He acknowledges the God of Israel to be the only true God and his cure to be wrought by him 2 King 5. 15. 7. He resolves upon the worshipping and serving of the true God renouncing all other gods 2 King 5. 17. In like manner 1. Have you known your selves to be leprous and unclean and said as Isaiah chap. 6. 5. 2. Having heard of Christ and the efficacy of his blood to cleanse you have you come to his door and waited for direction what to do that you might be cleansed Have you waited dayly at the posts of his doors Prov. 8. 34. Have you sate at Jesus's feet and heard his word Luke 10. 39. as Mary did 3. Having heard counsel and direction what to do to be Cured viz. To go into the Jordan of Christs blood and to bathe your selves therein Have you resolved upon the entreaties of Gods Ministers who are are your servants 2 Cor. 4. 5. to make trial of this Jordan and with Esther to go into King Jesus come of it what will Saying I will go in and if I perish I perish Esth. 4. 16. And have you resolved with the prodigal Luke 15. To go unto Christ the everlasting father Isa. 9. 4. Have you done accordingly Have you dipped your selves in this bloody Jordan seven times Have you-gone into King Jesus as Esther into King Ahasueruâ— And as the Prodigal to his Father Have you been at the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. Have you rested upon this blood of Christ which cleanseth from all sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. for your cleansing and expected it according to the promise Ezâ—k 36. 25. 5. Do you find your hearts stirred up to be thankful for this Jordan of Chriâ—ts blood and the blessings we have thereby Can you do as Peter and Paul as Peter 1 Pet. 1. 3. as Paul Ephes. 1. 3. 6. Do you give Christ the glory of being the alone fountain for cleansing and acknowledge all your cleansing to be from him There being no salvation from the filthiness of sin in any other Act. 4. 12. 7. Do you resolve upon serving God in righteousness and holiness all your days As they that are delivered from their filthiness are bound to do Luke 1. 74 75. Quest. 6. Are you careful to keep your selves clean Do you shun all defilements by persons or things Is it your care to keep your self unspotted as pure Religion binds you to do Jam. 1. 27. Do you hate the garment spotted by the flesh Jude 23. And abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes. 5. 22. Quest. 7. Are you companions of those that are purged David Psal. 119. 63. was a companion of all them that feared God and of them that kept his precepts Are you so too Davids delight was in them Psal. 16. 3. Is your delight in them too Birds of a Feather will flock together Use 3. Of Exhortation If it be so as you have heard then continue no longer in your filthiness Wash ye make ye clean lay a part all filthiness and supersiuity of naughtiness James 1. 21. Cleanse your selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Cast it away and say unto it get thee hence Isa. 30. 2. Motives 1. 'T is filthiness Will a man continue in filth in dirt and mire In the filth of the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life 2. God would that you should be purged for First He calls upon you wash as you have heard Secondly God has prepared a fountain to wash in Zech. 13. 1. Thirdly God expostulates with you about it Jer. 13. 27. Wilt thou not be made clean Fourthly God thinks it long till you be purged Jer. 4. 14. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thâ—e And Jerem. 13. 27. When shall it once be 3. When you are purged washed God will take delight in you and have fellowship with you Isa. 1. 16 18. Means 1. Take the glass of the Law and view your selves therein that will shew you your filthiness I had not known sin but by the Law said Paul Rom. 7. 7. 2. Know the power of Gods anger Psal. 90. 11. you may see it in his terrible threats and the judgments which he executeth Psal. 9. 16. 3. Assent to the truths of Gods threatnings Say often to thy own soul it will be as God hath said Fury will rest settle upon me if I continue unpurged from my filthiness 4. Confess your natural and contracted filthiness as did David Psal. 51. 5. and then see 1. John 1. 9. 5. Pray purge me wash me cleanse me Create in me a clean heart as David did Psal. 51. 6. Above all getting get faith for 't is faith that purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. First Hear for it for it comes by hearing Rom. 10. Secondly Give God no rest till he has given it you 7. Act faith in the cleansing blood of Christ It cleanseth away all sin being sprinkled and applied 1 John 1. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Go to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. Say to thine own soul. 1. I am filthy even filthiness My mind and conscience is d filed Tit. 1. 15. I am a person of u clean lips Isa. 6. 5. for how can he be clean who is born of a woman Job 25. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Job 14. 4. Behold I am shapen in iniquity and in sia did my mother conceive me Psal. 51. 5. Besides How aboninable and filthy am I who have drank iniquity like water Job 15. 16. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. 1. The body of sin Rom. 6. 6. called a body because it hath many members Col. 3. 5. A body of death because it tends to death and threaten death 2. Say to thy own soul Christs blood was shed to cleanse from this filthiness of sin And that First By Gods own appointment Act. 2. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 20. Secondly For this very purpose Zech. 13. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 5 8. Isa. 53. 5. 3. Say to thy own soul Jesus Christ in the Ministry and preaching of the Gospel has been evidently set forth crucified before mine eyes Gal. 3. 1. God has set him forth to be a propitiation threugh 〈…〉 i th in his blood Rom. 3. 25. Not only in his eternal counsel and afterward in the execution of the same in the fullness of time but by the preaching of the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10 11. 1 Pet. 1. 20. He was manifested in these last times for us not only in respect of his incarnation but in respect of the Revelation of him in the preaching of the Gospel since his Incarnation So also God hath set him forth to be a Bath to wash us from our filthiness Rev. 1. 5. 4. Say to thy soul This blood of Christ is precious blood 1 Pet. 1. 19. powerful and effcacious to
and yet accepted not deliverance upon unwarrantable terms Heb. 11. 35 36 37. 4. This presence of God hath been acknowledged by his People Behold saith Abijah to Jeroboam and all Israel God himself is with us for our Captain ye be a great multitude and there be with you golden Calves which Jeroboam hath made you for Gods you have Idol Gods with you but God himself is with us 2 Chron. 13. 8. 12. This presence of God was also acknowledged by Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32. 8 Speaking of Sennacherib and his Army with him is an Arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our Battels God was with them not as an idle Spectator but as a Powerful Assister and Helper It was also acknowledged by Jeremie The Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one herefore my persecutors shall stumble and they shall not prevail they shall be greatly aâ—amed â—er 20. 11. And by the Church Psal. 46. 7. The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge So Isa. 8. 10. Take counsel together saith the Lord by the Prophet to the Adversaries of the people and it shall come to nought for God is with us The Lord is on my side I will not fear what can man do unto me Psal. 118. 6 7. you see how great a truth this is that there is a special presence of God with his people God asserts it promiseth it evidenceth it and his people have acknowledged it The next thing I premised to shew you is that 2. This presence of God with his people is a great priviledge 't is a token of sin ding grace in his sight Exod. 33. 16. And it God be with us 1. He is with us as a father with his children 2 Cor. 6. 18. 2. As a Husband with his Wife Isa. 54. 5. Jer. 31. 32. 3. As one friend with another Isa. 41. 8. 4. As a Shepherd with his flock Psal. 23. 1. 5. As a Captain with his company Behold God himself is with us for our Captain 2 Chron. 13. 12. When Joshua was by Jerico there stood a man over against him with his Sword drawn in his hand and Joshua said unto him art thou for us or for our Adversaries And he said Nay but as Captain of the Host of the Lord an I now come Josh. 5. 13 14. 6. As the Lord of Hosts as a General with his Armies The Lord of Hosts is with us Psal. 46. 7. The Lord of Armies of all the Armies of Heaven and Earth and Hell too Devils are subject unto him Luk. 10. 17. The Devil could do nothing against Job till he had commission from this Lord of Hosts Job 1. 12. and 2. 6. A Legion of Devils could not resist Christs word of Command Mark 5. 8 9. nor could they enter into the Swine without commission v. 12 13. O for faith to believe what we read and hearâ— What do we lose for want of the exercise of faith You have it may be the habit of faith but if it comes not forth into act you have no the Comfort of it 7. If God be with us He is with us as a King with his Subjects Num. 23. 21. The shout of a King is among them He is stiled the King of Jacob Isa. 41. 21. The King of Israel Isa. 44. 6. and the King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. And this King is a great King Mal. 1. 14. An everlasting King Jer. 10. 10. and King of Kings Rev. 19. 16. and Prince of the Kings of thâ— Earth Rev. 1. 5. By whom Kings Reign and in whose hand is their breath and life Now to have God with us as a Father as a Husband as a Friend as a Shepherd as a Captain as a Lord of Hosts and as a King of Kings must needs be a great priviledge 8. Once more if God be with us He is with us as God in Covenant with us to do all that for us which belongs to a God in Covenant to do The Lord his God is with him Num. 23. 21. So The Lord our God is with us to help us 2 Chron. 32. 8. How sweet and comfortable are these Monosyllables His and Our The Lord His God The Lord Our God is with us That God with us is a very great priviledge will further appear if we consider for what ends intents and purposes he is presen For what ends I shall shew you 1. In general 2. In particular 1. In general God is present with his people to bless them Gen. 26. 24. I am with thee said God to Isaac and will bless thee To deal well with them God tells Jacob that he would be with him Gen. 31. 3. and afterwards when Jacob pleads this promise he thus interprets it O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me I will deal well with thee Gen. 32. 9. Now to have God with us and to deal well with us sure is no mean priviledge 2. In particular God is with his people for these gracious ends and purposes 1. To hear their prayers Notable is that place Deut. 4. 7. For what Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for God is with us to hear our Prayers and Complaints to grant our suits and to do whatsoever we shall according to his will desire of him 1 Joh. 5. 14. What have you for God to do God is ready to do it if you desire it 2. To guide and lead us The Lord was with the people of Israel Num. 14. 14. and went before them by day in a Pillar of a Cloud to lead them the way and by night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light to go by day and night Exod. 13. 21. God is the same God that he was then and his presence is as much with his people now as it was then though he go not before them in such visible Tokens now as then I will sayes God Psal. 32. 8. Instruct thâ—e aâ—d teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee God is with us to direct and guide us to shew us the way and make it plain All the journyings of Isrâ—el were ordered by God T is very remarkable what you read concerning their Travels Num. 9. 17. to the end of the Chapter according to the command of God they journied and rested 3. God is with his people to give them rest He knows they are in a VVorld full of Trouble and that in the VVorld they shall have Tribulation and that it cannot be avoided Joh. 16. 33. He knows that they will be injured oppressed and persecuted and therefore will be with them to give them rest My presence shall go with thee said God to Moses Exod. 33. 14. and I will give thee Rest. Now thou art Travelling journying and wandering up and down but I will give
and parts of their Bodies be still the same if their understandings be as dark as ever if their wills be as stubborn as ever if their affections be as carnal and eartâ—ly as ever If their Eyes Ears Tongues Hands and Feet be as forward to sin as ever they cannot please God If therefore you would please God you must not rest satisfied in that Estate wherein you were Born and wherein you were Bred and wherein you have Liâ—ed You must get out of the flesh out of your Natural estate You must be born again and be renewed You must be quite another person and be able to say I am not I. I was darkness but now I am light in the Lord Ephes. 5. 8. I was dead but now I am quickned Ephes. 2. 1. I was such and such but now I am washed 1 Cor. 6. 11. You must put off the Old man and put on the new Ephes. 4. 22 23. You must put off bad and put on better if you will please God Col. 3. 8 9 10. Old things must pass away and all things must become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. You must be new Creatures else you cannot be God-pleasers 2. Get into Christ. We are accepted only in the beloved Ephes. 1. 6. 'T is in Christ that God is pleased with any Mat. 3. 17. Accept of Christ for your Prophet Priest and King and God will accept of you for his Children Spouse Friends Direct 3. Prize Christ and use him 1. Prize Christ. Leave all and cleave to him See Psal. 45. 10 11. Christs Spouse must shave her head pair her Nails and bewail her Father and Mother 1. Her Natural inbred evils and corruptions for Christs sake and then she will please See Deut. 21. 11 12 13. You must part with your Hair and Nails and Fathers House if you will so please Christ as to be his Spouse You must rejoyce in Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. 3. and say as Isa. 45. 24. In the Lord I have righteousness and strength if you will please God Count all things but Loss and Dung in comparison of Christ. Phil. 3. 8. If Christ be not precious in your Eyes you will be but vile in Gods but if Christ be prized God will be pleased Sell all you have and buy this Pearl Mat. 13. 46 This will please God 2. Use Christ. It hath pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell Col. 1. 19. for our use that of his fulness we might receive what we want Job 1. 16. Seeing God has made Christ for use you cannot please God unless you make use of Christ. The Ark by Noah was made for use and so was the Brasen Serpent by Moses had neither been made use of God would not have been well pleased To make use of Christ for the end and purposes for which God has made him is the way to please him God has made Christ unto us Wisdoâ— Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Now to go to Christ to be cured of our folly to be cleared from our guilt to be cleansed from our filth to be redeemed out of bondage is the way to please God but if Christ be made light of and not made use of God will be displeased not a little Matth. 22. 5 7. Christ is meat and d 〈…〉 rk John 6. 55. feed on him by Faith Christ is rayment put him on Rom. 13. 14. Christ is the foundatiâ—n 1 Cor. 3. 11. build upon him Christ is the Rock 1 Cor. 10. 4. secure your selves in the clesâ—s of it Cant. 2. 14. Christ is the Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. wath your selves in it Christ is the true Light John 8 12. come to it and follow it Christ is an Apple tree Cant. 2. 3. sit under the shadow of it with delight and eat of the fruit thereof This will please God to see his Son so much honoured by being so much used John 12. 26. Direct 4. Live by Faith Habak 2. 4. Walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. Look to the things not seen 2 Cor. 4. 18. This will please God Enoch had this Testimony that he pleased God Heb. 11. 5. and 't was by faith for Heb. 11. 6. without faith 't is impossible to please God Act faith in the power of God as Abraham did Rom. 4. 21. Heb. 11. 19. and in the faithfulness of God as Sarah did Heb. 11. 11. This will please God Be fully perswaded that what God hath promised he is able and faithful to perform This will please God Trust in God at all times Psal. 62. 8. Cast your burden upon him Psal. 55. 22. Thy care on him 1 Pet. 5. 7. Be careful for nothing Phil. 4. 6. but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God This will please God See what a blessing God has promised to such Jer. 17. 7. 8. Direct 5. Labour to be like God and Christ if you would please him for liking is founded in likeness and complacency in conformity What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6. 14. Be ye holy as God is holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. and mercifull as he is Luke 6 36. Direct 6. Be not like the world Come out from among them and I will receive you and be so well pleased with you that I will be a Father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Come thou and all thy house sayes God to Noah Gen. 7. 1. into the Ark I am well pleased with thee and I will take care of thee and gives this for the Reason For thee have I seen righteous in this generation called by St. Peter The world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 5. This Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Gen. 6. 8. God saved him 2 Pet. 2. 5. To be blameless and harmless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation and to shine as lights among them this will please God Phil. 2. 15. Walk not as other Genâ—iles walk in the vanity of their minds Eph. 4. 17. Sleep not as do others 1 Thes. 5. 6. Conform not to this world Rom. 12. 2. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Eph. 5. 11. This will be acceptable to the Lord. What care God took of Lot who was righteous in wicked Sodom see Gen. 19. 16 22. Dir. 7. Be mourners for your own sins and the sins of others The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit wounded for sin a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise but accept Psal. 51. 17. God will restore comfort to his mourners Isa. 57. 18. These mourners in Zion and for Zion Isa. 61. 3. 66. 10. who mouâ—n for the desolation of Zion and for their own sins and the sins of others as the