Sermons on Hebrews 13:13, Title page – Dedication
… GREAT DUTY OF Chriſtians, TO Go forth without the Camp. TO JESUS: Set forth in ſeveral SERMONS On Hebr. XIII. 13.
By S. T. M. of A. of Trinity-College in Cambridge.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Three Bibles and Crown in Cheapſide. MDCLXXXII.
To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Lord RƲSSEL, Grace, Mercy, and Peace be multiplied, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
My Lord,
IT is one of the wonderful Riddles, and deep Myſteries of Providence, That the Church, that hath the leaſt of Sin, ſhould yet endure the moſt of Sufferings; That the Metal that is beſt refined, ſhould be most often caſt into the Furnace; and, That they that are moſt white in their Souls with the Beauty of Holineſs, ſhould be ſo black'd in their Outward Man and State by the ſcorching Sun of Perſecution. How hard is it for thoſe that live by Senſe, to believe, That they ſhall wear glittering Crowns, and ſit on glorious Thrones for ever, that now are cruſhed as Worms under the Feet of Sinners, and are bruiſed as Grapes in the Wine-preſs of the Worlds Rage and Fury? But as the Firſtborn of God's New Family veiled his Majeſty, emptied himſelf, and hid his Glory, Phil. 2.6. His viſage was marred more than any man, and his form than the ſons of men, Iſa. 52.14. ſo his younger Brethren are arraied in dark Parables of Shame, Reproach, and Sufferings. The bleſſed Life of Saints is now hidden, and a baſe and courſe Covering is ſpread over all their intrinſick Glory; they are (as it were) diſguiſed and incognitol in the World, 1 John 3.1. Pignorius obſerves, Quicquid Taetrum, Saevum, Horribile in Chriſtianos olim excogitatum, & exercitum eſt, illud omne (ut ego Cenſeo) a ſervis ad illos tranſivit, De Servis, p. 9. That is, Whatſoever Grievous, Horrible, and Cruel Torments were of old practiſed againſt the Chriſtians in the Primitive Times, were juſt the ſame that cruel Maſters uſed to inflict on their bought Slaves. O what a dark Veil was caſt over the Adopted Sons of God, when they were treated juſt as imperious and tyrannical Maſters uſed to handle their poor and vile Slaves! Thoſe that the World hath not been worthy of, have been driven Into Wilderneſſes, as if they were not worthy to converſe with, and live among Men: The precious Sons of Zion, comparable to fine Gold, have been reputed as the vile potſheards of the earth, Lam. 4.2. and the heirs of Glory been accounted but as Sheep for the Slaughter, Pſal. 44.22. Peter Martyr, in Rom. 8.36. thus gloſſes the Words; That they are not preſerved as ſome Sheep, for their Wooll and Lambs; but are like other Sheep, fed and fatted, that their Bodies may be for Meat. Scultetus thus understands the Words, in Pſal. 44.22. That the Wicked of the World do make no more to kill the Saints of God, than a Butcher doth to kill Sheep. The Bodies of the Saints have been laid as the mire of the Streets, and their Blood poured out as Water on the Ground, and Wicked Men have been permitted to do to ſome of them even as they would. Read Iſa. 51. laſt. Pſal. 79.3. Matth. 17.12.
My Lord, This being the State of the Church of God (for the moſt part) in the World, how neceſſary is it that every Chriſtian ſhould be armed with Faith and Patience, that the Truths of God ſhould be deeply rooted in our Souls, that they may ſerve as an Helmet to guard our Heads in a great Fight of Afflictions, and as an Anchor to eſtabliſh our Hearts in a grievous Storm of Perſecutions? Theſe following Conſiderations may ſomewhat conduce to this great End.
1. Christians ſhould conſider, That Jeſus Christ was not of this World, neither is his Kingdom of this World, John 18.36. and he repreſents and commends his Diſciples to his Father as conformed to him in this, John 17.14, 16. They are not of the World, even as I am not of the World. Chriſt did but Tabernacle (John 1.14. foreign) in our frail Fleſh, and paſſed through the World as a Pilgrim and Stranger: And all the Goſpel-Worſhip of Chriſtians is ſet out by keeping the Feaſt of Tabernacles, Zech. 14.16. And what doth this Expreſſion import? Surely this, among other things, may be hinted to us by this Text, That as we are moſt gratefully to acknowledge this great Mercy of the Son of God's Tabernacling in our Fleſh; ſo, that it ought to have this Effect upon us, to make us to ſojourn in the World as Pilgrims and Strangers, in expectation of a glorious Life, and Inheritance in Heaven. We ſhould account, that this Natural Life is not our Life, but that our Life is hid with God in Chriſt, Col. 3.3. That this Earth is not our Country, and that Worldly Enjoyments are not our Portion and Treaſure. Chriſt hath crucified our Old Man, and aboliſhed the Natural Life by his Death, Rom. 6.6. Chriſt hath put an end to the old State… Week, and World; and by Riſing again the Firſt Day of the Week, he hath begun a new Week and World. The Eternal Day doth dawn, Immortality is brought to light, Everlaſting Life is begun and exemplified in the Reſurrection of Jeſus Christ: And he is aſcended to Heaven, to chuſe the Inheritance of, and prepare a place for all the Family and Houſhold of Faith, Pſal. 47.3. To this Jeſus we are called to go forth; on this Magnetick and Glorious Object are we to fix our Eyes and Hearts. If the Wiſe Men acknowledged him as King when he lay in a contemptible Cradle, and the Thief addreſſed to him as ſuch when he hung on an ignominious Croſs, ſhall not we much more confeſs and adore him now, crowned with Honour and Glory, and ſitting on the Right hand of the Majeſty on High? Shall we dote on a World that is a ſink of Sin, and a Scene of Vanity? Shall be we fond of the vile and baſe Life of the Firſt, diſlike and diſparage the glorious Life of the Second Adam? Shall we be charmed by, or chained to poor beggarly Objects below, and deſpiſe the glorious Portion and rich Inheritance of Christ above? Shall a ſhort Life, clogged with Sin, clouded with Sorrows, …tered with continual Temptations and Warfare, be preferred before a Life of Immortality, ennobled with glorious Holineſs, perfect Peace, and triumphant Joy.
2. Chriſtians ſhould conſider what this World is, and the Men of it are; That they are called out from the World, it ſelf is devoted to the Fire, this Earth muſt be burnt up, 2 Pet. 3.10. And ſhall we feed on that which muſt be reduced to Aſhes? Shall we lay up our Treaſure and Portion where the Flames will devour and conſume all? And what are the unregenerate Men of this World, but Spiritual Carcaſes, dead in Sins and Treſpaſſes? Strabo, in his Geography, lib. 17. tells us of a City in Egypt, calle foreign, The City of Dead Men, becauſe of the multitude of Dead Bodies that were Embalmed there: And he ſpeaks of the City of Caunus, lib. 13. That the Inhabitants were ſo pale, that Stratonicus ſaid of them, foreign, That Dead Men walked about. And is it not ſo here? Men that are dead in Sin, walk about, and perform onelyonly the Acts of the Natural Life. The World is ſaid to lye in Wickedneſs, 1 John 5.19. as dead Lazarus is ſaid to lye in the Grave, John 11.41. foreign. The Verb is uſed in the first place, and the Participle of the ſame Verb in the other. This corrupt World is ſet out by the Dead Sea, Ezek. 47.10. in which no Fiſh did live: Engedi and Eneglaim, there mentioned, were Places that did lye, one at the beginning, the other at the end of the Dead Sea, where Sodom and Gomorra stood of old; and on the Banks of it Spiritual Fiſhermen are ſaid to ſtand to draw Men out of this Dead Sea, into Communion with Chriſt the Prince of Life. The Cities of the blind Gentiles are ſaid to be deſolate, Iſa. 54.3. becauſe there were none in them that did live the Life of God: And the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of Wicked Men as dead Carcaſes, when he ſaith, The Pit is digged for them, Pſal. 94.13. And ſhall we not come forth from ſuch a World to Jeſus Chriſt? As God ſaid of beſieged Jeruſalem of old, Jer. 38.2. That he that ſtaid in the City ſhould die by the Famine or Peſtilence; but he that did go forth and yield to the King of Babylon, ſhould live: So thoſe that stay in this City of the World, muſt be condemned and periſh, 1 Cor. 11.32. but thoſe that go forth, and ſubmit to Jeſus Christ, ſhall be ſaved, and live for ever, Heb. 5.9.
3. We ſhould conſider what Jeſus Christ endured for us, Heb. 12.3. How great a Perſon was he? What provoking Contradictions did he ſuffer, and that from baſe Worms, and for vile Sinners? He ſanctified himſelf for our ſakes, to be a Priest and Sacrifice, John 17.19. He was wholly for us; he was born, died; roſe again, aſcended to Heaven, intercedes there, and will come again, for the good of his People, Iſa. 9.6. Rom. 4. laſt. Heb. 6. laſt. Heb. 7.25. John 14.2, 3. This precious Foundation was laid low in the Earth, for us to build on; this Noble Grain of Corn was ſowed in the Dust, that we might ſpring up from him to Everlasting Life: This excellent Bunch of Grapes was cast into the Wine-preſs of the Wrath of God, that we might drink new Wine with him in the Kingdom of his Father: This generous Stock was wounded and cut, that we as Grafts might be joyned to him, and live in him for ever. Do we believe? Or can we think on theſe things, and yet stick at any Service, or recoil from any Sufferings for the ſake of Jeſus Christ?
4. Let us conſider how Honourable the Sufferings of Saints for Christ are, Gal. 6.17. I bear about in my body the marks of the Lord Jeſus; the print of the Stripes and Wounds he had ſuffered for Christ's ſake. Saints may much more glory in theſe, than Soldiers do in the Scars of their Wounds. Was it not more Honourable for ſome of the clean Creatures preſerved in the Ark, afterwards to be offered in Sacrifice to God by Noah, than for the unclean Creatures to ſurvive them, or, for other Creatures to periſh in the Deluge? Gen. 8.20. Sufferings for Christ are part of our conformity to him in bearing the Croſs, and Testimonies of our Adoption, that being choſen out of the World, and called into the Kingdom of Christ, therefore Earthly Men hate and abhor us, John 15.19. The Sufferings of Saints are ſhort, their Evil things are meaſured by days, Pſal. 94.12, 13. but their Good and Happineſs is commenſurate to Eternity, 2 Cor. 4.17. They drink of a Cup of Afflictions, but it is a Cup like Christ's in this, that it paſſes away by our drinking of it, Matth. 26.4. Wicked Men ſhall drink of the Cup of Wrath, and yet it ſhall always abide at their Lips; but Saints ſhall drink of Christs Cup of Sufferings, and the Cup ſhall paſs away, their Tears ſhall be dried up, their Warfare ſhall be finiſhed; ſorrow and ſighing ſhall fly away; Weeping ſhall endure but for a Night, Joy ſhall come in the Morning, Pſal. 30.5. After the ſmoaking Furnace of Bondage and Sufferings, ſhall come the burning Lamp of Deliverance and Liberty, Gen. 15.16.
6. God ſees and will reward the Sufferings of his Saints, Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.17. Though God doth ſet forth ſome of his People as men appointed to death, 1 Cor. 4.9. yet he hath not appointed them to Wrath, but to obtain Salvation by Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Theſſ. 5.9. The Plowers indeed make long Furrows on them, but God ſowes them with the Promiſe of Everlaſting Life; while Men think to deſtroy their Gold of Grace, God is refining them from their Droſs of Corruption; while Enemies would blow away the good Wheat that is in them, God is winnowing them from their Chaff. As Xerxes ſtood on the Shore, and beheld the Sea-fight of his Men with the Grecians, and when any of his Captains fought valiantly, he had his Scribes by him, to write down his Name, and the Name of his City and Ship, that he might reward him: (See Herod. Hiſt. 1.8.) So Chriſt is on the calm Shore of a bleſſed Eternity, he beholds all the Courage and Conflicts of his Servants, he regiſters all in his Book, and takes it on account, in order to an eternal Reward.
7. Conſider the Benefit that hath accrued to the Church, and the Advantage that hath redounded to the Kingdom of Chriſt, by ſuffering Saints. When Saints have ſuffered Death for Chriſt, their Carcaſes have enriched and fatted the Ridges of Zion's Field, their Blood hath watered the Furrows of Immanuel's Land, and made it more fruitful: When theſe Grains of Corn have fallen to the Earth, and died, many more have ſprung up in their room. Peter Martyr, in Rom. 8.36. excellently obſerves, That the Goſpel hath been propagated in the World by Miracles and Torments; by Works done above the Power of Nature, and by cruel Sufferings, patiently and joyfully endured, beyond the ſtrain or ſtrength of Fleſh and Blood. Theſe were wonderful Atteſtations to, and Confirmations of the Truth of the Chriſtian Religion.
8. Let us conſider, That Chriſt's Intereſt ſhall at laſt be prevalent, victorious, and triumphant. Crafty Worldlings deſire to be of the ſtrongeſt ſide; The Decree of Heaven, Pſal. 2.7. and the Zeal of the Lord of Hoſts, is for the Eſtabliſhing of the Kingdom of Chriſt, Iſa. 9.7. The Nations indeed have their time, and are angry with Chriſt and his People; but the time of his Wrath will alſo come, Rev. 11.18. when he will tread them under his Feet, puniſh and deſtroy them for ever, Pſal. 110.1. Pſal. 21.8, 9. Luke 19.27. God the Father hath promiſed to make all Chriſt's Foes to be his Foot-ſtooll: Though Jacob be but a Worm, yet ſhall he threſh the Mountains, Iſa. 41.14, 15. And though Zion be as a Tabernacle, weak and contemptible in the Eye of the World, yet its Stakes ſhall not be removed, nor its Cords broken. Chriſt muſt reign, till he hath ſubdued all his Enemies: And though to ſerve Chriſt's Kingdom, ſeems to be as the Potter's Veſſel, and his Enemies ſeem to have the Rod of Iron to daſh it to pieces; yet Faith hath another View and Proſpect of Things, it beholds all the adverſe Powers of the World but as a frail Potter's Veſſel, and Chriſt as having the Rod of Iron, and an Almighty Arm to uſe it, for the daſhing of them to pieces.
This Treatiſe, My Lord, that I humbly preſent to Your Honour, is not unſeaſonable. If we look abroad into the World, we may perceive, that God hath made many Shilohs among the Proteſtant Churches, Jer. 7.12. and he ſends us to thoſe Shilohs, to behold their Ruines and Deſolations. We yet ſtand on the Shore, and behold the Shipwracks of others; but if he that Parks in the wild Ocean, and treads its mountainous Waves into a ſmooth Plain, doth not prevent, we may quickly feel and taſte the ſame Fruits of Antichriſtian Rage & Fury.
My Lord, I have Dedicated this ſmall Piece to Your Honour, as a Token of my Reſpects, and as a Teſtimony of my Gratitude to You, for Your Favour and Kindneſs expreſſed towards me, who am one of the meaneſt of the Servants of Chriſt. As the Sacrifices of the Law did not diſcharge the Debt of Sinners, but were foreign, Col. 2.14. a Hand-writing, or Bond, by which they confeſſed themſelves obnoxious to God their Great Creditor; ſo I preſume not to pay my Debt by offering Your Honour this ſmall Treatiſe, but to recogniſe my Obligations, and to confeſs my Engagements to Your Lordſhip. That the Wing of Providence may overſhadow Your outward, and that the Well of Life may refreſh Your inward Man; That You may be eſtabliſhed in the ſound Belief and exemplary Practice of Goſpel-Truths, and ſo feel the Power and taſte the ſweetneſs of them, for Your Eternal Comfort and Happineſs, it is the earneſt Deſire, and it ſhall be the ſervent Prayer of,
Febr. 7. 1681. My Lord, Your moſt Humble and Obliged Servant,SAMƲEL TOMLYNS.