A Sermon of CONSOLATION FOR ALL TRUE CHRISTIANS; As it was lately delivered at LONDON-VVALL, By M r TILL, a faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, who though he be deprived of his outward bodily sight, yet is indued with inward spirituall light.
Taken from him as it was delivered in Short-hand, and now published for the comfort of all true Christians, by J. H. a friend of the Authors.
It being very usefull for dejected soules in sad Times.
All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me: and him that commeth to me, I will in no wise cast out.
Licensed, entred, and printed according to Order.
LONDON, Printed by Matthew Simmons for John Hancock, and to be sold at his Shop at the entrance into Popes-head-Alley out of Cornhill. 1646.
❧ TO THE READER.
THis Sermon was preached by that godly and famous Divine, M r Till, and published to the world for comfort to all the children of God, to trust in Jesus Christ in these times of tribulation. For God promises to be with them to the end of the world; and as the Apostle Paul saith, Though wee suffer for Christ here, wee shall reigne with him hereafter. For to you is the Kingdome prepared; to you, which continue constant to the end, faithfull to the death; you shall have a Crowne of blisse: God hath promised, nay, God hath sworne, and he will performe, that they [Page]that live holy and righteously here in this life, shall live for ever in the Kingdome of Heaven. Though here is mourning, there rejoycing; here afflictions, there comfort; All teares shall be wiped away from your eyes; There are joyes for ever, which eye hath not seene, care hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive. You are Gods jewels, you are the wheat, which shall be laid up in the Barne, when the chaffe shall be burnt with unquenchable fire: Yee shall sing Hallelujah, when your tormentors shall be howling; Yee shall be in the Sanctum Sanctorum, when the wicked in the lowest dungeon shall roare, and not one drop of water to quench their thirst.
A SERMON OF CONSOLATION for all true Christians.
For as the sufferings of Christ aboundeth in us; so our consolation aboundeth through Christ.
AS the Philosophers once said concerning Christ, that he was God-man, A man of sorrowes; so may I say of Paul, who was but a man, that he was a man of sorrows. A Catalogue thereof you may read in the second Epistle to the Corinthians, the 11. Chapter, where he says, he received five times, forty stripes save one, and he was thrice beaten with rods, and he thrice suffered shipwrack, and in journeying he was often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils in the Citie, in perils in the Sea; yet notwithstanding so good was the Lord unto him, that in all his difficulties, he did injoy a portion in him; for, says he, in the sixt Chapter, though I was chastened, yet I was never killed, though persecuted, yet not forsaken; nay more then so, as he had his times of suffering, [Page 2]so he had his times of comfort; the one came from an enemy, the other from a friend; the one from a creature, the other from a Creator: So our consolation aboundeth in Christ.
In which words, you may observe Pauls two-fold condition, his suffering condition, and his comforting condition; or els if you will,
- 1. Pauls Hell; and
- 2. Pauls Heaven.
1. Pauls Hell, because the world calls it so, as the sufferings of Christ aboundeth in us.
2. Pauls Heaven, because the Christians judge it so, so our consolation aboundeth through Christ.
I am now to speake of a Christians Heaven upon Earth, and I shall shew you the priviledge of a Christian, and that is in the Text.
In the Text there are these five particulars; as
First, The Christians priviledge, and that is Consolation.
Secondly, The right to the priviledge; our Consolation.
Thirdly, The measure of our consolation, it aboundeth.
Fourthly, The sutablenesse to Pauls suffering, as the sufferings of Christ aboundeth in us, so our consolation aboundeth in Christ.
Fiftly, The ground of this consolation, and that is Christ; so our consolation aboundeth in Christ.
Now there are as many points of Doctrines, as there are parts in the Text.
As first from the priviledge of a Christian, you may gather this point of Doctrine;
That the condition of a Christian is sometimes a suffering condition, and sometimes a comfortable condition.
I have oftentimes compared a childe of God, like unto the Picture of Solomon; who is pictured halfe in Heaven, and halfe in Hell: So a Christian is sometimes rapt up with comforts above, and sometimes sinking downe into Hell with dreames.
The second Proposition from the right to this priviledge, is,
That it is not impossible for a childe of God to be assured in this life of his interest in Christ; this the Apostle knew well.
The third Doctrine, from the measure of our consolation, is this;
That the consolation of a Christian, is an abundant consolation.
Friends, you that feare God, thinke of this Text; God gives you not this by drops, but by showers.
The fourth Doctrine, from the sutablenesse of Pauls suffering, is this;
That God bath comforts sutable to his peoples afflictions.
Sometimes the people of God have light afflictions, then God gives them small comforts; sometimes they are under great trials, then they have great comforts.
Fiftly, from the ground of our consolation, which is Christ; observe this point, which is the point I intend to insist upon.
That Jesus Christ is the ground of a Christians comfort in all suffering conditions.
This point specially concernes all those that feare God; what your sufferings are I know not, but where your comfort is, God willing I shall declare unto you; I suppose you that are resolved to walke close to God, [Page 4]whatever you resolve to meet withall, expect sad daies; and in those sad dayes you will have sweet and good comfort from Jesus Christ; though friends be taken away, and the Ministers, and all gone; then Christ will stand a man in stead when all creatures faile; But for the proofe of the point, That Jesus Christ is the ground of a Christians comfort; I shall give you but one Scripture, in the 15. of John 18. I will not leave you comfortlesse, but I will come unto you. At the first the Disciples might thinke, Why, who shall be our Comforter, wee have none now Christ is gone. But marke; I will not leave you comfortlesse; but I will come unto you againe; hence I gather, That a childe of God may be friendlesse, and moneylesse, and helplesse, in regard of creatures, but not comfortlesse in regard of Christ; if I should goe away and never come againe, then you might hang downe your heads, but I will come unto you.
Now if you will hearken unto me, I will prove by three reasons, that there is no comfort to be had, or found in any, but in Jesus Christ, and therefore it is in vaine to trust to silver, or gold, or the creature.
- 1. From the free offer of Christ.
- 2. From the fulnesse of the promise.
- 3. From the emptinesse of the creature.
The first Reason, proving that there is no comfort but in Christ, is taken from the free offer of Christ unto his people.
You shall see who Christ offers himselfe unto; He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; Marke here, he came not to call the righteous, that is, he came not to call such as had need of none, but trusted [Page 5]in their own; no, but sinners to repentance; such who felt the burthen and weight of their sinnes; God hath promised meat to the hungry, and not to the full; men must have right qualifications, sutable to receive Gods mercies.
But now may a poore drooping dying soule say, if it be so that wee must have right qualifications, why, then I have nothing to doe with Christ; alas, miserable is my condition, I have no qualifications.
But for answer to this: Art not thou dead, art not thou sicke, art not thou lame, or art not thou blind? why then thou mayest live, thou mayest have health, thou mayest be whole, or thou mayest see, if thou wilt, Christ is offered unto all, if they will receive him.
The second Reason is taken from the fulnesse of the Promise.
There is a fulnesse of grace, of mercy, of glory, in the promise; but sometimes perhaps you read some promises, and you thinke they are empty, but when a Minister of God comes and opens it, then you will goe home, and say, you never thought there was so much in a promise; O Beloved, when you doe once see the fulnesse of comfort in a promise, you will enquire more after them; for all the promises in Christ, are yea and amen, blessed for evermore.
A third Reason is taken from the emptinesse of the creature.
And here I shall prove there is no comfort in the creature; for goe towards Heaven to the creature the Angels, why thou canst have no comfort by them; for in the 1. Ephesians 12. All things are reconciled to God in Christ; well then, come downe to the Minister, but doe not rest for comfort in him; for if God be not in his [Page 6]Ministry, he can doe thee no good. Why then goe to thy rich friends; will some say, such a one hath an Unckle, or an Aunt, that are worth so much, and so much; I, but what of all this? alas, this is nothing to what shall become of thy poore soule; your fasting, and sighing is nothing, if Christ be not in them. I would not give you a straw for a thousand such duties; for in the 15. of John, saith Christ, without me yee can doe nothing. So that there is no comfort to be had or found in any but in Christ; and in the 15. of John 16. Whatsoever you shall aske of my Father in my name, saith Christ, he shall give it you. Thus you have the reasons of the point, why Jesus Christ is the ground of a Christians comfort. I shall now come to the use of the point.
- 1. For Examination.
- 2. For Comfort.
- 3. For Terrour.
- 4. For Exhortation.
The first Use for Examination.
To examine whether Christ be yours, and so to be your comfort.
Some may say, how shall I know whether Christ be ours or no?
1. I answer, by being a new creature, and he that is a new creature, hath a new soule and body, new hands, new eyes, new actions, he doth speake and walke in a better way then ever he did.
2. He that is a new creature, hath a new light; before [Page 7]he faw the creature to be the chiefest good, and now sees Christ to be the chiefest good, not onely the chiefest good, but his chiefest good.
3. He that is a new creature, hath a new will; before the man would have his will, though it cost him his life; now he is a man of a new spirit, Not my will, but thy will be done, O Lord; and Lord, what wouldst have me to doe? or Lord what wouldst have me to suffer, I will doe or suffer.
4. New affections of love; before he loved sinne, and hated God, now he loves God, and hates sinne, with an eternall hatred.
5. New joyes, and new sorrowes; he mourned before, because he could not injoy sinne, but now he mournes for sinne; and joyes that he can mourne for sinne.
6. That man that is a new creature, hath new hopes, and new thoughts; before he hoped in the creature, now he hopes in Christ; before he had revengefull thoughts, and Atheisticall thoughts, now he hath heavenly thoughts.
7. Againe, He that is a new creature, hath new societie; before he used to be among the wicked, now he is with Davids companions, with such as are godly; wicked wretches are now as Hell to him.
8. Againe, He that is a new creature, hath new strength, and new experience; before he performed duties in the strength of a creature, but now in the strength of a God; before by his owne experience, but now by Christs experience.
9. Againe, He that is a new creature, hath new parts; before his parts puft him up with pride, but now his good parts make him humble.
[Page 8] 10. Lastly, He that is a new creature, hath new resolutions, and new ends, he resolves now to give up himselfe to Christ, and his end is to enjoy Jesus Christ. Now if you can find all these that I have named, then you are a new creature, and it is a signe that Christ is yours.
The second Reason is this; if Jesus Christ be the ground of your comfort, see then how you improve him.
For he that makes Christ the ground of his comsort, makes Christ the ground of his confidence; he does not relie on any thing he does; the Prophet David taught him that lesson; and so the Prophet Jeremiah, Trust not in lying vanities, saying, The Temple of the Lord: So I say, trust not in lying vanities, trust not in your prayers, saying, My prayers, my prayers, for then you make your prayers, lying vanities. Why, you will say, what must not I pray? I, pray in the name of God, but relie not on them; put not thy confidence in them; but relie upon Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, He that hath Christ to be his, is contented with him: come what will come, if Christ be his, he is contented, though times of famine come, though times of bloud come (as it is likely) and the Ministers taken away, and the Ordinance taken away, yet he is resolved to feare nothing, he will trust in Christ, and be content with him: Nay, come to a childe of God that hath lost his estate, and aske him, how he does now; why, sayes he, I am in health still, though I have lost my estate; Suppose he hath lost his libertie, come to him now, how dost thou now? I am well still, I have not lost my friends; nay, suppose he hath lost his yoak-fellows; how dost now? alive still through Gods mercy; nay, [Page 9]further, suppose he hath lost his estate, friends, libertie, and that God hath struck him sicke, and hid his face from him; why, how is it now? why, out of hell, through Gods mercy, still he acknowledges Gods mercy in what condition soever he is in.
The second Use is a Use of comfort.
What is there any new creatures here now? if there be, blessed be God, for all is yours: as in the 1 Cor. 3.22. Whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and yee are Christs, and Christ is Gods. The longer you live, when you die, Christ is yours, and the sooner you die, you shall have life. And see how God strengthens them that trust him, as you may see in Isai. 51. I am he that comforteth David, even I am he that comforteth thee. Ah, but sayes the poore soule, my enemies are very strong: why needst thou feare man, that is but the creature? A child of God, and afraid of the sonne of man; a child of God to live in glory hereafter for ever, and be afraid of man that shall wither like grasse? I, but says the poore soule, there is one thing more then this, if men and Devils were my enemies, they were but creatures, but my God is gone; if that men, or friends, or creatures had forsaken me, then I might not be afraid, but my God is gone, and I have cause to mourne. But see in the 49. of Isai. 13.14, 15. Sing O Heaven, and be joyfull O earth, and break forth into singing O mountaines; for God hath comforted his people, and will have merey on his afflicted. Sure the Lord hath some great thing to say, that he cals all to sing: well, what then, see the objection; But Zion said, my Lord hath forgotten me, and my God [Page 10]hath forsaken mee. But mark the answer; saith the Lord, Can a mother forget her childe? yea they may, yet will not I forget thee; As if he should say, What, doest thou thinke that I will forget thee? no; thou art my child, and I will not forget thee, no. See in the 66. of Isai. 13. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and yee shall be comforted in Jerusalem. As if the Lord should say, I will comfort you in spite of all the Devils in Hell. Thus much for the second use, the use of comfort, shewing the happie and comfortable condition of all that are new creatures, God and all is theirs.
A third Use is a Use of Terrour.
To you old creatures, who have lived this thirtie, or fortie, or fiftie years in sinne; in swearing and drunkennesse and cozening your neighbours; well, all of you that live in this estate, are in a most desperate condition; still continue in sinne, and never looke after heaven; know my brethren, that the Lord will one day pay you home. Where is your comfort; in God? no, in hell, if the book of God be true; for see in the thirtieth of Isai. Hell is preserved of old. Here is a place for you, what thinke you of it? Give me leave to aske you a question, you that have lived so long in London, and may heare as many Sermons throughout the yeare, as there are dayes in the yeare, if you will; what is your comfort? you must have some comfort, therfore deale plainly with your one hearts, what comfort have you, what are your riches your comfort? well then before you goe home to them, take one Scripture with you, which is in Luke 5.24. woe unto you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. Now see if you can find [Page 11]any comfort out of this, if you can, then blessed are you, but if not, you are cursed. Why, will some say, are rich men cursed? no, but such as make riches their Gods, woe to you. Well then, come to a poore rich man, I call him poore, though never so rich, because we are all poore that are without Christ. It may be your house is full, and your bags full, and your shops full, but woe be to you that are full; and then woe be to you that laugh. What may some say, may not we laugh? yes, but it is such a laughter, as will end in mourning, O woe be to you. Well, come to you poore men, where are your comforts? what on your meanes and good hearts? I, but all is nothing without Christ; ah me thinks I see one lying on his death-bed, with a dreadfull howling, lamenting, & bewayling his condition, expecting comfort, but can finde none; for when he lookes on God, there is nothing but terrour; looke on the creature, nothing but terrour; looke on the word of God, and every sentence speaks terrour to him; nay, every letter in the Bible are as so many daggers to strike him in the heart, and whosoever dyes out of Christ. That is a sweet saying in the Psalmes to a godly man; The Lord comforteth me on every side; but now to a man out of Christ, when he lookes on every thing, they are but as curses to him, his wife, children, neighbours, goods, houses, and all as curses to thee. And see what the Psalmist saith in the 58. Psal. 10. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked. Well, I beseech you Brethren, labour to be new creatures, and to get an interest in Christ; for your soules and bodies shall fry in hell to all eternitie, if thou hast no part in Christ; for Jesus Christ is the ground of a Christians comfort. So then [Page 12]without Christ, without comfort, without Heaven, and without all; So then most miserable is that man that is Christlesse.
The last use is a Use of Exhortation.
Let us all labour to goe to Jesus Christ for comfort; it may be you pray, and you goe amongst Christians; why, it is good, and you goe to Ministers, it is well, but if you goe not unto Jesus Christ, all is nothing, there is no comfort but in Jesus Christ.
Now I shall shew you that there are foure impediments that hinders a soule from going to Christ.
The first impediment is sinne.
O my Brethren, take heed of sinne; for see in the 59. of Isai. 2. Your iniquities have separated between God and you, and your sinnes have hid his face from you. Not your afflictions, but your sinnes; sicknesse separates from health, and imprisonment from libertie; but sinne separates God from thy soule; oh therefore Brethren, have a care of sinne, your speciall sinnes; get your hearts up in a morning, and be sure you finde your heart broken in every dutie; for many of you never come to a dutie, but your hearts are icey, therefore you must breake the ice, or else you cannot drinke of the water of life. And this is the first impediment that hinders a poore soule from going to Christ.
The second Impediment is too much inordinacy after the creature.
Those comforts that are grounded, partly between Christ and the creature, are dead comforts; ah Brethren, [Page 13]we may preach all our lives long, and yet not drive men off from the creature, without God pull and tug them off: see in the 45. of Jeremiah [...]. [...] thou great things for thy selfe? seeke them not: What, thou an heire of Heaven, a child of God, one that is married to Jesus Christ, and seekest after the creature? oh in the name of God rest not on the creature, but goe to Jesus Christ oh if that the Lord would open your eyes this day, you would then cry, None but Christ, none but Christ. The Apostle Paul saith, Trust not in uncertaine riches, [...] in the living God, who gives all things richly to enjoy. O trust in God, trust not in riches that are [...]y, but in God who is full; trust not in man who cannot live, but in God who lives to all eternitie; O who would not trust in God? my Brethren, if that any creature can give you a drop of comfort, trust in them, if not, why then trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. But if you goe to looke comfort in the creature, you may as soone finde the Sunne in the Earth, as comfort in the creature.
The third Impediment, is groundlesse objections.
If the Devill or wicked men hindred you from comfort, it were lamentable, but you hinder your owne felues of comfort, I dare say, th [...]re are many that take part with the Devil and wicked men in finding out objections against the Ministers, and though the Minister answers them one by one, and gives them soul-convincing arguments thy Scripture; yet the very next day, the same still, that I am perswaded, many there are that study obiections to object against the Ministers, that if the Minister should study to answere them, it would [Page 14]be his onely work; for they still study objections to put him to a non-plus. Well, Brethrē, do not yeeld to these objectiōs, for they come from hell. But let me perswade you to labour to see Jesus Christ at all times, in every trouble, crosse, or affliction; my meaning is, labour to see the attributes of God in all afflictions, see the love of God; when you walke in the fields, see the power and wisdome of God; and when you see your enemies, looke on the power of God that is able to confound them all; ah Brethren, wee have lost many Sermons and many good duties for want of Jesus Christ, pray God we doe so no more. Now, Brethren, let us all resolve to say, all Sermons are empty, and all prayers are empty, all duties are empty, all creatures are empty, and all things are empty, without Jesus Christ; oh therefore you old men and women, look up, doe not you see your glasse is even out? doe not you see the Sunne is downe? as it is with the labourers in the field, that have loitered all the day, & see the Sunne is down, then they begin to stirre, and say, O come let us be doing, for our Master will come presently, and wee shall not have done our dayes worke; so Brethren, it is with you, you have been loitering all this while, and now the Sunne is downe, the glasse is even out, therefore up and be doing, for our Master will come, the Lord Christ he will come, and wo be to that soule, that when Christ shall come, shall be found idle in his service, therefore for the Lords sake labour to get the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you young ones, who seeme to be the upholders of the Ministry, it is well, wee have hopes of you, well, labour to get Jesus Christ, and keepe him when you have him; for the Gospel will not be taken from [Page 15]us, I hope, therefore labour to get Jesus Christ for your comfort; for what is the reason in times of warre and famine, that men are so fearfull, and afraid? onely because Christ is not the ground of their comfort, therefore let me beseech you, both young and old, all for to labour after Jesus Christ, and having got him, then trust him with all, with health, wealth, goods, estate, soule and body, trust him with all; for if Christ be the ground of thy comfort, thou needst not feare, neither men nor Devils, nor any thing under the Heavens, for they can doe us no hurt at all.