The Breastplate of Faith and Love, Part 3 · Sermon 8
THE EIGHTH SERMON.
GALAT. 5.6.
For in Iesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but Faith which worketh by Love.
HAVING spoken of faith and love, it remaines that we adde to them good workes, for which wee will goe no further than this Text, wee cannot have a fitter; for, saith the Apostle, when you come to have to doe with Christ Iesus, to be ingrafted into him, to make your selves first acceptable to God through him, all the workes you can doe are nothing, they are no more than the omission of them, circumcision is the same with uncircumcision: But what is of moment then? Faith (saith hee:) But what faith must that be? Such a faith as begets love: And what love must that be? Such a love as sets you on worke: so that you have a chaine here consisting of these three linkes; faith which when it is right will beget love, and love when it is right will set you on worke; faith which workes by love. So the point we will deliver to you out of these words shall be this: Doct.That we are to be judged not onelyonly by our faith and love,Wee are to be iudged not only by our faith and love, but by our workes. but also by our workes, that no man hath faith and love, that none are new creatures, that none have sincerity, but workes will follow.
this is a point which I doe not meane to handle at large as we have done the other, but will endeavour to finish it at this time, and it is a very necessary point, because men are ready to applaud themselves in their knowledge in their good meaning, in their honest desires, and in the meane time they faile in their lives and actions: therefore as those are the radicall ver…ues which indeede make up the new creature, Faith and Love, so you must know that good workes are never disjoyned from them, wheresoever there is sinceritie, and a new creature, good workes will follow.
The Scripture you know is evident in this, A good tree bringeth forth good fruite, Matth. 7.Mat. 7. that is, it cannot be that a m…n shall have a new heart, it cannot be that a man should be regenerate, but that his workes will be also new; looke how farre the heart of any man is holy, looke how farre his heart is put into a new frame of grace, in that measure his workes will be good, and his life sanctified. In Acts 14.22.Acts 14.22. speaking of David, I have found a man after m…ne owne heart, who will doe whatsoever I will: and in Mat. 23.26.Mat. 23.26. Make the inside cleane that the outside may be cleane also: As if he should say, if the inside be right, if the heart be set right within, if that be well moulded, the outside will bee cleane, they cannot bee disjoyned.
If a man have a treasure within, there will be silver in his speeches and actions; but if his heart be nothing worth, his words and actions will be but meere drosse:Prov. 10.20. It is the scope of that, Prov. 10.20. The words of the righteous are as fined silver, but the heart of the wicked is nothing worth: That is, when his heart is nothing worth, his speeches and actions are nothing worth too; but the good man that hath his treasure in his heart, there is silver and golde in his speeches and actions, that is, they are likewise precious. Therefore let no man say he hath faith and love, and as good a heart as the best, though his actions be not so good, though he be not so strict in his carriage; for it cannot be my brethren.
For first of all,Reas. 1 Because every Christian hath the spirit, and that is strong. 2 Tim. 1.6. if a mans heart be good, hee hath the spirit of God dwelling there: now, saith the Apostle, 2 Tim▪ 1.6. The spirit is not a spirit of feare, or a spirit of weaknesse, a spirit that onelyonly makes attempts, and is not able to bring things to passe; but it is a spirit of power, a spirit of a sound minde: That is, doe not thou pretend thou meanest well and desirest well, and thinke it is sufficient, but stirre up the gift that is in thee, set thy selfe on worke, doe the actions that belong to thee in thy place, and doe not say I am not able to doe it; for wee have not received a spirit that is weake, but a spirit of power: the same I may say to every Christian, If ye be in Christ, yee have the spirit, which is a spirit of power. So you have it likewise, Gal. 5.25.Gal. 5.25. If you live in the spirit, walke in the spirit: that is, if you have so much of the spirit as to make you living men, shew it by walking in the spirit, by following the spirit, by doing that which the spirit guides you to; therefore it is impossible that a man should have a right minde, but that his workes also will be good, because grace is strong: in 2 Tim. 2.1.2 Tim 2.1. And thou my sonne be strong in the grace received, &c. As if hee should say, grace is a strong thing, it strengthens every man that hath received it; if thou professe thou hast received the grace of Christ to regenerate thee, to change thee, and to make thee a new creature, let that appeare by shewing thy selfe strong in thy actions, able and ready to doe every thing that belongs to thee in thy place. Indeede flesh is weake, so much flesh, so much weaknesse, for that is weake and fading, and withering, and mutable; it is grasse, and all the purposes of it and the desires of it are no better: but the spirit is strong, and grace is strong, quite contrary to the flesh; as the Prophet speakes, Isa. 31.3.Isay 31.3. Yee are men and not Gods, flesh and not spirit: when he would shew their weaknesse, as if weaknesse were a concomitant of the flesh, and strength a concomitant of the spirit: Therefore if you have the spirit of Christ in you, there will be strength to goe through good workes, not onelyonly to intend them, and purpose them, and resolve on them, but you will put those resolutions and purposes in execution.
Secondly,Reas. 2. Inward rectitude and good workes alway goe together. it must needes be so, because there is a chaine betweene good workes and the inward rectitude of the heart, a chaine that cannot be disjoyned; for ye shall finde that these three things alwayes goe together.
First, as that indeede is the beginning of every mans renewing, there must be a knowledge, a man must be enlightened, hee must be renewed in the spirit of his minde, as the Apostle saith. Now if the knowledge bee right, if it bee a convicting knowledge, a sanctifying knowledge, a knowledge to purpose, it will draw on affections, it cannot chuse, they are never separated: you are never truly enlightened by Gods spirit, but affections follow necessarily, and then if the affections be right, if knowledge draw on holy affections, love, and feare, and desires, &c. affections are the immediate principles of actions, there is no man that hath right affections, but good workes will follow: so that these three are never disjoyned, sanctified knowledge draweth on holy affections, and holy affections draw on good actions:Mat 13.5. as yee have it in Matth. 13.5. Their hearts are waxed fat, and their eares are dull of hearing, and why? you shall see the chaine there, lest seeing with their eyes they should understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heale them: Marke it, if they should see with their eyes, the Lord hath given them up to judge amisse of things, that seeing they doe not see, that is, they see not to purpose, they are not convinced, they doe not judge; for if they did see with their eyes, that is, if they did see indeede, they would have understood with their hearts, their affections would follow in their hearts, and if they were set aright, then they would be converted, that is, their lives would be turned to God; and if these three were done he must needes heale them: but saith God, I am resolved not to heale them: therefore they shall see as if they did not see, for these will draw on one the other. So I say, if the heart were right, if there were faith and love, good workes would follow: therefore let no man say hee hath grace, hee hath love and faith, except his life also be holy and good.
Reas. 3. Because there is a new nature.Lastly, wheresoever there is faith and love, there is a change of nature; for you know that wheresoever they come, faith that is effectuall, and love that followeth from faith it makes a man a new creature, they are the very things wherein a new ereature consists: Now when a mans nature is changed, it must needes be active, for that which is naturall to a man, he doth without unevennesse, there is no inequality in his doing it, he doth it constantly, where there are naturall principles of actions, the actions flow like water from a spring: indeede where the nature of a man is not changed, that is, where there is onelyonly good purposes and good desires, and no alteration of nature, there actions doe not come as water from a spring, but as water from a pompe that is forced and extorted; but where there is a change of nature, there is no difficultie, a man doth it with facility and with desire, it is his meate and drinke to doe the will of God. Therefore I say good workes will follow, there will be the same degree of holinesse, of rectitude in your lives, in your actions, as there is of grace, as there is of faith and love in your hearts. And this is enough to make the point plaine to you, the maine businesse will be to make use of it, and to apply it to your selves.
And first let us make this use of it,Vse 1. Not to be content onelyonly with good meanings not to content our selves with good meanings onelyonly, as it is the fashion of men to say, my heart is as good as yours, and my meaning is as good as yours, though I be subject to infirmities, though I cannot make such a shew, though I cannot doe so much as others doe; this is the common objection, and though men say it not constantly, yet they thinke it, otherwise they would not content themselves in such a condition as they doe. But I say, deceive not your selves in this, for, my brethren, you must know that you may have good purposes and good meanings, we will not deny you that you may have these, and yet have no true grace; for you must know th…t good purposes and desires may arise from these two things,Good purposes whenee they arise. which every unregenerate man is capable of.
1Knowledge.There may be knowledge, as you know an evill man may have knowledge of all the mysteries of salvation as well as the most holy; I doe not say he hath the sanctified knowledge, but the law of God is partly written in his heart, the Lord hath taught every man somewhat.
2Approbation of that which is good.Secondly, in an evill and unregenerate man there may be not onelyonly knowledge, but an approbation of that which is good, they can approove that which is good, so farre they may goe; I doe not say they can delight in it, for that is another thing, they doe not love and delight in it, that is not sutable to them, yet they may approove it. Now from these two principles, to know that which is good, and to approove it, they may goe so farre as to purpose and desire to serve God, they may have good meanings, but yet if actions follow not, if there be not reformation in their lives, if a man deny not himselfe in his beloved sinne, if hee come not to that outward profession of holinesse that is required in Scripture, and is seene in the lives of the Saints, he hath nothing to comfort himselfe withall; these good meanings will not serve the turne.
For know this, though it be true as wee see there may be actions where there is no sound heart, as the second and third ground brought forth a kinde of fruite when there was neither of them right; hypocrites you know may goe farre, they may make a blaze as your commets doe more than the true starres:Though there may bee good workes where the heart is unsound, yet wherever the heart is sound there is good workes. though this be true, that there may be abundance of good workes where there is no rightnesse and soundnesse, no sincerity, no purenesse within; yet againe also on the other side, wheresoever there is sincerity there are good workes, and though many times the outside be cleane when the inside is not, yet the inside is never cleane but the outside is cleane too: And that is the thing we must examine our selves by; though it be not a good rule to say I have good workes, therefore my heart is right, yet it is a good rule to say on the other side, I want good works, therefore my heart is not right; except there be a generall reformation in your lives, except things be reformed that you know to be amisse. Indeede when it is not revealed to you, then there is something for you to say, but when you know that such a duty is to be done, that your speeches should be holy, that they should be seasoned with salt, that you ought to abstaine from sinnes of all kindes, from all appearance, that you ought not to admit any kinde of dalliance, not the least touch of any sinne; now not to set your selves with all your might to reforme this, this is a sure argument you are not right; for if the generall frame of the heart be good, there will be a generall reformation of the life. Therefore let no man say I purpose well, but in this particular infirmity I must be spared, to such a thing my nature is prone, and I am given to it, I cannot tell how to refraine it, and I hope it is not so great a matter; say not so, for if the heart be right, the actions will be right and unblameable.
Simile.For though you see sometimes a man may have a good colour from flushing and painting, when the constitution of the body within is but crasie and unsound; yet againe it is true there is never any that hath a sound and haile constitution, there is never a healthfull body but the complection is good; the heart is never right, but you shall see it without, though you have leaves without fruit, yet you never have fruite but there are leaves, there are actions appearing. Therefore learne to judge aright of your selves, content not your selves with good purposes, onelyonly you see the complaint of the Scripture of the lacke of this in people. What is the reason the Lord calls for obedience rather than sacrifice? because that is the touchstone that every man is tryed by; I am weary, saith he, of your fat of rammes, I am burdened with your sacrifices, Esay 1.Isay 1. The thing that I desire is that you cease to doe evill, and learne to doe well, that is the thing that the Lord lookes for at every mans hand, these outward performances are good, they must be done, and these good meanings must be had, but yet that is not enough, you are not to judge your selves by that.
Object.But it will be objected, that the best men have their failings, those that have a good heart, yet doe wee not finde them subject to infirmities as well as other men? and if this be the rule we are to be judged by, who shall be saved?
Answ,To this I answer first, it is true that the most holy men may many times doe that which is ill,Holy men have failings, but it is by accident, it is when they are transported, when they are carried besides their purpose:1When they are suddenly transported. As a man that is bound for such a place, sayling such a way, his compasse stands stil right, he alters not that,Simile. though the wind carry him violently another way, yet he lookes still to the right way, that is his intent still; and it is knowne by this, when the winde is over, and the gust is past, he returnes againe and saileth to the haven he intended to goe to at the first: So it is with all the Saints, they saile by a right compasse, their intents are still good, whensoever they doe otherwise it is by accident, it is when they are overborne by some temptation, by some passion, when they are not perfectly themselves.
Againe,2Holy men have flesh in them as well as spirit you must know this, that every holy man as hee hath grace in him, and a principle of holy actions, so he hath also flesh in him, and a principle of evill actions; now that principle may sometimes prevaile and get ground of him, yea it may prevaile mightily sometimes, and make him doe as evill actions as the worst man: For that is a true rule, a man that excelleth in grace may sometimes excell in ill doing; you must take me aright, that is, a man that hath a more impetuous spirit than another, so that none excelleth such a spirit when it is set aright, he may be as impetuous in evill-doing for a fit, for a time, when that evill principle within him shall get the better. Therefore though you see a good man sometime unlike himselfe for a fit, yet it is at that time when the flesh prevailes; for now grace though it be there, yet sometimes it is laid asleepe, it is not alwayes acted: As the Philosopher was wont to say, It is one thing to have knowledge, and another thing to use it alway; so it is with grace, sometimes the Saints doe not use that grace and holinesse, and hence it is that they are subject to great failings; but I say it is by fits and by accident, the constant course of their life is right, because the constant frame of their heart is right.
Object.But againe there is another objection on the other side, that evill men sometimes doe well as well as good men doe sometimes ill.
Answ.To this I answer, that it is true they doe so, but yet we must know that it is not they that doe it,The good that evill men doe it cannot bee said that they doe it. but the good that dwelleth in them, as the Apostle speakes in Rom. 7. which may be implyed on the contrary; when any regenerate man finneth, it is not he that doth it,Rom. 7. but the sinne that is there; that is, it is not the master of the house, but a rebell that is crept in by accident: so I say of eueryevery evill man that doth that which is good and right, it is not he that doth it, but some good that is there. For it is one thing for a man to have good things in him,A man may do good, and not be good. and another thing to be a good man, hee may doe some things sometimes for a fit that are good, Gods Spirit may be there to helpe him to doe much; I say not that the Spirit dwells there, but he may take up his lodging for a time, and from him he may have common assistance, common gifts that may enable him to doe much: Therefore I denie not but those may have many good flashings of lightning that may enable them to doe much; onelyonly this wee say, The Day-spring from on high never visited them, that is, the morning never riseth upon them, to guide their feete in the way of peace, for that is proper to the Saints; they never have any constant light that leadeth them so farre as to bring them in: they have some lightenings indeede that guide them in this or that particular, to helpe them in a step or two, to enable them to doe many good actions by fits, but not to bring them to perfection.
Secondly,Vse 2. Christians better taught than great learned men without grace. if this be so that we are to be judged by our actions, then this will follow from it, that poore Christians are better taught than the greatest Clerkes, they are better taught I say, because they doe more, therefore indeede they know more; for all the knowledge wee have, all the sinceritie, whatsoever is right within us, if it be to be judged by the actions, then he that doth most hee knowes most; for no man knoweth more than hee practiseth, because what knowledge soever a man hath that hee practiseth not, marke it, it is a dead knowledge, it is an inefficacious knowledge. When things are dead and inefficacious, wee say they are not; as leaven that doth not leaven the dough, it hath but the name of leaven and no more, the thing it selfe is wanting; it is not knowledge if it bring not forth practise. As we say of of drugges, they are not true when they doe not worke, but they are false and counterfeit. Every man is to be judged by what he doth: Therefore I say those that doe most, those are knowing men, Those that seeme to know, as the Apostle saith, know nothing as they ought: a man may know much, a man may have a large extent of knowledge, yet this is true of him, if his life be barren, if he bring forth nothing into action all the while, hee knoweth nothing as hee ought to know, though he know much: On the other side, the other sort though their extent be never so small, yet what they know they know as they ought. Therefore when you looke upon men in the world, when you would make a judgement of them, I say those that know most they are not the best, you must not put them in the highest degree, when you come to matters of religion, but men are to be judged by their actions; when men have knowledge onelyonly to know, as they have money to account with, and not to buy and sell with it, it is but dead, a man hath no good by it, that money makes him not the richer; so men that have knowledge onelyonly to know with, not to make them more usefull in their lives, more serviceable to God, and profitable to man, it is unprofitable knowledge: therefore those are the wisest men, let them seeme never such fooles, though they are not able to speake so much as others, yet they know most that practise most. For there is that difference betweene art and wisdome; indeed it is true in matter of art, hee that omitteth wilfully may be the best artist, because there is no more required of him but skill, and it is but some errour in him, it is the commendation of his art that hee erreth willingly: But now in matter of holinesse and sanctity, there hee that knoweth and doth not is the greatest foole: For wisedome consists most in that.Wisedome in three things. Wisedome comprehends indeed these three:
First, to invent, to see, to know and understand things.
Secondly, to judge aright of things you know.
Thirdly, to put in practise that which you have concluded to be the best, and this latter is the greatest part of prudence: Therefore those men that know, that can dispute well, that have cleare understanding, and yet doe nothing, they are the unwisest; againe, those that can speake little, and perhaps have not such a treasure of knowledge as others, and yet can doe more, they know more than the wisest. Therefore let us not misesteeme those that are good Christians, and holy men, and set too high a price upon others; for there is an errour under that, and it hath an ill consequent to judge of religion by the opinion of those that are onelyonly knowing men in religion: No, beloved, religion is the art of holy men,Religion an art of holymen not of learned men. and not of learned men, and it was the custome of former times to judge of heresies not so much by disputes, as by the lives of those that have beene the professours of them: and that Christ directs us to, You shall know them by their fruites: and what are those fruites? their fruites are their actions.
We learne at schooles what to say in such a controversie, how to dispute rather than how to live: and that is the complaint wee may take up in these knowing times, where knowledge (I confesse) abounds as water in the sea, but practise is thinne and rare, like grasse upon the house top, of which the mower cannot fill his hand: and that is the burden of us that are Ministers, that we teach much, and see little fruite, wee see no amendement of mens lives, men doe the same things that they were wont to doe, the duties they were wont to be defective in, they are defective in still. Alas my brethren, the end of our preaching is not that you should know, but that you should doe and practise: as it is not the desire of the shepheard that his sheepe should returne their meate in hay againe, but hee would have it in their milke and fleece; so it is not our desire that you should only know, though indeede many come short of that, but that you should shew it in your fleece and milke, shew it in your lives, that all the world may see it there. It is not enough for him that desires to write, to see the coppy, and to know it, and the fashion of the letters, but then hee hath learned it when he can write after it: so you must know sciences are of two sorts,Sciences of two sorts. indeede some there are the end of which is onelyonly contemplation and knowledge, but some there are the end wherof is action, and they are no further good than we practise them. What is musicke, but the practise of it? what is physicke? the knowledge of all will not heale a man, but the taking of it: so it is with Divinity, the knowledge that we teach is nothing worth, if you know as much as could be knowne, it were all nothing worth without practise, practise is all in all; so much as ye practise, so much you know. It is a great matter to have your judgement true in this case, for when men shall applaud themselves meerely in this, that they know and have right purposes and honest desires, and shall esteeme their estates by this, it causeth men to content themselves with a loose and a negligent life; but wee must know that God judgeth us by our actions, and that is our best rule to judge by too, therefore we should learne thus to judge our selves.
If you object,Object. but it is a rule that wee have heard often, that the will is often taken for the deed, and if the will be present with us, though the action doe not follow, yet wee are accepted according the will.
To this I answer in briefe,Answ. first, it holdeth only then where there is some impediment which you cannot remove:The will taken for the deed: as for example, a man hath a desire to doe good to such poore people,1When the impediment cannot be removed. hee hath a compassionate heart, hee is willing to be bountifull, but he wants meanes to doe it, in this case the Lord accepts the will for the deed; for upon that occasion is this delivered in this place by S. Paul: so it is in every thing else, when you have a desire, and there commeth some impediment that it is not in your power to remove, then the will is accepted for the deed. As when a man hath a desire to move his hands, his legges or armes, but because of a palsie that hangs upon him, he is not able to stirre them, here the will is for the deed, he is not able to doe it, though the minde be right and the desire good; so when you come to such duties that are not in your power to doe, when there are some impediments that you are not able to remove, here the will is accepted for the deed.
2When a man is ignorant of somethings, and yet his desires are right.Sometimes a man is ignorant of some particulars, and hee hath a desire to obey God in all things, here the will is accepted for the deede, though he be not come to that degree of perfection as others are: but as men apply it commonly it is amisse, for when a man thinkes I have a good purpose to doe this, but I cannot pray, I cannot be so strict in looking to my actions and speeches, here the complaint is not right: for if yee stirre up your selves, and doe the utmost you can doe, the deede will follow the will, there is no such impediment here but that you may remove. Therefore our answer is, that the reason why you cannot doe, is not because of such impediments that you cannot remove, but because your will is not yet right, which the Schoolemen call an imperfect will; it is but such a will as the Wiseman speakes of concerning the sluggard, hee willeth and lusteth, and hath not: and what's the reason? If it were a full, a compleate and perfect will, it would draw action with it, hee would not be a sluggard any longer, but hee would draw forth his hands to doe somewhat to bring his desires to passe, but indeede he hath but light wishings and no more. And so it is with men in christianity, they are as Salomons sluggard, they wish they had such sinnes mortified, that they had such graces, they wish they could attaine such a measure of faith & love, but they take no paines:No man hath a great measure of grace without paines. no man hath height of grace without paines; doe you thinke to get the greatest excellency in the world without paines? It is true, the Lord must doe it, but yet he doth it by your selves, you are agents in the businesse: Therefore doe not say I wish well and desire well, for if you would doe your uttermost that you ought to doe, if your will were full and compleate, and desires right and strong, you would doe more, you would excell more in grace, you would amend your lives more, you would have your lusts more mortified: therefore let not this deceive you. I should presse this further, but wee will come to the last thing, because I would conclude this point with this time, and that is,
To exhort you to be doers,Vse 3. An exhortation to doing. that your faith may be effectuall faith, and that your love may be diligent love: This is the great businesse which we have to doe, and the thing which for the most part wee all faile in, that there is no doing, no acting, no working of our faith; be exhorted now therefore to adde to your faith diligent love, especially you that professe your selves to be growne Christians, looke you to it, and know that as in nature every thing when it is ripe brings seede and fruite, if not it is but a dead thing, a dead plant that keepeth the roome idle; if there be that ripenesse and maturity in you,Motives to be workers. shew it by bringing forth seede and fruite, shew it by doing something. For, my brethren, we are called into the Lords vineyard for the same purpose; it is not for you now to stand idle, the time of your standing still is past, it is for you now to worke, for ye are now come into the day. That exhortation is excellent,1 Thess. 5.6, 7, 8. 1 Thess. 5.6, 7, 8. Let not us sleepe (saith he) as doe others, we are come out of the night: those that are still in the night, it better beseemes them to sleepe, and to sit still and doe nothing, but let not us sleepe as doe others, for we are of the day; let it not be so with you as with others, to be much in speech onelyonly, but labour to be much in actions. As it was said of Gideon, Vp and be doing, and the Lord shall be with thee, so I say to every one, up and be doing, and the Lord shall be with you; that is, though perhaps you doe not finde that vigour, that fervencie and liveliness of spirit, yet be doing notwithstanding, it is your wisest way, for that doing will increase the grace within you: exercise increaseth health, as well as health enables to exercise,The use of grace increaseth it. so the use of grace will increase grace and other abilities; motion causeth heate, as well as all motion commeth from heate, so every good action proceedeth from grace, and good actions intend grace: and therefore be still acting, and judge of your selves by that, for what is grace, what is that you call Christianity else, but to doe that which another man cannot doe? Therefore if there be such a difference betweene you and others as you professe there is, shew it by doing that which another man cannot doe, by exposing your selves to that danger, to those losses for any good cause, which another would not doe; by spending more time in prayer, by taking more paines with your hearts from day to day than others doe, by keeping the sabbath better than others doe, by being more exact in looking to your wayes, that you may be holy in all manner of conversation, that other men will not doe: I say shew your grace, shew your regeneration, by being new creatures, by doing more than others, this is that which wil make the world beleeve that you are Christians in good earnest, and not in shew onelyonly, that your profession is in deed and in truth: and truely there is no other way, this doing is that which makes a man excellent. You heare men complaine of the barrennesse of their grounds many times, wee may likewise justly take up the complaint against the barrennesse of the lives of men.
How goodly a sight is it when a man looks into the husbandry, to see the vine full of clusters, to see the furrowes full of corne, to see the trees laden with fruite; when we looke upon men,A goodly sight when mens lives abound with good workes. it is the goodliest sight we can behold in Gods husbandry, to see men full of actions and good workes; I beseech you consider of it seriously, and now set upon the doing of it while there is sand in the houre-glasse, your life will not last long, the day doth not continue alwayes, the night will come when no man can worke. When a candle is put out, you may kindle it againe, when the Sunne is set, it riseth againe; but when our life is past, when the glasse is runne, it ariseth no more, it is turned no more, It is appointed to all men once to die: if ye might die twice or thrice, it were another case; but now it is your wisedome therefore while it is time, while this short day, lasts, to doe that you have to doe concerning your salvation with all your might, because the time is short.
A true property of wisedome.There is nothing that is a truer property of wisedome than for a man to take holde of opportunities, not to lose the day, nay not an houre in the day;Simile. for time is most precious, it is like golde of which every shred is worth somewhat: it is your wisedome therefore to be oft sowing seede to the spirit, there is none of those good workes, not the least of them but will doe you good in the latter end; for alas what are your lives but your actions? so much as you doe, so much you live, your lives are short of themselves, why doe you make them shorter by doing nothing? for as wee have said heretofore, one man may live more in a day than another in twenty, because hee doth more, you live more as you act more.
Pleasure and contentment is in action.Besides, what is it a man serves for in all his labour under the Sunne? what is it that hee desires but pleasure, comfort and contentment? Now, my brethren, this consists in doing, in working, for all pleasure followeth upon operation, and further than there is working there is no delight. Therefore it was a wise saying in that Philosopher, that the happinesse and comfort that a man hath in this life consists not in abundance of wealth, in swimming in delights, but it consists in doing the actions of a living man, which is the greatest comfort you can finde here in this life: Doe the exercises and actions of holinesse, and the more yee doe, the more comfort yee shall have; for even as light followeth the flame, so pleasure and contentment followeth action.
And besides (my brethren) what doe you live for,The end of our life. is it not to glorifie God?1To glorifie God. You professe so much, and how is it done? Not by your desires or good meanings, but by your actions, those are the things that men see and feele, and glorifie your heavenly Father: for when your actions shine before men, Herein is my Father glorified, saith Christ, that ye bring forth much fruite: the doing of much is that which brings glory to God, the more you doe this, the more glory you bring to him.
Againe,2To doe good to men. another end of your life is to doe good to mankinde; shall they be able to fare the better for your purposes, for your good resolutions? no, they fare the better onelyonly for that you doe for them and to them, it is your actions that benefit men.
Lastly for your selves, what is it that helpeth you and doth you good? onelyonly your good deeds and your actions, it is that which furthers your reckoning and account: That place is much to this purpose, Phil. 4.17.Phil. 4.17. I care not for a gift, but I desire fruite, because it will further your account: marke the phrase, the meaning is this, every good worke that a holy man doth from the time of his regeneration, (for till then no actions are spiritually good) it is put upon his score, it stands upon his reckoning, there is not a penny nor a halfe penny lost, that is, the least good worke is not done to no purpose, but the Lord will repay him againe eueryevery pennie and farthing: this (saith hee) will further your account. And when will the Lord pay? Not onelyonly in the day of judgement, then indeede you shall be paid to the uttermost, but you shall be paid even in this life; marke that too, You shall have an hundredfold here, saith Christ, They that forsake father, or mother, or wife, or children, shall have an hundredfold in this life. Therefore brethren if there bee any wisedome in the world, this is the onelyonly wisedome, to be still doing, to be much in actions; Why doe you trifle out your time therefore to no purpose? Why sit ye idle here? why doe you not rise up and bestirre your selves? why doe you not fill your lives with many actions? You have good purposes in you, why doe you not stirre them up? It is true indeede we are becalmed many times because the Spirit doth not blow upon us, but yet notwithstanding if we would pray for the Spirit, the Lord would quicken us.
Object.But you will say, alas what shall wee doe, it may be our callings give us no opportunity to doe that which other mens callings doe: if we might be Preachers, and have such and such businesse wherein wee might onelyonly minde the things that belong to salvation, then it were easie.
Answ.My brethren, you must know that you shall finde continuall occasions of doing good actions every day,In every calling men have occasion of dong good. whatsoever your callings are. It is an errour among the Papists, to thinke that to give almes, to crucifie the flesh and to use that hardly, to fast, and the like, that these are the onelyonly and the most glorious actions: they are exceeding wide;Good actions, what. good actions are nothing else but to doe the will of the Lord, and to bring forth fruite; the fruite of every tree in the orchard is but as the actions of every man; and then are the trees good to the husbandman, when they are full of fruite. Every action that you doe is that fruite which God lookes for, now that fruite is good workes, that is pleasing to the gardener, to the husbandman: Therefore to doe the Lords will is to doe a good worke. Now by this you may see what a large field you have for good workes, in what calling soever you are set, though it be never so meane a place you have.
To suffer imprisonment and disgraces for good causes,Good workes. In suffering. this is a good worke, for it is a great worke to suffer, and in that you doe the will of the Lord.In sicknesse. When a man is sicke, and lieth in his chamber upon his bedde, sicke of a consumption or a feaver, that he is not able to stirre; yet to doe this with obedience, to submit then to the will of the Lord, is a good worke: for to beare a burden is a worke, to beare sicknesse and calamity after this manner, is a worke, to thinke the Lord hath put me into this condition; he might have given mee strength to goe abroad as others doe, but he hath laid sicknesse upon mee, I say the right bearing this burden is a good worke.
Againe,In mastering our lusts. to take paines with our hearts, to master our unruly lusts and affections is a good worke. Doe not you reckon it a worke to breake horses, to master coltes? It is the trade of some men to doe so: and is it not a good worke for you to get victory over your lusts, to tame your unbridled natures, to curbe your unruly hearts and affections in all the variety of occasions that ye passe through? It is a worke to behave our selves as becomes Christians decently and comely, and holily, in poverty, in riches, in honour, and disgraces; to behave our selves under these things in a right manner, to carry our selves patiently and holily through them as becomes good Christians, this is a good worke, and this belongs to every one, though his calling be never so meane.
When Paul stood at the barre, and Festus reviled him, and said he was a mad fellow, the suffering of this was a worke in Paul: Marke his manner of carriage in it, I am not mad most noble Festus: there was a work in that. So I may instance in the things wherein you may seeme to doe the least; the standing still in some cases is a worke the Apostle makes among the great workes that are to be done by Christians, this to be the chiefe, To keep our selues pure and unspotted of the world, to passe through all occasions, & to be never the worse for them, to go through all defilements of this present life, & not be tainted: and if this be a worke, how much more is it then to be still doing, to be in act and operation alwaies? Therfore doe not say you want when you shall alwayes have occasion enough of that.
But you will say,Quest. these generalls are good to exhort us to be doing, but yet in particular what would you have us to doe now?
I will instance in some few things,Answ. there are certaine times of working;Our workes must be sutable to the season. as husbandmen, some times they have times of harvest, and some times they have seed times, wherein it is requyred, that they worke more then at other times: so the Church of God hath times and seasons, and the common wealth hath some seasons and times when men should be set aworke to doe more then ordinary, to doe more then at other times; and you all know this is such a season, wherein there should be working of every one in their severall places, I say it is time now for men to bee working more then ordinarie.
But you will say,Quest. what is it you would have us to doe?
My brethren,Answ. Contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints, Duties suting the present times.marke it, the worke must be to contend for it, you must be men of contention, let the world say what they will of you,1Contend for the faith. it is a dutie that lies on you, it is that which the Spirit calls for from you, that ye be men that should contend; you must not doe it coldly, and remissely, but earnestly to strive for it, let not pretence of indiscretion hinder you,Discretion. for discretiō when it is right, teacheth a man not to doe lesse but more, and better then an other man, discretion we say doth not take mettall from Horses, but guides those horses and puts them in a righter way, disc…etion makes no man lesse actiue, but it giues his actions a better tincture.
So againe, let us not say we must be moderate, for what is that moderation? Indeed the moderation that keepeth from actions,Moderation. wherein is excesse, is good; but if you meane by moderation to goe a slow and easie pace in the wayes of God, that is coldnes, idlenesse, carelesnesse, there is no excesse in any good way. Therefore that is your worke now to contend for the Faith, that is, for all the points of faith, for every jott of that is precious:The faith once delivered. saith the Apostle Iude, it is but once delivered to the Saints, as if he should say, it is too precious a treasure oft to bee despenced, it was but once delivered to the world: if Christ did meane to come againe, and renewe the Articles of our faith, we might be more remisse and negligent, for if we did loose them he might restore them againe, but they are but once delivered, therefore your care must be to keepe them the better.
Besides, it is the common faith, therefore every man hath interest in it;Common faith do not say therefore, what hauehave I to doe, it belongs to these and these men to looke after it: it is the common faith, and every man hath part in it, and should contend according to his place and power, and within his spheere; and remember it is a matter of much moment, for every part of the fath or little matter of faith (I speake now of the whole doctrine of faith) that you should be exceeding exact in keeping of it, that it receive no detriment, especially in matter of opinion.Errour in opinion worse then errours in practise. For my brethren, you must know, that it were better there should bee great offences committed in the land, great and notorious crimes, then that there should be any losse in the matter of faith, because where the opinions of men are sett wrong, that is a principle that carries them still on. Great finnes come from great passions, and men are able to see them, and when the passion is gone over,These sermons were preached in the Parliament time in 1625. where diverse of the Parliament were present. Opportunities not to be slipped. they are easily recalled againe; but errours in opinion are matters of great moment, therefore it belongs to every one to looke to it, to us that are Preachers in our places, to Magistrates in their places, to every man to contend for the common Faith: and know this my brethren, that their are certaine opportunities which the Lord giues you, and you must take heed of neglecting them, it may be to let a thing goe some times, it will never be recovered againe. Therefore looke that you be diligent in it, stirr up your selves to doe it, while there is occasion offered. In other things, men are apt to be men of action, they would have imployment, and worke that they may bee some body in the world, and it is very well, there is something in that, it is a noblenesse of disposition so to doe; but alas, what poore and weake reward hauehave you for that? it may be a little vaineglory, it may be some applause from Princes or people, it may be some emptie airie preferment. To doe the will of the Lord, the worke he hath given you to doe, it is no matter what it is for, a servant must not chuse his worke; I say whatsoever it is, though in never so meane a thing, the greatest excellencie is to do his will that makes us Kings and Princes to him that makes us partakers of the Royall bloud, as Christ saith, These are my brothers, and Sister, and Mother, that doe the will of my Father. It is this doing of his will, this action that puts you into a high condition: I see not that Paule was ambitious of any thing but of this, that he might be doing, that he might liue a usefull, a profitable life, in the 15. Rom. 20.Rom. 15.20. I was ambitious saith Paule, to Preach the Gospell, even where it had never been preached, this is all my ambition to put my selfe upon the hardest taskes: so it should be your ambition to doe some thing for the Church. When you reade the storie of Moses, that He was mightie in word and deede; of David, of the Iudges, and the Worthies of the Church, they should be so many incentives to you, to stirre you up to be doing in your place.
2Duty, Fast and pray.But this is not all that we would commend to you at this time, to be men of action, and to observe the opportunities, but there is an other thing, and that is this, that likewise the season cō mends to you, that is, to fast and pray: as in husbandry, so in the Church, there are certaine seasons of actions, and those seasons must not be omitted. Marke what the course of the Scripture was in every calamitie, in Ioel when there was a famine begune, Sanctifie a fast, saith the Lord, call a solemne Assemblie: when their is a plague comming, when there are great enterprises in hand, when there is any thing plotting for the advancement of the good of the Church, doe you not think now, that the omission of opportunities are sinnes, for you to neglect this dutie, doe you not thinke the Lord will require it? It is true indeed, it is a businesse that is not ordinary, it is extraordinary: but doe not extraordinary times and occasions call for it?
Againe, is it not evill in such extraordinary cases to omit such an extraordinary duty? As wee finde in Scripture, when the Lord would call for fasting, and they did it not: Indeed to turne it to jollity and feasting is another thing, a sinne of a greater nature; but now the very standing still and omitting of this duty is disobedience to the Lord, and to be guilty of the judgements that are upon a people, I say the standing still and not hastening to the gappe: What shall we say then of those that resist this course, and thrust men out of the gappe? Consider it therefore seriously, this is a speciall duty required, the season lookes for it that we should humble our selves before God.
Againe, there is one thing more that wee will speake of,3Duty, Renew our Covenants but in a word; that is, that every man for his owne particular renew his speciall Covenant with God concerning the amendment of his life in particular: for I finde that in all times when the Lord hath stretched forth his hand against a Church and Nation, that this hath beene required, that they should come and enter into a Covenant with God: You shall finde that Asa did it,2 Chron. 16. 2 Chron. 16. that Nehemiah did it, that it was done in Ieremiahs time, when they had warres in hand: Wee have many examples of it in Scripture, every man did it; and because every man could not come to doe it personally, the head did it for the rest. I say the Lord lookes for this from every man in private, that he should doe this in a particular manner, to consider what have I done amisse in my life? what have I done to provoke the Lord? What sinnes of commission, and what of omission? Have I beene colde and lukewarme? Have I beene too much conformable to the times? For this is it that brings judgement upon a people:The sinnes of Gods children helpe to bring iudgements. the Saints when they are not zealous, when they fall from their first love, may helpe forward a judgement as well as grosse sinners, yea and more too: let every man therefore stirre up himselfe to doe his dutie. In a word, wee should strive and contend for the advancing of Christs kingdome, for the furtherance of the Gospell, for the good of mankinde, for the flourishing of the Church, wherein our owne good consisteth; and we should doe it earnestly, wee should contend for it, contend with God in prayer, contend with our Superiours by intreaty, with our adversaries by resistance, with colde and lukewarme men by stirring them up, by provoking one another to good workes. These are the workes that we exhort you to, and thus you shall be assured you have faith that workes by love. Learne this, to joyne these together.
And so much shall serve for this time, and this Text.
FINIS.