THREE SERMONS PREACHED AT SHERBORNE IN DORSETSHIRE By WILLIAM LYFORD B. D. Being his last SERMONS Upon these words 2 Cor. 2.15 16. For we are unto God a sweet savour c. ACADEMIA OXONIESIS OXFORD Printed by H. HALL Printer to the University for EDVVARD FORREST 1654. 2. COR. 2.15 16. For we are unto God a sweet savour c. TWo parts of Chap. 1. Shewing the causes of his Indulgence towards that excommunicate person giving order for his reception into Fellowship upon his repentance testified 2. The successe of his Ministry v. 14. Now thanks be to God c. The praise and glory of the successe of our Ministrie is to be ascribed to God alone he causeth us to triumph q. d. notwithstanding al the oppositiōs we meet with all yet God giveth us the conquest where-ever we preach the Gospel all Countries are brought into subjection to the obedience of the faith he manifesteth the savour q. d. the doctrine of the Gospell is a sweet perfume blowne about with the Breath of the Apostles preaching into all parts of the world and doth sweeten and season them with saving knowledge q. d. God never placeth the faithful ministry of the Gospell in any place but he useth to make it savorie and fruitfull unto some in every place some were seasoned with it Ob. If so why then doe so many in every place reject the Gospell as an odious thing You stinke in the nostrills of some and are counted as the filth of the world Sol True unto some men we are so but yet unto God in his esteeme and account of us we are a sweet savour of Christ the knowledge of Jesus Christ spread abroad by us is pleasing to God though not salvificall to all q. d. we are a sweet savour of Christ we are pleasing gratefull and delightfull to God because by us is sent abroad the sweet savour of Christ the knowledge of his sweet mercy and grace to the corrupt world to save filthy sinners that lay rotting and stinking in their sinnes v. 16. This sweet doctrine is indifferently preacht to all but it worketh in a very different manner for as much as being received by beleevers it produceth in them life and salvation but being rejected by unbeleevers it sealeth up their condemnation it is a killing word to them Wee preach Christ a Saviour for to know him it is eternall life but to them that disobey him a Judge To some Christ preached is the power of God and the wisdome of God To others he is foolish nesse his Gospell is unsavorie a dead thing To the one sort he is a savour of life i. a vitall savour of spirituall life to life eternall of spirituall death unto death eternall to the other In the words 3. 1. the nature of the Gospell a sweet savour 2. The esteem that God hath of his Ministerie they are unto him a sweet savour for their works sake 3. The power of the Gospell it is unto life or unto death the one is effectus per se that which comes from it in its own nature the other per accidens that which follows upon the neglect contempt of 4. The difficultie of this calling who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient he remoues from himselfe the suspicion of arrogancie for neither he nor they are sufficient Foure doctrines First a sound Ministerie is a savorie Ministerie it sends forth a sweet savour of Christ to perfume the world or The Gospell Purely preached brings with it a sweet smell savour to the soules of God's elect Second doctrine The faithfull Ministers of Christ are well pleasing as a sweet smelling savour unto God both in them that be saved in them that perish God esteemes so of them however the successe be Third doctrine The same Ministery and the same doctrine preacht indifferently to all hath not the same effects in all It is to some a doctrine of life and salvation it hath â spirituall savour and rellish but to others it is a deadly savour it does thē no good Fourth doctrine Men are to be reckned in a state of life or death of perishing or being saved according as they doe or doe not receive the savour and rellish the doctrine of our ministerie of the Gospell for so the persons are here distributed I made choyce of this Text because from hence ariseth the fountaine of your everlasting weale or woe from peoples respect or disrespect to this ordinance I thinke you are glad to see me now But your aymes upon me should be spirituall for spirituall good What the issue will be God knowes if he hath more work for me he will restore me to his house and make you more diligent hearers that so both may rejoyce together First doctrine A sound Ministrie sends forth a sweet savour The Breath of the Gospell is a sweet odour or smell and God's faithfull Ministers are they that carry it blow it abroad to perfume season the soules of sinners that ly stinking in their sins and in a state of condemnation Ministers are in regard of their necessitie and utilitie or benefit to the world compared to light to shine to them that fit in darknesse to salt to season and preserve from putrifying and in this place to a sweet perfume to make the men of earth to savour of Christ of Religion of Heaven And that for two Reasons First Reason Because they open the mystery and riches of God's grace in Christ to lost and undone mankinde Mary Magdalen brought a Box of ointment of Spiknard very pretious And she brake the Box and poured it on Christ's head and the house was filled Mark 14.3 Joh 12.3 Christ himselfe is like that Box the Ministers open it the Treasures of wisdome and mercy that be in Christ and poure it on your heads the whole house where they preach is filled with the odour thereof you carry the sent of it upon you all the weeke after yea as long as you live Thus Cant. 1.3 Christ is compared to rich oyntments because of the savour of thy good ointments Christ was filled with all Graces anointed with the holy Ghost and Power the savour of these ointments is smelt when the Gospell preached is perceived by sense or judgement for by smell or savours is meant knowledge by sense and feeling It followes Thy name is as ointment powred forth Christ's name is by interpretation Anointed By his name is meant the doctrine of his grace the law of faith and the preaching of that grace is called the Bearing of Christ's name before the Gentiles Acts 9.15 That 's the pouring forth of that ointment Therefore doe the Virgins love thee that is They that bee chosen of God and faithfull who serve God with chast and pure mindes and are not tainted with the common pollutions of the world These love Christ they follow him they are taken with the odour of his pretious ointments which they perceive sensible to revive
and refresh their soules The second reason is Because the breath of their doctrine doth blow upon dead soules and doth breath into them the spirit of life In Ezek. 37.9 the Propher was willed to prophesie unto the winde say come O winde and blowe upon these slaine that they may live so I prophecied and the breath came into them and they lived The savour of Christ's doctrine is like this breath Cant. 4.16 Awake ô North winde and blow upon my garden that the spice thereof may flow out By this blowing is signified the ministration of his word and spirit bestowed on his people for their spirituall reviving and refreshing As on the contrary The restraint of God's graces by wholsome doctrine is signified by foure Angells holding the foure windes of the earth that the winde should not blowe on the earth nor on the sea Rev. 7.1 The savour of the knowledge of Christ is a breath of life it is that by which corruption is purged away which when it enters into the soule it doth become a savour of life unto life God maketh our words savorie and fruitfull to the Elect Againe in this Metaphor of sweet savour is an allusion to the ointment and the sweet incense which the Priests offered with their sacrifices So by the Gospell we season the soules of men and bring them as a sweet sacrifice unto God See Rom. 15.15.16 He speaks of his ministration That I should be the Minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles c. and the effect of it was By it he had prepared a sacrifice for God the offering up of the Gentiles They were unto God an offering of a sweet savour acceptable to God being sanctified by the holy Ghost A Sacrifice of the Gospell must not be a dead thing it must not be an uncleane or corrupt thing But being breathed upon with this sweet savour of Christ We offer our selves to God a living sacrifice holy and acceptable by Jesus Christ Rom 12.1 By preaching of faith we receive the spirit Gal. 3.2 The third Reason It sends forth a sweet savour of Christ to them that are already planted in Christ's garden to comfort and refresh their spirits When our spirits be spent and weake sweet things burnt doe refresh them So Cant. 4.16 Blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out The ministration of the Gospell causeth the sweet-smelling fruits of repentance faith love prayer thanksgiving to flow out that these fruits doe ripen all graces are strengthned and increased Thus under God we are a sweet savour of Christ that is we cause the sweet savour to be sent abroad because we open Christ's riches to the world because by it the dead soules are seasoned and they that live are comforted and refreshed First Use Are we a sweet savour of Christ Then see what a filthie thing sin is and what noysome offensive creatures men are that have not beene perfumed with this heavenly knowledge Second Use Therefore never thinke thou hast been a good hearer or hast profited by the Gospell till thy whole soule be filled and seasoned with the savour of Jesus Christ where the Gospell is purely preached received ibi reperitur vis odoris Christi there the efficacy of Christ's savour is found your rich perfumes of Leather or Cloath they are lasting the things perfumed will carry the sent for a long time yea it will never quite out so if you be perfumed with the knowledge of Christ It will make your affections your delights your comforts your praises your dispraises they will all savour of Christ so will your tongue so will your dealings so will your outward man They must all savour of Christ else doe not thinke 't is all well else 't is but like the perfuming of a dead carkasse I observe you cast your Rosemarie branches into the graves of your friends the smell refresheth you but not the dead because he is dead And it is a signe your soules are dead under a savorie ministrie when they still rellish and savour of the earth of rottennesse of folly vanity How few among us can say the ministrie hath been the savour of Christ to me Consider your own thoughts waies your wit and discourses what doe they savour of Of Christ Of heavenly things Nay rather of a Playbooke of an Alehouse of Atheisme of Epicurisme of Worldly delights Come to the Statesmen and Polititians of this world and what doe their counsells savour of Of Christ is the smell of Christ upon them Nay rather of Machiavell of Turcisme Come to the Gallants of our time if Christ should take them by their powdred hair by their naked backs by their painted and pictured faces What doe they smell off Of Christ Of Grace of Modesty Nay rather of Pride wantonnesse discontent at God's workmanship that has made them thus not faire enough not white enough Consider the waies of Christians their delights their labours their oppressions their covenant breaking How little rellish of Christ is to be found Men may justly think that such have not lived under a Ministerie that savours of Christ Surely all is not well with such Thou art not as yet one planted in the Garden of spices the ointment of Christ which is the graces of the holy Ghost have not yet descended upon thee Christ speakes thus to his Church Cant 4.10 How much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thy garments then all spices In Cant. 1.23 The Church admireth Christ's graces and preferreth Christ's love before wine here Christ doth the like of her love towards him here Christ shewes how much hee is taken with the graces of his Church Chap. 1. The Church extolleth the savour of Christ's oyntments here Christ doth hers Which did send forth a sweet savour like sweet-smelling spices A Christian is one anoynted with Christ's oyntment and we must cary the sent thereof upon all our actions See Za. 14.20.21 It tells you how holinesse should abound in times of the Gospell In that day there shall be upon the Bells of the horses Holinesse to the Lord and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowles before the Altar uppon the plate of gold which the High Priest did weare on his forehead was engraven Holines to the Lord Now that title must bee upon all things belonging to a Christian for we are made Priests unto our God as upon the Bridles of of our Horses that is upon the instruments of war of our labour and of our Recreations Holinesse must bee upon our garments upon our pots that is upon the Instruments of our eating and drinking Upon the Attire of many may be written not Holinesse to the Lord but Pride Lightnesse Vanitie prodigalitie upon their horses furniture Rapine Plunder and violence upon the Brims of their dishes Extortion and oppression upon their Cups excesses c. Whereas every thing belonging to a Christian should savour of Christianitie All the things
and not to another Remarkable to this purpose is that Rom. 11.7 But the Election hath obtained it The question is propounded vers 1. Hath God cast away his people No He proves it first in himselfe I am a Jew therefore all are not cast away Secondly God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew What then how stands the matter Why this is the conclusion the election hath obtained it the rest were blinded the elect have a preeminence above the rest the God of grace doth shine into their hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ But the God of the world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4.6 Reason 2 Of the event per accidens occasionally it provesa savour of death to some Quest Now let us consider what those occasions are or what those distempers are in the parties themselves seeing the difference cannot be in the ordinance it selfe which is the same to both it must be sought elsewhere Answer 1 The Gospell therefore proves a savour of death First sometimes on the Ministers part when they doe not deale faithfully when by flatteries they say to the soules that shall die yee shall live This the Lord complaines of Jer. 6.14 They dealt falsely they healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there was no peace Thus it comes to passe that the poore soule is hardned when men preach the free grace of God and mercy without laying before people the conditions whereupon mercy is promised when we promise them life and doe not presse upon them the necessitie of holy walking in the path of life mercy without repentance People must be sound in repentance in faith in puritie of conscience else we can promise them no peace of conscience we must put a difference betweene pretious and vile Jer. 15.19 We must not preach as if all alike should be saved as if the outward ordinances and communion therein were sufficient unlesse yee be circumcised in the heart as well as in the flesh baptized with the spirit inwardly called really converted c. Ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven we must deale clearely in this point else we delude the people Wee must tell you that 't is not all your moralities nor all your civilities nor all your formalities in prayer and comming to Church that makes a sound Christian yee must be humbled brought into covenant with Christ whatsoever is short of regeneration is short of salvation Thus Mat. 7.22 profession of Christ's name will not serve the turne A distinguishing Ministry is the savory saving Ministry which lets you see in what state you are whether in nature or in Grace Sheepe or Goates c. A promiscuous preaching of Christ's mercy to all without any other distinguishing markes doth cause a mis-application of the Gospell men that are sons of death thinke themselves Children of life Poore souls are blinded to their destruction through Ministers fault we must not warrant repentance to be true without faith nor faith to be true in any that see not their cursed state in nature that feele not their need of faith by reason of sin and misery Nor can we warrant faith in any Body that is not become a new Creature and the new-borne desire to grow by the sincere milke of the word c. The Gospell preaching mercy to the Lumpe is a truth But that word must be rightly divided and mercy applyed to whom it is promised On the peoples part foure waies 1. By reason of their carelesnesse customarinesse in religion not Examining Trying and Applying to themselves in particular the markes and truths deliver'd when the faithfull Ministers shew the world how their sins are pardoned and how they must get into the Covenant of Grace to have their deadly woe removed people doe not marke it nor take paines about it but esteeme of it as a light matter as if God were beholding to them for hearing the Gospel of Salvation This Customarinesse you discover by carelesnesse in hearing and after hearing some lay them to sleepe others play with their Children others place themselves out of hearing c. people plainly shew that they come not as people that are to deale in matters of salvation and damnation If our Gospell be hid 't is hid to them that are lost the light thereof shines cleare but the fault is in your selves you are content to be blindfolded and holden back from so great a treasure as is cōmunicated in the Gospell O Is it not a sad thing and yet too true that in many houses not one of the familie knowes himselfe to be saved All such saving knowledge is a mysterie to them you think you have repented because you have sorrowed for some particular sin and that you have faith because you hold some doctrines of faith the Divels doe the same But how to know your selves to be the elect of God though it be clearly laid forth by your Ministers yet that heavenly truth is not understood because you are not carefull to trie your selves and to prove your estate to be good All is but a dead and unsavorie thing upon your spirits Whereas the conscionable hearer doth finde spirituall life in such distinguishing truths he is comforted and quickned finding his name to be written in the book of God 2 Secondly it proves a deadly savour to you by reason of the discontent pride self-selfe-love and contentiousnesse of your spirits that will not endure to be reproved or searched you stumble at the word through disobedience be angry with that which should doe you most good quarrell at the Light Now when people be thus settled on their Lees when they have such stumbling-blocks of iniquitie in their hearts now I say that word which brings life to others brings death to you you see no good in it As if you stir a dunghill it stinks the worse so if you rake in a fowle heart the mud and filth that 's in it doth arise and corruption works the more O what reasonings and sidings with sin and Satan ô what anger and opposition against the Light Sin taking occasion by the Commandement saies Paul wrought in me all maner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 The Law did put no evill motion into his heart but wrought that is did stir it up it was there before it set corruption aworke If the word doe not prevaile to subdue and purge out corruption then it stirs it up and sets it a working and so proves a savour of death to you Whereas the same doctrines reproofes and searching trialls to the saved ones do yeeld a savour of life Good is the word of the Lord I am vile I am uncleane thy word is truth Hic ure hic seca ut in aeternum parcas Let thy word cut
and not spare my heart my dearest corruptions Let it discover my ignorance my hypocrisie my unsoundnesse in repentance my formalitie in duties c. It shall not be unto me as an enimies sword but as a Surgion's knife that cuts to heale my wound my festered soule Although the word puts you to strong fightings to sad feares to doubtings and disputings within your selfe yea to lowd cries through depth of sorrow and bring you into combates with Satan yet you will see there is a savour of life in it you will not let goe your hold of it till it bring forth judgement unto victorie As one in danger of drowning will take hold of a naked sword though it cut him rather then sinke in the water it is better to be cut then drowned so the saved ones will keep and hold fast the word though with some great difficulties rather then give over their soule into the Divel's hands and themselves into perdition Thus the word is a savour of life to them though it cut and smart there is life in it it is good it 's sweet they rellish spirituall counsell in it it proves to them a true and faithfull word Thus by occasion of peoples frowardnesse and discontent at the word it proves odor mortis 3 Thirdly By reason of prejudices and hard conceits of the Preacher many a sound truth is lost and disrellished for the sake of him that brings it as Ahab said of Micaiah Here is one Prophet of the Lord but I hate him c. If the same truths were delivered by other men O how pretious would they be But such a man I cannot endure to heare though they cannot be charged with negligence or unsufficiency in their Ministry nor with scandall and disorder in their lives But some by-respects turnes away our hearts from them and from their Doctrine for their sakes As some are young and have no judgement some are old and they wax childish againe some are rich and they are covetous some are poore and therefore Contemptible and we will not be taught by such some tell the peoples faults in the Pulpit and meddle with that they have nothing to do withall and we doe not like that for they are malitious and at enmitie with us some are not of our side c. And though none of these things be faults yet people stumble at them It therefore much availes with what affections we come to heare The ignorant and scandalous the superstitious and factious are just offences unfit to be Teachers But doe not lay a stumbling-block in thine own way because the person is not in every respect such a one as thou desirest If thou wert on the Scaffold to be beheaded thou wouldst welcome a pardon though brought by the hand of a person not so well thought of so c. 4 Fourthly a savour of death because people doe not heare the words as the word of God but of man People doe not come to it nor look upon it as an ordinance of divine authoritie but an exercise of humane wit and charitie and accordingly they doe not receive it with reverence and faith but with the head with applause or dispraise according as the matter is carried See 1. Thess 2.13 Yee received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God that 's the right way of receiving heavenly truths not because we say it but because it is God's word and that 's the true way to profit by what we heare for then it worketh effectually in them that believe An ordinary retainer to a Kings Court may tell what the Embassadours message is but that 's of no respect unlesse the Embassadour doe deliver it as from his Master that sent him So c. I have seene it printed and heard it spoken by way of complaint that the ordinances now adaies have lost their converting power And well it may be so when as gifted men are heard with equal respect to God's Ministers Gifted men are like but a retainer to the Court they cannot preach in the name of the Lord they cannot lay obedience upon mens conscience and why Because the Lord hath not sent them the Lord speaks not by them they speake of themselves And since they are cried up and God's messengers decried the conscience of the hearer is at libertie to obey or not obey the word And doubtlesse much is to be laid to their charge for the generall contempt of the Gospell preached it 's made a matter of indifferencie whom we heare c. Beware of that errour See Mat. 7.29 For he taught them as one having autority So must we preach and so must you heare Vse 2 Signe 1 For Conviction Because some gather poyson from the sweetest flowers from the most wholesome truths frō the Doctrine it selfe such is the blindnesse of some and the perversnesse of other mens wits reasonings As for Example the Comfortable Doctrine of Predestination yeelds a deadly savour to some for thus they argue If God have appointed who shall be saved and that none shall be saved but the elect then say some To what end should the Gospell be preached to reprobates In vaine is all prayer preaching and holy Endeavours If we be not elected All our striving is in vaine if we be elected we shall be saved though we doe take such paines about salvation c. This Doctrine you see yeelds a deadly savour to some it 's made a cloack to carelesnesse and security Ans First consider the nature of God's decree it is not a simple absolute peremptory ordayning of an end without meanes God's Act electing is Relative and Copulative with respect unto Christ Eph. 1.4 He chose us in him that we should be holy and without blame before him in love with 2 Th. 2.13 We are bound to give thankes to God for you brethren Because God hath from the Beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit beliefe of the truth 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man therefore purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell of honour c. These things are conjoyned God's elect are not a profane berren uncleane kind of people good for nothing but holy pure fruitfull and by such good workes is our calling made sure 2 Pet. 1.10 And the proper result of this Doctrine is this I will strive to be holy to purify my conscience from all iniquitie They which make Religion their businesse c. have the seal of Election upon their hearts Hence they thus reason Is not the knowledge of my election unto life worth all the paines that I shall take to attaine it and worth all the sweete sins which I am to relinquish for it will all the world be able to recompence the losse of my soule of my God what stronger motive to Godlinesse can be proposed to an unconverted soule Secondly especially considering that this Doctrine does not tell any man in particular that he