The saints aduantage or The welfare of the faithfull, in the worst times A sermon, preached at the Hage the 18. of May, 1623. before the most high, and mighty princesse, Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Queene of Bohemia, Countesse Palatine of the Rhene, &c. By Iohn Wing, an vnworthy minister of the gospel and pastor to the English Church at Flishing in Zealand.

* 1.13. That the soule of a childe of God is safe, in the worst estate he can be in, in this life; but a wicked mans soule is in most danger when his estate is at best.

Let the Lord speake for both, out of his blessed word, we know he will not, nay, cannot but say true for either side. For the faithfull and their safety first. Christ fortell's Peter of as much misery as might be∣fall him, * 1.2 when he signifves vnto him that [Satan had a desire to wynnow him (with the rest) as wheate] that is, throughly, exactly, to the vtmost; by which words he meant to giue Peter to vnderstand what miseryes he was like (for the truthes sake) to vndergoe, and how it came to passe accordingly, by Gods permis∣sion of the Divell, and the power, and malice of his adhaerents, the story of his denyall before Christs death; and the relation of his life, and death, in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles, doth abundantly evi∣dence, and declare. But wherewith did Christ comfort Peter, when he tolde him of this outward discomfort and danger? why even with this very thing, * 1.3 [but I haue prayed for thee, that thy faith faile not] which was as much as to say; though many persecutions, and perills may surprize thee, to the endangering of thy life, even vnto the death, yet know, thy soules estate shalbe

secured, the power of grace in thee, the assurance of glory to thee, shall in no wise faile, that shall stand fast for ever, whatsoever becometh of thy temporall part, which will perish.

And not to Peter alone, was thus much spoken, but our Lord Iesus Christ sayd as much to all that are of vpright harts, when he spake that parable of the shepheard and the sheepe, * 1.4 wherof we read in the gospell. He compares himself to the good shepheard, and his saints to his sheepe: now because no creatures doe more miscarry through the violence, cruelty, and outrage, of devouring beasts, then sheepe doe, and none are in so much danger to be torne in peices as they, and no sheepe that men haue, are in halfe the danger that Christs sheepe are; Christ doth of pur∣pose provide, to prevent (I say not the danger it self, as if he meant, that never, wolfe, or beare, should come neere his folde, but) that feare, that might follow the danger, wherevnto they are incident, saying [my father who gaue them to me is greater then all, * 1.5 and none can take them out of my fathers hand] as if he should tell them, it were very possible, easy, and ordinary, for tyrants to breake into the fold, and fetch a way a sheepe, or two, and scatter (if not devoure) a whole flock; but (saith Christ) though your fleeces should be shorne, yea though your flesh should be torne, and you ta∣ken from house & home, yea from the earth; yet know, that your best part is safest, your soules shall none be able to touch, or take out of my fathers hand, who holdeth you fast, and will not let you goe from him∣self, * 1.6 vpon any tearmes; but will [hold you by his right hand, and guide you by his counsell, and afterwards bring you to glory,] though, it may be through the butchers hands.

And the Apostle Peter himself tell's vs, (it may well be out of the happy experience, of the feeling of that which Christ sayd to himself before) that the saints of God in those times did rejoyee (and that in the middst of many heavy temptations) with joy vnspeaka∣ble and glorious, be cause they were secured (touching their soules estate) of that jmmortall, and never fa∣ding inheritance, which was reserved for them (through the favour of God) in the heavens, and they pre∣served (through the power of God) vnto it. In some vncom∣fortable heavines they were, because of their present afflictions, but the joy they felt by this blessed assu∣rance of their soules estate, was so much, that it was vnspeakeable.

But now for the vngodly and the sinner, on the other side, the case is altered with them in this thing; his body and state, may be both very secure, and e∣very thing may goe with him, as he would haue it, he may be planted, and rooted, and grow rancke and encrease mightily, in all contentments to the de∣fire of his hart, but in the meane while, though all his externall things seeme to be built on the rock, yet his soules estate is founded on the sand, and that soe loosely, that every puffe of wynde, every waue of wa∣ter, beare's it downe, by reason of the perpetuall pe∣rill wherein it is.

We haue too many witnesses of this wofull truth: A whole world fell at once when they thought themsel ues firme, and fast in the dayes of Noah; neither were the bodyes of them all neerer drowning, then the sou∣les (I will not say of all, * 1.7 for the Apostle seeme's to me, to controle it, but) of the most of them, were to demnation.

The Prophet Esaiah, * 1.8 bring's in a merry crew of such as neither cared for, nor feared, any thing, but passed their time with merriment and musike, and soe ex∣ceeded in jollity as it pass••t: but on a suddaine, the next newes we heare of these good fellowes, is that [hell had enlarged it self and opened her mouth without measure to receive them] as if hell were hungry for them, and could not be satisfyed till it had them; and are not they in most danger, after whome hell is thus eager?

The rich glutton in the gospell, was so well lyn'd, and growne soe warme in his wooll, having jun'd all his corne, enlarged every barne, and brought all things soe about, that now he was at harts ease, and could let himself a lease for many yeares, of peace, safety, fullnes, & all kinde of contentment; as if he thought, that not a man among a thousand was better vnder∣layd then himself, and that, (as David once dream'd) his rock was made so strong that their had beene no styrring of it; alas, alas, what plight was his soule in, all this while? Noe sooner had he breathed out the words that argued his conceited safety, but instantly another voyce was heard from heaven, a voyce dole∣full, heavy, and terrible, arguing his dangerous, nay, his desperate, nay, his damned estate, now jmminent, and hanging over his head, and jmmediately to be exce∣cuted vpon him, [thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule] was ever man neerer mischeife, that thought himself so farre from it? he talkes of many yeares hap∣pines; God tell's him of that perdition that the Pro∣pher speake's of [destruction shall come vpon the wicked, * 1.9 and he shall not see the morning thereof] that is, such confu∣sion as shall soone come, and make quick dispatch of all, when it doth come.

Thus are the soules of Gods saints bound fast vp [in the bundle of life] by the Lord himself, the Lord of life; who hath bound himself by his owne truth, and faithfullnes, yea, sworne by himself, and his holynes, to saue them wholy harmeles, at the worst that can come vnto them in this world. But for the soules of wicked persons, they are in wofull plight, in their bo∣dyes best estate, and lye soe scattered, neglected, and vnregarded, (as things of naught) that God in justice, let's them alone to be seized by Satans malice, to be a prey to that devouring lyon, who will soone make e∣verlasting havock of them in hell.

And this is the third difference, and the saints third advantage, beyond all vngodly men, wherein how easy is it to determine, who hath the better end, or which is the happier state? any man that hath but a mans soule, jndued with reason, will soone preferre sa∣fety to danger in themselues, but whosoever hath a Christians soule seasoned with religion, will preferre the former vpon any tearmes, even the very worst, and accept the latter vpon noe tearmes, no not the best. The fourth advantage followeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  3. Advantage.
• * 1.2

  Luk. 22.31.
• * 1.3

  ver. 32.
• * 1.4

  Ioh. 10.
• * 1.5

  ver. 26.
• * 1.6

  Psa. 73.33.24.
• * 1.7

  1 Pet. 4.••
• * 1.8

  Isa. 5.15.
• * 1.9

  Isa.