Twenty-Nine Sermons, Sermon 13 – Title page 16
page missing They are accuſing groanes.
They are judging and condemning groanes.
Firſt, they are upbraiding groanes, Give ears Oh ye heavens, and I will ſpeak, and hear Oh earth the words of my lips. Deut. 32. 1. as if God had ſaid, mark O ye heavens, and let all the whole world hear what I teſtify againſt this people: as if the heavens and the earth did upbraid them of their unthankfulneſſe. God commands the Sun to ſhine, and it ſhineth▪ the earth to fructify, and it obeyeth: But this wicked people he commands to repent and forſake their ſins, and they will not.
Chryſoſtome ſaith, wicked men although they have naturall reaſon in them, are more ſenceleſs than ſenceleſſe creatures: the rocks, and the flints, the flye and the gnats may upbraid them; the rocks rent in ſunder, but this people will not rent their hearts; ſwarmes of flies were hiſs'd for to come, and they yielded obedience; and the liveleſſe creatures groan under the ſlavery of ſin: but they will not obey, they will not be brought to groan for their ſins. How do all the creatures upbraid man! Do ye thus requite the Lord O ye fooliſh people and unwiſe?
Beloved, how do the heavens and the earth upbraide thee for unthankfulneſſe; wert thou ever in ſickneſs, and God did not deliver thee? wert thou ever in miſery, and God did not comfort thee? wert thou ever in any ſtraight, and God did not direct thee? in ſickneſs who was life unto thee? in poverty who ſupplyed thee? in danger who delivered thee? was it no… God that hath done all for thee? And ſhall the Lord command thee obedience, and wilt thou not grant it him? doth he command thee to part with thy luſt, and crucify all thy corruptions, and wilt thou not obey him? doth the Lord command thee to be meek, humble, patient, and doſt thou refuſe? then, hear O heavens, and hearken O earth.
Secondly, the groans of the creatures are witneſsing groanes. I call heaven and earth to record againſt you: know that you ſhall ſhortly periſh, ſaid Moſes to the Iſraelites. Deut. 4. 26. So beloved, let me ſay to you, I call heaven and earth to record againſt you, that woe and damnation ſhall be to that man that obeys not the commandments of God; Curſed be that man, that goeth on ſtill in his wickedneſſe. The heavens write his curſe, and the whole earth do witneſs his vengeance, that will not give over his luſt at the commandment of the Goſpel of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
As Joſhuah ſaid unto all the people, Joſh. 24. 27. Behold this ſtone ſhall be a witneſſe unto us, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord, which he ſpake unto us; it ſhall be a witneſſe, &c. ſo may I ſay unto you, the walls of this houſe ſhall cry, the timber of the Church ſhall anſwer, this Sermon that you have heard, this doctrine that hath been preached unto you, if you will not repent, if you will not humble your ſelves and obey the voyce of your God, all theſe ſhall witneſſe againſt you another day, that you had a time, that you had a day to repent in, you had the word of God calling you to it, but you would not.
Doſt thou commit a ſinne? and none by, but the ſtones in the ſtreets? even they ſee thee, like Joſhuah's ſtone with ſeven eyes, and they ſhall witneſſe againſt thee. Doſt thou pray thy lazie prayers unto God, thoughtleſſe of God, and none by but the walls of thy Cloſet, or thy bed, or thy hangings? they ſhall witneſſe againſt thee. Doſt thou ſwear, and blaſpheme the King of Heaven? though none were preſent, but the fowles of the aire, they ſhall carry thy voyce and declare the matter. Eccleſ. 10. 20. If the creatures groan againſt thee, then they are ſenſible in ſome ſort, to witneſſe againſt thee.
Beloved, mens hearts are ſo ſtubborne, that we the Miniſters of God may do as the Prophet did, 1 King. 13. 2. who cried O Altar, Altar, thus ſaith the Lord. What? was the Prophet ſent unto the Altar? had the Altar eares? No, he was ſent unto Jeroboam, his meſſage was to him; but he knew that he would not hear, nor believe, nor obey; therefore he turned from the King, and ſpake to the ſenceleſſe Altar. So may we ſay for all the hearing ſome will afford us; O walls, walls, thus ſaith the Lord, curſed is the man that obeyeth not. O Houſe of the Lord, witneſſe againſt this rebellious generation.
So Jeremy, he cried out, O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord, this ſaith the Lord, write this man a cast-away, that ſhall never proſper, Jer. 22. 29. he meant wicked Jeconiah the King; but becauſe he was a deaf Adder, he preacheth to the dead earth, as being more likely to liſten than he.
O fearfull doom! When Jeconiah will not hear, God he roars ſo loud that he makes the dead and ſenceleſſe earth to hear.
Beloved, in the fear of God, take heed, if there be any dead worldly-hearted Profeſſor here, if there be any looſe prophane ſinner here, any impenitent wretch that hath not repented, if after the Lord hath ſent his Miniſters to thee, his Word and Goſpell to thee, and thou wilt not hear; take heed leſt the Lord direct his ſpeech to the dead earth, and ſay, O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord; write these men, men that ſhall never proſper: they will ſtill covet and lie, they will ſtill fret and chafe, they will ſtill content themſelves with forms of godlineſſe, they will ſtill be lukewarm or key-cold; they do ſtill pray as they did, rub on as they did ſeven years ago; no more holy, no more zealous, no more heavenly, they will not be bettered; O earth, earth earth, hear the Word of the Lord, write them a people that ſhall never proſper, a people that ſhall never be converted; write them men damned for ever; let them come and hear Sermon after Sermon, but write them men that ſhall never proſper; let them pray, and let their prayers never proſper; let them go on in their dead-hearted profeſſion, but write them men that ſhall never proſper.
Beloved, God forbid that it ſhould ſo be written againſt you, but woe be to you if ever it be! for if once the earth hath wrote this eternall decree of God upon thy ſoule, it can never be altered; I will warrant thee thy damnation ſure.
Thirdly, they are accuſing groanes; they ſhall accuſe thee for caſting thine eye upon a creature, without taking notice of God. They ſhall accuſe thee for thy touching, taſting, handling, uſing any of the creatures without adoration of God. Doſt thou think of a creature, ſpeak of a creature, meddle with a creature, or take poſſeſſion of a creature? they ſhall accuſe thee, if thou doſt not live to the glory of God the Creator.
Fourthly, theſe groans are judging and condemning groans. He ſhall call the Heavens above, and the earth to judge his people, Pſal. 50. 4. The creatures groan; why then doſt thou not groan? the creatures account themſelves oppreſſed and fore afflicted becauſe they are conſtrained to ſerve ſinne; why then doſt thou injure them?
If the King ſhould build him a ſtately Palace, and one ſhould willingly deface it, or abuſe it, or pull it down; would not the very Ravens judge him a Traytor? The creatures are Gods Palace, and thou demoliſheſt their beauty, by making them the inſtruments, or abettors, or matter, or incentives of ſinne; thou ſhalt be adjudged of High treaſon againſt the King of Kings, for we know that every creature groaneth with us; and travelleth in pain together untill now.
Now we come to a third uſe
Of Exhortation; doth the creature groan to ſerve ſinne? take heedUſe 3. then you do not abuſe the creatures of God▪ There is not any one of them but if it be abuſed to ſin or by ſin, but it will preſently make its complaint (like a little child to his Father) with groans unto God.
Labour to be a true Convert unto God; otherwiſe, if thou beeſt not regenerate and a Convert, every creature that thou haſt, is in bondage under thy hands, and it groans unto God againſt thee, till God recover it out of thy hands again.
I will recover my wooll and my flaxe, ſaith God, Hoſea 2. 9. the creature groaned under thraldome, becauſe it was poſſeſſed by them that were carnall; and therefore God ſayes he would recover it.
Secondly, labour not to ſinne againſt God. For, if thou ſinneſt againſt God, thou canſt not meet with a creature but it groanth againſt thee. When Jonah had ſinned againſt God, the Sea roared againſt Jonah, and he at laſt knew it well enough: for when the Marriners askt what he was, I am an Hebrew ſaith he, and I fear God, the God of Heaven, which hath made the Sea and the dry Land, Ionah 1. 9. as if he ſhould ſay, I fear the Lord, for now I ſee the Heavens are black againſt me: and the clouds mourn at me: and the Sea groaneth under me, ſeeing I am fled from the preſence of the Lord.
Thirdly, labour never to ſet your hearts on any creature▪ for, then, you abuſe it to worldlineſſe, and covetouſneſſe. What greater injury can we offer to the creatures, than by making them occaſions of turning from God, which were given us the more to oblige us to God?
If you be covetous and earthly, the creature muſt needs groan under this wrong. Covetouſneſſe is Idolatry, ſaith Saint Paul, Coloſ. 3. 5. thou turneſt the creature into an Idoll: every creature is the workmanſhip of God, but an Idoll is a thing dedicated to Divels.
Fourthly, labour to uſe all the creatures in humility and thankfulneſſe. There is not a creature, but it hath this Motto engraven upon it, it is the gift of God. In every thing then give thanks, 1 Theſ. 5. 8. A thing and a creature are convertible termes: if in every thing, then for every creature muſt we give thanks; why? becauſe every thing that God doth for us, or doth beſtow upon us, it is a gift: and a gift groans under unthankfulneſſe: there is never a ſickneſſe that thou haſt been delivered from, but it groans againſt thee, if thou haſt not had thine iniquity purged by it▪ never a bleſſing but it will groan againſt thee, if thou ſerve not God the better by it: never an ordinance of life and grace but it groans againſt thee, if thou art not ſanctified and made holy by it.
Fifthly, uſe them all as ſo many Bookes, and as ſo many Ladders or Riſes to climbe up with the ſoule to God. When thou ſeeſt how kindly and favourably the Sun ſhineth on thee, think, are Gods creatures ſo comfortable! how comfortable is the light of Gods countenance? When thou taſteſt the ſweetneſſe of any creature, think then, O what infinite ſweetneſſe is there in God himſelf! ſtill, from the creatures, winde up thy ſoul to the Creator: uſe all the creatures as a riſe to winde up thine heart to ſee and know, to meditate and conceive of ſome thing of God.
Saint Anthony being found fault withall for want of Books, anſwered, My Books are Gods creatures, and in them I may read, as in the ſilent Oracles of God; this is my Book, and it hath three pages, and as many Letters▪ Heaven, Water, Earth: they are the pages of this book: Stars, Fiſhes, Fowles, and all the Terreſtriall▪ creatures, they are the letters of this book.
There are but three main Books in the world to be read: all other books are but Commentaries upon them.
The Book of the Creatures.
The Book of the Scriptures.
The Book of every Mans conſcience.
Read but theſe three, and meditate of them, and thou ſhalt have underſtanding in the wayes of God, to know God in all thy wayes.
Beloved, this is rightly to uſe the creatures, and thus uſing them, thou ſhalt prevent their groanings againſt thee: to behold and ſee God preſent in them all.
It was the ſaying of an Ancient, that, that man is blind, deaf, ſenſeleſs, brutiſh, that knows not God. Thou canſt not ſee a creature, but thou mayeſt ſee God: thou canſt not feel a creature, but thou mayeſt feel God: thou canſt not ſmell, nor taſte, nor meddle with a creature, but thou mayeſt ſmell and taſte God in the creature: thou canſt not behold a creature, but thou mayeſt behold God in the creature.
O ſaith one, if I could ſee God as he appeared to the Fathers, then I ſhould obey him, and fear him, and truſt in him, and love him.
I anſwer, God appeares now as he did then. How did God appeare to Abraham, Iſaak, &c. and to all the holy Patriarches and Prophets? Did God appear to them in his own eſſence and nature? No, it is impoſſible that any ſhould ſee God and live. When God appeared to them, and ſhewed himſelfe to them, he did it in the creatures. And I pray you doth not God appeare thus amongſt us now? God having made man to behold by ſenſe, by ſight, hearing, ſmelling, taſting, handling; that all the knowledge he hath, he muſt have it by theſe; God makes as it were a manifeſtation of himſelfe in the Sunne, Moon, and ſtarres, he takes the Cattle, plants, and therein he ſhewes ſomething of himſelfe: thou never ſeeſt any creature but it is a manifeſtation of God to thee: the whole world is an apparition of God to thee; God appears in the heavens, in the earth, and in every creature. If therefore when thou lookeſt on any of the creatures, thou makeſt not an holy uſe of them, beholding God in them, uſing them as a riſe to wind up thy heart and ſoule to God; then thou abuſeſt the creatures, and makeſt them to groan againſt thee. For, we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelling in paine till this preſent.
THE CHRISTIAN HIS IMITATION Of CHRIST. In a SERMON By WILLIAM FENNER, Miniſter of the Goſpel, ſometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Lecturer of Rochford in Eſsex.
London, Printed by E. T. for John Stafford.