darknesse and light are all one to him Oh this is a precious and necessary effect of the knowledge of God when it makes a man cry out with Joseph though in the most secret temptation How can I do this and sinne against God Gen. 39.21 Those wicked men incouraged themselves in their wickednesse by this Doth the Lord see and is there knowledge in the most high Psal 73.11 And on the contrary he that truly knoweth God dareth not be wanton unjust dishonest because the eye of God is upon him wheresoever he is David is much affected with this omnipotence and omniscience of God Psal 139.2 4. Thou knowest my downsitting and uprising yea every thought thou knowest afarre off How could there be such works of darknesse such sinnes committed in secret that are not fit to be named but because men do not know God in a right and true manner By this we see there is little true knowledge of God in most towns most families because men live not as sensible of the just and revengefull eye of God beholding them alwaies 4. Where there is a saving knowledge of God there is a good and holy use made of all afflictions and miseries that fall upon them They know they are strokes from God and they come because of sinne that their end is to humble â—s and debase us under the hand of God and thus all the godly have done They have looked up to God and considered not so much the blow as the hand that gave it so Job The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 not the Sabeans not the devil but the Lord but men that are ignorant of God they discover it in nothing more then in their afflictions they look only at second causes they minde only the help of inferiour instruments they fret they rage they are discontented and thus they think not of God nor their sinnes that have procured these Consider thy self therefore under any exercises and afflictions Is thy heart presently thinking of God dost thou search and enquire into the cause what sinnes of mine have thus offended God have deprived me of my good things I enjoyed this is in a saving way to know him Wo be to that man who like Ezechiel's pot hath boiled in the fire of affliction but his scum hath not gone off 5. A true knowledge of God and Christ will make a man readily suffer and lose all when it 's required and if at any time we are unwilling we love our wealth our life better it 's because we know not the excellency of Gods glory and what an unspeakable reward is laid up for those that deny themselves for him 2 Cor. 4. This made the Apostle say We account these light afflictions not comparable to the eternall weight of glory What made Moses choose the afflictions and reproaches of Christ Heb. 11. rather then the treasures of Egypt it was because by faith he saw him that was invisible The Martyrs were no fools though their enemies judged them so for they knew how great that God was whom they feared how able to reward them infinitely above their sufferings and therefore their greatest wisdom was to lose their lives that so they might save them It 's ignorance of God and Christ that makes us unwilling to bear the crosse he requireth of us In the next place let 's consider the ground why knowledge if not thus accompanied is ineffectuall And first Because knowledge in it self is only a perfection in the understanding and seeing that the whole heart is fully corrupted it must be universally healed else there cannot be any salvation I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit soul and body 1 Thess 5.23 Yea this knowledge is but a morall perfection not a gracious As we see in the devils who have great abilities in their understanding And hence it is that a man may be very knowing and yet very vicious because this doth only dispell ignorance from the minde it doth not sanctifie the heart and affections to love and delight in what is good Knowledge is requisite to bring in grace yet knowledge meerly is not grace So that howsoever it be a necessary duty to get knowledge yet when that is obtained there is a greater work behinde in the cleansing and purifying of the heart Praevolat intellectus sed tardus sequitur affectus with the eye we may discern many miles off in a moment but our feet cannot so quickly go thither 2. Knowledge must have practise following because doing is the end and accomplishment of knowing It 's not knowing the rules of Hippocrates will bring health unlesse there be a practicall use of them Hence beleeving is called eating and drinking of Christ John 6. A man that is hungry though he know never so much of excellent meats yet that will not satisfie him unlesse he eat It 's a rule Scire malum non est malum so God he knoweth evil yet this knowledge is not evil so Scire beâ—â—um non est bonum Philosophers make this distinction between the understanding and the will the understanding draweth the object to it self but the will is drawn by the object to it so if I understand any thing I am not in a morall sense that I understand but if I will any thing or love any thing I am what I love Anima ubi amaâ— not ubi anima 3. Knowledge meerly speculative will not save because Religion lieth most in the affective part Knowledge is desired as a prerequisite but the power and sweetnesse of it lieth in the hearty imbracing of what we know Hence Divines say our eternall happinesse in heaven is initially and radically in the understanding but formally and compleatly in the will Oh then know that all the while Religion is but in thy head and thou hast it out of books and by hear-say thou hast but the shadow of it the substance and sweetnesse of it lieth in the cordiall imbracements and enjoying what we know 4. Knowledge without the effects of it is so farre from saving that it condemneth the more He that knew his masters will and did it not was beaten with more stripes Luk. 12.48 What makes the condemnation of those Christ preached to greater then of the Sodomites the worst of men but because they sinned against more knowledge Vse of Instruction How vain a thing it is to boast of knowledge and learning if an holy life doth not follow it As Absalom was hung by the hair of his head he gloried in so will the knowledge of thy head damn thee Austin said such knowing men go quick to hell oh there are too many such that have much knowledge but no grace that know the Scripture speaking against grosse sins yet they wallow in them The hottest flames in hell are for a knowing wicked man Vse of Exhortation to put all thy knowledge into practise If I know what faith is let me exercise faith If I know what Christ
death much lesse our eternall damnation Neither is it possible that thy salvation and Gods glory should be divided so that howsoever some Writers speak of such things yet they command that to be done which is both unlawful and impossible only this is certain the glory of God is a greater good then our own salvation and as Christ so we are to desire our salvation that thereby God may be glorified and certainly if our Salvation it self be to be referred to Gods glory how much rather all the temporal mercies we have We are not to desire health strength parts any outward comforts but thereby to glorifie God Certainly this glory of God is not apprehended by us so noble and excellent a thing as it ought to be Oh how often do we desire these outward mercies for our own ease our own benefit and not thereby to glorifie God Shall Christ look beyond all these great acts he did to the glory of God and shalt not thou look beyond thy health wealth and all outward greatnesse to the glory of God Oh where will they appear that by all things they have dishonour and blaspheme God But excellent Use may be made of this Doctrine Is our redemption by Christ and Salvation in the nature of it a glorifying of God then what excellent arguments and strong encouragements doth this put into the mouth of the godly Who art thou that art full of doubts and dejections Oh thou hast many arguments to think God will never justifie or save such a one as thou art Thou thinkest thy Objections are so great they never can be answered but see if this doctrine will not remove all for first Thou maist pleade God will be glorified by thy pardon by thy salvation God will be no loser here will be no wrong done to him Maist thou not use this divine Rhetorick O Lord. did I beg my Salvation upon such terms as were not consistent with thy honour and glory Were my Salvation and thy honour incompatible then I might justly be accused then my mouth might presently be stopped but thou wilt be exalted by my happinesse Neither thy justice or thy truth will be impaired The devils cannot pleade after this manner Justice will presently put a bar against them Seeing they have no Mediatour God cannot be glorified in their Salvation for though mercy might be exalted yet how can justice be satisfied Thus thou hast an unanswerable argument put into thy mouth 2. The glory of God will be more magnified in thy justification then in thy condemnation Thou maist truly say Lord if thou cast me out of thy presence If I be adjudged to eternal flames thou wilt lose of thy glory and honour Thy Name will not be so much exalted and how prevailing must this be Now Gods glory must be lesse in thy condemnation then in thy salvation for a twofold respect 1. As you heard The attributes of God are not made so glorious in one as in the other That the goodnesse mercy and grace of God is not so illustrious none can deny and as for his justice and power which might claim the preheminence in mans condemnation yet they are not so celebrated for Gods justice is but in fieri It 's not compleated They lie in the prison of hell but are never able to pay the debt The penal sufferings of a creature cannot recompence that honour and glory to God which the voluntary sufferings of him who was both God and man did so that justice is far more conspicuous and as for Gods power that also is visibly more noble for to be able to save one is more glorious then to damn many It 's harder to save then to condemn 2. The glory of God is more magnified in our salvation because those that are saved are affected with this infinite goodnesse of God They speak of it they aggravate it as Hezekiah said Isa 38.19 Do the dead praise thee The living the living they will speak of thy goodnesse Thus it is here Do the damned in hell glorifie God Do they praise him Do they sing out their Allelujahs No they rather rage and blaspheme God Oh then how strong is this in thy praier O Lord if thou lay my sins upon me if they presse me into hell shall I then love thee Shall I then glorifie thee Do not the justified the sanctified the saved speak of thy praises all the day long 3 In that God is thus glorified by thy salvation thou maist make it Gods cause his interest O Lord I have sins enough to damn me I am worthy to be thrown into hell but though I am unworthy to be saved thou art worthy to be honoured O Lord because I have deserved hell doth thy Name deserve to be dishonoured Observe how the people of God in all their miseries still engaged Gods Name in their help for his Names sake as if they had said O Lord though we are unworthy to be delivered yet thy Name is worthy to be honoured It 's no matter for us Lord but what will become of thy great Name O Lord the dishonour will redound more to thee then the losse to us Oh this is strong and comfortable to consider how Gods glory is interested in thy happinesse so that it's Gods cause more then thine yea and why do the devils thus desire to draw thee into sin and hell Is it not chiefly because of their enmity against God It 's not so much thy damnation as the dishonour to God they look at Though they hate both yet they hate God most and thus thou hast unanswerable arguments in this particular And if you say it being thus Why are not all saved would not God have the more glory I answer God doth not need any glory from the creature he needeth not the glory that Angels and Saints give him If he therefore for just and wise grounds known to himself justifieth some and condemneth others even in this he is to be acknowledged a glorious God needing no creature so that though he may do as he please yet we must urge the arguments he puts in our mouths Vse 2. Is Gods glory and our Salvation thus linked together Is he so good that he inseparably doth joyn these together Then do thou likewise joyn all thy profit all thy comforts and his glory together Say oh it 's not enough that I am eased or am advantaged unlesse I see also God be glorified SERMON XXII Of Christs finishing the work he undertook with the End and Properties of it and the great comfort of it to Beleevers JOH 17.4 I have finished the work thou gavest me to do THE former part which contained Christs holy profession of the end he had in all that he did and suffered on earth hath been dispatched We now come to consider the Means wherein or by which and that in the later part And herein consider the means or manner it self expressed under this notion Work Christ came not
because they were under an outward administration of grace when other Nations of the world were not so Lastly A people are his by Election and the gracious effects thereof and so only those that are the true Disciples of Christ are his and in this sence it 's said Thine they are and they have kept thy Word which cannot be understood of Judas for he perfidiously forsook Christ Doct. That the truly godly are Gods people in a peculiar manner They have an indeared propriety in God They may say with Dauid Psa 119.94 I am thine save me This propriety is the ground of all comfort of all boldnesse at the Throne of grace I am thine pardon me I am thine sanctifie me I am thine leave me not To open this Consider the distinction before premised That we may be said to be the Lords either generally by right of Creation and his absolute Soveraignty or 2. Peculiarly in a gracious manner In the former sence all mankinde is said to be in Gods hand as the clay in the hand of the Potter so that if God from wise and most righteous ends have chosen some and left others in their damnable estate if we cannot say that all are by Gods Election and Christs by the execution of it yet we have no cause to grudge or repine because all are Gods to dispose of at his pleasure For although his holy and righteous nature is the cause that he cannot do any thing that is evil or unjust yet the dominion and soveraignty he hath may make him dispose of all things as he pleaseth and if the Apostle in matters of Election and Reprobation doth urge this to stifle mans presumption how much more may it hold in inferiour things if God deny thee this or that mercy and giveth it to others who art thou O man that arguest against God We are his to be disposed of as he pleaseth But 2. That which we are now to speak to is the propriety and right God hath in some more then in others by his grace and meer love Alas the former propriety argueth no comfort the damned in hell yea the very devils may pleade the former Lord we are thine by creation and dominion but that is no ground of comfort only this latter is an unanswerable argument God himself cannot deny this when we can pray Lord we are thine by thy peculiar grace and purpose of love We did not of our selves become thus it was thy goodnesse to make us thy own It was free for thee to have done with us as thou pleasest but now we are thine it belongs to thee to save thy own Secondly This right and propriety is mutually reciprocal God is theirs and they are Gods only Gods propriety in them is the cause of their propriety in God You have not chosen me but I have chosen you saith Christ Joh. 15.16 So that this is very comfortable to observe that this right is mutuall God is their God and they are his people God challengeth them as his and they may claim God as theirs as you see the Covenant of grace runneth reciprocally I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 31.33 this is expressed under those similitudes of a Vine and a branch of an husband and a Wife The wife hath power over and right to her husband as well as the Husband to the Wife The Vine hath a relation to the branches as well as the branches to the Vine only as the good of the branch lieth in being in the Vine but the Vine doth not fetch succour from the branch So it 's here we are the Lords and the Lord is ours only the Lord hath no advantage nor hath he any good in that we are his but the cause of our happinesse is that he is ours so then let the people of God know that the ground and rise of all their spirituall advantage is because God hath a propriety in them not so much because they have a propriety in God It 's because God loveth them God will not loose what is his that they are preserved from sinne and hell Indeed till we be actually Gods by beleeving though we be his by Election yet we cannot make use of our Interest That is hidden and secret Paul though he was the Lords by Election before the foundations of the world yet till brought home till beleeving he cannot say the Lord is his Therefore till God be ours both by Election and the saving effects of it we cannot say I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2.16 Therefore Thirdly Our comfort and joy lieth in the discovery of our propriety and interest in God for though we be his yet if we beleeve it not it is as if we did not belong to him It 's said David encouraged himself in his God 1 Sam. 30.6 The evidence of his propriety was his encouragement and Paul acknowledgeth an appropiration when speaking of Christ he said Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Hence it is that our Saviour upon his departure out of the world doth so fully inform his Disciples that he will be theirs still though he bodily leaveth them That the propriety and interest they have in him is not taken away Hence also it is that an elected man while unconverted can take no more comfort from God or his promise then a reprobate because as yet his propriety is not evidenced As yet there is no ground of any claim or holy boldnesse at the Throne of grace Therefore it 's a main duty of the people of God to study this Point above all viz. their propriety in God Am I the Lords or no It 's not impossible to finde out the truth of this though Satan and our hearts are very much tempting to the contrary there are few that can escape the storms and tempests that arise in this matter and quietly anchor their souls on God Fourthly There are two special and eminent causes of our being the Lords treasure and peculiar people The one is the Lords power and might the other his infinite grace and love That which is the Sun and giveth heat and warmth more especially is the mercy and love of God for we by sin though we could not make our selves no creatures of his so that he should not destroy or damn us yet we made our selves no children of his we cast our selves out of his favour of a loving Father we made him an enraged enemy and so accordingly we pulled down all vengeance upon our heads we forfeited every mercy we know not the least drop of comfort that belongs unto us but all the curses of God threatned in his Law this and no other could we expect we ere no more the Lords then the devils and damned in hell Therefore it was the meer goodnesse of God not to cast us off but to make us his a second time upon better Covenants of mercy so that if any soul comes
though this be greatly controverted yet there are places very probable 2 Cor. 3. God was in Christ reconciling the world viz. of Elect Thus Christ cals himself the bread of the world and the Lamb that takes away the sinnes of the world The doubt then is in what sence the world is here used And 1. It cannot be the world of the Elect for they are expresly praied for because given of the Father to Christ Neither can it be the world of wicked men meerly as so for many wicked men that are so now yet afterwards are converted as v. 23. That the world may know thou hast sent me that is those who for the present are of the world but afterwards are converted to Faith and Repentance It remaineth therefore by the world must be understood those that are not Elected the world of Reprobates And that this is the genuine Interpretation is plain because the world is opposed to that number of men who are given by the Father to Christ as the opposition manifesteth Not for the world but those thou hast given me Neither can it be evaded as some would I pray not for the world is in the same sence and for the same things as I do for Beleevers viz. perseverance and preservation from sinne because where the Text doth not limit or distinguish we must not And besides he praieth for those Elected persons that were as yet actually of the world that they might know and beleeve in Christ which praier the Reprobates did most need and therefore if Christ had praied at all for them it would have been for that which was most necessary The sence then thus explained observe That Christs Mediatory praier and so his Death is not for all the world but only some certain persons who are given by the Father to Christ Christs praier and Death is not intended for all and every particular man but for some only The Doctrine stands upon this bottome Those that Christ would not pray for he died not for neither was he a Mediatour for but not for the world would he pray onely some Elected by the Father Therefore neither did he die for such This Point is controversall and I have no Inclination to lanch in such deeps partly because plain practical matter is more profitable for the greater part that hear It 's bread and not a stone fish and not a Serpent you ask for and then partly the Question is of so vast a comprehension that not one hour or many is sufficient to leade you into the very porch of it much lesse all the secret rooms of it and then partly it hath been agitated by the choicest men of Learning that the former or latter Ages of the Churches ever had and therefore should be handled in a Scholastical succinct manner not popular and humiletical as our Sermons are These things I say do discourage but because the doctrine of Universal grace and redemption is a gangreen every where spreading and an Idoll which flesh and bloud doth adore and many specious pretences of Scripture are brought for it Give me leave to say something and because the controversie like Moses his face shineth gloriously and is so sublime that the common eye cannot endure to look on it I will put a Vail upon it and condescend to the meanest capacity as much as the nature of the Truth will bear and shall make way to clear and state the Doctrine by several Notandum's or particular Considerations which will be to the main Truth as John Baptist was to Christ And first Consider there is a necessary connexion between Christs praier or Intercession and his Death They are of an equal latitude and extent whom he praieth for he dieth for whom he dieth for he praieth for Rom. 8.34 Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession are all in a Chain together and applied to the same Subjects And indeed it must needs be so because Christs praier is one part of his Priestly office The oblation of himself as a Sacrifice for sinne was the other Christ then as the great high-Priest did partly pray and partly offer up himself in a Mediatory way for his people We might well therefore put both these in the Doctrine praier and his Death Though the Text speak but of praier because the one is necessarily joyned to the other and this Praier therefore is made upon the oblation of himself being to leave the world As for that Praier of Christ on the Crosse Father forgive them for they know not what they do It 's to be considered that seeing the Scripture saith he was heard in what he praied for therefore all those whom he intended in that Praier had the forgivenesse of their sinnes and we may be the rather induced so to think because he names only those that did they knew not what in crucifying of him Wherefore it 's thought those three thousand Jews converted by Peters Sermon were most of those for whom Christ praied on the Crosse For the Apostle chargeth this upon them that they had crucified the Lord of glory ignorantly 2. Though Christ in his praier and death had special love and regard to some of mankinde and not all yet there is no man that is damned can lay the blame any where but upon himself That Rule is of perpetual Truth O Israel thy destruction is of thy self Hos 13.9 And thus the Scripture doth every where make death and hell the wages of sinne Therefore if any would from this doctrine inferre such Conclusions That then a man is not to be found fault with No blame is to be laid upon him but upon non-Election or the particularity of Christs death We abhorre such consequences and say with Paul to some who gathered poison out of that honey-doctrine he preached God forbid Let not then thy heart cavill prophanely in this Point for there is no eminent doctrine in Religion but if a man let loose his carnal heart he may wrest wicked Conclusions from the best premises The true cause and ground of every mans damnation is because of Impenitency and hardnesse of heart in sinne with unbelief Neither may we or can we conceive a man able to say thus O Lord I was ready and prepared to beleeve and repent There was nothing of any good desires wanting in me only the death of Christ that was too much restrained to others but not to me and therefore not for my sinne but meerly for want of a latitude in Christs death I must perish Such an Imagination as this is a meer Chimera There never was or can be any person able to pleade so so that if you take this along with you that no such absurdities and blasphemies follow from Christs speciall love in his death and Intercession you have taken away the Gorgons head that useth to make it so terrible 3. It 's good to take notice of that ordinary distinction The Sufficiency and worth of Christs death in
afflictions It 's disputed whether we may or no but we may not because they are an evil and so no fit object of our desires and in themselves they do no good unlesse sanctified but if the Lord chastise us we are to submit and therefore when Jeremiah praieth Jer 10 21. Correct me but not in thy wrath It 's a concession or submission Lord if thou wilt correct me and it cannot be otherwise then do it with much mercy and love Do not then make thy afflictions an argument of Gods withdrawing or leaving of thee but rather of love to thee Christ loves his Disciples dearly yet not so as to keep them from dangers he will let them be in the world and put them to hardship only he will then take the more care of them But the godly heart doth make this ordinary Objection It 's true in those troubles which are for Christs cause as the Apostles were It is no wonder if Christ take such special care of his if he account all the troubles and losses they have upon his score if he say to them as Abiathar the Priest I was the occasion of all the Priests bloud therefore stay with me thou shalt be as I am and I as thou art but my troubles and afflictions are the fruit of my sin It 's not for Christs Name but want of love to Christ it is my dulnesse and lukewarmnesse that hath brought anger upon me To this consider 1. It cannot be denied but that there is a great difference between those afflictions that are exploratory which are to draw out the graces of the godly and to encrease their glory which comforted one Martyr who said he thanked God though he had sins yet it was not for his sins but his duties they put him to death and those which are castigatory for some sinne committed yet even such are not to cast away all comfort because though there is not so much yet there is great cause of joy even to such if humbled and sensible of sinne under Gods hand for 1. Though it be bitter because it 's for sin yet it 's comfortable to feel thy sin and to repent of it Oh then though thou mournest because thy sinne hath brought this on thee yet rejoyce because thou hast an heart to repent of it The true penitent de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet So that the brokennesse and tendernesse of heart is an evident testimony of thy ground to rejoyce 2. Consider thy voluntary accepting of thy afflictions and judging thy self for them maketh all thy afflictions to be a kinde of Martyrdome It 's required we should accept of the punishment of our sinne Levit. 26.41 And 1 Cor. 11. We are to judge our selves 2 Cor. 7. The Corinthians repenting had a holy revenge upon themselves Now when we do thus kisse the Rod and willingly accept of this affliction It 's a kinde of Martyrdom It is for Gods cause and out of love to him that thou dost with patience endure it 3. Thou hast the chiefest ground of comfort which ever Christs Sufferers have though not that particular they have For the Martyrs did not rejoyce in their Sufferings as matter of merit and as that which was equal to Eternal Glory No They could not but finde many Imperfections even in those noble undertakings And therefore desired pardon even for their very dying for Christ that they had no such perfect faith and patience as they ought It was therefore Christ and his Sufferings administred them all their comforts and this thou maist take though thy sinnes have caused thy afflictions Vse of Instruction what Treasures of comfort the Godly have With what triumph and joy they might live even in the greatest afflictions if beleeving this But oh our leannesse our leannesse whence come all those dejections those outcries I fear this and that may undo me but because Faith doth not present Christ with his open arms ready to preserve them well is beleeving called Eating of Christs flesh and Drinking his bloud Joh. 6. For as a man though he have never so much dainties yet if he eat not they do him no good so it is here Though Christ have never so much love and pity towards thee yet if thou beleeve not this it helpeth thee not Vse 2. of woe to the wicked that are cast out of all his care let the devil tempt them let sin overcome them let hell devour them yet Christ hath not taken them into his special favour SERMON LI. Of the great Danger of Gods Peoples being in the world chiefly from its tempting and seducing to Sinne. JOH 17.11 But these are in the world OUR Saviours Argument you heard in the behalf of his Disciples was partly from the state and condition of Christ who was now leaveing of them and partly from the Apostles who were still to continue in the world as sheep without a Shepherd and that amongst Wolves Therefore the danger they were in is made an Argument why Christs Praier should be heard for them This troublesome and dangerous estate of the Apostles is described in these words But these are in the world Where Note 1. The adversative particle 2. The condition it self The adversative particle is expressed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for whereas the Learned observe that that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used three waies in Scripture 1. Which is most common as conjunctive 2. As adversative 3. As argumentative Here we see it used in all these respects in one Verse And I am no more c. But these are in the world for I go to the Father so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be translated here As for the Condition it self To be in the world is no more then to have our abode here amongst men who by nature are all set against God and his waies and so daily conceiving and plotting mischief against the Kingdom of Christ So that to say They were in the world was to say They were in the midst of the Sea under the power of all windes and tempests without any haven wherein every moment they might expect utter destruction Obs That the godly mans life in this world is full of spiritual danger and outward trouble For To be in the world these two things are implied To be in a place of wickednesse where are daily temptations to sinne and in a place of misery where are constant troubles and pressures and indeed the former is the greatest evil though we fear the latter more Therefore our Saviour praieth v. 15. that the Father would keep them from the evil of the world They must be in the world but let not the evil thereof infect them it being no lesse a miracle to be kept from the sinnes of the world while we live in it then for those three Worthies not to be burned while in the fiery Furnace The Apostle John excellently describeth the foul contagion of the world 1 Ioh. 5.19 The whole
was a corporal visible keeping but now spiritual 4. We are to avoid the Socinian reason given why Christ speaks thus in the Text It is saith he because Christ had not yet obtained that power and soveraignty to keep them after an invisible manner for they say Christ had not that Divine power and authority till it was given him after his resurrection then God gave him the universall dominion over all say they But our Saviour had sufficiently before shewed that what the Father did he also did Lastly When Christ saith Hitherto I have kept them in thy Name attributing the power of keeping them to the Father it is not as if he were not also God but he speaks here as Mediatour as in the form of a servant and an Embassadour doing all things in the Fathers Name Hence in other places he saith it 's not his doctrine but his Fathers and so he seeketh not his own glory but the Fathers Thus much for explication Whereas then our Saviour for a while was in a corporall sensible manner with them providing for them and protecting of them but at last is to leave them to greater hardship and stronger temptations Observe That though God may afford his people for a while many comfortable and sensible supports yet they must not look to enjoy them alwaies As the childe must not think alwaies to hang on the breast or to be dandled on the knee so neither must Gods children alwaies think to have comforts mercies and whatsoever their souls desire but they must expect changes and severall trials Hence the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4.12 they are not to think any fiery triall strange The godly are to be prepared in the midst of their mercies that if God on a sudden raise the clean contrary this should not seem a new or an hard thing to them John 21.18 Christ tels Peter when he was young he went whither he would but in his old age another should girt him and carry him whither he would not In his younger years he had liberty and freedom but in his old age he should meet with bonds and imprisonments Thus God saith to many in thy younger years thou hadst health comforts but afterwards thou shalt have diseases pains and many sad afflictions To open this Doctrine let us consider what those visible supports are that God for a while may vouchsafe to his people And 1. They may have for a while many outward comforts and mercies They may abound in wealth in riches and honours â—o that they want nothing they may have an heaven here and then at last God gathers black clouds and so there are sudden storms and lightnings that spoil their sun-shine day It was thus with Job he tels us in what plenty honour and ease once he lived in but God had made a sad change upon him Even as Jonah had got a gourd whereby he defended himself from the scorching heat and he began to think himself now very well and presently God prepared worms to devour this defence Oh then if there be any of Gods children on whom he thus smiles they have riches when others are in the depth of poverty they have plenty when others are pinched with want remember all thy wealth is but like a little dust if God breath on it it is scattered away All these things runne on a wheel and that which is uppermost may quickly be lowest As the Grecians say There are no beggars but their ancestours have been Kings and no Kings but their ancestours have been beggars such a change and mutation are all these earthly things subject unto 2. Gods children may for a while enjoy many sweet consolations and have good assurance of Gods love and this is a speciall sensible support When David hath no cause to complain that God hid his face from him when he said his mountain was strong when he could bless God because he had forgiven his sinnes so that he could with heavenly boldness call him his Lord and his God all this while David was happy but this fair weather doth not last alwaies God hideth his face and then he is troubled then he crieth out Why art thou cast down and troubled within me O my soul It is a gross error to say assurance cannot be lost yea we may lose it by our careless and lazy walking and God may deprive us of it for wise and holy ends If then God gives thee these soul-sensible supports that thou knowest and feelest his love upon thy soul make much of this mercy faith of evidence will not be alwaies There will be a time when faith of adherence and dependance will be all in all 3. Then have the people of God carnall and sensible supports when they are preserved from the outward malice and persecutions of men so that they live honoured and prosperous lives here below Such a time Joseph had at last David Mordecai Esther and many others yea we see in Ahabs daies when there was such an hot persecution of Eliah the Prophet and other godly Prophets yet Obadiah a godly man lived in great favour with Ahab so that although the rage and malice of the world be prepared against every holy man yet for a while they may be the worlds darlings they may have the Kingdoms the Powers and the Honours of the world so that we may sometimes say in this respect the servant is above his Master Christs Disciple above Christ only let them know there may come a time and then God depriveth them of all these for their honours they have disgrace for their glory reproach It 's much if God lets them have the good things of this life and of the life to come 4. They may have a calm and serene time in respect of soul-temptations and spirituall exercises Paul had not alwaies these buffetings of Satan These spirituall temptations whether entring from the blackness of our own hearts or injected by Satan are very terrible and bitter they have made the godly weary of themselves Hence they are compared to darts and fiery darts Ephes 6.16 to shew how mortall and how piercing they are Now although God may many times give his people a quiet setled composed spirit yet this is not enduring but the storms do arise the ship begins to sink and they cry out that they perish 5. They may have the comfortable presence and corporall direction of wise holy and godly persons but at last God may take them away Thus a godly people may have the ministry of a faithfull Pastor while he is with them the flock is kept no wolves have been able to get into the fold Children and servants may have a godly Father and Master wives gracious and wise husbands now these while they were enjoyed were wonderfull supports Hence Elisha is called the horsemen and chariots of Israel When Chrysostom was banished the people said The sun might have been better taken out of the firmament Thus God hath given his
are reduced to one Quest Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ praied for it how comes it to passe there are so many breaches among the godly Answ 1. True unity is from Christ and terminated in him There is a wicked unity 2. A directed and ordered unity 3. It is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity Remedies for the preventing and healing divisions in the Church False wayes of unity 1. By Papists 2. By Socinians The true uniting principles As to true Doctrine II. Rules to keep up unity in Church-order and to prevent Schism III. Rules for Unity in respect of love to prevent wrath and quarrellings Observ The Father and Son are two distinct Persons yet one in Nature and Essence Consider 1. God considered absolutely and relatively 2. There is notwithstanding but one God 3. This Doctrine of the Trinity is an object of faith and cannot be demonstrated by reason The characteristical properties of the Persons in the Godhead Observ That all believers are united to Christ and in him to the Father I. Consider those Scripture-expressions to represent this Unity II. There must be an unition before there can be an union III. There is a naturall union with Christ and a supernatural IV. This union is wholly spiritual V. It 's also reall VI. The necessity of this union with Christ VII The excellecy of it VIII IX X. XI Observ That Unity among believers is a special means to inlarge the kingdom of Christ Consid I. That notwithstanding the Doctrine yet unity simply as such is not an infallible note of the true Church The Papist answered Unity without true Doctrine no note of a true Church The Papist no such cause to boast of Unity Why Unity is an attractive loadstone to bring others unto the faith What those proper sins are that divisions amongst the godly are apt to breed in the world Observ That the believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation of our conversion unto God Of the nature of Faith as it is dogmaticall or historicall 1. It 's wrought by the grace of God By means of the Word 3. The heart of man is naturally not only unfit but contrary and opposite to the way of beleeving heavenly truths 4. This faith may be without sanctification of the inward man 5. Where this faith is there will be some kinde of pious disposition of heart 6. The motive of it is divine 7. It s grace though but common grace 8. It s the foundation of conversion The properties of it 1. It lifts a man above his natural reason 2. It contradicts not reason 3. It s the substance of things hoped for c. 4. It hath universality in its assenting Observ That the glory which Christ hath he communicates one way or other to his people Consider I. Christs personal glory is incommunicable II. What are those effects of that glory which Christ vouchsafeth to his III. None are made partakers of that glory of Christ but by union with him 1. No man till he be united unto Christ hath any true and solid glory In what respects humane and earthly glory comes short of heavenly Corollary II. That the meanest Christian surpasses Solomon in all his glory Corollary III. IV. It consumes all love and desire of vain-glory V. Let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all reproaches wicked men load them with VI. Admire the bounty of his grace VII Doct. Christ though God had many things given him of his Father There is a twofold giving What things were given Christ of the Father Observ Unity among believers is part of that glory which Christ as Mediator hath obtained for them Consid I. Unity is the Churches glory Their glory actively and passively II. Christ purchased as Mediator this priviledge as well as others Christ said to be in believers several wayes 1. By communication of the same nature with us 2. Sacramentally 3. By his Spirit 4. By a gracious inhabitation and sanctifying presence Doct. How Christ lives in a believer The false ways of Christs being in his people How or in what manner Christ is in his people How Christ is in his people more particularly The fruits and effects of Christs being in us Doct. As Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us How the Father is in Christ Quest How the Father and Son can be in believers and yet they have such great remainders of sinne in them Answ Doct. The Father and Christs being in believers is the cause of that perfect and consummaâ—e unity which they ought to have of themselves What is implied in their being made perfect in one The causes of this unity Doct. That faith is knowledge What knowledge faith is not 1. Not a knowledge by sense 2. Not a perfect comprehension and intuitive vision of the thing we believe 3. Nor like those imperfect acts of the soul which are called Suspicion opinion or doubting 4. Nor is it from the evidence of any internal principles What knowledge the knowledge of faith is Reasons why faith must be knowing or have knowledge accompanying of it Observ God the Father loveth believers even as he loveth Christ I. Wherein the love of God to Christ and believers is not alike II. Wherein Gods love to Christ and believers is alike 1. In loving Christ and them as one mystical person 2. In the properties of it 3. In regard of the effects of it Obj. Answ Doct. It 's of great consequence to the world to know how greatly believers are loved of God The usefulness of the worlds knowing how greatly the Saints are beloved of God will appear in these particulars How difficult it is for the world to be so perswaded Observ Without grace here there is no glory hereafter What we mean by grace Doct. 2. Glory is a gift Observ The greatest part of our happinesse that we shall have in heaven lies in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate communion with the Lord. Of immediate communion with Christ in heaven Consider these things The grounds why Gods presence in heaven is that which makes the happinesse of a glorified beleever Doct. It is a necessary duty in a Christian in his approaches to God to think on those attributes and relations in him which may excite and stirre up holy confindence and boldnesse Consid I. No wicked man is in a condition fit to pray or approach unto God upon these terms II. It s of great consequence for the humbled Christian in his prayer to improve this relation of a Father Doct. 2. Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them Doct. The great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ How much is comprehended in this expression of beholding Christs glory What is that glory which they shall behold shining in Christ Doct. Christ as Mediator had his glory given him Propositions aâ—out this point Christ as God cannot have any thing given him unless by way of manifestation and external celebration Obj. Answ Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Doubt Sol. Socinians Argument Answered How many wayes we may glorifie Christ Doct. 2. That it s no free-will or preparatory work in man that begins either his grace or glory but the sole gift of God Observ That God the Father loved Christ as Mediatour and thereby all believers in him from all Eternity How righteousness may be attributed unto God Observ God whether considered as a Judge of the world or a Father to beleevers is righteous in all his wayes I. God is just in all his administrations to devils and wicked men II. The righteousnes of God as a Father to his people in all their afflictions Observ The world is ignorant of God in a saving manner Demonstrations of the Point The causes of salvation Observ Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have Propositions about the point Doct. That it 's an indearing respect of believers to God that they do own him and cleave to hint when the whole world go quite contrary Propositions clearing the Point Doct. That Believers do not only at their first conversion but in the whole progress of their life need constant illumination and teaching from God I. In respect of the object II Observ That it is not enough for the people of God to be loved by him but they are to endeavour after the sence and apprehension of this in their own hearts Conside I. The love of God is taken two waies in Scripture II. God may love a man and he know it not III. The sence of Gods love to be laboured for IV. The sence of Gods love may be immediate or mediate V. The love of God to his is incomprehensible The advantage a believer hath by having the powerful feeling of Gods love Propositions to inform in this point I. II. It s possible for the sense of Gods favour to consist with some doubtings III. The sense of Gods love may consist with a feeling of a spiritual combate within us Helps to get and keep this favour of God
a devil Joh 6.10 So that there was a twofold giving of some to Christ The one of Justification to eternal life the other of office and service and that this is meant here is plain because he is called the Sonne of perdition implying the reason why though he was given to him yet he was not saved because he was never so given but he remained a Son of perdition still Thus it is answered by some but the full discussion of it will be when we come to that verse Let us explain the doctrine And first we see here that God the Father hath power to appoint and determine concerning the everlasting salvation and damnation of men It 's plain for you see it is as the Father wils whom he chooseth he giveth to Christ and others they are left by him Rom. 8 19 20 You see there the Apostle purposely pleading this Soveraign power of God and withall checking these bold and curious cavils that men may make against it Hence Eph. 1. and in other places Election of some to Eternal life is attributed unto him before the foundation of the world and this was not for any good thing foreseen in us but according to the counsell of his good will which expression is often used otherwise as Austin observed a notable Patron of the Truth against Pelagians as the Apostle said It is not of him that willeth or runneth but of him that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 He might have said the contrary It 's not of him that sheweth mercy but of him that willeth and runneth This disparity of Gods grace choosing some and leaving others is plainly asserted by Scripture Mat. 11. where Christ maketh a solemn acknowledging of it Yea we see the means of grace denied to those of Tyre and Sidon who would have repented in sackcloth and ashes yet vouchsafed to those of Chorazin who abused and contemned this This is dreadful to consider of But Austin and after him others do excellently curb this bold Interrogation Why God the Father draweth this man and not the other do not say they search curiously if thou wilt climbe higher caveat precipitium And again if this Answer of the Apostle Who art thou O man that repliest against God will not satisfie Quaerat doctiorem sed caveat ne inveniat presumptiorem Take we then this Truth for a foundation it is in the soveraign power of God to choose whom he pleaseth to Salvation and to leave the rest in their damnable estate Neither is this any cruelty or injustice in God for he might have forsaken all mankinde and not recovered one of them why then should we so wickedly murmure at Gods secret but righteous dispensation of these things and not rather admire the grace of God that any are saved 2. This Truth although it be not wholly to be buried yet it ought to be preached with much sobriety and circumspection that so no just offence be given It ought to be preached though there are those that would have this light under the bushell For we see the Apostle Eph. 1. and in many other places doth greatly encourage and comfort the godly with that mercy of God in choosing of them before the Foundation of the world Certainly if this be not known we cannot set forth the riches of his glory and grace as the Apostle implieth The godly are hindred from much of their duty and much of their comfort while they do not attend to this yet because this is not milk but strong meat we must regard the auditory and subject to whom it is preached It 's Nazianzens excellent Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two or three qualifications as so many battlements he must build to this roof lest men fall down as 1. That notwithstanding this predestination the Fathers giving of some to Christ yet as every man is saved by the grace of God so every man is damned from his own proper fault and demerit So that we see the Scripture is clear in these three things that God from all Eternity did choose some to eternal salvation which cannot be frustrated and that these he will in time effectually call and change their hearts nothing shall prohibit or hinder their conversion and 3. Those who die and are damned have cause to blame none but themselves Thy destruction is of thy self Death and hell is alwaies made the Wages of sinne Now if you say how can Gods Election and converting grace in time be reconciled with the use of means this is clear the Scripture asserts one and commands the other and if we could not untie this knot it were our weaknesse not any disparagement to the Truth Therefore 2. This is so to be preached as that all diligence and care is to be used in the means For we cannot think that the Scripture speaks contradiction so notoriously For in the Epistle to the Ephesians the beginning of the first Chapter is to describe this great work of God from all Eternity yet in the latter part he exhorts them to put off all sinne and to be diligent in all their relation graces and at another time Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it's God that worketh in you Yea Paul who was so ashamed of his Election and that the Arminians grant he had an absolute Election yet he kept down his body that he might not be a Reprobate 1 Cor. 9.27 This indeed is the difficulty how to reconcile these that absolute Election is not opposed to the means nor the use of means contradict an absolute Election is affirmed by the Orthodox several waies have been attempted by the Learned for the concord of them but suppose we could not be so comprehensive as Cajetan and some of the Schoolmen confesse it an unsearchable Mystery and therefore adviseth Preachers to teach their people to submit to it as to the Mystery of the Trinity yet seeing the Scripture affirmeth one and commands the other it 's plain they are consistent and compossible one with another though we could not finde out the manner how 3. Nor to dwell at this time long on this Subject which is but obliquely touched on Gods giving of some only to Christ is so to be preached that it doth not discourage any humble Penitent or troubled man for sinne that seeks and thirsteth after the grace of God The weaknesse of this Doctrine lieth here as it is thought Therefore the adversaries thereof do continually batter at this place As if like Pharaoh we demanded bricks and gave no straw commanded duty when at the same time they are excluded by God Therefore say they this casteth into the bottom of despair for the troubled heart may think I am none of those that are given to Christ though I pray and seek for pardon yet I may be a dog and not a childe and so none of the Childrens bread belongs to me To this we easily answer that all those who thus repent of sinne and seek after Gods
own life neither doth he take any pleasure in any earthly contents Hence it is that the inanimate creatures Trees and Rocks though they should be free from pain yet cannot be said to be happy because they have no faculty of reflexion They cannot perceive or discern their happinesse but in this eternal life The knowledge and assurance of their happinesse is that which makes it indeed to be a blessed life The Heavens are not happy though they shall abide ever because they have not life nor can they reflect upon what they are A childe in the womb though heir to a vast inheritance yet cannot take any comfort from it because he hath no reason to discern it But then our souls shall have the most accurate quicknesse and there will not be the least circumstance that shall aggravate our happines but we shall apprehend it we shall know how to improve every comfortable consideration Alas in this life the godly through their weaknesse of knowledge and faith make not that advantage of Christ as they may There are many blessed arguments to refresh their souls and they know them not or attend not to them but when we shall come to eat of this bread of life we shall not lose one crumb of it Then there is nothing shall be hid from our eyes but according to our capacity we shall then love God and Christ and enjoy them to the full Come we in the next place to the properties of this life for we can better speak of them then the life it self as we can better look upon the Sun-beams then the Sun it self And 1. It 's a continued life of happinesse There is no interruption or stop put to this joy and comfort and that is a transcendent thing for in this life two things intermit our joy 1. Occurrent adversities contrary miseries our health is taken away by diseases our wealth by poverty our hopes by fears so that every mans life hath more gall then hony And 2. If there were no opposite calamity as there was not to Adam yet there is a naturall intermission of it by sleep so that if we were never so happy yet as often as we sleep our Sun would be ecclipsed but this happy life we speak of admits of neither of these Interruptions There cannot be any misery or grief there for God will wash away all tears from their eyes and it must needs be so because all the cause of misery which is sinne is there taken away so that as there cannot be any thunder or lightning in the upper Region because the vapours which are the materials of it cannot ascend so high can have no entrance there so because no unclean thing no sinful thing can enter heaven therefore no evil no misery or affliction can come there This should make us all despise this valley of tears for that Mount of Vision or transfiguration What is this Wildernesse to that Canaan What are these husks to that Manna Why are we so hardly plucked out of this world that hath so many thorns and troubles with it to enter into heaven where there is no grief no complaining or discontent at all Again There is not the second intermission of this happinesse for there is no night no sleep nor drousinesse but it is a waking joyful life to all Eternity Alas if here we should have the most desirable comforts that can be yet we would call for a time to sleep they could not keep us alive without this bodily Rect but there the body is made so glorious a body that it 's no more capable of sleep then it is of hunger or thirst Oh then happy and thrice happy is that life where thou shalt not for a moment be taken off from God It 's impossible for the godly in this life to have an actual love and complacency in God never to be distracted or diverted by other thoughts something or other comes and steals the heart away and laieth the dead childe in the room of the living one but then we shall have a constant intuitive beholding of God and nothing shall withdraw us from him Thus it is not to be interrupted 2. In this life there is an affluence and an accumulation of all things to make it blessed The very Philosophers thought happinesse must be such a state wherein was an aggravation of all good things so that if a man could have all good things and want but one he could not be called an happy man Hence in the Scripture the Hebrew word for happinesse is in the plural number because it is not one or two or twenty good things can make a man happy but there must be all things And for this reason it is that the Scripture hath so many variety of resemblances to represent this blessednesse To shew you that it hath all desirable things It 's called a Kingdom a Crown of glory a Feast and Banquet a place of joy Heaven is said to be paved with all precious stones Now why doth the Scripture use such expressions Not that we should conceive any carnal pleasures or worldly contents there as Mahomets Alcoran speaketh of a bruitish happinesse altogether sensual but from earthly things would lift up your hearts to heavenly it would gather you a Posie of the finest flowers and tell you heaven is this Do but abstract the imperfections of the creatures and the perfection that is in heaven Even as Divines say concerning the perfections of creatures God hath them but in an eminent manner abstracted from the imperfections he hath wisedom but not the imperfection of mans wisedom he doth understand he willeth as well as a man but not with the imperfection of a man So it is here Heaven is riches heaven is health heaven is glory heaven is honour but still without the imperfection of these earthly comforts 3. This life is a glorious life Beside freedom from evil and a positive affluence of all good there is external glory to make it yet more desirable Our souls shall be made glorious souls our bodies glorious bodies Heaven is a glorious place The Angels are glorious the Majesty of God will then be resplendent in all his glory If the Queen of Sheba had no more spirit within her beholding Solomons temporal glory how ravishing must this heavenly glory be The Scripture every where speaks of the glory of this condition now glory is that which exciteth all generous spirits What did the Romans the Pharisees doe for glory but it was a vain empty glory This is called by the Scripture The exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 It 's a solid substantial glory glorious within and without also 4. It is an holy life For if you ask what shall be the emploiment of those who have this Eternal life The Scripture tels us that both Angels and Saints are wholly exercised in this in praising and glorifying God The Angels Isa 6. are brought in crying Holy Holy
ignorant man not knowing the one must necessarily have the other hid from his eyes Can there be any hope of that mans cure who knoweth not and feels not his disease Thy Ignorance of Christ argueth thou art also ignorant of thy self for didst thou know thy own poverty and guilt nothing could hold thee till thou mightst get some interest in Christ pain of body will make a man cry out for ease but pain of soul through sinne much more Thus you see the ignorant man is in the plain way to hell Thirdly Grosse Ignorance must needs be damnable because it 's immediatly opposite to the sanctified and appointed means that bring to God and Christ viz. the Ministery The Preaching of the Word is instituted by God to bring us to understanding and faith about these things Therefore they are called the Light and Guides But where there is grosse Ignorance there commonly the Preaching of the Word hath least effect and fruit as the Sunne-beams doe no good to the blinde man For seeing the Word of God is a morall Instrument and though potent by the power of God yet it doth by argument convince and perswade where men are bruitish like beasts what improbability is there of doing good Indeed the Word doth give eyes to the blinde and understanding to the simple where God useth it efficaciously for nothing can resist it then because it takes away the actual obstinacy yet the Ignorance of men is that which of it self would make all Preaching to drop like the water upon the rock where no fruit can grow For what doth the ignorant man understand what can he remember what can he meditate upon when he is gone hence Take a knowing though prophane man in his life yet we have something to work upon we speak to wise men that will judge what we say but to the blinde man day and night is all one Preaching and no Preaching To the deaf man Thunder and a still voice is all one Consider then lest thy ignorance doth not damn thee in that all the means and instituted waies of God become altogether unprofitable unto thee That makes all preaching in vain I shall not further enlarge on this Here is an Objection will presently be made Doth not ignorance quite absolve a man from guilt Is he not to be pitied rather then blamed I â—t doth not excuse a toto yet a tanto He doth not sinne so much as knowing men do which doth greatly encourage and comfort them We may answer this by that known distinction of an Ignorance merae negationis and pravae dispositionis It's true meer negative Ignorance doth excuse The Heathens and Pagans that never heard of Christ though they have other sins they are damned for yet the meer ignorance of Christ who was never revealed to them doth not condemn them Infidelitas negativa non damnat but then there is an affected and wilfull Ignorance this doth not excuse but accuse and aggravate and such is the Ignorance of all those that live under the means of grace and where the Name of Christ is preached It 's thy wilful and wicked disposition in thee that makes thee thus blinde You say as those in Job let the knowledge of the most High depart from you Job 21.14 Seeing you will not see and hearing you will not hear Therefore your condemnation is the greater It 's disputed among Casuâ—sts whether God may not have mercy upon natural fools that cannot know any thing of God or Christ because of a natural incapacity But thou art a voluntary fool and dost wilfully deprive thy self of all knowledge and how then shall God be gracious unto thee In the next place you may say If the estate of an ignorant person be thus dangerous how comes it about that there are so many ignorant persons Why cannot all say with the Apostle We know that we know 2 Cor. 8.1 There are some outward causes or inward causes or causes from the ignorant man himself or in respect of others First Many are therefore so ignorant in matters of Religion because they understand not the damnable estate this ignorance puts them into So that the ignorance of their dangers makes them also ignorant of the remedy As Austin said of Original sinne It was peccatum causa peccati and poena peccati the same is true of Ignorance It 's a sinne in its own nature because contrary to that command of God which doth so often require that we should know him and then it 's a cause of sinne yea of all sinne It 's because men do not know God that therefore they are so bold to transgresse his Laws Lastly It 's the punishment of sinne for all that black darknesse and confusion we are in is because of our revolt from God Ignorance then keeping man off from the true understanding of his misery makes him the more secure and content in it If thou didst know what curses hang over thy head If thou didst know what a gulf is between God and thee In what utter darknesse thou art in here which will be rewarded with utter darknesse hereafter thou wouldst have no rest within thy self 2. Another cause of Ignorance is Slothfulnesse and negligence They strive not they pray not for knowledge whereas this cannot be obtained without praier and diligence Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 and Solomon bids us seek after it more then for gold or the richest treasures Pro. 2.3 8.10 to love it as thy Sister or Mother many people complain they are ignorant God help them for they have little knowledge and where is the fault all this while Is it not thy negligence thy slothfulnesse May we not produce many instances of those who have been very ignorant and stupid yet by praier and hearty endeavour have obtained to a competent measure of knowledge for humane knowledge shall there be so much labour taken sudavit alsit said the Poet and for Christian knowledge wherein is our happinesse and eternel life shall we not be as industrious Why dost thou not rather cry out of thy self every night I goe to bed and yet have got no knowledge I understand such and such things in the world but nothing at all about God and Christ Thus the sluggards Field is full of briars and weeds At the day of judgement when God will call for an account of every day and hour thou wilt bewail thy folly that time was not more redeemed to get knowledge 3. Earthly and worldly affections These do so immoderately possesse the whole man that they regard nothing else Why is it that men ordinary plain men get so much skill and craft in worldly affairs they know the best way for improving every worldy advantage It is because their heart is set upon it They minde and regard this thing They rise with the thoughts of it and so goe to bed If their hearts were thus
we are his offspring Acts 17.28 Now their thoughts were Idolatricall about the true God as Rom. 1. turning his Image into the similitude of creatures and then they superadded other Gods which made Tertullian say Deus non erit Deus nisi homini placuerit The summe of this particular is no more then that even in their Polytheism and multiplied Idolatry that the Heathens lived in there was a generall implyed assent that there was a God so that although there was no truth at all in their apprehensions yet something there was in the object generally considered but not as it was particularly terminated upon any one thing 5. The revealed knowledge of God onely by the Word is able to guide us in the worship of God and in the way to salvation All naturall knowledge and acquired is altogether insufficient and that in these respects 1. They fail of saving knowledge in the integrity of parts for although something may be known of God yet that is very little in respect of the many things they are grossely ignorant of for if that knowledge we have here though by grace out of the Scripture be so obscure and but a childes knowledge in respect of that we shall have in heaven what a shadow of knowledge then rather then true knowledge is that we have by nature so that it faileth in many necessary particulars it 's lame in essentiall things 2. This faileth in the purity of it Whatsoever knowledge the greatest naturalist hath though never so heightened yet it 's mixed with much drosse it hath many absurd and erroneous intertextures with it so that Rom. 1. even those that professed themselves wise are said to be become vain in their imaginations There was great vanity and uncertainty yea absurdities in their assertions the Greek word the Apostle applieth to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became foolish it 's applied to salt that hath lost its seasoning and then is it good for nothing Thus these were deprived of all right and sound judgement 3. It faileth in respect of clearnesse and evidence Hence the whole world is said to lye in darknesse 1 John 2.11 The Platoes the Aristotles of the world were like the Sodomites groping in the dark that could not feel what they sought for but the Word of God that is wonderfully commended for the clearnesse and brightnesse of the light it brings with it 4. It faileth in respect of the efficacy All that knowledge they had did not serve to purifie their lives to cleanse them from their wickednesse but they detained the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. And if you say many Christians that have great revealed knowledge are not yet cleansed from their impieties There is as much prophannesse yea sometimes more then have been in Heathens Some Heathens would lose all they had rather then swear they did so fear an oath Basil upbraideth Christians with this Of another Heathen it was said You may sooner put the Sunne out of its course then make him do what is unjust As also of Cato either drunkennesse was not a sinne or Cato was not drunk but are there not thousands of Christians and that with much knowledge great understanding in the Scripture and Religion yet runne into all this excessive wickednesse It 's true and wo be to those that make it true but then you must remember that there is a meer barren brain knowledge and a gracious practicall knowledge Now where this later is there is alwaies a clean and pure life as for the other it 's not so much a knowledge as a profession of it They professe they know God but in works they deny him Tit. 1.16 therefore the Scripture complaineth of such as not knowing God The Ox knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel hath not known me saith God Isa 1.6 We might adde more things but I shall spend the other part by way of Use in practicall corollaries of great use in our lives As in the first place we may be informed How great and grievous a sin Idolatry is No wonder if the Prophets are so severe against it and that it be made the chief cause of all the Nationall calamities that come upon a Nation for in reference to this sinne doth the Scripture peculiarly speak of Gods jealousie nothing provoketh God so much as that Now this Idolatry is of two sorts either first When we set up a false God for the true so did all the Heathens when they worshipped the host of heaven or their other constituted Gods Or secondly When the true God is worshipped but after a false and unlawfull manner The first Commandment forbids the former Idolatry the second the later God forbad the Israelites to worship him under any representation whatsoever so that though it were the true God they worshipped yet if not after the same manner he commanded this was idolatry Thus when the Israelites made a calf they intended thereby a worship to the true God therefore they said To morrow shall be a feast to Jehovah Exod. 32.5 It was Jehovah the God of Israel they intended to worship but they would make such an Image or representation that they had seen in Egypt And thus also in Popery all the water of Tyber cannot wash them clean from Idolatry for although their Learned men runne to multitude of distinctions sometimes between an Idol and an Image whereas they differ only as Greek and Latine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is maguncula a diminutive of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes about Religious worship primary and secondary as if we should say a primary and secundary Deity and when they have disputed all they can they confesse ignorant people commit much Idolatry and that he must be very Metaphysicall that can in his worship make such distinctions yea they dispute Whether it be not a dangerous and offensive Proposition to say Imagines sunt adorando Take we heed then of this Idolatry and the rather because it 's a sinne all are prone unto Consider the Jews though immediatly trained up and instructed by God about his worship though often and often grievously plagued for it yet upon all temptations they would runne into it again and the Heathens Rom. 1. even the wisest of them were most absurd in their Idolatry Rome had a Temple called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein they would have all kinde of Gods and there was nothing so much as love to Idolatry that made men so opposite to the Christian Religion yea though the Prophet describeth the bruitishnesse of the Idolater that with one piece of wood makes an Idol with another makes a fire Well doth the Scripture compare Idolaters unto the Idols themselves they are nothing empty they do not understand and the more subtle and specious idolatry is as in Popery be thou the more afraid of it It 's a bold and unheard of expression of Valentia the Jesuite that saith There is a lawfull Idolatry
spoken oppositely to his divine nature so that to deny the humane nature of Christ though we should affirm he was God yet this is not to know Christ Therefore the Marcionists and some Anabaptists who said he had not a true reall body that he was only in the appearance of a man They do not know Christ 3. To know Jesus Christ implieth also that we have some understanding of his Offices Of his anointing with all sufficiency and fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us He that saith he knows Christ and doth not acknowledge him anointed by God with all fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us saith he knoweth not what Now the ignorance of Christs Office and his fulnesse therein doth wonderfully abound in Popery The devil in former times opposed the natures of Christ when he could no longer succeed that way then he opposeth the Offices of Christ all those doctrines of merits indulgencies and satisfactions do oppose the Offices of Christ for if Christ be the Messiah if he be the full Mediatour to what purpose are all these Although therefore in Popery there is the true doctrine retained about Christs Natures he is acknowledged to be God and man yet in respect of his Offices there is a total burying of him in silence Angels and Saints merits and indulgencies have even almost put out the very Name of Christ amongst them so then all acknowledging that Christ is not enough it must be a Scripture-confessing of him We must give him his full due not make him half a Mediatour half a Saviour and joyn ' our selves or others in this great work 4. To know Christ implieth also that we acknowledge the great love of the Father in sending his only Son thus to mediate for us Therefore it 's added whom thou hast sent and for this reason it 's said he that knoweth and honoureth the Son must know and honour the Father also Joh. 5.23 For from the Father comes the Spring of all this love He so loved the world that he gave his only Son Joh. 3. and certainly this is of great consequence to know the Father sent Christ into the world for hereby we may be assured that all the obedience and sufferings of Christ shall be accepted of by the Father We need not fear it or doubt of it for the Father did make the first motion as it were to the Sonne Though the Sonne also did readily and voluntarily undertake it Now how great a matter was this for God the Father to do Was not Christ the only begotten and beloved of the Father Did he not come out of his Fathers bosome to the Crosse and shall not this make us return all thankfulnesse and obedience unto him Lastly This must necessarily imply a knowledge of our misery and damnable condition by sinne For if we were not lost what need had we of a Saviour If we were not sinners what need of a Mediatour So that the acknowledging of a Christ sent into the world to be a Mediatour is the beleeving also of man by nature to be the childe of wrath the Enemy of God one who may not come into his presence or expect the least hope of mercy till an Advocate and Intercessour come and pleade his cause so that this Knowledge of a Christ should be accompanied with great affections and workings of heart it should breed shame fear and confusion in us it should breed an hungring and thirsting after Christ an esteem of him as the only Remedy In Christ only is our fulnesse our sins would undo us were it not for his righteousnesse our iniquities would overthrow us Did not be intercede blessed art thou then when this Knowledge is like fire in thy bosome kindling holy flames within thee Now here may be some Questions made 1. Doth not this exclude all that lived under the Old Testament dispensation from Salvation For howsoever they might know the true God yet was there any discovery or Knowledge of Christ in those daies This is so great a matter that some have looked upon all the Jews as knowing only temporall promises That they knew nothing of heaven but an earthly Canaan was their heaven That they had no Knowledge of Christ but thought by the bloud of Sacrifices to appease God But to answer this 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ and therefore rested in their Sacrifices and the knowledge of the Law as the only thing that made them acceptable This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these externall services that they thought themselves beloved of God though abounding in all wickednesse And no wonder they did so for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties and have no faith in Christ But 2. Those that were holy and godly they looked upon all their bodily Sacrifices as Types of Christ It was Christs bloud they put confidence in The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews shews that God intended Christ by those Sacrifices and that the bloud of Rams and Goats could never clense away sinne as this was Gods meaning so the Priests and Prophets they explained the meaning thereof to the people and sometimes they have clear promises of a Saviour a Messias to come to them who shall be a Prince of Peace and shall bear their sinnes for them as Isaiah speaks like an Evangelist to this purpose which made the Apostle say that the Prophets did bear witnesse of Christ Abraham he saw Christs day and rejoyced Act. 10.43 Now all the godly have the same faith Abraham had therefore he is made the Father of the Faithfull so that what was covered in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Christ they had and Mediation they had though the Knowledge of it was more obscure Hence the Gospel is said to rise like the Light of the Sun 2. It may be demanded why the Knowledge of the holy Ghost is not there said to be Eternal Life as well as of the Father and the Son for without the Spirit of God efficiently enabling us we cannot do any holy duty as well as without Christs merits we cannot be accepted Christ is the meritorious cause and the Spirit of God the applying cause To this we may say that the Knowledge of the Spirit is necessarily implied in the Knowledge of Christ For he was in respect of his humane nature conceived by the holy Ghost when he was to leave his Apostles bodily he promiseth his Spirit to supply his presence So that none can know Christ as a Mediatour that doth not also know the holy Ghost Hence be is called the Spirit of Christ And in the 2d place we may say it 's not necessary that this Text should speak of all things necessary to Salvation It 's enough that other places doe sufficiently testifie it Now that the knowledge of the holy
to know this that he is now the Lords he hath cause with astonishment and amazement to fall down and admite the grace of God we did not make our selves his we could not become his people of our own strength 2. There was the power of God also greatly discovered for seeing by sinne we become the devils and he had a right to us he is the god of the world and he rules in the hearts of those that are disobedient Eph. 2. seeing I say he is their Father and they are of him and his works they do it 's impossible we should be recovered out of his hands till God who is stronger then he sets us free As our Saviour implieth in that Parable when a strong man keepeth the house all things are quiet till a stronger then he cometh Luk. 11.22 It was not then in the power of Man or Angels to expedite himself out of that bondage and slavery till God did wonderfully shew his power and as it was not in their power so neither in their will or heart Though it be such an unspeakable happâ—nesse to be the Lords yet no man naturally is willing to this he had rather be the devils and sins then the Lords such cursed wickednesse is in every mans heart and such enemies are we to our selves Fifthly Though this expression be short Thine they are yet it comprehends very many precious and excellent particulars For we are the Lords upon several and various titles therefore are we sure to continue his It 's good the godly man should know how many waies he is the Lords that his heart may be enlarged upon every particular For 1. He is the Lords by Election from all Eternity Thou wast the Lords before thou wast born before thou hadst a being when thou couldst have no thoughts of thy self he had thoughts of thee The Scripture doth often Eph. 1. Rom. 9. comfort the people of God and quicken up their hearts with this particular and certainly it 's a deep and overwhelming Meditation Who am I Lord when in the womb of nothing or when born yet wallowing in my bloud thinking speaking and living against thee and thou didst from all Eternity know this yet didst choose me to eternal life Oh how many thousands are past by and I am chosen Was it not enough Lord not to have created me It might have been mercy not to have created me that so I might not have been damned but positively to appoint me before the foundation of the world to such unspeakable glory this is that which astonisheth me Oh my Soul and heart is too narrow if I had the hearts of all the men in the world they would be too little to conceive of this goodnesse 2. We are the Lords or Christs for I make this all one by way of redemption and conquest We are bought with no lesse a price then the precious bloud of Christ and as the Apostle urgeth are therefore no more our own 1 Cor. 6.20 Oh then consider how great a matter goeth to make thee the Lords ere this propriety could be attained how dear did it cost Christ he therefore became man and did undergo all those evils and reproaches that we might be his It cost him more to redeem us then to create us so that it 's no wonder if the people of God may look upon themselves as the Lords peculiar for there is a good reason They are bought at an high rate Neither sin or the devil or the world have done so much for thee Oh then what shamefull ingratitude is it to live to them and not to God 3. We are his new creature and a spiritual Creation Thus he is said to create us and we are said to be his Children born of him We are Gal. 2.10 called his â—orkmanship created to good works so that in this particular the people of God are ramarkably his They have his Image put upon them They have a diviâ—â— nature bestowed upon them It 's he that hath made us not we our selves even 〈◊〉 this sence Lev. 20.26 That ye should be mine severed from all other oh then know if there be no more in thee then what is in the world or what thou hast by nature thou art not yet the Lords Doth thy nature thy frame of heart discover an interest in God then thou maist take comfort there are many who desire to be the Lords by Redemption but not by Sanctification They would have Christs bloud theirs but not his Spirit 4. We are the Lords by Covenant and by Promise and this is no mean foundation of our propriety in him The Promise runneth I will be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 31.33 We have Gods Word as well as his work causing us to be his and in this sence God is said to be the God of Abraham and the God of his Faithfull Seed viz. by a gracious promise This is that which may bear up the heart how often do we by our sins and infirmities break off our propriety and lose our interest as much as lieth in us If there were no gracious promise of God that for his Names sake and words sake we shall be his then all those uncomfortable Arminian Positions would take place that we may be the Lords people to day and the devils slaves to morrow Thus our propriety would be mutable every hour and as our lives so our hopes and comforts would be like a vapour and a bubble but we are children of the promise Gal. 3. And as that gave Isaac life when the barren womb had no power so it 's the promise of God begins and continueth our spiritual life It 's for his truths sake that sin and Satan shall not quite overwhelm us and how comfortable is this to pleade Lord we are thine not by any merits of our own not by any gracious works of ours but by thy promise We do not beleeve love thee or persevere and therefore are thine but because we are thine therefore we beleeve and persevere 5. We are the Lords by several peculiar relations all which administer their peculiar comfort We are the Lords house in which he continually dwels and is present We are his Temple in a peculiar manner consecrated to him We are his branches and that denoteth our intimate Union with him as also our supply from him We are his Servants we are his Children we are his Wife we are the members of Christs body Oh these similitudes are full of worth they demonstrate not only the dignity but the blessednesse of his people and the rich supply of comfort and grace from him By these is signified that we are the Lords in his most indeared affections That no Father to a childe no husband to a Wife is as God to us Isa 43.1 I have called thee by Name thou art mine Vse 1 The practical Improvement of this is very great First It informeth us that besides the general acts of faith a
faithfull for one as well as for many 2. All that Christ did it was not in reference to himself but for us All the Miracles he wrought it was for Beleevers he did them not for his glory and honour as he speaks about Lazarus his being dead Joh. 11. I was glad for your sakes because that Miracles might tend to their Confirmation in the Faith Thus Christ became obedient to the Law and fulfilled the righteousnesse thereof for our sakes Oh what an admirable overwhelming Point is this that all the labour and obedience which Christ performed of which he said It was meat and drink to do his Fathers will Joh. 4. That all this should not be for himself but in reference to us How may this fill our hearts and mouths with joy and confidence at the Throne of grace O Lord why did Christ fulfill all righteousnesse why did he perfectly obey the Law So that no fault should be found in him Was not all this for me Did he need this himself 3. His sufferings and rendring up himself as an atonement and Sacrifice upon the Crosse This also was wholly of God for us The Prophet Isaiah is affected with it He laid upon him the iniquities of us all and by his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 Thus every where his death is said to be for us he died for us he gave himself for us and it must needs be so for in him was found nothing worthy of death There was no sin or guile found in him he was not under that Sentence pronounced upon Adam and his posterity And here again the people of God may lift up their heads wiih joy Christ died he became a Sacrifice to the justice of God not because of himself but of us Hence it 's said His bloud speaks better things then that of Abel Heb. 12.24 Abels bloud cried for vengeance this for mercy and if Abel though dead speaketh how much more must Christ who though dead is risen again May not this be an Axe laid to the root of all thy unbelief Shall the godly heart be any more bowed down when he shall remember all those Agonies which Christ did undergo were for us Shall thy sins be accounted great and Christs death not greater Go thou troubled and grieved Soul we will give thee leave to aggravate thy sins to the highest Let them be never so bloudy yea hadst thou committed more then thou hast done yea all that all the wicked men of the world have done Were all their sins thine yet here is the Red Sea to drown that great Egyptian host Oh that men could have as good cause to judge that they are ingrafted in Christ and are such to whom Christ belongs as they may conclude that if such Christs death doth overcome all their sins It was nothing In Christ but in thee that made him a Curse upon the Crosse 4. The fruits and benefits of Christs Mediation did not redound to him but to thee Justification and remission of sins Sanctification of our natures Victory over lusts assurance of Gods favour all these come by Christ but to those only for whom he was appointed a Saviour he needed none of these priviledges no more then the heavens where the Sun and Starres are do need rain Oh then set open the gates of thy Soul wide through faith that thou maist be satisfied and made happy with these mercies In this dead Lion thou maist finde much honey for thy self Oh Lord why are all these priviledges annexed to thy death Is it because thou hast any want or thou hast any need of them No but that my emptinesse may be filled my dark heart enlightened my naked soul covered Thus you see what is implied Secondly The second particular is That all this is of God the Father It 's his will and gracious appointment that Christ should do all these things for his They have known that all I have is of thee and thou hast sent me So the Apostle It pleased the Father that in Christ all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.14 And here is admirable ground of hopes and confidence for it 's not against the Fathers will yea all this is of his gracious appointment that Christ should be thus a Mediatour for his Children Doubt not then whether the Father will accept of what Christ hath done or not Do not question whether he will receive thee in Christs Name for the Father hath manifested as great willingnesse for thy Salvation as the Son Say then Oh holy Father here is sure a wonderful way for my acceptance at the Throne of grace that I am astonished at it and it 's of thy goodnesse and grace that such a way is procured Oh what then can hinder but that I be justified The Father willing and the Son willing yea the Father loving Christ because he laid down his life for the Sheep Joh. 10.17 All this makes for the encouragement of the godly The third particular is That it 's the duty of all Gods Children to know and beleeve this fulnesse in Christ for them and to look upon Christ with all his benefits as for them Now faith thus fixed on Christ hath these either ingredient or concomitant acts and effects 1. There is a knowledge and a sound discovery of this sufficiency in Christ You see here knowing and beleeving put together Ignorance of this Point that all in Christ is for the beleever breedeth much dispondency and takes off the wheels of thy Chariots They look upon Christ as a Fountain sealed up as a garden enclosed They apprehend it 's not for every godly person to go and drink of this fountain unlesse attaining to such an high measure of grace Whereas a true knowledge of the end and use of Christ would quickly dispell all such black thoughts 2. To beleeve doth imply a relying and resting of the soul upon this fulnesse Christ with his righteousnesse is the center of his heart He trusts and puts his whole confidence in it He need go out no further to seek here is enough he fears no breaking no shaking as long as Christ will last and endure so long shall he As a man that treads on the firm ground he fears not as he that walks on slippery Ice Thus the godly man leaneth on a firm foundation but he that trusteth in his own righteousnesse or works melts as Ice before the Sunne 3. There is a full satisfaction of the soul in this beleeving So that it removeth all cares and fears Have I enough or no Is it sufficient to carry me out He is therefore said to save to the uttermost Heb. 5. and it 's called The riches of grace by Christ the unsearchable riches He therefore that beleeveth in Christ thus as sent of God he may say Return O my soul into thy Rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee what can satisfie if a Christ with all his benefits cannot
all his offices and works are spiritual so it 's onely the spirituall and heavenly heart that can close with it There must be a proportion between the Object and the faculty or Subject Supernaturall will not agree with that which is naturall If therefore thou art carnall earthly and wholly minding worldly Comforts thou wilt preferre every Thistle before this Jewell To you that beleeve Christ is precious saith Peter 1 Peter 2.7 but to others he is not so Oh then if thy heart doe not leap for Joy within thee as John did in the womb at the Presence of Christ it 's because thy heart is carnall and sensuall Thou knowest no better good then what pleaseth sence It 's not because the matter is empty but because thy heart is empty of heaven What makes Paul desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Was it not the high spirituall Frame of his heart and it cannot be otherwise for Christ is all that an heavenly heart can desire He is the Way the Truth and the Life He is the Head and the Vine He is the true Bread that came down from Heaven He is made of God Wisedome Righteousnesse and Sanctification If then there were more Pauls Christ in his Mediatourship would be more magnified but the generall sort of people are like the Gadarenes they had rather that Christ should depart out of their Countrey then that they should lose their Swine Or like unto the Jews that desire to shew more favour to Barabbas then to Jesus 3. Would you be affected with this Truth then pray earnestly for the Spirit of Adoption and an Evangelicall Frame of heart An heart not under the Law in a well-explained sence but under Grace Pray that ye may be led by the Spirit of God and so be as Sonnes For by this means Christ will be all in all It 's our hard unbeleeving and distrustfull thoughts of God that makes us keep at such a distance from Christ and so neglect him who is the Peace-maker and Reconciler Whereas an Evangelical disposition would make us draw nigh to God as a Father in Christ It would remove the great Gulf that is in the way It takes away the partition Wall So that the longer we are kept in discouraging Fears the lesse Fellowship have we with the Father and the Sonne and so the lesse esteem and respect of him who is to create and work all this 4. Would you Rejoyce in this Truth Then Acquaint your selves with the Imperfection of your graces and the insufficiency that is in you even when you have done the best For by this means you will finde that every thing within faileth you Nothing will stand sure enough and thereby you will be necessitated to seek for a Mediatour without Thus Paul Rom. 7. when he discovered all that drosse within himself That when he would do good evil was present with him Yet what doth this drive him to at last I thank God through Jesus Christ And David upon the apprehension of what defects did cleave to him praieth That God would not enter into Judgement for then no flesh should be justified Psa 133. Not any one person in the world because he is flesh Oh there is little cause for any man to bear up his Head though he did ten Thousand times more then he did though he were a Gyant in Grace whereas now he is but a Dwarf because there is so much Imperfection in the best Duty that it needs pardon Not onely our sinnes but our Righteousnesse needs the Righteousnesse of Chtist as you see Paul acknowledged and the Church of old complained comparing them to a menstruous Cloth Isa 64.6 Oh then if thou wert setled in this thou wouldest cry out Christ he is all in all Vse 3. of Invitation Even to great and grievous sinners to bewail their Iniquities and to come in to Christ For even your case is not desperate Seeing we have such a Mediatour if Christ be truely apprehended what he is all our sinnes will be no more to him then the Earth to Heaven It 's a long while ere the Law hath its due efficacy upon many sinners They blesse themselves when God curseth them They acquit themselves when the Law condemneth them But when once their hearts are mastered and they feel the wounds of sinne whether they will or no Then it 's as hard to direct them to this Mediatour Then they think their sinnes greater not onely then they can bear but then Christ can or at least will bear Then the thoughts of the Multitude and bloudy aggravations of them are so great that they see no way but Hell and Damnation before them Oh let such consider what this Mediatour is who is sufficient to save to the uttermost That he is more able to justifie then the first Adam to condemn Let them remember how well-pleasing it is to throw our selves into the Arms of Christ That he will not in any wise cast out those that come to him That he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. But you will say This Truth if preached publiquely will do more hurt then good For the Prophane ungodly Wretch he will go home in the hardnesse of his heart and when he can sinne no longer nor live no longer then he will say Oh it 's good to trust in the Mediatour But first Consider That there is an Order and Method in our Trusting in Christ It 's not the first Duty we are to set upon But as he that would get the Fruit of some Tree must first pull away the Briars or thorns that haply hang in the way So it is here Before thou art called to beleeve in him thou art called to Know thy Self and thy sinnes how wretched and damnable thy Estate is Unto what wrath and vengeance threatned by the Law thou art obnoxious Thou must be lost in thy own self ere Christ will finde thee and further thou art called to have strong desires even as hunger and thirst is after Christ above all worldly and earthly things so that none can bid thee beleeve and as for thy Repentance or thy love to thy sins that is no matter Christ will receive you howsoever And then Secondly As you cannot come to Christ but this Preparation must be made so neither can you keep him as yours but with a constant holy and earnest endeavour to all Godlinesse 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is in Christ is a New Creature and He that is Christs hath mortified the affections of sin Never think the Spirit of Christ will abide with willfull and obstinate wickednesse SERMON XLI Of Praying both for the Godly and the Wicked With the Reasons and Motives thereof JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world IN this Verse we see the End why Christ so largely commended the Faith and Obedience of his Disciples It is to shew that they were such Subjects for whom his Praier was proper and
hast an Interest in Christs Death thou art not only dead to sinne but to the world God forbid that I should glory saith Paul but in the Crosse of Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I to the world Gal. 6.14 Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead Col. 3.2 3. Therefore not onely grosse prophanesse doth exclude from a propriety in Christs Death but an immoderate frame of heart to these lawful things below Indeed if thy overflowing affections to these things be a burthen to thee and matter of daily conflict then it 's plain these immoderate affections are not in a quiet pacifical dominion over thee and so they are the evil thou wouldst not do And then these can never hurt non sensus but consensus nocet But if they do withall delight so possesse thy heart that they quite dead thee to God and heaven Thou sindest no rellish in heavenly things comparatively to the earthly Thou canst say contrary to David when thy Wine and Oyle encreaseth thou hast more joy then those that trust in God Psal 4. Then art thou to fear Christs Death and his Praier doth not as yet belong to thee Hence it is that the efficacy of Christs death is much discovered in the godly by this twofold Death it works on them a death to sinne and a death to the world Even his Resurrection manifests it self in quickning of us to all holinesse and seeking of those things that are above Let us then see by the effects that Christs Death belongs to thee 3. They that have an Interest in Christs Death they make that an example of all patience and humble Resignation 1 Pet. 2.21 24. Christs Death is not onely efficacious and meritorious but exemplary also So that if the Lord afflict us it is no more then what hath been done to his only Sonne already Though he were a Sonne yet he learned Obedience saith the Scripture by those sufferings Heb. 5 6. Now then behold Christ in all his sufferings when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not What threatnings might not Christ have denounced against the Jews because they killed him who was the Prince of glory and so dear to his Father but he is like a Lamb that opens not his mouth before the shearer or the killer Oh then how should this shame us for our unruly passions for our impatient workings and commotions of soul Oh silence thy Soul saying Did Christ bear his afflictions no otherwise Did Christ refuse the bitter cup that was given him to drink Did he not say Not my will but thy will be done 4. He that hath advantage by Christs Death looks upon the bitternesse and uglinesse of sinne as being so foul that nothing but the bloud of Christ could wash it away The very thoughts of Christs Death presently makes him say Oh the cursed and foul nature of all sinne Neither men nor Angels could take away the spot of it but only Christs Death Wicked men therefore they are said to trample under feet the bloud of Christ Heb. 10. Because they have not those right precious thoughts about it as they ought to have Though the bloud of Christ speaks better things then that of Abel yet it doth in some respects speak more terrible things because by that we see how infinitely God is displeased with sinne how unsatisfied his justice was till such an atonement was made So that if we look into hell if we behold all the torments and miseries there it doth not so fully represent the foul guilt of sinne as Christ crucified on the Crosse sweating drops of bloud and crying out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me 5. They that shall have advantage by Christs Death they are infinitely affected with that love of God and Christ therein As you see in Paul That love of Christ giving himself for us sinners and enemies to be reconciled thereby to God Oh how mightily did it constrain Paul 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us holds us in an extasie working on us as the Spirit did on the Prophets in their illuminations and prophesies And why so Because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead To consider from what a dying damning estate Christs Death doth free us must needs be like fire burning and inflaming a man all over If we had not been desperately dead dead every way dead in sin dead in guilt dead in respect of all earthly hope Christ would not have died for us Oh then the unspeakable affections and enlargements which the Death of Christ works in those that have a propriety therein 6. They that have a propriety in Christs Death will resign all they have up unto Christ and now live no longer to themselves or to worldly motives but unto Christ Rom. 6.10 11. 1 Pet 2.24 so 1 Cor. 6.20 the Apostle urgeth because we are bought with a price therefore we are none of our own and we should glorifie God in soul and body He then that can claim a Title to Christs Death looks not upon his body his estate his health his parts the faculties and affections of his soul as his own his love is not his anger is not Oh how rare then are they who may urge this Argument Christ died Christ was crucified for me for unlesse thou art a redeemed man and that from thy self and all creatures in the world to live wholly to Christ and to resigne all up to him here is little hope for thee Observe then these qualifications and if upon true search they can be found in thee then proceed to make an application of all those glorious priviledges that come by Christs death Fear not let not the devil or thy own guilty heart keep thee off from tasting yea eating abundantly of this honey Hearken what Christ speaks to his Church concerning priviledges and gracious favours Cant. 5.1 Eat O Friends drink â—ea drink abundantly And 1. Those that can pleade Christs Death may also pleade his Resurrection Intercession and whatsoever glorious actions of his are done for his people If Christ died for thee he rose again for thee he interceded in heaven for thee When thou saiest he is an Advocate to pleade thy cause Rom 8. It 's Christ that died who is risen again so that the Death of Christ is the foundation of all his other gracious acts Hence it is that the remission of our sins is attributed to the shedding of his bloud The atonement of our iniquities is given unto his death because in it he did manifest the greatest obedience unto the will of God and the lowest humiliation of himself for us Phil. 2. If then thou hast a propriety in the death of Christ Christ hath done the utmost for thee even to die for thee You see that put him upon the greatest struglings and agonies if he would have refused in any thing it would
flying Roll that had curses written on it within and without This is proved by the Parable of the Talents where he that had but one was not pardoned but must give an account and for his negligence be condemned Now by a Talent is meant every thing that a man is betrusted with thereby to glorifie God and it 's called a Talent because of the high price and worth that is in every the least opportunity we have to serve God Oh then let all Superiors tremble at this how great and unexpected will thy account be If thou hast endeavoured to be good thy self and holy yet if thou hast not attended to have holy Children and an holy Family thy Condemnation will be exceeding great Think not to say with Cain Am I my Brethrens Keeper What have I to do with others I am no Preacher or Minister for in that thou hast a trust thou shalt give an account of thy godly improving of it 3. All those sinnes that Inferiors do commit for want of thy care and instruction will be thy sinnes and thou wilt be the cause of their damnation That Rule in morality is also true in Divinity qui non dat vitam aufert Ezechiel must be judged guilty of the Israelites sinnes and God will require their bloud at his hands if he do not his duty to them Eze. 3.18 And therefore Paul protested he was free from their bloud because he had made known all the Counsell of God Act. 20.26 Who then will be able to stand under this burthen Hast thou not sinnes of thy own but thou must have thy Childrens sinnes thy Servants sins also to lie upon thy back as an heavy burthen Will Christ at the day of Judgement condemn men because his poor Members were sick and they visited them not They were hungry and they fed them not And will he not much rather be provoked because there have been sick sinful wicked persons under thy care drunkards and thou didst not admonish Swearers and thou didst not frown on them Shall God make Inquisition for the bloud of the body upon Murderers And will he not for the bloud of Souls Shall Abel though dead speak and cry Vengeance and shall not Children Servants Inferiours damned in hell cry out saying It was the negligence the prophanesse of my Superiors that hath brought me hither Were not men stones and Rocks these Considerations would make them melt and tremble Vse of Exhortation to Governours especially Parents and Masters Take our Saviours example here and follow it see his care was that his Disciples might not sinne that they might be kept in all holinesse Oh then blame and condemn thy self saying my thoughts My cares have been to make them rich to provide for them in the world but not at all have I looked to their Souls Do they not lye swear drink Do they not prophane the Sabbath and live dissolutely yet these things are no trouble to thy heart Canst thou say of thy Children as was said of Austin to his Mother Monica It was impossible that a Childe of so many Teares should perish Are thine Children of praiers and tears and careful instruction How many are too like that Woman of Zebedee she comes to Christ with this Petition That her Sons might sit with Christ in his Kingdom one on the right hand and another on the left dreaming of some earthly temporal greatnesse Thus we are apt to think we will provide so much leave such Estates and in the mean while their miserable Souls are undone to all Eternity Be moved hereunto because 1. This is the greatest love and charity to them You cannot discover greater compassion then by taking care of their Souls Their Souls are more worth then all the world how highly did Christ esteem of Souls when he came into the world and endured all that misery for Souls only He died only to make them blessed 2. Consider that thy evil example who art a Governour doth encourage and embolden Inferiours in their wickednesse They are the more obstinate because thou shewest no dislike no frowns on them they think they have cause to sinne then It 's well observed by Lactantius speaking of this particular about Example The nature of man is proclive to all vice and would seem not only cum veniâ but ratione peccare and this they never do more pleade then when their Superiours are such as act Wickednesse or else doe countenance it 3. Be moved hereunto from the Certainty of the Souls good and uncertainty of all worldly things When thou hast consumed thy self in thoughts and cares about thy Children Solomons Observation will hold true Who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a Fool thou hast laboured for Eccl. 2.19 But now if he hath been instructed in the fear of God This will abide to all Eternity In the next place we come to the Compellation Holy Father From that attribute given to God he is an holy Father and so being a Fountain of all holinesse may easily communicate it to others Obs That God is an holy God and so able to make others holy For we are not to consider of this Attribute meerly as a glorious property in God but to improve it for our good that we also might be made holy This glorious Attribute Isa 6. the Angels of all others do single out and with great â—cclamation praise God saying Holy Holy Holy Yea this is the only Attribute we are to imitate Be ye holy as I am holy not be omnipotent as I am Now God is holy several waies And first He is essentially holy his holinesse and his nature are not two things as it is in Angels and men In this sense Christ said None is good but God God is a pure act and so whatsoever is in God is God His holinesse therefore is not only in that he worketh all things holily but his very nature is holy Hence God is called Jehovah and I AM Exod. 3.14 because what he is he is essentially and therefore seeing his nature is incomprehensible so is his holinesse Seeing we are never able to define what he is so neither can we what his holinesse is Quicquid de Deo dici potest eo ipso indignum est quia dici potest Our dwarfish Nature cannot measure these Pyramides Our shell cannot contain this Ocean Though Astronomers by their Instruments guesse at the magnitude of the Sun yet we cannot reach unto the greatnesse either of Gods Nature or his Attributes Secondly He is not onely essentially holy but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and oppositely holy to those false Gods mans corruption hath set up and in opposition to the Devils who are called unclean spirits Hence he is often stiled the Holy One of Israel because they only worshiped the true God Those ancient Christian Writers Arnobius Austin and others who wrote in defence of the Christian Religion did convince Heathens of their Impiety by worshiping such for gods
Reformed Church by all which we see the necessity of Christs Praier for Unity There being such corruptions in our hearts and Satan so busie to make differences and dissentions That though Legions of Devils can agree to be in one man yet he will not suffer two Doctors to agree in one Church 2. The Unity that the Officers of Gods Church ought to have consists in these things 1. Vnity of Faith That they beleeve the same doctrine called therefore Eph. 4 5. One Faith And 1 Cor. 3. There is no other Foundation but one even the Lord Christ And indeed this must be the ground of all other Unity when the Papists would make Unity a note of the true Church We say Unity without true Doctrine is but a Faction a Conspiracy The Turks have Unity The Jews have Unity but yet because they have not the true Doctrine it 's not true peace and concord So that true Doctrine that is the Soul the fountain and the root of all 2. A second Unity is in the same Confession and acknowledgement of Faith and that in the samâ— words and truly this is very desirable not only to hold the same doctrinal Points but the same words also for new words bring in new Doctrines Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 pressing for Unity doth not only exhort them to be of the same minde and judgement but to speak the same thing 2 Tim. 1.13 Timothy is exhorted to hold fast the form of sound words Though they be but words and a Form yet he must hold them fast and this made the ancient Church so tenacious of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by that all heretical Opinions were excluded It 's a remarkable expression Luk. 1. God is said to speak by the month of all the holy Prophets Though they were many yet it 's mouth not mouths They had all but one mouth and spake the same thing Thus it ought to be but one mouth of all the Ministers of the Gospel to beleeve We are to know what all Teacheth by what one Teacheth 3. There must be Vnity of affection and hearts as Act. 1. In the beginning of the Churches encrease their Unity of affection is greatly commended ver 14. They continued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also Act. 2.1.46 especially Act. 4.32 The multitude of Beleevers were of one heart and of one soul Though a multitude yet they had but one soul one heart Thus you see what kinde of Unity there ought to be among the Ministers of the Gospel In the next place let us Consider the Grounds why it 's such a mercy to have Unity amongst Church-Officers 1. Because fortitude and strength is in Vnity Vis unita fortior A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand saith our Saviour When one peice of the Wall divides from the other it foretels ruine As that Heathen to his Sonnes giving them a Quiver of Arrows intimating thereby as long as they agreed they were invincible All the united power of the Church is little enough against their common enemies and shall they weaken themselves 2. As Unity strengthens so it opposeth the Enemy more successefully which is the devil and all his Instruments What is there that the Popish adversary doth more insult with then to upbraid with the divers Sects that are among the Protestants for although we can retort and tell them of their divisions and that in fundamental Points yet it is our shame and grief that such a charge is in some measure true though not in that height the Adversaries do revile for none of the Reformed differ in Fundamentals As for the Socinians though they do vehemently oppose Popery yet we take not them to be of the Reformed Church who overthrow the Foundations of our Christian Religion But this is certain The Protestant differences give advantage to the Papists thereby they gain upon unsetled persons Look you say they they have no certainty among themselves They know not where to stay The Lutheran spirit judgeth the Calvinisticall diabolicall And thus unconstant inconsiderate persons look upon this as a great Argument against the Truth whereas even in the Apostles times the Church of God had sad divisions amongst themselves as 1 Cor. 3. Oh then let us bewail the corruption of the best that they should be so far transported with passion as to neglect the Truths of God by giving advantage to the common adversary 3. Unity is of great consequence amongst the Ministers of the Gospel because their divisions breed divisions amongst the people The differences of Teachers breed irreconcilable distractions amongst people as if the Heavens should be confused in their motions it would distract and destroy sublunary things We see in the Church of Corinth when the Teachers were divided what divisions also were there amongst the people some for Paul and some for Apollo 4. Pray to God for Unity among Church-Officers because their Controversies bring a main neglect of the chief work of their Ministery which is to come out and to build up souls in heavens way This is the end why God hath called us now when we fall out with one another and set up Opinion against Opinion The work of the Ministry is much retarded Hence the Apostle enjoyneth Timothy to fly such disputations and quarellings as are unprofitable because they fret away godlinesse and are like thorns and nettles among the Corn hindring the growth thereof 5. Unity is to be desired because this agreeth with their office and call They preach the Gospel of peace and God is the God of peace Christ is the Prince of peace and Col. 3. he is our peace reconciling all things Why then should the Ministers tongue be a tongue of war as if they were Priests to Bellona rather then the Ministers of the Gospel So that if all these grounds be considered we may well pray with our Saviour Lord make the Ministers of the Gospel as one man for divâ—sions as Jerom said are amicorum dispendia inimicorum compendia and publica divinae irae incendia In the next place what are the Causes you may say that may make the Ministers of the Gospel thus to dissent And 1. In the general It 's corruption and sin which lurketh in the hearts of all So that it 's more to be wished for then expected for to have Jerusalem a City compact within it self Never expect in this world to see such a time wherein the Ministers of the Gospel shall have one Faith one heart one mouth This is reserved for Heaven where there will be no difference of Calvinists and Lutherans of several forms of Church-government The Church of God hath alwaies been on fire only as when an house is on fire some cry for water some for Ladders some to pull down the House so some have cried for more moderate means some for fierce and vehement 2. Corrupt affections of pride ambition and covetousness These things are charged upon the false Teachers
as those Spies did of the Land of Canaan saying It 's impossible for any man ever to come thither and with the Disciples to say Who then can be saved but with God nothing is impossible To open this Doctrine consider that there is a fourfold principle which is operative to the conservation of the believers First There is an inward vital and vivifical principle of grace abiding in the godly which will never fail Not but that of it self it would as in Adam and Angels but as God could confirm and establish the grace of Angels that it never shall perish so doth God that supernatural principle of holiness put into his people 1 John 3.8 He that is born of God he neither doth sinne or can sinne viz. so as to be given up wholly to it and that because the seed of God abideth in him Though there be different thoughts about this seed what it is I do now suppose it to be that inward principle of supernatural life from whence all gracious operations do flow This God hath set in the heart and inward parts of his people never to be rooted out Thus John 4 14. The believer is said to have in him a well of water springing up to eternal life Here is a fountain that cannot be dried up Therefore it 's said He shall never thirst more viz. with a thirst of a total indigence and want Even in the greatest deficiencies and barrenness of Gods people there hath been sap in the root when the branches seemed dead A second principle thus conserving is That daily help of grace quickning and corroborating the soul in all holinesse The former grace is permanent and habitual this transien t actual and by way of motion This latter doth compleat and actuate the former For as it 's not enough to have a naturall life unlesse there be a further concourse of God by which we actually move and stirre So in our supernatural life it 's not enough to have that principle of life infused but we are to receive the daily impressions and powerfull quicknings of his holy Spirit and this is to have both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posse and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari the will and the deed These are the two internal principles of our conservation for the Lord Christ doth not keep us immediately but by means in a subordinate manner In the next place there is a two-fold principle extrinsecal of our preservation And The first is Our Election that is the fountain of all our perseverance This is the first round in that ladder by which we ascend to Heaven Rom. 8. It 's from Predestination that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Rom. 11. It 's Election hath obtained that elected remnant shall never perish and thus in this prayer of our Saviours all security of the godly it 's because the Father had given them to Christ viz. by Election as the root and source of all their good This is so cogent a truth that many who hold a falling away from true grace do yet maintain That no Elect man can ever perish finally because then God should be frustrated of his purpose and the counsel of man should make void the counsell of God This Election of God is the vivificall cause of all Preservation As by this they were Called and Converted from a state of sinne Election did bring them in so the same Election when they are Converted doth protect and keep them if they fall doth raise and repair them whereby they safely at last arrive at Eternity so that their Perseverance is not a merit or reward of their former holinesse but it 's a free gift of God and an effect of Election as their effectual Vocation was The second externall Principle is The Covenant and Promise of God made in Christ to the Godly So that the Covenant of Grace being confirmed by Christs death In whom the Promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 being among other glorious ends to perpetuate and continue the work of Grace in them it 's impossible that hell or the world should quite put them out of the way to Heaven Jerem. 32.40 God there promiseth an Everlasting Covenant a Covenant that shall abide for ever And what is the Priviledge vouchsafed in that Deed of Gift It 's the putting his fear in their heart that they shall not depart from him You see by this notable place That it 's not we our selves but God who keepeth us and for this we have his Promise So that the godly may triumph in an holy Confidence because of it Many other Promises that are branches of this Covenant the Scripture declareth which should be sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb For what can be more precious to hear then that God will safely preserve thee in the way to Heaven so that no fraud or force without nor any lust or corruption within shall hinder thee of the Crown of Glory Isai 40.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength c. God in the verse before is said Himself not to faint or to be weary Though he created the Earth and doth still preserve it yet he is not weary and because he is thus he will make his people so They in themselves may be fainting and weary but he will renew strength And he illustrateth this from natural strength Though young men in their full strength may be weary yet these shall not And again he compareth their strength to the Eagle that mounteth up with wings to the Heaven and is not weary Thus God will enable the godly soul Though they runne or walk they shall not be weary What a reviving place should this be to the dead dull and languishing believer Why do I lie groveling on the ground Let me flie up to Heaven like an Eagle We have also a remarkable Promise of Divine Protection Isai 4.5 6. where God by two similitudes doth notably declare it First by an allusion to that wonderfull Preservation of the people of Israel It was not enough that God had brought them out of Aegypt they would have perished for all that without his Protection Therefore we may reade the History Exod. 13. how God created a directive Protection for them both by day and night In the day time there was a Cloud and smoak and a shining flaming fire by night Thus God promiseth he will do upon every dwelling-place in Zion and upon her Assemblies by these are figured the several Churches that are assembled to serve God For upon all the Glory shall be a defence By Glory is meant the Ark which is here made a Type of Gods people and they may be called Gods Glory both because they glory in God and God is glorified by them So that the meaning is Look what care and defence God did once show to the Israelites to preserve them from
wayes 1. He was a sonne of Perdition 2. There was a prediction of this in Scripture and that must be fullfilled Again This may not be brought onely to answer an Objection but by way of Consolation to the Apostles and Confirmation of them who could not but be much scandalized upon Judas his hainous betraying of Christ Therefore this is spoken to forewarn them that they may not be offended when it cometh to passe The opening of the words doth deserve much diligence because at the first view they seem to carry as if one of those who are elected may perish and that Judas is one excepted from among the chosen ones and this place is much urged by those that deny any absolute election Therefore to inform your judgments let us take notice of these three things 1. Why Judas is called a son of perdition 2. Why he is said to be already perished when as yet he had not destroyed himself nor was in hell 3. Whether that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be exceptive or adversative For the first Why Judas is called a sonne of perdition this is an Hebraism for among many other usages of the word Ben or Bath they particularly use it in two cases first when they would expresse one that is given or much versed in such a way they call him the sonne of that Thus Deut. 3 8. 2 Sam. 2.7 The sonnes of strength are strong men The sonnes of Belial Deut. 13.13 are such as wickedly bent themselves to break the Law of God and thus we have the children of light and the children of wisdom the children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 2. When the Genitive case signifieth a punishment or reward thus it useth the word sonne and signifieth some desert or fitness for that thing Thus 1 Sam. 20.31 a sonne of death is one that deserveth to die Deut. 25.2 a son of percussions is one that deserveth to be scourged and Ephes 2.3 Children of wrath are such as deserve it and thus it is here Judas is called a sonne of perdition both because he did wilfully give himself up to such sinnes as did destroy him and because he did deserve it by his perfidiousnesse Some indeed take the word perdition actively as if he were called the sonne of perdition because he did seek to destroy Christ as the Devil is called Apollyon because of his endeavour to damn men but that seemeth not so proper Three things therefore are implied in this phrase a son of perdition First The Event and end which will certainly befall him he shall be destroyed Secondly His sinne or guilt whereby he deserveth such perdition Even as Antichrist 2 Thess 2.3 is called the sonne of perdition and the man of sinne the sonne of perdition there is the end a man of sinne there is the cause because he is a man of sinne he must be a sonne of perdition and thus it is with Judas Thirdly There is a further thing in this and that is Gods appointing and ordaining of Judas to this destruction not that the cause or blame is to be laid upon this predestination but upon Judas only God ordained him for his sinnes to this perdition Even as Jude v. 4. it is said of some That they were of old ordained to judgement The like is 1 Pet. 2.8 Rom. 9.17 The second Question is Why is Judas said to be already perished seeing he had not yet hung himself nor were his bowels gushed out and he gone to his proper place The Answer is 1. Because the initials of condemnation were already begun in him according to that John 3. He that believeth not is already judged And then 2. Because this was but immediately before his perdition even as Christ said I am not of the world because he was immediately to leave it Thirdly How are we to understand this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the son of perdition Some say that it 's an exceptive particle and therefore answer That our Saviour speaks thus of Judas as if he were an elect person because in all mens judgements he did appear to be so as yet Thus Zanchy and Calvin Our Saviour indeed speaketh saith he improperly as to the Grammar but consonantly enough to the ordinary custom of men who speak of a thing appearing to be so as if it were so Others they understand this giving Of which none is perished but Judas not of giving by Election but to the Apostleship and by way of Office in which sense our Saviour said Have I not chosen twelve and one of you is a devil He doth not there speak of an eternal Election but a temporal one to the Apostolical Office But because all along in this Chapter Those that are given to Christ are said to have eternal life and to be given out of the world we understand it of eternal Election in which sense it 's plainly said Judas was now elected John 13.18 I speak not of you all viz. that you shall be happy I know whom I have chosen Therefore the answer is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not by way of exception but opposition not as if Judas were one excepted of those given to Christ and perished but the contrary None is perished but he who was never given and therefore is a Sonne of perdition Thus the words are used Mat. 24 36. Of that day knoweth no man no nor the Angels of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Father only where it is not exceptive for then the Father should be in the number men or Angels but by way of opposition So Revel 21.27 There shall not enter into it any unclean thing or that makes a lie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but those that are written in the book of the Lamb where it cannot be exceptive for then those written in that book should be in the number of those that make a lie or are unclean One place more may be added Revel 9.4 where the Locusts are commanded not to hurt the grass or trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but only those men which have not the Seal of God on their foreheads and that it must be so understood here is plain because John 6.36 it 's expresly said None that are given to him shall ever perish Thus Latine Criticks observe that the word nisi used in this place by the vulgar is sometimes in Tully and Terence with other good Authours for sed The words thus explained Observe That there are some persons that are wilfully set to destroy and damn themselves though they have never so many excellent remedies and means to the contrary Thus Judas though called to be an Apostle though endowed with gifts to work miraracles though in the constant Communion with Christ seeing his holy life and hearing his heavenly Doctrine yet is not moved by all this but wilfully and obstinately goeth on in wayes of self-perdition yea though our Saviour had immediately before washed all their feet Judas his feet as
Isa 6. called a fat heart from Cattell that doe grow fat in Fruitfull Pastures But above all places there is one more remarkable Eccles 8.11 Because Sentence is not speedily executed against the sinner Therefore the heart of the Sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill Fully set There is nothing can divert them they are resolved come hell and come devils they will have their way 6. Hypocrisie or a deceitfull pretending to matters of Religion when yet at the same time their hearts are carnal vile and unsanctified this was the Case of Iudas he never from the beginning did truly love Christ or in a saving way beleeve in Christ as appeaseth Ioh. 6.64 It 's true his hypocrisie was the more wonderful because they left all and followed Christ They were exposed to all hardship and hatred from the world who would not think that only pure ends had moved Iudas but yet you see that even in the poor and low way Christ was in yet Iudas could have false ends and there were temptations to draw out his carnal worldly heart whether he was a convinced hypocrite that lived in sins against conscience at first is hard to say But after he became the Bag-bearer and did daily steal from that publike stock which Christ had for the maintenance of himself and his Apostles then no doubt but he knew he did not walk uprightly and so was a grosse hypocrite Now this hypocrisie all along he discovers especially Mat. 26.7 in this History of Mary who anointed Christs feet with precious Oyntment at a dear rate Iudas murmured at this Iohn the Evangelist mentioneth him only â—e other make all the Apostles to murmure but either it is an Eâ—allage the plural for the singular number or else Iudas was the beginning of the Sedition he was Ringleader and put others on it But in this complaint of this See how speciously and religiously be covered his wickednesse Ad quid perditio haec saith this Son of perdition It might have been sold and given to the poor This he said saith the Evangelist not that he cared for the poor but because he was a Theef If all that had been put into the bagge he could have stolen from it and so enriched himself This was his hypocrisie Another instance is when he had agreed with the Priests about betraying of Christ his Master he comes and kisses him with an Hail Master this which appeared such an obsequious expression of love was made the very sign by which they should lay hold on Jesus and carry him away It is true some of the Ancients have much excused Iudas as if he intended only to cheat the High-Priests of their money because he thought that Christ could escape out of their hands as soon as he was apprehended for Iudas had observed before that when the people took him and intended to throw him down the Hill that he did in a strange miraculous manner convey himself from them but this cannot be for our Saviour had informed them that he must die though as yet his hour was not come that one of them should betray him and that Iudas was earnest and reall in this Treachery appeareth by this expression Whom I shall kisse that is he take him and leade him away diligently as fearing Christ might have escaped them or as it is translated Mat. 26.46 Hold him fast Thus in his most devilish actions he hath fair pretences and under this Visor perpetrares his abominations in like manner Absalom when he was upon that Treacherous design of unnatural rebellion against his Father he pretends a Vow and Piety to perform it Thus that cruell bloudy and deceitful Doeg on whom David acted by Gods Spirit doth pronounce so solemn Curses yet it is said of him 1 Sam. 29.7 He was detained before the Lord Though he was upon some speciall Vow or otherwise serving of God yet he could even then take occasion to inform Saul against David and be the cause of the death of many innocent Priests of the Lord and the Pharisees were so hypocritically Religious that they would not enter into Pilates house lest they should defile themselves when yet they could crucifie Christ Thus when men can harden themselves as they think to cosen God and men no wonder if they fall into perdition Lastly Men who become Sons of Perdition are such as willfully despair of Gods mercy and conclude there is no hope for them Iudas had committed grievous sinnes especially in betraying innocent bloud but his despair at last was worse then all the rest Even that bloud he had shed would have washed away that grievous sinne of shedding it had he by Faith sprinkled himself with it What made Cain so desperately continue in rebellion as was against God though with constant trembling upon him it was his despair My sins are greater then I can bear Thus as the devil when he possessed some bodies threw them in the fire and water so when he doth the soul by despair he violently hurleth them into hell Thus you have heard the inward cause of selfâ—destroiers there are some outward causes mentioned in the Scripture And they are 1. Evil and wicked company Men imboldened in sinne labour to make others so As Joab said to the young man that trembled to runne his Spear into Absalom Fear not saith he have not I loved thee Thus such great Ones such rich Ones or such a multitude they bid thee doe thus Why then shouldst thou regard what Ministers or the Scripture saith Art thou so foolish and precise to be awed with such things Thus Prov. 1. Old hardened sinners are brought in enticing the young man to be one of their company 2. When Satan takes greater hold and possession of men then formerly Thus he driveth them to hell that as you reade the devil entred into some Swine and threw them headlong into the Sea Thus he possessth some men and throweth them as violently into hell Judas before he sets upon this Treachery is said Joh. 13.27 Satan entred into him he entred into him and took full possession of his Soul Thus before Ananias and Saphira did in so horrible a manner lye and dissemble it 's said Act. 5.3 Satan had filled their heart and thus the Jews are said to be of their Father the devil There is a generation of men that have by way of curse the devil often in their mouths but he is much more in their hearts and such men none can stop from hell Lastly God by a just and severe judgement withdraweth or denieth all mollifying and softening grace to some men for their former sinnes and when thus left by God they are in a sencelss stupid and impudent estate of sinning Thus Pharaoh was left by God and then he was so hardned that no Miracles did him any good Vse of Instruction Marvell not if such desperate mad men live amongst you though they come to Church though they hear never
he did believe Christ was God as well as man How could he come into Christs presence and not think Christ knoweth my falshood my theft and all my secret wickednesse 3. His sinne stayeth not here but it swelleth into an higher nature He will not onely steal in petty things but he proceeds to betray his Lord and Master and that for a contemptible price He grudged not long before because of the morsell he lost the price of that precious ointment which was poured on Christ that was esteemed worth three hundred pence Therefore to make up this losse he negotiates to betray his Master for thirty pieces of silver His readinesse and greedinesse herein is observed by the Evanglist Mat. 26.14 Then one of the twelve went to the chief Priests then when he saw he had lost that booty his covetous wretched heart seems to make up this another way Again He went to the chief Priests he bespeaks them first they did not send for him they thought not of this way but he proffers himself and he went to the chief Priests his known enemies that he saw had all along endeavoured to kill him Further his wickednesse appeareth in asking What will you give me and I will deliver him unto you He pretends no reason no cause as the chief Priests did That he was an enemy to Caesar that he taught contrary to their law and customs so that herein Judas sin did more grievously then they And lastly Covenants for thirty pieces of silver a poor contemptible price all this is done by one that was formerly an eminent Apostle 4. When he had thus consummated his wickednesse though admonished by our Saviour though plainly told He was the man Matth. 16.25 Then in stead of a godly repentance he fals into a dreadfull despair of Gods mercy and Christs love This was to put a talent of lead upon the Ephah as the Prophet Zachary expresseth it Zach. 5.8 This despair was greater then all his former sinnes and observe how that all the while Judas was plotting and contriving his wickedness his conscience never troubleth him he could live a long time in thieving and stealing and commit abominable sins and his heart never trembles Though he heard our Saviour say Woe be to him that should betray him it had been better he had never been born yet he can boldly go on yea though Judas was in the head of a band of men to take Christ John 18.3 5 6. and as soon as Christ said I am he such glory and terrour came from him that immediatly they fell to the ground yet at this terrible passage his conscience doth not work but at last his conscience biteth like an Adder and stings like a Serpent Hearken to this all you who commit sin with jollity and security you care not you fear not what the Ministers of God threaten you with you can eat and drink and rise up to play so could Judas for a while but at last he crieth out I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Oh take heed as jolly and as bold as thou art for the present lest in this life or to come thou criest out Oh I have sinned I have damned my Soul yea I have betrayed Christ For every wicked man is a Judas Whosoever will part with Christ for his sinnes for the world he is a Judas This sonne of perdition doth thus roar within that he hath no comfort no quietnesse then first he goeth to the chief Priests crieth out of his sin and throweth them the thirty pieces again Here you see A man may cry out and weep for his sins and make some satisfaction and yet not for all that truly repent Even this son of perdition bewaileth his sins and crieth out of them Further see what little good this thirty pieces did him he that studied and plotted to betray his Master to have them he cannot keep them he vomitteth them up Thus it will be with every wicked man that to get dishonest gain lieth stealeth forsweareth himself Oh with what pain and torment with what torture in thy bowels wilt thou vomit up all again Lastly His torments are so exquisite that for fear of hell he throweth himself into hell He departed when he threw away those thirty pieces of silver and went and hanged himself Matth. 27 5. Some learned men say he did not hang himself because the Greek word may be rendered as well He was suffocated and choaked They say God raised up a swelling in his throat upon his perfidiousnesse which immediatly killed him it must be so say they because Act. 1.18 it 's said He fell head-long and his bowels gushed out now how could that be if he hanged himself But it 's answered That though he hang'd himself yet at last he fell down and in his fall his bowels gushed Thus he who had no bowels to an innocent Christ his bowels gush out The Greek word is used of Achitophel by the Septuagint and although the same Authors say that he also did not hang himself but God immediatly struck him with such a swelling in his throat yet that cannot be because it 's said He set his house in order before he did it whereas if it had been a sudden judgement inflicted on him he not expecting it Why should he set his house in order From this dreadfull instance and terrible end of Judas let all take heed Oh let this sonne of perdition make you children of salvation What he would have written upon his Sepulchre think Judas saith to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever looketh on me let him be godly Oh let his worldlinesse his secret sinnes his hypocrisie make thee upright and full of integrity Is there a more terrible example in all the Scripture then this SERMON LXXI Of the Son of Perdition JOH 17.11 But the Son of Perdition WE have not yet sucked all the honey out of this honey-comb Not observed all the practicall matter which is deducible from this sad Instance He may be a pillar of Salt to season us As the people stood still gazing and amazed at Asahell wallowing in his bloud so may we with fear and trembling behold this Son of Perdition We may be admonished not only by good Examples but bad Judas his Perdition is a spiritual Anatomy-Lecture for us to look to our selves and to take heed of such Diseases that may endanger us which did him The Third Observation shall be from the Consideration of this Son of Perdition in the respective condition he was in He is in the company of the Apostles yet not truly of them a Jay among the Doves a Wolf amongst the Sheep yet though such an one prove deceitfull and an Apostate we are not to condemn Christ and his Apostles we are not to censure them as all of the same temper Obs That we are not to condemn the way of Religion and Religious persons though some amongst them prove scandalous and deceitfull Would it not
fall out casually but by the wise ordering providence of God 3. This may be brought in to prevent any such errour as might be gathered from our Saviours words as if some of the Elect persons might perish No saith our Saviour he was none of them The Scripture a long while agoe had pronounced fearful curses against him Now to understand this Consider these things First That the Scriptures which do most palpably thus foretell Judas his perdition are Psa 41.10 applied Joh. 13.8 Psa 69.26 Psa 109.8 applied Act. 1.20 Here you see are clear evident places containing a Prediction of what would befal Judas David speaks by way of bitter Imprecation against his implacable and crafty Enemies who set against God and his cause in him and this was a Type of Judas Indeed Junius relateth this passage in the Text not only to Judas his perdition but also to all those severall places of Scripture which speak of Christ and his office in saving of his people but that seemeth not so accomodated to the Context 2. These words are not spoken to take off the cause of perdition from Judas and to lay it upon the Scripture or Gods prevision but only as you heard to prevent the offence the Disciples might take Therefore Calvin saith well that the Scriptures meer prediction is not the cause of an Event Neither did Judas perish because the Scripture said so Indeed no predictions whether divine or humane as Astronomicall politicall c. are the causes of any Event Things are not therefore because foretold but they are foretold because future This is true of prediction or prevision meerly as so not including preordination in it Hence 3. The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is taken two waies in Scripture sometimes denoting a cause Sometimes an Event only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Learned instance in many places Now here they make it to signifie the Event only that the sence amounts to thus much when Judas had betraied his Master and perished in that wickednesse then were those places of Scripture fulfilled The Scriptures did not force or compell him but when he had accomplished his impieties then was the Scripture fullfilled Indeed Tolet makes it to be causall and Maldonate causall apparently but not really Jansenius grants it may be causall not in respect of Judas his sinne but the end why God permitted all this Lastly Though Gods prevision and the Scriptures prediction be not simply the cause of any thing future yet because Gods prevision is never without his pre-ordination and that though wicked men are justly damned for their sins yet all these things fall not out without some antecedent Decrees of God Therefore we must understand this place as taking in Judas his Reprobation also Obs That so many contrary things to a Beleevers Expectation may fall out in matters of Religion that did not the Scripture foretell them we should be greatly offended This hypocrisie of Iudas was so hainous and monstrous that had not Christ forewarned them out of the Scripture it had been enough to make them stagger and reel To think there was no such thing as Truth of Grace and Uprightnesse To cry out as he did observing the deceitful waies of the world O Vertue I thought thou hadst been some reall thing but now I finde thee to be a meer sound of words c. What if one of the Apostles be thus false then surely there is no Truth or Religion in the world It hath alwaies been thus in the Church of God such passages have fallen out beyond a godly mans expectation that sometimes with David they have been ready to say It 's a vain thing to be godly they have doubted about God and his Word and all hath been because they have not diligently considered that this is no more then the Scripture hath spoken of Let us Consider some particulars so hardly concocted without Scripture-Information And first That the way of Christ should have so much opposition and persecution in the world Did not a man Consider that every Page almost of the Scripture foretels this it would be enough to dishearten him Mat. 10. â—3 there and in many other places Christ foretels their portion in this world They shall be haâ—ed that is the highest degree of mens spirits against them which rests in nothing but the utter destruction of those that are hated Joh. 15.18 There also are serious Informations against this offence that might be taken at Christs way and indeed by that passage it is a Sect that is every where spoken against Act. 26.22 It seemeth many were disheartened it was enough to keep a man off if it were said None in the world likes this you will be the Object of every mans scorn and derision and is it not the great Temptation still in Heavens way that so many troubles do abide those that will live godly They cannot bend and turn their Consciences as the world would have them They must oppose and discountenance sinne though it be never so advantagious and by this contrariety of their works to the works of the world therefore it is they are so much hated Now these things are hardly born a man had need again and again go to the Scripture and inform himself saying This is no more then I reade daily then I am to look for Hence 1 Pet. 4 12. Think it not strange concerning the fiery Triall as if some strange thing happened to you Though the afflictions be never so fierce so terrible yet do not think this any strange matter Say Christianus sum as he did homo nihil Christiani alienum â— me pâ—to I am a Christian and think nothing that may befall a Christian is strange to me Oh thus we would think that the way to heaven should be a pleasant smooth and delight some way That whenever we are in Christs way there should be no Hils or Dales no troublesome passages but we finde the clean contrary and this is a stumbling block to us as David said such things were to him till he went into the Sanctuary of God 2. This is a stumbling block in Religion That some of those who are eminent in the profession of Christ should yet degenerate and turn Hypocrites Heretiques and Apostates Oh these are sad Temptations and cause many weak ones to fall when such pillars prove rotten This was Judasses Case in the Text Better he had never been born even in this respect as well as others that hereby Religion was wounded the souls of many endangered and the Adversaries of Christ more confirmed and made obdurate in their wicked waies Therefore the Scripture foretels such sad things for Heresies that they should break out in the preaching of the Gospel that such Tares should grow up as well as the wheat is again and again spoken of 2 Pet 2.1 2 3. False Teachers shall arise that shall bring in damnable Heresies and though
till at last they put him to death in the most scornfull and reproachfull manner Consid I To open this consider That God out of his great love to mens souls hath appointed a Ministry and Officers in his Church that should be as Embassadours to intreat Reconciliation with God But because there could not be any commerce or communion between God absolutely considered and man fallen therefore the Lord Christ interposed and made peace but that what he had merited and purchased might effectually be applied to such as shall be saved among other instruments he set up Officers in his Church whose whole study and care should be to informe and reforme men So that people do enjoy the Ministers of God upon a two-fold special account First Gods great and special love to them That God hath taken care to send such is more then the creating of a world for you or vouchsafing all the temporal mercies you enjoy Hence it 's so often spoken of 2 Chron. ult and in other places that God sent his Prophets rising up early This is spoken as the great love of God to them And then Consid II The second Foundation of the Ministry is Christs Death and Resurrection his Ascending into Heaven as Ephes 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Pastours and Teachers Oh then how ingratefull and wicked is the world which doth no more regard this love of God and purchase of Christ in the Ministry Hence by the Prophet God promiseth That he would give them Pastours after his own heart Jer. 3.4 Though he feed them with the bread of adversity and drave them into corners Isai 30.20 Hence when God threatens a people with his uttermost wrath it is to remove the Candlestick and to make the Vision cease and to make no Clouds to rain upon them How much would people complain under a drought and want of Rain if for many years together there should not be so much as a Cloud seen But the gracious heart would think the removing of Christs Ministers not onely the taking away of Clouds but of the Sun and Stars in Heaven Secondly God and Christ who are thus the cause of their Office hath appointed them their worke and endowed them with abilities thereunto Their imployment is to publish the Word of God which is two-fold 1. The Word of the Law to convince men of sinne to inform of duty to make them sensible of their undone and damnable estate they are in Thus they are first to be wise Phisicians to detect and discover the disease the danger and cause of it Then secondly There is the Word of the Gospel which are the glad tidings of Gods favour and Reconciliation with those that are humble and contrite before him This is to publish the acceptable year of Jubilee to such as were spiritually indebted and under the thraldome of Gods wrath This is a work in it self absolutely necessary for what doth a sinner more want then these two things the Law in it's use and the Gospel in it's use Men in their temporal necessities respect the Physicians the Lawyers but soul necessities are not apprehended And as the necessity of it is so cogent so the dignity and excellency is admirable As the Soul and Heaven do farre exceed all earthly things so doth this subject all other Consid III Therefore in the third place God and Christ do justly expect that the world should with all gladnesse and obedience receive these his Messengers For shall God purpose so great love and Christ at so dear a rate purchase such Officers and must not the world set open the doors to receive them Shall not they cry Blessed are the feet of such as bring the glad tidings of the Gospel Are they not to be affected as the Galatians once to Paul To pull out their very eyes to serve him Certainly if David did so celebrate Gods goodnesse in creating Heaven and Earth and appointing the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field for mans use much more ought we in this great matter of the Church Consid IV Yet in the fourth place Though so much love be in this Institution and God expects so much thankefulnesse and obedience because of it it may make us tremble to see how little entertainment their Office and work hath in the world We speak not in regard of their outward honour and esteem For as Paul saith so ought we pray men might do no evil though we be accounted as reprebates 2 Cor. ult but we complain of the unsuccessefulnesse of it in respect of the divine operations of it We take up our Saviours complaint That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light John 3. Oh this is that which the Scripture doth so bitterly complain of Who hath believed our report and I told them the wonderfull or great and honourable things of my Law and they accounted them a strange thing Psal 119. This sad usage in the world made Paul cry out That they were the off-scouring of the world worse then the dust of the feet and were made a spectacle to the world and Angels 1 Cor. 4.9 Consid V Fifthly The Devil knowing the excellent end and use of this Office and worke doth by himself and all his instruments oppose it He rageth and the world rageth when this work is set up So that as when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he saw Satan fall like lightning Thus if it were in his power he would have Christ and his Officers be thrown down As they are to destroy his works and dispossess him so he labours to do to them It being thus thou that in the Ministry we may see Gods great love and mans great wickednesse Let us consider the cause why it should thus stirre up the wrath of men that they should be moved like so many hornets And First This work of the Ministry is contrary to the Nature and inclination of the world That as the Sunne is burdensome to the Owl and other night-birds and sweet smels to swinish creatures Thus is the glorious Gospel and the precious favour thereof abominable to corrupt men They can no more love godly and holy preaching then fire and water can agree therefore the more thy heart and tongue is set against it the more thou discoverest that hell which is in the bottome of thy heart Now the true preaching of the Word of God is contrary unto the world in these respects 1. The very nature and frame of their hearts admits not of Christs word till regenerated The old house must be pulled down even with the very foundation of it Thus Jam. 1. God is said to beget by his Word and our Saviour here Sanctifie them by thy truth Now this is directly contrary to mans nature to account all that he is and all that he doth damnable to judge every thing he hath done fit fuell for hell so as to have no comfort in any thing he hath
are of Troubles This is but the deprivation of some limited comfort or particular advantage but sinne depriveth of God the Fountain of all comfort Secondly It 's made an Argument of an Hypocrite and an insincere heart to choose Sinne rather then Affliction To be affected with thy miseries and Troubles earnestly desiring the removing of them rather then the sanctifying of them Job 36.21 Elihu though he erred in the Application yet in the generall urgeth this as a Signe of one not rightly constituted towards God when he bids him Take heed because he had chosen Iniquity rather then affliction We see the ordinary discovery of Hypocrites is to commit any sinne that they may avoid trouble Thus Matth. 15. The temporary Beleever he withereth when the Sunne ariseth to scorch This hath been the great Cause of the Apostacy of so many Thousands when the Evil Day hath come upon them They have not been able to be vilified and reproached and abhorred for Christ and therefore are there so many Exhortations to presevere and to overcome to hold out to the last so that thou canst not discover the rottennesse and the guile and deceit of thy Heart more then by being willing to commit any sinne to avoid thy immanent Dangers and therefore what 〈◊〉 mercy is it when God shall so sanctifie thy heart that in these waters of Afflictions thou canst see a full manifestation of thy Graces In them thou dost perceive how upright and sincere thy Soul is to God That all thy fear is thou maist not offend or displease God Thou dost not so much think of thy own grief and pain as that thou shouldst do any thing to grieve the Spirit of God Thirdly It 's a blessed thing to be kept from the evil of Affliction though not from the affliction Because then we may have the Presence of God and the comfortable enjoyment of him Whereas if we sinne in them we are every waies miserable we have no comfort within and God will give no Comfort without The Scripture speaks of many precious promises to the godly in their Troubles that He will be with them that he will never forsake them insomuch that as their Tribulations abound so the Consolations of God abound much more 2 Cor. 1.3 Now all this is while we are holy and heavenly in afflictions The best part of our life may be that which was in outward exercises David never had more of God neither did his Faith and Holinesse more abound then when tossed up and down with Troubles But oh how sad is it when thou shalt by thy Unbelief distrust and other sinful waies offend God that now thou hast no Comfort within nor any from God who is the God of all Consolation It 's sinne only is the sting of an affliction God and sinne will not be together but God and Afflictions are often together No marvell then if thou art thus to fear sinne more then any trouble because trouble is not trouble if sinne be absent a gracious heart in afflictions hath an Heaven within though it may have an hell without Fourthly It 's happy to be kept from sinne in Affliction because Afflictions are for this End to remove sinne to subdue corruption and to mortifie lusts Thus they are said to work the blessed fruit of Righteousnesse Heb. 12.11 though for a time they seem grievous And God saith It 's the fruit of Jacobs Trouble to purge away his sinne Isa 27.9 Now then If Afflictions and Chastisements be for this end to conquer sinne to make thee more holy Wo be unto thee if they encrease and multiply sinne in thee Think with thy self God layeth these loads upon me to kill my pride my worldly-mindednesse to quicken me up against deadnesse and dulnesse Now how shall I ever behold God if the clean contrary be found in me If Unbelief and Frowardnesse do overcome me Do not then so much matter Affliction as Sinne for Afflictions may be sanctified to thee They may be made happy Instruments of Grace and Holinesse to thy Soul but if sinne be drawn out then the end of afflictions is lost and how shalt thou be helped when that which is to cure thee shall augment thy disease Fifthly It 's happy to be kept from the Evil of an affliction because of the pronenesse of our hearts to be tempted when we are in such provocations Our Saviour supposeth by this Praier that it was a very hard thing to be in the world that doth so annoy and oppose those that are godly and not to be moved one way or other to wickednesse It 's not an easie thing under Tribulations especially if they be long and tedious not to pollute the Soul one way or other You see Job though his Patience be so greatly celebrated and he at the first did so graciously resigne himself into Gods hand yet when his Troubles were continued and sorely oppressing of him then he breaks out into much Impatience and bitter Rebellion against God Hence the Psalmist speaks notably Psalm 125.3 The Rod of the Wicked shall not alwaies rest on the back of the Righteous lest they put forth their hands to Iniquity Here you see there is a very great danger that even a Godly man under constraint and sore Afflictions may be tempted to iniquity may do that which he never thought possible to do yea which will be a continual hell unto him Oh then how comfortable and sweet a thing will it be to come out of thy Afflictions thy Heart not condemning thee for impatience or any sinnefull distemper Sixthly It 's better to be kept from Sinne then from Afflictions Because the latter of these are made to the Godly the Effects of Gods Love Whom I love I chasten saith God Revel 3. And Hebr. 12. If ye he without Chastisement ye are not Sonnes but Bastards But to be left to Sinne and to have thy Strength taken from thee to resist Temptations argueth Gods great anger It 's that way of Displeasure which he useth to Wicked men To give them up to strong Lusts to beleeve a Lye and to have hardened Hearts lest they understand Although we see God may for a while being incensed and provoked leave even the Godly themselves unto the evil of a Temptation Thus Peter was David and Hezechiah were Know then that God frowneth on thee his Anger is gone out against thee when thy afflictions encrease thy sinne God doth not ordinarily do thus to his people but Troubles and Afflictions they are but the Effects of his Love and by them he fitteth and prepareth them to be polished Stones in that Heavenly Jerusalem Vse 1. of Instruction To shew the Vanity of the Spirits even of those who are most holy for who is not taken up with the lesse neglecting the greater In Afflictions is not thy whole Soul spent how to remove them how to be freed from them and how few are thy Thoughts for the Sanctification and Preservation from the Evil of
make it an opposition to Legall Customs For whereas the Priests of the Old Testament being to enter into the Sanctuary did not only first wash their hands and their feet but put on glorious Garments Thus say they Christ prayed that those Apostles whom he was commissionating to preach the Gospel over the whole world might be though not externally sanctified yet internally by a more plentifull and copious enjoyment of the holy Ghost But this is too much restrictive Others there are that understand it finally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanctifi◠them to the Truth that they may be fitted and furnished to publish it Others by truth understand Christ who is the essentiall Truth but the words following demonstrate what is meant by Truth even The word of God So that our Saviours purpose is to informe what is that saving Medium and instituted Organ of our Sanctification even The word of God From hence observe That the word of God made known to us is the instrument of God to our Sanctification It 's by this waters side that a godly man being like a tree planted doth bring forth much fruit Are any lusts too strong for thee Are any corruptions too powerfull This is a two-edged sword to be the death of them Art thou dull cold and lukewarm in matters of Religion This is the fire to inflame thee Art thou fainting and dejected with divers temptations This is the Apothecaries-shop that hath all kinde of refreshments for thee no disease but may be cured no doubt but may be answered Hence the Scripture is commended unto us 2 Tim. 3.16 for that which is profitable to instruction correction so as to make a man of God much more a private Christian perfect and thorowly furnished to every good work But this Point deserveth some Explication First We say the Word of God made known unto us is thus an instrument and this bringeth in the necessity of Officers in the Church who by their Gifts and Ministry are to interpret and publish the Word of God to us For if the Scriptures be kept in the Originall Tongue they are unknown to most people and so are like a Candle under a Bushell or like a Fountain sealed up God therefore who hath appointed his Word as a Rule hath also given gifts to men that there may be such who shall divide this Word aright and give his children fit meat in their due season So that if a man ignorant of the Tongues should have a Bible in Hebrew and Greek What good could he get by it till translated and interpreted This is like a veil upon the Scripture and therefore doth as much hinder our understanding as if we had a veil upon our hearts Hence it hath been the good Providence of God to raise up such able and willing men who have been ready to translate the Scripture into all kinde of Languages that so every Nation might have it in their known Tongue We say therefore the Word of God made known to us is thus powerfull Secondly We say it 's Instrumentall Now there is a two-fold Instrument as to our purpose both which meeting together the Word produceth it's compleat effects There is Gods Instrument that which he hath appointed on his part And then There is that which is Instrumentall on our part and that is Faith As in the fore-mentioned place of 2 Timothy 3.16 The Scriptures are able to make thee wise to salvation through faith So that as Christ who is the essentiall Word of God dwels in our hearts by faith Thus the Scriptures the revealed Word of God become effectuall to us by believing The Word did not profit the Israelites because not mingled with faith Heb. 4.6 So that as the Word of God is a necessary instrument on Gods part Thus faith is a necessary instrument on mans part Whensoever God causeth his Word to be published be thou ready to prepare a believing heart This is that which diffuseth the Word through the whole soul The Word is Bread but it 's faith that eats it and digests it No Sermon can ever doe thee the least good unlesse Faith write it down in thy heart Goe home believing such places of Scripture and this will antidote against sinne If humane Faith can turne a man wholly upside downe How much more may divine Faith Thirdly We say it 's Instrumentall therefore the Word of God preached is not the principall or the efficient No though we have ten thousand Teachers and they all like Angels yet truth could never sanctifie us unlesse God give a blessing to it and therefore you see here Christ prayeth to God that he would sanctifie them by his truth intimating That though they understood it never so clearly and remembred it never so firmly yet if God blesse it not to this sanctifying use they are like a Rock under much rain that never brings forth any fruit and in three particulars we must necessarily acknowledge Gods efficiency First Though men be never so expert and diligent in the Scripture yet if God blesse them not with a seeing eye and a spirituall understanding in stead of being sanctified by the Word they are through mis-interpretations corrupted Doth not the Apostle Peter tell of some who through their ignorance did wrest the Scripture to their perdition 2 Pet. 3.16 There are many Heretiques and erroneous persons who are full of Scripture will alledge many places of Gods Word but putting their corrupt glosses upon it it 's no more Gods truth but mans errour and therefore are not sanctified by it in which sense Luther called the Bible The Heretiques book because they would all confidently boast they grounded their opinions upon that Book when indeed it was upon their own corruptions Oh then besides frequent knowledge and excellent memory of the Scripture know a further thing is requisite even the Spirit of God to lead thee by this Rule into the truth else it is with the Scripture as it was with that pillar in the wilderness it was light to the Israelites to guide them but darkness to the Egyptians 2. The Word of God is not blessed to sanctifie our affections and reform our corruptions unlesse God come in as the principal cause As the Prophets servant could do no good in raising the dead childe till the Prophet his Master came so though thou take up the Scripture reade such a place an hundred times over against that very sinne thou livest in yet it doth not sanctifie till God set it home upon thee Nicodemus was grosly ignorant about the work of Regeneration yet no doubt being a Master in Israel he had often read that promise That God would take away an heart of stone and give an heart of flesh and doth not sad experience tell us of many that have great knowledge in Scripture yet they live prophanely and grosly It 's true such men are to look for greater condemnation then others
upon it that it is sure to have Oh that Unbelief and distrust should ever overwhelm any Godly soul Doth not the Apostle triumph and say Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 2. It 's Christ that died Though the divine nature could not suffer yet he that suffered was God as well as man and so it is to be accounted of infinite worth This is more then the Obedience of Men and Angels put together 2. It is of infinite worth in respect of the gracious readinesse and willingnesse of him who did utter it Christ received grace into his humane nature without measure and so this being the gracious offering of him who was God and man it must have necessary acceptance 3. It had infinite worth in respect of the thing uttered which was no lesse then the precious body and bloud of Christ himself he thought not those preparatory sufferings and agonies enough but he consummates all by his Death Oh then let not the trembling sinner fear the insufficiency of the ransome doubt not whether every farthing be paid Say not though such sins may be discharged yet can this that I have committed Can the bloud of Christ cover this sinne as well as others Secondly Consider that though Christ offered up himself as a Sacrifice yet the application of it must be in such a way that God hath appointed It 's not enough that there is a potion which will cure all diseases but it must be taken in that way which the Physician doth prescribe and thus though Christ offered up himself to reconcile God to man yet this is not done till by faith it be received As the bloud of thâ— Sacrifice was to be sprinkled with hysop Thus the bloud of Christ ere it doth wash away our sins must by Faith be sprinkled upon the soul and therefore it 's not altogether here as it is when a man is indebted and lying in prison one comes and paieth the debt for him This man is released without any more a do There is no further thing required but the setting of him at lâ—berty for though Christ hath thus offerrd up himself for the pardon of sinnes yet the Father hath made such an appointment that this price should reach to none but those that beleeve and therefore this Doctrine doth not give the least security to any man to sinne for though Christ died yet his bloud may do thee no good Thou maist lie roaring in hell to all Eternity for all this because thou art not one who doth partake of this death Know the godly themselves while unconverted and abiding in their sinnes have not that actuall benefit of Justification which cometh effectually by Christs Death Thirdly Hence Christs bloud is not only cleansing and washing away the guilt of sinne but the filth of it The Apostle Tit. 3. said that he died to redeem us a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works So that there is none can pleade the justifying efficacy of Christs Death that have not also the sanctifying efficacy of it as it followeth in the Text That they might be sanctified and this will pull up by the very roots all that carnal confidence that most have That come to Christs Death as unto a common Sanctuary It 's true I am a grievous sinner but Christ died Christ was made a Sacrifice but what is this to thee who wallowest in thy filthy lusts Thou art full of thy noisome sinnes and if Christs Death did belong to thee it would wash thee it would purifie thee Do not think Christs bloud can be sprinkled on thee for the pardon of sinne and not for the washing away the filth of it This is the ruine of thousands they divide Christ and separate one effect of his death from another Fourthly Though Christ did but once offer up himself yet the vertue and power of it doth abide for ever It 's not necessary that Christ should be alwaies dying therefore he is said to be a Priest for ever yea this Death of Christ did extend to all the Godly that lived before his Sufferings Abel Abraham and all in the Old Testament had no other Sacrifice to please God with but this It is noted by a Learned man that therefore Cains Sacrifice was not accepted because he did not as Abel offer such a propitiatory Sacrifice as was a Type of Christ but rested in his own duties and works yea it 's thought God by covering Adams nakednesse with skins of Beasts did thereby teach Christs Righteousnesse Look then upon the bloud of Christ as powerfully working as if to day he had been crucified It works as a morall Cause by Covenant and agreement with the Father and therefore it doth as strongly work as ever Fifthly It 's continually useful and necessary seeing we renew sinnes daily and therefore run into new infirmities constantly therefore it behoveth us to apply this medicine continually If a man had been a hundred times stung by Serpents he was as often to look upon the exalted Serpent to be healed if therefore we fall into the mire daily we need washing as often if we get noisomenesse upon us this bloud must daily clense us and certainly we may all say with Peter Not my feet but my whole body also Let that be washed Doth not every part of us get some new pollution Are not hearts affections and mindes constantly polluted If so we cannot be a moment without the application of it as often as we breathe we need the Sprinkling of Christs bloud Sixthly We are to Consider the certain successe and prevalency of it No sooner did the Messengers say Vriah was dead but Davids anger was removed When the destroying Angel seeth this bloud he will passe by if Moses his praier could so much prevail with God that he saith Let me alone and Lot was so accepted that the Angel cannot destroy Sodom till he be removed Then how powerful and prevalent must Christs bloud be Seventhly This Sacrifice is that which Christ presents to his Father The Socinians wold have Christ performing his Priestly Office only in Heaven but it 's plain he did it on earth only what he once did he constantly presents to his Father and the minding of God with this is a farre more efficacious thing then that of the Rainbow God when he beholds this will not again drown the world and when he looketh on Christ will not condemn the humbled sinner Therefore Christ is described Rev. 10. with a Rainbow upon his head to signifie as some think the pacificatory vertue that is in Christ Eighthly The purity of the Sacrifice is not to be forgotten He is called the pure and spotlesse Lamb 1 Pet. 1.19 As it behoved us to have a Priest without sinne So a Sacrifice without any defect otherwise that Sacrifice would have needed another and so there would have been no end Therefore though all we can offer which is ours
be full of blemishes yet when we present Christ by Faith then there is no fault to be found Lastly The vertue of this Sacrifice is to make us like Christ himself he thinketh it not enough to be King and Priest himself but he maketh us also Kings and Priests for ever We offer up Praiers and Praises to him and by him we conquer all our spiritual Enemies The devil and our lusts are subdued Such glory have all they that are partakers of this Sacrifice Vse of Terrour to all wicked and ungodly men who by their Unbelief and Prophanesse reject this Sacrifice The Apostle Heb. 10. cals it trampling upon the bloud of Christ and accounting it a prophane thing Oh how many thousand live that have no esteem and make no account of this Sacrifice Oh remember that this is the last and ultimate Sacrifice He that rejects this hath no more hope There remaineth no more oblation for sinne There is not another Christ or another Sacrifice if thou refuse this Vse 2. Of Encouragement to the Godly Come to this Fountain that is set open for Judah and Jerusalem to cleanse in Doe not say because Christ crucified is a stumbling block and foolishnesse to wicked men that therefore thou wilt disesteem him also There is no sore but this blood will heal and cure Oh let the blood of thy soul be stanched with this blood of Christ This blood speaks good and comfortable things better then that of Abel SERMON CI. Of Sanctification as the Effect of Christs Death Shewing That no man truly believeth in Christ for Justification that doth not also for Sanctification JOH 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the Truth WE are now come to the end of Christs Sanctification which is two-fold the finis cui and cujus We shall put them both together for so they are conjoyned in the following clause That they might be sanctified through the Truth Wherein you have 1. The final Cause 2. The Manner of accomplishing it The final Cause That they might be sanctified and from this the Socinian would argue That Sanctification in the former clause was not meant of an oblation by way of Sacrifice because the same word is applied to the Apostles in the Text and they were not to be sacrificed for us To answer this First Some Expositours do expound it of their offering up of themselves by Martyrdom to confirm the truth for Paul professeth his willingnesse herein using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 which was used of some kinde of their Sacrifices but we need not runne to that it 's no new thing in Scripture to use the same word in one verse in different significations and it 's a Rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur à subjectis The Apostles then needing not such a Sanctification as Christ applied to himself but that for which he prayed in the former verse We must understand it in the same sense as there It 's true by Sanctification some also will have Justification comprehended and so speak of an imputed Sanctification but we need not stretch the word violently but understand it first Of making inwardly holy and then consequently A setting apart and dedicating our selves wholly unto God by living unto him and thence observe That Christ died not only for our Justification but Sanctification also He made himself a Sacrifice not onely to remove the guilt of sinne but to remove and subdue the power of it not onely to make us happy but also holy Let us consider What is implied in this That Sanctification comes by Christs death And First We are to know that Christ is the Cause of our Sanctification several wayes partly efficiently for not only the Father and the Spirit but Christ himself also is the cause of all the holinesse we have and therefore he is called the life because he gives all supernatural life unto his and is compared to the vine Joh. 15. because as the branch separated from the Vine can bring forth no fruit so neither is a man able without Christ to do the least holy action he is also called the Head and John 1. Of his fulnesse we are all said to receive Thus as God in the course of nature is the authour of every natural gift therefore it 's said In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 So in the way of grace Christ is the authour and finisher as of our faith so of every holy work in us The Author Heb. 12.2 and therefore we cannot so much as begin or meet Christ he must prevent us and the finisher for although we have begun yet we have not the same manutenency and powerfull preservation what we have begun to build would immediately fall to the ground Thus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our spiritual life 2. Christ is the meritorious cause of our Sanctification and therefore not only remission of sin but holinesse and zeal is made the consequent of Christs death And the Apostle doth not only Rom. 7.8 shew that we are justified by Christ but also that the body of sinne is mortified thereby Thus Heb. 10. what Sanctification that Apostate had is attributed to the blood of Christ Christ then hath as efficaciously merited holinesse as happinesse He died to destroy the workes of the devil now our captivity to him was not onely in respect of guilt but that bondage and slavery we were in to all lusts and therefore those two benefits are like Castor and Pollux one cannot be without the other 3. Christ is in some large and improper sense called the formal cause of the good in us an assistant form not informing that is Christ received and applied by faith doth in a most inward and intimate manner live in us and thereby strengtheneth us so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I no longer live but Christ in me Here you see Christ liveth in a godly man for by faith we are united unto him and thus Christ becomes our Head from whom we have all spiritual influx Now an head is a conjoyned and united cause made one with the body and thus is Christ and his Church and therefore is that similitude of an Head and the Body so often used 4 Christ is the final cause of our Sanctification that is we are made holy to this end both that we might shew forth the praises and glory of Christ as our Redeemer as also that we should live to him and set all our affections and desires upon him desiring with Paul To know nothing but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 Secondly In that by Christs death we are sanctified there is implied That we of our selves are very impure and unclean that we are like so many noisome dunghils For our being unsanctified doth imply 1. Our filthiness or uncleanness this is the state of every man till sanctified by Christ he is like an unclean leper his
for our comfort that every believer though yet unborn was in Christs purpose and intention when he laid down his life as if they had been existent in the land of the living In the sixth place By this intention of Christ in his prayer and death it will inevitably and immutably be brought about that they shall in time be converted they shall believe and be brought into communion and fellowship with Christ For seeing as we have heard Christ could not but be heard in what he prayed for and the Father alwayes granted his Petition therefore it cannot be but that all those who are given to Christ shall one time or other be wrought upon by the Word Thus it 's said They believed Act. 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternal life and the Apostles were to go and preach in such places because God had much people there Act. 18. and Rom. 9. the Apostle doth fully shew That Election is the cause of all mercies vouchsafed in time and those who were not elected they were hardened and given up to a spirit of slumber Oh then the admirable love of God to those that are his there shall not be one of them but the Word of grace will finde them out They that were not his people shall be made his people Joh. 10. I have other sheep saith Christ that are not of this fold and those he will bring home Hence Rom. 8. we have that golden Chain which all the Arminian subtilties can never dissolve Whom he hath predestinated he hath called and whom he hath called he hath justified and those he hath justified he hath glorified To expound calling only of vocation to afflictions and to the cross and Justification only of the vindicating of their persons and cause against the calumnies of the world is too dilute and repugnant to the scope of the Apostle in that place we may then absolutely conclude of the conversion and believing of such who belong to Christ and that the Word preached will sometimes or other be effectual upon them In the last place It 's plain from hence That Gods Election and so Christs dying for us is not conditional or upon the supposition of our believing but our belief is the true and genuine effect of Election and Christs death For whereas Christ here prayeth for those who shall believe The Question may be Whether this belief be supposed as a Condition Antecedent to Election and Christs death or as an absolute Effect of both so that Christ doth not only pray for believers but also that they may be believers There is a great Controversie between Arminians and the Orthodox for they say God elected some such persons to eternal life indeed and gave them to Christ as a Mediatour but it was upon a supposition and fore-sight that they would believe and persevere in that faith to the end But the Orthodox do more consonantly to the Scripture and to the greater exaltation of Gods grace and magnifying of Christ affirm That God by one single act of the same time did elect a man both to grace and glory both to salvation and faith So that God did not elect us because he foresaw we would believe but he did elect us to believe as well as to salvation So that faith is not a condition but the effect and fruit of our Election This is a necessary truth to be proved and therefore the next day it is to be considered for the present I take it for granted That those who shall believe are such not who by their own power shall either believe or dispose themselves to it but who by the grace of God shall be inabled thereunto For the present consider the aggravation of this love of God in Christ to us before we had a being And 1. There is remarkable freenesse in it of grace if positively and absolutely considered For what could there be in us to move God to this mercy when we could not think or cry or pray or do any thing for our good even then God set his love upon us It was nothing in us seeing we were in the womb of nothing 2. This freeness is aggravated if comparatively considered for it 's the grace of God that makes some to believe and leaveth others in their natural corruption The Apostle considered this discriminating love of God to Jacob and Esau Rom. 9. before they had done either good or evil Oh then sit and admire the depth of grace the unsearchable riches of grace for what art thou to so many learned and noble men in the world to so many of thy own kindred and family that God hath past by yet took compassion on thee Didst thou not lie equally in the same mass of corruption and bondage to all sin 3. There is the Eternity of this love it was before the beginning of the world So that we cannot imagine any moment of time wherein Gods thoughts were not upon thee Lastly The unchangeablenesse of this love for the Councels of God and his purpose are immutable There is no change or shadow of change in him and therefore if once loved alwayes loved he predestinated thee before the world called thee out of the world justifieth thee in the world and will glorifie thee after the world Vse What infinite cause of praise and glory the people of God have Well mayest thou call upon thy soul and all within thee to praise God Well may this be the burden of every Psalm For his mercy endureth for ever yea if thou hadst the hearts of all men and Angels this were not enough neither can Eternity be long enough to glorifie God in this particular SERMON CVI. Of both the Moving Cause and Effects of Election and of Christs Prayer and Death Against Arminians and others JOH 17.20 But for them also who shall beleeve in me through their Word WE come to a Second Observation from the circumstance of the future tense Who shall beleeve in me For as was intimated there may be a twofold sence of these words 1. That this future Faith is mentioned as an effect and fruit of being given to Christ as also of Christs Prayer and Death for them So that he doth not only pray for them which shall beleeve but also that they may beleeve and in this sense the Orthodox interpret it Or 2. It may be interpreted as if Faith were here supposed as a condition on our part antecedaneous both to Gods Election and also Christs Intercession and death So that the sence should be These were given to Christ and Christ he praied and died for them because it was foreseen by God that such would beleeve upon the means of grace offered and others not In this sence Meisner a Lutheran urgeth it and thus all Arminians and others must take it who hold that we were Elected from a foresight of our Faith and perseverance therein But that this cannot be the meaning of our Saviour is evident because the ground of
this unity of order is preserved the Church it self and godlinesse is preserved Thirdly This unity is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity as zeal for the glory of God sharp and severe reproof of such as go astray to suffer no heresies or prophanenesse after admonition in such who are of the Church And certainly this is much to be observed As there is a sinfull and foolish pity when men would not have justice done against notorious offenders which pity to the wicked is truly called cruelty to the good for he that is pitifull to the wolf is cruell to the sheep So there is a counterfeit disguised unity and love and that is when because of this peace and agreement no damnable heresie no corrupt or evil way is to be severely dealt with and a Scripture-way taken to stop the progresse of it If this were true then Ahab did upon good grounds call Elijah a troubler of Israel because his zeal would not bear the Idolatries then practised If this were true then all the godly Prophets were justly discouraged because they reproved the sinfull wayes of the times they lived in Yea then Christ himself and his Apostles were justly condemned for the zeal of God did so eat them up that they reproved not only the grosse Idolatries but almost every petty superstitious way What shall we think the Apostle Paul who doth so often commend the spirit of love and meekness That there be no hatred or strife amongst them yet when he saith I would they were cut off that trouble you Gal. 5.12 and their mouths must be stopt Tit. 2.11 that speak perverse things that he forgets his own rule and becomes an incendiary in the Church or shall we think the Apostle John who presseth love in every verse and sheweth He that hateth his brother is like Cain a murderer and of the devil yet when he saith If any one bring any other Doctrine then you have received 2 epist John 10 receive not that man into your house or bid him God speed that now he hath forgot his own spirit that his honey is turned into gall Be then fully perswaded that the unity and love Christ prayeth for doth not oppose Scripture-zeal and courage against any prophane and erroneous wayes It doth not bring in a compliance and symbolizing with all heresies and prophanenesse It doth not erect a Temple as the Romans did to all gods Nor make the Church like the Ark wherein all beasts clean and unclean were received No such remisness breaketh unity as the strings not well-wound up cannot make any melodious sound and the paralytical members of the body for want of the due firmnesse cause many feeble operations There is a Sect called the Family of Love as if they only had peace and unity amongst them but they would have all things even wives common and so their unity is a fomenter of sinne and confounds those relations God hath distinguished These Cautions premised Let us consider what remedies are fit to heal these wounds As in the natural bâ—dy a wound is Solutio continui so in this spiritual body of the Church and as to wounds unless there be wisdome and skill they are made worse by Empericks Thus unless there be proportionable and fit remedies applied with wisdom and compassion the breach is made greater And First There are two remedies and they are in extreams The one suggested by the Popish party the other by the Socinian The first is A rigid imperious and tyrannical commanding of an uniformity and approbation in every punctilio and minute particular So that no dissent or liberty shall be allowed to a man though humble and peaceable earnestly desiring to finde out the truth This tyranny came into the Church betimes What a large breach did Victor Bishop of Rome make in the Church about the determinate time of keeping of Easter whom Irenaeus did gravely oppose Certainly the Apostle Rom. 14. in matters of lesse concernment where men may erre salvâ fide or when men build only hay and stubble not laying other foundations doth there command a charitable carriage between the strong Christian and the weak It 's true the least truth of Christ is precious and we are not to deny it but yet it is not violently to be obtruded unlesse where there is eternal damnation inevitable if that truth be not received Our Saviour speaks excellently to that Matth. 9.17 If new wine be put into old bottles the bottles break while men impose opinions or practices of less consequence upon a people not prepared in stead of unity they make many fractions yet this way of unity hath much infested the Church and especially when men have been in power They have pressed unity not so much out of love to Christ as thereby to keep up their interest As Musculus observeth of the souldiers that would not have Christs coat divided every one hoping thereby to have it all Thus when Luther reformed nothing was more ordinarily preached by the Papists then the inconsutilis tunica the seamless coat of Christ which made Luther call them Inconsutilistae and Tunicastri Now all this endeavour to have such an uniformity was not out of love to Christs Church but their own power and therefore they were afraid of divisions lest they should overthrow their kingdom Certainly to such austere and severe imposers That of Austin is often to be re-minded Saeviunt illi qui nesciunt c. let them rage and persecute who know not with what prayers and tears it is given to understand but a little of Gods truth yet this political way of unity hath been long in the Church Aut subscribe aut discede was a speech of old in the Church 2. There is another false way of unity extreamly opposite to this strenuously propugned by the Socinian and that is A licentious and unbounded Toleration of damnable heresies and Idolatries which Julian also studiously promoted thereby to overthrow the Christian Religion Now as the former way of unity hath been propugned by those who had power in the Church so this latter by those who have been the oppressed party for the Scripture decides a middle way between these two principles Hence Rev. 2. Chap. 3. The Angels of the Church are commended when they did not suffer or could not bear such as published unsound Doctrine and therefore those who did suffer such are reproved I say the Angels of the Church for we are treating of Church-peace and liberty not political and external which is not comprehended in this Petition Certainly the Apostles in their Epistles doe as much if not more set against false Doctrines and false Teachers as they do against corrupt practices Hence 1 Tim. 1.20 Hymeneus and Alexander for their blasphemies and false doctrines are by Paul delivered up to Satan and Tit. 3.10 we have an universall Rule given An heretique after the first and second
but they have the same will thus it ought to be here one believer should not judge one thing and another the contrary one love one thing and another the contrary but as Christ and the Father were one so ought they to be The last particular is That God in Christ is the onely cause of unity amongst believers Christ as Mediatour procureth it and God through his merits vouchsafeth it and this comprehends these particulars 1. That such is the corruption of every man regenerate and unregenerate that they would no more unite then crums of sand did not God bring it about Take men by nature and they are wolves and devils one to another Insomuch that the preserving of Commonwealths and civil Societies is made a demonstration of a God for if ye consider what every man is by nature it 's a wonder that the whole world is not full of Cains and a meer Aceldama like those Cadmaan brethren the Poet speaks of God therefore who keeps the sea within its bounds that it overfloweth not doth also restrain and chain up the corruptions of men that all be not in a confusion and although in regenerate men corruption is in a great measure subdued yet that is not like Daniel's root of the Tree that had a chain upon it never to grow for this would be sprouting out in strifes and contentions did not God put bounds to it and therefore not onely Histories that are prophane but Ecclesiasticall also doe abundantly witnesse That divisions and differences have been the ruine of most Churches So truly may we apply that of Job to the Church If he commands peace Who can forbid it And if he bring warre Who can withstand it Job 24.39 It 's in godly mens natures to be so many Phaetons setting the Church on fire if God by mercy did not prevent 2. God through Christ doth onely procure spiritual concord because hereby God is pleased with his Church and reconciled Now Gods anger for sinne is that which turneth Churches and States upside down even as you see the tempestuous windes doe fill the Sea with waves and unquietnesse Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia When God was angry with Abimelech he sent an evil spirit between him and the men of Sichem Judg. 9.23 and this like a fire consumed them So when Solomon had displeased God by his Idolatries then he stirreth up his adversary and that against him and at last divides the Kingdom from him So that you see it 's Gods anger for sinne that makes discord and implacable contentions to break forth And thus it is also in the Church When God is angry then he suffers Heretiques and Schismaticks to arise who divide it into as many pieces as the Levites wife was And till Gods anger be pacified there can never be any setling or uniting but as the two passengers in a ship at deadly feud one with another did earnestly look to see which would be drowned first and not at all indeavour to save the ship Thus private emulations have undone the publique so that the Heathens may rise up against the Church of God for the Romans before they entred into the Senate-house to consult for the publique did first go and worship in a Temple dedicated to Jovi depositorio because there they did deponere inimicitias but we go to prayer to Sacraments and offer our gift at the Altar though we remember men have justly many things against us Vse Is peace and unity amongst the godly their glory Did Christ die for it Doth God only give it Then under all our breaches and differences let us apply our selves to him who hath this soveraign power over mens hearts It 's but his speaking and the windes and the waves will presently cease he can quickly remove the bitter spirit of contradiction and cause all to be of one minde and certainly our sins have highly displeased God that yet he suffers his Church to wallow in her blood that yet her wounds are not healed SERMON CXXVI Of Vnion with Christ Shewing how or in what respects Christ is in every Believer and how he is not JOHN 17.23 I in them and thou in me OUr Saviour doth still continue in prayer for Unity amongst believers which is not simply to terminate upon one another but to ascend higher and all to be made one in Christ Therefore in this verse he sheweth the original and fountain of their Unity as also the manner of it The Original of their Unity is from Christ being in them and the Father in him The Manner is spiritual for as Christ is in them after a spiritual manner so is also their union with him The original of their unity expressed in those words I in them deserve our serious Meditations for it 's a choice practical point and although a mystery and so without any relish to the carnal heart yet full of comfort and savouriness to the godly soul Now Christ is said to be in his people two wayes either Distributively in respect of every person in which sense the soul of every believer is the Temple of the holy Ghost and Paul professed That he no longer lived but Christ in him Gal. 2. Or Collectively as they are a society and a Church over whom he is an Head Christ is said to be in believers several wayes 1. By communication of the same Nature with us he is partaker of flesh and blood with us And thus Christ may be said to be in all men Even as God in respect of his Essence is every where but by gracious presence only in the godly though the Scripture doth not use such an expression 2. Christ is in believers sacramentally in which sense they are said to eat his flesh and drink his blood and thereby they abide in him and he in them 3. Christ is in them by his Spirit for that is called the Spirit of Christ and being given by him to them they are thereby spiritualized and made heavenly The Spirit is a guiding Spirit a sanctifying Spirit a comforting and sealing Spirit to them so that Christ becomes joyned to his by this Spirit Lastly Christ is in his by a gracious inhabitation and sanctifying presence So that as in respect of our natural life God may be said to be in us and we in him For in him we live and move and have our being Act 17.18 So in respect of supernatural life Christ is in us and we in him and do live and move spiritually in him From this last explication which is most genuine Observe That Christ is in believers and believers are in him Christ is in believers This union of Christ with believers as it is much spoken of in the Scripture so it is indeed the fountain of all the graces and all the comforts the people of God receive Our Saviour John 15. doth at large declare a Parable wherein we may see how we are in Christ and that iâ— as branches are
is not the devil still suggesting this unto thee if thou be the Sonne of God then it would be thus and thus with thee Gods children never do as thou doest Now this temptation hath so farre prevailed by Satans instigation upon some of Gods people that they have wholly given over to pray that they dared not to presume to pray And why because God is not their Father they may no more pray then the damned in hell So that the godly man is left in a wofull desolate estate all the while this truth doth not reign in his heart that God is his Father 3. This perswasion of God being our Father is of so great consequence that the Spirit of God is sent on purpose into our hearts for this very work Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Father So that as we remain blind and darkned in mind till the Spirit lead us into all truth that as we remain unholy and cleaving to our lusts till the Spirit sanctifie us so we do also remain in a doubting unbelieving and dejected disposition till God send this Spirit into our hearts so that when a man is humbled for sinne and feels the load of his transgressions it must be more then humane power yea or all the counsels and directions of the ablest Ministers that can inable such an one to call him Father Oh how often doth such a tempted soul say Oh that I could call him Father Oh that I could delight in him as a Father But now when this Spirit of Adoption cometh into our hearts see with what efficacy and power it cometh it maketh us to cry that denoteth earnestness vehemency and also confidence undauntedness notwithstanding the roaring cries of the devil and conscience to the contrary and thus it enableth us to cry Abba Father by way of ingemination implying that it is not once but twice yea often for indeed if the Spirit of God did not constantly thus keep up a filial frame every new failing would cast us back into a meer darknesse and confusion Therefore the Spirit of God hath this office of being a Comforter because we of our selves cannot sow that seed in our own souls 4. This is necessary because this only raiseth sweet comfortable and delightfull thoughts of God The relation of a Father is sweet and what a great difference is there between a childe praying to a tender father and a malefactor to a severe Judge David once said He remembred God and was troubled Certainly the more we think of God and his Attributes Omnipotent Wise Holy Righteous if not a Father the more terrible and dreadfull is the apprehension of him It 's necessary to have good endeared thoughts of God therefore the devils and the damned who are of the farthest distance from God they have hard and raging thoughts against him It being therefore necessary to keep up such thoughts in the soul as these Let God afflict smite destroy yet he is just and righteous yea and to be loved now this cannot be unless this faith is strongly carried out unto him as a Father 5. Perswasion of God as a Father is necessary because this only will produce faith and confidence in those that pray with such an assurance Now faith is the very soul and life of prayer He that prayeth believing shall receive and James exhorts Let him ask in faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. Our Saviour told the woman It should be according to her faith So that unbelief makes our prayers like a messenger without hands or feet and if so How shall we get our prayers animated with this grace Nothing conduceth more to this then the Meditation of God as a Father when this is assented to then it easily believeth God will do all necessary good for it such a Father will not give a stone to his childe when he asketh bread Thus Mat. 5. our Saviour maketh this an argument against all distracting fears and cares Your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of Why is it that after prayer thy heart is as much troubled and disquieted as if the request had never been made known to God but only because faith did not reign and predominate in thy heart concerning Gods fatherly relation to thee 6. Perswasion of God as a Father is necessary because hereby the heart will be quickned to all those holy and filial dispositiâ—ns which ought to be in children If ye call him Father 1 Pet. 1.17 c. Passe your sojourning here with an holy fear The Scripture apprehension of a Father will not beget security and a licentious life but rather it will cause an holy reverence and a diligent attendance to avoid all those sins that may offend and provoke The Spirit of adoption is also a Spirit of Sanctification being born of God he doth not he cannot sin for how abominable and uneffectual would our prayers be if we should joyn prophaneness to those duties In stead of obtaining mercy we may justly expect that God would pour out greater wrath whereas a due and right apprehension of God as a Father will make a gracious and humble disposition in the soul Vse of Exhortation to the people of God that they strengthen and confirm this relation to them as much as may be Pray for that Spirit of Adoption which will inable thee to cry Abba Father Oh know that all the cause of thy disquietness distractions and diffidence of Spirit in thee ariseth from unbelief in this point If thou believe God is thy Father then sin is forgiven then no good thing will be denied thee This Father will treasure up for thee yea the properties of this Father are wonderfully quickning he is an omnipotent Father and so can do all things he is a compassionate Father and so will do all things he takes upon him both the bowels of Father and Mother also Parents have been hardned to their children as the Prophet observeth but God cannot be He is a wise Father and so ordereth every thing for the best This if duly considered would free thee from all distrustfull cares and thou wouldst learn from thy own childe to walk depending upon God casting all thy burden upon him because thou seest it taking no care what it shall eat or what it shall put on but resteth it self wholly upon it's Fathers care The second thing observable in the Text is The manner of Christs expression his Petition I will Father I will Some think this an expression not of prayer but of Christs just demand of his right to that which he had as God and therefore they think that whereas before he prayed as a man here he interposeth himself as God as thus Austin of old Omnipotenti patri se velle dixit omnipotens filius Others they make it an expression of prayer because in the former part the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used and thus Mark 10.35 when James and John
world though some are elected and others are reprobated Because all those Divines who do hold such an absolute Election or Reprobation do so positively expresse themselves that the cause of mans damnation is wholly from his sin and mans sin is wholly and freely from himself That he is not necessitated and compelled to sin by such supposed pre-definitive Decrees but that he sinneth of himself and so his perdition is of himself as fully as if there were no such Decrees at all These two things the Orthodox suppose that the Scripture affirmeth both such Decrees of God and also man himself to be the only cause of his damnation and if so be that the understanding of man could not tell how to reconcile these two together It 's better with Cajetan to confess the weakness and imbecility of our apprehensions then to deny the things asserted in Scripture In the second place God is righteous as a Judge in that he bestoweth his effectual grace upon some and not upon others For this end it is that our Saviour doth call his Father righteous because he lets the world alone to it self it deserveth to perish in it's unbelief and rebellion but to others he manifesteth himself God is so righteous herein that Luk. 10. our Saviour is greatly affected with it and blesseth God therein Now to our corrupt judgements we are ready to think that Gods wayes are inequal why he giveth his grace to some that it may be are more wicked and more unworthy then others And then again Others that seem to be more civil and restrained from outward impiety he denieth his mollifying grace to them but if we could judge of things aright even in this wonderfull dispensation of God we should admire his righteousness For the full answer to all humane cavils in this respect is That there is none denied grace but such who by their sins have justly deserved so If Judas be not converted and Peter is Judas hath his sins for which God may justly give him up to spiritual judgements If the men of Tyre and Sydon have not the means of grace as well as Capernaum it 's because their iniquities make them unworthy of it So that there is no man living under the means of grace that can justly complain of God because he doth not give him a soft and mollified heart as well as others For it 's his own personal impiety and voluntary wickedness that makes heaven as it were like brasse and iron to him It 's true God could if he pleased give Judas a soft heart as well as Peter but there is no injustice if God doth not dispence his acts of liberality and grace for then justice and liberality a gift and reward would be all one So that the godly indeed who are partakers of converting grace they have cause to admire and bless God for his unspeakable goodness but the wicked who continueth and perisheth in his sins may say My destruction and damnation is of my self God hath done like an holy wise and righteous God but I have brought vengeance upon my own head But these divine dispensations of Gods justice especially as to spiritual judgements require a larger and more exact scrutiny which is not here to be insisted upon Come we therefore in the next place To take notice of Gods righteousness as a Father unto his own people and children And herein the godly are often sollicited they begin to question and to doubt of Gods promise and his kindness Oh they think If I be thus loved of God! If I be one that doth belong to the promise why doth the Lord deal thus and thus with me Every wicked man he prospereth and thriveth in his impiety but I am afflicted all the day long though I wash my hands in innocency Now to the godly thus exercised I have only two particulars to minde them of 1. That because God is righteous therefore it is that thou art afflicted and it may be more then many wicked men are Though it be an heavy temptation and such an one that we reade David at one time had much ado to overcome yet it is so far from being unrighteousness in God to afflict thee though his beloved childe that he would be unrighteous if he did not Doth not David at another time when the cloud was dispelled say That out of very faithfulnesse God hath afflicted him Psal 119.75 So that the righteousness of God as a Father doth require this It 's true thy afflictions are not properly penal to satisfie his righteousness for that is done already by the blood of Christ but they are castigatory of thy sins and by way of prevention for the future so that there is no exercise befals thee but thou art bound to justifie and clear him say It 's righteous with God to do thus to me because of my several corruptions that are so strong in me 2. Gods righteousness is seen as a Father in respect of his fidelity and veracity to keep his promise to us So that though the good things promised may be deferred thou hast not yet any enjoyment of them yet know The righteousness of God will not suffer him to forget thee Heb. 6.10 The Apostle doth there comfort beleevers That God was not unrighteous and therefore he would not forget their sufferings It 's true it 's Popery to plead the commutative and strict righteousness from God as if there were an inward condignity of our holy works in respect of heaven but a righteousness of fidelity we may and ought to encourage our selves with Vse of Exhortation to all the children of God that the meditation of God as a righteous Father should stop the mouth of impatience say as Christ concerning every chastisement Joh. 18.11 Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath given me What wouldst thou have God unrighteous for thy sake Wouldst thou have him not deal sutably to his holy and pure nature Thou hadst rather God should be unrighteous then thou suffer any outward evil Oh do thou abhorre and shame thy self Even wicked men have been forced to acknowledge God just and righteous as a Judge and shall not grace make thee acknowledge this in him as a Father SERMON CXL That every Vnregenerate man whether in or out of the Church is destitute of the true saving Knowledge of God JOH 17.24 Righteous Father the world hath not known thee OUr Saviour we heard is continuing Arguments why he should be heard thus in his Petition for all believers and that which is first suggested in these words is the opposition and contrariety between the world and them Though the world be ignorant and obstinate against Christ yet the Disciples they did readily believe in him Now this is a wonderfull aggravation of their holinesse for them only to believe amongst a world of unbelievers and opposers To see amongst so many that are blinde To be wise amongst so many that are mad yea to believe
everlasting glory laid up for them 129 God gives them a large opportunity of Working ib. Put no confidence in your Workes ibid. World The World was not from Eternity 155 Proved by Scripture and four Reasons 156 That God made the World in time is usefull seven wayes 157 159 Gods people are in the World but not of it 170 The several significations of the World in Scripture 171 231 The people of God are called out of the World 172 Seven Demonstrations of it 173 c. Three Reasons of it 175 Worlds great enmity against those that be godly 283 What it is to be of the World 434 How Christ is said not to be of the World 435 The not being of the World is that which makes wicked men hate the godly 435 What it is not to be of the World The World is ignorant of God in a saving manner 678 Demonstrations of the Point ib. FINIS A CATALOGUE OF THE Chiefest of such BOOKS as are Printed FOR THOMAS VNDERHILL By Col. Edw. Leigh Esquire A Treatise of the Divine Promises in Five Books The Saints Encouragement in Evil Times Critica Sacra or Observations on all the Radices or Primitive Hebrew words of the Old Testament in order Alphabetical Critica Sacra or Philological and Theological Observations upon all Greek words of the New-Testament in order Alphabetical By Samuel Gott Esquire Novae Solymae Librisex Sive Institutio Christiani 1. De Pueritia 2. De Creatione Mundi 3. De Jnventute 4. De Peccato 5. De Virili Aetate 6. De Redemptione Hominis Essayes concerning Mans true Happiness Parabola Evangelicae Latinè redditae Carmine Paraphrastico varii generis Morton His Touch stone of Conversion Mr Hezekiah Woodward Of Education of Youth or The Child◠Patrimony The Lives and Acts of the good and bad Kings of Judah A Treatise of Fear A Thank-offering Mr Samuel Fisher A Love-Token for Mourners being two Funeral Sermons and Meditatitions preparatory to his own expected Death in a time and place of great Mortality Mr Herbert Palmer and Mr Daniel Cawdrey A Treatise of the Sabbath in four parts Memorials of Godliness and Christianity in seven Treatises 1. Of making Religion ones Business With an Appendix applied to the Calling of a Minister 2. The Character of a Christian in Paradoxes 3. The Character of visible Godlinesse 4. Considerations to excite to Watchfulness and to shake off spiritual Drowsiness 5. Remedies against Carefulnesse 6. The Soul of Fasting 7. Brief Rules for daily Conversation and particular Directions for the Lords-day His Sermon entituled The Glass of Gods Providence toward his faithfull ones His Sermon entituled The Duty and Honour of Church-Rest Mr William Barton His Psalms His Catalogue of Sins and Duties implied in each Commandment in Verse Mr Vicars Chronicle in four parts Mr Samuel Clark A General Martyrology or A History of all the great Persecutions that have been in the world to this time Together with the Lives of many eminent Modern Divines His Sermon at the Warwickshire mens Feast entituled Christian Good-fellowship Mr Kings Marriage of the Lamb. Mr Shorts Theological Poems The French Alphabet Jus Divinum Ministerii by the Provincial-Assembly of London Mr Thomas Blake His Answer to Blackwood of Baptism Birth-Priviledge Mr Cook His Font uncovered Dr John Wallis His Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Mr Langley's Catechism Mr Austin's Catechism Mr Vicars's Catechism Mr Pagit's Defence of Church-Government by Presbyterial Classical and Synodal Assemblies Mr Tho. Paget A Demonstration of Family-Duties Mr Anthony Burgess Vindiciae Legis or A Vindication of the Law and Covenants from the Errors of Papists Socinians and Antinomians A Treatise of Justification in two Parts Spiritual Refining Part 1. or A Treatise of Grace and Assurance Handling the Doctrine of Assurance the Use of Signs in Self-examination how true Graces may be distinguished from counterfeit several true Signs of Grace and many false ones The Nature of Grace under divers Scripture notions viz. Regeneration the New-Creature the Heart of Flesh Vocation Sanctification c. Spiritual Refining the Second Part or A Treatise of Sinne with its Causes Differences Mitigations and Aggravations specially of the Deceitfulnesse of the Heart of Presumptuous and Raigning Sinnes and of Hypocrisie and Formality in Religion All tending to unmask Counterfeit Christians Terrifie the ungodly Comfort doubting Saints Humble man and Exalt the Grace of God His CXLV Sermons upon the whole 17th Chapter of St John being Christs Prayer before his Passion The Difficulty of and Encouragements to Reformation a Sermon upon Mark 1. vers 2 3. before the House of Commons A Sermon before the Court-Marshal Psal 106.30 31. The Magistrates Commission upon Rom. 13.4 at the Election of a Lord Maior Romes Cruelty and Apostasie upon Revel 19.2 preached before the House of Commons on the 5th of November The Reformation of the Church to be endeavoured more then the Commonwealth upon Judges 6.27 28 29. preached before the House of Lords Publique Affections pressed upon Numb 11.12 before the House of Commons Mr Richard Baxter Plain Scripture-proof of Infant-Baptism The Right Method for getting and keeping Spiritual Peace and Comfort The Unreasonableness of Infidelity in four Parts 1. The Spirits Intrinsick witnesse to the truth of Christianity with a Determination of this Question Whether the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles do oblige those to believe who never saw them 2. The Spirits Internal witness of the truth of Christianity 3. A Treatise of the Sin against the holy Ghost 4. The Arrogancy of Reason against Divine Revelation repressed The Christian-Concord or The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Worcestershire with Mr Baxters Explication of it A Defence of the Worcestershire Petition for the Ministry and Maintenance The Quakers Catechism An Apology against Mr Blake Dr Kendal Mr Lodovicus Molineus Mr Aires and Mr Crandon His Confession of Faith The Saints everlasting Rest The TEXTS Explained and Vindicated in this TREATISE Genesis Chap. Vers Pag. 49 6 609 Deuteronomy 3 8 362 25 2 363 1 Samuel 20 31 363 2 Samuel 2 7 362 1 Kings 8 27 7 2 Chronicles 33 13 85 Psalms 10 17 139 17 89 301 19 1 159 68 20 451 69 11 176 103 14 528 119 6 201 Proverbs 28 9 141 28 14 358 Ecclesiastes 5 2 132 7 17 449 8 11 369 Isaiah 4 5 6 395 8 6 490 33 14 70 40 6 383 57 1 450 61 3 414 65 9 20 357 Jeremiah 32 39 358 50 27 451 Ezekiel 37 16 22 566 Hosea 9 4 413 Zechariah 14 9 56◠Malachi 1 7 657 Matthew 5 48 263 6 20 64 6 7 135 11 27 38 13 37 182 16 18 360 21 32 545 23 9 257 24 36 363 26 14 375 Mark 9 50 321 9 24 530 13 22 357 Luke 1 70 322 12 29 554 22 13 284 John 1 16 40 1 3 150 1 10 606 6 29 211 6 39 349 7 7 435 8 55 151 10 28 349 14 6 37 14 12 291 15 2 375 15 11 400
agree in one The Unity that Church-Officers ought to have Grounds why it is such a mercy to have Unity among Church-Officers Observ The Ministers of God must endeavour after the most perfect Unity Even to be one as the Father and Son are 1. The Unity between the Father Son is a spiritual union 2. It s constant and individed 3. An holy unity 4. Full of love to mankinde 5. A well-ordered unity 6. Most perfect and absolute Means to be used to get and keep this unity Observ That though God may afford his people for a while many comfortable supports yet they must not look to enjoy them alwaies What are those visible supports that God for a while may vouchsafe to his people Reasons why God sometimes changes his peoples condition from better to worse Vse Doct. That there is no corporal or visible improvement of Christ but spiritual only Wherein mens pronenesse appears to know Christ after the flesh Doct. All that are to be saved are committed to Christs care to be kept to Eternal Life How much is implied in this Truth that Christ keeps them at his charge I. Their own insufficiency II. The precious esteem God hath of them III. A peculiar care of them IV. The safety they are in V. It implies an Obligetion on Christ to keep them Doct. If Christ though God yet in respect of his Ministry doth attribute all to God how much more ought the Ministers of the Gospel who are frail men Observ That Christs divine Protection of his people to eternal life is daily to be thought on and improved by them There is a four-fold principle which is operative to the conservation of the believers 1. An inward vital and vivifical principle of grace abiding in them which will never fail 2. A daily help of grace quickning and corroborating the soul in all holiness 3. Our Election The effects which a lively meditation of this preservation will produce Boldnesse against all discouragements Observ Introductory Propositions Why Judas is called the son of perdition Why Judas is said to be already perished Observ That there are some persons that are wilfully set to destroy damn themselves though they have never so many excellent remedies to the contrary The causes that move men to damn themselves 1. Atheism 2. Ignorance 3. Hardness of heart 4. Inordinate love to some sinne 6. Unprofitablenesse under the means of grace 7. Taking ungodly prejudices against the Ministers of God 8. Often rebelling against the Light of Conscience 9. That are worse by afflictions 10. That prosper in a way of sin 11. Hypocrisie 12. Desperation What particular eminencies Judas had Doct. We are not to condemn Religion and relisious persons though some amongst them prove scandalous Observ 1. That unless men are carefull at first to look to their grounds and motives why they take upon them the profession of Christs way they will never hold out but one time or other forsake and revolt from all Observ 2. That it 's a very sad thing to fall into such a condition that draweth out our peculiar corruptions we are most prone unto Doct. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Observ That whatsoever the Scripture saith is sure to be made good Grounds why Vse In how many sences the Scripture may be said to be fullfilled Doct. The truth of Scripture-Prophesies I. It is only Gods property to foreknow things to come II. Yet the devil may foretell some things to come III. Predictions of three sorts IV. How vain and wicked it is to go to Astrologers or Witches or to be such Against Astrology and Witchcraft Consider Observ That it 's Christs special will and care that his people should walk comfortably That Christ doth really intend that his people shaâ—l be joyfull I. Therefore was this prayer II. Therefore is it so often commanded III. And for this end are the promises IV. And the Ministry of the Gospel V. Christs care that his people should walk joyfully appears From the works of the Spirit and Christs end in sending him into the Church How many waies the â—pirit of God is a Comforter to Beleevers 1. By way of Instruction and conviction 6. By directing into the way of comfort 3. By a mighty efficacious power 4. By witnessing to us that we are the Children of God VI. From the end for which Christ came into the world and wrought what he did for us Observ There is a joy in Christ which his people are to have fulfilled in them A three fold joy To know the nature of spiritual Joy Consider The transcendency of this Joy above all worldly Joy Vse Observ That the Word preached and received by people doth greatly enrage the wicked of the world Why the preaching and receiving of the Word doth enrage wicked men Vse Observ Concerning which Consider 1. It is possible Christians may be hated not for their Christianity but their gross impieties 2. It is ordinary for them that suffer for Christ to be charged with divers crimes 3. Those that suffer for blasphemy may be so far seduced as to think they suffer for Christ 4. The best Christians that live have many infirmities cleaving to them Observ Doct. Consider I. That there is a twofold hatred II. The Causes of it III. The effects of it IV. The properties of it The duty of Christs Disciples under the worlds hatred Why the godly should rejoyce when they are hated for Christs sake Cautions to the wicked Vse What it is to be of the world How Christ is said not to be of the world What it is not to be of the world There is a twofold conformity to Christ 1. Active 2. Fassive The comfort of being like Christ in suffering Observ That though God love his people yet that doth not necessarily inferre he must keep them from all misery in this world and place them immediately in happiness with himself Quest Why God doth not presently take his beloved ones to himself out of this world of sin and sorrow Answ Quest Whether it be lawfull to pray for death Answ Observ Observ That God hath the dominion and immediate disposing of our being and continuance in this world Propositions explaining this truth Proofs of the point 1. From Scripture Argum. 2. Argum. 3. Argum. 4. Argum. 5. Argum. 6. Doct. The Godly mans often remembring that he is not of this world is of great use 1. Instructing to duty 1. To heavenly-mindednesse Which consists in these particulars 1. He mortifieth and moderateth his affections to lawful things 2. Worldly things are but secondary and lesse principal 3. He will not sin against God to obtain great advantages 4. He affects worldly things no further then by them he may be serviceable to God 5. Labours to keep his heart holy in the midst of earthly businesse 6. Would fain get to the triumphing part of grace 7. Longs for Christs coming 8. Delights in those things that encrease a spiritual life II. Often reflecting
well as the rest which was a strong engagement to make him full of love to Christ and though he was admonished of it that he should betray him though he heard our Saviour say It had been better for him he had never been born yet from these admonitions he goeth immediately and consummates all iniquity From this man called here a sonne of perdition yet formerly as eminent as the other Apostles many worthy particulars are to be gathered but for the present I shall pitch on this That there are some men so resolvedly and obstinately given to damn themselves that let what will come in the way they will go on Even as Balaam in his purpose to curse the people of Israel sets forward with great resolutions driveth on his Ass though that speak to him which might have been a terrible astonishment yet for all that he pursueth his wicked design till God stop him whether he will or no Or as Saul was wretchedly bent to murder himself and therefore cals upon his Armour bearer to run him thorow which when he refused he desperately fals upon his own spear and kils himself Thus there are thousands of persons that do with as much obstinacy and desperate hardness of heart throw themselves into hell God commands a man To do no murder and self-murder is rare because the care of life and fear of death is implanted in men but self-destruction and self-damnation is very common for men neither have a love to their immortal souls nor yet a fear of eternal damnation No wonder if some persons are thus when we reade of an whole body of people or Nation ready to do this Matth. 23.37 Christ doth there in a melting manner weep over Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. How often would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not This compassionate bewailing of them was enough to turn stones into tears but they would not It is not said they understood not they desired but other things hindred them No They would not There was a pertinacious wilfull obstinacy There are more remedies and means sufficient to have humbled them in sackcloth and ashes but they would not This cursed disposition was of old in them Jer. 18.12 when the Prophet had informed them of Gods purpose to bring evil upon them and that therefore they should return from their evil way See what an obstinate reply they make There is no hope or as some render it it 's a desperate case We will go every one in his evil wayes and after the imagination of our own hearts So truly did the Prophet say Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self That as it is from a mans own body diseases grow which afterwards kill him and moths are bred in that linnen which afterwards consume it Thus from a mans one self come those sinnes which tend to his everlasting damnation They will destroy themselves who can stop them or perswade them to the contrary To pursue this because it 's the case of many men who live under the means of grace Let us consider What are the causes that move men thus violently to damn themselves as if they could not do it soon enough And First There are many though glorying in the title of Christians that are prophanely Atheistical They do not believe there is a God or Heaven or Hell they do not firmly assent to Gods Word as true Now what good can all the preaching in the world do though the Ministers were as so many Angels and their voice as terrible as the sound of the trumpet at the last day if men be Atheistical they will not believe what any Minister preacheth They bless themselves in their wicked wayes and will not hearken to any thing Achitophel did not more resolutely go hang himself then those to damn themselves For as faith is the great instrument whereby the Word preached becomes effectual to salvation so unbelief is the great stop and obex in the way This is the door and barre to keep all off which made the Prophet complain Isa 53.1 and the Apostle afterwards alleadgeth it as the cause of mens destruction Who hath believed our report Hence Heb. 4.2 The Word did not profit the Israelites because not mixed with faith A Metaphor from the Physicians potion which doth no good because not mixed with such ingredients This is to be worse then the devils who believe and tremble but thou dost neither As long therefore as men abide in unbelief no Ministry no preaching will do them any good faith is the foundation without this there cannot be any building But though the promises are not made good unless we believe yet know to thy terrour that all the curses and threatnings in Gods Word will be fulfilled upon thee whether thou believe or not Secondly Another cause is Gross bruitish and stupid Ignorance When people have no knowledge or understanding in matters of Religion they fall as easily as blinde men that know not where they go Ephes 4.18 The Apostle speaking of some who gave themselves up to wickedness and were past feeling They had no remorse or sense of conscience as a dead hand though it be runne through with the sword yet feels no pain he makes the cause of this senslesness to be the darkness in their understanding and the blindness which was upon their hearts Thus Hos 4.1 2. when the Prophet complained That the Land was overthrown with swearing lying and murders he makes this the cause There is no knowledge of God in the Land and Jude v. 10. relateth some Who speak evil of those things they know not and what they know naturally they did as bruit beasts corrupt themselves with Is not this the character of many in these dayes Their hellish mouths are opened to rail and deride and so speak malicious words against those that are godly when they are sottish and ignorant in religious things having no knowledge but what is natural and with that they are like bruit beasts corrupting themselves The sottish ignorance and bruitish blindness upon many makes them to venture desperately Oh if their eyes were open Did they but see what the godly see they would not dare to step a step forward in that way which leadeth to death But as mad men feel no pain though instruments be thrust into them so neither do they Men out of their wits venture upon self-murdering practises and thus do those that are void of all spiritual understanding Hence Admonition is called in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 5.13 Paul commands them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to warn them that are unruly or to put a minde and wits into them as if they were mad and would destroy themselves not knowing what they did A third cause of such wilfull resolvedness to damn themselves is hardnesse of heart As long as the heart is soft and tender it trembleth at Gods word and is afraid
of sinne but when it is turned into a stone and made like an adamant then it 's sensible of nothing Pharaoh though he had such wonderfull miracles wrought before him that never such things were heard of in the world before yet because his heart was hardened therefore doth he sinne presumptuously to his own ruine And thus it was with the Jews when that spirituall judgement spoken of Isa 6. was accomplished in them to have blinde eyes and hard hearts Thus all the Prophets at first and all the Apostles afterwards yea Christ himself with all his miracles did not mollifie them yea by these remedies as all incurable diseases do they grew worse and worse what motions relentings must we expect from stones Lapidi loqueris is a proverb Truly such is all preaching and the whole Ministry to men given up to a hard heart Though the Prophet when he spake to the Altar of stones crying O Altar Altar that immediatly rent yet the hearts of men are more sensless Pray therefore of all judgements not to fall into an hard heart Though thou mayest fall into hard times into hard dealings from others into many hard distresses yet as long as thou hast not an hard heart there are some hopes for thee Fourthly Inordinate and immoderate love to some lust or sinne When a man is once enslaved to some lust though he hath never so much light so much conviction yea though he have never so many afflictions upon him yet he will break thorow all to have his lust satisfied As Nero's mother said Occidat modo imperet Let him kill me so he may reign Thus let such sinnes damn me so that I may have my will and desire satisfied What made Judas though he had received so much love and kindness from Christ Yet so perfidiously betray him into the hands of those who had long sought to kill him but only he was a thief and had an immoderate love to worldly-gain It was thirty pieces that made him lose body and soul Oh it 's an heavy thing to be captivated to any one sin Thou must have such and such sins for thy darling sinne Oh this Dalilah will be thy ruine as it was to Sampson Who would have thought that Sampson a godly man as he is recorded Heb. 11. seeing what deadly enemies the Philistims were would have discovered where his strength was But this Dalilah can perswade him to his ruine And thus Herodias can prevail with Herod to kill John Baptist though he knew him to be a just man and had a reverential fear of him thy lust thy sinne thy whore thy unjust gain can make thee fall down and worship the devil without any trouble of conscience Fifthly Decayings from former expressions of holiness or quenchings and extinguishing of such motions as formerly have greatly affected us These commonly seek the Kingdom of darkness as Christ speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven by force and are violent for hell Heb. 6.4 2 Pet. 2.20 The Scripture speaks of some that have had great gifts of the holy Ghost and have escaped through the knowledge of Christ the pollutions of the world if such are intangled again they are worse then ever and there is no hope of recovery Therefore none are in such a desperate condition as those that once had greater workings of heart and hopefull movings of conscience but since are grosly apostatiz'd the prophanest men that live who never cast an eye towards heaven are in a more hopefull condition then such relapses are more dangerous in the soul then in the body Mat. 12.45 when that unclean spirit was cast out but returned again he brought seven other spirits more wicked then himself and so the last state of that man is worse then the first Look to this and tremble you who have had often checks of conscience and often wounds of heart take heed they plunge thee not into an incurable condition The water once heated if cold again is cooler then ever These frequent aguish fits will at last end in a consumption Take heed lest thou turn a derider and a persecutor of what once thou wert forward for SERMON LXIX Of the Sonne of Perdition Shewing more Causes and Symptomes of such wretched Persons that are desperately bent to damn themselves JOH 17.12 But the Sonne of Perdition THe Words have been Explained and the Doctrine gathered which was That there are some men wilfully and desperately set to damn themselves though they enjoy never such means to the contrary We gave in some Characters of such wretched persons and now proceed to instance in some more And the first in order shall be A long and constant Vnprofitablenesse under means of Grace When men have for a long time sate under the powerfull means of Grace yet are as ignorant as prophane and unreformed as formerly These men commonly are resolute in their damnation They have so often heard and heard they are so accustomed now to the remedies that they despise them and get no good by them This the Apostle affirmeth Heb. 6.8 The ground which often drinketh in rain and yet bringeth forth nothing but briars and thorns is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burnt This was the case even of the whole body of the Jews they being accustomed for many years to the threatnings of the Prophets were so farre from trembling under it that they made a scorn of it Jer. 23.33 because the Prophet Jeremy did so often tell them of the Burden of the Lord that is the heavy Sentence and Judgement of God threatned against them they did impudently and prophanely make a scorn of it Even as many hardened sinners will now adaies at the name of hell and damnation Oh then let all such who for many years together have been under the Sunne of the Gospel fear lest when we speak of a Son of Perdition it be said Thou art the man for as when the body that hath been accustomed to often Physick doth yet remain diseased it 's a great Argument of its incurablenesse Thus it is here When there are daily importunities of thee constant expostulations with thee and yet thou art averse and obdurate this may prove fatall and dreadful to thee 2. Sinful and ungodly prejudices taken up against those Prophets and Ministers of God that do in his Name admonish thee and warn thee against thy sinnes Oh when men instead of hearkening to their Counsels take occasion to slander them to oppose them these men have hastily tumbled into confusion Mat. 23. This Christ complained of O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. how often would I have gathered thee and thou wouldst not And it was of old the Jews wickednesse to persecute and oppose all such as came from God to admonish them of their sinnes and therefore at last they crucified the Heir even Christ himself The Wise man speaks peremptorily to this Prov. 29.9 He that being often reproved hardeneth his