higher house in heaven and the lower on earth and both say come What is the reason that the Church in heaven saith Come Because the Church in heaven have bodies that be rotting in earth which bodyes helped them to serve God on earth fasted with them and prayed with them and indured pains and toyle with them The soule acccounts it selfe imperfect till it be joyned to its old companion the body againe therefore it desires Come Lord that my body may be united to me againe that so wee may both perfectly prayse thee in heaven Then againe they have not all their company all the Saints are not gathered and they will not be merry indeed till they all meet in heaven therfore that all may meet even the Church in heaven hath a desire Come Lord so both heaven and earth agree in this they meet in this desire This may be a ground of tryall whether wee be truely the Bride of Christ or no the ground of the tryall may be gathered hence whither is the bent of our desire carryed is our condition so here as that wee desire to be as we are still then all is naught with us The Church we see saith come nothing will content her in this world so those hearts that are wrought upon by the Spirit of God nothing here will content them but still they say come The disposition in carnall persons is cleane contrary they say as it is in Iob Depart from us wee will none of thy wayes they are of the mind of the Devill in the Gospel Why doest thou come to torment us before our time doe not come If it were in the power of most men in the Church whether Christ should come to judge the world or no doe you thinke they would give their voyce that way that Christ should come they would never do it for they know how unfit a condition they are in for the second comming of Christ. If theeves and malefactors might have liberty to chuse whether there should be Assizes or no surely they would never have any so it is with the men of the world that live in sinfull wretched courses that abuse their tongues and their bodies are they of the disposition of the Bride to say come oh no they know they have not done their duty therefore let us enter deepely into our owne soules and try whether cordially we can yeeld this desire of our hearts to say come Therefore to spend a little time in a further search if wee can truely say Come we will desire Christ to come into our soules now to rule our soules now to come and make way for himselfe in our hearts Is it possible for the soule to desire to goe to Christ that will not suffer him to come to it If Christ rule not in us wee shall never raigne with Christ if Christs Kingdome come not to us we shall never enter into Christ Kingdom therefore the soule that hath this desire truly to say Come it will give Christ entrance into it and let him come by his Ordinances Come Lord by thy word come by thy Spirit into my heart close with my heart drive out whatsoever is there that will not give thee liberty to raigne as thou wilt these desires will be in a true heart it will not cherish wilfully those desires that are contrary to this Shall we thinke that that Christian that saith these words in good earnest will put Christ away in his Ordinances and not care for to heare his word nor care to meet Christ here in earth and yet pretend a desire to meet him in heaven where is Christ here is hee not in his Congregations and Assemblies of his Saints those therefore that despise the Ordinances of God and yet pretend that they desire that Christ should come doe they not prophane the Lords Prayer when they say Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come They patter it over they doe not meane it in good earnest when they despise the Ministery and the Ministers and whatsoever is Christs despise the motions of his Spirit and will not suffer him to rule in their hearts but are ruled by rules of policy and reason and flesh can they say Come No they doe abhominably prophane the Lords Prayer what kind of Service is that when their desires are quite cleane contrary It is a protestation contrary to their faith and therefore it is a nullity they professe in their prayers that they would have Christ to come and yet their course of life is contrary they would not have him come Againe those that truly desire Christ should come they will be subordinate helpers under Christ to promote those things that tend to his comming before Christ comes Antichrist must be abolished and consumed the Jewes must be converted and the number of the Elect must be consummate and finished Therefore what shall wee say when those that pretend to desire the comming of Christ shall countenance heresies that mâ—st have an end first And those that are against wholesome Lawes to be made in that kind those that countenance Idolatry and false worship stablishing what Christ must abolish before he come can they say Come in good earnest Their course is contrary to what they pray Therefore indeed and in good earnest we pray Thy Kingdome come and say with our soules as the Church here Come when we set our selves to abolish heresie and false worship of God that is adulterous and promote the true Service of God when we labour in our places that the number of the Elect may be consummate when wee labour that our children may be Gods children and our servants may be Gods servants and every one in our places labour that the Kingdome of Christ may be inlarged If wee put not to our helping hand to that wee pray for it is a contradiction Those therefore that live scandalous lives iâ— scandalous courses and speeches and hinder the conversion of peoples soules and labour to draw them to wicked hellish courses when they post to hell themselves and labour to draw others into cursed society with them selves they cannot truly say as the Church here Come Let us take it to heart that we doe not mocke and dally with Religion it is a greater matter then we take it for It is impossible but a Christian that saith his prayers in earnest should be thus affected unlesse wee make a mockery of Religion Againe if we can indeed say Come there will be a fitting for this comming a preparing our selves for it for our going to Christ. Is it not so in civill things and doth not grace worke that that nature doth in a higher degree If we desire that a great person should come to us will there not be a fitting of our houses of our apparell and entertainement â—â—table to the worth of the person or else a man may say surely you looâ—e for no body this day there is nothing fitted and prepared so if we
wretches our consciences would be inthralled to a world of snares Last of all From the daies of the Baptist and so forward the Kingodme of Heaven did suffer violence because from that time forward the Spirit begaÌ„ to be more plentifully given Christ comes with his Spirit which is the soule of our soule and the life of our life the Spirit it is like a mighty winde that mooves the ship in the water The ship is becalmed it cannot moove unlesse there be a winde so the soule cannot moove to that which is good without the Spirit Now there is more abundance of the Spirit since the comming of Christ. Christ who is the King of his Church the Lord of Heaven and Earth he reserved the abundance of the Spirit till his owne comming especially till he entred into Heaven then the Spirit came in abundance It was powred upoÌ„ al flesh it was but as it were dropped before but then it was powred out Then the Gentiles came in and the Apostles received the Spirit in abundance therefore no wonder that there was violence offered to the Kingdome of Heaven then hence we may observe That the more clearely Christ and the blessed mysteries of Christ are opened the more effectuall the Spirit is and the more heavenly men are and more eagerly disposed to spirituall things The reason and ground of it is in nature the affections follow the discovery of the excellency of things When first the necessity of being in Christ is laid open that there are but two Kingdomes the Kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the divell and that a man must either enter into the Kingdome of Christ or bee of the Divells kingdome still And when secondly together with the necessity the excellencie of Christs Kingdome is discovered that it is a state that will make us all Kings a state wherein we shall at length overcome all opposition of hell sinne death the wrath of God that whereas earthly Kingdomes are opposed and inthralled and one dash against another the Kingdome of Heaven is a state that subdues all that is against it by little and little as Christ overcame death and the wrath of his Father and now rules in Heaven in his person so all his members shall overcome all in time when the excellencie of this Kingdome is laid open to the understandings of men is it a wonder that their affections are set on fire will any thing doe it more then such a Kingdome Then in the third place when it is hopefull too when together with the necessity and excellency of it there is assurance given us that we shall obtaine it if we strive for it when it is offered freely even grace and glory and wee are intreated to receive grace Come unto mee yee that are weary c. nay we are threatned if we doe not come and we have example of the worst sort of people of Zaccheus and the poore woman out of whom the divels were cast of Peter that denied Christ of Paul that persecuted him such as had beene wretched persons that have come out of Satans kingdome when these things are propounded and understood and apprehended men that are in their wits that are not besotted by the divell men that are not in love with damnation and hate their owne soules they will imbrace them When they see a state discovered in Christ wherein they are above Angels in some sort above death and hell that they triumph over all in Christ that because it is as sure that they shall bee crowned Conquerors with Christ in Heaven as if they were there alreadie When it is propounded thus hopefully who would not offer violence to this Kingdome When Iohn Baptist laid it open so clearely to them this is the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world it made them offer violence to it And this is another reason why in the latter the second spring of the Gospell for there was a Winter in the time of Popery it being a Kingdome of darknesse keeping people in ignorance so many nations so suddenly imbraced the truth Luther was a man that was wondrously exercised and afflicted in conscience this made him relish the doctrine of justification by grace in Christ and thereupon to lay open the mysteries of Christ and the bondage of Poperie and this being once a foot the peoples mindes being prepared out of the sence of their former bondage whole kingdomes came in presently As in the Spring time when there comes a fine Sunne-shine day the prisoners are let loose out of the earth after a cold winter So after the winter of affliction and persecution inward and outward came the Sunne-shine of the Gospell and made all come foorth and flourish presently Wheresoever Christ is taught powerfully and plainely and the excellency and necessity of the staâ—e we have by him and that men may partake of it if they be not false to their owne soules there is alwaies violence offered to these things because where the riches of Christ are opened the Spiriâ— goes with it and goes with violence that it carries all before it Hence againe we may see that Popish spirits are witty in opposing the unfolding of the Gospell in the Ministery especially where there is conscience and skill to unfold Christ plainely they know when Christ is opened all their fopperies and inventions will grow base the more Christ is unfolded the more people will grow in hatred of Antichrist the more they sâ—e the light the more they will hate darkenesse for this cause they oppose the unfolding of the Gospell to the understanding of the people they would keepe people in ignorance that they may make them dote upon them It argueth a disposition dangerous that shall never taste of the good things of God to be in a bitter temper against the unfolding of the Gospell of Christ For we see here the discovery of it makes it wondrous effectuall Iohn Baptist laying open Christ clearer then he was discovered before the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence Here we are instructed what way we should take if we would bring our selves or others into a temper fit for Heaven to an earnest temper after holy things not to beginne with dead outward actions but to beginne as becomes the condition of reasonable men as God deales with man befitting the nature of man beginne with the understanding Let us meditate seriously of the truth of Christs comming in the flesh of the end of his comming To dissolve the works of the Divell to bring us out of the state of nature to a better condition meditate of the excellency of the state of grace of the eternity and excellency of the state of glory Let us warme our hearts with these things when a man hath once these things and believes them let him be cold and dull if he can And so if we would gaine others to a fit disposition for Heaven let us labour to
it cannot see it selfe nor see the judgements of God God shâ—nes not the Sunn of righteousnesse shines not on that soule God is the Sunne of the creature he gives life to the creature what will become of the creature when God neither shines outwardly nor inwardly on it As at the day of judgement he shall take away outward comforâ—s there shall be no outward shining and all inward comforts they shall have no hope hee shall altogether hide his face when God the Fountaine of all good shall hide his face altogether from the creature that is Hell The place where God shines not outwardly with comforts nor inwardly nor there shall be no hope of neither but a place of hoâ—rour and despaire that is hell as the hell of this life is when God shines not on our soules Now these holy men they complaine yet they pray Thou hast hid thy face Heere is the conflict of Faith that sees God hide his face and yet will follow God it sees God ready to turne away himselfe and yet it will lay hold of him and have a glaunce of him it will wrastle with him and not let him goe without a blessing So there be degrees of Gods hiding of his face though God seeme to hide his face and to with-draw outward comforts and perhaps in some to with-draw his favour from their hearts inwardly What shall they doe droupe No wrastle with God as Iacob see through the cloud that is betweene God and thy soule breake thorow by faith and with Iob say Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Let us stirre up our selves to lay hold on God when he seemes to turne away his face and imitate good Iacob never give over seeking the face of God How shall we seeke the face of God By prayer for that brings us to the face of God though he seeme to hide his face as Ieremy complaines Ieremy 14. Why art thou as a stranger and yet hee prayes seeke him by prayer Seeke him in his Ordinances heare the Word of God thy face Lord will I seeke God invites you â—o seeke his face now by fasting and humiliation seeke his face in this ordinance here is the blessed Trinity Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Though outwardly God hide his face in some regards yet when he offers outward liberties refuse them not hee offers his face to us now in Christ seeke by prayer and other meanes holy communion with him still and never leave seeking till you have got a glance of him and stir up your selves to lay hold on him that he would shew his loving countenance upon you Those that turne their backs on Gods ordinances and in rebellion to his commandements live in sinnes against conscience can they wonder that he hides his face from them when they turne their backs on him Rebellious persons that will not yeeld meekely to Gods Ordinances and submit to his Commandements doe they wonder that God takes good things from them When we sinne wee turne our backes upon God and our face to the Divell and the world and pleasures when men turne their faces to sinne to pleasures and vanity and their backs on God doe they wonder that he suffers them to melt and pine away Let us doe as the Flowers do the Marigold c. they turne themselves to the Sunne let our soules doe so let us turne our selves to God in meditation and prayers striving and wrastling with him look to him eye him in his Ordinances promises and have communion with him all the waies wee can Let our soules open and shut with him when he hides his face let us droupe as the Flowers doe till the Sunne come againe When the waters fall the Flowers droope and hold downe their heads when the Sunne riseth the next morning up they goe againe as if there had beene never a shower So when wee have not daily comfort of Spirit in peace of conscience let us never rest seeking Gods face in his Ordinances and by Prayer and that will cheare a drooping soule as the Sunne beames doe the flagging flowers Then you may know that Gods face shines upon you in some measure when he gives you meanes and gives you hearts to use those meanes and comfort in your consciences that whether you live or die you are Gods this is a beame of that Sunne-shine on the soule when God vouchsafes joy and comfort A little of this will banish all feares if you have one glimpse of his countenance you shall not need to feare the plague or warre or death if he shine on you one glance will take away all feare Paul when he was in the stocks one beame of Gods counâ—enance made him sing at midnight Let thy countenance shine on us and we shall be safe let what will become of us outwardly If God shine not on us for ouâ—ward favours if he shine on our soules and release them from feares and guilt and speake peace to them and say unto them he is theâ—r salvation and as he saith in the Gospell thy sinnes are forgiven thee all will be well whatsoever become of us Let us seeke the Lord while he may be found hold him before hee goe let him not depart attend upon the meanes never misse good meanes of seeking his face till we have got a sweet answer from Heaven that he is our God Now followes the supplication But now O Lord thou art our Father c. Heere is a prayer which is a kinde of holding God by the relation of a Father this is one way of stirring up our soules to consider the relation of a Father It stirres up bowells when a childe is beaten by his Father O stay Father spare it works upon the bowells There is a world of Rhetorick in this one word Father why Lord thou art my Father shall I bee destroyed let us lay hold on God by this relation that he puts upon himselfe and he will not lay it aside though we be unworthy to be sonnes He doth not say thou art our Father and we are thy sonnes because hee thought they were unworthy as the Prodigall saith I am unworthy to be called thy sonne but instead of saying we are thy sonnes he saith we are the clay thou art the potter Yet he is a Father continually and though in Christ you cannot call him Father yet you may by Creation and initiation being brought up in the Church Goe to him with the incouragements you have and cast your selves upon him There is a bond for you by Creation and there is his command he bids you call him Father hee is a Father by Creation looke not upon this or that sinne but goe to him and call him Father as you may call him say thou art my Father thou hast given mee a being in the Church wrastle with him as you may though as found Christians you cannot call him Father Be weary of your courses are you willing to come
our purpose to please God And then looke to the cause wee take in hand and to our carriage in that cause if our persons be good be in covenant and the cause good and our conscience good and our carriage sutable then God will be with us Let us make use of these principles that we may bee in love with the comfortable secure condition of a Christian there is no state so glorious so comfortable so secure and free from danger If we were in heaven and should look downe below upon all snares and dangers what would we care for them Now if he be with us and we with him God is our habitation we dwell in the secret of the Almighty hee is our high Tower The way of wisdome is on high to escape the snares below Therefore let us raise our soules as high as heaven and God is and set our selves where our hopes are where our God is and wee have set our selves in our Tower that we have set God in our hearts and set our selves in him then we may overlooke the devill and men and death and danger and all As a man that stands upon the top of a Rock that is higher than all the waves hee overlookes them and sees them break themselves upon the Rocke so when wee see God with us and our selves with him by a Spirit oâ— comfort wee can overlooke all with a holy defiance as the Apostle saith here who can be against us what can separate us Oh! the excellent state of a Christian when he is assured of his condition Who would not labour for assurance that yields this abundant comfort in all conditions A word of the occasion for which I made choyse of this portion of Scripture Here is a double fitnesse to the occasion both at home and abroad If God be with us who can bee against us God was at home in 88. hee was with us in the Powder-Treason Hee was with us in the great sicknesse to preserve us and to give us our lives for a prey hee hath beene with us And wee ought not to forget this but upon occasion of this great deliverance to call all former deliverances to minde nationall and personall to consider how often God hath given us our lives and how oft he hath preâ—erved us from death and to take occasion to blesse God for all at once and so to make some speciall use of these meetings Then if we looke abroad God hath beene with us in that he hath been with his Church for they and wee make but one body that member that hath not a sympathy with the body it is but a dead member therefore if we be not affected with the presence of God with the Armies abroad wee are dead members Wee may say in regard of these outward deliverances God hath beene with us and none hath beene against us If God had not been with us in the Powder-plot where had wee beene Our lives would have beene made a prey that that would have beene done would have beene more then the blowing up of the Parliament they would have blowne up the Kingdome with the King and Religion with religious persons and the State with Statesmen It would have brought a confusion of all and have molded all after an Idolatrous Antichristian fashion it would have overthrowne the State and persons and all the issues would have been worse than the present thing And therefore if God had not beene with us as hee was graciously with us what would have become of us as it is in Psal. 129. If God had not beene with us they had made us a prey and overwhelmed and devoured us all there had been no hope Have not wee cause to blesse God and to be thankefull therefore let us labour to doe it for our selves and for our neighbours How shall we shew our thankfulnesse to God not in outvvard manifestations onely vvhich is laudable and a good demonstration of the affections of people but alas what is that wee must shew our thankfulnesse in loving that Religion that God hath so witnessed for and defended so miraculously Labour to love the truth to entertaine it in the love of it and to bring our hearts to a more perfect hatred of Popery For if wee waxe cold and indifferent or oppose Gods cause and undermine it doe wee think that God would suffer this long would hee not spue us out of his mouth with reverence I speake it Though hee have defended us againe and againe hee will be gone with his truth and religion It came not alone nor it will not goe alone if Religion goe our peace and prosperity and the flourishing of our state all will goe It is our Arke if that goe away our happinesse goes away let us make much of Religion that is the way to be thankfull Againe let us shew our thankfulnesse by giving and doing some good to the poore by refreshing their bowels that they may have occasion to blesse God And for the time to come let us trust in God that God will bee with us if wee bee with him and to sticke to him who then shall bee against us Let the Devill and Rome and Hell bee all against us if God bee with us Bellarmine goes about to prove Luther a false Prophet Luther as hee was a couragious man and had a great and mighty spirit of Faith and prayer so his expressions were sutable to his spirit what saith he The cause that I defend is Christs and Gods cause and all the world shall not stand against it it shall prevaile if there be a counsell in earth there is a counsell in heaven that will disappoint all God laughes in Heaven at his enemies and shall wee weepe And things are in a good way if wee can goe on and helpe the cause of God with our prayers and faith that God will goe on and with our cheerefulnesse and joy that God may delight to goe on with his owne cause We may encourage our selves though perhaps wee shall not see the issue of these things yet posterity shall see it FINIS THE CHVRCHES ECCHO In one Sermon By The late learned and reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Mr of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE ISAY 64.1 Oh that thou wouldst rent the Heavens and come downe that the Mountaines might flow downe at thy presence LONDON Printed by E. P. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford 1638. THE CHVRCHES ECCHO REVEL 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come THis Booke of the Revelation is an history of the state of the Church from the first comming of Christ to his second comming These two last Chapters set downe the glorious condition of the Church in the latter end of the world and as it shall be in the consummation of all things when the present state of things shall determine in the second comming of Christ. For howsoever no doubt but there is set
BEAMES OF DIVINE LIGHT Breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture as they were learnedly opened In XXI Sermons The III. first being the fore-going Sermons to that Treatise called The Bruised-Reed Preached on the precedent words By the late Reverend and Iudicious Divine RICHARD SIBS D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES INNE Published according to the Doctor his owne appointment subscribed with his hand to prevent imperfect Coppies ESAY 60 3. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising PSALM 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will be withhold from them that walke uprightly LONDON Printed by G.M. for N. Bourne at the Royal Exchange and R Harford at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater Noster-Row MDCXXXIX TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IOHN LORD ROBERTS Baron of Truro AND TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LADY LVCE his pious Consort Grace and Peace from Jesus Christ. Right Honourable and truly Noble IT was not so much the Nobility of your blood as that of Grace given unto you from the divine hand which did so much interest you in the love and esteeme of that worthy Servant of Christ and Author of this worke in whom Vrim and Thummim met whose whole course being a reall and vitall sermon sweetly consonant to the tenour of his teaching made him amiable living and honourable dead in the opinion of as many as well knew him This was the thing I suppose which wrought unto him from you as well as from many others of your Noble Stock and Ranke more then an ordinary esteeme and this is that which maketh me in nothing to doubt but that his labours made publique under your names shall be very welcome unto you the worke is answering unto the man and therefore worthy you and your acceptance onely this is the disadvantage that though these Sermons had his owne toung to preach them yet they want his owne pen to commend them unto your Honours I well know that the expressions of holy truthes from a gratious heart by lively voice doe breed deeper impressions in thirsting and reverent hearers then any publishing of them in dead letters can doe yet this we finde in experience that holy and necessary truths this way comming abroad into the Churches of God doe get the advantage to continue longer and to become a more generall good they may stirre up the affections and set on-wards in the course of holinesse where the comforts are sure and the honours honouring everlasting In these ensuing Sermons you have variety the mother of delight and such notable descriptions of the person offices love and life of Christ that by them you may not only be setled in divine assurances to your further comforts but also directed and incouraged both in your inward and outward conversation to follow the example of Christ the most blessed and unerring example unto all Christians This Champion I beseech you both to follow unto your lives end make it your worke to set up Christ and his Religion both in your hearts and in your houses Acknowledge none but Christ in matter of salvation and none to Christ in point of affection let Christ be Christ with you and then if Christ and if not Christ nothing can be worth any thing he will make you worthy indeed he will proove unto you in life and death a Sun a shield even a full and an answerable good with this Christ I leave you and with you these ensuing Sermons to be read and observed for your spirituall furtherance in the enjoyment of eternall life by Iesus Christ desiring the great God of Heaven and Earth to looke upon both you and yours in much grace and mercie giving unto you all the comfort and crown of Religion here on earth and hereafter in Heaven I rest Your honours to be commanded JOHN SEDOVVICK To the Reader Christian Reader THE Word of God is given us as a most pretious treasure and that not for our selves onely but for our children after us and therefore is called Jsraels Jnheritance Deut. 33.4 Moses commanded us a Law even the Inheritance of the Congregation of Iacob All the wealth in the world is but as dirt and trash in comparison of the Word to the people of God Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of mine heart saith David Psal. 119.111 And therefore as they rejoyce in their owne enjoying of it so they doe what they may to assure it to their children when they are dead that it may be entailed upon them and their posterity after them Yea so they doe also with the knowledge of divine truths which they have found in the Word which is not indeed found out by men all at one time but by degrees as Gold is found in Mines as men come to search farther and farther and to dig deeper and deeper for it It was not they know imparted to them for their owne use onely but for the benefit of others the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 and therefore as it comes to them from Heaven they hand it to others that so it may be continued in the Church the ground and pillar of truth for the good of those that shall live in future times This was I hope the chiefe aime of those that have published these Sermons of that worthy Light of our Church Dr. Sibs And surely we have great cause in this regard thankfully to acknowledge their care and paines who both tooke them so exactly from his mouth as he delivered them and then kept them so charity as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a precious thing committed to their trust and have now published them for the common good of all that will make use of them For by this meanes what was delivered to a few may now build up many to farther degrees of knowledge and grace even all the Land over and they that never saw his face may be made sharers in those his labours which only a few were so happy as to heare Being my selfe one amongst others that have found the advantage hereof I was not so hardly wonne as otherwise I should have beene to commend these Beames of divine Light to the respect of others Diverse truths of greatest consequence are exactly handled in the severall Sermons here presented to you as concerning the misery of our naturall estate and the blâ—sse and happinesse of those that are quickned by Christ concerning the necessity of the Word our spirituall Food the Zealous Violence of the Faithfull impressing after it concerning the divers both joyes and sorrowes complaints and Triumphs of Gods children here when they are blacke though comely Cant. 1.5 and concerning their happinesse in death and glory after it and many other whereof these few are onely a taste The study of the Scriptures
was a Type of Christs sacrifice Now that Christs sacrifice was so acceptable to God there is a direct place for it in Ephes. 5. Walke in love as Christ hath loved us and hath given himselfe an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet smell And indeed how many sweet savours were there in the sacrifice of Christ offered on the Crosse was there not the sweet savour of obedience he was obedient to the death of the Crosse there was the sweet savour of patience and of love to mankind therefore God delighted in him as God as Man as Mediator God-Man in his doings in his sufferings every way Doth God delight thus in Christ in his person or considered mystically I answer both God loves and delights in Christ mysticall that is in Christ and his members in whole Christ This is my Beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased not onely with whom alone by himselfe but in whom in him as God in him in body and soule in him as head of the Church in him mystically in all that are under him any kind of way God delights in him and all his Is it possible that hee should delight in the head and refuse the members That he should love the husband and mislike the Spouse O no with the same love that God loves Christ he loves all his he delights in Christ and all his with the same delight there is some difference in the degree That Christ in all things may have the preheminence but it is the same love therefore our Saviour sets it downe excellently in his owne prayer he desires that the same love wherewith his Father loved him may be in them that are his that they may feele the love wherewith his Father loves him for hee loves him and his members him and his Spouse with all one love This is our comfort and our confidence that God accepts us because hee accepts his Beloved and when he shall cease to love Christ he shall cease to love the members of Christ they and Christ make one mysticall Christ. This is our comfort in dejection for sinne wee are so and so indeed but Christ is the chosen servant of God In whom he delighteth and delights in us in him it is no matter what we are in our selves but what we are in Christ when we are once in him and continue in him God loves us with that inseperable love wherewith hee loves his owne Sonne therefore Saint Paul triumphs Rom. 8. What shall seperate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus This love it is founded in Christ therefore neither things present nor things to come as he goes on there gloriously shall bee able to seperate us you see what a wondrous confidence and comfort wee have hence if we labour to be in Christ that then God loves and delights in us because he loves and delights in Christ Jesus And here is a wondrous comfort that God must needs love our salvation and redemption when he loves Christ because hee powred out his soule to death to save us doth not God delight that wee should bee saved and our sinnes should bee forgiven when hee loves Christ because hee abased himselfe for that purpose What a prop and foundation of comfort is this when the Divell shall present God to us in a terrible hideous manner as an avenging God and consuming fire c. indeed out of Christ he is so let us present to our selves thoughts of God as the Scripture sets foorth God to us and as God setâ— forth himself not only in that sweet relation as a Father to Christ buâ— our father I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God having both one God and love and care There is none of us all but the Divell will have a saying to us either in the time of our life in some terrible temptation especially when any outward abasement comes or at the houre of death and all the cordials wee have gathered out of the Word will then be little enough to support the drooping soule especially in the houre of temptation Oh Beloved what a wondrous stay and satisfaction to a distressed conscience doth this yeeld that Christ in all that hee hath wrought for us is Gods chosen servant whom he loves and delights in and delights in him for this very worke that hee abased himselfe and gave himselfe for us that hee wrought Gods worke because he wrought reconciliation for us If we can believe in Christ wee see heere what ground of comfort wee have that God loves and delights in us as he doth in his owne Son And what a comfort is it now in our daily approach to God to minister boldnesse to us in all our suites that we goe to God in the name of one that he loves in whom his soule delights that we have a friend in Court a friend in Heaven for us that is at the right hand of God and interposeth himselfe there for us in all our suites that makes us acceptable that perfumes our prayers and makes them acceptable his intercession is still by vertue of his service dying for us he interceeds by vertue of his redemption if God love him for the worke of redemption he loves him for his intercession therefore God must needs regard the prayers made by him by vertue of his dying for us when he loves him for dying for us Bee sure therfore in al our suites to God to take along our elder Brother take our beloved Brother take Benjamin with us offer al to God in him our persons to be accepted in him our prayers our hearing our works and al that we do and we shal be sure to speed For he is one in whom the soule of God delights There must be this passage and repassage as God looks upon us lovely in him and delights in us as wee are members of him all Gods love and the fruits of it come to us as we are in Christ and are one with him then in our passage to God againe we must returne all and doe all to God in Christ be sure not to goe to a naked God for so he is a consuming fire but goe to him in the mediation of him whom he loves and in whom his soule delighteth And shall God love him and delight in him and shall not our soule delight in Christ This therefore should stirre up our affections to Christ to be faithfull in our conjugall affection as the Spouse of Christ to say My Beloved is mine and I am my Beloveds Christ calls his Church My Love and my Dove Doth Christ delight in us and God delight in Christ and shall not we delight in Christ that delights in us and in whom God delights In the 1. Cor. 16. ult the Apostle is bold to pronounce a bitter curse Anathema Maranatha upon him that loves not the Lord Christ Jesus a most bitter curse when Christ shall become a
more then any thing in the world they are then an effectuall part of divine worship But else they are flat and dead and dull if we waken them not with consideration The heart followes the judgement the braine and the heart simpathize when we see cause and reason to love and feare and worship God we must love God with all our mind that is with our best understanding we must see reason why we doe so Therefore let us labour to use our understanding more this way Is our understanding and judgement given us to plot for the world to be judicious for the things of this life onely No but to be wise for the maine end to glorifie God to save our soules to get out of the corruption of nature to maintaine our communion with God every day more and more The end of our living in the world is to beginne Heaven upon earth So to live here as that we may live for ever in Heaven whatsoever is done in order to this end is good but nothing can be done to this end but upon due consideration Let us improove our judgements for that end they are principally given us not for particular ends to get this or that mans favour to get wealth c. but to use all as they may serve the maine we know not how short a time we shall enjoy these things and further then they serve for the maine wee shall have no comfort of them ere long Our projects should be to gaine glory to God and to bring our selves and others to Heaven there is excellent use of this consideration this way it is one maine way to repentance we see here No man repented because no man said What have I done Now if we would practise this duty we must labour to avoid the hinderances The maine hindrances of this consideration are 1. The raâ—e of lusts that will not give the judgement leave to consider of a mans wayes but they are impetuous commanding and tyranous carrying men as we shall see in the next clause As the horse rusheth into the battell We see many carried to Hell that never enjoyed themselves but are alway under some base pleasure when the Divell hath filled them with one pleasure then they project for another and never take time to say What have I done Oh the tyranâ—y of originall corruption Jf wee had in our eye the vile picture of out nature that carries us to things present to profits and pleasures and gives us not liberty and leisure to bethinke our selves would wee doe as wee doe Alas wee see some men so haunted with their lusts that they cannot be alone they cannot sleepe and when they are awake they must have musicke as that King when hee had massacred a world of men hee could not be quiet a whit conscience raged so When men follow their pleasures they rob them of themselves Therefore they are said in Scripture to be mad men and fooles without wit they are so taken up with the rage of their lusts that they have not liberty to enjoy themselves they have no time for consideration And then another hinderance is too much businesse when men are distracted with the things of this life they are overloaded with cares with Martha's part and so neglect Maries part this makes men toile and droile for the vvorld and never consider vvhere they are nor whether they goe hovv it shall be with them vvhen they goe hence hovv the case stands vvith them before God whether they be gotten out of the cursed state of nature that vve are all borne in they never thinke of this but all the marrovv and strength of their soules is eaten out with the world Those that in their youth followed their lusts when they come to yeares are taken up with the world and slight religion their mindes are imployed how to get the favour of this man and that and so have not leasure to consider what will become of their soules Therefore too much distraction with the things of the world is joyned with drunkennesse Bee not overcome with the cares of this life with surfetting and drunkennesse saith Christ. Then it is a secret and hard action because it is to worke upon a mans selfe It is an easie matter to talke of others to consider other mens waies You shall have mens tongues ready to speake of other men they doe so and so and thus they feede themselves with talking of other men and in the meane time neglect the consideration of their owne state And againe it is a plausible thing hee that talkes of other mens faults gives an intimation that he is innocent and he had neede be so It is easie and plausible men glory in it it feeds corrupt nature to talke of other mens faults But to come home to a mans selfe that is a hard thing it is without ostentation or applause the world doth not applaud a man for speaking of his owne faults Men are not given to retired actions they care not for them unlesse they have sound hearts and this being a retired action that hath no glory nor credit with it men are loath to come to it Then againe it is not onely hard and secret but this returning upon a mans selfe it presents to a man a spectacle that is unwelcome If a man consider his owne waies it vvill present to him a terrible object Therefore as the Elephant troubles the vvaters that he may not see his owne visage so men trouble their soules that they may not see vvhat they are they shall see such a deale of malice and selfe-love and feare and distrust that they would not have others in the vvorld to see for any thing but it is good to see it For repentance and consideration it is physicke it is sharpe but vvholesome It is better to have the physicke a day then to have the sicknesse and disease all the yeare so this consideration and repentance though it be sharpe yet take it downe for it will prevent Gods eternall judgement as the Apostle saith If wee would judge and condemne our selves we should not be condemned with the world What an excellent thing is this that vve may keepe sessions in our owne soules and so need not be called to Gods assises Men are called to that because they slubber over and neglect this Men will not keepe this sessions in their owne hearts vvhich they might doe not onely quarterly but daily and thereby they make vvorke for God is it not better now to unrip our consciences by consideration and repentance then to have all ripped up then vvhen the Divell shal stand by to accuse us who will say this vvas done by my instigation and it is so and our owne consciences shall take part with the Divell and accuse us also It will be little for our ease to make God our judge we might save the labour by putting conscience to its office now to
God gets the victory of whatsoever opposeth him If there be snares offered from the world he withstands them if Satan come with his temptations he resists him he hath a promise for it resist the Divell and hee will flee Let us hold out and we shall get the victory and overcome even God himselfe how much more all other things Therefore when either opposition without or indisposition within sets upon us in the course of Religion and Piety let us thinke here now is time and place for violence I know if I set my selfe about it J shall have the victory and the Crowne A Christian is alway in a hopefull state and condition he hath somewhat to encourage him he hath arguments to prevaile over the state of opposition he knowes he shall winne all at last if he goe on and that makes him couragious in what estate soever he is Let us not be discouraged to heare of opposition And let us be incouraged when we heare of good things when we heare that the Kingdome of Heaven and grace is offered in the preaching of the Gospell Let us attend upon the posts of wisdomes doores and not give over till we come to peaâ—â— of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost If wee heare of comfort in the Word of God against distresse of conscience let us never give over till we finde it If we heare that God is a God hearing Prayer let us never leave knocking at Heaven Gate never leave wrastling till our prayers be heard when we heare what ill is to be avoided and what good is offered let us not cease till we avoid the one and obtaine the other The violent take it by force The last point is the date of time from whence this Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence From the daies of Iohn Baptist untill now Was there not a Kingdome of Heaven that suffered violence before Iohn Baptists time did the Kingdome of God begin then was Christ a King and was Heaven opened onely then I answer no but now the things of God were more gloriously discovered therefore Iohn 1.51 Henceforth you shall see Heaven opened The Kingdome of Heaven was opened now by the preaching of the Gospell more gloriously then before Therefore the state of the Gospell is called the Kingdome of Heaven partly in regard of the times before and partly in regard of the times after The Law was full of servile bondage to Ceremonies it was a heavie darke state they were laden with a multitude of Ceremonies which were but cold things to the spirit of a man that desires peace though they were Ceremonies of Gods appointing yet they were but outward empty things in comparison weake and beggarly elements as the Apostle saith Gal. 4.9 They were costly and painefull and cold things that had not the efficacie of spirit in them And secondly then it was entayled to the Jewes onely Now since Christs time it is enlarged and being more large and free this blessed estate is called a Kingdome Iohn Baptist now opening Christ clearely and a better state then the Church had yet enjoyed when people saw an end of the Ceremonies and the beginning of the glorious liberty in Christ this made them violently set on them Againe Iohn Baptist made way for Christ levelling the soules of men by his powerfull preaching and his holy life he taught them in what need they stood of Christ hee was the messenger sent before Christ for that end he was as the morning Starre to the Sun hee was powerfull in his preaching and holy in his life he told every man his owne he told the Pharisees that they were a generation of vipers he shewed men their state by nature and told them of a better state that the Kingdome of Heaven was at hand and although he wrought no miracles yet himselfe was a miracle to teach such holy doctrine and to live an austere holy life in those evill daies it was no lesse then a miracle therefore this violence to the Kingdome of Heaven it hath the date from Iohn Baptists time from his preaching not from his birth he being so excellent a preacher no wonder there should be violence This shewes the reason why the Gospell in later times was imbraced so greedily when Luther began to preach alas people had beene in a worse condition then Jewish in respect of Ceremonies and otherwise foolish idle men they will set God to schole they will have some fooleries alway that they will make as much of as of the worship of God and so it had beene in the times before Luther In Saint Austins time he was pestered with many vaine ceremonies and good man he yeelded to the streame and custome in many things though he could hardly indure the slavery of those things Now when the times grew better it was no wonder that the world imbraced the Gospell with violence as in Luthers time when there was a freedome proclaimed from those beggarly rudiments and traditions Antichrist had hampered the consciences of men with an intollerable masse of foolish groundlesse ceremonies making them equall with the Word of God as wee see in the Counsell of Trent and this vexed the consciences of people like scorpions as it is Rev. 9.5 they oppressed the people with a multitude of weights and burthens which when people could not assent unto it stung their consciences No wonder then if people thronged after Luther when he opened the doctrine of free justification by faith that the consciences of men were not to be hampered with these things He taught that Gods people were only to have a few ceremonies for present order but for the rest to trouble mens consciences and to make them of equall valew with the Word of God he shewed it was an abhominable doctrine and wrote against it learnedly and sweetly and therefore it is no marvell though the truths he taught were soone and chearefully by multitudes embraced And the reason why now the Gospell begins to be so little imbraced and esteemed is because by reason of the long continuance of it we are weary of this heavenly Manna As the people in Saint Iohn Baptists time as eager as they were after Iohns preaching yet it was but for a time that they rejoyced in his light they grew weary of him we never felt the burthen of those Romish Ceremonies and therefore now grow weary of our liberty whereas in the beginning of Luthers time because they were eased from many beggarly and which is worse tyrannicall ceremonies of Rome therefore with much joy and eagernesse they embraced the truth when it came to be preached amongst them Therefore we are to praise God for the liberty of the Church at this time that we have the Word of God to rule our consciences and that other matters are not pressed on us but as matters of decencie and order Alas if wee were in bondage to those proud Popish
instruct them what their state by nature is what Kingdome they are borne in that they are liable to Hell and damnation that they are under the possession of the strong man the Divell if the stronger man bring them not out and dispossesse him and let them know withall the infinite love and mercy of God in Christ offering a better state giving the Gospell and promising his Spirit with his truth and if they belong to God this will worke upon them or else nothing will Other courses to punish men in their purse or imprison them or the like may subdue them to outward conformity but if we would bring their soules to Heaven leâ— us indeavour to enlighten their understandings to see the danger they are in and to see the riches of grace and salvation that is proffered in Christ and this will compell them to come in Luk. 14.23 there will be no need of any other compulsion no more then there can be need to bid a man escape away that sees wild beasts about him or to bid a guilty person to flee to the City of refuge and take hold of the Hornes of the Altar Let Iohn Baptist come before Christ to make way for him and presently the Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence and after Christs time when the Spirit was more aboundantly given and the Gospell more clearely opened the world stooped to the Gospell â—he Gospell at length overcame the proud Scepter of the Roman Empire they laid their Crownes downe before Christs Gospell the Crosse of Christ gat above the Crowne in the preaching of the Gospell it was so powerfull Thus if we would have the number of Heaven inlarged let us desire that Gods truth may be opened plainly and powerfully Iohn Baptist was a plaine and powerfull preacher a man of a holy life they al reverenced Iohn as a holy man thereupon his doctrine came to be so effectuall This is the way whereby God will doe good to those he delights in For others that are bitter Atheists whom God hath appointed to damnation the Gospell hardens them and makes them worse The Pharisees were the worse by the preaching of Christ when the Gospell is preached some are made worse by it and maligne and persecute it as farre as they dare as the Apostle saith God is glorified in the damnation of such bitter opposers We are not to looke to gaine all by preaching those that withstand it are sent by it with the more just damnation to Hell but those that doe belong to him are gained this way Let us labour therfore for a cleare manifestation of Christ there is the treasure of all goodnesse in Christ whatsoever is necessary to bring us to Heaven and the more he is discovered and applied the more we are inriched with grace and comfort Times of change may come and if times of opposition and persecution come not yet temptations will come and the houre of death will come when we shall have occasion to use all the strength and comfort we have and the more dangerous the times are the more sound and cleare knowledge of Christ we should labour for and that will breede this holy violence that shall break thorow all oppositions whatsoever FINIS THE CHVRCHES Complaint and Confidence In three Sermons By the late Reverend and Learned Divine RICHARD SIBS Doctor in Divinity Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grayes-Inne LAM 1.20 Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowells are troubled mine heart is turned within mee for I have grievously rebelled abroad the sword bereaveth at home there is as death LONDON Printed by G.M. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford 1639. THE CHVRCHES COMPLAINT AND Confidence ISAIAH 64.6 7 8. But we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnâ—sse are as filthy rags and we all do fade as a leafe and our iniquities like the winde have taken us away And there is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities But now O Lord thou art our Father wee are the clay and thou our potter and wee are all the worke of thine hands THE words are part of a blessed forme of prayer prescribed to the Church long before they were in captivity It begins at the 15. verse of the former Chapter Looke downe from Heaven behold from the habitation of thy holinesse c. The blessed Prophet Isaâ—ah was carried with the wings of Propheticall spirit over many yeares and sees the time to come the time of the Captivity and God by his Spirit doth direct them a Prayer and this is part of the forme For God in mercy to his people as he foresaw before what would become of them so he vouchsafes them comfort before hand and likewise he prescribes a forme of prayer before hand It is very usefull to use formes the 102. Psalme it is a forme of powring out the soule to God when any man is in misery as you see in the Preface but that by the way These verses are a part of a forme prescribed for the powring forth an afflicted soule We are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse c. The words they are First an humble confession of sinne And first of the sinnes of their nature of their persons themselves Wee are all as an uncleane thing And then of the sinnes of actions all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags And then in the third place a confession of the sinne of non-proficiencie of obduration and sencelessenesse that notwithstanding the corrections of God they were little the better There is none that calleth upon thy Name or that stirres up himselfe to take hold of thee In the second place there is an humble complaint of the miserable estate they were in by their sinnes We all fade as a leafe â—ur iniquitiâ—s like the winde have taken us away them hast hid thy face from us and consumed us because of our iniquities The complaint is set forth in these foure clauses And then an humble supplication and deprecation to God in verse 8. and so forward Now Lord thou art our Father we are the clay thou art the potter we are all the worke of thy hands c. These be the parcells of this portion of Scripture But we are all as an uncleane thing c. Here is first an humble confession And first observe in generall what afflictions will doe especially afflictions sanctified that which all the Propheticall Sermons could not doe that which all the threatnings could not doe affliction now doth Now when they were in captivity and base estate they fall a humbling themselves So the Prodigall nothing could humble him but afflictions By the waters of Babilon we sate downe and wept all the denuntiations of judgements before they came to the waters of Babylon could not make them weepe One affliction will
Justice for them and by the Spirit of life hath quickned that dead body of his that was surety for us himselfe we may well say Who shall lay any thing to our charge he that is our surety is dead dead nay risen againe nay ascended and sits at the right hand of God Therefore now the conscience of any Christian may make that interrogation and bold demand there it may stand out any that dares to oppose the peace of his conscience now that he may say who is it it is God-man that dyed it is Christ that dyed in our nature and hath raised that nature of ours againe and is at the right hand of God who shall lay any thing to our charge The Spirit of life in Christ quickning him hath quickned us together with him so that now we may boldly demand we are freed from our sinnes because our surety is free from all All this was for our good what Christ did it was not for himselfe but for us and in his birth and life and death and resurrection we must consider him as a publicke person and so goe along with all that hee did as a publicke person Whatsoever may be terrible to us we must looke upon it first in Christ. If we looke upon the corruption and defilement in our nature looke upon the pure nature of Christ his nature was sanctified in his birth and he is a publicke person therefore this is for me and though I be defiled in my owne nature and carry the remainders of corruption about me yet the Spirit of life in Christ sanctified his nature and there is more sanctity in him then there can be sinne in me When we looke upon our sinnes let us not so much looke upon them in our consciences as in our surety Christ. When wee looke upon death looke not upon it in our selves in its owne visage but as it is in Christ undergone and conquered for the power of the Spirit of life in Christ overcame death in himselfe first and for us and will overcome in us in time When the wrath of God is on our consciences looke not upon it as it is in our selves but as undergone by Christ and as Christ by the Spirit of life now in him is raised up not from death alone but from all terrours My God my God why hast thou forsaken me See Christ by the Spirit of life quickened from all not onely bare naturall death but from all enemies thou needest to feare from the Law it is nayled to his Crosse hee now triumphs over it and from sinne hee was a Sacrifice for it and from the wrath of God he hath satisfied it or else he had not come out of his grave So whatsoever is terrible look on it in Christ first see a full discharge of all that may affright thy conscience and trouble thy peace any way See him in his death dying for every man that will beleeve Consider him in his resurrection as a publicke person not rising himselfe alone but for all us therefore is 1 Pet. 1. There is an excellent place Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us againe to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ to an inheritance immortall undefiled c. and so goe along with him to his Ascension and see our selves sitting with him in heavenly places as Saint Paul speakes oh this is a sweet meditation of Christ to see our selves in him in all the passages of his birth and life and death and resurrection and ascension to glory in heaven for all that he did was as a publicke person as the second Adam But now before the Spirit of life in Christ come to free me I and Christ must be one there must be an union betweene me and Christ I must be a member of Christ mysticall For as Christ quickened his owne body every joynt when it was dead because it was his body so he quickens his mysticall body every member of it but I must be a member first I must not be my selfe severed from Christ. Therefore the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ the first thing it doth next to impetration and obtaining of happinesse it workes application for these two goe together impetration and application Christ by his death obtained all good and by his resurrection hee declared it but there must be an application to me Now this Spirit of life which is in Christ which quickened him and raised him up and all for my good must apply this to me The grace of application it is faith therefore this must be wrought in the next place How doth the Law of the Spirit of life free me because first it freed Christ therefore me but that is not enough except there be application Therefore the Law of the Spirit of life workes faith in me to knit me to Christ to make me beleeve that all that hee hath done is mine and the same power that raised Christ from the dead workes the power of faith and application For wee must not thinke that it is an easie thing for a carnall man to beleeve to goe out of himselfe that it is salvation enough to have salvation by the obedience of another man No both in the Ephesians and Colossians in divers places it is S. Pauls phrase that the same power that raised Christ from the dead must raise our hearts and worke faith in them For as the good things that faith layes hold on are wondrous good things even above admiration almost that poore flesh and blood a piece of earth should be an heire of heaven a member of Christ that it should be above Angels in dignity as the things are superexcellent things even above admiration in a manner so the grace that beleeves these things it is a strange and excellent and admirable grace that is faith Therefore faith must be wrought by the Law of the Spirit of Christ by the ministery of the Gospell This is the grace of application when a man goes out of himselfe when he sees himselfe first in bondage to his corruptions to Satan and to death and then sees the excellent way that God hath wrought in Christ to bring him out of that cursed estate then hee hath by the Spirit of life faith wrought in him And indeed the same power and Spirit that quickened Christ from the dead must quicken our hearts to beleeve in Christ. It is a miracle to bring the heart of man to beleeve Wee thinke it an easie matter to beleeve indeed it is an easie matter to presume to have a conceite but for the soule in the time of temptation and in the houre of death for the guilty soule to goe out of it selfe and cast it selfe upon the mercy of God who is justly offended and to beleeve that the obedience of Christ is mine as verily as if I had obeyed my selfe here must be a strong
calls his body broken the bread of life Why because it was the body of the Sonne of God who is life Iob 6. All life comes from God Now Christ taking our nature upon him his death is a quickning death and by reason of the union with the divine nature now it is the body of God broken and the blood of God shed for us there is our comfort and hee was declared to be so by his Resurrection that declared that he was God and that hee was freed from our sinnes Powerfull must that Saviour needs be that was so strong in his very death when his very body was broken and his blood let out then hee did worke the foundation of all comfort for then hee satisfied the wrath of God Christ was strongest when hee was weakest The Resurrection was but a declaration of the worth of that hee had done Now in the Sacrament wee have Communion with Christ dying especially as his body is broken and his blood shed for that is the foundation of all comfort by his Resurrection And because the Spirit of life was in Christ and did quicken his body while hee was alive and was a Spirit of life even when hee dyed and gave worth and excellency to his death therefore when wee take the Communion wee ought not to meditate meerely of the death of Christ as his blood was shed and his body broken but of the death of such a person as had the Spirit of life in him as was God and man and so set the excellency of his person against all temptations whatsoever Set the excellency of Christ so abased his body broken and his blood shed against all temptations if it be the greatest the wrath of God upon the conscience yet when conscience thinkes this God the party offended gave his owne Sonne to be Incarnate and the Spirit of life in him did quicken mans nature and in that nature did die for satisfaction now God will be satisfied by the death of such a Surety as his owne Sonne so that the excellency of the Person having the Seale of God upon him For him hath God the Father sealed doth wondrously satisfie conscience in all temptations whatsoever What need a man feare death and damnation and the miseries of this life and Satan what are all if God be appeased and reconciled in Christ then a man hath comfort and may thinke of all other enemies as conquered enemies Now we cannot thinke of the death of Christ who was a quickening Spirit but wee must thinke of the death of an excellent person that gave worth to his death to be a satisfactory death for us Therefore let us receive the Communion with comfort that as verily as Christ is mine so his quickening Spirit is communicated to me and whatsoever he hath is mine If I have the field I have the Pearle in it his obedience his victory over death his Sonship is mine his sitting in heaven is for me he sits there to rule me while I am on earth and to take me up to himselfe when I am dead all is for me when wee have Communion with Christ wee have communion with all Therefore the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus when I am one with him it quickens mâ— and frees me from the law of sinne and death FINIS SAINT PAULS CHALLENGE In one Sermon By The late learned and reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Mr of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE PSAL. 27.3 Though an Host should encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against me In this will I be confident LONDON Printed by E. P. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford 1638. SAINT PAVLS CHALLENGE ROM 8.30 What shall wee then say to these things If God be for us who can be against us THE words are a glorious conclusion and triumph of faith the conclusion upon all the former particulars in the Chapter and the foundation of all the comforts that follow after to the end of the Chapter They are as the center of the Chapter all the beames of heavenly comfort in this divine Chapter they meete as it were in one in this short clause What shall we say then to these things c. In the words briefly there is first a question What shall we say to these things And then a triumph If God be with us who can be against us It is a question answered with another question What shall wee say to these things He answers it with another question If God be with us who can be against us What shall we say to these things To these things before mentioned If wâ—e be in Christ there is no condemnation to us if wee be led by the Spirit if we be heires of heaven and fellow heires with Christ if we suffer with him if we have the spirit of prayer to helpe our infirmities in the worst conditions if all creatures groane with us and if all worke for our good if God from all eternity hath written our names in heaven by election and separated us from the rest of the world in vocation and hath sanctified and justified us and will after glorifie us what shall wee say to these things The heart of man is full of doubtings and misgiving full of thoughts According to the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts refreshed my soule a multitude of thoughts and a multitude of comforts there is comfort after comfort because there are thoughts after thoughts and surmises after surmises There is no wast comfort set down in this Chapter and when he hath set down all he comes and concludes in a triumphant manner What shall wee say to these things He propounds the quaere to himselfe he catechiseth his own heart and others if these things be so what can be sayd against them Surely the unbeleeving doubting darke rebellious heart of man hath many things to say against divine truths for though divine truths be lighter then the Sunne and there is no greater evidence of any thing in the world yet they find no place in the unbeleeving heart Let God say what he will the doubting heart is ready to gain-say it but these truths are so pregnant and cleare that it is a wonder that any thing should be said against them What shall we say to thâ—se things Againe he meanes what comfort can you have more what can you desire more what can be said more what use will you make of all that hath beene said what will you sucke out of it If all this be true that hath beene spoken before that a Christian is so elevated above the common condition if God love him from everlasting in election and to everlasting in glorification if in the middle time all shall worke for the best what comfort can the heart of man desire more and what use can you make of this for courage and for comfort for the time to come these things are implyed in this
might satisfie the just wrath of God foâ— our sinnes and so reconcile God and us together he hath made God and us friends so that this that God is with us it is grounded upon an excellent and sound botâ—omâ— upon the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour that for this very end that God might be with us was God with us that is he was God and man to bring God and man together he was God and man in one to bring God and man that were at contrary termes to termes of reconciliation to recollect and bring us backe againe to God from whence we fell So the reason why God the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost are with us it is because Christ the second Person God and man is with us or else there could be no such sweet termes as these are you see how it is founded Christ took our nature and advanced and inriched it Now hee having taken our nature and our persons to be one with him how neere are Christ and we together There is one common spirit in him and us one common Father I goe to my Father and your Father to my God and your God There is one common Kingdome and inheritance wee are fellow-heires with him oh how neere is Christ to us our soules are not so neere our bodies as Christ is to us and God in Christ. So you see this that God is with us it is founded upon an excellent wonderfull comfortable mysterie This I suppose is cleare therefore I come to that I intend further to enlarge that is the comfort built upon this ground If God be with us Who shall be against us One would think this a strange question for a Christian no sooner comes to be one with Christ and so to be reconciled to God but he hath against him all the powers of hell and then he hath the whole world against him presently Satans Kingdome and then hee hath an enemy that is worst of all that stirres up strife and rebellion and contention even in his owne heart his owne flesh So that we may say who is not against a Christian If God be with us all else but God will side against us There are two grand sides in the world to which all belong there is Gods side and those that are his and there is another side that is Satans and those that are his two Kingdomes two seeds two contrary dispositions that pursue one another till all the one be in hell Satan and all his seed together the Devill and all that fight under his banner that are led with his malignant poyson-full spirit though it may be they cannot doe more hurt or doe not out of politicke respects though they have poyson-full hearts yet these never leave contending till they be in hell and the other never leave till they be in heaven together Christ makes it his prayer My will is that where I am they may be also and his will must be performed so that he need not aske the question If God be with us who shall be against us there will be enow against us It is true but in what sense are they against us and how farre are they against us They are thus farre against us in their wit in their plots and policies in their wills they would devoure all if they could they are against us in their indeavours they doe what they can against the Church and people of God They are against us in their prevailing likewise their indeavours are not idle but prevayle very farre over Gods people even to insolency Where is now their God as it is oft in the Psalmes and to the dejection of Gods people The Lord hath forsaken me The Lord hath forgotten me Gods people are brought very low to the pits brinke the pit almost shuts her mouth upon them So you see they are against them many wayes God gives a great length to their tether And many reasons God hath to let them prevaile both to draw out their malice the more and then to shew his people their corruptions the more and then to exercise their graces in wayting and for the just confusion of their enemies at the latter end and for the sweet comfort of his children at the end when God sees the fittest time to meet with the enemies that they might have sweet experience of Gods seasonable care how ever God put off a long time for some respects so you see they may prevayle a long time Yet who can be against us in this sense that is to prevayle altogether who shall be against us so farre as to have their will in the issue They prevayle a great way what doe they intend not to prevayle over the persons of Gods Church and people but the cause which in spite of Satan and his instruments and all must stand invincible to the end of the world They intend likewise to prevayle over the courage of Gods people that they cannot neither for Saint Paul saith after in this Chapter In all these things we are more then conquerours that is abundant conquerours a strange high terme But in some sense we are more then conquerours for if we consider what weake persons Gods children are what strong enemies they have and what weake meanes they prevayle with in the sight of the world to flesh and blood that such persons should prevayle over such enemies by such weake meanes as they doe in this respect they are more then conquerours So he may say Who can be against us that is to have their wills to overthrow the cause of Christ and the courage of Gods children they may prevayle in this or that particular but at the last all their plots and counsels shall proove abortive and bring forth a lie All is but to magnifie Gods power the more in letting them goe so farre and then to dash all their molds and plots Gods children they have the Devill and all his company the world and the flesh but there is God the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost for them the blessed Trinity that are able to blow away the other three and all the strength and support they have whatsoever Who shall be against us It is not a question of doubting or inquisition to learne any thing but it is a question of triumph he doth as it were cast a bancke and bid defiance to all enemies whatsoever Who shall be against us Let them stand out Satan and the world and all Satans supports let them doe their worst There is a strange confidence which is seated in the hearts of Gods children that they dare thus dare hell and earth and all infernall powers they set God so high in their hearts that they dare say with a spirit of confidence Who shall be against us The meaning is not who shall be against us to take away our lives or liberties c. As the speech is they may kill us but they cannot hurt us the worst they can doe is
to send us to heaven and make us partakers of that we desire most First wee desire that God will be with us here and secondly that we may be with God in heaven they make Gods children partakers of their desires by killing of them Let Tyrants and all persons that have a malignant disposition to the Church of God and are armed with power let them doe their worst the cause must stand impregnable Christ will have a Church and Kingdome in the world and their spirits will be impregnable against them they may kill them but they cannot hurt them they may kill them but they cannot kill their courage As we see in the Martyres there was the Spirit of God in them above all the dealings of of the persecutors there was a fire of Gods Spirit in them above all outward fire whatsoever You see it must be taken for granted that the Church of God and every particular Christian hath many enemies against them as it is Psal. 129. From my youth up saith the Church they have fought against me but they have not prevayled From my youth up from Abel to the last Saint that shall be in the world there will be alway some against Gods people yet their comfort is that none shall be against them to prevaile either over the Spirit of God in them or over the cause that they manage First of all you see then that the state of a Christian in this world is an impregnable state and a glorious condition Here is glory upon glory from this clause to the end of the Chapter If God be with us who shall be against us If God gave his Sonne for us shall hee not with him give us al things else there is another glorious speech Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people another glorious triumphant speech another glorious speech Who shall separate us from the love of God founded in Christ Hee loves Christ first and us in Christ as members and as he loves him eternally so he loves us eternally too Therefore you see every way the state of a Christian is a glorious condition Who can be against us You see the state of Gods people it is an impregnable and glorious condition Then by this meanes those that are strange Paradoxes to flesh and blood yet they agree in a Christian. He is never alone when hee is alone God is with him the Father Son and Holy-Ghost are with him Angels are with him God is not only with him but his guard is with him and Gods Spirit is with him and in him victoriously both in grace and comfort Christ saith to his Disciples when they thought to leave him alone saith hee you cannot leave me alone My Father is with me and Saint Paul towards his latter end that had deserved so well of the Christian world All forsooke me saith he but the Lord forsooke me not but delivered me out of the mouth of the Lion So a Christian is not alone hee is not left to the mercy of his enemies but God is with him and who shall be against him to prevayle over him Againe though a Christian be a worme a person trampled upon for so the Church is the most afflicted part of man-kind yet Feare not thou worme Jacob. The world accounts them as wormes and they account themselves so they are trodden on as wormes they are wormes upon earth yet they have a glorious head in heaven and a glorious guard about them strange things agree in a Christian therefore let us not stumble though wee see not these things presently the life of a Christian is a mysterie Againe hence we see that a Christian profession to be a sound Christian to have true faith in Christ to be one with Christ and to be taken out of the state of nature this condition and the happinesse of it it hath the strongest foundation of any life in the world Christianity is founded upon the strongest and the greatest reasons that can bee Faith stands with the greatest reason that a thing can doe Why The comfort of a Christian is that he hath no enemy that shall prevaile over him and what is the ground of that God is with him God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Faith is that that layes hold upon that presence and promise and covenant of God and is not faith well bottomed A Christian that carries himselfe valiantly and couragiously is not his course grounded on sound reason Is not God with him God the Father is his father God the Son is his Redeemer God the Holy Ghost is his Comforter There is no other men that have strong reason for their course for that choise that they make of their Religion and of their wayes they prove but fooles in the conclusion onely the sound Christian that by the Spirit of God hath his eyes open to see the cursed estate he is in by nature and what it is to be in Christ and by a Spirit of faith is made one with Christ hee is the truely wise man in his faith and affiance that the world mockes at that hee hath no common supports in the world which hee cares not for if God be on his side hee cares not what man can doe against him as it is Psal. 118. you see on what ground it is founded God is with him and none can be against him Let us labour to lay up these principles wee worke according as our principles are Principles are the foundation of all conclusions that arise from them As our grounds are so are we in our faith and working and grace and comfort every way if wee have rotten principles if the grounds of our comfort bee rotten our course will be rotten and uncomfortable in the conclusion Let us build upon the Rocke to be well bottomed and founded that our principles and grounds bee strong and that they be so to us for what if God be with his if he be not so to us Let us labour to lay up sound grounds Grounds have influence into the whole course of our lives this one Text hath influence into all the parts of our lives in doing in suffering in all conditions I know not a more pregnant fruitfull principle in the Scripture than this If God be with us who can be against us It is like a pearle little in quantity few in words but strong in sence large in the fruit that issues from it Therefore as wee may carry pearles or precious things wheresoever we go because there is a great deale of worth in them and they be small in quantity so wee may carry this principle with us let us bee sure to lay it up and make use of it There be these two That there is a God and that God is with his children and so with his children that hee will subvert and overthrow all their enemies and all their plots and endevours a principle of wonderfull comfort If
reason â—aith No he must think what Christ thinks and submit his judgement to him And he must have no will of his ownâ— he must give it up to his contracted Husband Christ and be content to be ruled by him in all things be must forget his fathers house and his former condition and not to make this marriage as carnall professors doe a cover for their adulterous unfaithfulnesse What is the course of many Christians They make the profession of Religion a cover for their ill dealing for their unfaithfull courses what a shame is this It is abhominable What makes the faults of wives worse then the fault of single persons because they are contrary to covenants besides many other inconveniences the confusion of ofspring and the like but this is one grand difference to make the exageration of the fault it is contrary to former covenant Those that are swearers and filthy persons that disgrace Religion and yet notwithstanding cover themselves under pâ—etence that they are contracted to Christ they are baptised and come to the Sacrament c. such wretched persons shall know ere long what it is to dally with Religion what is the aggravation of the faults of such persons They deale as filâ—hy adultresses doe they make Religion a cover for their wreched courses God is mercifull Christ dyed we are Christians we are baptised c This is an obligation to a stricteâ— life it gives men no libertie but is a stricter bond toâ— holy life the renewing of the new covenant againe and againe Therefore there is no comfort for any such wretched persons that countenance themselves under the profession of Religion in adde a greater degree to their offence Oh ye adultererâ— and adulteresses saith S. Iames know ye â—ot that the love of the world is unity with God When we let 〈…〉 loose to vaine things and 〈…〉 are câ—ntracted to Christ we are adulteresâ— adulteresses I beseech you there for 〈…〉 name of Christ for it is our office that are 〈…〉 Christ and his 〈◊〉 together 〈…〉 phi friends of the Bridegroome 〈…〉 new Testament Let me 〈◊〉 you in 〈…〉 〈◊〉 those 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 given up their names to Christ 〈…〉 〈◊〉 with 〈…〉 all to him in 〈…〉 man in 〈◊〉 judgements and wil be and affectionsâ— and than you shall find 〈…〉 condition in this world Indeed 〈…〉 for t of this condition to be indeedâ— and not in outward profession 〈…〉 covenant with Christ to be 〈◊〉 to him 〈◊〉 if you will take liberty 〈◊〉 the profession of Religion to live loosely to be wearers c filâ—hy persons to use your tongues as you lift as if you had made no promise to Christ as indeed we all have what will be the confusion of your soules ere long oh that we dallyed with Religion that we were intreated to be as wee should be by all sweet bonds and yet we preferred our owne lusts and base affections This will be the aggravation of hell and damnation it selfe this intreaty of Christ and the excellent prerogatives and priviledges that we have in Christ and in the meane time we stand more upon our own base courses and will not leave any thing to give up our selves to Christ but I meane not to dwell on this point This is the person The Bride she is called the Bride and not the wife because she is onely contracted here on earth and she is called the Bride in opposition to the whore of Babylon in this Book that is the filthy adulteresse the false Church The true Church of Christ is a Bride and a virgin in heaven shee shall be a wife the false Church is a whore she defiles her selfe with Idolatry and abhominations so partly for distinction from it selfe in heaven where it shall be a wife and partly in opposition to the false Church she is here called a Bride To come in the next place to the desire of the Church How should the Church know she is a Bride This is one way The desire of the marriage where there is a true contract there is a desire of the marriage of the consummation of it a desire of the comming of Christ. In this there are two things considerable First that Christ will come And then the Church hath a deâ—ire of this comming That Christ will come I need spend no time to proove it for it is an Article of faith He shall come to judge the quicke and the dead And he will come to make an end of what he hath begun here He came to redeeme our soules hee must and he will come to redeeme our bodies from corruption Hee came to be judged and to die for us he must come to be judge of the quick and dead he came to contract us he will come againe to marry us and to take us where he is He loved us so that he came from heaven to earth where we are to take our nature that he might be a fit Husband but hee will come to take us to himselfe we shall enter into his Chamber to the Palace of the great King Psal. 45. Hee will come there is no question of that The uneven carriage of things in this world to the eyes of men evinceth so much You see how it is here with mighty persons that shake off Christs yoke how they beare sway how Satan playes reaks in opposing Christ he rules in the children of pride this must not alway be so there must and will be a time when Christ will be glorious in his Saints Now the life of Christ in the Saints is a hidden life there must be a day of revelation And even as it was in Christs first comming there was all kind of arguments and witnesses to prove that he should come in the flesh a Quire of Angels from Heaven to witnesse it and on earth the wise men among the Gentiles and among the Jewes old Simeon there was men and women all kind of witnesses So in his second comming there is all kind of witnesses in this Chapter here is Christ and the Angell and Iohn and the Spirit and the Spouse the Church in generall and every particular soule their desire of his comming shewes that hee will come for the desires stirred up in the heart by the holy Ghost they will not be in vain The desires of his comming shew that he will come for spirituall desires must have their accomplishment there will bee a comming of Christ there is no question of that And the Church here desires it it is the disposition of the Church to bee carried in her desires to it wherein we will shew the ground of this desire And then the use that wee are to make of it The grounds why the Church desires the comming of Christ are manifold First of all look but to the present condition of things in this world the state of things the scandals that are in the Church there will be a desire in the Church
their course of life to such false principles and rules from cherishing athiesticall doubts of Gods providence and the like It is farre otherwise with Gods children there are conflicts in them but there is a recovery they check them presently they have Gods spirit and the seed of grace in them that is never extinct The way of recovery is to enter into Gods Sanctuary for wee must not give liberty to our selves to languish in such a course to look to present things too much but look into Gods book and there wee shall see what is threatned to such and such ill courses and what promises are made to good courses and then apply Gods truth to the example see how God hath met with wicked men in their ruffe and advanced his children when they were at the lowest when they were even at the brink of despaire Examples in this kind are pregnant and cleare throughout the Scripture The Lord saith It shall go well with the righteous and it shall not go well with the wicked Let him escape a thousand times Doubtlesse there is a reward for the godly Let us look in the book of God upon the predictions and see the verefying of those predictions in the examples that act the rules and bring them to the view let us see the truthes in the examples This entring into Gods Sancturary it is the way to free us from dangerous scandalls and to overcome dangerous conflicts for the conclusions of the Sanctuary are cleane contrary to sensible carnall reason Carnall reason faith such a one is a happy man sure he is in great favour God loves him oh but the Sanctuary saith it shall never go well with such a mam Carnall reason would say of Dives oh a happy man but the Sanctuary saith he had his good here and Lazarus had his ill here Carnall reason saith is there any providence that rules in the earth is there a God in heaven that suffers these things to go so confusedly I but the word of God the Sanctuary saith there is a providence that rules all things sweetly and that all things are beautifull in their time We must not look upon things in their confusion but knit things Mark the end mark the end of the righteous man Psalme 37. Look upon Ioseph in prison here is a horrible scandall for where was Gods providence to watch over a poore young man but see him after the second man in the Kingdome Look on Lazarus at the rich mans doore and there is scandall but see him after in Abrahams bosom If wee see Christ arraigned before Pilate and crucified on the Crosse here is a scandall that innocencie it selfe should be wronged but stay awhile see him at the right hand of God ruling principalities and powers subjecting all things under his feet Thus the Sanctuary teacheth us to knit one thing to another and not brokenly to look upon things present according to the dreams of mens devices but to look upon the catastrophe winding up of the tragedy Not to look on the present conflict but to go to the Sanctuary and see the end of all see how God directs all things to a sweet end All the wayes of God to his children are mercy and truth though they seeme never so full of anger and displeasure Thus you see Gods children are in conflict oft times and sometimes they are foyled in the conflict yet by way of recovery they go into the Sanctuary and there they have spirituall eye salve they have another manner of judgement of things than flesh and blood hath Againe we see when he went into the Sanctuary the very sight of faith makes him draw near to God Somtimes God represents heavenly truths to the eye of sense in the examples of his justice Wee see sometimes wicked men brought on the stage God blesseth such a sight of faith and such examples to bring his children nearer to him as we see immediatly before the text thou wilt destroy all that go awhoring from thee and then it followes It is good for mee to draw neare to God So that the spirit of God in us and our spirits sanctified by the spirit takes advantage when wee enter into the Sanctuary and sees the divers ends of good and bad to draw us close to God Indeed that is one reason why God suffers different conditions of men to bee in the world not so much to shew his justice to the wicked as that his children seeing of his justice and his mercy and the manifestation and discovery of his providence in ordering his justice towards wicked men it may make them cleave to his mercy more give a lustre to his mercie It is good for me to cleave to the Lord I see what will become of all others The next that followes upon this that Gods children thus conflicting and going into the Sanctuary and seeing the end of all there They goe a contrary course to the World They swim against the streame As we say of the starrs and Plannets they have a motion of their owne contrary to that rapt motion whereby they are carried and whirled about in foure and twenty houres from East to West they have a creeping motion and period of their owne as the Moone hath a motion of her owne backward from West to East that makes every moneth and the Sunne hath a â—everall motion from the rapt motion hee is caried with that he goes about in a yeare So Gods children they live and converse and are carried with the same motion as the world is they live among men and converse as men doe but notwithstanding they have a contrary motion of their owne which they are directed and carried to by the Spirit of God as here the holy Prophet saith It is good for mee to draw neare to God As if he should say for other men be they great or small be they of what condition they will let them take what course they will and let them see how they can justifie their course and take what benefit they can let them reape as they sow I doe not matter much what course they take I will looke to my selfe as for me I am sure this is my best course to draw neare to God So the sanctified spirit of a holy man hee looks not to the stream of the times what be the currents and opinions and courses of rising to preferment of getting riches or attaining to an imaginary present happinesse here but hee hath other thoughts hee hath another judgement of things and therefore goes contrary to the worlds course Heare Saint Paul Phillip 3. saith he there All men seek their owne I cannot speak of it without weeping whose end is damnation whose belly is their God who mind earthly things But what doth Saint Paul when other men seek their owne and are carried after private ends oh saith he our conversation is in heaven from whence
of death It is a going to our fathers But then wee must take heed what fathers wee imitate here take heed who are our patterns while we live for if wee do not imitate them here wee cannot live with them in heaven when wee are dead Therefore it is a very necessary item in Heb. 13.7 Look to them that rule over you that speak the word whose faith follow Considering the end of their labour Let us look before what kind of men those have beene that wee desire to live with in heaven and mark the end of their conversation for such as we delight in and frame our carriage to here such we shall live with hereafter We must not think to live with Nero and die with Paul to live Epicures and die Christians to live dissembling and falsly in our places and to die comfortably and to go to the blessed soules at the houre of death and at the resurrection No God will gather our soules with wicked men if wee fashion our carriage to wicked men such as wee delight in and live with and set as patterns before us with such we shall live for ever hereafter Hee was gathered to his fathers One signe of a man that shall be gathered to beleeving fathers to his good fore-fathers besides imitation is this to delight in the congregations of just men here A man may know he shall go to the congregation of perfect soules in heaven if he delight in the congregations of Gods Saints here for surely he that hath a confidence to bee in the proper heaven heaven that is so blessed he will have a care while he lives as much as he can to be and delight in the heaven upon earth Now the chiefe heaven upon earth is the Church of God Oh how amiable is thy dwelling place oh Lord where many soules meet together to joyne in speaking to God and in hearing God speak to them Those therefore that delight not in the congregations that delight not in the service of God what hope have they to bee gathered to the congregation of the faithfull when they are gone so much for that he was gathered to his fathers And he saw Corruption IT is an Hebraisme for he felt Corruption he had experience of Corruption All other senses are attributed to sight that being the principall of all the senses they have their terme from it because sight is the most excellent the most capacious and quick sense therefore I say the actions of all the other senses are attributed to it as wee say see how he speaks and so here he saw Corruption that is he had experience of it because sight is a convincing sense He could not properly see when he was dead but the meaning is he had experience of Corruption the truth is this in a word that The best and greatest men in the world when they are gone they are subject to corruption David was a King and a Prophet a man after Gods owne heart yet this could not keepe Davids body from Corruption The reason is wee are but dead men here this is not the life that Christ hath purchased for us wee are going to death our naturall life is but Cursus ad mortem a continuall going to death We are alive now but alasse our life is nothing but a continuall dying every day cuts off a part of our life It is a statute that all must die And it is our perfection to die we cannot otherwise see God enjoy our Crown Death indeed is nothing but misery but when we die we go to live The best must see Corruption Therefore this should bee an argument to support the soule when we think of the rottennesse in the grave and of that place and time of horrour when wee shall bee no more here upon earth It is no otherwise with us than it hath beene with the best in the world they all saw Corruption in their time Again considering we have but corruptible bodies here bodies that must see corruption let us take care for the better part He is a mad man that having two houses one free-hold the other a rotten tenement ready to fall about his eares that shall take delight in that and neglect his owne inheritance which is a goodly thing it is for want of wit and it is as much want of grace when we having a double life the life of grace that ends in glory the life of the soule the life of God as Saint Paul saith and then the life of the body which is communicated from the soule to the body which is corruptible our bodies are but tabernacles of clay whose foundation is in the dust for us to take care of this vile body as the Apostle calls it Phil. 3. Who shall change our vile body and make it like to his glorious body according to his mighty power to take care of this vile body and to neglect our precious soules It is the care of most such is the carnall breeding of men and they follow those that bred them in this brutishnesse as if they had no soules as if there were no life after this their care is what they shall eat and what they shall drink and put on what to commend themselves by in the outward man to the view of others all their care is for their outward man Alas what is it but a corruptible vile body it is but the case of the soule they forget the Iewell and look all to the Casket which is a base body take it at the best while we are here And take heed we be not ensnared with the bodies of others This is the corruption of men to gaze in this kind You see wise Salomon and others were much troubled with temptations in this kind Consider that body that thou dotest on now and which is made by the Divell a snare to thee what will it bee ere-long so noysome that thou wilt not indure the presence of it it is but a flower and it is fading fresh in the morning and dead at night All flesh is but grasse it is a corruptible body If thou wilt needs love bee acquainted with such as have excellent spirits that shall live eternally Oh there is an object of love indeed that is the true love and acquaintance that is spirituall Many things may be lovely in the outward person but see that there be a heavenly spirit that is mounting up that savours of good things a spirit that hath life begunne in it that shall be for ever happy in heaven unlesse there bee this there cannot bee a fit ground for the love of any wise man To end all you see here a short story of a good life and a blessed death let us make this blessed man of God exemplary to us in both Let our whole life be nothing but a service of God and let us consider the generation wherein wee are to take
that all scandals and offences may be removed as it is in the Gospel Christ will come and take away all that offend Look again to the state of the Church here it is but a persecuted afflicted estate nay those that should countenance the poore Church how roughly is the poor Church used ofttimes of those Those that should encourage the Church their rugged and rough usage stirres up this desire in the Church whē those that should be most encouragement are oft times the greatest discouragement Then again the Church hath Antichrist to oppose it and false Brethren in it false persons that hang in their affections to the world and however they make a shew yet their minds are carried to pompe and to a false Religion because they are besotted with a proud carnall disposition which they prefer before the simplicity of the Gospel vaine persons in the bosome of the Church that know not what the glory of the Church is Then againe if we regard even the weaknesse of the Church it selfe it breedes a desire of Christs comming for alas there is but a weake sight in men and variety of sight where there is weaknesse breeds variety of judgement and where there is variety of judgement there will be jealousies even among good persons and these are irksome to the Spirit of God in any that love the sweet peace and concord of Christians that are contracted to Christ this will not be avoided in this world only those that are wise strōgest in grace they wil be the greatest peace makers and beare with the weake in this kind Then againe while we are in this world there is not the best thing but Satan will put his foot and claw in except grace over-power him The Magistracie and ministery alas how are they many times prophaned and abused by Satan and corrupt hearted men that know not how to manage them graciously and fruitfully The Magistracie that is for good it is turned oft-times for grievance as if al the world were made for them and they to doe nothing but to have others Idolize them And then for the Ministery those that should be teachers of others many times discourage those that they should cherish and as the Prophet complains in his time of the false Prophets they discourage those that they should encourage and strengthen the hands of the wicked and grieve those that God doth not grieve by their false carriage taking contrary wayes to Gods Spirit they grieve those that they should cherish and comfort and strengthen the hearts of those that they should take downe by flattery and false applications This will be to the end of the world notwithstanding the excellent Ordinance of God by which God workes his owne good ends while the world stands there will be a taint upon Gods Ordinance till Christ come and then all that grieve and offend shall bee taken away there shall be no Sun nor Moon then for the Lambe will doe all there shall be no Magistracy nor Ministery then God will be all in all And so for all conditions there is no condition nor nothing that is good in the world but Satan labours to bring a vanity upon it and the corrupt heart of man is prone to yeeld to him this will be to the end of the world Therefore wee should not bee overmuch offended to see things carried otherwise than wee would have them Why should we wish for that condition that will never be in this world Wish we may but we must wish it in its owne time it will bee hereafter Let us labour that it may be so then and beare with all here as patiently as we can Againe take the best Christians of all in themselves in their own particulars Alas what a conflicting life hath a Christian with his own heart Sometimes in generall he can see truths very cleare but in a particular some passion or other of Anger or Revenge c. it clouds his judgement that hee cannot see what is to be done what is best The reason is the imperfection of the work of mortification hinders him in his passages and businesse that hee cannot clearely decide of what is best at this time S. Paul complaines of this that he could not doe the good that hee would and that he did the ill that hee would not There are none but they carry some of these dregs with them in this world that hinders them in their designes and determinations onely those that have the power of Gods Spirit in a greater portion then the rest they get more victory over these things and can more clearely see any thing then others yet notwithstanding all have some impediment this way even the best The necessities of this life inforce a great deale of trouble the supplying the necessities of nature and of the condition that God hath set us in which all shall have an end then Then againe the relation between Christ and this contracted Spouse and every faithfull soule inforceth a desire of his comming It is the time of the Churches contract she is a Bride now she is contracted now al the time between the contract and the marriage it is a time of longing and desire therefore the Church cannot but desire the second comming of Christ. It is the nature of imperfection where there is truth in imperfection to desire perfection you see the little seed that is sown in the ground it breakes through the thicke clods because it is not in its perfection till it be in the eare nature hath given it an instinct to breake out so where the seed of grace is it will breake out and shoot forward to desire still and still till it comes to perfection Grace being an imperfect state here it puts forward in desiring that perfection that it cannot attaine in this world but in the world to come therefore the Spirit and the Spouse say Come And then from the nature of the affection of love it selfe where it is planted it is an affection of perfect union contract will not serve but marriage must come after Love will not satisfie it selfe in imperfect union but it cries Come Come still it is carryed in a restlesse desire till it come to perfection Therefore put the case the Jewes were called and converted and Antichrist subdued hath the Church an accomplishment of the period of her desires to say no more Come oh no yet Christ is not come as he will there is not a perfect consummation of all untill that of time it selfe there will be a desire of the Bride and Spouse to say come Thus we see what grounds there are of this desire But is this onely true of the Church militant herebelow doth not the Church in heaven say Come too Yes the Church in heaven saith Come too The Church in heaven and earth are but one Family they are as it were but one Parliament there is the