who hath hardened himself against him and prospered He can bind mens hands and rule mens hearts and do what ever he will Ephes 3. ver 20. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think who is so great a God as our God we that fear him Psal 77.13 14. Thy way oh God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God thou art the God that dost wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people Job 11.7 Canst thou by searching find out God canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection Here 's thy priviledge if thou have the work of grace wrought in thee here 's thy safety God is thy Father that God that never wants power to defend his people that is seen in the mount and will not many times help till we are in extreamity that his power may then be manifest safe they are that have God for their Father he is sufficient to protect them Consider secondly God is very wise a wise Father and that in regard of his knowledge and in regard of his prudence he knoweth what ever men do in the World Job 34.21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings Ver. 22. Ther 's no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of iniquity can hide themselves Iob 12.22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness and bringeth out to light the shaddow of death He knoweth men better then they know themselves God needeth none to give him intelligence he knoweth what is done in the secret closet of every one of our hearts Nay secondly he is very prudent too he knoweth how to order his affairs he is wise in heart saith Job that man is wise indeed that knows how to out-wit the wisest of men God knoweth how to ensnare the wicked in the works of their own hands 1 Cor. 4.5 Isa 44.25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh the diviners mad that turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish Come on saith Pharaoh let us deal wisely but he was out-witted Exod. 14.28 God turns the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness God is never at a loss he knows what to do Consider thirdly He is a very tender Father too he is very pittiful very merciful a very tender Father that lays to heart the miseries of his people when they were in Egypt he pittied them Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the angel ef his presence saved them c. speaking after the manner of men they that lay the troubles of others to heart as their own and he is not thus pittiful only to his Israel but to all his people Psal 103.13 Like as a Father pittieth his Children so doth the Lord pitty those that fear him Nay Consider fourthly He is a very careful Father he minds how it goes with his children 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care upon him saith the Apostle for he careth for you you are never out of his eye or thoughts when Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Isa 49.14 15. saith God Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee c. The condition and troubles and miseries thou art in are always in my thoughts Psal 9.18 The needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever That 's the second but Use III. Hence we may learn our Duty If God be the Saints Father and what 's that First duty To pray to him whom should they go to but to their Faither Be careful for nothing saith the Apostle but in every thing let your request be made known to him by prayer and supplication Phil. 4.6 and Mat. 7.24 Psal 145.18 ver The Lord is nigh unto all that cal upon him Second duty Trust in him whom should we trust if not our Father therefore trust in him Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is none help ver 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God The Scripture denounceth a woful curse to him that trusteth in any thing but in God Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and ver 7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is God takes notice of those that trust in him Psal 33.17 An horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength So long as we trust to our selves at any time for any thing our case is sad but none that trusted in the Lord have any cause ever to be ashamed Thirdly Let us Honour him if a Father and that in three respects first in our thoughts have always good thoughts of God what ever his providences be towards us Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways c. what ever God doth is good he is just he is righteous in all those ways that are most cavil'd at by men Job 34.21 He will not lay upon man more then is right everyman may say in the bitterest cross in the World God hath not dealt with me after my sins it 's a mercy we are on this side Hell Secondly Honour God as in our thoughts so in our words speak well of God Psal 118.1 Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 146.1 2. ver Praise the Lord oh my soul while I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises to God while I have a being Now praising God is honouring of him He that offers me praise glorifieth me Psal 50.23 Thirdly Honour him in all our ways 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God and Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory of God Be very obedient obey him willingly constantly universally in all his commands because he is our Father Lastly We that profess our selves to be Gods children be like him Be ye merciful as he is merciful holy as he is holy But to go on Who hath loved us Doct. God loves his People Psal 145.8 ver Psal 147.10 11. The Lord loves his Saints Love I here 's love indeed 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love is here that we should be called the Sons of God And if this be so Vse Then bless him for his love thank him for it Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name And that in this respect First God loves us undeserved and that
natural affections The Saints here that were the called and chosen people of God they had their sorrow and grief as well as their gladness the work of grace wherever it is in truth wrought in any soul doth much restrain mens violent passions yet when men begin to be good they do not cease to be men Religion doth not rob people of their senses The godly have their fears as well as their hopes as they have their joys so they are not without their sorrows you are in heaviness through manifold temptations Afflictions are afflictions to them that fear God as well as to others Heb. 12.11 no chashiment for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Let no Person think because the crosses and troubles he meets withal in the World do sadden and afflict him therefore he hath no grace that surely if they had grace they should have no such thing as grief and trouble of heart See the Holyest men we read of tell us the troubles of their hearts were often inlarged Though the power of godliness doth moderate our affections to things here below yet it doth not make us insensible of what we suffer here below Grace doth not rob men of Humanity as not upon a Civil account so neither doth it upon a Natural account people do not cease to be men and women when they come to be truly godly if Persons were not affected afflicted with their troubles afflictions were no afflictons to them c. Do not therefore pass sentence upon thy self as one that is an unconverted Person because the great troubles thou meetest withal in the world are laid to heart by thee though grace do diminish yet it doth not destroy mens passions James 5.17 the Apostles us Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are though he was a man of exceeding great faith yet you find him sometimes a man of great fear The Scripture records as his grace so his natural temper that eminency of grace that was in him did not destroy that that was natural in him Christianity doth not introduce a Stoical Stupidity that they do not at all regard how things go with them we may have grace in our hearts and yet lay to heart our sufferings we may be truly brought home to God and yet affected through sense of our afflictions in the World Only here let me put in a few cautions First Though God's people are in heaviness and sadness through the great troubles that they meet withal in the world yet you that fear God take heed you be not in such heaviness as those who have no hope do not sorrow as them that have no hope or no ground of hope for the blessing of God upon them here much less for happiness with God hereafter rejoyce in the Lord while you have sorrow in the world saith the Apostle rejoyce in the Lord always and he makes a repetition and againe I say rejoyce This is his councel to the suffering Saints even when most afflicted as David 1 Sam. 30.6 when he was in that great trouble when his Wives were taken Captive and his Children and the people speak of stoning David what did he do but David incouraged himself in the Lord his God so should we do when we are discouraged as to the world then we should incourage our selves in the Lord our God at what time I am afraid I will trust in thee let not our afflictions here make us think it will never be otherwise hereafter Secondly Let not your heaviness or trouble or sadness in the World be joyned with discontent do not murmur because we meet with troubles let us not think because we are afflicted that others are in a better condition then our selves because they thrive and and flourish in the world O let us not quarrel at any of God's providences let us say as that good Old man Eli It is the Lord let him do what seems him good the Lord is good and doth good and he doth nothing but what is good for us we have no cause to quarrel when God doth afflict us let us then take care that we do not fret our selves to do evil for there is no evil in the City but God doth it and good is that God that sends that evil and all evil shall be for good to them that fear God Thirdly Let your heaviness be greater for your transgressions then for any affliction or temptation let us more grieve for sin that is the cause of trouble then for all those troubles that are caused by sin let us more lay to heart our own corruptions then all the malice of wicked men and the afflictions we meet with in the world we had not known what sorrow meant had not sin been in our hearts and been in our lives let us mourn more for sin or however be sure that our natural sorrow be accompanyed with spiritual sorrow that we have that godly sorrow that workes repentance unto Salvation for worldly sorrow alone only causeth death O let sin be more laid to heart and the crosses in the World less laid to heart let us mourn more for our transgressions and we shall less mind our afflictions Fourthly Let not our heaviness or sadness or grief of spirit that is occasioned through troubles in the World cause us to neglect our duty let us take care that we do not so grieve for what we suffer as to forget what we have to do let us not so mind our misery as to forget our duty or omit our duty to God or Man in the places of our general and particular calling which God hath set us in the world When sorrow is so excessive that it drives us from God and from his wayes from delighting in him we have cause then to be in heaviness for it we are not so to mind what we suffer as to forget what we do That sorrow is never like to do us good nay that sorrow doth not make us at all to be good that keeps us from doing good if we once come to that pass to neglect our duty that heaviness is to be lamented Applicat Beloved we have heard Gods people are in heaviness through manifold temptations but let me tell you If Gods people be in heaviness here what heaviness shall Gods enemies be in hereafter If God chastise his faithful servants sure he will punish his enemies if this be done in a green Tree what shall be done in a dry if Gods people have their temptations surely wicked men shall have their tribulation tribulation and anguish upon every one that doth evil doubtless if manifold temptations be the lot of the righteous here dreadful tribulation will be the portion of the wicked hereafter doubtless the time is coming Prov. 11.8 vers The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his room the time is coming when sin and sorrow shall be gone from the people of God and then everlasting sorrow
166. Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments Then indeed if we make it our business design and endeavour to keep the commandments of Christ we may then hope to see the salvation of God then and not till then 2 Titus 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared ver 12. mark Teaching us to deny ungodlyness and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world ver 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ver 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Now this is as well the command of Christ that they make conscience of their duty to him as well as to look for salvation from him therefore if you would have Christ for your Jesus be sure that he be your Lord that you do him homage observe his Laws and reverence his Name not by bowing at the name Jesus bowing is a note of subjection and sheweth that all creatures are subject to Jesus Christ unto the authority of Christ have respect to all his commands if people will not but walk after their lusts will do wickedly remember this that instead of salvation you must expect or how ever you will find destruction and perdition as it 's call'd 1 Tim. 6.9 and Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest c. For God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. ver 11. Christ hath plainly told people he will be no Saviour to them that refuse obedience to him Mat. 13.41 Christ tells you what he will do The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire c. Oh that sinners would believe what they shall one day feel that they would now fear and tremble that they may then be delivered from wrath to come therefore though thy sins be never so pleasing and delightful to thee cast it from thee Mar. 9.43 It is better for thee to enter into life maimed then to bo cast into Hell c. Oh let us be wise for our salvation willing to part with our most pleasing sins rather then to have our souls destroyed and cast into Hell into everlasting burnings think not that Jesus Christ will save you unless you turn from sin and therefore pray earnestly that you may be converted and have your sins blotted out the 73. Psal 24. Oh let this be our earnest prayer That we may be guided by Gods counsel that Jesus Christ may be ours Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept my word then may you be sure he hath promised and prayed for you ver 22 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me those that have kept my word may be where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. If Christ be our Lord he will be our Jesus but not else Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work Afternoon Sermon The 2 of the Thessalonians 2. Cap. 16 17. Vers 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17. Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work YOU may Remember in the morning we took notice of four things first the Persons praying Paul Silvanus and Timotheus secondly the Persons prayed for c. thirdly the Persons prayed to and that 's first God the Son and secondly God the Father whose love we have first asserted and secondly declared fourthly the blessings prayed for and the first is Consolation secondly Confirmation We made entrance on the first Person prayed to Our Lord Jesus Christ not the Lord Jesus but our Lord Jesus Doct. I. Faith applies Jesus Christ to it self Doct. II. Again Christ is our Jesus And from the connexion Our Lord Jesus we noted that Doct. III. To whom Christ is a Jesus to them he is a Lord. Whom Christ saves them he Rules To proceed and God even our Father God is often call'd as here so in other places frequently our Father not only of Paul Silvanus and Timotheus but yours and ours together you that are Saints thence note this point Doct. God is the Father of the righteous or He is the Father of the Saints God is the Father of all that are truly religious Persons of all the Disciples of Jesus Christ Christ after his resurrection in 20. of Joh. 17. saith to Mary go to my Brethren and say I ascend to my Father and to your Father the Father of our Lord Jesus and our Father Object But how shall I know whether God be my Father or no Answ By these two marks or signs by our Repentance and by our Faith God is the Father of repenting believing sinners though he be the Father of all in respect of creation and common mercies yet God is only the Father through Iesus Christ of those that repent 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from amongst them and be you separate saith the Lord and touch none unclean thing c. And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty They that leave their sins and cleave to God with full purpose of heart have just ground to call God Father Secondly To them that believe Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believe on his name Gal. 3.26 ver For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus thou that hast an heart to repent of sins and to believe in the Lord Iesus may'st have comfort to go to God as thy Father Vse I. But to apply this if this be so then we may see first the Saints dignity 1 Sam. 18.23 David speaks of this as a great priviledge that he was related to the King and what do you take no notice of it seemeth it a small thing to you that I call the King Father Oh then what priviledge is it to be the adopted Sons and Daughters of the King of Kings Secondly We may see the Saints safety consider what God is and then we shall see what cause of comfort they have that are Gods people Consider first he is of great power Job 42.2 ver He can do any thing though never so difficult nothing is too hard for the Lord he is the mighty Potentate he doth whatsoever he pleases he is mighty in strength