may give way a while that the thoughts of many may be reveâ—led and that his glory may shine the more in raising his children and confounding his enemies but he will put a period in his due time and that is the best time There is a day of lacobs trouble when his enemies say This is Sion whom none regards but God sets bounds both to the time of his childrens trouble and to the malice of the wicked Their rod shall not rest over-long upon the backe of the righteous God will put a hooke into the nostrils of these Leviathans and draw them which way hee pleaseth Againe we see here that mischievous attempts are successelesse in the end for did ever any harden themselves against God and prosper long Let Cain speake let Pharaoh Haman Achitophel Herod Let the persecutors of the Church for the first 200. yeares let all that ever bore ill will towards Sion Speake and they will confesse they did but kick against the pricks and dash against the rocks The greatest torment of the damned Spirit is that God turnes all his plots for the good of those hee hates most Hee tempted man to desire to become like God that so he might â—uine him but God became man and so restored him God serveth himselfe of this Arch politician and all his instruments they are but executioners of Gods will while they rush against it Iosephs brethren sold him that they might not worship him and that was the very meanes whereby they came at length to worship him God delights to take the oppressed parties part Wicked men cannot do Gods childreÌ„ a greater pleasure then to oppose theÌ„ for by this means they help to advaÌ„ce theÌ„ The ground of the miscarriage of wicked plots is that Satan and his maintaine a damned cause and their plots are under a curse Every one that prayes thy kingdome come prayes by consequence against them as opposers of it and how can the men and plots of so many curses but miscarry and prove but as the untimely fruit of a woman they are like the grasse on the house top which perks above the corne in the field but yet no man prayes for a blessing upon it when men come by a goodly corne field every one is ready to say God blesse this field c. Beloved it is a heavyer thing then Atheisticall spirits thinke of to be under the curse of the Church for as God blesseth out of Sion so usually the heaviest curses come out of Sion Wo be to the Herods and Iulians of the world when the Church either directly or indirectly prayes against them This is a ground of staying the soules of Gods people in seeming confusion of things there is an harmony in all this discord God is â—itting his people for a better condition even when they are at the worst and is hardning and preparing the wiâ—ked for confusion even when they are at the best The wicked practise against the righteous but God laugheth them to scorne for hee seeth all their plottings and his day is acomming whilest they are digging pits for others there is a pit a digging a grave a making for themselves they have a measure to make up and a treasure to fill which at length will be broken open Which mee thinkes should take off them which are set upon mischiefe from pleasing themselves in their plots Alas they are but plotting their owne ruine and building a Babell which will fall upon their owne heads If there were any commendation in plotting then that great plotter of plotters that great Engineir Satan would goe beyond us all and take all the credit from us But let us not envie Satan and his in their glory they had need of something to comfort them let them please themselves with their trade the day is comming wherein the Daughter of Sion shall laugh them to scorne there will be a time wherein it shall be said Arise Sion and thrash And usually the delivery of Gods children is joyned with the destruction of his enemies Sauls death and Davids deliverance the Israelites deliverance and Egyptians drowning The Châ—rch and her opposites are like the scales of a ballance when one goes up the other goes downe Hamans wife had learned this that if her husband began once to fall before the Jewes hee should surely fall Wicked men have an house and they will be sure to take it and God hath his house too and will be as sure to take that The judgements of the wicked are mercies to the Church so saith David He flew mighty Kings Ogg King of Basan for his mercy endureth for ever c. God hath but two things in the world that he much regardeth his Truth and his Church begotten by his truth and shall we think that he will suffer long wretched men who turne that wit and power which they have from him against his truth Church No assuredly but he will give them up by that very wit of theirs to worke their owne destruction they shall serve their turne most whom they hate most God sits in heaven and laughes them to scorne Shall God laugh and we cry They take counsell together on earth but God hath a counsell in heaven that will overthrow all their counsells here Marke the bitter expressions in Scripture Why do the heathen rage without feare or wit Goe to now saith God gather a counsell c. Beloved it goes to the heart of proud persons to be scorned especially in the miscarriage of that which they count their Master-peece they had rather be counted Devils then fooles Let us worke wisely saith Pharaoh when hee was never more foole they usurp upon God and promise themselves great matters for the time to come whereas that is only Gods prerogative and they neither know what the wombe of their counsels nor what the wombe of to morrow may bring forth that which they are big of may prove an abortive or a viper to consume the wombe that bred it Goe to now saith the Propher all yee that kindle a fire walke in the light of your fire but take this of me you shall lye downe in sorrow c. The Scripture is full of such expostulations and up braidings Man is become like one of us saith God When men will have a way of their owne and think themselves wiser than God then it stands upon Gods honour to out-wit them Yet God is wise saith the Prophet you thinke to goe beyond God deceive not your selves God is wise and you shall finde him to be so â—e hath a way to goe beyond you Doe not many men spinne a fine thread and weave a faire webb when by their turnings and devices they turne themselves into hell Woe be to them that dig deep faith the Prophet and think to hide their counsels from the Lord God hath an eye to see into the most secret dark conveyances of
Though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill why because thou art with mee my God and my shepheard Though wee be in the valley of the shadow of death yet notwithstanding if God bee with us if wee bee in covenant with him and can lay just claime to his promise by giving up our selves to him we shall not feare one beame of Gods countenance when wee are in covenant with him will scatter all Clouds whatsoever I beseech you therefore labour more and more for this precious grace of faith and increase it by all saâ—ctified means hearing the Word reading the Scriptures and treasuring up promises considering what speciall use wee have of this above all other graces But to proceed Christ here doth not onely beleleeve but He vents his faith by prayer Good workes are but faith inincarnate faith working they differ not much from it so prayer is but faith flaming the breath of faith as it were for when troubles possesse the soule it sends out its Ambassadour presently it speeds prayer forth and prayer stayes not till it come to heaven and there takes hold upon GOD and gets a message and answer from him backe to comfort the soule faith and prayer are all one in a manner when the soule hath any great desire of grace or is in griefe apprehending the displeasure of GOD faith would if it could worke to heaven but we are on earth and cannot till wee dye therefore when it cannot goe to heaven it sends prayer and that mounts the soule aloft and wrastles with God and wil give him no rest till the petition bee granted and it can say My God Therefore if you have any faith at all exercise it and make it bright by often prayer The prayer of faith prevailes much How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved Indeed it is no prayer at all without faith great faith great prayer weake faith weake prayer no faith no prayer they both goe on in an even strength Christ here prayes to God under this complaint Why hast thou for saken me There is a hidden prayer in it oh doe not forsake mee deliver me out c. I beseech you even as you would have comfort from the â—ountaine of comfort that usually conveyes all grace and comfort to us by a spirit of prayer labour to be much in communion w th God in this blessed exercise especially in troubles Call upoÌ„ me in the day of trouble the evil day is a day of prayer of all daâ—es in the day of trouble especially Make your request knowne to God But perhaps GOD will not heare mee Yes this fruit followes The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes When you have eased your soules into the bosome of God by prayer you may goe securely and know that he will leâ— you reape the fruit of your prayers in the best time Yea but 〈◊〉 prayed long and have had no answer Wait in prayer Gods time is the best time The Physition keepes his owne time he turnes the glasse and though the paâ—iâ—◠〈◊〉 ouâ— that he tormeÌ„ts him it is no matter he knows his time The Gold-smith will not take the metall out of the fire till it bee refined so God knowes what to doe waite his good leasure In the meane time because wee must have all from God by prayer I beseech you derive all from him this way pray for every thing and then we shall have it as a blessing indeed But put the case I cannot pray as sometimes wee are in such a case that we cannot make a large prayer to God Then doe as Christ did Crie If thou canst not pray groane and sigh for they are the groans and sighes of Gods Spirit in thee there is a great deal of oratorâ— in these words What is the use of eloquence but to perswadeâ— and what could perswade God more than when Christ shewed how he esteemed his love and how he was now In the absence of it environed with griefe before him Here was Rhetorick if Christ had not spoken his wounds had said enough and his pittifull ease spake sufficiently every thing hath a voyce to 〈◊〉 for mercy 〈◊〉 â—hee adds his voyce to all and cries vocally aloud My God my god why hast thou forsaken me Beloved if you acquaint your selves with GOD in prayer then you may goe readily to him in any extremity therefore in time of health and prosperity cherish communion with his blessed Majesty make him your friend and upon every good occasion improve this plea Oh my God If wee have riches if we have a friend in the Court wee will improve them if wee have any thing we will make use of it have we a GOD and will we not improve him have wee a God that is our GOD and doe wee want grace doe wee want comfort and strength and assistance and have wee a God the Fountaine of all to goe to Shall we have such a prerogative as this to have Jesus Christ to 〈◊〉 be our great peace-maker that we may go boldly to the Thron of grace through him and shall we not improve the same Wee may goe boldly to God and welcome because GOD is infinite and the more wee goe and beg the more he gives wee cannot exhaust that Fountaine oh let us improve this blessed prerogative then wee shall live the life of heaven upon earth especially when the Conscience is troubled with sinne as Christ was now with the displeasure of his Father then let us go to God plead with his Majesty and we may plead lawfully with him Lord thy Iustice is better satified in Christ than if thou shouldest send me to hell if thou wilt thou maist destroy me for conscience must come to a great resignation it cannot desire mercy but it must see its own misery Lord 〈◊〉 maist justly cast me to hell but it would not bee so much for thy glory thou art more glorious in satifying thy justice in Christ than if thou shouldest damne mee to hell Why Because Gods justice is better satisfied in Christ. Man sinned but God-man satisfied for sinne man would be like God in pride God becomes man in humilitie the expiation of God is greater than the sinne of man He prayed for his persecutors and gave his life for them doth not this proportion more the justice of God than the sinne of man The Law doth but require a nocent person a guilty person to suffer Christ was innocent The Law requires that man should suffer Christ was GOD therefore Christ hath done more than satisfied the Law the satisfaction of Christ is more than if we had suffered Wee are poore men creatures that was the satisfaction of God-man our sinnes are the sinnes of finite persons but he is infinite therefore the soule may plead Lord I am a wretched sinner but I should take
thou wilt serve thy selfe of my credit and reputation I will adventure it for thee If thou wilt have my life of thee I had it to thee I will restore it I will not limit thy Majesty come of it what will I leave it to thy wisedome use mee and mine as thou wilt onely be gracious to my soule that it may goe well with that and I care not Thus wee should wholly resigne our selves to the Lords disposall and thereby wee shall exceedingly honour his Majesty and cause him to honour us and to shew his presence to us for our good which hee will assuredly doe if we absolutely yeeld up our selves to him But if a man will have two strings to his Bow and trust him so farre but not so farre so hee may bee kept from this danger or that trouble c. this is not to deale with God as an Omnipotent Creator For hee that doth a thing truely in obedience to God will doe it generally to all his commands so farre as the reason of his obedience reaches his trust extends hee that commits any thing to God will commit all to him he chooseth not his Objects but upon the same ground that hee commits his soule to God when hee dies hee commits his estate liberty and all hee hath while he lives Hee can never relye on God for greater matters that distrusts him in lesser Againe a man that truely trusts God will commit all his wayes unto him hee will take no course but what hee is guided in by the Lord hee lookes for wisedome from above and saith Lord though it is not in mee to guide my owne way as thy Word shall leade mee and the good counsel of thy Spirit in others direct me so I will follow thee Hee that commits not his wayes to God will not commit his comforts to him God must bee our Counsellor as well as our Comforter Therefore the Wise man bids us Acknowledge God in all our wayes and leane not to our owne wisedome Most men looke how safe their counsels are not how holy and agreeable to God is this to trust in him Will God save us at last and yet suffer us to live as wee liâ—t now Deceive not your selves hee that will have his soule saved must commit it to GOD before hand to bee sanctified Againe those that commit themselves aright to God will commit their posterity to him their wives and children c. Why doe not men make their Wils and commit their goods to them Oh but how doe they resigne them how covetous and full of distrust are they I must leave such a childe so much and so much and why I pray you because God cannot blesse him else Oh fearefull Is God â—yed to meanâ—s cannot heblesse with a little as well as with a great deale Is not the earth the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Why must God have so much in hand or else hee cannot inrich and raise up thy Children Oh consider he hath declared himselfe to bee the father of the fatherlesse and lookes to the Widdow in a speciall manner he doubles his Providence there hee provides for all but takes speciall notice of them therefore quiet thy selfe they are in covenant with God and God is thy God and the God of thy seed also therefore if thou wilt commit thy soule why not thy Wife Children goods c. Looke into the course of Gods people in all times those that have left but little with honest dealing God hath blessed the same exceedingly whereas those that have left great matters ill gotten in stead of a blessing have often left a curse and a snare behinde them Why then should men take indirect courses and wound their consciences for worldly pelâ—e Consider 1. thy children are Gods and not thine hee gave them to thee at first and he can provide hereafter when thou artgone thou art the father of their body but he is the father of their soule 2. He provided for them before they were borne doth not hee provide care and affection in the Mothers heart doth not he provide suck in the Mothers breasts and will hee not care for them now they are borne as well as he did before they came into the world it is Atheisme to thinke such a thought Those that commit themselves to God in one thing will doe so in all things otherwise they deceive their owne soules for it is a universall Act that runnes through their whole life Committing is an Action of trust and there is a kinde of entercourse of trust betweene God and a Christian continually Lastly those that commit themselves to God wil be faithfull stewards in whatsoever hee hath trusted them withall Thou committest thy selfe and thy health and estate to God and at length thou wilt commit thy soule when thoudiest unto him very well but what doth God trust thee withall hath hee not trusted thee with a Body and a soule with a portion of goods with place time strength and abilities to doe good Hast thou not all thou hast from God as a Steward to improve for thy Masters advantage If ever thou expectest the performance of what thou hast put in him bee faithfull in that trust which hee hath committed to thee Those that have misused their bodies and wounded their soules in their lives how can they commit theÌ„ to God at their deaths How dares the soule looke up to him when the life hath beene nothing else but a perpetuall offending of his Majesty I beseech you let us learne this wholesome lesson great is our benefit thereby Hee that trusts in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that cannot bee moved wee may be shaken but shall never be removed The earth is shaken with Earthquakes but the earth keepes its owne Center still Our best peace is in God and our chiefest safety in his protection I laid mee downe to rest because thou Lord watchest over me saith the Prophet and Returne O my soule to thy rest for the Lord hath beene very beneficiall to thee Is it not a good thing to have a sweete security of soule that whether I sleepe or wake whether I bee at home or abroad live or die I have a Providence watching over mee better then mine owne When I yeeld my selfe up to God his wisedome is mine his strength is mine whatsoever hee hath it is for me because I am his What a heaven upon earth is this that a Christian out of a holy familiarity with God can resigne up his soule to him upon all occasions Set heaven and salvation aside what greater happinesse can be desired How sweet is a mans rest at night after he hath yâ—elded himselfe to God by faithfull prayer I beseech you let us bee acquainted with the practise of this duty and labour to bee in such a state as God may owne us and receive our poore soules to himselfe Let us keepe them pure and undeâ—iled
every way he carryed himselfe as much as earth would suffer him as they doâ— in heaven Certainly He that hath the hope of a heavenly kingdome is pure as Christ â—s pure He endeavours and aimes to be holy as God is holy who hath called him Faith is of efficacy to conforme a Christians carriage to the likenesse of him whom he beleeves to be so excellent And therefore they are insidels and have no saving faith prophane persons who live in sinnes that staine their consciences and blemish their conversation not beleeving that there is a heaven Deceive not your selves neither Whoremongers nor Adulterers nor Extortioners c. shall inherit the kingdome of God Doe men who live in these sinnes without remorse thinke to come to heaven as though they should come out of the puddle to heaven no no away you workers of iniquity I know you not faith Christ. Let no man cherish presumptions of a heavenly kingdome except hee abstaine from all sinnes against conscience The Apostle when hee would urge to holiness of life uses this argument If you be risen with Christ seeke those things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of the Father Well let us oft I beseech you present unto our soules the blessed condition to come which will be effectuall to quicken and stirre us up to every good duty and comfort us in all conditions whatsoever What will a man care for crosses and losses and disgraces in the world that thinkes of a heavenly Kingdome What will a man care for ill usage in his pilgrimage when he knowes he is a King at home Wee are all strangers upon earth now in the time of our absence from God what if we suffer indignities considering that we have a better estate to come when we shall be some body What if wee passe unknowne in the world It is safe that we should doe so God will preserve us to his heavenly kingdome and all that we suffer and endure here it is but a fitting for that place David was a King annointed many yeares ere hee was actually possessed of his Kingdome but all that time betweene his annointing and his investing into the Kingdome it was a preparing of him by humility that he might know himselfe and learne fitnesse to govern aright So wee are apointed Kings as soone as we beleeve for when we beleeve in Christ who is a King Priest and Prophet wee communicate with his offices we have the same blessed anointing powred on our Head and runnes downe about us But we must be humbled by crosses and fitted for it wee must bee drawne more out of the world and bee heavenly minded first Would you know some rules of discerning whether heaven belongs to you or not In brief doe but remember the qualification of them that must reign those that labour daily to purge themselves of all pride and self-confidence that see no excellencie in the creature in comparison of heaven that see a vanity in all outward things which makes them humble in the midst of all their bravery those that see themselves empty of al without Gods favour The poore in spirit c. theirs saith Christ is the Kingdome of Heaven 2. Faith makes us Kings because thereby wee marry the King of Heaven the Church is the Queene of Heaven â—and Christ is the King of Heaven Where this grace is in truth happines belongs to that soule 3. Those that are Kings have aâ—royall spirit the hopes of a yong Prince puts into him a great deale of spirit otherwise perhaps above his disposition So all that are Kings have a royall spirit in some measure which naiseth them above all earthly things and maketh them see all other things to bee nothing in comparison of Christ to bee but drosse and dung as holy S. Paul saith Those therefore that are slaves to their base justs to riches honour pleasure c. know not what belongs to this heavenly Kingdome What doe men thinke to reigne in heaven when they cannot raigne over their owne hase corruptions Wee see David prayes to God for an inlarged spirit that hee might bee capable of the best things and certainely those that have this knowledge are of a spirit above the world more excellent than their neighbours as the Wiseman saith You cannot shake them with offers of preferment or with feares they will not venture their hope of eternity for this or that base earthly thing they are of a more royall spirit than so I beseech you therefore let us discerne of our spirits what they are whether God hath stablished us with a free spirit or not the kingdome of Heaven is begunne upon earth the doore whereby wee must enter in is here Those graces must be begunne here which must fit us for happinesse hereafter as the stones of the Temple were first hewne and then laid upon the Temple so wee must bee he wne and fashioned here ere we can come thither those that are not fitted and squared now must never thinke to be used of God as living stones of his Temple then A word now of Pauls use of all and so I conclude To whom be glory for ever and ever When he had mentioned the heavenly kingdome and set himselfe by faith as it were in possession of it hee presently beginnes the employment of heaven to praise and glorifie God even whilst hee was on earth For faith stirres us up to doe that which wee shall doe when we obtaine the thing beleeved it is called the evidence of things not seene and makes them as it were present to the soule Because when we are in heaven indeed we shall doe nothing else but praise God Faith apprehends it as if he were now there for all is sure to faith God having said it who will doe it and sets the soule upon that employment here which it shall have eternally with God hereafter It is therefore Christian wisdome to fix our soules on good meditations to have them wedded to good thoughts to have those praeclar as cogitationes beâ—itting Christians that may lead us comfortably in our way to heaven Let a man thinke of Gods deliverances past and that will strengthen his faith for the future deliverances Let him thinke of future deliverances and that will lead him to a kingdome to praise God and this praising of God will stretch his soule forâ—ver and for ever as if there were no time sufficient to glorisie God that is so excellent and glorious What a blessed condition is this to have Gods spirit warming our soules and perfuming our spirits with holy ejaculations continually putting us upon the employment of heaven till at length it hath safely brought us thither Here then is the use of al uses What is the former use which Paul makes of the experieÌ„ce of Gods deliveraÌ„ce The Lord hath delivered me aud therefore he will deliver me but what use doth he make of this that God
casts up myre and dirt it casts up feares and objections and murmurings and repinings Oh beloved wee thinke not what mischiefe sinne will do us when we suffer it sease upon our consciences when it is once written there with the claw of a Diamond and with a pen of iron who shall get it out Nothing but great repentance and faith applying the blood of Christ it is no easie matter to get it off there and to get the conscience at peace againe and when conscience is not appeased there will be all clamours within it will feare to appeare before the judgement â—eaâ— a guilty conscience trembles at the mention of death Therefore I wonder how men that live in swearing in loosenesse in filthinesse in deboisednesse of life that labour to satisfie their lusts and corruptions â— wonder how they can thinke of death without trembling considering that they are under the guilt of so many sinnes Oh beloved the exercising of the heart to keepe a cleare conscience can onely breede this desire in us to depart and to bee with Christ you have a company of wretched persoÌ„s proud enough in their owne conceits and censorious nothing can please theÌ„ whose whole life is acted by satan joyning with the lusts of their flesh and they do nothing but put stings into death every day and arme death against themselves which when once it appeares their conâ—cience which is a hell within them is wakened and where are they they can stay here no longer they must appeare before the dreadfull Iudge and then where are all their pleasures and contentments for which they neglected heaven and happinesse peace of conscience and all Oh therfor let us walke holily with our God and maintaine inward peace all we can if we desire to depart hence with comfort 4. Againe Paul had got assurance that he was in Christ by his union with him I live not saith he but Christ lives in mee therefore labour for assurance of salvation that you may feele the spirit of Christ in you sanctifying and altering your carnall dispositions to be like his I know whom I have trusted saith he he was as sure of his salvation as if he had had it already How few live as if they intended any such matter as this assurance of salvation without which how can we ever desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ will a man leave his house though it bee never so meane when hee knowes not whither to goe will a man leave the prison when he knows he shall be caryed to execution Oh no he had rather bee in the dungeon still So when there is guilt on the soule that it is not assured of salvation but rather hath cause to feare the contrary can it say I desire to depart and bee with Christ c No they had rather abide in the flesh still if they could for ever for all eternitie therefore if we would come to Pauls desire labour to come to the frame of the holy Apostles spirit he knew whom he had beleeved he was assured that nothing could separate him from the love of God neither life nor death nor any thing whatsoever could befall him 5. Paul had an art of sweetning the thoughts of death hee considered it onely as a departure from earth to heaven when death was presented unto him as a passage to Christ it was a easie matter to desire the same therefore it should be the Art of Christians to present death as a passage to a better life to labour to bring our soules into such a condition as to thinke death not to bee a death to us but the death of it selfe death dyes when I die and I beginne to live when I die It is a sweet passage to life we never live till wee die This was Pauls Art hee had a care to looke beyond death to heaven and when he looked upon death he looked on it but as a passage to Christ so let it bee our art and skill would we cherish a desire to die let us looke on death as a passage to Christ and looke beyond it to heaven All of us must goe through this darke passage to Christ which when we consider as Paul did it will be an easie matter to die I come now to the next words Neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you This is the other desire of Paul that brought him into this straite he was troubled whether he should die which was farre better for himselfe or live which was more needfull for them but the love of Gods people did prevaile in holy S. Paul above the desire of heaven and the present enjoying his owne happinesse Oh the power of grace in the hearts of Gods children that makes them content to be without the joyes of heaven for a time that they may doe God service in serving his Church here upon earth Observe hence that the lives of worthy men especially Magistrates and Ministers are very needful for the Church of God The reason is because Gods manner of dispensation is to convey all good to men by the meanes of men like our selves for the most part and this hee doth to knit us into a holy communion one with another therfore it is needful that holy men should abide in regard of the Church of God their lives are very usefull If we consider good the great benefit that comes by them wee shall easily yeeld to this For what a deale of sinne doth a good Magistrate stoppe and â—inder when there were good Iudges and good Kings in Israel see what a reformation there was Antichrist could not come in when the Romane Empire flourished though now the Romane Empire hinder the fall of Antichrist because Antichrist hath given her the cup of fornication and they are drunke with the whores cup but at the first it was not so Beloved whilest good Magistrates and good Ministers continue in a place there is a hinderance of heresies and sinne c. If they bee once removed there is a floodgate opened for all maner of sin and corruption to breake in at Yea there is abundance of good comes in by gracious persons 1. By their counsell and direction The lips of the righteous feed many 2. By their reformation of abuses by planting Gods ordinances and good orders whereby Gods wrath is appeased they stand in the gappe and stop evill they reforme it and labour to stablish that which is pleasing to God 3. Gracious persons in what condition soever they are cary the blessing of God with them wheresoever they are God and his blessing goes along with them 4. They doe a great deale of good by their patterne and example they are the lights of the world that give ayme to others in the darknesse of this life 5. They can by their prayers binde God as it were that he shall not inflict his judgements they doe a world of good by this way a praying force and
opinions but treason in a people that live under a Prince of a contrary Religion the dispositions of many of them are better then their positions However perhaps the present Pope may be more moderate and neuter all yet this is the infusion of their religion where ever it prevailes and these tenents shall bee acted and in full force when they please and it will please them when it shal be for the advantage of the Catholike cause This was Bellarmines tenent If the Pope should erre in commanding vice or forbidding vertue the Church is bound to beleeve vice to be good and vertue to be ill or else it should sinne against conscience for it is bound to beleeve what hee commands thus they make the judgement of man the rule of truth and falsehood good and evill Whereas truth is truth and that which is false is false whether men think so or no there is an intrinsicall evill in evill which the judgement of any man cannot take away and the truth and goodnesse of things stands upon eternall grounds not flexible or alterable by the will of any creature otherwise it were all one as to thinke the course of the Sunne should be guided by a dyall Is there any hope of their comming to us when they had rather have the rules of nature and Religion which are as unmoveable as a mountaine of brasse to vary than bee thought to confesse that the Pope may erre which indeed is the grand and leading error of all But how should wee expect our words should prevaile when as the great workes of God prevaile not at all with them The efficacy of error is so strong in many that though they should see the viall powred out upon the throne of the beast yet will they not repent For our selves we cannot better shew our thankfulnesse for this deliverance by meanes wherof wee enioy our lives and our Religion than to preserve that truth that is grounded upon the foundation of truth which hath been derived unto us from those that went before who held out the same truth that hath beene sealed by the blood of so many Martyrs that hath beene established by the Authority of gracious Princes that God hath given witnesse to by so many deliverances that concurres with the confessions of all Reformed Churches that God hath blessed with a constāt tenor of peace even to the rejoycing of all Neighbour Churches to the envie of our enemies and to the admiration of all c. We see all countryes round about us in a confusion and wee as it were the three young men in the fiery furnace safe without so much as smoak or smell of fire as if we were the onely people of Gods delight Now what is that which God careth most for amongst us but his truth which if we suffer as much as in us lyeth to take any detriment God may justly make us the spectacles of his wrath to others as others have beene to us Beloved God hath a cause and a people in the world which hee esteemeth more than all the world besides let us therefore owne Gods cause and people his side one day will prove the better side I beseech you consider what hurt have wee ever had by the reformation of Religion hath it come naked unto us hath it not beene attended with peace and prosperity hath God beene a barren wildernesse to us hath not God beene a wall of fire about us which if hee had not beene it is not the water that compasseth our Iland could have kept us So long as wee keepe Christs truth Christ will keepe us Otherwise trust to it Christ and his truth will leave us No nation under heaven hath so much cause to say Behold as we have Men are ready upon all occasions to be sensible of civill grievances as in Solomons time gold was as stones in the street but we should be sensible of the spiritual favours we enjoy If wee looke upon other kingdomes abroad what nation under heaven hath the like cause to blesse God for Religion for Prince for peace c. as we have Beloved we cannot better deserve of our King Church and State than to give up our lives to God who hath thus blessed us The greatest enemies of a Church and State are those that provoke the highest Majesty of heaven by obstinate courses against the light that shineth in their owne hearts It is seriously to bee considered what Samuel saith to the people and therefore if not for love of our selves yet for the love of our King Religion and State let us take heed of provoking courses and take heed of tyring the patience of God over-long To conclude all it is prayer that gets but thankfulnesse witnessed by obedience that keepes blessings and what can our thoughts devise our tongues utter or our lives expresse better than the praise of our good God that even loadeth us with his benefits that so God may delight still to shew himselfe unto us in the wayes of his mercy think thoughts of love towards us and dwell amongst us to the worlds end FINIS THE CHVRCHES VISITATION DISCOVERING The many difficulties and tryalls of Gods Saints on earth Shewing wherein the fountaine of their happinesse consists Arming Christians how to doe and suffer for CHRIST And directing them how to commit themselves and all their wayes to God in holinesse here and happinesse hereafter Preached in sundry Sermons at Grayes-Inne LONDON BY R. S. D. D. LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1634. THE SAINTS SAFETY IN EVILL TIMES Manifested by S. Paul from his experience of Gods goodnesse in greatest distresses out of 2 TIM 4. 17 18. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by me the preaching might be fully knowne and that all the Gent les might heare and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord shall deliver mee from every evill worke and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdome to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen BLessed Saint Paul being now an old man and ready to sacrifice his dearest blood for the sealing of that truth which hee had carefully taught sets downe in this Chapter what diverse entertainment hee found both from God and Man in the preaching of it As for men hee found they dealt most unfaithfully with him when hee stood most in need of comfort from them Demas a man of great note in the end forsooke him Alexander the Copper smith thus it pleases God torry his dearest ones with base oppositions of worthlesse persons did him most mischiefe Weaker Christians forsooke him c. But mark the wisdome of Gods Spirit in the blessed Apostle in regard of his different carriage towards these persons Demas because his fault was greater by reason of the eminency of his Profession him hee brands to all posterity for looking backe to Sodom and to the world after hee
had put his hand to the Plough Alexanders opposing because it sprung from extremity of malice towards the profession of godlinesse him he curseth The Lord reward him c. Weaker Christians who failed him from want of some measure of spirit and courage tetaining still a hidden love to the cause of Christ their names he conceales with prayer that God would not lay their sinne to their charge But whilst Paul lived in this cold comfort on Earth see what large encouragement had hee from Heaven Though all forsooke me yet sayes he God did not for sake me but stood by me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord will deliver me c. In the words wee have in Pauls example an expressing of that generall Truth set downe by himselfe Rom. 5. 3. And not onely so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope c. So here affliction breeds experience of Gods mercy in our deliverance experience breeds hope of deliverance for the time to come and both his Experience and Hope stirres him up to glorifie God who was his deliverer so that here offer unto us to be unsolded 1. Pauls experience of Gods loving care of him in his deliverance past 2. His assured hope built upon his experience for the time to come set downe in two Branches 1. The Lord will deliver me froÌ„ every evill work 2. He will preserve mee to his heavenly kingdom 3. The issue hee maketh of both as they flow from Gods grace so he ascribes him the glory of both To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen For the first I finde that most both Ancient and Moderne writers by Lion understand Nerâ— that cruell Tyrant thirsty of blood especially of Christians Some also understand it to be a provetbiall speech to expresse extremitie of danger both which are true but if wee take the words in the just bredth of the Apostles intent we may by Lion understand the whole united company of his crull enemies as David in many places hath the like and by the mouth of the Lion the present danger he was in by reason of their cruell malice Whence observe 1. That enemies of the truth are oft for power alwayes for malice Lions 2. That God suffers his dearest children to fall into the mouthes of these Lions 3. That in this extremity of danger God delivers them For the second his hope built upon his experience both Branches thereof hath its limitation and extent The Lord shall deliver me not from evill suffering but from evill workes this hee could boldly build on he could not conjecture what he should suffer because that was in the power of others but he could build upon this what God would give him grace to doe and so he limits his considence He will deliver me from evill workes and he will preserve me from what from daâ—ger from death no here is the limitation He will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome He will not preserve me from death and yet he will doe that whilst I can doe his service by my life but sure I am hee will preserve me beyond death to a state of security and happinesse He will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome And then for the third after his experience confidence and hope wel built as his fashion is when his heart was once warmed he breakes our into thanksgiving in the consideration of Gods favours past and to come his tongue is large thereupon and God hath the fruit of it To whom be glory for ever and lastly he seales up all with the word Amen I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion c. Beloved by nature we are all Lions and nothing will alter us save the effectuall knowledge of Christ Education may civilize but not subdue A Sound knowledge of Gods Truth hath a changing power for when the spirit becomes tender and when the heart which lyes in a cursed estate under and in danger of the wrath of a iust God whose eye cannot spare iniquity unrepented of is cited and affrighted effectually by the spirit of bondage it will cast downe and pull sorrow from the strongst spirit making it melting and tender Againe in this estate when the soule hath felt favour shining upon it when the eye is opened to see the high prerogatives and exceeding riches of Christ when we finde ourselves that we are delivered from the Lions mouth wee cannot but shew that pity to others which wee felt from God our selves Paul thirsts as eagerly after the conversion of others now as ever he did for their blood before The Iaylor also a man by nature custome and calling hardened in the practice of cruelty yet after hee had felt the power of Gods blessed truth shewed forth those bowels of pitie hee felt from Christ which were shut before Let us then be thankfull that God hath changed us from being Lions and with meeknesse submit our selves unto Gods ordinances desiring him to write his Law not onely in our understandings but in our very hearts and bowels that wee may not onely know that we should walke harmelesse and full of good but be so indeed resembling him by whom we hope to be saved in a right serviceable plyablenesse to all duties of love And because our impersect measure of mortification in this life hinders us from a full content in one anothers communion let this make us the more willing to be translated to Gods holy Mount where being purged from all such lusts as hinder our peace and love we shall fully enioy one another without the least falsenesse or distrust then shall wee see totall accomplishment of these promises which are but in part fulfilled in this life That God suffereth his children to fall into the mouth of Lions or into some danger proportionable where in they shall see no helpe from him is a truth cleare as the Sunne The History of the Church in all ages shewes as much Was not Christ in the mouth of the Lion so soone as borne when Herâ—d sought to kill him Did not satan and all the spirituall powers of Hell daily come about him like ramping roaring Lions And hath it not been thus with Gods Church from Abel to this present as appeares by the children of Israel in Egypt at the redsea and in their iourney to Canaan being invironed round about with cruell enemies and dangers on every side like Daniel in the midst of Lions So farre God gave them up to the power of their enemies that the wisest of the Heathen iudged them a forlorne people hatefull to God and men For particular instances see Iob and David so neare as there was but a step betweene them and death Besides God often awakens the consciences of his children and exerciseth them with spirituall conflicts their sins as so many Lions stand up against them ready to teare their
past recovery abroad when they are at the worst then are they nearest mending When the taske of brick was doubled by Pharaoh upon Israel then came Moses to worke out their deliverance when the Iewes heard newes of their liberty to returne from captivity they were as those that dreamed they could not suddenly beleeve it it seemed so strange a thing in that their hopelesse estate Learne wo then from this dealing of God with his people in the midst of all extremities to alleage unto God the extremitie we are in Helpe Lord for vaine is the helpe of man is a prevailing argument Alledge the pride of enemies the presumption of those that feare not God c. and that hee onely can give issue from death when he will And as God brings us to heaven by contraries so let us in one contrary beleeve another hope against hope In misery looke for mercy in death for life in guiltinesse for forgivenesse Learne to wrastle with God when he seemeth thy enemy oppose unto God his former dealings his nature his Promise c. Iob had learned this Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Be of Iacobs resolution I will not leave hold of thee untill I get a blessing whatsoever wee are stript of let us never forsake our owne mercy This one word I despaire takes a â—ay God and Christ all at once We must remember Our sinnes are the sinnes of men but mercy is the mercy of God God will never leave us but be with us whilst we are with him The world and all comforts in it leave a man when they can have no more use of him nor hee of them Satan leaves his sworne vassals at their wits end when he hath brought them into danger But blessed be for ever our gracious God then of all other times he is nearest to helpe us when we stand most in need of him He was never nearer Moses than when Moses seemed furthest from comfort never nearer Iacob than when heaven was his Canopie and a Stone his pillow never nearer Ioseph than when in prison Ionas then in the belly of the Whale for God went downe with him never nearer Paul than when in the Dungeon A Christian is not alone when left alone not forsaken when forsaken God and his Angells supply them the want of other comforts Is it not a greater comfort that a Prince should come in Person to a subject and cheare him up than send a meaner man And whence is this to me said Elizabeth that the mother of my Lord should come unto me Is it not the greatest comfort to a Christian soule when God in want of meanes comes immediately himselfe unto us and comforts us by his Spirit for in defects of second causes comforts are ever sweetest therefore in all extremities let us wait and hope still for mercy If the vision stay saith Habakkuk wait for it will come This is a maine difference betwixt the Child of God and a person destitute of sound grace for the Child of God in extremitie recovers himselfe as David after a great conflict gets still the upper hand Yet my soule keepe thou silence unto God for God is yet good to Israel as if hee should say Though when I look upon my present outward condition I stagger yet when I consider more deepely of his dealing I am resolved God is good to Israel thus after much tossing they get up upon that rock which is higher than they But those who are not upright-hearted in any great extremity sinke downe with despaire as heavy bodies to the Center of the Earth without stop The reason is in their best estate they never were acquainted with relying upon God but bore themselves up with fleshly helpes which being taken away they must needs fall down right But a sincere Christian in midst of his flourishing estate acquainteth himself with God and sets not his heart upon present things Iob sayes that which he feared in his best case that â—efell unto him Therefore they can rest upon Gods mercy when other props are taken away Yet there be divers degrees of upholding us when we are at a spirituall losse for usually in what measure we in the times of our peace and liberty inordinately let loose our affections in that measure are wee cast downe or more deeply in discomfort when our adulterous hearts cleave to outward things more than becomes chasâ— hearts it makes the crosse more sharpe and extreame For That which is not enjoyed with overmuch pleasure is parted withall without overmuch griefe But for spirituall extremities oftentimes the strongest feele them with quickest sense for God herein respects not alwayes sinnes past or more or lesse measure of grace as in Iobs case who could without much distemper of soule endure extremities of body and estate but when God wrote bitter things against him presently he begins to sinke and but begins onely for when hee was at worst he stayes himselfe upon his Redeemer to the glory of Gods Grace and shame of the devill Thus sometimes God makes his Children triumph whom he sets as Champions in defiance of Satar They in weaknesse thinke they shall utterly faile and perish but their standing our in greatest conflicts shewes the contrary But to come to that which I intend chiefly to insist on The Lord shall deliver me from every evill worke c. wherein we may see 1. The Author of his safety 2. The deliverance it selfe The Author is the Lord No lesse then an almighty power is necessary to deliver from any evill worke For such is our inclinablenesse to joyne with temptation such the malice and strength of our enemy so many bee the snares and so cunningly spread in every thing we deale withall that whatsoever delivereth us must bee above Satan and our owne evill hearts more wise more powerfull more gracious to preserve us than any adverse power can be to draw us unto evill workes In which case well said Moses when God in his wonted glorious presence refused to goe along with them O saith Moses if thou goâ— not with us carry us not hence Deliver supposeth danger possible or present Beloved Our lives are such as stand in need of perpetuall deliverance Our estate here is waving The Church lives alwayes in tents hath never any hope of rest untill the day of triumph therefore after forgivenesse of sinnes followes lead us not into temptation because though sins past be forgiven yet we are in danger to be led into temptation let none promise a truce to himselfe which God promiseth not if Satan and our corruptions joyne we cannot be quiet after sinnes of youth we are in danger of sinnes of riper age for though by grace in some sort sinne be subdued yet untill it be wholly mortified there will be some stirring up untill that which is imperfect in us be abolished But I hasten to that
from sinfull workes This we may build on that either God will preserve us in life or if we die he will preserve us in death to his heavenly Kingdome And sometimes God preserves by not preserving from death for indeed death keepes a man from all danger whatsoever hee is out of all gun-shot when he is once dead death is a deliverance and a preservation of it selfe it sends a man to heaven straite and therefore the Apostle knew what he said The Lord will preserve mee to his heavenly Kingdome That is he will preserve me til I be possest of Heaven hee will goe along with me in all the passages of my life he will cary me through all and bring mee thither at last As the Angell that strooke off Peters bolts shined in the prison and carryed him out into the City So God by his Spirit shines into our soules and carryes us through all the passages of this life never leaving us till he have brought us to his heavenly Kingdome And not to open unto you things that are beyond my conceit much more my expression what a state this heavenly kingdome is unto which S. Paul hoped to be preserved observe briefely thus much 1. It is a Kingdome of all conditions the freest 2. The most glorious 3. The most abundant in all supplies 4. It is a heavenly Kingdome 5. It is an everlasting Kingdome Things the neerer the Heavens they are the purer they are 1. heaven is a most holy Kingdome no uncleanenesse can enter there 2. it is a large Kingdome and 3. an everlasting Kingdome Other mens Kingdomes determine with their persons perhaps they may live to out-live their glory in the world as Nero did the king that Paul was under now when hee wrote this Epistle who came to a base end But this Kingdome can never be shaken Gods preservation shall end in eternall glory Here is a speciall ground to Gods children of perseverance in weldoing what doth God undertake even from himselfe to deliver us from evill works which might indanger our salvation and to preserve us untill he have put us into heaven where is the popish doctrine of falling away then Oh but I may sin and so fall away I but God will deliver us from evill workes he takes away that objection Hee that keepes Heaven for us keepes us for heaven till he have put us into possession of it We are kept we are guarded as the word is by the power of God to salvation Salvation is kept for us and we for that If we indanger heaven any way it is by ill workes and God keepes us from them what a most comfortable doctrine is this But to adde a second against that foolish vaine and proud point of Popish Merit we see what a straine they are in first before conversion they will have Merit of congruitie that it befits the goodnesse of God when we doe what we can that we should have grace 2. When wee are in the state of grace they will have Merit of condignity but how can that be when as free grace runnes along in all God preserves us from evill workes and preserves us to his heavenly Kingdome of his meere love and mercy where then is the merit of man Indeed wee doe good when we doe good but God inables us wee speake to the praise of God but he opens our mouth we beleeve but God draws our heart to it as Austin sayes we move but God moves us I beseech you observe further here How compleat Gods favours are to his He deales like a God that is fully and eternally with his children If he deliver it is from the greatest evill if he preserve it is to the greatest good Who would not serve such a master O the basenesse of the vile heart of man that is a slave to inferiour things and affraid to displease men never considering what a blessed condition it is to be under the government of a gracious God that will keepe us from ill if it be for our good for ever Outwardly from evill workes inwardly from the terrors of an il conscience that will preserve us here in this world and give us heaven when we have done I beseech you let this compleate and full dealing of God quicken us to a holy courage and constancy in his service And see here a point of heavenly wisdome to looke when we are in any danger with the Apostle to the heavenly Kingdome When we are sicke look not at death Paul cared not for that but sayes he The Lord will preserve me to his kingdome Hee looked to the bank of the shore as a man that goes through a river hath his eye stil on the shore so the Apostle had his eye fixed upon heaven stil I beseech you therefore in all dangers and distresses whatsoever if you would keepe your soules without discouragements as you should bee much in heaven in your thoughts minding the things above and conversing with God in your spirits Look to the Crowne that is held out to us let our mindes be in heaven before our soules It is a wondrous helpe to our weakenesse in the time of trouble not to thinke I am full of paine I must be turned into the grave and rot and what shall become of me then c. away with this carnall reasoning it much weakens faith and damps the hearts of Christians Againe How doth this arme the soule with invincible courage in any trouble God may call mee to trouble but he will preserve me in it that I shall not staine my conscience What a ground of Patience is this Patience is too meane a word what a ground of joy and triumphing is it We rejoyce under the hope of glory Rom. 5. 2. A Christian should triumph in soule over all evills whatsoever and be as the Apostle faith more than a Conqueror considering that God will be present with him all his life long and after that bring him to an everlasting kingdome what an incouragement is this Heaven is holy and shall we not fit our selves for that blessed estate There is much holinesse required for heaven the sinfull wicked malicious poysonfull world layes reproaches upon holinesse but without it no man shall see God Doth that man beleeve he shall obtaine a heavenly kingdome who never sits himselfe with holinesse for it Oh no Faith and hope have this efficacie in the breast wheresoever they are to frame the heart to the thing beleeved If I beleeve a kingdome to be where righteousnes and holinesse dwelleth this beliefe forceth me to carry my selfe answerable to the state there And therefore saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence we looke for the Savioure c. because he was assured of heaven therefore he conversed as a Citizen of heaven before he came there Hee praised God kept himselfe undefiled of the world and conversed with the best people
will deliver him To glorisie God here is the end of all ends to praise God happy wee when Gods end and our end meet together Hee hath made all for his owne glory and when wee with a single eye can ayme at that too what a sweet harmony is there To direct us in this duty in praising God let us with Paul for I goe no surther than the text leads me seriously meditate on Gods mercies both past and to come nothing moves thankfulnesse more than this A Christian when hee lookes backwards hath comfort and when he lookes forward he sees comfort still for preservation and Kingdomes and Crownes abide for him If a man would praise God therefore let him consider how graciously God hath dealt with him Hee hath delivered me already by Jesus Christ from sinne and eternall wrath and he will deliver mee from every evill worke to come that may indanger my salvation Thinke of these things and see whether your hearts can bee cold and dead or no see if your spirits can be streightned Certainely both heart and mouth will be full thou canst not but say in the apprehension of Gods mercies To him bee glory for ever 2. Consider the kindes of favours thou receivest they are either positive or privative spirituall or temporall Positive the Lord will preserve me privative the Lord will deliver mee from every evill worke Temporall the Lord in this life will keepe me spirituall he will deliver me from the power of sin Eternall Hee will preserve mee to his heavenly Kingdome Thinke forward or backwards outward or inward spirituall or temporall where ever you looke tell me if you can doe otherwise then breake out with the holy Apostle in the praises of so good a God And 3. Thinke of the greatnesse of all these the greatnesse of the deliverance from sinne and damnation The Apostle to make himselfe the more thankfull saith he was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion he had large apprehensions of Gods goodnesse So should we beloved consider the greatnesse of the misery we are in by nature being slaves of Satan in danger to slip into Hell every moment and when God hath secured us from this thinke of the greatnesse of the benefit a heavenly kingdome When we think not only of the benefits but of the greatnesse of them it is a wondrous incouragement to bee thankfull Labour then to have a due and high esteeme of every mercy God hath brought us out of darknesse into marvellous light saith the Apostle Great is the mystery of godlinesse and the unsearchable riches of his grace he had not words bigge enough to expresse Gods goodnes Oh the heighth and bredth and depth and length of his love When we consider these dimensions our thankfulnesse must be answerable Againe if you would bee thankfull Labour to have humble spirits to see God in all things and then you will sacrifice to him alone not to thy parts and graces friends abilities c. the meeke are fit to pray to God Seeke the Lord yee meeke of the earth and an humbled meeke soule is the fittest to praise God of any other he that knowes he is worthy of nothing will blesse God for any thing he that knowes he hath nothing in himselfe will be thankfull for the least measure of grace an humble soule is a thankfull soule We see it was Pauls disposition here he gives all to God which makes him so breake out in praising his name Againe if wee would bee thankfull as Paul here and beginne Heaven upon Earth Labour to be assured of salvation and perseverance in thy Christian course The Papists that speake against Assurance and Perseverance kill prayer and praising of God Shall a man praise God for that which he doubts of I cannot tell whether God will damne me or not perhaps I am but fitted as a sheepe to the slaughter c. how shall a man praise God for any blessing hee enjoyes when these thoughts are still with him how shall a man praise God for salvation when perhaps he shall not come to it how shall a man praise God for that which perhaps he may fall from before hee die when perhaps hee is Gods to day and may be the Devills to morrow How can there bee a hearty thankes but when a man can say The Lord will deliver me from every evill work that by mine owne weaknesse and Satans malice I may occasionally fall into betwixt this and Heaven Therefore if we would praise God as we should let us worke our hearts to labour after assurance of Gods favour let us redeeme our precious time and every day set some time apart to strengthen our evidences for heaven which will set us in a continuall frame to every good worke Thus wee see out of Pauls example how we should be disposed here to be in heaven before our time For undoubtedly he who praiseth God is so much in Heaven as he is given to thankfulnesse for hee is in that imployment now which shall be there altogether But how long doth he desire that God should have glory For ever and ever A Christian should have the extent of his desires of Gods glory carried to eternity Upon what ground because God intends him glory for ever and ever a Christian that is assured of his salvation is assured that God will eternally glorisie him He knowes that Christ is King for ever He knowes that Christ is a Priest for ever He knowes that the state and condition that he is kept for is everlasting It is an inheritance immortal and undeâ—iled that fadeth not away and therefore he saith Hath God eternall thoughts of my good and is Christ an eternall head an eternall King to rule me both in lise and in death Surely I will extend my desires of his glory as farre as hee extends his purpose to doe me good Now his purpose to doe mee good is for eternity and my desire that he may have glory shall be â—or eternity world withont end This is the disposition of a gracious soule not that God may be honoured by him alone but of all To whom be praise not by me but by all I am not sufficient enough to praise him To him be praises in the Churches throughout all ages for ever David had not largenesse enough in himselfe to blesse God and therefore hee stirres up his spirits and all within him to praise his holy name as if all were too little to set out the glory of Gods infinite goodnesse mercy wisedome and power those gracious attributes that shew themselves glorious in bringing man to salvation and in governing the Church Learne this duty therefore If we will make good to our owne soules that we are in the state of grace we must plot for eternity and indeavour to lay a ground and foundation that the Church may flourish for eternitie No man can warrant himselfe to be a good Christian but he that labours to
have the Church and Common wealth flourish to have a happy Kingdome happy government and happy lawes not onely to have the Church in his owne Familie but that the Church may flourish in those that stand up when we are gone the way of all flesh and therefore to declare the minde of God and his favours to us and our children that they may strengthen their experience with their fathers experience and say to God Thou art the God of my Fathers therefore be my God those that are called to places of dignity should consider that it is required at their hands to labour that there should be meanes to continue Religion even to the worlds end if it may be and to stoppe all the breaches in this kinde And if it were possible it were to be wished that there were set up some lights in all the darke corners of this Kingdome that might shine to those people that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death One way is to have a care that there be no breaches made upon the sound doctrine that is left unto us and hath beene sealed up by the blood of so many Martyrs Wee had it dearely it hath beene taught by our forefathers and sealed with their blood shall we betray it No let us labour to deliver it to our posterity from hand to hand to the comming of Christ and then wee shall in effect and not in word onely doe that which Paul saith here labour to glorifie God for ever and ever both in the Church and in heaven Surely those that will glorifie God in heaven hee will have them so disposed to glorifie him on earth It is a dangerous thing when persons are naught wee see what comes of it especially if they be great It is said of Manasseh when God had forgiven him his sinne yet afterwards God plagued the Kingdome for the sinnes that Manasseh committed how can this bee because he by his sinne though he repented himselfe yet set the Kingdome in an evill frame And no question but hee had naughty principles and among people that are given to licentiousnesse if there bee any thing in great men it will goe to posterity after them So that when Governours are naught they are not onely a poison to the Church and State while they live but the mischiefe of it is after and after still And so it is in the best things if the Governour be good hee layes a foundation of good for the Kingdome in time to come as well as for his owne time How will it shame a man when he shall thinke I doe these things now but what will Posterity thinke of me what will be the remembrance of it when I am gone then my name will stinke The wicked Emperour Nero was of this resolution wheÌ„ he should die Let Heaven and Earth mingle together saith he when I am gone He knew himselfe to bee so naught and that he should be so evill spoken of that he wished there were no posterity but that the world might end with him So it is the wishes of those that are wretches themselves and that lay a foundation of wretched times after they wish that Heaven and Earth may mingle that no man might censure them when they are gone What a shamefull condition is it for men to gratifie a number of unrulie lusts and give such sway to them as to doe ill while they live and to lay a foundation of misery for after-times On the contrary what a good thing is it like Iosiâ—â— and Nehemiah to bee full of goodnesse while wee live and to lay a foundation of happinesse and prosperity to the Church and State when we are gone What a happy thing is it when a man is gone to say such a man did such a thing he stood stoutly for the Church for Religion he was a publique man he forgat his owne private good for the publique he deserved well of the times wherein hee lived What a blessed commendation is this next to Heaven to have a blessed report on earth and to carry such a conscience as will comfort a man that he hath carryed himselfe well and abounded in well doing I beseech you let us thinke of this For ever and ever it is not enough that we be good in our times that are circumscribed to us but as God hath given us immortall soules and preserves us to immortall glory and a crowne of immortality so let our thoughts and desires be immortall that God may be glorified in the Church world without end Oh what a sweet comfort will it be when we are on our death-bed to thinke what we have done in our life times then all our good actions will come and meet together to comfort and refresh our soules The better to incourage us to glorifie God while we are here and to lay a foundation to eternize his glorie for the time to come Consider I. Gods gracious promise Those that honour me I will honour If we had inlarged hearts to honour God God would honour us he hath passed his word for it If a King should say so O how would we be set on fire how much more when the King of Kings saith it 2. Consider that wee honour our selves when wee honour God nay the more we honour God the more we are bound to God for it is from him that wee honour him the sacrifice comes from him as well as the matter for which we sacrifice Hee found a Ramme for Abraham to sacrifice hee gives the heart to be thankfull the more wee are thankfull the more we shall be thankfull and the more wee ought to bee thankfull for our thankfulnesse The more wee praise God the more we should praise him for it is the gift of God when God sees we honour him and frame our selves that we may be such as may honour him by emptying and disabling our selves to be sufficient to doe him any service he will bestow more upon us as men cast seed upon seed where there is fruitfull ground but they will sow nothing upon a barren heath So the more we set our selves to doe good in our places the more we shall have advantage thereunto and the more wee doe good the more we shall doe good When God sees wee improve our talents so well that he trusts withall he will trust us with more Againe consider Our glorifiing and praising God causeth others to doe so which is the main end wherefore wee live in this world It is the imployment of Heaven and we are so much in heaven as wee are about this worke and when God gives us hearts to glorifie him here it is a good pledge that he will afterward glorifie us in heaven Who would lose the comfort of all this to be barren and yeeld to his base unbeleeving dead heart to save a little here to sleepe in a whole skin and adventure upon no good action Who would not rather take a course
that hath such large encouragements attending it both in life and death I beseech you thinke of these things Christ ere long will come to be glorified in all those that beleeve He will come to be glorified in his Saints Our glory tends to his glory shall we not glorifie him all we can here by setting forth his truth by countenancing his Children and Servants by doing good and deserving well of ingratefull times we live in Let men bee as unthankfull as they will we looke not to them but to the honour of God the credit of Religion the maintenance of the truth c. Let men be as they will be base wicked enemies to grace and goodnesse we doe it not to them but to God Consider this will Christ come from Heaven ere long to bee glorified in us and shall not we labour to glorifie him while we are here Hee will never come to be glorified in any hereafter but those that glorifie him now As we looke therefore that he should be glorified in us and by us let us glorifie him now for so he condescends to vouchsafe to be glorified in us and by us that the may also glorifie us Saint Paul saith The Wife is the glory of the Husband what meanes he by this That is she reflects the graces of a good Husband if he be good shee is good she reflects his excellencies So let every Christian soule that is marryed to Christ be the glory of Christ reflect his excellencies be holy as he is holy fruitsull as he was in doing good meeke and humble as he was every way be his glory and then undoubtedly when he comes to judge us he will come to bee glorified in us having beene before glorified by us Beloved these and such considerations should set us on worke how to doe Christ all the honour wee can as David saith is there any of Ionathans posterity alive that I may doe good unto them for his sake so considering we shal beso glorified by Christ and that hee will doe so much for us in another world Wee should enquire Is there any of Christs posterity here any of his Children in this world that I may doe good unto them Is there any way wherein I may shew my thankfulnesse and I will doe it Let us consider that wee shall bee for and ever glorified the expression of it is beyond conceit wee shall never know it til wee have it Let this I beseech you stirre us up to study how wee may bee thankfull to God set forth his glory and deserve wel of the Church and times wherein wee live God hath children and a cause in the world which hee dearely loves let us owne the same and stand for it to the uttermost of our power maugre all the spight and opposition of Satan and his wicked instruments The Lord in mercy settle these truths upon our hearts and incourage us in his most holy way FINIS CHRIST IS BEST OR S. PAVLS STRAIT A SERMON PREA ched at the Funerall of Mr. Sherland late Recorder of Northampton BY R. SIBBS D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and Preacher of Grayes-Inne LONDON PSAL. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard I634 CHRIST IS BEST PHIL. 1. 23 24. For I am in a strait betweene two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is best of all neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is most needfull for you THe Apostle Paul here had a double desire one in regard of himselfe to be with Christ another out of his love of Gods Church and people to abide still in the flesh and betweene these two hee is in a great straite not knowing which to choose but the love of the Church of Christ tryumphed in him above the love of his owne salvation so as he was content out of selfe-deniall to want the joyes of heaven for a time that hee might yet further comfort the people of God In the words you have 1. S. Pauls straites 2. his desires that caused them as in regard of himselfe which was to bee with Christ so in respect of the Church of God which was to abide still here 3. the reasons of both 1. to be with Christ is farre better for mee 2. to abide in the flesh more needfull for you and 4. his resolution upon all being willing for the Churches good still to abide here rather than goe to heaven and enjoy his owne happinesse S. Pauls soule was as a shippe betweene two windes tossed up and downe as iron between two Loadstones drawne first one way then another the one loadstone was his owne good to bee in heaven the other was the good of Gods people to abide still in the flesh Observe hence that the servants of God are oftentimes in great straits some things are so exceeding bad that without any deliberation or delay at all we ought presently to abominate them as Satans temptations to sinne to distrust despaire c. some things also are so good that wee should immediately cleave unto them as matters of Religion and pietie there should be no delay in these holy businesses deliberation here argues weaknesse Some things againe are of an ambiguous and doubtfull nature requiring our best consideration such was Pauls strait in this place he had reasons swaying him on both sides and such is the happy estate of a Christian that whatsoever hee had chosen had beene well for him onely God who rules our judgements will have us to make choise God might have determined whether Paul should live or die but he would not without Pauls choice that which is good is not good to us but upon choice and advice when God hath given us abilities to discourse and examine things hee will have us make use of them and therefore the Apostle useth reasons on both sides It is better to die for me It is better to live for you c. Wicked men have their deliberations and their straits too but it is with the rich man in the Gospell What they shall doe how they may pull downe their barnes and build bigger c. Their maine strait is at the houre of death live they cannot die they dare not there is so much guilt of sinne upon their consciences they know not which way to turn themselves oh what fearefull straits will sinne bring men into but the Apostle was straitned in an higher nature than this whether it were better for the glory of God which he aimed at above all for him to goe to heaven and enjoy happinesse in his owne person or to abide still for the comfort of Gods Saints on earth The ground of this difficulty and straite was his present desire I have a desire Desires are the immediate issue of the soule the motion and stirring
farre better And is it much farre better to die that we may be with Christ than to live here a conflicting life Why should we then feare death that is but a passage to Christ It is but a grimme servant that lets us into a glorious pallace that striks off our bolts that takes off our rags that wee may bee clothed with better robes that ends all our misery and is the beginning of all our happinesse why should we therfore be affraid of death it is but a departure to a better condition It is but as Iordan to the children of Israel by which they passed to Canaan it is but as the red-sea by which they were going that way therefore we have no reason to feare death of it selfe it is an enemy indeed but now it is harmelesse nay now it is become a friend amicable to us a sweet friend it is one part of the Churches joynture death All things are yours saith the Apostle Paul and Apollos life and death death is ours and for our good it doth us more good than all the friends we have in the world it determines and ends all our misery and sinne and it is the suburbs of heaven it lets us into those joyes above It is a shame for Christians therefore to bee affraid of that that Paul here makes the object of his desire But may not a good Christian feare death I answer Not so farre as a Christian is led with the spirit of God and is truly spirituall for the spirit carryes us upward but as farre as wee are earthly and carnall and byassed downward to things below wee are loath to depart hence In some cases Gods children are affraid to die because their accounts are not ready though they love Christ and are in a good way yet notwithstanding because they have not prepared themselves by care as a woman that hath her husband abroad and desires his comming but all is not prepared in the house therfore she desires that he may stay awhile so the soule that is not exact that is not in that frame that it should be in saith Oh stay awhile that I may recover my strength before I goe hence and bee no more seene but as farre as wee are guided by the spirit of God sanctifying us and are in such a condition as we should be in so farre the thoughts of death ought not to be terrible to us nor indeed are they Beloved there is none but a Christian that can desire death because it is the end of all comfort here it is the end of all callings and employments of all sweetnesse whatsoever in this world If another man that is not a Christian desire heaven he desires it not as heaven or to â—e with Christ as Christ he desires it under some notion sutable to his corruption for our desires are as our selves are as our aymes are no carnall worldly man but hath carnall worldly aymes a worldly man cannot goe beyond the world it is his spheare a carnall man cannot goe beyond the flesh therefore a carnall man cannot desire heaven a man that is under the power of any lust can desire nothing but the satisfying of that lust heaven is no place for such none but a child of God can desire that For if we consider heaven and to bee with christ to be perfect holines can he desire it that hates holinesse here can he desire the Image of God upon him that hates it in others and in himselfe too can he desire the communion of Saints that of all societies hates it the most can he desire to be free from sinne that ingulfes himselfe continually in sinne he cannot and therefore as long as he is under the thraldome and dominion of any lust he may desire heaven indeed but it is onely so farre as he may have his lusts there his pleasures honours and riches there too if he may have heaven with that he is contented but alas brethren heaven must not be so desired S. Paul did otherwise he desired to be dissolved to be with Christ hee desired it as the perfection of the Image of God under the notion of holinesse and freedome from sin as I said before Which is farre better Againe we see that God reserves the best for the last Gods â—aâ—t workes are his best workes the new heaven and the new earth are the best the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best spirituall things are better than naturall A Christians last is his best God will have it so for the comfort of Christians that everyday they live they may think My best is behinde my best is to come that every day they rise they may thinke I am nearer heaven one day than I was before I am nearer death and therefore nearer to Christ what a solace is this to a gracious heart A Christian is a happy man in his life but happyer in his death because then he goes to Christ but happiest of all in heaven for then hee is with Christ. How contrary to a carnall man that lives according to the sway of his owne base lusts he is miserable in his life more miserable in his death but most miserable of all after death I beseech you lay this to heart mee thinkes considering that death is but a way for us to be with Christ which is farre better this should sweeten the thinking of death to us and we should comfort our selves daily that we are nearer happinesse But how shall we attaine this sanctified sweet desire that Paul had to die and be with Christ Let us carry our selves as Paul did and then we shall have the same desires S. Paul before death in his life time had his conversation in heaven his minde was there and his soule followed after there is no mans soule comes into heaven but his minde is there first It was an easie matter for him to desire to bee with Christ having his conversation in heaven already Paul in meditation was where he was not and he was not where he was he was in heaven when his body was on earth 2. Againe S. Paul had loosed his affections from all earthly things therefore it was an easie matter for him to desire to be with Christ I am cruciâ—ied to the world and the world is crucified to me c. If once a Christian comes to this passe death will be welcome to him those whose hearts are fastened to the world cannot easily desire Christ. 3. Againe holy S. Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience in all things herein I exercise my selfe to have a good conscience towards God and men c. It is easie for him to desire to be dissolved that hath his conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ free from a purpose of living in any sinne But where there is a stained defiled polluted conscience there cannot be this desire for the heart of man naturally as the Prophet saith
away thee and take away Christ if I should despaire I should make thee no GOD and make Christ no Christ if I should not accept of mercy for Christ is given to me and I labour to make him mine owne by laying hold of him Faith hath a power to make every thing it s owne that it toucheth particular faith which is the only true coÌ„fortable faith makes generall things mine when the soule can lay a particular claime to God as his GOD by giving himselfe to him onely then wee may plead in Christ better satisfaction to Gods justice than if hee should cast us into hell What a stay is this for a distressed soule to make use of Beloved the Church of God the mysticall body of Christ is thus forsaken in other Countries besides many particular humble broken-hearted Christians at home who finde no beames of Gods love and mercy what shall we doe Let the body imitate the head even goe to GOD in their behalfe and powre out your complaintâ— before him Lord where are thy mercies of old where are thy ancient bowels to thy Church why should the enemy triumph c. GOD delights when wee lay open the miseries of his people and our owne particular grievances before him If there be a spirit of faith in it oh it workes upon his bowels If a Child can but say Oh father oh mother though hee can say not a word more the bowels are touched there is elâ—quence enough so when wee can lay open the pittifull state of Gods poore Church what a blessing may we obtaine for them It is thy CHVRCH Lord thine owne people thy name is called upon them and they call upon thy name though they have sinned yet thou deservest to bee like thy selfe and Christ hath deserved mercy for them Thus if wee contend with GOD and keepe not silence and give GOD no rest faith would work wonders The state of the Church would not be long as it is if wee would all improve our interest in heaven in their behalfe Beloved Christ strugled with the powers of darknesse and the wrath of his father a while but presently after all was finished so let us contend boldly Fight the good fight of faith and not yeeld to desperate suggestions let faith stirre up prayer and prayer goe to GOD and ere long it shall be said of the CHVRCH and of all particular troubles All is finished then wee shall enjoy the sweet presence of GOD Where is fulness of joy and that for evermore the presence of GOD is that the Child of GOD desires above all things in the world it quickens and strengthens him it puts zeale and fire into him it doth all What will not the presence of GOD doe when a man enjoyes his face Therefore let us bee content to conflict here to bee exercised a while in faith and prayer wee shall surely say ere long I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse I beseech you learne these lessons and instructions from our blessed Saviour wee cannot have a better pattern than to be like him by whom wee all hope to bee saved another day So much for this time FINIS THE CHVRCHES VISITATION 1 PET. 4. 17 18 19. For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God and if it begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospell c. OUR nature as it is very backeward to doe good so likewise to suffer evill therefore the Blessed Apostle exhorts us at the latter end of this Chapter Not to thinke it strange concerning the fiery tryall but to rejoyce in as much as wee are made partakers of Christs sufferings wherein are many grounds of patience and comfort to the children of God 1. That the thought of troubles should not be strange but familiar to them Acquainting our thoughts with them taketh away offence at them though it bee a fiery tryall yet it shall consume nothing but drosse 2. Then Christ joyneth with us in suffering better to be in trouble with Christ then in peace without him 3. The issue will be glorious for the spirit of glory will not only support us with his presence but rest still upon us To other grounds of comfort hee addeth some in the words of my text as First that the Church is Gods house and therefore he will have a care of it 2. That he will doe it in the fittest season Such is the exigence of the Church and people of God that they require a sharp visitation and therefore such is Gods love that he appoints out a certaine time for them 3. From the different condition of the godly and ungodly in suffering both suffer but differ much 1. in order God begins with his owne house 2 in measure where shall the ungodly appeare their judgmeÌ„t shall be most terrible certaine it is set downe by way of interrogation and admiration What shall their end beâ— And as Pharaohs dreames weâ—â— doubled for more certainty 〈◊〉 here is a double question to make the matter more out of question 1. What shall their end be that obey not the Gospell 2. Where shall the ungodly and sinners appeare Here is no unnecessary waste of words and arguments for the spirit of God knowes that all is little enough to fortifie the soule against the evill day unlesse the soule be well ballaced it will soon be overturned when stormes arise Therefore the Apostle in these three verses sets downe 1. some foundations of comfort and 2. an incouragement to build upon them wherefore let them that suffer c. The points considerable in the 17. verse are these 1. That Gods Church is his house 2. That this house of his will neede purging it will gather soyle 3. When God sees the exigent of it that it must be so he will be sure to visite and judge his owne house 4. That there is a certaine time when he will doe it which those that are wise may easily gather for God comes not upon his Church on the suddaine as a storm or tempest c. but he gives them faire warning there is a season when God begins judgment with his owne house Lastly Why God begins with his owne Church and people Of these in order First The Church of God is Gods house God hath two houses the Heavens which are called his house because hee manifests his glory there and the Church here below wherein he manifests his grace yea the whole world in a sort is his house because he manifests his power and wisedome in it but Heaven and his Church in a more peculiar manner and that in these respects 1. Because God by his grace hath residence in his Church 2. Because by the meanes of salvation the word and Sacramets there administred he doth seede his Church as in a house 3. A man rests and takes contentment
but will bee ruled partly by carnall wisedome and partly by the Spirit it leaves them at last altogether 3. But some there are who give up themselves wholly to the government of Christ to be ruled in all things by his blessd Spirit highly esteeming the treasures of heaven and comforts of a better life above all the fading outward felicities which this world can afford who would not to gaine any earthly thing hurt their consciences or once defile themselves with unfruitfull workes of darknesse fearing lest they should in any thing dishonour Christ or grive his good Spirit and to such only hath the Gospell come in power Therefore I beseech you seriously coÌ„nsider of this truth if you would not disobey the Gospell disobey not the Spirit accompanying the same deale faithfully with your owne soules Which of you al hath not some time or other had his heart warmed with the sweet motions of Gods Spirit Oh doe not resist these holy stirrings within you give way to the motions of the blessed Spirit of God second them with holy resolutions to practise the same let them sinke deepe into your hearts roote them there and never give over the holy meditation of them till you make them your owne till you come to see Grace and the state of Christianity to be the most amiable and excellent thing in the world sin carnall courses to bee the most accursed thing in the world worse than any misery than any beggery tormeÌ„t or disgrace whatsoever Beloved til we have our spirits wrought upon to this high esteeme of good things to a base undervaluing of all things else we shal rebell against Christ first or last for untill such time as the heart of maÌ„ is overpowred with Grace hee cannot but disobey the Gospel either by shutting it out altogether or by making an evill use of what he knoweth thereby turning the grace of God into wantonnesse or else by revolting from the truth received altogether When times of temptation come unfound Christians wil do one of these three either despise refuse or revolt from the truth Therefore I beseech you let your hearts be cast into the mould and fashion of the Gospell of Christ let it bee soundly bottomed and ingrasted in you that so you may grow more and more obedient to the truth revealed and so your end shal not be theirs here which obey not the Gospell of Iesus Christ. But how may I come to obey the Gospell Begge earnestly of God in the use of the meanes else prayer is but a tempting of God that thy soule may bee convinced of what evill is in thee and what evill is towards thee unlesse thou repent Labour for sound conviction for you shall not need to stirre up a man that is condemned to seeke out for a pardon or a man that seeles the smart of his wound to get balme to cure it oh no when our hearts are once truly humb'â—d and pearced with a sight of our sinnes then Christ will bee Christ indeed unto us mercy is sweet at such a time any thing for a Saviour then and not before Therefore labour every day to see more and more into the venemous filthy nature of sin make it as odious to thy soule as possibly thou canst hearken to the voyce of conscience give it full scope to speake what it can that so thou maist fly to Christ. Consider how God plagueth us in this world for sinne how it fils us with feares and horrors causing our consciences to torment us and fly in our faces consider what threatnings are denounced against sinne and sinners for the time to come Consider the fearfull judgements of God upon others for sinne how it cast Adam out of Paradise the Angels out of heaven being so offensive to God that it could no otherwise bee expiated then by the death and blood shedding of the Lord Jesus I beseech you let your hearts dwel upon these things and consider with your selves how bitter you have found it to offend God though now it be a time of mercy Secondly coÌ„sider how the Gospell layes open Christ unto us this is his coÌ„mandement that we beleeve in the Lord Iesus he that coÌ„mands us to doe no murther not to â—teale c. commands us likewise to beleeve in Christ Hee commands us to love our owne soules so much as to take the remedy which may cure them so that now it is our duty to be good to our poore soules and wee offend God if wee bee not mercifull to our owne soules Oh what a favour is this that God should lay a charge upon me noâ—â—o reject my owne mercy as it is in Ionah They who follow lying vanities forsake their owne mercies If I doe not love my owne soule and accept of mercy offered I make God a lyar and offend his Majesty Againe consider how God allures those that might except against mercy Alas I am laden with sinne will some poore soule say why Come unto mee all you that are heavy â—aden and I will case you But I have offended God I have broken my peace c. yet I beseech you be reconciled to God though you have offended yet there is hope do but consider how ready God is to helpe you how continuall his mercies are and how he stretcheth out his hands to receive us Consider further what a sweet regiment it is to be under Christ as a King and as an Husband will hee not provide for his owne family for his owne Subjects Beloved it is not meere dominion that Christ stands upon he aymes at a Fatherly and Husband like soveraignty for the good of his children and Spouse it is their welfare he lookes after therefore I beseech you be in love with the government of Jesus Christ and his blessed Spirit oh it is a sweet regiment the Spirit of God leades us quietly inlightning our understandings upon judicious grounds what to doe by strength of reason altering our natures and bettering us every way both in our inward and outward man it never leaves teaching and guiding of us till it hath brought us to heaven and happinesse To conclude marke what the Apostle saith here What shall bee the end of those that obey not the Gospell he cares not what they know Many say we have heard the Word and wee have received the Sacrament c. it is no matter for that how stands the bent of your soules what hath your obedience beene this is that God lookes after every man can talke of religion but where is the practice a little obedience is worth all the discourse and contemplation in the world for that serves but to justifie Gods damning of us if we live not answerably value not your selves therefore by your outward profess oÌ„ neither judge of your estate in grace by the knowledge of good things nothing but the power of godlinesse expressed in our lives will yeeld reall comfort
till wee come to the haven None comes to heaven but they know how they come there Now God will have it thus to sweeten heaven unto us after a conslicting life peace is welcome heven is heaven indeed after trouble wee can relish it then Because God will discard hypocrites in this life who take up so much of ReligioÌ„ as stands with their case and credit in the world avolding every difficulty which accompanyes goâ—linesse but so they may swimme two wayes at once goe on in their lusts still and bee religious withall this they approve of therefore God will have it a hard matter to bee saved to frustrate the vaine hopes of such wretches Alas it is an easy matter to bee an hypocrite but not to live godly If the righteous bee saved with much adoe then never enter upon the profession of Religion with vaine hopes of ease and pleasure that it shall be thus and thus with thee c. herein thou doest but delude thy owne soule for it wil prove otherwise Forecast therefore what will fall and gett provision of grace before hand to sustaine thee As if a man were to goe a dangerous journey hee provides himselfe of weapons pons and cordialls and all the incourageâ—ents he can least hee should faint in the way where as hee that walkes for his pleasure provides nothing hee cares not for his weapon or his cloake because if a storme comes hee can runne under shelter or into a house c. He that makes Religion a recreation can walke a turne or two for his pleasure and when any difficulty arises can retire and drawe in his hornes againe An hypocrite hath his reservations and politike ends and therefore what needs hee any great provision to support him when he knows how to winde out of trouble well enough rather then to stand couragiously to any thing But a true Christian that makes it the maine work of his life to please God armes himself for the worst that can befall him and will be saved through thicke or thinne smooth or rough whatsoever comes on it so God will save his soule hee cares not but rejoyceth with Paul if by any meanâ—s he can attain the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead by any meanes it is no matter what Let fire and fagott meete with him yet hee is resolved not to retire for any trouble or persecution whatsoever that standes betweene him and happinesse Hee is purposely armed to breake through every opposition to the best things and what ever may separate his soule from the favour of God I beseech you beloved think of these things and let it bee your wisedome to make the way to heaven as easy as you can to this end begge the Spirit of Christ you know the holy spirit is full of life and strength it is a spirit of light and comfort and whatsoever is good the spirit of God is like the winde as it is subtle in operation and invisible so it is strong and mighty it beares all before it Oh therefore gett this blessed spirit to inlighten thee to quicken thee to support thee c. and it will carry thy soule couragiously along above all oppositions and discouragements whatsoever in the way to happinesse Get likewise the particular graces of the Spirit which will much cheere thee in thy Christian course above all labour for a spirit of humility an humble man is sit to doe or suffer any thing a proud man is like a gouty hand or a swelled arme unfit for any Christian performance he is not in a state to doe good but an â—uÌ„ble maÌ„ is thankfull that God will honour â—im so farre as to let him suffer for the cause of Christ hee is wondrous empty and vile in his owne eyes and admires why God should reserve such infinite matters for so base a worme as hee is When Christ would have us take his yoake upon us he advises us to learne of him to be meeke and lowly c. Some might say This yoake is heavy it will pinch mee and gall me No saith our Saviour it shall bee very light and easie but how shall I get it to be so Why get but an humble and meeke spirit and that will bring rest to your soules Againe labour for a spirit of love Love is strong as death it will carry us through all The love of Christ in the Martyrs when the fire was kindled about them made them despise all tormâ—nts what soever this will warme our hearts and make us goe cheerfully to worke Let but a spirit of love be kindled in Gods childe and it is no matter what he suffers cast him into the fire cast him into the dungeon into prison whatsoever it bee hee hath that kindled in his heart which will make him digest any thing We see the Disciples when they had the spirit of Christ within them to warme their hearts what cared they for whipping or Stockes c You see even base carnall love will make a man indute poverty disgrace what not and shall not this fire that comes from heaveÌ„ when it is once kindled in our hearts prevaile much more what will make our passage to heaven sweete if this will not Nothing is grievous to a person that loves Exercise your hope likewise set before your eyes the crowne and kingdome of heaven those admirable things contained in the Word of GOD which no tongue can â—xpresse let hope feed upon these deâ—cates cast Anchor in heaven and see if it will not make thee goe on cheerefully in a Christian course Faith will overcome the world all the snares of prosperity that would hinder us on the right hand Faith it presents things of a higher nature to the soule better than they faith likewise overcomes temptations on the left hand all terrours and discomforts whatsoever it considers these are nothing to the terrour of the Lord therefore faith is called the evidence of things not seene because it presents things that are absent as present to the soule If life and happinesse be once truly presented to our hearts what can all the world doe to hinder our passage thither Lastly we should much endeavor the mortificaâ—â—oÌ„ of our lusts for what is it that makes the way to heaven irk some unto us Is it not this corrupt and proud flesh of ours which will indure nothing no not the waight of a straw but is all for ease and quiet c. It is not duty which makes our way difficult for it was meate and drinke to Christ to doe the will of his father Why is it not so with us Because he was borne without sinne when Sathan came he found nothing of his owne in him but when hee sollicites us hee findes a correspondency betwixt our corrupt hearts and himselfe whereby having intelligence what we haunt what we love he will be sure to molest us the lesse wee have of the workes of Sathan in us the lesse
free us from the hands of Sathan and bring us to an eternall estate of communion with himselfe in heaven for all the old heaven and the old earth shall passe away and the old condition of creatures and a new life shall bee given them God that made the new heaven and the new earth hath made us for them Considering therefore that God gave us our first being and when we were worse thaÌ„ naught gave us a second being in regard of our new creation how should it stirre us up to coÌ„mit our soules unto him especially if we consider that in him wee live and move and have our being that there is not the least thought and affection to goodnesse in us but it comes from God wee are what wee are by his grace What is the reason that love descends so much Because a man lookes upon that which is his owne and loves it now God lookes upon us as upon those into whom hee hath infused mercy and goodnesse and hee loves his owne worke upon us and therefore having begun a good worke will perfect the same Doe not men delight to polish their owne worke As in the first creation God never tooke off his hand till hee had finished his worke so in the second creation of our soules he will never remove his hand from the blessed worke of grace till hee hath perfected the same therefore wee may well commit our soules to him But suppose a man be in a desperate estate and hath no way of escaping Remember that God is the same still he hath not forgot his old Art of creating but is as able to helpe now as ever and can create comforts for thee in thy greatest troubles As in the first creation hee made light out of darknesse order out of confusion so still hee is able out of thy confused and perplexed estate to create peace and comfort Thou knowest not what to doe perhaps thy minde is so troubled and disquieted why commit thy soule to God hee can raise an excellent frame out of the Chaos of thy thoughts therefore be not dismayed consider thou hast God in covenant with thee and hast to deale with an Almighty Creator who can send present helpe in time of need Doest thou want any grace doest thou want spirituall life goe to this Creator hee will put a new life into thee he that made all things of nothing can raise light out of thy darke minde and can make fleshy thy sâ—ony heart though it be as hard as a rocke Therefore never despaire but frequent the meanes of grace and still thinke of God under this relation of a Creator and when hee hath begun any good worke of grace in thee goe confidently to his Majesty and desire him to promote and increase the same in thy heart and life Lord I am thy poore creature thou hast in mercy begun a blessed worke in mee and where thou hast begun thou hast said thou wilt make an end When thou createdst the world thou didst not leave it till all was done and when thou createdst man thou madest an end Now I beseech thee perfect the new creature in my soule as thou hast begun to inlighten mine understanding and to direct my affections to the best things so I commit my soule unto thee for further guidance and direction to full happinesse THE SAINTS SAFETY IN EVILL TIMES SERMON V. 1 PET. 4. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as to a faithfull Creator I Am now to treate of that other Attribute of GOD which should move us to trust in him namely as hee is a faithfull Creator Now God is faithfull 1. In his nature Hee is I AM alwayes like himselfe immutable and unchangeable 2. In his word Hee expresseth himselfe as he is the word that comes from God is an expression of the faithfulnesse of his nature 3. In his workes Thou art good and doest good as the Psalâ—ist saith God being faithfull in himselfe all must needs bee so that proceeds from him whatsoever Relation God takes upon him hee is faithfull therein As hee is a Creator so hee preserves and maintains his owne worke as hee is a Father hee is faithfull in discharging that duty to the full for his childrens good as bee is our friend hee likewise performes all the duties of that Relâ—â—ion c. And why doth God stoope so low to take these Relations upon him but onely to shew that hee will certainly accomplish the same to the utmost Whence is it that men are faithfull in their Relations one towards another that the father is faithfull to his childe is it not from God the chiefe Father That a friend should bee faithfull to his friend is it not from God the great friend All his wayes are mercy and truth they are not onely mercifull and good and gracious but Mercy and Truth it selfe If he shew himselfe to bee a father hee is a true father a true friend a true Creator and Protector as one saith Shall I cause others to feare and bee a Tyrant my selfe All other faithfulnesse is but a Beame of that which is in God Shall not hee bee most faithful that makes other things faithfull Now this faithfulnesse of God is here a ground of this duty of committing our selves to him and wee may well trust him whose word hath beene seven times tryed in the fire there is no drosse in it Every word of God is a sure word his truth is a Shield and Buckler wee may well trust in it therfore wheÌ„ you read of any singular promise in the New Testament it is said This is a faithfull saying c. that is this is such a speech as wee may trust to it is the speech of a faithfull Creator Considering therefore that God is so faithfull every way in his promises and in his deeds let us make especiall use of it Treasure up all the promises we can of the forgivenesse of sinnes of protection and preservation that hee will never leave us but be our God to death c. and then consider withall that hee is faithful in performing the same when we are affrighted by his Majesty and his justice and other Attributes then thinke of his mercy and truth He hath cloathed himselfe with faithfulnesse as the Psalmist saith In all the unfaithfulnesse of men whom thou trustest depend upon this that God is still the same and will not deceive thee When we have mans word wee have his sufficiency in minde for mens words are as themselves are What will not the word of a King doe If a man bee mighty and great his word is answerable This is the reason why wee should make so much of the word of God because it is the word of Ieâ—ovah a mighty Creatour who gives a being to all things and can onely bee Lord and Master of his word we know Gods meaning
carnall policy or others to knit our selves to that for I beseech you doe but think what is true in all Stories not onely in the Scripture but elsewhere the most infortunate meÌ„ that ever were otherwise wise enough were alwayes too confident of themselves The greatest Swimmers you know are often drowned because relying overmuch on their owne skill they cast themselves into danger and are swallowed up of the deepe Even confidence in wit is usually unfortunate though it bee great let Salomon bee an example you see how hee strengthened himselfe by carnall supports but what became of all alas it soone vanished and came to nothing the Iewes would runne to the reed of Aegypt and that ranne into their hands in stead of helping it hurt them GOD takes delight to overthrow the ripenesse of all the carnall policy of man that advanceth it selfe against his word and Gospell Take heed of confidence in prosperity in wit in strength take heed of whatsoever hinders the committing of our soules to God and alway remember that bonestic is the best policy and that GOD reconciled in Christ is the best sanctuary to flee unto The name of God is a strong Tower saith Salomon the righteous flee thereto and are safe Let Christians therefore have nothing to doe with carnall shifts and politique ends for they have a strong Rocke and a sure hold to goe to the Almighty is their shield Beloved God will bee honoured by our trusting of him and those that will bee wiser than God and have other courses distinct and contrary to him must looke for confusion in all their plots A Christian should thus thinke with himselfe Let God beâ—wise for me his wisdome shall bee my direction his will shall bee the rule of my life hee shall guide me and support me I will adventure upon no course that I dare not commit my soule with comfort to God in Oh beloved if we tender our owne welfare let us shun all unwarrantable courses and adventure upon no action whatsoever wherein we cannot upon good grounds desire the Lords protection It is a fearfull estate for a man to undertake such courses as that hee cannot if hee were surprized by judgement suddenly commit him selfe to God in The throne of iniquity shall not abide with God hee will not take a wicked man by the hand nor owne him in a distressfull time Study therefore I beseech you to bee alwayes in such a blessed condition as that you may without tempting of God in a holy boldnesse of faith resigne up your soules to him A guilty conscience cannot seeke the Lord naturally it runnes away from him peace is not easily gotten nor the gapp soone made up therefore preserve conscience cleare and unspotted if thou wouldest have God thy refuge in time of need Adam when hee had sinned ranne from God Peter when our Saviour discovered more than an ordinary Majesty in his miracles said Lord depart from mee I am a sinfull man It is the worke of flesh and blood to depart from God but when a man goes to God it is a signe hee hath more than flesh and blood in him for this cannot bee done without a supernaturall worke of faith which alone will make a sinfull conscience flie to God and looke to him as a father in Christ and desire him by his Almighty power whereby hee created heaven and earth to create faith in the soule And when thou hast cast thy soule into the armes of the Almighty labour to settle it there and to quiet thy selfe in the discharge of thy duty say thus Now I have done that which belongs to mee let God doe that which belongs to him I will not trouble my selfe about Gods worke but in well doing commit my soule to him and let him alone with the rest Christians should not out-runne Gods Providence and say What shall become of me this trouble will overwhelme mee c. but serve his Providence in the use of the meanes and then leave all to his disposall Especially this duty is needfull in the houre of death or when some imminent danger approacheth but then it will be an hard worke except it be practised aforehand Labour therefore for assurance of Gods love betimes get infallible evidences of thy estate in grace that thou art a renued person and that there is a through change wrought in thy heart that God hath set a stampe upon thee for his owne and that thou hast something above nature in thee then maist thou cheerfully say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit I am thine Lord save mee c. otherwise having no interest in God how canst thou expect any favour from him Oh the sweet tranquility and heaven upon earth which those enjoy who have God to be their friend This layes a heavy prejudice upon Antichristian Religion which maintaines a doctrine of doubting affirming that wee ought not to labour for assurance of Gods favour Oh beloved what deprives a poore Christian soule of coÌ„fort more than this Alas how can a man at the houre of death commit his soule into the hands of Almighty God that staggers whether he bee his childe or no and knows not whether he shall goe to heaven or hell Therfore it should bee our dayly indeavour as wee would have comfort in the time of resigning and giving up our soules to God to gather evidences of a good estate that wee are in covenant with him that hee is our Father and that wee are his children in Christ Jesus For will a man trust his Iewels with an enemy or with a doubtfull friend how can the swearer commit his soule to God how can loose livers and your filthy uncleane wretches that live in continuall enmity against the Lord commit themselves with any comfort unto him They pray Leade us not into temptation and yet runne daily into temptations into vile houses and places of wickednesse wherein they feed their corruptions and nothing else They say Give us this day our daily bread and yet use unwarrantable courses seeking to thrive by unlawfull meanes Beloved a man can coÌ„mit his soule with no more comfort to God than hee hath care to please him If a man knowes such a one hath his Evidences Leases and may hurt him when hee list how carefull will hee bee of provoking or giving offence to such a man Suppose wee knew a man that had the keeping of a Lyon or some cruell beast and could let it loose upon us at his pleasure would wee not speake such a one faire and give him as little cause of discontent as may bee Beloved God hath Dâ—vils and wicked men in a chaine and can if we offend him set loose all the powers of darknesse upon us he can make Conscience flie in our faces and cause us to despair and sinke All our evidence and assurances of 〈◊〉 are in Gods hands 〈◊〉 can bring us into a state â—ll of discomfort and misery and make
the soule Being justified by faith wee have peace with God Those that are hurried in their life with false doubts and perplexities What shall become of mee what shall I eate and what shall I drinke c Though they use lawfull meanes yet commit not themselves to God as they should for where there is a dependance upon God in the use of meanes there is an holy silence in the party All stubborne and tumultuous thoughts are hushed in him My soule keepe silence to the Lord saith David and trust in God why art thou so vexed within me still there is a quieting of the soule where there is trust Can that man put confidence in God that prowles for himselfe and thinkes he hath no Father in heaven to provide for him Doth that childe trust his father that besides going to schoole thinkes what hee shall put on how he shall be provided for and what inheritance he shall have hereafter Alas this is the Fathers care and belongs not to him Wheresoever these distractions are there can be no yeelding up of the soule to God in truth There be two affections which mightily disturbe the peace of Christians 1. Sinfull cares and 2. Sinfull feares to both which we have remedies prescribed in the Scripture 1. Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your fathers will to give you a kingdome As if he had said Will not hee that gives you heaven give you other things In nothing be carefull saith the Apostle that is in a distracting manner but doe your duty and then let your requests bee made knowne to God and the peace of God shall keepe you and therefore were we redeemed from the hands of our enemies that wee might serve him without feare all our dayes A Christian should keepe an inward Sabbath in his soule and goe quietly on in doing all the good hee can what a fearfull thing is it to see men lie groveling in the earth and live without God in the world troubling and â—urmoyling themselves how to compasse this thing and that thing as if they had no God to seeke unto nor no promise to relye upon Againe where this committing of a mans selfe and his soule to God is there will bee a looking to God onely in all a man doth not fearing any danger or opposition that may befall him from without as the three yong men said to Neâ—ucâ—adnezar Our God can keepe us if he will But what if hee will not Yet know O King that wee will not worship nor fall downe before thy Image So it is with a Christian foreseeing some danger disgrace or displeasure of this or that man which may befall him he resolveth notwithstanding in despight of all to commit himselfe to God in doing his duty come what will whether God will save him or no hee will not breake the peace of his conscience or doe the least evill hee is no foole but foresees what may befall him for well doing this inconvenience may come that trouble yet he sets light by these he hath an eye to heaven and sees more good to himself in the Creator that gave him his beeing of nothing and more good for the time to come that will make him a blessed Saint in heaven then there can be ill in the creature therefore come what can come his heart is fixed to trust the Lord and rather than hee will displease him desert his honour and his cause or doe any unworthy action he will commit himselfe to God in the greatest dangers The ground hereof is this A Christian is the wisest man in the world and hee understands well enough that God is Alsufficient hee sees there is a greater good in God than hee can have in the Creature and counts it madnesse to offend God to please the creature because there is a greater evill to bee expected from God than from the Creature though it were the greatest Monarch in the world considering therefore that he hath his best good in his union with God and in keeping his peace with him hee will not breake with him for any Creature And thus hee doth wisely for hee knowes if hee lose his life he shall have a better life of God than hee hath in his body for God is his life God is his soule and his comfort and hee hath his beeing from God hee is his Creator and hee hath a better being in God when hee dyes than he had when he lived for our beeing in God makes us happy and therefore Christ saith He that loves his life before God and a good cause hates it and hee that hates his life when Christ cals for it loves it for hee hath a better life in him wee give nothing to God but hee returns it a thousand times better than we gave it Let us yeeld our lives to him wee shall have them in heaven if they be taken away on earth Hee will give us our goods a thousand sold we shall have more favour in God then in any Creature and therefore a Christian out of this ground commits himselfe to God though hee foresee never so much danger like to fall upon him Againe if we doe in deed and not in pretence commit our selves to God as to a faithfull Creator we will not limit his Majesty as many carnall hearts doe oh if God will do so and so for them then they would trust him if they had but so much to live on a yeare and sâ—ch commings in c. then they would depend upon God but they must have a pawne and so much in hand first What a shame is it that wee should trust the vilest man in the world as farre as wee see him and yet unlesse wee have somewhat to leane on we will not trust God Beloved when a man limits God in any thing such a one may talke but hee trusts him not at all Indeed wee should indent with God and tie him to looke to the salvation of our soules but for other things leave them to his owne wisedome both for the time for the manner and measure doe what hee will with us Suppose it come to the Crosse hath hee not done greater matters for us why then should we distrust him in lesser If times come that Religion flourish or goes downward yet relye on him still hath hee not given his Sonne to us and will hee not give heaven also Why doe wee limit the holy One of Israel and not cast our selves upon him except hee will covenant to deale thus and thus with us A true Christian hath his eye alwayes heaven-ward and thinkes nothing too good for God O Lord saith he of thee I have received this life this estate this credit and reputation in the world I have what I have and am what I am of thee and therefore I yeeld all to thee backe againe If thou wilt serve thy selfe of my wealth of my selfe of my strength thou shalt have it If