Sermon 2 Cor. 12.9 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon mee FRom this Text you had this truth That a Christians chiefest glory under his infirmities is in the power of Christ resting upon him In the prosecution of this Point there was these four particulars propounded to be opened and prosecuted First What kind of power of Christ it is which Christians may hope to have experience of notwithstanding all their infirmities To this Question it was thus answered a power that Christ hath with his Father with whom hee is extraordinarily prevalent more than the fondling is with his dearest affectionate Mother A power of Christs Spirit which inables us to do what God requires and to suffer what God commands a powerful application of Jesus Christ himself unto his people and that not onely of light to them but of living of spiritual growth of spiritual strength of strength unto Conquest yea to be more than Conquerours Secondly What is it for the power of Christ to rest on the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for the power of Christ to come and take its residence in the soul to make the soul to bee that which a Tent or Tabernacle is to him who takes up his repose therein to come and lodge in the soul of a Beleever as in his Tent or Tabernacle Thirdly What is it for a Beleever to glory in the power of Christ resting on him that is 1. To have the heart so full of Christ that it cannot contain it self but it must be bursting out as it were and running over in holy Exaltations and Triumphs 2. To bee so much in the admiration of Christ as that to a carnal eye it makes a man seem to bee ridiculous what a goodly person was David in Michals eye when hee danced before the Ark. 3. To rest on Christ so as to look out for nothing else c. to terminate and confine all the desires of the soul in and upon and towards Christ Jesus 4. To oppose Christ to any to every thing that doth in any way in the world either injure or indanger him 4. Why should a Christian rather glory in this power of Christ resting upon him than in any inherent grace that is given unto him upon these Accounts 1. Because all that a Christian by inherent grace is able to do himself is through Christ I can do all things through Christ that strengthens mee 2. Because if there be any acceptance of what a Beleever doth with the Father this also is through Christ the gift is accepted not for the gift sake but for the sake of the merit of Christ 3. If so be a Beleever should glory in his graces there is a possibility of falling but being clad with and resting in the power of Christ there 's an impossibility of miscarrying Thus the Saints of God have their infirmities frailties their multitude of frailties and infirmities yet have they reason to glory in that power of Christ which rests on them on earth but much more reason if they will look up and see the tongue of Christ ingaged for them i. e. interceding for them in Heaven And that lets mee into The third Sermon John 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil I Pray not that thou should take them out of the world let them stay there and glory even in their very infirmities but I pray that thou shouldest keep them from the evil In this Scripture you have our Saviours Intercession for his Disciples Preservation And in this his Intercession two things observable 1. In the negative part for what Christ doth not pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world 2. In the Affirmative part that thou shouldest keep them from the evil of the world For the negative part wherein you have 1. So 〈…〉 implyed not that thou shouldest take them out◠〈…〉 â—orld This implies that God hath the disposal of 〈◊〉 continuance in the world else Christ would never addresse himself to his Father that hee would not take them out of the world If so then 1. Live constantly Beleever above the slavish fear of death Times are not in thine Enemies hands no not in the Devils hands but in Gods hands 2. Bee patient under the loss of thy dearest Relations God hath taken them that hath the disposal of our continuance 3. Seek to God for a blessing on all those means which at any time are prescribed or used for your preservation 2. There 's something mainly intended I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world and that 's this That God will have his people oftentimes continue in the world though they meet with much trouble in the world And if so this should teach you Beleevers how to carry your selves in the midst of a sinful wicked rude God-hating Saint-persecuting World that is 1. Patiently to wait Gods leasure you must stay his time 2. Carry your selves Innocently be sure you in a salt Sea like good fish retain your freshnesse 3. Carry your selves Wisely you walk among Devils Snares c. walk wisely And 4. Walk Serviceably continue you must but 't is Gods time how short you know not therefore walk Serviceably For the Affirmative part but I pray that thou shouldest keep them from the evil of the world Wherein something Absolutely and something Relatively Take the words Absolutely thence these four notions That thou shouldest keep them from the evil 1. Sin is an eminent evil the 〈…〉 2. That we are utterly unable to 〈◊〉 our selves But 3. God can keep his people in and from the evil of a sinfull world 4. That 't is the godly onely that are kept from the evil that is in the world But Relatively especially I pray c No great matter of their sufferings but their sins that 's the thing let them be preserved from that Thence observe preservation from sin is a far greater mercy then exemption from suffering And if so Then 1. See the folly the madness of those that embrace sin to avoid suffering Take a stab in their hearts that they may avoyd a scratch upon their singer 2. See the folly of those that desire the removal of their Sufferings rather than of their Sins Take away the Froggs not my hard heart 3. This shews what should be our greatest complaint in the midst of a troublesome world not my sorrows plunderings imprisonments Lord but the scarcities of my soul c. 4. This shews the grand mistake of the nature of true safety Men think safety to be mearly to sleep in a sound skin but 't is not safety to be preserved from danger but from Sin True the men of the world yea the best of Saints are too too apt to mistake in this case there 's a heart within them that is very apt to think sometimes Sinning to be
Regeneration 1. A Christian may know his real Conversion and Translation to eternal life Such a great and real change is there wrought in every Beleever at his Conversion and this wrought by such a great efficient and infinite cause the Spirit of God and this cause working by such real and powerful means and instruments the great Word of God and this done notwithstanding the great opposition that is made by a poor sinner against the word and when wrought it hath such real and grand effects upon a Beleever that 't is impossible but a Beleever must needs know this his transition from death to life Secondly Love to the Brethren is the great symptome of mens Regeneration Love to the Brethren not taken solely singly as if this was the onely Character but concomitantly taken with others but beyond and above all others this is the privy seal of God on the soul if yee have inflamed it with love hee may know hee is passed from death to life The Use was of Confutation of the Papists those grand enemies to Gospel-Truths and Beleevers peace They abhor this Doctrine of Assurance by it their Purgatory would fall down their Popes Kitchin would grow cold They tell us Beleevers cannot attain Assurance in this world no. 1. Why hath God commanded us to make our Calling and Election sure and will God command impossibilities such as cannot be wrought by our or his own power 2. Other Saints have attained this Assurance this New Name and White Stone within them Obj. That 's by extraordinary Revelation Answ This is not upon proof was not the Assurance of Gods people in Scripture grounded upon general promises Had they many of them either extrinsecal signs or marks to assure them of it did it not spring from principles common to all Beleevers Obj. But suppose they have Assurance to day they may lose it to morrow man is a mutable creature hee may be a Childe of God in the morning and a brat of Hell in the evening Answ 'T is true man is a mutable creature yet is hee preserved by an immutable God man is a weak creature but yet is preserved by the power of God unto salvation man as a Creature is no less mutable in Heaven than upon Earth there preserved by God therefore why not here Obj. This is a doctrine that tends to looseness Answ Not so it did not work looseness in Paul Job c. I labour more than they all Nothing under Heaven so soveraign to stave off and preserve from lust as the assurance of Gods love to the soul Such assurance comes from the highest act of faith and one of the great things of Faith is to purifie the heart and life Such an Assurance must needs constrain the soul The love of Christ constraintâ—is Nay so far is it from inclining to looseness that it casts the soul upon its knees lifts up the souls hands sends him to Heaven continually constantly arms it with petitions resolutions never to let the Lord of Heaven and Earth alone gives him no rest begging of him as for other things so especially for this Lord as thou art pleased to give mee the priviledge of enjoying promises so give mee the power to perform duty Thus saith hee thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And so I am come as far as The Sixth Sermon Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THere is a twofold Will of God 1. Preceptive to be done by us 2. Providential to be done upon us The Minister carried the words in the last sense the will of God be done upon us hence 't was observed Gods Children must not only do but submit to their heavenly Fathers providential will They must not onely do his will the will of his precepts but they must submit to his will the will of his providence Let God do what hee will they must lay down their head upon the block and with patience and resignation say Thy will be done There are two grand Instances wherein Saints ought to shew this submission First When God deprives them of spiritual priviledges and enjoyments they must submit now they must not murmure then and that upon these considerations 1. Suppose a deprivation of publick Ordinances yet the holy Scriptures are left 2. The holy Spirit too that shall bring home the Scriptures to the conscience 3. There are old experiences of former love to live upon 4. Yet none can detain or debar us from making secret addresses unto God 5. 'T is a most noble thing it becomes a Christian exceedingly to live upon pulse yet thrive 6. By the want of such publick Ordinances God thinks fit to convince his people of their folly in sinning away the Gospel Secondly When the Lord makes a breach upon our temporal comforts and estates now for submission and that upon these accounts 1. Come what will come yet no strange thing is or can happen to us no temptation but what is common to man 2. With what comely submission have those old Beleevers behaved themselves to the will of God Eliah Job Samuel Daniel and the Captain of our salvation our blessed Saviour not my will but thy will be done 3. There 's a glorious day coming when God will unriddle all his dark providences and shew you that there is love in the bowels of them 4. God hath made a breach upon some of thy comforts how many comforts hath hee yet left thee 5. Thou art now deprived of thy comforts thou hast enjoyed twenty years thou hast reason to be thankful it was continued so long and not to murmure that 't was taken away now 6. Thou hast some goods the best of goods there 's no plundring a man of his grace no putting of him out of Gods favour 7. God doth thee a kindness in this were it good for thee it should be continued to thee Hee with-holds no good thing hee takes away nothing but what is evil or would be so this life is a transitory vapour and hadst thou enjoyed it thou couldst not long 8. Compare thy self with thy self and others the other day thou was a pittiful poor brat and what shalt thou bee compare thy self with others wee are low how many thousands far beneath us 9. All outward things are not properly formally good or evil as wee fancy them to be good or evil so they are they are but fancies Use Labour after this submissive frame of Spirit get but this and this will evidence that though hee frowns yet hee favours thee this will make thy Faith appear to bee a glorious Faith it will shew that the Kingdome of God is not only come to thee but in thee and rules in thy heart to that end But what shall I do to submit 1. Let not a day of adversity take thee unawares 2. Do not over-value thy self do not think too great of thy self that the wind must not blow onthee 3. Retract the superlative of
and perpetuating of them 〈◊〉 and herein we must depend upon the faithfulness of The great Shepherd of the Sheep Doctor BATES's Forenoon SERMON HEB. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Bloud of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN IT would give light to these words if you confider the scope and design of the Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrews the sum of which is He writes to to them that he might Antidore their Spiâ—ies as gainst A postacy from the Doctrine of the Gospel they were liable to this upon a double account 1 Partly in respect of those Persecutions to which they were exposed for the Jews were filled with a bruitish zeal for the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law and exprest the greatest rancour against those who left Moses to follow Christ This is the reason why the Apostle lays down so many Preservatives against their revolting from Religion and he spends one part of this Epistle in a most passionate Exhortation to perseverance and doth in the tenth Chapter insinuate himself into them You have already tasted the first-fruits of affliction ver 34. You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance This is that temper that Martyrs have exprest who have not onely parted with their goods but with their lives for the Gospel When they came to the Stake they would not so much as shed a tear to quench those flames wherein they should ascend to God as in a fiery Chatiot You took oyfully the spotling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have a better and an enduring substance Thus he insinuates himself by represening what they had done to encourage them to perseverance and partly he fortifies them against Back-sliding by those terrible Judgments which he threatned against Revolters as you may read Chap. 6. and 7. 2 As they were liable to this Apostacy upon the account of Persecution so upon the account of the unsettledness and instability of their own spirits There were several 〈◊〉 those who had given up their names to Christ who diâ—â— compare the Ceremonies of the Law with the purity of the Gospel Now the Apostle to secure them from this mixture his great design is to represent the vanity and infectiveness of all the Ceremonial Law and to â—â—press and prove the vertue and efficacy of the Lord â—â—sus his death which was the substance of all the shadows And this takes up one great part of his discourse with them Now in these two Verses he sums up by way of Recapitulation all that which he had discoursed of at large and in them you may observe these two thing 1 A Description of God to whom he addresses this Prayer 2 The Substance of the Prayer it self The Description of God that he amplifies by these two things 1 From the Attributes and Qualities of God if I may so express it Now saith he the God of Peace 2 From the effects of his power and love That brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep And these Titles they are not here set down to adorn his Discourse meerly as an Ornament but they have all a peculiar efficacy as to the obtaining of the request which here he makes for them I shall beâ—â— with the first the Description of God from that Attribute Now the God of Peace The Title that is used in the Old Testament frequently is this The Lord of Hosts but in the New he is called The God of Peace There were darker Representations of the mercy and love of God then the more full discoveries of his grace were reserveâ—â—ll the coming of Christ Their Discoveries under the Old Testament were but as the Day-Star whsch usher'd in the Sun of Righteousness Now this Title of the God of Peace imparts two things 1 That he is the Author of Peace and works it 2 That he loves and desights in Peace First That he is the Author of it And if you consider Peace in all iâ—s notions and kinds it is a fruit of God and that which descends from him First Peace in Nature is the Harmony that is between all the parts of the World the union that is between the dis-agreeing Elements this is from God for without him the whole Creation would presently disband and return to its first Chaos of confusion Secondly Civil Peace which is among the Societies of men that which is so amiable and lovely and which needs no other foil to commend it and set off its lustre than the miseries of War this Peace comes from God also When there is a subjection to just Laws this is from God Every rash hand is able to make a wound or cast a fire-brand but it is onely the God of Peace that is able to heal breaches to allay those storms that are in a Nation You know those showers which render the Earth fruitful descend from Heaven from God so all the counsels of Peace descend from above The fiery Exhalations ascend from the Earth Counsels of War and Disturbance proceed from the â—â—vilish hearts of men Or thirdly If you consider that Rational Peace which is in the spirits of men i. e. when the Understanding exercises a coercion and restraint over our licentious Appetites when all our inferior Faculties are under the Empire and Conduct of Reason this proceeds also from God For since the Fall there is a great deal of Tumult many Ryots and Disorders in the Soul of a man Reason hates a bad Guide and our Appetitoâ— those are evil Instruments and do many times hurry Reason from its regular actings But fourthly much more if you consider Spirituâ—â— Peace that Peace doth not onely import an agreemenâ— of a man within himself but the agreement of the Soâ—â— with God This is the fruit of the Spirit and it I only God that is able to convey this peace to us And upon a particular account this Title is given to him by way of eminency and propriety as 1 He is alone able to allow and dispense this peace to us for all our sins are injuries committed against him against his Crown and Dignity all the Arrests of Conscience are made in the name of God and therefore it is only He that can speak peace As in the Civil State it is an Act of Supremacy to give a pardon only he that can condemn is able to speak a pardon so it is that God that is our Judge provoked and incensed by us he that hath a judiciall power to cast body and soule into hell-fire is alone able to speak peace and passe a Pardon for us in the Court of Heaven and this is experienced
shake his Kingdom about his ears Sathan and Antichrist know that their Kingdom must down by the power and light of the Gospel and therefore Sathan and men of an Antichristian spirit do all they can to oppose and shew their hatred against the everlasting Gospel and this makes them to be in such a rage against the Gospel Quare 2. When the Gospel goes from a People what goes I shall give but a touch here 1 When the Gospel goes Peace Plenty and Trading goe 2 Chron. 15.3.5 and 6. compared Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching-Priest Why They had Priests but they were Jeroboam's Priests as you may see Chap. 13. ver 9. Have you not cast out the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other Lands so that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young Bullock and 7 â—ams the same may be a Priest of them that are no Gods A little business will buy a Priesthood and so they are said to be without the true God without a teaching Priest and without Law Mark what follows And in those times there was no pence to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countrey and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity 2 Safety and security goes when the Gospel goes so in the Text but now cited The Ark was taken away and when that was taken away their strength and safety was gone When the Jews rejected the Gospel the Romans came and took away both their Place and Nation John 11.48 If we let him thus alone the Romans will come and take away both our place and Nation About fourty years after Titus Vespatian took away their City they cryed If we let this man alone the Romans will take away our Nations And this was the ready way to bring the Romans upon them 3 When the Gospel goes Civil Liberty goes When the Jews sleighted the Gospel and turned their backs upon it they quickly became Bondslaves to the Romans 4 When the Gospel goes the honour and glory splendour and beauty of a Nation goes It is the Gospel that is the honour and glory of a Nation and when that goes all the glory goes As old Eli said When the Ark was taken away the glory is departed from Israel 1 Sam. 4.22 Jer. 2.11 12 13. Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods but my People have changed their glory for that which doth not profit that is the Worship of God into the Traditions of men Whâ—t is it that lifts up one Nation above another but the Gospel Above all Nations of the Earth England hath been lifted up to Heaven 5 When the Gospel goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes The Gospel you know is the means appointed by God to bring Souls to an acquaintance with Christ to an acceptance of Christ to an interest in Christ to an assurance that he is theirs and they are his Now when this goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes Lastly When the Gospel goes the special presence of God goes for that still goes with the Gospel There is a general presence of God as the Psalmist speaks Psal 139. Where shall I go from thy Spirit Whither shall I fly from thy presence I his presence of God reacheth from Heaven to Hell in that sense God is included in no place not excluded out of any place But alas What is this general presence When the Gospel goes the special presence of God goes This leads me by the hand to the third Quaery Quaerie 3. And that is this Whether God will remove the Gospel from England or no It is the fears of many but I humbly suppose no Whatsoever Darkness may be upon it yet that God will not remove it and if you please I will offer a few things that signifie something as to my own satisfaction and it may be so to you 1 The rooting that it hath got in the hearts of sinners and Saints in the Judgment Affections and Consciences both of Sinners and Saints Certainly it hath got so deep a root in the hearts of many thousands of Saints and Sinners that it shall not be in the power of Hell to raze it out 2 The glorious Anointings that are to be found upon many thousands of God's Servants in this Nation to preach the everlasting Gospel and who would be glad to preach upon the hardest terms keeping God and a good Conscience to preach it freely as the Apostles of old did And certainly God hath not laid in this Treasure that it should be turned into a heap of Confusion but that it should serve to the end for which he laid it in 3 The ineffectualness of all former Attempts and Designs to destroy the Gospel You know what endeavours of old there hath been to darken this Sun to put out the light of Heaven in the Marian days and in other days since them and yet it hath not been in Prisons Racks Flames Pillories nor any thing else to extinguish the glory of it And then 4 All Designs and Attempts to extinguish the everlasting Gospel have turned to the advancement flourishing and spreading of the Gospel 5 God never takes away the Gospel from a People till the Body of that People have thrust the everlasting Gospel from them when indeed they have been so bold as to thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath been severe unto them But till the Body of a People have thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath not taken it away from them 2 Chornicles the 36. Chapter and the fifteenth verse to the end God sent his Messengers early and late they abused and sleighted and scorned them till there was no remedy So in the 35. of Jeremiah from the first to the twelfth it is a famous Text for this So in the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts and the 45 46 and 47 Verses Because you have thought your selves unworthy of Salvation loe we turn to the Gentiles Till the Jews came to thrust away the everlasting Gospel the Lord continued it to them 6 The spreading of the everlasting Gospel is the special means appointed by God for the destruction of Antichrist First he is to be consumed by the Spirit of his Mouth then destroyed by the brightness of his coming the Spirit of Faith and Prayer in them that would be willing to lay down any thing rather then part with the Gospel God will not put his blessed Church to the blush he will not make them ashamed of their confidence 7 Are there not multitudes of the Children of Believers that fall under many Promises and will not God make good his Engagements to them I will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your Seed and the Seed of the Vpright shall be blessed
Cure so there can be no sweeter peace then when mercy and peace meet together and when Conscience and Peâ—ce kisleth each other The former is the tast of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by Faith If Christ had peace who was made our sinâ— needs must the Believer have peace who is made the righteousness of God in him Secondly Sanctifying grace has a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the root from the fruit The peace of Justification is a radical peace the root of peace but the peace of Sanctification is the Bud the Blossom of the Tree The former flows from the Bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latteâ— from the conformity that is between the Word and Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rules grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that peace is the frui of sanctifying grace Now as the bloud of the Paschal Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the Posts of the Egyptians but upon the Posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the posts of the carnal sinner but on the post of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guil no grace no peace that is God's Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and Conscience when Word and Conscience when Law and Conscience and all the Attributes of God are against the sinner No peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that Chapter it begins with peace and ends in no peace In vers 2. it 's said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous In the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It 's the state of grace that 's the onely state of peace And thus I pass from the double grace desired grace and peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a Question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known rule thar the transient exernal works of God are attributed to all the Three Persons in the Trinity the same Works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same Works attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so grace and peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from mercy and from merit From mercy on God's part to us from merits on Christ's part for us They are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us They are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the Fountain of all grace and peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all grace and peace Man in union to Christ is the Cistern into which these streams of grace and peace run God wills grace and peace to us and Christ works them in us God gives grace and peace to be applyed to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the Soul is from the merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double Spring of this double Blessing Time will not serve me further The onely Observation is That all the grace and peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That grace and peace are the Believer's priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That grace and peace are the Saints priviledge if grace is then peace is But grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us This is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the Soul of a Believer The Believers Title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you take grace for the fruit of God's love to the Soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption Pardon of Sin purging from Sins strength against Sin Holiness Love Faith Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the being of a Christian as reason to the being of a man Secondly as grace so peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace Eternal peace Supernal peace Internal and peace External There is peace External this is peace with Men There is peace Supernal that is peace with God There is peace Internal that is peace with Conscience All these three are to be had upon Earth and then there 's peace Eternal and that is onely to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter Peace with man is a good thing to be 〈◊〉 but peace with God and Conscience is 〈…〉 to be desired Peace with God is the 〈…〉 things both within and without both below and above both in time and Eternity so says Job If he gives peace who then can make trouble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge It is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a Copy of his Will then look in John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you There is it seems a peace in the Worlds power to give and there 's a peace of Christ's bestowing Now Christ would have us here not to mistake the World's peace for his for the difference is very great for first the World's peace is a false peace it is a counterfeit Coyn it has not the currant stamp of Heaven on it but the peace that Christ gives to a Believer is true peace and perfect peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Secondly the Worlds peace is an outward peace It is but skin-deep it wets the mouth cannot wash the heart Prov. 14.13 In laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness The Worlds peace is but the shell of peace their Conscience lowres when their countenance laughs but the Peace that Christ gives is an inward and spiritual peace Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time
then to live in Heaven with guilt on his Conscience My Brethren let me a little enlarge because suffering may overtake us for Persecution is the genius of the Gospel therefore let me leave 4 short Rules with you concerning sufferings See that your Cause be good your Call be clear your Spirit meek and your End right Sufferings cannot bring out peace without either of them but with them all our sufferings shall be peace First Let your Cause be good it s not the bloud but the cause that makes a Martyr it s not for every cause a Christian should engage to suffer every cause will no more bear suffering then every little stream will bear a Ship nor will Christ let go swee ness to every suffering 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evil doer or as a busie-body in other mens matters To suffer thus is neither Christian-like nor comfortable Some suffer rather as Malefactors then as Christs Martyrs Secondly Let your Call be clear it s amiss to have a good cause without a call Some may suffer for the cause of God and yet sin in suffering for want of a call Christ calls not all to suffer to some it is given to others it is not If thy call be clear thy peace will be sweet though thy sufferings be never so great But you will say How shall I know when I am called to suffer I answer First when Truth suffers by our filence then are we called to suffer Secondly when our lives will be the denyal of Christ then are we called to deny our lives for Christ Thirdly When sin and suffering surrounds us that we cannot get out but we must either run through sin or sufferings then I may safely conclude that Christ called me to suffer and in this cause we may expect the peace and sweetness of his presence Thirdly The third Direction for suffering is this Our spirit must be meek so was Christ he went as a Lamb to the slaughter It s possible a man may be right in his cause and yet sinful in his carriage and if so no wonder if Christ be not sweet to us To be fierce and raging and reviling in suffering it s not becoming humanity and therefore much lesse like Christianity A Christian should be like Christ Acts 45. And they departed from the presence of the Councel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name It becomes those that are found in the Spirit to give blessing for cursing the more of Christs spirit is in us in our sufferings the more comfort and joy we shall receive from our sufferings Fourthly See that your end in suffering be right if it be Self or singularity or schism then Christ cannot be sweet to thee Some have died that their nameâ— might live Socrates died in the defence of the truthâ— and to prove that there is but one God but whether he died for honour applause or for Gods sake I think it is no hard thing to determine But 〈◊〉 thy cause be good thy call clear thy spirit meek and thy end right and then you shall have peace in all your sufferings that is the fifth thing Choose suffering rather then sinning Sixthly If you would have peace be much in studying the Scriptures for as God is the God of peace and Christ the Prince of peace so the Gospel is the Gospel of peace which God hath given thee to lead thee in the wayes of peace Great peace have they that love thy Lawes Seventhly Take heed of Apostacy either in Doctrine or Principles Though a Believer is freed from Apostacy in the state of grace yet he is not freed from Apostacy in the degrees of grace He may fall sinfully though he cannot fall finally Demas fell by one St. Peter by the other Pray with David Psal 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy path that my foot-steps slip not Eighthly Make the Word of God your Rule in all things be sure you have a Scripture-warrant for all your practises But especially keep close to Scripture in matters of Gods Worship There are endless Discourses about the Mode of Gods Worship I have no disputing-time It is good in difficult cases always to take the surest side For Instance If I follow the Traditions of man for the worship of God I may sin but if I keep close to the directions of God in the Scripture I am sure I cannot sin for this is the sure word of Prophecy to which you do well to take heed therefore in such a doubtful case Gods will is that we take the surest side go to the Law and to the Testament Labour to be fruitful and grounded Christians Ninthly Keep up the power of godliness do not let Religion down into a life-less formality The Righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God Psal 92.12 13. My Brethren it is as much a duty in them that have grace to improve it as for them that have no grace for to get it If you sit under the daily means the daily waterings of God and do not grow do you think this will be peace in the latter end surely no my Brethren your fruitfulness under the Gospel is of very great concernment It is unfruitfulness that makes God lay his Vineyard waste It s fruitfulness that procures the forwarding your account in the day of grace Tenthly Observe that excellent rule of the Apostle in Phil. 48. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are â—ust whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be an prayse think on these things And now my Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace that is infinitely able to make you wise to saâ—vaâ—ion with this Benediction which I shall makâ— my Valediction Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Master JOSEPH CARIL His Farewel SERMON UPON Revel 3. Ver. 4. the latter part of that Verse And they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy IN the former part of this Verse you heard the commendation of those few names in Sardis It was this They had not defiled their garments In this latter part you have their encouragement in their Reward They shall walk with me in white In which encouragement I told you we might consider two things or take it into two parts First That they should walk with Christ Secondly They should walk in White I have spoken to the former of these They shall walk with Christ and that the Scripture holds forth under a two-fold notion First As matter of duty It is a duty to walk with Christ Secondly It is a matter of Promise They that
From the Object the Profession of our Faith And Thirdly From the Act with the Qualificationt Hold fast without wavering First From the Subject concerned Us Let us hold fast whatever others do if they let go Faith and God and 〈◊〉 and Souls and allâ— yet let us hold fast 〈…〉 the Apostle speaks of 〈◊〉 to Believers theâ—â—â—â— a very great Emph sis in the word We or Us as in the 〈◊〉 of Tim. 6.8 saith â—e Having food and rayment let us be content Indeed he might have said Let every man be content but the emphasis lyes upon the us If no body else will be content yet let us for a Christian lyes under more obligations to all manner of vertue hen any other man doth If Nature will not be content with little yet let Grace Let us be content So here let us hold fast our Profession It may be others will let it go I but let us hold it fast let us among whom let us upon whom let us in whom such mighty things have been done by God let us hold fast or else it will be an intolerable upbraid and condemnation to us That it will be both see but two Texts of Scripture The first is in the 11th of Matthew vers 20 21. Then began he that is Christ to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in Sackcloth and Ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgment then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down unto Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained untill this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom at the Day of Judgment then for thee Pray do but mark what an upbraid there is and upon what ground Because mightier works had been done among these then among others Now it seems to be a little excusible that they where these mighty works had not been done did not repent and therefore their punishment shall be the more tolerable But it will be more inexcusable for them among whom less mighty work have been done If they do not comply with the design of God their condition will be far more intolerable They that have been lifted up to Heaven as it were that have as it were seen Christ crucified before their eyes for them to apostatize and turn away from Christ of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy Certainly those very persons that have great and mighty works done among them and upon them too great Convictions and strong Resolutions and yet they shall apostatize oh how will God upbraid these persons Now see that other Text that speaks as dreadful as this Heb. 6.4.5 and 6 verses For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame It is the greatest disgrace and affront that man can put upon Christ to apostatize from him it is not half so much not to own him for by that they crucifie him again and put him to an open shame it is as if they told all the World that this Christ is not worth the believing in and it were but to throw away their time and happiness to believe in him Well then let us that pretend to such enlightnings and say We have tasted of the Heavenly gift and of the good Word of God and of the first-fruits of Heaven let us hold fast lest we come under this upbraid and this condemnation But more particularly let us hold fast as we are concerned to do if we consider First What we were before Faith Secondly What we are by Faith Thirdly What we shall be at the end of Faith First What we were before Faith What were we Before Christ was Preached and before we believed what were we Why much worse then if we had not been considered in our case and state it is better not to be at all then to be a sinner it were better not to be a people then not to be the people of God Now what were we before Faith Why truly we were not a people so the Scripture tells you They that were not a people are now the people of God so that if we are not the people of God we are as if we were not a people We were What were we before Faith Dark We were the Darkness it self as the Apostle's expression is in Ephes 5.8 saith he Ye were sometimes Darkness The very Light that was in us was Darkness corrupt in our Understandings and Imaginations the Understanding dark We were dead yea under the worst of Deaths dead in sin You saith he that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned How were they dead in sins Did they not live in sin Yes saith he wherein you walkt Why What is their Death To live in sin is to be dead in sin all the while the Prodigal lived in his sin the Father said of him He was dead My Son that was dead is alive We were What were we before Faith Why we were Children of what of Wrath as well as others Now Beloved consider how many abide thus to this day in Darkness Dead in sin and Children of Wrath When you are or pretend to be translated out of this darkness into his marvellous light will not You hold fast You that were dead as well as others and now you live is this your requital to God that you will now let it go Oh! I beseech you have a care of that Secondly let us consider what we are by Faith and that will be another Obligation upon us We were not so bad before Faith but we are better by Faith We were not in so miserable a case before believing but we are in as happy a case when we do believe Why what are we We are alive and Children of Light and Children of God We are alive You hath he quickned saith he or made alive and My Son that was dead is alive Now what is the work of the Living It is to praise God The Living the Living they shall praise thee as I do this day Now if this be the work of the Living then consider if we hold not fast our Faith if we apostatize we are so far from doing the work of the Living that is of praising God that we do all the dishonour we can to God we do the work of dead
in sin that he is a stranger to the life of Grace hence ariseth all his spiritual troubles now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright Reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now 〈◊〉 have received not the spirit of the world but the Spâ—â— which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly forrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly forrow Oh! it s a matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is 〈◊〉 mortifying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrow pride unbelief inordinate love to the world 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing I did for the Explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they were 〈◊〉 as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the Spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel 〈◊〉 find none in his comforting work The Sun 〈◊〉 operate where it doth not shine A ma◠〈…〉 of salvation when he doth not feel the joyâ—â— of 〈…〉 Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the â—nnforting Spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is in natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mount ain 〈◊〉 stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in a frame of longing after the state of Heaven Godâ—wil have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we most make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes til sin be quite takeâ— out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spirituall comfort in their souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comâ—nt but they may feel impressions of Gods anger Heman complaâ—â— that the wrath of God did hang upon him and that the 〈◊〉 of God had cut him off A gracious heart hath real grouâ—â—â—â— of consolation though he hath not present sensible comfort A child of God hath alwayes that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eaâ—â—nal life A child of God shall always have so much to keep upâ— hopes and affiance upon God a child of God in the daâ—est condition though he doth not see enough to make 〈◊〉 rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust iâ— God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while â—e was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5 Those that have inward comforts from the spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it 's light within while Stephen sees nothing but blood here below he saw Heaven above And Christ tells his Disciples In the world they should have tribulation but in him they should have peace 6 And lastly Though this be one great work of the spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples yet there are some speciall seasons where in the Spirit of God gives out this comfort There are seasons of sadnesse there is a season of heavinesse there is need of it There is a time to weep and a time to laugh and a time to mourn and a time to dance I shewed you some of the Seasons 1 One special Season of the Spirits comforting the renewed soul is presently upon the souls first salvation After the Spirit is become a Spirit of Adoption presently it becomes a Spirit of Consolation after the Spirit hath come into the Soul in the Law it then nextly appears a Spirit in the Gospel 2 Another season when the Spirit gives out this comfort is just before the Lord layes upon his people any great afflictâ—â— on When was it that Christ was transfigured and his face did shinc as the Sun it was immediately before his blood passion Christ was first taken into the Mount before 〈◊〉 was up lifted upon the Crosse When was the 〈◊〉 heard This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 〈◊〉 but just before he was led into the wildecessâ— to be tempted When was Paul lifted up into Heaven it was immediately before Satan was sent to buffer him Thus God gives his people somthing before-hand to support their spirits that they may not faint the Disciples were full of comfort Acts 5.41 and when was this immediately just before they were carried before the Council and whipt up and down like Vagabonds Rogues for Preaching the Gospel 3. Another Season when the Spirit gives out this Comfort is in the time of suffering God comes in the nick of time especially if a man suffer for righteousnesse sake if his suffering be upon the account of Christ he seldome fails to send the Comforter for the relieving of his spirit 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Bodily confinement and inward streights are the time of the Souls greatest enlargement John had his Vision iâ— the Isle of Patmos When a child of God is brought to a piece of bread then
must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnabaâ—'s Sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be dammed up the houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our troubles increase and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eys the comfort of our hearts in respect of the outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want bread for our souls we want cordials for our hearts blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Ambassadors do come to us by thy Spirit do now in heaven as thou didst on earth pray the Father for us do not leave us as so many Orphans without father or mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our souls see how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy spirit 3 If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed that you do not lay up your comforts in the creature This is for to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it well at your hands to seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4 Sit down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall find this Psalm was penn'd when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5 Be much in the exercise of grace Then they walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the mind of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of Comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ 1. Sure your comforts will be satisfying Comforts sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad newes to the Disciples who where ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comforts that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wildernesse where no water is when he doth deny the meanes he can cumfort us without where he denies the stream he can make us drink out at the Fountain 7. And Lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banish'd your Ministers may be imprison'd but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not Preach any more to you I shall Pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green His Farewel Sermon in the afternoon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace who is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified THe words are part of S. Pauls Farewel-Sermon or discourse to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus one of those famous seven Churches of Asia that we read of in the book of the Revelations It is not to be doubted as Calvin doth Comment upon the place that though the Apostle speaks immediately to the Elders yet he doth comprehenâ— the whole Church in the Speech Our holy Apostle had been a long time with the Church preaching among them taking pains with them both in publick and private as you may see in the 20 verse and declares to them the whole Counsel of God verse 27. and now being called away taken off by divine Providence by the will of his Master the last and best office that he thought he could do for them was to commit them to the care of God and to leave them in his arms and to recommend them to his Grace It would be more then the time would permit to look over the whole Apostles Sermon which is partly Narrative and partly Consolatory Narrative to put them in mind in what manner he had preached to them from verse 17. to verse 27. And it s partly Consolatory from the 27. to the Text wherein the Apostle could hold no longer but his love constrains him and makes him to break forth into this pathetical wish or rather prayer And now Brethren I commend you to his grace As if he had said I am just now going 〈◊〉 you not knowing that I shall see your face any more now I am a dying man as to my conversing with you anâ— more now I am departing this is the best Legacie I can bequeath unto To commend you to God and to his grace And he speaks to persons as standing in the same relation with God and Christ and having the same Father and the same elder Brother As if he should have said you are as dear to me as my own flesh as if you were my brethren by consanguinity and it is my sorrow that I must leave you but as it is my greatest grief to part with you yet I must leave you and this is the comfort that I shall leave you in safe hands I do not leave you to the wide world I do not leave you as Orphans without a Father as Sheep without a Shepherd but I commend you to God and to his grace O happy word Though I must leave you yet I trust God who is able will keep you as God is present every-where
There is a difference between the afflicting of Gods people and judging their enemies In the intention and extension one is for ruine the other in proportion one is a light affliction the other a load And then for extention one is for ever and the other is for time for ten dayes Then our afflictions shall have an end I and a comfortable end Are not these two ends comfortable the end of our sins and the end of our sorrow God will restore comfort to his mourners let us be mourners during the time of mourning God will quickly cloath us with garments of praise there shall be an end of our sufferings never an end of our joy and glory Pro. 8. To conclude in a word Be faithful to the death Be faithful in your promises in your vows and purposes your covenants of obedience and reformation persist in the doctrine of the Gospel and the worship of the Gospel and the Ministry of the Gospel and office Christ hath fixt in his Church be faithful by your most earnest zealous desires before the Lord Be faithful to the death He will never let you see death till all your fears are conquered He can presently take them away He will certainly be present with you in all your trouble And remember God in tender mercy and faisfulnesse for the present accepts the unfeigned purpose to be constant and saithful to him to the death Mr. Beerman's Farewell Sermon At St Thomases in Southwark August 17. 1662. BEloved I know you are not ignorant that I am called by Authority to depart from you which for Conscience sake we must obey and were it not for the breach of Conscience I think I could be content to undo my self to stay with you I shall now in love and tendernesse take my leave of you all with that large portion of Scripture in the twentieth of the Acts from the seventeenth verse to the end they were Paul's parting words to the Ephesians Ver. 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church and when they were come unto him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you serving the Lord with all humility of mind with many tears and temptations which befell me through the lying in wait of the Jews and how I kept back nothing that wâ—â— profitable unto you but have shewed you and taught you publickly and from house to house testifying to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things thâ—â— shall befall me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide â—e but none of these things moveth me neither count 〈…〉 life dear unto my self so that I might finish my 〈◊〉 with joy and the Ministry which I have received of 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God and now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of Heaven shall see my face no more Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood for I know this that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those that are sanctified I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel Yea your selves know these hands have ministred to my necessities and to those that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak remembring the words of our Lord Jesus how he said it is more blessed to give then to receive And when be had thus spoken he kneeled down and prayed with them all and they all wept sore and fell upon Paul's neck and kissed him sorrowing most of all for the words which be spake that they should see his face no more and they accompanied him unto the Ship BEloved I have read unto you the words of a departing Minister to his Hearers The case being my own I thought I could not pitch upon a more fitter place to take my farewel withall I shall not stand to open all these words only speak a word or two at parting as Paul did to the Ephesians and I shall only hold forth something to you by way of Analysis to it and thereby you may judge of the Analogy of it In this parting speech of Pauls you have two parts First Pauls theirs carriage to them Secondly Pauls theirs carriage to him First Pauls behaviour towards them that was very pious as you may read from v. 17. to v. 37. Secondly the peoples behaviour towards their departing Minister which you have in the two last verses Wherein is observable First their love Secondly their sorrow First their love expressed by kissing him and accompanying him unto the ship Secondly their sorrow expressed by their weeping they could not part with such a Minister with dry eyes but saith the Text They all wept sorely sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more They wept and they all wept and they all wept sorely a sore weeping when this Minister and this people parted From whence I note this That there is occasion and matter of great sorrow when people loose a godly Minister Paul was not the first Minister that ever parted with a people nor the Ephesians the first people that ever lamented the losse of a faithful Minister See how the people lamented Samuel 1 Sam. 25.1 And Samuel died and all Israel was gathered together and lamented Samuel O that brave that powerful preaching Samuel is gone How did Elisha lament Elius catching hold of his garments and crying out My father my father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof Christ himself when he saw the Children of Israel scattered abroad upon the mountains as sheep without a shepheard how did his bowels yern towards them but to name no more take St. Stepen Acts 8.2 when Stephen was departed dead and gone devout mâ—â— carried Stephen to his grave and made great lamentations over him they could not but lament to think that that noble couragious and heart-daunting Minister should never preach more before them
come unto you this day as a dying man for you know when this day is gone I must no more preach among you and I know you are come to see what I shall leave you for your Legacy which that I may do take these Twenty things as Counsel and Advice from a dying man and O that they may remain with you when I am dead First I shall give you Ten by way of Caution and secondly Ten by way of Counsel my Cautions are First Beloved I beseech you as you tender the welfare of your Souls take heed of breaking the Sabbath day of Prophaning the Lords day it hath been observable that whereever Religion hath flourished among any people there they have ever been careful and conscientious of the Sabbath day and on the contrary side where Religion is gone to decay and people grown to prophanenesse there they are alwaies loose on the Sabboth day pray remember I hope you will remember for God calls upon you and commands you so to do Exod. 20. v. 8. Remember the Sabboth day to keep it holy do not you take so much liberty as some will give you whoever you are that refuse thus to do I will leave this assertion upon you thou wretched man hath God given thee Six dayes and reserved but one for himself and wilt thou Rob him of that too what if he had given thee but one kept six for himself would you be so vile as not to keep them how much more then when God hath given thee so much preheminency in time this is the first be conscious in keeping the Sabboth day Secondly Take heed and beware of Idolatry this was John's caution to his beloved Children 1 Epist 5. v. 21. Little Children keep your selves from Idols There is no sin to which nor no sin by which we are in more danger than Idolatry First there is no sin to which we are in more danger than Idolatry Moses's back was no sooner turned but the people made them a brazen calf and bowed down to it and worshiped it as their God Exod. 32. v. 4. Jehojada was no sooner dead but Ioash returned to Idolatry if we were not prone to this sin what is the reason all the world turns Antichristians so Universally Secondly As there is no sin to which we are in more danger so there is no sin by which we are in more danger than Idolatry I do confesse if you will keep your garments clean undefiled with the mark of the Beast it may be you may come under shrewd temptations yet I intreat you as a dying man as you love your Souls and for God's sake flee from Idolatry notwithstanding your temptations for God hath promised that under all the temptations that happens to you he will support you if you flie and withstand the thing you are tempted to 1 Cor. 10. v. 13. there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to men but God is faithful Will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make way to to escape that you may be able to bear it now see what use the Apostle makes of this promise in the next verse he follows with these words my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry seeing God will uphold us let us withstand any temptations to this end that God may uphold us this is the second Caution Thirdly Take heed of Apostacy of a degenerating backsliding spirit that ye do not fall off from the truth and ground of the wayes of God which ye have known and professed it is true it may be for standing to your principles you may lose the love of man I acknowledge it may be so but hear what God saith If any man fall back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him if thou goest on mans Soul may have no pleasure in thee but if thou fallest back Gods soul wil have no pleasure in thee thou doest by Apostacy declare to all the world that thou hast made trial of the wayes of God and thou doest not find them to be as good as thou thoughtest they were nay not so good as others O take heed of scandalizing the wayes of God here how God complains of those that so do Jer. 2.10 Go unto the Isles of Chittim and behold and send unto Kedar and take diligent heed and see whether there be such a thing hath a Nation changed their God for those which are no Gods but my people hath changed their glory for that which will not profit Hear O Heavens and be astonished at this for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and have hewed to themselves broken cisterns that will hold no water Whatever it is that would lead thee to Apostacy beware and flie it especially evil company of which I shall speak more anon let your love to Christ be augmented and love of your selves abased for unlesse you love Christ very much and your selves very little I cannot hope that you will stand to your principles Fourthly Beware of Covetousnesse it is Christs Caution Luke 2. ver 15. Take heed and beware of Covetousnesse here is a Caution with a double action take heed and beware believe me Brethren it stands upon us so to do for it steals upon us before we be aware of it there is no person will deal more injuriously with a Christian than a covetous man will he will betray his Life if it were in his hands into his Enemies hands for Money as Judas did A covetous man he will injure Christ in his Ordinances he will not come at them for the love he bears to the World will not suffer himstruly quoth he I have lost this or that while I was hearing a Sermon I 'le go no more I must stay at home and look after my businesse I could give you many instances of this but time will not give me leave I shall only touch this one what was it but the Love of this World that kept those who were bid to the Marriage Feast of the Great King of Heaven from coming One had bought a piece of Ground and he must needs see it another had bought Oxen and he must go to prove them a third had Married a Wife and therefore he could not come Of all persons in the world a covetous man cannot nor will not endure to bear the Crosse of Christ Phillippians 3. v. 8. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destâ—uction who are these what manner of persons are they why they are such who make their Belly their God whose glory is their shame and who mind earthly things A covetous man he will lie with Ananias and Sarhira he will steal with Achab he will murther with Ahab he will betray with Judas what will he not do to attain his covetous
desire this is the Fourth beware of covetousnesse Fifthly You that have not taken warning yet I beseech you take warning now have a care and avoid evil company Ephes 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse but rather reprove them come out from among them and be serarated from them Never go into a wicked mans company if before you go you have not a probability of doing good or getting good Consider with thy self is there any likelyhood that thou by thy wholesome reproofs may do him any good if there be then go onâ— if not draw back avoid them fly from them for their steps tend to perdition By wicked company those two things have been effected Good men made bad Bad men made worse Good men have been made bad by wicked company Jehosaphat that good King is in an example of this who by the company of wicked Ahab was drawn to fight against those whom God favoured and to help Ahab in his wicked enterprise Bad men have made those worse by evil company Ahab was made worse by the instigation of his wicked wise Jezabel Oh can you bear when you are in their company to hear them blaspheme the holy name of God and not repove them Truly if you can it is a sign you are not so good as you should bâ— Sixthly my sixth Caution is this Oh have a care of having the least finger on your hand against a Saint it is dangerous to have a thought word or act against the people of God it is dangerous to have a thought amisse of them Psal 62.3 They imagine mischief against a man that is against a Saint therefore they shall all be slain for their bare imagination they shall be cut off It is dangerous to speak against them How durst thou saith God to Miram to speak against my servant Moses and immediately he smote her with leprosie as white as Snow It is dangerous to act against them and it is forbidden by God Psal 105.5 Touch not my anointed nor do my Prophets no harm Perhaps you would say you would not do them any harm if you thought they were Gods people Oh but take heed lest they prove Gods people and then it were better for you if a milstone were hung about your neck and you cast into the Sea than to offend the least of them Seventhly Let me beseech you all to take heed of complying with this sinful world whoever doth do not you but take up that good resolution of Joshua's As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. Though all else forsake God yet will not I yet let not us I beseech you saith he that you would not conform your selves to the fashions and manners of this wicked world Oh take heed of conforming your selves to the Conversation of this world but walk harmlesse and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation if we will comply with the world I mean to be as most of the world are that is temporizers timeâ—servers preferring the pleasing of a man before the pleasing of God then we must lie in wickednesse as all the world doth 1 John 2.10 for all that in the world is either the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye or the pride of life and these are not of the Father but abideth in the wicked one the Prince of the power of the air after whom the men of the world walk This is the seventh take heed of Conforming your selves to this world Eightly Take heed of a hasty spirit when you are under sad dispensations when you are under sufferings you are apt to seek and 〈◊〉 with relief come it which way it will and on what terms it will 〈◊〉 spirit Esay 26. v. 18. He that believeth maketh not haste hat is he maketh not haste to get out of his afflictions the people of Israel was of hasty spirits and murmured because they were kept so long in the wilderness for which God slew an innumerable company of them Saul was of a hasty spirit and by it lost his life and Kingdom Jacob's Mother no sooner told him his Fathers intent but he was resolved to have the first blessing though he cheated his Brother and lyed for it and so told his Father that he was his eldest Son but he himself was afterward deceived by a lye with having the eldest daughter given him instead of the younger Take David for your example he waited Gods time the Kingdome was promised to him after Sauls death and when Saul persued him you know David had him twice in his power and with ease might have destroyed him but he would not â—ar be it from me saith he that I should touch the Lords annointed Let God smite him by the hands of his enemies I will not it is far better to be Gods Bond-stave then the Devils Free-man do not use any the least action whatever in an indirect way to deliver thy self but patiently set down and wait Gods good time which when once come thy deliverance will assuredly come with it Take heed then of a hasty and suâ—len spirit under afflictions Some men when God takes away any comfort from them are of so sullen a spirit there is no pacifying of them God will now this day take something from you which I believe you would willingly keep will you therefore be of so sullen a spirit that because you cannot enjoy all you will not enjoy any but will rob your selves of all what though you cannot enjoy your Minister any longer will you not make use of the Ordinances of God I beseech you refrain this spirit and let the deprivation of one mercy be a means to make you make better use of those that are left Ninthly My ninth Caution is this take heed of an ungodly Minister I speak not to any mans person in particular neither can I because I know not as yet who will succeed me but whosoever he be if he be wicked beware of him for if he be ungodly the people will follow him for like Priest like people and I pray God deliver you from such Ministers as for doctrine do teach the traditions of men and cry peace peace when sudden destruction hangâ— over their heads such Ministers may please you but believe me they will never profit you but at last you will find that through the â—ale of Security you are led to the pit of Perdition They will tell you you need not be so strict and diligent in your conversations nor Heaven is not so hard aâ—d difficult to gain as some would make you believe believe them not but remember that without holiness none shall see God and that neither Fornicators Adulterers Idolaters Thieves Murderers Covetous persons Drunkards Reviâ—era nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Gospel only Christ when he was preaching to a throng of People as I am here this day said unto them Take â—eed and beware of the leaven of the
hear I take it for granted you will hear I hope you will for brown bread is better then none and a little is better then none at all yet I intreat you take these two words of Direction First Try the word you hear by the Truth Secondly Try your selves by the Truth First Try the word you hear by the Truth if it be not consonant to that believe it not let who will preâ—ch it Paul exhorteth the Galatians so to do Chap. 1.8 9. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other doctrine unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him he accursed How Paul accursed sure you speak too high what if an Angel must he be accursed Sure you will câ—ll in your words again nay instead thereof he repeats them over again as we said before so I say again if any one preach any other Gospel then that which you have received let him be accursed If any man pretend a Revelation from Heaven and cannot bring Scripture for what he saith do not believe one syllable Take the noble Bereans for your example they would nor believe Pauls doctrine until they had searched to see whether it were so or no but then as you are to tâ—y the word you hear by the truth so try your selves by the word you hear as a truth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now try your selves by this truth and see whether or no you walk after the flesh or after the Spirit I have likewise two Directions about the preaching the Word First Do not you receive the Word for the persons sake that brings it I am apt to think that many of you will receive a Truth of one mans bringing which you would not receive of anothers and thus ye receive the Word of God with respect of persons which you ought not but first receive the Word for its own sake and secondly receive the person for the Words sake 1 Thes 5.12 13. we beseech you brethren to know them which are over you to 〈◊〉 monish you and labour among you in the Lord and to esteem of 〈◊〉 very highly in love for their works sake Sixthly My direction in the sixth place shall be concerning 〈◊〉 times we live in and I shall tell you how you ought to behave 〈◊〉 selves in two particulars First Blame thy self most that the times are so bad there is a general complaint about the sadnesse of the times but no particular every one puts the cause away from him and instead of accusing themselves are alwayes accusing others Ahab he said to Elisha Thou art he that troubled Israel Elisha said to Ahab Thou art he that troubled Israel Adam said to God The Woman which thou gavest me did give to me and I did eat The woman she said The Serpent beguiled her Thus do we put it off from our selves to others No man saith with Jonas for my sake is this come upon you I am the cause of all this No man saith what have I done would you have the times mend Oh then every soul of you condemn your selves and amend your wayes the times would not be so bad if we were not so bad would you have the effect cease then seek to remove the cause But then Secondly Pray not so much for better times as better hearts for had you never so good times and not good hearts your blessings would be cursings good times without good hearts will but fatten you the sooner to the slaughter Seventhly If you cannot do the good you would then do the good you can many people are so sullen that because they cannot do all they would do they will do none at all I beseech you be not of this temper what though you cannot serve God in publick will you not therefore serve him in private why may you not do as S. Austin was bid to do tolle legit take up and read this will be a reading and praying time with you and now you cannot hear as formerly you have done oh pray more and read more and the less you have in Publick the more you may have in private you may read and pray we are not forbidden that yet let us then make use of them Eightly My intreaty is unto you all that you would be careful and circumspect in your conversation Ephes 5.15.16 See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Walk as becometh the Professiors of the Cospel and labour to be blameless towards God and man Oâ— what notice will there be taken when any Professor doth but 〈◊〉 aside and do any thing amiss it is the joy of wicked mens hearts to see it and how diligently do they watch for it and often wish iâ— We have a Proverb That one man may better steal a Horse then â—â—â—ther look on I am sure a wicked man may better commit sevon sins then a Professor one for it is the failings the bad lives of Professors that makes Religion ill spoken of and hinders many a weak soul from closing with it sure think they their Religion cannot be good their conversations are so bad let us therefore be wary and careful in all our actions Ninthly Mourn and lament for the sin you cannot hinder it was â—â—id of Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 that his righteous soul was vexed with the wicked conversations of the Sodomites Oh that we were but so good as we should be then sure it would grieve us more then it doth to see the wicked and abominable lives of those among whom we live though thou dost not blaspheme God thy self yet it is thy God that is blasphemed and shall not that trouble thee how canst thou but reprove them whoever they be When a sick man seeth his Wife Children Friends and Physician lamenting his condition sure it will make him think his condition is worse then he thought iâ— or very bad at least or else why do they take on so if there was no cause of fear Thus it may be thy reproof may work upon a wicked man if when thou hearest him blaspheme God thou lamentest his condition and puts him in mind of his sad estate it may make him lay that to heart then which he never did before Tenthly The last thing that I have to beseech of you is That you would love one another I have not at all sought to proselyte you to my way but whatever you see in whoever it be that is of God oh love it be he of what profession he will he is a godly man Oh then love him you cannot love God if you do not love his people let brotherly love continue your Minister must not continue oh then let brotherly love continue 1 John 1.20 If any man saith he loveth God and hateth his Brother he is a lyar and the truth is not in him for if he
chosen rather then Suffering not in wicked men onely but in the best of men for as in water face answereth to face so the heart of man to man which lets mee into The fourth Sermon Prov. 27.19 As in Water face answereth to face so doth the heart of man to man IN this Proverb two things 1. The Proposition and that by a Similitude As in water face answereth to face 2. The Redition So doth the heart of a man to man Or in the words these two generals to be observed 1. A Glass 2. An Object to be seen in this Glass 1. A Glass a notable one that 's two fold A dead Glass Water A living Glass the Heart of Man 2. The Object to be seen in these Glasses In the dead Glass the face of man is to bee seen In the living Glass the heart of man There 's all the Species and Complections of the Sons nay of the Souls of the Sons of men to bee seen That as by looking into the water you may discern your own and other mens Countenances and that plainly and clearly So by looking into your own hearts if you could have a Casement into the hearts of other men there may you see of what Spiritual Complection Constitution and Make you are as clearly as a man may see his face in Water As in Water c. From these words this great Truth that the heart of every man in the world is a looking-Glass 'T is such a looking-Glass wherein he may see himself his Condition Constitution special Complection whether it be morally spiritually scripturally good or evil For the right improvement of this looking-Glass three things necessary which are optick principles but clear to those that have either phisical or natural light 1. There must be an Object that must bee seen And oh what visible objects are there in the hearts of men Man is call'd a little world a compendium of the whole world The heart of man is the man The heart of man is like the Ark of Noah which contains all sorts all kinds of clean and unclean Beasts 'T is an Epitomy of Heaven and Hell What is there in the heart of man Who but God can fathom the depth of it There are more objects in the hearts of men then Stars in Heaven or drops in the Ocean 2. There must be light to actuate this object If it were dark we could never see it There must be light both to actuate the eye and object Now this light that actuates the eye and object 't is either the natural light the light of Nature the light of Conscience the light of common Illumination the light of the Word or the light of the Spirit of God By all these lights we come to look into this looking-glass our hearts 3. There must be an Irradiation from the object i. e. a beaming forth from that object some Species or Ideas that carries the object to the eye and clearly makes out to the sence what that object is this beaming is by action from the heart mark it for it may be as necessary truth as was Preached among you that look what the stream is to the Fountain what the beam is to the Sun that the action is to the heart whether the act be manent or transient whether Internal in thought purpose election affection in joy in love in fear or External in the life in the practice and in the conversation So that look as a puddle stream alwaies declares a corrupt Fountain So all your humble holy faithful thoughts speak a clear spiritual heart within a holy Conversation speaks a holy Affection and a holy Affection declares a heavenly Constitution a new Nature Now for the Use of this is the heart of man a looking-Glass 1. See from hence of what concernment the actions of men are whether Internal or External The actions of men are like the streams you may certainly find the Fountain by them they speak the heart as the Root bears the fruit 'T is of infinite concernment 't is the Fountain of what principles within and conversation without descend but into thy own heart c. 2. This shews the sad condition of all natural poor souls your hearts are looking-Glasses but they are looking-Glasses in a Dungeon of darkness there be Toads Vipers and Devils there but thou canst not see them that hast no spiritual Light 4. Here is Consolation to Gods People Is the heart of man a looking-Glass What reason have they to rejoyce in their hearts that are the best looking-Glasses in the world not like our Gallants looking-Glasses that must not bewray their wrinkles sports c. But theirs will represent their Hearts Complexion Condition and Nature to them Nay in that Glass may be seen the face of a God Nay further because thy heart doth answer to another heart and his to his what ever Grace in any Beleevers it is there in thy heart semine there 's the seed 4. By way of exhortation Is the heart a looking-Glass then keep the looking-Glass very chary make much of it above all keepings keep thy heart and that with all diligence in all places at all times and in all things If any thing under Heaven will keep thee holy it is the keeping of thy heart There thou mayest see all thy spots defects desperate Hipocrisies Infernal Atheism all the deliques of thy Soul How prone to commit as vile sins as ever committed by the vilest of the sons of men once more keep it clean and keep it close Look into thy heart and thou shalt find it to bee a Coppy of the Role of Eternity where thou shalt see thy very name written in Letters of Gold or Blood for wee looking into our hearts may and do know that we are passed from death to live and that upon this ground because we love the Brethren And thus I advance to The Fifth Sermon 1 John 3.14 We know that wee have passed frâ—â— death to life because we love the Brethren IN these words five things 1. A supposed Estate in which we are all by nature and that is an Estate of death spiritual 2. A peaceable Recovery or mention of another state an Estate of life 3. A real Transition from this state of death to life we are passed c. 4. An inseparable property of all Regenerate souls in the world they do not hate but love the Brethren 5. A comfortable Conclusion that a Christian may make from that property he may know hee may be assured by this that he is passed from death to life because he loves the Brethren The observation thus a Christian may know his real Conversion and Transition to eternal life by this Character among the rest because he loves the Brethren This proposition was slipt into these two particulars 1. That every Beleever may have an assurance of his Transition from death to life 2. That love to the Brethren is one of the great eminent Symptomes of mans
Know in such a condition that though your condition be exceeding bad yet better than many thousands they never had Ordinances 2. God is able in such a case to support without Ordinances when hee calls into the Wilderness hee can carry along without Circumcision 3. Remember those that have had them but not now what 's become of Sion of the Church of c. 4. Your salvation may be carried on without Ordinances 5. There 's a time coming when you shall have no need of Ordinances In the mean time if you cannot get up to the Ark of God take heed of bowing to the Calves at Dan and Bethel If you cannot serve the God of Israel take heed you serve not the Gods of the Amorites What you will do I know not be sure Joshna would not chuse you saith hee this day whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land yee dwell But as for mee and my house wee will serve the Lord which brings mee to The Thirteenth Sermon Josh 24.15 As for mee and my house wee will serve the Lord. IN the words two things 1. An indefatigable Retortation Take your own choice follow your own discretion If you will go and bow down to a dumb Idol to a Captive God c. 2. An admirable Dehortation wee are at a pitch wee are resolved and if there be any Attractive in mee or my family you have it in this I and my house-hold wee will serve the Lord. The Observations were 1. Pious Governours of families are very zealous that their families as well as themselves should serve the Lord. Never hope of thriving in godliness till you bring your Families right for God to be of the same Religion with your selves 2. A true sincere Christian is resolved to chuse and follow God what ever else the world chuse and follow 1. Sincere Christians have much more satisfaction in the judgement and practice of God his Word Saints than in the judgement and practice of the World Hee knows their judgement to be depraved their choice and practice corrupt their end and conclusion worst of all therefore no wonder hee makes a better choice 2. They have the best Testimony in the world for their choice the Spirit and Son of God that this is their choice therefore no wonder c. But how do they chuse God Answer they chuse God as the object of their souls love as the chiefest of ten thousand as the lot of their inheritance as the companion of their souls to converse with him as the Commander of their waies to be guided by him as a shelter of their hearts as a refuge to flye unto in the time of danger The first Use was by way of Examination is God chosen as the chief object of our souls love can we truly say there is none in Heaven but thee none upon Earth I can desire besides or in comparison of thee Can wee say in having a God the lines are fallen unto mee in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage Is communion with God our Heaven upon Earth Is God the Commander of our waies as well as wee hope to be the Saviour of our souls Is God our shield our buckler our retreat in danger The second Use was by way of Consolation Beleevers have you made choice of God Happy are the people that are in such a case thou hast the best assurance in the world to come to the best possession in this world peace and joy Peace without if not Peace within And Joy the best Joy in the world Joy unspeakable and full of glory And truly if so be that this be thy portion in having chosen God 't is no wonder thou dost not Apostatize from him 'T is no wonder that what ever comes upon a Beleever yet for that his heart is not turned back neither his steps declined from Gods way And this leads to The Fourteenth Sermon Psalm 44.18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way FRom these words two Observations 1. In times of sufferings and afflictions true Christians are to make a narrow inspection into their hearts to see how they stand affected Thus did the Church here 2. To keep stedfast and close with God notwithstanding all afflictions and sufferings wee undergo either from or for God is the duty and commendation of Saints 'T was our duty and 't is our honour Lord c. In prosecution of this point these seven preliminary Thesis was laid down 1. When man was first created his heart stood rightly bent towards God as his great center and mark 2. When man fell his heart immediately drew off and turned back from God 3. Though this be the case of fallen man yet poor creature he sees it not 4. The very Formalis Ratio of sin that wherein the formality of sin consists is in this not so much in sinning against God by outward Acts as in the hearts departing from God 5. All true Conversion to God begins at the heart 6. 'T is an argument of infinite love in God to bring back our hearts to him 7. When once the heart of a Beleever is brought back to God no suffering or affliction is able to turn that heart from him Quest When may a mans heart be said not to bee turned back notwithstanding all sufferings and afflictions Answ 1. When a man still retains the same esteem and estimate of God that ever he had When Job looks upon God as a God fit to bee blessed though God be plundering of him 2. When a man retains still the same affections the same love to him delight in him fear of him as much as ever 3. When wee hope and trust in God as much as ever Though hee kill mee yet will I trust in him 4. When we have the same resolutions to cleave to God as ever If a God in Israel as long as a God in Israel 't is all one makes not to the Gods of the Philistines this is for a mans heart not to be turned back from God By way of Use 1. Learn the heart of man is very apt to turn from God in daies of affliction our heart is not though their's were 2. It concerns us in time of affliction and suffering to see if our hearts be not turned back from God But what means shall I use that I may not turn a base Apostate Answ 1. Be watchful over your hearts they are exceeding slippery and deceitful The veryest Theeves in the World 2. Bee still bending of your hearts from the world and the flesh unto God As you bend a crooked stick to make it streight 3. Do not onely bend but binde your hearts tye them shackle them as you would one that hath broken Prison by holy serious scriptural necessary vows 4. Converse much with God That man that converses much with God it is not
should be preserved 'T is necessary Religion should be advanced the power of Godlinesse preserved 't is not necessary I should be in this or that condition 9. Indulge not the least sin else thou wilt never be a Conquerour That man that will not lay down his Lust for Christ will never lay down his Life for Christ A man can never be resolved for Christs waies without if not resolved against all impurity within 10. Harden and anoint your selves with practical improvement of Christs sufferings in Christs death There was an inestimable price to purchase our conquest an infinite merit to strengthen to incourage our Conquest an all-sufficient vertue to cause our Conquest a pledge of our eternal Conquest we are Conquerours already we do but gather the Spoyle Make use of Christs death as the merit pattern and motive of your Conquest 11. Labouring for sincerity 12. Get well acquainted with Divine Attributes and Divine Promises and such especially as may be most suitable for your condition 13. Abhorre the Relicks of Superstition The very Nest the very Cage of the Bird is unclean Not a crum of that old Leaven 't will sower the whole Lump Antichrist is hugely like the Devil let him get in but one paw let him but get in his head hee will quickly get in the whole body If you would avoid the paw of Antichrist avoid as much as you can the very parings of his nails 14. Get an experimental knowledge of Gospel Truths They are your head Professors that turn Apostates 15. Let this be your first and chiefest care your first and last to seek and serve God Which if you do as all other things so this priviledge of Conquest shall be added unto you as your Crown Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added unto you which opens the door to The Seventeenth sermon Mat. 6.33 Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you FRom this Scripture you had a Remedy against Solicitous Thoughts and Fears given in this Proposition that a serious Inquiry and earnest Pursute of the Kingdome of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof is an excellent remedy against distracting cares and fears about Provision and safety Seek First and trouble your selves no more Seek first the Kingdome of God c. Two questions was proposed and answered 1. What is it earnestly to enquire after and seriously to pursue the Kingdome of God and his Righteousness In this Question three things included the Object the Act the Order 1. The Object the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of Heaven and its Righteousness The Kingdome of Heaven that is the Kingdome of Grace and the Kingdome of Glory the Kingdome of Grace as the means to the Kingdome of Glory The Righteousness of this Kingdome that is sanctification sincere holiness in heart and life which is the beginning or the way to and a sign or pledge of our interest in the Kingdome of Glory 2. The Act Seek i. e. bestir your utmost thoughts about your utmost time care and diligence upon these things 2. Seek i. e. set your choicest affections upon these things 3. Seek i. e. strive and labour go forth in utmost endeavours for obtaining of these things 3. The Order seek first seek it first in respect of time begin with God remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth seek it first with the greatest care acquired diligence industry with the greatest seriousness The Kingdome of God is the most necessary thing indeed that one thing necessary 'T is the most excellent thing eternal all other things are temporal get this and you get all you get above the terrours of the world The best way to have the things of this world sanctified is this seek first the Kingdome of God c. 2. How is this a remedy against distracting cares and fears Answ 1. It is a remedy by divertion 2. Present things seem little when acquainted with eternal things Vse 1. This reproves those that observe not our Saviours direction 1. Those that are drowned in earthly things give them Onions and Garlick take the Kingdome of Heaven and Righteousness thereof who will Let mee have my part in Paris what care I for Paradice 2. Others that are for the Kingdome of God but not for the Righteousness of that Kingdome they are for the end but they do not care for the way they would have the fruit but they will not climbe the Tree 3. Others that could wish they had a portion in it but in a slight and perfunctory way if Heaven could be obtained with a few prayers this they 'd do but further they will not go 2. Is this such an excellent way to cure our carnal fears and cares what advantage hath a childe of God above all other men in the world both in this life and that to come in this life under a watchful providence not a hair of his head shall perish but chiefly the priviledges of an everlasting Kingdome hee hath a bird in the bush and in hand too choice enjoyments in the hand and in hope much more but much more above and this hope of his shall not make him ashamed The vision of his appointed comforts is for an appointed time and it will come will come said I Faith looks out and sees it coming already let but Faith look to Heaven and hee sees his Judge coming which brings mee to The Eighteenth Sermon Revel 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with mee THe Observation from the words was this The Lord Jesus will certainly and speedily come to Judgement when hee shall give reward equal to every man These two Questions was answered 1. In what sense Christ comes quickly Answ In Gods account with whom a thousand years are but as one day In our account Faith sees him coming though sense cannot Faith makes future things present 't is the perspective of the soul Beleevers receive part of their reward at death and that 's quickly 2. Why doth Christ defer his coming at all Ans 1. To stop the mouths of the wicked they will not have one word to reply they had time and space to repent 2. Out of his dear love hee bears to his Elect There 's many of his Elect not yet born and though born not new born now these must be born and new born and brought all in and when that time is come then hee will come Vse 1. Will Christ come quickly and with a reward then certainly remember this Atheist 't is no vain thing to serve our Lord Jesus What profit is it if wee serve him c what profit infinite profit there 's a reward coming 2. By way of Exhortation will Christ come oh then 1. Prepare for his coming labour to be prepared by his spiritual coming into thy heart that 's the way to be prepared for his last coming get thy understanding enlightened in