Hearts hear what the Text saith A New Command I give unto you c. Wherein First you have the Command A New Command I give unto you It is not left to our discretion but we are bound to it by vertue of a Command A New Command I give unto you Secondly This Command is enforced by Gods own example as I have loved you It is called a new Command but Love is an old Command this Law is written in the Nature of Man It is engraven in every mans heart by Nature and it is an old Command because found among Gods antient Statutes the antient Records of his Law I but 't is a new Command too because pressed by a new Example of Christ As I have loved you so do ye love one another Doct. Christians ought to make Conscience of this duty of loving one another Confident I am We shall never see Religion thrive in the World until we see this Grace of Love flourish in the heart of Christians Nor the illustration of this proposition I shall do these two things First shew you the truth of this Love Secondly the extent of this Love First Truth of this Love If you love one another saith Christ see you do it purely not dissembling but from the heart 1 John 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth dissembling love is like painted fire that will never warm we must not be like the Bee that hath honey in her mouth but withal hath a sting in her tail we must not pretend to love to have honey in the mouth but withal have the sting of malice in the heart no said the Apostle Let us love in deed and in truth Secondly Extent of our Love this Fountain of Love must run in three streams 1. We must love all men love their persons although we must not love their sins we have all the same make the same lump and mould and therefore must love there is a natural Love that every creature bears to his own species and kind 2. Our love must especially stream out to the Saints of God the houshold of Faith It is with our love as it is with our fire you keep fire all the day upon the Hearth but upon special occasions you draw it out larger so our Love must always burn to all I but to the Saints you must draw out the fire inlarge your affections we must love as God loves he doth especially love the Saints love every creature with a common love but especially the New Creature and indeed there is that in every true Saint that may excite and allure our Love What are the Graces of the Spirit but so many pearls to adorn the Bride of Christ What is holiness in the heart 〈◊〉 the imbroidery and curious Workmanship of the Holy Ghost here is enough to entice and draw out our Love and Beloved if we love the Saints for their Graces then we love all the Saints And here I beseech you consider these six pariculars First We ought to love the Saints in what condition soever they are although they be poor in the world low in their condition for commonly so it is They that have the lowest hearts have the lowest condition too I read of the King of the Moors that he was offended at the Christians because of their poverty and truly when wicked men do fleece the Saints it is no wonder if they be poor methinks grace in a poor man is like a Pearl that lies in the dust or like a cloath of Gold that is hid under Rags you must love the Gold that is the Grace notwithstanding the Rags The poorest Saint alive hath the Angels riches the poorest Believer is a Member of Christ and shall we not love him we love the picture of a friend although it be hung in a mean frame we must love a rich Christ in a poor man Secondly We are to love the people of God although they have many weak infirmities shew me the man that is perfect and let him throw the first stone even the best Saints like the Starrs they have their twinkling they have their blemishes and their failings in some there 's too much pride in others too much censoriousness in others too much rash anger and passion but we must love the Grace that is in them notwithstanding the infirmities that are in them you love Gold though in the oar and mixed with much impurity a Saint on earth is like a Diamond that hath its flaw like to the Rose that is sweet and perfumed but yet hath its pricks The best Saints have some mixture and infirmity and we must love them for the good that is in them this is our great fault we are apt to over-look all the good and so take notice of the stain and blemishes in them as those that see a little stain in a piece of Scarlet despise the cloath for the stains sake so do we But God doth not do so by us he is pleased to over-look many sad failings he seeth the Faith and winks at the failings of his people you that cannot love a Brother because you see an imperfection in him would you have God do so by you would you have him damn you for every blemish of sin Thirdly We must love the Children of God though weak in parts all are not born Politicians But though the Saints of God have not always so good intellectuals as others yet if they have good Vitals and the life of Faith in them love them for that Grace you do not despise your Children because they are weak but you love them because they are your Children Oh! do not despise a Saint because he is of low parts but love him as he is a Child of your Heavenly Fathers Fourthly We are to love the Saints of God though in some lesser things they differ from us if they keep the foundations of Religion and hold the Head Christ yet we are to bear other things one Christian hath more light than another and shall we un-saint all that cannot come up to our light It s great wisdom to separate between the precious and the vile O what a blessed place will Heaven be because there our light shall be clear and our love shall be perfect And that is the fourth Fifthly Love the Saints of God when reviled and persecuted a bleeding Saint should be the object of our love Onisiphorus saith Paul was not ashamed of my chain a sign he loved Christs Graces in Paul Christ Jesus loveth no Saints more than his persecuted Saints his Martyrs have the highest Thrones reserved in Heaven for them we must love to see Christs Livery upon a man though sprinkled with bloud he that is ashamed of a persecuted Saint will never suffer for a crucified Jesus Sixthly We must love the Saints of God though their Graces may eclipse and out-shine our Graces Beloved in the sweetest fruits worms are apt
my Minister and my Friend leave me yet God will not leave me he is engaged by his own promise truth and faithfulness I will never never never leave thee nor forsake thee If you do not forsake God God will never forsake you if once you have so committed your selves to God as God accepts the charge he hath undertaken that you shall never depart from him It is part of the Covenant and he is engaged to all the Relations wherein he stands to his people as a Husband as a Father as a Master But you will say How shall we commit our selves to God that God may have a charge of us I will give you one Direction for all 1. Take God to be your God and give up your selves to be his people â—f you will before you and I part heartily and unreservedly give up your selves to God to be his people it will be the comfortablest day that ever I saw though in other respects it may be the saddest As certainly God is your God so certainly he will keep you if you will avouch your selves to be Gods I will avouch God to be yours 1. You must take God to be the portion of your souls inheritance lay up all your happiness in God for if you chuse any thing else for your happiness but God God will have nothing to do with you God will be All or Nothing Your hearts must say as David's Lord thou art my portion whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee He accounted all nothing for God God was his happiness God was his Portion God was his All in All. 2. You must make God the center of all your love and delight God will have all from you or nothing you must not divide your affection between God and the World you must love nothing in comparison of him love nothing but in subordination to him as you would have God to be wholly yours so you must be wholly his 3. You must rake God to be the strength and shield of hearts As you would have God to take care of you you must cast your care upon God If you place your hope any where else there will be no sure hold the Anchor of your hope must be cast no where else if you lay your burden any where else God will not lend a finger to help you but if you place your hope in God God will help you your extremity shall be his opportunity 4. You must take God to be the guide of your hearts if you would have the priviledge of God's guard you must keep in Gods way keep in Gods way and you will be sure of Gods protection do you keep Gods precepts and God will keep your person do what God commands and avoid what God forbids and then you need not fear what will become of you Let the World frown and Friends forsake you resolve that you will follow God wheresoever he leads you then he will be your God all your dayes and he will guide you here by his counsel till at last he bring you to his glory And this leads me to the second Exhortation in respect of the Gospel Secondly Brethren I commend you to the Word of Gods Grace I commend you to the Precepts of God to be obeyed by you I commend you to the Promises of God to be believed by you 1. Keep them hold them fast carefully it is your treasure life keep it and it will keep you it is all that you can shew for Heaven I leave it as a Depasitum if you part with it take heed how you will answer it at the last day it is the Talent which God hath committed to you for which you will be commended for keeping at the great day Hold fast the Word of God's grace there is old tugging by the Devil and his instruments either to pull you from the Word or the Word from you Let go any thing rather than the Gospel let go your Friends your Estates your Lives rather than let go the Gospel Study Gods Word do not keep it by you for no purpose Search the Scriptures for in them you hope for eternal life There 's the Pearl of great price there is Directions there is Comfort this Book of God will make you wise unto Salvation If you never hear Sermon more you have enough by the use of the Bible to carry you to Heaven There 's Divinity there is holiness and Heaven almost in every syllable when you cannot have it preached to you Be much in the study of it Then practice it conscionably Be not only Hearers but Doers of it let your conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Iâ— was the Apostles advice to the Philippians and its mine to you Let your Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Let your Conversation become the Precepts the Priviledges the Promises of the Gospel Having then thus commended you to God give me leave before we part to commend God and his Gospel to you 1. Make it your daily business to walk with God make him the Companion of your lives Converse with God every day in the inward of your hearts He that is a stranger with God God will soon be a stranger to him and if you neglect God one day you may be to seek him when you most need him 2. Live in the daily exercise of Grace and Godliness 1. Live in the continual exercise of Faith live by it you have need of the exercise of that Grace every day You can as well live without food as live without Faith it is that Grace which feeds upon Christ 2. Be much in the exercise of the Fear of the Lord all the day long be afraid to sin against God in the secret of your souls mind his presence in all places in all company in all businesses 3. Be much in the exercise of Humility live humbly and think better of others than your selves Humility will exceedingly adorn your profession 4. Be much in the exercise of Repentance Be frequent and constant in Prayer Pray continually do it spiritually and do it exactly as to the season of it 5. Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Whatsoever you do for God do it with all your might do not put off God with the skin but give him the marrow 6. Be careful not only to keep up secret but Family-worship the less preaching there is in publick the more catechising and instructing there should be in private I know no more likely means than the setting up the worship of God in private Families 7. Prize the Sabbath be strict and exact in the observation of the Lord's-day I have shewed you many times wherein the spiritual observation of it doth confist it is your Seed-time your market-day it is a sign you shall one day celebrate an everlasting Sabbath with God in the highest Heavens 8. Be stedfast in the ways of God in a back-sliding Age Keep your
to stand work and suffer alone Though in duty they should not be alone when they can have society and though the rest are most humble therefore are sensible they have need of others and will not throw away any of their helps yet if all forsake them they will stand to it still they go not to Heaven meerly for company sake they be not Christians meerly because such and such are Christians If all the world forsake Christ they will stick to him unless Christ leave them to their own weakness But the weak Christian hath a great deal more need of comfort and support and lives a more dependent life they cannot stand work suffer alone if their Minister fall they fall if their Relations change they change if there be not some body at hand to confute an Adversary they yield if there be not some body to keep life and warmth they grow cold in every duty in affliction they can step on no longer then led by the hand c. Have Christians to support and to quiet and to moderate their passions and to teach them the Doctrine of patience they can hold up no longer then they are refreshed with Cordials what would become of you should God let you stand by your selves c. 8. The strong Christian is one that can best live without creatures upon God alone a weak Christian is one that hath most need of the creature and can least live upon God alone under the censures of the godly frowns of the wicked without riches honours pleasures can have the quietness and contentment in God whether he have any thing or nothing where ever he is c. The more necessity thou art in of having something besides God for thy consolation the more weak thou art there must be supply I know not how to be poor disgraced c. this impatient soul is the feeble soul Impatience is nothing but the fruit of weakness The strong Christian can live upon God alone therefore if men make as if they were undone if lost in their estates 't is a certain sign of a lamentable weakness of a sick soul 9. That is the best and strongest Christian and most confirmed in grace who is most employed and abides in the love of God in love to God That hath the fear of God but goes beyond fear and loves most and abides most in the love of God That makes it his great business to feed upon and study the love of God to him and to return love to him again The more Gods love is on thy heart and the more thou lovest in the fruit of that love the stronger Christian But he that lives most by a kind of constraining fear though he may be sincere he is but weak where there is nothing but fear and no love there is no sincerity but where there is some little measure of love fear is such a tyrant that it will many times cloud it so that almost all his life seems to be moved and managed by fear and in this there is much loathness and unwillingness and they had rather do otherwise then they do according to the measure of love is the strength of grace 10. He is the strongest Christian that hath most pure and most universal love to others that can love all men even an enemy with true unfeined love even with such love as belongs to a Christian that can love every Christian and not a party only with the pure and fervent love which belongs to Believers that can love every child of God and not those only that are of his opinion or have done him good but all because they are children of God with a sincere and special hearty love That is the weak Christian that picks and chuses that is staggering when he comes to loving an enemy that takes in those that agree with him in judgment and makes those almost only the object of his love that would confine his affections to some narrow society some little sect party or parcel of Believers and cannot love Christians as Christians And hence it is division is the effect of enmity or of weakness in Grace for want of the universality of love I would make no question to prognostick the healing of all divisions within this Nation could I but advance all that are concerned in it to the right temper of Christian love 'T is the weak children in Christs Family that falls out when we have not enough love to reach to all and to love a Christian as a Christian c. Q. What must be done by those that are converted to keep them where they are to help them unto growth to make them better to further their confirmation to secure their salvation that they may after all attain the Crown A. I shall leave with you twenty directions and as many as there are there are not more than you must practise and take them as if they were the last directions I shall give you and take them as practicals not as notionals that you must live upon as long as you live 1. See that the foundation be surely laid in your head and heart in matters of your Religion In your head that is that you well understand what Religion is what the Christian Religion is what God is what it is for God to be yours in his Attributes and Relations unto you what he is and will be unto you what you are and must be unto him what sin is how odious wherein its evil consists what is sin and what not what sin hath done in the world and what estate it hath brought transgressors into what Christ is what he hath done for mans recovery and redemption what he hath wrought gives and offers to the world The end and design of God in the work of mans Redemption The tender of the Gospel Covenant of Grace freeness largeness excellency of the grace of this Covenant The end of our Religion the everlasting glory that is revealed in the Gospel what it is how sure and how great When you understand these things get a sound and redicated belief concerning the Truths of the holy Scripture revealing all these things And think it not enough that the Scripture is true or that you are resolved so to believe but get the best grounds for your belief be well established on those grounds Read the Scripture much till you are acquainted with and relish the matter and language and feel the power and till all be delightful to your souls in reading And be not ashamed to understand the Fundamentals look to your Catechism The Fundamentals of Religion you must understand and receive And when you have got them into your head be sure you get them into your heart and never think any truth received as it ought till it hath done some special work on your heart till you believe that God is Almighty Just Holy c. and all the Attributes of God have made their holy impression on your
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation and usually we have most of consolation from God when we have most of tribulation from without as our sufferings do abound so our consolations doth abound much more The childe that is beaten when it is well is cherished when it is ill when persons are sick then you give them Cordials God gives the best of comforts in the worst of times when the burden is heavy upon the back then the peace of conscience is great within the worse it is without the better it is within when men discover most of anger God discovers most of love Fifthly God is with such in his strengthening presence to enable them and to support them to undergoe what ever he is pleased to call them unto this is the way of our good and gracious God he always gives out strength as he layes on affliction he never leaves his children alone in this respect he will be with them to support them though it may be not to deliver yet he will certainly be with them to support the Rod and the staff they go together Psal 23.4 the afflicting Rod and the supporting staff when one is upon the Saint to afflict then the other hand is underneath the Saint to support Isa 41 10. I will uphold thee I will strengthen thee fear not I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness This David found I cryed unto the Lord in my distress he answered me and strengthened me in my inward man Psal 138.3 Oh! when men afflict God supports when men puts the children of God into the deep waters then God takes them by the chin and holds them up that they shall not sink and be drowned Sixthly God is with them in his sympathizing presence Oh he hath a tender sense of all the sorrows and calamities of his people Oh it grieves him that they are grieved they that touch thim touches the apple of his eye in all their afflictions he is afflicted Saul Saul why persecutest thou me every blow that is given to them God bears a part of it himself as they are sensible of Gods dishonour so God is sensible of their suffering it pains him to the very heart to see his children wronged and abused by a malicious World Seventhly He is with them by his sanctifying presence all their troubles are to do them good and to make them good and therefore the Furnace it is but to refine them from their drosse the pruning-hook of affliction it is but to cut off their luxuriant Branches God takes the sharp knife into his hand and lances them but it is only to fetch out their corruption By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Eightly God is with them by his quickening presence to make their Prayers more fervent to make their requests to the Throne of Grace more Importunate The Children of God cry most to him when they suffer most from men and their prayers are best when their condition is worst Prayer shortens Affliction and Affliction heightens Prayer God is with them to hear their Prayers Oh the prayer of the Afflicted that comes up to Heaven God hears the sighs and groans of his oppressed ones their tears pierce the Heavens they call upon God in time of trouble and pour out their sorrows before the Lord and he doth hear them Ninthly God is with them by his raising presence to raise up their hearts higher to elevate their souls and bring them more near to himself Gods people when they meet with troubles in the World Oh! nothing so sweet unto them as the enjoyment of God then no life so sweet unto them as the life of Faith then they relish a sweetness in the promise then every smile of God oh how welcome is it then all the affections of their souls center in God and run to God as in Winter-time all the sap of the Tree runs to the root in Summer-time it spreads it self in the body but in the Winter goes to the root when a man is sick all the blood goes to the heart so in a suffering condition all the affections of the soul go to God But now what are the reasons why God will not leave his people that thus desire to please him Why God loves them therefore he will not leave them persons we love we cannot leave especially when they are in a distressed condition and as God hath set his love upon them so they have set their love upon him they love him Psal 91.15 you have there an expression Because he hath set his love upon me therefore I will deliver him He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble God is a God of bowels of great pity and compassion and therefore he will not leave his people in a time of distress you know bowels how they stand in you towards them that are in misery it goes to the heart of a merciful man to leave a person in misery Oh how great are the bowels and compassions of God! It Ephraim my Son is he a pleasant Child Oh my bowels are turned within me I will have mercy on him 2. Such as please God shall have his presence under sufferings because now they need God most if God will not leave his people as to temporal supplies because they need such and such things they need meat and they need cloathing surely much more God will not leave his children as to spiritual supplies under times of distress because then they need God Oh what can a Believer do or what can a Believer suffer when God leaves him his strength is in God his support is in God his comfort is in God his All is in God and therefore if God now leave him what will become of him he needs God at all times but never so much as when his condition is dark and troubled What was Sampson that man of so great strength when his hair was gone and what is a Believer when his God is gone 3. God loves to see his people chearful in a time of suffering and therefore he is with them he loves not that they should walk dejectedly When God is present Paul and Silas can sing in Prison the Apostles can rejoyce that God honours them to be reproached for him When God is present the people of God are not only chearful under tribulation but can glory their cross is their Crown but if God be with-drawn what can there be drooping hearts and pensive sorrows 4. God will not leave them because they will not leave him God will not leave them because they suffer for his sake were they not tender of Gods glory and careful to please him they might be free from suffering as well as others but it is for Gods sake they suffer For thy sake we are killed like sheep all the day long Lastly It is thus
Sacraments it is a little gall imbitters a great deal of honey So where there is a little of this Gall of malice and hatred it imbittereth and spoileth all the honey of your Graces and Duties The Apostle bids us in prayer to lift up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim. 1.2 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting What the Apostle speaketh of the duty of Prayer I may say of the Lords Supper when you come to see the Body and Blood of the Lord Lift up pure hands without malice bitterness and wrath That is a sad speech of Augustine He that is full of rancor and malice he is a man-slayer Nay the Apostle saith it in the first Epistle of John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know no murderer hath Eternal life abiding in him Do not think this Ordinance will profit you if you do not come in love to the Saints suppose a man drinketh down poison and afterwards taketh down a Cordial surely this Cordial will do him but little good so thou that drinkest down the poison of wrath and maliceÌ„ into thy soul and comest afterward to drink down the Cordial of Christs bloud in the Sacrament why certainly this Cordial will do thee but little good EXHORTATION Therefore to conclude by way of Exhortation I beseech you in the Lord that you would remember this Text this day when you come to the Lords Table read over this Lesson A new Commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you come to the Sacrament in love to Jesus Christ and in love one to another be not full of bitterness but full of bowels the primitive Saints were of one heart you all expect I know one Heaven and will you not be of one heart this I believe is a great reason why the Sacrament hath no more profited many receivers you know if there be a stopping at the stomack the meat taken in will never concoct and nourish why thou that hast wrath and anger and malice at thy heart there is an obstruction as it were at the stomach and therefore it is that the bread of life doth not nourish thy Soul Why Christians are not we all Souldiers under one Regiment under Jesus Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and Captain of our salvation Are not we all Branches of the same Vine and are we not all Members of the same Body and shall there be a schism or rent in the Body I shall only say this we should do all as the Serpent Naturalists observe the Serpent that before he goes to drink at the waters he casts up his poison so before you come to the Table of the Lords Supper cast up your poison of bitterness wrath and malice and then Christs bloud will be both a Medicine to heal you and a Julip to refresh you Mr. Watson's Afternoon-Sermon Aug. 17. 1662. 2. Cor. 7.1 Having these promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves IT is the Title that I intend now by the help of God to insist upon that sweet Parenthesis in the Text Dearly Beloved wherein you have the Apostle breathing forth his affections unto this people he speaks now as a Pastor and he speaks to them of his spiritual Children Dearly Beloved where you have First the Title Dearly Beloved Secondly the Exhortation to Holiness Let us cleanse our selves Thirdly the means how we should be cleansed and sanctified Having these Promises It is the first of these that I intend the Title that the Apostle gives to his Children Dearly Beloved From hence observe this Doctrine That the affections of a right Gospel-Minister towards his People are very ardent Dearly Beloved there are two things in every Minister of Christ that are much exercised his Head and his Heart his Head with labour and his Heart with Love his Head with labour in the work of the Ministry if done aright it is a work fitter for Angels than for men it is our work to open the Oracles of God even those sacred profound things that the Angels search into and if God did not help us we might soon sink under the weight of such a burden and as a Ministers head is exercised with labour so his Heart is exercised with Love and it is hard to say which of the two exceeds his Labour or his Love Thus is it here in the Text My Dearly Beloved In these words we have St. Paul laying fiege to these Corinthians and labouring to make a happy victory to conquer them with Kindnesse Dearly Beloved St. Pauls heart was the spring of Love his lips were the Pipe the Corinthians were the Cistern into which this spring did run this Holy Apostle was a mirrour and a pattern of Love towards the sinning Corinthians Pauls tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians his Love did burn Holy Paul was a Seraphin his Heart did burn in a flame of affection to his People How many passages do we find scattered in his Epistles he tells his People which sometimes he did write to and sometimes he preached to he looked after their souls more than their silver 2 Cor. 12.14 We seek not yours but you as a tender Nurse cherisheth her child with the Brest so St. Paul gave his People the breast-milk of the Word in 1 Thess 2.7 this man of God did not onely bestow a Sermon upon his People but was willing to impart his very soul to them if it might save theirs 1 Thess 2.8 We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls because you are dear unto us Such was St. Pauls affection to his people that without a complement he loved them more than his life Phil. 2.17 and if I be offered upon the sacriâ—â—ce and service of your Faith I rejoyce with you all that is as if he had said if it be so that my bloud be poured forth as a sacrifice if my death may be any way serviceable unto you if it may help forward the strengthening and confirming of your Faith I am willing to die I rejoyce to do it so full of affection was this Apostle that he could not choose but love his people though the more he did love the less he should be loved In 2 Cor. 15. Oh! how did Paul sweeten all his Sermons with Love 2 Cor. 12. if he reproved fin yet he was angry in love he dipt the Pill in Sugar Gal. 4.9 10 11. How turn ye again to weak and beggarly Elements ye observe days and moneths and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain Brethren I beseech you be as I am See how St. Paul chides their sins and yet at the same time courts their souls no sooner did he lanch the wound but presently he poured in Wine and Oyl into it so did Paul love his People that he would not justly give any offence to the weak Believer 1 Cor. 8.13 If
meat make my Brother to offend I will never eat flesh more while the world standeth Paul was like some tender Mother who forbears to eat those meats that she might for fear of hurting the child that she gives suck to Thus you see he was a spiritual Father made up of love and surely my Brethren this affection in some degree is in all the true Ministers of Jesus Christ they are full of sympathy and bowels unto those over whom the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers I shall only glance at the Reason why it will be thus and why it should be thus that such flaming affections there should be in all Christs Ministers to their People It will be thus for these two Reasons briefly First From that Principle within that teacheth love Grace doth not fire the heart with passion but with compassion Grace in the heart of a Minister files off that ruggedness that is in his spirit making him loving and courteous Paul once breathed out persecution but when Grace came this Bramble was turned into a spiritual Vine twisting himself about the souls of his People with loving embraces Secondly There will be this ardent love in a Ministers heart from the spiritual relation that is betwixt him and his People he is a spiritual Father and shall we think him to be without bowels 1 Cor. 4.15 Though you have ten thousand Instructers yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Some he begets unto Christ others he builds up in Christ Doth not a Father provide cheerfully for his Children Can a Father see bread taken from his Child and not have his heart affected with it Is it not a grief to a Parent to see his Child put out to a dry Nurse Thirdly There should be this ardent love and affection in all Gods Ministers for this reason because this is the liveliest way to do most good knotty and stubborn hearts will soonest be wrought upon with kindness The fire melteth the hardest metal the fire of love with Gods blessing will melt the most obdurate sinner A Boanerges a Son of consolation who comes in the spirit of Love is the fittest to do a piece of Gospel-chyrurgery to restore and put such a one in joynt again that is taken with a fault Gal. 6.1 Restore such a one with the spirit of Love and Meekness Thus much in short for the Doctrinal part Give me leave now to make some Application And first here are several Inferences that may be drawn from this As First See here the right Character of a Gospel-Minister He is full of love he exhorts he comforts he reproves and all in love he is never angry with his People but because they will not be saved how loath is a Minister of Christ to see precious Souls like so many Jewels cast over-board into the dead sea of Hell a conscientious Minister would count it an unhappy gain to gain the world and lose the souls of his people he saith as the King of Sodom to Abraham Give me the Persons and take thee the Goods Gen. 14.21 The second branch of Information is this are true Gospel-Ministers so full of Love then how sad is it to have such Ministers put upon a people as have no love to Souls The work of the Ministry it is a labour of Lope Oh! how sad it is to have such in the Ministry that can neither labour nor love that are such as are without bowels that look more at Tyths than at Souls it must needs be sad with a people in any part of the world to have such Ministers set over them as either poisons them with error or do what in them lies to damn them by their wicked example How can the Devil reprove sin How can the Minister cry out in the Pulpit against drunkennesse that will himself be drunk Rom. 2.22 Thou that teachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man ought not to commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery We read that the Snuffers of the Tabernacle were to be made of pure Gold Exod. 37.23 those who by their calling are to reprove and snuff off the sins of others they should be pure Gold holy persons In the Law God did appoint the lip of the Leper should be covered he ought to have his lip covered he should not be permitted to speak the Oracles of God who though he be by Office an Angel yet by life is a Leper Thirdly See from hence the happiness of a Minister who is placed among such a people as give him abundant cause of love how happy is he that can say to his people from his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my dearly beloved And here let me speak by way of encouragement to you of this Parish I find St. Paul commending the good he saw in his people 1 Thess 1.3 We are bound to thank God always for you Beloved because your Faith grows exceedingly Here Paul is commending his People in imitation of the Apostle let me at this time speak a commendatory word to you I have exercised my Ministry now among you for almost sixteen years and I rejoyce and bless God that I cannot say the more I love you the less I am loved I have received many signal demonstrations of love from you though other Parishes have exceeded you in number of houses yet I think not for strength of affection I have with much comfort observed your reverent attentions to the Word Preached you rejoyced in this Light not for a season but to this day I have observed your zeal against Errour and as much as could be expected in a critical time your unity and amity this is your honour and if for the future there should be any interruption made in my Ministry among you though I should not be permitted to preach to you yet shall I not cease to love you and to pray for you but why should there be any interruption made where is the crime some indeed say that we are disloyal and seditious Beloved what my actions and sufferings for his Majesty have been is known not to a few of you but however we must go to Heaven through good report and through bad report and it is well if we can get to glory though we pass through the Pikes I shall endeavour that I may still approve the sincerity of my Love to you I will not promise that I shall still preach among you nor will I say that I shall not I desire to be guided by the silver thred of Gods Word and of Gods Providence my heart is towards you there is you know an expression in the late Act that we shall be now shortly as if we were naturally dead and if I must die let me leave some Legacy with you before I go from you I cannot but give you some counsel and advice for your souls and I hope there is no hurt in that There are
Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Mal. 3.13 there is the like instance Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee this God is always quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what have we said in the 14 verse Ye said it is in vain to serve God and what prosit is it that we have kept his Ordinances we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts and now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered well now what follows They they that feared the Lord spake often one to another as if they had said let not these things take any thing off the edge of our affections or quench any flame of our love did God take any notice of this now that he had any such friends in the world yes saith he God hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him there is a time coming the day will declare whether it be serving God or the Devil well then beloved as ever you would hold fast the profession of your Faith take heed of the error of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may lose bâ— it for if ye lose for him ye shall never lose by him Thirdly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then lay up the word of Faith in a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 It is said there of the good ground they are they which have heard the Word kept it or hold it fast where do they lay it up now in a good and honest heart so that you must pull out his heart before that you can pull out the Word and will any man suffer his heart to be torn from him you never hold it fast till you lay it up in a good and honest heart if it be only in the hands as a Bible in your hands or in the head it will be gone but if it be in your hearts you will never let it go therefore observe saith he Having heard it they keep it and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring with patience for if they were not under suffering what need were there of patience Well beloved consider a little further as to this the Connection between the verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled with a pure conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the profession of our faith the purity of the heart is the best preservative of the Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience a good and honest heart will never part with the mysteries of faith Lastly Would you hold fast the profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of your Faith David had got the faculty of walking with God and how was it saith he I will keep thy loving kindness before mine eyes that I may walk with thee Oh! if we do but keep the loving kindness of God in Jesus Christ before our eyes we shall certainly keep the faith Saith the Apostle having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near and let us hold fast a high Priest that is Jesus Christ our great high Priest Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren he partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God! Oh! let us be thinking of and looking to this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh! think of this condescension in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered being God for man Think how he became poor that was rich that we that were poor might become rich think how he became a curse think how he became sin for us think what a good Confession he made before Pontius Pilate even to death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty power and ascended into Heaven and ever lives to make intercession for those that come to the Father through him Think how he lived here on earth in a sad condition and joyed in it so that it might be for our good and shall we leave such a Christ as this Oh! can you look upon Christ and leave the Profession of your Faith It cannot be keep Christ before your eyes make him your pattern and you will not you cannot do amiss He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked he walked in obedience all his days and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in all obedience all our days though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for our holding fast the Profession of our Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all in the words of Jude from the 20 ver of this Epistle to the end But you Beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God and Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel-Sermon Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20.1662 Rev. 3. Verse 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard and held fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lords day in this Congregation I told you then there were three Doctrines obvious in the Text the first was Doct. 1. That it is the Duty of Christians to remember those Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 2.
thy word even as one that had found great stoils saith David so should we rejoyce alwayes in this treasure 'T is said of those that sate under John Baptists ministry that they rejoyced but for a while and that is the condition and misery of many The City of Samaria when they had received the Gospel 't is said they had great joy Acts 8.9 4. Be careful to keep and preserve it for it is a treasure and therefore we must treasure it up in our hearts and the rather because it will keep us It keeps as Chrysostome saith the house where it is other treasures cannot secure us Discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee Prov. 21.11 Thus you see the excellency of this spiritual wisdom So much for the first thing considerable in the first branch viz. the Depositum the Treasure The second thing considerable is the Repository i. e. Earthen Vessels or Vessels of Earth Earthen Pitchers these are the Repository but have this treasure in Earthen Vessels c. Earth is a word of diminution and disparagement and that in three regards 1. In regard of its meanness and baseness 2. In regard of its foulness and pollution 3. In regard of its frailty and transitoriness 'T is passing away in all respects these Earthen Vessels in the Text is to be understood the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ in regard of their outward man are so called and are so according to this threefold notion I. In regard of their meanness their outside is mean either for person or sometimes for estate body and outward deportment This was the condition you know of the first Ministers of Christ mean and ordinary persons outwardly God made use of Nay our Master our blessed Lord and Saviour was mean in regard of his humane birth and so reckoned of by most men according to his birth and parentage So it is with the servants of Christ they are in their persons generally base mean low and accordingly rendered despicable to the eyes of the World II. In regard of foulness and pollution Ministers are called Earthen Vessels they have many weaknesses they are men subject to the like passions as others 'T is true the Ministers of Christ have greater advantages than others in regard of their education knowledge gifts and employments being more free from those defilements and snares that others are entangled in yet through the remainders of the flesh in them they have many infirmities so Satan watches them more than others lays more snares for them in regard of their parts and employments so that they are more subject to his temptations than others Satan hath a desire to sift them as the Apostle Peter as wheat because he knows they will draw many after them so that they must needs be subject to many weaknesses and infirmities Sometimes God makes use of the worst sort of men even the most vicious and malicious first he changeth them and then makes use of them as instruments of glory The Apostle Paul was a Vessel of Election to carry the name of Christ unto the Gentiles yet in times past a great persecutor So it pleaseth God to make use of such that the excellency of the power may be of God c. III. Ministers are called Earthen Vessels in the regard of the frailty and mortality of their persons and Earthen Vessels are soon crackt and broken Ministers are subject to many infirmities of body This Heavenly light of the Gospel shineth often through Lanthorns of glass with some broken Ministers have weak and frail bodies Timothy had his bodily infirmities and Trophimus was left sick at Miletum 1 Tim. 4.20 and Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto death Phil. 2.27 and Paul had need of Luke the Physician probably in regard of his sickness Thus the servants of God are subject to many infirmities Besides the reasons in the Text there are other reasons why God will have it so 1. That they may be more compassionate and more sensible of the weaknesses of others for likeness of condition breeds sympathy in affection Men are apt to pity those in the like condition with themselves so our Lord took our nature upon him that he mighty pity us he took flesh and bloud upon him he was tempted in all things like unto us but without sin that so he might succour those that are tempted So his servants many of them are much tempted which may breed in them a sympathy of affection to others that are in such a condition 2. God will have it so that Ministers may have the more experience of the Truths they preach to others concerning an afflicted condition those that have had no sickness or other affliction cannot preach from experience of such truths that concern such a condition they cannot preach so feelingly and savory as others when they have been under affliction they will know what affliction is both in the nature of it and the comforts of it and Gods gracious assistance therein and so they may speak comfortably and be enabled to comfort others as the Apostle Paul speaks 3. God is pleased so to order it sometimes for their humiliation to keep them low that so they may not be lifted up by reason of extraordinary manifestations and impartments thus St. Paul had given him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 A thorn was given him c. 't is twice repeated both in the beginning and end of the verse that so this thorn in the flesh might keep out pride in the heart that so they may have a more low meek and humble frame of spirit and thereby fitted and prepared for greater services And 4. That they may be also more conformable to those they have to deal with Israel desires Moses to speak to them and not God why because he was like unto them and would therefore compassionate them from whom they therefore desired to receive the commands of God Thus it pleaseth God to deal with his servants that as they may pity those they have to deal with so likewise to draw the affections of their people unto them to make them more loving and the more to attend on their Ministry seeing they are so fleeting and going away it pleaseth God that Epaphroditus should be sick even to death to endear the Philippians more to him chap. 2.25 28. that their love and tenderness may be drawn forth the more by discovery of his frailty Let us improve this Vse 1. First as to Ministers see how the condition is with us in our Calling We are Earthen Vessels taken out of dust We should often consider our frailty to make us more humble more meek and more compassionate to others more diligent in doing good that we may make amends for our frailty and natural weaknesses that are upon us We must not think much of it it being no more than in former times it was the
painful Labourers at once but it is our duty to suffer patiently and not complain 2. As our troubles must be great so many will fear and in fearing faint we see it come to pass and you will find it more and more There are those that run with the Foot-men that will not keep pace with the Horse-men that may be left behind and be trod under foot our troubles are likely to rise according to all we can learn from Scripture and Providence and very many there be that will shrink 3. Consider it is a very difficult thing to stand stedfast in a day of evil you cannot name any of God's Children but when they have indeed come to it their carnal sears have been working so as their feet have almost slipt they have been almost gone but that for the promise of God that he would â—â—y no more upon them than he would enable them to bear O but you will say What will become of the publick interest of the name and Church of God and what shall become of my private interest I answer you have no ground of fear according to Scripture in either of these respects First as to the publick Name of God the interest of his Church of his truth of righteousnes or of a real Reformation the interest of our prayers and hopes be not afraid 1. God bears a dear respect unto his People they are represented in Scripture by all names that may import dearness and nearness imto him the interest of his glory is bound up in his people he calls Israel his Glory We know the interest of men is that which moves the world but the interest of God of his Glory no doubt will be the ground of safety and security unto us even till God takes us to Heaven For the interest of Gods Justice God made Hell and for the interest of his mercy and grace be gave Jesus Christ to die to take effect here among the children of men Do you think God will forget his interest 2. Remember Gods ways are in the deep you cannot tell what God is doing when you think thoughts of destruction and confusion my thoughts towards you saith God are thoughts of peace And truly God he does not save a Soul nor does not promote the salvation of his Church in any eminent degree but it is in a way that is cross and contrary to the sense and expectation of flesh and blood insomuch you know the darkness of our condition has been the entrance upon deliverance as just before the day dawns it is the darkest of the night when God looked and there was none to help them says he My arm brought salvation Thus it was with you that are effectually called you have received the sentence of death the entrance upon your deliverance is the darkest time of your condition 3. God can do great things Joel 2. Fear not thy God O Sion can do great things 'T is a disparagement that we offer to God we ascribe more to the Creature than we do to God when we give way to carnal fear fear not what man can do because of the power of God which is his shield and buckler Is any thing too hard too heavy for God And when God does great things he usually goes on to do greater though he may seem to suffer his work to be thrown back to confusion and his people may be ready to say we thought he had redeemed Israel that degree of Reformation shall not be lost You know in Luthers time take any special degree of Reformation in the Church and it seemed to be opposed by the gates of Hell when it was brought upon the stage to any hopeful degree when it was taken as it were utterly out of sight for a while but it was never lost thus God is but making way for his own glory to appear in these great works O but you will say What shall become of my particular It is enough God hath promised that we shall not want any thing that is truly good and that nothing that is evil shall fall upon us and lye upon us though we do not see deliverance it shall be whatsoever our sad thoughts and tremblings of heart may be yet give God the glory of his Word Take these few directions 1. Strive to strengthen thy Faith Faith is that which lays hold on Christ and Christ is your strength therefore Faith is said to do that which Christ doth let every day drive thee to a renewed Act of Faith Take heed be not shaken in the Faith of the Cause be not shaken in the Faith of Christ fides causae fides Christi Be not shaken upon the Cause which upon utmost examination we find to be according to the Word hold that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot and tittle of this Cause And then do not shake in the faith of Christ that is in your laying hold in your applying your selves to him in your resting and settling upon him beg of God to strengthen your Faith 2. Get more Self-denial we must forsake all we must not accept any thing A man would part with his life as easily as with a pin off his sleeve if he had but some considerable growth in Self-denial 3. Get a great deal of love towards that Christ that loved us with love stronger than death get love of that Christ that may be stronger than life Let nothing in the world be of any consideration with you so as Christ be magnified in your bodies love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God carnal fear before me 4. Get a true insight in an account of suffering and troubles whence they are they issue from the same love with redemption of your souls from Hell and your glorification God doth every thing in pursuance of the purpose of his love he doth every thing according to the platform and pattern of his thoughts towards us from eternity Confider what troubles are and to what end not to destroy but to try to wean from the world to fit for heaven 5. Get an insight into the vanity of the Creature you reckon the Creature some great matter and that is the reason of your love and of your fear 6. Get the fear of God that may over-rule other fears Fear not him that can but kill the body but fear him that is able to cast Body and Soul into Hell-fire 7. Keep a clear conscience void of offence towards God and towards men by a heart-abasing confession of what is past and the application of the blood of Christ and by mortification and watchfulness therein keep your selves from evil for the time to come 8. Get a better assurance of eternal life a glimpse and sight of this would make a man run through the very flames of hell How comfortable was Stephen when a shower of stones was about his ears to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God! I wonder how
Plummet and what is not warranted by the Word of God or maintainable by Argument drawn from it we should not close with And for the closing up of all do but consider how this Chapter and the things that I have spoken to you and preached from it how they do all influence this Exhortation Little Children keep your selves from Idols see to it that you approve your selves in holy Worship to God and the Lord Jesus Do but argue thus You profess to be Believers and is it not your duty to answer to this profession Your Falth is a pure Faith and an obediential grace it is a grace that will tutor you to hang upon Christ and his appointments and Institutions and therefore being Believers study to keep your selves from Idols and whatever is not consonant to the will of God concerning Worship You believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God keep your selves from Idols in this respect for he is come into the world and hath shewed the pattern of his House and then you are born of God carry it like a people that are born of God that are high born and credit your holy profession by keeping a dependance upon that God of whom you are born and then being Believers you are born of God and have overcome the world and therefore shew forth your heroick spirit by standing out in all opposition to Idols and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godliness You have an Unction from the Holy One and this engages you to look to it that you keep your selves from Idols And then we know saith he that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ And thereupon he brings in this Little Children keep your selves from Idols as if he should say This is the true God God in Christ Jesus Christ the Son of the Father this is the true God and he hath eternal life with him other god are false gods and â—hat benefit will you have by following them and performing worship to â—hem Nothing but eternal death false gods can bestow no eternal life upon you but this is the true God and he can give you eternal life And therefore Little Children keep your selves from Idols And now yet one word more I would not occasion any discomposure of spirit that is not becoming you But this I must say for ought I know you have the words of a dying man and we use to say that the words of dying men are apt to take somewhat a deep impression I mean a dying man not in properness of speech according to nature and if it should be so I hope there would be cause of rejoycing on my part but I speak the words of a dying man in respect of the Ministerial Office I suppose you all know there is an Act come forth by Supream Authority and it is not for us to quarrel at all but to submit to it and hold correspondency with it so far as we can with a good conscience and there being many Injunctions that many besides my self cannot comply withall therefore we are willing to submit to the Penalty inflicted This I say you have for many years had the benefit of my poor Labours I have fulfilled near up towards forty years and have performed my service to God Christ and his People and I bless his Name not without acceptance and success My work so far I know in this course as in the weekly course is now at an end my desire is that you whose hearts have been inclinable to wait upon God in the way of my Ministry may be kept faithful to God and that you may have the blessing of the everlasting Covenant coming upon your Souls and that you may have the power of this Doctrine held forth in this Sermon put forth upon your hearts that as you do believe that Jesus is the Christ that as you profess these things you may carry it suitably to your profession that you may walk in love to God love to Christ and love to one another that you may labour to manifest a noble generous Spirit in overcoming the world in Errours Corruptions false Doctrines and unwarrantable Worship that you may in all things labour to approve your selves And littlte Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Mr. Calamy's Sermon Preached December 28. 1662. 1 Sam. 4.13 And when he came Lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side waiting for his heart trembled for the Ark of God THat you may the better understand these words you must know that whatsoever God threatned against old Eli in the second and third Chapters because he did not restrain his wicked Sons from their lewd courses is here executed in this Chapter therefore we read there were four thousand I raelites slain by the Philistines And the Elders of Israel met together to consult how to repair this great loss they confess it was the Lord that had smitten them For say they Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines And they conclude the way to repair this their loss it was to fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh and carry it into the battel whereupon they appointed Hophni and Phinehas to fetch it whereby they imagined that the presence of the Ark would save them from ruin but herein they were miserably mistaken for this judgment befell them not because the Ark was not in the Camp but because their sin was in the Camp The Ark of the Covenant would not preserve those that had broken Covenant with God And therefore there was a great slaughter of the Israelites and were slain thirty thousand men and Hâ—phni and Phinehas were slain and the Ark it self was taken Prisoner But what was old Eli doing He was ninety and eight years old and was not able to go to the Battel but sits upon a seat by the way side near the Battel and there he sits thinking what shall become of the Ark And lo Eli sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his bea rt trembled for the Ark of God for fear lest the Ark should be taken He was not troubled what should become of his two sons or what should become of the people of Israel but what should become of the Ark of God In the words are three parts 1. Old Eli's sollicitousness for the Ark. 2. Old Eli's heart trembling for fear of the Ark. 3. Old Eli's preferring the safety of the Ark before the safety of his two sons wise and children He sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God But what was the Ark of God why should old Eli's heart tremble for fear of the Ark I answer this Ark was the holiest of all the things of God it was so holy that it made every place holy where it came
faithful laborious Ministers and People I say the abounding of these and such like abominations is a very sad evidence that there are very few that have God for their Heavenly Father in this special and peculiar manner and that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration Lastly wouldest thou know whether God be thy Father and thou his child by this whether thou art couragious in the ways of God and in the practice of Godliness they that have God for their heavenly Father they have a noble and Heroick spirit they are such as will not be ashamed nor afraid to lead a holy life notwithstanding all the mocks and taunts and threats of the world they that are of a base timerous spirit that are afraid of owning the ways of holiness for fear of being reproached reviled or opposed by the prophane world they that are afraid to cleave to the wayes and people of God in discouraging times they are not of the right strain say not then that thou art born of God unless thou canst prove thy noble extraction by thy noble and heroick courage resolution notwithstanding all the trouble calamity persecution thou maist meet with in the world Thus much for Examination 4. Vse for Exhortation Fourthly Is it so c. Then here is a word of Exhortation First Unto those that are Unregenerate that have not God for their Father in this peculiar manner and that is that they would never be in rest till they come to be united unto Jesus Christ and to have him to be their Father by Regeneration it is a sad thing to be void of this when we cannot go to God as to a Father and cannot expect any thing from him as from a Father Oh! how little do thousands think of this whether they are the Children of God and have God for their Father or no they care not for it they make not out after it Or take it for granted when they have no true and real ground so to do Oh! then labour to get into this state of Son-ship close with Jesus Christ by a lively operative heart-purifying faith that thou maist thereby be invested into Gods family and become his Child consider that before thou art thus by faith ingrafted into Christ thou hast woful Parents thou art a child of disobedience Ephes 2.2 A child of wrath Verse 3. A child of Satan John 8.44 Secondly Here is a word of Counsel and Exhortation to the Godly that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration First To those m◠first councel is that you would make it your greatest care and diligence to please your Heavenly Father and have a care of sinning against him consider that the sins of Gods Children are very grievous to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Caesar to his son Brutus when he saw him among his betrayers What and thou my son so will God say to his children when they grieve him by sin what and thou my son my child one whom I have Adopted my Heir what will you sin against me I thought you had had more love have I loved you so much and do you love me so little hath my spirit comforted you and will you grieve it have my bowels yearned towards you and will you kick against them have I been crucified for you and will you crucifie me again afresh by your sins The nearer the Relation is that the soul beareth to God the greater is the aggravation of the sin against God Secondly Labour to shew forth your noble extraction by your noble and raised affections it is beneath the son of a Prince to be taken up with trifles it is beneath one that is heir to a Kingdom to set his affections upon low and base things things of nought So it is beneath the Children of the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords to let their affections run out inordinately after the world and the enjoyments thereof they are born from above and therefore should set their affections upon things above and not on things on earth Colos 3.2 What an unsutable thing is it for a Christian to be taken up with the inordinate love of the world it is a Degradation to the heirs of Heaven to have their minds taken up only or mostly with Earth and earthly Vanities they are ad majora nati born to greater things it is unbecoming such to soil their affections with Earth which are born to an inheritance incorruptible which fadeth not away Oh that the children of God and such as do profess themselves so to be would manifest their holy and heavenly extraction by their holy and heavenly affections and that such as are the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption and Sanctification would not walk so far beneath that Relation Thirdly Labor to imitate your heavenly Father Be you followers of God as dear Children Ephes 5.1 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is merciful be ye holy as he is holy be ye compassionate as he is in all things labor to imitate your Heavenly Father it is a Christians honor to be like God and to imitate him Fourthly Labour more and more to obey your heavenly Father our natural Parents may require obedience of us and it is our duty to give it them much more may him that is the Father of spirits require it of us and it is much more our duty to give it him Walk as obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Yea you must obey him chearfully too The obedience of Children is herein differenced from the obedience of slaves in that slaves are drawn to their duty out of a slavish fear but children come to it willingly out of a fillial affection Oh therefore let your obedience to God be chearful and voluntary Take delight to do the will of your heavenly Father Lastly Submit to your heavenly Fathers chastisements this is the Exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 12.5 6 7. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth be chasteneth and scourgeth every Son he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bollards and not Sons Let us not then murmur and faint under our afflictions and chastisements but let us submit to them and labour to grow the better for them Thus much for the first Observation That God is a believers heavenly Father the other observation that I proposed to insist upon from this Text was the last of the five mentioned in the beginning and it contains the chief sum and scope of the whole verse and is most suitable to our Times and to this Occasion you may remember was this Doct. That the consideration of a Believers interest into the Kingdom of Heaven should make him chearful and couragious in the practise of holiness and
ye also may come to joyn with the Apostle in saying I am perswaded nothing shal separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Secondly The Apostle is perswaded neither Death nor Life can do this Deaâ—h in its self hath in it by reason of its terrors and torments a great tendency to separate those from Christ which have not real firm hold of him but those that have seen everlasting love and thereby have had love bâ—gotten in them unto Christ that love also being everlasting have something that will cause them never to depart from him Death is Christs servant he did abolish it and carry it Captive in his Resurrection and then as it were renew unto it its Commission to bring his Beloved out of the world unto him Therefore with what terrors soever Death cometh it is granted to him by the Commission of the Prince of Life and this is only to shew that neither its terrors not torments can overcome the love and life of Christ Jesus in the soul but they remain still everlasting Neither can Life separate us Although a love unto Life and a fear of Death are of like power to separate from Christ It doth sometime happen that we see persons out-live thâ—ir goodness and how much better had it been for such to have died sooner But the Apostle is confident neither Life nor Death could separate him from Christ This ye shou'd expect the tryal of every Christian whether there is any thing he feareth more then God or loveth more then Christ yea even his own life And it is only Faith that makes this union with the love of Christ that neither life nor death can separate from him Did we understand the smal value of this outward life we should not adventure our everlasting health for it Thirdly Neither Angels nor Principalities nor Powers These are Powers on which are built sereral gradations of Angelical eternal Dominions and in each Dominion are multitudes of Angels divers of which rebelled against God and these only he here mentioneth for the other would not endeavour to make any separation from Christ neither are these able though Angels in the highest gradation of evil spirits because stronger is he who comes to save us than he who attempts to destroy us Yea Christ's derivative power is greater than the power of evill 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one Fourthly Nor things present These were the Opposition envy and malice of the Jewe they called the wayes of the Christians Heresie and resolved to extirpate them under a sense that thereby they did God good service 2. Opposition from the Gentiles who lived in common prophaneness and so contrary to the Christian Profession 3. That which the Apost a mentioneth with more regret the Divisions among the Christians them selves some glorying to be of Cephas some of Apollo and false Brethren also watching to betray them yet the Apostle saith while in the view of all these round about him did perswade him all these could not separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus tour Lord. Fifthly Nor things to come And this not only in reference unto the time of the Apostles life on earth but after also so that the Apostle wroke not only for his own faith but of those also which were to be true Christians hereafter and he saw there was to come a time of Apostacy wherein men would give out Doctrine of Devils and Wolves which should not spare the Flock but here was Faith which all these things could not separate from this love in Christ Many times things to come are greater terrors then things present because fear consults what they would be and that is apt to multiply things in the imagination and render them also greater than indeed they are how many soever therefore of these may come upon us let us see that they have not power to work this separation in the Apostles example Sixthly Neither height nor depth Heights have in them a great power to separate from Christ high Gifts Saint Paul himself saith There was a Thorn given me in the flest least I should be exalted above measure God would not have sent that remedy had he not been in danger And therefore Paul would not have his Bishop a Novice 1 Tim. 3.6 One newly planted in the faith lest when he is listed up in his Office he he lifted up in pride also and fall into the Devils condemnation being cast down for lifting up himsel too high To fall by pride is a dangerous snare to separate from Christ Jesus These God beholds afar off but giveth more grace to the humble It is a great grace to have exaltations in temporals or spirituals which leads us into no danger Nor depths this is that the Pselmist tels us Psal 44.9 c. But thou hast cast us off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Thou makest us to turn back from the Enemy they which hate us spoil for themselves Thou hast given us like Sheep appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the Heathen Thou sellest thy people for nought and doth not increase thy wealth by their Price Thou makest us a reproach among our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them which are round about us Thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the People My confusion is daily before me and the shame of my face hath covered me For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth by reason the enemy and avenger All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant The deep distress could not separate them from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Seventhly Nor any other Creature Let it be what it will so it be but creature and not God it cannot separate from the love of the Creator Exalt Creator in your hearts and creature will be but little in your eyes Eightly Shall not be able There are many enemies want nor will but they shall not be able So it was with the enemies of Gods King in the Psalms Psal 21.11 For they intended evil against thee they imagined an evil device which they were not able to perform Ninthly To separate us To make us without the love of God in Christ Jesus they may drive us and turn us into it but not beyond it there the malice of Man and the Devil leaving those that are truly Christs And this because it is 1. The Love of God 2. In Christ Jesus It must be somthing able to turn the Divine affections which nothing can do nor alter the love of God in Christ Jesus because it is not built on our worthiness or stability but on Christ And none can cause the Father not to love his son And if ye
keep close unto Christ not running into the vanities glories and sins of this World then are ye comprehended in Love wherewith God loveth his Son Yeâ— see the extension of the Apostles Faith and the firmness of it this is written for our instruction and Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of that Faith the issue whereof is this perswasion Therefore look not on it as a thing impossible to be attained it is your priviledge if you seek it Isa 43 23.44 1 2. Thou hast not brought me the smal cattel of thy Burnt-offerings neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices But thou hast made me serve with thy sins Thou hast we ariod me with thine Iniquities Yet now hear O Jacob my servant Israel whom I have chosen Thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee from the womb which will help thee Fear not O Jacoh my servant and Jesuâ—un whom I have chosen for I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon this dry ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my Blessing upon thy Off-spring This speaketh to us the Gentiles who serve not with Sacrifices If they thirst after this spirit it shall be pour'd out upon them and then shall they be perswaded let the World and the Devil say what they will that they are God's This is the priviledge of every true Christian that hungers and thirsts to be led in the true way of Righteousness and Peace The EXHORTATION If it be thus let it be matter of encouragement and consolation for whatever ye be separated from yet if ye be truly Gods you have something never to be taken from you to wit The love of God in Christ Jesus God will not Man nor Satan cannot I may be separated from you yea from each other body from soul yet 't is comfort to hear there is something that can never be taken from us It should stir up our minds to consider whether I have union with it or no or whether it is attainable by me and this is certain it may be had If you forsake the sin and vanity of the world you will naturally fall into the arms of everlasting love from whence ye can never be removed It is a good thing to have good thoughts of God to be well perswaded of him as the Apostle here who is confident of his goodness Love readily and naturally uniteth to love and good thoughts of God are from a seed of Gods love to us And in order to the establishing of us in this love let us leave with you a few Exhortations 1. In order unto your daily Conversation 2. In order unto the particular Divine Providence now ending of our Ministry unto you First as to your conversation 1. Think not your own Sins little 2. Think not your own Righteousness great 3. Alwayes resigned unto God humbly submitting unto his mercy Think not your own Sins little He is in danget to sin against this love that is not sensible he hath done enough already to separate him from it ye that have done the least sin hath done enough to condemn you for ever Rom. 5.17 For if by one mans offences Death reigned by one c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be understood by one offence And if you think thus do not thing any sin little 2. Think not your own Righteousness great This is that we are very apt to do to think our selves less sinful and more righteous than indeed we are But the Church saith All our Righteousness is as filthy rags Consider things thus ye have done enough for ever to forfeit your interest in this Love ye can never do enough to deserve it Therefore 3. Alwayes cast your selves upon it that you may receive it If your lives have been blameless think your selves to want as much Mercy to save you as any prophane one Jew and Gentile wanted one and the same Grace Secondly Consider to be serious in the daily Consideration of 1. Your Thoughts 2. Your Words 3. Your Actions 1. Your Thoughts Live less abroad and more at home I mean in your own hearts a man never cometh to see himself desperately wicked until he cometh to see the heart Christ saith from the heart doth proceed murder adultery c. It may be upon a smal vexation some can wish Death to any this is murder in the heart so for Adultery or the like The sin in Gods sight is there look but in there and you will find that shall make you despair of any thing but the meer mercy and forgiveness of Christ to make you righteous and in beholding of it seek for the cleansing of it from him 2. Your Words It is Christ himself who saith By thy Words thou shalt be justified and condemned Wherefore we pray you think there is more dependeth on words than generally is accounted they are not only wind but of such a nature as either driveth us nearer or wafteth us farther off from this Love from which we are never to be separated The tongue is set on fire of Hell Be careful of thine own words if thou wouldst grow acquainted with the Word of God 3. Your Actions Be not perswaded to live at a venture Consider Christ saith I must work the works of him that sent me for this cause came I into the world Let every one ask himself this Question Why came I into the world Christ said be came not to do his own Will but the Will of him that sent him Remember therefore in all your actions you are moving toward or off from this eternal Love Thirdly Consider how meer a necessity there is 1. Of your Repentance 2. Of your Forgivness 3. Of your becoming a new Creature 1. Of your Repentance Christ saith Vnless ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Do not continue thinking such or such an one hath deservedly met with this or that punishment but still consider Christs words Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Cast in your mind if you have any thing to repent of or ever had then whether if it be an indifferent thing or no your repenting and if not at what time ye did repent what accidents did accompany your Repentance which you yet remember 2. Of your Forgivness WOE is the portion of any that have sinned and find not forgiveness from the mercy of God you will find then it is more needful to be forgiven than to be either great or rich or the like in this world or for any to go out to condemn another That also you may obtain Forgivness Forgive 3. Of your becoming a new Creature It is not enough to be forgiven but ye must be new Creatures It is the new Man shall never be separated from the love of God in
Christ Jesus Consult with flesh and blood and that will never teach you to believe but an ignorant presumptuous Faith This concerneth me not to have my thoughts plunged about this or that worldly care but to become a new Creature in the renewing of the spirit of the mind Fourthly Consider ever 1. To follow Peace 2. To follow Holiness 3. To exercise Patience 1. To follow Peace Two of these you have in the Hebrews Heb. 14. Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which none shall see God Do not esteem it your interest to contend Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts Fret not thy self because of evil doers It is an easie matter to sin in our Anger a rare thing to moderate anger against sin so as not to sin in that anger 2. To follow Holiness Refuse Peace that cannot be enjoyed without Holiness It is upon the view of God I shall see what kind of love he is and Christ saith Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Resolve to follow holiness not greatness riches c. And he that will do so Christ saith shall suffer persecution in this present world Wherefore it will be good to consider 3. To exercise patience Let us add upon that account 1. Love not the World 2. Love not your own Wills 3. Value your own Souls 1. Not the World The Text saith 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the Love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the Lust of the flesh the Lust of the eye and the Pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World And the World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of the Father abideth for ever The love of this world maketh a man to be in respect of the Prince of this world as a Bird in the Fowlers snare There is no way sooner to sin away their everlasting Love than to love this present World 2. Love not your own Wills That person is neither prepared to do for God nor to suffer for him that nath not learned something of this lesson of Self-denial There is no divine service but in doing Gods Will and that I cannot do but by parting with my own delivering up my self unto him to be led and guided by his holy Spirit Christ saith If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself take up his Cross and follow me 3. Value your own Souls The great care and consult is for gratifying the body if but part of that time were spent on the soul which is on the needless care of the body it might render it in a far better and more goodlier posture Let every one think I carry that in my bosome is of more value than the whole worlâ— neither can the whole world recompence the loss of it and if we have such jewels let us take care to secure them A careless common spirit doth not become a Christian Let none imploy their time in disputing this or that vain Opinion but spend it on your souls Secondly In order unto the particular divine Providence now ending of our Ministry unto you 1. Whatever happeneth on this account let it be your exercise to cry out for the holy Spirit of Christ he will grant you a greater supply than you may expect from any man whatever So Christ comforteth his Disciples Though I go yet I will pray unto the Father and he shall send you another Comforter and he biddeth them pray for it also Even so as for what concerneth us this we cannot be denyed to pray that God would send out his holy Spirit among you and upon you and while we may speak unto you we desire you to pray for it also Our work did lye but to bâ—ing men to Repentance by conviction of sin to believing by the shewing of Righteousness and to convince of both by Christs conquest over sin This Christ sheweth his holy Spirit the Comforter can do Joh. 16.8 9 10 11. And when he is come he shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of sin because they believe not on me of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more of Judgment because the Prince of this world is Judged This is a suitable and sufficient reply 1 Joh. 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him That Anointing was the Spirit pour'd out on our Head Christ Jesus and ran down the skires of his garments not that instruction should cease but this Spirit can either fill it administred or supply it being wanting And the withdrawing of this present Ministry may be to cause you to pray more incessantly for this holy Spirit day and night And Christ promiseth The Father will give it to them that ask it 2. Be more frequent in your converse with the Scripture It is the Pillar of Truth and by a frequent converse with it also you will find a pure mind stirred up to remember 3. Be more frequent in Meditation Let not the world swallow up all your time so as not to meditate on your Souls the Scriptures and Heaven The meditation on Gods Law keepeth us from the Counsel of the ungodly from standing among sinners or sitting down in the seat of the scornful Psal 1. It is worthy of our wonder any should read the Scriptures believing them indicted by a holy Spirit and yet scorn Holiness Religion c. 4. Be more usual in personal private and family Duties Devotion God doth call those that know how to address themselves unto him to a more earnest private devotion Jacob was alone when he wrestled for a blessing There are particular seasons in which God calleth his people into a retirement Isaiah 26 20 21. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy dores about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities So also Zech. 12.11 12. And in that day shal be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the Land shal mourn every Family apart the Family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Levi apart and their Wives apart all the Families that remain every Family apart and their Wives apart In that day there shal be a Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and for Vncleanness If I
and by our lively trust through the Covenant of Grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the powers of Hell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts still our consciences say I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befriend you I will be just and faithful to forgive your sins my Law is sully fulfilled by another though broken by you my Justice is fully satisfied by another though provoked by you my wrath is ceased by the means of another though incensed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be canst not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in thine own way speak peace to every such soul Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which didst regard us when we were running from thee do not reject us now we are drawing near thee And thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy Word help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better than life Some do say Who will shew us any good But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and thou wilt glad our hearts more than in the time when Corn or wine or Oil increaseth Let it be fair above head when it is dirty below let us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of faith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would fain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life epentance from dead works a mourning fat greater for the remembrance of sin than we have pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out Wretched men that we are who should deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear of condemnation doth decrease so set the fear of transgression increase And because O Lord thou hast not made us to bleed with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truely desire that Heaven would enter into us into a way of holiness here as we desire to enter into Heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let net that live quietly one minuite with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which the great God is offended and an immortal soul is damned We are to be in the world but for a while to take a turn or two and be gone Oh that we might make it the business of our life to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensome to nature yet this is that which will bring us peace at last Let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by faith let us keep thy Commandements let us be above the world in the world above the love of life and above the fear of death let not the smiles of the world allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us be more than conquerers through Jesus Christ Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much Help us to be above the power of Hell let us ever say My soul it is good for me to draw nigh to God Let us be willing rather to be faved with a few than go to Hell in a crowd let us live as if Eternity were long and life but short let us thrive in holiness and be brought neerer to thy self by every dispensation let us in this our day know the things that concern our peace before they be hid from our eyes and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer long he will strike at last O Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unworthiest of thy servants and give unto him a door of utterance and to thin great people a door of entrance and let them be all taught of God and let them truly find that the great God is teaching to the heart when that a weak worm is speaking to the ear let all the work be done by theo and let all he praise redound unto thee and let him that is with us be greater than he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell aswee savor of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace to our consciences rebuke the tempter tread him under our feet shortly raise us up to newness of life let us remember when that which is perfect is rome that which is imperfect shall be done away Hear us and help us through our dear Redeemer let us live for him here and with him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Sprit be Glory and Honour now an for ever Amen Mr. Cradocott's Prayer at St. Sepulchres MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hast put thine own Name and stamp upon this Day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose our unprepared and indisposed souls for holy Observation of this thine holy day Will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his Grace whereby we may be inabled to offer up spiritual Sacrifice which may be acceptable to Jesus Christ Lord thou requirest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the Spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that the Sabbath is a day of Souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy Children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain VVe acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be merciful to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of death children of darkness slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts-hardened what are our hearts but a store house of malicious thoughts a brothel house of adultery a palace of pride we are by nature
Now give me leave this morning to speak three things to these sort of men and O that my words might prevail with them 1. Consider it is sin only that makes trouble deserve the name of trouble for when we suffer for Gods sake or a good Conscience these troubles are so sweetned by the consolations of Heaven that they are no troubles at all therefore in Queen Maries dayes the Martyrs wrote to their friends out of prison If you knew the comforts we have in Prison you would wish to be with us I am in Prison before I am in Prison saith Mr. Sanders Famous is the story of the three Children they were in a great strait when cast into the fiery Furnace Bind them 〈◊〉 and and foot and cast them into the Furnace but when they were there they were unbound Dan. 3.25 saith Nebuchadnezzar Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire and loe I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I have often told you when three are cast into the fire for a good Conscience God will make the fourth therefore I say straits and sufferings for God are not worth the name of straits David was often driven into straits 1 Sam. 30.6 he was sore distressed when his Town was burnt and his Wives and Children taken captives by the Amalekites I but that was a distress of danger not of sin therefore he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Jehosaphat was in a great strait 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to do saith he this was a strait of danger not caused by his sin and God quickly delivered him but the strait that David was in was caused by his sin and that made it so bitter I am loath to enlarge here St. Paul was in a great strait Phil. 3.23 but this was a blessed strait an Evangelical strait saith St. Chrysostome He knew not whether to die for his own sake or to live for the Churches sake were best he was willing to adjourn his going to Heaven for the good of the people of God Nay Christ was in a strait Luke 12.15 I have a baptism to be baptized withal and how am I straitned till it be accomplished I am to shed my blood for my Elect this is the baptism he speaks of This was a strait of dear affection to the Elect of God all these were blessed straits but now a strait caused by sin these are imbittered and envenomed by the guilt of sin and sense of Gods wrath It is sin that maketh straits deserve the name of straits therefore you are spiritually mad that commit sin to avoid straits 2. There is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest outward calamity whatsoever this the world will not believe therefore St. Austin saith That a man ought not to tell a lye though he might save all the world from hell for there is more evil in one lye than there is good in the salvation of all the world I have often told you the story of St. Austin saith he If Hell were on one side and sin on the other and I must chuse one I would chuse hell rather than sin for God is the Author of Hell but it is blasphemy to say he is the Author of Sin There is a famous story of Charles the ninth King of France he sent a message to the Prince of Conde a zealous Protestant gives him three things to chuse either to go to Mass or to be put to death or to suffer banishment all his life long saith he Primum Deo juvante nunquam eligo The first God helping I will never chuse I abhor the Idolatry of the Mass but for the two other I leave it to the choice of the King to do as he pleases there is more evil in the least sin than the greatest misery 3. The third thing I would have you consider that whosoever goeth out of Gods way to avoid danger shall certainly meet with greater danger Balaam went out of Gods way Numb 22.22 and God sent an Angel with a drawn sword and he riding upon an Asse verse 26. the Angel stood in a narrow place where was no way to go from the right hand or from the left if his Asse had not fallen under him he had been run thorow by the sword of the Angel Jonah for fear of the King of Nineveh went out of Gods way but he met with a mighty tempest he met with a Whale What do you do when you commit sin you make way to be cast into the eternal prison of Hell you destroy your precious souls to save your perishing bodies Vse 2. If sin be the father and mother of all perplexity and distresses then I beseech you let us above all things in the world abhor sin all the curses of the Bible are all due only to a sinner and all the curses not named in the Bible for that is observable Deut. 28.36 every plague that is not written in the Book shall light upon him there are strange punishments to the workers of iniquity Job 31.3 Is not destruction to the wicked a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity sin it bringeth the sinner to little ease little ease at death little ease at the day of Judgment and little ease in Hell tribulation and anguish the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little ease to every soul that doth iniquity O my beloved will you promise me to look upon sin and consider it in all its woful consequence as the Father Mother and Womb out of which come external eternal and internal straits more particularly there are twelve sins I especially command you to take heed of and avoid 1. Take heed of Covetousness the love of the world will pierce you thorow with many sorrows the love of money is the root of all evil the love of the world drowns men in perdition 2. Take heed of the sin of Pride into what a woful strait did Pride bring Haman God crossed him in what he most desired God made him hold the stirrup while Mordecay rode in Triumph and God hanged him on the Gallows which he had made for Mordecay 3. Take heed of Drunkenness Look not on the Wine when it gives its colour in the cup c. Drunkenness will bring you into snares in will bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder 4. Take heed of Disobedience and Rebellion against the Commandments of God it brought Jonah to the three nights and three days in the Whales belly 5. Take heed of Fornication and Adultery and all uncleanness this brought Sampson to a woful strait this brought David and Solomon into great perplexity 6. Take heed of Oppression and all acts of Injustice this brought Ahab into great straits insomuch that the Dogs licked his blood 7. Take heed of unnecessary familiarity with wicked men this brought Jehosaphat into a
because God will make it appear to all the World that he puts a difference between them that desire to please him and other men God hath a value for such do but see how Mases argues the case with God Exod. 33.13 and so on where he comes to God with a great request that God will shew him his way that he might know it Why saith God to him My presenes shall go with thee Mâ—ses said unto him It is well thou art pleased to promise so great a mercy If thy presence go not with me carry us not hence for wherein shall it be know that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight It is not in this that thou goest with us Observe Moses pleads with God how his favour and love and mercy should be with them unless he were present with them and so God he walks with his people in trouble for how should the world see God regarded them and did favour them unless he manifested his presence unto them in a time of trouble and affliction Dr. Jacomb's Afternoon Sermon John 8.29 And he that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do always those things that please him I Was upon these words in the morning having spoken something to them as they refer to Christ who spake them here of himself I then brought them down to his Members Believers and so propounded this observation from them That whoever they are that desire to please God to do the things that are pleasing to him God will be with such and the Father will not leave such alone especially in a time of suffering and trouble In the prosecuting of this point I spake to four things which I shall not now repeat but come to the mark which I intend at present and that is to make some Application 1. Let me endeavour to prevail with every one of you so to carry your selves in your several places and capacities that whatever you do you may please God It was a blessed testimony that was given of Enoch Heb. 11.6 Before his Translation he had this Testimony that he pleased God Oh! how happy will they be at the great day of Judgment which shall be singled out by Christ before Angels and Men and Christ shall say of them This was the man or this was the woman that pleased God! There is a great deal of pleasing in the world but there are but very sew that make this their business to please God therefore I would have you shun that which is sinful and press after that which is matter of Duty 1. There are some that mind nothing but to please themselves to promote their own interest to love their own ease to indulge themselves in their own carnal delights but they never mind the good of others or the pleasing of God the Apostle speaks of and against these Rom. 15.1 2 3. 2. There are others that look no farther then the pleasing of men if they can but keep fair with men and shun the displeasure of men that is all they aim at but my Brethren what a poor thing is it to have man to be your friend and God to be your enemy to have the smiles of a poor dying perishing worm and to lye under the frowns of the great God! Indeed there is a good pleasing of men to please them for their Edification as the Apostle speaks Rom. 15.2 and so the Apostle speaks of himself 1 Cor. 10.32 Even as I please all men in all things that is in all things that are of an indifferent nature not simply evil nor simply good in all things This Apostle was of a yielding and complying spirit that he might thereby the better insinuate himself into the affections of men and be more instrumental to the glory of God in the work of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.22 To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some and this I do for the Gospel sake But now in matter of Duty such things as are expresly determined by God and so are either good or evil in these things the Apostle would be no pleaser of men If I should please men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. It is good to please others to their Edification but we must not please others to their own ruine and condemnation It is good to please men when we can so do and not grieve God Instead of pleasing men let it be your constant care and best endeavour in all things to please God my Brethren this is a duty of so great importance that was I now to take my leave of you and should certainly know that I should never speak to you more as we are come very near to it for though I speak to you as a living man yet I speak to you as a dying minister this I say is a duty of that weight and importance that I know not what to press upon you more material then this consult but two places of Scripture Col. 1. For this cause we do not cease to pray for you What was the thing the Apostle in this his constant Prayers did beg of God for them It was this That they might please God and when he was taking his leave in the winding up of his Epistle to the Hebrews Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight I need not go beyond the Text for Motives to stir you up to these Endeavours For Motive 1. First consider what that God is which I would have you endeavour to please He is that God which made heaven and earth that God before whom all the world is as nothing but as a little dust in the ballance and as a drop of water to the bucket that God whom Angels adore and worship that God who by a word from his mouth is able to bring the whole Universe into nothing will you not study to please this God But further consider what this God is to you He is the Fountain of your being he is the God of all your mercies he is your Creatour and Sovereign he is your Maker and Law-giver It is he that by a smile can make you happy and by a frown can make you miserable it is he that hath Heaven and Hell at his disposal who openeth and none can shut who shuts and none can open He that must judge every one of you either to eternal blessedness or else to eternal torments it is he in whose hands your breath your life your soul your All is will you not endeavour to please this God as the Prophet argueth in point of fear Isa 51.12 Who art thou that art afraid of a
the greatest mercy in the world to rob such persons of their peace and to discover to them their danger they are onely capable of true peace by the knowledge of that which is false Therefore bring your selves to this tryal whether or no doth that peace which now you please your selves in cause in you an eternal hatred of sin doth it set you at a distance from your most beloved lusts then it is that peace that springs from God The greatest part of the world are in an estate of War with God though they do not feel the effects of that war True indeed God doth not always draw the sword either of Famine Pestilence or War against a Nation and yet they may be acting in a most hostile way against God So for a person God may not blast thy estate or send diseases upon thy person or raise a tumult in thy conscience and make a conspiracy of thy thoughts and passions against thy peace thou mayst be quiet within and yet have war with God because as in the world there may be a Truce when there is no peace the War may still continue though there is a Truce between two Princes or rather there is not a Truce between God and the sinner but as a Town that is besieged for many days may not feel the Battery of their Enemy because he is undermining them to blow them up at once so God doth not many times make his battery against sinners but he is under mining them and the fall at the last will be dreadful if there be not a composition Vse 2. By way of exhortation let me press you all to follow peace it is a duty which the Gospel injoyns with the greatest force of words and expressions The Apostle when he is to seal up his affection to them he doth it with that prayer 2 Thess 3.16 Now the God of peace himself give you peace always by all means What strange expressions First he gives you hear the Title of the God of peace and then he saith Himself the God of peace himself There 's a great deal of force in that word peace is so excellent a blessing and there is such an abhorrency in our corrupt nature to it that it is only the Lord himself that is able to effect it As if the Apostle had said the Lord must bow the heavens he must come down himself to create peace among you and to express the greater vehemency of his desire he saith Give you peace always by all means So another Scripture pursue peace follow peace with all men a word that imports our pursuit after it though it runs from us This is the strain and tenour of the Gospel and this becomes you as Christians When Christ came to purchase our peace he came as a Lamb an innocent and meek Creature Behold the Lamb of God When the holy Spirit descended to seal the priviledge of peace to us he descended in the form of a Dove a Gaul-less creature in whom there is no rancor nor bitterness What a strong engagement should this be upon all of us to pursue and promote peace And for your encouragement consider 1. That in the times of the Gospel all the promises do as it were empty themselves into this blessing the blessing of peace Thus Isai 11.6 you shall find there a gracious promise respecting the times of the Gospel The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall seed their young ones shall lie down together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox. That which I observe from thence is this that God here promises to cause an universal peace and unity under the Gospel though it be as difficult as to perswade the most disagreeing natures to a peaceable co-habition For here the Scripture instances in those creatures between which there is the most natural and therefore the most fierce animosities The Lord will reconcile men though their differences be never so great What is too hard for the God of Peace to effect Is not God of infinite power of infinite love then it should quicken us to pursue peace 1. By prayer to him because he is able to effect it certainly that God that was able to bring Order into the World when it was a meer lump and mass of confusion is able to bring peace and to unite our spirits And it is observable the greater our differences and divisions are the more will the power of this God appear in reconciling them 'T is said in the Psalms that Gods throne is in darkness that is his ways of Providence are very difficult for us to trace and find out and therefore when our divisions are at the highest he is able by one word to allay the storm This should encourage us in Prayer This is the course of God to glorifie himself by putting a stop to the greatest troubles when nearest to us and to work out one contrary by another To give you some instances that so we may encourage our Faith and quicken our Prayer to God for this blessing consider how still God hath made difficulties the way for enjoyment For instance the promise that Sarah should be the Mother of a child but he made way for that by her dead Womb for all that numerous Progeny which like the Stars of the Skie descended from her That he first maimed Jacob and then gave him the blessing He brought Joseph from the Prison to a Princely Palace First David was harassed with troubles and then his head was deckt with the Imperial Crown So if you look into the Kingdom of Christ who would have thought that a few Fishermen-men should have advanced the Empire of Christ in the World Had you lived to have seen those despicable beginnings when a few unlearned men were the Heraulds and Preachers of Christ how would this have caused you to fail and sink in your spirits and yet the Gospel hath been Preached in all parts of the World and that by a few Fisher-men The Providences of God are like those plated Pictures if you look one way upon them there is the appearance of a Serpent if you look on the other side there is the appearance of an Angel So here many times God is pleased to suffer exasperations to go very high that so his power may appear more eminent in the composure of them He it is that enables the faith of his people to draw Water out of the Rock when the Fountain is dry that makes meat to come out of the Eater as in Sampson's Riddle that is able to bring a peaceable harmony out of devouring differences and therefore it should quicken our prayers to him 2. To make us more serious in our endeavours after peace Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that
conception but it was never compleatly declared to the World till after his Resurrection for before Christ was a Prince in disguise the beams of the Divinity was abated by the vail of his Humanity but then he was declared by power to be the Son of God It followes That great Shepherd of the Sheep for the opening of this 1. We will consider this Title of Christ 2. The Person for whom this Title relates First This Title The great Shepherd 'T is a wonderful condescention in Christ that he will take upon him the Title of a Shepherd that which rather expresses Love and Care than Power and Dominion yet he is pleased to assume this Title to express his affection to us For the opening of it wherein he appears to be the great Shepherd I shall lay down these particulars 1. He is great in the Dignity of his Person for he that is Lord of Angels is become the Shepherd of the Sheep and the humiliation of his person in this respect is the exaltation of his Office It is looked upon in the World as a mean and low employment to have the care and inspection of a Flock but now herein appears the love of Christ he was pleased to become our Shepherd that so he might secure and bring us to the Fold of Heaven and there make us to feed upon those Pastures and to drink of those Rivers of pleasures which flow from the presence of God 2. In the derivation of his Authority That Authority which is communicated to him whereby he is our Shepherd and that is originally from God himself It is not by any mediate deputation but from God himself He is our Shepherd and hath a Title to his Flock upon a double account 1. They are committed to him as his charge and custody John 6.37 c. All the Elect of the world were given by God the Father to Christ not by way of Alienation but by way of Opigneration as so many pledges which he was to bring to grace and glory And this charge he doth most fully execute for there is none missing of those committed to him 2. They are given to him by way of Reward and Recompense for all his Bloud and Sufferings Isai 53.10 The Lord put such a value on souls that he purchased an interest in them by his own bloud and he thinks himself exceedingly recompensed for all his pains on the Cross Agonies in the Garden Temptations in the Wilderness c. if souls will submit to his care And here observe the course of Heaven God would endear souls to Christ upon all Reasons by vertue of his command and that charge he gives to them and by vertue of his own purchase 3. If you confider the extent of his care and affection For all the Saints of the World those who are dispersed in all places in all ages they are all his Flock and therefore 't is the Royalty of his Administration John 10.16 There shall be one Fold and one Shepherd As Christ is the onely Catholick King so he is the onely Vniversal Bishop For all other Shepherds have but particular Portions of his Flock committed to their charge and they should be such portions as they have regard to and are under their inspection And at the last day all his sheep shall congregate together and stand at his right hand All the Saints of God that are now scattered as so many Stars in the Firmament shall be united in one constellation when they shall appear in glory before him 4. In respect of his endowments and qualifications which fit him for the discharge of his Office And 1. Take notice of his affection and love to us and that is the wonder of Heaven and Earth Christ laid down his life for his sheep Joh. 10.11 This is strange that Christ should be a sheep for the slaughter that he might become our Shepherd that he should be a sacrifice before he could take his Office upon him Other sheep lay down their lives for the Shepherd but Christ laid down his life for the Sheep So great was his love that it brought him from Heaven to seek and find those that were lost he left a Palace to come to a Wilderness a Throne of Heaven to come to a Fold here upon Earth We read of David that he exchanged a Sheep-hook for a Scepter but Christ quite contrary he exchang'd a Scepter for the Rod and Staff of a Shepherd It was said by one There is nothing so conspicuous in Christ as the prodigality of his love to us Oh! do but consider how great love that was that should make him to die for us that he might bring us home to his Fold We were all of us like erring sheep who had strayed from him and fell to the Lord of the Soil as strange Cattel we were gotten into the possession of the God of this World the Lord Christ would buy us off from thence though we forfeited our right in him vet he would not lose his right in us but he laid down his life that he might reduce us to his Fold that of Wolves he might make us Lambs and sit us for the comforts of his Presence 2. In respect of his exact diligence and inspection over them When but one Sheep went astray from his Fold we read he left the ninety and nine and went and sought for that One Luke 15. where we have that Parable to express the diligence and watchfulness of Christ over his Sheep There is no person be he never so mean never so obscure though lost in the number and account of the World if he be one of Christs Sheep he is always under his inspection and watchfulness We read of the High-Priest that he carried the names of the Tribes upon his Brest-plate the Lord Christ carries the names of all his Sheep in his heart therefore Rev. 13. speaking concerning the Saints all that dwell upon Earth Whose names are written in the book of Life His diligence and care is so exact that he hath all their names writ in his Book He that tells the Stars counts their hairs and always exercises the most watchful providence over them for good You know Sheep are either liable to rage or erring and wandring Christ's diligence is such that he protects them from the rage of Satan reduces them from all their wandrings and brings them home to himself 3. In making proportional all their services and sufferings to those degrees of strength which he gives to them Isai 40.11 He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young Christ always makes a proportion between the Services Sufferings and strength he calls them to He it is that with that tenderness speaks to Peter Peter lovest thou me feed my Lambs He hath provided for them the most ample and most satisfying nourishment the Ordinances of the Gospel
prove dumb Dogs what a comfort will it be to my dying Brethren this day if they can but say Lord we are clear from the Bloud of our Brethren the Officers of Christ should never behave themselves so that they should give their people occasion to say we are Brethren to Dragons But Jer. 9.4 Take ye heed every one of his Neighbor c. I would commend one Scripture to all my Brethren in the Ministry 1 Cor. 8.13 A Scripture that I would have writ in letters of Gold on the Lintel posts of all Ministers doors Wherefore if meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world stands lest I make my Brother to offend Rather then to endanger my soul I le away with all these Toys and Gew-gaws 2. From the terms of dearest affection dearly Beloved longed for c. Take this Observation That it becomes the highest Ministers much more the lowest to bear a most tender vehement ardent melting affection towards that flock or people that God hath committed to their charge Thus Paul to the Philippians in the Text My brethren dearly beloved c. You shall find Paul in all his Epistles in a thawing frame to his people melting in love unto them the Corinthians were so in his heart not onely to live with them but if God called him to die for them so abundantly did he love them 2 Cor. 12 15. That he would very gladly spend and be spent for them carried them in his heart and earnestly longed after them all As for the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.8 He as a Nurse tendereth and nourisheth them as Children and is so affectionately desirous of them that he is willing to impart to them not onely the Gospel but his own soul because they were dear to him Then 1. Is this so ought the Pastors so to love their People Give me leave to bespeak you in the words of Job in respect of those hundreds of Ministers that are to be plucked from their people Have pity upon me have pity upon me Oh ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me Job 19.21 What will nothing serve but plucking out our very eyes our very heart being so much the objects of the peoples love how sad is it for the Father to be pluckt from the Child the Shepheard from the Flock the Nurse from the Child this is a lamentation and ought to be for a lamentation that there must be a parting between David and Jonathan who loved one another as their own souls this cuts them to their very heart And this I may say in respect to my self I bless God I cannot say as she of her Husband A bloudy Husband hast thou been unto me but a loving Congregation have you been unto me I know none of you have desired my destruction nor to taint my name never did I hear three in this Congregation speak of pressing any thing against me that was contrary to my Conscience nor can I say that there are four in this Parish that did ever deny to pay me my legal due blessed be God for such a people you have not encroached upon my Conscience as I hope I have not upon yours Pastors must love their people do not blame them if their hearts be almost broken when they are to part with such a people 2. Must the Pastor love his people then the people must love their Pastor T is true it lies in the power of man to separate Pastor and People but not to separate their hearts I hope there will never be a separation of love but that will still continue if we do not see one another yet we may love one another and pray for one another I hope a Husband doth not cease from loving his Wife because she is absent from him But Oh! for my Brethren hundreds of them think that you are undone but you are not undone though you cannot see as far as other men you may live in love and keep your conscience quiet 3. Must Pastors love their People then you may see from hence what should be the grand object of the Pastors affection i. e. the People not what the people have This is the great enquiry what 's the Benefice worth what is the preferment do they pay well c. Whereas we should not seek so much the Fleece as the Flock we should not take oversight of a Congregation for love of their pay but of their souls not 't is an excellent good living as one said I have heard of let me have their Tythes and let their souls go to the Devil but as the Apostle I seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 12.14 And I hope there be many hundreds can say it hath been the peoples souls they have more loved and affected than any thing that the people had 4. Once more We must love them and love them tenderly why and yet leave them Yes my Beloved we are so to love our People as to venture any thing for them but our own damnation I come not here to throw fire-brands I bless God I have a most tender affection for all my Brethren in the Ministry and though I am not satisfied my self yet I condemn no man I believe there be many of them do as conscientiously subscribe as deny to subscribe I protest in the fear of God I cannot subscribe perhaps it is because I have not that light as others have for he that doubts saith the Apostle is Damned My Beloved I hope you would not have us sin against God and our own consciences it is not my Living that I desire but my Office to serve my Lord and Master but if we should to keep communion with you lose our communion with God this is the ready way to have all our labour and pains lost but as David said and Oh that I could speak it with as good hopes as David Zadock carry back the Ark of God If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his Habitation c. 2 Sam. 15.25 Brethren I could do very much for the love I bear to you but I dare not sin I know they will tell you this is Pride and Peevishness in us and are tender of our Reputation and we would fain all be Bishops and forty things more but the Lord be witness between them and us in this Beloved I prefer my Wife and Children before a blast of air of peoples talk I am very sensible what it is to be reduced to a morsel of bread let the God of Heaven and Earth do what he will with me if I could have subscribed with a good conscience I would I would do any thing to keep my self in the work of God but to sin against my God I dare not do it 3. My Joy and Crown therefore my dearly Beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown my present Joy and future Crown my Joy which I value more
you may play fast and loose with man you must not think ever to carry it away by playing fast and loose with God 4. If you should not stand you lose all you have wrought all your prayers tears professions practises sufferings are all gone if you give out at last c 5. While you stand by God God hath promised to stand by you and the truth is I have but one God it is no great matter for all the tiles in Worms There be a thousand Devils but all those Devils are in one chain and the end of that chain is in the hand of one God Oh! God will shew himself strong 2 Cor. 1.6 9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him Quest But what shall I do to stand Answ 1. If ever you would stand if ever you woul'd be firm standing Christians indeed take heed you be not light and proud Christians a feather will never stand against a whirl wind error and profaneness are most apt to breed in proud hearts The Proud and Blasphemers are put together 2 Tim 2.2 Be but humble Christians that 's the way to be standing ready Christians if ever you would be steady in your stations you must below in your own eyes do not you go and judge And now we shall have another kind of Religion come up as we have had it a great while such a man cannot be an honest man alas he is a Presbyterian he is an Independant he is an Anabaptist c. Now all your great business will be such a man cannot be good an honest man for he doth not Conform on the other side he cannot be an honest man for he doth Conform These are poor things I bless God I lay not the stress of my salvation upon on these It is true I cannot in conscience conform but I do not lay the stress of Salvation on it as I did not lay the stress of my Salvation on my being a Presbyterian I confess I am so and have been it hath been my unhappiness to be always on the sinking side yet I lay not the stress of my Salvation upon it It is my Conscience but it may be I have not so much light as another man and I profess in the presence of God could I conform without sin to my own Conscience I would if I should do any thing against my conscience I should sin and break my peace and conscience and all and never see good day do not then spend the strength of your zeal for your Religion in censuring others That man that is most busie in censuring others is always least employed in examining himself Remember good John Bradford he would not censure Bonner nor Gardner but saith he they called Jo. Bradford the hypocritical Jo. Bradford c. I do not speak this as though I can or did in Conscience approve of those things for which I must suffer that I cannot approve of them but take off people from those things that are so far from the foundation look you but to the main things look into your own hearts examine them and then you need not be much perswaded to look about to others 2. You must take heed you be not loose Christians will you remember one thing from me the God of Heaven grant you never live to see it verified a loose Protestant is one of the fittest persons in the world to make a strict Papist Tell me not of his Protestantism being a drunkard it is because his King or Countrey are Protestants where they live There is no Religion in a loose liver if ungodliness be in the heart it is no difficult thing for error to get into the heart A loose heart can best comply with loose principles see if they will not be of any Religion in the world that 's uppermost let the Turk prevail they would soon be of his Religion 3. Take heed of being a worldly Christian Oh! this is the David that hath slain his ten thousands A worldly heart will be bought and sold upon every turn to serve the Devils turn Come to a worldly heart and but promise him thirty pieces of silver he will betray his Saviour The Temptations of the world are great upon us at this time you that are Husbands and Parents know it the world is a great temptation but if we be overcome by the world and the world not overcome by us we shall never be able to overcome any one Temptation that is offered to us Therefore that 's an admirable support In the world you shall have Tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world I have overcome the world for you and likewise I have overcome the world in you Oh Lord if thou wilt but overcome the love and fear of the world if thou wilt but arm us against the smiles of the world then come what will we shall stand stedfast 4. Take heed you be not Hypocritical Christians i.e. take heed you do not receive the Truth and onely the Truth and not receive the Truth in the love of that Truth Thess 3.10 You have received the Truth but have you received the Truth in the love of that Truth which you have received want of this is that damnable occasion to Popery And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved c. It is just with God that they should fall into errors whose hearts did never love real Truths better never received the Truth then to receive it and not in the love of it 5. Take heed of being ventrous and God-tempting Christians What is that when do I tempt God I tempt God when I run into a Pest-house and say God will preserve me from the Plague Take heed of running upon temptations to sin whether it be in principles or in practice I could tell you of two Spiritual Pest-houses in England if I had time for principles one and for practice another I do not say that I mean Play-houses on the one hand or Mass-houses on the other hand Certainly Brethren I read of Julian that wicked bloudy Apostate that he sunk into that his Apostacy first by going to hear Libanius preach mistake me not I am not against your going to hear the Ministers of Christ for a man may be a true Minister though he be a bad man all the World can never answer the instance of Judas who was a true Minister though a bad man while I plead for the truth of his Ministry I do not spread a skirt over the wickedness of his life The Scribes and Pharisees set in Moses chair hear them But that which I mainly aim at is this do not you go and run and venture your selves upon temptations you have heard of a superstitions or idolatrous Worship you have a months mind
and Peace 2. To such as have this Grace and no Peace 3. To such as have neither Grace nor Peace First To such as have both Grace and Peace I le speak to them in two or three things First Admire thankfully the Father the Son the Fathers Grace and the Sons Love for both had a hand in this therefore bless both the Father for willing it to us and the Son for working it in us Grace and Peace are the fruits of Gods eternal Election for this blessing the Father gives but the Application of it to us is the fruits of Christs redemption and intercession How can you think of Hell and Damnation and see your self freed from it And how can you think of the dreadful fury and vengeance of God your self not under it How can you look on your state change your heart renewed Grace ratified and reconciled and your Conscience quieted How can you think of these things but must admire the love of the Father in giving this to you and the love of the Son in purchasing this for you All Grace and Mercy that is given to us is by Christ purchased for us Grace and Peace are fruits of the redeeming bloud of Christ purchased Secondly Do not envy the conditions and possessions of the men of the world they have riches and honours profits and pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Roman that was condemned by a Court-Marshal to dye for breaking his rank to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envied at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now saith he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loath to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the children of Grace and Peace do not envy at men of the world at their riches and their comforts their pleasures for I am sure you would be loath to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things is death Thirdly do not complain of the worst condition that the providence of God shall cast you into in this it may be you shall suffer hard things but remember so long as thy soul is secure never complain of hard things My brethren as God your Father brought you into a state of Grace and Peace and thereby secured his love to your souls in Christ can you complain of hard things So let the joy of the Lord be your strength Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Grace nor Peace May not I say I speak to many such I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without peace They may have the worlds peace but they have none of this peace let me beg of you to get out of this Graceless state Oh that you would believe the words of a dying man for so I am to you and such words use to be remembred Oh remember this as a testimony I leave with you that love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruine and destroy every soul at last But you will say How shall I get a share in this Grace and Peace I answer First Break off all your false peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selves with false peace you will never seek that peace which Christ hath purchased for you while you content your selves with that cursed peace which the Old man hath wrought in you Oh therefore break off all false peace which is not the fruit of grace Secondly Labour to see and be convinced of the miserable and of the naked condition your souls be in for want of the righteousness of Christ for a covering without this soul thou art miserable wretched poor and naked be convinced also what a miserable thing it is to have God our enemy God is the sinners enâ—â—y It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh be convinced of thy nakedness without Christs righteousness and thy emptiness without his fulness Thirdly Labour to go out of your selves to Christ for grace and peace Surely in the Lord shall one say I have righteousness and strength I there it is to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of soul for the promises run far to such That he will fill the hungry with good things go to Christ soul beg pray never leave God till he hath given thee an interest in Christ for none can come to me except the Father draw him there is no pardon for the least sin out of Christ but there is pardon for the greatest sin in Christ one sin can damn the soul out of Christ but no sin can hurt the soul in Christ Oh go to Christ soul never give rest to thy eyes nor slumber to thy lids till thou hast made peace with God in the bloud of Christ One sting of the fiery serpent was mortal without looking upon the brazen Serpent so one sin will damn a soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a soul in Christ Fourthly To such as have grace but no sence of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace frame much believe much use grace much for the exercise and improving of grace will produce peace There are ten duties which are to be the sphere of grace in activity and in performing of them we shall have peace First Make Religion your business the main design of your lives be Christians to purpose be not only Christians by the bye but let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1.27 Secondly Put forth renewed Acts of Faith on Christ every day and remember it is as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before O live by faith every day and this will bring peace to you Thirdly Maintain a constant communion with God daily this communion with God is mans chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of a wife is in communion with her Husband and this is the happiness of a Believers soul communion with God the Father through Christ our Head and Husband The seed of peace it 's true it is sown in the soul in Union but then it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward Spiritual peace will never be obtained if communion with God be not maintained that gives comfort in the midst of all sorrows and satisfies all doubts and recompences all wants Lo this is the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose the reins of Religion to avoid
shall inherit the Kingdom of God Damnation is entailed upon unrighteous men 2. If you are merciful you shall be gathered to Christ if you are one that is full of bowels of compassion to the distressed members of Christ Jesus for Christ hath said it Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy now if you are hard-hearted covetous worldly minded remember that Text He shall have judgement without mercy that shews no mercy 3. He that is gathered to the second Adam by faith in this world shall certainly be gathered unto Christ by vision in the other world Christ Jesus will save all his members and you must know that faith is a transplanting grace it is not only a heart-purifying but a world-overcoming grace It takes a man out of the old Adam and puts him into a new Adam it takes a man out of the root of scattering and puts him into the root of union and conjunction Wherefore you that are now joyned to Christ by faith here shall be joyned to Christ in glory hereafter But now you that are vagabonds Cains and aliens from the life of God and from the life of grace You that are wooden members wooden legs in Christs body that have no real conjunction with Christ you shall not be gathered to him in glory Lastly If you are gathered here to the Saints by love then you shall be gathered to the Saints in Heaven and to the everlasting injoyment of God with them to all eternity Confider this every man shall be gathered when he dies to those whom he delights and chooseth to keep pany with while he lives in this world If you are gathered to the wicked in love and affection here you shall be gathered to them at death in hell and destruction for it is pity companions should be parted wheat must to wheat and tares to tares for wheat and tares shall not be bound together at the last day The last use is of exhortation If the righteous must perish and if their death be nothing but a gathering then take this threefold Exhortation First Let us labor to make the best use we can of our godly friends and Ministers before they be gathered let us do as Elisha did he was told that his Master Elijah was to be taken up to Heaven and therefore he would never leave him till he had got the spirit of Elijah doubled upon him If Elisha had not thought that Elijah would have been taken up that day he would never have followed him so punctually and inseparably as he did O beloved did you believe that Text Zach. 1.5 of which we have often had experience Your fathers where are they and the prophets do they live for ever Indeed if they did live for ever we might get good from them when we please because we are sure never to lose them but they live not for ever but must perish and be taken up to heaven And therefore whilst we have them let us make what use we can of them before they be taken away from us It is a great fault among the people of God that they make no more use of their Godly friends and Ministers I have known many that have godly relations that have died that it hath been the greatest burden on their consciences that they got no more good by those Godly Relations while they lived Many of us deal with our Ministers as we do with a strange sight that is to be seen near our doors we are not so much solicitous when we see it but a stranger that comes from a far Country is curious and very careful presently to see it So do we in this City especially I have had experience of it by being here many years strangers that come out of the Country many times get that good by a Minister that his own people do not because they think their Minister is continually with them but a stranger knows he is there but for a day and he hears so that he carries Christ home with him and a great deal of consolation also Beloved this is a great fault I beseech you remember the Righteous must be gathered let us therefore do with them as we do with Books that are borrowed if a man borrows a Book he knows he must keep it but for a day or two and therefore he will be sure to read it over whereas if the Book be a mans own he laies it aside because he knows he can read it at any time Remember your Ministers are but lent you they are not your own and you know not but that God may take away your Elâ—jahs from you this night Therefore make what use you can of them while you have them Secondly Must the Righteous be taken away Then let the Righteous make conscience of doing what good they can before they are taken away Beloved if it were possible for the Godly to grieve in Heaven this would be their greatest sorrow that they have done God no more service here upon earth Be wise for God O ye Righteous do as old men that have rich places offices they labour to buy the reversion of their places for their Children So must you to whom God hath given great gifts and graces labor to propagate your gifts graces that there may be no loss by your death Observe the cares of St. Paul the aged in his exhortation to Timothy 2 Tim. 3.4 5 Watch thou all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry why so for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand and therefore work thou see that thou endure affliction preach the Gospel as becomes a Minister of the Gospel that there may be no loss by my departure So in 2 Tim. 2.2 The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men that shall be able to teach others also Hath God committed any thing to you a treasure of Learning or Grace commit it to young Ministers that they may commit it to others that so there may be a succession of Gifts and Graces Do as Physitians do that labour to communicate their skill to their Children and to others so should we that there may be a succession of Godly ones that Godliness may be entailed upon us and our Relations Thirdly and lastly let us all labour to be such that when we dye when we come to be gathered we may be gathered to Christ and his Angels not to the Devil and his angels And for that purpose let us labour to be merciful and righteous and let us be gathered to Christ by Faith and to one another by love and dear affection and then we shall be gathered at the great day to Christ and the blessed company of the Saints Angels There are 4 observations yet behind but I must wave them at this time I have now another Sermon to preach and I cannot without
a little before Hippo was taken and Pareus a little before Hiddleburg was taken and â—uther a little before the wars in Germany began The death of the Godly is like the separating the Israelites from the Tents of Corah and his company like the taking of Lot out of Sodom When the Israelites departed from Corah and his company the earth swallowed them up and when Lot departed out of Sodom God rained down fire and brimstone upon them Let the thoughts of these things cause us to provide our Arks to get our Zoars Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elies young Elisha's in the room of old Elijahs and young Timothies in the room of Paul the aged that there may be a succession of Gospel-ministers to hold forth the Word of life to the Nation And let us labour to be Inheritors of the Twelve Excellencies that beautified this our Reverend Brother Secondly Let me speak a few words to you of this Parish the Auditors of this worthy Minister There is scarce one man of an hundred that understands the tye and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his People Oh the Love and Affection that ought to be betwixt them Paul tells the Galatians that they could have plucked out their eyes for him if need were Chrysostom tells us that when Miletus was taken away by death from his People their hearts sunk with sorrow and such love had they to him that they called all their Children by his name and got his picture engraven on their Rings And I have read of Chrysostom that when he was banished from his People there was not a corner in the City but was full of People weeping and lamenting The loss of a Godly Minister is a publick loss and therefore there ought to be a publick mourning it is a soul loss and therefore methinks every one of you should weep and mourn you have lost your common Father you of this Congregation have lost your spiritual Father your spiritual Shepheard you have lost your eyes your guide and indeed it is you that are his Flock that must commend your Minister by practising that which he preached saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.1 Do we again begin to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of Commendations to you or Letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistle written in our bearts known and read all men As if the Apostle should say do we need Letters of commendation is it necessary that we should spend time in commending our Ministry you are our Letters of commendation your holiness piety commends a Minister above all other things As when a man comes into an Orchard or Vineyard saith Chrysostom and sees every thing skilfully handled and neatly trimmed he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser or Carpenter the work its self commends them So ought it to be among you When we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers we must look into the Parish or Congregation and see what Letters of commendation there are whether the proficiency of the Auditors commend their Ministers I grant it is not always true God doth not always give suceess to a godly Minister but the worst is yours I had almost said the curse is yours but I will speak modestly the worst is yours Tell me how many of you are able to say I bless God that ever such a Minister was sent among us blessed be God that ever we heard him preach what seal of his ministry is there here among you he was in another and another place of this City it may be here are people from all places that have been his Auditors what seal of his Ministry is there now to be found among you how many Souls hath he pluck'd out of the snares of the Devil how many of you have gone weeping from a Sermon knocking your breasts and pricked at the heart of sin crying out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved your tears and mourning for sin these are the Auditors that commend your Ministers Go home now and think with your selves what can I remember of all the Sermons that I have heard from Mr. Ash and give me leave to tell you woe be to you if as your Minister be dead so all the Sermons he made die with him for as Abel being dead yet speaketh so shall the Sermons of this worthy Minister at the great day speak for you or against you for they are spiritual Talents that God hath be-trusted you with and you must be accountable both he and you shall appear before the Tribunal of God your Minister shall be examined how he can free himself from the guilt of Soul-blood and you shall be examined what fruit you brought forth answerable to the means you have enjoyed and if it appear you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers Christ will say Cast the unprofitable servants into utter darkness But I hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation What ever was good in this reverend Minister let iâ— live in you and though he be dead yet let not his Sermons that he preached die with you but let them be in you that at the great day when he and you appear before God he may be able to say here am I and the Children that thou hast given me Dr. Seaman's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle being now upon the conclusion of this Epistle after a very large discovery of Jesus Christ in all those things that belong to his Person concerning his Nature as God as Man and concerning his Offices especially concerning his Priestly and concerning the blessings and benefits especially in matters of Sacrifice doth in this last Chapter insist on matters Hortatory and in the words draws near to a conclusion which contains a Prayer wish or desire which he puts up unto God in the behalf of them in order to their good and benefit Now the God of peace c. In which words there are two things considerable 1. The matter of the Apostles Prayer 2. The grounds which he doth insinuate for Audience In the things he desires the Matter of the Prayer is laid down in v. 21 and is summarily and generally propounded in several expressions yet nevertheless so as they have their Specialities belonging to them In the beginning he shews what he aims at make you perfect c. In general it refers to their Sanctification and that they be throughly sanctified as to their inward man and outward conversation as to those things that belong to them in the habits of their minds and Eternal carriage The Grounds
that I fore-see the time will prevent me answer an Objection Is there nothing to hold fast but Truth Doth not the Apostle bid the Thessalonians in the second of the Thessalonians the second Chapter and the fifteenth Verse Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The Papists make much of this place for their unwritten Traditions In a word know this though there were some Doctrines of Faith and matters of Practice which when Paul writ this Epistle were not expresly to be found in Writing that had been Preached by the Apostles yet this will not in the least infer that now when the Canon of the Scripture is compleated there should be such unwritten Traditions to which we are to give up our Faith I go on to the second thing and that is to shew How we must hold fast the Truths of God which we have heard and received First In your Judgements being fully resolved and setled in your Judgements concerning them not wavering about them nor suffering our selves by any means and ways to be removed from our stedfastness in them Says the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness Take heed you be not removed in your Judgements hold fast what you have received and suffer not every Wind to blow you off from them Secondly We must hold fast the Truths we have heard and received in our Wills and Affections in our love to the Truth we must receive the Truth in the love of it or else we should never keep the Truth Love is the strongest hold-fast in the Word no man will part with that which he loves What makes the covetous man so unwilling to part with his Money but because he loves it What makes the lustful sinner so unwilling to part with his Lust he will part with Heaven rather than his Lust Why It is because he doth so love it If men did love the Truth they would hold it fast Thirdly you must hold the Truth in the profession of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Truth or of the Faith without wavering We must not only believe with the Heart but confess with the Mouth if we would be saved When Peter denied his Master with his Mouth and said I know him not I am perswaded he denied him not in his heart It is a dangerous thing in word or outward profession to renounce the truth or any part of it Hold fast the profession of the Truth Fourthly We must hold the Truths of God fast in our life and conversation this the Apostle calls Walking in Christ and holding forth the Word of Life in a blameless and harmless Conversation We must hold fast the Truths of God in our lives Fifthly We must do all this constantly hold fast the Truth in our Judgement and Affection Profession and Conversation constantly and at all times as David I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end We must not only in times of calmness and serenity when we may have all the peace and applause of the world hold fast the Truth and Profession of it but it stormy times when Truth may burn a mans fingers if he hold it yet even then we must hold it fast Sixthly We must hold fast the Truths we have received resolutely against all oppositions whatsoever whether of friends or foes Paul would not bate an inch no not to Peter his Brother his elder Brother in Christ and in the work of the Gospel he resisted him to the face and gave no place to him no not for an hour Thus should we hold fast the Truth that we have heard and received in our Judgment in our Wills and Affections in our Profession and in our Lives and Conversations And thus hold them fast constantly and resolutely against all opposition on the right hand and on the left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truth of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious than Gold better than Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the daughter of God Divine Truth is the child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver this Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancie in them I say we have received the Truth under the Nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an heritage Thy Testimonies have I spoken for mine heritage saith David in the 119 Psal Though a mans personal estate may be alienated yet that which is his heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with that Truth is the inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a Thing committed to mans trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him the Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good matter and it tends to a good end the saving of our souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keep it that it may be re-delivered and redelivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may redeliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This is the duty of all Christians thus to keep the word There is a committing of the Truth to all the Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in his Epistle verse the third That ye should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints the Faith that is the doctrine of Faith the Truth of the Gospel
excellent resolution and worthy of our imitation and if I might after twenty six years labour here in the Ministry now at my parting obtain thus much of you that you having been pleased to be constant hearers here would lay a Law on your selves that so much time as you formerly spent in coming hither sitting here and returning home that you will spend that time at home either in praying and reading and meditating in your Closets or else in praying in and with your Families and instructing of them If I might but obtain this of you at my parting I shall believe that the Devil and his Kingdom would be losers by this our parting if you would spend this time weekly in holy Exercises reading and praying for your selves and for the Nation and for your Families which you were wont to spend in coming to these Lectures and in attending here and returning home and that is my sixth Advice to you and therefore let me intreat this of you 7. And my seventh Advice and Counsel is this that seeing it pleaseth God to take away from you so many of your publick Instructers that you would every one of you that are headâ— of Families be so much the more instructing and teaching your Families Be so much the more in this by how much the less is done in publick Read the Word in your Families and catechise your Families and see that they may understand them You have many helps for this as Mr. Perkins Mr. Ball and the Assemblies Catechise 8. And the last advice I have to give you is this that you would still continue your reverence of and love to and care for the observing of the Lords Holy Sabbath It is that my Brethren wherein God hath been honoured in this Town and in these Parts I think as much as in most places in the World and I pray do so still And when you have not publick Ordinances and publick helps for the sanctifying of the Lords day at home in your own Congregations if you have the Word and Ordinances in any comfortable manner abroad Travel for it I say travel for it and when you have them not at home nor abroad be so much the more earnest and fervent and aboundant in your family and secret Duties in the sanctification of the Lords day I have some fears lest if time should come to pass that the Magistrates should connive at the prophaning of the Lords day giving way to Sports and Recreations on it and Preachers should cry down the strict observation of the Lords day and the like I am afraid we have many youth that in these parts notwithstanding all the instructions that have been given them would be ready to dance after these Pipes and run into the profaning of the Lords day Therefore you that are Governours of Families remember the charge that God hath given you more expresly concerning this than in any other thing that I know of Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter nor thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thy Cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates shalt thou suffer to violate the day of the Lord Therefore know your Authority and do your duty and put on the Holy Resolution of Jâ—shua Whatsoever others do I and my house will serve the Lord so say you Whatsoever others do I and mine will sanctifie the Lords day and keep it holy So do and the blessing of God shall be on you all the week long And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Mr. Brooks His Farewel-Sermon ALL that I shall do shall be to answer two or three Queries and then I shall leave a few Legacies with you that may speak when I am not advantaged to speak to you The first Query is this What should be the reason that men make such opposition against the Gospel against the plain powerful conscientious preaching of it This is not the principal thing that I intend and therefore I shall only touch upon the reason of it 1. Mens hatred and opposition ariseth against the Gospel because it doth discover their hidden works of darkness Joh. 3. They hate the Light lest their deeds should be removed the Gospel brings their deeds of darkness to light and this stirs up a spirit of hatred and opposition against the Gospel 2. Ground is this Because sinners under the Gospel cannot sin at so cheap a rate as otherwise they might do The Drunkard cannot be drunk at so cheap a rate nor can the opposer and persecutor oppose and persecute at so cheap a rate as they might do where the Gospel doth not shine in power and glory 3. Because the Gospel puts persons upon very hard service upon very difficult work pulling out a right eye cutting off a right hand offering up an Isaac throwing over board a Jonas parting with Bosom Lusts and darling sins Herod heard John Baptist gladly till he came to touch his Herodias and then off goes his head As they say John 6. This is a hard saying and who can abide it and from that time they walked no more with him this is a hard Gospel indeed and at this their blood riseth 4. Because of the differing and distinguishing work that the Gospel makes among the Sons of men it softens one and hardens another that sits next to him enlightens one and strikes the other blind it wins on one and enrageth another The same Sun hath different effects on the Objects on which it shines The Gospel puts a difference between the precious and the vile and this the vile cannot bear It was never good dayes say they since such and such must be Saints and none else we have as good hearts as any and this enrageth them Lastly It is from Satan Satan knows that the very tendency of the Gospel is to shake his Kingdom about his ears Satan and Antichrist know that their Kingdom must down by the power and light of the Gospel and therefore Satan and men of an Antichristian spirit do all they can to oppose and shew their hatred against the everlasting Gospel and this makes them to be in such a rage against the Gospel Quer. 2. When the Gospel goes from a People what goes I shall give but a touch here 1. When the Gospel goes Peace Plenty and Trading goes 2 Chron. 15.3 5. and 6. compared Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching-Priest Why They had Priests but they were Jeroboam's Priests as you may see chap. 13. verse 9. Have you not cast out the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other Lands so that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young Bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no gods A
confess if you will keep your garments clean and undefiled with the mark of the Beast it may be you may come under shrewd temptations yet I entreat you as a dying man as you love your souls and for Gods sake flee from Idolatry notwithstanding your temptations that happen to you he will suppâ—rt you if you flee and withstand the thing you are tempted to 1 Cor. 10. verse 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it Now see what use the Apostle makes of this promise in the next Verse he follows with these words Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry Seeing God will uphold us let us withstand any temptations to this end that God may uphold us This is the second Caution Thirdly Take heed of Apostacy of a degenerating back-sliding spirit that you do not fall off from the truth and ground of the wayes of God which ye have known and professed It is is true it may be for standing to your Principles you may lose the love of man I acknowledge it may be so but hear what God saith If any man fall back my soul shall have no pleasure in him If thou goest on mans soul may have no pleasure in thee but if thou fallest back Gods soul will have no pleasure in thee Thou doest by Apostacy declare to all the World that thou hast made trial of the wayes of God and thou dost not find them to be as thou thoughtest they were nay not so good as others Oh take heed of scandalizing the ways of God hear how God complains of those that so do Jeremiah 2. and 10. Go unto the Isles of Chittim and behold and send unto Kedar and take diligent heed and see whether there be such a thing Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods But my people hath changed their glory for that which will not profit Hear O Heavens and be astonished at this for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed to themselves broken cisterns that will hold no water Whatever it is that would lead thee to Apostacy beware and fly from it especially evil company of which I shall speak more anon let your love to Christ be augmented and love of your selves abased for unless you love Christ very much and your selves very little I cannot hope that you will stand to your Principles Fourthly Beware of Covetousness it is Christs Caution Luke 2. and 15. verse Take heed and beware of Covetousness Here is a Caution with a double Action Take heed and Beware Believe me Brethren it stands us upon so to do for it steals upon us before we be aware of it There is no person will deal more injuriously with a Christian than a Covetous man will He will betray his Life if it were in his hands into Enemies hands for Money as Judas did A Covetous man will injure Christ in his Ordinances he will not come at them for the love he bears to the World will not suffer him truly quoth he I have lost this or that while I was hearing a Sermon I 'le go no more I must stay at home and look after my business I could give you many instances of this but time will not give me leave I shall only touch this one What was it but the love of this World that kept those who were bid to the Marriage Feast of the Great King of Heaven from coming One had bought a piece of Ground and he must needs go see it another had bought Oxen and he must go to prove them a Third had married a Wife and therefore he could not come Of all persons in the World a Covetous man cannot nor will not endure to bear the Cross of Christ Philippians 3. verse 18. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction Who are these what manner of persons are they why they are such who make their belly their God whose glory is their shame and who mind earthly things A covetous man he will lye with Ananias and Saphira he will steal with Achaâ— he will murther with Aban he will betray with Judas what will he not do to attain his covetous desire This is the fourth Beware of Covetousness Fifthly You that have not taken warning yet I beseech you take warning now Have a care and avoid evil company Ephesians 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them and be ye separated from them Never go into a wicked mans company if before you go you have not a probability of doing good or getting good Confider with thy self is there any likelyhhood that thou by thy wholesome reproofs maist do him any good if there be then go on if not draw back avoid them flie from them for their steps tend to perdition By wicked company these two things have been effected Good men made Bad. Bad men made Worse Good men have been made bad by wicked company Jehosaphat that good King is an example of this who by the company of wicked Ahab was drawn to fight against those whom God favoured and to help Ahab in his wicked enterprise Bad men have been made worse by evil company Ahab was made worse by the Instigation of his wicked Wife Jezabel Oh can you bear when you are in their company to hear them blaspheme the holy Name of God and not reprove them Truly if you can it is a sign you are not so good as you should be Sixthly My sixth Caution is this Oh have a care of having the least finger on your hand against a Saint it is dangerous to have a thought word or act against the people of God it is dangerous to have a thought amiss of them Psal 62.3 They imagine mischief against a man that is against a Saint therefore they shall all be slain for their bare imagination they shall all be cut off It is dangerous to speak against them How durst thou saith God to Miriam to speak against my servant Moses and immediately he smote her with a leprosie as white as snow it is dangerous to act against them and it is forbidden by God Psal 105.5 Touch not mine Anointed nor do my Prophets no harm Perhaps you would say you would not do them any harm if you thought they were Gods people Oh but take heed lest they prove Gods people and then it were better for you if a Milstone were hung about your neck and you cast into the Sea than to offend the least of them Seventhly Let me beseech you all to take heed of complying with this sinful World whoever doth do not you but
take up that good resolution of Joshuah's As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Though all else forsake God yet will not I yet let not us I beseech you saith he that you would not conform your selves to the fashions and manners of this wicked world Oh take heed of conforming your selves to the conversation of this world but walk harmless and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation if we will comply with the world I mean to be as most of the world are that is temporizers time-servers preferring the pleasing of Man before the pleasing of God then we must lye in wickedness as all the World doth 1 Joh. 2.16 For all that is in the World is either the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye or the pride of life and these are not of the Father but abideth in the wicked one the Prince of the power of the Air after whom the men of the world walk This is the seventh Take heed of conforming your selves to this World Eightly Take heed of a hasty spirit when you are under sad dispensations when you are under sufferings you are apt to seek and close with relief come it which way it will and on what terms it will Let me beseech you Christians to have a care of such a hasty and impatient spirit Esa 26. verse 18. He that believeth maketh not haste that is he maketh not haste to get out of his afflictions The people of Israel were of hasty spirits and murmured because they were kept so long in the Wilderness for which God slew an innumerable company of them Saul was of a hasty spirit and by it lost his Life and Kingdom Jacob's Mother no sooner told him his Fathers intent but he was resolved to have the first blessing though he cheated his Brother and lyed for it and so told his Father that he was his eldest Son but he himself was afterwards deceived by a lye with having the eldest Daughter given him instead of the younger Take David for your example he waited Gods time the Kingdom was promised to him after Saul's death and when Saul pursued him you know David had him twice in his power and with ease might have destroyed him but he would not Far be it from me saith he that I should touch the Lords Annointed let God smite him by the hands of his Enemies I will not It is far better to be Gods Bondslave than the Devils Freeman Do not use any the least action whatever in any indirect way to deliver thy self but patiently sit down and wait Gods good time which when once come thy deliverance will assuredly come with it Take heed then of a hasty and sullen spirit under afflictions some men when God takes away any comfort from them are of so sullen a spirit there is no pacifying of them God will now this day take something from you which I believe you would willingly keep will you therefore be of so sullen a spirit that because you cannot enjoy all you 'l not injoy any but will rob your selves of all What though you cannot enjoy your Minister any longer will you not make use of the Ordinances of God I beseech you refrain this spirit and let the deprivation of one mercy be a means to make you make better use of those that are left Ninthly My ninth Caution is this Take heed of an ungodly Minister I speak not to any mans person in particular neither can I because I know not as yet who will succeed me but whosoever he be if he be wicked beware of him for if he be ungodly the people will follow him for like Priest like People And I pray God deliver you from such Ministers as for Doctrine do teach the traditions of men and cry Peace Peace when sudden destruction hangs over their heads Such Ministers may please you but believe me they will never profit you but at last you will find that through the Vale of Security you are led to the Pit of Perdition They will tell you you need not be so strict and diligent in your conversations nor Heaven is not so hard and difficult to gain as some would make you believe believe them not but remember that without holiness none shall see God and that neither Fornicaters Adulterers Idolaters Thieves Murtherers Covetous persons Drunkards Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Tenthly and lastly Take heed you be not found professors of the Gospel only Christ when he was preaching to a throng of people as I am here this day said unto them Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie Oh that I had no cause to say the leaven of the Pharisees is among you I mean that there are many here that are but bare Professors let me ask you that are only Professors this one question Is Religion good or bad If it be not good what is the reason thou art not ashamed to profess it if it be good what is the reason thou dost but profess it By thy bare professing thou losest the love of Man by no more than professing thou canst never gain the love of God so that on all sides thou art like to be miserable The World will hate thee for being so good and God will hate thee for being no better What a sad thing is it that thou losest thy comforts in this life by professing so much and thy comforts in the life to come by no more than professing Thus you have heard what I have to say by way of Caution I shall now speak to you by way of Counsel The former ten were Negative these shall be Positive First I intreat you all that above all things you would mind the one thing necessary that you would not trouble your selves so much with many things of little concernment but mind the great thing for which you came into the World Oh my friends will you spend your time for that which will not profit you and your money for that which is not Bread Look after Grace labour to get an interest in Christ of which you being unprovided you will be undone for ever it will be better for you you had never been born Oh! gain Christ and then you will be fitted for all times all troubles and all conditions that can happen unto you you will be endued with all wisdom and with all riches if you gain not Christ all that God doth to you and for you will nothing at all avail you Secondly My second Advice and Counsel unto you is this That you would live as you would die live to day as if you must dye to morrow Let me aâ—k you would you be content to dye in the state you are in If my Soul doth not desire to be in a better state when I come to dye than now I am in I may very well sit down satisfied if not then surely it greatly concerns me
the World for their choice the Spirit and Son of God that this is their choice Therefore no wonder c. But how do they chuse God Answer They chuse God as the object of their souls love as the chiefest of ten thousand as the lot of their inheritance as the companion of their souls to converse with him as the Commander of their ways to bt guided by him as a shelter of their hearts as a refuge to fly unto in the time of danger The first Vse was by way of Examination Is God chosen as the chief object of our souls love Can we truly say There is none in Heaven but thee none upon Earth I can desire besides or in comparison of thee Can we say in having God The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage Is communion with God our Heaven upon Earth Is God the Commander of our ways as well as we hope to be the Saviour of our souls Is God our shield or buckler our retreat in danger The second Vse was by way of Consolation Believers have you made choice of God Happy are the people that are in such a case thou hast the best assurance in the world to come to the best possession in this world peace and joy Peace within if not Peace without And Joy the best Joy in the world Joy unspeakable and full of glory And truly if so be that this be thy portion in having chosen God 't is no wonder thou dost not Apostate from him It is no wonder that whatever comes upon a Believer yet for that his heart is not turned back neither his steps declined from Gods way And this leads to The Fourteenth Sermon Psal 44.18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way FRom these words two Observations 1. In times of sufferings and afflictions true Christians are to make a narrow inspection into their hearts to see how they stand affected Thus did the Church here 2. To keep stedfast and close with God notwithstanding all afflictions and sufferings we undergo either from or for God is the duty and commendation of Saints 'T was our duty and 't is our honour Lord c. In prosecution of this point these seven preliminary Theses were laid down 1. When man was first created his heart stood rightly bent towards God as his great centre and mark 2. When man fell his heart immediately drew off and turned back from God 3. Though this be the case of fallen man yet poor creature he sees it not 4. The very Formalis Ratio of sin that wherein the Formality of sin consists is in this not so much in finning against God by outward Acts as in the hearts departing from God 5. All true Conversion to God begins at the Heart 6. It is an Argument of infinite love in God to bring back our hearts to him 7. When once the heart of a Believer is brought back to God no suffering or affliction is able to turn that heart from him Quest When may a mans heart be said not to be turned back notwithstanding all sufferings and afflictions Answ 1. When a man still retains the same esteem and estimate of God that ever he had When Job looks upon God as a God fit to be lessed though God be plundering of him 2. When a man still retains the same affections the same love to him delight in him fear of him as much as ever 3. When we hope and trust in God as much as ever Though he kill me yet will I trust in him 4. When we have the same resolutions to cleave to God as ever If a God in Israel as long as a God in Israel 'T is all one makes not to the God of the Philistims this is for a mans heart not to be turned back from God By way of Vse 1. Learn The heart of man is very apt to turn from God in dayes of affliction our heart is not though theirs were 2. It concerns us in time of affliction and suffering to see if our hearts be not turned back from God But what means shall I use that I may not turn a base Apostate Answ 1. Be watchful over your hearts they are exceeding slippery and deceitful The veriest Thieves in the world 2. Be still bending of your hearts from the world and the flesh unto God as you bend a crooked stick to make it streight 3. Do not only bend but bind your hearts tie them shackle them as you would one that hath broken Prison by holy serious Scriptural necessary vows 4. Converse much with God That man that converses much with God it is not the frowns of men shall bring his heart off from God To spur you on to this duty with these motives 1. If you turn from God the soul of God will turn from you If any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. Keep close to God in such a time and God will keep close to you Here 's a people that not all their sufferings could make them fall from me God glories in such a people 3. This will be one of the greatest comforts by way of argument of your sincerity that your heart is upright with God This will make an Hezekiah look up to God in the time of sickness with a Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 4. If you will not turn from God by way of Apostacy you may run to God and find in him a Sanctuary And so you have it in The Fifteenth Sermon Isa 8.14 He shall be for a Sanctuary THe words are an allusion to a City of refuge and from hence this Observation Jesus Christ will be for a sure refuge to all those that make him their fear and dread And the truth is there is the greatest reason in the world Christ should be so Saints stand in greatest need of this Sanctuary They are a poor weak helpless generation of Creatures but they have a Rock of refuge The Conies are but a feeble folk yet make their Houses in the Rocks Christ bears dearest love to them they are most precious to him they are his Jewels what will a man preserve if he will not preserve his Jewels Will Christ be a Sanctuary Then 1. See the true reason why the Saints of God are of such an heroick Spirit even when troubles look them in their faces and ring in their ears they have a God to fly to a Christ to rest on 2. See the reason of that consternation of spirit that seizes on wicked men in times of troubles Hide me from the wrath of the Lamb why they have no refuge to go to and however it is with them now you shall hear nothing but howling and lamenting when God shall come to avenge the blood of his Saints 3. Be exhorted to make Christ your Sanctuary get into this City of Refuge and for Motives
we may live with the God of Peace hereafter Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the Forenoon Joh. 14.16 And I will send the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever THe Observation that I commended to you out of these words was this It is the great work for which the Spirit of Christ is given by God to comfort the hearts of his people You may remember that I have formerly opened the truth to you and have shewed you what this spiritual comfort is that the Spirit of Christ works in the hearts of his Disciples I gave it you in this Description It is that inward spiritual satisfaction that the heart of a gracious person finds in and through Jesus Christ in all the various dispensationâ— of God towards him whereby he is enabled to go on in chearfulness in the way that God would have him whether it be by a way of doing or of suffering And herein I shewed 1. The nature of the spiritual satisfaction 2. The Author of it It is God by his Spirit 3. The Object of it God through Jesus Christ 4. The proper subject of this inward spiritual comfort the people of God 5. And lastly The effects of the spiritual comfort it is to strengthen the heart both to do and to suffer I came the last time to shew you how the Spirit of God doth this 1. He doth it as an enlightning Spirit By shewing where comfort is to be had by opening the eyes of the understanding as he did Hagars bodily eyes to see the Well of Water 2. He doth it as a quickning Spirit bringing the Soul into that capacity to take in the comfort for what comfort can a dead man receiver a Cordial and Puddle is all one to a dead man 3. He works this inward spiritual satisfaction by discovering the truth of his vital Principle in the Soul for a man may have a principle of grace and spiritual life in him and not know it that though he has the spiritual comfort yet it is all one as if he had it not Now this is the great Question that is debated in the heart of a childe of God Whether he be regenerated and born again Whether he hath grace in his soul that grace that will qualifie him for glory and if he was satisfied as to this he would not be a moment without comfort But he is afraid that he is dead in sin that he is a stranger to the life of grace hence ariseth all the Spiritual troubles Now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now we have received not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly sorrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly sorrow Oh! it 's matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is a mortyfying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrows pride unbelief inordinate love to the World 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing that I did for the explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they are such as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel and find none in his comforting work The Sun may operate where it doth not shine A man may be in a state of Salvation when it doth not feel the joyes of Salvation Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the comforting spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of Glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in frame of longing after the state of Heaven God will have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we must make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes till sin be quite taken out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spiritual comfort in their Souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comfort but they may feel the impression of Gods anger Haman complains That the wrath of God did bang upon him and that the terrors of God had out him off A gracious heart hath real grounds of Consolation though he hath not present sensible comforts A child of God hath always that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eternal life A Child of God shall always have so much to keep up his hopes and affiance upon God A Child of God in the darkest condition though he doth not see enough to make him rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust in God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while he was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5. Those that have inward comforts from the Spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it is light within
So that the Spirit of God is fain to come in and end the controversie before the soul will be satisfied 2. If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of his people Then all the comfort of Christless and graceless souls is nothing worth there is no true peace for they are not the Disciples of Christ which are the proper subjects of this comfort they will not hearken to Christ nor learn of Christ but they cast his words behind their backs and break his bands asunder Those that do not learn Christs Precepts and follow Christs Canons and obey Christs Commands they are none of Christs Disciples aâ—d to be sure they have not the Spirit of Christ which is the Efficient in this comfort and without the root there cannot be the fruit for this inward peace is the fruit of the Spirit And therefore what comfort they have it is either a sinful comfort which to be sure will end in sorrow or else at best it is but a carnal comfort which will soon vanish like the crackling of thorns under a Pot There is no peace saith God to the wicked there is no peace with God as long as you are at peace wiâ—h sin 3. Here they are stumbled with the Riddle That the people of God should be sorrowing yet always rejoycing As sorrowing yet always rejoycing The carnal world think this to be a contradiction though they be troubled without yet they have peace within though they have maâ—ter of sorrow in respect of outward affliction yet they have fellowship with the Holy Ghost the comforter which gives peace in affliction joy in sorrow light in darkness which fills thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly If the Holy Ghost be the only Comforter of the hearts of Gods people then let me exhort every one of you to labour for an interest in this Comforter Friends I beseech you be restless till you have got some evidence of the Comforter in your souls by the inhabitation of the Spirit in your hearts without you have an interest in Christ there is no comfort no true comfort to be expected no comfort in prosperity no comfort in adversity no comfort in life nor in death no peace with your consciences Men may make a shift to keep themselves at quiet for the present by lulling conscience they may have a kind of peace from a false principle Ah but what will you do when storms arise what will you do when death and affliction comes Jonas lay quietly asleep till the storm came O my friends we must shortly lye a dying the Lord knows how soon O what will you do for comfort in a dying hour all other comforts may forsake you and before that time you may meet with sorrow and heavy afflictions so that all your friends in the world will not do you good your friends may fail your hearts may fail and then no comfort but the comfort of the Holy Ghost will do you good the time may come that all your friends may prove miserable comforters when God comes to deal with the soul to set sin home upon the conscience to lay sin before us then what will you do We are all guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission when these come to be charged upon the soul what will you then do then no plaister of comfort will stick but those of the Spirits laying on unless the Spirit seal up the pardon of sin the love of God to the soul nothing will quiet and comfort the soul however men may be merry for a time yet there is a time of sorrow that will come when they shall reflect upon their ways when they shall see nothing but sin behind them and terrours before them Oh! what amazement will seize upon their souls they have no interest in God in Christ they have no interest in the Promises there is nothing that will comfort you unless you have an interest in the Spirit But then what shall I do that I may get this comforting Spirit into my soul First Thirst earnestly after it The Promise is made to those that thirst after it Isa 44.3 Thirst after him in his convincings in his humblings in his sanctifying mercy Oh let the desire and longing of thy soul run out this way no matter for an Estate no matter for Friends and outward comforts if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast that that is paramount to all outward comforts Secondly Pray earnestly for the Spirit You are not so willing to giâ—â— your children that they want as God is to give his Spirit to them that ask it Cry mightily Lord give me thy Spirit and cry to the Spirit and say as Laban to Abicam Come in so pray the Spirit to come in to thy Soul Thirdly If you would have this Comforter to come and abide with you You must resolve to become Christs Disciple It is only for such that Christs prays that God would send the Comforter You must hearken and obey him and follow him wheresoever he goeth You know the terms upon which you must be Christs Disciple Mat. 16.24 He must deny himself and take up his Cross and daily follow Christ He must deny himself There is two selfs in a man nay three selfs and they must de denied but however the first two must be denied if you intend to be Christs Disciple 1. A mans righteous self If any thing that we are that we have or can do from our works or duties any thing of our own all must be denied in point of Justification 2. Sinful self A mans corruptions must be denied pride passion and love to the world 3. Natural self Friends estates relations credit and honour and outward comforts these may be denied you may be called to part with them but if they come in competition with Christ they must be denied 2. You must take up the Cross of Christ rather than forsake his honor or disobey his commands You must resolve to follow Christ wheresoever he shall lead you either in a way of active or passive obedience you must take up Christs load you must undergo his burden Now Christians are you resolved upon this now sit down and consider what it will cost you to be Christians and if you would have the best you must be contented with the worst and if you are resolved upon this then you are the true Disciples of Christ and you are under the promise of his comfort and Christ is praying the Father to send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever 2. Vse of Exhortation 2. Vse Is of Exhortation wherein I shall apply my self to the true Disciples of Christ those that have had communion with Christ in his sanctifying Presence labour after communion with him in his comforting Presence To all others that are without the Spirit of God I may say as Jehu to Jehoram What hast thou to do with these things Labour to be
convinced of the need and want of Christ but such as have been partakers of the Spirit of Christ as a sanctifying Spirit labour after communion with him as a comforting Spirit and to this end I shall stir you up to this 1. By way of Motive 2. By way of Comfort First by way of Motive Though you have some comfort it is but little in comparison of what you may have and in comparison of what you may stand in need of though a Saint would not change the saddest hour of his life for the sweetest hour in his former condition If the Saints of God did enjoy the comforts that they might oh what blessed lives might they live but they are so full of trouble as if there were no Holy Ghost the Comforter The people of God are oftentimes troubled without a cause as that holy man Why art thou cast down oh my soul He could not render a true account of his trouble he was sad but he could not tell why or wherefore 2. When there is cause they are apt to be troubled without measure In those cases where it is a sin not to be troubled at all the people of God are apt to be troubled over-much as the Israelites in their bondage in Egypt It were a sin for them not to be troubled but they were so full of troubles that they could not hearken to Moses and Aaron And so the Disciples in the Text it were a sin for them not to be troubled for the absence of Christs body but so to be troubled as if God could not comfort them without him this was their weakness And to come to our Cases it were a sin to slight this Dispensation of God that is coming upon us if we should not be troubled for the loss of the Ministers of Jesus Christ but to mourn before God under the sense of this Dispensation to mourn so much as to think that when these are gone all are gone to be so much troubled as not to hearken to the words of the Text That we have a Comforter I remember an admirable expression of a Child to his Mother when his Father was dead to shew That out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings God can manifest his praise Why Mother says the Child though my Father be dead yet God is alive May not I say so to you Though your Ministers be as it were naturally dead yet is not God alive Is not the Spirit of God alive Though you have some comfort yet you have little in comparison of what you may have if you seek for it 2. Study the excellent nature of the comfort how little soever a man hath of this spiritual comfort it will sweeten his condition be it what it will be When a Man hath communion with the spirit God he hath comfort in all conditions then though a mans condition be never so bad yet it is very good Hâ—b 3.17 Though the Fig-tree shall not blossome though the fruit be not in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall cease and the Fields shall yeild no meat the Flocks shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He can fetch Hope and ground his Faith upon the Promises though the Providences and Dispensations of God be never so mysterious the comfort of the Spirit doth make up the want of all other comforts The comforts of Ordinances are sweet comforts Sermon-comforts are sweet comforts Sacrament-comforts are sweet comforts Ah but the comfort of the Spirit can supply the want of all these All outward crosses cannot hinder these inward comforts a man that hath these inward comforts may have a Feast with bread and water a little of this comfort is able to sweeten a whole Ocean of sorrow In the multitude of my thâ—ughts withâ—n me thy comfort delight my Soul Psal 94.10 So that when the hearts of God's people are filled with sad thoughts what will become of themselves what will become of their Families what will become of the Church of God what will become of the Ministery of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of Christ they are full of sad fears and distracting thoughts when they have a multitude of thougts in the midst of all these spiritual comforts can comfort and refresh the Soul Oh labour after a greater share of this comfort God hath cast us upon sad times wherein we shall have need of more than ordinary comfort We are like to have troubles without if we have not peace within it will be very sad we are like to lose much of Christ's bodily presence I mean in his Ordinances how many of those Messengers that present the person of Christ and stand in his stead If we should not enjoy the other comforter our estates would be doleful If we have darkness without and darkness within how sad will that darkness be 3. Labour to get more communion from the Spirit of God This will raise and sublimate your natural comforts and turn them into Spiritual comforts A man can never relish these outward comforts till he come to taste the ravishment and sweetness of the holy Ghost till he taste the love of God these give them a higher lustre than the men of the world though they enjoy much comfort yet they do not enjoy half that a child of God doth the little that the righteous hath is better than the great revenues of the wicked to a Child of God a dinner of green hearbs is more savoury and pleasant to him than the stalled Ox because a Child of God hath better sauce with it Worldly men they smell to their flowers it is the only godly man that sucks out the honey that all things are given to him in love out of this he sucks comfort A gracious heart sees all these outward comforts that they are purchased with the bloud of Christ and therefore these should do him good and he may take comfort that he hopes for what he hath not as wel as for what he may have and he may take comfort in his condition be it what it will he sees all is for his good such a one believeth what he readeth not So he believeth Gods ways are ways of Truth though some more sweet and some more bitter 4. Labor after communion with the Spirit in his comforing work is another This is the best preservative against all intanglements of sin whatsoever It is a great hour of temptation and if our comforts do do not lie above the world we shall be greatly insnared by the world If a man eat sweet-meats he cannot relish ordinary food so while these sweet comforts lie upon the soul he cannot relish these ordinary things in the world What do you tempt me with those things saith a child of God What are these to the comforts of the Holy God The heart of man will seek comfort one way or
in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in 2 Cor. 31.18 But we all with open faâ—e behold as in a Glass the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as hâ— the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him says Christ even the spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceedeth from the Father There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his Word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the first Epist of John 23. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God in Christ It is the Spirit that doth for all us As in the Eccho the Aire being moved by the voyce returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come says the Spirit I come says the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightening Spirit a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning The Spirit reveals the counsels of God the great Mysteries of the Kingdom leads into all Truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken and comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the love of God iâ— shed abroad in our hourts Our cold and frozen spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awakened Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices â—â—â—of 〈◊〉 flow out Thirdly By his Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the ways of Holiness thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist temptations strong to suppress corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carried through all difficulties by this Spirit their infirmities are healed they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the Words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or less in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Because of their special love to and care of them that keep his words Indeed all the care of God is concerning his people that he hath in the world therefore in the second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandments that do not cast his words behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his Word he will abide with us in our work And this is the great Reason in the Text My Father will love him not but that he loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the people of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance And in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his Word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than these So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his Word observe his Will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitations on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14 15. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God says Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Sons of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14 John 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherless children He is the most affectionate tender-hearted Father Tam pater neâ—â— tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he says Terâ—ul Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his Word in a Conjugal relation and God hath laid a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People when he hath espoused to himself I will betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies I have even betreth thee unto me in faithfulness And in Isai 54.5 6. For thy Maker is thy Husband c. For the Lord hath called thee as a Woman forsaken c. Secondly Jesus Christ is the Husband of his People as we see in the whole Book of Canticles And so in Ephes 5. from the 29. Verse to the end of the Chapter Now where shall God and Christ make their abode but with their espoused Ones Doth Jesus Christ delight to
in mercy to his people Sad providences producing sweet effects Directions and helps how to get the presence of God and Christ with us First Repent and humble your selves because of all your sins that you have at any time rejected the counsels of God and resused grace and mercy and neglected opportunities of doing your souls good and drawing near to God Repentance and resolution against sin come like John Baptist to prepare a way and a place for God and Christ to come to and make their abode in Of the Hearts and Houses of impenitent sinners we may well say God is not there The way to have God to turn unto us is to turn away from sin as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. He bemoaned himself and repented and God came to him as to his dear Son and to his pleasant Child Secondly Believe in Jesus Christ and by Faith get an interest in him It is by Faith only that we get an entertainment to Jesus Christ It is by Jesus Christ alone that God and man come together No man hath seen the Father at any time but the Son and he to whom he doth reveal him and he that hath the Son hath the Father Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Thirdly Own Jesus Christ in all his offices as your King Priest and Prophet First As your King let him have the Soveraignty of your souls that he may rule over you If Christ be your King God will be your Father God loves to come where Christ hath his Throne Secondly As your Priest that his Righteousness may give you the advantage of communion with God without which we cannot come near to him and he will not come near to us Thirdly As your Prophet that he may shew you the way if his Spirit be your Guide and his Word your Rule you may be sure his Promses shall be your portion even this Promise in the Text They will come to you and make their abode with you even God and Christ Fourâ—hly Seek earnestly after God and Christ in the use of all appointed means till you come to see and enjoy their presence with you Here shall be fhewn these two particulars 1. Where we may seek God and Christ 2. How or after what manner we must seek them First Where we must seek after God and Christ First We may finde them in the works of Creation these will represent God and Christ unto us the power and wisdom of God and Christ by whom the World was made In omni re aspeciabili quaedam extant vestigia Dei In all the visible Creatures there be some prints of the invisible God so that he which lives altogether without God must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse having God so near him Secondly We may finde them in the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 The glory of God shines there in the face of Jesus Christ and to them that are conversant in the Word God hath promised to reveal himself Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And the Apostle gives this direction Rom. 10.6 7. Say net in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Thirdly We may finde them in Prayer Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you If you will be strangers to the duty of Prayer to the Throne of Grace God will be a stranger to you he hath promised to draw nigh to them that draw nigh to him and so in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Fourthly We may finde them in the communion with the people of God Where two or three are niet together in my name there will I be says Christ in the midst of them Therefore Jesus Christ directs us to go up by the soot-steps of the flock and they enquire wisely Cam. 6.1 that say to the Church of Christ Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee And when the two Disciples went to Emmaus communing of Christ he came and joyned himself with them Secondly How or after what manner we must seek God and Christ Take these four following Directions First Affect your selves with the worth and excellency of this presence of God and Christ carry a high esteem of them in your hearts think with your selves how safely they are immured as the Prophet said unto his servant There is more for them than can be against them Isa 33.16 Their place of defence is the munition of râ—cks c. O what sweetnesse and satisfaction have they within with whom God and Christ abides as the Spouse doth express it Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments pâ—ured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Thy Name of Mercy Wisdome and Faithfulness how doth it refresh their hearts that have the presence of God and Christ O sweetness and satisfaction beyond expression and then conclude Si tanius quaerentibus O quantus pâ—ssidentibus If he be so good to them that seek him how good is he to them that enjoy him Secondly Labour to affect your souls with the great want and need that you have of the presence of God and Christ while men do think in their hearts they can be well enough without God and Christ they will never seek after them but say as in Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee that is we have strength enough of our own we need no more of thy support and thus David brings in the wicked priding themselves in Psa 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance as in the Original through the pride of his nose will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts when these proud Laodicean spirits will not seek the poor hungry desolate soul that sees a need of God and Christ finde them Thirdly Quicken your selves to much diligence in seeking The Prophet complains No man stirreth up himself to seek the Lord. It is a business of the greatest concernment and must not be attended with a cold indifferency but as one set on by a true love and where that is Non quiescit amor sed quaerit amatum Love will be restless in the pursuit of the thing or person beloved See with what heat men seek the world with much more heat seek God and Christ We must do as the woman that had lost her groat she lights a candle sweeps the house seeks diligently so we must set up the light of the Word and to work with the besom of a serious repentance and thorow-reformation and
Lord and to enquire in his Temple Now love stirreth up the affections as young Cresus though he were dumb yet seeing his Father like to be killed cryed out Do not kill my Father Such is the love of the Saints of God to the Ark that they cannot be silent they cannot but tremble when they see the Ark in danger and for Sions sake the cannot hold their peace and they cannot be silent until the Lord make the righteous thereof go out like brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth 2. The people of God are troubled at this because of the interest they have in the Ark of God Now interest stirreth up affection as when another mans house is on fire as you had a lamentable and sad providence this last week and it is not to be forgotten how suddenly in all our feastings may God dash all our mirth Now consider how were they affected that had an interest in those that were burned so the people of God have an interest in the Ark. God is the Haven of a child of God the portion and inheritance of a child of God and when God begins to forsake them they cannot but be afflicted and troubled The Ordinances of God are the Jewels of a Christian the Treasure of a Christian and the loss of them cannot but trouble them And Jesus Christ is the joy of a Christian and therefore when Christ is departing they cannot but be much afflicted at it 3. The people of God are much troubled when the Ark is in danger because of the mischiefs that comes upon a Nation when the Ark of God is lost woe be to that Nation when the Ark is gone The Heathens had the Image of Apollo and they conceived that as long as that Image was presented among them they could never be worsted but be preserved and the Romans had a Buckler upon which they had a Tradition that as long as that Buckler was preserved Rome could not be taken Shall I give a hint and set it out a little in five particulars 1. When the Ark of God is taken then the ways of Sion mourn and none come to the solemn Assemblies it was the complaint of the Church Lam. 1.4 that is matter of sadness 2. When the Ark of God is taken then the Ministers of Christ are driven into corners And this is matter of heart-trembling 3. When the Ark of God is taken then the souls of many are in danger when the Gospel is gone your souls are in hazard There is cause of sadness 4. Then do the enemies of God blaspheme and are ready to say Where is your God then do the enemies of God triumph Ps 42.10 As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me Where is thy God 5. Then is Jesus Christ trampled under foot and the Ordinances of God defiled and trampled on and then Blasphemy and Atheism comes in like an armed man 4. The people of God must needs tremble when the Ark is in danger because of their accessariness to the losing of the Ark this was that which made old Eli so much troubled because he knew it was for his sin that God suffered the Ark to be taken He knew that his not punishing his two sons was one cause of that great slaughter the people of Israel met withal and that made him tremble There is no person here in this Congregation but his heart will tell him he hath contributed something towards the loss of the Ark. None of us so holy but our consciences must accuse us we have done something that might cause God to take the Ark from us And therefore Mr. Bradford that blessed Martyr said in his Prayer Lord it was for my unthankfulness for the Gospel that brought in Popery in Queen Mary 's dayes and my unfruitfulness under the Gospel that was the cause of the untimely death of King Edward the sixth and those that fled in Queen Mary 's dayes sadly complained that they were the cause of Gods taking away the Gospel from England O beloved it is for thy sin and my sin that the Ark of God is in danger and therefore the Lod gave us trembling solicitous hearts what shall become of the Ark. I come now to Application Vse 1. If this be the property of a true child of God to be solicitous when the Ark of God is in danger and to have such a trembling heart for fear of the Ark then this is a certain sign there are but few that are the children of God in truth O where is the man and where is the woman that like old Eli sits watching and trembling for fear of the Ark And that will appear by these reasons First in reference to the many sins in this Nation for let me tell you there is not one sin for which God ever took away the Ark from any people but it is to be found in England Did the Church of Ephesus lose the Candlestick because they had lost their first love And have not we lost our first love to the Gospel and to the Ordinances And did the Church of Landicea lose the Candlestick because of lukewarmness and are not we lukewarm Did the people of Israel as here in the Text lose the Ark because they abhorred the offerings of God and do not you do so are not the sins of Israel amongst us the sins of Germany and the sins of all other Nations about us and can any man here before God this day in this Congregation that considers the great unthankfulness of this Nation the great prophaneness wickedness of this Nation but they may conclude the Ark is in danger God may justly take the Ark from us I might tell you of the Drunkenness Adultery Covetousness Injustice and Uncharitableness c. that doth abound among us and I might tell you of Sanctuary sins prophanation of Sabbath and Sacraments our unthankfulness and unfruitfulness and unworthy walking under the Gospel and you of this place God may very well take the Ark even from you and indeed it was the great interest I had in you the which while I live I shall ever own and that great affection and respect I had to you that I would not send you home this day without a Sermon and let you go without a blessing Now can any of you in this Parish and this Congregation can any of you say God may not justly take the Gospel from you Secondly shall I add the discontents and divisions of a Nation as Christ saith A Nation divided against it self cannot stand but I leave these things to your considerations I believe there is none here but will confess the Ark of God is in danger to be lost But now where are our Eli's to sit watching and trembling for fear of the Ark Where is Phinehas his Wife that would not be comforted because the Ark of God was taken Where are our Moses our Elijahs
it not unto me ver 45. Beloved there is a time coming when the great God will reckon with ungodly men for all the injuries and wrongs which they have done to his people as if they were done to himself immediately Oh! consider of this you that are true Believers are you invironed round with adversaries either spiritual or temporal you have God for your defence a God infinite in power which is able to defend you from the hardest assaults of your most potent and politick Enemies his Name is a strong Tower the Righteous fly unto it and are safe Are you encountring with great temptations The Lord being your Father he will protect you and not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but together with temptation will make way for your escape that you may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.30 the Lord knoweth that his Children are liable to many temptations from Satan from the world and from their own corruptions and that they are subject to many afflictions and tribulations from the hands of men and therefore he will be sure to be with them and to be a very present help to them in the time of trouble Thirdly Is God a Believers Heavenly Father then there is a comfort for them that God will pity them and compassionate them in all their afflictions a tender Father pitieth his Children when they are in any calamity as for instance in sickness how will the groans of a Child go near the heart of a loving Parent How do the Agonies of pain in the Child cause grief and sorrow in the Parents heart What means would not a Parent use to procure the health and ease of a Child My life is bound up in the life of the Lad says Jacob concerning Benjamin Oh Absalon my son my son would God I had dyed for thee says David concerning Absalon What sympathyzing and sellow-feeling will a dear and tender Parent have of the miseries of his Children And as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal 103.13 The Lord is very pitiful Jam. 5.11 The pity and compassion of the Lord towards his Children is excellently set forth in that Scripture Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant Child I speak against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord The bowels of the Lord do exceedingly yearn towards his people in all their afflictions and distresses and he is full of pity and compassion towards them Fourthly Is God a Father to all true Believers then here is also for their comfort that God doth and always will love them and take delight in them He loves them with an everlasting love they are his chosen Jewels and he will certainly one day polish them though he suffer them to be among the rubbish of the World for a while They are his pleasant pictures and he delights to be looking on them the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him and upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33.18 God takes pleasure to be viewing the new creature which he hath framed by his own Spirit in the hearts of his people and his own Image which he stamped upon them and herein the love that the Lord beareth his Children infinitely exceeds the Love that earthly Parents bear to theirs in that he loveth them continually Earthly Parents they love their Children but their love may be withdrawn from them again and is often times but the love of God will never be withdrawn from his love whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end and although his loving countenance may be eclipsed for a time and they may lose the sence of his love to them by their failings sinful infirmities yet the Lord loves them still There is nothing shall be able to separate Believers from the love of God Rom. 8.25 and onward the Apostle Paul putteth the question there saith he Who shall separate us from the love of God Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay saith he in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is not all the troubles of the world nor tribulations nor any thing that can render Believers less lovely in the eyes of Christ It is not all the Devils in Hell that can withdraw Gods love from his children although they do endeavour it by enticing them to sin by their temptations and then by accusing them to God for sin yet all this will not rout them out of God's love though the Devil do labour to pick a quarrel between God and his people yet it is not principalities nor powers it is not all the power of Hell that shall be able to withdraw Gods love from them Fifthly Is God a Father to Believers Then they may take this for their comfort that he will continually be mindful of them Parents do remember their Children and are mindful of them so the Lord he remembreth his people and will never forget them Isa 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may yet I will not forget thee Earthly Parents though it be but rare yet they may and sometimes do forget their children but God he is more tender and mindful of his Children than earthly Parents are of theirs yea they may yet will not I forget thee c. Though Gods people do too often forget him yet he doth never forget them but remember them in all their conditions even in their low estate God is mindful of them Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Lastly Is God a Father to Believers Then they may take this for their comfort that God will provide an inheritance for them hereafter Fathers provide portions and inheritances for their Children for hereafter so doth God Rom. 8. Now saith the Apostle We are the Sons of God and if sons then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Jesus Christ How often is the Kingdom of Heaven called an inheritance the inheritance of the Saints or them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 and 26.8 There is an eternal inheritance laid up for the Children of God for hereafter yea the Kingdom of Heaven is their inheritance and it is now preparing for them John 14.2 and they shall have assuredly one day an abundant entrance into their Fathers Kingdom the Children of God
interest in the Heavenly Kingdom they have Heavenly hearts if their Treasure be in Heaven their hearts will be there also Mat. 6.20 21. Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt and Thieves break through and steal for where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also And is it so with us are our hearts taken up with the Heavenly glory Are our meditations and contemplations much on Heavenly objects Or else are they taken up only or mostly with earthly vanities Are our hearts on our Riches Pleasures c. Or else are they placed upon Heaven and Heavenly things If we have a title to the Kingdom of Heaven our hearts minds and affections will be Heavenly and taken up with Heavenly Objects Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth Thirdly Wouldest thou know whether thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven or no How dost thou like the employment of Heaven if thou likest the employment of Heaven then thou mayest comfortably conclude that thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven Canst thou say thou delightest to be employed in serving and in glorifying God and in worshipping of him in spirit and truth according to his word Canst thou say in truth that thou delightest to do the will of God here on earth as it is done by the Angels in heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect there Dost thou take delight to be employed in that employment that the Saints of heaven are and shall be for ever employed in Dost thou take pleasure to adore and praise and magnifie the ever blessed God Dost thou take pleasure in the duties of Religion and rejoyce to be conversing with God in prayer and in other holy exercises and to be enjoying communion with him if it be thus with thee as I have now described this this will evidently make out thy Title for Heaven Many Thousands pretend that their designs are to go to Heaven and they presumptuously conclude that they have an interest in that Kingdom when as they like not the Heavenly employment in themselves or others and they care not to get acquaintance with God here on earth and are strangers to the duties of Religion and to a life of holiness and perhaps spends and hour in a week or it may be in a moneth in secret prayer or in other holy exercises and it may be neglect the worship of God in their Families too but if we are unacquainted with the imployment of Heaven which is to praise and magnifie worship and adore God if thou delightest not so to do thou canst not conclude that thou hast a Title to Heaven but if thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven then thou dost most of all delight in that imployment which hath most of Heaven in it Fourthly If thou hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou hast a special love to the heirs of Heaven and thou hast a near and dear affection to the people of God though they be despised rejected scorned and persecuted by the prophane world and thou dost delight in the company of those on Earth which are like to be thy companions in Heaven and thou hadst rather have the society of those howsoever mean and low in the world that have the trueth of grace in them than of all the stately and glittering gallants of the World that are strangers to a Life of holiness and the more holy and heavenly they are in their hearts and lives the more amiable will their company be to thee 1 Job 3.14 Psal 15.4 Put thy self to the question whether it be thus with thee or no and thou shalt finde out thy title to heaven thereby Lastly If thou hast a title to Heaven then thou art so far at a point with all the riches and pleasures and enjoyments of the World as that thou wilt rather forgo them all than forsake Christ and rather part with them all rather than they shall hinder thee in thy way towards Heaven and if thou art brought so far at a pinch as that thou must either forsake thy interest in Christ and Heaven or to forgo thy worldly accommodations thou art very willing to forgo them all that thou mayest stick close to Christ and go forward in thy way to thy Heavenly Inheritance thus it was with the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.7 8. But what things saith he were gain to me those I accounted loss for Christ Yea doubtless I account all things but loss for the exceâ—ency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do account them but dung that I may win Christ And is it so with us then when riches honour and pleasure do stand in competition with Christ and hinder us in our progress in grace and holiness are we willing and ready to cast them away as we would cast away Dung if it be thus with us in reality then we may conclude we have a title to Heaven and an interest in the eternal glory By these things Beloved you may try whether you have an interest in Heaven or no. Having finished the Use of Examination I shall come to the next Use which is the last that I shall speak unto which an Use of Exhortation Is it so that the consideration of a Believers interest in the Heavenly Glory is enough to bear up his spirit under all the trials and tribulations of this Life then Oh that you which cannot upon Trial finde that you have a title to Heaven that you would labour after an interest in the Heavenly Glory if thou hast no interest there what good will all the enjoyments of the World do thee how quickly will all thy comforts and pleasures leave thee and what little cause hast thou to rejoyce in the abundance of outward things if thou hast no title to the durable riches if thou art void of the riches of grace here and hast no title to the riches of Glory hereafter what wilt thou do in a day of Tryal and in an hour of trouble and calamity What wilt thou do when Losses Crosses Troubles and Vexations shall compass thee about if thou hast not an Heavenly interest to support thee under them What wilt thou do when Pains and Anguish when Diseases Sickness and Death shall seize upon thee if thou hast not a Title to thy Heavenly inheritance These things will certainly and speedily come upon us how far off soever we may put them in our thoughts the proud looks of the lofty will quickly be turned into an earthly paleness though they look as big and carry themselves as high as if they had a protection from Hell and the Grave and those bodies which we now take so much care to please and pamper will
of you but when we come again unto you I will have you to be of another manner of temper then now you are Well if all that I have said will not prevail with you I am sorry that nothing would prevail with you but the flames of Hell Oh then you will say Oh that we had but hearkened to the voice of God's Messengers that are sent to us Oh that we had our rousing Ministers to awaken us I have one of Advice to you that are the people of God whose hearts God hath humbled and I shall have done First I advise you that God hath humbled for sin now to look to your selves God will not now lead you you must learn now to go alone If you would keep tender hearts then be afraid of sin as well of the least sins as of the greatest Be afraid of a vain thought and if thou takest heed of a vain thought thou wilt be afraid of telling a lye and if thou takest heed of telling a lye thou wilt be afraid of swearing an Oath Secondly If thou wilt keep tenderness of heart then lye under the best Ministry you can get that there is a difference between some mens Preaching and others is plain by the effectual working of their Preaching upon the hearts of their hearers First Take heed of a blind ignorant Minister If the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch If one that understands not what sin is nor feels not the guilt of sin Preaches Repentance it is ten hundred to one if ever God doth work upon your hearts by his Preaching Secondly Take heed of fly shun avoid an idle drunken Minister If you would ask me what we shall do in such a case I Answer Keep such a one out of your Parish if you can if you cannot then I advise you to take heed how you hear him First Because all such Ministers are no Ministers at all No what and are ordained No because they are not sent from God And let me tell you that men have no power to Ordain such to Preach the Gospal as are not sent by God I do verily believe that God never sent any Minister for to Preach the Doctrine of Salvation but such as God hath endowed with gifts and abilities to speak and if there be any Ministers that have not those qualifications that are fit for a Bishop to have then they are none of Gods Ministers although they are made Ministers by man 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. This is a true saying If a man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good work A Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous own that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil Here is all these excellent qualifications that a Minister of the Gospel ought to be endowed with Secondly I say that those Ministers that are not endowed with these qualifications but are ignorant drunken Ministers it is generally observed that people grow more wicked and that their hearts grow harder while they live under such a Ministry Object But how if we are forced to hear such and we can do no others wise if we will not hear them our purses must pay for it Answer To this I answer I wish that every place had an eminent Minister that you might gather up Manna at your own dores But if your Minister be wicked and prophane he is no Minister of Christ and in such a case you must rather hazard your purses than you souls But the Doctrin that he preaches it is good 'T is true it is so if it do not come out of a stinking vessel The water that is drawn out of a sweet Well if it be put into a stinking cask it will smell of the cask But I would not have you to be quarrelsome A Third advice that I shall give you is this Be sure that you ply the company of those that are of a tender heart It is a true saying Birds of a feather will flock together Take heed of being in the company of such as will swear and of living with such as scoff at religion It 's true a tender holy heart may live among wicked company as Lot did in Sodom but let me tell thee there 's danger they 'l tempt thee to be like them Lastly My advice is this Be sure that the Bible be much in your hand you that can read and beg of God to give you an understanding heart When God bids you to be holy think of Heaven Let the Bible be much in your hands and let God see you much in your Closets Mr. G. N. his Farewel-Sermon Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. IF divine Providence shall make this the season of our separation it is good for us to part with each other in the meditation and consideration of that from which those that are Gods shall never be divided that is the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle is very confident of it I am perswaded We shall conclude the Chapter with our present Imployment and therefore shall not stand long discoursing on every particular but first briefly open them unto you and after improve them First We meet with the. Apostles Confidence a strong perswasion from whence we may learn Confidence belongeth unto a Christian yea it is the priviledge of the Gospel Col. 2.2 That their hearts may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assuring of understanding c. This is what you may daily stand in need of therefore be perswaded to press toward it The Apostle calls to give all diligence to make your calling and Election sure Great diligence it is you give to assure the title of your earthly possession is it not of far greater concernment to assure your Calling and Election unto an everlasting enjoyment of divine Love And that you may do this remember to live 1. Lest unto this present World 2. More in heaven For then will you be more acquainted with the concernments and counsels thereof Do but draw up your hearts out of the cares pleasures and delights of this present world which choak the Word and
not beat folly out of our hearts We have been unprofitable all our days some have done thee more service in one year than we in all our time We have forgotten thee in the day of prosperity and sung a lullaby to our own Souls Oh that we could speak these things with broken and bleeding hearts But as in the time of our ignorance we could sin without reluctancy so now we can sin without repentance Oh that thou wouldst smite the rock that there might flow out tears VVe can do nothing by way of expiation if we would weep out our eyes nothing but the blood of Christ can take away our guilt O that there might be a spring of that blood upon our souls at this time Oh that that blood may at this time bring a report of love and a message of mercy to us Do we beg any more than thou hast promised Oh hast not thou accepted of that satisfaction that Christ hath made in his own person If we had suffered the torments of Hell it could not have made that satisfaction that Christ hath made Give us the witness of thy spirit and thy Love and we will say we have enough give us hearts of flesh crush the head of the serpent in our souls O Lord Christ thou camest into the world to destroy the works of the Devil in our hearts and to build up the Kingdom of the spirit in us Oh when shall we see the old man decay in us and the new man to live more and more O be wisdom to guide us and Righteousness to cleanse us from guilt and redemption to deliver us from the wages of sin let us be nothing in our selves that we may be all in thee our saviour Oh honour us so far that we may honour thee VVe pray thee strengthen our weak saith quiet our consciences we would not live a day longer than that we may honour thee tread Satan under our feet fit us for our places and imployments let not our conditions be so low but that our hearts may be lower we are posting to death Oh let sin die before we die let us know our names are written in the Book of Life before thou take away our life Look upon thy servant our dread Sovereign Charls of Great Britâ—â—â—n France and Ireland King oh inrich his Royal heart with all those saving graces of thy Spirit in order unto a wise and happy Government of these Kingdoms Look upon his Royal Consort his Royal relations the Lords of his Privy Council and make them blessings to this Nation oh sanctifie thy good word oh give thy gracious assistance to us both in speaking and hearing let us hear it as that word by which we must be judged that we may be convinced by it and say it is the power of God to salvation to every soul of us Let our meeting be for the better to all of us that we may be built up in the most holy Faith and let us know we have not sought thy face in vain for Jesus Christ his sake our dear Saviour for whom we bless thy Majesty to whom with thee and thy Spirit be praise for ever Amen Mr. Jenkin's Prayer at Christ Church MOst blessed and holy Lord God thou art infinitely beyond our apprehensions who wast infinitely happy before the worâ—d was made and wantest none of thy creatures nor their services to make thee more excellent than thou art in thy self we daily want thee thou never wantest us thou art pleased to make use of ordinances Ministers Sabbaths as thy Institutions to accomplish and bring about the great work of thy Glory and mans Salvation yet Lord thou dost not need them thy Spirit is not made efficatious by these things but it is that that makes these things efficatious though thou art pleased to tie us to them when we may have them and duly enjoy them yet thou dost not tie thy self to them We desire in these our addresses to eye the happiness of Saints that depends upon him that depends upon none we are here in thy presence by thy goodness and grace O whither should we go but to thee and how should we come but by thee Oh strengthen our faith kill our corruptions inflame our love give us assurance of thy love to our souls oh that God would teach us how to pray that we may taste and see how good the Lord is this day that our souls may be filled as with marrow that we may by our own experience be able to say It is good for us to draw nigh to God and that a day in his house is better then a thousand elsewhere that there may be a communion between us and God let there be a disunion between us and sin we confesse we brought sin enough into the world with us to cause thee to with-drawâ—th blessed self from us and to cast such unproffitable servants as we are into utter darkness we have been a long time in thy school and yet how dull are we we might have been teachers of others but we need our selves be taught which are the first Principles of the oracles of God we love less than we know and we do less than we love we have neither done that good nor received that good which we should or might have done and received We have been trees that have cumbred the ground in thy orchard but we have brought forth no fruit Wo unto us that we have not known the day of our visitation many of us have one foot in the grave and yet we have lived without God in the world we are wise in every thing but in our own Salvation we live as if Hell were a priviledge those of us that have some knowledg of thee have great cause to repent that we have walked so unworthily of God Which of us pray continually and fervently or live the life of saith we confess we neither take our afflictions humbly nor our mercies thankfully nor want our comforts contentedly nor fill up our relations fruitfully We live as if Hell were a scare-crow as if all the threatnings of thy word were an empty noise as if there were neither sweetness in Heaven nor bitterness in Hell When we come into thy presence where are our hearts what earthly dispositions do we bring along with us the sins of our Prayers cry louder then the Supplications of our prayers what hypocrisie and formality cleaves unto us If thou dost not look upon the iniquities of our holy things with an eye of pitty what will become of us O Lord be pleased to smell a sweet savour of rest and peace through thy dear Son O Lord it is only his precious Blood that can sprinkle our hearts and quiet our Consciences and no other thing We do renounce our own Works and we cry out in our selves Undone undone It is through thy beloved Son that we are accepted and therefore to that end bring us to him by a saving operation on thy part
it is to be ashamed to sigh over our sins and groan over our iniquities I how few out of tenderness do mouru for sin but as if it were indifferent to us whether we have our sins purdoned or the grace that we beg to be granted and if we do beg to be pardoned where are the souls that desire to be purged If thou shouldst let us have our wills Oh then we should think thou wert a good God whereas it is thy great Love that thou dost deny us our wills we poor wretche we are up and down as the things of this world do come into us and go from us if God give us great things then we think our selves in Paradise and if God take from us then we fall out with God himself Oh! how ill do we take it at thy hands if thou dost not give us what we would or take from us what we would The doctrine of self-denial is a meer riddle to us we would fain spend the strength of our youth in following the lust of the eye and gratifie our sensual affections and when we come to die it may be we would have a Lord have mercy upon us in our mouths and think it strange if God should not give us what we ask O Lord convince us now that we may be willing to be crucified to the world and to die to sin Lord we may flatter with our selves but our hearts do but abuse us while we think there is such contentment in the enjoying of this world what is this when we come to die Alas if we were not besotted content is sooner gained by self-denial than by pleasing our selves Can we think we shall be at ease till we come to God Is it like to be well with us while our wayes are contrary to the wayes of God are not thy waies the waies of peace Oh! how can we be at rest when our waies are contrary to thine Oh! un-lust us we had better part from our idols here that that they should part us from God hereafter Lord if there were no other hell this is damnation to be a sinne for this is the nature of sin to separate us from God Oh help us to account the reproaches of Christ better than the honors of the Cross of Christ better than the Crown of the world O shew us the sinfulness of sin and the emptiness of the world that we may take thy Counsel and mind thy Glory and be ruled by thy Will Oh how happy would it be with us if our souls were brought into such a frame We are Lord as yet great strangers to the life of God Oh! let us know what it is to live with thee and to thee and with thee that we may say For us to live in Christ and to die is gain and that we may say Whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord We depend upon thee let thy goodness be seen do not put us off with the means of grace but give us grace it self And seeing thou art pleased to make use of such a poor thing as the preaching of the Gospel is and seeing this is the means to bring our souls to eternal life Oh let it be so to us that we may repent from sin and believe in the righteousness of the Gospel Oh Lord thou knowest all our frailties and all our necessities find out them that are dead in sins and quicken them find out the hard hearts and soften them find out the proud hearts and humble them find out the formalists and bring them to the power of godliness and pour in wine and oyl into the wounds of the wounded in spirit and let the administration of the Gospel be in the demonstration of the Spirit that as the truth is delivered to us we may be delivered to the truth that while we touch the hem of thy garment Vertue may come out from thee Thou hast said that mercy pleaseth thee we are sure it will pleasure us Oh let us not loose our time but do thou teach us to profit and supply our wants for the sake of our dear Lord to whom with Thee and thy Spirit be given more Glory from now unto eternity Nr. G. N. his Prayer TO thee O Lord Jesus we commend our selves To thee who judgeth rightly thy poor Servant resigneth and commiteth this Congregation The Lord pardon unto me wherein I have been wanting unto them The Lord pardon unto them wherein they have been wanting in the hearing of thy Word that we may not part with sin in our hearts Unto thee who judgest uprightly I commend them The Bishop of Souls take care of them Preserve them from the love of the World teach them to wait on thee and to receive from thee whatevor any one or Family may stand in need of Provide them a Pastor according unto thine own will only in the mean time give us that Anointing shall lead us out of our own wells and waies that we may walk in the waies of Christ Jesus The Lord Jesus say now amongst them I am your Shepheard you shall not want Say to them as thou didst to thy Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me So far as we are able we put thy Name upon them we name the Name of the Lord Jesus over them The Lord Jesus bless them teach them to follow Holiness Peace and a Heavenly Conversation The Lord make them usefull to each other The Lord Jesus be a blessing to them and me and all ours The God of Peace and Consolation fill them with blessings according as thou seest every one stand in need of To thee O Lord we commend then do thou receive them that under thy counsel they may be preserved blameless until the day Jesus where we may all meet crowned with Glory Amen FINIS Mr. GEORGE THORNE of Weymouth HIS FAREWEL-SERMON PSAL. 37.34 Wait on the Lord and keep his Way NOt knowing whether ever I shal speak to you more from this place being willing to leave a word in season I shall recommend to you what in answer to prayer I have recived of the Lord for the directing me in my course in this gloomy dark day being well assured that as many of us as work by this rule and fall by this compass how ever we may be scatered by the tewpestuous storms we meet with here in the Sea of this World shall shortly arrive at and meet in our desired Port the Haven of Eternal Rest and Happiness What therefore the Lord hath said to me and that with a strong hand that say I unto you in the Name of the Lord Wait on the Lord and keep his VVay The scope of this Psalm is to direct the People of God and to encourage them to keep on in the course of Godliness at such times as when the Wicked prosper flourish and grow great and the godly are afflicted trouble persecuted and oppressed And there are two