but then secondly A second Argument in the Text shall be drawn from the Object and that is two-fold there is faith and the profession of this faith that is to be held fast and there are Arguments from both First Faith hold fast faith why are we so greatly concerned and so highly obliged to hold fast Faith I will give you this one reason for it it is the most holy Faith There are many things may be called Faith that may not be called most holy Faith there are many faiths that are at least called holy Turkish faith is by them called holy faith the Romish faith is by them called holy faith I but this is the most holy faith there is an expression that Jude hath to commend faith to us in the 20 verse of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith c. Let other pretenders be as holy as they can they can never rise to the holiness of this this is the most holy faith it is so holy in so high a degree as to be beyond compare I but now what is it that may denominate this faith to be the most holy faith why it hath for its Author the most holy God it is the gift of God and the work of God if we take it for the Act of faith and the doctrine of God if we take it for the doctrine of faith There are as the Apostle saith gods many but we know but one most holy God there are that will be called your Holiness in the world but this is the most holy God a God that is glorious in holiness yea whose glory is to be holy There is nothing stamps glory on any subject like holiness what is the difference between the Angels in Heaven and the Angels in Hell but Holiness that is their glory the the holy Angels and that is their shame the sinful Angels and what was it that made Canaan a better land than another was it not the holiness it was the holy Land what was it that made the Temple a better place than another was it not because it was the holy Temple Yea it is the glory of all the Attributes of God that they are holy His Justice would look like severity but that it is holy His Power would look like Tyranny were it not holy His Love would look like fondness were it not holy His Patience would look like a toleration of sin were it not holy therefore it is said the Lord God glorious in holiness Now this most holy God is the Author of this Faith and so it is a most holy faith it being the Word of the most holy God and will you leave and not hold fast this most holy Faith But then besides It may be â—aid to be the most holy faith in this sence too that it is its nature where ever it comes to make the subject in whom it is most holy saith the Apostle you hath God chosen to wit by Faith to be a peculiar people a holy Nation Acts 15.2 it is said He hath purified their hearts by faith and he will give them an â—nheritance among them that are sanctified by faith It may be called the most Holy Faith in these two respects First Considering the operation and effects it hath upon the hearts and lives of them in whom it is it makes them a holy People beyond all the people in the world And then upon this account too as to the uhimate effects of it that it admits us into the most holy places You know the Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of Heaven and Jesus Christ is said to enter into the Holy of Holies that is into Heaven Now this doth admit us into the most holy place where the most holy God is saith the Apostle Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus Alas in the time of old they could go but into the outward court but now saith he We have all this boldness to enter into the most holy place by the bloud of Jesus Shall we leave such a Faith as this shall we not hold fast the most holy Faith that is from the most holy God that makes the most holy people and that admits us into the most holy place Where do we find such another Faith as this is if you leave this Faith that is so good in it self a Faith that doth so much good to us and which is better that makes us so good for it is much better to be made good than to have good done unto us and beloved what will it avail us if God should do us good all our days if we be not made good if we should have the good of health and wealth and long life and yet not be made good all this while it avails us not now this is the nature of Faith it is good in it self it doth good to us and it makes us good therefore beloved let us not lay it aside until we can find a better and that we shall never do unless we can find any thing more holy than God But secondly The second Branch of the Object is the Profession of our Faith It seems Beloved it is not enough to hold fast our Faith only but the Profession of it why so truly there is this in it the profession of faith is as necessary as the faith it self mark that See this from the mouth of that great Apostle I may say from the mouth of God himself Rom. 10.9 10. That if thou shalt with thy mouth confess thy Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation An unprofessed Faith hath no salvation annexed to it you see the Scripture maketh it as necessary to our salvation to profess our believing as to believe Now beloved if it be necessary to believe and necessary to profess it s then necessary to hold fast Faith and consequently as necessary to hold fast the profession thereof without Faith there is no salvation faith the Scripture and saith this Scripture without the profession of this Faith there is no Salvation now to say I will keep faith I will only part with a little profession it is all one in Scripture as to part with Faith it self for why the Scripture faith If thou believe with thy heart and confess with thy mouth thou shalt be saved so that as long as faith continues profession is to continue or there is no salvation faith without profession will do no more for you than profession without faith therefore observe what the Apostle speaks Heb. 3.13 saith he We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end not else Thirdly A third Argument is drawn from the act with the qualifications let 's hold fast without wavering Now there
that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to hold fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this though there were some Doctrines of Faith and matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of the Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God which we have heard and received First In your Judgements being fully resolved and setled in your Judgements concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by any means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgements hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we should never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the Word no man will part with that which he loves What makes the covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather than his Lust Why It is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly you must hold the Truth in the profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not only believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Peter denied his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denied him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in word or outward profession to renounce the truth or any part of it Hold fast the profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our life and conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truths of God in our lives Fifthly We must do all this constantly hold fast the Truth in our Judgement and Affection Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end We must not only in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the world hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but it stormy times when Truth may burn a mans fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received resolutely against all oppositions whatsoever whether of friends or foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother his elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave no place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Wills and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truth of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious than Gold better than Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the daughter of God Divine Truth is the child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver this Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancie in them I say we have received the Truth under the Nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an heritage Thy Testimonies have I spoken for mine heritage saith David in the 119 Psal Though a mans personal estate may be alienated yet that which is his heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with that Truth is the inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a Thing committed to mans trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him the Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good matter and it tends to a good end the saving of our souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keep it that it may be re-delivered and redelivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may redeliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This is the duty of all Christians thus to keep the word There is a committing of the Truth to all the Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in his Epistle verse the third That ye should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints the Faith that is the doctrine of Faith the Truth of the Gospel
to see this and what if so be when you are found in Satans way Satan should lay his paw on you and claim to you what do you there in Satans ground would you be found when you come to dye in a Play-house or in such a place where the true God is Idolatrously worshipped It is a great truth if you would not be found in the Devils power do not be found in the Devils pound Brethren we must know Satan is busie enough to tempt us we need not go to tempt him Eve lost all that she had by hearing one Sermon but it was from the Devil Therefore if you would not have you pockets pickt do not trade amongst Cheaters 2 Tim. 6.3 5. If any man teach otherwise c. than that ye have received and we Preached from such withdraw thy self that is a good honest laudable separation from such withdraw thy self 6. Where God doth not find a mouth to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe pray mind it this I am sure is of concernment this is one of the grand points in my Cards or Compass on which I hope I shall venture all If any man come with a Doctrine not according to the Word of God let him carry it whither he will what have I to do with it either you come from God or no if you do shew me his Word and I le believe it if not open your pack where you please c. where God doth find a mouth to speak where you have not a Precept Promise Threatning or Example in the Word of God let them talk their hearts out it is nothing to me to my Religion to my Salvation Object But what ground have you for this Answ Jesuit I will tell you my ground this is my great hold I have against Popery could they convince me of this That I must believe with an implicite faith because they say it I think it would not be long before I turn'd Papist Quest But why must I not believe it with an implicite faith Answ Look you into these three great Scriptures Mat. 15.2 Why do thy Disciples transgress the traditions of the Elders The Jews come and tell Christ he was not a true Son of the Church of the Jews he was disobedient to the Church of the Jews why thou hast Disciples that walk not as they ought what do they do they commit an unpardonable sin they transgress the traditions of the Elders they break one of the greatest Commandments what 's that tradition They wash not their hands when they eat bread This was the great sin and they charge it on him eat with unwashed hands why bring you in this Tradition What have you to say to it what is that to the purpose prove Jesus Christ that there is any thing in the word of God that is against washing but prove you out of the word of God where they are bound to wash before they eat if you will give out your imposition make out your institution let me tell you you talk of Tradition but first you set up an Altar God never thought of and secondly you pull down Gods Altar Why do you all transgress the Commandments of God by your Tradition for God Commanded saying Honour thy Father and thy Mother and he that curseth father or mother let him die the death but ye say whosoever shall say to his father or mother it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me and honor not your Father or Mother he shall be free thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition ye Hypocrites you were told of it long ago well did Esaias prophesie of you saying This people draweth nigh unto me with their moâ—th and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me They draw near wash their hands wash their cups and have filthy souls they honor me with their lips c. But though their principle their heart is bad their worship is good is it not so no In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men So then my Brethren remember all those that teach for Doctrines the precepts of men in vain do they worship God Here 's an innocent Command not against the Word of God but this Command you must wash before you eat if you do not wash you do transgress the tradition of the Elders but let you starve Father and Mother if you give but to the Church to a Nunnery Friery c. it is all one so that all those that will for Doctrines teach the traditions of men will render the Commandments of God of none effect in vain do they worship me Look therefore where-ever God doth not find a tongue to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe Christians if you expect Christs benediction always call aloud for Christs institution so Col. 2.18 19. one of the greatest steps you have against Popery Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind c. Deut. 12.13 What things soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it There are no Wens in the body of Gods Precepts therefore none of them to be cut off You must not deal with Gods Ordinances as that Tyrant Procustes did with men if they were too long for his Bed he would cut them shorter if too short he would pull their limbs out of joynt to make them longer Never think your selves in conscience bound to lend an ear to that which God doth not find a mouth to speak 7. Would you stand fast beware of shaking Doctrines what are those there are a great many of such Doctrines that are shaking give me leave to instance in three or four 1. As you love your souls beware of Doctrines that tend to and preach up licentiousness loosness and prophaneness should any tell you you may lawfully violate and prophane the Sabbath do not believe it the doctrine of the Gospel is a doctrine of godliness it teacheth us to deny ungodly and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world therefore if you find any Doctrine at any time that should have the least tendency to encourage you in any sin know 't is a doctrine against the Gospel 2. Where ever you find any Doctrine that shall tend to the lifting up of a mans free will and debasing of Gods free grace know it is a wicked doctrine and against the genius of the Gospel perhaps the Papists will tell you you are alive Paul tells us we are dead they say that we can do any thing many things that we talk to the world we cannot do they say That we can save our selves and close with Christ if we will whereas the Apostle tells
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
would prevent your fears if God would continue forfeited mercies dearer to you than your lives you would set apart some special thing for God something for the propagation of the Gospel abroad for the maintenance of a godly Ministry at home for setting up the preaching of the Gospel in the dark corners of the Kingdom c. This must have some cautions with it As 1. We must be sure our vow be of what is in our own power we must not make vows of that which is none of our own I hate robbery for burnt-offerings We must not make a vow to God of that which hath been unjustly or unrighteously taken away or with-held from any 'T is Sacriledge instead of a Sacrifice 2. It must be of things warrantable and justifiable by the Word 3. It must be of such things that we are not bound to do before vows by the standing obligation of Religion and of our profession but of something that is in our own choice that we will voluntarily make a free-will offering of it to God 4. We must take heed that we do not entertain a superstitious thought of our own vows as if we had merited a mercy at Gods hands by our vows God looks for some special vow at our hands that we may shew how much we prize and value the mercy we would have that we would be content to part with any thing though to the half of our estate for it 2. Another thing I find is that in the mean time we should do something by way of extraordinary bounty and charity to the relief of Gods indigent servants Thus the Prophet Daniel Wherefore O King let my counsel be acceptable to thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquility Dan. 4.27 The Prophet advises him to break off his sins by Righteousness there 's Reformation and besides Reformation that he would do something in an extraordinary way to the relief of the poor Mercy to the poor what 's that Interpreters conceive by the poor here he understands Gods poor i.e. the poor Jews that were now in the Babylonian Captivity he advises he would do something by way of sympathy to the Jews to ease their yoaks and oppressions break off thine iniquities by pittying and shewing mercy to thy poor Captives under thy power now at this time take off their yoak ease their burdens and restore them to their liberties again Thus do you and those that have been the instruments of your conversation or edification set apart something extraordinary for their relief and supply The Prophet Daniel seems to advise this to the King as it were by way of satisfaction There be two things in repentance in wrongs we have done there must be confession and satisfaction or restoration he seems to advise this to make up compleat repentance namely to make restoration and retribution of what he had injuriously taken from the Jews Oh then let me say without breach of charity that whatsoever except it be in this case of extraordinary supplies for his poor it will be found but making restitution and satisfaction It may be upon a twofold ground 1. With some it may be truly restitution and restoration of what he hath taken away by unjust means God knows how that 's between God and their own souls what unlawful means have been used to augment the heap and swell their Estate If there be any that hear me this day whose consciences shall tell them that they have increased their estate by undue and unwarrantable means Oh Restore Restore break off your iniquities by shewing mercy c. by making reparation as you can it will be but like Zacheus giving half his goods to the poor and restoring four-fold c. in a liberal Contribution to the poor 2. It will be restitution in another sense in reference to an unjust withholding some have injuriously and I am afraid too too many have kept injuriously Have we not rob'd the poor by an unjust denying of what God hath commanded us to distribute to their necessties there is that withholdeth more than is meet c. Prov. 3.17 and 11.24 It may be God hath given you so much there 's Gods share there 's the Ministers portion c. Now all that you have with-held beyond the Rule of Scripture is all stolen goods and is like a Wheat-sheaf on fire will burn down the whole Barn of Corn. That which I would exhort you to is for every one to set a part some considerable part of your Estate and account it as a hollow thing dedicated to God as a thing which to touch were sacriledge that you may be ready on all occasions in all regular and due ways to bring out for the relief of the poor you know objects abounding in every place and you may expect warrantable means for dispensing of what God shall put into your hearts in this matter Mr. Jenkin's Forenoon Sermon Heb. 11.38 The former part of that Verse Of whom the world was not worthy THe Apostle in this excellent Chapter that by some is deservedly called a little Book of Martyrs discovers the tryumph of faith or victory against all difficulty we meet with 1. Faith it assents to truths be they never so improbable 2. It puts men upon duties be they never so irrational or against carnal interest 3. It enables to sufferings be they never so afflictive These Worthies went through all by the victory that overcame the world the bitterness as well as the sweetness thereof In these verses the Apostle doth two things First he sets down the greatness and smartness of their sufferings which are by some learned men reduced to three heads First those sufferings that were to tempt them and draw them from God by those pains and tortures they were to undergo Secondly Those sufferings they underwent in dying Thirdly their sufferings in regard of wandering and leaving their comforts rather than they would lose God There were all kind of persecutions laid upon these Saints through all which they waded and never would be brought to forsake God and his truth for any of them 2. We have here the excellency of the sufferers and that is in that expression These men or these persons when they were under all these distresses from the world yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Brethren the excellency of these saints and servants of God is considerable two ways that we may proceed distinctly and clearly First in reference to the wicked their excellency was so great that the wicked World was not worthy of them Secondly their excellency is discovered from the estimate or judgment that the Apostle passes upon them who tells us that he accounted them to be such though they were under such distresses and troubles yet they were a people of whom the world was not worthy I shall fall upon the due estimation the blessed Apostle
raises upon these persecuted Saints who was enlightened by the Spirit of God and so was able to pass a right sentence upon these persecuted Saints from this I raise this ensuing observation Observe That a godly man doth see a very great worth and excellency in the people of God in the midst of all their troubles and distresses or That a godly man a gracious heart one that hath spiritual spectacles does see an excellency and worth in the people of God in the midst of all trouble and persecution that can befall them Here I shall handle it first doctrinally according to my constant method then come to improve it by way of Application For the doctrinal handling of it there are two things must be discovered First wherein the high estimation of a gracious heart does appear wherein it doth discover it self wherein they shew they have such an high estimation Secondly whence it is and how it comes to pass that Godly men have this high and honourable esteem of the Saints and people of God in their troubles and distresses which befall them For the first wherein the high estimation of a gracious heart does appear I shall shew it in five or six following particulars First it appears in this in that they are not ashamed of owning their persons and faith that they profess in their troubles and distresses the society of the people of God and the fellowship of the faith and profession is highly respected by a gracious heart let the Saints lie under never so great distresses This is manifested in Moses in the 25. and 26. verses of this Chapter He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy all the pleasures and preferments of Pharaohs Court The Israelites Religion the profession of the truth of God and owning the faith and those truths the Israelites stood up for this was that which Moses would not desert and thence it was he did not desert their company and society but went and visited them when they lay under those burthens under which they lay Secondly the second thing wherein is discovered so high an estimation of the Saints and people of God in suffering is their sympathizing and fellow-feeling with them in their suffering If it goes ill with the Church and people of God all the rest sympathize with them if one member suffers all the rest suffers Instance Nehemiah who had the greatest favour of the greatest Prince then on the earth he looks with a sad countenance because of the sufferings of the Saints and people of God Nehem. 2.2 Wherefore the King said unto me Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick This is nothing else but sorrow of heart Then I was very sore afraid and answered the King because of the distresses the people of God lye under The pleasure of Musick should never be with him says David in Psal 137.6 If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy As it is with two strings in an instrument rightly tuned if one be touched the other trembles if one servant of Christ be in a suffering condition the rest suffers with him this is the damp of all worldly delight if it be ill with any of the people of God the rest suffers in the way of compassion Thirdly in that they can plead for them and take their parts when they are never so much out of favour when they are never so much despised and abused This was in the case of Jonathan how he pleaded for poor David before his cruel father Saul though Saul called him a cursed Son and fell soul on his Mother because of him See this in the case of Esther though it was death to go into the King to plead for the Jews yet for all this she says If I perish I perish resolved I am come what will come of it in I will go I can dye but I cannot be silent Fourthly in that they will relieve them and help and supply them with all needful good things they can if they cannot do what they would they will do for them what they can See this in the case of Jeremiah Chap. 28. v. 8 11 12 13. Ebedmelech went forth of the Kings house and spake to the King So Ebedmelech took the man with him and went into the house of the King under the Treasury and took thence old clouts and old rotten rags and let them down by cords into the Dungeon to Jeremiah And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine arm-holes under the cords And Jeremiah did so So they drew up Jeremiah with cords and took him up out of the Dungeon Jeremiah remained in the court of the Prison He would never be quiet till he got the Prophet out of the Dungeon and though the cords were lined with rags yet more with love and this favour of Ebedmelech God remembered 1 King 18.4 Obediahs master was not only an oppressor of the Saints and Prophets of God but a very great Persecutor This good man Obediah took and hid 400 Prophets of the Lord and led them with bread and water I will not undertake to prophesie to you this day yet time may come when bread and water may be good food for a faithful Prophet Here note the gracious disposition of good Obediah as well as the providence of God in this act 2 Tim. 1.16 17 18. The Lord give mercy unto the douse of Onesiphorus for be oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain But when he was in Rome he sought me out very gently and found me The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministred unto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well A most admirable Scripture to this purpose blessed Paul being thrown into prison being in bonds Onesiphorus often refresht him and was not ashamed of his chains How did he shew this When he was in Rome he sought him out diligently By the way note That Rome was the place where the cruel Nero was Emperour it was the place where much bloud of the Martyrs was spilt yet there this good man sought out Paul diligenly Mark what follows which is the prayer of Paul The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day I profess Sirs I had rather have the prayer of Paul than the preferments of the greatest Court on earth Christians it is the greatest treasure in your house to have the prayers of good men to God for you you that have shewn your great and abundant love to the Saints and servants of God in distress I do from my soul beg the mercy for you that whatever you have done for his may be ten thousand times made up by him that you may finde mercy in that day and truly Sirs in
will not receive him stop us at the door that we cannot bring in the doctrine of Christ that will not receive the principles of Christ How can we bring them and build them up that will not suffer the Foundation to be laid the Seed to be received Hast thou not received Christ then thou hast refused Christ been a despiser of the Gospel of Christ which will prove thy great condemnation What is it for thee to hear the Name and not to have the Spirit of Christ Do not go upon conjectures it s one thing to number thy self with those that are Christians as to outward appearancâ— and another thing to open thy heart and deliver up thy self to Christs Government and as a lost Sinner to receive him to those ends a Saviour must be received And remember this was no small worke Gods sending Christ into the world no small thing to fetch thee from Hell and Satan to wash guilty souls from all their sins and to bring them to everlasting glory If these great things be rightly understood and believed by thee if Christ be understood well as Christ it must be done with a weakened humbled self-resigned heart making the greatest matter in the world of these things Hath thy soul been seriously taken up about thy own recovery And hast thou received Christ as a man that was ready to be damned as one that had a load on his Soul heavier than all the Mountains of the Earth to ease and deliver him as one that was under the frowns of God in a state of enmity receives reconciliation Hast thou received Christ as if thou hadst received Heaven in him Believe it these are great transactions and will affect thy heart and it is not a sleepy or jesting matter thus to receive Christ Consider what it is to receive Christ 1. If you have received Christ you have received the great Reconciler that bindes up the broken hearted quiets those that tremble under the threatnings of God for fear he should forsake and cast them off for ever 2. If thou hast received Christ thou hast received a perfect enmity to all sin that will never let thee rest in sin but be perswading thee from it and conflicting in thee against sin in thy soul If thou hast received Christ thou hast not received a friend for sin that will plead for or give thee leave to commit sin but one that though he bear with thee in thy weakness yet abominates thy sin If thou hast received a Lord and Master to rule to be consented and subjected to him and to be ruled by none but in subordination to him who will break those in pieces that refuse his Government Obedience and not verbal profession is the thing he requires Hast thou entertained Christ to be the Master of thy words thoughts and deeds whose Government thou livest under more than under any in the world 3. If you have received Christ you have then received the beginning of felicity and full contentment to your souls having found none in your sins you have it discovered to you where it is therefore with gladness go you on and so far as you have hopes of attaining it so far you have great contentment c. 4. In a word if you have received Christ you have fallen out with sin sujected pleasures prosits and honours to him and you have received hâ—s Spirit and this hath made you new and maintains the way within you against the flesh c. If this be not thy case Oh that thou knewest what a case thou art in For then 1. What the better art thou for all his blood shed as yet if thou wert this day to dye What would Christs blood do to the cleansing and saving of thy soul 2. How canst thou look thy sins in the face and think on what thou hast done and art How canst thou look inward into thy defiled heart and not tremble when thou hast no more shelter from the wrath of God 3. How canst thou look God in the face who is a hater of sin How canst thou read his Attributes think on his threatnings 4. How canst thou think to have any Duty accepted and Prayer heard or rewarded c. 5. How canst thou think on the Day of Judgment on the time when thou must receive thy final sentence if thou hast not received Christ Oh what a thing is a Christless heart c. Q. What shall I do that I may receive Christ A. 1. Till Christ be thine and hath brought peace from Heaven to thy Soul let no peace be there to keep him out I do not say overwhelm thy self with sorrow but let sorrow dwell there and let holy cares and solicitousness about thy spiritual state be there till Christ come and quiet and reconcile thee to God 2. Read and believe the Gospel see there what Christ is and thy necesty of him Believing will open the door to entertain him assent will procure thy consent 3. Keep up no Idol in thy heart against him Turn out that that keeps out Christ how dear soever it seems now at last thou wilt see it more necessary to detest then keep it I come now to exhort all poor weak Christians that they would make after confirmation and grow to a greater measure in Grace as they have received Christ It is not enough to be conceited that you have been converted and it will not be enough to the assurance of your conversation or safety of your souls that you think you are converted and you sit down there He that is content with the opinion he hath Grace therefore desires to have no more because the promise of salvation is made to the Truth of Grace it is a sign he never had Grace Strength in Grace is your own felicity 't is part of your happiness Your eternal happiness will partly consist in your personal perfection and without personal perfection all Heavenly glory will not be a perfect felicity If you have fixed your Anchor in Gods promises this engages you to look up make after and proceed c. Take these Motives 1. Consider there is the same reason to move thee to grow and proceed as there was to move thee to thy first believing Why do you become Christians but because of the necessity of the Riches and Excellencies of Christs and that there was better things in Christ then in the World And are they not so still Is che case changed If Christianity was reasonable then it is reasonable now If it was necessary to begin it is necessary to hold on and proceed in your Race till you have obtained the Crown 2. Your receiving Christ essentially contains in it an obligation to proceed and go further actually to trust and obey him whom you have taken for your Lord and Saviour from the very Offices and Relations of Christ received If I be a Father where is my fear If I be a Master where is my honour If I be a Saviour where
heart that the sanctifying knowledge of God hath warmed your affections captivated your souls that God be in throned in your hearts by the belief and knowledge of your minds Know your selves so as to be humble know Christ so as he may be sweet unto you and exalted by you set up Christ in your souls nearest to your hearts know sin so as to hate it c. 'T is the entertainment of the good things of the Gospel by the will that is the principal part of your Religion 'T is a matter of lamentable consequence in all your lives when there is not a sound work at the heart how little life will there be from any truth in reading or hearing The Fundamentals of Religion must be so received as not only to have an old heart mended but a new heart made Thus understand believe and give up thy heart to that thou believest and understandest 2 Know and remember the work of your Salvation must be as long as your lives and that you have never done till you have done living I give this direction because I find something in Christianity the remains of earnality is apt to hinder c. And some professors when converted they are reconciled to God and safe c. but there 's a great deal to be done after c. 3. Understand well wherein it is your confirmation stability rootedness and growth in Religion doth consist The chief part of your growth in grace is not to know more things then you knew before but to grow in the knowledge belief entertainment and improvement of the same truths that at first you did receive not that you may not or should not know more for the clear knowledge of the fundamentals guide you unavoidably to the sight of many other Truths which a darker knowledge of those Fundamentals will not discover to you 'T is not additional to your former knowledge but the clearer known sounder believing heartier entertaining and improving of the Truths you know at first as the health of a man consists not in having every day variety of food but in the parting and digestion of the same food that 's fittest for him get but a more perfect conviction or concoction of what you knew before and this is your growth You may grow in the knowledge of Gods Attributes by knowing them more clearly orderly distinctly satisfactorily and believingly then before There is a world of difference in the manner of knowledge between a dark and clear knowing things grow in greater love to them and greater skill in entertainment improvement and practise of them 4 Grow downward in humility and inward in the knowledge of your selves and above all maintain a constant abhorrence and jealousie of the sin of pride grow in humility and fly from man keep a constant apprehension of your unworthiness and weakness of the odiousness and danger of sin of spiritual pride so called because exercised about spiritual things of being puft up with pride of any thing in your selves of being too confident in your selves be low in your own and expect not nor desire others good thoughts of you Humility lies not in humility of opinion of speech garb or carriage but in opposition to high thoughts of our own parts gifts godliness when we think of these above their worth still remember Psal 25. Prov. 26.19 Isa 57.15 John 20.29 as ever you would grow in grace and be confirmed Christians keep a low esteem of your selves be mean in your own eyes be content to be mean in others and hearken not to secret flatterers that would puff you up Take heed of any thing that would puff you up c. 5. You must understand that you are Disciples in Christs School where Ministers are his teachers and guides the Ordinances his means for his peoples good and the Scripture the book you must learn therefore keep in this order keep under these guides commit your souls to those that are faithful and fit for souls to be entrusted with and when you have done with humble submissiveness to their teaching keep in this School under those Officers in their Discipline and dwell in the Catholique Church and Communion of Saints and understand the duty of Pastours and people Heb. 13.17 18. 1 Thes 5.12 Obey them that have the rule over you If God had seen the poor Christians sufficient to support themselves he would never have made it the duty of all to be marshalled and rankt in several schools ranks orders and all to walk in this order to heaven If you with-draw from under Christs Officers and Ordinances you are in danger of being snatcht up as straglers Q. What shall we do who shall we take for our guides if God take them away c. A. 'T is not the denial of publick liberty that loses that relation between a Pastour and his flock nor any word from man should cause a poor soul to trust its self for guidance of salvation to one that is not able a mans soul is not to be hazarded upon damnation by being deprived of the Officers and Ordinances of Christ and cast upon the conduct of a blind guide meerly for the pleasuring of a meer man 6. Be sure you understand the nature of Church-union and necessity of maintaining it and abhor all ways that are truly Schismatical that would rent and divide the Church of Christ As you must not under pretence of avoiding Schisme cast your soul upon apparent hazard of Damnation so you must maintain the necessity of Church-union and Communion when Christs Members walk in Communion with Christs Members supposing that which is singular to the generality of judicious men Take heed of any thing that would with-draw you from the communion of the generality of those that are found in the faith Take heed of with-drawing from the main body of Believers Christ is the head of his Church he will never condemn his Church walk in those substantials Christs Church hath walked in Divisions amongst Christians is a sin God hath described as odious and tending to the Ruine of Christians Be very suspicious of any that would draw you from the main Body of Believers and keep communion with the Universal Church of Christ with the generality of the godly in love and affection c. 7. Be sure your own hearts and ways be the matter of your daily study and when hypocrites have their work abroad let yours be much at home while they make it their business to censure this and that man let the main of your business be in pressing the inward of your own hearts in keeping all right between God and you Observe your hearts inclinations If any inordinate inclination after any thing set a special guard mark which way your thoughts go that you may know your inclinations by your thoughts In an especial manner preserve tenderness of conscience fear of sin loathfulness to displease God Let Truth have the mastery maintain such a conscience that dares not
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation and usually we have most of consolation from God when we have most of tribulation from without as our sufferings do abound so our consolations doth abound much more The childe that is beaten when it is well is cherished when it is ill when persons are sick then you give them Cordials God gives the best of comforts in the worst of times when the burden is heavy upon the back then the peace of conscience is great within the worse it is without the better it is within when men discover most of anger God discovers most of love Fifthly God is with such in his strengthening presence to enable them and to support them to undergoe what ever he is pleased to call them unto this is the way of our good and gracious God he always gives out strength as he layes on affliction he never leaves his children alone in this respect he will be with them to support them though it may be not to deliver yet he will certainly be with them to support the Rod and the staff they go together Psal 23.4 the afflicting Rod and the supporting staff when one is upon the Saint to afflict then the other hand is underneath the Saint to support Isa 41 10. I will uphold thee I will strengthen thee fear not I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness This David found I cryed unto the Lord in my distress he answered me and strengthened me in my inward man Psal 138.3 Oh! when men afflict God supports when men puts the children of God into the deep waters then God takes them by the chin and holds them up that they shall not sink and be drowned Sixthly God is with them in his sympathizing presence Oh he hath a tender sense of all the sorrows and calamities of his people Oh it grieves him that they are grieved they that touch thim touches the apple of his eye in all their afflictions he is afflicted Saul Saul why persecutest thou me every blow that is given to them God bears a part of it himself as they are sensible of Gods dishonour so God is sensible of their suffering it pains him to the very heart to see his children wronged and abused by a malicious World Seventhly He is with them by his sanctifying presence all their troubles are to do them good and to make them good and therefore the Furnace it is but to refine them from their drosse the pruning-hook of affliction it is but to cut off their luxuriant Branches God takes the sharp knife into his hand and lances them but it is only to fetch out their corruption By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Eightly God is with them by his quickening presence to make their Prayers more fervent to make their requests to the Throne of Grace more Importunate The Children of God cry most to him when they suffer most from men and their prayers are best when their condition is worst Prayer shortens Affliction and Affliction heightens Prayer God is with them to hear their Prayers Oh the prayer of the Afflicted that comes up to Heaven God hears the sighs and groans of his oppressed ones their tears pierce the Heavens they call upon God in time of trouble and pour out their sorrows before the Lord and he doth hear them Ninthly God is with them by his raising presence to raise up their hearts higher to elevate their souls and bring them more near to himself Gods people when they meet with troubles in the World Oh! nothing so sweet unto them as the enjoyment of God then no life so sweet unto them as the life of Faith then they relish a sweetness in the promise then every smile of God oh how welcome is it then all the affections of their souls center in God and run to God as in Winter-time all the sap of the Tree runs to the root in Summer-time it spreads it self in the body but in the Winter goes to the root when a man is sick all the blood goes to the heart so in a suffering condition all the affections of the soul go to God But now what are the reasons why God will not leave his people that thus desire to please him Why God loves them therefore he will not leave them persons we love we cannot leave especially when they are in a distressed condition and as God hath set his love upon them so they have set their love upon him they love him Psal 91.15 you have there an expression Because he hath set his love upon me therefore I will deliver him He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble God is a God of bowels of great pity and compassion and therefore he will not leave his people in a time of distress you know bowels how they stand in you towards them that are in misery it goes to the heart of a merciful man to leave a person in misery Oh how great are the bowels and compassions of God! It Ephraim my Son is he a pleasant Child Oh my bowels are turned within me I will have mercy on him 2. Such as please God shall have his presence under sufferings because now they need God most if God will not leave his people as to temporal supplies because they need such and such things they need meat and they need cloathing surely much more God will not leave his children as to spiritual supplies under times of distress because then they need God Oh what can a Believer do or what can a Believer suffer when God leaves him his strength is in God his support is in God his comfort is in God his All is in God and therefore if God now leave him what will become of him he needs God at all times but never so much as when his condition is dark and troubled What was Sampson that man of so great strength when his hair was gone and what is a Believer when his God is gone 3. God loves to see his people chearful in a time of suffering and therefore he is with them he loves not that they should walk dejectedly When God is present Paul and Silas can sing in Prison the Apostles can rejoyce that God honours them to be reproached for him When God is present the people of God are not only chearful under tribulation but can glory their cross is their Crown but if God be with-drawn what can there be drooping hearts and pensive sorrows 4. God will not leave them because they will not leave him God will not leave them because they suffer for his sake were they not tender of Gods glory and careful to please him they might be free from suffering as well as others but it is for Gods sake they suffer For thy sake we are killed like sheep all the day long Lastly It is thus
to breed and in the best heart the worm of pride is apt to be breeding if God doth not keep us we shall not onely envy anothers Graces if they out-shine us but their persons too What though anothers Graces do out-shine yours yet love him because the eminency of his Graces bringeth much honor to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And thus my Beloved I have shewn you how you must love all the Saints 1 Pet. 2.17 Love the Brother-hood love the whole Fraternity of Beleevers Oh! that this sweet spice of love might send forth its perfume among Christians that we could turn all our heart-burnings into heart-breakings and quench the fire of Divisions and Contentions and keep the fire of love burning upon the Altar of our hearts And my Beloved as we must love all the Saints so we must shew this love by the fruit of it for God doth not value that love that is invisible the fruits of our love to the Saints must be these four Four Fruits of Love to the Saints 1. We must shew love to them by prising their persons above others Psal 15.4 spoken of a man that shall go to Heaven In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord the wicked are so much rubbish and lumber but the Saints are called the Jewels Mal. 3.1 and we must prize these Jewels above all the Lumber in the World as they said of King David thy life is worth ten thousand of ours 2 Sam. 18.3 so is a Godly man above a wicked man God he will give Kingdons to ransom his Saints Isa 43.3 I gave Egypt for thy ransom Aethiopia and Sheba for thee and thus should we set the highest rate upon the Saints of God for that is to love them 2. We must shew love to all the Saints of God by vindicating of them when they are traduced and slandered it s a great sin to slander a Christian it s to go to pollute Christs Image the wicked their throats are open Sepulchres to bury the names of the Righteous in now you that are Christians must not be ready to receive a false and groundless report of a Saint but rather vindicate them for that is to love them 2. We shew our love to the Saints by praying for them you know not what good your prayers may do them Ministers must pray for their People and the People must pray for their Ministers for prayer commands God himself Isa 45.11 Prayer is the golden Key that unlocks the Heavenly treasure of Gods bowels Oh pray one for another we should not strive one with another as is too frequent but pray one for another 4. Shew your love by being ready according to your abilities to relieve their wants to love one another is to be a well-wisher to him and to do all the friendly Offices we can one for another there are my Beloved many of the dear Servants of God in the Ministry that have been already reduced to misery and want and abundance more are like to be reduced to great necessities Now I beseech you to show your love to the houshold of Faith for that is a sign of your true love to God and to the Brother-hood that when as myrrh drops freely from the Tree so works of mercy drops freely from the heart If Jesus Christ should stand in the midst of the congregation and say shew your Love to me by your good works I believe no heart here would be so hard as to deny Jesus Christ Why remember whatsoever you give Ministers and to his Members he takes it as given to himself That is the second Our Love must extend to all Saints 3. Our Love must reach to our enemies we must love them that do not love us Luke 6.1 Love your enemies do good to them that hate you I confesse a mortal enemy I would be loath to make a bosom friend But though policy teach us not to trust our enemies yet piety teacheth us to love them Christ he did pray for his enemies and he shed tears of compassion for them that afterwards shed his bloud So much for the Doctrinal part Now for a word of Application and I have done VSES And first this may serve to reprove those who seem in other things to be excellent and profess much love toward Christ and his Gospel but have no love to the Saints of God there are some that upon this very account have for these great many years absented themselves from the Lords Supper because they pretend not to be in charity This is a double-dyed sin a sin with a witness it s a sin not to come and its a sin not to be in charity But let me say this to them surely such kind of Christians are a shame to their profession What doth not the Gospel teach you charity and love as well as faith Surely that Christian hath no grace in his heart that liveth out of charity with his Brother for as the Philosopher saith All the vertues are linked together and tyed as with astring and where there is one there is all and where one is wanting there is no vertue so I say of the graces they are linked together and where there is one there is all and where one is wanting there is none at all Saith Augustine Thou braggest of thy faith in Christ but shew me thy faith by thy love to Christ for Faith and love cannot be separated For as in the Sun there is light and heat and these cannot be separated one from the other so faith and love is twisted together and where there is one waning the other is wanting as he that did so engrave his name on the Buckler of Minerva that who ever went about to take out his name spoiled the Buckler so Faith and love are so inseparable that if you go to take away the one you spoyl the other Oh! remember and mourn for it thou that sayest thou art not in charity it 's a sad symptom thou art not in a state of Grace Titus 3. v. 5. For me our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers Lusts and pleasures living in malice envy hateful and hating one another that is before conversion we were swelled with poyson of malice and wrath but when once the grace of God came then it was otherwise that man that hath not Love and Charity in his heart surely he hath nothing of God in him for God is Love he knoweth nothing of the Gospel savingly for the Gospel is a Gospel of peace he hath none of the wisdom which cometh from Heaven for that is meek and gentle and easie to be entreated If there be any on the other side that are not in charity and yet will come to the Lords Table remember this you get no good by the Ordinance you do but defile the Ordinance The Apostle calls it the leaven of malice it doth sower all your Holy Duties Sermons Prayers and
Sacraments it is a little gall imbitters a great deal of honey So where there is a little of this Gall of malice and hatred it imbittereth and spoileth all the honey of your Graces and Duties The Apostle bids us in prayer to lift up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim. 1.2 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting What the Apostle speaketh of the duty of Prayer I may say of the Lords Supper when you come to see the Body and Blood of the Lord Lift up pure hands without malice bitterness and wrath That is a sad speech of Augustine He that is full of rancor and malice he is a man-slayer Nay the Apostle saith it in the first Epistle of John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know no murderer hath Eternal life abiding in him Do not think this Ordinance will profit you if you do not come in love to the Saints suppose a man drinketh down poison and afterwards taketh down a Cordial surely this Cordial will do him but little good so thou that drinkest down the poison of wrath and maliceÌ„ into thy soul and comest afterward to drink down the Cordial of Christs bloud in the Sacrament why certainly this Cordial will do thee but little good EXHORTATION Therefore to conclude by way of Exhortation I beseech you in the Lord that you would remember this Text this day when you come to the Lords Table read over this Lesson A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you come to the Sacrament in love to Jesus Christ and in love one to another be not full of bitterness but full of bowels the primitive Saints were of one heart you all expect I know one Heaven and will you not be of one heart this I believe is a great reason why the Sacrament hath no more profited many receivers you know if there be a stopping at the stomack the meat taken in will never concoct and nourish why thou that hast wrath and anger and malice at thy heart there is an obstruction as it were at the stomach and therefore it is that the bread of life doth not nourish thy Soul Why Christians are not we all Souldiers under one Regiment under Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and Captain of our salvation Are not we all Branches of the same Vine and are we not all Members of the same Body and shall there be a schism or rent in the Body I shall only say this we should do all as the Serpent Naturalists observe the Serpent that before he goes to drink at the waters he casts up his poison so before you come to the Table of the Lords Supper cast up your poison of bitterness wrath and malice and then Christs bloud will be both a Medicine to heal you and a Julip to refresh you Mr. Watson's Afternoon-Sermon Aug. 17. 1662. 2. Cor. 7.1 Having these promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves IT is the Title that I intend now by the help of God to insist upon that sweet Parenthesis in the Text Dearly Beloved wherein you have the Apostle breathing forth his affections unto this people he speaks now as a Pastor and he speaks to them of his spiritual Children Dearly Beloved where you have First the Title Dearly Beloved Secondly the Exhortation to Holiness Let us cleanse our selves Thirdly the means how we should be cleansed and sanctified Having these Promises It is the first of these that I intend the Title that the Apostle gives to his Children Dearly Beloved From hence observe this Doctrine That the affections of a right Gospel-Minister towards his People are very ardent Dearly Beloved there are two things in every Minister of Christ that are much exercised his Head and his Heart his Head with labour and his Heart with Love his Head with labour in the work of the Ministry if done aright it is a work fitter for Angels than for men it is our work to open the Oracles of God even those sacred profound things that the Angels search into and if God did not help us we might soon sink under the weight of such a burden and as a Ministers head is exercised with labour so his Heart is exercised with Love and it is hard to say which of the two exceeds his Labour or his Love Thus is it here in the Text My Dearly Beloved In these words we have St. Paul laying fiege to these Corinthians and labouring to make a happy victory to conquer them with Kindnesse Dearly Beloved St. Pauls heart was the spring of Love his lips were the Pipe the Corinthians were the Cistern into which this spring did run this Holy Apostle was a mirrour and a pattern of Love towards the sinning Corinthians Pauls tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians his Love did burn Holy Paul was a Seraphin his Heart did burn in a flame of affection to his People How many passages do we find scattered in his Epistles he tells his People which sometimes he did write to and sometimes he preached to he looked after their souls more than their silver 2 Cor. 12.14 We seek not yours but you as a tender Nurse cherisheth her child with the Brest so St. Paul gave his People the breast-milk of the Word in 1 Thess 2.7 this man of God did not onely bestow a Sermon upon his People but was willing to impart his very soul to them if it might save theirs 1 Thess 2.8 We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls because you are dear unto us Such was St. Pauls affection to his people that without a complement he loved them more than his life Phil. 2.17 and if I be offered upon the sacriâ—â—ce and service of your Faith I rejoyce with you all that is as if he had said if it be so that my bloud be poured forth as a sacrifice if my death may be any way serviceable unto you if it may help forward the strengthening and confirming of your Faith I am willing to die I rejoyce to do it so full of affection was this Apostle that he could not choose but love his people though the more he did love the less he should be loved In 2 Cor. 15. Oh! how did Paul sweeten all his Sermons with Love 2 Cor. 12. if he reproved fin yet he was angry in love he dipt the Pill in Sugar Gal. 4.9 10 11. How turn ye again to weak and beggarly Elements ye observe days and moneths and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain Brethren I beseech you be as I am See how St. Paul chides their sins and yet at the same time courts their souls no sooner did he lanch the wound but presently he poured in Wine and Oyl into it so did Paul love his People that he would not justly give any offence to the weak Believer 1 Cor. 8.13 If
meat make my Brother to offend I will never eat flesh more while the world standeth Paul was like some tender Mother who forbears to eat those meats that she might for fear of hurting the child that she gives suck to Thus you see he was a spiritual Father made up of love and surely my Brethren this affection in some degree is in all the true Ministers of Jesus Christ they are full of sympathy and bowels unto those over whom the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers I shall only glance at the Reason why it will be thus and why it should be thus that such flaming affections there should be in all Christs Ministers to their People It will be thus for these two Reasons briefly First From that Principle within that teacheth love Grace doth not fire the heart with passion but with compassion Grace in the heart of a Minister files off that ruggedness that is in his spirit making him loving and courteous Paul once breathed out persecution but when Grace came this Bramble was turned into a spiritual Vine twisting himself about the souls of his People with loving embraces Secondly There will be this ardent love in a Ministers heart from the spiritual relation that is betwixt him and his People he is a spiritual Father and shall we think him to be without bowels 1 Cor. 4.15 Though you have ten thousand Instructers yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Some he begets unto Christ others he builds up in Christ Doth not a Father provide cheerfully for his Children Can a Father see bread taken from his Child and not have his heart affected with it Is it not a grief to a Parent to see his Child put out to a dry Nurse Thirdly There should be this ardent love and affection in all Gods Ministers for this reason because this is the liveliest way to do most good knotty and stubborn hearts will soonest be wrought upon with kindness The fire melteth the hardest metal the fire of love with Gods blessing will melt the most obdurate sinner A Boanerges a Son of consolation who comes in the spirit of Love is the fittest to do a piece of Gospel-chyrurgery to restore and put such a one in joynt again that is taken with a fault Gal. 6.1 Restore such a one with the spirit of Love and Meekness Thus much in short for the Doctrinal part Give me leave now to make some Application And first here are several Inferences that may be drawn from this As First See here the right Character of a Gospel-Minister He is full of love he exhorts he comforts he reproves and all in love he is never angry with his People but because they will not be saved how loath is a Minister of Christ to see precious Souls like so many Jewels cast over-board into the dead sea of Hell a conscientious Minister would count it an unhappy gain to gain the world and lose the souls of his people he saith as the King of Sodom to Abraham Give me the Persons and take thee the Goods Gen. 14.21 The second branch of Information is this are true Gospel-Ministers so full of Love then how sad is it to have such Ministers put upon a people as have no love to Souls The work of the Ministry it is a labour of Lope Oh! how sad it is to have such in the Ministry that can neither labour nor love that are such as are without bowels that look more at Tyths than at Souls it must needs be sad with a people in any part of the world to have such Ministers set over them as either poisons them with error or do what in them lies to damn them by their wicked example How can the Devil reprove sin How can the Minister cry out in the Pulpit against drunkennesse that will himself be drunk Rom. 2.22 Thou that teachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man ought not to commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery We read that the Snuffers of the Tabernacle were to be made of pure Gold Exod. 37.23 those who by their calling are to reprove and snuff off the sins of others they should be pure Gold holy persons In the Law God did appoint the lip of the Leper should be covered he ought to have his lip covered he should not be permitted to speak the Oracles of God who though he be by Office an Angel yet by life is a Leper Thirdly See from hence the happiness of a Minister who is placed among such a people as give him abundant cause of love how happy is he that can say to his people from his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my dearly beloved And here let me speak by way of encouragement to you of this Parish I find St. Paul commending the good he saw in his people 1 Thess 1.3 We are bound to thank God always for you Beloved because your Faith grows exceedingly Here Paul is commending his People in imitation of the Apostle let me at this time speak a commendatory word to you I have exercised my Ministry now among you for almost sixteen years and I rejoyce and bless God that I cannot say the more I love you the less I am loved I have received many signal demonstrations of love from you though other Parishes have exceeded you in number of houses yet I think not for strength of affection I have with much comfort observed your reverent attentions to the Word Preached you rejoyced in this Light not for a season but to this day I have observed your zeal against Errour and as much as could be expected in a critical time your unity and amity this is your honour and if for the future there should be any interruption made in my Ministry among you though I should not be permitted to preach to you yet shall I not cease to love you and to pray for you but why should there be any interruption made where is the crime some indeed say that we are disloyal and seditious Beloved what my actions and sufferings for his Majesty have been is known not to a few of you but however we must go to Heaven through good report and through bad report and it is well if we can get to glory though we pass through the Pikes I shall endeavour that I may still approve the sincerity of my Love to you I will not promise that I shall still preach among you nor will I say that I shall not I desire to be guided by the silver thred of Gods Word and of Gods Providence my heart is towards you there is you know an expression in the late Act that we shall be now shortly as if we were naturally dead and if I must die let me leave some Legacy with you before I go from you I cannot but give you some counsel and advice for your souls and I hope there is no hurt in that There are
my beloved these twenty Directions that I desire you to take special notice of which I would leave as advice and counsel with you about your Souls First I beseech you keep your constant hours every day with God the Godly man is a man set apart Psal 4.3 not onely because God hath set him apart by election but because he hath set himself apart by devotion give God the Aurorae fitiam begin the day with God visit God in the morning before you make any other visit wind up your hearts towards Heaven in the morning and they will go the better all the day after Oh! turn your Closets into Temples read the Scriptures the two Testaments are the two lips by which God speaks to us these will make you wise unto salvation the Scripture is both a glass to shew you your spots and a laver to wash them away besiege Heaven every day with prayer thus persume your houses and keep a constant intercourse with Heaven Secondly Get good Books into your houses when you have not the Spring near to you then get water into your Cisterns So when you have nor that wholsom Preaching that you desire good Books are Cisterns that holds the waters of life in them to refresh you When Davids natural heat was taken away they covered him with warm cloaths 1 Kings 1. So when you find a chilness upon your souls and that your former heat begins to abate ply your selves with warm cloaths get those good Books that may acquaint you with such truths as may warm and affect your hearts Thirdly Have a care of your Company take heed of unnecessary familiarity with sinners we cannot catch health from another but we may soon catch a disease the disease of sin is very catching I would be as fraid of coming among the wicked as among those that have the plague Psal 106.35 They were mingled with the heathen and learned their works If we cannot make others better let us have a care that they make not us worse Lot was a miracle he kept fresh in Sodoms salt water My beloved take heed of the occasions of sin evil company is an occasion of sin The Nazarites in the old Law as they might drink no wine so they were forbidden grapes whereof the wine was made as you read in Num. 6. to teach us that all occasions of sin must be avoided evil company is belluo animatrum the Devils draw-net by which he draws millions to Hell how many families and how many souls have been ruined and undone in this City by evil company many there are that go from a play-house to a Whore-house and from a Tavern to Tyburn Fourthly Have a care whom you hear it is our Saviour Christs counsel Mat. 7.15 Beware of false prophets that come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves Let me tell you the Devil hath his Ministers as well as Christ Rev. 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood over the woman that is as the Learned expound it Satan by his Ministers and Emissaries cast out the floud of Arian Doctrine to drown the Church There are some who by the subtilty of their wit have learnt the Art to mix error with truth and to give poison in a Golden cup. Take heed who you hear and how you hear be like those Noble Bereans that searched the Scriptures whether the things that they preached were so or not Acts 17.11 Your ears must not be like spunges that suck in puddle-water as well as wine but your ears must be like a Fan that fans out the chaff but retains the pure Wheat you must be like those in the Parable Mat. 13.48 that gathered the good Fish into vessels but cast the bad away the Saints are called Virgins for their wisdom they will not let every one defile their Souls with error they have a judicious ear and a critical palate that can distinguish between truth and error and put a difference betwixt meat of Gods sending and the Devils Cooking Fifthly Study sincerity Psal 51.6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward part Be what you seem to be be not like Rowers in a Barge that look one way and Row another Do not look Heaven-ward by your profession and Row Hell-ward by your Conversation do not pretend to love God and yet love sin simulata Sanctitas duplicata Iniquitas counterfeit Piety is double Iniquity Let your hearts be upright with God the plainer the Diamond is the richer it is and the more plain the heart is the more doth God value his Jewel a little rusty Gold is far better than a great deal of bright brass a little true grace though rusted over with many infirmities is better than all the glistering shews of Hypocrites a sincere heart is Gods current Coin and he will give it grains of allowance Sixthly As you love your souls be not strangers to your selves be much and often in the work of self-examination amongst all the books that you read turn over the book of your own heart look into the book of Conscience see what is written there Psal 77.6 I commune with mine own heart set up a judgement-seat in your own souls examine whether you have grace or not prove whether you are in the faith be as much afraid of a painted holiness as you would be afraid of going to a painted heaven do not think your selves good because others think so let the Word be the touch-stone by which you try your hearts let the Word be the looking-glass by which you judge of the complexion of your soul for want of this self-searching many live known to others and die unknown to themselves Seventhly Keep your spiritual watch Mat. 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all watch if it were the last word I should speak it should be this word Watch. Oh! what need hath a Christian to be ever upon his Watch the heart is a subtile piece and will be stealing out to vanity and if we are not careful it will decoy us into sin we have a special eye upon such persons as we suspect thy heart is a suspicious person Oh! have an eye upon it watch it continually it is a bosom Traitor Job set a watch before his eyes Job 31.1 We must every day keep sentinel sleep not upon your guard our sleeping time is the Devils tempting time let not your watch-candle go out Eighthly You that are the people of God do you often associate together Mal. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another Christs Doves shall flock together one Christian will help to heat another a single coal of Juniper will soon die but many coals put together will keep life in one another Conference sometimes may do as much as Preaching one Christian by good discourse drops holy Oyl upon another that makes the lamp of his Grace to shine the brighter It is great wisdom to keep up the Trade in a Corporation
Christians by meeting often together setting good discourse on foot keep up the Trade of godliness that else would decay and soon be lost is not the communion of Saints an Article in our Creed do not then live so asunder as if this Article were blotted out The Naturalists observe there is a sympathy in Plants they say some Plants bear better when they grow near other Plants as the Vine and the Elm the Olive and the Myrtle thrive the best when they grow together it is true in Religion the Saints are trees of Righteousness that thrive best in Godliness when they grow together Ninthly Get your hearts screwed up above the world set your affections upon things above Col. 3.5 We may see the face of the Moon in the water but the Moon is fixed above in the firmament so though a Christian walk here below yet his heart should be fix'd above in Heaven there is our best kinred our purest joy our Mansion-house Oh! let our hearts be above it is the best and the sweetest kind of life the higher the bird slies the sweeter it sings and the higher the heart is raised above the world the sweeter joy it hath The Eagle that flies in the air is not stung by the Serpent those whose hearts are elevated above the lower region of this world are not stung with the vexations and disquietments that others are but are full of joy and contentment Tenthly Trade much in the Promises the Promises are great supports to Faith Faith lives in a Promise as the Fish lives in the water the promises are both comforting and quickning they are mitralia Evangelii the very breast of the Gospel as the Child by sucking the breasts gets strength so faith by sucking the breast of a promise gets strength and revives the promises of God are bladders to keep us from sinking when we come into the waters of affliction the promises are sweet clusters of Grapes that grow upon Christ the true Vine O! trade much in the Promises there is no condition that you can be in but you have a Promise the promises are like Manna that suit themselves to every Christians palate Eleventhly To all you that hear me live in a Calling Jerom gave his friend this advice To be ever well employed that when the Devil came to tempt him he might find him working in his Vineyard Sure I am the same God that saith Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy saith also Six days shalt thou labour The great God never sealed any warrants to idleness an idle Professor is the shame of his Profession 2 Thess 3.11 I bear there are some says the Apostle that work not at all but are busie-bodies such we exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work Solon made Laws to punish idleness and Cicero saith of an idle man Spiritum trahit non vivit he draws his breath but doth not live he is not useful but a good Christian acts within the sphear of his own calling 12. Let me entreat you to joyn the first and the second Table together Piety to God and Equity to your neighbour the Apostle puts these two words together in one verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2.12 That we should live Righteously and Godlily Righteously that relates to Morality Godlily that relates to Piety and Sanctity always remember this every command hath the same Divine stamp and authority as another command hath I would try a Moral man by the Duties of the first Table and I would try a Professor by the Duties of the second Table some pretend Faith but have no Works others have Works but they have no Faith some pretend Zeal for God but are not just in their dealings others are just in their dealings but have not one spark of Zeal for God if you would go to Heaven you must run both sides of the Table the first and the second Table joyn Piety and Morality together as we blame the Papists for blotting out the second Commandment let not the Papists blame us for leaving out the second Table 13. Joyn the Serpent and the Dove together Innocence and Prudence Mat. 10.16 Be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves We must have innocency with our wisdom or else our wisdom is but craftiness and we must have wisdom with our innocency else our innocency is but weakness We must have the harmlessnesse of the Dove that we may not wrong others and we must have the prudence of the Serpent that others may not abuse and circumvent us not to wrong the truth by silence here is the innocency of the Dove not to betray our selves by rashnesse here the wisdom of the Serpent How happy it is where these two are united the Dove and the Serpent the Dove without the Serpent is Folly and the Serpent without the Dove is Impiety 14. Be more afraid of sin then of suffering A man may be afflicted and yet have the love of God but he cannot sin but presently God is angry Sin eclipses the light of Gods countenance in suffering the conscience may be quiet When the Hail beats upon the Tiles there may be musick in the house and when there is suffering in the body there may be peace and musick in the conscience but when a man sins wilfully and presumptuously he looseth all his peace Spira abjured his faith and he became a terrour to himself he could not endure himself he professed he thought Cain and Judas in Hell did not feel those terrors and horrors that he felt He that will commit sin to prevent suffering is like a man that lets his Head be wounded to save his shield and helmet 15. Take heed of Idolatry in 1 John 5.21 Little children keep your selves from Idols Idolatry is an image of jealousie to provoke God it breaks the Marriage-knot asunder and makes the Lord disclaim his interest in a people what kind of Religion is Popery it is the Mother of many Monsters What soul-damning Doctrines doth it hold forth as the meriting of Salvation by good works the giving of pardons the worshiping of Angels Popish indulgences Purgatory and the like it is a soul-damning Religion it is the breeder of ignorance uncleanness and murder the Popish Religion is not defended by strength of Argument but by force of Arms keep your selves from Idols and take heed of Superstition that is the Gentleman-Usher to Popery 16. Think not the worse of godliness because it is reproached and persecuted wicked men being stirred up by the Devil do maliciously reproach the ways of God such were Julian and Lucian though wicked men would be godly on their death-beds yet in the time of their life they revile and hate Godliness but think not you the worse of Religion because it is reproached by the wicked Suppose a Virgin should be reproached for her chastity yet chastity is never the worse if a blind man jear the Sun the Sun is never the less bright Holiness is a
us 1 Cor. 1.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned It may they will tell you a natural man may love God with his heart really as so and savingly whereas the Apostle tells you Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither indeed can be Remember it in all those doctrines wherein we agree with those whom we call Pelagians and Arminians so far we agree with the Jesuits and the worst of Papists 3. As you would avoid Hell avoid all those doctrines that would lift up self-righteousness and debase the righteousness of Christ I fear I shall never be in that capacity that I would to stand you in stead in this particular I confess I am against forty things in Popery but my soul is here engaged if that doctrine be a truth I never expect salvation by God either I must be saved by Christ alone or else I must never be saved by Christ at all though Christ will never save me without sanctification yet Christ never intended my sanctification should merit his salvation be as holy as you can as if there were no Gospel to save yet when you are as holy as you can you must believe in Christ as if there were no Law at all to condemn you Come and tell me of the merit of Saints c. I will believe that truth when I believe the Whore of Babylon to be Christs Spouse see Phil. 3.9 2 Cor. 5.21 8. Why should you stand you must be praying Christians I confess when most of my strings are broken there is yet one holds there is a Spirit of Prayer remember Atheist among the Saints of God I can pray yet and I had rather stand against the Canons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous Oh! pray that you enter not into temptation or if we enter into temptation Lord let not the temptation enter into us pray if possible let this cup pass from me but if not let it not poyson me but let me be bettered by it and in due time deliver me from it I believe it would be a great temptation to you if it should be said to you you shall trade with no man any more c. you have enjoyed these and these comforts bid them adieu for ever you shall have no more to do with them this would be a temptation Temptations and Tryals are great and certainly where they are so prayer should be strong There is no relief to be expected on earth all our relief is to be expected from God and that 's to be obtained by prayer Pray that God would be pleased above all things in the world to make you sincere would you be stedfast in your profession you must be sincere in your practice To him that hath shall be given that is a comfort to him that hath but truth of grace to him shall be given growth of grace Would you be steaddy Christians then make it your great work to attend the Ordinances that God hath prescribed to make you steady Christians you were told of this many years ago concerning attending the Ordinances of God Quest Pray what are those Answ 1. There are secret Ordinances it may be thou canst not be so much in the Pulpit as thou wouldst Oh! be more in thy Closet it may be thou shalt not have so many opportunities to hear so many Lectures be more conscientious in thy meditations in secret it may be thou shalt not have that freedom with God in publick be more earnest with God in private 2. Mind your families more than ever you have your Children and Servants call aloud upon you How many grave faces do I see at this time that can tell me Sir I remember some twenty or thirty years ago you could not pass the streets but here was one Family repeating the Word of God another singing the praises of God another praying to God another conferring concerning the things of God at that time we had not so much foolish absurd excursion into streets and â—ields as now O! for the Lords sake begin to take them up now let the Amorite Perisite and Jebusite do what they will but oh for you and your children and your servants do you serve the Lord up again with those godly Exercises when we cannot hear a Sermon then read a Sermon if we cannot hear a Sermon well Preached our Godly Parents would engage us to read a Sermon well Pen'd if nothing new let the word repeated and meditated call to mind what you have heard Oh! reduce your selves to your Christian frame let the debauched Atheists know that they have something among you to be feared that 's your prayers let them know that though you have not those opportunities you have had yet you will improve those you have And you Masters of this Parish for Gods sake keep in your Servants on this day more than ever you are to be accountable for their souls and they will give you a thousand thanks when they come to age especially at the day of judgement Oh! then blessed be God I had such a Master blessed be God I had such a Mistriss blessed be God I had such Parents Quest But then for publick Ordinances what would you have us do Answ 1. Where evere Christ doth find a tongue to speak I am bound to find an ear to hear and an heart to believe I would not be mistaken I bless the Lord I am not turned out of my Ministry for being a Scismatick I know Schism is a sin nor know I any of my Brethren that are so do not mistake us therefore do not go and tell the Jesuits we are Schismaticks for we are none But this I would advise I speak as though I were dying do whatsoever lies in your yower to hear such whom you think to be godly beg of God be earnest with him that he would give Pastors after his own heart and whom God hath sent not such as may daub with untempered mortar and not such as may prophecy lies in the Name of the Lord not such as may be clouds without water but such as may be guides of the blind burning and shining Lights faithsul Stewards What shall you do what did you twenty or thirty years ago what did the good old Puritans do they were not Schismaticks But as much as lies in you possible hear them whom in your conscience God doth hear Oh! then expect the Word of God should come to your hearts when you have ground to believe it comes from your Pastors heart I must confess I intend to do the same when put into the same condition with you I acknowledge I am bound in Conscience to hear the Word of God but I must take care whom I hear hear those by whom God speaks I hope God will grant several such
injury to you that are alive and without wrong to the memory of my dearly beloved Brother but speak something of him at whose Funeral we are met this Evening not so much for his commendation he needs not but for our imitation it is pity great pity something should not be said that this Reverend Minister though dead may yet preach this night and I have so much to say of him that I know not where to begin and when I have begun I hardly know how to make an end I must confess the little time alloted me for the providing this solemn work and the necessary avocations in this little time have hindred me from enforming my self about his Breeding and manner of Education at Emanuel Colledge under Mr. Steaker and his excellent carriage and converse with Mr. Hildersham Mr. Dod Mr. Ball Mr. Langly and other Ministers famous in their generations and the many pressures and hardships that he suffered in those parts and times for the keeping of his conscience pure from that which he counted sin and therefore I must draw a vail over that part of his life and confine my discourse only to the time since his coming to live with us in London which is about the space of twenty two or twenty three years all which time I have had the happiness to be intimately acquainted with him insomuch as that I can freely and clearly profess and that with a sad heart that I and many others have lost a real wise and Godly friend brother and fellow-labourer in the Lord the Church hath lost an eminent Member and choice pillar and this City hath lost an antient faithful and painful Minister who by his Prayers and Holy life did seek to keep off the judgements of God from falling on us and the less sensible the City is of this loss the greater is the loss I fear we may too truly repeat the words in the Text The righteouus perisheth and no man lays it to heart and mereiful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come I have read of Philo the Jew and by chance met with the same in the life of St. Ambrose that when they came to any City or Town and heard of the death of any Godly man though never so poor they would both of them mourn exceedingly because of the great loss that place had by the death of that Godly man and because it was a warning-piece from God of evil approaching But we have had many Godly men and Godly Ministers taken away of late and yet I fear me but few lay it to heart and therefore as I said the loss is the greater to this City because it is so little sensible of it It is a great loss also to his relations his Wife hath lost a dear and loving Husband his Sister a brother his Parish and Congregation a faithful Pastor The Ministerial excellencies of many Ministers were collected and concentred in one Simeon Ash he was a Bazalcel in Gods Tabernacle a Master-builder an old Disciple a Polycarp a Christian of long standing in the School of Christ a burning and a shining light one whom many Ministers and other good Christians called Father insomuch that it was a common proverb in this City Father Ash and I believe many experimentally weep over him as the King did over the Prophet Elisha My Father my Father the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof for he lived desired and died lamented not only in the City but I believe in many places in the Country where he was known But more particulary there were twelve excellencies I observed in this reverend Minister and my dear Brother that were as 12 Jewels or precious Pearls in that Crown with which God had crowned him I shall name them for your imitation and benefit He needs them not for he is above our Eulogy The first and chief Jewel that did beautifie adorn this our Brother was his sincerity and uprightness in heart which indeed is not a single Grace but the soul of all Grace and the interlineary that must run through all Grace what is faith if it be not unfeigned what will love to God profit you if it be not without dissimulation what is repentance worth if it be not in truth as the body without the soul is a rotten carkass so is all grace without sincerity this is the soul of all grace this is the girdle of truth Sincerity is that which girts all our spiritual armor together and makes them useful what advantage is it to have the breast-plate of Righteousness the shield of Faith the helmet of Hope if they be but painted things it is the girdle of sincerity that makes all the other parts of our armor useful Now this excellent grace of sincerity was eminent in our dear Brother he was a true Nathaniel in whom there was no guile I mean no allowed hypocrisie this was that which carried him through the pangs of death with a great deal of comfort for he was able to say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart He could say with Paul this is my rejoycing the testimony of my conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity I have had my conversation in this world 2. Another grace was his humilicy this is a grace that he was cloathed withal and it is a rare grace for God dwells with the humble he resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble This Reverend Minister was low in his own eyes and therefore very high in Gods eyes he had a mean esteem of himself and therefore he was high in esteem with God He was as Jacob said of himself less than the least of Gods mercies and therefore he was made partaker of the best of Gods mercies He was like an ear of Corn full of fruit bowing down in thankfulness to God 3. Another Jewel was the fruitfulness of his discourse for it may be said of him as it was of Christ he went about doing good where ever he went he scattered his goodness this all that knew him knew to be true He was full of good discourse where ever he came when I was with him in his sickness he took occasion to complain much and not without just cause God grant his complaint may make impression upon our hearts he complained that it was a great fault of Ministers that when they met together they discoursed no more of Christ of Heaven and of the concernments of the other world and professed that if GOD should restore him he would be more careful in his discourse and more fruitful than ever yet he had been 3. Another Jewel that beautified this Righteous man was his mercifulness he was a merciful man which he manifested not onely in his charity to the members of Jesus Christ but in his frequent visiting of sick persons and persons that needed Spiritual physick I
Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Mal. 3.13 there is the like instance Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee this God is always quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what have we said in the 14 verse Ye said it is in vain to serve God and what prosit is it that we have kept his Ordinances we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts and now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered well now what follows They they that feared the Lord spake often one to another as if they had said let not these things take any thing off the edge of our affections or quench any flame of our love did God take any notice of this now that he had any such friends in the world yes saith he God hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him there is a time coming the day will declare whether it be serving God or the Devil well then beloved as ever you would hold fast the profession of your Faith take heed of the error of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may lose bâ— it for if ye lose for him ye shall never lose by him Thirdly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then lay up the word of Faith in a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 It is said there of the good ground they are they which have heard the Word kept it or hold it fast where do they lay it up now in a good and honest heart so that you must pull out his heart before that you can pull out the Word and will any man suffer his heart to be torn from him you never hold it fast till you lay it up in a good and honest heart if it be only in the hands as a Bible in your hands or in the head it will be gone but if it be in your hearts you will never let it go therefore observe saith he Having heard it they keep it and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring with patience for if they were not under suffering what need were there of patience Well beloved consider a little further as to this the Connection between the verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled with a pure conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the profession of our faith the purity of the heart is the best preservative of the Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience a good and honest heart will never part with the mysteries of faith Lastly Would you hold fast the profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of your Faith David had got the faculty of walking with God and how was it saith he I will keep thy loving kindness before mine eyes that I may walk with thee Oh! if we do but keep the loving kindness of God in Jesus Christ before our eyes we shall certainly keep the faith Saith the Apostle having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near and let us hold fast a high Priest that is Jesus Christ our great high Priest Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren he partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God! Oh! let us be thinking of and looking to this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh! think of this condescension in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered being God for man Think how he became poor that was rich that we that were poor might become rich think how he became a curse think how he became sin for us think what a good Confession he made before Pontius Pilate even to death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty power and ascended into Heaven and ever lives to make intercession for those that come to the Father through him Think how he lived here on earth in a sad condition and joyed in it so that it might be for our good and shall we leave such a Christ as this Oh! can you look upon Christ and leave the Profession of your Faith It cannot be keep Christ before your eyes make him your pattern and you will not you cannot do amiss He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked he walked in obedience all his days and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in all obedience all our days though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for our holding fast the Profession of our Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all in the words of Jude from the 20 ver of this Epistle to the end But you Beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God and Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel-Sermon Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20.1662 Rev. 3. Verse 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard and held fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lords day in this Congregation I told you then there were three Doctrines obvious in the Text the first was Doct. 1. That it is the Duty of Christians to remember those Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 2.
as the Word of Truth The Word was written after the Church but as it is the Word of God it 's before it This therefore will break the snare if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution and then submit to Church-Institution A second Rule I observe men would set up to betray poor souls from the faith once delivered to them is Ancient Custom our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain When they would hold forth that which the Scripture is short in they will send us to such and such customs of so many hundred years standing It is to be bewailed that the date the standing of false Doctrines and false Worships is so ancient for though at first they were but Innovations yet to succeeding Generations they become old And 't is a very great truth That what is the most ancient is the most true and therefore there lies a great snare in this Therefore when Antiquity is pretended if you find not their hoary heads in the way of Righteousness there is little reason for you to reverence them or comply with them no more than there was reason so suddenly to be taken with the Gibeonites mouldy bread and clouted shoes When matters of Antiquity are pretended say as Ignatius Jesus Christus est mea Antiquitas Jesus Christ is my Antiquity so say Truth is my Antiquity for though an opinion hath been practised a thousand years yet men may have the Word of Truth in their hearts that is ancienter than all A third Rule that men would set up is The general course of the World or Place the generality of those where they live This was that the Popish Party did often mention to the witnesses of Jesus Christ What! will you be wiser than others Can't you do as others do must you be singular And this is a taking Rule for to make you conformable to those things possibly the Word of God will not warrant if you bring not this custom to the Word of God 'T is not what the most do but what we may do 't is not what the practice of all in general is but what ought to be the singular care and strict holiness of Christians in particular that the Word of God will allow Christians are not to be conformable to the present World Rom. 12.1 The Word will tell you It is no more safe to follow a multitude to do evil than it will be sweet to be in Hell with a great company The Word will let you know the secrets of the Lord are with a very few and those them that fear him as for the whole world it lies in wickedness The Word will tell you The wayes of Jesus Christ and the profession of Jesus Christ is commonly called a Sect it is every where spoken against and men hate it every where Therefore set up a Rule in your hearts in your houses in your meditations in your practise Rule 2. Be very well rooted and established in the faith that hath been delivered to you I observe one of the great reasons why Christians so easily let go the profession they have made is because they were never well built upon it nor established in it There are many Christians that through their own itching ears heaping up Teachers to themselves have never been rooted or established in the truth the Lord pitty them and keep them this day Many Christians that have attended to establishing means yet never seriously considered nor laid things to their heart but are like those the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.12 that had need to learn the first Oracles of God How many among us profess with the highest but have little ground for their faith onely with the Jews the Traditions of the Elders the custom of the place Education and because such a party of men say so because no body denies it because Ministers commonly preached it but to have any solid and serious ground they are yet to seek 'T is not with the things of God as with other Arts as Logick Rhetorick Astronomy in these Arts the principal is presupposed to be proved no man goes about to prove there is Reason that there is Number that there are Heavenly Bodies because sense and experience shews it But 't is quite otherwise in the things of God for you are not onely to run away with the notion that there is a God that this God is one and that these are his Words and his Works but you are to know this by experience because the knowledge of these things comes by infusion by faith by a belief that God is For by faith we believe the Worlds were made by the Word of God Hebr. 11.3 It is that therefore I would press you to that you would labour for an established Spirit Do not onely hear the things of God but see them the first will but blinde you or at best leave you at great uncertainties the last will settle you What was the reason of the holy Apostles zeal when they were under the greatest threatnings of the High Priests and were forbid to speak in the name of Christ and to speak of Justification by faith and the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and forgiveness of sins by him things that are further remote from sense and reason the Apostle will tell you Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard Hence it is that poor silly women that in respect of their Imbecillity and Infirmity of Sex the terrours of the fire and faggot might have been such to have brought them to Apostacy yet they confounded the great Doctors and Rabbies when they were brought before them they were able to burn though they could not dispute they beheld things that were invisible It 's an excellent thing not to take up the Word upon notion upon opinion but to have an established heart through Grace I shall direct you in two words 1. Get the Lord by Prayer to teach you every truth what Jesus Christ teaches once is everlastingly taught no word is abiding but what the Lord Jesus teaches himself Look as it is with Satan when he comes to seduce men from the truth he will present such a fine notion without and commonly he darts in some dazling light within so that you never knew a Heretick take up a false opinion but it was with a marvellous deal of sweetness and comfort so when the Lord Christ teacheth by his Spirit he comes with that light that sweetness savour and relish of truth as will be impossible for you to let it go Hence when Christ would confute the Pharisees who had the witness of his Father in his work he saith Joh. 5.37 Ye have neither heard his â—oice at any time nor seen his shape It 's an excellent thing to see the shape and hear the voice of God 2. Be well rooted upon Christ or else you will never be established in any â—ruth of Christ
If you miss the Lord Jesus by the Grace of Faith you will never hâ—ld fast the Doctrine of Faith you are built upon the Doctrine of the Apostles not their Persons upon which the Lord Jesus is the Corner-stone he that does not know Jesus Christ himself will certainly lose his Faith What 's the reason the stony ground in time of Persecution fell away why they had not root they were not planted upon the Lord Jesus Rule 3. Thirdly those truths that God hath taught you and those wayes of Worship God hath committed to you love them as your lives love them above your lives for no man will ever contend to hold them if he do not love them Things of low price and esteem are presently let go he that loves the Word above his life will let life go rather than the Word If you receive not the Word out of love every Imposter and false Prophet every fear and terrour of men will rob you of it Hide the Word in thy heart saith Solomon Love the truth dearly It was a great speech of Calvin Never did any one Apostatize from the truth of Jesus Christ but it was because he did not love the truth And I add this That never did any Apostatize from the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ but it was because they did not receive them in love or else they have lost their love for there 's a decay of affection as well as having no affection if you love them what will you not suffer for them but more of that by and by Rule 4. Fourthly Guard all the truths of God and those wayes of God that have been taught you guard them strongly especially truths that are most material and fundamental for leading truths are like Captains of Armies if they be routed the whole rout follows them There is great opposition that will be made against your faith The whole power of darkness of Antichrist of his seducing spirits likely and probably enouâ—h will overspread the whole face of Christianity once more for she must sit as a Lady before she be desolate and forsaken for ever The Apostle bids you beware of Dogs beware of the Concision beware of Evil workers guard your selves against them guard the truths you have learned by Argument by Scripture by Reason that you may have wherewithal to confute them by the word of truth mightily out of the Scripture as the Apostle did Three things you are to guard against 1. Your own deceitfulness especially in a rash and sudden forsaking of those wayes that have been taught and the profession you have taken up for Christians would never be so mad to Apostatize were they but seriously deliberate about the weight of them Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you would not obey the truth c. and 1.6 I warvelled what ailed you that you soon turned away to another Gospel One would have thought they might have spoken with Paul first and sent to him and reasoned the case with him There 's a marvellous bewitching in false Doctrines to take men presently who are not watchful over themselves It is in disputations and practising truth as it is in contentions if you make a Judgment before you hear both parties speak you judge unrighteously if you forsake the wayes and truth of Jesus Christ before you can hear what can be said for them you do unrighteously 2. Guard them against the lusts of your own hearts The great work of a Chrisâ—ian is contention it is not so much against Antichrist those that are without him as that which is within him If all Heretical Doâ—trines and wayes were rooted out of the World not onely the being but the memory the heart is bad enough in one day to set them all oâ— foot again therefore guard the truth Men of corrupt minds will presently grow â—eprobate as to the Faith 1 Tim. 3 6. Such Doctrines and Worships as shall suit with our lusts as shall suit with exalting Self and laving Christ low as shall suit with an easie way to Heaven when the Scripture saith Straight is the Gate as shall suit with self-preservation So I might secure my Estate my Liberty I would suspect such Doctrines as these before I take them up for the wayes of Christ Guard the truth against false Teachers such as shall come among you in Sheeps cloathing yet are Wolves in heart men that creep in at unawares among you to subvert souls I will not here describe them you know them well enough by their fruits onely this let me tell you in opposition to those though you cannot come at the publick Ministrâ— or those God hath set over you yet make Conscience for to take fences to take defences from them as you may by their Counsel Prayer Help and Assistance for to guard you against false Teachers When the Church of Christ is in the Wilderness you will find this is that the Holy Ghost advises them to Cant. 1.8 You are to guard your selves by communion one with another as to go forth by the foot-steps of the Flock so also you are to go and feed your Kids by the Shepherds tents for though 't is not the work that God calls for to pin your faith upon their sleeves yet 't is your duty to enquire of the Lord by them for he is the Messenger of the Lord to you Rule 5. Arm your selves with Resolutions to suffer for the faith of the Gospel and for the wayes of Jesus Christ As you should love the truth above your lives so labour to be made willing to part with Life Estate Liberty any thing for to keep the wayes of Jesus Christ It is not the honour of the Gospel of Christ to hear Christians to break out into murmurings passions discontents contentions that are carnal and sinful your work is humbly meekly and patiently to lie under the hand of God and under the hand of man too that becomes Christians Suffering is that that will restore the glory of Religion that will keep the truth delivered to you that will honour the Cause of Christ best of all follow the example of blessed Paul his his expression is worthy of consideration 2 Tim. 2.9 he gives a charge of keeping and propagating one of the most glorious truths that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead yet a thing that is farthest off from sense and reason wherein I suffer trouble Mark Paul does not say wherein I make trouble no but wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound If this blessed and glorious Apostle would have had the faith of God bound and have contented himself with sinful silence and not propagated the Gospel Paul might have been free but Paul would not have the Word of God bound therefore Paul would suffer for it Shall we go higher a great deal than this You have the glorious commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this account that
while Stephen sees nothing but blood here below he saw Heaven above And Christ rells his Disciples In the world they shall have tribulation but in him they shall have peace 6. And lastly Though this be one great work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples yet there are some special seasons wherein the Spirit of God gives out this comfort There are seasons of sadness there is a season of heaviness and there is need of it There is a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance I shewed you some of the Seasons 1. One special season of the Spirits comforting the renewing Soul is presently upon the Souls first salvation After the spirit is become a Spirit of Adoption presently it becomes a Spirit of Consolation after the Spirit hath come into the soul in the Law it then nextly appears a Spirit in the Gospel 2. Another season when the Spirit gives out this comfort is just before the Lord layes upon his people any great affliction When was it that Christ was transfigured and his face did shine as the Sun it was immediately before his bloody passion Christ was first taken into the Mount before he was lifted up upon the Cross When was the voice heard This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased but just before he was led into the Wilderness to be tempted When was Paul lifted up into Heaven it was immediately before Satan was sent to buffet him Thus God gives his people something beforehand to support their Spirits that they may not faint the Disciples were full of comfort Acts 5 41. And when was this immediately just before they were carryed before the Council and whipt up and down like Vagabonds and Rogues for preaching the Gospel 3. Another Season when the Spirit gives out this Comfort is in the time of suffering God comes in the nick of time especially if a man suffer for righteousness sake if this suffering be upon the account of Christ he seldom sails to send the Comforter for the relieving of his Spirit 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Bodily confinement and in ward straits are the time of the souls greatest inlargement John had his vision in the Isle of Patmos When a Child of God is brought to a piece of bread then is the season for God to feed him with heavenly Manna Jacob had glorious Visions while he was flying from the wrath of his Brother when he had nothing but a heap of Stones for his Pillow It was in the Wilderness that God speaks to his Church thus I told you of Mr. Glover a Prisoner who found no comfort in the time of his imprisonment but when he was going to the stake he cryed out He is come be is come meaning the Spirit the Comforter 4. Another season of Comfort is after some special exercise of grace godly sorrow-for sin free actions in the pardon of sin and new Engageme â—â—s and Resolutions and Promises of more close walking with God after declining from him 5. Another season of Comfort is After some great Tryals and Afflictions Light is then most pleasant when we newly are come out of a dark place after Thunder comes Lightning after a Storm comes a Calm God led his people first into the Wilderness and then into the Land of Canaan It is often so in Gods Dispensations towards his people their greatest Afflictions go before their greatest Deliverances And therefore let not the Saints of God despair when they are at the lowest when they walk in darkness and see no light yet let them trust in the Lord. 6. Another Season of comfort was when men were conscienciously diligent in their particular Callings then they walk with God To this I gave you an instance in the Shepherds they were faithful and diligent in their Callings they were watching over their flocks by night and then the Angel comes and tells them To you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.11 A company of poor Shepherds keeping of their Sheep God appears unto them and manifesteth his comforting Presence when the Scribes and Phaâ—isees notwithstanding all their long prayers and their strict Rites and Ceremonies hear not a word of him 7. Another Season of comfort is when we are either preparing for or in the spiritual act of some duty When grace is exercised to prepare the heart to pray and in attendance upon such an Ordinance then oftentimes the Spirit of God is with them to let poor souls in their endeavors finde acceptance with God Hannah had been praying to God But what melody did she finde in her heart When Mary sate â—at Christs feet how doth Christ fill her heart with comfort sealing up her salvation to her I now come to close with some Application Vse of Information Use If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples then by way of Information I gather this That a poor soul is very hardly setled and satisfied in point of Comfort Sure it is a hard matter to comfort a poor soul when one of the Persons of the blessed Trinity must be employed on purpose to do it This is an office belonging to the Holy Ghost when he is to be the Paraclec the comfort of the Holy Ghost This sure is a hard matter to comfort the wounded spirit when the soul is full of the spirit of bondage Oh! the hesitates the jealousies the doubts and fears the objections that a poor soul makes against his spiritual peace and comfort now it begins to take comfort then it doubts again now he believeth and takes courage but anon he is afraid there is a great deal ado to fasten comfort upon a poor soul 2 Cor. 1.22 23. What a heap of Words are there together and it is all little enough to comfort a poor soul Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God and hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts It is not without much tugging and drawing that the soul is first brought to believe and then when it doth believe it is a hard thing to perswade it that it doth believe There is a strange kind of squemishness upon the heart he thinks that there is no comfort to be taken that doth belong to him Luther says It is a harder thing to comfort a troubled Conscience than to raise the dead Surely it must be as hard when nothing but the same power must do it The soul is hardly convinced but all the glad tidings of the Gospel are golden streams and all the Promises are but pleasant Fancies without any Reality but that these things should belong to him this he cannot believe for want of faith
continually in danger they are as a Lilly amongst Thorns as Sheep among Wolves as a besieged City in the midst of her enemies They have enemies without and enemies within enemies without the Devil is their adversary 1. They are in danger in respect of the Devil who is a very potent enemy a roaring Lyon and a malicious enemy malicious against God and industrious enemy He goes about seeking whom he may devour he compasseth the earth to do what he can to keep souls from Christ he is a subtil enemy that hath his stratagems to catch and enshare poor souls Now it is the endeavour of every true Minister of Jesus Christ to secure his people by his counsel and his prayers for we are ignorant of his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 As if he should say I have most experience of the Devils subtilty Satan sets to oppose them most and this is one thing to rob Ministers of their meditations of their prayers and therefore it is the design of Ministers to strengthen their people in regard of Satans temptations 2. They are in danger in respect of seducers that lie in wait to deceive 3. They are in danger by the World lest they should be frighted by its opposition 4. They are in danger by their corrupt lusts that war against their souls Therefore every faithful Minister warns his people of those that their souls may be secured this being that that a faithful Minister would do among his people while he is with them when he is taken from them he commits them to God to be socured from all danger as Christ in that place before Father keep them in thine own hands Lastly Every faithful Minister seeks the comfort and consolation of his people It is their desire to comfort the feeble hands they are not Masters of your grace but helpers of your joy 2 Cor. 4.12 Where the Gospel appears in power many will stand in need of comfort under doubts fears and afflictions and this is the desire of every faithful Minister of Jesus Christ at their departure from their people to support the weak to resolve the doubted to succour the tempted and when he is taken from them and can contribute little to this work he recommends them to God A departing Minister may say to his peoâ—le If God has made me an instrument of comfort to your souls you have cause to bless God for it Now I can do no more I must recommend you to God who I hope will be the God of your comfort when I am gone 2. This is the best office that a Minister can do for his people when he is taken from them and that whether we look upon Minister or People certainly it is the best office that a Minister can do for his people To commend them to God 1. God is omnipotently infinite able 2 God is gracious and faithful therefore willing to do it First God is infinitely able to manage this trust he is God all-sufficient Gen. 17.1 sufficient to make himself happy much more to make his people happy 1. God is all in all in the enjoyment of mercy 2. God is all in all in the want of mercy First He is all in all in the enjoyment of mercy When a people hath a faithful Minister placed over them by the providence of God he can do nothing of himself 2 Cor. 3.6 Our preaching iâ— from the assistance of God and when we have done all we cannot make this effectual we cannot give the success Paul may plant Apollos may water but it is God that must give the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 Why do you keep such a stir One would have this Minister another that One would have Paul another would have Apollo another Cephas Are they not the Ministers of God by whom you have believed Our profit depends not upon the parts and gifts of a creature but upon the blessing of God it is God that puts this heavenly Treasure into the heart and it is God that must disperse it for the use and benefit of his people The most eloquent Apollos cannot perswade obstinate sinners to lay hold upon the Gospel they may speak to the ear but it is God that must carry the Word to the heart either for conviction or conversion Secondly God is all in all in the want of means Let the instrument be never so weak if it be in the hand of God it shall prove effectual God can make a poor Fisherman instrumental to catch three thousand souls at one time and God chuses to do his work by weak Instruments that the praise may be of God It is not the Minister's parts or gifts but only the power of God that strengthens the soul and sanctifies and builds them up and comfort them God is able to convert all unconverted sinners in a Congregation God can say Ephata Be opened 2. God is able to build up those that are converted God is able to make all grace abound 2 Cor. 9.8 Those that have little grace God is able to make it increase God is the God of all grace God can make every Saint perfect entire lacking nothing he can sill all the void places of the heart 3. God can keep us in all tryals and troubles God can keep up his people in the midst of Apostacy Matth. 16.13 The gates of Hell shall not prevail against them God can keep them that all the power of Hell shall not hurt them 4. God is able to comfort the most disconsolate soul Ministers may speak comfortable words but they cannot speak them further than to the ear but God can speak them to the heart I will allure her into the Wilderness and speak to the heart God can comfort the poor soul let the case be never so sad 2 Cor. 1.4 2. As God is infinitely able so he is infinitely gracious and faithful See his Name in Exod. 34. Full of power and tender mercy Is not God willing for the Conversation of poor sinners as willing as Ministers yea a thousand and ten thousand times more Hear how patiently God speaks Turn ye why will you dye Hear and live He calls upon men every where to repent Secondly God doth not only desire it but purpose it and resolve it God that hath begun a good work he will finish it and so for their preservation he hath said That the gates of Hell shall never prevail against them Of all thou hast given me I have lost none John 17.11 Though God may suffer his people to be led away for a time yet they shall be brought back again and shall be kept through the power of God unto salvation Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot or tittle which God hath spoken How willing is God to comfort all his comfortless ones What Mother can be more pitiful to her sick child than God is to them that are under affliction Though a Mother forget her sucking child yet God cannot forget his people And then he is
painful Labourers at once but it is our duty to suffer patiently and not complain 2. As our troubles must be great so many will fear and in fearing faint we see it come to pass and you will find it more and more There are those that run with the Foot-men that will not keep pace with the Horse-men that may be left behind and be trod under foot our troubles are likely to rise according to all we can learn from Scripture and Providence and very many there be that will shrink 3. Consider it is a very difficult thing to stand stedfast in a day of evil you cannot name any of God's Children but when they have indeed come to it their carnal sears have been working so as their feet have almost slipt they have been almost gone but that for the promise of God that he would â—â—y no more upon them than he would enable them to bear O but you will say What will become of the publick interest of the name and Church of God and what shall become of my private interest I answer you have no ground of fear according to Scripture in either of these respects First as to the publick Name of God the interest of his Church of his truth of righteousnes or of a real Reformation the interest of our prayers and hopes be not afraid 1. God bears a dear respect unto his People they are represented in Scripture by all names that may import dearness and nearness imto him the interest of his glory is bound up in his people he calls Israel his Glory We know the interest of men is that which moves the world but the interest of God of his Glory no doubt will be the ground of safety and security unto us even till God takes us to Heaven For the interest of Gods Justice God made Hell and for the interest of his mercy and grace be gave Jesus Christ to die to take effect here among the children of men Do you think God will forget his interest 2. Remember Gods ways are in the deep you cannot tell what God is doing when you think thoughts of destruction and confusion my thoughts towards you saith God are thoughts of peace And truly God he does not save a Soul nor does not promote the salvation of his Church in any eminent degree but it is in a way that is cross and contrary to the sense and expectation of flesh and blood insomuch you know the darkness of our condition has been the entrance upon deliverance as just before the day dawns it is the darkest of the night when God looked and there was none to help them says he My arm brought salvation Thus it was with you that are effectually called you have received the sentence of death the entrance upon your deliverance is the darkest time of your condition 3. God can do great things Joel 2. Fear not thy God O Sion can do great things 'T is a disparagement that we offer to God we ascribe more to the Creature than we do to God when we give way to carnal fear fear not what man can do because of the power of God which is his shield and buckler Is any thing too hard too heavy for God And when God does great things he usually goes on to do greater though he may seem to suffer his work to be thrown back to confusion and his people may be ready to say we thought he had redeemed Israel that degree of Reformation shall not be lost You know in Luthers time take any special degree of Reformation in the Church and it seemed to be opposed by the gates of Hell when it was brought upon the stage to any hopeful degree when it was taken as it were utterly out of sight for a while but it was never lost thus God is but making way for his own glory to appear in these great works O but you will say What shall become of my particular It is enough God hath promised that we shall not want any thing that is truly good and that nothing that is evil shall fall upon us and lye upon us though we do not see deliverance it shall be whatsoever our sad thoughts and tremblings of heart may be yet give God the glory of his Word Take these few directions 1. Strive to strengthen thy Faith Faith is that which lays hold on Christ and Christ is your strength therefore Faith is said to do that which Christ doth let every day drive thee to a renewed Act of Faith Take heed be not shaken in the Faith of the Cause be not shaken in the Faith of Christ fides causae fides Christi Be not shaken upon the Cause which upon utmost examination we find to be according to the Word hold that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot and tittle of this Cause And then do not shake in the faith of Christ that is in your laying hold in your applying your selves to him in your resting and settling upon him beg of God to strengthen your Faith 2. Get more Self-denial we must forsake all we must not accept any thing A man would part with his life as easily as with a pin off his sleeve if he had but some considerable growth in Self-denial 3. Get a great deal of love towards that Christ that loved us with love stronger than death get love of that Christ that may be stronger than life Let nothing in the world be of any consideration with you so as Christ be magnified in your bodies love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God carnal fear before me 4. Get a true insight in an account of suffering and troubles whence they are they issue from the same love with redemption of your souls from Hell and your glorification God doth every thing in pursuance of the purpose of his love he doth every thing according to the platform and pattern of his thoughts towards us from eternity Confider what troubles are and to what end not to destroy but to try to wean from the world to fit for heaven 5. Get an insight into the vanity of the Creature you reckon the Creature some great matter and that is the reason of your love and of your fear 6. Get the fear of God that may over-rule other fears Fear not him that can but kill the body but fear him that is able to cast Body and Soul into Hell-fire 7. Keep a clear conscience void of offence towards God and towards men by a heart-abasing confession of what is past and the application of the blood of Christ and by mortification and watchfulness therein keep your selves from evil for the time to come 8. Get a better assurance of eternal life a glimpse and sight of this would make a man run through the very flames of hell How comfortable was Stephen when a shower of stones was about his ears to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God! I wonder how
they dare to venture their life that have no ground of a better life but for those that have a well grounded hope of the mercy of God they say We reckon these light afflictions which are but for a moment to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Fear not any of these things which you shall suffer Prop. 7. Christ does limit Satan he hath him in a string him and all his instruments The Devil shall cast some of you into prison c. Every word hath its weight who shall do it the Devil What shall he do cast you into prison How far some of you How long ten dayes For what use that you may be tryed Christ as he hath Satan in a chain of providence so he hath a chain of Restraint it is Christ that sets a circle about him he cannot cause a hair of thy head to fall he is in the hand of Christ they are as truly under him and his hand as they are against him If God let alone his Enemies what shall they not do If God let alone his People what shall they do 2. God has a special Providence about the things of his Church by way of Eminency by way of Premission and ordination 3. You will not deny but there 's power enough in God to destroy all that are against him and to limit and all shall make to the praise of God and to his peoples good 4. The Lord is exceeding merciful he cannot hold when the Enemy comes to insult to blaspheme and revile Now will I arise saith God and set him at liberty from him that puffeth at him there is not only a judging of their Enemies hereafter but a judging of them here the world shall say Verily there is a God that rewardeth righteousness verily there is a God that judgeth the earth 5. God hath a special design in hand therefore just so far as he will carry on the design God hath towards his people which is always a design of Faithfulness just so far shall the enemy go Isa 10. The Enemy means not so he means to cut off people not a few but Gods end was otherwise and he will over-rule them this is the comfort there is a set time there is an end There is a difference between the afflicting of God's people and judging their Enemies in the intention and extension one is for ruine the other in proportion one is a light affliction the other a load And then for extension one is for ever the other is for a time for ten dayes Then our affliction shall have an end I and a comfortable end the end of our sins and the end of our sorrows God will restore comforts to his mourners let us be mourners during the time of mourning God will quickly cloath us with garments of praise there shall be an end of sufferings never an end of our joy and glory Prop. 8. To conclude in a word Be faithful to the death Be faithful in your Promises in your vows and purposes your covenants of obedience and reformation persist in the doctrine of the Gospel and the worship of the Gospel and the Ministry of the Gospel and Offices Christ hath fixt in his Church be faithful by your most earnest zealous desires before the Lord Be faithful to the death he will never let you see death till all your fears are conquered he can presently take them away he will certainly be present with you in all your troubles And remember God in tender mercy and faithfulness for the present accepts thy unfeigned purpose to be constant and faithful to him to the death Mr. Philip Lamb's Farewel Sermon Preached at Beer-Regis in the County of Dorset Aug. 17. 1662. Joh. 14.23 Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him THe departure of Jesus Christ unto his Father from whose bosom he came into the World was very sadly resented by his Disciciples whose mixt passions produce a very great disturbance and trouble upon their Spirits The inward Anxiety and unconcealed grief of the Disciples move the Bowels of their more affectionate Lord to pity their case and provide for their relief and give them instructions how to express their love unto him in his absence not so much in carrying blubber'd eyes and heavy hearts as by remembring and observing the Counsels and Instructions that he hath given to them while he was present with them So that this whole Chapter is fill'd up with Counsels and Comforts Directions and Consolations First Directions and Counsels especially in the 1.13.15 verses First To the exercise of Faith verse 1. Ye believe in God believe also in me And this is the life even a life of Faith which we must live till we come to the enjoyment of Christ by which we fetch comforts in all troubles and strength against all tentations from Jesus Christ Secondly To the duty of Prayer ver 13. which is the proper duty of an afflicted State as Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray By Prayer the Soul empties his Complaints in Gods bosome and finds ease by telling him of all the trouble and grief that attends his state Prayer hath that divine excellency that like a heavenly Charm it speaks away trouble and speaks in comfort as 't is said of Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 She prayed and went away and did eat and her countenance was no more sad And thus our Prayers alwayes speed when they be made by the help of the Spirit and offered up to God in the name of Christ 13 14. verses Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name that you shall receive Thirdly To obedience in the 15. verse to do the work committed to them If ye love me keep my commandements You cannot better express your love to me than in keeping my words Nor is there a more certain way for men to find comfort than this by keeping his commands for then though they cannot enjoy his Person yet they shall not miss his Promise Secondly The Consolation which he gives them in the 2. ver c. the 16. ver c. and the 23. ver c. First In the 2 3 4 ver c. From the place whether he was going to his Father and their Father his Home and their Home whence he did intend to come again to them So that his going from them was but a Recess or with-drawing for a time until he came For in ver 3. I will come again and receive you to my self as rendred in the Greek I come again in the Present Tense to intimate the certainty of his coming to them again as if he were already come which in ver 28. of this Chapter Christ tells them should be matter of great joy to them If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father Secondly From ver 16.
depart from such persons God threatens it as a sore judgment upon Jerusalem Jerem. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee When God departs in comes all judgments for it follows in the Text Lest I make thee desolate Desolation comes as soon as God is gone yea says the Lord Hos 9.12 Wo to them when I depart from them And though he depart from such by removing his Counsels Gospel and Ordinances He will still be with them in judgment when he is far from their affections he will be nigh to their Consciences then he will shew his terrour and his wrath and then they shall finde that as there is not a sweeter promise thâ—â— this I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so not a more terrible judgment than this I will not love thee nor abide with thee Thirdly A Vse of Lamentation Let us lament our selves who have had God and Christ making their abode with us for many years in their special Providences Gospel-Ordinances c. Yet have we not improved so glorious a Presence so rich a mercy especially we have cause to lament this four-fold neglect First That we have so little acquainted our selves with God and Christ so little prized and observed their presence with us that we have learnt no more of God and Christ but are yet strangers to them so that Jesus Christ may say to us as in John 14.9 Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip so he may say to us Have I been so long time with you in my Providences Ordinances and by my Spirit and yet have you not known my Goodness my Faithfulness my Name my â—aws and Ordinances Sure it is with most of us as with Jacob Gen. 28.15 16. The Lord was with him when he was in his Dream and when he awaked he said Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not So God hath been with us but we have been in a dream or in a sleep all this while but when God shall awaken us we shall say with him God was in this place and we knew it not Secondly We may lament our selves that we have so little conformed to God and Christ God hath been with us but we have refused his company as Ephes 2.12 And had our conversation as without God and without Christ in the world Oh when God and Christ shall depart from us it will be a heart breaking to us and we shall dearly repent the least miscarriages Thirdly We may lament that we have not lived more upon God and Christ to trust in them and depend upon them for Life and Salvation and made him our Counsellor Guide and Strength and lived upon his All-sufficiency we have not made them our Sanctuary our Treasury our Happiness though they have been with us in whom are all things Yet have we lived at so poor a rate as to our spiritual comforts as if we had been under the Hypocrites Curse Job 20.22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits Or guilty of that vanity mentioned in Eccles 6.2 To have Riches and Honours c. and not a heart to use them To have faith to use them for our comfort we have even starved our selves at the fullest Table and Spring head of plenty Fourthly We may lament our selves that we have not taken more pleasure in the enjoyment of God and Christ in the Gospel and Gospel-Ordinances accounting all Company and delights solitariness in comparison of the joy and comfort that is in the abode of God and Christ especially when God expects we should rejoyce in him and hath promised to abide with such Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness and remembreth thee in thy wayes Two Uses of Exhortation 1. To get the presence of God and Christ with us 2. To endeavour to keep God and Christ abiding with us The first Use of Exhortation Let us be exhorted above all desires to desire Gods presence And above all getting get God and Christ to make their above with you Oh with what ardency and heat of desire doth David express himself Ps 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 daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple and so in Psalm 42.1 2. As the Hart pants after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God when shall I come and appear before God O when wilt thou come unto me And in a multitude of such like Pathetick breathings after God And that we may the more earnestly desire this mercy the abode of God and Christ with us consider three particulars First Consider the presence of God and Christ is the special favour and honor that God bestows only upon his own people By this was Israel distinguished from all the world Exod. 33.16 My presence shall go with thee and in the last verse of the last chapt of Ezekiel it is the Church only that is called Jehiah-Shammah the Lord is there her Founder Preserver and Governor Secondly Consider that they that have God and Christ with them dwell continually at the Fountain-head of consolations as David says Psal 23. I shall want nothing the Lord is my shepherd my cup runs over Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life This Fountain keeps our cisterns full our channels run shal low sometimes but never are they dried up Hos 14.5 I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his roots as Lebanon they shall grow up as the Lilly beautiful and fair and as the Cedar well rooted and established He that hath the Sun hath Light he that hath the Well must needs have Water Ille possidet omnia qui possidet possidentem omnia He hath all things who hath him from whom all things come Thirdly Consider that when all comforts leave us God will not when friends forsake and riches profit not in the evil day God is a present help in time of trouble and loves to shew himself in dubiis arduis in the greatest difficulties and on the mount of straits Jesus Christ says truly to us what Peter said rashly to him Though all forsake thee yet will not I. Object I have found God and Christ gone from me says the soul when I have had need of him Answ First That God and Christ may and do sometimes hide their faces from their dearest friends Secondly Though God and Christ do sometimes withdraw from us yet every interruption of communion is not a separation The Sun doth not cease to be when it ceaseth to shine Grace may suspend its acting but doth not lose its being God will not finally forsake his people Thirdly God hath very many gracious ends why he sometimes withdraws and they are always
in mercy to his people Sad providences producing sweet effects Directions and helps how to get the presence of God and Christ with us First Repent and humble your selves because of all your sins that you have at any time rejected the counsels of God and resused grace and mercy and neglected opportunities of doing your souls good and drawing near to God Repentance and resolution against sin come like John Baptist to prepare a way and a place for God and Christ to come to and make their abode in Of the Hearts and Houses of impenitent sinners we may well say God is not there The way to have God to turn unto us is to turn away from sin as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. He bemoaned himself and repented and God came to him as to his dear Son and to his pleasant Child Secondly Believe in Jesus Christ and by Faith get an interest in him It is by Faith only that we get an entertainment to Jesus Christ It is by Jesus Christ alone that God and man come together No man hath seen the Father at any time but the Son and he to whom he doth reveal him and he that hath the Son hath the Father Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Thirdly Own Jesus Christ in all his offices as your King Priest and Prophet First As your King let him have the Soveraignty of your souls that he may rule over you If Christ be your King God will be your Father God loves to come where Christ hath his Throne Secondly As your Priest that his Righteousness may give you the advantage of communion with God without which we cannot come near to him and he will not come near to us Thirdly As your Prophet that he may shew you the way if his Spirit be your Guide and his Word your Rule you may be sure his Promses shall be your portion even this Promise in the Text They will come to you and make their abode with you even God and Christ Fourâ—hly Seek earnestly after God and Christ in the use of all appointed means till you come to see and enjoy their presence with you Here shall be fhewn these two particulars 1. Where we may seek God and Christ 2. How or after what manner we must seek them First Where we must seek after God and Christ First We may finde them in the works of Creation these will represent God and Christ unto us the power and wisdom of God and Christ by whom the World was made In omni re aspeciabili quaedam extant vestigia Dei In all the visible Creatures there be some prints of the invisible God so that he which lives altogether without God must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse having God so near him Secondly We may finde them in the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 The glory of God shines there in the face of Jesus Christ and to them that are conversant in the Word God hath promised to reveal himself Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And the Apostle gives this direction Rom. 10.6 7. Say net in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Thirdly We may finde them in Prayer Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you If you will be strangers to the duty of Prayer to the Throne of Grace God will be a stranger to you he hath promised to draw nigh to them that draw nigh to him and so in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Fourthly We may finde them in the communion with the people of God Where two or three are niet together in my name there will I be says Christ in the midst of them Therefore Jesus Christ directs us to go up by the soot-steps of the flock and they enquire wisely Cam. 6.1 that say to the Church of Christ Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee And when the two Disciples went to Emmaus communing of Christ he came and joyned himself with them Secondly How or after what manner we must seek God and Christ Take these four following Directions First Affect your selves with the worth and excellency of this presence of God and Christ carry a high esteem of them in your hearts think with your selves how safely they are immured as the Prophet said unto his servant There is more for them than can be against them Isa 33.16 Their place of defence is the munition of râ—cks c. O what sweetnesse and satisfaction have they within with whom God and Christ abides as the Spouse doth express it Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments pâ—ured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Thy Name of Mercy Wisdome and Faithfulness how doth it refresh their hearts that have the presence of God and Christ O sweetness and satisfaction beyond expression and then conclude Si tanius quaerentibus O quantus pâ—ssidentibus If he be so good to them that seek him how good is he to them that enjoy him Secondly Labour to affect your souls with the great want and need that you have of the presence of God and Christ while men do think in their hearts they can be well enough without God and Christ they will never seek after them but say as in Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee that is we have strength enough of our own we need no more of thy support and thus David brings in the wicked priding themselves in Psa 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance as in the Original through the pride of his nose will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts when these proud Laodicean spirits will not seek the poor hungry desolate soul that sees a need of God and Christ finde them Thirdly Quicken your selves to much diligence in seeking The Prophet complains No man stirreth up himself to seek the Lord. It is a business of the greatest concernment and must not be attended with a cold indifferency but as one set on by a true love and where that is Non quiescit amor sed quaerit amatum Love will be restless in the pursuit of the thing or person beloved See with what heat men seek the world with much more heat seek God and Christ We must do as the woman that had lost her groat she lights a candle sweeps the house seeks diligently so we must set up the light of the Word and to work with the besom of a serious repentance and thorow-reformation and
his Disciples your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 3. Doct. That every true Believer is interessed in the Kingdom of Heaven the great God will bestow the Kingdom of Heaven upon Believers 4. Dâ—ct That the Kingdom of Heaven is the free gift of God It is the Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven comes not to a Believer by his own merits nor by his own deservings but by God's free gift the free grace of God is the great motive it is God's good pleasure so to do The Saints cannot merit heaven by their holiest actions though they walk never so closely with God no no the Kingdom of heaven is God's free gift unto Believers 5. Doct. Lastly That the consideration of a Believers interest in the Kingdom of heaven should make him chearful and couragious in the practice of holiness and keep him from being dismayed and discouraged at all the afflictions and tribulations that he meets withall in the world this Doctrine is gathered from the Exhortation in the Text and the reason of it taken together the Exhortation viz. Fear not little Flock the reason of the Exhortation viz. For it is your Fathers â—ood pleasure to give you the Kingdom intimating that this one consideration that God will bestow the Kingdom of Glory upon his people hereafter should make them with all willingness and chearfulness to wade through all the calamities and incumbrances of this frail life A Believers heavenly interest should make him rejoyce in the midst of all his tryals and tribulations that he meets with from the hands of men here on earth I shall â—huse out the second and last of these observations to go on upon not having time and liberty to insist on them all that observation then which I shall first of all insist upon is this viz. Doct. That God is a Believers Father or that every true and sincere Christian hath God for his Father and is a child of God It is your Fathers good pleasure Before I come to the confirmation of this Truth I shall shew how many ways a people or person may have God to be their Father and they may be his Children First A people or person may have God for their Father by Creation as God is the great Creator of the World and they are his Creatures in this general sence God is a Father to all the Men and Women in the World to this refers that Scripture Mal. 3.10 saith the Prophet there Have we not all one Father Hath not one God created us but it is a more peculiar son-ship that belongs to Believers they have God for their Father in a more special and peculiar manner than this is Secondly A people or person may be the children of God and God may be their Father by profession Thus God was a Father to the Jewish Nation of old because they among all the Nations of the World did profess to own the Lord for their God and to serve and worship him and in this respect God doth profess himself to be a Father to Israel Jer. 3 9. I am a Father to Israel saith God Ephraim is my first-born And thus God is a Father to all those that do profess his Name But if this be all the claim that we can lay to God as our Father that he is so to us and that we are his children only by an external profession this will not entitle us to the Kingdom that eternal inheritance that God hath laid up for his people in the life to come it is therefore yet in a more peculiar manner that Believers have God for their Father Thirdly A person may have God for his Father by adoption and regeneration and thus true Believers and only such are the children of God and God is their Father 1 John 12.13 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God These are the sons of God the strictest and most peculiar sons that shall be made partakers of all the priviledges of the children of God viz. those that receive Christ into their hearts by faith and such as are truly regenerate and born again these are the true and genuine children of the most High the heirs of God and coheirs of Jesus Christ as the expression is Rom. 8. these are the children of whom it was spoken 2 Cor. 6. last I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Having thus shewn unto you the several respects in which we may have God for our Father I shall come to the confirmation of it and shall prove that Believers have God for their Father in this special and peculiar manner there are abundance of Scripture-proofs for this in which Jesus Christ speaking to his Disciples calleth God their Father Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And ver 48. Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Mat. 6.8 Your Father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask them Mat. 18.14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven these little ones should perish Joh. 20.17 Go tell my brethren saith Christ that I ascend to my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God By these and other Scriptures we may see that God is set forth to Believers under the relation of a Father to them And as God is called in Scripture a Believers Father so they are called sons Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ Again 1 Joh. 3.2 Now we are the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Gal. 3.16 The Apostle speaking to the unbelieving Galatians saith We are all the Children of God by Faith which is in Christ Jesus I shall no longer insist on the confirmation of this Doctrine but shall come to the application of it Vse Is it so that all true believers are the children of God and have God for their heavenly Father then the first use may be of comfort and consolation to the godly in that they are so nearly related to the great God believers by virtue of their son-ship having God for their heavenly Father have abundant ground of comfort and consolation upon these several accounts First They are under his fatherly care and providence fathers take care for their children to provide them things necessary as meat drink and apparel ab iisdem
alimur ex quibus generamur is a true Maxim We are nourished of those of whom we are begotten Fathers when their children ask bread will not give them stones nor when they ask fish will they give them scorpions Mat. 7.9 He that provides not these things for his children is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 4.8 and hath God commanded this from Parents towards their children and will not God much more provide for his children that are truly regenerate and born again and that have his Image by faith engraven on their souls he would do it much more abundantly Mat. 7.11 If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to those that ask him This then is one great priviledge that believers are made partakers of by vertue of this relation having God for their heavenly Father God will certainly provide good things for them both for their being and well-being here and hereafter and they may come to God as a Father with holy boldness of faith for all things that they shall stand in need of God takes care for those that are strangers and enemies to him and makes his rain to fall upon the unjust as well as upon the just Mat. 5.4 5 He giveth them rain from heaven silling their hearts with food and gladness Acts 14.7 And will he not much rather feed his own children he giveth food to all flesh Psal 136.25 And will he not much rather take care for his own children that are engrafted into him by faith that do love and serve him if God's bounty be largely extended to those that are strangers and enemies to him even to those that go on in sin and wickedness as many times it is then certainly he will kill the farted Calf for his own children as the Father of the prodigal did for his returning Son Nay in this the great God exceedeth earthly Parents as far as Heaven is above the earth for natural Parents they give good things to their children when they ask them but God the Father of Spirits will do much more abundantly for his children aboye what they are able to ask or think the Petitions of God's children may be large their desires and thoughts larger than heir Petitions for we are not always able to express outwardly what inwardly we desire but God will do more abundantly for his people beyond all these Let us look into the Word of God and we shall there see what noble provision he hath made for his people what food yea angels food he hath provided for them what a feast of fat things I mean of spiritual dainties and delicates he hath dressed for them for their bread they shall have the bread of life he that eateth thereof shall never hunger John 6.48 they shall have their fill of that hidden Manna laid up in the Sanctuary We read of Benjamins Messe Gen 4.3 last That it was five times as much as any of his Brethren but the children of God their food that they shall have from their heavenly Father shall be a thousand times better and more satisfactory than that which shall be given to the men of the World they shall have their measures heaped up pressed down and running over Psal 34.10 The young Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but the children of God those that cry unto God their Father shall want no good thing but especially spiritual good things they shall be sure to have their fill of these and shall be satisfied with them even as with marrow and fatness and for their drink they shall have the heavenly Nectar the water of Life the bloud of Jesus Christ the which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more John 4.14 they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house he will make them drink of the River of his pleasures for with God is the fountain of life in his light they shall see light Psal 38.8 9. there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Psal 46.4 and his Children shall drink of this River of Water of life clear as chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 22.1 it is for these especially that God hath provided the spiritual milk of the Word that they may grow thereby they shall suck sweetness out of the promises those rich breasts of consolation and for their apparel the Children of God may say as the Prophet Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels What shall I say they shall be cloathed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ a garment without spot or blemish white as snow even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of those Thus you have the first ground of consolation to Believers upon the account of having God for their Father he will certainly provide for them those things that shall be necessary both in this life and in the life to come Secondly Is God a Father to Believers then another ground of consolation is this That he will defend them from their enemies How mightily doth it provoke natural Parents to see their Children abused How quickly will their eye affect their heart and stir them up to come in and rescue them So will the Lord do for those that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration he will defend them he will be a wall of fire round about them so that all their enemies both spiritual and temporal shall not be able to do them any real hurt the Devil and all his wiles and temptations the World and all its tempting allurements yea all the policy and malice of Earth and Hell shall not be able to work their ruine the Lord is on their their side and they have more for them than they have against them Upon this consideration it was that David tells us in his Book of Psalms Though I walk saith he in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear none ill for thou O Lord art my Rock and my Fortress and my salvation eke for ever Would we not account him unworthy the name of a Father that would suffer his Children to be beaten and abused and destroyed before his face and not act in their defence and will God suffer his dear Children so to be No certainly He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 and God accounts what is done to them as if it were done to himself in person In as much as ye did it unto those little ones ye did it unto me Will Christ say one day as he tells us Mat. 25.40 and in as much as ye did it not unto the least of these my brethren ye did
speechless Zachary and be content If God open the mouths of thy Enemies or wicked Neighbours against thee do not thou open thy mouth against them but think oft on Davids words I opened not my mouth said he because thou didst it Yet David opened not his mouth to recriminate them nor vindicate himself but took all in good part because he knew that God did it I shall now propound some considerations to contentment under the Cross I can only propound them it 's God that must prosper them to you 1. Consider for your comfort God will be with you in your troubles 2. Consider you shall be with God after your troubles I. First God will be with you Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the water I will be with thee Mind I will be with thee fear not drowning then so long as God is in the Ship Thou carriest Caesar in thy Barque said the Emperour to the trembling Marriner and therefore be not afraid O Christian thy God is with thee in a suffering time and how canst thou be afriad of that condition wherein thou hast Gods company I will be with thee in six troubles and in seven saith the Lord and surely it cannot be ill with that man with whom God is It 's infinitely better to be able to say God is with thee than to say peace is with thee or health is with thee or honour is with thee or credit or friends are with thee for in these you have but some particular good but in God you have all good and this is the first you have an excellent Scripture for it Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as you have why For I will never leave you nor forsake you though your Riches may leave you and health may leave you yet will not I. Oh what an argument is this to force contentment in every condition to consider that he will not leave us comfortless but will come unto us Chear up then my drooping soul thou shalt never want so long as thy God hath it For by the Promise thou hast command of Gods purse and mayest be sure of his presence Let others repine do thou rejoyce and let such as be without God in the world shark and shift live by their wits but in all straights do thou live by Faith O beloved you know not how soon God may call for your comforts one after another and bring you as he did his people Israel out of a fat Land into a famishing Wilderness where no water is no comfort is what will you do in such a case as this If you please I 'le tell you when your hearts fail you and your friends thus fail you let not your hearts fail you nor your faith fail you for you have a faithful God which will never fail you but will be instead of all things to you from himself alone As Joseph said to Pharaoh Without me God will provide an answer for Pharaoh So may I say in this case without silver without gold without fair houses and rich furniture God can provide for the welfare of his people Though your means be gone yet your God is not gone and if you cannot be contented now it will argue that it was not God but your means that did content you then Well this is the first Consider God will be with thee in thy troubles and that upon a two-fold account 1. To behold thee 2. To uphold thee I. First To behold thee God sees the wrongs and hears the grievances you undergo for men though your friends looks off you yet your God looks on you Exod. 3.17 I have seen I have seen saith God the heavy Burthens and Taxations that my people undergo in Egypt As if God had said thus I have seen and so seen as that my bowels are turned within me and I can no longer hold my peace What a gracious God have we that owns his people in such a low condition wherein none will own them for saith God I have seen I have surely seen the troubles of my people that be in Egypt Fear not afflictions then for they cannot chase God from us nay they are rather advantages wherein God doth ordinarily discover himself most comfortably to us which brings me to the second Particular II. As God will be with you in your troubles to behold you so secondly to Uphold you C ham lookt on his Fathers Nakedness and laught but God looks on a Christians trouble and helps The eyes of the Lord run to and fro saith the Prophet what to do To shew himself strong in the behalf of his people Where God hath a seeing Eye there he hath a helping hand too if man can but finde a believing heart to lay hold upon it David is a witness of this truth when he saith In the dry that I cryed thou answeredst me and gavest me strength in my soul as if David had said It 's true O Lord thou assaultest me and that 's my trouble but it 's as true that thou assistest me and this is my comfort In the day that I cryed unto thee thou answeredst me and gavest me strength in my soul Object I saith the scrupulous Christian would God do this for me if he would put strength into my soul strength of Faith strength of patience strength of Grace then I should bid a freer wellome to the Cross when it comes But alas instead of this strength you speak of I finde nothing but weakness upon weakness a weak faith a weak assurance weak patience all weak Answ I answer briefly hast thou not strong Grace and doth that discourage thee it may be thou art not tryed with strong afflictions let this quiet thee hast thou not as much patience as another it may be thou hast not yet as much need of it as others their patience is greater than thine because their troubles are greater than thine In a word thou said'st thou hast not a Martyrs Faith it may be thou needest it not yet because thou hast not a Martyrs Fire a weak Faith may serve for a light Cross when God calls thee to hotter services of Christianity fear not but he will be at thy back not onely to behold thee but as you have heard to Uphold thee 2 Cor. 15. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us saith Paul So also our Consolations abound in Christ See here as men lays on troubles so God lays in comfort Hence it was that Davids heart did not fail him when all his friends forsook him 1 Sam. 30. And David encouraged himself in his God saith the Text It was sad with him at this time Zicklag was burnt his Wives taken captive he lost all and like to have lost the hearts of his Souldiers too for they speak of stoning him In this condition that David was now in he turned his face from the Creature lookt up to Heaven and encouraged himself in his God when all other visible helps shrunk from him then his
cannot serve God in one way let me not be discouraged but be more earnest in another You may also now think it is a time for you to exercise what you have learned God is calling you to see if you have not lost all the advantages he hath allowed you ye have been a long time learning as if God should say unto you Let me now see if you can do or endure and if you have forgot all yet Christ hath made a promise the Spirit shal bring again to remembrance when there is occasion for it Consider also Christ is touched with the feeling of the infirmities of a people in such a condition Let none of you be troubled in your hearts you believe in God believe also in Christ Jesus He saith In my Fathers House there are many Mansions and in them many wayes of dispensing of his Grace Read the 14 15 and 16. Chapters of John Christ hath promised to give Pastors according to his own heart that shall feed his Flock with Truth and Understanding He can finde one or frame one that shal fulfil his Ministry better than a weak Instrument He is the great Bishop of our Souls and is never non-resident He hath alwayes a care of his Flock Think therefore of his care who hath promised not only to be but to give unto you Pastors The 34. Chap. of Ezekiel is but a Comment on that promise Let not your hearts be troubled but let us commend you yea each other to God and let him do what is good in his own eyes Mr. WATSON's Sermon against POPERY 1 Cor. 10.14 Wherefore my dearly Beloved flee from Idolatry WHen I consider that saying of the blessed Apostle St. Paul I am pure from the Blood of all men Acts. 20.26 And that which made him say so was because he had not shun'd to declare unto his hearers then committed to his charge the whole Council of God Paul had been faithful to the Souls of people he had preached up Truth and preached down Error The consideration of which hath put me at this time upon this Scripture Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry From whence I shall by Divine permission and assistance assert the truth of the Protestant Religion against popish Innovation and amongst all the Errors that are levelled against the Gospel none are more gross dishonourable nor dangerous than those broach'd and set a running in the Popish Conclave and therefore there was good reason why the Apostle should say VVherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Idolatry doth bud and blossome in the Popish Religion It should be the earnest prayer and endeavour of every good Christian that none of those poisonous streams that flow from the See of Rome may ever infest this British Isle My main and principal designe at this time is to shew unto you some few of those many grand Errors that are in popery or in the popish Religion and likewise to fortifie you against them Among many others there are these thirteen grand Errors in popery that every good Christian must take off and flee from The first Error is this The papists do hold That the Pope is the Head of the Church This is diametrically and point-blank opposite to the Scripture Col. 2.9 Christ is there called The Head of the Church Now to make the Pope the Head of the Church is to make the Church monstrous by having two Heads This is to make the Spouse of Christâ—an Harlot I read Rev. 13 1 of a Beast rising out of the sea By the Beast their Interpreters understand the mystical Antichrist i. e. the Pope Now if the Pope be the Beast there and elsewhere spoken of how rediculous yea how impious is it to make a Beast the Head of Christs Church That is the first A second Error which I shall but name is this The Papists hold That the Pope is above Scripture and that his Laws Decrees and Canons bind more than the Scriptures than the Word of God Well may he have that name written upon his Miter that 's mentioned Rev. 13 1. And upon his head was written the Names of blasphemy But I add Their third Error is the Mass which indeed is gross Idolatry there is in it these two Errors 1. Transubstantiation Bellarmine with other Popish Writers say that the Bread the Host after consecration is turned into the very body of Christ Now this is against Philosophy as well as Scripture and Divinitie 'T is against Philosophy for this is clear if Christs Body be in Heaven then it cannot possibly be in the bread But Christs Body is in Heaven Act. 3 22. Whom the Heavens must contain speaking of Christ until the restitution of all things Moreover that the bread in the Sacrament is not turned into the Body of Christ I prove thus the wicked they do not receive Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 But if the bread be the very body of Christ then the wicked when they eat of the bread do eat the very body of Christ This is so gross an Opinion that most of the antient Fathers wrote against it as Cyprian Origen Tertullian Austin Ambrose with many others But 2ly The second Error in the Mass is they do daily offer up Christ in the Mass I grant there are Priests in Gospel times and Sacrifices too but they are as such are spiritual as the sacifice of Prayer of Praise of a broken and contrite heart But that there should be any external offering of Christ by way of Sacrifice is a blasphemy against Christs Priestly Office for it supposeth that Christs Offering on the Cross was not perfect That is notoriously contrary to the very letter of Scripture See Heb. 10.12 That man i. e. Christ God-man after he had once offered a Sacrifice for sin sat down at the right hand of God and vers 14. he saith That by this one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified This Scripture sheweth the compleatness of Christs Sufferings and Sacrifice and that now there needs no offring up any more Sacrifices That is the third But Fourthly A fourth Error is the Doctrine of Popish Satisfaction they hold that we do in our own persons satisfie Gods justice by our Penance VVhippig Fasting Alms-deeds Thus the Council of Trent and the Popish Rhemes But where is any thing of this in Scripture alas what is our confession of sin that is no satisfaction for sin If a Traytor confess his guilt this is no satisfaction for but rather an agravation of his Treason Alas our Repentance Fasting Humiliation the best of our actions are be-leopard and mixt with very much sin our Humiliation is mixt with very much pride our Repentance and Confession with much Hyporrisie and Dissimulation Ther 's much of sin in the cream of our services and sin cannot satisfie for sin This is a sure rule and I pray you mark it that what ever offering we bring to God for acceptation we must lay it upon the Altar Jesus
wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Laws of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renuing and restraining grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men our lives have been a continuall piece of rebellion against God who did make us and doth feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatted for thy love Oh foolish men and women that we have been I we acknowledge our Gospel-sins are of a deep dye Thou hast not been a VVildernss or Land of darkness to us we have been exalted to heaven in the means of salvation but Oh! how short do we come of knowledge to the time and means we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee Oh do thou open our eyes and present us to our selves show us the vilenss of our lives Blessed be thy Name that thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleeve on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his Offices in our hearts help us to give him the keys of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that died for us and let our souls be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our conscienees in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead works inform our understanding conform our wills to thy holy VVill let our hearts and lives be comformed to the Image of thy Son that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will und suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou maiest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of Self-denial in our souls and let us take the Cross of Jesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on beds of sickness and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come and they that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them than their Faith or our prayers and look graciously upon poor children entitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that deâ—re the conversion of Relations that walk in waies of perdition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter eud Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy Message plainly and powerfull and give thy People hearing ears and obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upo thee in thy Worship this day and all For Christ his sake in whose Name and Words we call upon thee Our Father ' which art in Heaven c. Doctor Manton's Prayer at Covent-garden O Lord God all that we can do is nothing of our selves we can do nothing Oh let us have the gracious Assistance of thy Spirit as this time let thy love constrain us say unto us Thou art our Salvation Do not say that we shall fill up the measure of our Iniquities and there shall be no hope for us O Lord we are ashamed that we have waited so long in thine Ordinannances and have got no more profit to our toor pouls but we have given up our hearts to the pleasures and vanities of this world that are but for a season even those that thou hast drawn out after thee do not walk worthy of thee anseerable to that blessed hope of future Happiness in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Jesus Christ is to many of us become a stumbling-blook and a reck of offence while our hearts are caried out after the wirld with such strong affections Oh! when shall we carry our selves so as those that profess themselves to be secke's of a better life We come into thy presence now for strength do thou manifest thy self to us thou hast promised to pour out thy Spirit upon all Flesh Oh let it be unto us according to thy promise O Lord our hearts naturally are averse to thee so that of our selves we shall never be able to do any thing that may be wel-plensing to thee but do thou regulate us by thy blessed Spirit that we may observe thy statutes and do them and that thy Commands may not be grievous to us that it may not be burdensom for us to do the work of God O Lord when shall our hearts be made sound in thy statutes we wait upon thee in the use of thine Ordinances that we may have a new supply from thee that at length we may come to see that thou art at work with us to save our soules O help us to be followers of them who with faith and patience do follow thee to do nothing unbecomming our holy Call suffer us not to swerve from thy Commandments but let us have a constant and earnest desire after thee Let the choicest of thy Mercies come down on our Sovereign Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland let His heart be guided by thee let him always set the before his eyes that under the shadow of his Goverment we may have Peace in all Godliness and honesty Bless him in his Relations in his Councils Teach our Senators wisdom Be with all thy Faithfull Magistrates and Ministers let them be a terrour to evil doers and an encouragement to them that do well Be with us in the way of thy worship we are here met together to hear and handle thy holy Word Oh do thou command it to light upon all our hearts let it come in the evidence and demonstratian
of wrath will fall upon us O Lord how many ways hast thou used to reclaim us what Arts hath thy blessed Spirit used how many times hast thou approached to our souls and shewed us something of thy glory and the glory of heaven and the terrours of hâ—ll the one to allure us and the other to scare us But Oh! how many times have we grieved thy blessed Spirit who came to seal us and despised thy Son who came from heaven to earth and liv'd a sorrowful life and died a shameful death how often hath he offered us grace and glory if we would how to his Scepter but we have preferred a base lust before that excellency that he hath purchased us Oh how often hast thou condescended so far as to intreat us to be reconciled how easie hast thou been to forgive and how hard have we been to be forgiven VVe confess thou mighâ—est pass an eternal Doom upon us for we are sensible of the dishonour that we have brought upon thy Name Do thou at this time strike upon all these rocks that are in thy presence at this time give us hearts of flesh let our repentance pâ—eprare us for corversion let there be such a through conviction that thy grace and Mercy may be admirable in our eyes VVe intreat thee hear us pardon all our iniquities let us be monuments of thy grace and favour speak peace to our Consciences convey those clear evis dences of thâ—â—â—ve unto us that may inable us to scatter all our fâ—aâ—s that we may rejoice in God and have hope of glory Let the image of thy Son be engraven on all our hearts and let our souls be made subject to him while we are in the world preserve us from the evil of it If thou givest us out ward happiness give us withat inward holiness and if we do suffer help us with patience to bear all knowing we are in our journey and our passage to a better life and let our whole time be spent in a serious Preparation to appear before thy Tribunal and let us consider the unchangableness of that state hereafter Remember thy whole Church make the Name of Christ glorious in the world shed abroâ—d thy light and thy truth heavour back-slidings and love us freely Let thine Ordâ—nances continue among us and let thy blessing descend upon our sovereign Lord the King of England Scot and France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Incline his heart to thy Law make him an instrument of publick good protect his person and give him prosperous affairs Bless his Royal Consort his Relations his privy Counsel let them promote solid Piety and real Godliness Bless the Minister of thy Word and Sacraments Let their labours be precious in thy sight and remember all afflicted ones revive thy Mourners and let thy grace answer all their fears Let thy presence be in the midst of us and help us to hear as our last and let us be raised nearer heaven and make thy word powerful and effectual to all our souls and let thy word subdue our lusts and aâ—l we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ in whose Name and words we sum up our imperfect Prayers Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dr. Jacomb's Prayer at Martins Ludgate BLessed God thou art a God blessed for ever thou givest Mercy to all returning and repenting sinners thou art worthy to be praised by all that draw nigh unto thee Thou hast vouchsafed to us one Sabbath more Oh that we might all of us be in the spirit upon the Lords day that whatever we do we may do it in the strength of God that we may offer spiritual Sacrifices to God this day through our Mediator the Lord Jesus It is a very great condescention that thou shouldst suffer such as we are to come unto thee O Lord we are unclean we are unclean from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are overspread with the leprosie of sin all the faculties of our souls are defiled our understandings are darkened our wills are corrupted we have affections but they are carnal we have hearts but they are impure we have consciences but they are seared and as our inward man so our lives are unholy as the fountain is so is the stream besides that our general guilt that we brought into the world we are guilty of innumerable actual transgressions against thy holy Law We think O Lord there are no greater sinners in the world than we our sins are attended with many aggravations We have finned against Prayers against vows and promises we have had as much light shining before us as any in the world have had great is our unbelief Oh that we could lay these things to our hearts We do refuse to come to Christ we go about to establish a righteousness of our own and neglect the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ how are our hearts glewed to the present things of this world Oh! what do we do for thy glory How unreformed are we under all the ways of God that he hath taken to make us a holy people Give us a sight of our sins O Lord we confess sometimes we do make a formal confession but we do not find our hearts melted for sin as they should Oh take away from every one of us this heart of stone give a heart of flesh give us tender hearts make us sensible of all our departing from thee Oh let us look upon him whom we have pierced let us mourn that the Water of penitential sorrow may flow from us we are strangers to our selves we do not see what a hell there is in our nature Oh! how should we put our mouths in the dust and loath our selves if so be there might be hope O Lord convince us of sin give us such a sight of sin as may make us flie to thee give us such a sight of our own guilt that maâ—â— prepare us for the Grace of Godâ— now we are sâ—ung with the fiery Serpents help us to come to Jesus Christ our brazen Serpent give us the holy Spirit to bring us out of the state of nature to let that God that made us Creatures make us new Creatures O Lord we are thine own work but we are dead in trespasses and sins give us grace and speak a word to them that are dead put out thine Almighty Power and draw some sinner to Christ this day and those that have any breathings after thee Oh! thou that gavest them that desire carry on thine own work in them where thou hast begun a good work carry it on let sin as the house of Saul grow weaker and weaker and grace as the house of David grow stronger and stronger Oh! increase our faith O Lord at this time we do not onely stand in need of grace but of a great measure of grace Oh! help us by faith to relie upon God that thou mayest help us at last Bless
meek spirits as Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises There is as much in the Promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Shower down thy blessings even the choicest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies let him count those his best subjects that are Christ's subjects Bless him â—n hâ—s Royal Consort in his Royal Relations the Lords of his Privy Council let them be a terror to eviâ— doers and incouragers of those that do well Bless all thy Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them Oh pour in Wine and oyl into our souls let us be a watered garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust and nourishment for our Grace Hear us be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce to Christ with thee and thy holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen Mr. Lye 's Prayer at Allhallows Lumber-street O Lord our great God thou canst do all things for thou dost dispose and govern all the wayes and works and words of thy Creature to thâ—ne own praise We thy poor Creatures the workmanship of thy hands the price and purchase of thy Sons blood do desire this morning to fall down and humble our selves at the Throne of thy Grace we desire to lift up an eye of Faith to thee that thou mayest dart an eye of Love to us since thou hast commanded us to come unto thee Oh bless us now we come Let it not be in vain for any of us from the high'st to the low'st from the richest to the poorest that we have sought thy Face this morning Blessed Father pour down a spirit of Prayer a Spirit of preaching a Spirit of Rejoycing a spirit of Practising in the midst of us let us not only be enabled to know what to do but to do what we know Thou that distd cure the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle Oh heel that natural dimness that is in the best of us Thy Rod in the hand of Moses brought water out of the Rock Oh do thou strike upon those rocky hearts that our adamantine hearts being softned may gush out into Rivers of tears Oh drown our sins in the Red sea of our saviours blood help us to smite upon our thigh and to ask our selves what we have been and what we have done and humble us under the omission of any commanded duty and the comission of any for bidden sin sins of thoughts wordes and dieds sins against the Law against the Gospel of youth manhood and old-age sins before under and since conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths Oh Lord if thou didst prefer thy Bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the balance of the Sanctury we should be found too light but holy Father remember not against us our former sins but rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquities blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judath in the promise that the sins of Judath should be sought for and not found O bathe our souls in that Fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as Scarlet let them be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson let them be like Wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains Oh let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins We desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the spirit of Christ to wash us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the Law but under Grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland It is thy promise that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Oh let thy people possess the Land from Dan to Beersheba Oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy VVord be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a Refiners fire to purge our dross and take away our tin And holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept to the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zalmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us Oh put upon uâ— all the whole Armour of God Now in these days of Errour gird us with the Girdle of Truth Oh now in these days of falsity give us a helmet of Hope Now the Devil darts at us give us the Sheiâ—d of Faith Oh give us the Sword of the Spirit of the word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain-saying of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly fervently faithfully feelingly that we stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and it is doubled upon the Lords day Oh let us be as thy servant John in the Spirit upon thine own day let God by his Spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy Word Enable thy Servant to deliver thy Word faithfully God forbid thy Servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the Wisdome of Man one iota of thy Word hath more wisdome in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two
pass and as vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 2. Take heed of such persons as by whom if you be not the more watchful you may be so offended as to be turned out of the way More particularly 1. Take heed of your selves This is that our Saviour calls for in that Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Our greatest danger is from our selves while we have within a deceiver and a traytor who is still conspiring to turn us out of the way Take heed therefore of your own selves consult not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.10 2. Beware of Satan This is that which the Apostle suggests 2 Cor. 3. I fear by any means lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And out of the like fear concerning you I beseech you beware of Satan and the rather for that as the Apostle saith vers 14. Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2. Beware of false Teachers This is the advice of our Saviour in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which comes to you in sheeps cloathing c. And though I cannot say I know with the Apostle in Acts 20.29 yet I am greatly afraid that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciple after them 4. Beware of worldly Friends such as will counsel you to spare your selves such as savour not the things of God but those that be of men This our Saviour calls for in that of Luke 14.26 Answer them as Christ answered Peter Mat 16.22 23. The proper use of this Point with respect to the people of God is to exhort and perswade them to wait on the Lord and keep his way however it be whoever they are that watch and plot against them however they may prosper in bringing wicked devices to pasâ— however they may prevail in oppressing the poor Saints yet this is the Exhortation that I have received from the Lord for you Wait on the Lord and keep his Way There are two branches of the Exhortation I shall speak to both of them distinctly And because the latter of them is the main and the former a help thereto in bad times I shall invert the order of the Text and speak to what is here the latter in the first place and the other as time will give leave 1. However it go Saints though the wicked watch to do you a mischief yet keep you the Way of the Lord diligently observing the way of his Commandements the way of your duty to walk therein For as much as it hath been the design of mâ— preaching all along to expound the Way of God to you and to instruct you in the way of the Lord And I am now directing my speech to the Saints of God who know own and profess the way of the Lord I shall not spend much time while I have so little left in recounting to you what I have taught you concerning the way of the Lord onely in general that way of truth and righteousness the way of faith and holiness which I have taught you from the word is intended You know the way of Gospel-Doctrine Gospel-Fellowship Gospel-worship Gospel-Discipline and Gospel-Conversation which I have preached and you have received And here beloved I call God to witness in whose Name I have preached to you that I have preached the way of the Lord sincerely and faithfully as I have received of the Lord by the teaching of his Spirit through the Word I therefore beseech and entreat you out of that hearty love I bear to you and that affectionate care I have for you that as you tender the Glory of God your own Peace here and eternal Happiness hereafter and the spiritual and eternal good of others that you will remember how you have heard and received and keep the way of the Lord. In the prosecuting of this I shall speak to these two things First Open this duty in a few particulars Secondly Give you some directions to help you herein For the first of these take it in these particulars 1. Be exhorted to keep the way of the Lord in your memories So Rev. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast I am speaking to those that have received the knowledge of the way of the Lord that they retain what they have learned and that they maintain an actual remembrance of it and the rather take heed to this every one of you with the greater diligence for that you are like to be deprived of the help of your Remembrancers viz. the faithful Ministers of Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 you have had their help a lâ—ng while in putting you from Sabbath to Sabbath in remembrance but this is taking from you as the Apostle in another case Heb. 2.1 Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip 2. Keep the Way of the Lord in your judgments and Consciences I am speaking to those whose judgments are enlightned and Consciences renewed to approve of the VVay of the Lord As therefore the Apostle unto them 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye be led amay with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness So say I seeing ye know the VVay of the Lord and approve of it beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked and your own judgements being thereby corruped and your Consciences defiled you fall from your own stedfastness and I the rather press this for that as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 3. Keep the Way of the Lord in your Profession I am speaking unto those who as Rom. 10.10 with the heart believe unto Righteousness and with the month make confession unto Salvation And you have the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Faith without wavering Be not ashamed of your profession as our Saviour speaks Mar 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my Words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels with Mat. 10.32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven 4. Keep the Way of the Lord in your hearts and affections loving rejoycing and delighting in the Way of the Lord
abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye even as it hath been taught you ye shall abide in him Though they corrupt and pervert this Text that make use of it to the disannulling of all Ministerial teaching for if John had meant so to what purpose did he write this Epistle yet when God depriveth us of this help this Scripture affords support and comfort to the Saints that by the Spirit in them they shall be enabled to understand what he teacheth in the Word so as to abide in the Lord and in his Way as they have been taught Having then the Spirit for your principle and guide let the Word be your Rule and you shall keep the Way of the Lord according to that promise Isaiah 35.8 The wayfaring-men though fools shall not erre therein 3. Let the example of Christ be your pattern that you may keep the Way of the Lord set this Copy alwayes before you He always kept the Way of the Lord as he came down from Heaven to do the Will of his Father John 6.38 so he did alwayes those things that did please him John 8.29 He never departed in the least from the Way of the Lord He knew nâ— sin neither was guile found in his mouth If then you would keep the Way of the Lord learn of him follow him walk even as he walked Indeed in the things that are proper to Christ as God or as Mediator therein he is not to be imitated by us but in the things that he did or suffered as man he left us an example or pattern that we should follow his steps 2 Pet. 2.21 Hence that Exhortation of his Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meâ—k and lowly in heart That then you may be directed as well as encouraged to keep the Way of the Lord look to Jesus and walk as you have him for an example Indeed the Apostle exhorts to walk as you have him for an example Phil. 3.17 But knowing that he could give you but an imperfect Copy he exhorts in that 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ It may be of good use to us to minde the examples of the Apostles and faithful Ministers of the Gospel that have walkt on in the Way of the Lord before us But forasmuch as there in none of them even Peter himself but went awry more or less therefore make the example of Christ your pattern Time will not permit to prosecute this at large I shall only offer some few particulars from the example of Christ to you such as may be most seasonable to further you in keeping the Way of the Lord. 1. It was the work and business of the Lord Jesus Christ to do the Will of his Father to do what pleased him As he came down from Heaven to do his Father's Will as you before heard from John 6.68 so he made it his work and business To this purpose is that Luke 2.49 How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business with that John 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his work If then you will keep the Way of the Lord herein be ye followers of Christ let it be your work and business to do the Will of the Lord and to walk in all well-pleasing before him Let the Exhortation be in the words of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.1 Furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exhort you That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God so ye would abound more and more 1. It was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ to look on all the sufferings that came upon him as coming from the hand of his Father in accomplishment of his Word and therefore quietly to submit to them To this purpose is it that he tells Pilate in John 19.11 Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above He looks beyond Pilate to him that was above So John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it He overlooks the instruments and looks on his sufferings as a Cup put into his hand by his Father And as he observed the hand of his Father in the sufferings that came upon him so he takes notice that they are in accomplishment of Scripture Mat. 26.53 54. Thinkest thou that I could not now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be and he takes notice that the Scripture had foretold that thus it must be and that he must suffer and enter into glory as he clears iâ— in that of Luke 24.25 26. Therefore though he prayed if it be possible as Matthew hath it and if thou be willing let this Cup pass from me as Luke hath it yet he quietly submits to his Father's Will with a Not my will but thine be done And as Mat. 26.42 If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it let thy will be done Thus you see how by looking to the Fathers hand he willingly submits to what sufferings came upon him That you may keep the Way of the Lord in the midst of all the sufferings you are like to meet with herein following the Lord Jesus Christ eying the hand of your gracious Father in all the sufferings that come upon you of what nature soever and by whomsoever inflicted and what ever may be the ends of those by whom you suffer yet that they are all ordered by him in accomplishment of his Word Do ye not believe this I know that ye do believe it by Faith therefore improve it for the quieting of your hearts in all your sufferings This is that the Apostle presseth the Saints unto in the 12th of the Hebrews where he taketh for granted that all kind of sufferings more especially such as come upon us by the contradiction of sinners are fatherly corrections from the Lord and so in accomplishment of the Word of God according unto that Psal 89.30 31. and therefore humbly to be submitted to so Heb. 12.9 10. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live for they verily for a few days chastened as after their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Seeing therefore whatsoever befalls you in the way of the Lord is by your Father's ordering in accomplishment of his Word for your profit that ye may be partakers of his Holiness submit your selves to him eye your Fathers hand and end and be quiet 3. It was the practice of Jesus Christ in his state
to stand work and suffer alone Though in duty they should not be alone when they can have society and though the rest are most humble therefore are sensible they have need of others and will not throw away any of their helps yet if all forsake them they will stand to it still they go not to Heaven meerly for company sake they be not Christians meerly because such and such are Christians If all the world forsake Christ they will stick to him unless Christ leave them to their own weakness But the weak Christian hath a great deal more need of comfort and support and lives a more dependent life they cannot stand work suffer alone if their Minister fall they fall if their Relations change they change if there be not some body at hand to confute an Adversary they yield if there be not some body to keep life and warmth they grow cold in every duty in affliction they can step on no longer then led by the hand c. Have Christians to support and to quiet and to moderate their passions and to teach them the Doctrine of patience they can hold up no longer then they are refreshed with Cordials what would become of you should God let you stand by your selves c. 8. The strong Christian is one that can best live without creatures upon God alone a weak Christian is one that hath most need of the creature and can least live upon God alone under the censures of the godly frowns of the wicked without riches honours pleasures can have the quietness and contentment in God whether he have any thing or nothing where ever he is c. The more necessity thou art in of having something besides God for thy consolation the more weak thou art there must be supply I know not how to be poor disgraced c. this impatient soul is the feeble soul Impatience is nothing but the fruit of weakness The strong Christian can live upon God alone therefore if men make as if they were undone if lost in their estates 't is a certain sign of a lamentable weakness of a sick soul 9. That is the best and strongest Christian and most confirmed in grace who is most employed and abides in the love of God in love to God That hath the fear of God but goes beyond fear and loves most and abides most in the love of God That makes it his great business to feed upon and study the love of God to him and to return love to him again The more Gods love is on thy heart and the more thou lovest in the fruit of that love the stronger Christian But he that lives most by a kind of constraining fear though he may be sincere he is but weak where there is nothing but fear and no love there is no sincerity but where there is some little measure of love fear is such a tyrant that it will many times cloud it so that almost all his life seems to be moved and managed by fear and in this there is much loathness and unwillingness and they had rather do otherwise then they do according to the measure of love is the strength of grace 10. He is the strongest Christian that hath most pure and most universal love to others that can love all men even an enemy with true unfeined love even with such love as belongs to a Christian that can love every Christian and not a party only with the pure and fervent love which belongs to Believers that can love every child of God and not those only that are of his opinion or have done him good but all because they are children of God with a sincere and special hearty love That is the weak Christian that picks and chuses that is staggering when he comes to loving an enemy that takes in those that agree with him in judgment and makes those almost only the object of his love that would confine his affections to some narrow society some little sect party or parcel of Believers and cannot love Christians as Christians And hence it is division is the effect of enmity or of weakness in Grace for want of the universality of love I would make no question to prognostick the healing of all divisions within this Nation could I but advance all that are concerned in it to the right temper of Christian love 'T is the weak children in Christs Family that falls out when we have not enough love to reach to all and to love a Christian as a Christian c. Q. What must be done by those that are converted to keep them where they are to help them unto growth to make them better to further their confirmation to secure their salvation that they may after all attain the Crown A. I shall leave with you twenty directions and as many as there are there are not more than you must practise and take them as if they were the last directions I shall give you and take them as practicals not as notionals that you must live upon as long as you live 1. See that the foundation be surely laid in your head and heart in matters of your Religion In your head that is that you well understand what Religion is what the Christian Religion is what God is what it is for God to be yours in his Attributes and Relations unto you what he is and will be unto you what you are and must be unto him what sin is how odious wherein its evil consists what is sin and what not what sin hath done in the world and what estate it hath brought transgressors into what Christ is what he hath done for mans recovery and redemption what he hath wrought gives and offers to the world The end and design of God in the work of mans Redemption The tender of the Gospel Covenant of Grace freeness largeness excellency of the grace of this Covenant The end of our Religion the everlasting glory that is revealed in the Gospel what it is how sure and how great When you understand these things get a sound and redicated belief concerning the Truths of the holy Scripture revealing all these things And think it not enough that the Scripture is true or that you are resolved so to believe but get the best grounds for your belief be well established on those grounds Read the Scripture much till you are acquainted with and relish the matter and language and feel the power and till all be delightful to your souls in reading And be not ashamed to understand the Fundamentals look to your Catechism The Fundamentals of Religion you must understand and receive And when you have got them into your head be sure you get them into your heart and never think any truth received as it ought till it hath done some special work on your heart till you believe that God is Almighty Just Holy c. and all the Attributes of God have made their holy impression on your
he gave a free and full account of the Doctrine of his Father and of his glorious person before Pontius Pilate a bloudy Persecutor It was not by saying to his Disciples Fight nor by saying My Kingdom is not of this World but he gave a glorious confession before the face of Pilate of the righteousness of his Truth Doctrine Gospel and of his Person Fear to ensnare the freedom of the Truth with your own Liberty do not ensnare it to your own lusts nor to the will of any man Oh! that we could study and improve these Scriptures more it would make us fear God more and man less This is that that would make us to say as holy David did Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word for he that hath the most fear on you and upon you you will be more afraid to fall into his hands It is a childish thing for a Christian to tread down the belief of any Doctrine or practise any Worship for fear of man who hath no more power to hurt us than we give him our selves by our fear Fear not him that can kill the body c. It was the way of Gods people formerly that they came to divide between duty commanded by God and commanded by Man You may read in all the dayes of Antichrists persecution from the beginning they came to divide in matter of obedience to God and his truth and worship and obedience to Man Christians nothing but a suffering spirit will help you to this for there is no other way of Obedience in this case to Authority but to suffer under it meekly patiently as Lambs This made the three children to divide between the command of the King and the command of God What sayes Nebuchadnezzar Every knee that bowes not shall be cast into the Furnace Very well As for that matter say they O King we are not careful to answer thee for we will not bow down c. What will they not obey him Yes they will obey him by suffering as becomes Christians and is the example of Christ as if they should say Truely we are terrified with the burning Furnace but we are terrified with Hell too We are terrified by the threats of the great King but we are likewise terrified with the threats of the great God He is able to deliver us our of your torments you are not able to deliver us from his torments so in the case of Daniel Arm your selves with this Resolution of suffering and lying down patiently and meekly under those things that you cannot do so that God may be honoured by your holy resolution upon this account for truly you never do contend successfully for the faith of the Gospel till you contend by suffering for it is said They overcome by the blood of the Lamb You never make Religion your business till the world see you can let such great things go as Life Estate Liberty to keep it then wisdom is justified of her Children You never glorifie the truths of God so much by practice or writing as by suffering for them Those glorious truths against Popish justification mixing of works with faith Transubstantiation Purgatory Idol-worship against all those things that were superadded contrary to God's Institution there is such a glory upon the truths that is hard for the Popish power ever to darken them again because we see them written in the honourable and blessed scars of the witnesses and burnings of those glorious Martyrs If you would take one another by the hand when God takes away our faithful Guides and say Brethren Sisters Friends come let us hold together there 's no way in the world to hold on together like suffering for the Gospel really would get more advantage by the holy humble sufferings of one gracious Saint meerly for the Word of Righteousness than by ten thousand Arâ—uments used against Hereticks and false Worship Compare Phil. 1 12 13 14. with the 27 28 and 29. verses How are Pauls bonds a furtherance of the Gospel Paul no doubt was called an evil doer that sowed Heresie and was hated every where saith he Many of the Brethren of the Lord waxed confident by my bounds and were much more bold to speak the Word without fear Here 's the great encouragement and that 's in the 27. verse and he speaks it as one that was leaving of them Only let your Conversation he as becometh the Gospel of Christ that you may stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your Adversaries for unto you it is given not only to believe but also to suffer c. It is given to you as a duty given to you as a priviledge O that you would confirm one another and in slippery times hold up one another by the hand do it in going after Gods call and in this way suffering for those truths you cannot otherwise hold and maintain Truly Christians you had need be armed with Resolution for the world is always counting the things Gods people have suffered for very little and they count it prudence not to meddle therein Those men that have easie soft terms to comply that they have a latitude to do any thing I believe some Christians are of that opinion that they would even think the Saints of God were ill-advised to venture their All upon those truths they see others dyed and suffered for It is a sad thing many Christians study to draw out the lines of obedience as far as the honesty of the times will give them leave but no farther that they would go on with the Lord Jesus to the High Priest's Hall and there deny him or that would be willing to do any thing for Christ but are willing to suffer nothing for Christ you do very little honour Jesus Christ in this and you will very little honour your selves at the last It is upon this account that Christians if they see even against plain conviction of Conscience and the Word that there are super-instituted things broken in as in conscience they cannot submit to yet they cannot comply why they may be used lawfuly though not superstitiously But saith the Apostle Paul Do I yet strive to please men Gal. 1.10 Am I then the Servant of Christ You cannot be the Servants of Christ if you strive to please men Wo be to you that please men and displease God He that would be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross c. What 's that deny Wife Children Relations Comforts he must be willing to go out of all Those duties the Lord Jesus Christ is most glorified in they are either those our floathful hearts are most unwilling to do or that our fearful hearts are most unwilling to suffer for Therefore arm your selves with resolutions to suffer I intended to have taken up four Appearances and Coverings that Saints usually
take up for to hide themselves as under a covert to beat down the Gospel-warrants and commands to suffer for the Faith delivered 1. The motion that a Christian hath of indifferencie of things that they are but toyes and trifles that they may be done or not done It is not my work to tell you what is indifferent or name any thing in particular As I remember in the Book of Martyrs the usual Argument was Why cannot you worship the Idol why cannot you bow down as well as others it is a small matter cannot you shew your outward reverence and keep your heart to your self Indeed if there were any thing that is indifferent a Christian hath a marvellous latitude in point of Doctrine in point of Worship I would caution you therefore The term of indifferent I suppose it is devised as a Pillar to rest the Conscience on which otherwise would startle and look with a broad face upon them Things that come under this notion had need well to be weighed and considered If they tell you plainly they came out of Rome and had the Plague of Popery upon them they came from Hell were hatched there and the curse of God is upon them no body will entertain them They must pretend they came from the Church from the Apostles descending from the Scriptures and hence they are entertained with the freedom and willingness as that most Christians take no notice but fall down under them and so the very power and life of Religion and holy practice is eaten out The Devil hath three wayes whereby he makes men seek after him First Commonly he doth cover holiness with other names Secondly He perswades that sins are but little Thirdly That they may repent hereafter The first is suitable to my purpose That vertue or grace is covered with other names therefore if a man be holy he is called precise if zealous he is said to be rash and if it be really a sin it shall come under the name of indifferency a toy a trifle and things of that nature therefore you had need be cautious for it is not so much what name the sin has what title it goes under as what it is really As to things of Doctrine and Worship I know there is no medium every man must give an account to the Lord what he does therefore I do not tell you what is indifferent and what not but search the Scripture take heed what you receive for indifferent The second thing Christians will say is I hope without danger I may comply with them considering I bear them as my burthens This is very like the young man in the Gospel he came to Christ and would have him come up to his terms and when Christ told him Yet he lacked one thning Goâ—â—ell all c. he went away sorrowful So many Christians they would follow Christ but they cannot because there is not such security in it but they will go away sorrowful Thou Hyvocrite Art thou willing to forsake all for Christ yet canst not leave life liberty and some of these small things Will you wound the name of Christ and pretend to be sorrowful for it I conclude â—hy pretence shall not excuse thee for so was Pilate loth to crucifie Christ and as a means and expedient he calls for water and washes his hands saying I am innocent from the blood of this just man But do you think God excused Pilate no more will he you Whatever is brought to you is either forbidden or commanded by God If forbidden by God why do you meddle with it If commanded of the Lord why are you burdened with it why do you it heartily for the Lord loves one that is chearful in his service Neither man nor God is pleased with such A third thing which satisfies many is That they may follow in some things the opinions of wise men holy men and good men That they may do as they do I shall say but these two words First Many men are reputed good wise and honest that are not so A man may be accounted an honest man that yet may be covetous he may be accounted a very good man yet be really corrupt in heart and in his lusts therefore 't is good to try men I dare not trust mine own heart unlesse God give strength of grace and assistance every moment lest I should betray the truth of Christ upon some advantage when the Devil would set abroach an evil opinion or practice it 's his comon way to tunn it up in some clean Vessel Men of civil honesty and goodness You read the old Prophet drew the young one in though expresly forbidden by God himself When you do not fear a young Christian it may be the example of an old Minister shall draw you therefore it 's good to mind who you follow Secondly Grant they are all good and reall they are men fearing God as there are some yet God will not let his people know all his mind There are some that would but cannot know all his mind and will the Lord is free and voluntary he reveales things necessary to salvation but for other things he withholds But what is your rule Call no man Master you are to follow no man further than he follows Christ And indeed for a man to follow the examples of others wherein they sin and do not know it it is just like the case of holy Noah who was a gracious man and knew not the strength of the Grape he was drunk with his own Vineyard But what 's the fruit of it his Son Cham saw his nakedness and discovered it If good and holy men taste of the intoxicated Wine that is too strong for them and know it not will you sip after them unless you will discover your nakedness and proclain it from Generation to Generation and make your selves Chams not sons of the Prophet Therefore I know not what warrant you have to follow such examples The fourth things is this Christians usually do no good by standing out Answ Whether we get good or do good or no we are to do our duty The Lord will honour you for suffering for the Truth 2 Thes 1.2 3 4 5. And by suffering you shall confirm the Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false Doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and Patience when you suffer not as evil-doers but as those that suffer for the Word of Righteousness the Word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious than Heaven and Earth than any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all Generations when those that Apostatize Persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Rich Treasure in Earthen Vessels A Sermon Preached Jan. 1. 1662. at the Funeral of that Reverend and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. James Nalton late Minister
So that the Spirit of God is fain to come in and end the controversie before the soul will be satisfied 2. If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of his people Then all the comfort of Christless and graceless souls is nothing worth there is no true peace for they are not the Disciples of Christ which are the proper subjects of this comfort they will not hearken to Christ nor learn of Christ but they cast his words behind their backs and break his bands asunder Those that do not learn Christs Precepts and follow Christs Canons and obey Christs Commands they are none of Christs Disciples aâ—d to be sure they have not the Spirit of Christ which is the Efficient in this comfort and without the root there cannot be the fruit for this inward peace is the fruit of the Spirit And therefore what comfort they have it is either a sinful comfort which to be sure will end in sorrow or else at best it is but a carnal comfort which will soon vanish like the crackling of thorns under a Pot There is no peace saith God to the wicked there is no peace with God as long as you are at peace wiâ—h sin 3. Here they are stumbled with the Riddle That the people of God should be sorrowing yet always rejoycing As sorrowing yet always rejoycing The carnal world think this to be a contradiction though they be troubled without yet they have peace within though they have maâ—ter of sorrow in respect of outward affliction yet they have fellowship with the Holy Ghost the comforter which gives peace in affliction joy in sorrow light in darkness which fills thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly If the Holy Ghost be the only Comforter of the hearts of Gods people then let me exhort every one of you to labour for an interest in this Comforter Friends I beseech you be restless till you have got some evidence of the Comforter in your souls by the inhabitation of the Spirit in your hearts without you have an interest in Christ there is no comfort no true comfort to be expected no comfort in prosperity no comfort in adversity no comfort in life nor in death no peace with your consciences Men may make a shift to keep themselves at quiet for the present by lulling conscience they may have a kind of peace from a false principle Ah but what will you do when storms arise what will you do when death and affliction comes Jonas lay quietly asleep till the storm came O my friends we must shortly lye a dying the Lord knows how soon O what will you do for comfort in a dying hour all other comforts may forsake you and before that time you may meet with sorrow and heavy afflictions so that all your friends in the world will not do you good your friends may fail your hearts may fail and then no comfort but the comfort of the Holy Ghost will do you good the time may come that all your friends may prove miserable comforters when God comes to deal with the soul to set sin home upon the conscience to lay sin before us then what will you do We are all guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission when these come to be charged upon the soul what will you then do then no plaister of comfort will stick but those of the Spirits laying on unless the Spirit seal up the pardon of sin the love of God to the soul nothing will quiet and comfort the soul however men may be merry for a time yet there is a time of sorrow that will come when they shall reflect upon their ways when they shall see nothing but sin behind them and terrours before them Oh! what amazement will seize upon their souls they have no interest in God in Christ they have no interest in the Promises there is nothing that will comfort you unless you have an interest in the Spirit But then what shall I do that I may get this comforting Spirit into my soul First Thirst earnestly after it The Promise is made to those that thirst after it Isa 44.3 Thirst after him in his convincings in his humblings in his sanctifying mercy Oh let the desire and longing of thy soul run out this way no matter for an Estate no matter for Friends and outward comforts if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast that that is paramount to all outward comforts Secondly Pray earnestly for the Spirit You are not so willing to giâ—â— your children that they want as God is to give his Spirit to them that ask it Cry mightily Lord give me thy Spirit and cry to the Spirit and say as Laban to Abicam Come in so pray the Spirit to come in to thy Soul Thirdly If you would have this Comforter to come and abide with you You must resolve to become Christs Disciple It is only for such that Christs prays that God would send the Comforter You must hearken and obey him and follow him wheresoever he goeth You know the terms upon which you must be Christs Disciple Mat. 16.24 He must deny himself and take up his Cross and daily follow Christ He must deny himself There is two selfs in a man nay three selfs and they must de denied but however the first two must be denied if you intend to be Christs Disciple 1. A mans righteous self If any thing that we are that we have or can do from our works or duties any thing of our own all must be denied in point of Justification 2. Sinful self A mans corruptions must be denied pride passion and love to the world 3. Natural self Friends estates relations credit and honour and outward comforts these may be denied you may be called to part with them but if they come in competition with Christ they must be denied 2. You must take up the Cross of Christ rather than forsake his honor or disobey his commands You must resolve to follow Christ wheresoever he shall lead you either in a way of active or passive obedience you must take up Christs load you must undergo his burden Now Christians are you resolved upon this now sit down and consider what it will cost you to be Christians and if you would have the best you must be contented with the worst and if you are resolved upon this then you are the true Disciples of Christ and you are under the promise of his comfort and Christ is praying the Father to send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever 2. Vse of Exhortation 2. Vse Is of Exhortation wherein I shall apply my self to the true Disciples of Christ those that have had communion with Christ in his sanctifying Presence labour after communion with him in his comforting Presence To all others that are without the Spirit of God I may say as Jehu to Jehoram What hast thou to do with these things Labour to be