The Profit of Godliness, Sermon 9 – Title page 3
Serm. 9. Preached Decemb. 29. 1661.
CHAP. XIV. An Ʋse of Exhortation.
SECT. 1.
ARE our souls more worth then a world of created good things? is no profit like the salvation of our souls? we should then be exhorted, to set our affections, cares, and greatest labours to gain our souls, to work out our salvation: oh let other things stand without and below our thoughts and cares, till we have in some good degree made provision for the salvation of our souls.
Let me speak to rich and poor, for your souls are both alike pretious: the soul of the meanest beggar is as pretious as the soul of the greatest Potentate: oh tha… all sorts of men did but study and kno… the invaluable worth of their souls; Wh… everlasting glory, what eternal comfor… are prepared for our souls if they … saved; and what intolerable wrath i… prepared for them, if we lose them!
1. You Rich men, who have some sha… in this worlds profit, whose riches perhaps are still increasing, and you are still i… pursuit of more worldly things: be yo… exhorted to seek with all care and diligence to gain your souls; add to the profits of this world the immortal profits … heaven; add to your pretious substan… pretious faith; add grace to your gol… and silver: in so doing you will have treasures in heaven, as ye have on earth; goo… things here, and good things in the wor… to come; an heaven in earth, and an heaven in heaven: That is the blessed ma… that is rich in money, and rich in grace … rich in this world, and rich in the wor… to come: so is every rich godly man … otherwise it will be an heart-cutting spee… to hear Christ say; Son, remembe… thou hast had thy good things in th… life; there is no profit for thee in Heaven.
2. You that are poor men, perhaps you labour hard, but gain little or no profit by the labour of your hands: oh that you would be exhorted to trade for your souls, to labour and work out your own salvation! what if you be poor, yet if you be rich in faith, you shall be rich enough in heaven; if you cannot lay up treasures on earth, lay up treasure in heaven; seeing you cannot provide for your backs and bellies as you would, yet provide for your souls; if your souls be provided for, ye have enough, ye are rich enough; ye are heirs of a Kingdom, though ye be not worth a foot of land on earth; otherwise, if you will be carelesse of your souls, as too many poor people are, alas you are miserable now, and you shall be miserable hereafter: you want all things in this world, and you shall want God, Christ, heaven and happinesse in the world to come; poor wicked men have an hell here, and an hell in hell.
SECT. 2.
THat both poor and rich may be quickned up to work out the salvation of their souls, let us weigh these particulars.
I. Every one of us is for gain and profit: we all cry as he in the Comedy, Re…, rem, quocun{que} modo rem, let me have gain, gain, in any manner, and by any means gain. Our Saviour here sheweth us what is the best gain, the surest gain, that will everlastingly enrich us, viz. the saving of our souls; no gain like it, and there is no gain but that: the profits of this world are but seeming imaginary gain; not real and solid gain, but real losse: seeing then we labour and toyl for gain, let us labour for this gain which is everlasting, that will stay with us when all worldly gain shal… come to nothing.
II. Consider what helps and advantages God hath graciously given us for the winning of our souls, which he hath denied to thousands of people in the world, whose souls are as pretious as ours, immortal and as capable of grace and glory as ours, and yet want these helps and advantages which we have for the salvation of our souls.
1. We have a day of salvation to work it out, which they have not: they have a day of patience, but not a day of grace and salvation as we have.
2. We have Sabbath dayes which are the Mercat-dayes, on which we may buy without money all necessary provision for our souls: The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; it was made for the soul, the chiefest part of man; that a man might have one entire day to work for the profit of his soul: 'Tis a lamentation to consider how many stand idle in the Mercat all the day long, and slight and profane this Mercat-day.
3. God hath provided for us pretious ordinances, which are the means of salvation, the wells of salvation, as the Prophet calls them, out of which our souls may draw and drink salvation; they are as Jacobs ladder, by which Christ descendeth from heaven to our souls: we ascend to heaven where Christ is; by prayer, we send to heaven for salvation: by hearing the word, we hear from heaven the things of salvation; the Sacraments are seals sealing salvation to believing souls: hence the Apostle frequently in the Epistle to the Hebrews calleth ordinances foreign, heavenly things.
4. We have Ministers whose duty is to watch over our souls, whose work and crown is to convert our souls: they are to study, pray, preach, write, and labour and sweat for the salvation of our souls, who are earthly Angels to convey our souls to Christ, and so to salvation, as the heavenly Angels shall convey them from our bodies to heaven: oh how many thousands of pretious souls do want such Instruments of salvation!
III. Consider that the work of salvation is not so full of toyl and labour, and vexation of mind and body, as the labouring to win the profits of the world is: how full are their heads of cares, their hands of work, who labour to gain the world! now the working out of our salvation in it self considered, is easie, sweet, full of delight; it is only the corruption of our hearts makes it tedious and burdensome: what sweetnesse the souls of believers do find, that others may find, would they give up themselves to the work, to praying, hearing the word, meditating on God, Christ, and heaven, to believing, to mortifying their lusts; there is no vanity nor vexation of spirit in these exercises, they are sweeter then the honycomb: they are our carnal lusts that make us to disrelish these things as bitter: consider with your selves, there is no drudgery nor toyl in praying continually for salvation, in attending on the Ministry of the word of salvation in season and out of season.
IV. Consider what offers of Salvation God makes to us, which he denieth to thousands of pretious souls in the world: we need not compass Sea and Land for our Souls, as Merchants do to win the profi…s of the world: we need not travel from East to West, from North to South for Salvation: But as Christ to Zacheus, This day Salvation is come to thy house: So Salvation is this time and that time offered to us, and cometh to our houses; Very observable is that of the Apostle, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8. Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven, to fetch from thence to us that will of God concerning our souls salvation! this is a deniall that Christ came from Heaven: neither say, who shall descend into the deep of Hell, to bring us knowledge how our souls may be redeemed from Hell: because the word of Salvation is nigh thee, it is in thy mouth, it is in thine ear: oh therefore, how shall we escape if we neglect Salvation thus offered!
V. Consider how God is ready and hath promised to bless the means of Salvation to them that shall diligently make use thereof: he is ready to work in us both to will and to do; he is ready to give faith, repentance, grace, every thing that is instrumental and preparative to the Salvation of our Souls. God, Christ, and the Holy-Ghost will be co-workers with us, if we will put our hands to this plough; never did any man diligently attend the work of the Salvation of his Soul, but he found God blessing the labour of his hands to him; never did any seek him in vain, never did any come to Christ, and was rejected.
VI. Consider at what easie rate we may purchase Salvation; if the soul be lost, then nothing can be given in exchange for the soul: but now God requires us to give away our lusts in exchange for the salvation of our souls: sell all thy lusts and give them away, and thou shalt have salvation: can there be an easier and cheaper price given for salvation? who will not give in exchange pebbles for diamonds, dirt and dung for gold? he that purchaseth gold by setting go dung, he purchaseth gold at an easie rate: this easie and low price God expecteth we should give for the saving our souls: let go thy lusts, thy soul shall be saved: the best thing we can part with, is but our moral righteousnesse, which is but dung and drosse; part with it, here is Christ and salvation: let us be judges how deservedly do men eternally perish, who will not give their sins away in exchange for their souls; and too many such there are in the world.
CHAP. XV. Another Ʋse of Exhortation.
IS the soul so pretious, and the losse of it eternally pernitious? then let us all be exhorted to spend more time and labour for the saving our souls: think no time lost, nor labour that is bestowed in gaining this immortal commodity: time is never better spent then in the work of salvation; oh methinks the souls immortality should quicken us us to give all diligence and to spend most of our time to the saving of it. The soul is made for eternity, and shall abide in blessednesse or misery, when all the profits of the world shall be mouldred into nothing: canst thou then think that any labour, care, cost, time, is too much that is employed about it? That speech of the Rabbin to his Scholars, shall be mine to you: Opus multum, tempus breve, operarii pigri, pater familias urget. We have much work to do, the time is short; we are slothful workers, our Master calleth earnestly upon us. I will speak to these four particulars.
1. Salvation of our souls is a great work: the righteous shall scarcely be saved: it is a work of great difficulty, not an easie work: therefore we are commanded to strive, to give diligence, to offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven: it is not empty wishes, and lazy velleities and sluggish desires that will make a man rich in goods, or a Christian rich in grace. There is much praying, much hearing, meditation, humiliation, examination, much mortification, much striving with our hearts, against our lusts, devils, the world; a forsaking of all sin, yea an universal obedience to all Gods commands before we can be saved: a few duties will not do the work, nor diligence for a fit, nor leaving a few sins, but we must serve God in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of our lives: we must pray continually, we must persevere to the end in all good, if we will be saved; therefore much time is required for this work.
2. As the work we have to do is great and much, so the time alloted us for this work of salvation is very short; we have but as it were a day to work for eternity. Our time is not only short, but swift; how do every one of us hasten to our graves and eternal states? 'tis not only short and swift, but uncertain; we know not the day nor the hour when our souls shall be required: it may be this night, it may be this week; our times are known only to God. Tecum cogita, cùm exeas potes nòn redire; cum redeas potes nòn exire, said Seneca. Seneca.Oh therefore, what necessity is laid upon us to redeem time, as the Apostle exhorts us, to redeem it from our labours, pleasures, profits and sleep, to spend it in working out the salvation of our souls! But oh how do the generality of men take away time from the soul, to employ it in getting gain! many there are who grudge their so …s one day in a week, one hour in a day, and bestow more time and labour in one year on the profits of the world, then they do all their life long in soul-work! how many put off this work till they have but few hours to live, and not any bodily strength to do the least work of salvation!
3. Consider what slow work-men we are in this great work of salvation of our souls: our hearts are naturally sluggish, yea naturally opposite to our own happiness, and to the means tending to obtain it: the most holy man is too slothful in this great work; the best men have much ado to keep their hearts in holy diligence in the work of saving their souls: when they find their spirits most willing, they alwayes find the flesh very weak and backward, so that they cannot do the things they would, Gal. 5.17. therefore we had need to take as much time as we can, to bestow on the winning of our souls.
4. Consider how God doth earnestly call upon us to work out our salvation, to give diligence to make our calling to salvation sure to us: work while it is day saith Christ, the night is coming, when no man can work. To day, while it is called to day, harden not your hearts, saith the Holy Ghost, Now is the time, now is the day of salvation. God would not have us to delay till the next minute; but even while it is called Now, we should work out our salvation: never did any Master call upon his servants more earnestly to do any thing, than God calls upon us to save our souls. The Rabbin said, Nemo est cui non fit hora. Every man hath his hour: he who overslips it, may never meet with the like hour again. Oh therefore begin this work now without delay: we all resolve to bestow some time on our souls; why not this now? we are sure of this time, we are not certain of to morrow; by to morrow this time thou maist be in thy grave, or in bell. At death we will desire longer time for our souls; tis just with God to deny it then, because we neglect and mispend our present time. When Apelles was asked, why he was so long and accurate in drawing a picture, he answered Aeternitati pingo, I paint to Eternity. What need have we to be long and accurate in soul-work, for we work to eternity! we must pray much, for we pray to eternity; we must hear and meditate much, we hear and meditate to eternity; we must be very accurate in our conversations, for we walk to eternity; our immortal souls must be in weal or woe to eternity.
CHAP. XVI. An Ʋse of Exhortation.
IT should learn us all in perillous times of the Church, to take more care of securing our souls before all things whatsoever; let not the fear of losing our estates, liberties, lives, make us expose our souls to losing or saving them. Keep thy soul with all diligence, Prov 4.23. if soul or estate must go, keep thy soul with all diligence, let estate go: if thy soul or relations, if thy soul or honours, if thy soul or life must go, be sure to keep thy soul, secure that from losing; let all things go, how pretious soever and dear they are to thee, yet let them go: save the Jewel, whatever becometh of the Cabinet; oh save this peerless Jewel, thine immortal soul, whatsoever becomes of thy name, goods, lands, livings, wife, children, body, life and all. If your houses be on fire, you will strive to save your selves, your children, your plate, your money, your evidences, let the lumber be burnt: if the conscience doth not suffer shipwrack, is is no matter if the ship be split. Joseph my son is yet alive, it is enough, said Jacob: my soul is safe, my conscience is preserved, it is enough; I have enough, may a Christian say in his greatest losses for Christ and his Gospel.
There is great reason why we should especially look to the salvation of our souls.
1. Because if we save the soul, we save all from being lost; and if the soul be lost all is lost, and we are undone for ever and ever; if the soul be saved, we shall have a good God, a good Saviour, a good Kingdom, we shall have those immense treasures of Goodness which God hath prepared in Heaven; but if the soul be lost, we lose a good God, and a good Kingdom.
2. Because there are things to be given in exchange for other things we lose; but if the soul be lost, what shall we give in exchange for our souls? God can, God will repair all our losses for Christ an hundred fold: he will give you grace, comfort, support, in exchange for your lost …state; he will give you in exchange for your lost Lands and Livings the Kingdom of Heaven: he will give you himself in exchange for your lost relations; he will be better to you than an hundred Fa…hers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Children. When Hannah was mourning for a Son, Elkanah said to her, Am not I better to thee than ten Sons? 1 Sam. 1. Is not God better to us than ten thousands of relations? Yea, thy very soul saith to thee, Oh save me, save me, for my salvation is better than the salvation of ten thousands of Lands and Livings; yea, than ten thousands of mortal lives!
CHAP. XVII.
SECT. I.
IS the salvation of souls the best gain, and the loss of souls the saddest loss? hence let us be exhorted to take compassion of the souls of others, to use our best indeavours in our stations to promote the salvation of the souls of others: let Husbands and Wives promote the salvation of one anothers souls. God, Christ, Angels, do take pity on our souls, let us also pity them: He that winneth souls, is wise, saith Solomon. Prov. 7.11. They that turn souls to righteousness, shall shine like Stars for ever and ever. Dan. 12.3. Yea, that man that pitieth his own soul, will pity the souls of others; he that endeavours his own salvation, will promote the salvation of others; he that is afraid of the fire of Hell, will, as St. Jude saith, pull others out of the fire: Men have not compassion of the souls of others, that are regardless of their own souls: he that considereth what the loss of a soul is, cannot but do what he can to save souls. Oh therefore let us be perswaded to pray for one anothers souls conversion and salvation: let us counsel one another to save one anothers souls: let us reprove one another, that we may save one anothers souls; let us provoke one another to holiness: let us exhort one another; Come, let us go unto the house of the Lord, he will teach us the way to salvation: If this be our duty, where then shall those men appear, that promote one anothers souls damnation, by evil counsels, by evil examples, by tempting one another to sin, by encouraging one another in evil, by keeping vain and evil company! how will these men curse one another in Hell, and cry to God for vengeance upon one anothers soul! he was the cause of my damnation, saith the other, Oh the Devils come and torment him!
SECT. 2.
LEt me now address my self both to Ministers and People.
1. Let Ministers be faithful and diligent in breaking the bread of life, in feeding people with the knowledge of the way to salvation; lay out your talents for the salvation of poor souls: preach in season, and out of season, that the souls of people may not be lost, Oh that many souls may bless God for you, and bless you also: ye have curam animarum, the cure of souls: it is a sin of the greatest magnitude to betray the souls of those committed to your charge; no murder like the murdering of souls; no blood cryes louder to Heaven for vengeance, than the blood of pretious souls: Ministers must give an account for their peoples souls: Oh how will the guilt of soul destroying flash whole Hells of fire into the faces of soul-murdering Ministers!
1. Of ignorant Ministers, that are blind guides, leading many blind souls into the pit of destruction: woe to the people that have an ignorant Minister placed over them: Ministers are called Seers and Watchmen: How can blind men watch over peoples souls?
2. Of pr…phane Ministers: Where will such Ministers appear, when God shall bring them to give an account of the souls of their flock, who destroy not only their own, but the souls of others by their wicked examples? How do drunken Ministers hearten the wicked in sin to their eternal destruction! woe to the flock when such prophane Ministers are set over them!
3. Of lazy Ministers: What will become of such Ministers, whose idleness starves the pretious souls committed to their charge! O ye Congregations, pray ye fervently, that you may have Pastors after Gods own heart.
II. Let me speak to the people, Attend ye on the Ministry of the Word, the power of God to the salvation of your souls: Receive ye with meekness the ingrafted Word of God, which is able to save your souls: if thy soul be pretious, thou wilt prize the means of salvation: the reason why men despise the word of salvation, is because they despise their own souls.
SECT. 3.
WOE to such, who being put in mind of saving their souls, who are told again and again, that it is the unum necessarium of every man, who are forewarned of the damnation of Hell, who have the way of salvation made known to them, yet willingly and wilfully neglect their own souls, the day, the means of salvation; yea Christ himself the only Saviour of souls. The loss of any soul without the Church, is terrible: 'tis pity that such creatures, capable of eternal Blessedness, should be the subjects and objects of everlasting misery: but the loss of our souls will be more intolerable, than the loss of other souls. The Gospel of salvation which we have disobeyed; the grace and mercy of God offered to us, which we have slighted; all the Sermons we have heard, all the convictions, all the motions of the spirit; God and Christ as Redeemer and Saviour, and the Spirit of Sanctification; yea all Ordinances, Word and Sacraments, will aggravate the loss of our souls. No fire so fierce as when Oyl, Wine or Vinegar is cast on it: no Hell so hot, as that which the grace of God, the love of a Saviour, Mercy and Ordinances shall heat: it will be far more tolerable for all other souls, than for those that are lost under the means of salvation.
THE PARABLE OF THE Barren Figg-Tree Opened, and faithfully applied in seven Sermons On LUKE 13.6, 7, 8, 9.
By that Eminent and Learned Divine, Mr. Thomas Byrdall, M. A. late Minister of the Word, and Preacher at Walsall, in the County of Stafford.
LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1666.
The PARABLE of the Barren Figg-tree opened.
LUKE 13.6, 7, 8, 9.
6. He spake also this Parable, A certain man had a Figg tree planted in his Vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7. Then said he unto the Dresser of his Vineyard, Behold these three y…ars I come seeking fruit on this Figg-tree, and find none; cut it down, why cumbreth it the ground?
8. And he answering, said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.
9. And if it bear fruit, w…ll: and if not, th…n after that thou shalt cut it down.