God converted Firmius Omnipotency needeth no outward advantage So in Publick Deliverances Gods Instruments are usually despicable a Straw is as good as a Spear in the hands of Omnipotence Most of the Iudges that rescued Israel were taken from the Plough and Sheepfold So for Judgments God by weak means punishes Sinners Egypt was plagued with Flies and Lice they were strong to execute Gods Word 3. By working with contrary means Christ used Clay and Spittle that one would think should put out the Eyes to restore sight to the blind Man Ioseph was first made a Slave and then a Favourite his Brethren first sell him and then worship him he is cast into the Dungeon to be preferred to Court There are strange Contrivances and Contrarieties in Providence the way seemeth contrary to the Aim and the Means disproportionable to the End When we see great Confusions in the World we wonder how this should tend to oGds Glory and the Churches good and are apt to say as Ioshua chap. 7.9 What wilt thou do unto thy great name And as the Prophet Amos 7.2 By whom shall Iacob arise for he is small We wonder how God means to save when Babylon destroyeth and how Confusion and Mischief can end in Order and Beauty But Gods knows the sufficiency of his own Power and is able to bring about these things to bring Light out of Darkness and one contrary out of another 2. The Acts of Providence they are three Conservation Gubernation and Ordination 1. Conservation Conserving and keeping all Creatures in their Being Therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the word of his power Isa. 22.23 24. I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Fathers house And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his Fathers house If God should take away the shoulder of his Providence all things would return to their first nothing and vanish and disappear as a Seal upon the Waters the Impression is defaced assoon as the Seal is gone Providence is a continual Creation every thing that is kept in Working and Being is as it were newly born newly brought forth newly produced nay Chrysostome saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something greater than Creation as it is more to support a burden long in the Air than to raise it up from the Earth so it is more to keep all things from returning to nothing than to educe and bring them out of nothing That 's the Reason why the Holy Ghost speaks in the present Tense Psalm 104.2 Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain And Isa. 40.22 It is he that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in It is not in the future Tense because God is alwaies a stretching them out So our Saviour Iohn 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work Though there be a cessation of work in regard of new kinds yet there is a continuation of work in regard of their Preservation and God's Providential Influence The Power which raised from nothing must still preserve from nothing Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things This Solomon intends when he saith Prov. 20.12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them He doth not mean Spiritually but Naturally he doth not only give the Faculty but the Exercise as he gives the Eye so the seeing and as he gives the Ear so the Hearing This could not be done without new Acts of Providence Assistance and Supportation from God Therefore we read Hagar did not see the Well of Water till the Lord opened her Eyes Gen. 21.19 And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water So the Disciples Luke 24.31 And their eyes were opened and they saw him When the Lord suspended his influence the Fire could not burn the three Children God did not destroy the property of the Fire but only suspended the Efficacy of it No Creature can put forth it self in a way of Operation without a new Providential assistance from God 2. Gubernation or governing all things according to his Will and Pleasure All things keep their course for God sitteth at the Helm and steereth all Dan. 4.35 He doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What doest thou God doth all according to his pleasure he is not confined by any External Law nor straitned by the course of Nature but acts with a great deal of Soveraignty and Freedom and sometimes inverts the Order of Second Causes God's Will is sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Pleasure is all There are indeed some standing Ordinances of Nature as the Ordinances of Sun and Moon and the Covenant of Day and Night Ier. 31.35 Thus saith the Lord which giveth the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of moon and stars for a light by night And Gen. 8.22 While the earth remaineth seed-time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease God can alter the course of these as in Ioshua's time and at Christs Death there was three dayes darkness in Egypt Matth. 5.45 He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust There is nothing so casual but it is governed by God and falls under the Ordination of his wise Counsel It is said 1 Kings 22.34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the King of Israel between the joynts of the harness It was a meer chance as to him but God directed it into the sides of the King So Exod 21.13 If a man lye not in wait but God deliver him into his hand compared with Deut. 19.5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to how wood and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree and the head slippeth from the helve and lighteth upon his neighbour that he dye God slew him There is nothing so casual but it is directed by the wise Ordination of God Prov. 16.33 The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposal thereof is of the Lord. There seems to be nothing so trivial and casual as the casting the Lot into the Lap yet it is over-ruled by him he doth not only permit but governe God governs all his Creatures in such a throng of Stars there is no interfering We wonder at strange Events when the great sway is discovered The Sea is higher than the Earth yet it doth not transgress its bounds and limits We live and breath as the Israelites did in the midst of the Red Sea this is a dayly Miracle 3. Ordination All things are over-ruled by Gods great sway it is
keeps it from good Works 3. We do not honour God as the first Cause when we do not observe his Providence either in Good or Evil either in our Crosses or Blessings The blind World sets up an Idol called Chance and Fortune and do not acknowledg God at the other End of Causes as swaying all things by his Wisdom and Power If Evil come to them they think it is by Chance and Ill-luck as the Philistines said 1 Sam. 6.9 It is not his Hand that smote us it was a Chance that happened to us So prophanely do most Men judg of Providence and of the Evil of the present Life that it is a Chance Isa. 26.11 Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see Men look to Instruments and second Causes and do not regard God If things go ill they snarl at the Stone but do not look at the Hand of him that throws it as if all this while God were but an idle Spectator and looker on and had no hand in all that befals us Iob doth better Chap. 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chrysostom hath a sweet gloss upon it he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Thief the Caldean the Sabean hath taken away but the Lord. In all Afflictions we should look beyond the Creature and not complain of ill Fortune or Chance or Stars or Constellations or altogether of Men or Instruments or any thing on this side God he is the first Cause in any Evil that befals you therefore see God's Hand in it So also in Mercies and Blessings it is Ungodliness when we do not see God in them Wicked Men receive Blessings and never look up They live upon God every moment they have Life Breath Motion Health and hourly Maintenance from him yet God is not in all their Thoughts As Swine raven upon the Acorns and never look to the Oak from whence they fall and so they may enjoy the Comfort of the Creature they are content but never look higher than the next Hand The Spouses Eyes are compared to Doves Eyes Cant. 4.1 And some make this gloss upon it which is pious though it doth not interpret the Place Doves peck and look upward When we sip and peck upon every Grain of Mercy we should look up and acknowledg God The Lord complains of this Ungodliness in his People Hos. 2.8 For she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold There cannot be a greater sign of an ungodly Spirit than this unthankful Prophaneness We all live upon the meer Alms of God have all our Comforts and Blessings from him and all that God expects is but Acknowledgment that we should take notice of him as the Author of all the Good we enjoy Other Creatures live upon God but they are not capable of knowing the first Cause but he hath given us a Mind to know him and Capacities and Abilities therefore this is the Rational Worship which he expects from us God hath Leased out the World to the Sons of Men Psal. 115.16 The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lord's but the Earth hath he given to the Children of Men But what is the Rent God hath reserved to himself Glory Praise and Acknowledgment But too usual is that Observation true Qui majores Terras possident minores Census solvunt those that hold the greatest Lands usually pay the least Rent so those that enjoy most Mercies seldomest acknowledg God their Hearts are full and at ease and they forget God Men are most led by outward Enjoyments they love their Bodies best and the Comforts of the Body most Now that we may not want Arguments to love and praise God God tries us by these worldly Enjoyments which concern the Body to see if we will acknowledg him but usually we raven upon the sweet of Comfort but look not from whence it comes This was the Trial God used to the Gentiles showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons filling their Hearts with Food and Gladness Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without a Witness in that he did Good and gave us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness Every time thou eatest and drinkest thou shouldst think of God But alas seldom do we give God the Honour of his Providence we forget God when he remembers us None more unworthy of any Good and more unthankful to God for it than Man 4. Another piece of Ungodliness is when we do not acknowledg his Dominion over all Events If he be the first Cause he will have his Government to be acknowledged How so By using and undertaking nothing in the course of our Affairs till we have asked his Leave and Blessing The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer that is by the Word we know our Liberty and in Prayer we ask God's Leave and Blessing in all things that we use To use another Man's Goods without his Leave is Robbery and so it is to use Food Physick or any Creature till we have asked God's Leave all should be sanctified by the Word and Prayer When we go about any Business or undertake a Journey or fix our aboad in the World we ought to be enquiring of God for things that seem to be most trivial and casual God hath the greatest Hand in them therefore we must still enquire at the Oracle It is a piece of religious Manners first to enquire of God and therefore they are taxed Iames 4.13 Go to now ye that say To Day or to Morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a Year and buy and sell and get Gain For that ye ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that vers 15. You forget to bid your selves Good-morrow or Good-day or Good-speed when you forget to consult and advise with God in Prayer The Heathens would begin nothing weighty but they would still consult with their Gods for their Principle was The Gods regarded greater Matters but took no notice of those of a smaller Consequence Now by this means would the Lord preserve a constant remembrance of himself in the Heart of the Creature It keeps up the Memory of God in the World to acknowledg him as one that hath an over-ruling Hand in all the Businesses and Affairs of this World Prov. 3.6 In all thy Ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy Paths The Children of God dare not resolve upon any Course till they have asked Counsel of God Thus God will be acknowledged as the first Cause and so Men are guilty of Ungodliness if they do not know him depend upon him observe his Providence and acknowledg his Dominion over all Events in the World Secondly God will be
Desires till he come again in person to convey us into his Father's Bosom It is a mysterious Instrument and Means God hath found out to convey Comfort and Grace to the Soul to work out a Union between him and the Creature We do not only draw nigh to God but are united to him It is the Beginning and Antipast of Glory so much Christ intimates Mat. 26.29 I will not henceforth drink of the fruit of the Vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom It is a Taste of the new Wine we shall drink with Christ those spiritual Consolations we shall receive from him in his Kingdom 7. Keeping the Sabbath-day holy It is a sure mark of an ungodly Person to be a Sabbath-breaker as a conscionableness to celebrate it to God's Glory is both a mark and a work of Godliness It is the description of the godly Eunuch Isa. 56.4 Thus saith the Lord to the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please me and take hold of my Covenant Mark it is one of the chiefest things that is taken notice of there the observation of God's own Day If you would exercise your selves to Godliness this is a great means Prophaning the Lord's Day is the cause of Prophaneness all the week after and so a careless keeping the Lord's Day is the cause of the Carelesness and Formality you are guilty of in the business of Religion God hath appointed this Day for a repose for the Soul that by a long uninterrupted continuance in Worship it might be more seasoned and fit to converse with God all the week after Dost thou love Christ then observe his Day Ignatius calls it the Queen of Days The primitive Christians were very careful of the Sabbath they would run all hazards rather than not keep the Sabbath-day When they were accused as guilty of Sabbath-violation they would answer I am a Christian how can I choose but love the Lord's Day This is the Day wherein we do most solemnly and publickly profess the Worship of God therefore it is to be celebrated with all care Thus much for the Description of Godliness from the Disposition of the Heart and the Duties about which it is conversant II. I am to speak of the Exercise of Godliness 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self to Godliness It must be exercised both in Worship and Conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness First In Worship What is the part and office of Godliness in Worship 1. There must be a care that it be right God will not be at the Creature 's carving his Honour is best kept up by his own Institutions and therefore he will accept nothing but what he requires The Woman of Samaria as soon as she was converted enquired after the right Worship Christ had convinced her of Lewdness and living in Adultery Iohn 4.18 The Man thou now hast is not thy Husband The great thing that troubled her was her present standing and the Superstition she was nuzled and brought up in ver 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem is the Place where Men ought to worship Assoon as Men are awakened that is the question they can no longer be content with their ignorant sensless careless ceremonial worshipping of God and say Thus our Fathers did this will not serve the Conscience when it is a little stirred It is said of the People of God Ier. 50.5 They shall ask the way to Sion with their Faces thitherward Sion was the place of God's Residence and solemn Worship and it is the disposition of his People still to be inquisitive after the way to Sion how God is worshipped I speak not this to unsettle Men and to draw them to Scepticism and Irresolution but partly that they might settle upon better grounds than Tradition publick Consent and the Example of Men. Cyprian observes that this is the reason Men are so fickle so inconstant so soon off and on they do not practise those things upon good grounds None so unconstant as they that practise things right and good but not upon Principles And partly that Men may not content themselves with a cheap Worship such as costs them nothing as when they do not enquire about the grounds and reasons of what they do or when they do but even as others do We should be still searching and proving what is acceptable unto the Lord Eph. 5.10 and seek for Knowledg as for Silver and search for her as for hid Treasures Prov. 3.4 It is a thing of great care and exactness to be a Christian to be right in God's Worship Usually Men serve God at random and at peradventure and if they be right it is but a happy Mistake they do not enquire and search and so miss of a great deal of Comfort Settlement and Experience in the Way of God 2. There is required Constancy and Zeal in the Profession of God's Worship This is Religion to be zealous for God's Institutions to contend for the Faith of the Saints and hate what is contrary to right Worship and sound Doctrine Psal. 119.104 Through thy Precepts I get Vnderstanding therefore I hate every false Way And ver 128. Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false Way This is the effect of the knowledg of the Truth to hate all Falshood Idolatry and Superstition as much as they love God's Institutions that they may not be entangled and so either deceive others or be deceived themselves by the Craft of them that lie in wait for such an Enterprize Whenever they hear or read any such Doctrines the Heart nauseateth them there is a rising of Heart not only against Corruptions of Manners but Falshood of Doctrine But if Men be indifferent come what may come Christ or Antichrist they care not greatly their Religion is worth nothing If you do not hate Heresy and corruption in Worship there is no true Religion or Godliness in you Hereticks and Men in a false way seldom hate one another tho they differ in Principles Why because they have not a love to Truth but those that love the Truth prize the Institutions of God there 's a keen displeasure in their Hearts against any false Way 3. There must be frequency in the practice of it God and their Souls must not grow strangers Things that are not used contract Rust as a Key seldom turned in the Lock turns with difficulty so it will not stand with your spiritual Welfare to omit Duty long Much spiritual Exercise keeps the Soul in Health and sweet as the oftner they drain the Well the sweeter the Water is By running and breathing your selves every day you are the fitter to run in a Race so the oftner you come into God's Presence the greater Confidence and Freedom and Enlargement it will bring The way to be fervent
but a small matter in comparison of what God hath provided for you A Christian's Blessings are future his Crosses are present therefore we need some Support Now Hope is of great use in Affliction and Temptation this appears by the Comparisons that are used it is called an Anchor in the stormy Gusts of Temptations and a Helmet in all Spiritual Conflicts There are Fightings without and Fears within here is an Helmet here is an Anchor Hope is the Anchor of the Soul and the Apostle reckons up all the Properties of a good Anchor it must be firm sharp and enter into good Ground so saith he Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail here is a sure hold-fast upon good Ground it is a weighty Anchor which will not bow nor break Mariners when they have cast out a good Anchor which is fastned to the Ship with a strong Cable they sleep quietly tho the Winds blow and the Storms and Tempests arise they know the Anchor will keep them from floating and dashing upon the Rocks So Hope is a good Anchor Then it is an Helmet Ephes. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation that is Hope 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation The Apostle reckons up all the pieces of the Spiritual Armour Faith that is a Shield for the Body but Hope that is an Helmet for the Head as long as we can lift up our Heads and look up to Heaven we are safe whatever befals us it will hold out in the midst of all the fiery Darts that are cast at us 6. This looking for the blessed Hope is of use to resist Temptations Sin makes many Promises and so prevaileth by Carnal Hopes Balaam was moved to curse God's People against his Conscience but when he boggled and stuck at it Come saith Balac I will give thee Gold and Silver this puts quickening into him The Fool in the Gospel promised himself long Life Luke 12.19 Soul Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many Years take thine Ease eat drink and be merry So Ier. 44.17 We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no Evil. And so the Devil comes to Christ and makes the Temptation as strong as he can Mat. 4.8 9. He sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me And Babylon's Fornication was presented in a Golden Cup there are Baits of Honour and Preferment to draw them to Popery and Heresy Now Faith sets Promise against Promise and Heaven against Earth and the Pleasure at God's Right-hand against Carnal Delight As one Nail drives out another so one Hope and one Promise drives out another Carnal Motions are defeated by Spiritual Promises and those Motions that are presented to the Soul SERMON XIII TITUS II. 13 Looking for c. Vse 1. INformation 1. It informs us that we may look for the Reward Those Men would be wiser than God that deny us a Liberty to make use of the Spirit 's Motives they begrudg God's Bounty To what end should God propound Rewards but that we should close with them by Faith Graces may be exercised about their proper Objects without Sin It requireth some Faith to aim at things not seen The World is drowned in Sense and present Satisfactions they are Mercenaries that must have Pay in hand their Souls droop if they do not meet with Credit Applause and Profit they make Man their Pay-master They have the Spirit of a Servant that prizes present Wages above the Inheritance but it is the Work of Grace to look for the blessed Hope and a great help to us in our Work It was the Comfort of Christ's Human Soul Heb. 12.2 Who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame Christ as Man was to have rational Comforts and human Encouragements Nothing is sinful but coveting the Reward whilst we neglect the Work when we will be Mercenarii but not Operarii we would receive the Reward but not do our Work We are all born Libertines we would sever the Reward from the Duty Hosea 10.11 Ephraim is an Heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the Corn but not to break the Clods in treading out the Corn there was Pleasure and Profit but in breaking the Clods Pain and Labour Or else we sin in having a carnal Notion of Heaven our looking for Heaven is like their looking for Christ as the Consolation of Israel Some of the Jews look for a carnal Messiah so do many Christians for a carnal Heaven for base Pleasures fleshly Delights such Hopes debase the Heart it is the Priviledg of our Profession that we have a sublime Hope Or else we sin in looking for the Reward as the Fruit of Merit if we expect it as Wages for Work done we are Mercenaries Sin and Death are as Work and Wages Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is a Donative What is the reason of this Difference because wicked Men stand upon their own bottom but Christ hath obtained this Priviledg for us Wicked Works are ours meerly evil but the Good we do is by God's Grace as a Servant tradeth with his Master's Estate I am bound to do Good and am forbidden to sin when I do that which is forbidden I deserve Punishment but when I do that which is commanded I do not deserve a Reward because I am bound to do it Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life It is Mercy that we are called Mercy that we are glorified neither before Conversion nor after Conversion do we deserve any thing We serve a good Master he hath provided Comforts for us not only against our Misery but our Unworthiness we have not only Glory as a Reward but Mercy as the cause of it Glory out of the hands of Mercy Thus must you look for the Reward and build your Hopes of it As you pray so must you expect now you will not pray Lord give me Heaven for I deserve it natural Conscience would blush at the Immodesty of such a Request Who would not have the Title of Inheritance rather than of Hire Again our own Happiness must not be our ultimate End Man was made for a twofold End to glorify God and enjoy him for ever they must both go together we must desire the Enjoyment of God that we may glorify God to all Eternity otherwise Interest swayeth us more than Duty First we love God out of
the preference intended 1. On the one side here is sitting at the Threshold on the other side dwelling in the Tents He had distinguished before the Travellers to the House of God and the Dwellers in the House of God vers 4. c. Here a day in God's Courts and a perpetual service in God's House The lowest degree and place about God is more honourable for one day though they die the next as Kimchi than to have a perpetual abode in the Tents of wickedness 2. He calleth the one the House of God the other but a Tent to shew the stability of their estate who live in Communion with God and the uncertainty of their Happiness who are strangers to him they live but in a Tent a moveable Habitation 3. He calleth the one the House of my God as challenging an interest in him And so the place of his Presence Power and Habitation being the more dear to him as every thing that relateth to God is made precious for his sake But he calleth the other Tents of wickedness There was great wealth but nothing but profaneness and corruption Well then you see that David speaketh as a man that had a mind to prefer the one before the other One day in God's Courts Not in Atriis suis Coelestibus in his Court of Heaven as some of the Antients would carry it but here in his Church A few hours spent with God were more than the longest life without him Doct. 1. That God's People have a great value and an high esteem for his Ordinances 2. They do not only value them but value them and esteem them above other things 1. The esteem and value they have for his Ordinances simply considered This is a reason of the Context why there was such longing desire on his own part such earnest pressing forward on the Peoples part who came up to worship at Ierusalem For a day in thy Courts c. Reasons of it 1. Nature or a spiritual instinct All Creatures naturally desire to preserve that life which they have and therefore by a natural propension run thither from whence they received it Meer instinct without instruction carrieth the brute Creatures to the Teats of their Dams And every effect looketh to the cause to receive from it its last perfection Trees that receive life from the Earth and the Sun send forth their Branches to receive the Sun and spread their Roots into the Earth which brought them forth Fishes will not live out of the Water that breedeth them Chickens are no sooner out of the shell but they shroud themselves under the Feathers of the Hen by whom they were at first hatched The little Lamb runneth to the Dam's Teat though there be a thousand Sheep of the same Wooll and Colour as if it said Here I received that which I have and here will I seek that which I want By such a native inbred desire do the Saints run to God to seek a supply of strength and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As New born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Young Children are not taught to suck The young born Child runneth to the Dug not by instruction but instinct Iam. 1.18 19. Of his own will begat he us by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures Wherefore my beloved Brethren let every man be swift to hear The same thing that teacheth the young Lambs to suck or new born Babes to draw the Dug or the Chicken to seek a cherishing under the Dam's wings the same thing teacheth the Children of God to prize the Ordinances The cause is inbred appetite not persuasion and discourse but inclination Grace is called a New Nature which hath an appetite joyned with it after its proper supplies 2. The next cause of this value and esteem is experience They find it so sweet that they long for more 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Certainly a man that hath had any taste of Communion with God will desire a fuller measure as by tasting of excellent meats our appetite to them is not cloyed but the more provoked Carnal men do not know what it is to enjoy God in his Ordinances and therefore they do not long for them They never tasted the sweetness of the Word nor of God's Love in Christ. David says Psal. 19.10 The Statutes of the Lord are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than the Honey or the Honey-comb The Children of God find more true pleasure in the Ordinances of God than in all things in the World What is the reason that to carnal men they are but as dry chips burdensom exercises melancholy interruptions but to the other nothing so sweet more pleasurable than the richest and choicest sensualities that are most eagerly pursued and gustfully enjoyed by us The reason is given in the 11th verse Moreover by them is thy Servant warned and in keeping them there is great reward There we come to learn wisdom against our spiritual dangers and there we learn the way of godliness and obedience which besides it own sweetness heapeth upon us the richest rewards as having the promises of this life and that which is to come He commendeth the Word from his own experience He had felt the effects and good use of it in his own heart he had his broken heart bound up They find that Christ doth heal their Souls remove their anguish sanctifie their Natures give them the promised help in Temptations warn them of sins and snares relieve them in distress bridle their corruptions So Psal. 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary He that once hath had a sight of God and a taste of God would not be long out of his company He compareth his desire of Communion with God with hunger and thirst and maketh it greater than the hunger and thirst which men suffer in a dry Wilderness where there is no refreshment to be had He had seen God and would fain see him again the remembrance of the pleasures of the Sanctuary revived his desires So that besides Nature there is Experience 3. There is yet a third Cause and that is Necessity We should take delight in the Means of Grace and Ordinances of God though we stood in no need of them because they carry such a suitableness with the New Nature and because they are means to exhibit more of God to us But our Imperfection is great and this is the only way to get it supplied Decays are very incident to us and how else shall
Good As to our selves we must subordinate all things to our true Happiness and be more careful for the Soul than for the Body All this Righteousness or the Evidence of natural Light calleth for at our Hands that we love our Creator and live to him and depend upon him for if he be God he is our first Cause highest Lord chiefest Good and last End That Love to others is shewed in doing to them as we would should be done to us We would have others helpful to us so must we to our Power be helpful to them he that will be for none but himself cannot justly expect that any should be for him And for our selves Man consists of a Body and of a Soul now all our Senses and bodily Powers and the Appetites must be subordinated to the Good of the Soul for the Soul is the chiefest Part. Well then if we live in the Neglect of God and be only Self-Lovers and Self-Pleasers and wrong our selves by gratifying our Flesh do we do well If we prefer every paltry Vanity before the Favour of God slander and wrong our Neighbour please Appetite before Reason and let the Beast ride the Man surely we obey Unrighteousness we do not do well 2. We must obey the Truth that is act agreeably to the revealed Will of God in Scripture that is to do well It is the Scripture which helpeth us to distinguish Good from Evil and will be a sure Direction in well-doing Psal. 119.105 Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. Prov. 6.23 For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light Isa. 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them We are not to be ruled by our own Thoughts but by God's Word which amply sets forth our Duty to us The Light of Nature is very dim and it would be a matter of great Difficulty to find out our Duty if we had no supernatural Light to help us Therefore God hath given his Word and that not only to instruct us in moral Duties most of which are evident by the Light of Nature but also in supernatural Verities which tend to our Relief and Deliverance by Christ. Well then well-doing is not one Work only but all our intire Obedience which is necessary to â—alvation that we may not only love God do Good to others govern our Appetites and Desires but believe in Christ and live according to his holy Institutes and perform all the Duties which belong to his new remedying Law This is Well-doing 2. There must be Continuance in Well-doing As we must indeavour universally to do all that God hath commanded us so we must continue this Care unto the End Luke 1.75 In Holiness and Righteousness before him all the Days of our Life In a Journey it is not enough to go a Mile or two but we must continue till we come to our Journey 's End so must we never give over whilst we are in this World There may be Interruptions Diversions and Straglings but a Christian gets into the way again Sometimes we slip and stumble and sometimes step aside but we must not go back again Some are good for a Pang or Fit Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always I might heap up many Considerations here but the thing is evident The Law bindeth continually and Grace planted in the Heart should influence all our Actions God's Eye is always upon us and every Hour and Moment we are a-new obliged to him for his Benefits how reasonable is it our Duty should last and the Use of Means be continued till we attain our End Therefore do not lose your Crown and the Benefit of all you have done already The Promise runneth to Perseverance Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to the Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life 3. Here is patient Continuance That is necessary also The good Ground is described to be that which bringeth forth Fruit with Patience Luke 8.15 The other Grounds brought forth Fruit but they did not bring forth Fruit with Patience the stony Ground was impatient of Contradiction and Afflictions The thorny Ground was impatient of the Delay of the Reward and therefore took up with present things Riches and Honours and voluptuous Living but they that have a deep Sense of the other World and can tarry God's Leisure enduring the Hardships of Obedience and look for their Happiness in the World to come that is the good Ground So Heb. 6.12 Be ye Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises We shall meet with Opposition within and without till we can deny our selves our Hearts are not sound with God We need the working Patience because of the Labour and Pains which belongeth to well-doing and the waiting Patience because our Reward is to come and the bearing Patience because of the Troubles and Dangers which we must indure if we would be faithful with God Loss of Estate Slanders of the Wicked and sometimes Danger of Life The working Patience should not be grievous to us because the Pains of Godliness will be recompensed with the Fruit of it the Peace and Comfort that followeth it and because there is more Labour in committing Sin than doing Good The waiting Patience should not be grievous because there must be a time for the Trial of our Faith They are Hypocrites which must have their Reward at present Matth. 6.2 Verily I say unto you they have their Reward The Believer he can wait for it he looketh for Glory and Honour too but not now The bearing Patience should not be irksom because Faithfulness in our Trials is most comfortable to us and most acceptable to God Comfortable to us we have not ordinarily so clear a Proof of the Reality of Grace as when we are under sore Trials 1 Pet. 1.7 That the Trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold though it be tried with Fire may be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Faith is then Faith indeed and Obedience Obedience indeed The greater the Work and the more Impediments we meet with self-denying Obedience doth most evidence it self to the Conscience Whilst we do any thing for God while we do it without Shame Opposition and Loss it is more hard to interpret our Sincerity It is more acceptable to God 't is tried Friendship and Obedience which is most valuable The Obedience of a Souldier is pleasing to a General in a time of Peace when he saith to one Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh but especially in the most desperate Hazards when he doth not dispute Commands when he is bidden to go upon the Cannons Mouth From the whole Mortification Self-denial Contempt of the World Patience under manifold Sufferings
Principle is That God is none of those things which are seen but something more excellent And in the second Commandment we have God's invisible Nature for Images are forbidden upon that ground because God cannot be seen Deut. 4.12 You saw no Similitude only you heard a Voice The third Principle is That God hath a care of Human Affairs and judgeth with Equity And in the third Commandment you have the Knowledg of Human Affairs even of a Man's Thoughts ascribed to God for that is the Foundation of an Oath Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain The chief intent of that Commandment is to forbid Perjury it also forbids rash Swearing and mentioning the Name of God without Reverence for in an Oath God is invoked as a Witness as one that hath Knowledg even of the Heart there his Omniscience is acknowledged And in an Oath God is appealed to as a Judg and Avenger there his Justice and Power is acknowledged For the fourth Principle That this God is the Creator and Governour of all things that are without himself that is established in the fourth Commandment by the Law of the Sabbath For the Sabbath at first was instituted for this very purpose to meditate upon God as a Creator a Day on purpose is instituted to keep up the Memorial of the Creation of the World Well then you see what is the Foundation of Godliness Now out of these speculative Notions practically flow of their own accord to wit That God alone is to be worshipped obeyed honoured trusted And as far as we set up other Confidences or are ignorant of the Excellency of the true God or so far as we deny God his Worship and Service or serve him after an unworthy manner by superstitious or idolatrous Worship or carelesly and hypocritically or so far as we have gross Opinions of his Essence or exclude the Dominion of his Providence or cease to call upon his Name so far we are guilty of Ungodliness as will appear more fully hereafter The second Question What it is to deny Vngodliness Denying is a word that properly belongs to Propositions We are said to deny when we contradict what is affirmed but by a Metaphor it may be applied to Things which the Will refuseth as some are said to deny the Power of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 when they check and resist it and will not suffer Godliness to work tho they take up a Form of it Now there 's a great deal of reason for that Phrase whether we look to the inward Workings of the Heart or to the outward Profession which they made in those days 1. If you look to the inward Workings of the Heart all things are managed in the Heart of Man by rational Debates and Suggestions and we deny when we refuse to give Assent to ungodly Thoughts Suggestions and Counsels Before Sin be fastned upon the Soul there is some ungodly Thought some Counsel which when we suppress and will not hearken to those Thoughts which Sin stirs up we are properly said to deny it Every Corruption hath a Voice If Envy bids Cain Go kill thy Brother he hearkens to it Ambition speaks to Absalom thus Go rise up against thy Father and Covetousness speaks to Iudas Go betray thy Lord So Ungodliness hath a Voice Carnal Affection urged by Satan bids us neglect God or serve him in a slight manner mind thy own business favour thy self Corruption awakened by Satan will sollicite to Evil. Now suppressing and smothering such Thoughts and Suggestions with Hatred and Detestation is fitly exprest by refusing to hearken to Sin 's Voice or denying Vngodliness 2. Some ground there is for the Expression if we look to the Custom of those Times In making an outward Profession probably here is some Allusion to the ancient manner of Stipulation When any came to be admitted into the Church there were Questions propounded to him Abrenuncias Dost thou renounce Credis Dost thou believe Spondes Dost thou promise to walk before God in all holy Obedience And the Person answered Abrenuncio I do renounce Credo I do believe and Spondeo I do undertake This was that which Peter calls The Answer of a good Conscience towards God 2 Pet. 3.21 when in the presence of God they can answer to all these Demands SERMON IV. TITUS II. 12 That denying Vngodliness c. Secondly NOW let me open the thing it self In Ungodliness there is something Negative and that is denying God his due Honour and something Positive and that is putting actual Contempt upon him I. For the Negative Part when God is denied his Honour Now to find out how this is done let us a little enquire what is the special and peculiar Honour which God challengeth to himself It stands in four things To be the First Cause the Chiefest Good the Supream Authority and Truth and the last End And therefore when we do not acknowledg him to be the First Cause the Chiefest Good the Supream Authority and Truth and the last End we rob him of the Glory of his Godhead and are guilty of this which the Apostle calls Vngodliness I shall go over these Branches First God must be honoured as the First Cause which giveth Being to all things and hath his Being from none and so we are bound to know him to depend upon him to observe his Providence and to acknowledg his Dominion over all Events or Things which happen in the World And so far as any of these are neglected so far are we guilty of Vngodliness Well then under this Head 1. Ignorance is a Branch of Ungodliness and I name it in the first place because it is the Cause of all our Disorder in Worship and Conversation This is the first cause of all Wickedness to be ignorant of God The Apostle seconds the Observation 3 Epist. Iohn 11. He that doth Evil hath not seen God Certainly he that makes a Trade of Sin hath not a right sight and sense of God he knows not God A true sight and sense of God keepeth the Soul from Sin There is nothing that keeps in the Fire of Religion nor maintains Respect between Man and Man nothing that preserves Honesty and Piety so much as right Thoughts and Apprehensions of God But now generally People are ignorant of God they know him as blind Men do Fire A Man that is born blind can tell there is such a thing as Fire because he feels it warm but what a kind 〈◊〉 thing it is he that never saw it cannot tell So the whole World and Conscience proclaim there is a God the blindest Man may see that but little do they know of his Nature and Essence what God is according as he hath revealed himself in the Word Look as the Athenians built an Altar and the Inscription was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God Acts 17.23 so do most Christians worship an unknown God And as Christ taxed the Samaritans John 4.22
greater Sin to keep it 2 d Rule Do Injury to no Man Jer. 22.3 Do no Wrong do no Violence Do no Wrong to their Persons their Names or their Goods 1. Not to their Persons that will not sute with the Mildness of Religion The Apostle saith Phil. 2.15 Be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke Man by Nature is fierce hateful and hating one another Titus 3.3 that is his Disposition but now the Children of God their Nature is changed The Spirit of God is in all his Members Now Christ went about doing Good he did no Harm neither was Guile found in his Mouth And if you would be the Children of God you must be like him be harmless That we may be mindful of this the Lord hath given us an Emblem of it almost in all things among the Birds the Beasts the Plants the Worms Among the Birds Natural Men are compared to the Eagle and the Kite Birds that are ravenous and a Christian to the Dove Matth. 10.16 Be harmless as Doves Among the Beasts Natural Men are compared to the Wolf and the Lion and a Christian to the Lamb. Among the Plants Natural Men are compared to Briars and pricking Thorns that cannot be touched saith the Spirit of God The Sons of Belial shall be as Thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with Hands 2 Sam. 23.6 And the Children of God are compared to the Lilly And then among the Worms Wicked Men are compared to Vipers Mat. 3.7 O Generation of Vipers And the Children of God to an innocent Worm apt to be trod upon to receive Injury and do none Psal. 22.6 I am a Worm and no Man Usually in a well-ordered Kingdom the Fierceness of Men is restrained by the Severity of Laws but yet it is bewrayed and breaks out in fury against those that fall under the Displeasure of the Magistrate especially for Matters of Religion out of blind Zeal these Civil Men are fierce and cruel And therefore it is notable that Paul when he makes an acknowledgment of his Natural Condition saith 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor and Injurious That Paul was a Blasphemer of God and a Persecutor of the Saints is clear but how doth he say he was Injurious since elsewhere he said He walked in all good Conscience to this Day I suppose it relates to the Violence of his Persecution to his haling and dragging the Saints out of their Houses having a Commission from the Rulers Acts 8.3 and that he calls his Injury Thus it falls out Men are transported by Irregularity Heats and Violence and forget Humanity Now in such Cases tho the Cause be right yet this violent dragging and insulting over those that are in their power is but natural Rage let loose and this Paul confesseth to be his Injuriousness and a Crime that kept the same pace with his Blasphemy and Persecution True Zeal is manifested by Pity and Compassion The heights and fervours of Zeal are only necessary when evil Men are countenanced and when it is dangerous to appear against them not when they fall under our power then there is some Pity due to their Humanity 2. Do no Wrong to their Names next to their Persons this is to be valued A Slanderer is worse than a Thief the one is publickly odious but the other robs us of our better Treasure Prov. 22.1 A good Name is rather to be chosen than great Riches and more conducible to our Usefulness for God than Wealth A Wrong done to the Estate is sooner repaired than a Wrong done to the Name of others for a Reproach divulged is hardly recalled when the Wound is cured yet the Scar remains And therefore this is a very great Evil to do wrong to their Names Especially when you reproach the Godly and wrong them because their Discredit lights upon Religion God is much concerned in the Credit and Honour of his Servants You hinder their Service and lay them open to the Rage of the World A blemished Instrument is of little use Numb 12.8 saith God Were ye not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses To speak against Persons eminent and useful for God in their Age is to render them suspected to the World And who would drink of a suspected Fountain You hinder their Use and Serviceableness And the Wrong is greater when one Christian blemisheth another For one Scholar to speak against another and one Lawyer against another so for one Christian to speak against another it aggravates the Injury Therefore when there is cause to speak against a Man it should be with Grief 3. There must be no wrong to their Goods no invading of Right and Property Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more Every one is against a gross Thief but the more plausible and secret ways of Wrong and getting Estates into your Hands or abusing Trusts is Theft The Apostle there writes to the Ephesians that lived in the City and by Iniquity of Traffick were likely to heap up an Estate to themselves I shall here take occasion to handle a Question or two about Property 1. Is there any Property yea or no or must all Goods lie in common This was Plato's fancy Some Men think that if all were levell'd and reduced to a Parity and we did live as Fishes in the Sea there would be less Confusion in the World But this is contrary to God's Appointment who by his Wisdom hath cast the World into Hills and Valleys God is the Maker of Rich and Poor Prov. 22.2 The Rich and the Poor meet together the Lord is the Maker of them all And Christ saith Mat. 22.11 Ye have the Poor always with you A World of Mischief would follow otherwise if there were no Property there would be no Justice whose chief Property is to give every Man his own there could be no Charity How can we give if we have nothing that we can call our own It would hinder Diligence and prudent Administration the Idle would have as great a share as the Industrious and Diligent Rewards of special Eminency and Vertue would be taken away Who would undertake the hardest Labours and the condition of Servants Superiority and Inferiority is the Bond of human Society it is God's Wisdom to dispose of the Conditions and Estates of Men that one should need another and supply each others Wants and Defects the Poor need the Bounty of the Rich and the Rich the Labour and Service of the Poor Obj. But what shall we say to the Example of the Primitive Times Acts 4.32 And the Multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common Answ. This was extraordinary and it was done freely and not by virtue of any Precept as appears by what Peter said to Ananias Chap. 5.4 Whilst it remained was it not thy own and after
and neglected It is very sad when God is provoked to swear to the Damnation of any Creature Who are the Persons that may stand in dread of this Oath why they that believe not Heb. 3.18 To whom swear he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not It is the Sin of Unbelief after many tenders and offers of Mercy which provokes God to this Indignation Here is Oath against Oath the one to drive us the other to draw us and pull in the Heart to God If you continue in this course you shall have neither Part nor Portioâ— in Christ nor in the Land of Promise It is better to be satisfied with God's Oath in Mercy than to run the hazard of his Oath in Judgment Therefore speak to Conscience Do I come up to this Certainty and Confidence Is the Controversy ended between God and me Are all Suspicions laid aside Obj. But you will say I do not doubt of the Truth of the Gospel but of my own â—nterest I doubt that I am the Person to whom God hath sworn The Truth of God is sure but my Interest is not clear Sol. In Answer to this consider 1. It doth but seem so that all Doubts are about our own Interestâ— but it is not so indeed If once you were heartily perswaded of God's good Affection in Christ Doubts and Scruples about our own Estate would soon vanish Look as the Fire when it is well kindled bursts out of its own accord into a Flame so if Faith were once well laid in the Soul if Men could rest upon these two immutable things Consolation would not be so far from them if there were a firm Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel there would not be so many Buts if you did firmly believe his Mercy in Christ it would soon end in a stedfast Confidence This appeareth from the nature of the thing All Uncertainty ariseth either from a Neglect of the great Salvation or else from Trouble of Conscience Now carnal Men neglect it because they are not perswaded of the Worth and Excellency of it and Men under Horrors of Conscience distrust it they are such Sinners they dare not apply it and are so full of Doubts and Scruples because they are not perswaded of the Truth of the Gospel See how the Apostle proposeth the Gospel 1 Tim. 1. â—5 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief If negligent and carnal Men would but look upon it as worthy of all Acceptation and troubled Conscience look upon it as a faithful Saying there would be more regular Actings and Effects found in their Hearts and Lives the Negligent would give more Diligence and the Contrite would rise up into a greater Hope and Confidence If Men did believe the Worth of Salvation they would not run after lying Vanities If they did believe the Truth of Salvation for Sinners there would not be so many Scruples and Fears It is notable that the Scriptures very seldom do press Assurance of the Subject but Assurance of the Object in very many places to believe the Doctrine it self for there is the greatest Difficulty and in the Word of God we have no Precedent of any that were troubled about their own Interest If an Earthly King should proclaim a general Pardon and an Act of Grace to all Persons in Rebellion only on terms of Submission and laying down their Hostility and returning to their Duty and Allegiance the Doubt would not be of their own Interest but of the truth of his Intention to shew them such Grace and Mercy So it is with God he hath proclaimed Terms of Grace in the Gospel provided we will lay down the Weapons of our Defiance and return to the Duty of our Allegiance now that which we suspect is the Heart of God and the Gospel in the general whether there be Mercy for such kind of Sinners as we are 2. Because we cannot perswade Men to a Certainty against their Consciences what should hinder but that now you should establish your Interest and that you now make your Plea and Claim according to God's Word and Oath for Joy must arise from a Sense of it Your complaining is not the way to ease your Conscience but Obedience It is an Advantage to find our selves in an ill Condition not a Discouragement As the Woman in the Gospel made an Argument of that that she was a Dog Mat. 15.27 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table As when the Man-slayer saw the Avenger of Blood at his Heels this made him mend his pace and fly for Refuge so when we see we are under the Wrath of God this should make us more earnest to look after Christ and Salvation in and by him The Cities of Refuge under the Law stood open for every Comer and there was free Admission till their Cause was heard So Christ is the Sanctuary of a pursued Soul and whosoever comes shall be received Iohn 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out God excludeth none but those that exclude themselves No Sin is excepted but the Sin against the Holy Ghost Therefore make your Claim till your Cause be heard The great Affront we put upon God's Oath is not so much doubting of our Condition but not running to Christ for Refuge If we still stand complaining of our lost Estate and do not attempt the Work of Faith we put an Affront upon God's Oath If the Lord had bid thee do some great thing I allude to the Speech of Naaman's Servants wouldst thou not have done it to be freed from Death and Hell How much rather when he saith unto thee Only come fly as for thy Life and see if I will cast thee out Take up a Resolution to try God and see if he will not be as good as his Word and Oath Say Lord thou hast given two immutable Grounds of Hope here I come I will wait to see what thou wilt do for me in Christ. 3. I answer Do but see whether thy Interest in Christ be not established or no Here is the lowest Qualification of an Heir of Promise and yet the highest and most solemn way of Assurance Here are two immutable Grounds and yet what 's the Description we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before 〈◊〉 Here is a driving Work that belongs to the Law implied in these words We fly 〈◊〉 Refuge then a drawing Work which belongs to the Gospel in these words To lay hold on the Hope set before us The Law begins and works preparatively as Moses brought the Children of Israel to the Borders then Ioshua led them into the Land of Canaan The Law shews us our Bondage and makes us fly for Refuge but then the Gospel pulls in the Heart to God There is a necessity of the preparing
expectation of Blessedness to come Sure those think themselves wiser than God that deny us the use of the Spirit 's Motives why else doth God set these things before us It requireth some Faith to aim at things not seen The World is drowned in Sense and present Satisfaction it is a great help to us to look upward Christ made use of it Heb. 12.2 For the Ioy that was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the Shame As Man he was supported with humane Encouragements Our Flesh is weak and our Task is difficult and therefore we need all Helps But yet we are not so to covet the Reward as to fever it from Duty and neglect our Work SERMONS UPON St. IOHN XIV 1 SERMON I. JOHN XIV 1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me THE Disciples had heard our Lord Jesus discoursing of his Death and Departure and the great Trials which they were to undergo and that one Disciple should betray him another eminent among them deny him and all take offence and leave him therefore Fear and Trouble seized upon them Our Lord perceiving this Distemper growing upon them seeketh to relieve and ease them He had Sorrow and Agonies of his own to think upon but he is so taken up with comforting his Disciples that he seemeth to forget himself and his own approaching Death and wholly applieth himself to them Let not your Heart be troubled c. In these Words we have 1. An Evil dissuaded Let not your Heart be troubled 2. A Cure prescribed and that is the Exercise of Faith set forth by its double Object God and Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me In God as the supream Fountain of all Blessing in Christ as Mediator or the only Way to come to God In God as the Creator and Preserver of all things in Christ as the Redeemer to whom the Care and Conservation of the Church belongeth They did believe in God they were trained up in that as Jews but they had not hitherto so clear so distinct so strong a Faith in Christ as they should have their Faith was but dark and weak as to the Dignity of his Person Therefore he presseth them to believe not only in God as Iews but in himself as Christians that was the Point the Faith of which would be now assaulted by his ignominious Death and Sufferings There are two Points First That Christians should carefully guard themselves against Heart-trouble Secondly The proper Cure of Heart-trouble is Faith Doct. 1. That Christians should carefully guard themselves against Heart-trouble 1. What is this Trouble of Heart that is here spoken of There is a twofold Evil Natural Evil which is Misery and Moral Evil and that is Sin The one we act of our own accord the other we suffer against our Wills The one ariseth from something within the other from something without This Text speaketh not of Troubles for Sin but of Troubles in the Flesh which being many and grievous to be born it cannot be supposed but that the Heart will be touched with them 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side Yet let not your Heart be troubled A â—ense of them 〈◊〉 not only laâ—ful but necessary The two Extreams must be both aâ—â—â—ded Slighting and Faiâ—ting Heb. 12.5 My Son despiâ—e not thâ—u the chasteâ—â—ng of the Lord nor faint â—hen thou art rebuked of â—im Without 〈◊〉 sense of them they cannot be improved neither do we shew that Reverence that is due to our Father's Anger as not to be afflicted and humbled under his mighty Hand Numb 12.14 If her Father had spiâ— in her Face should she not be ashamed seven days Some kind of Spirits are stupid and sensless neither affected with Sin nor Misery Not with Sin tho they provoâ—e God to his very Face with their continual brutish Practices yet they never lay their Condition to heart Conscience is feared or at least benummed they are past feeling Eph. 4.19 Shall we say to these Let not your Hearts be troubled No these usurp a Peace and Exemption from Trouble as if Joy and Comfort were their Portion The only way for such is to be troubled that their Trouble may prepare them for Comfort Christ came to save Sinners but they are penitent and broken-hearted Sinners that are weary and heavy-laden under the Burden of Sin Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you Rest. Not the Heart that is whole but the Heart that is wounded These he calleth and calleth to Repentance Mat. 9.13 I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Not with Misery neither with their Fathers Anger nor their Brethrens Misery Jer. 5.3 O Lord are not thine Eyes upon the Truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction they have made their Faces harder than a Rock they have refused to return Amos 6.3 Ye that put far away the evil Day and cause the Seat of Violence to come near Fall out what will they set their Hearts for Ease and Pleasure and carnal Delights and are given altogether to Mirth and â—ollity Riot and Revelling and all manner of Vanity Should we say to these Let not your Hearts be troubled and lull them more asleep in carnal Security by tincturing their Sensuality with Religion and adding a Dram of spiritual Comfort to make their carnal Potion more effectual No Christ speaketh not to such kind of Persons as mind neither his Presence nor Absence and regard not whether he do Good or Evil. No to such we must rather say Be afflicted and weep and mourn let your Laughter be turned to Mourning and your Ioy to Heaviness James 4.9 We call not upon them to rejoice but to howl for the Misery that is coming upon them A Sense there must be Q. What is then dissuaded Answ. A perplexing oppressing Trouble about sensible and worldly things Here I shall shew you First The Causes of this Trouble Secondly The Nature of it First The Causes of this Trouble which are 1. Carnal Self-love which is all for bodily Ease and Welfare or the Pleasures and Honours or Profits of the World They that are under the power of it seek great things here and the disappointment of their carnal Expectations breedeth Trouble Solomon telleth us what was the result of his accurate and deep search into all worldly and humane Affairs Eccles. 1.14 I have seen all the Works that are done under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit He found all worldly things not only vain and ineffectual to confer Happiness but which is worse apt to bring much Trouble and Affliction upon the Hearts of those who are too earnestly conversant about them Therefore the best way to be free from Trouble is to look for no great Matters here in the World 2. The Life of Sense which
that they should do more good in their places This is the most precious Gift yet given in order to some other thing it is made for God that we should glorify him and be capable of injoying him to all Eternity 2. This is the End of the Distribution Wherefore hath God given these Talents in any eminent degree or in such variety to Men but that they should trade with them and be more fitted for his Service 1 Cor. 12.7 The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal There is indeed a three-fold End of all our Trading The glorifying of God the saving of our own Souls and the good of others For in a moral Consideration there are but three Beings God Neighbour Self The Glory of God must be regarded in the first place and with it is connected the Advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. For all the Gifts that we have are for the Master's Use And therefore if we do not principally mind the Glory of God and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom we pervert the Gifts we have received Yet this is rare in a self-loving World Phil. 2.21 All seek their own not the things which are Iesus Christ's The saving of our Souls must be regarded next to the Glory of God For next to God Man is to love himself and in himself first his better part The Graces of Sanctification though profitable for others yet are chiefly intended for the good of him that hath them And the Graces of Edification though profitable for the Owner yet are principally intended for the good of Others A Man that hath sanctifying Grace doth good to others with it that is utilitas emergens not finis proprius It is not the direct End for which these Graces are given but other subservient Gifts are for the good of the Body Lastly The Good of others their Edification and Benefit For God hath scattered his Gifts that every part may supply somewhat for the good of the whole as every Member of the Body hath its several use by which the whole Body receiveth benefit Rom. 12.4 5. For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Well then let us look to the End of the Distribution A Man hath not Wealth for himself nor Parts for himself nor Gifts for himself to promote his own Ends but to bring in Souls to God not for Pomp but Use. All have their proper and distinct Offices some to Serve others to Rule some to Counsel others to Execute Every one have their proper but distinct Use for God maketh nothing in vain nor was the World appointed to be a Hive for Drones and idle Ones Wherefore hath God given some great Wealth and Power but as the great Veins supply the lesser with Blood that they might be more publickly useful Wherefore hath he given Ordinances but that we may get Grace by them and save our own Souls They are represented sometimes as Duties they being not a matter Arbitrary but a part of the Homage we owe to God sometimes as Privileges that we may not look upon them as a burdensome Task sometimes as means of our Growth and â—mprovement that we may not wrest in the Work wrought sometimes as Talents for which we must give an Account to quicken our earnest Diligence Wherefore hath God given Gifts but that we may shew forth his Praise and edify others Yea wherefore hath he given Grace it self but that we might be both obliged and fitted to glorify him in the World Ephes. 1.12 That we should be to the Praise of his Glory who first trusted in Christ. They are set up as Lights in the World to shine to others 3. There is a Charge expresly given with the distribution of the Talents Luke 19.13 And he called his ten Servants and delivered them ten Pounds and said to them Occupy till I come They were to imploy their Industry to improve it to the greatest Advantage of bringing in an Increase to God This Charge is given by our proper and rightful Lord and it is committed to Servants not to Strangers and Freemen who are at their own dispose but to Servants who are at the Command of their Lord who hath made us and bought us And this Trust is accepted by Covenant of all that profess themselves to be his Servants not implicite as there may be between the Devil and his Agents but explicite and formal That we will be wholly his and for him And we are accountable for the Possession if we do not mind the Use. For a Man that hath an Estate made over to him in Trust and for certain Uses expressed in the Conveyance hath indeed no Estate therein at all but with respect to those Uses Certain it is that we have the Comfort more in the Use than the Possession The solid Comfort of Wealth Power and Honour is never seen till we imploy it for God It is not tasted so much when you are gorgeously attired and your Tables are plentifully furnished and when you glut your selves with all manner of fleshly Delights as in feeding the Hungry clothing the Naked relieving the Oppressed So for Ordinances the worth of them is known by Use and Improvement not when we resort to them for Custom and Fashion's sake but when we taste that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.3 So the Graces of the Spirit are most sweet when they do not lie idle then we feel the comfort them Iohn 15.11 These things have I spoken to you that my Ioy might remain in you and that your Ioy might be full Vse Let us improve our Trust and rouse up our selves and say What Honour hath God by my Wealth Power Honour Greatness What Protection to his Cause What Relief to his People To this end consider 1. What is your Business in the World Our Lord Jesus said Iohn 18.37 To this end I was born and for this cause came I into the World that I should bear witness unto the Truth Every one is sent into the World for some End for God would not make a Creature in vain For what End did you come into the World but to glorify God in your Place and Calling What part in the World would God have me to act Most Men are ready to go out of the World before they ask for what purpose they came hither 2. Every one is trading for some Body either for God or for the Devil and the Flesh either regarding his Master's Glory or his own Carnal Satisfaction Rom. 8.5 They that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit 3. Consider how much you are intrusted with Look within you without you round about you and see how much you have to account for For natural Advantages Time Wealth Honour Estate Nehem. 1.11
Diseases he ascended up into a Mountain or retired into a Ship and leaves the Multitude and when they would have crowned him King he refused it all these were Arguments and Instances of his Humility Hear and wonder at what you read Iohn 13.3 Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God A magnificent Preface Now one would have thought that some rare act of Empire Soveraignty and Domination should have followed No Verse 4.5 He riseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a towel and girded himself After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded The Disciples did not wash the feet of their Lord but the Lord washed the Disciples feet and what was the meaning of this see Verse 15. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you 3. In Love to the Saints Iohn 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Iohn 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you Oh how express are these Injunctions There is nothing in which Christ was more Eminent than in his Love no rancour of Spirit no boyling up of Envy but all Love The Apostle propounds it to Husbands Eph. 2.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church Now how did Christ love his Church with a great Love so as to dye for his Church The Love of Christ was sincere not for By ends he loved Saints as Saints because of his Interest in them So should we love those in whom we see most of the Image of God It was not a blaze but a constant abiding Love whom he loves he loves unto the end so must we love the Saints It is true Jesus loved some above others Iohn was the beloved Disciple John 21.20 There was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Flower of the Disciples whom he loved most but he loved them all We should Love not in Word but in Deed and in Truth Oh be filled with Love to God and Love to the Saints who have his Image stamped upon them You that are Believers have cause to love one another have we not all the same Father Are we not Children begotten of the same Holy Seed the Word Do we not all suck at the same Breasts of the Promises Do we not all sit at the same Table at the Lords Supper Are we not all cloathed with the same Robe of Christ's Righteousness and do we not all expect the same Glory 4. In his Vsefulness and Profitableness And of this the whole Gospel is a Narrative and History Therefore when the Apostle would summ up the Life of Christ he tells us this Acts 10.38 He went about doing good giving Eyes to the Blind Feet to the Lame Speech to the Dumb healing every sickness and every Disease among the people Matth. 9.35 full of Compassion to the Souls of Men. Jesus Christ was nothing else but Charity covered over with Flesh and Blood he was always either giving of Blessings or forgiving of Sins All his Miracles were not actions of Pomp but of Relief and Succour unless it were blasting the Fig. tree and sending the Herd of Swine into the Sea and the Figg-tree was Barren and the Swine was of little use in the Jewish Countries All the Miracles of Christ were salutary and healing We never read he destroyed one Man by Miracle but saved many Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Oh that we could learn this none is born for himself but for the Community and it is better to give than to receive 5. In his Piety towards God If you consider the History of Christ you will find him much in Acts of Devotion he was Frequent and Fervent and Reverent in Prayer Frequent Mark 1.35 And in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Luke 6.12 He went out into a Mountain to pray and continued all night in Prayer to God Alas we are weary in our ordinary stinted Offices of the day how soon do we grow weary of calling upon God! but Christ spends whole Nights in Prayer He was Fervent Luke 22.44 And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And he was Reverent when he was in the Garden he kneeled down and prayed Luke 22.41 And he fell on his face and prayed Mat. 26.39 He was a most diligent Observer of the Sabbath Luke 4.16 As his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day he was diligent in frequenting the Publick Assemblies Oh how doth this confute those that out of height of Spirit and a proud Conceit of themselves are above Ordinances and say they were appointed only for Christians of the lower form He praised God for mean and course fare when he had but five Barley Loaves and two Fishes He took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the Disciples John 6.11 Alas when our Tables are full furnished we have scarce any serious Thoughts of God that giveth us richly all things to enjoy 6. In his Spirituality and Heavenly-mindedness Christ came from Heaven and he lived in Heaven all the while he was upon the Earth When he was at the Well of Samaria conferring with the Woman there he discourseth of the Well that springs up to Everlasting Life Iohn 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life He drew her from a Discourse of ordinary water to a Discourse of the Water of Life When he was at Supper at the Pharisee's House he discourseth of eating Bread in God's Kingdom Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God When he had wrought the Miracle of the Loaves he discourseth of the Bread of Life and the Mannah that came down from Heaven Iohn 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you When he was at the Feast of Tabernacles where they were wont to pour out water and so to make a Pool near the Temple he discourseth of Rivers of water and of the flowings of the Spirit Iohn 7.38.39 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive A rare Pattern for us to follow We should labour as to see all things in God so to see God in all things and to be heavenly minded
better colour The Mystery of Redemption to the Carnal is but a cold Story and the Rose of Sharon but as withered Flowers and the Promises of the Gospel are as dry Chips 3. The Causes of it they are the Holy Ghost and Faith as his Instrument This Joy is stirred up by the Holy Ghost therefore often called Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thess. 1.5 For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost And the Comforts of the Spirit Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost But then Faith is the Means Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho' now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory So that it is a Fruit of Faith as well as a Work of the Holy Ghost Faith joyned with Love will bring much Love into the Heart of a Believer and will cause it to be deeply affected with Christ's Grace 3. The Nature of this Joy and Gladness Here we must distinguish 1. There is a superstitious Joy which ariseth from knowing Christ after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more which is seen in this it prizeth Christ's Name but neglects his Office pretends a fond Esteem of his Memory but despises his Benefits As the Iews would fly in the Face of any that would not count them Abraham's Children yet would not do the Works of Abraham so is the Nominal Christian's Joy This Joy venteth it self in a Carnal way by outward Theatrical Pomp and Ceremonial Observances but not in real Affection to Christ yea they are rather Enemies to his spiritual Kingdom and Cause and Servants and express their rejoycing rather as Votaries of Bacchus than as Disciples of Christ in a gross and Carnal way This Joy is a rejoycing in Christ for a day but we are to make it our daily Work an holy Festival that lasteth our whole Lives Phil. 4.4 Rejoice in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoice This is a different thing from Abraham's rejoicing He had a Prospect of Christ's day and was exceeding glad but this is a Carnal owning of the God of the Countrey and no more 2. There is an holy Rejoycing which may be considered 1. As to the lively Acts. 2. Or solid Effects 1. As to the lively Acts in solemn Duties as the Word and Meditation and Lord's Supper it doth your Hearts good to think of Christ Cant. 1.4.10 We will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy Love more than Wine Psal. 22.26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him Your Heart shall live for ever Heb. 11.13 All these dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them That is when they thought of it the time of the Gospel was a sweet time to them and so it is to all other Believers A Man cannot think of his Pelf or any petty Interest in the World without Comfort and can a Believer think of the Promises and not be affected with them In solemn Meditation and other Duties is Faith and Joy acted 2. As to its solid Effects 1. It is such a Joy as doth enlarge our Hearts in Duty and strengthen us in the way of God Nehem. 8.10 For the joy of the Lord is your strength Psal. 119.14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all riches The hardest Services are pleasant to one that delighteth in Christ. This Joy is the very life of Obedience a Christian cannot be without it 2. It sweeteneth our Calamities and Crosses 1. Common Afflictions It can never be so sad with us in the World but we have cause of rejoycing in Christ Hab. 3.17 18. Tho' the Fig-tree do not blossom c. yet I will rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation For we have better things in him than any natural Comfort which can be taken from us This should not diminish the solid satisfaction of our Souls 2. The Afflictions of the Gospel Luk. 6.23 Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for your Reward is great in Heaven for in like manner did their Fathers unto the Prophets Heb. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that in Heaven ye have a better and enduring substance They are fit Occasions to shew how much we Value Christ above all our own Interests how near and dear soever they be to us 3. It draweth us off from the vain Delights of the Flesh. Every Man must have some Oblectation for Love and Delight cannot lye idle in the Soul either it is taken up with the Joyes of Sense or with the Joyes of Faith And it is good for every Man to Observe what it is that puts gladness into his Heart where his solid Contentment and Pleasure is A bruitish Heart fetcheth all its Solaces from the World but a gracious Heart from Christ the one love Pleasures more than God but to the other Christ and his Benefits are their matter of Joy and Comfort this is that they are cheared with as they get more of Christ into their Hearts Psal. 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased As David calleth God his exceeding Ioy Psal. 43.4 They need not the Carnal Mirth without which others cannot live Psal. 4.6 Who will shew us any good VSE Well then you see Faith is not only a Sight but a Taste or a feeding on the Promises with delight Psal. 119.111 Thy Testimonies I have taken for an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart And such a Delight as draweth off our Hearts from other things as the Man that had found the true Treasure Matth. 13.44 For joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field I Observe a double Joy in Abraham 1. In Desiring He rejoiced to see my day The Spiritual desires of God's People after Christ are full of Joy There is a Joy that accompanieth seeking before we attain what we seek after Psal. 105.3 Let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Before Complacential Joy there is a Seeking Joy Better be a Seeker than a Wanderer and Delight in Christ keepeth up this seeking 2. There is a Joy after Faith hath given some satisfaction First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he rejoiced and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was glad A Man sick of a Mortal Disease when he heareth of
former Prophets There are so many Degrees mentioned first they grow slight and careless and do not care to hear what you say then they refuse to obey what they have heard then they grow Sermon-Proof they can hear and have no Benefit by it As long as the Word doth any way affect a Sinner there is some Hope but within a while Conscience smiteth not and Men have gotten the Victory over their Fears and Scruples And thus they go on from natural to voluntary and from voluntary to judicial Hardness of Heart and so are a ready Prey for the Devil 8. Dilatory Excuses are the last Refuge of an hard Heart When they can no longer withstand a Conviction they adjourn and put off the Compliance with God's Will and so elude the Importunity of the present Conviction Felix his Heart boggled Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled and said Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient Season I will call for thee Mind the present Season when God is affording Opportunities of getting Grace Heb. 3.7 8. To Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal. 119.60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Zacheus Luke 19.6 he made haste and came down and received him joyfully Peter and Andrew Mark 4.20 They straitway left their Nets and followed him Paul Gal. 1.16 Immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood If God hath given you any Will and Inclination for the present it is an Advantage Sin the longer it continueth the stronger it groweth He that doth not go over at the Fountain-head will not be able to go over when the Stream groweth broader and the farther he goes downward the broader still he findeth it Every Day 's Impenitency bringeth on a new Degree of Hardness Would a Man that is to drink that which to his knowledg is poisoned put the more into his Cup and then take it off out of a Presumption that at length he shall find an Antidote Alas thou may'st be poisoned and dead before the Antidote comes SERMON III. MARK III. 5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts Vse 1. OF Trial. Is this our State Take the two Properties to judg by Insensibleness and Inflexibleness First A hard Heart is insensible insensible of Providences of the Word and of the State of the Soul 1 st Insensible of Providences 1. Of Mercies Either of the Author of Mercies they never look up to the God of their Mercies Hosea 2.8 She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold As Swine that feed upon the Acorns but never look up to the Tree from whence they fall Cant. 4.1 Behold thou arâ— fair my Love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves Eyes As Doves peck and look uâ—ward It is a sign of a tender Heart to see God in every Mercy A drowsy and unattentive Soul never heedeth it is wholly swallowed up in present Enjoyments and looketh no farther It is our Privilege above the Beasts to know the fâ—rst Cause other Creatures live upon God but they are not capable of knowing God they glorify God in their Kind but we may know him Idolatry and Sottishness had never crept into the World if Men had owned the first Cause Or of the End of Mercies which is to draw in our Hearts to God therefore they are called Cords of a Man Hosea 11.4 I drew them with Cords of a Man with Bâ—â—ds of Love Esther 6.3 What Honour and Dignity hath been done to Mordecaâ— for 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 7.2 Thâ—â— the King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an House of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains When the Heart is urging to Duty upon this score God hath been good to me he hath given me Food and Raimâ—â—â— What have I done for God Now the Heart is hard when we are not sensible of his daily Providence and gracious Supplies in this kind 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the Hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy Bosom and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight David had lost his Awe of God because he had not a thankful sense of the Mercies of God 2. Of corrective Providences The Body is a tender Part with wicked Men when they are straitned for bodily Conveniences they will complain yet the hard Heart is still insensible of Judgments They are insensible of the Author or discerning Cause they do not look upward nor inward and though doctrinally right in these things yet they do not seriously consider it and recal it to mind Opinion is one thing and Consideration is another wicked Men may take up good Opinions but they do not consider the Force and Consequence of them 1. They do not see the Hand of God in them Isa. 26.11 Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see They look on these things but as a Chance 1 Sam. 6.9 And see if it goeth up by the way of his own Coast to Bethshemesh then he hath done us this great Evil but if not then we shall know that it was not his Hand that smote us it was a Chance that happened to us If Men own God's Hand they should take up the Matter with him but they own it doctrinally though not practically A Godly Man hath explicite Thoughts of God Iob doth not say the Sabeans and the Chaldeâ—â—s but the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 They do not complain when they are crossed of Chance but the Lord is angry and when they are stricken they consult with him and humble themselves before him Wicked Men are sensible of the smart of the Rod but not of the Hand that holds it 2. They do not see the deserving Cause of them which is Sin Lam. 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living Man complain a Man for the punishment of his Sins Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. If Sickness cometh if a Relation be taken away if an Estate be blasted a waking Conscience looks to the Cause they would see the Mind of God in the Rod. When Israel fell before the Men of Ai Ioshua looketh out for the Troubler so do God's Children 2 dly Insensible of the Power of the Word they have no taste no feeling of the Powers of the World to come Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces There is a breaking and a melting Power in the Word
before mine eyes I have walked in thy truth This constraineth and enforceth to Holyness and gives encouragement to it others only attempt this Work but do not consider the fruit of it 3. More orderly and prudent Others do good Duties by chance Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think of these things III. That which I am now to do is to give you the Rules to guide you in this weighty Affair of the Christian Life There are Rules to be observed to fit the Soul but those I shall handle under the terme of helps I handle such now as must guide the Soul 1. Whatever you meditate upon must be drawn down to Application Iob 5.27 Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good In Meditation our aim and design is to promote the good of our Souls The Heathen Emperour Antoninus had Observations which he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things for my seâ—f that is the proper end of this Exercise things for our selves In Conference we aim at the good of others but the end of Meditation is to fall directly upon our own Souls All the while we stay in generals we do but bend the Bow when we come to Application we let fly the Arrow and we hit the Mark when we come to return upon our own Souls Now this Application must be partly by way of Tryal partly by way of Charge 1. The first Reflection upon our selves must be by way of Tryal This should alwaies be the close of all how is it with thee Oh my Soul Or is not this my State When the Apostle had taken a view of the Doctrine of Justification he shutteth up all with a Practical return upon his own Heart Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things How am I concerned in this Truth So Nazianzen in his Forty-First Oration saith his Custom was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go aside to converse with God but alwaies in the course of the Duty he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search himself 2. By way of Charge and Command You should charge your selves to serve God with greater care Meditation is as it were the heat of the Cause and after the Debate you should give Sentence and issue forth a Practical Decree as David now I see it is good for me to draw nigh to God Psalm 73.28 When he had been meditating of the Providence of God in punishing the wicked now oh my Soul thou seest what is best for thee even to keep close to God So in two Psalms when he had been meditating of the Mercy and Power of God he layeth a Charge upon his Soul to bless God of his Mercy Psalm 103.22 Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the Lord oh my soul of his Power Psalm 104.35 Let the Sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more Bless thou the Lord O my Soul praise ye the Lord. 2. Do not pry further than God hath revealed Your thoughts must be still bounded by the word There is no Duty that a Fanatick Brain is more apt to abuse then Meditation when Men are once able to raise their thoughts they soar too high and being puffed up with their fleshly mind intrude themselves into things that they have not seen Col. 2.18 They are dazeled with ungrounded subtilties and so like a Lark that have flown high of a sudden fall down again David saith Psalm 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me In Spiritual Exercises you must stint your thoughts with what is revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.3 Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every Man the measure of faith that is as God hath revealed and dispensed the measure of Faith to you To pry into the Mysteries of the Divine Decrees were to disturb Affection not to raise it Nice Disputes feed Curiosity not Religion Again regard must be had not only to the Word but to your own Abilities those that soar too high fall low enough e're they have done consider what is fit for your pitch and size Again do not leave Bread and Wine and gnaw upon a Stone or leave Practical Matters for intricacy of Dispute 3. When you meditate of God you must do it with great Care and Reverence his Perfections are matter rather of Admiration than inquiry Some dispute whether it be best to meditate of Gods Essence or no Certainly as it is discovered to us in his Attributes it is very comfortable and useful Psal. 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. And though you should get as large thoughts as possibly you can of His Majesty and Power yet you must not pry too curiously into his Nature left you be oppressed by his Glory The Mysteries of the Trinity are matters of Belief rather than Debate we may well cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the Depth It is enough to know that it is so we cannot search how It is said 1 Tim. 6.16 Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see And Psalm 18.11 He hath made darkness his secret place his pavillion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies God is said to dwell in Light to shew his Majesty and to dwell in darkness to shew his incomprehensibleness Do not intangle your selves while you go about to raise your Zeal the full knowledge of these things is our Portion in Heaven 4. In meditating on common things keep in mind a Spiritual purpose God hath endowed Man with a faculty to discourse and employ his mind on Earthly Objects to Spiritual purposes Eccles. 3.11 He hath set the world in their heart Mundum tradidit disputationi eorum the meaning is he hath endowed him with Natural Light to contemplate on his handy-work The Mind is soon apt to grow common and vain and therefore here you have need of more care and watchfulness Psalm 8.34 When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Basil calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a School to teach us not Knowledge but Religion Psalm 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work Philosophers study the Creatures to find out their Natural Causes we to find out Arguments of Worship and Religion 5. Take heed of creating a Snare
day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil 2. Consider the Nature of Sin with respect to your selves and so the evil of it appears in these respects 1. It is a degradation of your Natures and sets you beneath the rank of Men and equals you with Beasts Psal. 49.12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish In the Original it is he abideth not for a Night Adam sinned the very same day that he was created So Psalm 32.9 Be ye not as the horse or as the mule that have no understanding implying that inconsiderate and rash Men that never consider their wayes are like the Horse and Mule which are void of Understanding and are guided only by their own Instinct to what use do Men put their Reason that do not reflect upon their Consciences It would be an odd sight to see a Man with the head of a Mule or the feet of a Horse yet there is a greater affinity between the Body of a Beast and the Body of a Man than between a Beast and a Mans Soul the former are in the same degree of Being as Material substances 2. It is the defilement of your Natures The Scripture when it speaks of Sin sets it out by filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness Iames 1.21 An allusion to the Brook Hedron where the Garbages of the Sacrifices were wont to be cast So it is called a blot these Notions are to heighten our Souls into a detestation of it Omne malum naturam aut timore aut pudore perfudit There is such a filthiness in Sin that it is ashamed out of it self and therefore it alwaies seeketh for a disguise there needeth no Argument against it but to be seen in its proper colours it either seeketh a shew of Vertue or a vail of Darkness Pray why doth the Adulterer seek for the twi-light Prov. 7.9 In the twi-light in the evening in the black and dark night but that he is ashamed of Sin Sin is so Monstrous and Deformed that it seeks to hide it self from those that love it most from the Conscience of the Party that committeth it or from the sight of others Nay there is such a Turpitude in it that some Sins beget shame in their very name and mention The Apostle speaks of a Sin that is not so much as named among the Gentiles 1 Cor. 5.1 and Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints Socrates hid his face whenever he spake against wantonness 3. It is the Bondage of your Natures Oh what worser Captivity can there be than this for Reason to be put out of its Empire and that you should be under the command of vile Affections a Slave to Pride and a Drudge to your Lusts and Carnal Pleasures Sin is a Bondage here and hereafter here it binds you with the Cords of Vanity and hereafter with the Chains of Darkness This is the preposterous Judgment of Men that they look upon the Service of God as their greatest Bondage Psalm 2.3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us but it is otherwise there is no greater freedom than to be employed in the Service of God and to be free for the Actions of a Holy Life Psalm 119.45 I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts The Bonds of Duty are not Gives but Ornaments And there is no greater Bondage than to be a Slave to Sin 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage What a Bondage is this to be a Vassal of Hell to be at the command of our Lusts a Slave to Pride and Uncleanness and we know not how to help it SERMON VIII GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide 2. ANother Argument to prove the Evil of Sin is taken from the Effects of Sin We being in a lower Sphere of Understanding know Causes by their Effects Ier. 2.19 Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God When they had seen the sad Effects of it their Cities wasted and destroyed And where shall we not find the sad Effects of Sin Survey the story of Sin since it came into the World The first news we hear of Sin is in the fall of the Angels and what a dreadful instance is that The Angels that were the most noble part of the Universe the Courtiers of Heaven and assoon as they had sinned in a moment of Angels they were made Devils and cast down into the pit of Darkness for one aspiring thought against Gods Imperial Majesty If we should see Ten Thousand Princes executed in one day we would wonder at the Cause of it and yet this is but a short resemblance of this case Think of those Princes of the Creation those Morning-Stars those Sons of God now if one Sin cast down these Angels what will become of us who have Millions of Sins If God be so angry with the Nobles how may the Scullions tremble If God will cast Angels out of Heaven for one Sin of Thought what will become of us poor Dwellers in Clay who are but a little enlivened Dust that may be soon crumbled into nothing Yet Christ was not made an Angel for Angels as he was made a Man for me If you should hear of a drop of gall that should imbitter an whole Ocean of sweetness you would wonder at the Pestilential influence of it here is one sin of thought imbittered the whole Ocean of the Angelical sweetness The next news we hear of Sin is in the Fall of Man Who would taste of that Poyson that poysoned all Mankind at once Adam did but taste of the forbidden Fruit and all his Posterity were poysoned in the Morning he was Gods Favourite and in the Evening the Devils Slave he slept not one Night in Innocency Nay this is not all you shall see the venom of Sin went further it did not only ruine all Mankind but it gave a crack to the whole Creation All the Creatures groan under Sin Rom. 8.20 21. For the creature is made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God When God looked upon the Creatures that he had made he saw all was good but when Solomon looketh upon Gods Works he seeth nothing but Vanity what is the Reason of this Sin intervened so that the Creatures are not only the Monuments of Gods Power but of Mans Rebellion The next dreadful instance of Sin is in the Old World and there all Mankind except Eight
Reverend Thoughts that by a deliberate gaze you may raise your Souls into an Holy Wonder and Amiration 1. I shall lay down some preparative Considerations 2. I shall come to the work it self I. To prepare you To consecrate your thoughts for the entertainment of so great a Mystery consider these things 1. When you have done your utmost your thoughts will still fall short Isa. 40.28 There is no searching of his understanding There is an excess in every Attribute above all Humane Thought and Conceit and though we follow on after God yet we cannot find him out to perfection Now among all his Attributes none is more hidden from us than his Wisdom as Children that are only busied in puppets and bawbles cannot imagin what it is to govern a Common-wealth Power is obvious but our foolish Spirits cannot trace the Wisdom of Providence much more his Wisdom discovered in the Gospel One of the Names of Christ is Wonderful Isa. 9.6 It is a point that we should alwayes be studying and yet we can never come to the bottom of it and therefore what is wanting in Thoughts must be supplyed by wonder When we have done all we must cry out Rom. 11.23 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out As if he had said I have done as much as I can I have discovered as much as I am able but I must leave off disputing and fall now to wondring The Light of the Scripture doth not discover him fully 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part Full Knowledge is our Portion in Heaven these are but partial Discoveries we have even in the Word of God However this is no excuse for Negligence and Barrenness Not for Negligence for we must follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6.3 It is the fault of Christians that they keep alwayes to their Milk and first childish Thoughts and Apprehensions we should rise higher in our Considerations and Admirations of the Love and Wisdom of God It is notable that Moses his first request to God was What is thy name Exod. 3.13 and then I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 we must follow on from considering Gods Name to clearer sights of his Glory Not for Barrenness Empty Thoughts void of Argument and Discourse beget a confused Stupor not a Wonder the Thoughts are only stayed not raised 2. Not only Men but Angels themselves are at a loss in this great Mystery they study it as well as we and cannot come to the bottom of it 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to bow down and bend the Body it is an allusion to the Cherubims that were pictured over the Ark stooping and as it were bending their Bodies as prying into the Mysteries of the Ark. The Mysteries of the Gospel are so sublime that the Angels which do continually behold the face of God cannot perfectly comprehend them they are learning and improving their knowledge by learning and improving the dispensations of God to the Church Ephes. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God that they may know the curious contrivances of Gods Wisdom by observing the Revelations that are made and the Dispensations God hath used towards his Church And possibly this may be the meaning of the Apostle in that expression 1 Tim. 3.16 Seen of Angels that is with Reverence Admiration and wonder to see Christ stoop so low to be cloathed with Flesh to condescend to a Nature so much beneath their own This is the work of Angels either they desire to know more of Christ or they delight themselves in beholding of that they know Oh we should never be weary of searching into these Holy Mysteries and acting our thoughts upon them 3. They wonder most at the contrivance of the Gospel that have most Interest in it to others it is but a cold Story or naked Plot. Concernment sharpneth Invention and Affection a Man doth then more seriously consider of it their Eyes are open and they have more of sense and feeling And that is the Reason why the injoyments of the Saints have notes of wonder annexed to the expressions of them as Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding c. 1 Pet. 1.8 Ioy unspeakable and fall of glory they that have a taste of it know what it is to enjoy a calm and serene Conscience through the application of the Promises of the Gospel They can best wonder at the contrivance of the Gospel who are called out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 They wonder in their thoughts that God and Christ should design their Heaven be plotting and contriving their Salvation before all Worlds how they may be Vessels â—â—lled up with Glory Oh marvellous Light wonderful unutterable Joy These are the apprehensions of Gods Children others may look upon the Gospel as a probable Truth but they have found it a comfortable Truth therefore their hearts are raised in wonder II. I come to the Work it self You may manage it three wayes 1. By Observations 2. By Arguments 3. By Comparisons 1. By Observations Observe what is Beautiful and Excellent in the Gospel 1. God did not contrive to save the fallen Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham He was not made an Angel for Angels as he was made a Man for Men. Oh Lord Thou sawest Angels sinning but not returning in them thou didst discover the severity of thy Justice but in us the riches of thy Mercy God would not so much as treat with a fallen Man Angel but plotted a way to recover In the Election of Angels Mercy is not so much glorified as in the Election and Calling of Men there was Grace showed in the Election of Angels but not Mercy none of the fallen Angels were saved but fallen Man is called to Grace in Christ. Certainly whatever the causes were there was much of Wisdom and Mercy in it Whether it be for this cause that when Adam sinned the whole Humane Nature fell but the whole Angelical Nature did not fall but only a part of it the kind it self needed not to be repaired but all the Mass of Mankind was poysoned Or whether this be the cause meerly the Will of God certainly there is much of Mercy in it Love after a breach is more glorious it is more to be reconciled than to be confirmed Poenitens the Penitent have more cause to glorifie God then Innocens the Innocent those that are received to Mercy than those that are confirmed by Grace Or else was this the cause Because the Angels sinned out of their own Motion Angels had no other Gemptation but their own
Evangelist there explaineth his meaning so that there needeth no further scruple about the sense of the words It followeth that whosoever All Persons are invited without exclusion of any that universal particle comprehendeth Sinners of all sorts and sizes of all ranks and conditions in the World Believeth in him This answereth to looking upon the Brazen Serpent Believing is a looking to Christ a looking upon him by the Eye of Faith Shall not perish but have eternal life He shall escape the present danger which he feareth Souls shall be healed and delivered from Hell and Life Eternal is restored to them Doct. That we ought to consider Salvation by Christ as prefigured and represented by the history of the brazen Serpent As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of Man be lifted up And Christ here propoundeth it to Nicodemus 1. It is useful to consider the Types partly to confirm our Faith when we see the Harmony between the Testaments There are Historical Types and Prophetical Types Historical Types are only Patterns and Examples 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things hapned to them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ensamples or Types so the Providences of God to his Antient People 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents Prophetical Types were instituted to prefigure a thing to come as the Ceremonies of the Law were Figures of better things to come Now we see the Gospel is not a Novel Invention only hatched in that Age when it was first set a foot no it was long since foretold not only by words but things there was a preparation made for it And partly to help our Meditation we reflect upon these things with more delight and sweetness whilest we view the Agreement between the Truth and the Type When we know the Person yet we delight to see the Picture and so we may take a view of things with a grateful variety We see them double when we consider both the Shadow and the Mistery Partly to increase our thankfulness we have not such dark and long prospects through which they only could look to Christ we may see him more clearly in the Doctrines of the Gospel where he is evidently set forth unto us and as it were crucified before our eyes Gal. 3.1 Surely then we are more obliged to mind these things The more clearly and convincingly Christ is represented to us the more will our negligence be aggravated and our contempt the greater if we make light of these things 2. Among other Types the Brazen Serpent must not be forgotten partly because it doth in a most lively and full manner represent Christ Here a word is a Sermon and we cannot think of the Brazen Serpent but the necessity the remedy the means of Application do presently offer themselves to our thoughts And partly because this took off the great scandal and Iewish exception against Christ which was the ignominy of the Cross. Therefore to a Doctor of the Law he doth not produce the Paschal Lamb or other Figures but the Brazen Serpent as clearly representing the Cause Quality and Fruit of his Sufferings 3. To help you in this Consideration I shall 1. Give the History 2. The Typical Use of it First The History in Numb 21.6 7 8 9. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bite the people and much people of Israel dyed Therefore the people came unto Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the â—ord that he take away the serpents from us and Moses prayed for the people And the Lord said unto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it he shall live And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived The Sin occasioning the Judgment was there murmuring at Moses and Aaron and their loathing of Manna for this God sendeth fiery Serpents Observe how God suiteth the Judgment to the Sin venomous Tongues are plagued with venomous Serpents It is said Eccl. 10.11 Surely the serpent shall bite without inchantment and a babler is no better And again Psalm 140.3 They have sharpned their tongues like a serpent Adders poison is under their lips They have a Bag of Water under their Tongues which is most poisonous and inflaming which in biting is broken But this was not the Asp but the Chersydrus a sort of Serpent which abideth on Land as well as in Water whilst it liveth in the Water it is not altogether so venomous as when it cometh to live on the dry Land and in this part of the thirsty howling Wilderness these kind of Serpents were most fiery and burning and at that time of the year when the Israelites were there which was about the end of August For Aaron dyed in the first day of the fifth moneth Numb 33.38 which was about the Tenth of Iuly and the Children of Israel mourned thirty days before they journeyed Numb 20.29 And when they journeyed from Mount Hor then we read of their murmuring and Gods plaguing them with fiery Serpents Observe again that God that bringeth Manna from Heaven can also send Serpents God is not all Honey abused Mercy is turned into fury and when his favours are despised he hath Judgments to sting us and if Men will loath their Food God will chastise them with poison But again to the History These Serpents which God sent are called fiery serpents partly for their colour being of a shining glistring skin the word in the Original is Seraphim-burners a Name given to the Angels Isa. 6.2 Above it stood the Seraphims which Angels are called elsewhere flames of fire Psalm 104.4 Partly because their venomous stinging and biting did cause a raging heat and grievous burning in the Bodies of the Israelites And it seemeth they were a kind of Serpents with Wings not of Feathers but of a cartilaginous substance like the Wings of a Bat and did here and there seize upon them and bite them or at least they are said to flie because of their swift Motion whereby suddenly jerking they shoot themselves forward or dart themselves out of Trees on Men or Beasts as they pass by them There is a plain allusion to those flying Serpents Isa. 14.29 Out of the serpents hole shall come forth a cockatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent And indeed that Wilderness through which the Israelites passed did abound with many sorts of these Serpents Therefore it is said Deut. 8.15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions Well then they go to Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against God and against
their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them Let them also that love thy Name be joyful in thee These common Favours and Benefits manifest Gods respect to us and should be as a step to the Lords People to lead them up to rejoyce in God This was Gods quarrel with his People Deut. 28.47 48. Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and thirst and nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he hath destroyed thee Whatever we have we should look upon it as a token of Gods Love to us and so rejoyce in them not as satisfied with these worldly things but as they direct us to God Carnal Men rejoyce in the Creature but in a carnal and sensual manner their joy neither ariseth from God nor endeth in God they neither look to God as their Author nor make him their end and it is a naughty Heart that can rejoyce in any thing without God and apart from God II. How this must be constant and perpetual Rejoyce evermore 1. In all Estates and Conditions this joy must not be infringed Gods Children have or may have cause of rejoycing in God whatever their outward Condition be and therefore they should make Conscience of it whether their Affairs be adverse or prosperous 1. A State of Worldly Sorrow and Affliction is reconcilable and agreeable enough or consistent with our rejoycing in the Lord. The Scriptures abound in the proof of this 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort and am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations So David Psalm 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Paul and Silas sung in the Dungeon at Midnight Acts 16.25 At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and saâ—g praises unto God Tribulation disturbeth not the Harmony of a wellcomposed mind the reason is because there is more matter of delight in God than can be taken from him in the Creature Iohn 16.22 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you Whatever falleth out Gods All-sufficiency and Heavens Happiness are everlasting grounds of rejoycing 1. Gods All-sufficiency Hab. 3.18 Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Your Right and Interest in God is not made void by the blasting of the Creature So 2. Hopes of Glory remain unshaken Matth 5.12 Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Though the World be bent against us with all manner of spight and hatred yet there is more cause of Joy than Sorrow There cannot be more evil in our Sufferings than there is good in God and happiness in Heaven 2. A State of Sorrow and Affliction is not only consistent with this Holy rejoycing but doth much promote it Partly as Afflictions conduce to refine and purge the Soul from the Dregs of Sense and make it capable of the Comforts of the Spirit Iude 19. Sensual having not the spirit Till our taste be clarified from the foeculency and dreggs of Sense we cannot rellish Spiritual Comforts nor know their worth and value Whilest we flow in Worldly Comforts the Carnal gust and taste is too strong upon us and so we have mean thoughts of Gods Consolations They do best rellish with the afflicted as Cordials are for the fainting not for those whose Stomacks are full of phlegm and filth Partly as they occasion greater Experiences of God 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weak then am I strong So Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Partly as they are sanctified and increase Grace and an increase of Grace will bring with it an increase of Comfort Heb. 12.11 Now no chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Now from all these Considerations though Afflictions may a little damp it yet they do not extinguish it 2. We must rejoyce evermore because it is not a Duty to be done now and then or which doth only belong to some eminent Christians that are assured of Gods Love but from our first acquaintance with Christ till the last period of our Lives it is of use to us and some act of Joy our first entrance into Christianity 1. Some act of joy our first entrance into Christianity is begun with 1. Before our Interest is well settled and cleared There are general grounds of rejoycing which oblige all as that there is a good God and poor drooping Spirits should apply themselves to him who hath Comforts for his Mourners Isa. 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones That there is a merciful and able Saviour a Gospel or New Covenant that bringeth glad tydings to Sinners Luke 2.10 11. Fear not for behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. The World being faln under Gods Wrath and deserved Condemnation it is matter of joy that God hath found a Ransom and that he offereth Pardon and Life to those who will seek it and accept it upon his Blessed Termes It is matter of joy before we have interest in these things A possible conditional Reconciliation with God that dreadful Controversie taken up Heaven and Earth kissing each other that Life and Immortality is brought to Light and such a Blessedness discovered as satiateth the Mind of Man without which Man would have been but as Leviathan in a little Pool In short the Gospel shewing a sure way of Reconciliation with God and the Everlasting Fruition of him in Glory the very offers of it stir up a joy in us And wherever the Gospel cometh it hath at his first coming upon these accounts been entertained with joy As when Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria Acts 8.8 There was great joy in that city not only joy but great joy So it is said of the Goaler that
not a few cold heartless words then is Faith solemnly acted 2. Love is acted and increased in this Duty while we desire of God all things in order to God and shew forth our hearty groans after every thing that will bring us nearer to himself praying first for Gods Love then the Grace of the Redeemer and all other subordinate blessings and helps as they relate thereunto Yea this very opening our hearts to God is a solace to us and the fruit and act of our Delight in him The groans of the Spirit are the immediate issues of Love and come from an heart strongly bent to God and Heavenly things As Faith directeth us to God as the first Cause so Love to the chief end the Glory of God and regulateth all our choices and desires by it The Fruit of Prayer increaseth Love Psalm 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications Because he hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3. Hope is acted and increased by it Because in Prayer this Grace is predominant the certain and earnest expectation of the promised Glory Our thoughts of Heaven at other times are cold and heartless here we enter into the Holiest we beg Heaven and all things in order to Heaven because we expect it from the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ. There is desirous expectation in hopes and Prayer is but the expression of our Desires and a certain expectation in hope so in Prayer we plead Promises and shew the grounds of our trust why we look and wait for it that God will preserve us and bear our Expences to Heaven 2. The three Duties pressed in this place are much promoted by frequent Prayer Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing in every thing give thanks 1. Rejoyce evermore We cherish our rejoycing or Peace and tranquillity of mind in all Conditions by frequent praying This vent and utterance easeth us of our burden if any thing troubleth us we go to God whâ—â—s able and willing to help us Iob 16.20 My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears unto God It is our Comfort that there is a Throne of Grace before which to bring our complaint So Phil. 4.6 7. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. Be careful for nothing is parallel to rejoyce evermore what help have we to pray let your requests be made known unto God and the Effects of Prayer is the peace of God When the Air is imprisoned in the Bowels and Caverns of the Earth there are shakings and terrible Convulsions till it gets a vent so is the Soul tossed and turmoiled with many tormenting thoughts till we open our hearts to God Hannah when she had prayed went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1.18 Now should we not be frequent in this Duty which will keep up our Delight in God and our tranquillity of mind in all Conditions on the Confidence of his All-sufficiency 2. Pray without ceasing The Duty is promoted by the Duty pray without ceasing and you will pray without ceasing The way to be fervent is to be frequent A Key that is seldom turned rusts in the Lock Wells are the sweeter for the draining We lose the habit of Prayer and fitness for Prayer when we are seldom with God and there is such an intermission between Duties The more we walk the fitter we shall be to walk and the more we pray the fitter we shall be to pray They find so much sweetness in it that experiment it by practice that they cannot be without it It is the Strangers to Prayer that need to be perswaded When we intermit this necessary work we loose our fitness He that hath often prayed will pray Psalm 116.2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3. For the last Duty in every thing give thanks They that pray often see all things come from God and they return all to God again they take it out of his hands and use it for his Glory Usually what we win by Prayer we ware with Thanksgiving Others do not and cannot observe Providence as much as they do that pray often and upon all occasions they look to God Besides Prayer sweetneth the Mercy For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him Therefore have I lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth he shalâ— be lent to the Lord 1 Sam. 1.27 28. 3. It is useful to preserve in us a Sense of our Duty to God as it obligeth us to be more cautious and watchful Who should be so careful of their Conversations as they that come often into Gods presence They had need to be careful on a double account 1. That they may be in a readiness alwayes to pray Eph. 6.18 Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance 1 Pet. 4.7 Be sober and watch unto prayer If we would be often with God in Prayer we must watch against any thing that would hinder our Communion and intercourse with God that we may look God in the face with Comfort As those that are alwaies to appear in the presence of earthly Princes must be more decently clad than other Men. How shall we pray at Night when we have been offending God all the Day 2. The very praying often inferreth an Obligation of greater strictness that we may be such out of Duty as we profess to be in Duty 1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity What confess Sin and yet commit it What pray so zealously and live so vainly Confute and contradict your Prayers by your Lives Ask Grace so earnestly of God and cast it away so carelesly in your Conversations Leave off one or the other for Hypocrisie is a double provoking thing more than open prophaneness VSE 1. Is to reprove those that never call upon God or very rarely either in their Families or Closets or both This cometh to pass 1. Sometimes through a defect of their Faith they do not believe Gods Being and Providence and the Promises of his Holy Covenant as made with us They do not believe his Being Psalm 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God And verse 4. They call not upon the Lord. The practical Atheist doth not pray Iob 15.4 Thou castest off fear and restrainest prayer before God As the awe and reverence of God abateth in them they cast
take an Oath to be true to the Captain of our Salvation Rom. 6.13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God 2. In the Lords Supper we come to quicken our Zeal and renew our Holy Resolutions to adhere and cleave to Christ renouncing Sathan that we may stedfastly persevere in the Duties of our Heavenly Calling There our Baptismal Vow is ratified We are apt to forget it 3. The Armour is Faith Hope and Love 1 Thess. 5.8 Putting on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Faith owns Christ to be what he is and so breedeth a constant adherance to him Love casteth out fear of persecution and maketh us delight in him and Hope waiteth for the Eternal Reward 4. The manner of using this Armour it must be with Sobriety and Watchfulness 1 Pet 5.8 Be sober be vigilant 1. Sobriety or Moderation as to the good things of the present World least we be inticed to a neglect of God and Heavenly things 2. Vigilancy noteth tenderness of 〈◊〉 Conscience Conscience standeth Porter at the Door examining what goeth in and what cometh out Men that have no great tenderness of Conscience fear not much the loss of their Souls and are most easily wrought on by Sathan A Sermon on Joshua vi 26 Cursed be the Man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho He shall lay the Foundation thereof in his first-born and in his youngest Son he shall set up the Gates thereof THese words relate to the History of Iericho's destruction In which the place and the manner of its being destroyed are notable 1. The Place Iericho was 1. A strong and well-fenced City one of those which frighted the Spies who were sent to view the Land To appearance it seemed impregnable 2. 't was a Frontier a Key to let in all or stop all that entred into the Land of Canaan on that side 3. A wicked Place and People above others deliciousness of the Situation contributing to the Luxury of the Inhabitants 2. The manner of its destruction It was by the marching of Israel about the City seven days and the Priests going before them blowing with Rams horns a Type of God's blessing on the labours of his Ministers in stirring up his People against the Kingdom of sin Satan and Antichrist But Faith must use such means as God hath appointed though to appearance they be never so despicable Against Midian Gideon useth the Stratagem of lamps in pitchers which the Apostle calleth treasure in earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 So here by the blast of the Rams-horns the walls of this seemingly Impregnable City fell flat to the ground 2 Cor. 10.4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God in the pulling down of strong-holds The Text giveth an account of what Ioshua did and said on this occasion What he did in the beginning of the vers He adjured the People at that time that is exacted this oath or solemn consent from them To submit themselves and their posterity to the imprecation or curse denounced by him in the name of the Lord. What he said in the curse it self Cursed be the Man before the Lord that raiseth up and buildeth this City Jericho So that in the words you have a terrible Denunciation 1. Generally propounded 2 particularly exemplified 1. Generally expressed Cursed be the Man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho Where 1. The Crime That riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho That is That shall presume and take the boldness to build the walls of this City 2. The punishment Cursed be he before the Lord That is the Lord seeing ratifying and appointing this doom and sentence For it is not a Passionate imprecation but a prophetical prediction coming not from any private motion but the inspiration of God And therefore it is called the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua 1 King 16.34 But why is such a curse interminated against those that shall build this City I answer though we are not to render a reason of God's counsels yet this seemeth to be the cause It was the first City of all Canaan that was destroyed and that miraculously And God would have the ruines remain as a monument to posterity of his Power justice and goodness of his Power for whilst this spectacle the rubbish of the ruined walls remained it incouraged their Faith and upbraided their unthankfulness to God who had wrought so wonderfully for them Of his justice on the Canaanites And his grace and goodness towards his People 2. It is particularly explained He shall lay the foundation thereof in his first Son and in his youngest Son he shall set up the gates hereof That is he shall be punished for his presumption in this act by the death of his two Sons the first in the beginning of the work the second in the finishing thereof the setting up of the Gates being the last thing Others probably understand He shall be punished with the loss of all his Children from the Eldest to the youngest So that the curse is his posterity shall be rooted out Now for a long time none had the boldness to attempt this work upon which so fearful a curse was imposed till at length some hundreds of years afterwards in Ahab's time one Hiel the Bethelite audaciously sets upon it And accordingly this curse was verified in him to the utter overthrow of his family 1 King 16.34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born and set up the gates thereof in his youngest Son Segub according to the Word of the Lord which he spake by Joshua the Son of Nun. Strange that seeing his first Son drop away he desisted not from that design But such is the precipice of bad projects and ingagements once step in and seldom stop in the way of wickedness This History teacheth us two Lessons 1. That it is dangerous to slight God's threatnings The curse denounced many hundred years before took place The force and vertue of the prediction was not worn out and antiquated though the attempt was long after it was first pronounced 2. How dangerous it is to build again what God hath or would have to be ruined and destroyed This latter Lesson I shall insist upon and observe Doct. That to seek to erect what God hath and would have destroyed involveth us in a fearful curse In following which point I shall shew 1. What God hath and would destroy 2. The Reasons 3. The Use. 1. What it is that God hath and will destroy The question is large but I will restrain it to the matter I intend And because the accommodation of Scripture to particular cases needeth to proceed upon good evidence that right may be done
to them to bring the World to this pass and to recover the truths and interests of Christs Kingdom out of the common Apostacy Partly because it is unreasonable that should be lost in an instant that hath been so long a-gaining and wantonly thrown away which with so many years care hath been brought to this effect so that the work of Christ is set back in the world After the second Apostacy God doth by degrees bring down the Kingdom of Satan and recover the Kingdom of the Mediator Rev. 11.13 The tenth part of the City fell and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven Psalm 59.11 Slay them not lest my People forget scatter them in thy Power and bring them down To put Christ to do again what hath been done already is such a presuming on his providence as will cost dear Partly also because the present Age is a kind of Trustee for the next We are God's Witnesses to the present Age Isa. 43.10 Ye are my witnesses saith the Lord. And we are God's Trustees for future Generations and should take care we do not intail prejudices upon them and leave them to grapple with insuperable difficulties to find out their way to heaven Rom. 3.2 The Oracles of God were committed to the Iews So 2 Tim. 2.2 The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Now we must see that we be faithful in our trust And we are bound to this zeal if we remember our Ancestors or remember our Posterity Partly also because God severely threatneth them that play the wantons with Religion because they were not bitten with the inconveniencies unâ—er which former Generations smarted And therefore as Samuel dealt with the Israelites when they would cast off the Theocracy or God's Government under which they had been well and safely Governed that they might be like the Nations round about them Samuel telleth them by God's appointment The manner of the King that shall reign over them 1 Sam. 8.11 12 13. He shall take your Sons and appoint them for himself for his Chariots and to be his horsemen and some shall run before his Chariots and he will take your Daughters to be his Confectionaries and to be Cooks and Bakers c. So if such a wanton humour should possess us that we must have the Religion of the Nations round about us consider whom you receive Spiritually to reign over you One that will Lord it over your Consciences obtrude upon you his damnable errors and Pestilent Superstitions and bold Usurpations on the Authority of Christ Or else burn you with temporal fire or excommunicate you and cast out your Name as one that is to be condemned to that which is Eternal And then you will see the difference between the blessed Yoak of Christ and the Iron Yoak of Antichrist II. Reasons 1. It is ingratitude to build again what God hath destroyed as if his mercies were not worth the having God prefaces the Law Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage Now God took it heinously when ever and anon they were making to themselves a Captain to return again to Egypt as if he had done them wrong to knock off their Shackles and to free them from the Brick kilns when their cry because of the anguish of their Souls came up to Heaven So in the new Testiment Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again with the Yoak of bondage The servility of legal observances was so great and so unprofitable that they could not be thankful enough for their liberty And therefore it should be dearer to us than to part with it for trifles or to take on the Yoak again when God hath freed us from it 2. It is an affront to the God of Heaven or a contempt of his power An entring into the List with the Almighty God as if we could keep up what he hath a mind to destroy It is not a simple sin to stand out against Christ and not to open the gates to him is a great evil If his anger be but kindled a little what can we do the greatest the wisest the most powerful amongst us Psal. 2.12 Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little But it is an aggravated sin to turn him out after he is entred Alass how horrible a contempt is that of Christ It is a vile scorn put upon the Majesty of God Better never have owned him than to be cold indifferent and negligent in his Interest If the business had been to introduce a Religion it had been another matter but this is to preserve what is already introduced 3. It is unbelief Such persons regard not the threatnings of God Lam. 1.9 She remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Mischief and ruine attendeth these attempts Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim offended in Baal he died But People little mind these things 4. How heinously God taketh this See how he declareth the cause Ier. 2.9.10 11 12 13. I will plead with you saith the Lord and with your Children's Children will I plead For pass over the Isles of Chittim and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and sâ—e if there be such a thing Hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods But my People have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished Oh ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very Desolate saith the Lord. For my People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water God will make you know and your Childrens Children know that it is the basest thing in the World that he should lose ground in your days and that People should set loose in matters of Religion not care much which end goeth forward when he hath done such great things for them But what is God's plea Let them produce any People in any part of the world then commonly known that had dealt with their Idols as they had done with him the true and living God Then vers 12. Be astonished O ye Heavens God would have the Son look pale on such a wickedness and the spheres to hurl out their Stars and all the Creatures to stand Amazed at such a Folly such Transcendent and Matchless Impiety Elsewhere God complaineth Isa. 43.22 Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob thou hast been weary of me O Israel To be weary of God is as great a charge as can be brought against a People Then it is just with God to take
should have such notice of good and evil as Children usually have when the use of Reason and Understanding begins first to put out and exercise its self As Deut. 1.39 Your Children which in that day had no knowledge between good and Evil. That is had no ability to discern the one from the other So that Christ was as other Infants bateing only his nearness to the Godhead The Sun is the Sun still at morning or at high noon yet at first rising 't is more glorious than any other Creature Well then the Gift of the Holy Ghost shewed himself in him and was acted and discovered according to the progress of his Age and the increase of bodily Strength At Twelve Years Old he disputed with the Doctors 2. By Reason 1. He every way made himself like man except sin Heb. 4.15 For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all point Tempted like as we are yet without sin He was carried Nine Months in the Womb of the Blessed Virgin 2 As his capacity was inlarged so his wisdom discovered its self And the power that was in him shewed forth its self In us as the Body increaseth so the powers of the Reasonable Soul are increased also 3. The effects of the Personal Union were communicated to the Humane Nature Non necâ—ssitate Naturae sed Libertate Voluntatis not by necessity but free dispensation As to all Creatures God considereth what is profitable and may make them useful in the state wherein he will imploy them So to Christ he knew all things that were necessary for the Execution of his Office So God hid from or revealed to his Humane Nature according to his pleasure 4. â—he Divine Nature did by degrees shew its self in him lest before the time it should be too Prodigious and not so suiting to the dispensation of the Gospel which is a dispensation of Faith not of Sense and so hinder the Beautiful Order of it which from inconspicuous beginnings was to be carryed on to a great increase His Kingdom was from a Grain of Mustard-seed to grow up into a Tree So in his Person he was from a state of Childhood to grow up into the Stature of a perfect Man and then to suffer and die Which might have been impeded and hindred if those things which were to be done by him as a man were done by him as a Child 5. There was need of a continual growth that there might be a distinction between the state of his Humiliation and Exaltation As in us we know now but in part but then that which is perfect will come 1 Cor. 13.9 10. So in Christ he was to know somewhat as a Child more as a man And there is a distinction between what he knew as a man in the state of his Humiliation and what he knoweth now in the state of his Exaltation he still knew what was necessary to his office John 5.27 And he hath given him Authority to Execute Iudgment also because he is the Son of Man He exerciseth Lordship over all things therefore his knowledge is as vast as his Empire In Iudea he knew those he conversed withal yea he knew their hearts But now all judgment is put in his hand And herein is nothing asserted unworthy of Christ for as the Divine Nature did in some manner shut up and conceal and hide its Majesty in its self during the Humiliation of the Son of God that it might not discover that dignity which appeared in his exaltation so the Spirit of Wisdom was held in and restrained that it might not presently put forth its perfections but by little and little acccording to the state of Christ. Vse 1. Is to teach us to admire the Condescention of the Son of God who submitted to all our sinless infirmities and would grow and be improved in Soul as well as Body 1. The oftner we think of this the more should our hearts be filled with reverence at this stupendious Mystery T is without controversie great that the Son of God should be as other Infants be Carryed Nine Months in the Womb be Suckled Swadled Brought up as other Children and grow in Wisdom and Stature as they do Is this the great God that made all things and governeth all things at his pleasure Is this the Fountain of Wisdom and the Author of all Perfection Yes 't is he but this abasing is for our sakes The beginning of his Humiliation was in the very Womb the progress of it from the Cradle to the Grave 2. If Christ grew in wisdom So must we 2 Pet. 3.18 But grew in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. We have not only incapacity but the vail of ignorance 'T is little we know of God at our best Therefore let us open and ripen by degrees from good going on to better that we may be best at last When 't is declining time with the outward 〈◊〉 yet the inward man may be renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.6 Long use of means and many experiences should perfect us Therefore let there be a continuâ—l progress in grace and knowledge till we grow to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Ephes. 4.13 To be a Child of days is as monstrous a thing as to keep to the stature of a Child when Thirty or Forty years old So it is in Christianity Heb. 5.12 When for the time ye ought to be teachers ye have need that one teach you again the first Principles of the Oracles of God When God hath given us means to improve our knowledge it 's inexâ—usable to be ignorant 3. It informeth us that Ignorance from Natural Defect and Imperfection is no sin For Christ was Ignorant of some things especially in his Child-hood Ignorance may arise from several causes 1. From want of revelation We are not bound to know a thing never revealed to us Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong to us and our Children for ever 2. From the sublimity or excellency of the matter to be known 'T is above our capacity Psal. 131.1 I do not exercise my self in things that are too high for me We are to understand what is revealed and must improve our selves more and more 3. From neglect of the means God hath given man to improve his knowledge This will be charged on man as a great Crime Especially of things necessary or such as concern our everlasting Salvation or 〈◊〉 thereunto Many have time and teaching enough but they wofully â—ispend it and are ignorant of the Principles upon which the knowledge of 〈◊〉 things doth depend and so are uncapable of farther instruction or the higher points of the Gospel This doth not excuse but is a great sin 4. From Natural defect as in mad folks and Naturals and for a time Children Now this is not culpable and is not charged upon man
prevented by God In an unconverted estate God taketh no notice or knowledge of us so as to be familiar with us or communicate any saving blessings to us Therefore to be known of God is to receive special mercy from him as a consequent of our former election Our sins stopped not the current of his Love and Mercy to us but he first gave us being then gave us grace He maketh that amiable which he is pleased to set his love upon and doth esteem us for what he puts into us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved 3. His particular notice of them in the course of his providence This 1. before conversion with respect to his elective love Ier. 1.5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the Womb I sanctified thee Noting Gods Eternal designation of him to the office of a Prophet to which he at length called him before he was bred or born God set him apart for this work and had him in mind and took special notice of him as one to be thus imployed So God said of Moses Exod. 33.12 I knew thee by name and thou hast also found grace in my sight in a special and particular manner so Gal. 1.15 It pleased God who separated me from my Mothers Womb and called me by his grace He dateth God's care from that time because the decree began then to take place this Child is a vessel of Mercy to be imployed in an especial manner for God's Glory Now this is common to all the Faithful Christ calleth his Sheep by name Iohn 11.3 He knoweth all his Flock particularly their names and number by head and poll even to the meanest of God's Creatures that belong to his Election and seeketh them out in all the places of their dispersion and hath a special care of them that they may not die in their unregeneracy 2. After Conversion God taketh notice of their persons and conditions He hath a special affection to them and care of them Psal. 1.6 The Lord knoweth the Way of the Righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish that is he seeth and beholdeth them with Mercy he knoweth their persons and knoweth their necessities and streights Mat. 6.32 Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things Who wanteth food raiment protection and deliverance his business in Heaven is to order his providence for their good 2 Chron. 16.9 The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose Heart is perfect towards him Not always to give them such things as they desire but to turn all for good Rom. 8.28 All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose 4. The intimate familiarity that is between God and them in Holy Ordinances and the whole course of their conversations They know God and God knoweth them and there is much familiar intercourse between them 1 Iohn 1.7 If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin In holy duties none have cause to say Isa. 40.27 My way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God he doth nothing in my case It is a sad thing to come to an empty Ordinance Cain was sensible of this and affected with it his countenance fell when God testified not of his gifts Gen. 4.6 Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen God threatneth it Hos. 5.6 They shall go with their Flocks and with their Herds to seek the Lord but they shall not find him he hath withdrawn himself from them And executed it upon Saul 1 Sam. 28.6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord the Lord answered him not neither by Dreams nor by Vrim nor by Prophets They are the Shell of Ordinances but not the Kernel 5. At the last day they shall be known and owned Rev. 3.5 He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels Christ will own him and present him before God This is one of mine Others shall be discovered how great a name soever they have born in the Church Mat. 7.23 I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Oh how sad is that III. Reasons 1. This is like God's knowledge of himself and of us 1. Of himself God's whole happiness consists in knowing and loving himself and having infinite contentment in his own nature Surely then our happiness consists in knowing and loving God 2. Of Us. The knowledge whereby God knoweth us that we are his is not a bare and barren knowledge but accompanied with love and care and blessing so likewise our knowledge ought to be we must know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 In Heaven we shall know him perfectly and come to a full communion and conjunction with him here in some measure Thus the Scripture compareth God's knowledge of us with our knowledge of God God's knowing of us is operative never without effect therefore our knowledge of him should be lively saving and effectual 2. This knowledge is like the knowledge of Heaven Faith and imperfect Love here answereth to Vision and compleat Love there The sight and Love of God is our felicity in Heaven therefore it should be our business on Earth for here we do but train up our selves for a more perfect estate and Christ would make our work and reward suit To see God and love him is our business now and it is our happiness hereafter Here we follow the light of Faith there the light of Glory The understanding must see the truth it believeth and the will possess the good it loveth He that seeketh God is happy and he that perfectly loveth him cannot be miserable There we have no other imployment than to behold and love God The Divine Essence would be a Torment to the Blessed if the Understanding transmitted it not to their Will 3. God rewardeth love with love Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me And Iohn 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him And those whom he loveth he will not be unmindful of for he knoweth them 4. None know God so much as they that love him For the affection sharpeneth judgment Therefore the pure in Heart shall see God Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God As being purified from the dregs of sin and having their minds cleansed 5. Till we refer all that we know and believe to the true practice of the love of God we are not sincere 1 Cor.
the liberty of the Gospel and not to be intangled again in the Bondage of legal Ceremonies as if they were necessary to Justification or Acceptance with God He is earnest in the case for the glory of his Master and the good of Souls was concerned and therefore useth divers motives 1. They lose all benefit by Christ ver 2. 2. They are Debtors to the whole Law ver 3. 3. They are fallen from Grace ver 4. And now in the fourth place the consent of the Christian Gospel Church who upon Justification by Faith expect Remission of sins and eternal life Their judgment is the more to be esteemed because they are taught by the Spirit of God to renounce the legal Covenant and expect their acceptance with God by Faith only For we c. In these words observe 1. The end scope and blessedness of a Christian in the word hope 2. The firm ground of it the Righteousness of Faith 3. The carriage of Christians We wait 4. The inward moving cause of waiting for this Hope in this way Through the Spirit They are taught by him inclined by him so to do 1. The blessedness of a Christian is implied in the word Hope For Hope is taken two ways in Scripture for the thing hoped for and for the affection or act of him that hopeth Here it is taken in the first sense for the thing hoped for As also Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed hope So Col. 1.5 For the Hope which is laid up for us in Heaven 2. The Ground and Foundation of this Hope the Righteousness of Faith What it is I will shew you by and by Only here it is opposed partly to the Covenant of Works which could not give Life Partly to the legal observances for it presently followeth neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision c. But by no means is it opposed to evangelical obedience for the whole New Testament obedience is comprized in this term the Righteousness of Faith as appeareth by the Apostles explication in the next verse But Faith which works by love 3. The duty of a Christian We wait De jure we ought de facto we do All true Christians wait for the Mercy of God and Life everlasting And he calleth it waiting because a Believer hath not so much in possession as in expectation And this waiting is not a devout sloath but implieth diligence in the use of all means whereby we may obtain this hope 4. The inward efficient cause Through the Spirit We are taught by the Spirit inclined by the Spirit so to do 1. Taught For the Doctrine is mystical Flesh and Blood revealeth it not to us but the Holy Ghost Mat. 16.17 2. Inclined to this Spiritual course of Life wherein we obtain this blessed hope by the same Spirit For this Holy and Humble way is contrary to the interest of the Flesh. And we are told afterward Gal. 5.25 that we live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit So that in effect here is all Christianity abridged Our blessedness the way to it Our help or how we are brought to walk in that way Doct. That by the Spirit all true Christians are inclined to pursue after the hope built upon the Righteousness of Faith 1. What is the Righteousness of Faith 2. What is the Hope built upon it 3. What is the Interest and Work of the Spirit in bringing us to wait for this Hope I. What is the Righteousness of Faith We told you before It is opposed either to the Law of Works or the ceremonial observances of the Law of Moses But more particularly it may be determined either with respect to the object of Faith or 2. To the Act or Grace of Faith it self 3. With respect to the rule and warrant of Faith which is the Gospel or New Covenant 1. This Righteousness of Faith may be considered with respect to the object of Faith And the proper and principal object of Faith is Jesus Christ and his Merits And so the righteousness of Faith is the Obedience and Death of Christ which because it is apprehended by Faith it is sometimes called the Righteousness of Christ and sometimes the Righteousness of Faith Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is by the Law but that which is by the Faith of Christ even the righteousness which is of God by Faith This certainly is the ground of our acceptance with God and therefore the bottom and foundation of all our hope Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous that is by Christ's Merit and Obedience And 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him This is it we rely upon as the only meritorious cause of whatever benefit we obtain by the new Covenant 2. With respect to Faith it self whereby the merits of Christs Obedience and Death are applied and made beneficial to us When we believe we are qualified And therefore it is said that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Rom 4 3. That is God accepted him as Righteous for Christs sake And so he doth every one that believeth for Rom. 3.22 The Righteousness of God is by Faith of Christ Iesus unto all and upon all them that believe without any difference If Abraham was justified by Faith we are justified by Faith Now if you ask me what kind of Believer is qualified and accepted as Righteous I answer it is the penitent Believer and the working Believer 1. The Penitent Believer For Faith and Repentance are inseparable Companions Mark 1.15 Repent and Believe the Gospel Act. 12.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Act. 11.21 The Hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. These two cannot be severed for till we are affected with that miserable estate whereinto we have plunged our selves by our sins and there be an hearty sorrow for them and a perfect hatred and detestation of them and a full and peremptory resolution to forsake them that we may turn to the Lord and live in his obedience we will not prize Christ nor his benefits nor see such a need of the Spiritual Physitian to heal our wounded Souls Nor will God accept us as Righteous while we continue in our unrighteousness So that though it be Righteousness of Faith and the Believer be only accepted as Righteous yet it is the Penitent Believer whose Heart and Mind is changed and is willing by Christ to come to God 2. It is the working Believer For so it is explained in the next verse Faith working by Love And so expressed elsewhere Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by which he became an
it Again it is an holy Law according to which the process of that day shall be guided A Law that is clean and pure which alloweth not the least evil Thy Law is exceeding pure Psal. 119.140 The Gospel abateth nothing of the purity of it Now when we appear before an holy God and must be judged by an holy Law surely we must have holiness and righteousness answerable or how can we stand in the Judgment It is an holy God before whose Tribunal we must appear and an holy Law that we must be judged by therefore if we be destitute of all kind of righteousness What shall we do 2. No other righteousness will serve the turn but the righteousness of Faith And therefore till we submit to the New Covenant we are in a woful case Now the righteousness of the New Covenant is supream or subordinate The supream by way of Merit and Satisfaction The Subordinate by way of Application and Qualification on our parts 1. The Supream is the Righteousness or Obedience of Christ. VVhich can alone deliver us from Hell Job 33.24 Deliver him from going down to the Pit for I have found a ransom There is no deliverance from eternal destruction which our sins deserve but onely by the Ransom which he hath paid Till his Justice be satisfied by Christ no good can come unto us 2. The Subordinate Righteousness which qualifieth us and giveth us an interest is Faith Repentance and new Obedience All which are hugely necessary and convenient and gracious terms 1. Faith By which we own and acknowledge our Redeemer with love thankfulness dependance and hearty subjection to him Certainly love and thankfulness is due to him who hath indured so much and procured such great benefits for us Would we have the blessings instated on us and not know from what hand they come And acceptance is due for should Christ save us without our wills and against our consent Dependance is due Should they have benefit by Christ's Merits who question the force and efficacy of them Therefore God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood Rom. 3.25 2. Repentance is necessary Would we have God to pardon us while we continue in our rebellion without sorrow for it or purpose to leave it The case of the obstinate is not compassionable Jer. 3.13 Onely acknowledge thine iniquity and I am gracious And to acknowledge an offence and continue in it is to condemn our selves 3. New Obedience That was due before to our Creator and our Redeemer strengtheneth the Bond and maketh it more comfortable For we have a new Lord by right of Redemption Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living A Lord that hath payed dear for our Souls 3. This righteousness is every way sufficient that we may venture our eternal well-being upon it For what is appointed by God will be accepted by God And though there be many defects in our Faith Repentance and Obedience yet there is an intrinsick value in the obedience and death of Christ besides the Institution Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God And 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Lastly See your help The Spirit is the great New-Covenant Gift purchased by Christ that it might be dispensed to us the more abundantly John 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Tit. 3.5 6. By the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us By his Sanctifying and renewing Grace we are inabled for all this duty We have it by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 And the whole dispensation of the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.8 Therefore if a sluggish heart did not possess Christians they might do more than they do A Sermon on 2 Pet. III. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance THe Apostle in Answer to the Cavil and Exception of the Mockers of Religion is taking off the Scandal of the delay of Christ's Coming Three Considerations are produced to satisfie the Godly 1. The true measure of speed or delay is the Eternity of God which admits of no beginning succession and ending but consists in a constant presentness to all that which to us seemeth past or to come And we must judge as he judgeth This is laid down vers 8. 2. The end of this delay which is the conversion of Sinners It proceedeth not from any culpable slackness in God but onely his patience towards the Elect. God is not slack but we hasty Our temper requireth time and patience to work upon us and bring us under the power of Grace This is in the Text. 3. The manner of coming which is sudden and unexpected like the coming of a Thief upon a sleepy family ver 10. Therefore we should rather prepare for it than complain of slackness We are upon the second consideration Wherein 1. The false cause of this delay is removed The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness 2. The true cause assigned But is long-suffering to us ward 3. The end of this long-suffering propounded First Negatively Not willing that any should perish Secondly positively But that all should come to Repentance Wherein the way to escape ruine is intimated which is Repentance The only doubt is about the sense of the words How that is to be understood that God would not have any perish but all come to Repentance For we see many do yet perish all do not come to Repentance And is God frustrated of his end Ans. To this doubt three answers are given and all solid though I prefer the two first 1. The Patience of God according to its nature hath that use and end to invite all sinners to Repentance Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Gods continuing forfeited Mercies and tarrying the sinners leisure giveth us an hope that he is willing to be reconciled And if we do not seek his favour and turn to him by Repentance it is long of our selves the fault is our own because we do not improve this hope 2. The Apostle in this place hath special reference to the Elect who are concerned more especially in the promise of Christs coming to put an end to their sufferings and to render them an eternal reward Certain
it is that the Apostle speaketh to Christians reckoneth himself in that number Is long-suffering towards us Now all these are not born at once nor converted at once If the judgment should be hastened many of the Elect would be found in their natural condition Now God would have none of these to perish but that all in their time should by congruous means be brought to Repentance All things are for the Elects sake if their number were compleated time would be no more and the present state of things would be dissolved 3. The third answer is by distinguishing a twofold Will in God There is voluntas signi voluntas beneplaciti The will of his good pleasure and his Will declared by some sign command decree The one concerneth our duty the other the event It is all Mens duty to Repent 1 Tim. 24 Who will have all Men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth Not as to the event God doth not Will it so as it shall fall out so but this is their duty His approving Will is meant Some scoff at this distinction but the thing is as evident as day light It is one thing to Will that this thing shall be or not be Another thing this is good or evil one respects existence the other moral regulation The one sheweth what shall be the other what should be The one what God will do the other what we should do His command must be distinguished from his decree some things are willed only by one not both as the selling of Ioseph the crucifying of Christ God willed them voluntate bene-placiti but not signi he declared no such Will as a rule to the Creatures Some things he willeth voluntate signi not bene placiti as the conversion of all that live within the hearing of the Gospel He doth not purpose it in his decree Sometimes he willeth the same things by both as the conversion of the Gentiles to the Faith of Christ God purposed it in his Decree and required it in the Gospel This is a truth applicable to other Scriptures and in part to this But I stick to the former answers by his secret and everlasting decree he chuseth whom he thinketh good and appoints the preaching of the Gospel by which all are invited God would not have any one to perish by his directive and approving Will Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Turn ye c. Yet will not have all to be saved not all by his secret and appointing Will. Doct. The great end of Gods continuing the World and the present State of things is to bring Men to Repentance I shall not handle curious questions Therefore I shall shew you 1 What is Repentance 2. That this is God's end in continuing the World and the present state of things 3. What encouragement there is from Gods long-suffering to induce Men to Repentance I. What is Repentance It lieth in three things 1. A sensible sight of sin and deserved wrath There must be a sight of sin for it is sinners only who are called to Repentance Mat. 9.13 I came to call sinners to Repentance Those who know themselves to be so and feel themselves to be so These are most ready to correct their errours and to unravel that Web which they have been weaving for a snare to themselves Others carry it as though they needed no Repentance And also a sight of wrath for repentance is a flight from wrath a turning from God angry to God reconciled As appeareth by Mat. 3.7 Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Who will take care to run into his City of Refuge who hath not an Avenger of Blood at his Heels Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Therefore Gods first work is to awaken the stupid and careless sinner and to make him see his sinful and lost condition 2. Such an apprehension of Gods Mercy in Christ as maketh them turn to him The apprehension of Gods Mercy is the great inducement to Repentance Ioel 2.13 Turn to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful The former branch ariseth from apprehended future wrath this from the hope of future Mercy Indeed there is a continued Repentance which followeth pardon a melting of Heart and self-loathing that floweth from felt love As Luk. 7.47 The Woman wept much because she loved much and she loved much because much was forgiven her Ezek. 16.63 That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Ezek. 36.31 Then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations But the first Repentance floweth not from felt received Mercy but from mercy hoped for Act. 2.38 39. Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the Remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost For the promise is unto you and to your children c. A desire and love of the Grace which we expect from God putteth us upon this Repentance 3. In a grieving for and forsaking of our sins and giving up our selves to his service Grief for sin there will be for 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of This is necessary to check the sensitive inclination or the love of pleasure which is the root of sin Not only a grieving for but a forsaking of our sins Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find Mercy It is but a brabble with sin not a Repentance unless the love and power of it be weakened in the Heart And therefore repentance is not to be judged by the horrour the sorrow the grief but by the change it worketh in Heart and Life If sin becometh hateful if the person be humbled in himself if he be brought to esteem of and put a price upon Gods Grace in Jesus Christ if it be his constant care and study to please God and he getteth some victory over the sins he repenteth of And after all this there is a devotedness to God or a living to his Glory and Service called often in Scripture a living to God or a bringing forth Fruit unto God II. That this is Gods End in continuing the World and the present State of things This I shall prove 1. By removing false Causes To appearance there is a slackness Whence cometh it 1. It is not want of kindness or backwardness to our good that he doth delay our reward and the introduction of the everlasting estate A man may defer and not be slack He is
the Heart and may be determined partly by the object or matter believed partly by the subject of it or the acts of the Soul towards it First The Object or Matter believed is in short this That there is a God Heb. 11.6 That God having made Man he hath right and power over him to govern him by his Laws James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy That Man failing in his Obedience he and all his Posterity are subject to the wrath and vindictive Justice of God Rom. 3.19 That all the World may become guilty before God Ephes. 2.3 And were by nature children of wrath even as others That such was God's Love that to recover Man out of this wretched condition he sent his own Son into the World John 3.16 That Iesus Christ who was the Son of God died for our offences and rose again for our Iustification Rom. 4.25 That is died to expiate our sins and rose again to convince the unbelieving VVorld of the Authority and Dignity of his Person and Offices and also of the truth of his Law and Covenant that having died and rose again he hath acquired Novum Ius Imperii a new right of Command and Empire over the World Rom. 14.9 For this cause he both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord of dead and living That is have full power and dominion to dispose of us dead and living That Christ having this full power and dominion over all flesh hath established and enacted a Law of Grace or New Covenant wherein Pardon and Righteousness or Title to Life is assured to Penitent Believers Mark 16.16 Whosoever believeth shall be saved And Luke 24.47 And that Repentance and Remission of sins be Preached in his Name to all Nations And shall actually be bestowed upon all that obey him Heb. 5.9 But those that refuse this Christ shall be eternally miserable John 3.19 This is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil This is the sum of what is to be believed Secondly It may be determined partly by the Subject of it or the acts of the Soul about it The Subject is the Heart both Understanding and Will The Understanding Assents to all this as true both what is said of the Person of the Redeemer and his Covenant and accordingly disposeth the heart of Man to carry it self towards both 1. To the Person of the Redeemer We Thankfully and Broken-heartedly receive him to the ends of the Gospel or to be to us what God hath appointed him to be and do that for us That God hath appointed Him to do for poor sinners To be our Lord and Saviour Iohn 1.12 Col. 2.6 as Lord to obey him and as Saviour to depend upon him and trust our selves in his hands for our happiness whatever befalleth us 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2. Towards the Covenant which he hath appointed as the Law or Rule of Commerce between us and God There are Promises and Precepts Commands and offers of Grace 1. For the Promises you heartily accept them as the greatest Happiness that can be bestowed upon you and depend upon them as things that surely will be performed for there comes in the consideration of true and good 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true and faithful saying Ephes. 1.13 In whom ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth as true doubts are opposite to them as good carnal inclinations 2 For the Precepts and Duties required you bind your selves to perform them upon these hopes whatever it cost you And there comes in also the nature of Faith Sincere Resolution and Absolute Self denial Sincere resolution to perform what God hath required that you may obtain what he hath offered which is called a giving up of our selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 And absolute Self denial or Selling all for the Pearl of Price Mat. 13.46 And so that Faith which is made such a difficult thing to explain as it were a Bugbear to affright poor Christians from all thoughts and study about it is made easie and facile to the understandings of the meanest Christians who must live by it and be saved by it This then is believing with the Heart Secondly What is Confession with the Mouth A solemn outward declaration that we take Christ for our Lord and Saviour or that we believe what is revealed to us concerning God and Christ and our duty to him This is necessary because the Promises of the New Covenant run in both strains of putting the word in our Heart Ier. 31.37 and putting it in our Mouths Isa. 59.21 The Saints Prayers are That God would not take it out of their Hearts Psal. 119.36 nor out of their Mouths Verse 43. Take not the word of Truth utterly out of my Mouth And the nature of their duty to God requireth it for a Man is first to embrace the True Religion to receive it with his Heart and then he is to profess it or express it with his Mouth for no Man is to conceal and keep his Religion to himself Our Tongues and our Bodies were given us to shew forth that acknowledgment and Adoraâ—ion of God which is in our hearts He that denieth God or Christ with the Heart doth not believe in him or Worship him with the Heart So he doth not Worship God with his Tongue and Life who doth not outwardly profess and honour him As he hath given us an understanding that we may know him so he hath prepared for us a body wherewithal to profess him and our esteem of him Isa. 45.23 To me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear Which is again repeated and established as our duty in the Gospel Phil. 2.10.11 At the Name of Iesus every Knee should bow And every Tongue confess that Iesus Christ is Lord. But more distinctly to open this confession with the Mouth 1. The matter to be confessed is the great truths which we do believe God Christ the Covenant of Grace Eternal Glory and Happiness And the lesser truths in their season at other times Rom. 14.22 Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God 'T is not meant of the necessary Articles of the Christian belief but things of a doubtful disputation If we know more than others in these things yet we must not needlessly trouble the Church or offend the weak to the danger of their Souls and hindrance of greater truths And yet in these things you must not deny the smallest truth 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth For though the thing we contend for be small yet sincerity is a great matter and to profess our Assent or Consent to what we neither count true nor can well approve of is to come under a
Ghost yet there is but one the only and true God 2. He is represented by his Relation to the Creatures the Father 'T is not taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially as often in Scripture as Isa. 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us Meaning not only the first Person but all the rest And Mat. 5.16 Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And Mat. 6.9 Our Father which art in Heaven Jam. 3.9 Therefore we bless God even the Father In all these and many other places Father Son and Holy Ghost is the only true God and called Father 3. He is set forth by his Dignity and Preheminence as the first cause and last end For from him are all things and we in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. To him and for him I take the Marginal Reading so Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things 2. What is said of the Mediatour He is described 1. By his Person or Name signifying his Person Iesus Christ. There is no other Name given under Heaven Acts 4.12 c. 2. By his Dignity Lord that is Mediator Christ is often set forth by this Term or Title Acts 2.36 God has made that same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. He is Lord over all Creatures and over the House of God Phil. 2.11 And that every Tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father He died for that End and Purpose Rom. 14.9 To this End Christ both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living Therefore we should own him as such Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God Both in Word and Deed. In Word Phil. 2.11 That every Tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord. Indeed in worship Psal. 45.11 He is thy Lord worship thou him In ordinary Practice and Conversation Loving Serving Sâ—udying to please him â—n all things Luke 6.46 Why call you me Lord and do not the things which I say Col. 1 10. Walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing 'T is our Comfort that he is Head over all things Eph. 1.22 So he is able to Subject the Church to himself by his Spirit to vanquish its Enemies and defend us by his Power And 't is both our Comfort and Duty that he is our Lord. He purchased us by his Blood Acts 20.28 and Eph. 1.14 â—herefore the Church is given him as an Inheritance Psal. 2.8 We are married to him in the Covenant of Grace Therefore he appeaseth the Wrath of God by his Passion and Intercession He cherisheth and takes care of us 3. The Appropriation of this Office and Dignity to him alone one Lord Iesus Christ. To set up other Lords of our Faith or other Mediators between God and us is a wrong to Christ. There is but one Mediator either of Redemption or Intercession and no Saints or Angels share in this Honour 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Iesus Eph. 4.5 One Lord. Without Partner or Substitute He will communicate this Glory and Dominion over his Church to no other in whole or in part 4. The distinctness of his Operation as Mediator from what was said concerning the Father 'T is said of the Father Of whom and for whom are all things but of the Mediator it is said By whom are all things and we by him God is the Fountain of all Heavenly Gifts Iam. 1.17 And Christ is the Pipe and Conveyance God is the ultimate Object of our worship and by the Mediator do we make our Addresses and Applications to him Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father From God all things have their Being as from their Spring and Cause both in a way of Nature and Grace So all things by the Mediator Doct. That the owning and worshipping God by the Mediator Iesus Christ is the summ of the Christian Religion Natural Religion owneth a God but the Christian Religion owneth a Mediator and Father Son and Holy Ghost for that only true God and Jesus Christ for that Mediator See other Scriptures Iohn 17.3 And this is Life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent There is the summ of what is necessary to Life Eternal that God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God and to procure for us the Gifts of Pardon and Life and this Life to be begun here and perfected in Heaven So 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is but one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Iesus Here are the two great Points of the Christian Religion one God in whom is all our Trust and Confidence and one Lord Jesus the only Mediator for the Restauration and Reconciliation of Man with God Here I shall shew you 1. The Necessity of a Mediator 2. The Fitness of Christ for this Office 3. The Benefit and Fruit of it 4. Who are the Parties interested in these Comforts and most concerned in these Duties I. The Necessity of a Mediator in this lapsed and faln Estate of Mankind Two things infer and inforce this Necessity Distance and Difference Distance by reason of Impurity and Difference by reason of Enmity Both these occur in the Case between God and Men. God is a God of Glorious Majesty and we are poor Creatures God is an Holy God a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity and we are sinful Creatures As Creatures unworthy of immediate access to God as lapsed and under the guilt of Sin and desert of Punishment and unable to deliver our selves cannot draw nigh to him with any Comfort 1. Our Distance Which is so great that it is a Condescention for God to take notice that there are such Creatures in the World Psal. 113.6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things which are in Heaven and Earth The Excellency and Majesty of God is so great that either Angels or Men are unworthy to approach his Presence Now as Inferiour and mean People dare not approach the presence of a great Prince but by some powerful Friend and Intercessor at Court so our distance produceth our fears and estrangedness and backwardness to draw nigh unto God and so hindreth our Love and Confidence in him Well then to depend upon one so far above us that he will take notice of us take care for us relieving us in our Necessities and Streights and help us out of all our Miseries and finally save us requireth a Mediator one that is more near and dear to God than we are which can be no other than Jesus Christ as I shall shew by and by When a Sinner looketh only at God as in himself he is confounded and amazed as quite
for God First Let us open this looking First It implieth Faith or a believing the reality of these Invisible things That there are eternal and glorious things to be enjoy'd after this life Certainly an Object though never so glorious cannot be seen without eyes Now Faith is the eye of the Soul without which we can have no prospect of the World to come Therefore Faith is defined to be Heb. 11.1 The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Without Faith Reason is short sighted and there is a deep mist upon Eternity 2 Pet. 1.9 Reason is acute enough in discerning what is noxious and comfortable to the present life Good for Back and Belly but it seeth little of any thing beyond this present World so as to quicken us to make any preparation for Death and Eternity The Mind hath no eyes to look beyond the mists and clouds of this lower World but such as the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation is pleased to give us and cannot believe the reality of the unseen glory 'till in his light we see light Ephes. 1.17 18. Alass The wisest part of Mankind are taken up with Toys and Childish Trifles in comparison of these Invisible things The sweetness of Honour VVealth and Pleasure is known easily by feeling and therefore known easily and known by all but few can see the reality and worth of these unseen things Though Heaven and Glory be talked of in their hearing yet they know it not 'T is quite another thing when it is represented to us in the light of the Spirit None discern the worth of these things but those that have the Eagle-eye of Faith that can pierce above the Clouds to the Seat of the Blessed Faith is like a Prospective-glass by which we see things at a distance Others onely mind things at hand things that may be seen and felt Compare Lumen Fidei the light of Faith with the light of Sense That one degree of light the light of Sense can onely discern things near us present with us and before our eyes Those things which lie out of the view of Sense make no Impression upon them They see nothing but these corporeal things which even Dogs and Horses see as well as they As for Instance That it is good to eat well and drink well and sleep well To be at liberty and enjoy our pleasure or mind our business here in the World and thrive and prosper and do well according to hearts desire But the light of Faith will discover that there is no such danger as perishing for ever no such worth in any thing as there is in Salvation by Christ no such business of Importance as seeking after Eternal Life That all the gay things of Sense are but as so many May games to this happiness All the terrible things in the VVorld but as a Flea-biting All the business of the VVorld but as a little Childish sport at Push-pin in comparison of working out our Salvation with fear and trembling Much of Christianity lieth in opening the eye of Faith and shutting that of Sense Faith can look through all the clouds and changes of this VVorld To those eternal perpetual solid good things which God hath prepared for them that love him and so can the better contemn all those perishing vanities which the VVorld doteth upon This is that which is called in the Text looking and not looking c. The next degree of light is Lumen Rationis Reason can onely guess at future contingencies or at best see things in their causes and that it is probable if nothing letteth that such and such things will fall out but Faith can look through all distance both of time and place and the mist of contrary appearances to things promised with such certainty and sure perswasion as if the things we are perswaded of were at hand Heb. 11.13 These all died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Still it can believe in hope against hope and see Sun-shine at the back of the Storm and Heaven and Happiness in the midst of deep Afflictions Compare the Lumen Fidei with the Lumen Prophetiae Rev. 20.12 They agree in the common object such things as are revealed by God They agree in the same common nature That they see things future and to come with such clearness and certainty as if they were in being They differ because Faith goeth upon the common Revelation which God hath made to all the Saints in Scripture The other some special Revelation made to certain chosen persons The light of Faith affects the Heart with great joy and comfort The other is usually accompanied with rapture and extasie Yea let us compare it with Lumen Gloriae The Beatifical Vision that worketh a change in Body and Soul 1 Iohn 3.2 This in Soul 2 Cor. 3.18 There we see him Face to Face 1 Cor. 13.12 Here as in a Glass Though we are not so higly affected with the light of Faith yet as truly That nullifieth all sin and misery This exasperateth the Heart against sin and fortifieth it against misery Though the light of Faith giveth not as full an enjoyment of God yet as sure and proportionably affecteth the Heart as if we saw Christ in the midst of his Holiness and Paul with his Crown of Righteousness It puts the Believers Head above the Clouds in the midst of the glory of the World to come Once more this Lumen Fidei is somewhat like that sight which God hath of things Scientia Visionis simplicis Intelligentiae God seeth all things that may be in his own All-sufficiency all things in his own Decree Faith acts proportionably It sheweth all things that may be in the All-sufficiency of God and though it be not sure of the event yet our God is able Dan. 3.17 18. It seeth all things that shall be in the Promises of the Gospel wherein his Decree is manifested it realizeth them as if they were already They have a pledge of the Blessing when they have the Promise Now if we had such a Faith could thus look to things unseen it would produce notable effects A Man would be another manner of Christian Secondly It implieth an earnest Hope as well as a lively Faith Hope implieth Two things First A frequent Meditation Secondly A desirous Expectation 1 Frequent Meditation For Faith is acted by serious Thoughts Carnal Men are described to be those who mind earthly things Phil. 3.19 And again Who mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8.5 As a Man is in the constitution of his Heart so are his musings and meditations For thoughts being the genuine birth and immediate off-spring of the Soul do discover the temper of it But those that
Edify others it availeth not 2. The Nature and Properties of it in the Text where the Properties of this excellent Grace of Charity are reckoned up Charity suffereth long and is kind and envyeth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly c. In all these Predications there is a Metonymy either of the Subject or of the Effect Of the Subject Charity doth thus that is the Man endowed with this Heavenly Gift or Grace If of the Effect then the meaning is that where this Habit is impressed and rooted it is the cause that these Effects ensue That a Man is long suffering kind c. It is all one in which sense we expound the Apostle for all cometh to the same issue This premised let us explain the several Clauses 1. Charity suffereth long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is maketh a Man long suffering This being the first and principal Act of Charity it concerneth us to state it aright and so it meaneth that where Christian Love prevaileth in the Heart of any he doth not presently break out into Anger when he is Injured by another but patiently expecteth his Repentance and his own Deliverance by the Lord. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Long-suffering signifyeth a slowness to Anger Jam. 1.19 Be slow to wrath This agreeth with the Pattern Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And it agreeth with the nature of Love for we are not easily offended with those whom we love Love and Anger are contrary Love would profit Anger would hurt and offend others Therefore Love will not easily give place to its contrary Charity doth pass by and wink at Causes of Offence and therefore a quick resentment of Injuries is quite opposite to Christian Love Paul requireth of the Servant of the Lord that he be Patient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.24 The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient To which he adds v. 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves And in the Context here he speaketh of useing Gifts in an Edifying manner but to all Christians he saith Charity suffereth long It is meant that they should be long suffering not easily drawn to a Fury or Revenge of Injuries So that this first property of Charity is That it restraineth Wrath and a desire of Revenge notwithstanding Reproaches and Injuries Rom. 13.19 Dearly Beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath That is bear with it leave it to God who will in time convince the Party of his Wrong or recompense it unto him which is according to the Example of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.23 Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously When fowl Crimes were laid to his Charge he did not give the least ill word for the worst usage but only resigned himself to his righteous Father to deal with him and his Persecutors as he saw fitting Now therefore we should be patient and long patient Alas how many Injuries doth God put up at our hands Whence is it that he hath not long since dissolved the World and put an end to the Wickedness of Man We can only render the reason of the Text Love suffereth long If we cannot suffer long we are like that naughty Servant that when his Lord had forgiven ten thousand Talents and his Fellow-servant to whom he owed an hundred Pence said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 18.29 Have patience with me That is setting aside thy present Anger bear a little and see what I can do to pacifie thee An Instance of this rash Anger which is contrary to this suffering long we have in David 1 Sam. 25.22 God do so to me and more also if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall But he behaved himself better towards Saul whom he spared when he had him in his power which was not the manner of Men in those times as Saul confesseth 1 Sam. 24.18 For if a man find his Enemy will he let him go well away 2. And is kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is tender and compassionate ready to do good We have a Pattern of both in God not only of Forbearance but of Goodness Therefore it is said Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Now Charity that is of Divine Original infuseth into Man's Nature a Benignity which moveth a Man to consider others as well as himself that he may do good to them It is a God-like Quality 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he is kind This is a quality by which they are inclin'd and ready to do good to every one even to Enemies Well then it is not enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bear long and not to hurt but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it disposeth us to do good This is fitly coupled to the former The perfection and strength of Christianity lieth in these two things Mala pati bona agere To suffer Evil and do Good for it To return Good for Good and Evil for Evil the Heathens knew this and Publicans will do this To render Evil for Good is the property of the Devils and Men inspired by them But to do Good for Evil and to overcome Evil with Good this is proper to Christians And therefore by these two Properties doth Heavenly Charity bewray it self by Long-suffering and Kindness Therefore if you would know whether the Love of God doth dwell in your Hearts are you made ready to suffer and to do any thing for the Glory of God and the Salvation of your Neighbour If so then you are sincere with God He that loveth suffereth long he that loveth is kind and doth all the good he can to others delights in doing good and that not only to Friends in which there is nothing eximious They do nothing but what the Carnal World would do Matth. 5.46 47. For if you love them that love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if you salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others Do not the Publicans so But to those that deal frowardly with us as Ioseph to his Brethren Gen. 45. 3. Charity envyeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is more adverse to the Goodness commended to us than Envy which cannot bear the Good of another and therefore is very far from procuring it and promoting it Such was the Envy of Cain who taking notice that his Brother's Offerings pleased God more than his own he could not bear it and at length slew him 1
afraid to be damned it is not God's displeasure they care for but their own safety The youngman went away sad and was grieved for he had great possessions Mark 10.22 Because he could not reconcile his Covetous mind with Christ's Institutes So Felix trembled being convinced of Sins which he was loath to discontinue and break off 3. They differ in their effects many men tremble at the word of God coming in upon their Hearts with power but this awakning worketh diversly Sometimes to a solicitous Anxiousness about the way of Salvation and then it is good as those Acts 2.37 And when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do That was a kindly work to desire to be further instructed and directed into the way of Life and Peace Sometimes to rage Acts 7.54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth they were vexed at the galling truths which Stephen delivered and the conviction that was upon them kindled their rage against him Sometimes it produceth nothing but dilatory excuses as here in Felix go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient season I will send for thee II. The cause of this trouble and Agony was the word wherein the matter and the manner is considerable 1. The matter is to be considered both generally and particularly 1. Generally the word of God or the Doctrine of Faith in Christ. It hath a convincing power 1 Partly because of its Author the impress of God is upon it it partaketh of his Properties Heb. 4.12 13. For the word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do God searcheth the Heart and the word searcheth the Heart God is powerful and his word is powerful in discovering a Sinner to himself and bringing a Sinner out of his lurking Holes and taking off all disguises 2 Partly because of its clearness and evidence to a natural Conscience if it be not strangely stupified and blinded by fleshly Lusts 2 Cor. 4.2 3 4. By manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every Man's Conscience in the sight of God But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them This Scripture sheweth that the Gospel is light which will discover its self if Men do not shut their Eyes And if men refuse the Converting power they cannot withstand the Convincing power of it for the work of bringing home Souls to God lyeth more with their Lusts than with their Consciences 3 And chiefly because of the Concomitant Blessing God hath appointed the Word to be the great Instrument of Convincing and Converting the World and doth accompany it with his Grace and Spirit sometimes to one effect sometimes to another To Convincing Iohn 16.8 The Spirit shall convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Iudgment If it doth no more it shall leave them under a conviction of the truth Sometimes to Conversion as 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. God concurreth with his own ordinance by his omnipotent and creating power 2. Particularly the Day of Judgment is to be insisted upon in our Ministry The Apostles in planting the Faith observeth this point of Wisdom to insist much upon the Judgment Day Acts 10.42 43. And he commanded us to preach unto the the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of Quick and Dead And to him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of Sins This was the great point which his chosen Witnesses were to insist upon So also Acts 17.30 31. But now commandâ—th all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead The Apostles observed the Tempers of those they dealt with when with the brutish multitude they invite them by Arguments of Providence Acts 14.15 16 17. Sirs Why do ye these things We also are men of like passions with you and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that are therein Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our Hearts with food and gladness When with the Learned he speaks of the first Cause and chief Good Acts 17.28 For in him we live move and have our being And binds all by his coming to Judgment ver 31. So he deals with Felix here he urges principles of known Dignity and Sobriety from the day of Judgment See also 2 Cor. 5.10 11. For we must all appear before the Iudgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in the Body according to that he hath done whether good or evil Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men This was their great and powerful Argument Reasons 1. Because this made their access into the Hearts and Consciences of Men more easie because of its suitableness to natural Light That Man is God's Creature and therefore his Subject is evident by Reasons drawn from our dependance on the first Cause and Fountain of all Being That Man hath failed in his Subjection to his Creator and Lord is evident by daily experience that therefore God may call him to an account and Man should fear his wrath is a principle as evident as the former and justified by the guilty fears incident to Mankind because of their offences Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Divine Justice must once publickly appear and rectifie the disorders of the World Now because of the sentiments of Nature the Doctrine of the final Judgment doth easily enter into the Thoughts and Conscienâ—ces of Men. 2. This doth most befriend the great discovery of the Gospel which is justification by Christ and pardon of Sin by submitting to his instruction If
Heart be well furnished the Tongue will not be barren and empty 2. Having your Furniture get those Graces which may quicken you to imploy it as Zeal for the Glory of God and love to Souls Fire turns all about it into Fire Mules and all Creatures of a Mungrel Race do not procreate 1 Iohn 1.2 3. For the Life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that Eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iâ—sus Christ. And David's Maschill Psal. 32. Title is A Psalm giving Instruction True Good is diffusive of its self When Philip was called he inviteth Nathanael to come to Christ Iohn 1.45 and Andrew Simon Vers. 41. True Zeal sheweth its self by a Zeal to promote the Kingdom of Christ and the good of Souls And the new Nature seeketh to multiply the kinds and they who are really brought to Christ will be careful to invite others 3. We have need to pray to God that he will touch our Tongues with a Coal from the Altar that is by his Spirit purifie our Speech Isai. 6.6 7. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me having a live Coal in his Hand which he had taken with the Tongs from off the Altar And he laid it upon my Mouth and said Lo this hath touched thy Lips and thine Iniquity is taken away and thy Sin is purged That we may shew forth nothing of pride and passion and carnal affection but speak upon all Occasions with a pure Zeal for him And again that he would open our Lips Psal. 51.15 O Lord open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise That he would cast out the dumb Devil The habit of Grace without continual influence to act it effectually will not do its work the habit is a Gift and the bringing forth of the habit to exercise is another Gift 4. Watchfulness and heed is necessary otherwise Corruption will break out There is a quick intercourse between the Heart and the Tongue Pride will shew its self in a vain Ostentation of Parts Passion in some heat of Words Worldliness and Sensuality will bewray themselves and divert us from holy Conference to that which is Carnal and Worldly Discontent in some unseemly Expressions of God's dealings with us Indiscretion and Folly in a multitude of impertinent talk Psal. 141.3 Set a Watch O Lord before my Mouth Keep the Door of my Lips The Tongue must be watched as well as the Heart all watching will be to little purpose unless God bridle and curb our Tongues that nothing break out to his dishonour but this constant Guard is necessary Second Sermon I Come to the second Branch But the Heart of the Wicked is little worth Doct. That an Vnsanctified Heart is a Drossie Heart of no value and use as to Heavenly Things 1. Let me explain this Aphorism 2. Confirm it by Reason 3. Apply it 1. To open it 1. What is meant by the Wicked Man 2. What by his Heart 3. In what sense it is little worth 1. What is meant by the Wicked Man Answ. One that is not regenerate or renewed by the Holy Spirit They are of several sorts some are more gross in the out-breakings of sin others please the Flesh in a more plausible and cleanly manner the one are usually called wicked and prophane Persons but others are comprized also Psal. 14.3 They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one They are all in the state of Nature and their corrupt Hearts are vile and loathsom in God's sight 1. Some have great Natural Abilities and Gifts as Achitophel 2 Sam. 16.23 And the Counsel of Achitophel which he counselled in those days was as if a Man had enquired at the Oracle of God yet his Heart was nothing worth as to God's acceptance and his own Salvation as the issue declared 2. Some have plausible shews of Piety and external Worship yet while the Heart is unrenewed that will not help the matter Matth. 23.27 28. Our Lord compareth them to whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead Mens Bones and of all Vncleanness Even so ye also appear outwardly righteous to Men but within are full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity 3. Not only the gross Dissemblers but those that are brought so far as to a partial Obedience yet this availeth not if the Heart be not cleansed and renewed as it is said of Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect Heart It was right in the matter and he did many things right but his Heart was nothing worth 4. Though Men act like themselves and have no condemning disallowing thoughts within themselves as conscious to any partiality and defect in their Obedience yet God still looketh to the Heart to see whether it be drossie or pure Gold Prov. 16.2 All the ways of a Man are clean in his own Eyes but God weigheth the Spirits He puts the Heart into the Balance of the Sanctuary Men blinded with self-love are partial in their own cause and when the action is fair over-look an unsanctified Heart but the Lord considereth it exactly quo animo with what spirit every thing is done 2. What is meant by the Heart Not that fleshy part which is in the midst of the Breast but the Soul with all its Faculties Understanding Will and Affections And this considered not as to its Natural Capacities and Properties but as corrupted by Sin Now great is the Pravity and deep is the Corruption of Man's Heart by Nature and that not only as to the Disorder and Disobedience of the Inferiour Faculties but as to the leading part of the Soul First In order to God Secondly As to Inferiour Things First In order to God 1. In the Understanding there is not only Ignorance but Indisposedness to know the Truth set forth by the Notions of Darkness and Blindness Ephes. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off He hath no Spiritual discerning This is worse than bodily blindness because Men are not sensible of it Revel 3.18 And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and because they seek not fit Guides to lead them Acts 13.11 And now behold the Hand of the Lord is upon thee and thou shalt be blind not seeing the Sun for many days And immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand But these cannot indure them 2. Vanity and Slightness and Folly Matth. 22.5 They made light of it Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so
he would not reveal himself to any of the Gentiles who had not submitted to their Rites But now he saw that all Respect of Nations was taken away by the coming of Christ. Before I go off from explaining this Branch I. Let us see why this was spoken to Cornelius was not he a Proselyte to the true Religion I answer Cornelius was a Roman Captain over the Italian Band therefore probably himself of that Nation But though by Race and Breeding a Gentile yet no Idolater but a Worshipper of the God of Israel or the true God the Creator of Heaven and Earth for we are told Acts 10.2 That he was a devout man one that feared God with all his house and gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway Now the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that that were called Devout Men were Proselytes Yet he was not Circumcised nor had he taken upon him the Yoke of Moses his Law and so was not accounted a Member of the Church of Israel The Jews distinguished of Proselytes the Proselytes of the Covenant and the Proselytes of the Gate For the former the Proselytes of the Covenant were such as were Circumcised and counted and conversed with as Jews born But the Proselytes of the Gate bound themselves only to observe the precepts of Noah as to worship the true God to abhor Idols to abstain from Murder Fornication Robbery and in all things to do as they would be done to With these the Jews might not Converse as being not incorporated into the Common-wealth of Israel though they granted them a part in the life to come Of this sort was Cornelius 2. Let us observe something from this branch of the Text. 1. That Gods own people may err in some points of Religion Peter before this had read in the Prophecies of the Old Testament much about the calling of the Gentiles he had heard from the mouth of Christ the command of discipling the Nations Mat. 28. Yet he did not comprehend the thing till he was prepared by a Vision from Heaven and now found Cornelius endowed with great graces given by God Thus often we hear the truth propounded explained proved yet we conceive it not Surely this was a great errour in Peter so difficultly to come over to this truth after the ascension of Christ that still he should think God to be the God of the Jews only and not also of the Gentiles But good men do not see all things even those things which are before their Eyes especially when blinded with prejudice and prepossessed with contrary Interests and Opinions Therefore we had need all look about us lest we be ignorant of an obvious-truth 2. The Godly when convinced ingeniously confess their Errors as Peter doth here Controversies would sooner be at an end if we could but learn this modesty But men fear the disgrace of a change of mind or opinion and so are the more intangled It is better to confess and give Glory to God and yield to a conquering truth than for Credits sake obstinately to persist in a received errour for it is no disgrace to humble our selves before God and Men and to submit to such means as he hath apppointed for our conviction Secondly His positive assertion of the truth now learned But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Where 1. The Qualification He that feareth God and worketh righteousness You will say here is no mention of Faith in Christ. I Answer 1. Cornelius had not as yet received the knowledge of him and Peter was now come to Preach Christ to him as he doth in the next Verse 36 Where he speaketh of preaching Peace by Iesus Christ he is Lord of all 2. He speaketh not now of our first recovery and reconciliation with God but of the constant temper of our Hearts and tenour of our Lives after we are recovered and reconciled to him Among other things learned from the Jews Cornelius had heard of the Mâ—ssiah by whom Sins should be forgiven and the lost World restored And that is one chief means to beget fear and reverence of God Psal. 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared But as yet he knew not Christ to be this Messiah 3. This qualification is most to his purpose which is to shew That external Prerogatives abstracted from solid Godliness do not further our acceptance with God nor the want of them hurt or hinder us No where there is a good constitution of Heart and an holy Life a man is accepted of God As more expresly to the Christian Notion it is said Gal. 5.6 In Iesus Christ neither Circumcision avails any thing nor Uncircumcision but faith which works by love But here it was enough to say He that feareth God and works righteousness 2. The Priviledge Is accepted with him That is accepted to Grace and Glory 1. To Grace For Cornelius was rewarded with higher Revelations from God who warned him to send for Peter and prepared Peter that he might not refuse the message Thus God delighteth to heap up Grace upon Grace Iohn 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self To obey God's will in what we know is the ready way to know more and better 2. And for Glory that cannot be left out as appears by the conclusion which Believers make when they heard of these things Acts 11.18 Then hath God granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life that is to know and receive Christ unto Salvation Doct. That God without respect of Persons accepteth such as fear him and work righteousness 1. What is respect of Persons 2. In what sense it is denied of God 3. What is the meaning of this qualification 4. What is meant by being accepted with God I. What is respect of Persons The word Person doth not signifie the Substance of a Man or his Personal Subsistence but that outward Estate and Condition whereby one differeth from another Either in the gifts of the Body one is strong another weak one fair another deformed Or of the Mind one is more Ingenious Prudent Learned when another is not so Or else Estate Rank and Quality one is Rich another Poor one more powerful whilst others are kept low and bare Or in respect of Nation or Country Jew or Gentile Lastly in respect of Externals in Religion one may stand upon the vantage-ground who yet is not the Taller man In short that which is conspicuous in Man and maketh him more or less esteemed among men that is called his Person Now to respect or accept Persons in Judgment is to prefer and favour one Person above another for these outward advantages not regarding the merits of the Cause which is under tryal Quando non causae merita sed personae dignitas attenditur Aug Now God doth judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without respect to
Lingua Petiliani non est ventilabrum Christi It is well that every angry Christian's Tongue is not the Fan wherewith Christ will purge his Floor God considereth Men in his judgment not of this or that Party but as Righteous or Wicked II. In what sense is this denied of God For it seemeth God doth respect Persons giving more Grace to one than another though both be equal in themselves I answer First The Text speaketh of what is done by God in his Government Respect of Persons is not faulty except it be in judgment for so it is forbidden to Man that neither the Poor nor the Rich should be favoured in the judgment of their cause Levit. 19.15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the Poor nor honour the person of the Mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy Neighbour And so it is applied to God 1 Pet. 1.17 Who without respect of persons judgeth every one according to his works Therefore God may be considered two ways either as a righteous Governor of the World or as a free Lord. And the decision in short is this That God that is Arbitrary in his Gifts is not Arbitrary in his Judgments Therefore we must not exclude the free distribution of his Graces for God as a free Lord may give his benefits as he seeth meet for that is not a matter of right and wrong but of meer favour Thus God of his free mercy called the Gentiles who were further off from him than the Jews and may give the Gospel and the Grace of the Gospel to one and not to another when both are equally unworthy of it As to his Gifts he may do with his own as it pleaseth him Matth. 20.15 We can plead no right either by merit or promise On the other side if you consider God as a Governor who Governeth Mankind by a Law which hath Punishments and Rewards Punishments threatened and Rewards promised he judgeth according to that Law and as obliged by promise Compare Rom. 9.16 and 1 Cor. 9.24 In the one place It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy But in the other so run that ye may obtain How shall we reconcile these places The first place belongeth to Gods Dispensation as a Free Lord the second as a Righteous Governor All Acts of Government are dispensed according to Law and Rule but his Gifts according to his own Pleasure If you ask why he doth nor give effectual Grace to all and hinder Sin in all He is not a Debtor but a Free Lord though we are all Children of Wrath though God seeth no more in one than another yet it pleases him to shew more Mercy to one than to another He speaketh not here of the Sovereign will and good pleasure of God who taketh into favour one that is of himself as unworthy as another but his love towards the Work of Grace in whomsoever it is found He speaks of his consequent rewarding Grace in dispensing of which he looketh not to outward Prerogatives or Observances 2. In his Gifts of Grace he doth not respect Persons or Nations or outward Prerogatives but the Counsel of his own Will He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy passing by others which are nobler richer wiser He is not moved by any bye Respects to any thing in the Creatures so to do Even so father for so it pleaseth thee Matth. 11.27 III. What is the meaning of this Qualification That feareth God and worketh righteousness and the respect which each hath to the other The Answer must be given according to the several acceptions of the Words Fear and Righteousness which may be taken strictly or largely 1. Strictly So the Fear of God implyeth his Worship Deut. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to fear the Lord our God for our good always or all that Duty of Man which is immediately given to God And Righteousness is also taken for the whole Duty of the second Table as often in Scripture Now thus it maketh a good sense for all Religion consists in these two The Faithful discharging our Duty to God and Man There are two Tables and we are to take care of both that we do not give Offence to God or Men by neglecting our Duty to either Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man So Rom. 12.17 Providing things honest in the sight of all men neither offending against the Rules of Justice or Mercy but abounding in the Exercise of both 2. Both are taken largely Fear for the principle of our Obedience to God and Righteousness for the Fruits of it whether they belong to the first or second Table As 1 Iohn 3.7 He that doth righteousness is righteous So that here Peter observeth the right order he beginneth with Fear as the Root of all Duty and Worship and then proceedeth to the Fruit which is an uniform constant impartial Obedience to the whole Law Which Method is also observed in other Scriptures As Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth God and delighteth greatly in his commandments And Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to fear me and keep my precepts This sense I choose and prefer and therefore shall examine 1. Why Fear is made the Principle 2. Why working Righteousness is required as the Fruit. 1. Why Fear is made the Principle of Obedience Certainly not to exclude Faith in Christ for without him we can do nothing Iohn 15.5 At least nothing acceptably Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God And God is especially to be reverenced and adored for his Goodness in Christ Hos. 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter day Let us a little then consider 1. What is this Fear of God 2. Why is it required as the Principle of all our Actions 1. What is it Holy Fear is of two kinds the Fear of Reverence and the Fear of Caution The Fear of Reverence respects God and not our selves Fear of Reverence is grounded on the Nature of God his Majesty Holiness Goodness and Justice The Fear of Caution upon the weightiness of the Work we have to do and our own Weakness The Fear of Reverence maketh us walk strictly the Fear of Caution watchfully 1. The Fear of Reverence is necessary or an awful regard of God that we may not offend him or displease him or give him just cause of being angry with us who is of such glorious Majesty Ier. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O thou King of Nations Of such unspotted Holiness Rev. 15.4 Who would not fear thee O Lord for thou only art holy 2. The Fear of Caution is necessary to make us watchful against Temptations The Work is weighty if we miscarry we are undone for ever Heb. 4.1 Let us fear lest a promise being left us any of you should come short of it We are
Apply it closely What sin have I done How doth it concern me Practice it readily Iam. 1.25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of libetty and continueth therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word this man shall be Blessed in his deed 3. Use is to put us upon Self-reflection Is our Fruit proportionable to our Hearing The Word is not only the Seed of Regeneration but the means of Growth 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever with 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby God does not consider what we are de facto but what we ought to be what strength we might have Our account is according to our means Luke 12.48 Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Less Grace will serve to the Salvation of some than others Therefore take heed that where more Grace is bestow'd it be not neglected by you A Sermon on HEBR. ii II. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren IN this Epistle to perswade the Hebrews to continue in their professed Subjection to Christ the Apostle setteth forth Christ in his Person and Offices In his Person there are Two Natures Divine and Humane The Apostle proveth both by one Argument That Christ ought to be such a Person as was Superior to Angels and yet for a time to be also inferior to them He had already proved that Christ ought to be Superior to Angels He is now shewing the Reasons why he must be made a little lower than the Angels in his Incarnation and Passion The necessity and reasons of his Incarnation he beginneth to lay down in this verse For c. In the words observe 1. A Maxim or Truth laid down 2. A Consequence or Inference thence deduced 1. In the Truth laid down Two things are expressed 1. A difference between Christ and his People 2. An Union between them 1. The different Parties here spoken of He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified Christ is the Agent he hath an active Power to free from Sin such as are polluted with it We are Passive for by him that sanctifieth is meant Christ One prime benefit we have from him is Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And by the sanctified are meant the People of God who sometimes were polluted and sinful 2. They are said to be of one This Notes the Union that is between them they are of one Stock and Lineage or one common Parent of Mankind Adam Of one Blood Acts 17.26 He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth Thence Luke carrieth up the Genealogy of Christ to Adam Luke 2.38 So that he is one of our Kind and Nature There is indeed an union of Christ with man 1. By his Incarnation 2. Upon actual Sanctification In the first respect he is One with all Mankind as they are Men. In the Second He and the Sanctified which are the Church are one in an especial manner There is a Natural Bond between us and Christ and a Spiritual Bond The Natural Bond gave him an Interest to Redeem us The Spiritual Bond is the ground of our Comfort in that Redemption They are of one 2. The Inference or Effect thence resulting For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Which words represent 1 the condescension of Christ He is not ashamed 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge to call them Brethren 1. The condescension of Christ He is not ashamed We are said to be ashamed in Two Cases 1. When we do any thing that is filthy As long as we have the heart of a Man we cannot do any thing that hath filthiness in it without shame Or 2. When we do any thing beneath that Dignity and Rank which we sustain in the World The former Consideration is of no place here The latter then must be considered Those that bear any rank and port in the World are ashamed to be too familiar towards their Inferiors But yet such is the love of Jesus Christ towards his People that tho' he be infinitely greater and more worthy than us yet he is not ashamed to call us Brethren It is said Prov. 19.7 All the Brethren of the poor do hate him If a Man fall behind hand in the World his Friends look askew upon him But Jesus Christ tho' he be the Son of God by whom he made the World the splendor of his Fathers Glory and the brightness of his Person the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords and we be poor vile and unworthy Creatures yet he disdaineth not to call us Brethren If a great Prince should call a poor Tradesman Brother it would be accounted singular Courtesie And yet what is the greatest Prince of the World to Christ 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge 1. The nature of it Christ calleth us Brethren Not Children Servants Friends but Brethren A Title of great dearness and intimacy 2. The value of it 1. It is not an idle foolish Compliment for there is Cause and Reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a reason of the use of this Title because all Mankind coming of one Father and being made of one Blood are Brethren And Christ reckoneth himself among us considereth the Bond he hath to us and assumeth all Relations proper to his Nature And also because the Sanctified are the Children of God by the Grace of Adoption 2. It is not an empty Title but a great and real Priviledge he is affectioned to us as Brethren His Call is Doing For his Call he is not a meer Nominal Titular or Complimental Word Rom. 9.25 I will call them my people that is openly and before all the world declare they are my People Called an Apostle 1 Cor. 15.19 Not worthy to be called thy Son Luke 15.21 Many Points may be hence deduced 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same Nature and Stock Yet he with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 2. That Christ having taken our nature upon him counts it no disgrace to acknowledge and accept us as Brethren 3. The kindred is only reckoned to the Sanctified Though all Mankind have the same nature and come of the same stock yet he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren 4. This Sanctification which is required of us must proceed originally from Christ. 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same nature and stock with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
his covenant Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee To disappoint a Trust is accounted disingenuous among Men. No Age can give an Instance of this in God Obj. But his People complain of being forsaken Isa. 49.14 But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Yea Christ himself cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 Ans. 1. Many times the Saints complain without a cause Sense maketh Lyes of God Psal. 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the Voice of my supplications But there was no such matter Psal. 77.10 This is my infirmity The Lord may seem to a perplexed Heart to cast off a Man and to suspend the course of his wonted savour so as they may seem to be without all hope and comfort of the Promises when there 's no such matter 2. Though a Child of God may be forsaken for a while yet not forsaken for ever Isa. 54.7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer There may be some short interruptions of a Christian's comfort All things here are subject to changes there will be Ebbs and Flows Nights and Days in our condition There will be Changes but it is but for a moment Mercy will not come out of season though Carnal Hopes may be spent Isa. 41.17 When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them There are three kinds of forsaking 1. As to our outward and inward condition Outwardly God may reduce his People to great straights and yet not forsake them Every Condition is sweet where God is and he is with us in Dangers and Afflictions Isa. 43.2 When thou passest thorough the waters I will be with thee and thorough the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest thorough the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the fire kindle upon thee God preserves not only from Fire and Water but in Fire and Water He may exercise his People with trouble but he will not withdraw himself from them in trouble but will stay with them and bear them company Our worldly Comforts may be gone but God stayeth behind we may be forsaken outwardly but are preserved inwardly Persecuted but not forsaken 2 Cor. 4.9 He giveth support still Psal. 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. God affords sweet Refreshings to his People 2 Cor. 1.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And gracious Visits and Experiences Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy-ghost which is given unto us 2. Inward desertion is either in point of Comfort or in point of Grace Comfort may be withdrawn for the increase of Grace Rain is necessary as well as Sunshine We need many times our Thorn in the Flesh. Grace is the main thing we should desire though Comfort should not be despised We should be rather more humble and more diligent in a doubtful condition than in a settled 3. In point of Grace there is a total desertion and a partial desertion God's People may be deserted really but not utterly There is a Seed remaineth in them 1 Iohn 3.9 though they may lose much of their liveliness and alacrity in God's Service My loving kindness I will not take from them David had brutish Thoughts yet some Sustentation Psal. 73.23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by thy right hand He was kept from being utterly overcome by the temptation They have a secret Power to uphold them as long as they have any tenderness left with desires of former Enjoyments and sensibleness of their present Inconvenience The degrees of Grace may be lost when the Habit remaineth God's degrees of Presence with us should be observed as well as his degrees of Absence David bewaileth his Folly acknowledges Sustentation 4. The ends of this forsaking There are three 1. Sometimes to shew us our selves to our selves 2 Chron. 32.31 Howbeit in the business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart While God is present comforting quickening and guiding us we do not know what Pride and Passion lieth hidden in our Hearts God doth shew the folly of our Wisdom the weakness of our Strength and the imperfection of our Graces by his forsaking us 2. How ready he is to help in an extremity Psal. 94.18 19. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. When we are at the brink of Danger and full of Perplexities and dark Thoughts then doth Help appear 3. To quicken us to look after him and to draw us to nearer Communion with himself Hos. 5.15 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face In their affliction they will seek me early When Afflictions press hard it puts an edge upon our Affections Surely God hath left something behind them when our Affections draw to him Dan. 9.3 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God To be dead and stupid then is a bad sign that we are deserted in point of sensible Comfort and Duty too The Use is to press you 1. To believe this Promise You see how emphatitically it is proposed The Flesh that loveth its own Ease will contradict and carnal Sense will bring Arguments against it therefore lay it up the more firmly Surely God will not forsake his People such tender Bowels such agreeable Love He that made the new Creature will not forsake it Will the Damm forsake her young ones and let them perish Christians he will let all the World perish rather than his Saints perish God may hide himself but never forsake them utterly It is a rare case to see them utterly destitute as to outward things Psal. 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread David aged a Man of much Observation a great Student of Providence yet never saw it Ask the Beasts Fowls or Fishes Iob 12.7.8 Ask now
me shall I not suffer it patiently Doctr. That it is the Duty of Christians patiently to suffer what ever God hath appointed them to suffer The note is plain I shall discuss it in this Method 1. That in all Calamities we should look to God 2. That it is a great advantage to patience when we can consider him not as an angry Judge but as a gracious Father 3. That it well becometh his People to endure that willingly which he calleth them unto I. That in all Calamities we should look unto God Psal. 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it That is the first thing that quieteth the Heart when we see God's hand in all things that befal us So Hezekiah Isa. 38.15 What shall I say He hath both spoken unto me and himself hath done it If God hath done it it is time to cease and say no more for why should we contend with the Lord We murmur and repine if we look no higher than second Causes but owning God's hand we have nothing to reply by way of Murmuring or Expostulations So Iob ch 1. v. 21. The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. He doth not say Dominus dedit Diabolus abstulit The Lord hath given and the Devil hath taken away nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Caldean or Sabean hath taken away but he owneth God in the Providence Compare the different carriage of David when Nabal slighted him and when Shimei railed on him the one you have 1 Sam. 25.21 22. Now David had said surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him but he hath requited me evil for good So and more also do God unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertaineth to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall A rash speech because he only reflected upon the unkindness of Nabal and meditateth nothing but Revenge The other you have 2 Sam. 16.11 Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him David then considered not the Instrument but the supreme Author he looked not to the Stone but the Hand that flung it to God's Providence who thought good by that means to chastise him If we mind Providence rather than Revenge we must not reflect on the Injury done to us nor the Malice of our Adversaries but the Will and good Pleasure of God So Ioseph Gen. 50.20 As for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good So he calmeth his Heart and fortifieth it against all thoughts of Revenge against his Brethren In short there are two sorts of Evils and Afflictions such as come immediately from the hand of God or such Injuries and Afflictions wherein Men are the Instruments Patience hath to do with both that we may bear Afflictions from God without murmuring and Injuries from Men without thought of Revenge Such as come immediately from the hand of God are not to be looked upon as Chances or casual Accidents but the Lord is to be owned in them and then we must humble our selves under his mighty hand 1 Pet. 5.6 In Injuries from Men we must consider they are also governed by God's Providence and sent by God as well as other Evils Some are patient under an Affliction from God but very impatient under injurious Dealing from Men as when a showre of Rain falleth from Heaven we bear it quietly but if one throw a Basin of Water upon us we storm and are vexed at heart But if we did look through the Wrongs of Men to God they would not be so irksome to us be they Injuries in Civil Commerce such as Oppression detention of Dues Contumelies Reproches or Persecution for Righteousness sake see God in all that you may not fret at it Two Things we must lay down briefly 1. That nothing falleth out without God's particular Providence Lam. 3.37 38. Who is he that saith And it cometh to pass when the Lord commandeth it not Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good That is nothing is done here below but by a divine Disposal and Providence nothing but what he by his secret Wisdom hath pre-ordained and appointed 2. That cross Issues and Punishments as well as Benefits and prosperous Successes come all of God Isa. 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things All Evils of Punishment come from God as well as the Blessings of Providence and without this Principle we could neither be thankful for the one nor humble under the other We look upon it as a piece of Atheism and Irreligiousness if we be not thankful for Benefits it is as great an Evil if we be not humble under Punishments We count him a prophane Man that should thank his Dung-cart for his good Crop and doth not he as much deny Providence that in all his Afflictions looketh only to Instruments and not to the Hand of God That rageth against Men but doth not take notice of the Will of his Heavenly Father It is very notable Ionah 4.6 7. that God first prepared a Gourd to shelter Ionah from the scorching Heat of the Sun and then prepared a Worm that smote the Gourd and deprived him of that Comfort and Benefit He that gave us the Delight in any natural Comfort doth also take it from us The same Hand must be owned in giving and taking or else we shall not prevent Atheism He that created the Gourd created the Worm and he that giverned the Gourd and made it a refreshing shadow from the heat of the Sun he governed the Worm to eat out the Root and Life of the Gourd As Christ here saith not the Iews or Pharisees provided this bitter Cup for him but the Father Oecumenius an ancient Greek Writer on the Scripture in his Comment on the Acts of the Apostles telleth us That once a great Plague invaded the City of Athens and miserably desolated it which also other Histories testifie the Citizens being almost consumed ran to the Image of Iupiter with Sacrifices Vows and Prayers to save them from the Pestilence but Iupiter could not do it then to Satan Mercury Neptune and other Gods but still in vain for the Plague daily encreased and was more mortal and deadly And when this was considered in the Court of the Areopagites a wise Man among them said Without doubt these Gods known to us did not send this Pestilence because upon our Prayers and Supplications to them they cannot take it away there may be some other God unknown to us who sent it and who alone can cause it to cease therefore he is to be sought unto an Altar erected to him and Sacrifices and Intercessions offered to him to take away this Plague from us And this Writer thinketh that this was
perish for his Impenitency and Unbelief but not meerly for the Greatness of his Sin for what Sin is so great that it is not or cannot be expiated by the Blood of Christ Christ's Satisfaction maketh the Salvation of the worst possible you may have Peace with God if you will 5. It bindeth our Duty the closer upon us No Man shall perish but for want of a willing Heart to accept of the Redeemer who hath paid our Ransom and of the Grace which he hath brought to us by which we may be interested and instated in the Benefits of this Ransom All things are ready if we are ready Luke 14.17 Come for all things are now ready God's Fatlings are killed his Wines are mingled if we will not come to the Feast we perish through our own default We need confer nothing all is but to receive the Benefits propounded and offered Victory over Death Hell Sin Satan is ready yea Heaven is ready and all Spiritual Blessings are ready if we are ready For the Merit and Satisfaction of Christ is the great cause of all that Blessedness which is offered to the Creature God hath opened the way to all if they will not enter into it they perish by their own default He hath sent Preachers into all the World Mark 16.15 16. And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Tit. 2.11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Let not us refuse our Cure though we must take a bitter Potion though we must enter in by the strait Gate of Faith and Repentance and walk in the narrow way of Self-denial and all holy Conversation and Godliness yet because it is to Life and the Legal Exclusion is taken off let us enter and walk in it Indeed if the Door were shut against us by the Sentence of thr Law and there was no way to remove the Bars and Bolts our Excuse were more just because then our Condition would be hopeless But now all is finished Salvation rendred possible now God hath taken away the Bars and Bolts by which his Law shut us out from all hope Let us not set up Bars and Bolts by our own Unbelief and by our own Cowardly Fears If Man were not Man but a Beast a Fool or a Mad-man it might more excusably be allowed to them to be led by Sense and Appetite and then it were an intolerable thing to Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections thereof But Man having Reason doth know or may know that this Command of God is equal that God doth not only require but help us to perform it and prevent us by his Grace 6. It doth not only bind our Duty upon us but it doth encourage us to Repent and Believe and Obey for Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 And he is the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 And doth give repentance as well as remission of sins Acts 5.31 For to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 The first Grace is his Gift and his resolved Gift to the Elect but all are to take their Lot If it were said to us alone That we should strive to enter in at the streight Gate or that we alone should deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow him it were hard But when the same Terms are propounded to all and when many young and old rich and poor have received them and have tried God's Ways and it hath succeeded well with them upon Trial why should we fear it If no body had done it or could do it then we might stick at God's Terms This Argument Austin used to himself in his Conflicts of Conscience Lib. 8. Confess Cap. 11. When he had long withstood offers of Grace he would then propound to himself the Example of others Cur non poteris quod isti istae Isti istae non in se pouterunt sed in Domino Deo suo Why may not I as well as those holy Men and those good Women They did it not in themselves but in the strength of their God and the power â—f his Grace The Yoke of Christ will be more easie than we think of especially when it is lined with Grace 7. When we have once accepted the Condition cleared up our Title then we shall have cause to Glory in the Lord and be sensible indeed that all things are finished which are necessary to our Comfort and Peace and that this was a full Merit As Paul would Glory in the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.1 There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ. Then we shall make the bold Challenge of Faith Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us If Christ had not made a full Expiation of all our Sins we were under Condemnation still He doth not say there is nothing worthy of Condemnation in Believers for as long as Sin and the Flesh remaineth in us which doth as long as we live in the World there is a Potential Guilt of Damnation an intrinsick Merit in our Actions of Death and Condemnation yet the Actual Guilt or Obligation is taken away because Christ is made a Curse for us Well then our solid Rejoycing to the lasts is in this compleat Satisfaction Rom. 5.11 We rejoyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We Glory in God Vse Let this raise in us 1. An hearty Thankfulness and Admiration of the Love of Christ who would not give over Suffering till he could say It is Finished till he had done enough to Glorifie God and Save the Creature enough for the Destruction of Sin as well as the Abolition of the Curse Christ did not Compound but paid the utmost Farthing Oh! let us raise our Thoughts in the Consideration of this Love His Enemies interrupted him and tempted him to give over Save thy self if thou be the son of God come down from the cross Mat. 27.40 42. If he be the King of Israel let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him But because he was the Son of God and the King of Israel he would not come down till he was taken down and all was done that was necessary All God's Works are perfect Deut. 32.4 The Father ceased not till upon the Sixth Day he had perfected the Work of
Christ is the First-born or First-begotten because he was the first that rose from the dead in his own Strength and vanquished Death others were raised before him but to die again they were raised in their own single Persons he as a publick Person But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-Fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 And he will by the same Power raise again all his Members to Immortality and Life 3. He is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth one that hath all Power given him in Heaven and in Earth and is superiour to all Princes of the World not only in regard of Eminency as a far greater Prince than they but Authority and Power over them he is their Lord and Soveraign as well as ours as it is said Dan. 4.17 The most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men and giveth them to whomsoever he will 1. Observe these Titles are given to Christ with respect to his three Offices of King Priest and Prophet 1. His Prophetical Office is implied in that Term the faithful Witness one that hath brought the Gospel out of the Bosom of God and plainly and clearly revealed it to the World and hath confirmed the Certainty of it by divers Miracles especially by his Death from which he rose again and ascended and poured out the Spirit upon the Disciples for a Testimony and still continueth that Dispensation in part of giving the Spirit so far as to assure the Hearts of his People that this is the Truth 2. His Priesthood is implied in that Expression The first begotten from the dead He died and so offered himself as a Sacrifice of Atonement to God he rose again and is entred within the Vail to continue the Exercise of that Office by his constant Intercession 3. His Kingly Office is implied in that other Expression The Prince of the Kings of the Earth They are all his Vicegerents absolutely at his dispose and can do neither more nor less than he will have them Mat. 28.18 All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth He hath supream and absolute Authority given him over all things both in Heaven and Earth for the Good of the Church and in the Church he is the only Head and King to appoint and maintain the Way and Means of gathering preserving ruling the Church and ordering all the Affairs thereof to the World's End 2. Observe that all these Titles are suted to the present occasion of this Prophecy which is to encourage his People to suffer Persecution for the Gospel's sake 1. As he was the faithful Witness it assured their Cause to be right The Gospel is called the Testimony of Iesus Christ ver 2. He declared nothing to us but the Will of God The Flesh hath such a value for and tenderness of its Interests that Men will soon distinguish themselves out of their Duty if there be the least doubtfulness in the Cause for which they suffer or any suspicion of it Therefore now when dreadful Troubles attended the Profession of the Gospel he setteth forth Christ as the faithful Witness to heighten their Zeal As also Rev. 3.14 These things saith the Amen the faithful and true Witness 2. As he was the first-begotten from the dead it still encourageth them more by assuring them of a joyful Resurrection if their Lives should fall in this Quarrel and Conflict This should allay all the Fears of Death Christ is not called the first-born of the Living but the first-born from the dead to own a Relation to us in every Condition dead as well as living He as the first-born rose as a Pledg and Pattern of what should be done to us 3. As Prince of the Kings of the Earth of whose Power and Persecutions they were so much afraid but needed not for they are not only accountable to Christ at last which those adverse Powers little valued having not imbraced the Profession of the Gospel but were held in by the Reins of his Government for the present so as they could not so much as touch an Hair of their Heads without his leave So that here was much Encouragement for suffering Christians who at that time were to conflict with great Difficulties and exposed to the Slaughters and Butcheries of cruel Enemies 3. Observe all these Titles serve to beget a Reverence and great Respect in our Hearts to the Person that owneth them he is the faithful Witness The great Prophet of the Church should be regarded by us This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Mat. 17.5 We are to hearken to him believe him obey him as knowing that we must stand or fall at the Sentence of his Word He is the greatest and most excellent of all the Prophets and far above them all who knew more of God and of his Mind than all they joined in one and hath declared his Will more fully clearly and powerfully and shall we set at naught his Counsel Some that despised the Counsel of an ordinary Prophet smarted for it Heb. 10.28 29. He that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy under two or three Witnesses Of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troddeâ— under foot the Son of God who came out of his Bosom on purpose to teach us the Way of Salvation If he require Repentance and Faith with a Promise of Righteousness and Eternal Life and a Commination of Eternal Death unavoidable if we believe not nor repent we are to believe it with all Certainty to set about this Work with all Care and Diligence and continue therein with all Constancy and Perseverance Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Christ came from Heaven at first returned to Heaven again from Heaven sent down the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and by that Spirit enabled them to preach the Gospel with Success O surely we should attend to his Doctrine and receive it with firm Assent and obey it with humble Submission Again he is the first-begotten from the Dead That he died should render him dear to us for it was for our sakes as I shall shew by and by That he rose again was for our sakes for our Justification Who was delivered for our Offences and rosâ— again for our Iustification Rom. 4.25 For it sheweth that his Sacrifice was accepted as sufficient for our Atonement Yea for our blessed Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-Fruits of them that slept As the whole Harvest was blessed and sanctified in a little handful of the first-Fruits offered to God But I urge it now as an Argument why we should give him Glory as deserving it by the Greatness of his Person This made it evident that he was the
that we have heard and seen Gal. 2.11 When Peter was come to Antioch I with stood him to the Face because he was to be blamed The one requireth Aptness of Gifts the other only Christian Prudence and a fervent Charity This latter we have now in hand II. The Arguments by which we are to inforce it Which are needful in this Case because Men are so apt to bear with Sin both in themselves and others and this Duty is of so great Use that Satan seeketh to hinder it with all his Power and so hard to be done rightly that most Men quite omit it 1 st I shall prove it from the Law of Nature which teacheth me to love my Neighbour as my self and therefore Conscience bindeth me to reduce those into the right way who are gone out of it this is the obliging internal Cause We our selves by a regular Will having erred would be glad to be reduced and set into the right way again Ier. 8.4 Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise Shall they turn away and not return Is any Man so absurd heedless and witless that when he hath gotten a Fall will lie still and not essay to get up again Or that hath been unwittingly out of the way and will not desire to come into it again and be willing to receive Direction from those that would set him right Now this being a Dictate of Nature produced by God himself by his Prophet to aggravate their Apostacy who having faln by their Sin refused to rise and return holdeth good also to others whom we are to love as our selves And therefore when they are fallen we must help them to rise again and when they are turned away we must help them to return This is so natural that the very Birds and Beasts desire to return to their proper Places in their natural and appointed time when they have wander'd as the Prophet speaketh of the Stork Turtle and Crane ver 7. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming Now from that reciprocal Obligation that is between Men and the Law of Nature we are bound to reprove our Brother as we desire it and expect it from them to be set right when we are wrong we are to pay the same Debt of Love to them again The Argument holdeth à fortiori because in spiritual things the Danger is greater the Good to be procured is greater the Evil to be feared greater Yea this Argument is the stronger because it holdeth good concerning the Ox and Ass not only of our own Neighbour but of our Enemy as Exod. 23.4 If thou meet thine Enemy's Ox or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again And Deut. 22.1 Thou shalt not see thy Brother's Ox or his Sheep go astray and hide thy self from them thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy Brother Surely hereby God would teach every Man not to look on his own things only but to love and do Good to other Men. This Duty required towards Beasts is much more towards Men Ezek. 34.4 Ye have not brought again that which was driven away and ye have not sought that which was lost We are all like Sheep going astray and have need of one anothers Help Mark there are two Precepts in Deut. 22.1 a Prohibition not to hide and a Commandment to restore so that they are doubly guilty that are not affected with other Mens Sins or do not seek to reform them 2 dly It is a Duty because positively commanded by God so that unless we will be guilty of flat Disobedience we ought to mind it God bindeth all Men to reprove their erring Brother and Neighbour keeping the Rules of Prudence Justice and Charity Now that God hath commanded this many of the Scriptures cited before prove it Matth. 18.15 16 17. If thy Brother offend thee go and tell him his Fault between him and thee Which is to be understood not only of Offences done to us but to be extended to all wilful Crimes of which we see him guilty for Zeal for God should prevail with us as much as Injuries done to to our selves and it is not angry Reproach but Christian Admonition that we press you to 1 Thess. 5.14 Warn them that are unruly 2 Thess. 3.15 Admonish him as a Brother So Rom. 15.14 I my self also am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of Goodness filled with all Knowledg able to admonish one another So Prov. 25.8 9 10. Go not forth hastily to strive lest thou know not what to do in the End thereof when thy Neighbour hath put thee to Shame Debate thy Cause with thy Neighbour himself and discover not a Secret to another lest he that heareth it put thee to Shame and thine Infamy turn not away All these Expressions concern Brotherly Reproof debating Matters in Case of Offence and Injury real or supposed If we presently run to Law without using previous gentle Methods of taking up Matters among our selves we run a great Hazard both of Loss and Infamy Better end it by friendly Composition than running to the Judg where by many unhappy Representations a Righteous Cause may be oppressed But for the common Duty of Christians see Ephes. 5.11 Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather doth not lessen our Duty but inforce it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom We ought to reprove We shall not be excused before God unless we do our Duty So Iude 22.23 And of some have Compassion making a Difference And others save with Fear pulling them out of the Fire SERMON II. LEVIT XIX 17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him 3 dly COnsider how far it bindeth 1. Intensively as to the Value of the Precept It is not an Arbitrary Direction which we may omit or observe at Pleasure but a Necessary Precept which we must obey 1. From the Danger we incur We are under Danger of Sin and bearing Punishment for them whom we reprove not and the Punishment of Sin is eternal Death if it be omitted out of a culpable Negligence Eternal Life and eternal Death is in the Case there is no doubt of Superiours who by Justice and Office are bound to reprove as well as by the Law of common Love and Charity Ezek. 33.6 His Blood will I require at the Watchman's Hands But even private Persons may bear Sin for others 2. Because of the Good which cometh thereby which is the Glory of God and the gaining of our Brother Matth. 18.15 Thou hast gained thy Brother And the gaining of another's Soul is no small Advantage this will be your Crown and rejoicing in the Day of the Lord. To enforce both consider that Text Prov. 24.
our Sins in his own Blood And for God the Spirit we also find our Hearts raised to give him Glory partly by the Motions of his Grace which we feel in our Hearts Psal. 143.10 Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them The Sanctifier Guide and Comforter of Believers is God's Spirit he is the only Author and Fountain of all Goodness and Holiness And partly by the comfortable Sense he begets in us of our Adoption Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And of our Hopes of Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit And partly by the Support and Comfort we have from him in all our Conflicts and Distresses 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 3. That we may with more Confidence wait for the Beginning Progress and Consummation of our own Salvation There is the eternal Love of God the alsufficient Merit of Christ and the omnipotent Operation of the Holy Ghost What cannot Eternal Love Infinite Merit and Almighty Power do As Christ is necessary to keep all right between us and God so the Spirit is necessary to keep all right between us and Christ. As we need a Person of the Godhead to satisfy the Justice of God so also to overcome our Obstinacy and Unbelief and to vanquish Temptations and Doubts and Fears and to settle us in the Comfort and Hope of the Gospel It is God's Prerogative to settle the Conscience Isa. 57.19 I create the Fruit of the Lips Peace Peace to him that is afar off and to him that is nigh saith the Lord. God is the supream Judg and the wronged Party He commands his Loving-kindness in the Day-time Psal. 42.8 By a powerful Imperial Act of the Spirit he stilleth our Doubts and Fears 4. That the whole Glory of our Salvation may redound to God alone Therefore the Divine Persons carry it on among themselves Love Grace and Communication do all To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 Grace is the Fountain-Cause of our Election Grace bringeth it about for who could ransom a Soul except Christ had taken the Work in hand There would have been a stop there Psal. 49.7 8. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a Ransom for him for the Redemption of their Soul is precious and ceaseth for ever There would have been a stop there Grace applies all What are we before the Grace of the Spirit How unworthy till Grace made us lovely How unable to lay hold on it before the Spirit of God enable us Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without Strength in due time Christ died for the Vngodly And how unable are we to make good use of it afterward For 1. What was our Behaviour before Calling Disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures Titus 3.3 2. In Calling it was slight and â—efractory Iob 33.14 For God speaketh once yea twice but Man perceiveth it not He often inviteth but Men take no notice of what so much concerneth their Souls good but slight all Warnings and Instructions lay not their Condition to heart and many an Opportunity is lost but God overcometh Mens Evil by his own Goodness and will not lose his Elect therefore ver 16. He openeth the Ears of Men and sealeth their Instruction that is breaketh in upon them in such a powerful way that they cannot withstand it 3. Since Calling there are frequent Interruptions of Obedience Iames 3.2 For in many things we offend all Our best Performances are weak and full of Blemishes Isa. 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags So that from first to last all floweth from God and all floweth from Love and Grace and Communication of the Spirit that our Persons and Actions are accepted Now it is our Duty to acknowledg this Love and highly esteem this glorious Grace and to testify our Esteem by Word and Work By Word â—n Praises by Deed expressing our Thankfulness in our Lives that they may be a constant Hymn to God and a Praise of his Grace that we are made Partakers of Vse 1. To encourage us to seek after the Effects of this Love of God Grace of Jesus Christ and Communion of the Spirit 1. I will plead your Want What will you do if you have not Father Son and Holy Ghost for your God You have your Beings from him for a while but the Day of his Patience will not always last You must die and give an Account and woful yea dreadful will their Account be who are not only involved in the common Apostacy but have heard of the Transactions of Father Son and Holy Ghost about their Recovery and never minded the Benefit or made light of it Surely it is woful Dulness and Stupidity not to value it and to feel no need of it 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as VVorkers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain What Grace was that God was in Christ reconciling the VVorld to himself chap. 5.19 That Grace which the Father hath contrived for your Salvation that Grace for which Christ laid down his Life that Grace which is so affectionately tendred in the Gospel that Grace and that free undeserving Mercy which is so sutable to your Necessities Will you despise this It was an Act of infinite Love of God to design it and reveal it to you of Christ to purchase it for you of the Holy Ghost to offer it to you yea to strive with you to make you capable of it Shall the Gospel be cast away upon you and all those gracious Methods of God frustrated Or have you no need of it How will you maintain Peace in your Consciences now without Grace How will you stand before God's Tribunal at the last Day 2. Let me plead the Worth of it He that hath this Love of God this Grace of Christ this Communion of the Spirit wanteth nothing to his solid Happiness He hath all necessary things in their Cause and Fountain for he hath God Christ and the Spirit For all things come from the Love of God and the Grace of Christ and the Communion of the Holy Ghost And he doth possess all things in that measure that God sees fit for him Psal. 84.11 The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly It bringeth other Mercies with it and nothing is
the Fruit of his Sufferings When Christ was about to die he made his last Will and Testament Heaven was his by Purchase to bestow upon all his Heirs He had bought it at a dear Rate therefore now he shews what he would do with it Iohn 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be where I am that they may behold my Glory And then he is gone to Heaven again as our Harbinger to prepare a Place for us Ioh. 14.2 I go to prepare a Place for you to take up Mansions and Rooms for us in his Father's Palace He is gone as a Guardian or Feoffee in trust to seize upon Heaven in our Right to keep it during our Non-age and he will come again in Person as the Husband of the Church to bring us into his Father's House with Triumph therefore it is said Rev. 4.10 That the Elders did cast their Crowns before the Throne not as despising their Glory but as professing their Homage and Dependance and Rev. 5.8 9. The four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb c. saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood His Abasement was for our Preferment and therefore even here upon Earth may we bless God for the Elders represent the Church upon Earth for his great Mercy to us in Christ. 3. Consider how much we are engaged to God the Spirit who fits and prepares us for this happy State and seals up our Interest to us therefore it is called the Earnest of the Spirit Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who also hath given to us the Earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 The Holy Ghost shapes and fashions all the Vessels of Glory fits and prepares them for Heaven It is the Spirit of God dwelling in us that wrought us and fits us for this great and blessed Hope therefore when-ever you think of it your Hearts should be raised in Thanksgiving It is not only their Duty to praise God that are in actual possession of Glory but ours also to whom these Hopes are revealed Rev. 5.8 There was a mixture of Harps and Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of all Saints Compare this with Vers. 11. And I beheld and heard the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and Elders Not only Angels and blessed Spirits but Saints on Earth all join in Consort praising the Lamb. We must praise the Lord in the time of our Pilgrimage for this great Estate reserved for us in Heaven 3. It informs us how desperately wicked the Hearts of sinful Men are that can run the hazard of eternal Death and forfeit this blessed Hope of eternal Life for a little carnal Satisfaction Survey all the Temptations of the World how much they come short of it If the Heart were not desperately wicked we would not be carried out to these things What is Vain Glory to Eternal Glory What are a few dreggy Delights to those Pleasures which are at God's right Hand for evermore What are the Riches of the World to our glorious Inheritance You would count him a mad Gamester that would throw away whole Lordships and Mannors at every Cast. A Sinner forfeits a blessed Hope that is above all the Kingdoms and Possessions of the World It is for this you will be the Scorn of Angels at the last Day Psal. 52.7 Lo this is the Man that made not God his Strength but trusted in the abundance of his Riches and strengthned himself in his Wickedness This will make you ashamed in the great Congregation that you were so foolishly bent to your own Ruin Nay this will torment you for ever nothing torments Men more than their foolish Choice Conscience will for ever tell them with what disadvantage they have forsaken God for a thing of nought Disappointment to a reasonable Creature is the worst vexation and what Disappointment is more than to be disappointed of our glorious Hopes and that for Trifles and a little carnal Satisfaction This will be our Shame and Torment to all Eternity We may guess at the gnawings of Conscience in the Damned by the Horrors of carnal Men when they come to die O then how do they bewail the Folly of their Choice O that they had been as mindful to serve God as to provide for the World as careful to satisfy the Motions of the Holy Ghost as to satisfy a Lust and carnal Desire When they are on a Death-bed and upon the Confines of Eternity then all worldly Comforts cease and there is a real confutation of the folly of their Choice a Sting then begins that never ceaseth Jer. 17.11 At his End he shall be a Fool. When he comes to die his Conscience will rage and call him Fool Beast and Mad-man for hazarding such eternal Joys for a Trifle 4. It informs us of the Excellency of the Gospel or Christian Profession Wisdom should be justified by her Children And all that do profess Religion should see the Excellency of it what there is in their Beloved more than in another Beloved Cant. 5.9 This there is in the Christian Religion there are purity of Precepts Psal. 19.7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the Simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the Heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Then there is sureness of Principles of Trust and Dependance established between us and God that we may depend upon God with Comfort and Satisfaction there do you find rest for the Soul Ier. 6.16 Stand ye in the Ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good Way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls Then there are no such Rewards any where as in the Christian Profession 2 Tim. 1.10 Life and Immortality are brought to Light by the Gospel The Heathens had Dreams of Elizium Fields and Mahomet tells his Followers of a sensual Paradise but Life and Immortality is a Revelation proper and peculiar only to the Gospel The Heathens were at a loss for the Reward of Vertue Austin out of Varro gives us an account of 288 Opinions concerning Happiness and the chief Good of Man but now here is all brought to Light we may look beyond the Grave now and there is not such a Mist and Darkness upon Things to come God having acquainted us with the Gospel Nay there 's more revealed than was in the time of the Law If God had still kept this Secret in his own Bosom what a Support should we have wanted in our Trouble what Encouragement to the practice of Holiness O therefore prize the Gospel it is the Charter of your blessed Hope 5. It informs us what little cause we have to be slack in God's Work or to
begrudg the pains of his Service 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord for asmuch as ye know that your Labour will not be in vain in the Lord. The Children of God are wont to think they can never do enough for God that hath found out such a Reward for them in Christ. A thousand Years Service will not deserve one hour's Enjoyment of this blessed Hope much less eternal Happiness When we come to see what shall be bestowed upon us we shall be ashamed that we have done no more Work for God having so much Wages and such excellent Encouragement Mat. 25.37 the Saints are brought in there saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink being ashamed Ah Lord this is nothing What have we done At the Day of Judgment there will be the highest Exaltation of the Saints and yet the lowest Self-abasement they will wonder even to admiration of Angels There will be Christ's owning them and they disclaiming their own Services and all their Works and Christ rewarding them And therefore grudg not if you have the strictest Precepts of any Religion remember you have the noblest and highest Reward 6. It informs us what cause we have to contemn all earthly things tho they be never so great and glorious because of this blessed Hope There are two Considerations that will make us contemn the World and they are suted to the two essential Parts of Man and we should ever think of them We carry about us a mortal Body and an immortal Soul the Body lasts but for a while and the Soul survives and out-lives the Body's Happiness Now we toil our selves in gathering Sticks to our Nest when to morrow we must be gone Alas here we dwell in Houses of Clay whose Foundation is in the Dust which are crushed before the Moth Job 4.19 Our Estate in this World is represented by a Tabernacle which is a moveable Habitation but our Estate in Heaven is represented by a Temple Here it is but a Tabernacle and that of Clay that will be crumbled into Dust nay we are said to be crush'd before the Moth and a Moth is but a little enlivened Dust and so is Man The World is but a House of Potters Vessels that will be soon broken And shall we for the Conveniences of a Temporal Life prejudice and run the hazard and loss of our Eternal Hopes Shall we injure the Soul to gratify the Body that is the way to destroy both for ever Our great care should be for that Place where we live longest in the other World we have the longest Life and the most glorious Possession therefore our great Care should be for that 7. It informs us what little cause we have to envy carnal Men the Hope of your Profession is a blessed Hope This was David's Preservative he was daily in danger of his Life and his Enemies were fat and shining in the Pomp of the World and how doth he comfort himself Psal. 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness as if he had said Alas their Felicity is but a sorry thing they are filled and I shall be filled too David sums up their Happiness under two Heads Whatever here we have it is either for personal Use or for our Posterity A worldly State is only valuable upon these two Grounds what we may use for the present and what we may transmit to our Children Now what a sorry Happiness is this to what I expect 1. For personal Use ver 14. Their Bellies are filled with thy hid Treasure that is with the rarest Dishes and best Meats which God's Store-house doth afford By hidden Treasures is meant Food and other worldly Comforts therefore called hidden Treasures because it doth not lie within every one's grasp and reach they are not vulgar and common Delights The meaner sort their Hand will not attain to it Lo here is all that which God allows them for their Portion the filling of the Belly and alas this is but the Happiness of Beasts who eat with less remorse yet all their Happiness is to fill their Belly with better Food than the poorer sort which indeed is a Misery rather than a Happiness for what doth this but nourish sensual Lusts and strengthen and hearten our Enemy And gorgeous Apparel is but a Supply from Creatures beneath us it is but Stercus in volutum Dung neatly wrapp'd up here 's the Sum of all a Carnal Man's Happiness that which God allows him for his Portion But a Christian hath better Fare if he goes into the Sanctuary there 's enough but if he goes into Heaven there 's a great deal more David defeats the Temptation by this Psal. 73.16 17. When I sought to know this it was too hard for me until I went into the Sanctuary of God to enjoy God in his Ordinances and the present Glimpses of God's Face Present Communion with God is far to be preferred above all the Dainties in the World But that is not all we shall be satisfied for ever We may go into Heaven as well as into the Sanctuary and behold God's Righteousness When I awake that is out of the Dust I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness A Child of God hath his Content and Happiness to the full when he comes to die A carnal Man his Back hath been richly clothed and Belly filled but when he comes to die he hath a sad Doom Son remember thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus his evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 was said to Dives who fared deliciously every day and was clothed in Purple and fine Linen Well you have your Portion and must look for no more you give God a discharge for ought else But for God's Children then their Happiness begins they are going down to sleep in the Grave and when they awake they shall be filled they have not only God's Favour here but Eternal Felicity hereafter They that are called to a Feast will not fill themselves at home with courser Fare The rich Glutton who had his Belly full of hid Treasure here was shut out but Lazarus is carried into Abraham's Bosom and feasted there for this was their Table-gesture to lie in one another's Bosoms Christians reserve your Appetite a little you will be satisfied it is but staying a little longer for a better Meal We expect to be like Angels let others be like Beasts whose Happiness lieth in feeding 2. Then for the other part the transmission of Honour and ample Revenues to Posterity It is true Man is much carried out this way he would fain advance his House and live gloriously in his Posterity Posterity is a shadow of Eternity Children are but the Father multiplied when the Father's Thread is spun out then the Knot is knit his Name and Memory is continued in the World by his Children