Establisher and a Sealer of this Faith in us and to us He who hath anointed us and hath established us is God who hath also sealed us and hath given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.20 Thus we see how it comes to pass that the Faith of a Believer is unmovable But now further as this is true of his Faith at large and consider'd in general so is it true likewise of his Faith more especially in reference to temptations in which sense we are now more particularly to understand these present words I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not that is that thy Faith fail not at such time as thou shalt fall into temptation and when Satan according to his desire shall set upon thee This is indeed the particular scope and drift of the Text. And so again there are two things to be observed by us in it First there 's somewhat implyed and Secondly there 's somewhat exprest That which is implyed is this That a stedfast Faith is a singular help in temptation That which is exprest is this That the servants of God they shall have their Faith much upheld in such conditions First We have this implyed That a stedfast Faith is a singular help in temptation This we draw from the occasion of these words which are here added by our Saviour Our Saviour had in the verse before told Peter that Satan had desired to have him and the rest of them to sift them now in this verse he tells him thus much That he had prayed that his Faith should not fail and he tells it him by way of encouragement Now where does the encouragement lye namely here That his Faith not failing he should be therefore arm'd against Satan's assaults and attempts upon him So that this I say is the scope of the Text to signify to us the efficacy of Faith in such conditions as these are He whose Faith does not fail him he is sufficiently provided for temptation Faith it is a fortifying Grace which does keep the Soul in very good safety And so the Scripture still sets it as amongst the rest in that eminent place Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of Faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil And so again in 2 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand ye fast in the Faith quit ye like men be strong Where it is supposed that if Faith be but sure and stedfast in us every thing else will with us Now the efficacy of Faith in temptation is discernable in these particulars First as it pitches us upon the strength and power of God That which keeps up a soul in temptation it is an Almighty Power it is a Power which is above all the Powers of Darkness it self Now such is the Power of God alone and therefore the Apostle when he would arm us against Principalities and Powers c. he bids us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6.10 Be strong c. for we wrestle c. Now this Power it is improved by no Grace so much as by Faith We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in the last times Kept by the power of God as the main cause and original of our preservation and withal kept through Faith as apprehending and laying hold on this power and applying it to it self Secondly Faith helps in temptation as it lays hold upon the promises of God It has pleased the Lord to make many gracious promises to his servants in temptations for the sustaining of them in them as 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able but will with the temptation find a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it And many such like gracious intimations as these are Now Faith it applies these promises and makes use of them in time of need and so by this means does much help and support and keep us up in temptation Thirdly As it lays hold upon Christ and pitches us and fastens us upon him we are so far safe and sure in temptation as Christ has any hold of us and we of him Look as it was with Peter when he sometimes walked upon the Sea what was that which then upheld him and kept him from sinking why it was the hold which he had upon Christ Even so was it with this same Peter likewise when he was set upon and assaulted by Satan and when the waves of temptation came upon him his security was Christ's sustaining of him Now Faith is that which makes us to do this even to cling and cleave to Christ and keep close to him This accordingly teaches us how much therefore it concerns us to take care that this be vigorous in us and as Christ here himself prayed for us so also to pray for our selves that this may not fail in us That Prayer of the Disciples for themselves Lord encrease our Faith it is that which is necessary for every Christian and that especially in order to temptation that we be not vanquish'd and overcome by that And further Here is that which may satisfy us in the Providence of God himself towards us we may think it a strange dealing with us that he suffers temptations sometimes to befal us yea but here is that which makes amends that he hath provided also such a Grace as is sufficient for the encountring of them He has given an Antidote for this poyson and a Buckler against this assault where there 's Faith there is an help against temptation That 's that which is here implyed Secondly For that which is exprest It is this That Peter's Faith shall not fail at such a time as that is It shall not fail that is it shall not fail in temptation at such a time as Satan shall assault him and set upon him as afterwards he did Where by failing we are not to understand some temporary shaking or obscuration for that we know his Faith had but an absolute and total deficiency Peter when he was at the very worst even at that time when he denied his Master yet his Faith did not thus fail in him There was Faith and Grace at the bottom even in that miscarriage This appears from hence in that he recover'd and got up again He was sensible of his defect and repented and mourn'd for it he went out and wept bitterly as the Scripture says of him As soon as ever that Christ looked upon him his heart smote him this would not have been so if his Faith had absolutely failed in him no it did not do so but as it is noted of Eutychus that fell from the third story and was taken up for dead yet notwithstanding his life was in him Acts 20.9 10. Even so was
in this particular They have not all obeyed the Gospel for Isaias saith Who hath believed our report Rom. 10.16 This is the greater ground and argument of thankfulness to those who do believe indeed and may put all upon the serious search and examination of themselves Seeing Faith is not common to all let us be sure that it does belong at least to us and that our selves have a share in it for our particular It is that which many presume upon and take for granted but it concerns us to be upon certain terms in a point of so great importance and consequence as that is how we should find our selves in the number of those Believers That 's the first thing the Emphasis of Restriction The second is the Emphasis of Enlargement Many and not a Few and so it shews us the multitude of Converts which were made by Christs Sermon This is that which God is pleased sometimes in his wisdom and goodness to dispose that many shall be brought home unto him We have it often signified unto us in Joh. 2.23 Joh. 4.39 Joh. 7.31 Joh. 10.42 Joh. 12.42 and many more which might be added The Acts of the Apostles are full of the number of people which were brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ There was cause for it in the first layings of the Church especially for the founding and making of it and the spreading of Christs truth through the world and therefore it pleased God so to order it As also for the better encouragement of one another that Christians might not think themselves solitary and lest alone from the paucity of them therefore would God have many to be converted But this will admit of a further Illustration if we shall consider not onely the Number but the Quality of these persons here converted and the disposition which was remarkable in them For many pliable and tractable and ingenuous and good natur'd persons such as these to yield to Christs Doctrine might not seem to be so strange a business but these people here in this Chapter they were of another temper obstinate and captious and quarrelsome and malicious persons and yet for all this wrought upon by him We see here there 's no standing out against the Word and Spirit of Christ when he is pleased to put forth himself The most obstinate and refractory that are shall be brought in unto him Who would ever have thought that such a stubborn barbarous fellow as the Jaylor should have been a Disciple of Christ and yet you see how it proved to be with him Acts 16.33 and so it has been with divers others besides These Jews here in the Text they were full of opposition and contradiction nay they were set on purpose to quarrel with his Doctrine and they never exprest more spite and malice than they did here in this Chapter all along through the course of it and yet for all that there were many of them taken with Christs Doctrine which he preached unto them What 's the use which we may make hereof to our selves It comes briefly to this First from hence to take men off from too much confidence and applauding of themselves in their sinful courses and hardning of themselves against the Ministery There are many which are so setled in their wickedness as that they seem with themselves to scorn and to despise all admonitions and to be Armour of proof against the Word of God What they afraid of a Preacher and thought to be such as should yield to the Ministery of a weak man like themselves They scorn it and disdain to think of it Well but let them not be too self-confident for all that they know not how it may be with them if ever God awaken their Consciences and set his word effectually upon their hearts they will be then as those converted Jews who before some of them were full of perversness Secondly Here is still encouragement to Ministers to hearten them and quicken them in their work that they be not dejected and cast down in themselves for there 's none too stiff for the Grace and Spirit of Christ As it is Ezek. 2.6 Son of man though they be briers and thorns and a rebellious house yet be not afraid thou salt speak my word unto them God has his number even among such as these yea and a great number too Many believed on him even of perverse and obstinate Jews which were prejudiced against him But farther to take in all with us we may look upon these persons here converted not onely as the persons whom Christ directed his speech unto especially but also such as came in and were Auditors and Hearers by the by many of these believed on him And so there 's another Point in it which is this That occasional Hearers are sometimes wrought upon in the Ministerial Dispensations There were many of these persons which little thought of Conversion when they came hither to this present Assembly and Discourse of Christ which came onely out of novelty and curiosity and affectation to hear what was said Now many of these were caught at the Sermon This is not to justifie such kind of comings as those are but to shew Gods Wisdom and Providence in the ordering and disposing of them that those who many times come to Church for nothing less than to get good by the Word but rather to see such a face or such a fashion yet now and then before they are aware have their Consciences touch'd and strucken by it It is that which is greatly taken notice of by many persons even now at this day amongst Believers We have divers who when they see the Church open come into it to see onely what is done and run from one Church-door to another and gaze about them and stay for a while but sometimes it pleases God to meet with them by some word which is spoken here unto them He is found of them that sought him not and manifest to them that asked not after him Isa 45.1 So much for that And so I have done with the first part of the Text viz. the Success of Christs Ministery Many c. The second is the Occasion or Season of this Success As he spake these words I call it the Occasion and Season both because indeed there is both in it and both observable of us But we may draw it out into three branches There are three things here observable of us First the determination of the Performance and that was Preaching Discoursing or Arguing As he spake Secondly the determination of the Doctrine those words in particular which then came from him As he spake those words Thirdly the determination of the Time and Instant of it As he spake in the very moment of speaking First Here 's the determination of the Performance As he spake for the Honour of Preaching The Miracles of Christ did no good upon them they had seen his mighty works and not a whit the
of Faith There are many which reckon themselves in the highest form of Divinity which are in the lowest form of Christianity as having little of the true knowledg of Christ abiding in them Secondly Weaker Christians are compared to little Children as for the smallness of their growth so for the shallowness of their understanding and the weakness and feebleness of their digestion Little children they cannot digest strong meats as is before implied no more can weaker Christians stronger or higher truths There are some Truths in Religion which weaker minds are apt to abuse and to pervert to their own perdition as the Apostle Peter tells us some did with those hard things in Pauls Epistles 2 Pet. 3.16 They are too strong and difficult for them 1 Cor. 3.1 Thirdly Little children they are froward and apt to be complaining in regard of the tenderness which is in them a small matter troubles them and so it is with weak Christians there 's a peevishness and morosity upon them from whence a little thing molests them and soon puts them out of frame Fourthly and lastly as most pertinent to the Text. Little children they are not long in a mind they quickly change and alter their opinions and so it is with weaker Christians It was so in particular with these Galatians for which the Apostle indeed does here call them little children they were soon removed from him that had called them c. chap. 14. Upon this account does the Apostle also express himself after this manner to the Ephesians That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine Take little children and ye may turn them which way ye will and that which to day they play with to morrow they are ready to cast away The same desposition is there in weaker Christians both in regard of Teachers and Doctrines those Teachers which for the time they admire within a while they have enough of them and those Doctrines which now they imbrace ere long they 'l be of a contrary mind and judgment to them But so much of the first thing here considerable which is the Title or Compellation Little children c. The second is the condition in which he stood in reference to them and that we have in these words of whom I travel in birth again Wherein two particulars more First The simple Proposition of it I travel in birth Secondly The additional Reiteration I travel in birth again For the first The simple Proposition The Apostle says he travels in birth with these Galatians where having before call'd them little children he still continues the metaphor about them by resembling and comparing himself to a travelling woman and so upon occasion he is made all things to the people of God sometimes a spokes-man to betratb them 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I might present you a chast virgin to Christ sometimes a Father to beget them 1 Cor. 4.15 For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel sometimes a Nurse to cherish them 1 Thes 2.7 We were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth c. sometimes a Mother to bear them My little children of whom I travel in birth And this latter is that which we are now to consider of at this present time Here 's that wonder which the Prophet Jeremy speaks of of a man travailing with child in Jer. 30.6 The Apostle Paul here assumes it to himself but he does not restrain it to himself he does by this expression signifie the condition of the Ministerial employment especially in the hands of those which are faithsul in it it is like the travel of a woman in child-birth of whom I travel in birth There are three things especially which are observable in a travailing woman and each of them appliable to a Minister and Pastor of souls First Sense of pain Secondly Desire of delivery Thirdly Fear of miscarriage First sense of pain There 's pain amd labour in travel so great as that other things which were painful are set forth and resembled by it in Scripture and a woman when she is in traved we say she is in labour as if there were no labour to speak of but only that Now this is also considerable of us in the work of the Ministry howsoever some may count it and others may make it yet in it self and in the conscionable discharge of it it is a laborious work And accordingly we shall find it in Scripture exprest in so many terms 1 Cor. 3.9 We are labourers together with God 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all 1 Tim. 5.17 They that labour in the word and doctrine Still the work of the Ministry is represented and exhibited to us as a business of pains and labour and so indeed it is Indeed it is so differently to a difference and variety of persons as it is in the other kind of travel and bodily child-birth some have an easier pull of it than others accordingly as it please God to be assistant to them as it is noted of the Hebrew-women Exod. 1.19 So here in this spiritual travel according to different gifts and inablements the labour is different but yet all who are that which they should be have their share in this pain and labour This as it is a good Meditation to Ministers themselves to teach them with what thoughts to enter upon so weighty an employment so it is also a good item to people how to carry themselves towards them even by knowing them that labour amongst them and admonish them and to esteem them very highly in love for their works-sake as the Apostle Paul makes that use himself of it to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.12 13. We see what cause we have to bear a tender affection to the true Ministers of Christ to pity them and to pray for them even as we would for a woman which is drawing near the time of her travel so should we for those which are understanding such a great work as this is even seek to God earnestly for them especially considering that it is for our sakes and in reference to our good that it is undertaken by them That 's one thing which is considerable in this resemblance of the work of the Ministry to travel viz. sense of pain The second is desire of delivery A travelling-woman she longs to be eased of her burden with which she goes and waits for the times of her redemption and freedom from it and she has a great desire to bring forth what she carries into the world So also had the Apostle here of doing good to these Galatians he was with child till he had wrought some what upon them and brought them into a good temper of spirit This is another thing observable in a good Minister from whence he is said to travel in child for those which are committed unto him Thus Rom. 1.11 I
Where speaking of the Devils The Angels that kept not their first Estate it is said that they are reserved in Everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day So then they shall be silent in Darkness is as much as they shall be Continued in Darkness and does denote the Immoveableness and Irrecoverableness of their miserable Condition being such as from which they shall never be freed or delivered which Exposition is sutable to that of Moses in his song speaking of the Enemies of the Church to wit the Egyptians Exod. 15.16 Fear and Dread shall fall upon them by the greatness of thine Arme they shall be still as a Stone In the Hebrew it is ijdhmou that is they shall be silent Tacuerint tanquam lapis fuerint the Chalde Paraphrast Thus we see how as the Wicked are in Darkness So in what sense also they are said to be silent in it Now to joyn them both together they are such as doe very fitly agree to such kind of persons Both Darkness and also silence in it are very sutable to wicked men First the Darkness of Condition answerable to the darkness of sin Wicked men they abhorre the light because their deeds are evil They delight in works of darkness and now that light is come into the world yet they love darkness rather then light as it is in the Gospel Joh. 3.19 And therefore it is very sitting that Darkness should be inflicted upon them That their punishment may be answerable to their disposition Seing they delight in darkness there 's good reason that they should have enough of it and so they have sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Secondly Silence in evil answerable to silence from good Wicked men they care not to speak any thing which may be to the Honour of God They are silent as to prayers and praises and good speeches which should come from them They have a driness and barreness and dumbness and speechlesness here and accordingly they are made silent as to affliction and the sad effects and consequences which that does cause and occasion to them They are silent in Darkness There 's one thing more which we have not yet mention'd which yet may be very proper and pertinent to the scope of the place and that is the wicked's uncertainty and want of due advice and resolution what to doe in those conditions of perplexity in which they are They shall be silent as to the giving of Counsel either to others or else to themselves as being non-plust and at a stand from that dubiousness and ambiguity of affairs which are upon them This is a sense which will very wellhold and it is a case which does oftentimes fall out that whereas the Saints and servants of God He keeps their feet for them And gives light to them that sit in Darkness and the shaddow of Death yea and also guides their feet in the way of peace as it is in Luk. 1.79 The wicked on the otherside they shall reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and be at their wits end as the Scripture sometimes expresses it they shall not see their way before them nor yet know what course is best to be taken by them That 's the second Branch here considerable to wit the state of the wicked in opposition and contradistinction to the Godly and so the first General part of the Text which is the condition of two ranks of persons good and bad He shall keep the feet of the Saints But the wicked shall be silent in Darkness The second General is the Reason or Account which is given of both That we have in the last words For by strength shall no man prevail This refers to both precedent clauses of the former General in the conditions both of good and bad therefore doe's God keep the feet of His Saints because there 's no strength prevailing without Him And therefore again shall the wicked also be silent in darkness because there 's no strength prevailing against him so it holds strong as a very good reason in either reference We begin with the first viz. As it refers to the first clause He shall keep the feet of His Saints That is by taking it exclusively He and He alone There 's no man prevails without God by any strength which is in Himself And therefore our old Translation expresses it so By his own strength shall no man prevail This is true according to the Notion and Acceptation of strength in the full latitude and extent of it whatever strength there 's of a man 's own it is such as whereby He shall be never able to prevail unless he have another and better strength joyn'd together with it Wee 'l reduce it briefly to three Heads First The strength of Body and Humane power with the appurtenances thereof Secondly The strength of Parts and the improvements of wit and understanding The strength of Grace in the meer purpose of it First I say not by the strength of Body and Humane Power with the Appurtenances thereof there 's no man shall prevail by this not by strength of outward force and arms and such helps as these These have a strength in them and such an one as one would think to be very prevalent but it is not this simply consider'd which carries the business And the Scripture does accordingly so set it and represent it unto us Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Zech. 4.6 It is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel So Eccles 9.11 The race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong And Psal 44.3 They got not the land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arms and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour to them There 's the resolution of all not into man's strength so much as into God's There are divers instances and examples of those which have had little or no strength of their own and yet have much prevailed again their are instances of those which have not prevailed where they have had strength in great abundance And the Lord delights to have it so that so His own strength and power and glory may the more appear and that all Nations and People and Persons may acknowledge him in the Government of the world who is the Blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's as the Apostle Paul declares him in 1 Tim. 6.15 Therefore As the Prophet Jeremy makes Application of it to our hand Let not the strong man glory in his strength Jer. 9.23 We see hence what little cause we have to put our confidence in man or to make flesh our arm as the same Prophet likewise intimates and pronounces a curse upon such persons as are guilty of so doing Jer. 17.5 Ther 's not the Greatest Humane strength which of it self
in himself especially as revealed in his Son but we are then said to rejoyce in him when as by a Spirit of Faith we do improve him and make use of him for our Comfort and Consolation But Secondly By way of Reflexion we are then said to be glad in the Lord when we rejoyce in our Interest in Him and relation to Him when we resolve to make God our Happiness and greatest Contentment and to reckon of our selves accordingly as we have likely so to do This being glad in the Lord is opposed to being glad in the Creature as the Meditation of the Lord to a Meditation upon other things This is the Sum here of Davids Resolution and Expression of Himself in this particular that whereas Earthly and Worldly persons they had for the most part worldly Reflexions which were most pleasing and delightful to them his Meditation upon God should be the sweetest and whereas they also had many worldly Jollityes he would be glad and rejoyce in the Lord as most able to rejoyce in Him Which is that also which should be the studdy and indeavour of all other Christians and of our selves in particular amongst the rest So much for that to wit of Davids Exaltation joyned to his Contemplation and so of the whole Text before us My Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. SERMON XXIV Psal 77.10 And I said this is mine Infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High The State and Condition of a Christian whilst he lives here below hath it's Vncertainties and Varieties with it not onely in reference to the world and the Concernments of this Natural Life but likewise in reference to Heaven and the hopes and Expectations of a better not onely as to his dealings with Men but to his Converse and Communion with God There are the Ebbings and Flowings of Grace and there are the Falling and Rising of Corruption which are by turns observable in Him as we may see here in this Instance and Example which we have here before us The Prophet David Himself who may serve as a Representation of all other Christians besides in this Particular how ever he was at other times a man fiull of Faith and Assurance yet he had now at this time a sit of Destrustfulness upon him and began to call in question the Love and Affection and Faithfulness of God Himself to him But yet through the Goodness of God he does at last work Himself out of it and he tells us here how he did it Then I said this is mine Infirmity but I will c. In the Text it self there are two General parts considerable First The Discovery of the Disease Secondly The Application of the Remedy The Discovery of the Disease that we have in these words Then I said this is mine Infirmity The Application or Resolution upon the Remedy that we have in these But I will remember the years c. We begin with the former viz. The Discovery of the Disease Then I said this is c. Wherein again we have two branches more First The simple Proposition This is mine Infirmity Secondly The Rersonal Keflexion I said this is c. It was in the thing it self and it was also in the Psalmist's own Observation First Take it simply in the Proposition and in the thing it self This is mine Infirmity wherein there are divers points included and Exhibited to us we will take them as they lie before us First We see here how the Saints and Servants of God themselves they have their Infirmities My Infirmity says David who was an Holy man a man after Gods own Heart as the Scripture sometimes describes him yet he had his weakness and Infirmities with him and so also have all others besides his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his often Infirmities as it is recorded of him 1 Tim. 5.23 But also Spiritual and Mental The weaknesses and Infirmities of the Soul and inward man they are those which are here mentioned in this place these are such as the Children of God have even in the Holiest and Exactest of them as it is here implyed The Ground of it is this First The reliques and remainders of the Old man still abiding in them where the Root is remaining there will be Fruit answerable to it according to the Propositions of it Now thus it is here in this particular the Children of God they are Flesh as well as Spirit and so farforth as they are Flesh there will be somewhat proceeding from them which shall savor of it The Flesh lusts against the Spirit as well as the Spirit against the Flesh as the Apostle tells us Gal. 5.17 Secondly Grace is wrought Imperfectly in them while they are here in this world so much there is of the Flesh so much the more there is to cause Infirmities and so much the less as there is of the Spirit so much the less on the otherside to prevent them I can do all things says the Apostle Paul through Christ that strengthens me A Christian is so far free from Infirmity as it pleases Christ to strengthen him but this is not absolutely and perfectly while he remains here in thi world Neither as to habitual Grace nor Auxiliary Neither as to the working of the Principles which is but in a weak measure and degree nor as to the Concurrance with the Opperations which are various and different in them also and at the best but very imperfect Therefore this teaches us to esteem of men as men not to think of them above that which is written as the Apostle advises nor to accept more from them then is indeed in them not to look for a Perfection in this Life from the best that are for it is not to be found As no man should think of himself more highly then he ought to think so neither should he think so of other men but so to Honour their Graces as withall to make account of their Infirmities The one to be pursued and imitated while the other is to be shunn'd and avoyded even David he had his Infirmities That is the First Secondly As good men have their Infirmities so commonly they have some one more especially which they are addicted and inclined unto As they have Corruption in them at large so this Corruption more particularly and especially which they are incumbred withall This is mine Infirmity says the Psalmist by way of Appropriation Original Corruption it does not run out alike in all but has it's varieties and diversities of Improvement in some after one manner and in others after another As we see it is in the Body though all men are in regard of their Nature subject to all kind of Diseases yet all do not alike partake of them some are more inclinable to one and some to another Even so is it also in the Soul and inward man every Christian has his Infirmities This should teach every
not some Light ones onely but such as were very Irksome and hard to be born That is Chastening me sore First I say in this Expression we have the Frequency and Reiteration of these Chastenings even again and again This is one thing which God is pleased sometimes to do with his Children when he has Chastened them once to return to it and Chasten them a fresh and to renew his Chastenings to them When Sin is repeated Punishment is repeated likewise and when we return to our Transgressions God himself returns to his Corrections and Chastisements of us as is most requisite and Convenient for us Look as it is with Physitians in regard of the Body when the same Distemper comes again they give the same Physick to remove it and to take it away even so does the great Physitian in reference to the Soul Relapses into Sin will cause Relapses into Sickness or into any other trouble for Sin which it is a ground and occasion of The one follows upon the other in Gods most wise and prudent Dispensations Secondly Here 's the Multitude of Corrections He hath Chastened me in Chastening that is he hath sent one Affliction upon another this is another thing here observable in Gods proceedings towards the Sons of men one Deep calls to another Psal 42.7 Deep calleth unto Deep at the noise of thy water-spouts all thy Waves and thy Billowes are gone over me And so Job in Job 16.14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach he runneth upon me like a Giant Thus did the Lord with that Holy man he had Messenger upon Messenger of Evil tidings which hapned unto Him of the Chaldeans and Sabeans c. Thou renewest thy Witnesses against me and Increasest thine Indignation upon me in Job 10.17 Thirdly Here 's the Greiviousness of the Correction Repition implies Intention and so here he hath Chastened me in Chastening that is He hath Chastened me sore as our own Translation here gives it Thus God oftentimes does likewise he layes heavy Afflictions upon his People Thus the Church complains to God Psal 44.19 Thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadows of Death And Psal 80.5 Thou feedest them with the Bread of Tears and givest them Tears to drink in great measure Job The arrows of the Almighty were in him Heman His wrath lay hard upon him Paul He was Prest above measure and so of the rest And there 's very good cause for it God sees it to be necessary for us oftentimes to deal thus with us as simply to Chasten us so now and then to Chasten us sore and that especially that Patience may have its perfect work in us and that the Cure may be throughly wrought in us For strong Humours require strong Physick to purge them out Where Corruption is deeply rooted in the Heart there it is not a light or small matter which will serve the turn to work it out No but there must be a great deal of stir and adoe which is to be made with it The Use which we should make of it is therefore from hence to learn to understand the Providences of God in this particular to be satisfied in them and prepared for them we are apt to think our troubles to be such as none were ever before us see here how it is with David Chastened me sore And as I said there is cause for it that God may be clear when he Judges there are some Natures and Dispositions which a small or light Correction will doe no good upon him but they are apt to despise it and therefore God sees it necessary to deal more severely with them and to take a sharper Course to mend them And so I have done with the first General part of the Text which is the Condition it self The Lord hath Chastened me sore c. The Second is the Qualification of this Condition But he hath not given me over to Death which words are to be considered of us two manner of ways First in their Connexion with the words that went before And Secondly In their absolute Consideration as taken alone by themselves First In their Connexion and so I say they are a Qualification of those that went before and they serve to shew unto us the manner of Gods dealings with his people which is to mitigate his Afflictions of them and to Correct them still in measure he Chastens them but does not undoe them Thus 2 Cor. 6.9 As Dying but behold we live As Chastened but not kild And so 2 Cor. 4.8.9 Troubled on every side but not Distressed Perplexed but not in Dispair Persecuted but not forsaken Cast down but not destroyed And 1 Cor. 10.13 God is Faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able but will with the Temptation find a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Though he cause Grief yet will he have Compassion according to the Multitude of his Mercies Lam. 3.32 And so here now in this present Scripture Though he Chastens yet he gives not over unto Death The reason of it is this because Gods Ayme and Intent is not Destruction but Reformation which Death doth hinder and prevent the opportunities of unto us Though it is true that even in Death it self God can work much to this purpose as to the Changeing and bettering of the Heart yet for the outward Life and Conversation and the reforming of that this by Death is taken away Secondly As God does thus mitigate his Corrections in Wisdome so also in Mercy because he is a Gracious God and he continues still so to be without alteration Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords Mercies that we are not Consumed because his Compassions fail not They are new every Morning great is thy Faithfulness And Malach. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not Consumed The Lord is full of very much tenderness in this particular as it is related Concerning the Israelites that though they carried themselves perversely towards him Yet he being full of Compassion forgave them their Iniquities and destroyed them not Yea many a times turned he his Anger away and did not suffer his whole Indignation to arise for he remembred that they were but Flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Psal 78.38 39. And Psal 102.13.14 Like as a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him for he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but Dust in Psal 103.13.14 And again Esay 57.16 I will not contend for Ever neither will I be always wrath for the Spirit would fail before me and the Souls which I have made God stands very much upon this to prevent Discouragement in his Servants This should therefore First of all teach us to acknowledg Gods Goodness in this respect and to praise him for it as David Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy
Judgments are right and that in Faithfulness thou hast Afflicted me For indeed he does wonderfully moderate Himself in these his Corrections He punishes us less then our Iniquities deserves as Ezra makes Confession in Ezra 9.13 And although we do not always think so yet he always Corrects us in measure as himself declares unto us in Scripture thus in Esay 27.8 speaking concerning his Vineyard that is his Church In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough Winds in the day of his East-winds And Jer. 30.11 I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations whether I have scattered thee yet I will not make a full end of thee but I will Correct thee in measure and will not altogether leave thee Vnpunished Mark how these two are very happily joyned together I will not altogether leave thee unpunished and yet I will correct the in measure God will not leave his people altogether unpunished that he may the better rule them and keep them in awe and yet he will punish them and correct in measure that so he may keep them from Discouragement and Dispondency and dejection of Spirit Therefore I say let us observe Gods dealings in this particular and acknowledg his goodness in them It should teach us to entertain good thoughts of God and to look for such dealings from him as for time past it should draw out our thankfulness and so for time present it should strengthen our Patience and so for time to come incourage our Faith and Hope and Expectation That he that hath delivered will deliver and though he may Chasten sore yet will still mitigate his Chastenings to us that they shall not altogether overwhelm us and swallow us up but that we shall finde relief in them Indeed we cannot always expect it in the letter of the Text as to an absolute Freedom from Dissolution for that must come and will come at last after all our preservations from it upon such and such particular occasions Recovery is at the best but a Repreive and so must be accounted by us and what ever Evils we do escape there 's no escape of this comming to Death but yet under this phrase here we have signified Gods General inclination for the mitigating of his Corrections to us And therefore Secondly it teaches us also Bowels and Compassions in our selves in imitation of this goodness of God There are some kind of people in the world whom nothing will serve their turn but absolute ruine and destruction Like those two fierce Disciples in the Gospel presently calling for fire from Heaven or like the children of Edom in the Psalm concerning Jerusalem Raze it raze it to the foundation down with it down with it to the ground yea but these are taught better here from the Example of God himself who does hold and restrain his hand in the chastisements and corrections of his people This is still his manner of dealings especially where there 's any hope of proficiency for time to come He will not there presently make an utter end but spare them in much mercy As in Isa 65.8 When the new wine is found in the cluster oh destroy it not for there 's a blessing in it so will I doe for my servants sake c. And so much may be spoken of these words consider'd in their connexion The first part of the verse with the second as qualifying of it Now Secondly let us look upon them in their absolute consideration the latter clause of the verse distinctly and alone by it self He hath not given me over unto death We see here how God does graciously preserve his servants from Death and destruction he keeps and maintains their lives This David often makes mention of in other places of the Psalms besides As Psal 30.3 Oh Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the Pit So Psal 116.8 Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears my feet from falling This the Lord is pleased to doe upon sundry considerations First out of his Goodness and Mercy and Love unto them thus David sets it forth in that place Psal 116.5 6. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull And what follows hereupon The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me So in verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints And Psal 72.14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight It is not an indifferent matter with God the death of his Servants neither does he lightly take away their lives but where there 's good cause and reason for it and in order to some greater good to them Secondly Because he hath work and service for them to do In death no man shall praise thee and who shall give thee thanks in the pit Psal 6.5 And Again Isa 38.18 19. The Grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee The living the living he shall praise thee As long as God has any work for any man to do so long he is sure to live and abide in the world Here 's a double goodness of God manifested to us First In designing us to service and the work it self And Secondly In preâ—erving our lives that so we may serve him and doe the work he has design'd us to This should so much the more incourage us in fruitfulness before him we cannot take a more expedient way to prolong our lives than by doing as much good as we can in them Useless and unprofitable persons which live idly and out of any imployment they doe but stand in the room of those which would do better then themselves and they provoke God oftentimes in Judgement to remove them and to take them away As the barren Figtree in the Gospel it was cut down that it might not cumber the ground But those that are active and serviceable they are a great delight and content to him and he takes a great deal of delight in thinking upon them as himself also expresses it in Malach. 3.16 17. They shall be mine sayes the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him A man loves all his children as children and from his Relation to them Oh but those who are of his Trade and which work to him those he loves and tenders more especially and would be lothest to part with them of any other besides and so is it here with God his sons that serve him their death is more precious with him of all the rest neither will he easily give them over to it Not that he simply needs any work or service of ours who when we have done all we can are at the best but unprofitable
of Gods servants in this regard who dare not trust him with their lives and the preservation of them notwithstanding so many Gracious Promises and experiences which they have received from him As David he was but just before delivered out of his enemies hands and he presently cryes I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul even so it is with many others besides who as the Apostle speaks through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb 2.15 Now for such as these they may be here said from this passage before us though God may bring them to danger yet as he sees cause he will deliver them from it as he did here with this servant David The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to death Secondly Where we partake of this mercy let us acknowlelge it with all thankfulness Thus does David do here we are to take notice not onely of his words but also of his Affection which is signified in them and the Spirit from whence they came from him he utters them with a great deal of feeling and sensibleness of Gods goodness to him And so they are not onely a narration of his present condition but an acknowledgement of Gods favour to himself to an answerable temper and disposition which he does here Express by the words which came from Him He hath not given me over to Death They are not words of Boasting and Vanity and Ostentation and Carnal Rejoyceing but the words of Soberness and Piety and Discretion And there are divers things intended by them First He would make it an Argument for Patience The escaping greater Evils should breed Contentation under less That as God afflicts us below our Deserts so also below our Capacities that he does not afflict us in the utmost Extremity and so to this purpose should we argue and reason with our selves he has taken away my Health but he hath not taken away my Life He hath exercised me in my Body but he has spared my Soul He hath deprived me of Earthly Comforts but he hath not deprived me of Heavenly of the Graces of his Spirit of the assurance of his Love of the Communion with himself of his own blessed and Gracious presence these he hath not denyed me but continued them still in the midst of all other Discouragements Secondly He would hereby silence the false rumours which were to the Contrary and the Insultations of his Enemies from them for their mouthes were full to this purpose and delighted to be so as these which spake according as they would have it as in the place before alledged Psal 41.6.7 And if he come to see me he speaketh Vanity his Heart gathereth Iniquity to it self when he goeth abroad he telleth it all that hate me whisper together against me against me do they devise my hurt This was the Condition of David in regard of his Enemies They Tryumpht before the Victory and pleased themselves both in the thoughts and speeches of his supposed Ruine and Destruction now by this Expression here in the Text he does in an holy and Humble manner signifie their Mistake and Disappointment as if he had said unto them it is not so bad as ye thought it nor so bad as ye hoped it nor so bad as ye talked it I am through Gods goodness alive still for all the surmises The Lord hath Chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to Death Thirdly Which is here namely Considerable David I say would hereby express his Thankfulness to God for this Mercy they are words of Praise and spiritual Rejoyceing as appears by those that follow in the 19 verse of this Psalm Open to me the Gates of Righteousness and I will go into them and will praise the Lord namely for this his Goodness to me This is that which we all should do as we have occasion for it and indeed there 's none of us all but have so one way or other though some more then other either by way of prevention in keeping of Evils from us or by way of recovery in delivering us out of those Evils and especially in these late Distempers which have been so rife and frequent amongst us for this year now last past wherein Death hath come up into our Windows as the Scripture speaks that we should not be given over to it is matter of due praise unto us and to be acknowledged by us And we cannot better nenew the year unto us then by such performances as these are And further stir up others to do so occasionally from our Example which is another thing here intended by David in this Expression he does not onely hereby signify his own Thankfulness but also excite and stir up others to praise God both for him and themselves upon the like occasion as we find him in another place Psal 34.2.3 My Soul shall make her boast of God the humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnify the Lord with me and let us Exalt his name together But especially as a third Improvement of this point let us be careful to use our lives well which God has given us to his Glory and so give them back to him again who has first given them too us Life it is a Blessing as it used and ordered by us For men to live onely a Natural Life here in the word to Eat and Drink and take their pleasures like brute Beasts Alas what a poor thing is that for men to live onely for such a purpose as this is to fiill up the measure of their Sins and to aggravate their Account at another Day by thinking that they are delivered to commit such and such Abominations this is very sad and Miserable but then is Life indeed when it is improved to Gods Glory The doing of good in our several Opportunities the Furtherance both of our own and others Salvation and laying up in store a good Foundation against the time to come laying hold on Eternal Life Therefore I beseech ye let us be careful especially to look to this and that likewise those which are in the prime of their Years and Health and Strength let them not neglect so Blessed an Opportunity as that is those that are past it let them indeavour to redeem it for time to Come We should labour to find our lives given us and continued to us in Mercy and Love which we may know to be no otherwise then accordingly as we have hearts given us with them for the improvement of them as we may do any other Mercy besides where it has the stamp of Gods love upon it it makes us to serve him better with it and our selves to be really and indeed so much the better for it whereas when it is otherwise it is a fign it is in wrath and to harden us so much the more in Evil There 's none are so bad as those who are bad after Mercies Received both as having
for the fitness of this Person to commend our Works and Affairs unto in his Book De Patientia Satis idoneus patientiae sequester est Deus si injuriam deposueris penes eum ultor est si damnum reslitutor est si dolorem medicus est God is a sufficient Depositary of patience to thee If thou committest thy Wrongs to him he is an Avenger if thy Losses to him he is a Repairer if thy Diseases to him he is a Recoverer and so forth In all conditions and upon all occasions he is ready to hear thy complaints and to take thy supplications This shews what good cause we have to commit our Works unto him I might take occasion hence also to amplifie it from all his Relations wherein he stands with us And thus we see what good ground there is here for this Exprecton and Motion in the Text to Commit our Works to the Lord as the Term and Point this Action which it is directed unto and the Person which this Commitment and Deposition is charged withal Now further To open this still unto us we are not to take this only Specificative but also Exclusive whereby it is said here Commit thy works to the Lord. It seems to carry this sense with it that we do so commit them to him as upon the point to none else besides So that moreover there are these intimations included in it and with it First To the Lord and not to thine own self Whilst we are bid to commit our Works unto God we are thereby implicitely forbidden Self-confidence and Presumption in any thing which belongs unto us As for instance our own Wit and Counsel and Understanding Thus Prov. 3.5 Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thine own understanding It is a dangerous thing for us to lean to our own Understanding which is apt many times to fail us and give us the slip Carnal Policy and the Wisdom of the World such things as these they do many times prove but broken Reeds And so as for Wit so Wealth and Strength and Power such things as these it is but ill trusting and confideing in them Secondly To the Lord and not to other men There is ill committing of our Works to such also The Scripture has shewed us how ill it is for us so to do by setting a Character upon them Psal 62.9 Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of sigh degree are a lye being layed in the ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity Thirdly To the Lord and not to Fortune and Chance There are many which do blindly commit their Works and their Ways unto this which is as good as nothing at all Now it becomes not Christians so to do we should rest and relye upon God and commend our selves to His Gracious Providence which is the surest Shelter and Refuge for us that may be And thus we have seen this Point opened and enlarged in all its several Particulars Now what remains to our selves for the Use and Application of it but to perform it and to put it into practise Seeing the Spirit of God thus enforces it upon us let not us be wanting to it or negligent in it let us not deprive our selves of so much comfort and quietness as may accrew to us hereby as we shall hear afterwards only that we may do it the more effectually let us consider what Qualifications do belong to the right doing of it This Committing then which is here spoken of First It is an Act if Interest and of Persons in Covenant with God Those which are Enemies or Strangers to God they cannot commit their Affairs unto him for as much as this is an Action of special Intimacy and Acquaintance Will men trust their Jewels and Treasure or their Secrets and private Counsels with men whom they never saw before in all their lives No they will not do it nor if they should they would not do it with prudence and discretion because it were possible for them to be frustrated and disappointed And so is it here in our Addresses to God Ceatainly we can trust nothing with him except we are first acquainted with him our selves No man can commit his Works to God who has not first committed his Soul to God and given up his Person to his owning None can commit his Works in a way of Dependence who has not committed his heart and soul to God in a way of Obedience who has not resigned and given up himself to God as wholly his Therefore let us be sure to look to this as very pertinent hereunto And know for this purpose where this is done the other will follow and may very well do so because that God himself in such cases does take special care of us when we once enter into Covenant with God and because it is the blessed and happy privilege which comes to us by being God's Children He is not only the God of our Persons but he is also the God of our Performances and of our Conditions and all that comes from us He undertakes to work all our Works in us and for us not only those Works which do immediately refer to our Salvation but also even those Works which are of common and ordinary Concernment And though he may sometimes be helpful to others in them also yet they cannot so well trust him for them Persons which are out of Covenant they cannot commit their Works to the Lord which is first of all an Act of Interest Secondly As it is an Act of interest so it is also an Act of favour I mean of favour in a passive sense A man may be in Covenant with God for the General Acceptation of his Person and Justification in the sight of God and yet lie in terms of particuar distaste and displeasure from him Now this is a great Obstruction of this committing of our Works unto him That Man which has done any thing whereby he has taken off God's Countenance from him and caused him to look angerly upon him he is much hindred and has hindred himself from the kindly performance of this duty which does not only imply Interest and Acquaintance but likewise Friendship and Good Will betwixt God and the Soul of a Christian We may see it in the Example even of the Holy Man David himself who having offended God by his sins had not that freedom of access unto him nor delight in him as sometimes he had had Eccles 7.26 He that pleaseth God shall not be taken by her Oh we should by all means be careful to keep in good terms with God and to have all things right betwixt him and us not only from the sweetness which is contained in the state and condition it self but also for the blessed effects and consequents which do issue from it And especially this amongst the rest of liberty and opportunity for committing and commending of our Works and Affairs unto him Thirdly This business
indeed for him These are they which make us the greatest work and cause the greatest disturbance to us As we may see upon divers occasions in Pride in Revenge in Impatience in Discontent in Inconstancy If a mans Thoughts were but here brought in frame all that remains would be easily brought to pass Thirdly Here is Imply'd further this That settlement and Quietness and Tranquillity and Establishment of Thoughts it is a very great Happiness and Mercy This I say is here Imply'd because it is here brought in in the Text in a way of Promise and especial Incouragement Solomon makes account that he has said somewhat which may very well please and satisfie us when he says Our Thoughts shall be Establisht and so he has It is a great Mercy for a man to have quiet and composed Thoughts The Happiness of Thoughts Establisht it is an Happiness simply in it self as mans Mind is the chiefest Principle in him which being well or ill makes the man accordingly so to be as in the Point before And it is an happiness also in the consequents as it is that which has an influence upon every other particular in him It is that which sweetens Business and Estates and Friends and all other Comforts besides which we injoy with it which made David so earnestly to beg it Psal 51.10 11. when he prayed for a Right and Constant and Stable Spirit This teaches us accordingly to prize it and where we injoy it to be thankfull for it and to Bless God for the injoyment of it especially there where it proceeds and is set upon right Grounds Indeed in some Cases and for some Persons it were a great deal better for them in some sense to have their minds troubled that so they might at last have them settled in a more sure way But in the sense we now speak of an Establisht and Quiet Mind is a Mercy and so to be accounted In the want of many other Comforts and Accommodations besides it is that which is All in All. And so much may suffice briefly to have spoken of the Points which are here implyed from the Phrase and manner of Expression which is used in this place We come now a little closer to the Text Thy Thoughts shall be Establisht This is the Promise which is made and this is the Blessing which does belong to the Committing of our Works to the Lord that it shall have this falling upon it This word Thoughts Makshevoth it may carry a double meaning and Interpretation with it Either first of all as understanding thereby the Workings and Agitations of the Mind it self Thy Thoughts that is thy Imagination by taking it Formalites Subjective or else Secondly As understanding thereby the result and effect of such Workings Thy Thoughts that is thy Purposes and Devices and Contrivances and Works themselves The things which thy Thoughts and Mind are Imployed about by taking it matcrialiter objective Either of these may be here understood as belonging to this establishment of Thoughts and as annext to this business of Committing our Works to the Lord It inferrs either of them First To take it of the Mind it self Thy Thoughts shall be Establisht that is thou shalt have a Mind free from any other trouble and distraction when thou hast practised this Counselin the Text. And here again we may look upon it and consider it in a twofold notion more Either First of all as matter of Duty or Secondly as matter of Priviledge As matter of Duty so it Shews us that which ought to be As matter of Priviledge so it shews that which will be Each of these as I conceive are here pertinently considerable First of all I say we may here look upon it as matter of Duty and as shewing us what ought to be By taking futurum pro Imperatum which with the Hebrews we know is very ordinary Thy Thoughts shall be Established That is Let thy Thoughts be Established And thus now it carrys a very good Connexion and Conjunction with the words before and inferrs one Duty upon another and carries this Truth and Intimation with it That when we have once in an Holy and Humble manner committed our Works to the Lord we ought now no farther to trouble or to disquiet our Minds about them but so far forth as our Thoughts are any thing in our own Power and our minds are at our own Commands as in some respects they are so far forth it becomes us and it is our Duty to establish and quiet our minds and to set our hearts at rest or thoughts in our selves This is as they are intended thus we use to express it Thus we have it in the Exhortation of the Apostle Phil. 4.6 Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication let your requests be made known unto God As who should say when we have done this there were no more required of us When we have committed our works to the Lord this is all that we are now to trouble and take up our thoughts withal I mean in regard of our Distraction and Disquiet of Spirit This does not exclude the use of Means and the closing with those Opportunities and Advantages which God does afford unto us But it excludes only Anxiety and Sollicitude and Perplexity of mind It is a great peice of weakness in us when we have Commended our Conditions to God to be still as full of Distraction in our selves as if there had not been done any such thing by us And to speak distinctly of it it has these Particulars in it First It is an Implicit distrusting of God Himself as if he were not able or not willing to order our business for us and to succeed those Works to us which we had committed unto him which is no other than an high Indignity offered to his Majesty Secondly It is a frustrating of Gods Ordinance and making a meer Shaddow and Cipher of Prayer it self as if it had no Fruit or Efficacy with it at all but onely might be used for Fashion and Formalities sake and there were an end Thirdly It is an imposing of so much needless trouble upon our selves and disquieting our own minds more than we have cause at present to do Forasmuch as the Ground of Disquiet ceasing the Disquiet it self should cease also to us Let this therefore make us to take heed of being guilty in this Particular when we have once Committed our Works to the Lord let our thoughts from henceforth be Established and Settled and Quieted in our selves Let him alone with our Estate and Condition he will be sure to Order and Dispose of it well unto us Why art thou cast down O my Soul c. Psal 11.1 Nay though we should perchance mistake for the thing it self c. Yea but perhaps some may Object it may be I have not done it as I should do I have not Committed my Works to him in that manner as I
Language is expressed by the name of Peace According to the Specifical sence So it does denote in particular a Tranquility whether of Mind or Condition as we have formerly explained it Now which way soever we take it it is here denyed to wicked men as not belonging unto them And in the later Exception more directly And this is true also whether we take it upon a National Account or upon a Personal First Take it upon a National No peace to the wicked here as that which may be matter of Amazement and Astonishment to them We know how sensible we have been of late of the Miseries and Extremities of War and so consequently how desirous of Peace and glad for it But alas if we go on in our Wickedness as there is little appearance to the contrary all the Peace which at present we enjoy will signifie but very little unto us or nothing at all For either the same Evil will break out again or else some other as bad or worse will come in the stead of it Where there is not Peace in the Foundation of it there can never be Peace in the Superstructure And where there is War in the Causes of it there will be at last War in the Consequents What is the Foundation of Peace It is as I said before Righteousness and Justice and Piety and the Fear of God What is the Cause of War It is Sin and Wickedness and Prophaneness and Debauchery of Conversation This the Apostle James has expresly declared unto us Jam. 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not from hence even from your lusts that war in your members Lust is the Cause of War both in reference to Man and to God In reference to Man as managing it and in reference to God as provoking it Therefore it is that God sends War upon People for the Wickedness and Sinfulness which is amongst them And accordingly Peace can no further be expected by them than this Wickedness is removed from them But Secondly Take it also upon a Personal Account And so No peace to the wicked Neither so as a Judgment upon them Where God vouchsafes Peace to a Nation yet if such and such particular Persons be wicked and sinful in that â—â—tion it shall be no Peace to them Look as in matter of common and publick Judgments God is able to secure and preserve his Servants in the midst of General Calamities So that though they be Judgments to others yet they shall cease to be Judgments to them So likewise in matter of common and publick Mercies God is able to declare and exclude his Enemies So that though they be Mercies to others yet they shall not be Mercies to them There shall be no peace to the wicked even then when there is Peace to all men else which are round about them Peace is no Peace unto them because it tends to the further hardening and confirming of them in their sinful Courses makes them more secure and presumptuous and so a great deal nearer to Ruin and Destruction than ever before This is the fruit of it to them This therefore in the Second place and as a further Improvement of this present Observation by us serves to shew us the difference betwixt the Wicked and the Righteous betwixt those which are the Children of God and those which are not As for those who are God's Children and such as fear him there is great peace belonging unto them For as much as they are the Children of God they are consequently the Children of Peace which is their proper Portion and Inheritance And so the Scripture it self signifies to us in other places Thus Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing 〈◊〉 â—â—end them So Isa 54.15 Speaking to the true Church of God All thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 And Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee This is the Condition of the Saints and Servants of God But now as for the Wicked they have nothing at all to do with Peace as the Scripture sometimes expresses it in 2 King 10.18 19. And the reason of it is that which is given concerning Jerusalem Because they know not the things that belong anto their Peace therefore is Peace hidden from them and they become Strangers to it This will appear to be so especially in the time of any Trouble or Affliction which happens unto them or in the Hour of Death and Dissolution Then there will be a difference and distinction betwixt true Peace and False betwixt that which is real and sincere and betwixt that which is feigned and counterfeit When it will be no longer time for any only to put a good face upon matters to put the best side outwards when their Consciences within them upbraid them and fly in their faces as they will be ready to do at such times Therefore Thirdly Let Men take heed of flattering either themselves or others in this particular especially those who are Ministers and by their Office Publishers of Peace Let them take heed of crying Peace Peace where there is no Peace and healing the Daughter of God's People lightly and sowing of pillows under their elbows as the Scripture expresses it Where they see any to be wicked let them take heed of speaking Peace unto them in such a condition for there 〈◊〉 Peace for them And God himself as we shewed before has put another kind of Message into their mouths as it is here in the Text There is no peace to them saith my God And where God speaks not Peace to any yea rather speaks the contrary there is no Peace to be spoken by them And here by the way also we have a Discharge of all faithful Monitors whether Ministers or others from that Envy and Hatred and Reproach which is cast upon them for the performance of their Duties in this Particular When Ministers and the Servants of God come and tell men of their wicked Courses and declare God's Judgments against their Sins Men are apt hereupon to lay Load and Imputation upon the Messengers as if the fault and mischief were theirs As Ahab calling Micaiah I hate him because he never prophesied good unto me But see here now what is our Warrant and Apology in this Particular Namely it is Thus saith the Lord There is no peace to the wicked saith my God We speak not of our selves in this particular but we speak from him who says it himself and commands us likewise to say it from him and in his Name As Balaam sometime said to Balack though he did not every way observe it We cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord our God to say less or more Numb 22.18 Fourthly Here is a Remedy
Christian to grow weak and so to continue to fall from his former strength and not to return to it again which is the condition of many in the world we for our parts should indeavour to be otherwise where we observe any decayes of spiritual strength in us there as soon as we can to renew it This it will neerly concern us to do upon these considerations First In point of Honour and that especially with God himself Spiritual weakness it is a disparagement especially if ye take it in the relapse and after some former degrees of strength It is no disgrace for a man to have a weak body That has no moral evil or inconvenience in it but to have a weak soul is very disgraceful For one that heretofore has been strong in spirit and in his inward man now to decline and grow weaker and continue so it is very dishonourable The excellency of dignity and the Excellency of strength they go both together and he that falls from the one he does with Reuben fall also from the other whiles he becomes as weak as water he shall not excell Gen. 49.2 Secondly As it concerns us in point of honour so likewise in point of Ease a weak Christian is so far forth a burden to himself as meeting with many difficulties which he cannot grapple withall but prove to hard for him There are many occurrences in a Christians life which do necessarily call for spiritual strength in him to the management of them which if he has not he will be sure to lye under them and to be overcome by them There are many Temptations to resist and many Afflictions to indure and many duties to perform All which are not done without strength nor without strength in some degree of it neither at least not done strongly and as they ought to be done by us weakness it will work like it self where the faculty is but indifferent the operations will be answerable thereunto it is so as in naturals so in spirituals Thirdly In point of safety there 's anothers consideration in that Those which are but spiritually weak they are exposed to sundry dangers to staggerings and fallings especially from the spiritual enemy who is still sure to apply himself to the weakest and to none more then to such as are so from any Apostasie or Declining where he can find an advantage against us here he will be sure to follow it and improve it to the utmost and that also to a further weakning of us still Besides that then we are under greater hazzards from God himself where we are weak with a weakness of imperfection weak in grace as children are weak there the Lord pitties and helps us He knows our frame and he considers what we are He relieves our infirmities for us But where we are weak with a weakness of Relapse through carelesness and neglect of our selves there the Lord doth oftentimes punish us and corrects us as being angry with us In regard therefore of the dangers which we stand in towards God it concerns us to renew our strength upon any seeming decay Lastly In point of comfort also it concerns us also for this A weak Christian will be an uncomfortable Christian he will not have so much liveliness and refreshment in his own spirit Because that Grace will not reflect with so much evidence upon him A man that hath but Grace in a weak measure though he has true Grace in him as well as he which has stronger yet he will not be able so easily to discerne it and consequently will not reap so much comfort and sweetness from it as otherwise he would Those that are but weak Christians and are content so to be it will be a very hard matter for them to discern and apprehend whether they be Christians or no and so they will be ready to go drooping and mourning all their lives long from this distemper All these things laid together should accordingly serve to work upon us and to perswade us to this duty in hand of recovering our strength there where 't is decayed in spiritual matters we see how it is with men in other matters in matters of the world If it be as to their outward man where they observe any decayes in themselves do all they can to repair them If it be in their Estates to make up their weakness there If it be in their bodies to heal their weaknesses there Men can no sooner find themselves weak and consuming in these particulars but they will use all the means possible that they can for their recovery in such conditions And why then should we not be as carefull and dilligent for our weak souls which do a great deal more nearly concern us and lye upon us then the other does Certainly it proceeds from that Atheism and Infidelity which is in our hearts and unsensibleness of these particulars But so much of the first explication Christians they are to renew their strength that is to repair it by way of recovery where it is impaired But Secondly That 's not all They are to do it also by way of increase and addition to it there where it is continued A Christian is not to content himself with any measure of strength which he has received but to labor still for more The more strength so much the better is it with us And therefore we should be carefull to improve it more and more yea we will do so if we be so as we should be as we shall now see in the point that follows So much for the Particular viz. A Christians Duty They shall renew their strength that is they ought to do it It is that which they are Commanded The Second is their Disposition They that wait upon the Lord they will renew their strength that is they will be ready and carefull so to do This is the temper of a good Christian to grow every day stronger and stronger Thus we have it in the words of Solomon Prov. 24.5 A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge increaseth in strength There ye have it in the Proposition ye may take it likewise in the example for which we can have no better an instance than the Apostle Paul and such as he was 2 Cor. 4.16 For the which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward is renewed day by day Mark It is renewed and he says it is dayly renewed he gathers every day some strength or other A good Christian has still so much good Husbandry with him as repar are deper ditum to supply that which is lost Now as every day if we be not carefull we are apt to loose some strength or other according to the variety of occasions which are offered unto us in the world so if we do indeed mind our selves we will be diligent also to repair it and make it up We may therefore from hence now take some kind of account of our selves
so lost her first strength that she should do her first works that she should return to the acting of those things which she had now remitted and fallen from as that which was the best way to recover her to her former Condition and here especially to the use of the Ordinances Prayer and hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament which are the proper means appointed to this purpose Lastly In the renewing of their Faith and in the Exercise of it A Christian gathers new strength and supply of Spiritual Grace by reparing to the true spring and Fountain and Original of it which is the Grace of God in Christ Our strength it lies in Him and therefore by a spirit of Faith must be daily and Continually fetch 't from Him and that upon all occasions And it is our great Comfort and Incouragement that we may have it but for the fetching for so we may in a due and serious Appli of our selves to him we may draw strength from him Nay we shall do as is here signified to us They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength Here 's the priviledg and the Condition of being made partakers of it The Priviledg that 's renewing of our strength The Condition that is waiting upon the Lord. Be followers of them says the Apostle who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 And again Heb. 10.36 Ye have need of Patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the Promise Even so it is here This promise of strength renewed unto us is not onely to the persons of Beleivers but to them especiall under this Notion and in the erercise of this act of Beleiving We must therefore still remember this that we be such as wait upon the Lord for that 's the Condition by which Expression the spirit of God comes home to the heart of many a weak Christian and satisfies the objections which they may make for some might be ready to say Alas we find no such matter as this is which you now speak off we have little or no strength at all if we have had some it may be heretofore yet we have lost it and know not how to recover it and to get it up again now for such they must be perswaded to wait and to consider whether they have done so or no for this strengthning it belongs to waiting and is promised to those that are careful so to do we must use the means and waite upon God for shewing us the use of them Go to the Ordinances and by Faith fetch power from Christ who alone can make them to be Effectual unto us Psal 27. vers 14. Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord. To satisfie us the more in this particular consider but how it is with us in regard of our Natural Sustenance and the food of our Bodies The strength which comes by it it is not conveyed presently but by leasure when the meat is digested Indeed there is delight and sweetness and pleasantness even in the very first going down of it but the strength of it that comes after it Even so is it likewise here as to these Spiritual things The sweetness of the Ordinances that 's in the very partaking of them and in the time of the useing of them In Praying and Hearing and Communicating and Meditateing c. A Gracious heart it does taste and rellish them even then when 't is about them But the strength which is conveyed by them that 's a Business of leasure and time and therefore we must wait for it and stay Gods time for the giving of it Thou therefore that complainest of Weakness consider whether thou hast waited for strength and waited for it in his own way and in the use of those means which he has ordained and appointed to thee Especially Consider how far Christ Himself has been taken into this Business which is the means of all There are many think to renew their strength and how do they think to to do it Namely by strength of their own their own Vowes and Duties and performances which yet by the way must not be neglected but we must be strong in the Grace of Christ and in the power of his might and Spirit or else all our strength it will be but weakness it self This is that which the Apostle Paul was sensible of as we may see by his practise and the courses which he took to this purpose by his practise for the Ephesians Eph. 3.14.16.17 For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ That he would grant you according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthen'd with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may c. So in like manner by his practise for the Colosians Col. 1.11 Strengthened with all might according to his Glorious Power c. And so now I have done done with the First General part of the Text which is the Proposition in General They that wait c. The Second is the Demonstration or Confirmation of this in the Particular that we have in the words following They shall mount up with Eagles wings They shall run c. Wherein we have the strength of a Christian laid forth and amplified to us by a resemblance from a threefold motion First Of Flying Secondly Of Running Thirdly Of Walking Of Flying They shall mount up with Eagles wings Of Running They shall run and not be weary Of Walking They shall walk and not be faint Wee 'l begin first of all with the former and that is the motion of Flight They shall mount up with Eagles wings Here 's mention made of the Wings of the Eagle as we may conceive for two reasons especially First As the Eagle is an Emblem of strength renewed for so it is as we find it in Psal 103.5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles Certain it is that the Eagle is longer-liv'd then many other Birds The Naturalists as Aristotle and Pliny c. Which write the story of living Creatures affirms this of it that it never Dies of old Age but onely of Famine for the upper-Bill being at length over-grown it is thereby hindred from putting meat into it's mouth and so at last comes to Die So the Prophet by this Similitude here signifies that those which wait upon the Lord they shall grow more and more urgent and lively enven to their old Age it self according to that also of the Psalmist Psal 92.12.13.14 The Righteous shall flourish c. They shall bring forth Fruit in their old Age they shall be fat and flourishing So then the Eagle is here pertinently mentioned in reference to this But Secondly The Eagle it soares aloft and flies on
off it must be run unto Secondly But a little time and much time lost already Those that have hitherto stood still it concerns them at last to run this is the case of the best of us all we have lost very much time and we had need to redeem it And then Thirdly The vehemency of desire to the thing it self which we run for It is a Crown we contend for and therefore it is worth our running for it 1. Cor. 9.25 They do it to obtain a corruptable Crown but we an Incorruptable Well we see what our pace properly is and accordingly let us betake our selves to it with all diligence But Secondly Here 's the continuance of this Motion They shall run and not be weary There are many which sometimes run but they run themselves out of Breath are burst and broken winded in their running They begin but they soon give over as the Galathians Gal. 5.7 Ye did run well who hindred you Its seems they did not hold out No more do many more make a great stir for a while very hot in their first setting out in the ways of Religion and Christianity but then they soon tire and grow weary But now a strong Christian does not do so he that partakes of this Spiritual strength which the Prophet here speaks of He shall run and not be weary He shall be constant and persevering in Goodness without yeilding and giving back Look what our Principles are in Religion such is our continuance in it If we have principles of Spiritual strength in us we shall abide and hold out to the end whereas otherwise we shall soon have enough of it There are some kind of people in the world which all on a sudden they will be better reform'd and amend their lives and who but they But let them try but for a little while let them meet but with some strong Temptation which they are to resist or fall upon some difficult Duty which they are to perform and they are presently weary of those purposes and indeavours and grow as bad as before Why What 's the reason of all this Because they wanted this principle of Spiritual strength in them Their strength it was but the strength of Nature or Custom or some carnal Consideration It was not strength from the Spirit of Christ and this is the Comfort it brings with them whereas true Spiritual strength indeed it has perseverance attending upon it They shall run and not be weary The Third and Last is Walking They shall walk and not faint Walking it is less then Running and Fainting it is more then Weariness If then those which run are not weary the same when they walk shall not faint this will necessarily follow hereupon But the main scope and drift of the Holy Ghost by these phrases and Expressions is no more but this Namely to point out unto us the frame of a Christians Spirit as to Spiritual things which is this to have a great deal of vigor and liveliness in him And we have upon the matter the same thing laid out to us in a diversity of Expression Although if we please we may also fasten some different and distinct notions upon them And so now here in not fainting we have the courage and magnanimity of a Christian exhibited to us It is that which we often meet withall in Scipture in sundry places as commended to our Indeavour Rev. 2.3 It is the Commendation of the Church of Ephesas that she had laboured and not fainted 2. Cor. 4.1 The Apostle speaks it of himself and the rest of his Brethren As we have received thy Ministry And vers 16. of the same chap. For which cause we faint not but through our c. There are divers things which we are subject to faint at which yet the Scripture still takes us off from fainting at As First The delay of answering our Prayer If we are not heard as soon as we ask we are from hence apt to faint Well but we must not for all that our Blessed Saviour himself takes us off from it Luk. 18.1 Where he teaches us always to pray and not to faint illustrated by a Parable Secondly Our manifold Afflictions we are apt to faint at them but this we are forbid to do Heb. 12.5 My Son despise not the Chastening of the Lord neither faint thou When c. Thirdly The Afflictions of others and the scandall of the Cross as Peter Master save thy self This we ought not to do neither St. Paul to the Ephesians Wherefore I desire ye that ye faint not at my Tribulation for you which is your Glory in Eph. 3.13 Fainting at at others Tribulations Lastly The many Businesses in Religion such a do and so much work to be performed we are ready to faint and to be weary of it So much Praying and Preaching and Hearing we are apt to snuff at it and it is a weariness to us as it was there in the first of Mal. But it should not be for all that we should indeed faint at none of these things neither if we be strong Christians we will we shall walk here and not faint Well But how shall we avoid it what may keep and prevent us from it The Scripture that forbids it shews it and gives us antidotes against it in divert and sundry particulars First Consider the Recompense at last do not faint for at last ye shall speed yea and so much the rather too for not fainting In due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 The hope and certainty of success is a Special argument to keep us from fainting Secondly Look upon Christ set him as a pattern before us Consider the Contradiction of Sinners which he suffered least ye be weary and faint in your minds Herb. 12.3 But then Lastly Which is the Business of the Text get a renewing of this Spiritual strength day by day and desire God to bestow it upon us which is the only way of comming by it This if it be indeed in us it will have this influence and effect upon us as to make us to mount up with Eagles wings and as to make us to run and not be weary so to walk also and not to faint which is the last thing here considerable So much both for this Time and this Text. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength c. SERMON XLI JER 7.9 10. Will ye steal and murther and commit Adultery and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations It was the Charge which God gave to his people under the Law to withdraw from all unsuitable and incongruous mixtures not to plow both with an Ox and an Ass not to wear a garment of Woollen and of Linnen both together The Moral and the
Lord Behold I am against thee and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked These times in which we now live are times of War and rumors of War which does abound and prevail in them in which respect a Text of War will not be unfit or unsuitable to us Especially of such a War which if it be duly and rightly considered is the cause and occasion of all other Wars besides which is that of God himself the Lord of Hosts with the Sons of men And this is that which we have propounded unto us here in this Scripture God's controversy with the people of Israel and the publishing and declaring of it to them by the Prophet Ezekiel who in these two Verses which I have read is first of all qualified and prepared for the delivery of such a message as this and then has the message it self committed unto him to be published by him The first in the second Verse and the second in the third of this Chapter Our business at this present time will be only with the first The Prophet Ezekiel 's preparation to his Emhassage in this second Verse which I have now read Son of man c. IN this present Verse before us we have two General Parts considerable of us First the Prophet's Compellation or Title which is given unto him Secondly the Prophet's Injunction or Command which is laid upon him His Compellation that ye have in these words Son of man His Injunction that ye have in these Set thy face c. We begin in order with the First viz. His Compellation Son of man There are but two persons in Scripture which have eminently this name put upon them of the Son of man The one is our Blessed Saviour in the new Testament and the other is this Prophet Ezekiel here in the old For our Saviour it is the name put upon him in sundry places I shall not need to instance in any particulars they are so frequent in every page of the Gospel and it was not without very good reason namely as hereby to discover the truth of his humanity to us that amongst those many miracles and wonderful works which were wrought by him from whence he did appear to be God he might have somewhat also fasten'd upon him declaring him likewise to be man Besides as suitable to his present state of abasement and humiliation and future passion that he might be looked upon according to that view wherein he tender'd himself to the world and that those which were about him might be prepared for what should happen unto him he thought it fitting thus to be call'd In the mean time likewise encouraging them upon these terms to close with him as who having taken their nature upon him was not now asham'd to call them Brethren This for our Blessed Saviour But now as for the Prophet Ezekiel why this name should be put upon him this is a thing further considerable especially why upon him rather than upon any other of the Prophets besides as we do indeed find it to be the Prophet Daniel only excepted who once and no more but once is distinguished by this compellation Dan. 8.17 Vnderstand O Son of man It is the general sense of Divines that it was for this reason especially namely to humble him in the midst of those many divine visions and revelations which he was partaker of That though in regard of his work and employment he was a companion of Angels yet for his condition he was numbred amongst Men And so in that respect had a double disparagement upon him which serve to abase him both of mortality and sinfulness Of mortality Son of man that is one who is subject to death as well as others The Prophets and Apostles and all other Ministers of the Church they have this treasure in earthen vessels Again of sinfulness Son of man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was said of the Prophet Elias A man subject to like passions and infirmities with other men Look as the Apostle Paul when he had been caught up into the third Heaven and heard such words as it was not possible for a man to utter he was buffeted with the messenger of Satan thereby to debase him and had a thorn in the flesh sent him thereby to keep him from being exalted with the abundance of the revelations Even so was it likewise here with the Prophet Ezekiel in this his present employ which that he might consider what he was in the midst of this great favour which God did now vouchsafe unto him in being made partaker of these heavenly apparitions he is qualified by this Title which is given him Son of man But we may add also another reason here in this place and in reference to the present occasion and matter in hand for the giving of it and that was not only to breed in him an humble spirit but likewise a pitiful and compassionate The business which he was now employ'd in and the message which he was now sent about it was a matter of judgment and terror it was a threatening and foretelling of God's wrath and indignation against his people Now this it did require some bowels and tenderness in him that he should do it and therefore Son of man was a very fit and proper compellation that so being a man himself he might the more commiserate the rest of his brethren Remember those which are in bonds as bound with them and those that are in adversity as being your selves in the body It is the Apostle's counsel to the Hebrews Heb. 13.3 Those who are themselves in the body have cause to tender others in adversity as being in that respect subject to the same afflictions and calamities themselves Therefore it is said of Christ that in all things it behov'd him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God c. And so Ezekiel is here admonish'd of his humane condition that so he might with the more tenderness of affection denounce God's judgments against men as himself was that he might not too insultingly triumph over them but carry himself with meekness and lenity towards them as being one in the same nature with them And so now I have done with the First General Part of the Text viz. the Prophet's Title or Compellation Son of man The Second is the Prophet's Injunction or Command which is laid upon him and that is how to carry himself in the denunciations of God's judgments against his people This is exprest and laid forth in three clauses First To set his face towards Jerusalem Secondly To drop his word towards the holy places Thirdly To prophecy against the land of Israel Where ye have a full and perfect enumeration of all kind of places and conditions and persons as the objects of Divine wrath and vengeance which is threatned
Secondly whose c. That is thou shalt not know whose they shall be nor to whom thou shalt leave them First They shall not be thine A man's wealth lasts no longer than his life neither has he longer comfort from it This is plainly intimated and signified to us in these words for the Lord from hence does argue this covetous and rich man to be no better than a fool because he took so much pains for and promised himself so much comfort in that which he should never have liberty to enjoy Whose shall these things be which thou hast provided That is thou shalt have no refreshment nor delight from them When a man's foul's taken away the comfort and sweetness of his estate is taken away with it I need not stand to prove this unto you it is a thing which experience confirms and ye all know it well enough without any example all the business is to live proportionably to it and so to behave our selves as if this were a truth Seeing men they have their wealth for no longer time than their lives it concerns them then to enjoy it and to use it to the best advantage This is that which the Preacher continually presses in Eccl. 2.24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour So again in Eccl. 5.18 It is good and comely for one to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour which is his portion There is a vanity and a curse which God has laid upon many men that they shall be rich and nothing the better for it They are not the better for it here because they do not use it and they cannot be better for it hereafter because the nature of the things will not permit it They vex themselves to get their wealth they vex themselves to keep it and yet have no comfort by it Who would provide such things as for which he should never be the better And again let us then learn to provide for a better estate to lay hold on eternal life and to lay up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come to be rich in good works willing to distribute ready to communicate as the Apostle gives charge to Timothy about rich men Godliness it has the promise of this life and of that which is to come A man that lays up grace he shall be sure to have the comfort of it here in the sweetness of a Christian conversation and he shall be sure to have the comfort of it hereafter in the happiness of a glorious reward When he dies he has the things he has provided nay then so much the more whereas a worldly man when his soul is once taken away his wealth shall not be his own That 's the first thing implied in this expostulatory question These things which thou hast prepared they shall not be thine It 's a question of determination Secondly Thou shalt not know whose they shall be It 's a question of ambiguity The wealthiest man that is cannot be sure who shall be his heir No man when he goes out of the world can tell whose his goods shall be this is another affliction For a man might be ready to say though I shall not have the benefit my self yet I shall leave them to those that shall my children and my posterities after me nay but says God Thou knowest not whose they shall be neither whose if ye take it numerically for the particular individual persons nor whose if ye take it qualitatively for the nature and condition of the persons neither of these persons doest thou know First Thou doest not know it for the individuals what particular person shall enjoy There 's many a man leaves a very fair estate for his children and his children never enjoy it They fall into dishonest hands many times and among ill Guardians which secure all to themselves and the poor Orphans have little benefit and comfort from it Whose shall those things then be which thou hast provided Therefore men should especially leave behind them to their children the blessing of God and the interests of the Covenants of Grace a good education other things do well in their place by way of incouragement but these things are the main Again if ye take it qualitatively whose according to this sense Solomon which had experience has told us Thou knowest not whether to a wise man or a fool to one which will make good use of it or to one which will trifle it away How many heirs are there in the world yea in this City whose Parents and Progenitors have been careful to provide them an estate and they have squandred it away in ungodly courses And this is the fourth General to wit the Expostulatory Inference Now the close of all shall be this which I desire ye to take notice of namely what course the Lord here takes to fasten upon this covetous rich man apprehensive of his miserable condition and that is as ye have seen hitherto by setting death afore him and bringing him near to his grave which yet he does not in meet gross terms by propounding to him the mortality of mankind and telling him he was a mortal creature Though one would think that were sufficient to make men take heed but he comes nearer and closer to him and tells him in plainer terms that indeed he should now die Death in the notion and death in the speculation only that 's but a weak Argument The best way to make men reflect upon their evil courses is to approximate death unto them and to shew it approaching because that then 't is no time to dissemble A man may before put a good face upon his time and perhaps laugh it and sport it out in his health but when there 's no remedy but a man must certainly stand before the great and fearful Judgment feat of the Glorious and Omnipotent God when this must be done indeed and it is not only spoken of when 't is a thing which cannot be avoided but is certainly irreversibly concluded This is a terrible thing And therefore we have all cause to consider seriously of it I or this is the misery of all that we do not here set our thoughts on work Eternity because it is as soon spoken as another word therefore it easily slips and passes our cogitations whereas indeed it is a thing in it self of infinite vastness and not able to be comprehended Again death is a common thing and the way of all flesh and therefore in our health it 's ready to be slighted by us But when it shall ever come to our own particular we shall find a great alteration I will shut up this exercise with those words of the Preacher Solomons as pertinent and agreeable to this purpose in Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O Young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer
but take heed that he gets not advantage against us as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 2.11 Whosoever he be that at any time takes upon him the Ministery he should among many other things besides be in a special manner prepared for temptations and arm'd against them It was one of Luther's three Masters which he profest he learn'd so much by and in like manner should others do also We see our Blessed Saviour himself did no sooner appear in the publick Ministery but he had Satan setting upon him to tempt him And the Disciple is not better than his Master nor the Servant than his Lord and therefore accordingly to be provided for it It concerns us all to be so and that according to the several kinds and varieties of temptations especially such as lye within the compass of our work it self that we be shy of them as may either keep us from it or retard us in it or corrupt us in the performance of it And we should study among other Points in a special manner the Doctrine of Temptations both for others sakes and our own This is the Use of this Point as to Ministers Secondly This Point is also as useful to People as to Ministers Seeing Ministers are chiefly aim'd at by Satan in his attempts upon them there are two things therefore which will follow from hence concerning them First you then see how much they need your prayers Secondly ye then see how little they need your censures and other discouragements First How much they need your prayers It is that which the Apostle Paul does very often and frequently urge upon the Believers to whom he wrote that they would pray for him and the rest of the Ministers with him Brethren pray for us Now we see here among other good reasons and causes which they have for it how much cause they have from this even the endeavours of Satan against them There 's none have more need of our Prayers than those who are most subject to temptations which are best scatter'd by such kind of means And we may learn it from the practice of our Saviour himself here in the Text who when he had said to Simon that Satan desired him he adds upon it I have prayed for thee Secondly We may learn hence how little the Ministers need our censures and other discouragements This is the disposition of many people in the world that they are glad to take all opportunities to speak evil of the Servants of Christ and to pass hard censure upon them upon any occasion where there is no occasion to make it where there is occasion to aggravate it and make it worse Now this is very unworthy if it be rightly consider'd we should consider them as men of temptations and so be tender of them It was that which the Apostle Paul so much commended in the Galatians that they had regard to him in this particular in Gal. 4.14 My temptation which was in my flesh says he ye despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Ye despised not my temptation that is ye despised me not for my temptation my temptation was no occasion to you for despising of me nay rather it was an argument to you for tenderness towards me Thus it should be betwixt People and Ministers especially when they shall consider that it is the rather for their sakes as sometimes it is Therefore does Satan lay wait for the Ministers because they take care of the souls of the people so that they suffer in reference to them This should work them to all kind of love and affection and bowels to them But so much for that God was angry with me for your sakes says Moses to Israel c. And I fear lest my God should humble me among you says Paul c. I suffer all things for the Elects sake and amongst the rest Temptations That 's the third Gradation you that is you Apostles and Ministers of all other eminent Believers And so much also of the First Particular in this Second General viz. the perfons aim'd at you The Second is the Design upon them hath desired to have you and to sift you c. Wherein again two Branches more First the Design it self hath desired to have you Secondly the Amplification of it and to sift you as wheat For the First the Design it self Satan hath desired you Our own Translators put in to have you to make the sense more full as included in the Text. Desired of whom namely of God himself That 's here to be understood as the Devils ask'd leave of Christ to enter into the Swine It is said they besought him There are divers things which I might here insist upon but two especially First here 's Satan's restraint and the limitation of power to him He must ask leave for what he does before he can do it His inward desires are infinite and enlarged as Hell it self but the ctings of them are bounded and circumscribed by the will of God This we may see in the example of Job and other of God's servants in Scripture The Angel of the bottomless-pit he his his chain whereby he is kept in This is much for the comfort of God's people and may serve to keep up their hearts as to this matter of temptation When they are ready to be overwhelmed in themselves and to think that they shall be quite undone by their spiritual adversaries that they shall one day perish by the hand of Saul No there 's more than so in it Their times are in God's hands and so are their souls their enemies are under God's command and can do no more than what is permitted them Thou couldst have no power against me except it were given thee from above Therefore further Let the servants of God from hence learn the more to stand in awe of himself and take heed of doing any thing which may cause him to give them up to their enemy and to let the Devil loose upon them It is good for us to walk in good ways to keep in good terms with God and to take heed of being obnoxious to him that so he may not be provoked to lay us open to Satan's incursions For what is said of one kind of temptation to wit of that to wantonness and uncleanness the same may be likewise applied to any other else besides Who so pleaseth God shall escape from those snares but the sinner shall be taken by them Eccles 7.26 We should all endeavour to be such as are pleasing to God not only from our General Condition as persons in Covenant justified and reconciled in Christ but also from our Particular Conversation as acting and living to Christ and walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Col. 1.10 What was the security of Job when Satan sollicited against him and would have perswaded God to have destroyed him God himself has given us an account of it Job 2.3 It
compassionate to others in that condition Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Thirdly God suffers his servants to be tempted for the honour of his own Grace in supporting them and keeping them up and for the confusion likewise of the enemy in his attempts upon them Satan here desired to have Peter and the rest of the Disciples and he promised himself very great matters in the having of them thought he should surely conquer them and have them for his own now would Christ therefore suffer him to assault them that he might come off with the greater reproach that when he had done all he could against them he might see at last how little he could prevail upon them Thus ye see it was in the case of Job the Lord triumphs as it were over Satan in that attempt Hast thou consider'd my servant Job that there is none like him upon the earth a perfect and an upright man c. As if he had said thou hast endeavoured Satan to do all that thou could'st to undo him but yet for all that it will not do he has still the better of thee and for all that holds his integrity This reason which we now mention for this dealing is exprest in the case of Paul why the Lord did not take away his temptation but rather gave him Grace sufficient against it For my strength is made perfect in weakness And the Apostle himself also so improves it in the words that follow Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me 2 Cor. 12.9 Thus we see that there is cause why Christ should suffer his servants to be tempted as he did Peter c. The Use which we are to make of it is therefore to arm our selves against temptation as much as we can We should not promise our selves absolute freedom and immunity from it but be prepared for it We should as our Saviour elsewhere advises pray against it that we enter not into it but yet withal be provided against it and to this purpose get a stock of Grace that may then stand us in stead Let us not then have our Armour to get when our Enemy is coming upon us but be furnish'd afore-hand and remember that we trust not to any Grace which we have already received but be still labouring and striving for more We had need of more Grace for the saving of that Grace we have already and especially the Grace of watchfulness and circumspection and of an holy fear But so much of this Passage in the Negative what our Saviour here does not pray for It is not for the preventing of Temptation which he did suffer and permit to befall the Apostle Peter The Second is the Positive part of it in the words of the Text That thy Faith may not fail Which words may be again consider'd of us two manner of ways First Simply and absolutely as they lye in themselves and so they do signify to us the safety of Peter's condition Secondly Respectively and dependantly in their connexion with the words going before and so they do signify to us the cause of Peter's safety First To take them Absolutely as they lye in themselves and so they do signify to us the safety of Peter's condition and together with him of all other Believers Their Faith it shall not fail Those who are true Believers they shall never wholly depart from the Faith but shall abide and continue stedfast to the end For the better opening of this present Point unto us we must know that there is a double Faith and so consequently a double sort of Believers There is the Doctrine of Faith and there 's the Grace of Faith There 's Faith as it lyes in the understanding and is a belief of the Truths of the Gospel And there is Faith as it is rooted in the heart and is a receiving and embracing of Christ Now it is not the former but the latter which is here chiefly intended The Papists that they may from hence prove that their Church cannot err which they will never evince from this Text they carry this Faith altogether to a Faith of Doctrine and so would infer That Peter as the Head of the Church should be infallible But besides the silliness of the inference they are much mistaken in the ground and supposition For the Faith which our Saviour here speaks of it is a Faith of Principles a saving justifying renewing and regenerating Faith whereby we are united to Christ as Members of his Mystical Body This is that which our Saviour here prayed for Peter that it should not fail in him Indeed it has a truth likewise of the other so far forth as it is included those which are born again as they are acquainted with all necessary Truths which God's Spirit does lead them into so they are likewise by the same gracious Spirit preserved in it But that which is mainly here intended is that Faith which lays hold upon Christ which though not excluding the former is more especially the Faith of God's Elect Tit. 1.9 And so Faith may here be taken by a Synecdoche for the whole work of the new creature in us This it is such as shall not fail and so is intimated to us in this Scripture and so in other places besides As Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be moved but abideth for ever And Isa 6.13 He shall be like and Oak whose substance is in him whiles his leaves fall and the holy seed shall be the substance thereof c. This it may be made good unto us from sundry considerations First The nature of Grace it self which is an abiding Principle Faith is not a thing taken up as a man would take up some new fashion or custom but it is a thing rooted and incorporated in us and goes through the substance of us it spreads it self through the whole man and is as it were a new creature in us Therefore it is said of a regenerate person that he cannot commit sin namely the sin of Apostacy and that sin which is unto death because the seed of God remaineth in him 1 Joh. 3.9 Secondly The Covenant of Grace which is an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will never turn from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Therefore Faith shall not fail because God himself does not fail who hath put this Faith into the hearts of his servants Thirdly The Spirit of Grace which is not only a Worker but an
Christ there must not be onely an enlightning of their understandings but likewise a drawing of their hearts And this is the work of God alone also It is He onely who can so frame mens spirits as that they shall be willing to come off to Christs terms and to take upon him his own Conditions in which he is offered unto them Therefore let us learn from hence to give him the honour and glory of all and to acknowledge his free grace and goodness in this particular If any of us have been brought home to Christ and perswaded to close with him we see from whence it hath been so not from the power of Nature but from the free grace and goodness of God As all which the Father hath given Christ shall come to him so none shall come to him but those whom the Father hath given him There are some other points which by the by might be gathered from these words as First From the word Come we may take notice How all men by Nature are distant from Christ they are remote and separate from him Therefore when they are Regenerated and Converted they are said to come unto him and they never come to him to purpose till they come so till they come in a way of closing and compliance with him Secondly From the word Given I might observe also this That all men are in the hands of God to be disposed of by him as he pleases whether to Salvation or else to Destruction those whom he will to save and those again whom he will to pass by and leave in a state of death and damnation Because no man can give that which is not his own and proper to him to give But these I do but onely name unto you not intending to insist upon them as being not such as are chiefly propounded So much may serve for the first General viz. An account of the Comers to Christ All that the Father hath given me The second which I mainly drive at is Christs entertainment of those that come unto him Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out This is Christs gracious promise to all those that come unto him And there are two things implied in it as the parts and branches of it First Admission or Reception he will not cast them out that is he will not keep them out but he will receive them and take them into friendship and familiarity with himself Secondly Custody or Preservation he will not cast them out that is he will not drive them out but he will keep them and make much of them and preserve them that they shall no depart or fall away from him First I say in this expression we have intimated Christs Admission or Reception of those that come to him he will take them into friendship and familiarity with himself Whosoever they be that leave their sins to close with Christ they shall be sure to be welcome to Christ he will not shut the door upon them but will very readily and heartily entertain them This is one thing which we may here take notice of and it may be cleared and made good unto us from all the Gracious Evangelical Invitations wherein he does call upon poor sinners to come unto him and does promise to deal thus with them Mat. 11.28 29. Come unto me all ye that labour c. So Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts c. So Ezek. 33.11 Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel In all which places and the like there is a tender of peace and reconcilement upon condition of mens returning and coming in And this is that which is here offered to us in like manner in this present Text. Thus it is as we may take notice of it indefinitely and universally none excepted Let him that is athirst come c. Rev. 22.17 There 's no condition whatsoever of those that come which does exclude them from acceptance though never so improbable That which seems to make most against it is the greatness of mens sins themselves but this is no obstruction hereunto if it be rightly considered It is not the greatest sins that is being repented of which does debar men from Gods mercy in Christ that it should not be extended unto them This the Scripture does declare unto us Isa 1.18 Come now and let us reason together c. Paul says of himself 1 Tim. 1.15 that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners c. The chiefest sinners they are capable of salvation by Christ whosoever they be and the Apostle Paul himself was an instance and example of this dispensation as he also signifies there in that place in the Verse immediately following For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting Forasmuch as what he did for Paul he is ready likewise to do for all others which are in the same terms and circumstances with him The Use of this Point seves as an encouragement therefore to all men to embrace the Conditions of the Gospel and to close with Christ What can be said more to perswade them than this that they may be sure to be accepted Him that comes I will in no wise cast out Do but come and there 's no question to be made of it There 's no other condition but that which is required of them Indeed we must still know and remember what this coming is that we may not be mistaken where the meanning is not only this that we repair to Christ for salvation desiring him to pardon and to redeem us but that we do resign and give up our selves to him and forsake our former evil ways which we have at any time heretofore walked in and given our selves to If we do so we may expect mercy from him and there 's nothing which can possibly hinder us whatsoever it be First not the nature of the sins themselves committed by us It is not that which God stands upon Paul a Elasphemer and Persecuter Manasseh a Sorcerer and Murtherer Mary Magdalen an unclean person the Jaylor a barbarous enemy of the Apostles Matthew a Publican and Extortioner yet all of these upon their repentance and confession were accepted with God Therefore we must not make this to be a plea and excuse for our standing out against the Gospel in the offers and proposals of it if we do so we shall forsake our own mercy and be guilty of a far greater sin than any of those which have been now named as this sin of unbelief indeed is If we look into the Scripture throughout in all the bulk and volume of it we shall never be able to find out one place or shadow of it wherein the greatness of the sins themselves simply considered is made to be an
within their own line Secret things belong to God and revealed to us and to our children as Moses tells the Israelites in Deut. 29.29 Lastly Sometimes in a way of Discipline to correct some miscarriage in them or to prevent it for time to come whether pride or security or carnal confidence or whatever it be The Lord was afraid of Paul lest he should be too much exalted in himself through the abundance of the revelations and therfore when he had discovered great matters to him and made him hear unspeakable words which it was not possible or lawful for a man to utter he sent him a thoâ—n in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure as himself gives an account of it 2 Cor. 12.7 So ill is God pleased with such distempers as these in his people as that either he keeps such discoveries wholly from them or else does very much allay and qualify them to them but usually the former and that whereof we now speak Those who are light-headed they do best to be kept in the dark And so as to these spiritual dispensations when men shall abuse that knowledg which God bestows upon them to arrogancy and wantonness and conceitedness and despising of others God does in such cases as these are restrain them from knowing more and perhaps sometimes of such things which otherwise it would concern them to know He leaves them in these cases to themselves and to the vanity of their own imaginations that so they may by experience see what it is to abuse his loving kindness and to turn his Grace into wantonness Sometimes God in judgment surprises men and brings upon them evils unawares because they would not know the time of their own visitation when they might have known it nor seasonably see when his band was lifted up against them as the Prophet speaks Thus we see the manifold account of this Point and Observation before us That even the servants of God do not presently see what he does The consideration of this Point is thus far useful to us as from hence to satisfy and inform us in this particular That we may not think either of our selves or others more highly than we ought to think as the Apostle advises We see what little ground any have too peremptorily to take upon them the fore-telling of future events or to conclude of things afore-hand which is the prerogative of God alone and of such as are more immediately inspired by him We must be wary and cautious in such matters as these are and keep within our own compass Remember still that of our Saviour which I mention'd before It is not for you to know the times c. Indeed there is a knowledg of the times which is both possible and commendable for us as it is recorded of the children of Issachar 1 Chron. 12.32 That they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do That it concerns every Christian to know in his place and capacity so to understand the genius and frame of the times in which he lives as to order his life accordingly and so to be able to foresee the inclinations of them as whereby to steer his Christian course but as for absolute determining of them or of what will be done in them this is a thing which is to be left alone to God himself and is a matter of delay and expectation What I do thou knowest not now That 's the First General viz. The Simple Proposition wherein our Saviour denies in Peter a perfect knowledg of what he did The Second is the Additional Qualification of the foregoing Proposition But thou shalt know hereafter This is that which is here signified by Christ to Peter upon this particular occasion And it holds good as well as the former in regard of God's general Providence That though his Servants do not presently apprehend or understand what is done by him yet in time they shall In this passage there are two distinct Branches First the discovery it self Thou shalt know it And Secondly the time of this discovery It is future Thou shalt know it hereafter First Here 's the discovery it self Thou shalt know it Though God's actions are for a while in the dark and are not presently made known yet there will a time come for the clearing and evidencing of them and they shall be seen what they are and laid open This is an high piece of Grace and condescension in him For as God is absolute in his actions themselves and may do what he pleases so he is absolute also as to the approving of his actions and may choose whether or no he will discover them He need give no account of his matters as Elihu speaks in Job 33.13 He needs not but yet he does for all that At least he will do at one time or other so that his people may know them This will he do to sundry purposes and according to several explications in which we may take it First He will discover them in the justice and equity and uprightness of them What I do thou shalt know hereafter that is Thou shalt know that I have been just and righteous in doing of it That the Judge of all the World has done no more than that which is equal Bold and presumptuous persons are apt now and then to challenge God in this particular and to bring him to their tribunal for that which he does whether in regard of themselves or others to think that God's dispensations are very unjust and unequal The Prophet Jeremiah himself though otherwise a good man was once upon that Point in Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments or let me reason the case with thee as the words will bear it Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are they happy that deal very treacherously Habakkuk he was upon the like expostulations in Hab. 2.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he And so 't is with many others besides who are ready to quarrel at God's Providence and to think he deals unequally with them But he will one day shew the contrary he will manifest that there was very great cause for what he did that he was just in all his ways and righteous in all his works In Ezek. 18.29 The House of Israel said The way of the Lord is not equal But what says God to them again Oh House of Israel Are not my ways equal are not your ways unequal There 's none which are apt sooner to complain of God than those who are obnoxious to him nor there 's none which are so ready to think that he deals worse with them than those that deal worst with him Those which are
such points whosoever they are First Because they are such points which are indeed if we rightly consider them of a very deep reach in Religion though God in his Providence has brought it down to the capacity of the meanest yet in that it is such a Doctrine as does sute with the learning of the greatest and such as the greatest wits in the world may not scorn to search into What do we speak of the world and men when the very Angels themselves admire it and bow down to peep into it as the Apostle Peter tells us 1 Pet. 1.22 If they are such Mysteries as are high enough for Angels surely men have no cause to disdain them or scorn them or be weary of them though never so fully accomplished in regard of humane wisdom and learning here 's that which will hold them tack whosoever they be Secondly The wisest and learnedst that are such points as these may very well become them forasmuch as they are necessary points and such as tend to Salvation it self If wise men will be saved they must be glad to hear of saving truths there being but one way to Salvation for them and all others besides Those who have the greatest skill in Physick they are glad to take the same potions for their health which others take and so those which are the most famous for wisdom they may be glad also to partake of the same truths for their spiritual edification which others do of meaner parts Thirdly Again there is this besides considerable in it That there 's an infinite depth in these matters which we can never sufficiently reach or dive into and those that knew never so much of them yet they are still capable of knowing more and every new discourse about them it still adds somewhat unto them as every time that we read the Scripture we may still gain some new knowledg by it Besides further That we need affections even there where we need not information This is a special ground for the Preaching of plain Truths to great Wits thereby to work upon their hearts and to draw their love and affection to them There are many which know a great deal but their knowledg is very cold and dead and heartless in them and therefore to put some fire into them it is necessary to inculcate and preach these points upon them as men eat not only to take away hunger but also to gain spirits not only to satisfie their appetites but likewise to encrease their strength and corporal vigor This may then teach all such persons with patience to submit to such Truths and Points as these are and to receive with meekness that word which is able to save their souls as the Apostle James speaks Chap. 1. v. 21. Let us not disdain the common Doctrines of Religion nor think them too low for us which as no man is too good to preach of so no man is too good to hear nor to have imparted and communicated unto them And that 's a third thing here in the Apostles carriage his faithfulness and indifferency of mind The same Truths to Jews and Gentiles Fourthly There is here one thing more in his practise and that 's this namely his wisdom and discretion in the course which he here took for the curing and removing of the distempers of these Jews and Gentiles in reference to Preaching and that is by the very exercise of Preaching it self They counted it the foolishness of Preaching Well how does the Apostle now go about to free them and deliver them from this mistake why he does it no other way than indeed by preaching to them The way to bring men in love with Preaching is to use Preaching amongst them diligence in the performance will make them to affect the ordinance One would have though when the Apostle had perceived what mean apprehensions these people had of Preaching he should have now forborn Preaching amongst them and resolved as Jeremy once did that he would never preach more I said I will not make mention of him nor preach no more in his name Jer. 20.9 But St. Paul does not so he now Preaches so much the rather and falls to his work so much the faster We preach Christ crucified And this there 's good cause for First Because a great occasion of peoples prejudice against Preaching is because indeed they are unacquainted with it they speak evil of that they do not know whereas if they knew it better they would be more in love with it Now the use of it does discover this to them this shews them that worth which is in it which otherwise they do not so well discern as it is in other matters the strangeness which is betwixt friends is cause from want of converse c. so here Secondly Because there 's an authority in Preaching and an effcacy which goes along with it which does command respect unto it it is not in mens power and liberty whether they will honour Preaching or no they shall do it by meer force and as it were against their wills whether they will or no as Physick makes men in love with Physick This therefore is first a good Item to Ministers what to do in such cases to do as the Apostle here do's And secondly we see here how to cure this distemper in many places in the Country namely by sending Preachers amongst them And so for the curing also of an itch in hearing the way is to preach sound and powerful Doctrine to them But so much of the first Particular viz. The Apostles carriage as concerning the ordering of his Ministry which we have seen in four several Instances The second is the Apostles Doctrine for the points delivered by him and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ crucified This was the string which the Apostle here harped upon and the lesson which he principally taught from whence we may observe thus much That Christ crucified is the main object and matter of our Preaching the chief work and imployment which lyes upon us in our Evangelical Dispensations is to lay open the Cross of Christ The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified In the second Chapter of this present Epistle and the second verse the Apostle professes that for his part he determined to know nothing else I determined to know nothing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified I determined the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I judged not only in a way of resolution I purposed to know nothing else but also in a way of approbation I esteemed nothing else besides so fitting to be known To know amongst you what 's that that is indeed to make known A Minister knows no more in this sense than he publishes and declares to others and makes them know as well as himself Now this was that which the Apostle was resolved on especially to beat upon in his Ministry
Christ crucified But why Christ crucified rather than Christ exhibited in some other consideration why not rather Christ incarnate forasmuch as that was the first news of him or why not Christ risen again or Christ ascended which was a great deal more glorious Why does the Apostle fasten upon this mystery in Religion and Christianity above the rest Christ crucified Surely there 's very good reason to be given for it First because he would give them the worst of Christ at first that he might shew he was not ashamed of him nor of that Gospel which made him known but that hereby he might the better prepare them for other Truths and make them the welcomer to them Christs Cross is the first letter of all in a Christians Alphabet and they that can take out this lesson they will learn the other fast enough Gods beginnings with us are commonly most tedious His conclusions and closings are for the most part very sweet and comfortable and so here Secondly Because Christ crucified it is vertually and implicitly all the rest For why was Christ Incarnate it was for this end that he might be crucified therefore he was born that he might die and therefore he took flesh upon him that he might lay it down again after he had taken it Again when Christ was risen and ascended what were the terms which he was risen from was it not from death and the grave his Resurrection it pointed at his suffering and death which were conquered by him So that all upon the point is Christ crucified Thirdly This was that Mystery which did most concern us for the good and benefit which comes by it as we shall hear afterwards his death was that which pacified Gods wrath and paid the debt which was due for our sins And therefore the Apostle instances in that rather than any other Lastly Christ crucified because this was that which these people had a particular hand in as instrumental hereunto they had been active in the crucifying of Christ themselves and therefore it was most fit that they should hear of Christ crucified to chuse of any thing else Therefore accordingly we shall find that this was the practise of the Apostles in the whole course and way of their Ministry still to urge and inculcate this upon those whom they Preached unto As soon as ever they had received the Holy Ghost upon the day of Pentecost they presently fall upon this as it was that which Christ himself much spoke of That the son of man must suffer many things so it was that which the Apostles of Christ much urged as Peter in his first Sermon Act. 2.23 this was that which he inforced upon them their crucifying of Christ This was that also which he preached so boldly in the Temple Act. 5.28 insomuch as the Council told him that they intended to bring the blood of that man upon them And Act. 8.32 the Providence of God directs them to a Scripture to this purpose out of Isa 53.7 8. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before the shearer so opened be not his mouth Thus was Christ crucified the chief point which they still urged in their Ministry And so it is that which is the chief work of ours it is the Doctrine which is to be chiefly preached by us and that upon these following Considerations First As it is a Doctrine of the greatest Humiliation it is an humbling and convincing Doctrine every Evangelical Truth being set on by the Spirit of God concurring and going along with it has an answerable work upon the conscience to bring it into a spiritual frame the Incarnation to work in us desires and affections after the new Birth the Resurrection to raise us up to new activity in holy duties c. the Ascension to carry us up to Heaven and Heavenly things and so the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ to humble us and to crucifie us for sin This Doctrine rightly preached and understood and believed and imbraced has a might power and efficacy in it for Conviction and Humiliation and to cast down th strong-holds of Sin and Satan in us This you shall see in the effect which it had upon the Apostle himself Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of the Lord Jesus whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world By the death of Christ was the world crucified to the Apostle And so St. Peter's Auditors Act. 2.37 When they heard this namely of Christ crucified then they were pricked at their hearts This same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was that which pierced them to the soul their piercing of Christ And so the Disciples which went to Emaus this made their hearts burn If we ask how this is done I answer by an Act of Reflection and special Consideration to this purpose namely as from hence taking notice of this grievous and odious nature of sin those which make nothing of sin in the commission of it and when they are set violently upon it in the strength of their lusts and temptations they may here see what it is now in the price which was paid for it and the pain which was endured to expiate it in Christ crucified And those which make a mock of a sin and sometimes of those which warn them of it they see how sad it is in those effects which it had upon the Redeemer and this is to be a means to humble them and lay them low in themselves Every nail which was struck into his Blessed Body it is here a piercing of our hearts every thorn which stuck in that opprobrous Crown it is a thorn in our sides every drop of blood which issued out of his sides it should fetch buckets of tears from us if we had not hearts harder than the flints This Doctrine of Christs Passion it is thus in this way of Proceeding a Doctrine of Humiliation and therefore fittest to be urged in the course of our Ministry And that because this is a main part of our Ministry to humble men and convince them of sin sutable and answerable to the work of the Spirit of God upon the Conscience for that 's a main work likewise of that The Spirit when he comes he shall convince the world of sin Joh. 16.9 Now thus it should be with Preaching which is a special conveyance of the Spirit the work of this is not to sooth men up to flatter them to give them scope to sin no but rather to humble them for it Secondly This Doctrine of Christ crucified as it has cause to be the chief work of our Ministry forasmuch as it is an humbling Doctrine so it has cause likewise to be so too because it is a comforting Doctrine and a Doctrine of the greatest comfort that can be We which are Ministers we are made to be the helpers of the joy of Gods people as we are called 2 Cor. 1. ult Now
of the parts themselves is still one and the same And so much of the first Expression besides what we have Preached in this eighth verse We may in the second place take in the other besides what you have received in the ninth which though it seems to be much at one yet has somewhat further implied in it for Preaching is one thing and receiving of what is preacht is another At least in the Apostles sense and as he intended it who means not only a true hearing of it and receiving it with their outward ears but likewise moreover an accepting of it and imbracing it with their minds and affections and so there 's an Argument taken from themselves as well as from the Apostles It being a great piece of levity in them to depart from that Doctrine which they had received and a great piece of wickedness in others to go about to divert them from it and to snatch it as it were out of their hands The like expression to this we shall find in another place as 1 Cor. 15.1 I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein you stand For those which never heard of any other to have a new Gospel to be preached unto them it might not be so bad but for those who have been instructed in the Truth and trained up to the Doctrine of Christ to have another Gospel imposed upon them this was gross and unsufferable and the Apostle could not bitterly enough express himself in terms against it There 's a great engagement upon Christian to keep close to those Truths which they have received and not to swerve from them But why then does he say in another place If he that cometh preacheth to you another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received or another Gospel which you have not accepted 2 Cor. 11.4 ye might well bear with him This seems at the first hearing to warrant both the preaching and receiving of another Gospel and that he might be born withal whoever he were that should undertake to do it which seems contrary to this before-mentioned For answer hereunto we must know thus much That another Gospel here in the Galatians is different from another Gospel in the Corinthians in this respect forasmuch as here in the Text it is taken absolutely but there in that other place only upon supposition and the Apostles meaning there is no more but this If he that cometh prophesie to you another that is a better Gospel or the Gospel in a better manner than we have preached as I am sure he cannot do why then so and so which does not imply that there can be indeed another Gospel but by way of ironic does imply rather the contrary it being a kind of triumphing speech in St. Paul whereby he does insult over the presumptions of the false Apostles amongst them But so much for that I have one now with the first branch in this Verse viz. the Miscarriage supposed If any man preach The second is the Cantion or Denunciation of Punishment inferred upon it Let him be accursed The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek is of various signification it denotes two things especially either first of all somewhat which is consecrated and devoted to God himself which it was not lawful to put to any other use besides Hence the Vessels of the Temple were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vessels of special Dedication Or secondly it signifies somewhat which is appointed and designed to destruction And so it is exprest by Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the same in force and congruity of speech with the Hebrew word Cherem coming from the root Charam which signifies both to devote and to cut off or destroy forasmuch as that which is devoted perishes to him who usurps it and unjustly possesses it and through the judgment of God proves oftentimes a destruction to him both in himself and also in his Relations Upon this account of the word there are two things especially which the Apostle Paul seems here in the Text to wish to the false Apostles in Galatia the one is destruction from God that he would deal severely with them and proceed in judgment against them the other is separation from the Church that they would altogether abhor them and proceed in censure upon them Take it which way you will as either way you may take it it is a very grievous and heavy denunciation Only there are two things which here stand in the way to be explicated and unfolded by us First The Apostles Authority Quo jure how he could do this Curse and Anathematize Angels which were in a rank and degree above him Cum par in parem multo minus in majorem non habent authoritatem Forasmuch as an Equal has not power over an Equal and much less over a superiour Seconly The Apostles Charity Quo corde why he would do this upon supposition that he might devote both men and Angels to destruction To these we answer in one word that the Apostle Paul is not here to be lookt upon as a private person acting either upon his own authority or in his own cause but in the nam and cause of God and the whole Church In which respect all Creatures whatsoever were nothing to him so that as he did it with very good warrant so he might also do it with very good affection and no breach of charity at all in him This does not give allowance to others lightly and upon no occasion and from a private spirit to be full of imprecations as we shall sometimes observe some to be wherein as they do sometimes lose their labour in that the curse causlessshall not come as Solomon speaks so now and then also provide ill for themselves but it does only warrant the right use of Church-censures in those hands which are intrusted with them Again neither does this allow a Church it self to use such a power as this is in re levi in a matter of higher moment and consequence much less which is unjust and unequal as the Papists in their Bruta Fulmina their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Bulls and Curses and Execrations an Anathema's which they daily send forth against the Saints and servants of Christ but upon good ground an cause for it then it may be as lawful to inflict it as it is sad and lamentable to bear it And so now I have done with this Protestation simply propounded in the eighth verse of this Chapter Though we c. The second i as it is Emphatically repeated in the ninth As we said before so say I now again if any one c. In sacrâ Scripturâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Holy Scripture the rehearsing of the same thing is no vain repetition or tautologie It is a Rule in Divinity
which accordingly may be appliedby us to this present Verse here before us which is the Sum as it were and Reversion of that which went before and has been hitherto handled by us Wherein the Apostles going over the same thing once again was not frivolous or superfluous in him but to very good purpose There are three things especially which are pertinently considerable in it First His confidence and firm perswasion of the Truth which he had taught and delivered It is a sign he was no Sceptick in his Religion nor yet in his Ministry but was well assured of that which he both belived and imbraced himself as also preacht and commended to others Those things whichmen are doubtful of they think it is enough to speak but once and hardly that It sticks for the most part in their teeth and comes difficultly from them they do but whisper it or lisp it out as well as they can but where they are certain here they are more free and bold in the uttering of it And so it was here with St. Paul he was confident and therefore he stuck not again to repeat it And we see from hence what it becomes every one else to be upon the like occasion Those which are Preachers and Teachers of others they had need to be well assured of the Truth of that which they preach and vent in their Ministry not to speak things at random or at a venture they care not how but deliberately and upon grounds of confidence First Because they deal in matters of great importance and the highest concernment As it is in the affairs of the world where men speak upon life and death they had need to be sure what they speak forasmuch as otherwise their miscarriage will be such as is irrecoverable Even so it is likewise in these spiritual matters and the subjects of the Ministerial Dispensations because they are such as concern mens souls and their well or ill being to all eternity therefore we had need so much the rather to take heed what we say To say no more than we are able to prove and make good if we should be questioned about it especially if we shall add the threatnings which they join with it as here Let him be accurst He that curses another for not being of his opinion had need to be sure of that opinion Secondly Because there are many more whose judgments do depend upon it If a Minister or Preacher mistake many others mistake with him It is not a single miscarriage but a multiplied for which cause it concerns him to have good ground for that which comes from him For if the blind lead the blind they shall loth fall into the ditch as our Saviour himself has told us Thirdly For the better inforcing of the Truth and Doctrine it self The confidence of the Preacher stirs up belief in the Hearer and makes him so much the more ready to assent to the things which are propounded As we see Agrippa to Paul Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Perswaded him how did he so namely from that confidence and resolution which he did discern to be in him Whereas now on the other side as he that asks coldly we use to say teaches to deny so he that teaches coldly he does in like manner teach to mistrust and makes men to call in question the truth of that which is taught by him This the Apostle Paul here in this Scripture did not do but the contrary by that confidence which he exprest in himself Indeed this Point which we are now upon it both may be and often s abused by some kind of persons for we shall find by daily experience that there are none which are more confident than those which are most ignorant Truth it is for the most part modest and ready to suspect it self whereas error is bold and dark There are some kind of people in the world which are as stiff and resolute and peremptory in the assents of their private fancies and the imaginations of their own brain as if they were Divine Oracles and the very Articles of Faith it self neither Paul nor an Angel from Heaven could take them off from them The Devil the God of this world does two things with them first blinds their eyes from seeing the truth and their ears from hearing the errors and mistakes about it But what shall we now commend or imitate such a confidence as this no in no hand at all Neither is this that which was here observable in the Apostle this confidence of his it was of another strain and tincture which was in it It was not a confidence of presumption but a confidence of well grounded knowledg It was not a confidence of fancy or conceit but a confidence of assurance He knew and understood what he said and because he did so was therefore confident about it He that heareth speaketh constantly Prov. 21.28 And this Confidence is such as is commendable in any other besides when first of all we labour to be satisfied and well-grounded in the Truths of Religion and then keep our selves to them and stand stiffly and resolutely upon them in this case we should not cast away our Confidence which hath great recompence of reward as it is Heb. 10.35 Whether private Christians or Ministers private Christians as concerns the imbracing of the Truth and Ministers as concerns the spreading of it we should both of us so order our selves in this business as that nothing may be able to unsettle us or divert us from that which we have undertaken or discourage us in the prosecution of it For though some as I said are confident causelesly yet it is not so therefore with all There is a great deal of difference in reality between a presumptuous confidence and a rational as between one which is asleep and which is awake Both persons seem alike assured but in the thing there 's a wide distance betwixt them even so it is here But that 's the first Particular here considerable namely the Apostles confidence he was well perswaded of what he delivered The second is the Apostles zeal in the cause and truth of Christ There was a great deal of earnestness which was here exprest by him not only in the expression which he used in the simple Proposition Though we or an angel from heaven mentioned in the eighth verse but also in the additional repetition of it here again in the ninth verse What we said before c. that which men often speak of and repeat their affection is much in it and that which mens affection is much in they can never have done with it and so it was here with this blessed Apostle and holy man of God his heart it was very much raised and transported now in him when he considered how the Truth of God was now in danger to be impair'd on the one side and when he considered how the people of God were now in danger
to be seduced on the other be could not here well contain himself but does break forth again and again into these Rhetorical and Hyperbolical expressions as being all little enough to shew how much he was affected in this business Surely we have but very little zeal and spirit in us towards God and his Church if we can suffer his Truth to be diminisht or his servants to be imposed upon and deluded and not in the mean time in our several places bestir our selves in it Where further we may here observe and take notice of the Apostles Impartiality to this purpose his holy zeal was so fervent in him as that he spares no persons whatsoever which might seem to stand in his way whether Ministers or Angels themselves but lets his darts fly against either both one and t'other It is the observation of Theophylact upon the place In that he anathematizes Angels he thereby excludes and casts off all authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that he anathematizes himself all propriety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither consideration was available or of force with him to cause him to spare them Mens earnestness is much according to the matter which they are conversant about And indeed it became him so to be and so to do upon such an occasion if it had been only his own private cause which he had kept such a stir concerning it had been justly suspicious but now that it was God's and his Peoples here it was no more than was suitable to him and commendable in him He could not in this case speak too much for the expression of his affection about it and the promoting of it no more can any other do besides in the same circumstances with him And yet to see for the most part how little this rule is observed and practised in the world yea rather the contrary If there be any thing which concerns our selves our own credit or profit or ease or whatever it be we are up with it again and again and can never find the way out of it when we once begin to enter upon it but where God and his Truth is concerned whether Ministers or other Christians the Lord be merciful to us we are herein commonly more silent and remiss and indifferent and well contented than is indeed fitting and requisite for us to be That 's therefore the second Particular which is here observable of us viz. The Apostles Zeal in the Cause and Truth of Christ The third is his constancy and consistency of mind the Apostle would hereby shew that he did not utter these words rashly and unadvisedly before he was aware but considerately and upon due deliberation and therefore repeats them There are many which say that in an heat which they either do or have cause to repent of and to eat their own words therefore what they have said once they think not fitting to say again but it was not so here with St. Paul and he would shew that it was not so with him That it might appear that he spake out of judgment and consideration not out of heat and passion he does again return to it in a renewed inforcement of it As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed For the better opening of this passage unto you it may not be amiss for us to consider two things First How far this was not the same in the ninth verse which he said in the eighth and secondly how far it was for there is some kind of difference and agreement both at once in them First To take notice of the difference how far it was not the same in this which it was in that and for this there is a double alteration the one in the expression of the Preacher and the other in the expression of the Doctrine For the Preacher that is signified in the eighth verse We or an angel from heaven but in the ninth indefinitely If any one in the specification of neither Then as to the Doctrine in the eighth verse it is laid down under this phrase of that which we have preached discovering the Doctrine with a reference had to the Hearers these at the first view may seem to have some difference in them but such as will be easily reconciled forasmuch as the latter of them which is in the next place now to be considered is more full and comprehensive than the former and so consequently no recession or departure from it at all thus If any one is more than if we or an Angel in asmuch as it takes in even the Devils themselves into the number not excluding the other Then which ye have received is more than what we have preached because they might have more than himself which had preached unto them and that also of the true Ministers of Christ We see then how in effect it is the same in one verse which it is in the other and in the latter which it is in the former From whence the Apostles constancy and consistency is verified to us As we said before so say I now again And his Constancy in two Particulars First His constancy as to his Doctrine As we said before so say I now again that is as we preached before so I preach now again I am the same in the Truths which I delivered Secondly His constancy as to his censure As we said before so say I now again that is as we curst before so I curse now again I am the same in the threatning which I denounced Either of these senses may be very well fastened upon these words though as I conceive rather the latter First To take it in the first sense his constancy as to his Doctrine As we said before so say I now again that is as we preached before so I preach now again I am the same in the Truths which I have delivered And this again may admit of a twofold Explication either first the same for matter or else secondly the same for quality First The same for matter the same numerical and individual Truth yea and that it may be so rendred in the same or the like words and expressions There is good use sometimes for this so it be done as it should be for Preachers to inculcate the same Points and Doctrines in their Ministry at one time as at another and in the same kind of language we see how those two Epistles of St. Paul to the Ephesians and Colossians they are almost one and the same which does justly warrant such a course and practise as this is Not as it is the fashion especially of many of our new upstarts now-a-days to be always treating of one and the same argument and still upon the same song that if ye know who is the Preacher ye may guess what will be the Sermon before you hear it run about City and Country with two or
here a duty which is to be performed and put in practice by all other sinners besides and that is to labour to work themselves to such a shame as this is That which is here spoken of these Romans it is not spoken of them only in a way of simple Narration as signifying how they were affected but also in a way of tacite commendation as praising them for being affected in that manner and so it does implicitly exhibit a duty to us that we should labour to be so our selves Next to the shunning and avoiding of sin is to be ashamed and grieved for committing it Now this does justly come home to the Consciences of abundance in the world there are many which are perfrictae frontis of a bold and hardened forehead which have no shame nor relenting in them at all which can sin one sin after another in the highest and hainousest manner that can be and yet never be once wrought upon for it or ashamed of it the unjust knows no shame as it is Zephan 3.5 The Heathen could say he was lost that had no shame The Prophet Jeremy has set forth such as these in their colours to us Jer. 6.15 Were they ashamed says he when they had committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush c. This is the exact temper and disposition even of many in these days and in this land in which we live which are past all shame whatsoever they have no shame at all in them never more of the occasion and never less of the affection And I speak not only of that spiritual shame and holy blushing which belongs to Religion and is within the compass of Christianity it self which is taken from religious Grounds and spiritual Arguments and Considerations but I speak now of that natural shame which God has planted in all men by Creation an is not lost but in the height of wickedness and abomination it self This is that which many Monsters in this age are devoid and destitute of both men and women I should be exceeding sorry if I should have need to say much of it here in this place only I cannot but by the way take notice of it that I may testifie and bear witness against it as that which I look upon as one of the saddest symptoms of Gods wrath and indignation against us and if it be not timely prevented by those whom it concerns to reform it will not only be reckoned by God as the sin of some particular persons but also of the whole Nation it self which will be charged with it That impudence and boldness and undauntedness in sinful courses which many people are come unto which are so far from being ashamed of sin as that they rather boast of it and as the Apostle speaks glory in their shame This is the humour of too many in the world that which should most humble them and abase them and cast them down and lay them low in the sight of God and men and themselves is that which commonly most exalts them and swells them and puffs them with pride so far are they from this temper of the Romans of being ashamed And so now ye have the second particular for the Expression of sins inconvenience taken from the dishonourableness of it Whereof ye are now ashamed The third and last is taken from its perniciousness For the end of those things is death This is that which hits the nail on the head and brings all here indeed and 't is that which is very considerable forasmuch as the end is all in all and such an end as this which is here spoken of so more especially if the other two evils had been spared yet this alone were enough to deter us though there were some gain and honour in sin as we have shewed there is none yet whiles there 's death in it that 's enough against it and that there is The end of those things is death This Death here is to be taken by us in the latitude namely in each kind of it whether natural or else spiritual and eternal First For natural death which we call the death of the body that 's the end of sin and that which sin procures though not that which the sinner intends By sin death came into the world as the Apostle speaks Rom. 5.12 This is so in a double Explication First In the nature of the thing and as the effect immediately flowing from the cause And secondly by the just judgment of God who in his Providence does so order and dispose it and himself does inflict death for it First It is so in God's Pvovidence and Judgment How many do we read of in Scripture whom God himself has in an extraordinary manner stricken dead for their sins Er and Onan and Nadab and Abihu and such as these the end of of their ways was death and that in a more eminent manner There are some more gross and notorious sinners which God has not patience to suffer them and let them alone here in this world but to prevent Atheism and contempt of his Majesty will be presently avenged upon them Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days says the Prophet David Psal 55.23 and Eccles 7.17 Be not overmuch wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou dye before thy time Intimating and implying thus much that such courses and ways as those do provoke God many times so to do Again secondly In the nature of the thing it self and as the effect immediately issuing from the cause Sin it ends in death so as we see by daily and common experience How many are there which by their passion intemperance lasciviousness uncleanness and such courses as these are hasten their own end and not only hazard their souls but likewise expose their lives and so in that regard are no better than self-murtherers It is true they do not always think so nor as I said intend it but yet it is that which follows upon it and in the event is consequent there unto there 's many which might have lived longer if they had lived better and had had a comfortable old age in conclusion if they had not had a dissolute youth going before The end of those things is death if we take it but for natural death the death of the body But secondly It is true also and especially of spiritual death the death of the soul and eternal death the death of soul and body for ever in Hell This is that death which is the wages of sin more particularly for spiritual death Sin it defaces God's Image in us it alienates us from the life of God And whatever Grace is already wrought in us if it does not kill it actually yet it tends to the killing of it and destroys it all it can it takes away a Christians vigor that liveliness and loveliness which should be in him and makes him little better than a
a way of Application Thirdly In a way of Evidence or Conviction Probat qui tentat probat qui approbat probat qui docet argumentis But here in the Text it is confined only to the two former the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same that is used by the Apostle in another place in reference to the Lords supper 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself and let him prove his own work they come both to one and the same effect only in that place it is restrained to one work as the occasion is whereas here it is taken more at large and so it seems to carry two things in it which are understood by it First As it is a word of Inquity or Examination Let him prove that is let him try Secondly As it is a word of Allowance or Approbation Let him prove that is approve either may be meant by it First It may be taken by way of Examination or Exploration Let every man prove his own work that is let every man try it and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus it is in many other places of Scripture besides as 2 Cor. 8.8 1 Thes 5.2 That I might prove the sincerity of your love that is that I might try it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proving all things c. that is examining or trying them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 14.19 I have bought five yoke of Oxen and I go to prove them that is to try them and to inquire about them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus is both this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek and also prove in our own language oftentimes taken in this acception for matter of Tryal and Examination And so first of all here in the Text. We must do with our works as Goldsmiths do with their Gold who prove it for their better satissaction Now Goldsmiths they prove their Gold two manner of ways First They prove it by the touchstone for the discerning of true from counterfeit they prove it that is they try it Secondly They prove it by the fire for the separating and consuming of the dross they prove it i.e. they approve it And the first of these is that which is considerable of us in this present verse in regard of our own performances This is the duty of every Christian as to search and examine and inquire into his own heart as concerning the general frame and temper and disposition of it so consequently into all the works and actions which do come from him whether they be such as are warrantable or not it is not a matter of indifferency to us what things they be which we do but we are to call our selves to an account about them and to set up a Tribunal in our own consciences for the trying and judging of our selves And that especially upon these following Considerations First For our own innocency and the better ordering of our own lives where we do not prove that is try our works we cannot dispose of them so as we should do but shall be apt still to go on in a way of security and self-pleasing whether we have cause to do so or no Those that never look in the glass they do not see the spots in their faces and so do not take any care for the wiping them off from them and so those that do not try their works they do not so easily see their miscarriages from whence they might be brought to reform them and to do them away This tryal is necessary to integrity and self-reformation and therefore we shall find the Prophet Jeremy so to set it in Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our mays and turn again unto the Lord. Self-examination is a very good step to Copversion when we inquire how it is with us we are likeliest to be that which becomes us and which we ought indeed for our own parts to be I considered my ways and turned my seet unto thy testimonies says the Prophet David Psal 1 19.59 Look as it is with those which are travellers when they never look after the way or consider whither they are going they many times go a great way astray before they return and come into it again even so is it with those that are upon their journey to Heaven c. Secondly This tryal is also requisite in order to our own comfort and satisfaction it is good we should prove our works as that we may be humbled for our defects so that we may be comforted from our good proceedings and reap the fruit of our own doings as the Scripture speaks For though the best things that come from us they have corruption mingled with them and so in that regard are matter rather of abasement than any thing else yet withal for the substance of them they are the workings of God's Spirit upon us and the evidence of his Graces in us which therefore in the discerning of them must be very grateful and comfortable to us in the sweet relishes and reflexious of consciences as rich men considering of their estates and worldly improvements This is such a special Consideration for this inforcing of the present Duty as that it seems to be the principal hinge upon which the Text it self turns as we shall see hereafter out of the following words And the c. Thirdly In an holy Conformity to the Judgment of God himself and his proceedings with us Therefore let us prove our own works because we shall have one to prove them for us at another day there 's a time a-coming when every mans work shall be prov'd whether he will or no namely at the day of judgment which is by a special Eminency in Scripture call'd the day of Discovery or Revelation Rom. 2.5 And again in another place it is said That every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is 1 Cor. 3.13 God will try every mans work and therefore it concerns every man to try it himself and so much the rather that that tryal may be with the greater comfort Schollers that have well examined themselves they are so much the better fitted and qualified for their Masters examination and so it is here This therefore justly meets with the contrary practise of abundance of persons there are a great many of people in the world which never take this so much into their thoughts whether their works be good or bad but let them pass without any reward or consideration at all And to give you some account of it it does proceed from a threefold Principle in them First From neglect and non-attendency Secondly From presumption and self-flattery Thirdly From consciousness and self-suspicion First The cause why many do no more prove their own works it does proceed from simple neglect and carelesness
or no there 's not the best men that are but they may err and do that which they should not where God deserts them and leaves them to themselves and if such then others more especially Secondly Every man is lyable to account if they were not they might then be excused but it is thus with them We must all apear c. 2 Cor. 5.10 And every one of us must give an account of himself to God Rom. 14.12 Thus every one indefinitely And so again every one distinctly Men may not shuffle off the business in the croud and think to carry it with the stream of the multitude as if that which were done by most were a sufficient warrant for any mans actions but there must be a particular view taken of one's self and that 's the third particular viz. the subject And so I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the Exhortation it self in these words Let every man prove his own work c. The second is the Argument to inforce it in these And then shall be have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Wherein again two Particulars more First The consequent affection it self And then he shall hae rejoycing Secondly The subject or Original of this affection which is laid down two manner of ways First Emphatically and in the Affirmative In himself alone Secondly Exclusively and in the Negative And not in another Each of which have a particular dependance upon the foregoing part of the Text in each of the branches Let a man prove his work and so he shall have rejoycing and let him prove his own work and so he shall have rejoycing in himself There 's a dependance and a connexion of each First For the affection it self it is here exprest to be rejoycing or as the word properly signifies glorying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a rejoycing with some inlargement every man has so far cause of rejoycing as he does that which is approvable and only so that work which a man cannot justifie and make good in his own conscience it is not matter of glory but of shame nor of rejoycing but of humiliation even there where it is followed and accompanied with never so many outward advantages and accomodations such rejoycing is in a thing of naught their glorying is not good that do glory and rejoyce in such conditions no says the Apostle and that exclusively Thus this is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good conscience c. There are three things which are considerable in this Connexion in the Text I 'le but name them to you First Every man has rejoycing from his work not from his success Secondly A man has rejoycing from his own work not from anothers And thirdly A man has rejoycing from the goodness of his work not any thing else as it is approved and in no other Consideration and this for the affection it self The second is the subject or Original of this affection in whom it is or from whence it does arise First Himself alone for the Affirmative And secondly Not another for the Negative First For the Affirmative Himself alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that which is used as an argument to perswade men to the proving or making good of their own works that they shall then have rejoycing in themselves Where there is somewhat which is implied in General And again somewhat which is exprestin particular that which is imply'd is this that self rejoycing is the best rejoycing of all for a man to have peace and comfort and satisfaction in his own heart is more than all the rejoycing or glorying which he can have possibly from other men that which is exprest is this That he that is careful as has been shewn to prove his own work he shall consequently have this rejoycing in him First I say self-rejoycing is the best rejoycing of all for a mans comfort to lye in his own breast is more than all the world else beside First it is more intimate and immediate it is bonum approximatum bonum conjunctium is to be perfer'd before bonum separatum and so here Secondly It is more absolute and independent it is the disparagement which the Philosopher puts upon honor that it is magis in honorante quam in honorato Thirdly It is more constant and lasting he that rejoyces in himself he carries always his Cordials about him as I may so express it he that comforts is always at hand This for that which is here supposed and implied in this Expression Secondly For that which is exprest he that proves his own work he shall have this rejoycing with him he shall rejoyce in himself Now this it my admit of double Interpretation either by making himself the object of this rejoycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else by making himself the hisubject of is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First Take it objectively He that proves his own work he shall have somewhat in him as a true occasion of rejoycing to him A good man shall be satisfied of himself Mâ—â—gnalou as Solomon tells us in Prov. 14.14 This is that which another man has not as we may see in the verse before the Text He that thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself He that does such work as he cannot prove or make good he may vainly please himself in some fancy and imagination of his own but truly rejoyce that he can not do himself does not afford matter or occasion of rejoycing to himself as the other does That 's the first Secondly We may take it subjectively He shall rejoyce in himself that is he shall apprehend and conceive that joâ— indeed whereof in himself there is matter and occision administred There 's many that have ground of rejoycing who yet have not always rejoycing it self because they do not always attend or give heed unto it But now he that Proves his own work he does so he takes notice of the occasion and therefore shall be accommodated with the affection which is consequent thereunto And so much of the Modification of the subject considered emphatically and affirmatively in himself The second is exclusive and in the Negative him self alone and not in another Where two things briesly to be done by us and so I conclude First To shew in what sense this does not hold good And secondly To shew in what it does For the former in what it does not Take it thus First That hereby is not set as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or pleasing of a mans self in a mans own ways or concerns without any regard at all to the judgment or estimation of other men that 's not the meaning of it A good Christian though he has comfort in himself and in this own conscience especially yet it is a great satisfaction to him to have the comprobation
here also further seasonably observe That God will make use of our selves in our passage to Heaven Qui fecit te sine te non salvabit te sine te it is a known speech of S. Austins He that hath made thee without thy self yet will not without thy self have thee and make thee a-new God requires our own care and diligence and industry and circumspection in the use of good means in order to our own salvation though the efficacy and success of all be in the mean time resolv'd into himself This may therefore justly meet with the sluggishness and laziness of any in this particular who to this purpose cast off all care and regard from themselves as if it nothing concerned them And so much for the Caution in the General Proposition of it Look to your selves The second is the Argument or Matter which it is conversant about which is laid down two manner of ways First In the Negative That ye lose not c. And secondly In the Affirmative But that we receive a full reward We begin with the first The Negative That ye lose not c. some copies read it That we lose not c. We may understand it of either and if ye will of both which may accordingly be considered of by us First That ye lose not c. The Apostle John lays Caution against this as that which without better heed they were subject unto People have cause to look to it that they do not trustrate the labours of the Ministers by losing those Doctrines and Instructions which are tender'd unto them This is done divers ways each of which may accordingly for illustration be taken notice of by us First In regard of Memory that ye lose not the things which we have wrought that is that ye forget not those points which we have left with you This is one thing which is required of people to take care of in regard of their Teachers that they be not forgetful hearers and so be losers in that particular The Scripture still calls for this in sundry places thus Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time me should let them slip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 run out as leaking vessels as the word properly signifies A Christian he should not be dolium pertusum a vessel boar'd thorow to let out at one ear what he lets in at another but he should be careful to keep what he receives and that first of all in his remembrance Thus 1 Cor. 15.1 Moreover brethren I declare unto you the Gospel c. by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory c. Now to help us and promote us herein that we may do it the more effectually we may take these directions First That we may not lose things out of our memory it is good for us to have regard to them in the first hearing attention is a great help to remembrance those things which we do more earnestly hearken to they do more firmly stick by us and we do not so readily let them go a careless hearer makes a forgetful hearer therefore in the place before cited Heb. 2.1 it is said Let us give earnest heed c. When people come to the Word of God as if they cared not whether they came to it or no it does soon slip from them but when they once mind it as a matter of consequence here it sticks by them Secondly Meditation that is also a good conducement hereunto when we ruminate and chew the cud This it fastens it further When men shall come to the Word of God Preach'd and never think of it more after that they have heard it they must then needs easily forget it though they would afterwards call it to mind it is Meditation which helps memory and gives a strength and ability unto it Thirdly Conference and holy Communion This it does imprint them more Thou shalt talk of these things by the way c. Deut 6.7 Here one memory helps another and makes supplies for each others defects as the contrary it hinders when people after they have been at the Ordinances presently fall into their worldly discourses here one nail drives out another and the last the first Lastly Practise and conscientious improvement There 's no such way for us to remember any Doctrine as to draw it forth into exercise which is the truest memory of all A man may have a good memory for the notion not lose any considerable passage in the whole Sermon as to the points which are delivered in it and yet in the mean time make no use or improvement of what he heard Now therefore this must be taken in to the other as the Apostle James himself seems to do it Jam. 1.25 Where he sets a forgetful hearer and a doer of the word in opposition to one another He that does he shall not forget his practise it shall be an help unto his memory forasmuch as he has the Truths themselves wrought into him and by that means always by him As that man who has his meat only in his hand he may lose it and have it taken away from him but he that has eaten it and swallowed it down and digested it and has it turned into nourishment he is sure of it indeed That 's the first particular in which we are to take heed of losing viz. in regard of memory The second is in regard of Judgment The we are said to lose any Doctrine when we alter our opinion of it and so let it go from us when we are not constant in the Truth received but depart from it There are many which have good Principles at first put into them but then they change and remit them Now this is not good Take heed says St. John that ye lose not c. i. e. that we lose not thus This sense is confirmed by that which follows presently in the next verse Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God c. This is that which the Scripture still calls for a continuing in the faith Col. 1.33 and Eph. 4.14 Not tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind c. It is not safe for any to desert and forsake the acknowledged Truth as to decline in matter of Judgment Thirdly In regard of Affection Take heed ye lose not herein neither This is a losing as well as the other and that in a great measure likewise yea the chiefest of all People may sometimes hold fast in their memories remember all which hath been said unto them And so likewise in their Judgments not yield or diminish here and yet their affections be very much cool'd Now the Apostle had a regard to these also when he forewarns these Believers of losing that it might not be herein neither which all Christians besides should take care of that they keep the same good savour and
commonly in the object which is attractive of it in one kind or other In the love of Christ towards us there was nothing at all he loved us whiles we loved not him I knew says Christ that ye have not the love of God in you Joh. 5.42 Nay he loved us whiles we hated him Joh. 15.25 They hated me without a cause As we hated him without a cause so he without a cause loved us and thereby after a most happy exchange was avenged upon us You which were sometimes aliens and enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled c. says the Apostle in Gol. 1.21 Here is the excellency of the love of Christ that it is bottom'd and founded in his own good-will and pleasure and nothing else besides as Moses tells the Israelites in Deut. 7.7 The Lord did not chuse you nor set his love upon you because you were thus and thus c. But because the Lord loved you c. He loved you because he loved you that 's the best account which can be given of the love of God That manner of reasoning which in other cases seems to carry an absurdity and incougruity with it here is the most rational of all other That 's the first kind of love the love of pity or benevolence The second is the love of Complacency or Beneficence as Christ loves us so far forth as to bestow his Grace upon us so he loves his own Graces in us Therefore where he has taken any persons into fellowship and communion with himself he does there bear a tender love and affection to them First Christ loves us so far forth as to make us his people and then he loves us upon this account because we are his people This we may see in the whole Book of the Canticles which is nothing else but an expression of the mutual love which is betwixt Christ and his Church and the contentment which they have in each other The consideration of this Point is thus far useful to us as it is an argument to us for our loving of Christ again Love it engages to love it has a special force and vertue with it in a mutual reciprocation And so it should likewise be with us in this particular we have cause to love Christ for himself and that variety of excellency which is in him considered abstractly but when we shall consider him in reference to our selves how he begins and prevents us with his love this does over and above challenge it from us If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16. And further it teaches us also to love our Brethren This love of Christ is exemplary and is propounded for a pattern unto us and so we should make it thus Ephes 5.1 2. Be ye followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also loved us c. And 1 Joh. 4.11 Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Such persons carry themselves unsuitably and unequally to the love of Christ who have not some proportionable affection for others who are the members of Christ And so much of the first Emphasis as it may be laid upon the action of love and so having this Point in it that Christ does bear a special love and affection to his people Now the second is as it may be laid upon the Person of Christ himself To him that loved us It is spoken in a manner exclusively as if none did so much love us as Christ as indeed there does not This expression in the Text it is made a kind Of Periphrasis and description of Christ unto us whereby he is known and distinguished from all other persons Thus also in some other places as Rom. 8.37 We are more than conquerours through him that loved us Through him that loved us â— who is that namely through Christ so in 2 Thes 2.16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ and God even our Father who hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Still this love of us it is fastened upon Christ The Use of this Point is to believe it and to be perswaded of it and to teach us to labour more and more to assure our hearts of it We should endeavour to have the sense and feeling of this love of Christ more upon our souls and to be well setled and established in it Which was that which the Apostle Paul did so much pray for in reference to the Ephesians That they being rooted and grounded in love might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and might know the love of Christ that passeth knowledg Ephes 3.16 17 c. To know the love of Christ that is sensibly and experimentally in themselves by the power and vertue of the Holy Ghost shedding it abroad in their hearts as it is in Rom. 5.5 This is known and discerned by such notes aâ— are most proper and peculiar to it we may know that Christ hath loved us according to that which he has done for us and especially done in us by changing of our natures and by infusing of his Graces into us There are many who think that Christ loves them because he casts outward blessings upon them in a way of common Providence but alas these will not serve the turn to assure us of his love he may do as much as this for such persons as to whom he will one day say I know you not No but we must make good his love from matters of an higher nature which is from that care which he has wrought in us to serve him and to keep his commandments this is the best discovery and trial of his love Then may we probably conclude that Christ does love us when he has perswaded us to love him which we cannot do in good earnest without his love first fastened upon our souls We love him because he first loved us not only as the motive of our love but also as the efficient Thus again in Joh. 14.23 If any man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come in unto him and will make our abode with him And so I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the description of Christ from his affection propounded in General in those words Vnto him that loved us The second is from the discovery or manifestation of this affection in particular in these words And hath washed us from our sins in his own blood This passage is considerable of us two manner of ways First Absolutely as it is an expression of our Priviledg and secondly Relatively as it is an expression of the love of Christ First Take it absolutely and in it self as it is an expression of the Priviledg of Believers and that is to be washed from their sins by Christs Blood The
Admonition or Instruction it self both absolutely propounded as also comparatively illustrated We ought to give the more earnest heed c. The second is the Inforcement of its observation by way of Argument and this is twofold First From the equity of it in the word of connexion therefore Secondly From the danger of the contrary in the close and conclusion of the verse Lest at any time we should fail or let them slip First Here 's an Argument from the equity of it which relates to what he had said before in the precedent Chapter wherein he had fully set forth the Dignity both of Christs Office and Person which the Doctrine of the Gospel does treat of and discourse about upon those promises he does infer this conclusion therefore To speak distinctly of it there are three special Arguments which this Exhortation is founded upon why we ought more abundantly to give heed to this Doctrine of the Gospel in comparison with the Doctr. of the Law First The Authority of the speaker and minister of it which is Christ the Son of God whereas the other was Angels and men Thus in v. 2. of this Chap. it is call'd the word spoken by Angels the Law Whereas the other to wit the Gospel is said to be first of all spoken by the Lord that is Christ himself And again Chap. 1. v. 1 2. God who at sundry times c. where the Apostle lays a very great stress upon this as to the Ministry of the Gospel that it is dispenst through the hans of Christ First For the Dignity of his Person so excellent simply in himself the more eminent the Person is that speaks to us the more cause and reason we have to heed the things which are spoken for the Persons sake it being a piece of great indignity to stop our ears to any one of worth speaking to us such an one is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory and therefore see that ye refuse not him that speaketh as it followeth also in Heb. 12.25 But then secondly There 's not only his person but also his relation that 's another thing in it which the Apostle seems to stand upon and is to be refer'd hereunto There are many eminent persons considered simply in themselves but all their eminency it is within themselves and in the compass of those persons of theirs such as they are yea but this person now which speaks to us in the Ministry of the Gospel He is not only eminent for his person but also for his relation for he is the son of God himself and so much better than the Angels even in that consideration also For unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee c. Heb. 1.5 Then thirdly There is also his estate there 's a great matter in that likewise we respect men much according to that if a man speak to us which is a great heir who has many lands and possessions which belong to him we are apt to give heed unto him Now for this it is also observable in Christ who speaks to us in the Gospel for he is appointed heir of all things and hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than Angels The Apostle lays a force upon that in the place before cited which is thereforemuch considerable in this business Lastly His activity for us there 's much likewise in that We have great cause to respect a Benefactor one that has done us great courtesies and favours when he speaks to us he should be hearkened to by us Now this is also remarkable in Christ for he hath himself purged our sins and upon this account to manifest the certainty and and fulness of it is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1.3 So then that 's the first ground of this Attendance implied in this Therefore viz. the authority of the speaker The Lord Jesus Christ himself eminent for his 1. Person 2. for his relation 3. for his estate 4. for his activity for us The second is the excellency of the things themselves which are spoken of that 's another thing which calls for attention yea not only invites it but commands it If a man of worth shall speak to us yet if he shall not speak to us like to himself speak but of slight and trivial matters we regard him not for all that nor give heed unto him a speech is commendable not only from the speaker but the matter and in this the Gospel carries it likewise Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life say the Apostles Joh. 6.68 The Gospel it treats of such points as no other word does besides as containing very great and admirable mysteries in it which we have join'd all together there in one chain 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angelâ— preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up unto glory What rare and admirable Doctrines and Dispensations these are such things as the very Angels desire to peep into 1 Pet. 1.12 If we look no further than the height and sublimity and transcendency of the points themselves they are such as may well command our heedfulness and attention to them even in that respect alone and nothing besides with it But then thirdly If we shall add to all this the circumstances attending upon it as the profitableness and advantagiousness of this Doctrine the interest which our selves have in it the sweetness which is in the observation of it this will now set it on so much the more and put an edg upon this therefore indeed to make it effectual to purpose let points be never so excellent considered simply in their own nature yet if they have not a tang of some profit or benefit in them there are some people which will never regard them What does a Merchant or Tradesman care for a discourse of Metaphysicks Very fine notions indeed and speculations which tickle the fancy yeâ— but they have no gain or profit in them Dic aliquid tandem de tribus capellis as he said speak somewhat which tends to our advantage Why this now is the commendation of the Gospel that it treats not only of things which are excellent but of things which are profitable for it is the ministration of righteousness the Doctrine of Reconciliation the glad tydings of peace There is life and immortality which is brought to light by it as the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Tim. 1.10 Look then as any would give heed when any thing is spoken of which has any profit in it in the like manner should they give heed to the Gospel which is a Doctrine so far esteemed even upon this consideration But then further there 's our own interest in it likewise that 's somewhat more profit if it belongs not to us is no such pleasing theme to hear of but