set before other men and exalted above them for in Church societies it is not outward honours or wealth that exalts men men may be great men yet have but mean gifts and of little honour and esteem in the Church of God but also they are called by terms of authority they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place and v. 7. they are your Guides Leaders and Commanders and therefore it is taken from the Master or Pilot in a Ship that turns it about to steer it in its right course and therefore they were of old called The Masters of Assemblies Eccl. 12. and this appears so much the greater if you do consider also that they speak to you in the name of Christ for 1 Thes 5.12 They are over you in the Lord and what they do require by vertue of their office they can do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as an Embassador hath great power because he speaks in the name of the King and they can enjoyn you as you owe obedience to Christ in whose name we speak and whose work we do therfore he that rejecteth you rejecteth me 1 Cor. 5.4 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ deliver such a man to Satan if they did it in their own name there were little power in it indeed but in the name of Christ there is great authority and there is this the more to be added because as it is a power given them by Christ and Christ is despised in them so it is a power given them by your own consent now for a man to give consent to put power into a mans hand and afterwards he denyes him the exercise of that power which he hath given him it is for a man to Judge and condemn himself in the thing which he himself allows therefore it layes a necessity upon you of subjection to this power both for conscience sake and as a thing that was done by your own free election and consent and so there is not only an authority that commands it but a Law of love also as a woman subjects her self to her husband not only as God hath commanded it and given him authority over her but also from a principle of love because this is the man that I did chuse to my self to obey and to be subject unto all my dayes therefore a double Law is broken in this respect and this still argues the greatness of an Officers power in the Church It s called the power of the keyes which doth note a very great authority and office Isa 22.22 power in the house the ordering of governing of all the affairs in a family shall go through their hands as it is said of Joseph what ever was done in all the land of Egypt he was the doer of it so it is true of them what ever is done in the Church of God it must go through their hands they must also be the doers of it and Math. 16.19 it is the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven which is meant both of grace and glory a power to bind and loose in the Church by vertue of the Institution of Christ and what they do bind and loose or they remit or retain shall be so done in the world to come in the Kingdom of Heaven so that they shall open Heaven to the Church and if they shut them out heaven shall be shut out if they binde upon their consciences so will the Lord also in the world to come in Heaven and in this respect it is a far greater power then if a man had the keyes of the authority and Government of all the Kingdoms of the Earth Thirdly the subjects of this authority it is not the bodies lives of men or their estates but the authority is spiritual and it relates unto the soul only and this will appear First because it is managed only by spiritual means as the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world the management of things in the Church of Christ are not to be done in the way of the world it is not by any outward power and greatness or by authority and force of arms c. but all is ordered by the word 2 Cor. 10.5 The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God for it is this that is the Scepter of the power of Christ and all the authority that he doth exercise by his Ministers and Officers under him it is by the word only and if they wil not hear the word let such a man be unto thee a Heathen man let him be Anathema Maranatha to the coming of the Lord we must leave him as a man incurable we can do no more to him 1 Cor. 16.22 if the word will not reclaim him we have no way to deal with him but to set before him the Judgement that is written which if he despise then Church-Officers have no more to do but as they when they refused the Gospel did shake off the dust of their feet it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement they have no power either to imprison or afflict their bodies or seise upon their estates if they obey not they can only leave men to the Judgement of the Lord. Secondly answerable unto the power such are the censures and they are all spiritual they relate unto the soul they can inflict no corporal punishment upon men but the Punishment in Scripture and first a binding of their sins Joh. 20.21 as they pardon sin in the conscience and in regard of their Church-state by receiving them after sinning upon their repentance So there is a binding of sin upon the conscience convincing a man of the guilt of sin and also the putting him out of the society so that the mans sin is bound in his own conscience and before the Church and the Lord saith It shall be bound in heaven and shall not be pardoned to him or if he be godly he shall not have the sense of pardon till by this ordinance of Christ he be again received Secondly they withdraw communion with him 2 Thes 3.14 If any man obey not our word note that man and have no fellowship with him that he may be ashamed all this is in reference to the soul that the man may be reclaimed it is only Mingle not with him that when he shall see all godly men to avoid him as a Pest and his communion as some filthyness he may thereby take shame to himself Thirdly deliver him to Satan 1 Cor. 5.4,5 Ordinances are means to inflict spiritual Judgements as well as to convey spiritual Blessings cast him out by a Judicial act from the Assemblies of the Saints and so being cast out he is in the world where Satan rules he shall have nothing to do with Ordinances more and yet all this is with special respect unto his soul it is for the destruction of the flesh that the soul may be saved in the day of the Lord therefore all power
generation then take heed to walk close with God It is good for you to draw neer to God But Secondly it is good for you to draw neer to God when all things else withdraw themselves from you My Beloved it is good for a Christian to make such a supposition as the Prophet Habbakuck doth in Chap. 3.17,18 Though the Fig-tree should notblossom though there be no fruit in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat the flocks should be cut off from the folds and the Herds from the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and I will triumph in the God of my salvation Mark he doth not only pitch upon those comforts that are rather for complement then necessity but the choicest provision as I may so speak of the worlds making here is the Fig-tree the Vine the Olive the Field the flock and he saith not If any of these should fail then they might be recompenced with the labour of the other but if all these should fail together and conspire to make man miserable and not only to fail in hope but even what you have already in possession When doth a man think his flocks to be certainer then in his folds and his herds then in his stalls but though the flocks and the herds should fail what now will bear up his soul I will rejoyce in God Oh it is time to keep close to God let me tell you the Land reels to and fro like a Drunkard sometimes leanes this way you know it and sometimes that way truly when the Land begins to sink under a mans feet once foundations shake then it is time for a man to lift up his hands and to take hold of heaven restat iter coelo for this will be the great cut to a mans heart when he shall be shut out of all things here below as it was with Saul in his agonie the Philistins made war against him and God hides his head the Philistines made war so they did many times before and Saul got the better Saul had now an Army in the field I but though he had an Army Saul had lost his God the Lord is departed from me and answers me no more This is the best way indeed to keep close to God it is time to draw neer to God when all things else withdraw themselves from you Thirdly it is best because if you draw neer to God God will certainly draw neer to you he hath promised it in Jam. 4.8 Draw neer to God and he will draw neer to you and the approach of God summs up all Gen 15.1 for in his presence is fulness of joy It is a mighty expression Rev. 21.7 that he that overcomes shall inherit all things I and that of our Savtour Mark 10.30 If a man forsake father and mother house or lands he shall have a hundred fold more in this life a hundred fold in some respect he cannot have an hundred Fathers or an hundred Mothers but Interpreters say it is not to be understood formaliter but eminenter he shall have all the comforts in God that these could afford him if they were a hundred times more Oh then draw neer to God and God will certainly draw neer to you But I but name things Fourthly to draw neer to God is best for by this means you shall be preserved from the evil that other men suffer the evil of suffering The promise is in Psal 91.10 He that dwelleth under the shaddow of the most high no plague shall come nigh him he will give his Angels charge over thee it notes a constant fellowship thou shalt be the special charge that the Angels have I shall desire you but to consider the Lord hath projects of providence for his peoples preservation as well as for his enemies destruction Noah walked with God and had an Ark when the rest of the world of ungodly men perished in the waters David a man that kept constant communion and we see how the Lord owns him in all his tryals and appears for him upon all the glory there shall be a covering and there are projects of providence beyond the wisdom of men or Angels for the Lord knows how to deliver the just from all their trouble and how to reserve the wicked to the day of Judgement These things now I am forced to pass over Lastly and so we will hasten to the Application It is best for men to draw neer to God because a close communion keeps up in a mans soul those qualifications as shall make every afliction comfortable and easie be the times never so bad for the drawing neer of the soul to God is like the Sun to the earth which by its heat and perfect influence puts life vigour and beauty into things dead and withered before Cant. 1.12 Communion with God is the spring-time of all grace and therefore I will but name them First Communion with God will keep a mans soul in a silent humble frame that was the fruit of Aarons Communion in Levit. 10.3 a great cross be fell him he lost two Sons taken away by an immediate act of Gods hand even in an act of sin yet Aaron held his peace Aaron held his peace fellowship with God will certainly keep the soul in a peaceable submissive frame that be the affliction what it will be the soul shall say Gods will is the rule of goodness when Judgement was pronounced against Hezekiah good is the word of the Lord and Iob the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Secondly fellowship with God will keep a mans soul in a holy independency upon the things below there is nothing my Beloved puts a mans soul out of band with the creature like communion this is the way to have the Moon under your feet as the expression is for that in fellowship with God a man that knows what it is to have close communion knows that he doth really set his feet where other men set their hearts it puts the mouth out of tast to all creature comforts to him Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost though the world were on fire about his ears yet he hath lost nothing for his portion is enough In the third place as a holy independency so a holy magnanimity of spirit he shall not think those things great that other men think insupportable Iesus Christ endured the Cross and despised the shame and the shame of the cross was the greatest suffering Why do you weep and break my heart I am ready not only to be bound but to die for him Luther And Luther I remember when the enemies gave out that he had recanted he writes in a Letter of his that I will never recant think that I will do any thing rather then recant be the dangers and threatnings what they will be they are not careful to answer thee in this matter omnia de me praesumes praeter fugam
doth not at all agree with himself nay Bellarmine g Lib. 4. de Euch. c. 10. art 9. Non possumus ex Patrum sententiis aliquid certi colligere quando inter se non conveniunt saith thus We can gather no certainty out of the Opinions of the Fathers when as they themselves are not of one mind And Ioseph Scaliger h Lib 6. de Emend Temp. sed cum delectu ejus scripta legenda esse non dubitabit quisquis attentius legit quam ipse Scripta veterum speaking of the most learned Eusebius passeth this sentence without doubt a choice is to be made in the reading of him But I am very much mistaken if this our Author may not pass without any such censures and may be read now in print as he might have been heard when he was in the Pulpit without such proviso's and cautions as are usually given in reading of many of the Ancients That which made his Sermons pass with so great approbation of the most judicious hearers when he was alive and will be a passport to his writings though posthumous was he did follow the advice of the Apostle Paul to Tim. 2 ep 2.15 he did study to shew himself approved to God a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth he made preaching his work and business he did not go to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he counted it his greatest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work God gave him to do as Christ speaks John 17.4 He was of Melancthons mind who had wont to i Tres laboreâ— esse difficillimos Regentis Docentis Parturientis say Three sorts of labour are most difficult that of a Governour of a Teacher and of a Woman in travel He was often in travel to be delivered of his Sermons and he made that good qui alios docere velit suo sudore Auditores irrigare contendat An instructor ought to spend himself upon his Auditory He was so much taken up in this work that to my knowledge he was often in watchings a great part of the night besides his pains in his day-studies What Seneca reports k Epist 8. Nuâ—lus miâ—… per otium dies exit partem noctium studiis vendico non vaco somno sed succumbo oculos vigilia fatigatos cadentesque in opere detineo of himself may be affirmed of this our Author I spend all the day and much of the night in study not setting my self to sleep but only falling into it and he goes on and l Volupâ—atiâ— somâ—… vitae deâ—…xerunt summâ— Illi Viri quod nobis impenderunt posteris natâ— occupati adds Great men of old bestowed the best part of their life upon us as if born for posterity But besides that very great diligence and travel of head and heart and that intempestivum pertinax studium that he laid out in his Sermons he had a special faculty of keeping close to his Text and business in hand which as it is very requisite in a Preacher so it is very advantagious to commend a discourse to the most judicious car What Plinius secundus m â—ciâ—t si materiae immoratur non esse longum longissimum si aliquid accersit atque attrahit Vides quot versibus Homerus quot Virgilius arma hic Aeneae Achillis ille describat brevis tamen uterque est quia facit quod instituit said to Apollinaris in his Epistle to him concerning a Writer is true of a Preacher that he should often veiw his title I say his Text That which did surther ther contribute to his excellency in preaching was his skill which he had and his deep insight into the mysterie of Godlinâ—ss and the Doctrine of the free Grace of God and as to the mysterie of Iniquity within us he was well studied in the souls Anatomy and could dextrously dissect the old man Then there is the mysterie of Iniquity without us of Satan and Antichrist which he understood very well and by his knowledge in these mysteries he was able to advance the Kingdom and Honour of our Lord Christ in the hearts and lives of his Hearers and to discover the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.24 Satans depths and to disappoint his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.11 His plots and devices as also to unvail the Whore of Babylon and to render her vile and contemptible in the eyes of all There was one thing more which did add very much unto him and to his labours in preaching and make him successful in clearing many dark places and searching further into the deep Mines of the Word and piercing into the secret Oracles of God and that was his constant recourse to the Originals in which he had good skill By these means he went beyond most of his brethren in the work of the Ministry so that his Sermons had always something above the rdi nary reach and pitch a certain strain which did sapere saeculi sui foelicitatem answering the advantages and happiness of the age in which he lived which was more then Casaubon could say of n Exercit. 34. in Baron Vulgatâ— sunt in his nihi quod saeculi sul foelicitatem sapâ—at Baronius his Annals The want of some or any of these Particulars render Preachers very lame and their Sermons thin and lean of many of which it may be said as of Anaximenes when he began to speak that there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flood of words a drop of sense and in like manner Clem. Alexandrinus complains of such that they utter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flood of insignificant words Such Preachers multa locuti parum dixisse videntur talk much and say little There was so great weight both of words and sense in this our reverend Authors Sermons and so much of worth that they did appear as good upon a narrow disquisition as they did seem to be when they were delivered whereas the Sermons of many are like the Orations of o Cujuâ— cùm in dicendo copla speciesque aurâ—bus plaâ—…eâ— oculorum judicio spernebatur multumque legentibus desideratum qâ—…d audlentibus placuisset Hortensius Many tickle the fancy whilst plausibly and with some Pomp and Ostenation delivered but being scann'd by a severer repetition they prove to have been vox praeterea nihil they vanish into a notion or nothing The ignorance or at least the not so clear knowledge of the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace Gods rich and free Grace in the business of our salvation was the cause anciently and is still of many errours in the Church The Author of these Sermons had arrived to an excellency and height in this doctrine beyond the most that ever I read or knew Had he lived to have perfected his labours about the Covenant of grace I presume I may say they had surpassed all that went before Herein
of meekness and forbearance c. but what was this for to what end did the Lord do all this was it for their spiritual good no it was in Judgement that they might fall baâ—kward be broken and ensnared there are no people liable unto such terrible Judgements as they that live under Ordinances and whose plagues flow from them Heb. 6.6,7,8 There are many that live under the Gospel and by the grace of it they come unto the highest pitch of common works they are inlightned and taste of the heavenly gift and are made partakers of the holy Ghost taste of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet afterward they fall away and that with a malitious and final Apostasie with despight and revenge the reason is given of it For the ground that drinks in the rain and brings not forth fruit answerable is nigh unto cursing for the curse is answerable unto the blessing and therefore they that live under the offers of the greatest spiritual blessings if they be neglected and are unfruitfull under them they are neerer to cursing then other men which is the reason why in judgement they are given up after such great and common works to apostasie and final impenitency because they have drunk in the rain of Ordinances and influences and have not brought forth fruit meet for him that dressed it as it s said of Christ Luk. 2. it is true of the Gospel also it is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fall as well as the rising of many in Israel and let me tell you the more spiritual Ordinances are the more spiritual shall the judgments be as we see it in the Ordinances of the Gospel as they were more spiritual so were the judgements that were executed by them more spiritual as the more spiritual any mans light grows the more spiritual will his temptations grow so the more spiritual Truths grow in any Age the more spiritual Judgements grow for answerable to the measure of spiritual blessings such shall be the measure of spiritual plagues and as the more spiritual Ordinances are the more desirable so the more spiritual they are if abused the more dangerous Secondly there are no Judgements of God like unto spiritual Judgements those are of all other the most dreadfull Isa 13. Why should you be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your Spouses when they commit adultery c. Impunity in sinning is the greatest punishment that can befall a sinner but the people that do not understand shall fall that is shall sin without restraint without controul Drusius He that is filthy let him be so Drusius And the grounds of it are these First because every spiritual Judgement is in it self a sin it is a judgement as from God but in us they are sins also now as there is not a worse evil then sin for sin is the greatest evil so it cannot be punished with any thing worse then it self the Apostle cannot call it by a worse name then it self Rom. 13.7 sinful sin and God cannot inflict a greater punishment then it self and therefore after this life though the demerit of sin shall cease the obligation of the Law ceasing as binding unto further punishment when a man is actually under the sentence of condemnation yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law still for thou art bound to the precept as thou art a creature and to the curse only as thou art a sinner now the nature of sin shall remain though the demerit of sin hath an end after this life and yet in Hell pertinet ad damnationis poenam As all holiness and obedience in heaven pertinet ad beatitudinis praemium The one is a part of a mans torment as the other is part of a mans reward Secondly because of the subject on which it lights is the soul the soul is far more precious then the body and as any mercy to the soul is far beyond any blessing unto the body so if the soul prosper and the inward man be renewed it is no great matter what become of the outward man though there be crus in nervo si animus in coelo for it is in the soul that the Lord dwells and in the excellency of the soul that he doth delight therefore let the hidden man of the heart be adorned there is no adorning like it Tertul. Bernard Aliter pigmentatae sunt vestes Indutus purpura cum conscientia pannosa And if the beauty of the inward man be so glorious then there is no defilement like to that of the inward man nor no punishment I ke to that upon the soul as the Schoolmen say of Spiritual it is to be preferred before corporal Aquinas Eleemosyna cordis major quam corporis spirituales Elcemosynae sunt corporalibus simpliciter praeferendae So may we say of Spiritual Judgements there are no judgements of God so much to be feared as Spiritual Judgements as there are no mercies so much to be desired as spiritual mercies the prosperity of the soul should be unto a Saint the measure of all prosperity and the misery of the soul and judgements upon it should be the measure of all miseries and Judgements whatsoever Thirdly Spiritual Judgements are an argument of the greatest wrath and displeasure of God its true its a judgement that God doth sometimes inflict upon his own people Isa 63.17 Why hast thou caused us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear but yet it is a greater testimony of his displeasure then God doth shew towards the men of his good will there is no such evidence of his wrath in the world as this is and so it is to wicked men also for God to give them up unto their own hearts lust and to deliver them to Satan as we see Christ did Judas Austin Parcit iratus iratus Deus dat amanti quod male amat Austin Jerome Magna est ira Dei quando peccantibus non irascitur Deus Jerom. In the afflictions of his people Emendationi instat Deus It is to restrain us and reclaim us c. But in spiritual Judgements the Lord doth give a man up to sin and leave him in the power of sin and under the dominion of sin as if he did never intend to do him good more Fourthly it s the saddest evidence of a mans reprobation and a most dreadfull earnest of a mans damnation First it s a sad evidence of a mans reprobation for there are three consequents of reprobation and both of them are spiritual Judgements 1. Permissio peccati the permission of sin 2. In peccato derelictio the being left in sin 3. Traditio Satanae to leave a man in the power of Satan to give him over unto Satan to carry him captive at his will and all these are spiritual
it by this if you hate your own iniquity if that be your great care Psal 18.23 Ezech. 7.19 they shall not satisfie their souls because it is the slumbling block of their iniquity c. 13. neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life that is the whole comfort and delight of their lives doth come in by it it is all the pleasure and the joy they have men looking upon the vanity of the world every man hath his Treasure something that he doth chuse to himself either in his age Psal 119.9 or in his calling or in his acquaintance in his custom and if ever a man do meet with an opportunity of temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is then he is to take heed to himself as the exhortation is in Luke 8.13 you have been Conquerers take heed now you be not overcome with the Devil and you have fought for liberty take heed you be not the worst of slaves as that man is that is a servant to his lust You have asserted the liberty of others maintain your own liberty also and be not the servants to sin Fifthly if you be holy you will have respect unto all the commandments Psal 119.6 he that doth despise any one Commandment makes conscience of none it is universality that is the great note of sincerity now to live in the willing neglect of any known duty and the Law of God comes in against a man and the man is afraid to hear of such a duty because his guilt arises and his trouble is renewed thereby and therefore the man would shift it off would disburden himself of the sens of it surely then that soul has cause to fear holiness is not his aim but now when the commandment comes and the man is a co-worker with God as it were and is willing it should be set on upon his soul and is not willing to give himself a dispensation from it but he saith I must walk up to the extremity of the rule and observe it to the uttermost extent of it for I must be Judged by it God will lay Judgement to the line c. this is the sense of a holy heart Sixthly if you are holy your holiness will answer the Law of God for it is the Law written in the heart that you must come up to you have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered to you we are cast into it as into a mold and therefore it must be a perfect form there are the great things of the Law Rom. 11.17 Heb. 13.8,9 and it was the sin of the Pharisees that they only regarded lesser things and left the great things of the Law undone and it s the great sin of hypocrites whether it be in point of sin or in point of duty to be only zealous against lesser things therefore trie your selves by these rules for it is a matter of the greatest concernment of your lives c. By these may you know if you are in the way to the Beatifical vision by these may you judge of your holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Babylons utter ruine THE SAINTS Triumph At a Thanksgiving for the victory of Ireland against the Irish Aug. 29. 1649. REVEL 18.2 Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. THE great works of the Saints in this life are to believe Gods promises and to serve his providence and reflect his praises and it is the great thing that God doth expect as the fruit of all his marvellous works that when his works do praise him that is give matter of praise his Saints should bless him Psal 145.10 and for this cause there are three titles given unto the Saints in the Scripture First they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that take delight in the works of the Lord they being all of them wonderful and glorious and only to be admired whereas other men only study the works of men and be taken with them but they only take pleasure in studying the works of God Secondly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking pleasure in them they study them and search into them that they may find out all the excellency and glory that is in them which at first sight no man is able to find out Psalm 111.2 Thirdly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Recorders Isa 62.6 they received the promises of God and their accomplishment of these things the hearts of the Saints are a faithful Register his mercies are written in their hearts as well as his Laws the one that they may serve him and the other that they may rejoyce in him Now you that have pleasure in the works of God ye are come before the Lord this day to enter an eminent National mercy upon publike record and if ye search into it after a diligent scrutiny ye will find there are these six things specially to be observed therein First it is a return not only of late but of antient prayers It is one of the great Questions that the Saints of God have as matter to dispute in all the mercies that they receive whether they have them as effects of providence or as the heirs of the promise whether they have of them only a jus Politicum or Evangelicum the one indeed non fundatur in Gratiâ but the other is now if it be given in answer to prayers it is a birth of the promise which the prayers of the Saints help to deliver Isa 37.3 but specially when mercies have been long delayed and the answers of prayers have been long deserr'd wheâ— Abraham had prayed for a child twenty years then to have the promise speak and when thechildren of Israel had prayed 70. year then when they were even out of hopes and gave their prayers for lost now to be answered in them made them to be like them that dream to recover an old debt and to receive a ship safe home and richly laden that hath been long at Sea and we know not what was become of it it comes home with the greater joy Why doth the Lord delay the answers of the prayers of his people not that he doth not intend to grant them for Bernard Bernard Priusquam engrâ—ssa est oratto ex ore tuo ipse scribi jubet in libro suo But he doth wait to be gracious Now delaying of the mercy doth raise the price of it now ye come to reap of the harvest of many of your prayers that are past and gone that you even now gave for lost there is a twofold joy that the Scripture speaks of as transcendent the joy of harvest and the joy of souldiers when they divide the spoil and truly there is matter of both these joyes in this mercy administred to you for you divide the spoil of the enemie and with all you reap to your selves the harvest of all your former prayers and petitions Oh how did
success Some more and some less according as the Lord is pleased to use them or bless them and as suitable to the Churches necessities so he doth give gifts so heâ— doth give Officers also for no men are to minister in the things of God without a call from God therefore such Ordinances and Officers as the Church doth stand in need of he hath appointed and with these they ought to rest satisfied and to fancy or create no more to themselves which was the error of the first Churches when they began to degenerate and corrupt themselves when they brought in new Ordinances then did they begin to set up new officers immediately and they that will lay aside the Ordinances of God will bring in multitudes of their own as we see it in Israel they multiplyed their Idols and also they that wil lay aside the Officers of Christ wilmultiply Officers of their own Ambrose saith of the Church of God at first Ambâ—ose It did nothing without the approbation of certain Elders thereunto appointed but that being neglected doctorum desidia vel potius superbia dum soli voluerunt aliquid videri now they brought in all manner of new Officers to the great burden of the Church that under Popery they are as much burthened with officers as they are with Ordinances therefore it must be our care to have an eye to the pattern in the one as well as the other for what ever is not of the Lords appointment that he will neither own nor bless it is of such that Christ speaks of in Ioh Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up it is those that did place themselves in Offices in the Church never planted by the Father Here are in the words two things First the Officers duty and that is first to rule and then to watch Secondly the object or subject of this authority it is not over the bodies and estates of men but their souls only Thirdly the great engagement and obligation that lies upon them so to do because they must give an account Fourthly here are the different accounts that Church Officers will give to God and that is some with joy and some with grief Secondly here is the duty of the people that are under their power First they are to obey Secondly to submit themselves Thirdly upon this ground because they are such as watch for their souls and must give an account Fourthly as knowing if it be with grief it will be unprofitable unto them And hence there are several propositions very useful to our present occasion which I will set down in their order First that the Lord Christ as head of the Church hath appointed that there shall be Officers in all the Churches there is as well an Institution of Officers and offices as there is of Ordinances and it is in a mans power to constitute the one no more then he may the other and the neglect of one is a neglect of the Institution and so of the authority of Christ as well as the other it will appear that there hath gone some great hands unto this and to manifest this appointment First Christ Eph. 4.11 it is counted there as one of his gifts which Christ gave upon his Ascension for he doth not only say that he gave the gifts that qualified men for that work and that is a mercy when the Church is enriched with gifts and the Lord doth pour out his spirit upon many of them that they be fitted for office if they be called to it 1 Cor. 1.7 2. in a Common-wealth though there be but a few Magistrates yet there be many that are fitted to be Magistrates as in an Army when the souldiers are valiant yet it s not expedient that every one is able to command a party or be an Officer c. But it is not the gifts only but the Officers also that Christ hath given his Church and they are to be looked upon as a special gift of Christ as a special fruit of his taking possession of the Kingdom when he sat down at his Fathers right hand and though they were all given for the gathering and the perfecting of the Saints yet some were but temporary others were to abide to the end of the world till all the Saints were gathered and perfected and therefore it is said that he hath set them in his Church 1 Cor. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes a constitution a firm stablishment that cannot be changed Act. 17. the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a firm appointment and decree c. 1 Thes 5.9 God hath not appointed us to wrath but to attain salvation it s the same word So that the word signifies to appoint by a firm and a sure decree which cannot be changed he hath set them there and therefore none shall or can remove them Secondly the Holy-Ghost he also hath a hand in this Constitution Acts 20.28 Over whom the Holy-Ghost hath made you over-seers it is spoken unto Officers when they meet with the Apostles c. and for the understanding of it we must consider That the Spirit is the Mediatory Kingdom hath undertaken to be as it were a Prorex to rule for Christ therefore before the Throne there are seven Lamps of fire that is the seven spirits of God Rev. 4.5 for in the gifts and graces the Spirit is given the Gospel it s Preached by the Holy-Ghost sent down from heaven c. Now there are two things mainly that the Holy-Ghost doth in this constitution First the Spirit doth gift the men and qualifie them for the work for though there be diversity of gifts yet it is the same spirit that works in every man even as he will to one man the gifts of wisdom to another the word of knowledge but by the same spirit 1 Cor. 12.7,8,9,11 that as before Bezaleel and Aholiab did set upon the work of the Tabernacle he was filled with all wisdom by the spirit of God understanding and knowledge in all manner of work-man-ship and when Saul was called unto the Kingdom the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was turned into another man 1 Sam. 10. Whether we do look unto the providential or spiritual Kingdom it is now in the hands of the Spirit and he knowing what works he hath to accomplish in both he doth gift men for the work in which he will employ them for though the gifts be common yet they proceed from the spirit as well as graces Secondly when a man is gifted and by the furniture of the man there is a ground to conceive God hath done it that he may employ him yet it is not enough by and by for any man to say I am gifted and therefore I will employ my self but there is another work of the spirit and that is he doth stir up the hearts of men to chuse
is for the good of the soul that is committed to the Officers of the Church Thirdly all their power is for spiritual ends all with relation to the soul First for preservation they do watch over them that they be not deceived with corrupt Doctrines lest being led away with the error of the wicked they should fall from their stedfastness and because VVolves will come in watch therefore take heed to your selves and to all the flock Act. 20.30 and also lest they be corrupted in their practises for a little leaven will leaven a whole lump therefore Church Officers are made watch-men to discover the danger that is coming upon them and to prevent it Secondly for their edification therefore S Paul saith The power was given for edification that he had authority in the Church it was that he might have the greater opportunity to edifie the Church of God and 1 Thes 5.12 They labour amongst you and admonish and instruct you all is for the edification of the body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and to a perfect man Thirdly for their salvation all is done that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.5 and therefore the great care of all the Officers mentioned in Scripture hath been of the souls of men and to see their souls prosper and their graces thrive how ever it was with them in outward things if they were rich in faith and abounding in hope and full of good works though it went never so mean with them in outward things they were not afflicted with it and therefore Paul is mightily troubled when they are turned away from the Truths of the Gospel and when any of them do walk scandalously to the endangering of the souls of the rest of the body c. Fourthly Officers must give an account of souls that are committed unto them Here first every man must give an account to God for his own soul and his own waies for we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ to this end 2 Cor. 5.10 Secondly every man shall give an account of the souls of others so far as either they have been under his power or he hath had a hand or been instrumental in their destruction as the destruction of Israel will be charged upon Ieroboham who made Israel to sin and Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not bear sin for him Ab alienis meis Austin Austin and it is a terrible thing to be Instrumental in any mans destruction Thirdly but Officers in a special manner that do take the charge of souls they shall give an account for them that is according to the terms of the Prophet Ezek. 3.17,18 If thou give him warning he shall dye in his sin the blood shall be upon his own head thou hast delivered thy own soul but if thou do not give him warning he doth perish but his blood shall be charged upon thee it shall be required at thy hands it is the guilt of blood that is the greatest guilt and of all bloods the blood of souls yet this is that which lyes upon you which Erasmus saith Erasmus are fulmina non verba it s a terrible thing to consider such a charge upon him with such a danger A man that considers what account he hath to give of his own sins he would not be willing to take upon him also the guilt of other mens sins and give account for them Fourthly all that are imployed by God there will come a time when they must come unto God and deliver up their charge for the talents that they have received I had five Talents here they are and are improved to five more the unprofitable servant must come also that hid his Talent in a Napkin and conscience shall give up its charge when it layes down its viatory office delivering the man up perfectly unto the grace of God and Christ the Kingdom which some as Chrysostom do understand of the Church of the Saints and that fitly and truly unto the Father I have kept them through thy name take them now to thy self that they may be with me where I am and so for a man to lie down in the dust with this account and to appear before God with this truth Of all the souls that thou hast given me this is my account that I have brought them unto thee safe here am I and the children thou hast given me Fifthly of all trusts in the world that of souls is the greatest First it is the great thing in the man and the man is lost when his soul is lost and therefore in one place it is said loose thy soul and in another loose thy self it is eternal destruction when the soul is lost it is more worth then a world it will not profit a man to gain the world if he loose his soul Secondly it is the great thing that Christ betrusts us with he doth prize it above all things else all other Talents that he gives us are but for the good of the soul and it was in love to the soul that Christ did and suffered all that he did for poor lost man it was meerly for the redemption of his soul the great thing that Christ hath an eye to is the soul the which he hath most glory and about which he hath laid out most grace Thirdly it is that which Satan doth most of all oppose and desire to destroy he is indeed Abadon he hates all man-kind but his chief aim is at the soul he is a murtherer but he will murther the soul if he can that is it which he doth charge all his volleys at he cares not for mens estates and for their honours it is their souls that is the great thing in his eye therefore there is nothing is in so much danger and there is no such trust committed unto a man as the souls of men it is a greater trust then to have the charge of all the Kingdoms of the world Sixthly surely then they had need know the souls well that are under their charge they had need of a very exact account of them and to keep an account of them that shall give this account before Christ at the last day and therefore all that are heedless in this office and that for low and poor ends undertake such a charge and are negligent and are wanting in that labour and diligence in it it doth plainly argue that men do judge the account of souls to be but a small thing and that which may be easily passed over and truly as he that hath no care of his own soul will never take care of an others so he that makes no matter of giving up an account to Christ of his own soul it is no wonder if it be a small thing to him if he had the burden of all other mens souls upon him also but he to whom the account of his own soul is dreadful he
that hath known the terror of the Lord in himself it is a terrible thing unto him to give an account of other mens souls also Fifthly there is a different account that Officers will give at the last day some will give an account with joy and some with grief there is a double connexion First they watch for your souls obey that they may do their work with comfort watch for your souls with comfort Secondly that they may give up their account with joy for the obedience of a people is a ground of both the greatest joy of a faithful Minister of God is in this which was the great satisfaction of Christ Isa 53.10 To see the Travel of his soul the joy of harvest is the greatest joy one sows and another reaps to receive the fruit of a mans labour is as it were reaping it brings great joy 1 Thes 3.8 Now we live if you stand fast the great comfort of our lives comes in by it for it is a comfortable living to see the souls of men committed to our charge prosper 1 Thes 2.19 Ye are our glory and joy our Crown of rejoycing in the presence of the Lord Iesus Christ at his coming ye are our glory and joy next unto a mans interest in Christ and the joy that he hath at his appearance are the souls that he hath brought unto him on the contrary what they do if the people profit not they do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspirantes its true that there shall be no sorrow of the Saints at the last day for there shall be no more sighing ou◠tears shall be all wiped away but yet there will be something that will be even matter of sorrow to them First that they have lost their labour Isa 49.45 I have laboured in vain and the labour of the officers is great it is the greatest labour 1 Thes 5.12 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wearisom cutting labour and to look upon all this as lost in reference to the main end of it is a grievous thing Secondly that the souls of the people are lost which was the greatest care that they should dye in their sins though their blood be not required a◠their hands Oh it is sad for there is a great love in the Officers that are faithful unto the souls of the people and they ought to walk in a high degree of love towards them now to see those souls lost for whom I put up so many prayers and about whom I took so much pains it is grieving the Spirit of God to see men turn his grace into wantonness Eph. 4.30 And it will also exceedingly grieve them that are acted by the same Spirit Thirdly that I should be instrumental in their Condemnation and be a means to heighten it for it will be casier for Sodom in that day and the greater means men have had the greater will their condemnation be the greater pains any Minister hath taken with a people the greater will their Judgement be they that have been exalted up to heaven shall be brought down to Hell and in the day of Revelation when the secrets of God as well as the hearts of men shall be made manifest it shall appear how Ordinances did ripen sins and how God did make use of them to pour out spiritual Judgements by them the greatest curses come out of Sion as well as the greatest blessings Fourthly that I should be brought in as a witness against them at the last day Satan shall be the accuser but there will be three very dreadful witnesses against them First Christ then shall the King say c. Secondly Conscience a mans own thoughts will accuse him in the day that God shall judge the secrets of men Thirdly the Ministers when they that have been labouring for their good all their life time shall witness against them There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust when a man shall bring in his accusation against a disobedient and a rebellious people Mark 6.11 Shake off the dust of your feet for a testimony against them it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah then for them c. Sixthly From all that hath been opened we may plainly by way of use gather what manner of men Church-Officers ought to be First they must be gifted and it is this must be the ground of the Churches choice for as grace fits a man for communion with God so do gifts fit a man for the edification of the Church and who ever is chosen that is not gifted was never appointed by Christ for the Holy-Ghost doth gift men before he doth set them over any people therefore you are not to look only at the grace but at the gists of Officers every godly man is not fit for an office Secondly they must be humble men for they have a power put into their hands and an honour put upon them now it will be a snare to a proud man to be in honour and he will never use power well that is not humble the great care of officers should be that they might so walk as not to Lord it over Gods heritage they must not exercise a Lord-like authority but carry themselves in all manner of meekness and humility or else it is dangerous to put such a snare upon them it is a temptation for them to be in place Thirdly they must also be holy men such as have a care of their own souls and rightly judge of the price of a soul for they that have no care of their own souls will never have a care of yours Fourthly they must be faithful men that is faithful in labour Laying out themselves to the utmost without any respect to themselves or to their own ease for the business which they are to do concerns souls and they must be faithful in their account those that shall do all things that their office requires of them upon this consideration that we must give an account for the souls that are committed to us it is not an account unto the Church that will serve but our account must be unto him that shall Iudge quick and dead Fifthly he must be a man eminent in holiness for he must be a Leader Now there are many Saints that are not fit to lead their Officers are to walk holily before them that they may follow their example and he must also be couragious or else he will never dare venture in dangers to go before them and if he be not so he will be a man apt to mis-lead and pervert there is nothing more dangerous then to have a man of great parts and eminent place in the Church if he be a leader in an evil way men will be ready to follow him and therefore above all take heed of this that he be a man eminent in holiness and of an exemplary conversation Sixthly that he be well known and acquainted with you c. if he have not all these
come to Application First I desire to shew you what it is for a man to draw neer to God by sin every man he is departed from God the first design of sin is to draw a man away 1 Iam. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the further a man goes in a way of sinning the further he doth depart from God Inde 18. and all the lustings of their heart are ungodly lusts In this respect it is said the Prodigal went into a far Country Eph. 2.17 Now there is by reason of sin a double distance of enmity and estrangement The Apostle in Col. 1.21 puts them both together VVe are strangers and enemies in our minds through evil works now answerable to this double distance so must our returning to God be there must be a returning by reconciliation to take away your enmity and by Communion to take away your estrangement for Christs business is to bring us back unto God again 1 Pet. 3.18 First for Reconciliation that is not in Scripture called drawing neer so much as being made neer Eph. 2.17 You are made neer that were a far off by the blood of Christ so that by Reconciliation a man is put into a state of neerness and proquinquity That is the first thing whereby the creature returns to God but now being made neer being put into a state of union then Secondly The soul comes to draw neer that is the estrangement must be removed which is done by communion to exercise acts of communion observe it I pray I say a man must first be put into a state of neerness and made neer before ever he can exercise acts of communion and then draw neer Now this drawing neer is for a soul to come to God from day to day to improve his interest in him grow into more and more acquaintance and familiarity with him and you shall find that when a man is once brought into a state of union then the Lord calls him alwaies unto fellowship Open unto me my Love my Sister and my Spouse there are continual knocking 's of the Lord as for a further entrance there is a principle in us alwaies drawing back to perdition and you shall find that there is a Spirit within alwaies calling to draw neer unto God the Bride saith come and the Spirit saith come the Spirit in the Bride There is a great deal of distance between God and the best of the Saints for 2 Cor. 5. while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. So Ignatius of old he saith Aqua viva in me intrinsecus dicit veni ad Patrem that there was a living voice within him that alwaies called upon him And I beseech you consider a soul that is once put into a state of communion and hath tasted what it is to draw neer to God he desires a daily communion he is never neer enough he doth continually set it as a seal upon the heart When a man is once by reconciliation put into a state of neerness then in all Ordinances in all waies of obedience in his exercise of all graces the soul is said to draw neer that is to act and increase his fellowship and communion with God This I conceive to be the meaning of that expression Ioh 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace so goodness shall come unto thee acquaint thy self with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assuesce te cum illo it is in the Hebrew and is rendred by some accustom thy self to be with him a daily commerce with God and an accustoming of a mans self with fellowship and communion with him this is properly to draw neer So that as Reconciliation taketh away your enmity so communion takes away your estrangement But you will say to me Can a creature draw neer to God if you look upon man in his natural distance God is in heaven you are upon earth can there be a drawing neer between finite and infinite cna finite and infinite have fellowship nay look upon man in his moral distance as a sinner and so can there be agreement between light and darkness can righteousness and unrighteousness have fellowship Surely God is a consuming fire and who can dwell who can engage his heart to draw neer to him Now give me leave I beseech you to clear this to you by proposing to you this consideration There is a two-fold state of a sinner There are some sinners that are in a state of estrangement unto God and whosoever you be that are here present the enmity of whose nature is not yet taken away and destroyed by a work of Reconciliation I say to you whatsoever you be you cannot draw neer to God you may have communion with duties you may pray you may hear but you can never have fellowship with God in those duties and that upon a double ground First because the enmity of your nature remains and two cannot walk together unless they be agreed and surely the neerer such a soul comes to God in any duty wherein Gods people approach to him the more God is provoked against him and the more he is estranged from him a strange expression that of the Prophet I saw him in Gilgal there I held my peace Gilgal was the place of worship the neerer any man comes the more a mans heart riseth against him and the more enmity doth encrease I saw him in Gilgal and there I held my peace you cannot draw neer to God the enmity of your natures still remains You cannot draw neer to God also Secondly because you have another society your fellowship is with unfruitful works of darkness and the fellowship the amity and love of the world is enmity unto God I remember Augustine complains concerning himself in the daies of his unregenerate condition speaking of the pride of the lusts of his Spirit Ecce hi sunt amici quibus consului quibus credidi these were the companions that I conversed with these were my friends and these were my Counsellors Now my Beloved whosoever he be that hath Communion with the unfruitful works of darkness it is no wonder if that man cannot draw neer to God I have told you already and I desire you would lay it to heart you must be made neer or else you can never draw neer you must be in a state of communion or else you can never have fellowship with God That is the first thing But there are a second sort of sinners that are made neer by the blood of Christ and these though God be in heaven and they are upon earth though they be sinners and the Lord be holiness it self nay though they in their own apprehensions shall say as Hooper once did Lord thou art Heaven I am Hell yet they may draw neer to him and that upon these six grounds I beseech you observe them A sinner put into a state of communion may upon these grounds draw neer to God The first is Gods
electing love the Lord hath separated unto himself the man that is Godly Psal 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is in the Hebrew he hath gloriously and miraculously wonderfully separated to himself into fellowship not only to himself for service but to himself for communion and what is the ground because you are predestinated unto followship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Beloved when you all fell from God as well as the Apostate Angels might not the Lord have left you in the same condition with them and your doom should have been cursed and therefore cursed because you must depart but if the Lord had been pleased to have been reconciled if he had said to you as David did concerning Absolom bring the young man home but let him returne to his own house and let him never see my face if the Lord should have said I will not remember their evil against them to destroy them but they shall never see my face more they shall be estranged to me for ever you would have said this had been a mercie even your preservation but this doth not satisfie Electing love there is a double end that electing-love aims at 2 Luke 14. it is peace and good will not only Reconciliation but Communion that God may take the creature into fellowship with himself and empty himself as I may so speak with reverence into the bosom of the creature Be pleased now to consider you may then draw neer to God upon this ground of Gods electing love Secondly you may draw neer to God grounded upon the nature of the Covenant of grace under which you stand My Beloved God deals with all mankind in a Covenant-way and according unto the Covenant under which he standeth so are all Gods dispensations towards him and to that end the Lord hath made a double Covenant with a double head The first Covenant was made with the first Adam the second Covenant with the second Adam and therefore God looks upon all mankind as if there were but two men in the world 1 Cor. 15.47 The first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly God looks upon all mankind as coming under these two heads the first Adam and the second Adam Now the Covenant of grace which the Lord hath established it hath a double propertie First it is faedus amicitiae a Covenant of friendship the Lord doth take Abram as his friend Abram my friend James 2.23 Now the School-men tell us of two sorts of relations relatio disquiparantiae connotat dominium that notes subjection and dominion as between a King and a subject a master and a servant there is not so properly communion and relatio aequiparantiae quae denotat Communionem now the proper end of friendship is fellowship for a mans friend is as his own soul and the Covenant of grace is a Covenant of fellowship therefore they may draw neer unto him being taken by God into a Covenant of friendship 2ly the Covenant of grace is a matrimonial Covenant faedus Conjugale I betrothed her in Hos 2.9 you knowin this is the neerest Communion the surest oneness in this relation beyond al other in the world the greatest friendship by vertue of an Ordinance two made one One that was heretofore a stranger shall be dearer then Father or Mother and this voluntary relation by consent shall by vertue of the Ordinance of God be more powerful then a natural relation and a man shall leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and if there be this power in an Ordinance of God that is but civil what efficacy shall divine Ordinances and this spiritual Covenant have Surely thou shall lie in his bosom and have the more intimate and full communion with him for ever Now when the Lord will set forth the neer Communion that his people may have with him by this Covenant this he calls a Matrimonial Covenant Thirdly you may draw neer to God grounded upon your union with the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6.17 that he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and by that Spriit we have access to the Father Eph. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle tells that our way to God is through him we have by Jesus Christ our manuduction he is the great Favourite that leads us in by the hand into the presence of the Father Eph. 2.18 through him we have an entrance to the Father by one Spirit Christ is not only medium reconciliationis but he is medium communionis also by his satisfaction the one by his intercession the other Jesus Christ my Beloved hath a double reference to us in the work of satisfaction he is the means of Reconciliation but in all our approaches unto God being reconciled Christ is the medium he it is by whom we have Communion with the Lord. Besides In the fourth place you may draw neer to God because of your conformity to him for we are made partakers of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1.4 and we live the life of God Eph. 4.18 and we have his Image restored 1 Cor. 15.49 Conformity is the ground of communion wheresoever it is Joh. 3.6 and the more Conformity the more Communion we have and when your Conformity shall be perfected so shall your communion be Take that place and it is a choice Scripture in that Zach. 3.7 If thou wilt obey my words keep my charge I will give thee places to walk in among those that stand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter stantes illos who are these Those interpreters conceive to be Angels So Drusius Post mortem anima tua in chorum recipietur c. the Angels and the Saints they are taken into neerest communion So Calvin so that the more Conformity there is the more a man obeyeth God and the more he keepeth Gods charges the more the Lord will delight to give him places to walk in amongst those that stand by Nay In the fifth place you may draw neer to God for though God be in Heaven you may ascend and the soul may be above in Heaven when the body is walking here below there is a double way of the souls assent either in contemplation or affection In contemplation the soul may ascend John in Rev. 4. said I saw a door opened in Heaven and a voice said Come up hither John in his body ascended not but John in contemplation of his heart was above Col. 3 4. A man is worth as much as his love is worth Ezekiel when he was in Babylon by the River Chebar yet he saith the Spirit of God carried him in the visions of God to Ierusalem Ezek. 8.3 in his contemplation at Ierusalem and yet notwithstanding in his body in Babylon by the River Chebar And the soul may ascend in its affection Mat. 6.21 Where a mans treasure is there will his heart be and surely where a mans heart is there is his happiness
The spirit of God came down in the likeness of a Dove A Dove as it is without guile so is it without gall also and a righteous man is not only thus within but in his conversation his light shines before men he is alwayes walking in his uprightness Secondly In his death and so he is said to perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Hebrew is either put for temporall or eternal death Iohn 3.16 that they should not perish but have everlas ting life but here it 's meant of temporal death the disunion between the Soul and the Body and so to perish is to dye Matth 8.25 Master save us else we perish And it 's said also they are taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in unum colligere They are gathered unto their Fathers here in this world they are scattered and some live in one place some in another but death is a gathering there is fasciculus viventium even a bundle of the living as the tares are bound in bundles so is the wheat also Thirdly After his death the Soul in this life is full of trouble here in this life but a little peace enters into him my peace I give unto you but then after this life he shall enter into peace here a little joy enters into him but then he shall enter into the Masters joy for ever and for their bodys they shall rest in their beds as the grave is commonly called it being the sweet sleeping place as 2 Chron. 16.14 it is said of Asa that he slept with his Fathers and they buried him in his own Sepulcher and laid him in a bed which was filled with sweet odors c. Secondly Here is a publick loss bewailed the righteous perish and there is no man that doth apponere cor Mich. 7.1 woe is me for I am as the Summer-gatherings the good man is perished out of the Earth the taking away of the godly is the great loss and matter of great mourning unto those that survive Thirdly Here is a publick and a common evil reproved the foolish and unthankful world is no whit affected with the loss of those of whom the Lord says the world was not worthy of and this want of affection is grounded upon the want of consideration no man lays it to heart no man understood that they were taken away from the evil to come Fourthly Here is a secret of providence discovered godly men are taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à faciebus mali from the evil to come there being a storm coming the Lord doth hasten to gather in the Corne into the barne before-hand That I should speak unto al these cannot be expected at this time there are only three points that I shall pick out of them all First Godly men dye not as other men doe it is peculiar unto them to enter into peace and rest in their bed c. Secondly Godly men are usually taken away in mercy before an evil come Thirdly When they are taken away it should be unto them that survive matter of serious Consideration Affliction and Lamentation First This is made the peculiar portion of the righteous and mercifull men at their death they shall enter into peace Doctrine Godly men dye not as others doe there 's a great difference between them and others in their death There is indeed a great deale of difference between men in their lives they are men of another spirit of another generation they walk by other principles they aim at other ends they live upon other comforts then others doe and therefore they are men of another value and esteem they are the excellent ones when the greatest amongst men if they be wicked are vile persons they are amongst men as gold amongst the dust of the Earth and as diamonds amongst the common pebles in the streets But the great and the grand difference between them is in their deaths there is something in a special maner in death peculiar to the Saints and this we are specially to observe Psal 37.37 the end of that man is peace this Balaam could observe Numb 23.10 There is a death peculiâ—r to the righteous Proverbs 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death The opposition shews the difference When a godly man shall be gathered a wicked man shal be destroyed cast away and when the godly man dyes he dyes in hope but the wicked man at death he breaths out his soul his life and hope together But seeing they do both dye the righteous man as well as the wicked we see also that wise men dye as well as those that are foolish and for the manner of their death to outward view there is a great resemblance Eccles. 2.16 as dyes the fool so also dies the wise man yet there is a great difference Ahab and Iosiah a wicked and a gracious King they both dyed for the manner of their deaths it was much alike they dyed both in War with the same words in their mouthes turn thy hand for I am wounded and yet it s said of the one he dyed and was gathered to his fathers in peace though he dyed in War What is therefore in death that is peculiar to the Saints how dyes the wise man this will be seen in three things First in respect of the persons dying Secondly in respect of death it self Thirdly in respect of the fruit and the consequence of death First In reference unto the person dying for a godly man dyes in the Lord. Rev. 14.13 he doth sleep in Iesus 1. Cor. 15.18 which implies two things First an union with him a being in him Secondly A dying in him by the power and efficacy of the same union now we doe not only reade in Scripture of our being in Christ but also living in him working in him bearing fruit in him c. Now a man doth live in Christ when by the Almighty working of the Spirit of Christ the Graces of Christ appeare in him and he lives no more according to Men in the Flesh but according to God in the Spirit so we are said to die in him when by the Power of the Spirit of Christ by vertue of our union with him we do exercise these dying graces that were in Christ for their be in him living and dying doing and suffering graces and when by vertue of our Union living by the faith of the son of God a man doth exercise these Graces then is a man said to dye in Christ work in him suffer in him live in him so that a godly man dies in the Lord he is one with him and even in death the Mystical union is not dissolved and the dying graces that were in Christ and which a Saint doth receive by vertue of union with him those graces he doth exercise as Christ doth for he dies in him Secondly He dies in Faith First in respect of himself
we might learn to dye well for Heb. 9 27. it is appointed to all men once to dye but death comes not presently and the end of a mans life is that he may consider his latter end Deut. 32.29 men do not live here to get riches and injoy the good things that are present and the pleasures of sin are but for a season this life is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the school of death which teaches men how to dye 2 It is the last act of a mans life the close of all his actions and for a man in his life to burn as a Torch to shine as a light and afterwards to go out in a snuff as the foolish Virgins and the foolish Builders in Iobs affliction there was nothing desirable but yet there was in the end which God made with him that which was very desireable Iulius Caesar when he was taken in the Senate he plucked down the robe he wore about him Ut honestè caderet It is the night that commends the day mark the end of the righteous man his end is peace 3 At death all outward excellencies will leave a man Iob 4.21 their excellency goes away and they dye without wisdom for though there be a flower in the grass which has a glory in it yet Psal 90.11 it quickly comes to nothing so shall all the excellencies that men so pride themselves in their learning parts wisdom and policie knowledge in the Scripture and in the common works of grace it is all but flesh and will take its leave at death and it will be said of you as one of the Antients said of Caesar who was one of the greatest men in the world in his time Ubi nunc pulchritudo Caesaris quò abiit magnificentia tua What is become of his glorious magnificence his Armies Triumphs and Trophies 4 At death your eternal states are cast it is aeternitatis ostium the door of eternity there is a Double time set to the sons of men 1 A time of working 2 A time of rewarding A time of working here they toyl and labo urbut at death the Lord doth call the labourers to give them their hire every man shal have his peny but after death comes judgement there is no more time of working for after death remains nothing but judgement then for ever But what shall a man do that he may be blessed in his latter end I will set before you these five things and the Lord teach you to profit by them 1 Let me exhort you to get union with Christ and thereby thou art translated from death to life for this is a truth no man dyes well that doth not dye in the Lord. What a sad thing is it to think that a second death must follow death rides before and Hell follows after nihil facit mortem malam nisi quod sequitur mortem when death in sin went before and eternal life is not begun in thee 2 Serve thy Generation and thereby lay up a good foundation against that last day Act. 13.36 Fight the good fight and finish thy course be abundant in the works of the Lord It s said of Saul Sam. 13.1,2 he reigned two years over Israel he reigned twenty yeers but after he was rejected of God no more is counted of him nor will it be unto all those that spend their lives unprofitably that are but as empty trees onely serve to cumber the ground are unprofitable both to God and man vita fabula est in qua non refert quam diu sed quam bene 3 Number your days and consider your latter end with Joseph of Arimathea walk with thy Tomb. A man shall not need much Arithmtick to number his days they are so few and yet he will need a great deal of grace to number them they are so evil and so death shall come upon thee not as a stranger but as a friend that brings peace along with him and rest 4 Exercise faith much on the dying graces of Christ and the promises the Lord made Ioh. 16. to all Christians dying as well as living of his fulness we shall receive grace for grace it is our business in this world to be made conformable unto Christ not onely in our life but also at our death and then the Lord says of his people they shall be mine Mal. 3.17 what a glorious creature will a Saint be in that day when God himself looks on him as a Iewel 1 Cor. 3.21 all things are yours then a Saint enjoys perfection enough when he has a full possession of God Psa 16.11 in thy presence are fulness of joys and on thy right hand are rivers of pleasures for evermore and then when a Saint has such a glorious advantage by death shall not we say blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord 5. Lay up a treasury of prayers that thou mayst be fitted for this great change if a man be in any straight or any sad condition nature will prompt him to seek relief and he will take any course that may deliver him out of it especially since God hath made such a promise Call upon me in a time of trouble and I will hear you and if a man be so careful to avoid and prevent these lesser changes that they may not do him harm how much more should he be industriously careful touching this great change Psal 34. the Psalmist begs that he may know his latter end Psa 90.12 so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom and therefore a man should lay up a treasury of prayers in his life time and they will be as so many comforts to him on his death bed he shall then have a gracious answer of all those prayers Vse 2. Let us lay to heart the loss of the righteous man that we be not guilty of that sin condemned in the Text. I know it has been a thing condemned or at least always suspected funeral Panegyricks as being a badge of the false Prophet and by a funeral Oration we do as the Papists do think to send souls to heaven after their death even those that have been posting to hell all their life but yet seeing the name of the righteous is as a precious oyntment poured out and that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints and seeing it was an Antient custom to do the Saints of God honor at their death I think it but our duty to consider of our loss in this brother at this time though it be but to carry a torch after him to his long home first he was a man of a gracious spirit in whom the Lord had wrought the good work and a through work of Regeneration he was one that feared God above many that had truly given up his name to Christ one that had oyl in his vessel and did not onely shine by profession before men one that was not indulgent
laid down these things in the general I hope it will ingage others to look further into them The first by way of Doctrin on this time There shal be a great and a national conversion of the Jews unto the Lord not here and there a man but even multitudes of them a whole Nation all Israel the whole house of Israel shal live they that went before were but as the first fruits Rom. 11.16 if the first fruit be holy so is the lump the harvest therefore all that have been converted is but as the first fruits in comparison of the lump the harvest of that people are yet to come into God Is 66.8 the Earth brings forth in a day and a Nation born at once Esay 49.21 I was desolate and left alone who hath begotten me all these where have they been c. And the grounds are First they do many of them belong to the election of grace God will not cast off his People whom hee knew before and though we can see none yet the Lord looks not as men look he hath 7000 in Israel c. when a man cannot see one and the Elect shall attain mercy for electing love wil follow a man til it overcome him and prevail with him and wil overcome 2dly Austrium Predestinatio electos ad gloriam usque producit By reason of the covenant made with their fathers they are beloved for their fathers sake its true God doth take children into their Parents covenant but they first in the outward priviledges of the covenant then God breaks them off from this also but the Lord hath a time when the covenant shal take place again and it is by vertue of this covenant that they do attain mercy the Lord remembring the covenant made with Abraham and with his seed and therefore he wil not cast away the whole society in the latter dayes he will return unto them again and a redeemer shal come unto them there is a seed of election runs through their fathers loyns and when this seed is brought forth then for their fathers sake they shal be called Vse Such a conversion we should help forward by faith and prayer and so much the rather because the time approaches the promises are even come unto the birth and they do draw on apace Consider these six things first how sweet wil the presence of God then be 2. The Sun shal be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord shal reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously Esay 24. last Then shal it be said the Tabernacle of God is with men 2dly How glorious wil it be to see aboundance of Souls converted every one bearing twins and not one barren amongst them Rev. 15.8 No man was able to enter into the Temple during the time of the Vials now the smoke being gene many enter in 3dly To see Grace acted in the life and in the glory of it which is but little in the Christian Church to see men walk in the povver of the holy Ghost being as Justin Martyr calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how lovely and amiable would the lives of Christians be it shal be as life from the dead as they that have known nay had experience in themselves of another resurrection c. 4thly To see so many lie as dead withered branches upon whom the heart of God was set and were dear unto him they pitied you how much more should you pity them that through your mercy they might attain mercy Rom. 11.31 that is by the sight and the apprehension of the mercy that God hath shewed unto you they may be provoked for to look out for a part in the same mercy that was shevved tovvards you when you were lost the same wil the Lord extend unto them also c. 5thly Consider that their comming in shal be without your loss your comming in was with their rejection the natural branches were broken off that tho◠mightst be grafted in we can knovv no reason for it but admire the Wisdom of God as Christs spirit was not given because Christs spirit was not glorified c. but novv you may be of the same Olive Tree and you may be in the same fold c. 6thly You have great benefits by it you have much profit by their rejection you shal have more by their restoration even life from the dead to you an inriching of the Gentiles with greater riches then the Gentiles can inrich them for the Lord Jesus will in a special manner exalt the Kings of the East Some Objections are to be answered when God gives another opportunity As then suffer them to live among us that they may have the Gospel preached to them that 's the way to their conversion to bring them into our land Ans First if they be here in providence we should not cast them out 2. If the Jews did live among you they were to have by the Law of God no other liberty among Christians then the Jevvish Magistrates were to give the Heathens among the Jews if they were here as they were not to suffer the Gentiles amongst them upon the account of aiming at their good neither might we suffer these among us not to abuse their worship or set up a false worship prophane their Sabboth or blaspheme their God This the Jews permitted not to the Gentiles nor should the Gentiles now permit the Jews 3. The stage place of their conversion shal not be in the Western parts of the world where few of thē are but in the East and North c. Dan. 11.44 it s said tydings out of the East and North shal trouble them as indeed their main residence is in those parts 4. It shal not be by the preaching of the Gospel vvhich is the ordinary way for the Gentiles but the Lord will do it in an extraordinary way A Nation shal be born at once therfore these are but the weak plots or charitable mis-apprehensions of men in this ignorant of the Scripture and all Labours this way will be to no purpose but let thy compassion run out in faith and prayer to bring the promise to the birth c. FINIS Heedless SERVICE Vnacceptable 2 KINGS 10.31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the way of the Lord God of Israel with his heart for he departed not from the sins of Ieroboam which made Israel to sin IN the Text are three things principally contained First a great service performed by Iehu both against the house of Ahab and the house of Baal with the Lords commendation of the same ver 30. that he had done well in executing that which was right in his eyes and had done according to all that was in his heart Secondly a great reward promised by God in Recompence of this service not ex precio operis but ex largitate donantis thy children to the fourth Generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel whoever is
advancement of that people above all other Nations under Heaven but where the Ordinances were corrupted the place is polluted Ier 32.34 and when they were removed the Land was defiled Ezek. 7.22 And if it were so amongst the Jews who had onely Typical Prefigurations of Evangelical Ordinances we may safely conclude it with the Apostle with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How much more must these needs exceed in glory 2 Cor. 3 9. Rom. 1.8 Their faith was spoken of throughout the world there seems to be as one hath observed tacita antithesis fidei imperii and the Apostle seems to intimate that they were never so honoured by their Nation as they were by their faith throughout the world as this is the wisdom so this also is the glory and honour of a people in the sight of the Nations Deut. 4.7,8 If you ask me wherein doth this advancement consist that a people have by Ordinances I answer it doth consist in these six particulars all of them matters of great honour to a people First it is a great honour to any people for the Lord to avouch them publikely to be his people this is the honour of the S t s at the last day when the Lord breaks up the House keeping of this great world he will leave the lumber of it take it who will but the Lord will himself own his Iewels and he will take them and avouch them for his own before the world Mal. 3.17 and this is the advancement of a people by the Ordinances I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 upon this ground the Lord is pleased to speak of them as a people that he did specially own and of them as a people that had special interest in him therefore he is pleased to stile himself the God of Israel the Rock of Israel the hope of Israel and all by reason of the Covenant that he had made with them and the Ordinances that he had stablished amongst them But when once by sin the Ordinances are either corrupted or removed the Lord owns that people no longer Call them Loammi for they are not my people I will not be their God Hos 1.9 In a common calamity it is said Isa 4 1. that seven women shall lay hold upon one man and say we will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach if it were a reproach amongst men not to be called by the name of a Husband what is it when the Lord shall as it were give a people a bill of divorce and say call them Loammi they are not my people I will be stiled their God no more Secondly it is a great honour and advancement unto a people to have God present with them and as it were to reside amongst them this was the advancement of the Jews What Nation is there so great who have God so nigh them as the Lord our God is in all that we call upon him for Deut. 4.7 there the Lord doth promise his presence and his divine blessing In the place where I record my name I will come unto you and there I will bless you Exod. 20.34 And the Lord did never manifest his presence so gloriously as he hath done in the Ordinances of the Gospel 2 Cor. 6.16 Therein we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3.18 What is this glass but the spiritual administration of the Gospel and the Ordinances thereof the vail of carnal stupidity being taken from the heart and we know Quod videtur in speculo imago non est they are the reverberated species of the thing it self and therefore seeing in a glass is the clearest way of vision next to face to face yet thus God vouchsafes his presence to a people in Gospel Ordinances And in these we have the presence of Christ also he walks in the middle of the Golden Candlesticks Rev. 2. whensoever you seek him be sure he is gone down to the Gardens of the beds of spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies Cant. 6.2 insomuch that the Gospel and the Gospel Ordinances thereof are called the face of Christ 2 Cor 4 6. that is that which doth as lively represent his presence unto us as if he were present with us in the flesh so that when a man shall come to behold him in glory and to see him as he is he shall be able truly to say this is the face that long since hath in the Gospel been exhibited unto my faith What shall be the advancement of all the Christians in glory it shall be only the beatifical Vision when they awake to be satisfied with his likeness to see him as he is now if this be begun here in the Ordinances that may be well counted the advancement of a people that is unto them as it were the beginning of eternal glory Thirdly fruitfulness also is unto a people great advancement and on the contrary barrenness is a reproach Gen. 30.23 The Lord hath taken away my reproach but they were never so much honoured by the fruit of their bodies though in that God made good his promise to encrease them as the stars of heaven and as the sand upon the Sea shore yet I say they were never so much honoured by the fruit of their bodies as they were by the fruitfulness of their Ordinances They are therefore called the Bed wherein Christ doth embrace his Church and wherein souls are begotten to the Lord Cant. 2.16 Our bed is green glorious things are spoken of Zion the City of God what be they I will make mention of Rahab Babylon Philistin Tyre with Ethiopia it shall be said this and that man was born in her c. that is though they were strangers unto Zion in their first birth and so children of other Contries but yet for their second birth their new birth they shall know it to be in Zion by means of the Ordinances and she shall be called the mother of them all and this is made the glory of a Church under the Gospel the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning Psal 110.3 that is multitudes shall be born unto it as the drops of the dew that are begotten in the womb of the morning But when the Ordinances are either corrupted or removed Christ meets his Spouse in this bed no more when the son of righteousnes with-holds his beams this dew is not exhaled and a man shall not find a drop falling from the womb of the morning this is a great reproach unto a people Cant. 4.2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing they bear twins and not one is barren amongst them by the teeth of the Church some understand the Ministers quos aliis erudiendis Christus praefecit for the office of the teeth is to chew and to prepare the meat that it may be
pulchrum est digito monstrari c. there goes a rich man a wise man a great Schollar c. but to be pointed at there goes a holy man a diligent hearer a constant frequenter of the Ordinances in the place where Gods honour dwelleth this is an imputation and a matter of disgrace and this especially in any of the higher and the greater sort Salvian It is that which Salvian in his time did complain of p. 113. that if any Noble man or great man begun to be religious statim honorem nobilitatis amittit quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi ubireligio ignobilem facit The same is the disease of the present times that dishonour some men for no cause but because they do honour God of whom the world may truly say Thy God hath kept thee from honour It will appear in the consideration of these things First what a man counts a matter of honour he will not be ashamed to appear to be Paul was not ashamed to preach the Gospel but was abundant in it laboured more then they all why because he counted it the matter of his glory Rom. 15.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was so his labour that he counted it his honour too and that made him so abundant in it he was willing to appear so to be the Martyrs in the Primitive times counted Christianity their honour and therefore they were not ashamed to profess with triumph before their cruellest persecutors Christiani sumus c. but amongst us we find men are loth to be taken notice of for constant preachers for diligent hearers c. because they count it will be a blemish to their names and may be a stop to their honour and preferment in the world c. Thus many a man is by this means kept off from the Ordinances which would be his glory quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne viles habeantur they must be evil or else they say they shall be vile if they be not wicked they say they shall be men of no esteem Surely all those that are ashamed to appear or to be thought holy they count the Ordinances of God their disgrace and not their honour for a good man is that Seneca Epist 81. Seneca boni viri famam perdidit ne perdiret Constantinus let every man look into his own heart whether it be so with him I accuse none but as Salvian saith Salvian Si quis in se esse novit quae loquor non à mea sihi haec lingua dici aestimet sed à conscientia sua not my tongue but his own heart is his accuser Secondly what a man counts his honour that he will have recourse to or setch comfort or encouragement from it in disgrace or any other calamity whatsoever When Mordecay refused to bow to Haman unto what did his heart recoyl in this contempt as he conceived Hest 5.10 it is said that he told his friends of his glory riches multitude of children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes c. and with this he bore up his own Spirit So it will be with the Ordinances if a man make them his glory as the Lord himself tells his people Isa 30.20 though they were not freed from outward afflictions though they were fed with the bread of affliction and the water of trouble yet their Teachers should be removed into corners no more but their eyes should see their Teachers c. and with this the Lord strives to uphold their hearts against all their outward calamities they should be sure of plenty of the bread of life though they did want the staff of bread when a soul is able to turn in upon himself and in any calamity uphold his spirit herewith It is true God feeds me with the bread of affliction but yet my eyes do see my Teachers and can he be hungry that is fed with the bread of life can he fare meanly that is alwaies at a feast of fat things No surely brown bread and the Gospel is rich provision Can he thirst that may at pleasure draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation Can he be poor unto whom is daily offered the unsearchable riches of Christ Can he be sick to whom the Sun of righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings and can he be alone who is come to the innumerable company of Angels or the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven to God the Iudge of all c. Thus we are by Gospel-Ordinances Heb. 12.22,23 Matth. 9.2 Christ saith unto the poor man sick of the Palsey Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee A poor man in sickness and in pain how could he be of good chear yea there is sufficient in the Gospel and the Comforts and Ordinances thereof to chear a mans heart and to bear him up against all the outward sorrows and calamities in the world if a man do make the Ordinances of the Gospel the matter of his honour then they will be his chiefest joy in the best times and his only joy in the worst Thirdly a mans honour and that which he glories in he will lay all at stake to defend the people of Israel counted David a great honour to his Nation as indeed he was and therefore they called him the light of Israel 2 Sam 21.17 and being in battle there came Ishbebenob the Giant and would have slain David but Abishai the son of Zerviah interposed himself rescued the King and slew the Philistine Now when the Giants of the world strike sometimes at one Ordinance sometimes at another and think surely to quench the light of Israel Where is the man that hath interposed himself and born the blow that he might succour the Ordinances Where is the man that is of Saint Bernards mind Bernard Malo in nos murmur hominum quam in Deum bonum est mihi si Deus dignetur me uti pro clypeo Objection But when you have said all the world will never count these Ordinances an honour nor those that do frequent them to be honourable men but either men of mean parts or mean fortunes the instable multitude c. or what ever a man was before he shall never be so esteemed afterward Si honoratior quispiam religio ni se applicuerit Salvian illico honoratus esse desistit Salvian p. 113. Answer But consider First though the world will not so count it yet there is an honour that comes from God only Iohn 5.44 and there is circumcision in the heart and in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. ult There are indeed two great rate Books or counts in which all the persons and actions of men be valued Goâ—s book and the worlds and they set upon persons and actions different rates for that which is highly esteemed amongst
when this Treasure is brought in so that the time in which men fill up the measures of sin and the treasure of wrath this is that which I call an appointed time of sinning Now as some men and some Nations measures and treasures are greater then others so God gives them an appointed time to fill it up and being considered in it self the greatest Iudgement that can befall a man is for the Lord to give unto a man or a Nation a long time of sinning as the time that man hath to sin is but small only during the time of the body for he shall only give an account of the things done in the body not those that are done in statu separato 2 Cor. 5.10 and to a man in the body there is an appointed time under heaven Iob. 7.1 a short time appointed for his being and therefore a short time for his sinning But the Devil hath a large time from the beginning of the world unto the end of it to the day of Iudgement which argues that there is much wrath reserved and prepared for him that must have so long time to enlarge the vessel and fit it to receive it for as gray hairs are a Crown if they be found in the way of righteousness Pro. 16.31 that is it is a special mercy to live long to add to a mans Crown so it is a special curse for a man to go on in evil and yet his daies to be prolonged Eccl. 8.12 Secondly a time of patience when the Lord holds his peace and reproves not Psal 50.21 indeed God is angry with the wicked every morning Psal 7.11 there is not a day that he riseth but a cloud of Gods displeasure riseth over him but yet he deferrs his Iudgement holds his hand there is a time when he is prest under their abominations as a Cart is prest under sheavs Amos 2.13 for to have men go on to sin against him and because Iudgement is not executed speedily therefore to have their hearts fully set in them to do evil and the patience of God to be made the ground and the encouragement of sinning cannot be but a great and a heavy burthen to the patience of God and yet there is a time when the Lord bears and doth not by and by ease himself of his adversaries as he saith in Iudgement he doth Isa 1.24 and it is an ease to him Ier. 32.31 the City of Ierusalem the Lord saith had been a provocation to him from the day that it was built which was many hundred years and yet the Lord had born it and had not removed it out of his sight according as he threatned for to do for there is a season for God to glorifie all his attributes he will make them all exceeding glorious in their time now after this life there shall be time to glorifie Iustice Mercy and Truth but the patience of God can have no place in heaven nothing that shall burthen Gods patience and in hell he will shew forth no patience nothing but wrath to the vessels of wrath it is the breath the fury of the Lord that is a River of Brimstone burning in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 30. ult therefore there must be a time for the Lord to glorifie his patience and a time for Christ to rule in the midst of his enemies and a time for him to rule over them when they shall be made his foot-stool there must be a time for the decree to conceive and to bear before it bring forth Zeph. 2.1 The truth is we consider not what a precious time even the time of patience is to have a poor soul that expects to be executed at last but to have two or three years added to his life by way of a reprival how great a favour doth he esteem it So for a man or a people to have deserved death for the Lord to cut ten or twenty years out of eternity but to respit the Iudgement and give a man but so much time of ease it is a special and extraordinary favour It is not time of slackness but time of patience 2 Pet. 3.9 Thirdly there is a time of repentance when God doth defer and respit the Iudgement after sinning of purpose that man may return and come in Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not the words are Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave it and the principal and proper intent that God had in it was this that they might have time to repent come in and make their peace in a time wherein the Lord calls men to repentance by the ministery of the word stretching out his hands all the day long Ier. 32.33 when the Lord calls to weeping mourning baldness and sack-cloath Isa 22.7 a time when the Lord strives inwardly with the spirit of a man to bring him to a sight of sins and sorrow for them a time when if men seek him he will be found Isa 55.6 and when though the Lord do threaten never so severely it is but with condition of repentance and if then they will come forth and take hold of his strength and make peace with him they shall make peace according to his promise Isa 27 5. when though there be a cloud of blood hang over a people and grievously threaten danger but yet it is but conditional and if they return and repent they shall make their peace and God will be again reconciled and the judgement shall not come as we see in Nineveh for that only I call time of repentance when there is hope of mercy else repentance will not profit for it comes too late Fourthly the time of patience and repentance have their periods indeed these times are not of the same length to all to some God shew◠but a little patience and to others a great deal riches of patience and forbearance that though they do evil a hundred times yet their daies are prolonged so for repentance some have but a winters and others a summers day but when these are longest yet there is a time when they will expire and time shall be no more they have their fixed and set bounds that they cannot pass First time of repentance for though the spirit may strive and strive long yet he saith he shall not alwaies strive Gen. 6.3 and though if in the day of repentance men do come in he will turn from his fierce wrath Isa 55.6 Yet if this time be past there is a time when the Lord will not be found Ierusalem had the day of her visitation wherein she might have known the things belonging to her peace but a great while before the Iudgement came they were hid from her eyes Luke 19.42 Secondly it is true the time of patience may last longer then the time of repentance for God may with-hold his hand even when Judgement is determined against a people but yet the time of patience will not alwaies last the longest day