duty what-ever thoughts should be suggested into thy minde but know for thy comfort that those sinful thoughts and blasphemous thoughts which are cast in by Sathan they shall not be laid to thy charge if thy soul abhor them it is true if the heart did close with them and nourish them then they become the souls but when the soul abhors them and casts them out and cries to Christ against them it is not the souls sin therefore do not neglect thy duty because of these vain thoughts but set thy face to seek the Lord and remember and know that the Lord will make good his word he will meet thee and when God meets thee all these sinful and cursed thoughts shall be cast out And thus you have heard Brethren what encouragement there is to remember God But you will say It is a great Duty and much depends upon it how shall I be helped to remember God aright First Be often looking upon the Book of the Creature upon the works of Creation and look upon them for this very end that thou mayest Remember God for there is a Remembrance of God upon all creatures and if we be wise we may make a spiritual improvement and be led to the Remembrance of God by looking into the Book of the Creature Secondly Look into the Scripture and consult with that for there hath God declared his Name his glorious Name is written in his Word there are Letters that God hath written with his owne hand God hath subscribed I Jesus testifie these things There is the hand of God and of Christ in the Book of the Scripture and therefore if thou wouldest Remember God converse with the Word of God Thirdly Wait upon God in every Ordinance for all Ordinances are given for this end to Remember God the Word the Supper every Ordinance of God is given that so the soul might see God and Remember him and therefore when thou waitest upon God in any Ordinance let this be the end that thou propoundest to thy soul to Remember God Fourthly Lay up all the Love-tokens of God What-ever Experience thou hast met with from God in making supply to thy wants comforting of thee supporting of thee these are tokens that come from God and the mercy that he sheweth thee it is for this end that thou mayest Remember him and therefore lay up all the experiences that thou hast met withal for they will help thee to Remember God Fiftly Labour to get your hearts established and assured in the Knowledge of Gods love to thee that thou mayest come to the knowledge of this that God is thy Friend thy Father thy nearest and dearest relation for the â—ore the soul knows this the more it will Remember God It is not possible that a childe should forget a loving Father that a Wife should forget a loving and tender Husband O when a soul comes to know this that God is my Father my Husband this will help the soul to a sweet Remembrance of God Sixtly Look up to the Lord to increase thy love to him for the more love to God the more thou wilt Remember God but where there is little love to God there is little Remembrance of God and the reason that men Remember God no more is because there is so little love in their hearts towards God If a man loved his friend he would Remember him and not forget him O therefore be ashamed that no more love should be sparkling in thy heart to God when so much love is flaming in the heart of Christ towards thee And therefore Brethren beg it of the Lord that he would shed abroad more of his love in your hearts and blow up thy spark to a flame that thy soul may be fill'd with a constant Remembrance of him Seventhly Ure thy soul to holy meditation and thinking upon God last at night and first in the morning it will be a great help to keep up a constant Remembrance of God in the soul O let thy waking thoughts be toward the Lord Think of his Works of his Attributes of his Son there is enough for men to spend millions of thoughts upon and therefore let some be spent upon God assoon as man wakes in the morning there are a multitude of thoughts strive who shal get in first there stands God and Christ and the World and they which get in first have a great advantage to keep in the soul all the day long if the world gets in first the heart is made worldly but when God and Christ is let in first the heart is kept in a gracious frame all the day long and the more that your meditations are spent upon God the more Remembrance will you have of God And now Brethren you have seen your duty and your neglect of duty for which you have cause to be humbled and we have seen what cause we have to Remember God and what a great benefit comes in by Remembring God and we have seen what may be helpful to our souls in this duty Now let us look to the Spirit of the Lord to make them helps for we have need of all helps till we shall come where the soul shall Remember God perpetually and never forget him Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the Vail THe Apostle in the eighteenth verse speaking of the hope that is set before Believers and of their fleeing for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them He takes occasion to speak of that hope that is begotten and raised in the hearts of all Believers by the hope of Christ In verse 18. He speaks of the Object of Hope Christ he is the hope set before believers but in this 19th verse he speaks of the grace of hope which hope we have as an Anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast this is spoken of the grace of Hope which is the sister of Faith And this Hope it differs from Faith thus Faith looks unto God and Christ in the Promises it looks unto the word of the Lord that is given for its security and it is the work of Faith to close with the Word and to hold fast the word of promise which the Lord Jesus doth hand out to poor souls But Hope that looks to the good things promised and it waits â—or the good things that are laid up in the promises Hope eyes them and waits for the full possession and fruition of that which is laid up in the promise and when the soul shall enjoy all those good things laid up in the promises then Hope shall cease Now that we may understand the nature of saving Hope and the use of it he sets it forth to us by a Metaphor of an Anchor which hope we have as an Anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast Hope it is of that use to the soul that an Anchor is to a Ship
more As a man that delights in musick if the Musicians play he 〈◊〉 take no notice but lets them play on because he delighteth in it and so the Lord he takes delight in the prayers of his servants The prayerâ— the upright is his delight and he will give no present answer that so they may go on praying 〈◊〉 crying Secondly the Lord may seem to be silent 〈◊〉 the prayers of his people that so he may exerâ—â— the faith and patience of his servants It is great trial of the faith and patience of the Saiâ—â— when as the Lord seems to take no notice 〈◊〉 give no answer to their prayers it was for 〈◊〉 end that our Lord Jesus Christ gave not a 〈◊〉 of answer to this woman of Canaan it was that might try her faith and her patience and that might exercise it and that by the exerciâ—â— faith faith might be increased and her faith 〈◊〉 arise to a great faith by this exercise for at 〈◊〉 Christ commends her for her faith Oh 〈◊〉 great is thy faith be it unto thee even as 〈◊〉 wait Again the Lord is silent many times at the prayers of his people to try whether they will continue in prayer though the Lord doth give them no present answer oh here is the trial of perseverance God hath heard my prayer saith David therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Ah but that is no great matter for a man to say God hath heard my prayer and therefore I will call upon him still But for a soul to say I have been crying and calling and I will still wait upon him as long as I live I will wait upon God Oh here is perseverance in prayer in which Christ doth delight Fourthly the Lord is silent many times upon this ground he gives no present answer that so he may prepare an answer for them and that he may prepare them for an answer God gives no present answer that so he may prepare mercy and ripen mercy and make mercy fit for his people and that he may ripen them and fit them and their hearts for the mercy so that it is in abundance of grace and mercy and love that the Lord is pleased many times not to give out a present answer to his people for all the time the Lord is silent he is preparing of mercy and goodness for them he is making of the mercy fit for his people the mercy shall be ripe and the mercy shall be sweet and wholsome and do them good at the heart When the Lord hath thus prepared mercy for them and fitted them for the mercy they shall have the mercy see what is said in Isa 80. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he way be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that wait for him He waits that he may be gracious he waits for the best season the fittest opportunity he will stay till the soul hath need of help in the fittest time the Lord will come in mercy when he may be most exalted for mercy when his people may see most of the hand of God when they most prize their mercies and glorifie God for mercy God waits for such a time And therefore you see it is for gracious ends that God many times seems to be silent for a season and gives not one word in answer to prayer as Christ here to this woman of Canaan For the Application of the Point First it speaks sadly of them that never regard whether the Lord give an answer or no to their prayer that pray and pray and look not after an answer How far are such men and women from the disposition of Gods children a gracious heart cannot but be affected when it speaks to the Father and the Father gives no answer And therefore surely when men and women make many prayers and look not up for an answer that regard not whether the Lord answer or not either they are none of his children or else under a sore temptation for let me say unto you that though it is not for your prayers that God doth regard prayer yet if you do not look up for an answer if you do not regard your prayers neither will God regard your prayers And let me say further that this is a great dishonour to God Oh what a 〈◊〉 is it it is a loss to God and it is a loss also to the soul for a man to lose all his prayers it is a loss indeed When as a soul doth not regard whether God answer or no God loseth he loses that glory which would redound to him in the answer of prayer Call upon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Now if the soul call upon God and doth not observe whether God hears or no it cannot glorifie God for the return of prayer but God loses that honour that thankfulness and that love and obedience and that dependance which an answer of prayer might engage the soul to And as God loseth so the soul loseth oh they that look not after the return of prayer they lose that which would make their souls rich For a Merchant to lose all his return it will make him a poor Tradesman in conclusion that soul that doth not look after the return of prayer loseth a great deal of faith and dependance and experience for God by giving out an answer to the prayers of his people he doth encourage them and engage them to trust in him at all times so long as they live they that lose the return of prayer lose the strengthening of faith and the engaging of their heart to God But secondly let me speak to such poor souls as are in the same condition with this woman of Canaan that have prayed and have not met with one word of answer Poor souls is this the condition of any of you I know that it hath been and may still be the condition of the Lords dearest servants they may pray and the Lord may seem to give no answer Remember it was so with David Jeremiah and Habakkuk and with Christ himself And let me say this unto thee that if thou regardest any iniquity in thy heart any known sin that thou regardest or connivest at or if there be slightness in the performance of thy duty or contentest thy self with a slothful performance of thy duty or thou dost not regard thy prayer when thou hast put it up to the Lord for this we have cause to be humbled and no wonder the Lord do not answer our prayers But now if thy own spirit and the Spirit of the Lord can testifie that thou desirest to regard no iniquity in thy heart but to walk up to thy duty and desire to be conformable to Christ and desire to cry in faith and to wait upon the Lord for an answer be of good comfort
down and worshipped with the worship of the Spirit Have we been putting forth acts of holy fear and reverence Have we been putting forth acts of love towards God Have we been exercising trust and affiance in the name of the Lord which is a strong Tower the righteous flee into it and are safe Have we made it our work to be submitting to the Lord to have our wills cast into the will of God to submit to God for kinde and for measure and for time O! How far do we come short of this our duty Have we been pouring forth our souls to God in afflicted conditions and tempted conditions Have we made it our work to cry the more earnestly being in an Agony as Christ did Have we spoken well of God at that time Have we not charged God foolishly and spoken unadvisedly with our lips Truly we have cause to be humbled every one either we have not known our duty or not minded our duty in the time of affliction and temptation Nay Instead of worshipping Have not we been dishonouring God in the time of affliction and temptation Have not we been distrusting murmuring repining entertaining hard thoughts of God speaking hard words against God Have we not neglected our duty and said what profit is there if I pray unto the Almighty Have we not thought that we have had to excuse from worship when the afflicting hand of God hath been upon us We have thought that affliction had been our excuse from our duty truly we may take up a sad complaint against our selves we are all guilty before the Lord and O that he would help us to see the evil of our hearts that hath past in the time of affliction and temptation But you will say when some afflictions are upon us alas we cannot pour out supplications to the Lord surely in time of affliction he doth not require it he will have mercy and not sacrifice But can our afflictions be worse then Jobs were Can it be greater then Jonahs he was in the belly of hell Can our afflictions and agonies be greater then Christ's were yet he prayed and prayed the more earnestly the more his afflictions and temptations encreased the more he prayed I know the Lord doth somtimes exercise his people with such conditions such weaknesses as they cannot be much in the performance of this external part of Worship they cannot be much in speaking unto God nor speaking well of God because of that weakness that is upon the outward man and if that be the only hinderance if the spirit be not in fault the Lord Jesus will make an excuse Christ doth tender his poor servants and children in such a condition when he sees the spirit is willing and the flesh weak they shall not need to excuse themselves Christ will But even then we are called upon to be much in giving to the Lord that inward worship of the spirit which may be given when we are in the weakest condition and the more we are hindred from the external part of worship the more should we be in the internal part of worship the more should the spirit be reverencing and loving and exercising acts of Faith and Affiance and the more submitting to the Lord and lying low this the Lord calls for from his people in the worst condition and we have cause to be humbled that we are not found in the performance of this duty in time of affliction or temptation Secondly If it be a duty to worship in time of affliction it is much more our duty to worship when the Lord is pleased to free us from affliction and from temptation if God looks for Worship from his people when under affliction and temptation then much more he looks for worship from his people when free from affliction and temptation This is a duty that lyes upon all Saints to be worshipping the Lord not only with Internal but External worship to take all opportunities of worshipping the Lord in publique and in our families in private to be pouring out supplications and to be speaking well of God is our duty if in sickness then much more in health and if in adversity much more in prosperity and if under temptation much more in the day of freedome when the hand of the Lord is not upon us it is our duty to take all opportunities and the best opportunities and the fittest opportunities both in our families and in publique Take heed that our incumbrances of the world doth not shut out our worship of God Pour out thine indignation upon the Heathen and the Families that call not upon thy name O that that Scripture were remembred Truly we are apt to complain when God lays his hand upon us and exercises us with affliction and temptation our complaint is that we cannot worship that is the grief and the burden that we cannot worship the Lord we are taken off from our duty if so we had more need to take those fairer advantages and opportunities of worshipping while the Lord is pleased to continue his course of mercy and goodness towards us Seek the Lord while he is near and call upon him while he may be found when afflictions come we cry out God is far from us and at a great distance and we know not how to apply our selves to him but examine and see whether this may not be the cause because we have not taken our opportunity while he was near we have neglected to worship him while we had strength and ability of body of pouring out our souls to God and speaking to God and no wonder the Lord doth take those opportunities from us and truly that proves a great burthen to many of Gods own people in the day of adversity when God brings them into affliction and exerciseth them with temptation and they see they cannot worship him in that external way O! that is their grief that they have not laid forth themselves in the worship of the Lord both publique and private while the Lord gave them space and opportunity and therefore as we desire not to lie under that pressure which will be exceeding heavie to God's own people take heed how we neglect worship either in our families or in publique or in both for if it be our duty to worship under affliction much more in health peace and strength To draw to a conclusion one word of Exhortation and so I end Brethren Let us look up to the Lord to teach us this lesson to make Impression of this Divine Truth upon our hearts there is a time a coming that every one of us may be put to the exercise of it and therefore look up to the Lord now to teach you that when affliction and remptation come we may through the Lord's strength be made able to fall down and worship both with Internal and External worship O! that God would make those examples of the Saints that were set before us prevalent with us to draw
himself That 's the third piece of childrens bread Sealing Ordinances I should have added a fourth but shall pass it by because of the time it should have been this Holy counsels and reproofs they are childrens bread and I should have shewn you in what cases we ought not to cast them before dogs When we have no call to speak or when we have spoken often again and again and they turn again and tread it under foot when it appears that they sin obstinately do not sin for want of light but sin against light when you have born a sufficient testimony unto the Truth or unto the wayes of God in such cases and the like that part of childrens bread must not be cast to dogs To shut up all with a word or two of Application First of all It lets us see Brethren that way of the Churches of Christ is justifiable by Christ that way of making distinction and separation betwixt person and person betwixt the precious and the vile it is justifiable by the word of the Lord it is one of the hard things for the world to digest this separation this putting a difference between man and man but I pray know that if any Church do act according to the rule to the word of Christ which they may not transgress no not for a house full of gold and silver they must not give that which is holy to dogs cast not pearls before swine saith Christ Matth. 7. 6. And it is to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs The Church do but walk according to rule let not men condemn it I know what is objected Ah! They are a censorious people they would be Judges they would judge all the world but themselves they only are children and all the world are dogs No we say not so God forbid We say there are seven thousand souls besides those we know that have not bowed their knee to Baal Yeâ— surely there are many thousands I am perswaded of the people of God that are children who are not for the present in any visible House of God But this I say that so long as they are so they are not in the right place they are where the dogs should be till they be in some visible House of Christ they are not in the children place they set themselves among the dogs the Lord would have them among children and there is a time a coming when all that are children shall come in and without shall be none buâ— dogs And let me say to such as are the children of the Lord and not in some visible House of God they cannot have their portion they cannot enjoy childrens bread while out of Christ's house they deprive themselves of that bread which is their right Christ will not have bread given but in his House some Ordinances of Christ cannot be dispenced but in a Communion of Saints and if children will not come into a communion of Saints they must not they cannot enjoy those Ordinances and let it be no offence if the Church according to their duty do labour to keep the Ordinances of God from pollution Quest But you will say What can it hurt me Or What can it hurt another though there be many wicked men in a Communion of Saints that come and partake of the Lord's Supper What is that to me if I be prepared to wait upon the Lord What detriment shall I receive Answ It is to thee A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump If a wicked person be in the Church it is to thee and to the whole company and if thou dost not that which is thy duty thou art defiled by that wicked man It is true if thou hast done thy duty brought it to the Church then thou art not defiled but if thou hast not done thy duty thou art defiled and it is to thee I know what is urged Did not Judas receive the Supper And were there not many wicked men in the Church of Corinth And doth not Christ say the Tares and the wheat must grow together But these may easily be answered As for Judas it is hardly made out that he received the Supper of the Lord but if he did he was a close hypocrite not known to the Church Hypocrites there may be but that is no plea for the admitting of those that are openly scandalous As for those wicked persons in the Church of Corinth it was defective but of right it should not have been so Possibly the best Church may be corrupt and may tollerate wicked persons but by rule it ought not to be so When ye are met together and there be a wicked person amongst you deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 6. But to pass by that Secondly In a word What matter of comfort is here to you that are the Lord's people The Lord looks upon you as children all you that fear the Lord and believe in the name of his Son you are the Lord's children cared for and provided for by the Lord. Provision is made by God himself he will take care that you shall have bread Christ takes care for his children O! This is childrens bread and I must not give the childrens bread unto dogs O! That this might refresh your souls that Christ looketh upon you as children and that he takes care to provide bread for you He will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish Prov. 10. 3. Children you shall have bread you shall have Ordinances Promises they belong to you they are your bread the Lord will in due time give out that which your souls wait for for the children shall have their bread O that the Lord would raise up our hearts to expect this when we come before him in the Lords Supper Let children look for their bread wait for bread from heaven to be given out there is never an hired servant in Christ's House but shall have bread enough so the Prodigal did acknowledge and if the hired servants shall have bread the children shall not famish O! Wait upon the Lord who will give his children bread and give it in due season Again thirdly What cause have you to admire at the goodness of the Lord thus to you that are his children Children so provided for O! The free grace of God to us poor out-casts of the Gentiles Time was when we were dogs and that the Lord should make them to be children that were dogs set them at his Table that were cast out and give them childrens bread that had not right no not to the crumbs O the free grace of God let us admire it and let us debase our selves and lie low before the Lord and say O! What am I poor dead dog that I should sit at Table with the King and that
reason of mine affliction unto the Lord out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardest my voice He was so low in his own apprehension as was possible for him to be in the belly of hell And what did he do I cried to the Lord he applied himself to the Lord and spread his sad condition before the Lord and he did not loose his labour Thou Lord heardest me Now for the grounds of the Point That faith will teach a soul to go to Christ and make his complaint to Christ in all his affliction for faith discovers to a soul that all afflictions are from God the Lords hand is in all the crosses and troubles and whatsoever is matter of complaint the hand of God is in it Is there any evil in the city and I have not done it saith the Lord by the Prophet Amos Is there any evil of affliction that I have not brought upon a people As to the evil of sin that is not from God for that is no being that is a privation but as for affliction all the affliction that doth berall the children of men it is from the hand of God and upon this ground Eliphaz perswadeth Job to apply himself to God Job 5. 6 8. Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither does trouble spring out of the ground I would speak unto God and unto God would I commit my cause Trouble doth not spring from the ground it is not from second causes whatsoever trouble the people of God meet withall â—any of the sons of men it springs not from the dust Whence then It is from the hand of God there is a secret wheel a great wheel of providence that sets all on work second causes cannot move if that great wheel does not move so then when this comes to be reallized to the soul as faith doth discover it because God hath spoken it that trouble is from God whether inward or outward therefore it will carry the soul unto God and make the soul apply it self to God and Christ alone Secondly Faith doth discover that as all afflictions are from God and makes the soul see the hand of God in every stroke so it doth discover that the end of all afflictions is to carry the soul to God that is the end of all afflictions to bring God and the soul nigher together God doth not love to have any of his people at a distance from him and therefore he sends forth affliction to bring them nigher to himself And therefore in Hosea 5. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early He brings affliction for this very end that they may draw nigh to him And in chap. 6. 1. you may see the fruit of their affliction Come and let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up This is the fruit of their affliction they were brought nigher to God God will have his people injoy more communion with him dwell with him and make them more conformable to him more like to himself and therefore many times he layes great and sore afflictions upon them For when the Saints shall be in such a staâ—e and such a condition as nothing shall come betwixt God and them when they shall so dwell in God as never to goe out from God when there shall come no sin no corruption betwixt God and them then there shall be no more affliction then the Lord God shall wipe away teares from the faces of his people no more sorrow and sighing now the end is attained when they are gotten so nigh to God as nothing can come betwixt God and them Now when faith discovers this that it is the end of affliction to bring the soul nigher to God it puts the soul upon it in its affliction to return and apply it self to God alone Thirdly Faith will make a soul come to Christ and Christ alone in distress for faith doth discover that the help of the creature is in vain in time of distress it is faith that doth reallize to the soul the vanity of the creature and that the creature cannot help in the day of distress And therefore the Psalmist cries out Psal 60. 11. Help Lord for vain is the help of man Man cannot help and therefore he applies himself to God alone Help Lord for vain is the help of man Till the soul sees that vain is the help of the creature it will not in good earnest cry Help Lord faith shews the soul that in vain is salvation hoped for from the hils and from the multitude of mountains in vain is salvation hoped for from creatures from great men the highest of all There is many a poor soul can tell you by sad experience and say it by sad experience in vain have I sought help from men and cried to men and spread my complaints before men and therefore it is good for me to draw nigh to God for if you look upon all the sons of men you shall see how fruitless a thing it is for a poor soul in distress to apply it self to man and to go and pour out his complaints to man he may speak to such men as are not at all sensible of what he speaks he may tell a sad relation of his sufferings and burdens and yet not at all affect the heart of him that he speaks to There are some such men in the world nay very many that regard not the affliction of Joseph that are altogether insensible of the burden that lay upon other poor creatures that hath no compassion and cannot be affected It is said of Gallio that he cared for none of those things when as they made complaints of things of Religion he cared for none of those things and so when some come and make complaints of their burdens they care for none of those things And thus it was with Lazarus that lay at the rich mans gate it is very like he made many complaints shewed him his sorrow and sores but his heart was not at all affected the very dogs had more pitty upon him they came and licked his sores And so it is many times when we make our complaints to men they regard not Or secondly Sometimes when we make complaints to men though there be some pitty and some compassion in them and they will expresse it in good words yet very little help and assistance will many men afford they will seem to pitty and have compassion but there are some men that will do very little to the relief of a poor creature under distress that comes and makes complaints of his burdens The Apostle James speaks of some such chap. 2. 15 16. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto him depart in peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding
been more sad if God had taken away our estates from us before he had found us but if the Lord hath found us though we lose the world there is good cause we should be content what God calls for let it go we should be willing to lose our estates our credit our name for Christ hath found us if we cannot walk with Christ and do the service Christ calls us to but we must lose estate and credit and name why let all go Christ found us and we should be willing to lose our lives for Christ and know that it shall not be lost but what a man loses for Christ it shall be restored him again And fiftly and lastly Let us take heed that we do not go out from Christ any more O! what an engagement lyeth upon us to keep close to Christ O! What pains did Christ take to seek us when wandring And what pains did Christ take to bring us home O! Take heed of wandring in the ways of sin for it is a dangerous way and therefore take heed that we be not found wandring let us labour to cleave to God and keep close to Christ let the sheep hear the voice of Christ and follow him where ever he goeth keep close to Christ in every Ordinance in every Truth take heed that we go not out from Christ for that will be sadder then all that hath gone before that lost sheep whom Christ hath found should go into the wilderness again dark wayes again and defile your elves again O! this will go to the heart of Christ and therefore Brethren what need have we to watch O! let us watch over our own hearts if Christ hath found us and brought us home to God O let us watch over our hearts and wayes that we go not out from Christ O let us watch and let us cry to the Lord that he would watch over us that we may not go out from him O! let us beg of him that he would put his holy fear into our hearts that is his promise O beg of the Lord that he would make good his Covenant that we may have that holy fear in our hearts that may keep us for ever from wandring and going out from Christ Matth. 15. 24. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON XII HEre is a second Tryal of this womans Faith as I told you when I opened the words Christ had tryed her faith by his silence and now by his speaking a sad word I am not sent but to the lost Sheep c. Wherein he holds forth that there a certain number that he is sent unto a certain company that are given to him to be his sheep and that he can shew mercy only to such they only are in his Commission and he cannot go beyond his Commission they whose names are written in the book of life their names are written in Christ's Commission I am not sent but to the lost sheep Here is a great tryal of this womans faith and she is put upon it to make out her Election here is a tryal concerning her Election whether she did belong to God or no. So then the Doctrine is this That the Lord is pleased sometimes to exercise his people with many temptations about their Election That was the great tryal that this woman was now put upon In the opening of the point it will be needful to shew you First That there is an Election of God Secondly That this Election may be known it may be known who are elected Thirdly I shall shew you that this Doctrine it self it is full of sweetness and unspeakable comfort to God's people Fourthly I shall shew you that God's own people may meet with many Temptations both about the doctrine of Election and concerning their own election in particular First then That there is an election of God which is a glorious truth of the Gospel and it is needful that it should be known Let us enquire what election is It is an Act of God ' s good pleasure from eternity whereby he made choice of certain persons that he might make them holy and happy through Christ Jesus unto the glory of his own grace Take this as a description of Election where you have First The efficient cause that is God it is an act of God and you have the nature of this Act. 1. It was an act of his good pleasure 2. It was from eternity 1. It was an Act of his good pleasure there was no moving cause at all in the creature why God did love it and chuse it no impulsive cause was found out of God's own bowels nothing in the creature nothing out of himself it was an Act of good pleasure 2. And this was from eternity what ever was done in time it was purposed from eternity they are chosen before the foundation of the world blessed of my Father before the foundation of the world it was from eternity that God did thus chuse and set his love upon poor creatures You see the nature of it Thirdly In the description you have the Subjects of it who they were that God did chuse from eternity Why they were certain persons a certain number of persons that God set his love upon freely and amongst those sometimes in Scripture Christ is said to be the first that was chosen he was the head of them he was the foundation of the building therefore he is called chosen of God Disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious 1 Pet. 2. 4. the Apostle saith of Christ he was a chosen precious foundation stone And as Christ was chosen to be Head so there was a certain number that were chosen to be his members a certain number known unto God that should fill up the body of Christ for God's Decree is not an uncertain nnumber or conditional proposition as some conceive that whosoever believes shall be saved some make no other decree of God but this that whosoever believes should be saved but he did not purpose any particular person but whosoever believe shall be saved Truly that decree is no decree if there were no other decree but so that whosoever believe should be saved and not decreed certain persons then it were possible that no man nor woman at all should be saved if God did not determine such and such persons but onely such as believe should be saved then I say there is a possibility that none at all should be saved it is true that is the way of the declaration of God's grace that whosoever believes is saved But fourthly We have further to consider what is the end of Election wherefore did God chuse certain persons There is a two-fold end First In respect of the creature Secondly in respect of God In respect of the creature this was God's end that such creatures should be made holy and happy that they should attain to eternal life which eternal
unto thee into thy holy Temple When he was in this condition he prayed and he poured out his soul before the Lord. I shall only give you one instance more and that is of Christ himself when as he was in a sore affliction and his affliction accompanied with temptations then he prayed Luke 22. 39 40 41 42. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives and his Disciples also followed him And when he was at the place he said unto them Pray that ye enter not into temptation And he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast and kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thâ—â— be willing remove this cup from me Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done and at vers 44. it is said being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly His affliction doth increase and his temptations do increase and as they encrease so he cries the more earnestly to his Father Afflictions do not make Christ cease to worship no he worships the more and he cryeth the louder and prayeth the more earnestly Thirdly We shall consider the Grounds of the Point Why it is the duty of God's people to worship God in time of affliction and temptation First Because there is no affliction or temptation but it is from the Lord it is his Messenger it is of his sending we have to deal with God in it and it is fit that we should fall down and worship him when God sends affliction Isa 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things It is not spoken of Natural darkness the darkness that is of the Ayre that was not created by God there is no creating cause withdrawing of light causeth darkness but God saith he creates darkness he creates Metaphorical darkness that darkness which he sends as an affliction to his own people I create it there is no darkness but that which is of the Lord 's forming and creating In the Creation of the world God said let there be light but God never said let there be darkness but now when God will afflict any of his people he creates darkness and there is no darkness till God say let there be darkness when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's estate all his comforts shall wither when God says let there be darkness in such a man's family there shall be darkness for he can turn the Sun or Moon or Stars into darkness he can take away the head of the Family the children that are as the Stars of the Family if God speak the word though there be never so many in the family he can turn light into darkness and so when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's spirit O then though it was comfortable before it will be as sad and as dark in the inward man even as it is with the Ayr at midnight darkness is of God's creating and therefore when-ever the Lord brings us into a state of darkness affliction and temptation either outward or inward it is time then to worship the Lord. Secondly We should then worship the Lord in time of affliction and temptation for it is the Lord only that can enable a man to bear temptation or affliction there is need I say that we should apply our selves to the Lord for he only can enable a poor creature to grapple with his affliction and temptation If the Lord help not the proudest helper in the world shall stoop and not be able to bear up a man under the least affliction especially when the affliction is accompanied with temptation and is wounding A wounded spirit who can bear It is only everlasting Armes that can support under such a condition surely therefore it is our duty in affliction and temptation to fall down and worship Thirdly The Lord only can give a sanctified 〈◊〉 of affliction he only can do us good by our manifold temptations affliction it self cannot profit sad experience shews it a man may have stroke after stroke and yet receive no profit no spiritual advantage I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit Isa 48. 17. God only can teach to profit Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest Job 5. 17. When God's instruction and teaching go along with his correction that man is blessed that affliction shall be blessed Affliction it self cannot do it and therefore there is need that we should apply our selves to God Fourthly God only can remove the affliction and he only can rebuke the distemper and silence the temptation for certainly both affliction and temptation as I said before they are the Lord's messengers they are the Armies of the Lord of Hosts they go and they come at his command he gives out the word and he bids affliction to charge and it chargeth and if he bids it to retreat it shall retreat God only can deliver from affliction and from temptation therefore surely it is our duty to worship in affliction and temptation Fifthly It is the end of all afflictions and temptations to bring the soul nearer to God to drive the soul nigher God We are very prone to content our selves to live at a distance from God before I was afflicted I went astray saith David Psal 119. 67. Now the end of affliction and temptation is to fetch home the stragling sheep to bring God and the spirit nigher together therefore it is fit that we should fall down and worship for therein do we draw nigh to God when the soul falls down and worships God with Internal worship fear him love him trust him and submit to him and when it is pouring out its soul and lifting up the name of God speaking good words of the Almighty surely herein the soul draws nigh to God and so affliction attains its end Sixtly and lastly This is the way to ease and rest in our afflictions we cry out for ease and rest that is the thing we seek after the way to have ease and rest is to fall down and worship for by so doing the soul doth cast its burthen upon the Lord. When it doth thus fall down and worship with the worship of the Spirit fear and love and trust now the soul casteth its burden upon the Lord and his burden being left there it bringeth in unspeakable rest I say when the soul by inward worship hath gone to God and left his burden upon the Lord O! it bringeth in ease to the spirit whatever the affliction or temptation be Well then to Apply this in a word First What cause have we to be ashamed that we have come so far short of this Duty in the time of affliction or temptation We have been afflicted at one time or other who hath been free many of your souls have been exercised with temptations but O! What hath been the carriage of our spirits under them Have we fallen
the King should own me No cause of being lifted up but cause of lying low for who are we poor dead dogs that the Lord should make us children and bestow the portion of children upon us giving unto us childrens bread And to shut up all Let us look upon the Ordinances of the Lord as our Bread look upon the Word and look upon the Promises you that are children take hold of them improve them they are childrens bread they are provided on purpose for you And so that other Ordinance of the Supper look upon it as bread and make use of it as bread O that we might fetch out the sweetness of it for there is no piece of childrens bread but hath a great deal of sweetness in it sweetness in the Word and sweetness in the Supper and O that we might chew it and fetch out the sweetness What sweetness might we finde in the Supper of the Lord if we did set faith on work O! what abundance of the love of God is held forth and of the great mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh How much held forth of the sufferings of Christ and the benefits of the suffering of Christ O that we might chew the Ordinance and as bread make use of it for our refreshment and strength Matth. 15. 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Masters Table SERMON XX. IN these words that I have read we have the carriage and the behaviour of this woman under those Tryals or Temptations which she met withal her carriage is very gracious it is such as doth discover First A depth of Humility Secondly A height of Faith She discovers first of all A depth of Humility Jesus Christ he had called her dog he had preferr'd others before her he had told her it was not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to such as she was Now she doth acknowledge all this nay she doth not only acknowledge it but she submitted unto it nay she confirms it Truth Lord Christ had said It was not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs Truth Lord What-ever thou hast spoken Lord is true Thou hast said that I am a dog Truth Lord Thou hast said the Jews are children Truth Lord Thou hast said it is not meet to bestow childrens bread upon dogs Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs And as we have a discovery of her Humility so of her Faith her condition was low but her faith was high strong and glorious First of all By Faith she doth answer the temptation she findes out the strength of the temptation the scope of it where it lay and the Spirit of the Lord doth unfold and resolve the difficulty Christ had said the Jews were the children and 't was not meet to give the childrens bread to dogs there is the temptation She answers Truth Lord yet the dogs cat of the crumbs It discovers thus much Although the Jews are the children and they must be served first it is fit that they should have the first offer of mercy it is fit that they should have whole loaves set upon the Table and full dishes yet the Jews are not so the children that all others are excluded the Gentiles are not altogether excluded from mercy the Gentiles may have the crums especially when the children grow wanton and cast away their bread the Gentiles though dogs may have that which fall from their Table Thus by faith she doth finde out the force of the temptation and is enabled to make an answer to it Secondly The strength of her faith doth appear in this that she doth not only answer the temptation but she gains advantage by it her faith is strengthened and riseth higher and waxeth stronger and that which was matter of discouragement in it self it is matter of encouragement and strength unto her Christ had said she was a dog this is an encouragement to her Lord thou hast said that I am a dog and if I be a dog I am thy dog thou art my master and therefore surely the crumbs that fall from my masters table do belong to me in all Nations among all people the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table Lord thou hast said that I am a dog but I will lie at thy feet and wait upon thee for crums of mercy that fall from thee Thus her faith is strengthened by that temptation which in it self did tend to drive her from Christ that temptation that would have driven her from Christ makes her run to Christ she is called dog and she waits under the Master's table for crumbs of mercy Thus you see the carriage of this woman under the temptation she carries it very humbly and with a great deal of faith and holy confidence in the midst of these discouragements There are divers useful truths in these words I shall now close with one Truth Lord saith she From whence Observe That the soul that is graciously and truly humbled before the Lord will justifie the Lord in all that he speaks and doth against it What-ever the Lord shall say whether it be in a way of discovery of sin vileness and corruption Or secondly whether it be a word of threatning In both these that heart that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord. When God speaks himself and gives rebukes from himself or when God makes use of men to be instruments in his hand still a gracious heart that is truly humbled in all it meeteth withal it will justifie the Lord and say Truth Lord the Lord is true and the Lord is righteous in what he speaks and doth First When God comes and speaks in a way of discovery of sin when the Lord by his Spirit in his Word doth come and rip open a mans heart as it were discovers its vileness to him shews him what a wretched sinful polluted creture he is or when the Lord shall come and charge any particular sin upon a man that he hath committed set his actual sin in order before him when God shall binde with the cords of affliction as Job speaks and then discover a mans transgression if the soul be truly humbled it will say truth Lord I am indeed as vile and as wretched and as sinful nay worse then I can be charged with When God came to make a discovery to Job of his own heart in the 38 39 and 40 chapters God took much pains to discover Job to himself Job had stood too much upon his integrity upon his righteousness he had not all along justified the Lord in his proceedings but when God came to make a discovery to him and shew him what a poor vile frail worm he was and ript open his heart and shewed him his corruption Job then falls down and cries truth Lord Job 40. 3 4. Then Job answered the Lord and said Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee
Name of God threaten all those people that seek not after the knowledge of God thâ—â— though God made them yet he will not save theâ— if they do not know him Isa 27. 11. For it is â—people of no understanding therefore he that maâ— them will not have mercy on them If thou doâ— not know God though thou hadst outward lifâ— from him yet thou canst not expect eternal lifâ— from him for if thou dost not know him he wiâ—â— not have mercy on thee And therefore To Remember thy Creator is to know God Secondly To Remember God is to Trust 〈◊〉 God to lay the confidence of the soul upon God and upon God only Psal 20. 7. Some trust 〈◊〉 chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God So much faith in God so much remembrance of God when God is not believed on and when God is distrusted when any thing beside God is trusted then God is forgotten And therefore when Solomon saith Young man Remember God that is seek after faith in God let them trust in God let them not trust in their strength trust in their parts let them not trust in their wealth let them not trust in their friends their fathers to provide for them no let them Remember God let them put their trust in God for that is a remembring of God Thirdly To Remember God is to Love God to prize him to have a high account of God to love him dearly above all things for when God is not loved above all things whatsoever God is forgotten We will remember thy love more then wine The upright love thee Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy love more then wine that is our heart is affected with thy love our heart is taken with thy love we finde more sweetness in the love of Christ then in the sweetest of creature comforts so that when Solomon saith Young man Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth that is set thy affections upon God betimes prize him above all thy comforts and enjoyments if the heart be not set upon God the Lord is forgotten Fourthly To Remember God is to Serve God and to obey God to walk with him and to worship him to honour him this is a Remembring of God Deut. 8. 11. Beware that thou for get not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgements and his statutes which I command thee this day If thou dost not yeild obedience to the will of God thou forgettest God but to yeild obedience to the Will of God is to Remember God So when Solomon saith Young man Remember God in the dayes of thy youth that is Walk with God and take heed of disobeying God sinning against God for if thou sin against God thou forgettest God and therefore be found walking with him and worship the Lord in truth for that is a remembring of him Fiftly To Remember God is to spend the thoughts of the heart upon God When a man spends many thoughts upon a person or upon such an object he then remembers it and so when the thoughts of the heart are spent upon God then God is remembred But when God is not thought upon but vain thoughts thrust out the thoughts of God there is no remembrance of God the wicked they are said to forget God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10. 4. And therefore when Solomon saith Young man Remember God that is young man spend thy thoughts upon God thou hast many thoughts in youth do not let them run out to base objects to soul-destroying objects but Remember God let God be often in thy minde and let the thoughts of thy heart be spent on him thy many thoughts and thy best thoughts thy choice thoughts let them be spent on God for that is a Remembring of God Sixtly and lastly To Remember God is to Endeavour after communion with God Seek to see the face of God and to have the presence of God in and thorow Christ to walk with God this is a remembring of God when a man neglects his friend and hath no communion with him he is said to forget his friend and so that soul that seeks not after communion with God that soul forgets God And therefore when Solomon saith Young man Remember God that is let the strongest endeavour and pursuit of thy soul be after God that thou mayest enjoy God and act for God and serve him That 's the first particular you see what it is to Remember God But secondly The second thing is to shew you what cause there is that all the sons of men should Remember their Creator First of all God is worthy yea only worthy to be remembred What is in any creature in any object that does make it worthy of the thoughts of your heart Look unto God and you shall finde it infinitely more in him Is it Goodness Kindness bounty Liberality Wisdome Power and Greatness Beauty and Loveliness Go all the world over and finde out all the excellencies that you can name and you shall finde them all to meet and center in God all divine perfections are in him originally there is Love and Bounty Goodness and Meekness yea infinite grace in God He is good and he doth good and he doth good to the worst of creatures even to those that forget him while they run away from him Yea the most forgetful of God they have showers of mercy poured down every day upon their heads Now because of those excellent glorious perfections that are in God God is worthy to be remembred of the sons of men Secondly He is worthy to be remembred because he hath Done so much to be remembred God hath taken more care of this one thing then he hath done of any thing else besides the great work of the salvation of his people that the sons of men might remember him when man went out from God in Adam God saw that man would soon forget him man would have forgotten that there was a God now what a great deal hath God done that the sons of men might remember him He hath written the remembrance of himself upon every creature that wheresoever man looks either upward or downward he shall see some footsteps of God somthing that God hath done to remember him he hath engraven some remembrance of himself upon every creature Psal 8. 3 4. verse 9. When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained Verse 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him When I saw saith he the remembrance of God that was graven upon the Sun Moon and Stars and so upon every creature on the face of the earth why then at Verse 9. he cries out O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth Nay The Lord hath engraven the remembrance of himself upon all his
Providences there is some remembrance of God upon every mercy all those mercies that have been made thy portion which thou hast enjoyed since thou hadst a beeing wherefore are they but that thy soul might remember God Nay God hath written his name upon his judgments in the earth that he might be remembred wherefore God he doth work wonderfully that as his mercies are wonderful so his judgements are wonderful wherefore doth God do such great things in the earth Doubtless that he might be remembred that men may say Verily there is a reward for the righteous and a God that judgeth the earth Nay God hath set up Conscience in every mans soul and wherefore hath God set up Conscience in every man but that Conscience might put us in minde of God That every man's Conscience might speak for God that it might stand up and cry for God Remember God and Conscience doth cry and doth speak and men may hear the cries of Conscience if they will not stop their ears When men sin Remember saith Conscience that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Nay further God hath engraven his Name upon his Ordinances and the great end is that he might be remembred This is the great end of the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper Do it in remembrance of me saith Christ and so every Ordinance the Word that is preached to you it is that you might remember God wherefore is Prayer and every Ordinance but that the sons of men might remember God He hath engraven some remembrance of himself upon all his Ordinances See then what cause there is that you should remember God seeing God hath done so much that he might be remembred Thirdly There is cause that the sons of men should remember God for God is their Creator Remember thy Creator Now God being our Creator it is but a just and equitable thing that thou shouldest remember God thy Creator thy being is from him thy life is from him thy soul is from him thy comforts are from him all thy enjoyments are from him thou hast not the least comfort in the world but what comes from God he being thy Creator it is but a just thing that thou shouldest remember him yea thy dependance is upon him as he is thy Creator thy life is not only from him but thy life is in his hand and thy soul is not only from him but thy soul is in his hand it is in his power to kill and to save to destroy both body and soul And if there be so great a dependance that man hath upon his Creator that not only thy comforts but thy breathing thy soul and thy eternity is in his hand there is good cause that thou shouldest remember thy Creator Fourthly There is good cause that we should remember God for while you remember God you remember your selves for all good comes to the creature by remembring God thy peace and thy rest thy comforts thy satisfaction and thy contentments thy establishment of heart thy hope for life for heaven for glory there is not any good thing that a creature can enjoy or hope to enjoy but it must come in by remembrance of God And while you remember God you remember your selves remembring God thou enjoyest God and enjoying God thou enjoyest all good whatsoever good reason then that thou shouldest remember him That 's the second particular Thirdly I shall shew you what advantage it is to man to remember God in youth First There is this great advantage for the most part that soul that remembers God betimes in its coming unto God he findes the easie and the ready way to God the longer a man forgets God the further he goes from God every day he is going from God and therefore it will be the harder task to come back again it is a harder task to cast over a great Account then to cast it up while lesser though in respect of God all things are alike and God can as easily forgive many transgressions as few he can wash away great sins as well as small but yet when poor creatures come to look towards God through their unskilfulness they make it a difficult thing to finde God and to return to God when they go a great way from him the greater account they have to cast up it proves so to man because of his unskilfulness though to God all things are alike So that the sooner men begin to look after God they finde an easier way to come to Christ they have some helps in nature that when a man is once turned to the Lord his natural abilities being sanctified become great helps so that young men have more advantage in respect that natural parts are more strong the Understanding and Memory and Reason the Senses Internal and External they are all more vigorous and these prove helps to a man when once the heart is sanctified and the sooner a man turns to God the more he hath of these helps Yea Christ is very ready to go out to meet such children and young men Are the hearts of young ones towards the Lord The heart of Christ is towards them and he is mightily taken with such and will go forth and meet them The young Progigal in the Gospel no sooner did he think of returning to his fathers house but his father ran out to meet him But you will say for ought we see young men meet with as much trouble as others and when they come to remember God they are afflicted as much as others and it proves hard to them as to others I answer If it be so hard when they do return to God in youth it would have been much more hard if they had stayed till old age and if they do meet with difficulties and temptations and it prove a hard way it is because that the Lord seeâ— it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth and I might add that the Lord will recompence all with abundance of grace and with the discoveries of himself That is the first advantage that young men have many times for the most part they finde the ready way to Christ Secondly They have this advantage The Lord for the most part doth discover more of himself to them that begin betimes to remember God then to those that begin more later Joel 2. 28. And it shall come to pass that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions Let not old men grudge at God's dispensation it is mercy to them that they shall dream Dreams but the young men shall see Visions they shall have clearer discoveries of God and that is a great advantage Thirdly There is this advantage They that remember God betimes they have an opportunity of doing more for God then other men have for when men begin late it is work enough to get
remembred and of all things God only shut out O my friends Take heed of this great sin this Mother sin Forgetting God But secondly I beseech you to Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Young man do not put off your remembrance of God it may be you will say to me you will remember God hereafter that is folly The Wise man teacheth you better giveth you better counsel Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth As much as if he should say Remember now thy Creator in what part of your youth soever you be Remember Now thy Creator Now seek after the knowledge of Christ if ten yeers old Now Remember God if fifteen years old if twenty yeers old Now Remember thy Creator yea if thirty years old and so to every Age to which the word of the Lord comes Even Now Now remember thy Creator And O that young men and young women would think upon the advantages that many have by remembring God in youth they were spoken of before And let me further tell you for your encouragement young men that to remember God betimes it is a great prerogative and a great dignity to be the first in Christ the Apostle speaks of some that were first in Christ and he speaks honourably of them Eph. 1. 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ And it was the honour of that people that were first in bringing back David great honour was put upon them that went out first to meet David their King And so to be the firstâ— that go out to meet with Christ the first that honour him the first that close with him and believe in him this is a prerogative and it is kindness that God will never forget Jer. 2. 2. Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thy espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown the kindness of thy youth I will not forget saith God And the Lord will say so to young men and young women that are looking after Christ and remember him betimes thou remembredst me in thy youth and I will remember the kindness of thy youth when thou leftest all to follow me thy vanity thy comforts thy contentments that other young men closed with and followed after though they lead to destruction this kindness of thy youth Christ will remember to the very last day And let none that hear me this day think that they are too young and 't is not for them to trouble themselves with such matters to remember God and to look after God as young as you have remembred God Jeroboams childe remembred God Josiah at sixteen years of age set himself to seek after the Lord And I pray consider youth go the grave as well as others nay more die in their youth then in their old age O that young men would remember God betimes And there is none so young but must be accountable to God there is sin enough to condemn the youngest if not actual sin thou hast a sinful Nature and that is enough to condemn the youngest that hears me this day And therefore O that the Lord would perswade young men to remember betimes their Creator and know that it will be your comfort in the latter end As the neglect of God in youth will be a great deal of sorrow when God smites and comes to lay you upon the bed of sickness and ready to give out your breath then it may be you will cry out Lord Remember me but how sad will it be to reflect upon your selves and to think that you have not remembred God When as it hath been the comfort of many a poor soul that their work hath been done and when they have lain upon their sick bed they have given up themselves willingly to God having gotten the knowledge of God and gotten faith in Christ they are blessing God that their work is done for them by Christ O how sweet and comfortable will it be to you young men when you come to die to see that your great work is done and that you have believed and have nothing to do but to die Solomon was very pittiful to your souls young men and therefore he calls upon you to Remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth And in the bowels of Christ I speak to you this day to study this lesson of lessons To Remember Now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And let me say to old men if young men had need to remember God Oh what cause have old men to remember God They that have lived many years and not remembred God O it is high time that thou shouldest make haste thou art going to the grave the land of forgetfulness where there is nothing can be done for eternity when once in the grave O that God would perswade the Ancient Such as have neglected to remember God that they would now remember their Creator and do not say I have mispent my youth and I fear my time is over and there is no hope for me I had as good go on in my wayes of sin O say not so The thoughts of the Lord are not as your thoughts nor his wayes as your wayes but as the Heavens are higher then the earth so are his thoughts above yours and his wayes above yours You have spent many years in sin and vanity and forgotten God and your thoughts have been upon vanity it may be many years but the thoughts of the Lord to do good to his people are from eternity O that Now you would at last in your old age remember God! Old men I beseech you to remember your Creator there is hope wherefore hath God spared you so long Reason so with with your selves to encourage you to look to Christ when through Unbelief you say there is no hope you have walked in sin and God might have cut you off and it is infinite mercy that God hath not cut you off but seeing the Lord hath spared me surely I may hope though I have forgotten God in the dayes of my youth yet say I will now remember my Creator and seek after faith in him And know for thy comfort and encouragement that there is infinite thoughts of mercy in the Lord Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and turn to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. O stay no longer venture no longer for there is one evil day upon you the evil day of old age is upon you and there is another a coming O Remember God and make haste to do it quickly before the Sun and Moon and Stars be darkned before the body return to the earth and the spirit to stand before God that made it But I shall now come to press this duty upon
is sure in respect of the event of it The Event and Issue of a Believers hope is alwayes sure it can no more be disappointed of his hope then the foundation of his hope which is Christ can be overturned but that which a believing soul hath in hope it is as sure as if he had it in hand already Lo This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us saith the Church The Doctrine then is this That the beleiving soul hath Hope for a sure and stedfast Anchor Or thus This Grace of Hope it is a sure and stedfast Anchor to every believing heart It is plain in the Text Which hope we have as an Anchor both sure and stedfast In the handling of this Point I shall shew you First What this Hope is Secondly Make it out to you That this Hope is the souls Anchor Thirdly That this Anchor of the soul is sure and stedfast And that will make way for Application First of all Our work is to enquire What this Hope is You may take this description of it It is the work of the spirit of Christ upon the heart whereby it is raised in expectation of those good things that faith believes and which God hath promised We shall open the parts of it that we may come to know what this saving Hope is that is the Anchor of a believing soul And first of all you have the efficient cause of this hope and that is the Spirit of Christ it is not all the world that can raise a poor dejected heart to hope in God it is not all the comforts of the world nor comforters in the world that can make any poor drooping heart to cast this Anchor of Hope in heaven and therefore when the Apostle doth describe the condition of Natural men he saith of them That they are without God without Christ and without Hope This is the state of every man by Nature he hath not the least dram of saving hope till the Spirit of Christ comeâ— to work upon the heart And therefore God is called the God of Hope Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Here you see the efficient cause it is the work of God to raise up the heart to hope in himself and it is the Spirit of Christ that must cause the soul to abound in hope That you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost And in Psal 22. speaking there in the person of Christ he confesseth that it was his Father that did cause him to hope Psal 22. 9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts It was thou Lord that didst cause me to hope God only is the efficient cause Secondly For the Formal Cause of this Hope we said it is an Expectation of the soul it takes its rise from faith what faith believeth that hope expects and waits upon God for the fulfilling of It is an Expectation of the heart Now this Expectation it is First A patient Expectation Secondly An ardent Expectation Thirdly A confident Expectation All which do express the Nature of saving Hope First of all It is a Patient Expectation it causeth the soul to wait patiently for the fulfilling of the Promise to sit down at the feet of Christ and wait even all its dayes for the fulfilling of the Promise and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 36. For you have need of patience that after you have done the Will of God you may inherit the Promise As if he should say your hope will not hold out if you have not patience God hath given you a promise but God doth not presently fulfil the promise and therefore that you may hope till the Promise be fulfilled you have need of patience and truly Hope is nothing else but Patience lengthned out It is a patient Expectation Secondly It is an Ardent Expectation What the believing soul doth hope for it is earnestly carried out after it is such an expectation as doth make the soul exceedingly Intent and cause it to look every way round about for the fulfilling of that which it hopes for it is an earnest expectation The Apostle speaks in Rom. 8. 19 20 21. Verse 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God Verse 20. For the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Verse 21. Because the creature also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God The whole creation hath a hope to be delivered from that bondage which the sin of man brought upon it and because there is a hope there is an earnest expectation and the earnest expectation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God And truly where there is saving hope it will cause the soul to look after the fulfilling of the Promise it waits earnestly and groans earnestly for the fulfilling of those Promises that it waits for It is an ardent expectation Thirdly It is a Confident Expectation though indeed it is true the hope of the best Saints may flag yet when hope doth work like it self and act like it self it acts confidently it is accompanied with holy confidence and boldness toward God when hope is strengthned then it acts confidently and confidence is nothing else then hope strengthned That is the second particular You have seen the efficient and formal cause of this hope Thirdly What is the Object of this Hope I told you that it was an expectation of those good things that God hath promised what God hath promised that hope looks for the fulfilling of all outward comforts that are needful refreshments in their way Protection Deliverance Assistance the Increase of Grace and the Carrying on of the work of God in the heart what-ever is laid up in the Promise that hope waits for the fulfilling of but more especially the Object of a Believers hope it is Eternal Life Tit. 1. 2. In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began And in Tit. 3. 7. That being justified by his grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life So that Eternal life is the Object of a Believers hope Fourthly We have the concomitant of Hope and that is Faith It is an expectation of those good things which faith believes that God hath promised so you see how Hope stands towards Faith they are twins as it were they are born and brought forth together Faith is the Elder sister faith believes that the promise is true and hope looks for the fulfilling of the Promise because faith believes it They grow up together they are nourished together and they flourish
to David Doctrine How true faith closeth with Christ as Lord. The necessity of believing in Christ as Lord. What the Socmians object against this truth The second part of the Doctrine that true faith comes to Christ as he is the son of David A grosse mistake concerning the body of Christ The necessity that every man and woman believe in Christ as man Something to be read in that name thou son of David First fruit of this womans faith Doctrine The Point confirmed by Instances from Scripture The grounds of the Point Application How to know whether we keep our eye upon God Doctrine The cry of the flesh what it is The first cry of the flesh The second cry of the flesh How to know whether the cry of the flesh be sinful Grounds why there are sinful cries in Gods own people What the cry of the Spirit is Application Tryals to know whether our cry be the cry of the flesh or the cry of the spirit Doctrine The second part of the Doctrine Application Doctrine Gracious ends why the Lord defers an answer to the prayers of his people Application How to know when God hath heard our prayer The duty of such souls to whose prayers God is silent and gives no answer First to mind their duty Secondly to justifie God Thirdly to maintain good thoughts of God Fourthly be looking to God thorow the Mediator Fifthly wait patiently Doctrine Who Gods people are bound to pray for What are the special times in which we are bound to remember others before the Lord. Application What those times are that we are bound more especially to call upon others to seek the Lord for us Doctr. 1. Doctr. 2. Satans design Gods design Historical Proposition Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Application Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. The Duty of souls whom Christ hath found Duty 1. Duty 3. Duty 4. Duty 5. Doctrine Election described Arguments proving Election to be an act of Gods good pleasure Quest. Answ Our Election known to others Our Election may be known to our selves Third part of the Doctrine How the Doctrine of Election is a comforting Doctrine Second ground of comfort Third ground of comfort The fourth ground of comfort The fifth ground of comfort The sixth ground of comfort The seventh ground of comfort Eigth ground of comfort Ninth ground of comfort Tenth ground of comfort Fourth part of the Doctrine Gods people may meet with many temptations concerning others election 1. Remedy 2 Remedy 3 Remedy Rom. 11. 33. 2. Temptation 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Remedy 3. Temptation Luke 17. 34 35 36. 4 Temptation How to silence the fourth temptation Gods people meet with many Temptations concerning their own election 2. Temptation 3. Temptation 4. Temptation 5. Temptation 6. Temptatiod 7. Temptation Rules to silence those Temptations Gods people may meet withall concerning their Election Rule 1. Rom. 9. 20. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. How to worship God Rule 5. Vse 1. To those that have not attained to the knowledge of Gods love It 's of concernment to make our Election sure The adversary seeks to hinder souls in making their Election sure Our comfort doth depend upon the making Election sure Our holiness depends upon the making Election sure How to make our Election sure What Duties electing love engages Christians unto The priviledges of the house of Christ Priv. 2. Priv. 3. Priv. 4. Priv. 5. Priv. 6. Priv. 7. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Duties of Church-Members Duty 1. Duty 2. Duty 3. Duty 4. Doctr. What worship it is that God requires of his people when afflicted and tempted Wherein spiritual Worship consists External Worship what and wherein it consists Instance 1. of Job Instance 2. of David Instance 3. of Jonah Instance 4. of Christ Grounds of the point why it is the duty of Gods people to worship in time of affliction Ground 2. Ground 3. Ground 4. Ground 5. Ground 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. What Gods people should beg for in time of affliction Doctr. This was a temptation to Moses To Isaiah To Jeremy To the woman that had the Issue of blood To the Centurion The particular discoveries of unworthiness that prove matter of temptation to Gods people Gods ends in suffering his people to be tempted about their unworthiness End 2. End 3. End 4. Vse 1. Vse 2. How to know when God presents unworthiness and when Sathan presents it What to do when tempted about our unworthiness Doctr. Who are the children that have right to the bread How persons may be said to be under an outward Administration of the Covenant Who are Dogs wicked men dogs Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 1. Motives to perswade us to the duty of Justifying the Lord. How a young man may be delivered from his folly Doctr. What it is to remember God The Causes why we should remember our Creator The Advantages of remembring God in youth Vse 1â— The evil of not remembring God Isa 49. 15. Helps to remember God aright Every believer is as a ship upon the Sea of this World Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Vse 8. Doctr. 2. The efficient cause of true hope is God The formal cause of hope What is the object of hope The Concomitant of hope The anchor of a believing soul is sure and stedfast The ground that a believers hope is fastned upon Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. How to obtain true hope
not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray He goeth forth to seek the one sheep that is lost you being that one lost sheep and you looking upon your own condition to be lost and you are sensible that none is so lost as you he will leave the ninety and nine to seek you And therefore hear the glad tydings of your Shepherd he cometh forth to seek you be you willing to come to Christ and O! what joy will there be in heaven at your return Fourthly and lastly It lets us see and O that we might see the infinite riches of the grace of God in Christ to poor sinners O! here is grace indeed What rich mercy was that that sent out Jesus Christ to seek lost sheep O! that we might consider a little of the greatness of this grace of God the exceeding riches of it that the Lord should send forth his Son Jesus Christ to seek lost sheep O! consider what worthless creatures we were how unuseful and unprofitable both to God and man nay the Lord saw how little useful we should be afterward how little we are able to return to the Lord for this his great mercy yet the Lord sent forth his Son to seek you And consider that this was at such a time when we could never have returned to the Lord when we could never have found God though we had sought him we could not have found him if we had had any disposition to have sought after the Shepherd we could not have found him no by all our searching we could never have found him And then when it was so with us that we could not finde the way to go home again that he should send Jesus Christ to shew us the way that he makes by the Shepherd to lead the wandring sheep home O free grace If the Lord had sent forth the least Angel of heaven to have sought poor lost sinners it had been mercy but that God should not commit this work to his servants but give a Commission to his Son and make it his great work to seek poor lost sheep O great love nay when we could not finde God and when Angels could not have found us if they had sought us herein is the exceeding riches of grace Nay it was at such a time as the Lord might have sent his Justice to have found us out God might have sent the Avenger of blood after us the Lord might have set all our sins upon us to have found us out they might have followed us as so many Avengers of blood O that at such a time God should send Christ to finde us out after all our sinful wandrings from God! that he should make his Son to come and seek O infinite love And therefore let me speak to those that have received this grace Hath the Lord found out your souls Hath Jesus Christ found you out in your wandrings and through mercy brought you home to God Hath he brought home any poor soul to believe in Christ and to give up it self fully and for ever to Christ O! be thankful for this mercy and labour to walk worthy of it and study to know what is your duty now you that are Christ's sheep and were lost O! what is your duty Christ hath found you surely some duty you owe to Christ Why this is our duty It is our duty now to seek Christ to seek much faith in Christ if Christ hath sought us and took so much pains in seeking us that were not worth the seeking after O! how should we lay forth our selves to seek Christ Seek him every day seek much of Christ seek his face evermore seek more of Christ every day Christ sought us when we were not worthy and shall not we seek him who is infinitely worthy who is the desire of all Nations Again It is our duty to seek others Christ hath found us it is our duty to seek others to pity the sheep that are lost that for the present are in a lost estate and condition take some pains to seek them according to your Talent and opportunity O take pains to seek others Assoon as ever Christ found Andrew Andrew he findes Simon Peter O! Come saith he and see Christ I say if Christ hath found us let us labour to finde others labour to bring them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ the great Shepherd The Lord gave a Commandment Deut. 22. 1. That if any man saw his neighbours Oxe or Sheep go astray he should pity them he should not hide himself from them but he should pity the poor lost sheep and the lost Oxe Doth God take care for Oxen Doth Godtake care for Sheep That a poor lost Sheep be brought home to his Owner And that a poor lost Oxe be brought home to his Owner And doth not God take more care for poor lost souls And is it not a more acceptable work to bring home lost souls O pity poorlost souls tell them of Christ shew them the way to Christ and know that if you shall be an instrument in the Lord's hand to bring home a lost soul to Jesus Christ the Owner O it will be service very acceptable to God your Father Thirdly If Christ hath found us then we should lose no opportunity of honouring him Let us know that we are the Lord's we are not our own any longer but engaged to be the Lord's sought out by Christ and saved by Christ and brought from a wandring condition and lost in a wilderness and yet found by Christ in this wilderness condition O let us know that we are engaged for ever to be the Lord's therefore let not Christ's sheep lose any opportunity of doing service to Christ take heed that we do not lose any opportunity of being profitable to Christ bringing honour to Christ in our generation for that is expected by Christ the Shepherd So Paul did engage for Onesimus in the Epistle of Philemon Onesimus he was a poor run-away sheep Paul he findes Onesimus and he brings him home to Christ he was instrumental in his conversion and he sendeth him to his Master and he tells him that now he will be profitable before he was unprofitable but now he will be profitable to thee and to me and to Christ before unprofitable A sheep is of no use when lost but when it s found then it is profitable and so if the Lord hath found our souls O that we might do all we can to bring honour to Christ and lift up his name in this our generation for Christ hath sound us for that end Fourthly If Christ hath found us we should be content to lose all we have for him Let all go for Christ it matters not what we lose for Christ if Christ hath found us If God calls for our estates let that go if Christ hath found us we have that which is better then a great estate it had