Alnis Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom for with the same measure that ye meet withall it shall be measured to you again To Ordinances So here in the Text as you deal with God so will he deal with you Look what measure of Diligence and Conscionable Care is in you to hear the Word the like measure of Spiritual Fruit and Profit shall you reap by the Blessing of God 2. A Promise grounded upon a Proverb and unto you that hear shall more be given Those that make use of what is said to them that mark diligently and practice accordingly more Knowledge and Grace is increased This is built on a Proverb habenti dabitur for he that hath to him shall be given To have doth not only signifie the Possession of a thing but the use which is the end of Possession So he that hath is he that hath to purpose that occupieth the Gift and Grace received A Man that useth and employeth that which he hath and so maketh it to appear to the World that he hath such a Talent from God for in Scripture we are said to have that we make use of To him shall be given He shall increase his stock He shall be having and having and having till he come to a glorious Estate in all Spiritual Riches Knowledge Love Humility Zeal Temperance and Patience and all manner of Grace That the expression is Proverbial is out of Question with the Learned for it is an assertion verified in all Ages and Places That the Rich have many friends and he that hath much shall have more Every one will be giving to them and they have greater advantages of improving themselves than others Upon this occasion were the words first used which our Saviour is pleased to translate and apply to his own purpose of growth in Grace by a diligent use of the means Doct. That a serious attention to the Doctrine of the Gospel is the means appointed for the attaining of saving Grace and a plentiful increase therein In stating this point let me observe to you 1. That in the Communication of Grace as well as Nature God observeth the order of means Because he dealeth with us as reasonable Creatures and this becometh the Wisdom of his Government and so he meeteth with us in our way and we meet with him in his way So Christ is the principal means and called therefore the way to the Father Iohn 14.8 Other Subordinate means are instituted by him 2. That among the Subordinate means the principle is the Word called therefore the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 All the parts of it are fitted to their Sanctifying use His Doctrine to teach and fill us with due Conceptions and Apprehensions of God Threatnings to drive Promises to draw Examples to move and all these formed into a Covenant strongly to ingage us to God 3. This word that it may profit us must be diligently attended unto For this is Christ's Admonition in the Text Take heed what you hear The Gospel deserveth it our profiting requireth it 1 The Gospel deserveth it partly for the sublimity and excellency of the Mysteries therein contained which are enough to ravish the thoughts of Angels 1 Pet. 1.12 Therefore we cannot conceive of them without much consideration Great and Excellent things do even force their way into our Minds Now all other things are but Toys and Trifles to this What is a greater speculation than God made accessible to us in Christ as he was manifested in the Flesh than God reconciled by the propitiatory sacrifice of his Death What is all the Glory of the World to Everlasting Communion with God These things are a feast to the Minds of all wise and rational Men. And partly because of their profit they are things that nearly concern us Needless speculations we may well spare or other Mens matters but surely we should mind their own things What doth more nearly concern us than to have God for our God and Christ for our Saviour and Redeemer and the Spirit for our Sanctifier and Comforter This is life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Iohn 17.3 And partly their Necessity We are undone for ever if ignorant of these things Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved And Condemned by the Gospel if we make light of them Iohn 3.19 This is the Condemnation that light is come into the World and Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Not to think that worthy of a serious thought which was brought about with so much ado Matth. 22.5 And they made light of it This is not only vile ingratitude but obstinate contempt of Grace which will cost us dear 2. Our profiting by the Gospel requireth it for otherwise How can we have a sufficient understanding of those Mysteries if we content our selves with a few cursory and â—areless Thoughts 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things Lay this to thy Heart and God give thee a right use of it or a judgment to do all things which belong to thee 2. That we may feel the force and power of it Acts 16.14 And a certain woman named Lidia a seller of purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul without attendency the Truth is lost and doth us no good There must be Attention and Intention before there can be choice or pursuit For the Gospel doth not work like a charme as if we could find the efficacy of it whither sleeping or waking 3. To move the Soul to Obedience For Take heed what you hear is as much as See you practice what you have heard that you bring forth the fruit accordingly He that heareth my sayings and doth them I will liken him to a wise builder Matth. 7.24 Hearing tendeth to Practice Knowledge to Practice Faith to Practice Affection to Practice without which our Hearing is but a bodily Task our Knowledge but an empty Speculation Faith a dead Opinion Affection but a vanishing Impression These things do not attain their consummate and proper effect 4. This diligent attention consisteth in three things Sound Belief Serious Consideration and close Application Sound Belief 1 Thess. 2.13 For this cause we thank God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Serious Consideration Deut. 32.46 And he said unto them Set your hearts unto all the words which I testiste among you this day which
is and the Nature of it 432 752 952 1102 The Objects of it 432 435 721 753 952 1102 The Acts of the Soul about Faith 953 The Acts of Faith 433 435 436 1103 The Adjuncts and Qualifications of the Assent of Faith 433 Faith is a Consent and what kind of Consent 435 Implicite Faith what 432 Historical Faith what 434 Temporary Faith what 435 The Properties of Faith 437 Faith apprehends all things present it wants in the Creature 895 The Sight of Faith opened 438 476 Vid. Sight How the Sight of Faith influences the Acts and Effects of Faith 439 What a kind of looking Faith is 754 Light of Faith Vid. Light Instances of a strong Faith 459 Vid. Abraham Canaan Centurion How to judg of the Growth of Faith 432 436 The Relation of the Word to Faith Vid. Word Faith and Love inseparable Companions 430 The Respect Faith Hope and Love have one to another 1104 The Necessity of Faith 752 The Incouragement of Faith ibid. Fallen The Disorder and Danger of a fallen State 1159 Christ hath to do with fallen Sinners 783 He recovers them out of their fallen State by calling 784 Far. Many may go far and yet come short of true Grace 284 Men may go far and yet fall away and the Reasons of it 359 Father God is a Father by Creation or Adoption 1134 It is an Advantage to Patience in Afflictions to eye God as a Father 1134 1137 Fear vanquished by Faith 241 458 Arguments to remove Fear of Danger 1099 Fear of God the kinds of it 1070 Why it is required as the Principle of our Actions ibid. Feasts whether lawful 74 Filled Both the Backslider and the good Man seek to be filled 1110 They both take different ways to be filled 1111 Rightly understood every Man is filled from himself 1115 Finished Christ's Words It is finished opened 1149 In what Respect all was finished on the Cross 1150 Why Christ would not give over till all was finished 1153 Following Christ. What it is to follow Christ 388 Wherein we should follow Christ 346 Vid. Example Motives to follow Christ ibid. Fool. Every carnal Man a Fool 910 Forgiving Enemies a Duty 1143 Vid. Revenge Forsake Why God may sometimes forsake his People 1096 God never totally forsakes his People and why 1095 Objections answered ibid. Three kinds of forsaking 1096 Forsaking all when God calls us so to do 333 Reasons why we must so do 334 Directions to this Duty 335 Future State proved 1216 Light of Nature concerning a future State not to be rejected 1221 Thoughts of a future State Support in Afflictions and Death 1220 G GIfts the kinds of them 250 251 252 258 The Freeness of God's Gifts 250 Every one hath some Gift or other 257 Gifts are not given to all in a like measure 259 Reasons of it 260 Gifts are intrusted as well as given 253 Vid. Trust. God to be thanked for all his Gifts 251 Give Why it was necessary that Christ should give himself 157 Duties inferred from Christ giving himself 160 We are to be thankful that Christ gave himself 159 Glory what it is 1225 Godliness what it is 89 What Graces are necessary to Godliness ib. What are the Ordinances about which it is conversant 91 Godliness to be exercised in Worship in Conversation 93 94 95 Godliness and Holiness and Righteousness how they differ 39 89 Our Abode in the present World is the time to exercise Godliness 98 Reasons of it 100 Trial whether we are godly 96 Motives to Godliness ib. Good Then none is good how not to be understood 295 How it is to be understood ibid. Goodness of God's Nature opened and the Properties of it 298 300 The Goodness of his Bounty opened 300 When God is not honoured as the chief Good 36 Good Man what he is 1110 Good Things Who have their good Things in this Life 988 The Misery of those that have their good Things in this Life 990 How shall we know that Men count temporal things their good Things 988 Good Works the Beginning Increase and Accomplishment of them from God 686 Gospel a means of Salvation and how 15 No better way to save Sinners than that revealed in the Gospel 659 The Wisdom of God in the Gospel 658 The excellent Contrivance of the Gospel to be meditated on 656 Preparative Considerations to such Meditation 657 How we are to meditate on this Contrivance of the Gospel 658 Motives to regard the Gospel 17 No Reason to doubt of the Gospel 948 Government God governs the World by the Hopes and Fears of another Life 1171 Grace Whether they that improve common Grace shall have special Grace 1082 Increase of Grace must be acknowledged as well as the Beginning of it 427 Grace of God how many ways taken 2 Grace and Mercy in God how they agree and how they differ ib. Grace the Original of all Blessings 3 Why Grace is the Original of all Blessings 5 Grace doth not exclude Christ and the means of Salvation 4 What and how much of Grace is discovered in the Gospel 11 Grace but darkly discovered before the Gospel 10 What Reason Believers have to praise the Grace of God above other Men or Angels 9 How the Grace of God is wronged 6 Grace teacheth us Holiness 25 Trial whether we are Partakers of the Grace of God 26 H HAbitation God is the Habitation of his People 897 God's People may have no Habitation on this side God 895 God's being our Habitation is of use to us when we want and when we have a Dwelling-place 900 901 How God is our Habitation when we have a House 902 Vid. Dwelling in God Hardness of Heart sinful The terms of it opened what is meant by Heart what by Hardness 498 The Nature and Properties of it ibid. The Kinds of it 501 The Causes of it 503 The Hainousness of the Sin 505 Some Observations about it 507 Trial of a hard Heart 511 Motives to beware of Hardness of Heart 514 Motives to come out of this State ibid. Directions for the Cure of a hard Heart 515 Tendencies of it to be avoided 532 Hardness of Heart judicial How God may be said to harden 501 523 God's Iustice and Righteousness herein vindicated 524 Causes of God's hardning Sinners 527 Sometimes God may harden finally ibid. The Causes of this 528 God may harden his own People for a time 530 The Causes of it ibid. Means to cure it 531 Observations from the History of Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart 520 Hearing the Word an Ordinance of God 21 Objections against Hearing answered ib. Diligent attending to the Word wherein it consists 1078 Why we should take heed what we hear 1077 How they that hear shall have more given them 1080 Heart of the Wicked what it signifies 1059 The Pravity of it 1060 How the Heart of the Wicked is little worth ibid. Reasons of it 1062 Means to get another Heart or a Heart sanctified 1065 What Men may do towards getting their
would not give over till all was finished 1153 Following Christ. What it is to follow Christ 388 Wherein we should follow Christ 346 Vid. Example Motives to follow Christ ibid. Fool. Every carnal Man a Fool 910 Forgiving Enemies a Duty 1143 Vid. Revenge Forsake Why God may sometimes forsake his People 1096 God never totally forsakes his People and why 1095 Objections answered ibid. Three kinds of forsaking 1096 Forsaking all when God calls us so to do 333 Reasons why we must so do 334 Directions to this Duty 335 Future State proved 1216 Light of Nature concerning a future State not to be rejected 1221 Thoughts of a future State Support in Afflictions and Death 1220 G GIfts the kinds of them 250 251 252 258 The Freeness of God's Gifts 250 Every one hath some Gift or other 257 Gifts are not given to all in a like measure 259 Reasons of it 260 Gifts are intrusted as well as given 253 Vid. Trust. God to be thanked for all his Gifts 251 Give Why it was necessary that Christ should give himself 157 Duties inferred from Christ giving himself 160 We are to be thankful that Christ gave himself 159 Glory what it is 1225 Godliness what it is 89 What Graces are necessary to Godliness ib. What are the Ordinances about which it is conversant 91 Godliness to be exercised in Worship in Conversation 93 94 95 Godliness and Holiness and Righteousness how they differ 39 89 Our Abode in the present World is the time to exercise Godliness 98 Reasons of it 100 Trial whether we are godly 96 Motives to Godliness ib. Good Then none is good how not to be understood 295 How it is to be understood ibid. Goodness of God's Nature opened and the Properties of it 298 300 The Goodness of his Bounty opened 300 When God is not honoured as the chief Good 36 Good Man what he is 1110 Good Things Who have their good Things in this Life 988 The Misery of those that have their good Things in this Life 990 How shall we know that Men count temporal things their good Things 988 Good Works the Beginning Increase and Accomplishment of them from God 686 Gospel a means of Salvation and how 15 No better way to save Sinners than that revealed in the Gospel 659 The Wisdom of God in the Gospel 658 The excellent Contrivance of the Gospel to be meditated on 656 Preparative Considerations to such Meditation 657 How we are to meditate on this Contrivance of the Gospel 658 Motives to regard the Gospel 17 No Reason to doubt of the Gospel 948 Government God governs the World by the Hopes and Fears of another Life 1171 Grace Whether they that improve common Grace shall have special Grace 1082 Increase of Grace must be acknowledged as well as the Beginning of it 427 Grace of God how many ways taken 2 Grace and Mercy in God how they agree and how they differ ib. Grace the Original of all Blessings 3 Why Grace is the Original of all Blessings 5 Grace doth not exclude Christ and the means of Salvation 4 What and how much of Grace is discovered in the Gospel 11 Grace but darkly discovered before the Gospel 10 What Reason Believers have to praise the Grace of God above other Men or Angels 9 How the Grace of God is wronged 6 Grace teacheth us Holiness 25 Trial whether we are Partakers of the Grace of God 26 H HAbitation God is the Habitation of his People 897 God's People may have no Habitation on this side God 895 God's being our Habitation is of use to us when we want and when we have a Dwelling-place 900 901 How God is our Habitation when we have a House 902 Vid. Dwelling in God Hardness of Heart sinful The terms of it opened what is meant by Heart what by Hardness 498 The Nature and Properties of it ibid. The Kinds of it 501 The Causes of it 503 The Hainousness of the Sin 505 Some Observations about it 507 Trial of a hard Heart 511 Motives to beware of Hardness of Heart 514 Motives to come out of this State ibid. Directions for the Cure of a hard Heart 515 Tendencies of it to be avoided 532 Hardness of Heart judicial How God may be said to harden 501 523 God's Iustice and Righteousness herein vindicated 524 Causes of God's hardning Sinners 527 Sometimes God may harden finally ibid. The Causes of this 528 God may harden his own People for a time 530 The Causes of it ibid. Means to cure it 531 Observations from the History of Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart 520 Hearing the Word an Ordinance of God 21 Objections against Hearing answered ib. Diligent attending to the Word wherein it consists 1078 Why we should take heed what we hear 1077 How they that hear shall have more given them 1080 Heart of the Wicked what it signifies 1059 The Pravity of it 1060 How the Heart of the Wicked is little worth ibid. Reasons of it 1062 Means to get another Heart or a Heart sanctified 1065 What Men may do towards getting their Heart sanctified 1064 Motives to get the Heart sanctified ibid. Heaven In Heaven the removal of all Evil of Sin and Affliction 116 117 And the confluence of all Good 118 The Happiness of the Body in Heaven 119 The Happiness of the Soul in Heaven 120 The Company of Heaven 122 Whether the Knowledg or Love of God in Heaven is to be preferred 120 Inferences from the Happiness of Heaven 123 His. In what sense God's People are his 1028 Holiness with respect to our Relation to God what it is 740 Positive Holiness of our Persons and Actions what 741 Gospel Holiness how prophesied of in the Old Testament 738 Why we should be more eminent in Holiness in Gospel-Times than in Times of the Law 742 Exhortation to Holiness 718 Directions to Holiness 744 Holiness of Christ as to his Person and Office 712 Honour what it is 1226 Hope Act what it implies 972 Vid. Expectation Looking The Object of it 1104 The Properties of it ibid. The Necessity of it 1222 The Encouragements of it 1223 Hope the Fruit of Regeneration and of Experience 723 Hope Object Hope set before us what it is and why so called 231 What it is to run to take hold of the Hope set before us ibid. The Hope of a Christian a blessed Hope 116 Vid. Blessedness Humane Nature of Christ. Why Christ must be Man 1084 Vid. Incarnation Christ partaking of the humane Nature a Foundation for Faith 1086 Humiliation of Christ three Steps of it 862 How far Christ was lessened or humbled 861 Christ's Humiliation was voluntary 863 Christ's Humiliation was for our sakes ibid. The Ends and Reasons of Christ's Humiliation 864 1091 I IGnorance several Distinctions about it 1147 1148 All Ignorance not sinful 857 How far it excuseth from Sin 1147 The Evil and Danger of Ignorance 33 Immortality what it is 1226 A threefold Immortality 1163 The Immortality of the Soul Vid. Soul Motives to
Ye worship ye know not what so generally do People worship they know not what Ask them what God is and whom they worship they cannot tell they are carried on by Custom and dark and blind Superstition and they mutter over their Prayers to an unknown Power such blind and wild Conceits have they of the Nature of God till they see him by the Light of his own Spirit This Ignorance is sad because it is a sign of no Grace and it is a pledg of future Judgment In these days of Gospel-Light it is a sign of no Grace Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. God hath no Child so little but he knows his Father In the days of the Gospel now it is so clearly preached it is required of the meanest sort as well as those that have the advantages of better Education And it is a Pledg of future Judgment 2 Thess. 1.8 Christ will come in flaming Fire to render Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel We have low Thoughts of the Guilt of Ignorance and think God will not be severe against such many ignorant Creatures are harmless and do no wrong but to live and die in Ignorance is a matter of sad Consequence There is Vengeance for Pagans that know not God by showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons and indeed they principally are intended Divide Men into two sorts those that have only the Light of Nature Sense and Reason to guide them and those that have the Light of the Gospel there is Vengeance for Pagans that have no other Apostles sent to them but those natural Apostles of Sun Moon and Stars They had Light shining to them in God's Works and they had Sense and Reason Eyes to see the Light and so they were bound to know the first Cause and might see God working and guiding all things in the World but there is much more Vengeance for Christians for those that have God's Word the Light of Faith and yet shut their Eyes against the Light Usually come and talk with Men they will acknowledg they are poor ignorant Creatures and God that made them will save them tho the Scripture speaks quite contrary Isa. 27.11 This is a People of no Vnderstanding therefore he that made them will not have Mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no Favour God is exceeding angry when all Advantages of Light are lost A Pagan is ignorant of God but you are worse being unteachable He that hath only Sun and Moon to teach him shall be damned for his Ignorance of God but if you do not profit by the Light of the Gospel to conceive more worthily of the Nature and Glory of God your Judgment will be greater 2. We do not honour God as the First Cause when we do not depend upon him that is Ungodliness Trust and Dependance is the ground of all Commerce between us and God and it is the greatest Homage and Respect which we yield to the Creator and First Cause Now when Men can trust any visible Creature rather than God their Estates rather than God they rob him of his peculiar Honour That there is such a Sin as trusting in the Creature excluding God is clear from Job 31.24 If I have made Gold my Hope or have said to the fine Gold Thou art my Confidence Iob to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy reckons up the usual Sins of a Hypocrite among the rest this is one to make Gold his Confidence Men are apt to think it the Staff of their Lives and Stay of their Posterity and Ground of their Welfare and Happiness and so their Hearts are diverted from God and their Trust is intercepted It is a usual Sin tho little thought of for Men to intrench themselves within a great Estate and then think they are safe and secure against all the Changes and Chances of the present Life and so God is laid aside Let God offer to intrench us within the Promises and leave his Name in pawn with us yet we are full of Fears and Doubts Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe But ver 11. The rich Man's Wealth is his strong City and as an high Wall in his own Conceit Such as think themselves safe in a great Estate do not acknowledg God as the First Cause which gives Being and sustains all things and therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry Col. 3.5 and a covetous Man is called an Idolater Ephes. 5.5 not so much because of his Love of Money as because of his Trust in it The Glutton counteth his Belly his God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their Belly he mindeth the Gratifications of his Appetite yet he doth not trust in his Belly-Chear he thinks not to be protected by it therefore he is not called an Idolater as the covetous who robbeth God of his Trust. We are all apt to make an Idol of the Creature and poor Men think if they had Wealth this were enough to make them happy they trust in those that have it which is Idolatry upon Idolatry Therefore it is said Psal. 62.9 Surely Men of low degree are Vanity and Men of high degree are a Lie To appearance Men of low degree are nothing and Men of high degree are a Lie because we are apt to trust in them But chiefly it is incident to the Rich they that have Riches are apt to trust in Riches Mark 10.23 How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God! compared with ver 24. Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Now this is a secret Sin A Man doth not think that he makes Money his Idol if he he doth not pray or offer Sacrifices to it or give it some perceivable Worship and tho he use it as familiarly as any thing in a House But this Idolatry lies within tho a Man doth not entertain his Gold with Ceremony yet there is his Trust and Confidence that he shall be safe and do well because he hath such an Estate which he depends upon and not upon God We smile at the Vanity of the Heathens that worshipped Stocks and Stones and Idols of Gold and Silver and we do worse but more Spiritually when our Trust is terminated in the Creature Though we do not say to Gold Thou art my Confidence or you shall deliver me or I will put my Trust in you or use any such gross Language yet this is the Interpretation of our Carriage A covetous Man may speak as basely of Wealth as another he may say I know Gold is but refined Earth but his Heart resteth on it as his only refuge and stay and he thinks he and his Children cannot be happy without it which is a great Sin it sets up another God chains the Heart to the World and
3.33 He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true It is a great Dishonour to God not to receive God's Testimony you put the Lie upon him and so make him to be no God You would not do so to your Equals A Lie is the greatest Reproach it rendreth a Man unfit for Society and Commerce It is a fearful thing to make the God of Truth a Father of Lies When God hath given his Word and Oath and Seals all this while shall he not be believed God never gave us cause to distrust him he never failed in one Promise all that have had to do with him have found him a faithful God Nebuchadnezzar doth him this Honour and Right after he had tasted of the Whip and was again restored to the Use of Reason Dan. 4.37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven all whose Works are Truth not only Justice but Truth not only as I deserved but as he foretold It is a Shame that you have made no Observations upon Providence that you may give it under Hand and Seal that God is true and faithful God expecteth such a Testimony from his People all that have long had to do with him have found him a true God both in a way of Justice and Mercy that he ever stood to his Word God cannot lie Tit. 1.2 In Hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began God can do all things that argue Power and Perfection of Nature but he cannot lie for that argueth Weakness and Impotency 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself he should then cease to be God He is Truth it self the primitive and supream Truth the Original Author of all Truth If he should not be true who should be so But is any so impudent as to put the Lie upon God I answer Yes 1 Iohn 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son We accuse him not only of a Lie but of Perjury 1. By our Carelesness and the little Regard we have to those great and precious Promises that he has given us Great things are offered and you look upon them as Notions and Fancies It was otherwise with the Patriarchs of old Heb. 11.13 All these died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar of and were perswaded of them and imbraced them We cast off the Tenders of Grace as Matters of which we never made any great Account We grasp after the World and let Heaven go when we mind it not we believe it not A Man toileth hard all Day for a small Piece of Silver do we seek Heaven with a like Earnestness How many Adventures do Merchants run when the Gain is uncertain but we are not uncertain of our Reward 1 Cor. 15.58 Forasmuch as ye know that your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Did we more stedfastly believe this we should not be so cold in Duties and so bold in Sinning 2. By our Despondencies in all cross Providences We have a sure Word and why are we up and down and so full of Distractions and Unquietness of Soul Iames 1.8 A double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways unsetled in all his Thoughts uneven in all his Ways raised up and cast down with contrary Hopes and Fears off and on as worldly things ebb and flow We shall never want Discouragements if we live upon Sense but if we could live upon the Promises we should not be at such a Loss The Fruit of Faith in the Promises is strong Consolation too strong to be overcome by Sin Death or Hell A Believer is content with the Promises though all the World say No 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen Yea to our Hopes Amen to our Desires Whatever Changes happen the Promises are the same upon Desire of such a thing Amen saith the Promise upon Hope of such a thing Yea saith the Promise In difficult Cases you ask of the Creatures they say No but the Promise saith Yea. 3. When we will venture nothing on the Promises Christ told the young Man of Treasure in Heaven and he went away sad he doth not like such a Bargain Luke 18.22 23. Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come follow me And when he had heard this he was very sorrowful for he was very rich Thus God dealeth with us Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the Poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Eccles. 11.1 Cast thy Bread upon the Waters for thou shalt find it after many Days But the Words and Engagements of Men that deceive and are deceived are esteemed above them We would trust a Man of Sufficiency upon his Bond with Hundreds and Thousands if we have his Hand and Seal to shew for it but we refuse God's Assurance Who is careful to provide Bags that wax not old and to draw over his Estate into the other World Luke 12.33 Sell that ye have and give Alms provide your selves Bags that wax not old a Treasure in the Heavens that faileth not where no Thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth What Adventures do you make upon God's Bond or Bill Do you account no Estate so sure as that which is adventured in Christ's Hands Can we believe the Promises and part with nothing for them with neither our Lusts nor our Interests 4. When temporal things work far more than eternal things visible things than invisible If we had such Promises from Men we would be more chearful If a Beggar did hear of a great Inheritance fallen to him he would often think of it rejoice in it long to go see it We have a Promise of eternal Life who thinks of it or puts in for a Share of it We are contented with any slight Assurance in matters of such Weight Men love great Earnest and great Assurance in temporal Affairs but any slight Hope serves the turn in spiritual Affairs Why do we so little rejoice in it If the Reversion of an earthly Estate be passed over to us how are we contented with such a Conveyance but God hath made over Pardon and Grace and we are not satisfied 5. Our Confidence bewrayeth it The pretended Strength of our Faith about Christ and Hopes of Glory sheweth the Weakness of it and that it is but a slight overly Apprehension Most Men will pretend to be able to trust God for Pardon of Sin and Heaven and yet cannot trust God for daily Bread they find it difficult to believe in Temporals and yet very easy in Spirituals and Eternals What should be the Reason Heaven and things to come are greater Mercies the way of bringing them about more difficult if Conscience
1 Cor. 7.30 And they that weep as tho they wept not and they that rejoice as tho they rejoiced not and they that buy as tho they possessed not 2 Cor. 6.7 By the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right-hand and on the left by Honour and Dishonour by evil Report and good Report Phil. 4.12 I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need A Man must learn both Lessons or he learneth neither The Prevalency of any Earthly Love will always expose us to Disquiets and we should have more in God if we looked for less in the Creature but whilst we dote upon these things we are more sollicitous about getting or keeping and troubled at the want or loss of them 3. The great care is in the Text about the exercise of Faith on God and Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me Sense is the cause of Trouble Faith of Comfort Christ who is the true Physician of Souls knoweth what Cure is proper to the Disease Mountebanks would prescribe another Cure spare the Flesh or feed Men with carnal Hopes No ye believe in God believe also in me Tho God should not prevent the Evil feared or remove the Affliction yet if we can believe we are well enough Faith represents more Grounds of Comfort than Sense can of Trouble whilst it carrieth off the Heart from things seen to things unseen from things present to things future from the Creature to God who can give better things than the World can give or take from us Here are two Objects of Faith God and Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him One supream God from whom we derive all our Graces and to whom we direct all our Services and one Mediator by whom as a golden Pipe all our Mercies are conveyed to us and by whom also we have access to God for all that we stand in need of 4. Let us labour to keep our Consciences pure if we would not have our Hearts troubled Sin will bring on Trouble both inward and outward for it is the cause of Sufferings and it maketh them more grievous as we shall always walk in Pain till the Thorn be pulled out of our Foot Righteousness bringeth Peace and the Oil of Grace maketh way for the Oil of Gladness the Apostle bringeth this out of Melchisedec's Name and Title Heb. 7.2 First being by Interpretation King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace Elsewhere the Scripture doth attest it Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God And 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World David interposeth a Caution Psal. 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly 5. There are certain Ordinances appointed to fortify us against Soul-trouble The Word Psal. 119.50 This is my Comfort in mine Affliction for thy Word hath quickened me There are the fixed Grounds of that Hope and Comfort which will support and enliven us in the greatest Pressures God's Covenant and promised Mercies are Portion enough what Distresses soever he sendeth So Prayer if it be ingenuous thankful Prayer Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known unto God The Lord's-Supper it is our Viaticum non morientium not when we come to die Papists think so and therefore thrust the Sacrament into the Mouths of those that die if this be neglected they almost despair of their Salvation But it is Viaticum viventium of those that live Death is not a Journey but the end of a Journey a Passage in a Moment a Cessation from our Journey in this World which needeth no Viaticum a going out of the World like the putting out of a Lamp in a moment as the Lamp needeth no more Oil when it is to be extinguished We need this for our Journey in the World not our departure out of the World Acts 8.39 He went on his way rejoicing As it is our Antidote against the Corruption that is in the World through Lust so it is our Cordial against the Troubles of the World to give us more Joy of Faith more sense of God's Love It is the Feast provided for the refreshing of the weary and cherishing of the mournful Soul SERMON II. JOHN XIV 1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Doct. II. ONE great Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble is believing in God and Christ. To evidence this I shall consider I. The Act. II. The Object which is double 1. One part taken for granted Ye believe in God 2. The other part of the Object they were now invited and recommended unto Believe also in me I. For the Act. Faith in the general hath a comforting Property and a Power to allay Trouble As here the Disciples being in Trouble are exhorted by Christ to believe that is to renew their Faith David felt a blustering in his Spirit and how doth he allay the Storms Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God There is no such ready way to still unquiet Thoughts as to set Faith on work and to cast Anchor within the Vail hoping for and expecting Relief from God So the Primitive Christians when they were under great Heaviness in divers Trials how did they get any Comfort to keep themselves alive 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory A lively Exercise of Faith will bring in much Joy to the Soul in hard Times and under sore Trials and not only keep it alive as Habak 2.4 The Iust shall live by Faith or make a Believer not barely to subsist but he fareth high and liveth at a wonderful rate of Comfort such as is for nature and kind tho not degree somewhat like the Joy of the Blessed Look into the Book of God and you shall find that all our Fears and Troubles are for want of Faith As for Instance Peter when he walked to Christ upon the Waters his Feet never sunk till his Faith failed Mat. 14.31 O thou of little Faith wherefore didst thou doubt The Wind was boisterous but there was Christ at hand He looketh at the Wind too much
Diseases he ascended up into a Mountain or retired into a Ship and leaves the Multitude and when they would have crowned him King he refused it all these were Arguments and Instances of his Humility Hear and wonder at what you read Iohn 13.3 Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God A magnificent Preface Now one would have thought that some rare act of Empire Soveraignty and Domination should have followed No Verse 4.5 He riseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a towel and girded himself After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded The Disciples did not wash the feet of their Lord but the Lord washed the Disciples feet and what was the meaning of this see Verse 15. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you 3. In Love to the Saints Iohn 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Iohn 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you Oh how express are these Injunctions There is nothing in which Christ was more Eminent than in his Love no rancour of Spirit no boyling up of Envy but all Love The Apostle propounds it to Husbands Eph. 2.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church Now how did Christ love his Church with a great Love so as to dye for his Church The Love of Christ was sincere not for By ends he loved Saints as Saints because of his Interest in them So should we love those in whom we see most of the Image of God It was not a blaze but a constant abiding Love whom he loves he loves unto the end so must we love the Saints It is true Jesus loved some above others Iohn was the beloved Disciple John 21.20 There was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Flower of the Disciples whom he loved most but he loved them all We should Love not in Word but in Deed and in Truth Oh be filled with Love to God and Love to the Saints who have his Image stamped upon them You that are Believers have cause to love one another have we not all the same Father Are we not Children begotten of the same Holy Seed the Word Do we not all suck at the same Breasts of the Promises Do we not all sit at the same Table at the Lords Supper Are we not all cloathed with the same Robe of Christ's Righteousness and do we not all expect the same Glory 4. In his Vsefulness and Profitableness And of this the whole Gospel is a Narrative and History Therefore when the Apostle would summ up the Life of Christ he tells us this Acts 10.38 He went about doing good giving Eyes to the Blind Feet to the Lame Speech to the Dumb healing every sickness and every Disease among the people Matth. 9.35 full of Compassion to the Souls of Men. Jesus Christ was nothing else but Charity covered over with Flesh and Blood he was always either giving of Blessings or forgiving of Sins All his Miracles were not actions of Pomp but of Relief and Succour unless it were blasting the Fig. tree and sending the Herd of Swine into the Sea and the Figg-tree was Barren and the Swine was of little use in the Jewish Countries All the Miracles of Christ were salutary and healing We never read he destroyed one Man by Miracle but saved many Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Oh that we could learn this none is born for himself but for the Community and it is better to give than to receive 5. In his Piety towards God If you consider the History of Christ you will find him much in Acts of Devotion he was Frequent and Fervent and Reverent in Prayer Frequent Mark 1.35 And in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Luke 6.12 He went out into a Mountain to pray and continued all night in Prayer to God Alas we are weary in our ordinary stinted Offices of the day how soon do we grow weary of calling upon God! but Christ spends whole Nights in Prayer He was Fervent Luke 22.44 And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And he was Reverent when he was in the Garden he kneeled down and prayed Luke 22.41 And he fell on his face and prayed Mat. 26.39 He was a most diligent Observer of the Sabbath Luke 4.16 As his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day he was diligent in frequenting the Publick Assemblies Oh how doth this confute those that out of height of Spirit and a proud Conceit of themselves are above Ordinances and say they were appointed only for Christians of the lower form He praised God for mean and course fare when he had but five Barley Loaves and two Fishes He took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the Disciples John 6.11 Alas when our Tables are full furnished we have scarce any serious Thoughts of God that giveth us richly all things to enjoy 6. In his Spirituality and Heavenly-mindedness Christ came from Heaven and he lived in Heaven all the while he was upon the Earth When he was at the Well of Samaria conferring with the Woman there he discourseth of the Well that springs up to Everlasting Life Iohn 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life He drew her from a Discourse of ordinary water to a Discourse of the Water of Life When he was at Supper at the Pharisee's House he discourseth of eating Bread in God's Kingdom Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God When he had wrought the Miracle of the Loaves he discourseth of the Bread of Life and the Mannah that came down from Heaven Iohn 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you When he was at the Feast of Tabernacles where they were wont to pour out water and so to make a Pool near the Temple he discourseth of Rivers of water and of the flowings of the Spirit Iohn 7.38.39 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive A rare Pattern for us to follow We should labour as to see all things in God so to see God in all things and to be heavenly minded
waited for the Promise Our Respect to the Word is made up of a mixture of Obedience and Dependance there must be a Consent to both and we must resolve for the Holy and Heavenly Life Faith is an Act of the Will as well as of the Understanding Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them Besides being perswaded there is embracing The promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 And they are exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 In one place you have both 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the World to save Sinners Therefore embrace them you must with all your Hearts and submit to this way of Covenanting with God 4. Your Judgments must highly esteem these Promises and your Hearts find full Contentment and Satisfaction in them We read often of receiving the Word with Joy and the confidence and rejoycing of Hope Heb. 3.6 Usually the Word of God hath too cold and slight Entertainment in our Affections and we do not value those precious Promises as we ought to do they should be dearer to us than our Lives and give us more Satisfaction than all the Enjoyments of the World Psal. 119.111 I have taken thy Testimonies as an heritage for ever they are the rejoycing of my Soul they do you good to your very Heart and the more you are acquainted with them the more you will see the worth of them Luke 6.23 Rejoyce and leap for joy for great is your reward in Heaven And of the Eunuch when he had sealed Covenant with God Acts 8.39 It is said he went his way rejoycing Faith cannot do its Office that it begets an Holy Gratitude to God to draw us off from the Allurements of Sense and fortifie us against Adversities and Troubles and engage us to the Duties of Christianity which are distrustful to Flesh and Blood unless it did fill our Hearts with an higher and better Joy than the World yieldeth Surely 't is Comfortable to be pardoned and reconciled to God to be in the Way and under the Hopes of Eternal Life Thirdly The Effects which these Acts produce These may be stated by the several Uses for which the Word of God serveth 1. T is the Seed of a New Life 2. The Constant Rule of all our Actions 3. The sure Charter of our Hopes 4. Our Strength and Preservation against all Temptations from the Devil the World and the Flesh. 5. Our Comfort and Cordial in all Afflictions 1. 'T is the Seed of a New Life 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever And Iames 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures And also 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature When we so believe the Pardon and Grace and Blessedness offered that our Hearts are changed into the Life and Likeness of God for the Truth is not rightly owned and believed till this Change be wrought both in Heart and Life then we are cast into the Mould of this Doctrine Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine that was delivered to you Gospel Truths serve not for Speculation or meer Talk and Discourse but for Sanctification and therefore if this Seed be sown and engrafted in your Hearts and you begin to live to God an Holy and Heavenly Life you have the surest Evidence of your Faith for Causes are made sensible to us by their Effects 'T is usually brought as a proof of the Word the Sanctifying Vertue of it so 't is of the Sincerity of your Faith for the Word profiteth not unless it be mingled with Faith and since both Faith and the Word concurr to this Effect it may be ascribed to either Surely therefore if we believe the Word of God and value it as we ought it doth leave the Impression of God's Image upon us for it is the fairest Draught and Representation of God that ever was in the Law and Life of Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 If our Souls and Lives be a Transcript of the Word this Image is thence deduced to us by the Spirit and of necessity it must be so for Christs comforting Promises of Mercy and Glory are made to these New Creatures who live the Holy and Heavenly Life They have God's mark and Signature upon them and therefore are said to be sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 2.30 and Eph. 1.3 This Renovation of the Soul is the Seal of God the Pledge of his Love and the Earnest of the heavenly Inheritance 2. The Constant Rule of all our Actions There is a fixed determined Rule from whence we cannot swerve and vary without Sin and if we would have Communion with God here or enjoy him hereafter We must keep close to this Rule Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God This Rule that is the Word of God which directeth us as to our General Path and Way and all our steps or particular Actions Psal. 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths We must hide the Word in our Hearts Psal. 119.110 Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee We must consult with it upon all occasions as willing to understand our Duty Psal. 119.24 Thy Testiminies also are my delight and my Counsellors And because we may mistake thrô Error of Mind or be tempted aside thro' aversion of Heart and manifold Temptations Therefore we must earnestly beg it of God Psal. 119.133 Order my steps in thy VVord and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me And we must use all study our selves Rom. 12.2 and constant watchfulness Eph. 5.15 See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Now that which I say is this When the Word ruleth the main Course of our Lives and teacheth us how to live in the World soberly righteously and godly the tenderness of the Word and high respect to it that we dare not transgress it whatever Temptations we have so to do sheweth that Faith hath obtained its effect in us For trembling at the Word fearing of a Commandment and whatever of that kind is spoken of in the Scripture they are all Fruits of Faith 3. 'T is the Charter of our Hopes Iohn 20.31 These things are written that ye might have life through his Name 1 Iohn 5.11 This is the Record that God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Son Now the Work of Faith
have sealed it and made it sure So the Jaylor Acts 16.34 He rejoyced believing in God with all his house He was but newly Converted and recovered out of the Suburbs of Hell ready to kill himself just before so that a Man would have thought you might as easily fetch Water out of a Flint or a spark of Fire out of the bottom of the Sea yet he rejoyced when he was acquainted with Christ so that you see none reflect seriously on the Gospel but they find cause of Joy We cannot consider and believe the great things which Christ hath done and purchased for us with some hope of the enjoyment of them without Joy Secondly The Reasons of this Joy These must be considered with respect to the Object the Subject the Causes 1. The Excellency of the Object which is Jesus Christ and the incomparable Treasure of his Grace 1. He is excellent in Himself as being the Eternal Son of God Now when he will come down not only to visit but redeem a sinful World this should be matter of Joy to us He came down was not thrust down he came as the Pledge and Instance of the Father's Love Iohn 3.16 God so loved the VVorld that he gave his only begotten Son To make Divine Nature more Amiable that we might not fly from him as a condemning God but return to him as a pardoning God and willing to be reconciled to sinful Man 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their trespasses to them And in our Nature dyed for us Revel 1.5 Who hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own blood Christ would shew us a Love that passeth Knowledge and would surprize Men and Angels with an heap of Wonders in the whole business of our Deliverance from Sin and Misery And surely we bring down the price of these Wonders of Love if we entertain them with cold Thoughts and without some considerable Acts of Joy and Thankfulness 2. He is also Necessary for us Rom. 3.19 And all the World may become guilty before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject to the Judgment of God or obnoxious to his Wrath and Vengeance What could we have done without his Passion and Intercession If he had not dyed for Sinners what had we to answer to the Terrors of the Law or Accusations of Conscience or to appease the fears of Hell and approaching Damnation How could you look God in the Face or think a comfortable Thought of him or call upon his Name or pray to him in your Necessities In good sadness what could you do Would you bewail Sins past but what Recompence or Ransom for your Souls was there If you had wept your Eyes out it would not have been accepted without a Redeemer or some Satisfaction to Divine Justice Micah 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousand of rivers of Oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul Would you commit Sin no more or serve God for the future exactly If that had been possible with a sinning Nature yet payment of new Debts doth not quit old Scores or paying what we owe doth not make amends for what is stolen you might have lain in your Blood We could not find out a Ransom which God would accept Psal. 49.7 8. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him for the redemption of their Soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever No it is the Lord's Mercy to find out a ransom for us Iob 33.24 Then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the Pit I have found a ransom 3. He is so beneficial to us We have cause to rejoyce if we consider the many Benefits we have by him 1 Cor. 1.30 31. But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption That according as it is written he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord. Ignorance alienates from God Depraved Nature brings Doubts and Fears which always haunts us about Eternity and the way thither Now when God hath provided such a suitable and alsufficient Remedy should we not rejoyce and esteem him and delight in him and count all things but Dung and Dross in comparison of him that we may gain him and his Grace 2. The Subject 1. They are affected with their Misery for according as our sense of our Misery is so is our Entertainment of the Remedy Those that heal their Wounds slightly little care for the Physician A Doctrinal sight of Sin maketh way for a dead Opinion about Christ. It is they that are often in tears and groans thrô the feeling of Sin and fears of the Wrath of God who do most esteem Christ and rejoyce in him Matth. 9.13 I am not come to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Acts 2.37 And when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do A Saviour is welcome to them for he is to them a comfortable and suitable Remedy 2. They mind their End which is to return to God as their proper Happiness When the Soul seeth nothing better than God then nothing is sweeter than Christ Intention of the End maketh the Means acceptable Iohn 14.6 Iesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me Heb. 7.25 VVherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Christ is of no use but where God is our chiefest Good for if we be indifferent as to the Favour of God why should we prize Christ 3. Their Heart is suited to Spiritual things To excite Delight and Complacency there are two things necessary The attractiveness of the Object and the Inclination of the Faculty Delight and Pleasure is Applicatio convenientis convenienti If the Object be never so lovely yet if the Faculty be not suited there is no delight We use to say One Man's Food is another Man's Poyson Rom. 8.5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Every Man's taste is according to his Constitution some are so lost and sunk in the dregs of Pleasures Honours and Profits that they have no relish for better things Tho' Christ be so excellent and so suitable and so Alsufficient to Soul-necessities yet Carnal Men cannot â—avour him This Excellency is only valued by a Spiritual Mind Scarlet maketh no more shew in the dark than a
former Prophets There are so many Degrees mentioned first they grow slight and careless and do not care to hear what you say then they refuse to obey what they have heard then they grow Sermon-Proof they can hear and have no Benefit by it As long as the Word doth any way affect a Sinner there is some Hope but within a while Conscience smiteth not and Men have gotten the Victory over their Fears and Scruples And thus they go on from natural to voluntary and from voluntary to judicial Hardness of Heart and so are a ready Prey for the Devil 8. Dilatory Excuses are the last Refuge of an hard Heart When they can no longer withstand a Conviction they adjourn and put off the Compliance with God's Will and so elude the Importunity of the present Conviction Felix his Heart boggled Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled and said Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient Season I will call for thee Mind the present Season when God is affording Opportunities of getting Grace Heb. 3.7 8. To Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal. 119.60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Zacheus Luke 19.6 he made haste and came down and received him joyfully Peter and Andrew Mark 4.20 They straitway left their Nets and followed him Paul Gal. 1.16 Immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood If God hath given you any Will and Inclination for the present it is an Advantage Sin the longer it continueth the stronger it groweth He that doth not go over at the Fountain-head will not be able to go over when the Stream groweth broader and the farther he goes downward the broader still he findeth it Every Day 's Impenitency bringeth on a new Degree of Hardness Would a Man that is to drink that which to his knowledg is poisoned put the more into his Cup and then take it off out of a Presumption that at length he shall find an Antidote Alas thou may'st be poisoned and dead before the Antidote comes SERMON III. MARK III. 5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts Vse 1. OF Trial. Is this our State Take the two Properties to judg by Insensibleness and Inflexibleness First A hard Heart is insensible insensible of Providences of the Word and of the State of the Soul 1 st Insensible of Providences 1. Of Mercies Either of the Author of Mercies they never look up to the God of their Mercies Hosea 2.8 She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold As Swine that feed upon the Acorns but never look up to the Tree from whence they fall Cant. 4.1 Behold thou arâ— fair my Love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves Eyes As Doves peck and look uâ—ward It is a sign of a tender Heart to see God in every Mercy A drowsy and unattentive Soul never heedeth it is wholly swallowed up in present Enjoyments and looketh no farther It is our Privilege above the Beasts to know the fâ—rst Cause other Creatures live upon God but they are not capable of knowing God they glorify God in their Kind but we may know him Idolatry and Sottishness had never crept into the World if Men had owned the first Cause Or of the End of Mercies which is to draw in our Hearts to God therefore they are called Cords of a Man Hosea 11.4 I drew them with Cords of a Man with Bâ—â—ds of Love Esther 6.3 What Honour and Dignity hath been done to Mordecaâ— for 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 7.2 Thâ—â— the King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an House of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains When the Heart is urging to Duty upon this score God hath been good to me he hath given me Food and Raimâ—â—â— What have I done for God Now the Heart is hard when we are not sensible of his daily Providence and gracious Supplies in this kind 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the Hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy Bosom and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight David had lost his Awe of God because he had not a thankful sense of the Mercies of God 2. Of corrective Providences The Body is a tender Part with wicked Men when they are straitned for bodily Conveniences they will complain yet the hard Heart is still insensible of Judgments They are insensible of the Author or discerning Cause they do not look upward nor inward and though doctrinally right in these things yet they do not seriously consider it and recal it to mind Opinion is one thing and Consideration is another wicked Men may take up good Opinions but they do not consider the Force and Consequence of them 1. They do not see the Hand of God in them Isa. 26.11 Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see They look on these things but as a Chance 1 Sam. 6.9 And see if it goeth up by the way of his own Coast to Bethshemesh then he hath done us this great Evil but if not then we shall know that it was not his Hand that smote us it was a Chance that happened to us If Men own God's Hand they should take up the Matter with him but they own it doctrinally though not practically A Godly Man hath explicite Thoughts of God Iob doth not say the Sabeans and the Chaldeâ—â—s but the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 They do not complain when they are crossed of Chance but the Lord is angry and when they are stricken they consult with him and humble themselves before him Wicked Men are sensible of the smart of the Rod but not of the Hand that holds it 2. They do not see the deserving Cause of them which is Sin Lam. 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living Man complain a Man for the punishment of his Sins Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. If Sickness cometh if a Relation be taken away if an Estate be blasted a waking Conscience looks to the Cause they would see the Mind of God in the Rod. When Israel fell before the Men of Ai Ioshua looketh out for the Troubler so do God's Children 2 dly Insensible of the Power of the Word they have no taste no feeling of the Powers of the World to come Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces There is a breaking and a melting Power in the Word
Power but also with his Goodness and Mercy and therefore it must needs succeed ill with us Before God breaketh out with Fury he treateth with us in a mild condescending way he beseecheth his own Creature Jer. 13.15 16. Hear ye and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken give Glory to God before he cause Darkness and before your Feet stumble upon the dark Mountains and while ye look for Light he turn it into the Shadow of Death and make it gross Darkness 2. An hard Heart makes us Rebels to God and Slaves to every thing else for we are wedded to some inferiour thing we are our own Pharaohs and will not let our selves go 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God 3. It is in it self the sorest of all Judgments 4. It never goes alone but brings other Judgments along with it 5. It is the great hindrance of the Spiritual Life See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 505 506 507. 2 dly From the Parties whom it may befal not only the open Wicked but in some measure God's own Children for God may harden two ways as a Judg and as a Father by way of Punishment and by way of Correction By way of Punishment again two ways totally and finally Some are totally hardned and have nothing of a soft Heart in them and yet not finally the dreadful Sentence of Obduration is not yet past upon them as it may be upon others and that during Life when God leaveth them to their own Hearts Counsels without any Check or Restraint of Providence or Purpose to reclaim them These three Kinds I must then speak of God's hardning the Wicked in general his final hardning and his hardning in part his own Children SERMON II. EXOD. IV. 21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go First OF God's hardning wicked Men in general as a Judg. The Causes of it are 1. Ignorance for Light and Love make the Heart tender Light is that which we are now to take notice of Light begets Tenderness as it discerneth Sin and maketh us sensible of it especially the lively Light of the Spirit Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died Sense of Guilt and Punishment soon flashed in his Face as in a Dungeon the Worms crawl as soon as Light is brought in Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Instruction breedeth Remorse and awakneth Men out of their stupid Security but while Men continue in their Ignorance they are stupid and sensless Now thus Men may be for a long time and yet afterwards God may make the Scales fall 〈◊〉 from their Eyes and open their Eyes and turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 However affected and vincible Ignorance when Men are willingly ignorant and err in their Hearts that is when Men have powerful and enlightning Motives and yet remain ignorant this is very dangerous And for the present that Ignorance is one cause of their hardning is evident because the worst usually when they come to die are sensible their Mind is then cleared from the Fogs and Steams of Lust and Conscience being awakned they then feel their Load and a great weight of Sin lying upon them and most wish they had lived in a more strict and ready Obedience to God's Will 2. Unbelief There is an Hardness of the Heart against the Light and Offers of the Gospel when Christ is tendred but not received and the cause of that is Ignorance affected Ignorance and there is an hardning of the Heart against the Truth once received out of love of their temporal Peace Liberty and Safety of Life and Estate this cometh from Unbelief and want of a sufficient sense and sight of the World to come Which Hardness is caused by the Veaglement and Importunities of the Flesh craving its Satisfactions in the present World and denying or disbelieving the Blessedness to come If Men did believe Heaven and Hell they would be more pliable to God's Motions and more deaf to the Importunities of the Flesh but that this is a cause of hardning appeareth by Christ's chiding his Disciples for their Unbelief and hardness of Heart Mark 16.14 Afterward he appeared unto the Eleven as they sat at Meat and upbraided them with their Vnbelief and hardness of Heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen 3. Sinning against Light either by way of Omission or Commission This provoketh God to give us over to more hardness of Heart By way of Commission is easily granted but it is also by way of Omission Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him it is Sin They will find it to be Sin in the sad Effects of it See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 508. 4. Custom in Sinning See on Mark 3.5 pag. 504. 5. Small Sins may occasion this Judgment and harden the Heart as well as great Sins It is not easy to say which doth most indeed great Sins get into the Throne presently but small Sins insensibly and by degrees Psal. 19.13 Keep back thy Servant also from presumptuous Sins let them not have Dominion over me A small Sin may get the upper hand of a Sinner and bring him under in time and after that it is habituated by constant Custom so that he cannot easily shake off the Yoke and redeem himself from the Tyranny thereof as if a Man be addicted to any Vanity and foolish Delight These do not exercise Dominion over the inslaved Soul till they have gotten Strength by many and multiplied Acts. But presumptuous Sins by one single Act weaken the Spirit and give a mighty Advantage to the Flesh even almost to a compleat Conquest So that for the present little Sins do not harden the Heart so much as greater See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 508. Now all these Causes concur to the hardning of the Heart and making it as a Stone but yet out of these Stones God can raise up Children to Abraham Secondly Of God's final hardning when God leaveth Men to perish and will no more treat with them Now here I shall shew 1 st That there is such a Dispensation 2 dly The Causes of it 1 st That there is such a Dispensation 1. It is an usual Dispensation for God to leave Men to perish in their Sins and that irreversibly even before Death and will be intreated no more for them It appears by many places of Scripture Rev. 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still Those which remain obstinate after many Warnings and Calls it is usual with God to give them over to their Lusts that they may be ripe for Hell Ezek. 3.27 He that heâ—â—eth let him hear and
without some Remark and Observation Isaac goeth to meet with God and he meeteth with God and Rebekah too Godliness hath the promises of this Life and that which is to come there is nothing lost by Duty and Acts of Piety and Worship Seneca said The Iews were an unhappy People because they lost the Seventh part of their Lives meaning the time spent in the Sabbath This is the Sense of Nature to think all lost that is bestowed on God Flesh and Blood snuffeth and cryeth What a weariness is it And what need all this waste Oh let me tell you by serving God you drive on two cares at once Worldly Interests many times are cast into the way of Religion and besides the main design these things are added to us Wonderful are the Providences of God in and about Duties of Worship some have gone aside to pray and escaped such as lay in wait to destroy them and Luther tells a story of one that balked a Duty and fell into a danger passed by a Sermon and was presently surprized by Thieves Others there are that thought of nothing but meeting God in his Worship and God hath made their Duties an occasion of advancing their outward Comforts Certainly it is good to obey all impulses of the Spirit there may be somewhat of Providence as well as Grace in it Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide and he lift up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming In the Words you have several Circumstances The Person Isaac his Work he went out to meditate the Place in the Field the Time at even-tide 1. For the Person Isaac I need not say much because I would not digress He was Abraham's Son and God said of Abraham Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Good Education leaveth a Savour and Tincture upon the Spirit at least an Awe and a Care of Duties and Exercises of Religion and therefore it is no wonder to hear of Abrahams Son that had been trained up in the way of the Lord to go out to meditate it is a Seal of the Blessing of Education Again Isaac was now in his Youth certainly he could not be very old Sarah was Ninety years old when the Promise was first made to her of a Son Gen. 17.17 Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old And shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear Now Sarah was but One Hundred Twenty Seven old years when she dyed Gen. 23.1 And this Match was immediately after her Death for just as he received Rebekah he left off his Mourning for Sarah Gen. 24.67 And Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarahs tent and took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her And Isaac was comforted after his mothers death Probably Isaac now was a little above Thirty Isaac a Young Man that was now entring into the World goeth out to meditate Usually we make Religious Exercises the Work of Gray Hairs and after we have spent the heat and flower of our Spirits in the vanities of the World we hope to make amends for all by a Severe and Devout Retirement Young and Green Heads look upon Meditation as a dull melancholly work fit only for the phlegme and decay of Old Age vigorous and eager Spirits are more for Action than Thoughts and their Work lyeth so much with others that they have no time to descend into themselves But the Elder World was more Innocent the Exercises of Isaacs Youth were pious he went out into the Fields to meditate 2. To open his Work to you to meditate or as it is in the Margin to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word used in the Original is indifferent to both Senses it properly signifies muttering or an imperfect and suppressed sound the Septuagint sometimes renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sing but here they render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to exercise himself and most properly a Sportive Exercise as if his going abroad had been only to sport and recreate himself after the toyl of the day But that is not so probable the Holy Ghost would not put such a Mark upon such a Circumstance Therefore I suppose the Septuagints word must be taken more largely to comprise also a Religious Exercise But how is it To Pray or Meditate I would not recede from our own Translation without weighty Cause most other Translations look that way Symachus renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discourse as with others that is with God and his own Soul and so it suiteth with the force of the Original Word which properly signifies to mutter or such a speaking as is between Thoughts and Words So that the meaning is he went aside privately to discourse of God and the Promises and of Heavenly Things 3. The Place in the field Partly for Privacy deep Thoughts require a Retirement Many of Davids Psalms were penned in the Wilderness He that would have the Company of God and his own Thoughts had need go aside from other Company and be alone that he may not be alone that the Mind being sequestred from all Distractions may solace it self the more freely in these Heavenly Thoughts Exod. 3.1 Moses led the flock to the back-side of the desert and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb. He goeth aside from the other Shepherds that he might converse with the Great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls and there he seeth the Vision of the burning Bush. When God would communicate his Loves to the Church he inviteth her into the Wilderness Hosea 2.14 Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her The most familiar and intimate Converses between God and the Church are in private So the Spouse inviteth the Bridegroom Cant. 7.11 Come my beloved let us go forth into the field let us lodge in the villages In these Solitary and Heavenly Retirements to which no Eyes are conscious and privy we have most Experience of God and of our selves Duties done in Company are more easie by ends and Mans Eye and Observance may have an influence upon our Worship and therefore Meditation is difficult and tedious because it is a work of Retirement that hath approbation from none but our Father that seeth in Secret Partly because the Field is an help to Meditation fancy and invention being elevated and raised by the sweetness variety and pleasure of it there being on every side so many Objects and lively Memorials of God However in this sense the Circumstance is not binding some do better in a Closet than in a
in Reason upon Reason Inforcement upon Inforcement till you bring up Treasure cast on Weight upon Weight till it weigh down Now these Rational Inforcements are Four by Arguments Similitudes Comparison Colloquies or Soliloquies 1. By Arguments that are most Affective Inquire what kind of Arguments have most force upon the Spirits The Second Usual Arguments you should look after are Causes and Effects by the one Knowledge is increased and by the other Affections are stirred Do not emptily declame but see that your Eye may affect your Heart Choose such Arguments as are evident and strong you have them in the Word and in Sermons and you should have them in your Hearts Luke 6.45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good Man should be able to bring forth good Arguments that he might bring his Heart powerfully to the acknowledgement of the Will of God For what did God give you Faculties and the use of Reason and Discourse and such helps in the Ministry but for such a purpose 2. By Similitudes The word willfurnish you upon every point Heaven speaketh to us in a Dialect of Earth Heavenly Mysteries are cloathed with a Fleshly Notion In the Book of Canticles Communion with Christ is set forth by Banquets and Marriages and Spiritual things are shadowed out by Corporal fairness and sweetness In other places of Scripture Christ's Kingdom is set forth by an Earthly Kingdom the Word of God by a Glass the Wrath of God by Fire Now apt Similitudes have a great force upon the Soul for two Reasons partly because they help Apprehension and partly because they help Discourse There is as it were a Picture for the thoughts to gaze upon by Similitudes we come to understand a Spiritual thing that we know not being represented by sensible things with which they are acquainted the thing is twice represented to the Soul in Reality and in Picture as a double Medium helpeth the sight the Glass and the Air in Spectacles a Shilling in a Basen of Water seemeth bigger so it is here Yea they yield matter for much enlargement and help Discourse as when they brought God the Blind and the lame Mal. 1.8 Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts Sin is expressed by Death now the Soul may reason thus I tremble at Death why do I not tremble at Sin So Mortification is Physick I can dispense with the trouble of Physick for my Body this will make my Soul healthy 3. By Comparisons wherein other things are like or unlike the things we Meditate upon I urge this because it is a Natural Help it is a Rule of Nature that contraries being put together do mightily Illustrate one another as when you compare fairness and deformity black and white Deformity is more odious and black is more black So if I would contemplate the Beauty of Vertue and of the Spiritual Life I would compare it with the filthiness of Vice and of the prophane Life So when you compare the pleasant path of Wisdom with the filthy and dreggy Delights that are in the path of Sin you gain upon the Soul Put Earthly things into the Scales with Heavenly and see which weigheth heavyest set Heaven against Hell and Heaven against the World Our Saviour teacheth us to meditate by way of comparison Matth. 16.26 For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul So by comparing your selves with other Creatures as thus when you would shame your selves for your Disobedience you may argue thus All things obey the Law of their Creation the Sun delighteth to run his Race the Stars keep their Course and do not go beside the path God hath set them and I only have found out my own path So for your uncomfortableness in the wayes of God you may say Wicked Men delight to do wickedly but I do not delight in the Service of God shall it not be a pleasure to me to be exercised in the Duties of Religion Shall I not rejoyce in the Lord 4. By Colloquies and Soliloquies Colloquies and Speeches with God and Soliloquies with our selves Thoughts are more express and formal but when turned into Words and Speeches it is a sign the Affections are stirred Strong Affections must have vent in Words Speech is an help in Secret Prayer 1. In Colloquies with God either by way of Complaint Lord I am poor and needy and worldly Lord My Heart is naked and void of Grace Or else by way of Request as the Infant will shew the Apple or Jewel or whatever it hath received to the Parent or Nurse so the Soul representeth to God whatever it hath gotten by Meditation and taketh occasion further to converse with God and beg Grace of him 2. In Soliloquies with your own Souls and these are either by way of urging the Heart or charging it 1. By way of urging the Heart As suppose you have been meditating on the Glorious Salvation that was purchased by Jesus Christ let this be the close of all How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 So if you have been meditating on the sinfulness of Sin fall upon your own Hearts Rom. 6.21 What fruit shall we have in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death Or if you have been meditating of Hell and the Wrath of God speak to your Heart Ezek. 22.14 Can thy heart endure or can thine hand be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee Art thou stronger than God that thou canst wrestle with him Or if you have been meditating on your sinfulness or the course of your own wicked Lives you may return upon your Heart Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee And verse 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God How shall I get a Ransom to redeem my Soul from the guilt of Sin 2. By way of Charge and Command Suppose you have been meditating of the benefit of Gods Service and the danger of going a whoring from him Hosea 2.7 She shall say I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me than now Or if you have been meditating of the Benefits of God to your Souls you may return upon your Hearts by way of Charge Psal. 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me God hath opened his good Treasure to thee this hath been thy Portion therefore Return unto thy rest Well then thus do and then be watchful that you
the preference intended 1. On the one side here is sitting at the Threshold on the other side dwelling in the Tents He had distinguished before the Travellers to the House of God and the Dwellers in the House of God vers 4. c. Here a day in God's Courts and a perpetual service in God's House The lowest degree and place about God is more honourable for one day though they die the next as Kimchi than to have a perpetual abode in the Tents of wickedness 2. He calleth the one the House of God the other but a Tent to shew the stability of their estate who live in Communion with God and the uncertainty of their Happiness who are strangers to him they live but in a Tent a moveable Habitation 3. He calleth the one the House of my God as challenging an interest in him And so the place of his Presence Power and Habitation being the more dear to him as every thing that relateth to God is made precious for his sake But he calleth the other Tents of wickedness There was great wealth but nothing but profaneness and corruption Well then you see that David speaketh as a man that had a mind to prefer the one before the other One day in God's Courts Not in Atriis suis Coelestibus in his Court of Heaven as some of the Antients would carry it but here in his Church A few hours spent with God were more than the longest life without him Doct. 1. That God's People have a great value and an high esteem for his Ordinances 2. They do not only value them but value them and esteem them above other things 1. The esteem and value they have for his Ordinances simply considered This is a reason of the Context why there was such longing desire on his own part such earnest pressing forward on the Peoples part who came up to worship at Ierusalem For a day in thy Courts c. Reasons of it 1. Nature or a spiritual instinct All Creatures naturally desire to preserve that life which they have and therefore by a natural propension run thither from whence they received it Meer instinct without instruction carrieth the brute Creatures to the Teats of their Dams And every effect looketh to the cause to receive from it its last perfection Trees that receive life from the Earth and the Sun send forth their Branches to receive the Sun and spread their Roots into the Earth which brought them forth Fishes will not live out of the Water that breedeth them Chickens are no sooner out of the shell but they shroud themselves under the Feathers of the Hen by whom they were at first hatched The little Lamb runneth to the Dam's Teat though there be a thousand Sheep of the same Wooll and Colour as if it said Here I received that which I have and here will I seek that which I want By such a native inbred desire do the Saints run to God to seek a supply of strength and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As New born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Young Children are not taught to suck The young born Child runneth to the Dug not by instruction but instinct Iam. 1.18 19. Of his own will begat he us by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures Wherefore my beloved Brethren let every man be swift to hear The same thing that teacheth the young Lambs to suck or new born Babes to draw the Dug or the Chicken to seek a cherishing under the Dam's wings the same thing teacheth the Children of God to prize the Ordinances The cause is inbred appetite not persuasion and discourse but inclination Grace is called a New Nature which hath an appetite joyned with it after its proper supplies 2. The next cause of this value and esteem is experience They find it so sweet that they long for more 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Certainly a man that hath had any taste of Communion with God will desire a fuller measure as by tasting of excellent meats our appetite to them is not cloyed but the more provoked Carnal men do not know what it is to enjoy God in his Ordinances and therefore they do not long for them They never tasted the sweetness of the Word nor of God's Love in Christ. David says Psal. 19.10 The Statutes of the Lord are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than the Honey or the Honey-comb The Children of God find more true pleasure in the Ordinances of God than in all things in the World What is the reason that to carnal men they are but as dry chips burdensom exercises melancholy interruptions but to the other nothing so sweet more pleasurable than the richest and choicest sensualities that are most eagerly pursued and gustfully enjoyed by us The reason is given in the 11th verse Moreover by them is thy Servant warned and in keeping them there is great reward There we come to learn wisdom against our spiritual dangers and there we learn the way of godliness and obedience which besides it own sweetness heapeth upon us the richest rewards as having the promises of this life and that which is to come He commendeth the Word from his own experience He had felt the effects and good use of it in his own heart he had his broken heart bound up They find that Christ doth heal their Souls remove their anguish sanctifie their Natures give them the promised help in Temptations warn them of sins and snares relieve them in distress bridle their corruptions So Psal. 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary He that once hath had a sight of God and a taste of God would not be long out of his company He compareth his desire of Communion with God with hunger and thirst and maketh it greater than the hunger and thirst which men suffer in a dry Wilderness where there is no refreshment to be had He had seen God and would fain see him again the remembrance of the pleasures of the Sanctuary revived his desires So that besides Nature there is Experience 3. There is yet a third Cause and that is Necessity We should take delight in the Means of Grace and Ordinances of God though we stood in no need of them because they carry such a suitableness with the New Nature and because they are means to exhibit more of God to us But our Imperfection is great and this is the only way to get it supplied Decays are very incident to us and how else shall
my Heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God The Prophane blind world neither careth for the Duty nor for God in the Duty the formal hypocritical part of the World is for the outward Duty and rests satisfied with the bare Ordinance but the sincere Christian would meet with God there They do not only serve him but seek him to find God in the means and his lively operation upon their Hearts and therefore God would not go from 〈◊〉 without him Gen. 32.26 I will not let thee go except thou bless me They must have somewhat of God this is what they long for some new warmth and comfort and quickening 3. Those Ordinances are prized where many of the Servants of God meet together It is comfortable to injoy God in secret such duties are rewarded with an open blessing Mat. 6.6 But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and shut thy Door and Pray unto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly But here it is Gods Court David could thus injoy God in the Wilderness Psal. 42.4 I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that kept holy day It is a comfort certainly to meet with our everlasting companions joining in Consort with them and beginning our everlasting work Gods people have but one Spirit one Divine nature are led by the same principles rules and ends have the same hopes desires and joys To have multitudes of these joining with us in lifting up the same God in the same solemn worship praying together hearing together sitting down at the same table and glorifying the same God and Father with the same Heart and Mouth Acts. 1.14 These all continued with one accord in Prayer and supplication Psal. 22.22 In the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee And ver 25. My praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my vows before them that fear him 4. It must be to the Ordinances though under reproach disgrace persecution Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Though the Service of God expose us to the lowest and most painful condition of Life as a Door-keeper if joined with any measure of Communion with God 2 Sam. 6.22 I will be yet more vile than thus It is better to suffer affliction with the people of God than to injoy the most easie sumptuous and plentiful condition of Life with wicked Men. Few are content to serve a poor Christ. 5. It is a constant affection not for a pang Herod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heard John Baptist gladly Mark 6.20 and Iohn 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light for a season while Ordinances are novel things or during some qualm of Conscience But it is from a constant inbred appetite common to all the Saints 6. This value and esteem must vent it self by a strong desire Psal. 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God The lively Believer doth earnestly and above all other things seek after communion with God Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my Life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple There were other things which David might desire but this one thing was his Heart set upon that he might live in constant communion with God Not to be setled in his Regal Throne which he sought not yet to be but to injoy that transcendant pleasure of conversing daily and frequently with God And the Spirit worketh uniformly in the Saints 7. The end of our attendance on Ordinances must be Gods Glory and our own profit God's Glory Psal. 27.4 To behold the beauty of God God is infinitely worthy of all honour and praise from his Creatures Love to God hath an influence on it Psal. 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth Our profit 1 Pet 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby that we may have some increase of light and life Psal. 84.7 They go from strength to strength every one in Sion appeareth before God Sermon I. on Luke Xix. 10 For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost THIS is given as a reason why Christ came to invite himself to Zaccheus his House who was a Publican we find ver 7. the people murmured saying that he was gone to be a Guest with a Man that is a sinner Christ defendeth his practice by his Commission or the errand for which he came into the World For the Son of Man c. In which words 1. The Person or the character by which he was described the Son of Man Christ is called so not to deny his Godhead but to express the verity of his humane nature and that he was of our Stock and Linage He might have been true Man though he had not come of Adam but his Humane Nature had been framed out of the Dust of the Ground as Adam's was or created out of nothing but he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are of one For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 He would be of the Mass and Stock with us 2. His Work He is come to seek and to save The first word to seek sheweth his diligence he leaveth no place unsought where his hidden ones are the second word to save sheweth his sufficiency of Merit and Power both shew his kindness and good will to mankind to recover us out of our lapsed estate 3. The object of this Grace and Favour that which was lost The object of Christ's Salvation is Man lost and undone Doct. That the great end and business of Christ's coming is to seek and save that which is lost Here I shall enquire two things by way of explication 1. In what sense we are said to be lost 2. How Christ cometh to seek and save such I. In what sense we are said to be lost two ways really and indeed or in our own sense and apprehension 1. Really and indeed so we are lost to God and lost to our selves As to God he hath no Glory Love and Service from us and so is deprived and robbed of the honour of his Creation The Father in the Parable by whom God is resembled saith Luke 15.24 This my Son was lost and is found Lost as to themselves so they are said to be lost as they are out of the way to true Happiness and as they are in the way
the liberty of the Gospel and not to be intangled again in the Bondage of legal Ceremonies as if they were necessary to Justification or Acceptance with God He is earnest in the case for the glory of his Master and the good of Souls was concerned and therefore useth divers motives 1. They lose all benefit by Christ ver 2. 2. They are Debtors to the whole Law ver 3. 3. They are fallen from Grace ver 4. And now in the fourth place the consent of the Christian Gospel Church who upon Justification by Faith expect Remission of sins and eternal life Their judgment is the more to be esteemed because they are taught by the Spirit of God to renounce the legal Covenant and expect their acceptance with God by Faith only For we c. In these words observe 1. The end scope and blessedness of a Christian in the word hope 2. The firm ground of it the Righteousness of Faith 3. The carriage of Christians We wait 4. The inward moving cause of waiting for this Hope in this way Through the Spirit They are taught by him inclined by him so to do 1. The blessedness of a Christian is implied in the word Hope For Hope is taken two ways in Scripture for the thing hoped for and for the affection or act of him that hopeth Here it is taken in the first sense for the thing hoped for As also Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed hope So Col. 1.5 For the Hope which is laid up for us in Heaven 2. The Ground and Foundation of this Hope the Righteousness of Faith What it is I will shew you by and by Only here it is opposed partly to the Covenant of Works which could not give Life Partly to the legal observances for it presently followeth neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision c. But by no means is it opposed to evangelical obedience for the whole New Testament obedience is comprized in this term the Righteousness of Faith as appeareth by the Apostles explication in the next verse But Faith which works by love 3. The duty of a Christian We wait De jure we ought de facto we do All true Christians wait for the Mercy of God and Life everlasting And he calleth it waiting because a Believer hath not so much in possession as in expectation And this waiting is not a devout sloath but implieth diligence in the use of all means whereby we may obtain this hope 4. The inward efficient cause Through the Spirit We are taught by the Spirit inclined by the Spirit so to do 1. Taught For the Doctrine is mystical Flesh and Blood revealeth it not to us but the Holy Ghost Mat. 16.17 2. Inclined to this Spiritual course of Life wherein we obtain this blessed hope by the same Spirit For this Holy and Humble way is contrary to the interest of the Flesh. And we are told afterward Gal. 5.25 that we live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit So that in effect here is all Christianity abridged Our blessedness the way to it Our help or how we are brought to walk in that way Doct. That by the Spirit all true Christians are inclined to pursue after the hope built upon the Righteousness of Faith 1. What is the Righteousness of Faith 2. What is the Hope built upon it 3. What is the Interest and Work of the Spirit in bringing us to wait for this Hope I. What is the Righteousness of Faith We told you before It is opposed either to the Law of Works or the ceremonial observances of the Law of Moses But more particularly it may be determined either with respect to the object of Faith or 2. To the Act or Grace of Faith it self 3. With respect to the rule and warrant of Faith which is the Gospel or New Covenant 1. This Righteousness of Faith may be considered with respect to the object of Faith And the proper and principal object of Faith is Jesus Christ and his Merits And so the righteousness of Faith is the Obedience and Death of Christ which because it is apprehended by Faith it is sometimes called the Righteousness of Christ and sometimes the Righteousness of Faith Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is by the Law but that which is by the Faith of Christ even the righteousness which is of God by Faith This certainly is the ground of our acceptance with God and therefore the bottom and foundation of all our hope Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous that is by Christ's Merit and Obedience And 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him This is it we rely upon as the only meritorious cause of whatever benefit we obtain by the new Covenant 2. With respect to Faith it self whereby the merits of Christs Obedience and Death are applied and made beneficial to us When we believe we are qualified And therefore it is said that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Rom 4 3. That is God accepted him as Righteous for Christs sake And so he doth every one that believeth for Rom. 3.22 The Righteousness of God is by Faith of Christ Iesus unto all and upon all them that believe without any difference If Abraham was justified by Faith we are justified by Faith Now if you ask me what kind of Believer is qualified and accepted as Righteous I answer it is the penitent Believer and the working Believer 1. The Penitent Believer For Faith and Repentance are inseparable Companions Mark 1.15 Repent and Believe the Gospel Act. 12.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Act. 11.21 The Hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. These two cannot be severed for till we are affected with that miserable estate whereinto we have plunged our selves by our sins and there be an hearty sorrow for them and a perfect hatred and detestation of them and a full and peremptory resolution to forsake them that we may turn to the Lord and live in his obedience we will not prize Christ nor his benefits nor see such a need of the Spiritual Physitian to heal our wounded Souls Nor will God accept us as Righteous while we continue in our unrighteousness So that though it be Righteousness of Faith and the Believer be only accepted as Righteous yet it is the Penitent Believer whose Heart and Mind is changed and is willing by Christ to come to God 2. It is the working Believer For so it is explained in the next verse Faith working by Love And so expressed elsewhere Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by which he became an
Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Observe there the saving of Noah from the Flood is a Type and Shadow of Salvation by Christ. The Flood drowned and destroyed the Impenitent World but Noah and his Family were saved in the Ark. We are warned of the Eternal Penalties threatned by God if we do not repent and believe we shall not be saved from wrath but if we believe and prepare an Ark diligently use the means appointed for our safety then we become Hâ—irs of the Righteousness of Faith are accepted by God and have a right to all the Benefits which depend thereupon It was a business of vast charge and an eminent piece of self-denying Obedience to prepare an Ark. So true Faith sheweth it self by Obedience We read of the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as the Fruit of the Gospel 3. With respect to it's Rule and Warrant And that is the Gospel and New Covenant called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 The Hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith The Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 This is the Doctrine which iâ— believed Now all that the new Covenant requireth may be called the Righteousness of Faith For look as to be justified by the Law or Works required by the Law is all one So to be justined by Faith and to be justified by the new Covenant is all one also And therefore whatever the new Covenant requireth as our Duty that we may be capable of the Priviledges thereof is a part of the Righteousness of Faith Now it requireth Repentance from dead Works Acts â—7 30 He hath commanded all men to repent because he will judge the World in Righteousness We are to repent in order to the Judgment which will be either of Condemnation or Justification So the new Covenant requireth Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Iohn 5.24 He that believeth in Christ shall not come into Condemnation So it requireth new Obedience Heb. 5.9 He is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him None are qualified for Eternal Liâ—e but those who perform sincere Obedience to his commands It is not absolutely perfect Obedience that is required but only sincere and upright And there is a necessity that we should be sincerely Holy not only in order to Salvation but Pardon 1 Iohn 1.7 If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And in order to the Application of the Blood of Christ to our Souls or to the obtaining of the Gift of the Spirit or any new Covenant Gift Act. 5.32 We are his Witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him Well then these are the Conditions to be found in us before we are made partakers of the full Benefit of Christs Merit Repentance towards God Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and new Obedience And all these are comprized in the Expression The Righteousness of Faith For Faith receiveth Christ and the Promises made to us in Christ upon the Terms and Conditions required in the Gospel Only these things are of a different Nature and concur differently The Obedience of Christ in a way by it self of Merit and Satisfaction Faith Repentance and our Obedience only in a way of Application And in the Application the Introduction is by Faith and Repentance and the continuance of our right by new Obedience Yea in the Introduction Repentance respects God and Faith Christ Act. 20.21 Testifying both to Jews and also to the Greeâ—s Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. We return to God as our chief good and soveraign Lord that we may love serve and obey him and be Happy in his Love Faith respects Christ as Redeemer and Mediator who hath opened the way for our return by his Merit and Satisfaction or Reconciliation wrought between us and God and given us an Heart to return by the renewing Grace of his Spirit Coming to God and being accepted with God is our end Christ is our way And indeed in the Righteousness of Faith the chiefest part belongeth to him who by his Blood hath procured this Covenant for us for whose sake only God giveth us Grace to repent believe and obey and after we have done our Duty doth for his sake only accept of us and give us our Reward These are not Co-ordinate Causes but he is the Supream cause all that we do is subordinate to his Merit and Obedience II. What is the Hope built upon it or the things hoped for by Vertue of this Righteousness And they are Pardon and Life 1. Certainly Pardon of Sins is intended in the Righteousness of Faith As appeareth by that of the Apostle Rom. 4.6 7 8. David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute Sin If this be the Description of the Righteousness of Faith or the Priviledges which belong thereunto for now we are upon the Hope of the Righteousness of Faith then certainly Remission of Sins is a special branch of this Felicity 2. There is also in it Salvation or Eternal Life Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life The Crown of Glory is for the justified called therefore the Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 You have both together Acts 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of Sins an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith These two Benefits are most necessary the one to allay the fears of the guilty Creature the other to gratifie his desires of Happiness Therefore the Apostles when they planted the Gospel they propounded this Motive of forgiveness of Sins Acts 13.38 Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of Sins And also the other of Life Eternal 2 Tim. 1.10 That Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel These two Benefits give us the greatest support and comfort against all kind of troubles Our Troubles are either inward or outward Against troubles of Mind or inward Troubles we are supported by the Pardon of our Sins Mat. 9.2 Son be of good cheer thy Sins be forgiven thee Against outward troubles we are supported by the Hopes of a better Life being secured to us 2 Cor. 4.17 18. For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Again both are eminently accomplished at the last Judgement when the Righteousness of
of recovery for ever 2. God provideth great helps and means of Repentance for them For he hath sent his Messengers into all parts of the Earth and commanded every one to Repent and prepare for the judgment Act. 17.30 And the times of their ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to Repent because he hath appointed a day c. So that the World now perisheth for rejecting the means tending to recover them The sins of the Nations were not so great till God sent them the means When the Lord giveth any people the means to Repent their sin is the more aggravated and their judgment is the greater for the rejection of the means is a sin not only against our duty but our remedy and a vile ingratitude and obstinacy which hath no cloak and colour of excuse For though Men have an impotency of Nature and cannot convert themselves without the internal efficacy and power of the Holy Ghost yet the impotency of nature doth not necessitate men to wallow in a course of sin against the light of Conscience and to put away the means by which they might be reformed III. What encouragement there is from Gods long-suffering to induce Men to Repentance And 1. Gods forbearance and continuing of some Grace to us possesseth all Mens Minds with this apprehension that he is gracious merciful willing to be reconciled if we will but accept of terms agreeable to his glory and our good Therefore it is said that the goodness of God leadeth to Repentance Rom. 2.4 For wherefore should he defer vengeance and forbear so long to punish thy sinful course but only that thou mayest bethink thy self and make thy peace He could destroy thee in an instant and why doth he not but to see if thou wilt yet repent and love him and serve him If a Man were under a sentence of Death and the execution were delayed and put off from day to day would not he think it were a fit time to interpose by supplication and obtain his pardon Surely we should gather the like conclusion and make supplication to our Judge 2. The incouragement is the greater that we have not only time and life but many mercies forfeited mercies continued to us Such as food raiment friends house liberties health peace What do all these do but invite us to God For whosoever hath the Heart of a Man would be thankful to his benefactour Yea the very Beasts express a gratitude in their kind to them that feed them Isa. 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib The duâ—lest of the Bruit Beasts will take notice of such as feed them and make much of them And shall not we take notice of God and be obsequious to him from whom we have received all our supplies our Lord and Owner who hath fed us and most kindly intreated us Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man the Bands of love Unless we renounce humanity we cannot but look upon our selves as having strong bands upon us obliging us to duty and mindfulness of God 3. These mercies do not harden in their own nature but meerly by the sinners abuse of them For in their own nature they have a fitness and tendency to recover Men to the Love and Service of God but through our abuse they become snares and intangle us in the service of the Flesh. In the Creature there is something good to lead us up to God who is the first and chief good something imperfect uncertain and unsatisfactory to drive us off from it â—elf Is there any thing comfortable in the creature Whence came it Who put it there Common Mercies point to their Author if we would recollect our selves and receive them with thanksgiving Is there vanity and vexation in it Why is it but that the Creatures may not detain us from God that we may not sit on the Threshold when we may come before the Throne Our great fault is loving the Creature above the Creator Now the Creature is imbittered and is an occasion of so much vexation and trouble that we may not rest in it self All the good that is in the Creature is an image of that perfect good which is in God Now who would leave the substance to follow the Shadow As if a Virgin wooed should fall in love with the Messengers of a great King and despise the person himself There is a sweetness in these things mixed with imperfection the sweetness to draw us to God the imperfection to drive us off from the Creatures to make us look â—igher They do as it were say to us We cannot satisfie you you must seek for happiness in that God that made us and you Now Men are inexcusable if after all this they forsake God for the Creature Ier. 2.13 My People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no Water 4. God hath provided a remedy for us by Christ. Whereby he would astonishingly oblige Man to seek after his own Salvation Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life There is love to the World in it there is man-kindness in it Tit. 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward Man appeared A propitiation for the whole World 1 Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World Here is a sufficient foundation for this truth that whosoever believeth shall be saved If after all this Man shall be negligent vain careless unmindful of his misery or remedy his own Conscience will bear witness against him that the cause of his sin and the hinderance of his recovery is from himself and from his own obstinacy and impenitency Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy hope God is not to be blamed for our destruction it is of our own procuring There was help in God but they would not accept it 5. Affected scruples whether this be intended to us are a sin and do not disoblige us from our duty They are a sin because secret things do not belong to us but the open declarations of God concerning our duty Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong unto the Lord but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our Children Let us perform our duty and the secret purposes of God will be no bar and hinderance to us To betray a known duty by a scruple is the part of an erring and deceitful Heart God may do what he pleaseth but we must do what he hath commanded This is the only true principle that will inable us to carry our work through to the last 6. God hath appointed means which during the time of his patience are liberally vouchsafed to us and we being
of Peace II. The respect that is between these two Faith and Profession There is a double respect such as between 1. The Cause and Effect First We Believe and then Confess our Faith is the cause of our Confession 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak David was sore afflicted and yet professed his Faith in God He could not suppress his boasting of the promises in his greatest distresses So we believe in Christ and therefore cannot but in word and deed express our confidence in him when such a Spirit of Faith cometh upon us there will not need many enforcemenâ—s or excitements publickly to own Christ For this Spirit of Faith cannot be shut up in the Heart but will break out into Confession There cannot be a true and lively Faith without Confession nor a true Confession without Faith For the effect cannot be without the cause nor such a powerful cause without the effect 2. Such as there is between the sign and the thing signified Faith hath always Confession and Obedience joined with it as its proper sign As Flame or Smoâ—k is of Fire or â—reathing of Life so is Confession with the Mouth or an Holy Life an individual companion and note of true Faith by which it is demonstrated to be sincere and real Shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works Iames 2.18 Men know not our Hearts whether we believe in God yea or no or what we believe of him till they hear and see it in our profession and actions here is the sign the proof of it Look as an evil principle bewrayeth its self by its proper signs as Atheism by Mens ungodly and unholy lives Psal. 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my Heart There is no fear of God before his Eyes What could they do more in a way of sin or less in a way of duty if there were no God The current of a Mans life and actions doth best expound and interpret his Heart any considerate Man may conclude from their manner of living that they have no sense of the Being of God nor never expect to be accountable to him So for the belief of Christianity 't is discovered by owning Christ in the greatest dangers by a ready obedience to his precepts that seem to be most cross to the inclination and interest of the Flesh or by an Holy and Heavenly life 'T is a sign we believe those blessed sublime and weighty truths which are contained in the Gospel In short we judge others by external works alone for the Tree is known by its Fruits Mat. 7.16 we judge of our selves by external and internal together both by the belief of the Heart and the confession of the Mouth also III. The order God hath established appointing Faith as a means to be justified and confession as a means to be saved 1. Let us speak of what is requisite to righteousness so Faith is the means whereby this Righteousness is applied received and freely given us To explain this I shall enquire 1. What is Righteousness 2. Shew you that this Righteousness is applied by Faith 3. That the Cordial and Heart-believer is the Penitent Working Believer 1. What is Righteousness 't is here taken in a legal and judicial sense not for a disposition of Mind and Heart to please God but for the ground of a Plea before the Tribunal of God that we may be exempted from the punishments threatned and obtain the Grace offered or a right to the reward promised Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one Iudgment came upon all to condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life 2. That we are qualified for this Righteousness by Faith So 't is said Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins We get absolution from sin by free pardon through the Merit of Christ and are accepted as Righteous before God when we enter into the new Covenant taking God for our Lord and Happiness Christ for our Redeemer and Saviour the Holy-Ghost for our Sanctifier and Comforter More especially with respect to Christ when we subject our selves to him as our Lord and depend upon the Merit of his Death and Intercession for our acceptance with God Now that this believing with the Heart is required in order to righteousness is every where manifested in the Scriptures Therefore the new Covenant Righteousness is called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 9.30 The Gentiles have attained to Righteousness even the Righteousness which is of Faith So Gal. 5.5 We through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith Because Faith qualifieth us for it A righteousness we must have that we may be exempted from wrath which sin hath made our due and that we may be accepted with God unto Eternal Life which they that are destitute of all Righteousness can never attain unto A Righteousness of our own according to the Law of Works we are far from The legal way therefore can never stead us We must only run for Refuge to the Evangelical course or way set down in the Gospel namely that upon the account of the Merit and Obedience of Christ God will pardon the sins of all Penitent Believers and accept them to Grace and Favour Well then 't is by Faith that Christs Death and Obedience are applied and made beneficial to us Rom. 3 2â— The righteousness of God is by the Faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe and there is no difference Well then every Believer is qualified If you ask me therefore 3. What kind of Believer is qualified and accepted as righteous I answer 1. The Penitent Believer 2. The Working Believer 1. The Penitent Believer for Faith and Repentance are inseparable Companions and always go together in our first introduction or entrance into the New Covenant Mark 1.15 Repent and Believe the Gospel And Acts 2.38 Repent and be Baptized for the Remission of Sins When we depend upon Christ for Pardon we are willing to return to God and live in his Obedience hating and detesting our former ways wherein we wandred from him Well then though the Righteousness be only the Righteousness of Faith and the Believer be only accepted as Righteous yet 't is the Penitent Believer whose Heart and Life is changed and who is willing by Christ to come to God 2. 'T is the Working Believer So 't is explained what is in Gal. 5.5 called The Righteousness of Faith is ver 6. called Faith working by Love Not all that is called by that Name but the working Faith And so 't is expressed else where Heb. 11.7 By
reasoned of righteousness c. In the Words we have an account 1. Of the Matter of Paul's Sermon 2. The Effect and Fruit of it 1. Felix trembled 2. Delayed and put it off Go thy way c. I. The Matter 1. In General it was concerning faith in Christ or the Christian Religion 2. In Particular three Heads are mentioned Righteousness Temperance Iudgment to come He made choice of these Heads as plainest and easiest to be understood and as a proper and suitable Argument for Felix was publickly stained with Vices contrary to these Virtues he was Brother of Pallas and one well known to the Emperour Claudius He was in his Magistracy very unjust acquiring great Riches by Bribes Tacitus reporteth him Infamous for this And he and Drusilla were Intemperate and Incontinent living in Adultery and he using her as a Wife who was another Man's Paul was not ignorant of this We must not shoot at Rovers but aim at a certain Mark in our Ministry A Physician that cometh to Cure doth not use at adventure one Remedy for all Diseases but Medicines proper to the Malady of the Patient The Method of converting Sinners requireth this to shew what Men must be that may stand in the Judgment Holy Just and Temperate II. The Effect and Fruit on Felix part Of Drusilla there is nothing spoken she being a Jewess this Doctrine was not new and strange to her but having heard it often is not moved by it through hardness of Heart But of Felix we read two Things 1. His Trembling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is all in an Agony made up all of Fear 2. His Delay and Put-off Go thy way 't is a civil denial and baffle put upon Conscience Conviction not improved usually makes a Man turn Devil he might have cast him into Irons but he rageth not It fared worse with Ionathan the High-Priest as Iosâ—phus telleth us when he had reproved Felix for his Injustice and Bribery he sent Assassines to murder him who mingling themselves with his Servants and making a Broil in his Family killed him so that the principal Author and Design of the Murder was not known It fared better with Paul 1. Partly from the force of the present Conviction it was so strong that he could not gain-say but only seeketh to elude the Importunity of it by the Dream of a more convenient Season 2. Partly from some mixture of his Sin Vers. 26. He hoped that money should have been given him of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Text in the Greek joyneth his Fear and Avarice together being afraid he bids Paul depart but hoped also that Money should have been given This expecting a Gift as it obstructed his Conviction so it broke his Rage and therefore he useth Paul the more civilly Doctr. That a Carnal Man may be deeply affected with the Christian Doctrine even to great Agonies of Conscience and yet finally miscarry This is evident in the Instance of Felix who trembled but yet delayed shaketh off the force of Paul's Sermon by a pretence of business and continueth in his Sin for after this he expecteth a Bribe and because that came not to pleasure the Jews he left Paul in Bonds 1. I shall speak of the Nature of this Trembling or Agony of Conscience which is here ascribed to Felix 2. The Cause of it God's Word in the General and in Particular the Doctrine of the Last Judgment 3. The Effects and Fruit how it doth or may come to nothing I. What is this Trembling ascribed to Felix Trembling at the Word of God is made a Fruit and Effect of Special Grace Isa. 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that it poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word And Ezra attempting a Reformation gathered to him all that trembled at the Words of the Lord God of Israel Ezra 10.3 I Answer We must distinguish of a Fear sanctifying and a Fear only awakening for a time of a Fear that is a Grace and a Fear that is only a Conscience A Fear sanctifying is such a sense of our danger as stirreth up in us a constant serious Care to avoid the Wrath of God and please him So 't is said Prov. 16.6 By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil This Fear is a Grace an habitual disposition of Soul which is spoken of in the places alledged The Fear only awakening is such a sense of our Danger as doth only trouble us for the present but doth not put us upon the right way to remedy the Evil we are convinced of Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The Awakening is a Mercy especially if we are not only awakened from our drowsie Fits but we arise from the Dead if we forsake the way of Destruction and betake our selves to the service of God we are safe Many wicked Men are shrewdly shaken by the Preaching of the Word for a while they are a little awakened out of their drowsie Fits and begin to fear and tremble yet they return to them again and sleep the sleep of Death till in the Day of Judgment the Books of Conscience be opened and then they everlastingly awake with Terrors and never sleep more If they could as sweetly sleep in their Sins in Hell as they do now upon Earth Wrath to come would not be so terrible and tormenting a thing to them The differences between this sensible Work and Holy Trembling at God's Word are these 1. Holy Fear is a voluntary Act and excited in them by Faith and Love By Faith believing God's Threatning by Love which is troubled at the Offence done to God 2 Chron. 34.27 Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof and humbledst thy self before me and didst rend thy cloathes and weep before me I have even heard thee also saith the Lord. Iosiah was active in this Trembling and Humiliation But this is an involuntary Impression arising from the Spirit of Bondage and irresistible Conviction which for a while puts them in the Stocks of Conscience but they seek to enlarge themselves as soon as they can 2. They differ in the ground or formal Reason of this Trouble Agony and Consternation of Spirit To be troubled for the Offence done to God is a good sign but to be troubled meerly for the Punishment due to us is the guise of Hypocrites Esau was troubled for he sought the Blessing with Tears when he had lost it Heb. 12.17 But how was he troubled Non quia vendiderat sed quia perdiderat because he had lost the Birthright which was his misery not because he had sold it which was his Sin So all wicked men saith Austin non peccare metuunt sed ardere they do not fear to Sin their Hearts are in secret love and league with their Lusts but they are
afraid to be damned it is not God's displeasure they care for but their own safety The youngman went away sad and was grieved for he had great possessions Mark 10.22 Because he could not reconcile his Covetous mind with Christ's Institutes So Felix trembled being convinced of Sins which he was loath to discontinue and break off 3. They differ in their effects many men tremble at the word of God coming in upon their Hearts with power but this awakning worketh diversly Sometimes to a solicitous Anxiousness about the way of Salvation and then it is good as those Acts 2.37 And when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do That was a kindly work to desire to be further instructed and directed into the way of Life and Peace Sometimes to rage Acts 7.54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth they were vexed at the galling truths which Stephen delivered and the conviction that was upon them kindled their rage against him Sometimes it produceth nothing but dilatory excuses as here in Felix go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient season I will send for thee II. The cause of this trouble and Agony was the word wherein the matter and the manner is considerable 1. The matter is to be considered both generally and particularly 1. Generally the word of God or the Doctrine of Faith in Christ. It hath a convincing power 1 Partly because of its Author the impress of God is upon it it partaketh of his Properties Heb. 4.12 13. For the word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do God searcheth the Heart and the word searcheth the Heart God is powerful and his word is powerful in discovering a Sinner to himself and bringing a Sinner out of his lurking Holes and taking off all disguises 2 Partly because of its clearness and evidence to a natural Conscience if it be not strangely stupified and blinded by fleshly Lusts 2 Cor. 4.2 3 4. By manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every Man's Conscience in the sight of God But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them This Scripture sheweth that the Gospel is light which will discover its self if Men do not shut their Eyes And if men refuse the Converting power they cannot withstand the Convincing power of it for the work of bringing home Souls to God lyeth more with their Lusts than with their Consciences 3 And chiefly because of the Concomitant Blessing God hath appointed the Word to be the great Instrument of Convincing and Converting the World and doth accompany it with his Grace and Spirit sometimes to one effect sometimes to another To Convincing Iohn 16.8 The Spirit shall convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Iudgment If it doth no more it shall leave them under a conviction of the truth Sometimes to Conversion as 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. God concurreth with his own ordinance by his omnipotent and creating power 2. Particularly the Day of Judgment is to be insisted upon in our Ministry The Apostles in planting the Faith observeth this point of Wisdom to insist much upon the Judgment Day Acts 10.42 43. And he commanded us to preach unto the the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of Quick and Dead And to him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of Sins This was the great point which his chosen Witnesses were to insist upon So also Acts 17.30 31. But now commandâ—th all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead The Apostles observed the Tempers of those they dealt with when with the brutish multitude they invite them by Arguments of Providence Acts 14.15 16 17. Sirs Why do ye these things We also are men of like passions with you and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that are therein Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our Hearts with food and gladness When with the Learned he speaks of the first Cause and chief Good Acts 17.28 For in him we live move and have our being And binds all by his coming to Judgment ver 31. So he deals with Felix here he urges principles of known Dignity and Sobriety from the day of Judgment See also 2 Cor. 5.10 11. For we must all appear before the Iudgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in the Body according to that he hath done whether good or evil Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men This was their great and powerful Argument Reasons 1. Because this made their access into the Hearts and Consciences of Men more easie because of its suitableness to natural Light That Man is God's Creature and therefore his Subject is evident by Reasons drawn from our dependance on the first Cause and Fountain of all Being That Man hath failed in his Subjection to his Creator and Lord is evident by daily experience that therefore God may call him to an account and Man should fear his wrath is a principle as evident as the former and justified by the guilty fears incident to Mankind because of their offences Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Divine Justice must once publickly appear and rectifie the disorders of the World Now because of the sentiments of Nature the Doctrine of the final Judgment doth easily enter into the Thoughts and Conscienâ—ces of Men. 2. This doth most befriend the great discovery of the Gospel which is justification by Christ and pardon of Sin by submitting to his instruction If
Apply it closely What sin have I done How doth it concern me Practice it readily Iam. 1.25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of libetty and continueth therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word this man shall be Blessed in his deed 3. Use is to put us upon Self-reflection Is our Fruit proportionable to our Hearing The Word is not only the Seed of Regeneration but the means of Growth 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever with 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby God does not consider what we are de facto but what we ought to be what strength we might have Our account is according to our means Luke 12.48 Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Less Grace will serve to the Salvation of some than others Therefore take heed that where more Grace is bestow'd it be not neglected by you A Sermon on HEBR. ii II. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren IN this Epistle to perswade the Hebrews to continue in their professed Subjection to Christ the Apostle setteth forth Christ in his Person and Offices In his Person there are Two Natures Divine and Humane The Apostle proveth both by one Argument That Christ ought to be such a Person as was Superior to Angels and yet for a time to be also inferior to them He had already proved that Christ ought to be Superior to Angels He is now shewing the Reasons why he must be made a little lower than the Angels in his Incarnation and Passion The necessity and reasons of his Incarnation he beginneth to lay down in this verse For c. In the words observe 1. A Maxim or Truth laid down 2. A Consequence or Inference thence deduced 1. In the Truth laid down Two things are expressed 1. A difference between Christ and his People 2. An Union between them 1. The different Parties here spoken of He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified Christ is the Agent he hath an active Power to free from Sin such as are polluted with it We are Passive for by him that sanctifieth is meant Christ One prime benefit we have from him is Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And by the sanctified are meant the People of God who sometimes were polluted and sinful 2. They are said to be of one This Notes the Union that is between them they are of one Stock and Lineage or one common Parent of Mankind Adam Of one Blood Acts 17.26 He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth Thence Luke carrieth up the Genealogy of Christ to Adam Luke 2.38 So that he is one of our Kind and Nature There is indeed an union of Christ with man 1. By his Incarnation 2. Upon actual Sanctification In the first respect he is One with all Mankind as they are Men. In the Second He and the Sanctified which are the Church are one in an especial manner There is a Natural Bond between us and Christ and a Spiritual Bond The Natural Bond gave him an Interest to Redeem us The Spiritual Bond is the ground of our Comfort in that Redemption They are of one 2. The Inference or Effect thence resulting For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Which words represent 1 the condescension of Christ He is not ashamed 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge to call them Brethren 1. The condescension of Christ He is not ashamed We are said to be ashamed in Two Cases 1. When we do any thing that is filthy As long as we have the heart of a Man we cannot do any thing that hath filthiness in it without shame Or 2. When we do any thing beneath that Dignity and Rank which we sustain in the World The former Consideration is of no place here The latter then must be considered Those that bear any rank and port in the World are ashamed to be too familiar towards their Inferiors But yet such is the love of Jesus Christ towards his People that tho' he be infinitely greater and more worthy than us yet he is not ashamed to call us Brethren It is said Prov. 19.7 All the Brethren of the poor do hate him If a Man fall behind hand in the World his Friends look askew upon him But Jesus Christ tho' he be the Son of God by whom he made the World the splendor of his Fathers Glory and the brightness of his Person the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords and we be poor vile and unworthy Creatures yet he disdaineth not to call us Brethren If a great Prince should call a poor Tradesman Brother it would be accounted singular Courtesie And yet what is the greatest Prince of the World to Christ 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge 1. The nature of it Christ calleth us Brethren Not Children Servants Friends but Brethren A Title of great dearness and intimacy 2. The value of it 1. It is not an idle foolish Compliment for there is Cause and Reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a reason of the use of this Title because all Mankind coming of one Father and being made of one Blood are Brethren And Christ reckoneth himself among us considereth the Bond he hath to us and assumeth all Relations proper to his Nature And also because the Sanctified are the Children of God by the Grace of Adoption 2. It is not an empty Title but a great and real Priviledge he is affectioned to us as Brethren His Call is Doing For his Call he is not a meer Nominal Titular or Complimental Word Rom. 9.25 I will call them my people that is openly and before all the world declare they are my People Called an Apostle 1 Cor. 15.19 Not worthy to be called thy Son Luke 15.21 Many Points may be hence deduced 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same Nature and Stock Yet he with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 2. That Christ having taken our nature upon him counts it no disgrace to acknowledge and accept us as Brethren 3. The kindred is only reckoned to the Sanctified Though all Mankind have the same nature and come of the same stock yet he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren 4. This Sanctification which is required of us must proceed originally from Christ. 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same nature and stock with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
are his Members and belong to him Rom. 8.9 If ye have not the spirit of Christ ye are none of his 3. He blesseth his Word and Sacraments to this end and purpose Iohn 17.19 For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth We hear of Christ by the Spirit and of the Spirit in the Ordinances and Duties of Religion Eph. 5.26 By the washing of water through the word Two are here mentioned the Word and washing of Water The one containeth our Charter or Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to every one that believes in him Iohn 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The other is the Seal of it to assure us and be a pledge to us that Christ will be as good as his word Rom. 4.11 He received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith 1. The Word is a powerful Instrument Iohn 17.19 I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 15.3 Ye are clean through the word That warneth us of our Duty sheweth our Danger encourageth us by Promises to run to Christ for this Benefit holds forth his Blood as the meritorious Cause 2. Sacraments assure God will be as good as his word The doubting Soul saith â—how shall I know 2 Kings 20.8 What shall be the sign By these visible Things God assures us of the Truth of his Covenant Use. It sheweth us how and where we should look for this benefit of Sanctification From Christ by the Spirit in the Ordinances Look not to these singly but all together Holy Things do not sanctify us but we pollute them when we look to them singly Hag. 2.13 14. If one that is unclean touch any of these shall it be unclean The Priests answered It shall be unclean So is this people that which they offer is unclean Fowl Bodies the more you nourish them the more you hurt them 2. Go not to the Spirit alone without having accepted Christ and received him into your Hearts so upward Christ tendeth to the Spirit the Spirit to Ordinances Christ undertaketh to be a Sanctifier that you may have recourse to him A Sermon on Hebr. xiii 5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee IN the former part of the Verse the Apostle dissuadeth from Covetousness and perswadeth to Contentment The Motive to inforce the one and the other is God's Promise Many of our Distempers would have no more place if we did oftener study the Promises He saith that is God that He whose Voice should only be heard in the Church The Pythagoreans would use to say in their School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath said It should much more be reason enough with Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he said But where doth the force of the Inference lye Apply it to the first part Let your conversation be without covetousness for he hath said I answer Covetousness is rooted in a Diffidence and fear of Want Now that Fear is irrational if we regard what he hath said God will maintain us as long as he hath Work for us to do He that is perswaded that God will not leave him will not be much troubled Apply it now to the second Branch Be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee And how is that inferred I answer The comfort of our Condition doth not depend on outward Provisions so much as in God's Promises therefore though you have little be content If God denieth the Creature he will vouchsafe his own Presence and what need we care for the want of a Candle when we have the Sun Once more The Connexion between the Dissuasive and Exhortation and the Promise is to be observed Be not covetous be content for he hath said I will never leave thee And Men would have less trouble if they could learn to cast themselves upon God's allowance If we could depend more we should crave less The Promise well applied would not only allay our Fears but moderate our Desires Lust is ravenous and therefore suspicious If we believe his Word we shall have enough to glorifie God enough for that condition wherein God will make use of us Fixing upon Carnal Hopes doth but make trouble for your selves Carnal Affections prescribe God a Task which he will never perform Psal. 78.18 They asked meat for the lusts Not Meat for their Necessities but Meat for their Lusts. God never undertook to maintain us at such a rate to give us so much by the Year such Portions for our Children The Sheep must be left to the Shepherd to choose their Pastures bare or better grown Be content and then Faith will be more easie We may pray for a Competency and are bound to submit to an Extremity He hath said Where hath he said it Every where in the Word more especially to Ioshua in particular Iosh. 1.5 As I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee To all his People in general Deut. 31.6 8. Be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee David bids Salomon be confident of it 1 Chron. 28.20 David said to Salomon his son be strong and of good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee So Iacob Gen. 28.15 I will not leave thee till I have done all that I have spoken to thee of It is pleaded by Salomon 1 King 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us You see it is a known Truth and to be made use of upon all occasions of Tryal It was spoken to Ioshua when he was to fight the Lord's Battels To Israel when they had not as yet a foot of Land to possess To Iacob when to pass through many Services To Salomon when to go about a costly Work And God having said it so often delights to be challenged upon his Word and to have this Promise put in suit Before I come to shew you the full purport and drift of this Promise let me observe 1. Though the Promises were made upon a particular occasion to some of God's People yet they are of a general Use. Well then Promises made to one Saint concern another also Why 1. Because God is alike affected to all his Children he beareth them the same love His Saints now are as dear to him as ever Therefore as he would not leave Ioshua or Iacob or Salomon so he will not leave others that trust in him This honour have all his Saints Psal. 149.9 2. They have
And more and more interest our selves in his cleansing 5. Because the Application is a difficult Work Besides the Purchase of the Gift of the Spirit Christ hath instituted the Help of the Word and Sacraments to bring us into Possession of this Benefit Ephes. 5.26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of VVater by the VVord The Merit of his Death falleth upon these means that we may use them with the more Confidence Iohn 15.3 Now are ye clean through the VVord which I have spoken unto you The Word is the Glass wherein to see Corruption which sets a-work to seek Purging By that our Sense of our natural Impurity is revived the Means and Causes of our cleansing set down that we may with deep Humiliation confess our Sin humbly sue out the Grace offered and wait for it in the conscionable Use of all the means of Grace And for the Sacraments As the Word containeth the Charter and Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to those that will receive him so this is the Seal of the Grant Rom. 4.11 He received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith whereby we are more confirmed in waiting for the Spirit and excited to look for this Benefit from Christ. Well then we must still lie at the Pool of the Word and Sacraments And now you have my second Argument Why Jesus Christ should be honoured lauded and praised by all the Saints because he hath done so great an Office of Love and procured so great a Benefit for us as the washing away of our Sins in his Blood that we might be admitted to Communion with God III. The Fruits and Benefits that we have thereby He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and to his Father This doth oblige us the more to ascribe and give Glory and Dominion to him for ever and ever since he hath brought us into Communion with God and set us apart as consecrated Persons such as Kings and Priests were of old to perform daily Service to God In this third Thing 1 st Observe the Order We must be washed from our Sins before we can be Kings and Priests or minister before the Lord. Aaron and his Sons though they were formerly designed to be Priests yet they could not officiate and act as Priests before they were consecrated So must we be consecrated and made Priests to God and that by the Blood of Christ. They were seven days in consecrating This whole Life is the time of our Consecration which goeth on by degrees and will be made compleat both for Body and Soul upon the Resurrection when we shall be fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven For this Life though our Consecration be not finished yet here we are stiled an Holy Priesthood to minister before the Throne of Grace though not before the Throne of Glory Now if we be washed from our Sins in the Laver of Regeneration we may draw near to God as the Priests under the Law were washed in the Laver and then came to the Altar It holdeth good both in this Life and in the Life to come that none but the Washed can come so near to God either before the Throne of Grace or Throne of Glory The Throne of Grace Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water So Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God In the State of Glory Rev. 7.14 15. These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in his Temple The persecuted Saints who came out of great Tribulation they first washed their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb before they were admitted as Priests to stand before the Throne of God to serve him Day and Night in his Temple Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummate And then we shall have a full Communion with our God a clear Vision of his eternal Beauty and as great a Fruition of his Godhead as we shall be capable of in a State of full Contentment Joy and Blessedness 2 dly The Privileges are exceeding great to be consecrated to so high a Dignity That we should be consecrated or set apart for God to be Objects of his special Grace and Instruments of his Glory and Service Much more that we should be advanced to so great a Dignity as to be Kings and Priests to God We share in Christ's own Dignity He was a King and a Priest so are we He had an Unction so have we He was Christ we are Christians By virtue of our Union with him we are Partakers of his Kingdom and Priesthood The Church of Israel was called a Kingdom of Priests Exod. 19.6 And Believers in the New-Testament are called a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Not to disturb Civil Kings or the Order God hath instituted in the Church for it is Kings and Priests to God not to the World Let us consider these Privileges asunder 1. Kings King is a Name of Honour Power and ample Possession 1. Here we reign spiritually as we vanquish the Devil the World and the Flesh in any measure It is a Princely Thing to be above these inferiour Things and to trample them under our Feet in an holy and heavenly Pride An Heathen could say Rex est qui metuit nihil Rex est qui cupit nihil He is a King that fears nothing and desires nothing He that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World he that hath his Heart in Heaven and is above temporal Accidents the ups and downs of the World the World is beneath his Heart and Affections this Man is of a Kingly Spirit Christ's Kingdom is not of this World neither is a Believer's Rev. 5.10 Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth viz. in a Spiritual Way It is a beastly thing to serve our Lusts but kingly to have our Conversations in Heaven and vanquish the World 1 Iohn 5.4 5. Whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God To live up to our Faith and Love with a Noble Royal Spirit 2. Hereafter we shall reign visibly and gloriously when we shall sit upon Thrones with Christ at his last coming to judg the World and Angels themselves Matth. 19.28 Verily I
that we have heard and seen Gal. 2.11 When Peter was come to Antioch I with stood him to the Face because he was to be blamed The one requireth Aptness of Gifts the other only Christian Prudence and a fervent Charity This latter we have now in hand II. The Arguments by which we are to inforce it Which are needful in this Case because Men are so apt to bear with Sin both in themselves and others and this Duty is of so great Use that Satan seeketh to hinder it with all his Power and so hard to be done rightly that most Men quite omit it 1 st I shall prove it from the Law of Nature which teacheth me to love my Neighbour as my self and therefore Conscience bindeth me to reduce those into the right way who are gone out of it this is the obliging internal Cause We our selves by a regular Will having erred would be glad to be reduced and set into the right way again Ier. 8.4 Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise Shall they turn away and not return Is any Man so absurd heedless and witless that when he hath gotten a Fall will lie still and not essay to get up again Or that hath been unwittingly out of the way and will not desire to come into it again and be willing to receive Direction from those that would set him right Now this being a Dictate of Nature produced by God himself by his Prophet to aggravate their Apostacy who having faln by their Sin refused to rise and return holdeth good also to others whom we are to love as our selves And therefore when they are fallen we must help them to rise again and when they are turned away we must help them to return This is so natural that the very Birds and Beasts desire to return to their proper Places in their natural and appointed time when they have wander'd as the Prophet speaketh of the Stork Turtle and Crane ver 7. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming Now from that reciprocal Obligation that is between Men and the Law of Nature we are bound to reprove our Brother as we desire it and expect it from them to be set right when we are wrong we are to pay the same Debt of Love to them again The Argument holdeth à fortiori because in spiritual things the Danger is greater the Good to be procured is greater the Evil to be feared greater Yea this Argument is the stronger because it holdeth good concerning the Ox and Ass not only of our own Neighbour but of our Enemy as Exod. 23.4 If thou meet thine Enemy's Ox or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again And Deut. 22.1 Thou shalt not see thy Brother's Ox or his Sheep go astray and hide thy self from them thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy Brother Surely hereby God would teach every Man not to look on his own things only but to love and do Good to other Men. This Duty required towards Beasts is much more towards Men Ezek. 34.4 Ye have not brought again that which was driven away and ye have not sought that which was lost We are all like Sheep going astray and have need of one anothers Help Mark there are two Precepts in Deut. 22.1 a Prohibition not to hide and a Commandment to restore so that they are doubly guilty that are not affected with other Mens Sins or do not seek to reform them 2 dly It is a Duty because positively commanded by God so that unless we will be guilty of flat Disobedience we ought to mind it God bindeth all Men to reprove their erring Brother and Neighbour keeping the Rules of Prudence Justice and Charity Now that God hath commanded this many of the Scriptures cited before prove it Matth. 18.15 16 17. If thy Brother offend thee go and tell him his Fault between him and thee Which is to be understood not only of Offences done to us but to be extended to all wilful Crimes of which we see him guilty for Zeal for God should prevail with us as much as Injuries done to to our selves and it is not angry Reproach but Christian Admonition that we press you to 1 Thess. 5.14 Warn them that are unruly 2 Thess. 3.15 Admonish him as a Brother So Rom. 15.14 I my self also am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of Goodness filled with all Knowledg able to admonish one another So Prov. 25.8 9 10. Go not forth hastily to strive lest thou know not what to do in the End thereof when thy Neighbour hath put thee to Shame Debate thy Cause with thy Neighbour himself and discover not a Secret to another lest he that heareth it put thee to Shame and thine Infamy turn not away All these Expressions concern Brotherly Reproof debating Matters in Case of Offence and Injury real or supposed If we presently run to Law without using previous gentle Methods of taking up Matters among our selves we run a great Hazard both of Loss and Infamy Better end it by friendly Composition than running to the Judg where by many unhappy Representations a Righteous Cause may be oppressed But for the common Duty of Christians see Ephes. 5.11 Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather doth not lessen our Duty but inforce it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom We ought to reprove We shall not be excused before God unless we do our Duty So Iude 22.23 And of some have Compassion making a Difference And others save with Fear pulling them out of the Fire SERMON II. LEVIT XIX 17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him 3 dly COnsider how far it bindeth 1. Intensively as to the Value of the Precept It is not an Arbitrary Direction which we may omit or observe at Pleasure but a Necessary Precept which we must obey 1. From the Danger we incur We are under Danger of Sin and bearing Punishment for them whom we reprove not and the Punishment of Sin is eternal Death if it be omitted out of a culpable Negligence Eternal Life and eternal Death is in the Case there is no doubt of Superiours who by Justice and Office are bound to reprove as well as by the Law of common Love and Charity Ezek. 33.6 His Blood will I require at the Watchman's Hands But even private Persons may bear Sin for others 2. Because of the Good which cometh thereby which is the Glory of God and the gaining of our Brother Matth. 18.15 Thou hast gained thy Brother And the gaining of another's Soul is no small Advantage this will be your Crown and rejoicing in the Day of the Lord. To enforce both consider that Text Prov. 24.
Iesus Christ. Where the three Persons are again mentioned and their Concurrence to our Salvation 2. That Words proper to their personal Operation are used for there is Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost The Father is represented as the Fountain of Love and all Goodness and as expressing and exerting his Love by the Son and Spirit By the Grace of Christ is meant all that gracious Provision which he hath made for Man's Salvation both in the reconciling God to us and procuring the Mission of the Spirit Communion is ascribed to the Spirit because all is applied or communicated to us by him Or thus our Salvation is ascribed in Election to the Love of the Father in Redemption to the Grace of the Son in Sanctification to the Communion or Participation of the Holy Ghost 1st The Love of God Love is ascribed to the Father for the Love of God is the Cause of all consider his giving Christ for us or giving Christ to us and us to him 1. In giving Christ for us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Christ did not merit electing Love but Love rather moved God to give Christ for Sinners Love appointed the Son to be our Redeemer there was the Bosom and bottom-Bottom-Cause 2. In giving Christ to us Iohn 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy Word And in time he doth execute and accomplish this out of his meer Love Ier. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared to me of old saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee As by Elective Love the Heirs of Salvation were distinguished from others in God himself or in his Intention and Purpose so by Regeneration and converting Love they are distinguished from others in themselves and set apart from the rest of the World to be the Objects of his special Love and Instruments of his Glory Besides there is a Love of God whereby he loveth us when we are in Christ Jesus which is the Ground of our Safety and Preservation Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 2dly The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. What is intended us by the Father is brought about by the Grace of the Redeemer and therefore all the Provision Christ had made for our Salvation is called Grace 2 Cor. 8.9 For ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his Poverty might be rich That is ye know his gracious Condescension in submitting to such a mean Condition for our sakes So 1 Cor. 16.23 The Grace of Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Grace is God's Favour and Love which was first purchased by Christ by his Obedience and bloody Sufferings Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Secondly applied by his Intercession which is also another Act of his Grace and therefore we come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need Heb. 4.16 Namely having a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God ver 14. who knoweth our Infirmities Thirdly As it is bestowed by him as Lord of the New Creation upon such Terms as every way keep up the Honour and Interest of Grace in our Salvation Ephes. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God All the saving Benefits we have by Christ are from Grace such as Reconciliation with God the Renovation of our Natures and everlasting Glory and Happiness they are all dispensed in a gracious way from first to last 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost Communion is ascribed to the Holy Ghost It may be rendred Communion or Communication The Spirit reneweth and changeth our Nature and worketh Faith and Holiness in us Light Life and Love are the special Benefits which he communicates to us He doth enlighten our Minds to understand and believe the great things prepared for us by God through Jesus Christ. It is said 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God So Ephes. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him the Eyes of your Vnderstanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Life for we live in the Spirit and are born of the Spirit that is have a new Life begotten in us therefore called a Spirit of Life before we lived as Men now as Christians And Love the Heart is bent and inclined to God It began in Love and endeth in Love Love of God endeth in Love to God This threefold Effect is expressed 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power of Love and a sound Mind Life in Power as Light in a sound Mind And it is all together called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature For it answereth to the Wisdom Power and Goodness of God 3. That all these Words imply Riches of Goodness Bounty and Liberality Love noteth a ready Inclination to do Good to others without the Excitement of external Motives it openeth and inlargeth the Heart to another and then the Hand cannot be shut 2 Cor. 6.11 O ye Corinthians our Mouth is open unto you our Heart is enlarged Grace is some good thing freely given So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion noteth a liberal Effusion or Distribution of the Graces of God's sanctifying Spirit and so it suteth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Love of God and the Grace of Christ Elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Communion of the Spirit is joined with Bowels and Mercies Phil. 2.1 If any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies that is if you have received any Good from Christ by the Spirit So Rom. 15.26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for