A Pastors Legacy to His Beloved People, Sermons 9,10
The IX. and X. SERMONS. To the true Christian.
The first Word of Exhortation.
FIrst, Examine thy heart, and be amazed at inaccountable Divine Love.
Look on thy heart; Art dis-engaged in thy way, from any thing that is contrary to God and Christ?
Hast entred solemnly into Covenant? Given thy self to Jesus?
Dost feel his yoak about thy neck? Is Religion thy main business?
Then consider, how rare this is to be had, and how thou camest by it.
Spend much of your time in this, when thou hast good hopes of eternal life.
If God can give any thing worth the admiring, this it is.
Ravishment in admiration, is the proper return for infiniteness in affection.
2. Secondly, Be humbled for neglect of, and non-proficiency by, opportunities of eternal improvement.
Be humbled penitently, lest thou be'st humbled judicially for this.
What small matters have caus'd our absence? Where has been a picture of Heaven, and that incorrigibly, against all woings and entreaties?
I am very much mistaken, if God send not message to many of us, as he did to Ely, 2 Sam. 3.13. This is for the iniquity which he knoweth: Time may come, you would be glad to see one of those dayes; you would see, but shall not: Labour to get your hearts humbled for this, or God will humble you.
3. Thirdly, Take not the ordinary pattern of Professors, for thy great mark and aim, left Hell be thy portion after many a years dull living; or all thy works be burnt, if thou be saved, and God reap nothing but disgrace by thee.
If thou desirest to be a dwarf-Christian, …'s a thousand to one, but thou wilt be none at all.
4. Fourthly, Be dead to thy mortal self, and freed from engagements to sin, else thou wilt live a fruitless, and a miserable life.
If thou must live, and live in so much ease, pleasure, or honour; then farewell all true Religion.
If thou must please such an humour, friend, or profit, all thy Religion will come to nothing; no body will remain a Christian, but he that is disengaged from all the world, and has but one necessary thing, the will of God; without which, thou wilt never have any rest in thy spirit, or bring forth any fruit unto God.
5. Fifthly, Let Repentance be sincere.
1. In Contrition: Let not great sins, be small matters to thee; be deeply confounded, and ashamed; Let thy heart be pricked for thy sin.
2. In Reformation: Be sure that be amended, for which thou professest to Repent.
3. Restitution: To God, by open confession, where thou hast wronged him.
To man, by returns, in making up the damage as much as possible thou canst; no Heaven, without repentance, no repentance, without restitution.
6. Sixthly, See, and live in the light of Faith.
If thou wouldst not perish with the world, lift up thy head above this world.
A mans spirit is according to the light he lives in, seeing he is changed.
See things therefore as they are, as they are in Gods eye, as they are in the light of the Word; if thou valuest things according to the account of the world, thou perishest.
7. Seventh, Keep to noble ends.
If you set your aims low, your lives will be so.
It's much unworthy the mind of a Christian, to seek mean things; mean things for the world, becomes him; but else, his mind ought to be where Jesus is, at the right hand of God: If we be risen with Christ, we are to seek things above, Col. 3.1, 2, 3.
1. Heavens glory, Rom. 2.7. We are to seek for glory and honour.
Christian, is your chief contrivance for this, as your discourse intimates? here be as ambitious as thou wilt.
Oh! labour that, that may be a brave world; this is bad enough.
2. Judgments joy, 2 Tim. 8.4. He laboured to be crowned at that day.
Oh! that we would study all the day long, to make weighty the account on the right hand, not on the left hand, at that day.
Let grace, not sin, follow you thither. Christian, is this your daily care?
3. Divine honour, 1 Cor. 10.31. Do all things to the glory of God. Is this, or self-ends your study? Is this your morning contrivance? your solemn forecast?
They that honour him, he will honour:
See what fruit of glory your talent brought to God, Mat. 25.
4. The Churches edification, 1 Cor. 14.12, 26. Let all things be done for edifying; seek, that you may excel for edifying.
Thy behaviour, thy speech, thy actings should all build up the Church; enlightning, strengthning, and joyning of them, by Divine beauty of holiness, thy example, and belief; convincing some, confirming, and comforting others: Is this thy business? O…, let it be, that thou mayest not be found, an unprofitable servant at the last.
5. Divine fruition Psal. 4.6. many say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift up the light of thy countenace. Psal. 16.5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.
Is this the longings of your souls? do all things else, give place to this?
Oh my Friend! take this to thy self for ever.
Eighthly, Keep in right paths.
Go on in the way of the righteous, which will end in blessedness.
1. Faith in Christ, through the Covenant of Grace.
1. Faith of Implantation, giving your selves as members of his Body, to be under the conduct of his Mediator-ship, Rom. 6.3, 4.
Receiving him wholly to our selves, John 1.12.
2. Faith of Adhesion; depending upon his mediation, satisfaction, & intercession, for all our justification, sanctification, and glorification, 1 Cor. 1.30, 31. the Believer glories in Christ for all these; wisdom, righteousness, justification, and redemption. All his expectations are from Christ. All his services are through Christ. All his petitions are by Christ. All his rest is in Christ. All his obedience is to God in Christ.
2. Walking in divine presence, Gen. 17.1. Thus Abraham walked before God.
Remember my old All-heal, viz. walking in the sight of God.
3. In spiritual Ordinances, Prov. 8.34. the blessed me hear wisdom, wait at her gates, in hearing, reading, praying, in which they spend their time, and in the end save their souls.
4. Acts of Obedience. They live delighting to perform Duties, and please God in all things.
5. Fruitfulness. True Christians labour, all their talents should shew forth grace, and bring glory unto God; and live, watching every Call of providence, to bring forth their fruit in their season, Psal. 1.3.
6. Self-denial, Mark 16.24. He must follow Christ, taking up his Cross, and denying himself.
7. Watchfulness, Mark 13.32.
1. To Heaven.
2. To thy heart.
3. Against sin.
4. For duty; especially over,
First, Thy tongue, Jam. 3.2. And,
Secondly, Time, Ephes. 5.16.
So to keep awake & clean, till Christs coming.
8. Examination, 2 Cor. 13.5. Without Examination, there can neither be proficiency or consolation; that puts all in order.
Daily, and solemnly use it.
9. Hope, Titus 2.13. Christians go on, looking for that blessed Hope.
10. Love. 1. Love of God; this is the first Commandment, Mat. 22.37. and the 2. is like to it, Love thy neighbour as thy self. 3. Love the Church, 1 Pet. 2.17. 1 John 3.16.
11. Thankfulness, 1 Thes. 5.18. In every thing give thanks.
Behold your paths.
Ninthly, Keep not only from sin, but the occasions and similitudes thereof.
Occasions, Prov. 23.31. Look not on the wine, when it looks red.
Similitudes, 1 Thes. 5.22. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
This thou must do, if ever thou wilt glorifie God, or keep thy heart right.
Christian, if thou carest not for God's honor, he will not care for thine.
A Christian must provide for things honourably, and lovely, and of good report, in all well-pleasing, both in the sight of God and man, 2 Cor. 8.21.
Tenthly, Charge not Conscience with any but known Duties; and plot to do such with delight.
Let not any pretence cheat thee, Col. 2.18.
Errors-yoak thou wilt have no support to bear; mistakes make Religion more burdensom, then ever God made it.
See the plain proofs, before thou charge Conscience with Omissions, or Commissions; though labour to give no offence to man, and abstain from all appearance of things certainly evil.
Let peace of Conseience, the new nature, ingenuity of the Covenant of grace, do all things with delight, else thou wilt not please God, or hold out thy self.
In the Eleventh place, let not hardship, or disticulty, beat thee out of the Christian field.
The more serious and diligent thou art, the more temptations thou wilt find to leave Religion, from thy corruptions, Satans assaults, and Gods dispensations.
But never give over; say,
1. This is the best revelation.
2. My highest affection.
3. The best use of time here.
Thou canst never mend the matter, by sin, laziness, or the change of thy Religion. Scripture is the best revelation. In God, the Christian cannot but most delight. Religion is the best channel of thine.
Twelfthly, Labour especially to know, and shew the excellency, nobility and amability of a Gospel-spirit. Titus 2.10. we are to adorn the doctrin of God our Saviour in all things.
Thus would all the great ends I spake of in the morning flow in a pace.
This we may do,
1. By joyning a strict Conscience with Christian liberty, and ingenuity; shewing we understand the latter, and keep the former.
Oh pray for this Wisdom!
2. Being severe to our selves, and charitable to others.
3. Abounding in vertues, lovely to the world; in humility, courtesie, kindness, righteousness; duties to relations, diligence in thy Calling.
4. Exceeding the spirit of the world.
1. In your general way, Mat. 5.16. Let your light so shine, viz. of faith, self-denial, patience, and charity.
2. Particular acts, Luke 4.15. shewing a power that thou art able to do all things through Christ.
And in every thing labour that Heavens glorv may appear.
Thirteenth, Well behave thy self in disputable and controversial matters.
1. Earnestly and sincerly pray, Ja 1.5.
2. Sincerely and diligently enquire.
1. In your Bibles, Acts 17.11.
2. Of the pastors of the Church, Mal. 2.3
3. Of wise, holy and experienced Christians, Heb. 5. last, They know good from evil.
3. Be inclinable, to take the way of Peace, before Schism; Obedience, before disobedience; self-denyal, before self-pleasing; avoiding of scandal, before using of liberty.
4. If these things seem to cross one another, and thou knowest not which way to take, and God doth not otherwise satisfie thee; then follow the spirit of the Church, the generality of wise and holy men, Cant. 1.7, 8. If we know not where Christ is, we must go by the footsteps of the Flock, by the Shepherds Tents: Such mens fate we are to follow, Heb. 13.7.
Never have substantial zeal, about circumstantial things: Put on the Spirit of Christ, in Rom. 14. If the design be for edification, be very charitable to the way; but if not, then favour it not, but according to the foregoing rules.
In the Fourteenth place, Young Christians, stear your course wisely.
1. Roul all the weight of thy soul, continually on the Lord Jesus; exspect onelyonly from his free Grace and Spirit.
2. Get to the most lively Ordinances thou canst.
Thy soul is precious, let it not starve if food be to be had.
3. Keep company with those that will help thee to Heaven, and not to Hell.
How many are spoiled for want of this heed?
4. Fall first, and chiefly, on great and heart sins: Put not new Wine into old Bottles.
5. Be ever well busied; keep employment as thy life.
6. Early, resist first Temptations, and take heed of thy heart, growing warm to earthly things.
7. Fill thy heart with delight in Heaven.
8. Let serious Meditation, Supplication, and Contrition, quickly recover thy falls.
9. Expect no ease, rest, or satisfaction, to soul or body, but by Faith: Thy soul is never free from Temptations, Perturbations, Doubts, and Stands; Thy Body from Labour and Sorrow.
Go on by Faith, knowing this is the best course to be taken in the World, leaving thy self with, and on, God; in his way, is the only and wisest course for a Creature in the World.
Fifteenth, Antient Christians conclude honourably.
Its a woful thing, to see the Apostacy of many antient Professors.
Oh! the deadness, loosness, and earthyness, yea, reprobation of many old Professors.
1. Sow grace in all your paths; you are to bring forth much more fruit than the young: Your life should be a continual burning and shining light; all your paths should teach, your mouths should drop Grace continually.
Oh! the inexpressible beauty of a wise exhorter.
2. Busie in laying up evidences, and preparing the account against the great day.
Take heed you be not foolish Virgins; and you must go and buy Oyl, when the Bridegroom is come.
How mad art thou that will not make sure, against the day of tryal?
3. Abhor earthly affections; but let Death, Judgement, and Eternity, dwell continually in thine eye.
If the beams of Glory have not broke forth upon thy soul, thou art in a sad ease; Shall thy Soul be buried in earth also?
Let Faith grow naturally into Light, as the Day break, does to Noon.
16. Lally, Let Faithfulness, Sympathy, and Faith bear thee on their wings, in the Churches tryals.
Know, while the Church is on Earth, it will be Militant: It will be frequently called to chuse Life Temporal, or Eternal; to own Christ, and lose all for him, or deny him.
Be faithful to a good Conscience; that's worth all the world.
Forget not Jacob's troubles, at the last day thou wilt be judged, by thy affections to his suffering Church.
Be assured the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church; All tryal; is but building Heavens stage, and dresing the Bride to the Throne. Perish in love to God, if thou canst but keep his way.
Enquire seriously, and follow Conscience, after earnest prayer, with love, and peace.
Behold the day that shall never have cloud nor night: But, Oh! sink not into deadness or wickedness!
The Lord support you in the want of the means you have had, if ever you want them: Oh! end not in the flesh, who have begun in the Spirit!
My bowels yearn over you: Oh! let the seed of God abide in you.
Continue to the death, the Judge is at the door.
Know if thou forsakest him, thou art marked out for a dreadful vengeance.