a high esteem upon this grace to look upon it as the most glorious Stone in the Ring The rest have their luster this is both resplendent and medicinal heals broken souls It is no wonder if St. Jude give it the preheminence since it is both the leading grace and brings the first glad tidings of salvation and also the Mother grace whence all others have their birth and original Without this what are all our works and duties but as we say of the vertues of Heathens Splendida peccata Where faith is not layd as the foundation all our devotions acts of piety charity observance of Sabbaths Ordinances nay that great performance of Prayer are but like that structure built on the sand Mat. 7.26 Without this we can no more appear before the Tribunal of Gods justice then stubble before a consuming fire In the word it is faith that must make us profitable in obedience it is faith that must make us cheerful in prayer it is faith that makes us successfull and in all performances it is faith that makes us acceptable This is that wisedome Job 28.16 17 18 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.8 the price whereof is above Rubies the Topaze of Ethiopia cannot equal it it cannot be valued with pure Gold This will give comfort joy and peace under all distractions make the soul skip like a Lambe leap and dance for joy Other divine qualifications may make you confident but it is faith only that must give you your assurance There cannot be such an abasement where faith will not lift up the head and render you victorious Justice gives every man his own temperance will restrain lusts magnanimity will bear and go through any hardship prudence is an excellent guide to our actions but it is faith that overcometh the world in this Paul insults and triumphs over men and Angels Heaven and Earth Rom. 8.38 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am confident or perswaded That neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You will have a better heart both to the price and the esteem of it if you seriously advise with these considerations The Author The Offices and the Effects of it First Look upon it as Gods gift from whom every good and perfect gift cometh as a fruit of his Spirit Gal. 5.22 This will make it excellent and lovely Let us a little view it in that great interest of our souls the high act of justification we shall there finde it to justifie Infundendo creat creando infundit not as mans faith but as the work of God in in the soul It is an excellent place Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God faith may be in us but it is not of us that is not from any power of our own but it is a meer gift of God both in the habit and in the act of it Justification is is a free Act of and from eternity without any condition on our parts and that Evangelical righteousness by which we are justified is without us in Christ It is the finger of God that works faith in the soul and having wrought it puts it upon acting thereby to evidence justification to the soul As a father having layd up for his son a great Treasure in some secret place tells him of it and bestows it freely upon him but wanting the possession and enjoyment of it the son is no richer for it till the father lights a Torch guides his son to the hidden Treasure and puts him into the actual possession of it Thus is Faith Gods Instrument by which he discovers to our souls the unvaluable riches of Christ which in the minds and purpose of the Donor was ours from Eternity and evidenceth us to be freely justified lending us that light of faith whereby we apprehend enjoy and apply Christ to our souls It is called the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Whose evidence Gods evidence given us by which he declareth and manifesteth to our consciences those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the invisible things of our justification and salvation and when given it is our evidence also by which we possess Christ and pleads our actual justification against all the accusations of the Law sin and Satan then we have the witnesse in our selves 1 Joh. 5.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods witness so it is sometimes read witnessing to our spirits that we are the children of God we are justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there answering to the Hebrew Chinnam excluding all both hope of advantage on Gods part and preceding desert in man upon any account whether of faith or works excluding as well merit as rewards hereby intimating that all our works are the works of God in us yea faith it self in that great and high Act of justifying is Gods gift I have here made a little digression to acquaint you with the excellency of this grace that you may set a higher value upon it not only because it is Gods gift but so high and precious a gift of his right hand whereby he gives us an interest to Christ and all his promises and evidenceth eternal life to our souls 2. Consider the Offices of faith which besides union to and communion with Christ formerly named are these two First acceptance wherby we are made willing to receive Christ upon Christs own terms what his terms are he himself tells you Luke 9.23 If any man will come after me he must deny himself and take up his Crosse daily and follow me This is the receiving act of faith and is therfore called the hand of the Soul not for its working quality purifying the heart reviving the dead spirit working by love carrying the Soul through all discouragements these are indeed the works of faith but for its receiving and accepting quality accepting righteousnesse in Christ receiving him as a gift of his fathers love imbracing the promises afar off and laying hold on eternal life The working righteousnesse is Christs the Office or act of faith is accepting applying receiving yeelding consent to that righteousnesse The other Office or Act of Faith is resignation whereby we give our selves wholly up to Christ spirit soul and body to be guided and byassed by him this is that spiritual marriage Eph. 5.17 betwixt Christ and the Soul by which as the soul hath a propriety and right to the body name goods table possessions and purchase of Christ so she doth reciprocally become all his by an unconstrained resignation of her will ways and desires unto his guidance and government we become the servants of Christ to be ruled as well as to be aided and protected by him then doth Christ own us and he stands ingaged to watch over and care for us Then
ways of his Ordinances in hearing the word attending at the Gates of Wisdome in the honour and use of the Sacrament in prayer and other Divine Institutions This is the way Christ hath prescribed and in all ages wonderfully blessed to his Church I have experimentally found it in my self and to my great comfort have had the acknowledgment of it from many of you by and under my Ministry These are the Channels of grace the Conduit-pipes by which God conveys himself and the waters of life to his people here will your souls meet with God and finde the enjoyment of him and the due observation of them is a strong Test of your obedience I know that after my departure you will meet with Foxes and Wolves some crying down all Ordinances as things carnal and below a spiritual and raised estate they will tell you they are weak and low administrations no more then walking by Moon light they will tell you that Seraphical men are above and beyond all Ordinances and their Enthusiasms of greater concernment then the Ordinances of Christ you will meet on the other hand with those who so far cry up Ordinances that they make Idols of them slighting him who is the substance men of Pharisaical Spirits and Interests who while they should preach Christ and him crucified will preach themselves their own parts passions and interests whereby you may probably be made weary both of them and their preaching My ever dear people let none of these things drive you from the Church of God or deter or discourage you from following Christ in those ways he hath prescribed let it be your care to wait on him I have known some who taking offence at these things wo in the mean time to him by whom the offence cometh have in these times declined either to Popery or Atheism I beseech God blesse you I hope better things of you and should be heartily grieved to see such sad failings in any of you I have two things to commend to you in this Point for your better satisfaction First Rest not in a bare formal attendance upon the Ordinance The Harlot can say I have made my peace offerings to day the Ordinance is but the means the end is Communion with Christ and fruition of him The Jews promised themselves much from the naked presence of the Temple Ier. 7.4 though they had but small honour for the Lord of it Iudges 17.13 Micah promised himself mountains when he had got a Levite to be his Priest though he still retained his Idols The Pharisees boasted they were the seed of Abraham when they did the works of the Devil Ioh. 8.33.44 How many poor souls have thus turned the means of salvation into the means of destruction feeds upon busks instead of the true bread nay turned their food into porson not finding Christ in the Ordinances nor being led home to Christ by them My good people think it not enough that you havâ— Geheza with his masters staff that you have Christs Minister and Christs word but as that Shunamite 2 King 4.30 lay hold on Christ himself where every faithful soul sees casts receives enjoys in these Ordinances Secondly when thou hast done thy best and purest service and met with Christ in the Ordinances rest not in the work done loath yourselves with a sincere acknowledgment of your ownunworthinesse and the unprofitablenesse imperfections and iniquities of your most holy things ever resting upon free-grace Be so careful of duty as if there were no grace to justifie you and so rest upon grace as if no work were to be done by you And then secondly wait upon God in the ways of his providence and dispensations this is that excellent grace a fruit of the sanctifying spirit of God whereby the soul freely submits not to the will only but to the wisdom of God in all the crosse acts of Providence we meet with in this life enabling us to bear our own burthens without inordinate sorrow or fretting discontent As by faith we injoy God and by love we injoy our neighbour so through humble waiting and submission to the wisedom of God we possesse our own souls This is an excellent lesson but hard for flesh and blood to learn to beleeve that God can chuse best for us better then we our selves Are not Abanah and Parphar Rivers of Damascus better then all the Waters of Israel 2 Râ—g 5.12 Kinds of age a few fatherly kisses and imbraces a portion in my hand this nature cries out for and would be well pleas'd with but the soul that fears God hath learned with Paul to be content in every condition of life hath learned that sublime Phylosophy of subscribing to Gods wisedom not to his will only that he will force us to and he is a kind of mad Atheist that should deny it but to his wisedom to acknowledge God the best chuser for us the stripes he sends more suitable to us then all the blessings we pray for his denying our demands the most divine way of granting them resolving whatever he imposes upon us is best for us his thoughts are not like our thoughts Heaven and Earth are not alwaies of one opinion Good is the Word of the Lord says good Hezekiah when destruction was denounced to his whole family It is the Lord Iet him do what seemeth him good says old Eli when besides the losse of both his children in one day God tells him there should not be an old man in his house for ever All things saith Paul work together for good to them that love God This submission to the Wisdom of God and the consequent of it Rejoycing in Tribulation is that waiting upon God which I would now instruct you in that better days may teach you humblenesse which is a part of this fear Prov. 22.4 and worser days may teach you that Christian patience whereby you shall be inabled to undergo the hands of heaven to look after deliverance in the ways and accept it upon the terms of God My dear people you are my glory and crown of rejoycing let me commend the serious remembrance of this to your Spirit It was never of more use then in these times of the Churches persecution You shall see men strangely and severally wrestling and tugging under Gods Dispensations In one man a supine stupidity in another the relieving his melancholy thoughts in a cup of Lethe a sleeping Pill of good fellowship like Sauls sending to the Minstrel when the evil spirit came upon him or his second address to the Witch to charm the judgment that was ready to invade him you shall see a third multiplying his sins as fast as God his judgments like the Elephants in the Maccabees whom the blood of the Mulberies more enraged hardning like Pharaoh under the rod like Ahab and Ahaz growing worse under the judgment you will meet with more plausible effects then these in one a contempt of the world his
A Farewel SERMON Preached in VVAKE-FIELD January 1 1655. By Thomas Parker Master of Arts late Minister of that Church Published upon the importunity and for the satisfaction of the good People of Wakefield 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.4 LONDON Printed by J. M. for Richard Lownds at his Shop at the White Lyon in St. Pauls Church-yard 1656. To the ever Honoured and my very good friend Mrs. Frances Hustler at Lupset Madam IT was not any Ambition to be seen in the Press but the daily importunities of my ever dear people which brought this Sermon to see the light when I Preached it I had no other thoughts of Printing it thâ—n in your breasts I shall think my pains well bestow'd if the eye may so second the ear that both may be an advantage to the Soul and leave so deep an impression of the true fear of God in your hearts that you may be the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God Madam You will meet here with the words of truth and sobernesse in a plain and homely dresse that which an age never more wanted nor could lesse indure Truth is like Beauty never more fair then when she goes the plainest This discourse will meet with my Adversaries but be welcome to my friends to whose Consciences rather they their Closets I desire to commend it For my own part I desire to refer my self to the wisedom of God who knows how to chuse best for me and through his blessing whatever it cost me to run the Ermin's fate fall into the hands of the Hunter rather then foul her body The great share that New-Years day had in your tears makes me bold to beg some interest in your Prayers and I shall not despair in Gods good time of my restauration to the Vineyard In the mean time I commend you and yours to that bloud of sprinkling which speaketh better things then the blood of Abel Madam I am Your affectionate friend and servant in Christ Jesus Tho. Parker From my study at Northgate-head June 24. 1656. ECCLES 12.13 I Am this day to take my leave not only of you my good people but of the Pulpit also To bid farewell to that High Calling the great Harvest of Heaven wherein I have for these eighteen years painfully and faithfully and I bless my God fruitfully laboured I do not herein strive to justifie my self God knoweth my heart if there be any glory it is the Lords I know the Apostles Rule very well Not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10.18 I know not well upon what account to commend this Sermon this day whether as a Farewel to you or a Funeral to my self for so indeed it is To impede the execution of that Calling wherein we are employed and whereby we should do God that service for which he hath Commissionated us To force the rusting of the Talents which our great Master hath commanded us to put to usury To stop our mouths and put out our eyes when our hands are at the Plough What is it but to bury a man alive or to leave him like that wounded Pilgrim in the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 10.30 How bitter would this Cup be if the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ had not sweetned it What an excellent saying that is The servant is not greater then his Lord nor the Disciple above his Master If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you c. And lest they should forget so necessary and useful a Doctrine he puts a special Memento upon it Joh. 15.20 Remember the words that I have said to you c. What ever shall befall me or any of my fellow Labourers We shall ever pray that God may bless his Church and I doubt not but he will in his good time restore her to her Purity and her Peace Old Mercies thankfully received are strong ingagements for new Your spirit will witnesse with me this day what cause I have to blesse God as much I think as any man that ever laboured in his Vaneyard First for my persecutions It is an excellent saying of St. Paul 2 Cor. 12.10 I take pleasure in persecutions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words is a Gospel Expression and signifies a willing pleasing Approbation not without much inward contentment The most precious thing that good Apostle ever desired to receive he expresseth by this word namely to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.8 And the most precious thing that ever he desired to give he expresseth by the same words namely The Gospel of Christ and his own soul 1. Thes 2.8 and here he makes use of it to shew how well he was pleased and how much he did approve of himself and his Doctrine because of these persecutions as being undoubted evidences of the truth of Christ I should for my own part have suspected my self yea and my Doctrine too if both had not been persecuted I look upon my persecutions as love Tokens from Heaven Pledges of Gods love and Badges of my own Sonship Let me tell you my good people there is no condition in the world so highly desireable as that of suffering for and with Christ Jam. 6.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this was Divinity in St. James his days Was it not the minute of his sufferings wherein Steven saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand Shall we think our selves worthy to be stiled the Disciples of Christ and run away or deny him when he comes to the Crucifying When she who is the Mother of us all is abused branded and struggles under pangs and agonies with the most hellish and unthankful children that ever Mother bare shall we therefore forget to be Sons or be ashamed or afraid to suffer I mean the Church of England which every knowing and moderate Spirit not biassed with factions or self-interest must needs acknowledg to be the brightest and most glorious resemblance of Primitive purity that ancient and holy faith which for these twelve hundred years any man ever had the honour of contending or suffering for Tell me have not I great cause to look upon it as a blessing or have you any cause to be ashamed of my troubles What my persecutions have been and of what nature in relation not to my person only but my Doctrine also the proper work of Hell with what bitterness violence and injustice they have been carried on your own eyes and ears can sufficiently witness I blesse God this day for the innocency of my own heart and shall have another day more cause to rejoyce in my sufferings 2 Cor. 1.12 then my Persecutors in their victory Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience The second Mercy I desire we may take notice of is the support and constant supplies of the Spirit of grace in and under all these sufferings a high and
disposition of Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.11 that being past feeling ye shall work all uncleannesse with greedinesse if wee shall thus out dare God in his threatnings and like that Behemoth esteem those iron weapons as straw or as they say of the old Italians shoot off our great Ordnance and Ring our bells to drown the noise of Heaven's thunder if wee thus presume Deut. 29.20 God will not spare us but the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoake against us c. remember that saying Eccl. 8.12 Though a Sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely it shall bee well with them that seare the Lord. This is a dangerous and common rock upon which many a poor soul splits it self and the more common it is the more let it bee your care to avoid it The other is in the excesse and that is a servile infernal fear of God as a Judge or Tyrant whence arise in the soul hard thoughts of God Quos mctacule odcrint hatred of him a secret rising up against him a wishing there were no God and the like This is that great Engine wherewith Satan labours to batter our faith when he cannot robb you of grace and make you wicked he will endeavour to robb you of comfort and bring you to despaire make you miserable Hee will assault you with doubts and feares touching your Election conversion adoption perseverance with the greatnesse and number of your sins with the Curse and horror of the Law the Majesty and Justice of an offended God who is a consuming fire In all these and such like temptations let your eyes ever be fixed upon Christ and his blood the satisfaction given to the Justice of God by his death that redemption from the Curse of the Law himself being made a curse for us then will your souls say Let the Lord live then will your desires be to the remembrance of his name then will your hearts love him and say I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me Psalm 23.6 This is the foundation against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail when there is no light nor issue nor possibility to esdape here will a doo of deliverance flie open to you Remember this also I pray you if once you come to slight or undervalue this great mercy to tread under foot the Son of God there remains no more no other sacrifice for you you may as much offend God by despairing as by presuming of his mercy Heb. 10.29 both are destructive to the true fear of God lay these things up in your hearts the Lord of his mercy blesse them to you To all you that thus fear the Lord Mal. 4.2 shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing under his wings joy in that day when all the Elect shall behold their King and Redeemer in his Majesty and Glory For all those that thus fear the Lord there is a book of remembrance written It is said of Tamerlane the Scythian that he had alwaies by him a Catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants which he dayly perused and whom he duly rewarded Mal. 3.16 how much more shal the Lord who bottles up the tears of his people puts their Prayers as upon the File and records all their devotions All those that thus fear the Lord he will own in that day when he makes up his Jewels makes them up for himself and takes them away from the misusages and malignities of the World When one desired to see Alexanders Treasure shew him said he to his Servant not my Gold or Monies Plate or Jewels but my friends Henceforth says Christ I call you not servants but friends John 15.15 These are Gods Jewels his dearest friends his chief Treasure none can plunder or pluck them out of his hands They are called the dearly beloved of his Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 12.7 the LXX read it his dearly beloved Soul noting Gods Saints to be as dear to him as a mans life or his Soul is All these and these only wil the Lord pity and spare at that day as a father spareth his own son that serveth him I have now done both with the Text and the Times I have presented you with a New-years-gift of an inestimable value and worth All I require from you is but this That I may see you wear it that as great Personages are known by their Rings and rich Jewels so you may be by the fear of the Lord This Ring truly worn will seal to your souls assurance of salvation in this life and be to every one of you at your death a wedding Ring to marry you to the Lamb for evermore Your tears at this time sufficiently witnesse how sadly you receive it from my hands God wil I hope put your tears into his bottle and that Fountain which he hath opened in your eys this day shall swell into Rivers of comfort and salvation at that day when God shall wipe away all tears from your eys All I can do is to pray for you since I must no longer Preach to you I pray God blesse his Church I pray God blesse you all and that God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory and honour now and evermore FINIS