Twenty-Four Sermons, Frontispiece – Table of contents
Vera Effigies TIMOTHEI CRUSO. Aetat. 40. 1697.
T. Forſter delin. N. White ſcūlp.
TWENTY-FOUR SERMONS Preached at the MERCHANTS-LECTURE AT Pinners Hall.
By the late Reverend Mr. TIMOTHY CRƲSO.
LONDON: Printed by S. Bridge, for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns, in Cheapſide, MDCXCIX.
TO THE READER.
THeſe Sermons are ſome of the Reliques of one who is gone to receive the Fruit of his Labours, who hath left Sowing for the ſake of the Harvest, wherein he is now reaping. Though this is a Poſthumous Piece, yet it ſpeaks out the living Praiſe of the dead Author, whoſe it was without any Alteration or Addition, being Printed from his own Notes.
If I may uſe the Phraſe in Faſhion, he lived too fast; not as too many do, who ſhorten their Days by their Debaucheries, and ſinful Exceſſes, but as a Taper which waſtes it ſelf to give Light to others. His Bodily Conſtitution was too weak to undergo the Service his Soul put it to, in conſtant Studies and hard Labour, that he might Anſwer the Reſtleſneſs of his Mind, which was always aſpiring to greater Knowledge and higher Attainments, whereby he laid greater load upon his Fleſh than its weakneſs could bear, and ſo ſinking under the burden, he died in the midst of his Days.
There is no need of my Epiſtle to Midwife theſe Excellent Diſcourſes into the World, nor had I had any hand in it, had it not been to anſwer the Deſires of ſome Relations of his, to whom my Obligations will not allow me to deny any thing; And alſo to take this occaſion to Vindicate what I ſpake and publiſhed in his Funeral Sermon about the Ʋnion of the Spirit of Chriſt with the Dead Body of a Saint, which hath by ſome been greatly stumbled at, and called in queſtion as a new Doctrine, I therefore thought it Charity to ſuch to remove this stumbling Block, not by any Arguments. further than what I have therein already urged, but by calling in the Judgment of others in this matter, and I ſhall look no farther back, than to the Learned Men of our own Times.
Mr. Rutherford ſpeaking of the Covenant of Grace, Treatiſe of the Covenant of Grace, p. 216.ſays, It is thus Eternal, in that the dead Parties, Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob are ſtill in the Covenant of Grace, and there remains a Covenant Union between Chriſt and their rotten Fleſh ſleeping in the Duſt.
Mr. Calamy ſays, Morning Exerciſe of Giles in Fields, Ser. 24. p. 548.The Bodies of the Saints ſhall be raiſed by vertue of their Union with Chriſt; for the Body of a Saint, even while it is in the Grave, is united to Chriſt, and is aſleep in Jeſus, and ſhall be raiſed by vertue of this Union. And in p. 557. If thou getteſt into Chriſt while thou liveſt, thou ſhalt die in Chriſt, and ſleep in Chriſt, and be raiſed by Chriſt into Eternal Happineſs.
Mr. Caſe ſpeaking of the Ʋnion between Christ and Believers, Caſe his Mount Piſgah, firſt Part, p. 38.ſays, Not only in Death, but even after Death this Union holds; the Saints are ſaid to ſleep in Jeſus; that part of the Saints which is capable of ſleep, is not capable of Separation from Chriſt: While their more noble Part is united to Chriſt in Heaven, among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect; Chriſt is united to their inferiour, and more ignoble Part in the Grave, their very Duſt; they ſleep in Jeſus.
Mr. Stedman ſays, Stedman's Myſtical Ʋnion of Believers with Chriſt p. 191.Death it ſelf ſhall not ſeparate Believers from Jeſus Chriſt, but ſtill they are entirely in him even when they are dead. As it was in the death of Chriſt himſelf, though it made Separation between his Body and Soul, yet it did not ſeparate the Humane Body from the Divine: So it is in the death of the Saints, though it rend the Spirit from the Fleſh, yet it can part neither from the Son of God. The very Bodies of Believers are united to Jeſus when they are dead.
Dr. Collings on thoſe words of our Lord, Pool's Annotations on John 11.26.He that believeth on me ſhall never die, ſays, Though his Body ſhall die becauſe of ſin, yet his Spirit ſhall live becauſe of Righteouſneſs, and God ſhall in the great Day quicken again his Mortal Body, through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in him, and is united to him.
Dr. Thomas Goodwin: Dr. Goodwin's firſt Fol. on Epheſ. 1.14. p. …1.Doth the Spirit dwell in you now? When you are laid in the Grave, that Spirit dwelleth in you, as he did in the Body of Chriſt. I do not ſay, in the ſame manner. The Spirit of God did dwell in the Body of Chriſt in the Grave, and raiſed it up, he never left him. Though his Body was a dead Carkaſs without a Soul, yet that Body was Hypoſtatically united to the Godhead, therefore it was called Holy One; My Holy One ſhall not ſee Corruption. Now the Compariſon is, If we have the Spirit of Chriſt, and if he dwell in us, the ſame Spirit ſhall never leave our Bodies till he hath raiſed us up alſo. Nay, while thy Body is dead and rotten in the Grave, the Holy Ghoſt dwells in it.
And hear what a great Man of the Church of England in his Day, ſaith; Chriſt's Deity was united to his dead Body,— his Reſurrection was perform'd by the Power and Spirit of the Father. God reached out his hand to him, and raiſed him up. Here then is our Comfort; the ſame Spirit of God is communicable to us, the ſame Arm of Power may be reached out to us.— He will imploy the ſame power for us as he did for Chriſt, Epheſ. 1.19.
And again in p. 210. His Spirit dwells in you. The Inhabitation of God's Spirit, that is the Ground of our Reſurrection, becauſe it is Vinculum unionis, the Spirit is the Bond of our Union and Conjunction with Chriſt. By it we are Incorporated into his Body, and made Members of it. Now then, if our Head riſe, all the Members muſt riſe with it; if the Head be in Heaven, the Members ſhall not for ever periſh in the Grave. This Union by the Spirit is like the touch of a Load-ſtone, it will attract and draw us to him, that where he is, we ſhall be alſo. It is ſpoken of his Hypoſtatical, but it is true alſo of his Myſtical Union, Quod ſemel aſſumpſit nunquam depoſuit. Chriſt will part with none of his Members.Biſhop Brownrig, 2d Vol. p. 204. And again in the ſame Page. Our Bodies by this Inhabitation are Conſecrated to be a Poſſeſſion of the Holy Ghost, and the Temple of God muſt not be deſtroy'd. — God's Spirit takes Pleaſure not only in theſe living Temples, but owns them when they are dead; takes Pleaſure in the dead Bones, and Favours the Duſt of them.
I could multiply Teſtimonies of elder Date, to prove the Truth of this Doctrine, and that it is no new Notion; but there needs no Proof from Humane Teſtimony, when it is ſo plainly confirmed by the Word of God, as I have elſewhere ſhewed. If we receive the Witneſs of Men, the Witneſs of God is greater. And there needs no greater Vindication of any Doctrine, than the Teſtimony of God to the truth of it.
The Author of theſe Diſcourſes was a Perſon whoſe Worth was well known in this City; he was a Perſon of a ſound Mind and Judgment in the great Doctrines of the Goſpel, and held faſt the Form of ſound Words, carefully ſhunning the Paths of thoſe By-way Men, who pleaſe themſelves with the fond Thoughts of ſuch Opinions, wherein they chuſe to walk by themſelves apart from the Community of the Saints, and Churches of God.
None who knew him, and love the Interest of Christ, and the Souls of Men, but must bewail the loſs of ſuch an Eminent Servant in the Lord's Work, eſpecially in ſuch a day as this is wherein the Harvest is ſo great, and Faithful, Labourers ſo few.
But why stand I in the Door-way which leads to the Diſcourſe it ſelf? I ſhall therefore no longer hinder thy Entrance, than by begging a Bleſſing upon the Work, that it may be ſanctified to thy Ʋnderſtanding for Knowledge, to thy Judgment for Eſtabliſhment, to thy Conſcience for Peace, and for Joy and Gladneſs to thy whole Soul. So Prays
Thy Servant in the Lord's Work, And for his Sake, Matth. Mead. Febr. 2d. 1699.
ERRATA.
PAge 18. Line 9. read Duties: P. 25. l. 21. r. it's: P. 28. l. 27. r. not: P. 31. l. 28. r. askt: P. 51. l. 15. r. Fortifies: P. 52. l. 15. r. the: P. 77. l. 16. r. knew: P. 79. l. 21. r. of: P. 104. l. 11. r. Law: P. 144: l. 1. dele that, l. 27. r. hardened: P. 193. l. 12. dele when we are ſo: P. 213. l. 17. r. but: P. 256. l. 4. r. are: P. 257. l. 12. r. Compariſon: P. 274. l. 13. dele and: P. 315. l. 25. r. bounds: P. 330. l. 6. r. Thyatira's: P. 335. l. 11. r. Equivalent: P. 362. l. 26. r. Scope.
THE TEXTS.
Matth. XVI. 17. AND Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto him, Bleſſed art thou Simon Bar-jona; for Fleſh and Blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father which is in Heaven Page 1
Pſalm XXVI. 3. For thy loving kindneſs is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy Truth p. 36
2 Corinth. I. 20. For all the Promiſes of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the Glory of God by us p. 67
Pſalm LXXX. 17. and 18. former part. Let thy hand be upon the Man of thy right hand, upon the Son of Man whom thou madeſt ſtrong for thy ſelf. 18. So will not we go back from thee, p. 95
Judges XVI. 20. laſt Clauſe. And he wiſt not that the Lord was departed from him, p. 125
Acts V. 32. latter part. And ſo is alſo the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him, p. 156
Mark X. 26, 27. And they were aſtoniſhed out of meaſure, ſaying among themſelves, Who then can be ſaved? And Jeſus looking upon them, ſaith, With Men it's impoſſible, but not with God: for with God all things are poſſible, p. 186
Pſalm LXIX. 4. last Clauſe. Then I reſtored that which I took not away p. 217
Gallat. IV. 6. And becauſe ye are Sons, God hath ſent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts, crying, Abba, Father, p. 247
Epheſ. IV. 7. But unto every one of us is given Grace, according to the meaſure of the Gift of Chriſt, p. 279
Deuteronomy XXXIV. 5. So Moſes the Servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, p. 311
Hebr. VII. 25. Wherefore he is able alſo to ſave them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make Interceſſion for them p. 340.