Thirty-One Select Sermons, Title page – Table of contents
XXXI. Select Sermons, PREACHED On Special Occaſions; The Titles and ſeveral Texts, on which they were Preached, follow.
BY William Strong, That Godly, Able and Faithful Miniſter of Chriſt, lately of the Abby at Weſtminſter.
None of them being before made publique.
LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Francis Tyton, and are to be ſold at his Shop, at the ſign of the three Daggers neer the Inner Temple Gate. 1656.
Good Reader,
THere is a double way of edification now in uſe in the Church of God, either by long Tracts, or by ſhort and pithy diſcourſes: Tis not for us to determine which is moſt profitable: Treatiſes have their uſe, & ſo have ſingle Sermons: ſometimes tis good to ſee truths, not by piece-meal, but in their dependance and frame, that the whole Doctrine may be brought together, and digeſted into a method: On the other ſide, to ſay all that may be ſaid in an argument, is a burden and a prejudice to the common ſort of hearers, who when they find one point ſo much dilated and inſiſted upon, think that the knowledge of divine truths will be ſo long and tedious a work, that in a deſpair of attaining thereunto, they ſit down with any ſlight apprehenſions in the things of God, and ſuch thoughts as rather come upon them, then are found and ſearched out by them. It concerneth the miniſters of the Goſpel then, to uſe all methods to gain ſouls to God: Sometimes to launch out into the common-place, and larger diſcuſſion of truths, that they may at once ſee the whole latitude and breadth of them in one intire draught and delineation; at other times to conſine themſelves to the expreſs ſcope of that particular place which they have in hand, that the point and branch of Doctrine proper thereunto may be more earneſtly and induſtriouſly inforced: In the firſt method we may diſcern both the harmony and rich *Adoro plenitudinem Scripturae. Tertull.fulneſs of Scripture, whileſt we ſee how much God hath ſpoken in a little; and how a few words of His, (like a ſmall piece of gold) may without any forcing and violence, be beaten out into ſo large an explication: in the other method, truths many times come in freſher and ſweeter upon the ſoul, as being drawn more immediately from the fountain, and without the intervention of our Logick and diſcourſe, evidencing their deduction to the conſciences of men.
In both theſe methods, did that worthy ſervant of the Lord Mr. Strong excell: In a Treatiſe, who more copious and full? In ſhorter diſcourſes, who more quick and ſinewy? Of his excellency in the former kind, the world hath had a taſte in what of his hath been already divulged, more of which kind alſo is intended for the Preſs: now thou haſt preſented to thy view, a collection of ſeveral choice Sermons upon ſpecial occaſions, ſome more publique, others more private, and therefore though in that reſpect there may be ſome difference between them in beauty and freſhneſs of colour, yet they all have the character and impreſs of Mr. Strongs ſpirit in them, and do plainly diſcover what hand hath paſſed upon them: the exceeding uſefulneſs of the particular ſubjects, and that piety and judgement that ſhines forth in the management of them, cannot but recommend them to the reſpects of the godly wiſe, and therefore without any longer detaining thee, (only to aſſure thee that theſe are from his own notes) we commend thee to God, and the word of his grace, which is able to build us up, and give us an inheritance among them that are ſanctified.
Thy ſervants in the Lords work,
Thomas Manton.
John Rowe.
George Griffith.
To the Reader.
THE Learned Author of theſe Sermons had he lived to have put the laſt hand to his own elaborate works, they would have been better commended to the world, then any care or diligence of Friends is able to perform. Theſe Sermons & ſome other Tracts formerly ſet forth, were left by the Author under his own hand in ſuch a character as none was acquainted with but only that Lady (of whom I could ſpeak as great things with as much truth, as of any, did not my own nearneſs of Relation, & her own modeſty forbid me) who made it her buſineſs to learn his character before his death, and ſince to tranſcribe them, by which means thoſe foreign left by the Author under lock and key (as it were) of an unknown hand, are brought forth and expoſed to publick view, for common benefit. Thoſe that knew him muſt needs ſay, that theſe Tracts were his own, they are ſo like the Father; for as Seneca ſaith of ſuch as write books, they preſent to the World morum ſuorum & ingenii Chrirographum: & our Author hath left his own picture drawn with his own hand, to the life, by which, though dead, he yet ſpeaketh. His Sermons and tracts are not ſuch, of which we may ſay as aforeign. Pharmaca multa quidem bona mixta & noxia multa. Praetereat ſi quid non facit ad ſtomachum. Martial.Homer did of Egypt, and which may be too truly affirmed of many writings that are publiſhed to the world: A miſcellany of drugs, good and bad: We have Antidotes in him, but no poyſon: and as Putean bSine periculo ullo electionis decerpere omnia & liberè liceat.ſaith of Cicero, we may more truly ſay of our reverend Author; you need not uſe any great caution and care to pick and chuſe, you cannot chuſe amiſs. He hath an excellent vein in his Sermons, as one ſaith in the like kind, plenius reſponſura fodienti, the farther you ſearch, the richer treaſure you are like to find. It was the great infelicity of divers of the Ancients, that though they had magna ingenia, yet they had mixturam—I will not add the other word: they had magnas virtutes, and they had magna vitia alſo; Their raiſed Parts were attended with ſuch groſs infirmities, as rendred them very obnoxious to cenſure. And therefore Hierom ſpeaking of Origen, writes thus. cEpiſt. 72. ad Tranq. Ego originem propter eruditionem ſic Interdum legendum arbitror, quomodo Tertullianum, Novatum, Arnobium, Apollinarem, & nonnullos Eccleſiaſticos Scriptores, Graecos pariter & Latinos ut bona eorum eligamus, vitemuſque contraria.I think Origen may for his learning be ſometimes read as other Eccleſiaſtick Writers, ſo that we cull out what is good in them, and avoid the contrary; and he dEpiſt. 13. ad Paulin.paſſeth a ſmart cenſure on Cyprian, Lactantius, Arnobius, &c. And Hierom himſelf which hath cenſured others, is by ſeveral paid home in the ſame coin: For Bellarmine eLib. 3. c. 6. de Rom. Pontif.obſerves ſeveral contradictions in Hierom, and Alphonſus a Caſtro fLib. 6. adverſus haereſes tit. Epiſcopus; Apparet. …. Hieronymum ſibi ipſi minime conſtare.ſaith, that in the buſineſs about a Biſhop and a Presbyter, Hierom doth not at all agree with himſelf; nay, Bellarmine gLib. 4. de Euch. c. 10. art. 9. Non poſſumus ex Patrum ſententiis aliquid certi colligere quando inter ſe non conveniunt.ſaith thus, We can gather no certainty out of the Opinions of the Fathers, when as they themſelves are not of one mind. And Ioſeph Scaliger hLib 6. de Emend. Temp. ſed cum delectu ejus ſcripta legenda eſſe non dubitabit quiſquis attentius legit, quam ipſe Scripta veterum.ſpeaking of the moſt learned Euſebius, paſſeth this ſentence, without doubt a choice is to be made in the reading of him. But I am very much miſtaken, if this our Author may not paſs without any ſuch cenſures, and may be read now in print, as he might have been heard when he was in the Pulpit, without ſuch proviſo's and cautions as are uſually given in reading of many of the Ancients. That which made his Sermons paſs with ſo great approbation of the moſt judicious hearers when he was alive, and will be a paſsport to his writings though poſthumous, was, he did follow the advice of the Apoſtle Paul to Tim. 2 ep. 2.15. he did ſtudy to ſhew himſelf approved to God, a workman that need not be aſhamed, rightly dividing the word of truth: he made preaching his work and buſineſs: he did not go to that foreign or as a foreign, but he counted it his greateſt foreign, the work God gave him to do, as Chriſt ſpeaks, John 17.4. He was of Melancthons mind, who had wont to iTres labore… eſſe difficillimos; Regentis, Docentis, Parturientis.ſay, Three ſorts of labour are moſt difficult: that of a Governour, of a Teacher, and of a Woman in travel. He was often in travel to be delivered of his Sermons, and he made that good, qui alios docere velit ſuo ſudore Auditores irrigare contendat; An inſtructor ought to ſpend himſelf upon his Auditory. He was ſo much taken up in this work, that (to my knowledge) he was often in watchings a great part of the night, beſides his pains in his day-ſtudies. What Seneca reports kEpiſt. 8. Nu…lus mi… per otium dies exit, partem noctium ſtudiis vendico; non vaco ſomno, ſed ſuccumbo; & oculos vigilia fatigatos, cadenteſque in opere detineo.of himſelf, may be affirmed of this our Author; I ſpend all the day and much of the night in ſtudy, not ſetting my ſelf to ſleep, but only falling into it; and he goes on, and lVolup…ati… ſom…, vitae de…xerunt ſumm… Illi Viri quod nobis impenderunt, poſteris nat… & occupati.adds, Great men of old beſtowed the beſt part of their life upon us, as if born for poſterity: But beſides that very great diligence and travel of head and heart, and that intempeſtivum & pertinax ſtudium that he laid out in his Sermons, he had a ſpecial faculty of keeping cloſe to his Text and buſineſs in hand; which as it is very requiſite in a Preacher, ſo it is very advantagious to commend a diſcourſe to the moſt judicious car. What Plinius ſecundus m…ci…t, ſi materiae immoratur, non eſſe longum; longiſſimum, ſi aliquid accerſit, atque attrahit. Vides, quot verſibus Homerus, quot Virgilius, arma hic Aeneae, Achillis ille deſcribat; brevis tamen uterque eſt, quia facit quod inſtituit.ſaid to Apollinaris in his Epiſtle to him concerning a Writer, is true of a Preacher, that he ſhould often veiw his title, I ſay, his Text; That which did ſurther ther contribute to his excellency in preaching, was his skill which he had, and his deep inſight into the myſterie of Godlin…ſs, and the Doctrine of the free Grace of God; and as to the myſterie of Iniquity within us, he was well ſtudied in the ſouls Anatomy, and could dextrouſly diſſect the old man: Then there is the myſterie of Iniquity without us, of Satan and Antichriſt, which he underſtood very well, and by his knowledge in theſe myſteries, he was able to advance the Kingdom and Honour of our Lord Chriſt in the hearts and lives of his Hearers; and to diſcover the foreign Rev. 2.24. Satans depths, and to diſappoint his foreign 2 Cor. 2.11. His plots and devices; as alſo to unvail the Whore of Babylon, and to render her vile and contemptible in the eyes of all. There was one thing more which did add very much unto him, and to his labours in preaching, and make him ſucceſsful in clearing many dark places, and ſearching further into the deep Mines of the Word, and piercing into the ſecret Oracles of God, and that was his conſtant recourſe to the Originals, in which he had good skill. By theſe means he went beyond moſt of his brethren in the work of the Miniſtry; ſo that his Sermons had always ſomething above the rdi nary reach and pitch: & a certain ſtrain, which did ſapere ſaeculi ſui foelicitatem, anſwering the advantages and happineſs of the age in which he lived, which was more then Caſaubon could ſay of nExercit. 34. in Baron. Vulgat… ſunt in his, nihi quod ſaeculi ſul foelicitatem ſap…at.Baronius his Annals. The want of ſome or any of theſe Particulars render Preachers very lame, and their Sermons thin and lean: of many of which, it may be ſaid as of Anaximenes when he began to ſpeak, that there was foreign, a flood of words, a drop of ſenſe; and in like manner Clem. Alexandrinus complains of ſuch, that they utter foreign a flood of inſignificant words: Such Preachers multa locuti parum dixiſſe videntur, talk much and ſay little; There was ſo great weight both of words and ſenſe in this our reverend Authors Sermons, and ſo much of worth, that they did appear as good upon a narrow diſquiſition, as they did ſeem to be when they were delivered: whereas the Sermons of many are like the Orations of oCuju… cùm in dicendo copla ſpecieſque aur… bus pla…e… oculorum judicio ſpernebatur: multumque legentibus deſideratum q…d audlentibus placuiſſet.Hortenſius, Many tickle the fancy, whilſt plauſibly, and with ſome Pomp and Oſtenation delivered, but being ſcann'd by a ſeverer repetition, they prove to have been vox & praeterea nihil, they vaniſh into a notion or nothing. The ignorance, or at leaſt the not ſo clear knowledge of the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace, Gods rich and free Grace, in the buſineſs of our ſalvation was the cauſe anciently, and is ſtill, of many errours in the Church. The Author of theſe Sermons had arrived to an excellency and height in this doctrine, beyond the moſt that ever I read or knew; Had he lived to have perfected his labours about the Covenant of grace, I preſume I may ſay they had ſurpaſſed all that went before. Herein was the great defect of many of the ancients: Caſaubon pNon negari poſſe videtur doctrinam de juſtificatione peccatoris & cauſâ meritoriâ ſalutis primis Eccle…ae temporibus & ferè ante Auguſtinum, vix ſatis dilucidè fuiſſe expoſitam; conſtat ſanè apud ve…uſtiſſimos Patrum & nonnulles etiam poſteriorum …juſmedi ſententias interdum occurrere, quae niſi benignâ interpretatione molliantur, ſer…i non p…ſſunt, Exerc…in Baron. 1.attributes the groſs errours in the firſt times of the Church about the meritorious cauſe of ſalvation, to ariſe from the ignorance of the Doctrine of the free Grace of God in the Juſtification of a ſinner. Nay, qConcord. 159. Graecos niſi caute legantur & intelligantur praebere p…ſſe eccaſionem errori Pelagiano.Ianſenius goes further; and Eſpencaeus rEpiſt. 2. Tim. 2. d…g…eſs 10.ſpeaks to the very ſame purpoſe, that divers of the Greek Fathers from this ignorance, gave occaſion to the Pelagian hereſie. What Chryſostom and Caſsianus his ſcholar thought and wrot of the grace of God, and alſo Cyril of Hieruſalem, may appear out of their writings: Caſsianus ſNos inquit primum bona …ligere oporter, & …unc offert Deus quae ſua ſunt.ſpeaks their ſenſe, We firſt chooſe what is good, and then God offers the help of his grace, and determines our will upon the motion of it firſt. Nay, Voſsius ſpeaks out indeed to this purpoſe: if any think that ſome who lived afore the breaking forth of Pelagianiſm, did attribute faith or the beginning of it to the ſtrength of nature, we will not contend with him. tLib. 4. Hiſtor. Pelag. Si quis putet allquos eorum qui ante exortam Pelagii …aereſin vixerunt fidem vel inltium ſidei, converſion…s deſiderium, certum ſpel & poenitentiae gradum naturae viribus tribuiſſe; nolumus cum co ducere contentionis funem.All this was to be imputed chiefly to that little knowledge which thoſe Ancients had in the Doctrine of the free Grace of God. If a Divine be lame in this point, it is no wonder though he halts into Arminianiſm, and fals into thoſe Popiſh errors of the merit of good works, the corner ſtone of the Babel of Rome. There is another defect which hath brought much prejudice to the Church, and that is ignorance in the Originals, the Mother of errors. Lud. Vives uDe cauſis Corrupt. Art l. 7. de corrupto Iure. Magnam cauſam corrupt…larum manaſſe ex imperitià Linguarum, quibus ipſum inſcriptum eſt.ſaith, The reaſon of the corruption of the Law, and the ſame may be ſaid of Divinity, is, becauſe thoſe that were Students and Practitioners in it, did not underſtand the Languages in which it was written. D. Reynolds, ſpeaking of this paſſage of Lud. Vives, adds: xApocryph. lect. 3. Sine dubio ſi ſcripſiſſet Lud. Vives de cauſis Theologiae corruptae, notare potuiſſet hoe in Theologia ſaepe uſu veniſſe ut haliucinarentur, quoniam Graecum id eſſet in quo verſabatur.Doubtleſs if L. Vives had written the Cauſes of Corruption in Divinity, he might have obſerved the occaſion of errors herein, was the handling of it in Greek: And Eſpencaeus ſpeaking of the ignorance of former times, complains how that yTim. Circa reformationis initia eam inter Clericos graſſatam fuiſſe linguarum originalium ignorantiam & barbariem ut in latinis authoribus Graecè noſſe ſuſpectum fuerit, Hebaricè prope haereticum.it was …eemed as a fault in the Latin Writers, if they underſtood Greek; and if Hebrew, a haereſie. What miſchiefs have come upon the Church, upon the unskilfulneſs of divers of the Ancients in Original languages, would be too long to ſet down. Thus I have endeavoured to ſhew wherein the ſtrength of this Author did lie; as alſo the ſad conſequents that follow upon the defects and want of thoſe particulars fore-mentioned. There be divers other things which I might mention concerning this Author, but theſe were the chief, which out of my obſervation and my intimate acquaintance I took notice of in him; by which he came to be of very great note, & cried up beyond his brethren; by reaſon whereof, had not God given him much grace, he might have been puffed up. For it is moſt true, non minus periculum ex magna fama quam ex mala, great fame is no leſs dangerous then a bad one: and perhaps this might be one great reaſon, why the Lord was pleaſed to let looſe the ſlanderous tongues againſt him: for zQuint. Dialog. Nemo codem tempore aſſequi poteſt magnam famam & magnam quietem.no man can enjoy a great fame quietly. It was a great affliction to him, and ſo much the greater, by how much the nearer they were to him, which were at the greateſt defiance againſt him, as Tac. aHiſt. 1. Cui deer… inimicus, per amicos opp: eſſus.ſaith, He that wanted an enemy ſuffered by his own friends. My own familiar friend—that was the ſharpeſt dagger and wounded deepeſt Whatever bTha…s in Terent. Si ego digna hac contumelia ſim maxime, at tu indignus qui ſ…ceris tamen.one may deſerve, yet a friend ſhould not be the executioner. But however his Adverſaries did very much endeavor to aſperſe him, yet he proved them to be falſe and unjuſt foreign; by the brightneſs of his converſation he did live down thoſe evil reports. It was not with him, as it was cProſper… eloquentia quam morum fama.ſaid of Domitius Afer, That he was a better Speaker then Liver: he was as happy in the purity and innocency of his life, as he was for the power that through Grace he erected in his preaching. What dSimul fuls virtutibus ſimul vitils aliorum in ipſam gloriam praeceps agebatur.Tacitus ſaid of Agricola, being under ſome calumnies, is true of him; he was carried with much more ſpeed towards glory, both by the malignity of others, and his own excellencies. Thus I fear I have detained thee, Reader, too long in the entrance; but I hope thou wilt have a keener edge to the dainties, that thou ſhalt meet with in the book. Farewel.
Henry Wilkinſon of Chriſts-Church, Profeſſor in Divinity for the Lady Margaret in the Vniverſity of Oxford.
A Table of the Names of ſuch Sermons, where, and when they were Preached, ſet down in ſuch order as they follow: together with the texts of Scripture inſiſted upon in this following Book.
1. SPiritual Barrenneſs. Preached at Pauls, a Spittle-Sermon, upon Ezek. 47.11. Pag. 1.
2. Holineſs the way to Happineſs. Preached at Pauls, upon Heb. 12.14. p. 31.
3. Babylons utter ruine, the Saints Triumph. Preached at a Thankſgiving for the victory of Ireland, againſt the Iriſh, Auguſt 29. 1649. upon Rev. 18.2. p. 63.
4. Goſpel order, a Churches beauty. Preached when Mr. Strong was choſen Paſtor, Decemb. 9. 1650. upon Col. 2.5. p. 91.
5. Church-Officers, according to Inſtitution. Preached at the Churches chooſing of Officers, upon Heb. 13.17. p. 109,
6. Communion with God, good in bad times. Preached at Pauls, October 14. 1647. Before the Lord Maior and Aldermen, upon Pſal. 73.28. p. 133.
7. The Saints inheritance. Preached for Mr. Caryl on his Lecture day at London-Bridge, upon 1 Chron. 3.22. following p. 163.
8. The great day. At a private faſt, upon Ierem. 30.7. p. 164.
9. Grace abuſed. At a faſt for abuſed liberty, Feb. 28. upon Iude 4. p. 187.
10. The juſt mans end. At the funeral of William Ball Eſquire, a member of the houſe of Commons, upon Eſa. 57.1. p. 209.
11. God with us whileſt we are with him. At a publike faſt before the Parliament, Iune 9. 1652. upon 2 Chron. 15.2. p. 231.
12. The doctrine of the Iews vocation. Preached at Gregories Lecture, upon Rom. 11.26. p. 267.
13. Heedleſs ſervice unacceptable. Upon 2 King. 10.31. p. 289.
14 Goſpel-Exaltation. Upon Mat. 11.23. p. 309.
15. The two Covenants. Preached in Bartholomew-lane, Iune 22. 1652. Upon Gal. 4.21,22. p. 333.
16. Fleſh ſilenced by Gods ariſing. Preached before the Lord Maior, Aldermen, and Commons of London, on a Thankſgiving day at Chriſt-Church London, Iuly 26. 1651. upon Zach. 2.13. p. 357.
17. The duty and dignity of Magiſtrates. Preached at Laurence-Iury, Sept. 29. 1651. at the Election of the Lord Maior, upon Zach. 10.4. p. 389.
18. Perfect cleanſing; upon 2 Chron. 7.1. p. 421.
19. A ſet time for Iudgement. Upon Ierem. 8.7. p. 443.
20. One heart and one way. Upon Zach. 14.9. p. 465.
21. Grace is wiſdom, and wiſdom the principal thing. Preached at a meeting of the company of Black-Smiths, Octob. 29. 1647. in Fiſh-street, London, upon Prov. 4.7. p. 493.
22 The danger of being worſe by mercies. Upon Deut. 32.15. p. 513.
23. Unruly thoughts quieted, by divine conſolations. Preached at Pauls, Iune 9. 1653. upon Pſal. 49.19. p. 541.
24. Gods Throne erect, in the Aſſemblies of his Saints. Preached at a faſt; upon Rev. 4.6. p. 567.
25. The Keepers of the Vineyard, muſt keep their own Vineyard. At a faſt before the Parliament, Iune 13. 1650. upon …ant. 1.6. p. 589.
26. State proſperity, in keeping cloſe to the Word. At a faſt in the Parliament Houſe, Iune 31. 1653. upon Ioſh. 1.8. p. 617.
27. Chriſts inſtrumental fitneſs for his Fathers ends. Preached at Bartholomew-lane, upon Iſaiah 42.2. p. 637.
28. The myſteries of Providence. Preached at Pauls, Auguſt 18. 1650. upon Ezek. 1.16. cloſe of it, p. 657.
29. Chriſts care in glory, for his Churches good on earth; upon Rev. 2.1. p. 681.
30. Gifts and Talents ſhall be accounted for. Preached before the Parliament on a day of Thankſgiving, Sept. 3. upon Luke 12.48. p. 705.
31. The upright heart, and its darling ſin. Upon Pſalm 18.23. p. 735.