here Object This is a Doctrine that tends to loosness Answ Not so It did not work loosness in Paul Job c. I laboured more than they all Nothing under heaven so soveraign to stave off and preserve from lust as the assurance of Gods love to the Soul Such assurance comes from the highest act of Faith and one of the great things of Faith is to purifie the heart and life Such an assurance must needs constrain the Soul The love of Christ constrains us Nay so far is it from inclining to loosness that it casts the soul upon its knee lifts up the Souls hand sends him to Heaven continually constantly arms it with petitions resolutions never to let the Lord of Heaven and Earth alone gives him no rest begging of him as for other things so especially for this Lord as thou art pleased to give me the priviledge of enjoying promise so give me the power to perform duty Thus saith he Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And so I am come as far as The Sixth Sermon Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THere is a two-fold Will of God 1. Preceptive to be done by us 2. Providential to be done upon us The Minister carried the words in the last sense the will of God be done upon us Hence 't was observed Gods children must not onely do but submit to their Heavenly Father's providential will They must not onely do his will the will of his precepts but they must submit to his will the will of his providence Let God do what he will they must lay down their head upon the block and with patience and resignation say Thy will be done There are but two grand instances wherein Saints ought to shew this submission First When God deprives them of spiritual priviledges and enjoyments they must submit now they must not murmur then and that upon these considerations 1. Suppose a deprivation of publick Ordinances yet the holy Scriptures are left 2. The holy Spirit too that shall bring home the Scriptures to the Conscience 3. There are old experiences of former love to live upon 4. Yet none can detain or debar us from making secret addresses unto God 5. 'T is a most noble thing it becomes a Christian exceedingly to live upon pulse yet thrive 6. By the want of such publick Ordinances God thinks fit to convince his people of their folly in sinning away the Gospel Secondly When the Lord makes a breach upon our temporal comforts and estates now for submission and that upon these accounts 1. Come what will come yet no strange thing doth or can happen to us no temptation but what is common to man 2. With what comely submission have those old Believers behaved themselves to the will of God Elijah Job Samuel Daniel and the Captain of our Salvation our blessed Savior Not my will but thy will be done 3. There 's a glorious day coming when God will un-riddle all his dark providences and shew you that there is love in the bowels of them 4. God hath made a breach upon some of thy comforts how many Comforts hath he yet left thee 5. Thou art now deprived of thy comfort thou hast enjoyed it twenty years thou hast reason to be thankful it was continued so long and not to murmur that it is taken away now 6. Thou hast some goods the best of goods there 's no plundering a man of his grace no putting him out of Gods favor 7. God doth thee a kindness in this were it good for thee it should be continued to thee He with-holds no good thing he takes away nothing but what is evil or would be so This life is a transitory vapor and hadst thou enjoyed it thou couldst not long do so 8. Compare thy self with thy self and others The other day thou wert a pittiful poor brat and what shalt thou be Compare thy self with others We are low how many thousands are beneath us 9. All outward things are not properly formerly good or evil As we fancy them to be good or evil so they are they are but fancies Vse Labour after this submissive frame of spirit Get but this and this will evidence that though he frowns yet he favours thee this will make thy faith appear to be a glorious faith it will shew that the Kingdom of God is not only come to thee but in thee and rules in thy heart to that end But What shall I do to submit 1. Let not a day of adversity take thee unawares 2. Do not over-value thy self do not think too great of thy self that the wind must not blow on thee 3. Retract the superlative of thy desires do not look at so much as what is necessary 4. Design nothing as thy main end and business but the honour and glory of God mind but his honour and let him alone to take care of thy external comforts Believer who art so much in his heart in his book in his soul that he numbers the very hairs of thy head And thus we fall upon The Seventh Sermon Matth. 10.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbred FRom this Text you had this great Conclusion The special and distinct Providence of God extendeng to the smallest things and creatures and in a special manner to the smallest concernments of Believers is a great Argument to remove their fears and inordinate cares and to quiet and confirm their souls in confidence upon God The very hairs of c. Is it so Then 1. We have no reason to repine at wicked men when they prosper let them ruffle puff throw and sweat what then They will cut off the head no they cannot touch a hair 2. Be not over-much troubled with any particular changes or passages in the world they are all managed by a particular and distinct Providence 3. Fear not man slavishly this use our Saviour makes of it 4. This rebukes our inordinate and distracting cares thou art mighty inquisitive what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be cloathed Friend thy hairs are numbred content thy self God will take care c. 5. In all the passages of the World observe and acknowledge not only a general but be sure to observe a particular providence and then conclude 1. That nothing shall befal thee for want of faithfulness sufficiency knowledge love of God 2. Nothing shall come unto thee that shall in the least damnifie or injure thee 3. That all the plots designs contrivances attempts of the Devil and all his Party against Gods Church are all under a Providence they are all numbred All the hours of thy sufferings all thy tears fears griefs pains wants every one numbred Thou tellest the Clock at midnight under thy pains and God tells thy pains more than thou the Clock Nay more the hairs of thy head are numbred therefore not the meanest Believer in the greatest croud is over-looked by God And then
painful Labourers at once but it is our duty to suffer patiently and not complain 2. As our troubles must be great so many will fear and in fearing faint we see it come to pass and you will find it more and more There are those that run with the Foot-men that will not keep pace with the Horse-men that may be left behind and be trod under foot our troubles are likely to rise according to all we can learn from Scripture and Providence and very many there be that will shrink 3. Consider it is a very difficult thing to stand stedfast in a day of evil you cannot name any of God's Children but when they have indeed come to it their carnal sears have been working so as their feet have almost slipt they have been almost gone but that for the promise of God that he would â—â—y no more upon them than he would enable them to bear O but you will say What will become of the publick interest of the name and Church of God and what shall become of my private interest I answer you have no ground of fear according to Scripture in either of these respects First as to the publick Name of God the interest of his Church of his truth of righteousnes or of a real Reformation the interest of our prayers and hopes be not afraid 1. God bears a dear respect unto his People they are represented in Scripture by all names that may import dearness and nearness imto him the interest of his glory is bound up in his people he calls Israel his Glory We know the interest of men is that which moves the world but the interest of God of his Glory no doubt will be the ground of safety and security unto us even till God takes us to Heaven For the interest of Gods Justice God made Hell and for the interest of his mercy and grace be gave Jesus Christ to die to take effect here among the children of men Do you think God will forget his interest 2. Remember Gods ways are in the deep you cannot tell what God is doing when you think thoughts of destruction and confusion my thoughts towards you saith God are thoughts of peace And truly God he does not save a Soul nor does not promote the salvation of his Church in any eminent degree but it is in a way that is cross and contrary to the sense and expectation of flesh and blood insomuch you know the darkness of our condition has been the entrance upon deliverance as just before the day dawns it is the darkest of the night when God looked and there was none to help them says he My arm brought salvation Thus it was with you that are effectually called you have received the sentence of death the entrance upon your deliverance is the darkest time of your condition 3. God can do great things Joel 2. Fear not thy God O Sion can do great things 'T is a disparagement that we offer to God we ascribe more to the Creature than we do to God when we give way to carnal fear fear not what man can do because of the power of God which is his shield and buckler Is any thing too hard too heavy for God And when God does great things he usually goes on to do greater though he may seem to suffer his work to be thrown back to confusion and his people may be ready to say we thought he had redeemed Israel that degree of Reformation shall not be lost You know in Luthers time take any special degree of Reformation in the Church and it seemed to be opposed by the gates of Hell when it was brought upon the stage to any hopeful degree when it was taken as it were utterly out of sight for a while but it was never lost thus God is but making way for his own glory to appear in these great works O but you will say What shall become of my particular It is enough God hath promised that we shall not want any thing that is truly good and that nothing that is evil shall fall upon us and lye upon us though we do not see deliverance it shall be whatsoever our sad thoughts and tremblings of heart may be yet give God the glory of his Word Take these few directions 1. Strive to strengthen thy Faith Faith is that which lays hold on Christ and Christ is your strength therefore Faith is said to do that which Christ doth let every day drive thee to a renewed Act of Faith Take heed be not shaken in the Faith of the Cause be not shaken in the Faith of Christ fides causae fides Christi Be not shaken upon the Cause which upon utmost examination we find to be according to the Word hold that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot and tittle of this Cause And then do not shake in the faith of Christ that is in your laying hold in your applying your selves to him in your resting and settling upon him beg of God to strengthen your Faith 2. Get more Self-denial we must forsake all we must not accept any thing A man would part with his life as easily as with a pin off his sleeve if he had but some considerable growth in Self-denial 3. Get a great deal of love towards that Christ that loved us with love stronger than death get love of that Christ that may be stronger than life Let nothing in the world be of any consideration with you so as Christ be magnified in your bodies love will breed courage and cast out fear slavish fear before God carnal fear before me 4. Get a true insight in an account of suffering and troubles whence they are they issue from the same love with redemption of your souls from Hell and your glorification God doth every thing in pursuance of the purpose of his love he doth every thing according to the platform and pattern of his thoughts towards us from eternity Confider what troubles are and to what end not to destroy but to try to wean from the world to fit for heaven 5. Get an insight into the vanity of the Creature you reckon the Creature some great matter and that is the reason of your love and of your fear 6. Get the fear of God that may over-rule other fears Fear not him that can but kill the body but fear him that is able to cast Body and Soul into Hell-fire 7. Keep a clear conscience void of offence towards God and towards men by a heart-abasing confession of what is past and the application of the blood of Christ and by mortification and watchfulness therein keep your selves from evil for the time to come 8. Get a better assurance of eternal life a glimpse and sight of this would make a man run through the very flames of hell How comfortable was Stephen when a shower of stones was about his ears to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God! I wonder how
their house for the crowd of the people that are going thither For shame let not this be told in Gath nor published in Askelon What! shall we stand up for the holiness of places and yet oppose the holiness of the Lords day which God hath enjoyned and instituted Oh! that the Magistrates of London Oh! that Englands King Oh! that Englands Parliament would do something for the Reformation of this to oppose wickedness and prophaneness which will otherwise bring upon us the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah and make us guilty and worthy of a thousand punishments And labour by Prayer in your Families to overcome that flood of prophaneness which you cannot by your strength prevent And then for the Sacraments of Christ Baptism and the Lords Supper these are Ordinances of Gods appointment they are holy and therefore should not be given to those that are unholy and yet those who are so much for the holiness of places do not care who come to the Sacrament if they have but a Nose on their Face they shall come and partake of the Ordinances let them be what they will this is to prefer mans Institution before Gods Institution And then for the Lords Message and Word that is a holy thing and therefore love his Messengers the Messengers of God delivering his message with fear and reverence you are to hear them with the same fear reverence and resolution to be holy as if Christ were present And for the Word of God it is not enough for you to have a choice Sentence written upon the Walls of your Churches but let Gods Law be written in your hearts and consciences and practised in your lives that all the world may see you live as men dedicated to the true God in all the duties of his wayes and obedience Many of these things might have been enlarged What I have give you with the right hand I pray you Christians do not take with the left for if you do you will make your selves guilty of a double sin First Because you do not obey the truth you hear And secondly For putting a wrong construction upon it But I have better hopes of you my beloved hearers and hope that the Lord will be better unto your souls than his Ministers than his Word or any thing else can be God bless you and his Ordinances and discover his mind and will at this time to you Mr. Baxter's Sermon Coloss 2.6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abunding therein with thanksgiving OMitting the division and in part the opening of the words the Observations is That those that have received Christ Jesus the Lord must accordingly bee rooted built up in him and established in the Faith and walk in him as they have been taught and abound therein with thanksgiving This receiving of Christ signifies to believe in him It is not only to receive his Doctrine or Benefits but to receive his person to receive him as related to us for the uses and end for which he came into the World and for which he offers himself to souls by the Preaching of the Gospel Sinners have lost and undone themselves Christ comes to be the Physitian of Souls hee will not save the unwilling and Despisers of his Grace while they continue in their unwillingness He will save them by the way of covenant while he consents and tenders them his Grace he will have them consent to the terms of his Covenant The consent of the heart exprest by our covenanting with him is this receiving of Jesus Christ He is willing to be our Physitian and when we take him to be so we receive him He is willing to save us from the guilt and power of sin willing to be our Lord Head Intercessor with God Justifier and all unto us and if we consent to this and take him as offered this is receiving Christ with whom his benefits are also received the remission of sins in-dwelling renewing comforting spirit title to everlasting life c. In receiving Christ all this is received Receiving of Christ contains these two things or these two things are essentially contained to make up the nature of saving Faith that is to believe the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ to bee true and to consent that the goodness that is therein revealed and proposed shall be ours To believe what Christ is and what he hath done so far to believe it as here we are resolved to venture our souls though there may be some weakness through our Faiths imperfection and believing the Gospel to be the certain Word of God Then next to entertain the Christ that is offered in this Gospel to be ours with all the benefits that accompany and to all the blessed ends to which he is revealed Thus the Water of Life is freely tendered to all that are athirst and there is no more required but come and drink Then there is two things implyed that are the immediate products of saving Faith and inseparable from it that is trusting on him as the Redeemer and obeying him as a Lord. To rest upon him as a Redeemer Romans 15.12 And here as far as the soul feels entertainment and encouragement by Christ overcoming his doubts that Christ will reject him c. so far he hath quietness of soul in Christ and will trust his soul upon Christ And then the obeying of him in order to our full recovery as a Patient must obey his Physitian in using his Remedies and Means he prescribes for killing our sins restoring our souls to Gods love and being with him to eternity The nature of Faith is to receive Christ the sincerity of it lies in the suitableness of the act to the object that we receive him as he is Now in Christ there is something essential to this act that he be a Saviour and our Saviour c. and there is something makes unto the well-being and fuller attaining of the end The first are the objects of Faith it self as 't is of absolute necessity to Salvation The second sort are the objects of Faith as it is strong and makes to the well being of a Christian All that is essential to Christ as a Saviour and Redeemer is to be believed by him that will approve himself a true Believer And thus to receive Christ as the eternal Son of God made man the Redeemer of the World ruling us upon the right of Redemption justifying us before God bringing us to God and interceding for us And thus Christ must be received according to his Offices and as those uses for which he is given to the soul do import and imply For the Application of this Point First Let us begin with those that our business at present doth not mainly lye on Must men walk in Christ as they have received him What shall we say to those that have not
his sheep The Shepherd of the sheep yea the great Shepherd of the sheep Whatsoever glory was to be communicated to any Member of the Church it was first put into the head before they were to be made partakers of it Some were to be made inferior ranks Ephe. 4.11 but it was not fit any should have such glory to be called Shepherds before he had that honour of him Therefore 't is the Great Shepherd he that is Shepherd not of a particular Congregation but of the whole Church of God he is the Saviour of all his body he hath the full number of all the Elect both among the Jews and Gentiles committed to his charge to save 2. What betides this great Shepherd through Gods grace towards him that is that he is brought again from the dead i. e. that he doth attain to a state of Resurrection and here take notice of this by the way for consolation The great Shepherd of the Sheep doth dye but the great Shepherd of the Sheep rises again Herein argues Gods love that though he would suffer him to dye yet not to see corruption Psal 16.10 because he is the great Shepherd therefore he must dye but because he is the great Shepherd therefore he cannot continue in the state of the Dead Death must not triumph over the great Shepherd of the sheep no not by any means As it was necessary that he should dye much more that he should rise again We read Rev. 11. concerning two Prophets when they had finished their course they dye and their dead bodies are cast into the streets c. but we read also of their resurrection There is a twofold state incident to those persons one state of dying another state of rising and so it is not peculiar to Christ only but to others with him The great Shepherd of the Sheep dies no wonder if the little Shepherds dye too But the great Shepherd is raised so shall the little ones in their order and in their time 1 Pet. 5.6 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away Resurrection is that which Christ exemplifies first in his own Person in order to assure all his members they shall attain to the same state with him and God is as easily able to provide when he sees expedient to raise them from the dead as to suffer them to dye Christ he brought again by a high hand and in a tryumphant manner he did not with so much sorrow and trouble to himself and his Disciples go to but as triumphantly come from the grave So can God with a word in a moment bring them to life again 2. By what means the great Shepherd comes to have this honor conferred upon him that he should be raised from the dead There was worth enough in his person but 't is not altogether ascribed to this but through the blood of the everlasting Covenant i.e. by and in the virtue and efficacy of it he had died as a Priest and his blood was a blood of sacrifice and it was shed for the remission of sins and salvation of souls because Christ did die for so noble an end as this and in such a manner as that his death became a sacrifice and did seal the everlasting Covenant wherefore Christ is the Mediator therefore with consideration of this blood of Christ and of the ends uses and benefits of it hereupon it is that Christ is raised from the dead In Zac. 9. the resurrection of Christ was prophesied of but by vertue of his blood-shed so that Christ was more fit to be raised who dyed for such noble and honourable ends as the glory of God and salvation of his people in the vertue of that Covenant God hath made and in the vertue of the blood of Christ shed for the sealing of that Covenant Now what this Covenant is is worthy to be considered because of its Epithets called here Everlasting Covenant There was a Temporal Covenant God made with the people of Israel and that was sealed and confirmed by the blood of Bullocks c. Christ took not on him this Covenant he did not bind men to stand by those terms contained in the Covenant for indeed Christ came to make void There is an Eternal Covenant and that is nothing else but those terms of grace and favour which are proposed to us in the Doctrine of the Gospel which amounts to this who ever repents shall be saved he that repents and forsakes his sin shall find mercy and that he will be merciful to all on these conditions in all parts of the world for these terms God will not repent of If men repent they shall have the benefit of it and whoever believes shall be saved 'T is called Everlasting because God will abide by it both here hereafter the states of all shall be determined according to the terms of this Covenant Now Christ shed his blood to procure those terms contained in that Covenant for the case of poor sinners was so miserable that they could never come to have all their sins pardoned and their Souls certainly saved unless Christ had died and shed his blood and so to satisfie Gods justice that it might be free for him to be merciful where he would be merciful The Covenant is founded in the blood of Jesus Christ that blood being the blood of the Everlasting Covenant therefore the Apostle so magnifies it of all the great and Gospel-blessings that belong to the New Testament to the condition of a child of God there is not any like unto this the blood of the Everlasting Covenant they that come to this and have the benefit of this they shall be surely justified and eternally saved in the vertue of this blood In the business of being saved by Faith it contributes nothing more but as 't is an Instrument to bring us to be made partakers of the benefit of this blood we are saved not by vertue of our believing but by the vertue of his blood so that 't is not so much the Act as the object of Faith that saves Christ rose in the vertue of his blood all our comforts and hopes are founded in his blood The blood of Christ was of so much value with God as that he will raise him from the dead and 't is of so much vertue to us that through it we shall have Justification and Sanctification and Salvation God being so good and gracious a God to Jesus Christ and his Church hereupon the Apostle emboldens himself to desire his further manifestation of his love that where he hath so bountifully provided for the justification of sinners through the blood of Christ that he would provide for their sanctifying by his Spirit Hence observe 1. God is with some fingularity the God of Peace 2. To the end that God might shew himself to be the God of Peace he hath provided an all-sufficient Saviour for his people here called
Christ was your Laws and Customs above or below my Word Must your Law be ruled by my Word or my Word by your Dâ—ctrine Did not all Christians hold out this that the Word of Christ was above all authority in the matters of Christ Shall the Members of the Body become greater than the Head Therefore you could not be ignorant in this case your own professing me to be so great in all my Natures and Offices but when you come to practice then you will deny me Shall we be able to answer this We must consider of this that if we would please God it must be through Christ and then we must carry our sâ—lves as directed by Christ Jesus in his Word and nothing can take us off that principle no pretence whatsoever for Christian Religion is such a thing in the nature and substance of it as Jesus Christ is the Author of Therefore if Christ be the Author all that belongs to Christian Religion as to its substance we should account nothing of moment in Religion but only that which we can ascribe to Christ as the Author of it The care of the Church is in the hand of Christ whatsoever providences are let in on the Church to exercise or try the Church all must be born patiently but every Member must worship him God hath made Jesus Christ a Shepherd c. In what he finds fault we must not justifie what he commands we must approve what he calls to be done we must practise what is not his we must not own as his Much may be drawn from this both for instruction and consolation that Christ is the great Shepherd though he die in his Members he shall rise in his Members I may say though he die in his Ministers he shall rise in his Ministers Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor cut of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever This is a part of the Covenant that the Word and Spirit of Christ shall be continued among the Members throughout all Ages God will provide his children shall not live without a Spirit neither without his Word God hath engaged himself for both for the one as well as the other that there shall be a super-addition and perpetuating of them and herein we must depend upon the faithfulness of the great Shepherd of the sheep Mr. Venning's Farewel-Sermon Heb. 10. Verse 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised THat Christians are greatly concerned not only to believe and to make Profession of their belief but to hold fast their faith and the Profession of it is that which I have already proved unto you the several Obligations that lie upon Christians hereunto have been in one or two Sermons handling among you the great Obligation here annexed is for he is faithful that hath promised From whence and from other places of Scripture I have deduced several Arguments and propounded them unto you the last of which was this None can promise us better than God can none can threaten us worse than God can and therefore it concerns us to hold fast If any man can do more for you or against you than God can leave God and cleave to that person but seeing that is impossible let it be as impossible for you to leave God Can any body promise you better than Heaven and that God hath promised to them that do believe Can any threaten you with worse than Hell and that God hath threatned to them that do not believe I shall now proceed to touch the remaining Arguments that are behind and give you a few helps with which I shall conclude this discourse at this time I pray God I may not say Preaching too There are several Arguments to be drawn First From the Subject concerned Vs Secondly From the Object the Profession of our Faith And Thirdly From the Act with the Qualifications Hold fast without wavering First From the subject concerned Vs Let us hold fast whatever others do if they let go Faith and God and Heaven and Souls and All yet let us hold fast Whatever the Apostle speaks of or to Believers there is a very great Emphasis in the word we or us as in the first of Tim. 6.8 saith he Having Food and Raiment let us be content Indeed he might have said let every man be content but the Emphasis lies in the us if no body else will be content yet let us for a Christian lies under more Obligations to all manner of vertue than any other man doth If Nature will not be content with little yet let Grace Let us be content So here let us hold fast our Profession It may be others will let it go I but let us hold it fast let us among whom let us upon whom let us in whom such mighty things have been done by God let us hold fast or else it will be an intolerable upbraid and condemnation to us That it will be both see but two Texts of Scripture the first is in Mat. 11.20 21. Then began he that is Christ to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto thee Chorazin wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in Sackcloath and Ashes but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Judgment than for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down unto Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day But I say unto thee that it shall be more tollerable for the land of Sodom at the day of judgment than for thee Pray do but mark what an upbraid their is and what ground because mightier works had been done among these than among others Now it seems to be a little excusable that they where these mighty works had not been done did not repent and therefore their punishment shall be more tollerable but it will be more inexcusable for them among whom less mighty works have been done If they do not comply with the design of God their condition will be far more intollerable They that have been lifted up to Heaven as it were that have as it were seen Christ crucified before there eyes for them to Apostatize and turn away from Châ—ist of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy Certainly thâ—se very persons that have great and mighty works done among them upon them too great Convictions and strong Resolutions and yet they shall Apostatize Oh! how will God upbraid
but then secondly A second Argument in the Text shall be drawn from the Object and that is two-fold there is faith and the profession of this faith that is to be held fast and there are Arguments from both First Faith hold fast faith why are we so greatly concerned and so highly obliged to hold fast Faith I will give you this one reason for it it is the most holy Faith There are many things may be called Faith that may not be called most holy Faith there are many faiths that are at least called holy Turkish faith is by them called holy faith the Romish faith is by them called holy faith I but this is the most holy faith there is an expression that Jude hath to commend faith to us in the 20 verse of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith c. Let other pretenders be as holy as they can they can never rise to the holiness of this this is the most holy faith it is so holy in so high a degree as to be beyond compare I but now what is it that may denominate this faith to be the most holy faith why it hath for its Author the most holy God it is the gift of God and the work of God if we take it for the Act of faith and the doctrine of God if we take it for the doctrine of faith There are as the Apostle saith gods many but we know but one most holy God there are that will be called your Holiness in the world but this is the most holy God a God that is glorious in holiness yea whose glory is to be holy There is nothing stamps glory on any subject like holiness what is the difference between the Angels in Heaven and the Angels in Hell but Holiness that is their glory the the holy Angels and that is their shame the sinful Angels and what was it that made Canaan a better land than another was it not the holiness it was the holy Land what was it that made the Temple a better place than another was it not because it was the holy Temple Yea it is the glory of all the Attributes of God that they are holy His Justice would look like severity but that it is holy His Power would look like Tyranny were it not holy His Love would look like fondness were it not holy His Patience would look like a toleration of sin were it not holy therefore it is said the Lord God glorious in holiness Now this most holy God is the Author of this Faith and so it is a most holy faith it being the Word of the most holy God and will you leave and not hold fast this most holy Faith But then besides It may be â—aid to be the most holy faith in this sence too that it is its nature where ever it comes to make the subject in whom it is most holy saith the Apostle you hath God chosen to wit by Faith to be a peculiar people a holy Nation Acts 15.2 it is said He hath purified their hearts by faith and he will give them an â—nheritance among them that are sanctified by faith It may be called the most Holy Faith in these two respects First Considering the operation and effects it hath upon the hearts and lives of them in whom it is it makes them a holy People beyond all the people in the world And then upon this account too as to the uhimate effects of it that it admits us into the most holy places You know the Holy of Holies in the Temple was a Type of Heaven and Jesus Christ is said to enter into the Holy of Holies that is into Heaven Now this doth admit us into the most holy place where the most holy God is saith the Apostle Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus Alas in the time of old they could go but into the outward court but now saith he We have all this boldness to enter into the most holy place by the bloud of Jesus Shall we leave such a Faith as this shall we not hold fast the most holy Faith that is from the most holy God that makes the most holy people and that admits us into the most holy place Where do we find such another Faith as this is if you leave this Faith that is so good in it self a Faith that doth so much good to us and which is better that makes us so good for it is much better to be made good than to have good done unto us and beloved what will it avail us if God should do us good all our days if we be not made good if we should have the good of health and wealth and long life and yet not be made good all this while it avails us not now this is the nature of Faith it is good in it self it doth good to us and it makes us good therefore beloved let us not lay it aside until we can find a better and that we shall never do unless we can find any thing more holy than God But secondly The second Branch of the Object is the Profession of our Faith It seems Beloved it is not enough to hold fast our Faith only but the Profession of it why so truly there is this in it the profession of faith is as necessary as the faith it self mark that See this from the mouth of that great Apostle I may say from the mouth of God himself Rom. 10.9 10. That if thou shalt with thy mouth confess thy Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation An unprofessed Faith hath no salvation annexed to it you see the Scripture maketh it as necessary to our salvation to profess our believing as to believe Now beloved if it be necessary to believe and necessary to profess it s then necessary to hold fast Faith and consequently as necessary to hold fast the profession thereof without Faith there is no salvation faith the Scripture and saith this Scripture without the profession of this Faith there is no Salvation now to say I will keep faith I will only part with a little profession it is all one in Scripture as to part with Faith it self for why the Scripture faith If thou believe with thy heart and confess with thy mouth thou shalt be saved so that as long as faith continues profession is to continue or there is no salvation faith without profession will do no more for you than profession without faith therefore observe what the Apostle speaks Heb. 3.13 saith he We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end not else Thirdly A third Argument is drawn from the act with the qualifications let 's hold fast without wavering Now there
or else be absent from you I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel And to shut up all with that in Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Mr. Sclater's Farewell-Sermon 1 John 5. v. 1 and 21. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Little Children keep your selves from Idols THis general Doctrine I have already delivered unto you from this Text which indeed is the marrow and substance of the whole Chapter That Gospel-believing is a duty which they that really perform are highly priviledged by to their greatest advantage I have spoken concerning Gospel-believing and that is a duty and that they that do really perform it are highly dignified and priviledged by it as hath been made to appear from the Chapter that which remains to be done and shall be as God enables the work of this morning is to make improvement of this Doctrine which is one of the most material and momentous Doctrines that can be preached to us Gospel-believing it hath most precious priviledges entailed upon it Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Son of God that Jesus is come in the Flesh is born of God knows God and shall be eternally blessed of God and with God surely then the world runs upon a very great mistake I have hinted something already to that purpose but I have left the more full discussion and discovery of the matter untill now Why who is there among the generality of common Professors that is not very pregnant to hold forth this to be their Faith If so be that it should be put to the Question Friend what is your Faith What belief are you of Why not one in a thousand I think but will be apt to say Why truly I will give you this account There is a Gospel Gospel which is preached among us and in the world and this Gosspel doth hold forth this for true Doctrine that Jesus the Son of Mary that was born at Bethlehem is the Christ is the Messiah which was promised by the Father and which the world did live in expectation of so long This Jesus I believe is the Son of God this Jesus I verily believe is come in the flesh and he is come to be the Saviour of the world This is the Belief and that which is the common Profession that is made by the generality of people Why but will you consider now this Text and other Scriptures do speak fully to the purpose Whosoever doth believe this that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he is come in the flesh whosoever believes this is of God is born of God And it doth clearly appear and may be most convincingly made out that many thousands that profess their belief concerning these things yet notwithstanding are not born of God Why certainly there must needs be a great fallacy in the business Gospel-faith and Believing it is not so common a thing as many take it to be and therefore if this be Gospel-faith and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious priviledges truly it concerns us to look well to it that we be not mistaken concerning this belief Now this I would say there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the world and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ And this we are to say that in such a time as that was when this was the critical point as it were the discriminating thing in such a time for any to make this Profession and to hold forth this to be their Faith and Belief that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God it was of high signification and might very well as to man beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons that certainly they were born of God as to man and according to rational Charity it might be very comfortable that such persons as did thus believe and profess this to be their Faith and Belief there were some blessed beam upon their Souls for mark you it hath been thus in the world and among the people of it concerning matters of God and Godliness that there hath been such and such a Truth that hath been the Critical Truth as I said that hath been as I may so say the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another I allude to that passage in the Book of Judges concerning the Gileadites they made a profession of themselves to be such and such and they were put to it to pronounce Shiboleth they that could not speak out the word and clearly pronounce it they were not judged to be persons that they professed themselves to be but they that could do it held their liberty so such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point upon the account of the desperate opposition that the world makes against it and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers and the rest of the world were desperately bent against Jesus they called him Jesus but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God it was an Act and Decree amongst them That whosoever should confess Jesus to be Christ should be put out of the Synogogue should be excommunicated Now for persons at such time wherein it was as much as their liberty it may be their lives weâ—â— worth to own that Jesus Christ was the Son of God for persons now â—t such a time to own this Jesus that was in so mean a condition to be the Christ there is very much in it infinitely more than for persons now to take up this profession Why because this Doctrine hath obtained in the world and it is a Doctrine among Papists as well as Protestants there is no such danger now for persons to be of this belief But shall I say this that for all that to believe this really according to the right account and true genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing the case is the same with them and with us at this day setting aside the consideration of times and time the danger then and the encouragement now the Case is the same Gospel-believing of these truths according to a genuine interpretation of Gospel-believing it is the same now as then and then as now And therefore we must consider and look further I would put these few things to your Consciences You profess this to be your Faith you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that he is come in the flesh these things you profess to believe if you do so indeed you are highly
shortly become a feast for Worms though they may be adorned with all the Ornaments that the pride of man can invent and friends and riches and will but accompany us to the Grave and there leave us and Oh what will then become of us if we have no interest in Christ and Heaven and can no lay claim to the eveâ—laâ—ing Glory If you ask me how we shall do to secure our interest in the Kingdom of Heaven I answer it must be by a through closure with Christ by saith and chusing of him for our Lord and Saviour God hath ordained that those that are united to Christ by faith here on earth that they shall be with Christ and live with Christ in Heaven Heaven and Glory is the Dowry that God giveth with his Son Jesus Christ and they that will Marry the Heir shall have the Inheritance and if we are Christs then all will be ours 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Whether of Paul or Apoâ—os or Cephas or things present or things to come all is yours and ye are Christs They that have an interest in Christ have a Title to all Let us therefore contract our selves to Christ resolving to be no longer our own but his and to live no longer to our selves but to him let us chuse him to be our Lord and Saviour and take him upon his own Terms as he is offered to us in the Gospel to be our King Priest and Prophet and when we are once thus united to Christ by faith we shall be coheirs with him of the heavenly Inheritance all this will be ours when we are Christs by a self-resignation and submission and when Christ is ours by a believing choice and election when we have thus made choice of Christ upon his own terms to be our Lord and Saviour our portion and our all and have given up our selves to him to be wholly his and at his dispose this will undoubtedly give us a sâ—m and an unquestionable title to Heaven Secondly The next address that I have to make is to those that are the Heirs of this Kingdom and have a Title to this Heavenly Inheritance Is it so that a Believers interest in the Kingdom of Heaven is enough to bear up his spirit under all his troubles and afflictions and to keep him from being dismayed under his sorest Trials and Tribulations that he meeteth withal from the World then the Exhortation that I shall give to you is the same that our Saviour giveth in the Text Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom You that have an interest in the Heavenly Glory Oh be not dismayed nor affrighted at those outward afflictions and tribulations that you meet with here below it is true God doth often exercise his dear Children with Trials Afflictions and Tribulations this is the way by which God doth discipline his Children while they are in their Minority here this Believers must count upon before hand but there is not any of those things that should make a believing Christian dismayed seeing his eternal concernments are so safe and his Heavenly interest is secure And there is no Trouble nor Cross that the Saints can meet withal but that we are somewhere or other in the Word of God exhorted not to be afraid of it Do we meet with reproach from men is that the Cross we undergo this indeed is heavy insomuch that the Psalmist complains that his heart was broken by it Psal 69.20 Yet the Servants of God the Heirs of Heaven are cautioned not to fear that â—a 51.10 Fear not the reproach oâ— men nâ—r be afraid of their revilings or is the affliâ—tion that thou meetest withal imprisonment for the sake of Christ and of a good Conscience this is likewise grievous and heavy to be born yet the Heirs of Heaven are exhorted not to fear that neither Rev. 2.10 it is Christs advice to the Church of Smyrna Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behâ—ld the Devil shall cast some of you into Prisâ—n that ye may be tryed and 〈◊〉 shall have Tribulation Ten days be thou faithful unto the death and I will 〈◊〉 thee a crown of â—ife Those that hâ—â—◠〈◊〉 interest in the crown of life imprisonment for the sake of Christ if God shouâ—d call them thereunto nay put case thou wert to suffer death it self for the sake of Christ this is the greatest and sorest of all sufferings yet the servants of Gâ—d are cautioâ—ed not to fear that neither for it can be but a bodily death and it will make way for a better and happier life Mat. 10.28 Fear not them that can kill thâ— body but are not able to kill the soul Whatsoever thâ— sufferings be thou that art a Believer and hast an interest in the Kingdom of Heaven thou art exhorted not to be afraid of it Oh Christians I beseech you act faith upon your Heavenly Interest I might tell you it can never be more seasonable so to do than now the more you act faith hereupon the more you will be enabled to live above the frowns of a troublesome and vexatious world Oh look up by an eye of faith upon â—he recompence of rewards and you will be able to prefer the afflictions of the Saints before the vain and transitory pleasures of unregenerate sinners which endure but for a moment and to chuse the greatest affliction before the least sin as Moses did Heb. 11.25 26. And let the joy that is set before you make you to endure the Crosses of this world and to desâ—ise the shame as the Captain of your salvation hath done before you and let the hope of the Glory of God make you rejoyce notwithstanding all the scorn and contempt that you meet with from the world But because of our frailty and aptness to be afraid and dismayed at afflictions and tribulations I shall see before you some considerations which if well weighed might by the blessing of God do much to the curing and removing of those fears and discontents that are aâ—t to seize upon us when we are exposed to Trials and losses in the world First Consider Christians you that have secured your heavenly interest are you in sore Troubles and do you meet with hard dealings from men it may be you may bring more glory to God bâ—â—our afflictions lâ—sses and crosses in the world than if you should always be in a quiet prosperous and serene condition it may be God mâ—â— have a greater Revenue of glory by thy troubles and â—â—â—als than by thy prosperity in the world and shall we not be wilâ—â—â—g to bâ— in such a condition howsâ—ever unpleasant to our corrupt fleâ—h in which we may be most sâ—rviceable fâ—r Gâ—d and bring most hâ—â—â—uâ— and 〈◊〉 to him It is a sign that we have little love to God or indeed to 〈◊〉 own souls if we do not prefer the Glory of God before our own ease and carnal contentment what do we but