have preached to you and therefore am bold in this sence to exhort you in the words of the Apostle Be ye Followers of me as far forth as you have seen me a Follower of Christ Doct. 4. Godly Ministers when they are parting from their People would fain leave God behind them Though it be not unusual when the Lord sends them away he goes with them God and his Messengers do not seldom take their farewel of People together yet their earnest desire is that though they must away yet the Lord would stay Doct. 5. Faithful Ministers would be Messengers of Peace going as well as coming As the Apostles first words were to be Peace be unto you Matth. 10. so some of this Apostles last words were The God of Peace shall be with you Doct. 6. When ever Ministers part with their People if they can but leave Godlyness in them they shall certainly leave God with them Or Those that obey the Gospel whatsoever or whomsoever they want shall ever be in a peaceful and blessed condition These things do that is live in the practice and power of that Doctrine of Godliness which you have received and heard and then fear not the God of Peace shall be with you This Doctrine I shall fully prove to you after I have premised That the Doctrine which I have preached to you is the Doctrine of Godliness the summe whereof take in these four particulars 1. That Jesus Christ who came into the World to save sinners came also to sanctifie and purge them from their sins 2. That those that believe in Jesus must be careful to maintain good Works or to live a Godly Life 3. That this Godliness is not such a slight and easie and empty thing as the mistaken World imagine but stands in an exact Conformity of the whole Man Heart and Life to the whole Will of God 4. That as whosoever believes not in Jesus so whosoever is short of this true sincere Godliness cannot be saved This is the summe of that Doctrine which I have preached unto you which being the Eternal Truth of God I herein imbarque my own Soul and Life desiring to be found in that same Jesus and to be found walking in that same way of Righteousness which I have declared unto you 2. That my Design and Aim in preaching this Doctrine to you hath been to beget in you and through the influence and assistance of the Eternal Spirit to bring you to this true Godliness I have travailed in Birth with you that Christ might be formed in you that I might leave you possessors and partakers of that Grace which accompanies Salvation that your Faith might stand not in the Wisdom of Men but in the power of God That your Repentance might be Repentance unto Life not to be repented of that you might obey from the heart that Form of Doctrine that hath been deliver'd unto you that you might stand compleat in all the Will of God that you might be holy and harmless the Children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation amongst whom you must shine as Lights in the World holding forth the Word of Life that being rooted and grounded in love you might comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth and length and breadth and might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledg and be filled with all the fulness of God To this end have I taught every one and warned every one that I might present you perfect in Christ Jesus 3. That as far forth as the success hath answered my Design and aim upon any of your Souls so far forth stand you intitled to this glorious promise in the Text the God of Peace shall be with you Look how many Souls there are amongst you that live in the power and obedience of those truths you have received to so many can I with confidence give this farewell of the Apostle without Ifs or And 's the God of Peace shall be with you To whomsoever the Lord hath been a God of Grace to them will he be a God of Peace Whoever amongst you have this God of Grace dwelling and ruling in you shall certainly find this God of Peace dwelling and abiding with you As for all others though I can heartily make this my parting Prayer the Lord be with you the God of Peace be with you yet I cannot turn this Prayer into a Promise nor give you any assurance that the God of Peace will be with you These things premised I shall now give you the full proof of the Doctrine in the following Reasons The Doctrine you remember is those that obey the Gospel whatsoever or whomsoever they want shall ever be in a peacefull and blessed Condition The Reasons are 1. The God of Peace shall be with them 2. If God be with them all things whatsoever befâ—ll them shall make for their good Reas 1. The God of Peace shall be with them these things do live in the obedience of the holy Doctrine which you have received and the God of Peace shall be with you This glorious Promise is pregnant with all the blessings that Heaven and Earth can afford If you ask why what is there in it I demanded of you What is there in God God is in the Promise all that is in God is here assured to the Godly The Philosophers of old attained to some glimmerings of the excellencies that are in God by these 3. wayes 1. Per viam Negationis conceiving of him as a Being removed from all things signifying imperfection as ignorance impotence iniquity corruptibility composition alteration or any limits or bounds of this Essence Power and Glory 2. Per viam caâ—salitatis conceiving of him as the Fountain of all other Beings and thence concluding that whatsoever Excellencies or perfections are scattered up and down in the whole Creation are all united in him from whom they had their Original 3. Per viam eminentiae by way of Excellency so that whatever perfections whatever goodness is to be found in any Creature though it be not to be found in God formaliter yet there is that in him he being the first cause of all that doth infinitely superabundantly answer them all Though there be not the same Specifick Excellencies in him nor those very pleasures and delights issuing from him which the creatures yield yet there are such Excellencies such perfections as transcend and surpasse them all The Scriptures tell us more positively and plainly that God is Almighty Omniscient Omnipresent Infinite Eternal Unchangeable All-sufficient Holy Righteous Gracious the Portion the Protection the Rewarder yea the exceeding great Reward of them that diligently seek him And this is he that is in the promise God is in the promise I must not inlarge in this spatious Field I shall keep nearer the Text and shall confine my self to these four particulars 1. God is in the Promise as the God of Peace as the Authour and bestower
true It 's good to be holy good to be humble to be in the fear of God and to flourish in his grace We may have too much Money too much Credit but we can never have too much grace Our greatest flourishing and fruitfulness in grace will certainly abound to our more full reward 4. Note That this is the plain sence and meaning of the promise All things shall work for good that is Whatsoever befalls shall certainly promote our internal and eternal welfare And as far forth as the outward Priviledges of the Gospel yea and the good things of this life conduce towards this all shall work for these also If it be good for us to rich if it be good for us to be in honour good for us to be at liberty good for our Souls good in reference to our eternal state if it be good for us that we enjoy the Ministry of the Gospel there shall nothing befall us that shall hinder there shall be nothing wanting to us that might further this our good The Summe is That all providential dispensations shall be so ordered that we shall want nothing but what it 's better want than have We shall uffer nothing but what we cannot well be without but what the good of our Souls requires and that which we do possess and that which we do suffer shall not fail of bringing about its end the advancing our eternal good And if this be the meaning what a glorious Promise is this What can any rational man desire more nothing shall befall him but shall be for his good He shall be deprived or kept short of nothing but what he had better be without than have He that is unsatisfied with this Promise it is either from Lust or Unbelief Either he doth not believe that God is true and will perform this Word or else 't is because his Lust must be satisfied though with the denyal of his Reason and Interest he that desires an Estate in the World Ease Pleasure Liberty or any thing else upon any other terms but as they may be for his reall good hath as much lost his Wits as his Faith and he that will take upon him to know what 's good for him better than God may as well take upon him to govern the World You may with as good reason desire a Feaver or a Dropsie that you may have the pleasure of your drink as for the pleasures that carnal things would bring you in to desire them when they would be a snare to your Souls 3. To whom these things shall work for good To them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose To the people of God who you see are here described by their Election and Vocation the called according to his purpose and their Sanctification they that love God Love is as I told you before the fulfilling of the Law Love God and you will live in the obedience of his whole Will These are the people to whom this Promise is made prove your Calling and Election prove your Sanctification and you may write your names in this glorious Promise All things shall work for your good To those that are Rebels and Reprobates from God all things shall work together for evil Whil'st things hurtful work together for good to the Saints all good things work together for the hurt of Sinners their Peace hurts them their plenty hurts them their pleasure hurts them yea both their prosperity and adversity their plenty and their poverty their pleasure and their trouble their honour and disgrace every thing that befalls them turns to their prejudice Their prosperity destroyâ— them their Table is their snare their pleasures are their plagues and their very punishments are turned into sin every thing that befalls them heightens and hardens them in their wickedness and ripens them for vengeance God is not with them and therefore nothing prospers with them God is with his Saints and therefore nothing comes amiss to them but all for their greater advantage Christians this is your portion and your peculiar wherein the men of this World shall neither partake with you nor be ever able to deprive you of it 4. How all things shall work for their good in special how shall the evill things the Sufferings of this life be for their good How can this be Must we disbelieve our Senses lay down our Reasons ere we can believe the Scriptures Must we call evil good and good evil Must we count darkness light and light darkness Is pleasure pain and pain pleasure Is loss gain and gain loss Is ease torment and torment ease Doth Religion make things cease to be what they are and to be what they are not or at least Must we believe that darkness is the Mother of light that good is the daughter of evil Can we gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Can darkness give light or death it self bring forth life Must we say that contraries no longer destroy but produce each other and that the womb brings forth its own destruction How can these things be But must God give a Reason of his actions or else they are not though evil cannot bring forth good darkness cannot bring forth light yet Cannot God bring forth good out of evill light out of darkness Though darkness cannot bring forth light evil cannot bring forth good by a natural causation yet Cannot God make evil an occasion of good Though it do not work efficiently yet can it not work objectively neither to it Though the torment the Medicine puts men to be not ease yet May it not work towards ease May not the storm though it help not yet hasten the Labourer on his work the Traveller on his way May not the darkness of the night make more diligent in the day May not sickness teach men more temperance and poverty more frugality But to proceed more distinctly How can the Saints evil things work to their good That they do so cannot be denyed unless we will deny not only Scripture but common Sense and Experience but how comes it to pass I answer in 4. Particulars 1. The Afflictions and Tribulations of the Saints are the way that leads them on to the possession of that good which God hath intended to them afflictions are the way of the Kingdom the Cross is the way to the Crown Acts 14. 22. Through many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Psal 66. 11 12. Thou broughtest us into the net thou hast laid affliction upon our loyns thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and water thou broughtest us into a wealthy place Observe it Their Troubles are their way to their Triumph their very falling into the net their way to escape Their Enemies boast Escape Arise yes let them free themselves with such hopes while they will we have them sure enough we have them under foot we have them in the net If this
doubtless he will not be wanting in what 's absolutely necessary Psal 23. 1 2 3. The Lord is my Shâ—pheard I shall not want and so on throughout the Psalm Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for ever Here we have the Psalmists conclusion and it's foundation or his confidence and it's ground his foundation or ground is the Lord is my Shepheard his conclusion and confidence is I shall not want that is neither for Body nor Soul as appears by the following part of the Psalm If Davids Logick and his Faith too does not fail him the conclusion is firm let the Lord be his Shepheard and he shall not know Famine or want Gods relation to his people is their security for a sufficient provision in all times If the Lord be their Shepheard he must see them fed he must either find them those that shall or do it himself He must either find them Pastors or be their Pastor He must either provide them or be their Pasture If ordinary means fail he must find extraordinary if both fail he must be instead of means to them Here two things 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepheard of his people where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself 2. That extraordinary means or no means when God brings his People to it will be better than their ordinary means 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepheard of his People where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself Feed them he must or he cannot be faithful and if means fail he must supply that want one way or other Now God is faithful and will not see his Sheep to starve Isa 41. 17 18. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their Tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Vallies I will make the Wilderness a Poor of Water and the dry Land Springs of Water Oh what a good World is here for the poor Saints to live upon in hard times It is interpreted to have an immediate reference to the outward and yet a special respect also to the spiritual wants and distresses And it will appear if we compare it with the like expressions Chap. 44. 3. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit on thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine off-spring From the former Scriptures note 1. That the poor People of God may sometimes be as to the visible Soul-provisions but in a poor case Needy and hungry and thirsty their hearts fainting their tongues failing for thirst and their waters dryed up If they seek water and there be none 2. All the wants and straits of the Saints are before the Lord. I the Lord will hear Christians though those that should will not yet he that can will hear the cryes of your Souls all your faintings and pantings and longings for the water of life are before your eâ—es and come up into the eares of the Loâ—d of Sabbath 3. God hath more wayes than one to relieve the wants and refresh the bowels of his hungry ones He hath extraordinary means for extraordinaâ—y caâ—es If they can find no common Rivers he will open or make new Rivers 〈◊〉 high places the dry places the very Rock wilâ— yield a River when God commands it 4. Gods extraordinary Provisions shall not be scantâ— and penurious but rich and plentifull 'T is not some drops or now and then a draught a little to stay the longing or barely enough to keep them alive he prepares them Rivers Fountains Pools Springs of water I will open Rivers in the high places Fountains in the Vallies c. Whereever they be cast in the high places in the Vallies in the Wilderness in the dry Lands whereever they be cast I will cause Provision enough to meet them though they have neither Bag nor Bottle nor any thing to carry with them they shall not want the River shall meet them Springs shall arise and break forth to them 5. They are not the wanting but the thirsting the seeking Souls whom God will supply When the poor and needy seek water and there is none Oh Christians how many poor are there that sit down by their poverty who if they starve yet will not beg their emptiness hath taken away their Appetites These are sad Souls 't is a sad sight to behold a company of hunger-bitten Souls sit weeping and sighing seeking after the Bread and Water of life and finding none but to see empty and yet not hungry fainting and yet not panting Souls to see Souls even dying away for want and yet not desiring or craving a supply this is a much soreâ— spectacle A starveling thirstless Soul is next to a Ghost Well if ever such Souls find who never seek water 't is more than God hath promised them 'T is they that seek water to whom God will open a River 6. What ever difficulty there be to furnish the hungry Sainâ—s with a sufficiency of Provision yet one way or other it shall be done I the Lord will hear I the God of Israel will not forsaken them Upon me be all their wants I am God and can I am their God the God of Israel and will provide for them They must and shall be provided for whatever course I be put to take I must not see them starve The Lord will not be wanting to them if his Word be not heard his Works shall speak if Preachers cannot Providence shall preach to them if their fâ—iends cannot their enemies their stripes their wounds their rods shall instruct them Thy Rod and thy Staffe comfort me If they have no other the Sun Moon and Stars the Fouls of the Air the Beasts of the Field shall be their Prophets and Apostles If all should fail yet the Spirit of the Lord shall not fail to be their Teacher and Comforter 2. Extraordinary means have more in them than ordinary and no means more than means 1. Extraordinary meâ—ns when ordinary cannot be had are sweeter and better feeding for the Saints then ordinary would be The lâ—ss of the Creature the more of God the less of common Providence the more of special Grace Water out of the Rock was more pretious than out of the River the Manna of the Wilderness was to them that understood it better than the Milk of Canaan Elijah never made better meals than what he got out of the Ravens mouth I have heard of Woman in great distress of Soul who received comfort when the Word was brought her by the mouth of a child which she had failed of receiving from the mouths of many excellent Ministers 2. No
from Hell the Prince of darkness hath held you under your blindness and this darkness leads to hell to the blackness of darkness for ever You are lost you are lost Souls lost for evâ—r if the Gospel leave you in this state of blindness in which you have so securely continued to this day Isa 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them he that formed them will shew them no favour 2. Those upon whom the Gospel hath seemed to have done its work but it is its strange work There are two works which the Gospel doth some it enlightens others it smites with blindness some it softens others it seals up under hardness some it gains over to Christ others it gives up to the unbelief and impenitence of their hearts Isa 6. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes c. Go and preach to this people but preach them into hardness and blindness because they refused to see or hear let the light put out their eyes let the joyful sound strike them deaf and stop their ears never leave hammering them till thou hast hammered them into rocks or anvills Some there are that have so trifled with Convictions baffled Conscience and suffer'd their lusts so to resist and bear down their light that have had so many heats and colds so many thawings and freezings that have taken up so many purposes and made so many promises and yet all comes to nothing that the Gospel hath received a Charge from the Lord to make an end of its work Go sayes God and make an end with these men I 'le be mocked by them no more I 'le be trifled and dallied with by them no longer wound them no more fright them no more perswade them no longer make their hearts fat their ears heavy and shut their eyes and give them up to their hearts lusts that they may walk in their own counsells and fill up the measure of their iniquities you that after all the warnings you have received from the Lord and after some workings of them sometimes upon your Consciences are yet going after your Lusts prostituting your selves to your belluine and sensual pleasures filling up daily the measure of your iniquities Oh tremble and consider sadly whether this be not likely to be your case that the Gospel hath even done with you and given you over unto an impenitent heart and reprobate mind In hope that how near soever you are to this dreadful state you may be yet one step at least short of it I shall this once more adventure a few words upon you together with them that I have already mentioned And first let me reason a little with you 1. Art thou one of them that obey the Gospel or not Art thou one of them that love God one of the called according to his purpose or not Art thou not an Alien an Adversary against God and a Rebel against his Word Let thy Conscience speak let thy ways speak let thine Oaths and thy Drunkenness and thine Adulteries thy scoffing at God and his holy ways thy hating his Instructions and kicking at his Reproofs thy hardnings against his Calls thy treacherous dealings in his Covenant and the Vows of God that are upon thee let these speak what thou art Is this that which God hath chosen and called thee to Are these the Things thou hast learned and received and heard of him Did he ever say These things do and the God of Peace shall be with you Thou needest no other Conviction than that of Israels Jer. 2. 23. How canst thou say I am not polluted See tâ—y way in the Valley and know what thou hast done How canst thou say that thou art not a Wretch With what Face canst thou deny but thou art an Enemy of God and of all Righteousness See thy way in the Valley trace the Footsteps of tby Life behold thy practices and thy course Sure thou art very blind if thou behold thy self in this Glass and doest not see thy Face as the Face of a Devil There are some whom it may be harder work to convince who have the Face of a Christian the Tongue of a Saint but within the Heart of a Beast Hypocrites are as hard to be convinced as Hypocrisie is hard to be detected But thou who carryest thy wicked Heart in thy Forehead upon thy Tongue upon the Palms of thine Hands and in the very prints of thy Feet whose Malice against God and his Holiness may be read in every look in every word in every Line of thy Life needest thou any further proof that thou art not of God Thou mayst as well put me to prove that Hell is not Heaven that the Devil is no Saint as that thou att no Christian Dost thou love God art thou under the hope of the Promise Ask thy Wayes man and let these tell thee 2. Doest thou mean to keep at this distance from God to the Death Doest thou in earnest Is there nothing in those rich Promises that have been laid before thee which thou canst wish 't were thine Is there no such word in thine heart Oh that my Lot were here Art thou content thy name should be left out for ever Is there so little in the peace of God that thou canst sell it for the pleasures of sin Art thou content that nothing should prosper with thee but that every thing should be a Gin and a Snare and a Curse to thee Art thou content that the Pit should be thy place Eternal Wrath thy portion and that every Creature every Comfort every Cross that comes should give thee a pluck down from Heaven and a kick towards Hell Canst thou think they mean thee any thing else when all does but harden thee in thy sin and make thee kick against thy God Art thou so unwilling to leave thy sins for the hope of the Promise of God that thou art content to give up thy hopes for the love of thy sins Darest thou say Let me have my part in the pleasures and contentments of this life and I am cnntent to relinquish my part in Christ Let God let me alone in my sins and let him damn my Soul Let me live at my ease and my liberty and let my name be blotted out of the Book of Life I am content to take my ylace and my lot among the damned in another World so I may have my pleasure with them in this World And doest thou say less or other than this whilest thou refusest or resolvest against following thy God He that refuses to accept of the Redemption of Christ upon the holy Terms upon which 't is offer'd says in effect I am lost I am sold for a Captive to the Devil my first Father sold me for an Apple Christ would now buy me back again to my self but for my part I am
way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thee Though thou walkest through the shadow of Death thou may'st now sit thee down under the shadow of thy Lord with great delight and with great security whose Fruit shall be ever sweet to thy Tast Though thou dwellest in Mesech and hast thy Habitation among the Tents of Kedar yet thou may'st lay thee down in peace and take thy rest for the Lord doth the Lord will make thee to dwell in safety 2. To the Godly Happy Souls The God of Peace is with you all things shall work for good to you onely that he may continue with you continue you with him in the obedience of that Gospel to which you have deliver'd up your selves My Exhortation to you shall be 1. General Respecting the whole course of your Lives 2. Particular Respecting your daily Walk My general Exhortation shall be bottom'd on that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 27 28. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospell of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affairs that you stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel In nothing terrified by your Adversaries which is to them an evident tâ—ken of Perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel Walk worthy of the Gospel let your lives be suitable and answerable to the Holy Gospel which you profess 1. Let your lives answer the ends of the Gospel the exâ—ltation of the Name and glorious Grace of God in Christ live an humble self-denying self-abasing this is a Christ exalting life 2. Let your Lives answer the Dignities and Honours the Gospel invests you with You are the children of God the Heirs of Glory the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Lambs Wife You are a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people know your priviledges and do not live below your selves defile not your glory by stooping to a Carnal and Earthly Life a Jewel is not more unbecoming a Swines snout than fleshly Husks a Saints Palate 'T is below you who are a peculiar people to your God to live in common with the men of this World humble your selves into the least of Saints but do not humble your selves into Bruits Live in the Spirit converse with God be dealing for Glory Honour and Immortality 3. Let your Lives answer the Names which the Gospel puts upon you Doves Lambs Lillies be harmless peaceable gentle beautiful fragrant sending forth a precious savour in the World 4. Let your Lives answer the Riches the Reward the Crown the Kingdom which the Gospel sets before you Live a contented life be satisfied be well pleased with what you have here be it little or much disgrace not your portion the Gospel allots you as if it were a poor insufficient portion Let your Souls say How small an handful soever you have of this Earth it is enough Christ is mine A discontented Christian says Christ is not enough Heaven is not enough Let the Contentation of thy Spirit declare before the World that the Lines are fallen to thee in a pleasant place and that thou hast a goodly Heritage Do not put this Scorn upon God and Glory that thou must be beholding to the Devil to mend thy portion Christian Either thou art within the Promise or a stranger from it Either thou hast the God of Peace with thee or not If not me thinks thou should'st find other matter to take up thy Thoughts and not have leisure to perplex thy self with every â—â—ivial want that thy meat or thy drink or thine house or the carriage of thy Friends towards thee are not according to thy mind thy Soul thy Soul man thy life is in danger Oh what an Eternity art thou like to have of it Canst thou want a God a Christ an Heaven and thine Heart never stir at it And is the dissatisfaction of thy vain mind or appetite such a Burthen Is the Devil in thine heart and it never moves thee and shall an ill Neighbour be a vexation to thee Canst thou feel a Feather when thou hast a Talent upon thee The Curse the Curse of God is upon thee I cannot wonder thou should'st be discontent but me thinks these small matters by a man in thy case should not be minded If Christ and the Promise be thine is not that enough Are not all things enough God is all things He that hath the Son hath not onely with him but in him all things Are all things nothing with thee What would'st thou have more than all The Heathens acknowledged That Vertue is sufficient It was a Maxime among the Antient Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue is self-sufficient A vertuous man hath no need to be beholding either to Friends or Fortune He hath enough in himself The Apostle tells us That Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with its self sufficiency is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. Solomon tells us Prov. 14. 14. A good man is satisfied from himself He hath that within him out of which his satisfaction grows A Christian hath the whole Gospel within him He hath Christ the Promise the Everlasting God Heaven Glory within him As rich as he is he may truly say Omnia mea mecum porto He carries his All in his Heart and can thence get out a Living a Sufficiency for all Times Cases and Wants Cast him out naked out of his Habitation out of his Countrey yet he carries all with him he leaves not an Hoof behind him Christians leave it to the Poor of the Earth to carnal men the richest of them is poor enough leave it to them to be discontent A carnal man hath so many to be beholding to to patch up his contentment that 't is no wonder he falls short of it the Sun the Clouds his Fields his Folds his Friends his Enemies his Honours his pleasures his meat his drink his house his mony yea the Devil all his Lusts every Creature must come in with their part to contribute to his contentment if but one thing fails him there 's something wanting to make it up Nay if none fail but they all do their best to please him yet all will not do in the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits When he hath all he can have his still hungring Heart cries out of what it hath Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Leave it to these Christians who have nothing but emptiness to fill their Souls withal leave it to them to be discontented Will you lay the same imputation upon the God of Glory The Discontent of a Christian is a kind of Blasphemy it proclaims concerning God also and all the Glory of the Gospel This also is Vanity Vanity of Vanities all is vanity Christians study your Riches more count over your Treasures dwell more in
Patience of the Saints By this time you see Christians that a suffering state is not so formidable nor patience under it so impossible nor your impatience so excusable as your hearts are apt to tell you Suffering you cannot avoid but you may abide them your carnal hearts will cry out I can't endure and therefore whatever shift I make I must avoid them The Gosâ—el tells you You may endure but if you will be Christians you can't avoid them All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Well since it 's thus Gird up the loins of your Minds and follow your Lord. Consider him that endured such contradictions of Sinners and be not weary nor faint in your Minds The Captain of your Salvation was made perfect through sufferings and if ye will be patient so shall you his followers Turn to your strong hold ye Prisoners of hope Prove to the World that your Faith is no fancy nor your Rock a refuge of lies that your profession oâ— holiness is not a meer talk or vapour Fear not to bear yours and thankfully accept your Lords Testimony when the Lord hath fulfilled his sad Predictions let your faith and patience seal to the fulfilling his Promises Whenâ—ver the hand of the Lord touches to the quick and you feel in earnest that 't is hot service to be a Christian when your flesh begins to fly in your face and cryes out against your Soul either as Zipporah against Moses â— bloody Husband hast thou been to me or as Job's Wife to him Curse God and die chide it into silence Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh If it will still kick and fling and groan out to thee doest thou still retain thy integrity hearken not to it leave it to groan alone as thy flesh hath left thy Soul to groan alone under sin so let thy Soul leave thy flesh to groan alone under affliction While thy Soul is quiet there 's the glory of patience though extremity of torment make thy flesh to roar nay the more the flesh roars and the Soul yet keeps silence the more patience If your fears affright you and prophecy to you before hand oh I shall never be patient if the foresight be so dreadful what will the encounter be yet be not discouraged You say you could be content to suffer if you were sure you could be patient that is you would venture into the water if you had first learn'd to swim why when you are in then you will learn and not before Tribulation worketh patience where it findeth none when you are in the fight you 'l find your Weapons your very sufferings will learn you to bear 'T is the flesh that flings and frets but by that it hath been tamed in the house of affliction it will be quieter Be jealous of your selves while you will let not fore-hand presumption hinder fore-hand prepâ—ration But whilest you suspect your selves distruct not your God follow the Cloud of Witnesses and lean on the Rock of Ages and when you are put hardest to it let your Soul take Sanctuary here When my flesh and my heart faileth me God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Lastly As that wherein I shall take in most of these former particulars Let your lives answer that Spirit of holiness which the Gospel hath powred forth upon you Let your lives be gracious and holy lives Particularly 1. Let the grace of the Gospel be visible and conspicuous in your lives shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Let your lives be the Image of that holy Doctrine or the holding forth of that word of life which you have received Admire that grace of God which hath appeared to you and let his Grace appear and be admired in you let Grace appear in you in its Purity Power 1. In its Purity represent your God and your Christ and your Religion in its holiness to the World Teach the World to love or at least to reverence holiness by letting them see it before their eyes Holiness hath such a glory in it that it will command respect and reverence when it is clearly seen Let your paths be pure as God hath separated you so separate your selves from the lusts of men to the Law of your God Keep your selves upright in thee sight of God keep your selves unspotted of the World if they will be spotting of you let it be onely with your beauty spots your Wisdom Truth Holiness Mercy Meekness Patience the Excellencies and Vertues of your god appearing upon you Let this that you are too pure too precise too tender too watchful too fearful of sin too zealous against sin be all they have to charge you with Keep thee from thine own Iniquities say not so much as this I am my beloveds and my beloved must be mine Kick out thy Dalilahs Thou must part with thy darling or thy God Let there be no secret league let there be no peace betwixt thy Soul and any Iniquity to which thou mayst either steal out to delight thee or turn in to hide thee let no iniquity be thy leisure or protection if when thou art pursued by a persecuter any sin as Jacl to Sisera should call to thee turn in hither and thou mayst escape remember the nail and the hammer let no iniquity find a corner in thee to lodge in quiet that thou mayst not think to find a corner with it where thou mayst lodg in safety say to all thy sinful delights and sinful hopes get you gone I will neither love you nor trust you however thy sin may please thee whatever it may promise thee be sure thou wilt find it a sting in thy Soul and a stain upon thy glory Keep your selves from the sins of others beware of the Leaven of the proud Pharisee of the formal and vain-glorious Scribe of the extorting Publican of the debauched Prodigal the ambitious Diotreâ—hes the virâ—lent Tertullus the backsliding Demas beware of all Epidemical Leaven the sickness of the Times you may live in Take heed lest you be dtawn away with the Errours of the Wicked and so swimming down the Stream you fall from your own stedfastness Let sinners come up to you go not you down to them Let them never say of any of you The Man is become as one of us our spot is become the spot of his Children Let your Lives be a rebuke to the ungodly World whil'st you live as the Children of GOD without rebuke in the midst of the World 2. In its Power Let the power of Grace be seen in its preserving its self in its Being and vigorous Exercise against all the Powers of Hell The stâ—ength of a Man is seen in this that he can bear Wind and Weather can live any where without impairing his Healâ—h The strength and mettal of a Sword is seen in this that Iron will not turn its edge True
Grace is such a Plant that all the Weeds of the Field and Thorns of the Forrest are not able to choke That will indure not onely the Summers Heat but the Winters Frosts Christians prove your Grâ—ce to be a right Plant the right Seed the Seed of God let it bear up against all the World Let not the Winds of Persecution put out your Light nor the Waters cast out of the Serpents Mouâ—h quench your Love nor so much as cool your Zeal especially take heed that the Dâ—agon's Tail do not draw you down amongst the Falling Stars You know what a World you live in You know the old Quarrel betwixt the Seed of the Woman and the Serpent both what it is and that it hath been kept on foot through all Ages to this day You know the White at which Sathan and all his Archers have been so long Levelling and so hoâ—ly discharging The White Stone in your Breasts the White Robe on your Backs A good Conscience and a Holy Life are the Mark upon which all the Fury of Earth and Hell is spent Oh now prove your Grace to be Grace by its preserving it self against all this Violence Let the Devil see you will be Holy whether he wil or no Let the evilworld see you wily be godly do what they can though they may make you poor and destitute and naked yet let them despair of ever making you ungodly Let Gâ—ace hereby appear to be Grace and the mighty power of God in you Which that it may do 2. Let Grace ripen towards Glory let not the scorching Sun wither your Blossoms but ripen your Fâ—uit If you would hold out get you on If you would not have your something to come to just nothing increase your Store Let your Spark grow up into a Flame your Grain of Mustard-Seed into a Tree I tell you a Mystâ—ry The tallest Cedars on God's Mountain will best escape the Wind whil'st the lower Shrubs are in greater danger of being overturned if you would stand sure get you up on the higher ground Christiaâ—s Befool the Devil let him see himself a Loser by all his stirs he makes against you It is not the fiâ—st time that his cross Winds have prov'd the most auspicious Gales to put the Saints the sooner into Harbour What he hath intended for a withering Storm hath often prov'd a fruitful Dew Those very Clouds he expected should rain down Snares have often drop'd down Fatness If you will go on Hell shall helâ— you forward the Devil's Rods on your back shall but help to mend your pace his Thorns shall be Spurs in your sides By stripping you of your fleshly Delights he shall but starve your Lusts his Friends his Burthens shall be your Ballast to make your Course more steady Christians are seldom in such a thriving and prosperous state as when they are just come out of the hands of a persecuting Devil Christians grow in Grace there 's no Season but may be a growing Season Grow in Grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Let that Living Spring which is broken forth in you be like the Waters of the Sanctuary Ezek 4. 7. Which at their first Rising were but up to the Ankles but a little further were up to the Knees a little further they were up â—o the Loins and at length they grew to a gâ—eat River Waters to swim in the bottom whereof could not be felt It may be the Waters of Grace do yet run low with thee a little Bay will stop or turn the stream thou art yet gotten but to Ankle deep or Knee deep get thee on stay not till thy Spring become a River let every Day every Duty every Experience yea every Affliction adde to thy streams that as the accession of every little Brook to the main Channel raises the Water as it passes along so it may be with thy Soul that the farther thou goest on the fuller thy Banks may be till thou comest to be like Jordan in the Harvest whose Waters fill all its Banks To quicken thee on in this growth in Grace consider 1. That a little Grace will make but poor work with thy mighty sins where Grace is low Lust is high and how is an Infant like to stand before a Man of War 2. That a little Grace will not suffice to bear thee up in great Afflictions that which thou mayâ—st make a shift with in a Calm will not serve thee in a Storm 3. That a little Grace will be sadly put to it if ever thou come to have but little means of Grace 4. That he that hath but little Grace is like to have no Assurance that he hath any at all If thou would'st have power over Corruption if thou would'st stand in the Day of Temptation if thou would'st not starve in the day of Famine if thou would'st have the comfort of the Grace thou hast let it grow up to its fuller stature Grace when it is come to Age will speak for it self and shift for it self the better which whil'st it is in its Infancy neither knows nor can help it self Christians let your Grace grow and let the Fruits of it increase Let your Fields ripen to the Harvest I may say concerning Sinners noâ— as our Lord said Behold the Fields are already white to he Harvest but behold the Fields are already black to the Harvest The Word is ready to be given Come put in thy Sickle the Harvest is ripe the wickedness is great The Fields of Tares are already black to the Harvest But oh when shall it be said of you Behold the Fields are white to the Harvest Shall evil Weeds grow so fast and shall onely the good Corn be at a stand Brethren Let your Fruits grow more plentiful and more perfect daily Let that Scripture be verified in you Prov. 4. 18. The path of the Just is a shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Let your hearts be so fill'd with the fulness of God that your Paths may drop fatness Let it be said of you as of the Spouse Cant. 4. 18. and Chap. 5. 5. Her Lips dropped as the Honey Comb and her hands dropped sweet smelling Myrrhe Let your Lips drop as the Honey Comb as you have drunk in the Milk and Honey that comes down from above so be ever dropping it down to others Let something of the sweetness something of the fatness that you have receiv'd from above be always dropping down Be dropping according to what you have drank As you see Sinners of whom 't is said They drink iniquity to be always dropping iniquity dropping Oaths dropping Lies dropping Scoffs and Reproaches So let it be said of you They drink the Dew of Heaven and this they are dropping down Let no Child no Servant no Friend come into your Company and go away without some sweet Drops from your Lips A word of Heavenly Instruction a gracious Admonition a word of Encouragement
saving power and efficacy of it I am afraid there are too many I am afraid there 's many a blind Eye many an hard Heart many a Spirit still in Prison under the power of their Lusts and Bruitish Sensuâ—lity I am afraid there are many such among you and are not you afraid so to Oh that you were 2. I have a greater fear than this I am afraid of some of you that not onely all my past Labours but this last will be lost also Those that stand it out to their last day do usually stand it out in their last day Blessed be God that there are amongst you those over whom my Soul is comforted To whom I can speak in the words of the Apostle Rom. 6. 16. God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine that hath been delivered unto you and being now made free from sin you are become the Servants of Righteousness Oh that I could thus speak Oh that I could thus rejoyce over you all But as the Apostle said to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 20. I fear lest when I come I shall find you such as I would not So must I say with a grieved heart I fear that now I am going I shall leave you such as I would not I would not leave one blind person one vain person one loose liver not one unbeliever or impenitent amongst you all Oh what a good day would this day of my departure be what Light would there be in this dark Evening were it thus with you If I might see you all recovered out of the Snares of the Devil every man's Eyes open'd every man's Fetters off every man's Prison broken and his Soul escaped from that deadly bondage if every poor deadly Creature among you who yet lies bound hand and foot in his Grave Clothes might now at last stand up from the Dead and live the Life of God this would be mine and your great rejoycing But oh I fear with this Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 21. My God will humble me and grieve me and afflict me to see in what an woful plight I must leave divers of you Oh ye Sons of the Night you poor ignorant and daâ—k Souls upon whom the Light hath shined but your Darkness comprehendeth it not Oh you poor obstinate and hardned Souls upon whom I have been ploughing as upon Rocks and hewing as upon Adamants who still remain under as great hardness as if no Dew nor Rain had ever fallen on you Oh you poor half-bak'd almost Christians that have taken up your stand in your present Attainments my Soul is under great fears and must weep in secret for you whil'st my Tongue must be henceforth silent Oh every Soul that is without fear of himself my Soul is afraid for you the fearless Soul is in a fearful state Sinners let my fears be your fears What is there such astonishing guilt upon you and yet not afraid Such a dreadful Roll writ against you and yet not afraid So many Sabbâ—ths Sermons Warnings lost and never to be recalled nor any Assurance left of one Sermon or Warning more and yet not afraid Such a subtil Devil such a deceitful Heart such a tempting World that you have to deal withall such a black and bottomless Pit into which you are falling and yet not afraid Oh what Stocks and Stones hath the Gospel to deal withall Beloved I have labour'd much with you both publiquely and from house to house to bring you under a due fear and jealousie of your selves but hitherto your hearts have been too hard for me Oh yet for trembling hearts tremble and sin not fear and pray fear and hope fear and repent Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Oh if my feaâ—s were once become your fears your fears would become my hopes Oh what a Day-spring of hopes would arise from the shaking of secure hearts These Fears would be as the thicker Darkness Fore-runners of Break of Day 2. My parting Wishes and Desires for you are 1. That the good Seed which hath been sown amongst you were well rooted in every heart I wish that my Twenty Yeaâ—s Ministry among you may not be lost Labour to any one of your Souls 2. I wish that your next Seeds man may be more skilful and successful that the good Lord will provide you a man that may teach you in Wisdom gain you in Love lead you on to Life by an Holy Example and if the Lord grant you this mercy I wish that such an one may be deatly priz'd and chearfully accepted by you God keep this Flock from a Ravening Wolf and a deceitful Shepheard 3. I wish that there may be no Root of Bitterness springing up amongst you that there be no Divisions or Contentions but that you may live in peace and love that the God of peace and love may be with you 4. I wish that this place where so much good Seed hath been sown may become a fruitful Field that the Fruits of Faith and Repentance the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness may be in you and abound that you may be neither barren nor unfruitful that Religion in the power and practice of it may so visibly flourish in the several persons in the several Families of this Congregation that they that go by may see and say This is the Field which the Lord hath blessed 5. I wish that whatever Clouds may at any time gather over you may not fall down in a withering Storm or a sweeping Floud but may pass away in a Mist or dissolve into a fruitful Dew that no Persecutions or Temptations may ever carry you down the Stream with evil men nor blight any hopeful beginnings that are budding forth in any of your Souls If Tribulation should be any of your Lots I wish it may not be to you as the Hail of Egypt but as the Dew of Hermon 6. I wish you a joyful Harvest that you may reap in Eternity what hath been sown in Time may you now sow in Righteousness and hereafter reap in Mercy May every one that is now sowing in Tears for ever reap in joy May you that go on your way weeping bearing pretious Seed return with joy and bring your Sheavs with you May the Showers of this day be the watering of your Seed that it may spring up to Eternal Life Brethren My hearts desire for you all is that you may be saved and if there be any persons that bear evil will to me my particular wish for them is The Good-will of him that dwelt in the Bush be those Men's Portions for ever These are some of my Wishes for you will you joyn your Wishes with mine Will you turn your Wishes into Prayers and let this be your Prayer The Lord grant thee thine hearts desire and fulfill all thy Mind Brethren Do I wish you any harm in all this If not if it be to wished that the Word of Christ
THE Godly MAN'S PORTION AND SANCTUARY Opened IN TWO SERMONS Preached August 17. 1662. By R. A. London Printed Anno Domini The CONTENTS THE Principal Doctrine Those that obey the Gospel whatsoever or whensoever they want shall ever abide in a peacefull and blessed Condition Reas 1. The God of Peace shall be with them The Riches of this Promise opened 1. God is in the Promise 1 God is in the Promise as the God of Peace 2 He that is the God of Peace is the God of Power 3 He that is the God of Peace is the God of Patience 4 He that is the God of Peace is the God of Hope 2. God's being with them signifies 1 The Heart of God with them 2 The Help of God with them 3 The Presence of God with them Reas 2. If God be with them all things shall make for them Rom. 8. 28. opened at large 1 What things they are especially that shall work for good 2 To what good they shall work 3 To whom 4 How they shall work for good 5 That they shall work for good to them that love God Proved in 3. Propositions 1 The Providence of God governs the World 2 The Design of Providence as to the Elect is the accomplishment of Gods good purpose and Promise 3 Providence shall not fail of accomplishing its end Two Cautions Two Objections answered Ob. 1. How can the Reâ—â—…val of the Gospel and the Ministry of it be imagined to work for good Answered Ob. 2. Suppose a Saint to fall into distraction and so live and die what good can possibly be wrought out of this Answered Two particular Inferences 1. Rejoyce in the Promise of God 2. Lay your selves down quietly and peaceably under it The General Application 1. To the Ungodly perswading them and directing them how to get within this Promise Of these 1 Some are far from the Kingdom of God To them after a Word of Conviction and Expostulation are given 7. Directions 2 Others are near the Kingdom of God Almost Christians Six Words of Counsell to them 2 To the Godly The Exhortation to them bottomed on Philip. 1. 27 28. And is 1 Generall 2 Speciall The Generall Exhortation Let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel Let it answer and be suitable to 1 The Ends of the Gospel 2 The Dignities the Gospel invests you with 3 The Names which the Gospel puts upon you 4 The Reward and Riches which the Gospel promises 5 The Supports which the Gospel gives 6 The spirit of holiness which the Gospel pours forth upon you The Special Exhortation Containing Directions for a Christian 's daily Walk Let this Gospel-Conversation be carried on 1 In an holy Union Directions for the promoting an holy Union betwixt all Saints though of different perswasions 2 In an united Contention 3 In an holy Boldness Arguments pressing the Exhortation 1. This shall be to your Adversaries an evident token of Perdition 2 To you of Salvation 3 The Argument of the Text farther urg'd in two Particulars 1 If God be with you all shall work for your good 2 If God be with you you shall shortly be with God The Conclusion and Valediction PHIL. 4. 9. Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of Peace shall be with You. WHat the particular Reason of my choice of this Scripture this day is if you compare my present station with the intent of the Apostle in these words you will easily understand These words of the Apostle being part of the close of his Epistle to the Philippians are his Valediction or Parewel to them It is not unknown to you that I must now be parted from you and I have pitched on this Scripture to be the Close of my Twenty Years Ministry among you God hath sent me among you to be a Builder and I have chosen this Text to be an Hammer to fasten and drive home those Nails of Instruction â—nd Consolation which I have been so long endeavouring to enter into you God hath sent me among you as a Fisher-man and I have chosen these words to be as the closing of the Net Behold once more the Net is spread and I am now making my last Draught and oh that it might have the same good speed as Peter's last had Luke 5. 6. It would then pay the Charges though the Net break God hath sent me among you as an Husband-man to plough and to sow and I am now come to cover what hath been sown What is my aim in Preaching let be yours in Hearing Oh that both Preacher and Hearers might heartily joyn in this Desire This once more God speed the Plough In this desire and hope I drive on In the Text observe A Precept A Promise An Entail of the Promise on the Precept In the Precept we have 1. An Act Do. 2. An Object The things that you have learned received heard and seen The Promise is in these words The God of Peace shall be with you The Entail of the Promise on the Precept you have in the Connective Particle And which knits them up together Do the Work and have the Reward Obey the Precept and enjoy the Promise Do what you have received and heard and the God of Peace shall be with you Be careful of the former and be not careful about the latter if the Precept be performed the Promise shall be made good Doct. 1. Christians must be Learners before they can be Doers What you have learned that do Doct. 2. He hath learned well that hath lerrned to do well Doct. 3. Christians Eyes as well as their Ears may help them on in Religion Or The Holy Examples of Ministers should be living Sermons to People What you have seen in me Therefore the Apostle exhorts Phil. 3. 17. Mark them which so walk as you have us for an Example and 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye Followers of me as I am of Christ that is either I have been a Follower of Christ be ye therefore Followers of me or else Be ye Followers of me as far forth as I have been a Follower of Christ Those Ministers may go off the Stage with Honour and Comfort who have left behind them the good Seed of sound Doctrine and the good savour of an Holy Example For mine own part what my Doctrine and manner of life hath been among you you are Witnesses and God also And however I have great reason to judge and condemn my self before the Lord and to bewail it that my Conversation hath been less exemplary and useful than oh that it had been yet I go off from you with this Testimony upon my heart that I have not been of those who bind heavy Burthens and lay them on other mens shoulders but will not touch them with one of their fingers but my endeavour hath been to press on mine own Soul and to hold out in my own practice that Word of Life which I