offering there and what was that but for the saving of souls wee may therefore concerning Christ well say as the Elders in Rev. 5.9 They sang a new song saying Thou art worthy c. for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Oh thou art worthy O blessed Saviour Hee doth not say what but onely thus Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wert slain and hast redeemed us to God There is infinite worthiness in Christ and worthy hee is of all the honour that wee are able possibly to bring to him had wee ten thousand times more strength than wee have to do it For hee was slain and hath redeemed us to God by his blood If there were a company of poor people upon the Sea and in danger to be lost their own ship through stress of weather fallen to peeces and they upon a plank and ready to bee swallowed up of every wave and there comes a ship by and saves their lives Oh how would they bee affected with such a mercy as this and bless God for his goodness that such a ship should come by at such a time wee had all been lost if this ship had not come by just at this time So when wee read the Gospel wee read of Jesus Christ God-Man coming into the world and standing between the wrath of the Infinite God and sinful souls let us then consider how infinitely wee are bound to bless God for Jesus Christ for we were ready even all of us to bee swallowed up into the bottomless gulf of the wrath of the infinite God the waves of Gods infinite wrath were ready to have covered over all man-kinde onely the Lord Jesus Christ comes and even leaps as it were into the very Ocean of Gods wrath into the very flames of the wrath and justice of God to pluck out our souls and to save them Bless wee God then for Jesus Christ considering that the loss of souls is such a dreadful loss and onely saved by that great Saviour that is come into the world And then thirdly If the loss of the soul bee so dreadful then it must needs bee a dreadful evil for any to have any hand in this loss or to bee any furtherance of it Take heed that thou hast no hand at all in so great an evil as this is Oh how much better thou hadst never been born than to have a hand in so great an evil wee account those miserable creatures that have a hand in the loss of Kingdomes to have a hand in the undoing of one soul is a greater mischief than to be the cause of the undoing of a whole Kingdome for their outward estate If one should bee the cause of the ruine of a whole Kingdome for their outward estate you would say that certainly it had been better that that man had never been born Certainly thou that hast a hand in the undoing of any soul thou wert born to do a greater mischief than such a one if any friend of yours take a course whereby hee undoes himself and when the evil consequence of his unwise courses appears you are ready to say Blessed bee God I had no hand in it If people will damn their souls eternally take heed you have no hand in it and if any of your children friends servants acquaintance neighbours should perish eternally yet it will bee a great mercy if you have no hand in it People may have a hand in the loss of other mens souls many waies As by carelesness of the souls of those committed to their charge they may come to bee lost by thy carelesness by thy neglect their souls may perish and especially it concerns those that take the charge of souls they had need look to it that those do not cry out against them in Hell that it was through their neglect that they are here now and must lye here for ever Oh the cry of a soul against a man is a dreadful thing perhaps the souls of some of your children may bee in Hell crying out against you for the neglect of them that you regarded them not you let them prophane Sabbaths you could hear them swear and rebuke them not or but very slightly you never instructed them in the waies of God and eternal life you were the cause of the destruction of their souls by your wicked example they saw their Parents do thus and thus hate goodness and good men they saw them scorn at the Word or neglect it and contemn it and upon that they did so too and now they are in Hell for it and cursing the time that ever they were born of such Parents And many souls no question there are in Hell cursing the time that ever they came into such a wicked family wherein they saw so much wickedness wherein there was no worshipping of God nor no means to come to know God and upon that they went on securely in wickedness and now are sunk down to eternal misery You may bee the cause of the destruction of others souls by drawing of them to sin when you shall be active to draw any one to the commission of any sin thou dost what in thee liest to cast away that precious immortal soul And have never any of you had a hand in this have you never been instruments to draw others to some sin or other now if you have either these that you have tempted are yet alive or they are dead if they bee alive know that you are bound in conscience to do now to the uttermost for the good of their souls to make it your great work if it bee possible to do them as much good as ever you did them hurt for certainly Soul-satisfaction is required of men as well as Bodily-satisfaction If you have wronged a man in his estate any way although it were seven twenty years ago if God comes to awaken your consciences it will not serve your turn to return and repent that is to bee very sorry that you have done it and ask God forgiveness but before you can have peace you must make satisfaction where you have wronged if God inable you Now doth God stand so much upon that that if one hath but wronged a man in his estate that all the sorrow and repenting in the world will never bring peace of conscience without restitution where there is ability then certainly if one hath wronged another in his soul and hath indangered the damnation of that by drawing of him to sin It is not enough for thee that thou seest this thy sin and thou art sorry for it and thou wilt never seek to draw others any more no but thou art bound if such bee alive to go to them if thou canst and to seek now to do them as much good for their souls as thou wert a cause of evil what if this soul should perish at last by this sin that thou wert a cause to draw
Use Great is the evil of sin if committed against such a God Use 3 Thirdly Hence then if God bee thus excellent above all from the meditation of the Excellency of God and his glory wee see cause to bee vile in our own eyes the higher wee see God to bee the lower wee should bee in our own eyes there is nothing will take down the spirit of a man more than God I dare say of every proud heart in the worâ—d such a one knows not God never had a sight of the glory of God that hee hath to do withall the sight of God will wonderfully humble the heart before him Job 42.5 is very famous for this Job saith With the hearing of the ear I have heard of thee but now mine eyes have seen thee what follows then upon that Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Vers 6. Job that was a holy man yet hee confesses that hee had but even heard of God hee never had such a sight of God as God gave him at this time and upon the sight that hee had of God though hee were a holy and a gracious man and could stand in his uprightness yet saith hee Mine eyes have seen thee and therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Oh that God would give such a fight of himself to all your souls to those proud stout and rebellious sinners that have gone on in wayes of rebellion against him You have heard of God by the hearing of the ear but have your eyes ever seen him If God would but give you a sight of what I have briefly spoken to you you would certainly fall down before him and abhor your selves in dust and ashes So the Prophet Isaiah though a godly man yet in Isa 6. hee heard the Cherubins and Seraphins praising of God and crying Holy Holy Isa 6.1 2 3. Holy is the Lord of Hoasts And there was a vision of God upon his Throne to the Prophet what follows saith the Prophet Woe unto mee for I am undone Why For I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell among a people that are of unclean lips Woe unto mee for I am undone for I have seen the King the Lord of Heasts I see the Lord upon his Throne and I behold the blessed Angels how they admire at his glory Oh woe to mee I am undone If so holy a man shall thus cry out upon the sight of God and say Woe to mee I am undone because I am a man of polluted lips Oh what mayest thou do then that art a man of polluted lips and polluted heart and polluted life Oh how are thy lips polluted The Prophet Isaiah hee was no swearer neither was hee one that would talk filthy unclean talk but yet hee complains hee was a man of polluted lips and cryes Woe to mee I am undone because I have seen the Lord Oh how would thy heart then bee humbled What cause at least is there that thy heart should bee humbled that art so polluted as thou art the sight of God should mightily humble us before God Psal 8 the beginning Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth saith the Prophet David and so hee goes on to shew the excellency of God then hee cryes out in verse 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Lord thou that art so excellent in thy self above all things it is a wonder that thou shouldest vouchsafe so much as to look upon man It may bee thou lookest high because thou art a little above thy brethren but if thou hadst a sight of God thou wouldest wonder that this God should look to thee Psal 113.6 there you have such an expression That God doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven Why what an expression is hereof Gods excellency God is so excellent that hee doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven now if hee bee so excellent as to humble himself to the beholding of the things in heaven then how doth God humble himself to behold things done in earth to behold such wretched vilde creatures as thou art Oh bee vile in thine own eyes upon the sight of the great God and by these three Uses you may have three Notes whether ever God hath made known himself to you or no. First Are you ashamed and confounded in your thoughts for those low poor thoughts you have had of God Secondly Hath the sight of God caused you to see the dreadfulness of the evill that there is in sin Thirdly Hath the sight of God made you to bee vile in your own eyes That is a good evidence that you have had some sight of God indeed In the fourth place If God bee thus excellent and his Use 4 glory so great above the earth and heavens Hence wee may learn to know the vanity of the creature Set but God now and the creature together nay all the creatures in the world together Oh how is the vanity of all creature-comforts in the world made known to us There are many wayes to convince us that there is a vanity in all things in the world by the strength of reason wee may bee convinced and by experience A man sometimes that hath an estate God doth but touch his body and layes him upon his sick-bed such a man saith Oh what a poor thing is it to injoy all the world had I all the world at my command I could have no comfort in it and therefore what a vanity is there in the creature And another perhaps by arguments and reasons will tell you that every thing is vain and there is no contentment nor continuance in any thing in the world When wee see men that are rich and great dye and carry nothing with them wee are ready to say Oh how vain the world is these are some means to cause us to see the vanity of the creature But what are all these to the sight of God The sight of the glory of God it is infinitely more powerful to discover the vanity of all things in the world to us That man or woman that hath had once a real sight of this God in his infinite excellency wil not much regard what becomes of him concerning outward things in this world Hee that sees God to be great will see all other things to bee small And indeed wee never see God to bee truly excellent except wee see him alone to bee excellent Thou thinkest thou knowest somewhat of God I but still the excellency of the creature is glorious in thy eyes Certainly thou dost not know God aright If thou knowest God aright in his excellency thou knowest him Alone to bee excellent and therefore if thou knewest no other excellency but God all other things would bee but vanity in thine eyes In 2 Cor. 3.10 saith the Apostle there concerning the glory of
Gospel-Revelation IN THREE TREATISES Viz 1 The Nature of God 2 The Excellencies of Christ And 3 The Excellency of Mans Immortal Soul By JEREMIAH BURROUGHS late Preacher of the Gospel at Stepney and Giles-Cripple-gate London Published by William Greenhill William Bridge Philip Nye John Yates Matthew Mead. William Adderly Let them praise the Name of the Lord for his Name alone is Excellent Psal 148.13 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul Matth. 10.28 LONDON Printed for Nath. Brook at the Angel in Cornhill and Thomas Parkhurst at the three Crowns over against the Great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside 1660. Burroughs Gospel-Revelation A Testimony to the world concerning these Three Treatises contained in this Book of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs Reader THese may assure thee that whatever thou findest here spoken either of God of Christ or the Soul was taken from the mouth of that Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs as hee preached them and by the same ready hand that took most of the former Treatises as Gospel-worship Contentment c. Now in Print William Bridge William Greenhill Philip Nye John Yates Matthew Mead. William Adderly THere is now published that much-desired Discourse of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs on the fifth of Matthew being many Sermons preached at Cripple-gate upon all the Beatitudes taken by the same ready hand and published by the same Testimony viz. VVilliam Bridge VVil. Greenhill Philip Nye John Yates Matthew Mead. VVil. Adderly To the Reader THou art here presented with the living Sermons of one who is faln asleep in Jesus whose memory is sweet and fragrant unto the Saints Hee was famous for the Work of God and Christ in his Generation and Instrumental for the begetting of many spiritual Children unto the Lord Jesus The Author of these Sermons Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs like Abel being dead yet speaketh And of that which is not only our Duty to hear but our Priviledge to be made acquainted with for he Treats of God of Christ and Mans Soul three choice subjects Knowledge is Pleasant Prov. 2.20 but none more pleasant than that is Divine The knowledge of the holy God is Vnderstanding Pro. 9.10 the knowledge of Christ is Excellent Phil. 3.8 the knowledge of both is Life eternal John 17.3 And for the Soul it is that piece of Immortality which is of greater value than the whole world Mat. 16.26 It is that which God challengeth to be his Ezek 18.4 and that which the Lord Christ accounted not his precious blood too much to give for 1 Pet. 1.18 19. I shall not hold thee longer from the Work it self But desire the blessing of God to go along with it and those that are exercised in it R. W. The CONTENTS of the Treatise Of the NATVRE of GOD. NAme of God what meant by it p. 2 A gracious heart pâ—aises God for himself p. 3 And loves God for himself p. 4 Which is the difference between sanctifying and Common Grace ib. God is a most excellent Beeing above all things p. 5 Impossible it is to set forth the excellency of Gods Beeing ib. 1 God is and there is none else besides him p. 6 Other beeings are but a shadow to Gods Beeing ib. 2 God is a present Beeing p. 7 This Beeing of God is in all places God is in all places p. 8 3 God is as much beyond every place as hee is in every place p. 9 4 God is a Beeing that is all-sufficient in himself 5 All the excellencies in the creature are in God virtually and eminently p. 10 11 6 All the scattered excellencies in the creatures are united into one excellency in him p. 13 7 All possible good and excellency is in God p. 14 8 All good and excellency in God is eternal in him p. 15 9 And not onely eternally but also immutably ib. 10 All these are essentially in God p. 16 11 All excellencies are in God purely and unmixtly God hath nothing but excellency in him 12 All excellencies are in God originally p. 20 13 God is the fountain of all excellency to all creatures ib. 14 All things depend upon him ib. 15 God alone is excellent in his operation hee doth whatsoever hee will in Heaven and Earth p. 21 Hee doth the greatest things as easily as hee doth the least ib. What is done in time was decreed to bee done from eternity p. 22 Act of Gods will that was from eternity is matter enough to work by ib. All Gods works add nothing to God p. 23 16 God alone is excellent in the manner of communication of himself ib. God can let out as much of himself as hee will to any creature ib. God hath never the less for what hee lets out to the creature p. 23 17 There is no comparison to bee made between God and any thing else p. 24 18 God hee is the highest end of all things p. 25 Use What cause wee have to bee ashamed of those low thoughts wee have had of God p. 27 2 It shews the dreadful evil that is in sin it being against such an infinite God p. 28 29 30 3 Wee see cause to bee vile in our own eyes p. 34 4 Hence wee may learn to know the vanity of the creature p. 36 5 Let us labour to know God to search into his excellency p. 39 6 Wee are taught from hence to labour to keep the sense of the infinite distance there is between God and the creature alwaies in our hearts p. 40 Grace doth cause this the heart hath a kinde of infiniteness towards God p. 41 7 If God bee so excellent then Gods people are the most excellent ones p. 43 8 See what caâ—se wee have to fear this great God from p. 45 to the end THE CONTENTS OF THE EXCELLENCY of CHRIST COherence of the words 49 50 Clearest Prophecies of Christ when the Church was in the greatest distress 50 Four Reasons of it 50 51 Five notable and famous Titles of Christ 52 Doct. Christ is the great wonder of the world proved 52 53 54 Thirteen things in and concerning Christ that are wonderful 55 1 Hee is wonderful in his Natures God and Man 56 57 58 2 Wonderful in his Natures 59 Two wonders in Christian Religion 59 The Lord of man-kinde the Son of man 60 The knowledge of the union of the two Natures how a help to Faith 61 3 Christ is wonderful in the manner of his Incarnation 63 4 Christ is wonderful in his works 65 What the work was Christ came about ib. Use of it 67 Christ wonderful in his Offices hee was the Anointed 69 71. Wonderful in his Kingly Office 69 Hee is King over all Kings 71. His power is universal ib. Hee makes his subjects his subjects do not make him ib. Subjects of this King are for him 70 It is this King alone that makes Laws ib. Quâ—st Can there bee no Laws
I will onely give you a hint of one or two now Oh what infinite cause have wee all to bee ashamed of those low thoughts wee have had of God! Use If God bee thus as hee hath been but a little presented to us now and by what wee see wee may gather that there is infinitely more in God and God is infinitely higher than ever wee thought of I say then upon the very hearing of such things as these are and especially wee being conscious to our selves how little wee are able to understand of them wee may see cause to bee ashamed of the poor and low thoughts that wee have had of this infinite Majesty the unworthy thoughts that wee have had of him when wee have come into the presence of God you have come to prayer to God have you come to prayer as unto such a God have you had such kind of thoughts as these are that hee is that high Majesty Certainly you cannot sanctifie Gods Name but you must have high thoughts of God and though I will not say that those do not sanctifie Gods Name that have not every one of these thoughts of God yet thus much I will say that those that have not apprehended every one of these things of God have not sanctified Gods Name as much as they should for wee are to apprehend what it is possible for us to apprehend here in this world or otherwise wee do not sanctifie Gods Name so as wee ought when wee come to God in prayer or to worship him in any other duty of his worship if wee do not apprehend of God as much as wee possibly can in this world wee do not sanctifie Gods Name as much as wee ought to do and wee are to bee ashamed that wee have not such apprehensions of God as wee might possibly have if God bee such a God as this what poor thoughts of God are these that hee is as an old man in Heaven some have such poor apprehensions of God and when they hear the Scripture speak of Gods eyes and ears and hands they think that God hath a body when as the Scripture doth but speak to our capacities that is what a man can do with his eyes or hands or ears that God is able to do by his infinite power I appeal to you have you apprehensions of the majesty and glory of God beyond all majesty and glory that any Creature is capable of in this world wee do not sanctifie Gods Name except I say wee apprehend God higher in majesty and glory than all creatures in the world are Suppose you were to come to a King that had all the glory and honour put upon him that ever any creature had in this world with what fear and trembling would we come before such a Majesty as this is but if thou hast not come with further trembling and fear before God when thou camest into his presence if thou hast not come with higher thoughts of that God that thou hast to deal withall I say thou hast not glorified God as a God no marvel though people are so slight and vain in the duties of Gods worship because they do not know what a God hee is that they have to do withall Use 2 This sheweth you the dreadful evil there is in sin why because it is against such a God as this God is dost thou know whom it is that thou sinnest against Oh thou sinner dost thou know whom it is thou strikest at it is this infinite God that is thus presented to you Whose Name alone is excellent and whose glory is above the Earth and Heavens Know sinner and the Lord smite this upon thy heart thou that art a wicked and ungodly man all the daies of thy life thou hast done nothing else but fought against this God this infinite and glorious God thou hast been an enemy to all the daies of thy life and every time thou renewest thy sins thou dost do nothing else but strike at this infinite God and provokest the wrath of this infinite deity against thy soul and body and darest thou stand out against this God wilt thou put it to the trial to see whether that God that thou sinnest against bee such a God as this is wilt thou put it to the ttial that God should set thee apart to make thee an object upon whom to exercise all that infinite power that there is in God to bring evil and misery and torments upon thee for thy sin this is the case of all desperate sinners that do go on in a desperate way of sin the language of their sin is this I do hear much spoken concerning the greatness and excellency and glory of God I le try and venture I le put it to the experiment whether God bee such a God or no as hee hath manifested himself in his word Oh woe to that Creature that shall come to feel what the greatneâ—s of God doth mean Oh it is infinitely better for thee to fall down before him and therefore this should bee the Exhortation to all sinners Consider Exhort Oh sinful man or woman what a God it is thou dost contest withall shall the potsheard strive with his Maker let one potsheard strive with another but let not the Creature strive with the Almighty for hee will bee infinitely too hard for thee and hee will appear alone to bee excellent thou dost lift up thy will above his will as if so bee that thou wouldest rise above this infinite God but know in despite of thy heart hee will bee above thee hee hath thee under his feet this moment and the sword of his justice is at thy very heart and hee can take thy heart blood when hee pleases and send thee down to eternal miseries there is no striving with such a God as this is who is alone excellent Isa 45.23 Rom. 14.11 the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in Righteousness that every knee must bow unto him and every tongue must confess this God certainly one way or other hee will have his glory out of thee God can as well cease to bee as not to have his glory out of every Creature do but consider of this and learn to tremble before this God The Lord is excellent and glorious above all things and hee is resolved that hee will have his gloâ—y from every Creature one way or other and if it prove that hee comes upon thee to force it out of thee better ten thousand times that thou hadst never been born 1 Pet. 5.6 James 4.10 therefore according to the Exhortation of the Holy Ghost in Scripture Oh! let us humble our selves under the mighty hand of God and let us all say Thou O Lord art alone excellent and thy glory is above the Heavens and Earth and the desire of our souls is to lâ—ft up thy Name as the excellent thing above all Creatures While wee live here in this world this is our excellency and
And the truth is there is no such way to set out the Justice of God as to shew the dealing of God with his Son for the sin of man If I would preach but one Sermon that should bee my last of the Terribleness of Gods Justice I would speak of some Scripture that should shew the terribleness of the dealing of God with his Son and that would set out the Justice of God to bee a great deal more glorious than any thing else The glory of Gods Mercy appears in Christ And so the glory of Gods mercy and goodness is more in Christ than any other thing wee injoy these outward comforts as a fruit of the bounty and goodness of God I but what are all these to all the love of God in his Son I remember a learned man compares all the good things wee receive from God from his general bounty and providence and his love and mercy that appears in Christ with a few sparks that come out of a burning furnace and the heat of it within look what difference there is between them such difference is there between the love of God to us in all the comforts in this world and the love of God in Jesus Christ God hee would have an Argument to manifest the infiniteness of his love unto his creatures and no such Argument as this So God loved the world that hee sent forth his onely begotten Son Joh. 3.16 And so the glory of Gods Truth that is manifested in fulfilling Promises The glory of Gods Truth appears in Christ any promise that is fulfilled manifests the glory of Gods truth and faithfulness but now the fulfilling that great Promise of God in sending his Son into the world here the truth and faithfulness of God appears more gloriously than in all other for there was never a promise so difficult as this promise many men can bee content to fulfil promises of smaller moment when there is no great difficulty in the fulfilling of them I but here is the greatest Promise that ever was and there was the greatest difficulty for God to fulfil this promise of any thing that ever God did promise and indeed when as wee hear that Christ was promised some four thousand years before hee came into the world and yet at length hee came into the world it is a good Argument to teach us never to doubt of the fulfilling of Gods promises And indeed the right apprehension of Gods faithfulness in this great Promise of his Son will mightily strengthen the faith of the people of God to beleeve any smaller promises and not to stagger in them and the reason why people are so ready to stagger in their beleef about smaller promises it is because they have not been acquainted with the work of faith in beleeving that great promise that God made with his people in sending his Son into the world so that these Attributes with all other do shine gloriously in Christ No marvel then though the Angels upon the birth of Christ they cry out Glory bee to God on high as if they should say Oh Lord Here is one come into the world wherein thy glory doth appear and by whom thou shalt have glory to all eternity Though Christ was but a Babe in the Manger yet the Angels did see more glory in him than in the highest heavens they did not see so much cause to cry Glory bee to God on high from any object that ever they saw as when they saw the Babe in the Manger then Oh glory bee to God on high wee behold thy glory shining here and blessed are those that shall bee inabled to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ who would not but have beheld the glory of God in his great works what man or woman that hath any knowledge of God at all would for a world but have beheld so much of the glory of God as doth appear in the great Works of Creation and Providence Oh what comfort have the Saints in beholding the glory of the great God when they look up unto heaven and upon the earth and in the seas Oh but then the sweetness and soul-satisfaction that there must needs bee in the beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And this by the way would bee a good evidence of your faith have you beheld more of Gods glory in the face of Christ than ever you did in all the world besides Yea and hath the glory of God in the face of Christ darkned all the glory of the world besides unto you Have your hearts been taken with that glory more than with all the glory that there is in the world Why here would bee a good evidence of faith indeed that you have had a true and real fight of Jesus Christ wee cannot have a real sight of Jesus Christ but wee must certainly see more of God in him than in all things else The glory of Gods great works in bringing man to his eternal estate appears in Christ Eph. 1.4 And then secondly As the glory of Gods Attributes so the glory of the great Counsels and Works of God especially in the governing of man unto his eternal estate that appears in Christ above all As the great Counsels of God in Election Wee are chosen in Christ the great Counsels and Works of God in Vocation Justification Adoption Reconciliation Sanctification and Glorification these are the great Works that God doth glorifie himself in these are the great things that the thoughts and counsels of God hath been from all eternity exercised about whatsoever your thoughts are exercised about yet I say the thoughts and counsels of God have been exercised from all eternity about these great Works of his Election Vocation Justification Adoption Reconciliation Sanctification Glorification all these Works whereby hee doth order and guide mankinde unto an eternal estate Now the glory of God in all these Works they are in Christ Christ hee is the head of our Election and all are chosen in him what is Vocation but a calling unto Christ and revealing Christ to the soul And so Justification it is in Christ still And wee are made children adopted in him and reconciled in him and sanctified through him and are to bee glorified through him all these great Works about which the heart of God is so much busied the glory of God in all these it doth shine in the face of Christ and without the knowledge of Christ wee could never come to know any of these things What could the heathen know of Gods eternal Election or Vocation or Justification or Adoption or Glorification to speak such words to the Heathens as these are in reference to God it would bee barbarism But now these are the great things of God that are revealed to Christians by Jesus Christ wee come to have all these glorious counsels of God in these great works of his to bee opened to us and Christ
beloved of the Father and equal with the Father Phil. 2.6 accounted it no robbery to bee equal with God yet that he should stand before God the Father with all the sins of the Elect charged upon him so the Scripture tells us 2 Cor. 5.21 For hee hath made him to bee sin for us who knew no sin Hee hath made him to bee sin for us for Christ to bee made a worm was a wonderful Humiliation but for Christ to bee made sin was a greater Humiliation than to bee made a worm surely this must needs bee a wonder to all the Angels in heaven for them to see such a one whom they knew to bee the eternal Son of God equal with the Father to stand before the Father cloathed at it were with all the sins of the Elect. Wee read in Zech. 3. a kinde of type of this in vers 3. of Joshua the High Priest he was cloathed with filthy Garments and stood before the Angel so Jesus Christ stands cloathed with filthy Garments hee that is cloathed with Majesty and Glory yet hee must come and stand cloathed with filthy Garments before the Father For one to bee cloathed with filthy garments and yet to bee in some room alone that no body should see him is no great matter but to see a great Prince to come out before the world cloathed with filthy garments it is a very great humiliation But Christ that was infinitely above all the Princes in the world hee comes and stands before Men and Angels yea before God himself cloathed with these filthy garments For a man to have sin upon him before other men it is no great matter but for him to come into the presence of God with sin upon him it is a terrible thing But now the Son of God must do it hee comes into the presence of the Father and stands with all the sins of the Elect upon him what an object is here of Wonder Luther calls Christ the greatest sinner that ever was in the world I confess that is somewhat hard for it was but charged upon him but his meaning is onely this that I am speaking of Christ had not onely the sins of David his Murther and Adultery and denial of Peter and the like but all the sins of all the elect ones from the beginning of the world to the end of the world which they were or should bee guilty of charged upon him Secondly The wonder of Christs Humiliation it is in this that hee that was so high should bee now brought down so low for the sin of man is not this a wonder that hee that thunders in the heavens should bee crying in a Manger Is it not a great wonder that hee that framed the heavens and earth should work with a Carpenter in his Trade that hee that is the great Judge of all the world should bee accused and should bee condemned as a Malefactor and crucified among Theeves That hee that is the Lord of Life should dye that hee that dwelt in that light that is unapprochable should have darkness to cover him that hee that is the blessed God should bee made a curse for the sin of man are not these things wonderful in Christian Religion and yet all these are things that may bee said of Christ for the Lord of Life to come and dye and that accursed death this was a wonder that all the world seemed to bee affected with the very insensitive creatures for at the death of Christ the Sun withdrew his light as being amazed with this wonder not able to behold it and the earth shaked and trembled and the graves opened at this wonder the very stones clave in sunder at this wonder there was such a mighty concussion of things at this time that it made one that knew nothing of the cause of it One Dionysius seeing the darkness at that time Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissolvetur and such great things which were done cry out Certainly either the God of Nature suffers at this time or the world is at an end So great a wonder it was that the Lord of Life should thus dye an accursed death Angels yea all insensitive creatures they stood amazed at it and seemed to bee exceedingly affected with it And then in the third place Why Christ may dye and yet not suffer so much to make us wonder many of the servants of God have died cruel deaths But then in the third place There is a greater wonder in Câ—â—ists humiliation than in the sufferings of the servants of God because though their bodies suffered yet they had much freedome in their souls they were filled with joy and comfort in the time of their sufferings so it was in the Martyrs Oh but it was otherwise with Christ though hee were the fountain of all consolation yet Christ suffers in his soul hee was sorrowful in his soul to the very death hee gave his soul to bee an offering for sin and indeed the suffering of Christs soul was the soul of his suffering the chief of his suffering when as Christ was in the Garden there hee acknowledges that his soul was compassed round about with sorrows Matth. 26.38 his soul was very sorrowful and in another Evangelist hee began to bee amazed and a third Evangelist saith Mark 14.33 hee began to bee filled with sorrow in his soul and the very trouble of his soul was that that drew forth from him such a wonderful sweat as never was heard of in the world before nor never since nor never is like to bee that a man from distress and trouble of his soul should sweat so Many a man when hee is in fear and trouble of minde hee may sweat but when did you ever hear of a man out of trouble of minde that did sweat blood that blood should come and break through his skin and run down upon him and this through the trouble of his minde for there was no bodily affliction upon Christ then but meerly the trouble of his Spirit and hee knowing what cup hee was to drink and the trouble that hee suffered in his Soul did cause the blood to break through his veyns and come to trickle down and not some thin blood for so I have read of one in Paris that was condemned to dye and the very trouble of his spirit did cause some blood to come out of his body but thin but the Scripture tells us that there was clodders of blood and when was this sweat when hee was abroad in the night time and lay upon the ground and in the Winter season In a Winters night when hee was abroad and lay upon the ground hee sweat this sweat and all from the trouble of his spirit A man may sweat in Summer and in Winter in the day time or in a warm room or in a bed but for Christ in a Winters night and lying upon the ground to sweat such a sweat
as if there were no other saved in all the world but thy self yet Jesus Christ will manifest himself wonderful in thy salvation for indeed that is that that hee aims at to bee wonderful in the salvation of his Saints in bringing them unto glory and that is the comfort of all Beleevers from this title of Christs being wonderful But now then as thy comforts art great from this title so thy duties should bee some way proportionable too thou shouldest therefore honour God the Father of Christ as a wonderful Saviour Labour therefore first to search into this deep mystery of the Gospel Oh what a shame is it that those that do profess themselves Christians should understand so little of Jesus Christ this is that that God expects I say that wee should study the Gospel search into the Gospel that wee may see more of Christ the more wee see the more still wee shall wonder for Christ is an infinite depth and the more wee search into him the more wee shall see cause to wonder In the first of the Ephesians mark what a prayer Paul makes for the Ephesians in the 17 and 18. verses hee told them before that hee did not cease to give thanks for them making mention of them in his prayers to what end That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him Hee doth not onely pray that they might have some knowledge of him but that they might have a Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ and this from the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and from the Father of Glory Mark what titles hee gives to God when hee prayes for them that they might have the knowledge of Jesus Christ it must bee the God of our Lord Jesus Christ that must do it and the Father of Glory God doth never shew himself to bee the Father of Glory so much as when hee gives the knowledge of Jesus Christ to a soul then God doth make himself to appear indeed to bee the Father of Glory And further The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that yee may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who beleeve And in the third of the Ephesians from the 14 verse to the 20. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named that hee would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to bee strengthened with might by his Spirit in the Inner-man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that yee being rooted and grounded in love All this now is but a preparation to what hee would desire further and that is this That so you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that yee might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God This is a most admirable Scripture surely the Spirit of Christ filled the heart of Saint Paul and such kind of Scriptures as these are mighty strong Arguments to evince the Scripture to bee the Word of God when wee read such passages as these that have a spirit in them beyond the spirit of any man certainly it was beyond the spirit of any man to expresse himself in such a manner That hee bowed his knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that they might comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might bee filled with all the fulnesse of God and that is that which I would especially observe that Christians should not content themselves with a little knowledge of Christ but they should labour to comprehend what is the length breadth depth and height they should labour to dive into the Mâ—steries of the Gospel as it is said of Moses when hee saw that wonderful work in the wildernesse saith hee I will now turn aside and see this great sight you have it recorded in the seventh of the Acts and 31. vers There appeared to him in the wildernesse of Mount Sina an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush When Moses saw it hee wondred at the sight and as hee drew near to behold it c. Hee had a sight of it at a distance and yet so much as hee wondred at it and then hee drew near and the Lord spake to him So it should bee with us wee have some sight of Christ but is it not at a distance wee hear a Minister speaking of Christ to us the great wonder of the world and it may bee at the hearing wee are ready to think there is somewhat in Christ beyond what wee have apprehended heretofore I but I beseech you Brethren let it not passe away so those things that have been spoken concerning Christ God will require an account of and know it is a dangerous thing to have the glory of Jesus Christ to pass by any soul and to do it no good If wee had been preaching to you of Moral Virtues or any deep discourse about any point save about Jesus Christ there had not been so much danger of letting it passe without profit but when God sets before you the glory of his Son know there is a great deal of danger upon the hearing of such things without profit therefore you had need say upon the hearing of such things as Moses said That you will draw near you will go and pray over these again and beseech the Lord that hee would reveal these things unto you Pray with David O Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things of thy Law By Law there is meant those things that were revealed in the Word of God and surely upon our hearing what God hath revealed in his Word wee have cause to pray with more earnestnesse Lord open our eyes that wee may see the wonderful things of thy Gospel but mark When Moses drew near Then God spake to him and revealed himself further to him If Moses had stood wondring at this sight and went no further it may bee hee had not had God revealing himself so clearly to him but when hee draws near then God speaks to him So if your hearts bee taken with what you hear of this wonderful Saviour and then you draw near and take pains in your closets by meditation and prayer to see what is the meaning of this wonder Why Lord shall I hear of such things and not understand them they are things that do nearly concern mee and shall I not understand them If you labour to draw near God will speak and reveal further of his mind to you But further of
thy soul such a soul as this is I say if it should now depart would bee lost for God doth not save souls but by manifesting himself to them Phil. 2.12 hee would have all to work out their salvation with fear and trembling Certainly though the principle of our salvation bee without us yet the Lord that made us without our selves will never save us without our selves whosoever God doth save hee doth make them solicitous and careful about the work of the salvation of their souls Now if thy conscience tells thee that to this day thy care hath been about many vanities but as for having thy heart taken up with the saving thy soul thou knowest not what belongs to this I say if God should work no more in thee than hee hath done if thou shouldest now die thou wouldest bee lost Thirdly That soul to whom the Lord hath not revealed the glory of the mysteries of the Gospel that yet hath the Gospel kept hidden from it that doth not see into the glorious work of God in the covenant of Grace in those great counsels of God and great things that God hath done for the salvation of mankind in Jesus Christ that soul would bee lost if it should now go from the body and no further work of God upon it That Scripture that divers times you have heard named is proof sufficient for it If our Gospel bee hidden it is hidden to those that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 Now certainly my brethren if God hath revealed to your souls the glorious things of the Gospel they cannot but bee taking things to you they cannot but cause much stirring much activeness mighty workings in your souls when once the glorious light of the Gospel comes into a soul I say it cannot but cause mighty stirrings and workings in such a soul When I see people sit deadly and dully under the means of Grace under the preaching of the glorious things of the Gospel I cannot but think with my self Lord do these people know what Jesus Christ is and understand what the great things are that God hath done for the salvation of man-kind certainly did they but know the wonderful and strange works of God about the salvation of the souls of the children of men their hearts could not but stir within them and work in another manner than yet they have done Fourthly That soul that hath no other righteousness to tender â—p unto God but its own righteousness if now it should depart would bee lost eternally Whatever man or woman it bee that have lived the most unblameable in his life and conversation that hath been the most righteous that no man could bee able to blame him for any thing yet I say if this man or woman hath no other righteousness to tender up unto God but his own certainly this soul would bee a lost soul for ever the truth is even the soul of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the souls of all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs all of them would bee lost eternally had they no other righteousness to tender up to God but their own much more those who have only a Civil righteousness and a meer natural righteousness such righteousness as is attainable by the very light of nature such a righteousness as St. Paul speaks on in the 3. of the Philippians that hee lived unblameably how hee was a Pharisee and hee accounted that righteousness of his conversation to bee gain yet afterwards when Christ was revealed to him hee accounted it but loss for hee saw that it would endanger the loss of his soul eternally the resting upon that Quest You will say the soul that hath no other righteousness but his own to tender up to God is that soul lost why what other righteousness is there besides that which is a mans own Answ To that I answer There is a supernatural righteousness the righteousness of a Mediatour God-Man that is come into the world to stand between lost souls and an infinite provoked God and that is made over to the soul by Faith and that soul that is saved by the hand of Faith doth tender up the righteousness of that Mediatour God-Man for the satisfaction of infinite divine Justice and the appeasing of infinite wrath and that is the soul that is saved but that soul that is not acquainted with such a righteousness that hath not such a righteousness made over to it by Faith the righteousness of the Son of God the righteousness that is by Faith in Christ that soul if it should now depart from the body and the Lord work no otherwise upon it than hee hath yet done certainly hee would bee a lost soul and that is the fourth evidence of a soul that would presently bee lost if it should now depart from the body Fifthly A fifth evidence is this That soul that God hath not made in some measure at least to feel the weight and burden of sin discovered sin unto it as a greater burden than all burdens whatsoever if such a soul should depart it would prove to bee lost and that upon this Reason Because without repentance a soul must needs bee lost Except yee repent Luk 13.3 yee shall all likewise perish saith Christ Now repentance cannot stand with feeling sin light much less with joy in sin Repentance whether before Faith or after wee will not now speak of whether a Legal repentance or an Evangelical repentance yet it must bee such a repentance as must bee apprehensive and sensible of sin as a greater evil than all the evils that it is liable to here in the world It must feel sin as it is against God feel sin as sin so as to bee a burden to it the measure of it how far and how weighty sin should bee wee do not now stand upon but that sin should bee found a great burden yea an intollerable burden so that were it not for an infinite Mediatour the soul could not stand under the burden that is necessary in the work of repentance and so the soul to come to sorrow for sin as sin and this is the repentance which is unto life which cannot bee except the soul doth feel in some measure the weight and burden of sin Sixthly Again that man or woman that walks after the flesh in a course of sin to give satisfaction and contentment unto the flesh that makes it to bee the great care and indeavour of it for to satisfie the flesh such of you whose consciences tell you that the contentment of your hearts is some fleshly thing and that in the course of your lives you walk after the flesh certainly if you should now die your souls would bee lost and that is clear out of Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Therefore those that do not walk after the spirit but after the flesh there is condemnation unto them at the present O!
you that venture the loss of your souls for getting the world though you could possibly get all the world considering what hath been said it is a goodly price do you not see what a goodly price is given for your soul if these things bee but made real to you it would bee of marvelous use to help against any temptation to any thing of this world Now you have seâ—n what darknesse is upon all things how they are all but glittering vanities and not worth the venturing of the soul for take heed of hazarding your souls upon any of these things you will curse your selves hereafter when it is too late Oh cursed wretch that I was that I should yet venture upon sinful waies that I was told would in-danger the eternal destruction of my soul and notwithstanding I heard what a vanity was in all these things yet for such a vanity I was drawn aside to lose mine own soul well you see the upshot of all that to venture your souls for the gain of the world it is to venture the loss of pearls for pebble stones to venture Gold for dirt yea for dirt that hath a great deal of poison in it for so it hath all these things in the world being separated from God they are not onely dirt but there is poison in them Now then these things being laid together you see the point cleared and all that doth remain it is but to binde up this in several Uses and Applications If all these things bee so poor and mean what use are wee to make of all these Meditations and Considerations USE Then for Use If these things bee so in the first place wee learn not to envy at the prosperity of ungodly men whatever it be let them ruffle it out for a while here in this world and carry all before them let man have his day here in this world there is no great cause to envy him if hee bee going on in such a way as hee is like to lose his soul poor miserable wretched creature that hee is better ten thousand times hee had never been born Poor people that are wicked as many are they have the curse of God mingled in water and rich men that are wicked they have the curse of God like poison in their Wine now wee know of the twain the poison will work more strongly in Wine than in Water and so of both certainly ungodly rich men that have most of the world are the most miserable creatures for they have more to answer for than others have and their estates are usually fuel for their lusts and so their condition is worse than the condition of any beggar that begs his bread from door to door And certainly there is no wicked rich man upon the earth but if so bee that hee dye so hee will hereafter curse the time that ever hee had an estate and wish hee had been a beggar and gone begging up and down in his raggs for then hee had not had so much to answer for before God O hee is not a man to bee envied at What man is there that would envy at a malefactour condemned to dye though hee have on brave cloaths would not any one of you rather save your Russet plain suit or a Leather suit than a suit of Velvet and go to bee executed in it I have read of Chrysostom who being invited to a feast as hee was a going hee met with one a going to execution and it fell out that the way to execution was a very fair way but the way that lead him to his friends house it was a dirty Lane and hee makes this meditation of it Oh how much better is it to go in this dirty Lane to go and rejoyce with my friend than in a fair plain way and go as the other doth to execution hee was not willing to go his way though it were a fair and plain way but rather to go his own though a foul and dirty hee considered that the end of the way was different So do not look much upon men and women what their present condition is but look what their end is like to bee and do not envy them I suppose you cannot but have heard the story of a poor souldier that having a command from his General not to touch any thing upon pain of death yet coming by a Vine takes a bunch of Grapes the General being very strict hee condemns him to dye because of his disobedience and as hee was going to execution hee went eating the bunch of Grapes his fellow-souldier rebuk'd him but hee gives him this answer I pray yee do not envy my Grapes to mee for they cost mee dear So truly wee have little cause to envy the men of the world their Grapes that they have their mirth their merry-meetings whatsoever they have for it is like to cost them dear it is like to cost them their souls they indanger their eternal perishing and therefore there is no cause at all to envy such David indeed was troubled a while when hee saw the prosperity of the ungodly but when hee went into the Sanctuary Psal 73. there hee understood their end Oh my Brethren you are come into the Sanctuary you are come now in the exercise of the Word thus to hear what is like to become of ungodly men that injoy all the world for their portion their end is like to bee the loss of their souls eternally do not envy them Thou dost envy them and suppose that God should say to thee well it shall bee with thee as with them that is you shall have as much as they and there is all the good you are like ever to have from mee would you not see cause to give a dreadful skreek if such a message should come from Heaven to you what a foolish thing were it for a childe that hath a loving Father and a great Inheritance that hee expects from him because hee sees a stranger that comes and sits at the Table and have better provision than hee hath to grumble and grutch because hee hath not such provision made for him every day Oh hee hath no cause to do so for the Inheritance is reserved for him God hee is a rich Housholder and hee can give such things as these are to his enemies as wee speak of but the Inheritance is reserved for thee envy not the ungodly in the enjoyment of the world for the truth is their portion it is but very little it is but a poor pittance for an immortal soul to have though hee should have all the world It is true wee should bee sensible of our unworthiness of the least crum of any good thing yet though wee should bee sensible of our unworthiness yet wee should not bee satisfied with having all the world for our portion It was a most admirable speech of Luther when divers of the Princes of Germany made much of him hee began to bee afraid
lest hee should have his portion in these outward things and here should bee all hee breaks forth in this expression fearing lest God should give him his portion here I did saith hee protest to God with all my power and strength that hee should not put mee off so with these things hee would not bee content with them that is the first Use Little cause to envy at the men of the world for the truth is it is but a poor pittance they have and they have made a most miserable bargain If you should see one that professes himself to be a Merchant and hee should venture many thousand pounds but bring home nothing but a fair painted bauble for children to play with would you envy it to him Just thus it is with the men of the world they flatter and please themselves with their baubles but their souls are gone in the mean time Secondly Wherefore in the second place let all those that do seek to get the world in those waies wherein they are like to lose their souls let them lay this Scripture to heart and O that God would settle it upon their spirits that you might when you awake in the night season think of it when you walk up and down when you are in your shops in your business think but of this Text I remember I told you in the beginning of one that counselled one of the Kings of Portugal to think of this Text a quarter of an hour every day O that you would every time you awake especially you that have been seeking after much of the world think seriously of this Scripture Am not I the man or woman that have hazarded my soul for seeking after somewhat of the world hast thou never sought to gain any thing of the world in a way of sin and to this day thy heart not thorowly humbled for it nor repented it may bee not to this day made restitution hath not the eager pursuit after the things of this world taken thy heart up so much that thou hast not favoured the things of God and eternal life thou lookest upon the things of the world as if they were the onely realities but for spiritual things they are imaginations have not the things of this world so taken up thy spirit as made thee to have sleight thoughts of spiritual and heavenly things hast not thou blest thy self in the injoyment of these things though in the mean time God hath not made known to thee the riches of his Kingdome yet thou hast thought thy self to have enough in the enjoyment of what thou hast hast not thou often when thou hast been at the Word had thy thoughts and spirits about the things of the world as the things suitable to thee but the things of the Word thou hast not relisht yea and any thing in the Word that hath come close to that covetous corruption of thine thy heart hath secretly derided it there are no men in the world that do more secretly condemn and deride the things of God spiritual things than worldly-minded men In Luk. 16.14 wee read that Christ preaching to the Pharisees against their covetousness and telling them That no man could serve two Masters but either hee will hate the one and love the other or else hee will hold to the one and despise the other yee cannot serve God and Mammon saith Christ You cannot think to have your hearts set upon the world and your gain and yet serve the Lord but if your hearts bee set so upon your estates you will make bold with God you will venture upon the waies of sin for the gaining of the things of this world but mark The Pharisees also who were covetous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heard all these things and they derided him the word in the Greek is They blew their noses at him as a man when hee scorns and derides another hee will sâ—ew it by his nose so they in a kinde of speaking in their nose in a jeering scorning way they derided Jesus Christ that talk'd after this fashion What that a man cannot serve God and Mammon too that a man cannot look after the things of the world and the things of God too Carnal hearts they do hear things in Religion as unsavoury things whose hearts are after the things of the world And so not onely for Riches but for thy Credit Hast thou not often ventured to lye to save thy credit in something and hast been more troubled when thou hast been discovered in any thing that makes against thy credit and esteem than in the sin that thou hast committed against God Now by such kinde of evidences it is clear that men injoy the world in such a way as wherein they are like to lose their souls to all eternity and now Oh do but look upon your estates that you have and do but think what they cost you and little comfort you will have in them It is observed of David when hee did long for the waters of the Well of Bethlehem and there were men ventured their lives to get him the water when it came to him hee would not drink of it Oh it is the price of blood so when thou lookest upon thy estate and fittest at thy table and seest that thou hast more there than other men and lookest into thy Chest and there thou hast plenty of Garments and thy children are fine and brave and the like these are pretty things for a while to please the fancy with I but what do they cost as hee that would reckon his cloath hee reckons that the dying and the spinning it cost him so much I but what cost the wooll why that was his own and hee accounted nothing of that So such and such things that thou hast what do they cost they cost thus much and thus much I but hath not thy soul gone into the bargain and canst thou have pleasure in it when it cost thee so dear as it hath Psal 31.6 the spirit of holy David rises up in indignation against such men as these are I have hated them that regard lying vanities My spirit cannot but with indignation and abomination rise up against them what that men should follow after vanity when there are such glorious things to bee followed after when there is the blessed God and the glorious Riches of Grace and Salvation that are revealed in his Word that may take the hearts of the children of men and yet they follow after vain things men that have immortal souls capable of eternal communion with the Lord in the highest Heavens for them to follow after vanity and satisfie themselves in such things I hate them saith David certainly it is the curse of God that is upon the hearts of men that suffers them to follow after such things and especially in the times of the Gospel when such glorious things are revealed to their souls I say the curse of God is upon them Isa 44.20
and woman thou art not undone for thy soul is safe Lord strike saith Luther strike onely pardon my sin And my Brethren well may you bee incouraged to undergo any difficulties and to bear the loss of the comforts of this world for the saving of your souls for indeed the Lord hath granted to us the way of salvation of souls at an easier rate than our Forefathers had If I should but tell you the way that many of our Forefathers had for the saving of their souls and many of the Saints of God in former times you would have said then that it was a difficult way to save souls and go to Heaven As I will but give you an instance of one man and another woman how hardly they came to salvation That blessed Martyr Bensesius see but what a way hee had to Heaven for profession of Christian Religion The Persecutors came to him and because hee would not deny the Truth they strike his body in all his members out if joynt and when they had done that they make wounds in all parts of his body then thirdly they bring Iron combs sharpened and so rake upon his body thus wounded and when they had done that they laid him upon an Iron grate and with instruments of Iron open those wounds and after that they melt hot burning salt and strew it upon those wounds being opened and then they come with hot Irons and fear him with those hot Irons and after that dragg him by the heels into a dungeon where they had prepared sharp shells and there hee lay and perished here is one that went to Heaven upon hard terms you will say but God calls not you to do so but to deny your selves in some base lust in some sinful and ungodly way in something that you may spare that you may spare as well as the water out of your shooes as wee use to say And then of a woman that was of Noble birth and yet shee being convented for Religion and answering boldly and resolutely and would not yeeld after many temptations and fair speeches they dragged her by the hair of the head from the seat of Judicature and having dragged her they pull off one joynt from another and having done that get the teeth and claws of wilde beasts and rake her flesh from the bones and having afterwards done that then they came with hot Irons and Torches and burning flames one of one side and another of another side and scorch and burn her to death in such a way as that was and yet shee goes on constantly so bee it shee might save her soul shee was willing to indure all this misery wee do not know what God may call you to before you die many of our Brethren have suffered very hard things and God may call you to hard things Oh that this Text might prepare you And now my Brethren as it hath been a means to carry others thorow temptations and many difficulties in this world so if you would lay but these truths to your hearts and if you cannot think of every particular passage yet do but think of the Text and take but this one Note and that is that whereas God calls others to spend their strength in suffering so great evils to save their souls bee you willing to spend the strength that God spares you in doing in serving spend your strength in active obedience so much the more by how much the less you are called to spend it in the way of passive obedience that so you may have cause to bless God for ever in Heaven when you shall come to see soul and body to bee blessed and saved eternally you may bless God for ever in Heaven for revealing such a truth and setting home such a Text What shall it profit a man though hee gain the whole world and lose his soul and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul FINIS Books printed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside Folios A Practical Commentary or an Exposition with Observations Reasons and Uses upon the first Epistle General of John By that pious and worthy Divine Master John Cotâ—on Pastor of Bostox in New-England A Learned Commentary or Exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians being the substance of many Sermons formerly Preached at Grayes-Inne London by that Reverend and judicious Divine Richard Sibbs D. D. sometimes Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher to that Honourable Society Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ by Tho. Manton B. D. and Preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington near London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertue and formal duties And the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between the blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had By that late burning and shining Lamp Mr. Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Sommerset A Commentary upon the Divine Revelation of the Apostle and Evangelist John By David Pareus sometimes Professour of Divinity in the University of Heidelburg And specially some things upon the twentieth Chapter are observed by the same Author against the Millenaries Translated out of the Latine into English by Elias Arnold Quartoes A Theatre of flying Infects wherein especially the manner of right ordering the Bee is excellently described with discourses Historical and Physical concerning them with a Second part of Meditations and Observations Theological and Moral in three Centuries upon the same subject by Samuel Purchas M. A. Peoples Need of a living Pastor at the Funeral of Mr. Iohn Frost M. A. by Mr. Zach. Crofton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Saint's Worthiness and the World's worthlesness both opened and declared in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of that eminently Religious and highly honoured Knight Sir Nathanael Barnardiston Aug. 26. 1653. By Samuel Faireclough Pastor of the Congregation at Ketton Holy things for holy men or the Lawyers Plea non-suited c. In some Christian reproof and pitty expressed towards M. Prynn's book intituled The Lord's Supper briefly Vindicated by S. S. Minister of the Gospel An Antid te against H. Haggar's poysonous Pamphlet intituled The Foundation of the Font discovered or a reply wherein his audaciousness and sophistry in arguing against Infant-Baptism Discipleship Church-membership is detected his cavils against M. C. M. B. and M. Hall are answered c. By A. Houghton Minister of the Gospel at Prees in Salop. Large Octavoes Four profitable Treatises very useful for Christian practice viz. The Killing power of the Law The Spiritual Watch The New Birth Of the Sabbath By the
them to thou hadst need look about thee while they live that if it bee possible thou mayest make a satisfaction for that soul-wrong that thou hast done to them and it may bee such a one is dead and so dead as for ought thou knowest hee never did repent him of that sin now then see what a case thou art in there is one drawn to a sin by thee and now hee is in Hell for that sin that thou wert the cause of what a case hast thou brought thy self into now Is it any otherwise like but that thou must follow shall one bee in Hell for a sin that thou wert the cause of and dost thou think alwaies to escape here is the dreadful estate that any man brings himself to when hee draws others to sin thou hadst need to look about thee and thy heart to bee affected with that sin that hath been punished with the eternal damnation of those souls that thou hast drawn to that sin And not onely by tempting to sin but by incouraging to sin by disswading from that that is good It may bee some souls have been in a good forwardness to that which is good they have begun to inquire after the waies of God but have gotten into thy company and thou hast sought to take them off and what will you bee such fools as to beleeve every thing that is said and you will bee melancholly and mad and who are they but a company of simple people that do thus and thus and thus thou hast been a means to hinder the good work of God in others and to draw them from the good way that they were a beginning to set their feet in and now they begin to bee out of love with the good waies of God and thou hast been the cause of it Now if these souls perish and it may bee some of them are in Hell already truly if a mans heart weâ—e as hard as any Iron or Steel in the world one would think that such a meditation as this should break his heart in peeces That I know nothing to the contrary but some may bee in Hell for my cause And so many other waies wee might name how a man might have his hand in the loss of the souls of others what way soever thou hast a hand in the sin of others â—or keeping of others from good so many waies thou mayest have a hand in the loss of their souls But I intend not to stand upon this point onely consider of it and the Lord strike the hearts of those that are guilty in this kind But the main use that I would spend the chief part of the time in is this Use 4 If the loss of a soul bee so dreadful then hence is rebuked the folly and madness of most people that have no care of their souls but through their own wretchedness and vileness they suffer their souls to perish eternally all their care is in pampering their bodies and making much of them but little minding their souls and their eternal estates Certainly when the bodies of those souls shall meet them at the day of judgement it will bee a very dreadful meeting When thine immortal soul shall know what it is to bee lost for ever and shall bee brought to joyn again with the body Oh how do you think it will look upon that cursed carkass Oh this is that carkass that body of mine for whose sake I must perish for ever yea and wee must now bee joyned both together to bee fuel for the wrath of the Infinite God to burn upon to all eternity certainly souls are lost and perish thick and threefold they go down to Hell as Bees flie to the hive in the time of a storm There are many waies by which the soul may bee lost though there bee but one by which it may bee saved The several waies by which men come to lose their Souls As first Some there are that lose their souls by wandring up and down in darkness all the daies of their lives by wandring in the waies of sin in the dark and so are a continual prey unto the Devil how many yea and in many places the generality of people they go on continually in blindness and darkness in the vanity of their conversations knowing nothing of God nor of their own souls and the first time that the eyes of their souls are opened and enlightned it is when they are irrecoverably undone yea the first thing that many souls do ever understand concerning themselves it is this I am lost and undone for ever it is so with many certainly they know nothing about their own souls nor about God till they come to know this I am cast away from God and have lost my soul for ever Secondly Others they lose their souls by pawning of them away by pawning of them what is that you will say why you know what it is to pawn a thing when you come and receive from a Broker such a thing you lay something else to pawn for it and upon this condition that within such a time you bring them such a thing that you bargain for and if you do not bring it against that time then you lose your pawn Thus many pawn away their souls when there is a temptation to any sin and they have a mind to it now upon the commission of this sin thou dost lay thy soul to pawn to the Devil onely upon this condition that if thou dost repent and beleeve before God cuts thee off then thou shalt have thy soul again upon these tearms most people sin and in case thou dost not bring repentance and beleef in Christ thy soul is gone I appeal to you there is a temptation to sin you know it is a sin and there is a great deal of danger in it well but you have a mind to it and you will needs have it now you will acknowledge this indeed if I do not repent then I shall bee damned but before I die I hope to repent and so I hope that my soul shall not perish that is as much as to say I will lay my soul in pawn and if I can bring repentance before I die I will have my soul again but if I do not then my soul is gone thus upon the commission of every sin thou dost lay thy soul to pawn the devil hath it upon such tearms as these Now how many thousands have lost this their pawn they have not brought Faith and Repentance within their time before they died and so the Devil hath kept the pawn and will keep it for ever And it is more dangerous the laying of such a pawn than the ordinary laying of pawns to Brokers First There is no such pawn that possibly can bee laid as this the soul of a man Men and women that have any wisdome they will not lay pawns of those things that are precious to them Oh it goes to their hearts to think what