A42767:28
A sermon preached before the right honourable the House of Lords in the Abbey…
A sermon preached before the right honourable the House of Lords in the Abbey Church at Westminster, upon the 27th of August, 1645 being the day appointed for solemn and public humiliation : whereunto is added a brotherly examination of some passages of Mr. Colemans late printed sermon upon Job 11.20, in which he hath endeavoured to strike at the root of all church-government / by George Gillespie, minister at Edinburgh.A sermon preached before the right honourable the House of Lords in the Abbey Church at Westminster, upon the 27th of August, 1645 being the day appointed for solemne and publique humiliation : whereunto is added a brotherly examination of some passages of Mr. Colemans late printed sermon upon Job 11.20, in which he hath endeavoured to strike at the root of all church-government / by George Gillespie, minister at Edenburgh.
London: printed by F. Neile for Robert Bostock, 1646
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
O then let us learn from all this,1 how miserably many a poor soul is deluded, imagining as the Jews did, that Christ shall even satisfy their carnal and earthly desires, and that the way of salvation is broad, & easy enough. If the way of Christ be such as you have now heard, then surely they are far from it;2 who give loose reins to the flesh, as David did to Adonijah, who have not displeased their flesh at any time, nor said, Why hast thou done so? Who do not withhold their heart from any joy, and whatsoever their eyes desire, they keep it not from them:3 Who are like the wide Ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; and like the swift Dromedary, traversing her ways: Who cannot endure to be enclosed into so narrow a lane, as Ministers describe the way to Heaven to be. These are like fed oxen, which have room enough in the Meadows, but they are appointed for slaughter; when the labouring oxen which are kept under the yoke, shall be brought home to the stall and fed there.4 Was it not so with the rich man and Lazarus? Nay, and many of the children of God fall into this same error, of making the way of Christ broader and easier then ever Christ made it, and taking more liberty then ever he allowed. Therefore mark ye well our Saviours words, Matth. 7.13, 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. There be but few that seek it, and yet fewer that find it,5 but fewest of all that enter in at it.
O then let us learn from all this,1 how miserably many a poor soul is deluded, imagining as the Jews did, that Christ shall even satisfie their carnall and earthly desires, and that the way of salvation is broad, & easie enough. If the way of Christ be such as you have now heard, then surely they are far from it;