Certain Sermons, Dedication 2
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND trulie religious Gentleman, Maſter THOMAS CORBET Eſquire, one of his Maieſties Iuſtices of Peace in the Countie of Norffolke: And to the Worſhipfull Gentlewoman Miſtris ANNE CORBET his moſt louing, wiſe, and vertuous wife: R G. wiſheth true happineſſe in this life, and a bleſſed hope of the life to come.
RIght Worſhipfull, thoſe exquiſite and moſt curious workes, which Aholiab and Bezaleel wrought in the Temple, were to bee ſeene long after their times, and remained as teſtimonies of their skil to them that did ſuruiue: And we ſee alſo in common experience, that earthly buildings, when the workmen be dead, oft times ſtand ſtill as monuments of their art, and meanes of much good to them that liue after. In like manner it were to be wiſhed that the workes of the skilfull builders vp of Gods houſe (when they themſelues bee gone) might ſtill continue as memorials of their skill in ſpirituall Architecture, and as inſtruments of much good to ſucceeding generations.
Among diuers workes of worthie workmen, who hauehave of late very artificially and cunningly wrought about the temple of Chriſt, I am ſure that ſome of the Manuſcripts of that iudicious Diuine Maſter Thomas Newhouſe, may well for their art be valued with the beſt in their kinde, and cannot doubtleſſe but bee very precious in your eyes, who loued their author ſo well, and very profitable to many others, by whō they be ſo much deſired. For this cauſe (hauing ſome of them by me) leſt I ſhould ſeeme iniurious either to their author, in ſuppreſsing that which might make ſo much to his praiſe, or to the publique good, in keeping backe thoſe things are much deſired as vſefull to Gods people, I thought it a meete thing to publiſh theſe few to the making vp of this little volume.
Among the manifold true harted and entirely affecting friends this godly man had, I doubt not but that I might ſingle out diuers, of whoſe kindnes I might preſume for defence of his workes, and may iuſtly feare for paſsing them by, to be challenged as a man vnmindfull of their louelove; but the time is comming wherein I hope to meete with good opportunitie of giuing them ſatisfaction in this kinde. In the meane while, I thinke it my dutie to remember your Worſhips with theſe; which if I had neglected to doe, I ſee not but that I ſhould in ſome meaſure hauehave been blemiſhed with the tincture of vnthankfulnes. I therefore doe offer theſe Sermons to your view, and alſo to your protectiō, hoping that you ſhal finde them worthie of both. If you reſpect their author, they bee his ſomething; if me the publiſher, alas they be my nothing: yet ſure ſuch is your ingenuitie, as that I doubt not but that you will receiue them as pledges of louelove, both his and mine.
Indeede I acknowledge the particular reſpects whereby it hath pleaſed your Worſhips to ingage me vntounto you, doe farre exceed all that poore recompence, which the ſlender dedication of theſe few ſheetes of paper can poſsiblie make; neither would I that the ſame ſhould bee taken as any way equalizing your deſert, but onelyonly I deſire herein to giuegive you partly a ſigne of my dutifull and moſt vnfained affection towards you, and partly alſo a memoriall of the Author, your departed friend, who is now in bleſſe; not doubting but that your Worſhips will pleaſe to giuegive a kinde acceptance to this my poore offer, not weighing the worth of the thing it ſelfe, but rather (as you are wont) the minde and good will of him that giueth.
Now for theſe two Sermons, in them the Author doth chiefly treate of theſe two things: Baptiſme, and the feare of God: the firſt, a ſigne of our inſition into Chriſt, and a bleſſed ſeale of the couenant of grace. The ſecond is called in Scripture, the Reuerence of Iehouah, the fountaine or wel-ſpring of true and heauenlie wiſedome.
As touching Baptiſme me thinkes when wee ſeriouſly conſider with our ſelues what weighty things were done therein, and mutually paſt twixt God and vsus, we cannot but ſee it to be vtterly a fault, ſo eaſily to caſt aſide all thoughts about it, and to make it ſuch a ſtranger to our meditations as vſually wee doe. For mine owne part I know not whether any one thing be more worthie of a Chriſtians conſideration then is his baptiſme, for by it as by a conduit it pleaſed God to conuay vntounto vsus the beſt of his fauors. For example, whereas by nature (as ſcripture ſpeakes) we were aliants frō God, and ſonnes of wrath, Epheſ. 2.3.12.when wee were baptized in the name of the Father, Sonne and holy Ghoſt, wee were brought into an holy fellowſhip with the bleſſed Trinitie, and were admitted duplicate page duplicate page into the familie of Chriſt, euer after to remaine as adopted ſonnes in the houſe of the moſt high God; A moſt bleſſed condition.
Againe, Epheſ. 2.1.whereas by nature wee were all dead and rotten in ſinne, and altogether deuoid of the life of grace, in baptiſme wee receiued quicknance from the ſpirit of life the holie Ghoſt. And whereas our poore ſoules were beggerlie clad with natures cloath, which is (God wot) nought elſe but a torne and rotten ragge of old Adam, in baptiſme we laid aſide that old, and put on a new and moſt coſtly coate, euen the rich robe of Chriſt his righteouſnes, whereby the whole Church (the ſpouſe of Chriſt) doth ſtand as a glorious obiect in the ſight of God for euermore. Laſtly, whereas by nature we were moſt filthie and loathſome in Gods eye, no leper or lazer ſo lothſome to vsus as wee to God: for as the childe new borne lieth tumbling in blood, ſo we in ſin, in baptiſme we were waſhed by the cleane water of the ſpirit of God, and thereby freed from the ſpots and guilt of ſinne, 2. King. 5.as Naaman was from his leproſie in the riuer Iordan.
Thus by our baptiſme, of ſtrangers to God we became euen Gods aſſociats; of limbes of the diuell, members of Chriſt; of beggers brats poorely clad, Kings ſonnes richly attired in the righteouſnes of God; of polluted and vncleane, pure and amiable: … thus were we bleſſed when wee were baptized with water and with the holie Ghoſt.
Now further ſee wee what great things did paſſe from vsus to God in our baptiſme; ſurely as God therein became a God vntounto vsus, ſo wee became a people to him, wee renounced the world, and proclaimed a defiance to ſinne and Satan, wee dedicated our ſelues, ſoules and bodies to the ſeruice and worſhip of the moſt high; and as Dauid vowed to keepe Gods commandements, ſo did wee by a ſolemne vow in the ſight of men and Angels, binde our ſelues to beleeue in God, and to become as it were Gods apprentiſes, or rather the loyal ſubiects, and faithfull ſouldiers of our Lord Ieſus to fight vnderunder his colours, and maintaine his quarrell againſt all aduerſarie power of our ſaluation and his glorie. And thus wee ſee that in our baptiſme the Lord did great things for vsus, and we promiſed great things to God againe; how requiſite a thing is it therefore, nay how neceſſary that we ſhould now and then admit of thoughts about our baptiſme, that ſo wee might hauehave a ſenſe and feeling of the comfort of thoſe bleſsings of God which there we receiued, and alſo be quickned vp to the carefull performance of what wee hauehave ſo ſolemnely promiſed. For this very cauſe I wiſh that this little treatiſe concerning this argument, might be as a Remembrancer to put vsus in minde of theſe things which are of ſuch weight, and ſo neerely doe concerne vsus.
As touching that other Sermon, in it wee may ſee very exactly and iudiciouſly handled that rare and ſingular vertue ſo oft ſpokē of in the Scriptures, and called by this name, The feare of God, a moſt excellent gift of the ſpirit, as vſefull almoſt as any other to help forward a Chriſtian life, and no leſſe gainfull in bringing in Gods bleſsings.
As for a Chriſtian life, as we know it is chiefly ſpent in two things, that is, abſtaining from euill, and endeuouring that which is good; or as Iſaiah ſpeakes, in ceaſing to doe euill, Iſaiah 1.16.17.and learning to doe well. Now both theſe bee ſtreames flowing from one and the ſame ſountaine, viz. Prou. 3.7.the feare of Iehouah. Salomon ſaith, The feare of the Lord is to hate euill, Prou. 8.13. there is Gods feare the cauſe of ſurceaſing from euill. He further ſaith, Pron. 14.2. He that walketh in righteouſneſſe feareth the Lord: where the wiſe man reaſoneth from the effect to the cauſe, & ſhewes that Gods feare is it that cauſeth a man to walke righteouſly, that is, to doe well: and indeed there was neuer any man that feared God, but endeuoured in the courſe of his life to pleaſe God in well-doing. So then as we ſee man that rides, in ordering his horſe doth vſe a bridle & a ſpurre, a bridle to reſtraine him if hee bee too free, a ſpurre to pricke him on forward if he be dull; ſo in ordering our liues, the feare of God is as a bridle to curbe vsus from ruſhing into ſin, and as a ſpurre to pricke vsus on forward, and quicken our ſlow and lazie natures to that which is good and pleaſing to God.
Yet moreouer as this is a vertue of great vſe in directing vsus to heauen, ſo I may truly call it, as the Apostle doth call godlineſſe, great gaine, for it brings in with it the abundance of Gods bleſsings, in ſo much as whoſoeuer will attempt to trade therewith, ſhall finde her reuenewes to bee very great: and that which Salomon ſaith of Wiſedome, Prou. 3.14. will be verified of her, viz. that her merchā diſe is better then the merchandiſe of ſiluer, and the gaine thereof is better then gold. What good is there almost that a good man can ſet his heart a wiſhing or deſiring, but may bee obtained (if God thinke meete) ſo be it he will be a fearer of God, the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it Pſalm. 34. that nothing ſhall be wanting to them that feare him; would we liue long and inioy many daies on earth, which is the foundation of all earthly comforts: the wiſe man ſaith, Prou. 10.27.that the feare of the Lord increaſeth the daies. Would we faine be rich, and had in high eſteeme and repute among men? Prou. 22.4. The reward of the feare of the Lord is riches, and glorie. Are wee deſirous to know the holy Scriptures aright, and to bee acquainted with the deepe ſecrets and hidden councels of the moſt high God? The Prophet Dauid ſaith; Pſal. 25.14.The ſecret of the Lorde is reuealed to them that feare him. Doe we long after Gods fauour, and that his louing countenance may ſhine vponupon vsus, without which nothing in this world is worth the hauing? The Prophet ſaith, the louing countenance of the Lord indureth for euer on them that feare him. Would we be truely happie and blest of God both in our ſelues and in our Children we leaue behinde vsus? Queſtionles, our onelyonly way for this purpoſe is to feare the Lord, Bleſſed ſaith the Prophet, Pſalm. 112.1.2. is the man that feareth the Lord, his ſeede ſhall be mightie vponupon earth, and the generation of the righteous ſhall be bleſſed. And moſt excellent is that ſentence, Pſalm. 25. His ſoule ſhall dwell at eaſe, his children ſhall inherit the land. Loe thus and many other waies ſhall that man be bleſſed that feareth the Lord.
Thus I thought good (Right Worſhipfull) to touch the titles of theſe two Sermons in theſe ſewe words, wherein you may ſee the worth and weight of the ſubiect matter they are about, and ſo be led to a further peruſing of them to your ſoules good.
Now the God of heauen who hath alreadie ſeaſoned your hearts with his feare, and ſet you apart as ſanctified veſſels to beare his glorious name, hold on your hearts in a wiſe and zealous profeſsion of his truth, and grant that you may ſee your ſeruice to God abundantly rewarded, euen with the beſt of his fauours, vponupon your ſelues, and vponupon your moſt hopefull poſteritie for euer. From Norwich, Nouemb. 15. 1613.
Your Worſhips true affected in all Christian louelove and dutie, Robert Gallard.