grace God undertakes for both Now the fulness and unchangableness of these decrees argue the love of God to be unchangeable As God hath intended some to glory as the end he intended by grace as the means to bring them to that end 2 Thes 2.13.14 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ That is the glory purchased by our Lord Jesus Christ And if this love of God flows from his electing decree it must needs be everlasting because God cannot be frustrated in his decre 4. Arg. The fulness of that care that God takes of his People though they may be tempted and assaulted and meeâ— with sore buffettings yet he will not let them be tempted above what they are able 1 Cor. 1.13 and when they are the forest beset with difficulties and under the greatest fears and sad thoughts yet even then God hath the same care of them that he had of St. Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 my grace is sufficient for thee That one expression that we have 1 Pet. 1.5 is enongh to clear this truth Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation you read in the verse before of Gods reserving of Heaven for them and in this verse of God's preserving of them for it Though they may meet with many Rubs and Interruptions in the way to Heaven yet they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation they shall not fall short of glory God doth still love them and they shall find the Fruit of this love to be everlasting happiness His grace is omnipotent grace and therefore it is that our Saviour comforts his Disciples with this consideration Joh. 10.29 My Father is greater then all and none can pluck you out of his hands Now if God takes such care of his People to preserve them then there is no fear of their falling short of his glory 5. Arg. Lastly The many assurances that God hath given his People of his everlasting love to them He hath given them his word he tells them whom he loves he loves to the end Joh. 13.1 he hath told them I well never leave you nor forsake you Heb. 13.5 Nay he hath given them not only his word but his promise which is more than a solemn word Jer 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from then to do them good Nay he hath not only given them his promise but his promise confirmed with an Oath Heb. 6.17.18 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the immutability of his Counsel and confirmed it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation c. Nay he hath confirmed his Oath with a Seal he hath given us his hand and Seal and he hath given his People the first Fruits of the Spirit whereby they are Sealed up to the day of Redemption So that you see the love of God hath this transcendent excellency in it that it is everlasting There is nothing that enemies can do to put a period to it and there are all things in God that might give us an assurance of theeverlastingness thereof Vse Now to make some Application of this point in a few words First This may inform us of the folly of them who fix upon any thing on this side God There is no everlastingness no fixation no stability in any thing but in God only I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandments are exceeding broad Alas all other things are but as Clouds that are passing away they are not why should we set our hearts upon things that are not they are not because they continue not In fixing our hearts and hopes and in building our expectations on any thing befides God and placing our comforts on any thing besides the love of God as we highly dishonour God so we highly wrong our own Souls Hereby we highly dishonour God because we prefer the Cistern before the Fountain yea we rather chuse to build on the Sand then upon the Rock of Ages we think our selves better in the hands of Creatures then in the hands of the Almighty and infinitely gracious God And we wrong our selves because we bring our selves under an absolute necessity of being frustrated and disappointed though we may be as industrious as the laborious Bee to wander from this to the other part of the world to go to this and that Flower yet we are sure to meet with nothing but disappointment but God is a sure refuge his love is stable and secure to our Souls Nay we do whtat we can to put God far from us when we fly from him and make the world our comfort We bid as it were God to depart from us We tell him we can do well enough without him we can do well enough with other things besides him we say as they did depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy love Job 21.14 2. It may inform us how such Discourses as this is may cause our hearts to burn within us as it is said of his Disciples who were going to Emaus Christ appeared to them and they knew him not but afterwards when he had left them then they recollected their thoughts and said How did our hearts burn within us whilst he spake unto us that God should love such as we are and that with an everlasting love and so as that nothing should be able to take off his love from us not our sins not our provocations this is a wonder Though these may be as so many Clouds to darken his love yet this is a priviledge peculiar to all true and sincere Believers Now since God doth love us so wonderfully how should this cause our hearts to burn within us To burn with the Fire of Repentance to purge away the dross of our sins that ever we should be so foolish unwise and disingenious to requite so good a God who hath so loved us And with the Fire of love to love God and to do what we can in acknowledging such love in him to us And with the Fire of Zeal for him that hath shewed so much of kindness to and care of and over us 2. Vse The next use is by way of Exhortation and in that I shall speak to two sorts of persons First To them who find themselves as yet Strangers to this love of God Let me speak to them Oh do but think how sad a condition you are at present labour to affect throughly your hearts with the sadness of this condition though you may have never so much of other Mercies yet if you have not
about him but all his ways are Righteousness and Judgement Psal 97.2 Manifest your love by a patient submission to all the dispensations of God and by a good construction of all his Providences 4. Manifest your love to God by a chearful undergoing all afflictions in the cause of God It is for your Lord for him that hath done and suffered ten thousand times more for you then possibly you can do for him Manifest your love by a cheerful submission when your Case is clear in doubtful things the Case will be otherwise The Apostles rejoyced that they suffered reproach and dishonour in the Cause of Christ Acts 5.41 5. Manifest your love to God in labouring to bring others to partake of the love of God You that see some ground in your selves to hope that you have an interest in the love of God be actively diligent to help others what you can to get an interest in this love for this is a high testimony of our love to God Peter lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Joh. 21.16 17. you know how our Saviour repeated it three times to shew that he would take this very well at his hands In the last place one word more to them who have good hopes that these great things do belong unto them Labour to keep up a fresh and lively sense of Gods love in your hearts Though the love of God be invariable thus far whom he loves he loves for ever yet the sense of this love is very mutable Be very careful therefore to keep your Evidences clear and unspotted do not blot them by sin David lost the sense of Gods love for a long time by those great lapses of his and though God had pardoned him and did yet love him yet it was a long time before he did recover the sense of it Be diligent in the use of those Ordinances by which the sense of Gods love is most cleared and kept fresh in your hearts Alas those that do the most partake of the love of God may have their ebbings and flowings as to the sense thereof in Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and be that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him If we would have further manifestations of the love of God we must go on in ways of obedience to God Be therefore often Communing with your own hearts and looking into your own Souls and consider your ways c. how matters stand between God and you On the other hand I shall speak one word to them who upon examination find ground to fear that they are rather under Gods displeasure then intitled to his peculiar love that are rather the objects of his wrath then the subjects of his special love Oh think what a woful estate thou art in Oh think what comforts thou by thy negligence and disobedience hast deprived thy self of Think what dangers thou liest open to every moment there is nothing between thee and everlasting misery but a fraile life and the thread of this life how soon God may cut it asunder none knows Think what uncomfortable and an unsafe estate thou art in Do as David in another Case did He would not give sleep to his Eyes nor slumber to his Eye lids till he had provided a place for the Ark of God So do you give all diligence that you may attain reconciliation to God and an interest in this great priviledge that you have heard of this day of the love of God SERMON XII Rom. 8. ult Nor height nor depth c. I now proceed to a third Observation 3. Doct. There is this transendent excellency in the love of God which speaks it an inestimable support to his People in all their distresses that those who have once been made Partakers of this love can by nothing be deprived or dispossessed of it HEre is a large Enumeration of particulars death cannot do it though it can separate from all things here in this World life cannot do it the troubles of life nor the comforts of life I shall not insist on these things further There is this vanity in the best of all our Creature enjoyments that there will be nay there cannot but be a parting with them The rich man that now prides himself in the multitude of his riches in the greatness of his Treasures in the largness of his incomes cannot rationally but think if he does not he does but delude himself that he cannot carry his riches with him into the other World to bribe the Flames of Gods wrath to corrupt the Executioner of Gods Vengeance It was Jobs acknowledgement naked came I out of my mothers Womb and naked shall I return He came into the World without and he must leave all these things behind him when he goes out again Job 1.21 In the 12 of Luke you read of that Gospel Fool when he began to applaud himself in his condition saying Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many years take thine case eat drink and be merry Thou Fool says God to him this night shall thy Soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided they are thine now but whose shall they be before to morrow there must be a separation from all these things The greatest of men that are that now over top all about them they must ere long be levelled and made equal to their Neighbours There is no difference between the dust of a Nobleman and the meanest person yea Crowns and Scepters which are such dazeling things in the Eyes of the world these ere long must be resigned into the hands of Successours there must be a separation from all these things Nay all these relations that have the greatest indearment in them that can be as the Relations of Husband and Wife and Parent and Child and Pastor and People and Friend and Friend there is a Friend that is nearer then a Brother saith Solomon there must be separation from these there must be there cannot but be so Your Fathers where are they the Prophets do they live for ever Zach. 1.5 observe this general Rule there is no Fixation no stability in any thing but in this only viz. the love of God For the clearing of this observation I shall speak to 2. things 1. Something by way of Explication 2. Something by way of Confirmation 1. By the way of Explication rightly to state the Case concerning the love of God and to set truth its due bounds This I shall do by propounding several distinctions 1. We must distinguish between the common love of God which manifests it self onely in common Mercies in preserving us and providing for us these outward things and the spocial love of God which consists in distinguishing discriminating Mercies Now it is plainly clear that the Apostle cannot speak here of the common love of God because this love may be
this Mercy the single want of this is enough to imbitter the largest confluence of all your Creature enjoyments It is this alone that can bear up our Spirits while we live and comfort our hearts when we dye and it will go with us after death and beyond the Grave To want this is to want that which no orher enjoyent can make up indeed if we have the love of God there is egough of the enjoyment of that to comensate the want of all things else Oh therefore labour first to be sensible of your condition and to get your hearts affected with it and then stand no longer capitulating with God but accept of Mercy and that thankfully upon the terms that God offers Mercy Is God willing to bestow his love upon you and is it such a love that nothing can deprive you of it when you once have it and is it a mercy that may be purchased on such easie terms And are you unwilling to accept it Oh! It is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation Do not stand off longer make no terms raise no objections but come up to the terms which God requires If it be to the cutting off a right hand or plucking out a right Eye And bless God that yo may be accepted on such an account Go to God and plead his Sons blood and plead his Mercy and though there is nothing in you to procure his love yet make use of these things that may help you Do not give over the use of means but wait upon God in his Ordinances that they may bring you over to partake of this love of God 2. Exhor To them whom God hath blessed with this love I shall speak one word to them If God hath bestowed on you this great favour to own you to love you to love you in and through Jesus Christ you have cause to be thankful For God to love you Truly it is a distinguishing mercy such a mercy as God doth not vouchfafe to all It is a free mercy a mercy that God never bestows upon any account but only upon the account of his free grace Now be thankful therefore if you partake of the love of God it is a mercy that but few fo his Creatures do partake of and it is a mercy that any do partake of it That God should set his love upon fallen man and pass by fallen Angels That God should set his love upon Creatures it is much but that he he should set his love upon apostate Cratures upon Creatures that are so much below him and upon sinful Creatures that so much provokt him what cause of thankfulness have we that do partake of this love but be careful that you are upon a sure Foundation As to this examine what is your love to God his truth his ways and ordinances Again this mercy is the sum of all mercies If God loves us as one speaks then himself is our God then all in God is ours that is for our support and comfort and refreshment In the next place be careful to preserve this love be careful of doing any thing that may cause God to withdraw any measure of his love from you and make use of all kinds of means and helps whereby you may have this love cleared excited and quickened and upon every withdrawing of the love of God be careful to recover it Resolve as David did Psal 132.3 4 5. Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house nor go up into my Bed I will not give sleep to my Eyes nor slumber to my Eye lids until I find out a place for the Lord a habitation for the Mighty God of Jacob. Here was a great deal of earnestness So do you resolve never to be at rest nor quiet until you have recovered what yo have lost We find that God does upon several accounts withdraw the manifestation of his love from his People Sometimes to chastise them for their sins this was Davids Case and if this be yours then make Davids practice your patern Be humble for your sins return to God beg his Spirit to secure you against future Relapses Sometimes God doth it to try them As this was the Case of job and if this be your Case Do as Job did when God seems to cast you off follow God and do not you cast off him God it may be is trying your desires to see whether you are willing to part with him or no when he seems most in your apprehensions to be neglectful of you do you then labour to stir up Strongest after desires him Somtimes he withddraws his love when his people do not value it As it was with the Spouse Christ withdrew when the Spouse was in Bed and he knockt and she was willing to arise If this be your Case do you as the Spouse did be willing to rise and seek him till you find him Lastly Be careful to improve this love of God but how shall we do that If you are sure this priviledge belongs to you then live up to this priviledge live in contempt of things of this world And make use of all those things that may quicken you in ways of obedience God would not only have his People to serve him but to serve him with chearfulness and because his People of Israel would not serve him with chearfulness in the enjoyment of all things therefore he gave them up to serve their Enemies in nakedness and hunger and in the want of all things Therefore be careful to make thankful returns of obedience to God through the whole course of you Lives and labour to bring others to partake of those dainties and refreshments that you have experienced the sweetness But let me leave this with you Beware you be not over hasty in thinking you are intituled to this priviledge when indeed you are not this is a great delusion among Professors there are many Professors are yet rotten at the bottom therefore look to your hearts And if you have found upon examination that you have good grounds to hope that you belong to God and have an interest in his love then live up to this Mercy SERMON XIII Rom. 8. ult Doct. 4. The principal Groun and assurance which we have of the stabiltiy and certainty of the love of God to his People is because it is in and through Christ THe love of God therefore most evividently appears to be sure and everlasting because it is built on so sure and everlasting Foundation This Doctrine consists of two Parts 1. What ever God hath of love to any of his People it is only upon the account of Christ 2. That this love of God through Christ to his People doth therefore appear to be certain and unchangeable permanent and lasting because it is in and through Christ What ever God hath of love to any of his People it is only upon the account of Christ Look upon common Mercies that God preserves you that God
supplies you and provides for you do you think there is any thing of worth or desert in you that you enjoy so much of health and so many outward comforts it is not upon your own account that God is thus bountiful and yet we find it was so much the folly of the People of Israel that they were ready to attribute all the Kindness of God to something or other in themslves and tehrefore it is that God himself is so often their Remembrancer and Monitour to put them in mind and to correct those mistakes about his choosing them to be his peculiar People whom he owned above all the People in the World Besides they were apt to think that there was something in them that might incline God to this kindness no says God in Deut. 7,7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because ye were more in number then any People but because the Lord loved you c. You may delude your selves with these fancies but because the Lord loved you he chose you and he loved you because he loved you His love had no motive but what was from himself no motive but only his own loving kindness and goodness Ezek 36.22.23 Thereofe say unto the House of Israel thus saith the Lord God when he promised great Mercies to them I do not this for your sakes oh House of Israel but for my Holy Names sake c. The kindnessess that God speaks of there are highly great and yet not any of them were upon the account of any thing in them And this it is really with us now as in some few instances 1. Gods electing love which is the first born of all Mercies and the first link of that golden Chain which you have in this very Chapt. 28.29 whom he did foreknow he also did pâ—edestinat c. This electing love it hath its first rise from the absolute will of God This is not the absolute purchase of Christs merits yet this is through Christ in some sense Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him that is in Christ as in the verse before we are chosen in him it is not said for him so that all the kindness that God hath for us even this which seems to be an Act of the highest Freedom and the most eminent expression of Gods rich grace That he should chuse and and pick out some and select them from the common multitude of mankind and to set them apart as special objects of his favour though this was from the absolute will of God was in and through Christ if you ask how I answer we are chosen in him not as the Foundation of our election but because we are chosen in him for his Members as He is our head That this first love of God had some reference to Christ though not as the onely procuring Cause yet as the consummating Cause to accomplish is abundantly evident through the Scripture we are elected in him that is that he should perfect this blessed and gracious decree of God upon us Eph. 3.11 According to the Eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. What purpose was this it was a purpose to save some to set his Heart and love upon some his electing love was thus far in Christ 2. The love of Conversion is in and through Christ Eph. 2.10 We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works c. And though God is the sufficient Cause of all the grace we partake of yet Christ is the meritorious Cause it is the gift of God and yet withal it is the purpose of Christ it is God alone that bestows grace and it is for the sake of Christ alone that he doth bestow it compare those two places James 1.17 you read that God is the Father of Lights But it comes all from God in and through Christ John 10.10 I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly God is willing to give it but it is in and through Christ that he gives it 3. Again to instance in the love of God in Justification it is God alone forgives sin and our Saviour herein appears to be equal with the Father because he hath committed all power into his hand power to forgive sins Now as God onely can forgive sin so it is onely for the sake of his Son that he doth forgive it Eph. 4.32 Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you If God hath forgiven you it is not for your own sakes but for the sake of Christ do you forgive one another pass by injuries forgive offences make this your pattern which is the highest pattern that ever was or can be Col. 1.14 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of sins We have Redemption and Forgiveness but all come streaming down in the Blood of Christ In a word to sum up all the several Acts of Gods distinguishing love they are all in and through Christ and therefore you read that Doxology Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Christ He hath blessed us with the choicest blessings but all these are in and through Christ I shall now give you some Arguments to prove it and I shall only mention three First Because God neither can nor does love us as we are in our selves Matt. 3.17 And loe a Voyce from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased It is not spoken of Gods love to him in a common respect but of something peculiar to him and there is this double limitation as Interpreters note this is the Son of mine whom I eminently love and this is that Son of mine for whose sake I love the Sons of men all do acknowledge that this love is a confined and limited love that is spoken of here but yet they explain it thus My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased That is in whom I am eminently pleased and for whose sake I am pleased with them whose cause he undertakes As that Oyl that was powered on Aarons head descended to the Skirts of his Garment so that love that God hath to Jesus Christ descends to all his inferiour Members John 17.23 26. I in them and they in me that they may be made perfect in one c. These are high Expressions and such as exceed the capacity of all mortal men that God should love us with the same love wherewith he loved his Son The most sober sense by Interpreters given of these words is this That God in and through Christ loves his People for his sake with the same kind of love though not with the some degree of love Eph. 1.6 We are accepted in the Beloved if God accepts of us or smiles upon us it is in and through Christ Eph. 1.5 6. Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children
in the New Testament 1 Rom. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is Translated despiteful and denotes thus much When his power could not reach the Persons of Professours nor the worldly concerns of Professours yet he did his utmost to blast their names and blemish their reputation he was a reviler he forbore nothing that was injurious to them but what was beyond his power to inflict These were his sins 2. What mercy he did obtain notwithstanding such sins and that in three instances 1. Sparing mercy God had born with him Notwithstanding he was often guilty of those sins which might have brought wrath and destruction more quickly upon him he wondered at Gods patience towards him this is mentioned in this verse That he might shew forth all long suffering When he once came to understand what he had been and what he had done he stands amazed at the holy God that had so much patience with him God had it is true struck him to the ground he admired that God had not struck him as low as hell We are apt to think beholding the gross abominations that are more open and visible in our days what infinite patience there is in God that he doth not immediately break out upon such as are guilty but S. Paul like a poor humble sinner busies himself at home and spends his wondering chiefly on Gods patience towards himself who had been a blasphemer and persecutour and injurious and yet alive and on this side hell yet a pattern of the patience and long-suffering of God 2. He obtained pardoning and renewing mercy in respect of that double change that was wrought upon him there was an outward change in respect of his State and Condition and there was an inward change in respect of the frame and disposition of his heart These were the high and choice mercies which he obtained Mercy in respect of his state and condition Of a childe of wrath he became a childe of mercy and favour from a state of death he was brought into a state of life from a state of condemnation he was brought into a state of absolution and pardon as he himself speaks 2 Ephes 5. Even when we were deed in sins he hath quickned us together with Christ We were dead guilty of death under a state of condemnation but now 5. Rom. 1. being justified by faith we have peace with God Now justification is not only an act of mercy and consists not barely in the remission of sin but it is an act of justice also in regard of the account upon which sin is forgiven this is a Doctrine whereof many in these times speak very lightly therefore to give a right notion of Justification consider it doth not only consist in the bare remission of sin but this remission of sin is upon a valueable consideration Divine Justice having received a valueable satisfaction by the blood of Christ For nothing could expiate our sins but his blood Now S. Paul was sensible of the great mercy of God to him and by this mercy he means pardoning mercy Again he did partake of purging mercy in regard of the inward frame and disposition of his heart This he frequently mentions Thirdly That is not all but he obtained Commissionating grace grace to be employed to be made use of in the highest degree of service to God and his Church From the lowest degree of infamy he was raised to the highest place of trust 12. vers of this Chapter And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that be counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry Though the Ministry be never so much despised he accounted it a high honour to be put into it he that was a blasphemer a persecutour injurious that Christ should put this honour upon him here is mercy indeed for such an offender to be spared to be pardoned to be sanctified to be made use of as such a glorious chosen instrument of God among the Gentiles this was mercy indeed 3. What encouragement is there in this and such like famous instances which God hath left upon record as monuments of his mercy for broken hearted sinners who are ready to sink under the weight and burden of their own sins First These examples and standing monuments of Gods mercy to others are incouragements to humble broken hearted sinners because the same Fountain of mercy still stands open to us that was open to them and by these standing monuments God hath enabled his people to answer those puzzling objections that do stick most with them The bowels and compassion of a gracious God are open now which were open to Saint Paul This is the original of all kind of mercies and unless this be open every door of mercy is 〈◊〉 59. Isa 1. The Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save He hath the same bowels now which he had he is the fame yesterday and to day and for ever his mercy is from one generation to another The mercy of the Lord endures for ever It is no less then twenty times mentioned in the 136. Psalm We have the same fountain opened to us that is the Bowelâ— of God Secondly There is the fame meritorioussâ—â—â— in the bloud of Christ now as was He is the Laâ—â— slain from the foundation of the world There is an everlasting efficacy in his blood The Papists speak of their Treasury of Indulgences that sinners may live upon if they will give a handsome rate for them this is a gross delusion and multitudes have been deceived with it But this is true and real in Christ there is a treasury of all kinde of blessings laid up by his purchase by his once offering up himself be hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Thirdly There is the same efficaciousness in the Spirit of Grace We have the same operations of the Spâ—â—â— of grace to convince and to convert to sanctifie and renew us to prevent us from siâ—â—ing and to regenerate us to holiness to assist us and to enable us to every good way and work Fourthly If you regard the instrumental cause there is the same vertue in ordinances now which ever was because the strength and vertue of ordinances depend upon Gods presence and concurrence with them Now God hath promised his presence and concurrence to the end of the world 28. Matth. last Lo I am with you to the end of the world Not only with your Persons while your live but with your successours by whom the same ordinances are dispenced when you are dead and gone Again if you regard the final cause salvation and happiness God hath the same love for the salvation of lost and undone creatures now which he had of Old therefore says S. Paul 15. Rom. 8 9. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto your Fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy There
they exceed our thoughts It hath not entered into the heart of man When David speaks of them he speaks by way of admiration How great is that goodness thee thou hast laid up for those that fear thee Psal 31.19 It is greater then I am able to express greater then I am able to think Nay God describes himself 3. Ephes 20. to be a God that does for his people beyond what they can ask or think Now our raised thoughts and apprehensions when they come up to their highest pitch do not reach the excellency of those enjoyments 1 Ephes S. John 3.2 Behold says S. John what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God He is astonished at what God hath done already Behold what manner c. but yet says he We know not what we shall be S. John was that Disciple that lay in the bosome of Christ that had many singular discoveries made to him but says he We know what we shall be Nay let me adde one word more it is not only beyond all comparison and all expressions and all apprebensions but the transcendency of this inheritance is such as is beyond all Scripture Revelations For you may find it is stiled a glory that shall be revealed in us 8. Rom. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us That is revealed fully Indeed God hath revealed enough of it already to make every thing in this world contemptible and to cause us to have mean thoughts of all things else but the full and perfect discovering of this inheritance is reserved for another world we know not what we shall be but this we know we shall know him as we are known of him and see him as he is 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day That is the second Argument 3. The excellency of this inheritance may farther appear if you consider the concurrance of all things that may strengthen the title of Gods people to this inheritance Reckon up all the titles that can be to any estate and all meet in this inheritance Do any claim a right to any inheritance by way of gift This is the gift of God Luke 12.32 Do any claim a right by way of purchase This is the puchase of Christ 1 Ephes 14. it 's called the purchased possession Do any claim a right by way of Conquest Christ hath conquered all those enemies that might keep Gods people from it Do any claim a right by way of Inheritance It is theirs by succession for they are the children of God If any have a title to an inheritance is any of these respects singly if their title be right their inheritance is secure but here is a concurrence of all these belonging to the people of God this inheritance is the gift of God the purchase of Christ conquest of Christ and it is theirs by succession 4. Consider the admirable certainty of possessing this inheritance God hath promised it and faithful is he that hath promised My father is greater then all No power can over-match him My father is greater then all and none can take you out of his hands He hath undertaken 1 Pet. 1.5 That they shall be kept by his power through faith unto salvable They shall be kept and kept by the mighty power of God kept from danger so long as there is any thing of danger remains they shall be kept till they are landed in that blessed inheritance It is Gods promise 13. Heb. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee The words in the Greek are very emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath said I will never leave thee c. which God ascertains by no less then five Negative Particles And if God hath said it it is not for us to question it The Pythagoreans had so much reverence to their Master that they lookt upon it as too much arrogancy to question his dictates 1. Phil. 6. He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ Where God hath once laid the foundation of grace he will carry on the superstructure when God hath brought home any soul to himself he will take care of that soul it is his promise it is his Covenant And so much in general for the second Observation the excellency of this Inheritance For Application I shall only insist on one or two Uses Is it so That this inheritance is no mean no slight no contemptible thing is it so admirable that it exceeds all comparison all expression all conception all Scripture revelation Then This may inform us how well it is with the people of God in this regard let it go never so ill with them in other things there is enough in this single Meditation to render their condition lovely above the condition of all others Who would not chuse the estate of poor Lazarus rather then rich Dives who would not chuse the estate of Job upon the dung-hill rather then Pharaob upon the Throne who would not rather be in any kind of condition here so they may but obtain this blessed condition hereafter then enjoy all the delights and advantages of this world and be deprived of or come short of this inheritance Certainly there is enough in this single meditation to support the hearts of the people of God in their greatest trials and troubles Are all the sincere people of God intitled to such an inheritance and shall they most certainly be possessed of this inheritance are they upon so sure a foundation and is it in so sure a hand though they have enemies without them and enemies within them inraged enemies diligent enemies enemies that continually endeavour to overthrow them yet are they at such a certainty that they shall at last possess such an inheritance this speaks their condition to be truly good 2. This may inform us what cause we have to be ashamed and to stand amazed at our own others neglects of this inheritance is their such a thing as this to be obtained and yet how do the generality of men bestow their time upon trifles and vanities and how little hath this inheritance of their time or thoughts May not God expostulate with the professours of our age as he did with the professours of old Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which profiteth not Isa 55.2 Since there is such fulness of happiness to be had why do we busie our selves so much about things of an inferiour nature we have cause to be amazed at others those that hear of heaven and the glory of another world that they should live in a continual neglect of these things and what cause have
27.4 That my Soul may bless thee before I die Gen. 46.15 These be the Sons of Leah all the Souls of his Sons and Daughters that is all the persons and in ver 18. These are the Sons of Zilpah even sixteen Souls that is fixteen persons This is one great Truth and this one priciple which if it were firmly believed and faithfully improved would carry us very far in adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour Did men believe that their Souls are indeed themselves then there would not be so much aado about the body in pampering it this body is but the beast in man as a French Writer speaks it is poor flesh that must ere long be Worms meat therefore what account can be given of that nicenss and delicateness of them whom all the art in the world cannot long prop up but it will be meat for Worms Again why are we so much taken with sensual pleasures these are the pleasures of them that are not themselves as it is said of the Prodigal Son Luke 15.17 when he came to himself he was not himself when he was taken with husks and swines-meat when those things were pleasing to him But certainly if our Souls be our selves then most men are not themselves that take care about their bodies and minde those things that are sutable to that part of themselves Again why have men so many distracting cares for the getting and preserving and fears of losing those things that concern this outward man it is because this truth is not firmly believed Oh! what a preventer would this be of all those sorrows for outward afflictions and disappointments in Creature comforts and those losses that we meet with in worldly enjoymeats Was this Principle firmly believed that our Souls are indeed our selves there would not be such an indifferencie in us about our Souls Consider these two things how great a difference the belief of this Doctrine of God would make as to the things of our Souls then we should give all diligence it would command our highet utmost diligence about them this I might shew from many Scriptures Give all diligence to waâ—â— your calling and election sure Work our your 〈◊〉 Salvation with sear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Keep thy heart with all diligence 1. Cor. 7.29.30 This I say Brethren the time is short it remain maineth that they have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not it commands moderation in our use of these outward comforts and only earnestness in these Soul concerns God makes a very great difference in these things in his Commands but what a small difference do all men make in their practices how much more intent and serious are men in the things that concern their meaner part than in those things that concern their Souls which is themselves Did men but take that 100 part of the pains for their Souls that they do for their bodies it would be better with them than it is We are commanded first to seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness to seek first Soul mercies I might mention many natural inserences that would flow from this one Principle which would carry us very far in the practice of holiness How sad a bargain do they make that do hazard their Souls for very trifles If a man should gain the whole World with the loss his Soul what a sad gain would that be nay it would be a loss to him and that to purpose But for how small a pittance of the World do men lose their Souls this shews that they do not Judge their Souls themselves However this justifies the Children of Wisdomn who can rather suffer than sin who can part with any thing but with God who can undergoe any kind of losses rather than the loss of spiritual blessings and forfeit them Oh! what admirable patience and courage hath appeared in the faithful Servants of God in all ages who have set their seal to this Truth with their lives and all that hath been dear to them Again it shews that men live in a contradiction to this Principle that if it go well with our Souls it cannot go amiss with us If our Souls have but the light of God's countenance lifted up upon them if they do but thrive in Grace and be filled with Grace what matter though our bodies be exercised with pains and aches and afflictions of all kind Again it is a safe Rule to judge of all things by according to the reference that they have to our Souls to account those things eminent and acceptable and profitable to us that tend to the good of our Souls As Ordinances and spiritual Opportunities and liberty of access to God in the duties of his worship and service these are to be esteemed choice mercies because these are the appointments of God for our Souls good and for outward afflictions when God by these does us good as to our Souls we have cause to rank them amongst our mercies and to bless God for them as David did who said It was good for me that I have been afflicted Ps 119.71 and in faithfulness hast thou afflicted me And blessed is the man whom correctest and teachest out of thy Law Further this one Principle that our Souls and our selves speaks the greatest cruelty in the world to be regardless of them you will pity distracted persous that cut and gash and wound their bodies because they know not what they do May you not pity obstinate sinners upon a higher account Those men that murder themselves and destroy themslves Our Law accounts them Monsters and it makes it appear that they are so by running a stake through their bodies when dead But all the cruely to the body is nothing to that of the Soul Remember therefore this one Principle that this Doctrine of God our Saviour would have us fix in our minds that our Souls are truly our selves 2. A second Principle that this Doctrine of God our Savior teacheth us is this That the happiness of the Soul cannot consist in any thing but in the enjoyment of God This is one of those Riddles that carnal men cannot understand therefore David saith Psal 49. They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the mulititude of their riches none of them can by any mean redeem his brother nor give to God a ransome for him They are but poor helps these things will stand us but in little stead It is natural for all men to desire happiness but because our knowledge is weak therefore those desires are confused and roving Psa 4.6 7. There be many that say who will shew us any good this is the Language of many men but because of the darkness of mans understanding therefore some think that good consists in this and some in that but David whose understanding was enlightned and sanctified quickly determines the point Lord lift
be no mistake or oversight he is infinitely above both If God be ours his Power will be ours to support us and secure us to support and protect us in dangers and to bestow what things soever are needful for us And what can be thought too hard for God to do who hath already done such great things for his people Enough to astonish those that read what is left upon Record He that preserved Israel in the Red Sea he that commanded the Rock to give forth water he that commanded Manna from Heaven he that turned the Sun in its course he that stopt the mouth of Lyons he that hath done such great things certainly 〈◊〉 power is such that in comparison oâ—t all other is weaknes And besides his goodnes wilt be ours to pity us and his faithfulness ours to compence us God is pleased to call it a Recompâ—nce i e. God first gives Grace and then 〈◊〉 â—pences his own Graces but it is not of meâ—â— out of Grace still Nay all the Meâ—us of Christ will be for our good if God be our â—â—mleâ— he will be our Father and his Son will exercise towards us all the offices of a Mediator both in pleading with God on our behalf and in pleading with us on Gods behalf In procuring acceptance to our prayers and in causing the Commands of God to find acceptance with us Truly friends if you consider how much this one thing contains what God is in himself how fully God makes over all his excellenceies to his people so far as is for their good and certainly this must needs be for the support comfort of his people that although all Creature-comforts may die yet the Lord liveth and so I have briefly gone over these 3 things prepounded I shall now come to the Application of what hath been spoken Vse 1. To inform us that there is no Reason thy the people of God should be dejected when their Friends and Relations die because God â—eves what an abundance of Comfort there is â—â—ths you have heard already he in whom all â—ur happiness is he lives he in whom are all â—ur hopâ—s comforts he lives he that is the fountain of whatever we can desire or enjoy â—e is where he was Though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel know us not yet doubtless thou art our Father he still retains his knowledge of us and his affection to us And though we may be deprived of lesser matters yet if we have our God we have enough we may have a large enjoyment of Creature-comforts and not be happy in them Nay we may have the largest enjoyment of these things and and yet be miserable notwithstanding them What are Wine and Oyl and all Creature-comforts in comparison of the light of Gods countinance You see David speaks contemptibly of all these things Psalm 4.6 7. When Mich had lost his gods said he and what have I more Judg. 18 24. Indeed could a gracious Soul be separated from God it might then cry out as Micah did under his Idolatrous mistake But God lives who by his presence at any time is able to make up the loss of his dearest comforts be takes from us I have shewed you there is infinitely more in God for our comfort than there can be in all Creatures because whatever good is in them God puts it in them and makes them good to us and he that makes our comforts good unto us he alone can supply us in the absence of those Comforts God alone is an absolute commensurate adaequate good whâ—â— only can fill the capacious desires of our Souls the Soul of man is too large for any but God to fill who is the Rock of Ages Now whatever God doth with his people in the removing oâ— useful Friends and the most dear Relations and most eminent Instruments of their good yet still they have no cause to be dejected for this is 〈◊〉 nough to answer all that God who is the Lord he lives You see in this how much the people of God have to ballance all their losses nay more than to ballance them there is enough to weigh down all in this single consideration the Lord liveth he livetin that by his care hath hitherto kept us Alas who could have preserved us if God had not taken the care of us It is said We are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 and we are bid to cast all our care upon him because he careth for us 1 Pet. 5. Oâ— do but consider what assurance God hath give this people of his care and mindfulness of them in whatever he doth in whatever he doth towards them and whatever he doth in the world Rom 8.28 All things work together for the good of them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose not some things no many things but all things though perhaps some particulars may at present work for evil yet they shall work together for good As in a Medicine some ingredients may be too hot and some too cold but being put all together the Medicine may be good and very proper and apt for the Distemper Psalm 25.10 All the pathe of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Look into the experiences of former Ages saith David and he speaks it for his own and others encouragement Psal 37.25 I have been young and am now old yet did I never see the righteous forsaken they may be reduced to great wants but not forsaken nor their seed begging bread Vse 2. Of Reproof to such as place their Comforts in dying vanities you see we have a living God to look up unto The truth is most of the troubles that we undergo here on earth they are troubles we make to our selves and amongst others this is one by placing our Comforts upon any thing on this side God in doing thus we bring our selves under an absolute necessity of disappointment for if we will lean upon a broken Reed that Reed will be weak cannot support us if we will build upon a sandy foundation that sandy foundation must needs fall when the winds and storms of trouble do arise Let me therefore leave this with you he that builds his hopes and places his comforts upon any thing that is dying and fading this man brings himself under an absolute necessity of disappointment I herefore says Job the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish Job 8. â—3 he that pleaseth himself in those appearances of Grace that will vanish when they come to the trial his hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost But that 's not all in placing our hopes upon any thing besides God we do highly provoke God and put our selves very much out of his Protection for if we think our selves safer in the hands of Creatures than in the hands of God and happier in the enjoyment of Creatures than in the
between God and Believers through Christ the Covenant of Redemption is made between God and Christ that if Christ will condescend to become man and undertake for the sin of all his and make satisfaction for those sins the Lord was well pleased with these Conditions it pleased the Lord to bruise him he made his Soul an offering for sin now all the recompence and compensation that Christ expects looks and did agree for is to see of the travel of his Soul and then he should be satisfied Oh how tender hath Christ been of your good you would be happy if you were as tender of your selves he was willing to leave all and to undergo all upon no other account but this not that he should be a gainer by you when he had finished his course in John 17.5 I have glorified thee on Earth c. One would think it was some greater glory that Christ expected but all that he begs is this with the glory I had with thee before the World was he desired no more nor could have any more because that was so great it could be no greater now that Christ should thus far ingage on the behalf of poor Creatures this is a great ingagement to us and in respect of the Covenant of Redemption was a great ingagement upon the Father and this was that which past between them now that God that can do all things who cannot lye nor do any thing unbecoming his own Excellency is a sure evidence of the stability of his love to Believers this being his condition with Christ in the Covenant of Redemption 4. Because of the fulness of Christs satisfaction the meritoriousness of what he hath done and suffered There is not onely a suffiency in the undertakings of Christ to satisfie for all our Debts to cancel all Scores and acquit his People from all their guilt as Heb. 10.14 By once offering he hath perfected for ever them that be be sanctified By once offering the legal Sacrifices were often repeated time after time yes their most solemn Sacrifices had their Repetitions these could not make the concerns thereunto perfect but Christ by once offering himself hath paid all our Debts and discharged us from the penalty our guilt exposed us to Again as there is a sufficiency in point of satisfaction so there is a Redundancy in point of purchase not onely a sufficiency to acquit them from all their guilt but a Redundancy to intitle them to all the glory and happiness that they are capable of Fithly Because of the constancy of Christs Intercession he did not onely purchase all blessings when he was upon Earth but by his Intercession he is pleading that purchase by spreading that Blood that he hath shed before his Father and thereby procuring all the blessed effects of it to the benefit of his People Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them He ever lives and he ever lives to make intercession This was an ordinary salutation as Justin Martyr observes amongst the Primitive Christi-when they met one another The Lord is risen â—he is not dead who is the life of our hopes he yet lives to make Intercession Rom. 8.34 Who shall condemn it is Christ that died That alone answers all kind of Objections we have sinned and offended but Christ hath died to make satisfaction for our sins Yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God he is risen that speaks his personal advancement who ever lives to make Intercession that speaks the comfortable Fruit and benefit of it to us The Intercession of Christ must needs be of great force with God our Saviour tells Peter after he had told him his failings Nevertheless I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not and if I pray for thee thou needest not question but to find the benefit of my Prayers that God that hears the cries of his poor weak People hath promised that his Ear shall be open to the Prayers of the destitute and therefore he will hear their cries Cau any imagine but that this God who hears the cries of the Ravens must needs have a high regard to the Prayers of his Son this is the great advantage of all that are sincere Believers that they an Advocate continually praying and interceding for them at the Throne of grace Sixthly Because Christ by his intercession is continually making up those fresh breaches that our sins are a new occasioning between God and us there is nothing in all the World can separate us from God but onely sin Isaiah 59.2 Your Iniquities have separated between you and your God c. Therefore all these instances that the Apostle gives here of death and Principalities and Powers c. can onely hurt us so far as they may be occasions of sin for nothing but this can do it and there is none of the most eminent Believers but they have their various sinful failings which occasion new breaches But the love of God in Christ answerâ— all this too if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ If we are offending he is satisfying If we are making God our Enemy he is reconciling and making God our Friend 1. Use by way Information First It may inform us what cause we have to bless God for Jesus Christ you see all depends upon his undertaking all our comforts here and all safety hereafter nay all our happiness for ever all depends upon Christ Oh what cause have we then to bless God for him he is the gift of God that is the summe of all gifts and the Fountain of all gifts for what ever of kindness God hath for us it is upon his account now if God hath given us his Son how shall he not with him give us all things Secondly This may inform us of the dismal estate of all those persons that are out of Christ if God hath nothing of love to poor Creatures but what he hath in and through him then certainly he must have nothing but hatred and indignation against those persons that are out of him John 3.36 He that believes on his Son hath everlasting life Everlasting Life is begun in his Soul he hath the first Fruits of it But he that believer not is condemned already c. That is the wrath of God is upon him before and while he continues in his unbelief and it is like to abide on him still O what a wretched Estate is every Unbeliever in that place that was mentioned before Eph. 2.12 Without Christ without Hope If we are without Christ we are without every thing of comfort Labour to see what you are in your selves where you are while Prayers and endeavours may do you good and while the Door of Mercy is open Consider what you are in your selves and what you may be in him There is love and mercy and all kinds of blessings to be had for you if God accept of you in and through Christ but you can have nothing of love from God but onely in his beloved Son Thirdly It informs us what cause we have to be thankful to God that yet we have means and helps for the getting of an interest in Christ Though our interest in Christ be doubtful and it is good to doubt that we may labour to be more sure yet what cause have we to be thankful that yet we enjoy the means of getting an interest in him this is an incomparable mercy all your hopes depend upon him though it is not clear to you that you can call him yours yet it is Mercy that you enjoy those means by which he may become yours Oh seriously improve these means you know not how soon they may be taken from you or you from them be careful therefore to do the work of the day while the day lasts before the the night comes wherein no man can work 2. Use Is by way of caution take heed of slighting Christ either in his Messengers or Ordinances or Members or in his truth or wayes you see if ever you do obtain any thing of favour from God it must be only upon the account of Christ and will you slight or despise him which you do if you despise his Messengers He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that dispiseth me despiseth him that sent me or if you despise his Ordinances and will not make use of them you despise Christ Make use of them you will say you do make use of them But you may despise them in the slight use of them when every thing of the ordinance is over as well as when the ordinance it self is over when you mind only the bare duty and regard not the consequence and Fruit of the duty 3. Use of Exhort never rest satisfied till you can clear up your interest in Christ there was a strange kind of diligence in David and a high kind of Zeal he expressed for God when he would not recieve comfort nor go up into his Bed until he had provided a place for the Lord. Let the same Zeal appear in you in the getting and obtaining an interest in Christ Oh never give your selves rest until you have some comfortable hope through grace that it is well with you and when you have obtained this interest Labour to walk worthy of Christ Oh be not you a reproach to that blessed name which you profess 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity Oh! have nothing to do with sin for these can be coupled together to profess Christ and yet to go on in a course of sin is a contradiction 4. Use Lastly This may be matter of unspeakeable comfort to the People of God that are clear in this great Priviledge that they have a right and title to it it is so sure and certain because it is in and through Christ that God loves them though they may have failings and weaknesses yet still God loves them in Christ as they are offending so he is making up of breaches therefore build all your hopes and expectations upon Christ and labour to walk worthy of that encouragement which he vouchsafes 〈◊〉 you FINIS