Scriptures that when blessings are there mentioned the Lord sets an acâ—… upon the special benefits when he names what he had done for his people as his people of Israel I brought you out of Egypt and delivered you from Pharaoh these and these great mercies I wrought for you The Lord looks for great thankfulness for great mercies So when he speaks to David I tooke thee from the Ewes with yong and gave thee the Kingdome c. These great mercies As you must be thankfull for all so you must render according to the greatness of them This mercy bestowed upon Hezekiah was a great mercy and that he was not thankful for it accordingly the Lord took it ill at his hands Therefore that you may fulfil this condition you ought to look back to the former passages of your lives and consider what notable blessings you have received what great deliverances And still remember that as the mercies go beyond them which others have so we must go beyond them in thanksgiving for we ought to render to the Lord according to the mercies received Fourthly This is also required that it be presently done but Hezekiah did not render according to the mercies received It might have been said though Hezekiah had not yet done it yet he might do it afterward for the Ambassadours came to him immediately after his recovery yet because he did not do it at that time but deferred it you see the Lord takes the deferring to do it for an omission of it The Lord looked for this at his hands that as he had received great mercies from him so he should be careful to render thanks and to render it presently It is a sinne against God in a special manner although we should perform a duty yet to put it off and not perform it in due season Every duty we perform ought to have right circumstances the very deferring of our thankfulnesse is that which debaseth and lesseneth it as well as the omission of it David when he would shew himself thankful for the mercies he had received he would not go to bed nor suffer his eyes to slumber till he had found out a place for God We should therefore take heed of delayes in this kind When we go about any ill action indeed it is good to delay but in the service of the Lord the more hast the better In the service of the Devil and sin the more hast the worst speed To use an argument from the greater to the less As we see in Abraham there was two great commands that he had the one was to put away Ishmael The other to offer Isaack The Text notes this that in both of them he rose early he did not defer it For although they were duties very contrary to his flesh as he was a man yet because the Lord commanded it he did them speedily I say if in these duties which were burdensome and hard duties it is noted in the text that Abraham did them speedily what ought we to do in the duty of thankfulness It was the commendation of Abrahams servant that he would not eat nor drink till he had done his Masters business and declared his message When we have business of the Lords to do it is a sign of diligence to do it speedily Why is that noted in the servant of Abraham Is it not for our learning These four things therefore are to be observed Now to apply this If this be a thing that the Lord looks for at our hands that we render according to the mercies received Then let every one of us consider whether we have answered this expectation of the Lord or no Among men there is nothing so grevious as when their expectation is crossed When a man expects a thing from his Wife or his Friend or his Child and receives not according to that expectation there can be nothing more grievous When we answer not the Lords expectation it causeth his wrath to be kindled Now you shall find that in these cases in case of great affliction in case of great deliverance in case of great means in all these cases the Lord expects great thankfulness When the Lord sendeth afflictions and we do not make use of them when we are not drawn in by them when we are not wrought upon by them This is a thing that provokes him to anger You know what is said of Ahaz that when he was afflicted he was worse and worse This is King Ahaz he rebelled yet more and more A brand is set upon him The Lord looked for fruit from the fig-tree and when he found it not he cursed it When the Lord shall send such a mercy as he hath now to us to remove this visitation be sure the Lord looks now for something more then ordinary at your hands Consider therefore how you answer his expectation And if you say every one of us hath not such interest in it Those that have been in the danger and been in the fire and have escaped out of it let them look to it No my brethren let us know that every one of us have an interest in it for let me ask you When the Lord sends a sickness and it lights but upon one place of the Kingdome yet the Lord is at controversie with the whole Nation he is at war with the whole land For the end of a plague is to discover the wrath of God and that he is displeased with the whole people Now consider with thy self when the Lord hath a controversie with the Land who is he that should answer this there is no action of a whole body so considered that can be expected but every particular man must take notice of it and if every particular man why doth it not belong to thee as well as to another The Lord looks for this at the hands of every man that he should consider his dealing in sending this sickness and visitation and that he should consider again his mercy in removing it to humble himself under the one and be thankful for the other And this thankfulness is to be inward and in truth I say this belongs to every one of us And remember that if we answer not his expectation wrath will return upon us as it is said it did upon Hezekiah as the text saith I confess we have cause to fear that the Lords expectation is not answered among us that we have not profited by this judgement as we ought Let us remember this that if we have not a worse thing will befal us For it is a usual thing with the Lord to send diverse afflictions to take away one to try us and to make known his patience and if we do not amend then lesser wedges make way for greater as it is Levit. 26. If ye return not I will send greater judgments I will plague you seven times more That in Ier. 34. is worthy our observation when the Lord had sent Nebuchadnezar
take part of them And this is the use we should also make of this doctrine In so doing we do an acceptable thing unto God it s the great design he hath in the manifesting of his mercies You cannot doe him a better turn then to take the riches of his mercie in not doing it you cannot displease him more for to what end hath he declared this to you Is it not that you may come in and partake of them Must it not displease him therefore if you refuse them Suppose a great man that hath provided a feast a costly and sumptuous feast he hath made all ready when all is done his guests that were invited come not will it not trouble him exceedingly Certainely the Lord is angry when you are all invited to a rich feast and yet you will not come You know the parable in the Gospel how he was angry with those that were invited and came not because his mercy was in vain now when you shall hear that there are riches of mercy in God if you make no use of it it is in vain to you and to take the riches of Gods mercy in vain is to take his name in vain and you know what he saith that he will not bolde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Exod. 22. To this purpose consider that place in Exod. 34 5. 6. where God descended in a cloud and proclaimed the name to Moses and what was that A strong God mercifull and gracious abundant in mercy and truth This was his name now to take these mercies in vain that is not to make use of them is to take the name of God in vain When you swear by the name of God idlie in your common speech that is a verbal taking of his nâ—m in vain and it is a great sin but when you make no use of Gods mercies but take them in vain that is a reall taking his name in vain Quest. Now what is it to take his mercies in vain Answ. It is not to make use of them therefore when you hear of this abundance of mercy that is in God if you do not make use of it and earnestly lay hold upon it so as to improve it for your own advantage you take the grace of God in vain Consider therefore what you have and what you do when you make no use of these mercies how you have his riches layed before you without any particular advantage by them Consider what there is in God that he is abundant in mercy not to know it is to take his name in vain in frustrating the end of their manifestation it is a treasure it may be that you think not of you know not it may be what it is to have a mercifull God therefore consider what God is consider the largeness of his power and the greatness of his wisdom and the riches of his mercy Consider that he is your portion that he is your husband and this is required of you to make use of him to the uttermost What a comfortable life might Christans live if they would do thi What do you vexing and perplexing your selves a bout trifflâ—s Is it for you to take care for matters belonging to your credit and preferment and for other things of this life with that perplexitie and sollicitude The better way is to know God in the greatness of his mercy and to make use of him Shall one have a rich father and make no use of him Shall one be a favorite to a prince and not make some use of it for his one advantage In these things not to do it you reckon it a point of carnall follie I am sure it is a great want of spiritual wisdome not to make use of God specially when not onely you may do it but when it is a sin if you do it not for indeed it is for your masters credit as well as for your own comfort and therefore the Lord will be angry when you do it not When he looks into the world and seeth such a servant standing ragged poor and hungrie he speakâ—s angerly to him why stand you here ragged and poor Am not I rich in mercy May you not go in and take changes of raiment and cloath your selyes from top to toe Therefore my brâ—â—â—â—â— be exhorted to make this use of the riches of Gods mercies take an exceeding great portion of them let them not be in vain to you fill your souls and your bodies too take enough for the present and lay it up for the future Quest. But now I have spent so much time in exhortation the question will be how you shall do it Perhaps you will say it is true we would do it who would not have mercy but shew us the way to attain to this mercy Ans. I will adde therefore to this exhortation the means whereby you shall partake of these riches of his mercy and I will name but these four the first way is this First To be hungring after the mercies of God to prize them and esteem them much to desire them much as you thirst more so you shall have more of them and this you will never do without the sense of misery that very much endears the mercy of God and the love of Christ therefore labour to be sensible of your misery that you may hunger after the mercies of God and then according to your desires you shall partake of those mercies This I observe out of the place of Luke 1. 53. He filleth the hungry with good things c If you ask the way to have a full portion of the mercies of God that place sheweth you he filleth the hungry with good things look what kind of mercies men are hungry after I speak of spiritual mercies other mercies we are forward enough to hunger after If we hunger after spiritual mercies it is the way to be filled with them and indeed God will not bestow them without this for they will not be Sweet to you you would not acknowledge Gods hand to you in them you would do nothing for them when you have got them therefore he will have them much prized this you cannot do without the sence of your misery without them If you did but see the depth of your misery it would make you see the height of his mercy he that knoweth the mercies of God out of a feeling of his misery he knoweth them experimentally and sensibly An intellectual contemplation of the mercies of God is one thing and an experimental knowledge of them is another thing this latter you cannot have without the sence of misery Now the mercies you should hunger after are of two sorts First The one that belong to the outward man and here you need no motives but yet even in these things God will have men to smart many times that they may know what health is and what the comforts of our present conditions are and
not of a disposition fit to receive these mercies of God that we declare to you So those that were invited to the mariage of the kings son in the gospel the text saith they were not worthy what was that They had no hunger after the feast they prized it not and therefore they were unwilling to come If you would therefore have the mercies of God be worthy of them labour to be in a disposition fit to receive them Now as we said before by worthiness we do not me an any measure of grace whatsoever or any preparations as if they came under any merit or desert it seems good to the God of all grace by deeply affecting and humbling of us under our sins to beget in us vehement desires after Christ our Saviour Again you must take a resolution to serve him with a perfect heart for the time to come though you have no worthiness for the present if you be in such a disposition as you have this the more so you shal have the more mercies But this is not all it is true this is required in the beginnings of mercy viz. an exceeding great desire after forgiveness But a resolution to serve God for the time to come this is to receive or to be worthy viz. to be willing to part with father and mother and all for Christ such a disposition must be wrought in you before you can lay hold upon any part in these riches yet I say this is not all but if you would have these mercies continued you must walk worthy of them those gracious qualifications are ordered in tendency to your introduction and admittance into the Covenant of grace and the mercies here spoken of but after you are brought into covenant with God you cannot secure the comfortable contents of it unlesse you labour to walk worthy of them pleasing the Lord in all things as St Paul saith and as it is in Psal. 18. 25. with the upright man thou wilt shew thy selfe upright and with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward that is you shall finde as much mercy in me as I finde Enemies of behaviour in you but if you walk stubbornly and frowardlie with me I will walke stubbornly with you Therefore it is that when the Saints stepp out of the way and walk unevenlie with God that he chafteneth and afflicteth them herecompenseth saith Solomon the righteous in this life that is he afflicteth the righteous when they go astray from his waies Put this together with that place in 1 Pet. 1. 17. we call him father that judgeth every man according to his works that is he doth this to his own children chasteneth and afflicteth them when their carriage to him is not upright Therefore saith the Apostle making this as a motive to that exhortation which followeth passe the time in fear take heed now of offending for we call him father that judgeth every man according to his works for though it be true that God is rich in mercy yet there must be a worthy walking for he holdeth not the wicked innocent though he deal wisely and lovingly wiâ—h his children yet he will be sanctified in them he will have such a carriage from them as befitteth those that are his children therefore as you would have him deal mercifully with you so you must walk worthy of his mercies The next Consectarie is this If God be rich in mercy then be willing to serve him you know a mercifull man a liberal man never wanteth workmen every man is willing to betake himselfe to a rich and merciful master That is the use I finde made of it in Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not the Lord with chearfulness of heart for the abandance of all things as if he should have said seeing he hath given thee abundance of all things he lookes that thou shouldest serve him with chearfulness therefore when you hear of the riches of Gods mercy you must make this use of it to be willing to serve him with chearfulness of heart So it is in Rom. 12. I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy c. that is if God have been so merciful to you then give up your selves to serve him altogether consecrate your selves wholly to him let your bodies and mindes serve for no other use but for his service for so it is when a thing is consecrated to the Lord nothing else hath to do with it but onely the Lord if he be therefore an exceeding merciful God give up your selves wholly to his service Object This is that we had need to exhort you to it may be every man will be apt to say we serve the Lord and who is there that serveth him not Answ. But my brethren the truth is we do not serve the Lord and whatsoever we say yet we serve other masters and not him we serve men we serve the world we serve our riches we serve our credits we serve our lusts and very few there are that serve the Lord that is look what men have an eye to in their actions that they serve Consider therefore what you do in your actions look what you do with respect to your wealth and profit therein you serve but your profit and not God look what you do with respect to honour amongst men therein you serve men and not the Lord the like I may say or other things so that if you examine your actions you shall finde that God hath but a little part in all your performances but still some by-respect cometh in between But you must know that all the talents that you have are given you for this end that you may serve your master with them all the riches the honour the strength the wit the learning c. that you have you should serve the Lord with them but we do not serve him altogether we serve respects of our own by respects we serve men with them when there is a man upon whom our rising dependeth it is wonder to see with what solicitude and vigilancy we serve him the like we may say of other respects that we have in things that concern our selves in these or the like we use the talents that God hath given for his service to our own advantage and not for our masters benefit When we do things in sinâ—…rity unto God as in the sight of God this is to serve the Lord this we should do in all our callings and therefore though â—…u must follow your callings yet as it is said of servants Eph 5 that though they serve men yet they are the servants of the Lord and therefore they were to do their service as unto the Lord even so should every man in his calling men should have their eyes upon the Lord do it because he commandeth them to do it because it tendeth to his glory because some honour will redound unto him thereby
Now consider what is the reason that every man for the most part serves other things and not the Lord it is because they think they give better wages then God doth you think you shall fare the better if you serve such a man you think your riches will do you a better turn then if you should fix your eyes onely upon God you think your credit will do you more good then if you served the Lord you think your lusts will give you more content then if you applied your self wholly to Gods service Therefore if you would amend this fault draw your hearts from the creature to the creator and consider that he is exceeding merciful that he is rich in mercy you shall not lose your labour for he is a good master he hath a good eye that is he considereth what his servants are and looks upon them with a pittiful eye and is ready to help them at every need and therefore as it is said of the kings service no service to his so it may be said of the Lords no service to his all his servants have found it so otherwise as it is said of the believers in Heb. 11. they had opportunity to return again but they found the Lords service to be the best the present wages he giveth are better then the wages that the world giveth or that our lust giveth u besides what is laid up for us for eternity In a word if we could perswade you to this that God is rich in mercy to his servants you would do all you did with respect to him To the end therefore that we might perswade you we will draw you to particulars you shall see that there are in God all the properties of a good master which may perswade you to give up your selves to his service First He is ready to take any thing at a servants hand that he can do he looks not altogether for exactness if they do but little so long as it proceeds from a pure heart he accepteth of it and therefore as it was said of Daniel though he was sick yet he was about the kings business even so the saints and servants of God have sick souls oftentimes yet notwithstanding if they go about the Lords business if they put their hands but to the work and do but shew their desire to it the Lord considereth it and takes it in good part for God is a loving and a wise master one that is loving he seeth what his servants can perform as it is in Psalm 103. he knoweth wherefore we are made and therefore will exact no more at our hands then we are able to do Again he is a wise master he knoweth with whom he hath to deal and therefore though we are not so exact in holiness yet if we serve him in sincerity though with much weakness he accepteth it see how he did in this case with Iob Iob you know in his afflictions mingled with his patience much impatience as the cursing the day of his birth and wishing for death c. yet notwithstanding see how God maketh mentioÌ„ of him in the Epistle of St. Iames Iames. 5. 11 Have you not heard of the patience of Iob So David a man subject to many and great failings yet God passeth by all and accepts of him and giveth him this report that he was a man after his own heart and did fulfill his pleasure This is one property that is in God Secondly he is a kinde master ready to grant what his servants shall ask at his hands he hath made them such a promise Ask what you will and it shall be given to you Thirdly If they do offend in any thing as what servants are there properly but they do offend if they be lesser and ordinary infirmities he passeth them by as if he saw them not if they be greater sins that they commit he is ready to pardon them if they confesse and forsake them Fourthly if they fall into any misery if into sickness of body he tendreth them in their sickness he makes their bed soft in their sickness that is he sweeteneth their afflictions if they fall into any trouble of any kinde he knoweth their soul in adversity Men are ready to forget us in adversity but the Lord knoweth us so in poverty I know thy poverty saith God to the angel of the church of Smyrna In a word in all outward afflictions he looks upon them tendereth them and regardeth them many others masters care not for their servants much when they are weak and sick but God tendereth his servants in all their afflictions Fifthly He casteth not off an old servant though he do ran into divers transgressions and often provoke him to anger with men one fault or infirmity in a servant causeth a breach yea ten years service is often lost with one failing with one contrary action but God doth not so he casteth not off an old servant but makes a sure covenant with him even the sure mercies of David that is even as he shewed mercy to David though he was unconstant and failed grievously yet he had sure mercies the like hath every one of his servants Sixthly he observeth all that they do there is not an action or worke that they do in which they lose their labour I know thy work saith God to the angel of the Church in Thyatira and thy charitie and thy faith and thy patience c. not any thing that we do for God but he observeth and rewardeth it not the least thing we suffer for him but he considereth it and giveth an hundred fold even in this life not a good action that we perform but shall do us good one time or other not a prayer we make or any thing we do in sinceritie of heart but the Lord remembreth it though we forget it and that is a great comfort to a servant all that ever he hath done evill in shall be forgotten but not a good action but shall be remembred and recompensed â—nd not onely to him shall be a recompense but to is pâ—steritiâ— also many a servant is well rewarded by his master or his time but it may be his children are never the better for it but I have been young and now am old saiâ—h David yet never saw I the righteous for saken or their seed begging bread Seventhly if he do châ—stise his servants it is with much gentleness and lenity he lays no more on then needs must no more then is for their profit no more then they can well â—ear You shall finde this excellently exprest in Psalm 78. Many a time turned he his anger away and did noâ—â—â—ir up all his wrath for he remembred that they were but flesh c. They offended many times and provâ—ked him to wrath even so that he was ready to strike yet he turned a way his anger many a time that is often-times they deserved
consider well of those speeches God is onely wise and onely good and onely excellent consider well of them We think that he is wise that he is good but not onely wise and onely good the more you do this the more godly you grow the more you are out of conceit with your selves the more you grow into a high opinion of God to set up him the more the Lord dwells in your hearts for you must know there are degrees of Gods dwelling in a mans heart As a vessel the more it is emptied of that which was in it the more it admits of other liquor that is poured into it As it is in a house another man may dwell in it but I may keep a room in it but when there is no In-mate in the house then a man is said to dwell in it plentifully to be altogether in it to be the Lord of every room So it is when God comes to dwell in the heart of a man so far as a man bears rule in his own heart keeps possession there himself so much less is God there And so much less as he is in himself so much less as he rules in himself so much more plentifully doth God dwell there because God rules most when a man doth subject himself to him altogether that is when he doth nothing but his work when he considers what it is that the Lord would have him to do in every thing When a man resigns up himself to God he resigns up his affections and all to be ruled and regulated according to his will to act according to his pleasure When a man is to speak any thing he will be still looking what warrant he hath from the Lord and so when he is to do any thing Oh my Brethren that we could do but this As men when they serve great Kings and Princes when they see that their making or marring depends upon them whatsoever may displease them that they will curiously and carefully look to avoid and what may please them they will exactly observe Is not the Lord the great King of heaven and earth should we not look on him altogether This is without exception no man shall erre in this In following a man a man may hurt himself he may be led into by-wayes that may turn to his disadvantage but in following God it is not so Take the wisest man that is yet he is subject to some error but the Lord he is righteous altogether his wayes are perfect Therefore if a man would take that resolution to himself Well I will look upon my self no more nor to any creature but I will deny my self altogether and look to God and see what he will have me to do whether I sink or swim whatsoever becomes of me this is the wisest man and the happiest man and this is the property of godliness And as you do this the more so the more you are godly men And the root of all this is when a man makes no account of himself and sees God in all for a man will have a ground for what he doth And if you could bring your hearts to this to see all your happiness in God and all your safety there you would soon deny your selves in every thing else and seek him altogether And now onely we will add by reason of the Sacrament which is to be administred You that are now to receive have occasion especially to make use of this though it be a work that we have all to do as at all other times so especially at this time But you will say what is this to the Sacrament You must know what the Sacrament is and then you shall see how close this will come to it Mark 16 we find these words He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that will not believe shall be damned What is the meaning of that He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved The meaning is this saith he if you will believe in Jesus Christ if you will take him for your Lord and Husband and if you will be baptized What is Baptism When you are baptized you are baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that is you shall give up your selves to God altogether You shall bear his Name you shall be no more your own for you are baptized into his Name and you are called after his Name as the Wife is called after the Name of her Husband so you shall be called Christians Now when you take this Sacrament you must do this really for doth the Lord care for the title no but you must give over your selves to him really So that when you are to be called by his Name the meaning is you must do it in the substance you must give up your selves to his service indeed That is you must do two things in the Sacrament First you profess this to all the world that whereas before you served other gods or served your selves now you profess to all the world that you are the servants of God So that we say when you come to receive the Sacrament you not onely profess that you are Christians but you bind your selves to be so really I say in the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there are these two things done First the Lord engageth himself to you I will be your Master I will be your General I will be your Husband And again you engage your selves to him that he shall be your Lord and you his people that he shall be your Master your General and you will be his servants and his followers This is done every time you receive the Sacrament the Lord renews his Covenant with you it is done at your first coming in at your first ingrafting into the Church by Baptism but the Lords Covenant is renewed in this Sacrament therefore that you may not forget it he saith Take this is my body that is take this as a sign of it that I have given my self for you and when you take it it is a sign that you give your selves up unto the Lord. So that think with your selves therefore when you come to the Sacrament you profess your selves to be Christians godly men that is men that will serve God and serve Christ altogether This Sacrament I say it is but a renewing of the Covenant for that is the end of it it is but the celebrating of the nuptials anew As sometimes you know men will keep their marriage-day a Festival yearly So we do in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as Ionathan and David they had made an oath together before but they renewed it again and again that they might be strengthened and confirmed in one anothers love So this is your worthy receiving of this Sacrament to strengthen your former Covenant with God Therefore it is good when you are to receive to think how much since the last time
IOHANNIS PRESTONI VIRI CLARISSIMI S. S. THEOLOGIAE DOCTORIS EFFIGIES RICHES OF MERCY TO MEN IN MISERY OR Certain Excellent Treatises concerning the Dignity and Duty of Gods Children By the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Doctor of Divinity and Chaplin in Ordinary to his Majesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolns Inne Psal. 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him LONDON Printed by I. T. and are to be sold by Iohn Alen at the Rising Sun in Pauls Church Yard 1658. THE PREFACE KNow Christian Reader that this Remainder of Doctor Prestons works was never heretofore extant being the last of His that are likely to see the light taken by the same pen that his other works were and no way inferior to those already published Dr. Sibbs of eminent memory contemporary with Dr. Preston and one of those to whom he committed the publishing of what should be thought fit for publick view did in his life time own these Treatises by affixing his approbation to them And the Attestation of such Reverend authority forbids any doubt concerning the Author or worth of the work though this Treatise may inherit Orphans usage being not so exactly polished as it would have been had the Author lived But the filings of Gold and the dust of Diamonds must not be made waste of such advantages have accrucd to the souls of men by his other labors that we could not think it any lesse then a wrong to the Church of Christ to conceal any thing that might make for it 's spiritual benefit Perhaps thou wilt ask why this Piece was so long suppressed To which I answer the age hath doted so much about new lights that we perceived Old Truths to be neglected and laid aside but after men had filld themselves with their own devices and found their souls thriven no more then if they had fed upon ashes the vicious humor came to be abated and their appetite was reduced to a better state by the great Physician who testified his dearest respect to mens souls by the price he paid for restoring of them The intent of these Sermons is to promote the work of grace in the heart and life of a true Believer Not onely to enlarge the knowing faculty but chiefly to improve the practical part and distribute god liness through the whole man The Rickets are not so epidemical in the bodies of Children as in the soules of men and women whose heads are swollen with notions while their feet are feeble in heavenly motion The benefit of this work will better appear by thy serious perusal thereof from which I shall no longer detain thee Farewel Doctor Sibbs his testimony of this Treatise This Treatise hath nothing offensive in it but contains arguments tending to edification and may be of singular use and comfort to all true Believers R. Sibbs THE CONTENTS Of the Sermons in this Book Ephes. 3. 16. Doct. 1. That God is exceeding merciful p. 1. 1. To move men to come unto him 2. 2. It affords a ground of confidence to all distressed sinners ibid. 3. All men are exhorted to look after a portion in his abundant mercy ibid. Quest. What to take his mercies in vain answered 4. Means to partake of Gods mercy 6. Two sorts of mercies to be hungred after 7. Gods mercy a motive to duty 8. Motives to this from the severall properties in a good Master which are all found in God 20. Comfort to the Church from the consideration of Gods mercy 24. Why God afflicts his children 26. Doct. 2. Gods mercy is his Glory or God accounts it his glory to be merciful 28. USE 1. Doubt not but your petitions shall be heard for it is his glory to shew mercy 30. 2. Glorifie God in his mercy which is his glory ibid. Sermon 2. D. 1. Inward strengthning should be the earnest desire of a Christian. 38. Wherein this spiritual strength is seen 40. USE 1. Blaming them that seek not after this strength 44. Advantages of this spiritual strength 49. 2. Exhorting all men to labour after spiritual strength 60. Several motives to labour after it 61 62. 3. Directions for the attainment of spiritual strength 67. Several means 69. Rules propounded 72 c. Hinderances 77. c. D. 2. Sanctifying grace proceeds from the sanctifying spirit 82. How the spirit strengthens grace in the soul. 83. USE 1. Without the holy Ghost wee are without strengthening and sanctifying grace 85. Signs of having the spirit 88. 2. Above all things to labor for the spirit 106. Benefits of having the spirit 107. D. 3. The spirit is freely given 113. USE Terrour to them which have not the spirit 114. Means to obtain the holy spirit 115. Ephes. 3. 17. D. A great prerogative the saints have that Christ dwells in their hearts 121. What it is to have Christ dwell in our hearts 122. The benefits of Christs dwelling in our hearts 125. USE 1. To judge aright of Gods working in your hearts 135. 2. To saints that they would rejoyce in this priviledge that Christ dwells in them 139. Rom. 8. 34. D. Nothing can hinder the salvation of a believer 145. Reasons if it 147. USE 1. To see a necessity of all those blessed means whereby Christ is pleased to communicate himself 150. 2. Confutation of the Church of Rome as to their doctrine of doubting 152. Objections answered 153. 3 Of examination about the certainty of our spiritual state 160. 2 Tim. 2. 1. D. 1. Grace hath a strengthening property 183. Reasons 186 187. USE 1 To examine whether we have grace 189. Strength of grace in three things 192. Grace enables to actions of new obedience 200. And to constancy in it 201. D. 2. All Grace received from Christ. 207. Christs willingnesse to match with us 208. D. 3. Wee must not onely get strength but use it 212. USE To quicken us to our duties in the putting forth of our strength 217. Helps to exercise spiritual strength 219. Necessity of it 223. 2 Tim. 3. 5. D. 1. Godlinesse onely accepted and required of God 233. Godlinesse what 235. To exalt God 237. Reasons of the point 238. USE 1. Not to content our selves with any thing that nature hath wrought in us 242. Application to the Sacrament 246. Godlinesse how wrought 251. 2. Exalt God in your hearts 253. 3 Labour to excell in Godlinesse 256. D. 2. Most men have but a form of godlinesse 257 Reasons of it ibid. USE To examine whether we have onely a form 261. Five differences between the power and form of godlinesse 263. 2 Tim. 1. 13. Doct. The words of a Minister must bee wholesome 271. Reasons of it 273. USE 1. Two sorts of words are reproved 276. 2. The people must receive nothing but what is wholesome 283. 3 We ought to esteem wholesome words as our food 288. 4. What the behaviour of Ministers ought
your hearts are estranged from God how much you have forgotten God He is your Lord your Master you must be his servants therefore renew it now and bring your hearts back again This is indeed the very renewing of the Covenant and a drawing near to God and it giveth strength unto you and makes the union more firm that is the more that we are perswaded that he is our Husband and that we have married our selves to him the greater is the strength of affection And you shall find it by experience every grace is strengthened and enlarged by this and every sin is abated and mortified and subdued This is done in the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood So that every Sacrament day a man renews his assurance he reneweth his union with God in Christ this is properly feeding upon Christ you are strengthened by it your hearts are more established in well doing there is more joy and more peace your faith is increased which encreaseth every grace you are more weaned from the world As when the heart of the wife draweth near to the Husband it is more weaned and alienated from strangers This I say is to eat the flesh of Christ and to drink his blood when withal you add a right application of all that Christ hath done for the enabling of you to the duties of godliness A FORM of GODLINESS NO GODLINESS VVithout the POWER 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away YOu know the point that we delivered to you in the morning out of these words That It is Godliness that is required of every man that is only acceptable to the Lord. We gave you the reasons of it and made some Use of it And before we come to the other point or to some further Use that we should make of this we will add a word or two to that which we prest in the morning that we should not content our selves with any thing but godliness For we are apt to be deceived in this case to mistake and to think that our common care of serving God and that moral vertues and civility are godliness But it is enough for you to know that the Lord accepts nothing but that which is more then nature that which himself hath wrought in us by his holy Spirit Aristotle himself though a Heathen man was able to say that natural vertues are very like the true they come so near it that there is nothing more like As natural meekness will do as much as the best moral meekness nay as much as any spiritual meekness stupidity will do as much as Christian courage and natural temperance and ability in a man to rule and govern himself There are many of these natural vertues which for the outside for I speak of that and for the shew for some kind of performance may go as far as those that are spiritual But there is a great difference between them because the one sort proceed but from nature and they look but to a mans self And you shall find they alway have this property they are done without difficulty without resistance without any reluctancy therefore they are not praise-worthy there is no thanks for any man to do such an action Indeed they are beautiful things as I told you then the flowers of the grasse the flower of the flesh is beautiful they are the works of Gods own hand for he hath wrought them in us but he himself must have the glory and not we That which we must look for is spiritual vertues spiritual graces which the Apostle exhorts us unto Add to your patience vertue to vertue temperance and brotherly kindness and then to all add godliness Godliness which makes a man look to God it hath alway the flesh to resist it it doth what it doth with some difficulty and reluctancy For the stream of nature is still running a contrary way This is that you must labour for therefore remember this rule that godliness is something alwayes above nature If therefore there be no more in you then what you have by nature or by education or practice be assured it is not right As you see it in the earth the earth is able to bring forth grass and some kind of flowers of it self but if you will have it bear corn and wine things of a more pretious nature there must be plowing and sowing and planting there must be some other seed cast into it then is found in the earth there must be some work of man upon it So it is with our hearts by reason of those engravings of the moral Law and the work of nature in us we are able to do much we are able to bring forth many excellent flowers we are able to do many things that are very good and beautiful though they be not spiritually so But that which is godliness that is it which must be wrought by a supernatural power there must to follow the metaphor be plowing and sowing that is no man living hath this thing which we call godliness in him but it must be wrought after this manner First there must be a plowing of the heart he must be humbled he must be taught to know that he is a child of wrath a man that never hath had any of this plowing that hath never been thus humbled in the sence of sin and the apprehension of Gods wrath he may be assured that he hath nothing in him but nature he hath nothing in him that is of a supernatural work that is the work of the sanctifying Spirit he hath nothing of that yet wrought in him for that is never done without plowing Again this is not all for a man may be plowed he may have quick and sharp terrors of conscience and yet have no feed sown there may be harrowing you know where there is no fowing It was the case of Iudas and Achitophel and so it is the case of divers others and therefore we must go further there must be seed thown into the heart by the hand of God by the sanctifying spirit that is after a manâ— heart hath been thus hurried he must come home to God by Christ and have his heart calmed by the assurance of Gods love When he is thus united to Christ by faith after he hath been humbled then the Lord soweth seed what seed The immortal seed of his Word which by the operation of the sanctifying Spirit of God works that in the heart which is above all natural principles Now when this is done there is a crop which God is delighted in a crop pleasing and acceptable to him For we shall never bring forth fruit to the spirit till the same spirit hath sown our hearts with these spiritual and supernatural graces This onely I add that when I have exhorted you not to content your selves with moral vertues that you may know in a word what this
1. 13. being the sum of sundry Sermons Preached by the late faithful and worthy Minister of Jesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty Mr. of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolns Inne LONDON Printed by I. T. for Francis Eglesfield at the sign of the Marigold in St. Pauls Church-yard 1658. A PATTERN OF Wholesome Words 2 Tim. 1. 13. Keep a true pattern of wholesome Words IN this Epistle Paul speaks to Timothy as to a Minister After the salutation he addes two exhortations First To stir up those which were in him Secondly Not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Gospel verse 8. Next of all he adds this Exhortation Keep a true c. In the words as there are two parts so two points First The words of a Minister must be wholesome Secondly He must have a pattern or systeme of wholesome words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in the Original is have hold a pattern The words of a Minister must be wholesome The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that stands in two things First In nourishment Secondly In healing That is they must be such as will make a supply of that which is wanting and if any be fallen it will heal them They must be like Ezechiel his tree the fruit whereof is good for meat and the leaves for medicine Now that the words of a Minister may be wholesome four things are to be taken heed of First That there be no evil no poyson in them for first evil words corrupt good manners if in our ordinary talk there must be no evil much less when a man stands in Gods stead And besides they bely God in them for he spake them not Gods words are pabulum animarum the food of souls Now such as the meat is such is the complection so what food the soul feeds on such is the temper of it if on wholesome food a good heart if on unwholesome an evil heart Secondly They must be such as are not onely pleasing to the pallat and delightful to the taste as some Sermons that are neatly made which like musick tickle the ears for the present but leave no fruit behinde them but they must be good for substance Thirdly They may be such as go down to the Stomack and yet not breed good bloud and that is when the woâ—d is delivered in vain Phylosophy and in pythanology for these breed windy and flatulent humours whereas the words of ministers ought to be such as the holy Ghost speaks they must be full of spirit and full of power Fourthly They must take heed that they be not raw frigid and undigested but they must have heat and vigour As raw meat nourisheth not at all or very little so indigest words hinder nourishment Therefore Ministers must be like the furnace in Daniel seven times hotter then the rest Ministers are the salt of the earth if therefore they have lost their savour wherewith shall they season others if they be cold how should they heat others if dead how quicken others therefore Paul bids Timothy verse 6. stirre up the Gifts of God which are in him When therefore words are unfit and weak they hinder nourishment But some may say what positive rule will you set down that words be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wholesome words Conform them to Gods Word the purer the Word the wholesomer 1 Pet. 2 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word to grow thereby As it is true in Philosophy Nutrimor ex iis ex quibus constamus We are nourished of the same things of which we are made as the word of faith begot us so it must nourish us Now that is pure which is plenum sui and hath nihil alieni that is no other thing mingled with it as we say that is pure air or water that hath nothing mixt with it so that is the pure Word when no heterogenea are mixed but the Word onely either for substance or unfolded is delivered So Paul in this Text bids Timothy keep the true pattern of wholesome words which he had heard of him if these things perswade not I will add some Reasons First because Ministers are feeders of the people If thou lovest me feed my sheep The Word of God is the childrens bread and it is unlawful either to defraud them of it or to give them other instead of it Now there can be no feeding unless the meat be such as is fit for nourishment for otherwise it will not make them fat Ministers are the Stewards of the Word of God Now 1 Cor. 4. 2. It is required in a Steward to be faithful Now their unfaithfulness stands in two things First to the children when they rob them of their portion of the bread of life and salvation and become guilty of their blood Acts 20. 26. I take you to record saith Paul that I am free from the blood of all men as if he had said if I had spent my time in things that would not profit you I had been guilty of your blood Secondly They are unfaithful to God they are his flock feed the flock of God Acts 20. 28. Now what will God say when he shall come and find his flock starved suppose that a master give his servant provender and he either for idleness or turning it to his own advantage doth not feed his cattel but starve them will he not be displeased with him what then shall that great shepherd say to those Ministers who by idleness or turning it to their glory and advantage do not feed his flock 1 Cor. 3. 17. They that destroy the Temple of God them will God destroy Again they must be pure words no Heterogenea must be mixed And why because if there be it takes away the efficacy of the word it will not work because God delights not to work with it 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes c. as if he should have said that if the word be not sincere they cannot grow by it so 1 Cor. 1. 17. Christ sent me to preach the Gospel not in wisdom of words least the cross of Christ should be made of none effect that is if I had preached in wisdom of words none would have been converted and so Christ should have died in vain But may we not adorn it it will adde strength to it Saint Paul saith that it will do so in our own conceit but the foolishnesse of preaching is the strength of God unto salvation When the walls of Iericho fell down it was not the Rams horns that did it nor was it the water that healed Naaman but God that sanctified those plain means So God having sanctified the foolishnesse of preaching it is powerful to the conversion of many And if one speak with the tongue of an Angel if God did not sanctifie it it would not be effectual Secondly Because God is
thou must go as far beyond him in performance otherwise it is done remissely As now take a childe and a tall man that both go to a goal when the child runnes the man man walks the child doth it diligently with all his might whereas the other doth it negligently So is it when we do not improve all our might we have for the advantage of the Lords Work For you must know when any man hath to do any businesse he is not to compare himself simply with another to say another man doth no more It is no matter what the thing is but what proportion it holds with thy strength and ability When the Widdow gave all that she had the Text saith That she gave more then they that put more into the Treasury because it was the utmost that she could give As we say he hath given most that hath least left behinde so he bestows most upon the Lord that leaves the least of his strength unimproved And again it requires not onely that you put all your strength to it but that you be constant in doing it for if a man hold not out this man is not diligent but negligent It is a usual thing for men in doing the Lords businesse to be weary in well doing to give over well-doing therefore you must add that also to it that if you will do it diligently you must do it constantly That was the commendation of Caleb they that came from Egypt went a great way in the wildernesse and brake through many difficulties but they gave over Whereas Caleb had a constant spirit which clave to the Lord that he went through So the Apostle exhorts them Heb. 3. Confirm your feeble hands and weak knees least that which is halting he turned out of the way This is accounted negligence when a man grows weary that his hands begin to faint and he begins to leave his way therefore to hold out in well-doing is to do a thing diligently and this is the second thing required to seek the things of Jesus Christ. First To seek them willingly And then to do his work diligently Thirdly and lastly as to do it willingly and diligently so to do it faithfully Many a man may be willing to do something for Christ and to be diligent too for the time but to do it faithfully that is without any respect to himself not for his own ends but to do it for the Lord and for his sake that is that which is required Therefore whereas the word here in the new Translation is translated naturally the other Translation hath the word faithfully who will faithfully care for your matters So that for a man when he comes to do the things of Jesus Christ to have an eye to himself to be considering what will make for my advantage what profit shall I have by it and so to be put on by that motive this is to do the work of Christ unfaithfully And herein our hearts for the most part are exceeding deceitful when we have to do any thing for Christ the flesh in us is ready to have the first and the chief hand in any such businesse that is self-respects and self-aims are ready to mingle themselves with the best actions we do unlesse we have a narrow eye to them You know Iehu did the work of the Lord very diligently but not faithfully for his zeal was not for the Lord but for himself They that followed Christ many of them followed him far but it was not for him but for the loaves because they were fed with them and were filled You see Baalam professed much that if Balaak would give him his house full of gold and silver yet he would not go from the Word of the Lord but yet this was not done faithfully he had an eye to himself in all this So I say a man may do the things of Christ diligently and yet not faithfully Two servants may both be very diligent in their masters work and yet there may be a broad difference between them the one hath indeed an eye to his masters profit the other to his own This is all in all therefore to consider whether the talents that we use we use them for our Masters advantage or our own Thou mayest do very much thou mayest use thy talent as diligently as any man yet if thou examine thy heart and deal strictly with thy self thou mayest find that these are used for thy self and not for thy Master which is the greatest folly in the world For my brethren what do we gain when we take a great deal of pains for Christ surely there is nothing ours but the sincerity we do it withall It is for other mens advantage the most glorious and specious works we perform the greater they are the more may be the profit and benefit of the Church by them but there is nothing thine own but thy faithfulnesse and sincerity in doing them Therfore consider this whether when we do any thing for Christ we do it faithfully or no for in this our hearts are apt to deceive us How many are there that pass not much for the doing of the thing so themselves may have their end Diotrophes was willing to work with the Apostle but it was to have the preheminence How many great actions are overthrown for want of this faithfulness that men do not simply do that which they do but out of contention and vain glory they do it How many great actions I say are overthrown So that when two men are both of them alike set to do a thing both are willing to do the work yet because one may not have the praise of it the glory of it because he may not be first and chief in the business therefore he lets it go I cannot better compare it then to two men that are to carry a beam in at a narrow door both would be first in and when they do so we see they carry it a cross and in a twhart manner and so they cannot do it if one would be first and another second it might be done with ease So when the business of Christ is to be done we go crossly about it and the work is left undone because every one seeks for his own particular preheminence But you will say if it be a thing wherein the heart is so exceeding deceitful how shall I find whether I do that I do faithfully with a single sincere heart or no Consider what thou doest when thy own case and Christs are severed if thou find that when thy own credit and profit and advnage is involved in Christs business then thou art willing and forward in the work of Christ and not otherwise thou mayest suspect thy self When one servant followes two Masters that go before while they go together it is difficult to know to whom he belongs but when they part you know who the Master is by the servants following of
and that a man doth easily but to seek the things of Jesus Christ that is above nature and then there must be much intention a man must have something in him to move him to mind it most and above all other things When a boat goes against the streame and against the wind you know there must be much labour to drive it on So to seek the things of Christ it being above the the stream of nature there must be anintention from above you must beseech God to keep it in the intention of your hearts Now again to these two when a man hath given up himself to Christ and when he doth mind it and intend it and pray for it you must add to this faith without which no man can do it for this objection presently cometh what must I seek the things of Jesus Christ and not mine own what will then become of me how shall I provide for my self or for my family and those that depend upon me Now there must be faith to give this answer the Lord will provide for thee For till a man think that there is another that hath will and power to take care for him and to provide for him it is impossible that he should seek the the things of that other but believe this once that God will take care for thee and then thou wilt be content to deney thy self As if a Master should say to his servant be you diligent in my service I will take care for your meat and drink and clothing and when your apprentiship is out I will give you sufficient to live upon if the servant believe this he will be willing to neglect all other things and to seek his Masters profit and to intend his Masters business So here we should seek the things of Jesus Christ for saith he I will provide for you I will take care for you you shall want nothing in this present life you shall have all things necessary and when your appentiship is at an end I will provide an inheritance for you If you will believe these things and these promises you will then seek the things of Jesus Christ and not your own things You have a promise for this Mat. 6. seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof that is mind this one thing seek not your own things seek the Kingdom of God and then all things else shall be ministred unto you that is God will undertake to provide for you the things of this life you shall have enough of them Now to believe this promise this faith in the promise is that which prepares and enables the heart not to seek its owne things but the things of Christ. Now you must have not onely faith in the promise but faith in the providence of God for a man may believe the promise but because he doth not believe the particular providence of God that he is not onely able but that he doth bring things to pass and that all things are guided by him he is ready to doubt and to fear a loss if he seek the things of Jesus Christ. As Iacob and Rebecka they had both faith in the promise but because they had not a faith in the particular providence of God about the bestowing of the blessing therefore we know how they missed So Moses had faith in the promise that God would provide meat for a moneths time but he knew not how therefore you see how many objections he brought shall all the fishes of the sea be brought together and all the beasts of the field c. Therefore I say put these together when a man hath faith in both that is in the promise of God and in the particular providence of God that enableth a man not to seek his own things You shall see them joyned together 2 Tim. 3. for I know saith the Apostle whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him to that day Mark it as if he should say do not wonder at me that I am willing to lose my liberty and my ease or to endure so much cold and nakedness to expose my self to so many perills as I do for I trust God I believe God I have committed my safety and my life and my health and all that belongeth to me to him and I know he is able to keep it So I say now when you are about any business of Christ in which there is any difficulty or any hardness or any likelyhood of losing any thing except thou believe the particular providence of God and canst commit that which thou hast to God and say I dare trust him and I know that he will keep it for me thou wilt never be able to deny thy self and to do the things of Jesus Christ but if thou think that what thou losest for God God will keep it for thee thou wilt say thus wiâ—h thy self I will commit this unto God I know it shall be reserved for me and therefore whatsoever becomes of these things I will do the work I will do the business of Christ I will imploy my self in his service this makes a man bold in the most difficult cases So David I will lay me down saith he and sleep because the Lord sustaineth me That is I care not for any thing I have committed my self and my safety and all unto God and therefore when his heart was quieted and setled upon this that he knew whâ—m he had trusted he had faith in God in his promise and in his providence he had ground enough for rest This is the third thing that prepares us to give up our selves to Jesus Christ. Now fourthly Wee must adde to our faith Love for Love enableth a man to seek the things of Jesus Christ. Therefore 1 Cor. 13. it is said that Love seeketh not her own things If you would bring your hearts not to seek your own things but the things of Christ get Love That is you must know that self-love seeks its own things and the more self-love is in any man the more respect he hath to himself the more he seeks his own things which tend to his own advantage but the love of another makes a man seek the things of another it makes a man bountiful as Saint Paul saith I am ready to be bestowed for your sakes And therefore you have that saying that love edâ—fieth that is it makes the magistrate to take care for the good of the people the Minister for his charge c. The Mother and the nurse where they love you see what pains they take what neglect they expresse of themselves and all that they may do good to the Child for that is the nature of love And therefore when we do not seek the things of Christ it is an argument that we want the love of Christ and the love of God You see the