it not unto me ver 45. Beloved there is a time coming when the great God will reckon with ungodly men for all the injuries and wrongs which they have done to his people as if they were done to himself immediately Oh! consider of this you that are true Believers are you invironed round with adversaries either spiritual or temporal you have God for your defence a God infinite in power which is able to defend you from the hardest assaults of your most potent and politick Enemies his Name is a strong Tower the Righteous fly unto it and are safe Are you encountring with great temptations The Lord being your Father he will protect you and not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but together with temptation will make way for your escape that you may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.30 the Lord knoweth that his Children are liable to many temptations from Satan from the world and from their own corruptions and that they are subject to many afflictions and tribulations from the hands of men and therefore he will be sure to be with them and to be a very present help to them in the time of trouble Thirdly Is God a Believers Heavenly Father then there is a comfort for them that God will pity them and compassionate them in all their afflictions a tender Father pitieth his Children when they are in any calamity as for instance in sickness how will the groans of a Child go near the heart of a loving Parent How do the Agonies of pain in the Child cause grief and sorrow in the Parents heart What means would not a Parent use to procure the health and ease of a Child My life is bound up in the life of the Lad says Jacob concerning Benjamin Oh Absalon my son my son would God I had dyed for thee says David concerning Absalon What sympathyzing and sellow-feeling will a dear and tender Parent have of the miseries of his Children And as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal 103.13 The Lord is very pitiful Jam. 5.11 The pity and compassion of the Lord towards his Children is excellently set forth in that Scripture Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant Child I speak against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord The bowels of the Lord do exceedingly yearn towards his people in all their afflictions and distresses and he is full of pity and compassion towards them Fourthly Is God a Father to all true Believers then here is also for their comfort that God doth and always will love them and take delight in them He loves them with an everlasting love they are his chosen Jewels and he will certainly one day polish them though he suffer them to be among the rubbish of the World for a while They are his pleasant pictures and he delights to be looking on them the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him and upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33.18 God takes pleasure to be viewing the new creature which he hath framed by his own Spirit in the hearts of his people and his own Image which he stamped upon them and herein the love that the Lord beareth his Children infinitely exceeds the Love that earthly Parents bear to theirs in that he loveth them continually Earthly Parents they love their Children but their love may be withdrawn from them again and is often times but the love of God will never be withdrawn from his love whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end and although his loving countenance may be eclipsed for a time and they may lose the sence of his love to them by their failings sinful infirmities yet the Lord loves them still There is nothing shall be able to separate Believers from the love of God Rom. 8.25 and onward the Apostle Paul putteth the question there saith he Who shall separate us from the love of God Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay saith he in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is not all the troubles of the world nor tribulations nor any thing that can render Believers less lovely in the eyes of Christ It is not all the Devils in Hell that can withdraw Gods love from his children although they do endeavour it by enticing them to sin by their temptations and then by accusing them to God for sin yet all this will not rout them out of God's love though the Devil do labour to pick a quarrel between God and his people yet it is not principalities nor powers it is not all the power of Hell that shall be able to withdraw Gods love from them Fifthly Is God a Father to Believers Then they may take this for their comfort that he will continually be mindful of them Parents do remember their Children and are mindful of them so the Lord he remembreth his people and will never forget them Isa 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may yet I will not forget thee Earthly Parents though it be but rare yet they may and sometimes do forget their children but God he is more tender and mindful of his Children than earthly Parents are of theirs yea they may yet will not I forget thee c. Though Gods people do too often forget him yet he doth never forget them but remember them in all their conditions even in their low estate God is mindful of them Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Lastly Is God a Father to Believers Then they may take this for their comfort that God will provide an inheritance for them hereafter Fathers provide portions and inheritances for their Children for hereafter so doth God Rom. 8. Now saith the Apostle We are the Sons of God and if sons then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Jesus Christ How often is the Kingdom of Heaven called an inheritance the inheritance of the Saints or them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 and 26.8 There is an eternal inheritance laid up for the Children of God for hereafter yea the Kingdom of Heaven is their inheritance and it is now preparing for them John 14.2 and they shall have assuredly one day an abundant entrance into their Fathers Kingdom the Children of God
VVhat it is to keep his way First To wait on the Lord is taken more largely or more strictly 1. More largely And so it is the same with serving the Lord attending and following the Lord and takes in the whole duty of the Saints waiting on the Lord as a Soldier on his Captain or as a servant on his Master Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of the Servants look to the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait on the Lord our God So in that Hos 12 6. Turn thou to thy God and keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually 2. More strictly And so it intends a patient expecting the Lords Salvation 'T is the continual exercise of Faith and Hope It is Faith and Hope eekt out so here Vers 7. Rest on the Lord wait patiently So Psal 130. when he cries out of the depths as he says v. 1. then v 5 I want for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his words do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning We have both these together in that Lam 3.25 26. The Lord is good to them that wait for Him to the the soul that seeketh Him There it is taken as largely as seeking after God but it followes It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord there it is taken for the continued exercise of hope for a patiâ—nâ— expectation of the Lords Salvation Secondly What it is to keep the Way of the Lord here mind The way of the Lord may be understood of that way wherein he walketh towards his People which is aptly stiled the way of his Providence or in that way wherein he requires his People to walk towards him and is properly stiled the VVay of his Precepts 1. â—vere is the way of Gods Providence in which he walketh towards us of which that Psal 18.30 speaketh As for God his VVay is perfect So Psal 25.10 All the Paths and VVaies of the Lord are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep his Covenant and Testimonies Now if it be thus taken here Then to keep his VVay is diligently to attend his Hand and to observe his Carriage and ordering in all that befals his People more especially in all that trouble that comes on them For whatever trouble comes upon the People of God and whoever be the instruments of inflicting the Lord hath his way in it Mit. 6.9 ordering it as to the kind as to the measure as to the season as to the continuance and as to the ends and fruits Now to observe the Lord's Hand and to attend his VVay in ordering his Providences and our troubles this is to keep his VVay So Isa 26.8 In the way of thy Jugements we have waited for thee as if he had said VVe have waited on the Lord and kept his VVay 2. There is the way of God's Presepts in which he commandeth his People to walk And thus is this phrase most commonly taken So 2 Kings 21.21 where it is said of Amon He forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in the VVay of the Lord i. e. not in the VVay of his Commandments Thus David spake of the way of his Precepts in Psal 119 27. Make me understand the Way of thy Prâ—â—pts And if it be taken thus then to keep the VVay of the Lord is to walk in his Statutes and to observe his Commandments to do them So Gen. 18.19 the Lord testifies of Abraham I know him thet he will command his Children and his houshold after him annd they shall keep the VVay of the Lord to do Justice and Judgement So in Job 23.11 13. My feet have held his steps his VVay have I kept and not declined neither have I gone back from the Commadments of his lips So to walk in his VVays and to keep his Commandments are the same Deut. 26.17 and Psal 119 1 2. So that the sum of all is However it be with the truly Godly more especially when the wicked do wateh them to do them a mischeif their best way is to attend on the Lord to follow him to walk on in the ways of his Commandements so eying the hand of the Lord in all that befals them as that they patiently expect and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Thus for Explication I now come to the Demonstration which shall be dispacht by clearing That it is the honestest the wisest the safest the most comfortable and most honourable Way First This is the most innocent just and honest Way yea truly this is the only good honest and right Way I am to shew what is the best for a Godly man to whom no way is good but what is just and honest There are indeed other ways which a man may take when he is in trouble through the wickeds watching him to do him a mischief whereby to escape the mischief intended him but they are not just and honest I shall instance in these 1. By sinfully complying with the wicked in their ungodly ways thereby to abate the edge of their wrath This was the way Peter took when in the High Priests Hall he not only denyes his Master but backs his denial with an Oath yea being among a cursing crew that should seem would not believe him else he falls a cursing and swearing that he knew not the man Mat. 26.74 2. By sinful shifting or shuffling through Lyes or deceitfull Equivocations to avoid the mischief intended This was the way that Abraham took to escape the mischief that he thought at one time the Men of Gerar might do him Gen. 20. and that the Egyptians might do to him at another time for his wives sake wherein though Abraham did not tell a down-right untruth as he excuseth the matter to Aebimelech yet he did sinfully shufflâ— in making use of a deceitful Equivocation for his safety 3. By angerly and revengfully rendering Evil for Evil thereby thiâ—king to pay the wicked in their own Coyn and to avenge a mans own quarrel This was the course that David was about to take against Naâ—al had he not been prevented by Abigals wisdom 1 Sam 25.33 4. By basely deserting the Place that the Lord hath put a man in and requires him to abide in This was that which Shemaiah would have pâ—t Nehemiah upon but he refused to hearken to him in Nehem. 6.10 11. not but that a man forsake his place not only of habitation but also of publick station and employment in some cases when that the Lord calls him off but this is of no base deserting Base deserting is when out of cowardliness and base fear a man withdrawes himself from his place in which and at that time when the Lord requires him to abide that he may provide for his own safety This
is not the way for this way of complaining is 1. Fruitless a house on fire is not quenched with tears Murmuring will not scatter the Clouds 2. Causeless Thou hast thy life for a prey Jer. 4 5 6. What a living man and complain and that when 't is for the punishment of his sins this kind of complaining is causeless if you compare sin and punishment together there 's no proportion for sin is a transaression against an infinite God punishment but an affliction upon the finite Creature Sin is an evil against God punishment an evil against the Creature Or if you consider what sin is in its nature 't is a contrariety to Gods nature God is holy sin impurity A contradiction to Gods will God saith Do this the sinner saith I will not God saith Do not this abominable thing which I hate the sinner saith I will 'T is the transgression of Gods pure and holy Law nay 't is a practical blaspheming against all the names of God the rape of Gods mercy and the dare of Gods justice the challenge of Gods power Sin gives the lye to Gods truth and the fool to Gods wisdom And what can sin do more than to take away Gods good name Gods being And that sin would do Or 't is causeless if you consider against whom sin is i.e. God himself who is a jealous God Now a finner takes another lover into his bosome before his eyes yea he is a holy righteous omnipotent almighty living God Thoughts of this may well keep us from complaining Indeed whatever our affliction be we have as much cause to give thanks as to mourn if you consider whatever the punishment be it might be worse or do but look well into it you will see more mercy than affliction Psal 119.75 3. Sinful there is in it 1. unthankfulness while we complain of one affliction we over-look a thousand mercies whereas true grace is ingenious and can see a little kindness mingled with a great deal of severity The Church of God in captivity comparing her afflictions with her mercies breaks forth It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed â—am 3.22 blessed be God 't is not yet so bad but it might be worse 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side yet not distressed though laid wait for beset on every side put to strive and struggle yet we escape God gives an issue in the temptation We are perplexed but not in despair we are not so helpless that we know not how to turn us we have a God to go to as bad as things are the Lords name is a strong tower persecuted but not forsaken we are shaken out but not to shivers persecuted but not conquered our God hath not quite forsaken us Cast down but not destroyed Psal 118.13 we are cast down but not cast off So Luther They may thrust me back but they cannot thrust me down they may crush me but they cannot kill me or they may kill me but they cannot hurt me they may shew their teeth but they cannot devour Is it a feaver it might have been eternal flames It is scarcity it might be universal famine Is it the danger of losing the Gospel 't is the mercy of God it is not done already Are we in Captivity we might have been in Hell are we in Prison it might have been Tophet The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over unto death Psal 118.18 Though men have lost their bowels Gods compassions fail not God's as faithful as ever he hath taken away some of our mercies but he hath not taken away all he hath left us more than he hath taken They are new they are renewed every morning when old mercies are spent God sends us new he is the Father of mercies begets new mercies every moment Who can number or measure his mercies of one day whatever our fears are O blessed be God he loads us with mercies Now the Complainer over-looks all these there 's much unthankfulness in it and that 's a kind of Atheism She knew not that I gave her corn and wine c. Hos 2.8 2. Pride only by pride comes contention men never quarrel with God about their condition but 't is long of the pride of their heart proud man would fain sin and not hear from God would take liberty to sin but would not have God take liberty to punish Isa 8.3 God must take notice of our duties not of our sins God shall hear of it if he take not notice of our prayers but it shall be by complaining if he take notice of our sins A proud man whatever he hath its no more than his due and whatever he wants God 's his debter Hos 6 14. The want of a Complement undoeth him in the midst of honour if we want but one thing our hearts would have surely nature is proud and ready to pick quarrels with God on the least occasion nay if he will not give that mercy we would take all c. 3 Rebellion God strikes him for sin he strikes against God Jer. 31.18 God draws one way and he another c. 4. Vnbelief He that complains of his punishment never believed sin to be so great an evil or God to be such a one as revealed in the Word 5. Interpretative Blasphemy 1. While we dispute our afflictions and wrangle with the present dispensation what is it but to make our selves wiser than God We seem to tell God how it might have been better and so we do as it were give God counsel When he calls for obedience is not that Blasphemy to set up our wisdom against Gods 2. While we complain of punishment we take sins part against God we do as it were justifie sin and judge God God is unrighteous to punish such a sin as this with such grievous afflictions 3. By complaining we do as it were summon God to our Bar to come and give an account of his actions at our Tribunal What poor miserable Creatures are we that in our afflictions are so far from helping our selves that we commonly add to our own misery No affliction is intollerable till sin come in it The yoke God hath made easie we make intollerable and make God to be our enemy while he by affliction would become our friend Now this being found not to be the way that which God counsels and advises is 1. Self-examination Let us search and try our ways Sin and Hypocrisie lies close and deep therefore we must take pains dig to the bottom set up a tribunal in our own conscience summon try judge our selves over and over in Gods presence He stands at our closet doors to hear what we will say Jer. 8.6 before execution what indictment we will bring in against our selves We can tell what such a Drunkard such an unclean person c. hath done but no man saith what have I done my pride my unthankfulness my unfruitfulness c. 2. Reformation
and turn again unto the Lord Sin is aversio a Deo conversio ad creaturam Reformation is a turning again from the creature to God 3. Frequent and fervent prayer let us lift up There 's the frequency let 's do nothing else but pray let 's be continually lifting up our prayers make our houses houses of prayer Thus David Thou foughtest against me without a cause Did he take counsel against Princes to be disloyal to take up arms No. But I gave my self unto Prayer Psal 109.4 Therefore if you prayed before now do nothing else it notes habitual and constant prayer Our hearts with our hands to crave and as it were to pull down mercy as if we would wrestle with God and say Nay nay I will not let thee go until thou bless me Gen. 32.26 it notes our fervency And for our encouragement it is Unto God in the Heavens which expresses his Soveraignty Omnisciency Omnipotency Everlastingness c. 4. Judging our selves or confessing of sin We have transgressed 5. Aggravating our sins and have rebelled i.e. we have turned sin in-into rebellion rebellion hath been the aggravation of our sin we have sinned against the clearest light dearest love c. Neh. 9. Ezek. 9. Dan. 6. 6. Justifying God thou hast not pardoned A word not of murmuring complaining or accusing God of hard dealing but by way of justifying God we have transgressed therefore thou hast not pardoned Why shouldest thou repent of the evil of punishment when we have not repented of the evil of sin Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve So in the Text Do thy first works Sin is a departure from God Repentance a coming back again to God Turn thou to him from whom the Children of Israel have deeply revolted The soul hath many turnings and windings but there 's the best motion of all when the soul with the Dove returns to God from whom it came Apostacy is the loss of our first love Repentance is the recovery of it and Reformation is the doing of our first works I have not time to enlarge as I desire I shall only offer a few things that might help to quicken you to this great duty My Brethren we have no great cause to boast of Englands first love Never so good as it should be yet many can remember when England hath been much better than it is Time was when Doctrines have been more sound Discipline more exercised for the suppressing of sin and prophaneness Ordinances kept more pure from sinful mixtures when London kept Sabbaths better than now loved their godly Ministers more than now honoured them that were set over her for their works sake would have thought nothing too good for a faithful Minister when Christians loved one another with a dear hearty fervent love when there was less complement but more real love and affection among Christians when Christians improved their meetings converse Christian Conference and other soul duties to better purpose than now not to foolish disputations or wanton sensual excess but to their mutual edification when they improved their times for comparing their evidences communicating their experiences and building up one another in their most holy faith when there was more industry in Professors than now to bring in Converts when private Christians thought it their duty to be subservient to the works of their Ministers to bring in others to Christ especially their family Time was when more care of young Converts than now when none could have looked out after Religion but some or other ready to lend them their hand and shew them the way explaining it clearly to them but now young Converts may be snapt into separation and error and none look after them Time was when more care of the truly godly poor when error was more odious when Popery was more hated than now when the name of a tolleration would have made Christians to have trembled when Christians were better acquainted with their Bibles when more time spent in secret prayer when more tender of one anothers names and honours would heal one anothers reputations and would spread the lap of charity over those mis-reports and scandals that might be cast upon then when Christians rejoyced more in one anothers good and mourned in one anothers sufferings when Christians did more earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints c. Oh do you not only your first works but our fore-fathers first works be as zealous for God and his truths as tender mutually careful of one another as they Our fears be very great and truly our provocations be greater our dangers are great but our sins greater yet here is a word here is matter of encouragement that yet there is Balm in Gilead Physick of Christs own composition for the reviving and healing of a back-sliding people Christians Christ Jesus is become your Physician he hath prescribed you a potion made up of these three ingredients Self-reflection Holy Contrition Thorow Reformation Christiians now take this Receipt Christ advises you if you will not there is no way but one Or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick There is yet a means or two I find in Scripture for the preventing of threatned ruine that hath been very near that God hath prescribed for a people or person in great danger when ready to be cut off and destroyed Now that which I would commend to you in reference to what you would beg of God for England is First in your addressing your self to God for that mercy your souls are set upon and you wrestle with God for that you would make some special vow to God I find the Saints have done so when reduced to great straits not knowing what to do Thus Jacob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keep me on this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God And this Stone which I here set for a pillar shall be Gods house Gen. 28.20 21 22. The special thing Jacob vows is that he would continue in the pure worship of his fore-fathers that he would still honour God as his God in that way he would be worshipped the speciaâ— thing is that he would build a house for the worship of God here he would erect a place of publick worship And thus Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord and said If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand then will I utterly destroy their Cities Numb 21.2 They vowed they would not spare any of the enemies of God if he would deliver them into their hands Thus Jeptha Hannah David c. Judg. 11.31 1 Sam. 1.11 Psal 132.1 2. Certainly in times of great distress 't is nor improper or uncomely but that which God may expect and take well that you make some special vow if God
would prevent your fears if God would continue forfeited mercies dearer to you than your lives you would set apart some special thing for God something for the propagation of the Gospel abroad for the maintenance of a godly Ministry at home for setting up the preaching of the Gospel in the dark corners of the Kingdom c. This must have some cautions with it As 1. We must be sure our vow be of what is in our own power we must not make vows of that which is none of our own I hate robbery for burnt-offerings We must not make a vow to God of that which hath been unjustly or unrighteously taken away or with-held from any 'T is Sacriledge instead of a Sacrifice 2. It must be of things warrantable and justifiable by the Word 3. It must be of such things that we are not bound to do before vows by the standing obligation of Religion and of our profession but of something that is in our own choice that we will voluntarily make a free-will offering of it to God 4. We must take heed that we do not entertain a superstitious thought of our own vows as if we had merited a mercy at Gods hands by our vows God looks for some special vow at our hands that we may shew how much we prize and value the mercy we would have that we would be content to part with any thing though to the half of our estate for it 2. Another thing I find is that in the mean time we should do something by way of extraordinary bounty and charity to the relief of Gods indigent servants Thus the Prophet Daniel Wherefore O King let my counsel be acceptable to thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquility Dan. 4.27 The Prophet advises him to break off his sins by Righteousness there 's Reformation and besides Reformation that he would do something in an extraordinary way to the relief of the poor Mercy to the poor what 's that Interpreters conceive by the poor here he understands Gods poor i.e. the poor Jews that were now in the Babylonian Captivity he advises he would do something by way of sympathy to the Jews to ease their yoaks and oppressions break off thine iniquities by pittying and shewing mercy to thy poor Captives under thy power now at this time take off their yoak ease their burdens and restore them to their liberties again Thus do you and those that have been the instruments of your conversation or edification set apart something extraordinary for their relief and supply The Prophet Daniel seems to advise this to the King as it were by way of satisfaction There be two things in repentance in wrongs we have done there must be confession and satisfaction or restoration he seems to advise this to make up compleat repentance namely to make restoration and retribution of what he had injuriously taken from the Jews Oh then let me say without breach of charity that whatsoever except it be in this case of extraordinary supplies for his poor it will be found but making restitution and satisfaction It may be upon a twofold ground 1. With some it may be truly restitution and restoration of what he hath taken away by unjust means God knows how that 's between God and their own souls what unlawful means have been used to augment the heap and swell their Estate If there be any that hear me this day whose consciences shall tell them that they have increased their estate by undue and unwarrantable means Oh Restore Restore break off your iniquities by shewing mercy c. by making reparation as you can it will be but like Zacheus giving half his goods to the poor and restoring four-fold c. in a liberal Contribution to the poor 2. It will be restitution in another sense in reference to an unjust withholding some have injuriously and I am afraid too too many have kept injuriously Have we not rob'd the poor by an unjust denying of what God hath commanded us to distribute to their necessties there is that withholdeth more than is meet c. Prov. 3.17 and 11.24 It may be God hath given you so much there 's Gods share there 's the Ministers portion c. Now all that you have with-held beyond the Rule of Scripture is all stolen goods and is like a Wheat-sheaf on fire will burn down the whole Barn of Corn. That which I would exhort you to is for every one to set a part some considerable part of your Estate and account it as a hollow thing dedicated to God as a thing which to touch were sacriledge that you may be ready on all occasions in all regular and due ways to bring out for the relief of the poor you know objects abounding in every place and you may expect warrantable means for dispensing of what God shall put into your hearts in this matter Mr. Jenkin's Forenoon Sermon Heb. 11.38 The former part of that Verse Of whom the world was not worthy THe Apostle in this excellent Chapter that by some is deservedly called a little Book of Martyrs discovers the tryumph of faith or victory against all difficulty we meet with 1. Faith it assents to truths be they never so improbable 2. It puts men upon duties be they never so irrational or against carnal interest 3. It enables to sufferings be they never so afflictive These Worthies went through all by the victory that overcame the world the bitterness as well as the sweetness thereof In these verses the Apostle doth two things First he sets down the greatness and smartness of their sufferings which are by some learned men reduced to three heads First those sufferings that were to tempt them and draw them from God by those pains and tortures they were to undergo Secondly Those sufferings they underwent in dying Thirdly their sufferings in regard of wandering and leaving their comforts rather than they would lose God There were all kind of persecutions laid upon these Saints through all which they waded and never would be brought to forsake God and his truth for any of them 2. We have here the excellency of the sufferers and that is in that expression These men or these persons when they were under all these distresses from the world yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Brethren the excellency of these saints and servants of God is considerable two ways that we may proceed distinctly and clearly First in reference to the wicked their excellency was so great that the wicked World was not worthy of them Secondly their excellency is discovered from the estimate or judgment that the Apostle passes upon them who tells us that he accounted them to be such though they were under such distresses and troubles yet they were a people of whom the world was not worthy I shall fall upon the due estimation the blessed Apostle
is your confidence in me submission to nay saving work obedience to my healing precepts If I be your Lord and Master why do you not learn of me your Master c. Your first Covenant engages you to proceed in fulfilling the things promised in your Covenant c. Better not have promised to be his people than to promise and break this promise The very mercies also you have received from him pardoning your former sin entertainment in his Church and all the blessings there found are as so many obligations to proceed 3. Ever since we came home to Christ we have had an addition of Reasons besides the first Reasons we had to believe Every day brings in new c. Certainly if a little were desireable more were more desireable If the people that stood afar off and never tryed what Christ and Grace is were bid to come in those that have tryed and tasted are bound to proceed much more You have the Spirit of God experiences of his love tasted the bitterness of sin have had some tryal of the truth of such things of which we speak when others have eyes and see not c. and will you turn back that have tasted c. 4. Consider how much hath been lost upon many a soul for want of care to take rooting and to proceed how much labour of the Ministry mercies of God pains and care of their own I speak of those that have seemed sincere not indeed so that have many times comforted the hearts of their Ministers and Friends and have had some kind of comfort to themselves in that taste they have had of the good word of God How many times hath the Preacher been gladded to see such a one come to him seemingly with a broken heart seeming to set themselves in the way of life yet the flesh prevailed for want of confirmation How many years have some spent in duty in hearing prayer gracious society profession of Religion yet afterwards the world hath drowned all What cause have you to see you lose not the thing you have wrought 5. Consider how much of the works of your own salvation when you are converted is yet undone Though you are sure your conversion is true how many temptations to resist enemies to conquer duties to perform and Heaven to be taken upon all those terms as the tenor of your Christianity therefore you had need to stand fast and having done all to stand you have need not only to believe but to wait and be patient in believing and to proceed in the way you have chosen 6. The want of strength building up makes the lives of many full of lamentable languishing weaknesses scandals unto others pain calamity trouble to themselves How long in healing And how much smart and pain while the fruit of their own folly is cured How little and how frequently do temptations prevail And hence as in a wilderness they are going one step forward another backward no evident keeping in God and all through the fruit of their own languishing weakness the fruits of the sins of Professors have been such that it should make you do all you can possible to escape the troubles at home and reproaches abroad 7. A life of spiritual weakness is usually a burden unto him that hath it it doth not only occasion his falling into sin and so renews the wounds of his Soul but is a constant burden to him not that any measure of Grace is troublesome but that which consists with so great a measure of remaining corruption this is the burden sickness is burdensome though there be life Methinks you should not then be recondiled to your fears you should methinks see so great difference between the sick and the well that for your own peace sake you should seek after confirmation Every duty they do is their pain which is anothers pleasure prayer c. their burden sometimes tir'd wearied dull c. presently overwhelmed with temptation every duty is a grievance to them through the weakness of their grade and their corruption 8. Christians that are weak and not confirmed lose abundance of the fruit of Gods Ordinances that are improved by others How many a truth that taste exceeding sweet to others have no great relish to them nor growth by it A healthy man hath more relish in ordinary fare than a sick person in varieties the full stomack loaths the Honey-comb 9. The weak and unconfirmed Christian is unprofitable comparatively unto others not that the Church would wish the weakest member out but comparatively unconfirmed Christians are very unprofitable unto others like little children in the Family that must be looked to make work for a great many more about them What doth a sick person but the work of others is to feed support and be a help to him The Church of God hath need of strong Christians that can pray in Faith servently for others and you scarcely pray son your selves Consider when the Church needs a great deal of help will you sit down with low attainments and little things when so many hundred about you need so great assistance 10. Weak persons are many times the troublers and very dangers of the Church many calamities have been occasioned by them the sins of professors have occasioned the displeasure of God on the Church their errors hindred truth and made divisions When Christians have not so much strength as to know Truth from Error that hearkens to every one that speaks with likeness What have these Christians done in the Church what mercies have been driven away so far that I think the Church of God from the Apostles days till now have suffer'd more by the sins of Professors then the malice of their Enemies and how canst thou expect God will save thy soul when thou hast set the Church on fire and been so great hindrance to others that many should perish occasionally by thy example c. The greatest sufferings of the Church have come from the miscarriages of the Church 11. Such have been the great dishonours of Christ but the Graces of ancient Christians the glory of their professions their Charity Self-denial Heavenly-mindedness Patience c. have preached the Gospel to the World more effectually then ever their words could do God expects your lives should be a considerable means for the conversion of wicked men the same God that hath commanded Ministers to teach others by their Doctrine hath commanded you should live for the conversion of the World that you zeal humility patience charity self-denial should win souls to God and if it be a sin to give over preaching when we may surely so to give over living c. If wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel then woe unto you if you by your lives preach not the Gospel How many sinners have you about you and how do you wrong and rob the ungodly of that Ordinance God hath appointed for their conversion and salvation You are the
I know I have attained this confirming grace A. These signs following shew a Christian confirmed and strong in grace which I will name that you may know what to aim at and what to desire There is not so great a difference between a King and a Beggar between the greatest health and fickliest man as between a strong useful Christian and a poor languishing soul c. 1. A confirmed Christian is one that can resist many subtile and strong temptations not onely a single temptation but when Satan assaults on every side with errors on both extreams with importunities of several parties with temptations of prosperity offered of adversity felt or feared strong temptations that seem to lay a necessity of yielding on a weakling that makes him say I must do it to save my liberty family life c. A strong Christian can say there is no necessity he can make light of those temptations that seem to be a necessity to other persons he can confute a subtle Sophister and deal with a cunning Adversary Satan cannot so easily go beyond and out-wit him 2. He can do great excellent and useful work is serviceable to God if he have opportunity in business of greatest consequence he doth not serve God onely in some little and inconsiderable thing but in his place sets himself to the work of God doth the great work of his Majesty faithfully The service of God to him is more easie and deligtful as to go ten miles is more easie to the healthful then one to a sickly person he can go through Gods service with pleasure ease and delight without tiring fainting sitting down or giving over 3. He can digest the hard truths and providences of God that are ready to puzzle perplex and over-set the stomack of a weak Christian he hath laid his foundation to which he reduces all things of difficulty and by the help of those great truths he hath received he can easily see through the difficulties that are yet before him He can tell how to reconcile those things in Scripture that seem contradictions where he meets with a difficulty he can easily discern the cause is in himself and that there is an undoubted way of reconciling them though he hath not attained to it He can easily quiet his soul under the most difficult providences and interpret them so as is consistent with the truths of God which must expound them he reconciles providence with providence and providence with Scripture whereas a weak Christian is ready to say A hard saying who can bear this and that and 't is the difficulty of these kind of truths that makes so many turn their Religion because not able to digest the hardest Truths of God Cross providences makes them question Gods love c. 4. He is one that can exercise various graces without setting one against another destroying or contradicting one another He can do many works believe many truths perform many duties at once He can rejoyce sorrow at once and make his sorrow a help to his joy and his joy a help to his sorrow so exercise both in that nature as will not directly hinder or weaken one another He can tell how in such a time as we are in to rejoyce yet to be humble to be cast down at Gods feet in the sense of the sins we have committed and of Gods displeasure c. yet to rejoyce in the mercies we have and do expect to possess He doth not look all upon sin all upon affliction or all upon mercy but can eye every thing and give every thing its part can exercise graces methodically give Truths Providences their proper place in his meditations and affections and this makes his life orderly beautiful regular and useful whereas a weak Christian let him set himself against one temptation he is taken in another if he humble himself in soul he can do nothing but humble weep grieve fear and be ready to cast away all comfort all sence of the love of God if he set himself to the consideration of the grace of Christ he is apt to forget humiliation and to be puffed up with spiritual pride c. Thus he hath not skill strength and ability to carry on all the whole work of Grace together 5. A strong Christian sinks not under those burthens that would press down and overwhelm a weak Christian he can bear heavy burthens and more easily away with them making it a Recreation to bear some things that another would sink under and cannot bear 'T is thy weakness that makes thee make such a stir when God lays on thee Personal Family publick affections that makes thee shrink under them strength of grace would enable thee to see God and Glory in the midst of them and to say All shall work for my good it would enable thee to get advantage and be bettered by them Hadst thou strength enough to improve them thou wouldst take comfort from them and support thy self under them but when thou hadst not strength enough to understand Gods meaning to see the Duty then called for to improve all for God to do that service to God thou shouldst do in such a condition no wonder if thou have not grace to support and comfort thee in that condition Whereas the confirmed Christian by strong faith love and patience can carry great burthens c. 6. Is helpful to many and troublesome unto few They are the useful persons in the family and place where they live it is they can counsel others in their doubts help them in their straits that can bear up the weak when ready to sink that can hold others by the arm when not able to go up-right that tend Gods little ones and if it were not for these what would Gods little ones do They are so furnished with Patience which God hath given them for the use of the weak ones in his Family and though they are troublesome or do that which might be a disturbance to them they will not thrust them out it is they that comfort the feeble support provide for strengthen and confirm the rest and were it not for these what backsliding hearts should we have c. And they are comparatively troublesome to few though while corruption cleaves to them they shal sometimes It is not they that are censuring their brethren that are stirring up divisions and make all that feud that is in the Church If they might be hearkened unto and regarded there would be quietness and composure for if ever there be peace it will be by the strong ones but weak ones in grace are the burthens and troublers of the Family you may know they are the weak ones in Gods house in that they are those that are always crying complaining making fire-work in the Family back-biting censuring their Brethren quarrelling with one or other c. these peevish troublesome souls are the weak ones c. 7. The strongest in grace are the best able
what 's the danger duty and particular temptation of every condition and in that condition you are most likely to expect a fall into prepare for affliction as the common lot of the Saints take it as no strange thing when it overtakes you know how to abound and how to want A great deal of a Christians safety and comfort lies in this to study the temptations and duty of every condition before it come that so you may have your remedy at hand and fall to your work and commit your selves to God 16. Be as conscionable and strict in the duties of your relations and dealings with men proportionably as in the duties of holiness more directly to be performed to God make as much conscience care study diligence about being just that you wrong no man in buying or selling as you do in duties of holiness hearing praying receiving In your trading make conscience of justice and faithfulness as well as in the Worship of God and in your own personal behaviour in your calling be diligent not sloathful in business c. And so in the duties of your Relations O that Parents knew what a charge lies on them concerning the soul of their children c. so Masters look to your servants be as conscionable in doing your duty for their souls good and being faithful to them and compassionate over them as in your duty to God keep up family duties with life seriousness diligence and vigour the life of Religion in the world must be kept up very much in families 17. Make it your study and care to do all the good you can in the world let doing good be the principal part of your business think that the safest and happiest life in which you can do greatest good suffer not opportunities to slip out of your hands take them where you have them and seek where you may have them look not only where you may get a good but where you may have opportunity to do good to others every Talent must be answered for your knowledge health c. use it as you will answer for it and know 't is one of the greatest mercies in the world for God to give you hearts in doing good with that he hath given Heb. 13.16 not for applause but be good husbands for God and consider which way you may attain your ends best by what you give or do Thus be rich in good works 18. Live still as before the living God approve your hearts to him as knowing you stand or fall unto his judgment Avoid carefully all offences unto men for the Lords sake and their conscience sake take heed of scandal and receive all the good from others you can but stick not too much on mans approbation dis-regard not suspicions or reproofs of godly men but make not mans praise to be any part of your reward it is a small thing for me to be judged of men Be not much troubled at it if you cannot please all the bawlings of the malicious should not disturb a soul that is quietly housed with God that soul is not well stablished in faith that can be so disturb'd and distemper'd by the wrath or words of malicious men Remember God himself pleases not all the most of the world are enemies to their Maker upon the account of his holiness justice c. and canst thou think to please all withdraw from the world and your selves unto God for the consolation of his approbation and for your felicity this will save you from hypocrifie and keep you from the temptations and vexations of the censorious world 19. Be every day as serious in your preparations for death and judgment as those that are always certain that it will come and know not the moment when it will come Mat. 24.29 Use often to think seriously before-hand what death is what thoughts what tryals death will put a man upon what temptations usually accompany our approaching death what you shall most need at such a time as that what thoughts are likeliest to possess you then what you are likeliest to wish for when you must needs dye about spending your time expending your estate conversing with others c. Ask your selves What will I wish I had done or been when I come to dye Think what will be most dreadful to a dying man for thus you have time to escape his judgement Will it not be to think on a life lost in vanity drencht in worldliness unreconciled to God or at least in utter uncertainty of his love God hath not fore-shewed what will be a dying mans terrour to torment thee but to get out that terrour that which will be most terrible at death conquer and destroy it presently They that were ready went in with the Bridegroom and the door was shut Mat. 25.10 Oh happy thou if while the door is open thou be found ready to go in woe if when the door be shut thou hast thy preparation to make thy graces to seek Bethink what you will either wish or fear when you come to dye and when you will say this should have been done c. let it be now done 20. Rise speedily after every fall by sound repentance and a fresh recourse to the Bloud of Christ Covenant of Grace and his intercession Lye not secure in any sin into which thou art lapsed take heed of delaying and trifling when thy particular repentance should be exercised Renew thy Covenant after thy rising deal faithfully with thy self and God favour not thy sin nor flesh go to the quick leave no corruption at the bottom If called to make restitution to shame thy self before men by confession stick not at it take the plainest course that is the way of God And let not any thought of shame dishonour or loss hinder it for the more it costs thee to rise from sin the likelier it is thou art sound in thy Conversion and the more comfort thou wilt have otherwise the fears and pains of thy disease will be upon thee when the thorow cure would have prevented it quarrel not at any mans reproof though they miscarry in it have mentioned thy faults with passion c. take that which is good and be thankful And after every fall sit not down in perpetual distress but as Christ takes the honour of thy cure take thou the comfort of thy cure when recovered See thou art truly risen by repentance and returned to him whom thou hast dishonoured Thy care must be to see thou be sincere in thy-return and then walk comfortably See that Satan make not thee walk so as to rob thee of thy comfort and God of his honour Thus having given you twenty Directions I shall reduce all to these eight Particulars 1. Do not think strength of grace will be got with ease you must do that that in other things is done for the attaining of strength increase and confirmation A man cannot attain knowledge in Law Physick or any Art without
only knoweth Do not add affliction to affliction be not uncharitable in judging of us as if through pride faction obstinacy or devotedness to a party or which is worse than all in opposion to Authority we do dissent the Judge of all hearts knows it is not so but it is meerly from those apprehensions which after prayer and the use of all means do yet continue that doing thus and thus we should displease God therefore deal charitably with us in this day of our affliction If we be mistaken I pray God to convince us if others be mistaken whether in a publick or private capacity I pray God in mercy convince them but however things go God will make good this truth to us in this work he will not leave us and our Father will not leave us alone for it is the unfeigned desire of our soul in all things to please God Dr. Bate's Forenoon Sermon August 17. 1662. Heb 12.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever IT would give light to these words if you consider the scope and design of the Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrews the summe of which is he writes to them that he might animate their spirits against apostacy from the Doctrine of the Gospel they were liable to this from you and others upon this account because they dare not displease God I may in this caution aim at my self and other of my brethren this upon a double account 1. Partly in respect of those persecutions to which they were exposed for the Jews were filled with a bruitish zeal for the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law and exprest the greatest rancour against those who lest Moses to follow Christ This is the reason why the Apostle lays down so many preservatives against their revolting from Religion and he spends one part of this Epistle in a most passionate Exhortation to perseverance and doth in the tenth Chapter insinuate himself into them You have already tasted the first-fruits of affliction ver 3.4 You took joyfully the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance This is that temper that Martyrs have exprest who have not only parted with their goods but with their lives for the Gospel When they came to the Stake they would not so much as shed a tear to quench those flames wherein they should ascend to God as in a fiery Chariot You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have a better and an enduring substance Thus he insinuates himself by representing what they had done to encourage them to perseverance and partly he fortifies them against Back-sliding by those terrible judgements which he threatned against Revolters as you read Chap. 6.7 2. As they were liable to this Apostacy upon the account of Persecution so upon the account of the unsettledness and instability of their own spirits There were several of those who had given up their names to Christ who did compare the Ceremonies of the Law with the purity of the Gospel Now the Apostle to secure them from this mixture his great design is to represent the vanity and infectiveness of all the Ceremonial Law and to express and prove the virtue and efficacy of the Lord Jesus his death which was the substance of all the shadows And this takes up one great part of his discourse with them Now in these two verses he sums up by way of Recapitulation all that which he had discoursed of at large and in them you may observe these two things 1. A description of God to whom he addresses this Prayer 2. The substance of the Prayer it self The Description of God that he amplifies by these two things 1. From the Attributes and Qualities of God if I may so express it Now saith he the God of Peace 2. From the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep And these Titles they are not here set down by the Apostle to adorn his discourse meerly as an ornament but they have all a peculiar efficacy as to the obtaining of the request which here he makes for them I shall begin with the first the Description of God from that Attribute Now the God of Peace the Title that is used in the Old Testament frequently is this The Lord of Hosts but in the New he is called The God of peace There were darker representations of the mercy and love of God than the more full discoveries of his grace were reserved till the coming of Christ Their discoveries under the Old Testament were but as the Day-star which ushered in the Sun of Righteousness Now this title of the God of Peace imparts two things 1. That he is the Author of Peace and works it 2. That he loves and delights in peace First That he s the Author of it And if you consider Peace in all its notions and kinds it is a fruit of God and that which descends from him 1. Peace in Nature is the harmony that is between all the parts of the World the union that is between the disagreeing Elements that is from God for without him the whole Creation would presently disband and return to its first Chaos of confusion 2. Civil Peace which is among the Societies of men that which is so amiable and lovely and which needs no other foil to commend it and set off its lustre than the miseries and cruelties of war this peace comes from God likewise Every rash hand is able to make a wound or to cast a Fire-brand but it is only the God of Peace that is able to heal breaches and to allay those storms that are in a Nation You know those showers which render the Earth fruitful descend from Heaven from God so all the counsels of peace descend from above The fiery Exaltations ascend from the Earth Counsels of War disturbance proceeded from the devilish hearts of men Or 3. If you consider that Rational Peace which is in the spirits of men that is when the understanding exercises a coertion and restraint over our licentious appetites when all our inferior Faculties are under the empire and conduct of Reason this proceeds also from God For since the fall there is a great deal of tumult many riots and disorders in the soul of a man Reason hates a bad Guide and our Appetites those are evil instruments and so many times hurry Reason from its regular actings But 4. much more if you consider Spiritual Peace that peace doth not only import an Agreement of a man within himself but the Agreement of the soul with God This
is the fruit of the Spirit and it is only God that is able to convey this peace to us And upon a particular account this Title is given to him by way of eminency and property as 1. He is alone able to allow and dispence this peace unto us for all our sins are injuries committed against him against the Crown and Dignity all the Arrests of Conscience are made in the Name of God and therefore 't is only he that can speak peace As in the civil state it is an Act of Supremacy to give a pardon only he that can condemn is able to speak pardon so it is our God that is our Judge provoked and incensed by us he hath a judicial power to cast Body and Soul into Hell fire is alone able to speak peace and pass a pardon for us in the Court of Heaven and this is experienced by a wounded spirit It is just with such a person as with a Malefactour who stands condemned at the Bar he cannot receive encouragement from any of his spectators till the Judge speak peace unto him So if an Angel from Heaven should come and speak to a wounded Spirit it were impossible unless God did order command and dispence it that the Spirit should receive any peace because our sins are immediately committed against him 2. He is alone able to reveal and discover it there is nothing harder in the World than to calm and quiet a disturbed Conscience it must be the same power that makes light to spring out of darkness that must cause a chearful serenity in a dark and disconsolate Soul I know there is nothing more easie than that false peace which is so universal in the world for the most amongst us cheat themselves with presumption instead of peace with God and security instead of peace with Conscience but that peace which is solid and true can only be revealed by God himself We have an instance of this in David Psal 51. although Nathan had told him from God Thy sin is pardoned yet notwithstanding he saith Make thou me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce He still addresses himself to God that he would cause him to hear the voice of pardon and reconciliation for his soul could not be quiet by the voice of the Prophet There is so much infidelity in the soul of a man that when he comes to take a view of his sins in all their bloody aggravations only the Spirit of God himself is able to allay the terrors of the Conscience And this he doth by an over-powering Light when he doth in an imperative and commanding manner silence all the doubts of the soul and restablish it in peace with God Certainly he that shall but consider the terrors the faintings the paleness of a wounded Conscience when you shall see a person dis-relish all the things of this World upon this account fearing lest God is his enemy when all discourses that are addressed to him are ineffectual and but like warm cloaths to a dead carkasse cannot inspire any heat into him This shews only God is able to reveal peace So Job If he hide his face who is able to be at peace There needs no other fury to compleat the misery of a man than his own accusing Conscience Conscience is a verier Devil than the Devil himself and able more to torment and lash the creature Therefore if that be once awakened 't is only God to whose Tribunal Conscience is liable which is able to speak peace to the soul Now you see in what respect this Title The God of Peace is attributed to him as he is the Author and Worker of it 2. As he loves and delights in peace This is that which is so pleasing to him that he adopts those into the Line of Heaven who are Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Mat. 5.6 This characterizes persons to be his Children to be allied to him God he only delights in the reflection of his own Image for those things that we admire in the World and delight in do not affect his heart He delights not in the strength of the Horse he takes no pleasure in the legs of a man the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in thâ—se that hope in his mercy Nothing attracts his eye and heart but his own similitude and resemblance and therefore where he sees peaceable dispositions that is that which endears the soul to him and makes it amiable in his eyes You may judge of his delight in peace by this It is that grace which in an especial manner prepares us for communion with him for we can never really honour or enjoy him unless we bring to him those dispositions which if I may so speak are in himself And therefore it is no wonder that those have little peace of Conscience who make so little Conscience of Peace You know when God appeared to Elijah he did not appear in the storm nor in the fire but in the small still voice and when Elisha was transported with anger he was fain to allay that passion by Musick that so he might be prepared for the holy motions of the Spirit he called for an Instrument and then the Spirit moved in him I bring it for this end to shew how God delights in Peace and he will only maintain communion with those that are of calm and peaceable spirits So much way as we give to anger so much proportionably do we let in the Devil and cast out the God of peace Now the reason why this Title is given to God is upon a double account partly with respect to the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant which made peace between God and us partly with respect to the Covenant it it self which is founded in that Bloud 1. In respect of the Bloud of the everlasting Covenant For it was the bloud of Christ that hath sprinkled Gods Throne and made peace in Heaven You shall read therefore when Christ came into the World 't is said Luke 2.14 that the Heavenly host appeared and sang Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace c. Since the fall God and man are enemies there is a reciprocal enmity between God and man God hates the creature as it is unholy and man hates God as he is just the avenger of sin the Author of the Law Now Christ was the Umpire that composed this difference he was God and man in one person and so being allyed to both he was a fit person to reconcile both He was as Job speaks a days-man between us He hath paid every farthing that was due for he did not compound with God but paid the utmost that was due to him He it is that hath reconciled us to God by the power of his spirit in changing and renewing our Natures and Creating in us those dispositions which are like to God so that his bloud is the foundation of
you Oh! that I might drop in the Oyl of gladness into every broken heart and rejoyce every troubled spirit Oh here is good news from Heaven Say unto the Righteous it shall be well with him But here is a question must be answered You 'l say to me but how doth this appear that it shall he well with the Righteous for we often see it is the worst with them in this world he is deprived of his comfort many times he loses his very life in that quarrel he is made the very reproach of the world oftentimes how then is it well with the Righteous To this I answer yet still it is well with the Righteous though he meet with trouble in the world and one follows on the neck of another yet it is well with the Righteous as will appear in these three or four particulars 1. The troubles that the Righteous man meets with they turn to good and so it is well with him that is a most famous Scripture in Jer. 24.5 Whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Ghaldeans for their good Gods own Israel were transported into Babylon among their enemies but it is for their good saith the Lord. The troubles of the Righteous are a means to purge out their sin I have read a story of one who running at another with a sword to kill him by accident his sword run into an Imposthume and broke the Imposthume thus all the evils and troubles of the Righteous serve but to cure them of the Imposthume of pride to make them more humble when that the body of a Saint is afflicted his soul that revives and flourishes in Grace At Rome there was two Laurel-trees and when one withered the other did flourish so when the body is afflicted yet the soul that Laurel doth revive and flourish God doth distil our of the bitterest drink his Glory and our Salvation saith Jerome that that the world looks on as a punishment God makes a medicine to heal the sore why then it shall be well with the Righteous The rod of God upon a Saint is but only Gods pencil whereby he draweth his Image more lively on the soul God never strikes the strings of his Viol but to make the Musick sweet Then it is well with the Righteous 2. In the midst of all the trouble that doth befall the Righteous yet still it is well with them in regard of those inward heart-revivings that God doth give them We see a godly mans misery but we do not see his comfort we see his prison-gates but we do not hear the musick that is within his Conscience God doth sweeten to his People outward trouble with inward peace it is the Title that is given to God 2 Cor. 7.6 God that comforteth them that are cast down The Bee can gather honey as well from the thistle and from the bitter hearb as from the sweet flower the Child of God can gather joy out of sorrow out of the very carkass sometimes the Lord gives honey when the body is in pain the soul may be at ease as when a mans head akes yet his heart may be well thus it is well with the Righteous God gives him that inward comfort that revives and sweetens his outward pain 3. In the time of trouble and calamity yet still it is well with the Righteous because God doth cover his people in the time of trouble he hides them in the storm God hath a care to hide his Jewels and will not let them be carried away and thus he makes good that Scripture litterally Psal 91.4 He shall cover them with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust no evil shall touch thee God oftentimes verifies this Scripture litterally He makes his Angels to be his peoples life-guard to hide them and defend them when a floud was coming upon the world God provided an Ark to hide Noah when Israel is carried and transported into Babylon God hid Jeremiah and gave him his life for a prey Jer. 39.11 and in this sense the Saints of God are called hidden ones Psal 83.3 Why so not onely because they are hid in Gods decree and hid in Christs wounds but oftentimes God hides them in a time of danger and calamity they are hidden ones he reserved to himself seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal The Prophet knew not where there was one but God knew there were seven thousand In this sense it is well with the righteous in time of publick misery I but you 'l say sometimes it fares yet worse then all this sometimes the righteous they die and perish they are carried away in a Tempest why yet still it is well with the Righteous and that in a two-fold sense 1. Many times God doth take away the Righteous by death and that in great mercy he takes them away that they shall not see the misery that comes upon a Nation Virgil the Heathen Poet saith They are happy that die before their Countrey his meaning was they die before they see the ruine of their Countrey and truly God many times takes away his people in mercy that they may not see the ruine that is coming on a Land you have in Scripture for this 1 King 14.13 He onely of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave in peace because in him there is found some good things towards the Lord God of Israel God puts him in his grave betimes in mercy because he should not see the evil coming upon the Land and there 's a parallel to this 2 King 12. last It is spoken of Josiah I will gather thee unto thy Fathers thou shalt be gathered unto thy Grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see the evil I will bring upon this place Josiah he dyed in Battel how then was it said he went to the Grave in peace We must understand the meaning of it is this Josiah went to his Grave in peace because he was a holy man and he had made his peace with God and so he went to his Grave in peace and because he should not see the evil approaching God gathered him to his Grave in peace Jerom speaking of his friend Nepotian you must observe Jerom lived to see some troubles before he died saith he Oh! how happy is my friend Nepotian that sees not these troubles but is got out of the storm dies and is arrived safe in Heaven Luther died in mercy before the trouble in Germany broke forth and thus you see the Righteous though they die yet it is well with them God takes them away in mercy that they may not see approaching evils 2. Though the Righteous die and are taken away yet it is well with them because death cannot hurt them Death can neither hurt their body nor yet their souls and then it is well with them 1. Death cannot hurt their bodies the body of a Saint it doth not perish though it die the bodies of the Saints
love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the summe of all Duty Grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another nature a new nature a spiritual God-like nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great mystery of Grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner for the Lord Christ could not be more debased than to be born it was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to die but being the great God it is a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the debasement of Christ yet if he had been born to a Crown to Honour it had been something but he was born to shame to sorrow and death but man by grace is born to a Crown to a Kingdom he hath a title to all the glory and blessedness of heaven from the first moment of his new birth So it is in the Text Grace be unto you and Peace Peace in Scripture is a very comprehensive term it carries in it all happiness It was the common greeting of the Jews Peace be unto you Thus David by his Proxy salutes Nabal peace be to thee and thy house and the Apostle here alludes to this form of salutation that he might mix new Testament mercy to old Testament manners he first stiles Grace before peace as Jacob did with his Venison he made it a savory meat such as Isaac loved Peace is the glory of Heaven in the bosom of God and brought into the world in the arms of Angels the first peace you read of in the Gospel was peace by the Administration of Angels Luke 2.3 4. And suddenly there was with the Angels a multitude of the heavenly Host praising saying glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when our Lord Christ first sent out his Disciples this was the Doctrine that he bid them preach Mat. 10.12 13. When you come into a house salute it and if it be worthy let grace and peace come upon it Mark here by the way our Lord Jesus Christ is no enemy to good manners he would not have Christians to be Clowns which is the use of some among us who would have their Religion quarrel with good manners no but In whatsoever city or town you enter salute it and let grace peace come upon it that is wish peace to them saying the peace of God be upon this place upon the head and hearts of all in it So that peace is both a Gospel-salutation when Ministers and people meet and it 's a Gospel-valediction when the Minister and the People parts So did the Apostle and so do I now Grace be with you and Peace I observe in Mat. 10.13 14. our Lord bids his Disciples when they enter into a house If the house be worthy to let their peace come upon it but if they be not worthy let grace peace return unto you Instead of leaving peace with them to shake off the dust of their feet against them that is to shew that God will shake them off as dust and tread them under feet as fuel My Brethren your diligent attendance on the Word at this place hath comfortably prevented that part of my charge to shake off the dust of my feet for how beautiful have the feet of a poor worm been unto you being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Christ And therefore seeing our Lord Jesus Christ said If they be worthy of their peace abide with them on this account I wish to you grace and peace from God our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ But what is that peace It s the beauty of Vnion the harmony of the Creation the pleasure of Life the feast of a good Conscience 't is that which makes life sweet and death easie Peace sweetens all our possessions and all our afflictions without this the fulness of the world is a burden with this poverty and emptiness is a pleasant Companion without this our bread is gravelled with sourness and our water mingled with bitterness with this green Herbs become a feast and our water is turned into wine peace it is the most beautiful creature in the world And therefore it is beloved of all courted of all many seek her but few there be that enjoy her they do not go the right way to find her for In the ways of Righteousness is peace Peace is the seminary of all blessings temporal as Grace is of all blessings spiritual in grace you have implyed all Holiness in peace all happiness in grace all inward in peace all outward blessings grace and peace are the Alpha and Omega of all blessings as God iâ— of all beings no bleâ—â—ing comes before grace and no blessing lasts longer Then see in this phrase of speech the Apostle wishes upon them as I do upon you all the blessings both of time and eternity and yet he wished not more to them than God promised to give them 1 Tim. 4 8. For godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come grace be unto you and peace c. not one without the other though a man may have peace without grace as in a time of dissertion or temptation and a man may have peace without grace as in a secure and unregenerate Condition grace without peace is often found in a troubled conscience and peace without grace is often found in a seared conscience as grace without peace is very uncomfortable so peace without grace is very unprofitable like Rachel beautiful but barren therefore the Apostles desires ye should have both Grace and Peace we say the Sun and Sali are the most useful creatures in the world the one for shining the other for seasoning My Brethren grace and peace are the Christians Sun Salt grace is the light of their souls and peace is the savour of their comforts grace shines through all their faulties and Peace seasons all their mercies The blessings of God are become as twins as Christ said of the Spouse Cant. 4.2 She is like a flock of sheep that are even shorn which come up from the washing whereof every one bear twins and none is barren among them grace and peace here are knit together by the spirit of God in a sacred knot not to be untied as Castor and Pollux when seen together portend happiness to the Marriner so when Grace and Peace are found in a soul together they portend the highest security and blessing to the Believer they are said in Scripture to be bound together where God gives the one he never denies the other
and Peace 2. To such as have this Grace and no Peace 3. To such as have neither Grace nor Peace First To such as have both Grace and Peace I le speak to them in two or three things First Admire thankfully the Father the Son the Fathers Grace and the Sons Love for both had a hand in this therefore bless both the Father for willing it to us and the Son for working it in us Grace and Peace are the fruits of Gods eternal Election for this blessing the Father gives but the Application of it to us is the fruits of Christs redemption and intercession How can you think of Hell and Damnation and see your self freed from it And how can you think of the dreadful fury and vengeance of God your self not under it How can you look on your state change your heart renewed Grace ratified and reconciled and your Conscience quieted How can you think of these things but must admire the love of the Father in giving this to you and the love of the Son in purchasing this for you All Grace and Mercy that is given to us is by Christ purchased for us Grace and Peace are fruits of the redeeming bloud of Christ purchased Secondly Do not envy the conditions and possessions of the men of the world they have riches and honours profits and pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Roman that was condemned by a Court-Marshal to dye for breaking his rank to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envied at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now saith he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loath to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the children of Grace and Peace do not envy at men of the world at their riches and their comforts their pleasures for I am sure you would be loath to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things is death Thirdly do not complain of the worst condition that the providence of God shall cast you into in this it may be you shall suffer hard things but remember so long as thy soul is secure never complain of hard things My brethren as God your Father brought you into a state of Grace and Peace and thereby secured his love to your souls in Christ can you complain of hard things So let the joy of the Lord be your strength Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Grace nor Peace May not I say I speak to many such I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without peace They may have the worlds peace but they have none of this peace let me beg of you to get out of this Graceless state Oh that you would believe the words of a dying man for so I am to you and such words use to be remembred Oh remember this as a testimony I leave with you that love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruine and destroy every soul at last But you will say How shall I get a share in this Grace and Peace I answer First Break off all your false peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selves with false peace you will never seek that peace which Christ hath purchased for you while you content your selves with that cursed peace which the Old man hath wrought in you Oh therefore break off all false peace which is not the fruit of grace Secondly Labour to see and be convinced of the miserable and of the naked condition your souls be in for want of the righteousness of Christ for a covering without this soul thou art miserable wretched poor and naked be convinced also what a miserable thing it is to have God our enemy God is the sinners enâ—â—y It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh be convinced of thy nakedness without Christs righteousness and thy emptiness without his fulness Thirdly Labour to go out of your selves to Christ for grace and peace Surely in the Lord shall one say I have righteousness and strength I there it is to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of soul for the promises run far to such That he will fill the hungry with good things go to Christ soul beg pray never leave God till he hath given thee an interest in Christ for none can come to me except the Father draw him there is no pardon for the least sin out of Christ but there is pardon for the greatest sin in Christ one sin can damn the soul out of Christ but no sin can hurt the soul in Christ Oh go to Christ soul never give rest to thy eyes nor slumber to thy lids till thou hast made peace with God in the bloud of Christ One sting of the fiery serpent was mortal without looking upon the brazen Serpent so one sin will damn a soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a soul in Christ Fourthly To such as have grace but no sence of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace frame much believe much use grace much for the exercise and improving of grace will produce peace There are ten duties which are to be the sphere of grace in activity and in performing of them we shall have peace First Make Religion your business the main design of your lives be Christians to purpose be not only Christians by the bye but let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Phil. 1.27 Secondly Put forth renewed Acts of Faith on Christ every day and remember it is as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before O live by faith every day and this will bring peace to you Thirdly Maintain a constant communion with God daily this communion with God is mans chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of a wife is in communion with her Husband and this is the happiness of a Believers soul communion with God the Father through Christ our Head and Husband The seed of peace it 's true it is sown in the soul in Union but then it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward Spiritual peace will never be obtained if communion with God be not maintained that gives comfort in the midst of all sorrows and satisfies all doubts and recompences all wants Lo this is the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose the reins of Religion to avoid
Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Mal. 3.13 there is the like instance Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee this God is always quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what have we said in the 14 verse Ye said it is in vain to serve God and what prosit is it that we have kept his Ordinances we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts and now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered well now what follows They they that feared the Lord spake often one to another as if they had said let not these things take any thing off the edge of our affections or quench any flame of our love did God take any notice of this now that he had any such friends in the world yes saith he God hearkned and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him there is a time coming the day will declare whether it be serving God or the Devil well then beloved as ever you would hold fast the profession of your Faith take heed of the error of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may lose bâ— it for if ye lose for him ye shall never lose by him Thirdly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then lay up the word of Faith in a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 It is said there of the good ground they are they which have heard the Word kept it or hold it fast where do they lay it up now in a good and honest heart so that you must pull out his heart before that you can pull out the Word and will any man suffer his heart to be torn from him you never hold it fast till you lay it up in a good and honest heart if it be only in the hands as a Bible in your hands or in the head it will be gone but if it be in your hearts you will never let it go therefore observe saith he Having heard it they keep it and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring with patience for if they were not under suffering what need were there of patience Well beloved consider a little further as to this the Connection between the verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled with a pure conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the profession of our faith the purity of the heart is the best preservative of the Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience a good and honest heart will never part with the mysteries of faith Lastly Would you hold fast the profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of your Faith David had got the faculty of walking with God and how was it saith he I will keep thy loving kindness before mine eyes that I may walk with thee Oh! if we do but keep the loving kindness of God in Jesus Christ before our eyes we shall certainly keep the faith Saith the Apostle having a high Priest over the House of God let us draw near and let us hold fast a high Priest that is Jesus Christ our great high Priest Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren he partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and high Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God! Oh! let us be thinking of and looking to this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh! think of this condescension in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered being God for man Think how he became poor that was rich that we that were poor might become rich think how he became a curse think how he became sin for us think what a good Confession he made before Pontius Pilate even to death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty power and ascended into Heaven and ever lives to make intercession for those that come to the Father through him Think how he lived here on earth in a sad condition and joyed in it so that it might be for our good and shall we leave such a Christ as this Oh! can you look upon Christ and leave the Profession of your Faith It cannot be keep Christ before your eyes make him your pattern and you will not you cannot do amiss He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked he walked in obedience all his days and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in all obedience all our days though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for our holding fast the Profession of our Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all in the words of Jude from the 20 ver of this Epistle to the end But you Beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God and Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel-Sermon Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20.1662 Rev. 3. Verse 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received heard and held fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lords day in this Congregation I told you then there were three Doctrines obvious in the Text the first was Doct. 1. That it is the Duty of Christians to remember those Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 2.
healing spirit This Legacy I would leave with you as matter of great concernment Labour mightily for a healing spirit away with all discriminating names what-ever that may hinder the applying of Balm to heal our wounds labour for a healing spirit discord and division becomes no Christian For Wolves to worry the Lambs is no wonder but for one Lamb to worry another this is unnatural and monstrous God hath made his wrath to smoak against us for the divisions and heart-burnings that have been amongst us Labour for an oneness in love and affection with every one that is one with Christ let their forms be what they will that which wins most upon Christs heart should win most upon ours and that is his own grace and holiness The question should be What of the Father What of the Son What of the Spirit shines in this or that person and accordingly let your love and your affection run out this is the tenth Legacy Leg. 11. Be most in the spiritual exercises of Religion Improve this Legacy for much of the life and comfort joy and peace of your souls is wrapt in it I say be most in the spiritual exercises of Religion There are external exercises as hearing preaching praying and conference and there are the more spiritual exercises of Religion exercises of Grace Meditation Self-judging Self-tryal and Examination Bodily exercise will profit nothing if abstracted from those more spiritual The glory that God hath and the comfort and advantage that will redound to your souls is mostly from the spiritual exercises of Religion How rare is it to finde men in the work of Meditation of Tryal and Examination and bringing home of truths to their own Soul Leg. 12. Take no truths upon trust but all upon trial â— Thes 5.21 So 1 Joh. 4.1 Acts 17.11 It was the glory of that Church that they would not trust Paul himself Paul that had the advantage above all for external qualifications no not Paul himself Take no truth upon trust bring them to the balance of the Sanctuary if they will not hold water there reject them Leg. 13. The lesser and fewer opportunities and advantages you have in publick to better and enrich your Souls the more abundantly address your selves to God in private Mal. 3.16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another c. Leg. 14. Walk in those ways that are directly cross and contrary to the vain sinful and superstitious ways that men of a formal carnal luke-warm spirit walk in this is the great concernment of Christians But more of that by and by Leg. 15. Look upon all the things of this World as you will upon them when you come to die At what a poor rate do men look on the things of this world when they come to die What a low value do men set upon the pomp and glory of it Men may now put a mark upon them but then they will appear in their own colours Men would not venture the loss of such great things for them did they but look on them now as they will do at the last day Leg. 16. Never put off your Consciences with any plea or with any argument that you dare not stand by in the great day of your account It 's dreadful to consider how many in these dayes put off their conscience We did this and that for our families they would have else perished I have complied thus and wronged my conscience thus for this and that concernment Will a man stand by this argument when he comes before Jesus Christ at the last day Because of the Souls of men many plead this or that Christ doth not stand in need of indirect wayes to save Souls he hath ways enough to bring in Souls to himself Leg. 17. Eye more mind more and lay to heart more the Spiritual and Internal workings of God in your Souls than the External Providences of God in the World Beloved GOD looks that we should consider the operations of his hand and the despising the works of his hands is so provoking to him that he threatens them to lead them into Captivity for not considering of them But above all look to the work that God is carrying on in your Souls not a Soul but he is carrying on some work or other in it either blinding or enlightning bettering or worsâ—ing and therefore look to what God is doing in thy Soul All the motions of God within you are steps to eternity and every soul shall be bless'd or curss'd saved or lost to all eternity not according to outward dispensation but according to the inward operations of God in your Souls Observe what humbling work reforming work sanctifying work he is about in thy spirit what he is doing in that little world within If God should carry on never so glorious a work in the world as a Conquest of Nations to Christ what would it advantage thee if Sin Satan and the World should triumph in thy Soul and carry the day there Leg. 18. Look as well on the bright side as on the dark side of the Cloud on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark side of Providence Beloved there is a great weakness amongst Christians they do so pore on the black side of Providence as that they have no heart to consider of the bright side If you look on this black side of the Providence of God to Joseph How terrible and amazing was it But if you look on the bright side his fourscore years reign How glorious was it If you look on the dark side of the Providence of God to David in his first years banishment much will arise to startle you but if you turn to the bright side his forty years reign in glory How amiable was it Look on the dark side of the Providence of God to Job Oh! how terrible was it in the first of Job but compare this with the last of Job where you have the bright side of the cloud and there God doubles all his mercies to him Consider the patience of Job and the end that the Lord made with him do not remember the beginning only for that was the dark side but turn to the end of him and there was his bright side Many sins many temptations and much affliction would be prevented by Christians looking on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark Leg. 19. Keep up precious thoughts of God under the sowrest sharpest and severest Dispensations of God to you Psal 22.1 2. and 3. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent There was the Psalmist under smart dispensations but what precious thoughts hath he of God under all But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praise of Israel though I am thus
and thus afflicted yet thou art holy Psal 65.5 By terrible things in Righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation Leg. 20. Hold on and hold out in the ways of well-doing in the want of all outward encouragements and in the face of all outward discouragements It 's nothing to hold out when we meet with nothing but encouragements but to hold out in the face of all discouragements is a Christian duty Psal 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet have we not dealt falsly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have we declined from thy ways 't is perseverence that crowns all Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 And he that endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 24. It 's perseverence in well-doing that crowns all our actions If you have begun in the Spirit do not end in the flesh do not go away from the Captain of your salvation follow the Lamb though others follow the Beast and the false Prophet Leg. 21. In all your natural civil and religious Actions let divine glory still rest in your souls Rom. 7.8 1 Cor. 10 11. In all your hearing in all your prayings let the glory of Christ carry it in all your Closet-duties let the glory of Christ lye nearest your hearts Leg. 22. Record all special favours mercies providences and experiences 'T is true a man should do nothing else should he record all the favours and experiences of God towards him and therefore my Legacy is Record all special favours peculiar experiences Little do you know the advantage that will redound to your souls upon this account by recording all the experiences of the shinings of his face of the leadings of his Spirit many a Christian loseth much by neglecting this duty Leg. 23. Never enter upon the trial of your estate but when your hearts are at the best and in the fittest temper 'T is a great desire of Satan when the Soul is deserted and strangely afflicted to put the Soul on trying work Come see what thou art worth for another world what thou hast to shew for a better state for an interest in Christ a title for Heaven this is not a time to be about this work thy work is to get off from this temptation and therefore to pray and believe and wait upon God and be found in all those ways whereby thou mayst get off the temptation Leg. 24. Always make the Scripture and not your selves nor your carnal reason nor your bare opinion the Judges of your spiritual state and condition I cannot see my condition to be good I cannot perceive it What must your sense and your carnal reason be the Judge of your spiritual state Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to his rule it is because there is no light no morning in them John 12.24 The word that I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day The Scripture is that which must determine the case in the great Day whether you have grace or no or whether it be true or no. Leg. 25. Make much conscience of making good the terms on which you closed with Christ You know the terms How that you would deny your selves take up his Cross and follow the Lamb wheresoever he should go Now you are put to take up the Cross to deny your selves to follow the Laâ—â— over Hedge and Ditch through thick and thin do not turn your backs on Christ the worst of Christ is better than the best of the world make conscience of making good your terms to deny your self your natural self your sinful self your religious self and to follow him and if you do so oh what an honour will it be to Christ and advantage to your selves and a joy to the upright Leg. 26. Walk by no rule but such as you dare die by and stand by in the great day of Jesus Christ You may have many ways prescribed to worship by but walk by none but such as you dare die by and stand by before Christ Jesus walk not by a multitude for who dare stand by that rule when he comes to die Make not the example of great men a rule to go by for who dare die by and stand by this in the great day of account Do not make any authority that stands in opposition to the authority of Christ a rule to walk by for who dare stand by this before Jesus Christ Ah! Sirs walk by no rule but what you dare die by and stand by at the great Day Leg. 27. And lastly sit down and rejoyce with fear Psalm 1. Let the righteous rejoyce but let them rejoyce with fear Rejoyce that God hath done your souls good by the everlasting Gospel that he did not leave you till he brought you to an acceptance of to a closing with and a resignation of your souls to Christ and the clearing up of your interest in him Rejoyce that you have had the everlasting Gospel in so much light purity power and glory as you have had for many years together Rejoyce in the riches of grace that hath carried it in such a way towards you And weep that you have provoked God to take away the Gospel that you have no more improved it that you have so neglected the seasons and opportunities of enriching your souls When you should have come to Church-fellowship any thing would turn you out of the way Oh! sit down and tremble under your barrenness under all your leanness notwithstanding all the cost and charge that God hath been at that you have grown no more into communion with God and conformity to God and into the lively hope of the everlasting fruition of God Here are your Legacies and the Lord make them to work in your Souls and then they will be of singular use to you to preserve you so that you may give up your account before the great and glorious God with joy Labour to make conscience of putting these Legacies into practice of sucking at these breasts which will be of use to us till we shall be gathered up into the fruition of God where we shall need no more Ordinances no more preachining or praying Mr. Collins his Farewel-Sermon Jude v. 3. Contend earnestly for the Faith c. THese words contain two parts 1. A Duty exhorted to 2. The manner of the management of Duty The duty exhorted to is to retain the faith delivered to the Saints The manner of its management is that we should earnestly contend to keep it I opened the terms What 's meant by Faith It is not so much the grace of faith but the Doctrine of faith not special faith whereby we apprehend special mercy upon a promise made to the Elect but the Fides quae creditur the whole substance of the Doctrine of Christ as
So that the Spirit of God is fain to come in and end the controversie before the soul will be satisfied 2. If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of his people Then all the comfort of Christless and graceless souls is nothing worth there is no true peace for they are not the Disciples of Christ which are the proper subjects of this comfort they will not hearken to Christ nor learn of Christ but they cast his words behind their backs and break his bands asunder Those that do not learn Christs Precepts and follow Christs Canons and obey Christs Commands they are none of Christs Disciples aâ—d to be sure they have not the Spirit of Christ which is the Efficient in this comfort and without the root there cannot be the fruit for this inward peace is the fruit of the Spirit And therefore what comfort they have it is either a sinful comfort which to be sure will end in sorrow or else at best it is but a carnal comfort which will soon vanish like the crackling of thorns under a Pot There is no peace saith God to the wicked there is no peace with God as long as you are at peace wiâ—h sin 3. Here they are stumbled with the Riddle That the people of God should be sorrowing yet always rejoycing As sorrowing yet always rejoycing The carnal world think this to be a contradiction though they be troubled without yet they have peace within though they have maâ—ter of sorrow in respect of outward affliction yet they have fellowship with the Holy Ghost the comforter which gives peace in affliction joy in sorrow light in darkness which fills thee with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly If the Holy Ghost be the only Comforter of the hearts of Gods people then let me exhort every one of you to labour for an interest in this Comforter Friends I beseech you be restless till you have got some evidence of the Comforter in your souls by the inhabitation of the Spirit in your hearts without you have an interest in Christ there is no comfort no true comfort to be expected no comfort in prosperity no comfort in adversity no comfort in life nor in death no peace with your consciences Men may make a shift to keep themselves at quiet for the present by lulling conscience they may have a kind of peace from a false principle Ah but what will you do when storms arise what will you do when death and affliction comes Jonas lay quietly asleep till the storm came O my friends we must shortly lye a dying the Lord knows how soon O what will you do for comfort in a dying hour all other comforts may forsake you and before that time you may meet with sorrow and heavy afflictions so that all your friends in the world will not do you good your friends may fail your hearts may fail and then no comfort but the comfort of the Holy Ghost will do you good the time may come that all your friends may prove miserable comforters when God comes to deal with the soul to set sin home upon the conscience to lay sin before us then what will you do We are all guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission when these come to be charged upon the soul what will you then do then no plaister of comfort will stick but those of the Spirits laying on unless the Spirit seal up the pardon of sin the love of God to the soul nothing will quiet and comfort the soul however men may be merry for a time yet there is a time of sorrow that will come when they shall reflect upon their ways when they shall see nothing but sin behind them and terrours before them Oh! what amazement will seize upon their souls they have no interest in God in Christ they have no interest in the Promises there is nothing that will comfort you unless you have an interest in the Spirit But then what shall I do that I may get this comforting Spirit into my soul First Thirst earnestly after it The Promise is made to those that thirst after it Isa 44.3 Thirst after him in his convincings in his humblings in his sanctifying mercy Oh let the desire and longing of thy soul run out this way no matter for an Estate no matter for Friends and outward comforts if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast that that is paramount to all outward comforts Secondly Pray earnestly for the Spirit You are not so willing to giâ—â— your children that they want as God is to give his Spirit to them that ask it Cry mightily Lord give me thy Spirit and cry to the Spirit and say as Laban to Abicam Come in so pray the Spirit to come in to thy Soul Thirdly If you would have this Comforter to come and abide with you You must resolve to become Christs Disciple It is only for such that Christs prays that God would send the Comforter You must hearken and obey him and follow him wheresoever he goeth You know the terms upon which you must be Christs Disciple Mat. 16.24 He must deny himself and take up his Cross and daily follow Christ He must deny himself There is two selfs in a man nay three selfs and they must de denied but however the first two must be denied if you intend to be Christs Disciple 1. A mans righteous self If any thing that we are that we have or can do from our works or duties any thing of our own all must be denied in point of Justification 2. Sinful self A mans corruptions must be denied pride passion and love to the world 3. Natural self Friends estates relations credit and honour and outward comforts these may be denied you may be called to part with them but if they come in competition with Christ they must be denied 2. You must take up the Cross of Christ rather than forsake his honor or disobey his commands You must resolve to follow Christ wheresoever he shall lead you either in a way of active or passive obedience you must take up Christs load you must undergo his burden Now Christians are you resolved upon this now sit down and consider what it will cost you to be Christians and if you would have the best you must be contented with the worst and if you are resolved upon this then you are the true Disciples of Christ and you are under the promise of his comfort and Christ is praying the Father to send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever 2. Vse of Exhortation 2. Vse Is of Exhortation wherein I shall apply my self to the true Disciples of Christ those that have had communion with Christ in his sanctifying Presence labour after communion with him in his comforting Presence To all others that are without the Spirit of God I may say as Jehu to Jehoram What hast thou to do with these things Labour to be
another and if he hath it not from the Spirit of God he will seek it some other way if he hath not comfort from the Spirit of God he will seek some sparks of his own kindling rather than they will sit in darkness without comfort they will light their candle at the Devil's fire And as he delivereth from temptation on the right so he delivereth from temptation on the left hand he that is filled with the comforts of the Holy Ghost what are sufferings to such a man he hath that within will carry him through all danger here is that comfort and that life by Christ which may ease us in our greatest crosses this will make a child of God speak of the sufferings of this world as a light matter Our light affliction which is but for a moment shall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods because in Heaven they had a better and more enduring substance Heb. 11.35 Some were tortured receiving no deliverance because in Heaven they had a better substance Oh if you would be kept from the snares of the World let your comforts be above the power and danger of temptation from any thing here below 3. By way of Direction How shall we have communion and aâ—t fâ—ith upon the Holy Ghost as your Comforter the Holy Ghost is designed and appointed by God the Father to this Office now you know none love to be slighted in their Office and if we do not act faith upon the Holy Ghost we slight his Office therefore we should have recourse to him in a way of believing as we should act faith upon Christ for the pardon of sin so we should act faith upon the holy Ghost for a sense of that pardon 2. Go often to Jesus Christ and beg him and beseech him to entreat the Father for you Go to God the Father in the name of Christ and beg it upon the account of Christs Prayer and Intercession that he would send the Comforter and you have a good argument to enforce the Petition the very same as the Disciples That Christ would when he went away Pray the Father and he should send you another Comforter Christ tells them that some there were that would kill them and in so doing think they did God good service therefore Christ in compassion to them in the state that he left them in prays the Father that he would send the Comforter So now we must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnabas's sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be damned up the Houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our Troubles encrease and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eyes the comfort of our hearts in respect of outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want Bread for our Souls we want cordials for our Hearts Blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Embassadors to come to us by thy Spirit do now in Heaven as thou didst on earth Pray the Father for us do not leave us so many Orphans without Father or Mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our Souls See how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy Spirit 3. If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed you do not lay up your comforts in the Creature this is to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the Creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it at your hands if you seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4. Set down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my hed and meditate on thee in the night-watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall finde that this Psalm was penned when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5. Be much in the exercise of grace Then they that walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the minde of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ Sure your comforts will be satisfying comforts and sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad news to the Disciples who were ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comfort that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wilderness where no water is when he doth deny the means he can comfort us without where he denies us the stream he can make us drink at the Fountain 7. And lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances of and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banished your Ministers may be imprisoned but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not preach any more to you I shall pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the After-noon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are
ground while others fall away stand fast in the Faith Be not ashamed to own Christ before all the world reckon upon the reproaches of Christ and count them greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Do not place Religion in a few shadows when the substance is neglected do not think that God will be put off with the skin without the substance and by your holy Conversation labour to put to silence the foolishness and ignorance of wicked men that men may have nothing to accuse you but in the matters of Jesus Christ that you may cut off occasion from them that seek occasion Let no reproach make you lay aside holiness and say If this be to be vile I will be viler still And love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual comfort Forget not to contribute to the necessity of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this for this is acceptable to God Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you so shall you heap coals of sire upon their heads when you are reviled revile not again Do your duty to your Superiors to those that God hath set over you and so carry your selves as it was in the case of Daniel that they may find nothing against you save in the matter of your God In all things let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ That I may rejoyce in the day of the Lord Jesus that we have not run in vain and laboured in vain And labour to keep up that Christian love which in this place hath been more eminent than any where I know I would preach St. John's Doctrine Little children love one another And that my expression may be pathetical I shall speak it in the words of the Apostle in Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind I now have but a word more speaking of yours and mine own comfort under this sad Dispensation 1. It is a Minister's comfort that when he is taken from his People he can yet Commend them to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build them up and to give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified And truly my dearly beloved in the Lord this is my great work now when I am a dying to you as to my publick Preaching My beloved I am very sensible that it is a very sad and solemn thing for a Minister to be rent from a People that he loves as his own Soul that he hath laboured among for to bid adieu to those solemn meetings wherein I have preached to you wherein we have mingled our sighes and our tears before the Lord wherein we have rejoyced and sat down before the Lord at his Table Now to think that I must Minister with you and for you no more in these Ordinances methinks it is a heart-breaking consideration to think that I am now dving in this congregation to think that I now dying whilst I am preaching but this is my comfort under these sad thoughts that I can Commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace to one that is able to keep you and to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are senctified Like a dying Father I can commend you to the care of such a Friend infinitely able to supply all that I could not do for you It is the comfort of a dying Father when he sees his children weeping round about him that he can commend them to a Faithful Friend willing to do that for them that he desired to do and a thousand â—imes more I would hope that I have some children that I have begotten to Christ by my Ministry towards whom my bowels yearn but hiâ— is mâ— comfort that I can put them into the Arms of their and my heavenlâ— Father of their and my blessed Redeemer to be keâ—thâ— the powâ—r of God There are many poor souls that are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and if the Lord had seen good I would sain have seen of the travel of my soul in their salvation but I can commend them to God who knows them who belong to his Eleâ—ion he can either restore or can do it by another hand and you that are in any measure grown in Grace I will be willing to be helpful to your joy and instrumental to your comfort But I commend you to God who is alle to give all grace to you and to keep you sied fast It will be some alleviation of sorrow though I must leave you and dye to you as to my publick Ministry that I hope I may a while go up and down and converse with you to be among you The Lord grant this favour that I may behold your stedfastness 2. This may be your comfort as well as mine this may be the comfort of all those poor Congregations that are like to be made Widows by the Metaphorical death of their Guides and Pastors but I leave you into the hands of all Grace and of all Comfort This is a black day upon Israel when so many faithful Ministers are slain at one blow this is a day of gloominess and darkness in many Congregations for so many Ministers to be beheaded in one day What hath England committed Is it not some high Treason If we look to the cause of it why so many Ministers are as dead in one day as so many Children without a Father And if we look upon this cause what hath caused God thus to deal with us we must complain Oh! our unfruitfulness Our fearful unthankfulness under the mercies of God This will be the Emphasis and sting of our grief and this should be the matter of our grief And then if we consider the sad Prognostick what it doth seem to foretel It is a sign that when God lays aside so many faithful Ministers of some scourge or calamity that is coming upon us But you that can lament this Judgment you that can lament the sad deprivations of these powerful Ordinances Remember that though your Minister be dead God can raise you up others in their stead and where the way of instruments are wanting He can do it without them and those that are begot in Christ shall be preserved and those yet unbrought in who belong to the Election of Grace shall in Gods due time have the effectual work of the Spirit wrought upon their Souls For he is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And though I take this solemn leave of you as to this publick Exercise yet if the Lord shall open the door and take of those bands of Death that the
The promise of the Spirit which shall supply his absence such a Spirit as shall reach them comfort them and be in stead of All to them give them such Joy Courage and Peace as the World can neither give nor take away ver 27. Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you c. Thirdly In the 23. ver in the Text We will come and make our abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an Answer to the Question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the Answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the Promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said He will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which word there are three parts considerable First A Supposition If a man love me c. Secondly A position which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A promise which is two-fold First Of the Father's love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a Person We will come unto him and make â—ur abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ If any love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my ways treasure up my truths and counsels This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order 1. That Jesus Christ must be truly loved 2. What it is to keep his Words 3. Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity for this that the Apostle says 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be accursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly 1. Who is he that truly loves him 2. Why we should all truly love him First Who is he that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45 46. sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies he loves Christ in deed and not in shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksome duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vico c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth No sweetness like that of his bosome all his ways are peace and his paths pleasantness Christ makes every condition comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the soul hath in his life 't is communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2. â— I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and the Hinds of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the soul takes in communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at a loss and is never quiet till he enter into acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1 2 3 c. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her best thoughts in her closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations spiritual Ejaculations and secret self-Examinations in all these the soul enquires As one that loves the world by night his meditation is of the world so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season the wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed so the soul that loves Christ his are still at work after Christ Secondly I will rise now and go about the
lodge any where more than with the Wife of the bosome Thirdly Because of Gods faithful Covenant he will make his abode with them that keep his Word If we keep the word of his Patience he will keep the word of his Promise Revel 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come on all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth It is called a word of patience because it teacheth Patience and especially because it requireth it in all them that will observe it And this is Gods Covenant Now what is the Covenant Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall no◠depart from me and such a sure and infallible promise of abode can never be violated by a God keeping Covenant God may hide himself for a moment turn away in a little wrath from his people Isa 54.8 c. but with great mercy will he gather them and shew them everlasting kindness Yea his promise shall be as thē waters of Noah that as the waters of the great Deluge shall never cover the World any more so he will never forsake his people utterly It shall be more possible for the mountains to depart and the hills to be removed than that he should finally depart from His. The frame of the World may be disordered but the frame of Gods heart towards his people can never be changed When the men of the World think God hath forsaken them he is near to them and cannot cast off his people He may sometimes give them up for their sins into the Enemies hands but cannot give them away this gave the Church that confidence in Mich. 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O my Enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me And this did bear the head of the New Testament-Saints above water 2 Cor. 4.8 9. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed And whence is it that Distress doth not follow our Troubles Despair our Perplexities Desention our Persecutions Destruction our sad Dejections Sure it is because God is faithful always with us and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear c. Thirdly What a special blessing it is to a person or people to have God and Christ to make their abode with them The excellency and desireableness of this abode of God and Christ with Believers may be seen in these three partioulars First It is better than all outward mercies and earthly blessings Secondly This will more than supply the want or absence of all other comforts Thirdly All our happiness doth lye in this Gods presence with us First The abode of God and Christ with a soul is better than all outward mercies or earthly blessings whatsoever God was wont to tell his people heretofore as in Deut. 28. That if they would keep his commandements they shall be blessed in their basket and in their store that he would give them peace the fat heritage of Jacob and to ride upon the high places all goodly mercies But now he doth encourage them by a blessing of far greater worth I will love you I will make my abode with you It is so high and transcendent a favour that Moses preferred it before the goodly Land of Promise Canaan the Land flowing with milk and honey as appears by that passage in Exod. 33.15 If thy presence goe not with me carry us not up hence Though Canaan be never so desireable a good Land yet rather let me abide in this vast howling Wilderness with God than go without thy presence thither A wilderness condition with God in the Tent is better than all pleasures and honours without God in the Palace Hence David in the midst of all his royal pomp and greatness desired this as the complement and perfection of all Psal 101.1 2. O when wilt thou come unto me Consider these two Particulars First That there is no beauty nor desireableness in the fairest outward prosperity if God and Christ do not make their abode with us If we have all the World and cannot see the abode of God and Christ on our Tabernacle in their special Providence in Soul-refreshing Ordinances or by the comforting Spirit We may look on all and say as Hiram did of the Cities Solomon gave him they be Cabul Dirty things If we cannot find God and Christ thus with us in the midst of our glory The glory is departed Secondly Consider There is no misery nor unhappiness in the worst afflictions if God and Christ be there in the Furnace there is no Death in Captivity no Darkness in Prison no Sadness in Death no Hell Jesus Christ tells us he will not leave us comfortless He never told us we should not meet with tribulations but sayes In the world we shall have tribulation and as surely That in him we shall have consolation His people may be in the World friendless harbourless pennyless but he assures them they shall never be comfortless Again This abode of God and Christ with his people will more than supply the want or absence of all other things Jesus Christ when he would throughly encourage his Disciples against all the hardships and discouraging fears they might meet withal after his departure gives them this one precious Cordial or Catholicon in Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World When you are cast out of the Synagogues had before Magistrates and Rulers for my Names sake scourged hated imprisoned for all these things shall they do unto you let this comfort you Lu I am with you alway to the end of the world Indeed This abode of God and Christ with his people is every thing to the Soul which we may see in these three particulars First Their Presence is a Sanctuary and sure Hiding-place Secondly It is a sure Light and Guide to them Thirdly It is a Store-house and Treasure of all Provisions First The abode or presence of God and Christ is in stead of a Sanctuary or sure Hiding place as Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield c. and in Isa 8.13 says the Prophet Sanctifie the Lord God of Hests and let him be your fear and let him be your dread and he shall be for a Sanctuary Do you set God before you and he will set himself by you and where the great God goes there goes a Guard of Angels Psal 34.7 His wings be a Covert and his hand a Canopy with which he hides from the Storm and from Rain And that he is a mighty Saviour First Consider his Omnipotency He can do whatever pleaseth him He can make
in mercy to his people Sad providences producing sweet effects Directions and helps how to get the presence of God and Christ with us First Repent and humble your selves because of all your sins that you have at any time rejected the counsels of God and resused grace and mercy and neglected opportunities of doing your souls good and drawing near to God Repentance and resolution against sin come like John Baptist to prepare a way and a place for God and Christ to come to and make their abode in Of the Hearts and Houses of impenitent sinners we may well say God is not there The way to have God to turn unto us is to turn away from sin as Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. He bemoaned himself and repented and God came to him as to his dear Son and to his pleasant Child Secondly Believe in Jesus Christ and by Faith get an interest in him It is by Faith only that we get an entertainment to Jesus Christ It is by Jesus Christ alone that God and man come together No man hath seen the Father at any time but the Son and he to whom he doth reveal him and he that hath the Son hath the Father Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Thirdly Own Jesus Christ in all his offices as your King Priest and Prophet First As your King let him have the Soveraignty of your souls that he may rule over you If Christ be your King God will be your Father God loves to come where Christ hath his Throne Secondly As your Priest that his Righteousness may give you the advantage of communion with God without which we cannot come near to him and he will not come near to us Thirdly As your Prophet that he may shew you the way if his Spirit be your Guide and his Word your Rule you may be sure his Promses shall be your portion even this Promise in the Text They will come to you and make their abode with you even God and Christ Fourâ—hly Seek earnestly after God and Christ in the use of all appointed means till you come to see and enjoy their presence with you Here shall be fhewn these two particulars 1. Where we may seek God and Christ 2. How or after what manner we must seek them First Where we must seek after God and Christ First We may finde them in the works of Creation these will represent God and Christ unto us the power and wisdom of God and Christ by whom the World was made In omni re aspeciabili quaedam extant vestigia Dei In all the visible Creatures there be some prints of the invisible God so that he which lives altogether without God must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse having God so near him Secondly We may finde them in the Word 2 Cor. 4.6 The glory of God shines there in the face of Jesus Christ and to them that are conversant in the Word God hath promised to reveal himself Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And the Apostle gives this direction Rom. 10.6 7. Say net in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Thirdly We may finde them in Prayer Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you If you will be strangers to the duty of Prayer to the Throne of Grace God will be a stranger to you he hath promised to draw nigh to them that draw nigh to him and so in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Fourthly We may finde them in the communion with the people of God Where two or three are niet together in my name there will I be says Christ in the midst of them Therefore Jesus Christ directs us to go up by the soot-steps of the flock and they enquire wisely Cam. 6.1 that say to the Church of Christ Whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee And when the two Disciples went to Emmaus communing of Christ he came and joyned himself with them Secondly How or after what manner we must seek God and Christ Take these four following Directions First Affect your selves with the worth and excellency of this presence of God and Christ carry a high esteem of them in your hearts think with your selves how safely they are immured as the Prophet said unto his servant There is more for them than can be against them Isa 33.16 Their place of defence is the munition of râ—cks c. O what sweetnesse and satisfaction have they within with whom God and Christ abides as the Spouse doth express it Cant. 1.3 Because of the savour of thy Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments pâ—ured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Thy Name of Mercy Wisdome and Faithfulness how doth it refresh their hearts that have the presence of God and Christ O sweetness and satisfaction beyond expression and then conclude Si tanius quaerentibus O quantus pâ—ssidentibus If he be so good to them that seek him how good is he to them that enjoy him Secondly Labour to affect your souls with the great want and need that you have of the presence of God and Christ while men do think in their hearts they can be well enough without God and Christ they will never seek after them but say as in Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee that is we have strength enough of our own we need no more of thy support and thus David brings in the wicked priding themselves in Psa 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his countenance as in the Original through the pride of his nose will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts when these proud Laodicean spirits will not seek the poor hungry desolate soul that sees a need of God and Christ finde them Thirdly Quicken your selves to much diligence in seeking The Prophet complains No man stirreth up himself to seek the Lord. It is a business of the greatest concernment and must not be attended with a cold indifferency but as one set on by a true love and where that is Non quiescit amor sed quaerit amatum Love will be restless in the pursuit of the thing or person beloved See with what heat men seek the world with much more heat seek God and Christ We must do as the woman that had lost her groat she lights a candle sweeps the house seeks diligently so we must set up the light of the Word and to work with the besom of a serious repentance and thorow-reformation and
mark how the point in hand doth charge this upon us in the thirteenth Verse of this Chapter These things have I writ to you that believe on the Name of the Son of God That you may know that you have eternall life Here is your duty according to what the Text it self doth charge upon you if you be such as by grace are brought over to a Gospel-believing the Apostle John that did write this Epistle and I from it preach unto you in the Name of the Lord and by authority from him that this is your duty to know that you are persons that have eternal life that you are such as Christ by his Bloud hath made a purchase of eternal life for that he hath by his Bloud once for all entred into the holy place that is not made with hands that he may prepare for you and that you might have the possession of those blessed Mansions that he hath made preparation of Eternal life it is yours and you may be bold to claim it and you are bound to hope and rejoyce in the expectation of the full enjoyment of it and not to be always upon the question and disputing point but to go on with a holy confidence towards God according to what the Apostle expresses 1 Cor. 2. We know that when this earthly Tabernacle shall be dissolved we shall have a House not made with hands c. But then a second thing that I have to charge upon you is this that you would acknowledge with all thankfulnesse and enlargednesse of heart to God the riches of his mercy and grace to you that hath been pleased to call you out of an unbelieving world and bâ—ing â—ou over to the Gospel and to the participations that are by Christ â—â—cording to the Gospel Oh! this you should set your hearts upon â—â—y admiring the riches of his grace and say Lord why shouldst thou manifest thy self to us and not to the World That many thousands should live and die in the total ignorance of Christ and the Gospel-mysteries or else live and dye in an empty profession and yet that God should be pleased to pitch upon me This is that the Text doth hint unto us in the nineteenth verse of this Chapter Oh! saith he in a triumphing manner We know that we are of God and that the whole world lyes in wickedness Oh! our mercies and the riches of Grace that hath appeared to us while the whole world that lies in wickedness is put into the Malignant one lies in the Devil for he is the Malignant evil one while the whole world lies in the Devil in malignity Oh! It is a sad condition infinitely more sad than for a man to lie in the most noysomest stinking Ditch or in the loathsomest kennel why this is that that heightens the mercy to poor souls that are called by grace according to the purpose of God that while the whole world lies in wickedness and so are like to lie yea and to lie in Hell to all eternity that God should please to lay you in the bosom of his Son and to take you into the arms of his mercy this is that that should heighten our thankfulness I may make use of that expression which we find in Acts the fourth when Paul and Barnabas came unto a company of heathens and they saw what great things were done by them and took notice of the gracious spirit that they discovered sure say they The Gods are come among us in the likeness of men Considering the state of times and what a height of wickedness many at this day are grown up unto the dreadful swearing blaspheming of God and his ways truly judge of it your selves whether we may not say the Devils are come among us in the likeness of men Why now Oh! how should we heighten our love and thankfulness to God that should please in free grace to bring us over to close with Jesus Christ But then 4 as many as are brought over to Gospel-believing this is your duty to study and endeavour what you can your advantages in faith and so the Apostle gives it in charge here in the Chapter in v. 13. These things have I writ to you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the Son of God This is that you should set about if God hath brought you over to a closing with Christ and an embracing of the Testimonies concerning him believe more and more labor for your advancement and let it be your prayer Good Lord encrease our faith labor that you may be clear in your apprehensions of gospel-mysteries and that you may be more strong in your adherence to Christ of whom those Gospel-testimonies are given and that you may not only come to have an adhering faith but to an assuring faith that you may not be like waves tossed and tumbled up and down but that you may come to be rooted and established and grounded in your faith that you may not come to be unsettled by Heresie corrupt Doctrines or the Apostacy of others but that you may be stedfast and unmoveable Yet further fifthly This is to be given in charge to such as do believe according to the Gospel that they carry it suitably to a believing state as in those particulars that I have insisted upon so in a deportment congruous and sutable to the privileges which belong to believing You are born of God carry it as men and women that are so indeed what I born of God the sons and daughters of God What and not live according to God and not study conformity to God I remember what he speaks there concerning Amnon How is it that thou bring the Kings son art lean from day to day How is it that we that profess to be the sons and daughters of God are lean and lank not more improved that we do not shew forth God and express Christ This lies in the beginning of the Chapter If you be born of God remember that you be born of him that is the God of Love And therefore you are to manifest this birth and your believing and your being born of God by loving God and by loving them that are born of God He that believeth is born of God and be that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him The God of love doth beget a people of love a loving God a loving people and this is that you should express your believing by and your adoption by by the love you bear to God and the children of God A hateful spiteful spirit where it doth discover it self speaks those persons not to be born of God but of the Devil carry it as Believers as persons of God by studying a conformity to God and by keeping his Commandments subjecting your selves to his authority not living according to your lusts but according to the laws and rules which God
while you sit in health and ease what different thoughts you will then have of a holy and unholy life and with what gripes of Conscience will your undone Souls look back on a life of Mercy thus basely and blockishly slept away dream'd and sin'd away I beseech you then and that for your own sakes that you would not for a few fleshly pleasures which are passing away incur the torments of Hell which shall never pass away III. Thirdly I beseech you for Christs sake And me thinks when I beg of you in Christs name and for Christs sake you should not say nay If you love me saith Christ keep my Commandements Joh. 14.15 See with what perswasive Rhetorick he presseth this Duty If you love me saith he do it O Christians what may not the love of Christ command you If it were to lay down your blood for him would you not do it and will you not be perswaded to lay down your Strifes and Divisions your Animosities and Corruptions for his sake As Absalon said to Hushai 2 Sam. 16.17 Is this thy kindness to thy friend Such a friend as Christ hath been is and ever will be Certainly that Indictment will one day be prefer'd against you which the Apostle pronounceth with tears in his eyes Phil. 3.18 You are enemies to the Cross of Christ as if he had said Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil and you by your loose walkings destroy the works of Christ the Image of Christ and the Interest of Christ in the Soul Christ laid down his bloud to Purge you and you unworthily lay down your selves in sin to Pollute you and so become guilty of denying the Lord that bought you and trampling under foot the Bloud of the Covenant What Ear doth not tingle and what doth not tremble at such a horrid and flagicious Act I beseech you then be tender of Christs honour Quod vos divites relinquam and be holy for Christs sake whose heart you see or may see by what follows is engaged and concern'd to promote holiness among you Consider 1. His strict Command calls for it 2. His servent Prayer implyes it 3. His holy Example teacheth it First I say his Command calls for it Mat. 5.16 Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works that is lead such convincing lives that the world may witness and certifie with you that you are certainly a choice Generation a Seed which the Lord hath blessed Here 's a Command you see now where 's your obedience will you make Conscience of it or will you not will you swear Allegiance to it or will you not shall it pass for an irrefragable Rule of Life or shall it not It was Pompey's boast that with a Word or a Nod he could a we his Souldiers to any thing and shall God command and go without shall Gods word have less authority then Pompey's I read much of the blind obedience of the Papists to their Rulers even in things scarce credible but that themselves have publisht them One Masseus a Franciscan tumbled himself in the dirt and crawled like a Child because that St. Francis told him That unless he became as a little Child he could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Jesuites are so framed to Obedience that whatever service they are injoyned by their Superiours though never so abominable they must accomplish it Yea if the blessed Virgin vouchsafe her presence to one of the brethren if his Superiour call him he must presently break from her and go at his bidding although it be on a bloudy Errand and wondrous design with a hundred more Fopperies of this nature What do I reckon these for but to assure you that these who have paid such homage to man will rise up one day out of their Graves to condemn us who are less careful in our obedience to God Almighty They shut the eyes of Reason to obey their earthly Superiours and we dispute if not deny our Allegiance to our Heavenly Law-giver God bids us believe and we distrust God bids us obey and we dispute God bids us remember our Creator in the dayes of our Youth and we forget him even in our age God bids us learn of him to be meek and lowly and we learn of the Devil to be proud and haughty God bids us be sober and watch unto Prayer and we surfeit with excess and sleep at Prayer God bids us forbear and forgive one another in love and we reproach and persecute one another with much opposition and hatred In a word God bids us be content with what we have and we unthankfully murmur for what we want Ah sinners God sees and hears you all this while and his hand is setting down in the Table-book of his Remembrance all your undutifulness and disobedience and when the Book shall be open'd how think you will these Indictments be answer'd II. Secondly Christs servent Prayers calls for holiness John 27.17 Sanctifie them with thy Truth saith he Should you hear a Minister with abundance of zeal press a Duty upon his people in the Pulpit and as soon as he gets home you should go under his Closet Window and hear him hard at Prayer begging of God a blessing upon his labours that day you would easily believe the Minister was in earnest So here our Saviour hath no sooner done his Sermon but you finde him at Prayer John 17.17 and what he most insisted on in the Pulpit that he enlargeth most on in his Closet Father saith he Sanctifie them III. Thirdly As Christs Prayer so his Pattern and Example shews his desires to have his people a holy people Was not he a lover of holiness in others and a true practiser of holiness himself was not be the Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile no sin no spot and why was he so doth he not tell you John 13.15 I have given you an Example saith he that you should do as I have done He was content to have his Honour laid in the Dust his Credit or Bloud laid in the Dust but it was for an Example of all self-denial to you Again he was content to take a Towel and a Bason in his hand to wash his Disciples feet John 3.14 but it was for an Example of Humility to you In a word He was so Heavenly upon Earth so mortified to all worldly interests and liv'd so convincingly before men that his very enemies were forced to own his Divinity and to say that he could not possibly do such things unless God were with him now all this was for an Example of holiness to you I have given you saith he an Example that you should do as I have done O then set Christ in his holy Example before you as one would set the person whose Picture he intends to draw and labour to draw every line in your life according to your Copy O this would be a sweet way indeed to maintain
heard received and learned let nothing fall to the ground but bring all into practice would you ever enjoy Gods gracious presence 4. And lastly Of all that you have heard and learned and received from God be sure that you do it constantly without going over The Lord is with you saith the Prophet speaking to Asa and all Juda while ye are with him if ye seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will also forsake you 2 Chron. 15.2 If we desire that God should always be present with us in a way of Mercy we must still strive to be present with him in a way of duty and if we would not have God cast us off and forsake us in the end we must be careful not to forsake him but to hold on with God in a way of obedience to the end He that shall endure to the end saith Christ the same shall be saved Matth. 24.13 As God condemns no man before he sins so neither will he crown any man before he overcomes We must Conquer before we can Triumph win the garland before we can wear it and obtain the Crown of Eternal Communion with God in glory by patient continuance in well-doing Rom. 2.8 Let me then once for all as a lover of your souls beseech you what ever you have heard what ever you have learned whatever you have received from the Lord that you practise it and that to the end Oh remember what you have heard give diligence to practise what you have learned and whatever you have received from the Lord whether concerning principles of Faith or precepts of Life be sure that you hold it fast that no man take your Crown Rev. 3.3 Knowledg without an answerable practice will not avail you and the practice of what you know without perseverance therein to the end will but aggravate your condemnation and serve to sink you the deeper in the pit of eternal perdition 2 Pet. 2.21 Take heed therefore that you be not carried away with the error of the wicked let no thought arise within you of departing from the living God but press on towards the Mark hold fast your Integrity persevere in obedience to God according to what you have heard and learned and received from the Lord and see that you break through all discouragements for communion with him In God you have a living Spring when all your bottles are empty in him you have a sure Sanctuary when all your Refuges and hiding-places in the World are laid level with the ground in him you have a glorious Sun when all the blazing stars of your creature comforts are extinguish'd and disappear In him to be short you shall find everlasting friendship when all your friends according to the flesh are put to perpetual silence in the grave Oh then be careful that you cleave to this God that you repose your selves wholly upon him and that you constantly without giving over walk in obedience with him according to what you have heard and learned and received that so enjoying God's gracious presence here in a state of grace you may hereafter enjoy the presential soul-satisfying and open vision of himself in a state of glory Mr. WADSWORTHS Farewel-Sermon Late Preacher at NEWINGTON-BVTTS Revel 2.5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent THese Words with the foregoing verses I have insisted largely upon already And in the Words I told you there is First of all A severe threatning in these words I will come unto thee quickly and I will remove thy Candlestick out of his place I have told you what is meant by Candlestick A Candlestick I told you signifies the Church of God or a Company or a Society of people met together to worship God in Spirit and in Truth As if he should say I will smite thy Shepherds and scatter thy Flocks I will take away mighty Lights and I will leave thee in Egyptian darkness I will cut off my Ordinances which are my golden Pipes to convey the Water of Life unto you But you will say Why is the Lord so angry with Ephesus It is Because of the Churches sins It is because thou hast not loved me as once thou didst Want of love to Christ is a sin that deserveth to be unchurched that deserveth that God should take away your Ministers For what is our preaching for but to gain your Loves to Christ and to hate the Devil Secondly In the second place I shewed you what the works of this Church of Ephesus were They had been very laborious in the external Principles of Religion in promoting the Salvation of Souls but yet notwithstanding they had gone so far yet they had not done what they did out of a right Principle that is out of pure Love to Christ this makes the Lord so angry that he threatneth to unchurch them Well but is there no remedy to prevent this heavy Judgement He that holds forth the Rod tells you a Remedy As if he should say Oh you Ephesians if you will love me better and if you will be more painful in the great Work of your Salvation if you will but repent of your sins I will not bring those heavy Judgements upon you which I threatned to bring upon you I have told you the greatness of the sins that his Church was guilty of I have likewise shewed you what a great Curse it is for the Lord to take away the Gospel from a Nation I told you that it is a big-bellied Curse it is a curse that hath a great many other curse embowelled up in it I told you when the Gospel goes God goes and when God goes Christ goes and when Christ goes the ministring Angels of the Covenant go the Candlestick goes and the Lights they go along with it What then follows when God goes Then the Devil he comes yea legions of Devils come and then there follows the Plague Pestilence Famine Sword and all other manner of evils God doth not go alone neither doth God remove his Candlestick alone I do not tell you that God threatens you to pull down all your Lights I would not terrifie you by telling you that God is a departing from you when he puts out some of your Lights But yet I must needs tell you that when God doth deprive you of so many hundreds of as Pious and as Laborious and as Learned some of them as any are in the Vineyard I say when God deals thus by you I cannot think that it is in mercy to you but in judgement The Church of England is a great People and there are many poor souls in it that are as Fire-brands in the fire that have great need to be pluckt out and as there are blessed be God many eminent Ministers at this day in England to snatch such poor souls
did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear soâ— is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ephraim that was a Tribe one of the Tribes of Israel you hear hath the voice of a penitent sinner he smites upon his thigh which is a sign of great anguish of spirit here you have the penitent here you have the weeping shame-fac'd sinner But in the verse following you have God standing and looking on saith God Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels within me are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him If thy heart breaks thou seest that God's heart will turn towards thee Oh the excellency of Repentance that doth so much prevail with the God of heaven It is these dews and heavenly showers that must revive your almost dying withering blessings Repentance it is that holy Oyl that must recover our Lamps that are going out Oh the excellency of Repentance From hence you may gather what an excellent priviledge a penitent heart hath with God It is the mourning lamenting sinner that is like to do England good these heard hearted sinners they cannot recover an almost lost Gospel they cannot fetch God again but a penitent heart can My beloved how can you live without such a Grace your Souls want it your Families want it three Kingdoms want it the great want in England is broken-heartedness Vse 3. Is Repentance the only way to prevent the Judgments of God Then you may from hence gather That when God either hath his Plugues upon a people or continues in threatning his Judgement upon a People it is a sign that those people are very guilty of impenitency and that this people have not yet repented of their sins If God threatens thee O England Scotland and Ireland If God threaten thee to give thee up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind doth God do it at this day then I say O England Scotland and Ireland you are impenitent people at this day If you see a Kingdome groaning under the Judgments of God it is a sign that they have not made use of those remedies that would have cured them This is my Charge against England we have been a stiff necked People Oh London London how long shall God wait on you before you repent how often hath God threatned to remove the Gospel from among you how often hath God visited you with great and grievous Sicknesses how many thousands have been killed by the Sword how many Widows and Fatherless Children have there been left desolate God hath visited you this year with Mercy and yet you repent not Oh my beloved is not this sad If God come to punish you after you have received so many mercies from him take heed that God doth not rid his hands of you Why fit you as if you had no hand in these things you careless Masters that never pray in your Families nor never teach your Families to pray It is for your sins that God doth threaten to remove the Gospel and to take away his Ministers Will you repent of your sins If you do not sad will be your ends God mâ— cut you off from the face of the Earth and raise up unto himself a generation out of your loyns that may serve him better than ever you have yet done and God may cause you to die in a wilderness Oh the hard heartedness of the People of England Oh the Swearing the Wickedness the Superstition and Prophaness that is grown up amongst us That I may say as the world was once drowned by water so it is now almost filled with wickedness Oh you sinful wicked Generation is this your requital to God for all his Mercies Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish People and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee May I apply this to you Is this the thanks you return to God that hath been as a Father to you that hath bought you and made you When your sins grow so high do not you think but that the wrath of God will grow high too Objection I But you say Why do you speak to us of these sins speak to them that commit such sins Answer My beloved have you repented of your sins Are not you grown hard hearted with the rest of this generation Let me ask you Have you repented of those sins that you are guilty of Yes say you we hope we have Let me try you a little with these few things First of all Have you thought upon the wickedness of your wayes Have you set your sins in order before you Have you called to mind the manner of your Lives and Conversations Sin is never left until it be soundly laid to heart A repenting Man is one that the World sayes is a moplâ—g Man or Woman he is one that will look himself in the face of the Gospel an hour to find out his spots and when he hath found them he falls a weeping Secondly If you have repented as you say you have what hath been your mourning for Sin You came crying into the world your mother said Since the first tears that you shed how many tears have you shed for your sins When were you alone in your Chambers When have you done as Ephraim did How often have your Cheeks been wet with your Tears how many Handkerchiefs have you wet with your Tears for your Sin Oh my Beloved do you think that God will not humble you for your sins God will humble you before he exalt you God will bring you to the brink of Hâ—â—â— before he brings you to Heaven Thirdly If you have repented of your Sins as you say you have Then what Reformation is there in your lives what sin have you left What sins are they that you have forsaken Have you observed that you are more humble than you were heretofore Do you observe that your hearts are more in Heaven than they were before Do you observe that you pray more and delight in prayer more than you have done It may be you are ready to try out that you are well Well but have you repented Alas you talk you have repented of your Sins when it may be that you know not one sin that you have left Didst thou once Swear by the holy Name of God and art thou now afraid for to take his Name into thy mouth but with great reverence and adoration Fourthly Have you repented of your sins as you say you have done Then what Resolutions have you taken up for your future obedience Is it your resolution for to seek God more in prayer than ever you have yet done Will you watch your hearts in prayer â—â—â—re than you
keep close unto Christ not running into the vanities glories and sins of this World then are ye comprehended in Love wherewith God loveth his Son Yeâ— see the extension of the Apostles Faith and the firmness of it this is written for our instruction and Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of that Faith the issue whereof is this perswasion Therefore look not on it as a thing impossible to be attained it is your priviledge if you seek it Isa 43 23.44 1 2. Thou hast not brought me the smal cattel of thy Burnt-offerings neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifices But thou hast made me serve with thy sins Thou hast we ariod me with thine Iniquities Yet now hear O Jacob my servant Israel whom I have chosen Thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee from the womb which will help thee Fear not O Jacoh my servant and Jesuâ—un whom I have chosen for I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon this dry ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my Blessing upon thy Off-spring This speaketh to us the Gentiles who serve not with Sacrifices If they thirst after this spirit it shall be pour'd out upon them and then shall they be perswaded let the World and the Devil say what they will that they are God's This is the priviledge of every true Christian that hungers and thirsts to be led in the true way of Righteousness and Peace The EXHORTATION If it be thus let it be matter of encouragement and consolation for whatever ye be separated from yet if ye be truly Gods you have something never to be taken from you to wit The love of God in Christ Jesus God will not Man nor Satan cannot I may be separated from you yea from each other body from soul yet 't is comfort to hear there is something that can never be taken from us It should stir up our minds to consider whether I have union with it or no or whether it is attainable by me and this is certain it may be had If you forsake the sin and vanity of the world you will naturally fall into the arms of everlasting love from whence ye can never be removed It is a good thing to have good thoughts of God to be well perswaded of him as the Apostle here who is confident of his goodness Love readily and naturally uniteth to love and good thoughts of God are from a seed of Gods love to us And in order to the establishing of us in this love let us leave with you a few Exhortations 1. In order unto your daily Conversation 2. In order unto the particular Divine Providence now ending of our Ministry unto you First as to your conversation 1. Think not your own Sins little 2. Think not your own Righteousness great 3. Alwayes resigned unto God humbly submitting unto his mercy Think not your own Sins little He is in danget to sin against this love that is not sensible he hath done enough already to separate him from it ye that have done the least sin hath done enough to condemn you for ever Rom. 5.17 For if by one mans offences Death reigned by one c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be understood by one offence And if you think thus do not thing any sin little 2. Think not your own Righteousness great This is that we are very apt to do to think our selves less sinful and more righteous than indeed we are But the Church saith All our Righteousness is as filthy rags Consider things thus ye have done enough for ever to forfeit your interest in this Love ye can never do enough to deserve it Therefore 3. Alwayes cast your selves upon it that you may receive it If your lives have been blameless think your selves to want as much Mercy to save you as any prophane one Jew and Gentile wanted one and the same Grace Secondly Consider to be serious in the daily Consideration of 1. Your Thoughts 2. Your Words 3. Your Actions 1. Your Thoughts Live less abroad and more at home I mean in your own hearts a man never cometh to see himself desperately wicked until he cometh to see the heart Christ saith from the heart doth proceed murder adultery c. It may be upon a smal vexation some can wish Death to any this is murder in the heart so for Adultery or the like The sin in Gods sight is there look but in there and you will find that shall make you despair of any thing but the meer mercy and forgiveness of Christ to make you righteous and in beholding of it seek for the cleansing of it from him 2. Your Words It is Christ himself who saith By thy Words thou shalt be justified and condemned Wherefore we pray you think there is more dependeth on words than generally is accounted they are not only wind but of such a nature as either driveth us nearer or wafteth us farther off from this Love from which we are never to be separated The tongue is set on fire of Hell Be careful of thine own words if thou wouldst grow acquainted with the Word of God 3. Your Actions Be not perswaded to live at a venture Consider Christ saith I must work the works of him that sent me for this cause came I into the world Let every one ask himself this Question Why came I into the world Christ said be came not to do his own Will but the Will of him that sent him Remember therefore in all your actions you are moving toward or off from this eternal Love Thirdly Consider how meer a necessity there is 1. Of your Repentance 2. Of your Forgivness 3. Of your becoming a new Creature 1. Of your Repentance Christ saith Vnless ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Do not continue thinking such or such an one hath deservedly met with this or that punishment but still consider Christs words Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Cast in your mind if you have any thing to repent of or ever had then whether if it be an indifferent thing or no your repenting and if not at what time ye did repent what accidents did accompany your Repentance which you yet remember 2. Of your Forgivness WOE is the portion of any that have sinned and find not forgiveness from the mercy of God you will find then it is more needful to be forgiven than to be either great or rich or the like in this world or for any to go out to condemn another That also you may obtain Forgivness Forgive 3. Of your becoming a new Creature It is not enough to be forgiven but ye must be new Creatures It is the new Man shall never be separated from the love of God in
of thy Spirit and all for Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to him with thee and thy holy Spirit be Praise and Glory for evermore Dr. Anesley 's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and Earth suâ—h his the condescention of thy Grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy special presence to thy poor creatures though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite Love though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity yet thou art pleased to manifest thy Love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord when shall we admire enough thy Grace and Love how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man Dear Father raise and fix our hearts help us to mind the business that we come about and to deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternal moment Oh that we could pray so that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing O that we could wait upon thee to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit Lord grant that our souls may know what it is to be in the Spirit in the Lords day Dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee do it we must needs acknowledg hadst not thou laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost we must have perished to all eternity for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then our selves The very agravations of our sins to render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirrings of thy spirit in us the patience and goodness of God towards us makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish But dear Lord we do find by experience that our immortal souls are much debased all the faculties of our souls are out of tune our understandings are so dark our conceptions of God are so low our consciences are so benum'd that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spent upon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the dross and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our souls what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the spirit of God can subdue in our souls teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the latice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put thy hand in at the hole of the door and let thy fingers drop honey upon the handle of the Lock And oh set open these everlasting Doors that the King of glory may enter in Subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we be willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowst is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy hatred of it and pour out thy grace upon us according to thy love of grace that our souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours as high as heaven is above the earth Dear Father it is thy promise that those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devil bastles us our own hearts are treacherous to us The world intices us to sin against God oh deliver us from all these enemies especially from the plagues of our own hearts that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God give us spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou deniest us thou knowest thou art rather willing to give us spiritual blessings than any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most Oh oh give us spiritual Mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where grace is not wrought work it where it is begun increase it Dear father convince those that are not yet convinced Make thy word a quickning word an ingrafted word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King bless him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again Help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in ways that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy word above all thy Name do us good receive us quicken us that we may live in heaven upon earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulness of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledg Communicate thy self to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singleness of heart set our selves to mind thâ— concernment of our immortal souls and all we beg for Christ his sake who hath taught us thus to pray Our Father c. Dr. Bates his Prayer at Dunstans in the West O Lord thou art a most holy high God the Glorious Angels when they stand before thee cover their faces yet they dâ—d never violate thy Laws and if they how much more need have we to do it We are sinful dust and ashes our solemn Services are sin We desire to approach thy presence and to have an eye to thy glory in all our services and addresses We beseech thee give us a serious and a deep sense of our own hearts and vile affections that we may cast our selves down at thy feet with all humility We have infinite reason to be abased in our selves our God help us We came into the world with sin and as soon as we did breath in the air we infected it there is an infection and pollution in all our faculties what coldness is there in our affections and what unbelief in our faith and our wills do stand apopsite against thy holy nature VVe confess we have had ten thousand experiences of those corruptions that are within us for our while lives are full of provocations against God How many vain thoughts and how many rebellious actions Blessed Father we confess we are out of measure sinful we have sinned against the clearest convictions of thy word and the tender compassions of thy Gospel against the most severe promises we have made of our service to God against the checks of our own Consciences we confess the sins of the Heathens who live without God in the world are small in comparison of ours and we fear therefore a greater degree
meek spirits as Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises There is as much in the Promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Shower down thy blessings even the choicest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies let him count those his best subjects that are Christ's subjects Bless him â—n hâ—s Royal Consort in his Royal Relations the Lords of his Privy Council let them be a terror to eviâ— doers and incouragers of those that do well Bless all thy Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them Oh pour in Wine and oyl into our souls let us be a watered garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust and nourishment for our Grace Hear us be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce to Christ with thee and thy holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen Mr. Lye 's Prayer at Allhallows Lumber-street O Lord our great God thou canst do all things for thou dost dispose and govern all the wayes and works and words of thy Creature to thâ—ne own praise We thy poor Creatures the workmanship of thy hands the price and purchase of thy Sons blood do desire this morning to fall down and humble our selves at the Throne of thy Grace we desire to lift up an eye of Faith to thee that thou mayest dart an eye of Love to us since thou hast commanded us to come unto thee Oh bless us now we come Let it not be in vain for any of us from the high'st to the low'st from the richest to the poorest that we have sought thy Face this morning Blessed Father pour down a spirit of Prayer a Spirit of preaching a Spirit of Rejoycing a spirit of Practising in the midst of us let us not only be enabled to know what to do but to do what we know Thou that distd cure the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle Oh heel that natural dimness that is in the best of us Thy Rod in the hand of Moses brought water out of the Rock Oh do thou strike upon those rocky hearts that our adamantine hearts being softned may gush out into Rivers of tears Oh drown our sins in the Red sea of our saviours blood help us to smite upon our thigh and to ask our selves what we have been and what we have done and humble us under the omission of any commanded duty and the comission of any for bidden sin sins of thoughts wordes and dieds sins against the Law against the Gospel of youth manhood and old-age sins before under and since conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths Oh Lord if thou didst prefer thy Bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the balance of the Sanctury we should be found too light but holy Father remember not against us our former sins but rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquities blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judath in the promise that the sins of Judath should be sought for and not found O bathe our souls in that Fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as Scarlet let them be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson let them be like Wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains Oh let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins We desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the spirit of Christ to wash us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the Law but under Grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland It is thy promise that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Oh let thy people possess the Land from Dan to Beersheba Oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy VVord be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a Refiners fire to purge our dross and take away our tin And holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept to the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zalmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us Oh put upon uâ— all the whole Armour of God Now in these days of Errour gird us with the Girdle of Truth Oh now in these days of falsity give us a helmet of Hope Now the Devil darts at us give us the Sheiâ—d of Faith Oh give us the Sword of the Spirit of the word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain-saying of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly fervently faithfully feelingly that we stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and it is doubled upon the Lords day Oh let us be as thy servant John in the Spirit upon thine own day let God by his Spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy Word Enable thy Servant to deliver thy Word faithfully God forbid thy Servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the Wisdome of Man one iota of thy Word hath more wisdome in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played