enemies Col. 1.21 Those that are afar of are made nigh by the blood of Christ he hath broken down the partition-wall and slain the enmity Ephes. 2 16 17 18. If thou hast some dear friend who bestows a gift on thee in token of his dear love and respect to thee and there should be afterwards some disagreeing and falling out betwixt you wouldst thou shew this gift a pledg of league and amity c. thus hold up Christ to God 3. Or though it be not thus yet thou wantest the sense and feeling of his love and art comfortless in the want of it O then make use of Christ in this case who is able to make all Consolations abound and fill thy soul with joy and peace in believing He hath said Ioh. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortless Tristatur aliquis nostrum veniat in cor Iesus Is any man sad saith Bernard let that sweetest name Jesus come into his heart and so he shall have that peace and comfort that the world cannot give neither can the world take it away from him Christ is a most soveraign Cordial apply and use him and your joy will be full 4. Or art thou terrified in Conscience and groaning under the insupportable burden of a wounded spirit art thou affrighted with accusing and condemning thoughts O go to Christ who as he can make peace in the Court of Heaven so he can create peace in thy heart and still the crys of Conscience and make a calm there also though the waves roar and the winds blow c. thy soul shall have peace in him which passeth all understanding Col. 1.20 And will say in me ye shall have peace be of good cheer let not your hearts be troubled though your hearts ake and tremble yet he is greater thaâ— your hearts who is nigh to justifie you Isa. â—â— 8 so that you may triumph with the Apostle Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8.34 Expect no peace in laying aside Christ. 5. Are you afraid of death and judgment to come in this case also make use of Christ. It 's reported by Cassander that in ancient times sick and weak dying persons were directed and accustomed to make use of Christ at that time especially interposing him betwixt them and Gods Judgment saying these words Lord we put thee the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betwixt us and thy judgment But what need we look into Historians the Scriptures shew what languishing souls and drooping spirits must do Psal. 23.4 5. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death yet I will fear no evil c. Christ hath destroyed him that had the power of death Heb. 2.4 taken out the venome and malignity of it Death lost its sting in Christs side And now O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15.55 57. Or fearest thou judgment look to Christ and thou shalt not die the second death but he will raise thee up at the last day Ioh 6.49 50. Having Christ thou maist stand in judgment and lift up thy head with joy for 't is the day of thy Redemption then the redeemed of the Lord shall return with joy everlasting and you shall appear with him in glory 4. Fourth Branch of Exhortation Be â—ery thankful for him yea let your whole soul go out in thankfulness be ever praising and magnifying God for his unspeakable mercy in Christ your Sacrifice your Redeemer your Saviour often call upon your sluggish hearts and say Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Psal. 103.1 and 116.12 What shall I render to the Lord for this the greatest of all his benefits O be thankful not in a common ordinary formal manner but in the most lively enlarged and raised manner that is possible where the mercy is high and great the thankfulness must bear some proportion to it O let your apprehensions be widened to conceive the vastness of this mercy that your affections may be more enlarged to praise God for it O how shall we get our hearts affected with it what thankfulness can be enough for such a gift should not the whole soul be summon'd in to give its most united acknowledgment of so signal a mercy for God to give his only begotten Son to be a Saviour for sinners Here 's the wonder of wonders God never did the like before and he 'l never do the like again and blessed be his name there is no need he should It would have been admirable mercy if God would have sent some other person upon this Errand to redeem and save undone sinners If send he will why did he not send an Angel or body of Angels to try their skill and see what they could do Nay why did he not send an Angel as once he did with a flaming sword in his hand to keep off sinners from the Tree of Life O this did not comport with his gracious designs though it did too well with the creatures merit therefore he would not do it no his own Son shall be pitcht upon he is the person whom God will send Surely here was love great love great to the degree of infiniteness Millions of Angels were nothing to one Son to one such Son his first-born his only begotten Son the Son of his love who lay in his bosom had been his delight from everlasting O astonishing mercy O admirable goodness and condescention how may we cry out here Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him and the Son of man that thou makest this account of him Psal. 8.4 and 144.3 or as Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him Here was God so loving so as can never be expressed never be comprehended Ioh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed on him might not perish but have everlasting life The Heavens and the Earth were once called upon to be filled with astonishment because of the ingratitude of a sinful people Isa. 1.2 May not now Heaven and Earth Angels and men all creatures whatsoever be called upon to be filled with astonishment because of the stupendious love of God! O Christians what influence hath this upon your dull and sluggish hearts what are you made of that you are no more in the sense of it drawn out in blessing loving admiring and adoring of God Pray if there be any holy ingenuity in you take some pains with your selves that you may be much more affected with it and give not over till you have such thoughts and affections upon Gods giving his Son raised in you as may in some measure answer to those thoughts and affections which you shall have about it when you shall be in Heaven The Angels never reaped that advantage that we do yet they were at praising-work as soon as ever Christ was born
Luk. 2.13 14. A multitude of the heavenly host was praising God saying Glory to God in the highest on earth peace and good will towards men Good Zachary so soon as his mouth was opened begun his Prophecy with Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people Luk. 1.68 69. And old Simeon ended his life with praise and blessing God Luk. 1.19 'T is the duty of all Christians in every thing to give thanks 1 Thes. 5.18 because this is the will of God in Christ much more should every soul give thanks for Christ the top of all blessings the flower of all enjoyments think much of this threefold cord of obligation to praise 1. When a gift is free 2. When it is great 3. When special thanks is most due for though a man receive a benefit from another yet if he have in any measure deserved it before or it be in lieu of something to be done after it abates the thankfulness But though it be free yet if it be not much worth that lessens thanks but if it be a thing of worth yet if it be commonly to be had or given to all this will take off somewhat of the edg of thankfulness But now 1. Christ is an absolutely free gift not only undeserved but undesired and expected kindness by the rules of friendship and love in the heathens judgment doth challenge either recompence if we deal with our matches or acknowledgment where the distance is great and the greater this the greater that Now betwixt God and us the distance is infinite and if it were possible our love and thankfulness should fill up that distance and extend it self to infiniteness Let Angels and men adore and praise God for this gift to eternity in Heaven yet they must be ashamed and blush at the imagination of merit The dignity and worth of this gift must lay an infinite though sinless debt for ever on all the Citizens of Glory whether home-born and natives of the Country as elect Angels or adopted strangers as glorified Saints Christ is the flower glory and crown of free Grace 2 The gift is of unspeakable worth and excellency than which none could ever be greater none better the only begotten Son God blessed for evermore the brightness of his Fathers Glory co-equal and co-essential with the Father there could be no addition at all made to his Glory he was so high he could not be higher so great so good c. He is better than wealth or health than peace or life 3. There 's distinguishing favour in bestowing Christ on thee and not on others that which is common to all will never leave such an impression of wonder and praise but when it comes to me and us that makes deepest impression The passing by of my Father and Mother my Brother my Sister Husband or Wife Neighbour or Friend and taking me is a most endearing favour Two lye in the same womb sit in the same seat hear the same Sermon and one is taken and another left Psal. 147.12 19 20. Praise the Lord O Ierusalem praise thy God O Zion Among many other grounds and reasons that 's one in the 19. verse He shews his wâ—rd unto Iacob his statutes and his judgments to Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation Here he speaks not of the measure as if others had the same grace revealed in nature but in inferiour degrees for he saith as for his judgments they have not known them and being full of it he concludes Praise ye the Lord Christ esteemeth this the flower of Grace and blesseth his Father for it Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes To consider that of all England all Europe all Adam's posterity that ever were masters of a living soul the Lord passed by so many thousands and millions and the lot of free grace fell upon me precisely by name and not on many besides no less eligible than I was O how should it ravish our hearts into admiration and praise Blessed are your eyes for they see such things that many Kings and Prophets have desired to see and have not seen them Luk. 10.23 O what thoughts will ye have of this mercy in Heaven when you shall have your souls laden with a massy weight of glory and thousands of souls spitting out blasphemies on the Majesty of Heaven out of the sense of the torment of the gnawing-worm that never dies and you consider the soul of Iudas might have been in my souls stead and my soul in the same place of torment that he is now in O the unsearchable riches of the free grace of God in Christ How should we now sing that new Song that properly belongs to all redeemed ones Rev. 14.3 and to say with a loud voice Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne for ever and ever Rev. 5.8 ad finem and Rev 7.12 O how should we extol and shew forth his praises had we as many tongues as members or joints or hairs were our whole body turned into that one member yet should we not be able for this high and glorious mercy sufficiently to celebrate the praises of the most high God 5. Fifth and last Branch of Exhortation Be fruitful in Christ True thankfulness improves the gift to the Donors honour A friend gives me a token I 'le receive it for his sake a jewel I 'le keep it for his sake a Book I 'le use it for his sake a Ring I 'le wear it for his sake that is so as may best express my love and report his goodness Were we truly thankful to our God we would use and improve this gift for his sake to his glory O let it be our chief care to improve this transcendently excellent gift to his glory who gave it Let me press this Exhortation on â—ou in the words of the Apostle Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walk ye in him It is not enough to have or to know that we have received Christ but we are to see that we walk in him or according to him 'T is not sufficient for us to take Jesus Christ this gift of God offered in the Gospel but our deportment and carriage must be such as becomes them that have received so great a favour Christ was the greatest Legacy that ever was bequeathed to poor creatures and he and his benefits that come with him is matter of greatest weight and concernment that ever God be-trusted in the hands of dust and ashes the most rich glorious and perfect gift that ever came out of the hands of God Wherefore let us gird up the loyns of our mind and be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Iesus Christ as obedient
CHRIST DISPLAYED AS THE Choicest Gift and Best Master From Ioh. 4.10 Ioh. 13.13 Being some of the last Sermons Preached by that faithful and industrious Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. NATHANEEL HEYWOOD Sometime Minister of the Gospel at Ormeschurch in Lancashire 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and hlm crucified Salvian de Gubern Dei Lib. 4. In id penitus deducta res est ut sicut de Paganis Barbaris priùs diximus Christi nomen non videatur jam Sacramentum esse sed sermo Nam in tantum apud plurimos nomen hoc parvi penditur ut nunquam minus cogitent quippiam facere quam cum se jurant per Christum esse facturos LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1679. To the Worshipful HENRY HOGHTON Esq And the Lady STANLEY His Vertuous Consort Worthy SIR MADAM I Presume to affix your Venerable Names in the Frontispiece of this Treatise not upon my own account or upon any such interest I can challenge in your Worships being much unknown to you but as acting the part of the deceased Author who had upon great reason conceived a very high estimation of you as I doubt not but your respects to him were reciprocal being grounded both upon long acquaintance and experience of each other his discourse of you with grateful acknowledgments of your multiplied kindness to his person and family in my hearing and his affectionate prayers for you were clear testimonies that you were engraven upon his heart and if his unparallel'd modesty had permitted him to have committed any thing to the Press doubtless his cordial affection would have issued it self in such an Epistolary inscription But since I am necessitated to supply his place in handing these Discourses to the World I prostrate this exposed Orphan at your feet and question not your candid reception and resolute protection of what was the genuine product of his mind and mouth which I will confidently assure you these Treatises are both for matter method words without the least addition substraction or alteration being taken out of his own notes as he preacht them writ at large with his own hand The matter of these Sermons is of greatest moment and importance fundamental truths they are of the gift of God in our blessed Redeemer and Christs Lordship and Soveraignty which are truths of the first magnitude most necessary like wool and corn the staple-commodities of this Kingdom like bread and salt that must be set upon the Table like ground-Cells upon which lyes the weight of the fabrick these are comprehensive and extensive truths without this gift sinners had not been pardoned accepted without this Lordship souls would wander and rebel the former brings us into favour with God the latter conquers rebellious wills subdues enemies regulates Saints and crowns them with glory The manner of handling these subjects is plain exact nervous and very pathetical which took great impression on the hearers vvhen first delivered with the lively voice of that fair spokesman for Christ whose heart was much taken with this lovely and beloved Lord and took great delight to recommend him to poor sinners which he did with great advantage and success whereby he became a spiritual father of many children whom he begot in the bonds of the Gospel Indeed he excelled others in other subjects but in this he excelled himself especially in this swan-like song which savours of Heaven and seems to be calculated for the height of Sion to be sung by that heavenly host in the praises of our dear Redeemer But neither do these weighty subjects nor the lively colours wherein they are set off need my recommendation nor yet the Authors gifts graces industry fidelity and other imitable properties well known to you and all that were acquainted with him need at all be mentioned by me at least at this season his singular accomplishments and conversation shine too bright to be darkened by any black-mouth'd Momus as his soul and body are beyond the reach of Satan and Sorrow so his name is above any just censures and calumnies I make bold to put these Posthumous works into your hands may your Worships in the first place reap the benefit and by your experiments thereof in your souls and conformity thereto in your lives incourage others to come and see how good our Lord Jesus is this is a lovely Song of one that could play well on an instrument may your hearts eccho to this Gospel-tune here 's solid food well cookt rendred delectable with the sweet sauce of acceptable words may your stomacks be keen and sharp and nourisht by it to eternal life These are goads and nails fastened by this master of assemblies now rewarded by his Master given out by one shepherd may Gods Spirit fasten them as a nail in a sure place upon many consciences I have then attained my ends in this undertaking may God be thereby glorified and souls edified we have enough The Lord bless you both and make you rich blessings to your Country in your publick domestical and personal station and relation The Lord drop down this choice gift into your laps and hearts that you may give up your selves to him again as his bored devoted servants for ever God Almighty that hath been the stay of your Youth be also the staff of your old age and maintain you as choice instruments of his glory in the land of the living and in a good old age conduct you through the valley of the shadow of death into the land of life so prayeth Your Worships humble Servant in our Dearest Lord O. H. Febr. 1. 1678 9. To the CHRISTIAN READER especially the Inhabitants of the Town and Parish of Ormeschurch and the places adjacent Grace Mercy and Peace My dearly beloved in our dearest Lord IT is an astonishing Providence that in such a day of Epidemical sinning general fears of approaching Iudgments and great necessity in most places God should thus weaken our strength undermine the fabrick by cutting off so many faithful Shepherds in so short a space therein seeming as if he would make a way to his wrath But as your dark parts have more need of such faithful Watchmen so you are most emptied God having of late renewed his witnesses against you and broken you with breach upon breach before your eyes were fully wiped for one loss another follows at the heels like Job's messengers bringing the sad tidings of the death of another gracious Minister and this last is not the least under which you lye bleeding It is true on his account that 's gone you have no reason to lament God hath put a blessed end to his torturing pains of body perplexing thoughts of heart and indefatigable labours in the Ministry and crown'd him with glory the sharper was his passage the sweeter is his present repose he finds himself abundantly rewarded God made great
come near Him nor his Ordinances have nothing to do with him Now will any be so stupid as to gratifie his greatest adversary to his own unspeakable prejudice Is it not horrible indignity to Christ monstrous cruelty to the soul to refuse Christ who hath done and suffered so much for him and to be led by Satan captive and blindfold into misery to slight Christs sweet invitations and yield to Satans malicious temptations Satan is that strong man that hath power over all men in nature he keeps his goods in peace in the palace of our hearts and there sports himself in carrying on the design of the souls ruin sometimes by policy sometimes by force he keeps possession Luk. 11.21 22. And wherein can a man more designedly gratifie Satan further his wicked designs and establish his kingdom yea enlarge his dominion than by siding with him against Christ who besiegeth the soul with Ordinances and Providences for Satan knows well enough that Christs rise will be his fall Christs scepter will be his destruction that when Christ a stronger than he comes he will overcome him and take from him all his armour wherein he trusted pull down his strong holds divide the spoils and deliver poor captive man out of prison and slavery O then do not so much gratifie Satan 4. If you refuse Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel you are guilty of the greatest sin and folly that can be Though for most part men think not so of it and accordingly lay it not to heart yet it is the greatest sin the sin of sins and in some sort the only sin of the world Men commonly think murder adultery theft drunkenness to be very hainous sins and so indeed they be but unbelief far worse for it is the mother of these and all other evils Take all the sins that ever were committed against any of Gods just laws and none is like to this no greater sin can be laid to ones charge than to refuse wilfully and trample under foot the Son of God Christ promises to send his Spirit the Comforter into the world and he shall convince the world of sin because they believe not on him Joh. 16.9 he means this sin alone saith Austin as if not believing in the Son of God were the only sin Indeed it is the main and master-sin O beloved little do you think who daily sit under the Ministry unwrought on by the Word of God what a grievous and fearful sin you commit and dreadful guilt you carry home with you in neglecting from day to day so great Salvation in forsaking your own mercy and in judging your selves unworthy of everlasting life when Jesus Christ this most precious gift is offered to you by chusing rather to cleave to a lust than to Christ blessed for ever and rather to wallow in the mire and mud of earthly riches and swinish pleasures than to receive this most pleasant and excellent gift rather to cast away your time in idleness pride worldliness and sensuality than in seeking after this transcendent favour rather make choice of a life made up of drunkenness whoredoms railing at godliness The greatness of this sin appears in this that it is most directly and diametrically opposite to the most fundamental Doctrine and command of the Gospel the primary and principal command of Christ is to believe in Jesus Christ 1 Ioh. 3.23 When the Jaylor being sadly convinced cryed out to the Apostles Sirs what shall I do to be saved they answered him Act. 16.31 Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Not to believe is accounted by God notorious disobedience and horrid gain saying Rom. 10. ult In the Law God strictly requires obedience to his just precepts Do this and live by doing these things thou shalt save thy self from hell but no man living being able to purchase Heaven at this rate by Christ he takes off this yoke so that if they will but believe on his Son they shall not be condemned by the Law and thus he treats men Since thou canst not fully obey my Law nor satisfie my Justice I 'le give thee my Son who shall do all for thee through whose perfect obedience thy imperfections may be remitted and healed only thou must believe in him and if thou wilt do but this one thing for thy soul all thy sins shall be pardoned thou shalt be received into favour adopted for my Son and in thy obedience to the rest of my commands I 'le accept the will for the deed though thou canst not perform such perfect obedience as thou shouldest yet if thou labour to do what thou canst I 'le help thee with strength from Heaven bear with unallowed infirmities c. 'T is a sin against light and much knowledg a sin against love and special mercies it binds all a mans other sins upon him it puts and keeps him under the guilt of all his sins Infidelitate manente maneat peccatum omne he that lives in unbelief dies in his sins it makes a mans actions though moral and spiritual be sinful be a man never so holy and devout do or suffer never so much none of these nor all nor whatever can be named or imagined God will not be pleased with them for without faith 't is impossible to please God yea 't is a sin that defiles all a mans outward enjoyments and temporal good things To them that are unbelieving nothing is pure wife children house In a word 't is the height and perfection of madness to refuse Christ Quis nisi mentis inops c. Heaven and earth may be astonished Angels and all Creatures may justly stand amazed at this prodigious sottishness and monstrous madness 5. If you refuse Christ you utterly undo your own souls for ever if ye miss of this gift ye must expect nothing but misery here and eternal damnation hereafter For there is no name under heaven by which you can be saved Whatever your formalities be how fair soever ye carry in the eye of the world let your profession be never so plausible 't is Christ alone that can save you If you will accept of the Lord Jesus Christ you are in the suburbs of Heaven there is but a thin wall between you and the land of Praises ye are within an hours sailing of the shore of the new Canaan when death digs a little hole in the wall and takes down the sails you have no more to do but set your foot down in the fairest of created Paradises but if you will not accept of Christ let me tell you the truth you are in the suburbs of Hell there is but the cutting of a small thred and you have your portion with hypocrites and unbelievers 1. By refusing Christ you do no less than put and fix your selves in the state of condemnation Let not this be accounted as a harsh censure of my own head for 't is the Scipture Ioh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is