Sermon 29 March 1648, Title page – Dedication
THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST IN THE SOULE. OPENED In a SERMON before the Right Honble Houſe of PEERS, in Covent-garden-Church, upon the Solemne Day of their Monthly Faſt, March 29. 1648.
By PETER STERRY, M. A. Sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge: AND Now Preacher of the Goſpel in LONDON.
Publiſhed by Order of that Houſe.
LONDON, Printed for R. Dawlman, and are to be ſold at the Signe of the Crowne and Bible at Dowgate, neer Canning-ſtreet. 1648.
Die Lunae 30 Aprilis, 1648.
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament aſſembled, That Mr Sterrey one of the Aſſembly of Divines is hereby thanked for his great paines taken in his Sermon Preached the laſt Faſt before their Lops in the Covent-Garden Church; And he is hereby deſired to cauſe his ſaid Sermon to be printed and publiſhed, which is to be done onelyonly by Authority under his owne hand.
IO: BROWNE, Cleric. Parliamentorum.
To the Right Honble, the Houſe of PEERS, Aſſembled in Parliament.
Right Honble,
I Have principally endeavoured in this Sermon to ſearch, What that is, to Which we may Truſt our Soules; and What Foundation we are to Lay in our Religion.
If we were once Eſtabliſhed in this maine Point concerning the Next World, we ſhould Enjoy our ſelves with much more Setledneſs, and Security in This World. For how quietly ſhould we repoſe our Selves for this Outward, Short Life in the Body on that Power, to Which we commit the Care of our more Excellent, and Immortall Part?
What Difficulty would there be in Truſting to Him for our Preſervation from Death, to whom we truſt our Selves in Death, for Eternity?
Our Lord Jeſus ſeems to this End to be Shaking Heaven, and Earth, Church, and State, all Outward Powers, and Inward Principles in Both; that the True Foundation of Heaven, and Earth may be Diſcovered.
Saint Paul ſaith, Other Foundation can no Man lay, than that which is laid, Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3. 11.
God Hath laid no other Foundation; neither May we, neither Can we.
On This alone hath God built the World, His Church, His Glory. He hath made All Things by Jeſus Chriſt, Coloſſ. 1. 16.
On this alone muſt we build our Belief, and Obedience in Divine Things; our Wiſdome, and Power in the Things of Man. For All Power is given to Him in Heaven, and Earth, Mat. 28. 18.
Whoever raiſeth any Outward, or Inward Frame of Things upon any other Ground-worke, he makes a Lie, he works the Works of the Devill, whoſe End is to be Diſſolved; to Vaniſh into Ayre, or Periſh in the Fire.
S. Paul Divides Man into Three Parts; Spirit, Soule, and Body, 1 Theſſ. 5. 23.
The Body is an Outward Image made of Duſt, Gen. 2. 7. God formed Man of the Duſt of the Ground.
The Soule is a Breath of Life Incloſed in This Image, Clothed with It, and Giving Life to It: He breathed into his Noſthrils the Breath of Life, and Man became a Living Soul.
The Spirit is the Fountain of Life, which flowes forth from God, to Feed, and Maintain the Breath of Life in the Body. When the time of Death Comes, This Spirit draws back to Their Head again Thoſe ſtreams of Life, by Which It went forth into the Body. Then the Outward Image falls to the Ground, and moulders away. Thus doth the Duſt return to the Earth, as it was; and the Spirit returns to God that gave it, Eccleſ. 12. 7.
Now of Theſe Three the Higher lives In the Lower, and Above It. The Lower lives by the Higher. And the Higheſt of all Three, the Spirit of Man hath a Higher than That, by which It Self lives, even the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus, who is the King, and Father of Spirits.
Our Saviour reaſons after this manner, Is not the Life More than Meat, and the Body than Rayment? Mat. 6. 25.
My Lords! We are all well aſſured of This: that, Nothing can Give More, than It Hath. Theſe Bodies of ours, which have a more Noble Image, and Life, than any other part of this Outward World, in which they are; cannot receive Either, or continue in Either by any Inferiour, and Outward Thing; but by a Soule, which dwells in the Body, as a Silk-worm in her Work; which lives in the Body, as a Fire in the Flame. Food, and Rayment may be the Fuell, by which the Soule maintains the Flaming Appearance of this Bodily Image. But the Vertue goes forth from the Soule.
Our Saviour again teacheth us; that, Nothing, which comes from Without, can make the Soule Miſerable, or Happy; Clean, or Unclean.
This is done by that which comes from a more Inward, and Higher Principle; from the Spirit of Man.
In like manner this Spirit it ſelf derives Its Life from the Right, or the Left Hand of Jeſus Chriſt; His Love, or His Wrath. From Hence our Spirits convey Life into our Soules, and thorow them into our Bodies.
Thus our Bodies live not by Bread alone, but by that Vertue, which comes forth from our Soules. Our Soules live not by their Counſels, and Courages alone; but by every Stream of Life, that deſcends from our Spirits upon them. Our Spirits live not by their own Eminencies; but by Every Word, that comes forth from the Mouth of Jeſus Chriſt.
S. Paul ſaid, The Head of the Woman is the Man; The Head of the Man is Chriſt; The Head of Chriſt is God, 1 Cor. 11. 3.
So the Head of the Body is the Soule; the Head of the Soule is the Spirit; the Head of the Spirit is Jeſus Chriſt, as He comes forth to us in the Miniſtery of Angels.
Therefore let us have a Covering over our Heads, a Power over our Soules, and Spirits, holding them in Subjection; for theſe Angels ſakes, Amongst Which, and By Which Jeſus Chriſt the Head of our Soules, and Spirits doth now raigne over us.
Our Lord Jeſus calls Himſelf the Sun of Righteouſneſſe. O that men did once Know; that there can be no Right Judgment made, no true Diſtinction, or Diſcovery of Things; but by the Shining out of Jeſus Chriſt in their Hearts!
Are there not Inviſible Things, as well as Viſible? Have not They alſo Their Sun?
The Sun, the Brighteſt Body, is the Foundation, and Fountain of all Light, Vertue, Forme, and Being in this Globe of Bodily Subſtances. If the Sun be quite hid, all Shapes are loſt in an Utter Darkneſs.
The Lord Jeſus among Spirits, and Spirituall Things is the onelyonly Foundation of Truth, Life, and Power. All Truth, and True Life is loſt in Doubt, Uncertainty, and a Spirituall Death, to thoſe Spirits, in which He withdraweth Himſelf.
Why is the Heaven of our Religion darkened with Clouds of Diſpute, with ſo much Diverſity, ſuch Uncertainty of Opinions; that he begins to ſeem the Wiſeſt among us, who is moſt of all a Sceptique, that is, a Scorner, or an Atheiſt?
How comes our Reaſon to ſuch a Loſſe, that She cannot Find, or Know Her ſelf; She can give no Cleer, or Conſtant Account of Her ſelf, in any One Man, or in any One Particular Thing?
Doe not Theſe things manifeſtly declare not only a Negation, but a Privation of ſome Great Light, which ſhould by It's Immediate Preſence rule the Day of our Religion; and by Its Beams falling upon our Reaſon, as the Leſſe Light, rule the Night of of Nature, and Civill Affairs?
The Watch-men watch for the Morning, ſo doth my Soule wait for the Riſing of the Lord Jeſus upon Her, and upon the whole Earth. He is the Image of the Invincible God; the Light, that is Sowne even in This our Darkneſs. But He ſhall breake theſe Chains of Darkneſs. For it is not Poſsible, that He ſhould be Holden by them.
I have onelyonly One Thing more to ſay, which is this; that, There are Some things, which I could not ſpeake before your Lops, though I had prepared them. Theſe things I have now taken the Boldneſs to preſent to your Lops Eyes, together with thoſe, which I had formerly offered to your Lops Ears.
That Jeſus Chriſt may diſcover Himſelf a Living Cornerſtone in your Hearts, out of which may grow up a Building of Eternall Peace to your own Perſons, and Preſent Peace to This Kingdome, is, My Lords, the Prayer of
Your Honours moſt humble Servant in the Lord Jeſus, PETER STERRY.
A SERMON Preached at the Monthly Faſt, before the Right Honourable Houſe of Lords.
MATTH. 23. 10.
Neither be ye called Maſters: for one is your Maſter, even Chriſt.