CHRIST DISPLAYED AS THE Choicest Gift and Best Master From Ioh. 4.10 Ioh. 13.13 Being some of the last Sermons Preached by that faithful and industrious Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. NATHANEEL HEYWOOD Sometime Minister of the Gospel at Ormeschurch in Lancashire 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and hlm crucified Salvian de Gubern Dei Lib. 4. In id penitus deducta res est ut sicut de Paganis Barbaris priùs diximus Christi nomen non videatur jam Sacramentum esse sed sermo Nam in tantum apud plurimos nomen hoc parvi penditur ut nunquam minus cogitent quippiam facere quam cum se jurant per Christum esse facturos LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1679. To the Worshipful HENRY HOGHTON Esq And the Lady STANLEY His Vertuous Consort Worthy SIR MADAM I Presume to affix your Venerable Names in the Frontispiece of this Treatise not upon my own account or upon any such interest I can challenge in your Worships being much unknown to you but as acting the part of the deceased Author who had upon great reason conceived a very high estimation of you as I doubt not but your respects to him were reciprocal being grounded both upon long acquaintance and experience of each other his discourse of you with grateful acknowledgments of your multiplied kindness to his person and family in my hearing and his affectionate prayers for you were clear testimonies that you were engraven upon his heart and if his unparallel'd modesty had permitted him to have committed any thing to the Press doubtless his cordial affection would have issued it self in such an Epistolary inscription But since I am necessitated to supply his place in handing these Discourses to the World I prostrate this exposed Orphan at your feet and question not your candid reception and resolute protection of what was the genuine product of his mind and mouth which I will confidently assure you these Treatises are both for matter method words without the least addition substraction or alteration being taken out of his own notes as he preacht them writ at large with his own hand The matter of these Sermons is of greatest moment and importance fundamental truths they are of the gift of God in our blessed Redeemer and Christs Lordship and Soveraignty which are truths of the first magnitude most necessary like wool and corn the staple-commodities of this Kingdom like bread and salt that must be set upon the Table like ground-Cells upon which lyes the weight of the fabrick these are comprehensive and extensive truths without this gift sinners had not been pardoned accepted without this Lordship souls would wander and rebel the former brings us into favour with God the latter conquers rebellious wills subdues enemies regulates Saints and crowns them with glory The manner of handling these subjects is plain exact nervous and very pathetical which took great impression on the hearers vvhen first delivered with the lively voice of that fair spokesman for Christ whose heart was much taken with this lovely and beloved Lord and took great delight to recommend him to poor sinners which he did with great advantage and success whereby he became a spiritual father of many children whom he begot in the bonds of the Gospel Indeed he excelled others in other subjects but in this he excelled himself especially in this swan-like song which savours of Heaven and seems to be calculated for the height of Sion to be sung by that heavenly host in the praises of our dear Redeemer But neither do these weighty subjects nor the lively colours wherein they are set off need my recommendation nor yet the Authors gifts graces industry fidelity and other imitable properties well known to you and all that were acquainted with him need at all be mentioned by me at least at this season his singular accomplishments and conversation shine too bright to be darkened by any black-mouth'd Momus as his soul and body are beyond the reach of Satan and Sorrow so his name is above any just censures and calumnies I make bold to put these Posthumous works into your hands may your Worships in the first place reap the benefit and by your experiments thereof in your souls and conformity thereto in your lives incourage others to come and see how good our Lord Jesus is this is a lovely Song of one that could play well on an instrument may your hearts eccho to this Gospel-tune here 's solid food well cookt rendred delectable with the sweet sauce of acceptable words may your stomacks be keen and sharp and nourisht by it to eternal life These are goads and nails fastened by this master of assemblies now rewarded by his Master given out by one shepherd may Gods Spirit fasten them as a nail in a sure place upon many consciences I have then attained my ends in this undertaking may God be thereby glorified and souls edified we have enough The Lord bless you both and make you rich blessings to your Country in your publick domestical and personal station and relation The Lord drop down this choice gift into your laps and hearts that you may give up your selves to him again as his bored devoted servants for ever God Almighty that hath been the stay of your Youth be also the staff of your old age and maintain you as choice instruments of his glory in the land of the living and in a good old age conduct you through the valley of the shadow of death into the land of life so prayeth Your Worships humble Servant in our Dearest Lord O. H. Febr. 1. 1678 9. To the CHRISTIAN READER especially the Inhabitants of the Town and Parish of Ormeschurch and the places adjacent Grace Mercy and Peace My dearly beloved in our dearest Lord IT is an astonishing Providence that in such a day of Epidemical sinning general fears of approaching Iudgments and great necessity in most places God should thus weaken our strength undermine the fabrick by cutting off so many faithful Shepherds in so short a space therein seeming as if he would make a way to his wrath But as your dark parts have more need of such faithful Watchmen so you are most emptied God having of late renewed his witnesses against you and broken you with breach upon breach before your eyes were fully wiped for one loss another follows at the heels like Job's messengers bringing the sad tidings of the death of another gracious Minister and this last is not the least under which you lye bleeding It is true on his account that 's gone you have no reason to lament God hath put a blessed end to his torturing pains of body perplexing thoughts of heart and indefatigable labours in the Ministry and crown'd him with glory the sharper was his passage the sweeter is his present repose he finds himself abundantly rewarded God made great
Christ is gone who is the only Sun of Righteousness his life is the light of men Ioh. 14.5 9. he saith of himself Ioh. 8.12 I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life that lights men to heaven to eternal light and life In the dark thou art in danger of mistaking thy friend for thy foe and thy foe for thy friend Iob took God for his enemy in his dark and dismal state and Satan may transform himself into an Angel of light and wofully deceive thee Besides he that walks in darkness is in danger of two evils 1. Of falling into sin into some dirty distemper lust or other if a man walks in darkness without a guide he knows not whether he goes Ioh. 12.35 he is apt to stumble and fall 2. Of declining into error no better way to escape wandring into ways of error and by-paths of Heresie than to keep close to Christ holding fast the head Col 2.19 O then keep Christ. 3. He is thy rock and refuge all thy safety is in him the Lord is a sun and a shield Psal. 84. and wilt thou in the open field in the midst of thy mortal enemies strip thy self of thy best armour and leave thy self naked and exposed by letting go Christ who is thy buckler and defence Whose name is a strong tower unto which the righteous flee and are safe O do not part with thy Sheild whatever comes that was it Soldiers in old time stuck to above all and would lose their life rather than it When Satan the Flesh and the World set upon thee all armed foes wilt thou not take unto thee and keep this armour of God Psal. 27.5 In the time of trouble he shall hide thee in his Pavilion and in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide thee he shall set thee up upon a Rock enter into this Rock and hide thy self in the clefts of this Rock he will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on him because he trusteth in him the Lord Iehovah is the Rock of ages Isa. 26.3 4. 4. He is thy strength the sap and principle of activity and fruitfulness without him thou can bear no fruit do nothing Ioh. 15.4 5 For as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me and I in you Without me you can do nothing that is spiritually good and acceptable to God I am like a green fir-tree from me is thy fruit found Hos. 14.8 While Christ is in the Soul it is exceeding active vigorous and nimble kept above sloth and sluggishness but when he withdraws himself how dull and unactive is the soul and barren unprofitable 't is Winter with it He is thy strength how weak and poor is the soul without Christ the smallest corruption iâ— too hard for and will over wrestle the strongest Christians without Christ he is the strength of Israel 1 Sam. 15.29 We are without strength Rom. 5.6 but in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa. 45. â—4 Christ is the strength of his heart and his portion for ever Psal. 73.25 and therefore he should say with the Psalmist Whom have I in heaven but thee c. Will you that have such great work to do so heavy burdens to bear let go your strength 5. He is thy glory and excellency the beauty of a Christian is in Christ he defaceth and debaseth himself if he let go Christ. Isa. 60.19 The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory When a mans glory is gone what remains he hath nothing but what he is ashamed of Prov. 4.7 8 9 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and withal thy getting get understanding Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her she shall give to thine head an ornament of grace A crown of glory she shall deliver to thee So that when Christ is gone the Crown of our head is fallen he is our garment not only for ornament but use Rom. 13. ult Put on the Lord Jesus Christ Isa. 61.10 he is a garment of salvation and robe of righteousness 6. He is thy meat thy food therefore keep him Ioh. 6.35 51 I am the bread of life he that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst A body may be better without meat than a sensible sanctified soul without Christ. A dead body may be long enough without but a living body cannot endure long without sustenance if thou be a living Soul O never part with thy meat but eat that which is good and let thy soul delight it self in fatness No sooner does a man cease from feeding but he immediately declines and dies If you could imagine a Believer broken off from Christ and drawing no nourishment from him for one moment what a withering dying person would he be O Siâ—s the life strength fruitfulness and comfort yea your all is in Christ and secured by your holding him if that fail all would fail 7. He is thy heat as the Sun is for the heat as well as for the light of the world What a cold frozen world would it be were it not for the Sun what a cold season does its further distance from us cause in our Horizon but the nearer the Sun is to us the greater the heat as in Summer if thy soul have not Christ to warm thee thou wilt be starved to death If two lie together then they have heat but how can one be warm alone Eccles. 4. 11 How can thy soul be warm if Christ be departed from thee O what a chilling coldness comes on the Soul when Christ goes away what aguish fits and starving coldness seizes on the whole Soul and every grace when this Sun draws in its beams and influences at the best there will be a Laodicean lukewarmness 8. Christ is thy health and one that understands himself will let go any thing rather than health for that 's the marrow and sweetness of all other comforts of life Wisdom is health or medicine to all flesh Prov. 4.22 and 3.8 it shall be health to thy Navel and marrow to thy Bones It is the watering moistness and fatness of the Soul Christ is as necessary for health to the Soul that 's sick and wounded as Medicine for the sick and a Plaister for the wounded body the Soul cannot be sound without him So long as you preserve him you 'l be strong and sound strong to do and strong to suffer but if yoâ— lose him you 'l be no better than Sampson when his strength was departed from him Iudg. 16.19 What is cutting off the hair to divulsion and separation from your head 9. He is thy heritage so the Church
3.26 Who could repair the Image of God in us and restore the life of Grace when we were dead but Christ by his Spirit How could we ever put off the old man and put on the new die to sin and live unto God were it not for Christs death and resurrection Had not he sanctified himself for our sakes we had never been holy had he not born the punishment we deserved we had never been happy was not he given that whosoever believed on him might not perish but have everlasting life Tell me you that think Christ is a person that may be well spared c. who could ever have opened the eyes of the blind the ears of the deaf or healed a wounded spirit Who could have bound up a broken heart opened the Prison-dores broken off the chains of bondage and proclaimed liberty to the captives Who could have satisfied infinite justice born the weight of Gods Wrath removed the curse of the Law made reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness certainly none but Christ. 8. Christ is a most gainful gift He is absolute and universal gain Christ is the most profitable gift to the soul that can be injoyed yea that can be imagined nothing more commodious nothing more enriching than Christ is to them that have him There is no man rich without Christ neither is there any poor that have him a man without Christ is a beggarly bankrupt but one that hath Christ is a wealthy King He that hath Christ hath all he that hath not him hath nothing Christ is not gain as worldly things are profitable in relation to their ends as wealth is good to supply want food to maintain life clothes to keep off cold air a bed to rest weary limbs but Christ is a rich and inestimable treasure to the soul without reference to any further end than himself he is to be desired even for himself his merchandise is better than silver and his gain than fine gold Prov. 3.14 Man knows not the price of wisdom of this wisdom Prov. 8.18 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx and Saphire there is no talking nor bidding in this Market so precious is this corner-stone No mention shall be made of corral or of pearls for the price of wisdom is above rubies The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold c. Job 28.18 19. What the Apostle saith of godliness is very true of Christ he is profitable for all things and he is gainful at all times and to all persons both for soul and body for the life that now is and the life that is to come and for ever The salvation of the soul is better than the gaining of a whole world What is a man profited if he gain the world and lose his soul How much more gain then is he by whom a world of souls are saved 9. Christ is a most suitable gift He suits all persons and all conditions whether a man be poor or rich young or old noble or ignoble learned or unlearned bond or free high or low the richest have need of him as well as the poorest and the meanest may have him as well as the greatest be in what condition or relation soever he is suitable to all And O! how suitable is Christ to the lost condition of all men by nature man is an enemy to God Christ is the Peace-maker he is a Captive Christ is a Redeemer he is lost Christ a Saviour he is sick Christ a Physician he is dead Christ gives life he is poor Christ gives riches he is weak Christ is strength he is guilty Christ hath righteousness he is filthy Christ hath blood to wash him in he is naked Christ hath a Garment to cloath him he is hungry Christ is the Bread of Life he is thirsty Christ gives living waters O! how suitable how acceptable is Christ to poor sinners He that hath Christ may say here 's strength to support me Wisdom to direct me Power to protect me Gold to inrich me Cordial to comfort me and Fulness to supply all my wants He is made all things to all men eyes to the blind feet to the lame and a Father to the poor Christ is for every turn and fitted for every condition be it what it will or can he hath a sufficiency relative and suitable to it there 's no disease but this Physician can cure it no Case but this Counsellor can resolve it no Enemy but this Champion can conquer no difficulty but this mighty Saviour can overcome 10. Christ is a most seasonable gift Every thing is beautiful in its season all other things have their several seasons as food is good but 't is when a man is hungry so cloaths when a man is naked Physick when a man is not well Musick when a man is merry now Christ is never out of season A gift bestowed in the nick of time is most valued Bis dat qui cito dat 't is a double favour when done in time the right timing of things is a high point of practical wisdom and puts a beauty and value upon all things Now considering the state of man as lapsed Christ was the most seasonable gift that ever the world heard of This is set forth in the Parable Luk. 10.30 A certain man went down from Ierusalem to Iericho and fell among thieves which stripped him wounded him and left him half dead c. The man that travelled was our first Parent Adam the Thieves were the Divels who deprived him of all wounded him and left him not half but wholly dead the Priest and Levite came by and looked on but passed away neither would nor could help him but the good Samaritan so esteemed by the Iews Christ he comes had compassion on him went to him bound up his wounds with his own soft hands poured in Wine and Oyl and brought him to an Inn and took care for him that he should want nothing towards his recovery takes the whole charge of it to himself What can be imagined more seasonable than for such a compassionate Physitian to come by look on and undertake when a man lyes bleeding and dying in the high way Ezekiel 16 beginning doth excellently express the seasonableness of his coming to us Christ is sent to us when we are at an utter loss can neither help our selves nor all the world do us any good give the least relief When he comes into the world it is said Heb. 10.5 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure all the world was at a loss to please God What shall man do and whither will he fly for help Then even then said I lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me to do thy will O God Christ comes in the very nick of time when all mankind was ready to perish
and Master to guide and govern your hearts and thoughts and lives by his Laws and Statutes and is it your ordinary purpose desire and endeavour to obey him even when he commands the hardest duties and those which most cross the desire and interest of the flesh and 't is your sorrow when you break your resolutions herein then Christ is yours But if you are only content to be saved by him from Hell when you dye in the mean time he shall command you no further than will stand with your credit or pleasure or worldly estate and ends and did never heartily consent that he should rule over you nor resign up your souls and bodies to be governed and disposed by him nor took his Word for a Law and Rule of your thoughts and actions but if he would give you leave you had rather live after the world and flesh than after the Word and Spirit he is not yet yours though you may in words call him Lord and Master yet in your works you deny him He is his Friend and Disciple that keeps his commandments Iohn 15.7 14 but they that would not hearken to his voice would none of him he gave them up to their own hearts lusts Psal. 8.11 3. Have you received the Spirit of Christ The Apostle makes the former and this characters of such as have received Christ. 1 Joh. 3.24 He that keepeth his commandments dwells in him and Christ in him hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Well then do ye obey the Laws of Christ and walk in his ways conform to his example and live the life of Jesus He that doth not thus may say he abides in Christ but he doth but say so 't is not so in truth and reallity 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abides in Christ ought to walk as he walked Further Let me ask you the question the Apostle asked the Disciples at Ephesus Acts. 19.2 Whether have you received the Holy Ghost If God have given Christ to you Christ hath given you his holy Spirit For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit The Spirit not as residing in Christ but as given to us is an evidence that we have received Christ. Well then let every one of you be now inquisitive and put such interrogatories as these to himself Have I the Spirit is he given to me doth he dwell in my soul have I the spirit of illumination and revelation Eph. 1.17 Do I see such things as I never saw before as the inexpressible vileness and loathsomness of sin the greatest beauty in holiness c. Have I the spirit of life in Christ Jesus to quicken me and raise me up from the dead Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 3.6 Have I felt the spirit of conviction to convince me of sin righteousness and judgment Iohn 16.8 The spirit of grace and supplication stirring up to and assisting in that heavenly duty of Prayer Zech. 12.10 The spirit of holyness to sanctifie me 1 Pet. 1.2 to mortifie my sins and corruptions Rom. 8.13 and work up my heart to all holy obedience Ezek. 36.27 Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind is Gods Image repaired in me am I transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Am I growing in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord Do I walk in all Gods Ways and Statutes freely regularly constantly Am I willing to sacrifice an Isaac a Benjamin an Absolom a Delilah Herodias and hew with Samuel delicate Agag in pieces or with David keep my self from mine own iniquity Is the old man dead the flesh with all its cursed retinue mortified do I detest and loath every sin in thought word and deed and that not so much for its effects as for its nature and hate it rather as Hell than for Hell Enquire what do you find of these high and gracious operations oâ— the spirit in your selves he is always an active working Spirit is he so in you Doth he raise your hearts to heavenly things and draw forth your souls to Christ O deal faithfully with your own souls let the search be deep and thorow go to the bottom of your deceitful hâ—arts bring things to an issue be sure that you be not mistaken 4. If Christ be received there will be a more earnest intent desire and breathing of soul after him he that hath once tasted the sweetness of his grace and seen the splendor of his beauty will be so far from being satisfied that he will still more and more thirst after him the more excellency the soul apprehends in him the more vehement and restless are his desires towards him Thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 2.3 4 5 â—he had a glance of him and cries out As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons Here the Spouse seems to be strongly moved with affection and before her beloved had well ended his speech breaks out into an affectionate Elogy of him which she is not able to express but conquered with her own passion she sits down and breathes for comfort I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Here the soul receives and applys Christ with sweet rellish to her palate comfort to her heart He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love she still tasts more of the riches of his Grace and what was the effect of this did she surfeit with eating his fruit and banquetting no she is more ravisht with desire Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love I am wounded nay slain as some Interpreters with love which by the sweet vehemency and insatiability of it makes the heart to burn and weep groan and sigh to forget all and drive away all but him on whom alone she fixeth and would rest but cannot center till she enjoy him in glory till then she is sick and weary and lives not in her self but in him in whom her life is hid As Plato defines love an ardour or flame of a soul dead in its own body and living in another One thus writes to his friend I have for the present a sick life much pain and love-sickness for Christ. O what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in his bosom O when shall we meet O how long is it to the dawning of the marriage-day O sweet Lord Iesus take wide steps O my beloved come leaping over the mountains of separation O that he would fold the heavens together like an old cloak and shovel time and days out of the way and come away Well have you pain and sick-nights for Christ do your thoughts continually run on
such as are strong and crafty many motives to serve him but he cannot furnish them with strength or craft to serve But our Lord Christ sometimes chuseth the simplest the meanest the plainest men fisher-men to do his work for he can give gifts to men which they have not and raise the parts which they have he can make himself a Mercury a messenger out of any block Christ can send a fool of his errand and cause him to do it wisely He can cause the stammering tongue to speak plain and the plainest man to speak the highest Rhetorick when Moses complains of a slow tongue he can say I will be thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Exod. 4.12 If he finds us not fit to do his business he can make us fit If Christ please he can make a man master of his trade before or as soon as ever he is servant to it Thus without the wisdom of the world Christ overcomes the wisdom of the world and by the foolishness of Preaching as men count foolishness saveth those that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 The foolishness of God is wiser than men i.e. those instruments which Christ employs how foolish soever men count them shall foil all the wisdom of man Uses of this Doctrine That Christ is a true Believers Lord and Master 1. Use of Information and Instruction 1. It informs us that Christ is Lord as well as Jesus our Soveraign as well as our Saviour He is both Lord and Christ Act. 2.36 And we are not only to look at benefit by him but service to him and not only come to him as Zebedees Sons Mar. 10.35 saying Master we would that thou shouldst do for us whatsoever we shall desire but with Saul fall at his feet saying Lord what wouldst thou have us to do we will do for thee whatsoever thou shalt command We should not only come to him for ease for our souls but to take his yoke on our necks and follow him Mat. 11.28 29. Men would have Christ to redeem them and Satan rule them Christ to save sin to lord it If it be not the language of their tongues yet 't is of their lives with most men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19.14 there it sticks the carnal mind is enmity to the Law lust cannot endure restraint and therefore men most oppose Christs Nomothetick power and carnal hearts are ready to say our lips are our own who is lord over us to be controul'd for every word every thought every action we cannot endure it O consider Christ hath many enemies but they are his chief enemies that withstand his reigning Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and stay them before me By becoming Christs servants we do not cast off but only change our yokes 2. It 's not enough to be in the Church and outwardly admitted and stiled Christs servants but we must be really his and in heart Christ keeps no servants only to wear a livery cloak for security in sinning As he is not a titular Lord so neither are his servants titular servants to speak service and live in opposition to him to call him master and do the work of his enemy to be in the skin a Christian and in the core a heathen to have an outside verbal complimental profession and contradict it with an unholy conversation is no better than a renouncing of Christ. 'T is no advantage to bear the marks of Christ in our bodies and to have no fruit of it in our souls this is but to clothe our selves with the leaves of the vine without partaking of the sap Paganism and loose profession shall fare alike when Christ comes to judgment 3. There are divers kinds of Christs servants and there will be great diversity in their end 1. Some for honour some for dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 as vessels in an house 2. Some sincere and good some evil and unprofitable Mat. 24.46 48. some faithful and wise and are found well doing some evil and riotous Mat. 25.21 26. some good and faithful some wicked and sloathful and unprofitable 3. Some Temporary that abides not in the house for ever some that abide there Ioh. 8.35 There will be great diversity found betwixt Christs servants in the end betwixt those that only cry Lord Lord and those that do the will of God Mat. 7.22 23 24.47 51. He shall make the one ruler over his goods the other cut him asunder Mat. 25.21 28 30. 4. It may inform us what the state of a Christian is 1. He is not his own not sui juris but a servant to Christ 1 Cor. 6.19 Ye are not your own and 1 Cor. 7.22 He that is most free in other respects is Christs servant no man can have any propriety in himself or power over himself but what is derived from this absolute Lord and stands in full subordination to him Therefore it belongs to Christ to be the absolute disposer of us and all things he may do with his own what he pleases and use it to the pleasure of his own will who would interpose or any way hinder Christ from the free disposal of his own not any co-partner for there is none nor we our selves for we are wholly his therefore it is not possible for him to do us any wrong however he shall use us therefore no man should repine at his disposal of him but all should acquiesce in his disposing will nor do any thing for selfish ends which is injurious to the will or interest of Christ. Christ hath full power to do what he lift with us or ours How far should any of his servants be from expecting that he should give an account of any of his actions to them it should suffice them that whatever befalls them it is from the Lord. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away whensoever he removes any comforts if we find our selves too ready to say to instruments as the owners of the Colt What d◠ye loosing or removing it we should be silenced though not with that answer which was returned by the Disciples to them the Lord hath need of it yet with this he sees it needful for us that thus it should be whensoever he commands the hardest duties inflicts the smartest stripes c. every servant of Christ should stop their murmuring-mouths with this the Lord will have it thus and as Act. 21.14 The will of the Lord be done 2. Neither are the good things we possess our own he that is not owner of himself is owner of nothing all that we have is properly his as well as we for no man can have more title to any thing than to himself we have not any thing nor can have which is not as much from Christ as we so is not as much his Therefore we should not dispose of any thing we have but for his interest and
use of him here and hath now taken him home to himself His afflictions temptations oppositions were above the ordinary rate which as they assimilated him to his Master so they promoted his greater usefulness here and fittednes for heaven the lintel-stones and pillars of the new Ierusalem suffer more knocks of Gods hammer and tool than the common side-wall stones God wearied him out of this world and made heaven welcome wish him not here again but labour to improve this dreadful breach by remembring his Doctrine imitating his exemplary practice and understanding Gods design in this so amazing stroke search out that Achan that hath troubled your camp lay to heart sin reform your lives live up to the Doctrines you have been taught and do these in particular which are here presented to your view and I am confident will be acceptable to you though wanting the warming-accent of his lively voice which was full of sparkling spirits you must see his face hear his voice no more in your solemn assemblies but yet this Elijah as he mounted up to heaven in a chariot of fire dropped down this paper-mantle amongst us which by the spirit of grace concurring may divide the swelling-waves of Jordan I mean separate betwixt precious souls and those abominations which at this day overflow all banks and bounds Oh that Gods Spirit may by these conduits convey spiritual life and marrow into your souls that you may live though Ministers die they die civilly naturally may you live spiritually eternally This servant of God spent himself as a candle to give you light if ever it might be said of a mortal man as of our Saviour The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up it may be said so of this choice servant of God who spent and was spent for souls who counted not his life dear unto him that he might finish his course with joy in labours more abundant But I purposely wave what concerns his person at present leaving a rough draught of his smooth life to a fitter season All I shall add is to give a brief account of these ensuing Treatises As to the printing of them though Solomon caution his Son against making and reading many Books Eccles. 12.12 yet that only sounds a retreat to luxuriant wits in a scribling age as to writing upon some subjects or for vain glory but doth not simply condemn writing Books which hath been the key of discipline an Herauld of the Gospel and a notable mean to propagate true Religion As for these discourses upon common subjects I pickt them out of a vast bundle of variety of excellent discourses upon such accounts as these 1. Because I do not remember any such full Treatises upon these heads 2. Yet they are needful and useful pleasant and profitable 3. They are handed out in a taking-method and manner 4. His heart was much carried out in preaching Christ to sinners he professed most delight in it these Sermons then are the lively idea of his Gospel spirit 5. God made them savoury and delectable in their first verbal delivery and why not upon a second review 6. This servant of God is likely to preach no more but hereby being dead he yet speaketh 7. The importunity of such friends as deserved to be gratified extorted this labour of love to the souls of sinners nor shall it repent us to expose it naked to the worlds censures so it may by Gods blessing profit any For Treatises themselves though carried on by way of similitude and resemblance yet are not therefore to be despised or rejected the Prophets used similitudes Lumen supernum nunquam desendit sine indumento Rab. Cup. in Synt. Apost p. 177 178. Christ preacht much in Parables and this way sweetly instills Truths with delight and clearness into the mind and affection so that Cyprian's caution be well regarded that they be not stretcht too far He instanceth in leaven I may instance in this gift of God Iesus Christ is not so a gift but that he is also a Lord not to be ruled by us but to rule us To us a Son is given Isa. 9.6 but how that yet the government might be upon his shoulder As he is the Lords Christ so he is Christ the Lord who will rule where he rests and reign where ever he is received he will be Lord as well as Life a Master as well as a Treasure he will sway his righteous scepter over us as well as vouchsafe his glorious benefits to us he expects we should be his servants as well as his friends we must be the Lords Nethinims given to God yea by our selves as we expect this blessed Donative from God he that will not be ruled by his golden scepter shall be crushed by his iron rod. And as Iesus Christ is a gift so he is food bread of life heavenly manna yet this must not be stretcht too far for in this he is contrary to ordinary corporal food for though he feed souls he turns them not they him into his holy heavenly nature Christ as the gift of God is the matter of this feast Christ as Lord is the master and maker of this feast All this must be understood suitable to the majesty of the Son of God and according to the nature of Metaphors otherwise saith Cyprian If they were the same they were not examples but the things rather which they illustrate But all these similitudes fall infinitely short of the perfection of him who is above finite excellencies Nec similitudinem substantiae in facturis suis habere potest ille qui factor est omnium All I shall add further on this account is that caution of his in a like case Et jam hoc loco mundior auditus requiritur purior sensus Let your senses be raised to spiritual objects Having hinted a few words concerning the Author and Treatises give me leave having this fair opportunity to be speak the once constant attenders upon this good mans Ministry and those are either sinners or Saints As for unconverted sinners that attended such powerful awakening preaching and have sitten out these loud calls and pathetical intreaties and rational Interrogatories Perswasives Expostulations I may now say Lord have mercy upon you your case is miserable hath your Minister killed himself to save your souls and yet will you not be saved have you worn him to the stumps and quenched his natural light with your spiritual deadness Have you stifled all those convictions you have had under his Ministry And have you not reason to fear that Gods Spirit will strive with you no more Where will you find such another upright Nathaneel such a rouzing Boanerges such a melting Barnabas Shall he that studied travelled sweat wept sigh'd and suffered be brought in as a testimony against you He was mighty in prayer were you stupid when he wrestled with God for you and was loath to be put off without a soul at a Sermon Did you look about
you as persons unconcerned in Prayer Sermons and compassionate workings of his soul for you God knows and you shall know there hath been a Prophet amongst you he hath washt his hands from the guilt of your blood by faithful warnings your blood be upon your own heads yea may not his blood come to be upon your heads Yea may not the guilt of the blood of the Son of God be required at your hands And have you worn out man are you not content to weary men but will you weary out God also Shall Christ weep over you as over Jerusalem and say as Luk. 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Though you cannot hear your former Minister's living voice yet I send you one summons more to your eyes in his own words if this will not prevail expect to hear another manner of message from the great Jehovah Cut them down for they cumber the ground bind them hand and foot and cast them into the fire 1. Is there not yet some ignorant souls among you that have not the knowledg of God Christ Gospel mysteries And if you know not this gift of God no wonder you slight it if you know not the worth of this jewel or your need of it you cannot esteem or desire it a blind man cannot distinguish colours swallows many a gnat knows not whither he goeth God complains His people are destroyed for lack of knowledg Hos. 4 6. Solomon saith Without it the heart is not good Prov. 19.2 The Apostle saith If our Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 And the Prophet saith He will have no mercy on a people that have no understanding Isa. 27.11 Alas the whole soul is misguided with this blind guide the will is perverted affections ranging conscience dictates amiss for its a witness but to what it knows and thy clock cannot go if the weights be taken off God Almighty pity you it's a shameful thing to be ignorant but it 's damnning to be wilfully ignorant yea it will aggravate damnation 1 Cor. 15.34 Oh now at last ply your work read pray confer meditate One would think the poor prisoner should take pains to learn to read that knows he must be hanged if he cannot read his neck-verse but if you be negligent God may seal you up in darkness and say if any be ignorant let him be ignorant 1 Cor. 14.38 2. Is any among you an hypocrite that makes a fair shew in the flesh that paint your outsides with a goodly garnish of common gifts and outside duties that have owned your godly Minister living and honour his memorial now dead but have not obeyed from the heart the Doctrine which he delivered or have not been delivered into the form of Gospel-doctrine that are one thing before others in meetings another thing alone and in your families that can down with some common acts of religiousness but slight self-denying flesh-displeasing duties totally unacquainted with heart-work and mortifying special lusts yea rather use duties as a cloak to cover sin than spiritual armour to fight against it Alas how many is there that were baptized in infancy join with Christians as with a party or faction slide into a profession that never came in by the door of regeneration and so deceive themselves and others Ministers judg charitably of Professors know not mens hearts and though they express their jealousie and so give faithful cautions yet encourage good beginnings and hopeful shews in such an evil day as this is but may be mistaken for who would judg him an enemy that marcheth after Christ in duties wears his colours learneth his postures hath got the word keeps his rank converseth with Saints in a religious habit and language yet such may be hypocrites and prove apostates witness Judas Simon Magus Demas Himeneus Philetus c. Oh Sirs as you love your souls see to the truth of grace the root of the matter be as good or better than you seem the heart-searching God knows your home-behaviour and sees how your principles are stated and as you would see Gods face and meet your godly Minister with comfort be sincere and single-spirited 3. Are any amongst you worldlings addicting your selves to pursue and dote upon the profits of the world That spend most of your time in lading your selves with thick clay and panting after the dust of the earth are these things satisfactory Have you ever weighed them in the ballance of rectified reason did you never hear of better things Did you ever hear that riches made men happy Have you not seen riches take wings and leave the possessor Or have you not seen the rich die as well as poor and leave their wealth behind them Alas the world was never true to any that trusted to it It 's a sad thing to see men almost pressed to death still call for more weight to see persons full of drink greedy of more and complaining they die for thirst Oh but saith Christ I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Ioh. 6.35 The enjoyment of Christ quencheth worldly thirst the Lord awake your spirits to see how vast a distance there is betwixt earth and heaven and stir up your spirits to a proportionable care about soul-concernments 4. Is there a slothful careless or discouraged soul among you that loves his ease better than life that will not take the pains to be saved or that is not resolved for heaven but in suspense as halting bâ—twixt two opinions could have a months mind after Christ were it not for the inconveniences that attend him difficulties in Religion discourage them and having much sense which bears sway distrust prevails and shouts faith to the heart so that the poor soul falls stat at Satans feet grows listless to duty as one who sees the Well dry breaks or throws away his pitcher some are ready to say as those Jer. 2.25 when God saith With hold thy foot from being unshod i. e. do not by putting off thy shoos address thy self to a slothful or an adulterous bed and thy throat from thirst i. e. forbear thy sinful thirst and desires after idols and vanities but thou saidst there is no hope it's to no purpose past cure past care I have loved strangers and after them will I go you may save a labour I am too far gone to turn now God hath cast me off I am desperate and may as well take my fill of ease and sensual pleasures for this is all the heaven I am like to have This is a dreadful case and such sinners surely understand not what it is to be damned and have not learned Christs readiness to pardon and accept penitent sinners That was a wretched answer that that blasphemous Arrian made executed at Norwich in
my husband my lot my portion Who will give me to drink of this Well of water springing up to eternal life this fountain of living waters this pure river that flows from the Throne from the heart of God Canst thou hear so much though infinitely short of his worth and not desire him Dost thou indeed believe that all this is true and yet thy soul not hunger and thirst after him Are these faithful sayings and is not he worthy of all acceptation Is it possible for a rational creature to hear of such a bottomless treasure of such a boundless pleasure and not covet the enjoyment of it O man where are thy wits What 's become of thy reason Art thou a man or a bruit If thou knewest the gift of God and what it is that is offered thee thou wouldest scorn the highest honours the sweetest pleasures the greatest riches yea trample upon all the Crowns and Kingdoms of this world for it It 's an inestimable priviledg that thou art a creature capable of so vast a happiness it 's the astonishing wonder of Heaven and Earth that God would give a Son such a Son to be thy Saviour what could he give more or better and it 's a special favour that the Gospel hath been sent to thee to reveal this great mystery to offer this excellent gift to thee and now when it is tendered wilt thou refuse it Wilt thou neglect and undervalue Christ or wilt thou not rather give it all humble and thankful acceptance Reflect upon those twelve incomparable properties and characters of this gift methinks though I have spoken but little yet I have said enough to one that will let his reason judg to draw out thy most vehement desires after this gift Yet I will add these Considerations more 1. Consider who it is that offers this gift to thee Christ is the gift of God in a peculiar and eminent manner so therefore were there no other reason thou must take it The worth greatness and excellency of the Donor is an argument to move us to take the gift we regard not so much what it is as from whom it is If thy Father or thy Prince offer a gift to thee would'st thou durst thou deny it If thy dearest Friend should send thee a token wouldest thou slight it Now look on the best of men in all his Excellencies in himself relations to thee and thy dependance on him consider in him all that faithfulness goodness greatness or any thing else that would most move thee to take a gift from his hands and there is infinitely more cause to accept this gift at the hands of God The great and glorious God the King of kings Lord of lords and God of gods the blessed Majesty of Heaven the first Cause the original Being self-sufficient all-sufficient absolutely perfect uncapable of any addition or diminution humbles himself to offer this gift to thee 'T is the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity to whom millions of ages are but as one day who is boundless in his Being Omnipotent in his Power unsearchable in his Wisdom unconceivable in his Grace and infinite in all his Perfections He who dwells in that light inaccessible before whom the Angels the highest of Creatures vail their faces to whom the whole Creation is nothing less than nothing and vanity This God is he that made thee and all things of nothing supports all things influences all things and is all things and infinitely more than all things He is the God in whose hands thy life is and who is acquainted with all thy ways who is of infinite holiness and perfectly hates all wickedness of unlimited power able to avenge himself on thee every moment and turn thy soul and body into Hell Of infinite justice a jealous God who will by no means clear the guilty against whom thou hast sinned and been an offence and provocation to him all thy days and is thine enemy according to strict justice 't is he whose favour is life and whose frown is death and hell c. The height of a person that bestows a favour and the meanness and unworthiness of the object on whom it is bestowed as it doth exceedingly advance and heighten the Grace and goodness of him that doth it so it mightily aggravates the sin and danger of him that despiseth and refuseth it See that ye refuse not him that speaketh from heaven for if they escaped not c. Heb. 12.25 O what infinite grace and goodness is it for this great God to take so much notice of man and do so much for him What admirable wonderful condescension is it for the most High the God of Heaven and Earth that God whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain to manifest such respect to vile polluted dust and ashes yea to them that are rebels and traytors against his Majesty and thereby worthy of hell as once to offer his blessed only begotten Son to us as a Saviour Well may we with David be amazed at it and cry with admiration Psal. 8.14 O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth who hast set thy glory above the heavens And adds What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him That so glorious a Lord should mind poor silly weak frail dying man sinful filthy polluted wretched miserable man could not but affect his heart with admiration and astonishment If a friend or neighbour thy equal do offer thee a kindness though but small how ill does he take it if thou accept it not O what horrid indignity dost thou offer to God what dishonour is it to all his Attributes if thou refuse this transcendent gift 2. Consider what it is that is offered to thee when this gift of God Jesus Christ is offered to thee To explain this fully would require the tongue nay exceed the skill of an Angel none can tell what Christ is but Christ himself all those particulars I mentioned speak somewhat of him but not the thousand thousandth part of that excellency that is in him This let me tell thee when Christ is offered to thee the greatest good that ever was that ever will be that ever can be is offered thee There never was nor can be the like offered thee 't is the best gift that ever was received or given in the world more than Heaven and Earth more than the whole world more than millions of worlds is offered thee He who is offered to thee is the Well of Salvation the Lord of Life the Author of all Consolation an Hive of sweetness a Paradise of pleasure an Heaven of joy He is the richest grace the dearest love the surest friend the highest honour the vastest treasure the exactest beauty the chiefest good the fullest felicity He is a comprehensive and universal good not one but all good riches honours pleasures friends relations health life earth heaven the world the other world all
the good of both worlds and infinitely more He is so needful a good that thou art undone without him that 's the misery of hell yea the very hell of hell He is so plentiful a good that thou art perfectly happy in him thou needest no more he is the Heaven of heavens he is the only suitable satisfying good which suits the nature and fits and fills the desires of the rational creature he can enlarge and suit all thy faculties answer and relieve all thy necessities fill up all the capacities of thy heaven-born soul. He is an everlasting good who will stay with thee and stand by thee when all other good things shall fail thee Wilt thou not now say Lord whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee I 'm sure he is such a gift as thou wouldest have if thou knew what thou dost as thou shouldst have if thou understood thy self and answeredst the ends of the Gospel as thou must have if thou be not eternally miserable O what dost thou think of having this gift as thine own sure by this time thy heart may melt into astonishment and thy bowels be moved within thee and thy soul cry with the Martyr in the flames None but Christ none but Christ Well what saist thou to him is not Christ worthy to be accepted and embraced Is it not worth the while to have him for thine own Whatever thou thinkest now when death shall close thy eyes thou wilt be of this mind when thy soul stands quivering on thy lips ready to take its flight into the unknown regions of the other world when Devils will be waiting to seize upon it as soon as ever it leaves the body to hale it to the unquenchable flames of Hell when thy friends relations shall be weeping and wailing by thee but unable to afford thy dying body the least cordial or thy departing soul the least comfort Ah what wilt thou do in such an hour which is hasting on thee Without Christ on whom wilt thou call to whom wilt thou flee where wilt thou rest or hide thy self from the wrath of the Lamb of God Believe it though thou maist live without him thou canst not die without him without infinite horrour and confusion Is it not thy greatest concern to have him for thine to whom thou must stand or fall for ever from whose mouth thy sentence of eternal absolution or condemnation must come and who shall judg thee to thine unchangeable state of life or death of salvation or damnation though thou maist think thou canst do well enough without him at this day having what heart can wish in the world yet what wilt thou do at that day when the world shall be on a flame if Christ be not thine Once more let me intreat thee to answer Art thou willing or not to have this gift What say'st thou canst thou find in thine heart to deprive thy precious soul of such an inestimable treasure and to leave it naked in the other world to the cruelty of Devils and the dreadful curses of the Law and intolerable wrath of God 3. Consider on what terms thou maist have this gift for thine thou maist possibly think that so boundless and bottomless a treasure must cost thee very dear and the price must be exceeding great of a pearl so matchless and incomparable much will be expected from me and I shall never be able to compass this gift But know sinner to thy comfort all that God requireth of thee is only to accept Christ heartily and thankfully canst thou desire any thing cheaper wouldest thou desire him to fall lower in his terms Nay is it possible to do so and make thee happy How can he be thine unless thou receive him for thine that is a poor favour a vile gift that is not worth acceptance what more reasonable take him for thine and he shall be thine canst thou both deny him and enjoy him refuse the gift and have it too Our emptiness is the best plea and self-denial our best price thou givest more for thy bread thy clothes thy house and for the needful comforts that are for the support of thy frail body than thou needest to give for this great and glorious Christ thou payest money for them but thou maist have him without money and without price One would think that the equity of the condition should both amaze thee and allure thee God doth not â—ell but give his Son he knows thou hast nothing and he would only have thee to know that too and be humbled under the sense of thy spiritual poverty thou maist lose a gift by offering to buy it Thy money perish with thee c. 'T is said indeed Isa. 55.1 Come buy c. for the word is used here improperly for to get attain receive procure furnish your selves c. So Prov. 3.8 and elsewhere something must indeed be done by those that partake of Christ they must come and accept of him And something parted with but of no valuable consideration in gain to God and what would be prejudicial to us and inconsistent with having this gift But God requires not of thee things impossible he doth not say If thou wilt remove mountains dry up oceans stop the course of nature create worlds and Christ shall be thine as great as good as he is he doth not say If thou satisfie my justice answer the demands of my Law merit my love and favour then shall he be thine No he himself hath done all this for thee all that he desires is that thou wouldest receive him that hath done so Neither doth he require any thing of thee that is barbarous and cruel as the Heathen Deities did of their worshippers he says not if thou wilt lance and mangle thy body as Baal's Priests did or if thou wilt go barefoot in sackcloth long and tedious Pilgrimages as the Papists do If you will offer your Children in the fire and give the fruit of your bodies for the sin of your souls as some did then he is yours Nor doth he require of thee chargeable and costly as to offer the best and chiefest of thy flock in sacrifice to him nor as he once did of the young man to sell all that thou hast and give it to the poor Nor as Idolaters lay down such a part of thy estate for thy pardon But he only requires that thou first thirst and then buy be sensible of thy want and poverty and nothingness and then open an empty hand and take Christ as thy Saviour and Lord and wilt thou not do it Canst thou deny him and thy poor soul so reasonable so equitable a request as the Servant said to Naaman If the prophet had commanded thee some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much more then when he only saith wash and be clean So say I to thee If God had commanded the greatest things imaginable
him and would you do any thing for compassing of him and abstain from any thing that would cross thy desires to enjoy him content to go through any difficulties and discouragements to bear reproach losses for him and canst not live without him then he is thine But if you can sit down contented without him grow strange and keep at distance many days weeks and years together and yet quiet and merry If you can live without his presence and never miss it not a smile from his face not a look of love from you to him and yet no trouble follows can make a shift with the carnal contentments to supply his room can bear his absence and feel no want of him 't is an ill sign you either never received him at all or are in a dead condition 5. Do â—e smell and savour of Christ where-ever you come and endeavour to draw others to him have your words and carriage been such as to give testimony to others of your love and propriety to Christ He that hath received this gift may be known by the smell and fragrancy he sends forth out of the heart into every part of man thoughts words works are all gracious and savoury there 's the savour of Christ or of the knowledg of Christ manifested in every place 2 Cor. 2.14 15. alluding to the Ointment of the Priests and the sweet incense they offered Christ faith I am the rose of Sharon Cant. 2.1 Now if withering roses put in a box can perfume the clothes that lye in it and cast a sweet and delicate smell how much more must their words and lives be sweet and fragant who carry about with them Jesus Christ Whose garments smell of myâ—rh aloes and cassia Psal. 45.8 Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History reports of Polycarpus that when he was to be sacrificed unto the Lord by fire by the hands of most bloody Persecutors as he was standing in the midst of the fire all resplendent like shining burnisht gold his body did send forth such an odoriferous and sweet favour as they of Smyrna received it in an Epistle as if he had been perfumed with incense or some other fragrant and aromatical essence Now though every ordinary Christians body do not yield such a miraculous odour yet you may read as much in effect of a most gracious perfume with which the precious souls of all Christs believing members his mystical Spouse do send forth in a most sweet and pleasant manner Cant. 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense with all the powders of the merchants i. e. sweetned with all the most fragrant and sweet-smelling Graces of the Spirit of Christ who is the merchant here spoken of O how desirous is every one that hath received this gift and tasted that the Lord is gracious to communicate him unto others As 't is the nature and property of grace and goodness to be diffusive and communicative of it self so would every true believer impart Christ to his friends and neighbours and even travels over them till Christ be formed in them too If you have this talent this pearl of great price you will be far from laying it up in a napkin or locking it up in a cabinet but be much in commending him to others 't is their delight to be speaking of the beauties excellencies and perfections of their beloved as the Spouse whose whole language is all love and her heart is so full that her lips overflow with the mention of the Excellencies of Christ My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand c. This is my friend and this is my beloved O ye daughters of Ierusalem Cant 5.19 The Samaritan woman no sooner had Christ discovered himself in plain terms to her saying I that speak unto thee am he that is the Messias but the first thing that we hear of her ver 28. she leaves her water-pot and water for which she came she neglects her civil business forgets her natural wants and runs into the City and calls the people of the place Come and see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ Such is the excellency of heavenly treasures ever most diffusive of themselves if one find them there is no rest until he communicate the same to others If one find any secular treasure he will carefully conceal it because the more communicate therein the less must every sharer have as the three men travelling towards Ierusalem c. But the more by thee are brought to Christ the more thou hast of his Divine riches she saith not go out and see a man but come and see the seed of this knowledg cannot lye dead in the heart Psal. 116.10 I believed therefore have I spoken It 's like the Widows oil increases by pouring out They have but a doubtful share in Christ who pretending to send others to him will not go themselves nor doth she take upon her to define or teach she only leadeth them to hear Christ content to peswade to see what she had found So Iohn Andrew and Philip how ready to tell others of Christ Ioh. 1.29 41 45 Paul being one enlightned himself with the saving knowledg of Christ had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart and could wish himself accursed from Christ for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.1 So he that hath tasted the sweetness of Christ will not rest but will be wisely upon all occasions relating the love-passages betwixt Christ and him and telling his neighbours and friends the Excellencies of Christ and what he feels O come and hear I will declare what God hath done for my soul Psal. 66.16 2. What shall we do to make Christ our own this appropriation and application of the gift of God is a very great thing what can be so desirable as this what so worthy of your study and endeavours as to have Christ with all his benefits O that you would be perswaded with greatest diligence and faithfulness to seek this priviledg Give no sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids till you have made sure of this gift As ever you desire a solid foundation to build upon for exemption from misery and enjoyment of comfort the happiness and safety of your future state depends upon your present application of Christ. 1. Believe get and act faith let it be your main care and endeavour to be believers for let me tell you in the very first moment of believing you will actually be partakers of Christ Christ is in the soul as soon as ever faith is in it this is the most precious and excellent grace that is receptive of Christ the hand whereby we take him as he is offered and held forth unto us in the Gospel Some define faith a most affectionate accepting of Christ as Saviour and Lord It is say others a saving-grace
such a jewel all the treasures upon earth could not bear proportion to him nor make reparation for the loss of him I know the true Believer shall never lose Christ because Christ will never suffer him to be lost but he may do that which may tend to the losing of him though through grace he shall not be actually loâ—t and he may do that which may deprive him utterly of the sense evidence and comfort of this gift though his propriety in it remain firm and sure 'T is true a Saint shall never be left so to himself or his sin as that sin shall bereave him of his jewel his Christ but may and often doth steal away the key of his cabinet his evidence and assurance Cant. 5.5 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone Thus you see Christ sometimes withdraws himself from them that dearly love and earnestly desire him for as he is said when pleased to gratifie his people with his grace and assistance strength and deliverance to come out of heaven his dwelling place Isa 26. ult and 64.1 So he is said to return thither when he forbears to put forth and exercise his grace and to shew his mercy and loving kindness to them Hos. 5. ult Isa. 18.4 he is said to hide his face in regard of his special grace and love and in regard of intercourse and communion with his Church not totally but in part not finally and for ever but for a moment a small moment he shortens his hand in his wonted operations and ceaseth to be so intimate and familiar with his servants and seems to be a stranger to them and their condition and this he does for divers good reasons and considerations 1. Christ leaves them sometimes because they will not open to him when he knocks at the door of their hearts either they are not at leasure or busied about other matters and employments or are too much setled upon their lees sloath and security hath seized upon them Cant. 5.2 3 4. 2. He does it for tryal that he may make an experiment of his Churches love to him and faithfulness in his service to see whether his people can abide to be without him or will serve and follow him frowning as well as smileing As a Father may leave his dear Child and stand behind the door to see what it will do So God exercised Iob David Heman Asaph and others the Wife is tryed in the long absence of her Husband 3. To raise and quicken them more to love and desire him for though the absence of fuel doth diminish the fire yet commonly the absence of Lovers doth increase and heighten love and makes it more impatient and restless Cant. 5.8 This made the Spouse sick of love and her soul failed she could not bear it Isa. 26.9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night 4. To cure formality in believers and to remove all trusting to resting in or relying on any thing besides himself and that the soul may not be satisfied with any thing below himself As a Father sometimes le ts go his hold that the Child may see his dependance upon him The Children of Israel were exceedingly formalized in their Devotion they only looked at the external Sacrifices but did not frame their doings to turn unto God Hos. 5 6. Therefore he takes this course with them They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord but they shall not find him He hath withdrawn himself from them i. e. they shall go after their accustomed manner of sacrifices but God hides himself because he will bring them off their formality and security So if we trust in outward Ordinances and lay too much stress upon them the time may come when we shall use them and seek God in them and not find him because of formality 5. That he may teach them to live by faith not to be too much dejected but believe that he is near to them but behind the Wall Cant. 2.8 9. He is kept off from the soul by the wall of sense and carnal reason that the soul may improve his faith in looking over this wall as Iob did Iob 19.25 26 I know that my redeemer lives c. Isa. 50.10 He will come and will not tarry 6 That his presence may be more esteemed and valued when re-injoyed there is often a remisness and abatement in love to Christ but when he is lost and found again we shall watch better over our selves and set a higher price on him than before we have need sometimes to be taught the worth of mercies by the want of them post frigora dulcior ignis when we know what it is to want his presence we learn to esteem it Post tempestatem dulcior securitas How sweet is a calm after a storm Christs favourable Aspect is more sweet and acceptable when the sun-shine thereof begins to break forth again after some black and bitter tempest of desertion Now since there is some danger of losing Christ in these respects we had need look to our selves and do all we can to retain him with us for our help I shall lay down some motives and then directions as in the first branch 1. To perswade us to this I shall use no other arguments or motives but only to tell you what Christ is to the soul and so it may see what it deprives it self of by losing him 1. Keep him for he is thy life Whoso findeth him findeth life Prov. 8.35 and 3.18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her speaking of wisdom under which notion Christ is commended to us So Prov. 4.13 Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life He saith I am thy life and the length of thy days with him is the fountain of life he is the only well-spring of life and all blessedness How sweet is life skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life he 'l part with any thing every thing rather than life When many of Christs followers forsook and walked no more with him Will ye also forsake me said he to his Apostles Peter answered for himself and the rest Lord whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Joh. 6.68 q. d. Lord if we leave thee we leave our life and all our comfort we forsake our own mercy and judg our selves unworthy of everlasting life had we no other reason 't is motive enough to stay with thee and keep close with thee to consider that our lives are hid in thee eternal life and consequently all that 's dear to us the quintessence of all happiness is with thee 2. Keep him for he is thy light how sad and miserable is it to walk in darkness if you let Christ go you eclipse your own light 't is night when
Embassadors He that receiveth them receiveth me and he that despiseth them despiseth me saith Christ Mat. 10.40 Luk. 10.16 Will Christ stay where his servants are despised and contemned no the Kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from such Mat. 22.43 he takes it as done to himself Mat. 25.40 5. Be humble and fruitful these may well be joined together for humble souls like the low valleys watered with the dew of Grace are most fruitful he knows the proud afar off and resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble and dwells in such souls Barrenness under Ordinances provokes him to leave men as the barren fig-tree Luk. 13 6 7 8 9. If it will not bear fruit after it hath been dressed and watered Christ gives over to plead for its standing and removes his presence from it He delights to walk in a fruitful garden Cant. 4. ult Awake O Northwind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow forth Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits Impart him to others that 's the way to have him would you have Christ to stay with you walk about with him take him abroad never come into any company but leave something of Christ there while you seek to shut him up in your selves you lose him Say with the Spouse Cant. 7.10 11 12. Come my beloved let us go forth into the fields let us lodg in the villages c. Let your minds and mouths be season'd with sweet and holy conceptions and expressions of him to the glory of God and edification of others then will Christ walk with you as he did with those that were communing together of good things Luk. 24.15 Not bitter in censuring others not wasting your time in idle discourses but use gracious speeches and savoury communications In a word commit all to him in a way of well doing and he will not leave his charge employ him and while he hath any thing to do for you he will not leave his work Improve and make use of him and he will abide with you Beware of committing and approving thy self in the least sin or the least compliance with it say not as Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one Sin approved is that very Delilah that cuts off the locks and makes the Believer a prey to every Philistine Sin is that which separates between us and our God the great make-bait between heaven and earth Isa. 59.2 Sin is that which will soon grieve away the holy Spirit by which you are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes. 4.30 O do not sin willingly and knowingly against God and do not abate in your constant and fervent performance of duty for these things strike at the union betwixt Christ and you at the untying of the knot which God hath made so fast and if it should once come to that what would become of you No sooner is the branch broken off the root but it immediately withers and dies For as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except you abide in me He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separated from me ye can do nothing You had need to use all holy means whereby you may keep Christs special presence with your souls many evils will flow in upon that soul that lets go Christ Psal. 71.11 God hath forsaken him prosecute and take him Satan will sift you sin will foil you afflictions be too heavy for you and you are sure to have worse company when he goes and you will be apt to depart from him Christ is that to thee that thy soul cannot be without thy light life health happiness thine all Hell is heaven with Christ and heaven is hell without him Mallem presente Christo esse in inferno quam absente Christo in coelo said Luther Third Branch of Exhortation is to make use of this Gift of God O improve him to the uttermost 't is not enough to have Christ unless you use him Not enough to have a Well of Salvation but we must draw water and drink it too if we intend a benefit by it Isa. 12.3 so we must be always drawing and drinking and deriving good from Christ as the branch makes the best of the root and draws from it as though it would exhaust all its life and vertue O that we could carry it so to Christ even to draw from him as though we would draw him dry if such a thing were possible We have a saying in Philosophy The nearer any thing comes to the first cause the more abundantly doth it receive from it as the nearer any thing is to the Sun the more it participates of its light and heat Now you Believers are nigh unto Christ. In whom all fulness dwells Col. 1.19 You are even in him and he in you O what supplys of Grace should you be fetching from him upon all occasions Why do you not live under more constant more free and full derivations from him why should ye want or what should you want who are not only at the fountain but in it It 's not enough for Christians to have faith by which to live but they must live by the faith which they have Gal. 2.20 i. e. They must by faith draw continual supplys of Grace comfort and strength from Christ. 'T was the looking to the Brazen Serpent that cur'd them them that were stung 't is drinking of water that quenches the thirst and eating the meat that satisfies the hungry You then that have received Christ and do keep him make use and improvement of him for though some gifts are only for laying up and looking at yet this is both the excellency of Gods gift and an encouragement to you for the performance of this duty that he is for use yea all for use and benefit to us The great end for which he was given to us is that we should make use of him for our own good God gave his Son to all Believers that they by applying him might have life thorough him 1 Ioh. 4.9 Ioh. 3.16 As Christ is a publick person which both adds much to the excellency of this gift and gives great encouragement to us to make use of him It shews his excellency Heaven is an excellent thing because publick for 't is observed there is nothing in heaven that is the seat and element of happiness but it is common to all of publick use and enjoyment The inhabitants of that glorious place the glorified Saints and Angels all see the face of him that sits on the Throne they all drink of the water of life all have access to eat of the apples of the tree of life there is no forbidden fruit in heaven all have the blessing of the immediate presence of the Lamb and there is neither need of Sun nor Moon nor light
from uncleanness Zech. 13.1 Who is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world John 1.29 Christ was without spot knew no sin was born holy that he might cover the impurity of thy conception Hath sin like a poison or leprosy spread over thy whole Soul and all thy actions are impure so that there is no soundness in thee but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Improve Christ in this case who will wash thee in his blood Rev. 1.5 bind up thy wounds and make thee partaker of the Divine nature as 2 Pet. 1.4 Though thy sins be as scarlet he will make thee white as snow If the blood of bulls and goats sprinkling the unclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living Lord Heb. 9.13 14 O then look unto Christ and be healed tell him as he did Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean No Soap nor Nitre can purge it the general deluge swept away sinners but could not wash away one sin 3. Against the bondage of sin every one is by nature a bondslave to corruption Now Christ was sent to Preach as well as purchase deliverance for captives and to open the Prison to them that are bound Isa. 61.1 2. If a number of men were taken captives by the Turks and made Gally-â—laves suppose some rich Merchant should lay down a vast sum of Money to purchase their liberty or a great Prince make way by the Sword for their escape or give some Prisoners in exchange for them and should this dear-bought liberty be proclaimed to all in general That whoever will apply themselves to him should be free from bondage How deservedly may those lye and dye in Chains that will not accept and make use of those easie terms If thou cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c Christ alone that Son will make you free Ioh. 8.32 33 34. 'T is not a feigned or fancied but a real liberty free indeed 4. Against the danger of sin Art thou afraid of such a corruption art thou annoyed with such a temptation and ready to say ah I shall one day perish by the hand of such a sin Then to prevent falling into sin and antidote thee against the solicitations of it with Paul run to Christ and beseech the Lord once and again till thou have that answer My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.8 9. When sin comes as a Potiphars Wife and offers thee deadly Poison in a golden Cup let Faith answer I would consent but that I am a Christian how can I do this great wickedness and sin against my Christ I cannot gratifie this or that lust but I must be disloyal to my Lord Christ. When ever temptations assault and an host incamp against thee hast to the Captain of thy Salvation as David at What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Psal. 56.3 5. Against the whole body of sin make use of Christ who came to destroy the works of the Devil Would thou have sin mortified and killed and the old man crucified nail him to the Cross of Christ that by vertue of his death sin may receive its deaths wound no corruptions can stand before Christs Cross. Rom. 6.8 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed 1. Art thou troubled and molested with passion and transported with anger nothing so effectual to subdue and bridle that short madness as Christ. Nihil ita irae impetum cohibet sicut Iesus 'T is the property of contraries to expel one another Christ is meekness and love 2. Doth Pride that detestable sin swell thee art thou proud of wealth honour gifts friends c Nihil ita superbiae tumorem sedat sicut Iesus he is humble and lowly Mat. 11.29 3. Or that diabolical sin of envy Christ can cure thee of that rotten vice Nihil ita livoris culmas sanat sicut Iesus Who ever shewed more opposition to it than Christ who prayed that his Servants might have the same glory with him Ioh. 17.22 4. Or that idolatrous heathenish sin of Covetousness Christ alone can quench the insatiable thirst after worldly things Ioh. 4.14 Whoever drinks of this water shall never thirst Nil ita temperat sitim avaritiae sicut Iesus Thou wilt trample the Moon under thy feet and scorn to love this poor dunghil-world or be fond of these beautiful vanities and fair-fac'd nothings Lastly Dost thou feel in thy Soul the scorching heat of Concupiscence and knowest not how to rid thy self of it Go to Christ who will quickly quench that flame Nihil ita extinguit libidinis flammam sicut Iesus Christs blood is an excellent antidote against lust and will quench and not curb only that inflamation So we might add many more instances for our mortification c. 2. As a Physician to cure all Diseases Christ the gift of God is a most excellent and soveraign Remedy for all diseases and spiritual indispositions whatever the Soul ails go to Christ and he can and will help 1. For darkness and blindness none better than Christ. Do the eyes of thy mind wax dim and dark that thou canst not so well as formerly see the soulness of sin the fairness of Christ the beauty of holiness O make use of Christ who can open blind eyes and clear the sight and make you see that plainly that others can scarce perceive He can illuminate the mind anoint the eye with eye-salve Rev. 3.18 that thou maist see how naked and wretched thou art dispel all darkness and shew thee the light of life Iohn 8.12 and 12.46 If any walk in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God Isa. 50.10 2. Deadness Christ is an effectual remedy against deadness and lifelesness of spirit Whither should we go but unto him who hath the words of eternal life Thou hast fallen among Thieves and they have bereaved thee of all yea of life it self why Christ is that good Samaritan which puts Wine and Oyl into thy wounded Soul Luk. 10.30 he complains that ye will not come unto him that ye may have life he is called our life Col. 3.4 O derive life and strength from him 3. Hardness Art thou infected with that sore disease of hardness of heart so that thou canst not mourn for sin nor art scarce sensible of the great burden of sin and misery nor lay to heart the evils of the times but thy heart is a Rock or an Adamant O go to Christ who can and will take away the heart of stone and give thee a heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 and 36.26 In him this gracious promise is and ever shall be yea and Amen Soak thy heart thorowly in this promise and set before
right which he saith not to avoid death but to shew that he was unjustly accused 4. He is an eternal Lord Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever Isa 9.7 Luke 1.33 He is the King immortal 1 Tim. 1.17 Death the King of terrors and terror of Kings is subdued by this Lord not only so as never to touch him but also never to hurt any of his Servants Other Rulers though they be called gods and lords yet shall dye like men earthly Monarchs either by some Poison or Treason are brought to untimely deaths at least some disease or other will lay their glory in the dust but Jesus Christ is yesterday today and the same for ever 5. He is a mighty Lord most able to do what is good for his Servant and to subdue all persons and things to himself Psal. 3.21 He can kill the Soul and throw both the Body and Soul into Hell he can subdue the hearts of men even of the deadliest enemies unto his love and obedience he can protect and shelter his Servants from all evil and bestow all good things on them for the world is his and the fulness thereof He hath under his command the forces of all creatures in Heaven and Earth which he rules as he pleases to his own purpose he can at ease frustrate the harmful intentions and noisom qualities of the worst of them he can turn their malice into mercy their hatred into love yea can bring forth glory to himself and profit to his Servants not only against but even out of their mischievous designments as in Daniel and the three Children c. 6. He is a most just Lord his is a Scepter of righteousness Heb. 1.8 his right hand is full of righteousness The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Psal. 145.17 In him is exact and perfect integrity and equity of all his counsels words and actions and there is no unrighteousness in him His will is the rule and standard of justice and whatever he commands is most equal and right because he wills and commands it 7. He is a most glorious Lord and Master The glory of Kings and Emperours is but a borrowed ray or spark from his Majesty the glory of all the Caesars c. is but a black coal in comparison of his splendor and when he shall appear in his glory the glow-worms of worldly splendor and majesty shall disappear and be extinguished the poorest Servant he hath shall then appear with him in such glory that the combined-excellency of Kings shall not be so much as a shadow to it 8. He is a most gracious Lord he puts them upon none but safe honourable and comfortable employments He puts no more upon them than they can go through and lays no more upon them than they are able to bear he knows their mould and frame remembers they are but dust he is Jesus as well as Lord a Shepherd as well as a Master he joins his glory and their happiness together he never requireth brick from his people without giving them straw he will either multiply grace or diminish the temptation his Grace is always sufficient for them 9. He is a wise judicious Master A man that serves a fickle and unconstant Master who often changes his mind has a hard task and endless labour but a prudent man who orders his affairs with discretion and deliberation his commands are but once obeyed his work is soon done what he doth now anon he must undo and so Sysiphus like he is ever doing and hath never done he never knows an end of his work But the Servant of Christ is at a good certainty and knows before-hand what his work must be and what his wages as his Master himself is so his Commandments are immutable and invariable without so much as a shadow of change Iam. 1.17 That was a needless cavil and meer peevishness and selfishness in Ionah Ionah 4.2 10. He is a most knowing and discerning Lord. He observes the ways and works of his Servants so narrowly that the closest and subtillest among them cannot deceive him he spies them in every corner nay every corner of their hearts in them all things are open and naked before him though now in some sort he be absent yet he needs no informer he knows what every Servant doth in his absence and will manifest every ones work to all the world his eyes are as a flame of fire clearer than ten thousand suns he takes notice of all their services and hearts Rev. 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first 11. He is a pitiful and merciful Lord and Master He hath an eye as pitying as it is piercing he doth no less observe the wants and troubles than the ways and works of his Servants he is a Father as well as a Master and As a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal. 103.13 14 And spareth them as a father his son that serveth him Mal. 3.17 hath more tender bowels than a mother Isa. 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking-child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Christ is not as the slothful man thought a cruel and hard Master Matt. 25.24 that looks for much work and gives little encouragement but is moved with compassion towards his Servants Matt. 18.27 he will not have his Servants complain that they serve an hard Master 12. He is a meek and lowly Master condescending to serve his Servants here and hereafter 1. Hereâ— Matt. 20.28 He came not to be ministred unto but to minister Luke 22.27 Whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth is not he that sitteth at meat but I am among you as he that serveth He stoopt so low as to wash his Disciples feet 2. Hereafter Luke 12.37 Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you That he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Study but yet expect not to understand either the comfort or condescention of this promise made to the faithful Servants of Christ He shall gird himself c. Lord saith one did I not think that the cheer and the attendance were both one I should say the attendance were infinitely better than the meat Think what it is for Christ himself to serve at the Table what is it but infinite delight for the guests to have him set himself to solace them who is infinite as in sweetness so in knowledg to make his sweetness please them Nor will the dignity of these
ends how careful and wary should we be in using the Creatures all the comforts we enjoy are the goods of this Lord we are but stewards of them what we use must be used for not against our Lord. Learning riches honour are from him and therefore should be for him all our enjoyments are but borrowed we must therefore use them well not spot or stain not tear and cut them by sin lest we be ashamed when we should return them back to the owner and give him an account of them it may be with joy and not with grief 3. Neither may any Christian think himself Lord of the Church or his Brethren 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither as being lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominantes is not to be understood of tyrannizing and bearing unlawful rule or usurped dominion as Bellarmine would have it but exercising Lordship the same which Christ forbids the Apostles in the same word Mat. 20.25 as Bernard tells Pope Eugenius Ne dictum sola humilitate putes non veritate vox domini est reges gentium dominantur eis vos autem non sic Planum est apostolis inter dicitur dominatus not over-ruling It doth not only forbid the abuse of their authority or imperiously commanding of their own inventions instead of the Doctrine of the Gospel or carping Magisterially and insolently towards Gods people as Amet. But the use of that authority in the Ecclesiastical office which it is lawful for Princes to exercise towards their subjects saith Beza Omnes enim esse unius legislatoris domini servos c. Have Ministers no authority Yes saith he not over the consciences of men but only as messengers of Christ whose is all the power of commanding No Church no Council can make Laws but in Christ the compound and the simple word are used one by Matthew and Mark the other by Luke in the same sense so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adds no Emphasis to it all kind of Temporal rule is simply forbidden them 1. No Christian can bind the conscience in internal or elicite acts 2 Cor. 1.24 Not that we have dominion over your faith but as helpers of your joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle adds this left he should seem to have spoken too imperiously q. d. That I said I therefore came not that I might spare you take thus Not that I could by my own authority do any thing with Religion and in binding or relaxing your consciences but that I might be Gods Minister to comfort you c. 2. Nor can he command the outward imperate Acts of Conscience otherwise then by power civil or spiritual from Christ Pro. 8.15 By me Kings reign and Princes decree Iustice. 2 Cor. 10.8 1 Thes. 5.12 We beseech you Brethren know them who labour among you and are over you in the Lord. 3. As a Christian no man hath civil power over his Brother or the Church or over men Mat. 20.26 It shall not be so among you that as the Gentiles exercise authority and dominion over them 1. As a Christian he hath no legislative but only applicative power or executive in the Church a Christian must not make Laws in his house but keep and execute his Laws 2. As such He hath no coercive power over his fellow servants That natural or civil power that any Christian hath otherways over his Brother is to rule under for and according or like to Christ Philemon 16. Not now as a servant but above a servant a brother beloved especially to me How much more to thee both in the flesh and in the Lord 1 Cor. 7.39 She is at liberty to be married to whom she will only in the Lord. Ministers are not owners of the house but stewards in the house Laws are committed to us and must not be excogitated by us Only Christ can ordain laws to bind the Conscience mans laws bind not as they are mans but as they are back't by Christ nor can any but Christ so give laws to which we should be obedient as withal to make us obedient to the laws which he gives Christ only can write his laws in the heart No man should prefer the will or interest of the greatest mortal man or dearest friend nor the publick interest of States before or plead it against the will and interest of this great Lord. Neither may we give nor receive ambitious or flattering titles of honour Mat. 23 8 9 10 Be not ye called Masters for one is your Lord and Master even Christ we should so acknowledg a superiority among men as to be fearful of causing pride in them and that they may know themselves not to be absolute Lords but derivatively and secundum quid Herod became worms-meat who but just now was a meer idol and cryed up c. God would not bear it 5. It informs us therefore how consistible Christs service is with the service of others 1. It dissolves not but confirms natural and civil Lordship and subjection as between master and servant 1 Tim. 6.1 2 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour but what if they be both believers are they not Brethren yes and they that have believing masters let them not despise them because they are Brethren but rather do them service because they are believing and beloved partakers of the same benefit Titus 2.9 Between Magistrate and Subject Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers 2 Pet. 3.3 Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake 2. This our relation to Christ as master regulates the service of others Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Eph. 6.1 For the Lord is the author of the authority of Fathers and therefore we must yield such obedience as he will have us This in the Lord implies both a commandment of Childrens obedience from the Lord and a restriction or limitation in those things which are not against the Lord that they so far obey their Parents as they swerve not from the true worship and service of God 3. This service of Christ excludes all absolute and unnecessary subjection to Creatures Luke 16.13 No man can serve two Masters He may subordinately but not absolutely for God will have the sâ—rvice of the whole man 1 Cor. 7.21 23 Art thou called being a servant care not for it but if thou may'st be made free use it raâ—her Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men If ye be at liberty do not of your own accord make your selves servants but consecrate your selves intirely Body and Soul to the service of Christ or it ye be servants to men that is in a state of servitude remember still that above and before all ye are the servants of Christ and therefore see ye do nothing to the obedience of men which
is contrary to that which ye owe to Christ and as touching your Soul and Conscience subject and enslave your selves to no man living depend absolutely upon none but Christ and his word all our obedience to earthly Lords must be only such as this Lord allows and only in the Lord the greatest Lords in the world are but regula regulata Christ is the only regula regulans they the rule ruled he ruling 6. To inform us that Christians are Christs servants yet somewhat more or with some special exceptions Iohn 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you They are not only servants but friends they call Christ Lord and Master he calls them not servants but friends not servants but free-men yea sons Iohn 8.36 The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever Gal. 4 7. Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then â—â— heir of God through Christ. Not a servant that is under the ceremonies and bondage of the Law but a Son having received the adoption by Christ the eternal Son of God who was sent to redeem us that he might purchase and graciously communicate the right of sonship which he hath by nature to every true believer And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father We are in such sort free and so set at liberty as that we must be governed by the Spirit of Christ which reigneth in our hearts and teacheth us the true service of the Father but this is not to serve but rather to enjoy true liberty as becometh Sons and Heirs 7. It teaches us that all doctrines and practices are to be abhorred which derogate from the dignity of this our Lord and Master 1. Doctrines especially the Popish which deprave our redemption purchased by this Lord by the doctrine of merits the worship due to this Lord with the doctrine of image and adoration and the Saints intercession The authority of this Lord by the doctrine of the Popes headship and pardoning of sins and many such doctrines not only of the Papists but of others nearer to us 2. The practices of vile and wicked men We should make it our business and only Plot to promote his honour and service in the world and endure nothing that would eclipse and impair his glory He who touches that should touch the apple of our eye look upon his reproach as cast upon our selves mourning for that dishonour offered to him which we cannot redress 't is against both Christianity and Humane ingenuity to suffer him to be abused whom we have undertaken to serve This neither agrees with honesty nor honour 't is indeed not only a sin but a shame Hardly is any Servant so low spirited as to think it consistent with his credit to serve a disgraced Master they that truly call Christ Lord will never endure that his glory should suffer from others much less from themselves 3. Our own unsuitable practices A servant of Christ must not be a son of Belial every one is under a yoke still Christ does not give his servants leave to sin but liberty to serve God Christ came not to free us from the Law but sin from the service of the Devil not from the service of God He came not to make the Law less strict or sin less odious or us less holy freedom from wrath and Hell is a priviledg but from duty and obedience is none because we are made free by Christ we are to be more apt and ready to discharge the duty we owe to God and man in maxima libertate minima licentia a great deal of liberty by Christ and yet the strongest ingagement to service that may be They whose lives are full of Epicurisme Atheisme worldliness 't is not a pin to chuse whether they be Pagans or Christians for acting thus heatheâ—ishly thus brutishly they do but pollute that sacred and worthy name the Apostle saith I am not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 9.21 Not without the law to God but under the law to Christ. This leads to Second use of reprehension It may serve to reprove three sorts 1. Those that endure not to hear of Christs Lordship and commands that will not acknowledg this dominion of Christ nor let him be Lord in his own house but do what in them lies to deprive him of that honour to which he hath so good a right But who deny Christs Lordship 1. They that will not hear his voice obey his call accept his inâ—itations in the Gospel he inviteth them to himself prays them to be reconciled to God through him intreats them to come and put themselves under his government and take his yoke on them and they will not hear but in effect say We are Lords we will not come at thee Jer. 2.31 We are well enough and shall do well enough without him and what needs such care and strictness He comes and waits and knocks at their doors but they slight him and will not open He prays them that they will look into their hearts mind their Souls consider their eternal condition but they quench the Spirit smother the light and resist all these motions they will not come to him nor suffer him to come into them that they may have life 2. Those that addict themselves to strong and inordinate desires of liberty which is the worst slavery that will not submit to his government quarrelling at duties rather than performing them thinking it a kind of happiness to be free and that there is no freedom but in sinning and following the bent and sway of their own hearts and being Lords of their own actions and dream of an exemption from all kind of Law but their own lusts they would he above all checks and controul and have scope and room for their own lusts Promise themselves liberty 2 Pet. 2.19 Men would have it at this to be at their own dispose and to be answerable to none that would call them to account and therefore that will not obey his laws and commands 3. Such as in a proud contempt and obstinacy against reproof and instruction do cast off all respect and obedience to Christ they cannot endure restraints are as bullocks unaccustomed to the yoke Ier. 31.18 Are all for breaking bonds and dissolving cords Psal. 2.4 Bursting the yoke altogether Ier. 5.5 They cannot endure to hear of denying their fashions renouncing their lusts and pleasures forsaking their vain worldly wanton thoughts and ways what every thought every desire every word must be under a Law So much time spent in duties such gravity in conversation such awe in their speeches No vain licentious Spirits will not be clogged and yoked thus what a weariness is