shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ there we shall appear all upon a Level stand upon equal ground and receive our final doom from him This therefore should calm our Spirits Why may there not be some differences in Judgment without division in Affection for it is as impossible that all Judgments should be of the same extent as all our faces to be of the same colour and figure Therefore consider what an injury it is to our Profession how doth it obscure the glory of God and lustre of our Religion Thirdly Doth not the publick Enemy rejoyce over us I mean the Papists Do they not warm themselves at the sparks of our Divisions for you know the old Maxim of Divide and Reign Therefore it should compose our spirits and quicken us to labour after Union Vnmortifi'd Lusts are thence whence all Wars Enmities springs in the World The Apostle Paul when he would compose their differences he doth not lay down Rules to decide their Controversies but corrects their secret Passions Pride Self-seeking Revenge c. this being the Seed of all Disturbances in the Church And although these Lusts may not be conspicuous and visible to the eyes of men yet they are certainly the Fuel of our Distempers The sum of all is this Those that have the Spirit of God they cannot but mourn and be sensible of these Divisions I know a great part among us are unconcern'd some rejoyce those that are rather buried in the Affairs of the World and incumbred with much business or those that are steeped in the pleasures of sense are altogether unaffected with these things and stand as Neuters dis-regarding all events But the Saints of God cannot but mourn over them when our Divisions hinder the progress of the Gospel and are serviceable to nothing but to the Kingdom of Darkness Therefore I beseech you let what hath been spoken quicken you in your Prayers to God to pray for the peace of Jerusalem that 's the least effect of our love and desires after Peace and by all endeavours to labour to bring back Peace to us that we may see that Prophesie fulfilled in our time that the Lord shall be one and his Name one amongst us Doctor BATES His Afternoon SERMON Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle describes God by the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Resurrection of Christ from the dead is one of the most transcendent testimonies of God's love and power towards us 1 Of his Love because as the Anger of God was that which crucified our Saviour so on the contrary it must be his Love that should raise and restore him Christ when he died he looked upon God as an Enemy as a Judge and as those Colours which we see conveyed to us are unanswerable to the Medium through which we see them as if we look through a coloured Gloss we see the object of that colour So the Lord Jesus when he was upon the Cross looked upon God through the black cloud of our sins and through the red cloud of his Father's wrath and so died as a sacrifice to Divine Justice But when he was raised from the Grave that was the restimony of God's love to him and of his love to us for he died as our Surety he was arrested for our debt he was cast into the Grave as into a Prison But by his Resurrection he was redeemed from Prison and Judgment And therefore you shall find when Christ was risen he salutes his Disciples with this Peace be unto you Luk 24.31 There was the dawning of peace at the Incarnation of Christ for then the Angels sung Peace upon Earth but the compleat Sun-shine of peace was at his Resurrection when he had made full and compleat satisfaction to God's Justice for this was a clearing of him before all the World when God rais'd him from the grave And in this respect it was very agreeable for the Apostle to say The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus 2 It was the effect of Infinite Power You know 't is naturally impossible for a dead body to quicken it self to revive but for the Lord Jesus who had the load of the sins of all the Elect upon him who was as it were secured in the grave by God's Justice and Power for him to rise again This must be an effect of Infinite Power in the great God This raising of Christ sometimes 't is attributed to the Son being God equal with the Father but here 't is attributed to God And therefore when the Scripture would speak with the greatest magnificence of the Power of God it expresses it thus That Power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead When Christ wrought deliverance for the lost world all those who were committed to his charge This could be no less than the work of an Infinite Power And upon this account also it is very proportionable to the design of the Apostle for that Prayer he makes to God is for that which onely can be accomplished by Infinite Love and infinite Power i.e. to make the Christian Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will I come to a further description He that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Title of the Lord Jesus was only given to our Saviour after his Resurrection he was called Lord before and Jesus before but these two Titles were never united till after his Resurrection They came to see the place where the Body of the Lord Jesus lay the reason was this Because the Resurrection of Christ was a solemn Proclamation to the world that Christ was the Son of God 't is true this Title was iven him immediately upon the 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 his Divinity was abated by the vail of his Humanity but then he was declared by power to be the Son of God It follows 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 Shepheard 'T is a wonderful condescention in Christ that he will take upon him the Title of a Shepheard 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 Shepheard I shall lay down these particulars 1 He is great in the Dignity of his Person
tryumphant manner he did not with so much sorrow and trouble to himself and his Disciples go to as tryumphantly come from the Grave So can God with a word in a moment bring them to life again 2 By what meanes the great Shepherd comes to have this honour confer'd upon him that he should be raised from the dead There was worth enough in his Person but 't is not altogether ascribed to this but through the blood of the everlasting Covenant i. e. by and in the vertue and efficacy of it he had dyed as a Priest and his bloud was a bloud of sacrifice and it was shed for the remission of sins and salvation of Souls because Christ did dye for so noble an end as this and in such a manner as that his death became a Sacrifice and did seal the everlasting Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator therefore with consideration of this bloud of Christ and of the ends uses and benefits of it hereupon it is Christ is raised from the dead In the 9th of Zach. the Resurrection of Christ was prophesied of but by vertue of his blood shed so that Christ was more fit to be raised who dyed for such noble and honourable ends as the glory of God and salvation of his people in the vertue oâ— that Covenant God had made and in the vertue of the bloud of Christ shed for the sealing of that Covenant Now what this Covenant is is worthy to be considered because of its Epithets Called here everlasting Covenant There was a Temporal Covenant God made with the people of Israel and that was sealed and confirmed by the bloud of Bullocks c. Christ took not on him this Covenant he did not bind men to stand by those termes contained in that Covenant for indeed Christ came to make it voyd There is an Eternall Covenant and that is nothing else but those terms of grace and favour which are proposed to us in the Doctrine of the Gospel which amounts to this Who ever repents shall be saved He that repents and forsakes his sin shall find mercy and that he will be mercifull to all on these Conditions in all parts of the World for these termes God will not repent of If men repent they shall have the benefit of it and whoever believes shall be saved 'T is called Everlasting because God will abide by it both here and hereafter the states of all shall be determined according to the termes of this Covenant Now Christ shed his bloud to procure those termes contained in that Covenant for the case of poor sinners was so miserable that they could never come to have all their sins pardoned and their Souls certainly saved unless Christ had dyed and shed his bloud and so to satisfie Gods Justice that it might be free for him to be merciful where he would be merciful The Covenant is founded in the bloud of Jesus Christ that bloud being the bloud of the Everlasting Covenant therefore the Apostle so magnifies it of all the great and Gospel-blessings that belong to the New Testament to the Condition of a Child of God there is not any one like unto this The bloud of the everlasting Covenant they that come to this and have the benefit of this they shall be surely justified and eternally saved in the vertue of this Bloud In the business of being saved by Faith it contributes nothing more but as 't is an Instrument to bring us to be made partakers of the benefit of this bloud we are saved not by the vertue of our believing but by the vertue of his bloud so that 't is not so much the act as the object of Faith that saves Christ rose in the vertue of his blond and all our Comforts and Hopes are founded in his bloud The bloud of Christ was of so much value with God as that he will raise him from the dead and t is of so much vertue to us that through it we shall have Justification Sanctification and Salvation God being so good and gracious a God to Jesus Christ and his Church hereupon the Apostle imboldens himsellf to desire this further manifestation of his love that where he hath so bountifully provided for the justification of sinners through the bloud of Christ that he would provide for their sanctification by his Spirit Hence observe 1 God is with some singularity the God of Peace 2 To the end that God might shew himself to be the God of Peace he hath provided an alsufficient Saviour for his people here called the Great Shepherd of the flock and God being of agracious disposition towards them provides to that end Christ shall take the care of them and of all those things that pertaine to their Eternall wellfare 3 It was expedient this Person should dye though the Great Shepherd Nay it was necessary that it might be so much more verified and manifested that he was the Great Shepherd of the sheep that he should lay down his life for the flock 4 It was as necessary that Christ shoud be raised from the Dead as that he should dye Therefore his Continuance was but a Temporary nay a Momentary time to him Now Christ is risen yea all power in Heaven and earth is committed to him and if he was able to doe any thing for his people before much more now 5 The Resurrection of Christ doth arise partly from the Tenor of the Covenant God made with man and partly from the virtue and benefit that was in the bloud of Christ God put himselfe into a Covenant Christ was mediator of it and in vertue of that Covenant sinners must be saved but the Saviour must first save himselfe raise himselfe from the dead and then hath all power committed to his hand c. There are two things I would have you further observe and carry away 1 That Christ is indeed the only great Shepherd of the sheep Whatsoever others there are they make to his own interest whosoever there be that may possibly indite themselves under hiâ— name and notion yet this is undeniable that Christ is the only Great Shepherd of the sheep therefore in the concernments of the Church there is none Christians should honour as Christ and whose voice they ought to hear before his or by whom they should be Ruled and Governed but by Him If Christ be the Great Shepherd then the Church must hear his voice for my sheep hear my voice c. And if He be the Great Shepherd then the Church must be Ruled by him for the Shepherd must have the ordering of the flock and the flock must be at the disposall of the Shepherd and then Thirdly The flock of Christ must be carefull to please him for fear he set his Dog upon them that we provok him not to exercise his Correcting power He hath his Rod of Discpline as well as his Staffe and Crook which is to be performed by others as seems good to him for he hath many
and perpetuating of them 〈◊〉 and herein we must depend upon the faithfulness of The great Shepherd of the Sheep Doctor BATES's Forenoon SERMON HEB. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Bloud of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN IT would give light to these words if you confider the scope and design of the Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrews the sum of which is He writes to to them that he might Antidore their Spiâ—ies as gainst A postacy from the Doctrine of the Gospel they were liable to this upon a double account 1 Partly in respect of those Persecutions to which they were exposed for the Jews were filled with a bruitish zeal for the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law and exprest the greatest rancour against those who left Moses to follow Christ This is the reason why the Apostle lays down so many Preservatives against their revolting from Religion and he spends one part of this Epistle in a most passionate Exhortation to perseverance and doth in the tenth Chapter insinuate himself into them You have already tasted the first-fruits of affliction ver 34. You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance This is that temper that Martyrs have exprest who have not onely parted with their goods but with their lives for the Gospel When they came to the Stake they would not so much as shed a tear to quench those flames wherein they should ascend to God as in a fiery Chatiot You took oyfully the spotling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have a better and an enduring substance Thus he insinuates himself by represening what they had done to encourage them to perseverance and partly he fortifies them against Back-sliding by those terrible Judgments which he threatned against Revolters as you may read Chap. 6. and 7. 2 As they were liable to this Apostacy upon the account of Persecution so upon the account of the unsettledness and instability of their own spirits There were several 〈◊〉 those who had given up their names to Christ who diâ—â— compare the Ceremonies of the Law with the purity of the Gospel Now the Apostle to secure them from this mixture his great design is to represent the vanity and infectiveness of all the Ceremonial Law and to â—â—press and prove the vertue and efficacy of the Lord â—â—sus his death which was the substance of all the shadows And this takes up one great part of his discourse with them Now in these two Verses he sums up by way of Recapitulation all that which he had discoursed of at large and in them you may observe these two thing 1 A Description of God to whom he addresses this Prayer 2 The Substance of the Prayer it self The Description of God that he amplifies by these two things 1 From the Attributes and Qualities of God if I may so express it Now saith he the God of Peace 2 From the effects of his power and love That brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep And these Titles they are not here set down to adorn his Discourse meerly as an Ornament but they have all a peculiar efficacy as to the obtaining of the request which here he makes for them I shall beâ—â— with the first the Description of God from that Attribute Now the God of Peace The Title that is used in the Old Testament frequently is this The Lord of Hosts but in the New he is called The God of Peace There were darker Representations of the mercy and love of God then the more full discoveries of his grace were reserveâ—â—ll the coming of Christ Their Discoveries under the Old Testament were but as the Day-Star whsch usher'd in the Sun of Righteousness Now this Title of the God of Peace imparts two things 1 That he is the Author of Peace and works it 2 That he loves and desights in Peace First That he is the Author of it And if you consider Peace in all iâ—s notions and kinds it is a fruit of God and that which descends from him First Peace in Nature is the Harmony that is between all the parts of the World the union that is between the dis-agreeing Elements this is from God for without him the whole Creation would presently disband and return to its first Chaos of confusion Secondly Civil Peace which is among the Societies of men that which is so amiable and lovely and which needs no other foil to commend it and set off its lustre than the miseries of War this Peace comes from God also When there is a subjection to just Laws this is from God Every rash hand is able to make a wound or cast a fire-brand but it is onely the God of Peace that is able to heal breaches to allay those storms that are in a Nation You know those showers which render the Earth fruitful descend from Heaven from God so all the counsels of Peace descend from above The fiery Exhalations ascend from the Earth Counsels of War and Disturbance proceed from the â—â—vilish hearts of men Or thirdly If you consider that Rational Peace which is in the spirits of men i. e. when the Understanding exercises a coercion and restraint over our licentious Appetites when all our inferior Faculties are under the Empire and Conduct of Reason this proceeds also from God For since the Fall there is a great deal of Tumult many Ryots and Disorders in the Soul of a man Reason hates a bad Guide and our Appetitoâ— those are evil Instruments and do many times hurry Reason from its regular actings But fourthly much more if you consider Spirituâ—â— Peace that Peace doth not onely import an agreemenâ— of a man within himself but the agreement of the Soâ—â— with God This is the fruit of the Spirit and it I only God that is able to convey this peace to us And upon a particular account this Title is given to him by way of eminency and propriety as 1 He is alone able to allow and dispense this peace to us for all our sins are injuries committed against him against his Crown and Dignity all the Arrests of Conscience are made in the name of God and therefore it is only He that can speak peace As in the Civil State it is an Act of Supremacy to give a pardon only he that can condemn is able to speak a pardon so it is that God that is our Judge provoked and incensed by us he that hath a judiciall power to cast body and soule into hell-fire is alone able to speak peace and passe a Pardon for us in the Court of Heaven and this is experienced
Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavenâ— Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was 〈◊〉 before him endured the Cross despised the shamâ— and is set down at the rigâ—â— and of the Throne 〈◊〉 God Oh let us be thinâ—ing of and looking 〈◊〉 this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh think of this condescention in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered from God and 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 the death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty Power and is 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 to 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 dayes and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in obedience all our dayes though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for your holding fast the Profession of your Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all the words of Jude from the 20. Verses of his 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 say with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the Garments spotted by the flesh Now unto them that is able to keep you from falling and to 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 ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel SERMON Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20. 1662. REV. 3. Vers 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lord's-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. That it is the Duty of Christians to hold fast the Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 3. That continued Repentance is the Duty of Christians as well as initial Repentance Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent The first of these Doctrines I applyed my self to and applyed to â—he People the last Lord's-Day and shall not now say any thing of it but proceed to the next Doctrine That it is the Duty of Christians To hold fast the Truths that they have heard and received That which the Apostle enjoyns on Timothy is in proportion the duty of all Christians 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus The whole intire Body of Divine Truth Hold it fast against all opposition whatsoever Now if they that are themselves Teachers of the Truth to others must hold fast the Truth according to the Plat-form that hath been delivered to them then much more is this the duty of private Christians who are supposed not to have that latitude of parts and gifts that Teachers have And therefore you shall find that Christ requires this not onely of the Pastors but of the Members of his Church Rev. 2.24 speaking not onely to the Angel but to the Body of the Churchâ— But to you I say and to the rest in Thyatira as mâ—ny 〈◊〉 have not this Doctrine and which have not known the depths of Sathan as they speak I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have alreadyâ—â— hold fast till I come As if he should say This is all I require of you my People keep your selves and hold fast that which you have till I come And so in the 3d of Rev. 11. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take away thy Crown As if he should say That Divine Truâ—â— that thou hast heard and received it is thy Crown thy excellency therefore hold it fast This Duty of holding fast the Truth is urged in many other places of Scripture under other expressions as that of continuing in the Word of God Christ says If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed And continuing in the Faith Act. 14.22 Paul and Barnabas visiting the Churches exhor ed them to continue in the Faith And so those terms of being rooted in the Truth of standing and standing fast and many others they all inforce this Duty Now for the better handling of this Point I shall do these four things First I will shew you What Christians are to hold fast Secondly How they are to hold this fast Thirdly Why they are to hold fast that they have heard and received Fourthly I will apply it First What Christians are to hold fast The Doctrine says They are to hold fast the Truths they have received Now Truths are of two sorts 1. Some are Natural and Moral 2. Some are Supernatural and Divine Truths Called Truths of God because they come from God and conform the Mind and Soul that receive them to the Image of God Now though it is true it is good for a man to be right in Moral things and to know and cleave to that which is Truth in Morality yet the Truths that we are here called upon to hold fast they are Divine Truths Supernatural Truths Truths in Religion Truths in the things of God Secondly Again Religious and Divine Truths Truths of God they are either such as are so in name and in the estimation of some men or else they are such Truths as are Truths of God in the truth and reality of the thing Now when I say that Christians are to hold fast the Truths they have received the meaning is not that what ever any man or company of men offer as Truths should be received and held fast for then we must hold fast many Errours But what
loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen We believe saith John in the next Chapter that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he that loveth the Begetter must also love him that is begotten You would be loth to do otherwise in civil business will you refuse commerce with a man because he is contrary to you in opinion because he is not a Freeman of your City be not then so far from loving one another as to bear hatred one to another Thus you have heard what I had to say unto you by way of caution and counsel Oh that they may make such impressions on your hearts that they may be your continual practice in your lives and conversations I shall now close with the words of St. Paul 2 Cor. 13.11 Finally Brethren Farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you And the Lord grant that both ye and I when we come to the Judgement Seat of God render up our Accounts with joy and receive an immortal Crown with Christ in Heaven until which Day I beseech Almighty God to keep you and preserve you in his fear Amen FINIS Mr. Lye's SERMON Preached at the conclusion of the Morning-Exercise in LOMBARD-STREET John 13.17 If yee know these things happy are yee if you do them IN these words two things observable First A Supposition which is double 1. If you know these things 2. If you do these things There be many that do but do not know do not understand there bee many that know but do not do do not practice But our Saviour to his Disciples is If you know first and then If you do Knowing without doing is unprofitable doing without knowing is impossible 2. A Position If you so know as to do then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed happy are yee First for the Supposition which is double First If you know this word Knowledge in Scripture contains two things 1. It intimates an act of the mind or understanding If you know 2. It 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 faculty of the soul if you â—o â—how as to 〈…〉 From both these significations you have these two Observations 1. Our first great care should be this with all seriousness to apply our selves to the knowledge of the things of the Gospel wee must with the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoop down to look into to have a clear thorow perfect sight of those things that are discovered in the Christall-glass of the Gospel Wee must look into the perfect Law of liberty James 2.25 2. As the word imports an act of memory or remembrance it affords us this Observation viz. Next to our knowing of it should be our care to retain and remember the glorious Truths of the Gospel 'T is all one not to remember as not to know wee must not only attend to Wisdomes words but must keep them in the center of our hearts Prov. 4.21 2. If you do hence observe 'T is not enough to know and remember but wee ought to do according to what wee know and practice according to what wee remember 'T is some slight kind of happiness to know but so to know as to do this is the happiness If you know if you do Wee must not only bee hearers of the word but doers of the word Knowledge without practice 't is Rachel like fair indeed but barren practice without knowledge were it possible Leah-like fruitful but blear-eyed both together Rachel's fairness with Leah's fruitfulness a fit Spouse for a Solomon 2. For the Position Happy are you if you do them hence observe There is a blessedness annexed to 〈◊〉 knowing the Truths of God as to remember and 〈◊〉 to remember as to do the work of that word Iâ— you know if you do not otherwise blessed are yee Thus I have cut the words in peeces The second Observation is that I would first commend from the supposition If you knew that carries in it an act of memory namely That as it is our 〈◊〉 care to know so it should be our next care to remember what wee have known To this end let mee help your memories by way of a Summary rehearsal of our Morning-Exercise The first Sermon that was preached to you was built upon Isa 55.3 Hear and your soul shall live From that Text this Doctrine That that soul shall surely live spiritually blessedly eternally that so hears as to come to Christ himself The grand question upon that point was this What is to be done that wee may so hear 'T was answered something was to be done before something at something after hearing First Before hearing That holy dutie of hearing calls aloud for holy preparation so much at least as settles the bent of the heart heaven-ward so much at least as makes us humble and hunger after spiritual Manna so much at least as raises the heart into a posture of expectation of some divine and spiritual good from God Secondly a right demeanour in or at hearing which consists First The hearer ought to propound to himself spiritual and right ends and that 1. Negatively This must not be the hearers end to come and judge either the Word or the Minister of it nor 2. To come and hear things that will tickle his fancy if hee desire that let him go to those sinks of all wickednesse Play-houses nor 3. Must wee propose this our end meerly to better our parts nor 4. Meerly to know much less meerly to bee known that it should be said of us that wee have been at the Morning-Exercise every day this month But our end should be to profit by what wee hear Psal 119.33 Wee should hear that our souls may live Secondly Wee must labour to approve our selves true Gospel-hearers And to that end 1. Wee must be wakeful hearers 't is dangerous sleeping by a Candle set up by God 2. Wee must be Reverent hearers in the fear of God wee must worship though not towards yet in his holy Temple 3. Attentive hearers our ears and hearts should bee like Lydia's open to attend to those things spoken by Paul Act. 16.14 4. Receptive hearers Wee must take in what wee hear Act. 2.41 And this must be done with Faith with Love with Joy with Delight with Meekness with particular Application and this too not as the word of such a man or such a Minister I abhor that wicked notion among you the head of such a party and I know not what But as it is in deed and in truth the Word of God That man never hears as a Saint that when hee hears doth not look mostly at the Word as it is the Word of the God of Saints And if thus wee apply our selves to the Ordinances truly wee are in immediate capacity to have the Glory Spirit and Power of Christ to rest upon us in hearing And this leads mee to The Second
for he that is Lord of Angels is become the Shepheard 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 Shepheard 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 pleasure 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 Shepheard and that is originally from God himself it is not by any mediate deputation but from God himself He is our Shepheard and hath a Title to his Flock upon a double account 1 They are committed to him as his Charge and custody Joh. 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 Recompence for all his Blood and Sufferings Isa 53.10 The Lord Jesus put such a value on souls that he purchased an Interest in them by his own Blood and he thinks himself exceedingly recompenced 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 consider 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 Joh. 10.16 There shall be one Fold and one Shepheard As Christ is the onely Catholick King so he is the only Universal Bishop for all other Shepheards 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 Shepheard that he should be a Sacrifice before he could take this office upon him Other Sheep lay down their lives for the Shepheâ—rd 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 chang'd a Scepter for the Rod and Staffe of a Shepheard 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 yet 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 fit us for the comforts of his presence 2 In respect of his exact dilâ—gence 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 Luk. 15. where we have that Parable to express the diligence 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 Breast-plate the Lord Christ carries the names of all his sheep in his Heart therefore Rev. 13. speaking concerning the Saints all that dwel upon earth whose names are writ in the Book of Life His diligence and care is so exact that he hath all their names writ in his Book He thâ—t tells the Stars counts their hairs and always exercises the most watchful providence over them for good You know sheep are either lyable 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 wandring and brings them home to himself 3 In making proportionable all their services and sufferings to those degrees of strength which he gives to them Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom 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 the Word the Promises which are the Breasts of Consolation these are all provided by him for his People And in this respect he is the great Shepherd for he doth not only allow them means but blesses the means to them he is able to enlighten the dark mind and he can make pliable the stubborn will he can spirituallize drossie affections which all other shepherds in the world are not able to effect 4 He is the great Shepheard if you consider his power to preserve them from danger not only those dangers which respect Satan for that fell under his care before but those diseases to which they are liable which threaten ruine Other Shepheards possibly may cure diseases but not defend them from danger Christ it is thaâ— gives eternal life to his sheep he begins the life of holiness which though at present is but as
c. 8 The strange and wonderful Affections and tenderness that God hath wrought in his Children to the Gospel What meltings and mournings and what a spirit of Prayer hath God put upon his People 9 There are many young tender Plants and Buds of grace such in whom the Spirit of God hath stirred a hungring thirsting and longing after the great Concernments of Eternity I would upon these grounds with others of the like import hope and believe that the Lord will not remove his everlasting Gospel however he may correct his People for their trifling with and slighting the glorious Gospel I have several times thought what a day of darkness was upon the World in respect of Sin and Superstition When Christ brought the everlasting Gospel what a day of Darkness and Superstition was on the whole Earth But you know what the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the World by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe When it is nearest day then it is darkest There may be an hour of Darkness that may be upon the Gospel as to its liberty purity and glory and yet there may be a Sun-shining day ready to tread on the heels of it And so much for the Resolution of those Queries I shall proceed as I said and leave some Legacies with you which may by the finger of the Spirit be made advantageous to you whom we are not advantaged to speak unto you LEGACY 1. The first Legacy I would leave with you shall be this Secure your Interest in Christ Make it your great business your work your Heaven to secure your interest in Christ This is not an Age an Hour for a man to be between fears and hopes between doubting and believing Take not up in a name to live when you are dead God-ward and Christ-ward Take not up in an outward form and outward priviledges They cryed out The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord that had no interest in or love to the Lord of the Temple Follow God leave no means unattempted whereby your blessed interest may be cleared up Leg. 2. Make Christ and Scripture the onely foundation for your souls and faith to build on as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundations can no man lay then that which is layd even Jesus Christ Isa 28.6 Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a corner stone a pretious stone a sure foundation Ephes 2.10 Since its a very dangerous thing as much as your souls and eternity is worth for you to build on any thing besides Jesus Christ many will say Come build on this authority and that on this saying and that but take heed Leg. 3. In all places and company be sure to carry your soul-preservatives with you go into no place or company except you carry your soul-preservations with you that is a holy care and wisdom You know in infectious times men will carry outward preservatives with them you had need to carry your preservatives about you else you will be in danger of being infected with the ill customs and vanities of the times wherein you live and that is a third Leg. 4. I would leave with you is this look that all within you rises higher and higher by oppositions threatnings and sufferings that is that your faith your love your courage your zeal your resolutions and magnanimity rises higher by opposition and a spirit of prayer this it did Acts 4.18 19 20 21 29 30 31. compared all their sufferings did but raise up a more noble spirit in them they did but raise up their faith and courage So Acts 5.40 41 42. they looked on it as a grace to be disgraced for Christ and as an honour to bâ— dishonoured for him They say as David If thâ— be to be vile I will be more vile If to be found in thâ— way of my God to act for my God to be vile I will be more vile Leg. 5. Take more pains and make more Conscience of keeping your selves from sin than suffering from the pollutions and defilements of the day then from the sufferings of the day this Legacy I would beg that you would consider take more pains and make more conscience of keeping your selves from the evil of sin than the evil of punishment from the pollutions and corruptions of the times than the sufferings of the times Acts 2.40 Save your selves from this untoward generation Phil. 2.15 The Children of God must be harmless and blameless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Heb. 11. speaks full to the poin in hand Rev. 3 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy White was the habit of Nobles which imports the honour that God will put on those that keep their garments pure in a defiling day Rev. 8.4 And I heard another voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues If you will be tasting and sipping at Babylon's Cup you must resolve to receive more or lesse of Babylons plagues Leg. 6. I would leave with you is this Be alwayes doing or receiving good Our Lord and Master went up and down in this world doing good he was still doing good to body and soul he was acted by an untired power be still doing or receiving good this will make your lives comfortable your deaths happy and your accompt glorious in the great day of our Lord. Oh how useless are many men in their generation oh that our lips might be as so many Honey-combs that we might scarter knowledge Leg. 7. I would leave with you is this Set the highest examples and patterns before your face of grace and godliness for your imitation In the business of Faith set an Abraham before your eyes in the business of Courage set a Joshua In the business of uprightness set a Job of meekness a Moses c. There is a disadvantage that redounds to Christians by looking more backwards than forwards Men look on whom they excel not on those they fall short of Of all examples set them before you that are most eminent for grace and holiness for communion with God and acting for God next to Christ set the pattern of the choisest Saints before you Leg. 8. Hold fast your Integrity and rather let all go than let that go A man had better let liberty estate relations and life go than let his integrity go yea let Ordinances themselves go when they cannot be held with the hand of integrity Job 27. 5 6. God forbid that I should justify you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my Righteousness I will hold fast and I will not let it go my heart shall not reproach
charge that God hath been at that you have grown no more into communion with God and conformity to God and into the lively hope of the everlasting fruition of God Here are your Legacies and the Lord make them to work in your souls and then they will be of singular use to you to preserve you so that you may give up your accompt before the great and glorious God with joy Labour to make conscience of putting these Legacies into practice of sucking at these breasts which will be of use to us till we shall be gathered up into the fruition of God where we shall need no more Ordinances no more preaching or praying Mr. MEDE His Fare-wel SERMON 1 Cor. 1.3 Grace be unto you and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ YOu will wonder possibly that I should pitch on the Apostles Salutation for my Valediction and make that the Conclusion of my Preaching which he made the Beginning of his Writing and therefore I have made a double Plea for it I find that this was a form of Blessing peculiar to this Apostle both in the beginning and end of this Epistle for as there is scarcely one Epistle but begins with it so many end with it likewise As in Eph. 6. ver ult The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit So in the 2d of the Thessalonians the last verse of the last Chapter The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all So that I finding the Apostle to use it frequently at the beginning and end of his Writing I thought as I made it the matter of my prayer for you in the beginning so I might make it my farewel to you in the ending and therefore Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Besides this As Isaac said to his Jacob concerning his Venison when his Father asked him How he found it so quickly he answered Because the Lord thy God brought it to me The same I may say of this Scripture for Considering of what subject I should speak in my last Labours here among you this Scripture came to my thoughts and opening the Book came immediately to my sight and therefore I may say God brought it to me Which I no sooner looked upon but methinks I saw the Apostle on Mount Ger sim and his mouth filled with blessing for what greater blessing can a man wish then that which comprehends all blessings and that is Grace and Peace Being therefore now to part I thought to go to the top of the Mount and leave with you Grace and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ In which words there are two generals 1. A double Blessing desired 2. A double Spring discovered 1. A double Blessing desired and that is Gratâ— and Peace Grace is of all Blessings the richest Peace is of all Comforts the sweetest both these the Apostle begs for the Corâ—nthians and so do I for you Beloved Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Here is a double Fountain discovered and that is the Father and the Son God and Christ The Father is called the God of Grace the Son is called the Prince of Peace not that grace is from the Father without Peace nor Peace from the Son without grace but both grace and peace are from God the Father through the Lord Christ The Order of the words is worth noting Grace be to you and peace First grace then peace for there can be no peace without grace nor grace but there will be peace but there can be no true peace but from God nor from God but as he is a Father nor from God as a Father but as our Father and he cannot be said to be our Father but through our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore he saith Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ both are manifested as a golden Chain linked together not grace without peace nor peace without grace but both conjoyned together to cram the believers soul with grace and peace Now from the Order of the words we might raise several Observations 1. That Peace is the fruit of Grace 2. That Grace and Peace are both from God 3. That Love which is the spring of Grace and Peace is from God as a Father 4. That we share not in his Love but only as he is our Father All is from propriety First Our Father then Grace and Peace from God our Father 5. That God is our Father onely through Christ But before we draw any thing from the Text by way of Observation we will speak to the terms by way of Explication Grace be to you What is here meant by Grace This is a sweet word iâ— perfumes the breath it cherishes the Conscience 〈◊〉 warms the Heart it ravishes the Soul As the Spouse was ravished with the rayes of Christs glory so Christ revives the Soul with one of his Gracious rayes discovered to the Heart Grace is the life of the Soul thou art dead till grace quickens thee thou art lost till grace finds thee undone till grace saves thee Grace is the Marna of Angelsâ— the spiritual Bread which those that are holy in being 〈◊〉 rished with and subsist by Angels live on 〈◊〉 and stand by Grace Man that shares in the grace of God is made fellow-Communor with Angels eats Angels food and shares in Angels blessings Grace is the substance of the Scripture the end of the Law the fulness of the Gospel Gregory calls it the Heart and Soul of God I am sure Grace is the Heart and Soul of the Word It 's a little word but it comprehends all good here is more then Homers Iliads in a Nut-shell it 's the Epitome of all the good in Heaven and Earth name any word that signifies good to the Soul here or hereafter and it is found in the Index in this little word Grace Grace comprehends Gods love to us and out love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the sum of all Duty grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another Nature a new Nature a spiritual God-like Nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the Nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the Nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great Mystery of grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner For the Lord Christ could not be more debased then to be born It was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to dye but being the great God it s a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the
changed your hearts 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 the 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 or possessions of the men of the world they have Riches and Honours Prosits and Pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace Therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Romane that was condemned by the Court-Martial to die for breaking his ranke to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envyed at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now sayes he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loth to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the Children of Grace and peace don't envy at the men of the world at their Riches their Comforts their Pleasures for I am sure you would be loth to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things are Death Thirdly Don't complain of the worst condition that the Providence of God shall cast you into in this world 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 alwayes and again I say Rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Graâ—s nor Peace May I not say I speak to many suchâ— I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without Peace They may have the world's peace but they have none of this Peace let me beg of you to get out of this graceless condition if you love your Souls don't live one day nor one hour nor one moment longer in a 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 the love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruin 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 fâ—lse peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selve 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 has 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 oh 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 Enemy 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 's to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of Soul for the promises run farr to such that he will fill the hungry with good things Go to Christ oh Soul begg 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 will 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 Thirdly To such as have grace but no sense of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace pray 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 〈◊〉 Christ every day and remember it 's as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before Oh 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 manâ— chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of 〈◊〉 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 its true it is lowâ— 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 recoâ—pences 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 their reins of Religion to avoid the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like the Winter fire that burns the hottest when the Air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among Thorns so should a Child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions chuse sufferings rather then sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather then sinning he that valueâ—â— peace with God or peace with Conscience he must make this his choyce thus Daniel rather chose to be castâ—o Lions then to lose the peace of his Conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace then bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin
when as they who stand fast do even force a good Testimony from their Enemies So it was the unhappy chance of Cranmer the Papists did perswade him to subscribe and did he get any honour by it No truly they did upbraid him and reproach him and so he had dyed in a raving condition had not the Lord been merciful to him I remember a speech of St. Austin about drinking of Healths Oh! say they 't is upon the King's Birth-day and we cannot avoid it If we deny it say they we shall be reproached and scorned of men He gives them many Answers to it but one as I remember was this God will so work that if you will not comply with them they in their hearts will honour you and whereas if you did comply with them they would dishonour you and say you are base spirited That is one thing of this Point that keeping close to Jesus Christ will get you this Reward you shall walk with him in the white of honour they shall walk in the white of honour with his People and it may be with the World too 2 They shall walk in white in the white of peace and joy and inward comfort I shewed you in the opening of the Text how the Scripture calls that walking in white Then the Point is this What ever becomes of the other white of honour in the World they shall be sure of this that abundance of peace and joy and comfort shall possess their souls that keep their garments white they shall walk in the inward white of joy and peace with Jesus Christ and this is a blessed Reward Indeed now this joy this white of joy arises in the Soul three ways 1. From the Testimony of their own Consciences Oh! they who have a good Testimony from their own Consciences walk in white 2 Cor. 1.12 We have this for our rejoycing the Testimony of our Consciences that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in Heaven that is walking in white this is our rejoycing our Conscience speaks well of us and kindly to us and who is able to express the sweetness of this thing None can know what this is but they that have it as it is said of the New Name written upon the white Stone Rev. 2 1â— 'T is a thing beyond expression what the joy anâ— peace of a good Conscience is Now this I say that our white Garments and our walking in white ariseth from the Testimony of our Consciences 2. As from the Testimony of our Consciences so from that Testimony which is greater than out Consciences the Spirit the shedding abroad of Divine Love thus it is with those that do not defile their Garments but endure any thing rather then defile their Garments Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not onely so but we glory in Tribulations knowing Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed and whence was all this because of the Holy Ghost which was given to us this causeth joy unspeakable The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God This Witness doth cause wonderful joy much more then the witnesses of our own Consciences 3. This ioy doth arise from that well-grounded hope which that Soul hath that keeps himself clean hope of enjoying Heaven at last hope of future glory is our present joy Rom. 5.2 By whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and joyce in hope of the glory of God Now they who keep their Garments white have good ground of hope of the love of God therefore this must needs cause them to walk comfor ably as they who have this hope purifie themselves so they who purifie themselves have good ground of this hope and therein great cause to rejoyce Pet. 1.5 6. Who are kept by the power of God brough Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in â—e last times wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for 〈◊〉 season if need be ye are in heaviness through many emptations We walk in white in the hope we have of that Inâ—eritance Now lay these three things together â—f they who keep their Garments undefiled have â—he Testimony of their own Consciences and the â—estimony of the Spirit shedding the Love of God â—n their hearts and a well-grounded hope of fuâ—ure â—lory how can it be but these must walk in white â—ith Jesus Christ that is in comfort and joy of â—e Spirit and of their own spirits Thus David walked he had abundance of joy upâ—n the Conscience of his own integrity and keeping his heart and hands clean from those iniquities â—is enemies charged him with Ps 3. The Lord shall â—udge his people Judge me O Lord according to my â—ighteousness and according to mine integrity that is in â—â—e He appeals to the Lord the Lord shall judge â—is people Judge me O Lord according to my â—ighteousness Thus he appeals to God himself he â—ad so much confidence and his heart gave him â—hat he kept himself from those iniquities So Job walkt in white though his Friends blackt him exceedingly yet he walked in white in his Conscience Job 16.19 Behold my Witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I have not onely a Witness in my Conscience but my Witness is above He walked in white notwithstanding all his afflictions from God and his Friends Hezekiah walkt in this white when death 〈◊〉 him in the face Lord thou knowest I have we upright with thee I need not stay in the proof of the thing let 〈◊〉 make some Use and Improvement of it Vse Is this blessed reward to those who keâ—â— their garments white to walk in the white of peacâ— and joy then here we see the happiness of all thoâ—â— who are true to Christ and his wayes Psal 119. â— Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in thâ— Law of the Lord. 'T is just in the Language of 〈◊〉 Text they indeed shall walk in white it is a greaâ— part of our blessedness to have peace of conscience and inward joy Oh how much better is it that the peace and joy of this world and the comforts of this world Prov. 15.13 A merry heart or as another Translation saith A good Conscience and indeed a merry heart and a good Conscience do but one explain the other a merry heart or a good Conscience is a continual Feast Here is noâ— surfeiting in this feast but a continual Musick coâ—tinual joy and comfort oh how blessed are theâ— who are undefiled in the way That which Christ said of the Lilly Solomon 〈◊〉 all his glory was not arrayed like one of these so may I say of the Lilly-white soul that keeps himself white in the world who keeps himself white iâ— matter of practice and worship Solomon in all 〈◊〉 glory was not arrayed like one of these Lilly-white ones Oh the Rivers of Consolations that flow to them that keep themselves out of
men Yea we are twice dead We are Children of the Light Ye were darkness but now are light in the Lord. Now it is very observable what the Apostle speaks concerning the children of darkness and the Children of the light I Thes 5.5 You Believers saith he are all the Children of the light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness and what followes therefore let not us sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober why for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunk be drunk in the night if any stagger this is the work of the night this is not the work of the day Now every Apostate that wavers he is like a man that is drunk so that he acts clean contrary to the Children of the day Saith he They that are drunk are drunk in the night but saith he Let us watch and â—e sober and let us who are of the day put on the Breast-plate of Faith and for a Helmet the hope of salvation We are by believing the Children of God Gal. 3.26 For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus now Beloved are we weary of so honourable a Title as being the Children of God why we are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Will any body part with so great a Title as this why if we are weary of being Gods Children whose can we be none but the Devils and had we rather be the Devils children then Gods there are but these two either you must be the children of God or the Devils children now you are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus oh therefore let us hold fast the profession of our Faith seeing by Faith we are the children of God Thirdly Let us consider what we shall be at the end of Faith why we shall be saved 1 Pet. 1.4 5 and 9. verses compared He hath begotten us to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fades not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times and in the 9th Verse saith he receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls so that it seems to be weary of believing is to be weary of being saved not to hold fast Faith is not to hold fast salvation for saith he You are saved through Faith and the end of your Faith is the salvation of your Souls Can you be contented to be damned Can you have patience to think of going to Hell Now put all these together and wil you not hold fast you that before faith were but darkness were but dead were but children of wrath who by Faith are made children of light are made alive and the children of God and who at the end of Faith shall receive the salvation of our souls And shall not we hold fast shall we leave this Faith but then secondly A 2d Argument in the Text shall be drawn from the Object and that is twofold there is faith and the profession of this faith that is to be held fâ—â—st and there are Arguments from both first Faith hold fast faith why are we so greatly concerned and so hugely obliged to hold fast Faith I will give you this one Reason for it it is the most holy Faith there are many things may be called Faith that may not be called most holy Faith there are many faiths that are at least called holy Turkish Faith is by them called holy faith the Romish Faith is by them called holy faith I but this is the most holy faith there is an expression that Jude hath to commend faith to us in the 20 verse of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith c. Let other pretenders be as holy as they can they can never rise to the holiness of this this is the most holy faith it is holy in so high a degree as to be beyond compare I but now what is it that may denominate this faith to be the most holy faith why it hath for its Authour the most holy God it is the gift of God and the Work of God if we take it for the Act of Faith and the Doctrine of God if we take it for the Doctrine of Faith There are as the Apostle saith Gods many but we know but one most holy God there are that will be called your holiness in the World but this is the most holy God a God that is glorious in holiness yea whose glory it is to be holy There is nothing stamps glory on any subject like holiness what is the difference between the Angels in Heaven and the Angels in Hell but holiness that is their glory The holy Angels and that is their shame the sinful Angels and what was it that made Canaan a better Land than another was it not the holiness it was the holy Land what was it that made the Temple a better place then another was it not because it was the holy Temple yea it is the glory of all the Attributes of God that they are holy His Justice would look like severity but that it is holy His Power would look like Tyranny were it not holy His Love would look like fondness were it not holy His patience would look like a toleration of sin were it not holy therefore it is said the Lord God glorious in holiness Now this most holy God is the Authour of this Faith and so it is a most holy Faith it being the Work of the most holy God and will you leave and not hold fast this most holy Faith But then besides It may be said to be the most holy faith in this sense too that it is its nature where-ever it comes to make the subject in whom it is most holy Saith the Apostle you hath God chosen to wit by Faith to be a peculiar people a holy Nation Acts 15.9 it is said He hath purifyed their hearts by faith and he will give them an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith It may be called the most holy Faith in these two respects First Considering the operation and effects it hath upon the hearts and lives of them in whom it is it makes them a holy People beyond all the people in the World And then upon this account too as to the ultimate effects of it that it admits us into the most holy places You know he Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of Heaven and Jefus Christ is said to enter into the Holy of Holies that is into Heaven Now this doth admit us into the most holy place where that most holy God is saith the Apostle having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Josus Alas in them me of old they could go but into the outward Court but now saith he We all have this boldness to
the World oh â— would there were not See that 1 Tim. 6.3 4 â— where the Apostle acquaints you with such men saith he If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which 〈◊〉 according to godliness the wholsome Doctrine thâ— healing Word what then in the 4th Verse 〈◊〉 he He is proud knowing nothing but doating â—bout questions and strifes of words whereâ—â— Wines enter strife-railings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness or as most read it that godliness is a gain a meer Trade to get money by from such withdraw thy self If you be not baptized they will tell you you are not a Christion and baptized you shall not be unless you pay for it they will tell you eat flesh you must not at such and such times but if you will pay for it you may they will tell you you must not sin by no meanes but if you will pay for it you may and have a pardon for iâ— when you have done such a one as they can give Oh I beseech you when ever any make use of Religion to get money by take heed of them saith the Apostle from those that make godliness a Trade to get money by withdraw thy self and know that godliness with contentment is great gain Doubtless godliness is the best Trade in the world if closely followed but the worst if worldlily followed but to take up a Profession of the Christian Religion meerly for pomp and state and to get gain oh ruefull is Christian Religion made use of for such ends as this Oh take heed therefore as ever you would stand fast in the Faith and hold fast the Profession thereof take heed of all and every sort of men that make use of Religion to get money by Secondly Take heed of the errour of the wicked lest you fall from your own stedfastness this advice you have from the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore believed seeing you know these things before beware lest you also being led away by the errâ— of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness the 〈◊〉 â—our of the wicked is like to make one as wicâ—â— as they pray what was this errour of the wickâ—â— it was this there were a generation of wicked men that said It was in vain to serve God for say they where is the promise of his coming onely Beloved it was as much as to say there were no reward for godliness nor no wages for ungodliness Oh take heed of this error of the wicked it is a wicked â—â—rour and none but wicked ones hold it to wit The it is in vain to serve God therefore keep this still 〈◊〉 your hearts that Verily in keeping his Commandements there is great reward if there were no more but the very work it is a great honour to us that we may be servants to such a God but Beloved Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your laâ—â—â— 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 spokeâ— so much against thee this God is lwayes quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what 〈◊〉 we said in the 14th Verse Ye sâ—id it is in 〈◊〉 serve God and what profit is it that we have kept 〈◊〉 Ordinances we have walked mournfully before 〈◊〉 Lord of Hosts and now we call the proud happy 〈◊〉 they that work wickedness are set up yea they 〈◊〉 tempt God are even delivered well now what 〈◊〉 lowes Then they that feared the Lord spake 〈◊〉 one to another as if they had said let not 〈◊〉 things take any thing off the edge of our affectiâ—â— or quench any flame of our love did God taâ—â—â—ny notice of this now that he had any such friâ—â— in the World yes saith he God hearkened 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 a coming the day will declare whether it be best serving God or the Devil well then Beloved as ever you would hold fast the Profession of your Faith take heed of the errour of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may loose by it for if you loose for him ye shall never loose 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 having heard the Word keep 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 will never hold it fast till you lay iâ— up in a good and honest heart if it be onely in the hands of a Bible is 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 bâ—ing forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring forth with patience for if they were not under suffering what 〈◊〉 were there of patience Well Beloved conâ—â—â—â—â— a little further as to this the connexion between the Verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near 〈◊〉 a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled with an evil 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 mystery of Faith Lastly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Authour 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 be partakers of the Heavenly Calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Professiâ—â— Christ
Priests and Levites were forced to flee their own places and possessions 2 Chron. 11.13 14. 4. Sometimes by Suspension Thus a time there was When it was said to the Seers see not and to the Prâ—phets prophesie not Isai 30.9 10. Thus a time there was when People would have Pastors but would not endure faithful Jeremiah and a time there was that there was a Law made Look ye speak no more in the name of Jesus Acts 4.18 And a time there was when Paul and Timotheus and Silvanus were forbid to preach to the Gentiles as 1 Thes 2.15 16. Thus we see the Lord hath inflicted this dreadful Judgement on a people and the Lord hath divers wayes and methods and meanes to inâ—â—â—â— it 3. Consider The Church and people of the Lord hath been very sensible of the Lords hand in this Judgement as we may see in Psal 74.1 and 〈◊〉 verses compared Why what is the matter as if they have said God was wont heretofore to give us signes and tokens he would even work miracles for us the Lord would send us some Prophets to converse with and instruct us we had those that could tell us how long our troubles should last but now we see no sign the Lord leaveth us as it were to the wide world and how sensible was the Lords Church in this judgement as ver 1. of that Psalm This is the first endeavour We are to he duely sensible and deeply apprehensive of the inflicting cause of such a Judgement and that is the Lord himself 2. Of the meritorious Cause and that is Sin Say not we it is long of such or such but it is long of our selves we may thank our selves for this and we appeal to your selves whether this judgement may not be charged 1. From the general unflexiblenesse untractablenesse of people under the Ministry of the Word For this very cause the Lord plagued and poured his vengeance upon the Ten Tribes as in 2 Kings 17 from ver 13 to 19. The Lord testified against Isâ—ael by all the prophets and by all the Seers saying Turn you from your evil wayes notwithstanding they would not hear And for this very cause did the Lord afterwards plague all Judah as Jer. 29.17 18 19. And for this very reason did the Lord Jesus Christ remove Paul from Jerusalem because the people ware a stâ—ff necked people and they would not receive Paul's estimony concerning Jesus as Acts 22.18 Paul had a great desire to stay at Jerusalem as appeared by his reasoning with the Lord ver 19 20. But what saith the Lord Christ ver 21. Nâ—w can England can London plead not guilty of this hainous provocation a generval unflexiblenesse untractablenesse under a Conscience-ransacking a Conscience-searching Ministry 〈◊〉 shall the Lord do with such a people under 〈◊〉 Ministry Is it not just with God to let them alâ—â— that are prophane and superstitious let there beâ—â— people like Priests let the blind lead the blind 〈◊〉 let the wicked rebellious Minister lead a wicked loâ—â—â— people that both may perish together everlastingly 2. The unfruitfulnesse formality luke-warmnesse declining of Gods own people and for this the Lord threatens the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.4.5 I have saith Christ somewhat against thee thou hast left thy first love though not absolutely for nature yet eminently for measure And can England can London plead not guilty of this sad provocation Now indeed we cannot but observe and approve of your flocking to the Lords Ordinances as Doves to the holes of a window but did you do so some moneths agon Oh your voluntary and fearful distractions avocations diversions from the worship and service of God! And is it not just with the Lord to take away that bundance and choice of spiritual helps a people had when they approved not of them yea when thâ—â— undervalued and despised and abused them 〈…〉 Lord God help us all to affect our souls and to â—ay our selves low before his all-seeing Majesty for our provoking him to do this and endeavour to be duly apprehensive and deeply sensible of the inflicting cause and meritorious cause thereof 2. Take heed of a prophane delight in loose lewd wicked dissolute Ministers And here we will premise two or three things 1. Too many people are too ready to cavil at many Mâ—â—sters without a cause The life of our blessed Lord and Saviour was it not traduced did not some say that he was a friend to Publicans and sinners We 〈◊〉 Christ was cavill that and 〈…〉 And thus the holy Apostles their 〈…〉 they went through evil report as well as good report 2 Cor. 10.2 And thus Athâ—nasius who was traduced for an Adulterer by the Ariant and so Auther and Calvin are represented and reported by the Papists as if they had been the vildest creatures in the world The wicked man cavils at and finds spots aâ— least do wâ—at he can to find spots in the Sun some who are not so wicked do look for an Evangelical perfection in Ministers and all theirâ— their wives and their children and their Servants and their company how ready are people grosly and uncharitably to censure a Minister for any yea the least they discern in him or his and is this their vertue nay is it not their vice and corruption 2. It is no breach of the Churches peace no argument of a contentious and unquiet spirit in a Minister to speak vilely of vile Ministers and enemies of the Churches peace Why who are they John-Baptist tells us he calls them vipers a generation of vipers why were they not Preachers Mat 3.7 and will you say that John Baptist was a man of a contentious spirit of an unquiet spirit And who were they whom our blessed Saviour calls a generation of vipers as Mat. 12.34.38.39 who were they that our Saviour calls a generation of vipers and an evil and adulterous generation were they not Preachers it is very observable both John Baptist our Saviour did call those Preachers thâ—â— even in the hearing of them who were their ordinary hearers and do but observe what strange tearms of disgrace S. Peter gives them 2 Pet. 2.12 to certain Preachers in his time ver 14. what strange tearms doth the Apostle give those Teachers whose pernicious wayes many would follow as in ver 2. of that chap. but did not the Scribes Pharisets sit in Moses Chair and did they not preach some good Doctrine 〈◊〉 much that Jesus Christ bids the people hear them and observe what they said though not what they did as Mat. 23.1 2 3. Therefore may some say It seemeth strange that Christ should thus disgrace the Scribes and Pharisees was not this the way to make their Ministry contemptible First It is very clear and undeniable that there were a generation of pitiful sorry Teachers as in Mat. 9.36 Why did not the people enjoy the teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees yes they did but the Scribes and Pharisees were
Phaâ—isees which is among you 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 professe it by thy bare professing thou losest the love of man by no more then 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 then 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 if you be unprovided you will be undone for ever and 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 nâ—ught 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 die to morrow Let me ask you would you be content to die in the state you are in if my soul doth not desire to be in a better state wheâ— I come to die then now I am in I may very well sit down satisfied if not then surely it greatly concerns me to look after a better would any man be content to die a Drunkard I ask you that are Drunkards I do believe you will answer no why then do you live in drunkennesse How know you that God will spare you when you are drunk until you are sober again we may read of many that have died in their drunken fits God doth not alwayes send his Herauld to warn thee before he sends his Serjeant to arrest thee how knowest thou but Death may strike thee on a sudden what will then become of thy Soul Oh Beloved I beseech you live not in that you are unwilling to die in Balaam waâ— not such a wretch but he could cry out Good Lord let me die the death of the Righteous are so bad husbands but will lay up for a rainy day I mean against a time of sicknesse comes wherein you will be unable to work are you thus careful to maintain your bodies and will you be carelesse of your souls Oh be careful to provide for stoâ—my weathers you have winter garmeâ—s for your bodies to preserve them from cold â—h let patience be your winter garment to preserve and keep your selves warm in afflictions I know that he that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and that through tribulation and sufferings we must enter into the Kâ—ngdome of Heaven shall I not then provide for them but you may say what doth persecution attend all the godly a man may escape them as well as suffer them put case affliction should not come thou wilt be never the worse for the being provided for them for he that is fit to die is fit â—o live and that man that is fiâ— to suffer afflictions is fit to live without them It was Pauls exhortation to the Ephes 6.10 Finally my brethren put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the Devil And it is wisdome in a man to provide for a misery before is comes there is mention made of a Nation the Spartans I think that useth to chuse their King as we do our Lord May or every year and whilst they are in their annual Government they live in all abundance of state have all the sulnesse their hearts can wish but when their year is over all their pomp and glory is over too and they banisht into some obscure remoâ—e place for ever Where they spend the remainder of their lives in great want and misery One King knowing this being called to rule over that Nation made such use of his time wherein he reigned as King that by his provident living he heaped up so much treasure and sent it besore him to the place where he knew he should be sent as maintained him all his life time Thus it is God hath appointed to every one a time to live in and that but a short time too and in that time he hath appointed afflictions to attend us if we will live godly in Christ Jesus is it not wisdome in us then to provide for them Take heed then that to avoid suffering you do not commit sin â—o commit sin to avoid suffering is as if a man should run out of the mouth of a barking Dog into the mouth of a devouring Lion what is the wrath of man to the wrath of God Man can but destâ—oy the body and no more but God can destroy both body and soul into hell fire to all eternity Fourthly My fourth word of counsel and direction is this be serious in serious things when you come to perform serious things do â—â—em seriously I do not know that ever I saw a man fall a sleep while he was telling of mony for if he should how could he tell whether it were right or no Yet alas too too many sleep when they should be taking truth not only by natural sleep but also by spiritual sleep they are so caâ—elesse in receiving the word they hear and so laâ—y withal that rather then they will try the word they â—ear they will take all for truth their Ministers tell them Beloved I believe you will scarce put so much coufidence in a man as to receive a sum of money without telling it because he saith it is right and yet will you receive all that your Minister tells you is truth for truth without trying it you must not be sluggish in your working for God but put forth your selves to the utrermost You must make the Kingdome of Heaven suffer violence and take it by force but then Fifthly The fifth Direction which I shall give you is about hearing the Word how you must behave your selves when you
Regeneration 1. A Christian may know his real Conversion and Translation to eternal life Such a great and real change is there wrought in every Beleever at his Conversion and this wrought by such a great efficient and infinite cause the Spirit of God and this cause working by such real and powerful means and instruments the great Word of God and this done notwithstanding the great opposition that is made by a poor sinner against the word and when wrought it hath such real and grand effects upon a Beleever that 't is impossible but a Beleever must needs know this his transition from death to life Secondly Love to the Brethren is the great symptome of mens Regeneration Love to the Brethren not taken solely singly as if this was the onely Character but concomitantly taken with others but beyond and above all others this is the privy seal of God on the soul if yee have inflamed it with love hee may know hee is passed from death to life The Use was of Confutation of the Papists those grand enemies to Gospel-Truths and Beleevers peace They abhor this Doctrine of Assurance by it their Purgatory would fall down their Popes Kitchin would grow cold They tell us Beleevers cannot attain Assurance in this world no. 1. Why hath God commanded us to make our Calling and Election sure and will God command impossibilities such as cannot be wrought by our or his own power 2. Other Saints have attained this Assurance this New Name and White Stone within them Obj. That 's by extraordinary Revelation Answ This is not upon proof was not the Assurance of Gods people in Scripture grounded upon general promises Had they many of them either extrinsecal signs or marks to assure them of it did it not spring from principles common to all Beleevers Obj. But suppose they have Assurance to day they may lose it to morrow man is a mutable creature hee may be a Childe of God in the morning and a brat of Hell in the evening Answ 'T is true man is a mutable creature yet is hee preserved by an immutable God man is a weak creature but yet is preserved by the power of God unto salvation man as a Creature is no less mutable in Heaven than upon Earth there preserved by God therefore why not here Obj. This is a doctrine that tends to looseness Answ Not so it did not work looseness in Paul Job c. I labour more than they all Nothing under Heaven so soveraign to stave off and preserve from lust as the assurance of Gods love to the soul Such assurance comes from the highest act of faith and one of the great things of Faith is to purifie the heart and life Such an Assurance must needs constrain the soul The love of Christ constraintâ—is Nay so far is it from inclining to looseness that it casts the soul upon its knees lifts up the souls hands sends him to Heaven continually constantly arms it with petitions resolutions never to let the Lord of Heaven and Earth alone gives him no rest begging of him as for other things so especially for this Lord as thou art pleased to give mee the priviledge of enjoying promises so give mee the power to perform duty Thus saith hee thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And so I am come as far as The Sixth Sermon Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THere is a twofold Will of God 1. Preceptive to be done by us 2. Providential to be done upon us The Minister carried the words in the last sense the will of God be done upon us hence 't was observed Gods Children must not only do but submit to their heavenly Fathers providential will They must not onely do his will the will of his precepts but they must submit to his will the will of his providence Let God do what hee will they must lay down their head upon the block and with patience and resignation say Thy will be done There are two grand Instances wherein Saints ought to shew this submission First When God deprives them of spiritual priviledges and enjoyments they must submit now they must not murmure then and that upon these considerations 1. Suppose a deprivation of publick Ordinances yet the holy Scriptures are left 2. The holy Spirit too that shall bring home the Scriptures to the conscience 3. There are old experiences of former love to live upon 4. Yet none can detain or debar us from making secret addresses unto God 5. 'T is a most noble thing it becomes a Christian exceedingly to live upon pulse yet thrive 6. By the want of such publick Ordinances God thinks fit to convince his people of their folly in sinning away the Gospel Secondly When the Lord makes a breach upon our temporal comforts and estates now for submission and that upon these accounts 1. Come what will come yet no strange thing is or can happen to us no temptation but what is common to man 2. With what comely submission have those old Beleevers behaved themselves to the will of God Eliah Job Samuel Daniel and the Captain of our salvation our blessed Saviour not my will but thy will be done 3. There 's a glorious day coming when God will unriddle all his dark providences and shew you that there is love in the bowels of them 4. God hath made a breach upon some of thy comforts how many comforts hath hee yet left thee 5. Thou art now deprived of thy comforts thou hast enjoyed twenty years thou hast reason to be thankful it was continued so long and not to murmure that 't was taken away now 6. Thou hast some goods the best of goods there 's no plundring a man of his grace no putting of him out of Gods favour 7. God doth thee a kindness in this were it good for thee it should be continued to thee Hee with-holds no good thing hee takes away nothing but what is evil or would be so this life is a transitory vapour and hadst thou enjoyed it thou couldst not long 8. Compare thy self with thy self and others the other day thou was a pittiful poor brat and what shalt thou bee compare thy self with others wee are low how many thousands far beneath us 9. All outward things are not properly formally good or evil as wee fancy them to be good or evil so they are they are but fancies Use Labour after this submissive frame of Spirit get but this and this will evidence that though hee frowns yet hee favours thee this will make thy Faith appear to bee a glorious Faith it will shew that the Kingdome of God is not only come to thee but in thee and rules in thy heart to that end But what shall I do to submit 1. Let not a day of adversity take thee unawares 2. Do not over-value thy self do not think too great of thy self that the wind must not blow onthee 3. Retract the superlative of
wayes to ler loose the Devill on his owne Children Satan had a desire to afflict Job and God gave way to it c. The Church of God is Gods Spouse and there is a great deale of love between the Husband and Wife between Christ and the Church Yet Psal 4.5 this she is so solemnly charged with all God hath made Christ a head to his Church therefore his Church must be Ruled by Christ and t is not for the Church to say The inferiour shepherds would order me thus and thus we must in the mean while say but What doth Christ say in such cases It is not for the Church to go aside by the flocks of his Companions Cant. 1.7 The Companions of Christ pretend to be Shepherds of the sheep as well as he but have not that power Christ had They have their Societies and would have the ordering of them but the Church desires to know where she may hold Communion with Christ that she may not turne aside by the flocks of his companiâ—◠〈◊〉 There is many Disputations amorg inferiour shepherds but this is out of all dispute that Christ is the Great Shepherd of the sheep That great man at Rome never pretended higher than to be the Vicar of Christ and Successor of Peter now we know that the Principal is much more to be regarded than his Vicar therefore if Christ be the Great Shepherd surely the sheep of Christ must hear his voice before all other shepherds specially since Christ hath spoken so signally in the Case My sheep hear my voice and they follow me a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voice of strangers And God having so solemnly commanded Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him The Great Shepherd must be heard before all little shepherds The little shepherds have their division Act. 20.29 After my departure shall grivous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away discisples after them True shepherds are alwaies carefull to make Disciples for Christ and to bring all Disciples to Christ All John's work was to make Disciples to put them over to Christ not to make disciples to himself but to make over all his disciples unto Christ If any man will gather he must gather for Christ not himself others would draw men unto any matter or manner of Doctrine Government c. But our eye must be upon Christ and our ear open to his voice and our Hearts awed with his will and mind in Scripture made known to his Church And they love nor Christ as they ought that desire not to hear his voice before any others in the world for he is the Great Shepherd of the sheep 2. Though he be the Great Shepherd of the sheep yet he dye and though he dye yet because he is the Great Shepherd of the sheep he is raised again The great Shepherd Dyes the little Shepherds must not think much of it if they be called to dye We must be contented it be exemplified in us if occasion serve for if God spared not the Great Shepherd What have the little shepherds to plead for themselves they should be spared If the Case fall out while I labour to serve the Church as I can I come to suffer for the Church in the end I doe rejoyce and I will rejoyce And truly we had need to pray for such a spirit as this for if this was in the Great Shepherd of the sheep it will very well become the little shepherds But against the fear of death here 's the comfort The Great Shepherd of the sheep dyes yet is raised from the dead so shall the little ones not one member of the flock death can alwaies triumph over him In this respect Christ will have all his members to be raised in that he got the victory over death for Christ arose as the First fruits and ascended into Heaven as a fore-runner Though we may have deniall as to the advancing of Christs service c. Yet the Resurrection of the dead is that we must take into our thoughts and t is our solid comfort God will one day bring all the sheep together into one fold and David shall be their King and have the Ruling and ordering of them to all Eternity There is a Resurrection to little shepherds when we come to lay down our naturall lives we can look for no other recompence for it but our Resurrection and the thoughts of it must be our Comfort And oh how doth this incourage us to come unto God though sinne be heavie upon us Remember there is a God of peace that takes to himself this name for this very end that sinners may know for their incouragment that Reconciliation is wrought out between God and them through Jesus Christ and if they will but come and take hold of the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Christ hath said they shall have all the blessings and benefits promised in the Covenant of Grace and that the bloud of Christ can procure for them they shall have forgivness of sinnes and salvation of Soul Therefore when we consider Christ hath dyed to have a flock and for saving of the flock and to make himself the God of peace through his bloud this should comfort us It remains we come to consider of the matter of the Prayer this is very full Make you perfect in every good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight c. Here we are to observe two things First The matter of the Apostle's desire Secondly The measure of it The matter of his desire is that the Hebrewes may be made perfect in every good work to doe the will of God i. e. that they may be fully and thoroughly regenerate sanctified throughout both in soul and body and that they may be furnished with all graces and inabled for every duty Take notice of every one of the expressions First Make you perfect T is the duty of Christians to perfect every good work to cleanse themselves from all the impurity of flesh and spirit and to perfect Holinesse in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 Secondly In every good work in matters of Piety Righteousnesse Charity Sobriety for within these head most of those things may be comprehended that belong to Christians they will goe a very great way to make a perfect Christian but that Christian cannot be perfect that is not sanctified in every one of these Thirdly To doe his will that you may be ready chearfully willing to do his will on all occasions But how is it possible flesh and bloud should attain to this that they should be perfect to every good work Why saith the Apostle working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Working in you You see thereby All our works depend on God's