Carter late Minister of St. Peters Mancraft in Norwich of whom she was a constant Hearer Her pious Soul having thus been kindled with an holy fire quickly flamed in a Gospel conversation her light shining out so before others that they saw her good works and glorified her Father which was in Heaven And I doubt not but many in the view of them glorified God in the day of their Visitation I know not whether in the memory of any the City of Norwich was blessed with any person of her quality who in any proportion to her incouraged the wayes of God with her Purse and recommended them by her unparallel'd example Let us take the due proportion of a Christian single-woman from the great Apostle of the Gentiles and compare her with his Rule He speaking 1 Cor. 7. 34. of married and unmarried Christian women saith The unmarried 1 Cor. 7. 34. woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and spirit but she that is married careth for the things of the world that she may please her husband And the same Apostle giving us the description of a Widow indeed deciphereth her thus 1. Negatively she is one that liveth not in pleasures for saith he The woman that liveth in pleasure is 1 Tim. 5. 5. dead while she lives 2. Positively he describes her thus She trusteth in God and continues in 9. supplications night and day and directing what Widow he would have dignified in the Church he saith If she hath been the Wife of one husband by which I conceive he understands Chastity if she be well reported of for good works if she have brought up children and lodged strangers if she have washed the Saints feet if she hath relieved the afflicted and diligently followed every good work We shall find this excellent Lady Saint Pauls qualified Widow 1. Negatively She was none of those who lived in pleasure while she lived Very far from spending her precious time in sleep or banquets at Balls or profane Playes or insignificant Visits or that spend their Estates in soft and gay Garments or indulging their Palats besides what time she necessarily spent in the services of her body she spent all her hours either in the more publick or private exercises of Religion or in such Visits where she might either do or receive good if she made any other they were her burthen rather than pleasure to repay the civilities of others never being patient of being out-done in Civilities She seldom spent half an hour either in a Dinner or Supper and both ate and drank in so small proportions that not denying allowances for particular constitutions she was a perfect demonstration how little Nature would be content with she was so far from taking pleasure in costly raiment that for some years after the loss of her dear husband she could not be perswaded to wear a silk Gown and professed to do it that she might have abundantly to relieve poor Christians in want and when at any time she saw an object of charity requiring a greater proportion than suited her present stock of money she would yet do it telling me it was but wearing a Gown two or three moneths longer For Musick Dancings Gaming 's her serious mortified Soul was grown a perfect stranger to them Untill some few years before her death when infirmities increasing upon her suffered her not to do as formerly This was the constant course of her life She seldom was in her bed after Four of the Clock in the morning towards her latter end her health inforced her to abide in it longer yet to the last Seven was her utmost hour from the time she rose till Seven of the Clock she spent her time in the private Devotions and retirements of her Closet then she came out to the more publick duties of the family which she never missed and seldom but was first in the room in Prayer Reading the Scriptures Expounding one or more of these Exercises as opportunity served and some discourses afterward she then usually spent more than an hour the rest of her time till Noon was spent in her Chamber in dressing or in her Closet reading looking over Accounts c. Sometimes for half an hour she walked Then she came out again to Prayer in her Family in which and in Dinner and following Discourses she usually spent two hours and sometimes exercised her self for half an hour afterward Her afternoon was spent in reading or making Visits chiefly to such Christians as she had an Interest in or sometimes in spinning or sowing with her Maids About Six she again came to her Family-duties in which at Supper and discourses after it she ordinarily spent three hours and then withdrew to her Closet for many years together there she abode reading and praying till Twelve or One of the Clock till at last with no ordinary difficulty she was perswaded by her learned Physitian to abate an hour or two of that excess for her health sake Thus she lived a most mortified life to all the contents of this World excepting only what arose from Communion with God and his people using as great severity to her self as those who judge such Castigations of their body the price of Heaven 2. The Positive part of St. Pauls description in the first place respects Religion so he describeth her to be one 1. Trusting in God 2. Continuing in supplications night and day 3. Caring for the things of the Lord that she might be holy in body and minde and spirit The first is an internal the second a more external Act of Religion Trusting in God as it speaketh our secret affiance in and adherence to the promises for this life or that to come is so secret an act of the soul that oft-times the Soul that doth it cannot discern the truth of its own act much less can another discern it otherwise than from the effects Some of those effects which will come nearest the certain discovery of this habit are an unfained love to the Word and Ordinances of God Freedom from distracting eares for to morrow Love to God Fear of offending him Hope in his mercy c. How much this admirable Lady valued the Word and Ordinances of God was conspicuous to all that knew her most to us who had the advantage of more intimate communion with her Besides that she was rarely to be found alone without her Bible before her she had drawn up for her self a method for reading the Scripture to which she was very strict so as every year she read over the Psalms Twelve times the New Testament thrice and the other part of the Old Testament once Besides this that she might want no satisfaction to any doubt arising upon her reading the Scripture she had furnished her self with a large Library of English Divines which cost her not much less than 100 l. of which she made a daily use She was while in health
Lord shall separate him to evil out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this Book of the Law c. None can hope for the savour of God here or hereafter but those only who are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and who live an holy and righteous conversation before God declining all manner of sin and wickedness and doing the whole will of God and such who in this course of life through the grace of God inabling them shall be found believing in God and waiting for him in those waies of holiness and well pleasing in his sight Others indeed may pretend that they hope but indeed could you look into the secrets of their souls you would find them without any true hope not attending to the eternal concerns of their souls while they are in health and at liberty they are perfectly careless neither hope nor fear much when God alarums them with a conviction a terrour of conscience or a sickness that looks as if it would determine their daies then they begin to consider and as drowing men lay hold of every rush every twig never considering whether it hath in it strength enough to bear them they lay hold upon every thing as a ground of hope God made them and therefore they hope he will not damn them as if Hell were prepared for none Christ died for all as if supposing that were true all therefore should be saved They have been good Church-men paid every man his own they have been no drunkards no swearers c. These and such like foundations of hope they lay but saith Job Where is the hope of the Hypocrite when the Lord takes away his soul And again Job 8. 11 12 13 14 15. Can the Rush grow up without mire or the Flag without water while it is yet in its greenness and not cut down it withereth before any other herb So are the paths of all that forget God and the Hypocrites hope shall perish whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a Spiders web he shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not indure 2 Branch Again as I before hinted to you what you have heard must be cautiously understood and practised by Gods people I told you that such as fear the Lord such as are inabled by him to behold his face in righteousness and to watch for his likeness though they see not Gods face in visions of peace though they live though God calleth them to die in the dark yet they should be satisfied but how satisfied you have also heard not so as to sit down and think they have enough and never look after the light of Gods countenance no this is impossible it is their duty to be so far satisfied as not to murmure not to repine but not to be so satisfied as not to cry and pray unto God for further discoveries of himself unto their souls But it is more than time I should shut up this discourse Vse 5. Lastly This Doctrine may be applied by way of Exhortation and it looks upon all persons 1. Vpon unrighteous creatures Such as are in a state of sin without the imputed righteousness of Christ without any care of themselves as to a righteous conversation That they would return from the vanity of their courses unto God and labour for a state of Righteousness There are many Arguments in Scripture to inforce this The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness Psal 11. But I shall only insist upon what I find in the text You have heard what I mean by righteousness and may easily apply what I have already said to inform you what it is to be in a state of righteousness viz. 1. To be clothed with the righteousness of him who is the Lord our Righteousness 2. To lead a conversation holy in every thing and conformable to the mind and will of God Watching against sin and all temptations to sin and watching to all duty both those of an holy communion with God and those of an holy conversation before God Two great Arguments to inforce this Exhortation may be drawn from my discourse 1. This is the only way to behold the Lords face No way to behold Gods face in this life but in righteousness No hopes hereafter to behold his face in glory but in righteousness Men may please themselves with dreams and flatter themselves with vain hopes but no man in this life seeth any thing of God no man enjoyeth any thing of God but the righteous man The Lord heareth not sinners the Lord accepteth not the unrighteous person nor can any without righteousness ever hope to behold the face of the Lord in glory Those who are not clothed with the righteousness of Christ shall indeed behold the Lords face in the day of Judgement but it shall be his angry face and it shall be against their will that they behold the Lords face then for they shall hide themselves in mountains and rocks and dens and shall cry to the mountains and to the rocks to fall on them and to hide them from him who sitteth on the Throne They indeed shall be filled but it shall be with their own waies for the recompence of their hands shall be given them and with the Lords wrath and vengeance on them for their sins for this they shall have at the Lords hand they shall lye down in sorrow Those alone who while they lived beheld the face of God in righteousness shall enjoy any thing of God here or in the life which is to come They only shall hear that blessed sentence Come you blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you This is my first Argument 2. It is no small thing that righteous persons have enough in this life even in their darkest hours to give them satisfaction A sinner hath not enough when he is at the fullest to give him a satisfaction his eye even then will not be satisfied with seeing nor his ear with hearing nor his hand with griping he will never have enough yet in his life he takes his portion Son remember saith Abraham in that Parable Luk. 16. 24. that in thy life time thou hadst thy good things But now see the state of a child of God take him when he is lowest he hath what is reasonably enough to give him satisfaction it may be he hath not at all times his overflowings of joy his spiritual superfluities as I may call them but he hath the perpetual feast of a good conscience Are not these two things enough to perswade some soul into a study and lâ—bour after righteousness is it nothing to have communion with God to behold his face it is the happiness of the blessed Angels to be ever beholding the face of God and certainly man is not capable of a
unweariable in her attendance upon Sermons such especially where the Truths of God were opened most lively and with least vanity and in fullest evidence of Scripture she ordinarily heard three or four Lecture Sermons in the week and three on the Lords day till her distempers so prevailed upon her that she could not attend them without that heaviness which she was loth to discover and which was her great affliction This her love to the Word argued that she had chosen the Promises in it for her portion and had cast her Soul upon them how else were they so precious to her She was indeed a Lady exercised with her doubts and fears and love-jealousies rather evidences for than against this adherence to her dear Lord. I have seen her in great agonies and conflicts and almost refusing to be satisfied but could never find that they argued more than an earnest thirsting after further evidences of divine love than it pleased God for some time to vouchsafe her She was possessed indeed of a Noble Estate and so had not that temptation as others to distrustfull cares for the things of this life yet so far as she could she exercised this act of faith never caring for to morrow nor considering what it might bring forth But freely spending her whole revenue in pious and charitable works that of it I mean which she could spare from the frugal expenses of her houshold prosessing she desired no more than to make her accounts of Receits and Disbursements even at the years end Her love to God was beyond the love of Women whether we view it in the more secret motions of her soul or in more imperate acts What sighs what heart-breaking sadness have I been a witness to from her when she lay at any time under apprehensions of any degrees of divine desertions or any suspicions of the truth of Grace in her own heart What tears in such dark hours have I seen flow from her eyes in her Closet more privately What groans have I heard from her while we have been praying more publickly On the other side if at any time she could have laid hold upon any good Word of God if she had found any more freedom of spirit or heart or felt what she judged an Efflux of divine love upon her Soul What a chearfulness did we all the day see in her countenance what freedom did we discern in her converse It was no hard matter for me from the observation of her converse and countenance in the day-time to judge how it had sared with her Ladyships spirit in her addresses to God that morning Her dread of God was exceeding great I have sometimes trembled to hear with what earnestness she would adjure me to be faithfull to her in the business of her Soul and not to suffer sin to rest upon her Her fear indeed was for some time too too servile favouring too much of the spirit of Bondage but it was afterward more constantly Filial in all things discovered by a reverential sense of the great and glorious Majesty of God and a fear of wilfull sinning against him Nor was this Excellent Lady's Religion such as to evince it to the World she was put to flee to the plea of a good heart as a Sanctuary Out of the abundance of Grace in her heart her mouth spake her whole outward man moved in a just conformity to her external profession She was exemplarily diligent and devout in all Religious performances Prayer was her great delight To that form are the first spiritual words which the Childe of God speaketh The first account we have of Saint Paul after his conversion was Behold he prayeth and this seemeth to have been the first study of this Excellent Lady In the external performance of which she found some difficulty to relieve her self in which she had furnished her Closet with most valuable English books which contained Forms of Prayer upon several occasions in none of which she could find a full satisfaction but ever and anon she was still at a loss for words fitted to the altering complexion of her spirit To help her self she procured her Pastor to draw up several Forms fitted to the frame of her Soul at several times And in this work when I was come into her Family she often imployed me but still she remained dissatisfied that she gave us so frequent troubles and that after some years owning her self to be Gods childe she should in any exigent be at a loss for words to take unto her self and to say Abba Father I humbly advised her to a praevious study of the more general matter and method of Prayer and of the Divine Promises which are the sacred Obligations which Prayer puts in suit As to the former I drew up for her Ladyship a Scheme which she kept hanging before her in her Closet to her dying day describing to her the plainer and more ordinary method and the more general matter of Prayer and commended to her some Books which gave the fullest account of the Promises After some small exercise of her self in both of them she needed her Prayer-books and Forms no longer but was able as occasion ministred it self to pour out her Soul to God according to her necessities without any further Monitor than the Spirit of Supplications in conjunction with the pious workings of her own breast And indeed after this she was no friend to Forms she judged that they could never be used with that warmth of affection which attends the words of a good Christian formed in his own heart That whoso limited himself by them would never from his performance in duty understand any thing of the frame of his heart And that no knowing person could have other need of them than as a Supplement for his own laziness neither studying the Scriptures nor his own Heart Whatever be determined as to her judgement in the ease her Ladyship for 15 or 16 years before her death would not allow her self the use of them She prayed much in her Closet Thrice each day in Communion with us in the Family She was as diligent in hearing the Word ordinarily hearing three Sermons on the Lords Day and more Lectures in the Week-day till her increasing distempers of late years more indisposed her Her Sabbath day service and the hearing of one weekly Lecture which her Ladyship at her own charge erected and maintained she continued while she was able to go down stairs yea and after that in her Bed-chamber to her dying-dying-day Once every month she in Communion with us received the Lords Supper and that not without praevious preparation before she came and most ardent devotion when she was present at that sacred Institution Of her private Fastings and extraordinary times of Prayer I shall say nothing though in them she was not wanting Her love to the Ministers and servants of God was beyond comparison she had not only like the Shunamite prepared a Table a Bed
to the performance of it under the fear of the greatest terrours such the terrours of the Lord are and under the incouragement of the largest promises and upon the highest principles of ingenuity A man or woman not fearing God may be under obligations to do no man wrong to give to every one his due to do good to others c. But I pray what are his obligations Let us weigh them apart and consider them with the obligations to the same things which are upon the hearts of persons fearing the Lord and who have in them this same principle 1. Others may be under the obligations of humane Laws and blessed be God for them to them we are beholden that there are in the world no more murthers thefts and other disorders to the utter confusion of humane society Men are afraid of the Ax the Gallows c. But alas what is the force of these compared with the terrour of everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels If he be under an obligation to avoid these enormous disorders in humane society who is only awed from them with the fear of a Gaol or Gallows what is he think you who is afraid of being tormented in Hell by the wrath of God to all eternity Where the worm never dieth and the fire never goeth out It is true there is the same obligation upon him that feareth not God he is in danger of Hell fire but it is the person fearing God who alone firmly and fixedly believeth any such thing Others if they do not laugh and mock at such things yet very faintly assent to Propositions of such a nature 2. Obligations may lie upon others to just and vertuous actions from the rational beauty and comeliness of a just and sober conversation above one which is lewd and debaucht Until reason in man be out-lawed and beasâ—ly passions and affections have perfectly subdued it moral vertue will commend it self to humane nature But what is the force of this obligation compared with the Will of God to that man who hath said the Lord shall rule over him Or to the apprehension of a Conformity by such actions to Jesus Christ to him to whom Christ is precious who hath avowed Christ to be his Master and assumed to be his Disciple What is this obligation to the consideration of a gracious man that these are the fruits of the Spirit which he hath received and in which he standeth obliged to walk and that the contrary acts are the fruits of the flesh which he standeth obliged to mortifie which if he so much as savours they will argue him to walk after the flesh and conclude him liable to condemnation as having no interest in Jesus Christ The gracious man does not these things because reason only approves them but because God hath commanded and because God doth approve them because they are the Will of God concerning him because Jesus Christ while in the flesh so walked setting him an an example c. 3. Thirdly Others may have obligations upon them to do some such things from good nature Some naturally are of more sweet and ingenuous natures than others are more naturally inclined to justice pitty mercy and this obligation worketh very high where it is found But alas what is this to his obligation who hath these things as branches of the Law of God ingraven upon his heart and that in that deep sculpture which the finger of the holy Spirit useth to make to his who hath a new name yea and a new nature given to him and from that new nature acts according to the prescript of Divine Law freely and ingenuously not from constraint Luther sometimes said of such a one Justus non debet bene agere sed bene agit A passage that had need of a candid interpretation but thus far true That a man or woman truly fearing God is not so much constrained by the force of a Divine Law in which sense it may be the Apostle saith that the Law is not made for him as compelled by his new nature and the generous principles of the new creature his nature is quite altered the things which he hated he now loveth and what he formerly loved he now abhorreth 4. Again a man or woman not fearing God may be under some obligations to just and vertuous actions which may make him a good neighbour From Honour obedience to Governours Courtesie to some who have done him a kindness or an ingenuous nature abhorring to do wrong to such as have done him none But alas what are these compared with the honour of maintaining the repute of a Christian of a child of God who is concerned to walk unblameably as a Spouse of Christ which must be presented without spot and wrinckle who is pressed to these actions from a far higher ingagement upon his ingenuity as they are the prescripts of that God who hath loved him with an everlasting love of that dear Saviour who hath not loved his life for his sake I saith he must love mine enemies do good to them that hate me bless them that persecute me and pray for them who despitefully use me Thus I shall be like my Father which is in Heaven Thus I shall fulfil the Royal Law of Love under which my Saviour hath laid me I cannot say I love him if I do not keep his Commandments 5. One not fearing God may be principled to some such actions from some hopes either from some particular friends who if he behave himself vertuously will do well by him make him their heir or for some hopes of honour credit and repute in the world and these things oft-times go a great way But how much greater is the obligation to these things under which a gracious soul is from his hopes of the injoyment of God here and the blessed fruition of him in the beatifical vision hereafter These are the hopes of a person fearing the Lord how infinitely higher than all earthly hopes of what nature soever What are all the hopes in the world laid in ballance with them how much lighter than vanity I will add but one thing more 6. A person not fearing the Lord may be ingaged to the doing of these things from some Law that he hath laid upon himself some Oath or Promise But what are these to the correspondent engagements of this nature which are upon the hearts of all truly fearing the Lord. To say nothing of the Baptismal Engagements common to others with them though better remembred by such as have not received the grace of God in vain or such as they have renewed in their daily prayers in sicknesses or so oft as they have come to the Lords Table What think you of that great engagement to these things amongst others which every one fearing the Lord taketh upon him in the day when the Lord calleth him out of darkness into marvelous light and putteth his Spirit into him There is no obligation like
Earth Prov. 8. 13. The fear of the Lord is 〈◊〉 â—vil Prov. 16. 6. By Prov. 8. 13. 16. 6. the fear of the Lord 〈…〉 from evil That man feareth the Lord 〈◊〉 â—â—th not only a reverence and dread of â—od upon his heart but in whom this dread worketh to make the person that hath it to take heed of every sin and to perform every duty to avoid all that the Lord forbiddeth and to do all that God commandeth This it is for a man or woman to fear Jehovah But you will say â—â— this be so where is that person to be found of whom this can be predicated or how shall any person satisfie himself that he is by the fear of the Lord distinguished from another This is a great question and the Holy Ghost having thought fit to express the whole of Grace and Godliness by this notion the resolution of it will exceedingly tend to the satisfaction of such souls as thirst after righteousness To which purpose now I shall lay down some few Conclusions which will open this thing to you 1. A true fear of God in what soul soever it is found is not only the product of sense but the operation of faith This is one great and material difference betwixt that fear and dread of God which may be found in a natural man and that which is sound in every true child of God There is a terrour and awe and dread of God which as I told you before sometimes seizeth the hearts of the greatest Atheists and most debaucht wretches in the Earth But this dread is ordinarily but the effect and product of sense the poor wretch seeth some terrible work of God and trembleth or feeleth something of the weight of Gods hand Hence as soon as the impression is off his sense the fear and dread of God is also off his heart And thus it will be with all that fear which is but the product of sense The natural mans fear is not at all caused from faith neither from the habit of faith which is within us nor from the object of saith which is without us I mean the Word of God he doth not fear God because of what the holy Scriptures tell him concerning God he believeth not that But now the fear of God in a gracious soul is the issue of saith A Christian knows the Scripture and what that revealeth concerning God and now the Lord having by his Spirit wrought up his soul to give a firm and stedfast assent to what is revealed in his Word he feareth the great God as much when he seeth or feeleth nothing of the greatness of his power in his works of Providence as when he is under the greatest demonstrations of sense It is the precept of Solomon Prov. 23. 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord at all times Indeed he that is not in the fear of the Lord at all times doth truly fear the Lord at no time for where fear is the operation and fruit of saith the effect is as abiding and permanent as the cause now the cause of the fear of the Lord in that person is his firm assent to what is revealed in the holy Scriptures concerning God The Word of the Lord abiding the same for ever and the Propositions in it having an eternal verity and the seed of God also once cast in the soul abâ—ding at all timâ—s in it it is impossible but this soul should have a fear and dread of God upon his heart in health as well as in sickness in prosperity as well as in adversity in a time of the greatest liberty as well as in a time of the greatest straits when the Providence of God may propose the greatest objects of terrour unto him If the soul of any at all times dreadeth and reverenceth the great God of Heaven and Earth and that by reason of what the Word of God revealeth and it believeth concerning him this is an excellent sign that the true fear of God is in that soul Though it is true the various workings of Divine Providence may make this fear as to the servile part of it higher and greater at some one time than at another 2. Although the true fear of the Lord in any soul be not consistent with a course of deliberate sinning against God and defying the Divine Majesty yet it is confistent in the same soul with many sinnings both of ignorance and of infirmity If there were none feared God but such as were wholly free from sin there were no such excellent person in the world as I have been discoursing of For who liveth and sinneth not against God But I must open this General 1. I say the fear of God is not in any soul consistent with open defiances of the Divine Majesty or constant courses of deliberate sinning There are some in the world that live in an open defiance of Heaven the Atheistical blasphemer the prophane swearer and curser and such like eminent sinners Every one that cometh near them may say the fear of God is not in these persons No nor with any course of deliberate or presumptuous finning when a man is free and under no height of temptation to do this or that thing which he knoweth to be what God hath forbidden him to do and yet he will do it and doth do it and that not once only but again and again from one day to another making a course of it how dwelleth the fear of God in that soul God hath said he that doth these things shall die he shall be plagued in this life and he shall die eternally The poor wretch knoweth this and yet presumptuously doth these things how can the dread or fear of God be in any judgement of charity judged to dwell in this soul 2. But I say the fear of God is consistent in the soul with much sin either sins of ignorance or sins of infirmity Experience teacheth this 1. For sins of ignorance a servant may truly fear his master and a child his father and yet they may both do many things that their superiours would not have done if they do not persectly know their will It is so betwixt the child and servant of God and his Father and Master which is in Heaven 2. I say it is also consistent with much sinning of weakness and infirmity Sins of infirmities are of two sorts 1. Such as are of pure weakness and infirmity which are failures in such things as through our natural weakness and impotency we cannot perform 2. Such as are mixt with something of wilfulness but yet the great cause of our admission of them is some original weakness and infirmity in us Such now are those sins which we commit upon the prevalence of some affection or passion in us whether love or fear or anger c. Lust prevailed on David fear on Peter and truly it is hard to say what sin that is which upon this account a soul truly fearing
King 21. 19 20 21. to tell him in short that God would ruine him and his family and all that belonged to him v. 27. Ahab hears those words he rends his cloths puts sackcloth upon his flesh fasteth lyeth in sackcloth and goes softly Here 's the best of a carnal man if his dread of God in his Judgements worketh thus far and to a temporary abstaining from some gross sins it is all you read not a word of Ahabs tending to inquire of the Lord not a word of any cordial humiliation or resolved reformation 2 King 22. 11. Josiah findeth the Book of the Law and heareth there of the wrath of God he rends his cloths so did Ahab but he resteth not here v. 13. He tends to inquire of the Lord for him and for the people and for all Judah c. was this all No chap. 23. He sets upon a real and effectual reformation with all his might Thus you see how the dread and awe of God upon the heart of a child of God doth not drive him from God but unto him it doth not stupifie but quicken him it doth not put him upon a formal temporary particular reformation but upon a fixed real general reformation Pharaohs fear flartled him and put him upon sending to Moses to pray for him and put him upon some good thoughts and resolutions at present but yet Pharaoh notwithstanding this was one who feared not the Lord. But thus much may serve to have spoken to this branch of Application I come now to the last branch I will shut up this discourse with a few words of Exhortation I will reduce all to three particulars 1. To such as have not this fear of God in Exhort their hearts to perswade them to labour for it 2. To such as have this fear of God to perswade them 1. To labour to grow in this habit and exercise 2. To live like excellent persons and to shew they have this excellent blessing 3. Lastly To the men of the world in general to perswade them 1. To an undervaluing of all other excellencies 2. To a true value of this excellent thing and these excellent persons 3. To give them of the fruit of their hands and to suffer their works to praise them in the gates In the first place let me press a word of 1 Branch Exhortation upon such as yet fear not Goâ— to perswade them to it It is a frequent precept in holy Writ Levit. 19. 14. Fear thy God I am the Lord ch 25. v. 17. 43. Eccles 5. 7. Matth. 10. 28. 1 Pet. 2. 17. Rev. 14. 7. Eccles 12. 13. God calls to you Fear God Solomon calls to you Fear God Our Saviour calls to you Fear him that can cast both body and soul into Hell fire The Angels in Heaven call to you Fear God All the Prophets and Apostles call to you unâvoce and this is that which they say Fear God The meaning of this you have heard Not only dread the great and living God in the secrets of your hearts but let all your conversation savour of this fear so comport your selves in your whole carriage both towards God and towards your neighbours as you may evidence to the world not only that you have a natural sense of that infinite distance which is between your Creatour and you and the power that he hath over you but that you may shew that you have this gracious habit of fear wrought in you and that you fear God in the Scripture phrase You see this is a great picce of the will of God concerning you pressed upon you again and again in holy Writ Give me leave to inlarge a little in pressing it upon you I shall first give you some Arguments Secondly I shall offer you some directions in the case from the text And what I have said furnisheth me with two great Arguments 1. This is Wisdom This is Grace Job 28. 28. â—â—e fear of the Lord that is wisdom Prov. 1. 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge That man who hath nothing of the fear of God in him hath nothing of God nothing of the Grace of God in him On the other side that person who hath in him the fear of God hath all that is an holy that is a gracious man There can be no more said of any than that he or she are persons not fearing God Nor can there be better said of any that he or she is a person fearing God 2. Secondly You have heard a person fearing God is the most excellent person in the world Favour is deceitful Beauty is vain but a woman fearing the Lord she shall be praised Others may call themselves excellent and the men of the world may call the proud happy but the truly happy the truly excellent person is one fearing God I might add a third 3. This is the only person who deserveth to be praised and whose works will truly praise him Let others be commended and admired for beauty for riches and honour and another for learning as the end of all is to fear God and keep his Commandments So that person that truly answereth this end and doth fear God and keep his Commandments will upon the best evidence which is that of Scripture and reason appear to be the person that is most worthy of praise and commendation Now if I could say no more than this to engage any to this study yet in other things this would be enough Every one naturally desireth the things that are excellent and is naturally covetous of honour and praise Would you have that which is in it self most excellent that which will make you above all others excellent that which most truly deserveth praise and will make you the truest objects of praise Oh get this fear of the Lord Give me leave to add another Argument or two 4. In the fourth place Consider the many Promises made in Scripture to the fear of the Lord Prov. 10. 27. The fear of the Lord prolongeth daies Prov. 14. 26 27. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death Prov. 15. 16. Little with the fear of the Lord is great gain v. 33. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom Prov. 19. 23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life ch 22. 4. By the fear of the Lord are riches Psal 112. Psal 128. are full of Promises to the man that feareth God The things promised in these and those many other Promises annexed to the fear of the Lord are such as every one defireth Who would not have long life riches and honour Either you believe the Scriptures or you do not believe them if you believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God you must assent to whatsoever Propositions are revealed in them as Propofitions of eternal and
see him and also in restoring life to our dead bodies in the Resurrection It is God who giveth spiritual life and who giveeth the aboundings of spiritual life who first quickeneth the soul and who further quickeneth it and keepeth it up in its spiritual operations and it is God who quickneth the dead Rom. 4. 17. The words thus opened afford us two things as grounds of Davids satisfaction in that dark condition in which he was Though his state was but at present sad and uncomfortable though lately he neither had seen God nor heard from him only had seen and felt the srowns and thunderings of his providence against him yet he would be satisfied 1. If he found God inabling him in this his sad perplexed persecuted state to wait upon him and exercise grace in watching for him 2. In the assurance he had that though as yet he were unsatisfied and might possibly fall asleep so in death yet in the resurrection of the just he should awake from that sleep then he should have enough of God and be fully satisfied with his likeness I have only that one term more to open With thy likeness The Hebrew word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the imaginary form of a thing Job 14. 16. An Image was before mine eyes Sometimes the real form of a thing presented to the bodily eye Deut. 4. 16. You saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that is God did not appear to you in any real sensible shape Sometimes it signifieth some real fignature of a thing presented not to the eye of the body but to the eye of the mind to the understanding So Numb 12. 8. The similitude of the Lord shall he behold That is I will make an impression of my divine Nature and Majesty upon him by which he shall be able in some measure to conceive of and to comprehend me We cannot see the divine Essence such glory is too great for mortal eyes we are not able to fix our eyes upon the Sun riding in the Firmament in its full triumph of light much less upon his Essence whose brightness is such that even the Sun in its fullest glory is darkness to him God told Moses he could not see his face and live but his similitude he should behold he would make upon his spirit an impression of his Majesty and Goodness But let us now inquire more strictly what this likeness of God in the text is The Septuagint interpret it The glory of God I shall be satisfied with thy glory that is a truth but whether the whole of the truth I doubt Some think the Ark of God is meant which the wife of Phinehas called the glory of Israel And that David in this his afflicted state comforted himself with this consideration that he one day should again see the Ark of God the power and the glory of God in his Sanctuary We read also that when he fled from Absolom and Abiathar brought the Ark after him he bid him carry it back again if the Lord had a pleasure in him he would bring him back and he should see it and his holy habitation But I think we shall find that glorious Symbol of Gods presence no where stiled Gods likeness Others think that by Gods likeness here David understands Christ who is indeed called the brightness of his Fathers glory the express Image of his person And that David here comforts himself as Job before him that he should see his Redeemer with those eyes Those who interpret the text as the words of Christ by Gods likeness here understand the glory of God wherewith Christ was glorified after his resurrection from the dead and ascension But I take all these senses to be too much forced upon the text There are three things which I think may be all comprehended under this term 1. There is a likeness of God in us Adam was at first created in Gods image or likeness Gen. 1. 26. And in our Regeneration the Gen. 1. 26. image of God is said to be renewed in us Col. 3. 10. And we are said to be created after Col. 3. 10. the image of God in righteousness and holiness Thus we are commanded to be holy as the Lord is holy This is now the image of God within us the impression of the spirit of Grace upon our hearts by which we are made partakers of the Divine Nature I take this to be much the sense of the place Lord if thou shalt inable me in my dark hours to study and to perfect holiness I shall be satisfied though I want comfort yet I shall be much satisfied â—f I be but inabled to watch for a further degree in holiness 2. Secondly We may take likeness for Gods manifestations of himself to us by his spirit of consolation In this life we do not see God as he is but he sometimes makes gracious manifestations of his love unto his people in the sensible consolations of his Spirit reflecting divine Love upon the souls of the Saints and sealing them up to the day of Redemption Now saith the Psalmist though I do not see the Lord in this likeness of his though I want the assurances of his love and comfortable manifestations of his gracious Spirit yet Lord it shall stay me if I find thy grace inabling me but to wait for these manifestations 3. Lastly Gods likeness may be taken for the glorious manifestation of himself to his Saints in another life and this I take to come fullest up to Davids meaning O Lord though while I live here I walk in the dark and see no light while I am beholding thy face in righteousness and watching for thee though I may go down to the grave and sleep my sleep in the dust not fully satisfied not seeing what of God I would do yet this I know that in the resurrection I shall awake and then I shall be made amends for all which my soul hath suffered in its dark and sad hours under the ecclipses of divine light I shall then be filled with God I shall see him as he is face to face and my vile body shall be made like to my Redeemers glorious body Thus I have largely opened the words take the substance of them shortly David was at this time in a sad condition both 1. In respect of the persecution against him from without And 2. The divine desertion which at this time clouded his inward man 3. And the temptations which attended him in these straits In this verse he takes up his resolution what he would do and also shews us what stayed his heart and gave him something of satisfaction in his perplexity That which he resolveth to do is to labour for the Righteousness of Christ in which to behold the face of God to live an holy life and conversation and to manage his cause against his enemies in a just and
and think that the asserting of it derogateth from Christs plenary satisfaction which indeed would have something of truth in it had not God in that Covenant reserved himself this liberty If Psa 89. 31 32 33 34. they break my Statutes and keep not all my Commandments then will I visit their iniquity with a rod and their transgressions with stripes Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips By vertue of Gods Covenant with Christ for us their earnest salvation and the welfare of their souls for ever is secured Nay more afflictions as they are tokens of divine wrath and legal demands of satisfaction to Gods Justice cannot fall upon Gods people but he hath reserved to himself the liberty of a Father in love and kindness to chastise his people with rods The people of God therefore should not think it strange if they meet with these dark issues of divine providence nor should any entring into the waies of God promise himself a freedom from afflictions and trials of this nature Christ hath secured us eternal salvation and all necessary means and influences of grace in order to it but he hath not totally exempted us from the rod of affliction But this is not all The second Proposition speaketh yet more The Child of God may not only live but may 2 Prop. also die and fall asleep unsatisfied as to the likeness of God This is true both as to the likeness of God in them and the manifestations of God unto them 1. As to Gods Image in them this lies in the perfection of holiness and is so far true that it is hard to find a child of God whoever as to this died satisfied what Christian on his death-bed ever said he had faith enough or love enough or holiness enough David cryes out Although my house be not so with God And where is the soul that departing to eternity sees not reason to complain that his heart hath not been so with God as it ought to have been The best of men sinneth seven times in a day 2. But it is true also as to the apprehensions of divine love not being able when they die to say assuredly My Beloved is mine and I am his What shall we say to the great example of our Lord and Saviour It is true he knew he was the eternal Son of God that after his resurrection he should be glorified with that glory which he had with his Father from all eternity and in this respect might differ from some of his children who dying may want that certainty and only die with a good hope through grace yet in this dying hour he cryes out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Nor can we well understand how he should for us die under the curse and sensible feelings of divine wrath unless we grant that he died under the withdrawings of the sensible manifestations of divine love and certainly the Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. Our own experience also proves it have not we known some persons of whom while they went in and out with us could say These are the anointed of the Lord we saw them walking closely with God fearing every sin making conscience of every duty serving the Lord so far as we could judge in spirit and truth and this not in a fit but constantly yet when they came to die their Candles went out in obscurity We have not seen them in that triumph of faith that fulness of joy and peace which it may be we did expect Not able to say with Job In Job 19. 26. Rom. 8 38. my flesh I shall see God nor with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death shall separate me from the love of God in Christ Nor is there any thing in spiritual reason to hinder it Sensible manifestations are none of our necessaries God hath no where promised that they shall not fail the soul in death Mr. Rutherford I remember propounds this to be observed Whether usually when in the time of their life the Saints of God have felt many reflexions of divine love many sensible consolations God hath not left them to die in the dark And on the contrary when any of his children have in the time of their life been full of fear and dejections c. God hath not usually in their sick and dying hours shined upon them with visions of peace It is not to be fixed as a standing Rule for the Almighty is neither to be limited nor tracked in his goings but it may be worthy of our observation Now this seemeth a very hard dispensation Gods people oft-times know not how to live without sensible manifestations of his love but they are much more at loss how to satisfie themselves to die without it May we therefore in any degree of humility guess at some reasons of so sad a divine dispensation 1. In the first place it is enough to a modest soul inquisitive in this particular to say Even so O Father because it pleaseth thee God will have us to know that the wind bloweth both where it listeth and when it listeth and that his Spirit is not less free We shall not know the hour when he will visit his peoples souls nor will he constantly come in at the same hour that he might assert his own liberty to us this may be one and indeed it is the great reason to be assigned of this dispensation 2. The Lord may have a design by it to make a trial of his servants faith It is a good faith that will long maintain a living Saint without sight but it must be a strong faith which will maintain a Christian in his dying hour without it This was the faith of Job Though he kills me yet I will trust in him This is a faith which holds out to the end and shall have the Crown of life which God hath promised It is the last act of faith to serve a departing soul Love goes with the soul into another world Faith parts with it at the gates of death the vision of faith is then changed for the beatifical vision What a man seeth how doth he hope for That faith that seeth Christ through a glass darkly hath its eyes in death quite out The soul comes with open face to behold the glory of God It argues a great spirit in a souldier to fight to his last breath And it speaks a couragious strong faith for a Christian to die believing dying hope is a good hope therefore it is given as the character of a righteous man that he hath hope in death And of the Hypocrite it is said Where is the hope of an Hypocrite when God takes away his soul Job saith that his hope shall be like the giving up of the Ghost Look as dying
greater priviledge than this is It is the happiness of Heaven to behold him as he is to see him face to face and is this no ingagement to lay upon you to seek righteousness to tell you that if you get into a state of righteousness you shall be some of them who shall see the face of God another day in glory who shall be heirs of glory and joynt-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ Are your lusts more worth than Heaven and your carnal pleasures more valuable than the pleasures of beholding God and being satisfied with his likeness 2 Branch Lastly What you have heard may be of use to perswade you that fear the Lord to your duties under the ecclipses of divine love It is the great business of a Christian to study and know and practise what is his duty in every estate You have heard that it is the lot of Gods people sometimes to walk in the dark and see no light what their duty is under such a dispensation I have at large shewed you I beseech you that you would be consciencious in the performance of it 1. Do not murmure or repine against God he doth you no wrong 2. Do not you leave beholding God though it pleaseth not God to look upon you with such a kind aspect as possibly you dâ—sire Do not give over your waiting upon him in prayer and in all his Ordinances But on the contrary 1. Appear often before him in the righteousness of Christ and plead that with him 2. Walk close with God perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. 3. Keep your watch take heed of spiritual sleep giving way to temptation or to your own corruptions 4. Believe for that which you do not see hope for him whom you cannot yet behold and with patience wait for the Lord Never yet was a waiting soul ashamed nor a believing soul confounded never yet did an holy soul perish Do this and satisfie your self with holy David That when you awake in the Resurrection of the Just you shall be abundantly satisfied with the Lords likeness and Comfort your selves with these words A Narrative of the holy Life and Death of the Lady Katharine Courten Some useful Observations upon the latter part of the Life and the Righteous Death of the Right Honourable the Lady Katharine Courten one of the younger Daughters of the Right Honourable John late Earl of Bridgewater and late wife of Will. Courten Esq I Shall not undertake the pourtraiture of this excellent Lady from head to foot partly because the circumstances of her birth breeding and education were much the same with her elder Sisters whose Copy I have given more fully so as I should but repeat the same things again partly because indeed till the latter two years of her life she was not at all known to me and partly because that part of her life was it alone wherein she made not her self known to the world It was about the first day of April anno 1650. that her Lap having received an invitation from her noble Sister whom we have formerly in this treatise discoursed of came to spend the retired part of her life with her at Chaplifield-house in Norwich Her time of health with us was about three quarters of a year the other was her dying time I will suppose that none who knew her derived from Adam will think she was not subject to like passions and infirmities with others of the same blood but as these were not such but were consistent enough with eminent degrees of grace so neither were they her pleasure but her burthen And the Apostle tells us that we have an High Heb. 4. 16. Priest who can have compassion upon our infirmities being touched with a feeling of them having been in all points tempted like as we are only without sin I shall only copy out this excellent servant of God so far as the abundant grace of God appeared in her for our consolation and our imitation of her example Six things I observed in her in the daies of her health speaking much of the grace of God bestowed on her 1. The first was her chearful quiet thankful submission to Divine Providence I have not known hardly read of any Job alone excepted whom the Lord was pleased to blow upon with a series of sharper providences than he did upon this eminent Lady he had even made her a mark for all his arrows I have often thought her afflicted condition much parallel to that of Job he had great substance dear relations an healthful body and in a moment lost the comfort of them all This noble Lady was removed from the great plenty of her Fathers house by marriage to William Courten Son and her of Sir William Courten with whom she enjoyed a plenteous estate inferiour to few subjects of England Silver was with her as dust and as the stones of the field He gave her an Husband who was to her the man of her bosom the delight of her eyes and as the breath of her nostrils he blessed them both with a numerous off spring Thus he had made her mountain to stand strong and in this height of her prosperity she began to say I shall never be moved But it was not long before the Lord hid the face of his providence from her and she was troubled First he strips off her branches taking away one child after another until only one Son and one Daughter were left unto her Then he causeth an East-wind to blow upon her estate scattering and breaking the ships that went for treasures to the Indies every year bringing some sad tydings or other of this nature until the Lord had stript her naked and her dearest Husband was not only ruined as to his whole estate but involved in an irrecoverable debt and this noble Lady who lately equalized her greatest friends in an affluence of the good things of this life became into a condition of dependance upon them and through the violence of men is separated from her dearest relation who was now constrained in a remote Land to seek himself a City of Refuge and to secure her self from the snare of an oath which she judged unnatural it was that she retired to her noble Sister at Norwich yet in all this she charged not God foolishly The Lord had given and the Lord had taken and she blessed the Name of the Lord with a meek and quiet spirit humbly kissing the Rod of God that was upon her and holding her peace because it was the Lords doing who she freely acknowledged might do with her and hers what he pleased and she could not say unto him what dost thou Yea not only so but taken up with the admiration of the goodness of God to her seen in the readiness of her noble friends to shew kindness to her and her remaining children in their afflicted state and much more affected with this than with any trouble for Gods severer dispensations to her I
destroyed her That her dulness was no more to holy duties than to any thing else and as I conceived wholly occasioned through these natural causes 4. Lastly I told her it was manifest that God had not wholly withdrawn his quickening grace from her from her sense of her present distemperature and the quickening of her soul to the duty though she did not find such quickening in the duty as she desired she might truly say I sleep but my heart waketh Her heart was awake to a sense of her infirmity though she slept in respect of so full an ability to perform the duty with that life and chearfulness which she desired and had formerly experienced I further told her that Gods dearest servants under sad afflictions or partial desertions had wanted degrees of quickening grace How often doth David cry out Lord quicken me Psal 119. 25 88 154 107. Psal 143 11 c. It was some time before she could be convinced of this that it was an evidence of quickening grace for her soul under its heaviness to be kept awake with the sense of her duty and labour under the burthen of its infirmity but at last she was as to this also in some measure satisfied And now her adversary was inforced in a great measure to quit all his strong holds Some of these temptations returned but her judgement was established her faith strengthened and she was never after kept long in bondage to any of them for an hour or two or for a night she might be in captivity to some of them but one might easily discern from her adversaries shifting from one temptation to another that his strength was tired and he about to leave her soul 7 Tempt Yet after this could one have thought that her adversary should have offered any suggestion to her to have destroyed her self But as to this temptation to which her spiritual adversary had a great advantage from the inexpressible torturing pains which she felt she was not with more advantage violence and subtilty moved than through grace strengthened in the resisting and repelling of it she was not wont to parley with her adversary not affected to keep his counsels once and again she was thus solicited But as God inabled her with indignation to say Get thee behind me Satan so he gâ—ve her wisdom to discover it to her dearest friends and he quickly gave over this temptation For some time before the Lord translated this servant of his he had prepared her for her dissolution by creating in her strong desires to be dissolved that she might be with Christ She was much prone to suspect her own sincerity and would tell me That she sometimes feared lest she should desire death only to be freed from her pain but she hoped she did not desire it upon that account For some weeks before she died she had many fainting and Convulsion fits in every one almost of which we expected her change when she recovered out of any of them she would be almost angry at her souls recovery and usally her first word was Must I yet live longer I remember above six months before her death I being in Essex wrote a censolatory Letter to her Ladiship in which I had this passage amongst others Madam if ever we come in Heaven possibly we have many months or years Journey thither through this wilderness your Ladiship probably may be there in twelve months to that purpose when I returned her Ladiship thankâ— me for my Letter and told me it much refreshed her but she was troubled that I should think she had yet twelie months Journey to Heaven she chearsully told me she hoped she had a shorter voyage When the adversary of her salvation perceived he could not baffle her hope nor make the hand of her faith to shake but still she was resolved to keep her hold on Christ and that her soul was willing yea desirous to be dissolved and to be with Christ 8 Tempt He once more attempts to spoil her comfort and molests her with extreme fears of a bitter death and that her saith would then fail and her courage abate This I think was his last assault discerned by us her Ladiship was pleased to impart her fears to me I humbly besought her Honour that now she had prevailed against Satans horsemen she would not suffer her self to be trampled by his footmen I told her Ladiship 1. That it was probable that God would give her whom he had made a combatant with so long and sharp an affliction at last to depart in peace 2. That it was not probable that her dying pangs would be more sharp and violent than what she had already indured and was yet induring 3. That she had no reason to distrust that God who had strengthened her in so many hours and nights and daies of torturing pain for his assistance in the last hour which if it had more of weight and bitterness yet would have less in length 4. That he in whom she had trusted the Lord Jesus Christ had taken away the bitterness of death and payed a price for his Saints perseverance in it so that never any held out to the end who at last was left and failed in it 5. I defired her Ladiship to digest that text Heb. 2. 14 15. For as much as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also took part with them of the same that through death be might destroy him that had the power of death even the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-me subject to bondage Soon after this her distemperature yet heightened her pains grew exceeding great and so continued for some daies till about 4 daies before her death which yet it pleased God to inable her to endure with an admirable patience still she kept her hold fast in God professing to me even in her highest fits of distemper that the Lord was her hope and she had an hold on him and would not let it go let God do what he pleased with her and Satan suggest what he could unto her Some sour daies before her death it pleased God that her pains were in some degrees abated and now by this experience of Gods supportation of her in her last sad râ—turn of pain she grew confident that she should be able to stand in the hour of death The day before she died was to her a day of great reviving she had not of many weeks before been so chearful and free from pain At noon coming in as I was wont to pray with her I found her even ravished with the apprehensions of Gods goodness to her giving her some relaxation from pain and I hope I shall not forget how earnest she was in pressing me to praise the Lord with her and for her After prayer she continued very chearful yet on the sudden she laid hold on my hand and drew me to her so as I perceived she would whisper something in
I discharged my Ministerial Office in the City and to take some oversight of his Family as to the things of God Sir John himself having lately been valetudinarious and the Family without any spiritual guide I found it in some disorder and the severall persons in it my Ladyes Daughter only excepted being persons grown in years I apprehended it no easie thing to reduce it to a due Religious Order and Discipline My design was it being a Family of much leisure to bring it up to a Course of Prayer in conformity to Davids Copy Morning and Evening and at Noon-time Reading some portion of Scripture twice each day and expounding it as my leisure would allow me Catechizing once every week a stricter observation of the Lords dayes and Repetitions of Sermons both on that and other dayes when we had attended upon the publick Ordinances I did not do this as thinking it what God requireth of all Families but in regard I thought God expected more of us to whom he had given more leisure from distracting occasions of the World Partly in regard my hands at that time were not so full of more publick employment but I could attend this more than ordinary service in the Family and indeed because I thought I saw the Family so much behind hand as to spiritual knowledge as ordinary performances in a short time were not like to reach the end which I aimed at As to the generality of the Servants I feared this might prove like the putting of New Wine into old Bottles and be judged a yoke they were not able to bear I therefore first communicated my thoughts to my Lady Sir John Hobarts sickly state not allowing much liberty of discourse at that time Her Ladyship chearfully approving my thoughts propounded them to her husband who with great expressions of thankfulness testified his approbation to me and commanded his Servants diligently to attend the duties and himself when his distempers would permit him was never absent ordinarily for some time at our Prayers At Noon and Night he was with us The Morning Service was by seven of the Clock rarely after eight from which her Ladyship unless in a bed of sickness in eighteen years I think was hardly twice absent and was ordinarily with the first of the Family in the room where they were performed before her sickliness brought them to her own Chamber The business of Catechizing was more difficult yet made easie by these noble Parents prevailing with their own Daughter to go before the Family in a noble Example which she continued untill she had attained a competent knowledge in the most necessary Principles of Religion From the time I first came into the Family it pleased God to keep Sir John Hobart in a dying condition though he had some more lucid intervals than other within less than eight moneths God removed him into a better life It was his great satisfaction all along his sickness to see his dear Daughter making such a proficiency in the knowledge of the things of God and so willing to set an example to his Family and he mentioned it as his dying comfort that he had seen his Family before his death in a course of Reformation which he doubted not but his Lady would bring to perfection Now was this Excellent Lady brought to the third and last period of her life Now she sate solitary as a Widow mourning as a Turtle that had lost her Mate and for a while not knowing how to receive comfort because He was not Having recovered her self from her passion and learned to hold her peace because this was the Lords doing she made it her first request to me that I would abide with her and keep on the course of Religious dutyes in the Family which I had began proposing to me an high incouragement from an assurance that I should find her proposing to her self the pattern of the man according to Gods own heart Psal 101. 1 2 6 7. endeavouring to walk in her house with a perfect heart That those who were of a froward spirit should depart from her That her eyes should be upon the faithfull in the land they should serve her That he who wrought deceit should not dwell in her house he that told lies should not tarry in her sight To which resolution she was afterwards very severe The times began to be troublesome through the distempers of the Army and some fears began then to arise that Ministers who could not comply with the extravagancies of that time should not be suffered to enjoy their publick liberty Her Ladyship partly to obviate that Evil partly to give her self advantage however times fell to do good to the Souls of many at no small charge converted some less usefull lower rooms of her house into a Chappel which was conveniently capacious of more than 200 persons Here she obliged me at first to preach a Lecture every week and to repeat one or both of my Sermons every Lords Day at night after the more publick Sermons were finished in the Town which for 16 years was continued to a very full Auditory and to the great advantage of many younger persons and of those who had not such advantages as they desired in their own houses for hearing again what they had been hearing in the day time A work of piety the more remarkable for this her Ladyships Chappel lying in the way to that field where the younger persons were formerly wont to profane the latter part of the Lords day by idle walks discourses and Recreations intercepted many of them and proved a bait to allure them both from the example of it into a further reverence of the Sabbath and from the Doctrine they heard there to bring them to a further acquaintance with God After this she ingaged me also to preach a Morning Sermon there on the Lords dayes those monthly dayes only excepted when I was to administer the Communion of the Lords Supper more publickly This course her Ladyship continued so long as I had a liberty to preach or her Ladyship a liberty to hear But that I may speak more distinctly The Christian Philosopher divideth all vertue into Piety and Probity which indeed is our Saviours division of the whole Law into the two Precepts Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self We must first consider her Ladyships obedience to the first and then to the second 1. Even from her Childhood some seeds of severer piety began to discover themselves in her I have heard her mention the pleasure she then took in reading Mr. Dod's Exposition of the Commandements Then as I have heard her relate it her pleasure was in those Ministers whose Doctrine was most lively and whose lives were most pure and holy But her self would constantly own the fixed change of her heart to have been wrought by God under the Ministry of that eminent Servant of God Mr. John
and a Candlestick for the Servants of God who passed that way but like Lydia she would adjure them if they judged her faithfull to come to her house To this purpose she had set apart one Chamber in her own house to which she had given the name of The Ministers Chamber She highly prized any laborious Godly Minister and that for his works sake and she had as little kindness for any who attended not their Work or whose lives defamed their Doctrine and Function having nothing but the colour and form of their Coat to make them known she had indeed a peculiar kindness for some but a great love for all whom by any thing she could discern deriving from Christ and dedicating their time and hearts to his service So far as I could estimate it she every year spent the fourth part of her Revenues upon good Ministers and poor Christians Her charitable acts were like that pious act of Araunah of whom the Scripture saith As a King he gave unto the King What she did of this nature she did nobly and a very large heart and hand God had given her How often hath she lodged strangers relieved the afflicted washed their wounds instead of their feet washing of which being not our guise How diligently did she follow every good work Her Coach was ordinarily seen waiting for her at the doors of poor and mean persons whiles others like Michal looked out at their wanton Windows saw it and mockt It pleased her Ladyship when she came home to fancy what the wanton Gallants of the Town said How glorious was the Lady Frances to day spending her time in Visits to poor Knitters She had an answer ready with a small alteration from the man according to Gods own heart It was before the Lord with such as he hath chosen to Eternal life leaving Vain persons to perish in the recompence of their iniquity While others were measuring the ground with their idle feet she upon her bended knees was taking her turns with God and taking the heighth of the third Heavens While they were discoursing of the Mode in this or the other habit she was discoursing with poor Christians upon sick and Death-beds about the long white Robe of Christs righteousness the New Name the white Stone the Chains about the Saints necks while they were laughing and pleasantly busied at their Feasts Balls and Playes she was in her Closet mourning and offering up to God the spiritual sacrifice of Prayers and Tears both for her self and them She was of our Divine Poets mind that Kneeling never spoiled Silk-stocking nor Gown neither and that Christian Cottages never dishonoured a more stately Coach I have known some very mean Christians but indeed of great grace and great experience in the wayes of God from whom lying on their beds of afflictions she would hardly be two dayes absent nor did she judge any time too long to spend with them She would often say to me that she believed Love constrained equally if not more in spiritual Relations than in those that were natural and when in her dark hours she sometimes ran the fate of other Christians wanting such evidences of Grace as she desired to have found she would from this relieve her self that if St. Johns Argument were infallible 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren she yet had a ground of hope for if her heart did not strangely deceive her she loved them and that because of their holiness c. nor was she any of those that said she had Faith or Love and had no Works None of those whom St. James reflects upon Who if a Brother or Sister were naked and destitute of daily food would say to them James 2. 15 16. Depart in peace be you warmed and be you filled notwithstanding gave them not those things which were needfull to the Body Her love did not evaporate and spend it self in an empty-handed Visit or meer pitying of such as were in affliction she many wayes refreshed their bowels if she found their bodily distempers difficult she would ordinarily send her own learned Physician to them who himself was a Luke too towards such as feared God if she found them under spiritual trouble she would direct me to them She would put her own hands to their wounds send them dishes from her own Table when she had been with them at any time like the good Samaritane in the Gospel when she came away she would take out money from her purse and give to Nurses saying to them Take care of this person and whatsoever you spend more when I come again I will repay you Her self denyal in all acts of piety and charity to the souls and bodies of others was the just admiration of all sober persons in the place where God had fixed her for which she was universally honoured even by those who were of far different complexions from her Nor was she at all morose in her converse Her piety taught her civility and affability and a readiness to do good to all though her delight according to that of David was in those Psal 16. 3. whom she apprehended dear unto God and she was according to the Apostles direction most abundant in doing good to those of the Gal. 6. 10. houshold of Faith Though her Expences were great and noble yet those upon her self were mean and inconsiderable She cared not to be known by so pitifull a badge of Honour as Costly Apparel but was far more ambitious of purchasing to her self an honourable report from good works which yet she did not to be seen of men and was carefull as to the most of them that they should neither be taken notice of in the doing nor that any record should be left of them her desire was to have praise not from Men but from God Landes quia merebatur contempsit quia contempsit magis merebatur So little did she affect applause that drawing her last will at least the Preface to it with her own hand whiles I had the liberty of my publick Ministry she willing me to preach at her Funerals added as I remember these very words And I desire him to forbear all commendations of me a vile sinfull Creature Thus did this Noble Lady go in and out before us commending the holy wayes of God not only to all in the house with her but to all that dwelt round about her Thus did she shine in her Horizon she was not a reed shaken with the winde not one carried about with every winde of Doctrine she was not a person known by her cloathing in soft and costly rayment yet she had been no stranger to Kings houses she was a burning and a shining light and for many years the people of God in the City of Norwich rejoyced in her light to say nothing of more extraordinary advantages they injoyed at least three opportunities each week
for hearing the Word of God at her Ladiships charge But she according to the will of God had with David served her generation and her time now was come when she must fall asleep It must and may be owned for she judged it no blot upon her honour that she was a Non-conformist as to some Modes of Worship in present use as well as to some Doctrines more now in credit than formerly for the latter she was beholden to her Noble Father who as it was said before early prejudiced her against the Arminian principles and for the former she was wont to acknowledge it to those who had the charge of her tender years who sowed those seeds which afterwards brought forth this fruit indeed nothing so prejudiced her against forms of Prayer as her own experience of them For the two or three last years of her life therefore she restrained her self to those exercises of Religion which were performed within her own walls or in some other places not so publick As to which she yet injoyed a great liberty by reason of that honour which persons of all perswasions had for her It was not the will of God she should long survive that liberty which was so precious to her The Lords day next preceding the time when the Act restraining religious meetings took place was if I remember right the last time she went down her stairs I remember while I helped her in going up the stairs from her Chappell to her Chamber that night she told me The Act would do her no prejudice for she should never go down more This as I remember was about the latter end of June or beginning of July 1664. The Dropsie her fatal disease had three or four moneths before seized upon her but death by it made such gradual approaches that till that time she was able without much disturbance to walk up and down That very night as I remember was the first time that she complained of her leggs failing her to that degree yet was her life lengthened out till the latter end of November following Indeed her whole life was a time of Afflictions through the valetudinarious condition of her Noble Husband the loss of Children and her own subjection to distempers through stubborn splenetick obstructions Nor was she for some years before without some prospect of the death by which she should dye though it was a kind of death which she above all others dreaded and would often say concerning it Father if it be possible let that Cup pass from me The time of her last sickness presented us with no great variety of temper in her as to her spiritual condition 〈…〉 kept on her course of Religious Duties in her House and Chamber as formerly Her work was done both as to this and as to another life her House and her Soul was set in order so as she had little to do but to sit still and wait for the salvation of God all the remaining dayes of her appointed time till her great change came I do not remember that during her long sickness she more than twice discovered to me any conflicts in her Spirit though I constantly attended upon her and as constantly inquired upon the frame of her spirit She had sown in tears before and had now nothing to doe but to reap in joy Her death was a long time both by her self and us foreseen in its causes but as to the particular time we were a little surprized when she thought the day of her change in probability at some distance she lost her senses and speech and after two or three dayes quietly fell asleep in the Evening upon the Lords day Nov. 27. 1664. Thus lived thus dyed this twice noble Excellent Lady about the 61 year of her Age. Possibly the Noblest Example of Piety and truest Pattern of Honour Liberality Temperance Humility and Courtesie which it hath pleased God in this last Age to shew upon the stage where he had fixed her A Woman indeed not without her infirmities to assert that were to discharge her of her relation to Humane Nature but as they were of no scandalous magnitude and the products of Natural Temperature not of Vitious Habits so they were so much out-shined by her eminent Graces and Vertues as a curious eye would hardly take notice of them In short None ever lived more desired nor died more universally lamented by all sober persons in that City to which she related She was buried in a Vault belonging to the Family of her Dear and Noble Husband at Blicklin in Norfolk Decemb. 1. 1664. therein paying her deceased Husband a last Obedience who as I have often heard her pleasantly say made it his first request to her upon her marriage-Marriage-day PROV 31. V. 29 30 31. Many daughters have done vertuously but thou hast excelled them all Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates OVT of the abundance of the heart saith our Saviour the mouth speaketh which argues every man in the best capacity to discourse upon such Subjects which have had the latest and fullest possession of his thoughts you know I suppose what hath made the latest and deepest impression on my thoughts I think I may say upon yours also I mean the severe dispensation of God to us all in taking from us to use Solomon's expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A noble vertuous woman An elect Lady to use the Apostles phrase A great mother in our Israel Upon whose separation from us who is there amongst us fearing the Lord that is not crying out Ah? my mother my mother The Chariots of Norwich and the horsemen thereof I have therefore resolved to make an Excellent woman the subject of my discourse upon this occasion you have had her pattern in that noble example whom now the Providence of God hath taken from us you have her description in the text A woman fearing the Lord while I am discoursing the Excellency of the woman in the text both absolutely as considered in her self and comparatively as weighed with others in the ballances of Religion and Reason I shall satisfie my self that as to our deceased friend I shall fulfill the will of God in the close of my text Giving of her the fruits of her hands and causing her own works to praise her in the gates We reade of Solomon 1 Kings 4. 32. that he spake three thousand Proverbs Some of the principal of which are doubtless recorded in this excellent portion of holy writ The notion of Proverbs must not be taken so strictly as we usually take it but in a further latitude of sense as comprehending all figurative speeches especially such as have in them ought of a similitude Nomine He. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significatur omnis sermo figuratus Mercer of which sort are many of these
the Lord hath nothing in it will deceive but much that is of real and abiding worth and that which maketh the person possessed of it truly worthy of honour and commendation The second part of the Text I called an Advertisement or admonition to the world to take notice of such persons and to give them their due honour Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates I shall little insist on that I intend not to discourse every Proposition into which the words of my Text might regularly be resolved There are onely two which my eye is upon which I think contain much of the will of God revealed in this Text other things in it will fâ—ll in more collaterally they are these Of all persons or of all women the person the woman fearing the Lord is the most excellent person Propos 1. or most excellent woman That concerning such it is the will of God Propos 2. that the fruit of their hands should be given them and their own works should praise them in the gates The Demonstration of the truth of the first Proposition is what I intend for the chief subject of my discourse something of the latter will fall in in the application of my discourse This then is the Proposition Prop. That of all persons of all women in the world that person that woman that feareth the Lord is the most excellent person Many saith Solomon have done vertuously but thou hast excelled them all thou hast made thy self to ascend above them all She shall be praised In the opening of this Proposition 1. I will enquire into the true notion of the person here extolled A woman fearing the Lord or A woman the fear of the Lord according to the Hebrew phrase which as I shall anon shew you is not without its Emphasis Thus I shall open the subject of the Proposition 2. I shall indeavour to demonstrate the Superlative excellency of this Person above others So I shall confirm the Praedicate and under these two heads I shall bring whatsoever I shall speak to the Proposition before I come to the Application of it 1. The first thing to be inquired is Who is this woman fearing the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it in the Hebrew this I shall open to you in three particulars In the Hebrew the Abstract is put for the Saepius abstractum ponitur prâ— concreto seu substantivum pro adjectivo cum insigni Emphasi energiâ Glassius Concrete which argueth a great Emphasis It is in the Hebrew very Emphatical word for word A woman the fear of the Lord. Some think it a meer Ellipsis of the Verb Substantive and to be expounded by Cui est that is A woman that hath the fear of the Lord. But others more probably think there is in this way of expression a special Emphasis and that it signifieth an eminent degree of that quality or adjunct which is so exprest in the subject to which it is applied A way of speaking very familiar to the Hebrew tongue Thus Haggai 2. 8. Christ is called The desire of all Hag. 2. 8. Nations that is eminently desirable Thus a Shepherd is said to have been an Abomination Gen. 46. 34 to the Egyptians Gen. 46. 34. that is highly abominable his employment such as the Egyptians above all others detest So Psal Psal 140. 12. 140. 12. Let not an evil speaker Heb. a man of tongue be established Nor is it unusual in other languages Thus in Latine we call one Scelus that is eminently vile in English we call one a Beauty that is eminently Beautiful So here a woman the fear of the Lord that is a woman eminently fearing the Lord. So that whatsoever qualities we shall find in Scripture expressed under this common head of the fear of the Lord or whatsoever actions we shall find according to the phrase of holy writ expressed under that notion this form of expression signifieth a person eminent for those qualities or in those exercises and the phrase signifieth much more than an ordinary dread of God To open this yet a little further 1. There is a natural dread of God which all creatures have and the worst of men are not without something of it For fear being in us a passion necessarily moving upon the apprehension of an imminent evil As the infinite superiority of God over his creatures makes every rational creature presently apprehend it in his power to do it harm it must necessarily dread him especially considering the natural conscience of guilt which every such creature hath exposing it to the stroke of his just as well as almighty Arm. 2. There is a slavish fear of God such the Devils have they fear and tremble saith the Apostle this doth but gradually differ from the other 3. There is a filial reverential fear of God like that wherewith the child feareth his Father The Angels have a reverential fear of God though they know themselves confirmed in goodness and in no possibility of offending him yet they fear God with a reverential fear arising from the apprehension of the superlative excellencie of the great Creatour above the first-born and most excellent of his Creatures Thus the children of God fear him and not only with a reverential fear but with a filial fear they fear lest they should offend him This last is the most excellent fear of God Now of it there are different degrees according to the different manifestations of the Spirit of God to his Saints and Christians different proficiencies in grace Now this way of expressing this excellent quality signifieth One possessed of the most excellent kind of fear and also in the most eminent degree And this I take to be the particular Emphasis and Energy of the term in this place 2. Secondly It is a known Rule in Divinity That words in holy Writ signifying any notions of the senses and affections yea and of the intellectual part also there used must be understood not to denote only the particular acts of that sense Verba sensus affectum effectum denotant or faculty which they properly express but all the actions and the deportment of the whole soul and outward man also which are any way directed by that sense or regulated by that affection or passion and our duty in order to it or consequently from it Without the true understanding of this Rule we shall not be able fully to comprehend the true sense of an infinite number of Scriptures Thus it is said Psal 1. 6. with reference to God that he knoweth the way of the Righteous The meaning Psal 1. 6. is he loveth approveth watcheth over the way of the righteous Thus Psal 16. Thou Psal 16. wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption that is to corrupt to experience corruption So John 8. Abraham saw my day and rejoyced John 8. the meaning is
he foreknew such a day he believed it he hoped for it and rejoyced So Hearing in Scripture often indeed most ordinarily signifieth much more than bare hearing viz. hearkening attentive hearing believing obeying So for words signifying Passion Thus the wrath and anger of God in Scripture when it is threatned doth not only signifie Gods just will to punish but also his acts of vindicative justice I will bear the indignation of the Lord saith the Prophet because I have sinned against him That is I will bear those punishments which the wrath of the Lord hath brought upon me So here The fear of the Lord doth not only signifie an inward awe and dread of God caused by the Spirit of God in the hearts of creatures upon the apprehension of Gods Majesty Greatness Power Glory Goodness or other Attributes but it also importeth all those external acts all that outward deportment and behaviour which naturally flow or which according to the divine rule should flow from that principle So that the woman fearing Jehovah is not only she who in the contemplation of the Majesty Power Greatness Glory Justice and Goodness of God reverenceth and dreadeth him carrying in her heart a continual awe of the great God of Heaven and Earth which makes her heart and thoughts stoop and bow at the meditation or hearing of him in consideration of that infinite Majesty Glory Greatness and Power which naturally require that homage from every reasonable nature but also in the whole of her conversation in all her actions both before and towards God and men in obedience to that principle of Religion Fear exerciseth her self in all things to keep a good conscience void of offence not daring to do any thing which may provoke this God to displeasure whom she thus dreadeth and being exactly careful to do all things which and as he commandeth This is the woman fearing Jehovah so far as we have yet discovered her But this is not all which this term importeth Once more 3. It is very ordinary as in other Writings so in holy Writ by a figure called Synechdoche to express a part of a thing for the whole Look as the Philosopher saith of moral virtues Virtutes sunt concatenatae the Virtue like beads are all strung in a chain and none can properly be denominated virtuous who in some degree or other hath not all habits of virtue So I may say in matters of grace The graces of Gods Spirit are in a chain too Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of the chains about thy neck Cant. 4. 9. A man cannot have one but he must have all of them nor from a single habit can any be denominated a gracious person in regard of this concatenation of grace It is ordinary in Scripture to find a gracious person expressed Synechdochically under the notion of one singular special habit of grace especially some one more principal operative habit Now of all habits there are none more operative than those of Fear and Love None that take more hold on the souls or whose influence upon it is more evident Hence in Scripture it is very ordinary to find an holy gracious person expressed under the notion of one fearing God or one that loveth God Divines have observed that the former is more common to the Old Testament which gives account to the Church of God under its Paedagogical estate when the dispensation of the Covenant of Grace was more terrible and the latter to the New Testament where it is more sweet Thus the grace and godly conversation of Obadiah 1 King 18. 5. of Job Job 1. 8. of the whole body of severer professors Mal. 3. 16. is expressed and so very frequently and in the New Testament where the dispensation is more sweet and gentle it is more ordinary to express the same things under the notion of believing and loving 1 John 4. 21. He that loveth God John 21. 15. Simon Son of Jonas James 2. 5. lovest thou me Jam. 1. 12. To them that love him 2 Tim. 4. 8. Those that love his appearance So Rom. 8. 28. and in many other places But yet though as the Apostle speaketh we be come now to Mount Sion and we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of Adoption teaching us to cry Abba Father And as the Apostle saith Perfect love casteth out fear Yet those texts must not be understood of an awfull reverential fear and dread of God such as even the holy Angels have Nor yet of that filial fear of God which every child of God hath and must carry with him even to the gates of Heaven but only of servile slavish fear for even under the New Testament we shall find the servants of God expressed under this Notion A godly man in Thesi is thus described One that feareth God and worketh Act. 10. 35. Act. 10. 22. Righteousness So also Act. 13. 26. Cornelius in particular is thus described A man that feareth God and we shall find that the fear of God is so eminently necessary to the constitution of a godly man that any wickedness by warrant of Scripture may be presumed of those that want it Abraham thus excused himself to Abimelech for his not trusting his people with his life and the honour of Sarah I said the fear of God was not in this Gen. 20. â—1 place And on the other side Joseph gives this as a sufficient security to his brethren that whatever they feared he would do them no wrong This do and live For I fear God Gen. 42. 18 So that you see it is but a reasonable figurative way to express the whole of inherent grace under the notion of The fear of the Lord and to express the whole course practice and exercise of godliness under this single habit or act as a common head and this I think enough to have spoken for the explication of the subject in the Proposition and to give you the true notion of a woman or a person fearing the Lord or as the Hebrew phrase in the Text is The fear of the Lord. It is in short An eminently gracious godly woman Or if you will you may take it more largely thus A woman or a person who being possessed of all the graces of the holy Spirit of God communicated in regeneration and being grown up to some degree of perfection in those spiritual habits eminently lives in a diligent caution and taking heed of whatsoever is contrary to the holy will of God and a diligent and exact performance of all those duties of an holy life and conversation which those sacred principles command and produce in obedience to the whole revealed will of God This is the woman of whom this text speaketh The Woman the fear of Jehovah Let me now come to the second thing to inquire what is said of this person That which in short is said of
of moral vertues or if some of those other things do dispose and principle any to religious actions yet it is but to such actions more imperfectly considered It is true knowledge is an excellent thing and hath its use not only in fitting a man for greater perfections in natural and civil actions but also for religious services it prepareth men for prayer hearing the Word c. and the habits of moral vertues prepare men for vertuous actions commanded in the word of God and which are to be performed in obedience to the command of God but now Grace the fear of the Lord disposeth and prepareth the soul for the most perfect performance of religious duties such as are truly religious in all circumstances so as they shall be acceptable unto God Every one who giveth to the poor or doth a just action doth not that which is acceptable to God but he alone who doth those things from a principle of faith or in the fear of God and in obedience unto God doth that which God accepteth So saith Peter In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Every one that worketh righteousness from the fear of the Lord principling his soul to such righteous acts is accepted of God So as this fear of the Lord upon this account is the most noble and excellent habit as it principleth the soul to its most noble acts and to the truest and most perfect performance of them being that without which as the principle it is impossible a soul in its highest acts of devotion should please God The vertuous actions of men yea the religious actions of formalists devoid of this principle are no better than splendid sins as Augustine called the moral of the Heathens so that by the same reason that we judge knowledge prudence or any other intellectual or moral habits more excellent than other ornaments of a man as sitting and disposing persons for more noble and brave actions We must also judge The fear of the Lord more excellent than them all because it further ennobleth the soul preparing and disposing it yet to and for more brave and excellent acts as such whereby we most answer the end of our creation in glorifying of God and wherein or in the performance of which in such manner as this directeth we are acceptable unto God 6. But let us further consider this noble and excellent quality in the aspect which it hath upon us not only in the performance of our duty to God under which respect we have already considered it but in the influence which it hath upon us in our civil and political converse with men David Psal 16. 3. calleth the Saints which are in the earth the excellent Indeed they are so and that not only as Saints as persons prepared for God as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Saints in that place seems to import but also upon a rational view and a truly civil and political consideration Persons fearing the Lord have not only the best souls and are not only best considered in themselves and in reference to God but they are also the best neighbours This will appear to you upon the digesting these two considerations 1. That the Word of God considered as a systeme of precepts fitted for the maintaining of humane society is the most excellent body of such political precepts with all possible advantages of comfort to such as are engaged as câ—â— relates in such societies 2. Secondly which I told you in opening the subject of the Proposition That the person fearing the Lord is a person who having the dread of God upon his heart exerciseth himself in a strict observance of the Divine Law in all things to keep a good conscience both towards God and towards man 1. The first is a most demonstrable truth take all the Laws of the wisest Nations and Law-givers that ever were in the world pick out the best of those of the twelve tables at Rome amend what is deficient there by those of Solon and Licurgus refuse Justinians Code Search all the bodies of Laws in the world and out of them all make one Systeme one body of political and domestick precepts it will not prove so fitted for the comfortable and advantageous living in humane society as the Law of the Lord contained in the holy Scriptures is I durst appeal to the reason of a Cato or Aristides in the case Let but any person out of the Book of God draw out those precepts which it hath given concerning Magistrates and Subjects Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants or any political 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then let him but suppose such a City in the world where within doors all Parents and Children all Masters and Servants all Husbands and Wives lived exactly according to those Rules and without doors the Publick Magistrates and the people governed by them the Ministers and their respective flocks neighbours and friends behaved themselves each to other according to those prescriptions and let him fancy if he can and soberly tell me if he can what could be wanting to the beauty honour and comfortable living of such a society So true in this case also is that of David Psal 19. 7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect The Statutes of the Lord are right It were easie to demonstrate this in particular were it not too large a digression Now I say in the second place That a person fearing the Lord is one who doth exercise himself in this in a strict observance of the Divine Law to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men Whence it must necessarily follow that the fear of the Lord is the most excellent quality and the person fearing the Lord the most excellent person considered in a political as well as a religious capacity The best neighbour husband wife parent child c. as well as the best Christian Let us but use our reason a little Is not that man or woman best prepared to and fitted for humane society who is under the highest obligations imaginable To do no kind of wrong to another To give to every one his due and that in every capacity and as he hath occasion even to his enemies and to the worst of men without any respect to his particular prejudices to do all possible good and who accordingly so liveth so walketh The person fearing God 1. As to these things is under the highest imaginable obligations 2. Thus he walketh thus in a great measure he liveth giving still allowance to humane infirmities 1. I say first he is as to these things under the highest imaginable obligations This will be evident to you if you will consider that the Law of the Lord which he owneth as his only Rule requireth these things at his hands that this Law is not only in his eye but in his heart that he stands obliged
to him but as his pronâ—ness to rest in that as sufficient hindered him from accepting of the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith This very thing kept the Jews from submitting to the Righteousness of God This made our Saviour tell the Pharisees and other Jews that Publicans and Harlots should enter into the Kingdom of God but the children of the Kingdom should be cost out Now in the fear of the Lord there is no snare it keepeth the soul from sin but no way exposeth the soul to sin 2. Those other distinctive excellencies are great snares as they expose the person possessed of them to great suffering and give him no satisfaction and comfort in suffering These sufferings which usually attend those other excellencies flow from the envy malice jealousie covetousness or ambition of others If a man or woman excel their neighbour in riches favour knowledge honour c. they presently become the objects of their envy and hatred this ariseth from the pride of our fellow-creatures that will not allow them patience to be excelled It were endless to tell you what some mens riches and honours and favour of men have cost and what beauty hath cost others and what is most sad Their sufferings afford them no satisfaction proportionable to their smart they under them bear the whole weight of their cross with their own shoulders It is true the fear of the Lord too doth not indemnifie the persons possessed with it from trials of scourgings and cruel mockings no not from the fiery trial which the Apostle would not have believers think strange Saint Paul had both troubles without and fears within And it was said of old That he who departeth from evil maketh himself a prey Which is a sentence verifieth it self still and will hold so long as there is a World to hate us which hated Christ first And the Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord or any of the seed of the Serpent in the world which will be till our Lord hath trodden all his enemies under his feet But as usually the sufferings of Gods people on this single account are not proportionable to those others mentioned so neither are they without such a proportionable comfort and satisfaction as makes them indeed no sufferings to them The Martyrs fire is become a bed of Roses The sufferings of this life not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed 4. A fourth thing which evineeth the vanity and deceitfulness of those other excellenciet is their subjection to vicissitudes and changes I take this to be a principle adjudged by reason That supposing a thing to have in it some grains of excellency yet if it be subject to diminution putrifaction or any kind of consumption there must be a proportionable deduction and abatement from its excellency For we reasonably judge that any thing which hath any intrinsecal goodness in it it is the more excellent by how much it is more during and of longer continuance Now take all those excellencies which I mentioned as contradistinct to this fear of the Lord They all of them have an uncertainty in them which must necessarily with considerate persons abate of their true value Though beauty be but a pittiful thing yet how much more valuable were it than it is if we did not see it a flower which upon every frost or cold wind every sickness and disease will fade how much more valuable were strength than it is if age and sickness would not make it abate and riches if they would not take to themselves wings and flee away and honour if it were an indelible character But alas all these things are gourds they come up and they perish too in a night Beauty lasteth but a few years if in the mean time no disease abate or take it away Strength hath no longer date Riches are subject to the hand of violence who may plunder them and to the thief who may break through and steal the goods which we had thought laid up for many years They are also subject to the disposal of divine Providence who often declares them moveables and disposeth of the stock of this world this or that way as it pleaseth him Honours depend upon the wills of Princes and are given and taken away when and as they please There is nothing of a certainty or of a perpetuity in any of these things But now the fear of the Lord is subject to no such accident I will saith God put my fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from me It is a thing as I have shewed you of infinite value and is not subject to any change at all It is a Jewel with which when the soul is once adorned it never putteth it off any more but weareth it till it entreth Eternity and puts on the Crown of Glory for evermore It is the seed of God of which the Apostle speaketh which abideth in men and keepeth the soul that it cannot sin the sin unto death It is the well-spring of living water which when once it springs up in the soul it springeth up unto eternal life It is a Jewel that will not be debased gold that will not admit of rust O the excellency of grace above all the perishing excellencies of other things which as the Apostle speaks of those beggerly elements perish with the using We may say of this fear of the Lord compared with other excellencies as the Prophet speaketh of the grass and the flower compared with the word of the Lord The grass withereth and the flower fadeth but the word of the Lord endureth for ever Beauty withereth and strength withereth Riches fade and Honours fade and all other created excellencies wither and fade but the fear of the Lord abideth for ever 5. Lastly All those other excellencies fail the persons which have them in the most needful times If there were something of vanity in beauty some deceitfulness in favour some emptiness in all those other things which I mentioned yet much might be spoken for them would they but serve a soul in an evil day But if this be found true of them that like Swallows they all leave us in Winter and are furthest off from giving us that satisfaction which we desire from them and they in appearance promise us in a time when we have most need of them certainly this must needs depreciate them in the view of every rational eye Now that they do this is demonstrable past all denial We have two evil daies I mean evil to our sense the day of Affliction and the day of death In the day of affliction be it bodily or spiritual external or internal what do all things in the world signifie or wherein doth one man differ from another save only by the fear of the Lord. The beautious face hath lost its lovely colour The strong mans finews are loosed The knowing man is ignorant how to give himself
ease The prudent man is not wise enough to remove the distemper nor yet under it to comfort himself None of them by their knowledge learning wisdom can save themselves from death nor redeem their souls from the pit As dieth the fool so also dieth the prudent man leave this life and what profit hath the poor creature of all those fine things which before differenced him from his neighbour wherein doth he now differ he is alike laid in the grave with him But in these hours the fear of the Lord is excellent and of infinite advantage to the soul that is blessed with it 1. In a day of Affliction It is true grace and the fear of the Lord doth not deliver a man from the common incidents of that mortal condition into which sin hath brought us it doth neither free us from troubles without nor yet from fears within but it giveth the soul comfort and satisfaction in this hour Lord remember saith Hezekiah how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart A man fearing God in an hour of affliction is quite another man from one under the same kind and degree of affliction that he is fuller of strength fuller of comfort more satisfied with his condition 2. In the day of Death It is true the first curse must have its verification We have sinned and we must die But dieth the child of God as a fool dieth dieth a man fearing the Lord as the man who hath no fear of God in his heart surely there is a great difference in their latter end Even Balaam had some sight of this when he desired that he might die the death of the righteous that his latter end might be like his See that famous instance of David a man indeed according to Gods own heart yet you know how he failed both in the matter of Bathsheba and Vriah He comes 1 Sam. 23. to his death bed and the Scripture recordeth his last words He considereth the Rule which God had set him that he who ruled over men should be just ruling them in the fear of the Lord that his light should be like the light of the morning c. He considers again that his house had not been so with God as it ought to have been what comforts him Thou hast saith he made a Covenant with me well ordered and sâ—re in all things c. This and this alone is that which in these hours of distress can relieve a poor creature and the worst of men will give in their evidence to this They will at their dying hour and when they lie upon beds of sickness cry out Favour is deceitful Beauty is vain They will then agree with Solomon to warn their friends to fear God and keep his Commandments telling them this is the end of all This now is sufficient to have spoken in the Explication or evidence of the point which may all be summed up in this one Argument Whoso is possessed of that quality which both in it self considered absolutely and in respect of all circumstances is the most excellent person But that man or woman in whom the true fear of the Lord is and dwelleth most eminently is possessed of the most excellent habit whether it be considered in it self more absolutely or with respect to circumstances Therefore that person is the most excellent person I come now to the Application of the Point In the first place what you have heard Use 1 may serve to evince the vulgar mistake concerning the excellent of the earth and also to abate those high conceits which men ordinarily have of themselves who in the little things of the world differ a little from their neighbours The world if this Doctrine be true is greatly mistaken both in their judgements concerning the most excellent things and concerning the most excellent persons 1. I say first in their judgements as to the things that differ and are more excellent than other If you should run to and fro the streets of your City and ask every one whom you meet Friend let me have your opinion what do you judge the most excellent thing in the world it is very like they would not all agree in their answers some would say Pleasures and a satisfaction of their lusts Others would say Riches if a man had as much money as he could spend a plentiful estate to live on Others would say Honour and Favour if a man be great at Court a favourite to Princes they will judge him the happiest man alive It may be others would judge Learning and Knowledge is most excellent or Moral Vertue is the most excellent but where shall we find a person who would say The fear of the Lord is the most excellent thing Some rare person possibly might be found who would say with David There be many that say who will shew us any Psal 4. good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Or with Solomon after he had tasted of all those sweet things which the world affords Eccles 12. 13. Hear the conclusion of all Fear God and keep his Commandments But the most of men would neither like David's nor Solomon's judgement in the case Nay even of those who would say Grace is the most excellent thing how few are they whose practice would not condemn them in what they speak with their mouths Man naturally loves desires valueth chuseth approveth the things which he judgeth most excellent The low opinion which the most men have of Religion and the fear of the Lord their little endeavours for it and pursuit after it are plain instances let men say what they will that they judge other things more excellent Yet could you meet with any who had the sentence of death in himself any strong apprehensions that he must in a short time go down to the pit and upon whom the terrours of Hell had seized this man would tell you that of all things the fear of the Lord is most excellent which is enough to evince the truth of the thing and that nothing but the violence of temptations and prevalence of corruptions makes men to judge otherwise 2. As what you have heard leadeth you to judge truly concerning the best things so it leadeth you also to a true judgement concerning the best persons What the Prophet complained in his time is true in our time We call the proud happy We judge them the best that are the richest the most honourable and who are dignified with the greatest titles Thus oft-times we call a covetous worldling a griping Vsurer or Extortioner a swinish drunkard a sordid unclean person a prophane swearer a blasphemous curser one that rends the sacred Name of God with unheard of oaths revilings blasphemies The best men in our Cities in our Parishes and yet we contend our Parishes to be particular Churches and these the members of them Away with such more than Pagan Non-sense The Heathens would not
such a one if God hath put him or her in a subjection to them A godly child honours his Parent as his Parent A godly woman will honour and obey her husband as her head A godly person will give honour and obedience to such as are in Authority over him though possibly they may be vile persons but not as such they will in their hearts contemn their vile affections and dispositions their lewd and prophane courses whiles they give that reverence and honour to them which the Laws of Nature God and Man require with respect to the Authority with which they are clothed toward us and the subordination in which we are set towards them But it is further added He honoureth them the Hebr. is he glorifieth them that fear the Lord. Musculus observeth that it is an easie thing to contemn a vile person especially if his malice hath hurt us but it is not so easie to honour them that fear the Lord especially if they be such whose lives before have been stained with sin and they are but in the exercise of Repentance Or in case they live under wicked Magistrates and are black through persecutions Or in case they be mean and of small estate in the world But Sirs if we be such as fear the Lord our selves 1. We cannot but have a true honour and value for those in whom we see the fear of the Lord let their circumstances in the world be what they will be they never so much reviled persecuted abused be they never so mean and poor in never so vile and abject a condition But alas how few are there who fall not under the reproof of the Apostle Having the faith of God without respect of persons If one cometh near them with a gold Ring and goodly Apparel yea though Jam. 2. 1. he or she be a vile person which yet seemeth not to be the Apostles case and there come also a poor man having vile rayment have we not respect to them that have the gold Ring and the goodly Apparel and do we not despise the poor Christian that hath the vile rayment Do we not say to the former Sit thou here in a good place and to the poor Sit thou there or under my footstool Thus do we not despise the poor and in them oft-times those that fear the Lord in an eminent measure and degree and at least interpretatively as St. James saith Blaspheme that holy Name by which we are called It is our duty to value others according to the fear of the Lord in them and more or less excellent according to that degree of the fear of the Lord which we discern in any of their souls and we should do so if we truly judged the fear of the Lord. As it is the most excellent thing and the persons that fear the Lord the most excellent persons 3. Ask your selves what more excellent thing you do than others Wherein you live a more noble excellent life than others live In reason those who judge themselves the more noble and excellent persons stand obliged to live more distinguishing excellent lives ratable to their honour and dignity The Gentleman thinks himself obliged to live as a Gentleman the Noble man as a Noble man And it speaks a low and dirty spirit for any man to look upon his honour and dignity as that which gives him priviledge for a low and for did converse Christians do you live according to your order and dignity You that are Christians indeed are the excellent of the earth David calls you so reason evinceth you to be such You have ascended above all others in divine favour you excel others in spiritual gifts in what do you live ratably to your order It was our Saviours question to his Disciples What do Mat. 5. 47. you do more than others Matth. 5. 47. In what doth your conversation towards God more distinguish you Are you more in sufferings in prayers in reading the Word in hearing of it in communion with Gods people more holy more patient c. Wherein doth your conversation more shine before men Are you more humble more meek more just and exact in your dealings more free and liberal more compassionate and merciful This is to live ratably to your order and profession and if you do not do this you do not live like the most excellent persons But I proceed Thirdly What you have heard may give you 3 Branch the true notion of one fearing the Lord. The fear of God is an excellent thing and in some degree approves its self to the natural reason of men but more yet to those who in an outward Profession at least in some degree own the Scripture as the Rule of their life and conversation Hence it is that every one is a pretender to it and thinks it an high dishonour to him to be thought or discoursed of as a person not fearing the Lord. Hence you shall observe in our Law in the ordinary indictments for Felonies this is put in Such a one not having the fear of God before his eyes did this or that c. But amongst those who would be thought persons fearing the Lord we shall find that the number of such as indeed do fear him is a very small number You may judge from what you have heard who they are who indeed do fear God Our Saviour saith Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Not every one who saith he feareth the Lord doth indeed fear him How many are there that say so to whom we must reply as Samuel to Saul boasting of his obedience What then meaneth the bleating of the Sheep and the lowing of the Oxen What mean those bold and presumptious actions against the Commandments of the Lord What means that course of sin which they run that trade which they make of dishonouring God Yea and as it is not every one that faith he feareth the Lord nor is it every one that hath some dread of God upon him at some times of whom it can be said that he is a person fearing Jehovah There is so much Majesty and Power so much Greatness and Ability to punish every created Being in the Divine Being that every creature naturally dreadeth God even the Devil that hateth God yet trembleth So the Apostle tells you The Devils believe and tremble And there was never any person in the world so vile but at one time or other something of this discovered it self in him That wretched Emperour of Rome who so impudently defied the Deity yet when it thundred would run under a bed But it is not I say every one who hath some awe and terrour of God upon his spirit who can be called A person fearing God For then God said no more of Job than might have been said of Saul Ahab or Pharaoh who were made at last to reverence the Divine Majesty and to tremble before the Maker of Heaven and
God may not fall into He that considereth that Lot and Noah were surprized with Wine and Lot committed incest Abraham fornication or adultery rather what David did in the murther of Vriah and taking of Bathsheba to his bed what Peter did in the hour of temptation and what Job did in his passion will I say be at a great loss to fix upon such a sin concerning which he can say this is a sin which one fearing God cannot be guilty of On the other side there is no sin which a child of God can live in making it his constant course and practice 3. Though the fear of God will constrain a soul to every duty yet even the soul which truly feareth God may either through ignorance or through weakness fail much in the performance of his duty I say the fear of God will constrain a soul to the performance of every duty By duty I mean whatsoever God commandeth to be done your reason teacheth you this Will any of you think that your child or servant feareth you who will not do every thing which you command them The Centurions servants feared him he said to one go and he went to another come and he came to a third do this and he did it Every soul that feareth God doth likewise But yet I say even that soul which truly feareth God may yet fail much in the performance of something of his duty And that 1. Through ignorance or forgetfulness The child that truly feareth his Father may possibly not know or if he hath known he may have forgotten something that his Father would have him do So may a child of God We know in part saith the Apostle and what we do know we through forgetfulness of our duty do not alwaies attend to in the hour when we should do it 2. Secondly Through wantonness we have the best of us wanton hearts which are easily led aside from our duty and while we are in the world we are incompassed with a multitude of temptations we are subject to be flattered from our duty by the Sirens of the world and to be frowned from our duty by the frowns of the world And indeed if the flatteries and frowns of the world have no influence upon us yet our spiritual duty is a thing that agreeth not with flesh and blood it pincheth our flesh and that is very ready to say to us Spare thy self or to suggest to us that God doth not expect from our hands or at least will not strictly insist upon such measures of duty as the holy Scriptures seem to lay out for us but God will give us leave for five hundred to set down fifty Who liveth and doth not fail much in his duty But yet as to this point of duty something will be seen more in a soul truly fearing God than in another soul 1. First The soul fearing the Lord will not live in a constant neglect or omission of any known duty It is one thing to omit a duty at this or that time another thing never to perform it A man or woman fearing the Lord may under the force of some temptation or in a multiplicity of business erre by omitting a morning or evening sacrifice of prayer or praise or in the strict observation of the Lords day But it is not possible that such a one should live in a constant violation of the Lords Sabbath or without God in the world from day to day and from week to week never so much as calling upon his Name the reason is because the fear of the Lord in his heart biasseth him to his duty and though some worldly distraction like a rub to a Boul turneth him out of his road yet when he is over that the biass works again and his soul turneth to his course Again 2. Secondly A soul truly fearing the Lord will hardly omit such duties as God in his precept hath put some special Emphasis upon For as it is in our commands to our children though we may command them many things yet there may be some things that we lay a greater firess upon that our children or servants understand our special will to be that we should be careful in them So it is in the precepts of God there are some which 〈…〉 Lord hath in his Word laid a great Emphasis upon them Our Saviour justifieth this distinction when he telleth the Pharisees They tithed Mint and Annis and Cummin but neglected the greater and weightier things of Gods Law Now here the soul truly fearing God will be very strict and will very rarely omit these And hence possibly it is that souls truly fearing God are generally found very strict in the matter of his worship both as to the thing and as to the manner of the performance God having in his Word more Emphatically and severely declared his will in these things So in matters of Righteousness and Mercy and in all such other things as are the weightier things of Gods Law Thus far I have shewed you how the fear of the Lord in any soul where it is works both 1. In reference to the Word of God it trembles at that 2. In reference to sin 3. In reference to duty I shall proceed yet a little further in this Argument giving you some notes of a person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fearing the Lord. 4. Fourthly A person fearing Jehovah will have upon his heart a great awe of Divine Judgement or whatsoever looketh like such There is no person truly fearing the Lord but in some measure understandeth what that Lord is and being possessed with a true notion of God it is as natural for the rational creature to fear him in the least roarings of his judgements as for the beasts of the Forrest to tremble when the Lion roareth For as their trembling proceedeth from a natural sense of their subjection to the Lion and the Power he hath over them So doth this persons dread proceed from the apprehensions he hath of the Greatness and Majesty of the Divine Being as also from what he believeth of his severity and justice Besides this There is no soul truly fearing God but hath been at some time or other less or more under the spirit of bondage or some way or other felt the weight of Gods hand and as we say Ictus Piscator sapit and it is natural for a child that hath been once smartly whipped to fear the hand of the Father or the Master a second time So it is for the child of God having once felt the weight of Gods hand he trembleth at every lifting of it up whether it be against himself or others Now it is true the natural fear of a meerly carnal man as well as the reverential fear of the child of God will discover it self upon this occasion and it may offer a foundation of a new question How that reverential fear of God in his judicial dispensations which is and ought to be found in a
betraies your intellectuals as want of judgement in things that differ and your judgement cannot but be erroneous where it is contrary to the judgement of God and of holy men who spake in Scripture as they were inspired by God 2. Let what you have heard bespeak a due value in you both of the fear of the Lord as the best thingâ— and persons fearing the Lord as the most excellent persons Certainly it is but reasonable that we should judge of persons and things as God judgeth of them as Solomon and David and those great Worthies we find recorded in Scripture have judged David Psal 16. calleth the people of God The excellent of the Earth Solomon tells you here that Favour is deceitful and Beauty is vain but a woman fearing the Lord she shall be praised Though many Daughters have done vertuously yet she hath ascended above them all Oh let us thus iudge Regard not what vain men talk of people fearing God they speak after their Father whose works they do they do but disgorge the prophaneness filth and malice of their own hearts They have hated Christ and no wonder if they hate all those who bear any thing of the Image and superscription Let not the railings of these men let not their hard speeches and bitter censures and more bitter dealings guide your judgement You will one day find that the men whom they thus abuse are no Reprobates Men in power and authority one day will know that these are not these evil doers to whom they should be a terrour Ministers will know that they have abused their texts to turn the drift of them against persons fearing the Lord under the disguise of Schismaticks Fanaticks c. terms which many use in these daies not understanding what they mean If it be some mens worldly interest to do these things yet my Brethren take you heed of treading their steps Let who will revile and curse and blaspheme God hath blessed the persons that fear him and you shall one day see they shall be blessed Behold the Lord cometh saith the Apostle Jude with ten thousand Jude v. 13. of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Lastly Are persons fearing the Lord the most excellent persons give them then the fruit of their hands and let their own works praise them in the gates It is Solomons improvement of this notion in the words following my text Certainly there is nothing more reasonable than this is if it were give such persons as these the fruit of your hands it were but according to the manner of men who use to give Presents to Princes Favourites It were but to make friends of your Mammon of unrighteousness that when these things fail you may be received into everlasting habitations But I say no more than give them the fruit of their hands do not defraud abuse them give them that honour that room in the world which they deserve which they labour for and let their own works praise them in the gates Envy them not the praise of their own labours the honour which their own works purchase for them This brings me â—o my last part of my work that I may fulfil my text upon this Noble person for whom we are all mourners But I shall reserve that to a more full and particular discourse LIGHT IN DARKNESS OR A twofold Fountain of Comfort and Satisfaction to those who walking with God yet live and may die unsatisfied as to the sensible manifestations of DIVINE LOVE Discovered In a Discourse first Preached at the Funerals of the Right Honourable the Lady Catharine Courten late Wife to William Courten Esq and since inlarged for more publick profit By John Collinges late Preacher of the Gospel in Norwich Isaiah 50. 20. Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and seeth no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God LONDON Printed in the year 1669. To His Worthy and Honoured Friend WILLIAM COURTEN Esq Sir WHen I had once resolved to joyn these Sheets long since drawn up and in the hands of some of your noble friends in one Book with those relating to your Noble Aunt I had no great dispute with my self to whom according to the usual custom I should inscribe them You are the only Male Branch of this excellent Root the Heir of her Religion Vertue and Honour you were while she lived next to your dear Father the great object of her Love Care and Pious Sollitude For you it was that she so often so passionately even in her greatest Agonies begg'd our prayers she had you only and your sister to pour out sighs and tears to God for that you might be found constant and walking in the truth You alone can lay a just claim to her picture and these other Papers devoted to a memorial of her You are fittest to undertake the Patronage of her Honourable and Precious Name against such as to justifie others would fasten a Debauchery in Religion upon her Urn after fifteen or sixteen years rest in which since her death it might prescribe for the Faith in which she not only truly died but in so eminent a Profession and such particular Declarations of it as are not ordinary Alas Dear Sir for the sad occasion of this so late an impudent a slander but the judgements of God are a great deep You Sir since her death have been visiting the seat of iniquity the Country of the great Whore which hath made so many drunk and is yet by parcels intoxicating souls with her superstitious and idolatrous abominations you went not out of curiosity but upon a just call and to pay a duty to your Fathers Sepulchre Had your rare Mother lived till you took that Journey she would have cryed out with another kind of Devotion than Horace for his friend Virgil. Sic te cunctipotens Dues Sic pelagi Dominus Ventorumque regat Pater Obstrictis aliis praeter Naves quae tibi creditum Debes finibus Italis Reddas incolumem precor Et serves animae dimidium meae But it pleased God by death seven years before to deliver her from those fears in which your two years absence would have kept her and though she lived not so long as to attend you with her fervent prayers yet Sir I can tell you she had treasured up a large stock of prayers for you and she had begg'd a moving stock which was working for you when she ceased to be and by the infinite goodness of God hearing those prayers you were preserved both in your going and coming in the perils you ran by Land and by Sea Yea and preserved also free from those sensual and superstitious tinctures which too too many bring home with
he who said If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand Psal 102. 3. never thought that himself should 2. Secondly Therefore this Righteousness of Sanctification is taken in an Evangelical sense and so it signifies 1. That universal habit of holiness of which the child of God is possessed teaching him to hate and strive against every sin to love and to press after every good work and to endeavour to do the whole will of God though it may be in many things he doth offend and this is that Righteousness which the most solid Interpreters judge here to be chiefly intended that which the holy Psalmist elsewhere calleth a respect to all Gods Commandments Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I shall have respect to all thy Commandments I will not restrain the text to this but this doubtless is a great part of Davids meaning I will live an holy and righteous conversation having a due regard to all thy Commandments and keeping up in my soul a true hatred of every sin and of every false way Though I want the fulness which sinful men have though I be in a sad and afflicted condition though I be in the dark and cannot behold the light of thy countenance though my oppressors and my enemies be many and cruel and bloody yet will I not live like wicked and ungodly men who live more at case and have a greater degree of fulness but I will keep on the course of an holy life and conversation and then I shall behold thy face either here or hereafter either before I fall asleep in death or when I shall awake in the resurrection This righteousness then is the righteousness of a good conscience that which Saint Paul calls a living in a good conscience before God And again he tells us herein he did exercise Acts 23. 1. himself to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men The Chaldee Paraphrast reads it Truth In truth will I behold thy face Truth is opposed to Hypocrisie and to all falshood of conversation And indeed none can without presumption hope to see God but he who looks to behold his face in the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to him 2. In the righteousness of an holy life and conversation Without holiness saith the Apostle none shall see God 3. But there is yet a third thing which some understand by righteousness in this place Alii per justitiam intelligunt innocentiam versus hostes Lor. and in other texts is most certainly understood by it It is the particular habit of Justice and Innocency i. e. having an innocent heart and a righteous cause against unrighteous men I will come to thee O God who art a God of Justice and a Protector of innocent persons Holy David at this time was afflicted either by the persecution of Saul as some think or the rebellion of Absolom as others judge both of them rose up against him without a cause on their part not for my wickedness nor for my sin as he elsewhere saith Now saith David though my enemies be many and great and cruel yet I have done them no harm I have as to them a righteous heart and against them a righteous cause I will bring this righteous cause before thee This is the righteousness of which he speaketh v. 3. Let thine eyes behold the thing that is equal thou hast proved mine heart thou hast visited me in the night thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing So probably v. 1. he prayes Hear the right O Lord where the same word is used This sense will afford us this note Those who make their appeal to God in any cause and seck his face hoping to behold his face directing countenancing or assiting them must be sure their cause be a righteous cause One of the Hebrew Writers reads I will behold thy face for Alms the Rabbies so interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they say to give Alms is both a piece of righteousness and a fign of it Indeed whosoever goes to God goes for Alms. But I shall discourse no more as to this term In Righteousness 1. In the Righteousness of my Lord the Mediatour 2. In the Righteousness of an holy conversation 3. In the Justice Innocency and Righteousness of my cause This is all comprehended in the term Righteousness I now proceed Will I or shall I behold thy face The word indifferently signifies the act of the body and of the mind Psal 58. 10. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance that is when he shall with his bodily eyes see the righteous God revenging him upon sinful men Exod. 18. 21. Thou shalt provide there it doubtless implieth an act of Moses his mind weighing and considering what persons were fittest for Magistrates 2. But it sometimes signifies not a bare intuition but a most curious careful scrutiny or beholding It signifieth to contemplate Now when a man contemplates he doth not barely look upon a thing but he sixeth his eyes and thoughts and studies upon it from this word Prophets we are called Seers and it is a word often applied to their vision in which their minds were wholly taken up and their souls as it were wrapt up in exrasies Star-gazers from this word had their name in Hebrew And Criticks tell us our English word Gaze hath its original from it Now you know we use that word Gaze to express the action of them who are a long time looking upon a thing fully steadily and busily Further yet the word sometimes signifies to behold with delight and Pleasure To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple Psal 27. 4. That was a pleasant sight Psal 84. 1. I will behold thy face in righteousness that is with the eye of my body or mind or both I will diligently constantly earnestly behold I will take pleasure in beholding Thy face The word used here signifies any outward superficies or exterior countenance of a thing being applied to God it signifies the manifestations of divine love whether in the gracious issues of providence or in the more inward influences of divine love God hath neither essential nor integral parts as we have he hath no head no hands no face these things only agree to God by analogy The face is the more noble outward part of as man most conspicuous and by which he is most known in which more than by any part else a mans temper and particular inclination and disposition to us is known So the face of God signifies 1. The favour of God in the sensible manifestations of it When we are angry we turn away our faces from our neighbours and being reconciled again to them we again look upon them So is the Lord in Scripture set out to us Psal 13. How long wilt thou hide Psal 13. thy face So when God is expressed as in favour with and reconciled to
innocent manner That which he fixeth upon as his comfort is 1. Gods present inabling him to perfect holiness in his fear and to wait for the manifestations of divine light 2. His sure hopes that if he should fall asleep in death not satisfied yet there would be a resurrection from the dead and in that glorious morning he should awake and then he should be filled with the manifestations of God this is the substance of the words Now suppose your selves to hear David speaking the same thing more copiously O Lord my soul is in a sad and perplexed condition without are fightings within are fears mine enemies are many and proud and cruel as Lions they are men of power and estate whose bellies are filled with hid treasure I am poor and empty hunted like a Partridge upon the Mountains First Saul rose up against me now mine own Son is in rebellion and my soul also O Lord walks in the dark and seeth no light I cry but thou hast not heard me I am at a loss to know what thou determinest to do with me If I had all that my proud and potent enemies have all their treasure all their substance all the good things of this life all their sweet morsels I could not be satisfied with all those husks while I want thy favour and the light of thy countenance But this shall be my work this shall be that which I will study and look after I have fixed mine eyes upon thy love and favour let the men of the world look after that let them look upon their great estates I will behold thy face and labour for the light of thy countenance and that I may obtain it I trust not in my own righteousness in the righteousness of my Lord I will behold thy face I will endeavour in thy strength to live an holy and righteous conversation perfecting holiness in thy fear and in all things endeavouring to live up to thy mind and will discovered to me and for this cause which I am through thy providence managing against those who have risen up against me I will manage it righteously with all integrity and innocency toward them who are so fierce and cruâ—l against me And in this resolution O Lord in my affliction it will be a great stay unto me if I may but find the conunuance of thy strength inabling me to labour after the perfecting of the renovation of thine image in my soul and to wait for the further shinings out of the light of thy countenance if I can but find thee thus appearing to my soul I shall at present endeavour to be satisfied knowing that it will not be long before I shall fall asleep in death and from that sleep I shall awake in the morning of the resurrection and then I shall be abundantly satisfied with thy likeness seeing thee face to face and rejoycing in thy presence for ever more The words thus opened will afford us many Propositions some I shall but lightly touch upon hastening to what I intend for the subject of a fuller discourse First From the tacit Antithesis hinted in those words which our translation supplies necessary to give you the full sense But as for me What will satisfie a man of the world will 1 Obs not satisfie a child of God Different natures require different food Swine will seed upon Acorns and offal Dogs will feed upon bones and excrements But man feeds upon none of these A different genius and disposition requires a different object to give it satisfaction Gold and Silver satisfies a covetous man Wine and strong drink satisfies a drunkard The Philosopher despiseth and throws away these things to attend to contemplation and the knowledge of the reasons and causes of things The child of God is of a different nature of a different disposition and inclination and complexion from other men he is made a partaker of the Divine Nature he hath a new name a new will new affections new dispositions given to him Sinners indeed are of several complexions give one wealth enough and you satisfie him give another objects enough for his lust give him sensual pleasure enough and you satisfie him give a third honour and preferment enough he asks no more give the best of them enough of humane learning and knowledge and he will be content whether he hath any portion in Christ whether he findeth any joy and peace of conscience whether he seeth any thing of the light of Gods countenance yea or no. It is said of Abraham that he gave the Sons he had by Keturah portions and sent them away they were not at all concerned for the promise of which Isaac was heir Wicked men are like Esau they will sell their birth-right for a morsel of bread The child of God cannot be thus satisfied as Abraham replyed upon God asking him What he should give Protestatus sum me sic ab eo nolle satiaâ—i Luther him What canst thou give me so long as I go childless So do they say Lord what canst thou give me while I want thy presence Luther protested God should not put him off with worldly affluences he judgeth all fulness Omnis copia quae non est Deus meus est cgestas Aug. cmptiness excepting only the fulness of him who filleth all in all the reason of this is his spiritual ilumination and knowledge to discern things that differ the convictions and different apprehensions which the holy Spirit hath wrought in his soul which make it morally impossible to him to rest satisfied with less than an infinite God and a portion in him Oh! how thin is this number in the world how small is this generation of those who in truth seek the Lords face where almost is the person to be found to whom God might not give a portion in this life only and quietly send him away without any repining at all who would noâ— fall down and even worship the Devil for a great estate for a little momentany pleasure for some considerable degree of honour or some other moveables and transiâ—nt vanities of this life how few are they who would look any further than to have such a portion of substance as they might have plentifully whiles they live and divide the rest unto their babes Amongst all the complaints and murmurings we hear in the world how few are they that complain for want of the presence and influence of God we hear men complain for want of estates honours c. but ah how few for want of grace how few for want of the sense of divine love for want of the enjoyments of God c. Secondly From those words I will behold thy face in righteousness observe There is no beholding of Gods face but in righteousness 2 Obs Whether it be in a way of duty that we behold God or whether it be in a way of comfort We must still behold him in righteousness in the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us Daniel of old prayed to be heard for the Lords sake we are commanded to ask in the Name of Christ believing Or whether it be in the way of comfort Christ is the only glass in which we can behold our Fathers face and therefore we are bid to rejoyce in the Lord and joy and peace is annexed to beliving an act of which Christ is the object In the righteousness also of an holy life Without peace and holiness no man shall see God saith the Apostle not in glory when this lâ—fe shall be determined not in this life by the reflections of faith Not in duty God heareth not sinners he that lifts up hands unto God must lift up pure hands without dâ—ubâ—ing The very Heathens by the light of nature could see that pure hands must be reached out to the Altars if they expected to find the Gods upon their duties propitious In the righteousness of an innocent and just cause It is â—ll appealing to God in an unrighteous cause and hopes of countenance and assistance from him in unrighteousness are but bold presumptions and â—acit reproachings of his spotless purity Hence learn how few there are who truly behold the Lords face in duty who truly feel the warming influences of his divine love Ah! how many cheat themselves with images and dreams how many rise up from duty thinking they have seen the face of God when they have seen nothing but the reflectiors of their own gâ—fts or presumptions how many dream of beholding the face of God in the sensible consolations of his Spirit who alas have seen nothing but the spirit of delusions cheating their souls with false confidences and delusions what do Papists talk of beholding Gods face in their own or their fellow-creatures righteousness what doth any drunkard swearer morally vitious and prophane person talk of beholding the face of God whiles he lives a leud and unholy life and conversation If he makes many prayers God will not hear him his heart is full of prophaneness his hands are full of unrighteousness Let no man dare to appeal to God in an unrighteous matter to seek counsel of God or assistance from him in unrighteous causes The unrighteous soul can never behold the Lords face Thirdly From Davids present resolution confidered with respect to the present state of affliction in which he was Observe It is the duty of Gods people though Gods 3 Obs face be not towards them yet in righteousness to be beholding it This was the Churches resolution Isa 8. 17. I will wait upon him who hides his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Isa 50. 10. Who is amongst you who feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God God expecteth that his people should not desert him because in the wisdom of his providence he is sometimes pleased to hide his face from them But I shall I think have occasion in my following discourse further to inlarge upon this I therefore pass it over here and come to what I intend to fix upon as the subject of my discourse Doct. It is the great duty of the people of God although they want visions of peace yea thougb they should fall asleep in death without such sensible manifestations yet to stay their souls and be in some degree satisfied if they find the Lord inabling them to watch for his likeness and having a sure confidence that in the resurrection they shall be abundantly satisfied with it The Proposition is complex and containeth many within it There is in it some things implied others expressed Five things are implied 1. That a child of God may sometimes walk in darkness and not satisfied with Gods likeness 2. That it is possible he may fall asleep and die under a dissatisfaction 3. That during this his dark estate it is his great duty to watch for the likeness of God 4. That though a child of God shall fall asleep yet he shall awake in a resurrection 5. That when in that morning be doth awake he shall be abundantly satisfied with Gods likeness These things are implied Two things are expressed 1. That under their darkness it should much satisfie them if they find God inabling them to watch for his likeness 2. That if they die in this dissatisfaction yet it ought to stay their hearts that in the resurrection they shall be abundantly satisfied with the likeness of God I shall speak something first to those Propositions which are but implied in the main Proposition The first was this That Gods children may sometimes walk in 1 Prop. darkness and not be satisfied with his likeness 1. In darkness as to their outward man Joseph Job David almost all the servants of God whom the Scripture hath canonized had their dark hours of affliction some of one kind some of another Many are the afflictions of the righteous bue God delivereth them out of all 2. In darkness as to their inward man there is a state of sin and ignorance which in Scripture is compared to darkness This they cannot walk in they are translated out of darkness into marvelous light they werâ— indeed as others darkened in their minds but God hath made a glorious light to shine in upon them But there is a darkness of the inward man with respect to sensible manifestations and comfortable apprehensions of the love of God this they may walk in Isa 50. 10. They may walk in the dark and see no light Isa 50. 10. though they be such as fear the Lord and obey the voice of his servant The Spouse in Cant. 3. 1. the Canticles sought him whom her soul loved she sought him but she found him not David Psal 30. 6. was troubled when God hid his face from him And as it is possible that they may be unsatisfied as to the manifestations of Gods love unto them so they may be and often are as unsatisfied as to the image and likeness of God in them Perfection is our rule Heb. Heb. 6. 1. 6. 1. but though the Lord hath for it up for our mark 2 Cor. 13. 11. yet there is none of 2 Cor. 13. 11. Phil. 3. 18. us but shooteth short even Saint Paul counted not himself to have apprehended but forgetting what is behind pressed forward to what is before unto the price of the high calling Now the child of God cannot sit down satisfied whiles he seeth himself short of the Rule which God hath set him and this is reason enough for his dissatisfaction in the latter sense For the former the reason lies here 1. God upon the Covenant of Grace hath reserved to himself a liberty notwithstanding Christs satisfaction so to chastise his people that they might not go altogether unpunished Some will not understand how God should punish any of his Saints for sin
in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death This is the first thing implied in this metaphorical expression But this is not all 2. There is a difference between watching and bare waking Watching is a voluntary industrious action whereby a man striveth to keep himself awake at such a time when he is inclined to sleep for the heeding of something in a more special manner To watch therefore in a spiritual sense implieth to labour strive and use all means and diligence to obtain the likeness of God not only to eschew evil but to do good Thus watching for Gods likeness includeth praying hearing performance of all holy duties leadâ— gâ—an holy life and conversation that which the Psalmist calleth ordering our conversation aright that we may see the salvation of God And this is as the duty of a child of God at all times so more especially in his hours of desertion and darkness you shall find this eminently exemplified in the Spouse Cant. 3. 1 c. By night on my bed I Cant. 3. 1 2 3. sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad waies I will seek him whom my soul loveth c. v. 3. The watchmen that goe about the City found me to whom I said Saw ye him whom my soul loveth This is a second thing A child of God under a desâ—rtion is not to sit still and mourn and be wail it self but to be up and doing watching unto prayer to all 1 Pet. 4. 7. religious duties to all parts of an holy and religious life to be at such a time especially much in close and diligent communion with God for the recovery of its lost peace and comfort 3. Lastly The watchman is to look out for the morning and with patience to wait for it This is also the duty of him that walketh in spiritual darkness I mean the want of sensible consolations My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning saith holy David Psal 130. 6. I say Psa 130. 6. more than they that watch for the morning Thus the Church Isa 8. 17. I will wait upon Isa 8. 17. him that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Thus Habakkuk for the answer of his prayer on the behalf Hab. 2. 1 2 3. of the Church I will stand upon my watch and set me upon my Tower I will watch to see what he will say unto me The vision is yet for an appointed time but in the end it shall speak it shall not lye though it tarry wait for it Thus now I have opened this duty to you and shewn you what this is to watch for God to watch for his likeness Now that this is a Christians duty in his hours of darkness appears 1. From the Precept of God obliging you to it The will of God revealed is that which makes a Christians duty God hath bidden us watch and wait and order our conversation aright 2. From the Examples of the Children of God recorded in Scripture wherein they have done well they are lights unto us and oblige us to do likewise Look upon Job David the Church of God all those of whom you have record in holy Writ see them in their dark hours observe their practice you shall find them all fearful of sinning resolved against it full of prayer and other religious duties and striving and resolving to order their conversation aright 3. This will appear to be your duty if you consider the several parts of it as means prescribed by God in order to so good and blessed an end The promise of seeing God is made to such as order their conversation aright Psal 50. Psal 27. 14. Wait upon the Lord Psa 50. 23. Psa 17. 14. and he shall strengthen your heart They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength like the Eagle Isa 40. 31. It is made to such Isa 40. 31. as ask and seek and knock Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you 4. Lastly Whoso considereth God in that freedom which belongs unto him as to the manifestations of himself to his peoples souls or whoso considereth his own distance from and subjection unto God and how little he deserveth of any such dispensation from him will confess that it is not equal that we should forsake God or abate in our zeal for and duty to God because he forsaketh us and withdraw our duty from God because he withdraweth the light of his countenance from us God is a free agent and as the wind bloweth where it listeth so his Spirit moveth and as it is free in all its motions and influences so it is most free as to consolatory manifestations being not of the necessaries to our eternal salvation but such influences as God without breach of Covenant may in whole or in part for what time and in what degree he pleaseth to with-hold from those most in convenant with him To which might be added that whatsoever the Lord hath is the product of infinite Justice Wisdom and Goodness God in it is just and doth no more than he may do he is infinitely wise and whatsoever he doth is for wise and righteous ends and he is infinitely good and would not do it were it not for his peoples good Besides this this watching against sin unto prayer and to other duties of an holy life are the moral and perpetual duties of Christians from which nothing of Gods dealing with us can exempt us but I shall add no more to my discourse upon the third thing implied in the Doctrine The fourth follows which is founded upon the phrase according to our translation of it When I awake that is as I formerly opened it when I shall awake in the resurrection when I shall awake from the sleep of death where is implied Though the Children of God shall in death fall 4 Prop. asleep yet they shall awake in a resurrection Death in Scripture is ordinarily expressed under the notion of sleep David slept with his 1 King 2. 10 11 43. Mat. 9. 24. Joh. 11. 11. Fathers so did Solomon Jeroboam Rehoboam In the New Testament the Maid sleepeth saith our Saviour and again Our friend Lazarus sleepeth Great is the Analogy betwixt death and sleep if I had time or that were the business of my present discourse to shew you Death is a sleep common to the children of God as well as others The Apostle to the Hebrews saith It is appointed for all men once Heb. 9. 27. to die and after to come to Judgement Your Fathers where are they And do the Prophets live for ever Zech. 1. 5. Who is he that lives Zech. 1. 5. Psal 87. 48. and shall not see death For saith the wise man
the state of the children of God in glory you would easily agree this with me that the joyes and satisfaction in the likeness of God which shall in Heaven be manifested to the souls of Gods people shall abundantly recompence them for all their hours of darkness I have now done with the Explication of the Doctrine I come to the Application in which I shall be the shorter because it hath been wholly practical almost Vse 1. In the first place what we have heard may inform us much concerning the Lot and Duty of Gods dearest servants As to their Lot 1. They may in this life be tempted persecuted by men deserted by God very much unsatisfied as to the Lords likeness both in respect of holiness and comfort we are not by an interest in Christ priviledged from trials we may have troubles without and fears from within By our turning into the waies of God we make the world our enemy by deserting it we inrage the Devil to a further enmity indeed we engage God to be our Father but he is a wise Father who though he alwaies loves yet sometimes in prudence he frowns upon a child But here we must distinguish betwixt a seeming desertion and a real desertion betwixt a total and a partial desertion betwixt a desertion as to the necessary influences of grace and as to the less necessary influences of it betwixt a desertion for a time and for ever God cannot cast on his people for ever he cannot totally desert them he cannot withdraw the necessary influences of grace the union betwixt Christ and the soul cannot be dissolved there can be no intercession of the state of Justification no total separation of the Spirit from the soul when once it hath taken up an habitation in it but as to some influences of grace not so necessary to salvation as to consolatory manifestations as to degrees of quickening and strengthening influences God may forsake his Saints and to such a degree that the soul may to it self seem utterly forsaken 2. Secondly You have heard that it is not repugnant to the justice and goodness of God to suffer his child to fall asleep in death without a satisfaction with Gods likeness without such sensible comforts as others may have Light is sown for the righteous joy for the upright in 〈…〉 1. heart But it is like seed sown into the earth which comes up sometimes sooner sometimes later sometimes not till they come in Heaven sometimes soon after conversion sometimes they walk all their life time much in the light of the Lords countenance sometimes they have an April day with vicissitudes of light and darkness gleams and showers sometimes God appears to their souls in the very hour of death they have been in darkness before and then they cry out as the Martyr to his Brother Austin He is come he is come Sometimes again the light of this life goes out in obscurity to them and they go out of this world weeping yet carrying with them the precious seed of Faith and Love they shall return in the resurrection rejoycing and bring their sheaves with them This may serve to regulate our expectations that they rise not too high for dispensations not absolutely necessary to salvation and to direct our charity that we may not entertain uncharitable thoughts nor pass uncharitable censures upon those whom we have seen in this life strictly walking with God yet not dying with sensible comforts 3. Thirdly The Children of God as well as others shall fall asleep Indeed their death is but a sleep and it shall not be a perpetual sleep Death shall taste of them but it shall not feed upon them Lazarus sleepeth saith our Saviour but I go to awake them The children of God shall all sleep but the Lord will come to awake them the last trump shall sound and those who are dead in the graves shall awake and shall arise they shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live their flesh shall rest but it shall rest in hope The wicked also shall sleep and their bodies shall rest but in no hope of a better state in the resurrection it were well for them if they might indeed sleep a perpetual sleep and wake no more Thus far you have been informed of the Lot of Gods people and further of their great priviledge when they awake in the resurrection to be fully and abundantly satisfied with the Lords likeness But in order to their priviledge you have also been informed of their duty 1 Branch At all times to keep on beholding the Lords face in righteousness in the righteousness of Jesus Christ in the righteousness of an holy and innocent life and conversation to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man to be continually labouring to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord to be much in prayer much in the exercise of faith hope patience 2. Especially are they to take care that in their hours of darkness they be not wanting to this duty And further doing this they ought so far to be satisfied as not to murmure not to repine not to think God deals hardly with them but to be thankful rejoycing themselves in this confidence that when they shall awake in the resurrection they shall have what their heart could wish they shall be abundantly satisfied with the Lords likeness Thus far what you have heard serveth you for Instruction Vse 2. Secondly What you have heard may reflect with some check and reproof to many poor souls who truly fear God yet are not come up in this thing to their duty How many do we meet with in the course of our Ministry who though Christ be in them the hopes of glory though they cannot deny what God hath done for their souls their souls tell them they have put their trust in God and committed themselves to the arm of everlasting righteousness they dare not knowingly offend God but make it their business and herein exercise themselves to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and man yet because possibly at present they have not those sensible reflections which others have and they desire they cannot be satisfied but are ready to complain and murmure and like a teachy child to throw away and despise all they have because they cannot obtain this which they so passionately desire they can see no ground of hope they are perswaded that at last they shall go to Hell and one day perish with all their profession they can find no witnessings no sealings of Gods Spirit How often do we hear these and such like sad expressions from them But Christians I beseech you consider 1. What God said to Jonah Do you well to be angry do you well to repine and murmure David Psal 25. 3. prayes they might be ashamed who are transgressours without a cause Are you not transgressours without a cause hath not God given you more than you have
of death should take the terrour of it off our spirits no man is afraid to go to sleep why should we be more afraid to die but for unbelief and a reproving conscience 2. Were it indeed a perpetual sleep there would be less of relief in it but there shall be an awaking out of this sleep though the night be long there shall be a morning This doctrine of the Resurrection is indeed the great argument of comfort against death The Apostle having mentioned it to the Thessalonians to relieve them as to their sorrow for their friends asleep in the Lord concludes wherefore comfort your solves with these words 3. But yet the feast to which we shall awake in the Resurrection is of a further consequence to relieve us under disturbances of this nature This was that which cleared the Martyr that although he had an ill Supper he should have a good breakfast The sleep of death is not like the sleep the Prophet speaks of When a man dreams he is at a feast and when he awaketh behold he is an hungry Indeed there is no dreaming in this sleep but when the child of God awaketh from it in the resurrection he shall awake to a feast not an imaginary but a real feast where he shall be filled with the likeness of God to all eternity 3. Branch Lastly What we have heard administers great consolation to such as mourn for their friends fallen asleep in the Lord. Have we had any friends who have made it their business to behold the face of the Lord in righteousness and to watch for the Lords likeness who herein have exercised themselves to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men and possibly have had their sad hours for a long time sitting in darkness and seeing no light and whose Candle possibly hath at last gone out in obscurity as to visions of peace They have indeed died breathing and thirsting after God hoping and trusting in God and quietly committing their selves unto him but not being able to say Lo this is my God I have waited for him this is my God I have waited for him I will rejoyce and be glad in his salvation I say have we known any so have we had at any time any such friends under such circumstances possibly we have been troubled and have had sad thoughts for them but there is no reason what though they have fallen asleep they shall awake what though they fell asleep not satisfied they shall be satisfied with the Lords likeness when they awake they shall be satisfied There are thousands that die without any such troubled thoughts Some it may be with bold and groundless confidences who will awake with terrour and trembling There be many that shall in that day say Lord Lord open unto us have we not prayed in thy name and prophecied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils to whom the Lord shall say Matth. 7. Depart from me I know you not you workers of iniquity But there is no soul who hath truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ who hath walked strictly and closely with God and made it his or her business to serve the Lord in truth to mortifie his or her lusts and corruptions but though it may live in the dark and it may be die in some dissatisfactions but that soul shall awake in a glorious resurrection and so awaking shall be satisfied and filled with the consolations of God Mourn for loose walking Professors who have lived here without any fear of God or any care to please God and yet when they die have talkt of full perswasions and been full of presumptuous confidences but be not troubled for holy and gracious souls whose lives have been full of faith and holiness though it may be they have had their fears while they lived and a dark hour when they died hath clouded them yet doubt not of them mourn not for them those persons have not died without hope do not you mourn as those without hope their salvation is certain whether it hath been ascertained to them or no hoping in God committing their souls unto God trusting in him walking with him they shall not be ashamed trouble not your selves for them though they fall they shall rise though they sleep they shall awake though through a too much love-jealousie or through the wise dispensation of God when they fell asleep they were unsatisfied yet when in the resurrection they shall awake they shall be satisfied inessably plenteously abundantly satisfied with the Lords likeness and in the joy of that glorious day they shall forget all their former sorrows Vse 4. What you have heard may be applied by way of Caution 1. To all ungodly impenitent sinners such as never beheld the face of God in righteousness nor at all watch for his likeness yet live without any fears it may be with strong confidences and doubt not of being satisfied with the Lords likeness in the resurrection of the just Oh! the presumptuous groundless hopes of an infinite number of Hypocrites they make no question of salvation and think it great uncharitableness for any to doubt of their eternal welfare yet whoso observeth their lives seeth them neither exercising a good conscience towards God nor man instead of walking in righteousness they live in all manner of wickedness yet they will tell you they hope to be saved by Jesus Christ they are of the number of those whom the Apostle speaks of who are dead in trespasses and sins who still have their conversation in the world according to the power of the Prince of the Air who lives and works in the children of disobedience and walk fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and the desires of the mind without Christ and his righteousness strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no true ground of hope living without a God in the world in all neglect of duty towards God and man yet these men hope to be saved these men hope in the resurrection that they also shall be filled with the likeness of God I shall but offer one text of Scripture to such bold presumptuous sinners it is that in Deut. Deut. 29. 18 19 20. 29. 18 19 20. Lest there should be amongst you man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of these Nations lest there should be amongst you a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it cometh to pass that when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this Book shall be upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven and the
soul 1 Col. 27. Christ in you the hope of Glory hath been returned to my soul and comforted me but I cannot call this assurance doubting quickly returned and now Satan would have me let go also my hold on Christ but I am resolved not to let it go until I die shall I not so resolve I beseech you Sir tell me should I not so resolve To this I replied 1. That I rejoyced to hear her Ladiship acknowledging that God had sometimes sealed promised unto her soul that those impressions did not abide constant was not to be wondred at it being rarely the lot of any child of God to walk in the constant light of his countenance but I humbly conceived her Ladiship had great ground to call these impressions of the Spirit of God upon a threefold account 1. They were made upon her soul after earnest prayer 2. They came to one in a dark sad and afflicted condition and to an awakened conscience and to one who had for some time desired to walk close with God and this after long and patient waiting for God 3. The return of that word in which the Lord had made her soul first to hope was a great evidence to me that the Author of the first was also the Author of the second impression 2. I rejoyced more to her Ladiships grant that her Faith of adherence was strengthened and so strengthened as she was resolved not to let it go until she died In which resolution I humbly besought her Ladiship to persist I intreated her Ladiship to consider that there are not two better marks of a strong Faith than 1. The resistance and repelling of temptations to doubt 2. The casting of our souls upon God and adhering to the promise though we want incouragement of sense with Abraham to believe in hope above hope This indeed is a strong faith and gives much glory to God And indeed I thought I never was a witness to the actings of a stronger faith than that of this noble person in the midst of her saddest torments of her darkest hours when she was even distracted through pain and terrours she would cry out to all our amazement It is my strong hold I will not let it go no I will not let it go I am resolved I will not let it go let Satan suggest what he will it is my strong hold I have committed my self unto Christ c. Thus she would cry out bitterly weeping while she spake in great Agonies of her spirit 3. As to Patience I desired her Ladiship to consider that the grace of patience was not a Roman fortitude carrying one out under an affliction without any expression of passion this an Heathen might do without any assistance of distinguishing grace and some distempeâ—atures were such as the best Christians could not so bear them David roared Job complained Christ himself cryed out My God My God Patience is a sacred influence of grace by which we are inabled in the hour of affliction to hope in God whom we see not and meekly to submit to him under his severer dispensations without any murmuring repining or any frowardness of behaviour I told her that although her Ladiship did sometimes roar out through extremity of pain and were restless through torments yet the grace of patience was evidently made manifest in her soul in her humble owning the Justice of God kissing his rod never repining nor murmuring at his dispensations only desiring strength to bear what he would please to lay upon her and her willingness to die or live as he should please to order for it was now patience in her to be content to live finally in her willingness in obedience to Gods command and ordinances though she earnestly desired death yet to use all means though she had no hope of cure to prolong a miserable life so long as God pleased 4. Finally I told her that although possibly sometimes in the height of her distempers some speeches might sound some impatience and unbelief when the extremity of her pain had almost totally deprived her of the use of her reason yet God would not impute this to her for he weighs our performances with our temptations So the Apostle saith You have heard of the patience of Job he that looks in the story will find much in Job which we should call impatience he cursed the day of his birth chap. 3. And we find in his story many other very passionate and distempered speeches yet the Apostle saith not you have heard of the passion and frowardness but you have heard of the patience of Job Though Job sometimes were very impatient yet the Lord considering Jobs patience with his temptations records him as a patient man and so patient as to be propounded to his Saints in following ages as an example of patience he saith not you have heard of the passion or frowardness but you have heard of the patience of Job In short I told her Ladiship that we who were spectators could not but judge her in the free use of her reason full both of faith and patience for her few distempered hours as they were not in number equal to the rest so neither would her tender Father judge her for them By these and other Arguments through Gods assistance she seemed at last satisfied that although she yet wanted the consolations of the Spirit yet she was not without the strengthening influences of it But yet her adversary would not leave her his next temptation was from her apprechended want of Gods quickening grace to which purpose she replies again 6. Tempt Sir I remember you told me that though I wanted the consolations of the Spirit yet if I found its quickening influences I had no reason to despond but Sir I want these my head and my heart is dull there is no life left in my spirit I lift up a lifeless soul to God in prayer never was any in so dull and dead a condition as I am To this I replied 1. That if her Ladiship found the strengthening influences of the holy Spirit they would evidence a state of justification and favour with God now those were evident in her Ladiship how else did her Ladiship in her dark condition commit her self unto God rest upon him and patiently wait for him 2. That as to quickening grace it was seen 1. In exciting the soul to duty 2. In inclining the soul in duty so as it performeth it with alacrity delight and vigour and for the latter it works in us by assisting us in the improvement of our natural parts and powers now this assistance might be wanting to her Ladiship through the indisposition of those Organs by and through the means of which the Spirit perfecteth these operations and her Ladiship must consider that her spirits were tired with succession of pain and stupified by anodines medicines which her learned Physician thought proper for her for the allevation of her pain which otherwise would soon have
enough for our salvation without the broad-seal of assurance This is sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 16. Rom. 4. 16. Hence the Apostle calleth Hope an anchor of of the soul sure and stedfast The certainty of Heb. 6. 19. the anchor depends upon the ground where it is cast The certainty of hope depends upon the infallibility of the Word Now the promise is not made to them that see by the vision of sense but to them that believe to them who behold God by the stedfast eye of faith To him that believeth Joh. 3. 18 36. John 3. 18 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life And again He is not condemned And to him that ordereth his conversation aright I Psa 50. 23. will shew the salvation of God And often to him that waiteth for God What are we that the bare word of the Lord should not satisfie us It is a quaint notion I have somewhere met with that God the Father had nothing but Christs word in security for all the souls whom he took up into Heaven from Adam until Christ had died No price was paid for them only Christ had given his word to his Father that in the fulness of time he would come and would die for them upon this security he took them all into Heaven Hath the word of Christ been taken for the salvation of so many thousand souls Christian and dost thou think it hard to take it for the salvation of thy single soul Ah! will a Christian say God forbid I should not take his word but I do not know that word was made to me nor that I have any share in it I answer thou knowest it is made to them that believe to them that order their conversation aright to them that love God to them that wait on him that thirst after him Canst not thou say thou believest or if that be not so clear to thee canst thou not say thou lovest God that that thou thirstest after him that thou art afraid to sin against him I must confess if thou beest able to satisfie thy self in none of these thy case is hard but if thou canst see any thing of these though thou dost want such a satisfaction from sensible reflections as thou desirest yet thou hast a sure word of promise which can never fall thee and therefore though thou mayest breath and thirst after the sensible consolations of God yet if God in his wisdom thinks fit to deny thee them thou oughtest to be so far satisfied as to be thankful not to repine not to murmure but meekly to commit thy self to God and quietly to wait upon him even whiles he hâ—des his face from thy sad soul This is the first reason 2. Again They ought to be satisfied because it is the will of God It is Gods will they should want these comfortable reflections and it is Gods will that under the want of them they should not repine but trust in the Name of the Lord and stay themselves upon their God Isa 50. 10. that they should wait Isa 50. 10. Isa 8. 17. upon him that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and look for him Isa 8. 17. Such is the wisdom justice and goodness of God in all his dispensations of which we ought to be assured that it should stop every mouth and make all flesh silent before him The consideration Lev. 10. 3. of the will of God hath continually satisfied the people of God under all his severer Psal 39. 3. dispensations towards them This silenced Aaron when he had lost his two eldest Sons in the entry of their sacerdotical office though they were sadly cut off in their iniquity This made David hold his peace 1 Sam. 3. 18. he considered that it was the Lords doing to try his patience This silenced old Eli under that dreadful denunciation against his whole family It is the Lord saith he let him do 2 King 20. 19. what seemeth to him good This silenced Hezekiah when he heard that his posterity should be rooted out and carried captives into Babylon This satisfied the Disciples Act. 21. 14. when they heard they should see their beloved Pauls face no more they said The will of the Lord be done And this ought to silence every soul that hath learned to resign up his will to the divine will and to say Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven 3. Thirdly If we consider it wistly we shall find all imaginable reason concurring to quiet the soul under such dispensations This may be reduced to two heads 1. God in such dispensations doth the soul no wrong 2. God under such dispensations yet is exceeding good to his people 1. First I say God in such dispensations doth the soul no wrong Reason will tell us we cannot justly complain where no injury is done us Why saith the Church in the Lamentations should a living man complain a Iam. 3. man for the punishment of his sin A man a living man a man punished for his sin hath no reason to complain In thy darkest hours thou art yet a living man and but punished for thy sin This is that which the housholder in the Parable objected to the murmuring labourer Friend saith he I do thee no wrong didst not thou agree with me for a penny Mat. 20. 23. take therefore what is thy own and go thy way is it not lawful for me to do with my own what I please Three things are there said to satisfie the labourer 1. He did him no wrong therefore he had no cause to complain 2. He had agreed with him for a penny that was all was his own 3. He might do with his own what he pleased All these things Christian are applicable unto thee Doth the Lord hide his face from thee doth he deny thee the light of his countenance and only inable thee by faith to devolve thy soul upon him and patiently to wait for him is this all he will please to grant thee I say first God in these dispensations doth thee no wrong what hast thou earned Canst thou challenge these sensible manifestations at Gods hand as due to thee in point of justice if whatsoever influences thou receivest from God must be acknowledged influences of grace not debts much more these God therefore in denying them to thee in with-holding them from thee does thee no wrong at all if he should resresh thee with them it were superabounding grace but if he denies them to thee he doth thee no injury Again May not God do what he pleaseth with his own May man do do it and is God less free are not these sensible manifestations the gales of his Spirit and shall not that like the wind blow where it pleaseth are they not his sealings and shall not he set his seal where he pleâ—seth especially when in one sense he hath sealed thee to the day of redemption as
I shall shew thee more by and by Further yet when thou acceptedst of the Covenant of Grace offered to thee did not God agree with thee for a penny Is not this the Lords Covenant Believe and be saved This indeed the Lord hath said That whosoever cometh unto him he will in no wise cast away But hath he any where said That whosoever by faith cometh unto him shall walk in the uninterrupted light of his countenance If thou couldest not challenge these comfortable manifestations as thy earnings yet if thou couldest challenge them as debts from God upon compact thou mightest indeed complain of wrong done unto thee in the want of them but there is no such thing promises indeed there are of such kind of mercies as there is of outward prosperity health riches c. to be understood with a reservation to Gods wisdom so far as he sees good for thy salvation and for his own glory But thou wilt say to me this is a poor ground of satisfaction if I were now going down into the bottomless pit God did me no wrong 2. Secondly Therefore I say God under such dark dâ—spensations is yet exceeding good and gracious to thee if thou findest him but inabling thee to behold his face in righteousness and to watch for his likeness to believe and to live an holy life and conversation David in Psal 73. relates under what a great temptation Psal 73. 1. he was by reason of his own afflicted state and the prosperity of wicked men he begins the Psalm Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Thou art under a great temptation possibly by reason of that darkness in which it pleaseth God to keep thee as to sensible evidences yet I will shew thee thou hast reason to say Truly God is good to me I will open this in a few particulars 1. Thou hast the hope of glory All thy exercises of grace thy looking up to God thy waiting for him thy fear of offending God thy trouble when thou hast offended him thy love jealousies thy waiting for God all thy exercises of grace are branches springing from that root and indeed the child of God cannot be without hope These all speak thy union with Christ without whom thou couldest do none of these things Now where Christ is there must be the hopes of glory Christ in you the hope of glory saith Col. 1. 27. the Apostle It was a portion of Scripture which often refreshed the soul of this excellent Lady whose funerals we are celebrating if I remember right I have heard her say it was the first piece of Scripture which God sealed to her soul I am sure it was what often refreshed her in her latter daies and to her very last hour it was as the sword of Goliah None to it both for the repelling of temptations and the refreshing of her fainting soul 2. Secondly By hope saith the Apostle we Rom. 8. 24. are saved Now saith the same Apostle Hope that is seen is no hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for The hope of a child of God hath this character it maketh not ashamed David saith no more but that his Rom. 5. 5. flesh should rest in hope Psal 16. 9. And the wise man saith no more but The Righteous Pro. 14. 32. hath hope in his death It is not alwaies true that the righteous man hath assurance in his death but he hath hope in his death an hope that maketh not ashamed in his death and so standeth distinguished from the Hypocrite of whom Job saith Where is the hope of the Hypocrite when God takes away his soul 3. This hope Thirdly is enough to give the soul joy Hence you read of the rejoycing of hope which may be kept firm to the end Heb. 3. 6. it is not so with ordinary hope Solomon saith Hope deferred makes the heart sick But it is so with this good hope through grace because of the certainty that attends it the certainty of the word of promise upon which it leaneth 4. Fourthly Observe what the Apostle saith of this hope Heb. 6. 18 19 20. That by two Heb. 6. 18 19 20. immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope before us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vail whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The two immutable things are Gods Word and his Oath His word of promise that is immutable Heaven and Earth shall pass away before a tittle shall pass from it His Oath in that God hath condescended to our infirmity that we might hope stedfastly O nos foelices saith Tertullian quorum gratiâ Deus jurat O infideles si juranti non credamus These two are the grounds of our hope and the Apostle judgeth them sufficient for an anchor for our souls both sure and stedfast yea not only so but to raise a strong consolation to those who fly to it for refuge and why because it is entred within the vail it is fastened in Heaven it is not like an anchor fallen in a sandy soil it is entred within the vail and if you would know how Heaven comes to be so sure a soil for a poor Christians hope the Apostle tells you that our forerunner Christ Jesus is entred there and that in the quality of a Priest an eternal Priest not after the order of Aaron who was daily to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin but after the order of Melchisedeck Christ hath died for our sins and risen again for our justification he hath said that whosoever believeth in him shall not be condemned he hath made this Covenant with every Believer and is now entred into Heaven in the quality of a Priest an eternal Priest who stands alwaies before his Fathers Throne presenting his own mediatory performances and merits unto his Father the soul believeth in him then raiseth an hope of salvation though it wants sensible evidences and this hope is sufficient to give unto the soul a strong consolation having fled to Christ for refuge however to be an anchor to the soul and that both sure and stedfast which therefore should stay it 5. Fifthly Faith and strong Faith is surely enough to carry a soul to Heaven though it wants sensible evidences if it be not what becomes of the Covenant of Grace what became of all the promises repetitions and branches of that Covenant but a child of God may have faith and strong faith and yet want sensible consolation I say a Christian may have faith I do not mean only a faith of assent which the Devils may have Saint James saith they believe and tremble they doubtless do agree to the Propositions of