opinions but treason in a people that live under a Prince of a contrary Religion the dispositions of many of them are better then their positions However perhaps the present Pope may be more moderate and neuter all yet this is the infusion of their religion where ever it prevailes and these tenents shall bee acted and in full force when they please and it will please them when it shal be for the advantage of the Catholike cause This was Bellarmines tenent If the Pope should erre in commanding vice or forbidding vertue the Church is bound to beleeve vice to be good and vertue to be ill or else it should sinne against conscience for it is bound to beleeve what hee commands thus they make the judgement of man the rule of truth and falsehood good and evill Whereas truth is truth and that which is false is false whether men think so or no there is an intrinsicall evill in evill which the judgement of any man cannot take away and the truth and goodnesse of things stands upon eternall grounds not flexible or alterable by the will of any creature otherwise it were all one as to thinke the course of the Sunne should be guided by a dyall Is there any hope of their comming to us when they had rather have the rules of nature and Religion which are as unmoveable as a mountaine of brasse to vary than bee thought to confesse that the Pope may erre which indeed is the grand and leading error of all But how should wee expect our words should prevaile when as the great workes of God prevaile not at all with them The efficacy of error is so strong in many that though they should see the viall powred out upon the throne of the beast yet will they not repent For our selves we cannot better shew our thankfulnesse for this deliverance by meanes wherof wee enioy our lives and our Religion than to preserve that truth that is grounded upon the foundation of truth which hath been derived unto us from those that went before who held out the same truth that hath beene sealed by the blood of so many Martyrs that hath beene established by the Authority of gracious Princes that God hath given witnesse to by so many deliverances that concurres with the confessions of all Reformed Churches that God hath blessed with a constāt tenor of peace even to the rejoycing of all Neighbour Churches to the envie of our enemies and to the admiration of all c. We see all countryes round about us in a confusion and wee as it were the three young men in the fiery furnace safe without so much as smoak or smell of fire as if we were the onely people of Gods delight Now what is that which God careth most for amongst us but his truth which if we suffer as much as in us lyeth to take any detriment God may justly make us the spectacles of his wrath to others as others have beene to us Beloved God hath a cause and a people in the world which hee esteemeth more than all the world besides let us therefore owne Gods cause and people his side one day will prove the better side I beseech you consider what hurt have wee ever had by the reformation of Religion hath it come naked unto us hath it not beene attended with peace and prosperity hath God beene a barren wildernesse to us hath not God beene a wall of fire about us which if hee had not beene it is not the water that compasseth our Iland could have kept us So long as wee keepe Christs truth Christ will keepe us Otherwise trust to it Christ and his truth will leave us No nation under heaven hath so much cause to say Behold as we have Men are ready upon all occasions to be sensible of civill grievances as in Solomons time gold was as stones in the street but we should be sensible of the spiritual favours we enjoy If wee looke upon other kingdomes abroad what nation under heaven hath the like cause to blesse God for Religion for Prince for peace c. as we have Beloved we cannot better deserve of our King Church and State than to give up our lives to God who hath thus blessed us The greatest enemies of a Church and State are those that provoke the highest Majesty of heaven by obstinate courses against the light that shineth in their owne hearts It is seriously to bee considered what Samuel saith to the people and therefore if not for love of our selves yet for the love of our King Religion and State let us take heed of provoking courses and take heed of tyring the patience of God over-long To conclude all it is prayer that gets but thankfulnesse witnessed by obedience that keepes blessings and what can our thoughts devise our tongues utter or our lives expresse better than the praise of our good God that even loadeth us with his benefits that so God may delight still to shew himselfe unto us in the wayes of his mercy think thoughts of love towards us and dwell amongst us to the worlds end FINIS THE CHVRCHES VISITATION DISCOVERING The many difficulties and tryalls of Gods Saints on earth Shewing wherein the fountaine of their happinesse consists Arming Christians how to doe and suffer for CHRIST And directing them how to commit themselves and all their wayes to God in holinesse here and happinesse hereafter Preached in sundry Sermons at Grayes-Inne LONDON BY R. S. D. D. LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1634. THE SAINTS SAFETY IN EVILL TIMES Manifested by S. Paul from his experience of Gods goodnesse in greatest distresses out of 2 TIM 4. 17 18. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by me the preaching might be fully knowne and that all the Gent les might heare and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord shall deliver mee from every evill worke and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdome to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen BLessed Saint Paul being now an old man and ready to sacrifice his dearest blood for the sealing of that truth which hee had carefully taught sets downe in this Chapter what diverse entertainment hee found both from God and Man in the preaching of it As for men hee found they dealt most unfaithfully with him when hee stood most in need of comfort from them Demas a man of great note in the end forsooke him Alexander the Copper smith thus it pleases God torry his dearest ones with base oppositions of worthlesse persons did him most mischiefe Weaker Christians forsooke him c. But mark the wisdome of Gods Spirit in the blessed Apostle in regard of his different carriage towards these persons Demas because his fault was greater by reason of the eminency of his Profession him hee brands to all posterity for looking backe to Sodom and to the world after hee
by us Let not us lose such a pledge of future happinesse as glorifying God is Oh that men would praise the Lord saith David who fearing lest God should lose any glory from his creatures stirres up Angels and all creatures to blesse the Lord God takes it very unkindly when we do not observe especially the excellent peeces of his workmanship A foole considereth not this c. The Lord hath done marvellous things for his Church of late whereof we should rejoyce Wee should doe as Moses did when hee came out of the sea as the Church in resemblance of that deliverance from Egypt did who sang the song of Moses being delivered from their spirituall Pharaoh We see now the viall poured upon the Sunnâ— we see the Prophecies against Antichrists kingdome in fulfilling God hath vouchsafed to strengthen our saith by experience wee have something to lay hold on which may incourage us to expect more from God and to look for those Hallelujâ—â— to be sung from all creatures in heaven and earth upon the utter confusion of Antichrist which whosoever labours to hinder any kinde of way hinders the glory of God and the joy of his people It is good to observe how the Scripture sets out the enemies of God Church in a double representation 1. as terrible terming them Lyons Bulls c. 2. as Base comparing them to chasse and dust before the winde dung c. that when wee see them in their present ruffe and jollity we should stay our selves with consideration of their future besenesse Faith looks on things as present because it looks upon them in the word of Iâ—hovah who will give a being to all his promises and threatnings and therefore faith is called the subsistence of things not seene because it gives a kinde of being of things to the minde and affections of man as if they were present therefore the beleeving of the finall deliverance of Gods people and the ruine of his enemies cannot but raise up the soules of good men to a marvellous degree of joy and thankfulnesse to God Who would not feare to cleave to Antichrist if they did but present to themselves by faith the certaine ruine of that state which the Scripture sets downe in a Propheticall manner as a thing already present Babylon is fallen c. But to come to a more particular application sutable to the present time the occasion and the text are as parallel as may be Our gun-powder-plotters were as pregnant in mischiefe as ever these For conception It could not but come from beneath the Vault there was the very qnintessence of devillishnesse in it Sathan emptyed all his bowells as it were in this project If all the devills in hell were set a worke to devise the like they could hardly doe it There was scarce from the begginning of the world a designe more prodigious and unmercifull of greater depth and extent of villany Were not this Anniversary Commemoration of it posterity would hardly beleeve that a plot so hollish could be hatched in the hearts of men of English men of Catholike men as they would be termed of men so borne withall notwithstanding their dangerous corresponcy with forraine enemies and but halfe subject their better parts their spirits being subject to another visible head who can untye the bond of Allegiance at his pleasure Neither did they onely conceive this hellish wickednesse but were bigge of it and kept it close many moneths and pleased themselves in the same as monstrous and mishapen as it was there wanted neither wit nor counsell nor combination nor secret incouragement to effect it Nay it was an holy villany sealed with oathes sacrament and all the bonds of secrecy that could be invented Oh horrible prophanation to set Gods seale to Satans plot But God who delighteth to confound all presumptuous attempts discovered it when it should have come to the birth and so it proved but the untimely fruit of a woman They brought forth a lye for whereas they intended to have blowne up King and Kingdome Church-men Church Statesmen yea the whole State it selfe all at once without any warning to prepare themselves for another world they not only missed of this but brought that ruine upon themselves which they intended to others whereas they thought for ever to have established their Religion shall I call it or Idolatry or superstition they have by this meanes made it more odious than ever before As the Northerne Gentleman could say that though he was not able to dispute yet hee had two arguments against Popery equivocation and the Gun-powder-treason But they turne it off easily as they thinke Alas it was but the plot of a company of unfortunate gentlemen It was our happinesse that they were unfortunate whereas if it had succeeded well they would have had other termes for it successefull villany goeth for vertue Well the net is broken and we are delivered God thought of us when wee thought not of him and awaked for us when we were asleepe here is a place for behold for what a miserable face of things would there have been if their plot had succeeded Now what returne shall wee make for all this they conceived mischiefe let us conceive praise and travell of holy resolutions to give up our selves to God who hath given us our King our State yea our selves to our selves He hath given us our lives more than once every one of us in particular especially in the last heavy visitation but had it not beene better for many in regard of their owne particular to have beene swept away in that deluge than to live longer to treasure up further wrath to themselves Many are not content to goe to hell alone but they will draw as many others as they can into their fellowship here and torment hereafter Oh beloved the preservation of such is but a reservation to further iudgement What good got the King of Sodome by being delivered once and then after to bee consumed with fire and brimstone from heaven What got Pharaoh by being delivered from ten plagues and then to perish in the Sea What are all our remporall deliverances if wee live still in sin goe on in sinne die in our sinnes and so perish eternally Blessings without returne of due thankes increase the guilt of sin and the increase of guilt causeth the increase of judgements The most proper homogeniall way of thankes is to stirre up our selves to a greater harred of that Religion they would saine free it as if it were the fault of some persons onely but alas what can be else distilled from those dangerous points they hold as that the Pope hath teâ—porall jurisdiction over Princes that he may excommunicate them that he may out of fulnesse of power dispence with the oath of allegiance that he cannot erre that subjection to him is a point of absolute necessity to salvation c. What I say can be distilled froÌ„ these
that hath such large encouragements attending it both in life and death I beseech you thinke of these things Christ ere long will come to be glorified in all those that beleeve He will come to be glorified in his Saints Our glory tends to his glory shall we not glorifie him all we can here by setting forth his truth by countenancing his Children and Servants by doing good and deserving well of ingratefull times we live in Let men bee as unthankfull as they will we looke not to them but to the honour of God the credit of Religion the maintenance of the truth c. Let men be as they will be base wicked enemies to grace and goodnesse we doe it not to them but to God Consider this will Christ come from Heaven ere long to bee glorified in us and shall not we labour to glorifie him while we are here Hee will never come to be glorified in any hereafter but those that glorifie him now As we looke therefore that he should be glorified in us and by us let us glorifie him now for so he condescends to vouchsafe to be glorified in us and by us that the may also glorifie us Saint Paul saith The Wife is the glory of the Husband what meanes he by this That is she reflects the graces of a good Husband if he be good shee is good she reflects his excellencies So let every Christian soule that is marryed to Christ be the glory of Christ reflect his excellencies be holy as he is holy fruitsull as he was in doing good meeke and humble as he was every way be his glory and then undoubtedly when he comes to judge us he will come to bee glorified in us having beene before glorified by us Beloved these and such considerations should set us on worke how to doe Christ all the honour wee can as David saith is there any of Ionathans posterity alive that I may doe good unto them for his sake so considering we shal beso glorified by Christ and that hee will doe so much for us in another world Wee should enquire Is there any of Christs posterity here any of his Children in this world that I may doe good unto them Is there any way wherein I may shew my thankfulnesse and I will doe it Let us consider that wee shall bee for and ever glorified the expression of it is beyond conceit wee shall never know it til wee have it Let this I beseech you stirre us up to study how wee may bee thankfull to God set forth his glory and deserve wel of the Church and times wherein wee live God hath children and a cause in the world which hee dearely loves let us owne the same and stand for it to the uttermost of our power maugre all the spight and opposition of Satan and his wicked instruments The Lord in mercy settle these truths upon our hearts and incourage us in his most holy way FINIS CHRIST IS BEST OR S. PAVLS STRAIT A SERMON PREA ched at the Funerall of Mr. Sherland late Recorder of Northampton BY R. SIBBS D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and Preacher of Grayes-Inne LONDON PSAL. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard I634 CHRIST IS BEST PHIL. 1. 23 24. For I am in a strait betweene two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is best of all neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is most needfull for you THe Apostle Paul here had a double desire one in regard of himselfe to be with Christ another out of his love of Gods Church and people to abide still in the flesh and betweene these two hee is in a great straite not knowing which to choose but the love of the Church of Christ tryumphed in him above the love of his owne salvation so as he was content out of selfe-deniall to want the joyes of heaven for a time that hee might yet further comfort the people of God In the words you have 1. S. Pauls straites 2. his desires that caused them as in regard of himselfe which was to bee with Christ so in respect of the Church of God which was to abide still here 3. the reasons of both 1. to be with Christ is farre better for mee 2. to abide in the flesh more needfull for you and 4. his resolution upon all being willing for the Churches good still to abide here rather than goe to heaven and enjoy his owne happinesse S. Pauls soule was as a shippe betweene two windes tossed up and downe as iron between two Loadstones drawne first one way then another the one loadstone was his owne good to bee in heaven the other was the good of Gods people to abide still in the flesh Observe hence that the servants of God are oftentimes in great straits some things are so exceeding bad that without any deliberation or delay at all we ought presently to abominate them as Satans temptations to sinne to distrust despaire c. some things also are so good that wee should immediately cleave unto them as matters of Religion and pietie there should be no delay in these holy businesses deliberation here argues weaknesse Some things againe are of an ambiguous and doubtfull nature requiring our best consideration such was Pauls strait in this place he had reasons swaying him on both sides and such is the happy estate of a Christian that whatsoever hee had chosen had beene well for him onely God who rules our judgements will have us to make choise God might have determined whether Paul should live or die but he would not without Pauls choice that which is good is not good to us but upon choice and advice when God hath given us abilities to discourse and examine things hee will have us make use of them and therefore the Apostle useth reasons on both sides It is better to die for me It is better to live for you c. Wicked men have their deliberations and their straits too but it is with the rich man in the Gospell What they shall doe how they may pull downe their barnes and build bigger c. Their maine strait is at the houre of death live they cannot die they dare not there is so much guilt of sinne upon their consciences they know not which way to turn themselves oh what fearefull straits will sinne bring men into but the Apostle was straitned in an higher nature than this whether it were better for the glory of God which he aimed at above all for him to goe to heaven and enjoy happinesse in his owne person or to abide still for the comfort of Gods Saints on earth The ground of this difficulty and straite was his present desire I have a desire Desires are the immediate issue of the soule the motion and stirring
my salvation with feare and trembling In such a thing I have done ill such a thing I have omitted so they are enemies to their owne comfort inlarge this in your owne meditations and consider what will comfort you hereafter when you shall need most comfort So I leave the text and come to the occasion This holy and blessed man whose funerall now wee solemnize was of S. Pauls spirit hee did desire to die be with Christ he had a desire while he lived to take all opportunities to doe good I speake of that time when he lived that is when hee was good for we live no longer than wee are good let us not reckon that Life wherein we doe no good After God had wrought upon his heaâ—rt he had a publique heart to doe good If I wanted matter to speak of I could tell you of his allyance and birth having two worthy Iudges of reverend esteeme the one his grand father the other his unckle the one bred him the other cherished and promoted his studie and indeavours but what should I speake of these things when hee hath personall worth enough I need not goe abroad to commend this man for there were those graces and gifts in him that made him so esteemed that verily I thinke no man of his place and yeares lived more desired and dyed more lamented For his parts of naâ—ure they were pregnant and sollid but as one said to Melancthon his disposition and loving minde did gaine as much love from men as his parts though they were great His learning was good for beside his owne prosession hee was a generall scholler and had good skill in that we call elegant learning controverted points of divinitie he was a good divine Indeed in the turning of his life when he should have adventured upon a profession he had some thoughts of being a divine had not his friends especially his uncle Iudge Telverton disposed him otherwise by promoting his studie in the Law and when hee tooke upon him that profession he grew so in it that he was a credit to the profession for integrity sincerity and abilitie For his disposition he was every way a man of an excellent sweet temper milde and yet resolute meeke and yet bold where cause was discreet yet not overdiscreet so as not to stand out in a good cause in the defence of it he was humble yet thought himselfe too good to bee instrumentall to any services other then stood with the peace of his conscience he was tractable and gentle yet immoveably fixed to his principles of piety and honestie he was exact in his life yet not censorious very conscionable and religious but without any vaine curiositie indeed he was every way of a sweet temper if he stood out in dislike of any in any matter he carryed it usually with evidence of such sinceritie and deniall of selfe-seeking that he usually prevailed where he put in To come to his private personall cariage it was very pious he was wont to sequester himselfe from his imployment and labour to bring his heart under to God to the guidance of Gods spirit his study was to study to die for he gathered choise things out of the sermons hee heard about death many yeares before he died to lay up store of provision against that time And two or three Termes before he died he had a speciall care to enquire of nearer communion with God he enquired of those he conversed with of the way to attaine the same and was willing to heare any discourses that tended that way For his care of the Sabbath it was his delight his custome was after Sermon to retyre and ruminate upon what he had heard to turne it into his spirit Alas for want of this how many sermons are lost in this great Citie how much seed is spilt in vaine What nourishment can there be without digestion it is the second digestion that breeds nourishment when wee chew things and call them to minde againe and make them our own This was his custome every Sabbath For his carriage to others he was a constant friend and his studie was to labour to make those good he conversed withall he conversed with few but they were the better for him he was so fruitfull and hee would have intimate society with none but he would doe good or take good from them you have many in the society where he lived that may blesse God al the daies of their life that ever they knew him For his carriage in his government of the Place where he lived I thinke there are none that are able to judge but will give him the testimony of a faithfull prudent governâ—ur he was so careful of the towne where he was Recorder that he provided for them after his death and gave them a large legacie 200. marke to set the poore on worke For the honourable societie wherein he was a governor hee carryed himselfe with that resolution for good order and good exercises and was such a strict opposer of any abuse which he judged to be so that the house will have a speciall want of him I feare rather I desire from my soule that that honourable societie may so flourish as they may have no want of good Master Sherland For his more Publick carriage by vertue of his place at Northampton where hee was Recorder he was called to be a member of the body representative in Parliament wherein both his abilitie and spirit appeared to all that knew him you may see by this what manner of man wee have lost He died before he was come to the middle of his yeares a young man to speake of and he did a great deale of work in a little time God had ripened him for his businesse extraordinarily and gave him a spirit to bestirre himselfe to doc all the good hee could These bee wondrous ill times beloved to lose such men as he was therefore we have cause to lay it to heart the more the common-wealth wants him the towne and countrey where hee lived will want him the societie where hee was a governour will want him the family where hee was a governour will finde a misse in him hee went wisely in out hee was able for family duties hee had more than ordinary sufficiency he was of Iosuahs mind Choose who you will serue but I and my house will serve the Lord and to helpe him the more hee had the happinesse to marry into a religious family hee had a good helper Now for the Church though his profession was the Law yet that will have a great want of him hee was a heartie and true Promoter of the cause of Religion and shewed his love to the Church by his care of it now hee is departed hee gave foure hundred pounds to buy in impropriations hee gave an hundred pounds for the breeding up of Poore schollers and there is never a good Minister round about where he lived but had
but their happinesse is determined in this life here that ends but their misery is infinite and hath no end at all Looke what degree of excellency any creature hath if it bee good the same degree of misery it hath if it be evill What made the Angells worse then other creatures when they sinned but only this they were most excellent creatures and therefore when they became evill their excellencie did but help them to subsist be more capable of punishmeÌ„t A wise maÌ„ under aÌ„deth his misstry Now the Angells when they fell became more miserable because they were more capacâ—ous and sensible of it being Spirits So man being sinfull and evill his end will be more miserable then any inferiour creature because he was more happie his happinesse helps him to moâ—e misery How should this stirre up every one to looke about him not to prize himselfe by any outward excellency whatsoever The more excellent thou art the more miserable if thou sin against God It is of all unhappinesses the most unhappie thing for a man to live happyly here a while be eternally miserable afterwards for our former happinesse tends to nothing els but to make us more sensible of future miseries what is all the felicity of great persons when they die and leave this world alas it soone comes to nothing and serves but to make them apprehensive of more misery then meaner persons are capable of What shall the end of such be c. From this that the Apostle leaves the punishment of all sinfull wretches to admiration and wonderment rather then to expression for indeed it is above expression wee may learne when wee are tempted to any sin or unalwfull course to coÌ„sider thus with our selves Shall I for a pleasure that will end have a judgement that shall never end For the favour of men that will faile shall I lose the perpetuall favour of God whose wrath is a coÌ„suming fire burnes to hell shall I for a little profit lose my soule eternally Beloved as the good things of a Christian even in this life are admirable beyoÌ„d expressioÌ„ peace that passeth all understanding and joy unspeakable and glorioâ—s c. So when God awakens our consciences those gripes and pangs terrors oâ— foule which follow after sinne coÌ„mitted are unutterable unconceivable I beseech you therefore when ever you are sollicited to sinne for profit or pleasure c. set before your eies the fading and perishing condition of these things and the everlastingnesse of that judgment which attends upon them Oh that we were wise this way I come now to the third particular Those that obey not the Gospell where in wee have 1. A description of the thing 2. And then of the Persons The thing is the Gospell of God the Persons are wicked men God is the authour of the Gospell it comes out his brest sealed with authority Whence learne this by the way That in refusing the blessed Gospell â—ee have to deale with god himselfe It is Gods word and Gospel therefore when you reject it you reject God in receiving it you receive God you deale with God himselfe when you deale with the Ministers of his word therfore when ever you partake of the Ordinaces say with good Cornelius We are now in the preseÌ„ce of God to heare what hee will say But what is it to obey the Gospell To obey the Gospell is to entertaine the offers of it for indeed though the Gospell coâ—â—and us to beleeve in the Sonne of God yet withall it offers the very command unto us To beleeve in Christ being in effect a commaund to receive him which supposeth an act of giving and tendering somthing to us Now when wee doe not receive and intertaine with our whole heart Christ and his benefits freely offered wee disobey the Gospell and so procure danger to our selves But more particularly he obeies the Gospell that is sensible of his owne miserable and sinnefull condition and from a sense thereof hungereth after the grace and favour offered in Jesus Christ to pardon sinne which when hee hath once obteined walkes answerable to that great mercy receved Hee that receives whole Christ to justifie him and sanctifie him too that receives Christ as a king to rule him as well as a Preist to save him such a one receives the Gospell but those that are not sensible of their misery or if they be will not goe to Christ but as desperate persons fling a way the potion that should cure them these are farre froÌ„ obeying the Gospel of God Such likewise as pretend Oh Christ is welcome with the pardon of sinne but yet live in grosse wickednesse against â—â—owledge and conscience and suffer him not to beare sway in their hearts as if Christ came by bloâ—d alone not by water whereas indeed he came as well by water to sanctifie us as by bloud to die for us Many there are that thinke they obey the Gospell who are indeed very rebels and enenies unto it they welcomâ— the Gospell they hate popery c. but notwithstanding they will bee their own Rulers live as they list they wil not denie theÌ„selves in their beloved sinnes they are full of Revengâ— notwithstanding the Gospell saith This is my Commandement that you love one another That bidds them deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live soberly Yet they will riot and follow their base courses still The Gospell teacheth a man to acknowledge God in all his waies to deale with Goâ— in all thingâ— he goes about now when a man lives without God in the world saying God is mercifull and Christ is a Saviour and yet persists in those waies which seeme good in his owne eies never looking to God to guide him or his law to rule him How can such a one bee said to obey the Gospell But some others there are amongst us that regard not Christ and his satisfaction alone but joyne faith and workes together in justification they will have other Preists and other intercessors then Christ. Alas beloved how are these men falne from Christ to another Gospell as if Christ were not an all-sufficient Saviour and able to deliver to the uttermost What is the Gospell but salvation and redemption by Christ alone Therefore Romes Church is an Apostate Church and may well be stiled an Adulteresse and a Whore because shee is fallen from her Husband Christ Jesus And what may wee thinke of those that would bring light darknesse Christ and Antichrist the Arke and Dagon together that would reconcile us as if it were no such great matter Beloved they that joyne works with Christ in matter of jâ—stification erre in the foundation the very life and soule of Religion consists in this What was the reason the Iewes stumbled at this stâ—â—bling block and were never benefited by Christ why they set up a righteousnesse of their â—wne which could not stand but soone
our selves generally well in all our sufferings 2. In particular Wee must doe well to them that doe us wrong First I say in afflâ—ction our carriage must bee generally good in respect of God by a meeke behaviour under his hand without murmuring against him 2. In regard of the cause of God that wee betray it not through feare or cowardise through base aymes and intentions c. but indeavour to carry it with a good conscience in all things when wee make it cleare by managing any thing that wee are led with the cause and conscience of our duty it works mightily upon them that wrong us 1. It winnes those that are indifferent and 2. CoÌ„founds the obstinate and stops their mouthes Therefore let us carry our selves well not onely before but in suffering we may not fight against them with their owne weapons that is be malicious as they are malicious and raile as they raile Beloved this is as if a man should see another drinke poyson and hee will drinke too for company he is poysoned with malice and thou to revenge thy selfe wilt bee poysoned too What a preposterous course is this Ought wee not rather to behave our selves as befits the cause of Christ as becomes our Christian profession and as befits him whose children wee are Wee should have an eye to God and an eye to our selves and an eye to others and an eye to the cause in hand so wee shall doe well Wee must not commit our soules to God in idlenesse doing nothing at all nor yet in evill doing but in well doing We must have a care if wee would suffer with comfort not to study how to avoid suffering by trickes so to hurt the cause of Christ this is to avoid suffering by sinne to leape out of one danger into another Is not the least evil of sinne worse than the greatest evill of punishment What doth a man get by pleasing men to displease God perhaps a little ease for the present Alas what is this to that unexpressible horrour and despaire which will one day seise upon thy soule eternally for betraying the blessed cause and truth of Christ How can wee expect God should own us another day when we will not owne him in his cause and his members to stand for them now thinke on that speech of our Saviour Whosoever shall be ashamed of me or of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when hee commeth in the glory of his father Therefore avoid not any suffering by sinne see how blessed S. Paul carried himselfe in this case The Lord saith he hath delivered me and will deliver mee from what from death no from every evill worke What will God keepe him from evill sufferings No for immediately after he was put to death what then why hee will preserve mee from every evill worke that is from every sinfull act which may hurt the cause of Christ or blemish my profession this was it Paul chiefly regarded not whether hee will preserve mee from death or trouble I leave that to him but this I hope and trust to that he will preserve me froÌ„ every evill work to his heavenly kingdome Thus should it bee with every Christian in the cause of religion or in a cause of justice c. for there is not any good cause but it is worth our lives to stand in if wee bee called to it It is necessary wee should be just it is not so necessary wee should live A Christians main care is how to doe well and if hee can goe on in that course he is a happy man But I cannot doe well but I shall suffer ill Labour therefore to carry thy selfe well in suffering evill not only in the generall but even in particular towards those persons that doe thee wrong endeavour to requite their evill with good there is a great measure of selfe-deniall required to bee a Christian especially in matter of revenge to pray for them that carseus to doe good to them that persecute us c. and so heape coales of fire upon our enemies heads How is that There are 1 Coales of Conversion 2. Coales of Confusion You know Coales doe either melt or consume if they belong to God wee shall heape coales of fire to convert them and make them better by our holy carriage in suffering If they bee wicked gracelesse wretches we shall heape coales of fire to consume them for it will aggravate their just damnation when they doe ill to those that deserve wel of them Some will say Christianitie is a strange condition that enforceth such things upon men that are so contrary to Nature It is so indeed for we must be new moulded before ever wee can come to heaven wee must put off our whole selfe and he is gone a great way in Religion that hath brought his heart to this passe None ever overcame himselfe in these matters out of religious respects but hefound a good issue at last It is a sweet evidence of the state of grace none better when a man can love his very enemies and those that have done him most wrong it is an argument that such a man hath something above nature in him What is above nature if this bee not for a man to overcome himselfe in this sweet appetite of revenge Revenge is most naturall to a man it is as Sugar as the Heathen saith and for a man to overcome himselfe in that it argues the power of grace and godlinesse in such a one As Christianity is an excellent estate an admirable advancing of a man to a higher condition so it must not seeme strange for those that are Christians to bee raysed to a higher pitch of soule then other men Sâ—e how our Saviour dealt in this particular Father forgive them they know not what they doe and so likewise Stephen being led by the same spirit of Christ desired God not to lay this sinne to their charge and so all the Martyrs in the first state of the Church when the blood of Christ was warme and the remembrance of Christ was fresh were wont to pray for their enemies committing their soules to God in well doing I beseech you let us labour by all meanes possible to bring our hearts hereunto if any thing overcome this will doe it to suffer well The Church of God is a company of men that gaine and overcome by suffering in doing good Thus the Dove overcomes the Eagle the Sheepe overcomes the Wolfe the Lambe overcomes the Lyon c. It hath beene so from the beginning of the world meeke Christians by suffering quietly have at length overcome those that are malicious and have gained eveÌ„ their very enemies to the love of the truth What shal wee thinke then of the greatest part of the world who never thinke of suffering which is the first lesson in Christianity but study their ease and
the soule Being justified by faith wee have peace with God Those that are hurried in their life with false doubts and perplexities What shall become of mee what shall I eate and what shall I drinke c Though they use lawfull meanes yet commit not themselves to God as they should for where there is a dependance upon God in the use of meanes there is an holy silence in the party All stubborne and tumultuous thoughts are hushed in him My soule keepe silence to the Lord saith David and trust in God why art thou so vexed within me still there is a quieting of the soule where there is trust Can that man put confidence in God that prowles for himselfe and thinkes he hath no Father in heaven to provide for him Doth that childe trust his father that besides going to schoole thinkes what hee shall put on how he shall be provided for and what inheritance he shall have hereafter Alas this is the Fathers care and belongs not to him Wheresoever these distractions are there can be no yeelding up of the soule to God in truth There be two affections which mightily disturbe the peace of Christians 1. Sinfull cares and 2. Sinfull feares to both which we have remedies prescribed in the Scripture 1. Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your fathers will to give you a kingdome As if he had said Will not hee that gives you heaven give you other things In nothing be carefull saith the Apostle that is in a distracting manner but doe your duty and then let your requests bee made knowne to God and the peace of God shall keepe you and therefore were we redeemed from the hands of our enemies that wee might serve him without feare all our dayes A Christian should keepe an inward Sabbath in his soule and goe quietly on in doing all the good hee can what a fearfull thing is it to see men lie groveling in the earth and live without God in the world troubling and â—urmoyling themselves how to compasse this thing and that thing as if they had no God to seeke unto nor no promise to relye upon Againe where this committing of a mans selfe and his soule to God is there will bee a looking to God onely in all a man doth not fearing any danger or opposition that may befall him from without as the three yong men said to Neâ—ucâ—adnezar Our God can keepe us if he will But what if hee will not Yet know O King that wee will not worship nor fall downe before thy Image So it is with a Christian foreseeing some danger disgrace or displeasure of this or that man which may befall him he resolveth notwithstanding in despight of all to commit himselfe to God in doing his duty come what will whether God will save him or no hee will not breake the peace of his conscience or doe the least evill hee is no foole but foresees what may befall him for well doing this inconvenience may come that trouble yet he sets light by these he hath an eye to heaven and sees more good to himself in the Creator that gave him his beeing of nothing and more good for the time to come that will make him a blessed Saint in heaven then there can be ill in the creature therefore come what can come his heart is fixed to trust the Lord and rather than hee will displease him desert his honour and his cause or doe any unworthy action he will commit himselfe to God in the greatest dangers The ground hereof is this A Christian is the wisest man in the world and hee understands well enough that God is Alsufficient hee sees there is a greater good in God than hee can have in the Creature and counts it madnesse to offend God to please the creature because there is a greater evill to bee expected from God than from the Creature though it were the greatest Monarch in the world considering therefore that he hath his best good in his union with God and in keeping his peace with him hee will not breake with him for any Creature And thus hee doth wisely for hee knowes if hee lose his life he shall have a better life of God than hee hath in his body for God is his life God is his soule and his comfort and hee hath his beeing from God hee is his Creator and hee hath a better being in God when hee dyes than he had when he lived for our beeing in God makes us happy and therefore Christ saith He that loves his life before God and a good cause hates it and hee that hates his life when Christ cals for it loves it for hee hath a better life in him wee give nothing to God but hee returns it a thousand times better than we gave it Let us yeeld our lives to him wee shall have them in heaven if they be taken away on earth Hee will give us our goods a thousand sold we shall have more favour in God then in any Creature and therefore a Christian out of this ground commits himselfe to God though hee foresee never so much danger like to fall upon him Againe if we doe in deed and not in pretence commit our selves to God as to a faithfull Creator we will not limit his Majesty as many carnall hearts doe oh if God will do so and so for them then they would trust him if they had but so much to live on a yeare and sâ—ch commings in c. then they would depend upon God but they must have a pawne and so much in hand first What a shame is it that wee should trust the vilest man in the world as farre as wee see him and yet unlesse wee have somewhat to leane on we will not trust God Beloved when a man limits God in any thing such a one may talke but hee trusts him not at all Indeed wee should indent with God and tie him to looke to the salvation of our soules but for other things leave them to his owne wisedome both for the time for the manner and measure doe what hee will with us Suppose it come to the Crosse hath hee not done greater matters for us why then should we distrust him in lesser If times come that Religion flourish or goes downward yet relye on him still hath hee not given his Sonne to us and will hee not give heaven also Why doe wee limit the holy One of Israel and not cast our selves upon him except hee will covenant to deale thus and thus with us A true Christian hath his eye alwayes heaven-ward and thinkes nothing too good for God O Lord saith he of thee I have received this life this estate this credit and reputation in the world I have what I have and am what I am of thee and therefore I yeeld all to thee backe againe If thou wilt serve thy selfe of my wealth of my selfe of my strength thou shalt have it If