A sermon by Hugh Peters: preached before his death: as it was taken by a faithful hand. And now published for publick information. Entred according to order.

A sermon by Hugh Peters: preached before his death: as it was taken by a faithful hand. And now published for publick information. Entred according to order.

Table of contents

Title page

TO THE Christian Reader.

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A SERMON PREACHED BY Hugh Peters.

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A SERMON PREACHED BY Hugh Peters.

ISA [...]AH 55. 1.

Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.

IN this whole Chapter there are many things driven at; The first a loving and kinde invitation of a company of poor thirsty souls to come and buy wine and milk without money or moneys worth; they must not bring [Page] money in their purses, but must bring hungry thirsty souls to come hither. The second is a differing the ways of God from the ways of man; were Gods ways like the ways of men, then a poor soul hearing of such rich booties to be had in Christ, and at so low a rate, will be ready to object and say, Oh sir, the news is good, but I fear too good to be true; what, to come to the market and bring no money, and yet have the commodities, this is strange, men will [...]t do thus? therefore mark what God answers, My ways are not as your ways, nor my thoughts as your thoughts, saith the Lord. In your affairs it is not so, but in my dealing it is so; the comfortable joy and rejoycing these poor hungry souls shall go away with, ver. 12. This, as I conceive, is the meaning of the whole Chapter.

The words in the Text are nothing else but a precept and a reason.

These words note three things,

1. The Inquisition, seek

2. The prayer,To call upon him▪

3. In reformation,to forsake their evil and wicked ways,vers. 7. the reason is vers. 8. ForGods thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor his ways as your ways.

In the Inquisition or Inquiring there are these parts considerable.

1. Barely an act, seek.

2. The circumstance of time, implying there is a time when he will be found, and a time when he will not be found.

[Page] 3. The object, The Lord.

4. The seekers, Ye.

In the first verse there is some comfort for a poor broken soul, and I cannot pass it over; therefore let us a little consider the invitation which the words of the Text are a part. There is too seldom proclaimation made with a O yes, Come all poor and rich, great and small, come without money or moneys worth, bring only necessity and desire to buy; where you may see the qualification of the buyers; they are but mean men, poor, hungry, thirsty souls that have nothing: from whence take this Conclusion.

Doct.That there is no unworthiness in an humble soul, or a poor broken hearted sinner, can hinder the work of his redemption.

A poor soul he comes, and hath nothing to shew what he hath done, no work to manifest, he can scarce pray, he would fain have a Sermon, fain have a Sacrament, fain have a Christ, and that makes him long for him; such a soul as this, is most fit to receive Christ.

Reason 1. Because the miseries of such a poor soul is the object of Gods mercy▪ sin is the object of his Justice, but misery is the object of his mercy; what would become of a poor soul if this were not a truth? what need a theif or a murderer cry out for pardon unless he were guilty of the crimes.

2. Reas. Because all ease and refreshments flows [Page] from the free mercy of God in Christ▪ First, There is a time when a sinner is turned off from God, but in mercy God turns to them again, and turns them to himself; Ah poor wretch, in this case you may say, I know God will abundantly pardon, yea I have a promise, Rev. 12. 17. Who ever is athirst, come and drink of the water of life freely.

3. Reas. No unworthiness in a poor soul can hinder a poor soul from getting Christ, because the greater the sin, the greater honor God will have in pardoning of your sins, therefore hold up your heads ye great sinners, if your hearts be broken God will have much glory by you, by pardoning your sins. Thus Moses pleaded for Israel, Exod. 22. 11. If thou destroy them now, what will become of the promises made to their Fathers, nay saith he, what will the Egyptians say. So saith a great sinner, as David, If thou wilt pardon this may hainous sin, then shall many sinners be converted to thee; I will tell an old drunkard and adulterer what thou hast done for me.

Object.It is a comfortable saying, saith a poor soul, but I cannot finde it so in my self, my sins are so great.

Answ. Though all the sins of the whole world were upon thee, except the sin of the Holy Ghost, thou lying under them with a broken heart, then I tell thee there is a pardon for thee; a merciful God and a Saviour for thee.

Object. True, I know God is merciful, but not to such a wretched soul as mine, you know not [Page] me; Sir, I have been a prophane person, and am so still, and an Adulterer, and a Sabbath-breaker, indeed I confess my heart hath been a little humbled, but I am not worthy of mercy.

Answ. I tell thee, if thou wert worthy in thy esteem then there were no hope of mercy for thee, for then thou wert in a poor case; if in thy own esteem thou wantest worthiness, and if thou wilt stay till thou be worthy, certainly thou wilt never finde Christ.

Object.But if I could finde some lets and impediments taken away, there might be some hope of comfort; but alas Sir, when I come to pray, I am like a dead stock; and in preaching, and in hearing, I have no life nor power.

Answ. I pray you consider, is it because you can pray well, or preach well that thou mayest have Christ? or is it of Gods free mercy, and that because he delights in mercy? Mic. 7. 17. Never tell me of deadness in duties to keep thee from Christ, but bring with thee an empty soul, and my soul for thine, Christ will be found of thee to thy comfort.

Object.Sir, I am afraid it will not stand with Gods justice, to pardon such sins as I have committed; for if I were in his place, I should not do it.

Answ. This God answers himself: Were you in Gods place, you would not pass by such offences; but saith God, My ways are not as your ways; I know a way how to be merciful to such [Page] a soul in Christ, therefore let no unworthiness hinder thee from coming to Christ. Come we then to the words of the Text, Seek ye the Lord, and put all the parts together, the act, agent and object, time, and cast them up, and see what the count will be: I think it will be thus much;

Doctr. 2. That all those that do seek for true happiness, excellent, solid▪ and sound comfort, must seek the Lord Jesus to accomplish their ends.

See this made more plain by a place or two of Scripture,John 3. 16. It is called the g [...]eat promise,God so loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life; seeking and believing in him come very near together; so Mat.11. 28. Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will refresh you: And see what our Saviour saith,I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, John14. 6. No man can come to the Father but by me: So Rev.22. 17. Let every one that is a thirst come: The same is proclaimed,John 7. 37. it is he that comes with healing under his wings. The point is plain, and I think understood of all; come we then to Reasons, for we aim at Application.

Reas. 1. Taken from the ground of contraries; because all other things besides Christ, whatsoever they be, cannot give satisfaction to the soul, they are all sublunary, all things are short but [Page] onely Christ: Take what you will, pitch upon any thing, Honour, it passeth and comes to nothing; Riches takes the wings of the morning and flies away; Beauty, there comes a disease, and that is blasted, whatsoever it be that man can take pleasure in; there is not a Goa [...]d under Heaven, but it hath a worm in the root that will eat it up, therefore look to your hearts: Many people trust in vain things; the old doting dreamer he comes, and he hopes well of his estate and condition; why? because he comes to Church, he was baptized, and he pays every man his own, and he receives the Sacrament: Ah, the Lord pity thee, thou yet falls short of Christ. This is as if a man come to some water side, and had much business to go over, and all in post calls for a boat, and he gets in, and he takes a nap in the boat, and goes no farther, though his busine [...]s be of great importance: This is the state of many, for want of going over the water, they fall short of Christ, and so neglect their greatest business; much to do they had, but they never sought Christ, there they rest onely in the boat of the Ordinance; we come to the Temple, but we finde not Christ there. Again, thou hast many outward blessings, and thou sayest, I have a good stock, and thou resteth there, well, but there is a worm in that goard that will eat it out; thou hast a pretty childe, and thou much delights in it, and thou seest not that it hath a desperate and cursed heart which it will bring to thee, and as a worm will devour it. Again, some dote [Page] upon a wife, and beauty in a wife, and then comes a disease and seiseth upon her, then her beauty is gone, and she exposed so much misery, and death takes her away, and deprives thee of all thy comfort thou tookest in her. Another man, he shrewds himself under the King or State, for there be but few but have some goard or other; for will some say, and have said, O the Parliament will help us all: Some rest in the wisdom and policy of our Statesmen, but you see there is a worm in that goard. Oh, but we come to the Sacrament, and fast and pray, and that will help all, but a worm eats up that goard; and you see our helps are almost blasted, for say some, we need not come so often tegether, and keep Conventicles, as it is called, other matters will serve the turn, we need not be so strict, but that worm will eat the goard. We trusted on another sort of people, that have another goard; O, say they, we have the Gospel, and that in a flourishing manner, as none in the World have the like; but alas, is there not a worm in that goard? is not the Doctrine of Devils set up amongst us, Arminianism and Heresie will soon eat up your Gospel that is now ready to be devoured with open mouth; If thou hast all these things, and no Christ, thou hast yet an empty soul, and unsatisfied for want of Christ, thou art yet disappointed of thy ends and hopes.

Reas. 2. The second Reason is, Because that in Christ there is all that a soul can long for, or heart can desire; therefore if you would have your [Page] hearts filled with joy, it must be drawn out of the excellency and fulness in Christ; for there is in him a balm to heal all our dumb and deaf, lame and blinde diseases; he is onely able to satisfie a thirsty soul.

There be three things that will not be satisfied without this all-sufficient remedy:

First, the justice of God, it comes and claims its right, this soul was forfeited to me, and so it cryes out for condemnation against such a soul, because it despised mercy when it was offered, therefore justice claims his right. Here the poor soul is lost, no stay in the World, but if the sentence of justice be propounded, then the Lord have mercy on thee, as we say of a condemned man: Then in comes Christ and brings a pardon, and he answers Gods justice, and says, this is an humbled soul, it is mine, I have satisfied justice for it, and thou hast nothing to do with it; here a poor soul were lost for ever, if Christ had not come in.

Secondly, The Devil comes, Oh, thou art mine, for thou art forfeited to me in Adam, and hast been lead by me, and art a wretched sinner, and a damned creature, and therefore must share with me in torments for ever: Well, what will help thee? now call all thy friends together, thy wife and children, and see if they can help thee; call all thy state together, and offer it for a ransome to the Devil, alas, it will all be nothing, all thy silver, and gold, and friends, cannot redeem thy soul from Hell; ah poor wretch, miserable is thy [Page] case: Well, but in steps Christ, and saith, Avoid Satan, this soul is mine, I have dyed for it; time was when it was thine, but I have redeemed it out of thy hands; this is a poor broken soul, and I have dyed for such souls: Here is a Saviour indeed in time of need.

Thirdly, Here is another thing to be satisfied, and that is, the raging power of sin. This soul is mine, saith Sin, and I will dwell here, I will make it a hypocritical heart, and a murderous heart, and a proud and unclean heart, I will keep it from mending; it hath been a proud heart, and it shall be so still, a Drunkard still, a Blasphemer and unclean still, and no means shall do him good. Then comes Christ; Nay, saith he, I have redeemed this soul from the power of sin, and sin shall have no more power over it: tell me if any thing can help thee; for without Christ no help, no salvation.

Ʋse. If this be so, That no thing can help us, or do us good but Christ, and is all other things esteemed above him, and he onely neglected? I cannot tell whether I should weep or exclaim against you. I answer, we have all cause to weep, we speak to a people that are dead, and almost past feeling: Oh, it is a comfortable doctrine, Christ came into the world to save sinners: It is true, but this belongs not to all. A man loose his purse, and many jevvels in it (its found) every one would have some, vvhen as they are all but one mans; so in this case, vvhen vve offer Christ, every one is ready to claim right in Christ, but he belongs but [Page] to fevv. Novv therefore that vve may not be deceived, let us mark this point is of singular use, let us knovv to vvhom Christ belongs. There be four sorts of people in a miserable condition, and though Christ have cast abroad so many excellent jevvels, yet they are never a vvhit the better: I could vvish you stood out by your selves, you that are not for Christ; I vvould I did knovv vvho vvere for Christ, and vvho for the Devil, but such of you as hear me, take your portion vvhere it falls, for you best knovv your ovvn case: Christ comes, and he offers healings, and vvould fain do you good.

The first of people, are such as are sick, and are like a company of mad frantick men, they have no sense at all, their case is very desperate: As if a grave Physician comes in and offers them good physick, intreats them to take it, or else they are all dead men; yet these mad Patients refuse to take it, and kick out the Physician, and throvvs the glasses against the vvalls, and vvill not accept of his physick; so say I to a poor soul, now for the Lords sake take Christ, or else thou art a damned wretch for ever. Oh, but saith one of these mad Ruffins, we take Christ? get you out of our Towns, what have we to do with Christ? we cannot endure this earnestness for Christ, keep your Christ to your self if you will, and see if others will take him: O the Lord have mercy on thee poor wretch: Let Ministers say what they will, and preach themselves whorce, yet we will drink, and swagger, and svvear; are not all [Page] these the conditions of no smal fools? What, they take on them the yoke of Christ, no, no, not they, they vvill not: but alas for you that make so light of Christ; yet many such there be in the World.

A second sort are such as can be content to hear of Christ, and to receive him a little; they are like to a people of fine stomacks that can take physick but it must be sweetned, course fare will not down with them; so these men can be content to hear of Christ by this or that man, and receive him so far as he suits with them, but in all things they cannot indure him; if he come to course fare, they cannot endure this chear; of going to heaven and deliverance from hell, this they can relish. I profess men would have such a Christ as I never heard of, he must be a giving Christ, a Christ that stands with their pride, hypocrisie and prophaness, or he is no Christ for them; if they cannot have Christ and their ease and gain, but must part with these, then take Christ to your selves; rather then they will part with these base lusts they will have no Christ; if they may have him upon sweet terms well and good, if not, then farewel Christ. You shall have one come to a Chaplain in a great mans house, and he will say, Oh sir beware that you speak sweetly and fairly, take heed you touch not the Governours by any means; you may have leave to preach in forenoons, but in the afternoons let them hunt and hauk and take their pleasure; but if you abridge them of their liberty, you will scarce be heard any more; alas poor soul, [Page] never think to receive Christ, if thou canst not receive him but when he is a pleasure and gain unto thee. Such deal with Christ as Inn-Keepers do with passengers so long as they have money, and spend it willingly, they have what they will call for, and you are welcome Gentlemen, but if their money be spent, and no more gain gotten by them, then let them be gone, there is no more entertainment for them: So if you may have ease, and pleasure, and profit, and Christ too, he is welcome; but if he will not, if he will carry away any thing, though never so base a lust, yet we had rather part with Christ then that which we may a great deal better spare. Oh if they cannot have Christ but hazard their estates, expose their bodies to imprisonment, theyle have no Christ. Like the Soldiers they will follow Christ to the Hall, but it was for his garments, when they had got that then they let Christ go; so many will follow Christ so long as there is any thing to be gotten, but when they must part with any thing they will go no further: Its with these as with a childe, the childe having cut its finger and seeing it bleed, it will cry and bemoan the mother; but if the mother require but an apple out of the childs hand, it turns the back to the mother, and the mother may bleed to death before the childe will give her so small a matter: And so likewise if Christ bring you gain, it may be you will receive him, but if he would have you part with prophaness, pride or a base lust, then Christ may bleed his heart out before they will look after him.

[Page] A third sort of hearers that are to be reproved are such that will not meddle with Christ at all; they take up a principle from the Country people it is a dangerous thing to take physick, but let nature work, and so far as nature will work they are willing to go, and no further: They say they are well-meaning men, that keep good houses, come to the Church, and pay every man his own, and the like: Alas poor wretch that crys out so for nature, and thinks it needless to look any further for Christ, your condition is lamentable and desperate.

A fourth sort of people here reproved are such as seem to have received Christ, but tbey disgorge their stomacks of what they have received; now physick being received, and presently coming up again it doth no good at all; even so let Christ come but to be a little costly unto us, and cross us, in any thing then up comes profession, and Christ and all must lie in the floar. Further to illustrate the same; Say we do seek Christ; well, what time didst thou ever set apart to seek him in? how many solemn days and hours hast thou set apart for that work? but art not thou such a one that doth not greatly care whether thou hast Christ yea or no, thou seest no great benefit by having of him, nor no less if thou have him not, but if Christ will have thee so it is, if not, well and good: O poor wretch, that thou makest no more reckoning of Christ: You see a man posting to the Physitian, riding as fasting as he can: Why, whats the matter? O my wife or my childe lieth [Page] at the point of death; but where is the man that maketh so much haste to the Minister for the souls of his wife and children that are dead; nay where is the Minister that took such pains with their people, and say, Oh neighbors look about you, you are going to hell, you had need take heed; now get a Saviour, take pains for him, and that speedily, or else you perish; but Ministers are so lazy and dead hearted that they have no courage for Christ, but if the Minister did see one stand at the Church door ready to chop off his neck if he did not convert one at his Sermon, O what zeal and earnestness would be put forth! You can tell every man of his bodily dangers, and bid him look about, and tell him such and such will deceive him, but his poor soul is going post to Hell, and that moves you not; you press no necessity on him then to take heed. A beggars very necessity makes him to beg; but we are idle, and will not pray, nor preach, nor hear a Sermon as we ought to do; why, what is the matter? we see not the necessity of Christ, and this is the reason why we are so dull because our hearts are not possest with the need of the Lord Christ; some say they can seek Christ, they can weep, pray, and mourn, and yet walk loosly: Well, as hard a matter as it is to find out an hypocrite from a true seeker of Christ, yet you may know him, for though they agree in many generals, but in particulars there is a broad difference between them; the one comes out of love to Christ, the other out of love to himself: Look as [Page] a condemned man comes to the King for a pardon, he loves not to stay long in the Kings presence, but so soon as he gets his pardon he is gone. So an hypocrite comes to God in a spirit of bondage, and anguish of conscience, and oh he would fain have a pardon out of his own easie end, not any love to God, having ease you shall not oft see him desire to come in Gods presence. As I once saw a drunken wretch when the torments of hell lay upon his conscience, I coming in, they told him such a one is coming to see you, methinks I hear him still cry, It is too late, it is too late; Oh sir, what shall I do? and when he had gotten a little ease he turned to his filthiness again, such as those never knew what the love of God in Christ was: Oh what a stir is there if an house be on fire, though before all asleep, then, oh save my wife or my childe; so when the conscience breaks out into terrors, then oh help, help, but ease that and you shall hear no more of him.

Again, it may be an hypocrite prays, but either he rushes into Gods presence without any preparation, or else passeth over the duty very slubberingly of any fashion so it be done, or else after the duty more proudly, saith, I have prayed and preached, &c. but if he have not what he would have, he leaves all. Like as Suiters coming to a widow, some come for wealth, some for grace: Now vvhen she expresseth her estate, and saith, My estate is not that it is taken for, it is but small, but if you like me as I am, so it is; then he that comes for vvealth makes no further labour, but [Page] ceases his [...]; so we hear of Christ that he bring▪ heaven, and delivers from Hell, we would fain have him, yet if there be no present gain to be had, we are loth to take him as he is, if he comes once to be naked, and poor, and bare Christ; then, what is this all the gain, then farewel Christ? Ah poor wretch, the Lord pitty thy soul. But now faith a poor soul, the poor humble soul, a broken hearted Ch [...]istion saith, Oh let me have Christ though I have nothing else in the world.

Ʋse. If the ground of all contentedness and happiness stands in seeking Christ, then I must make sure work with those that have Christ and th [...]se that have him not; and we may consider who have found Christ a Saviour by these parts of seeking here set down.

1. Seeking considered barely as an action.

2. As a Christian action.

3. As a particular action.

4. The object, the Lord.

5. How, By rule of Scripture.

1. As an action barely considered: There were three things observed of the Heathen in every action, First, A serious deliberation. Secondly, A serious consultation. And thirdly, A present execution. Try your selves by these particulars. First, Tell me I pray thee, when didst thou deliberate about Christ whether he was worth the having? tell me, what time have you taken to deliberate to think with your selves how to come by him? tell me in what closet, in what field, under what hedge hast thou been casting about this point? you can cast about how to pay your rents, but tell me when didst thou consider thy soul was going to Hell without Christ being a Saviour to thee?

Secondly, Who is he that makes serious consultation [Page] how he may get Christ and salvation to his soul? and who is he that goes to the Ministers or neighbors, and consults how and by what means he may obtain Christ: Physicians may have their Patients, Lawyers their cliants come by twenties knocking at their door before they be up, and good sir follow my suit, I must beg else; but your Minister may cool his heels in his study all the week long before you come with such a question, Alas fir, what shall I do? and cry out good sir help me to Christ or else I perish: But alas poor wretch thou hast meat and drink, and a deal of worldly trash, and that contents thee, is this a seeking of Christ?

Thirdly, And who puts this in execution, we stand dreaming about it; it is good he saith, but we hope all shall be well, and many other good thoughts; but alas thou hast a miserable poor soul; so that take it as an act we may in some measure see whether we seek Christ or not.

2. Consider this as it is a Christian and good action, three things herein very necessary to be considered. 1. A clear sight or knowledge of the thing we go about. 2. A sincere affection to it. 3. Quickness in dispatch of it. 1. Consider the thing we go about is weighty, and of great importance; to find Christ pardoning sin, and working our redemption; now there must be a true knowledge of this, else there can be no true seeking: Herein are reproved all ignorant Masters and Ministers. I met lately with a man of eighty years of age save one, I asked him how many Gods there were, he could not tell. It is a pittiful case; one day their children will cry out, Oh murdering parents, you might have made me better had you catechised me, I had never come to these flames; Oh cursed Father and Mother it is [Page]you that sent me to hell; I might have had a Saviour had it not been for you for ought I know. Shall the Lord give you children and will you give them to the Devil? Your servants they moil and toil for you, and you send them to hell for their labour; well they will one day curse you and say, I had not been here but for my bloody Master; Oh the Lord help you to think of this better. How good a course is it for a Minister to quarter out his Parish, and set himself and make it his daily work to go to four or six houses in the afternoon, and see how it stands with their families, and deal plainly with the poor souls of his people, you will finde much good follow this, you will deliver many souls from hell, and meet with them you never met withal: Ah the Lord help us, we want a spirit of love to their poor souls. What is the reason so many make haste to hell? it is through ignorance and want of better instruction; many old doting fools are ready to say of these times, Never was good world since there was so much preaching. But alas it is because they know no better of Christ; but alas for thee, poor ignorant old man or young man who ever thou art, look to it, thou art going to hell, if no knowledge of Christ, there is no love to him. Now let me intreat you to buy orthodox books, make store of them, get Bibles into your houses, get your Minister to catechise you, and to instruct you, to have a care of your poor souls. And thus much let me say to Ministers, If ever you would spend your selves or be spent for the souls of your people: Now is the time, the Palatinate and other Countries are shaken already, and England begins to shake fast, and it is likely it cannot hold out, therefore labour as much as you can to bring them to Christ; for Popery gets head [Page] and grows fast, therefore never more need.

2. To seek Christ argues some sincere affection after Christ. Judas had knowledge, but for want of practice he died in a halter. Would you think your servant dealt well with you, if you send him to look your lost cattel, and he goeth step by step, and spend half the day before he get to the place where he should look them. Should not Ministers now come and lift up their voyces, and cry Oh get Christ you perish else? yet see how undisposed we go about it, and we will take our own time; now here wants affection for Christ.

But finally, for quickness in dispatch of this action, it is too much seen what long delays, and excuses, and pretences we have, it is soon enough we hope, so that any thing will hinder that work.

Come we to the third rule of this seeking, and so to the metaphor, which stands in three things:

First, It requires a good light: we have cause of great thankfulness for the light we enjoy, God hath been merciful to this Nation, light instead of darkness; many a poor soul hath had light, when most of the Kingdom have been in darkness: Now if God intend to save thee, he will send thee a light where thou dwellest, or else remove thee to a light in a family; if God intend to save thee, he will send a light, some good husband, or wife, or childe, or servant: If you would have Christ, you must have light, and walk in the light while you have it; for it darkens apace, and our Sun is decliming: Now for the Lords sake look about you; if ever you had need to get Christ, and we to preach Christ, now is the time, for it is almost past time already, and yet we believe it [Page] not, see it not. If thou sayest thou hast Christ, I ask thee how thou camest by him; either thou hast Christ by the Word, or else thou hast him not at all: This may be proclaimed to all the World, If any man come to Christ, it must be by the light of the Word.

Secondly, In a particular action there is required a good eye: A blinde man cannot tell how to do any thing. Now this eye is the eye of Faith; for no faith, no Saviour, no Christ: Now it is this faith that lays hold on a particular promise, and gets Christ: It fares with faith pitched on a particular promise, as it is with a childe; a father dyes, and leaves six children, and in his Will he bequeaths to every one of his children a portion: When the Will comes to be read, Item, I give to my eldest son John so much Land, that is mine, saith he: I give to my daughter Elizabeth so much money, that is mine, saith she: So in this case, when Gods Will is read, that is his Word, wherein his legacy is bequeathed to his children, and there is read, Whosoever is a thirst, let him believe, and here is water of life for him: Oh, saith the thirsty soul, that is mine: And so when he hears, That whoever believes in Christ, shall not perish, but have everlasting life: Such a soul as believes in Christ, he takes and receives Christ to the use and benefit of his soul, as act and deed; and therefore he claims his right in everlasting life: Such a soul will adventure any thing for Christ. Oh, saith some to such a soul, what need you be so earnest in runing to Sermons? it was a better world when there was less. Ah poor hearts, you will not come together to seek; well, when Gods judgements fall heavy upon you, then it will drive you together pell mell; then, O good Sir help, but help will not be found. And thus [Page] much let me say to Christians, learn to prize the good eye, there is many curious tunicles in this eye: What faith to procure me a Saviour? O preserve it.

Three things hurt the bodily eye, 1. Looking upon water. 2. Wind. 3. Dust. The like to these hurt the spiritual eye; if you take water for the fleeting lusts, profits, and pleasures of this life, looking much on these hurt the eye of faith; as David looked on Bathsheba, she was a pearl wind. Secondly, that is pride that puffs a man up, now faith and a proud heart cannot stand together, these cannot agree; gifts received puffs a man up, and much hurt a mans faith: A ship is cast away sometimes by the same wind that brings him into the Harbour; there is an evil fountain in mens studies, and that is covetousness, when men preach for hire and gain; when they are afraid to trust God with their wives and children, this hurts faith: Take heed you stand not over long, lest you lose the benevolence of such a one; and in prosperity a man had need have a good eye, to see through so much thick clay.

There be three objects whom we must seek; and that is the Lord, he must be sought in three particulars: 1. Nothing before him. 2. Nothing besides him. 3. Nothing with him. Thus doth a good soul seek Christ; every one can say they seek Christ, but when I pray you? One day, saith the Worldling, but I would have some thing else first. Saith the young man, it is time enough yet, I will take some pleasure, and when I can do little else, I will seek Christ. Oh, saith the old doting fool, when I married all my daughters, then will I seek Christ; alas, for thee it seems Christ must be last sought, as if he were least worth: a lamentable condition.

[Page] 5. Some rules from Scripture, whereby a man may know whether he have Christ or not, or whether he seek him: You must seek him after his own manner prescribed in his Word; you must not pick and chuse with God, take and leave as you list: You would seek Christ, but it must be on your own terms, you are loath to be at cost: But to prevent this, take four or or five rules in seeking Christ.

1. The Church must be sought, as the Spouse in the Canticles sought him, Cant. 5. 8. I charge you if you see my beloved, tell him I am sick of love: If a man should meet one in such a condition for Christ, you would think him almost mad; but a poor soul must be thus ravished with the love of Christ. A Lawyer posting up to the Term, O if I lose my fees, I beg: Or if a poor woman have many children, and all of them live upon her husbands hand labour, alas, if he be slain in the way, then I am undone: Thus must we seek Christ, without him we have nothing, such a soul is never at rest, till he finde Christ. First, we must seek Christ, as a thirsty man would seek for drink; will you agree to this, will you promise to seek Christ thus. A man that is ready to perish for want of drink, will part with any thing for drink: He comes into a room, and spies a cup of drink, he saith, O good Sir, take my clothes off my back, or any thing, so I may have but a cup of drink: So a poor soul comes to seek Christ, O that I might have but a Christ, give me but a Christ, and take what you will from me; then away with this fashion, or that garment, so I may have but a Christ, away with all this dung and dross; so I may have Christ, take Simeon and Benjamin too, or any thing, so I may have but a Christ, for it is Christ I [Page] want, onely Christ, onely Christ, saith the poor soul.

2. A thirsty man will be satisfied with nothing but drink; let a man come and offer him gold, and silver, and precious stones, alas, this satisfies him not, though you stop his mouth full; but good Sir, give me a little drink, or else I perish; for saith a poor soul, wherefore do you offer me gold, the World, and all these outward things, its Christ I want to save me: O what hard shift will a man make for drink in extremity; As once I heard of three men that went a fishing from the Summer Islands in a boat, and being from the Land by a storm, and continued at Sea eight or nine days, at length one dyed, and the other threw him over board; a second dyed, and then the third takes up the dead and unbowels him, and sets open his body to catch rain water; in so doing, he lived with water and blood, and so came to Land: Thus a poor thirsty soul vvill make hard shift for Christ.

3. We must seek Christ, as a man vvould dig for treasure, Wife and children, all must dig: Oh it vvill enrich me, vve must take all pains to get Christ, vvhy vvhat is the matter? What? vvhy he vvill save me.

4. Christ must be sought, as a condemned man vvould seek for pardon. I have seen stout Gallants, being condemned, desire to fight vvith three or four, and be slain; rather dye any death, then a Dogs death: O Sir, is there no hope of pardon for me? O that I had but a day more. I have been vvith some in that case, and they have greatly complained of three things, 1. They vvould take no counsel. 2. They lived in profaning the Sabbath. 3. They have lost their time. I have lived 20, 30, 40 years, but my time is novv gone over; bring vvhat you vvill to a man in this case, bring [Page] a silken, sattin shute, and tell him he may have wife worth so much by the year, alas, what do you mock me? this will do me no good: I am going to dye, if you bring me a pardon, I will say something to it. So I may tell you, the great day is coming, when fire and faggot is about thine ears, a Christ will then be worth something: Thou that hast not Christ, tell me what thou wouldst do, if thou wast to dye this night; without Christ thou art a condemned man; without Christ what will become of thy poor soul? if thou hast not a Saviour, Hell is fit to receive thee, the Devil fit to carry thee thither; and then a Christ to step in and challenge thee, were worth thousands: Now seek the Lord while he may be found. Now let me proclaim to you, in the name of the Lord, That if there be any man in this congregation that doth mean and intend to seek Christ from this day forward, well and good; but if you purpose to be drunkards and swearers still, and Sabbath-breakers still, and resolve to live so, let me entreat you to depart out of the congregatien, let me see it, I have nothing to do with you: I pray you once again, let me see it, who are for Christ, and who are not: Well, why do you not stir? you do not all mean as you make a shew of: What, will you all take Christ on this condition, to be drunk no more, to swear no more, to break the Sabbath no more? Well, I see none of you stir, if this be in truth, you are able to save a whole Nation; but if it be not in truth, you are horrible hypocrites before God: Therefore look to your hearts; now therefore take notice of the day of this moneth, this present Thursday, that you have made a covenant with God to forsake all your poophane courses▪ which at your perils break not. I desire again [Page] to know your minde, Whether you are resolved on this or no. I tell you, its no jesting with God; and remember what you do, we are making or receiving a covenant, do not gratifie vice with your presence, unless on this condition, Well, I see none stir, therefore fore this covenant is ratified; therefore look to it, for I tell you, I my self at the last will witness against you, that on such a day, and in such a house, you made a covenant with God to be drunkards no more, nor swearers no more, &c. therefore take notice what you have done.

Ob.But some may say, It is strange Ministers should speak thus, after such a manner: What, is it possible to have Christ, and keep my please, my pride and hypocrisie still, this is marvellous strange.

Answ. I tell thee thou must forgo all, and vvhat hath been past, and novv to redeem out of the Devils hands, and take this day to begin; delay no longer, its almost past time already. Were it not a folly for a Mariner to have his ship girt, rigged, and victualled, and he lie sleeping all the Summer, till provision be spent, and Winter storms and rumours, and Worms eat holes in the ship, and then go out: So dost thou think its a meet time to seek the Lord, vvhen thy body is rotten and decayed; no, no, the Lord vvill not alvvays be found; nay, it is very likely the Lord vvill not give thee a heart to seek him, then vvill you sleep in Summer, vvhen the harvest is past. Will any man vvhen there is catching Weather, bid his servants rest? nay, vvill he not rather say, get you all into the field, and vvork hard, for you see vvhat catching Weather vve have; get all the Workmen you can, and vvork hard, though you rest for it aftervvards, that you may [Page] have the harvest in the barns before the storms come. Why truly brethren, these are catching times as ever men lived in; how soon the storms may fall, I cannot tell, but I believe very suddenly: I would I might be a False Prophet, but I am sure there are dark clouds abroad; therefore now set to work, and live no longer in ignorance. I once lived in a place, where they had not a Sermon once in ten or twelve years space; What a company of non-residents are there, that live a hundred miles off their flock, that scarce see them once in a year? and when they do come, it is with such tuff-taffity phraises of Hebrew, Greek and Latine, that scarce any one understands them, but need bring Greek and Latine ears with them: And these I cannot tell what better to compare to, then a great pair of Brass Andirons; a comparison though homely, yet sometimes used by me: You know these Brass Andirons stand for shew, and not for use, and the little creepers that stand by them must hold up the fire: So these men make a shew, as if all were done by them, when one Sermon in the year, and quarter, will serve turn; as in Wales, which is most woful, you may have one ride and serve four or five Parishes, and read a little Starvis, or Service, as they call it. O the Lord help you, time will come when the Lord will not be found; How is he found of the Palatinate? One day you will say, I had sweet times, I had a good Minister, but the time is gone. Well, I tell you, it is now high time, it is good making hay while the Sun shine; the times are marvellous catching, therefore be not afraid of coming together, but do any thing for Christ, he will stand you instead. A poor man thresheth, and takes great pains; what is the matter? it is to maintain [Page] my poor family: But who are ye that seek Christ, to get him into your houses? Stand not hawking with God, as a Woman is loth to part with her old gold to buy commodities; why? it was a token of an old Friend; for we would have Christ, but we are loth to part with the Devils tokens, the World, and our Lusts: Take heed thou hast not the Devil, and Hell and all, one day for it.

FINIS.

§

§

[Page]

A SERMON BY Hugh Peters: PREACHED Before his Death: As it was taken by a faithful hand. And now published for publick Information.

Entred according to order.

[figure]

LONDON, Printed by John Best in Guiltspur-street, without Newgate. 1660.

TO THE Christian Reader.

[Page]

[Page]

Christian Reader,

THou hast here presented unto thy perusal a Sermon taken by a faithful hand, from the mouth of Mr. Hugh Peters, who dyed at Charing-Cross on Tuesaday last, being the sixteenth of this present Octob. 1660. Were the Orphant nameless, and did but any person (that had heard the Parent) take it in his hand and view it with his eye, he would (as its Godfather) Baptize it with the name it bears; let not its decent cause your censure, but your pitty, good Parents may have bad Children, but as God will not except the bad Children for the good Parents sake, so bad Parents may have good Children, and we must not cast off the good children for the bad Parents sake, [Page] but time is shortly coming when God will sit as Judge, upon Children and Parents: This Sermon is not as a Trumpet sounding Rebellion, but as a School-Master teaching Religion, its call is to beleiving, not to Rebelling.

Pass not your sentence upon it before your reading of it, which were to let your passion give the sentence of condemnation, before your judgment hath sate upon the bench for examination.

§

§

Page 3. Line 6, 7. fortoo seldom proclamation,readtwo solemn proclamations.

Information about this book

Title statement

A sermon by Hugh Peters: preached before his death: as it was taken by a faithful hand. And now published for publick information. Entred according to order.

Peters, Hugh, 1598-1660.

Edition statement

1660

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A90544

ID [STC]

Wing P1717

ID [STC]

Thomason E1046_9

ID [STC]

ESTC R208056

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99867060

ID [PROQUEST]

99867060

ID [VID]

119350

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A90544)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 119350)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 155:E1046[9])

Source

— A sermon by Hugh Peters: preached before his death: as it was taken by a faithful hand. And now published for publick information. Entred according to order., Peters, Hugh, 1598-1660..

Extent

[4], 28 p.

printed by John Best in Guiltspur-street, without Newgate,. London :: 1660.. (Annotation on Thomason copy: "Oct: 22".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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