A sermon preached on the fast-day, December 22. 1680. In the Cathedral Church of Rochester. By Robert Dixon, D.D vice-dean of the said church

SECT. II.

The Subject is, Last Resolution.

The Points are,

• 1. Extremity, We know not what to do.
• 2. Remedy, But our eyes are upon thee.

Extremity, a helpless Condition,* 1.1 when all outward hopes fail, when Sins are upon us and Enemies upon our back the World, the Flesh, and the Devil; all for mis∣chief and utter ruine.

There are several kinds of Extremities, as of Sins and of Miseries.

• 1. Personal Extremities of Sins and Miseries, that is, such as we bring upon our selves, by wilful disobedience Personal.
• 2. National Extremities of Sins and Miseries, that is, which a whole People bring upon their Nation, by their wilful Rebellion, National.
• 3. Church Extremities of Sins and Miseries, that is, which they bring upon the whole Church by their wilful disobedience, Ecclesiastical.

In all these Distractions and Confusions we know not what to do; we are at the last cast, finding no help from our selves, or any other Creature, Angels or Men; our Eyes are only upon God.

So we are the Causes of our own Extremities upon our selves, and upon the whole Nation, and upon the whole Church.

So Others are the Causes of our Personal Extremities.

And Others are the Causes of our National Extremi∣ties.

And Others are the Causes of our Ecclesiastical Extre∣mities.

So we are the Causes of Personal Extremities upon O∣thers.

And we are the Causes of National Extremities upon Others.

And We are the Causes of Church Extremities upon Others.

So we do our selves Harm, and we do others Harm, and others do us Harm.

And then we fly to God to do us Good, and others fly to God to do us Good, and we fly to God to do others Good.

II. Remedy.* 1.2 Faith in God.

Bodily Extremities we must fall into.

Soul Extremities we may avoid.

Deus Providebit, God will secure us from both.

Want of Care brings all these upon us.

Care, remedies all these.

In God's Ark we may be safe, in our Persons, Nation and Church; when, in the Devil's Ark, all the World is drowned.

There is therefore a Time to unite all Personal Forces. Wit.

There is a Time to unite all National Forces. Arms.

There is a Time to unite all Church Forces. Prayer.

1. Wicked men run headlong into straits, as the Horse rusheth into the Battel, or an Ox goeth to the slaughter; as a Bird hastneth into the Snare, as a Fool runneth to the Correction of the Stocks, not knowing it is for their lives As the Fish swimmeth, playing, through the Waters of. Jordan into the Dead Sea. Preying greedily on the plea∣sant Bait, swallows therewith the deadly Hook. There is poyson of Death in the Pot, before they know it. They go down into Hell in a moment, before they know where they are. No fore-cast, no fore-sight at all; embrace pre∣sent things, not regarding futurity. Eat and Drink, and die to morrow. Dance delicately into the Grave. Sail fairly into Gulphs, Rocks, and Quicksands.

O Navis, quò te referent in mare novi fluctus, &c.

A short life and a pleasant. Crown themselves with Rose∣buds, before they be withered; fill themselves with cost∣ly Wine and Ointments, and let no flower of the Spring pass by them.

The Prodigal spent his Estate upon Harlots, and came to Swines and Husks. From Liberty me run into Licen∣tiousness, and fall together by the ears; and of Free∣men become Slaves. Run in Debt; into a Gaol, to die; Rob, and Kill, and come to the Gallows. Drink drunk, and stagger into their Graves. Stab, Pistol, Poyson one another; suddenly they perish, and come to a fearful end.

2. Righteous men are never forlorn. Troubled on e∣very side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. I never saw the Righteous forsaken, nor their Seed beg∣ging their bread; the Lord careth for the Righteous, he is their helper, and delivereth them out of all their Troubles. The Wicked, in their fury lay on sore strokes upon them; if God be angry but a little, they will be sure to help forward the affliction all they can, taking more leave than is given them, to shew their Malice, till God burn that Rod in the fire, that would lie longer upon the Back of the Righteous than it should do. Rejoyce not against me, O my Enemy, for though I fall, yet shall I rise again. The Bush burneth, but is not consumed. The Lord knoweth how to uphold, and comfort, and deliver. No body knows the Comforts, and the mighty Assistances that flow from the Divine Spirit, upon the Spirits of afflicted Servants and Children of God, making ample satisfaction for all the Sufferings of this life, superadding the Assurance of everlasting Salvation, into which through many Afflictions we must enter.

The Righteous suffer justly from God, but wrongfully from the Sons of Men; they have deserved it from God, but not from Men. They are basely betrayed and abused;

even for Well-doing Christ was numbred among this Transgressors, but he was innocent and had done nothing amiss. The two Thieves had their deserts. He was be∣trayed with a Kiss of his Servant, that did what he listed with the Purse, and eat of his Masters Bread, and dipt his Morsel in his Dish. Joab took Abner aside to speak with him quietly, he thinking no harm, and smote him under the fifth Rib, that he died, not as a Fool died, bound hand and feet, that he could not help himself; but unawares, as a man falleth before a Treacherous Enemy. Such usage the best of Men find, of whom the World is not worthy. Let us oppress, say they, the poor Righteous man, and not spare the Widow, nor reverence the ancient Gray∣hairs. Let our strength be the Law of our Justice, for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth. Let us lay wait for the Righteous, because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings, he was made to re∣prove our thoughts. He is grievous unto us, even to be∣hold, for his life is not like other men, his ways are of another fashion. If the Just man be the Son of God, he will help him, and deliver him out of the hand of his E∣nemies. Let us examine him with despitefulness and tor∣ment, that we may know his Meekness and prove his Patience. But the Souls of the Righteous are still in the hand of God, whatever becomes of their Bodies, and there shall no torment touch them. Though they be pu∣nished in the sight of God, yet their hope is full of a glo∣rious and blessed Immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded; for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. They that put their trust in the Lord, shall understand the Truth, and such as be faithful in Love, shall abide with him; for Grace and Mercy is to his Saints, and he taketh care for his Elect.

These are the Sufferings, and this is the perfecting of the Patience and Faith of the Saints, even unto the death

of the Body, and after death the Patience of their Souls continueth, waiting and crying from under the Altar, Lord, how long; how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth? While they lived the eyes of their Faith were upon God, an Evidence of their deliverance not seen, and the Substance thereof hoped for. If they fail in the Flesh, they never fail in the Spirit; if they fail in the false Honours and Riches, they never fail in the true Honours and Riches. For them to live is Christ, and to die is gain, and whether they live or die, they are the Lords. Whatever their Beginning be, their End is Peace. A bed of Thorns is to them a bed of Roses. The Wicked kiss a painted Jezabel, ravish a Cloud, tantalize Chime∣ra's, desperate, trying all their Wits, using all means but the true, which is Repentance from dead works to serve the living God; instead of which they die in their sins, cursing God and blaspheming, cursing the Stars and the Fates, and what not? so they go to their place. Such shame have all God's Enemies, and such honour have all his Saints.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Extremi∣ty.
• * 1.2

  Remedy.