made to true faith and for the most part to weak What is a grain of mustard-seed what is a bruised reed but the emblem of a weak faith yet the Promise is made to these A bruised reed he will not break The words are a miosis where the lesser is put for the greater He will not break that is hee will bind up Though Christ chides a weak faith yet that it may not be discouraged he makes a Promise to it Hierom observes upon the Beatitudes there are many of the Promises made to weak grace Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are they that mourn ver 4. Blessed are they that hunger ver 5. 4. A weak faith may be fruitfull weakest things do multiply most The Vine is a weak tree it is born up and underpropt but it is fruitfull it is made in Scripture the Emblem of fruitfulnesse The Thiefe on the Crosse when he was newly converted he had but a weak faith but how many precious clusters grew upon that vine Luk. 23.40 he chides his fellow-thief Dost thou not fear God he falls to self-judging we indeed suffer justly he believes in Christ when he said Lord he makes an heavenly prayer remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome here was a young plant but very fruitful Weak Christians oft are more fruitful in affections how strong is the first love which is after the first planting of faith 5. A Christian may mistake and think he is weak in faith because he is weak in assurance whereas faith may be strongest when assurance is weakest assurance is rather the fruit of faith The woman of Canaan was weak in assurance but was strong in Faith Christ gives her three repulses but her faith stands the shot she pursues Christ with an holy obstinacy of faith insomuch that Christ sets a trophy of honour upon her faith O woman great is thy faith it may be a strong faith though it doth not see the print of the nailes it is an heroicall faith that can swim against winde and tyde believe against hope Christ sets the crown upon the head of faith not of assurance Ioh. 20.29 Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed 6. God hath most care of weak believers the mother tends the weak child most God will gather the lambs with his armes and carry them in his bosome The Lord had a great care of his weak Tribes when Israel march'd towards Canaan the Tribes were divided into several companies or Brigades now it is observable all the weak Tribes were not put together lest haply they should discourage one another and so have fainted in their march but God puts a strong Tribe to two weak Tribes as Issachar Zebulon two weak Tribes and Iudah a victorious Tribe therefore he gives the Lion in his standard surely this was not without a mystery to shew what care God hath of his weak children CHRIST the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah shall be joyned to them 7. Weak faith is a growing Faith 'T is resembled by the grain of Mustard-seed of all seeds the least but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a Tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the Branches thereof Faith must have a growing time The seed springs up by degrees First the Blade and then the Eare and then the full Corn in the Eare the strongest faith hath sometimes been weak The faith that hath been renowned in the world was once in its infancy and minority Grace is like the waters of the Sanctuary which did rise higher and higher Wait on the Ordinances these are the brests to nourish faith be not discouraged at thy weak faith though it be now in the blossome and bud it will come to the full flower Object 3. But saith a childe of God I fear I am not elected Answ. What a Beleever and not elected Who told thee thou wert not elected Hast thou any skill in the black Book of Reprobation The Angels cannot unclasp this Book and wilt thou meddle with it Which is our duty to study Gods Secret will or his Revealed 'T is a sin for any man to say he is a Reprobate That which keeps him in sinne must needs be a sinne but this Opinion keeps him in sinne it cuts the sinews of endeavour Who will take paines for heaven that gives up himselfe for lost O Beleever be of good comfort thou needest not look into the Book of Gods Decree but look into the Book of thy heart see what is written there he that findes the Bible copied out into his heart his nature transformed the byasse of his will changed the signature and engravings of the Holy Ghost upon him he doth not look like a Reprobate When you see the fruits of the earth spring up you conclude the Sun hath been there 'T is hard to climb up into Election but if we finde the fruits of holinesse springing up in our hearts we may conclude the Sun of Righteousnesse hath risen there 2 Thes. 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation by the Sanctification of the Spirit By our Sanctification we must calculate our Election Indeed God in saving us begins at the highest Link in the Chaine Election but we must begin at the lowest Link of the Chaine Sanctification and so ascend higher Therefore laying aside all disputes let me poure in of the Wine of consolation Thou who art a Beleever and though thou wilt not affirm it yet thou darest not deny it without sin let me do two things shew you your happinesse then your duty 1. Behold your happinesse all the things which you have heard of present and to come are your portion and prerogative What shall I say to you All my apprehensions fall short When I speak of things to come I know not how to expresse my selfe but by a deep silence and astonishment O the Magnitude and Magnificence of the Saints glory The ascent to it is so high that it is too high for any mans thoughts to climb The most sublime spirit would here be too low and jejune How happy art thou O Beleever if God himselfe can make thee blessed thou shalt be so If being invested with Christs Robes enamell'd with his beauty replenished with his love If all the dimensions of glory will make thee blessed thou shalt be so O the infinite superlative happinesse of a Beleever All things to come are his What To have the same Joynture with the Angels those blessed Spirits Nay to speake with reverence to have a partnership with God himself to share in the same love to be enriched with the same glory which did sparkle forth in the humane nature of Christ How amazing is this the thoughts of it are enough to swallow us up O what an inheritance is he born to who is new borne Suppose he is poore in the world and despised
when God commands them upon duty they can shoot to an haires breadth Alas our services how lame and bedrid are they we do things by halves in stead of using the world as if we used it not we pray as if we prayed not we weep for sinne as if we wept not how many blemishes are there in our holy things as the Moon when it shines brightest hath a dark spot in it how many graines should we want if Christ did not put his merits into the scales our duties like good wine do relish of a bad cask the Angels pouring sweet odours into the prayers of the Saints Rev. 8.3 sheweth that in themselves they yield no sweet savour uâ—â—esse perfum'd with Christs incense but in Heaven we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as the Angels we shall serve God perfectly how should we long for that time 3. The Angels serve God Chearfully 't is their heaven to serve God when they are singing hallelujahs they are ravished with holy delight though being spirits they need no food yet it is their meat and drink to serve God As Adam in innocency if he had stood though he was set to dresse the garden and should have been imployed in manufacture yet this labour would have been without paine and travel it would have been delightful to him Thus the Angels serve God without lassitude and weariness The joy of the Lord is their strength When we shall arive at Heaven we shall in this sense be as the Angels we shall serve God chearfully we shall 〈◊〉 and not be weary what a blessed priviledge is this we that now are accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the off-scouring of men shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Angels CHAP. XV. The Tenth Prerogative Royal. THE next Priviledge to come is the Viâ—dication of Names Those which have a good Conscience have not alwayes a good Name The old Serpent spits his venome at the godly through the mouthes of wicked men if Satan cannot strike his dart into our Consciences he will put a dead flie into our Name The people of God are represented to the world in a very sad manner how strangely doth a Saint look when he is put in the devils dresse as those Primitive Christians that were cloathed with Bears skins and painted with red devils Iob was represented to the world as an hypocrite and by his friends too which went near to him Paul was called a seditious man and he suffered in the opinion of some as an evil doer 2 Tim. 2 9. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evill doer even unto bonds he did not onely bear Christs marks in his body but in his Name Our blessed Saviour was call'd a deceiver of the people It hath ever been the manner of the wicked world to paint Gods children in very strange colours It is a great sinne to defame a Saint it is murder better take away his life then his Name it is a sinne which we can never make him reparation for a flaw in a mans credit being like a blot in a white paper which will never out The defaming of a Saint is no lesse then the defaming of God himselfe the Saints have Gods picture drawn in their hearts a man cannot abuse the picture of Caesar without some reflection upon Caesars person Well either God will cleare his peoples innocency here which he hath promised Psal. 37.6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light thy good Name may be in a cloud but it shall not set in a cloud or else at the day of judgement then there shall be a Vindication of Names In this life the godly are called the troublers of Israel they are seditious rebellious what not but a day is shortly coming when God himselfe will proclaime their innocency Believe it as God will make inquisition for blood so for Names The Name of a Saint is precious in Goâ—s esteem it is like a statue of gold which the polluted breath of men cannot stain and though the wicked may throw dust upon it yet as God will wipe away tears from the eyes of his people so he will wipe off the dust from their Name The time is shortly coming when God will say to us as once to Ioshua I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you Even as it was with Christ the Iews rolled a great stone upon him and as they thought it was impossible he should rise againe but an Angel came and rolled away the stone and he arose in a glorious triumphant manner So it shall be with the godly their good Name oft lies buried a stone of obloquy and reproach is rolled upon them but at the day of judgement not an Angel but God himself will roll away the stone and they shall come forth from among the pots where they have been blacked and sullied as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold O what a blessed day will that be when God himselfe shall be the Saints compurgator CHAP. XVI The Eleventh Prerogative Royall THE next blessed Priviledge is the sentence of Absolution Here take notice of two things 1. The Processe in Law Rev. 20.12 The books were opened It is a metaphor taken from the manner of our Courts of Judicature where there is the whole Processe every circumstance traversed and the Witnesses examined So here the books are opened the book of Gods Account the book of Conscience now observe another book was opened which is the book of life that is the book of God's Decree the book of Free-grace the book that hath our Names written in it and our Pardon and the elect shall be judged out of this book surely the sentence cannot be dismall when our Husband is Judge and will judge us by the book of life 2. The Sentence it self Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father wich implies two things 1. The Saints Acquittance the Curse is taken off they have their discharge in the Court of Justice and shall have the broad Seal of Heaven Father Son and holy Ghost all setting their hands to the Pardon and this Christ shalll proclaim 2. It implies the Saints Instalment Come ye blessed As if Christ should say Ye are the heirs apparent to the Crown of Heaven Heaven is your freehold come in ye blessed of the Lord enter upon possession And this sentence can never be reversed to eternity but as Isaac said I have blessed him and he shall be blessed At the hearing of this comfortable sentence O with what ineffable joy will the Saints be filled it will be like musick in the ear and a Jubily in the heart Even as Elizabeth once said to the Virgin Mary as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears the babe leaped in my womb for joy so the heart of a believer will leap in him at the hearing of this blessed sentence and be ready to leap out
felt no paine Time was when conscience was tender but by often sinning he is like the Ostrich that can digest iron or as it is said of Mithridates that by often accustoming his body to poyson it never hurt him but he could live upon it as his food That sinne which was before as the wounding of the eye now is no more then the cutting of the naile Well there is a time coming when this sleepy conscience shall be awakened Belshazzar was drinking wine in bowls but there came out fingers on the wall and his countenance changed there conscience began to be awakened Conscience is like a looking-glasse if it be foul and dusty you can see nothing in it but wipe away the dust and you may see your face in it clearly there 's a time coming when God will wipe off the dust from the glasse of a mans conscience and he shall see his sins clearly represented Conscience is like a Lion asleep when he awakes he roars and tears his prey when conscience awakes then it roars upon a sinner and tears him as the devil did the man into which he entred Mark 9.22 he â—ent him and threw him into the fire When Moses rod was turned into a Serpent he was afraid and fled from it oh what is it when conscience is turned into a Serpent Conscience is like the Bee if a man doth well then conscience gives honey it speaks comfort if he do ill it puts forth a sting it is called a worm Mark 9.44 Where the worm never dies It is like Prometheus's Vulture it lies ever gnawing it is Gods blood-hound that pursues a man When the Jaylour saw the prison-doors open and as he thought the prisoners were missing he drew his sword and would have killed himselfe when the eye of conscience is opened and the sinner begins to look about him for his evidences Faith Repentance c. and sees they are missing he will be ready to kill himselfe a troubled conscience is the first-fruits of hell and indeed it is a lesser hell That it is so appears two wayes 1. By the suffrage of Scripture Prov. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can bear a wound in the Name in the estate in the body is sad but a wound in the conscience who can bear especially when the wound can never be healed for I speak of such as awake in the night of death 2. By the experience both of good and bad 1. By the experience of good men when the storme hath risen in their conscience though afterwards it hath been allayed yet for the present they have been in the suburbs of hell David complaines of his broken bones he was like a man that had all his bones out of joynt What is the matter you may see wherein his pain lay Psal. 51.3 My sin is ever before me he was in a spiritual agony it was not the sword threatned it was not the death of the childe but it was the roarings of his conscience some of Gods arrows stuck fast there though God will not damn his children yet he may send them to hell in this life 2. By the experience of bad men who have been in the perpetual convulsions of conscience I have sinned saith Iudas before he was nibling upon the silver bait the thirty pieces but now the hook troubles him conscience wounds him such was Iudas his horror being now like a man upon the rack that he hangs himself to quiet his conscience This shews what the hell of conscience is that men account death easie to get rid of conscience but in vaine it is with them as with a sick man he removes out of one room into another and changeth the aire but still he carries his disease with him Thou mayest think O sinner to laugh thy sinnes out of countenance but what wilt thou do when conscience shall begin to flie upon thee and shall examine thee with scourgings it is a mercy when conscience is awakened in time but the misery is when the wound is too late there being then no balm in Gilead §. II. The second thing to come His appearing before the Judge For we must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ Hierome thought he ever heard that sounding in his ears Surgite mortui Arise ye dead come to judgement What solemnity is there at an Assizes when the Judge comes to the Bench and the Trumpets are sounded Thus Christ the Judge shall be accompanied with Angels and Archangels and the Trumpets shall be blown 1 Thes. 4.16 For the Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God This is the great and general Assizes Then shall Christ sit down upon the Throne of Judicature holding his sword in his hand and a flame coming out of his mouth Now the sinner being summoned before him as a prisoner at bar he hath his guilt written in his forehead he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned before he comes I mean in his conscience which is the consistory or petty Sessions and appearing before Christ he begins to tremble and be amazed with horrour and not being covered with Christs righteousnesse for want of a better covering he cries to the mountains to cover him And the Kings and the great men said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Nothing so dreadfull as the sight of mercy abused Now the Lamb will be turned into a Lion and he who was once a Saviour will be a Judge §. III. The third thing to come is His Charge reade I will reprove thee and set thy sinnes in order before thee Psal. 50.21 As God hath a bottle for tears so he hath a book to register mens sins Rev. 20.12 The books were opened Oh what a black charge will be read against a sinner not only the sins which have damnation written in their forehead as drunkenness swearing blasphemy shall be brought into the charge but those sinnes which he slighted As 1. Secret sinnes such as the world never took notice of many a man doth not forsake his sins but grows more cunning with the Vintner he pulls down the bush but his heart gives as much vent to sinne as ever his care is rather that sinne should be covered then cured Not unlike to him that shuts up his shop-windows but follows his trade within doors he sits brooding upon sinne he doth with his sins as Rachel did with her fathers Idols she put them under her that he might not finde them so doth he put his sins in a secret place all these sinnes shall be set in order before him Luk. 12.2 For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed God hath a key for the heart 2. Little sinnes as the world calls them Though I know no such thing as little