ought to be for a Lamentation That there must be a parting between David and 〈◊〉 who loved one another as their own Souls this cuts them unto their very heart And this I may say with respect to my self I blesse God I cannot say as she of her Husband A bloody Husband hast thou been unto me but a loving Congregation have you been unto me I know none of you have desired my destruction nor to taint my name never did I hear three in this Congregation speak of pressing any thing against me that was contrary to my conscience nor can I say that there are four in this Parish that did ever deny to pay me my legal dues blessed be God for such a people you have not encroached upon my conscience as I hope I have not upon yours Pastors must love their people do not blame them if their hearts be almost broken when they are to part with such a people 2. Must the Pastor love his people then the people must love their Pastor 'T is true it lies in the power of man to seperate the Pastor and people but not to separate their hearts I hope there will never be a separation of love but that will still continue if we do not see one another yet we may love one another and pray for one another I hope a husband doth not cease from loving his wife because she is absent from him But oh for my Brethren hundreds of them think that you are undone though you cannot see as far as other men you may live in love and keep your consciences quiet 3. Must Pastors love their People then you see from hence what should be the grand object of the Pastors affection i. e. the people not what the people have this is great inquiry what is the benefice worth What 's the preferment Do they pay well c. Whereas we should not seek so much the Fleece as the Flock we should not take oversight of a Congregation for love of their pay but of their souls nor 't is an excellent good living as one said I have heard of Let me have their Tythes and let their souls go to the Devil but as the Apostle I seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 12. 14. And I hope there be many hundreds can say it hath been the peoples souls they have more loved and affected than any thing what the people had 4. Once more We must love them and love them tenderly Why and yet leave them Yes my beloved We are so to love our people as to venture any thing for them but our own damnation I come not here to throw firebrands I bless God I have a most tender affection for all my Brethren in the Ministry and though I am not satisfied my self yet I condemn no man I believe there be many of them do as conscienciously subscribe as deny to subscribe I protest in the fear of God I cannot subscribe perhaps it is because I have not that light as others have for he that doubts saith the Apostle is damned My beloved I hope you would not have us sin against God and our Consciences It is not my living that I desire but my office to serve my Lord and Master but if we should to keep communion with you lose our communion with God this is the ready way to have all our labour and pains lost but as David said and oh that I could speak it with as good hopes as David Zadok carry back the Ark of God if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him 2 Sam. 15. 24. Brethren I could do very much for the love I bear to you but I dare not sin I know they will tell you this is pride and peevishness in us and that we have preacht against it and are tender of our reputation and we would fain all be Bishops and forty things more but the Lord be witness between them and us in this Beloved I prefer my wife and children before a blast of air of peoples talk I am very sensible what it is to be reduced to a morsel of bread Let the God of heaven and earth do what he will with me if I could have subscribed with a good conscience I would I would do any thing to keep my self in the work of God but to sin against my God I dare not do it 3. My joy and Crown therefore my dearly beloved and longed for my joy and Crown my present joy and future Crown my joy which I value more then a Crown my principal joy Hence observe this Doctrine that The fixed standing flourishing growth of Saints in Gospel-practice and Gospel-obedience is or ought to be matter of transcendent joy to their Pastors It was so to the Apostle Paul Paul heard how they stood though there was a plague amongst them yet they were not infected and though he was in the Gaol ready to be beheaded yet this was his joy and Crown that his people did stand and I hope my Brethren it will be our joy and Crown to heâ—…r of your standing and growth in Gospel knowledge and Gospel-profession And 1. If this be so as Iohn said I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy Children walking in the truth It should be the prayers and endeavours of all Pastors really to love the souls of their people and to pray for them that when they cannot look after the souls of their Children yet that good Nurses may be looked out for them What a joy was it that Moses Mother was made his Nurse and who can tell it may be thought not out of any merit of ours yet of their own clemency our Governours may give us to be Nurses over our own Children but if I cannot nurse my Childe my self I will wish it well and as good a Nurse as I can far be it that those that are to succeed should not prosper Lord it shall be the prayere of thy Servant that those that are to succeed may have a double and treble portion of thy Spirit that he may be both painful and faithfull c. 2. If the peoples growth in grace and knowledge be matter of joy to a faithful Pastour then what do you think of those that hinder their thriving I shall give you two Scriptures Iohn 12. 19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves they durst not speak publickly but who was it against why it was against Christ perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the world is gone after him But we will order him for that we will be sure to lesson his Congregation if we cannot do that we will shut the doors against him see Matth. 23. 13. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men What! shut up the Kingdome
The Farewell SERMONS of Mr. Calamy Mr. Watson Mr. Sclater Dr. Iacomb Mr. Case Mr. Baxter Mr. Ienkins Mr. Lye Dr. Manton Mr. Ashes funerall Mr. Collins An EXACT COLLECTION OF Farewel Sermons PREACHED By the late London-Ministers VIZ. Mr. Calamy Mr. Watson Dr. Iacomb Mr. Case Mr. Sclater Mr. Baxter Mr. Ienkin Dr. Manton Mr. Lye Mr. Collins To which is added Their PRAYERS before and after Sermon AS ALSO Mr. Calamy's Sermon for which he was Imprisoned in Newgate His Sermon at Mr. Ashe's Funeral And Dr. Horton's at Mr. Naltons Funeral The last Edition being much Enlarged and more Perfect than any yet Extant 2 SAM 23. 1. Now these are the last Words of David the sweet Singer of Israel Printed in the Year 1662. THE PUBLISHERS TO THE READER THE words of dying men usually are very serious weighty and much regarded The ensuing Notes being the Preachers last Legacies to their several Congregations a little before their Civil though Voluntary Death by reason of the great Concourse of people that were then assembled in all Churches to hear their dying Pastors preach their own Funeral Sermons whilest they were yet alive many being too distant from them or too much disturbea by the crowd fell short of their share and portion in them others having lost much of what they committed to their memories addressed themselves to their friends that writ But it being found too tedious a work to satisfie the desires of all by Transcriptions some who had taken after them as followeth by the importunity of many have been prevailed with for the satisfaction of their friends to expose their Notes to publick view It is not to be expected though all care and faithfulness hath been used that the Picture should answer the Person in all things what defects therefore in any kind may be found herein we humbly pray may not be imputed to the Reverend Authors but unto the Publishers hereof We conceive we need not adde any thing to take off that clamour that is cast upon them as if out of an humour faction or which is worse disobedience to Authority they refused to conform Enough is said by themselves to give an account why they chose to take up their Cross and follow Christ in a way of conscience and fidelity Reader we will detain thee no longer from partaking of the fruit we here present thee with but conclude praying that the Lives of these worthy Ministers Hearers may be their legible Epistles seen and read of all men and that their Conversations may be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ that whether they yet again come and see them or else be absent they may hear of their affairs that they stand fast in one spirit striving together for the Faith of the Gospel Farewell Mr. Calamy's Prayer at Aldermanbury OH most Holy and ever â—…lessed Lord God! thou fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence we pray thee fill all our hearts with the presence of thy Grace and let it appear that thou art in the midst of us with that powerful assistance of thy Spirit that we may receive a token of love from thee at this time It is a singular favour that the doors of thy Sanctuary are open to us and that yet we may meet together in thy Name we pray thee continue it to us and sanctifie it to us that every Sabbath may add to our Staturâ—… in Iesus Christ. We confess we have forfeited all our mercies we have heard much of God and Christ and Heaven with ouâ—… ears but there is little of God Christ and Heaven in our hearts We confess many of us by hearing Sermons are grown Sermon-proof we know how to scoff and mock at Sermons but we know not how to live Sermons It is a miracle of free Grace that thou hast not taken thy Gospel from us ere this time but thou art a merciful God and though we cannot please thee yet Mercy pleaseth thee and we have no argument to bring along with us to beg thy â—…avour but thy mercy in Iesus Christ. We pray thee that thou wilt glorifie thy Sovereignty in being gracious to us and pardon our many and great transg essions Thou makest use of the malice of men for thy glory thou killest Goliah with his own sword oh help us to put our trust in thee thou that canst kill and cure by killing Bless these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and find out yet a way to save us pour down thy blessings upon the head and heart of our Sovereign CHARLES by thy Grace King of Great Britain thou hast done great things for him let him do great things for thee bless him in his Royal Consort in his Royal Relations in his Council bless the Magistrates and Ministers oâ—… this Realm Lord forgive us for we live as if we had been delivered to work wickedness we cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do we pray thee humble us under our great and grievous sins give us Repentance unto Salvation and a lively faith through the bloud of Jesus Christ quicken our graces forgive our sies make alive our souls let us be such as thou wouldst have us to be make us Christians not only by an outward profession but an inward conversation that we may live in Heaven while we are on Earth and come to Heaven when we shall leave the Earth To that purpose bless thy Word unâ—…o us at this time and give us all grace to make conscience what we hear and how we hear And all for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be all glory and honour Amen Mr. Calamy's Farewell Sermon August 17. 1662. 2 SAM 24. 14. And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man IN which words we have three Parts 1. Davids great perplexity and distress I am in a great strait 2. Davids resolution 1. Affirmative Let us fall into the hand of the Lord. 2. Negative Let me not fall into the hand of Man 3. We have the Reason of Davids choice for the mercies of God are great The mercies of wicked men are cruel therefore let me not fall into the hands of men But the mercies of God are many and great therefore let uâ—… now fall into the hands of God 1. For the first that is Davids great Distress wherein we must speak 1. To the distress it self Then â—… To the person thus perplexed I am in a great strait David a great man David a godly man 1. In the perplexity it self we shall consider 1. The reality of this perplexity 2. The greatness of it 1. For the reality of it after David had sinned in numbring the people God sends the Prophet Gad to him and puts three things to his choice as you may read in vers 12. God was determined to make David smart for numbring
towards the sinning Paul's tears did drop towards the praying Corinthians his love did burn holy Panl was a Seraphin his heart did burn in a flame of affection to his people how many passages do we find scattered in his Epistles he tells this people which sometimes he did write to and sometimes he preached to He looked after their souls more then their silver 2 Cor. 12. 14. We seek not yours but you As a tender nurse cherisheth her chlld with the breast so Saint Paul gave his people the breast-milk of the Word in 1 Thes. 2. 8. This man of God did not only bestow a Sermon upon his people but was willing to impart his very Soul to them if it might save theirs 1 Thes. 2. 7. We were willing to have imparted to you our own souls because you are dear unto us Such was Saint Paul's affection to his people that without a complement he loved them more then his life Phil. 2. 17. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I rejoyce with you all that is as if he had said If it be so that my blood be poured forth as a sacrifice if my death may be any way serviceable unto you if it may help forward the strengthening and confirming of your faith I am willing to die I rejoyce to do it so full of affections was this Apostle that he could not choose but love his people though the more he did love the less he should be loved in 2 Corinth 12. 15. oh how did Paul sweeten all his Sermons with love in 2 Cor. 12. 15. if he reproved sin yet he was angry in love he dipt the pill in sugar Gal. 4. 9 10 11. How turn ye again to weak and beggarly elements you observe dayes and months and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Brethren I beseech you be as I am See how Saint Paul chides their sins and yet at the same time courts their souls No sooner did he laâ—…ce the wound but presently he poured in wine and oyl into it so did Paul love his people that he would not justly give any offence to the weakest believer 1 Cor. 8. 13. If meat make my brother to offend I will never eat flesh more whilst the world standeth Paul was like some tender mother who forbears to eat those meats that she might for fear of hurting the child that she gives suck to Thus you see he was a spiritual father made up of love and surely my brethren this affection in some degree is in all the true Ministers of Jesus Christ they are full of sympathy and bowels unto those over whom the holy Ghost hath made them Overseers I shall only glance at the Reasons why it will be thus and why it should be thus that such flaming affections there should be in all Christs Ministers to their people It will be thus for these two Reasons briefly First from that principle within that teacheth Love Grace doth not fire the heart with passion but with compassion Grace in the heart of a Minister files-off that ruggedness that is in his spirit making him loving and courteous Paul once breathed out persecution but when Grace came this bramble was turned into a spiritual Vine twisting himself about the souls of his people with loving Embraces Secondly there will be this ardent love in a minister heart from that spiritual relation that is between him and his people he is a spiritual Father and shall we think him to be without bowels 1 Cor. 4. 15. Though you have ten thousand instructors yet have you not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Some he begets unto Christ others he builds up in Christ. Doth not a Father provide chearfully for his children can a father see bread taken from his childe and not have his heart affected with it Is it not a grief to a parent to see his child put out to a dry Nurse Secondly there should be this ardent love and affection in all Gods Ministers for this reason because this is the liveliest way to do most good knotty and stubborn hearts will soonest be wrought upon with kindness The fire melteth the hardest metall the fire of love with Gods blessing will melt the most obdurate â—…inner A Boanerges a son of consolation who comes in the spirit of love and meeknesse is the fittest to do a piece of Gospel-chirurgery to restore and put such an one in joynt again that is overtaken with a fault Gal. 6. 1. Restore such a one with the spirit of love and weaknesse Thus much in short for the doctrinal part Give me leave now to make some application And first here are several Inferences that may be drawn from this As First see here the right character of a Gospel-Minister He is full of love he exhorts he comforts he reproves and all in love he is never angry with his people but because they will not be saved How loth is a Minister of Christ to see precious souls like so many jewels cast over-board into the dead Sea of hell A conscientious Minister would count it an unhappy gain to gain the world and lose the souls of his people he saith as the King of Sodome to Abraham Give me the persons and take thou the goods Gen. 14. 21. The second branch of Information is this Are true Gospel-Ministers so full of love then how sad is it to have such Ministers put upon a people as have no love to souls The work of the ministry it is a labour of love Oh how sad is it to have such in the ministry that can neither labour nor love that are such as are without bowels that look more at tyths then at souls It must needs be sad with a people in any part of the world to have such ministers set over them as either poyson them with error or do what in them lies to damn them by their wicked example How can the Devil reprove sin how can the Minister cry out in the Pulpit against drunkenness that will himself be drunk Rom. 2. 22. Thou that teachest A man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest A man oughtnot to commit adultcry doâ—…st thou commit adultery We read that the snuffers of the Tabernacle were to be made of pure Gold Exod. 37. 23. Those who by their calling are to reprove and snuff off the sins of others they should be pure gold holy persons In the Law God did appoint the lip of the Leper should be covered he ought to have his lip covered he should not be permitted to speak the Oracles of God who though he be by office an Angel yet by life is a Leper Thirdly See from hence the happiness of a Minister who is placed among such a people as give him abundant cause of love How happy is he that can say to his people from his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My
to all Eternity But do you not mistake Do you believe this that Jesus is the Christ How came you by this belief What account can you give of it How were you brought over to this Belief Did you not come to this Faith and Belief by common report You were born to this Doctrine You look upon it as that which is the benefit you have by your being born in a Nation and among a People that profess the Name of Christ and this hath been instilled into you by education and upon this account you take it Did you ever buy this truth It is a truth that Jesus is the Christ how came it to be yours Did you ever buy this truth Buy it I say buy it For the very truth is we are never able to make out a good Title to any Gospel-truth untill such time as we can say we have bought it How why by serious meditation studying the Scriptures searching into them seriously pondering and weighing of them crying mightily to God that he would manifest them to us and encountring temptations from without from within being at a point willing to engage liberty and estate and life and all for this truth's sake Can you say We have pondered and are so fully satisfied about it as that if all the world should come in a way of contradiction and rise up in opposition to us and come with fire and sword to beat us out of this truth yet we are resolved to stick to it Can you give such an account of your selves that you have not taken it up on a common report but are able to say there hath been an inward Revelation made of these things to your souls that there hath been a sanctified work of the Spirit upon your understandings that you come to see into the mystery of these Gospel restimonies Is there an habitual frame of spirit wrought in you whereby you are carried out to close with every truth of God and to close with it upon this account because of a divine authority stampt upon it When we give assent to common truths but not with a common spirit but in the strength of an inward conviction we assent to it upon the account of an unction that we have received from the Holy One and we assent to this and that truth upon the account of a divine authority which we see to be stampt upon it and withall we find that there are suitable workings of our heart in the loves and desires and delights of them to these truths as there will be a kindly working of the heart where there is a right assent suitable to the truths assented to as If there be a threatning the Soul assents to it and will tremble before God If a promise be made or a Gospel-revelation it will be accompanied with a holy rejoycing in God that ever he should make such a Promise or Revelation and then there will be a holy resolution of spirit Come what will come I will never part with this truth I have bought the truth that was my duty and having bought it I will never sell it that is my duty too Can we give such an account as this But then withall let me a little further improve that which I have already spoken from the Chapter You say this is your belief That Jesus is the Christ the Son of God but can you give an account of those priviledges that are entailed upon this belief For you must know that the priviledges which belong to such will serve as Evidences that they are such Now if you believe it is your priviledge to be boâ—… of God and this being born of God must be the evidence of this belief Can you give an account of you being born of God If you are not born of God you do not believe That Jesus is the Christ. Can you givâ—… an account of your overcomming the World Are yoâ—… such as are enabled to stand out in opposition to thâ—… eâ—…rors and heresies and corrupt doctrines and practâ—…ses that are in the World Can you beâ—…r up agaiâ—… the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the priâ—… of life If you are in slavery to the world in bondage to the beggarly rudiments of the world you are mistaken That Jesus is the Christ For he that believeth according to a true interpretation of Gospel-believing That Jesus is the Christ doth overcome the world and by vertue of this belief he is enabled to get a conquest over the world and over corruptions that are in it through lust And then again You profess to believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Oh! but you are able to give an account that you have believed into this Jesus and upon this Jesus for that is it the Text holds forth He that believes that Jesus is the Christ doth believe on Jesus the Christ Are you by vertue of this believing which you profess drawn out to a closing with Christ do you roll your selves upon him own him for Righteousness and Salvation and are willing to yield your selves up in subjection to him You believe Jesus to be the Christ but do you believe on that Jesus whom you profess to be the Christ Now this being thus laid down as a Foundation I would infer thus and so go on to a farther branch of this Application Either you do really believe with a Gospel-believing these Truths and Doctrines concerning Christ or you do not Why they that profess they do but in truth they do not there is a clear and manifest contradiction which this profession meets withal and that upon the accounts I have formerly given As alas this Profession suffers contradiction generally generally the Professors of this Faith that Jesus is the Christ do clearly make a flat contradiction and I am very confident that there are thousands that if they should be put to the Trial Will you stick to this Truth If you do it shall cost you the loss of your Liberty and Estates nay your Life shall go for it Oh I am very apt to think that you shall have thousands that will turn their backs upon this Profession renounce this Profession Now concerning such this I would say First that the Condition of such persons as are not right in Gospel-believing is a most mournful and miserable Condition however it may be with them in other respects yet it is sad to think what a Condition they are in for consider first of all they that do not perform this Great Duty of Gospel-believing according to the truth and reality of it I will tell you what they do they do give God the lye they do by interpretation tell God to his face that he is a very Lyar and what higher blaspheming can there be than to give the lye to the God of Truth every one will be apt to bless themselves and say Oh far be it from me God forbid that I should be charged with such an horrid impiety as
to get into Christ though it be the scorn of men and burdensomâ—… to nature yet this is that which will 〈◊〉 us pâ—…ace at the laâ—… let us be what we profess our selves to be let us love Christ and evangelically keep his commandements let us live by Faith let us keep thy commandements let us be above tâ—…e woâ—…ld in the would above the love of life and above the fear of death let nâ—…t tâ—…e smilâ—… of the woâ—…ld allure us nor the frowns thereof affright us from thee but in all these things let us â—…e more then Conquerours thâ—…ough Iesus Christ. Let us love him much whom we cannot love too much â—…elp us to be above the power of hell let us evâ—…r say My soul it is goâ—…d for me to draw nigh to God Let us â—…e willing rather to be saved with a few than go to hell in a crowd let us live as if eternity were long and life but shoâ—…t let us thrive in holiness and be brought 〈◊〉 to tâ—…y self by every dispensation let us in tâ—…i our day â—…w the 〈◊〉 that concern our peace before they be hid fâ—…om ouâ—…â—…s and know the time of our visitation and though God suffer lâ—…ng he will strike at last Oâ—… Lord bow the heavens and come down among us at this time and be with the unwoâ—…thiest of thy Servants and gâ—…e unto iâ—… a door of utterance and to this great people a door of â—…t aâ—…e and let them be all â—…aught of God and let them moâ—…e truly finde that tâ—…e great God is teaching to the heart wheâ—… that a weak worm it speaking to the ear let all the work be done by thee anâ—… let all thâ—… praise redound unto thee and let â—…im that is with us be greaâ—… theâ—… he that is in the world behold us in the Son of thy love smell a sweeâ—… savour of rest on these our poor prayers speak peace tâ—…â—…ur consciences rebuke the Tempter tâ—…d him under our â—…eet shortly â—…aise us up to newness of life let us â—…emember whâ—…n that whicâ—… is perfect is come that which is imperfect shall be done away heâ—…r us anâ—…â—…elp us through our dear Redeeâ—… let us live for him here and â—…ith him hereafter and all for his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory to whom with thee and thy Spirit be glory and honour now and for ever Amen Mr. Jenkins's Forenoon Sermon Heb. 11. 38. Part of that verse Of whom the world was not worthy THe Apostle in this excellent Chapter that by some is deservedly called a little book of Martyrs doth discover to us the triumph of faith the noble victory of this excellent grace against all the difficulties oppositions it meets withall therein sets down a threefold excellency of faith one is that it doth assent unto truth though never so improbable 2. That it doth put men upon duties though never so irrational or against carnal interest 3. That it enables us to suffering though never so afflicting and difficult and this third part is that which my Text speaks of These worthy men of God they overcame all the bitterness of the world as well as the sweetness of it Now in these verses the Apostle doth these two things 1. He here sets down the greatness and the smartness of their sufferings which are by some learned men reduced to three heads 1. Those sufferings that were to tempt them and to drive them from God and their holy profession by those pains and tortures they were to undergo 2. Those sufferings they underwent in dying and the cruelty of those deaths that were laid upon them 3. Their sufferings in reference to their wandring and leaving of their worldly comforts rather then they would loose God But we need not be so curious in the distribution of their sufferings it may suffice us that they were steadfast in the midst of all and would never be brought to forsake God and his truths for any of them 2. You have here the exâ—…cies of the sufferers and that is here in that expression which I shall God willing make the subject of my discourse this morning that these men these persons when they were under all the distresses and troubles that they were under from the world yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Brethren this excellency of these Saints and servants of God under their trouble is considerable in my Text two ways that we may proceed clearly and distinctly 1. In reference unto the world unto the wicked and so it is said their excellency was so great that the world was not worthy of them 2. It is discovered from that estimation that judgement that the Apostle doth here pass upon them who tells us that he accounted them to be such as though they were under all these troubles and distresses yet they were a people of whom the world was not worthy I shall pass by the former of these and onely mention it as it falls in with the latter and that is this The due estimate that this blessed Apostle doth raise upon this holy persecuted company of Saints when they were under all their troubles yet this holy man of God who was enlightned by the Spirit of God and so was able to pass a right estimate and due judgement upon things and persons he tells us the world was not worthy of thâ—…m and then from the second I draw this observation That a godly man one truly regenerated doth see an extraordinary beauty worth and excellency in the people of God in the bitterest of all persecutions and troubles that doth bâ—…fall thâ—…m or that a godly man a gracious heart one that hath spiritual spectacles doth see an excellency and worth in the people of God in the midst of all trouble and persecution that can hefall them I know you judge this to be both a necessary and seasonable point In the prosecution of it I shall first handle it Doctrinally and then come to those profitable and useful Improvements of it by way of Application that the Point deserves 1. For the Doctrinal explication of it two things must be spoken to 1. Wherein the high esteem of a gracious heart doth appear wherein it doth discover it self to the Saints and People of God in their sufferings 2. Whence it is and how it comes to passe that godly men have this high and honourable esteem of the Saints and People of God in this trouble and distress of theirs For the first of these wherein it doth appear that they have so high and excellent an estimation of them I shall give it you in five or six particulars 1. It doth appear in this in that they are not ashamed of them in their troubles they are not ashamed to own either their persons or the faith that they do professe in their troubles the sâ—…ciery of the People of God and the fellowship of their very faith and their
those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devill bâ—…ffles us our own hearts are treacherous to us the world intâ—…ces us to sin against God Oh! deliver us from all these Enemies and especially from the plagues of our hearts that we may perfect holyness in the fear of God give us Spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou denyest us thou knowest thou artrather willing to give us Spirituall blessings then any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most oh give us spiritual mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where Grace is not wrought work it where it is begun encrease it Dear Father convince those that are yet not convinced make thy Word a quickning word an ingrafâ—…ed word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives and as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King blesse him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all Godlinesse and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in wayes that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy Servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy Word above all thy Name do us good recâ—…ive us quicken us that we may live in Heaven upon Earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulnesse of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledge Communicate thy selfe to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singlenesse of heâ—…t set our selves to mind the concernments of our immortal souls And all we beg for Christ his sake who has taught us thus to pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Mr. Cradockt's Prayer at Saint Sepulchres August 10. 1662. MOst glorious and most gracious Lord God who art God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hast put thine own name and stamp upon this day wilt thou be pleased to appear now and prepare and dispose â—…r unprepared and indisposed souls for holy observation of this thine own holy day will the Lord vouchsafe us the incomes of his spirit and influences of his grace whereby we may be unabled to offer up spiritual sacrifices which may be acceptable to Iesus Christ. Lord thou requâ—…rest praying hearts but thou hast not commanded us to use Prayer-books and if thou wilt give us the spirit of Prayer we shall not need them Lord give us praying hearts at this time let us find by experience that thy Subâ—…ath is a day of souls opportunity that thine Ordinances are full of marrow that thou hast not said unto thy children the seed of Jacob seek my face in vain We acknowledge we are unworthy to lift up our eyes to Heaven we have cause enough to cry out God be mercifull to us sinners undeserving ill-deserving men and women we acknowledge our natures are blots of all wickednesses we are by nature enemies to thy Majesty heirs of dâ—…ath children of darknesse slaves to sin captives to lust dead to sins and trespasses how are our understandings darkned and our hearts hardned what are our hearts but a store-house of â—…licious thoughts a brothel-house of adultery a Pallace of pride we are by nature wholly flesh totally opposite to the holy Lawes of thy Majesty and were it not for thy renewing or restraâ—…ning grace we should break forth into as vile abominations as the vilest of men Our lives have been a continual piece of rebellion against God who didst make us and dost feed and cloath us all thy paths have been paths of mercy to us but we have requited thee evil for thy good and hatred for thy love O foolish men and women that we have bin we acknowledge our Gospel sins are of a deep eye thou hast not bin a wildernesse or a Land of darknesse to us we have been exalted to Heaven in the meanes of salvation but oh how short do we come of knowledge to the time and meanes we have enjoyed and our obedience comes short of our knowledge we have not walked up to that light which thou hast given us We desire to lay our selves low before thee oh do thou open our eyes and presentus to our selves shew us the vilenesâ—…e of our lives Blessed be thy name that thou hast laid help upâ—… 〈◊〉 that is mighty to save all that come to thy Majesty by him and thou hast promised all that beleive on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Oh help us to receive him in all his offices in our hearts help us to give him the keyes of our hearts and help us to live and die to him that dyed for us and let our soules be united to thee by him that his death may be ours and his life ours and his intercession ours Oh let our unity to Christ be demonstrated to us by our communion with him and conformity to him in grace and holiness And we pray thee dearest Lord pardon our sins in the Court of Heaven and in the Court of our own consciences besprinkle our consciences in the blood of Christ and say to all before thee at this time that desire to fear thee more and serve thee better Sons and Daughters be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you And do not only justifie us but sanctifie us purge our consciences from dead workes informe our understandings conforme our wills to thine holy will let our hearts and lives be conformed to the Image of thy Sonne that beholding thereof we may be changed from glory to glory and let us have more knowledge of thy will that we may do thy will and suffer thy will with more patience and be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are to the glory of God Let us not be empty Vines that bring forth fruit to themselves but let us bring forth fruit to God whereby thou mayest be glorified Oh plant that great grace of selfe-denyal in our souls and let us take the Crosse of Iesus Christ and follow him wheresoever he goes Remember all thine extend thy favour to those thou hast cast on Beds of sicknesse and let there be a saving change wrought in them before that change by death shall come And that are drawing nigh their time of Travel let the arms of the All-sufficient God be under them and be better to them thâ—…s their Faith or our Prayer And look graciously upon poor Children intitle them to an inheritance that fadeth not away make them a blessing in themselves and a blessing to their Parents And those that desire the conversion of Relations that walk in wayes of perâ—…ition do not let them find peace in any way against thy Majesty and let them know that sin will be bitter in the latter end Look upon us that are before thee at this time before we go hence and shall be here no more make thy face to shine upon us let our coming together be for the better and not for the worse to any of us Let thy poor Servant be able to deliver thy message plainly and powerfully and give thy people hearing ears obedient hearts and let us rejoyce that we did wait upon thee in thy worship this day and all for Christ his sake in whose Name and words we call upon thee Our Father c. FINIS
the people but leaves it to Davids liberty whether he would have seven years famine or three months to flee before his enemies or three dayes pestilence This was a posing Question and David had cause to be in a great strait for these objects are not amiable in their own nature they are objects to be avoided and declined in the first view of them they seem to be equally miserable therefore David had cause to say He was in a great strait 2. This perplexity was not only real but exceeding great I am in a great Strait and there are two things made it so great 1. The greatness of the punishments proposed Famine Sword and Plague these are the three beesoms with which God sweeps mankind from off the earth these are Gods three iron-whips by which he chastisetlâ—… sinful man these are the three arrows shot out of the quiver of Gods wrath for the punishment of man they are as one calleth them Tonsurae humani generis In Râ—… 6. you shall read of four Horses when the four first Seals were opened A white-horse a red-horse a black-horse and a pale horse after Christ had ridden on the white-horse propagating the Gospel then followes the red-horse a type of War then the black-horse an Hiâ—…roglyphick of Famine then the pale-horse the emblem of Pestilence Now God was resolved to ride on one of these horses and David must choose upon which God should ride this was a great Strait Let me present David lifting up his eyes to Heaven and speaking to God thus O my God what is this message thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou offerest me three things I am in a strait â—… 〈◊〉 which to refuse but which to choose I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Land of Cannan a Land flowing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall this Land endure seven years famine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a Wilderness and dis-peopled And shall I whose hands thou hast taught to fight and whose fingers to war shall I that have subdued all my enemies shall I in my old age and all my Captains flie three months before our enemies and be driven to caves and rocks to hide our selves O thou my God who art my refuge shall I and my people be a prey to the pestilence that walketh in darkness and destruction that walketh at noon day O my God I know not what to do I am in a great Strait 2. The second reason why this strait was so great was because of the guilt of sin that lay on Davids spirit for David knew that this severe message was the fruit of the sin he committed in numbring the people But you will say Why was it a sin in David to number the people Moses had often numbred the people three times and it was not counted sin Iosephus answereth The sin of David was because he did not require the half-shekel which he was to have had from all were numbred Ex. 30 12 13. Others say He sinned in numbring all ages whereas he was to number but from twenty years but these are but conjectural Reasons I conceive the â—…in of David was because he did it without a lawful Cal and for an unlawful End Sine causa legitima he sinned in the manner rather then in the matter for there was no cause for him to number the people but 〈◊〉 â—…nd no end but vain glory Go through all the tribes of Israel and number the people that I may know the number of my people ver 2. Davids heart was liâ—…red â—…p with pâ—…ide and creature-confidence he begins to boast of the multitude of his people and to trust in an arm of flesh therefore God sends the Prophet to David to pâ—…ick the bladder of his pâ—…ide as if God should say I will teach you to number the people by lessening the number of your people Now the burden of his sin did add much to the burden of this heavy message Ver. 13. After David had numbred the people his heart smote him the message smites him and his heart smites him and he said I have sinned greatly in that which I have done now I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly If David had been to suffer this great punishment out of love to God or for a good Conscience he would not have been so distressed There are two sorts of straits in Scripture some suffered for God and a good Conscience and there are straits suffered for sin 1. There are straits suffered for God and a good Conscience Heb. 11. 36 37. Those Martyrs there were driven to great straits but these were straits for God and a good Conscience and these straits were the Saints greatest enlargements they were so sweetned to them by the consolations and supportations of Gods Spirit a Prison was a Paradise to them Heb. 10. 34. they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Act. 5. 41. they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Straits for a good Conscience are great Enlargements therefore Pul gloryeth in this strait Paul a prisoner c. 2. There are straits suffered for sin and these are envenomed by the guilt of sin sin puts poyson into all our distresses and perplexities Now such was the strait into which David was now driven it was a strait caused by sin and that made it so unwelcome and uncomfortable so that from hence I gather this Observation Doct. That sin and iniquity brings Persons and Nations into marvellous labyrinths and perplexities into true real and great molestations a man free from sin is free in the midst of straits a man guilty of sin is in a straâ—…t in the midst of freedom After Adam had sinned in eating of the forbidden fruit the whole world was a prison to him Paradise it self was an Hell to him he knew not where to hide himself from the presence of God After that Cain had murdered his brother Abel he was brought into such a strait that he was afraid that every one that met him would slay him Alas poor Cain how many was there then in the world we read but of his father and mother yet such was his distress that he cryeth out every one that met him would slay him Gen. 4. 14. Into what a strait did sin bring the old world The deluge of sin brought a deluge of water to drown them Into what a strait did sin bring Sodom and Gomorrah The fire of lust raigning in Sodom and Gomorrah brought down fire from Heaven to destroy them Sin brings external internal and eternal straits upon persons and Nations 1. Sin brings external straits sin brings Famine Sword and Plague sin brings Agues and Feavours Gout and Stone and all manner of Diseases yea sin brings death it self which is the wages of sin Read Levit 26. and Deut. 28. and you will see a black role of curses which were the fruit of sin Sin brought Sion into Babilon and when the Jews
When the Ark of God is taken then the souls of many are in danger when the Gospel is gone your souls are in hazzard There is cause of sadness 4. Then do the Enemies of God Blaspheme and are ready to say Where is your God then do the Enemies of God Triumph Psal. 42. 10. As with a Sword in my Bones mine Enemies reproach me while they say dayly unto me Where is thy God 5. Then is Iesus Christ trampled under foot and the Ordinances of God defiled and trampled on and then Blasphemy and Atheism comes in like an Armed man 4. The people of God must needs tremble when the Ark is in danger because of their accessariness to the losing of the Ark and this was that which made old Ely so much troubled because he knew it was for his sin that God suffered the Ark to be taken He knew that his not punishing his two Sons was one great cause of that great slaughter the people of Israel met withall and that made him tremble There is no person here in this Congregation but his heart will tell him he hath contributed something towards the loss of the Ark. None of us so holy but our consciences must accuse us we have done something that might cause God to take the Ark from us And therefore Mr. Bradford that blessed Martyr said in his Prayer Lord it was my unthankfulness for the Gospel that brought in Popery in Queen Maries dayes and my unfruitfulness under the Gospel that was the cause of the untimely death of King Edward the Sixth And those that fled in Queen Maries dayes sadly complained that they were the cause of Gods taking away the Gospel from England O Beloved it is for thy sin and my sin that the Ark of God is in danger and therefore the Lord give us trembling solicitous hearts what shall become of the Ark. I come now to Application Use 1. If this be the property of a true child of God to be solicitous when the Ark of God is in danger and to have such a trembling heart for fear of the Ark then this is a certain sign there are but few that are the children of God in truth O where is the man and where is the woman that like old Ely sits watching and trembling for fear of the Ark And that will appear by these Reasons First In reference to the many sins in this Nation for let me tell you there is not one sin for which God ever took away the Ark from any people but it is to be found in England Did the Church of Ephesus lose the Candlestick because they had lost their first love And have not we lost our first love to the Gospel and to the Ordinances And did the Church of Laodicea lose the Candlestick because of lukewarmness and are not we lukewarm Did the people of Israel as here in the Text lose the Ark because they abhorred the offering of God and do not we do so Are not the sins of Israel amongst us the sins of Germany and the sins of all other Nations about us And can any man here before God this day in this Congregation that considers the great unthankfulness of this Nation and the great prophanesse and wickednesse of this Nation but they may conclude the Ark is in danger and God may justly take the Ark from us I might tell you of the drunkennesse adultery covetousness injustice and uncharitableness c. that doth abound amongst us and I might tell you of Sanctuary sins prophanation of Sabbaths and Sacraments out unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse and unworthy walking under the Gospel And you of this place God may very well take the Ark even from you And indeed it was the great interest I had in you the which while I live I shall ever own and that great affection and respect I had to you that I would not send you home this day without a Sermon and let you go without a blessing Now can any of you in this Parish and this Congregation can any of you say God may not justly take the Gospel from you Secondly Shall I adde the discontents and divisions in the Nation as Christ saith A Nation divided against it self cannot stand but I leave these things to your considerations I do believe there is none here but will confesse the Ark of God is in danger to be lost But now where are our old Elys to sit watching and trembling for fear of the Ark Where is Phinehas his Wife that would not be comforted because the Ark of God was taken Where are our Moses's our Elijah's our Uriah's Where are they that lay to heart the dangers of the Ark You complain of Taxes and decay of Trading of this civil burden and that civil burden but where is the man or the woman that complains of this misery the losse of the Ark Most of you are like Gallio he cared not for these things if it had been a civill mâ—…ter then he would have medled with it but for Religion he cared not for that every man is troubled about meum and tuum about civil concernments but who laies to heart who regards what shall become of Religion There is a strange kind of indifferency and lukewarmnesse upon most peoples spirits so they may have their Trading go on and their civill Burdens removed they care not what becomes of the Ark. There is a Text of Scripture I shall not spend much time in opening it but I would have you well consider it Hos. 7. 9. Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet 〈◊〉 knoweth not Shall I say gray hairs are upon the Gospel I come not hither to prophecy I say not the Gospel is dying but I say it hath gray hairs for you have had the Gospel a hundred years and above and therefore it is in its old age and I dare challenge any Schollar to shew me an example of any Nation that hath enjoyed the Gospel for a hundred years together Now that gray hairs is at a hundred years is no wonder well gray hairs are here and there and yet no man layeth it to heart Now shal I spend some time to shew you what a great sin it is not to be affected with the danger that the Ark of God is in Consider but three particulars First it is a sign you do not love the Gospel if you had any love to it you would be troubled more for the danger of the Ark then for any outward danger whatsoever Secondly it is a sign you have no interest in the Gospel for interest wil stir up your affections it is a sign you are not concerned in the Gospel for if you were concerned in it you would be affected with it as those that were interessed in those persons in that lamentable fire the last week it is impossible but they should be affected â—…nd so it is asign you have no interest in
dust and ashes not worthy to tread thy Courts and it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed How often have we pluckt fruit from the forbidden tree We have sinned presumptnously against the clearest Light and the dearest Love always have we sinned thy footsteps have dropt fatness thou hast shown mercy to us but the better thou hast been to us the worse we have been to thee thou hast loaded us with thy mercies and we have wearied thee with our sins when we look into our selves oh the poison of our natures what ever the Leper did touch was unclean thus do we by our spiritual leprosiâ—… infect our Holy things our Prayers had need have pardon and our tears had need have the blood of sprinkling to wash them how vain are our Vows how sensual are our affections We confess we are untuned and unstrung for every Holy action we are never out of tune to sia but always out of tune to pray we give the world our male affections and our strongest desires we should use this world as if we used it not and alas we pray as if we prayed not and serve thee as if we served thee not there is not that reverence nor that devotion nor that activeness of saith that there should be Lord if thou shouldest say Thou woulâ—…st pardon all our sins to this time only judge us for this prayer we unto us what breathingâ—… of unbelief and hypocrisie is there now when we approach unto thee we pray thee pardon us for Christs sake Who can tell how oâ—…t he dotâ—… offend we can as well reckon the drops of the Ocean as number 〈◊〉 sins we have filled the number of the Nations sins but have not fillâ—… thy bottle with our tears This is that that doth exceedingly aggravate 〈◊〉 sins that we cannot mourn for sin we can grieve for our losses but 〈◊〉 cannot mourn for our unkindnesses we have crucified the Lord of life sin has not only defiled us but hardened us nothing can melt us but the love of Christ nothing can soften us but the blood of Christ oh withold not thy mercies from us oh help us to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs let us look on Christ and weep over him let us look on a broken Christ with broken hearts and on a bleeding Christ with bleeding hearts let us mourn for our dis-ingenuity that we should grieve that God that 〈◊〉 â—…wayes doing us good Oh humble us for our unkindness and for 〈◊〉 sake blot out our transgressions they are more then we can number 〈◊〉 more than God can pardon Though we have lost the duty of Children thou hast not lost the goodness of a Father let us be held forth as patterns of mercy so shall we trumpet forth thy praise to all eternity whatever afflictions thou layesâ—… upon our bodies let not our sins be unpardoned let not sin and affliction be together upon us let there be peace in Heaven and peace in the Court of Conscience we have found this part of thy word true In the world we shall have trouble let us find the other part true In Jesus Christ we shall have peace Oh let peace and holiness go together make 〈◊〉 new creatures that we may be glorious creatures without faith Christ will not profit us when we can call nothing in the world ours let us call Christ ours Lord draw thine Image every day more lively upon us a more lively hope and a more inflamed love to Christ. Let us have a spirit of courage and resolution keep us from the fallacies of our own hearts keep us from the defilements of the times make us pure in heart that we may see God that we may have Gospel-spirits humble spirits meek spirits As Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the breast of the creature to us but that we should find the sweetness of the promises There is as much in the promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Showr down thy blessings even the choisest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Soveraign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith Let Him see wherein His chiefest interest lies let Him count those His best Subjects that are Christs Subjects Bless Him in His Royal Consort iâ—… His Royal Relations the Lords of his privy Council let them be a terror to evil doers and encouragers of those that do well Bless all thine Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them oh pour in wine and oyl into our souls let us be as a watred Garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poison to our lust and nourishment for our grace Hear â—…s be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not feeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce To Christ with Thee and the holy Spirit be glory honour and â—…raise now and for ever Amen Mr. Watson's Farewell Sermon 2 COR. 7. 1. Having these promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves IT is the Title that I intend now by the help of God to insist upon that sweet Parenthesis in the Text Dearly beloved wherein you have the Apostle breathing forth his affections unto this people he speaks now as a Pastor and he speaks to them as his spiritual Children Dearly beloved where you have First the Title Beloved Secondly The Exhortation to Holiness Let us cleanse our selves Thirdly The Means how we should be cleansed and sanctified Having these promises It is the first of these that I intend the Title that the Apostle gives to his children Dearly beloved From hence observe this Doctrine That the affections of a right Gospel-Minister towards his people are very ardent Dearly beloved there are two things in every Minister of Christ that are much exercised his head and his heart his head with labour and his heart with love his head with labour in the work of the Ministry Iâ—… done aright it is a work fitter for Angels than for menâ—… it is our work to open the Oracles of God even thosâ—… sacred profound things that the Angels search into and if God did not help us we might soon sink under the weight of such a burden and as a Minister's head is exercised with labour so his heart is exercised with love and it is hard to say which of the two exceeds his Labour or his Love Thus is it here in the Text my dearly beloved In these words we have Saint Paul laying siege to these Corinthians and labouring to make a happy victory to conquer them with kindness dearly beloved Saint Paul's heart was the spring of love his lips were the pipe the Corinthians were the cistern into which this spring did run This holy Apostle was a mirror and pattern of love
here This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandements It is not love in Word and in Tongue but in reality a love discovering it self by a consciencious care to hold conformity to all the Will of God And if any should object This is a hard saying Who can bear it saith the Apostle No such matter there is never a Believing Soul will say The Commandements of Christ are grievous or burdensome no they are leight to them that are brought over to the faith of the Gospel And the last thing I have to charge upon you upon the account of your Gospel-believing and being brought over to a closing with Christ it is this and so upon the matter I have given you an account of the substance of this precious Chapter having reduced it to that general Doctrine I propounded before I say the last thing is this That you would walk suitable to a Believing state by being very carefull concerning your Worships that you do perform that they be according to God and according to the Gospel and this is that which the Apostle closes the Chapter withall in the 21 Verse Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen As I take it in the former Translation it was Babes Babes keep your selves from Idols Here it is Little Children I observe in this Epistle the Apostle makes a distinction of Believers into three Ranks as you shall find in the second Chapter I write unto you Little Children I write unto you Young men and I write unto you Fathers in the close of the Epistle he concludes with this Charge to Little Children Now whether he includes all the rest under this Title of Little Children I forbear to dispute But sure I am it is a duty lies upon one and other whether they be Babes or Young men or Aged Fathers in Christ Whatever our rank and condition be I am sure of this This is a great Duty that lies upon all that will approve themselves in Godliness and to be brought over to the faith of the Gospel that they look to their Worships and that they take heed of Idols as if he should say He that is born of God he keeps himself that the wicked One doth not touch him Oh Little Children shew forth that spiritual Ability that by grace you are furnished withal by being able to keep your selves from Idols It might be said What is this to us Are we in danger of Idols True well might the Apostle give in such a Charge to them in those times when the greatest part of the World were in a state of Heathenism and in estrangement from Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel But this I say It doth really concern Christians in Gospel-times that have had the breakings out of the Gospel-light and the knowledge of Gospel-mysteries to be careful of this Charge that they keep themselves from Idols There were the Idols of the Heathens grant it and so still there are a generation of People that our Souls should mourn over to consider their state that are wrapt up in ignorance of God know nothing of the true God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is the state and condition of the Jews at this day and what a sad condition are they in Grant it that they do not worship Idols after the manner of the Heathens yet they worship not the true God because they worship not God in Christ for saith the Apostle Whoever sins and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ he hath not God He that abides in the Doctrine of the Christ he hath the Father and the Son And so the Jews at this day they not abiding not owning the Doctrine of Christ they have not God because they have not the Father and the Son this is their condition And thus I say there were not only the Idols of the Heathens Oh! but sadly be it spoken there are Idols among Persons pretending to Christ and Gospel-faith and the Doctrine concerning Grace by Jesus Christ. How many Idols and Idolaters are there I might tell you the Covetous person 〈◊〉 an Idolater the Voluptuous person and the Self justitâ—…ary sets up his own Righteousness and Idolizeth that But I say this there are Idols among Christians Papâ—…sts hold forth the Name of Christ but yet what woful Idolatry there is among them There was the Dragon-worship in the time of the Heathens and in the room of that there is come up the Beast-worship and of that Worship the generality of the world runs upon and it concerns us to keep from Popish Idolatry it being the grossest Idolatry that ever was because there is the fairest pretence of worshipping JESUS and yet they turn him into an Idol What else means their worshipping and bowing to Images their breaden gods and the like Oh! therefore it concerns us to keep our selves from Idols And there is a Scripture if it were but well studied would cause trembling of Heart and make all that have any care of their Souls to look about them that Scripture I refer you to it is in Revel 13. compared with the 20th In Revel 13. 11. whereas before there was Dragon-worship it is said here I beheld another Beast comming out of the Earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he spake as a Dragon and he exerciseth all the Power of the first Beast before him and causeth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed now look at the 8. verse saith he And all the dwellers upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Oh! it is a terrible word and that that should make us to fear and tremble lest in any kind we should be drawn into the Worship of the Beast for as many as were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb they were drawn into the Worship of the Beast This is that that should make us keep our selves from Idols from whatsoever hath but so much as a Tincture of Superstition and Idolatry and the rather considering that other Scripture in the 20th of the Revelation and the last verse And whosoever was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the lake of fire All that are not written in the Lambs Book of life are prevailed to perform the worship with the Beast and not being writ there must be tumbled into the Lake for ever This therefore concerns us to keep from Idolatry from whatsoever hath a tendency that way and that hath any tincture of Superstition upon it and consider with your selves that our Duty is in matters of Worship and in things concerning the Worship of God to see to it that we keep a humble dependance upon God that we walk not according to the will of men but according to God You were bought with a price be not Servants of Men. We are to walk by
a Line by a Plummet and what is not warranted by the Word of God or maintainable by Arguments drawn from it we should not close with And for the closing up of all do but consider how this Chapter and the things that I have spoken to you and preached from it how they do all influence this Exhortation Little children keep your selves from Idols see to it that you approve your selves in holy worship to God and the Lord Jesus Do but argue thus You profess to be Believers and is it not your duty to answer to this profession Your Faith is a pure Faith and an obediential Grace it is a Grace that will tutour you to hang upon Christ and his Appointments and Institutions And therefore being Believers study to keep your selves from Idols and whatever is not consonant to the will of God concerning Worship You believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God keep your selves from Idols in this respect for he is come into the World and hath shewed the pattern of his House And then You are born of God carry it like a people that are born of God that are high-born and credit your holy Profession by keeping a dependance upon that God of whom you are born And then being Believers you are born of God and have overcome the world and therefore shew forth your Heroick spirit by standing out in opposition to Idols and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrin and the power of godliness You have an Unction from the Holy One and this engages you to look to it that you keep your selves from Idols And then we know saith he that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ. And thereupon he brings in this Little children keep your selves from Idols as if he should say This is the true God God in Christ Jesus Christ the Son of the Father this is the true God and he hath eternal life with him other Gods are false gods and what benefit will you have by following them and performing worship to them Nothing but eternal death false gods can bestow no eternal life upon you but this is the true God and he can give you eternal life And therefore Little children keep your selves from Idols And now yet one word more I would not occasion any discomposure of spirit that is not becoming you But this I must say for ought I know You have the words of a Dying man and we use to say that the words of Dying men they are 〈◊〉 to take somewhat a deep impression I mean a Dying man not in properness of speech according to nature and yet if it should be so I hope there would be cause of rejoycing on my part But I speak the words of a Dying man in respect of Ministerial Office I suppose you all know there is an Act come forth by Supream Authority and it is not for us to quarrel at all but to submit to it and hold correspondency with it so far as we can with a good Conscience and there being many Injunctions that many besides my self cannot comply withall therefore we are willing to submit to the penalty inflicted This I say You have for many years had the benefit of my poor Labours I have fulfilled near up towards 40 years and have performed my service to God Christ and his People and I bless his Name not without acceptance and success My Work so far as I know in this course and in the Weekly course is now at an end my Desire is that you whose Hearts have been inclineable to wait upon God in the way of my Ministry may be kept faithful to God and that you may have the blessing of the everlasting Covenant coming upon your Souls and that you may have the power of this Doctrine held forth in this Sermon put forth upon your hearts that as you do believe that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Son of God that as you profess these things you may carry it suitably to your profession that you may walk in Love to God Love to Christ and Love to one another that you may labour to manifest a noble generous Spirit in overcoming the world in Errors Corruptions false Doctrines and unwarrantable Worship that you may in all things labour to approve your selves And Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Mr. Baxter's Farewell Sermon COLOSS. 2. 6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thansgiving O Mitting the division and in part the opening of the words the Observation is this That those that have received Christ Iesus the Lord must accordingly be rooted built up in him and stablished in the faith and walk in him as they have been taught and abound herein with thanksgiving This receiving of Christ signifies to believe in him It is not only to receive his Doctrine or Benefits but to receive his Person to receive him as related to us for the uses and end for which he came into the world and for which he offers himself to souls by the preaching of the Gospel Sinners have lost and undone themselves Christ comes to be the Physitian of souls he will not save the unwilling and despisers of his grace while they continue in their unwillingness He will save them by the way of covenant while he consents and tenders them his grace he will have them consent to the terms of his covenant The consent of the heart exprest by our covenanting with him is this receiving of Jesus Christ. He is willing to be our Physitian and when we take him to be so we receive him He is willing to save us from the guilt and power of sin willing to be our Lord Head Intercessor with God Justifier and All unto us and if we consent to this and take him as offered this is receiving Christ with whom his benefits are also received the remission of sins in-dwelling renewing comforting-Spirit title to everlasting life c. In the receiving Christ all this is received Receiving of Christ contains these two things or these two things are essentially contain'd to make up the nature of saving Faith i. e. to believe the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ to be true and to consent that the goodness that is therein revealed and proposed shall be ours To believe what Christ is and what he hath done so far to believe it as here we are resolv'd to venture our souls though there may be some weakness through our faith's imperfection and believing this Gospel to be the certain Word of God Then next to entertain the Christ that is offered in this Gospel to be ours with all the benefits that accompany and to all the blessed ends to which he is revealed
a help to him The Church of God hath need of strong Christians that can pray in faith fervency for others and you can scarcely pray for your selves Consider when the Church needs a great deal of help will you sit down with low attainments and little things when so many hundreds about you need so great assistance 10. Weak persons are many times the troublers and very dangers of the Church many calamities have been occasioned by them The sinnes of Professors have occasioned the displeasure of God on the Church their Errors hindred Truth and made Divisions When Christians have not so much strength as to know Truth from Error that hearken to every one that speaks with likeness What have these Christians done in the Church What mercies have been driven away so far that I think the Church of God since the Apostles dayes till now hath suffered more by the sins of Professors then by the malice of their enemies And how canst thou expect God will save thy soul when thou hast set the Church on fire and been so great hinderance to others that many should perish occasionally by thy example c. The greatest sufferings of the Church have come from the miscarriages of the Church 11. Such have been the great dishonourers of Christ and the Graces of ancient Christians The glory of their profession their charity self-denial heavenly-mindednesse patience c. preached the Gospel to the World more effectually then ever their words could doe God expects your Lives should be a considerable means for the Conversion of wicked men the same God that hath commanded Ministers to teach others by their Doctrine hath commanded you should live for the conversion of the World that your zeal humility patience charity self-denial should win souls to God And if it be a sin to give over preaching when we may surely so to give over living c. If woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel then wo unto you if by your lives you preach not the Gospel How many sinners have you about you and how do you wrong and rob the ungodly of that Ordinance God hath appointed for their conversion and salvation You are persons that take the bread out of their mouths the means that should save them out of their hands while you deny them one of the commanded means of salvation i. e. the eminent example of your lives And if it be so great a sin to stop Preachers mouths how great a sin to neglect this Ordinance Nay are you not a dishonour to the Church Is it not because of Professors ill lives that the prophane deride Religion while they see not that glory in it that should over-power an unbelieving and denying soul and should indeed effectually manifest it's excellency Are these the Professors that are proud stubborn passionate censorious self-conceited as contemptuous and envious as any others I know the World is apt enough to slander and the Servants of God bear a world of unjust reproaches but oh that there were not this occasion c. 12. Those that are not confirmed and established in grace the Devil when he hath prevailed by a temptation on themselves can easily make them his Instruments to draw and tempt others from their duty to discourage them in their Religion and to do that mischief in the world he hath done by temptation on their own soul. 'T is ordinary for Satan to make use of lapsed distempered Christians to be the instruments of his temptations to those that are better c. An honest Christian will not so easily hearken to a drunkard or swearer as to a Professor he had good thoughts of Gal. 2. 13. 13. For want of strength and establishment in grace poor weak Christians are a very great encouragement to the carnal hopes of wicked men I think scarce any thing in the world hinders our preaching more then this when the wicked see those that make the greatest profession no better then themselves and in some things worse this hardens him against all the convictions that can be brought against him Tell him he cannot be saved without conversion he looks upon Professors sees them contentious worldly peevish passionate c. sees some sin or other this makes him think he is as well as they Must there be so much ado to bring men to this state Is this the difference say they c. 14. Methinks it should be some trouble to an honest heart that yet we must be so like to the children of the wicked One and the weakest christians are the likest to the wicked I do not mean weaknesse in gifts or knowledge c. but a weakness in practical saving knowledge love of God self-denial mortification heavenly-mindednesse c. they that are in these the weakest Christians are the next and likest to the wicked And doth not this grieve thee that though thou art not a child of the Devil thou art so like one We should not be conformed to the World nor like to them in any thing no not in outward vanities but to imitate the fashion of the World as to inward corruptions to go in their garb when a palpable vanity to have so much of their pride peevishness malice worldlinesse Oh look upon thy heart with humiliation 15. Consider what a dangerous and lamentable standing those have that be not established c. You stand but it is as unrooted plants or trees that stand shaking in the wind beholders are alwayes looking when they fall you stand but it is as a sick man wavering reeling like Lot's wife looking back and alwayes upon every occasion ready to repent You have been Believers little things perplex and trouble you little tribulations and afflictions discompose and disturb you little temptations make you question the Scripture the Providence of God his love and care of his people and the great foundations of Religion Foundations seem to shake because you are shaking and tottering c. And what is like to become of such a soul If thou stands shaking under small temptations for want of confirmation what wilt thou do when a Papist or Quaker c. shall so speak concerning Religion which thou art not able to answer and so the surest foundation seems nothing when thou hast so weak hold Our greatest afflictions next to the misery of the ungodly is to think of our weak ones what will become of them and â—…e ily we do expect a considerable part of our Congregations should be carried away those that are Christians and know not why yet have not humility enough to make use of others and to keep close to those that should assist them Remember when you see such times when seducers are able to say the worst shall make the strongest assaults on the weak ones how many will be like to fall Again sichness death dying times will come when you shall find a little grace will not easily do your work and though you perish not yet you may faint
and to your sorrow finde the want of confirmation You cannot but know how the strongest are put to it in trying hours or at death Will slack and unsetled hopes of another life such distempered hearts fight and encounter with such tryals Never think of dying comfortably if you follow not after confirming grace 16. It should humble you the more that you have been so long so many years in the School of Christ and love God c. no better Should not you in this Apprenâ—…iceship have learned better your Religion and been â—…eachers of others when perhaps if in the principles you are assaulted you will show your weakness as soon as any May not Christ say Have I been so long time with you and yet have you known liv'd c. no better reached no higher attained no further weaklings still Nay consider in this time what advantage have you had for growth A tree planted on a barren wilderness may not grow so much as in a fruitfull place but you have had the plenty and power of the Ordinances of God the choisest of the means and helps of salvation 17. Consider the nature of true grace tends to this will you cross the nature of it shall we be such weaklings in Religion which crosse so the nature of grace For grace the more it 's exercised the more it encreases 18. Heaven it self is perfection and the work of a Christian is to press towards heaven and therefore 't is to press towards perfection You should make towards the end in a manner and way that is suitable to the end Persons that enjoy so much already and hope for so much greater should not put off God with such little things 19. Little grace shall have but little glory You know not how great a difference there is between the least and highest in the Kingdom of God Nay 't is not only for a Christian to desire to be glorified but to enjoy the highest degree in glory to serve God with the best and improve his Talent to the utmost that his heavenly reward may be according A Christian should not slight it when 't is tendred to him and in his eye Quest. But how shall I know I have attained this confirming grace Answ. These signs following shew a Christian confirmed and strong in grace which I will name that you may know what to aim at and what to desire There is not so great a difference between a King and a Beggar between the greatest health and sicklyest man as between a strong usefull Christian and a poor lâ—…nguishing soâ—…l c. 1. A confirmed Christian is one that can resist many subâ—…il and strong temptations not only a single temptation but when Satan assaults on every side with errors on both extremes with importunities of several parties with temptations of prosperity offered of adversity felt or feared strong temptations that seem to lay a necessity of yielding on a weakling that makes him say I must do it to save my liberty family life c. A strong Christian can say there is no necessity he can make light of those temptations that seem to be a necessity to other persons he can confute a subtil Sophister and deal with a cunning Adversary Satan cannot so easily go beyond and out-wit him 2. He can do great excellent and useful works is serviceable to God if he have opportunity in business of greatest consequence he doth not serve God only in some little and inconsiderable things but in his place sets himself to the Work of God doth the great Work of his Majesty faithfully The service of God to him is more easie and delightful as to go ten miles is more easie to the healthful than one to a sickly person he can go through God's service with pleasure ease and delight without tyring fainting siting down or giving over 3. He can digest the hard Truths aud Providences of God that are ready to puzzle perplex and overset the stomach of a weak Christian He hath laid his foundation to which he reduces all things of difficulty and by the help of those great truths he hath received he can easily see through the difficulties of all that are yet before him He can tell how to reconcile those things in Scripture that seem contradictions where he meets with a difficulty he can easily discern the cause is in himself and that there is an undoubted way of reconciling them though he hath not attained to it He can easily quiet his soul under the most difficult providences and interpret them so as is consistent with the truths of God which must expound them he reconciles Promise with Providence and Providence with Scripture whereas a weak Christian is ready to say A hard saying who can â—…ear this and that And it is the difficulty of these kinds of Truths that make so many turn their Religion because not able to digest the hardest Truths of God Cross providences makes them question God's love c. 4. He is one that can exercise various graces without setting one against another destroying or contradicting one another He can do many works believe many Truths perform many Duties at once He can rejoyce and sorrow at once and make his sorrow an help to his joy and his joy an help to his sorrow and so exercise both in that nature as will not directly hinder or weaken one another He can tell how in such a time as we are in to rejoyce yet to be humble to be cast down at God's feet in the sense of the sins we have committed and of God's displeasure c. yet to rejoyce in the mercies we have and do expect to possess He doth not look all upon sin all upon affliction or all upon mercy but can eye every thing and give every thing its part can exercise graces methodically gives truths and providences their proper place in his meditations and affections and this makes his life orderly beautiful regular and useful whereas a weak Christian let him set himself against one temptation he is taken in another if he humble himself in soul he can do nothing but humble weep grieve fear and be ready to cast away all comfort all sense of the love of God if he set himself to the consideration of the grace of Christ he is apt to forget Humiliation and to be puffed up with spiritual Pride c. Thus he hath not skill strength and ability to carry on all the whole work of grace together 5. A strong Christian sinks not under those burdens that would press down and overwhelm a weak Christian he can bear heavy burdens and more easily away with them making it a recreation to bear some things that another would sink under and cannot bear It is thy weaknesse that makes thee make such a stir when God layes on thee personal family publique afflictions that makes thee shrink under them strength of grace would enable to see God and glory in the midst of them and
to say All shall work for my good it would enable thee to get advantage and be bettered by them Hadst thou strength enough to improve them thou wouldst take comfort from them and support thy self under them but when thou hast not strength enough to understand God's meaning to see the Duty then called for to improve all for God to do that service to God thou shouldst do in such a condition no wonder if thou have not grace to support and comfort thee in that condition Whereas the confirmed Christian by strong faith love and patience can carry great burthens c. 6. They are helpful to many and troublesome unto few They are the useful Persons in the family and place where they live it is they can counsel others in their doubts help them in their straits that can bear up the weak when ready to sink that can hold others by the arm when not able to go upright that tend God's little ones And if it were not for these what would God's little ones do They are so furnished with patience which God hath given them for the use of the weak ones in his family and though they are troublesome or do that which might be a disturbance to them they will not thrust them out It is they that comfort the feeble support provide for strengthen and confirm the rest and were it not for these what back-sliding hearts should we have c. And they are comparatively troublesome to few though while corruption cleaves to them they shall sometimes be It is not they that are censuring their Brethren that are stirring up division and make all that feud that is in the Church if they might be hearkened unto and regarded there would be quietness and composure for if ever there be peace it will be by the strong ones But weak ones in grace are the burdens and troublers of the family you may know they are the weak ones in God's house in that they are those that are alwayes crying complaining making fire-work in the family back-biting censuring their Brethren quarrelling with one or other c. these peevish troublesome souls are the weak ones c. 7. The strongest in grace are the best able to stand work and suffer alone Though in duty they should not be alone when they can have society and though they are most humble therefore sensible they need of others and will not throw away any of their helps yet if all forsake them they will stand to it still they go not to Heaven meerly for company sake they be not Christians meerly because such and such are Christians If all the world forsake Christ they will stick to him unless Christ leave them to their own weakness But the weak Christian hath a great deal more need of comfort and support and lives a more dependent life they cannot stand work suffer alone if their Minister fall they fall if their Relations change they change if there be not some body at hand to confute an Adversary they yield if there be not some body to keep life and warmth they grow cold in every duty in affliction they can step on no longer then led by the hand c. have Christians to support and to quiet and moderate their passions and to teach them the Doctrine of patience they can hold up no longer than they are refreshed with cordials What would become of you should God let you stand by your selves c. 8. The strong Christian is one that can best live without creatures upon God alone and a weak Christian is one that hath most need of the creature and can least live upon God alone under the censures of the godly frowns of the wicked without riches honours pleasures can have quietness and contentment in God whether he have any thing or nothing where-ever he is c. The more necessity thou art in of having something besides God for thy consolation the more weak thou art there must be comfortable provision in the family health ease liberty there must be supply I know not how to be poor disgraced c This impatient soul is the feeble soul Impatience is nothing but the fruit of weakness The strong Christian can live upon God alone therefore if men make as if they were undone if lost in their estates 't is a certain sign of a lamentable weakness of a sick soul. 9. That is the best and strongest Christian and most confirmed in grace who is most employed and abides in love of God in love to God That hath the fear of God but goes beyond fear and loves most and abides most in the love of God That makes it his great business to feed upon and study the love of God to him and to return love to him again The more God's Love is on thy heart and the more thou livest in the fruit of that love the stronger Christian. But he that lives most by a kind of constraining fear though he may be sincere he is but weak where there is nothing but fear and no love there is no sincerity but where there is some little measure of love fear is such a tyrant that it will many times cloud it so that almost all his life seems to be moved and managed by fear and in this there is much lothness and unwillingness and they had rather do otherwise then they do According to the measure of love is the strength of grace 10. He is the strongest Christian that hath most pure and most universal Love to others that can love all men even an enemy with true unfeigned love even with such love as belongs to a Christian that can love every Christian and not a party only with the pure and fervent love which belongs to Believers that can love every child of God and not those only that are of his own opinion or have done him good but all because they are children of God with a sincere and special hearty love That is the weak Christian that picks and chuses that is staggering when he comes to loving an enemy that takes in those that agree with him in judgement and makes those almost the only object of his love that would confine his affections to some narrow society some little Sect party or parcel of Believers and cannot love Christians as Christians And hence it is division is the effect of enmity or of weakness in grace for want of the universality of love I would make no question to prognostick the healing of all divisions within this Nation could I but advance all that are concerned in it to the right temper of Christian love 'T is the weak Children in Christ's Family that falls out when we have not enough love to reach to all and to love a Christian as a Christian c. Quest. What must be done by those that are converted to keep them where they are to help them unto growth to make them letter to further their confirmation to secure their salvation that
if God take them away c Answ. 'T is not the denyal of publick liberty that loses that loses that relation between a Pastor and his Flock nor any word from man should cause a poor soul to trust it self for guidance of Salvation to one that is not able a man's soul is not to be hazarded upon damnation by being deprived of the Officers and Ordinances of Christ and cast upon the conduct of a blind guide meerly for the pleasuring of a meer man 6. Be sure you understand the nature of Church-union and necessity of maintaining it and abhorr all wayes that are truly Schismatical that would rent and divide the Church of Christ. As you must not under pretence of avoiding Schism cast your soul upon apparent hazard of damnation so you must maintain the necessity of Church-Union and Communion when Christ's members walk in Communion with Christ's members supposing that which is singular to the generality of judicious men Take heed of any thing that would withdraw you from the Communion of the generality of those that are sound in the Faith Take heed of withdrawing from the main body of Believers Christ is the Head of his Church he will never condemn his Church walk in those substantials Christ's Church hath walked in Divisions among Christians is a sin God hath described as odious and tending to the ruine of Christians Be very suspicious of any that would draw you from the main body of Believers and keep Communion with the Universal Church of Christ with the generality of the godly in love and affection c. 7. Be sure your own hearts and ways be the matter of your dayly study and when hypocrites have their work abroad let yours be much at home while they make it their business to censure this and that man let the main of your business be in dressing the inward of your own hearts in keeping all right between God and you Observe your hearts inclinations if any inordinate inclination after any thing set a special guard mark which way your thoughts go that you may know your inclinations by your thoughts In an especial manner preserve tenderness of Conscience fear of sin loathfulness to displease God let truth have the mastery maintain such a Conscience that dares not sin to save your lives be sure you sin not willfully obey the light 8. Be sure to keep up continually a lively apprehension of the state and place of your everlasting happiness to live by faith upon the unseen world Know where your happiness lies and what it is that you grow not to carnal apprehensions of your happiness Live upon Heaven and let that be it that shall animate your faith to duty and all that you may still be weary of vexations and sensible of the vanities here below Let your conversation be above Be confirmed in your apprehensions of the certainty and excellency of eternal blessedness grow more in Heavenly-mindedness and in satisfaction of soul in the hopes you have of these things 9. Understand the nature method and power of temptations how to resist them and live in watchfulness Be not a stranger to Satan and his methods of tempting what you have to watch against and oppose where you must be armed Understand the nature of Christian watchfulness keep up a constant resolution and courage in resisting especially the temptations you carry about with you of your calling constitution company and of the times set them down remember them keep a special Observation of them all and say This and this it is I am in danger of and 't is my integrity and salvation that 's in danger and here place a special guard and make it your business to resist The principal cause of Christians negligence in this is the security of their Consciences and love of their Sins did you know your danger you would better look after your safety 2 Cor. 2. 11. 10. Especially understand how much the flesh and carnal self is an Enemy to God and your souls and how much you are engaged by the Christian Covenant to live in a warfare against your selves and against your flesh You must not think the life of self-pleasing is consistent with Religion understand how you are bound to take the flesh for your enemy to watch against it and to live in a continual combat with it Col. 3. 5. The flesh is your chiefest enemy the very senses themselves are all grown inordinate and the work of faith is very much seen in its exercise this way if you get an opinion that you may eat and drink and cloathe c. and do all things to gratifie your selves c. then no wonder if you find but little increase in spirituals while you grow so carnal Understand and practise the duty of Self-denial Self is the very heart of sin Humor it not under pretence of liberty in Religion 11. Give not way to a formal heartless seeming Religiousness Customariness without the life but keep your souls in a continual seriousness and awakedness about God Immortality and your great Concernments If one duty be dead take heed lest that incline you to a deadness in another and so grow to a customary deadness Take heed of spiritual slothfulness that makes you keep your hands in your bosom when you should be doing for your souls stir up to and in duty when you have but little time for life eternal do not pray as if you prayed not or hear as though you heard not but when upon duty doing Gods service do it with all the seriousness and vigour you can To grow lazie and negligent is the declining way Use such considerations as may stir you up Rom. 12. 11. Tit. 2. 14. 12. Remember alwayes the worth of time and greatness of your work and therefore so value time as not negligently or slothfully to lose a moment it will quickly be gone and when you are at the last you will better know its worth harken to no temptation that will draw you to any trifling abusing wasting of your precious time If thou hast no argument against thy sports trifling pleasures c. but this It loses my time take it for a greater argument then if it lose thee thy money friends or any thing in the world especially value the preciousest of your time your Youth your morning hours especially the Lords day lose not any part of it but improve it with your selves and families lose not a moment of the Lord's-day nor any of thy precious time thou canst spare and redeem if thou hast lost any be humbled for it and be carefull to redeem the rest look back Do you approve of the time that is past could you not have spent it better remember what you have lost let that quicken you look before you remember what is to be done and do that first which must be done and then leave trifles to that time you have to spare It is ignorance and idleness and not want of work that
dying man's terror to torment thee but to get out that terror that which will be most terrible at death conquer and destroy it presently They that were ready went in with the Bridegroom and the door was shut Mat. 25. 10. Oh happy thou if while the door is open thou be found ready to go in woe if when the door be shut thou hast thy preparation to make thy graces to seek Bethink what you will either wish or fear when you come to dye and when you will say This should have been done c. Let it now be done 20. Rise speedily after every fall by sound repentance and a fresh recourse to the blood of Christ Covenant of Grace and his intercession Lie not secure in any sin into which thou art lapsed take heed of delaying and trifling when thy particular repentance should be exercised Renew thy Covenant and after thy rising deal faithfully with thy self and God favour not thy sin nor flesh go to the quick leave no corruption at the bottom If called to make restitution to shame thy self before men by confession stick not at it take the plainest course that is the way of God And let not any thought of shame dishonour or losse hinder it for the more it costs thee to rise from sin the likelier it is thou art sound in thy conversion and the more comfort wilt thou have otherwise the fears and pains of thy disease will be upon thee when the through Cure would have prevented it quarrel not at any man's Reproof though they miscarry in it have mentioned thy faults with passion c. take that which is good and be thankful And after every fall sit not down in perpetual distress but as Christ takes the honour of thy cure take thou the comfort of thy cure when recovered See thou art truly risen by repentance and returned to him whom thou hast dishonoured Thy care must be to see thou be sincere in thy return and then walk comfortably See that Satan make thee not to walk so as to rob thee of thy comfort and God of his honour Thus having given you twenty Directions I shall reduce all to these eight Particulars 1. Do not think strength of grace will be got with ease you must do that that in other things is done for the attaining of strength increase and confirmation A man cannot attain Knowledge in Law Physick or any Art without studying diligence unwearied labour and patience through that time that is necessary to attain it Set your selves to the reading of the Scripture and other good Books study good Truths Think not to attain mastery in a day And if ever such a conceit come into your minds that you are strong confirmed Christians do not easily entertain it there must be time industry and diligence ordinarily suspect the conceit you may have of strength and confirmation you must grow by degrees God's Method is to begin like a grain of Mustard-seed we are not born men Labour in the proper means with patience infused gifts are given according to the manner of acquiring them God gives as if our acquisition did attain it never think of having this without patience labour and diligence 2. Grow up in the Church of God and under his Officers and Ordinances and among his people Do not transplant your selves from the garden and Vineyard of the Lord if you will thrive no prospering in the Commons where weeds will choak c. Keep within the Church of God in the communion of his People among his Servants under the guidance of his Ministers for that is the duty of Ministers to bring up train up and help the weak ones till they grow to be strong they are to be God's Nurses and helpers of the weak in the House of God Do not think to prosper by breaking over the hedge under pretence of any right of holiness whatsoever following any party that would draw you to Seperation 3. Make it amongst others the principal study of your lives to study the love of God in the Redeemer the nature of the new Covenant and the infinite goodness revealed in the face of a Mediator how it was his design to attract the hearts of men to the love of God by revealing his infinite love in the Redeemer unto what end Christ came for even to represent God's goodness in sinners hearts of their being reconciled to him and ravishing them with his love Study the glory and ravishing love of God and unspeakable goodness in a Redeemer 4. Live not by sense or upon wordly hopes nor in the exercise of it See that you live a mortified life take heed of glutting your selves with creatures or letting your hearts out to any creature or letting any creature be too dear to you live not too much on any sensible thing or upon any worldly hopes or expectations Shut your eyes to the world let not your desires run out to the world and live as much as you can upon the 〈◊〉 to come 5. Let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspition alwayes make you fearâ—… of tempâ—… and keep you out of the Devils way Would you keep your standing grow better and strong in grace Let not the pride of your hearts or confidence of your strength make you to meet among any unlawfull communion see any enticing spectacle or thrust your selves upon temptation you are never safe if you thrust your selves upon temptation Think with your self My weakness is great I must not gaze upon this entising object lest my heart take fire I am not so strong as to be able to stand against such c. 6. When you cannot attain unto that heat of internal affection you should be sure to walk uprightly with God sin not wilfully keep your garments clean Set his Law before your eyes sin not wilfully for a World be but found in the way of duty and God will blesse you and meet you in that way be as exact in obedience as if you had that frame of soul you desire 7. In a special manner keep all your bodily senses and desires in subjection mortifie the flesh keep under your carnal desires in due subjection to the Spirit let none of your senses take the reins out of your hands Keep a dominion over your Senses 8. Lastly All your life long be longing to die let the work of your life be to learn to dye Consider what necessity to the safety and comfort of death it is to consider frequently what assaults will be made upon dying men that you may every day fortifie against it to consider what graces and duties will be most needfull and usefull then that you may be most conversing with and exercising those graces and duties He that hath well learn'd to die is no weak Christian. The strength of your grace lies in the exercise of these things faithfully practise them and you will stand when others fall you will have comfort when others cast away their comfort you will die in peace when
others die in horrour Mr. Jenkins's Prayer at Christ-Church Iuly 13. 1662. MOst blessed and holy Lord God thou art infinitely beyond our apprehensions who wast infinitely â—…ppy before the world was made and wantest none oâ—… thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their services 〈◊〉 make thee more excellent tâ—…en thou art in thy self we dâ—…ily wâ—…nt thee thou never wantest us thou a 〈◊〉 to make use of Ordinanceâ—… Ministers Sâ—…baths as thy Institutions to accomplish 〈◊〉 bring about the great work of thy glory and maâ—…s Sâ—…lvation yet Lord thou dost not need them thy Spirit is not made â—…fficacious by these things but it is that that makes these things 〈◊〉 though thou art pleased to tye us to them when we may 〈◊〉 them and duly enâ—…y them yet thou dost not tye thy self to them we desire in these our addâ—…esses tâ—… eye the happiness of Saints that depends â—…on him that depends upon none We are here in thy presence by thy goodness and grace Oâ—… whether should we go but to thee and how should we come but by thee oâ—… strengthen our saith kill ouâ—… corruptions inflame our love give us assurance of thy love to our souls oâ—… that God would teach us â—…ow to pray that we may tastâ—… and seâ—… how â—…ood the Lord is t iâ—… day that ouâ—… souls may be filled 〈◊〉 with marrow the we may by ouâ—… own experience be able to say it is good foâ—… us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…o God and that a day in thy house is better thâ—…n a thousand elsewhere that there may be a commâ—…ion between us and God let there be a diâ—…union between us and siâ—… we confess we brouâ—…ht sin enough into the world with â—…s to cause theâ—… to withdraw thy bleâ—…ed self from us and to cast such unprofitable servants as we are into uttâ—…r darkâ—…ss we have bin 〈◊〉 long time in thy school and yeâ—… how dull are 〈◊〉 we migâ—… have bin teachers of others but we need our selves be tauâ—…ht wâ—…ich aâ—…e the fiâ—…st Principles of the Oracles of God we lâ—…ve less â—…en we know and we do less then we love we have neither done 〈◊〉 good nor received that good which we should or might have done and received we have been trees that have cumbered the 〈◊〉 iâ—… thy Orchard but we have brought foâ—…th no fruit â—…o unto us that we have not known the day of our visitation many of us have one foot in the grave and yet we have lived without God in the woâ—…ld we are wise in every thing but in our own salvation we live as if â—…ell were a priviledge those of us that have some knowledge of thee have great cause to repent that we have walked so unworthily of God which of us pray continually and fervently or live the life of faith we confess we nâ—…ither take our afflictions humbly nor our mercies thankfully nor â—…ant our comforts contentedly nor fill up our relations fruitfully we live as if hell were a scare-crow as if all the threatnings of thy word were an empty noise as if there were a either sâ—…ess in heaven nor bitterness in hell When we come into thy prâ—… 〈◊〉 are our hearts what earthly dispositions do wâ—… 〈◊〉 aâ—… with 〈◊〉 the sins of our prayers cry louder then the suppâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayers what hypocrisie and formality cleaves unto us â—…f thou dost not look upon the iniquities of our holy things with an eye of pitty wâ—…t 〈◊〉 â—…ecome of us O Lord be pleased to smell a swâ—…t â—…avour of â—…est and peace through thy dear Son O Lord it is onely his precious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can sprinkle our hearts and quiet our consciences and no other thing we do renounce all our own works and we cry in our selves unâ—…one undone It is through thy beloved Son that we are accepted and therefore to that end bring us to him by a saving operation on thy part and by our lively trust through the Covenant of thy grace on our part let there be such a unity between Christ and us that all the power of bell may not be able to separate us from thee speak peace to our hearts stiâ—…l our consciences 〈◊〉 I have received a sacrifice for you I shall befâ—…iend yâ—…u I will be just and faithful to â—…or â—…ive your sins my lawis â—…elly fulfilled by another though broken by you my justice is fully satisfied â—…y another though provoked by yâ—…u my wrath is ceased by the means of another though inceâ—…sed by you Oh Lord what a cordial would this be â—… caâ—…st not thou amongst this great multitude of people espy some that through the Spirit of thy Son would worship thee in â—…ine owâ—… way speak peace to every such soul. Is there any soul before thee O Lord to whom thou hast given the grace of desire O Lord give them grace according to their desire and thou which diâ—…t regard us when we were running from theâ—… do not reject us now we are drawing near thâ—…e and thou which bidst us believe by the command of thy â—…ord help us to believe by the operation of thy Spirit draw us that we may be able to follow thee thy loving kindness is better then life Some do say Who will shew us any good but Lord lifâ—… thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and that will glad our hearts more then in the time when increaseth Corn or wine or Oyl Let it be sâ—…ir above head when it is dirty below lâ—…t us see one contrary in another let us confute an eye of sense with an eye of â—…aith and when we come to see nothing here that can gratifie our senses let us have something to quiet our souls We would â—…ain be at war with sin that we may be at peace with thee though we cannot return as much as we have received yet help us to return as much as we can give us repentance unto life repentance from dead works a mourning far greater for the remembrance of sin then we had pleasure in the committing of sin those secret distempers in our souls that no eye sees but thine let us cry out wretched men that we are who shall deliver us from this body of sin And as the fear â—…f condemnation doth decrease so let the fear of transgression in crease and because O Lord that thou hast not made us to bleâ—… with thy greatness O Lord make us to blush with thy goodness let us as truly desire that heaven would enter into us in the way of holiness here as we desire to enter into heaven in the way of happiness hereafter Let us see that our kindness to sin is cruelty to our Saviour let not that live quietly one minute with us that would not let Christ live let us see there is nothing small by which thâ—… great God is 〈◊〉 and an immortal soul is damned we are to be in the wâ—…rld but â—…r a while to take a 〈◊〉 or two and bâ—… goâ—… oh that we miâ—…ht make it the business of our life
child sees that man come he will not love him and so if the father loves such a man the childe will love him too As now the Courtiers they follow the example of a King and whom the King favours they honour and cringe too why so whom God favours a godly man favours God doth not judge of men as men do by his gay apparel or gold ring or great birth alas he that wants bread is more highly esteemed of in Gods sight then such and so he is in a godly mans account A godly man is conformable to God and a follower of God as a dear child now you shall see what an estimate God puts upon his people God is more taken with one humble broken hearted sinner and one humble contrite breathing of a soul then with all the gold and silver in Solomons Temple not many noble not many mighty doth God set his heart upon but where he sees his Image he who hath the Image of God he hath the love of God there is the first reason in regard of the people of God that are beholders of others A second reason is taken from the people of God that are beheld and here I shall name you five or six Considerations 1. The people of God they that are truly such in the midst of all their present distresses let them be what they will yet their end shall be happy now men do not regard men according to what they have in present possession but according to what they shall have the poorest man here in the world that is rich in faith he shall be rich in glory and honour the people of God are heirs of glory and therefore they are said to be heirs of God and co-hâ—…irs with Christ 1 John 3. 2. Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be The people of God are to be looked upon according to what they shall be not what they are here they are Princes though under a disguise they are coming though not come to their Crown those saith a Saint that are now scorned reproached and buffeted and libell'd shall shine in heaven when Christ shall appear they shall appear with him in glory they are heires born to great Estates The second reason is this They are for the present very useful and beneficial to the world they are those for whose sake the world was made they are the very pillars of the world to hold it from shattering about your ears they are the great common blessings of the world as the Sun and Stars are the common blessings of the world and fire and water so these are the common blessingâ—… of mankind for which he will spare the world those that are pulled down by the world are they that keep the world from being pulled down they are the soul of the world the wicked are but the carcass of it and if God had gathered in all the world of his people once the world should not continue one hour as Sodom was destroyed when Lot was taken out Third Reason is The highness and excellency of their performances and of all the good things they do there is a worth in every holy work in every supernatural employment in every holy prayer in every thing a godly man doth there is such a goodness in the work that all the wealth in the Indies cannot recompence and therefore saith Luther I had ratber do the least truly good work then obtain all the Conquests and Victoâ—…ies of Cesar and Alexander Now if their good works shine so before men is it possible a gracious heart should see it and not be taken with it There is nothing doth so much take with holy men as holy performances and therefore as a man that is learned when he sees another learned man make a learned Oration he wishes he could do so too so a godly man when he sees another man can pray and live holily Oh saith he that I could do so too and be so holy as he is 4. A fourth Reason is The present priviledges of the people of God not only what they have in reversion but their present priviledges Why but are the priviledges of the people of God so great Yea the very present enjoyments of the Saints and people of God the explanation of them would deserve many Sermons they shall be freed from all evil there shall nothing hurt them their lusts may be destroyed but their souls shall never be destroyed What a priviledge is this for a man to be shot-free do with him what you will you can never hurt him you may disgrace him you may torture him kill him but yet you cannot hurt him whatever befals them turns to their benefit they may be afflicted but not hurt by affliction the greatest hurt the world doth to them tends to their greatest good worldlings may take away their head but they cannot take away their crown there is nothing of evil can be evil to him that hath a good God this a Child of God hath for the present and not only so but there is the real communication of a saving interest in all that is good all that God is all that he hath and all that he doth is theirs Is not this a glorious priviledge The power of God is his to protect him his love his so as to be set upon him the righteousness of God his so as to acquit him from his sins the very righteousness of God is a very great blessing and happiness to the Children of God and they may not only appeal to the Bowels of Gods Mercy but to the Bar of his Justice So that now I say all that God is is his the faithfulness of God is his in keeping his Promises the care of God in defending and protecting of him and so all the providences of God all that he doth shall tend to the good of his people as he saith All is yours life is yours and death is yours and all these things shall do you good Psalm 25. 10. that is a rare Scripture All the wayes of God are mercy oh sweet and truth oh very comfortable to them that are in covenant with him Mercy so that they are enough Gods Providences shall do them good and Truth so as that they shall certainly do them good In one word Earth Heaven and God and all shall be laid out to do them good Is not this a great priviledge In this world they may go to God and tell him wherein they are troubled and pained or afflicted and they are never so welcome to God in their petitions as when they ask most from him when they come to ask riches and the like God will give them to them so far as they may be for their good but so great is the priviledge of a believer that God doth delight in him most when he doth ask most from him and he will give him whatever he desires that may make them good
accordingly 5. Love the holiness of the living members be not so much in love with the holiness of wood and timber bricks and stones but wheresoever you see the Image of Christ be in love with that soul whereever the presence of God shines and whereever thou seest one that gives up himself to God in holy duties do thou say Oh! my soul delight to come into the company of these men The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour If there be a heaven upon earth I tell you it is in the company of godly men I remember a famous man hath this expression saith he When I was in the company of the Saints and people of God I was as a living coal but when I was separated from them and was among the wicked swearers and drunkards me-thoughts there was a spiritual coldness and frozenness went over my soul. Though the people of God are best companie in heaven yet they are very good companie here on earth And Christians should stir up one another and be provoking one another to love and good works and where ever you have grace be sure to impart it Endeavour to love the holiness of Saints and be willing to impart your experiences to others for this is your duty Do not make a Monopoly of holiness but carry company with you to Heaven Lastly to name no more labour to preserve the holiness of Gods true Institutions those things which are of a divine consecration What is humane consecration without divine institution The Sabbath day is of divine institution labour to keep it holy this is a holy-day indeed and this labour to keep your families from profaning of but for other holy dayes and holy things they are much alike for holiness The Lords day is a holy day indeed and for shame do not let your children gad abroad on this day Truly I do verily believe that though here be a great company of people in the Congregation yet they are but a handful in comparison of what are drinking in Ale-houses and whoring and walking in the field that one can hardly get home to their house for the crowd of people that are going thither For shame let not this be told in Gath nor published in Askelon What! shall we stand up for the holiness of places and yet oppose the holiness of the Lords day which God hath enjoyned and instituted Oh! that the Magistrates of London Oâ—… that Englands King Oh! that Englands Parliament would do something for the reformation of this to oppose wickedness and prophanesse which will otherwise bring upon us the judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah and make us guilty and worthy of a thousand punishments And labour by prayer in your families to overcome that flood of prophanesse which you cannot by your strength prevent And then for the Sacraments of Christ Baptisme and the Lords Sâ—…pper these are Ordinances of Gods appointment they are holy and therefore should not be given to those that are unholy and yet those who are so much for the holinesse of places do not care who come to the Sacrament if they have but a nose on their face they shall come and partake of the Ordinances let them be what they will this is to prefer mans institution before Gods institution And then for the Lords Message and Word that is a holy thing and therefore love his Messengers the Messengers of God delivering his Message with fear and reverence you are to hear them with the same fear and reverence and resolution to be holy as if Christ were present And for the Word of God it is not enough for you to have a choice Sentence written upon the walls of your Churches but let Gods Law be written in your hearts and consciences and practised in your lives that all the world may see you live as men dedicated to the true God in all the duties of his wayes and obedience Many of these things might have been inlarged What I have given you with the right hand I pray you Christians do not take with the left for if you do you will make your selves guilty of a double sin First Because you do not obey the truth you hear And secondly For putting a wrong construction upon it But I have better hopes of you my Beloved Hearers and hope that the Lord will be better unto your souls then his Ministers Word or any thing else can be God blesse you and his Ordinances and discover his mind and will at this time to you Mr. Jenkins's Prayer after Sermon O Lord our God thou art never weary of doing us good if we either consider the mercies thou givest to us or the miseries that thou keepest from us that yet we have another opportunity of drawing nigh to thee we beseech thee O Lord let not our mis-interpreting of such opportunities as these are cause thee to take them from us or thy self from them if thou dost Lord we cannot but justifie thee and abase our selves and lie low before thee because we have sinned against thee O Lord we bless thee that we are yet alive to bless thee that yet we have not sinned our bodies into a cold grave nor our souls into a scorching Hell thou givest us our beings if thou withdraw thy self we cease to be and shall return to our first nothingness from whence we came the living the living they praise thee as if we know our own hearts we desire to do at this time Praised be God for Iesus Christ that he died and rose again and is now a pleading at thy right hand for poor sinners Praised be God that he is offered to us for his sake O God pardon all our sins let our lusts die that would not let the Lord of life live let not any one of them live one quiet moment in these hearts of ours let us give up our selves and all that we are or can do to the purpose of thy praise we beseech thee prepare us for a blessed eternity that we may not be ashamed before thee nor ashamed of thee nor thy wayes in the midst of a crooked perverse unclean idolatrous generation Dear Father we most humbly pray thee prepare us for communion with thy self assist us in the ensuing duties of this day let all the work be done by thee let all the praise redound unto thee prepare us by hearing for prayer by both for practice by all for glory Lord set up thy truth ruine Babylon build up Sion delight yet to dwell in the midst of us and do us good though we are a sinful back-sliding God-provoking Nation Mayest thou not say of us as of old what couldst thou have done more for us then thou hast done yet how ill have we requited thee for all thy benefits Poure down the richest showers of thy choicest blessings upon the head and heart of our Dread Soverain Charles the Second by thy especial grace of England Scotland France and Ireland King as follows in his Royal
beloved in the Lord stand and so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved In the next place by way of observation from the words and if there be any wicked catchers here let them know that I shall speak no more then I shall draw from and is the mind of my Text I would not give occasion to be a greater sufferer then I am like to be But for the words First For the melting Compellation My Brethren my dearly beloved Paul was an Apostle and an high Officer in the Church of God and he writ unto the Philippians to all the Philippians to the poorest of them and see how he bespeaks himself unto them my Brethren From hence take this observation That the highest Officers in the Church of Christ though they are indeed by office Rulers over them yet by relation they are no more then brethren to the meanest Saint Here we have no such Rabbies to whom we must swear because they say we must swear it Paul calls them Brethren and so writes to them Col. 1. 2. and Iames a Scriptural-Officer one of the highest Apostles Christ ever made saith Hearken my beloved Brethren Iam. 2. 5. so Peter an Apostle of Christ Wherefore the rather Brethren and Iohn the beloved Disciple Brethren I write no new commandment c. 1 Joh. 〈◊〉 7. Well then 3. If this be so that the highest officer in the Church of Christ such as Christ approves of are but brethren to the meanest Saint then certainly they are but brethren to their fellow-Officers If no more relation to the toe in the body then no more to the eyes If there be any of a light spirit will bear rule that love to have the preheminence I would desire them to read two Scriptures the first is Luke 22. 26. the second Mat. 20. 26 27. doth Christ say Whosoever will be chief among you let him be one that will domineer over your estates over your persons over your consciences doth not Christ say so no but whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Minister let him be your servant Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many You have this also Luke 22. 25. And he said unto them the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them i. e. over their slaves over their vassals but ye shall not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is chief as he that doth serve Sure if Paul be but a brother to Philip then he is no more to Timothy 2. If the highest Officers in the Church of Christ be but brethren to the meanest Saint then it is not for those brethren to Lord it over their fellow-brethren Lord it over Gods heritage Remember 't is Gods Heritage I hope your consciences will bear me witness that I have laboured as much as in me lies to be a helper of your joy not to Lord it over your faith 2 Cor. 1. 24 to presse or cause you in believe this or that because I believe it if this be allow'd then may I turn Papist tomorrow Saith Christ to him that would have had him speak to his brother to divide the inheritance with him Man who made me a Iudge over 〈◊〉 Luke 12. 14. So say I Man who made thee a Tyrant a Lord over thy fellow-brethren 1 Pet. 5. 3. Neither as beâ—… Lords over Gods heritage c. 3. If the highest Officers in the Church of Christ be but Brethren and no more then there should be no discord between those brethren Behold how good and pleasont it is for brethren to dwell together in 〈◊〉 And truly I may comfortably speak that and it is one of the greatest comsorts I have in the world I hope we have lived together in love blessed be God Let us not fall out saith Abrahim the elder to Let his younger Cousin for we are brethren Beloved the discords between Pastor and people have made the best musick in the ears of the Jesuits 4. Are Pastors nay the highest Officers that Jesus Christ hath and doth own in his Church but Brethren Oh! then let those brethren if they will appear before the Bar of their Father in Heaven with comfort take care of offending the souls of their Brethren for at the hand of every Brother God will require the soul of his Brother Ezek 33. 6. His blood will I require at the Watchmans hand We that are called by some the dogs of the flock what shall we prove dumb dogs What a comfort will it be to my dying brethren this day if they can but say Lord we are clear from the blood of our Brethren The Officers of Christ should never behave themselves so that they should give their people occasion to say We are brethren to Dragons But Ier. 9. 4. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour c. I would commend one Scripture to all my Brethren in the Ministry 1 Cor. 8. 13. A Scripture that I would have writ in letters of gold on the lintel-posts of all Ministers doors Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world stands left I make my brother to offend Rather then to endanger his soul I 'le away with all these toys and gew-gaws 5 From the terms of dearest affection dearly beloved longed for c. Take this observation that It becomes the highest Ministers much more the lowest to bear a most tender vehement ardent strong melting affection towards that stâ—…ck or people that God hath committed to their change Thus Paul to the Philippians in the Text My Brethen dearly beloved c. You shall find Paul in all his Epistles in a thawing frame to his people melting in love unto them The Corinthiâ—…ns were so in his heart noâ—… only to live with them but if God called him to die for them so abundantly did he love them 2 Cor. 12. 15. That he would very gladly spend and be spent for them carried them in his heart and longed after them all As for the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2. 8. He as a Nurse tendreth and nourisheth them as children and is so affectionately desirous of them that he is willing to impart them not only the Gospel but his own soul because they were dear to him Then 1. Is this so ought the Pastors so to love their people Give me leave to bespeak you in the words of Iob in respect of those hundreds of Ministers that are to be plucked from their people Have pity upon me have pity upon me ohâ—…ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me Iob 19. 21. What will nothing serve but plucking out our very eyes our very heart being so much the objects of the Peoples love How sad is it for the Father to be plucked from the Childe the Shepherd from the Flock the Nurse from the Childe this is a Lamentation and
the stress of my Salvation upon these t is true I cannot in conscience conform but I do not lay the stress of salvation on it as I did not lay the stress of my salvation on my being a Presbyterian I confess I am so have been it hath been my unhappiness to be alwaies on the sinking side yet I lay not the stress of my salvation upon it 'T is my conscience but it may be I have not so much light as another man and I profess in the presence of God could I conform without sin to my own 〈◊〉 I would if I should do any thing against my conscience I should sin and break my peace and conscience and all and never see good day do not then spend the strength of your zeal for your religion in censuring others That man that is most busie in censuring others is alwayes least employed in examining himself Remember good Iohn Bradford he would not censure Bonner nor Gardiner but saith he they called I. Bradford the hypocritical I. Bradford c. I do not speak this as though I can or did in conscience approve of those things for which I must suffer that I cannot approve of them but to take off people from those things that are so far from the foundation Look you but to the main things and look but into your own hearts examine them and then you need not be much perswaded to look about to others 2. You must take heed you be not loose Christians will you remember one thing from me the God of Heaven grant you never live to see it verified A loose Protestant is one of the fittest persons in the world to make a strict Papist Tell not me of his Protestantisme being a drunkard it is because his King oâ—… Countrey are Protestants where they live There is no Religion in a loose liver if ungodliness be in the heart it is no difficult thing for error to get into the head A loose heart can best comply with loose principles see if they will not be of any Religion in the world that is uppermost let the Turkâ—… prevail they would soon be of his Religion 3. Take heed of being worldly Christians oh this is the David that hath â—…lain his ten thousands A worldly heart will be bought and sold upon every turn to serve thâ—… Devils turn Come to a worldly heart and but promise him thirty pieces of silver he will betray his Saviour The temptations of the world are great upon us at this time you that are husbands and parents know it the world is a 〈◊〉 temptation but if we be overcome by the world and the world not overcome by us we shall never be able to overcome any one temptation that is offered to us Therefore that 's an admirable support In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world I have overcome the world for you and likewise I have overcome the world in you Oh Lord if thou wilt but overcome the love and the fear of the world if thou wilt but arm us against the smiles of the world then come what will we shall stand stedfast 4. Take heed you be not hypoeritical Christians i e. take heed you do not receive the truth and only receive the truth and not receive the truth in the love of that truth 2 Thess. 2. 10. You have received truth but have you received the truth in the love of that truth which you have received want of this is that damnable occasion to Popery And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth 'T is just with God they should fall into errours whose hearts did never love real truths Better never receive the truth then to receive it and not in the love of it Take heed of being venturous and God tempting Christians what 's that when do I tempt God I tempt God when I do run into a Pest-house and say God will preserve me from the Plague Take heed of running upon temptations to sin whether it be in principles or in practice I could tell you of two spiritual Pest-houses in England if I had time for principles one and for practices another I do not say that I mean Play-houses on the one hand or Mass-houses on the other hand Certainly Bretâ—…ren I read of Iulian that wicked bloudy Apostate that he sunk into that his Apostacy first by going to hear Libanius preach mistake me not I am not against your hearing the Ministers of Christ for a man may be a true Minister though he be a bad man all the world can never answer the instance of Iudas who was a true Minister though a bad man while I plead for the truth of his Ministry I do not spread a skirt over the wickedness of his life The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses Chair hear them But that which I mainly aim at is this do not you go and run and venture your selves upon temptations you have heard of superstitious or Idolatrous worship you have a months mind to see this and what if so be when you are found in Satans way Satan should lay his â—…aw on you and claim to you what do you there in Satan's ground Would you be found when you come to die in a Play-house or in such a place where the true God is Idâ—…latrously worshipped 'T is a great truth if you would not be found in the Devils power do not be found in the Devils pound Brethren we must know Satan is bâ—…sie enough to tempt us we need not go to tempt him Eve lost all that she had by hearing one Sermon but 't was from the Devil Therefore if you would not have your pockets pickt do not trade amongst Cheaters 1 Tim. 6. 3 5. If any man â—…each otherwise c. then that ye have received and we preached from such withdraw thy self that 's a good honest laudable separation from such withdraw thy self 6. Where God doth not find a mouth to speak do not you find an ear to hear nor an heart to believe pray mind it this I am sure is of concernment This is one of the grand points in my Card or Compass on which I hope I shall venture all If any man come with a Doctrine not according to the word of God let him carry it whither he will what have I to do with it Either you come from God or no If you do shew me his word and I 'le believe it if not open your pack where you please c. where God doth not find a mouth to speak where you have not a precept promise threatning or example in the word of God let them talk their hearts out 't is nothing to me to my Religion
Saints and bear testimony you shall witness against all false doctrines and false Worship before the whole world By your humility and patience when you suffer not as evil doers but as those that suffer for the word of Righteousness the word of Truth for holding fast the Lord Jesus and his Faith that is more precious then Heaven and Earth then any created thing this will make your name as a sweet savour to all generations when those that apostatize persecute and oppose Jesus Christ their memories shall be left as a curse to the people of God Mr. Calamy's Sermon at Mr. Ashes Funeral Esay 57. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come WE are here met this Evening to perform the last Office of Love for an eminent and ancient Servant of Jesus Christ and excellent Minister of the Gospel Mr. Simeon Ash one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers and now we are met to perform this office for him and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us so frail so brittle and so uncertain is the life of man Now the Text that I have chosen is suitable for this occasion for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man he was righteous in an Evangelical sence he was one that was justified and sanctified Secondly He was a merciful man both in an active and passive sence he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ and he was one to whom God shewed mercy this righteous and merciful man is now perished as to his outward condition not as to his everlasting condition but as to his outward bodily condition he is perished and he is taken away The word in the Hebrew is very emphatical Merciful men Colliguntur are gatheted it is the same word that is used concerning Iosiah 2 King 22. 10 Thou shalt be gathered to thy fathers and go to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation This godly and righteous man is now gathered as ripe Corn in the Barn of Heaven he is taken away from the evil that is to come from the beholding that evil that is coming upon the sinful World he is taken away in mercy that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are coming upon many he is taken away from the evil to come And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable for the righteous and merciful man in the Text perisheth and no man considers nor layes it to heart These words are verba Commentantis objurgantis the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy Now I desire that this part may not prove suitable but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient merciful righteous man The observations from the words are these six First That the righteous man must perish as well as thâ—… unrighteous Secondly That the perishing of a righteous man is nothing but his gathering to God Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels Thirdly That a righteous man as long as he liveth is the preservative of a Nation and the supporter of a Kingdome the Chariots and horsemen of a Nation Fourthly The death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from heaven a Beacon set on fire to give notice of eviâ—… approaching Fifthly That God doth on purpose take away righteous men that they may not see the evil that is coming on a Nation Sixthly That it is a great and common sin not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man First It is a common sin and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude the righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart that is very few and merciful men are taken away no man considering that is very few Secondly It is a great sin and therefore the Prophet Ieremy in the former Chapter calls to all the Beasts of the Field to devour that is all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel because they drank strong drink filling themselves with merriment and promised themselves happy dayes but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come I shall begin with the first That the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous How is it that the righteous perish not in their soul they cannot perish so nay the truth is they cannot perish properly in their bodies for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish for the very dust of the Saints in the grave is precious in Gods sight and they are asleep in Jesus and by the power of Jesus Christ they shall be raised again glorious bodies Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally and finally but sin and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Iustin Martyr observe perit perisheth that is not according to the truth of the thing but according to the opinion of the world and the proper language of this expression is this The righteous perish that is the righteous must die and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others and that upon a four-fold account First Because the righteous are included within the Statute of death as well as the unrighteous statutum est Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed for all men once to die the righteous as well as the unrighteous Indeed it is true Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death but not death it self Jesus Christ hath disarmed death made death like the Viper that fastened upon Paul's hand but did not hurt him he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting but a healing power in it Christ hath sanctified death conquered and sweetned death at present we are all under the statute of death but at last this enemy shall be destroyed 2 Cor. 15. latter end Secondly The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust their foundation is in the dust their lives are a vapour as well as the lives of the unrighteous Thirdly The righteous must die as well as others because they have a body of sin that they carry about with them for there is no man so wise that lives and sins not Eccl. 7. 20. Wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man Lastly and especially The righteous must perish upon a peculiar account For if we had hope only in this life saith the Apostle we are of all men most miserable and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing they must say as Themistocles Periissem nisi periissem they must die
and as he lived so he dyed holily even as the ancient Patriarks that dyed in the Faith and endured faithfully unto the death Now this excellent Minister of Christ thus beautified with these Jewels is now perished as to his outward man gathered to God to Christ and the blessed company of Saints and Angels The application that I shall make of this Discourse is this 1. To us Ministers 2. To you of this Parish and Congregation First to us Ministers God hath of late years taken to himself many famous men Seven of the Lecturers of Cornhill are dead Mr. Burroughs Dr. Bolton Mr. Sedgâ—…wick Mr. Whitaker Mr. Cranford Mr. Vines and now Mr. Ash. I might name many other excellent Ministers that are dead as Dr. Gouge Mr. Walker Mr. Gataker Mr. Marshal Mr. Robinson and lately Mr. Cook with many more Now all these are warning-pieces from heaven of judgements approaching For the righteous perish and no man lays it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Thus Methuselah dyed a year before the Flood now Methuselah in Hebrew signifies a Messenger of death Thus Austin dyed a little before Hippo was taken and Pareus a little before Hiddleburge was taken and Luther a little before the Wars in Germany began The death of the godly is like the separating of the Israelites from the tents of Corah and his company like the taking of Lot out of Sodom When the Israelites departed from Corah and his company the earth swallowed them up and when Lot departed out of Sodom God rained down fire and brimstone upon them Let the thoughts of these things cause us to provide our Arks to get our Zoar's Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elyes young Elisha's in the room of old Elijahs and young Timothies in the room of Paul the aged that there may be a succession of Gospel Ministers to hold forth the Word of life to this Nation And let us labour to be inheritors of of these twelve Excellencies that beautified this our reverend Brother Secondly Let me speak a few words to you of this Parish the Auditors of this worthy Minister There is scarce one man of a hundred that understands the tie and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his people O the love and affection that ought to be betwixt them Paulâ—…ells â—…ells the Galatians that they could a pluckt out their eyes for him if need were Chrysostom tells us that when Mileâ—… was taken away by death from his people their hearts sunk with sorrow and such love had they to him that they called all their children by his name and got his picture engraven on their rings And I have read of Chrysostome that when he was banished from his people there was not a corner in the City but was full of people weeping and lamenting The losse of a godly Minister is a publick losse therefore there ought to be publick mourning it is a soul-losse and therefore methinks every one of you should weep and mourn you have lost your common father you of this congregation have lost your spiritual father your spiritual shepherd you have lost your eyes your guide and indeed it is you that are his flock that must commend your Minister by practising that which he preached said the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 1. Do we again begin to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistles written in our hearts known and read of all men As if the Apostle should say do we need letters of commendation is it necessary that we should spend time in commending our ministry you are out letters of commendation your holiness and piety commends a Minister above all other things As when a man comes into an Orchard or Vineyard said Chrysostome and sees every thing skilfully handled and neatly â—…fimmed he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser or Carpenter the work it self commends them So ought it to be among you when we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers we must look into his Parish or Congregation and see what letters of commendation there are whether the proficiency of the Auditors commend their Ministers I grant it is not alwayes true God doth not alwayes give successe to a godly Minister but the worst is yours I had almost said the curse is yours but I will speak modestly the worst is yours Tell me how many of you are able to say I blesse God that ever such a Minister was sent among us blessed be God that ever we heard him preach what seal of his ministry is there here among you he was in another and another place in this City and it may be here are people from all places that have been his Auditors what seal of his ministry is there now to be found among you how many souls hath he pluckt out of the snares of the devil how many of you have gone away weeping from a Sermon knocking your breasts and pricked at the hearts for sin crying out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved your tears and mourning for sin these are the Auditors that commend your Ministers Go home now and think with your selves what can I remember of all the Sermons that I have heard from Mr. Ash and give me leave to tell you woe be to you if as your Minister be dead so all the Sermons that he made die with him For as Abel being dead yet speaketh so shall the Sermons of this worthy Minister at the great day speak for you or against you for they are spiritual talents that God hath betrusted you with and you must be accountable both he and you shall appear before the Tribunal of God your Minister shall be examined how he can free himself from the guilt of soul-blood and you shall be examined what fruit you have brought forth answerable to the means that you have enjoyed and if it appear that you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers Châ—…ist will say Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness But I hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation Whatever was good in this reverend Minister let it live in you and though he be dead yet let not his Sermons that he preached die with you but let them be in you that at the great day when he and you appear before God he may be able say Here am I and the Children that thou hast given me Dr. Horton's Sermon at Mr. Nalton's Funeral Rich Treasure in Earthen Vessels c. 2 Cor 4. 7. But we have this Treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us THere is nothing so excellent or compleat in this world but hath its diminishment and qualifications and something that doth disparage it and abates of the excellency thereof not the things
have we taken thy name in vain while we have been confessing our sins how often have we run from confessing our sins to the committing of sin and from committing sins to the confessing sin again as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty though we know thy favour is better then life we have parted with it upon easie terms Oh! the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts All the mercieâ—… thou hast bestowed upon us have not melted us into teares for our unkindnesse and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs have not beat folly out of our hearts we have been unprofitable all our dayes some have done thee more service in one year then we in all our time we have forgotten thee in the day of prosperity and sung a â—…ullaby to our own souls oh that we could speak these things with broken and bleeding hearts but as in the time of our ignorance we could sin without reluctancy so now we can sin without repentance oh that thou wouldst smâ—…te the rock that there may flow out teares We can do nothing by way of expiation if we could weep out our eyes nothing but the blood of Christ can take away our guilt O that there might be a spring of that blood upon our souls at thâ—… time Oh that that blood may at this time bring a report of love and a message of mercy to us Do we beg any more then thou hast promised oh hast not thou accepted of that satisfaction that Christ hath made in his own person if we had suffered the torments of hell it could not have made that satisfaction that Christ has made give us the witness of the spirit and thy love and we will say we have enough give us hearts of flesh crush the head of the serpent in our soules O Lord Christ thou camest into the world to destroy the works of the Devill in our hearts and to build up the Kingdome of the Spirit in us oh when shall we see the old man decay in us and the old man to live more and more Oh be wisdome to guide us and righteousnesse to cleanse us from guilt and redemption to deliver us from the wages of sin let us be nothing in our selves that we may be all in thee our Saviour oh honour us so far that we may honour thee We pray thee strengthen our weak faith quiet our consciences we would not live a day longer then that we may honour thee tread Satan under our feet sit us for our places and employments let not our conditions be so low but that our hearts may be lower we are pâ—…sting to death oh let sin dye before we die let us know our names are written in the book of life before thou take away our life Look upon thy Servant our dread Sovereign CHARLES of Great Brittain France and Ireland King oh inrich his Royall heart with all those saving Graces of thy Spirit in order to a wise and happy Government of these Kingdomes Look upon his Royall Consort his Royall Relations the Lords of his Privy Councill and make them blessing to this Nation Oh sanctifie thy good word oh give thy gracious assistance to us both in speaking and hearing let us hear it as that word by which we must be judged that we may be convinced by it and say it is the power of God to salvation to every soul of us Let our meeting â—…e for the better to all of us that we may be built up in the most holy Faith and let us know we have not sought thy face in vain for Iesus Christ his sake our dear Saviour for whom we blesse thy Majesty to whom with thee and the Spirit be praise for ever Amen Dr. Anesleye's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and earth such is the condesâ—…nsion of thy grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy speciall presence to thy poor Creatures though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite love though thou art of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie yet thou art pleased to manifest thy love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord when shall we admire enough thy grace and love how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man Dear Father raise and fix our hearts help us â—…o mind the business that we come about and â—…o deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternall moment O that we could pray so that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing O that we could wait upon thee to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit Lord grant that our Soules may know what it is to be in the Spirit upon the Lords day dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee to do iâ—… we must needs acknowledge had'st not thou laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost we must have perished to all eternity for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then our selves The very aggravations of our sins do render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirring of thy Spirit in us the patience and goodnesse of God towards us makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish But dear Lord we do find by experience that our immortal souls are much debased all the faculties of our Souls are out of tune our understandings are so dark our conceptions of God are so low our consciences are so benummed that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spentupon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the drosâ—… and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our Soules what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the Spirit of God can subdue in our soules teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the â—…attice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put in thy hand in at the whole of the Door and let thy fingers drop hony upon the handle of the Lord. And oh set open these everlasting Doores that the King of Glory may enter in subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we â—…e willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowest is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy batred of it and pour out thy grace upon us according to thy love of grace that our Souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours as high as Heaven is above the Earth Dear Father it is thy promise that
professioâ—… is that â—…hat is highly respected by a gracious heart let the Saints lie under never so great distresse You shall seé this concerning Moses in the 25. and 26 verses of this Chapter thâ—…t he châ—…se rather to suffer affliction with the peâ—…ple of God then to enjoy the 〈◊〉 of siâ—… for a season the meaning is this he rather chose to be looked upon as an Israelite and with them to be afflicted as an Israelite then to enjoy all the pleasures of Pharaohs Court The profession of the true God and the owning of the true Faith that Israel was to stand up for and to own this was that that Moses could not desert and thence it was that he would not desert their persons and society and therefore you may reâ—…d it at large in the story of Exodus that he went and visited his Brethren when they were in their afflictions and their Brick kills so that there is the first thing they are not ashamed of their faith or society A second Discovery wherein they show so great a valuation and estimation of the Saints and people of God is this They sympathize with them and have a fell wfeeling with them in their sufferings If it goes ill with the Church and People of God all the comforts they have are as nothing to them if one Member suffers all the rest suffers and if iâ—… goes well with the Church of God it goes well with them You have an excellent example of this in Nehemiah in the first and second Chapters of his Book that when that holy man had the greatest favour of one of the greatest Princes then upon earth yet he looks with a sâ—…d countenance because of the afflictions of the people of God I might give you many Instances of this that is a famous one in Psalm 137 verse 5. If I forget thee oh Ierusâ—…lem let my right hand forget her cunning A common resembance of this is very good As it is with two strings in an Instrument that are tuned together if one be struck at the other trembles so if one Servant of Christ be in a suffering condition another suffers with him and this as one saith is the damp of all a Believers worldly delights he suffers with him if not by him he transfers their troubles to his own soul. 3. Herein is discovered the high valuation that the people of God have of suffering Saints in that they can plead for them and take their parts when they are never so much despised dispraised abused and out of favour That I may give you some clear Instances of this you may see it in the case of Ionathan how he pleads for good David before his cruel father Saul though Saul by reason thereof calls him a cursed son and fell foul on his Mother telling him he was the son of a wicked woman So you shall see it in the case of â—…sther that though it was death for her to go in to the King and plead for her people nay it was death by a Law yet saith she If I perish I perish I am resolved let what will come of it in I will go and speak a good word for the people of God I can but die but I cannot be silent 4. Herein is discovered the high valuation that the people of God have of suffering Saints in that they will relieve them and help them and supply them with all those needful good things that they can and if they cannot do for them what they would and should do yet they will do what they are able to do You have a famous Instance of this in Ebed-melech in Ieremiah 38. verse 8. and so on that when the King and his Princes was so angry with Ieremiah as that they had thrown him into a dungeon this good man doth nor only go to plead with the King for him but would never leave him until he had gottâ—…n him some enlargement and at verse 11. He took with him thirty men and went into the house of the King under the Treasury and took thence old cast cloutâ—… and old rotten rags and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Ieremiah and Ebed-melech the Ethiâ—…pian said unto Ieremiah put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine arm-holes under the cords Mark how witty this good man was in his loving contrivances for fear the cords should hurt the arm-holes of this good man he lines them with rags though indeed they were lined more with love than with rags but these roâ—…en rags was not foâ—…tten by God and therefore God proâ—…ises that he should have a merciful deliverance and that he should not partake of the sword and those other miseries that were to fall upon that people for abusing of Jeremiah You have another instance of Obadiah in 1 Kings 18. 4 King Ahab was a great persecutor of the Saints and people of God now at the 4. verse When Jezabel cut off the Prophets of the Lord Obadiah took an hundred Prophets and hid them by fiâ—…ty in a cave and fed them with bread and water I will not undertake to Prophesie to you this day but it may come to that bread and water may be very good commons for an honest Prophet and faithful servant of Iesus Christ for this was their condition while the false prophets and Idol Priests was feasting at Iezabels Table Here note the gracious disposition of good Obadiah as well as the providence of God in this Act. I will name you one Instance more and it is a most excellent one that will make all the people in the world in love with Gods Saints especially Gods Ministers above all the rest It is in 2 Tim. 1. 16 17 18. you shâ—…ll there finde that blessed Paul the excellentest servant that ever Christ had one of them in the world he was thrown into bonds and impâ—…isonments all forsook him but saith he aâ—… verse 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain â—…ow did he shew it why at ver 17. when he was at Rome which was the place where Paul died and where the cruellest Nero as some conceive then Ruled yet notwithstanding Nero was my enemy and Cesar resolved my death and all men were against me this good man sought me out he did not meet me in a by lane or a narrow corner where he could not misse me but he sought me out and was troubled until he could find me now saith Paul The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day I profess Sirs I had rather have the prayers of Paul then all the preferments of Pharaohs Court It is the greatest treasure thou canst have in all thy house to have the prayers of Gods people It is more then to have all the preferments that thou canst possibly have in the world And you that have shewed your great and liberal love in the late
Collection to some of Gods servants I do from my soul blesse God for it and pray that you that have been willing to part with pebbles for Christ may receive pearls from him truly Sirs yâ—…a that whatever you have done for his may be ten thousand times made up by him mercy in that day and that you may have that will be something worth Shall I adde another discovery of the love of the people of God to other Saints in their troubles and sufferings and that is their great and deep supplication to God for them never do they go to pray unto God but Zion is in their thoughts I am confident it is so with some and am perswaded it is so with all they never pray that God would give them their daily bread but they pray likewise that his Kingdom may come David was a man under great trouble as in the reading of the 51. Psalm I believe you will finde he was under the greatest and forest troubles that ever was under trouble of conscience soul-trouble which is the soul of trouble and yet they could not make him forget Zion as you may see at the 18. verse of that Psalm Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion And though they sit in cieled houses yet so long as it is ill with the people of God they must pray and if they cannot overcome men with their prayers which yet they must endeavour yet they will endeavour to overcome God with their prayers and Ierusalem is never out of their thoughts when they come to pray to God And therefore as one observes though the sufferings of the people of God be precious in his sight so also in the sight of his Saints too I come now to open the second thing to shew you whence it is that there is this high estimation in the people of God of the people of God when they lie under their troubles and there are two heads of Reasons for it First in regard of those people of God that do behold their troubles and them under their troubles And Secondly in regard of those people of God that are under their troubles and thus beheld by them First in regard of those people of God that are thus that do behold those that are under these troubles and distresses in regard of themselves they have this high valuation of them and that in these three regards 1. The people of God that look upon others in the time of their trouble they are such as though differenced from them in regard of their outward estate they may be honourable themselves and well themselves yet they have an interest in the same head and belong to the same body that they do they are not wooden legs not glasse eyes of that body but they are real and true members they are not in Christ by way of visible profession but by way of invisible implantation now if so saith the Apostle If one member suffers another doth so that now they are interested in the same common Saviour and belong to the same common head and therefore Christ tells you he is called the Saviour of the body and the head of the whole And faith that lays hold upon Christ is called the like precious faith because the faith of one believer doth as truly lay hold upon Christ though not so strongly as the strongest faith doth and in this regard it is that they set such a high valuation upon the people of God Outward disproportion as to their birth and education and preferment puts no difference in a spiritual sense between Believer and Believer A King and a beggar all one in Christ a Iew or a Greek a great Schollar or a poor ignorant man as to their spiritual state all one all made happy the same way all are of the same head as to their spiritual relation and condition they are all under one 〈◊〉 of happiness though may be on shall have a greater and another a lesser degree yet they are as to the kind of it all mâ—…de partakers of one salvation And then another thing is this because they look at spiritual excellencies and 〈◊〉 able to discern spiritual excellencies they have a renewed judgement and a new eye as they look upon their old sins with new eyes so they look upon their company with new eyes those waies and practices that they looked upon before as lovely and excellent now they look upon as vile and base Prov. 12. 20. and those that they looked upon as vile and base they look upon as lovely and excellent those that they cared not for their company they look upon as more excellent then their neighbour as David saith in Psalm 16. My goodness Lord extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is my delighâ—… Here was now the renewed estimation that God bestowed upon Davids judgement to see these the excellent ones of the world which worldlings despised A carnal eye sees no glory but in carnal objects and persons worldly men see no beauty but in worldly men they bless the covetous whom the Lord abhors and they will speak well of a man when he doth good to himself when he is in his worldly grandeur and glory but now a spiritual eye he discerns spiritual excellency in the meanest Saint Brethren observe this notion it is an easie thing for a man to discern glory and lustre in a Picture or the like but not so easie for a men to understand true work Now a skilful eye discerns a great deal of curiosity in the holiness of the lives and wayes of gracious hearts but wicked men want this way of discerning there is a workmanship in the people of God You are his workmanship sâ—…ith the Apostle now this workmanship of God so far as it is expressed in the life a godly man is very much taken withal not with the worldly grandeur and gaudiness of a child of God but with the workmanship the spiritual excellency that is in him A beast can see the shining of a Diamond but knows not the worth of it it will rather lick up a lock of hay then a Diamond though of never so great a value a wicked man wants a spirit of discerning The four Monarchs of the earth are expressed by four beasts which shews their cruelty not their curiosity in observing that of God which may be observed As a child is taken with the gayness of his lesson but a learned man is taken with the learning of his lesson so a wicked man is taken with the gayness and trappings of Religion but a godly man is taken with the spiritual excellency that is in Religion Thirdly a child of God is one that imitates God he esteems and judges of the people of God as God judges of them As a childe you shall see he esteems as his father esteems if the father cannot endure to have such a one come to his house if the