I am comforted saith a poor soul but I know not whether it be in a way of free grace and free love now how may I know that I am comforted in a way of free grace I shall speak to this Negatively and Affirmatively First Negatively There is a comfort that is the daughter of time a man or woman is sorrowful but time wears it out time comforts him this comfort that springs from and ariseth out of time is not true comfort neither is that man truly comforted by free grace But when the soul is truly comforted in a way of free grace then he is comforted by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost bearing witness that he is the Child of God Secondly There is a comfort that ariseth from the satisfaction of a natural conscience A man knows by nature that there is a God and that this God is to be prayed unto and therefore he prayes accordingly and when he hath done his natural conscience is satisfied and he is then comforted but noâ— if a mans comfort arise only from this â—â—m the satisfaction of a naturall conscience that man is not truly comforted for he that is truly comforted is comforted by joy in believing in whom believing ye rejoyce Rom. 15.13 Thirdly There is a comfort that ariseth from a mans non-attendance to his own condition Men may be comforted Why Because they never look into their condition how it stands between God and their souls There is a comfort arising not only from a mans conscience but from the non-attendance to his own condition and hereupon he is secure but this is not the comfort that ariseth from free grace and free love Fourthly There is a comfort that doth arise from the use of the creature men are troubled in their minds and they run presently to the Tavern to their Musick or merry Company to put it off and so it may be are comforted but if a mans comfort arise only from the creature he is not truly comforted not comforted with the comfort of free grace and love he that is comforted in this way it is but a diversion to him and not true comfort as straw when set on fire will make a flash and a flame but black ashes remain behind so when men are troubled and they run to the Tavern or to Musick and merry Company all this is but a flash black Ashes remain behind provoked trouble will be angry trouble and angry will be most troublesome when men run to merriment to divert trouble they provoke it Fifthly There is a comfort that doth arise from the common work of the Holy Ghost Some who have tasted of the Heavenly gift and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost and yet fall away Heb. 6.4 The false ground received the word with joy Now if a mans comfort ariseth from these common workings of the Holy Ghost it is not true comfort for he that is truly comforted is comforted in a way of free love his comfort is unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen you love in whom though you now see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Thus you see Negatively when a man is not truly comforted in these five particulars a man is not truly comforted from time nor from the satisfaction of a natural conscience nor from a non-attendance to his condition nor from the use of the creature nor lastly from the common workings of the Holy Ghost But Secondly Affirmatively we have heard when a man may be said not to be comforted Now when may a man be said to be comforted truly comforted in a way of free grace Beloved in the Lord are you willing to have your comforts tried false and counterfeit things do not love trial now if you be willing to be tried to have your comforts tried it is a sign and a hope that your comforts may be true but I shall not insist on this There are two or three things I shall speak to here First If you have been comforted by the word of promise set on upon your souls by God then are you truly comforted in away of love and free grace for what is the promise but the word of grace But some may say I have had a promise but I fear it may be from the Devil for the Devil may bring a promise did he not bring a pomise unto Christ Mat. 4.6 Saying He shall give His Angels charge over thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up This promise was brought to Christ by the Devil and it may be my promise may be handed to me by Satan and set on upon my soul by him But do but mark this I will only say this one thing to thee poor soul to ease thee of this objection If Satan bring a promise to you it is to lead you into sin to draw you into sin and to that which is evil as this to Christ here He will give His Angels charge concerning Thee cast thy self down He brought a promise to do evil cast thy self down but now if God hand a promise to you it is for your doing of good therefore says Christ to Satan It is written I have a word and a promise too It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God The Devil brought this that he might do evil and God gave Christ a word to keep him from evil and so when you are brought into temptations great temptations if you have a word of promise brought home to your hearts to bear you up under temptation it is not the Devil that gives it in to you that hands it to you No for the Devil is no friend to faith no friend to stay you up for the Tempter will not act against the Temptation saith Luther though the Devil be Magnipotent yet he is not Omnipotent though he be Mighty he is not Almighty And therefore I say if you have a promise comes to you to help you to do good it is not of Satan but of God for he is Almighty he is able to comfort That is the first Secondly Would you know whether you be comforted in a way of free grace and love you may know it by the ebbing and flowing of your comforts which will ebb and flow according to the cause They say the Marygold opens and shuts with the Sun when the Sun shines it opens when the Sun withdraws it shuts it opens and shuts according to the withdrawing and shining of the Sun and so if your comforts be true the more the righteousness of Christ opens before you the more the Sun of righteousness shines upon you the more you will be comforted If your comforts be true the more the freeness of the love of God is opened to you the more will the comfort of the soul be enlarged if your comforts be true the more God shines with his countenance the more is the soul comforted Lord saies David in Psalm 4.6 Lift up the light of thy
through him So I say if there was as I may speak with reverence somewhat of the good pleasure of God in the old worlds condemnation why then should there not be free-grace in the souls Salvation Rom. 5.15 But not as the offence so also is the free-gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Thirdly God would have Heaven and Salvation to be of one peice he would have the work of heaven to be all the same Now there were many Angels that fell and many thousands that stood why how came they to stand that did stand more than the others that fell it was only by free grace they were Elect Angels Now men and Angels in heaven are of the same Quire and sing the same song and therefore those men that are fated O who are they why they are the Elect and they have great cause to glorifie the grace the free grace of God Fourthly God saves men in a way of free love and grace because none shall miss of Salvation As God will punish and condemn all the proud all the wicked that none shall escape So he will also save all that he hath a mind to save by free grace because they shall not miss of Salvation Fifthly God will save men in such a way as whereby he may be glorified to all Eternity and therefore he saves them in a way of free grace and love For what have we to praise God for in heaven but only for free grace free grace to glorify his name for that therefore I say God will save men in this way of free love and grace that he may be thereby glorified hereafter to all Eternity and thus I have done with the Doctrine Now go along with me a little by way of application First If we be saved by free grace if free grace and love be the foundation of our Salvation why should we not then stand cleer from all our own works as to the meritorious ends of them for grace and works are opposed and therefore faith as a work can neither Justify nor save I confess the Apostle saith work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling but what follows for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. Secondly If we be saved by grace why should we not be tender of the grace of God of the name of God of the free grace of God and of the great name of God Are you saved by grace and will you turn grace into wantonness Oh my friends I say if you be saved by grace and by grace alone how tender should you be of the name of God and of the free grace of God Thirdly If we be saved by grace then we may here see the reason why many do take so much pains as they think for heaven and yet fall short of it and go to Hell why it is because Salvation lies under the conduct of free grace Some men abstain from sin that they may not be damned others perform holy duties read and hear c. That they may go to Heaven yea many strive and shall not enter because salvation is of free grace Fourthly If by grace ye are saved and that there is much of the free grace of God in our salvation why then should you doubt of it I confess it is a hard thing to have Assurance of your salvation and if you have it it is free grace to you more than to another and free grace is the founder of it if you have it But yet O soul if by grace we are saved let us not then doubt of it for it is most sure if you are saved by grace I say why doubt ye then O ye of little faith O Christians comfort your selves with these words It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12.32 It is his good will and pleasure it is in a way of free grace and love But you may say though it be in a way of free grace and love yet it may not be for me it may none of it be mine saith the soul Nay say not so but mark what an Inference the Psalmist makes and draws up from this General Psalm 130.4 5. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope and so in Psal 103. Speaking at large of the grace mercy and goodness of God in the 8. verse he saith The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy but what is the conclusion Bless the Lord all ye his hosts bless the Lord all his works Bless the Lord O my soul The very last words are bless the Lord O my Soul from the consideration of the freeness of the grace of God in general he draws up this Conclusion bless the Lord O my Soul But you may say Though God will save by grace yet surely all shall not be saved by grace shall all men be saved is God so free No all men shall not be saved for saith the Apostle Gal. 5.15 We through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but the new creature but shall not all be saved No saith the same Apostle Eph. 5.6 Let no man deceive you for no whoremonger nor unclean person c. hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God There is no place for unclean things in Heaven you know what the Apostle saith to the Galathians The inheritance is not to the bondwoman nor to her children So that I say that God doth not save all but those he doth save are saved by free grace But you would know who those are that are saved or that shall be saved for ever why thus briefly only to name things First Look who those are that are justified they shall be certainly saved Secondly Those that are willing to part with all for Christ and for the service of Christ they shall certainly be saved Mat. 19.29 And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Thirdly They that stand at Christs right hand here they shall be sure to stand at Christs right hand at the day of judgement and so be saved 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit he that hath wrought us for the self same thing it is the very same word which is used for work out your own salvation c. So that there is a working up of the soul unto eternal glory and if Christ hath wrought
many years and never convert one soul yet this should not discourage them for free grace may call you to a work and yet you may not find that success in it which you expected But then again here is the great Question yet behind Suppose God doth deal with the children of men in a way of free grace and love then what is my duty and what shall I do that I may so serve and suffer as to serve and suffer under the conduct of free grace In answer to this you may take it in these following particulars First then if you would serve and suffer under the conduct of free grace then serve your call fully and go to the utmost of the thing called unto leaving God to do his work Do your work to the utmost and leave God to do his When God called Joshuah to do a work fully and he did it God shewed mercy to him and to his posterity after him And so when John was called to a work and he did it by halves God blew upon him and upon his posterity after him Therefore I say when God calls us to a work let us do our work fully and leave God to do his work Secondly If you would serve God under the conduct of free grace then when you find any warmth or heat upon your affections take the hint of this opportunity for the doing of that work God calls you to Thirdly If you would serve God under the conduct of free grace then do not envy others that are more employed that have better success and are better paid than your selves observe how it is with two Servants in a great Shop the one at one end the other at the other end the one may take more money than the other yet they do not envy one another and why but because they both serve one Master Thus it should be with the Saints and servants of God they all serve one Master and therefore one should not envy another because he is more employed or hath better success Fourthly If you would serve God under the conduct of free grace then be sure you do not serve for wages be not mercinary in your service It becomes those that serve under free love to be very free in their service saith one I have been wrought upon by my Neighbour and ever since I have endeavoured to do him good Now it is God that hath wrought upon us by his free grace and if so let us freely serve him and labour to do him all the honour we can When the Prodigal first thought of returning home unto his Fathers house he saith first Let my Father make me as one of his hired servants This was a Legal expression I will be hired Let him make me as one of his hired servants but when he saw his Fathers love he talked no more of his hired service Inheritance is not of the Bond-woman but of the free I do confess indeed it is not unlawful to look unto the recompence of reward yea it is lawful for us to do it But now do you desire to serve under the conduct of free grace then look not for wages do not do as an hireling as the labourers of the Vineyard no do it freely in a way of love thankfulness and believing Fifthly If you would serve under the conduct of divine love then serve God with fear upon the account of his goodness Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure If you do serve and work then fear upon the account of Gods goodness to you And to conclude this Application If you would serve as those that serve under the conduct of free grace and love then have a care that in all your workings you depend upon nothing but the free grace of God in reference to your call and if so why then should you not willingly suffer for the Name of Christ would you know whether you are called to suffer why this is a certain Rule when the case is so with you that you must either suffer or sin But then a second word of Application may be this Is it so that so much of the free grace is laid out in reference to our services and sufferings Then First Let us freely and willingly suffer for the Name and Cause of Christ Secondly Is it so that so much of the free grace of God is laid out in reference to our services and sufferings then why should we not be contented with our sufferings not only contented in suffering or contented upon suffering but contented with sufferings Our Saviour tells us that they that will be his Disciples must deny themselves take up the Cross and follow him Not only take up the Cross but follow him yea and deny themselves Some will deny themselves in this or that but will not take up the Cross but saith our Saviour If any man will follow me let him take up the Cross and follow me Thus now if Christ calls us to suffer let us suffer freely because his grace is free Thirdly If you would serve under the conduct of free grace then take heed of any Legal therefore upon your sufferings Matth. 9.27 Then answered Peter and said unto him behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore This was a Legal therefore Christ answered and said You shall have your reward but many that are first shall be last and the last first The only way to take away this Legal therefore is to look more and more upon the free grace of God either in your services or sufferings for him for thus all must do that either serve God or suffer for him under the conduct of free grace Do you desire to serve God either as to employments or sufferings under the conduct of free grace and love then look more and more upon his free grace and depend upon it in reference to your call in reference to your assistance in reference to your dependance and in reference to your reward seeing all is of free grace bless the name of the Lord. Thus it is both in suffering work and in service the first shall be last and the last first Therefore as you would desire to serve or suffer under the conduct of free grace rejoyce and bless God for his free grace remember this that whether we serve or suffer it is of free grace Thus you see how the free grace of God shines forth both in our services and sufferings Is it not Lawful for me to do what I will with my own is thine eye evil because I am good so the last shall be first and the first last because many are called but few chosen The end of the first Sermon SERMON II. 2 THES 2.16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us Everlasting Consolation and good hope through Grace
and more one toward another But you may say further suppose there be a difference in the matter of our Judgements or opinions what shall we do to remove it Why First Be sure of this that you do not mistake the meaning of that Scripture which your judgement is founded upon It is said There was a division among the people because of Christ why for what was it what was the reason of it It was because of misunderstanding and for want of a right understanding of Christ So I say this division may come for want of a right understanding of the Scriptures upon which our judgement is grounded and founded But Secondly Consider O man whether you do not settle your judgement upon the judgement or opinion of any or upon the knowledge of another Hast thou faith saith the Apostle have it to thy self before God Rom. 14.22 But is not a man then to confess his faith before others when he is called to it Yes But the Apostle speaks here of lesser things if thou hast faith have it to thy self in little disputable things and do not rely upon others but look to thy self and give things a time in due time God will reveal saith the Apostle Thirdly if you desire this holy agreement then do what you can to keep union in the Ministry and between the Ministry It was not for nothing that our Saviour prayed John 17.11 21. Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us It is not good for people to cry I am for Paul and I am for Apollo and I am for Cephas and the like this is the way to make division therefore do all you can to live in love and unity for love is of God and the contrary is of the Devil Fourthly Take heed of disputation what have we got this many years by disputation those that are weak are sooner brought in by humiliation than by Disputation Fifthly If after all this there do remain division among you by reason of your judgements or opinions then remember the Apostles rule and be sure to walk by it for saith he as we instanced before Let no man think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think soberly as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith The Apostle directs us to live humbly and walk meekly one toward another and not to be rash or to think highly of our selves But further Sixthly If we would live in love and unity then let us look upon other mens infirmities in conjunction with their excellencies and their excellencies in conjunction with their infirmities and thereby the one will take away or hide the other Let us not pore only upon a mans infirmities upon his Euts as I may say he is a godly man but therefore if you would agree joyn his infirmities and his excellencies together and then look upon him Seventhly If you should meet with any provocation that may weaken your love one toward another then be sure to take that as an opportunity to exercise your patience and your love when you meet a beggar in the streets full of sores then you think you have an opportunity to exercise your charity to give something And so you should say when you are provoked by another to debilitate your love and affection you may say why now have I an opportunity to exercise my patience Again Eighthly If you will live in love and unity then you must resolve with the grace of God to love where you are not beloved let love rise above all difficulties labour for a Gospel spirit to love though you are not loved A Legal spirit is a fretful spirit saith Christ you know not of what spirit you are of labour I say after a Gospel spirit yea the spirit of Christ who was as a Lamb he opened not his mouth if you would live in love and unity then take heed of a Legal spirit and labour after this Gospel spirit Again Ninthly If you would agree together and live in love and unity then be humbled for the want of love to one another and take heed for the future of those things that hinder your love one toward another there are four or five of them observe them and take heed of them First Pride A proud man is much given to contention Secondly Passion For though a man dislikes and is sorry for what he hath done in his passion when it is over and though what he doth in his passion be one thing and what he doth in his serious consideration is another thing yet we are to take great heed of passion Thirdly Another enemy to love is strangeness strangeness ends in enmity when brethren and friends grow strangers one to another then they surmise things one of another and that destroys love and unity Fourthly Another is designing one against another true love knows no designs upon others no man can endure to have designs laid against him designing causeth anger enmity and hatred and hinders true love one toward another Fifthly Another is whispering a whisperer separateth true friends Pro. 16.28 But now if any one should come to me and tell me any thing against a brother I would not believe the whisperer till I had spoken with the other for a cause can never be truly known nor judged of till both parties have been heard speak Thus you may see the five things that hinder love that is Pride Passion Strangeness designing one upon another and hearkning unto whisperers Now as you desire to live in love and unity observe these things and take heed of them Tenthly Let me say to you holy and beloved brethren if you would love one another then forgive one another and live more unto God who loveth you live more to God lest he should turn his love to hatred and wrath against you 11. Strengthen your love to God himself the more love you have to God the more will you love others 12. If you would live in love and Unity then you must willingly take wrong and give up your right for peace sake and for agreement saith Abraham to Lot Let there be no difference between my heardmen and thy heardmen for we are brethren Now Abraham was the elder and therefore it was his right to have the choice but yet for peace sake he gives up his right and sayes to Lot Take what you will the right hand or the left there was a division between them and the Cananites were in the land and therefore it was no good time for them to be at difference one with another when the Cananites were in the land it was no good time then for good men to strive and therefore Abraham for peace sake gives up his right so I say for peace sake and for a holy agreement you should
The Judgement Threatned and that is in the second and third verses The Lord hath sworn by his holiness that to the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks As if he should say I will send Anglers among you that shall pull you out of your houses as the little fishes are pulled out of the water and then he goes on in the third verse And ye shall go out at the breaches saith the Lord Though you be great and strong yet will I make breaches among you saith the Lord this is the Judgement threatned Secondly Here is the cause of the Judgment and that is therefold First Oppression as at the first verse Hear this word ye kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria which oppress the poor which crush the needy and so forth Secondly Another cause is Idolatry and Superstition as at the 4. and 5. verses Come ye to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression Proclaim and publish the free offering for this liketh you O ye children of Israel saith the Lord God Thirdly The third cause is their Incorrigableness as at the 6. verse I have given you cleaness of Teeth in all your Cities and want of bread in all your places yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. And at the 7. verse And also I have with-holden rain from you and I have caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another City so two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 9. verse I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew when your gardens and your vineyards and your figtrees and your olive trees increased the palmer worm devoured them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 10. verse I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 11. verse I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Thirdly Therefore by way of Inference he concludes Therefore this will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to neet thy God O Israel In these words you have a double Inference which God makes First Therefore thus will I do unto thee I have been a long time striving with you as if he should say and I have been at a stand whether I should punish you or not yet have ye not returned unto me therefore now I am resolved thus will I do unto thee And then Secondly Now I am resolved prepare to meet thy God O Israel therefore do thou prepare to meet thy God O Israel I do not send you a challeng saith God that you should prepare to meet with your God to fight with him or to resist him not to meet God in his anger and to oppose him no but prepare to meet thy God by preventing his Judgements with your Repentance and returning unto him If a man be coming to your house and you go out to meet him why then you prevent him by meeting of him So when we prevent Gods Judgements by our Repentance we are said to meet with God From hence then I take up this Observation or Doctrine That when God is resolved to come out against a Nation or people it is their duty to prepare to meet with God For the opening and prosecuting hereof I shall labour to shew you First That God doth seem sometimes to be at a stand concerning a people whether he should trust to them any longer or not or whether he should punish them or not Secondly That if they do not come to him and meet with him he will then resolve to go out against them in his wrath Thirdly That when God doth resolve to go out against a people in his wrath it is their duty to prepare to meet him Fourthly I shall labour to shew how a people or family or person may prepare themselves to meet with God in the way of his anger when he is going out against them First Though God is alwaies resolved in himself what to do with a people yet he seems to us to be at a stand whether he should deliver them or not or whether he should punish them or not whether he should shew mercy to them or not as you may see Exod. 33.5 For the Lord said unto Moses say unto the children of Israel ye are a stiffnecked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee that I may shew or make known what to do unto thee as it is in the Hebrew this is speaking after the manner of men and so in Gen. 18.21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know And Again Gen. 22.12 Lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God speaking after the manner of men And Again Hosea 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee And in Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Here are four How 's in our Translation though but two in the Hebrew How shall I give thee up How shall I deliver thee How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim As if the Lord to speak after the manner of men were in a great streight and knew not what to do was not resolved what to do So I say though God is alwaies resolved in himself yet he seems to us to be at a stand sometimes whether he shall shew mercy or no. But you will say how doth this come to pass that God doth sometimes seem to be thus at a stand I answer you know how it is with a tender Father that hath a rebellious Child saith the Father I will thrust him out of doors I will utterly cast him off I have often admonished him and threatned him and corrected him and yet he is never the better therefore I am resolved even to turn him out of doors I but then he reflects and thinks again He is my child he is the Son of my bowels how shall I how can I give him up how can I turn him out of doors why now God is more tender to his