here rendred Peace signifies the quietnesse and silence of his mind he did not hold his tongue onely for many a man may hold his tongue and yet his mind and heart may kick and swell against God but his very mind was quiet and still there was a heavenly calme in his Spirit he was dumb and silent because the Lord had done it So in Acts 10. 33. We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God We are not here to heare what may tickle our eares or please our fansies or satisfie our lusts no but we are here to hear what God will say our hearts stand ready pressed to subject themselves to whatever God shall declare to be his will we are willing to heare that we may doe that we may obey sincerely and universally the good pleasure of our God knowing that 't is as well our dignity as our duty so to doe There are three things in an humble soule that doe strongly incline it to duty The first is Divine Love The second is Divine Presence The third is Divine Glory The Dove made use of her wings to fly to the Ark so does an humble soule of his duties to fly to Christ Though the Dove did use her wings yet she did not trust in her wings but in the Ark So though an humble soule does use duties yet he does not trust in his duties but in his Jesus But now proud hearts they hate the truth they cry out Who is the Lord that we should obey him And what are his Commandements that we should submit to them I but an humble soule falls under the power of truth and counts it his greatest glory to be obedient to all truth A fifth property of an humble soule is this An humble soule lives not upon himselfe nor upon his owne actings but upon the Lord Jesus and his actings Poore men you know they doe not live upon themselves they live upon others they live upon the care of others the love of others the provision of others why thus an humble soule lives upon the care of Christ the love of Christ the promise of Christ the faithfulnesse of Christ the discoveries of Christ he lives upon Christ for his Justification Phil. 3. from ver 7. to 10 He lives upon Christ for his Sanctification Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North winde and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out And he lives upon Christ for his Consolation Cant 2. 3. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the Sons I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast And he lives upon Christ for the performance of all holy actions Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me An humble soule sees in Christ * Plenitudo abundantiae and plenitudo redandantiae Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good Christ is quicquid appetibile as Origen speaks whatever we can desire Isa 58. 2. 7. Luke 7. 4 5 6 7. 6 Property A proud heart resists and is resisted this is duro durum flint to flint fire to fire Job 13. 25. An humble soule blesses God as well for crosses as mercies as well for adversity as for prosperity as well for frowns as for smiles c. because he judges himself unworthy of the least rebukes from God a fullnesse of Abundance and a fullnesse of redundancy and here his soul lives and feeds An humble soul sees that all his stock is in the hands of Christ his stock of Graces his stock of Comforts his stock of experiences are in the hands of Jesus Christ who is the Great Lord Keeper of all a Believers Graces and of all his Comforts and therefore as Children live upon them in whose hand their stock is be it a Brother or a Friend Why so an humble soule sees its stock is in the hand of the Lord Jesus and therefore he lives upon Christ upon his love and his provision and his undertakings c. But now proud hearts live not upon the Lord Jesus Christ they live upon themselves and upon their owne duties their owne righteousnesse their owne actings as the Scripture evidences Christ dwells in that heart most eminently that hath emptied it selfe of it selfe Christ is the humble mans Manna upon which he lives and by which he thrives A sixth Property of an humble soule is this He judges himselfe to be below the wrath and judgements of God An humble soule looks upon himselfe as one not worthy that God should spend a rodd upon him in order to his reformation edification or salvation As I am unworthy saith an humble soule that God should smile upon me so I am unworthy that he should spend a frowne upon me Job 13. 25. Wilt thou break a leafe driven too and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Why I am but a leaf I am but a little dry stubble I am below thy wrath I am so very very bad that I wonder that thou shouldst so much as spend a rod upon me What more weak worthlesse slight and contemptible then a leafe then dry stubble why Lord sayes Job I am a poor weak and worthlesse Creature I wonder that thou shouldst take any paines to doe me good I can't but count and call every thing a mercy that is lesse then hell So David in 1 Sam. 24. 14. After whom is the King of Israel come out after whom dost thou pursue after a dead Dogg after a Flea The language of a humble soule when God begins to be angry is this Lord I can blesse thee that thou wilt take any paines with me but I humbly acknowledge that I am below the least rodd I am not worthy that thou shouldst frowne upon me threaten me strike me or whip me for my internall and eternall good But proud hearts think themselves wronged when they are afflicted they cry out with Cain Our punishment is greater then we can beare Gen. 4. 13. 7 Property Another Property of an humble soule is this An humble soule doth highly prize the least of Christ The least smile the least good word the least good look the least truth the least mercy is highly valued by an humble soule The Cananitish woman in the 15 of Matthew sets a high Vers 27. Faith will pick an Argument out of a repulse and turn discouragements into incouragements Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible such a price he set upon it from the sweet that he found in it Song 1. 3. John 10. 4 5. Psal 27. 4. Mat. 9. 20. 21. Acts 24. 14. 1 Cor. â—9 22. Austin
loved Tully before his Coâ—version but not so much after quia nomen Jesu non erat ibi because the name of Christ was not there 8 Property price upon a crum of mercy Ah Lord sayes the humble soul if I may not have a loaf of mercy give me a piece of mercy if not a piece of mercy give me a crum of mercy If I may not have Sun-light let me have Moon-light if not Moon-light let me have star-light if not star-light let me have candle-light and for that I will blesse thee In the time of the Law the meanest things that were consecrated were very highly prized as leather or wood that was in the Tabernacle An humble soule looks upon all the things of God as Consecrated things Every truth of God is a consecrated truth 't is consecrated to a holy use and this causes the soule highly to prize it and so every smile of God and every discovery of God and every drop of mercy from God is very highly prised by a soule that walks humbly with God The name of Christ the voyce of Christ the foot-steps of Christ the least touch of the Garment of Christ the least regarded truth of Christ the meanest and least regarded among the flock of Christ is highly prized by humble soules that are interested in Christ An humble soule cannot an humble soul dares not call any thing litrle that ha's Christ in it neither can an humble soule call or count any thing great wherein he sees not Christ wherein he enjoyes not Christ An humble soule highly prizes the least nodd the least love-token the least courtesie from Christ but proud hearts count great mercies small mercies and small mercies no mercies yea pride do's so unman them that they often call mercy misery c. The eighth Property of an humble soule is this It can never be good enough it can never pray enough nor hear enough nor mourne enough nor believe enough nor love enough nor feare enough nor joy enough nor repent enough nor loath sin enough nor be humble enough c. Humble Paul looks upon his great all as nothing at all he Phil. 3. 11 12 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies â— straining of the whole body a stretching out head and hands as runners in a race do to lay hold on the mark or price proposed Psal 10. 17. Desires Iaavath from Avah that signifies so to desire and long after a thing as to haâ—e ones teeth water at it so in Mic. 7. 1. But proud hearts sit downe and pride themselves blesse themselves as if they had attained to much when hev have attain'd to nothing that can raise them above the lowest step of misery Rev. 3. 17. Isa 65. 5. Lu. 18. 11 12 forgets those things that are behind and reaches forth to those things which are before That if by any means he might attaine unto the resurrection of the dead that is that perfection of holinesse which the dead shall attaine unto in the morning of the resurrection by a Metonomie of the subject for the adjunct No holinesse below that matchlesse peerlesse spotlesse perfect holinesse that Saints shall have in the glorious day of Christs appearing will satisfie this humble soule An humble heart is an aspiring heart he can't be contented to get up some rounds in Jacobs Ladder but he must get to the very top of the Ladder to the very top of holinesse An humble heart can't be satisfied with so much Grace as will bring him to glory with so much of Heaven as will keep him from dropping into Hell he is still a crying out Give Lord give give me more of thy selfe more of thy Son more of thy Spirit give me more light more life more love c. Caesar in warlike matters minded more what was to conquer then what was conquered what was to gaine then what was gained So does an humble soule mind more what he should be then what he is what is to be done then what is done Verily Heaven is for that man and that man is for Heaven that sets up for his mark the perfection of holinesse Poor men are full of desires they are often a sighing it out O! that we had bread to strengthen us drink to refresh us cloths to cover us friends to visit us and houses to shelter us c. So souls that are spiritually poore they are often a sighing it out O! that we had more of Christ to strengthen us more of Christ to refresh us more of Christ to be a covering and shelter to us c. I had rather sayes the humble soule be a poor man and a rich Christian then a rich man and a poor Christian Lord sayes the humble soule I had rather doe any thing I had rather bear any thing I had rather be any thing then to be a Dwarse in Grace The light and glory of humble Christians rises by degrees Cant. 6. 1. 1. Looking forth as the morning with a little light 2 Faire as the Moon more light 3 Clear as the Sun i. e. Come up to a higher degree of spirituall light life and glory Lord sayes the humble soule give me much grace and then a little gold will serve my turne give me much of Heaven and a little of earth will content me give me much of the Springs above and a little of the Springs below will satisfie me c. The ninth Property of an humble soule is this It will smite 9 Property 1 Sam. 24. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strike for small sins as well as for great For those the world count no sins as well as for those that they count grosse sinnes When David had but cut off the lap of Sauls garment his A good mans heart when kindly awakened may smite him for those actions that at fiâ—sthe judged very prudent and politick How great a paine not to be born câ—ms from the prick of this small thorne Little sinnes have put severall to their wits ends when they have been set home upon their consciences heart smote him as if he had cut off his head The Hebrew word signifies to smite wound or chastize Ah! his heart struck him his heart chastised him his heart wounded him for cutting off Sauls skirt though he did it upon noble grounds viz. to convince Saul of his false jealousies and to evidence his owne innocency and integrity And so at another time his heart smote him for numbring the people as if he had murdered the people 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly An humble soule knowes that little sins if I may so call any cost Christ his blood and that they make way for greater and that little sins multiplied become great
my spirit that I would not leave a man alive but blessed be God and blessed be thy Counsel An humble soule can sit downe and blesse God under reproofs An humble soule is like the Scythian King that went naked in the snow and when Alexander wondered how he could endure it he answered I am not ashamed for I am all forehead Manasses King of Judâ—h being reproved by the Aged Princely Prophet Isaiah caused him neare to the Fountaine of Silce to be sawen in sunder with a wooden Saw in the eightieth yeare os his age For which cruell fact amongst other of his sinnes he was sorely punished by God 2 Chron. 33. 11 So Cambyses King of Persia hated Prexaspes one of his Nobles that was familiar with him for reproving his drunkennesse An humble soule is all forehead able to bear reproves with much wisedome and patience Oh! but a proud heart cannot bear reproofs he scornes the Reprover and his Reproofs too Prov. 15. 12. A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him neither will he goe unto the wise Amos 5. 10. They hate him that reproveth in the gate as Ahab did good Micaiah and Herod did John Baptist and the Pharisees our Saviour Luke 16. 13. Christ being to deale with the covetous Scribes and Pharisees he layes the Law home and tels them plainly that they could not serve God and Mammon Here Christ strikes at their right eye but how doe they bear this mark in the 14 verse The Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him The Pharisees did not simply laugh at Christ but gave also externall signes of scorne in their countenance and gestures * Exemukterizon they blowed their nose at him manifesting thereby their scorning at what he said Exod. 2. 13 14 They blew their nose at him for that 's the meaning of the Originall word By their gestures they did demonstrate their horrid deriding of him they fleared and jeared when they should have feared and trembled at the wrath to come In Isa 28. 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little One observes that that was a scoff put upon the Prophet and is as if they should say Here is nothing but precept upon precept line upon line And indeed the very sound of the words in the Original carries a taunt Zau le zau kau lakau as scornfull people by the tone of their voyce and riming words scorne at such as they despise Pride and passion and other vices in these dayes goe armed touch them never so gently yet like the nettle they will sting you and if you deale with them roundly roughly cuttingly as the Apostle speaks they will swagger with you as the Hebrew did with Moses Who made thee a Judge over us And thus much for the Properties of an humble soule I come now to the next thing and that is to shew you the Reasons why the best men are the most humble men First Because they see themselves the greatest debtors to God 1 Reason for what they doe enjoy There 's no man on Earth that sees himselfe such a debtor to God as the humble man Every smile makes him a debtor to God and every good word from Heaven makes him a When a Knight died at Rome that was much in debt Augustus the Emperour sent to buy his bed conceiâ—ing that there must needs be some extraordinary vertue in it it he that was so much in debt could take any rest upon it An humble soul sees hiâ—self so much in debt for mercies in hand and mercies in hope that he can't sleep without blessing and admiring of God I have read of a Stork that cast a pearle into the bosome of a Maid which had healed her of a wound So humble souls cast the pearl of praise into the bosome of God for all his favours towards â—hem Guc Hist l. 4. 2 Reason debtor to God he looks upon all his temporals as health wealth Wife Child Friend c. and sees himselfe deeply indebted for all He looks upon his spirituall mercies and sees himselfe a great debtor to God for them he looks upon his Graces and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon his Experiences and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon all his priviledges and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon hiâ— incomes and sees himselfe a debtor for them The more mercy he hath received the more he looks upon himselfe indebted and obliged to pay duty and tribute to God as you may see in Psal 116. 6 7 8 12 13 14 verses compared In the 6 7 8 verses he tels you of the mercies he had received from God and in the 12 13 verses sayes he What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me I see my selfe saith he wonderfully indebted well what then why I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes unto the Lord in the presence of all his people c. The same you have in the 16 17 18 verses of the same Psalme So David Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. casts his eyes upon his temporall and his spirituall mercies and then cals upon his soule O my soule blesse the Lord and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases c. An humble soule knowes that 't is a strange folly to be proud of being more in debt then another 'T is true saith he I have this and that mercy in possession and such and such mercies in reversion but by all I am the more a debtor to God Caesar admired at that mad Souldier who was very much in debt and yet slept so quietly So do's an humble soule wonder and admire to see men that are so much indebted to God for mercies as many are and yet sleep so quietly and be so mindlesse and carelesse in blessing and praising of God There is nothing saith one that endures so small a time as the memory of mercies received and the more great they are the more commonly they are recompenced with ingratitude Secondly it is Because in this life they have but a tast of God In the 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As new borne Babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gratious The best of men on this side Heaven have but a tast he is but in a tasting desiring hungring thirsting and growing condition Job 26. ult These are part of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him So in 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 12. We knew but in part and we prophecy but in part now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face The
these precious Gifts are denyed Let us therefore sit downe and wonder at this O Lord Jesus saith Bernard breaking sorth into an admiration of Christs love I love thee plusquam mea plusquam ineos plusquam me more then all my goods more then all my friends yeâ— more then my very selfe c. condiscending love of God Oh! we were once poore wretches siting upon the dunghill yea wallowing in our blood and yet behold the King of Kings the Lord of Lords ha's so far condiscended in his love as to bestow himselfe his spirit his grace and all the Jewels of his Royal Crowne upon us Oh! what heart can conceive what tongue can expresse this matchlesse love I will be thine for ever sayes Christ and my spirit shall be thine for ever and my grace thine for ever and my glory thine for ever and my righteousnesse thine for ever all I am and all I have shall be thine for ever Oh Sirs what condiscending love is this Oh! what a Christ is this But then secondly Be greatly thankefull O be greatly thankefull for the great Gifts that Christ hath bestowed upon you It 's not a little thankfullnesse that will answer and suite to the great Gifts that the Lord Jesus hath bestowed upon you Psal 103. O say with the Psalmist What shall I render to the Lord for all his favours and great benefits I will take the cup of salvation and will call upon the name of the Lord. Yea say againe Psal 71. 14. Injuries shall be writ in the dust but our mercies on Mâ—rble that our hearts may be the better provokt to praise and thankfulnesse with the same Psalmist I will yet praise thee more and more Or as 't is in the Hebrew I will add to thy praise Oh when thou lookest upon the Jewels the Pearles that Christ hath given thee say Lord I will praise thee more and more I will rise higher and higher in thy praises I will be still a adding to thy praise The very Law of Nature bespeaks great thankfullnesse where great favours are given and the Law of Custome bespeaks it and doth not the Law of grace bespeak it much more When Tamerlin had taken Bajazet among other Questions he askt him If ever he had given God thanks for making him so great an Emperour He confest immediately That he never thought of that To whom Tamerlin replied Turk Hist 220 c. 'T is no wonder so ungratefull a man should be made a spectacle of misery Oh! what doe they then deserve that are unthankfull for spirituall favours Tell me O Christians are not the Gifts that Christ ha's confer'd upon you peculiar Gifts And will you not be thankfull for them Were they There are but few upon whom God bestoweth his love 'T was alwayes a principle in morality that sweet and intimate friendship cannot be extended to many friends usually goe by paires but common Gifts you ought to be thankfull for them how much more then for peculiar Gifts for right-handed favours Tell me are not the Gifts that Christ ha's given thee rare Gifts What hadst thou been if Christ had not made a difference between thee and others by those glorious Gifts that he ha's confer'd upon thee Thou lookest upon some and seest they are very ignorant Oh! what hadst thou been if God had not bestowed the Grace of knowledge upon thee Thou lookest upon other persons that are unclean prophane and filthy why such a wretch wouldst thou have been if the Lord had not made a difference between thee and them by bestowing himselfe his grace and spirit upon thee It was long since determined in the Schools That penitents had more reason to be thankefull then innocents Sin giving an advantage to mercy to be doubly free in giving and in pardoning And so the greater obligation is left upon us to thankfullnesse Luther hath a very famous story in his writing upon the fourth Commandement in the time of the Councel of Constance he tells you Of two Cardinalls that as they were riding to the Councel they saw a Shepheard in the field weeping one of them being affected with his weeping rode to him to comfort him and coming near to him he desired to know the reason of his weeping the Shepheard was unwilling to tell him at first but at last he told him saying I looking upon this Toad considered that I never praised God as I ought for making me such an excellent Creature as a man comely and reasonable I have not blessed him that he made me not such a deformed Toad as this The Cardinall hearing this and considering that God had done far greater things for him then for this poore Shepheard he fell downe dead from his Mule his servants lifting him up and bringing him to the City he came to life againe and then cryed out Oh Saint Austine how truly didst thou say The unlearned rise and take heaven by force and we with all our learning wallow in flesh and blood The application is easie Thirdly The next Use is this If the Lord hath given the best Gifts to his people then Oh that his people would not give God the worst but the best of every thing 'T is the most wicked aâ—aâ—ice to defraud God of the oblation of our selves saith Chrysost Oh! give the Lord the best of your strength the best of your time the best of your mercies and the best of your services who hath given to your soules the best of Gifts Num. 18. 29. Out of all your Gifts ye shall offer every heave Offring of the Lord of all the best thereof even the hallowed part thereof out of it So I say of all thy Offrings offer God the best who hath given to thee the best and greatest Gifts So in Exod. 35. 22. For the service of the Tabernacle they brought bracelets and ear-rings and rings and tables all Jewels of If a man should serve the Lord a thousand years saith Austin â— would net deserve an â—oure of the reward in Heaven no not a moment much lesse an Eternity And therefore sayes he we had need doe as much as we can and doe all that we doe as well as we can c. gold and every man that Offered Offered an Offering of Gold unto the Lord. They gave the best of the best and so must we O doe not offer to God the worst of your time the worst of your strength the worst of your mercies the worst of your services That same is a very dreadfull Text Mal. 1. 8. 13 14. compared And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evill And if ye offer the lame and the sick is it not evill Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with it and accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts Saith God will men be put off thus No I know they won't and why then should you deale worse with me then with men Thy Governours will have
the most highly prized and esteemed of God doe set so low a price upon themselves And then the Use Iob 1. 8. Job was a none-such in regard of those perfections and degrees of grace that he had attained to beyond aâ—ny other Saints on earth Job was high in worth and humble in heart Job 42. 5 6. Humilitas animi sublimitas Christiani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A me me salva Domine Aug. Deliver me O Lord from that evill man my selfe 2 Cor. 12. 1. 7 vid. Bezim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wordless words such as words are too weak to utter Isa 6. 1. 5 6. compared The clearest sight vision of God does alwayes give a man the fullest sight of his own emptinesse sinfulnesse and nothingnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a I am out off Luke 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man a sinner a very mixture compound of dirt and sin For the first That this is so I shall give you most clear proofs and open them to you See it in Job no man ever received a fairer or a more valuable Certificate under the hand of God or the broad Seale of Heaven for his being a soule famous in grace and holinesse then Job as you may see Job 1. 8. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill And yet no man could speak more undervaluingly of himselfe then Job did Job 42. 5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee I abhor my selfe in dust and ashes This expression is the deepest act of abhorrency Abhorrency strictly taken is hatred wound up to the height I abhor my selfe the word that 's rendred Abhor signifies to reject to disdaine to contemne and to cast off Ah sayes Job I abhor my selfe I reject my selfe I disdaine my selfe I cast off my selfe I have a vile esteem of my selfe So our blessed Apostle who had been caught up into the third Heavens and had such glorious Revelations as could not be uttered yet he accounted himselfe lesse then the least of all Saints Not that any thing can be lesse then the least the Apostles holy Rhetorick doth not crosse Aristotle's Philosophy but the Originall word being a double diminitive his meaning is that he was as little as could be therefore he put himselfe downe so little as could not be lesse then the least Another proof you have Isa 6. 1 5 6. As Paul among the Apostles was the greatest so Esay among the Prophets was the clearest and choycest Gospel-Preacher and holds out more of Christ and of his Kingdome and glory then all the other Prophets doe Isa 6. 1. he sees the glory of the Lord in a Vision and this makes him cry out vers 5. Wee is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hosts I am undone the Hebrew is I am cut off I am a forlorne man why For I have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Here you have the highest and choycest among the Prophets as you had Paul before among the Apostles abasing and laying low himselfe So Peter Luke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord. When he saw that glorious Miracle wrought by the Lord Jesus he cryes out as one very sensible of his owne weaknesse and sinfullnesse Depart from me for I am a sinfull man Ah I am not worthy to be neer such Majesty and glory who am a meer bundle of vice and vanity of folly and iniquity Take another cleer instance Gen. 18. And Abraham answered Gen. 18. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaphar vae pher dust and ashes i. e. base vile worthles Solemnly think that thou art dust and ashes and be pâ—oud if thou canst Isa 6. 1 2. Gen. 32. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am lesse then all meretes to wit in worth or weight c. and said Behold I have taken upon me to speake unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Here you have the Father of the Faithfull the greatest Believer in the world accounting himselfe dust and ashes Dust notes the basenesse of his Originall and Ashes notes his deserving to be burnt to ashes if God should deale with him in justice rather then in mercy The nearer any soule drawes to God the more humble will that soule lye before God None so neere God as the Angels nor none so humble before God as the Angels So Jacob Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant c. Jacob a man eminent in his prevailing with God a Prince that had the honour and the happinesse to overcome the God of mercy yet judges himselfe unworthy of the least mercy Ah how low is that soule in his owne eyes that is most honourable in Gods eyes David you know was a man after Gods owne heart a man highly honoured much beloved and dearly prized by the 1 Kings 15. 5. Lord yet 1 Sam. 26. 20. He counts himselfe a Flea and what 1 Sam. 26. 20. Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tolagnath An humble soule is a little little nothing in his owne eyes is more contemptible then a Flea In Psal 22. 6. I am a worme saith he and no man The word that 's there rendred Worme is a word that signifies a very little Worm which breedeth in Scarlet a Worme that 's so little that a man can hardly see or perceive it A Worme is the most despicable Creature in the world trampled under foot by every one Sayes he I am a despicable worme in my owne eyes and in my enemies eyes And thus you see the point proved that the most holy men have been alwayes the most humble men The second thing that I am to doe is To shew you the Properties of humble soules I confesse when I look abroad in the world and observe the carriage of all sorts of men my heart is stirr'd to speak as fully and as home to this point as Christ shall help me 'T is very very sad to consider how few humble soules there be in these dayes Ah the damnable pride that reignes and rules in the hearts lives of most men God loves to heare this as a parcell of his praise Paâ—cere subjectis debellare superbos to spare the lowly and strike downe the proud Isa 23. 9. I think 't is far greater then hath been knowne in the Generations before us Ah England England what folly what damnable wickednesse is this that thou shouldest be a lifting thy selfe up in pride when God is a staining the pride of all glory and bringing into contempt the honourable of the Earth and a
as a little sum multiplied is great that they cloud the face of God wound conscience grieve the spirit rejoyce Satan and make work for Repentance c. An humble soule knows that little sins suppose them so are very dangerous a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump a little staffe may kill one a little poyson may poyson one a little leak in a ship sinkes it a little Flye in the box of Ointment spoyles it a little flaw in a good cause marres it So a little sin may at once barre the door of Heaven and open the gates of Hell and therefore an humble soule smites and strikes it selfe for the least as well as the greatest Though a head of Garlike be little yet it will poyson the Leopard though he be great Though a Mouse is but little yet it will kill an Elephant if he gets up into his Trunk Though the Scorpion be little yet it will sting a Lyon to death and so will the least sin if not pardoned by the death of Christ A proud heart counts great sins small and small sins no sins and so disarmes Conscience for a time of its whipping and wounding power but at death or in Hell conscience will take up an iron rod with which it will lash the sinner for ever and then though too late the sinner shall acknowledge his little sins to be very great and his great sins to be exceeding grievous and odious c. The tenth Property of an humble soule is this It will quietly 10 Property Psal 39. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Alam which signifies to be mute or tongue-tied Lev. 10. 1 2 3 Vaiidem from Clam am which signifies the quietnesse of the mind the troubled affections being allayed 1 Sam. 3. 11-19 2 Sam. 16. 5-14 Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the exceeding patience of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spoke evill of them bear burdens and patiently take blowes and knocks and make no noise An humble soule sees God through man he sees God through all the actions and carriages of men I was dumb saith the Prophet I opened not my mouth because thou didst it An humble soule looks through secondary causes and sees the hand of God and then layes his owne hand upon his mouth An humble soule is a mute soule a tongue-tied soule when he looks through secondary causes to the supream cause So Aaron when he saw his Sons suddenly surprised by a dreadfull and dolefull death he held his peace he bridled his passions he sits silent under a terrible stroke of Divine Justice because the fire that devoured them went out from the Lord. So when Samuel had told Eli that God would judge his house for ever and that he had sworn that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever c. It is the Lord sayes Eli let him doe what seemeth him good Eli humbly and patiently layes his neck upon the block it is the Lord let him strike let him kill c. sayes Eli. So David when Shimei manifested his desperate fury and folly malice and madnesse in raving and raging at him in cursing and reproaching of him sayes he Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God sayes he will by his wise providence turne his cursing into blessing I see the Justice of God in his cursing therefore let him alone let him curse sayes David Cassianus reports that when a certaine Christian was held Captive by the Infidels and tormented by divers paines and ignominious taunts being demanded by way of scorne and reproach Tell us what Christ has done for you answered He Acts Mon. fol. 811. hath done what you see that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me So that blessed Martyr Gyles of Brussells when the Fryers By long soo thingour own wills we have forsaken as Cassian saith the very shadow of patience sent to reduce him did at any time miscall him he ever held his peace insomuch that those wretches would say abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him Full Vessels will bear many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise So Christians that are full of Christ that are full of the Spirit will bare many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise An humble soule may groan under afflictions but he will not grumble in calmes Proud hearts discourse of patience but in stormes humble hearts exercise patience Philosophers have much commended it but in the houre of darknesse 't is onely the humble Christian that acts it I am afflicted sayes the humble soule but 't is mercy I am not destroyed I am fallen into the pit 't is free-grace I am not fallen into Hell God is too just to wrong me and too gratious to harme me and therefore I will be still and quiet let him doe what he will Isa 58. 1 2 3. with me sayes the humble soule But proud soules resist when they are resisted they strike when they are stricken Who is Non sic deos coluimus aut sic viximus ut ille nos vinceret said the Emperour An onius Philosophus the Lord sayes lofty Pharoah that I should obey him and Cain cryes out My punishment is greater then I am able to beare Well remember this though it be not easie in afflictions and tribulations to hold our peace yet 't is very advantagious which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that those that doe prudently and humbly conceale their sorrowes and anxieties by patience shall attaine comfort and refreshment The eleventh Property of an humble soule is this In all 11 Property John 14. 13. Ch. 15. 16. 16. 23 26. The name of Jesus hath a thousandtreasures of joy comfort in it saith Chrysostome And is therefore us'd by Paul five hundred times as some have reckoned Religious duties and services he trades with God upon the credit of Christ Lord sayes the humble soule I need power against such and such sins give it me upon the credit of Christs blood I need strength to such and such services give it me upon the credit of Christs word I need such and such mercies for the cheering refreshing quickening and strengthening of me give them into my bosome upon the credit of Christs intercession As a poore man lives and deales upon the credites of others so does an humble soule live and deale with God for the strengthening of every grace and for the supply of every mercy upon the credit of the Lord Jesus An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in Innocency God will trust him no more he will take his word no more and therefore when he goes to God for mercy he brings his Benjamin his Jesus in his armes and pleads for mercy upon
ditch So he knowes that godly soules though never so poor low and contemptible as to the things of this world Ephes 2. 6. are fixt in Heaven in the Region above and therefore their poverty and meannesse is no bar to hinder him from learning of them Though John was poor in the world yet many humble souls did not disdaine but rejoyce in his Ministry Christ lived poor and dyed poor Mat. 8. 20. As he was borne in another mans house so he was buried in another mans Tomb. Austin observes when Christ dyed he made no will he had no Crown-lands onely his Coat was left and that the Souldiers parted among them and yet those that were meek and lowly in heart counted it their Heaven their happinesse to be taught and instructed by him The seventeenth Property of an humble soule is this 17 Property Tully calls graâ—tude Maximam imo maâ—em omnium virtutum reliquarum The greatest yea the mother of all virtues An humble soule will blesse God and be thankefull to God as well under misery as under mercy As well when God frownes as when he smiles as well when God takes as when he gives as well under crosses and losses as under blessings and mercies Job 1. 21. The Lord gives and the Lord takes blessed be the name of the Lord. He doth not cry out upon the Sabeans and the Chaldeans but he looks through all secondary Causes and sees the hand of The Jewes have a Prov That we must leap up to Mount Gerizim which was a Mount of Blessings But creep into Mount Ebal which was a Mount of Curses To shew that we must be ready to blesse but backward to curse An humble soule can extract one contrary out of another honey out of the rock gold out of iron c. Afflictions to humble souls are the Lords Plow the Lords Harrow the Lords Flaile the Lords drawing Plaisters the Lords pâ—uâ—ing knise the Lords Potion the Lords Soap and therefore they can sit dowae and blesse the Lord and kisse the rod. God and then he layes his hand upon his owne heart and sweetly sings it out The Lord gives and the Lord takes blessed be the name of the Lord. An humble soule in every condition blesses God as the Apostle commands in the 1 Thess 5. 18. In every thing give thanks to God So 1 Cor. 4. Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer The language of an humble soule is If it be thy will saith an humble soule I should be in darknesse I will blesse thee and if it be thy will I should be againe in light I will blesse thee If thou wilt comfort me I will blesse thee and if thou wilt afflict me I will blesse thee if thou wilt make me poor I will blesse thee if thou wilt make me rich I will blesse thee if thou wilt give me the least mercy I will blesse thee if thou wilt give me no mercy I will blesse thee An humble soul is quick-sighted he sees the rod in a fathers hand he sees honey upon the top of every twigg and so can blesse God he sees Sugar at the bottome of the bitterest cup that God doth put into his hand he knowes that Gods House of Correction is a School of Instruction and so he can sit downe and blesse when the rodd is upon his back An humble soule knowes that the designe of God in all is his Instruction his Reformation and his Salvation It was a sweet saying of holy Bradford If the Queen will give me my life I will thank her if she will Banish me I will thank her if she will burne me I will thank her if she will condemne me to perpetuall imprisonment I will thank her I this is the temper of an humble heart An humble soule knowes that to blesse God in prosperity is the way to increase it and to blesse God in adversity is the way to remove it An humble soule knowes that if he blesses God under mercies he hath paid his debt but if he blesses God under crosses he hath made God a debtor But oh the pride of mens hearts when the rod is upon their backs You have many Professors that are seemingly humble while the Sun shines while God gives and smiles and stroakes but when his smiles are turned into frownes when he strikes and layes on oh the murmurings the disputings the frettings and wranglings of proud soules they alwayes kick when God strikes The last Property of an humble soule is this An humble 18 Property soule will wisely and patiently bear reproof Prov. 25. 12. As an ear-ring of gold and an Ornament of fine gold so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear A seasonable reproof falling upon an humble soule hath a redoubled Grace with it It is as an ear-ring of gold and as an Ornament of fine gold or as a Diamond in a Diadem An humble David can say Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent Psal 14. 5. Oyle is here Metaphorically taken for woâ—ds of repâ—oâ—f wthâ—ay be said figuraâ—ively to breake the head vide Job 19 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oyle which shall not break my head David compares the faithfull reproof of the righteous to the excellent Oyle that they used about their heads Some Translate it Let it never cease from my head That is let me never want it and so the Originall will bear too I would never want reproofs whatsoever I want But yet my prayer shall be in their calamities I will requite their reproofs with my best prayers in the day of their Calamity saith David Whereas a proud heart will neither pray for such nor with such as reprove them but in their calamities will most insult over them Some Translate it more emphatically The more they doe the more I shall think my selfe bound unto them And this was In vit Jo. Gers So Alipius loved Austin for reproving him So did David Nathan 1 Kings 1. 2 Sam. 12. 12 13. 24. 13 14 That 's a choyce and â—ender spirit that can meekly humbly imbrace reâ—roofs and blesse God sor reproofs Gersomes disposition of whom it is recorded That he rejoyced in nothing more then if he were freely and friendly reproved by any Prov. 9. 8 9. Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser Prov. 19. 25. Reprove one that hath understanding and he will understand knowledge You know how sweetly David carries it towards Abigall 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. shee wisely meets him and puts him in mind of what he was going about and he falls a blessing of her presently Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood I was resolved in my passion and in the heat of
basenesse and wickednesse whereby their carnall ends may be attain'd and themselves exalted but these men and their honour will quickly be laid in the dust Oh! but the readiest the surest the safest the sweetest way to attaine to true honour Qui parvus est in reputatione propria magnus est in reputatione divina Gregory 8 Motive is to be humble to lye low Humility makes a man precious in the eye of God He that is little in his owne account is great in Gods esteem The eighth and last Consideration that I shall propound is this Consider humility keeps the soule free from many darts of Satans casting and snares of his spreading As you may see in the three Children in Daniel and in those Worthies in the 11 of the Hebrewes of whom this world was not worthy As the lowest shrubs are freed from many violent gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the tallest Cedars So the humble soule is free from a world of temptations that proud and lofty soules are shaken and torne in pieces with The Devil hath least power to fasten a temptation upon an humble soule He that hath a gratious measure of Humility is neither affected with Satans proffers nor terrified with Satans threatniugs The golden Chaine does not allure him nor the iron Chaine does not daunt him I have read of one who seeing in a Vision many snares of Satan spread upon the earth he sate downe and mourned Quis pertran siet ista The answer was Humilitas pertransiet and said with himselfe Who shall passe through these whereunto he heard a voyce answering Humility shall passe through them A proud heart is as easily conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted But the Humble soule when tempted sayes with that worthy Convert I am not the man that I was Ego non sum ego There was a time when my heart was proud and lifted up and then thou couldst no sooner knock but I opened no sooner call but I answered no sooner tempt but I did assent Oh! but now the Lord taught me to be humble I can resist though I can't dispute I can fight but not yeeld Mistriss Catherine Bretterge an humble precious soule being once in a great Conflict with Satan said thus to him Satan Reason not with me I am but a weake woman if thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my Advocate my strength and my Redeemer and he shall plead for me An humble soule is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus and this increases Satans Hell It is reported of Satan that he should say thus of a Learned man Thou doest alwayes overcome me when I would throw thee downe thou liftest up Tu me semper vincis thy selfe in assurance of Faith and when I would exalt and promote thee thou keepest thy selfe in humility and so thou art too hard for me The onely way to avoid Cannon-shot as they say is to fall downe flat No such way to be freed from temptations as to keep low And so I have done with the first Head namely The Motives that should move and provoke us to keep humble to be base to be nothing in our owne eyes I shall now come to some Helps and Directions that may be usefull to keep us humble and low in our owne eyes And the first is this Dwell much upon the greatnesse of Gods mercy and goodnesse 1 Direction to you Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love Soules that converse much with sinne and wrath may be much terrified but souls that converse much 'T is said of Adam that he turned his â—â—ce to the Garden of Eden and wept sore with grace and mercy will be much humbled Luke 7. the Lord Jesus shewes mercy to that notorious sinner and then she falls downe at his feet and loves much and weeps much c. In the 1 Chron. 17. it was in the heart of David to build God a house God would not have him doe it yet the Messenger must tell David that God would build him a house and establish his Son upon the Throne for ever Look Vers 10 11. into the 15 16 17 verses and there you shall find that David le ts fall such an humble speech which he never did before that God had sent him that message of advancement And 2. Sam. 9. 7 8. David the King came and sat before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast As Honey flowes naturalâ—y from the Bee so does mercy flow naturally from God brought me hitherto And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come c. And this sweetly and kindly melts him and humbles him before the Lord. Oh if ever you would have your soules kept low dwell upon the free grace and love of God to you in Christ Dwell upon the firstnesse of his love dwell upon the freenesse of his love the greatnesse of his love the fullnesse of his love the unchangeablenesse of his love the everlastingnesse of his love and the activity of his love if this doe not humble thee there is nothing on earth will doe it Dwell upon what God hath undertaken for you Dwell upon the choyce and worthy gifts that he ha's bestowed on you And dwell upon that glory and happinesse that he ha's prepared for you and then be proud if you can Secondly Keep faith in continuall exercise upon Christ as 2 Direction crucified and upon Christ as glorified There are two speciall sights of Christ that tend much to humble and abase a soule The one is A sight of Christ in his misery in the 12 of As one scale goes up the other goes downe So as faith goes up the heart goes downe Zech. ver 10. And the other is A sight of Christ in his glory Rev. 1. 7. Isa 6. 1 3 5. compared 'T is dangerous to be more notion then motion to have faith in the head and none in the heart to have an idle and not an active faith 'T is not enough for you to have faith but you must look to the acting of your faith upon Christ as crucified and upon Christ as glorified Soules much in this will be very little and low in their owne eyes The great reason why the soule is no more humble is because faith is no more active Thirdly Study your owne natures more and what ever evill 3 Direction you behold in other mens practises labour to see the same in your owne nature There is the seed of all sins of the vilest and worst of sins in the best men When thou seest another drunk thou mayest Imibria sued Scenola for that he received not his weapon deep enough into his body Aug. see the seed of that sin in thy owne nature When
to me as unreasonable as it is absurd Certainly 't is one thing to judge by our graces and another thing to trust in our graces to make a Saviour of our graces There is a great deale of difference betwixt declaring and deserving And if this be not granted it will follow that the Apostle hath sent us aside to a Covenant of works when he exhorts us to use all dilligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 5-10 Secondly Carry home this with you If Justification and Sanctification be both of them benefits of the Covenant of Grace then to evidence the one by the other is no wayes unlawfull nor no turning aside to a Covenant of works But our Justification and Sanctification are both of them benefits and blessings of the Covenant of Grace Ergo. In Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me there 's your Justification And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me There 's your Sanctification And therefore to evidence the one by the other can be no wayes unlawfull nor no turning aside to a Covenant of works Thirdly Carry home this with you Whatever gift of God in man brings him within the compasse of Gods Promise of Eternall Mercy that Gift must be an infallible evidence of salvation and happinesse But such are those gifts mentioned in those Scriptures that prove the first head Therefore they are infallible evidences of our salvation and eternall happinesse I confesse a man may have many great gifts and yet none Covet rather graces then gifts as to pray more fervently tho lesse notionally or eloquently Stammering Moses must pray rather then well-spoken Aaron The Corinthians came behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1. 7. yet were Babes and Carnall Chap. 3. 2 3. of them bring him within the compasse of Gods Promise of Eternall mercy But I say whatever gift of God in man brings him within the compasse of Gods Promise of eternall mercy that gift must be an infallible evidence of his happinesse and blessednesse For the further clearing of this I will instance in a gift of Waiting where this gift is it brings a man within the compasse of Gods Promise of eternall mercy And had a man as in a deserted state it often falls out nothing under heaven to shew for his happinesse but onely a waiting frame this ought to bear him up from fainting and sinking When the soule saith My sun is set my day is turned into night my light into darknesse and my rejoycing into mourning c. Oh! I have lost the comforting presence of God I have lost the quickening presence of God I have lost the supporting presence of God I have lost the incouraging presence of God c. and when I shall recover these sad losses I know not All that I can say is this That God keeps me in a waiting frame weeping and knocking at the door of mercy Now I say This waiting temper brings the soule within the compasse of the Promise of Eternall mercy And certainly such a soule shall not miscarry Take three Promises for this In Isa 40. ult They that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not faint The mercy is the waiting-mans but the waiting-man must give God leave to time his mercy for him So in Isa 30. 18. And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious unto you And therefore will he be exalted that he may have Vide Lyra Junius on the words mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of Judgement blessed are all they that waite for him So in Isa 64. 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him So in Isa 49. 23. They shall not be ashamed that waite for me Men are often That is they shall be advanced by me to great hap pinesle and glory to great dignity and â—elicity for in the Hebrew Dialect Adverbs of denying signifie the contrary to the import of that Verb whereunto they are joyned as might be shewed by many Scriptures ashamed that waite upon the mountaines and hills Men high and great often frustrate the expectation of waiting souls and then they blush and are ashamed and confounded that they have waited and been deceived but they shall not be ashamed that waite for me sayes God I will not deceive their expectation and after all their waiting turne them off and say I have no mercy for you Now I say where this waiting temper is which is all that many a poor soul hath to shew for everlasting happinesse and blessednesse that soule shall never miscarry That God that doth maintaine and uphold the soule in this heavenly waiting frame in the appointed season will speak life and love mercy and glory to the waiting soule And so I have done with the third Use which was to stir you up to look upon your graces with Cautions The fourth Duty is To perswade weake Saints not to turne aside from the wayes of God nor from the service of God because of any hardships or difficulties that they may meet with in his wayes or service There is a very great aptnesse in weak Saints to take offence almost at every thing and to be discouraged by the least opposition affliction and temptation and so to turne aside from the good old way Now that no difficulties nor hardships may turne you out of the way that is called holy consider seriously of these few things First Consider this The Lord will sweeten more and more his services to you He will make his work to be more and more easie to your soules he will sute thy burden to thy back and thy work to thy hand O weak soule Thou shalt find that his grace will be sufficient to hold thee up and carry thee on notwithstanding 2 Cor. 12. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14. any difficulties or discouragements that be in the way He will shed abroad that love that shall constraine thy soule The Philosopher told his friends when they came into his little low Cottage Enteuthen ouk apeisi the oi the Gods are here with me Surely God and Christ and the Spirit are and will be with weak Saints to aid and astist them in every gracious work both to keep close to his service and to delight in his service He will make all his services to be easie to thee he will vouchsafe to thee that assisting grace that shall keep up thy head and heart from fainting and sinking under discouragements as you may see in Ezek. 36. 25 26 27 28. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and doe them
the curse he leads to God he leads to Christ he leads to the Promises he leads to glory c. There is no gain-sayingt Demoâ—â—heneâ— words said one So â—herâ— is no gaâ—â—laâ—ing of the pleadings of the Spirit Againe this spirit is A comforting spirit John 14. 16. and A pleading spirit Rom. 8. 26. Every Christian ha's three Advocates pleading for him The first is that Divine Love that is in the bosome of the father The second is the Lord Jesus that is at the right hand of the father And the third is the holy Spirit that is one with the father Fourthly He gives his Blood the blood of Christ is a gift of Christ to his beloved ones Mat. 20. 28. The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many So in John 10. 11. I am the good Sheppard the good Sheppard giveth his life for his sheep His blood was the purest blood his humane nature being most pure his blood was the noblest blood and therefore called Acts 20. 28. in Scripture The Blood of God by reason of the conjunction of the Divine Nature with the humane It was his life-blood his heart-blood that he gave it was not the blood of his finger but the blood of his heart it was precious blood Rom. 3. 25. Rom. 5. 9. Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 20. Heb. 9. 7-26 Chap. 10. 19. 1 John 1. 7. Rev. 1. 5. c. Three things are called precious in the Scripture 1 Faith is called Precious Faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. 2 The Promises are called Precious Promises ver 4. 3 The Blood of Christ is called Precious Blood 1 Pet. 1. 19. All your precious mercies swim to you in precious blood as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together It was an excellent saying of Luther speaking of this blood Vna guttula plus valet quam coelum terra-Luth of Christ One little drop of this blood saith he is more worth then heaven and earth Your pardon swims to you in blood your peace swims to you in blood your reconciliation is made by blood your acceptation is wrought by blood c. Sanguis Christi clavis coeli Christs Blood is Heavens Key Christs blood is a Preservative against the greatest evills Christs blood as Pliny saith of Polium is a Preservative against Serpents c. Fifthly Christ gives Pardon of sin and doe you know what a mercy that is Ask the troubled soule ask the soule that knowes what it means to lye under the wrath of the Almighty and he will tell you that pardon of sin is a gift more worth then a thousand worlds Now that pardon of sin is a gift of God you may see in Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To his right hand That is to honour and dignity c. with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins So in Acts 26. 18. Ah soules of all mercies pardoning mercy is the most necessary mercy I may to Heaven without honours and without riches and without the smiles of creatures But I can never to Heaven without pardoning mercy As Ahab Haman Dives c. A man may be great and gracelesse he may be rich and miserable he may be honourable and damnable c. But he cannot be a pardoned soule but he must be a very blessed soule †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessednesses in he plurall Pardon of sin â—â—cludes a plurality of mercies a chaine of Pearles a chain of blessings Gen. 30. 11. Psal 32. 1 2. It intitles soules to all blessednesse it puts the Royall Crowne upon their heads Of all mercies pardoning mercy is the most sweetning mercy 't is a choyce Jewel and swims to the soule in blood Heb. 9. 22. 'T is a mercy that makes all other mercies to look like mercies and tast like mercies and work like mercies and the want of it takes off the glory and beauty of all a mans mercies and makes his life a very hell Pardon of sin is a voluminous mercy a mercy that ha's many precious mercies in the womb of it You may well call it Gad for it ushers in Troops of mercy When you can number the sands of the sea and tell the Stars of heaven then and not till then shall you be able to recount the mercies that attend pardoning mercy He that ha's this mercy cannot be miserable he that wants it cannot be happy get this and get all misse this and misse all this is a gift confer'd onely upon Christs favourites Son be Mat. 9. 2. of good cheere thy sins be forgiven thee No mercy will make a man everlastingly merry below pardoning mercy He ha's no reason to be sad that ha's his pardon in his bosome nor he ha's no reason to be glad who is upon the last step of the Ladder ready to be turned off without his Pardon And this is the fifth gift that Christ gives to his viz. Pardon of sinne Sixthly Christ gives Precious Promises 2. Pet. 1. 4. The Promises are precious beds of spices they are Vâ—res caelesieâ— bottles filled with those heavenly dews that wiâ—l never faile like that of Hagars but will cheâ—ish and nourish the soule to life eternall c. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and Precious Promises c. The Promises are a precious Book every leaf drops myrrhe and mercy The Promises are golden Vessels that are laden with the choycest Jewels that heaven can afford or the soule desire All our spirituall temporall and eternall good is to be found in the belly of the Promises Promises are big-bellied mercies there 's nothing you can truly call a mercy but you will find it in the belly of a Promise under all changes they are the comfort support and relief of the soule Psal 119. 49 50. Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me If the soule groane under the power of sin then that Promise relieves it Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace If the soule groane under the guilt of sin then that Promise relieves it Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me c. And that Promise Isa Anochi anochi ha mâ—hhe 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sins I even I am he blotting out thy transgression I even I whom thou hast offended I even I whom thou hast provoked I even I whose glorious name thou hast prophaned I even I whose righteous Law thou hast violated I even I whose holy Covenant thou hast transgressed I even I whose mercies thou hast dispised I even I
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Unsearchable Riches OF CHRIST OR Meat for Strong men Milke Babes Held forth in Twenty two SERMONS From Ephesians 3. 8. By THOMAS BROOKES Preacher of the Word at Margarets New-Fishstreet Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia Aug. It pleased the father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Collos 1. 19. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Chap. 2. 3. LONDON Printed by Mary Simmons for John Hancook at the first Shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill 1655. The unsearchable Riches of Christ TO ALL TRVE ISRAELITES In whom there is no guile Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied Dear hearts MY design in appearing once more in Print is not to please the captious Critick or the sullen Cinnick but to heighten your fellowship with the Father 1 John 1. 3 4. and the Son and to further you in a closer walking with God and to ripen you more and more for Reigning with God when you shall be here no more Beloved in our Lord there are two sad and great evills Oh that there were no more among the Saints this day The strong are very apt yea they make little of offending the weak And the weak are as Rom. 14. 1. â—â—ult apt and make as little of judging and condemning the strong The serious and conscientious perusall of this Treatise may by Invalidum omne naturâ queru'um Sen. Weake spirits are ever quarrelling and contending the blessing of the Lord contribute much to the preventing of those sad evills You that are weak may in this Treatise as in a Glasse see your weaknesses your mercies your graces your duties your priviledges and your comforts You that are weak in grace may here find many Questions answered and doubts resolved that tend to the satisfying quieting settling and establishing of your precious soules in peace joy and assurance You that are weake in grace may here find a staffe to support you a light to direct you a sword to defend you and a Cordiall to strengthen you c. And you that are strong in grace may here see what is your way what is your work and what at last shall be your reward Here you will find that which tends to the discovery of spirits the sweetning of spirits the uniting of spirits the healing of spirits and the making up of breaches c. Here you will find Meat for strong men and Milke for Babes Here you will find who is more motion then notion more heart then head more spirit then flesh more inside then outside c. Here you will finde The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ which of all boxes of precious Ointment is the most precious opened and Oh how sweet must he be that is the sweetest of sweets In Christ are riches of Justification in Christ are riches of Sanctification riches of Consolation and riches of Glorification And this following Treatise may serve as a key I say not as a golden one to open the doore that you may come where these Treasures lye Christs riches are like the eternall Springs of the earth that cannot dry up but are and shall be diffused by his spirit and Gospel untill his whole house be filled with them The excellency and usefullnesse of the Riches of Christ and Answers to many weighty Queries about his Vnsearchable Riches is more then hinted at in this Tract In this Tract much is spoken concerning the Nature Properties and Excellencies of Humility which is both the beautifier and preserver Humility is Conservatrix virtutum saith Barnard that which keeps all graces together Humilâ—as ani mi subtimitas Christiani of all other graces Here you may see that Those that are lowest in their owne esteeme are highest in Gods esteeme Here you may see that Humble soules are not so low and contemptible in the eyes of the world as they are honourable in the eyes of God And if ever there were an Age since Christ was on earth wherein 't was needfull to Preach presse and print this great doctrine of Humility of selfe of soule-abasement this is the Age wherein we live Oh the pride the statelinesse of the professors of this Age But because this point is largely spoken to in this Tract I shall satisfie my selfe with this touch There are many other weighty things treated on which for brevity sake I shall omit Onely give me leave to acquaint you with a few things about this ensuing Tract and then I shall draw to a close First That it is the substance of twenty-two Sermons Preached by me about three yeares agoe on the Lecture nights at this place where now I Preach Secondly That there is in it severall other things of no small concernment to soules that I did not then deliver but have been given in since from that Fountaine that fills all in all Thirdly That though I have been much A Sermon Preached serâ—eth but an Auditory a Sermon Printed may serve many Auditories pressed to Print these Sermons yet I should never have yeelded had I not been throughly convinced and perswaded in my judgement and conscience that they may by the blessing of the Lord upon them prove many wayes usefull and serviceable to all those honest Nithanaels into whose hands they may fall Else they had been buried in the dark and never come to publick light I have onely a few Requests to make to you and then I shall take my leave of you And my fiâ—st Request is this That you would meditate and dwell upon what you read otherwise your paines I say not your soules and mine will be lost Lectio sine meditatione arida est meditatio sine lectione errâ—na est oratio sine meditatione tepida est Aug. simely 'T is a Law among the Persees in India To use premeditation in what they are to doe that if it be bad to reject it if good to act it The Application is easie The more any man is in the contemplation of truth the more fairer and firmer Impression is made upon his heart by truth Christians must be like the clean Beasts that parted the hoose and chewed the cud They must by heavenly meditation chew truths and concockt truths or else they will never tast the sweetnesse that is in Divine truths Mary pondered the sayings of the Shepheards in her heart Luke 2. 19. Not they that eat most but they that digest most are The Angels are much in meditation the most healthfull Not they that get most but they that keep most are richest So not they that hear most or read most but they that meditate most are most edified and inriched My second Request to you is this That Your actions in passing passe not away for every good work is a grain of seed for eternall life you will make conscience of living out those truths you read
setting his feet upon the neck of pride Now the first property that I shall lay downe of an humble soule is this An humble soule under the highest spirituall discoveries and under the greatest outward mercies forgets not his former sinfullnesse and his former outward meannesse Paul 1 Property 2 Cor. 12 1 2 3 4. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Chrysostome observes it of Paul as his greatest honour that although he had obtained pardon of God for his sins yet he is not ashamed to reckon them up to the world Rom. 7. 23. The Spouse of Christ under all the kisses and embraces of Christ acknowledges her selfe to be black Cant. 1. 2. 5. compared Gen 32. 10. Omnia mea me cum porto All my Goods I carry with me had been taken up into the third Heavens and had glorious revelations and manifestations of God he cryes out I was a Blasphemer a Persecuter and Injurious Under the choycest discoveries he remembers his former blasphemies So Rom. 7. 23. I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members He had been at this time about fourteene yeares converted as some judge He was a man that lived at as high a rate in God as any we read of a man that was filled with glorious discoveries and revelations and yet under all discoveries and revelations he remembers that body of sin and death that made him cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Who shall ease me of my burden who shall knock off these Chaines that make my life a hell I will by a few instances prove the other branch Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies saith Jacob for with my staffe I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands I remember saith he when I went over Jordan I was as a footman that carried all his wealth with him Under his outward greatnesse he forgets not his former meannesse An humble soule is good at looking back upon his former low estate upon his thred-bare Coat that was his best and onely Robe So David 1 Chron. 17. 16 17. And David the King came and sat before the Lord and said What am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast brought me hitherto And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come said Bias one of the seven wise men of Greece 1 Chron. 17. 16 17. Iphicrares that noble Captain â—ryed ouâ— From how smal to how great an estate am I raised So does the humble soule when God turnes his brasse into silver his iron into gold his pence into pounds Agathocles who of a Potters son was made King of Sicily would always be served in earthen vessells Psa 73. 3. 13 Iob 21. 7. 16 Vers 14 15. and hast regarded me according to the state of a man of high degree Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house David remembred the meannesse of his birth he remembred his Shepheards Crook as Jacob did his Travelling Staffe Mercies make an humble soule glad but not proud An humble soule is lowest when his mercies are highest he is least when he is greatest he is lowest when he is highest he is most poor when he is most rich Nothing melts like mercy nothing drawes like mercy nothing humbles like mercy mercy gives the humble soule such excellent Counsell as Plasilla the Empress gave her Husband Theodosius Remember Oh Husband saith she what lately you were and what now you are so shall you Governe well the Empire and give God his due praise for so great an advancement The voyce of mercy is Remember what lately thou wert and what now thou art and be humble Now proud men that are lifted up from the dunghill that abound in worldly wealth ah how do's their blood rise with their outward good the more mercies they have the more proud they are mercies doe but puffe and swell such soules in a croud of mercies they cry out in the pride of their hearts Depart from us O God for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him A second Property of an humble soule is this He overlookes his owne righteousnesse and lives upon the righteousnesse of another to wit the Lord Jesus So the Apostle Phil. 3. 8 9 10. overlooks his owne righteousnesse and lives wholly 2 Property Phil. 3. 8 9 10 ver 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs-meat i. e. courâ— contemptible Isa 64. 6. upon the righteousnesse of Christ I desire to be found in him saith he not having mine owne righteousnesse away with it it 's drosse it 's dung it 's dogs-meat 't is a rotten righteousnesse an imperfect righteousnesse a weak righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith That is a spotlesse righteousnesse a pure righteousnesse a compleat righteousnesse an incomparable righteousnesse And therefore an Cant. 4. 2. Rev. 14. 5. Col. 2. 10. humble soule overlookes his owne righteousnesse and lives upon Christs righteousnesse Remember this all the sighing mourning sobbing and complaining in the world doth not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble as his overlooking his own righteousnesse and living really and purely upon the righteousnesse of Christ This is the greatest demonstration of humility that can be shewne by man Men may doe much heare much pray much fast much and give much c. Mat. 6 Chap. 23. Isa 58. and yet be as proud as Lucifer as you may see in the Scribes Pharisees and those in Isa 58. who in the pride of their hearts made an Idol of their owne righteousnesse Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest it not wherefore Vers 3. have we afflicted our soules and thou takest no knowledge O! but for a man now to trample upon his owne righteousnesse and to live wholly upon the righteousnesse of another this speaks out a man to be humble indeed there is nothing that the heart of man stands more averse to then this of coming off from his owne righteousnesse Man is a Creature apt to warme himselfe with the sparks of his owne fire though he doth lye downe for it in Eternall sorrow Man is naturally Isa 50. 11. Rom. 10. 4. prone to goe about to establish his owne righteousnesse that he might not subject to the righteousnesse of Christ he will labour as for life to lift up his owne righteousnesse and to make a Saviour of it I but an humble soule disclaimes his owne righteousnesse All our righteousnesse is as filthy raggs Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall Psal 143. 2. no man
this is the best to keep them from falling Job feares and conquers on the dunghill Adam presumes and falls in Paradise Nehemiah fears and stands Nehem. 5. 15. Peter presumes and falls Mat. 26. Mr. Sanders the Martyr in Queene Mary's dayes feares and stands Dr. Pendleton presumes and falls from a Professor to be a Papist When Agamemnon said What should the Conquerour feare Casander presently answered Quod nihil timet He should feare this most of all that he fears not at all And so I have done with the Reasons of the point I shall now come to the Uses of it And the first is this Is it so that the most holy soules are the most humble soules Then this shewes you That the number of holy soules is very few Oh how few be there that are low in their owne eyes The number of soules that are high in the esteeme of God and low in their owne esteem are very few Oh the pride of England Oh the pride of London Pride in these A proud heart resists and is resâ—sted this is duâ—o duâ—um flint to flint fire to fire yet downe he must dayes ha's got a whores fore-head yet pride cannot climb so high but Justice will sit above her Bernard saith that Pride is the rich mans Cousen I may add And the poore mans Cousen and the prophane mans Cousen and the Civil mans Cousen and the formall mans Cousen and the Hypocrites Cousen yea all mens Cousen and it will first or last cast down and cast out all the Lucifers and Adams in the world Secondly As you would approve your selves to be high in the account of God as you would approve your selves to be not onely good but eminently good Keep humble Since England was England since the Gospel shined amongst us there was never such reason to presse this duty of humility as in these dayes of pride wherein we live and therefore I shall endeavour these two things First to lay downe some Motives that may work you to be humble Secondly to propound some Directions that may further you in this work First for the Motives Consider First how God singles out humble soules from all others ot 1 Motive poure out most of the Oyle of Grace into their hearts No Vessels that God delights to fill like broken vessels like contrite spirits Jam. 4. 6. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble The Greek word signifies To set himselfe Anâ—itassetai in battell array God takes the winde and hill of a proud soule but he gives grace to the humble The silver dewes flow downe from the Mountaines to the lowest valleyes Abraham was but dust and ashes in his owne eyes I but saith Gen. 18. 17. God Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe No I will not An humble soule shall be both of Gods Court and his Counsel too Humble Jacob that was in his Gen. 32. 10. owne eyes lesse then the least of all mercies what a glorious Vision had he of God when the Ground was his Bed and Gen. 28. the Stone his Pillow and the Hedges his Curtaines and the Heavens his Canopie Then he saw Angels ascend and descend An humble soule that iies low O what sights of God He that is in the low pits and caves os the earth sees the starres in the fiâ—mament when they who are upon the tops of the mountains discerne them not hath he what glory doth he behold when the proud soule sees nothing God poures in grace to the humble as men poure in liquor into an empty vessel he does not drop in grace into an humble heart but he poures it in The Altar under the Law was hollow to receive the fire the wood and the Sacrifice So the hearts of men under the Gospel must be humble empty of all sprituall pride and self-conceitednesse that so they may receive the fire of the Spirit and Jesus Christ who offered himselfe for a Sacrifice for our sins Humility is both a Grace and a vessel to receive Grace There 's none that sees so much need of grace as humble souls there 's none prises grace like humble soules there 's none improves grace like humble soules Therefore God singles out the humble soule to fill him to the brim with grace when the proud is sent empty away Secondly Of all Garments humility doth best become Christians 2 Motive and most adorne their profession Faith is the Champion of grace and Love the Nurse but Humility the beauty of grace 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be clothed with humility The Greek word imports That Humility is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ribbon or string that tyes together all those pretious Pearles the rest of the graces If this string break they are all scattered The Greek word that is rendred Cloathed comes of another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word that signifies to knit and tye knots as delicate and curious women use to doe of Ribbons to adorne their heads and bodies as if humility were the knot of every vertue the grace of every grace Chrysostome calls Humility 'T is reported of the Christall that it hath such a virtue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beauty upon them so does humility put a lustre upon every grace The Root Mother Nurse Foundation and Band of all Virtue Bazill calls it The Store-house and Treasury of all good For what 's the scandall and reproach of Religion at this day nothing more then the pride of Professors Is not this the language of most They are great Professors O but very proud they are great hearers they will run from Sermon to Sermon and cry up this man and cry up that man O but proud They are great talkers O but as proud as the Devil c. Oh that you would take the Counsel of the Apostle Be cloathed with humility And that Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and Beloved Bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering No Robes to these The Third Motive is this Humility is a Load-stone that 3 Motive drawes both the heart of God and man to it In Isa 57. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit The Lord singles out the humble soule of all others to make him an Habitation for himselfe Here is a wonder God is on high and yet the higher a man lifts up himselfe the farther he is from God And the lower a man humbles himselfe the neerer he is to God of all soules God delights most to dwell with the humble for they doe most prize and best improve his pretious presence In Prov. 29. 23. A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 22. 4. By humility
4. 5. Mat. 11. 8. Gen. 27. 15. Isa 52. 1. Hos 2. 13. Exod. 28. 40. I cite these Scriptures so much the rather because some through weaknesse and peevishnesse stumble and are not satisfied herein There is nothing in the Law of God or nature against it But you may say May not persous sin in their Apparrell I answer Yes and that in foure Cases 1 When 't is not Modest but carries with it provocation to lust and wantonnesse Prov. 7. 10. There met the young man A woman in the Attire of an Harlot The Hebrew word signifies a Habit or Ornament finely set and fitted to the body And saith the Text She was suttle of heart or trust up about the Breasts with her upper parts naked so Levi-Ben-Gersom reads the words She met him with her naked Breasts At this day too commonly used by such as would not be held Harlots Oh what a horrid shame and reproach is it to Reâ—igion the wayes of God and the people of God that Professors should goe so One saith That superfluous Apparrell is worse then whoredoome because whoredome onely corrupts chastity but this corrupts Nature Another saith If women adorne themselves so as to provoke men to lust after them though no ill follow upon it yet those women shall suffer eternall damnation because they offered poyson to others though none would drinke of it 2 Persons sin in their Apparell when as they exceed their degree and rank in costly Apparrell which is that which is condemned by the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 3. The Apostle doth not simply condemne the wearing of gold but he condemnes it in those that goe above their degree and rank The words are rather an Admonition then a Prohibition 3 It 's sinfull when 't is so expensive as that it hinders works of Mercy and Charity Oh how many Proud soules be there in these dayes that lay so much upon their backs that they can spare nothing to fill the Poores bellies Silke doth quench the fire of the Kitchin saith the French Proverb The meaning is that it doth hinder works of Charity and Mercy Surely those that put on such costly Ornaments upon their backs as close up the hand of Charity will at last share with Dives in his misery 4 When persons habite themselves in strange and forraine fashions which is the sin shame and reproach of many among us in these dayes Now that is strange Apparrell which is not peculiar to the Nations where men live The Lord threatens to punish such Zeph. 1. 8. that are cloathed with strange Apparrell There are too many women and men in our dayes that are like the Egyptian Temples very Gypsies painted without and spotted within Varnish without and Vermin within Mercury being to make a Garment for the Moon as one saith could never fit her but either the Garment would be too bigge or too little by reason she was alwayes increasing or decreasing May not this be applied to the vaine curiosity of too too many Professors in these dayes whose curiosity about their cloaths can never be satisfied I shall conclude this Head with this Councel Cloath your selves with the Silke of Piety with the Sattin of Sanctity and with the Purple of Modesty and God himselfe will be a Suiter to you Let not the Ornaments upon your backs speak out the vanity of your hearts Fourthly Sometimes Pride shewes it selfe by the gesture and carriage of the body In Isa 3. 16. the Daughters of Sion were haughty and walked with stretched out necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe making a tinkling with their feet Oh Earth Earth doest thou not groan to bear such Monsters as these Fifthly And sometimes Pride shewes it selfe in contemptuous challenges of God as Pharoah Who is the God of the Hebrewes that I should obey him Sixthly Sometimes Pride shewes it selfe by bragging promises I will arise I will pursue I will overtake I will divide Exod. 14. the spoyle and my lusts shall be satisfied The fourth Proposition that I shall lay downe is this Pride is a sin that of all sins makes a man or woman most like to Satan Pride is Morbus Satanicus Satans Disease Pride is so base a disease that God had rather see his dearest Children to be buffeted by Satan then that in Pride they should be like to Satan 2 Cor. 12. 7. When Paul under the abundance of Revelations was in danger of being pufft up the Lord rather then he would have him proud like to Satan suffers him to be buffeted by Satan Humility makes a Man like to Angels and Pride makes an Angel a Devil Pride is worse then the Devil for the Devil cannot hurt thee till Pride hath possest thee If you would see the Devil Limned to the life look upon a proud soule for as face answers to face so doth a proud soule answer to Satan Proud soules are Satans Apes and none imitate him to the life like these And oh that they were sensible of it before it be too late before the doore of darknesse be shut upon them A fifth Proposition is this Pride cannot climb so high but Justice will sit above her One askt a Philosopher what God was a doing he answered That his whole worke was to exalt the humble and pull downe the proud It was Pride that turned Angels into Devils they would be above others in Heaven and therefore God cast them downe to Hell Pride saith Hugo was borne in Heaven but forgetting by what way she fell from thence she could never find the way thither againe The first man would know as God and the Babel builders would dwell as God but Justice set above them all This truth you see verified in the Justice of God upon Pharoah Haman Herod Beltshazzar and Nebuchadnezzer all these would be very high but Justice takes the right hand of them all and brings them downe to the dust Yea Pride cannot climb so high in the hearts of the Saints but Divine Justice will be above it Vzziah his heart was lifted up 2 Chron. 26. 27. but Justice smites him with a Leprosie and so he died out of griefe and sorrow saith Josephus David glories in his owne greatnesse 2 Chron. 29. 32. and for this seventy-thousand fall by the hand of Justice Hezekiah's heart was lifted up but wrath was upon him and upon all Judah and Jerusalem for it 2 Chron. 29. 32 33. Pride sets it selfe against the Honour Being and Soveraignty of God therefore Justice will in spight of all sit above her Other sins strike at the word of God the people of God and the Creatures of God but Pride strikes directly at the very Being of God and therefore Justice will be above her Nebuchadnezzer was Proud and God smites his reason and turnes him into a Beast Oh how many young Professors Staupecius was proud of his memory and Justice smote it are there in our dayes who have been proud of their notions and
cursing banning and a blaspheming God to his very face Had not the Lord given thee a little grace ten thousand to one but thou hadst been one in wickednesse among these Monsters of mankind And thou lookest another way and there thou seest persons dicing carding drabbing and drunkening c. why had not the Lord vouchsafed to thee some tasts and sips of grace thou mightest have been as vild as the vildest among them Ah weak Saints you doe not think what an awakened conscience would give for a little of that little grace that the Lord ha's given you Were all the world a lump of gold and in their hand to give they would give it for the least spark of grace for the least drop of mercy I have read of a man who being in a burning Feaver profest One of the Kings of England in his straites cryed out A Kingdome for a Horse a Kingdome for a Horse So do awakened coâ—sciences cry out A Kingdome for a Christ a Kingdome for a Christ or a little grace That if he had all the world at his dispose he would give it all for one draught of Beer So would an awakened conscience for one dram of grace O saith such a soule when I look up and see God frowning when I look inward and feele conscience gnawing and accusing when I look downward and see hell open to receive me and when I look on my right and left hand and see Devils standing ready to accuse me O had I a thousand worlds I would give them all for a little lirtle drop of that grace that such and such soules have whom I have formerly slighted and despised Oh! what would not a damned soule that hath been but an houre in hell give for a drop of that grace that thou hast in thy heart Think seriously of this and be thankfull Well remember one thing more and that is this viz. That there is no such way to get much grace as to be thankefull for a little grace He who opens his mouth wide in praises shall have his heart filled with graces Ingratitude stops the ear of God and shuts the hand of God and turnes away the heart of the God of grace and therefore you had need be thankfull for a little grace Unthankfullnesse is the greatest injustive that may be 't is a with-holding from the great Land-lord of heaven Lycurgus saith Musculus amongst all his Lawes made none against the Ungratefull because that was thought a thing so prodigious â—s not to be committed by man Isa 1. 3 4. and earth his due his debt Phillip branched his Souldier that begged the land of one that had relieved him and kindly entertained him with ingratis hospes The Vngratefull Guest Oh weak Saints give not God an occasion by your ingratitude to brand you and to write upon your foreheads Vngratefull Children Had it not been for unthankfullnesse Adam had been in Paradise the lapsed Angels in heaven and the Jewes in their owne Land of Promise The Jewes have a saying That the World stands upon three things The Law Holy Worship and Retribution And if these things fall the world will fall You know how to apply it But that I may in good earnest stir up your soules to thankfullnesse will you take home with you these things that happily have never or seldome been thought of by you First Consider That there is more need of Praises then Gods favours and mercies seldome or never come single there is a series a concatenatioÌ„ of them and every former drawes on a â—uture there is of Prayers Two things doe with open mouth proclaime this truth And the first is this Our mercies doe out-weigh our wants This is true in temporals but infinitely more in spiritualls and eternalls Thou wantest this and that outward mercy and what 's thy want oh soule of this and that single mercy to the multitudes of mercies that thou doest enjoy And as for spiritualls there 's nothing more clear then this that thy spirituall mercies doe infinitly out-weigh thy spirituall wants Thou wantest this and that spirituall mercy but what are those wants to that God that Christ and all those spirituall blessings in heavenly places with which thou art blest in Christ Jesus Ephes 1. 4. Secondly Consider this That all your wants and miseries are deserved and procured by your owne sins Jer. 4. 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickednesse because it is bitter because it reacheth God and Christ are the sole fountaine from whence all these streames of living waters flow unto thy heart And Chap. 50. 25. Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have with-holden good things from you But now all your mercies are unmerited and undeserved they all flow in upon you from the free love and favour of God and therefore there 's more need of praises then of prayers And oh that the high praises of God were more in your mouths upon this very account And oh that with David you would summon all the faculties of your soules to praise the Lord who hath freely fill'd you and followed Psal 149. 2. Psal 103. 1. to 5. you with the riches of mercy all your dayes But secondly Consider this Thankefullnesse is a surer and a better evidence of our sincerity and spirituall intenuity then praying or hearing or such like services are Thanksgiving is a selfe-denying grace 't is an uncrowning our selves and the Creatures to set the Crowne upon the head of our Creator it is the making our selves a footstoole that God may be lifted up upon his Throne and ride 'T is much to be feared that that man is Christlesse and gracelesse that is earnest in craving mercies but slow and dull in returning praises 'T is a signe that the Dumb Devill ha's possest such a man in a holy triumph over all It is a grace that gives God the supremacy in all our hearts thoughts desires words and marks Selfe-love flesh and blood and many low and carnall considerations may carry men to pray and hear and talk c. The whip may work a shame to begge but thankfullnesse is the free-will Offering of a Child There 's nothing that so clearly and so fully speaks out your sincerity and spirituall intenuity as thankfullnesse doth Therefore weak Saints if you would have a substantiall evidence of your sincerity and spirituall intenuity be thankfull for a little grace The little Birds doe not sip one drop of water but they look up as if they meant to give thanks To shew us what we should doe for every drop of grace c. The third and last Consideration to set this home is this A thankefull soule holds consort with the musick of Heaven By thankfullnesse thou holdest a correspondency with the Rev. 4. 6 7 8 9. 5. 12 13 14. Angels who are still a singing Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the Throne and is
ha's bestowed upon them such choyce spirituall blessings the least of which will out-weigh all temporall blessings Well Christians remember this you act below your spirituall birth your holy calling when you suffer your hearts to be troubled and perplexed for the want of temporall things Can you read speciall love in these Does your happinesse lye in the injoyment of them Are not the Angels happy without them Was not Lazarus more happy then Dives Yes O then let not the want of those things trouble thee the injoyment of which can never make thee happy Should the Child be troubled for want of a Rattle or a Babie that is proclaimed Heire of a Crowne And why then should a Christian that is Heire apparent to a Heavenly Crowne be troubled upon the want of worldly toyes c. Jerous tells us of one Didymus a godly Preacher who was Socrates Scho. l. 4. c. 20. blind Alexander a godly man coming to him askt him Whether he was not sore troubled and afflicted for want of his sight O yes said didymus It 's a great affliction and trouble to me Then Alexander chid him saying Hath God given you the excellency of an Angel of an Apostle and are you troubled for that which Rats and Mice and bruit-beasts have 'T is great folly 't is double iniquity for a Christian to be troubled for the want of those things that God ordinarily bestowes upon the worst of men Oh the mercies that a Christian ha's in hand Oh the mercies that a Christian ha's in the Promises Oh the mercies that a Christian ha's in hope are so many so precious and so glorious that they should bear up his head and heart from fainting and sinking under all outward wants There goes a Story among Scholars Of Aesops deceiving Mercury He having promised him one part of his Nuts keepes all the meat to himselfe and gives the other the shells Cyprian in his Sermon De lapsis reporteth of divers who forsaking the Lord were given over to eviâ—l spirits and died fearfully A backslâ—der may say Opera impensa peâ—it All my paines and charge is lost Ah Christians God ha's given you the meat but the world the shells why then should you be troubled for want of the shells when God ha's given you the kernell c. Seventhly If the Lord hath given his people the best of Gifts Oh then let not them leave off that God that hath bestowed such choyce and noble favours on them Jerem. 2. 11 12 13. Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. Why For my people have committed two evills they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters c. This was that that aggravated the Israelites sin Psal 105. 106. That They forsooke that God that had confer'd upon them many rich and royall favours But O then what madnesse and folly is it in you that you should forsake that God that hath done such mighty things for your soules I may say to keep you close to God as Saul said to his servants to keep them close to him 1 Sam. 22. 7. Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him heare now ye Benjamites will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and Vineyards and make you all Captaines of thousands and Captaines of hundreds Ah Christians can the world give you spirituall life Can the world give you peace of conscience pardon of sin the favour of God the hopes of glory No O then never leave nor forsake that God that ha's given you all these royall favours which none can give nor take but himselfe He that forsakes Diis proximuâ— ille est quem ratio non ira movet Sen. He is next to God whom reâ—son and not anger moveth Did an impatient soul buâ— see himself iâ— a glasse he would loath himselfe for saith Homer his eyes sparkle like sire his heart swels his puls beats c. In a word aâ— impatiem soul is a bed lam a monster a devil c. God forsakes his owne mercies he forsakes his life his joy his Crowne his all in all No evill to this of forsaking the greatest good It makes a mans life a very hell Such shall be written in the dust Jer. 17. 13. Eighthly and lastly Be not impatient nor froward when God shall take away some lesser mercies from you Hath God given you the best and the greatest gifts that your soules can begg or himselfe can give And will you be froward or impatient when he shall come to take away lesser mercies What wilt thou be an impatient soule when God comes and writes death upon such a neere mercy and passes the sentence of death upon such and such desirable mercies Verily this is the way to provoke God to strip thee naked of thy choycest ornaments and to put thee in Chaines or else to turne thee a grasing among the beasts of the field as he did Nebuchadnezzar God gives the best and takes away the worst he gives the greatest and takes away the least the sense of which made Job blesse God when stript of all If a man should give you a Pearle and take away a pin if he should give you a bagge of gold and take away a bagge of Counters would it not be madnesse in you to be impatient and froward Does God take away a pin and ha's he not given you a Pearle for it He ha's given thee a pound O Christian for every penny that he ha's taken from thee therefore be not froward nor impatient Remember Christians how many in the world there be that sit sithing and mourning under the want of those very favours that you doe enjoy Why does the living man complaine What out of the grave and complaine What out of hell and complaine This is mans sin and Gods wonder But now some poor sinners may say Here 's good Newes for Saints but what 's all this â—o us all this while Read also Pro. 1. 20. to 29. Ch. 8. 1. to 8. Chap. 9. 1. to 7. Isa 43. 22 23 24 25. Jer. 51. 5. Why I 'le tell you I have something to say for the comfort and incouragement of poor sinners Ah sinners Christ is willing to bestow the best Gifts upon the worst sinners take one Text for all 't is a sweet one and full to the point in hand Psal 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received Gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them Christ hath received Gifts as a Steward from the hand of None so faith â—ull as Christ Heb. 3. 5 6. the father to dispence them among men yea among the rebellious the worst of men If there be here at this time any
ship an arrow a dream a post c. This Valerian Valens and Bajazet three proud Emperours found by experience and so have many Kings and Generalls and Nobles as Scripture and History doe abundantly evidence Earthly riches are very uncertaine 1 Tim. 6. 17. They are ever upon the wing they are like Tennis-balls which are bandied up and downe from one to another As the Bird hopps from twig to twig so doe riches from man to man This age can furnish us with multitudes of instances of this nature c. Seventhly and lastly They are the most Vsefull riches to sweeten all other riches mercies and changes c. which speaks out the Excellency of these riches above all other riches The more usefull any thing is the more excellent it is Now the riches of Christ are of all things the most usefull to poore soules When the soule is under the guilt of sin nothing relieves it like the riches of Christ When the soul is surrounded with temptations nothing strengthens it like the riches of Christ When the soule is mourning under afflictions nothing comforts it like the riches of Christ When state friends and trading failes nothing makes a Christian sing care away like the riches of Christ c. The riches of Christ sweeten all other riches that men enjoy If a man be rich in parts Earthly riches cannot in rich the soule noâ— better the soule oftentimes under silk and sattin apparrell there is a thred-bare soule or rich in grace rich in faith rich in knowledge rich in wisedome rich in joy rich in peace c. Or if a man be rich in temporalls rich in money rich in wares rich in Jewels rich in Lands c. the glorious and unsearchable riches of Christ sweetens all his riches and the want of these riches imbitters all the riches that men enjoy When mens consciences are inlightned and awakened then they cry out What are all these worldly riches to us except we had an interest in the riches of Christ As Absolom once said What are all these to me except I see the Kings face I have read of one that upon his dying bed called for his baggs and laid a bagge of gold to his heart and then cryed out Take it away it will not doe it will not doe There are three things that earthly riches can never doe They can never satisfie Divine Justice They can never pacifie Divine wrath Nor they can never quiet a guilty conscience And till these things are done man is undone The Crowne of gold can't cure the Head-ach nor the honourable Garter can't cure the Gout nor the Chaine of Pearles about the neck cannot take away the paine of the Teeth Oh but the unsearchable riches of Christ give ease under all paines and torments Nugas the Scythian King despising the rich Presents and Ornaments that were sent unto him by * Michael Palâ—olegas the Emperour of Constantinople asked him that brought them Whether those things could drive away calamities diseases or deaths looking upon all those Presents as no Presents that could not keep off calamities from him Verily all the riches and glories of this world cannot keep off the least calamity neither can they make up the want of the least mercy But the riches of Christ doe both keep off calamities and make up the want of all mercies that the soule craves or needs All which speaks out the Excellency of the riches of Christ above all other riches We come now unto The Vses of this Point AND the first Use that we shall make is a Use of Exhortation to exhort you all seeing Christ is so rich to labour to be spiritually rich Oh labour to be rich in grace In the handling of this Use I shall propound this method 1 I shall lay downe some Considerations that may provoke your soules to labour to be rich in grace 2 I shall propound some Directions or Helps to help you to be rich in grace which is as much a mercy as a Duty c. 3 I shall lay downe some Propositions concerning the soules being rich in grace 4 I shall shew you how you may know whether you are the persons that are rich in grace or no. I shall begin with the first and be a little the more large upon it because it is a point of mighty weight and concernment and then be the more brief in the three following particulars For the first By way of Motive I shall onely propound these following Considerations to provoke your soules to labour to be rich in grace Laborandum was one of the Emperours Motto and must be every Christians First Consider That the more rich the soule is in grace the higher the soule will be in joy and comfort 'T is the greatest measures of grace that usher in the greatest O the joyes the joyes the unconceiveable joyes cryed out Mistris Katharine Bretterge who had attained to a great measure of grace c. measure of joy and comfort into a believing heart Christians have you tasted of the Consolations of God Have you at times sate downe and drank of these wells of salvation Are your hearts carried out for more of those waters of life Then labour to be rich in grace A little Star yeelds but a little light and a little grace will yield but a little comfort but great measures of grace will yield a man not onely a Heaven hereafter but also a Heaven of joy here Divine comfort is a choyce Flower a precious Jewel and onely to be found in their bosomes that are rich in grace Spirituall comforts are such Strong-waters that weak Christians are not able to bear them Great measures of grace carry with them the greatest evidence of the truth of grace and the clearer evidence there is in the soule of the truth of grace the higher will joy and comfort spring The soule is apt to hang her comforts on every hedge to shift and shark in every bye corner for comfort but as aire lights not without the Sun and as fuell heats not without fire so neither can any thing soundly comfort a Christian without the God of grace without his being rich in grace Great measures of grace carry with them the greatest evidence of a mans union and communion with God and the more a mans union and communion with God is evidenc't the more Aeterna erit exultatio quae bono laetatur aeterno c. will the soul be filled with that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and with that comfort and peace that passes understanding In great measures of grace a man may read most of the love and favour of God and the more a man sees of the love and favour of God to him the more high the springs of comfort rise in him In great measures of grace as in a Christall glasse the soule sees the glorious face of God shining and sparkling and this fills the soule with joy Acts 9.
31. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judca and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplied The more their graces were increased the more their comforts were augmented If one drop of the joy of the Holy Ghost should fall into hell it would swallow up all the torments of hell saith Austin Oh! who would not then labour to increase in grace that he may abound in joy c. The Promise lyes most fair before their eyes that are rich in grace their interest in it is most clear and rarely that they goe without it unlesse it is by taking part sometimes with Satan against their interest in Christ or somtimes through the power of unbelief which indeed cuts off all the comfort of the soule or by looking after other lovers or by not hearkning to the voyce of the Comforter c. Christians you often complaine of the want of joy and comfort oh doe but abound in grace and you won't complaine of the want of comfort Without delight the soule cannot live saith one take away all delight and the soul dyes Let this that ha's been spoken provoke every Christian to labour to be rich in grace c. But secondly Consider this You have singular opportunities and choyce advantages to be rich in grace There is a price put into your hands but where are your hearts In former times God gave out grace by drops but now by Flaggons Opportunities if not improved will as Cant. 2. 5. that sword that Hector gave Ajax be turned into your owne bowels This will be a sword in thy bowels that there hath been soule-inriching opportunities and thou hast neglected them and turned thy back upon them The thoughts of this will one day be the Scorpions that will vex thee the rod that will lash thee the thornes that will prick thee and the worm that will gnaw thee The Storke saith the Prophet knowes Jer. 8. 7. his appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord. The Market for your soules is open slip not your season least with the foolish Virgins you Mat. 25. goe to buy when 't is too late The Merchant will not slip his opportunity of buying nor the Saylor his of sailing nor the Husbandman his of sowing and why should you slip yours of growing rich in grace Many men loose their soules as Saul lost his Kingdome by not discerning their time to be spiritually rich Tamarlen at first hung out a white flagge but if they slipt Such â—here have been who by giving a glasse of water opportunely have obtain'd a Kingdome as you may see in the story of Thâ—umâ—stus and King Agrippa c. that opportunity then a red and so death and destruction followed c. The Lord Jesus hangs out the white flagge of mercy in these dayes to intice soules to come in and to share with him in his glorious and unsearchable riches in the riches of his grace and mercy but if you stand out Christ hath a red flagge and if that be once put out you are lost for ever Thrice happy are those that take the first opportunity of closing with Christ and of subjecting themselves to Christ Plutarch writes of Hanniball That when he could have taken Rome he would not but when he would have taken Rome he could not When many men may have mercy they won't and when they would have mercy they shan't Mercy and Prov. 1. 24 â—l Rev. 3. 20. grace is sometimes upon the bare knee Christ stands knocking at sinners doores he is willing to come in and make sinners rich and happy for ever he calls upon soules to open to him Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Prov. 24. 7 8 c. doores and the King of glory shall come in who is the King of glory The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battell The King of glory comes not vacuis manibus empty-handed no he comes with his hands and heart full of rich and royal Presents and blest and enricht for ever are those that open to this King of glory c. Thirdly Consider this Soules rich in grace shall have their names immortall Every man naturally would have if it were possible his name immortal now there 's no way in the world to have your names immortal like this of growing rich in grace A man that 's spiritually rich shall live and his name shall live when he is dead In Nehem. 7. 2. 't is said of Hannaniah that he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Or He feared God above multitudes as the Hebrew hath it His Merâ—bbim from Rabâ—b name lives though his body for many hundred years hath been turn'd to dust So in Acts 7. 55. Stephen was a man full of the Holy Ghost Though Stephen were stoned yet his name lives his memoriall is precious among the Saints to this very day So in Heb. 11. 38. They were such of whom this world was not worthy And in the third Epistle of John the six first Verses compared with vers 12. Gaius and Demetrius Ego si bonam faâ—ram servassâ— sat dives ero If I may but keep a good name I have wealth enough said Plaâ—t who were rich in grace have Crownes of honour set upon their heads their names live and are a sweet savour to this very day c. So in Psal 112. 6. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance but the name of the wicked shall rot The great mans name and the rich mans name shall rot saith he but the name of the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance The Persians use to write their Kings names in golden Characters so the Lord writes the names of soules rich in grace in golden Characters Their names are alwayes Heires to their lives believe it there 's no such way in the world to have immortall names like this of growing rich in grace One man thinks to make his name immortall by making himself great another by heaping up silver and gold as the dust of the A good name yields a fragrant smell over Towne Country it puts a shining lustre upon the countenance it fitteth to any publick employment in Ministry or Magistracy it stops many a foul mouth and it makes men live when they are dead earth or the stones of the street and another by doing some strange exploites c. But for all this the Lord will make good his word The name of the wicked shall rot if God be God his name must rot but the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance they leave their Names behind for a blessing Isa 65. 15. 'T is sad to consider what many poor carnall Creatures have done and suffered to make their names immortall
that God shall put upon you this is your Principle I but tell me Christians will a little grace inable a man to live up to this Principle I judge not You are to stand ready to change your imployment from better to worse if the Lord shall be pleased to order it so You are to be ready to change your Crowne for a Crosse to change that imployment that 's honourable for that that 's mean and low and that which is more profitable for that which is lesse profitable as it were from ruling of a Province to the keeping of a Heard from being a Lord to be a servant from being a servant to great men to be a servant to the meanest servant yea to the poorest Beast Certainly a little grace will never inable a man bravely and sweetly to live up to this Principle Their hearts that are poore in grace are like a wounded hand or arme which being but imperfectly cured can onely move one way and cannot turne to all postures and all naturall uses Weak Christians are very apt to three things To choose their mercies To choose their crosses And To choose their imployments They are often unwilling that God himselfe should choose out their way or their work But now soules that are rich in grace they are at Gods beck and check they are willing that God shall choose their work and their way they are willing to be at his dispose to be high or low to serve or to be served to be something or to be nothing c. Now I beseech you Christians that you would seriously and frequently remember this That there is nothing in all the world that is such an honour to God and a glory to the Gospel as for Christians to live up to their Principles nor nothing such a reproach to God and his wayes as this for men to live below their Principles and to act contrary to their Principles And you will never be able to live up to your Principles nor to live out your Principles except you grow rich in grace therefore labour I say labour as for life to abound in Grace c. Now the fourth Motive is this Consider That soules rich in Grace are a mighty blessing to the Land and place where they live There are no such blessings in the world to Parishes Cities and Nations as those soules are that are rich in Grace Oh they are great blessings to all places where they come they are persons that are fit for the highest and noblest imployments there is not the highest work that is too high for a man that is rich in grace not the hottest work that is too hot for a man rich in grace nor the lowest work below a man rich in Grace Such a man will not say I would doe it but that 't is below my place my blood my parts my education May Christ have honour May others have good if so I will doe it saith the soule that 's rich in Grace What ever comes of it and blesse God for the opportunity In Dan. 6. 3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the Presidents and Princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole Realme Why was Daniel set upon the Throne but because there was a glorious excellent spirit in him that fitted him for the highest imployment So Joseph was a blessing to his Masters family and the people among whom he liv'd No such blessings to people and places as soules rich in Grace So in Nehem. 7. 2. I Such a one will be Pater patriae Father of his Country gave my Brother Hanani and Hananiah the ruler of the place charge over Jerusalem and why he for he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Oh the wisedome the prudence the zeale the courage the compassion the patience the self-denyall that should be in Magistrates There is a truth in that old Maxime Magistratus virum indicat Magistracy will try a man None fit to rule but such that are rich in Grace What a world of good may a man doe with worldly riches in a Parish in a City in a Nation but that 's nothing to the good that a man may doe that is rich in grace Oh the sins that he may prevent Oh the judgements that he may divert Oh the favours and blessings that he may draw downe upon the heads and hearts of people I presume you forget not what a blessing Moses Joseph Job Nehemiah Mordecai and Daniel proved to the people among whom they liv'd and these were all rich in grace A man rich in wisedome rich in faith rich in goodnesse c. Oh! what a blessing may he prove to ignorant soules to staggering soules to wandring soules to tempted soules to deserted soules c. Look what the Sun is to us that may a soule rich in grace be to others c. Oh friends would you be blessings to your families would you be blessings to the City to the Nation Oh then labour to be rich in Grace and doe not think it enough that you have so much Grace as will keep you from dropping into hell and that will bring you to heaven but labour to be rich in grace and then you will prove indeed a blessing to the place and Nation where you live The Romans when they did perceive any naturall excellency As those that were called among the Romans the Curii and Fabritâ—i c. to be in any persons though they were never so poor and mean they would take them from their dinners of Turnips and Water-cresses to lead the Roman Army 'T is true that naturall and morall indowments will inable men to doe much but grace will inable men to doe ten thousand times more There 's no work too high nor too hard for souls rich in Grace and therefore as you would be choyce instruments in the Lords hand and eminently serviceable in your Generations O labour to be rich in Grace 'T is not he that ha's most wit in his head but he that ha's most grace in his heart that is most fit for Generation-work Fifthly A rich measure of Grace will bear out your soules in severall cases therefore labour to be rich in grace A rich measure of Grace will bear out the soule under The golden nâ—me of Châ—â—stians is but as an Ornament to Swine saith Salvian He means such as content them selves with an empty name great means of Grace When a soule is spiritually rich this will bear him out under great means such a one will be able to look God in the face with joy and comfort he can say 't is true Lord I have had more means then others and lo I am growne richer then others Thou hast taken more paines with me then with others and lo I bring forth more fruit then others my five Talents are become ten But a little grace will not bear men out under much means of Grace Againe A great
is most precious And thou those that are spiritually rich doe out-reach all others c. Thirdly Rich men can with more ease and pleasure beare burdens then poore men can A Tree that is well growne stands it oâ— in the worst stormes it bends not it breaks not c. When Taxes and burdens are laid upon poore men they sigh and shrug and complaine that they are not able to bear them when rich men make nothing of them So soules that are rich in grace can bear burdens without a burden they can bear crosses afflictions and persecutions with abundance of ease cheerfullnesse and contentednesse of spirit they doe not shrug nor grumble but beare the greatest Trialls with the greatest sweetnesse as you may see in Acts 5. They went out rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ So Paul 2 Cor. 12. 10. I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake I take pleasure The Greek word is an emphaticall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the same word that God the father uses to expresse his infinite delight in his Son Mat. 3. ult This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Or In whom I am infinitely delighted The same word the Apostle uses to expresse the wonderfull delight that he took under all his sufferings he rejoyces leaps under all his burdens Oh but now a soul that is poor in grace he cannot bear a burden without a burden every light affliction turns him sinks him every Mole-hill is a mountaine every scratch on the hand is a stab at the heart every wave is a sea and the poore Christian sighes and groanes and cryes out O no sorrow to my sorrow no losse to my losse no crosse to my crosse but soules rich in grace act quite contrary as hath been hinted and proved c. Fourthly Rich men are most envied History and Scripture speaks out this as well as our owne experience The rich man above all others is the greatest object of envy and 't is as true that such that are most rich in Numb 16. spiritualls are of all men the most envied Moses and Aaron were rich in spiritualls and Oh! how were they envied by Corah Dathan and Abiram and other wicked wretches T was said of Caesar and Pompoy That the one could not indure a superiour nor the other an equall Ezra Nehemiah and Mordecai were rich in spiritualls and who more envied Among all the Prophets and Apostles those have been most envied that have most abounded in spirituall worth and to this very day none are such objects of scorne and envy as those that have most of Christ within Men that have more leaves then fruit that have a golden outside but a thred-bare inside are lesse envied then those that are all glorious within Men of greatest excellencies Psal 45. 13. are the maine objects upon which the eye of envy is placed Sauls envious eye was placed upon David and Cain's upon Abel and Esau's upon Jacob and Herod's upon John and the Pharisees upon Christ Envious soules are like the Ravens that flye over the sweet Garden and light upon the stinking Carrion Envy doth ever ascend it never discends An envious man can with more ease dye miserably Socrates calls Envy Seâ—ram animae Thâ— soules saw c. then see another live happily An envious heart weeps to see others mercies and joyes to see others miseries An envious heart is like the Mear-maid which never sings but in a storm and never mournes but in a calme An envious man cannot indure those excellencies in others that he wants in himselfe he loves not any light that out-shines his owne any Crowne that out-weighs his owne c. Cimon the famous Generall of the Athenian Common-wealth hearing a friend of his highly commending his Martiall Atchievements answered That they were not worthy of commendations because they were not envied c. Fifthly Rich men are most tempted and assaulted Pirates doe not use to set upon empty Vessels but those that are most richly laden And Beggars need not feare the Thief though the rich man doe Those that have been most rich in spiritualls have been most assaulted and tempted by God and Satan will tâ—y to the utmost those particular graces wherein any Christian do'â— excell c. Satan witnesse Abraham Job Joshua Peter Paul yea Christ himselfe The best men have alwayes been most and worst tempted none so much in the Schoole of temptation as those that are most rich in grace There are none that are such blocks such mountaines in Satans way as these none doe him that mischief as these none are so active and so resolute in their oppositions against him as they c. and therefore none so assaulted and tempted as they And thus by these five things you may know whether you are rich in grace or no. The next Use is this If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich then doe not joyne any thing with him in the great worke of your redemption and salvation There is riches enough in Christ to pay all your debts and to satisfie Divine Justice to the utmost farthing without being beholding to your prayers teares or humiliations Christ will be Alexander or Nemo on earth Kings love no consorts power is impatient of participation When Augustus Caesar desired the Senate to joyne two Consuls with him for the carrying on the Government of Suetonius the State the Senators answered That they held it a diminution to his dignity to joyne any with so incomparable a man as Augustus Caesar was Was it a diminution to his dignity to joyne others with We must say of Christ as it was once said of Caesar Sâ—cium habet neminem He may have a companion but he must not have a competiâ—or c. him in the Government of the State And is it not a diminution of the dignity and glory of Christ to joyne your actions and your indeavours with his blood in the businesse of your redemption In Isa 63. 3. I have trodden the Wine-presse alone and of the people there was none with me And in Isa 44. Thus saith the Lord thy redeemer and he that formed thee from the womb I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe 'T is a sad reproach to Christ to joyne any thing with him in the great businesse of your salvation therefore abhor it more then hell it selfe let Christ be all in all Againe Thirdly If Christ be so rich then take heed of three things First Take heed of sitting downe dejected and discouraged under any losses or troubles that doe befall you or that have or shall befall you for the name of Christ Christ is generally rich he is able to make up all your losses and wants Phil. 4. 19. But my God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus as he did the widowes vessel The fountaine hath not the lesse water for the vessel it fills nor the Sun the lesse light for that it gives forth to the Starres so the Lord Jesus Christ hath never a whit the lesse for what he gives forth unto his Saints When Zelislaus the King of Poland's Generall had lost his hand in his service the King sent him a golden hand Ah Christians when you loose this or that for him he will send you a golden hand if you loose a penny for him he will give you a Pearle Christ will not live long in any mans debt if he should he would loose his glory c. Secondly If the Lord Jesus be very rich Oh then take heed of despairing by reason of your sins I confesse the least sin should humble the soule but certainly the greatest sin should never discourage the soule much lesse should it work the soule to despaire Read 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15. and despaire I had almost said if thou can'st Despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ Acts 2. believing on Christ were saved Despaire is a sin exceeding vild and contemptible 't is a word of eternall reproach dishonour and confusion it declares the Devil a Conquerour and what greater dishonour can be done to Christ then for My sin is greater then can be forgiven saith Gain Thou lyest Cain saith Augustine for Gods mercy is greater then the sins of all men and its a great injury to God to distrust of his mercy a soule to proclaime before all the world the Devil a crowned Conquerour A despairing soule is Magor missabib A terrour to himselfe his heart a hell of horrour his conscience an Acheldama a field of black blood He hath no rest at home nor abroad at bed nor board but is as if infernall Devils followed him in fearfull shapes terrifying and tormenting his perplexed soule Eternity of misery feared or felt begets that Monster which like Medusas head astonisheth with its very aspect and strangles hope which is the breath of the soule As it is said Dum spiro spero so it may be inverted Dum spero spiro other miseries may wound the spirit but despaire kills it dead c. Thirdly If Christ be so rich Then take heed of presuming Christ is a Lyon as well as a Lamb he hath a sword as well as a Scepter Take heed of taking incouragement to sin upon this account that Christ is rich in grace and mercy To argue from the riches of mercy to sinfull liberty is the Devils Logick A soule that thus reasons is a soule left of God a soule that is upon the last step of the ladder a soule that Satan hath by the hand and the eternall God knowes whether he will lead him What the women sung of Saul and David that Saul 1 Sam. 18. 6 7. Rom. 6. 1 2. had slaine his thousands and David his ten thousands that I may say of despaire and presumption Despaire hath slaine her thousand but presumption hath slaine her ten thousand Shall we sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein As the beams of the Sun shining on the fire puts out the fire so the shinings of Gods mercy on us should extinguish sin in us as the Apostle argues 2 Pet. 3. 15. from Paul Rom. 2. 4. Christ seemes to say to soules as Thesius said once Goe sayes he and tell Creon Thesius offers thee a gracious offer yet I am pleased to be friends if thou wilt submit this is my first Message but if this offer prevaile not looke for me to be up in armes Ah soules if you shall abuse the riches of grace to a presumptuous sinning against Christ Christ will take up Armes and you shall dye for it The next Use is this If Christ be so rich Oh then open to Christ when he knocks Christ knocks by his word and he knocks by his rod he knocks by his spirit and he knocks by his messengers and he knocks by conscience Oh open to him for he is very rich Though you shut the doore against a poore man yet you will open it to one that is rich and why not then to Christ who would faine have entrance Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Behold I stand I that am the King of glory I that am Psal 24. 7 8 9. Rev. 17. 14. King of Kings and Lord of Lords I that am rich in mercy rich in goodnesse rich in grace rich in glory I stand at the doore and knocke I that have gold to inrich you I that have eye-salve to inlighten you I that have glorious Apparrell to cloath you I that have mercy to pardon you I that have power to save you I that have wisedome to counsell you I that have happinesse to Crowne you I stand at the doore and knocke If any man will open If the Master will not yet if the servant will if the Mistrisse will not yet if the Maid will if the Parent will not yet if the Child will if the rich man will not yet if the poore man will if the Pharisee won't yet if the Publican will I will come in and will sup with him and he with me Jesus Christ hath the greatest worth and wealth in him as the worth and value of many peeces of silver is in one piece of gold so all the heavenly excellencies that are scattered abroad in Angels and men are united to Christ yea all the whole volume of perfection which is spread through heaven and earth is epitomized in Christ They â—ay 't is true of the Oyle at Rhemes That though it be continually spent in the inauguration of their Kings of France yet it never wasts Christ is a pot of Manna a cruise of Oyle a bottomlesse Ocean of all comforts and contents that never faile A Saint may say In having nothing I have all things because I have Christ Having therefore all things in him I seeke no other reward for he is the universall reward And then againe If Christ be so rich then sit downe and wonder at his condiscending love That one so rich should fall in love with such that are Rev. 3. 17. to 21 c. poore wretched miserable blind and naked that one so high should look so low as poore we that one so great that one who is the Lord and Heire of all should match with us Heb 1 2 3 4. Phil. 3. 17 18 19 c. Ezek. 16. that have nothing at all O the breadth the length the depth the highth of Christs love to unlovely soules to such that had neither portion nor proportion that had neither externall nor internall worth that might in the
Jesus and Oh that I could perswade with you to get an interest in this Christ get this Christ and you get all misse him and you misse all 'T is a matter of eternall concernment to your soules nothing can make that man miserable that hath this rich Christ nothing can make that man happy that wants this rich Christ In Prov. 4. 5 7. Get wisedome that 's Christ get understanding forget it not Vers 7. Wisedome is the principall thing therefore get wisedome and with all thy getting get understanding And so in Prov. 16. 16. How much better is to get wisedome then gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen then silver Hadst thou all the power of the world without an interest 1 Cor. 1. 25. to 29. in Christ thou wouldest be but weak Hadst thou all the wit and learning in the world without an Interest in Christ thou wouldest be but a foole Hadst thou all the honours in the world yet without an Interest in Christ thou wouldest be but base Hadst thou all the wealth in the world Dan. 4. 17. Luke 16. 2◠23 24 25 26. Mat. 13. 45 46 47. yet without an Interest in Christ thou wouldest be but a beggar c. Oh therefore labour for an Interest in Christ Oh turne the wise Merchant at last The wise Merchant in the Gospel parts with all to buy the Pearle to get an interest in Christ Oh! 't is your greatest wisedome 't is of an eternall concernment to your soules to sell all to part with all for an interest in the Lord Jesus Oh doe not deale with your soules when Christ is tendered and offered to you as sometimes simple people doe when they goe to Market they might have a good penny-worth but that they are loath to part with some old peece of gold that ha's been given them by a father or a friend somewhat willing they are to have the good penny-worth but unwilling they are to part with their gold 'T is so with many poore sinners when the Lord Jesus Christ is presented to their soules as a very glorious penny-worth somewhat willing they are to have him but unwilling they are to part with their old gold with some old sweet darling lust But sinners don't you deceive your own soules sin and your soules must part or Christ and your soules can never meet Sin and your soules must be two or Christ and your soules can never be one Christ is a most precious commodity Prov 8. 11. he is better then Rubies or the most costly Pearles and you must part with your old gold with your shining gold your old sins your most shining sins or you must perish for ever Christ is to be sought and bought with any paines at any price we cannot buy this gold too deare He is a Jewel more worth then a thousand worlds as all know that have him Get him and get all misse him and misse all Now if ever you would get an interest in Christ and so by gaining an Interest in him be possest of all the riches and glory that come by him then be sure to get your hearts possest with these nine Principles that follow And the first is this That the great end and designe of Christs coming into the world was the Salvation of sinners Get this Principle rooted in your spirits I came not to call the righteous saith he but sinners to repentance And Ma◠9. 13. Mark 2. 17. in 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Christ layes aside his Royal Crowne he puts off his glorious Robe he leaves his fathers bosome he takes a journey from Heaven to Earth and all to save poore lost sinners That which Christ had most in his eye and upon his heart in his coming into the world was the salvation of sinners Lay up this truth feed upon this Honey-comb Secondly Get this Principle rooted in your hearts Viz. That none ever yet obtained an interest in Christ but unworthy creatures When you are pressed to get an Interest in Christ you are ready to say O I am unworthy Will Christ ever looke after such a one as I am I answer Yes For this is a most certaine Principle That none ever attain'd an interest in Christ but unworthy creatures Was Paul worthy before he had an interest in Christ Wbat worthinesse was in Mathew when Christ call'd him from the Receipt of Custome And what worthinesse was in Zacheus when Christ call'd him downe from the Cycomore Tree and told him that This day salvation was come to his house Was Manasses or Mary Magdalen worthy before they had an Interest in Christ Surely no. Though you are unworthy yet Christ is worthy Though you have no merit yet God ha's mercy Though there is no salvation for you by the Law yet there is salvation for you by the Gospel Againe Christ requires no worthinesse in any man before Such as shall goe to prove he does must make a new Gospel a new Bible he believes and he that won't believe before he is worthy will never believe If you look upon God with an Evangelical eye you shall see that he that is most unworthy is most capable of mercy A real sense of our owne unworthinesse renders us most fit for Divine mercy This Objection I am unworthy is an unworthy Objection and speaks out much pride and ignorance of the Gospel and of the freenesse and riches of Gods grace c. Thirdly Let this Principle dwell in you Viz. That Christ hath lost none of his affections to poor sinners by going to heaven Oh! how did his bowels work towards sinners when he was on earth And certainly they work as strougly towards them now he is in heaven His love his heart his good will is as much towards them as ever Christ is Alpha and Omega Rev 1. 8. the phrase is taken from the Greek letters whereof Alpha Heb. 13. 8. Vide Grotius is the first and Omega the last I am before all and I am after all Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Christ is the same before time in time and after time Christ is unchangeable in his Essence in his Promises and in his Love to poore sinners Fourthly Get this Principle riveted in your hearts That he is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Originall word signifies all manner of perfection Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save to the uttermost That is to all ends and purposes perfectly and perpetually he needs none to helpe him in the great businesse of redemption he is a thorow Saviour he ha's Trod the Wine-presse alone Isa 63. 3. Fifthly Get this Principle riveted in your hearts That the want of such preparations or qualifications Some men there be that would have men better Christians
in his works you will find nothing but what may incourage you to believe in him and to resigne up your selves to him Ah poore sinners what would you have Is there not power in Christ to support you and mercy in Christ to pardon you and grace in Christ to heal you and goodnesse in Christ to relieve you and happinesse in Christ to crowne you and what would you have more Oh that you would believe Ninthly Let this Principle be rooted in you That the surest way and the shortest cut to mercy and to get an interest in Christ is by a peremptory casting of the soule by faith on Christ John 3. 16 17 18 36. 8. 24. 16. 9. 4. 50 53. 5. 24. 6. 35 40. 7. 38. 11. 25 26. 12. 46. Acts 10. 43. Rom. 3. 26. 1 John 5. 10 11 12. There 's no way under heaven to be interested in Christ but by believing There 's no way to get an interest in the riches of Christ but this He that believes shall be saved let his sins be never so great and he that believes not shall be damned let his sins be never so little And so much shall suffice to have spoken concerning this great and weighty Point I shall follow what hath been said with my prayers that what ha's been said may work for your internall and eternall welfare c. EPHES. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ. THERE are two other Observations that arise from these words I shall by Divine assistance speak something to them and so finish this Text. And the first is this Viz. That 't is the great Duty of Preachers to Preach Jesus Christ to the people To me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 'T is the great Duty of Ministers to Preach the Lord Christ to the people I shall prove it and then open it to you In Acts 5. 42. And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach what Jesus Christ So in Acts 3. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you So in 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. 2 Cor. 4. 5. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake So in Acts 4. 2. 2. 35. 9. 20. As soon as Paul was converted straightway he Preached Christ in the Synagogue that he was the Son of God Now for the opening of the Point I shall onely attempt two things 1 Give you the Reasons Why it 's the great Duty of Ministers to preach Christ to the people 2 Which will be the maine To shew you How they are to preach Christ to the people I confesse this is a very usefull Point in these dayes wherein many men Preach any thing yea every thing but a crucified Jesus Well Christians remember this As 't is your duty to take heed how you heare so 't is as much your duty to take heed who you hear Many there are that count and call themselves the Ministers of Christ and yet have neither skill nor will to Preach Jesus Christ to exalt and lift up Jesus Christ in lip or life in word or work a sad reckoning these will have to make up at last But to come to the Reasons of the Point Why it is the great worke and duty of Ministers to preach Jesus Christ to the people First Because that this is the onely way to save and to win soules to Jesus Christ There is no other way of winning and saving soules but by the Preaching of Christ to the people In Acts 4. 10 11 12. compared Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby Jewel Cowper and others had no such pleasure or joy as they had in Preaching Christ unto the people we must be saved You may Preach this and that and a thousand things to the people and yet never better them never win them 't is onely Preaching of Christ that allures and drawes soules to Christ John 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Ah! nothing melts the hearts of sinners nor wins upon the hearts of sinners like the Preaching of the Lord Jesus 'T is true the teaching of this and that opinion may please many a mans fansie but 't is onely the Preaching of Christ that changes the heart that conquers the heart that turnes the heart c. Peter by Preaching of a crucified Christ Acts 2. 14. to 42. converts three thousand soules at once Were Christ more Preached men would be more inamoured with him He is onely precious to them that hear of him and that believe in him Christ is in all respects incomparable and therefore as 1 Pet. 2. 7. you would honour him and win upon others make him more and more knowne to the world c. Secondly They are to Preach Christ to the people Because it is the choycest and the chiefest way to ingratiate Christ with poore soules This brings Christ and the soule together and this keeps Christ and the soule together nothing indeares Christ to Marâ—ian Arch Bishop of Constantinople said once of Subbaâ—ius a wretched and unworthy man whom he had Oâ—dained to be a Presbyter We wish we had raâ—her laid our hands on the bryars then on such heads the soule like this We see by wofull experience Christ neglected despised scorned and trampled upon by most and no wonder for many Preach themselves more then Christ and they Preach men more then Christ and their owne notions and impressions more then Christ Surely Christ is but little beholding to such Ministers and I think the soules of men as little and Oh that they were so wise as to consider of it and lay it to heart Surely a reall Christian cares not for any thing that hath not Aliquid Christi something of Christ in it There is a strange and strong Energy or forciblenesse in hearing Christ and his beauties and excellencies displayed and discovered The daughters of Jerusalem by hearing the Church presenting Christ in so high a Character and by describing and painting him out in such lively colours are so inchanted and inflamed that might they but know where to find him they would be at any paines to seek him When Christ is set forth in his glories with much affection and admiration others fall in love with him as you may see by comparing Cant. 5. 10. ult with Chap. 6. 1. Thirdly 'T is their great duty to Preach Jesus Christ to the people Because the Preaching up of Christ is the onely way to Preach downe Antichrist or whatever makes against Christ Some would have Antichrist
and that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow Application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vaine in their practical inferences such Preachers are fitter for Rome then England soules may goe sleeping and dreaming to Hell before such Preaching ere such Preachers will awaken them and shew them their danger Oh that therefore the people were so wise as that when sin is reproved judgements threatned mercies promised and Christ freely and fully offered they would apply all to their owne soules This is the misery of many in our dayes they come to Sermons as Beggars come to Banquets carrying nothing but the scraps away with them Tenthly They must Preach the word Acceptably as well as rightly Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out Bikkesh ni Pâ—hil from Bakash signifies an eaâ—nest vehement seeking c. acceptable words or words of delight as the Hebrew ha's it and that which was written was upright even words of truth Ministers words should be Divinely delectable and desirable they should Divinely please and Divinely profit they should 'T was a fiâ—e commendation given by Quintiliian of Thucydides Thucydides writes thick and quick close clear he is solid sâ—ccint seâ—tentious and judicious Divinely tickle and Divinely take both ear and heart A Minister should be a weighty speaker he should cloath his Doctrine in such a comely lovely dresse as that he may by it slide insensibly into his hearers hearts Ministers should cloath their matter with decent words The leaves give some beauty to the Tree Good matter in an unseemly language is like a bright Taper in a sluttish Candlestick or like a faire body in unhandsome cloaths or like a gold-ring on a Leprous hand Truth saith one loves to be plaine but not sluttish as she loves not to be clad in gay colours like a wanton strumpet so not in lowsie raggs like a nasty Creature Aarons bels were golden bels Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals Holy Eloquence is a gift of the Holy Ghost and may doubtlesse as Acts 18. 24. well as other gifts of the spirit be made prudently usefull to the setting forth of Divine truth and the catching of soules 2 Cor 12. 16. by craft as the Apostle speaks surely where it is it may be made use of as an Aegyptian Jewel to adorne the Tabernacle Lactantius hath well observed That Philosophers Orators Lib. 5. cap. 1. and Poets were therefore very pernicious in that they easily insnared incautious minds with sweetnesse of speech Therefore Basil Bucer were curt and concise full and clear in their discourses his advice is Even in delivering the truth of Christ to sweeten the speech for the winning of them to Christ who will neither heare nor read nor value nor regard the truth except it be pollished and trimmed up in a lovely dresse In the last place and so to adde no more as they must Preach the word acceptably so they must Preach the word Constantly they must not lay downe the Bible to take up the sword as some have done for worldly advantages 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24 Acts 6. 2. they must not leave the word to serve Tables as others have done upon the same account they must not change their black Clokes for scarlet Clokes they must abide and continue in their places and imployments they must neither change their work nor their Master Acts 6. 4. But we will give our selves continually to pray and to the Ministry The Shew-bread stood all the week before the Lord â—o shew that Preaching is not out of season on any day of the word They would not assigne their charge to some Surrogates or Deputies that themselves might live at ease No they were peremptorily resolv'd to hold on to continue in these two choyce duties Prayer and Ministry of the word So in Chap. 26. 22. Having therefore obtained helpe of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come 1 Tim. 4. 15 16. Meditate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 En toutois isihi Spend thy â—me in them upon these things give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appear to all or in all things Take heed unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee 2 Tim. 3. 14. But * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mene. Abide keep hy station â—hou wilt be put to 't thou wilt meâ—â— with earthquakes continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Eccles 12. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs Hosea was four-score years a Prophet to Israel and yet did not convert them yet notwithstanding all discouragements he continued constant and that with abundance of freshnesse and livelinesse Chrysostome compares good Pastours to Fountaines that Châ—ysost in Mat. Hom. 15. ever send â—â—rth waters or Conduites that are alwayes running though no Paile be put under Erasmus saith of Hierom Minima pars noctis dabatur somno minor cibi nulla otio He allowed least time for sleep little for food none for idlenesse It best becomes a Minister to dye Preaching in a Pulpit Now if this be so Then by way of Use let me say That this truth lockes very sowrely and wishly upon all those that Preach any thing rather then Christ The Lord be mercifull to them how have they forgotten the great work about which their heads and hearts should be most exercised to wit the bringing in of soules to Christ and the building up of soules in Christ where doe we find in all the Scripture that Christ his Prophets or Apostles did ever in their Preaching meddle with businesses of State or things of a meer civil concernment My Kingdome is not of this world Who ha's made me a Judge sayes Christ I hope it will not be counted presumption in me if I shall propound a few Rules for such to observe that are willing to Preach Christ to poore soules I will onely propound three And the first is this If you would Preach Christ to the people according to the Rules last mentioned then You must get a Christ within you There 's nothing that makes a man indeed so able to Preach Christ to the people as the getting a Christ within him And 't is very observeable that the great Rabbies and Doctours that want a Christ within they doe but bungle in the work of the Lord in the Preaching of a crucified Jesus and were it not for the help of Austine Chrysostome Ambrose and Tertullian c. what sad dead and