and perswading the things concerning the Kingdom of God Luke 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within us whilest he talked with us and opened unto us the Scriptures 5. The Lords Table where he feasteth his Friends as Cant. 5.1 and bids them welcome saying Eat O Friends Drink yea drink abundantly O Wel-beloved I appeal to the consciences of many sincere Christians when they have taken most pains with their own hearts to get them into frame against a Sacramental day when they have been deeply humbled in self-abhorrency broken in confessions with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered if God have not spoken peace to their souls Son daughter be of good chear thy sins be forgiven if their hearts have not danced for joy as David did before the Ark 6. The Lord's People his faithful Members are they thy friends thy companions of thy intimate society dost thou prefer them to others Psal 16.3 as the only excellent ones 119.63 I am companion to all that fear thee to all even to poor Saints as well as rich despised as well as honourable dost thou relieve them in want succour them in misery visit them if in Prison and therefore because they belong to Christ have much of Christ in them This he taketh kindly Mark 9.41 because they belong to Christ 7. Dost thou love the Day of Christ's appearing which though it be black and gloomy a terrible day to the proud and all ungodly enemies of Christ yet is it a day much to be desired by all that love the Lord who may rejoyce and lift up their heads in joyful hope of this Dayes approach their Redemption draweth nigh now is their Salvation nearer than when first they believed now shall the Elect receive the end of their Faith and Hope and Prayers and Tears and Sufferings 2 Tim. 4.8 It is made a character of the righteous that they love the appearing of Jesus Christ Heb. 5. ult Unto them that look for him Tit. 2.13 Looking for c. Not only looking for but hasting to the coming of the Day of God 2 Pet. 3.12 3d. Note is in Christ's own words John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments all one as well as another hard as well as easie John 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Abraham is called the Friend of God and his friendship was tried and approved by his obedience to those hard Commandments of leaving his Country and offering up his only son his son Isaac whom he loved The partial obedience of most people is no obedience at all argueth no sincere love to Christ 4. To suffer for Christ to part with our dearest interests for him argueth sincere love to him Jacob endured a hard service of seven years for Rachel which though long because hard yet seemed to him but as a few dayes for the love he had unto her Jonathan endured his father's displeasure for David whom he loved and was well content to part with his hope in the Kingdom because he loved him as his own soul The Martyrs Rev. 12.11 loved not their lives unto the death The Apostles went away rejoycing they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ If we dare not adventure to suffer the spoyling of our Goods dare not hazard the frown or displeasure of a Landlord dare not suffer the loss of Name or Reputation for Christ and his Gospel how dwelleth his Love in us 5. Who love the Lord in sincerity will not easily part with Him his Comforts his Graces his Presence and Power of his Ordinances Exod. 21.5 The servant that loved his master and the family would not go out free Love prevailed above Liberty which is very desirable To sincere Christians the absence of Christ is grievous how they mourn to part with Ordinances in which they have found sweet communion with Christ David in the Wilderness how he longed after God! Psal 63.1 With sorrow and weeping tears the Disciples take their leave of St. Paul Acts 20. ult when they were to see his face no more Those people that with those Jews Acts 13.50 expel Ministers out of their coasts or with them Luke 4.29 thrust Christ out of their City or with the more mannerly Gadarens who besought him to depart from them who can be content to suffer a famine of the Word rather than be at the cost of maintaining a Preaching-Minister they will not buy the Truth so dear who are well enough pleased to see their Ministers removed burning and shining Lights put under a bed or a bushel Teachers driven into corners do give a plain demonstration how little love they have to Jesus Christ it is evident they prefer their Swine their Gain their Money to Jesus Christ Now I beseech you Brethren take a little pains to try the truth of your Love to Christ It will be the greatest comfort to your souls of any thing in this world if upon good ground it may appear you are of them that love the Lord in sincerity What bonefires of joy may such Christians make in their hearts in the saddest times and darkest night of affliction Psal 112.4 To the upright ariseth light in darkness If you love Christ be sure ye are of him beloved Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me To you he will be a never-failing friend in trouble in sickness in all afflictions in life and death and at the day of Judgement to them he will pronounce that heart-chearing sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom c. But if by the foregoing Evidences taken out of the Scriptures of Truth the contrary do appear and we be not found amongst Christs real Friends but however we may flatter our selves among his enemies and of them that hate Him then shall we from his mouth hear that heart-breaking doom Depart from me ye cursed c. I never knew you And if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha SERMON VI. Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity VVE come now to speak to the second Doctrine which is this Doct. 2. The best thing in the world is Grace not gifts parts which are Gratiae gratis datae of an inferiour nature which the Apostle elsewhere wisheth for his Corinthians 1 Cor. 14.5 But here being to take his leave of his People wisheth for them saving Grace such as Faith Remission of sins Fellowship with all Saints in the general Resurrection So Haimo in locum That Grace is so excellent a thing appeareth in this That the Apostle in all or most of his Epistles both begins and ends with it His first salutation in the entrance is Grace be unto you and Peace to which he sometimes addeth Mercy Grace to renew our nature Peace of conscience Mercy for pardon of sin If we find sin pardoned our persons accepted our natures altered then may we comfort our selves c. saith Dr. Sibbs In
God did we see him to be an alsufficient unchangable faithful God it would help us to hold out to follow him fully 4. Again eye His Omnisciency His eyes are upon the wayes of man and He seeth all his goings Job 34.21 He telleth all our wanderings When Peter was turning his back on Christ his Lord and Master looked on him all the while As he beheld guile-less Nathaniel under the Fig-tree So he likewise beheld Peter halting in the High Priests Palace 5. His Omnipresence O that we had Moses eyes to see him that is invisible Doubtless he is not far from any of us No fleeing from his presence Psa 139.7 c. That we cannot sin but in the face of our Judge What are ye not afraid to turn aside from God his Truth his Commands while the Lord himself stands by and observes all our carriage 6. His Holiness Justice and Severity against sin If any draw back his soul can take no pleasure in that man Only such as are upright in the Way that are his delight Pro. 11.20 As God is displeased at mens halting before him so he is ready to manifest his displeasure And what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God even as to fall into a consuming fire Such of God's Attributes as these last mentioned would very much awe us make us fear to depart or turn aside in the least from him But so much of the eighth Direction 9. Look to Jesus as your best guide And strive to follow his steps Observe how Christ carried in this world He did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth His love to man without dissimulation His zeal for God free from the least mixture of self-seeking He had the wisdom of the Serpent and the Doves innocency most exactly contempered duly proportioned in him He knew how to converse with sinners without the least communicating in their sins He was one and the same in all places at all times Far from studying a compliance with a corrupt and sinful generation rather he made it his work to do all that might be to change and amend it to set a crooked generation streight He was ever more careful to discharge duty than to provide for his own safety here In doing the work his Father sent him about into the world he wav'd and set aside self-respect John 5.30 8.49 50. The Truth and Honour of God was dearer to him than his own life O Christians follow this your Guide If we are Christians we ought to walk as Christ also walked 1 John 2.6 We are unworthy of the name of Christians if it be not our care and indeavour to follow Christ Now wherein we are followers of Christ we may be confident we go right so far we halt not in our course Therefore observe and eye Christ more Consider how he carried upon earth And where you are at a stand think if you can how Christ would have carried what he would have done in the like case with yours 10. Reckon upon troubles in this world Expect to meet with crosses in your Christian course As Paul and Barnabas confirmed the souls of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the Faith and that through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 When we look to meet with the Cross in our way we shall not so soon stumble at it On the contrary the Disciples were offended at Christs passion and shrunk away from him being in a great measure surprized with it for as many fair warnings and express items as they had from our Saviour to prepare for his sufferings yet they would not let those sayings sink down into their hearts still their thoughts were upon Christs reigning here as an earthly King and on some great worldly advancement which they expected under Christ 11. Be going forward The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Though I do not determine this to be the sense of the place yet it is a truth if we take it thus The further we go on in the ways of God the more strength we shall find to hold out and continue in them The way of the Lord is strength to the upright The Righteous shall hold on his way and wax stronger and stronger Here they that run fastest are least weary Whereas if we sit still we shall soon grow lame and stark O take heed of standing still Be going forward Grow in Grace Let it be your care to grow in Grace as you fear to fall from your own steadfastness Weaklings are aptest to stumble and fall Therefore let us be going on from strength to strength It is a good thing indeed that the heart be established with Grace Heb. 13.9 Where note it is one property of Grace to establish the heart And the more Grace the more inward establishment Adde to Faith Vertue sayes the Apostle Peter Let these things be in you and abound And if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. Here I might instance in sundry particular Graces that you should be growing in especially You heard before what corruptions especially and most frequently are a cause of halting Now strengthen those Graces that are opposite thereunto Labour to increase and excel in Faith By Faith Enoch walked with God By Faith Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin In sincerity Being really what we seem to be The more truth in our inward parts the more Evenness and Uniformity in our outward Conversations In self-denial They that would follow God fully as Moses did must deny themselves as he did who refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter that he might be found the faithful Servant of God In an holy contempt of the world Labour to sit looser in your affections to the world if you would stick close to God Demas falling in love with this present world and affecting its embraces shook off holy Paul once and as some tell us turned Priest afterwards in an Idols temple Though others suppose he fell not so far but soon recovered again However the danger was very great see 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Many alas stick fast in the world stick fast here so that they know not how to take a step how to set a foot forward in the way to Heaven In love to God his Truth and Wayes This would cause you to cleave to him In Patience We have great need of Patience too that we be not wearied nor faint in our minds We must run with patience the race set before us Without patience we should soon be run out of breath 12. Lean ever upon Christ As you would not halt in your course lean hard upon Christ While we desire to grow in Grace yet we should fear to trust to Grace received It was the cause of Peters foul and shameful fall his self confidence conceiting that he was
modesty by the woful experience of his false heart answers not to the degree of love but only that he loved Christ 4. It is possible that many Christians may hate Christ as much as we doâ— the memory of those Jews that crucified him albeit we be strongly perswaded that if we were called to formal trial we would rather dye than openly deny him or his Gospel Do we from our hearts detest the mention of Annas Caiaphas Judas and that rabble which conspired the death of the Lord of life In like manner did those Jews abhor the memory of Korah Dathan Abiram and the rest of those that rebelled against Moses Do our spirits rise in indignation against them that stoned Stephen persecuted the Apostles forbiding them to Preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved 1 Thes 2.16 With no less displeasure were they moved against the memory of Ahab and Jezebel and those though their own Princes who slew the Lord's Prophets Matt. 23.30 If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers c. The name of Abraham they had in high esteem he being the prime person of their Progenitors with whom God Almighty made that glorious Covenant wherein they had the priviledges of the First-Born The memory of Moses was amongst them very precious with whom God was pleased to talk face to face who received the lively Oracles to give unto them Acts 7.38 To have upbraided the softest spirit in that Rebellious people with treachery or disloyalty against the Messias when he should be revealed would as much have moved his choler as to tell some forward professor amongst us he would betray his Lord were he now on the earth for half the money that Judas did yet these men brake first in their love to Abraham so our Saviour telleth them John 8.39 then in their fidelity to Moses John 5.45 46. and the Prophets Matt. 23.35 No marvel then if they took offence at our Saviours life his carriage and conversation amongst them and afforded him such entertainment as they did Let not then Hypocrisie deceive us by suggesting these or the like suppositions they are the words of Dr. Jackson if we should be urged by the Turk or Jew to deny him we would sooner dy the death he did then do it or were he present in person to exhort us to such duties as his Messengers enjoyn us we should sure be as forward as any man living to do them these or the like imaginations do but foretoken our need of that apology and argue our inclination to use it though alas it cannot stead any in that day of tryal Lord when saw we thee naked or an hungred When in the Pulpit or preaching in our streets deterring us from evil and exhorting us unto good Much more to this purpose see in Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith That we may not therefore deceive our selves with vain pretences of love let us try the sincerity of it and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary Notes of sincere love to Christ. 1. The first shall be that which you have in Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Lovers have enemies and friends in common Gen. 12.3 I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee God will be a Friend to Abrahams friends an Enemy to his enemies Who love Christ unfeignedly hate sin which he hateth Rev. 2.6 Sin is evil the greatest of evils The work of the Devil which Christ came into the world purposely to destroy 1 John 3.8 If thou art a friend to sin any way of wickedness If thou love Ignorance superstition If thou love a false oath Zech. 8.17 If thou love flaggons of wine Hos 3.1 If thou delightest in scorning Prov. 1.22 if thou make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 If thou hate knowledge despise duty scoff and scorn at Holiness which Christ commandeth thou lovest him not If thou regard iniquity in thy own heart if thou allow of it in thy children thy friends if thou plead for sin undertake the patronage and defence of it thou proclamest thy enmity and hostility to Jesus Christ But if thou hate and abhor the way of lying Psal 119.163 If thou hate every evil way Psal 119.128 in thy self first then in others as he that hates a Toad hates it most in his own bosome as saith D. Sibbs if thy hatred of it be universal against the whole kind if thy hatred be rooted irreconcilable so as there is no appeasing of it but by the crucifying and abolishing of thy hated corruptions this is right hatred of sin which argueth thy conversion to be sound and thy self an unfeigned lover of Jesus Christ Note 2. Who love Christ in sincerity love what ever hath relation to him As 1. His House and Worship there performed Saints love Communion with Christ love to be where he is The Lord loveth the gates of Zion his People love the threshold of the Sanctuary Psal 120.14 Thy servants take pleasure in her stones they favour the dust thereof Psal 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thy Honour dwelleth Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said Let us go up to the House of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem 2. Saints dearly love the Truth and Word of the Lord. As their voice is sweet to him in prayer Cant. 2.14 So his voice in his Word is sweet to them Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast Yea sweeter then honey to my mouth vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is dearer to me then thousands of Gold and Silver The very reproofs of Christ are precious to them Psal 141.5 Our love to Christ is not right if we be impatient of admonition if we cannot endure reproof for sin but swell against it it is a sign we love sin which cannot consist with unfeigned love to Christ 3. His Messengers are welcom their feet beautiful Rom. 10.14 Because they are the servants of Christ and shew us the way of savation therefore we have them in reputation Phil. 2.29 Because they are over us in the Lord and admonish us therfore we esteem them highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes 5.13 But if we repine stomach or maligne his Embassadors taxing our crimes though in sharpest terms or if we neglect to examine our hearts and consciences at their request or instance it is a sure token our perswasions of Faith and love unto him are but fancies that we are still in the gall of bitterness enemies as cruel to him as these Jews were c. Dr. Jackson 4. His Day the Lords Day Rev. 1.10 is to all sincere lovers of Christ a joyful Day a Day of delight Isa 58.13 On this Day Christ appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection upon this Day he still appeareth to his People making neer approaches to their souls in his blessed Ordinances teaching them inlightning them comforting their hearts
they go Gen. 28.12.13 We read Ruth 4.5 At what time the Kinsman must have the inheritance he must have it at the hand of Ruth to allude hereto You can never inherit the Blessing unless you be espoused to Christ Ye shall not see my face said Joseph except your brother be with you So here no seeing the face of God with comfort nor prayer heard nor person accepted nor sin pardoned no souls reconciled no Blessing obtained but through Christ Prayers are but as howlings if they be not put up in the Name of Christ the only Mediator Read Heb. 12.18 c. you shall find the misery of souls without Christ but their happiness being come to the Mediator of the New-Testament Out of Christ we have to do with God from Mount Sinai in thunderings and lightnings in tempest and terrible voices but through Christ from Mount Sion whence better things are spoken than Abels blood spake So Ephes 2.12 c. Without Christ and afar off without God having no hope strangers to the promise But through Christ made nigh reconciled fellow-citizens with the Saints of the household of God the partition-wall broken down he is our peace God is a terrible Judg a consuming Fire to men out of Christ but in him a Gracious Father reconciling this world to himself not imputing iniquities Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings But how or for whose sake Why in Christ only on his account In him we have redemption the remssion of sin ver 7. God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4.32 Jesus Christ is the Light of the world without which darkness horrour and perpetual confusion had been upon all mankind the onely Foundation to stand against Hell gates no other Name given whereby we can be saved The way by which we draw near to God with hope to speed is consecrated through his blood the grand encouragements we have in our addresses to God are Christ's Merit and Mediation Jesus Christ is the only door at which God giveth his dole of Blessings and by which we can enter into the Fathers presence and favour He is the gate of Heaven He is all in all My dear People The time of my departure from you not voluntary but constrained seemeth now at hand possibly I am speaking the words of a dying man and may see your faces no more in this place 't is my comfort I have not kept back any thing that is profitable for you nor shunned to declare to you all the Counsel of God But have to my ability taught you to observe all things whatsoever Christ hath commanded for so runs my Commission Mat. 28.20 And let me tell you I dare not exceed knowing that terrible Commination Deut. 18.20 The Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my Name which I have not commanded him to speak even that Prophet shall die And Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so he shall be called the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven The Scripture tels me what things I must teach and exhort And if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting c. 1 Tim. 6.1 2. Could I find the things which it is probable are shutting the mouths of many hundreds of learned consciencious Ministers expressed in or by good consequence to be drawn from the Scriptures which I am sure are sufficient to furnish the Man of God throughly to every good work 2 Tim. 3.17 I would not for a World divest my self of the Liberty of my Ministry nor bereave my self my wife and little ones of our Livelihood nay I would willingly practise them and teach you so to to I this day appeal to the most High with the Prophet Jer. 17.16 As for me I have not hastened from being a Pastor to follow thee O Lord thou knowest Most gladly would I have continued preaching Christ Jesus the Lord furthering your Faith and Joy and driving on the great Marriage between Christ and your Souls but sure I am my Lord needeth not my sinning to carry on his Work amongst you neither will I charge him with unfaithfulness nor his Word with deficiency in pretending to mine own faithfulness in the Ministerial Function but I 'le patiently commit my self to Him that judgeth righteously endeavouring to follow his steps who became poor that we might be made rich and suffered greater things for me than I can do for him On Him I desire to be found waiting and keeping his Way who hath the giving of the Opening of the Mouth and is thereby known to be the Lord Ezek. 29.21 He that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth can if he please restore our Liberties and pleasant things if not here am I let him do what is good in his fight The Will of the Lord be done Why should I part with you repining or murmuring at a churlish unkind World whilst it is evident the World hated him before it hated us and my Text tels us that Christ blessed his Disciples at his parting and Ascension Now the Lord Christ who went to Heaven blessing bless you this day with the best of Blessings the sure Mercies of David and lasting Benefits of the everlasting Covenant The Lord Jesus the good Shepherd who gave his Life for the Sheep be your Shepherd and cause showers of Blessings from Heaven on your Souls Bodies Children Families and Estates And God even the Father for Christ's sake grant that you and I who are this day parting with grieved hearts may at last meet with joy having all tears wiped from our eyes and every sad thought taken from our hearts to be ever with the Lord at whose right-hand are pleasures for evermore And God the holy Ghost abide with you and me to guide us into Truth to stablish us in the Truth and comfort our hearts unto the end of the world The Lord be with you all And are we parting Suffer I beseech you this word of Exhortation In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed If any man thirst let him come to me and drink John 7.37 The Apostle at Troas ready to depart the morrow preached long at his parting with the Elders of the Church of Ephesus who must see his face no more how fervently did he preach and pray Acts 20. Two of Luthers wishes were That he might have seen Christ in the flesh and have heard Paul preach But my Brethren what tongue can express the worth of their Farewel-Sermons Though I be a weak earthen vessel a reed shaken with the wind yet shall not my mouth be open and my heart enlarged when I must preach to you no more And am I leaving you My Beloved and longed-for how gladly would
eighth verse of this last chapter and thence he uttered these words Junius thinks that the waiting called for in that verse is patiently to bear their Captivity in Babylon and chearfully to expect their Deliverance therefrom and so then all that follows is to give them grounds of hope that it was but a temporary Captivity not a final Divorse they should be in a state of Suspension as Absolom from God's presence for some time but not of Abdication or Exhaeredation sequestred interdicted not ejected disinherited So much for the Book in which my Text is and its coherance with the words of its neighbourhood In the Text there are two general parts viz. First An Implicit Prediction of a doleful Calamity which should befal this People And secondly An Explicit Promise of a Rich Mercy to be bestowed upon them In the Prediction implyed there is a double Calamity intimated to be coming and that is first A Loss of their Spiritual Priviledges which was the Advantage of the Jew Rom. 3.1 2. 9.4 5. By Solemn Assemblies are meant their several Conventions at those set times which God had appointed them viz. on the weekly Sabbath the new Moons the stated Feasts and Fasts which they were bound to observe Deut. 16. begin For the Solemn Assembly i. e. for the lack want of the Solemn Assembly The phrase is a concise form of speech usual in the Hebrew tongue and is in this Text to be understood as in Isa 32.12 They shall lament for the Teats for the pleasant Fields for the fruitful Vine i. e. for the spoil loss and want of them Our Translators do sometimes where the words are no more in the Original than they are here supply to shew the sense of the expression One while lack as in Gen. 18.28 Wilt thou destroy all the City for lack of five And another while want as in Lament 4.9 stricken through for want of the fruits of the field And so it would have done well if it had been supplied here Furthermore in that it is here expressed indifinitely The Solemn Assembly it is to be understood universally of All Assemblies so that it was a total deprivation they had not one left Secondly The Reproach under which their Assemblies lay as under a burden as our Translators put into the margent Which was an additional aggravation of their Affliction adding Gall to their Wormwood Harm and Scorn are seldom divided The Church is seldom laid low but it is spit upon as well as trod upon If Sampson be in the Philistines hands he must be brought forth to make them sport And this is very irksome Shame is the heaviest part of a cross Heb. 12.2 13.13 If God had only stripped them of their Glory it might have been easier born than to have their Glory turned into Shame If they had only wanted good words from God that sometimes they had heard it might have been born but to hear evil words from men yea to hear the good wayes of God evil spoken of this was intolerable The Reproaches what they were you will hear anon So much shall serve for the Prediction implied I proceed to the second general in the Text viz. The Promise expressed And therein is considerable 1. The Promise it self I will gather i. e. bring you to your Land and to your Assemblies again to enjoy them in more peace power and purity than formerly as the precedent verses and some other parallel Scriptures which will be touched on by and by do shew 2. The persons to whom this Promise belongs The Promise as other parts of the Word is to be divided not thrown about carelesly it is childrens bread and so not for dogs Now the persons that are interested in this Promise are described 1. Generally such as are of the Church who are of Thee but because deceit lies in Generals the Church doors are far wider than Heaven gates All are not Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9.6 Therefore 2dly more particularly They are characterized by their carriage under the Calamities mentioned viz. Their sad resentment of those Calamities they were sad losses to them they took them to heart they wept under their Loss and groaned under the Reproach That are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly c. I thought some years since I had a call to speak to the latter part of this Text and did so I wish I could say I have no cause now to call my thoughts to the first words of this Text upon which I do intend now to insist and the Doctrine is this Doct. 1. The want of Solemn Assemblies is a Lamentation and should be for a Lamentation to all Church-members Ordinances should not be parted with with dry eyes The Child surely is either very sullen or very sick that cryes not for the breast The Doctrinal part requires an Answer to two Questions and then the way is open for Application The first Question is What it is to be sorrowful for the want of Solemn Assemblies And the second Question is Why Church-members should be sorrowful for their want of them Quest 1. What it is to be sorrowful c. I answer It consists in two things 1. It is inwardly to lay this to heart as a very great and a grievous want and loss If even bad men will like dogs howl under the want of Corn and Wine Hos 7.14 should not the Lord's Children mourn under the want of Spiritual Bread and their better Refreshings If ever we will have a spirit of heaviness sure it must be when God brings a Judgment upon us so near to a Spiritual Judgment Next to the withdrawment of Grace surely is the removal of the Means of Grace Artaxerxes concluded that Nehemiah had sorrow of heart Nehem. 2.2 and indeed so he had The heart must cry in such a case as this Lam. 2.18 We must be both serious and sincere Here is no room left for Crokadiles tears We must not be such mourners as Ishmael but rather such as they in the verse fore-going Jer. 41.5 6. Our bowels our bowels should be troubled we should be pained to the heart as Christ was when he beheld the Shepherdless People Matt. 9.36 How oft in the Book of Lamentations doth the Prophet touch upon this as the Lamentation It is as I may say The Lamentation of that Book of Lamentations it is the burden of that doleful ditty as you may observe in reading of it Eli held up till the Taking of the Ark was mentioned 1 Sam. 4.18 but when that is mentioned his heart dies within him this put him into an extasie of grief and overwhelms him every word that that Messenger brought made his heart-strings no doubt to crack but mentioning the Ark that broke his heart It may be easily believed that his heart was broke with the Arks captivity before his neck was by his fall off his Seat 2. It is outwardly to express this inward Grief and that some such wayes as these First
of sin to avoid the evil of trouble This is to make a covenant with Hell and to be at an agreement with Death But when the overflowing scourge shall pass through the Land God shall disanull their Covenant and break their Agreement Isa 28.15 18 19. This there carnal wisdom shall be destroyed the iniquity of their heels shall compass them about and they shall be taken in the snare of Vengance so much of this fourth Observation the next is this Doct. 5. That it is a special part of Christian Wisdom to redeem Time to know and discern time and Opportunities doth very much conduce to this redeeming of Time but this the Wise man makes the property of a wise mans heart Eccles 8.5 Redeeming of Time implies some kind of recovering that time which is already lost a diligent improvement of that which is present to the best advantage and a getting before hand with time by making sure of Eternity I would have told you how to redeem Time in three particulars 1. The loss and former misspending of precious time must be heartily bewailed and repented of 2. Those lusts and affections by which time hath The Conclusion My Brethren I have now finished my Text and my Work together for so it hath pleased God in his wise Providence to order affaires that I may not be any longer amongst you in that capacity in which I have been I dare not murmur nor repine I desire with the holy Psalmist to be dumb and not open my mouth because the Lord hath done it Neither men nor any other creatures can do any thing but what God is â—â—â—â—sed to permit them to do I profess seriously from my soul that could I have kept a good Conscience and my station among you also I do not know what good this World could afford that could have prevailed so far upon my affections as to have drawn me away from you In that little time that the Lord hath been pleased to give me an abode among you I have had very great comfort and contentment in my relation to you I desire to bless God from my heart who hath made you teachable and tractable willing to be instructed and informed for that is my rejoycing above all other things which will be my rejoycing in the great Day of the Lord Jesus Though I forget not your Love to me as your Minister expressed in common Courtesies and Civilities yet this is not a place and time to make mention of them But your diligent attendance on God's Word and Ordinances in publick your willing submission to private Instruction and Reproof the flocking of many of you to Repetion the chearful coming of the younger sort to Catechising and the progress they have made therby in the knowledge of God and Christ and the way to Life these things and whatsoever good it may have pleased God to have wrought in you by my poor labours among you have been the comfort of my heart and the remembrance of them will be my joy when I have other sad thoughts enough to press if not oppress my spirits after this day Well my Glass is run my time is short and I have but a few more words to speak to you I am now for ought I know preaching my last Sermon and my face which you have often seen in this Pulpit you are never never like to see here any more I would fain speak one word that might stick by you longer than ordinary as the last words of a dying Friend are wont to do A dying man especially a dying Father hath commonly some word of advice to give to his Friends and Children about him and something to request of them before he leaves the world God hath made me in the room of a spiritual Father to you and now I am as a dying Friend that must never speak in publick to you again I have a word of advice to give you and something to intreat of you and this Advice and Request I shall leave with you as my last Legacy 1. My first Word of Advice shall be the same which the Apostle hath here given us in the Text That you would with all seriousness endeavour to walk circumspectly and to live exactly according to the Rule of Gods Word in performing all holy Duties that God hath required and in avoiding all sins that God hath forbiâ—den This Advice is for your own good and yoâ— cannot reject it without rejecting the Command of God himself and therefore I do the more earnestly press it upon you You know not what Temptations and Tryals you may come to meet withal and therefore get it fast fixed and rooted in your hearts and consciences that you ought to live exactly and strictly Perhaps the time may come when you may neglect Duties and no body put you in mind of them when you may sin freely and none check or reprove you for it when you may swear and curse and blaspheme the Name of God and be drunk and prophane the Sabbath and have no body to tell you of your sins or to warn you of the danger of them nay perhaps you may be encouraged to these sins or perswaded to them or led to them by the evil example of those who should draw you from them and you may be hated and reproached for Fanaticks and Puritans and I know not what if you make any scruple of running into all excess of riot God forbid that this should ever come to pass but if it should and you not have a principle of Circumspection Exactness within your own breasts and consciences to restrain you my heart trembles to think what a sad condition you would be in and in how great danger you would be of being led away with the errour of the wicked to the utter and everlasting undoing of your poor Souls Well God write this Memento upon every one of your hearts and Consciences I beseech you my Brethren for Christ's sake and for your own poor Souls sake that you will not slight or forget this Advice Oh remember remember I beseech you that it is but a little a very little while before you and I and all the world shall meet together and stand naked before the Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ to give an account of this very thing and to answer to this very question Whether we have lived circumspectly and exactly or no Oh how sad a thing would it be if I should meet any of you there who having neglected this Advice and gone on in your sinful wayes and lived loosely and dyed impenitently if I should meet you I say trembling with guilt before the face of Jesus Christ and should be necessitated to confess and say Lord these very men and women I did advise warn perswade intreat beseech with all seriousness and earnestness that they would break off their sins by repentance and spend the rest of their dayes in walking circumspectly and living exactly and told them in thy
ENGLAND'S Remembrancer BEING A COLLECTION OF Farewel-Sermons Preached by divers NON-CONFORMISTS IN THE COUNTRY Revel 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast London Printed in the Year 1663. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe great Importunity of some serious Christians hath been the occasion of bringing these Notes to light and a singular care not to wrong the Authors hath procured as exact and perfect Copies as could possibly be expected excepting what Errata's have happened in the Printing They are not sent forth upon any bad design but it is very much desired and also hoped that they may do good When our Fields are not so fruitful 't is a comfort if our Garners are not quite empty but that some of the old store is left When our special Bosom-Friends are at a distance that we cannot see them it 's some satisfaction if we can here from them When our sins have driven so many of our Teachers into corners that we cannot hear them in Publick it may be some help to us that this way we may converse with them in our houses still And though it hath been the great sin of many English Professors to lust after Quails to affect new airy Notions and to loath heavenly Manna because it was common how many of us alas that surfeted upon our plenty thereby provoking the Lord to send years of scarcity yet it is possible that some by this time may have recovered their appetite to sound and wholesome Food To such the ensuing Sermons no doubt will be welcome And is it not now high time to be sensible of what we have lost As Jerusalem in the dayes of her affliction remembred with grief of heart all her pleasant things which she had in the dayes of old Lam. 1.7 They were sorrowful for the Solemn Assemblies whom the Lord Promised to gather and bring again Zeph. 3.18 20. And would it not be our wisdom to make the best advantage of what we yet enjoy If we are kept shorter in respect of Publick means the greater should be our care to improve all private helps If we have less plain and practical Preaching the more need to give attendance to Reading If we are unfaithful in a little why should we be entrusted with more were there never so many to be found amongst us that pray daily for the restoring of their Ministers yet while our unprofitableness that cast them out still continues there is little hope that prayer alone should bring them in again And so the more we see amiss abroad should it not the more provoke us to reform at home He that would have his House a Bethel must see to the cleansing of it and put away those things that would provoke the eyes of God's Glory How should an Holy God delight to dwell there where Sin and Satan his greatest enemies bear rule Oh that our Houses were indeed consecreated as little Churches to his Service surely then the Lord himself would be a little Sanctuary to us Yea so we might hope further to see his Power and Glory even as we have seen them in the great Congregation They that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to love the Name of the Lord to be His Servants every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it the Lord hath Promised that He will bring them to His Holy Mountain and make them joyful in His House of Praise Isa 56.6 7. O let us chuse the things that please Him as ever we would have our Pleasant things Indeed was Holiness to the Lord more engraven on us then there would be greater hopes that we should yet possess the Land and inherit His Holy Mountain But alas what do we any of us crying out of the sins of the times what do we complaining of Disorders and Corruptions in Church-Assemblies if in the mean time we neglect to reform disorders at home in our Families and overlook Corruptions in our own Hearts Would not this bewray great Partiality and Hypocrisie Good Reader Be serious when thou viewest over these Sermous Examine what thou readest comparing it with the un-erring Rule of Sacred Writ Turn to those Texts of Scripture where for brevity sake the places are only noted the words not recited If thou comest with a sober unprejudiced mind thou wilt find here the words of Truth and Soberness These Sermons most of them were Preached and Heard with Sad and Mournful Hearts O do not thou bring a vain light spirit to the perusal of them They come forth recommended to the Blessing of God by Prayer Let it be thy earnest Prayer to God also that thou mayest profit by Them Without His Blessing all Means are ineffectual If thou gettest any Light or Heat any Quickning or Comfort from them bless the Lord for it and be more mindful of these whom He hath covered with a Cloud in the Day of His Anger Who have sometimes Prophesied in Sackcloth and are now cloathed in Sackcloth because they may not Prophesie O strive together with them in Prayers to God for them What Great things have sometimes been done by Prayer By Prayer Joshua commanded the Sun Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon And the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man Sure we are he that hath caused the Sun to go down upon so many of our Prophets yea hath caused their Sun to Set at Noon He can so order it that at evening time it shall be light Zech. 14.7 Now Beg hard of God on the behalf of those who are Peaceable and Faithful in this our Israel that He who hath the hearts of Kings and all Men in His hand would give those His Servants to find favour in the eyes of our King and Governours that after the example of good Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30.22 they may countenance and encourage all such as would teach the good Knowledge of God in the Land ERRATA PAge 4. line 18. reade fruitful P. 11. l. 2 3. r. To shew that Christians are to remember how for the manner they P. 14. l. 33. r. sorrow P. 17. l. 25. put out to P. 21. l. 30. r. wantonness deadness l. 31. r. worldliness P. 23. l. 14. for injoy 1. have P. 30. l. 30. r. deserts P. 31. l. 22. dele by their sins P. 39. l. 1. r. another P. 47. l. 9. f. III. take 3. l. 27. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 33. r. Loquitur P. 48. l. 24. r. now that l. 32. r. remove P. 53. l. 27. r. reclinemus P. 58. l. 12. f. this r. His. P. 71. l. 13. dele that P. 73. l. 21. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. ult r. several controversies P. 77. l. 9. r. think themselves wise l. 15. r. it is P. 60. l. 21. dele to go P. 84. l. 20. r. tendiculam l. 24. r. Bonus P. 91. l. 18. r. This is P. 94. l. 23. r. halting l. 28. r. so true P. 96. l. 31. r. replentes P. 98. l. 18. r. that answered
believing hungry souls sake that are to be found in this place God may provide you in his due time with some such Teachers as may give you some wholsome food and not feed you with stones instead of bread For some such I doubt not will be found if God shall vouchsafe to you the mercy of a faithful Minister Though I dare not advise you actively to join in any thing that is in it self or in your judgement evil till you be satisfied about it yet I must advise you to take heed of separation from the Church or from what is good and God's own Ordinance If sound Truth be powerfully preached make use of and improve that though you cannot approve every thing the Minister doth I the rather add this because there are many that if Ministers do but mention the loss of Ministers are ready presently to accuse them of monopolizing all Religion to themselves and to their party But far be this from me and others I well know while the best of men are on earth there is likely to be variety of apprehensions and some men of sound judgements in the main of holy lives may satisfie themselves in the lawfulness of some things which others judge sinful And if God send such to you though I do not bid you approve their practice or justifie what they do yet bless God for them and improve their gifts and graces And yet at the same time you have just cause to bewail the laying aside of so many hundreds of Ministers Had so many hundreds of Ministers dyed a natural death in one day you would have looked upon it as a great judgement And sure it is no less when so many shall dye a civil death 2. A second means to enable you to hold fast what you have received is To be much in conference in considering one the other to provoke to love and to good works As this is a help to remembring so also to holding fast what you have received Heb. 10.23 24 25. 3. Hold fast the Word and Ordinances by prayer that God would continue them and that he would keep them in your minds and hearts 4. Be sure you hold fast God and Christ by faith It is God that vouchsafeth all these to you If the streams should fail be sure you hold fast the Fountain and you will be and do well enough 5. The fifth and last Counsel and Direction Christ gives to this languishing Church is To Repent Whence observe Doct. That Repentance is a soveraign means to repair decayed Religion and Godliness in a Church and in the souls of men Repentance is the souls Physick that purgeth out ill humors heals the souls distempers and restores it to a healthful constitution I intend not to handle this but to turn it into an Exhortation Let me leave this Counsel and Exhortation with all of you this day as that which probably may be the last and I am sure is the best Counsel I can give Oh Repent Repent both sinners and Saints Repent thou Drunkard Swearer Sabbath-breaker Unclean person thou Opposer of Godliness or what ever else thy sin be Remember thou hast been called on to repent this day O repent while it is called to day before the things that belong to your peace be hid from your eyes Repent even all both bad and good of those sins that have brought these Judgments upon us which this day we lie under More particularly 1. Repent of that Opposition against the Gospel and against the Ministers and Ordinances of Christ that any of you have been or aâ—e guilty of For this sin provokes God to take away Gospel-Mercies from a People 'T is true indeed that we may say and bless God for it that for the time we have laboured among you we have met with as little of this as any have done in a place of this bigness Yet some there have been that have been guilty of this though not many and they may have time enough to repent the hastning of their own calamities Repent of this sin Consider what God saith of such 2 Chron. 36.16 2. Repent of your Unthankfulness for the Gospel Repent of your not enough prizing Ordinances of your too much loathing or at least even by the best too little loving Spiritual Manna 3. Repent of your Barrenness and Unfruitfulness under and too little improvement of the Word Sacraments and Sabbaths you have enjoyed Bewail your sin that you have got no more good by all these that you have laid up no more in your years of plenty against years of scarcity 4. Repent of that too much Wantonness in Opinion and Practice that hath been to be found among Professors under choicest Gospel-enjoyments that you have played by the light and with the bread that God hath vouchsafed to you and not wrought by the one or fed heartily upon the other which may justly provoke God to put out your light and take away your bread 5. Repent of your decayes in Religion and Grace for which God threatens to remove the Candlestick from a Church and people Rev. 2.4 5. 6. Lastly Repent of that Deadness and Formality in Religion and in the Worship of God which you see to be in others but most of all of that you find and feel to be in your own hearts For for these and such like Sins it is that God comes as a thief on Churches or Persons And to stir you up to repent Consider First If you do not Repent God will come as a thief on you even suddenly unexpectedly when you least think of it and that to take away your Treasure your most Precious things which are so in themselves and should be so in your esteem even his Word Sacraments Sabbaths Ministers and all the tokens of his Gracious presence This will God do if you do not repent but remain hard-hearted and formal still contenting your selves with a name to live 2. Consider If you do repent of the evil you have done against God God may yea you have ground to hope he wil repent of the evil he is doing unto you He can find out ways agreeable to his Word and Will to continue or restore Ministers to People and People to Ministers He may yet return and leave a blessing behind Him O therefore Repent let us all set upon this work of Repentance And now Beloved I have finished what I at this time intended to speak upon this Text and probably with that my Testimony in publick among you Let me beseech you seriously to consider and set upon the practise of the Duties I have in the Name of the Lord from this Scripture exhorted you to Beloved It is no small grief and trouble to my self and Fellow-labourer to part with you It was in our hearts to have lived and died with you and among you if God had seen it fit But the will of the Lord be done We must acknowledge to the glory of God and â—our just
may have some hand in stopping the mouths of your poor Ministers let the thoughts of it cause you now to open your mouths and lift up your your cryes more earnestly in prayer to God for them It follows Now much more in my absence q. d. if ever you desired to promote your salvation now much more it concerns you to mind it if you want other Monitors to stir you up to diligence here you had need be more watchful over your own souls you should have the greater care of them your selves As the Syriac Version hath it But now when I am absent from you much more with fear and trembling work the work of your salvation Hence note That the want or loss of Ministers of means formerly enjoyed will not warrant or excuse our cooling in Religion but should rather produce a greater care and solicitousness in the working out of our salvation Disadvantages here are no plea for remisness but rather ought to provoke unto greater industry And for our encouragement the Lord will not forsake such as diligently seek him Were we not straitned in our selves we should find we are not straitned in him When we may want ordinary helps yet he can convey his Grace and manifest himself extraordinarily unto our souls Remember when outward means and provisions fail God hath hidden Manna for his people If he leads them into a Wilderness he knows how to feed them there Rev. 12.6 In a solitary place he can speak to their hearts I may here allude to Isa 37.30 Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of it self and the second year that which springeth of the same and in the third year sow ye and reap and plant Vinyards and eat the fruit thereof Be not ye wanting to your own souls and you shall find God is not Do you in good earnest intend the business of your salvation follow your work close and trust God to provide for you The Lord will turn stones into to bread before he will suffer your souls to starve Well beloved as many of you have shewed your selves a willing and a forward people blessed be God while Ministers have been present with you labouring among you hold on still when we may be removed from you I hope we can say from our hearts We are glad when we are weak when we are of least account under most contempt in the world if ye are strong and this also we wish even your perfection Yea Beloved now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. This if any thing will keep our hearts alive under our troubles O look to your selves that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought If we must not be suffered to preach any more in publick amongst you yet it would be a joy to us to see and know that in our former Labours we had not run in vain nor laboured in vain But I proceed Work out your own salvation The meaning is not that they should merit their own salvation that were to take Christs work out of his hand but strive and endeavour with might and main to be partakers of that Salvation and Redemption purchased by Christ And this every one ought to mind and lay out themselves about as the chiefest business they have in the world to look after Oh how should we fear lest any of us should in the end come short of it Work Note That a Christian-Profession is not an idle Profession it sets men a-work If we are in Christs Vinyard we must be Labourers Matt. 20.1 c. Your own Salvation or the things that conduce to your Salvation Follow the things that accompany Salvation your own Salvation Elsewhere in Scripture it is called the Salvation of God The Lord is the Author of Salvation that it is properly called His Salvation It is also called our own salvation as we are partakers of it Work out your own salvation Note That Religion teacheth us first and chiefly to look to the state of our own souls This would learn us especially to eye our own hearts to observe our own duties and to secure the condition of our own souls Many work not at all but are busie-bodies Very busie concerning this man and the other but do nothing for themselves Many could like to enquire of others with Peter Lord what shall this man do Rather than with the Publicans and Souldiers that came to John's Baptism Master what shall we do Now how unlikely is it that they should do much to promote the salvation of others who neglect are unwilling to be at any pains about their own With fear and trembling Metalepsis pro eo quod est cum summa diligentia With the greatest diligence saith Vatablus With humility and lowliness of mind as Camero who observes these words used together five times in Scripture scil Psal 2.11 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 7.15 Eph. 6.5 and in the Text and always in this sence As elsewhere the Apostle hath opposed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fear unto the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.20 The Papists from this Text would exclude a particular perswasion of ones Salvation and commend doubting and hesitation in this matter That which the Scripture excites all the faithful to use their best diligence to obtain as a means to facilitate their passage and entrance into Heaven 2 Pet. 1.10 11. this the Papists would disswade us all from looking after and declaim against as an impediment in the way to Heaven a thing that would hinder our progress therein But the fear and trembling in the Text is not such as is opposite to Faith or to a certainty of ones Salvation a glorious Crown which is sometimes set upon the heads of Believers even here below But such fear as is opposite and contrary to security and self-conceit Indeed these are two grand impediments to the working out of our Salvation which the Apostle is very careful here to remove Security maketh us negligent and careless of doing what we ought Pride makes us arrogate unto our selves what properly belongs to the Grace of God and Christ As there are two main Designes Satan is continually driving on the world and where one fails he prosecutes the other 1. He doth what in him lies to keep men in security as by Nature we are all in a state of Security Rom. 3.11 There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God And the Devil knows we are his own sure enough if he can but keep us at this pass But 2dly If we have our consciences awakened that we can have no rest but must do something in Religion then he hath this after-game to play he will seek to puff us up with conceits of our own works and abilities To countermine whose destructive hellish designes the Apostle gives us this direction here Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God as he further adds in the next verse which worketh in
you both to will and to do But mark it this holy fear commended to us in the text is so far from disturbing or excluding peace of conscience and a particular perswasion of our good estates as that it most directly conduceth unto and likewise secures and senceth the same As Calvin well observes Facit nostri dissidentia ut fortius reclinamus in Dei misericordiā The more we distrust our selves our own strength the more we shall see a necessity of relying on the Grace of God the way to establishment We cannot stand of our selves on our own legs yet is there no danger of our falling while we are careful to lean on the Grace of God and Christ There are many things I must omit and pass by to come to the main Doctrine which may be the last Doctrine I shall ever have liberty to preach to you Doct. The great business we have in this world which requires our constant and chiefest care is the working out of our own Salvation Note when I say this is the great work we have here do I do not mean as exclusive of but as including our glorifying God As God's glory and our happiness are linked together in Adamantine chains and cannot be separated In seeking the advancement of God's glory we should certainly provide for our fouls everlasting welfare as on the other hand if we have no care of our own souls it 's impossible we should make it our work to advance God's glory Now in the prosecution of the Point I shall first briefly open and then apply it Explication To shew what it is to work out our Salvation 1. It is implyed here that we must have an Holy Calling We must be partakers of the heavenly calling Else there is no possibility of working out our Salvation As the Apostle speaks Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling We must give diligence to make our calling sure as we are exhorted 2 Pet. 1.10 O that I were able to say that of you all which the Apostle says of the believing Corinthians Ye know your calling brethren Indeed there is a bare external calling many that have this I say there are many that have an external calling and profession but this is not enough you may have it and yet break and be undone for ever Again there is an internal and effectual calling when a man is not only willing to take up a profession of Christianity but hath his heart and will drawn over to Christ And this sets the soul in a state of Salvation Rom. 8 30. Whom he did predestinate them he also called And this is indeed a prerequisite here We must first be savingly wrought upon before we can work out our Salvation O Sirs I beseech you take heed of resting in a civil conversation or a meer external profession For in the Name of God I testifie unto every one of you this day that there is no calling in the world on which your souls can live but that inward effectual calling It 's not a Ministers calling that will save him though that be something higher then being called a Professor Judas his Apostleship which was the highest degree of the Ministry could not save him So a man may be a Preacher of the Word and yet in the end prove a cast-away Then think it not enough that thou art a Professor But as it is in 2 Tim. 1.9 who hath saved us and called us whith an holy calling as ever you would be saved look after this Holy Calling 2. Again As we must have an holy Calling so we must see that we follow our Calling As it is not enough that a man hath a calling but if he would live by it he must follow his calling So Christians that would work out their Salvation must daily exercise themselves unto Godliness must follow after Righteousness Faith Love Patience Meekness We must be daily at work with our hearts to get them into a more holy and heavenly frame Be continually employing and laying out that stock of Grace the Lord hath put into our hands We should follow on to know the Lord after he hath made himself known to us And labour to walk worthy of Him who hath called us unto His Kingdom and Glory Herein should we exercise our selves continually to have consciences void of offence both towards God and towards man O Christians follow your callings You have two callings your particular Callings which I meddle not with at this time as there is no need to press many of you to follow them you are at them early and late some of you so that you leave little time for God you suffer your particular Callings greatly to entrench upon the other which is your General Calling your Calling as Christians as Saints O Sirs now see that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called That it may appear you have not received the Grace of God in vain Be holy in all manner of conversation Deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Labour daily to grow in Grace go on in the work of Sanctification and thus your vocation would be evidenced to be saving and effectual O we beseech you Brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more For this is the will of God even your Sanctification 1 Thes 4.1 3. 3. One thing more I must add here which the Text indeed doth more directly point at We must ever abide in this our calling must hold on in the course and practice of Christianity to the end To allude to that in 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in his Calling What ever we do we must never lay down this our heavenly Calling Work out sayes the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not simply work but work out Thus we must never give over our work till we can say it is finished till we come to the end of our work the end of our Faith the Salvation of our souls We should fear being like to Israel there Hos 8.3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good Or like those Apostates 2 Pet. 2.20 21. who after they had known the way of Righteousness turned again from the holy Commandment delivered unto them after they had escaped the pollutions of the world were again entangled therein and overcome whose latter end was worse than their beginning It is not enough only to have begun well but we must press forward towards the Mark for the price of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 He that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still We must see that we never be ashamed of our profession not a shame to our profession And the God of all Grace who hath called us into his Eternal
their over eager desires to embrace this present World have let Heaven go have lost that for ever 2. Take heed of following mens examples further than you see them to follow the Rule of God's Word the world is ever ful of bad examples if we would walk safely we must walk by Rule If we think it enough only to do as the most there is little hopes of our working out our salvation Matt. 7.13 The word of Christ must judge you hereafter O let it guide you here As many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be upon them and mercy In matters of Religion of Salvation believe none follow none further than there is ground for their opinions and practices in God's written Word Were we to follow mens examples or mens traditions in matters of Religion besides the Scriptures then will not this follow viz. That the Scriptures are not a perfect Rule as the Papists teach that it must be eeked out with unscriptural traditions and the commandments or documents of men And do but once admit this and we shall have no certain Rule at all 3. Take heed of consultiâ—â— here with flesh and blood In the matters of our Salvation not the Flesh who is ever at that Master spare thy self but Conscience informed out of God's Word must be our Counsellor Our souls interest and our carnal interest are many times cross to one another Hence it is our Saviour so much insists on the duties of self-denial and taking up the Cross Yea he further tells us He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it You know great works are seldom perfected at a small charge A rich Mine it will cost a man something before he comes to it but when he has found it it soon recompenseth him for all his former pains and expences both Heaven and Salvation is such a Treasure though we should lose all our earthly comforts this would certainly repair all our losses and make and enrich our souls for ever 4. Take heed of delaying to set to this work Oh! have we not delayed too long Have we not lost time and lost special opportunities lost such advantages for carrying on this work as for any thing we know we may never enjoy again It is high time now to awake out of sleep to shake off Spiritual sloath to apply our selves to the work in good earnest who knows but the day of our visitation the time of our life and of God's patience may be very near an end It may be the eleventh hour However the longer it is ere we set to our work the more difficulty we shall find in it I now come to the Directions 1. See that you understand your work Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is Yea study to be filled with the knowledge of his Will Rest not in good meanings My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 â—ee here though bare knowledge cannot save one yet many a one is destroyed for lack of knowledge Beloved though we may not be permitted to preach publickly yet I know not that it would be any crime for us to instruct such in private as repair to us for assistance and advice O that poor souls were as ready to make use of us as we are willing to afford them the best help we can 2. Be sure your Ground-work be good Build on the Rock Christ so indeed you need not fear but your Work will stand Other Foundation can no man lay If ye build besides this Rock or build partly on Christ and partly on your selves the work will come to nought We are quite lost and ruined in our selves that we must be taken off from our own bottoms brought out of our selves to Jesus Christ or we cannot be saved 3. Do all in Christ's strength Phil. 3.13 This way the Apostle Paul went to work Then the work of our Salvation is like to go forward when we have Christ the Saviour putting to his helping hand and joyning with us O as ever you would have your work to prosper be sure you take Christ along with you 4. As Noah being moved with fear fell to work and prepared an Ark to the saving of himself and of his house so let us work out our Salvation with fear We should have a reverent fear towards God to quicken us to duty and to awe and make us exceeding serious in duty Again we should have a jealous fear of Satan and our own sinful deceitful hearts to look narrowly to them who like Sanballat and Tobiah will do but what they can to hinder and take us off our work 5. Labour much with God in prayer Thus there were hopes the work would be going forward Observe what immediately follows the Text It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure When it could â—â—â—aid of Paul Behold he prayeth then was Ananias â—â—nt to confirm him that he might receive his sight and be filled with the holy Ghost Acts 9.11 17. The Work is great to work out your Salvation and it is possible you may want some helps you have had yea and meet with greater hindrances new difficulties in it O pray in strength to carry you thorow It may be you shall not have liberty to hear so much to quicken you the more to prayer You may have fewer hearing-opportunities that you shall have more time to pray 6. Up and be doing when you can find the Spirit at work in your hearts Attend to the motions of God's Spirit This is a special season not to be let slip when we have an offer of his co-operating Grace 7. Do all as in the sight of God Set the Lord ever before you Eye-service is a fault in our servants condemned Eph. 6.6 but a vertue in God's servants Indeed could we but ply our work while God's eye is on us we should never be idle or ill-employed 8. Let out the strength of your spirits in the weighty matters of God's Law and not about trivial unnecessary things Such things as God no where requires of which he sayes In vain do they worship me after the traditions of men If we make our selves busie in building hay and stubble on the Foundation our work shall be burnt and we shall suffer loss 9. Improve the day time God hath alotted to you wherein to work The day of Grace O that we had known our day we have had a large space and a fair season of working granted to us and yet I am afraid that as to the most of us little of our work is done The consideration of our former loss of time should cause us henceforward to double out diligence Now let not a day pass over your heads wherein you do not some way further thâ—â—â—â—â—rk of your salvation Especially improve the Lorâ—â— Day Sabbath-dayes are dayes of resting from outward labours from
secular emploiments yet not to be spent in idelness they are the harvest-time for our souls And when will ye work and bestir your selves if not in harvest The Lords Day is to be spent in such works as more directly tend to the promoting of our Salvation And the more you should see this work going forward the more would Sabbaths be your delight You would not be for those vain recreations that sinfull liberty you may see others take on God's Holy-Day 10. Sit down and count the cost So you might be prepared to go thorow with your work If you reckon right you will see let Salvation cost what it can it can never cost too much Rom. 8.18 I reckon sayes the Apostle and we need not fear to take his account here that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to follow I would have said a word more to this but have prevented my self in speaking to the third caution Therefore here I conclude my Sermon and Exhortation desiring that the Spirit of Truth may bring these things to your remembrance Beloved could I have thought of any word more profitable and generally useful for you you should have been sure of it It may now be expected I should speak something touching my Deprivation O that the Lord would lead Ministers and People each into their own hearts to find out the cause of this sad dispensation as we read of the Fathers in another sense He causeth us this day to pass under a cloud I know some think and will not spare to say that we wilfully bring this Obscurity on our selves But the Lord the searcher of alâ— hearts knows and will manifest to the world one day whether it was a meet humour or whether indeed it was not Conscience that would not suffer us to comply with the things now imposed The Lord knows we dare not adventure on the checks reproaches smitings of our own hearts and consciences though it follow that our mouths be stopt Beloved I cannot forget the respects you have shewn to me how you chose me at first under great bodily weakness and were willing to procure me assistance I have not wanted outward encouragement among you but above all I have oft thought when I have come to my publick work here unpreparedly enough God knoweth yet I have found the fruit help and benefit of your prayers for me That I must acknowledge those few years I have spent amongst you have been the best to me the most comfortable years I have spent in the Ministry That might I have liberty the Lord knows I would most gladly spend and be spent for you Nothing but death should part us And howsoever we are separated yet I pray we may live in one anothers hearts and that we may more earnestly than ever strive with God in prayer one for another More I would have said but strength and spirits fail and further I would spare you Now how glad should we be if those that shall follow us may do more good amongst you then ever we have or could have done The Lord carry on his own Work and though He quite lay us aside though He should never honour us so far as to make any further use of us yet we could rejoyce to see Gods Work prospering Religion and that not only in a form but in the life and power of it promoted and more and more set up in this place So I commend you to God and to the Word of His Grace who is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are Sanctified SERMON IV. 1 King 18.21 And Elijah came unto all the People and said How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him IT is not a thing indifferent what Religion men are of whether they are for God or Baal That is a pernicious opinion that affirms You may be saved in any Religion Again it 's not enough that we are of the true Religion but we must be true to it And so much we may learn from faithful Elijah both his Doctrine and practice When Israel went a whoring from God he was jealous for the Lord 1 Kin. 19.10 He continued to stand for God His Truth and Worship even when he could not see one more of his mind to be his second So here he durst plead for God when there was none found to take his part Note by the way that in the worst of times in times of most prevailing corruptions yet the Lord is not wont to leave himself without witness It 's further observable Israel had never degenerated more than in Elijah's dayes Yet never had they been priviledged with greater means Many Prophets at this time raised up amongst them see ver 4. of this Chapt. and Elijah among the rest Note Extraordinary means sometimes serve only to heighten and fill up the measure of a Peoples sins See Mat. 23.34 35. And now comes a dreadful Famine The Prophets shut up and the Heavens shut up together Elijah had foretold the drought Chapt. 17.1 And after three years he is sent with good news that rain was coming Chap. 18.1 Ahab seeing Elijah v. 17. when he should have acknowledged his own sin and guilt he wrongfully accuseth God's Prophet Art thou he that troubleth Israel Note It is no new thing for God's Faithful Messengers to be accounted enemies to the State As Elijah said I am not better than my Fathers Are we better than Elijah and other of God's Prophets who have been thus censured Why then should we look for better here Note Again observe Wicked men are very prone to mistake the cause of troubles and calamities See Jer. 44.18 20 21 22. where there is most guilt commonly there is least ingenuity or grace to see and acknowledge it It 's natural unto sinners we have it by kind from our first parents to transfer all blame as much as we can from our selves to others But how deeply soever Ahab is pleased to charge him Elijah is ready to clear himself and the Truth He desires that himself and the prophets of Baal might come to a fair tryal So he doubts not but to prove himself by a miraculous sign to be the Servant and Prophet of the most high God and shew them to be a pack of most wretched Impostors Ahab yeelds to a discussion of this business either out of curiosity expecting some strange discovery or through fear being awed with the present Judgment they lay under not knowing but upon refusal the Prophet might have some other dreadful Message to deliver or in hope and expectance upon his yeelding herein to have the Judgment removed Some such way he is perswaded and enclined to call the prophets of Baal and the Heads of the people together unto Mount Carmel where being assembled Elijah sets upon the people in the words read unto you How long halt ye
Where you have 1. A chiding expostulation How long halt ye Why halt ye How inexcusable is it you should halt in so plain a path be in doubt unresolved where the case is so clear Again that you should continue so long unsetled contracting an ill habit to your selves As an arm or leg put out of joint and not looked to in time hardly ever keeps its right place again 2. A serious Exhortation If the Lord be God follow him What is here added if Baal follow him is spoken by way of concession but indeed forbids the worshipping of Baal til it could be made out that Baal was God How long There is an Emphasis here Thus the Prophet sets an Accent upon their sin of halting Note That long continuance in any sinful course is a great aggravation of sin It is sad at any time to fall into sin but far worse to lie in sin Therefore he says not Why halt ye but more emphatically How long Many such expostulations in Scripture Exod. 16.28 HOW LONG refuse ye to keep my commandments Num. 14.11 HOW LONG will this people provoke me And HOW LONG will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have shewed among them Jer. 31.22 HOW LONG wilt thou go about O thou back-sliding Daughter Hos 8.5 HOW LONG will it be ere they attain to innocency How long halt ye The speech is metaphorical to set forth their inconstancy unresolvedness in Religion their dividing betwixt God and Baal As one that halts inclines his body now to one hand and straightway to the other so the Israelites would profess themselves the people of God and seemed in some things to follow his Word when in other things they were quite turned aside to Idolatry They were circumcised and thereby engaged to the service of the true God and yet were drawn over to the Worship of Baal and bowed to that Heathenish Abomination Now but that I like not to strain Metaphors and writhe them besides their proper scope I might hint this note from the phrase of speech here used that they are but lame Services and Sacrifices that men of divided hearts present unto God If the Lord be God follow him Here the Prophet assayes to reason them out of their Idolatry to argue them into the right way the true Worship of God As the Lord reasoneth with them Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear Note by the way That nothing is more reasonable than the true Religion The Lord never enjoined his servants to pluck out their right eyes No we may be his servants on better and more honourable terms I grant indeed some points of Doctrine to be believed are most mysterious yet what duties to be performed that are not plain It must be confessed some Articles of Faith are above the reach of Reason so that we cannot comprehend them e.g. the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the God-head the incarnation of the Son of God c. yet being revealed by God in his Word our belief of them is most reasonable Because it is impossible we should have greater evidence of the truth of any thing in the world than the Testimony of the God of Truth who can neither deceive nor be deceived What better proof can we desire than the Word of God that cannot lye But then as for the Rules of practice laid down in God's Word how sweetly do these comport with right Reason As Reason will demonstrate that there is a God an Eternal Infinite Essence who hath His being of Himself and gives being unto all things else so it will teach us that this God ought to be worshipped should have homage from all his creatures And that he ought to be worshipped according to his own Will and Mind as he himself is pleased to prescribe and appoint rather than according to mens fancies and inventions That the honour which is due to God should not be given to others to idols As Elijah here If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him They that fall off from the true Religion fall from right Reason too They thâ—â— do not act like men that forsake the true God to follow idols as is implied Isa 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men q. d. One would not think ye were men who would take you for reasonable creatures if ye dare to prefer or compare dumb idols to the living and only true God Now the Doctrine I would speak to from these words you may observe from the first clause here Doct. Halting in Religion is very sad and sinful This point I shall endeavour with the Lord's assistance to explain first then to confirm and last of all to apply First For explication that you may understand what it is to halt in Religion take a few distinctions Thus there is an halting in Principle and again there is halting in practice Again Halting in Principle is two-fold As this evil quality is seated either in the directing or in the commanding-power of the soul There is an halting in the heart or will and in the mind or judgement 1. When the heart is unfixed unstedfast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the double-minded man he that has an heart and an heart is partly for God and partly for Mammon he that is not resolved for God that is not brought to center wholly upon God and that cleaves not to him with full purpose of heart is one that halts in God's sight be his outward course and carriage before men never so fair and smooth The Weathercock may point towards the Sun while the wind is in a right corner or it may seem to be fixed when cross winds are not abroad and yet it is a Weather-cock A false heart an hypocrite may seem to look towards God and Religion for a time may seem well-grounded in Religion who yet will turn aside will turn about when the winds are contrary 2. When the Judgement is not setled when men are wavering in opinion like Reeds shaken with the wind like children tossed to and fro now of one perswasion by and by of another It is sad thus to halt How can the traveller go on chearfully who is uncertain whether he be in the way or no Indeed some are too credulous Prov. 14.15 The simple believeth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings The sober wise traveller when he is a little at a stand he deliberates with himself and when others tell him his way lies here or there if he understands the coast of the Countrey that helps him to judge whether they set him right or no. But the simple is ready to believe every one he meets with and hence he is oft turned out of his way I say some are of too easie belief Again some are slow to believe like Nichodemus How can these things be Like Thomas except they may see and understand the
halting from the reigning power and predominancy of corruption The former is found in the Godly but it is their grief and burden Peter upon a sudden push of temptation halted down and fell fouly into a denial of Christ and that with such circumstances as might make any Christians ears glow and tingle to hear recited Mat. 26. yet afterwards he was far from applauding himself herein He went out and wept bitterly As one of the Ancients sayes of some that fell through weakness in time of Persecution Vicit eos paena non avertit perfidia negarunt semel sed quotidie confitentur negarunt sermone sed confitentur gemitibus ululatibus flecibus liberis non coactis vocibus They denied in word but afterwards confessed with sighs and groans and tears The Faithful sometimes halt through infirmity but it is their grief Others that halt deliberately far unlike them neither can they fairly pretend sorrow for it Alas it is their choice they approve of it and think themselves in taking their liberty in having so great a latitude about the matters of Religion much wiser then those who are more precise and strait-laced But so much for Explication to shew what it is to halt in Religion and how many wayes men are subject to it Now that is very sad and sinful you have as much affirmed Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty God will be served with all the heart and with our whole soul and to divide it betwixt Him and others is a thing He cannot endure He cannot brook It were easy to produce other Scriptures that speak to this purpose but we shall have occasion to make use of them in the following discourse therefore I wave them here to proceed to the Demonstrations of the Point And I shall evidence the great evil of halting in Religion 1. From the nature of the thing it self 2. From the whence it proceeds 3. from the consequences and effects Demon. 1. Halting in Religion must needs be exceeding evil that considered in it self is directly opposit and contrary to God from whom the true Religion is derived and unto whom it returns It is both contrary to God's Nature and to his Mind and Will Contrary to Gods Nature He is still the same with him is no variableness neither shadow of turning Now how unlike to God are they that are off and on ever and anon changing one thing to day another to morrow yea it may be seemingly devout while on their knees but vain and prophane when on their feet Good and upright is the Lord. Thou most Upright Thou most Upright dost weigh the path of the just Then surely they are contrary to him who are for crooked ways The Lord that is faithful Isa 49.7 Heb. 10.23 He is faithful in all his promises to us How unlike to God are they who are false in their engagements playing fast and loose with him And how contrary this halting in Religion is to God's Mind and Will you may learn from what is said of those Mongrel-Worshippers 2 King 17.33 34. In v. 33. it is said They feared the Lord and served their own gods But in v. 34. They feared not the Lord. Such serving of God is as no serving of him There 's one But which takes off the lustre of all Amaziah did He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord BUT not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25.2 He began well but afterwards turned away from following the Lord v. 27. So we find this as a Blot in the story of some of the good Kings whose Acts are recorded in Holy Writ Such and such a one reigned well did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord only the high places were not taken away And here they fell short Demon. 2. Halting in Religion must needs be very evil which comes from such ill causes Such as the cause is such is the effect Now here I shall not insist on the Fall of mankind which is indeed the prime cause of all that halting in Religion which is in the World I shall not stay at that sinning sin the corruption of mans nature which was consequent upon his fall which makes way for all those sinful warpings crooked windings turnings in the course of our conversations But I will come to some more particular and nearer causes And so this halting I am speaking of is either from a bad head or from an evil heart or from both 1. From a bad head As we may see those that are troubled with the Vertigo c. that have bad heads how ill they can guide their feet Thus corruption of the judgement false Principles received into the mind cause the soul to halt and turn aside Many Hereticks of old thought it lawful enough to bow their bodies to an Image to an Idol so that they kept their hearts for God But this was doubtless a false Principle They whose hearts were true to God in Israel would not so much as how the knee to Baal Many of them taught It was enough to believe with the heart that confession with the mouth was not necessary Though as Anastas Sinait wel determines to be restrained by any fear of persecution a libera fidei confessione est quaedam species Abnegationis Not to confess Christ is to deny him No mean betwixt these Matth. 10.32 33. Some hold it lawful enough to profess the contrary to what they believe Jura perjura secretum prodere noli Whereunto the Doctrine of equivocation and mental reservation maintained by the Jesuits is as near a kind as may be The Christians in Justin Martyrs time were of other Principles We had rather dye sayes he for the Confession of our Faith than either lye or delude those that examine us otherwise we might readily use the common saying Jurata lingua est animus injuratus est My tongue only is sworn my mind unsworn Such principles as these they were far from approving of Some hold that men may be saved in any Religion It is not very likely that such should stick to the true But such are the false principles that teach men to play fast and loose with God These would teach men to deny Christ with Peter but not to repent with Peter Further many halt from a doubting Conscience or from an erring Conscience and it is sad being left to the conduct of but a doubting Conscience Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin That man halts in his course who is drawn to this or that sed titubante Conscientia as Beza terms it with an hobling hesitating Conscience The Apostles Rule v. 5. is Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Again how sad is it being led by an erring Conscience Indeed such a soul is in a miserable strait Ordinarily it is a sin to follow Conscience when it erreth When Conscience determines that to be a sin which is a duty or that to be
afterwards conclude with Directions Motives 1. Consider halting is very unseemly The Linsey-woolsey-coat is but an uncomely garment How ill doth it become a Child of God the Kings daughter Psa 45.13 14. Lameness or crookedness is a deformity in the body Not to walk uprightly is very uncomely among Professors There is an expression Psa 52.9 I will praise thee for ever and I will wait on thy Name for it is good before thy Saints Constancy and perseverance in God's Worship and Service and in our dependance upon Him this is good before the Saints And the contrary to see souls falling off from God and His Wayes is evil in their account They blush are asham'd to see it It is a sad and strange sight to them Gal. 1.6 I marvel saies the Apostle to these halting backsliding Professors I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the Grace of Christ Yea this is unseemly not only before the Saints but before wicked men Hence it is that the uncircumcised Philistines do so rejoyce and triumph when they can see or hear that any of Israels Worthies are fallen As the Psalmist complains Psa 38.16 When my foot slippeth they magnifie themselves against me They insult over the Righteous when they see them fall into any trouble and distress and no lesse when they fall into sin when they can take notice of any thing in their carriage and practice unbecoming their profession 2. Halting in Religion is most unreasonable No fair pretence that can be put 〈◊〉 As the Lord expostulates with them Jer. 2. 〈◊〉 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and are â—â—lked after vanity What a strange course they take wâ—â—â— turn aside from God from the true God to walk after vanity The People were convinced of the folly of such a course in Josh 24.16 God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods That were a folly and madness indeed God forbid we should forsake our own mercy our happiness to follow lying vanities How foolish was the Prodigal in leaving his Father's House to feed upon husks When the Galatians were halting in Religion how strangely the Apostle bespeaks them Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians Who hath bewitched you and verse 3. Are ye so foolish What so foolish q. d. none can be more foolish than thus If the Lord be not God why do we follow Him at all And if He be God as nothing more sure Why do we not follow the Lord fully If it be not good to be truly religious why do we make any profession of it why are we not open avowed Atheists And if it be good indeed Why are we no more careful to walk up to our profession Thus if we did but attend to Reason it would inform us thus much that either we should quite lay down our profession or indeavour to bring up our lives to our profession 3. Halting in Religion is exceeding hurtful As there is an expression Jer. 7.6 Neither walk after other gods to your hurt That some instead of cleaving to the Lord followed Baal-peor was it not to their hurt Deut. 4.3 4. see Ezek. 6.22 If we belong to God and yet are halting in our course before Him we may look to smart for it here if we are turning aside from him He will fetch us in with the rod Psa 89.30 c. 4. We have gone â—n halting too long already It is more than time we â—â—â—ld now seek for cure that we should now mend of it Hath not this been our manner from our youth As Moses said of the Children of Israel Ye have been rebellious against the Lorâ—â—rom the day that I knew you Have not we been still at this pass at â—ff and on playing fast and loose with God I may here allude to that in Josh 22.17 18. Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed unto this day but that we must turn away this day from following the Lord We have been too long unsteady and uneven in our course 5. This halting in Religion is hard to cure And the longer any soul goes on in it it is still so much the worse As a leg out of joynt the longer it goes so it is so much the more difficult to set it right again Oh that this was seriously considered every step we take awry we are making work for Repentance And as it is not so easie but exceeding painful to have a broken leg set right and sound again so it is no such easie matter to have a lapsed soul restored by â—â—pentance 6. If we have made any progress in Christianity to halt now would deprive us of the comfort of it O what comfort is to be found iâ— close walking with God! The whole world if you search it through has no such cordial for a fainting dying creature as the sense of ones integrity and former upright-walking before God When Hezekiah had received the sentence of death this was more to him than all his Kingdom again Isa 38.3 On the contrary when we are halting in our course we undermine our own peace lay a foundation for inward troubles jealousy of our estates John 8.31 If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed Mark it If ye continue But otherwise you would only seem to be my Disciples It 's not enough to begin well but we must continue And otherwise all that we have done in Religion or suffered upon this account will be lost and in vain Gal. 3.4 And if our goodness be but as the morning cloud and early dew that soon passeth away even such will our hopes be Our comfort will hold out and continue no longer than we hold fast our integrity 7. Halting will really set us back cast us very much behind in our Christian course A lame man makes but a bad traveller So halting Christians drive on very heavily in the wayes of God A man that is careless of keeping in his way no wonder if he comes late and weary home And if we are oft turning into crooked paths how will this hinder us in the way to heaven This is going about indeed and no getting thus to heaven but we must return by weeping cross Thus every step we take awry is one step out of our way 8. It is a most unworthy thing to halt with God He keeps touch with his No God like him that keeps Covenant with them that walk before Him with all their heart 1 Kings 8.23 No God like him for this All besides Him are found lying vanities It was horrible blasphemy that message which Senacherib sent to Hezekiah Isa 37.10 Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee Little danger or fear of this Never to this day that the Lord deceived any one soul that trusted in him and was faithful to him 1 Sam. 10.19 Ye have this day rejected your God who himself
saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations Most disingenuous and ingrateful creatures If we cast him off now he would not have dealt so with us If we forsake him he would not have forsaken us With an upright man he will shew himself upright Psal 18.25 This motive the Apostle useth to perswade unto Christian stedfastness and constancy Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised God would be true to us then should not we be true to him 9. Others obstinacy in their false and evil wayes should provoke us to stedfastness in the wayes of God Jer. 2.11 How many rooted in their errors that there is no stirring of them how many wedded to Superstition how many doting upon their old heathenish customs like those Jer. 44.16 17. no taking them off How many hardned in sin so resolved upon the pursuit of their lusts as there is no turning of them And do not all these shame and condemn us if our hearts are not as much fixed upon God if we cleave not as close to Him his Truth and Wayes 10. I add but a word more How should we fear to halt with God lest it provoke the Lord even to depart from us O Sirs do you desire it may go well with the Land whereof you are Inhabitants with the Church of which you are Members would you have it to go well with England then take ye heed of halting in Religion See Josh 22.18 If we turn away from following the Lord to day to morrow he may be wroth with the whole Congregation If such as profess his Name are turning further back from him how may such provoking of his sons and daughters cause the Lord to abhor us will not this make a way to his Anger or rather make the gap wider like a great breach of the Sea never more to be repaired I say halting in Religion may provoke the Lord to depart As we read of the Israelites Psa 78.57 to 62. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers they were turned aside like a deceitful bow When God eard this he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel so that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. I come now to the Directions I promised with which I conclude And would you halt no more in Religion 1. Get a clear sight and knowledge of your way Labour for a distinct knowledge both in matters of Faith and Practice Thus get your way made plain He that walks in the dark goes he knows not whither and stumbles at he knows not what He that walks in the Light is not in that danger of stumbling We must first know before we can be established in the Truth 2 Pet. 1.12 First prove and then hold fast 1 Thes 5.21 We must know the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed that they may be most surely believed of us Luke 1.1 4. They that receive the Word with much assurance as the believing Thessalonians did 1 Thess 1.5 there is hope that they will venture all rather than renounce or part with the Truth 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of There must be a learning of the Truth and assurance that it is the Truth if we would continue in the Truth So Col. 1.23 Here 1. Be very clear in thâ— grounds of Religion They that would â—ot be fluctuating in Religion must get their minds well ballasted with the knowledge of the grounds of Religion They that would stand in a storm must see they have a basis of their own a good foundation laid that they do not pin their Faith on others Indeed I know not what should hinder but an ignorant Protestant may soon turn a confident Papist But Catechism Instruction in the Principles of Christianity was one main engine whereby our Reformers battered down Popery The foundation is a principal part of the building so the lowest Principles as it is observed the lowest Principles of Religion in one sense are the highest Principles If you would have the house to stand lay the foundation well an errour in the foundation is destructive to the building 2. Get your minds established in the present Truth It concerns Christians to be very clear in those Truths for which they may be called to suffer And when ye are assured you have the Truth on your side you may go on boldly you need not fear Let the world storm you have a strong City Isa 26.1 2. Be established I say in the present Truth And so be at pains to aquaint your selves with your present duty Be wise concerning the times to know what you ought to do While you know you are in away of duty let others censure reproach or persecute you yet what should hinder but you may go on chearfully O how comfortable a thing it is to know and be assured that if troubles do befal me in the way I take they overtake me in a way of duty This greatly emboldened the Prophet Daniel to pray before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 Come on 't what wil he is sure it was his duty to pray after that manner While we are in way of duty we may trust God to bear us out Or if we suffer in his service we should yet have no cause to complain of an hard service He that considered Nebuchadrezzar what hazards and hardships he had been put upon in serving His Providence and would not let it go unrewarded Ezek. 29.18 c. much more that he considers his suffering Servants who are exercised with many troubles here that attend their observing his Commands who commit themselves to Him in wel-doing 2. Get your hearts set right This is another general Direction The upright heart will hate every false way But where the heart is not right such a soul is not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 A generation that set not their heart arigth then it follows and whose spirit was not stedfast with God As we would not halt as we desire to walk in a streight and even course our eye must be single 3. Be humbled in the sence of your former sinful warpings They that are pained and afflicted in the sence and remembrance of their former sinful slips and falls will look better to their feet and take more heed to their wayes When the soul hath experienced that it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord it will fear to turn aside from him again On the other hand where men are not humbled for the irregularity of their former course they will be likely to go on in the same course still Jer. 44.10 They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law But deep humiliation is a proper means to cure halting We never read that Peter denied Christ after his repentance and humiliation for that sin nay how boldly
doth he preach Christ afterwards as you see Acts 2. c. 4. Walk circumspectly If you would not halt observe every step you take take heed of falls yea of the least stepping awry Give not a little way to sin O fear at any time deliberately to venture upon any sin or on any temptation to sin Do not wilfully dash your foot upon the stones To be afraid of the least sin to be ready to flee from temptations is no argument of cowardise or pusillanimity of spirit but a proof of spiritual wisdom a necessary piece of Christian Policy And the more we are afraid of sin the less danger of our shrinking at sufferings Indeed it is wisdom to take heed of the least slips When we begin to fall none knows how far we may fall or how long it may be ere we recover our selves again The sin is great to account any sin little We ought to be so afraid of sin as not to venture on those things that have the appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.22 5. Set to the mortification of thy beloved sin especially Cut off the right foot that would offend thee and cause thee to stumble It is thy beloved sin that right eye that right foot which most enclines thee to halt is the greatest impediment to even upright walking He that sets up any Idol in his heart and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face estranges and separates himself from the Lord Eâ—ek 14.4 5 7. Covetousness the love of money seems to have been Judas his beloved sin and what did this bring him to at last not onely to the forsaking but further put him upon the betraying of his Master Where any darling-lust is spared and indulged there a Barabbas is preferred to Christ This may seem a very hard saying as it is sharp service to mortifie ones earthly members to pluck out a right eye and cut off a right foot yet it is indispensibly necessary for the cure of halting while men favour the right foot they cannot but halt in their course On the other hand we shall then walk uprightly before God when we keep our selves from our own iniquities Psal 18.23 6. Set forth in Religion with a serious purpose and fixed resolution never to draw back There is a force and vertue a vis impressa that comes from an holy resolution here that carries the souâ— on in a more even course The stronger our resolutions are provided they be not taken up in our own strength the more steady and uniform will our motion be Therefore Barnabas exhorted them Acts 11.23 that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sayes the Psalmist Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements So Dan. 1.8 But Daniel purposed that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's meat nor with the wine which he drank Daniel purposed resolved and this kept him free amidst temptations to defilement that way offered Holy resolution for God is a strong Bank against a flood of Temptations is a good Bulwark against the shot and assaults of Adversaries And no taking of the Garison till a breach is made here Yea it is to be noted that though to sin against clear conviction doth very much aggravate sin yet not so to sin besides ones serious purpose and resolution When the heart is resolved for God devoted to his fear hath freely chearfully sworn Alleagiance to him and yet is drawn to some sin this would rather argue weakness than wilfulness or the violence of temptation rather than any eagerness of such a soul to break forth in a way of transgression Therefore as we read of engaging the heart to approach to God Jer. 30.21 so let us see we engage our hearts to stick close to God Say not alwayes Shal I shal I but at last come to this resolve If the Lord be God to follow him If this or that be the Truth to stick to it if this or that be a sin to avoid it and in our places oppose it If such a thing be a duty and well-pleasing to God to countenance and practise it come on 't what will 7. Walk humbly with thy God Be ever sensible of thine own weakness how unable thou art to stand or go alone Take this along with the foregoing Direction When you have resolved on your way yet you ought to consider that the way of man is not in himself It is the Lord that keepeth the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 A proud creature one that is lifted up in his own conceits is near a fall Vzziah's heart was lifted up to his destruction Hab. 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him While he would seem some great Mountain he is a meer empty bubble Junius Ternov that cracks and breaks and vanisheth into air We reade of some of the Martyrs that when they saw the storm coming were very jealous of themselves that they should never be able to endure the brunt that they should never hold out who yet stood unmoved in the evil day Again others there were as full of self-confidence as the former were of self-suspition who triumphed before the victory or fight that in the day of tryal soon turned back and forsook their colours Some that boasted very much before they put on their Armour who put it off with shame We may say of this sin of Pride It hath cast down many wounded yea many strong ones have fallen by it 8. Set the Lord ever before you as the Psalmist did Psal 16.8 The Lord before whom I walk sayes Abraham Gen. 24.40 See Gen. 48.15 And particularly eye and get clear apprehensions of these Attributes of God c. 1. His Alsufficiency Gen. 17.1 I am God Alsufficient walk before me and be thou perfect or upright If you should meet with enemies with opposition in a way of upright walking yet know God is Almighty to defend you If you should be put upon straits or sustain great losses here God is alsufficient to supply your wants repair your losses and every way to bestead you 2. His unchangableness Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not However men may vary from what they have formerly professed He is still the same However the times may change the Lord changes not And so the Truth is as dear to him integrity and constancy in his Servants are of the same value and account with him as ever they were 3. His faithfulness He is the Faithful God that keepeth Covenant that forsaketh not his Saints unto whom we may most safely commit our selves in wel-doing 1 Pet. 4.16 And these Divine Attributes presented to the soul would increase Spirits very much encourage us to close and even walking with God Moses endured as seeing him who is invisible And had we such a sight of
strong enough now to stand alone A Christian is stronger in the Grace that is in Christ than in the greatest measure of grace inherent and derived from him Our Cisterns would soon fail were they not fed with an Everlasting Spring Rest not in what you have received ceived but be continualy going out to Christ for more It is not enough that his Grace and Spirit hath once entered into us to set us on our feet but he must also take us by the hand There is a promise Zech. 10.12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in His Name saith the Lord. And as the little Child soon falls if it holds not by its Nurse or by its Father so we have met with many a knock many a fall many a slip and strain by letting go our hold of Jesus Christ A Believer never walks safely but in the hand of Christ or leaning on his arm 13. Get under the sense of God's love to walk in the Light of his Countenance as it is Psal 89.15 The joy of the Lord would be your strength This would make His Wayes Paths of pleasantness Did we but see all fair and clear over head how might it encourage us to go on in our Christian course though it should be a little foul under foot Yea if the Lord had once cast his mantle had cast a skirt of Love over us this would engage us to follow him we could not chuse then but follow hard after Him If enemies rise up against us though a multitude of dangers and outward evils should surround us yet we should not be dismaied but think our selves safe enough under the Banner of His Love We might more quietly repose our selves under the Banner of his Love than under the protection of an Army with Banners It is something to have a sense of the Truth of Religion but more to have experience of the Goodness thereof How hardly should any perswade or draw us contrary to our own experience should we not resolutely stick to continue and persevere in those wayes wherein we have met with God and have many times been delighted ravished with his presence 14. Be much in the duty of self-examination Be frequent in that noble spiritual act of self-reflection Often ask your hearts this question Whether they are in the way or no and how uprightly they carry in it One that hath a jealousie a suspition of his servant would not let him go long without calling him to a reckoning Our hearts are very wily and deceitful we had need every day take account of them as Achish of David Whither have ye made a rode to day Though we should fear being deluded by them as Achish was by him Without often reckoning with without a serious and strict examination of our hearts we shall never keep them true to God or our selves 15. Desire others of the Faithful to watch over you to admonish you and tell you of it when at any time they see you starting aside Let the Righteous smite me Entreat those your fellow-travellers to put forth their helping hand when they see you slipping and ready to fall 16. Lastly Let this be your earnest suit daily unto God that he would hold up your goings that your footsteps slip not As the Psalmist prayes Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path He must not only shew us our way but also lead us on in it So again Psal 143.8 10. Let us be earnest with God here As the Psalmist Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee and mark what follows thy right hand upholdeth me And here let us plead that Branch and Article of His Gracious Covenant where he promiseth I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 The Lord is faithful to establish you and keep you from evil Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen SERMON V. Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity I Shall look no further back to the precedent verses than may give light to the present Text. Ver. 21. The Apostle drawing to a conclusion of this Epistle giveth an honourable Testimony of Tychicus one dear to him and faithful in his Ministry shewing the causes moving him to send him to them 1. That by him they might know the state of his affairs how it went with him 2. That he might minister comfort to their hearts Ver. 23. contains his Valediction to his beloved Ephesians in which he desires all health and happiness for them Peace be to the Brethren In which words we may consider 1. What he desires Peace Faith and Love By Peace some understand according to the Hebrew phrase of the Old Testament Salutem faelicitatem all kind of good Others more sutable to the New Testament phrase understand Peace of Conscience acceptation of our persons and reconciliation to God in Christ Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By Faith and Love he means the increase of those Graces Pacem â—c faelicitatem fratribus omnibus exopto una cum Charitatis Fidei incremento c. as one paraphraseth on the place 2. For whom he desireth these things to the Brethren that is the Faithful in Christ whether Ministers or others who are sometimes distinguished from private Christians Acts 15.23 The Apostles Elders and Brethren But here we may take them joyntly For at Ephesus were many Ministers Acts 20.17 Ministers and private Christians are all Brethren in Christ Gal. 3.28 Paul though not inferiour to the chief of the Apostles is not ashamed to own Christians of the lowest form for his Brethren Philem. 16. he calls Onesimus a servant a brother beloved Faith by which Believers are united to Christ is a like precious in the highest Apostle and the lowest Christian 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us Nay Christ himself disdains not to call his poorest members Brethren Heb. 2.11 3. From whom he desires these Graces from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ even from the Fountain of all Grace which is God the Father as the first cause and Jesus Christ as the second cause as he is Mediator between God and man by and through whom the Father is wont to dispense to us all things necessary to Salvation all things pertaining to life and godliness As all the plenty of Egypt passed through the hands of Joseph Gen. 41.55 Go to Joseph what he saith to you do said Pharoah to the People when they cryed to him for corn So if any man lack Wisdom Love Faith let him go to God the Father by Christ Heb. 13.15 By him c. The Text
is a reduplication of this Votum Apostolicum for so some reade it Gratia inquam adsit omnibus c. In words it is more contracted but in sense more comprehensive than the former verse thus I wâ—sh Peace Love Faith to the Brethren yea Grace all spiritual and heavenly blessings to you and all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity By Grace he meaneth omnimodam Gratiam all sorts of Grace having mentioned already Peace Love and Faith which are excellent graces yet are they not all Grace therefore he adds Grace that he may take his leave of these his beloved Brethren in the same manner as he resolved to come to others Rom. 15.29 In the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ In the Text are two principal parts 1. A Character of a right Christian a Christian indeed as Christ said of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite indeed he is one that loveth our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity For the Apostle wisheth not so great good to all that pretend love to Christ to Hypocrites but to such as love him unfeignedly 2. The subject matter of his wish what it is he desireth for sincere lovers of Christ it is Grace Not outward good things as health long-life riches honour though he excludeth not them nay Peace in the largest sense may include them and Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come But the Apostle willing to give them a brief Epitome of his large heart and good wishes for them doth it in this one word Grace as not knowing any bâ—tâ—er thing for them Doct. 1. Jesus Christ is our Lord. He is Lord of all Aâ—ts 10.36 but especially he is Lord of his Church which is his house Heb. 3.6 1. He built the house it is He that made us not we our selves 2. He hath moreover bought us Acts 20.28 the Church which he hath purchased with his own blood 3. Him hath God the Father exalted to be a Prince c. Acts 5.31 and Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him c. Vse Let all things in the Church be regulated according to the Institutions of our Lord Christ Let Ministers who are Stewards over the House of God be wise and faithful to preach no other Doctrine administer no other Sacraments exercise no other Discipline introduce no other Rites into Divine Worship than what they have good warrant for from the Lord Jesus Christ and can say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.23 I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you 2. Let all that profess hope of Salvation by Jesus Christ receive him for their Lord to rule over them as well as for their Saviour to redeem them Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Luke 6.46 So we profess in our Creed I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and so in the close of our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord. So let it appear in our Lives and Gospel-becoming-conversations But this I pass over There are two Doctrines arising from the two several parts of the Text which I am to insist upon And as I am to preach this day not knowing whether I shall ever have the liberty to preach again so I would have you to hear as not sure whether you may ever hear again Doct. 1. It is the character of a right Christian to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity 2. The Apostle wisheth Grace to all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity as the best thing he could wish them 1. Of the first It is the character of a right Christian to love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Qu. To love Christ in sincerity what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the letter of the Original is as much to say as in incorruption So reade the Interlin and vulgar Jesus Christ the Incorruptible God So reads the Ethiopick Arab. Amore non vitiato neque culpato that love Christ with a love not faulty nor blame-worthy which agrees best with the sense of Interpreters who render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorruptly sincerely not feignedly It being the Apostles purpose by this phrase to exclude all rotten Hypocrites from the benefits he wisheth to good Christians Ubi notandum est hoc Apostolicum votum non in sceleratis hypocritis sed in sinceris tantum Christi Discipulis qui viz. Christum incorrupto animo diligunt locum habere Vorstius More particularly To love Christ in sincerity is the act or affection of a gracious heart whereby knowing the excellency and worth of Christ he desires union with him preferreth him communion with him and obedience to his Commandments before all things in the world 1. What it is to love Christ 2. In sincerity 1. Love of Christ implieth knowledge of him of his Worthiness and high Deserts Right Love is no blind affection but ariseth from Light and Understanding of the loveliness of the Object upon which it is placed and to which it is carried forth Cant. 5.10 The Church describing at large the Excellencies of Christ whom her soul loveth concludes ver 16. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether lovely or desirable 2. From knowledge of the worth that is in Christ springeth desire of union and communion with him A man desires to be near his Friend in whom he delighteth loveth his company converseth with him Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight Psal 86.11 Unite my heart David desired to dwell in the House of God for ever because he loved him Psal 23. ult The wise Merchant buyeth gets into his possession the Pearl which he prized Matth. 13.46 3. Hence followeth an high esteem of Christ so as he preferreth him to all other things whatsoever He seeth no beauty excellency comparable to his Cant. 5.10 The chiefest of ten thousand Psal 63.1 My soul thirsteth for thee 4. Lastly The loving soul is most obedient 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth him so as he thinketh nothing too hard to do or suffer nothing too dear to part with for Christs sake Amanti nihil durum 2. What it is to love Christ in sincerity 1. It is to love him with the whole heart according to the utmost extent of that phrase Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul c. Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is unto thee This is to love without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 To love not in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 Where love is sincere there is idem velle nolle as if two hearts were in one body We love Christ sincerely or with all the heart when his will is ours our will is conformable to his when his Laws are so wrirten in our hearts that we are wholly his to be commanded as men subscribe their Letters to their friends Yours to
like manner David took his leave of Ittai 2 Sam. 15.20 Mercy and Truth be with thee Such was Christ's valedictory Prayer for his Apostles John 17. for Grace to be kept from the evil of sin ver 15. for Sanctification ver 17. for Unity c. Prov. 3.13 15. and 4.7 Wisdom i.e. Wisdom to Salvation Grace is the principal thing Reasons of the Point 1. Grace promoteth the highest end of man which is 1. the Glory of God to which end we were born and for which cause we came into the world 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Grace helps to serve God acceptably Heb. 12.28 Grace teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly c. Tit. 2.11 2. Reason teacheth to live as men Grace as Christians it enableth to every good work teacheth us to do our duty to God our neighbour to our selves It reacheth to pray acceptably to hear as the Word of God to keep Sabbath to shew mercy to forgive injuries to do all in obedience which maketh much to God's Glory 2. Reason Grace is the best thing for it promoteth the Salvation of the soul which is the best part Sin is the plague destruction of the soul 1 Kings 8.38 Grace healeth sanctifieth saveth the soul Sin infecteth every part faculty Grace sanctifieth all Sin blindeth the eye hardneth the heart poisoneth the affections corrupteth the life defileth deformeth the whole soul Grace enlightens the eyes softens the heart cleanseth beautifieth purifieth maketh lovely what Sin had made odious Eph. 2.5 By Grace ye are saved 3. Grace is the best thing for it makes a man better beneficial to others Riches honours prosperity render few better many worse Grace maketh bad Parents good and good ones better better Children better Husbands Wives better Ministers People Masters Servants better Neighbours Friends better in all Relations Without Grace a man is unprofitable hurtful Lions Bears are wicked men called in Scripture yea Dogs Swine for their brutish qualities Grace rectifies the crookedness of nature Emollit mores c. sweetens mens manners suffers them not to remain wild A heart taught by the Grace of God is full of pity and compassion sheweth mercy the hand helps relieveth the tongue speaks to comfort edification no corrupt communication is heard but gracious words from gracious hearts Col. 4.6 Paul wrought upon by Grace preacheth the Faith he once destroyed Gal. 1.23 Onesimus before Grace received was unprofitable but now by Grace converted is become profitable as his name imports Philem. 10. 4. The Excellency of Grace appears hence It renders a Christian acceptable to God as well as useful to man And that is the highest of a poor Christians ambition that he may find favour in the sight of his God that his services and sacrifices may come with acceptance before God Mal. 3.4 Parts gifts commend us to men only Grace giveth us favour approbation with God And this is the other branch of the Schools distinction Gratiae gratum facientes which they prefer to Gratiae gratis dâ—luâ—ta It is the prayer of the upright heart not of the voluâ—ble tongue that is God's delight Prov. 15.8 The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him that call upon him in truth Psal 145.18 But the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to God Prov. 15.8 5. Grace is the best thing because it lasteth longest it endures for ever Riches are not for ever nor doth the Crown endure to all generations Prov. 27.24 Pleasures of sin are but for a season Heb. 11.25 Carnal mirth is soon at an end like the crackling of thorns Eccl. 7.6 But Grace abideth 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope Charity 1 Joh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 6. Grace is the best thing because it helpeth in time of most need Heb. 4. ult 1. Grace helpeth in time of affliction it comforteth quieteth the heart Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed Grace giveth interest in God who is a present help in trouble It interesteth in Gods Power Wisdom Mercy Goodness Grace can look up to God see him smile when men frown see him at peace in mans hatred Stephen looked up saw Heaven open Christ ready to receive him Paul saw the Lord encouraging Acts 23.11 Be of good chear Paul 2. Grace helpeth in the hour of death Prov. 14.32 The Righteous hath hope in his death When there is no comfort in Riches Offices Friends vain is the help of man Grace disarmeth the King of Terrors O Death where is thy sting Death is welcome to a gracious person as a messenger sent to conduct him to his Father's house to his own Country to his best Friends to Jesus Christ whom his soul loveth Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. 3. At the day of Judgement Grace will find favour will make the Judge our Friend our Advocate Grace will cloath the soul with Jesus Christ his Robes his Righteousness Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments Rev. 16.15 1. Use of Instruction 1. Take notice what a Blessing it is to enjoy the means of Grace to live in a valley of Vision to sit under a powerful Ministry to have the benefit of good Education religious Parents their Instruction and holy Example to have Bibles Catechisms Sabbath-dayes and Sacramental-dayes the Market-dayes for Grace by the blessing of God upon which the soul may be converted and â—e be made wise to Salvation Happy is that people that are in such a case yea thrice happy are they who improve the means to the Ends aforesaid happy we if we know in this our day the things that belong to our peace 2. Then the best pains labour cost that any of us can bestow is to lay out our selves in the getting of Grace that time is best spent which is spent for Grace With all thy getting get Understanding Prov. 4.7 saith Solomon And a greater than Solomon hath told us That Godliness is the best part Luke 20. ult Mary hath chosen the good part c. Whilest others are laying up riches that perish treasures that vanish away clothes that wax old gold and silver that rust Christians are storing their hearts with Grace Whilst others are making their Lands and temporal Estates sure Christians are making their Calling and Election sure Whilst others are laying hold on advantages for this present life Christians are laying hold on Eternal Life 3. The best portion Parents can lay up for their Children is not riches worldly greatness but Grace the favour of God interest in Christ and the Covenant of Grace The best Trade they can teach them is the fear of the Lord to keep holy the Lords Day to flie Vice to follow after Vertue to exercise them in Godliness The second Use is of Reproof To reprove the too slight esteem men have of the Grace of
in God 1. The foundation of this Interest is laid in the free Love of God to their souls We can shew no other ground of all those rich heavenly priviledges Believers enjoy but only this because God loved them from eternity this is the bottom of all every one of our priviledges is laid in God's love Whom God loved from eternity them he chose from eternity to be a People nigh unto him that should have interest and propriety in him Hence it is Believers are called Elect and Chosen ones Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world 2. ' T is ratified and made sure by the Covenant of Grace When God having brought the soul over to himself and enriched it with Faith and other Graces comes actually to strike covenant with him than is this interest and propriety in God established and made firm this appears from the very tenour of the Covenant of Grace Jer. 31.33 This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People God hath given his People an interest in himself and he hath confirmed this by Oath and Covenant he hath sworn that he will be the Believers God Come we to apply this Doctrine 1. Have Believers an interest in God We may here stand and wonder at the honour that is bestowed upon Believers Surely the outward glory of Solomon fell short of this to be a People near to God is a high honour to be related to him is a great dignity but to have a right to God and all in God is a priviledge not to be fathomed by humane arms and yet this honour have all the Saints though in their outward condition never so poor and contemtible t is the greatest honour in the world to be able to say My God If David was filled with admiration that he should be son in law to the King How may the hearts of Believers run over when they consider what honour they have in being Sons of God! 2. Have Believers an interest in God Then in vain do Satan and his Instruments labour to make them miserable Can any man be miserable that hath an interest in God Men would have judged David a miserable man but he hath a friend to stand by him in whom he encourageth himself Will God forsake his People will he suffer men to spoil his Jewels No they do but polish them if Satan and his instruments could dissolve this interest and pluck Believers out of God's arms than were their misery at hand but this they cannot do God feels the blows which Believers receive Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me He is touched with all their injuries and surely he is able to save them 3. Have Believers an interest in God Then hath God also an interest in them and this Believers must know and remember this propriety is mutual betwixt God and his Saints as he is theirs so they are his not their own This must put us in mind of our duty that we do not altogether dwell upon priviledges and forget duty We must not boast of our propriety in God and serve our selves and our own lusts As God in his Covenant sayes I will be their God so he adds and they shall be my People and for this end he promiseth to put his Laws in our inward parts and write them in our hearts that so we may yeeld him Covenant-obedience Remember Christian thou art not thine own but God's 't is not for thee to serve love and please thy self but God As we have right to all God hath and can do so hath God right to all we have and can do our gifts parts strength time and estates must be laid out for God 4. Have Believers an interest in God then let them pity such as have not and strive to bring them under this happiness let our souls bleed within us to consider how many thousands are strangers yea and enemies to God and without God in the world Canst thou call God thy God there are many thousands in the world that cannot do this Canst thou call God Father O how many are there that cannot do this in Faith Pity such and pray for them yea labour by all means to bring them home to God See whether there be no such in your families or amongst your kindred and neighbours Are not many of these in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity if so pity such souls and labour to pray them in to God that they also may have an interest in him 5. Have Believers an interest in God This speaks exceeding great joy and comfort to Beleivers such as can say with David The Lord my God If we knew God better we should understand more of this great consolation The serious thought of this interest in God is able to make a Believers joy to exceed all bounds The consolation will empty it self into these four chanels 1. If God be thine thou then art Gods and he will own thee he will preserve thee he will provide for thee thou needest not torment thy self with carefulness who hast such a God to care for thee There is as much comfort in that last branch of the Covenant they shall be my People as their is in the former I will be their God 2. If God be thine then is his Christ thine thou hast an interest in Christ and all his Sufferings his Merits and Righteousness He is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption whole Christ is thine Christ and all that he hath done Christ and all that he hath suffered Christ in his Person and in his Portion thou maiest say of him with the Spouse My Beloved is mine and I am his 3. If God be thine then is his Spirit thine to lead thee into all Truth the Comforter to abide with thee the Spirit of Grace to sanctifie thee the Witness to testifie thy Sonship to God and to seal thee unto the day of Redemption this Spirit is thine if God be thine 4. If God be thine then is his Kingdom thine his Glory thine T is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom a Glorious Kingdom whose builder and founder is God an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you such as can call God theirs shall be sure one day to Reign with their God in the Kingdom of his Glory Proceed we to the second Observation from the words which was this 2. There is enough in God to encourage a Believer when greatly distressed 'T is clear from this instance of David he was greatly distressed as you have heard yet he encouraged himself in his God Follow him from hence to the 23. Psal the 4. ver and there you may find him insulting over the
profiting by affliction may appear to all men when we our selves shall appear 2. Let us labour to be patterns of courage and constancy to others and not only so but indeed examples of the Beleivers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity 3. Let us study our own hearts dress our own Vineyard better than we have done that we may be other kind of men and Ministers hereafter than formerly we have been By these means amongst others I told you the restraint of the Ministers of the Gospel might fall out to the furtherance of the Gospel O be not wanting in the improvement of so good means for so good and blessed an end The rest concern private Christians cheifly 1. Be hard at prayer with God and cease not till you have prayed us into our liberties in the Gospel again For this as for all other mercies God will be sought unto nay it may be for this in a more especial manner For it seems that God hath appointed prayer as a special means for the restoring of his restrained Ministers Heb. 13.19 I beseech you the rather to do this to pray hard that I may be restored to you the sooner Prayer is that form of speech which Christians ought to use that God would bring back his banished This restraint for ought I know may have come upon the Ministers of the Gospel because of them that have restrained paryer before God as the phrase is Job 15.4 However assure your selves that God will not open our mouths again to preach till you have well opened wide opened your mouths to him in prayer 2. Be united amongst your selves To have had Ministers of different perswasions hath doubtless maintained and kept alive differences amongst Professors which otherwise either had not been or at least had not been so long live'd And I earnestly pray God that upon the unhappy laying aside of Ministers of one perswasion and another may follow a happy laying aside of differences amongst their followers that upon the ceasing of Paul and of Apollos that unsavory speech I am of Paul and I am of Apollos may cease also Do not only pray but joyn in prayer each with and each for other And however you may have too much pleased your selves to be known and distinguished by other names and titles yet now if you agree in the common appellation of men fearing God I charge you in the Lord that ye speak often one to another converse familiarly and freely each with other watch no longer for each others halting but watch over each other to prevent and heal all haltings Let this separation of Ministers from People be for the kniting and curing of that separation that is between People and People 3. Be much in the Scriptures and in other good Books How this may be for the informing and setling of the judgments of affectionate Professors I have already hinted and but hinted I am now onely to exhort you to it to press you to take that course whereby the Gospel of Christ may be furthered Even Reading is an Ordinance of God and therefore you may pray for God's blessing upon it nay therefore ye ought I speak not of transient cursory viewing of Books but of a serious solemn reverent deliberate religious exercise of Reading Be often smelling to that sacred and fragrant bundle of Myrrhe the Bible of God by somewhat in which each spiritual sense shall be refreshed Ply your Book this Book the harder now that they are taken off that taught you reade your Bibles and bless God that you have Bibles to reade skil to reade them and liberty to use your skil that you have your Fathers Will in your Mother-tongue which all Christians have not which God grant we may alwayes have And now let good savory practical Divinity find some room more room than sometimes in your houses hands heads hearts you have professed a great while it 's time to begin to know somewhat now And this is a way of getting knowledge which will maintain zeal and affection If it be not the only way I am sure it is one of the best means that we have left us to preserve our selves from the corrupt Doctrines and false Opinions by which we shall be strongly assaulted and the minds of many sorely shaken A well-read Scholar is but a jejune commendation indeed but a well-read Christian is a noble character Acts 17.11 These were more noble c. 4. Preach you now in your places by your communication and conversation Out of your calling go not out of Gospel-Order go not shew forth a sober-spirit in all things confound not the difference which God himself hath made between Ministers and People But exhort one another consider one another to provoke not to anger and jealousie as heretofore but to love and good works Heb. 10.24 Somewhat more you ought to do now that we must no more do what we were wont Watch over each other lovingly tenderly faithfully in this absence of your Watchmen Study to promote the cause of Religion and to carry on the Kingdom and Interest of Jesus Christ as God hath given you talents and shall give you occasion to lay them forth If it must be so indeed that God will take off the Keepers of his Vineyard for a time let each man of you become his Brothers Keeper 5. Reflect upon your former slight and common thoughts of the Gospel and Gospel-Ordinances and be humble for that careless and drowsie temper and labour to beget and encrease in your souls more earnest longings after and more sutable valuations of the Ministry and dispensation thereof To have good stomachs sharp appetites towards spispiritual food will both get meat and give a relish to it whereas the hunger of the body can only do the latter Doubtless God's will concerning you in withdrawing the Table is to reprove your wantonness and surfetings and to make his Word precious in these dayes and to the men of this generation If you would yet again have bread ask long and cry for bread They that would have bread of Joseph must buy it give money cattle lands and all for it Gen. 47. But they that would have bread of God must be hungry for it As Christians get rest by being weary Mat. 11.28 so they get food by being hungry Mat. 5.6 6. Be more frequent more fervent in private Duties in Family Duties in what 's most secret Usurp not the Office and be as much of a Minister to your Families as you can I do not say that you now may do somewhat which formerly you might not but that you must do somewhat more than formerly you did Pray oftner Catechise more read more press the Word read more upon your Families and labour to bring them acquainted with it If you will but be convinced of a necessity of mending your pace and doubling your diligence and will but up and be doing you may make the Gospel a gainer
Alas that I should be forc'd to speak a word which will be so little for the honor of the Gospel The Professors thereof in England are become flow to Duty and of a drowsie temper As to publick specious but little serious as to private perhaps constant but very cold as to secret I doubt very careless A Professor of late hath been little or nothing more than another man save only that he hath heard one Sermon in a week more Alas the very best are remiss and seem to be of the declining hand If a serious zealous Christian of another Church should demand of our Ministers concerning their people as the followers of John asked our Saviour concerning his Disciples Mat. 9.14 Why do we and the Professors of other Churches fast oft c. but your people fast not pray not sanctifie not the Sabbath to any purpose Is it not because the Bridegrooms are with them is it so indeed The day is just upon you that the Bridegrooms are taken away God grant that our curb may prove your spurt The less we must do for you the more do you for your selves and your Children 7. Call to remembrance old Truths repeat in your hearts and in your houses too what ye have formerly received chew upon the Word that you have formerly eaten Who knows but that God may have taken you off your meat your green and flourishing Pastures on purpose to make you find your cud On the precious Truths that at this day lye by the Professors of England as stale commodities or meats out of season verily one Sermon-less-year will make you make a meal of the most despiseable and homely dish that was ever set before you If you can but suck at old Truths with new appetites you will find fresh vertue coming from them and that Doctrine that was laid aside as having served one turn may be effectually taken up for many other good purposes in the soul It is said of our Saviours Disciples once and again in the Gospel after he himself was removed from them Then they remembred the words of Jesus his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them Joh. 2.22 and again Joh. 12.16 These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified then remembred they c. The former part of this verse Ah! how true is it of this People of England Oh that the latter part may be found so to that this affliction may prove a rod to bring to remembrance both sins committed and Truths neglected that so the People of God may be truly humbled and the Gospel of God greatly furthered In a word What ever God shall reveal unto you as a pertinent Duty as a Duty of the season as a means to further the eternal Gospel of Christ that do In the mean time praying and purposing as Elihu sayes is meet Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more SERMON IX Ephes 6.18 With all Prayer DYing Israel gave his Children portions and to Joseph one above his Brethren Gen. 48.22 I would commend one or two parts above what some of your brethren are content to sit down with All Prayer Three are All as we speak of principles I. Publick Prayer Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after That I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my Life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple He subjected himself to the appointed publick means and resolved his pursuance of them in case of hidings This Ordinance of Solemn Meetings appointed 1. That God's Name may be hallowed Psal 29.1 2. Give unto the Lord Glory worship Him in the Beauty of Holiness Glory must be given unto the Lord and we must alwayes look what way the Lord hath prescribed for it and that is in his own Ordinances Singularly is the glory of God's Power Wisdom Goodness c. born upon the shoulders of many this way God rides in triumph The Kings honour is in multitude of Subjects Blessed Parents have a full quiver Great Men have many poor at their gates At an Assize and Sessions Great Men have more cognizances than at private meetings and this for their honours When Men Women and Children lay siege to Heaven Haec vis grata Deo Tertul. It 's the Glory of God to be overcome by a multitude 2. Herein his People are regarded 1. Hopes given them of Audience Mat. 18.20 There 's a threefold cord in this one kind of Prayer strong to remove Evils and a powerful twist to pull down Blessings The Wayes sure will be mended when not only rich men with their teems but cottages with their scuttles come to the common work 2. The Godly quickned in the Duty Growing and thriving People have that language Zech. 8.21 Come let us go and Pray I 'l make one in Prayer O come let us worship 3. Others stir'd up When they see a King a Landlord a Master casting a copy for them 2 Chron. 6.12 Thus they are ready to reason See my concernments are like theirs but not my heart zeal love to God watchfulness preparation c. What a fool am I in the midst of the Congregation c. II. Private Prayer Josh 24.25 I and my House will serve the Lord. There should be right houshold-Order and Government according to the Rule amongst Christians Col. 4.1 Paul speaks to Masters of Families to carry like good Kings in the first verse and in the second minds them of their Priestly Office Continue in Prayer This Kind instituted First That his Name may be hallowed The wise and merciful God hath a quick Eye and a strong Shoulder as he knoweth so he profers to bear burdens wherewhith Families are loaden Cast your care on me for I care for you When we lock up our selves at night and have Prayer the Key at our girdles letting out our selves in the morning under his Providence we have him for our God and acknowledge him what he is Secondly Families regarded 1. A bar to domestick Discords There must necessarily be a studied intended right carriage in the family where Prayers are on foot 2. Servants and Children acquainted with their Duties framed to that Worship of God fitted for publick Prayer c. 3. Superiors in Families hereby are under rich Promises Gen. 18.17 4. Affaires of the whole sanctified 1 Tim. 4.5 I I. Secret Prayer Mat. 6.6 This kind instituted First That God's Name may be hallowed For the more self is set aside more way is made for God's Glory the Glory of his Omnisciency c. Secondly Particular regard of man 1. As to the matter of Prayer What an Hell the House would be but for the Closet If the wife heard the confessed vile miscarriages of the husband and â—he husband did but peep into the heart of the wife through an open window and so in other
the occasion of a Sermon that enlightened me quickened me This breach brought me to Christ acquainted me with my necessity of interest in Christ I am not of the temper of that Emperour who said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when I dye let the Earth be burned But O that my Civil Death might minister occasion of your Spiritual and Eternal Life O that this divorcing day betwixt you and me might be the day of your Espousals to Christ Dying David bespeaketh Solomon I go the way of all the Earth Keep the charge of the Lord thy God that thou mayest prosper 1 Kings 2.1 2 3 4. My loving People I am this day going the way of all that will live godly in Christ Jesus the way of tribulation I charge you keep the Lord's way as you expect any blessing and prosperity look for them only through Christ the Way the Truth and the Life I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge both quick and dead as the Apostle when his time of departure was at hand charged Timothy that ye rest not without Interest in Christ and I leave this Sermon as Joshua did the Pillar as a Memorial that I admonished and besought you to come to Christ and become his Servants O let not the Word I have spoken to keep my self pure from your blood condemn you in the day of Christ You cannot plead We were not bidden to the Wedding-Feast we were not called to Christ No if you be found out of Christ at that great day how will it torture you to consider How have we hated Instruction and have not obeyed the voice of our Teachers In vain may you wish O that we had the day of Grace once again Domine cur non modo c. said Augustine at his conversion Lord why not now an end of my filthiness So say I to you Why not now a parting with sin and closing with Christ Take these Considerations or Motives 1. The Lord Christ calleth you whilst we are testifying these things to you Whilst Noah was preparing the Ark Christ was preaching See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh from Heaven 2. Others who have had as great hindrances as you have followed Christ at his Call James and John Mat. 4 22. left the ship and their father immediatly and followed Christ neither enjoyments not imployments nor relations could hinder them Zacheus a rich man of low stature in a great press yea of a wicked Sect a Publican great obstacles yet he breaketh through all he runs and climeth to see Jesus If you come not to Christ you will be inexcusable 3. Let the Loveliness of Christ draw you he is the Rose of Sharon the Lilly of the Valley the bright and morning Star the Sun of Righteousness chiefest among ten thousands and altogether lovely O let his Fulness and Perfections win your hearts and attract your affections 4. Let the Love of Christ constrain you his condescending and dying for you to save you from everlasting death Will not such bonds of Love hold you 5. The Lord taketh exact notice how long your Teachers are labouring with you what means you have and what fruit appeareth These three years have I come seeking fruit Luke 13.7 6. You must shortly appear before the Judge to give account how you have profited by all the Sermons and Lectures you have heard c. 7. Now is the Ax laid at your roots Judgment begining at the house of God your Teachers ready to be removed into corners possibly you may go from Sea to Sea and not find that refreshing food for your souls nor those advantages which you have had Now therefore what mean you O sleepers are you set on fire round about and not lay it to heart Let the time past of your life suffice you to have been servants of sin It is high time for you to awake out of sleep and to follow Christ 8. If you will not come this day what if the Lord should write you Christless and swear in his wrath You shall never enter into his Rest nor tast of his Supper saying I would have purged you and ye were not purged never be purged dye in your sins he that is filthy let him be filthy still 9. Christ is willing to be yours if you will be his he will not reject you if you come you have as fair Encouragement to come as ever any had 10. They are very fair terms propounded Is it not fit you serve him if you expect him to save you that you obey him if you hope for his Salvation Had he bidden you do some great thing should you not have done it how much more when he requireth nothing but what is your reasonable service befitting you as his Creatures They are fair terms Repent and be conuerted that your sins may be blotted out Come to me and find rest Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Be faithful unto death and obtain the Crown of Life 11. And lastly Let your necessity drive you to Christ Is there but one Ark in the world to save you from drowning but one City of refuge to keep off Vengance from you O hie thither apace Is there but one day-Star to shine into your hearts but one Son of Righteousness with Healing under his wings but one Sacrifice for sin accepted But one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus O get interest in Him Oh! why do any of you linger and not hasten to this Zoar when Fire and Brimstone are so nigh so certain to all that reject Christ Oh! why do you draw back when drawing back is unto Perdition Know my Brethren these things as much concern you as ever any souls in the world what need have you of Christ to be your Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption without Him you are cursed captivated and condemned John 3.18.36 without Christ ye are deaf and dead poor and polluted and have no title to Heaven to the Promises nor any thing but sin and its wages Death Nay if you obey not whilest Christ calleth Come unto me you must with honour hear that other voice Depart ye cursed Those mine enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring forth and slay them before me Let me hint to you on what terms you must be in your coming to Christ 1. You must be divorced from your sins make sure you take off the heads of your dearest lusts 2. Disclaim all other Saviours besides Christ renounce confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 rest not in your outward priviledges nor performances but when you have done all you can say We are unprofitable servants 3. Rest not in a bare notion of Christ take heed lest you sit down with Fancy instead of Faith 4. Take a whole Christ Christ to rule you to teach to sanctifie you as well as save you 5. Give your selves wholly to Christ without reserve give him your ear open to his
Calls his Sheep hear his Voice and know not the voice of strangers give him your eye look unto him and be saved give him your hand and feet to do what he commandeth and come when he calleth give him your knee to bow to him not meerly in a complement but to submit to his Laws and obey him as King and Lord especially give him your hearts let him be enthroned there Lift the everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may enter With the tongue you must confess and with the heart believe that you may be saved And take him for yours for ever abide for him for many dayes Beware of Apostacy by which Judas lost the Blessing and went to his own place You see Brethren al blessings are to be expected only through Christ I beseech you go home and work these things on your hearts by meditation wrestle for a Blessing say Lord Jesus who blessedst thy Disciples bless me even me also I will not let thee go unless thou bless me cry to him as the blind lame and diseased cryed when he was on earth Jesus have Mercy on us and believe that he is able willing and ready to bless you As for me God forbid I should cease to pray for you that the Lord would put his Blessing on you One thing further let me mind you of That you be much in blessing God for his Love and Faithfulness in giving his Son and ascribing Blessing and Praise to the Lord Jesus for all spiritual Blessings and for going to Heaven blessing his People Especially I charge you be careful to spend the Lords Day which is precious time which he hath sequestred and set apart for himself in a thankful Commemoration of Jesus Christ his Grace and Compassion to poor sinners and not in sports and past-times study what you shall render to him in lieu of such superlative and incomparable Love and in a due Sanctification of the Lord's Day endeavour that the Name of Christ may be remembred through out all Ages The third and last Use is Consolation for I would not leave you comfortless 1. Here is abundant Encouragement to poor sinners to come to Christ you that have trembling hearts and dare scarce look up to Christ by reason of your sins lest he call you Dogs and cast you out who are ready to say There is indeed Consolation in Christ and he hath Blessings enough to bestow but they are not for me let me tell you it is good to be humble and sensible of your own vileness but not to be faithless and unbelieving for unbelief is highly derogatory dishonourable to Jesus Christ and wrong to your own souls a rejecting of your own mercy I could also tell you it is the most unreasonable thing for you to question Christ's pitty and tenderness towards poor heavy laden sinners after that he hath from Eternity had his delights with the sons of men Prov. 8.31 And in Noahs time he was preaching to save souls would they have believed and obeyed He sent all his Prophets of old to testifie remission of sins to all that believe in Him Acts 10.43 The Prophets testifie his tenderness Consult Isa 55. the seven first verses Ho every one that thirsteth He will abundantly pardon Isa 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs and carry them in his bosome Isa 42.3 A bruised Reed shall he not break Isa 61.1 2 3. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted Ezek. 18.23 Have I any pleasure that the wicked should dye Psal 72.12 13 14. He shall save the souls of the needy You have his own Testimony John 6.37 Them that come to me I will in no wise cast out You have the Experiences of the Saints recorded for your encouragement The Apostle Paul who was a Persecutor and confesseth himself the chief of sinners yet he obtained Mercy The thief upon the Cross though before he reviled Christ yet praying obtained a very gracious Answer Nay consider what Christ hath done to shew himself in good earnest to save souls He knew what a bitter Cup he must drink yet Loe I come he became our Surety and longed to have our debt paid and his People redeemed Luke 12.50 He was wondrously straitned till his Baptism of Blood was accomplished He hath sent his Apostles after such signal Manifestations of Grace to testifie it And in his Name my Beloved I am this day declaring to you That he is very willing and ready to receive any that will come to him and would gather you as a Hen doth her Chickens under her wings never did any find him backward nay He is more willing to bless you than you are to receive his Blessings It 's some satisfaction when men will come that he may see the travel of his soul Isa 53.11 He taketh it ill that we are so backward in coming He loved the young-man that came running kneeling enquiring Good Master what shall I do c. and had the young-man liked the terms the match had been made the breach was not on Christ's part Nay Luke 15. he sheweth there is joy in Heaven over one repenting sinner in three Parables Draw near then thou drooping dejected soul come and see not only the Hands and Feet of thy Saviour put not only thy hands into his pierced Side But behold the heart of thy Redeemer behold thy Lord lifting up his Hands and Blessing and see if there be not ground to cry out My Lord and my God Had you seen Him after sweating drops of Blood for you ascending with such Expressions of hearty Love could you have doubted Had you seen his Hands lifted up in blessing his People on Earth at his last farewel could you doubt of his willingness to bless you 2. Here is Comfort for the People of God amidst all the Curses and Persecutions of the world Be not afraid no matter who curse so Christ bless Psal 109. Let them curse but bless thou Christ's Blessing is your Pavilion from the strife of tongues For first Christ blesseth effectually Psal 37.22 when Christ will bless men cannot let Secondly Irrevocably When Christ blesseth men cannot reverse it Balaam could not curse Israel when God had blessed The Blessings of Christ are without Repentance Men now cry Hosanna anon crucifie but they whom Christ blesseth shall be blessed everlastingly Thirdly he blesseth such as bless his Servants and curseth them that curse them Gen. 12.3 Fourthly He blesseth his People for mens cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 Fifthly He turneth the Curse into a Blessing Deut. 23.5 Sixthly He hath variety of Blessings Blessings of the Dew of Heaven and of the Deep Esau cryed Hast thou but one Blessing bless me also O my Father But Christ's Blessings are an Ocean never exhausted He is a Sun full of Light after so many thousand years emanation of Blessings and irradiation of the World therewith he is as full as ever He is a Fountain always flowing and ever full He hath national Blessings pardon of sin
souls our work is with the Lord and our Reward with our God we are to receive our Reward not according to our success but Sincerity but our fear Beloved is as to you lest you should have received the Grace of God in vain Should you now stumble and take offence at our Sufferings it might undoe what hath been done in and upon you by our Labours Were there no more in iâ— but our suffering in our names or estimation with you I think I should have either wholly forborn or but lightly touch'd upon this matter but the danger is yours you may lose as to your souls prejudice against â—our persons upon the account of our sufferings may be prejudicial to the effect that the Doctrine we have delivered might have upon your hearts 2. I am afraid lest Religion and the Cause of God suffer As to our persons 't is a small matter what you or others say of us 't is a small thing to be jugded of you or of mans judgement count us what you please let us be as Reprobates only we would not that the Cause of God should suffer that Religion should be wounded this we fear lest you should stumble in or turn from the Way which we have endeavoured to lead you in May you but stand fast in the Faith and presevere in practical piety then though we be offered up upon the Sacrifice and Service of your Faith we shall joy and rejoyce with you all but if you stumble at our Sufferings as to dislike Holiness to dis-esteem the sweet and good Wayes of God it will be a bitter ingredient in our Cup. 3. I am afraid lest you should lose the benefit of ouâ— sufferings Beloved 't is not for our own sakes only that we suffer 't is for your benefit that you may be comforted confirmed Read 2 Cor. 1.6 Whether we he afflicted it is for your Consolation Salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same Sufferings which we also suffer Should you take offence and be discouraged or otherwise stumbled at our Afflictions you would lose that advantage you might otherwise get by them yea that which might be to your benefit would then become your bane and ruine Upon these and the like enducements let me resume to press the Caution upon you all I shall rank you under two Heads 1. On one hand Such as are already prejudiced against our Persons and Ministry that have stood at a distance and would not come in nor comply with our Endeavours for your good I beseech you let not our Sufferings heighten your prejudice or give you occasion to charge censure or condemn us I see divers things at which you will be like to stumble in this kind give me leave to remove some of them First You will be ready to say nay it is already said by some That we are justly buffeted for our faults that it is nothing but what we deserve as having been busie censorious and pragmatical Fellows making divisions and separations amongst our People taking upon us power to suspend you from the Lord's Table admitting and excluding whom we pleased exercising a power more arbitary than ever the Bishops did this is a Prejudice deeply rooted in the hearts of many To which I say 1. We wil in part own the Charge we wil not justifie our selves before the Lord but will say as Nehemiah Nehem. 9.33 Thou O Lord art Righteous There is sin enough in us to provoke the Lord thus to deal with us 2. Yet we have cause to bless the Lord that you have no worse things to lay to our charge that you cannot write drunkards loose debaucht unclean profligate Persons upon our doors when we are gone I hope we shall not in the thoughts of those that are most prejudiced against us suffer as Theeves Murderers Evil-doers nor justly be charged as busie bodies in other mens matters 1 Pet. 4.15 It will not I hope be lookt upon as presumption if we take up Samuels Apology 1 Sam. 12.3 Whose Oxe have I taken Or Pauls Acts 20.33 2 Cor. 7.2 that we have not been rigid exactors of that which was our own muchless required that which was not our own both our and I hope your Consciences will bear us witness 3. As to that which the generality of our People have taken most offence at viz. Our Strickness about the Sacrament First Have we done more than our Commission warrants us Have we not often told you the danger That to eat and drink unworthily is to eat and drink your own Damnation Can you blame us if we have at once consulted your and our own safety Will you quarrel or censure us because we would not give you that which in the state you were would be to you a Cup of Poyson and would certainly aggravate your Damnation Forgive us this wrong But Secondly Who hindred or deprived you of that Ordinance was it not your own fault Have you not been exhorted and entreated to come to us that you might be instructed and fitted for that Ordinance yea if you thought it too much to come to us have we not offered upon the least invitation to come to you for that purpose know you not that the Priests lips should preserve Knowledge Mal. 2.7 and that you should seek the Law at his mouth yet we have sought to you and intreated that you would not refuse instruction but with many of you have prevailed nothing nay have we not often urged you with this consideration That your absenting your selves upon the account of your ignorance would be no excuse that as it is a great sin to come without preparation so to refuse those helps whereby you might be prepared to come You have been told That it was the duty of every one professing Christianity to commemorate the Death of Christ in that Ordinance and that it was an undervaluing and a high Contempt of Christ and his Benefits wilfully to withdraw That in the sight of God your willingness to come in your ignorance and prophaness and your refusing to come because you might not come in that state was as if you had so come and that God look'd upon you as profaners of his Ordinance because you would have done it if you might so that I hope you will have no just cause to blame us in this particular What other motive I pray you can be rationally imagined should enduce us to this severity but fear of sinning against God and of wronging your and our own souls had we not been convinced of our Duty and the Danger of neglecting it we could have been content to have purchased your favour by a general Admission As for other Crimes charged upon us as preaching Sedition intermedling with State-Affaires c. I shall only intreat that you would review our Sermons consider our Course of Preaching which for the most part hath been upon Catechetical Points and see if there be any just cause to fasten such a
not that any of you should say concerning us as Pharoah concerning the Children of Israel Ye are idle ye are idle and therefore ye take occasion where none is given to relinquish your People and your Service it is not matter of will but Conscience if it lay in our wills God that knows all things knoweth that many hundreds of his Servants would rather chuse to work than sit all their dayes idle But you are to understand that such things are propounded to them as their Consciences cannot bear we have studied read enquired and prayed for direction and satisfaction and after all we see our Consciences would check us and reproach us if we should close with all that is proposed to us and would be imposed upon us we may not in any case do any evil that good may come He doth not require Ministers to take any indirect courses to do his work He can bring about his own Glory without their sin He that doth any thing religious moral or civil must in the first place be groundedly perswaded that that which he doth will be acceptable to or allowed of God Now as yet we for our own parts do not see any reason to convince us that we shall do that which is pleasing to God in closing with every thing that is propounded to those that will stay in their places Particular reasons why we cannot assent and declare a full consent c. I have not now time so much as to mention Having said this little to prevent prejudice and to silence wonder in you at this sudden Declaration of our prefixed leaving of you give leave to read the words once more with a little variation Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my Departure to have these things in remembrance The words of dying men use to be much regarded seeing in some sence we preach as dying persons be intreated diligently to attend to dying words I have studied that ye may keep in remembrance what ye have already heard and to that end of the things that have been spoken and of the things that should have been spoken Heb. 8.1 if time and opportunity had been continued I shall give you the sum That which we would have you keep in remembrance after we are gone may be contained under two general Heads of Directions viz. First Duties relating to God and your own Souls Secondly Duties relating to your selves and others The things that relate to God and â—â—r Souls are either such as relate 1. To the Unconverted and Converted in general Or 2. To the Converted in particular That which I have to say to you that are our Auditors in general or as mixt being some of you unconverted and some converted some whose hearts the Lord hath touched and some upon whose hearts the Spirit of God hath not effectually moved shall be contained in these following Counsels COUNSEL I. 1. Labour in good earnest to be born again John 3.3 study to be new Creatures strive for the Truth of Godliness Most of you have a form and shew of Godliness but O labour for the Truth and Power of it get sanctified Knowledge into your understandings Obedience in your wills get your affections fixt upon divine and right Objects never think it 's well with your souls till you find your anger sorrow and hatred principally set against sin your Love Joy and Desires upon God Christ and communion with him till you find the bent of your souls towards the Wayes of Holiness Labour for tender Consciences such as will be afraid of committing the least known sin or of omitting the least known duty Outward Reformation is nothing without inward Renovation Regeneration makes men perform Duties as from a Spring and Fountain of Goodness without Regeneration men act move in Religion just as Clocks and Jacks which never moves but when some external weight hangs on consider without this we shall never get to Heaven John 3.5 It is not thy promises of being a new man bâ—â—â—hy being a new creature it is not thy being chained but thy being changed that will fit thee for communion with God The brute creatures are not fit to converse with men Because they want a principle of Reason which should make them sutable companions Unregenerate men are not fit companions for God nor Saints in Heaven Because they want a principle of Holiness which should make them take delight in the work of Heaven To this end 2. Get acquainted with and live under the sence of inherent inbred corruption This is the foundation of experimental Christianity Live under the sence of that principle of evil we carry about us every day VVhen Paul was throughly converted he was primarily convinced of this Rom. 7.17 18. when he had a spiritual understanding of the Law or of the Spirituality and internal extent of it he saw there was all manner of concupiscence in him that is an inclination and vehement desire after those things that were forbidden and an unlawful desire after things lawful in themselves he saw there was in him a forwardness to all kind of sin This sight kept him low in his own eyes and drave him out of a dependance upon his own righteousness to depend upon the Righteousness of Christ And so this would maintain humility and lowliness in our souls and take away all opinion of our own goodness Every man will boast of the goodness of his heart the reason is because he doth no see nor consider that inherent secret pollution that is in his nature Were we enough sensible of the privation of original righteousness and inclination to all manner of wickedness we would look upon our selves as the chiefest of sinners yea as bad as the worst in the world Is thy heart good that naturally prompts thee to Atheistiâ—â—â— blasphemous thoughts concearning God that would lead thee to Idolatry to Carelesness in the use of God's Name Titles Word and Worship That heart which leads thee to irreligion neglect of Prayer Sabbaths c. Is that heart to be boasted of that is full of Envie Covetousness Anger Revenge unclean Imaginations and Desires Why this and all this is contained in every of your hearts be convinced of and affected with it 3. Often think of your actual transgressions call to mind former sins forget not old iniquities David though a grown Saint remembers bewails and prayes for pardon of the sins of youth Psal 25.7 Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions Job calls to mind the sins of younger years Thou makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Job 17.26 And so for sins of riper years often think of them reflect upon the sins of thoughts of your words and actions call to mind the ignorance the impenitance the unbelief the unthankfulness the wanderings and distractions of former Prayers call to mind how dull sleepy and unaffected you have been in the hearing of many a precious Sermon Compare your lives with the
perfect Rule see how they have agreed or disagreed Look your faces daily in the Glass of God's Word and then you shall see how many spots are upon them This very thing would make and keep us humble while we live and shew us the shortness of our own wayes and drive us to Jesus Christ who hath perfect Righteousness The Swan is a proud bird but when she looks at her black feet she mourns The reason why most are so self-conceited of their own goodness is because they look upon themselves in present abstinence from sin or in present good mood and never look back upon former sinâ—â—â— In a word Let your sins be ever before your eyes 4. Beware of earthly-mindedness Let it not be your only care to get the things of this life 1 John 2.15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world VVe are prone by Nature to mind Earth and nothing else But consider that those that are earthly-minded are enemies to the Cross of Christ Phil. 3.18 19. There are many of whom I tell you weeping who are enemies to the Cross of God viz. those who mind earthly things Such persons frustrate Christ of the end of his dying He died to purchase an heavenly treasure for us he arose and went to Heaven that we should imitate him If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 Earthly persons undervalue the death of Christ he died to purchase Heaven they care for Earth more than Heaven Again Earthly persons will have a sad end Their end is destruction Phil. 3.19 Seeing such men put away Salvation from them whilst on Earth at last they shall be put away from Salvation Again Things below are neither a suitable nor a satisfying portion Not suitable your souls being spiritual these earthly not satisfying your souls having infinite desires whereas these are finite your souls everlasting these fading 1 John 2.17 The World passeth away When we have got never so much it may leave us we must leave it Again Earthly-mindedness is Idolatry Col. 3.5 And Covetousness which is Idolatry That which men desire love and delight in most even so much as to make it their portion that is their God Now we know that no Idolater shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Be exhorted in the words of Christ John 6.17 Labour not so much or chiefly for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life Luke 10.41 42. Be not with Martha careful about many things so as in the mean time to neglect the one thing needful 5. Be convinced that God is the best portion and make him yours You are never in a safe condition till you can experimentally say Who is there in Heaven but God and who is there on Earth I can desire besides God Psal 73.25 26. Labour to say with the Psalmist Psal 31.14 I said thou art my God And with Thomas My Lord and my God To this end get an interest in Christ receive him by Faith He that hath the Son hath the Father also God promiseth it as a special priviledge to be the God of any person or People I will be their God Jer. 31.33 When God is yours Pardon of sin is yours I will remember your iniquities no more He wil accept and delight in your persons The Upright are his delight He will take pleasure in all your services Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy face and hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Your Prayers Praises Alms c. shall come up before God as Incense Acts 10.4 Phil. 4.18 He will alwayes be with you in every place in every condition When you are in your own and when in a strange Country when you are in prosperity when in adversity Moreover all the Promises are yours When God is yours the Covenant is yours of which the Promises are so many branches If you be troubled with the sence of sin he can pardon you if assaulted with corruptions he can strengthen you If you be sad he will comfort you if you be sick he will be your Physician if weak he can strengthen you If darkness be upon your steps he can cause the Light to shine upon your paths If you are in wants he can supply you his is the Earth and the Fulness thereof if in Prisons he will visit you and cause you to sing with Paul and Silas He is an omnipresent Good and an omniscient Good a willing and omnipotent and a sure good Men may take away your Friends or you from them but they cannot take away your God your Estates but not your God your liberty but not your God your lives but not your God God will be a satisfying Good whilst you live a comforting and supplying Good when you dye an Everlasting Good after Death Above all things then get a share and interest in this God for he is the best Good none like him and as the Wise Man saith of Wisdom so let me say of God Get God get Christ God is the principal thing therefore get him and withal thy gettings get an Interest in Christ 6. Get your hearts possessed with an awe dread of Gods all-seeing Eye Walk with a constant fear of God upon your souls Prov. 23.17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all day long whatever you think speak or do consider God stands by and sees and hears all he knows what thou thinkest and actest even in thy bed-chamber This consideration wrought mightily upon Davids spirit which made him express himself in this manner Whither shall I go from thy Presence whither shall I flee from thy Spirit there is not a thought in thy heart nor a word in thy tongue but lo he knows it altogether Psal 139. Per totum Many would be the advantages of such a temper it would keep us from many a sin we run into Prov. 16.6 By the fear of the Lord â—â—en depart from iniquity yea this is prescribed as a Remedy against all sin in general Exod. 20.20 That his fear may be before your eyes that ye sin not The reason why men do commit secret sins is Because they think no eyes sees them When Satan tempts thee saying Thou art alone the door is lockt the windows shut then say Oh but God sees me the darkness and the Light are both alike to him To this end beg of God he would maintain in your soul more of an actual sence of his Presence plead that Promise in which he saith I will put my fear in them that they may not depart frrom me Jer. 32.40 Unless God renew the fence of his Holiness and Omnipresence we shall groâ—â— atheistical and very secure 7. Serve God according to his Mind and Will neither add nor diminish in God's Worship do what he bids us all he bids us and no more Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it add not to it nor
diminish from it we may not close with added substantial parts of worship Whatever power a Church hath about natural Circumstances they have none about the substance of worship either to add or take away by putting in or putting out To add new Ordinances or parts of Worship is a breach of the second Commandment The Pharisees ered on this hand Mat. 15.19 teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men they pressed Gods Commandments as indifferent and mens Traditions as necessary God commanded to Honour Father and Mother they teach contrary to this ver 4. this was a diminishing They teach that the washing of hands before meat the cleansing of cups c. as necessary to Salvation this was to err by addition See Rev. 22.18 To add in God's Worship is to make our selves wiser than God and to accuse Christ of unfaithfulness in God's House Moses was a faithful Minister in God's House much more was he who was Mose's Master Well be sâ—re in all your worship that it be according to the Parâ—â—â— shewed in the Mount viz. according to â—he â—â—â—script and Standard of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 very dangerous to offer strange fiâ—â— such as God commands not Levit. 10.2 Give not God cause to say to any of us Who hath required this at your hands 8. Be spiritual and zealous in God's Service Take not God's Name in vain either by vain praying hearing or reading Bring your hearts to and keep them at prayer I will pray with my spirit Psal 25.1 Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Prayer consists more in the elevation of the understanding and desires than in the lifting up of the eyes and hands and so bring your hearts to the preaching and hearing of the Word Rom. 1.9 Paul served God with his spirit in preaching and we should serve God with our spirits in hearing When Paul preached Lydia's heart was opened that she attended to the things spoken by him Acts 16.14 When God's Embassadours deliver their Embassy imploy your understandings to discern your memories to retain your wills to choose your affections to love and delight in your consciences to apply what you hear And so sing Psalms with your heart as well as with your voice Col. 3.16 Singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. God complains of those who bring their bodies before him but leave their hearts behind them Isa 29.13 They draw near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is removed far from me this is a mocking of God Therefore be fervent in spirit when you serve the Lord rest not in bare enjoymment of the Means but get Grace by the Means Labour to enjoy the God of Ordinances in the Ordinances of God God is much displeased with eareless heartless and superficial worship If we offer ignorant heartless and distracted prayers will he accept them Cursed be the Deceiver that hath in his flock a Male and voweth and facrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.13 14. Well then rest not in a formal customary way of serving God serve him out of Conscience and give him your heart in every duty 9. Maintain an high esteem and make great Conscience of the Lords-Day Keep the whole day holy morning and evening It 's not said remember to keep part of the Sabbath Day But keep the Sabbath viz. the whole Sabbath holy sanctifie it in private as well as in publick in your own houses as well as in Gods House in your Closets as well as in your Families do not only keep a Rest but sanctifie that Rest How By Meditation meditate on the Sabbath of that Sabbatism that remains for the People of God Heb. 4.9 Muse upon the Joys of Heaven which are pure spiritual constant and perpetual Think of the sweet Company you shall have even Angels and Saints besides God and Christ whose Presence makes Heaven Dwell upon your Immunities and Freedom from Sin Temptations of Satan and the World from troubles as Sickness Poverty Crosses and every thing that makes your life uncomfortable Imitate the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ by raising your hearts from Earth and ascending into Heaven by spiritual Comtemplations Moreover continue the day by reading and singing of Psalms attend upon God in publick also let not private duties hinder you from publick neither strive to attend so much upon publick Ordinances as to abridge your selves of private secret Opportunities I think those Christians do much wrong themselvs who spend all the day in attending upon publick prayers and hearing I would not have you strive to hear four or five Sermons a day unless you can take so much time besides as is necessary to meditate of and apply what you hear so order the day that secret Communion with God may fit you for publick and publick Ordinances fit you again for private and secret converse with God It is not much eating but eating moderately and digesting what we eat that encreaseth strength Two or three Sermons seriously heard and ruminated upon in secret do more good than ten Sermons heard without meditation Brethren what shall we think do those sanctifie a Sabbath to the Lord who hear a Sermon and a few prayers and then go to the Alehouse they who drink sleep sport walk or work away the Sabbath all these are forbidden Isa 58.13 Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight not finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words nor doing thine own works Again Christ and his Disciples did not spend this Day partly in religious Exercises and partly in Recreations or Workings John 20.18 and Acts 20.7 we find there that Christ came amongst the Disciples on the First day and that Paul and the Christians used to spend this Day in Prayer preaching and receiving of Sacraments Moreover God will bless us inwardly and outwardly if we conscienciously observe it Isa 58.14 He will curse us inwardly and outwardly in soul and body if we prophane it See Jer. 17.27 Well then my Brethren do not prefer a Holy-day before the Lords-Day It s sad to think that hundreds should more scruple to work on a Saints-day which is of humane institution than on the Sabbath which is of God's Sirs you of this place have got shall I say an undeserved name of more than ordinary piety but I assure you that if you fall to neglect and prophane the Sabbath as some of our neighbours do you shall lose your very Name I should be very sorry to hear when I am gone that you should prove a Sabbath-breaking-People 10. Make great Conscience of Prayer family and secret Let your houses be Houses of Prayer Those families are called Heathenish Families that call not upon God Psal 79.6 Power out thy Fury upon the Heathen the Families that call not on thy Name Let God have a morning and an evening Sacrifice from you Under the Law God called for the first Fruits and there was a Feast of Ingathering or of the Last Fruits
when the whole harvest was gathered in Oh let God have the first and last of every day How shall your Families be distinguished from your Stables if you do not sanctifie them by Prayer The Creatures which God hath given us for our use they eat drink work and sleep now if we call not upon God daily what difference would there be betwixt our houses and our stables And so enter into your Closets Mat. 6.6 and pray unto your Father which seeth in secret Have you no secret sin to bewail no secret request to put up no particular Mercy to praise God for which you would not have others to know of Is it not a rare Priviledge that we may have liberty to prefer our private Petitions to the King of Heaven every day that we may confess our faults beg pardon ease our heavy hearts by laying them open before that God who will neither upbraid us for our weaknesses wants nor sins Brethren be constant spiritual and fervent in Prayer and it will prove like Sauls Sword and Jonathans Bow which never returned empty Do not hearken to the excuses of flesh and blood which are many but attend to God's Command the Example of Christ and his followers which will oblige you in point of duty and to the Sweetness and Benefit of it which may encourage and allure you 11. Think much of and live in preparation for death walk now and then amongst the Tombs live every day as dying men Get into such a Condition as would fit us for Death every hour Dye daily Deut. 32.29 Oh that you were so wise as to consider your latter â—â—d Dying thoughts would not be a little advantageous they would keep from sin What sin this hour when thou mayest die next they would keep us from doting upon the world from pride of life Why art thou proud of hair and beauty when both shall be turned into dust ere long Shall you and I idolize a coloured piece of clay who though now it proudly and haughtily treads upon the Earth within a few dayes shall it self be trodden upon as mire and dirt O get to be in the number of those servants whom Christ when he comes shall find so being and so doing The Prophet said to Hezekiah Set thy house in order I say to you Set your souls in order against the hour of dying The want of this is of ill consequence for hence it is that men go on securely in sin live as Atheists without God idolize the World and never look to the state of their souls 12. Prepare for Judgement make your Answer ready Put the case before-hand to your selves say with thy self I must ere long appear before the Tribunal of God what can I answer what can I say for my self at that day Who is it that will be Advocate or have I an Advocate that will speak for me how shall I come off shall I stand or shall I fall what will be my sentence Brethren be like him who thought he heard this voice alwayes sounding in his ears Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment The Apostle Paul thought seriously of it and lived as one to be judged 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ to give an account of the things done in the body whether they be good or evil 13. Be often thinking of Eternal Death Walk now and then upon the brinks of Hell get your hearts affected with the reality and greatness of Hells torments Meditate with thy self what Hell is say with thy self Can I endure to lose the smiles of God how shall I endure the frowns of an infinite Majesty If God's terrors have distracted his Friends on Earth what will they do with me if I go to Hell Think what a torment it wil be to be shut out of the company of Saints to see Abraham Isaac Jacob Peter Paul and the rest of the Disciples and Servants of God in all ages in the Kingdom of Heaven and you your selves shut out and what a vexation it will be to be amongst none but damned wretches How canst thou endure to hear the Saints singing praises in Heaven and thou thy self roaring in the infernal Pit Often think of the Worm of Conscience How shall we endure to have Conscience alwayes setting our sins before our eyes It 's a burden now to lie under the gallings of an accusing Conscience O consider that Conscience will continually gnaw and fret in Hell It will be alwayes telling thee of thy sins the place where the time when the persons with whom and all the circumstances that aggravate thy sin Such a time remember thou wast overcharged with Drunkenness such a time thou blasphemedst the holy Name of God with Oaths and Curses Such a time in such a chamber with such a person thou wast wanton and impure Remember what means of Grace thou hast enjoyed what and how many Sermons thou didst or mightst have heard how many able Ministers lived and dyed in thy time Remember will Conscience say what Instruction Reproof and Corrections thou hadst from thy Parents Tutors and Covernours yea remember thou wast not far from the Kingdom of Heaven thou didst fully expect to have gone thither and now thou must be tormented in this flame Again think what a misery it will be to be there where is no mercy where there will be pain without ease sorrow without any joy despair without any hope eternity without end O Eternity Eternity Eternity Often to think of eternal death is the way to escape it If you would not descend into Hell really descend into it mentally If you would not be in Hell by possession be much in it now by meditation This would make us jealous and put us upon trying the state of our souls lest it should unexpectedly be our portion to be amongst the Devil and his Angels for ever 14. Begin betime to be Religious Put not off Holiness Righteousness and Sobriety till old age 1 Kings 18.12 It 's written in commendation of Obadiah that he feared the Lord from his youth It 's King Josiah's honour that while he was yet young he began to seek the Lord God of his fathers 2 Chron. 34.2 3. It 's Mnasons honour that he was an old Disciple Acts 21.16 he began betime and continued till old age Timothy knew the Scriptures from his youth Consider we know not whether old age will be granted us to be religious in be religious whilst ye may The sooner we set upon Piety the sooner we shall honour God and the better God will take it He will remember the kindness of religious youth And by minding Religion soon we may be secured from many sins which others run into and so be secured from the smart and torment of Conscience which old sinners find at Conversion 1. The longer we continue in sin and profaness the more sorrow contrition and humiliation we are like to meet with if ever we be changed Old Oaks must
Blood of Christ that you may grow thereby I commend you to the Word of God's Grace Acts 20.32 5. Make conscience of all your thoughts and words Do not entertain vain and unprofitable meditations especially beware of Ungodly Athiestical Envious Repining Quarelsom Impure thoughts God sees them and is angry at them The Lord knows the thoughts of man when they are vanity Psal 94.11 He will call us to an account for them in the Day of Reckoning he will Judge the secrets of men Rom. 2.17 and then every private and close thing shall be brought to light whether it be good or wether it be evil Eccl. 12. ult Entertain holy and profitable conceptions Carry something every day in your minds that is worth thinking of when you are at leasure and out of imployment Let some Experience Promise Threatning or some Obscure place of Scripture which hath been explained to you or some profitable part of Scripture-Story be treasured up in your minds that so you may not be at a loss how to imploy your thoughts when you have any vacant hours Sin many times enters in by the thoughts beware therefore of and silence sinful conceptions and imaginations lest they produce sinful actions And so make conscience of your words beware of idle frothy wanton expressions for of every such we must give account Let not your communication be such as that it should corrupt the manners of those you converse with David was careful of his words Psal 39.1 I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I conclude this with that in Ephes 4.31 5.4 Let all Bitterness and Anger Wrath Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away from among you as becometh Saints and Filthyness and Foolish talking and Scurrilous jestings which are not convenient 6. Be and continue to be good in evil times In times of prophaness be you holy by how much others are worse by so much be you the better It 's Noahs commendation that he was upright in his generation Gen. 6.9 now the generation in which he lived was very wicked Lot was pure in an impure Sodom Say as Joshua Chap. 24.15 Chuse you whom you will serve but I and my house will serve the Lord So let us say let others prophane Sabbaths we will sanctifie them let others despise Prayer we will call upon God as long as we live Be not stumbled because you see the way of holiness every where spoken against Fire burns the hotest in winter nights let your zeal for God's Honour appear when others are Luke-warm and Cold. Do not think the worst of holiness because contemned by wicked men they are fools and are not competent judges Who thinks the worse of himself because a fool laughs at him Gold is gold still though thrown into the dirt by a mad-man so Religion is Precious and Honourable still though mad-men throw dirt upon it 7. Let your life be a walking with God Manifest Holiness and Piety in every turn of your lives Be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every turn manifest Holiness in every calling in every condition in prosperity in adversity in every relation when you are single before you change your condition and whilst you are in a married state A Christian may shew much of Piety in all these circumstances Be holy not only at sometimes but alwayes 8. Live the Life of Faith Gal. 2.19 the Life of Faith is an excellent Life it gives God the glory of all his Attributes of his Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness Power c. It 's a comfortable life Believing we have joy unspeakable and full of glory It keeps the soul from sinking under wants and troubles Faith as I may so say holds life and soul together If you live not the life of Faith ye cannot live see how much there is of unbelief so much there is of death yea unbelief is sometimes a promoter of temporal death That which the Apostle saith of worldly sorrow that it worketh death even natural death the same I may say of unbelief that it doth in it self hasten death for whilst infidelity and distrust prevails sadness discontent vexation repining and murmuring and fear prevails and all these are enemies even to the body of a Christian Moreover if we live by sence we shall lose much of our spiritual life your Graces and your Comforts will dye your Love Hope Joy and Delight in God will decay yea all Religion will decrease and grow faint Faith is the life of all Graces and Duties Sence and Reason is many times at its wits ends we know not what to do but Faith is never at a loss But our eyes are towards thee there is Faith in the former expression was the language of Sense Faith realizeth seeming impossibilities and presentiates things afar of Heb. 11.1 Act Faith for every thing wanting for your selves or for the Church Do you want pardon of sin is conscience burdened with the guilt of your corruptions act Faith upon such Promises as these Isa 1.18 Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be like Crimson they shall be as Wool and in Hos 14.4 Do you want Righteousness to make you amiable in God's Eyes live upon that Promise in Jer. 23.6 He shall be called The Lord our Righteousness and that in 1 Cor. 1.30 Do you want purging Grace would you feign be washt from the filth and pollution of your lusts Plead such a Promise as that in Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle you with clean water that ye may be clean from all your filthiness will I cleanse you Do you desire persevering Grace and are you fearful of falling away urge that place in Jude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling c. and John 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish my Father is greater than all and none shall pluck them out of my hands Live by Faith for Counsel when you are in the dark and cannot see your way clear Isa 42.16 I will make darkness light before them and crooked things streight For provision when in straits for security and preservation in a time of danger from Isa 33.16 His place of defence shall be the Munition of Rocks Bread shall be given him his Waters shall be sure And so for the Church Live by Faith for the restoring of a faithful Ministry from Jer. 3.15 I will give them Pastors after my own heart which shall feed them with knowledge and understanding For the restoring of an instituted Worship Mal. 1.11 In every place Incense shall be brought and a pure offering Mal. 3.3 I will purifie the sons of Levi and they shall offer to the Lord a pure Offering in righteousness Believe for the returning of God to his Church and People after his seeming departure and forgetting them Isa 49.14 15 16. Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee
In keeping Fasts especially making the dayes on which such a sad Calamity befals us Fasting-dayes As this People did Zech. 7.3 compare Jer. 52.12 The Fast of the fifth Month was for the burning of the Temple which with their solemn Assemblies were all consumed and buryed in its Ashes Secondly In abandoning or at least very much abating Joy in many other things continued to us during the continuance of this Cause of Sorrow Nehemiah though a chearful man droops and cannot be chearful as formerly Nehem. 2.1 2. he is heart-struck with the Churches condition and hath little joy in his own preferment a Prince's smile will not chear him whilst God frowns on his People Uriah will not enjoy honest and lawful delight whilst the Ark is hazarded 2 Sam. 11.11 He that denies proffered delights because the Ark is but hazarded how would he have disdained if not abominated such a Proffer if the Ark had been captivated The Wife of Phinehas sets not her heart on the Tydings of a Male-child when the Ark is taken 1 Sam. 4.21 22. There is little Joy in Children when we suspect whether we shall leave them a Gospel or no We may write Ichabod upon the Children born in our houses in a time when God seems to be breaking up house amongst us Oh who can tell what a want the want of Christ's School of Ordinances is to poor Children Thirdly Mentioning not or at least not accounting our own losses that do accompany this for such Calamities seldom come alone comparable to or worthy to be named with this Loss You may see the frame of this Prophets Spirit Psal 137. totum They cannot joy no though in Babylon they were seated in a fruitsoyl by the waters side but there they weep And what is it for it is for Zion no doubt but they had many a doleful thing to remember beside Zion and her concernments much Spoile and Cruelty The Famine that would fill them with many sad thoughts and the Sword and its Executions would mind them of grievous things but it is Zion that makes their heart bleed As this is their chief Joy so this is their chief Sorrow They did not so much miss the Comforts of their native Country as Jerusalem Oh that City of their Solemnities Oh Jerusalem they cannot forget David in his Exile wanted many things besides the Courts of the Lord but he speaks as if he wanted nothing but them nothing as them He breathes not after Sauls court but after God's Court. Some upon the 84th Psalm and the 4th verse do leave out the supplement Even that is in our Translation and reade it as an abrupt and pathetical Exclamation thus Thine Altars O Lord of Hosts q. d. Oh for thine Altars O my God when and where shall I be so happy Thine Altars thine Altars The Birds they have Nests where to lay their Young they have what is agreeable to their nature need and refreshings Oh why have I not where to lay my head Oh why am I kept from my Resting place David in his Exile seeing the Birds come and go to their Nests like a passionate Lover he takes occasion thence to bewaile his sad lot As sometimes Queen Elizabeth did in her Restraints Speed in the Life of Qu. Mary upon the sight of the Milk-maid out of her Prison Windows whose merry singing over her Pail put her into a pensive dump preferring a poor liberty before her Princely Captivity So that the words are an holy piece of Poetry expressing so zealous an Affection to the Ordinances that turned every thing it met with either into Fewel or Bellows Fourthly Lamenting after the Lord during the time of this Sequestration on us for our Delinquencies until the Lord take it off and put us into possession of these dear Liberties and precious Priviledges One of the Daughters of godly Sorrow is vehement desire As in the Creation out of the Waters were formed the winged Fowls 2 Cor. 7.11 And hence comes a sickness of heart until the Mercy desired be obtained No Mercy that is on this side Christ and Grace more panted after This is that which David will seek after Psal 27.4 this is that he thirsts for and longs for that he may see God's Power and Glory as he had seen him in the Sanctuary Psal 63.1 2. Oh that I may but behold those glorious Ordinances If it had not been for hopes of Restitution his heart would have fallen into a deadly swond Psal 27.13 You find the People 1 Sam. 7.2 lamenting after the Lord. We should lye in Tears whilst the Church lyes in its Ruines It is Junius his note upon the Text Pios qui tanto studio conventus sacri constringuntur ut tantisper dum a Deo absunt sint in maerore luctu The Spirit of a good man under such a want should be like that of Mephibosheth in Davids absence 2 Sam. 19.24 Whilst David was driven out he hath no mind of himself nor of any thing he hath And when David is returned he is so full of that that he cares not if he hath nothing else Surely brown bread and Gospel is good fare and a short allowance of Temporals will serve if God will restore and mend our spiritual Pastures Isa 30.20 And thus much of the first Question The second follows which is 2. Quest Why should Church Members be sorrowful for the want of them Answ The Text shall answer this Question that so I may at once more fully explain the Text and confirm the Doctrine and before I give the Reasons that are couched in the Text I shall only premise this That I take it for granted that by Solemn Assemblies are meant all the Appendices of them and takes in the want of the Word Worship Ministry and Ordinances which things do make them sacred and in a peculiar manner solemn Assemblies This premised I come to the first Reason Reas 1. Because they are Solemn Assemblies i. e. Holy Meetings for high and great Ends. The Testification of our duty in our attendance upon and approaches to his Majesty and the Communication of his Grace Mercy and Goodness so that in losing them we are prevented from doing that which is the main end of our being and are interrupted in the enjoying of that which is the means of our present and future well-being But because it is particulars that do affect singularia pungunt I shall a little open this Loss in two particulars First In the want of Assemblies we want the Publick Worship And Secondly We want the things to be enjoyed in Publick Worship and to be received in it 1. In the want of the Solemn Assemblies we want Publick Worship there the People are Psal 102.21 22. gathered together to serve the Lord. The service of God is reckoned among the Jews Priviledges Rom. 9.4 Publick Worship is one of the Jewels in the Jews Cabinet First Publick Worship is that which God loves and that God hath wrought in all
Preservation in dispersions God sets his Mark not only on them that mourn for the evil done in Sion but them also that mourn for the evil done to Sion Brine preserves meat God keeps his People in brinish salt tears There were many that lived to see the Temple ruined and repaired as you see in Ezra 3.11 but it appears by their tears and weeping that they had their hearts much upon the former Temple and it upon their hearts not as if all the mourners were preserved but many mourners were and none but such have any ground to expect it 2. It notes Restauration after their Dispersions 1. They shall meet in their own place and places again No matter how far removed though cast out to the uttermost part of Heaven God will gather thence Nehem. 1.9 He will bring them from the East and gather them from the West he will say to the North Give up c. Isa 43.5 6. No matter who lies in the way nor how strong they are that holds them Jer. 31.10 11. He that scattereth Israel will gather and ransome him from the hand of him that is mightier than he 2. They shall meet in their Solemn Assemblies again I will gather and bring to their Folds Jer. 23.4 I will feed them upon the Mountains of Israel in a good and fat Pasture Ezek. 34.12 13 14. God will build Jerusalem and gather together the Out-casts of Israel Psal 147.2 They shall take down their Harps and have a naile in God's holy place 3. Nay this Gathering implies some Restitution for the losses of their Mercies I will settle you after your old Estate and do better to you than at the beginning Ezek. 36.11 As 1. There shall be more purity in Ordinances than formerly They shall not defile themselves any more with their Idols nor detestable things Ezek. 37.23 11.16 17 18. 2. More Glory Hag. 2.7 9. I will fill this House with Glory The Glory of this latter House shall be greater than the former 3. More Power and Efficacy I will assemble her that halteth and gather her that is driven out and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever Mich. 4.6 7. 4. More Condescention and larger Testimonies of his Acceptation I will accept you with your sweet Savours when I bring you out from the People and gather you out of the Countryes wherein you have been scattered Ezek. 20.40 41. Neither will I hide my face any more from them Ezek. 39.29 5. More Unity I will gather them and make them one Nation and they shall be no more two Nations Ezek. 37.21 22. And I will give them one heart as in Ezek. 11.19 I will gather them and give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Children after them Jer. 32.37 38 39. 6. More security Be no more a prey to Heathens but dwell safely as in Ezek. 34.27 Then will God undoe all that afflict them Zephan 3.19 God will raise up his Hedge of Protection much higher 7. More Honour and Reputation He will get them Praise and Fame in every Land where put to shame Will make them a Name and a Praise among all people of the Earth Zephan 3.19 20 For your shame you shall have double Isa 61.7 Oh what Sheaves are here what a rich Harvest for them that under such Dispensations do sow in Tears Psal 126.5 6. What Wine will God brew his People out of these Tears Fill your Water-pots to the brim they shall be turned into Wine I will but hint one distinction which shall be as my Porch to enter upon Application and that is this The want of Solemn Assemblies is either a total want when God removes the Candle-stick such through Mercy our want is not Bread is something more scarce in some places but through Mercy it is not a Famine in all places or 2. a partial want when God by death natural or civil puts out or whelms many Candle-sticks under Bushels And this is the condition of divers Assemblies in these three Nations Now though the first be naturally meant in the Text and Doctrine and that which calls for most tears yet the latter may consequently be taken in as that which being some degree of the former want doth call for some yea great sorrows Scarsity is sad though Famine be most grievous APPLICATION Having thus far at some distance opened and confirmed this Truth I shall come a little nearer to you that are more especially concerned in it and first I shall tell you what errand it doth not come upon and then secondly what errand it doth come upon to you First The errand of this Truth my dear People is not to alarm you into Sedition or to gather you into any unlawful Assemblies upon the account of the loss of your Solemn Assemblies of Conventicles truly so called i.e. Meetings to plot Disturbance to the State I would say and have every one of you to say as Jacob Gen. 49.6 7. O my soul enter not into their secret and to their Assembly mine honour be thou not united If I may not be a Trumpet to call you to the Assembly I will not be a Trumpet of Rebellion to sound an Alarm If I may not call you to the Mountain of the Lord I will not say To your Tents O Israel If I may not have Aarons Bells I will not take Peters Sword The scars that the Sword hath given Religion are but too conspicuous If I may not warm you and be as an heavenly Spark I will not be an hellish Incendiary I had rather give no light than appear in a flame and be a fire-brand As Paul saith in another case 2 Cor. 13.6 So I with changing one word in the Text I trust yeâ— shall know we are not seditious Though we cannot do all that man requires we dare not do what God forbids We have minded you in our Doctrine amongst you to be subject to Principalities Powers and we hope in our Practice never to teach you to forget it God admonished this People against all discontented and seditious Practices during the Captivity But let God alone to bring about his good Thoughts Reade Jer. 29.7 And so do I you Do not smite others with the tongue but smite on your own thigh In your want of spiritual Bread throw stones at none but your selves Be not as those Desperadoes in Isa 8.21 that when they are hungry fret themselves and curse their King and their God Do not call for fire upon others heads but for Springs of Water in your own hearts Oh that God who hath stopped the upper Springs would open the nether Springs It is for our Rebellions that we dwell in a dry Land Psal 68.6 Do not smite with the hand This Doctrine bids you shed tears not blood it bids you not draw blood but draw water and pour it out before the Lord Not make places Acheldama's
O mourning soul is it nothing that there is no change in the Covenant of Grace though it may be thou thinkest there is a great alteration as to the Means of Grace Thy Teacher is where he was though some of thy Teachers be removed It is he that taught thee by them and he can teach thee without them Thou hast before seen cause to magnifie him because he did All by the Instruments and now thou mayest see cause to omnify him that can be to thee instead of all Instruments Christ Jesus is in Office and in exercise of his Office as Prophet when some Officers may be discharged John 5.17 Christ works if some others may not can you not find all that you have lost in that one Title of Christ The great Shepherd of the Sheep Heb. 13.10 If you should be brought so low as to see no Temple yet may you find a Temple in the Lamb Rev. 21.22 Some think that Promise of God to this mourning People Ezek. 11.16 That he would be to them as a little Sanctuary is not only a Promise of protection but that he would from himself also make some supply of Temple-Ordinances I will be a little Temple to you I will be instead of your City-Walls and your Temple-Priviledges 2. As for future Hopes there is room for an If I shall find favour in his eyes 2 Sam. 15.25 The Prophet Ezekiel dare not conclude against dry bones living Ezek. 37.3 11 12. The Text is a promise of gathering a mourning People If it be asked May we apply such Promises I Answer Yes sure we may with giving God that liberty he hath reserved to himself That he will either give us the very thing or that which is equivolent The Promises are a cōmon stock What Peter saith of Scripture There is no Scripture of private interpretation I may with a little change say of Scripture-Promises they are not of private application Nay if that be true which some upon good grounds affirm That the Church then was typical and the times that passed over her then were typical of that state of the New-Testament Church in its latter age then I say these Promises are as much ours as theirs Act Faith therefore on this Promise if God hath pricked thy heart and fear not to conclude that either God will find us a room in his House on Earth or give us the Mansions that Christ hath prepared for us in Heaven Either we shall be gathered thither where we have enjoyed Ordinances or into Heaven where we shall need none which is best of all O let our scatterings unite us O let us be sowing Goodness and scattering Religion wherever we come compare Acts 8.1 4. with chap. 11.19 And pour out our hearts in those words with which the Jews conclude both in writing and in reading the Lamentations of Jeremiah in Lam. 5.21 wherewith I will conclude this mournful discourse Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Renew our dayes as of old Amen SERMON XVII Ephes 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise Redeeming the time because the dayes are evil THe Apostle having in the former part of this Chapter given the Ephesians warning to avoid that Looseness Prophaneness and Disorder in their lives and conversations which would exclude them out of the Kingdom of Heaven In this verse he comes by way of inference to direct them what course they should take In which words we have several things well worthy our consideration As 1. The Duty enjoyned and that with a note of earnestness See that ye walk circumspectly q. d. have a care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accurate exactte be sure what ever ye do that ye walk exactly And this Duty he amplifies 1. Negatively Not as Fools And 2. Positively But as Wise 2. Here is a special part of the Duty particularized Redeeming the time 3. Here is a reason of the Command or a motive to the performance of the Duty Because the dayes are evil The words thus considered are very pregnant and will without much midwifery bring forth these very many useful and seasonable Observations Doctrine 1. That a truly Christian Conversation is an exact Conversation Doct. 2. That a loose Life is a Fools Life Doct. 3. That he is the wisest Man that lives most exactly Doct. 4. That specially in evil Times we have need of much spiritual Wisdom for the right ordering of our Conversations Doct. 5. That it is a special part of Christian Wisdom to redeem Time Doct. 6. That the worse the Times are wherein we live the more it concerns us to redeem Time and to live exactly and wisely Doct. 7. That to live loosely and lose Time and Opportunities of good when times are evil is the veriest Folly in the world Here are rich Materials for a large Fabrick and I would gladly make the best of them for your advantage but I am confined not self-confined as formerly but by a necessity imposed upon me I say I am confined to such narrow straits of time that though it be a Treasury of such precious Truths as deserves a long and serious view yet I shall be constrained to crowd much in a little room and to give you but an half-fight of these Jewels and so put them up again but this I 'le do I will open the Cabinet and shew them to you as I can and so leave them with you in hopes you will take a more full and considerable view of them afterwards And so I shall begin with the first Doct. 1. That a right Christian Conversation is a circumspect exact Conversation a strict and precise Conversation wherein a man endeavours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go to the top and walk upon the very ridge of his Rule As Paul Phil. 3.12 13 14 15. who laboured not only to see at a distance but to hit the very Mark of Christianity While he was a Jew he was strict and precise in that way he was of the strictest Sect of Religion Acte 26.5 And so when he was converted to Christianity he did not throw off his strictness and preciseness but guided it by the Rule of Christianity and exhorteth the Ephesians and all other Christians in the words of the Text to do the like I should not doubt easily to convince your judgements and understandings of this Truth but because strictness is a thing that is every where spoken against the hardest task will be to perswade your wills and affections to embrace this Truth I shall endeavour both by this ensuing Demonstration 1. Christians have a Rule to live by and this Rule is the Word of God This is that Rule mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 6.16 God hath not left man like brute beasts in a Forest As soon as he made man in the world he gave him a Rule to walk and live by Gen. 2.16 17. And as an Emblem of this spiritual Enclosure he left not our
in at this door the Flesh desires its liberty and thou art ashamed to cross the course of the generality and to out-run thy neighbours and then to be reproached for a Puritan a Precisian or the new-name of a Fanatick and when thy affections are thus hampered and intangled then thy judgment must needs strike in to maintain them 2. Have a care therefore in the next place of thy judgment that it be not leavened with any vulgar Error as if all Holiness were but Hypocrisie and the worst livers might repent when they are dying and God would have mercy on one as well as another c. By which uncouch notions many poor creatures gull themselves into everlasting Misery Have a care especially that you suffer not your judgments to be overmuch swayed by the observations of some mens practice Perhaps you may ere long see many Professors now pretending to Exactness then to put off their vizards and to discover the falseness of their hearts by the looseness of their lives And I wish you may know no Teachers that shall preach up Holiness and Exactness in the Pulpit and pull it down by the evil example of their own prophane conversations or oppose and persecute it in those that seriously study and endeavour to put it in practise By observation of these things many who will not take the pains to weigh them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary are gulled into a belief 2 Pet. 2.1 2. that either Religion is but a cheat or at least that it is not expected whether by God or man that they should put in practise those things which are taught them out of the Scriptures Take heed of this as a soul-destroying Prejudice Branch 2. The second Branch of this Use will afford matter of caution against Discouragements If you have begun to walk circumspectly take heed of drawing back your foot from walking in that way Having begun in the Spirit never think you can be made perfect by the flesh Gal. 3.3 What though the way be rugged and you meet wiâ—h Poverty Disgrace Prisons and Deaths therein Christ knew before-hand as well as you what it would cost you to be exact Christians and yet hath so strictly required it that if you set your hands to the plow and look back he will deem you unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven Luke 9.62 I must not enlarge upon every particular I shall conclude this point with one word of Consolation to such as are Conformists to this Rule of the Apostle That if they suffer for being circumspect and exact in their Conversations they really suffer as Christians and then as the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.16 so say I If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf Yea let them rejoyce and be exceeding glad yea let them count it all joy Indeed you cannot suffer in a better cause If a man suffer for evil doing there is matter of shame and sorrow if he suffer meerly for an opinion there is many times cause of doubting which may damp his comfort but if a man suffer for Righteousness sake he hath such an undoubted witness of the Truth and goodness of his Cause that neither Men nor Devils can overthrow the Evidence thereof and thereby cause his Comforts to wither and fail him I have now finished the first point The second is this Doct. 2. That a loose Life is a fools Life This the Apostle doth clearly imply when he saith Walk circumspectly not as Fools By a Loose Life we mean such a life as is not tyed up and limited by the bonds bounds of Gods Word and so may be bowed and bended to suit and comply with all companies times occasions and principleâ— whereby it stands in direct opposition to that Circumspection Exactness or Preciseness which the Apostle in the Text calls for That such a Loose Life is a Fools Life will appear if we consider how irrational and brutish a life it is neither answering nor attaining the end of life whereby it becomes void of all true Comfort and will certainly end most miserably But for brevities sake I must forbear to enlarge upon these things and that the rather because the Folly of such a Loose Life will be sufficiently demonstrated by the evidence of the next Proposition which is this Doct. 3. That he is the wisest man who walks most circumspectly and lives most exactly Passing by at present many other Scripture-Proofs I shall here record only three sayings to this purpose of the wisest of meer men Prov. 10.8 The wise in heart will receive Commandments i. e. He that doth not only pretend to Wisdom but hath it rooted in his heart will make it to appear by this that he will so receive God's Commands as to obey them and live by them Prov. 23.19 Hear thou my Son and be wise and guide thine heart in the way This is a Precept for the attainment and exercise of true Wisdom which is by guiding his heart and consequently his life in the way of God's Commandments Prov. 28.7 Who so keepeth the Law is a wise Son I know that there are many pretenders to Wisdom Among the men of the world he ever accounts himself the wisest man who is most ingenious to accomplish such designs as tend most to the satisfaction of those particular lusts whereto he is addicted So among the Covetous he is accounted wisest who can heap up most wealth Prov. 28.11 Among the Ambitious he that â—â—n clime to the highest pitch of honour Among the Voluptuous he that can find out the choicest wayes of pleasing the sences But these are but meer pretenders for in truth this their way is their folly and upon all their wisdom we may write Solomons Motto Vanity of vanities all is but vanity and vexation of spiritt God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world yea he will destroy the wisdom of the wise bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent 1 Cor. 1.19 20. Where then is wisdom to be found and where is the place of understanding Job 28.12 28. Behold the Fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding Prov. 15.21 He is the only man of understanding that walketh uprightly and knows how to order his Conversation with Circumspection and Exactness This in the general but for further demonstration of this Truth in the particulars Reason 1. He that walks most exactly is the wisest man because therein he doth best for himself The wise Man saith Prov. 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self Truly whatsoever wisdom any man may seem to have yet if he be not wise for his own good he is but as we say Penny wise and Pound foolish and that no man can be wise for his own good who gives himself over to a loose irregular and sinful life is evident from this and several other Texts of Scripture Prov. 8.36
commendation that great hath been the incouragement we have found among you from God from you and from our Honourable Patron From God in his remarkable Providence in bringing us first among you in vouchsafing his Gracious Presence to and with us since and in giving in some considerable fruit of our weak unworthy labours for we may say that a great door and effectual hath been opened though of late there have been many adversaries And great hath been the encouragement we have received from you also from your great affection to us and especially from your ready entertainment of our Labours and forward and chearful submission to the Ordinances of Christ that have been dispensed among you which though it cannot but add much to our grief in parting from you yet it is no small addition to our comfort also We have also received much encouragement and many undeserved respects from the honourable Patron of this Place for all which we heartily bless God and no less heartily pray that God would recompence his and your respects to us a thousand fold into his and your bosomes And I trust we can in sincerity say for our selves that we have not sought yours but You and that it is not the loss of our places and outward accommodations that trouble us but the loss of our opportunities of serveing our God your precious and immortal souls in the work of the Gospel It grievs us to think of the shares and temptations you may meet with for when the Shepherds are smitten the Sheep are like to be scattered If God shall send such among you as wil in the main be faithful to God and your souls it will afford much hearts-ease to us and satisfaction to our spirits We have for above eleven years preached to you by our publick labours God now calls us and many others to preach to you by our silence And the very silence of so many Ministers if blessed by the Lord may prove the most powerful and effectual Sermon to People that they have had This speaks Gods displeasure this bids both us and you look into our and your hearts and wayes what it is that hath provoked God to send upon us this sad dispensation The silence of Ministers calls aloud on us all to humble our selves under the mighty hand of God It bids us repent of our sins the causes of Gods Judgments It calls on you to prize and improve Ministers and Ordinances better if God shall continue restore or further afford them to you Yea Ministers silence should cause People to speak the more and louder to God in prayer for the continuance and restoring of Ministers and Ordinances to them When you do not hear so much and often from God in preaching let God hear the more and oftner from you in prayer Ply the Throne of Grace Give God no rest till he make Jerusalem a Praise in the earth And as our silence should make you speak the more to God so also the more and oftner one unto another in holy conference to provoke to love and to good works And I beseech you Brethren pray for us What ever God may do with us or whithersoever we may be driven we shall carry you in our hearts and when and while we remember our selves to God we shall never forget you but present you and your souls concernments daily unto God at the Throne of Grace in our prayers And we earnestly beg this of you as that you would remember what we have spoken to you in the Name of the Lord so that you would remember us to God and let us have a room and share in your hearts and prayers When you get into a corner to pour out your hearts before God carry us to God upon your hearts Do not forget us but lift up a prayer to God for us your we hope we may say faithfull though weak unworthy Ministers who have laboured among you in the Word and Doctrine I shall say no more but conclude with these two Scriptures the one Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those that are sanctified The other Scripture is that request of Paul to and prayr for the Hebrews Heb. 13.18 19 20 21. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly But I beseech you the rather to do this that I may be restored to you the sooner Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON III. Phil. 2.12 Wherefore my beloved as ye have alwayes obeyed not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling BEloved I am now it seems to bid you Farewell and I rejoice I have this one opportunity more of preaching to you Though it is sad to think of parting if my poor pains might have been any way profitable amongst you yet I cannot wonder that here the course of my publick Ministry is stopt When I first came to you I expected to have dwelt in silence and to have been free among the dead long ere this day Now this is like to be the last Sermon I shall ever preach to you here my hearts desire and earnest prayer to God is That more good may be done by this one than hath been done by many Sermons past That if you that see me this day should see me here no more yet you might have cause to bless God for what you shall now hear even while you have a day to live The words of a dying friend are wont to make a deep impression so should the words of a departing Minister Beloved I am confident that both you and I must give an account of this dayes Work to the Judge of all the World Wherefore I would be so serious even in all I say unto you as if I were immediately to give up my account to God and I desire and beseech you in the fear of God and for the love you ow to your own souls that you would as seriously attend to what shall be spoken This Exhortation of the Apostle even now read unto you depends on and is inferred from what goes before as appears from the Illative Wherefore The Apostle having spoken of the humiliation and obedidience of Christ as he was obedient unto death v. 8. and of his glorious exaltation that followed thereupon he presseth these believers to obedience and continuance therein from Christ's example and the blessed end thereof viz. their own Salvation Note The Life of Christ is a Christians Copy An exact an