The Saints Sufferings and Sinners Sorrows, Title page – Dedication
THE SAINTS SVFFERINGS, and Sinners Sorrowes.
Or, The evident tokens of the ſalvation of the one, and the perdition of the other, Phil. 1.28, 2 Theſ. 1.6, 7.
Sanctorum Victima, victoria Rom. 8.36, 37. 2 Cor. 4.8.
Impiorum Laetitia luctus. Iam. 4.9. & 5.1.
foreign.
Ambr.
Melius & falieius eſt pugnātem non vinci, quam deſidem non tentari.
Impij per multa pericula perveniunt ad plura, per plura ad peſsima.
LONDON, Printed by T. Cotes, for N. Bourne, dwelling at the Royall Exchange. 1631.
To the truly Honourable, and Religious Sir Roger Townſend, & Sir Robert Crane, Knights and Baronets, and their Noble and vertuous Ladies, increaſe of joy and peace in beleeving.
Honorable, and worthy Witneſſes.
I Crave your teſtimonies, as well for the preaching, as the printing of theſe Sermons. You were at ſundry times, and in ſeverall places, the beſt and chiefeſt of my hearers, and it concernes your honours to be as innocent in the hearing as it was my duty to be innocent in the ſpeaking. You cannot be ignorant of the Accuſation, and if that were ſufficient to make a man guilty, Si accuſaſſe ſufficiat, qui… erit Innocens?who ſhould be innocent? as once Julian ſaid of the Chriſtians, the worſt man of the beſt living.
It is the ſaying of Syracides. Eccleſ. 11.7.Blame not before thou haſt examined the truth: underſtand firſt, and then rebuke. It was the ſharpe cenſure of King James in his Daemonology, Lib. 3. Cap. 1.that uncertaine report, is the authour of all lies: yet they are worſe who lye in wait to finde fault and to turne good into evill, Ecclus 11 31.of whom the wiſe man hath complained long ſince, and we may ſee how every age of the world renders it, day by day more malicious.
Alas, when there is wanting that vertue which in all men we call Honeſty: and that ſpeciall gift of God which in Chriſtians wee call Charity, how are men condemned without hearing, and wounded without offence given? We ſee in experience, that dogges alwayes barke at thoſe they know not, and that it is their nature to accompany one another in thoſe clamors: ſo is it with the inconſiderate multitude, being once ſet on, they truſt to their tongs, their teeth are gone, and barke and bleat when they cannot bite.
It is a pennance to a Preacher to bee troubled with triflers, who have neither eyes to ſee, nor heads to apprehend what is ſaid; yet dare they thunder and threaten, as if they meant to beare downe all before them: Every underſtanding hath a peculiar judgement, by which it anſwereth other mē, and valueth it ſelfe; and therefore it cannot ſeeme ſtrange to me to be abuſed by reports. Let vaine men pricke on in their pride, hoyſe up the top-ſayle of untruth, and flant it out againſt us, yet God forbid, that theſe ſhould alwayes have wind at will, and finde as free paſſage to ſuperiours as they imagine. But ſeeing it is ſo eaſie to faine, and face out reports, I muſt be content to leave ſuch profeſſors, to their eaſie wayes of reprehenſion, than the which, there is nothing of more frailtie.
When Moſes ſaw the Jſraelite, and the Aegyptian fight, hee did not ſay, Why ſtrive you? but drew his ſword, and ſlew the Aegyptian: but when hee ſaw two Iſraelites quarrell, he ſaid, Yee are brethren, why ſtrive you? If any thing delivered bee an Aegyptian, let it be ſlaine by the ſword of the Spirit, and never reconciled: but if an Jſraelite, and yet queſtioned, why ſtrive you? What wrong I have done, let all judge that reade this Sermon: what wrong is done to mee by the accuſation, Heave to him, that either miſtooke me, or meant me a miſchiefe. Hee hath put an Aegyptian in the place of an Jſraelite, and an errour in the place of a truth. I ſaid, God is often a mothe in our counſels, meaning in the ſucceſſe, and event of mans conſultations, which to be an Iſraelite, theſe Scriptures doe acknowledge, Deut. 28.28. Hoſ. 5.12. Zach. 12.4. How theſe words may be ſtrained to Counſels of State (as they are by my accuſer) I confeſſe it paſſeth my underſtanding.
It may be the failes and follies of ſome in preaching, to ſeeke vulgar applauſe; A vanity much avoyded by wiſe men. Saint Augustine affirmed, Laudari a bon… timeo, & amari a ma io deteſtor.that he feared the praiſe of good men, and detested that of evill. And to them that will reade and remember, our ancients have given better rules. Saint Ierom deſired in preaching, Hier ad Nep…t. Lachryma auditorum ſunt laudes tua. Non pla… ſum, ſed planctum.rather to have the praiſe of the teares than of the tongues o… his hearers. Saint Auguſtine being applauded for his preaching, anſweres: F… lia haec ſunt, nos fructu… quaerimus. Theſe a… but leaves, we looke fo… fruit. Chryſoſtome tol… his hearers, he ow… them thanks, when th… payed him teares. Si haec audientes, doletis, maximas me debere vobis gratias confiteor, quis eſt enim qui melaetificat, niſi qui contristatur ex me? Theſe rules ſhall I deſire to follow both in preaching; and in printing, and for this end I have deſired, to make my thoughts more legible, and my ſelfe and my Sermons, the ſubject of every opinion, wiſe, or weake.
I have preſumed vponupon the Dedication, and having thought upon ſome Witneſſes and Patrons, have addreſſed my ſelfe to ſuch friends, as love the truth, and deſerve to be loved of it. I wil… not trouble you o… any other with further reaſons of my writing, or with excuſes. He that doth ill, no plea can warrant him: and hee that doth well, cannot eaſily be diſcouraged with any cenſures. I crave no mans pardon in giving good counſell, but his acceptation; And preſents of love may be well taken both of friends and ſtrangers. The things I dare ſay, are both commoda, & accommodata, ſeaſonable and profitable for our times, wher… in God ſmiteth, and his houſhold ſmar… teth; and ſuch beginnings will have feareful endings upon their enemies.
An heathen wiſ… man could ſay, Adverſities are Tributa vivendi, tributes of living. And wiſe Chriſtians above all ought to know them, and to pay them moſt willingly. Their Lord and maſter hath gone before them, and it is their duty to follow him, not as thoſe whining ſouldiers, qui gementes ſequuntur Imperatorem; but as thoſe worthy Martyrs, which like a cloud of witneſſes, have gone before them. And here I remēber ſome paſſages that may bee patterns for others, which I have heard from ſome of you, well agreeing with the ſubject of my Text, Dicta docta & pia …ir… verè diligentis deum, & Eccleſiam,as namely: He will never dye for Chriſt, that will not firſt learne to live for him. Another of the like nature was concerning comfort in death. videl. Death takes away the pleaſure of all worldly things, and Religion the paine of death.
This may well make us prize the rule of the Apoſtle, that Godlineſſe is great gaine, and ſurely a godly life is to be preferred before all good things about us. VVhat can it advantage a man to be well for the world, and ill, and vile for himſelfe? He gaines nothing that wins the world, with the loſſe of himſelfe. Very Ethnicks in their Ethickes have laid it downe for a rule, that nothing is ſo good for a man as to live well. Honour, riches, pleaſures, have their valuations in the world, and they are the greateſt markes men ſhoot at, and ſtraine their conſciences to the higheſt. But howſoever men give theſe their good word, yet they will be wanting in the day of death, when nothing but the gaine of godlineſſe will profit us.
To purchaſe honour, we make riches our ſervants; and yet even this conſiſteth for the moſt part in the applauſe of the multitude, which it may be will follow us in faire weather; but will be ſure to forſake us in the firſt tempeſt of misfortune, and ſteere away before the Sea, and wind, leaving us to the rualice of our deſtinies. Who would truſt ſuch an heard of Animals, that pleaſe themſelves with the noiſe they make, without any true knowledge of the cauſe, or the diſtinction of vertue and fortune? Let the impious proſper, and they ſhall be applauded; and let the vertuous be unhappy, and they ſhall bee deſpiſed. Fortune raiſeth up men to the horſe, and rideth them: who when they are deſcended, and on foot like other men, and they and their fortune parted, we ſhall ſee a bitter contempt ſpurne at the one with as great liberty, as a baſe Groome dare preſume to beat the other. Who ſeeth not then the profit of Godlineſſe to be preferred, before all worldly advantages?
That skill muſt needes be the beſt, which can teach a man to know himſelfe, and that gaine the greateſt, which is accōpanied with the favour of God, grace of Chriſt, and comfort of the Spirit, and which can made us bleſſed in this life, and the life to come. The Saints ſufferings, and Sinners ſorrowes, have cōtrary beginnings, and contrary endings. Their beginnings are known by their ſhortneſſe, their endings cannot be knowne for their Eternity. A good man knowes the worſt at the firſt, and his very ſorrow is turned into joy, and his joy is unſpeakeable and glorious: but a wicked man knowes his beſt at the firſt, and his joy is turned into ſorrow, and his ſorrow is not to bee defined. All that our Text can ſay of it, is, What ſhall his end bee? Nay, there is yet more both in their joy and ſorrow. It is not an alteration, but a converſion. A good mans ſorrow is not onelyonly changed, and removed; but converted into joy, as the matter of it: but the joy of the wicked is not onelyonly taken away, but made the matter of his future ſorrow, and oftentimes as an unknowne ſorrow ſprings from an unknowne ſin, as we ſhall diſcover in a ſecond Sermon.
The joy and woe of this world, how great ſoever, will ſaile out of ſight; and then death which purſues us, and keepes us in chaſe, will lay hold, and faſten on our bodies, as priſes for wormes, and leave our ſoules to a worſe reckoning. O what an extreame madneſſe were it, in the ſhipwracke of all worldly things, where all ſinkes but the ſorrow, to ſave that for another world? What then remaines to him that all his life hath injoyed fortune for a ſervant, and time for a friend, but the heavy, ſecret, ſad, and ſevere thoughts of another life, where neither Time nor Fortune ſhall favour him? Happy are all thoſe that have grace to value worldly vanities, at no more than their owne price, and by retaining the comfortable memory of a well-acted life, can behold death without dread, and the grave without feare, and imbrace both as neceſſary guides to endleſſe glory.
The ſorrowes of this life, are but of two ſorts; The one hath reſpect to God, when we complain to him againſt our ſelves, and for our offences, count him juſt in all that wee ſuffer; and to ſuch ſorrow Saint Paul hath promiſed bleſſedneſſe. The other hath reſpect to the world, when wee mutter to our ſelves againſt God, an… complaine of him as if hee had don… us wrong, either it not giving, or taking away what we deſire to have an… to hold: forgettin… that humble and ju… acknowledgment o… holy Job, The Lor… hath given, and th… Lord hath taken, bleſſed be the Name of th… Lord. And ſuch ſorrow the Apoſtle …ath threatned with …eath.
Queſtionleſſe hee …s either a foole, or a …ebell that wil quar…ell with God in his …avours, or frownes. A foole, if he be ignorant whence bleſſings and croſſes come: a rebell, if he know it, and bee …mpatient. How meane ſoever our eſtate be, yet is th… ſame farre greate… than that wch Go… oweth us; and ho… ſharpe ſoever o… afflictions be, yet th… ſame are farre leſ… than thoſe whic… are due unto us. … know impatience full of excuſes, an… wee ſay wee rath… murmure at th… hand, than the power that beats us: b… take heed, leſt like ſome fooliſh Curres whilſt we bite the ſtone, wee barke againſt the hand that threw it. See God in all his chaſtiſements, and beare with patience, for whatſoever the beginning is, the end ſhall be happy.
To conclude, My deſire is to all, and you in ſpeciall, for the acceptation, peruſall, and Patronage of theſe Sermons. It is but a ſmall teſtimony o… my unfained obſervance of you, and al… that love the truth▪ And thus I take my leave, and commend both you, and yours to the God o… mercy, and truth, who guide, comfort, deliver, ſanctifie, and preſerve you all, and fill you with the comforts of the bleſſed hope of the appearing of Ieſus Chriſt.
Yours in the ſervice of Ieſus Chriſt, to be ever commanded, JOHN YATES.