungodliness be in the heart it is no difficult thing for error to get into the head A loose heart can best comply with loose principles see if they will not be of any Religion in the world that is uppermost let the Turkâ—… prevail they would soon be of his Religion 3. Take heed of being worldly Christians oh this is the David that hath â—…lain his ten thousands A worldly heart will be bought and sold upon every turn to serve thâ—… Devils turn Come to a worldly heart and but promise him thirty pieces of silver he will betray his Saviour The temptations of the world are great upon us at this time you that are husbands and parents know it the world is a 〈◊〉 temptation but if we be overcome by the world and the world not overcome by us we shall never be able to overcome any one temptation that is offered to us Therefore that 's an admirable support In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world I have overcome the world for you and likewise I have overcome the world in you Oh Lord if thou wilt but overcome the love and the fear of the world if thou wilt but arm us against the smiles of the world then come what will we shall stand stedfast 4. Take heed you be not hypoeritical Christians i e. take heed you do not receive the truth and only receive the truth and not receive the truth in the love of that truth 2 Thess. 2. 10. You have received truth but have you received the truth in the love of that truth which you have received want of this is that damnable occasion to Popery And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth 'T is just with God they should fall into errours whose hearts did never love real truths Better never receive the truth then to receive it and not in the love of it Take heed of being venturous and God tempting Christians what 's that when do I tempt God I tempt God when I do run into a Pest-house and say God will preserve me from the Plague Take heed of running upon temptations to sin whether it be in principles or in practice I could tell you of two spiritual Pest-houses in England if I had time for principles one and for practices another I do not say that I mean Play-houses on the one hand or Mass-houses on the other hand Certainly Bretâ—…ren I read of Iulian that wicked bloudy Apostate that he sunk into that his Apostacy first by going to hear Libanius preach mistake me not I am not against your hearing the Ministers of Christ for a man may be a true Minister though he be a bad man all the world can never answer the instance of Iudas who was a true Minister though a bad man while I plead for the truth of his Ministry I do not spread a skirt over the wickedness of his life The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses Chair hear them But that which I mainly aim at is this do not you go and run and venture your selves upon temptations you have heard of superstitious or Idolatrous worship you have a months mind to see this and what if so be when you are found in Satans way Satan should lay his â—…aw on you and claim to you what do you there in Satan's ground Would you be found when you come to die in a Play-house or in such a place where the true God is Idâ—…latrously worshipped 'T is a great truth if you would not be found in the Devils power do not be found in the Devils pound Brethren we must know Satan is bâ—…sie enough to tempt us we need not go to tempt him Eve lost all that she had by hearing one Sermon but 't was from the Devil Therefore if you would not have your pockets pickt do not trade amongst Cheaters 1 Tim. 6. 3 5. If any man â—…each otherwise c. then that ye have received and we preached from such withdraw thy self that 's a good honest laudable separation from such withdraw thy self 6. Where God doth not find a mouth to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe pray mind it this I am sure is of concernment This is one of the grand points in my Card or Compass on which I hope I shall venture all If any man come with a Doctrine not according to the word of God let him carry it whither he will what have I to do with it Either you come from God or no If you do shew me his word and I 'le believe it if not open your pack where you please c. where God doth not find a mouth to speak where you have not a precept promise threatning or example in the word of God let them talk their hearts out 't is nothing to me to my Religion
my strings are broken there is yet one holds there is a spirit of prayer remember Atheisâ—… among the Saints of God I can pray yet and I had rather stand against the Canons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous Oh! pray that you enter not into temptation or if we enter into temptation Lord let not the temptation enter into us Pray If possible let this Cup pass from me but if not let it not poyson me but let me be bettered by it and in due time deliver me from it I believe it would be a great temptation to you if it should be said to you you shall trade with no man any more c. you have enjoyed these and these comforts bid them 〈◊〉 for ever you shall have no more to do with them this would be a temptation Temptations and trials are great and certainly where they are so prayer should be strong There 's no relief to be expected on earth all our relief is to be expected from God and that is to be obtained by prayer Pray that God would be pleased above all things in the world to make you sincere would you be stedfast in your profession you must be sincere in your practice To him that hath shall be given that is a comfort to him that hath but truth of grace to him shall be given growth of grace 9. Would you be steady Christians then make it your great work to attend the Ordinances that God hath prescribed to make you steady Christians You were told of this many years ago concerning attending the Ordinances of God Quest. Pray what are those Ans. 1. There are secret Ordinances It may be thou canst not be so much in the Pulpit as thou wouldst Oh! be more in thy Closet it may be thou shalt not have so many opportunities to hear so many Lectures be more consciencious in thy meditations in secret it may be thou shalt not have that freedom with God in publick be more earnest with God in private 2. Mind your Families more then ever you have your Children and Servants call aloud upon you How many grave faces do I see at this time that can tell me Sir I remember some twenty or thirty years ago you could not pass the streets but here was one Family repeating the Word of God another singing the praises of God another praying to God another conferring concerning the things of God at that time we had not so many foolish absurd excursions into streets and fields as now O for the Lords sake begin to take them up now Let the Amorite Perizite and Iebusite do what they will but oh for you and your children and your servants do you serve the Lord up again with those godly Exercises when we cannot hear a Sermon then read a Sermon if we cannot hear a Sermon well preach'd our godly Parents would engage us to read Sermons well penn'd if nothing new let the word be repeated and meditated call to mind what you have heard oh reduce your selves to your Christian frame let the debauched Athiests know they have something among you that is to be feared that is your prayers let them know that though you have not those opportunities you have had yet you will improve those you have And you Masters of this Parish for Gods sake keep in your servants on this day more then ever you are to be accountable for their souls and they will give you a thousand thanks when they come to age especially at the day of Judgement Oh then blessed be God I had such a Master blessed be God I had such a Mistress blessed be God I had such Parents Quest. But then for publick Ordinances what would you have us do Ans. 1. Wherever Christ doth find a tongue to speak I am bound to find an ear to hear and an heart to believe I would not be mistaken I bless the Lord I am not turned out of my Ministry for being a Schismatick I know Schism is a sin nor know I any of my Brethren that are so do not mistake us therefore do not go and tell the Iesuits we are Schismaticks for we are none but this I would advise I speak as though I were dying do whatsoever lies in your power to hear such whom you think to be godly beg of God be earnest with him that he would give Pastors after his own heart and whom God hath sent not such as may daub with untempered morter and not such as may prophesie lies in the Name of the Lord not such as may be clouds without water but such as may be guides of the blind burning and shining lights faithful Stewards What shall you do what did you do twenty or thirty years ago What did the good old Puritans do they were not Schismaticks But as much as lies in you possible hear them whom in your conscience you judge God doth hear Oh! then expect the Word of God should come to your hearts when you have ground to believe that it comes from your Pastors heart I must confess I intend to do the fame when put into the same condition with you I acknowledge I am bound in conscience to hear the Word of God but I must take care whom I hear hear those by whom God speaks I hope God will grant several such Take but this advice more and I have no more to say Whatever abuse you find either in Pastor or people or where-ever you find it do not you go as your old use hath been to rail calumniate back-bite and speak behind their backs this is wicked and ungodly but do every one according as God prescribes us that are members of any visible Church what is that if I know any thing against my brother do not go and make a sputter and noise and back-bite but take the rule of Christ If thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him of his fault between him and thee alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more and if he neglect to hear them tell it to the Church and leave the blood at their door thou hast freed thine own soul. I hope by Gods grace I shall do so Thus I have spoken something from this Scripture I cannot speak what I desire for besides the exhausting of my spirits there is something to be done after viz. a Funeral Sermon I shall say no more but only this The God of Heaven be pleased to make you mind these plain things I can truly say this I have not spoken one word that I remember which I would not have said to you if I had been just a dying and been going to God as soon as gone out of the Pulpit and the God of peace â—…e with you only mind that one thing When God doth not find a tongue to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe Mr.
the Scripture the Churches power is not Authoritative as to give Laws against the Laws of Christ it 's only Ministerial we do believe the Scripture for it self and not because of the Church we receive the Scripture by the Church Hence therefore when we set up the name of a Church let us see whether that Church walks in the way of Christ whether she be his Spouse or no whether she doth act according to his Institutions whether they bring his light yea or no then submit for it is not what a Church practises but what they are warranted to practise not what they hold for a truth but what they are warranted to hold as the word of truth The word was written afte the Church but as it is the word of God it s before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture Institution and then submit to Church Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custome Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain when they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such Customes of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Invocations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth that That is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more then there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shooes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Iesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion have been practised a thousand years yet men may have the word of truth in their hearts that is ancienter then all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the world or place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the Witnesses of Jesus Christ what will you be wiser then others can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custome to the word of God 't is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what is the practise of all in general but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present world Rom. 12. 1. The word will tell you it is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil then it will be sweeter to be in Hell with a great company The word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The word will tell you The waies of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up this Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe it 's one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pity them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5. 12. that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith only with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custome of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to take any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not wiâ—…h the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principle is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not only to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his word and his works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes in by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by Faith we believe the worlds were made by the word of God Heb. 11. 2 3. It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established spirit Do not only hear the things of God but see them the first will but blind you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are furthest remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Act. 4. 20. We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecility and Infirmity of sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It is an excellent thing not to take up the word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he
Keeping and propagating one of the most glorious truths that Iesus Christ was risen from the dead yet a thing that is farthest off from sense and reason wherein I suffer trouble mark Paul does not say wherin I make trouble no but wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer unto bonds but the word of God is not bound If this blessed and glorious Apostle would have had the faith of God bound and have contented himself with sinful silence and not propagated the Gospel Paul might have been free but Paul would not have the word of God bound therefore Paul would suffer for it Shall we go higher a great deal then this You have the glorious commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this account that he gave a free and full account of the Doctrine of his Father and of his glorious person before Pontius Pilate a bloody Persecutor It was not by saying to his Disciples Fight nor by saying my Kingdom is not of this world but that he gave a glorious confession before the face of Pilate of the righteousnesse of his truth Doctrine Gospel and of his person Fear to ensnare the freedom of the truth with your own liberty do not ensnare it to your own lusts nor to the will of any man O that we could study and improve these Scriptures more it would make us fear God more man lesse this is that that would make us say as holy David Ps. 119. 161. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy words for he that hath the most fear fear on you and upon you you will be more afraid to fall into his hands It is a childish thing for a Christian to tread down the belief of any Doctrine or practice any worship for fear of man who hath no more power to hurt us then we give him our selves by our fear Fear not him that can but kill the body c. It was the way of Gods people formerly that they came to divide between duty commanded by God and commanded by man you may read in all the dayes of Antichrists persecution from the beginning they came to divide in matter of obedience to God and his truth and worship and obedience to man Christians nothing but a suffering spirit will help you to this for there is no other way of Obedience in this case to authority but to suffer under it meekly Patiently as lambs This made the three children to divide between the command of God What sayes Nebuchadnezzer Every knee that bows not shall be cast into the Furnace very well as for that matter say they O King we are not carefull to answer thee for we will not bow down c. What will they not Obey him yet they will obey him by suffering as becomes Christians as is the example of Christ as if they should say Truly we are terrified with hell too We are terrified by the threats of the great King and we are likewise terrified by the threats of the great God he is able to deliver us out of your torments you are not able to deliver us from his torments so in the case of Daniel Arm your selves with this Resolution of suffering and lying down patiently and meekly under those things that you cannot do so that God may be honoured by your holy resolution upon this Account for truly you never do contend successfully for the faith of the Gospel till you contend by suffering for it is said They overcame by the blood of the lamb you never make Religion your businesse till the world see you can let such great things go as life estate liberty to keep it Then wisedome is justified of her children You never glorify the truths of God so much by practice or writing as by suffering for them Those glorious truths against Popish justification mixing of works with faith Transubstantiation Purgatory Idol-worship against all those things that were superadded contrarie to Gods justification there is such a glory upon the truths that it is hard for the Popish power ever to darken them again because we see them written in the honourable and blessed scars of the witnesses and burnings of those glorious Martyrs If you would take one another by the hand when God takes away our faithfull guides and say Brethren Sisters Friends come let us hold together there 's no way in the world to hold on together like suffering for the Gospel really would get more advantage by the holy humble sufferings of one gracious Saint meerly for the word of righteousnesse then by ten thousand Arguments used against Hereticks and false worship Compare Phil. 1. 12 13 14. with the 27 28 and 29. verses How is Paul's bonds a furtherance of the Gospel Paul no doubt was called an evil doer one that sowed Heresie and was hated every where saith he Many of the Brethren of the Lord waxed confident by my bands and were much more bold to speak the word without fear Here 's the great encouragement and then he comes to give you a precept and that 's in the 27. verse and he speaks it as one that was leaving of them Onely let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that you may stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your Adversaries for unto you it is given not onely to believe but also to suffer c. It is given to you as a duty given to you as a priviledge O that you would confirm one another and in slippery times hold up one another by the hand do it in going after Gods call and in this way suffering for those truths you cannot otherwise hold and maintain Truly Christians you had need be armed with Resolution for the world is alwaies counting the things Gods people have suffered for very little and they count it prudence not to meddle therein Those men that have easie soft terms to comply that they have a latitude to do any thing I believe some Christians are of that opinion that they would even think the Saints of God were ill advised to venture their all upon those truths they see others died and suffered for It 's a sad thing many Christians study to draw out the lines of obedience as far as the honesty of the times will give them leave but no farther that they would go on with the Lord Jesus to the High Priests hâ—…ll and there deny him or that would be willing to do anything for Christ but are willing to suffer nothing for Christ you very little honour Jesus Christ in this and you will very little honour your selves at the last It is upon this account that Christians if they see even against plain conviction of Conscience and the word that there are super-instituted things broke in as in Conscience they cannot submit to yet they can comply why they may be used lawfully though not superstitiously But saith
Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and patience when you suffer not as evil doers but as those that suffer for the word of Righteousness the word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious then Heaven and Earth then any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all generations when those that apostatize persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Mr. Calamy's Sermon at Mr. Ashes Funeral Esay 57. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come WE are here met this Evening to perform the last Office of Love for an eminent and ancient Servant of Jesus Christ and excellent Minister of the Gospel Mr. Simeon Ash one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers and now we are met to perform this office for him and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us so frail so brittle and so uncertain is the life of man Now the Text that I have chosen is suitable for this occasion for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man he was righteous in an Evangelical sence he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly He was a merciful man both in an active and passive sence he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ and he was one to whom God shewed mercy this righteous and merciful man is now perished as to his outward condition not as to his everlasting condition but as to his outward bodily condition he is perished and he is taken away The word in the Hebrew is very emphatical Merciful men Colliguntur are gatheted it is the same word that is used concerning Iosiah 2 King 22. 10 Thou shalt be gathered to thy fathers and go to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation This godly and righteous man is now gathered as ripe Corn in the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from the beholding that evil that is coming upon the sinful World he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are coming upon many he is taken away from the evil to come And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable for the righteous and merciful man in the Text perisheth and no man considers nor layes it to heart These words are verba Commentantis objurgantis the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy Now I desire that this part may not prove suitable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful righteous man The observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as thâ—… unrighteous Secondly That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but his gathering to God Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels Thirdly That a righteous man as long as he liveth is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdome the Chariots and horsemen of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from heaven a Beacon set on fire to give notice of eviâ—… approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they may not see the evil that is coming on a Nation Sixthly That it is a great and common sin not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man First It is a common sin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart that is very few and merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few Secondly It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Ieremy in the former Chapter calls to all the Beasts of the Field to devour that is all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel because they drank strong drink filling themselves with merriment and promised themselves happy dayes but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come I shall begin with the first That the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous How is it that the righteous perish not in their soul they cannot perish so nay the truth is they cannot perish properly in their bodies for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish for the very dust of the Saints in the grave is precious in Gods sight and they are asleep in Jesus and by the power of Jesus Christ they shall be raised again glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally and finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Iustin Martyr observe perit perisheth that is not according to the truth of the thing but according to the opinion of the world and the proper language of this expression is this The righteous perish that is the righteous must die and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that upon a four-fold account First Because the righteous are included within the Statute of death as well as the unrighteous statutum est Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed for all men once to die the righteous as well as the unrighteous Indeed it is true Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death but not death it self Jesus Christ hath disarmed death made death like the Viper that fastened upon Paul's hand but did not hurt him he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting but a healing power in it Christ hath sanctified death conquered and sweetned death at present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. latter end Secondly The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous Thirdly The righteous must die as well as others because they have a body of sin that they carry about with them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccl. 7. 20. Wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous must perish upon a peculiar account For if we had hope only in this life saith the Apostle we are of all men most miserable and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing they must say as Themistocles Periissem nisi periissem they must die
is said our Saviour went about doing good for God was with him enclineing him to the work and assisting him therein So he is with all his servants their gifts employments and successe thereof are all of God not of us Object But it may be objected Is all from God and nothing from us Are we not said to concur with him and is not then the power partly ours Ans. I answer No 't is of God and not of us we are indeed subjects of the Ministry the Recipients thereof persons employed in the Work and therefore are said to be workers together with God 2 Cor. 6. 1. but the power and efficacy thereof is from God alone Paul and Apollo are but Ministers 't is God that giveth the blessing 't is not of us in two respects 1. 'T is not merited by us 't is not of our deserving nor of our procuring 1. 'T is not of our deserving the best and most accomplisht do not merit it I receive a mercy saith Paul to be faithful he accounted it a mercy to be employed and to be faithful therein 2. 'T is not of our procuring we do not obtain it by our own power as Peter said in the recovery of the lame man It is not by any power and holinesse of ours that this man is restored c. And so it is not our gifts and industry onely that will make our Ministry powerful and therefore in this Work let us be looking up to God and desire him to assist us as Moses said If thou goest not O Lord up with us wherefore should we go hence so say I if the presence of God be not with us what can we doe And further when we do partake of any measure of ability see where we must determine it Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name be all the glory We must not sacrifice to our own net nor give the honour to our own industry but wholly give the praise to God because the excellency is of God 2. But in the second place if you look upon the words reflexively or as having their connexion to the words going before and so they will agree and hold together and thus you may read them Therefore is this Treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be acknowledg'd to of God and not of us If it were in Angels or had we never so strong bodies yet the excellency of the power of God would not be so cleerly seen as it is now being laid up in poor fraile Vessels Here 's the power of God here 's the lustre and glory of God most manifested for so much the more apparently it will be seen to be from God by so much the weaker the instrument is that is employed by God therefore if any thing doth act beyond it's own power it must have some foraigne powers for the producing such and such acts therefore when we see any greater matter done by poor fraile and contemptible Persons of earthen Vessels this doth plainly shew the excellency of the power to be of God and not of Men therefore look from man to God it is God that doth these things we should over-look earthen vessels we should I say over-look men that are these earthen vessels and look to God that makes the Ministry powerful in such conveyances as these Furthermore It may satisfie us of the Ministry in that we are vessels viz. men of frailty c. we are apt to be discouraged and to think hardly that we are followed with so many weaknesses that we have a hard matter that when we have taken such pains in the work of the Ministry we should be thus rewarded but this should satisfie us the more weaknesse in us the greater honour will come to Christ This Treasure we have in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us The weaker the Vessell the more honour will redound to Christ. Furthermore This may take of the servants of Christ from unwillingnesse unto those works and performances which God calls them unto by reason of their weakness Thus it is when God calls to any work or employment the servants of God are apt to plead their own inability Moses sayes he is not eloquent Ieremiah sayes he is a child Ionah sayes he is a man of unclean lips Thus we have their delayes their excuses whereby they endeavour to discharge themselves from that Work that God calls them unto by their own weakness c. but God refuses such excuses for who makes the blind to see the dumb to speak but God It is he that toucheth Isaiah's Lips it is he that said to Ieremiah Do not say thou art a Child for I have sent thee c. This I say then is a consideration may encourage Ministers in their Work that the weaker they are the honour and glory will redound to Christ far he said unto me saith the Apostle My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength it made perfect in weaknesse Not that it is encouragement or argument for any to take upon them the great work of the Ministry without sufficient qualifications and abilities But where there is not that degree of ability as is desired where there is a true sensibleness of their weakness this may be an encouragement to them that God delighteth to shew his power in them that by so much the more they are weak so much honour he will gaine For a conclusion it comes to this viz. That we lay no stresse upon any outward things There is no stresse or happinesse in these outward things those that seem to be of some concernment as strength of body and other outward qualifications that are of remark yet consider they are fading and transitory this should teach us in the enjoyments of outward things a great deal of humility Though we are Vessels of Gold in regard of the treasure and improvement yet in regard of our selves we are Vessels of Earth and so should be in respect of humility Let us look upon all these things as given to us of God even for this very end That we may be more serviceable to him and his people So I have done with the two general parts of the words and so with the whole verse viz. We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us Do we begin again to commend our selves saith the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 3. 1. or need we Epistles of commendation to you ye are our Epistle in our hearts c. But this is applicable to the present sad occasion now before us This Reverend and blessed man of God Mr. Iames Nalton was a person of great Note and â—…enency among us one well known in this City and 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
have we taken thy name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often have we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sin 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 then life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh! the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercieâ—… thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into teares 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 dayes some have done thee more service in one year then we in all our time we have forgotten thee in the day of prosperity and sung a â—…ullaby 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 smâ—…te the rock that there may flow out teares We can do nothing by way of expiation if we could 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 thâ—… 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 then 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 has made give us the witness of the spirit and thy love and we will say we have enough give us hearts of flesh crush the head of the serpent in our soules O Lord Christ thou camest into the world to destroy the works of the Devill in our hearts and to build up the Kingdome of the Spirit in us oh when shall we see the old man decay in us and the old man to live more and more Oh be wisdome to guide us and righteousnesse 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 We pray thee strengthen our weak faith quiet our consciences we would not live a day longer then that we may honour thee tread Satan under our feet sit us for our places and employments let not our conditions be so low but that our hearts may be lower we are pâ—…sting to death oh let sin dye 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 CHARLES of Great Brittain France and Ireland King oh inrich his Royall heart with all those saving Graces of thy Spirit in order to a wise and happy Government of these Kingdomes Look upon his Royall Consort his Royall Relations the Lords of his Privy Councill and make them blessing 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 â—…e 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 Iesus Christ his sake our dear Saviour for whom we blesse thy Majesty to whom with thee and the Spirit be praise for ever Amen Dr. Anesleye's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and earth such is the condesâ—…nsion of thy grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy speciall 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 then to behold iniquitie 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 â—…o mind the business that we come about and â—…o deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternall moment O 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 Soules may know what it is to be in the Spirit upon the Lords day dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee to do iâ—… we must needs acknowledge had'st 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 aggravations of our sins do render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirring of thy Spirit in us the patience and goodnesse 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 benummed that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spentupon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the drosâ—… and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our Soules what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the Spirit of God can subdue in our soules teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the â—…attice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put in thy hand in at the whole of the Door and let thy fingers drop hony upon the handle of the Lord. And oh set open these everlasting Doores that the King of Glory may enter in subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we â—…e willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowest is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy batred 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 Devill bâ—…ffles us our own hearts are treacherous to us the world intâ—…ces us to sin against God Oh! deliver us from all these Enemies and especially from the plagues of our hearts that we may perfect holyness in the fear of God give us Spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou denyest us thou knowest thou artrather willing to give us Spirituall blessings then any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most 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 encrease it Dear Father convince those that are yet not convinced make thy Word a quickning word an ingrafâ—…ed word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives and as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King blesse him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all Godlinesse 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 wayes 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 recâ—…ive us quicken us that we may live in Heaven upon Earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulnesse of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledge Communicate thy selfe 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 singlenesse of heâ—…t set our selves to mind the concernments of our immortal souls And all we beg for Christ his sake who has taught us thus to pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Mr. Cradockt's Prayer at Saint Sepulchres August 10. 1662. MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hast put thine own name and stamp upon this day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose â—…r unprepared and indisposed souls for holy observation of this thine own holy day will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his grace whereby we may be unabled to offer up spiritual sacrifices which may be acceptable to Iesus Christ. Lord thou requâ—…rest 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 thy Subâ—…ath 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 We acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to Heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be mercifull 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 dâ—…ath children of darknesse slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts hardned what are our hearts but a store-house of â—…licious thoughts a brothel-house of adultery a Pallace of pride we are by nature wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Lawes of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renewing or restraâ—…ning grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men Our lives have been a continual piece of rebellion against God who didst make us and dost feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatred for thy love O foolish men and women that we have bin we acknowledge our Gospel sins are of a deep eye thou hast not bin a wildernesse or a Land of darknesse to us we have been exalted to Heaven in the meanes of salvation but oh how short do we come of knowledge to the time and meanes 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 presentus to our selves shew us the vilenesâ—…e of our lives Blessed be thy name that thou hast laid help upâ—… 〈◊〉 that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleive 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 keyes of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that dyed for us and let our soules 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 him 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 consciences 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 workes informe our understandings conforme our wills to thine holy will let our hearts and lives be conformed to the Image of thy Sonne 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 and suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse 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 mayest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of selfe-denyal in our souls and let us take the Crosse of Iesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on Beds of sicknesse and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come And that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them thâ—…s their Faith or our Prayer And look graciously upon poor Children intitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that desire the conversion of Relations that walk in wayes of perâ—…ition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter end 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 powerfully and give thy people hearing ears obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upon thee in thy worship this day and all for Christ his sake in whose Name and words we call upon thee Our Father c. FINIS
towards the sinning Paul's tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians his love did burn holy Panl 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 this people which sometimes he did write to and sometimes he preached to He looked after their souls more then their silver 2 Cor. 12. 14. We seek not yours but you As a tender nurse cherisheth her chlld with the breast so Saint Paul gave his people the breast-milk of the Word in 1 Thes. 2. 8. This man of God did not only bestow a Sermon upon his people but was willing to impart his very Soul to them if it might save theirs 1 Thes. 2. 7. We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls because you are dear unto us Such was Saint Paul's affection to his people that without a complement he loved them more then his life Phil. 2. 17. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I rejoyce with you all that is as if he had said If it be so that my blood 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 affections 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 Corinth 12. 15. oh how did Paul sweeten all his Sermons with love in 2 Cor. 12. 15. if he reproved sin 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 you observe dayes and months and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Brethren I beseech you be as I am See how Saint Paul chides their sins and yet at the same time courts their souls No sooner did he laâ—…ce 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 weakest believer 1 Cor. 8. 13. If meat make my brother to offend I will never eat flesh more whilst 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 Reasons 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 minister heart from that spiritual relation that is between 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 instructors yet have you not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Some he begets unto Christ others he builds up in Christ. Doth not a Father provide chearfully for his children can a father see bread taken from his childe 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 Secondly 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 metall the fire of love with Gods blessing will melt the most obdurate â—…inner A Boanerges a son of consolation who comes in the spirit of love and meeknesse is the fittest to do a piece of Gospel-chirurgery to restore and put such an one in joynt again that is overtaken with a fault Gal. 6. 1. Restore such a one with the spirit of love and weaknesse 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 loth 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 Sodome to Abraham Give me the persons and take thou 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 love Oh how sad is it to have such in the ministry that can neither labour nor love that are such as are without bowels that look more at tyths then 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 poyson 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 drunkenness that will himself be drunk Rom. 2. 22. Thou that teachest A man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest A man oughtnot to commit adultcry doâ—…st 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
Collin's Farewell Sermon Jude v. 3. Contend earnestly for the faith c. THese words contain two parts 1. A Duty exhorted to 2. The manner of the management of that Duty The Duty exhorted to is to retain the faith delivered to the Saints The manner of its management is that we should earnestly contend to keep it I opened the termes What 's meant by faith It is not so much the grace of faith but the doctrine of faith not special faith whereby we apprehend special mercy upon a promise made to the Elect but the Fides quae creditur the whole substance of the doctrine of Christ as to things that are to be believed and duties that are to be practised But why is it said The faith that was once delivered that is invariably irrevocably once for all Delivered respects the priviledge the Saints of God had in the faith that God had left it is the faith of the Gospel committed as a Treasure And the Church is called a Candlestick not only to hold out the light but to hold the light whence the Church is called the pillar or the ground of truth not that they are to make Doctrines but to hold forth the Doctrines of Christ even as Tables and Pillars upon which Proclamations are hung and held forth to be made publique so is the Church of Christ it is that in which the Truths of the Lord Jesus are kept and will be kept from one age to another But what is the import of the word Earnestly contend It is a word used only once in the new Testament in the Composition The word in the root is frequently used and imports a strugling with might and mair as those that use to run at games It is used for Iesus Christ in his sufferings He was in an Agony the same word from whence this word is compounded The Apostle would imply such a contention such a struggling to keep the faith of the Gospel as one word in the English is not able to express it and Interpreters very much differ what is the import the best center in this that we should so contend for the faith as men that would contend to keep their very lives The Proposition is this That it is the duty of the Saints of God to maintain an earnest contention to struggle for and to keep the faith that was betrusted with them Wherein this Contention doth consâ—…st 1. It is not a carnal contention the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual the Saints are not called to contend for the faith with carnal weapons with carnal power and force not by might and power but by the Spirit of God force and power and a fleshly arme prisons pillories and chains and taking away of mens comforts and estates upon the account of the faith of the Gospel hath been the usual way of Errors defending it self Prayers and Tears are the Churches weapons 2. 'T is not a contention of uncharitableness This contention allows no murthering either of the bodies or souls of men Christians are so to contend against error and sinful practice as to love their persons and pitty those they contend with There are some opinions that there is no way to shew a holy way of zeal against nor be able to destroy them but by a holy separating from the persons there were such to whom it was not lawful to say God speed or receive them into their houses but yet this is in order to the saving the soul Saving some plucking them as brands out of the fire But positively this holy contention it consists in these four things 1. In managing the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God against error and sinful practices to be able to confute them mightily as Apollos did out of the Scriptures shewing the Jewes that Jesus is the Christ. 2. By Prayer for to pray down sinful opinions and practices That we mean when we pray Thy Kingdome come that the Gospel may run on and be glorified that these nights of darknesse may be dispelled that Truth may shine to the perfect day 3. By holy practising against them by holding forth the Word of life in your conversation by striving together by a mutual provocation for the faith of the Gospel in respect of holy walking 4. By being able to suffer for them The Reasons of the Point I gave you I shall now sum up all in a word of Exhortation to presse every one that bears the name of a Saint to take up this Exhortation of the Apostle Earnestly to contend for the faith that was once delivered â—…o the Saints The sum of all is to beg that you would be valiâ—…nt for thâ—… truth of Christ that whatever hath been delivered to you consonant to the truth agreeable to the saith delivered to us that you would struggle might and main by all Christian courage by argument practice prayer by suffering rather then let go those Truths that God hath taught you by his faithful Ministers that Christ that hath been preached to you those Scriptures you have in your hands those Doctrines you have learned by experience by prayer by searching the Word those wayes of worship God hath taught you those patterns of his house and out-goings and returnings there that he hath taught you be exhorted to hold them fast and not to let them go Contend earnestly for the faith c. It is to be lamented that there is so sad a spirit of indifferency among Christians as we find at this day Many do so carry it as if there were nothing in the Gospel of Christ that were worthy the owning by practising or worthy the owning by suffering This luke-warm indifferent temper hath done the Church of God a great deal of mischief formerly and if admitted now will do you as much mischief again It hath been one of the sins which the Lord at this day is judging and punishing his poor people for that our zeal hath been so hot against one another for meer circumstances and so cold when we are like to lose the substance that our contentions rise so high in matters hardly of any moment and our spirits work so low when they are to gain the great things for which Christ suffered and which he delivered to us It is my work therefore to beg you that you would put on a holy resolution that there may be no contention among us for we are Brethren but only that contention who may most retain and evidently witnesse the Faith that is delivered to us It is the trust God hath committed and he doth expect and look â—…ow we will manage it with courage and confidence to keep the faith of the Gospel There are very great oppositions against you and there ought to be great resolutions of Christians to maintain themselvs against such oppositions It is a very sad thing that Christians should see the Faith and the wayes of the Gospel of God as it were taken from them at any time