God I thank thee I am not as other Men are And you confound the Covenants when you think that a Man may merit of God by his own Grace Adam under the Covenant of Works might then be said to be saved by Grace Why Because he could not persevere in the use of his own Free-will unless he had received it of God Well then Grace doth not exclude Faith nor Works not Faith as the Instrument of Justification and as the Condition of the Covenant not Works as the Fruit and Testimony of Faith There is a Concurrence of Works but not by way of Causality but Order God will first justify then sanctify then glorify and all of Grace Obedience is the Conditio 〈◊〉 quâ non the Condition without which we cannot be saved The Grace of God is the first moving Cause Christ is the meritorious procuring Cause Faith is the Instrument and Obedience is the Fruit of Faith These are subordinate not contrary III. My next Work shall be to give you some Reasons why it must be so that Grace is the Original Cause of all the Blessings we receive from God because it is most for the Glory of God and most for the Comfort of the Creature 1. It is most convenient for the Glory of God to keep up the Respects of the Creature to him in a way suitable to his Majesty Mark God would dispense Blessings in such a way as might beat down Despair and carnal Confidence at the same time Man had need of Mercy but deserveth none Despair would keep us from returning to God and carnal Confidence from ascribing all to God therefore as the Lord would not have Flesh to glory so neither to be cut off from all Hope It is of Grace that we may hope and keep up our Respect to God for there is nothing that keeps up the Devotion and Respects of the Creature to God so much as Grace The Psalmist intimates this There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal. 130.4 Mercy in God makes us fear love and respect him And it is of Grace that Flesh may not glory Ephes. 2.9 Not of Works lest any Man should boast but that God may have all the Glory of his Grace If God did not deal with us upon Terms of Grace Despair would make us let go all sense of Duty and a guilty Creature would stand at a distance and fly from the sight of God Some think that the only way to gain Men to a sense of Religion is by rubbing the Conscience and keeping it raw and sore with Terror But the Psalmist faith There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared this is the best way to keep up the Creatures Respects False Worships are meerly supported by Terror and Fear but God that hath the best Title to the Heart will gain it by Love and Grace But as Despair standeth in the way of God's Glory so doth carnal Confidence Now Grace taketh off all boasting 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Here is nothing of Pre-engagement Merit and Hire yea it is for the Glory of the Supream Majesty that he should act freely and that his Blessings should come to us not as a Thing deserved but as a Gift and that he should entertain us as a King not as an Host. He that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Isa. 55.1 Nothing can be more dishonourable to God than the Merit of the Creature for it takes off part of his Royalty and Supremacy 2. It is most for the Comfort of the Creature Grace is the original Cause of all the Good we expect and receive from God that we may seek the Favour of God with Hope and retain it with Certainty 1. That we may seek the Favour of God with Hope If we had to do with Justice there could be no Hope for Justice giveth only what is due and doth not consider what we need but what we deserve Now mark the Apostle in the behalf of God makes the Challenge Rom. 11.35 Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again Come let me see the Man that durst plead Desert with God and claim any thing of him by way of Merit Who will enter that Plea Lord give me what thou owest I desire no more than is due to me Let me not have Mercy till I deserve it Merit-mongers are best confuted by Experience Let them use the same Plea in their Prayers which they do in their Disputes and plead the Merit of their Works and say Lord give me not eternal Life and Grace and Favour till I deserve it at thy Hand Let them thus dispute with God or with their own Consciences in the Agonies of Death and under Horrors of the Lord 's Wrath. Surely those that cry up the Merit of Works are Men of little spiritual Experience and seldom look into their own Consciences Dare they thus plead with God Lord never look upon me in Mercy if I do not deserve it You shall see the best Plea that the eminentest of God's Children could make is meer Grace The Church speaks thus Hos. 14.2 Receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our Lips It is the Form that is prescribed to returning Israel If you would establish Hope with God this must be your only Plea and Claim Grace Lord Mercy Lord And David saith Psal. 13.5 I have trusted in thy Mercy There 's the ground of my Confidence And Chrysostom hath a sweet gloss upon that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If others have any thing to alledg let them plead it Ah Lord I have but one thing to say and plead and upon which to cast all my Hopes and that 's Mercy and Grace Lord I have trusted in thy Mercy Thus Ambrose when he was to die saith Etsi non sic vixi ut pudeat inter vos vivere c. Thô I have not so lived as that I should be ashamed to live I am not afraid to die Why not that I have lived well but quia bonum habeo Dominum because I have a gracious Lord and have made Grace my Confidence So we read in the Life of Bernard seeming to be cited before the Tribunal of God when Satan had spoken in his Conscience What! thou look for any Favour at God's Hand thou art not worthy He replies I confess I am not worthy nor can I by my own Deserts obtain the Kingdom of Heaven but I have a double right Haereditate Patris Merito Passionis by the Grace of my Father and by the Merit of Christ's Passion hereby I can take hold of God with both Hands by Grace and Merit not my own but Christ's Thus God's best Servants their Hopes have been established this way by casting themselves upon Mercy and Grace 2. That we may retain the Favour of God with Certainty Rom. 4.16
him that he was at first loth to consent to the Persecution but when he was once in he was more inexorable and merciless than the rest of his Companions None have done more vile things against God and the Interest of God than men accounted of a Good Nature when once the Temptation hath prevailed upon them Herod Agrippa was a sweet natur'd Popular man but he slew Iames and would have slain Peter also Acts 12.1 2. and all out of Easiness and Facility to please the People Usually none fall sooner into the Snare of Persecution and Hatred of the Saints of God than they and the Reason is Counsel is of great Advantage upon those that are of a plyant and pleasing Disposition and all their Parts and Excellencies are but like a Sword in a Cutlers Shop as ready for the Thief as the True man to purchase He is easily made a Prey to Satan and turned against God therefore do not rest in these things 2 Doct. That in some respect Christ loves those that are Orderly and Civil and do but outwardly carry themselves according to God's Commands I shall give the Reasons and then Apply it 1. The thing is Good in it self thô the resting in it makes it useless as to the Salvation of the Person that goes no further Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God These things are agreeable to the reasonable Nature and the Perfection of it lyes in them Now all Good is the Object of Love therefore if it be good Christ loves it 2. Because our Lord Christ is willing and ready to own the least Good in us that he might draw us on to more Here was a towardly Young man and Christ would not discourage him thô he was not Gracious it is said He looked upon him and loved him Mat. 12.20 A bruised Reed will he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench that is not despise and reject Weaklings When a Reed is broken we cast it away it is good for nothing but to be trampled under Feet and we are discouraged from blowing while we see no Flame but Smoke But Christ is of another Disposition he will not cast away the bruised Reed nor despise the smoaking Flax so far as there is any thing of Goodness in a Creature thô it be but Smoke Christ will own it 3. Because these things tend to the profit of Mankind and Jesus Christ his Heart is much set upon the good of Mankind His rejoycing was in the Habitable parts of the Earth before there was Hill or Mountain Prov. 8.31 Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth and my delights were with the Sons of men And his Apostle doth press this that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these are good and profitable to men Titus 3.8 Christ is a great Friend and Patron of Humane Society therefore will shew his liking of it and how pleasing all things are to him that tend to maintain it as Justice Equity Temperance Prudence Moderation Fidelity Christ would put some mark of his Favour on those that excell in these things When he instructeth the Young man in the Commandments of the Second Table and he said All these have I kept from my Youth Iesus loved him VSE Now let us see what Use we may make of this 1. Negatively To shew what Use is not to be made of this Passage for men may be apt to abuse and make an ill use of Jesus his Love of these Moral Vertues 1. We cannot make this Use of it as if Christ did Love Moral Vertues as meritorious of Grace they are not such things upon which God hath bound himself necessarily to give the Grace of Conversion The Pelagians had this Axiom Facienti bomini quod in se est tenetur Deus dare ulteriorem gratiam That let a man do what in him lyes God is necessarily bound by that to give him further Grace And the Papists build upon the same ground their Doctrine of Meritum ex congruo Merit of Congruity As they hold Merit of Condignity in the Works of Renewed men so they hold Merit of Congruity in the Works of Unrenewed men as if God in Right and Equity were bound to recompence them with the Reward of Conversion But the Scripture puts Conversion upon another bottom and shews that it is not given according to the Good Works we have done but meerly of the Lord's Grace and Mercy Titus 3.4 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost The Apostle speaks there of Converting Grace wherein we have a Negative and an Affirmative Cause He could have said simply of his mercy he saved us and no more but he would disprove Works therefore he doth express it Negatively Not by works of Righteousness which we have done Or at least he might have said this Not only by works of righteousness which we have done but also of his mercy he hath saved us and so might have allowed it as a con-Con-cause as having some influence something in it to bind God O No he excludes Works altogether Not by works of righteousness Or at least if the Apostle would express it Negatively and Positively he might have said thus Not by works which we have done but of his Mercy he saved us No but he says Not by works of righteousness which we have done He describes the Works which he rejects as being a Cause of Saving Grace All our Moral Righteousness the best of our Works they have no Influence upon God to give us Grace but meerly of his Grace he hath saved us therefore do not think that God by a certain Infallible Law is bound to give Grace 2. We must not so take this as that he doth love Good Qualities so as to make them equal with Christian Vertues or the Graces of the Spirit Morality is good but we must not lift it up beyond its place There is something better and that 's Grace those things which do accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 I observe this because there are many secret Atheists that will cry up Moral Righteousness beyond its worth and the Vertues and Honesty of the Heathens to debase the Esteem of Christian Religion which the World now is grown weary of They think there was more Honesty by the Natural Institutions of the Heathens than by the Law of Christ and cry up Moral Honesty to the great detriment and prejudice of the true Religion I do confess if we compare some honest Heathens with many Christians in Name that have defiled themselves with monstrous Impieties it is not hard to determine which are the better men Loose Professors dishonour their Religion but the sound Grapes in the Cluster must not be judged of by
Bond in suit but spareth upon our intercession Now this should be taken notice of and notably improved A Man is sick afraid to be damned but he recovers again Now though it be not a total pardon we cannot say it is none at all For God took such a one out of the Jaws of Hell for that time So Mat. 18.32 The Debt was forgiven yet required afterwards the meaning is he was spared for the present He did not obtain that full pardon which amounteth to justification yet he was recovered out of sickness misery and apparent danger and that upon his cry to God 7. If you are continued till you have some experience of the Grace of Christ then much more have you cause to bless God for his long-suffering How ill would it have been for your Souls if you had died in your sins God may say to you as he did to his People Isa 43.24 25. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquitiâ—s I even I am he that blotteth out your transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins If God had been quick with us where should we have been We are of an hot and eager nature cannot bear affronts or despightful usage Luk. 9.54 Lord wilt thou that we call for Fire from Heaven to consuâ—e them as did Elias This was Iames and Iohn beloved Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fury of rash zeal appeared in the best even in the Disciple of love but God does not deal so with us Vse 3. To exhort to Repentance If a Malefactor arraigned at the Bar of Justice should perceive by any speech or word or gesture sign or token any inclination in the Judge to Mercy how would he work upon that advantage to get a Reprieve and the Execution put off So should we improve God's forbearance and long-suffering to sue out a Pardon A Sermon on Rom. X. 5 6 7 8 9. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the Man which doth those things shall live by them But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above Or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of Faith which we Preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath Raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved THese words which I have now Read need both Vindication and Explication My first work shall be First Vindication or reconciling Paul with Moses That seemeth difficult because in the Allegation some things are changed some things added some things omitted as appeareth by the Collation of the Places the Text and Deut. 30.12 13 14. It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it To avoid the difficulty some say these words are alledged sensu transumptivo onely by way of Allusion and Accommodation not as Interpreting Moses but as fitting them to his own purpose But this I cannot yield to for these Reasons 1. From the scope of the Apostle which is to draw off the Iews and Iudaizing Brethren from sticking to the Law of Moses as necessary to Justification To do it thoroughly he bringeth an Argument from Moses himself who doth in his Writings give a clear distinction between the Righteousness of the Law and the Righteousness of Faith and so by consequence between the Tenour of the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace Now if it were an Allusion only the Apostle would produce a bare Illustration not a Cogent Argument and so would rather Explain than Convince 2. The Exposition it self is so clear that we need not make it an Allusion if we consider the place whence these passages are taken Deut. 30. The whole Chapter is a Sermon of Evangelical Repentance see the 1 2. Verses And it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon thee the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee and thou shalt call them to mind among all Naâ—ions whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee And shalt return unto the Lord thy God and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day thou and thy children with all thy heart and with all thy soul. This was spoken of a time which the Iews themselves confess to belong to the Kingdom of the Messiah And reason sheweth it For the words were spoken by Moses as referring to such a time when the Israelites were dispersed among all Nations which happened not till after Christ's Ascention and the Preaching of the Gospel and doth yet remain and will remain until the Conversion of the Iews of which the Apostle will speak in the next Chapter So that Moses words are applicable to them when the Gospel-dispensation was set on foot That was the word which was nigh them The great prejudice of the Iews against Christ's being the Messiah was because he came not in a way agreeable to their Carnal Conceits or with such Pomp and Visible Demonstration of Authority as to satisfie all his own Countrymen Therefore they were prejudiced and would not own him nor receive the Grace tendered by him but looked for that as afar off which was nigh them and among them And therefore the Apostle doth apply the words of Moses to them to bring them to embrace the New Covenant 3. From the Nature of the thing First Certain it is to us Christians that Moses Wrote of Christ for our Lord saith John 5.46 Had you believed Moses you would have believed me for he Wrote of me Secondly If he Wrote more obscurely we must consider he was a Prophet not an Apostle 3. That he Wrote of Christ in this place the Apostle's Authority is sufficient for he was a good Interpreter If he being infallibly assisted saw more in it than we do we are not to Cavil at his Authority but with reverence to receive this light not vex the Citation by nice Disputes but humbly receive the Interpretation he giveth of it You will say the words are altered But the Apostles usually in Quoting Minded the Sense rather than the Words And Moses his drift was to perswade them to take notice of the Divine Revelation made to them at that time when these things befel them the destroying of the Temple and City and these Dispersions among the Nations Secondly
our Sins in his own Blood And for God the Spirit we also find our Hearts raised to give him Glory partly by the Motions of his Grace which we feel in our Hearts Psal. 143.10 Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them The Sanctifier Guide and Comforter of Believers is God's Spirit he is the only Author and Fountain of all Goodness and Holiness And partly by the comfortable Sense he begets in us of our Adoption Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And of our Hopes of Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit And partly by the Support and Comfort we have from him in all our Conflicts and Distresses 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 3. That we may with more Confidence wait for the Beginning Progress and Consummation of our own Salvation There is the eternal Love of God the alsufficient Merit of Christ and the omnipotent Operation of the Holy Ghost What cannot Eternal Love Infinite Merit and Almighty Power do As Christ is necessary to keep all right between us and God so the Spirit is necessary to keep all right between us and Christ. As we need a Person of the Godhead to satisfy the Justice of God so also to overcome our Obstinacy and Unbelief and to vanquish Temptations and Doubts and Fears and to settle us in the Comfort and Hope of the Gospel It is God's Prerogative to settle the Conscience Isa. 57.19 I create the Fruit of the Lips Peace Peace to him that is afar off and to him that is nigh saith the Lord. God is the supream Judg and the wronged Party He commands his Loving-kindness in the Day-time Psal. 42.8 By a powerful Imperial Act of the Spirit he stilleth our Doubts and Fears 4. That the whole Glory of our Salvation may redound to God alone Therefore the Divine Persons carry it on among themselves Love Grace and Communication do all To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 Grace is the fountain-Fountain-Cause of our Election Grace bringeth it about for who could ransom a Soul except Christ had taken the Work in hand There would have been a stop there Psal. 49.7 8. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a Ransom for him for the Redemption of their Soul is precious and ceaseth for ever There would have been a stop there Grace applies all What are we before the Grace of the Spirit How unworthy till Grace made us lovely How unable to lay hold on it before the Spirit of God enable us Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without Strength in due time Christ died for the Vngodly And how unable are we to make good use of it afterward For 1. What was our Behaviour before Calling Disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures Titus 3.3 2. In Calling it was slight and â—efractory Iob 33.14 For God speaketh once yea twice but Man perceiveth it not He often inviteth but Men take no notice of what so much concerneth their Souls good but slight all Warnings and Instructions lay not their Condition to heart and many an Opportunity is lost but God overcometh Mens Evil by his own Goodness and will not lose his Elect therefore ver 16. He openeth the Ears of Men and sealeth their Instruction that is breaketh in upon them in such a powerful way that they cannot withstand it 3. Since Calling there are frequent Interruptions of Obedience Iames 3.2 For in many things we offend all Our best Performances are weak and full of Blemishes Isa. 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags So that from first to last all floweth from God and all floweth from Love and Grace and Communication of the Spirit that our Persons and Actions are accepted Now it is our Duty to acknowledg this Love and highly esteem this glorious Grace and to testify our Esteem by Word and Work By Word â—n Praises by Deed expressing our Thankfulness in our Lives that they may be a constant Hymn to God and a Praise of his Grace that we are made Partakers of Vse 1. To encourage us to seek after the Effects of this Love of God Grace of Jesus Christ and Communion of the Spirit 1. I will plead your Want What will you do if you have not Father Son and Holy Ghost for your God You have your Beings from him for a while but the Day of his Patience will not always last You must die and give an Account and woful yea dreadful will their Account be who are not only involved in the common Apostacy but have heard of the Transactions of Father Son and Holy Ghost about their Recovery and never minded the Benefit or made light of it Surely it is woful Dulness and Stupidity not to value it and to feel no need of it 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as VVorkers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain What Grace was that God was in Christ reconciling the VVorld to himself chap. 5.19 That Grace which the Father hath contrived for your Salvation that Grace for which Christ laid down his Life that Grace which is so affectionately tendred in the Gospel that Grace and that free undeserving Mercy which is so sutable to your Necessities Will you despise this It was an Act of infinite Love of God to design it and reveal it to you of Christ to purchase it for you of the Holy Ghost to offer it to you yea to strive with you to make you capable of it Shall the Gospel be cast away upon you and all those gracious Methods of God frustrated Or have you no need of it How will you maintain Peace in your Consciences now without Grace How will you stand before God's Tribunal at the last Day 2. Let me plead the Worth of it He that hath this Love of God this Grace of Christ this Communion of the Spirit wanteth nothing to his solid Happiness He hath all necessary things in their Cause and Fountain for he hath God Christ and the Spirit For all things come from the Love of God and the Grace of Christ and the Communion of the Holy Ghost And he doth possess all things in that measure that God sees fit for him Psal. 84.11 The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly It bringeth other Mercies with it and nothing is
or Iustice what it is 81 Vid. Justice Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Working Righteousness what it is 1071 Why this is required of us as the Principle of our Actions ibid. Righteousness of Faith what it is 928 956 What is the Hope built on this Righteousness of Faith 930 What is the Work of the Spirit in this Business ibid. S SAcraments relate to Christ's Death 1009 Preparation to the Sacrament necessary 621 What Thoughts are preparative to it ibid. Vid. Meditation Sacrifice What Sacrifices did import 830 Christ's Death had the true Notion and Virtue of a Sacrifice 829 The New Covenant is confirmed by virtue of this Sacrifice 830 Salvation what it is 17 That it is free to all that will accept of it 23 Who are they that contemn Salvation 20 That it is a difficult thing to be saved 397 Vid. Difficult In Christ there is not only Refuge but Salvation 231 What we should do to attain Salvation 21 Vid. Saviour Sanctification meritorious applicative and practical what 1090 How Christ sanctifies 1092 Who are the Sanctified 1089 Why the Relation of Children is reckoned only to the Sanctified 1090 Sanctification hath Influence on our Comfort and Peace 1072 Sanctifying God what it is 267 Satisfaction What Satisfaction a good Man hath 1114 Why he shall have it ibid. Satisfaction of Christ the Compleatness of it proved 1151 The Comfort of this to poor Sinners 1152 Saviour Christ is a Saviour 153 How many ways Christ is a Saviour 887 Why Christ is a Saviour both by Merit and by Power ibid. Christ's great End and Business is to be a Saviour 888 How we shall do to have Christ our Saviour 154 Directions to receive Christ as our Saviour 892 Motives to accept Christ as a Saviour 891 Thankfulness to Christ as a Saviour a Christian Duty 893 Scriptures proved to be the Word of God 721 Sensible Confirmations of the Divine Authority of Scriptures 674 Secret of the Lord with the Righteous what it signifies 1049 Seed Christ the Seed of the Woman 534 Vid. Incarnation Seeking What Christ's seeking those that are lost implies 885 The Necessity of this seeking 886 Seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality what it is 1226 Sell all thou hast explained vindicated and applied 332 333 Vid. Forsake all Self-denial included in the Nature of Faith 441 Sensuality what it is 57 Arguments against it 58 The Evil and Danger of it 373 Shewing forth the Lord's Death what it signifies 1013 The Properties of shewing forth Christ's Death 1014 Why we should shew forth Christ's Death 1015 Motives to shew forth Christ's Death 1016 Sight of Christ past present and to come opened 477 Sight of Faith The objects the Sight of Faith are exercised about 478 Sin the Nature of it 646 Sin a Wrong to Father Son and Holy Ghost 163 The Deceitfulness of Sin 505 The Effects of Sin 650 The Aggravations of Sin 652 The Sins of God's People most provoking to him and the Reasons of it 271 The Sinfulness of Sin opened 646 682 General Observations about the Sinfulness of Sin 643 The Sinfulness of Sin to be meditated on ibid. Sins against Conscience the Mischief that comes by them 530 The Power of Sin how Christ takes it away 541 The Guilt of Sin how Christ takes it away 542 The Being of Sin how and when Christ takes it away ibid. Sin to be avoided and why 168 Not one Sin but all must be renounced Vid. Renouncing Why God corrects his People for their Sins in this World 272 Sleep Sobriety to be used in it 66 Sloth spiritual Directions how to shake it off 616 Sobriety what it is 65 The particular Branches of it Vid. Sleep Recreations Meat and Drink Apparel Care of the World The Necessity of Sobriety 63 Objections against preaching Sobriety answered 64 Solisidians condemned 729 Sorrow vanquished by Faith 242 Soul The Nature of the Soul 1166 The Soul immediately created by God 1163 The Immortality of the Soul proved 1162 1164 1173 The Evil of not believing the Immortality of the Soul 1172 Sparing God's sparing his People what it signifies 1017 This is a choice Privilege ibid. The Reasons why God spares his Children 1019 Who they are whom God spares 1021 How God's sparing is consistent with afflicting his People 1022 1023 Staggering at the Promise opened 487 Strength It is the Privilege and Duty of God's Servants to go from Strength to Strength 1003 Why God's Servants should go from Strength to Strength ibid. Motives to go from Strength to Strength 1006 They that go from Strength to Strength shall at last appear before God in Sion 1008 Sufferings of Christ. Prophecies and Types of Christ were fulfilled in his Sufferings 1149 1150 Sufferings of Christ a Copy and Pattern to us 1150 T TAking away Sin How Christ takes away the Sin of the World 1126 1127 Taking away Sin the great End of Christ's coming into the World and why 1128 What we should do to have Sin taken away Vid. Sin 1129 Temporal good things why God gives them to carnal Men 987 Vid. Good Things Temptations how to be prepared against them Vid. Devil 710 Thanksgiving for Benefits a Debt we owe to God 421 Graces acted and promoted in Thanksgiving 422 Sins prevented by Thanksgiving ibid. Reasons for Thanksgiving 423 In Thanksgiving spiritual Blessings are especially to be owned 424 We are to give Thanks for spiritual Blessings not only for our selves but others 426 We are not thankful for Mercies when the Heart is lifted up 700 Time the Preciousness of it 69 Tongue of the Just what is meant by it 1053 1058 In what Sense the Tongue of the Just is as choice Silver 1055 Sins of the Tongue 1053 Our Tongues to be used for edifying and why 1056 Directions hereunto 1058 Trembling at God's Word what it is 1033 Difference between it and holy Fear ibid. How it doth or may come to nothing 1036 Trinity How much Believers are ingaged to all the Persons of the Trinity 125 How all the Persons in the Trinity concur to the Salvation of Believers 1233 Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost 1233 1234 How Love Grace and Communion concur to our Salvation 1235 Trouble of Heart what it is and wherein it consists 235 237 The Causes of this Trouble of Heart 236 Why Christians should not let their Hearts be troubled 238 Directions to prevent this Trouble of Heart 239 Faith a Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble 241 Trust. Considerations to quicken us to improve our Trust 255 Encouragements to be faithful to our Trust 256 Trust in God a Duty in dark Times 814 The Profit of trusting in God then 815 There is much in the Name of God to incourage Trust ibid. They that fear God and obey him are most incouraged to trust in him 816 Trusting in Riches that there is such a Sin proved 377 The Evil of it 378 The Signs and Discoveries of it 383 The Evil
not in Iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth Ver. 7. Beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Ver. 8. Charity never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be Knowledg it shall vanish away In 1 Sermon p. 995 Psal. 84.7 They go from Strength to Strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God In 1 Sermon p. 1000 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come In 1 Sermon p. 1009 Mal. 3.17 And I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him In 1 Sermon p. 1016 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that he his and let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity In 1 Sermon p. 1024 Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient Season I will call for thee In 1 Sermon p. 1031 Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace In 1 Sermon p. 1038 Prov. 10.20 The Tongue of the Iust is as choice Silver the Heart of the Wicked is little worth In 2 Sermons p. 1053 Acts 10.34 Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons Ver. 35. But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him In 1 Sermon p. 1065 Mark 4.24 And he said unto them Take heed what you hear with what Measure ye mete it shall be measured to you and unto you that bear shall more be given In 1 Sermon p. 1076 Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren In 1 Sermon p. 1083 Heb. 13.5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee In 1 Sermon p. 1093 1 Thess. 5.8 But let us who are of the Day be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation In 1 Sermon p. 1100 Prov. 14.14 The Backslider in Heart shall be filled with his own ways and a good Man shall be satisfied from himself In 1 Sermon p. 1108 John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sin of the World In 2 Sermons p. 1116 John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it In 1 Sermon p. 1131 Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do In 1 Sermon p. 1138 John 19.30 He said It is finished and he bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost In 2 Sermons p. 1149 Eccles. 7.29 But they have sought out many Inventions In 1 Sermon p. 1153 Eccles. 12.7 Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it In 1 Sermon p. 1161 Rev. 1.5 And from Iesus Christ who is the faithful Witness and the first begotten of the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Ver. 6. And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father unto him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen In 2 Sermons p. 1175 Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him In 2 Sermons p. 1195 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable In 2 Sermons p. 1209 Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life In 1 Sermon p. 1224 2 Cor. 13.14 The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen In 1 Sermon p. 1232 ADVERTISEMENT THE Publication of this Fourth Volume as also the Author 's former Works in Folio is due to the kind Incouragement of many worthy Persons both Ministers and others who from a publick Spirit and a true Sense of the real Benefit that may accrue thereby to the Church of God have readily contributed their Assistance But that it came out no sooner it must admit of this favourable Excuse from those that were concern'd in the Publication thereof that notwithstanding the hopeful Incouragement it met withal when first proposed yet many Persons that did not decline it were very backward in sending in their first Payments by means of which there could not be any Paper procured before this last Summer to begin the Work which Omission in Subscribers proves very injurious to the speedy finishing any Work of this Nature and sometimes is the Cause of their being wholly laid aside There are some also that 's very strange that were not willing to promote this Work themselves were not satisfied in that but did very industriously indeavour to hinder others by giving out that what was printed were but Scraps and not from his own Notes and that if publish'd would tend rather to the Dishonour than Credit of the Author All which savours so much of Disingenuity that it needs no more Words to refute it But let such judg if they are able by this and the Doctor 's former Works if any thing has been publish'd under Dr. Manton's Name that has not truly born his Character and there is so little need of publishing Scraps that there remains as many single Sermons under his own Hand as would make as large a Volume as this besides several whole Chapters which would make one if not more large Folio's viz. on Psalm 131. Isaiah chap. 53. Ephesians chap. 5. Philip. chap. 3. most of 2 Thess. chap. 1. most of the Chapters of the 1 st Epistle of Iohn with many others not mentioned ERRATA in the First Part. PAge 3. line 16. read no more Grace P. 17. l. ult r. Heat increaseth with Light P. 21. l. 37. f. sure r. soar P. 22. l. 29. r. we must hearken P. 25. l. 10. r. of Argument P. 28. l. 5. dele his P. 29. l. 37. f. lurking r. hucking P. 30. l. 28. f. Conversation r. Conversion l. 44. f. Case r. Care P. 32. l. 20. r. Practicals P. 34. l. 56. f. thô r. if P. 47. l. 57. f. or r. of P. 50. l. 25. r. after he is recovered P. 60. l. 3. dele l. P. 64. l. 9. f. hinged r. honied 1. 24. f. but r. and l. 34. r. a wanton l. 54. for remit r. vomit l. 55. f. Case r. Care P. 74. l. 14. r. a wanton P. 75. l. 33. f. the Sin r. seen P. 79. l. 16. r. envy it P. 83. l. 20. f. these r. there l. 26. dele his P.
not only shew them what they must do but how they may come to do their Duty in this kind for saith he The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation c. In the Words you may observe the Teacher the Lesson the Encouragement and Inducements to learn First The Teacher is the Grace of God described ver 11. Secondly The Lesson is the whole Duty of our Heavenly Calling set forth ver 12. and there 1 st Negatively in departing from Evil denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts. 2 dly Positively in cleaving to that which is good We should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Where you may observe that the Duty of the Creature is distributed into three Ranks and Parts according to the several Objects to which it is refâ—â—red soberly we must walk as to our selves righteously as to our Neighbour and godly that the Lord himself may not be defrauded of his Portion There are in a moral Consideration but three things in the World thy Self thy Neighbour and God and suitably doth the Apostle distribute and parcel out Christian Offices and Duties soberly as to our selves righteously as to our Neighbour and godly as to God Thirdly The Encouragements to learn and they are two If we look forward there is Hope if we look backward there is Gratitude or an Obligation arising from the Death of Christ. In short the two great Motives and Inducements are the Hope of eternal Life and the End of Christ's Death Hope of eternal Life ver 13. Looking for the blessed Hope c. the End of Christ's Death ver 14. who gave himself for us c. The Text being long I shall forbear Exposition till I come to handle the several Branches I shall first begin with the Teacher described ver 11. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men. The Grace of God is described by its Property it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Grace bringing Salvation or tending to Salvation as the Word signifies and by a special Adjunct its present Manifestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath appeared suddainly broken out like the Light of the Morning after a dark Night and then there is the Extent of that Manifestation it hath appeared to all Men. Some indeed refer this Extent not to the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath appeared but to the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing Salvation and they read it as we do in the Margent The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all Men hath appeared there is not much Difference To supersede all Doubt and Dispute about the matter all Men here signifies all sorts of Men for the Apostle had spoken of Servants and Bond-men that they in their Relations should glorify God and he proves it by this Argument The Grace of God hath appeared to all Men that is to the Bond-man as well as to the Lord and Master therefore they in their places are to discharge their Duties as well as others for the Gospel as I said hath appeared to all Men and presseth all sorts of Duties I. I begin with the thing described The Grace of God It is a term that admits of divers Acceptations sometimes it is put for God's eternal Favour and Good-Will sometimes for the Effects of this Favour as Grace infused and bestowed upon the Creature Ephes. 4.7 To every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ. Sometimes it is put for the Gospel which is the Charter by which we hold this Grace and so it is said Rom. 6.15 You are not under the Law but under Grace i. e. under the State of the Gospel Here I take it in the first sense viz. for the gracious Will and good Pleasure of God to do Good to Men or to shew Mercy to the Creature for God's Kindness and Bounty to Men is expressed by several terms the most usual are two Grace and Mercy I will shew how they agree and how they differ They both agree in this that they are Attributes which merely respect the Creature The Love and Knowledg of God first falleth upon himself God knows himself and loves himself and then the Creature But now the Mercy and Grace of God are merely transient and pass out to and respect the Creature only God cannot be gracious to himself and merciful to himself as he loves himself and knows himself and therefore herein they agree But now in some respects they differ Grace properly signifies the Freeness of God's Love Mercy relates to the Misery of the Creature God's external Motive is our Misery and his internal Motive is his own Grace Mercy respects us as we are in our selves worthy of Condemnation Grace respects us as we are compared with others that are not elected As for Instance if the Question be Why any are chosen to Life it is out of Mercy because they are lost and undone Creatures But then if the Question be Why these are chosen above others then the ultimate Reason is God's Grace Once more the Angels that never sinned are saved meerly out of Grace and not out of Mercy it is not proper to say they are saved out of Mercy for they were never miserable but Men that were once miserable are saved not only out of Grace but also out of Mercy In short Mercy signifies that Love of God which helps the Miserable and Grace signifies a Property in God to give forth things freely and without desert Grace doth all gratis freely and without any Merit or Precedent Obligation or Debt Note then Doct. 1. That the original and first moving Cause of all the Blessings we have from God is Grace Survey all the Blessings of the Covenant and from first to last you will see Grace doth all Election Vocation Justification Sanctification Glorification all is from Grace There 's a clue of Scriptures which will lead us through all these steps and direct us to Grace 1. For Election Rom. 11.5 6. There is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace And then he adds presently for Paul cannot mention Grace but he must run out into the Praise or Vindication of it And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace But if it be of Works then it is more Grace otherwise Work is no more Work Mark the Context The Apostle's drift in that place is to prove that all Israel are not cast away that thô the Nation of Israel were past by yet there were a Remnant chosen according to the Election of Grace Grace is spoken of by the by but he takes every little Occasion to digress into the Commendation of Grace and what doth he say The Foundation and Ground of Salvation is God's Election and the impulsive Cause of Election is God's Grace Why is there a Remnant there 's an Election and why is there Election it is according to Grace 2. Our Calling when Election breaketh out in time and becometh
actual Look as the Heirs of Salvation are distinguished from others by Election in the Purpose and Bosom of God so are they actually distinguished from others by effectual Calling 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the World begâ—â— Why doth God pick and chuse and cull here and there The only reason is his own Grace and his own Purpose When we come to make choice we cull and pick out those things that are worthy of our Love and Respect And we favour none but for something whereby we may be allâ—red to love them but God saw nothing lovely in us but yet calleth us with an holy Calling according to his Purpose and Grace The same gracious Purpose that distinguisheth them from others before all Time doth in time make an actual choice and distinction between them and others by effectual Calling 3. Justification Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace Mark the Apostle useth two words it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his Grace and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely by his Grace freely to note the readiness of his Inclination and by his Grace to exclude the Merit of our Works or the meer Grace of God not excited or quickned by any Works of ours but acting of its own accord The Scriptures do with such emphatical and redoubled Expressions inculcate it because there are deep Prejudices in the proud Heart of Man rooted in his Nature against the Grace of God 4. Sanctification all the parts whereof are called the Graces of the Spirit because Gratiae gratiâ—â— dâ—tae they are not only wrought by the Spirit but freely given us of God Thus Faith is said to be God's Gift Ephes. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God And it is given of meer Grace Phil. 1.29 To you it is given to believe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies graciously given it is the same word that is used Rom. 8.32 He that spare 〈…〉 own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he nor with him also freely give us all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same Grace that giveth Christ giveth Faith to believe in Christ that we may be possessed of his Grace 5. Glorification which is the Complement of all Salvation So Ephes. 2.8 By Grace you are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gifts of God Not only all the Means and all the Tendencies of Salvation are of Grace but Salvation it self from first to last it is all of Grace So that when we come to Heaven this will be our great Work to sing forth the Praises of Grace and to admire and glorify the Grace of God to all Eternity II. To limit the Point Thô it is of Grace yet not to exclude Christ not to exclude the Means of Salvation 1. Not to exclude Christ. The Merit of Christ stands well enough with the Grace of God Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Freely you will say How so when it was not without so great a Price and Satisfaction as the Blood of the Lord Jesus Yet however it is freely in respect of us it is by no Work of ours it was the exceeding Grace of God to appoint the Merit of Christ that it might be the greater ground of Confidence to us We do not look for things with such certainty which depend upon meer Grace and Favour and Good-will as we do when a thing is established by Merit and Desert Now Merit in us there could not be without wrong to Grace and therefore the Wisdom and Love of God hath found out this way of Merit in Christ that we might be the more confident of the standing of our Priviledges they being bought at so great a Price There was Grace in this that God gave Christ that the Satisfaction is not required of us and therefore indeed there is nothing doth so gloriously discover the Grace of God as the free giving up of Jesus Christ. God might require Satisfaction from the Party offending or the Person that had so sinned might bear the Blame and Punishment but the Lord hath so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son and that not to Angels but to us Well then it is Grace to find out the Merit and Grace by which we are interested in it Christ's Merit is most free both on the part of God the Father freely sending Christ and on the part of Christ taking this Office upon him It was Grace that moved God to give Christ and Grace that moved Christ to give himself who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Nay after all this it is Grace that gives us Faith that so we may be interested in the Merit of Christ that we which sinned with both Hands earnestly might take hold of God with both Hands And our Salvation is carried on in such a way that we may confidently expect his Mercy whithout any violation of his Justice and Truth So that it doth not derogate from the Grace of God but much amplify and enlarge it This is a great part of the Grace that he freely sent Christ to make all sure between us and him 2. Not to exclude the Means of Salvation not Faith nor Obedience also if rightly understood Not Faith that may well enough stand with Grace Ephes. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God There is a Condition required and that 's Faith but God himself gives the Condition that he requireth Grace cannot stand with any thing that is in Man and of Man as the Condition of the Covenant yet it stands with Faith because it justifies not as an inherent Quality in us or as a Work done by us but as it layeth hold of Jesus Christ and it is not of our selves but is the meer Gift of Grace And then for Obedience that is also subordinate to Faith as a necessary Fruit and Effect of it As Faith is the Instrument so Obedience is required as a Fruit of Faith thô it come not into Justification yet it is an Evidence of our Interest in Salvation It is required as a Testimony of Faith yet not as a Condition which is a Cause of the Thing promised It is required because thô it be not of Man yet it is in Man it is given of God but it is our Work The Papists to excuse the grossness of Merit say That our Works do not merit but as they come from the Grace of God and as they are sprinkled with the Blood of Christ. But mark it is not enough so to ascribe our Works to the Grace of God all Self-justiciaries will do so as the Pharisee that pleaded his Works Luke 18.11
Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end that the Promise might be sure to all the Seed We should never else be secured against Doubts and Fears Believers that offend daily would be left to a sad uncertainty but now we can the better expect Glory when the Foundation of it is laid in Grace I remember the great Patron of the Merit of Works Bellarmine concludeth out of Bernard Propter incertitudinem propriae justiciae periculum inanis gloriae â—â—tissimum est â—iduciam totam in solâ Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the Uncertainty of our own Righteousness and the Danger of Vain glory I confess it is the safest course to put our trust in the sole Mercy and Grace of God Vse 1. Is to preswade us if Grace be the cause of all the Good we enjoy not to wrong Grace Why for this is to close and stop up the Fountain yea to make Grace our Enemy and if Grace be our Enemy who shall plead for us Angry Justice must needs take up the Quarrel of abused Grace and then there 's no help nay Grace it self would complain of the Wrong received to God and will sollicit our Judgment and Vengeance the Advocate will become an Accuser But how do we wrong Grace I answer Five ways 1. By neglecting the Offers of Grace Such make God speak in vain and to spend his best Arguments to no purpose 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain By the Grace of God is there meant the Offers of Grace in the Gospel Now we receive it in vain when all the Wooings and Pleadings of Grace do not move us to bethink our selves and look after our Salvation It is a great Affront you put upon God to despise him when he speaks in the still Voice Look as when David had sent a courteous Message to Nabal and he returns a churlish Answer it put him into a Fury 1 Sam. 25.34 Surely there had not been left by the morning Light any that pisseth against the Wall So how angry will the Lord be against those that despise his Grace and all the renewed Offers and Messages of Love and prefer the Profits and Pleasures of the World before him It may be you do not return a rough and churlish Answer and are not Scorners and Opposers of the Word but you slight God's sweetest Message when he comes in the sweetest and mildest way The Complaint in the Gospel was Mat. 11.17 We have piped unto you and you have not danced It is not we have thundred unto you and you were not startled but we have piped and ye have not danced Not to take notice of these sweet Allurements and Blandishments of Grace that 's very sad Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation The greatness of the Benefit aggravates the Sin it is great Salvation that is offered there is an offer of Pardon and Eternal Life but it worketh not if you neglect it There is a sort of Men that do not openly deny reject or persecute the Gospel but they receive it carelesly and are no more moved with it than with a story of golden Mountains or Rubies or Diamonds fallen from Heaven in a Night-Dream You make God spend his best Arguments in vain if you neglect this Grace Scourge Conscience till it ake What will you do How will you escape if you neglect so great Salvation God sets himself a work to gain the Heart and Grace hath laid open all its Treasures as a Man in a Shop to draw in Custom now it is grieved and wronged when it doth not meet with a Chapman This is the Charge that is laid upon those Mat. 22.6 when they were invited they made light of it they did not take it into their Care and Thoughts did not seriously think with themselves O that God should invite us to the Marriage of his Son They do not absolutely deny but make excuse they do not say non placet but non vacant they are not at leasure and this made the King angry When all things are ready and God sets forth the Treasures and Riches of his Grace and Men will not bethink themselves their Hearts are not ready How will this make God angry Such kind of Neglecters are said to judg themselves unworthy of Eternal Life Acts 13.46 You will say Is there any Fault in that Who is worthy Should we not judg our selves to be vile forlorn Creatures unworthy of a look from God much more of Eternal Life I answer It is not spoken of self-humbling or of a holy self-condemning but of those that turn their back upon Grace Grace comes to save them and God makes them an Offer as thô they were worthy and they judg themselves unworthy and plainly declare they were altogether not worthy of this Grace All Men are unworthy enough of Eternal Life and God hath cause enough to condemn them but they chiefly judg themselves unworthy that is in Fact declare themselves to be so that have received the Honour and Favour of a Call Grace hath spoken unto them and made them an Offer of Pardon and Salvation and they turn the Back upon it as if it were not worth the taking up on God's Terms and such are all ignorant Sots and deaf Worldlings 2. Another sort of Men that wrong Grace are those that refuse Grace out of legal Dejection Many poor Creatures are so vile in their own Eyes that they think it impossible they should ever find Favour in God's Eyes O but consider cannot the Riches of Grace save when God shall set himself on purpose to glorify Grace to the full cannot it make thee accepted Wherefore doth God bring Creatures to see their Unworthiness but that Grace might be the more glorious Grace would not be so much Grace if the Creature were not so unworthy therefore you should be glad you have your Hearts at that Advantage to be sensible of your own Vileness It is a wrong to Grace if you do not fly to it you streighten the Riches and darken the Glory of it it is as if an Emperor's Revenue could not discharge a Beggar 's Debt Our Ephah is full brim-full but God's Mercy is over-full You can speak of Sins and the Scripture speaketh of Mercy Hast thou but one Blessing O my Father saith Esau Gen. 27.38 So hath God but one Mercy Grace is a Treasure that cannot be spent an Ocean ever full and ever flowing Where Sin hath abounded Grace did much more abound Rom. 5.20 There cannot be so much in Sin but there is more in Grace The Apostle makes new-coin'd words when he is to speak of the abundance of Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prodigal could say There is Bread enough in my Father's House Luke 15.17 How many hired Servants in my Father's House have Bread
1 Pet. 2.3 If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious A Man hath at first a Taste that he may have trial how sweet the Ways of God are Now if after trial you are not satisfied but make choice of the World again it is a mighty Wrong and Contempt you put upon Grace for you do as it were declare and pronounce that you have made trial and upon Experience have found the Pleasures and Profits of the World are better than all the Comforts that flowed from the Grace of God The whole Aim of the Word is to perswade Men to make trial of the sweetness of Grace Psal. 34.8 O taste and see that the Lord is good and that his Grace is good but now your Experience is a flat Negative and Contradiction to the Word and you do as it were say I have made trial and I find no such Sweetness in it None wrong Grace so much as they that have tasted of Grace and yet have turned aside to the Profits and Pleasures of the World again and grow weary after some Strictness of Profession Vse 2. To press you to glorify Grace This is the Glory God expects from you Ephes. 1.6 To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made you accepted in the Beloved If an Artificer shew you a curious Piece of Workmanship he expects to be praised for his Skill A Wrestler that hath foiled his Adversary expects to be praised for his Strength not for his Beauty that is not a proper Praise A King in his Royal Gifts expects to be praised for his Magnificence So sutably the Lord who doth all things freely and according to the motion of his own Will expects to be praised for his Grace therefore you should be always ecchoing out Grace Grace Zech. 4.7 and admiring the Dispensations of God's Love It is a sure sign a Man hath received no Benefit by Grace if his Heart be not stirred up to praise Grace certaialy he that is a Partaker of it must needs be most affected with it Let us see a little what cause we have to praise God above the Angels and above other Men. 1. Above the Angels I do not mean the bad Angels with whom God entered not into Treaty he dealeth with them in Justice not in Grace but even the good Angels In some respects we have more cause to bless God than even the good Angels Thankfulness and Gratitude looks to the freeness and graciousness of the Gift rather than the greatness of it it looks not to the benefit so much as the good-will of the Giver It is true God hath been exceeding good and bountiful to the Angels in creating them out of nothing that they are the Courtiers of Heaven but mark how good and gracious he is to us above them The Angels never offended him but he is bountiful and gracious to us notwithstanding the Demerits of our Sin his wronged Justice interposed and put in a Bar yet Grace breaks out and is manifested to us unworthy Creatures There was nothing that hindred God from doing good to the Angels A holy God hath a blessed righteous holy Creature but Justice must be satisfied as to us we are a Generation of sinful Men the wretched Children of Apostatizing Adam we had forsaken God and cast him off which the Angels never did that had a long Experience of God's Goodness and Bounty The very Angels wonder at the Grace shewed to us especially at that by which Justice is satisfied 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into 2. Above other Men. There 's a common and inferior sort of Grace which is made known to all the World The whole Earth is full of his Goodness but this Grace that bringeth Salvation that 's peculiar to the Elect to a few poor base Creatures in themselves a little handful whom God hath chosen out of the World Joh. 14.22 How is it that thou wouldst manifest thy self unto us and not unto the World Free Grace doth pick and choose and how it chooseth out things that are in themselves of no account Look as when God chose a Sacrifice for himself the Lion was not offered but the Lamb and the Dove so God hath chosen not those that are accounted Gods but a few despicable Creatures Free Grace many times chuseth the worst that all the Glory might be of God If a Man might chuse Trees for Building he would not chuse crooked ones but those that are straight and fittest for his use and purpose But when God comes to look among the Sons of Men many times he chuseth the most crabbed Pieces and calls them with a holy Calling according to the purpose of his Grace It is a wonder sometimes to see how Grace makes the difference between two Persons involved in the same Guilt Justice can make no Separation when Men are in a like Case they must look for the same Judgment but Grace makes a great Separation Many of God's Elect are as deep in Sin as those now in Hell yet God makes a difference Both the good and bad Thief were involved in the same Condemnation yet one is taken into Paradise and the other went unto his own place Thus praise and glorify Grace Hath appeared unto all Men. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appeared signifies it is broken out of a sudden like a Star or like a Light that was not seen before and so it refers to the late Manifestation of the Gospel in the Apostles days Now on a sudden it broke out So Luke 1.78 79. Through the tender Mercy of our God whereby the Day-spring from on high hath visited us to give Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the shadow of Death It is meant of the breaking out of the Gospel as the Day doth after a dark Night so here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth the same Doct. 2. That Grace in the discoveries of the Gospel hath shined out in a greater Brightness than ever it did before This Grace appeareth in the Gospel there and there only is it clearly manifested In the Prosecution of this Point I shall shew I. What Darkness there was as to the knowledg of Grace before II. How much of Grace is now discovered I. What a Darkness there was before the eternal Gospel was brought out of the Bosom of God There was a Darkness both among Jews and Gentiles In the greatest part of the World there was utter Darkness as to the knowledg of Grace and in the Church nothing but Shadows and Figures 1. This Grace was not known in the World only a little of it was Psal. 33.5 The Earth is full of the Goodness of the Lord some inferiour Grace was made known to them in the Creation and in the course of Providence by showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons Grace on this side Heaven but nothing of the Secrets of God's Bosom of the Incarnation of God of the Expiation of Sin
Salvation is not only privative but positive Christ doth not only deliver us from Evil from Sin from the Wrath of God the Accusations of the Law and eternal Death but positively he gives us Grace and Righteousness and everlasting Life he is not only a Saviour to defend us but a Saviour to bless us a Sun and Shield Psal. 84.11 not only a Shield to keep from Danger but a Sun who is the Fountain and Cause of Vegitation and Life it is not Preservation meerly but Preferment If Christ had only delivered us from Wrath to come and been a Saviour privatively it had been more than we could expect or if he had procured some place where we might have been unacquainted with Pain or Trouble yet then he had been a Saviour but here is not only a Ransom and Deliverance but an Inheritance an Exaltation Heaven and everlasting Glory are included in this Salvation Instead of Horror and Howlings here are everlasting Joys and we shall ever be with God praising his Grace in the midst of all his Saints The Blessing is so excellent that we cannot neglect it without great danger Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation For what can we expect but that God's Mercy and Patience abused should be turned into Wrath and Fury and we cannot despise it without a great deal of Sin and Profaneness Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any profane Person as Esau who for one morsel of Meat sold his Birthright The Birthright was a Pledg of the Blessing and a right of Priesthood and Ministration before the Lord depended upon it This was Esau's by Birth and he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a profane Man for parting with it at so low a rate and thinking so meanly of spiritual Priviledges O but what Profaneness is this to despise the great Salvation that will cause us ever to be before the Lord and minister in his Presence We count him a profane Man that is guilty of Murder Theft Adultery Perjury because those Sins bring publick Shame and Contempt and because these Sins are most destructive to human Society But he is a profane Man indeed that despiseth the Gospel because it offereth such an excellent Salvation that is Profaneness to slight God's best Provision to scorn his Bowels and when the Lord hath made the Bait an Allurement so strong to gain Man's Heart yet to turn his back upon it 2. Consider the Compleatness of the Saviour Jesus Christ is so by Merit and by Efficacy and Power and so every way fitted to do us good He doth something for us and something in us Look as in the Gospel there is the History of Salvation and there Christ doth all he is a Saviour by Merit and there is the Counsel of Salvation and there he is a Saviour by Power he helps us to do the Duty on our part We have the Merit of his Humiliation and the Power of his Exaltation for us he prevails by the Merit of his Death and in us by the Efficacy of his Spirit When Christ was to save us there were several Hinderances one on God's part and another on ours there was Hinderance put in by God's Justice and a Hinderance by our Unbelief Justice requires Merit and Unbelief Power Christ was a Saviour both ways Again there are different Enemies to our Salvation which were of several Qualities God and the Law and Sin and Death and Satan and the World Now God and the Law are to be considered in a distinct rank from Sin and Death from Satan and the World God was an Enemy that could not be overcome therefore must be reconciled The Law was an Enemy that was not to be disanulled and destroyed but to be satisfied the Precepts of it were not to be relaxed or repealed but fulfilled the Curses of it were not to fall to the ground some must be made a Curse that the Authority of it might be kept up Now Jesus Christ he is made a Curse for us and by his Merit he satisfies the Law and the Justice of God Then among the other Enemies look to Satan he is not only a Tempter but an Accuser as he is a Tempter so Christ is to overcome him by his Power as he is an Accuser so Christ is to overcome him by his Merit Certainly so far as Satan is an Enemy so far must Christ be a Saviour that the Plaister may be as broad as the Sore and therefore against the Accusations of Satan he interposeth as our Advocate by representing his Merit and by bringing his Blood unto the Mercy-Seat Once again consider that our Comfort may be full Christ saves us by Merit and by Power By his Obedience and Merit he gives us jus ad rem a Right and Title to Salvation but by his Efficacy and Power he gives us Possession jus in re he was first to buy our Peace our Comfort our Grace our Glory of God and then to see that we be possessed of it and therefore we are said to be reconciled by his Death and saved by his Life He died that we might rely on his Merit and Ransom and Blood which was a Price to reconcile us to God and he lives that we might wait for his Power and so be saved by his Life 3. Consider As the Greatness of the Salvation and the Compleatness of the Saviour so the Excellency of the Gospel how it manifests and sets out this Saviour not in Shadows and Types but with clear and express Explication God bestowed many Benefits upon the Old Church which were great Enforcements to Godliness but not so powerful and effectual because they were but Shadows of Salvation Things that grow in the Shade come not to such Perfection as Things that grow in the Sun In the Old Testament they had many Blessings but they were Typical Ones and lasted but for a while they had many Saviours that delivered them from the House of Bondage led them through the Red Sea and through the Desart into Canaan delivered them from their Enemies destroyed the Nations round about them But now these were Shadows of good Things to come the New Testament shews what is the meaning of all these that we are delivered from the Devil and led into Heaven and brought to the possession of Eternal Life by Jesus Christ. The Old Testament speaketh of calling Abraham out of Ur of the Caldees and separating his Seed as a People to God we can speak of Election that we may obtain the Adoption of Sons The Old Testament speaks of multiplying the Seed of the Iews as the Sand of the Sea The New Testament speaks of the multitude of Converts a great Number which none can number The Old Testament speaks of the bringing out of Egypt the New of bringing Sinners out of the Power of Darkness The Old Testament mentions the Red Sea the New the Grace of Baptism or Red Sea of Christ's Blood The Old Testament speaks of God's
God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ is unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference they all take hold of the same Righteousness Look as a Jewel held by a Man and by a Child tho the Man holds it more strongly than the Child yet it is the same Jewel and of the same Worth and Value So the Righteousness of Christ is of the same Worth before God the stronger Believer holds it faster than the weaker Believer but tho he cannot be so high in Faith as Abraham and as other Worthies of God yet he hath his hold-fast upon God Differences of Nations and outward Condition do neither help nor hinder Salvation and different degrees of Grace tho they occasion some accidental difference in the spiritual Life as some have more Comfort than others yet as to the main all that accept have a like Priviledg The Reasons of it are partly because the same Grace is the cause of all Free Grace acts for the good of all upon the same terms Isa. 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Trangressions for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins God doth not take notice of Differences in them whom he forgives God may pardon the Sin of Andrew and Thomas as well as of Abraham and Paul Grace's Motives lie within it self And partly because they have the same Redeemer Jesus Christ theirs and ours Under the Law you shall find the Rich and Poor were to give the same Ransom The Rich shall not give more and the Poor shall not give less than half a Shekel Exod. 30.15 to signify the Price of Christ's Blood for all Souls is equal they have not a nobler Redeemer nor a more worthy Christ than thou hast And partly because your Faith is as acceptable to God as theirs 2 Pet. 1.1 To them who have obtained like precious Faith with us that is for kind tho not for degree It is of the same Nature Worth and Property with the Faith of the Apostle's tho every one cannot believe as strongly as Peter nor come up to his height Vse 1. If the Grace of God hath appeared to all Men then let us put in for a share Why should we stand out Are we excepted and left out of the Proclamation of Pardon and free Grace If Persons be excepted by Name when a Pardon is offered to Rebels they stand off and will not come within the Verge of such Power but if it be offered to all why should we stand out we must not add nor detract If God hath said Christ died for Sinners believe him upon his Word and say I am Chief do not say I am a Reprobate God hath no Favour for me Will you leave that Word and hazard your Salvation for a groundless Jealousy and Scruple Therefore confute your Fears and put all out of question by a thorow believing Vse 2. For Comfort to weak Believers Tho your Faith cannot keep time and pace with Abraham's nor your Obedience with the Worthies of God yet you are Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 A little Faith is Faith as a Drop is Water and a Spark is Fire it is free to all that have or will accept say then as he Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou mine Vnbelief The least dram of Gospel-Faith gives a Title and Interest Indeed you must strive to make it more evident you cannot have Comfort till then and consider Endeavours of Growth do better than idle Complaints therefore follow on still with hope SERMON III. TITUS II. 12 Teaching us that denying Vngodliness c. II. THE next thing to be considered is the Lesson that Grace teacheth us Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World But before I enter upon the Discussion of the particular Branches I shall observe some things in the General Observ. 1. Grace teacheth us Holiness It teacheth by way of Direction by way Argument and by way of Encouragement 1. It teacheth by way of Direction what Duties we ought to perform and so it maketh use of the Moral Law as a Rule of Life The Law is still our Direction otherwise what we do cannot be an Act of Obedience Certainly the Direction of the Law is still in force for where there is no Law there is no Transgression and Duty without a Rule is but Will-worship If the Law were blotted out the Image of God would be blotted out for the external Law is nothing but the Copy of God's Image that Holiness and Righteousness which is impressed on the Heart Now Grace doth not blot out the Image of God but perfects it In the new Covenant God promiseth to make the Law more legible Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts Well then we are not freed from the Authority and directive Power of the Law Grace adopts it doth not abolish the Law the Commands of the Law sway the Conscience and Love inclineth the Heart and so it becometh an Act of pure Obedience Obedience respects the Command as Love doth the Kindness and Merit of the Lawgiver 2. It teacheth by way of Argument it argueth and reasoneth from the Love of God Gal. 2.20 The Life that I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me There is Grace's Argument Christ loved me we should not then be so unkind as to deny God his Honour or Worship or cherish his Enemies 2 Cor. 5.14 For the Love of Christ constraineth us What will you do for God that loved you in Christ The Gospel contains melting Commands and commanding Intreaties The Law and the Prophets do not beseech but only command and threaten but the Grace of God useth a different method in the New Testament 3. It teacheth by way of Encouragement as manifesting both Help and Reward The Gospel doth not only teach us what we ought to perform but whence we may draw Strength and how kindly God will accept us in Christ. The Law is a School-master and the Gospel is a School-master but in the Discipline and manner of teaching there is a great deal of difference the Law can only teach and command but the Gospel is a gentle School-master it pointeth to Christ for Help Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me and to God for Reward and Acceptance Heb. 11.16 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him I do but mention these things because I shall handle the Encouragements hereafter Vse 1. Of Information It sheweth us 1. What is true Holiness such as cometh from the Teachings of Grace obliging Conscience to the Duty of the Law
the Fruit of his Sufferings When Christ was about to die he made his last Will and Testament Heaven was his by Purchase to bestow upon all his Heirs He had bought it at a dear Rate therefore now he shews what he would do with it Iohn 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be where I am that they may behold my Glory And then he is gone to Heaven again as our Harbinger to prepare a Place for us Ioh. 14.2 I go to prepare a Place for you to take up Mansions and Rooms for us in his Father's Palace He is gone as a Guardian or Feoffee in trust to seize upon Heaven in our Right to keep it during our Non-age and he will come again in Person as the Husband of the Church to bring us into his Father's House with Triumph therefore it is said Rev. 4.10 That the Elders did cast their Crowns before the Throne not as despising their Glory but as professing their Homage and Dependance and Rev. 5.8 9. The four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb c. saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood His Abasement was for our Preferment and therefore even here upon Earth may we bless God for the Elders represent the Church upon Earth for his great Mercy to us in Christ. 3. Consider how much we are engaged to God the Spirit who fits and prepares us for this happy State and seals up our Interest to us therefore it is called the Earnest of the Spirit Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who also hath given to us the Earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 The Holy Ghost shapes and fashions all the Vessels of Glory fits and prepares them for Heaven It is the Spirit of God dwelling in us that wrought us and fits us for this great and blessed Hope therefore when-ever you think of it your Hearts should be raised in Thanksgiving It is not only their Duty to praise God that are in actual possession of Glory but ours also to whom these Hopes are revealed Rev. 5.8 There was a mixture of Harps and Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of all Saints Compare this with Vers. 11. And I beheld and heard the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and Elders Not only Angels and blessed Spirits but Saints on Earth all join in Consort praising the Lamb. We must praise the Lord in the time of our Pilgrimage for this great Estate reserved for us in Heaven 3. It informs us how desperately wicked the Hearts of sinful Men are that can run the hazard of eternal Death and forfeit this blessed Hope of eternal Life for a little carnal Satisfaction Survey all the Temptations of the World how much they come short of it If the Heart were not desperately wicked we would not be carried out to these things What is Vain Glory to Eternal Glory What are a few dreggy Delights to those Pleasures which are at God's right Hand for evermore What are the Riches of the World to our glorious Inheritance You would count him a mad Gamester that would throw away whole Lordships and Mannors at every Cast. A Sinner forfeits a blessed Hope that is above all the Kingdoms and Possessions of the World It is for this you will be the Scorn of Angels at the last Day Psal. 52.7 Lo this is the Man that made not God his Strength but trusted in the abundance of his Riches and strengthned himself in his Wickedness This will make you ashamed in the great Congregation that you were so foolishly bent to your own Ruin Nay this will torment you for ever nothing torments Men more than their foolish Choice Conscience will for ever tell them with what disadvantage they have forsaken God for a thing of nought Disappointment to a reasonable Creature is the worst vexation and what Disappointment is more than to be disappointed of our glorious Hopes and that for Trifles and a little carnal Satisfaction This will be our Shame and Torment to all Eternity We may guess at the gnawings of Conscience in the Damned by the Horrors of carnal Men when they come to die O then how do they bewail the Folly of their Choice O that they had been as mindful to serve God as to provide for the World as careful to satisfy the Motions of the Holy Ghost as to satisfy a Lust and carnal Desire When they are on a Death-bed and upon the Confines of Eternity then all worldly Comforts cease and there is a real confutation of the folly of their Choice a Sting then begins that never ceaseth Jer. 17.11 At his End he shall be a Fool. When he comes to die his Conscience will rage and call him Fool Beast and Mad-man for hazarding such eternal Joys for a Trifle 4. It informs us of the Excellency of the Gospel or Christian Profession Wisdom should be justified by her Children And all that do profess Religion should see the Excellency of it what there is in their Beloved more than in another Beloved Cant. 5.9 This there is in the Christian Religion there are purity of Precepts Psal. 19.7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the Simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the Heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Then there is sureness of Principles of Trust and Dependance established between us and God that we may depend upon God with Comfort and Satisfaction there do you find rest for the Soul Ier. 6.16 Stand ye in the Ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good Way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls Then there are no such Rewards any where as in the Christian Profession 2 Tim. 1.10 Life and Immortality are brought to Light by the Gospel The Heathens had Dreams of Elizium Fields and Mahomet tells his Followers of a sensual Paradise but Life and Immortality is a Revelation proper and peculiar only to the Gospel The Heathens were at a loss for the Reward of Vertue Austin out of Varro gives us an account of 288 Opinions concerning Happiness and the chief Good of Man but now here is all brought to Light we may look beyond the Grave now and there is not such a Mist and Darkness upon Things to come God having acquainted us with the Gospel Nay there 's more revealed than was in the time of the Law If God had still kept this Secret in his own Bosom what a Support should we have wanted in our Trouble what Encouragement to the practice of Holiness O therefore prize the Gospel it is the Charter of your blessed Hope 5. It informs us what little cause we have to be slack in God's Work or to
of the Mouth of the Lion and this is called presenting his Spouse to God Ephes. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church Christ hath shed his Blood and washed her clean and decked her with all the Jewels of the Covenant and then he shall present her to God and the Form of Surrender you have Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the Children God hath given me Behold here I am and all thou hast given me there is not one wanting O what a glorious Sight will this be to see the great Shepherd of the Sheep leading his Flock into their everlasting Folds and all the Elect following Christ with their Crowns of Glory upon their Heads singing to the Praise of the Lamb O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory c. To see them with Harps in their Hands triumphing thus in the Salvation of God all Enemies gone and the Church lodged in everlasting Habitations Besides consider the Acclamation and Applause of the Angels O how should we strive to be one of this Number 3. The next Consequent is the burning of the World that 's described at large 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12. how that Fire shall come out from God and burn and devour all things and melt the very Firmament Certainly that Fire is to be taken literally for it is opposed to Water the first Water by which the World was destroyed Now by this Fire I conceive the World shall not be consumed but renewed and purged because in the everlasting State God will have all things new he will not only have the Bodies and Souls of the Saints new but will have new Heavens and new Earth for it is a deliverance from the Bondage of Corruption Rom. 8.21 If the World shall be no more the Habitation of the Saints yet God will renew the World that it may be a continual Monument of his Power Now this burning of the World some place it in Preparation before the Day of Judgment but I conceive it is a Consequent for it seemeth to be an Instrument of Vengeance on the Wicked I will not say with the Schoolmen the feculent and drossy part of this Fire is reserved for the Torment of the Wicked in Hell but in general it shall be the Instrument of God's Vengeance upon them so much is asserted 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and Earth that now are by the same Word are kept in store and reserved unto Fire against the Day of Iudgment and the Perdition of ungodly Men. There are some that say this Fire shall begin the Day of Judgment Et causam dicent in flammis the Wicked shall plead their Cause in Flames but this were to execute before the Sentence Sodom's Fire was dreadful but nothing to this Burning It was a dreadful Sight when God rained Hell out of Heaven and the poor tormented Creatures ran screeching and yelling to and fro because of those Flakes of Fire and Brimstone but this Fire shall come out of the Throne of the Lord Dan. 7.10 A fiery Stream issued and came out from before him to consume his Adversaries and to remain in Hell with them for evermore which will be much more dreadful God hath Diluvium Ignis as well as Aquae a Deluge of Fire as well as of Water As one saith very wittily As at the first he drowned the World propter ardorem libidinis because of the Heat of Lust so in the end he will kindle a Fire to burn the World propter teporem charitatis because of the Coldness of Love The Object of your Adulteries will be burnt God will have nothing impure in the everlasting State the World shall be purged with Fire Thus you have seen how the Appearance of Christ will be glorious II. Why the Appearance of Christ will be so glorious 1. To recompense his own Abasement His first Coming was in Humility he came riding upon the Fole of an Ass but now on the Clouds they are as it were his Royal Chariot Then he came with Fishermen a few Apostles to be his Messengers but now he comes with Angels Then he came in the form of a Servant to be judged now he comes as the Son of God to be the Judg of all the World When the Day of Judgment is spoken of Christ is called the Son of Man Mat. 25.31 When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all his holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory Mat. 26.64 Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right Hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven And Dan. 7.13 Behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the Antient of Days and they brought him near before him Why so He that was the Son of Man that came in such a mean Condition at first shall then be glorious and so it taketh off the Scandal of his present Estate He that appeared in so low a Condition that was betrayed crucified spat upon pierced dead buried then shall be crowned with Glory and Honour When he came to teach us Righteousness he comes as the Son of Man but when he comes to reward Righteousness then he comes as the Son of God 2. That he might shew himself to be fully discharged of Sin The Glory bestowed upon his Humane Nature by God the Father noteth his plenary Absolution as our Surety We hear that he is taken up into Glory that God hath acquitted him that he was taken from Prison and from Iudgment Isa. 53.8 but then we shall see it with our Eyes when the Father sends him from Heaven with Power and great Glory At the first Christ came like a Man charged with Sin in the Garb of a Sinner therefore it is said Rom. 8.3 God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh. But then Heb. 9.28 He shall appear the second time without Sin The first time the World looked upon him as one that was forsaken stricken and smitten of God but then he comes as one that is honoured of God his second Coming shall make it evident that he is discharged of the Debt which he took upon himself The Apostle doth not say Those that look for him shall be without Sin but he shall be without Sin The discharge of our Surety is enough it is a sign the Debt is paid 3. He comes in great Glory that he may be as a Pledg and Pattern and Cause of our Glory Christ's Coming is still suted to his Work There is his first Coming and that is in Humility for we fell by Pride he came to redeem us therefore he comes humbly and lowly in the form of a Servant as one that came to suffer not to ruffle it in the World and tread upon the Necks of Kings Then there is his spiritual coming into the Heart to sanctify it this coming is invisible it is with great Power but hidden But when he comes to
a Religion to talk of but not to live by therefore they are cold and indifferent and when the Children of God offer a holy Violence to the Kingdom of Heaven they become a Matter of Scorn and Opposition to them And besides formal Men cannot endure to be outstripp'd and therefore malign what they will not imitate as those that are at the Bottom of the Hill fret at those that are at the Top and Men of a lazy and slow Pace envy them that are more zealous strict and holy but they have little Cause to envy them for Christ died to make us zealous of good Works 3. It informs us if we would expect any Benefit by Christ's Death we must be zealous of good Works and more warm in the Service of God A cold Christian will have but cold Comfort For whom did Christ die for those that are zealous of good Works Matth. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by Force It is an Allusion to Exod. 19.23 24. where there was a Rail about the Mount of God that the People might not break through but when Iohn the Baptist began to discover the Grace of God and pointed to the Lamb of God then the Kingdom of God suffered Violence Men began to break through and press upon God there is a free Access to God and Men are earnest and will not be denied Entrance Matth. 5.20 Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no Case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It is not cold Prayers and yawning Devotions and drowzy Wishes when Men are half asleep that will serve in this Case Heaven is gotten by Force and surprized by On-set and Storm it signifies breaking through the Rail and all Restraints that are set to keep us off from God Vse 2. To stir us up to this Zeal of good Works In a dead and drowzy Age we need an Alarum Knowledg hath now devoured Practice in these decaying times Seneca complains Men are altogether studious for filling their Brains not warming their Hearts And when once Men became more learned they were less good The World is altogether for storing the Head with Notions empty and airy Strains so that if Christ should come amongst us he would find few zealous but a Company of lazy Christians that live at a low cheap Rate of Christianity High-flown we are indeed in our Fancies in Notions and Pretences but low and flat in Practice and Conversation Usually thus it is in the time of the Church's Prosperity like a River it loseth in Depth what it gains in Breadth then it hath many Friends but their Love is not so strong nor so hot as at other times Salvian complains Multiplicatis fidei populis fides diminuta est crescentibus filiis mater aegrotat c. When Professors were multiplied their Faith was lessened and as a Mother grows the weaker the more Children she bears so doth Religion grow weaker and weaker when every one takes up a cold Profession they learn Formality one of another And he goes on Quantum copiae accessit tantum disciplinae recessit as a large Body is less active In audito genere processus recessus crescens simul decrescens When the Church increaseth in Multitude and decreaseth in Vigour and Strength it loseth in Spirit what it injoyeth in temporal Felicity Thus it often falls out with the Church of God that when Religion is fair many take up the Profession but alas it is but weak and spiritless without any Life and Vigor Therefore in such a drowzy Age and dead times we need Alarms and quickning Excitations to awaken our Zeal again for solid Piety for those good Works that are commended to us in the Scripture Therefore let us inquire what kind of Enforcements and Considerations are likely to be most operative to press us to this Zeal and Care of good Works 1. Consider how violent and earnest carnal Men are in the Ways of Sin and shall they serve Satan better than you serve God O consider you have a better Master better Work and better Wages their Master is the Devil their Work is the basest Drudgery being Slaves to their own Lusts and their Wages are sutable their Reward is everlasting Damnation and a Separation from the Presence of the Lord. How active are wicked Men for the Kingdom of Darkness How zealous and earnest to ruine themselves as if they could not be damned soon enough Isa. 5.19 They draw Iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope The meaning is they would sin though it cost them a great deal of Pains and Sorrow and though they could not sin at a cheap rate The Prophet doth not say they were drawn into Sin as into a Gin and Snare but they themselves did draw on Sin it is horrid Work yet they delight in it toiling and tiring themselves as Beasts at a Plough they were sinful though it cost them Sorrow and Pain There is no Corruption but it puts you to some Self-denial Luxury is costly and he that loves Wine and Oil saith Solomon will be poor Pride we say will endure the cold and Vain-glory will expose a Man to Danger and Ruine Worldliness incroacheth upon Pleasantness and the Comforts of Life a Worldling will rise early sit up late and eat the Bread of Sorrows Psal. 127.2 With what Earnestness and unwearied Diligence do carnal Men pursue after a few Trifles How do they lay out all their Wisdom and all their Sagacity about worldly things Luke 16.8 The Children of this World are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light As Children are busy about Toys and Puppets so they cumber themselves about much Serving and all their Life is but Care and Disquiet and a constant Self-denial Psal. 39.6 Surely every Man walketh in a vain Shew surely they disquiet themselves in vain They make a great deal of Stir and Bustle and many times when all is got what is it A sorry Comfort and that which must be left on this side the Grave Thus wicked Men are active and restless in their way So for Idolatry with what Cost and Diligence do Men promote false Worship and compass Sea and Land to make a Proselyte they will give Rivers of Oil and thousands of Rams they do not stand at Pains and Cost God bids the Prophet look upon this Sight as indeed it is worthy of a Christian Consideration Ier. 7.17 18. Seest thou what they do in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem The Children gather Wood and the Fathers kindle the Fire and the Women kneed the Dough to make Cakes to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink-Offerings unto other Gods What a busy Diligence is here to promote their false Worship Fathers Children Husbands Wives they all put their helping Hands to the Work and find some Imployment or other Where will you have a Family
and neglected It is very sad when God is provoked to swear to the Damnation of any Creature Who are the Persons that may stand in dread of this Oath why they that believe not Heb. 3.18 To whom swear he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not It is the Sin of Unbelief after many tenders and offers of Mercy which provokes God to this Indignation Here is Oath against Oath the one to drive us the other to draw us and pull in the Heart to God If you continue in this course you shall have neither Part nor Portioâ— in Christ nor in the Land of Promise It is better to be satisfied with God's Oath in Mercy than to run the hazard of his Oath in Judgment Therefore speak to Conscience Do I come up to this Certainty and Confidence Is the Controversy ended between God and me Are all Suspicions laid aside Obj. But you will say I do not doubt of the Truth of the Gospel but of my own â—nterest I doubt that I am the Person to whom God hath sworn The Truth of God is sure but my Interest is not clear Sol. In Answer to this consider 1. It doth but seem so that all Doubts are about our own Interestâ— but it is not so indeed If once you were heartily perswaded of God's good Affection in Christ Doubts and Scruples about our own Estate would soon vanish Look as the Fire when it is well kindled bursts out of its own accord into a Flame so if Faith were once well laid in the Soul if Men could rest upon these two immutable things Consolation would not be so far from them if there were a firm Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel there would not be so many Buts if you did firmly believe his Mercy in Christ it would soon end in a stedfast Confidence This appeareth from the nature of the thing All Uncertainty ariseth either from a Neglect of the great Salvation or else from Trouble of Conscience Now carnal Men neglect it because they are not perswaded of the Worth and Excellency of it and Men under Horrors of Conscience distrust it they are such Sinners they dare not apply it and are so full of Doubts and Scruples because they are not perswaded of the Truth of the Gospel See how the Apostle proposeth the Gospel 1 Tim. 1. â—5 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief If negligent and carnal Men would but look upon it as worthy of all Acceptation and troubled Conscience look upon it as a faithful Saying there would be more regular Actings and Effects found in their Hearts and Lives the Negligent would give more Diligence and the Contrite would rise up into a greater Hope and Confidence If Men did believe the Worth of Salvation they would not run after lying Vanities If they did believe the Truth of Salvation for Sinners there would not be so many Scruples and Fears It is notable that the Scriptures very seldom do press Assurance of the Subject but Assurance of the Object in very many places to believe the Doctrine it self for there is the greatest Difficulty and in the Word of God we have no Precedent of any that were troubled about their own Interest If an Earthly King should proclaim a general Pardon and an Act of Grace to all Persons in Rebellion only on terms of Submission and laying down their Hostility and returning to their Duty and Allegiance the Doubt would not be of their own Interest but of the truth of his Intention to shew them such Grace and Mercy So it is with God he hath proclaimed Terms of Grace in the Gospel provided we will lay down the Weapons of our Defiance and return to the Duty of our Allegiance now that which we suspect is the Heart of God and the Gospel in the general whether there be Mercy for such kind of Sinners as we are 2. Because we cannot perswade Men to a Certainty against their Consciences what should hinder but that now you should establish your Interest and that you now make your Plea and Claim according to God's Word and Oath for Joy must arise from a Sense of it Your complaining is not the way to ease your Conscience but Obedience It is an Advantage to find our selves in an ill Condition not a Discouragement As the Woman in the Gospel made an Argument of that that she was a Dog Mat. 15.27 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table As when the Man-slayer saw the Avenger of Blood at his Heels this made him mend his pace and fly for Refuge so when we see we are under the Wrath of God this should make us more earnest to look after Christ and Salvation in and by him The Cities of Refuge under the Law stood open for every Comer and there was free Admission till their Cause was heard So Christ is the Sanctuary of a pursued Soul and whosoever comes shall be received Iohn 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out God excludeth none but those that exclude themselves No Sin is excepted but the Sin against the Holy Ghost Therefore make your Claim till your Cause be heard The great Affront we put upon God's Oath is not so much doubting of our Condition but not running to Christ for Refuge If we still stand complaining of our lost Estate and do not attempt the Work of Faith we put an Affront upon God's Oath If the Lord had bid thee do some great thing I allude to the Speech of Naaman's Servants wouldst thou not have done it to be freed from Death and Hell How much rather when he saith unto thee Only come fly as for thy Life and see if I will cast thee out Take up a Resolution to try God and see if he will not be as good as his Word and Oath Say Lord thou hast given two immutable Grounds of Hope here I come I will wait to see what thou wilt do for me in Christ. 3. I answer Do but see whether thy Interest in Christ be not established or no Here is the lowest Qualification of an Heir of Promise and yet the highest and most solemn way of Assurance Here are two immutable Grounds and yet what 's the Description we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before 〈◊〉 Here is a driving Work that belongs to the Law implied in these words We fly 〈◊〉 Refuge then a drawing Work which belongs to the Gospel in these words To lay hold on the Hope set before us The Law begins and works preparatively as Moses brought the Children of Israel to the Borders then Ioshua led them into the Land of Canaan The Law shews us our Bondage and makes us fly for Refuge but then the Gospel pulls in the Heart to God There is a necessity of the preparing
are to be pitied who are provoked to Sin yet the Provocation excuses not the Sinner Moses had led them by God's Direction to this Place and there they murmured against him when they wanted Water and to such a height that he was fain to take shelter in the Sanctuary to avoid their Fury But this doth not excuse Moses Psal. 106.32 They angred him at the Waters of Strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes Their Peevishness provoked him yet because he commanded not his Passion he was punished with an exclusion out of Canaan Aaron upon another occasion thought to excuse himself Exod. 32.22 Let not the Anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest this People that they are set on Mischief c. But Aaron's Sin was so great that God was very angry with him and thought to have destroyed him if Moses had not prayed for him as you may see Deut. 9.20 The Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time Alas these Excuses are frivolous 't is long of others and consider the great Injuries I received Every Man is to answer for his own Actions and cannot be hurt by others without his own Consent 4. Both the Persons were in publick Offices the Magistracy and the Ministry and the highest and most eminent of their Rank The one chief Governour of Israel the other High-Priest God will spare none yea the higher they are the greater are their Offences because of the influence of their Example and therefore their Lot will be the harder God will reckon with them when he passes by others If any the Duty of whose place obliges them to be eminent in Faith and Holiness miscarry the Provocation is the greater As David's Sin is aggravated by his Office I anointed thee King over Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 And the Priests are sorely threatned Mal. 2.7 8. The Priests Lips should keep Knowledg and they should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts Their Negligence and Errors are greater than others they should be Examples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5.3 2 dly The nature of the Crime 1. It was a spiritual one They did not sanctify God in obeying and depending upon his Word before the Eyes of the People We only look to outward gross Sins but spiritual Sins we take no notice of There are Sins in genere moris and in genere fidei Sins against our Moral Duty and Sins against the Rule of Faith There are Peccata majoris infamiae and peccata majoris reatus Sins of greater Infamy and more publickly hateful and Sins of greater Guilt Of the first sort are Murder Adultery Theft c. Natural Light puts a Brand upon these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5.19 The Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness These smell rank in Nature's Nostrils every one knoweth them to be great Sins and a Child of God doth hardly fall into these sensual Villanies But there are other Sins of a more spiritual Nature such as want of Love to God and Faith in Christ and hope of eternal Life or such necessary degrees of either as may enable us to honour him in the World Few take notice of these but God judgeth not as Man judgeth these may be more dangerous as being not only against our Duty but our Remedy Few think distrustful Thoughts or distracting Cares or sinful Fears or immoderate Sorrow are such grievous Distempers as they afterwards prove to be till they cherish them so long that they find the Grievousness of the Sin in the Greatness of the Punishment 2. It was a sudden occasional Passion or fit of Impatience But by that we may give place to Satan and grieve the Spirit of God Eph. 4.26 27. Let not the Sun go down on your Wrath neither give place to the Devil and ver 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Therefore we should watch against the sudden Disorders of our Passions and Affections otherwise we may do that in a moment the Effects of which will not be altogether blotted out by a long Repentance If we give way to excessive Anger we open a Door to Satan and give him an advantage to excite us to more Evil and the Work of Grace may be so darkened in us that we may long miss of Comfort If we once let the Fire be kindled it will presently send up a black Smoak whereby we dishonour our Profession and provoke God And whatever just cause of Provocation we have we are to overcome and bridle the Exorbitances of our Passions for tho we be provoked we must not provoke God 3. The Sin consisted in this that the Exemplariness of their Faith and Obedience was somewhat obscured We should look to this to have a Faith that will not only save our selves but tend to the Glory of God 2 Thess. 1.11 12. We pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this Calling and fufil all the good Pleasure of his Goodness and the Work of Faith with Power that the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him We may not be guilty of other Mens Sins We must have Grace not only for our own private Benefit that we may be saved but for a more publick Good that God may be glorified and others edified by our Example Many make an hard shift to go to Heaven they may have Grace enough for their own Salvation but yet have not Grace enough for the Honour and Exaltation of God in the World Now it is a great Fault especially in the Eminent if they neglect the glorifying of God in the Eyes of others Noah was raised up in his Age to condemn the World Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with Fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World that is of their Security and contempt of God's Warnings Thus Moses and Aaron should have condemned the Israelites by their own Faith and ready Obedience And if we do not mind this in our selves we are the more culpable before God 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good Works which they shall behold glorify God in the Day of Visitation that is in the Day when he shall please to visit them by his saving Grace Otherwise we are accountable for those Sins we draw others into And so a Man may sin after he is dead as his Example out-liveth him In short God is severe upon his scandalous Children though he may pardon their Faults as to Eternal Punishment yet they smart for it
Again compare him with the Man that brought his Son that was possessed with a dumb Devil he brought him to Christ to be cured and Christ asked him Dost thou believe I can do it And he cryed out with tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Mark 9.24 That was an humble Spirit indeed there 's a Work of Faith Lord I believe but he acknowledgeth mixtures of weakness help thou my unbelief But here is no lamenting of defects All these have I kept from my Youth Good Souls in the best Actions they perform will bewail the mixtures of Sin when they own any thing of Grace they are still acknowledging their weakness and many Infirmities We may and we must acknowledge the Good that is wrought in us but still we may and we must be sensible of the mixtures of Infirmity in our best Actions Again compare him with Paul he was one that had cause to stand upon his Priviledges as much as any he had all those things which the finer sort of Hypocrites can plead and rely upon before they come to Christ. Before he became a Christian he was as touching the righteousness which is by the law blameless Phil. 3.6 He had a Life free from all Scandal and any outward Vice yet when he comes to look upon this he says I count all but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Verse 8. Paul was broken-hearted touched with a sight of Sin and deserved Wrath But this Man what an utter Stranger was he to this Blessed Work of Brokenness of Heart All these have I kept from my Youth In short that I may gather up the Discourse Here was wanting Iosiah's Tenderness who rent his Cloaths and the other Man's Humility and Paul's Self-denyal therefore certainly his Answer shews that he was not truly acquainted either with the Law or with himself So that the Note which I shall prosecute will be this Doct. That Men are too apt to think well of themselves or of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God Here is a Young Man drunk with a foolish Confidence and therefore boasteth that he had ever performed his Duty And to be sure he hath more fellows in the World some that are as Confident as he but upon far less grounds It is said of the Scribe that came to Christ Luke 10.29 But he willing to justifie himself That is the Temper and Disposition of Man So Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God So Rev. 3.17 Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Oh how apt are many to conceit of themselves beyond what they ought Obj. But what 's the Cause that Men are so apt to over rate their own Righteousness and Goodness before God I answer Ignorance Error Self-love Negligence and Security First Ignorance They are ignorant of the Law and of the Gospel 1. Ignorant of the Law of the Spiritual meaning of the Law They think they are well enough if they refrain from outward gross Sins and so say All these have I kept because they keep it in an outward way as that Pharisee Luk. 18.11 God! I thank thee I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican Men please themselves in this as if open and gross Sinners were only lyable to the Wrath of God O how Natural is it to us to cut short the sence of the Law that which may suit it to our own practice and our own course of Duty Ignorant Persons think that no Man is an Idolalater or guilty of the breach of the First Commandment but he that doth grosly and openly worship Stocks and Stones and Beasts and Serpents and none a Murderer but he that hath kill'd a Man none an Adulterer but he that hath defiled his Neighbours Bed none a Thief but he that robs by the High-way side or that pilfers anothers Goods They look to the gross and outward sence of the Law and not to the inward Spiritual meaning thereof The Lord Christ rebukes this Ignorance Matth. 5.22 and shews that rash anger and contumelious words are Sins and he is a Murderer not only that doth kill another but he that breaks out into Passion that calls his Brother Fool he is in danger of Hell-fire that Lustful glances are Adultery that the Law requires not only an External Conformity in Manners and Actions but Purity and Righteousness in all our Thoughts internal Motions and the Affections of the Heart Therefore the poor ignorant Self-deceiving Man that triumphs over Sin as if it were wholly dead in him because it breaks not out into open wickedness and enormous Offences is wholly mistaken as Paul was alive without the Law O this Man is foully mistaken for he knows not the Law aright for it doth not only Command some External Duties and forbid some of the grosser Sins but reacheth the Heart it condemneth Lust evil Concupiscence and inordinate Motions and Stirrings A Man that keeps the Law only outwardly can no more be said to keep the Law than he that hath undeâ—â—â—â—n to carry a Tree and only takes up a little piece of the Bark 2. They are ignorant of Gospel Righteousness which consists in the remission of Sins and Imputation of Christ's Righteousness applyed by true Faith What 's the Reason men are so apt to over-rate their own Righteousness They are ignorant of the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 They do not know the true Plea in the Gospel Court which is not Innocency but a broken-hearted Confession of Sin Thâ—â— Perfection of personal Obedience which the legal Covenant requireth they acknowledge not and being ignorant of the second they patch up a piece as well as they can of the Duties of the Law ill understood that the Ell may be no broader than the Cloath Ignorance then is one great Cause of this Disposition in men to justifie themselves Ignorance of the Legal and Gospel Covenant they are ignorant of the Nature Merit and Influence of Sin and of the severity of God's Justice Secondly Another Cause is Error They are leavened with sottish Principles and that disposeth them to a Conceit of their own Righteousness I shall name several of them 1. That they live in good Order and are of a Civil harmless Life and are better than others or better than themselves have been heretofore and therefore are in good Condition before God and yet a man may be Carnal for all this I will take this Principle asunder Take the Positive part A Man may live in good Order be of a civil and harmless Life and yet be destitute of Grace and of the Life
Treasure in Heaven the Purchase whereof is certain the Possession firm and the Price incomprehensible The Lord will keep you aloof from Temptations he knows that if you were rich you would grow sensual insolent and negligent of spiritual things God knoweth what Condition is best for you you should have a greater account to make he expecteth from others Charity from you Patience Besides says Iob Chap. 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Some think it is the greatest Misery to have been sometimes happy but that is through Corruption when former Enjoyments make Men more nice delicate and tender and so less able to bear the present Cross. But if we consider rightly the less we have been afflicted the less are our Afflions on that behalf is it nothing that God hath given us to pass over some of our dayes with Peace and Comfort should we be so unthankful as to account that no benefit because it is past Iob 2.10 What! shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil is not what you have received a Pledge of what he can do for the future 3 VSE To the Rich to shew them what need they have of special Grace to manage that Condition aright It would seem an hard Censure upon this sort and order of Men yet it is a Truth and spoken by him who is Truth it self It concerneth you to look after special Grace more than others your danger is great and your difficulties in order to Eternal Life not a few You need peculiar Grace 1. To prevent the Evils and to heal those Diseases that are incident to Riches As Contempt of God We are apt to neglect and despise him when our Necessities do not drive us to him such is the Pravity of our Natures Hosea 5.15 In their Affliction they will seek me early Make God your refuge and he will be your habitation Psal. 91.9 Because thou hast made the Lord thy refuge even the most high thy habitation Neglect of Christ and Salvation by him they that have an Happiness in their hands already see no want in their Condition The whole need not a Physitian take heed of being heart-whole then you will have no relish for the Gospel It disposeth to Apostacy you have something of Value which you must esteem as nothing for Christ. It maketh us neglect Heaven Psal. 4.6 7. There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased An Estate without God is not good Lord let me not have my All here for these things must be left It maketh you proud and scornful Remember there are the true Riches without which a Person is but Vile He is most honourable before God that hath most Grace The Value of Men is otherwise in the World to come than in the present World Your Humility is your Crown It makes you to be more Sensual Wealth is the Pander of Pleasure the Purveyor for the Flesh but it should not be thus There is more cause of Fear than Rejoycing Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption It makes us Worldly as Chains to detain us under the Power of Satan and enslave us to the World It doth but betray you into mischief Do you desire your way to Heaven should be made more hard that is hard enough already 2. That you might devote your Riches to the Lord and be holy and heavenly in the midst of so great Temptations that you may not by momentary and temporal things forfeit eternal but rather further them Luk. 12.21 So is he that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich towards God 1 Tim. 6.18 19. That they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold of eternal life Wealth rightly imployed makes us capable of a greater Reward hereafter as it makes us more useful here SERMON XI ON MARK X. v. 24. And the Disciples were astonished at his words But Iesus answered again and said unto them Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God IN these Words you have two things 1. The Entertainment which the Disciples gave to his former speech They were astonished at his words 2. Christ's further Explication of himself But Iesus answered again and said unto them Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Wherein Observe 1. The Manner of our Saviour's speaking in that kind Compellation Children 2. The Matter of the Explication How hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God 1. For the Entertainment which the Disciples gave to his former speech They were astonished at his words This Astonishment was caused either by the legal Dispensation under which Obedience was rewarded with visible and temporal Blessings and therefore they marvelled that rich men should find such difficulty of entering into Heaven Or else it was occasioned by the Jewish Expectation of a pompous Messiah wherewith the Disciples themselves were levened expecting to share of the Honours and Riches of that Kingdom which Christ would set up Now Christ's Answer was quite blank contrary to these Carnal Hopes therefore they marvelled Or it may be upon the common reason that the Gates of Heaven should be shut to them to whom the gates of the World do always ly open Thus hardly are good Men brought to disesteem worldly things and rightly to ponder and weigh the Doctrine of the Cross which Christ had so frequently taught them 2. For Christ's Explication And there 1. The Compellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children so he bespeaks them who were sincere for the main thô a little leavened with Carnal Conceits and to sweeten the Doctrine which seemed so contrary to their humour 1 Thes. 2.11 As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children Novices and weak ones are to be used with all Indulgence for they had not received the Spirit in that plentiful measure as afterward 2. The Matter of his Explication How hard is it for them that trust in Riches c He had said before How hardly do they that have Riches now he explains himself they that trust in Riches He instanceth in this 1. As one common Disease of Rich Men as soon as they have any thing in the World they are apt to trust in it Some abuse Riches one way some another some to encrease their Worldly Cares and desire of having others to feed their Pride and Sensuality this way or that way according to their different Temper and Constitution of Body and
that are in the World are held up by God's hand They do not subsist by their own Nature so much as by Divine Manutenency He upholds all things It is an allusion to a weighty Body that is held up by the hand of Man which if loosned it falls to the ground so the Creature would fall to nothing if not kept up by God Now what an Almighty grasp hath he that holds up all things He that feedeth so many mouths with the opening the hand of his Bounty Psal. 145.15 16. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thy hands and satisfiest the desire of every living thing He that sustains and guides so many Creatures that preserves the Confederacies of Nature that sets bounds to the Sea and makes Decrees for the waves to obey beyond which they shall not pass Ier. 5.22 Which have placed the sand for the bounds of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and thô the Waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail thô they roar yet can they not pass over it He that holds the Winds in his Fist is not not he mighty and strong And therefore if God should but loosen his hand the World would soon fall into Confusion and nothing Thus his sustaining and preserving all things speaks him an All-powerful God 2. His Internal Providence The Providence of God is chiefly seen in his Power over the Spirits of men that are voluntary Agents He hath such a Power over them that they are not Masters of their own Affections and Dispositions but act contrary many times to their intended purposes Prov. 21.1 The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of waters he turneth it whither soever he will Look as a Man by cutting a Channel draws the water this way or that way hither and thither so doth God move the Hearts of all men in the World nay even of Kings and Princes Prov. 16.7 When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his Enemies to be at peace with him Strange thing that God can put a Bridle upon the Spirits of men and they shall be at peace with him whom they hated their Hearts are turned many times to what formerly they resolved against Esau is an Instance he had vowed Iacob's Death and meets him with purpose to destroy him but when God brings them together Esau falls embracing of Iacob Gen. 33.4 And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him Egypt dismissed Israel with Jewels Balaam comes to curse and he falls a blessing Israel This bridling turning changing the hearts of men it is a notable discovery of God's Omnipotency Look as there is more Power seen in governing a skittish Horse than in rolling a Stone so in ruling those Beings which have a Principle of Resistance doth the Lord shew forth his Power Angels Men and Devils can do nothing but as God will and as God gives them leave The Devils are fain to ask Christ's leave to enter into the herd of Swine Mat. 8.31 and therefore how may the flock of Christ's Sheep rest secure under the Power of his Providence when those damned Spirits are held in by the irresistible Providence of God that they can do nothing but what God will As Tertullian said If the Bristles of Swine be numbred much more are the Hairs of the Saints God hath such a mighty Power that not a Creature can be troubled without his leave even by those Spirits that are most opposite to him so that his Power over the Affections and Hearts of men shews he is a great and mighty God 3. That God is Almighty appears by the strength that is in Creatures which is an effect and shadow of the Power of God All the Power that is in Creatures is from God and he wastes not by giving as we do That expression suits to this Case God took from the Spirit of Moses and put it upon the Elders and yet Moses had not the less because of their participation We cannot communicate to others but we lessen our selves but God remaineth in an Infinite fullness and therefore if he hath given Power to Creatures he hath more power himself Now there is great Power in Creatures Iob 41.8 Iob tells us of great Whales that have Bones as Brass and strong as pieces of Iron And David tells us of Angels that excell in strength Psal. â—33 20 so that one of them slew a hundâ—ed fourscore and five thousand in one night in Senacherib's Host And if there be such strength in Creatures what is there in God from whom they have it For nothing is in the Effect but what was first in the Cause Secondly Let me come to Explain this Power of God by three Distinctions 1. God's Power is twofold either Absolute or Actual 1. His Absolute Power is by which he can do that which he never will do This is spoken of Mat. 26.53 Thinkest thou not that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels Mark 3.9 God is able of these stones to raise up Children to Abraham he can do more than ever he did or will do He can do not only what Men and Angels conceive can be done but what he himself conceiveth can be done 2. His Actual Power is that by which he doth whatever he will Psal. 115.3 Our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleaseth And Psal. 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places Never shall any thing be done but what God wills and what God wills shall surely come to pass which is a notable support in all accidents 2 Distinction God's Power is Ordinary and Extraordinary 1. Ordinary is that which is according to the Course of second Causes and Law of Nature when he preserves the Creatures and works by them according to the Order which he himself hath established Psal. 119.91 They continue this day according to thine Ordinance for all are thy Servants All the Creatures Sun Moon and Stars do keep the Track and Path which God hath set unto them and God preserves the Beings of all things and keeps the Covenant of night and day as it is called in the Prophet 2. There is God's Extraordinary Power by which he can suspend the whole Course of Nature as he hath done sometimes upon eminent Occasions as when the Sun stood still in the Valley of Ajalom Iosh. 10.12 13. or when the Sun went back ten degrees on the Dyal of Ahaz 2 Kings 20.11 His interdicting the Red Sea that it should not flow Exod. 14.21 22. His causing Iron which is a heavy Body to swim upon the top of the water at the Prayer of Elisha 2 Kings 6.6 His suspending the burning of the Fire when the three Children were in the Furnace Dan. 3.27
to the thankful Soul but to the unthankful they prove Occasions to the Flesh so their Table is made a snare to them and their Welfare a Trap Psal. 69.22 But when we sip and look upward and acknowledge God on all occasions the Creature is sanctified to us 1 Tim. 4.4 Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving Where there is a due Acknowledgment of the Donor we have it with a Blessing So 2. It suppresseth murmuring or that quarrelling fretting impatient Humour which venteth it self against God even in our Prayers and Complaints and sowreth all our Comforts Murmuring is an Anti-providence the scum of Discontent by which we entertain Crosses with Anger and Blessings with Disdain Man is a tachy Creature always querulous especially when God retrencheth him in some Worldly Conveniencies which he fancyeth Now a Thankful Spirit counterballanceth Crosses with Comforts Iob 2.10 What shall we receive good at the Hand of the Lord and shall we not receive evil It taketh Notice how gracious God hath been notwithstanding his seeming Severity therefore it can Bless God in every Condition Iob 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. This fretting Humour is Cured as long as we see Occasion of giving Thanks it causeth us to submit to his Disposing Will. 3. It prevents Distrust and carking Cares This Remedy is prescribed by the Apostle Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God When we acknowledge what God hath done for us it prevents Distrust Psal. 77.10 11. I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the Works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old There are great Convulsions in an Earthquake but when it findeth a Vent all is quiet When we can Bless God for Favours already received we will not doubt of his Goodness for the future but quietly compose our selves to wait for the good end of the Lord. 4. It Cureth spiritual Pride to consider who must be Praised and Owned for all the good which is in us 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it The more we have we are more indebted to Grace We have all from God and for God not for our selves our own Glory and Ostentation God will be Angry if we rob Him of it as Herod was smitten because he gave not God the glory Acts 12.23 The Receiver is as bad as the Stealer we Consent to this Robbery and Usurpation VSE Oh then let us be more abundant in Thanksgiving and Praise It is God's Will concerning us in Christ 1 Thes. 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you But there are other Reasons to perswade us as 1. Our Profit both Spiritual and Temporal It argueth a good Spirit great Faith and Love when we look to God in every thing and a submissive Spirit when we take any thing kindly at his hands The Nations had never fallen to Idolatry if they had kept up Thankfulness and considered God in all their Mercies Acts 14.16 17. Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Setting up the Idol Chance was the great Cause of perverting Mankind Besides this is noble and delightful Work the Work of Angels our Work in Heaven Well then Observe what matter of Praise God vouchsafeth to you continually if you did want many of the Comforts you now enjoy how miserable would your Lives be A thing too near the Ball of the Eye is not seen well Our Comforts must be set at a distance to make us value them 2. Our continual Dependance It is with us as it was with the Raven and the Dove which Noah sent forth out of the Ark Gen. 8.7 8. the Raven feeding on the floating Carrion returned no more but the Dove finding not whereon to rest the sole of her Foot returned with an Olive-branch Carnal Men if they can get any thing from God to support them and they have their Stock in their own hands they care no more for Him but live apart from God Ier. 2.31 Wherefore say my People We are Lords we will come no more unto thee 3. Consider how Thankful others are for less than what we enjoy There are many that would be glad of our leavings but usually those that enjoy the greatest Possessions pay the least Rent and God receiveth more Praise from a poor Cottage than from a rich Pallace But I proceed to the second Point 2 Doct. That in Thanksgiving to God we should especially own his Spiritual Benefits These are usually overlooked but yet these deserve the chiefest Acknowledgments First Because these are discriminating and come from God's Special Love which floweth forth to his own People Corn and Wine and Oyl are bestowed upon the World but Faith and Love upon his Saints David prayeth Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people To have the Favourites Mercy is more than to have a common Mercy Protection is the Benefit of every common Subject but intimate Love and near Admission are the Priviledges of Special Favourites Now by the common Effects of his Providence Love or Hatred cannot be known Eccl. 9.1.2 No man knoweth either Love or Hatred by all that is before them all things come alike to all c. The things without us and the things before us and the things promiscuously dispersed will not discover his Special Love to us Christ gave his Purse to Iudas the worst of the Disciples but his Spirit to the rest as the choicest Gift Secondly Because these concern the better part the Inward Man 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not but thô our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by â—ay He doth us more Favour that healeth a wound in the Body than he that soweth up a Rent in the Garment Is not the Body more than Rayment So is not the Soul more than the Body Yea farther and the Soul furnished with Grace than the Soul furnished only with Natural Gifts and Endowments 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of prophesie and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing And though I bestow all my
like Men be strong let all things be done with Charity And therefore that qualification which entituleth us to the Priviledges of the New Covenant is made to be Faith working by Love Gal. 5.6 The one Grace without the other is not saâ—ing and sincere Faith without Love is dead Iam. 2.17 and Love without Faith is but a little good Nature or facile Inclination to others not derived from the Spirit of God nor built on our Belief of his Grace in Christ they depend upon one another as the Effect upon the Cause Faith produceth Love as it sheweth the true grounds of Union and from a sense and apprehension of God's Love to us causeth us to love others In short both Graces are recommended by the same Authority 1 Ioh. 3.23 And this is his Commandement that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement He that maketh Conscience of the one will make Conscience of the other also Again the one referreth to God the other to Men Faith for God Charity for our Brethren The one keepeth us from defection from God the other preventeth a Schism and a Breach with our Fellow Christians Well then here was the Commendation of those Thessalonians their Adherence to the Faith was very Constant and they lived in Unity and Amity with one another There is no surer Argument of Sincerity and Proficiency in Christianity than this growth of Faith and Love they are the Fountain of all other Duties and if you would be accounted thorough and growing Christians you must excel in both these Graces for true solid Godliness is rooted in Faith and acted by Love towards God and Men which is the All of Christianity 5. This Growth and Proficiency was found in all Not only some among them were Eminent for Faith and Love but all If the Apostle had only said The Charity of you all aboundeth it might seem to refer to the Church that there was no Schism there but he saith of every one of you all towards each other In other Epistles the Believers to whom the Apostle wrote have all the Style of Churches or men sanctified c. but afterwards notorious and particular miscarriages are reproved which sheweth that the Denomination was a potior parte from the better part but here he mentions all and every one they were a choice sort of Christians where shall we find their Fellows It is our Duty to be such and it should be our Care for here we see what the Grace of God can do if we be serious and what an Advantage it is to be in good Company and to have good Examples about us and how much living Coals do inkindle one another when they lye together 6. He saith Faith groweth but Love aboundeth Love must not only increase but abound to each other A thing may be increased Intensivè or Extensivè Intensively when it is more rooted when there is a greater Fervour and Vigour of Faith and Love Extensively either as to Effects or Objects as to Effects in doing more good as when we abound in Works of Mercy or as to Objects by doing good to more Persons not confining our Love to one only or a few but extending it to all This was the Case of those Thessalonians their Love was not a lank or lean Love but an abounding Love full of all good Fruits and this not to some but to all even the meanest Christians among them If we would give others occasion to Bless God for us let us imitate their Example Occasions are many Objects are many to whom we may be beneficial therefore our Charity must not be streightned but abounding 1. The Internal Affection must increase Phil. 1.9 This I pray that your Love may abound yet more and more that is both their Love to God and their Neighbours especially to those who are God's There are so many things to extinguish it or make it grow cold that we should always seek to increase this Grace that it may be more fervent and strong and not grow cold and dead 2. The external Expressions should abound both as to Acts and Objects 1. As to Acts In Duties of Charity we should not be weary Now we may be weary upon a double Occasion either because we meet not presently with our Reward to that the Apostle speaketh Gal. 6.9 Be not weary of well-doing for in due time we shall reap if we faint not Duties of Charity have their Promises annexed which are not presently accomplished but in their season they will be either in this Life or in the next Or because of continual Occasions when there is no end Heb. 6.10 11. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister and we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Hope unto the end Meaning that formerly they had a Courage to own Christ and his despised wayes and to be Charitable to poor Christians now he desireth them to be so still as long as the Occasion continueth so long should the Charity continue that at length they might reap the Reward Ye have ministred and do Minister This is tedious to Nature and to a Niggardly and base Heart but Love will be working and labouring still and ever bringing forth more Fruit. Where this Heavenly Fire is kindled in the Soul it will warm all those that are about them but Love is cold in most it will neither take Pains nor be at Charge to do any thing for the Brethren But Christian Love is an Immortal Fire it will still burn and never dye therefore we should continue the same Diligence Zeal and Affection that formerly we had 2. As to Objects Christ telleth us The poor ye have always with you Matth. 26.11 As long as God findeth Objects we should find Charity and the Apostle saith Gal. 6.10 As we have opportunity let us do good to all Men. Expensive Duties are distastful to a Carnal Heart it may be they would part with something which the Flesh can spare and will snatch at any thing to excuse their neglect they have done it to these and these but as long as God bringeth Objects to our View and Notice and our Ability and Affection doth continue we must give still If our Ability continueth not Providence puts a barr and excuseth but if our Affection doth not continue the Fault is our own Now I come more particularly to speak of the Growth of Faith Your Faith groweth exceedingly Doct. That 't is well with Christians when their Faith groweth and doth considerably increase The Scripture speaketh of a weak Faith and a strong Faith therefore it concerneth us to consider whether our Faith be weak or strong in the wane or in the increase Now we shall best Judge of the growth of Faith 1. By
better colour The Mystery of Redemption to the Carnal is but a cold Story and the Rose of Sharon but as withered Flowers and the Promises of the Gospel are as dry Chips 3. The Causes of it they are the Holy Ghost and Faith as his Instrument This Joy is stirred up by the Holy Ghost therefore often called Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thess. 1.5 For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost And the Comforts of the Spirit Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost But then Faith is the Means Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho' now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory So that it is a Fruit of Faith as well as a Work of the Holy Ghost Faith joyned with Love will bring much Love into the Heart of a Believer and will cause it to be deeply affected with Christ's Grace 3. The Nature of this Joy and Gladness Here we must distinguish 1. There is a superstitious Joy which ariseth from knowing Christ after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more which is seen in this it prizeth Christ's Name but neglects his Office pretends a fond Esteem of his Memory but despises his Benefits As the Iews would fly in the Face of any that would not count them Abraham's Children yet would not do the Works of Abraham so is the Nominal Christian's Joy This Joy venteth it self in a Carnal way by outward Theatrical Pomp and Ceremonial Observances but not in real Affection to Christ yea they are rather Enemies to his spiritual Kingdom and Cause and Servants and express their rejoycing rather as Votaries of Bacchus than as Disciples of Christ in a gross and Carnal way This Joy is a rejoycing in Christ for a day but we are to make it our daily Work an holy Festival that lasteth our whole Lives Phil. 4.4 Rejoice in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoice This is a different thing from Abraham's rejoicing He had a Prospect of Christ's day and was exceeding glad but this is a Carnal owning of the God of the Countrey and no more 2. There is an holy Rejoycing which may be considered 1. As to the lively Acts. 2. Or solid Effects 1. As to the lively Acts in solemn Duties as the Word and Meditation and Lord's Supper it doth your Hearts good to think of Christ Cant. 1.4.10 We will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy Love more than Wine Psal. 22.26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him Your Heart shall live for ever Heb. 11.13 All these dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them That is when they thought of it the time of the Gospel was a sweet time to them and so it is to all other Believers A Man cannot think of his Pelf or any petty Interest in the World without Comfort and can a Believer think of the Promises and not be affected with them In solemn Meditation and other Duties is Faith and Joy acted 2. As to its solid Effects 1. It is such a Joy as doth enlarge our Hearts in Duty and strengthen us in the way of God Nehem. 8.10 For the joy of the Lord is your strength Psal. 119.14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all riches The hardest Services are pleasant to one that delighteth in Christ. This Joy is the very life of Obedience a Christian cannot be without it 2. It sweeteneth our Calamities and Crosses 1. Common Afflictions It can never be so sad with us in the World but we have cause of rejoycing in Christ Hab. 3.17 18. Tho' the Fig-tree do not blossom c. yet I will rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation For we have better things in him than any natural Comfort which can be taken from us This should not diminish the solid satisfaction of our Souls 2. The Afflictions of the Gospel Luk. 6.23 Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for your Reward is great in Heaven for in like manner did their Fathers unto the Prophets Heb. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that in Heaven ye have a better and enduring substance They are fit Occasions to shew how much we Value Christ above all our own Interests how near and dear soever they be to us 3. It draweth us off from the vain Delights of the Flesh. Every Man must have some Oblectation for Love and Delight cannot lye idle in the Soul either it is taken up with the Joyes of Sense or with the Joyes of Faith And it is good for every Man to Observe what it is that puts gladness into his Heart where his solid Contentment and Pleasure is A bruitish Heart fetcheth all its Solaces from the World but a gracious Heart from Christ the one love Pleasures more than God but to the other Christ and his Benefits are their matter of Joy and Comfort this is that they are cheared with as they get more of Christ into their Hearts Psal. 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased As David calleth God his exceeding Ioy Psal. 43.4 They need not the Carnal Mirth without which others cannot live Psal. 4.6 Who will shew us any good VSE Well then you see Faith is not only a Sight but a Taste or a feeding on the Promises with delight Psal. 119.111 Thy Testimonies I have taken for an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart And such a Delight as draweth off our Hearts from other things as the Man that had found the true Treasure Matth. 13.44 For joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field I Observe a double Joy in Abraham 1. In Desiring He rejoiced to see my day The Spiritual desires of God's People after Christ are full of Joy There is a Joy that accompanieth seeking before we attain what we seek after Psal. 105.3 Let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Before Complacential Joy there is a Seeking Joy Better be a Seeker than a Wanderer and Delight in Christ keepeth up this seeking 2. There is a Joy after Faith hath given some satisfaction First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he rejoiced and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was glad A Man sick of a Mortal Disease when he heareth of
he that forbeareth let him forbear for they are a rebellious House As if God should say Let them now do what they will I am at a point Now sometimes their Condition is irreversible which is clear because when God hath given them over how shall they repent and break off their Sin God's Oath is past Psal. 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my Wrath that they should not enter into my Rest. God standeth sworn to condemn and destroy them If they should have any Anguish of Conscience and Remorse stirred up in them God will have no regard to it Prov. 1.26 27. I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your Fear cometh when your Fear cometh as Desolation and your Destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you Hosea 5.6 They shall go with their Flocks and with their Herds to seek the Lord but they shall not find him he hath withdrawn himself from them When Men have neglected God's Seasons and begin to be surprized with Death then they would fain have Comfort and Pardon but instead thereof the Lord puts them off No you would have none of me Psal. 81.11 12. But my People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lust and they walked in their own Counsels Instead of Compassion they are mocked and turned over to their evil Courses and carnal Company Joh. 8.21 I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your Sins That this may be before Death appeareth because Grace is confined to a Season Isa. 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near And that Season is not always as long as Life Luke 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes The Day of Grace is bright but short We may mourn over many thus when the Measure of their Iniquities is filled up God giveth over calling and expecting and waiting for their Repentance It is true the time is not to be known by any Man of himself nor by others concerning him we cannot state the number of Calls because Circumstances are diverse and Light breaketh in with Warnings in a different degree There is a great deal of variety in the Lord's Dispensations therefore all must use the Means and warn we must to the last We can only say in the general that after God hath done with them and expects no Good from them he may let them live for the Glory of his Justice as after God had hardned Pharaoh's Heart yet he continued his Life that he might shew his Power in him Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my Power and that my Name may be declared throughout all the Earth You may survive your final Hardness as a Monument of God's Justice in the World 2. It is a just Dispensation It is just with God to take the Refusal and be gone and to cease to deal with your Hearts any more when after all the melting Intreaties of his Grace you cast him off he commands and you will not obey he is willing and you are not willing he intreats and you will not hearken He wishes Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever He laments Psal. 81.13 O that my People had hearkned unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways And you will not join with him He is grieved that his Offer of Grace is not received and you will not lament It is but just that a Man should be left to his own Choice that a Man should miss of that Salvation which he cared not for that if after Warnings Convictions and Intreaties he will be filthy he should be filthy still In Hell Conscience will acquit God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have been the cause of all this to my self 3. It is a merciful Dispensation to the rest of the World We are told of these things before-hand not that we may despair that is an ill Consequence but that as we love our Souls we should take heed of resisting Grace and turning our Backs upon our own Mercies It is a merciful and fatherly Warning to strike in betimes and own the God of our Mercies Delay is that that undoeth all the World Now this is the best Cure of Delay 2 dly The Causes of it 1. Sinning away the Light of Nature By Nature Men have some knowledg of Good and Evil. There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some common Principles as that God is and must be worshipped that we must do wrong to none nor pollute our selves with promiscuous Lusts. The Heart of a Pagan would rise against it Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts Now when Men hold the Light of Nature in Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 when they hold poor Truth fettered and bound that it cannot break out into an holy Conversation this provoketh God to give them up to Hardness There are many Sins which Nature discovereth and may be avoided upon such Reasons and Considerations as Nature suggesteth Now when Men put the Finger into Nature's Eye or will not suffer Reason to exercise any Dominion but let loose the Reins to Lust God leaveth them to a carnal and sottish Heart Tho by the Light of Nature Men cannot convert to God yet by the Light of Nature Men may practise many Duties and avoid many Sins The Gentiles were left to an unsound injudicious Mind When Men fall into foul Sins against the Light of Nature Conscience loseth its Feeling and Tenderness Eph. 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto Lasciviousness to work all Vncleanness with greediness Hearts prejudiced against the things of God may grow to very Stones 2. Refusing God's many Calls Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his Neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without Remedy God may bear with us a while after one or two or more Reproofs but when we are often reproved and often convinced and yet will not be reclaimed God may give us over The exact Date of Christ's Patience or the Number of his Calls e're the fatal Period of final Induration cometh we know not but when it is often you are in danger Take heed of forfeiting your own Mercies by refusing the most earnest Motions of the Word and Spirit When God importuneth to be heard and obeyed his Spirit being thus resisted and refused God will be at length wearied and will not give as much Grace as before Isa.
63.10 But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their Enemy and he fought against them Sâ—vit infelix Amor. Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he also is Flesh. The Heathens did acknowledg that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gods of Cities and Nations did for the Provocation of the Inhabitants forsake their Altars and Temples The more Calls and Convictions we resist in this kind the more difficult and improbable is the reducing a Sinner to God every day he groweth more wicked and profane To resist the Clamours of Conscience is sad but to weary and grieve the Spirit is dreadful Ezek. 24.13 In thy Wickedness is Lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy Filthiness any more till I have caused my Fury to rest upon thee God sets them over the Fire till their Hearts begin to be warmed and then lets the Sun remain on them 3. Gross Hypocrisy This is a constant Lie a Contempt of God an habitual and customary stifling and smothering of Checks of Conscience For their Form and Profession sheweth what they should be and if they were what they seem to be all would be well Men have Light enough to take on the Form of Religion and Sin enough to resist the Power of it And therefore their Judgment is the greater for their whole Life being a constant rebelling against the Light they are left to perish by their own Deceivings 2 Thess. 2.10 11. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved For this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie The carnal Christian being not brought to true Faith and sincere Repentance God giveth them up that they may be deceived by every vain Pretence 4. Apostacy from Grace received Men are not only warmed but begin to have a Taste They that take up with some Profession of the Things of God but afterwards fall away again to Looseness and Vanity and Worldliness they are more left by God than others Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for them who were once enlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance For they dishonour him more and bring an evil Report upon God The Devil hath more Power over them as a Prisoner that hath made his Escape if he be taken afterwards hath more Chains put upon him 2 Pet. 2.21 22. For it had been better for them not to have known the Way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them For it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire They themselves are made more uncapable of ever owning the Ways of God again it is impossible they should renew themselves it groweth up into a wilful Malice Heb. 10.26 For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins Grace will not pardon them the Mediator will not intercede for them Apostatae sunt maximi osores sui ordinis Apostates hate the Ways they have professed Hosea 5.2 The Revolters are profound to make Slaughter None so cross and malicious and perverse in their Cause 5. Sottish Despair there is a raging Despair and a sottish Despair the one is when Conscience is terrified the other when it is stupified when to Custom in sinning there is added a passionate Will Jer. 2.25 Thou saist There is no hope no for I have loved Strangers and after them will I go Jer. 18.11 And they said There is no hope but we will walk after our own Devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his evil Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men do not use to consult about things that are impossible It is said of the Israelites Exod. 6.9 They hearkned not unto Moses for Anguish of Spirit and for cruel Bondage Lust is so deeply rooted that they cannot help it the Case is desperate they are at a point as we use to say Past Cure past Care they grow out of Heart and so lie down under the Power of their Lusts they resolve to persist in their Sins to live as they lift and it is to no purpose to speak to them Thirdly Of â—â—d's hardning as a Father in a way of the highest fatherly Anger and Displeasure This may be 〈◊〉 Isa. 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy Ways â—nd hardned our Heart from thy Fear This is a partial Hardness There may be Desertion in point of Grace tho some Tenderness left in the Understanding that discerneth Good and Evil in the Conscience that is dissatisfied in its 〈◊〉 State in the Will that owneth the Ways of God so that there is a general Purpose to please him in all things Yet the Heart groweth dead and stupid there is an unaptness for holy Things they are less sensible of the Evil of Sin they have not such Delight in the Word nor Rejoicing in Hope nor Freedom for Prayer nor Patience under Afflictions nor Complacency in Communion with God And it is sad when it is so when to Sense there is little difference between them and the Wicked there is Hardness in a Stone and Hardness in a piece of Wax I will shew the Causes of this and the Means to cure it 1 st The Causes of this are 1. Sinning against Conscience There are Sins of daily Incursion and sudden Surreption and there are Sins of Presumption into which God's Children may in some rare Cases fall but then they make great Waste and Havock in their Souls as David's great Sin by which he lost that free Spirit and was forced to beg a new Creation as if all were to begin again Psal. 51.10 11 12. Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Cast me not away from thy Presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the Ioy of thy Salvation and uphold me by thy free Spirit Many are the Mischiefs which come by such Sins Partly God's Love is obstructed that he is not so ready to do them good Isa. 59. Your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear That is the good Will and Favour of God is as it were bound up and hindred from shewing it self in all those gracious Effects which otherwise it would put forth for our Comfort and Peace he doth not actually pardon their Sins nor make them Partakers of spiritual Benefits in so ample and full a Measure as otherwise he would but
do not lose what you have wrought Isaac digged Wells and the Philistines dammed them up so when the Soul hath digged a Well of Salvation Satan will seek to damm it up therefore be watchful SERMON VI. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide Secondly I Come now to the particular Objects of Meditation First I begin with that which is the Chief End of Man a necessary Work that you may come to your selves Luke 15.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger That is when he began to consider of his Condition it put better thoughts into him Therefore that we may come to our selves it is good to consider the End why we were Created and the Errand upon which God sent us into the World to reason thus with our selves Why was I sent into the World Why do I live here to get an Estate or to get into Christ To wallow in Pleasures or to Exercise my self in Communion with God To heap up perishing things together or to make my Everlasting State more sure When the End is rightly stated Men know their Work and so live up to the purposes of their Creation But alass Many know other things but are ignorant of themselves and so pass on carelesly to their own Ruine like him that gazed on the Stars and fell into a deep Pit their Eyes are upon the ends of the Earth but they do not consider their Souls Others for want of considering the end of their Lives are so far from living as Christians that they scarce live as Men but either as Beasts or as Devils Delight in the Pleasures of the World transformeth a Man into a Beast it is their happyness to enjoy Pleasures without remorse and to gratifie the Body and delight in Sin transformeth a Man into a Devil Worldly Pleasures are not Bread and Sinful Pleasures are Poyson You that are allured by the Pleasures of the World which are lawful in themselves you lay out your Money for that which is not Bread and you to whom it is Meat to do Evil you feed upon that which is Rank Poyson the World cannot satisfie and Sin will surely destroy Thus Men beguile themselves and do not consider of the end of their Lives till their Lives be ended and then they make their moan Usually when Men lye a dying then they cry out of this World how it hath deceived them And how little they have fulfilled the end of their Creation Partly because then Conscience is awake and puts off all Disguises and partly because present things are apt to work upon us and when the Everlasting Estate is at hand the Soul is troubled that it did no more think of it Oh consider It is better to be prepared than to be surprized Think not only of your Last End but of your Chief End what should be the great aim of your Lives even before Death comes All Religion lyes in this in fixing the aim of your Life all the difference between Men and Men is in their Chief Good and Utmost End In the managing of this Meditation I shall pursue it in this Method not that I prescribe to you but that I may set some bounds to my own Discourse however I shall use such a Method as is most facile and obvious not exceeding the Capacity and Reach of the meanest The Work of such a Meditation may be divided into three parts 1. The Considering Work 2. The Plotting and Contriving Work 3. The Arguing Work First In the Considering Work you may propound these or such like things to your thoughts 1. Man was made for some End All God's Works are referred to the Service and Use of his Glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of wrath God being a wise Agent must have an End now God could have no other End but himself and his own Glory for the End must be more worthy than the Means something better and above all created things And if God made all things for himself then Man who was the visible Master-piece of the Creation the lesser World the Compendium and Summ of all Gods other Works So the Apostle Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things All things are of him as a Creator through him as a Preserver and to him or to his Glory from him as the first Cause to him as the last End Certainly God did not make such a glorious Creature as Man for any low use The whole Creation was for Mans Use and Man was for God's Glory Psalm 8.3 4. When I consider the heavens the works of thy fingers the moon and the stars that thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him He was God's Deputy and Vicegerent created to enjoy the Comfort of other Creatures and to exercise Dominion over them the whole World is his Palace arched with Heaven and floored with Earth But still that he might be faithful to his Maker and do his Homage to God and give him the Rent and Tribute of his Glory and Praise And therefore if the Heavens do declare the Glory of God and the creeping things and all Beasts in their Rank and Place much more should Man who was furnished with Higher Priviledges and with an Higher Capacity we have faculties that are especially suited to this purpose therefore it is said 1 Iohn 5.26 He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Certainly God never made such a Glorious Creature for Wealth or Pleasures but for an higher Use and Purpose even for himself If you do but look upon his Mind and Understanding you will find it to be a wrong and debasement to take it off from a Spiritual Use and put it to a Carnal 2. This End is the injoying and glorifying of God To enjoy God is Mans happyness and to glorifie God is Mans work by glorifying God he comes to enjoy him and he enjoyeth him that he may glorifie him Herein he differeth from other Creatures they were made only to glorifie him not to enjoy him but Man to glorifie him and enjoy him too 1. He was made to enjoy him for that is his happyness Domine Fecisti nos propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum donec perveniat ad te The Soul is made up of unlimited and restless desires there are such cranneys and chinks in the Soul that cannot be filled up but by the enjoyment of God we were made for him and we are not quiet till we do enjoy him Nature will teach us to groap after an Eternal good as the Sodomites did after Lots Wife in the Dark Acts 17.28 That they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him
Every Sinner is as a mad Gamester he ventures a Kingdom the largest and fairest that ever was at every throw and he is fure to lose it too Then consider the pains of Hell they will set out the greatness of Sin and consider them either in regard of Gods Ordination or Appointment or in regard of your own feeling 1. In regard of Gods Ordination and Appointment That the good of God who is meekness and sweetness and Bowels it self should adjudge his Creature to Eternal Torments certainly there is some cause We pity a Dog if he should be cast into a furnace for half an hour yet those tender Bowels of Mercy shrink not up at the sight of Sinners though Man be the work of his own hands and though the Creature screech and howl under these pains yet he will not lessen and take them away Surely there is some great evil in Sin that hath tyed up the hands of Mercy 2 Consider it in regard of your selves and your own feeling Oh for a short Temporal Pleasure thou runnest the hazard of Eternal pains We that cannot endure the scratch of a Pin or the aching of a Tooth how shall we endure the torment of so many thousand years and yet still to look for more Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Mark the Attribute the living God who Lives for ever to see the Vengeance accomplished as long as God is God Hell will be Hell there can never be any Hope that Gods Being can be destroyed or that there will be aâ—cessation of those torments and pains God ever liveth to reward the Godly and to punish the wicked 3. The third sort of Arguments are from the aggravations of Sin that may enhance it and show the greatness of it to your thoughts 1. It is natural to us It is necessary to reflect upon this Circumstance because it is the hardest matter in our Humiliation to be sufficiently affected with our Birth-Sin Evils that come by Accident are Objects of Pity but Evils of Nature are Objects of Hatred we pity a Dog that is poysoned but we hate a Toad that is poysonous by Nature oh how may the Lord hate us that have Evil in our Nature it is not accidental to us It is the great fondness of Men to make that an excuse which is in it self the greatest aggravation Some will say when they are reproved for Sin I cannot do otherwise it is my Nature this will be the cause of thy ruine without an Interest in Christ. The Waters that come out of a pure Fountain may be soiled and dirtied but they will be clear again but a puddle that runneth out of a Dunghil will be alwaies nasty and filthy Our Sins are not by Accident but by Nature they are not like the muddying of a clear Fountain but like the unsavoury liquor that comes out of a Dunghil Original Sin however you think of it is the sin of sins we are born with such a Sin and it is worse than any other Sin Actual Sins are but as a transient Act whereby there is a violence offered to one of Gods Commandments but this is a constant rooted abiding contrariety to Gods own Nature Actual Sins are a blow and away but this is a remaining Enmity Actual Sins are like a fit of Anger and Displeasure soon up and soon down but this is a rooted hatred This is the cause of all other Sins the bitter root that diffuseth a poyson into all the branches All other Sins that a Man commits are but Original Sin acted and exercised Look as in the Art of numbring the greatest number that can be numbred is but One multiplyed so the whole fry of Actual Transgressions is but Original Sin multiplyed this Spawn diffused and spread abroad all those Traiterous Actions that we are guilty of in the course of our Lives are all summed up in this sinning Sin 2. Our Sins are many We sin in praying in eating in ploughing in trading and any one of these is enough to undo a World The Angels became Devils for one Sin for one Sin of thought a proud thought against Gods Empire and Greatness and for this they were thrown into places of Darkness what ruine then will a great many Sins procure to thy Soul If single Sins seem light in themselves yet what are they all together There is nothing lighter than one Sand and yet nothing heavier than Sand in a great quantity A Gnatt a Fly a Locust are poor inconsiderable Creatures yet when they come in multitudes they are called Gods great Army and destroy whole Countreys Ioel 2.11 The Lord shall utter his voice before his Army for his camp is very great If every pore in the Body were but pricked with a Pin the veins would soon be emptied of Blood One Sin was deadly but what are they altogether when from Top to Toe there is nothing but sores and putrefaction Herod was eaten up with Lice a small inconsiderable kind of Vermin yet the abundance of them destroyed him so though Sins seem small in themselves yet when they come in clusters how soon will they devour and eat out the life and comfort of the Soul Psal. 40.12 Innumerable evils have encompassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of mine head therefore my heart faileth me And if David may say so may not we much more Nothing can be little that is committed against the great God but suppose them small yet they are a Company oh this will make your hearts fail The little finger of Sin is weighty but when all the loins of it are laid upon the Soul how great will the Burden be Lok upon all the troubles of the Servants of God and you will find they were first occasioned by a small Sin as Mr. Peacocks by eating too freely at a Meal but when innumerable evils shall compass you about that wherever you look there is Sin if you look on Duty there is Sin if you look on your Calling there is Sin if you look on your Recreations there is Sin if you look on the hours of your repast there is Sin Oh this will make your hearts fail indeed 3. If they have been such as have been committed against Knowledge There is more of the Nature of Sin in such Acts for the Nature of Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law now the more we know the Law the greater is the Transgression according to the sense we have of the Law so the offence is elevated and raised He that hath Knowledge is magis particeps legis the Law is a piece of himself it is impressed upon his Conscience and he offereth violence to the Principles of his own Bosome This is the Reason why the Children of God use this aggravation as David Psal. 51.6 In the hidden part thou shalt make me
Reverend Thoughts that by a deliberate gaze you may raise your Souls into an Holy Wonder and Amiration 1. I shall lay down some preparative Considerations 2. I shall come to the work it self I. To prepare you To consecrate your thoughts for the entertainment of so great a Mystery consider these things 1. When you have done your utmost your thoughts will still fall short Isa. 40.28 There is no searching of his understanding There is an excess in every Attribute above all Humane Thought and Conceit and though we follow on after God yet we cannot find him out to perfection Now among all his Attributes none is more hidden from us than his Wisdom as Children that are only busied in puppets and bawbles cannot imagin what it is to govern a Common-wealth Power is obvious but our foolish Spirits cannot trace the Wisdom of Providence much more his Wisdom discovered in the Gospel One of the Names of Christ is Wonderful Isa. 9.6 It is a point that we should alwayes be studying and yet we can never come to the bottom of it and therefore what is wanting in Thoughts must be supplyed by wonder When we have done all we must cry out Rom. 11.23 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out As if he had said I have done as much as I can I have discovered as much as I am able but I must leave off disputing and fall now to wondring The Light of the Scripture doth not discover him fully 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part Full Knowledge is our Portion in Heaven these are but partial Discoveries we have even in the Word of God However this is no excuse for Negligence and Barrenness Not for Negligence for we must follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6.3 It is the fault of Christians that they keep alwayes to their Milk and first childish Thoughts and Apprehensions we should rise higher in our Considerations and Admirations of the Love and Wisdom of God It is notable that Moses his first request to God was What is thy name Exod. 3.13 and then I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 we must follow on from considering Gods Name to clearer sights of his Glory Not for Barrenness Empty Thoughts void of Argument and Discourse beget a confused Stupor not a Wonder the Thoughts are only stayed not raised 2. Not only Men but Angels themselves are at a loss in this great Mystery they study it as well as we and cannot come to the bottom of it 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to bow down and bend the Body it is an allusion to the Cherubims that were pictured over the Ark stooping and as it were bending their Bodies as prying into the Mysteries of the Ark. The Mysteries of the Gospel are so sublime that the Angels which do continually behold the face of God cannot perfectly comprehend them they are learning and improving their knowledge by learning and improving the dispensations of God to the Church Ephes. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God that they may know the curious contrivances of Gods Wisdom by observing the Revelations that are made and the Dispensations God hath used towards his Church And possibly this may be the meaning of the Apostle in that expression 1 Tim. 3.16 Seen of Angels that is with Reverence Admiration and wonder to see Christ stoop so low to be cloathed with Flesh to condescend to a Nature so much beneath their own This is the work of Angels either they desire to know more of Christ or they delight themselves in beholding of that they know Oh we should never be weary of searching into these Holy Mysteries and acting our thoughts upon them 3. They wonder most at the contrivance of the Gospel that have most Interest in it to others it is but a cold Story or naked Plot. Concernment sharpneth Invention and Affection a Man doth then more seriously consider of it their Eyes are open and they have more of sense and feeling And that is the Reason why the injoyments of the Saints have notes of wonder annexed to the expressions of them as Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding c. 1 Pet. 1.8 Ioy unspeakable and fall of glory they that have a taste of it know what it is to enjoy a calm and serene Conscience through the application of the Promises of the Gospel They can best wonder at the contrivance of the Gospel who are called out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 They wonder in their thoughts that God and Christ should design their Heaven be plotting and contriving their Salvation before all Worlds how they may be Vessels â—â—lled up with Glory Oh marvellous Light wonderful unutterable Joy These are the apprehensions of Gods Children others may look upon the Gospel as a probable Truth but they have found it a comfortable Truth therefore their hearts are raised in wonder II. I come to the Work it self You may manage it three wayes 1. By Observations 2. By Arguments 3. By Comparisons 1. By Observations Observe what is Beautiful and Excellent in the Gospel 1. God did not contrive to save the fallen Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham He was not made an Angel for Angels as he was made a Man for Men. Oh Lord Thou sawest Angels sinning but not returning in them thou didst discover the severity of thy Justice but in us the riches of thy Mercy God would not so much as treat with a fallen Man Angel but plotted a way to recover In the Election of Angels Mercy is not so much glorified as in the Election and Calling of Men there was Grace showed in the Election of Angels but not Mercy none of the fallen Angels were saved but fallen Man is called to Grace in Christ. Certainly whatever the causes were there was much of Wisdom and Mercy in it Whether it be for this cause that when Adam sinned the whole Humane Nature fell but the whole Angelical Nature did not fall but only a part of it the kind it self needed not to be repaired but all the Mass of Mankind was poysoned Or whether this be the cause meerly the Will of God certainly there is much of Mercy in it Love after a breach is more glorious it is more to be reconciled than to be confirmed Poenitens the Penitent have more cause to glorifie God then Innocens the Innocent those that are received to Mercy than those that are confirmed by Grace Or else was this the cause Because the Angels sinned out of their own Motion Angels had no other Gemptation but their own
swallowed up of this Joy shall we be no more affected with it now We that shall so shortly be so full of joy shall we be empty now Shall not we rejoyce who have now a Title to Heaven and shall in a little time be in the full and perpetual possession of it III. The many Reasons which shew we should have a greater inclination to this Blessed Work than usually we have and be oftner in it 1. Because God hath done so much to raise it in us All the Persons of the God-head concur and contribute their Influence in that way of operation which is proper to each to give us grounds of joy 1. The Father giveth himself to us and his favour as our felicity and portion Gods Love is the bosom and bottom cause of all our Happiness which sets all other causes at work and when we have the sure effects of it can any thing so bitter befal us that will not be sweetned by the Love of God Or so evil that this shall not be ground of Comfort to us Psalm 4.6 7. There are many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased Carnal Men must have something good to sense but Godly Men take their full delight in God This doth them good to the Heart it is not like a little Dew that wets the Surface but like a soaking Showre that goeth to the Root And more enough to draw us off from the World enough to swallow up all our infelicities yea to encounter the Thoughts of Death Hell and Judgment to come 2. The Son is also matter of rejoycing to us as our Redeemer and Saviour You are to consider what the Lord Jesus hath done to deliver you from Sin and the bitter Curse of the Law and the Fears of Death and the Flames of Hell The Eternal Son of God came to heal our wounds Isa. 53.5 By his stripes we are healed To make our peace with the Father by the Blood of his Cross Col. 1.20 To vanquish our Spiritual Enemies and triumph over them Col. 2.14 15. to be the ransom of our Souls 1 Tim. 2.6 The Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 the Head of his Church Eph. 1.22 The Treasury and Storeâ—ouâ—e of all our Comforts Iohn 1.16 and in short he hath recovered us to God and hath given us an Interest in the Comforts of his Gospel and the Promises thereof which are in him Yea and in him Amen and is not this matter of joy and rich comfort The whole Covenant breed strong consolation in the hearts of Gods People Heb. 6.18 And David saith Psalm 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart It doth our hearts good when we take these things for our Happiness Abraham rejoyced in the fore-thought or fore-sight of Christs day Iohn 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And should not we rejoyce that live under the clearest dispensation of it The benefits of our Redemption by Christ should be so esteemed that no Affliction should be grievous The Kingdom of Christ is every where represented as a Kingdom of Joy and Comfort Rom. 14.17 The kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost And if we be real Members of it we should see more cause of rejoycing in Christ Jesus 3. The Holy Ghost concurreth in his way of Operation as a Sanctifier Guide and Comforter As a Sanctifier he layeth the foundation for Comfort for it is the spirit of Delusion that comforts us in our sins that by imaginary Comforts he may keep you from those that are real solid and everlasting But the true Spirit is a Sanctifier and therefore a Comforter he first poureth in the Oyl of Grace and then the Oil of gladness Comfort and Joy follow Holiness as Heat doth the Fire And then as a Guide either in his restraining Notions as he mortifieth Sin or in his inviting motions as he exciteth and quickneth to Holiness These are helps to our Comfort cannot a Man live merrily without Sin And do you think a Life of Holiness irreconcileable with a life of rejoycing no such matter it is the ready way to joy especially to joy Spiritual But chiefly as a Comforter he is purposely given us to keep in this Holy Fire and maintain a constant delight in God in our Souls And therefore it is called Joy in the Holy Ghost where God himself taketh upon him the Office of a Comforter surely there will be comfort Life will quicken light will illuminate and the comforting Spirit will comfort in that season and degree God seeth fit and we are capable to receive Now he comforteth partly as sealing partly as giving earnest 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts As sealing us by stamping the impress and image of God upon us which is the mark of his Children the sure Evidence of his Love and the Pledge of our Happiness And as giving us the earnest of a Blessed Estate to come that Life is begun which there shall be perfected Now consider all this when God himself will be our Portion our Saviour our Comforter should not all this cause us to rejoyce in God what-ever our Condition be in the World 2. All the Graces tend to this Faith Hope and Love 1. Faith That is a dependance upon God for something future that lyeth out of sight Now these invisible and future Objects are so great and glorious that they support and comfort the heart how afflicted soever our present Condition be 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost In both these places Faith implyeth a firm belief of and dependance upon Christ as an All-sufficient Saviour by whom alone God will give us Eternal Life This Faith will breed a perpetual rejoycing in the Soul if it be firm strong and operative 2. Hope breedeth this Joy also Rom. 12.12 Rejoycing in hope and Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Though we be pressed with Miseries for the present yet there is a better Estate to come the excellency and certainty of which causeth us to rejoyce and giveth us a foretast of it Joy is chiefly for Injoyment but there is a partial Injoyment by hope which is not only a desirous expectation but delightful for tast or praeoccupation of the thing hoped for 3. Love to God also causeth us to rejoyce in him For it sheweth it self in a complacency and well-pleasedness of Mind in God as our chief good Psalm 16.5
away Religion that the want may make us more sensible of the worth of it 5. It bringeth a Scandal and ill report on God in the World Therefore he standeth upon his vindication Micah 6.3 4 5. O my People what have I done unto thee And wherein have I wearied thee Testifie against me For I brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of Servants and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam Oh my People remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Baalam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. That strangers receive him not is not so bad but that a People acquainted with him should cast him out after trial God calleth upon the Mountains and strong foundations of the Earth who keep still their obediential Subjection to their Creatour to witness against the ingratitude and stupidness of his People What injury have we found in God vers 2. Hear O ye mountains the Lords controversy and ye strong foundations of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversy with his People and he will plead with Israel 1. Vse We must neither build the walls of Iericho again nor as much as in us lyeth suffer others to build them Every one in his place is to hinder the work If Religion were uncertain it were another matter But did Christ come to establish the works of the Devil If Joshua saith cursed be he before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho If Paul said Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed If others bestir themselves and by clancular and base artifices go to build these Walls again We should be the more Zealous for God Micah 4.5 For all People shall walk in the Name of his God and we will walk in the Name of our God But what must we do 1. Let us not only profess the true Religion but come under the Power of it The heart is best established by Grace The byas of mens corrupt hearts doth easily prevail against the light of their minds Few are corrupted in opinion but that are first false at heart The regenerate have advantages above other men 1 John 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and know all things Most rotten opinions in the World are against the gust and sense of the new Nature But on the other side Men soon lose their zeal for truth that are addicted to a worldly sensual life Therefore see that Christ's Kingdom be set up in our hearts Luk. 17.21 The Kingdom of God is within you And that there we build not again the things we have destroyed Gal. 2.18 After we have devoted our selves to God we must not fall off from him till Christ's Kingdom be set up in our hearts we shall never sincerely care for his interests in the world For all carnal men seek their own things Men may bustle for a while for the Interest of their several Factions and Opinions but have not a true pure zeal for Christ's Kingdom 2. Let us pray That will do much Christ hath taught us to pray for the coming of his Kingdom Matth. 6.10 Thy Kingdom come David in his penitential Psalm could not forget the welfare of the Church when so deeply concerned as to his own particular for the recovering of his own peace Psal. 51.18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem Walls of Sion not of Iericho or Babylon It is God's interest spread it before him 3. Be thankful to God for these deliverances Prayer gets blessings but thankfulness keepeth them For God is careful to preserve them to such who count it a benefit and are mindful of it We have manifold cause to bless God 1. For former deliverance out of the House of Bondage so early 2. That he hath so often defeated the attempts of those who would bring us back thither 3. For the good we have many years injoyed under the Reformed Religion which God hath blessed to the converting strengthening and comforting many a precious Soul 4. For continuing still the liberty of the Gospel and means of Grace under a Protestant King 5. For the quiet we now injoy when other parts of Christendom are are in a combustion we are untouched and injoy safety We are querulous and apt to complain but all things reckoned we have much more cause to give thanks 4. Let such deliverances as this inkindle our Love and Zeal to that Religion which God hath owned and defended Partly because when men are perswaded of the Truth such Providences as these are so many attestations to it Psal 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Partly because God will spue those out of his mouth that are neither hot nor cold Partly because Zeal discourageth the Factours and Abettours of the Kingdom of darkness The Fear of the People restrained the Pharisees 5. Prize the means of Grace and incourage them Iericho's Walls fell by the blast of the Rams-horns This Kingdom falleth by the Preaching of the Gospel 2 Thes. 2.8 Whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth Whoever hinders that promotes the Devils Kingdom 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Owls fly in the dark This Kingdom is maintained by Darkness Blindness and Ignorance of the Truth 6. Let us not give incouragement by our Divisions to our adversaries The more we labour for Unity the more we Establish Religion Rom. 16.17 Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrin which ye have Learned and avoid them When Passengers in a boat fall a quarreling and pushing one another they endanger the sinking of the boat When Christ's Army is scattered Antichrist will prevail Keep up the common Christianity it may be peaceful endeavours signifie nothing in a factious and divided â— time yet we must Unite every one in the things that are right and owned by God Jam. 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaecable Provided we touch no unclean thing Here we must separate 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you 7 Recommend Religion by an holy Life Partly because gross sins under the Profession of a Reformed Religion provoke God to remove our Candlestick from us Partly because with all understanding Beholders the Fruits of Love Peace and Holiness will justifie your Religion Matth. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her Children 8. Practise the Vertues contrary to the Vices of the opposite Kingdom Theirs is a Bloody Religion ours a Meâ—k
the preference intended 1. On the one side here is sitting at the Threshold on the other side dwelling in the Tents He had distinguished before the Travellers to the House of God and the Dwellers in the House of God vers 4. c. Here a day in God's Courts and a perpetual service in God's House The lowest degree and place about God is more honourable for one day though they die the next as Kimchi than to have a perpetual abode in the Tents of wickedness 2. He calleth the one the House of God the other but a Tent to shew the stability of their estate who live in Communion with God and the uncertainty of their Happiness who are strangers to him they live but in a Tent a moveable Habitation 3. He calleth the one the House of my God as challenging an interest in him And so the place of his Presence Power and Habitation being the more dear to him as every thing that relateth to God is made precious for his sake But he calleth the other Tents of wickedness There was great wealth but nothing but profaneness and corruption Well then you see that David speaketh as a man that had a mind to prefer the one before the other One day in God's Courts Not in Atriis suis Coelestibus in his Court of Heaven as some of the Antients would carry it but here in his Church A few hours spent with God were more than the longest life without him Doct. 1. That God's People have a great value and an high esteem for his Ordinances 2. They do not only value them but value them and esteem them above other things 1. The esteem and value they have for his Ordinances simply considered This is a reason of the Context why there was such longing desire on his own part such earnest pressing forward on the Peoples part who came up to worship at Ierusalem For a day in thy Courts c. Reasons of it 1. Nature or a spiritual instinct All Creatures naturally desire to preserve that life which they have and therefore by a natural propension run thither from whence they received it Meer instinct without instruction carrieth the brute Creatures to the Teats of their Dams And every effect looketh to the cause to receive from it its last perfection Trees that receive life from the Earth and the Sun send forth their Branches to receive the Sun and spread their Roots into the Earth which brought them forth Fishes will not live out of the Water that breedeth them Chickens are no sooner out of the shell but they shroud themselves under the Feathers of the Hen by whom they were at first hatched The little Lamb runneth to the Dam's Teat though there be a thousand Sheep of the same Wooll and Colour as if it said Here I received that which I have and here will I seek that which I want By such a native inbred desire do the Saints run to God to seek a supply of strength and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As New born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Young Children are not taught to suck The young born Child runneth to the Dug not by instruction but instinct Iam. 1.18 19. Of his own will begat he us by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures Wherefore my beloved Brethren let every man be swift to hear The same thing that teacheth the young Lambs to suck or new born Babes to draw the Dug or the Chicken to seek a cherishing under the Dam's wings the same thing teacheth the Children of God to prize the Ordinances The cause is inbred appetite not persuasion and discourse but inclination Grace is called a New Nature which hath an appetite joyned with it after its proper supplies 2. The next cause of this value and esteem is experience They find it so sweet that they long for more 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Certainly a man that hath had any taste of Communion with God will desire a fuller measure as by tasting of excellent meats our appetite to them is not cloyed but the more provoked Carnal men do not know what it is to enjoy God in his Ordinances and therefore they do not long for them They never tasted the sweetness of the Word nor of God's Love in Christ. David says Psal. 19.10 The Statutes of the Lord are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than the Honey or the Honey-comb The Children of God find more true pleasure in the Ordinances of God than in all things in the World What is the reason that to carnal men they are but as dry chips burdensom exercises melancholy interruptions but to the other nothing so sweet more pleasurable than the richest and choicest sensualities that are most eagerly pursued and gustfully enjoyed by us The reason is given in the 11th verse Moreover by them is thy Servant warned and in keeping them there is great reward There we come to learn wisdom against our spiritual dangers and there we learn the way of godliness and obedience which besides it own sweetness heapeth upon us the richest rewards as having the promises of this life and that which is to come He commendeth the Word from his own experience He had felt the effects and good use of it in his own heart he had his broken heart bound up They find that Christ doth heal their Souls remove their anguish sanctifie their Natures give them the promised help in Temptations warn them of sins and snares relieve them in distress bridle their corruptions So Psal. 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary He that once hath had a sight of God and a taste of God would not be long out of his company He compareth his desire of Communion with God with hunger and thirst and maketh it greater than the hunger and thirst which men suffer in a dry Wilderness where there is no refreshment to be had He had seen God and would fain see him again the remembrance of the pleasures of the Sanctuary revived his desires So that besides Nature there is Experience 3. There is yet a third Cause and that is Necessity We should take delight in the Means of Grace and Ordinances of God though we stood in no need of them because they carry such a suitableness with the New Nature and because they are means to exhibit more of God to us But our Imperfection is great and this is the only way to get it supplied Decays are very incident to us and how else shall
my Heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God The Prophane blind world neither careth for the Duty nor for God in the Duty the formal hypocritical part of the World is for the outward Duty and rests satisfied with the bare Ordinance but the sincere Christian would meet with God there They do not only serve him but seek him to find God in the means and his lively operation upon their Hearts and therefore God would not go from 〈◊〉 without him Gen. 32.26 I will not let thee go except thou bless me They must have somewhat of God this is what they long for some new warmth and comfort and quickening 3. Those Ordinances are prized where many of the Servants of God meet together It is comfortable to injoy God in secret such duties are rewarded with an open blessing Mat. 6.6 But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and shut thy Door and Pray unto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly But here it is Gods Court David could thus injoy God in the Wilderness Psal. 42.4 I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that kept holy day It is a comfort certainly to meet with our everlasting companions joining in Consort with them and beginning our everlasting work Gods people have but one Spirit one Divine nature are led by the same principles rules and ends have the same hopes desires and joys To have multitudes of these joining with us in lifting up the same God in the same solemn worship praying together hearing together sitting down at the same table and glorifying the same God and Father with the same Heart and Mouth Acts. 1.14 These all continued with one accord in Prayer and supplication Psal. 22.22 In the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee And ver 25. My praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my vows before them that fear him 4. It must be to the Ordinances though under reproach disgrace persecution Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt Though the Service of God expose us to the lowest and most painful condition of Life as a Door-keeper if joined with any measure of Communion with God 2 Sam. 6.22 I will be yet more vile than thus It is better to suffer affliction with the people of God than to injoy the most easie sumptuous and plentiful condition of Life with wicked Men. Few are content to serve a poor Christ. 5. It is a constant affection not for a pang Herod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heard John Baptist gladly Mark 6.20 and Iohn 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light for a season while Ordinances are novel things or during some qualm of Conscience But it is from a constant inbred appetite common to all the Saints 6. This value and esteem must vent it self by a strong desire Psal. 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God The lively Believer doth earnestly and above all other things seek after communion with God Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my Life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple There were other things which David might desire but this one thing was his Heart set upon that he might live in constant communion with God Not to be setled in his Regal Throne which he sought not yet to be but to injoy that transcendant pleasure of conversing daily and frequently with God And the Spirit worketh uniformly in the Saints 7. The end of our attendance on Ordinances must be Gods Glory and our own profit God's Glory Psal. 27.4 To behold the beauty of God God is infinitely worthy of all honour and praise from his Creatures Love to God hath an influence on it Psal. 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth Our profit 1 Pet 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby that we may have some increase of light and life Psal. 84.7 They go from strength to strength every one in Sion appeareth before God Sermon I. on Luke Xix. 10 For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost THIS is given as a reason why Christ came to invite himself to Zaccheus his House who was a Publican we find ver 7. the people murmured saying that he was gone to be a Guest with a Man that is a sinner Christ defendeth his practice by his Commission or the errand for which he came into the World For the Son of Man c. In which words 1. The Person or the character by which he was described the Son of Man Christ is called so not to deny his Godhead but to express the verity of his humane nature and that he was of our Stock and Linage He might have been true Man though he had not come of Adam but his Humane Nature had been framed out of the Dust of the Ground as Adam's was or created out of nothing but he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are of one For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 He would be of the Mass and Stock with us 2. His Work He is come to seek and to save The first word to seek sheweth his diligence he leaveth no place unsought where his hidden ones are the second word to save sheweth his sufficiency of Merit and Power both shew his kindness and good will to mankind to recover us out of our lapsed estate 3. The object of this Grace and Favour that which was lost The object of Christ's Salvation is Man lost and undone Doct. That the great end and business of Christ's coming is to seek and save that which is lost Here I shall enquire two things by way of explication 1. In what sense we are said to be lost 2. How Christ cometh to seek and save such I. In what sense we are said to be lost two ways really and indeed or in our own sense and apprehension 1. Really and indeed so we are lost to God and lost to our selves As to God he hath no Glory Love and Service from us and so is deprived and robbed of the honour of his Creation The Father in the Parable by whom God is resembled saith Luke 15.24 This my Son was lost and is found Lost as to themselves so they are said to be lost as they are out of the way to true Happiness and as they are in the way
Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Observe there the saving of Noah from the Flood is a Type and Shadow of Salvation by Christ. The Flood drowned and destroyed the Impenitent World but Noah and his Family were saved in the Ark. We are warned of the Eternal Penalties threatned by God if we do not repent and believe we shall not be saved from wrath but if we believe and prepare an Ark diligently use the means appointed for our safety then we become Hâ—irs of the Righteousness of Faith are accepted by God and have a right to all the Benefits which depend thereupon It was a business of vast charge and an eminent piece of self-denying Obedience to prepare an Ark. So true Faith sheweth it self by Obedience We read of the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as the Fruit of the Gospel 3. With respect to it's Rule and Warrant And that is the Gospel and New Covenant called the Word of Faith Rom. 10.8 The Hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith The Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 This is the Doctrine which iâ— believed Now all that the new Covenant requireth may be called the Righteousness of Faith For look as to be justified by the Law or Works required by the Law is all one So to be justined by Faith and to be justified by the new Covenant is all one also And therefore whatever the new Covenant requireth as our Duty that we may be capable of the Priviledges thereof is a part of the Righteousness of Faith Now it requireth Repentance from dead Works Acts â—7 30 He hath commanded all men to repent because he will judge the World in Righteousness We are to repent in order to the Judgment which will be either of Condemnation or Justification So the new Covenant requireth Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Iohn 5.24 He that believeth in Christ shall not come into Condemnation So it requireth new Obedience Heb. 5.9 He is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him None are qualified for Eternal Liâ—e but those who perform sincere Obedience to his commands It is not absolutely perfect Obedience that is required but only sincere and upright And there is a necessity that we should be sincerely Holy not only in order to Salvation but Pardon 1 Iohn 1.7 If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And in order to the Application of the Blood of Christ to our Souls or to the obtaining of the Gift of the Spirit or any new Covenant Gift Act. 5.32 We are his Witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him Well then these are the Conditions to be found in us before we are made partakers of the full Benefit of Christs Merit Repentance towards God Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and new Obedience And all these are comprized in the Expression The Righteousness of Faith For Faith receiveth Christ and the Promises made to us in Christ upon the Terms and Conditions required in the Gospel Only these things are of a different Nature and concur differently The Obedience of Christ in a way by it self of Merit and Satisfaction Faith Repentance and our Obedience only in a way of Application And in the Application the Introduction is by Faith and Repentance and the continuance of our right by new Obedience Yea in the Introduction Repentance respects God and Faith Christ Act. 20.21 Testifying both to Jews and also to the Greeâ—s Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. We return to God as our chief good and soveraign Lord that we may love serve and obey him and be Happy in his Love Faith respects Christ as Redeemer and Mediator who hath opened the way for our return by his Merit and Satisfaction or Reconciliation wrought between us and God and given us an Heart to return by the renewing Grace of his Spirit Coming to God and being accepted with God is our end Christ is our way And indeed in the Righteousness of Faith the chiefest part belongeth to him who by his Blood hath procured this Covenant for us for whose sake only God giveth us Grace to repent believe and obey and after we have done our Duty doth for his sake only accept of us and give us our Reward These are not Co-ordinate Causes but he is the Supream cause all that we do is subordinate to his Merit and Obedience II. What is the Hope built upon it or the things hoped for by Vertue of this Righteousness And they are Pardon and Life 1. Certainly Pardon of Sins is intended in the Righteousness of Faith As appeareth by that of the Apostle Rom. 4.6 7 8. David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute Sin If this be the Description of the Righteousness of Faith or the Priviledges which belong thereunto for now we are upon the Hope of the Righteousness of Faith then certainly Remission of Sins is a special branch of this Felicity 2. There is also in it Salvation or Eternal Life Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life The Crown of Glory is for the justified called therefore the Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 You have both together Acts 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of Sins an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith These two Benefits are most necessary the one to allay the fears of the guilty Creature the other to gratifie his desires of Happiness Therefore the Apostles when they planted the Gospel they propounded this Motive of forgiveness of Sins Acts 13.38 Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of Sins And also the other of Life Eternal 2 Tim. 1.10 That Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel These two Benefits give us the greatest support and comfort against all kind of troubles Our Troubles are either inward or outward Against troubles of Mind or inward Troubles we are supported by the Pardon of our Sins Mat. 9.2 Son be of good cheer thy Sins be forgiven thee Against outward troubles we are supported by the Hopes of a better Life being secured to us 2 Cor. 4.17 18. For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Again both are eminently accomplished at the last Judgement when the Righteousness of
terms Therefore he revealeth and perswadeth us to accept the conditions of the New Covenant and to cast away all our rebellion against God and enter into his Peace 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God They plead in his Name and by vertue of his Power Secondly As a King and Lord so he maketh these terms part of the New Law for the remedying of lapsed Mankind Heb. 5.8 Though he were a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered And not only so but he subdueth us to himself Luke 11.21 By strong hand rescueth us out of the power of the Devil and giveth us Grace to serve him acceptably Heb. 12.28 And taketh us into his care and ruleth us and protecteth us till we enter into everlasting life His Lordship is a great part of his Mediation III. The Comforts and Duties thence resulting namely from Christ's being constituted as Mediatour as they are laid forth in the Text. 1. I observe That the Father's Honour and Glory is still secured and preserved safe and intire notwithstanding the giving the Glory to Christ as the Lord of the New Creation The Glory of the Mediatour doth no way impair and infringe the Fathers Glory That is apparent partly because all the good we have is from the Father but onely by Christ. For when the Father is spoken of 't is said From him are all things but when the Mediatour then 't is said By him which notes a subordinate operation or administration as Lord Deputy under the Father and therefore in the subjection of the Creature unto Christ the Glory of the Father is expresly reserved Phil. 2.11 That every Tongue should confess that Iesus is Lord to the Glory of the Father Again it 's apparent because it 's said We are to him or for him The Mediatour does not lead us off from God but to him Therefore both our love to God and subjection to him must still be preserved 1. Our love You must not think of the Father that he is all Wrath severe and inexorable and his Favour not to be gain'd but upon hard terms no if he himself had not loved us we could never have had Christ for our Redeemer All things are of him not only in a way of Creation but Redemption and one great end of sending Christ was to shew the amiableness of the Divine Nature Christ himself was sent by the Father John 3.16 God so loved the World that he sent his onely begotten Son 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their trespasses to them Rom. 8.32 God spared not his own Son but delivered him for us all 2. Our Subjection and Obedience Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood His antient right in us is not disannull'd but promoted We are redeemed to his Service and Obedience See 1 Cor. 6.19 20 Which are God's viz. By a right beneficial as a farther obligation God is the Efficient and Final Cause of all things Therefore still our Subjection to God and Love to God must be preserved 2. I observe That the expressions here used imply Returns as well as Receipts Look to the Expressions in both Clauses either concerning the one God or the one Mediatour The one God From him are all things and we by him or for him As from his bounty and goodness so for his honour and service Prov. 16.4 God hath made all things for himself 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God Whether it be in a way of Nature or Grace all things come of God These words do especially concern Christians All matters of Grace come from the Father to us for his Glory All things that belong to the New Creation as appeareth by the last clause we by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for him See Eph. 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory So for what is said of the Mediatour and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things That is which we receive from God and we by him that is all the services which we return to God again Not onely Blessings come from the Father to us but we also must return duty and service to God by the same Mediatour Receipts come from God by Christ and Returns go back by Christ to God Which is to be noted by them who are all for Receipts but think not of Returns And also by them who own God in their Mercies but make Returns in their own Name No all that duty which we perform to God 't is by the Mediatour All Christianity is a coming to God by Christ Heb. 7.25 If we believe in God 't is by him 1 Pet. 1.2 By whom we believe in God If we love God 't is in Christ. If we pray to God 't is in and through him Ephes. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father If we praise God 't is in and by Christ Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ to the Glory and Praise of God Otherwise our Duties are not acceptable and pleasing to him 3. I observe That in the Receipts we expect from God there is great encouragement to expect them For God is represented as a fountain of Grace as a Father as a God and Father that acts by a Mediatour whose Merit is exprest as large as the Father's Power 1. As a Fountain of Grace he is the supream Cause of all things from whom all creatures have their life and being A Fountain ever-flowing and over-flowing What can we ask of him which he is not able to do Psal 57.2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that pâ—rformeth all things for me If it be pardon of sin or the gift of the spirit If subduing Enemies or everlasting Salvation he is able to give it you If it be strength against Temptations or Grace to serve him acceptably you come to a God from whom are all things VVhen a Man seriously worshippeth God he turneth his back upon all other things and turneth his face to God as the supream Lord and Fountain of all Happiness You may with confidence present your Petitions to him that can perform all things 2. You come to God as a Father If you take it personally 't is comfortable to come to him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes. 3.14 or essentially as a Father of the whole family of the faithful He loveth us dearly VVe have the Supream God for our Father and shall not we trust in him 2 Cor. 6.18 And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters VVho would distrust a Father and an Omnipotent Father VVhen we remember not onely his sufficiency but his love to us and our
Edify others it availeth not 2. The Nature and Properties of it in the Text where the Properties of this excellent Grace of Charity are reckoned up Charity suffereth long and is kind and envyeth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly c. In all these Predications there is a Metonymy either of the Subject or of the Effect Of the Subject Charity doth thus that is the Man endowed with this Heavenly Gift or Grace If of the Effect then the meaning is that where this Habit is impressed and rooted it is the cause that these Effects ensue That a Man is long suffering kind c. It is all one in which sense we expound the Apostle for all cometh to the same issue This premised let us explain the several Clauses 1. Charity suffereth long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is maketh a Man long suffering This being the first and principal Act of Charity it concerneth us to state it aright and so it meaneth that where Christian Love prevaileth in the Heart of any he doth not presently break out into Anger when he is Injured by another but patiently expecteth his Repentance and his own Deliverance by the Lord. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Long-suffering signifyeth a slowness to Anger Jam. 1.19 Be slow to wrath This agreeth with the Pattern Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And it agreeth with the nature of Love for we are not easily offended with those whom we love Love and Anger are contrary Love would profit Anger would hurt and offend others Therefore Love will not easily give place to its contrary Charity doth pass by and wink at Causes of Offence and therefore a quick resentment of Injuries is quite opposite to Christian Love Paul requireth of the Servant of the Lord that he be Patient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.24 The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient To which he adds v. 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves And in the Context here he speaketh of useing Gifts in an Edifying manner but to all Christians he saith Charity suffereth long It is meant that they should be long suffering not easily drawn to a Fury or Revenge of Injuries So that this first property of Charity is That it restraineth Wrath and a desire of Revenge notwithstanding Reproaches and Injuries Rom. 13.19 Dearly Beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath That is bear with it leave it to God who will in time convince the Party of his Wrong or recompense it unto him which is according to the Example of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.23 Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously When fowl Crimes were laid to his Charge he did not give the least ill word for the worst usage but only resigned himself to his righteous Father to deal with him and his Persecutors as he saw fitting Now therefore we should be patient and long patient Alas how many Injuries doth God put up at our hands Whence is it that he hath not long since dissolved the World and put an end to the Wickedness of Man We can only render the reason of the Text Love suffereth long If we cannot suffer long we are like that naughty Servant that when his Lord had forgiven ten thousand Talents and his Fellow-servant to whom he owed an hundred Pence said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 18.29 Have patience with me That is setting aside thy present Anger bear a little and see what I can do to pacifie thee An Instance of this rash Anger which is contrary to this suffering long we have in David 1 Sam. 25.22 God do so to me and more also if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall But he behaved himself better towards Saul whom he spared when he had him in his power which was not the manner of Men in those times as Saul confesseth 1 Sam. 24.18 For if a man find his Enemy will he let him go well away 2. And is kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is tender and compassionate ready to do good We have a Pattern of both in God not only of Forbearance but of Goodness Therefore it is said Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Now Charity that is of Divine Original infuseth into Man's Nature a Benignity which moveth a Man to consider others as well as himself that he may do good to them It is a God-like Quality 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he is kind This is a quality by which they are inclin'd and ready to do good to every one even to Enemies Well then it is not enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bear long and not to hurt but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it disposeth us to do good This is fitly coupled to the former The perfection and strength of Christianity lieth in these two things Mala pati bona agere To suffer Evil and do Good for it To return Good for Good and Evil for Evil the Heathens knew this and Publicans will do this To render Evil for Good is the property of the Devils and Men inspired by them But to do Good for Evil and to overcome Evil with Good this is proper to Christians And therefore by these two Properties doth Heavenly Charity bewray it self by Long-suffering and Kindness Therefore if you would know whether the Love of God doth dwell in your Hearts are you made ready to suffer and to do any thing for the Glory of God and the Salvation of your Neighbour If so then you are sincere with God He that loveth suffereth long he that loveth is kind and doth all the good he can to others delights in doing good and that not only to Friends in which there is nothing eximious They do nothing but what the Carnal World would do Matth. 5.46 47. For if you love them that love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if you salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others Do not the Publicans so But to those that deal frowardly with us as Ioseph to his Brethren Gen. 45. 3. Charity envyeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is more adverse to the Goodness commended to us than Envy which cannot bear the Good of another and therefore is very far from procuring it and promoting it Such was the Envy of Cain who taking notice that his Brother's Offerings pleased God more than his own he could not bear it and at length slew him 1
Psal. 17.14 15. From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose Belly is fill'd with the hid treasure they are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance to their Babes But as for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Men are dazled with the splendour of Worldly Happiness and think it a fine thing to be well fed and well clad and well attended but this is all for them and theirs and shall we Envy them for this That they have more for Back and Belly than we have a little pomp of living especially when such great things be provided for us in Christ. Alass what is a more plentiful Table to the Everlasting fruition of God The Pomp of the World to the Honour Christ will put on us at the day of Judgment when he shall be admired in his Saints The favour of Princes to seeing God face to face Vain Glory to Everlasting Glory Their momentary Pleasures which pass away suddenly as a Dream to that Everlasting pleasure at God's Right hand A little Decking and Adorning of the Body to be satisfied with his likeness and to walk with God in White 2. Present Enjoyments Here I take in the notion of the Text his secret is with the righteous There is some difference what should be meant by the secret of the Lord. Sometimes it noteth 1 Spiritual Illumination or the knowledge of God's Will Psal. 25 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him he will teach them his Covenant They know more of God's mind than others do and they know it not only Literally but Spiritually That is by the lively light of the Spirit not Disciplinarily Now this is a great favour that God doth so love them that he doth admit them to his Arcana Iohn 15.15 I have called you Friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you 'T is a greater Evidence of God's Friendship to understand his Counsel in the Word and to be acquainted with the Mysteries of Godliness than all the Success Power and greatness of the World Christ gave his Spirit to the rest of the Apostles but his Purse to the Son of Perdition Some have Knowledge and Eminent Gifts others Wealth and Honour yea though they which increase Knowledge increase Sorrow yet the knowledge of a despised hated truth though it expose us to sufferings is better than to flourish in opposition against the ways of God through our ignorance obstinacy and blind prejudice And will you that are directed in the way of Salvation advanced to know God and the tenour of his Will far more than the Blind Carnal Careless World Envy them that are only acquainted with Christianity as a Report or Tradition calculated and formed to to a Worldly Interest 2. The secret of the Lord may intend not only direction in our Duty but Satisfaction about God's Dispensations for our Consolation in all Afflictions God helpeth them to interpret his Providence better than others called the secrets of Wisdom Iob. 11.6 And should the Saints whose Graces make them so sharp and Engaged that know more of God's mind than others in these very dealings which are so troublesome and offensive to them should they envy the Oppresâ—or and be so discontented to suffer a little that have more skill than others to look into God's ways and consider the course of his proceedings 3. Secret may imply the visible Blessings of God's Providence so 't is said Iob. 29.34 The secret of the Lord was upon my Tabernacle The singular Love God bore to him did preserve him and did guide him and his Family and made all his Affairs prosper Psal. 31.20 God shall hide them in the secret of his presence When they seem to be left open as a prey to the oppressions and injuries of their potent Adversaries yet there is a secret guard upon them and they are kept the World knoweth not how Now should such that are hedged round about with the guard of a secret Blessing leave their refuge for the defence of a little Interest in the World which God hateth and can soon blow upon Psal. 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty 4. Secret may note the intimate familiarity that is between God and them and that inward Consolation which they have with God in a course of Holiness which is hidden from the World 1 Iohn 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him Many secret Refreshings visits of Love expressions of Grace are bestowed upon them Now have such any cause to envy others They that walk with God meet him at every turn are so often comforted and quickned by the manifestations of God and the influences of his Grace Psal. 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness The Psalmist preferreth his present condition before the greatest happiness of carnal men because he had opportunities of beholding the Face of God or enjoying the Comforts of his Presence This is as if a Child fed with Manchet should envy a Slave for being fed with the Bread of Sorrows 3 The Nature and mischievous effects of this envy For 't is not so tame an evil as the world doth imagine 1. It disposeth to fretting or murmuring against God's Holy Providence Psal. 37.1 Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity Prov. 24.19 Fret not thy self because of evil men neither be thou envious at the wicked It notes a certain taxing of God's Providence as if he did not rightly Govern the World 1. It tempteth to Apostacy from God's ways to the ways of the wicked That 's in the Text clearly Envy not the oppressor and chuse none of his ways implying that this emulation of their Happiness will draw you to cry up a Confederacy with them and to enter into their Lot and Net Prov. 24.1 Be not thou envious against evil men neither desire to be with them When we admire their Happiness it secretly inticeth our Hearts to take share and lott with them A Man is perverted by this Envy it weakneth our fear of God our value of Spiritual Blessings expectation of things to come and diligence in God's Service 3. It implieth and includeth many ill Principles which tend directly to the weakning of Faith Hope and Piety 1. It implyeth or includeth this Principle or Opinion That the felicity of a Man consisteth in these external good things which the wicked enjoy which is an error destructive to Godliness For change a Man's
Lingua Petiliani non est ventilabrum Christi It is well that every angry Christian's Tongue is not the Fan wherewith Christ will purge his Floor God considereth Men in his judgment not of this or that Party but as Righteous or Wicked II. In what sense is this denied of God For it seemeth God doth respect Persons giving more Grace to one than another though both be equal in themselves I answer First The Text speaketh of what is done by God in his Government Respect of Persons is not faulty except it be in judgment for so it is forbidden to Man that neither the Poor nor the Rich should be favoured in the judgment of their cause Levit. 19.15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the Poor nor honour the person of the Mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy Neighbour And so it is applied to God 1 Pet. 1.17 Who without respect of persons judgeth every one according to his works Therefore God may be considered two ways either as a righteous Governor of the World or as a free Lord. And the decision in short is this That God that is Arbitrary in his Gifts is not Arbitrary in his Judgments Therefore we must not exclude the free distribution of his Graces for God as a free Lord may give his benefits as he seeth meet for that is not a matter of right and wrong but of meer favour Thus God of his free mercy called the Gentiles who were further off from him than the Jews and may give the Gospel and the Grace of the Gospel to one and not to another when both are equally unworthy of it As to his Gifts he may do with his own as it pleaseth him Matth. 20.15 We can plead no right either by merit or promise On the other side if you consider God as a Governor who Governeth Mankind by a Law which hath Punishments and Rewards Punishments threatened and Rewards promised he judgeth according to that Law and as obliged by promise Compare Rom. 9.16 and 1 Cor. 9.24 In the one place It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy But in the other so run that ye may obtain How shall we reconcile these places The first place belongeth to Gods Dispensation as a Free Lord the second as a Righteous Governor All Acts of Government are dispensed according to Law and Rule but his Gifts according to his own Pleasure If you ask why he doth nor give effectual Grace to all and hinder Sin in all He is not a Debtor but a Free Lord though we are all Children of Wrath though God seeth no more in one than another yet it pleases him to shew more Mercy to one than to another He speaketh not here of the Sovereign will and good pleasure of God who taketh into favour one that is of himself as unworthy as another but his love towards the Work of Grace in whomsoever it is found He speaks of his consequent rewarding Grace in dispensing of which he looketh not to outward Prerogatives or Observances 2. In his Gifts of Grace he doth not respect Persons or Nations or outward Prerogatives but the Counsel of his own Will He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy passing by others which are nobler richer wiser He is not moved by any bye Respects to any thing in the Creatures so to do Even so father for so it pleaseth thee Matth. 11.27 III. What is the meaning of this Qualification That feareth God and worketh righteousness and the respect which each hath to the other The Answer must be given according to the several acceptions of the Words Fear and Righteousness which may be taken strictly or largely 1. Strictly So the Fear of God implyeth his Worship Deut. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to fear the Lord our God for our good always or all that Duty of Man which is immediately given to God And Righteousness is also taken for the whole Duty of the second Table as often in Scripture Now thus it maketh a good sense for all Religion consists in these two The Faithful discharging our Duty to God and Man There are two Tables and we are to take care of both that we do not give Offence to God or Men by neglecting our Duty to either Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man So Rom. 12.17 Providing things honest in the sight of all men neither offending against the Rules of Justice or Mercy but abounding in the Exercise of both 2. Both are taken largely Fear for the principle of our Obedience to God and Righteousness for the Fruits of it whether they belong to the first or second Table As 1 Iohn 3.7 He that doth righteousness is righteous So that here Peter observeth the right order he beginneth with Fear as the Root of all Duty and Worship and then proceedeth to the Fruit which is an uniform constant impartial Obedience to the whole Law Which Method is also observed in other Scriptures As Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth God and delighteth greatly in his commandments And Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to fear me and keep my precepts This sense I choose and prefer and therefore shall examine 1. Why Fear is made the Principle 2. Why working Righteousness is required as the Fruit. 1. Why Fear is made the Principle of Obedience Certainly not to exclude Faith in Christ for without him we can do nothing Iohn 15.5 At least nothing acceptably Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God And God is especially to be reverenced and adored for his Goodness in Christ Hos. 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter day Let us a little then consider 1. What is this Fear of God 2. Why is it required as the Principle of all our Actions 1. What is it Holy Fear is of two kinds the Fear of Reverence and the Fear of Caution The Fear of Reverence respects God and not our selves Fear of Reverence is grounded on the Nature of God his Majesty Holiness Goodness and Justice The Fear of Caution upon the weightiness of the Work we have to do and our own Weakness The Fear of Reverence maketh us walk strictly the Fear of Caution watchfully 1. The Fear of Reverence is necessary or an awful regard of God that we may not offend him or displease him or give him just cause of being angry with us who is of such glorious Majesty Ier. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O thou King of Nations Of such unspotted Holiness Rev. 15.4 Who would not fear thee O Lord for thou only art holy 2. The Fear of Caution is necessary to make us watchful against Temptations The Work is weighty if we miscarry we are undone for ever Heb. 4.1 Let us fear lest a promise being left us any of you should come short of it We are
Apply it closely What sin have I done How doth it concern me Practice it readily Iam. 1.25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of libetty and continueth therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word this man shall be Blessed in his deed 3. Use is to put us upon Self-reflection Is our Fruit proportionable to our Hearing The Word is not only the Seed of Regeneration but the means of Growth 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever with 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby God does not consider what we are de facto but what we ought to be what strength we might have Our account is according to our means Luke 12.48 Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Less Grace will serve to the Salvation of some than others Therefore take heed that where more Grace is bestow'd it be not neglected by you A Sermon on HEBR. ii II. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren IN this Epistle to perswade the Hebrews to continue in their professed Subjection to Christ the Apostle setteth forth Christ in his Person and Offices In his Person there are Two Natures Divine and Humane The Apostle proveth both by one Argument That Christ ought to be such a Person as was Superior to Angels and yet for a time to be also inferior to them He had already proved that Christ ought to be Superior to Angels He is now shewing the Reasons why he must be made a little lower than the Angels in his Incarnation and Passion The necessity and reasons of his Incarnation he beginneth to lay down in this verse For c. In the words observe 1. A Maxim or Truth laid down 2. A Consequence or Inference thence deduced 1. In the Truth laid down Two things are expressed 1. A difference between Christ and his People 2. An Union between them 1. The different Parties here spoken of He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified Christ is the Agent he hath an active Power to free from Sin such as are polluted with it We are Passive for by him that sanctifieth is meant Christ One prime benefit we have from him is Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And by the sanctified are meant the People of God who sometimes were polluted and sinful 2. They are said to be of one This Notes the Union that is between them they are of one Stock and Lineage or one common Parent of Mankind Adam Of one Blood Acts 17.26 He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth Thence Luke carrieth up the Genealogy of Christ to Adam Luke 2.38 So that he is one of our Kind and Nature There is indeed an union of Christ with man 1. By his Incarnation 2. Upon actual Sanctification In the first respect he is One with all Mankind as they are Men. In the Second He and the Sanctified which are the Church are one in an especial manner There is a Natural Bond between us and Christ and a Spiritual Bond The Natural Bond gave him an Interest to Redeem us The Spiritual Bond is the ground of our Comfort in that Redemption They are of one 2. The Inference or Effect thence resulting For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Which words represent 1 the condescension of Christ He is not ashamed 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge to call them Brethren 1. The condescension of Christ He is not ashamed We are said to be ashamed in Two Cases 1. When we do any thing that is filthy As long as we have the heart of a Man we cannot do any thing that hath filthiness in it without shame Or 2. When we do any thing beneath that Dignity and Rank which we sustain in the World The former Consideration is of no place here The latter then must be considered Those that bear any rank and port in the World are ashamed to be too familiar towards their Inferiors But yet such is the love of Jesus Christ towards his People that tho' he be infinitely greater and more worthy than us yet he is not ashamed to call us Brethren It is said Prov. 19.7 All the Brethren of the poor do hate him If a Man fall behind hand in the World his Friends look askew upon him But Jesus Christ tho' he be the Son of God by whom he made the World the splendor of his Fathers Glory and the brightness of his Person the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords and we be poor vile and unworthy Creatures yet he disdaineth not to call us Brethren If a great Prince should call a poor Tradesman Brother it would be accounted singular Courtesie And yet what is the greatest Prince of the World to Christ 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge 1. The nature of it Christ calleth us Brethren Not Children Servants Friends but Brethren A Title of great dearness and intimacy 2. The value of it 1. It is not an idle foolish Compliment for there is Cause and Reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a reason of the use of this Title because all Mankind coming of one Father and being made of one Blood are Brethren And Christ reckoneth himself among us considereth the Bond he hath to us and assumeth all Relations proper to his Nature And also because the Sanctified are the Children of God by the Grace of Adoption 2. It is not an empty Title but a great and real Priviledge he is affectioned to us as Brethren His Call is Doing For his Call he is not a meer Nominal Titular or Complimental Word Rom. 9.25 I will call them my people that is openly and before all the world declare they are my People Called an Apostle 1 Cor. 15.19 Not worthy to be called thy Son Luke 15.21 Many Points may be hence deduced 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same Nature and Stock Yet he with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 2. That Christ having taken our nature upon him counts it no disgrace to acknowledge and accept us as Brethren 3. The kindred is only reckoned to the Sanctified Though all Mankind have the same nature and come of the same stock yet he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren 4. This Sanctification which is required of us must proceed originally from Christ. 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same nature and stock with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
perish for his Impenitency and Unbelief but not meerly for the Greatness of his Sin for what Sin is so great that it is not or cannot be expiated by the Blood of Christ Christ's Satisfaction maketh the Salvation of the worst possible you may have Peace with God if you will 5. It bindeth our Duty the closer upon us No Man shall perish but for want of a willing Heart to accept of the Redeemer who hath paid our Ransom and of the Grace which he hath brought to us by which we may be interested and instated in the Benefits of this Ransom All things are ready if we are ready Luke 14.17 Come for all things are now ready God's Fatlings are killed his Wines are mingled if we will not come to the Feast we perish through our own default We need confer nothing all is but to receive the Benefits propounded and offered Victory over Death Hell Sin Satan is ready yea Heaven is ready and all Spiritual Blessings are ready if we are ready For the Merit and Satisfaction of Christ is the great cause of all that Blessedness which is offered to the Creature God hath opened the way to all if they will not enter into it they perish by their own default He hath sent Preachers into all the World Mark 16.15 16. And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Tit. 2.11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Let not us refuse our Cure though we must take a bitter Potion though we must enter in by the strait Gate of Faith and Repentance and walk in the narrow way of Self-denial and all holy Conversation and Godliness yet because it is to Life and the Legal Exclusion is taken off let us enter and walk in it Indeed if the Door were shut against us by the Sentence of thr Law and there was no way to remove the Bars and Bolts our Excuse were more just because then our Condition would be hopeless But now all is finished Salvation rendred possible now God hath taken away the Bars and Bolts by which his Law shut us out from all hope Let us not set up Bars and Bolts by our own Unbelief and by our own Cowardly Fears If Man were not Man but a Beast a Fool or a Mad-man it might more excusably be allowed to them to be led by Sense and Appetite and then it were an intolerable thing to Crucifie the Flesh with the Affections thereof But Man having Reason doth know or may know that this Command of God is equal that God doth not only require but help us to perform it and prevent us by his Grace 6. It doth not only bind our Duty upon us but it doth encourage us to Repent and Believe and Obey for Christ is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 And he is the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 And doth give repentance as well as remission of sins Acts 5.31 For to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 The first Grace is his Gift and his resolved Gift to the Elect but all are to take their Lot If it were said to us alone That we should strive to enter in at the streight Gate or that we alone should deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow him it were hard But when the same Terms are propounded to all and when many young and old rich and poor have received them and have tried God's Ways and it hath succeeded well with them upon Trial why should we fear it If no body had done it or could do it then we might stick at God's Terms This Argument Austin used to himself in his Conflicts of Conscience Lib. 8. Confess Cap. 11. When he had long withstood offers of Grace he would then propound to himself the Example of others Cur non poteris quod isti istae Isti istae non in se pouterunt sed in Domino Deo suo Why may not I as well as those holy Men and those good Women They did it not in themselves but in the strength of their God and the power â—f his Grace The Yoke of Christ will be more easie than we think of especially when it is lined with Grace 7. When we have once accepted the Condition cleared up our Title then we shall have cause to Glory in the Lord and be sensible indeed that all things are finished which are necessary to our Comfort and Peace and that this was a full Merit As Paul would Glory in the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.1 There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ. Then we shall make the bold Challenge of Faith Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us If Christ had not made a full Expiation of all our Sins we were under Condemnation still He doth not say there is nothing worthy of Condemnation in Believers for as long as Sin and the Flesh remaineth in us which doth as long as we live in the World there is a Potential Guilt of Damnation an intrinsick Merit in our Actions of Death and Condemnation yet the Actual Guilt or Obligation is taken away because Christ is made a Curse for us Well then our solid Rejoycing to the lasts is in this compleat Satisfaction Rom. 5.11 We rejoyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We Glory in God Vse Let this raise in us 1. An hearty Thankfulness and Admiration of the Love of Christ who would not give over Suffering till he could say It is Finished till he had done enough to Glorifie God and Save the Creature enough for the Destruction of Sin as well as the Abolition of the Curse Christ did not Compound but paid the utmost Farthing Oh! let us raise our Thoughts in the Consideration of this Love His Enemies interrupted him and tempted him to give over Save thy self if thou be the son of God come down from the cross Mat. 27.40 42. If he be the King of Israel let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him But because he was the Son of God and the King of Israel he would not come down till he was taken down and all was done that was necessary All God's Works are perfect Deut. 32.4 The Father ceased not till upon the Sixth Day he had perfected the Work of
Son of God Rom. 1.4 Declared to be the Son of God with Power by the Resurrection from the dead The true Messiah and Judg of the World Acts 17.31 Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judg the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the dead If he had been an Impostor neither could he have raised up himself being a mere Man nor would God have raised him up for we cannot imagine that Divine Providence would cooperate to countenance a Lie or Cheat. As then you would not be found Enemies to Christ in his Imperial Day give him Glory and Dominion If you slight him you despise one that is evidently declared to be the Son of God and there is no Medium either he must be your loving Saviour or your terrible Judg. If you neglect him he will not be the first-born from the dead to you nor the first-Fruits to you The first-Fruits did not bless the Tares or the Cockle or Darnel or filthy Weeds but only the good Corn though raised again you shall be by his Judicial Power Again he is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and therefore highly to be respected Respect to great Ones and fawning upon great Ones is the practice of all the World all will seek the Ruler's Face As all Rivers run to the Sea so do all the Respects of the World to the Great and the Mighty And is not the Son of God worthy of our Respects that is sat down at the right Hand of Majesty above all If we did live by Faith as much as by Sense we would see it is our Interest as well as our Duty to honour Christ we would not fear a mortal Man that can threaten us with a Prison but Christ who can threaten us with Hell nor be dismayed at the Frowns of Men when Christ smiles Who would not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name Rev. 15.4 We would yield up our selves to be his willing Subjects and obey his Laws who can reward us not with Temporal Dignities but Eternal Life The Authority and Power that all others have is but derived from Christ and subordinate to him therefore if he smiles whose Frowns need we fear He is the one Law-giver that hath Potestatem Vitae Necis Power of Life and Death he is able to destroy absolutely and you may be safe in his Protection Well then if we consider what he is he deserveth everlastingly to be honoured II. What he hath done for us He loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood And there we begin First With the Fountain and Bosom-cause of all and that is Christ's Love To him that loved us 1. Christ's Love is the Ground of Man's Redemption that stirred all the Causes and set them a-work that concurred to this End Other Attributes were manifested in the Redemption of Mankind as God's Wisdom Power Justice Holiness but they are all subservient to Love but Love is at the upper end of all Causes subservient to nothing but it self If you ask a reason of other things it may be assigned but if you ask a reason of his Love that cannot be given but from it self If the question be Wherefore did God discover such Riches of Wisdom Goodness and Power for the saving poor worthless Creatures He loved us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Wherefore did Jesus Christ submit to such bitter Agonies such an accursed Death He loved us Ephes. 5.2 Walk in Love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour Ephes. 5.25 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it And Gal. 2.20 Christ liveth in me and the Life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me But now put the question Wherefore did he love us Love only is the reason of it self He loved us because he loved us Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord did not set his Love on you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any People c. but because the Lord loved you 2. As it is the fountain-Fountain-Cause so it was that Property that shined forth most conspicuously in the Work of Redemption Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his Love toward us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us And therefore this is that which we should most admire and be ravished with in our Thoughts Here next to the Description of the Excellency of Christ's Person the first thing mentioned in the Doxology it self is this To him that loved us This is a comfortable Word as if Jesus would be described and known by nothing so much as by his Love What was the Son of God but Love incarnate Love born of a Virgin Love conversing in the World and preaching Salvation to poor Sinners Love going about and doing Good Love relieving the Diseased and the Possessed curing the Deaf and the Dumb and the Blind and the Lame and finally Love dying and hanging on the Cross God is Love 1 John 4.8 The Angels in Heaven adore this Love tho Spectators not Parties interested he came not for their sakes but ours only We have a little notional knowledg of it but could we once find the saving Effects of God's Love in Christ impressed upon our Hearts by the Spirit how would you be melted and ravished and ever be thinking what Glory and Honour you might bring to him that thus loved you You and I may discourse of it it is not a few cold Thoughts of the Love of Christ will work on us but the shedding of this Love abroad in your Hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 There is no Knowledg like the experimental Knowledg which ariseth from the felt and known Effects of this Love this would awaken your Hopes fill you with solid Comfort excite you to your Duty 2 Cor. 5.14 For the Love of Christ constraineth us However till you have this the Means you must use are sound Belief and serious Consideration 1 st Imbracing by Faith the Love of God in Christ and the good things prepared by it as they are revealed and offered in the Gospel That is the way to get this fuller Insight and experimental Knowledg and Feeling of this Love for so the Apostle prayeth Ephes. 3.17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in Love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length and Depth and Height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledg 1 John 4.16 We have known and believed the Love which God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 2 dly The serious Contemplation and
that we have heard and seen Gal. 2.11 When Peter was come to Antioch I with stood him to the Face because he was to be blamed The one requireth Aptness of Gifts the other only Christian Prudence and a fervent Charity This latter we have now in hand II. The Arguments by which we are to inforce it Which are needful in this Case because Men are so apt to bear with Sin both in themselves and others and this Duty is of so great Use that Satan seeketh to hinder it with all his Power and so hard to be done rightly that most Men quite omit it 1 st I shall prove it from the Law of Nature which teacheth me to love my Neighbour as my self and therefore Conscience bindeth me to reduce those into the right way who are gone out of it this is the obliging internal Cause We our selves by a regular Will having erred would be glad to be reduced and set into the right way again Ier. 8.4 Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise Shall they turn away and not return Is any Man so absurd heedless and witless that when he hath gotten a Fall will lie still and not essay to get up again Or that hath been unwittingly out of the way and will not desire to come into it again and be willing to receive Direction from those that would set him right Now this being a Dictate of Nature produced by God himself by his Prophet to aggravate their Apostacy who having faln by their Sin refused to rise and return holdeth good also to others whom we are to love as our selves And therefore when they are fallen we must help them to rise again and when they are turned away we must help them to return This is so natural that the very Birds and Beasts desire to return to their proper Places in their natural and appointed time when they have wander'd as the Prophet speaketh of the Stork Turtle and Crane ver 7. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming Now from that reciprocal Obligation that is between Men and the Law of Nature we are bound to reprove our Brother as we desire it and expect it from them to be set right when we are wrong we are to pay the same Debt of Love to them again The Argument holdeth à fortiori because in spiritual things the Danger is greater the Good to be procured is greater the Evil to be feared greater Yea this Argument is the stronger because it holdeth good concerning the Ox and Ass not only of our own Neighbour but of our Enemy as Exod. 23.4 If thou meet thine Enemy's Ox or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again And Deut. 22.1 Thou shalt not see thy Brother's Ox or his Sheep go astray and hide thy self from them thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy Brother Surely hereby God would teach every Man not to look on his own things only but to love and do Good to other Men. This Duty required towards Beasts is much more towards Men Ezek. 34.4 Ye have not brought again that which was driven away and ye have not sought that which was lost We are all like Sheep going astray and have need of one anothers Help Mark there are two Precepts in Deut. 22.1 a Prohibition not to hide and a Commandment to restore so that they are doubly guilty that are not affected with other Mens Sins or do not seek to reform them 2 dly It is a Duty because positively commanded by God so that unless we will be guilty of flat Disobedience we ought to mind it God bindeth all Men to reprove their erring Brother and Neighbour keeping the Rules of Prudence Justice and Charity Now that God hath commanded this many of the Scriptures cited before prove it Matth. 18.15 16 17. If thy Brother offend thee go and tell him his Fault between him and thee Which is to be understood not only of Offences done to us but to be extended to all wilful Crimes of which we see him guilty for Zeal for God should prevail with us as much as Injuries done to to our selves and it is not angry Reproach but Christian Admonition that we press you to 1 Thess. 5.14 Warn them that are unruly 2 Thess. 3.15 Admonish him as a Brother So Rom. 15.14 I my self also am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of Goodness filled with all Knowledg able to admonish one another So Prov. 25.8 9 10. Go not forth hastily to strive lest thou know not what to do in the End thereof when thy Neighbour hath put thee to Shame Debate thy Cause with thy Neighbour himself and discover not a Secret to another lest he that heareth it put thee to Shame and thine Infamy turn not away All these Expressions concern Brotherly Reproof debating Matters in Case of Offence and Injury real or supposed If we presently run to Law without using previous gentle Methods of taking up Matters among our selves we run a great Hazard both of Loss and Infamy Better end it by friendly Composition than running to the Judg where by many unhappy Representations a Righteous Cause may be oppressed But for the common Duty of Christians see Ephes. 5.11 Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather doth not lessen our Duty but inforce it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom We ought to reprove We shall not be excused before God unless we do our Duty So Iude 22.23 And of some have Compassion making a Difference And others save with Fear pulling them out of the Fire SERMON II. LEVIT XIX 17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him 3 dly COnsider how far it bindeth 1. Intensively as to the Value of the Precept It is not an Arbitrary Direction which we may omit or observe at Pleasure but a Necessary Precept which we must obey 1. From the Danger we incur We are under Danger of Sin and bearing Punishment for them whom we reprove not and the Punishment of Sin is eternal Death if it be omitted out of a culpable Negligence Eternal Life and eternal Death is in the Case there is no doubt of Superiours who by Justice and Office are bound to reprove as well as by the Law of common Love and Charity Ezek. 33.6 His Blood will I require at the Watchman's Hands But even private Persons may bear Sin for others 2. Because of the Good which cometh thereby which is the Glory of God and the gaining of our Brother Matth. 18.15 Thou hast gained thy Brother And the gaining of another's Soul is no small Advantage this will be your Crown and rejoicing in the Day of the Lord. To enforce both consider that Text Prov. 24.
Iesus Christ. Where the three Persons are again mentioned and their Concurrence to our Salvation 2. That Words proper to their personal Operation are used for there is Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost The Father is represented as the Fountain of Love and all Goodness and as expressing and exerting his Love by the Son and Spirit By the Grace of Christ is meant all that gracious Provision which he hath made for Man's Salvation both in the reconciling God to us and procuring the Mission of the Spirit Communion is ascribed to the Spirit because all is applied or communicated to us by him Or thus our Salvation is ascribed in Election to the Love of the Father in Redemption to the Grace of the Son in Sanctification to the Communion or Participation of the Holy Ghost 1st The Love of God Love is ascribed to the Father for the Love of God is the Cause of all consider his giving Christ for us or giving Christ to us and us to him 1. In giving Christ for us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Christ did not merit electing Love but Love rather moved God to give Christ for Sinners Love appointed the Son to be our Redeemer there was the Bosom and Bottom-Cause 2. In giving Christ to us Iohn 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy Word And in time he doth execute and accomplish this out of his meer Love Ier. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared to me of old saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee As by Elective Love the Heirs of Salvation were distinguished from others in God himself or in his Intention and Purpose so by Regeneration and converting Love they are distinguished from others in themselves and set apart from the rest of the World to be the Objects of his special Love and Instruments of his Glory Besides there is a Love of God whereby he loveth us when we are in Christ Jesus which is the Ground of our Safety and Preservation Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 2dly The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. What is intended us by the Father is brought about by the Grace of the Redeemer and therefore all the Provision Christ had made for our Salvation is called Grace 2 Cor. 8.9 For ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his Poverty might be rich That is ye know his gracious Condescension in submitting to such a mean Condition for our sakes So 1 Cor. 16.23 The Grace of Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Grace is God's Favour and Love which was first purchased by Christ by his Obedience and bloody Sufferings Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Secondly applied by his Intercession which is also another Act of his Grace and therefore we come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need Heb. 4.16 Namely having a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God ver 14. who knoweth our Infirmities Thirdly As it is bestowed by him as Lord of the New Creation upon such Terms as every way keep up the Honour and Interest of Grace in our Salvation Ephes. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God All the saving Benefits we have by Christ are from Grace such as Reconciliation with God the Renovation of our Natures and everlasting Glory and Happiness they are all dispensed in a gracious way from first to last 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost Communion is ascribed to the Holy Ghost It may be rendred Communion or Communication The Spirit reneweth and changeth our Nature and worketh Faith and Holiness in us Light Life and Love are the special Benefits which he communicates to us He doth enlighten our Minds to understand and believe the great things prepared for us by God through Jesus Christ. It is said 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God So Ephes. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him the Eyes of your Vnderstanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Life for we live in the Spirit and are born of the Spirit that is have a new Life begotten in us therefore called a Spirit of Life before we lived as Men now as Christians And Love the Heart is bent and inclined to God It began in Love and endeth in Love Love of God endeth in Love to God This threefold Effect is expressed 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power of Love and a sound Mind Life in Power as Light in a sound Mind And it is all together called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature For it answereth to the Wisdom Power and Goodness of God 3. That all these Words imply Riches of Goodness Bounty and Liberality Love noteth a ready Inclination to do Good to others without the Excitement of external Motives it openeth and inlargeth the Heart to another and then the Hand cannot be shut 2 Cor. 6.11 O ye Corinthians our Mouth is open unto you our Heart is enlarged Grace is some good thing freely given So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion noteth a liberal Effusion or Distribution of the Graces of God's sanctifying Spirit and so it suteth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Love of God and the Grace of Christ Elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Communion of the Spirit is joined with Bowels and Mercies Phil. 2.1 If any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies that is if you have received any Good from Christ by the Spirit So Rom. 15.26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for
of Scriptures 674 Secret of the Lord with the Righteous what it signifies 1049 Seed Christ the Seed of the Woman 534 Vid. Incarnation Seeking What Christ's seeking those that are lost implies 885 The Necessity of this seeking 886 Seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality what it is 1226 Sell all thou hast explained vindicated and applied 332 333 Vid. Forsake all Self-denial included in the Nature of Faith 441 Sensuality what it is 57 Arguments against it 58 The Evil and Danger of it 373 Shewing forth the Lord's Death what it signifies 1013 The Properties of shewing forth Christ's Death 1014 Why we should shew forth Christ's Death 1015 Motives to shew forth Christ's Death 1016 Sight of Christ past present and to come opened 477 Sight of Faith The objects the Sight of Faith are exercised about 478 Sin the Nature of it 646 Sin a Wrong to Father Son and Holy Ghost 163 The Deceitfulness of Sin 505 The Effects of Sin 650 The Aggravations of Sin 652 The Sins of God's People most provoking to him and the Reasons of it 271 The Sinfulness of Sin opened 646 682 General Observations about the Sinfulness of Sin 643 The Sinfulness of Sin to be meditated on ibid. Sins against Conscience the Mischief that comes by them 530 The Power of Sin how Christ takes it away 541 The Guilt of Sin how Christ takes it away 542 The Being of Sin how and when Christ takes it away ibid. Sin to be avoided and why 168 Not one Sin but all must be renounced Vid. Renouncing Why God corrects his People for their Sins in this World 272 Sleep Sobriety to be used in it 66 Sloth spiritual Directions how to shake it off 616 Sobriety what it is 65 The particular Branches of it Vid. Sleep Recreations Meat and Drink Apparel Care of the World The Necessity of Sobriety 63 Objections against preaching Sobriety answered 64 Solisidians condemned 729 Sorrow vanquished by Faith 242 Soul The Nature of the Soul 1166 The Soul immediately created by God 1163 The Immortality of the Soul proved 1162 1164 1173 The Evil of not believing the Immortality of the Soul 1172 Sparing God's sparing his People what it signifies 1017 This is a choice Privilege ibid. The Reasons why God spares his Children 1019 Who they are whom God spares 1021 How God's sparing is consistent with afflicting his People 1022 1023 Staggering at the Promise opened 487 Strength It is the Privilege and Duty of God's Servants to go from Strength to Strength 1003 Why God's Servants should go from Strength to Strength ibid. Motives to go from Strength to Strength 1006 They that go from Strength to Strength shall at last appear before God in Sion 1008 Sufferings of Christ. Prophecies and Types of Christ were fulfilled in his Sufferings 1149 1150 Sufferings of Christ a Copy and Pattern to us 1150 T TAking away Sin How Christ takes away the Sin of the World 1126 1127 Taking away Sin the great End of Christ's coming into the World and why 1128 What we should do to have Sin taken away Vid. Sin 1129 Temporal good things why God gives them to carnal Men 987 Vid. Good Things Temptations how to be prepared against them Vid. Devil 710 Thanksgiving for Benefits a Debt we owe to God 421 Graces acted and promoted in Thanksgiving 422 Sins prevented by Thanksgiving ibid. Reasons for Thanksgiving 423 In Thanksgiving spiritual Blessings are especially to be owned 424 We are to give Thanks for spiritual Blessings not only for our selves but others 426 We are not thankful for Mercies when the Heart is lifted up 700 Time the Preciousness of it 69 Tongue of the Just what is meant by it 1053 1058 In what Sense the Tongue of the Just is as choice Silver 1055 Sins of the Tongue 1053 Our Tongues to be used for edifying and why 1056 Directions hereunto 1058 Trembling at God's Word what it is 1033 Difference between it and holy Fear ibid. How it doth or may come to nothing 1036 Trinity How much Believers are ingaged to all the Persons of the Trinity 125 How all the Persons in the Trinity concur to the Salvation of Believers 1233 Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost 1233 1234 How Love Grace and Communion concur to our Salvation 1235 Trouble of Heart what it is and wherein it consists 235 237 The Causes of this Trouble of Heart 236 Why Christians should not let their Hearts be troubled 238 Directions to prevent this Trouble of Heart 239 Faith a Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble 241 Trust. Considerations to quicken us to improve our Trust 255 Encouragements to be faithful to our Trust 256 Trust in God a Duty in dark Times 814 The Profit of trusting in God then 815 There is much in the Name of God to incourage Trust ibid. They that fear God and obey him are most incouraged to trust in him 816 Trusting in Riches that there is such a Sin proved 377 The Evil of it 378 The Signs and Discoveries of it 383 The Evil Effects of it 379 The Remedy of it 383 Truth of Speech and Action what 841 Trials Various Sorts of Trials 361 Trials do manifest what Men are ibid. Why God will manifest Men by Trials 361 Types the several Kinds of them 746 Types of the Law why to be considered ibid. V UNgodliness what it is 31 The Negative Part of Ungodliness 33 The Positive Part of it 40 What it is to deny Ungodliness 32 Means to deny Ungodliness 40 Motives to deny Ungodliness ib. Ungodliness and worldly Lusts coupled 42 Victory of Christ over the Devil the Effects of it 540 How far Satan was destroyed hereby 543 Vid. Devil Power of Satan The Nature of Christ's Victory for Believers 546 W WAiting on God an Effect of Faith 457 War against Satan Motives to ingage in it 547 Washing us from our Sins the Fruit and Evidence of Christ's Love 1129 The Value and Worth of this Benefit 1180 Well-doing what it is 1227 Continuance in Well-doing what it is 1228 Patient Continuance in Well-doing what 1229 Wicked Men who are so 1059 When they shall have enough of Sin 1113 Why wicked Men shall have their Fill of Sin 1114 Will of God How God wills that none shall perish but all come to Repentance 937 Willingness of Christ to suffer how demonstrated 155 Objections answered 158 The Grounds and Reasons of this Willingness Vid. Giving 157 Winking How God winked at the times of Heathen Ignorance 276 Word of God threefold of Promise Blessing and Power 463 The Power and Certainty of God's Word 196 On what Grounds the Word of God is more conducible to Repentance than if one came from the Dead 672 949 The Relation of the Word to Faith 444 The Acts of Faith about the Word 446 The Effects of Faith thus exercised 447 How we may discern the Strength of Faith from hence 449 Work of the Devil what it is 538 How Christ destroys the Work of
by his Death of Salvation by Faith in the Mediator this depends not upon the Connexion of natural Causes but the free Pleasure of God therefore the Angels knew it not till it was revealed in the Church Ephes. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God The Gentiles by looking into the Order of Causes could never find it out They might find a first Being and the chiefest Good but not a Christ not a Saviour there they sat in the shadows of Death and did not understand nor desire Eternal Life Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without Witness in that he did good and gave us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness Much of God may be seen in the known courses of Nature Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons but nothing of Christ. The Apostle speaks it there to disswade them from the Worship of Iupiter and Mercury and other of the Vanities of the Gentiles he argues from the Grace of Nature and common Benefits which they had received this were enough to make them acknowledg a Divine Power Pray mark the Apostle saith He left not himself without a Witness yet he suffered them to walk in their own ways because he did not reveal his Gospel nor give them his Spirit Psal. 147.19 20. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Iudgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Iudgments they have not known them Rom. 16.25 26. According to the Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the World began But now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known unto all Nations for the Obedience of Faith Ephes. 3.4 5. Whereby when ye read ye may understand my Knowledg in the Mystery of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men as it is now revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Col. 1.26 27. Even the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in them the Hope of Glory But God suffered them to serve their own Lusts and to carry on that Religion which they had feigned to themselves But then he left not himself without a Witness for they had many corporal Blessings from whence they might easily collect that they should not worship Stocks and Stones and dead Men but the living God by whose Providence those Blessings were dispensed Though he gave them not the Gospel yet he gave them the Light of Nature and the Looking-glass of the Creatures There is much ado whether this were auxilium sufficiens Gratiae a sufficient Help to convert them or to bring them to such a Condition that they might gain the Grace of God It was enough to oblige them to seek after God and to convince them that they did ill in worshipping the Creatures but it was not sufficient to find out the true God and enjoy him Saving-Grace is not granted by any Promise to the improvement of Nature Well then though the whole Earth be full of the Goodness of the Lord that is of the Fruits and Effects of his common Bounty yet nothing of his Saving-Grace is known till it appeared and broke out in the Gospel 2. To the Jews this Grace began to dawn but it was veiled in Figures and Shadows that they could not see clearly The Substance of their Doctrine was the same with ours but there is a great deal of difference in the manner of Dispensation they had the dark Text and we the Exposition There was Grace and Shadow by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ John 1.17 because here all the Types were revealed and we have the Substance it self Christ is the Light of the World The Sun the farther off it is from rising the less Light it gives Christ was not then risen therefore there was but Twi-light and full of Shadows Grace is opposed to the Condemnation of the Moral Law and Truth to the Shadows of the Ceremonial Law Christ's Offices his Benefices his Person were but darkly propounded to them Take but one place for all Of all the Ministers of the Legal Dispensation Iohn Baptist saw the clearest yet saith Christ the least of Gospel-Ministers knows more than he Matth. 11.11 Verily I say unto you among them that are born of Women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he Iohn drawing nearer to Christ had a clearer knowledg of the Meaning and Application of the Types than others had But now those that have lived after the pouring out of the Spirit upon Christ's Ascension under the Gospel-Dispensation have a clear insight into the Doctrine of Grace far more clear than it was in the days of Iohn II. What and how much of Grace is now discovered I answer 1. The Wisdom of Grace The Gospel is a meer Riddle to Carnal Reason a great Mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness There we read of God and Man brought together and Justice and Mercy brought together by the Contrivance of Grace Here we only see this Mystery that is without Controversy great for these Things could not come into the Heads of any Creatures If Angels and Men had been put to study and set down their Way of Reconciliation to God how it should be they could never have thought of such a Remedy as the bringing of God and Man together in the Person of Christ and Justice and Mercy together by the Blood and Satisfaction of Christ this came out of no Breast but God he brought the Secret out of his own Bosom When the Question was put in the Counsel of the Trinity How Man that was fallen might be brought again to God from the Depth of Misery to the Height of Happiness Grace interposed and propounded Christ to be God-Man in one Person O the strangeness and wonderfulness of this Contrivance If you consider the Weakness and Vileness of Humane Nature the Infiniteness and Excellency of the Divine Nature certainly such a Plot could not enter into the Head of any Creature Upon what Grounds could any Creature expect such a Condescention that Mortal and Immortal Infiniteness and Finiteness should come together And as the Person of Christ is wonderful so also is his Work and Business which was to bring Justice and Mercy to kiss each other that Justice might have full Satisfaction for Mens Sins and Mercy have full Content in procuring their Salvation that Grace might be glorified and yet Justice be no Loser When God redeemed the World he had a greater Work