not faith if it faint not love if it decline and wax cold not obedience if it give over not repentance or humility or patience or meeknesse if they have not their perfect work Faith that will hold but that it holds out it is from perseverance Love will take its flight and mount up but that it mounts up to the highest to Heaven it must be from perseverance Obedience will follow after Christ but to hold to the end in obedience to be carried to the full length it 's from perseverance So every grace hath that that is the accomplishment of it from the grace of perseverance Without it as St. Bernard sayth very well neither he that fights can hope to overcome at all or if he overcome and conquer a little he cannot look for the Crowne unlesse he conquer still and goe on There is the second excellency of perseverance The third and principall excellency of perseverance that that more expresly toucheth upon the Text it is the continuation of the motion of a Christian that that keeps a man still going And motion is excellent in every Creature the Creature the more excellent it is the more excellent it is in its motion The Earth that is the lowest Element and the basest moves not at all The Water that is next above the Earth moves but not so fast as the Aire that is above the Water and the Aire though it move faster and more constantly then the Water yet it moves not so nobly and constantly and so fast as the Heavens the celestiall bodies and the Starâ— of Heaven Take but one instance the Moone hath two motions which shee dispatcheth at once with a great deale of swiftnesse and constancy Let men that are below blaspheme and curse let Dogs bark let the Winds blow let stormes bluster and the Clouds frowne the Moone goes on to finish her course So a Christian if he be of a heavenly temper there will be the motion of the Heavens perpetuity of motion Perseverance makes the motion perpetuall it gives perennity to the motion of a Christian that though a Christian meet with many discâ—uragements in the way of piety temptations and tribulations and persecutions yet for all this as the Sun and Moone and Stars he keeps on his motion though wicked men oppose themselves though St. Pauls Dogs doe more then bark though the stormes of temptation bluster and the winds of persecution gather themselves together though Heaven and Earth oppose yet perseverance will carry a Christian strait on his way through all impediments and make him leap over all discouragements it will bring his motion to the end that is the excellency of perseverance That is the first thing if we take the phrase under the similitude of locall motion They goe on Secondly consider it under the similitude of Vitall motion for as I said their going on is their growing on Growth is a vitall motion for properly nothing is said to grow but that that hath life Therefore Scaliger observes there is a great deale of difference betwixt those two words augmentation and extention things inanimate that want life may receive extention and dimension but they are not properly said to grow but things that have life Plants and Trees and living Creatures Growth therefore properly is a vitall motion and that vitall motion is remarkable in Christianity in a spirituall sence there are many words whereby 〈◊〉 Scripture sets out these advances of Piety When it considers us in the way of piety it is called proceeding when it respects the emulations of piety it is called excellency when it respects the operations of piety it is called abounding when it respects our progresse in piety it is called persevâ—ring when to the state of piety it is called growth And all these there is good reason to be given of them in respect of the severall relations a Christian hath in this World We are viatores in this World we must proceed and goe on We are Work-men in the Vinyard of the Lord we must persevere We are lights in the World lights must excell that is their commendation We are Rivers as David makes the similitude Rivers of God they must swell and abound Christians they are the Babes in Christ that are to come to the stature of spirituall Man-hood being Babes they must grow Of all other expressions those two are remarkable when it is called abounding and growing David useth both these the word of abounding or excelling All my delight is in those that abound or excell in vertue Psal 16. The other word of growth is in Psal 92. speaking of the righteous man He shall grow up as a â—edar in thine house St. Paul makes use of both those words too sometimes he exhorts to grow in grace sometimes to abound and excell Strive that you may excell to the edifying of the Church Alway abound in the work of the Lord. The phrase or word of abounding is a metaphor taken from Rivers Rivers that get encrease by running A man would think a River in continuall motion should doe nothing but spend it selfe and not get but lose but the longer it runs the more accesse of water flowes to it and the further its progresse the greater it is It is little at the head but it is great at the foot the longer it goes on So should a Christian be like Ezekiells waters that at the first were but up to the Ancles and then ascended till they came to the Neck till at last they covered the whole man such is the swelling Spirituall the excelling and abounding in grace The other word of growing is a metaphor taken almost from all sorts of vitalls It is taken sometimes in Scripture from building as a building from a small beginning growes to a great vastnesse and magnitude so a Christian being built on the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles our blessed Lord being the Corner stone he growes up to a holy Temple in the Lord Ephes 2. Sometimes it is taken from the similitude of Plants and Trees Hosea 14. They shall grow up as the Lillie and as the Vine their Root shall be like Lebanon Sometimes againe it is taken from the similitude of other Creatures in Mal. 4. speaking of righteous men he sayth They shall grow as the Calves of the stall Sometimes it is taken from our selves from the similitude of the growth of the body corporall growth So in Ephes 4. he speaks of Growing up to the fullnesse of stature to a perfect man in Christ As the body first hath seed and then life and then supply of nourishment and then by it it comes to height and stature So it is in the state of grace there is first the seminall being of a Christian in regeneration or the new birth then after come the supplies of nourishment by the influence of grace and receiving the sincere milke of the word after these supplies of nourishment comes this spirituall growth That you may
words it is impossible to continue Thirdly It is the meanes to glorifie God more In prayer we glorifie God in body and soule It is not enough that we glorifie God within we may doe it within but who knowes it Then it is onely to our selves but when it is with the lips we doe it to others Even the Saints in Heaven use language in the glorifying of God they sing to the glory of God Halelujah that song of praise to God and expresse it by words because there may be a common participation that they may make an eccho Therefore David though he were a man that had a mentall gift of prayer yet he confined not himselfe to it I called to God with my voice and he heard my prayer I will sing of thy kindnesse for ever and with my mouth I will declare it Marke I will sing of it and declare it with my mouth and call to God with my voyce Therefore because there is a necessity of Vocall prayer to glorifie God that is the first reason the Prophet saith Take words that is the first duty Secondly He shewes the necessity of preparation It is not onely use words the Heathen that thinke to be heard for much babling they use words but they take not words What is that To study to single and cull out words before to cast about where to get words Looke into the closet of your heart and see what things you want see what acceptable formes the Saints used then come and humble your selves before God but take to you words The necessity of preparation in the duty of prayer is briefely layd downe by Solomon in Eccles 5. Be not rash to utter a thing before God for he is in Heaven That is Rush not upon prayer goe not into Gods presence before thou be fitted there must be holy preparation not onely before publike but private prayer Beloved we come to pray and the reason why our petitions are denyed is because our hearts rove He will never come into Gods presence with reverence one day that prepares not somewhat the day before that sets not worldly things aside the day before As in publike so in private prayer prepare before you come to Church and after How ever some would scare Christians out of piety they shall not scare Christians from their duty They say it is superstition for a man to humble himselfe before God when hee comes to the Church and Congregation they say hee must joyne with the Congregation there must not be a sequestration though it be never so short to fit himselfe It is true a man humbles and prepares himselfe before but now he comes to the performance of it I humble my selfe before but now I come to the performance give me such a heart as I may joyne with thy Servants to confesse our sins and to make knowne our wants And this must be superstition in their interpretation because we doe not joyne with the Congregation They make no conscience of it if they did they would not keepe their owne posture at the Creed they to sit and others stand I will be bold to say it is fancie The hearts of Christians must not be troubled whereby there comes a great deale of offence they run out of the Church if a Minister humble himselfe before God in the Pulpit what they please must be superstition No when we come before God there must be preparation David prayed before he prayed Let the lifting up of my hands be as Incense Micah studyed before he prayed Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and make my supplication What gesture shall I use and what preparation shall I make So should every good Christian and the reason is good prayer is weighty the tongue is slippery and the affections roving a man had need to hedge in his heart with all preparation If a man speak to men as I come to speak to you yet I dare not come without due preparation and yet I speak to men as my selfe much more when a man comes before God If a man when he speaks to men labours to shun Shelves and Solicismes of speech and to ingratiate his person and presse it home upon the hearts of his hearers how much more when he speaks before God that reads the language of the heart who is a God that heares prayer to whose presence all flesh comes Moses when he was to speak to Pharaoh durst not goe because he wanted words and was a man of flow speech and so Jeremie yet they were but to speake to men If any man say there was a necessitie because they went on Gods errand that was not the reason looke back to humane oratours Demosthenes Tullie see what preparation they made to speak before humane auditorie yet they would correct their errours and set every word in due place they would get words pick up phrases if any tittle of pronunciation were more advangious then other they would get that meerely to prevaile in civill causes for men how much more when we come to God in prayer and not only be orators but petitioners and for the best of his mercies for grace the richest jewell in all his Store-house and God that searcheth the heart and sees if the heart and Spirit be answerable to the tongue and hand a man had need to be prepared before-hand Therefore Abraham a man that had heavenly acquaintance with God he fitted himselfe before he would come in prayer see how many prefaces he useth six times he prayes and every prayer hath a preface Let not my Lord be angrie and I will speake Behold I have taken upon me to speake that am but dust and ashes He useth those holie prefaces to ingratiate himselfe with God knowing how great an honour it is for God to vouchsafe a mortall creature to speake to him so will we if we consider the greatnesse of Gods majestie we will pray that we may pray search and examine and see what blessings God hath bestowed and then we shall know what to give thankes for see what evill we have committed and then wee shall know what to mourne for see what judgements and temptations God hath removed and then wee shall know how to blesse him what sinnes we are prone to that wee may know what to pray against and see what temporall things wee need and then we may know what to beg this the Prophet would have Take words studie words before you come take not perfunctorie words use not such as come first to hand deale not so boldly and familiarly with the glorious presence of God speake to God as if you did speake to men nay as if you were to speake before the judge of all men Lastly here he gives a direction what words to use in prayer The language of prayer is of a great extent looke how many our wants are so many severall formes and dialects our prayer hath and looke how various mens hearts are so various is prayer but for
our direction confine it to these particulars First Take to you words that is holie and heavenly words such as becomes that glorious Majestie therefore our blessed Saviour hath taught us to pray to Our Father in Heaven intimating that when we come to God we must not only bring heavenly affections but heavenly word what are those words that relish of heaven words that have the coyne and stamp of the Spirit of God on them he that brings a earthly heart and carnall earthly words to God cannot speed Prayer hath a dialect proper to it selfe bring words that is heavenly words Secondly bring with you words that is forcible fervent powerfull words come not to God with a cold temper they are such words that must prevaile for there is a language that specially prevailes with God that is bring such words as may importune God It is not a cold muttering of a forme of prayer that is acceptable to God no but pray with the heart not only speake but call nor call but crie ask and seeke and knock if asking will not serve seeke if that will not doe knock There is a delight in God to be not only spoken to but forced the violent take heaven and there is no violence but of faith and prayer faith by one violence and prayer by another The prayer of the fervent heart breakes through the Clouds no impediment can keep it from Gods throne take fervent words wooe God intreate him importune him to see if he will be intreated to turne from his wrath Thirdly take intelligent words understand your selves what you speake use not such words as doe not expresse your mind It is a mocking of God to come to God in an unknowne language That is the great delusion of our adversaries of Rome the great manner of cogging to delude the people to keepe them in ignorance from knowing the word of God and what they speake to God that as they believe by an implicite faith so they must pray by an implicite devotion that if the Priest that sets them the forme of prayer or if the Church should goe about to deceive them as they doe too too much they might set a forme of cursing as well as praying and how can they understand it and they must take it upon trust These are not intelligible words but I cannot proceed further SERMON III. Hosea 14.2 Take to you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously c. IT was well sayd by Saint Austin that Art perfects nature hee found the proofe thereof in himselfe for it had perfected him For minerals and vegetatives you all know that it is mechanick and inferiour Arts that perfect them Nature gives gold and Art purifies it nature gives Stones that are precious and Art makes them more precious nature gives simples and Art makes them confections And for man that is the most excellent of inferiour creatures they are the ingenious and the spirituall Arts that perfect man And every severall Art hath a kinde of speciall interest in some severall persons For memory they are the rules of method that perfect memory And the rules of invention perfect parts the rules of disputation perfect reason the rules of oratorie perfect speech and generally whether wee looke upon the bodie or whether we looke upon the soule if there be any thing in either that is defective art either restores or helpes it if there be any thing luxurious art pollisheth it if any thing disorderly art corrects it that the Philosopher had good reason to say Art perfects nature for he could doe nothing but by Art now if Art give such perfection to nature that is so lame in it selfe what perfection doe Christians draw from that that is the Art of all other Arts the art of Gods booke those heavenly rules of direction containd in the word of God there is no part of man but it perfects for it not only perfects but changeth it changeth our nature not only to some degree but to a totall and compleat estate It converts the soule it rejoyceth the heart it delights the eye for our actions it teacheth us to live for our thoughts it teacheth us to meditate for our speech it teacheth to discourse godly If there were no more Scriptures yet this one Text that I have read shewes the proofe of it It s the Prophets intendment by this Scripture to worke a change in the people of the Jewes to whom he preached to worke an alteration to a better knowing of this by experience that the word it corrects and reformes and there is in every part of it a severall reformation that may be wrought if the heart be hardened here this Scripture teacheth to humble them Turne to the Lord if the armes be infolded this Scripture teacheth to spread them if the lips be sowed up if the tongue stammer that we know not how to expresse our selves before the heavenly majestie this Scripture teacheth to open them Take with you words c. So that which was intended by him when he spake them first is the same that I intend when I handle them now The parts you know are two A rule of excitement and A rule of direction The rule of excitement to two duties one to the dutie of action Turne to the Lord of that I spake Another to the dutie of elocution and that is twofold There is an excitement to a generall dutie of prayer The manner of prayer Take with you words and go to God What words I shewed the last time the words of prayer of confession those are the words and what were the kinds of both and the necessitie of both so far I went Another is this particular forme Take words and say to him This part I am to goe on with And say to him That is and say thus unto him in hunc modum in haec verba after this manner in these words The Prophets intendment is to give them a help for their infirmities in the worke of prayer he pens a forme for them he sets this as an example and patterne of prayer whereby they should make their prayers a forme to use when they came before God He prevents an objection Take with you words and turne to the Lord. I faine wee would take words but where shall we get them what words are fit wee are ignorant we are not acquainted with the language that dutie hath been a stranger to us who will teach us and instruct us Wherewith shall wee come before the Lord what words shall we use when we come before him He prevents the objection in these words And say to him I will lend you words if ye be ignorant I will instruct you these are the words you shall use Like a good instructer he not only teacheth them the dutie that they are to doe but shewes them the manner of the performance he excites them to prayer and repentance and shews to
a great extent as St. Cyprian speakes it is a grace that hath a great latitude you may bring it to these foure variations to know what it is to endure tribulation First to endure that is stoutly couragiously not to faint in Tribulation a man that fainteth more dishonoureth piety by that then he brought honour It is not a faint patience that is magnified patience is a magnanimous a heroick vertue it must be a magnanimous patience that indures Tribulation that is not discouraged with enduring but animated and encouraged dangers are so far from daunting the Spirit of a true patient mind as they doe but so much the more excite it to further induring that is the first it must be indured stoutly Secondly to indure that is humbly and meekly for otherwise courage and fortitude if it be not tempered with meeknesse vapours forth into fury There are Malefactors often when they are upon the wheele and the rack they will spit defiance and seeme very resolute And many men when they are under Gods hand in any great callamity in any great Tribulation you shall have them so impatient that they vomit out blasphemy against Heaven which is not grace the effect of a valiant spirit but of a desperate spirit Patience as it is a stout grace so it is a humble grace full of meeknesse that is true patience that is callme and gentle not furious not fierce That is the second there must be as the spirit of a Lyon so the spirit of a Dove mingled in patience for the enduring of Tribulation not onely to indure it stoutly but meekly Thirdly to endure a right that is chearefully for many men can indure calmly enough and give a still patience it is not a still patience that is enough but a chearfull patience a patience that hath alacrity a still patience is ofttimes but a smothering patience Men oft-times bite in impatience they speake no discontented words they shew no discontented gesture or looke but yet they are sullen and dejected and thoughtfull and cast downe it shews they are not pleased with Gods tryall and excercise that he sends that that makes true induring is alacrity a Christian is not onely content but willing to indure Tribulation he labours after St. Pauls flight he breaths after that excellent spirit to glory and to rejoyce in Tribulation he takes it not onely patiently but thankfully knowing that as in works of charity God loves a chearfull giver so in Tribulation God loves a chearfull endurer That is the third to endure with Chearfullnesse Lastly that is not enough but for a right enduring there must be constancie to endure with perseverance not to give over And what is it to endure with constancie to make patience to runne to the end of her race to draw the thread of patience to the greatest length for constancie is nothing but the length of patience patience in her perfect worth is constancie they are neere of kin patience is a short constancie and constancie is a protracted patience were it but an houre of temptation short tribulation constancie were not requisite but meere patience would serve the the turne but Christ tels us and the Scripture repeates it oft David tels us and the Apostles tell us that Many are the troubles of the righteous and through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of God that the end of one suffering is but a preparative a beginning to a second God armes us and brings us to experience of sufferings by the first and so to the second and to the third and so to many times that he may not get glorie only by us but much glorie seeing there are many great and long tribulations we know what we deserve not what wee shall suffer therefore there must be constancie to patience that we may carrie away the blessing to make patience to runne out to the length He that endureth unto the end it is he that hath title unto the Crowne Here are now these severall wayes that make up this enduring here spoken of put these together and you have the meaning of the Apostles words what it is to endure tribulation Yet there is one more to be added to all these not one that is diverse from these foure but that runns through all though all these be joyned together to endure constantly chearfully meekly stoutly Yet if it be not in the cause of righteousnesse and pietie all these are nothing this is that must be mingled withall it must either be for or in the cause of pietie if it be true Christian enduring the case of martyrdome that is for piety the cause of innocencie that is the case of pietie either of these causes are the cause of God if these goe along withall the other properties then it is right Though the word here be not supplyed it is understood and supplyed in other places Happie is the man that endureth tentation saith St. James indefinitely but St. Peter gives the supplyment If you suffer for righteousnesse sake happie are yee It is not every man that endures tribulation that is happy but he that endures for righteousness sake is happy here Blessed is the man that indureth tentation but least you should mistake there is a supplement Christ tels us what is that for righteousnesse sake so supply it here Blessed is the man that indureth tribulation or tentation for righteousnesse sake in and for righteousnesse after a righteous manner he it is that hath a true title to blessednesse this is the other property not distinct but that that goes through all It is true though a man suffer for evill and as a malefactor whether from God immediatly or by men he is tyed to suffer patiently even when it is for evill doing But there is a great deale of difference betweene these two The suffering patiently for evill doing and the suffering for righteousnesse sake with patience there is a great deale of difference A man that suffers for sinne and suffers the just reward of his evill his reward is a debt he owes to Justice therefore in that case patienee is not an act of vertue properly but an adjunct of guilt But when a man suffers for righteousnesse sake this suffering dedicates the devout man to God there patience is not onely an act of vertue but a Sacrifice The Apostle Peter 1.2 makes these plaine when he tells us of suffering as evill doers and as Christians If any man suffer as an evill doer what great matter is it but if as a Christian that is praise worthy he lets us understand that patient suffering in evill doing is no great matter That we are now strictly by nature tyed to doe and by Law and bond of justice Or if it be commendable as well as the other there is a great deale of difference the one is commendable in an inferior manner the other in an eminent way the one onely is an act of conformity the other of victory to
unto the end of his race he obeyed to the death even to the death of the Crosse so we must not set up our staffe till we be at the end of all that God will bring us to and then when a man is tryed he is blessed and shall have the crowne of life These things put together let us see what it is to endure Tribulation So much for the first point the description of the Person to whom the promise is made the man that endureth temptation so much for this time SERMON II. James 1.12 13. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when 〈…〉 shall receive the Crowâ—â— of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him THESE words I divided into foure particulars One of the person to whom the promise is made The man that endureth temptation The other of the reward that is assured to him Blessednesse and the Crowne of life The third it is the assurance of this reward the crown that is promised to them that love God And the last is the manner and the time of retribution he shall receive it when he is tryed And of the first of these I spake in the fore-noon and that is the description of the person to whom the promise is made And now I am to proceed unto the second branch that is of the reward or retribution it selfe it is in these words Blessed shall he be and he shall receive the crown of life They are the words that hover over the other the description of the person as the opening of the heavens did over Stephen when he was stoned Here is Stephens agonie the man that endures tribulation and then comes in his blessednesse the crowne of life as the opening of the heavens to encourage every Christian the better for the enduring the conflict It followes upon the first in a very good order for there is nothing that will stirre us up more to endure tribulation with patience and submission of spirit then the thought of the reward It is the resolution that every man propounds to himselfe in any undertaking whether it be of action or passion quid habebo what shall I have if I do or suffer These are the voyces of all men both good and bad worldly men and others Even Judas himselfe when he went about that evill work of betraying Christ he encouraged himself by this word what will you give mee and I will betray him to you Nay and the Disciples themselves in a matter of greater moment a thing that concerned heaven as the discourse doth that we are now about they propound it to our blessed Saviour S. Peter moves him with this Lord we have left all and followed thee what shall we receive And it was the custome of Princes when they they set about any great achievement or undertaking to encourage the undertakers to come to the worke they propounded wages and prizes and rewards that they might draw them to it Generalls when they goe to fight to encourage their Souldiers to fight they use to make promises of Donatives to make them more resolute and valiant The same course here the blessed Apostle Saint James takes in the description of the great work he was about As a heavenly cryer he was to make publication here of a great undertaking the enduring of tribulation and because hee would not misse of his ayme but encourage many to come to the cheerfull undertaking here propounded he propounds to them the greatnesse of the reward that he may allay the sharpnesse of the suffering He lends the poore man that is in tribulation here a staffe to rest on it is not only one staffe but two Blessednesse is the one and the Crowne of life is the other These are good props a thorne was in the first word the enduring of tribulation but here is that that recompenceth it here is a Crowne and Blessednesse in these other words that I am now to speak of It is not blessednesse deferred the Apostle in a great deale of wisdome begins with blessednesse he doth not name tribulation without blessednesse When blessednesse is named a man may safely name tribulation It takes in all what God will give blessednesse and what the man that endures temptation is to receive from Gods hand that we cannot apprehend the glory of the crown of life These are the two things The one of them is the generall description of the reward The other the particular The generall description of the reward in this word Blessed is the man It is blessednesse that is the sum of all comfort and the retribution that is promised to the enduring of Tribulation And what shall I now say to you of that It is the thing that is in all your hearts and in the hopes and aimes of every man more or lesse even by the light of nature Though it be in all our hearts it is not in our understandings Paul can resolve us for that whereas other things that are good are subject to the eye we must not looke to have it in this respect Eye hath not seene Of other things the comforts of Gods spirit we may tell how they are described in Scripture and you receive them by the eare but of blessednesse Celestiall no tongue of Angells can speake sufficiently Eare hath not heard it Yet the things that eare hath not heard it is possible for the heart to imagine we may indeed in representation but we cannot in the fullnesse It hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive How great that good is that is comprised in this small compendium Blessednesse take it thus There are two things acknowledged by all even by those that have little insight into it The first that Beatitude it is the highest and the greatest of all good things that can be expected that nothing can be imagined above this It is the fruition of God it is whatsoever is set forth to us in Scripture to make us understand that glory It is not onely summam but the most spacious it comprehends in it all good things whatsoever Beatitude is so great a good that as St. Austin observes every man would be partaker of Beatitude not onely the good but even bad men that will not conforme to the rules of piety that lead to blessednesse they would faine have blessednesse though they care not for piety And there is no man that heares me now that is never so much affrighted with the name of Tribulation but would be glad to imbrace blessednesse they love the end but not the way It must needs be a great good that all out of that small glimpse of light that they have yet with so much earnestnesse desire It is so great a good that it comprehends in it all good things whatsoever It is as St. Austin saith the accumulation of all good it must needs be the accumulation of all good because it is the reward of every good action if it be the
there are severall gifts so there shall be severall rewards The reward is but one blessednesse for all Therefore in Scripture it is propounded as the retribution of every grace As the reward of faith Blessed is the man that trusts in him As the reward of obedience Blessed are they that keepe his Testimonies As the reward of purity Blessed are the undefiled in the way Why should I name more the Scripture is full But take this as the close of all it is the reward propounded to the enduring and suffering of tribulation Blessed is the man that endureth tribulation It is true of all other a man would have thought it might best have beene spared here for that it is the reward of faith that a man that believes and his hope rests in God that he shall be blessed these are comfortable but that a man in the fornace of affliction and all-besmeâ—red lying loathsomely among the pots as the Psalmist speakes that Job on the dung-hill that Daniel in the Den that Eliah in the Cave in his flight should be blessed A man would think there were nothing of blessednesse in the state of an afflicted soule Worldly men are of another opinion they think not that blessednesse can consist with tribulation and persecution They think that blessednesse consists with ease and rest with pleasures and profits and honour and applause and the enjoyment of good things in the world here is that they set up their rest in here they place their blessednesse See the different voyce of the world and of Christ of secular men and the Apostles Blessed are they that suffer saith Christ O miserable are they that suffer saith the world Blessed are they that endure tribulation saith the Apostle nay blessed are they that never knew tribulation saith the world Search but your owne hearts now whether most of us have not thus much of Atheisme in our hearts as to think blessednesse to be in the good things of this world the heaven that we look for and the happinesse that we long for Christ and his Apostles otherwise the spirit of God that spake by the Prophets and in them otherwise which word shall we give credit too what voice shall wee hearken too the voyce of the world or the voyce of Christ to the voyce of wicked men that are â—gnorant or to the voyce of the Apostles In all other things you take the judgment of the most learned those that have best experience that have most knowledge their judgement goes for current Wel then shall we trust worldly mens judgment in the definition of blessednesse we doe so so blind we are it is all one as for a man to judge of colours that is blind or for an aguish palate to give his opinion of tast Can worldly men that relish nothing of Heaven judge of heavenly things and those that only walk in the wayes of miserie and looke for nothing else judge of happinesse and blessednesse Then take the judgement of the Apostles rest in that what is their judgement whom can you trust better in the definition of blessedness then they that now inherit it the Apostles and Prophets that set it downe to us whom can we better trust then those that were guided by the spirit of God that formes and frames that blessednesse What is the judgement of the Apostles you have it here of one and in other places of oothers it is their constant opinion that these delights and profits and pleasures of the world as Nazianzen saith are a fabulous happinesse a false felicity such a felicity as is not beatitude more of it is in misery then beatitude The consolations of the world as Basile saith well are desolate there is nothing more unblest then such a blessedness here is the opinion of the Apostles If you will have a better judgement in whose judgement will you rest but in Gods in whose but in Christs Who is so â—it to tell what happiness is as he that gives it It is Christ only that gives blessednesse cannot he tell what it is who is so fit a judge of blessedness as he that is blessedness it selfe God blessed for ever the blessed and onely Potentate not blessed but blessedness in the vision of whose blessed face there is blessedness who can tell better then Christ who can better tell what is the state of sufferers and the reward that belongs to them then he that suffered for our sakes you know he himselfe because he would breake the way lead the ranck that he might lead us along chearfully to endure Tribulation he hath tasted the Cup first There is no drop in the Cup of Tribulation that Christ did not first tast of The contempt of the World disgrace upon the Crosse he had obloquie and reproach of a Publican and Sinner If torments be another drop of the Cup of Tribulation he sustained them first his back he laid open to the Smiters he was stript and bound and buffetted these were the things that he sustained If death it selfe be the last drop of the Cup of Tribulation he tasted of it first He that is the Physitian tasted the potion first he did not onely tast it but drink it first As St. Gregorie well the Physitian he drank first that we that are Patients might drink it chearfully Who can judge of sufferings and rewards better then he that suffered first that is Christ What saith Christ He tells us of woes and he tells us of blessings The woes what are they Wo to you that are poore No wo to you that are rich Wo to you that mourne No wo to you that laugh Wo to you that are empty No wo to you that are full Here are the woes see the blessings How begin the blessings in Matthew Blessed are the rich No Blessed are the poor So he begins how ends he the blessings there Blessed are those that avoyd persecution No Blessed are they that suffer persecution Here is Christs description of blessednesse Then here is the summ of all that the suffering of Tribulation it is a state makes truly blessed the right enduring of Tribulation and affliction is a State that makes truely blessed not onely in hope but in act for the present Is there any thing of greater comfort then that a man when he is accounted the off-scouring of the World cast out as the Dung of the Earth when he is vile in the eyes of all men forsaken of all and desolate yet in regard of God that poore distressed Creature that hath no comfort that is like Lazarus in the Gospell at that very time shall have the comfort and assurance of the fruition of blessednesse and the beginnings of it in himselfe Here is a great deale of happinesse in the suffering of tribulation it is a state so far from being repugnant to beatitude that it is consistent with it at the same time And beatitude is so far from being abhorrent or from being different from suffering tribulation
hath a Crowne every perticular grace hath the promise of a Crowne if there be severall Crownes a Crowne of righteousnesse and a Crowne of Starrs a Crowne of glory a Crowne of immortality a Crowne of life then feare not but God is able to make the Crownes answerable to the number of your passions And by how much mens sufferings have beene greater as Chrysostome sayth well by so much the more the Crowne shall be more bright and splendent as St. Austin sayth well every Saint that God the more buffets and conflicts he hath endur'd the greater shall be his reward and more ample of glory This for the multitude of tribulations if they be many Admit in the last place that tribulations and sufferings be long though there be nothing long in this World there is nothing long that comes to a period for there is nothing long that is temporary All tribulations and sufferings are temporary That is too much to say they are temporary they are all momentary that is lesse St. Paul sayth so that which is momentary cannot be long What is shorter then a moment St. Paul was able to judge he endured many and long tribulations But our life is but a moment to eternity our life is but as yesterday sayth the Psalmist they can last but this life and that may noâ— last to the next moment They are temporary nay they are momentary admit they were not yet that Crowne will recompence it the Crowne of life is immortall here is that that will recompence it You know the sufferings of this world are but momentaine as I said and yet worldly men take a great deale of pains to decline them On the other side the pleasures of the world are momentaine what pains doe worldly men take to enjoy them how much trouble is there and what care doe they take to heale a finger if it be out of frame or out of joint or for the curing of any part of the body if there be but any passion upon that nay further not onely the care of the flesh but what a great deale of care doe worldly men take to fulfill their lusts How much will wicked men suffer to enjoy their lusts what will they not suffer then as Demosthenes stirred up himself to follow his studie the more earnestly by the example of a Smith that was at his work before he was at his study it is a shame for me saith he to be in bed and the Smith to be at work this was Demosthenes argument so it may for Christians shall wicked men endure so much to fullfill the pleasures of sin and shall not we endure something to attain the Crowne of life and immortallity for the attaining of heaven Si tanta c. If the soul saith St. Austin he content to suffer so much to enjoy things that are made to perish how much should we be content to suffer for that that cannot perish If men will suffer so much for the flesh what should we suffer for the immortality of the soul for the gaining of Heaven for the crown It was the argument of the devout Hermite when he saw a Harlot spend some hours in attiring of her self he fell bitterly on weeping being asked what was the reason Saith he because I cannot bestow so earnest pains in adoring my soul as that creature doth in decking of her body that was his argument And St. Paul he gives such an argument whereas worldly men strive for a corruptible Crowne shall not we strive for that which is incorruptible Shall not the children of light be as zealous for Heaven as the children of the world are for pleasures Shall not spirituall men be as zealous to attain glory as carnall men are in momentaine things the pleasures of sin that endure but for a season O listen listen to St. Paul he pus all these together I told you of the levity and shortness and paucity of tribulations he sums them up well and concludes thus These light afflictions that are but for a moment they work out a farr exceeding eternall weight of glory It is worthy all to be written in Letters of gold there is never a word but it is full of emphasis there were never words almost that dropt from any mans mouth so full of excellency as these words For first if you mark it he moderates the quantity with the quality these light afflictions Then againe he moderates the quality with the quantity they are short afflictions if they be great and many they are short and momentaine then he moderates both with the comparisons that follow light afflictions but a weight of glory momentaine afflictions but an eternall weight of glory And this eternall weight of glory exceeding in quality and quantity St Paul would not have us think his afflictions long and sharp and great and many they are nothing so that God sends but if they were so shall we not endure them If God should afflict us all our life if we should live as long as the Patriarcks he mingles them with comforts though there were no comfort a thousand yeares tribulation were nothing to the glory that shall never come to an end Jacob thought 7. years service a short time that he might enjoy Rachel when his eye was upon Rachell his Pearl then he thought 7. years and 7. to them but a small time Did Jacob account so many years a small time and shall not we account 7. dayes 7. howres short Admit it be more it is but tribulation for a short time if we have Rachell if we have Heaven in our eye fix our eyes upon immortallity upon heaven and then all tribulation will seem not onely light but nothing and not onely short but as if they had never been but as yesterday are 10000 years to eternity The world gives nothing but what is corruptible God gives that which is eternall all desire long life God offers not onely long life but eternall life not only long life but a glorious life expressed by the best words though stated upon contemptible persons those that suffer tribulation First they are blessed that is the generall and then in perticular they shall receive the Crowne of life SERMON III. JAMES 1.12 Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him HAVING done with the two principall parts I am now to come to those parts that are accessâ—ry The speciall are the two descriptions I told you of before The description of the persons that the promisâ— is made unto all under the notification of one The man that iâ— every man that endures tentation And the description of the reward it selfe that is the other set downe under two notions There is the generall notion which comprehends all other termes it is blessednesse And there is the particular notion which is subordinate to it the thing that is promised is a
us nearer to Heaven to indeare us more to God to weane us more from the World to make us better to understand God and our selves fort he pollishment of those graces that God hath given us for the attaining of those graces that yet we want and for the perfecting of all For the pollishing of grace and refining it that is one end Were it so that we were all grace and all spirit there would be no triall then There are two conditions of mettalls in which there needs not any triall of the fire One is if it be all gold another is if it be all drosse If it be all gold it needs no purifying if it be all drosse it will not endure it it is not worthy the fire So it is with Christians were we in the World all gold or all drosse there would be no triall if we were all pure mettall all Gold Tribulation and trialls are superfluous in Heaven where the Saints enjoy happinesse and are all pure Gold there is no triall there there is no suffering all is Gold in Heaven On the other side were we all drosse that there were no spirit at all nothing of grace then there would not be the refining triall for chaffe and stubble and drosse are not purified by the fire but consumed annihillate and brought to nothing But since our estate is so as we are all in this condition of mortality that we are part Gold and part Clay Flesh as well as Spirit and there is a mixture of both thereupon for the purging away of the flesh and for the strengthening of the spirit that must be brought to the Touch-stone by the fierie triall of tribulation that the graces may be tryed and the drosse consumed and burnt up Therefore let this be the conclusion You that so much love the pleasures of the World that are so afraid to heare of any day of tribulation remember that he that hath called us to the Crowne hath called us to the Crosse and the first lesson that he reads to us is to take grace with all disadvantages Never look that God will give us grace but make sure of affliction He gives not grace for nothing would you have him give grace and not get the glory of it How should he get the glory of it but by tryall How should he have the glory of patience but for affliction Or the glory of thankfullnesse or of pure love but when his Servants love him most when his countenance is most clouded towards them Their love and thankfullnesse and obedience and patience when is it seene In tribulation Therefore as our blessed Saviour said concerning the Crosse that Christians when they are called must looke for They shall receive in this life an hundred fold with tribulation Be pleased to mark the place He that forsakes Father or Mother or House or Land shall receive an hundred fold in this life How That cannot be in temporalls it must be in spiritualls because one dram of grace is a hundred fold to the World and temporalls Shall we receive an hundred fold that is spirituall abundance What followes With tribulation with afflictions and tryalls If God give a hundred fold in spiritualls it is with tryalls No man puts Armour upon another but for fight the graces of the spirit are the Armour of Christians Take unto you the Armour of God VVhat The sheild of faith the Helmet of Salvation the Brest-plate of righteousnesse the Sword of the Spirit All grace is Armour if God put spirituall Armour on Christians they must looke for a combate when their Armour is on Grace is Armour we must look for the triall of it for the end of all tribulation is triall and the end of all grace that God gives Be content with grace upon any seeming disadvantage it will bring abundance of advantage after That is the first the thing supposed here When he is tried he must look to be tryed The end why God sends tribulations and temptations is for tryall that is the first The next is the thing here expounded or exprest and plainly set downe that is the time when he is tried then he shall receive The Apostle adds this to prevent a Question having made mention of that that makes all hearts leap after the fruition of it the Crowne of life If any man should ask as the Disciples did of Christ O Lord when shall these things be Blessed Apostle when shall this Crowne of life be For this Question it had beene a sufficient answer In due season you shall reape if you faint not In due season you shall have it the time shall come think it not long but that is too generall Then he drawes it downe more perticularly a little Would you know when I will tell you when tribulation is ended when the triall is fully taken when God hath sufficiently refined you and fitted you for Heaven and made you as he would have you to be when you are tried But tell us more perticularly when shall this be After one tribulation It may be not It is with many of us as Florus sayth of the Gaules at the first brunt they would be stout and play the men more then men at the second they would grow feeble So many Christians it may be will endure one course of tribulation and temptation and endure stouâ—ly but when they meet with another course that shakes them and makes them hang downe the head then they deject themselves Therefore we must not think to have it alway after one tribulation one tribulation is but a degree or preparative to another when God hath fitted us for one we must look for more When then at the second or third or fourth or more No the Apostle sets it indefinitly because he would not goe about to limit God the holy one of Israell you cannot tell whither at two or three or foure but in Gods best time when he thinks fittest when the triall is done when the triall is fully made So this word now it is a word simple here set downe but it stands for a defective word as the Scripture useth such words oft times When he is tried that is thus much when he is throughly tried when he is approvably tried The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he hath endured tribulation so as to get Gods testimony and approbation When with Gods approbation he hath endured tribulation and is thus throughly tried then he shall receive the Crowne That is in briefe thus much then he shall receive the Crowne when he can say with our blessed Saviour I have done the work that thou gavest me to doe Father glorifie me with thine owne selfe then when he can say with St. Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me the Crowne of righteousnesse When a man is once come to this â—pshot he may look for the Crowne not till he have done his
our selves and all that we have see his goodnesse that whereas we are debtors to him he condiscends to make himselfe by promise and stipulation debtors to us as St. Austin very well Vt sicut c. That as we should praise God as the Donor of all the good we have so we should depend upon him as the holy debtor of all the good we look for to testify this great goodnesse he gives it first â—y promise and that because it is a long time before we come to possession God staies our stomacks by a promise as a bit before the heavenly supper When that Supper comes then we have fruition and because we may have desires hot towards Heaven and our stomacks sharp God staies them and gives us a little of the first fruits and these are in the promises And then there is good reason if we consider our selves The reason that we are so fraile and weak in faith and have so much trouble and conflicts and agonies in our spirits is because we doe not converse with the promises we treasure not up these The promises are a great support of three graces First they are the great support of faith faith would sinck and lag unlesse it were for the promises The promises are to faith as Aaron and Hur were to Moses Moses hands were feeble and then Aaron and Hur bring a stone and set it under When Moses had the stone under and Aaron and Hur supported his hands then Israel prevailed Moses was strengthened The promise is as that stone it brings the Rock Christ it makes us look to the Rock that is higher then our selves It brings the Rock and sets it not onely above us but under us The promise undersets faith and keeps the building from tottering Nothing can support it more then the promise For in that the promise supports it God supports it and all in all his attributes There is somwhat of all the attributes of God in the promise of his wisdome of his truth of the power and justice of God all these support saith A man hath enough if he have but one Attribute to support him in any exigent How strong is he that hath all these in the promise Because God is faiâ—hfull and just and true the promise it is the support of faith As it is the support of faith so it is of hope and of patience There is no grace that hath so great correspondency with the promise as hope and patience The promise teacheth hope to live by Providence whereas every man can live by the present the promise supports hope and makes it live by the future by reversion it instructs hope to live by providence not onely in temporalls but spiritualls And as it instructs hope so it doth patience it is a great cherisher of patience Patience is the grace that waits and so doth hope hope is patience Sister or if you will Patience is the Daughter of hope and the promise is the supporter of both The promise will teach hope and patience to depend upon God not onely for the thing he gives but for the time there is a great deale of comfort in the time it will make it submit to Gods order and method What is Gods method This before he gives possession he gives reversion the promise is the reversion the promise is the support of hope and patience there is a great deale of comfort comes to a Christian this way A worldly man is all for the present he cares not for the future if he can be happy for the present that is the pitch he goes to A worldly man desires to take if it be possible his wages before hand he cares not for taking any thing at the last day He is nothing for reversion he would take all as much as he could before That is the reason he is left voyd of comfort at the howre of death because he took up all he knowes not where to take up more as Christ saith He hath his reward he hath his portion in this life he hath no more to take unlesse it be that Son remember thou in thy life-time receivedst pleasure and likewise Lazarus paine now he is comforted and thou art tormented he cannot take it and expect it A godly man contrary he desires not to work for present payment but he works to a day he knowes that God is a good Pay-master he would not have all for the present he knowes the lesse he hath now the more he shall have after because he lives by the promise he lives by hope and hope makes him patient and the promise supports them both It is the grace of hope that sets a man in Heaven when he is on Earth and the promise sets hope in Heaven Hope cannot goe to Heaven but by the promise A Christian could not goe to Heaven on Earth and take a spirituall flight but for hope The promise brings downe Heaven to the heart it inverts that Speech of St. Paul he sayth While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord. But hope turnes it and makes it while we are in the body it teacheth us how to be present in Heaven Here is the benefit of hope and because of hope therefore of the promise Therefore if we would looke for comfort let us look to the treasuring up of the promises the promises support There is no condition that befalls a Christian in this life but there is a promise for it there is some promise for it whither it be of prosperity or adversity of life or of death of falling of want there are promises for all and the promise will still keep the head above water what ever the affliction be it will still keep life and soul together If there be no bâ—ame of comfort appeare yet the promise will support in the middest of all distresse If a man grasp but a promise he is well enough If the soul be in perplexity and doubting it will settle it if it be in affliction the promise will comfort it if it be in any distresse the promise will afford consolation therfore make much of the promises If salvation be promised to believers it is hope that presently grasps and layes hold of it it doth it by the promise If forgivenesse be promised to the penitent hope looks after it and layes hold of it and it doth that by the promise If it be the Crowne to â—erseverance hope looks after that too and layes hold of it it doth it still by the promise Hope is the Watch-man or the Sentinell among the graces as a Watch-man upon a Tower will discover before all others that are below when day breaks if there be but the breaking of any day light any beame of comfort to be seene hope will discover it and pick it up Though every grace be as an eye and hereupon the Apostle sayth that the Saints in the Revelations are full of eyes before and behind It is not
that is usefull In summ it is nothing else but this the Lot or portion that discends upon every man here in this World the share or dimensum that is allotted to him whither it discend by succession or be demised by gift that is a mans Heritage in a large sence Thereupon it is that it is translated from temporalls to spiritualls because God is so gracious he gives to his Servants Bona sui of his owne good as every thing is Gods in the World but more especially things celestiall Divine super supreame blessings these things celestiall are the good things of God he gives to his Servants of his owne good Hereupon it is that Heaven is called the inheritance of the Countrey And grace which leads to Heaven and the word of God that begets grace is called the inheritance of the way And indeed for Heaven iâ—selfe there is good reason why it should be called by this name of inheritance or heritage It is that portion that God hath prepared for his Servants before the Foundation of the World it is that that Christ hath purchased by his owne blood he hath bequeathed it to them by will it is demised to them by gift Heaven it may well be called their inheritance for they are borne to it The Saints of God are borne to a Kingdome they are borne not by the birth which is naturall but by the second birth which is spirituall It descends upon them by lineall succession as inheritances doe It descends from Saint to Saint from the beginning of the World and from the Head Christ to all the Members there is a spirituall succession There is good reason therefore why Heaven should be called an inheritance they are begotten and borne to it Begotten by him to an inheritance immortall as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1. And because inheritances descend not upon all but onely upon the first borne God therefore gives all his Servants a right of Primo-geniture that they may be capable to inherit all are first-borne and all are first-begotten as the Apostle speaks to the Hebrews they are all Primo geniti there is good reason then that Heaven should be called an Inheritance But why the word of God why the testimonies divine should be called by the Psalmist an inheritance why he brings them within the compasse of this notion may seeme not a thing so easily understood the word of God points out the inheritance it is not the inheritance it selfe Yes there is good reason to be given of it were there no more but this that we consider the inestimable comfort and Heavenly treasure that is to be found in the word of God it is a rich Myne of all celestiall treasure it is a Store-house of all good things of all saving knowledge All priviledges whatsoever they are that we can expect in Earth or Heaven they are all conteined in the word of God here is ground enough why it is called an inheritance he hath a good Heritage that hath all these Yet there is a better reason then this for if it be so that Heaven is our inheritance then the word of God is because it is the word that poynts out Heaven that gives the assurance of Heaven We have in the word of God all the evidences of Heaven Whatsoever title any Saint hath to Heaven he hath it in and out of the word of God There are the evidences in the word of God Both the evidence of discovery it is a holy terrior of the celestiall Canaan And the evidence of assurance it is as a sacred Deed or Indenture betweene God and his Creature St. Gregory said wittily when he called it Gods Epistle that he sent to man for the declaration of his will and pleasure he might as well have called it it is Gods pactionary Record or Deed whereby he makes over and conveyes to us all those hopes that we look for in Heaven Whatsoever interest we have in God in Christ whatsoever hope of blisse and glory whatsoever comfort of the Spirit whatsoever proportion of grace all are made over to us in the promises of the Gospell in the word of God Now put this together look as in humane affaires evidences though they be not properly the inheritance it selfe yet they are called the inheritance and are the inheritance though not actually yet virtually because all the title we have to an inheritance is in the Deeds and Evidences therefore evidences are precious things though it be but a piece of paper or parchment full of dust and worme-eaten yet it is as much worth sometimes as a Countrey as much worth as all a mans possessions besides So likewise it is with the Book of the Scriptures they are not actually and properly the inheritance it selfe they are Via the way to the Kingdome it is called The Gospell of the Kingdome nay more the Kingdome it selfe The Kingdome of God is come among you or to you Why the Kingdome Why the Inheritance By the same reason both because here we have the conveyance here we have the Deed here we have the assurance of whatsoever title or claime we make to Heaven So here is the reason of the appellation why the Psalmist gives them this word he makes them his inheritance both because they point out the Inheritance we had never had a portion in Heaven but by the Scriptures they convert the soul we had never knowne of such an inheritance in Heaven but by the Scriptures The Heathens that have not the knowledge of the Scriptures they have not the knowledge of God or of Heaven because they bring to the knowledge nay they bring to the thing it selfe In keeping of them there is great reward that great reward is Heaven And St. Paul sets it downe thus Act. 20. to the Elders of Ephesus We commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you inheritance among them that are sanctified Here is the ground of the appellation Holy David seeing that Heaven was his inheritance he was begotten to an inheritance immortall and uncorrupt he therefore makes the word of God his heritage because it leadâ— to Heaven Seing God was his portion Thou art my portion Lord and my hope in the Land of the living he makes therefore the Scriptures his portion because they bring to the knowledge of God he calls them his Heritage Thy testimonies have I taken as a Heritage Because he thought them a rich possession he thought he was abundantly rich if he had nothing besides when he was owner of the comforts in the word of God An Heritage as if it were a holy depositum committed to his trust and indeed so it is it is a depositum or trust that God puts into all our hands a Tallent to improve to his glory and our comfort not onely to be preserved but to be observed by us An Heritage as if it were to descend by lineall succession so it doth
resolves to keep all therefore he saith he loves all If we will get his resolution to keepe them we must get it to love them here is the first thing what he had done for the time past I have loved it is but transient and occasionall therefore I will not stand longer on it The second is not onely a testification of what he had done but of what he would doe set downe by two resolutions First in the first part of the words My hands will I lift up to thy Commandements which I have loved here is love the Load-stone and the hands though they be feeble will follow after love the Proverb is now altered it is not Vbi amor ibi oculus I will lift up mine eyes but my hands his heart was enlarged and his hands were lift up he shews his love in the outward parts as well as in his affections I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements which I have loved A new expression and hath not a paralell that I know of in all the Scripture therefore it will not be so easie to give the proper and true grounded meaning of it why it is set in this forme I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements There are other wayes it might have beene varied and then the meaning would be easie if it had beene thus I will lift up my eyes to thy Commandements to lift our eyes to Gods Commandements is to apply our selves to the reading and learning of them and to study of the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Or if it had run thus I will lift up my heart to thy Commandements there are many paralell places for it To thee O Lord will I lift up my soule he that sets his heart upon God sets his heart upon Gods Commandements the heart will be lift up though it move not in the body it can goe up to Heaven and ascend to the place from which the Commandements come to the â—hrone of God but it is not so I lift mine heart or I lift mine eyes if it had run thus I will stretch forth my hands to thy Commandements there might have beene a faire account to stretch out our hands to thy Commandements to apply our selves to practise for a man to imploy himselfe to and imbrace it and delight in it The 〈◊〉 Land shall stretch forth their hands to God that 〈◊〉 a phrase paralell in that sence but it is no◠〈…〉 Lastly if it had run thus the sence had been easie I will lift up mine hands unto thee we lift up our hands to God in prayer and the proper gesture of Prayer is to spread and lift up our hands even Aristotle himselfe foresaw so much and it was the practise of the Heathens as appeares in Homer Horace Virgill and other Poets but Aristotle heare him for all when we goe about to make our Prayers we stretch forth our hands to Heaven or lift them up the proper gesture of prayer is to lift up the hands Paul shews it 1 Tim. 2. I will that men pray in every place lifting up pure hands The lifting up of the hands is put in Scripture for Prayer but it will not beare it so it is not good sence I will lift my hands in prayer to thy Commandements The Commandements are not the object for prayer to be directed to but God I will pray to thy Commandements we cannot doe so unlesse it be by insinuation we may take it so as a gesture of prayer I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements that is to thee in thy Commandements in the custody of thy Commandements Obedience is a forcible Prayer to God it selfe A man that comes to God in Prayer must bring obedience and so lift up his hands to the Commandements Or else thus I will lift up my hands to thee for the keeping of thy Commandements no man can keep the Commandements but by Prayer it is grace that must come from God and be fetched by Prayer by insinuation We may take it as a gesture but that is not the proper meaning in all these variations the meaning had been easie but there is an Emphasis in both words I will lift up and I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements both words are remarkable Sometimes the lifting up of the hands doth not betoken supplication sometimes it betokeneth admiration the lifting up of the hands when men are astonished and ravished with an object it might be so well there was no mans soule more taken and ravished then Davids when he was in contemplation of Gods commands I will lift up my hands admiring the excellency of the commandements We lift up our hands sometimes when we betake our selves to refuge and David might well consider it as his refuge hee looked over all outward helps he was in affliction and distresse hee leaves all inferiour helps and hath recourse to God and he goes the right way in the way of his commandements The hands are lift up sometimes for comprehension when men lay hold of a thing that is the meaning I have lift up my haands to thy commandements for the laying hold and practising of them both words have an Emphasis First upon the word Elevabo I will lift up it implies thus much the commandements of God are sublime A man lifts up his hand to that that is above him they are of a sublime nature they are sublime commandements they are all above us they are sublime and high in many respects Sublime in respect of the originall they come downe from God The doctrine of John Baptist it was from heaven all the commandements they were given from the mount they are higher then so they are given from heaven from God himselfe they are sublime in the Originall Sublime in the matter of them heavenly oracles dictats of divine wisdome And sublime in regard of the difficulty in keeping of them they exceed humane strength too nature cannot reach them nay nor grace according to that small proportion we receive in this world grace is infirme but nature is altogether impotent Lastly in respect of the scituation of the commandements In truth and in deed we have them in the booke of God but they are written also in heaven Lord saith David thy word endures for ever in heaven Moses Deut. 30. he tels the people the commandement is not farre it is not in heaven but in thee in thy heart and in thy mouth not as if it were excluded from heaven for that is the proper place of it but he speaks by way of dispensation because God made it neere to men when he gave it so he saith it is not in heaven or else it is properly in heaven because it is the Idea of the divine mind will and counsell of God it is in heaven because it is imprinted and graven perfectly in the hearts of the Saints and Angels it is not only perfectly written there but perfectly kept there all the essentiall parts
is a great help he will not profit by the word of God that calls not himselfe to account for his memory and his life and lays them according to the levell of the things he heares The world is full of imagination meditation is scarce it is a wonder to see how men weary themselves with imagination suffer their hearts to run after every vanity they think imagination is meditation when their hearts have wild roving thoughts sometimes sinful alway vain that is not meditation but vanity meditation is that act whereby the heart pours it self forth to God and is fixed on heavenly things and makes an impression of that heavenly act whatsoever it is upon upon it selfe by a reflexion of the soul upon it selfe in the exercise of those duties that are meditated Therefore if we will benefit by reading and hearing of the word let us oft times call our selves to account by meditation If we would be well acquainted with God conversant in heaven it must be done by meditation Meditation is that that makes the seede of the word take root in the heart that â—â—gests and incorporates it and turns all to blood and spirits we can never profit and edifie by Sermons unlesse by meditation and rumination we chew the cudd after Admit it be but a weak Sermon that we hear some will say what should I meditate on that though it be a weake one there is matter still of meditation A man that hath love to another man will love every thing that belong to him if we have a love to the word of God there will be a love of all that belongs to it A love of that place where the Ordinances are handled a love of the time when the Ordinances are handled a love of the weake hand the earthen vessel that dispenseth it though through much infirmities and weakness Gregory Nazianzen observes of St. Bazile they loved him â—o much in his time they reverenced his vertues so much that they would imitate him in his infirmities it is true there are no infirmities or errours in the word of God to be loved there but if we have true love to the word of God we will imbrace it from an infirm hand though it be dispensed in a weake manner Always something may be gotten to edification and the application of it must be made by meditation it is that that is an excellent supply of privacy it is the sole companion of a retired heart A man addicted to meditation can leave earth and goe up to heaven and walk and converse with God with all the commandements of God he needs no booke he needs no teacher that can addict himselfe to meditation Meditation is that heavenly exercise that is the improvement of every grace if we would thrive in all we must addict our selves to it that was Davids order he was conversant in reading and hearing too but meditation is the act that he resolves on to improve both and as he would give God his outward man so he will his inward The testification of the outward man is in these words I will lift up my hands to thy commandements which I have loved And then because neither tongue nor hand nor feet nor eye can be acceptable to God without the heart the inward man he seconds his first resolution with another as I will lift up my hands to thy commandements so I will meditate in thy statutes THE Saints Progresse DELIVERED IN TVVO SERMONS BY That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuel Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. SERMON I. PSAL. 84.7 They goe from strength to strength untill and every one of them appeare before God in Zion THEY goe from Company to company from Mansion to Mansion so some Translations read it as alluding to the solemn journeys of the Children of Israel to the Land of Promise Or to the annuall Travell of the Jews to appeare before God for the worship of his name in Jerusalem And if I should read the words so now to you it would be a faire and proper Lesson to us to learne that we are now in the state of Pilgrims We have here no abiding Citty As the Patriarchs of old we still look for a Countrey There is removing and Mansions and going from Countrey to Countrey It would very well fit my selfe too and be a good entrance to this new removing from Mansion to Mansion from Company to Company But I will not read the words so but take them as they are exprest in the Text From strength to strength So it is a short but an accurate modell of the spirituall growth of a Christian in this world from one degree of righteousnesse to another so breathing after perfection and it is a part of that excellent Psalme that the Prophet David made to let us understand the great comfort and benefit and priviledge that comes to us by our frequent repairing to the House of God One great priviledge is this that here it is that we get spirituall strength Here we not onely had our initiation to Christ and the first seeds of Piety sowne and the first Foundation laid but we get growth and goe on and make progresse in piety There are many excellent passages in the Psalme yet this is one of the most remarkable for there is somthing in it more then in the whole Psalme it selfe The Psalme it selfe is none of those that are called the Psalmes of degrees yet this is a Text or Verse of Degrees And those degrees are not such as relate to the steps of the materiall Tabernacle but shew the steps of our ascention the ascent that we make up to Heaven There are two passages in the Psalme that point at it One in Vers 5. In whose heart are thy wayes or as some read it thy ascentions the degrees of proficiency whereby Christians come to stature or great growth of piety are Gods ascentions Gods ascentions because they lead to him and ours because they carry us up to God Another place that points to these degrees or ascentions is in the Title of the Psalme it is one of those Psalmes that is ascribed To him that excelleth or to the End shewing that the onely way to excell is to hold out to the end and he that holds out to the end of all others will be the most excellent and both these are stamped and graved upon this Verse One part is to him that excelleth They grow from strength to strength Another part that is to the End Till every one appeare before God in Zion According to these two there are two parts There is the motion of Christianity And the rest The rest that is God in the last words Every one of them appeares before
the mind with grace and reason and for what end That while he is upon Earth he should know which way to have his converse in Heaven which cannot otherwise be done but by the mind that now while he is in the body he might make himselfe present with the Lord he cannot doe it but by lifting up of the heart So it is both these eyes that are meant here I lift up mine eyes to thee And to shew that both are meant the Plurall is used the word is used foure times in these two Verses and it is Plurall in all Once in the first Verse and thrice in this Verse Vnto thee I lift mine eyes and the eyes of a Servant and the eyes of a Hand-maid So doe our eyes David runs upon it oft to point out that it should be done alway or to shew the diversity of eyes that are in us There are but two of the body but there are many more of the mind That that is said of the Saints glorified of the living Creatures Revel 4. That they were full of eyes before and behind There is good reason to be given of that why they should be full of eyes before and behind because they were to receive happinesse in every part Seing beatificall happinesse consists in Vision they must be all eye that they may be all blessed that they may be full of vision they are full of eyes before and behind there is good reason that the glorified Saints should be full of eyes And there is good reason that the Saints millitant should be full of eyes too The eyes that they have have both positures to look back to the promises fullfilled and to look forward to the promises that are to be fulfilled and to look downe upon Earth but not except it be to the contempt of it and to look up to Heaven with a desire after it they have eyes within and eyes without that both may be directed to God They are full of eyes There is the eye of devotion that is lift up in Prayer In the morning will I direct my Prayer to thee and will looke up Where ever there is Prayer there is looking up Prayer is the Messenger that we send up and the eye is a second Messenger that we send after it for Conduct the eye carries the Candle to our Prayers to lead them the way to Heaven it goes before them to point them the way there is the eye of Devotion in Prayer and there is the eye of contemplation that is lift up in meditation and the eye of faith that is lift up to God in trust and beleiving There is the eye of patience in hope and the eye of attendance in giving obedience to God Look how many heavenly duties there are so many eyes there are Because there is no duty or work can be done without the light of the eye it is that that is the Guide and light So now the summ of all is this that it is a speciall act of Religion to lift up our eyes to God It is an act of Religion not onely for the mind but to lift up the eyes of the body It shall appeare to be an act of Religion easily an act of piety by the contrary The Scripture useth the other the contrary as an act of superstition and Idolatry In Ezek. 18. God blames them there and threatens them because they lifted up their eyes to the Idolls of the House of Israel they lift up their eyes that is they Worshipped them it was an act of Religion it was religious worship they gave them when they lifted up their eyes When we lift up our eyes to God it is an Act of piety it is so and we must make it so There is good reason why we should make it so We owe God the strength of our bodies as well as of our souls He that sayth we shall worship God withall our soule saith we shall worship God with all our strength If we owe God the strength of our bodies we owe him no part more then the eye The eyes are the glory of the body those Lamps have more of Heaven then any part of the body there is no part of the body that pertakes so much of Heaven as the eye There is no part that God bestowed so much cost on in the creation as on the eye Therefore the strength of the eye must returne upon him the curiosity of the eye is such that all the Jewells and precious stones in the World are not able to match the excellency of the eye The next reason is because when the soule is lifted up if the eye goe with it it makes a perfect Elevation There is the soule for all within and the eye carries all without there is a perfect elevation of the whole man Then the third reason is because the soule cannot be lifted up without the eye for there is no part that the soul shews it selfe so much in as in the eye What ever the affection of the heart be it will appeare in the eye If it be sorrow it will appeare in the eye the eye will be dejected If it be anger the eye will sparkle If it be devotion the eye will be lift up It is the very beames the strength of the beames of the eye when they are enlivened by faith that pierce Heaven as well as our words pierce Heaven with ejaculations God reads the very notions and thoughts of our hearts in our eyes though he need not these wayes to know them for he reads them in the heart it selfe but when the eye testifies them it is a testimony of that we think given by our eye There are many testimonies in the lifting up the eyes to Heaven First it is a testimony of a beleiving humble heart Infidelity will never carry a man above the Earth Pride can carry a man no higher then the Earth neither The proud man looks aloft his eyes are high yet they are below they are upon the Earth still the loftinesse is the lownesse there is nothing lower then pride The humble mans eye is aloft though it be below and the proud mans eye is low though it be aloft infidelity and pride will not carry above the Earth but faith carries to Heaven to the Throne of God and looks on him as a helper as a rewarder and a Judge It is a testimony of a beleiving heart And the lifting up of the eye it is a testimony of an obedient heart A man that lifts up his eye to God he acknowledgeth thus much Lord I am thy Servant he acknowledgeth that he hath all from him his body and his soule his body is not his owne his eyes are not his owne but for Gods service he acknowledgeth that he will dedicate to God both soule and body that he will subject both to his will and appointment It is a testimony of an obedient heart And it is a testimony thirdly of a thankfull heart A man that
lifts up his eyes to Heaven acknowledgeth that he receives every good blessing every perfect gift from above that he receives all from the hand of God It is a testimony of a thankfull heart Then it is a testimony of a Heavenly heart he that lifts up his eyes to Heaven acknowledgeth that he is weary of the Earth his heart is not there his hope and desire is above A man will cast his eye where his wishes are he will oft cast his eyes where his heart is Either we are all Hypocrites or our hearts are in Heaven If we constantly lift our eyes to Heaven and have our hearts on Earth we play the egregious Hypocrites with God If we lift our eyes up to Heaven and our hearts are not there judge what you doe God looks upon that heart that sends up those eyes and sees whither the heart be there for the lifting up of the eyes is a testimony of a Heavenly heart If we lift not up the heart when we lift up the eye we tell a lye to God with our eyes It is a testimony of a heavenly heart It is a testimony of a devout heart there is no part of the body besides the Tongue that is so great an Agent in Prayer as the eye The Tongue is the greatest in vocall prayer but the eye must be next the Tongue nay in one thing above the Tongue for in Prayer the eye is the Interpreter of the heart together with the Tongue Nay and further it is not onely the hearts Interpreter but the hearts intelligencer which the Tongue is not for as a man takes order for his way he spies and discernes what he can discover if there be any danger the eye is the light of all the body So a man that humbles himselfe in Prayer he lifts up his eyes to Heaven he looks and spies whence Salvation comes where he shall have help and whence he receives comfort the soul looks up and the eye spies out in what distresse soever we are If we be disconsolate the eye looks up for comfort If we be in persecution the eye looks about for rest If we be burthened the eye looks for ease if we be in want the eye looks for supply in every affliction the eye spies out the comfort for all the eye is the souls Intelligencer therefore the lifting up of the eyes is the argument of a devout heart Because all these good things come from above from God therefore the soule is lifted up and whensoever the soule goes to be lifted up the eye as a good Servant waits on it it never goes alone Therefore we must labour and exercise our selves to give God the glory of our eyes as well as the glory of our Lips and then we give him the glory of our eyes when we lift up our eyes and lift up such eyes as God requires What eyes are those Let us take heed what eyes we lift up There are adulterous eyes there are proud and haughty eyes take heed of bringing these to God close them close them rather wink when you come to God open not those eyes First therefore bring eyes that are chast they are Doves eyes that must look up to that God of purity Then they must be humble eyes that must look to that Throne of Majestie they must not be eyes that are fastidious and lustfull Then they must be innocent eyes not bloud-shot not revengefull eyes that must look up to that God of mercy and goodnesse O how pure had a man need to make his eyes that will look up to God How pure should his heart be and his eyes be He must be purified in every part The eye is the purest part If a man doe but look upon the Sun he cannot look with his owne eyes but he must borrow eyes of others both pure and strong eyes Now the eyes of the mind are the strongest if the heart be kept innocent and upright and in purity let us bring these eyes to God look up to him with these eyes I must cut off my selfe in my Meditations the time runs on with swifter Wings then Speech I goe to the next poynt Thus much of the duty that is the Basis of the whole Now the other is more speciall the second is the patterne the Coppy that he propounds to himselfe to write by As the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to the hands of her Mistris There is the Coppy it is set downe with the best advantage if we consider the persons here meant There are three things observable in the forme of Penning this part First it is not said simply as Servants look to their Masters and a Maiden to her mistresse but as the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to her Mistresse What is the reason of this phrase There is good reason Because there is a Service that is to be done to those Masters that are set over us below even with the eye Not with eye-service that is not with eye-service alone saith the Apostle But there is a service that is to be done with the eye A man may shew obedience and observance and reverence with his eye a man may give a shrewd untoward answer with his eye as well as with his Tongue A Servant may testifie his chearfull and diligent attendance on his Master with his eye if there be obedience it will appeare in the eye Againe it should be so generall a respect and good demeanour that Servants should carry towards their Masters that even their eyes should testifie it their eyes should be acquainted with their Masters will as Plauâ—us speaks well a good Servant is so acquainted with his Masters affairs that his very eye knowes what his Master would have you may read it in his fore-head though his Master speak not And look as it is with Masters it is Hillaries Observation A Master may give Commands as well with his eye as with his voyce Non solum ore c. A Master will Command not onely with his voyce but with his hand and with his eye so a Servant may obey and expresse his behaviour and respect and carriage toward his Master he may testifie his obedience not onely in action or Speech or Tongue but with his very eye Non ore c. he eyes and obeys with his eye as well as with his voyce Therefore it is As the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters The Servant is so carefull to content his Master that he will not offend him so much as with his eye There is the first Observation for the phrase It is not simply said as Servants but the eyes of Servants Secondly it is not said simply as the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters but as the eyes of Servants are towards the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to the hands of her Mistresse Why is this word added
Parents the constant love of the Father and the tender love of the Mother One word cannot set it out So here because all dominion is due to God and we are to pay him all subjection and service therefore one word cannot set it out there are words of both sexes used there is a relative to be found in both superiours Master and Mistresse and inferiours Servants and Hand-maid As the eyes of Servants and Hand-maids so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God There is mention of both sexes in our propinquity to Christ and his nearenesse to us that is the reason that both these are set downe So doe our eyes waite upon the Lord our God The fifth and last is that that makes the paralell and proportion to all the former there hangs the meaning So. As the eyes of Servants So doe our eyes And here now there is a great deale of matter in this word It argued a sweet temper in the Prophet David that he that was so great a Prince and King yet thought it his greatest honour to call himselfe by the name of Gods Servant Nay there was yet a greater submission he did not onely reckon himselfe in the number of Gods Servants but he learned this lesson from the duty that Servants give their Masters he stooped so low as to men of meane condition to be instructed It is a lesson you may learne from your Servants see what duty they give you give you the same to God So it seems to be but one argument but there are foure in it First De facto from the thing that was done as Servants give all respect to their Masters so will we to God Then De jure as Servants should give respect to their Masters so will we It is an argument taken from the equality as so we will doe it so chearfully as they doe our delight shall be in the Lord as they delight in their Masters We will doe it so properly as they doe we will wait on him in all things whatsoever he Commands us we will doe so they doe to their Masters we will doe it as plainly and evidently A good Christian looks on God so plainly that he considers him as neare him as the Master is to the Servant God is alway at hand What shall I say So that is so excellently so constantly and comfortably it is an argument taken from equality Nay further it is an argument that may be prest from a greater dependence So nay much more shall our eyes wait on the Lord. There is the true height of the argument We have more reason to wait upon God then Servants on their Masters Servants have a compensation and they deserve it for their work and service we doe no service for God that deserves any thing Servants owe obedience to their Masters not simply but in subordination to God we owe duty and respect to God simply Servants their eyes are fixed upon their Masters here on Earth our service is to be continued in Heaven Servants doe it for a time our service lasts alwayes Servants doe it for men of the same condition with themselves they give obedience to their Masters and yet have fellowship of nature with them and have priviledges and prerogatives of grace commonly they have the same title to Heaven the same fellowship of the Spirit yet they give true obedience to their Masters though they have fellowship in the Spirit and community of nature There is no such community between our great Master and us Christians there is an infinite distance between God and us therefore we must doe more God is infinitly gracious he powres out more blessings we have more good from him so then we should not onely doe so but more Therefore that is it now that Christians will lay hold on to force the word as David betters the coppie so let us better the similitude of David as Servants so we nay more But I must recall the word O it were happy if we gave so much as Servants to their Masters Where is the man to be found that gives more obedience to God then Servants to their Masters or that gives so much Who gives so much to God as his Hireling doth to him Who walks so faithfully to God as a Servant that is hyred but for one Weeke doth to his Master That is who gives so much service to God as a good Servant to a good Master Nay more as a good Servant to a bad Master Nay further as the worst Servant to any Master There is not the worst Servant but he gives obedience to any Master generally better then we doe to God In the fore-noone I told you it was a fault Servants are grown to an ill passe they are unfaithfull but now Masters will justifie Servants if the Servants be ill the Masters are worse There is not the worst Servant but may put us to â—lush when we consider our selves in the obedience we owe to God because there is not the worst Servant but gives better and more Compare the particulars The worst Servant can but delaâ—â—â—â—â—â— and wast his Masters goods and they are but temporall but we doe the graces of Salvation and the Talents that God hath given us not onely the Talents of life and health and strength and riâ—hes that we wast on pleasures but the Talents of grace and gifts and the hope of Heaven we delapidate out our Masters goods The worst Servants murmure when they are ill used by their Masters we grudge and repine when God poures plenty in our laps The worst Servant sleeps when his Master is absent we sleep in our Masters presence when he is speaking to us Not thinking that it is the Ordinance of God we will not take off our selves It is not onely an irreligious but an uncivill thing Infirmities will grow I yeild to it but let us strive against them we sleep in our Masters presence The worst Servant can but despise and contemne his Master he can but neglect his Commands and his worke and that work is corporall we neglect the work of our Master and it is a spirituall work the great work of his glory that brings good to our selves We are worse then the worst Servant there is not the worst Servant in the World but may be justified by the obedience that we give to God Examine it by these two perticulars we are glad to heare of God as a Father see if we account him a Master put the two Questions in the Prophet If I be a Master where is my feare If I be a Father where is my honour If God be our Lord and Master where is his honour and feare Here are the two Questions First if God be our Master where is our livery Servants goe in their Masters cloath without shame When I speake of a badge I speake not of the spirituall badge of Christianity but of the temporall badge for cloaths are of Gods bestowing There are the spirituall
He comes oft-times in the habite of a Poore man and begs a lodging and askes for the Guest-Chamber and the Roome there are many that are furnished for worse uses and never a Corner that Christ can be thrust into He that found a roome in bloudy Jerusalem is excluded out of the Houses of many Christians and left in the streets He comes oft and solicits thy heart and speaks to thee to pay him his owne not thine to pay his Tithes to burne thy double Leases to Cancell thy soule-condemning Customes to restore those things that thou hast taken away from him by Laws as wicked as he that made them thus he calls for his owne The entertainment that this humble man gave Christ in the Text he finds it not with us we are so far from giving him a Chamber that we shut him out of the House we are so far from giving him any thing that is ours that we take from him that that is his We take the Houses of God into our owne possession Churches and Chancells are in the power of lay-men poore Ministers they bury and secular men they have the fees The Sanctum Sanctorum that the high Priest onely might enter into and onely once a yeare it is now in the possession of lay-persons the place that answers to that the Chancell and the Church Is this an argument of a heart that would receive Christ Would we part with any of our Rooms for Christ that have taken these from him Think of it think of it it may be that little moytie of their estate is that that makes all moulder away when all is done for whosoever hath right to them you have none It was a better resolution that this man makes to himselfe and we should practise that I have done with the second thing Here is the divinity of him that sent them and the great benignity of him that received them as soone as they had made the motion he wellcomes it Now thirdly here is the last thing and then I have done here is the businesse and imployment of them that did goe There prepare and no otherwise Christ as he sent a Message to him so he gave a Commandement to them he made them his Harbingers to mark out his lodging and directs them what lodging he would have as though he had beene acquainted in the House Make ready there prepare for the Passover It was the Command that was then given to them but it is a great deale better direction to us and concernes us more then it did them It hath a truth now there is a Roome of this nature that Christ will be entertained in it must be a large upper Roome and a Roome furnished St. Bernard observes it that there are three Guest-Chambers there are three Rooms in which Christ is received There is the Chamber of the Scriptures that is a large Roome because there is in it all saving Truths That is an upper Roome because it was penned and inspired by the Spirit of God that came from above That is a Roome furnished there is a storehouse of all comforts upon all occasions for men in want for men in affliction for men in prosperity for young for old for all sorts there are truths to be applied and directed When is it that this Room is prepared Then the Roome of the Scripture is prepared for God when the bread of life is rightly broken and divided to the people then this Roome is made ready for Christ Secondly there is another Chamber and that is the Chamber of the Church All the properties also meet in this Roome it is a large Roome the corners of it spread to the utmost parts of the Earth And it is an upper roome the upper part of it is in Heaven the Church tryumphant and thence it is that all grace comes and falls upon it It is a Roome furnished sayth Jerome well It is furnished with variety of gifts and graces with variety of Scriptures and Sacraments that God hath provided and appointed It is a dineing Roome it is a Supping Chamber It is a Guest-Chamber properly that sayth Jerome because there it is that we meet at the Lords Table we partake of the Lords Supper even to the end of the World The Church of God it is a supping Guest-Chamber When is this Chamber provided and prepared for Christ Then when the wheat is gathered into the Barne then when men are gathered into the bosome of the Church and preserved there then when they are built up in this holy faith then this Roome is prepared Thirdly there is yet another the Chamber of the Conscience the Chamber of the heart that is Caenaculum too a spiritnall supping Roome and place for Christ and the Spirit of Christ I will come and sup with him sayth Christ in the Revelation Chap. 3.20 I and my Father will come and sup with such a man Christ will come and Sup with that man that receives him he will sup with the faithfull soule that is he will dwell there and take up his lodging Here is the Roome that Christ wants and that is the Roome that we must prepare It was a materiall Roome that they were to provide that Roome that God calls to us for is the Roome of the heart Think not that it is the Roome the Chamber as St. Austin sayth Christ alludes to it when he sayth of the godly man that in Prayer he will get into his Chamber and shut his Doore Every man that will pray aright enters into the Chamber of his Conscience David sayth plainly in Psal 4. Enter into your Chamber into the Cabbin of the heart this is the Roome that we must provide It hath all the properties too God will not feast in any other hearts then those that are provided First it was a large Roome where the Lord did institute and eat his Supper A large Roome is an enlarged heart enlarged with Devotion and thankfullnesse We must not put Christ in a corner we must not pen him up He will have the whole house and the whole heart it is that he calls for My Son give me thy heart that is as much in effect as Where is the Guest-Chamber there I will lodge there I will baite and there I will stay and abide and dwell make ready that Roome let it be a large Roome and a large heart for God Secondly it must be an upper Roome too the heavenly heart is the upper Roome a heart lift up it is the word that is used in the Psalmes I lift up my heart yet we keep them grovelling upon Earth Art thou not ashamed Look upon thy selfe why hath God given thee eyes and set them in that place aloft whereas he hath set them forwards in other Creatures but that they should be oft lifted up to Heaven Why hath God given man a Spirit and not other Creatures but that it should be lifted up oft Is it not a shame then to have thy head
aloft and thy heart below grovelling upon the Earth Is it not a shame for thee to be upright in body and to creep upon the Earth in thy mind God that cannot away with a heart that is puffed up he expects a heart that is lifted up and thus elevated to him Therefore in the Old Testament we find that in all holy performances to signifie the elevation of the heart the Saints went up Christ would be transfigured in the top of the Mount he often Preached to the People from Mountaines to note his Heavenly Doctrine He did oft withdraw himselfe for Prayer and he prayed upon the Mountaines So did Daniel get himselfe into an upper Roome So Peter in the Acts he got to the top of the House not onely for privacy but to note that a man that will goe to meet God he must ascend higher in his spirit Therefore Jacob saw a Ladder in his Dreame to note that every man that comes before God in Prayer or in any holy performance he must ascend Sayth St. Ambrose well ascend thou in holy performances let thy heart be lifted up Doe that indeed that thou art incited to in receiving the Sacrament Lift up your hearts it must be a Roome aloft an upper Roome We lift them up to the Lord. Then know if thou wilt be partaker of those divine Mysteries if thou wilt have true comfort of that supreame union as St. Austin speaks Pietas c. Devotion will knit those together that the Elements in the World hath seperated we are seperated from the Saints in Heaven but faith and a heavenly conversation will knit us together we shall have union with that society If we will give God a Roome fit to welcome him it must be a large Roome and an upper Roome a heavenly heart Lastly it must be a furnished Roome what is the furniture The variety of graces wherewith the heart and Conscience of a man is to be adorned that is the Furniture Carefull we are to provide furniture for our bodies and for our Houses and for our Chambers in which we lodge but there is a Chamber that is in us that is neglected The Saints of God had a care of this sayth St. Bernard Every Saint provided some furniture when they came to God Mary Magdalen the furniture that shee provided was in humility shee laid a sure foundation Thomas the Apostle he made his provision in solidity of faith John the Apostle he made his provision in the enlargement of love Paul made his furniture in the intimate inward secrets and Mysteries of divine wisdome and Peter his in repentance So every one that will receive Christ and wellcome him must make provision What is the provision that he requires Faith and repentance the beleiving heart and the pâ—nitent heart Let the roome be washed let there be repentance and then it is provided Let the Roome be swept let there be faith and then it is provided These are the hangings and the furniture and much more that you may add in your owne Meditations This is the heart where Christ will loâ—ge Remember these things you that are to receive the Mysteries This man that gave entertainment to Christ thought it a dishonour to bring him into any Room that was not prepared he made it ready before Christ sent by the instinct of the Spirit by one word of the two Disciples God sends to you Disciples not so powerfull in speaking but Disciples after Disciples and intreats you to make ready He sends not a Commanding word where is it He asks not so but he beseecheth you that you would make your hearts ready Now is the solemne time to bring furnished hearts it was at this time when Christ went in triumph to Jerusalem they cut boughs of palme and strewed them in the way to shew that he was the only Conquerour it was then that they cut downe boughs of trees to shew how powerfull the Evangelicall Axe was that was laid to their consciences to bring them to the duties of pietie they did not only strew boughs but their garments that is saith St. Ambrose well all their glorie and dignitie they were not ashamed to lay all at Christs feet it may be some of their cloathes were costly you will not part with a fashion you will not consecrate one to Christ nay the more you are spoken to and entreated the more you encrease in your exorbitancie Doe you think that ever Christ will lodge in that bosome that is set to sale to every ludibrious wanton eye will Christ take his roome there judge ye thinke with your selves will he remaine in that braine to sanctifie the imaginations of it that is so frizled and that he will glorifie that face that is so altred to another colour then he gave it doe you furnish and provide your bodies so for Christ cares he for these carriages must these be your Easter entertainment will ye thus prepare to come to the Lords Table I tell you I am conscious to my selfe of worse infirmities then you have I dare not deny to adminster the sacrament to any man that reacheth out his hand to take it if there be any that goe on in sinne my charitie shall thinke that there is repentance within but I doe it with a trembling heart I rather wish my selfe No Prophet nor the Sonne of a Prophet Never come to Church and receive those mysteries in such a habite where the outward vanitie is I say there is not the inward preparation there is not a making readie Wee had need to provide more zealously and carefully for the eating of the Lords Supper then they for the Passover it is a Sacrament of more worth and eminencie O that there were but the same man to guide you the man with the pitcher of water I come to you with the booke and with the word of God follow yet that direction and if you will give me the other so shall you have the approbation here that Christ gave this man he shall not say where is the guest-Chamber but I have found it here is a heart for me to dwell in and reside in even this man is he that hath chosen me an upper Roome large and Furnished there I will prepare and make readie So much for this time Angells Inspection DELIVERED IN TVVO SERMONS BY That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuel Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON EPHES. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the principallities and powers in heavenly places might be knowne by the Church the manifold wisdome of God LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. SERMON I. 1 PETER 1.12 Which things the Angells desire to looke into THAT the Mysteries of the Gospell are things well worthy the Studie of Apostles I shewed in the beginning of this Feast from the Text that I handled the first day I then spake of it and I
every passage of our redemption When he was conceived by the holy ghost that is a sublime speculation he came then leaping on the Mountaines then when he was Baptised in Jordan then when he was tempted in the Desart he came leaping over the Mountaines when he laid downe his life upon the Crosse and sent out that comfortable word of Consummatum est he came then leaping on the Mountaines sayth Gregory all these speculations are sublime To teach us that mankind may learne to admire what they cannot comprehend because that all these are things that Angells converse about and study they are things transcendent they are beyond our reach They are sublime speculations Secondly as they are things sublime so they are delightfull speculations The Angells they doe not busie themselves with any sad subject Angells they think of no heavy subject because the beatificall state is not capable of any sorrow However we read of some writing of Angells of the griefe of Angells for sin and it is the Observation of Macherius and Jerome and Ambrose that as Angells rejoyce at the Conversion of sinners so they grieve at their sin and impenitency and sufferings When ever there is any sin committed by any Christian by any Servant of God sayth Macherius there is a great deale of sorrow and crying in Heaven And Jerome and Ambrose very plainly as they rejoyce at the Conversion and redemption of sinners so they mourne and lament and weep at the miseries they suffer and at their continuing in their sins But this must be understood with a graine of Salt for when we read of the greife of Angells we must so understand it as of greiving the Spirit of God not that the holy Spirit is capable of such an affection as griefe so the Angells in that beatificall estate are not capable of sorrow in that place there is not one drop of sorrow comes in Heaven there are no tears in Heaven they shall never see tears in their eyes But the greife of Angells is thus much to expresse their sympathie with us when we suffer and their distast and dislike of sin when we continue in it they are said to greive at it as we are said to greive the Spirit of God But properly Heaven is not receptive of sorrow but capable onely of joy all the objects of Saints and Angells they are all objects of joy And what could be a more delightfull object for Angells to be conversant about what more delightfull then the Mysteries of our redemption There is nothing answerable to this in sweetnesse to this consideration the goodnesse of God revealed in Christ there is no such sweet and comfortable meditation that brings so much comfort to men or to Angells It is part of the Angells happinesse to think of Gods goodnesss manifested to man in Christ Christ is an object so delightfull that not onely Angells but God himselfe delights to look on Christ as Mediator he looks on him aâ— Mediator and through Christ to sinners And that brings the delightfull beames of Gods gracious aspect upon the Church when he looks upon sinners in and through Christ It is so delightfull an object Christ that God never satisfieth himselfe with looking enough upon Christ If God delight to look upon him Angells may well imploy their eyes in this service to look upon Christ And if Angells make it their meditation Beloved we may well make it ours our eyes may twinkle when it dazles the eyes of Angells If Angells be imployed in these speculations O let Christians much more they have more particular benefite by it They are the most delightfull speculations That is the second property they are delightfull Thirdly as they are delightfull so they are not fruitlesse but saving speculations The sum of all the speculation of Angells is Salvation they seldome think of any other thing but Salvation When they look upon their owne happinesse and behold it in God their thought is of Salvation When they looke for the happinesse that â—e expect that is to be fullfilled in Heaven and they are imployed in in their Ministery upon Earth they think of Salvation all the parts of the Angells Ministery and their thoughts have reference to Salvation because they think of the Mysteries of our redemption there is Salvation stamped upon all the parts of them upon the death of Christ upon the birth upon the Resurrection of Christ It should be an incitement to us to make it the matter of our meditation what should we delight in What should our hearts run to What should we busie our heads with Take it in one word Salvation it will be our delight and meditation in Heaven shall we not make it our best meditation on Earth It should be the onely thing we should think of Angells make it not onely their chiefe but their onely meditation He that truely makes this the sum of his thoughts he will not be busie he will not delight in other things If Angells doe it we should much more the Angells are comprehenders they enjoy Salvation already we are Viatores Pilgrims in the way if they in the Country consider and look upon these things that are to be accomplished in the way shall not we much more in the way make those things our speculation that belong to the Country That is if Angells that have Salvation already make it their meditation shall not we make it ours that want it If Angells make their meditations upon those things that concerne men upon Earth shall not we upon Earth busie our thoughts about the things of Heaven In that the Angells make these things their study it is a good excitement to us as they are sublime and delightfull so they are saving speculations that is the third property Fourthly they are good things common to us with the Angells they are good things that concerne them not alone they concerne us as well as them and us more then them All the custody of Angells is imployed about the keeping of men all the speculations that Angells are imployed about is the Salvation of men they delight to look upon those things that concerne us with them and us more then them for they have it already They are brotherly Spectators it shews that as they are Creatures of happinesse so they are Creatures of love that make our good things their meditation Therefore the Apostle Jude Vers 3. he calls this Salvation Common Salvation He might well doe so for it hath a great extent it is so common that it is not onely common to all men but common to us with Angells It reacheth very far from the beginning of the World to the end of it that is a great extent those are the two poles of time It reacheth from East to West from North to South that is a great distance those are the two Poles of locall distance It reacheth to all the Patriarchs and Prophets and Believers to all of all ages and sexes and sorts of men