CHRISTS Counsell to his languishing Church of SARDIS OR The dying or decaying Christian with the meanes and helpes of his recovery and strengthening BY OBADIAH SEDGWICKE B. of D. late Preacher to the Inhabitants of S. Mildreds Bredstreet London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 6. Frustra velociter currit qui prius quam ad metas venerit deficit Greg. mor. l. 2. c. 40. LONDON Printed by T. B. for L. FAWNE and S. GELLIBRAND at the brasen Serpent in S. Pauls Church-yard 1640. To the right Worshipfull Captaine Nicholas Crispe Esquire and Mistresse Anne Crispe his pious consort To Master Samuel Crispe and Mistresse Katharine his vertuous wife with all the rest of the Parishioners my loving friends the Inhabitants in Saint Mildreds Bredstreet My deare and worthy friends SAint Bernard with a very apt phrase answered a speciall friend of his challenging of him in the streines of affection thus O scrutans renes et corda Deus c. quòd diligam illum ex dono tuo suo merito tu scis ego sentio quatenus autem diligam tu scis ego nescio that is Oh Lord thou who knowest and searchest the inmost closets of the heart that I love my friend thou knowest it and I know it how much I love him thou doest know but I doe not know The same I apply to my selfe and all of you if suspecting my affection to you because of my departing from you Lord thou who knowest all things thou knowest that I love them and I know it how much thou onely knowest but I cannot expresse You were a people of all that hitherto I have lived with and of all that ever I preached unto of the most generall union with your selves and of the most liberal and unwearied affection to your Minister the maine scruple many times to mee was lest divers of you should out-stretch your measures All the respects which you owed and shewed to my Ministery and all the encouragements which you heaped on my selfe I doe now the second time publikely acknowledge and as my thankfulnesse presents it self to you all so in speciall manner to you much honoured Captaine and your worthy wife by whose good opinion and affection I was through Gods mercy brought unto that place you have so advanced your favours both to my selfe and some friends of mine that I doe most gladly embrace this present occasion of publike testimony and acknowledgement not that it is sufficient to cleare all accounts but onely that you may know kindenesses long since given are never lost in a thankefull breast My desire for you all is that ye may be saved and my desire to you all is that yee would seriously answer the many precious and heavenly opportunities of Gods grace it is not onely a vanity but a danger a danger both extreame and sure to dally with our soules God hath sowne much seed by many of his servants among you and beleeve me he expects an harvest wee cannot answer great meanes with great sinfulnesse or little goodnesse To whom any thing is given of them something is required even the man of one talent was made accountable but to whom much is given of them much shall be required My deare friends if ye be wise be wise for your selves be good indeed You honour our ministery and provide well for your owne eternall good when you goe into an holy way and goe on in that way the sight is incongruous and the account will be sad when Ministers doctrines are very heavenly and peoples conversation are very earthly and sinfull a melting heaven and a hardned earth meet ill At length let us see our sermons and pains in your lives we preach and dye and men heare and dye we preach out our health our strength our lives Oh that our hearers would take pitty on us and mend their hearts and waies If we boast that our meanes are greater then others wee must tremble also to thinke if our accounts before God should prove worse then others Therefore for your parts as you have begun so with all alacrity and industry continue and persevere Our life is short duties many worke daily and reward sure and enough An eternity with God should make us good and keepe us doing and hold us faithfull and make us fruitfull To the everlasting arms of his protection and to the perpetuall influences of his grace and mercy in Christ he commends you all who is to you all Your much obliged and affectionate friend OBADIAH SEDGWICKE To the Reader IF thou expectest in this Treatise what is curious and branched over with art spare thine eye any further travell it is not here divine doctrines serve rather for the stomacke then the palate In preaching these Sermons I followed Saint Cyprians directions to Donatus to make choise not of Diserta but Fortia I looked very little at harmony which might take the eare but most of all at energy which might reach the conscience I know well that there is a lawfull and seasonable use of learning I am not of his minde who would have Preachers study no booke but the Bible onely this Ministers if I mistake not must consider their auditors and then and there use their choiser learning when and where it may not amaze but profit when all is summed up this will be found the most comfortable truth no Preacher is so learned as he who can saue soules And now if thou pleasest reade the worke and receiue this counsell from me aboue all striue for spirituall life it is thy greatest honour to be good and when thou hast obtained it take heed of dying the dead man and the dying Christian are two sad sights it is wofull either to be a brand falling into hell or to be a star falling downe from heauen the rising sunne is more and more beautifull but the waining moone is more full of spots and darkenesse though all may not be lost yet his shipwrackes are high who hath lost much in his jewels and almost all in his comforts no more but this keepe heauenly things as thou wouldest keepe heauen it selfe Thine in any spirituall furtherance OBADIAH SEDGWICKE CHRISTS COVNSELL to His languishing CHURCH REVEL 3. 2 3 verses Be watchfull and strengthen the things that remaine which are ready to dye for I have not found thy works perfect before God Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent c. THe author of this Booke was IESUS CHRIST the pen-man was Iohn the Apostle the matter of it is generally mysterious the persons whom it concernes are the seven Churches in Asia but the scope of it extends to all the Churches succeeding the Apostles to the end of the world Ephesus the first of these Churches is taxed for apostasie Smyrna the second of them is encouraged to constancie Pergamus Thyatira the third and fourth of them are charged for permission of some idolatry Sardis the fifth of them is deepely
lively in living works but performeth spirituall works without much spiritualnesse But the strengthened Christian hath workings in his workes or as in Ezekiel there was a wheele within a wheele he serves the Lord with a fervent spirit and with all his soul hee is exceeding glad to obey and is much grieved that he can obey the Lord no better Acceptation of duty the Lord doth not looke so upon his offerings as on the duties of a strengthened Christian it is true that the Lord doth not despise the day of small things even weake services are graciously respected by him but when Christians weaken their owne operations they doe weaken also Gods acceptations for the Lord is pleased differently to answer his servants according to their different dispositions and tempers faint seekers have but faint answers and resolute petitioners get plentifull answers from him of good 2 In respect of the ordinances here also the weakened Christian is very short of the strengthened Christian both For preparation unto them his heart is not put in such a frame to come and converse with God he will not take that paines before he comes to the word hee doth not by precedent meditations and prayers bring such a receptivity and and teachablenesse of heart to the word nor for the Sacrament perhaps he comes and thrusts on the worke but retires not himselfe examines not himselfe humbles not himselfe hungers not thirsts not nor considers his particular necessities so rightly to dispose his soule for an holy communion with God but is more full of carnall indulgence to himselfe and study rather for apologies to excuse his neglect then by preparative duties to fit himselfe For application of them hee stands under the ordinances with more distractions with lesse attentions with an unclosing spirit the word workes not so on his heart nor his heart on the word He stands under the ordinances with a more distracting spirit or else with a more fearing spirit lest the Lord will finde him out for his revoltings and either hee dares not come to the Sacrament or if he doth hee is not able for his life almost to be confident and perswaded of Gods love towards him in Christ For fructification he buyes not at the market suckes not and thrives not by the breasts nor makes that use of them as the other doth nor doth hee improve them so to the benefit of his spirituall condition as the other doth the counsels commands exhortations reproofes promises they are generally to him in his weakned estate as water on the rock or as the waves to Ionah sleeping in the ship they have not that virtutem moventem that authority over his drowsie spirit But the strengthened Christian hath farre more easie passages the word and Sacrament have their sweet and facile impressions on his understanding will and affections by discoveries of sinne and threatnings he feares the Lord and hates sinne more By discoveries of goodnesse and mercy and Christ his faith gets more and his love riseth more By discoveries of duties and commands his cares and desires abound more in him they are still humbling or still purging still raising or still upholding of him he is more and more built up and edified in his holy faith his communions with God are more cordiall and more beneficiall there is still a fuller and sweeter conjunction betwixt his soule and Christ 3 In respect of corruptions which are the very bane and poyson and shame of his soule and sore woundings and impairings the weakened Christian is found much underfoot and is more in bondage and lesse sensible of it gray haires appeare more on him unruly lusts get more head againe and he either hardly feeles them or faintly resists them He is now become as a wounded man over whom every coward can insult The strength of tender perception of sinne failes and the strength of resolute opposition and the strength of frequent conquest so that his soule is much imbased by lusts his resistance are either 1 None 2 Or faint 3 Or fruitlesse But he is overborne by the tide more easily like an unskilfull rower or a sicke man by a thrust But it is otherwise with the strengthened Christian who now can leade captivity captive he is mighty in prayer and resolute in defiances and generally happy either in making sinfull motions to flye or in preserving his soule from yeelding unto them either hee is more quiet or lesse guilty He is a greater enemy to sinne a surer conquerour and still a lesser servant 4 In respect of conversation it is true that the Christian must be gold without and gold within hee must be like the heavens excellent in substance and beautifull in appearance a good heart is not enough but also a good life and walking like a Spring which is for common good and not for private But the weakened Christian in his conversation fals short of the others who is strengthened in many respects v. g. 1 For strictnesse though it be a kinde of garment yet it hangs more loosely and like one of the Planets Simile though a starre in heaven yet sometimes nearer sometimes more distant from the equinoctiall There is not that exact conscionablenesse in holy walkings but a sordid complying many times with the acts and waies of unworthy societies or at least his graces are out-dared and over-awed so that when hee should expresse them for Gods glory he is afraid to speake or worke 2 For profitablenesse every good man should be like a tree on which one may gather fruit he is to be a steward of the manifold gifts not inclosing but imploying of them for the benefit of others his boxe of oyntment should be opened If thou be good thou art bound also to doe good for graces are given not onely to make us good but also to make us to doe good but thus it is not with the decaying Christian He being now fallen into a penurious stocke of grace hath almost lost the art and skill of profitablenesse his acts seeme rather to be those of civility then piety he may be as facetious but is not so religious in conversings his discourses are more censorious and insolent then substantiall and edifying I confesse that some Christians cannot so draw out their treasure through a bashfulnesse of spirit but he is growne lesse active because lesse able his barrennesse is in the cause and not in the instrument So that he may eat and drink with others but no good comes from him his lips preserve not knowledge nor doth his communication administer grace to the heare whence it followes 1 That God hath little or no glory by him 2 That the Saints have little or no delight in him 3 That his conscience hath little or no comfort in it selfe 3 For cleernesse his river is not so sweet but ever and anon it proves brackish his sunne though it runs its course yet it is frequently clowded so is it with his life he is not doing
diligence to walke with God Oh why is it whence is it that now it is not as once it was there is not that connaturalnesse as formerly the word works not on thee as formerly the Sacrament works not on thee as formerly the word of threatning reveales wrath and thou tremblest not the word of promise reveales goodnesse and thou lovest it not fidelity and thou beleevest it not the Sacrament opens the bloud of a Saviour and thou thirstest not thou rejoycest not thou art growne dull under all and bar ren after all thy dead heart argueth that thou art a dying soule 5 The same may be said for our conversation and wayes if they be now dead in respect of sinfulnesse or dead in respect of unprofitablenesse that wee are now become as the Heath that brings forth nothing or as the Briar which brings forth thornes that we turne all religion into a discourse or censure or dispute we can eat and drink and talke and sinne how have the shadowes of death covered us how chill and languishing are our graces turned Well seriously consider of these things you who heare me this day and looke to it that you be not a dying people more fearefull would your condition be then the condition of others for first you have more enlivening meanes then any people on the earth no City like unto you for publike offers or for private opportunities yee are even exalted unto heaven in the abundance and choyce of spirituall helpes and therefore your decayings would have more in the account then other mens the more meanes of strength and life accidentally make dying diseases to be the more deadly 2 Wee cannot but approve your flocking to the word and service of God in season and out of season as if you would take the kingdome of heaven by force if now under so faire a complexion you should be in a consumption that the vitals of godlinesse should slacke and pine away in your hearts and private walkings this dissonancie would be not only shameful to your profession but also uncomfortable to your conscience 2 Againe another way persons may discern whether they be dying and decaying By an observation of the acts or operations of their graces as if they be faint and more inconstant Simile you see that the root is lesse able when but a little fruit appeares on the tree and that the Spring is fallen when the streames scarce runne which yet were wont to flow when graces are scarce active or are uneven in their generall actings surely there is some spirituall languor in thee O Christian thy faith doth not commit things to God as heretofore and thy love is not so setled on Christ as heretofore and thy patience cannot beare in any measure as heretofore and thy sorrow is dry and thy zeale is cooled c. Simile If thy eye cannot see so well but growes darker and thy foot cannot goe so well but growes lamer and thy shoulders cannot beare so well but grow weaker it is an argument that naturall vigour is decaied The same may be said for our spirituall condition if graces exert not themselves in a former vigour c. Note I pray you to observe that graces are given unto us for three ends and uses 1 To be inclining principles to gracious or holy acts 2 To be inlarging principles to pious performances 3 To be cleansing opposing principles of sinful corruptions 1 They are inclining principles to gracious acts the nature of man without grace is like a dead man who hath no disposition to walke but when grace comes into the soule it doth enliven it and inable it and incline or dispose it unto holy operations to minde to will to desire to doe heavenly works as you see in Saint Paul when converted that renewing grace enclined him quite to another way and to other acts to pray to preach Christ c. Now where is that ancient disposition in thee unto good duties whence is that wonderfull unwilling esse and untowardlinesse of spirit in thee how comes it to passe that if thou dost serve the Lord it is as if it were of constraint there is a kinde of aversenesse and hanging backe thou doest not minde him in any measure and his law is not in thy heart 2 Againe they are inlarging principles they do not onely inable a man to good performances for the matter but also for the manner they make us a willing people in the day of our offerings and to delight to doe the will of God and to be glad in going to the house of the Lord. But now there is not that rellish of godlinesse there is not delightfulnesse of service there is not that libertie and alacrity of spirit thou art become a dull and heavy Christian as if there were not that suteablenesse ' twiâ—t thy heart and holy duties thou art growne very slothfull and carelesse and negligent in thy worke 3 Lastly they are cleansing and opposing principles of corruptions therefore compared to water which washeth out the spots and to fire which fetcheth off the rust and as our corrupt flesh is said to lust against the spirit so the renewed spirit is said to lust against the flesh and they are contrary one to the other still in opposition and conflict And so the time hath beene that thou hast found it that grace did humble and cleanse thy heart from the love of sinne and raised tender feare about it and singular hatred and opposition of it yea the very thoughts of sinne were an heavy burden to thee how often by reason of the rebellion in nature hast thou cryed out with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Is it thus now why is it not thus now is sinne quite subdued or thinkest thou that grace and sinne will ever be at truce nay but why dost thou suffer those contemplative evils to lodge in thy minde or those delightfull imaginations to tickle and invegle thy affections nay how darest thou to be tampering with acts if not sinfull yet doubtfull and as like sins as can be and which occasion sinne yea and sins prevaile much on thee as pride vanitie c. and under all this thy heart smites thee not restraines thee not the time hath beene thou durst not have beene or done this for a world c. Object But if the case be so may some tender conscience reply then I feare my estate is not right for I never had so much adoe with a sinfull nature all my life as of late daies and if the greater power of sinne shewes the more weakened estate of grace I am then the person in a dying condition Sol. To this I answer briefly 1 You must distinguish betwixt the turbulency of sinne and the prevalency of sinne the spirituall condition is not decaying because sinne is more molesting and rebelling but because sinne is more prevailing and leading 2 Betweene sinne in conflict and sinne in subjection
covenant and vow what was our baptisme but a devoting and solemne vowing of our selves to be faithfull to Christ and to his truths wee solemnly professed that none should be our Lord but God and that we should be his faithfull servants unto our lives end yea and wee have ratified this vow many a time by comming to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Now if we doe not hold fast the truths of Christ but forsake them or any of them wee are guilty of extreame perjury not in a matter betwixt man and man but betwixt God and man thou art forsworne again and againe unto the Lord thy God and hast as much as in thee lies made voyd the covenant of grace and life for thy poore soule 4 Consider but the necessary uses of divine truths and then we will acknowledge that they are to be held fast The use of the word or divine truths respects the everlasting and happy condition of the soule from the beginning to the end thereof Everlasting and true happinesse is the end and scope that every Christian lookes at and divine truths serve him fully and effectually to this end both to discover it and to bring man unto it There are many things required to set us in the true way to bring a man to heaven v. g. 1 Conviction of his sinfull condition but the word inlightens the minde and convinceth the conscience 2 Contrition for sinne but the word pricks our hearts as Acts 2. and humbles them 3 Conversion of soule but the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule Psal 19. 7. by it comes faith into the soule Psal 19. 7. which gets Christ Rom. 10. 17. Rom. 10. 17. by it comes repentance Acts 3. 19. 4 Augmentation of grace but by the word wee are built up Acts 20. 32. and grow more and more 5 Perseverance in grace but by the word wee are kept and established to the end it is the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1. 16. Rom. 1. 16. What should I say more reade the Apostle summing up all in 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is giuen 2 Tim. 3. 16. by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse 17 That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good workes 15 Yea they are able to make us wise unto saluation through faith â—hich is in Christ Iesus Againe there are many incouragements comforting and supporting in our way as divine consolations of the spirit of God peace in conscience joy in the holy Ghost all which are the myrrhe dropping onely from divine truths thy word hath comforted me said Dauid thy word hath quickned mee in the house of my pilgrimage they were the joyes of his heart and in the daies of his calamity they were the stay of his heart Now put all together if divine truths shew us the true happinesse if they onely put us into the true way unto that true happinesse if they onely keepe us in that way if they onely comfort and strengthen us in that way if they onely bring us to the end of our faith even the salvation of our soules will we not ought wee not to hold them fast Vse The first use of this point shall be to convince and reprove the wonderfull inconstancy of the sonnes of men that slipperinesse and unsetlednesse of spirit which is to be found amongst them Consider divine truths as they lye 1 In doctrine we may now complaine as the Apostle did of the Galathians chap. 1. verse 6. Gal. 1. 6. I maruell that ye are so soone remoued from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospell Some revolt from the Protestant doctrine to the Popish leven others fall off from the orthodoxe articles of our Church to Anabaptisticall fancies and Socinian Blasphemies and the Lord be mercifull unto us what daily unsetlednesse and giddinesse possesseth us if any novelty of doctrine though a root of bitternesse start up and be delivered with any confidence or cunning of deceiving wit how instantly we flye off from our old truths how greedily and madly wee sucke in poysonous errours and being thus driven with every winde what tempests of railing and disgraces doe wee heape upon those who crosse our ficklenesse with constant vindications and assertings of the true doctrines of faith and life It makes mee to pitty this great and famous City whiles I behold a colluvies a very rabble of all opinions and such a going and comming touchings at and saylings off from the land of uprightnesse One weeke this is a truth and almost an article the next weeke it is no such matter but some other thing is the right Simile Thus wee play many times with great truths as children doe with their Babies one while embrace them anone breake them and throw them into the dirt But are there so many waies to heaven as men will make or hast thou power to coine other articles of faith at pleasure or will the Lord beare all this resting and mocking with his truths Two things makes mee feare the Lord will punish us in the Gospell one is our generall barrennesse in life another is our great sicklenesse in matter of truths 2 In conversation many times we hold the truth in unrighteousnesse wee doe not prize the truth and love it nor live according to it with constancy but as the Prophet cryed out how is the beautifull City become an heape so may wee say of many how is their righteous walkings degenerated into an ungodly living their wine is sowred and lamp put out But I will tell you the reasons and causes of all this inconstancy The causes of constancy and apostacy v. g. 1 Men are very ignorant and therefore very inconstant ignorance is the great spunge to sucke in errours as pride is the great Bawd to vent them Chaffe may be tossed any way that which is weak is also light 2 Though their apprehensions be large yet their affections are foule they know truth but love sinne which is contrary to truth Simile now a foule stomacke ever makes an ill head and a secret love of sinne works out the strength of truth in the minde men doe the more easily grow erroneous who first grow irreligious 3 There is an itch of pride Evah and Adam would know more then was fit and therefore lost all that was good you never reade of a proud person but either his life was notoriously tainted or his judgement notably corrupted the greatest errours have fallen from those that have beene most proud and have beene tooke up by those that have beene most ignorant 4 And then also many have Athenian wits they long for novelties though the old wine be best yet their palate must be in the fashion for new there is a sore vanity in a naturall minde that it cannot long fixe on any estate or on any truth 5 A colloging