after that heavenly unity to have it with the Church here in grace as it shall be with the Church hereafter in glory And certainly if this were not accomplished in Heaven then there would not be all tears wiped away nor would the reproach of Jerusalem cease Thus you have heard what it is that makes this unity of believers consummate and perfect Now let us consider What is the cause of this and that we shall finde to be no humane strength or outward wisdome and policy but the lively communication of grace inabling thereunto by Christ himself Though the Papist pleades That the acknowledgement of one visible Head in the Church is the onely means to preserve unity yet experience sheweth the falsenesse of it The divisions and breaches of the godly like those of Reuben have made sad workings of heart and many have come running in with their water to quench this fire Several Antidotes have been prescribed against this corruption but yet when all is done It 's the onely power of Jesus Christ as Head of his Church that workes this sweet Harmony It 's true indeed many rules and pacificall means are commended by wise and godly men to make an unity but these work onely morally and swasorily that which doth as it were physically and really worke it is the Lord Christ himselfe as the fountain of this unity And the reason is because this unity among believers is not onely externall but internall and spirituall Now no man can worke this unity in the hearts of the godly any more then he can worke purity and holinesse Therefore we see in the Text That because Christ is in us and the Father in Christ therefore are the godly perfected in one so that it requireth a Divine Supernaturall power to make the godly at heavenly accord even as it doth to make them godly Hence it is that in this prayer Christ commendeth it to God to work it as being beyond all humane power to effect it Now Christs being in a believer is a cause of these things in reference to their unity First He is thereby a cause of the Vnity it self For we told you This unity though externall yet is chiefly spirituall and internall viz. The harmonious knitting and joyning of all the Members of Christ together in him their Head Now this being wholly spirituall none can effect it but God alone for naturally we are dis-joyned from God and full of contrariety to him Therefore to be made a member of Christ and implanted into him cannot be by any other but the Spirit of God As those dry bones in Ezekiel could not of themselves gather together nor can a Cyen graft it self into a stock Thus it is here till the Spirit of God joyne us to Christ we are enemies and adversaries unto him That power therefore which gives grace that onely unites As in the naturall body the same cause which makes a member makes it also a united member Insomuch that in all the fractions and divisions we see amongst the godly we ought to have our eyes up more to God to consider that power which makes them holy must unite them and indeed to make them gracious and holy is the greater work yea unity would flow by a necessary resultancy from our membership in Christ but that still our corruptions are too strong and apt to disturb all Secondly Christs being in us is not onely the cause of our Vnity but also of the harmonious sutable proportion to each other We have an admirable description of this harmonious sutablenesse in the unity of Christs body Colos 2.19 Ephes 4.15 16. For the first It 's a Text full of rich and glorious matter and to understand it consider What it is that the Apostle makes the cause why those false Teachers did advance the worship of Angels introduce humane traditions and all to set up other means and wayes of Justification then the Scripture hath appointed It is saith he because they hold not the Head So that every Christian in the matter of all spirituall concernments is still to look up to Christ as the Head and not to let him goe and this he amplifieth from a two-fold precious effect of this Head The first respects the union of beleevers to Christ and so the body is said by joynts to receive nourishment that as the body hath it's nourishment suppeditated by those natural helpes so hath every Christian from Christ Now the joynt that suppeditates these spirituall helps is chiefly the Spirit of God So Romans 8.9 If any man have net the Spirit of Christ he is none of his So that as that is not a member truely united to the Head which is not informed with the same forme the Head is so neither is that Christian really united to Christ which wants the Spirit of Christ Now the Spirit of Christ is here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To administer nourishment The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to supply all those ornaments which were necessary to such as kept their sacred dancings and festivities but here it signifieth the supply of those things that are necessary for our spirituall end and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added amplifieth it denoting the full plentifull and abundant supply it giveth So that you see it 's Christs Spirit not ours which doth thus inable us The second benefit flowing from Christ our Head is of the Members themselves They by bands are knit together Now the band here is chiefly also the Spirit of God though gifts and graces doe ordinarily unite So the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 For we all by one Spirit are baptized into one body So that the Spirit of God which is in Christ doth also work in all beleevers inflaming and exciting to such graces whereby they have intimate communion one with another Now from these two benefits conjoyned we have the admirable fruit thereof that the body groweth with the increase of God The spirituall growth of Christians as in the body is called The increase of God partly because God onely is the efficient and cause of it partly formally because the nature of this increase is divine and heavenly partly finally because it is to the glory and honour of God So that by all this we see Every true member of Christ is a thriving and growing member and that harmoniously according to it's respective nature and all this comes wholly by the Spirit of Christ so that an unity in the harmonious increase of it depends solely upon him By this Explication the other fore-mentioned Text may also be discovered Lastly Christs being in us is the cause of the perpetuity and constancy of that Vnity the godly have This Union in Christs body can never be dissolved As the Personall Union of Christ could never be divided so neither the mysticall Therefore our sound Divines doe well from Christs in-dwelling in us propugne and assert the perseverance of the Saints Vse of Instruction
be full of blemishes yet when we present Christ by Faith then there is no fault to be found Lastly The vertue of this Sacrifice is to make us like Christ himself he thinketh it not enough to be King and Priest himself but he maketh us also Kings and Priests for ever We offer up Praiers and Praises to him and by him we conquer all our spiritual Enemies The devil and our lusts are subdued Such glory have all they that are partakers of this Sacrifice Vse of Terrour to all wicked and ungodly men who by their Unbelief and Prophanesse reject this Sacrifice The Apostle Heb. 10. cals it trampling upon the bloud of Christ and accounting it a prophane thing Oh how many thousand live that have no esteem and make no account of this Sacrifice Oh remember that this is the last and ultimate Sacrifice He that rejects this hath no more hope There remaineth no more oblation for sinne There is not another Christ or another Sacrifice if thou refuse this Vse 2. Of Encouragement to the Godly Come to this Fountain that is set open for Judah and Jerusalem to cleanse in Doe not say because Christ crucified is a stumbling block and foolishnesse to wicked men that therefore thou wilt disesteem him also There is no sore but this blood will heal and cure Oh let the blood of thy soul be stanched with this blood of Christ This blood speaks good and comfortable things better then that of Abel SERMON CI. Of Sanctification as the Effect of Christs Death Shewing That no man truly believeth in Christ for Justification that doth not also for Sanctification JOH 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the Truth WE are now come to the end of Christs Sanctification which is two-fold the finis cui and cujus We shall put them both together for so they are conjoyned in the following clause That they might be sanctified through the Truth Wherein you have 1. The final Cause 2. The Manner of accomplishing it The final Cause That they might be sanctified and from this the Socinian would argue That Sanctification in the former clause was not meant of an oblation by way of Sacrifice because the same word is applied to the Apostles in the Text and they were not to be sacrificed for us To answer this First Some Expositours do expound it of their offering up of themselves by Martyrdom to confirm the truth for Paul professeth his willingnesse herein using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 which was used of some kinde of their Sacrifices but we need not runne to that it 's no new thing in Scripture to use the same word in one verse in different significations and it 's a Rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur à subjectis The Apostles then needing not such a Sanctification as Christ applied to himself but that for which he prayed in the former verse We must understand it in the same sense as there It 's true by Sanctification some also will have Justification comprehended and so speak of an imputed Sanctification but we need not stretch the word violently but understand it first Of making inwardly holy and then consequently A setting apart and dedicating our selves wholly unto God by living unto him and thence observe That Christ died not only for our Justification but Sanctification also He made himself a Sacrifice not onely to remove the guilt of sinne but to remove and subdue the power of it not onely to make us happy but also holy Let us consider What is implied in this That Sanctification comes by Christs death And First We are to know that Christ is the Cause of our Sanctification several wayes partly efficiently for not only the Father and the Spirit but Christ himself also is the cause of all the holinesse we have and therefore he is called the life because he gives all supernatural life unto his and is compared to the vine Joh. 15. because as the branch separated from the Vine can bring forth no fruit so neither is a man able without Christ to do the least holy action he is also called the Head and John 1. Of his fulnesse we are all said to receive Thus as God in the course of nature is the authour of every natural gift therefore it 's said In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 So in the way of grace Christ is the authour and finisher as of our faith so of every holy work in us The Author Heb. 12.2 and therefore we cannot so much as begin or meet Christ he must prevent us and the finisher for although we have begun yet we have not the same manutenency and powerfull preservation what we have begun to build would immediately fall to the ground Thus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our spiritual life 2. Christ is the meritorious cause of our Sanctification and therefore not only remission of sin but holinesse and zeal is made the consequent of Christs death And the Apostle doth not only Rom. 7.8 shew that we are justified by Christ but also that the body of sinne is mortified thereby Thus Heb. 10. what Sanctification that Apostate had is attributed to the blood of Christ Christ then hath as efficaciously merited holinesse as happinesse He died to destroy the workes of the devil now our captivity to him was not onely in respect of guilt but that bondage and slavery we were in to all lusts and therefore those two benefits are like Castor and Pollux one cannot be without the other 3. Christ is in some large and improper sense called the formal cause of the good in us an assistant form not informing that is Christ received and applied by faith doth in a most inward and intimate manner live in us and thereby strengtheneth us so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I no longer live but Christ in me Here you see Christ liveth in a godly man for by faith we are united unto him and thus Christ becomes our Head from whom we have all spiritual influx Now an head is a conjoyned and united cause made one with the body and thus is Christ and his Church and therefore is that similitude of an Head and the Body so often used 4 Christ is the final cause of our Sanctification that is we are made holy to this end both that we might shew forth the praises and glory of Christ as our Redeemer as also that we should live to him and set all our affections and desires upon him desiring with Paul To know nothing but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 Secondly In that by Christs death we are sanctified there is implied That we of our selves are very impure and unclean that we are like so many noisome dunghils For our being unsanctified doth imply 1. Our filthiness or uncleanness this is the state of every man till sanctified by Christ he is like an unclean leper his
spoken oppositely to his divine nature so that to deny the humane nature of Christ though we should affirm he was God yet this is not to know Christ Therefore the Marcionists and some Anabaptists who said he had not a true reall body that he was only in the appearance of a man They do not know Christ 3. To know Jesus Christ implieth also that we have some understanding of his Offices Of his anointing with all sufficiency and fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us He that saith he knows Christ and doth not acknowledge him anointed by God with all fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us saith he knoweth not what Now the ignorance of Christs Office and his fulnesse therein doth wonderfully abound in Popery The devil in former times opposed the natures of Christ when he could no longer succeed that way then he opposeth the Offices of Christ all those doctrines of merits indulgencies and satisfactions do oppose the Offices of Christ for if Christ be the Messiah if he be the full Mediatour to what purpose are all these Although therefore in Popery there is the true doctrine retained about Christs Natures he is acknowledged to be God and man yet in respect of his Offices there is a total burying of him in silence Angels and Saints merits and indulgencies have even almost put out the very Name of Christ amongst them so then all acknowledging that Christ is not enough it must be a Scripture-confessing of him We must give him his full due not make him half a Mediatour half a Saviour and joyn ' our selves or others in this great work 4. To know Christ implieth also that we acknowledge the great love of the Father in sending his only Son thus to mediate for us Therefore it 's added whom thou hast sent and for this reason it 's said he that knoweth and honoureth the Son must know and honour the Father also Joh. 5.23 For from the Father comes the Spring of all this love He so loved the world that he gave his only Son Joh. 3. and certainly this is of great consequence to know the Father sent Christ into the world for hereby we may be assured that all the obedience and sufferings of Christ shall be accepted of by the Father We need not fear it or doubt of it for the Father did make the first motion as it were to the Sonne Though the Sonne also did readily and voluntarily undertake it Now how great a matter was this for God the Father to do Was not Christ the only begotten and beloved of the Father Did he not come out of his Fathers bosome to the Crosse and shall not this make us return all thankfulnesse and obedience unto him Lastly This must necessarily imply a knowledge of our misery and damnable condition by sinne For if we were not lost what need had we of a Saviour If we were not sinners what need of a Mediatour So that the acknowledging of a Christ sent into the world to be a Mediatour is the beleeving also of man by nature to be the childe of wrath the Enemy of God one who may not come into his presence or expect the least hope of mercy till an Advocate and Intercessour come and pleade his cause so that this Knowledge of a Christ should be accompanied with great affections and workings of heart it should breed shame fear and confusion in us it should breed an hungring and thirsting after Christ an esteem of him as the only Remedy In Christ only is our fulnesse our sins would undo us were it not for his righteousnesse our iniquities would overthrow us Did not be intercede blessed art thou then when this Knowledge is like fire in thy bosome kindling holy flames within thee Now here may be some Questions made 1. Doth not this exclude all that lived under the Old Testament dispensation from Salvation For howsoever they might know the true God yet was there any discovery or Knowledge of Christ in those daies This is so great a matter that some have looked upon all the Jews as knowing only temporall promises That they knew nothing of heaven but an earthly Canaan was their heaven That they had no Knowledge of Christ but thought by the bloud of Sacrifices to appease God But to answer this 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ and therefore rested in their Sacrifices and the knowledge of the Law as the only thing that made them acceptable This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these externall services that they thought themselves beloved of God though abounding in all wickednesse And no wonder they did so for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties and have no faith in Christ But 2. Those that were holy and godly they looked upon all their bodily Sacrifices as Types of Christ It was Christs bloud they put confidence in The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews shews that God intended Christ by those Sacrifices and that the bloud of Rams and Goats could never clense away sinne as this was Gods meaning so the Priests and Prophets they explained the meaning thereof to the people and sometimes they have clear promises of a Saviour a Messias to come to them who shall be a Prince of Peace and shall bear their sinnes for them as Isaiah speaks like an Evangelist to this purpose which made the Apostle say that the Prophets did bear witnesse of Christ Abraham he saw Christs day and rejoyced Act. 10.43 Now all the godly have the same faith Abraham had therefore he is made the Father of the Faithfull so that what was covered in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Christ they had and Mediation they had though the Knowledge of it was more obscure Hence the Gospel is said to rise like the Light of the Sun 2. It may be demanded why the Knowledge of the holy Ghost is not there said to be Eternal Life as well as of the Father and the Son for without the Spirit of God efficiently enabling us we cannot do any holy duty as well as without Christs merits we cannot be accepted Christ is the meritorious cause and the Spirit of God the applying cause To this we may say that the Knowledge of the Spirit is necessarily implied in the Knowledge of Christ For he was in respect of his humane nature conceived by the holy Ghost when he was to leave his Apostles bodily he promiseth his Spirit to supply his presence So that none can know Christ as a Mediatour that doth not also know the holy Ghost Hence be is called the Spirit of Christ And in the 2d place we may say it 's not necessary that this Text should speak of all things necessary to Salvation It 's enough that other places doe sufficiently testifie it Now that the knowledge of the holy
thus bruitish to worship that as a God which they themselves made That they should have no more understanding The Lord gave them up and as it was with the Jews though our Saviour did all those wonderfull miracles amongst them yet they did not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts Why The Lord had put this Veil upon their eyes and thus the Apostle plainly saith 2 Thes 2.11 God shall send them strong delusions to beleeve a lie a wofull curse when God sends this abroad when men shall be so strongly deluded that that which is a very notorious lye and falshood yet they shall beleeve it so that you are to walk with all fear and trembling lest God deliver you up to such strong delusions and these sins do much provoke God 1. Pride and self-conceit this undid the devil at first and this draweth many into the like condemnation The humble and the meek he will teach his way Psa 25. See you a man proud conceited never look for good from him he is not a fit Scholar for Christ It 's pride that lifts up so many to such high Pinacles of dangerous opinions from which they fall headlong God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble man Jam. 4.6 He resisteth the proud by not giving grace to him The proud man hath no grace to fear and tremble lest he be carried away with the errours of the wicked he thinketh not O Lord Am not I swallowing down poyson now Will not this infect me for ever 2. Vnfruitfulnesse under the Gospel Oh when men live wantonly under the Light They love not the Truths of God They do not conform to the practical power of them this seduceth likewise The Apostle in that mentioned place instanceth in this as the cause of that strong delusion Oh wonder not if the Spirit of giddinesse and errour fall upon many for they never had any true love to the Word of God They never had any saving delight in the waies of God so far as they could carnally advantage themselves by the knowledge of Christ have esteem and applause so long as they could be fed with loaves they followed Christ 3 A neglect of the godly and learned Ministry which God hath appointed he runneth into the Whales belly of all errours that runneth from the Ministry God appointeth and dislikes that The Scripture is plain Eph 4. He hath set Pastors and Teachers in his Church Why That henceforth we should not be carried with divers errours Therefore they are called guides and salt and Heb. 13. twice in one Chapter they are commanded to obey them that rule over them This is so plain Scripture that it's wonder men dare go against it but yet it 's no wonder for some deny the Scripture they say How can you prove Scripture Thus do men wilfully run from the light into darknesse from denying one truth and another till at last they deny Christ and the Scripture Vse 2. Hath Christ thus an eternal being then here we see his immutable and unchangeable affections to those that are his He is not as man subject to changes and alterations loving and then casting off again As God is immutable so also is Christ and therefore though the people of God be subject to many changes and variable affections yet they are to comfort themselves in Christ who is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Though thou art not the same yet Christ is the same Thou art sometimes beleeving sometimes again cast down sometimes thou enjoyest Christ and sometimes thou losest him and knowest not where to finde him O but Christ is alwaies in the same love in the same care over thee and this should provoke thee at last to get to the same disposition To be like Christ whatsoever changes conditions or alterations go over thy head still to be the same as the rock in the Sea the Sunne in the heavens 3. Is Christ Eternal then in the midst of all changes and alterarions here is ground of faith Though Instruments die though Ministers die though all supports of thy spiritual comfort fail yet Christ abideth ever Thus Christ promised his disciples he would be with them to the end of the world Mat. 28. How apt are we to think that the death of such Magistrates or such Ministers will wholly ruine the Church of God not considering that the Church hath an eternal head The people of God have alwaies preferred the welfare of the Church above their own particular Thus David preferred Jerusalem above all his joy Psa 137.6 and the remembrancers of the Lord are to give him no rest till he hath made Jerusalem a praise upon the earth Isa 62.7 As Nehemiah was afflicted though he had all personal honour and advantages while Jerusalem lay waste The affairs of the Church have alwaies affected upon the most eminent in godlinesse When godly learned men have died they have cried as he did to the Prophet The horsemen and charets of Israel but this should support under all Christ is eternal Though the Ship of Christ seem to be overwhelmed yet because Christ is in it it cannot suffer shipwrack Though outward violence should encrease Though heresies and errours overflow yet Christ is where he was he is the same he liveth and so the Church cannot lose her Pilot In what sad exigences were the disciples cast when Christ spake of bodily leaving them but as for his spiritual presence he will never forsake them and this is the reason why the Church of God hath been preserved though the whole world hath combined against it had they not had this eternal head in heaven it could not have been supported Hence he is called Isa 9. the eternal Father because he alwaies hath a spiritual seed Vse 4. Is Christ thus an Eternal God then let those wicked men that despise his Law and disobey his Commandments tremble and be afraid All those Jews and Pharisees that refused him to be their Saviour and all wicked men who do so in their lives they will finde they had to do with an eternal God Psa 2. It 's said he will break the Nations with a rod of Iron as easily as men do an earthen vessell You apprehend nothing but meekness and mercy in him but though a Lamb yet the ungodly are brought in crying to the Mountains to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6.16 Though he be thus a glorious God yet there are men that despise his Word that crample under their feet his bloud that will not have Christ reign over them that say Let us break his bonds O such shall know to their terrour that Christ is an eternal God Lastly Here is a Vse of Exhortation Is Christ thus Eternal then get him for thy self for thy children for thy self because he will bring thee to an Eternity Thy body shall be eternal thy life he will make an eternal life
when some eminent calamity comes near unto thee Then thou cryest out of sinne then thou speakest well of godlinesse but all this is forced It 's a Land-floud It 's a Morning dew why didst thou not in thy prosperity shew forth willing affections to God Vse 2. of Direction To humble the people of God that though there be so eminent and pregnant Reasons for their willing obedience yet they should be so dead so heartlesse so full of excuses as they are Oh is not this the sinne of every godly man May he not cry out of his slothfulnesse and barrennesse Are the things of God and Heaven as operative and lively upon thee as the things of the earth Oh how hard is thy heart many times like the Mountains of Gilboa whereon no dew fals Oh how often do they keep the door shut even when Christ knocketh so that if you ask wherein may the people of God fear their ruine most It may be said In their unwillingnesse in their deadnesse and coldnesse Oh how many times are we not so much as capable of that excuse our Saviour gave the Disciples The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak for how often is thy flesh weak and thy Spirit unwilling also For these things Gods children have cause to have poverty and shame of spirit within them We come to the fourth and last observable particular viz. That these words are such as the Father gave Christ to communicate to his Disciples so that Christ himself did not take upon him any other doctrine or preach any other matter then what he had received Hence he did so often say The doctrine was not his but his Fathers Joh. 7.16 Neither did he speak of himself but what he heard the Father Obs That the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach that and only that which they have out of Gods Word As Paul said That which I have received of the Lord that I delivered unto you And the Prophets Introduction is commonly Thus saith the Lord If Pythagoras Disciples were satisfied with nothing but ipse dixit how much rather must the beleever whose Faith in the very nature of it doth relate to some word or Testimony Hence it is that they are called the Embassadors of God 2 Cor. 4. And such must not go a word from their Commission We are to be Conduits not Fountains The Word of God must exire per te non a te as Bernard It 's the good thing committed to our trust 2 Tim. 1.14 We must therefore give the same that is committed unto us we have received gold we must not deliver copper Thou art not author but custos Religionis not Res ingenii but doctrinae To open this Consider It 's first Their duty So that they will be found guilty of high crimes if they doe otherwise To mint false coin or to forge a mans will are hainous faults amongst men Thine is greater for thou counterfeitest Gods Truth yea thou putst a lye upon God thou attributest that to him which belongeth to thy folly The Apostle saith If it be a mans will or Covenant none may adde to it or disanull it Gal. 3.15 how much rather should this be so in Gods Word Oh then consider thou wilt be found guilty of high Treason against God if thou speakest any thing but his Truth 2. As it 's our duty so it 's our glory It 's the greatest honour we are capable of to have such divine Mysteries committed to us the Truths of God have onely Majesty in them they onely convince the Conscience and awe it They onely breed reverence and admiration so that although humane Learning and parts have a subservient excellency yet if the Word of God and the Truth of God be not principall there is no mastering of the Conscience and captivating of it Hence are those commands to attend to their doctrine 1 Tim. 3.13 15 16. and to give themselves to reading that so they may deliver only Gods will as it is revealed in Gods Word It 's their glory as well as their duty for the glory of a thing lieth in the excellency of its due and proper perfection The glory of a King is a higher thing then the glory of a Peasant and in another nature All arts and Offices have their peculiar Glory Logick in disputing well Rhetorick in speaking well and the Glory of Divinity lieth in divine Arguments and Motives so that those who preach onely humane or moral matter they goe below the Majesty of Divinity Those that study words and fancy-fall things that may tickle the ear these regard not the gravity of their office nor of their emploiment But as in the Ecclesiastical History the Heathen said all the while a Christian argued with reason he could answer him but when he brought forth the Authority of the Word Thus saith the Lord then he had no more to reply Thus it 's here all the while thou hast strains of wit and preachest like an humane Orator not as one speaking the Oracles of God Men will hear thee and applaud thee but they will retain their lusts still they thâ—nk thou art not in earnest That thou lookest more to an expression that may please then to an Argument that may wound the heart and conscience It 's therefore the glory of a Minister to be potent in divine Scripture Truths 3. It 's his comfort and safety as well as his glory His comfort because his own heart tels him he hath not dealt deceitfully he hath not purloined he hath not corrupted or mixed the Word of God to serve mens lusts and pleasures He did not like the False Prophet daub with untempered mortar Paul found this a great Testimony of Conscience to himself 2 Cor. 3.17 Thou wilt have more comfort in Preaching Gods Word powerfully then in all the applause of hearers for thine own subtle Inventions Now as it 's their comfort so it s their safety They are sure not to do hurt to their flock when they alwaies break of the Bread of Life they may be sure this will nourish but thy own thoughts are many times poison and destruction Lastly It 's most usefull and profitable For they are the Scriptures only that are able to make us wise to Salvation 1 Tim. 3. From this Brook we can only get stones that will kill the Goliah The Word of God is an Hammer and a Fire and a two-eged Sword so that although to the swelling proud fancy of the world it may seem dulnesse and plain simplicity yet to the good and honest heart it 's the power and wisedom of God Vse of Instruction To the Ministers of God how narrowly they are to look to their Commission To preach Scripture-Truths such as will endure a fiery Triall For the Apostle saith Every mans work must be tried and he that builds hay and stubble shall suffer losse and he himself with much ado shall be saved Vse of
the Mother of Austin by her daily praiers was a means of converting Austin So that we may say of the ungodly as Samuel concerning the people of Israel though a stubborn and wicked Nation God forbid I should cease to pray for you And indeed if it be our duty to admonish and exhort others and with much patience to endure if it be possible to bring them out of the snares of sinne no doubt we are to pray that God would blesse such Reproofs That he would prepare the heart to receive them And again the very miserable and wretched estate they are in through sinne makes them fit Objects of praier There is never a prophane man that walloweth in his lusts blessing himself in his hearts desire but he is an Object of great pity Even as mad men that think themselves Great Persons when they are bound up in chains Seeing therefore they lie under such great misery and they feel not this They pity not nor pray for themselves This should make us that can pray to commend their estate to God And the rather because as Preaching of the Word so Praier is appointed as a means of Conversion but by the Word Ask and ye shall receive So that if I ask for Conversion If I pray for the Reformation of another my praier may be the Execution of Gods Election It 's by praier that God will make good this promise Oh how comfortable will it be to see thee a Father answered in praier for the conversion of thy Children That they are the Fruit of thy Praiers So likewise what rejoycing is it to a Minister when not onely his preaching but his praying for his people is answered That it is not all our duty to preach to you but pray for you as Christ did And what a joy is it if we see God answering our praiers in the conversion and reforming of one man It 's true there are some wicked men so highly prophane and so wilfully wicked that they greatly cool the heart of a godly man in Praier It 's said the Church shut Julian out of her praiers and there could not a greater and more sorer judgement befall him for that was futuri judicii prejudicium Vse 1. Is Praier thus hopefull in the behalf of the godly then this should teach the godly to be more fervent and constant in this duty for one another Paul though so eminent in office and graces yet again and again desireth the Churches praiers and he promiseth his praiers for them He informeth Philemon in particular that he makes mention of him in his praiers alwaies Thus you see what the godly have been used to do If David Psal 119.4 when his Enemies reviled him and reproached him yet he gave himself to Praier and humbled himself in Sackcloth for them what then would he do for those that were godly Psal 72. It 's made a great blessing unto Solomon that praier shall be made for him and the fervent Praier of a righteous man prevaileth much Jam. 5.16 If so why do we not stir up our selves more to this duty The Apostle James biddeth us confesse our sinnes and pray for one another in the same place Shall Christ pray for all his and wilt not thou Do not say It 's enough to pray in the general for Gods Church but thou art in particular to pray for others as their conditions and necessities require be moved hereunto First From the common body and fellowship that ye are in The Scripture delights to resemble the Communion of the Church under the similitude of a body to shew how near and conjoyned they are together If one member suffer shall not the Tongue pray for it If any part of thy own body be pained and grieved how much doth it affect thee thou shouldst have the same affections to those that are of the body of Christ Secondly Praiers are an instituted help and means to procure the good of others so that it 's a duty you owe Phil. 1.19 Paul trusted that all the opposition he had would turn to good by their praiers So then the afflictions the mercies that others are under prove good by Praier Oh how apt is one to consume another They are proud under such mercies They are impatient under such afflictions but thou that art thus apt to finde fault dost thou or hast thou praied for them It may be they are no better because thou hast not done thy duty Thou little thinkest how near their sinnes may come to thee Not that we are bound to mention by Name every godly man for that is infinite but as occasion draweth thee out and thou art desired making as much Conscience of praier for others as a debt thou owest or as a pledge thou art to restore Thirdly Fervent Praier for one another will take away all differences all jealousies and suspicions it will make the Godly of one heart and one minde Oh who can bewail the divisions of Jacob Not the garments but the body of Christ is now rent In former times it was said Behold how they love one another how they call one another Brethren but now what differences in opinion and other carnal contentions There is no Love and communion and there is no greater cause then neglect of this duty and it 's also an excellent remedy against all discontents Art thou apt to receive unkindnesses To think this or that hard dealing Go and pray for that man Oh how immediatly will it quiet those windes and waves Vse of Admonition To wicked men to avoid all impiety if not for other Reasons yet for this it makes other mens praiers the lesse effectuall It may be though thou art so vile and naught thou hast a godly Father or a godly Friend praying for thee Though thou art so ungodly thou hast a godly Minister praying for thee Oh do not raise so great a gulf between Heaven and their praiers as thy sinnes are When Lazarus was dead and buried in the grave Mary giveth it over as a desperate case If thou hadst been here he had not died saith she So are we apt to say Lord Praier for such before they come to be thus obstinate before they bave rebelled so much against the Light might have been hopeful But now what hope is there Take heed thou go not so far in sinning that God saith Pray no more for this man SERMON XLII The Excellency and Efficacy of Christs Mediatory Prayer Set forth in many Aggravations of it for the Consolation of the Godly JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world THE Subject of Christs Praier is here described First By the Relative particle them and although he speak strictly of his Disciples yet in the end of this Chapter he joyneth all Beleevers unto them So that the 2d Observation is That all the Children of God are under Christs Mediatory Praier Now the Children of God which are also called his Sheep are of two sorts 1. Those
Father So that this departure to the Father is the cause of all those dona sanctificantia and ministrantia in the Church Thy Faith thy Repentance thy Love of God and delight in holy things is because of this truth The third Benefit of Christs going to the Father is from one main end of it which is to prepare a place for his Children Indeed heaven was prepared for them from Eternity yet Christ Joh. 14.3 saith He goeth to prepare a place for them in an allusive sence It 's therefore for our infinite Consolation that Christ is gone to the Father for there he prepareth places of glory for us and mark the word v. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spoken in opposition to ours here where we are but Pilgrims and strangers In the earth we have only Tabernacles in heaven there are mansion places They continue there to all Eternity and further he saith many Mansion places That they might not think there is not room enough and withall it denotes the readinesse of Christ to entertain us as Rebeccah when she invited the strangers said We have straw and Provender and there is room enough So that Christ is gone to heaven to see that Thrones of glory he provided for his people Oh the Godly man dying if in his temptations is ready to think O my Soul whether art thou going What will become of thee where wilt thou lodge this night To this Faith should answer Christ hath prepared a place he hath provided a Rest and a dwelling-place and though thy Soul cannot be alwaies in thy body nor thy body alwaies in these houses we dwell in yet there is a mansion-place from which we shall never be removed 4. Christ goeth to his Father to be an Advocate and pleade our cause 1 Joh. 2. Heb. 7. He ever-liveth to make Intercession for us Christ is not so affected with that glory and honour God hath put upon him that he should forget the meanest of his children he dealeth not as Pharaohs Butler that forgat poor Ioseph when he was promoted No when we are not and cannot think or minde our selves yet Christ is commending our estate to the Father So that we have this glorious Friend speaking for us in the Court of Heaven whensoever any accusation is brought against us So that the godly soul while it sits sighing I am here sinning and offending of God may also remember at that very time there is a potent Advocate preventing all the dangers that may come by sinne 5. Christs departure from the Father is not an eternal departure He is not so gone as to leave us for ever but he will come again and take us to the Father also Ioh. 14.3 I will come again and receive you to my self that you may be where I am This is the utmost happinesse that a beleever can desire If it be such joy for the childe to be with his Father a wife with her Husband how transcendent is this mercy to be with Christ Therefore in this Chapter our Saviour praieth for it that his Disciples be where he is Now this being where Christ is doth comprehend the communication of all glory and blessednesse which Christ bestoweth on his people and that without any intermission Here in this life we have many clouds to intercept the Sun-beams with the Church through our unbelief and slothfulnesse we have lost our beloved so that many times the soul is straitned and crieth out where is he whom my Soul loveth But then and there we have a perpetual communion with him and if so be the enjoying of him by faith fill the soul with so much joy what will the immediate fruition of him do Thus you see that we are in a jejune speculative manner to say Christ by his death went to the Father but to be affectionately possessed with it as being the treasury of all consolation In the fourth general place By this phrase is signified to us that death could not detain Christ in the grave it could not hold him there so as to hinder his going to the Father By this therefore we see Christ hath triumphed over the devil and sin with all the effects of it The devil that prevailed by his Instrumens to put him to death would much more have kept him alwaies in the grave but his resurrection and ascension to heaven there to be with the Father in glory signifieth that he hath now overcome all his enemies and which is the godly mans comfort all his enemies likewise for Christ and the beleever have the same enemies if Christ overcome they overcome The devil is Christs Enemy and death was Christs Enemy as well as thine and it 's good to observe that death is called Christs Enemy 1 Cor. 15. Christ shall put all his Enemies under his feet The last Enemy that shall be destroied is death See then that death which is so terrible to thee which thou lookest on as an Enemy it is Christs and he hath overcome it Oh then what glad tidings should this be in our ears Christ hath ascended to the Father for that is as much as to say Neither sin or devil or grave could prevail over him and therefore he hath fully discharged the work of a Redeemer he hath paid to the utmost farthing so that the love and justice of God cannot but be satisfied by the atonement he hath made 5. It 's worth the observâ—ng that this expression of Christs I go to the Father doth put an excellent face upon that which is most terrible for that which was death and death in the most ignominious and cruel manner he expresseth in this lovely and desirable manner I go to the Father Those agonies and drops of bloud Those deep and strong cries My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he covers over with this amiable phrase I go to the Father Thus Christ out of the temptation called it so but in the temptation he asketh why he had forsaken him Not that Christ in his temptation was guilty of any sin or was capable of any sinful imperfection only he had not the same experimental feeling as at other times for when he had told his Disciples all should forsake him and leave him alone yet saith he I am not alone for my Father is with me Joh. 16.32 In his sad temptation he had not the experimental comfortable sense of this No marvel then if the godly finde a great alteration of themselves in a temptation they have not the comfortable sense and perswasion of that which they felt when not tempted for it was thus with Christ only without sin Lastly As Christ himself thus cals his death a going to the Father so may every beleever yea he ought to do so for though God be the Father of Christ by Eternal generation yet he is the Father of the beleever by a gracious Adoption Therefore our Saviour puts them togetheâ— I go to my
spiritual Vnity Insomuch that some have called the Spirit of God the holy bond of the Trinity It 's not a carnal bodily Unity but spiritual and thus ought the Ministers of the Gospel to be though they be of the same nature of the same flesh and bloud yet if they have not the same spirit composing and sanctifying of them they will be like ropes of sand This the Apostle urgeth admirably 1 Cor. 12. 4 c. and vers 13. where enumerating the several gifts and operations of Gods Spirit he still addeth It 's the same Spirit and by one Spirit we are all baptized in the same bond This then ought to be our Unity the holy Spirit of God is to move work and guide all our hearts and affections As it 's the same Soul that informeth all the parts of the body or as some Philosophers said There was one intellectus agens that was universal to all men There may be agreement for civil and political considerations but this will never hold till there be a spiritual Unity As Tully observed That all friendship founded upon bonum utile or jucundum would never endure unlesse they added bonum honestum We may adde further Even that moral honest good is not ground enough unlesse it be bonum spirituale If then the Spirit of God did work the same measure of illumination and sanctification in all there would not be any disagreement but though all godly men have the same Spirit yet not the same gifts or graces or degree of graces and for want of this cometh contention Secondly The Vnity between Father and Son is constant and individed There can never be a separation between them The Father and Sonne were alwayes one though the manifestation of this is more under the Gospel-light then it was under the Law and thus ought the Ministers of the Gospel to agree constantly perpetually for if at any time contention breaketh forth it proveth like a dead flie in a box of ointment it makes all the other good they have to be ill spoken of Let them never be so learned so godly so zealous yet discord will scandalize all and this constancy of Unity is to be preserved against all outward or inward causes of difference outward is the persecution and opposition of enemies to the Church of God inward is from our own corruptions and distempers Against both these we are to watch that so our peace be not weakned Thirdly The Vnity of the Father and the Sonne is an holy Vnity They are one in that which is holy and heavenly They onely will what is good and the Sunne may sooner become a dunghill then they will what is evil such an Unity let the Ministers of God endeavour after An unity in errour an unity in mischief and wickedness is such an unity as the devils have amongst themselves That unity amongst Papists which they boast of is it not like the unity of Herod and Pilate both agreeing against Christ Fourthly The Vnity of the Father and Sonne is full of love and bowels to mankinde They both are one in this to procure the salvation of believers The Father he wils to send his onely begotten Sonne to die that reproachful death and to be an atonement for mans sinnes The Sonne doth voluntarily and readily undertake this bitter cup then they are one to procure the salvation of man If the Father and the Sonne had disagreed no salvation had been possible Oh then that the Ministers of the Gospel would make this use of their Unity that they might all as one man endeavour the conversion and edification of souls How happy would it be to lay all differences and disputes aside that they might bring people to the saving knowledge of God What a spur should this be to us Shall the Father not think his Sonne too dear Shall the Sonne not think his bloud too dear for mens souls and shall we ruine souls by contentions Do we not take the devils work then upon us and not Christs Fifthly The Vnity of Father and Son is a well-ordered Vnity Though there be a Unity of Nature yet this breedeth not a confusion of the Persons The Father is the Father and the Sonne is the Sonne for all this Unity they are not unus though they he unum and thus the unity amongst Gods Ministers and the people must not degenerate into confusion The difference between shepherd and sheep between Governours and governed in the Church must be maintained When the Devil cannot divide then on the contrary he would bring unity into confusion The difference of gifts and offices shall not be kept up as Corah and his Company told Aaron They took too much upon them all the Congregation was holy as well as they But the Apostle though he presse unity fervently and that because we are one body yet he sheweth a difference between the members in that body every member is not the eye so neither is every one a Preacher an Officer in the Church This unity ends in all schism and disorder at last Lastly The Vnity of the Father and the Sonne is most perfect and absolute It 's an essential Unity and although we cannot have this Unity yet this should teach us to aâ—m at the highest degree of unity we can not to suffer the least grudging and repining thoughts not the least proud or envious thought against one another to love more then father or children then husband or wife or any kinde of relation that causeth unity for they are but one flesh This calleth for an higher unity We have heard the duty and necessity of unity as also the causes that break it what good remedies may be prescribed to keep this excellent harmony Although I shall not lanch into this whole point deferring it till vers 21. yet I shall name some First We are earnestly to pray to God to bestow such a spirit of concord It 's not the industry or policy of all the Conciliators Moderators and Pacificators in the world to bring this about but God onely can bend mens hearts for it Hence we see our Saviour praying to the Father for this agreement and God is called The God of peace because he only can make it in the Church and State It 's from Gods anger and wrath when an evil contentious spirit is amongst the Prophets as well as when he sends a lying spirit amongst them when the Temple was to be destroyed the rending of it was a prognostique of the desolation thereof and when God will unchurch a Church and make a Garden a Wilderness commonly divisions are the antecedent causes of it A second Rule is To rejoyce in the parts and gifts of others as much as our own when God is glorified by them and to be compassionately affected in the weaknesses and failings of others These two are necessarily joyned together and they are able to cement and unite all differences The former is to
Isa 6. called a fat heart from Cattell that doe grow fat in Fruitfull Pastures But above all places there is one more remarkable Eccles 8.11 Because Sentence is not speedily executed against the sinner Therefore the heart of the Sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill Fully set There is nothing can divert them they are resolved come hell and come devils they will have their way 6. Hypocrisie or a deceitfull pretending to matters of Religion when yet at the same time their hearts are carnal vile and unsanctified this was the Case of Iudas he never from the beginning did truly love Christ or in a saving way beleeve in Christ as appeaseth Ioh. 6.64 It 's true his hypocrisie was the more wonderful because they left all and followed Christ They were exposed to all hardship and hatred from the world who would not think that only pure ends had moved Iudas but yet you see that even in the poor and low way Christ was in yet Iudas could have false ends and there were temptations to draw out his carnal worldly heart whether he was a convinced hypocrite that lived in sins against conscience at first is hard to say But after he became the Bag-bearer and did daily steal from that publike stock which Christ had for the maintenance of himself and his Apostles then no doubt but he knew he did not walk uprightly and so was a grosse hypocrite Now this hypocrisie all along he discovers especially Mat. 26.7 in this History of Mary who anointed Christs feet with precious Oyntment at a dear rate Iudas murmured at this Iohn the Evangelist mentioneth him only â—e other make all the Apostles to murmure but either it is an Eâ—allage the plural for the singular number or else Iudas was the beginning of the Sedition he was Ringleader and put others on it But in this complaint of this See how speciously and religiously be covered his wickednesse Ad quid perditio haec saith this Son of perdition It might have been sold and given to the poor This he said saith the Evangelist not that he cared for the poor but because he was a Theef If all that had been put into the bagge he could have stolen from it and so enriched himself This was his hypocrisie Another instance is when he had agreed with the Priests about betraying of Christ his Master he comes and kisses him with an Hail Master this which appeared such an obsequious expression of love was made the very sign by which they should lay hold on Jesus and carry him away It is true some of the Ancients have much excused Iudas as if he intended only to cheat the High-Priests of their money because he thought that Christ could escape out of their hands as soon as he was apprehended for Iudas had observed before that when the people took him and intended to throw him down the Hill that he did in a strange miraculous manner convey himself from them but this cannot be for our Saviour had informed them that he must die though as yet his hour was not come that one of them should betray him and that Iudas was earnest and reall in this Treachery appeareth by this expression Whom I shall kisse that is he take him and leade him away diligently as fearing Christ might have escaped them or as it is translated Mat. 26.46 Hold him fast Thus in his most devilish actions he hath fair pretences and under this Visor perpetrares his abominations in like manner Absalom when he was upon that Treacherous design of unnatural rebellion against his Father he pretends a Vow and Piety to perform it Thus that cruell bloudy and deceitful Doeg on whom David acted by Gods Spirit doth pronounce so solemn Curses yet it is said of him 1 Sam. 29.7 He was detained before the Lord Though he was upon some speciall Vow or otherwise serving of God yet he could even then take occasion to inform Saul against David and be the cause of the death of many innocent Priests of the Lord and the Pharisees were so hypocritically Religious that they would not enter into Pilates house lest they should defile themselves when yet they could crucifie Christ Thus when men can harden themselves as they think to cosen God and men no wonder if they fall into perdition Lastly Men who become Sons of Perdition are such as willfully despair of Gods mercy and conclude there is no hope for them Iudas had committed grievous sinnes especially in betraying innocent bloud but his despair at last was worse then all the rest Even that bloud he had shed would have washed away that grievous sinne of shedding it had he by Faith sprinkled himself with it What made Cain so desperately continue in rebellion as was against God though with constant trembling upon him it was his despair My sins are greater then I can bear Thus as the devil when he possessed some bodies threw them in the fire and water so when he doth the soul by despair he violently hurleth them into hell Thus you have heard the inward cause of selfâ—destroiers there are some outward causes mentioned in the Scripture And they are 1. Evil and wicked company Men imboldened in sinne labour to make others so As Joab said to the young man that trembled to runne his Spear into Absalom Fear not saith he have not I loved thee Thus such great Ones such rich Ones or such a multitude they bid thee doe thus Why then shouldst thou regard what Ministers or the Scripture saith Art thou so foolish and precise to be awed with such things Thus Prov. 1. Old hardened sinners are brought in enticing the young man to be one of their company 2. When Satan takes greater hold and possession of men then formerly Thus he driveth them to hell that as you reade the devil entred into some Swine and threw them headlong into the Sea Thus he possessth some men and throweth them as violently into hell Judas before he sets upon this Treachery is said Joh. 13.27 Satan entred into him he entred into him and took full possession of his Soul Thus before Ananias and Saphira did in so horrible a manner lye and dissemble it 's said Act. 5.3 Satan had filled their heart and thus the Jews are said to be of their Father the devil There is a generation of men that have by way of curse the devil often in their mouths but he is much more in their hearts and such men none can stop from hell Lastly God by a just and severe judgement withdraweth or denieth all mollifying and softening grace to some men for their former sinnes and when thus left by God they are in a sencelss stupid and impudent estate of sinning Thus Pharaoh was left by God and then he was so hardned that no Miracles did him any good Vse of Instruction Marvell not if such desperate mad men live amongst you though they come to Church though they hear never
whereby we are called If Achan do secretly steal a wedge of gold when Joshua comes to know it he shall be troubled that troubled Israel and glory shall be given to God 1 Cor. 5. They are commanded to cast out from amongst them that wicked person and if any walk disorderly 2 Thes 3.14 Note that man and have no communion with him that he may be ashamed Such are a burthen a grief to those that are truly godly David can even weep Rivers of tears because of such That place is observable Joh. 13.21 Christ was troubled in Spirit and testified and said One of you shall betray me Judas was a trouble and a grief to Christs Spirit think not then that the truly godly own such any more then Job did the â—â—res upon his body or the Israelites did the Jebusites that were thorns and goads in their side Lastly Religion it self is the more to be prized for this sheweth the authority and command it hath over mens Consciences that none do ordinarily commit hainous trespasses but they are willing to put the vail of Religion upon them certainly this is so farre from disparaging that it rather advanceth Piety as being that which hath an universall Command every where men cannot commit iniquity before they blinde their eyes with some religious arguments The Pharisees made account they did all for the glory of God But you will say how cometh it about that any prove thus scandalous in the way of Religion Is not the way of it as comfortable and as blessed as it did at first promise Hath any thing that Christ said for our encouragement to follow him proved false Hath he deceived any so that they could say The Land of Canaan was not better then their old Egypt No in no wise only This is one great cause of mens miscarriage They take not up Religion at first upon pure and sincere motives It 's not from a renewed and regenerated principle within and therefore it being not from a good and sure foundation no wonder if at last all fall to the ground Our Saviour spake often to this Point as being indeed the summe of all What is that which perswadeth thee and prevaileth with thee to follow Christ Is it from an heavenly principle to an heavenly End Go on and God will be with thee But if some other carnal or insincere motive put thee on know that when the temptation comes thou wilt prove an offence Painting will melt away when it comes near the fire The un-rooted Tree will fall to the ground when the Windes shall shake it mightily SERMON LXXII Of the Sonne of Perdition JOHN 17.12 But the Sonne of Perdition I Shall at this time finish the good Observations from so bad an instance For as through the perfidiousness of this sonne of perdition though he intended it not God wrought the greatest salvation that could be insomuch that in this sense we may call his fact an happy sinne So through a divine consideration of this sad example we may receive the greatest good and with an holy skill turn this poison into nourishment for the sins and destructions of wicked men are written for our instruction as well as the good life and mercies of the godly As Abel though dead speaks â—o Judas though damned crieth to all to take warning from him Two Observations I shall briefly dispatch at this time The first whereas you see Judas thus hopefully and forwardly beginning leaving all with the other Apostles to follow Christ and that in a contemned persecuted manner yet at last dreadfully and finally to revolt from all Observe That unlesse men are carefull at first to look to their grounds and motives why they take upon them the profession of Christs way they will never hold out but one time or other forsake and revolt from all A sure and sound beginning will ever have a blessed and happy ending but when men upon slight and insincere motives look towards Christ at first such build upon the sand and their fall will be great Our Saviour spake many Parables especially that of the foolish builder and of the stony and thorny ground for this end that men should be well advised upon what terms they at first undertake for him Hence it is that when some voluntarily profered their service and obedience to Christ Christ presently informeth them of the difficulty of that work of the contrariety of it to flesh and blood that they had better never begin then afterwards to fall off hence he so solemnly bids them to remember Lots wife Luk. 17.32 and that he who hath put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdome of Heaven Seeing therefore this is often to be seen though it be very sad That many who have been once zealous and hopefull for Gods way yet afterwards decline totally and are not the men they were Let us consider what it is to set rightly at first upon the owning of Christ to lay a sure foundation at first And First Then are our beginnings hopefull when the Spirit of God in the Ministry or other means of grace did work upon us When it was not meer education under good Governours when it was not the acquaintance and company we had with those that feared God but some inward experimental work of Gods grace upon our own hearts Alas let a man be never so fervent so overtopping others and even to admiration shew himself in holinesse yet if it hath not been the work of Gods Spirit effectually moving upon his heart he is but like a Land-flood which though swelling high upon much rain yet when a drought comes will be presently dried up It 's not meer nature or externall restraint from sinnes or any sudden motions in our own spirit that will ever hold out We reade 2 Chron 24.22 of Joash who in his latter age did most wickedly degenerate when yet in his former times he was very forward in repairing the Temple of God and shewed more zeal to Gods glory then the Priests did But what was the ground Jehoiada the high Priest had a great hand over him he helped him to the Kingdom and engaged him to God several wayes but when this good man was dead he becomes a Wolf and puts Zachariah Jehoiada his sonne that had been such a kinde Uncle to him to death and that meerly because he reproved them for their sinnes So that though here was some external restraining of Joash yet there was no internal renovation by Gods Spirit Now I make a sure foundation to lie in these two The Spirits work by the Ministry in an ordinary way because one is the efficient and the other the subordinate and instrumental cause Hence our conversion our regeneration and spiritual begetting anew is constantly attributed to the Word preached as the ordinary cause and the Word preached is but as a dead letter without the Spirit Oh then runne to the fountain of thy owning of
is a grief thou must be grieved for how many sad thoughts and tears will require more sad thoughts and tears Vse of Instruction on the contrary It 's Christs special will that all who live wickedly should have no comfort Wo to ye that laugh and there is no peace to the wicked Isa 57.21 SERMON LXXVIII The severall Sorts of Joy and the Nature of Spirituall Joy Shewing also how farre it transcends and differs from Worldly Joy JOHN 17.13 That they might have my Joy fulfilled in themselves THese words are the finall cause of Christs solemn prayer for his Disciples Wherein you have The Benefit it self described and the Manner of possessing of it The Benefit it self is My Joy This may be understood Actively and Passively Actively for that joy which Christ might take from his Disciples being preserved in purity of Doctrine and Unity amongst themselves Thus some understand it and parallel a like place Phil. 2 2· where Paul bids them fulfill his joy which was the joy he would take by seeing their happy agreement but because it 's said in the Text That this joy may be fulfilled in the Disciples themselves Therefore it is more consonant to understand it passively of that joy which the Disciples took in him and the benefits flowing from him So that it may be called Christs joy both effectively because he is the Authour and giver of it as also objectively because it is in him in divine and holy things not in the world much lesse in the pleasures of sin Now the Manner of possessing is that it may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled up that they might have a good measure of joy overflowing he would have every part of the soul filled with it and every kinde of joy yea degree of it some superficiall joy for the degree of it or some transient joy for the continuance of it doth not answer our Saviours prayer it must be filled up Lastly Here is the Subject recipient of it in themselves This say some is spoken oppositely to worldly joy to such as men take in the pleasures of the world these are but in the face in the countenance they are not cordial and hearty Observ 1. That there is a joy in Christ which his people are to have fulfilled in them As they are to be filled with grace so with consolations and one floweth from the other though not naturally It 's of great concernment to treat of this joy because the people of God look upon it as a thing above their reach They are convinced of repentance of humiliation but not of walking joyfully There is a three-fold Joy 1. A Naturall Joy which is an implanted affection in a man and of it self simply considered is not a sin 2. There is a Sinnefull Joy which runneth into two streams either when the Object is wholly unlawfull when it 's a forbidden Tree and we may not eat of it And thus to rejoyce in our evil doings to take delight in the wayes of wickednesse this is a wicked joy that will end in tormenting sorrow and it argueth a wretched distemper of the soul otherwise it would finde sinne to be terrible and bitter but through the corrupted constitution of the heart it comes about that they delight in sinne as distempered stomacks do in coales ashes or such drosse Again there is a sinnefull joy when the Object matter is lawfull but then we exceed in the measure in the bounds or limits we over-joy The water runnes over the bank and then it gets soyl and it 's as hard to rejoyce in these things and to sinne not as it is to be angry and sinne not 3. There is a gracious and an heavenly Joy when the soul delights it self in God and Christ in all heavenly Objects For though to wicked men these things are a burden yet to an heavenly heart they are the most connaturall Object They are the proper center of the soul as David often professeth his joy in the Lord It 's of this we are to speak of only we must inform you something of joy in the generall The Philosophers speak of a three-fold affection sutable to one another There is Love which is carried out to an Object that is good simply considered There is Desire which moveth to some good thing but absent and not yet obtained And then there is Joy which ariseth from the obtaining and possessing of it And answerable to these there are Divine Graces and supernatural works of Gods Spirit in the soul There is the Love of God which next to Faith is of the greatest glory and activity in the soul 2. There are Desires and earnest longings after God to which hunger and thirst a promise is made of being fully satisfied 3. There is Joy which ariseth from the enjoyment of God onely you must know there is Gaudium viae a joy we have while in the way to Heaven which admits of much increase and meeteth with much opposition and there is Gaudium Patriae a joy in Heaven where the soul will then be so filled that it cannot receive any more To know the nature of this Joy Consider First That the efficient cause of it is onely God The Spirit of God is called the Comforter as you heard because he alone poureth it into the heart as the Heavens onely give rain and it 's called Gal 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit which doth imply that it comes solely by Gods Spirit and that there is excellent sweetnesse in it Lusts are called the workes of the flesh but this with other Graces The fruit of the Spirit Hence it is that as in respect of Regeneration the Spirit bloweth where it listeth So also in respect of Consolation How many of Gods children walk with much consolation and abound in much joy And others again go bowed down and greatly tempted not obtaining comfort though they would give a world for it So that as the Husbandman cannot have rain when he would nor the Merchant winde when he would neither can the godly have comfort when they would as appeareth by David praying so earnestly for the Joy he had lost It 's the fruit of the Spirit Therefore joy doth not flow from Graces exercised as by a natural resultancy as heat doth from the fire and light from the Sunne but by Gods voluntary dispensation of it The Schoolmen use to say That a man doth not merit that is their proud phrase by rejoycing in God or good things but by his Love which was antecedent and from which joy they say floweth by a naturall necessity But the Scripture makes these two Love and Joy two distinct works of Gods Spirit and that they are separable experience confirmeth it for many men that are high in Grace are low in Comfort As the tall Mountains have few flowers on them or Mines of Gold little grasse covering them Secondly To this Christian Joy is required a knowledge of God and faith in him as revealed
but yet how common is it for such who know and read the Word of God yet not to be reformed in their lives thereby Though they look in this glass yet they wash not those loathsome spots that are upon them conclude the Scriptures are not in their proper use to thee till they have reformed thee from such sins as thou didst formerly live in 3. The people of God though they have a spiritual life within them yet under desertions and temptations finde not the Word of God effectual for joy and consolations till God bring such texts and such promises close to their soul That we saith Paul through the Scriptures might have consolations 2 Cor. 1. And David doth often acknowledge That the word of God did comfort and revive him but let a godly man groaning under the guilt of sinne hear the sound of the Gospel a thousand times over yet he will remain like dried bones and a parched wilderness till God sanctifie it Oh how often have the people of God desired comfort and assurance read over the promises again and again gone to the Ministers of the Gospel to have oyl poured in their wounds yet not the Law but even the Gospel hath been made a dead letter till the Spirit of God doth comfort in and by it the Word then of God though instrumental yet is but instrumentall it 's not a principal Fourthly When we say it 's Instrumentall to Sanctification we are to distinguish of instrumental causes For there are Physical and Natural Instruments which work by an inherent and natural power and there are Moral Instruments which work by the sole institution and appointment of another Now the Word of God is not instrumental to Sanctification in the former but in the later way The Word doth not by any inherent vertue and efficacy in a natural manner purifie the heart but by Gods appointment and his voluntary co-operation when and where he will For if it did work thus naturally then wheresoever the Word is preached it would sanctifie it would heal As the fire whereever it is in one Countrey as well as in another it doth burn but experience doth confute this Are there not two hearing the Word of God the one is sanctified the other not At the same Sermon one is humbled made tender The other is more obstinate and hardened Whence comes all this diversity under the Word preached but because it is not a natural instrument Again If the word of God did convert and sanctifie naturally then the grace of God could not so much be amplified and magnified which yet the Scriptures do Though it be Gods goodness that the Sunne shineth the fire burneth yet we do not speak of it or call it his grace but if the Word of God ever touch and heat any mans heart if it ever reform his life this is the meer grace of God By which it appeareth That the Word of God is instrumental only by Gods institution and where he commands it to work there it works where he requireth it to break down all oppositions there it hurrieth all down before it Insomuch that sometimes the most unlikely and prophanest enemies to godliness they are changed by the Word and those that are very ingenuous and civilly disposed remain in a perverse opposition 5. When we say The Word of God is instrumentall to our Sanctification this is not to be opposed to those other causes which God hath appointed Grace is the efficient cause and Christ the meritorious cause onely this is the medium God who could convert immediately and reach home to our souls as he did to the Prophets by an immediate Revelation hath taken this way That as it 's the goodness of God in natural things though he be the first and universall cause and so could do all things immediately himself yet he hath ordained second causes who have their derived causality Thus it hath pleased God in the Government of his Church to use means and external helps the Word and Sacraments thereby to work grace when yet he could change the hearts of men immediately or communicate himself to his Church as he did once without Scriptures When therefore you hear many oppose the Scripture to the Spirit and the Ministry in the Church to Christs teaching this is absurd and tends to the division of those causes which God hath so wisely joyned together The Spirit and the Scripture must not be opposed nor Christs teaching and the Ministers for that Rule is true here Quando duorum unum est propter aliud sunt ut unum Sixthly The Word thus made known is the ordinary means both of our beginning and increase in Sanctification Two things are couched in this particular 1. It 's the ordinary means so that what God may do in extraordinary cases is not for us to dispute but ordinarily there is no other way to beget and increase grace but this Neither may we say this is dishonourable to God to binde him to one way for it hath pleased himself to appoint the communication of his grace by the Word ordinarily so that as in naturall things he will give light to the world only by the Sunne though he could do otherwise Therefore the Sunne was not made till the fourth day to shew us that God could give light to the world without a Sunne Thus it is also in spiritual things though God could otherwise communicate his graces yet he hath pleased to appoint this ordinary way So that there is no expectation of the Spirit but in the Word as the Word can no wayes avail without the Spirit and it 's the goodness of God that he hath commanded all spirits to be tried by this Rule and if not conforming to it to reject them which could not be if the voice of the Spirit could be heard any other way but in and by the Scriptures we then are bound to come to this pool if we will have the divine moving not of an Angel but of the Spirit of God As the Israelite that would escape death was to keep within his doors and those within the Ark who would enjoy Gods Protection Thus must such keep within the bounds of the Scripture who expect Gods Spirit to guide them But although we are thus bound to expect Sanctification onely in this means yet we cannot say that God hath bound himself to work these effects alwayes for though he will not ordinarily dispense his grace but in this way yet he will not alwayes accompany this way yea it 's the savour of death to many 2 Cor. 2 16. Hence in the seventh place The word of God though it be ex se and quoad institutionem an instrument of Sanctification yet to some accidentally through their corruption it becomes an instrument of greater sinfulnesse and wickednesse So that commonly there are no greater sinners under Heaven then in the Church and in the Church none greater then where the best and
for our comfort that every believer though yet unborn was in Christs purpose and intention when he laid down his life as if they had been existent in the land of the living In the sixth place By this intention of Christ in his prayer and death it will inevitably and immutably be brought about that they shall in time be converted they shall believe and be brought into communion and fellowship with Christ For seeing as we have heard Christ could not but be heard in what he prayed for and the Father alwayes granted his Petition therefore it cannot be but that all those who are given to Christ shall one time or other be wrought upon by the Word Thus it 's said They believed Act. 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternal life and the Apostles were to go and preach in such places because God had much people there Act. 18. and Rom. 9. the Apostle doth fully shew That Election is the cause of all mercies vouchsafed in time and those who were not elected they were hardened and given up to a spirit of slumber Oh then the admirable love of God to those that are his there shall not be one of them but the Word of grace will finde them out They that were not his people shall be made his people Joh. 10. I have other sheep saith Christ that are not of this fold and those he will bring home Hence Rom. 8. we have that golden Chain which all the Arminian subtilties can never dissolve Whom he hath predestinated he hath called and whom he hath called he hath justified and those he hath justified he hath glorified To expound calling only of vocation to afflictions and to the cross and Justification only of the vindicating of their persons and cause against the calumnies of the world is too dilute and repugnant to the scope of the Apostle in that place we may then absolutely conclude of the conversion and believing of such who belong to Christ and that the Word preached will sometimes or other be effectual upon them In the last place It 's plain from hence That Gods Election and so Christs dying for us is not conditional or upon the supposition of our believing but our belief is the true and genuine effect of Election and Christs death For whereas Christ here prayeth for those who shall believe The Question may be Whether this belief be supposed as a Condition Antecedent to Election and Christs death or as an absolute Effect of both so that Christ doth not only pray for believers but also that they may be believers There is a great Controversie between Arminians and the Orthodox for they say God elected some such persons to eternal life indeed and gave them to Christ as a Mediatour but it was upon a supposition and fore-sight that they would believe and persevere in that faith to the end But the Orthodox do more consonantly to the Scripture and to the greater exaltation of Gods grace and magnifying of Christ affirm That God by one single act of the same time did elect a man both to grace and glory both to salvation and faith So that God did not elect us because he foresaw we would believe but he did elect us to believe as well as to salvation So that faith is not a condition but the effect and fruit of our Election This is a necessary truth to be proved and therefore the next day it is to be considered for the present I take it for granted That those who shall believe are such not who by their own power shall either believe or dispose themselves to it but who by the grace of God shall be inabled thereunto For the present consider the aggravation of this love of God in Christ to us before we had a being And 1. There is remarkable freenesse in it of grace if positively and absolutely considered For what could there be in us to move God to this mercy when we could not think or cry or pray or do any thing for our good even then God set his love upon us It was nothing in us seeing we were in the womb of nothing 2. This freeness is aggravated if comparatively considered for it 's the grace of God that makes some to believe and leaveth others in their natural corruption The Apostle considered this discriminating love of God to Jacob and Esau Rom. 9. before they had done either good or evil Oh then sit and admire the depth of grace the unsearchable riches of grace for what art thou to so many learned and noble men in the world to so many of thy own kindred and family that God hath past by yet took compassion on thee Didst thou not lie equally in the same mass of corruption and bondage to all sin 3. There is the Eternity of this love it was before the beginning of the world So that we cannot imagine any moment of time wherein Gods thoughts were not upon thee Lastly The unchangeablenesse of this love for the Councels of God and his purpose are immutable There is no change or shadow of change in him and therefore if once loved alwayes loved he predestinated thee before the world called thee out of the world justifieth thee in the world and will glorifie thee after the world Vse What infinite cause of praise and glory the people of God have Well mayest thou call upon thy soul and all within thee to praise God Well may this be the burden of every Psalm For his mercy endureth for ever yea if thou hadst the hearts of all men and Angels this were not enough neither can Eternity be long enough to glorifie God in this particular SERMON CVI. Of both the Moving Cause and Effects of Election and of Christs Prayer and Death Against Arminians and others JOH 17.20 But for them also who shall beleeve in me through their Word WE come to a Second Observation from the circumstance of the future tense Who shall beleeve in me For as was intimated there may be a twofold sence of these words 1. That this future Faith is mentioned as an effect and fruit of being given to Christ as also of Christs Prayer and Death for them So that he doth not only pray for them which shall beleeve but also that they may beleeve and in this sense the Orthodox interpret it Or 2. It may be interpreted as if Faith were here supposed as a condition on our part antecedaneous both to Gods Election and also Christs Intercession and death So that the sence should be These were given to Christ and Christ he praied and died for them because it was foreseen by God that such would beleeve upon the means of grace offered and others not In this sence Meisner a Lutheran urgeth it and thus all Arminians and others must take it who hold that we were Elected from a foresight of our Faith and perseverance therein But that this cannot be the meaning of our Saviour is evident because the ground of
an evident comprehensive knowledge for then it would be science strictly so called but it hath a plain knowledge of the testimony or authority that revealeth it and also some apprehensive though not comprehensive knowledge of that we do believe Hence Paul saith I know whom I have believed 2 Cor. 4.13 And again How shall they believe unlesse they have heard Rom. 10. And this discovers the sad condition of thousands who say they believe in Christ and yet have no true knowledge about him 2. There is required to this justifying faith a firm and lively assent to the whole word of God For unless this be laid as a foundation there cannot be any building upon it Insomuch that we see the Scripture sometimes attributing salvation to the belief that Christ was able and that God was powerfull not that by that object they were justified only that was the particular in which the doubt and difficulty did seem to be so that it was not exclusive of that special act of faith but inclusive of it and indeed this is necessary to be known that justifying faith doth carry a man out even to Historical or Dogmatical matter respectively to Justification So that when a justified person believeth any temporal promise or the power of God it doth not simply and ultimately believe them as such but as they represent God a Father in Christ so that he believeth the power of God as of a Father in Christ and all the temporal promises are looked upon as Yea and Amen in Christ so that this is to be observed by the believer There is nothing true in the Scripture but justifying faith fetcheth filial arguments from it and makes him sensible of that peace and reconciliation with God in Christ And indeed to believe all the truths in Scripture doth beget fear and horrour unless this justifying faith qualifie it The devils believe and tremble so the meer dogmatist he believeth but hath cause to tremble for till every thing be brought to Christ that as God reconciled all things in heaven and earth through him so if thou reduce all things in the Scripture to Christ even the threatning part to him because fulfilled by him thou wilt have solid comfort Thus as it 's with man because he is rational all those animal acts which are common to him with beasts yet are reductively and participatively rational so in the godly man all those general acts of faith are reduced to justifying as the summe of all SERMON CVIII Of Justifying Faith Shewing what things are necessary thereunto And how or in what method the Spirit of God enableth the humbled soul to beleeve JOH 17.20 But for them also who shall beleeve on me SEveral particulars have been given in to the clearing of the nature of justifying Faith The last we were upon was to inform what goeth to the being of it and two Ingredients have been dispatched viz. Knowledge and assent Proceed we therefore to a third thing and that is 3. A deep sence and feeling of the burthen of sinne with some sorrow and humiliation thereupon The Law must work in the discovery of the disease before the Gospel doth in manifestation of the Remedy There must be the pain and smart of a sting felt ere there be any earnest beholding of the brazen Serpent Our Saviour said The sick needed the Physician When Paul by the light of the Law found himself out of measure sinfull then he began to seek after the unsearchable Riches of Gods grace Come unto me all ye that are heavy loaden and I will ease you saith Christ Mat. 11.28 Faith that is the easing and reposing of the troubled Spirit It is disputed whether Repentance go before Faith and indeed there is an Evangelical Repentance whereby the heart is melted with grief for sinne because God is so gracious a Father in Christ and this must necessarily follow Faith but then there is a Legal sorrow for sinne arising from Gods just hatred against it which breeds great trouble and confusion in the soul before it hath laid hold on Christ and this precedeth Faith Of this our Saviour speaks Mat. 21.32 Ye repented not that ye might beleeve And so Peters hearers Act. 2. were pricked at the heart before they were directed into Evangelicall Repentance and Faith There is then a fence of our undone estate going before this justifying Faith whereby a man findes himself utterly lost all his desirable things perish sinne that was once so beloved by him is as Tamar to Amnon hated more then ever he loved it Now he would throw it out of doors the sight and memory of it is grievous to him I presse not such a measure or degree of sorrow it worketh so much in all that there is a displacency and abhorrency in sinne as that which is the cause of all misery Hence in the 4th place followeth a conviction and perswasion of minde that there is no Creature in Heaven or Earth no nor nothing that he can do is able to justifie him or bring Reconciliation with God The Spirit of God Joh. 14. that doth convince of sinne in the first place doth afterward of a Righteousnesse That there is no Righteousnesse to be had but in Christ only If so be a man be no further convinced then of his sinne and disease thinking to make medicines and plaisters of his own thereby to heal himself This man will alwaies be kept in a wandring Wildernesse What was it that made so many run into Monasteries undertake strict waies of Discipline and mortification They had but an half Conviction They felt wofull troubles and agonies in their Souls for sinne They could not tell what to do as Luther professed of himself while a Papist but not being convinced of true Righteousnesse They ran to miserable Comforters and so skinned the Soar when the putrifying humour was still within but that Soul which the grace of God will carry on to Justification doth not only finde sinne manifested but the insufficiency of all Creature Righteousnesse he seeth with Noah that unlesse he get into an Ark there is nothing but overflowing waters every where While then this stone is squaring for an Heavenly building he is instructed in his own lost and undone Condition Being therefore thus fully perswaded that in himself he is a dead and a damned man In the 5th He proceedeth to an actual renouncing of every thing but Christ He seeth there is no remedy in the world for him but by Christ He abhorâ—eth all those Doctrines and practises in Religion which he did put confidence in as if they could save him Phil. 3. You see this method in Paul when once his eyes were opened then all the priviledges that were formerly counted gain he looked upon them as losse yea as dung in comparison of the Knowledge of Christ Now certainly this is a great work of Gods Spirit not only to make a man renounce his sinnes but his works of Righteousnesse also for this
unity is seen in the sympathizing that all believers have one with another and that in respect of mourning and rejoycing In respect of those that mourn So we are to weep and mourn with them We are to bear one anothers burdens We are to be affected with the Churches calamities as being also of the body As the Apostle said the care of all Churches lay upon him 2 Cor. 11.28 Who was afflicted and he did not burn the same proportionably is to be in every believer Therefore this unity of believers should be vigorous this way what evils what exercises befall others they should be affected with them as their own This discovers they are lively members of the body for if Christ though in Heaven was sensible of the persecutions done by Paul against the Church saying Why persecutest thou me how much rather should every particular member account the temptations of others as his own As it is thus for mourning so also for rejoycing there ought to be such an unity among believers that we are to rejoyce in the gifts graces and good things that others have as if they were our own But O the self-love the envy the repinings that are apt to be in one godly man against another The spirit in us lusteth to envy saith the Apostle even in believers Hence are those daily exhortations against grudgings murmurings and envyings one against another and these are made the fruit of the flesh because where the Spirit of God worketh and enliveneth there is joy peace and long-suffering all graces contrary to such unquiet distempers Now this is very difficult to flesh and bloud that those parts and gifts which obscure thine and those good things in others that seem to hinder thine yet to rejoyce and blesse God for them as if it were to thy own self but this spiritual and mystical unity will enable thee thereunto Neither is the Sun or air more requisite then this union no wonder if our Saviour doth thus affectionately pray for it 6. This union is seen in their mutual striving together in promoting the Kingdome and glory of Christ They all have the same heart the same shoulders the same tongue to blesse and praise God They are like so many servants in the same house all promoting and furthering their masters work That as the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. saith all the Officers are one He that plants and he that waters are one because they agree in one end which is to set forward the work of God Thus it is here Though there be never so much variety in the gifts and graces and conditions of Gods people yet they are all one in this work The Glory of God is the end they all look upon Thus you see in how many particulars this Unity diffuseth it self In the third place We are to know that the invisible unity doth extend it self farther then the visible For this is to the visible Church only but that to the invisible So that in this respect there is an unity between all believers that ever have been with Enoch Abel Abraham and all that of old ever were This is believed in that which usually is called the Apostles Creed I believe the Catholike Church Sometimes there was added the one Catholike Church and this is believed and not seen but by this it is that all the godly who have been are and ever shall be make up one body All Christs sheep will have one sheepfold So that there is an invisible Union where there cannot be a visible one In the fourth place Concerning this visible Union for we make these all one you are to know some are of this unity both visibly and invisibly externally and internally and in appearance Now such only who are both waies of this Unity enjoy God are indeed members of Christ and receive benefit by him but the other are only in name and title like a withered branch in a Tree or an artificiall eye or leg which though joyned to the body yet receive no life or nourishment thereof Think it not therefore enough to be of this unity many have gloried and rested on this that they are of such and such a Church yet their condemnation is greater then those of Sodom and Gomorrha In the fifth place This unity therefore when it 's true and advantagious doth first terminate on Christ and then descends to others Hence it 's added That they may be one in us There must be first an unity with Christ the Head and then it extends to other members So that this is to be looked upon as the foundation and cause of all there must be first an incorporating into Christ He that is joyned to the Lord is made one spirit with him Lastly This Union visible is not interrupted in some effects of it by distance of place For in regard of praier there every one is remembred when the Churth is praied for So that the poor Christian who cannot pray for himself yet hath the praiers of the whole Church of God what a comfortable refreshing should this be to every godly soul Vse of Exhortation to lay to heart more the divisions differences and breaches that are among the godly Learn of Christ here to be affected with the unity of the Church and again and again he commended peace to them We are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem God is the God of peace the Gospel is the Gospel of peace Believers are called the children of peace Take heed of being a Jonah in this Ship Let not thy pride thy conceits thy discontents make thee tear and rend the Church that Jerusalem may be as a City compact together SERMON CXIII Of Vnity among Christians the Benefits and Necessity of it And the mischief of Division JOHN 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee c. WE have declared the Nature of this Unity Let us now consider the Excellency Benefit and Necessity of Union amongst the godly and the mischiefs of breaches and differences amongst them First The Excellency and Necessity of it appeareth in the vehement and affectionate prayer for it made by our Saviour When he puts the whole company of believers together he pitcheth upon this as the most eminent That they may be one And although our Saviour had not the Spirit in measure and so could not vainly repeat the same thing often yet within a little space he doth four times mention this vers 21 22 23. Now certainly that thing which our Saviour in whom the treasures of all wisdom are did much press and urge must needs be of very great moment here is not pardon of their sins Justification Adoption Glorification mentioned but Vnity as if the whole kingdome of grace and glory did consist in this obtain this and you have all and our Saviour as he pray'd then so he preached Love and Unity so that whereas in matter of Justification he commended Faith above
this unity of order is preserved the Church it self and godlinesse is preserved Thirdly This unity is consistent with such graces that yet have an outward appearance of dissolving unity as zeal for the glory of God sharp and severe reproof of such as go astray to suffer no heresies or prophanenesse after admonition in such who are of the Church And certainly this is much to be observed As there is a sinfull and foolish pity when men would not have justice done against notorious offenders which pity to the wicked is truly called cruelty to the good for he that is pitifull to the wolf is cruell to the sheep So there is a counterfeit disguised unity and love and that is when because of this peace and agreement no damnable heresie no corrupt or evil way is to be severely dealt with and a Scripture-way taken to stop the progresse of it If this were true then Ahab did upon good grounds call Elijah a troubler of Israel because his zeal would not bear the Idolatries then practised If this were true then all the godly Prophets were justly discouraged because they reproved the sinfull wayes of the times they lived in Yea then Christ himself and his Apostles were justly condemned for the zeal of God did so eat them up that they reproved not only the grosse Idolatries but almost every petty superstitious way What shall we think the Apostle Paul who doth so often commend the spirit of love and meekness That there be no hatred or strife amongst them yet when he saith I would they were cut off that trouble you Gal. 5.12 and their mouths must be stopt Tit. 2.11 that speak perverse things that he forgets his own rule and becomes an incendiary in the Church or shall we think the Apostle John who presseth love in every verse and sheweth He that hateth his brother is like Cain a murderer and of the devil yet when he saith If any one bring any other Doctrine then you have received 2 epist John 10 receive not that man into your house or bid him God speed that now he hath forgot his own spirit that his honey is turned into gall Be then fully perswaded that the unity and love Christ prayeth for doth not oppose Scripture-zeal and courage against any prophane and erroneous wayes It doth not bring in a compliance and symbolizing with all heresies and prophanenesse It doth not erect a Temple as the Romans did to all gods Nor make the Church like the Ark wherein all beasts clean and unclean were received No such remisness breaketh unity as the strings not well-wound up cannot make any melodious sound and the paralytical members of the body for want of the due firmnesse cause many feeble operations There is a Sect called the Family of Love as if they only had peace and unity amongst them but they would have all things even wives common and so their unity is a fomenter of sinne and confounds those relations God hath distinguished These Cautions premised Let us consider what remedies are fit to heal these wounds As in the natural bâ—dy a wound is Solutio continui so in this spiritual body of the Church and as to wounds unless there be wisdome and skill they are made worse by Empericks Thus unless there be proportionable and fit remedies applied with wisdom and compassion the breach is made greater And First There are two remedies and they are in extreams The one suggested by the Popish party the other by the Socinian The first is A rigid imperious and tyrannical commanding of an uniformity and approbation in every punctilio and minute particular So that no dissent or liberty shall be allowed to a man though humble and peaceable earnestly desiring to finde out the truth This tyranny came into the Church betimes What a large breach did Victor Bishop of Rome make in the Church about the determinate time of keeping of Easter whom Irenaeus did gravely oppose Certainly the Apostle Rom. 14. in matters of lesse concernment where men may erre salvâ fide or when men build only hay and stubble not laying other foundations doth there command a charitable carriage between the strong Christian and the weak It 's true the least truth of Christ is precious and we are not to deny it but yet it is not violently to be obtruded unlesse where there is eternal damnation inevitable if that truth be not received Our Saviour speaks excellently to that Matth. 9.17 If new wine be put into old bottles the bottles break while men impose opinions or practices of less consequence upon a people not prepared in stead of unity they make many fractions yet this way of unity hath much infested the Church and especially when men have been in power They have pressed unity not so much out of love to Christ as thereby to keep up their interest As Musculus observeth of the souldiers that would not have Christs coat divided every one hoping thereby to have it all Thus when Luther reformed nothing was more ordinarily preached by the Papists then the inconsutilis tunica the seamless coat of Christ which made Luther call them Inconsutilistae and Tunicastri Now all this endeavour to have such an uniformity was not out of love to Christs Church but their own power and therefore they were afraid of divisions lest they should overthrow their kingdom Certainly to such austere and severe imposers That of Austin is often to be re-minded Saeviunt illi qui nesciunt c. let them rage and persecute who know not with what prayers and tears it is given to understand but a little of Gods truth yet this political way of unity hath been long in the Church Aut subscribe aut discede was a speech of old in the Church 2. There is another false way of unity extreamly opposite to this strenuously propugned by the Socinian and that is A licentious and unbounded Toleration of damnable heresies and Idolatries which Julian also studiously promoted thereby to overthrow the Christian Religion Now as the former way of unity hath been propugned by those who had power in the Church so this latter by those who have been the oppressed party for the Scripture decides a middle way between these two principles Hence Rev. 2. Chap. 3. The Angels of the Church are commended when they did not suffer or could not bear such as published unsound Doctrine and therefore those who did suffer such are reproved I say the Angels of the Church for we are treating of Church-peace and liberty not political and external which is not comprehended in this Petition Certainly the Apostles in their Epistles doe as much if not more set against false Doctrines and false Teachers as they do against corrupt practices Hence 1 Tim. 1.20 Hymeneus and Alexander for their blasphemies and false doctrines are by Paul delivered up to Satan and Tit. 3.10 we have an universall Rule given An heretique after the first and second
seed was sowne the Devil superseminated his Tares In a wildernesse or a place of weeds he would not have been so diligent Therefore breaches and divisions because they are a kinde or part of afflictions and troubles may sooner accompany the true Church then outward unity and prosperity Lastly We grant That if the Church of God were fully perfected both in respect of knowledge and holinesse it would alwayes have unity As we see in Heaven where there is no difference at all but because we know in part we are godly in part therefore these breaches may be made upon us Discord then and division may be in an imperfect Church but not a perfect Therefore our Saviours prayer will have it's accomplishment only in Heaven Let us now proceed to shew Why unity is such an attractive and a divine loadstone to bring others unto the faith And First Because it 's ingraffed in a man to cleave to such a way of Religion as will abide and continue Have any Nations changed their god saith the Prophet Jeremy 2.11 You see the States-man argued on this ground that they should not oppose the Christians for if that Religion were of God it would stand Act. 5.39 Now this is a clear axiom confirmed also by our Saviour That no Kingdome divided against it self can stand Luk. 11.17 By that Argument our Saviour proveth he could not cast out Devils by the help of the Devils for then the Devil would overthrow his owne Kingdome Divisions then and differences must needs be a stumbling block for who will go into that house which hath it's chiefest parts falling from one another Who would venture in that ship which is full of leaks Do not all say let them alone they will destroy one another there needs no outward force to ruine them they will consume themselves at last Secondly Divisions must needs put a stop to the progresse of truth because God is acknowledged by all to be a God of peace and of order The Apostle useth this consideration to restrain those confusions and disorderly customs the Christians had in their publique Assemblies 1 Cor. 14. If then God be a God of peace and order how can any man think his truth and people are there where all disorder and confusion is It 's Babel and not Jerusalem that in the building thereof men were so confounded that they understood not the language of one another Jam. 3.16 Where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Now every one is apt to argue certainly if this were the way of God if these were the people of God there would not be such confusion amongst them God that made this great world in such excellent order would much more make his Church his choicest plant more beautifull Thirdly Divisions do retard the Gospel Because men who have any wayes heard of the holy Ghost that he alone it is who leadeth into all truth will quickly conclude that this Spirit cannot be against it self And this is the more observable because every party doth pretend to the Spirit of God which is the cause of that command 1 John 3.1 To try the Spirits and not to believe every spirit that is Doctrine pretended to be of the Spirit if then all parties do plead Gods Spirit and it's teaching they are the more confirmed in their unbelief when they see contrary spirits of contrary doctrines and that with great zeal condemning each other Thus we have shewed you what a world of hurt divisions amongst the godly do insomuch that it is a wonderfull work of God that any are brought off from their former vain conversation when the spirit of division hath so sadly reigned amongst us Wonder not if conversion be so rare a thing if so few come in cordially to own Christ for sad offences are made by these differences and such as cause them do as much as in them lieth that never any more one soul may be brought into Heavens way In the next place Let us consider what are those proper sins that divisions amongst the godly are apt to breed in the world And The first is Atheism and irreligion to be perswaded that there is no such thing as a true Religion but that such things are the fancies and imaginations of men No doubt but thousands are confirmed in their atheistical way they will believe there is no God at all no Religion better then another for they see the world cannot agree about it 2. It breedeth stiffnesse and obstinacy in their former erroneous and superstitious wayes No doubt this keepeth multitudes hardened in their Popish wayes and many silly people they will keep to their old way and why because there are so many wayes and every one hath a Religion for himself therefore they will stay where they are they know not whither they may stumble at last They think to go out of their old wayes is to go out of their old wits likewise at the same time Lastly It 's apt to breed ficklenesse inconstancy and scepticism Are there not many called Seekers that think there is now no Church since the Apostles times and therefore are in their souls what Cain in his body vagabonds about the earth and whence is all this The bitter root of this was diversity of opinions which they entertain one after another which at last makes them quite without any bottom at all Vse of Instruction to every Christian again and again to take heed of causing divisions in the Church of God Be afraid by any opinion or practice to make an unnecessary rent for doest thou not as much as lieth in thee to hinder all others from coming to the Kingdom of Heaven Will not this be a sad aggravation when men damned in hell shall plead Lord I was coming even I was hopefully inclining to such things but this man and that man by his division stopt me he made me a proselyte to some pernicious way while I was going to Christ Had not such a man been in the way I had never been seduced Certainly if our Saviour pronounce such a woe to those by whom offences come how sore will it fall upon those who make these offences in the highest nature Vse 2. To take heed that these divisions prove not a snare to thee bewail dividing times but look they do not divide thee and God thee and truth but do thou 1. Walk humbly renouncing thy own strength for it 's God not thy self must preserve thee 2. Pray much for the Spirit of God to give thee that unction and senses exercised to discern between good and evil 3. Take heed of fomenting differences and making the wounds wider but with the good Samaritan bring oil not salt to the wounds Lastly Let this make thee long for Heaven where the strifes of brethren will then cease SERMON CXX A Consideration of Faith in its Generall Nature as Dogmaticall or Historicall carried out to Scripture-Truths because of Divine Authority
is not the devil still suggesting this unto thee if thou be the Sonne of God then it would be thus and thus with thee Gods children never do as thou doest Now this temptation hath so farre prevailed by Satans instigation upon some of Gods people that they have wholly given over to pray that they dared not to presume to pray And why because God is not their Father they may no more pray then the damned in hell So that the godly man is left in a wofull desolate estate all the while this truth doth not reign in his heart that God is his Father 3. This perswasion of God being our Father is of so great consequence that the Spirit of God is sent on purpose into our hearts for this very work Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Father So that as we remain blind and darkned in mind till the Spirit lead us into all truth that as we remain unholy and cleaving to our lusts till the Spirit sanctifie us so we do also remain in a doubting unbelieving and dejected disposition till God send this Spirit into our hearts so that when a man is humbled for sinne and feels the load of his transgressions it must be more then humane power yea or all the counsels and directions of the ablest Ministers that can inable such an one to call him Father Oh how often doth such a tempted soul say Oh that I could call him Father Oh that I could delight in him as a Father But now when this Spirit of Adoption cometh into our hearts see with what efficacy and power it cometh it maketh us to cry that denoteth earnestness vehemency and also confidence undauntedness notwithstanding the roaring cries of the devil and conscience to the contrary and thus it enableth us to cry Abba Father by way of ingemination implying that it is not once but twice yea often for indeed if the Spirit of God did not constantly thus keep up a filial frame every new failing would cast us back into a meer darknesse and confusion Therefore the Spirit of God hath this office of being a Comforter because we of our selves cannot sow that seed in our own souls 4. This is necessary because this only raiseth sweet comfortable and delightfull thoughts of God The relation of a Father is sweet and what a great difference is there between a childe praying to a tender father and a malefactor to a severe Judge David once said He remembred God and was troubled Certainly the more we think of God and his Attributes Omnipotent Wise Holy Righteous if not a Father the more terrible and dreadfull is the apprehension of him It 's necessary to have good endeared thoughts of God therefore the devils and the damned who are of the farthest distance from God they have hard and raging thoughts against him It being therefore necessary to keep up such thoughts in the soul as these Let God afflict smite destroy yet he is just and righteous yea and to be loved now this cannot be unless this faith is strongly carried out unto him as a Father 5. Perswasion of God as a Father is necessary because this only will produce faith and confidence in those that pray with such an assurance Now faith is the very soul and life of prayer He that prayeth believing shall receive and James exhorts Let him ask in faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. Our Saviour told the woman It should be according to her faith So that unbelief makes our prayers like a messenger without hands or feet and if so How shall we get our prayers animated with this grace Nothing conduceth more to this then the Meditation of God as a Father when this is assented to then it easily believeth God will do all necessary good for it such a Father will not give a stone to his childe when he asketh bread Thus Mat. 5. our Saviour maketh this an argument against all distracting fears and cares Your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of Why is it that after prayer thy heart is as much troubled and disquieted as if the request had never been made known to God but only because faith did not reign and predominate in thy heart concerning Gods fatherly relation to thee 6. Perswasion of God as a Father is necessary because hereby the heart will be quickned to all those holy and filial dispositiâ—ns which ought to be in children If ye call him Father 1 Pet. 1.17 c. Passe your sojourning here with an holy fear The Scripture apprehension of a Father will not beget security and a licentious life but rather it will cause an holy reverence and a diligent attendance to avoid all those sins that may offend and provoke The Spirit of adoption is also a Spirit of Sanctification being born of God he doth not he cannot sin for how abominable and uneffectual would our prayers be if we should joyn prophaneness to those duties In stead of obtaining mercy we may justly expect that God would pour out greater wrath whereas a due and right apprehension of God as a Father will make a gracious and humble disposition in the soul Vse of Exhortation to the people of God that they strengthen and confirm this relation to them as much as may be Pray for that Spirit of Adoption which will inable thee to cry Abba Father Oh know that all the cause of thy disquietness distractions and diffidence of Spirit in thee ariseth from unbelief in this point If thou believe God is thy Father then sin is forgiven then no good thing will be denied thee This Father will treasure up for thee yea the properties of this Father are wonderfully quickning he is an omnipotent Father and so can do all things he is a compassionate Father and so will do all things he takes upon him both the bowels of Father and Mother also Parents have been hardned to their children as the Prophet observeth but God cannot be He is a wise Father and so ordereth every thing for the best This if duly considered would free thee from all distrustfull cares and thou wouldst learn from thy own childe to walk depending upon God casting all thy burden upon him because thou seest it taking no care what it shall eat or what it shall put on but resteth it self wholly upon it's Fathers care The second thing observable in the Text is The manner of Christs expression his Petition I will Father I will Some think this an expression not of prayer but of Christs just demand of his right to that which he had as God and therefore they think that whereas before he prayed as a man here he interposeth himself as God as thus Austin of old Omnipotenti patri se velle dixit omnipotens filius Others they make it an expression of prayer because in the former part the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used and thus Mark 10.35 when James and John
all its idolatry impiety and that it is indeed wholly at the will of the devil And this suggests a 2d Demonstration that the world doth not know God because the devil is the immediate Prince of it He that is called the Prince of darknesse is likewise said to be the god of this world This is fully expressed 2 Cor. 2.4 where the god of this world is said to blinde the mindes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them Therefore you have a notable description of the devils from the Soveraignty and power they have Eph 6.12 where they are called principalities and powers and rulers of the darknesse of this world how wofull then is the condition of the world of ungodly men who are thus made captive to the devils and are ensnared at their will That as they themselves are reserved in chains of darknesse so do they keep all their vassals they are chains of darknesse such as those who are in a dark dungeon and such as they cannot break neither have the wicked any desire to do it and therefore they never say to the devils chains as the ungodly do to Christs dominion Let us break his bonds asunder and cast his yoke away Psal 2. As long then as this strong one keeps the house for the whole world is his house no wonder if he make it like hell it self yea he makes the world by his ruling in it worse then hell in some sence for in hell he is tied up in some degree of torments but in the world he is let loose to infect and damn others though not without his torments 3. The world must needs be without all saving knowledge of God from the defect or absence of those causes which do alone cause saving knowledge So that as the world at first when it was a confused Chaos without form and void could not make a glorious light to appear upon it but that was Gods work whom the Apostle doth therefore describe as him that worketh darknesse out of light 2 Cor. 4 6. alluding to the work of grace which is now upon the world So neither is the world wallowing in its filth and thick darkness able to create the least light of saving knowledge but must for ever perish if God vouchsafe not his grace Now these causes are wanting which necessarily infer ignorance in the world Even as the absence of the Sun makes night 1. There is not the external Revelation and propounding of the doctrine to be believed unless God in much mercy send it Hence you may see that once in Judea only was the true knowledge of God and the whole world besides groped in more then Egyptian darkness and now though God hath commanded this light to shine over the whole world So that it is not limited to any one Nation yet a great part of the world still is heathenish So that they are darkned and become foolish in all their imaginations The denying of the Gospel is a greater misery then if the Sun should be denied to shine to such a people Now it 's God only that makes this light to shine in one place leaving the other in its darkness Even the Pelagians of old did acknowledge this grace of God necessary viz. a revelation and proposition of the object 2. Besides this external light the world wants that internal light of illumination without which the Gospel though never so gloriously preached is but like the Sun shining at noon day to a blinde man for this is made the work of Gods Spirit only Joh. 16.8 to reprove the world of sin and of righteousnesse Till the Spirit of God doth illuminate in both these the world doth not understand the horrible guilt and aggravation of sin the damnable estate and condition it is in thereby Neither doth it know what is that righteousnesse which only can justifie and where it is to be had so that the world even the wisest and most learned thereof are but like so many blinde moles digging constantly in the earth Neither affected with their disease or with the remedy till Gods Spirit doth wonderfully convince them and this is evidently seen in the Christian world For doth not the glorious light of the Gospel compasse men about yet they are like owles the blinder because of this light Insomuch that such blindenesse of minde is not amongst heathens as amongst impenitent and hardened Christians for besides the natural blindeness which they have common with heathens there is a judicial blindenesse that God smiteth them with for unfruitfullnesse and contempt of the Gospel Thus they are twice blinde as some are said to be twice dead Is it not matter of astonishment that a people living many years under constant and powerful preaching should yet he as brute beasts and understand nothing of their misery and the remedy Surely all this is because that judgement is come upon Israel even blindeness of minde and a veil upon their hearts 3. The world knoweth not God because it hath not that ultimate and compleat cause of all saving knowledge which is the spirit of regeneration and the work of a new creature upon their souls for till God give this heart of flesh and remove an heart of stone all the illumination and strongest convictions which men have upon them is not enough to make them know as they ought to know The Apostle Tit. 1.1 speaks of an acknowledgement of truth after godlines now that is only when a mans heart is mollified as well as his minde is enlightned It 's true the Scripture speaks of some 2 Pet. 2.20 who by the knowledge of God did escape the pollutions of the world but that was only in respect of external conversation for they were in their natures Swine still and not sheep It cannot then be that the world should know God and Christ as long as there is that corrupt enmity and spirit of rebellion and contrariety in it to what is holy Christ told Peter that it was not flesh and bloud which had revealed Mat 16.17 that glorious Confession of faith unto him If then the world be thus without the spirit of God enlightening and converting how then can it in any saving way acknowledge God Vse of Instruction Concerning the terrible condition of the perishing world whether within or without the Church yea it is most terrible to those who are the world really but the Church nominally You are shut out from the face of God and Christ You are without hope in the world Oh your greatnesse your pleasures will not avail to keep you from destruction This is Eternall life to know God and Jesus Christ This then is eternal death not to know him 2. That no knowledge of God or Christ which is not practical and saving deserveth the name of Christian knowledge The world though both by nature and supernatural revelation may know much of God yet because lying and living in
15 16 463 Acts. 17 23 91 17 27 585 20 27 424 26 22 388 Romans 1 21 92 1 17 174 6 19 206 9 5 99 10 2 77 12 1 456 12 10 431 1 Corinthians 1 14 115 1 2 516 2 17 424 3 8 563 6 20 257 6 7 587 8 4 5 90 8 2 94 11 19 389 15 22 44 15 47 435 2 Corinthians 2 15 348 4 6 606 5 16 334 11 20 17 Galatians 1 4 175 3 28 524 4 16 430 6 17 126 Ephesians 2 2 189 2 3 363 4 1 3 4 571 5 2 502 Philippians 2 10 28 2 2 407 2 15 514 3 1 401 3 20 454 3 9 549 4 18 502 Colossians 1 16 150 2 20 45 2 20 171 2 5 596 2 9 629 2 19 635 3 1 454 1 Thessalonians 2 13 478 2 Thessalonians 1 3 189 3 2 254 1 Timothy 1 16 532 4 16 484 5 10 424 6 20 424 6 2 526 2 Timothy 1 9 149 1 9 533 3 16 390 3 15 479 Hebrews 2 7 46 4 9 126 5 14 633 10 29 464 11 26 32 11 24 18 11 3 155 13 18 151 James 2 11 201 4 3 7 4 6 153 5 16 141 1 Peter 1 3 146 1 5 307 1 23 24 479 2 20 554 2 7 686 4 18 355 4 12 389 4 14 15   16. 421 2 Peter 1 6 273 3 17 316 3 12 456 1 John 2 20 513 2 2 278 2 19 360 3 8 344 3 19 552 5 16 230 3 John  2 460 Jude  3 316 Revelation 3 4 364 21 27 364 22 12 464 FINIS * Of the reason why Christ imposed on some new names see Casauâ— ad Annal. Exerc. 13. In his Apology pag. 8. To all Instructions and Consolations Praier is necessary for their good effect Reasons I. On Gods part 1. God is the sole fountain and authour of all grace 2. That all the praise may redound to him 3. Because God in anger many times doth blast the Word to men for their sins II. From the nature of Preaching and what kinde of cause the Word is of conversion 1. The Word converts not necessarily 2. Nor as a natural cause 3. It s efficacy is only by Gods Institution according to his command and good pleasure III. Because of mans inability to what is good Vse Doct. That all our praiers should come from a spiritual and heavenly heart The requisites to spiritual praier 1. The Spirits enabling and moving the soul to this duty 2. An heavenly heart 3. When the heart and affections are purified and made fit for the enjoyment of God 4. Heavenly praier moveth the heart to more love and delight in heavenly things Vse Why we should pray with the tongue In vocal praier there must be a threefold attention How Christ being God could pray Doct. That all the godly are under the benefit of Christs Mediatory praier I. The matter of Christs praier for his Children 1. All grace 2. Pardon of sin 3. 4. Glorification II. The nature of his praier by way of Mediation III. The dignity of the Person praying IV. His relation to God the Father Whether Christ was heard in every thing he praied for or no. V. Christs praier had all the qualifications requisite to acceptation VI. A condition or medium of good things Why Praier is needfull notwithstanding Gods knowledge and unchangeableness VII Christs praier sanctifieth our praiers Doct. Those praiers successefull that are put up to God as a Father To open this Consider 1. All by nature are in a state of enmity against God 2. The state of Sonship is purchased by Christ 3. We cannot call God Father but by the Spirit of Adoption What frame of heart this compellation Father may breed in every childe of God Why the Title Father so much prevails with God Vse Doct. That God doth appoint times and seasons for his great works I. In relation to Christ II. Gods other dispensations 1. A time is set for the Reformation of his Church 2. God lets wicked men have their time 3. A set time for judgement 4. The hour of every mans death is set 5. There is a remarkable set time of grace wherein God may be found 6. The times of the Churches troubles and deliverances are set Vse How Christ who is God can be glorified Whether Christ did merit glory for himself Doct. It was the holy and wise will of God to glorifie Christ Christs being invested with glory redounds to the advantage of his members 1. It 's a demonstration of his conquest over all our enemies 2. Because of rhat near relation that is between us 3. His glorification a cause of ours 4. In his glorified estaâ—e he is pleading for us 5. It encourageth us to lift up our hearts to heaven The nature of this glory which Christ praied for There were three degrees to it Wherein this glory of Christ doth consist Doct. We should desire comforts and advantages chiefly that God may be glorified I. Christ did so 1. In his humiliation 2. In his exaltation II. Much more should all men be affected more with Gods glory then their own good The goods of a godly man 1. Heavenly 2. Earthly The principles constituent of such a gracious disposition 1. He must be born again that can do it 2. He must have great love to God 3. And be mortified to the world Reasons 1. God doth all things for his own glory 2. From the nature of Gods glory and all earthly comforts respectively 3. Because of the greatnesse of Gods glory and the value of it 4. Else we are guilty of spirituall Idolatry Vse The Text vindicated against 1. The Arians 2. The Ubiquitarian Lutherans 3. Papists Doct. Observe these particulars to clear the nature of Christs power I. Christs dominion universal II. The administration of Christs power is by his Spirit III. Of Christs dominion over the consciences of men IV. The chief effects of Christs power are spirituall V. It is infinite power VI. It is arbitrary in the use of it In what particulars Christs dominion appears 1. In appointing a Ministry for the conversion of souls 2. In giving successe to the means of grace III. Enlightning the Understanding IV. V. The Fountain of Grace VI. The giver of glory VII Forgive and pardon sin VII The great Law-giver IX And supporter and comforter of his people X. The Judge of the world XI And the subduer of his and his Churches enemies Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse of Consolation Doct. That not all but some of mankinde are given by God the Father to Christ to be redeemed by him How warily the doctrine of predestination should be preached The Doctrine repeated Corollaries from hence I. From the Father giving 1. The Father is the original Fountain of all good 2. That the Father expects the salvation of those he hath given to Christ 3. No cause to doubt of Gods accepting of Christs Mediation 4. All that the Father gives to Christ shall