shew John again those things which ye do hear and see the Blind receive their sight and the Lame walk and the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear and the Dead are raised and the Poor have the Gospel Preached to them And as some of the Evangelists have it Poor receive the Gospel Observe why Christ brings this He brings it in as an Argument that he was the Messiah John would know whether He was the Messiah How shall he know it Why go and tell him The Blind receive their sight the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed the Deaf hear the Dead are raised These are good Arguments to prove that Christ was the Messias If Christ could Work such Miracles as to give sight to the Blind to make the Lame to walk to cleanse the Lepers to cause the Deaf to hear and to raise the Dead these indeed were good Arguments But how comes in the last And the Poor receive the Gospel How is this an Argument that Christ is the Messias One would think that this should rather be an Argument that He is not the Messias They might say I indeed there are these great things done by Him but there is one thing makes us suspect that He is not the Messias For our Great Rich and Learned Men they do not receive Him only a Company of poor Ignorant People this Vulgar sort For so was the Arguing of the Pharisees there in John 7. 48. say they when the Officers were Affected with the Ministry of Christ Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him Have any of them Believed on Him But this People that knoweth not the Law are Cursed Only a Company of poor Ignorant People they believe on Christ But the Rulers have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees the Great Men and the Rich Men the Learned Men Have they believed You see that this was a Stumbling-block whereby they would perswade Men that Christ was not the Messias But mark That which Men make the great Stumbling-block why Christ is not the Messias that Christ makes unto John the great Argument why He was the Messias Because the Poor receive the Gospel And Christ doth put this among his other Miracles And you will say How is this an Argument Thus It is one of the greatest Miracles that ever Christ wrought and it may well be Reckoned among those Miracles of giving Eyes to the Blind and Hearing to the Deaf Thus To make one that is a poor weak Creature that hath but a mean Capacity yet that such a one shall be able to see into the Great and High and Glorious Mysteries of the Gospel that the Angels desire to pry into So to see into the Reolity and the Certainty and the Glory of those Mysteries that he dares venture his Soul and his Eternal Estate upon I say This is as great a Work of a â—od as ever any Work that God did in this World and therefore it may well be put among Christs Miracles â—nd an Argument that Christ is the Messias If Christ shall Reveal such Glorious things that are the Objects of the Understanding of Angels to poor Illiterate People when as the Wise of the World shall not be able to see them but shall Reject them They shall not see so much as to dare to venture the loss of a Lust for them of any Creatures contentment for them but a poor weak Man or Woman Illiterate that understands but little in other things shall come to see so much the Glory of God shining in the Face of Christ as he dares venture not only all outward Comforts in this World but his Soul and Eternal Estate upon the Grace of God in his Son Here 's a mighty Work of Christ The Poor they come then to receive the Gospel it is Preached to them and they receive it and hereby Christ shews his Power Now hath Christ shown such a Miraculous Work of his upon thy Soul when he hath past by others that are Understanding and Men of Parts yet Reveal'd such deep and hidden Mysteries of the Gospel unto thee Oh admire at the Grace of God in his Son to thee and Bless him for this is not an ordinary Mercy it is a choice Mercy The Gospel is Rejected many times where it comes and thou seest it only God hath made a separation between thee and others As I told you of that Speech of Judas not Iscariot Lord saith he Why is it that thou Revealest thy self unto us and not unto the World Thou hast cause to wonder at it indeed Sixthly And then further that we may hasten to what remains If this be so that Gods sends the Gospel where it is Rejected hence be not Scandalized when you see it Despised and Contemned Let none be Scandalized at it so saith Christ in Mat. 11 when he saith The Poor have the Gospel Preached to them in the next words And Blessed is he whosoever is not offended in me For Men are ready to be offended when they see great Ones Reject the Ministry of the Gospel But you hear that God sends it where it is Rejected therefore be not you offended do not think that because others do not Imbrace it therefore there is nothing in it and why should I There is this Temptation in the Hearts of many though while they are Hearing of the Gospel Preached their Hearts are taken with what they Hear and they are Convinc'd but when they go away and are among their Companions and others that they find to slight all and to disregard all their Hearts are taken off likewise But O learn by this Point never to be Scandalized by others casting off the Gospel For it is that which Christ hath forewarned his Ministers when they go to Preach he doth intimate to them that they must expect that their Ministry must not prevail with all 7ly Lastly Is this true That God sends the Preaching of the Gospel where he sees it will and doth not prevail with many Now let every one of you lay his hand upon his Heart and think thus with himself Is it I Am I the man am I the Woman to whom Jesus Christ shall be Preached and shall not prevail O the Lord forbid that this should be so though it doth not prevail with others such and such yet God forbid that it should not prevail with my Heart let me imbrace it so much the rather Do I see Jesus Christ rejected by others O it is that which should go neer to my Heart that the Lord is rejected by any and shall he be rejected by me too the Lord forbid that as Christ said to his Disciples when others forsook him And will ye also go away O whither shall we go from thee saith Peter for with thee are the words of Eternal life so dost thou see others slight and neglect the glorious Ministry of the Gospel and wilt thou do so wilt thou add to the dishonour of the Gospel too
God Intends them If you water your Gardens in these dry times you aim at the Herbs but yet the Water will fall among the Weeds So the Lord He Aims at His Herbs and Flowers though the Gospel be dispensed to others Thirdly Though God sees there be none for the present yet God layes in for time to come God will send His Gospel to a place though He sees this Generation will get no good by it and God may Intend the good of the Generation that is to come by sending His Ministry in this particular Generation though He sees that they will not Entertain it yet some that may come after them may Entertain it As they say in China they prepare Work for many Hundred years before The Parents they are preparing Work for their Children to enjoy And so the Lord layes In in one Generation for the Children that are coming after and therefore whether you Entertain it or no God notwithstanding will have His End accomplisht Fourthly Another Reason why God sends His Gospel where He knows it will not be Entertain'd by the Generallity it is this To leave Men wholly without Excuse I may put these two together To discover the Abominable sinfulness of the Hearts of Men and to leave them wholly without Excuse There is nothing in the World that doth discover the sinfulness of Mans Heart more than this That when the Lord sends this Gospel among them yet it is rejected The Preaching of any Moral Truths do nothing so much argue the sinfulness of Mans Heart in the rejection of them as when the Gospel is Preached and that is rejected That argues the Abominable wickedness of Mans Heart yea for ought we know more than is in the very Devil We do not know that there is so much Perversness in any of the Devils in Hell as there is in the Heart of that Man that doth reject the Ministry of the Gospel And why Because God never tried them God never put it to trial to offer any Terms of Peace to them and never told them that He would be Reconcil'd to them upon any Terms And therefore whether they have such perverseness of heart or no it is not discovered so as thine is But if thou Livest where the Ministry of the Gospel is Preached and yet continuest wicked and ungodly thou art discovered to have that wickedness in thy Heart that for ought thou knowest it is beyond the wickedness of any Devil in Hell The Devils might say Lord hadst thou offered Terms of Peace to us we would not have so rejected it And then it doth leave Men utterly without Excuse I do not say that this is Gods primary Intention but this comes in Why the Lord doth suffer the Gospel to be Preached to leave them wholly without Excuse And for that you have that Text in the fore-named place John 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin But now have they no Cloak for their sin Sin Why are there any Men in the World that have no sin Why did Christ coming bring sin to them It did not add sin but it did Discover their sin and it took away their Cloak for their sin Now upon my coming to them and when they shall reject me and the offer of Grace that I bring from my Father now they have sin to purpose now their sin is of a Scarlet Colour now they have no Plea they cannot say Lord if thou hadst sent to us to Reveal to us thy Mercy and the danger of our sin The danger of your sin may God say Did not I send those to you that did Preach that nothing but the Heart Blood of my Son could pacifie for your sin Could there have been any thing more to reveal the evil of your sin than this was O now you have no Excuse at all for your sin Fifthly Another Reason is this which is one of the chief That the Lord might cause all those hereby that do not entertain the Gospel to see the Freeness of His Grace towards them A poor Soul that the Lord is pleased to work upon by the Gospel hath no cause to attribute any thing to himself There are others and such a Multitude of People more Learned than I and Men and Women that had greater parts than I they had the Gospel preached to them and they do not see those things that the Lord hath Revealed to me I can tell no Reason of this Difference only Free-grace And certainly Those People whom God is pleased to make the Gospel effectual upon the hearing of this Point and seeing how it is Verified in the Examples of others O they have cause to Cry out Grace Grace to the Lord. What is there in me rather than others as Proud and Stout and Vile Hearts as any and we see the Gospel is rejected by them and what reason is it that it is not so with me John 14. 22. It 's a speech of Judas not of him that betrayed Christ Lord How is it that thou Revealest thy Self unto us and not unto the World Lord We cannot devise how it should be that thou shouldst Manifest thy Self to us and not unto the World We see that the World rejects Thee O this is that we may have the more Cause to Bless the Name of God here and to Magnifie His Free-grace to all Eternity afterwards Sermon V. Luke 10. 6. Your Peace shall rest upon it c. APPLICATION First IS it so that even the Blessed Ministry of the Gospel the Opening of Jesus Christ and the Riches of Gods Grace may be Rejected by People and is often The Consideration on of this First should Teach us to bewail the horrible Wickedness of Mans Heart and the Dishonour that is done to God in this When those Riches of Gods Grace that glorious Work of God in Christ the Blessed Son of God coming to Ransom Souls and to Deliver them out of the neathermost Hell yet he Rejected There 's no Object that ever was in the World that is such an Object of Lamentation as this is When Christ came to Jerusalem He falls a Weeping Upon what ground O if thou hadst known saith He at least in this thy day those things that concern thy Peace Thou didst not know those things that did concern thy Peace Perhaps it may be meant outward Peace In great part it is But if that be such an Object of Lamentation as to draw Tears from Christ what an Object of Lamentation is it to Rend indeed the Hearts of those that understand what Christ is what the Offer of Christ means That Christ should be Preached in any place and yet rejected When Jeremiah went to Preach though not such a Message as this is that now we are Speaking of yet when he saw the People would not hear Chap. 13. ver 15. Hear ye and give ear be not Proud for the Lord hath Spoken But in ver 17. But if ye will not
hear it my Soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine Eyes shall weep sore and run down with Tears because the Lords Flock is carried away Captive If ye will not hear That indeed should be the work of the Ministers of the Gospel when they are Rejected Not to be Careless and say I have done my Work and what need I care But they should take it to Heart and Lament it as the greatest Affliction that can befal them yea more than any Affliction whatsoever That the Blessed Message that they are sent withal is Rejected by Wretched and Sinful Men. Secondly If God in Christ be sometimes Rejected all the Mercy of God in His Son we should not think much though our love and kindness towards others be many times Slighted and Disregarded Indeed there 's nothing goes more to any Ingenuous Heart than to have his love and kindness to be Disregarded But when we find our Hearts troubled at this O that such a one that I have done so much for and yet that he should deal thus with me Lay thine hand upon thy Heart and consider what God hath done for thee in Christ and how ill thou hast requited Him Is it so much for thee a poor Worm not to have thy Love and Kindness imbrac'd What is it then for the Infinite God not to have that Infinite Love and Mercy of His to the Children of Men not Imbraced but Rejected Thirdly Let 's learn from hence never to trust our own Hearts We think often had we such means as others have then we should not do as they do surely we should do better Men are very ready to trust their own Hearts and in the use of Means But let us learn from hence never to trust in our own Hearts or in the use of any Means God may send you Means and Reveal glorious Truths unto you yet it may so fall out that you may never come to be partakers of the good of those things It hath been so with many and you must look to your own Hearts Do not Bless your selves in this Through Gods Mercy the Lord hath sent us His Word plentifully and the Gospel comes to be Opened clearly among us That 's not enough what God hath done but look you into your own Hearts how you Imbrace it otherwise the Gospel may come among you and yet you never come to be Saved by it But this indeed is a sad Condition wheresoever it is Fourthly Further Gods Ministers are to Learn from hence not to be Discouraged They come and Preach and with an Expectation to prevail with the Hearts of People to draw them to Christ When they have been in their Studies labouring to find out some Truths of the Gospel and to sit it to the Hearts of their Auditors and have been Praying over it They come now with Expectation that some good may be done that some Soul may be drawn in to Christ yet perhaps find it quite otherwise and the People to sit Dead under it it may be Slight it Contemn it Scorn it Disobey it But they must not be I say Discouraged in this as if so be a strange thing had befallen them What art thou more than Jesus Christ thy Master What art thou more than Paul and other of the Apostles They have been rejected all in their Ministry and what art thou that thou canst not bear any Rejection Indeed it is the hardest thing to be Born by a Minister of the Gospel that possibly may be But consider That it is not a new thing for the Gospel to be Rejected I remember I have read of Melancthon he had such thoughts that when he began to Preach he should Convert all that heard him He thought there was so much Reason in what he Spake and so much Evidence and Power to prevail with the Hearts of People that he thought he should prevail with every one but he found it otherwise by Experience And though indeed when any Minister that is acquainted with the Glorious things of God and Christ come to open them to People they are ready to think such things will surely prevail with the Hearts of People but the Lord teaches him to know that the Blessing depends upon Himself That though the things be never so Excellent and Moving yet all will not do except the Lord comes in by His Almighty Power Fifthly Let all those with whom the Ministry of the Gospel doth prevail in any measure Bless God that makes such a difference between them and any others It is Preached unto many but doth them no good But the Lord hath Called thee out and it hath struck thy Heart converted thy Spirit Thou seest cause to stand and admire at the Glory of God in Christ and thou wonderest perhaps that all People are not taken with the Riches of the Glory of Gods Grace in Christ Well Bless God that hath made a difference between thee and others It may be in the same Family another Scorns it and Contemns it perhaps one that came out of the same Womb despises it and God hath taken thee and revealed Himself to thee it may be thy rich Neighbour Contemns it but God looks upon thee a poor Creature and makes Himself known to thee It may be a Learned Man he slights it and makes nothing of it and thou who art but a Babe hast those things Revealed Thou hast cause to thank God for it For Christ doth He thanks His Father for this thing That He should be pleased to pass by the Wise and great ones of the World and chuse Babes Mat. 11. 25. At that time Jesus Answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hist revealed them unto Babes Now this Scripture that I bring not only to shew you that God doth sometimes Reveal the great Mysteries of the Gospel to Babes and hide them from the Wise but as a Text to stir up your Hearts to Bless God if He hath done so for any of you Upon this ground Jesus Christ doth thank His Father for it then surely thou hast cause to thank God the Father for this great Mercy of His to put such a difference between thee and others For indeed it is one of the most glorious Works of God This Work of the Lord making known the Great and High Mysteries of the Gospel to poor weak ones when as the Great and Rich and Mighty and Learned of the World do not come to understand it It is one of the great Miracles by which the Lord doth Confirm the Gospel to be His own as great a Miracle as other Miracles that were Wrought by Christ And for that this is very observable that we have in the place where John sends to Christ to know whether He were the Messias or no. Now mark the Answer that Christ gives unto John's Messengers Jesus Answered and said unto them Go and
oftentimes far otherwise to us than they do to God God looks upon things otherwise than we do Then let Him do what seemeth Him good Not what seemeth good to me nor what seems good to others but unto God Then fourthly That this is a very Commendable and Acceptable work upon the first Manifestation of any Displeasure of God presently to yield and submit without any more adoe Not after a great deal of riggling and stir then to yield but to yield presently upon the first Manifestation against his Family he presently falls down and saith It is the Lord let Him do what seemeth Him good These are the four Conclusions in the Text and I shall desire to go through them all and speak to mine own Heart and yours in them It is the Second that is the chief and main there we shall pitch most But briefly of the First That a gracious Heart in all Afflictions looks up to God It is the Lord. Not this Cause and the other Cause or this Accident or the other thing that takes up his Thoughts so much but God in it The truth is a Heart that is truly Gracious loves to Converse with God in every thing If it be a Mercy presently the Heart gets through the Creatures by which God bestows a Mercy and looks up to the God of that Mercy And so if it be Afflictions the Heart that is Gracious having some of the Divine Nature in it presently works it's self up to God in the 6th of Micah ver 9. there 's a famous Scripture for this Saith the Prophet there The Lords Voice crieth unto the City and the Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it The Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name The Name of God is written upon his Rod and where there is a Man of Wisdom he sees the Name of God that is there written It 's a special part of the Wisdom of a Christian to be able to see Gods Name and to read Gods Name written upon his Rod The Men of the World have not the skill to read the Name of God written upon his Rod but it 's a priviledge of the Saints that they see Gods Name written there It is a special part of the Worship that is due to God the Acknowledgment of God in all his Administrations That 's Worship when we acknowledge God in all his Providences towards us In all thy wayes acknowledge Him and in all His Wayes he must be acknowledged As we must acknowledge God in all our wayes so we must acknowledge God in all His Wayes and thereby we come to Worship Him Secondly It 's a means to compose the Heart to strike the Heart with awful Fears and Reverence of God when we look at Him in our Afflictions and beyond the Creature It is a Way to make us search and examine our Hearts what there is between God and us when once we take notice it's God that doth it this presently puts the Heart upon a Scrutiny What is there between God and my Soul What is there between God and my Family And then it is a special means to put the Soul on to seek God for Help for Assistance for Blessing for a Sanctified Use of what ever Affliction is upon it There 's a great deal of good in seeing the Lord in an Affliction in seeing that we have to deal with Him but the special good is that that we shall come to in the second Point The working of the humble submission of the Heart to God Only for the present let this Rebuke such who are of Carnal and Atheistical spirits That whatever befals them look no higher than the Creatures by which God works It 's an Argument that they have little to do with God that they know not what it is to Converse with God that will cry out of their Afflictions They howl upon their Beds as the Holy Ghost saith in the 7th of Hosea But they seek not to Me or turn not to Me. And such as have slight and vain hearts in the time of their Afflictions it 's a very ill thing that for Men to think to take Courage to themselves so as not at all to be sensible of the Hand of God God expects we should be so though we should not have dishonoured Hearts yet we should have precious Hearts For when one have to deal with God in any thing we had need be serious the Presence of God should work our Hearts to Seriousness And therefore slightness and vanity of Spirit in the day of Affliction it is very unbeseeming Thou doest not sanctifie the Name of God in that Administration of His towards thee who hastâ—â— vain and slight Spirit in the Day of thine Affliction And surely that 's an Argument that thou never sawest God in His Mercy when thou doest not see him in thine Afflictions but that thou didst enjoy Gods Mercy but in a Brutish way when thou doest behave thy self under thine Afflictions in a Brutish way But this shall suffice for the first The second and that 's the main That the sight of the Hand of the Lord is that that hath a great deal of Power in it to work the Heart that is Gracious to an humble submission to Him It is the Lord let Him do what seemeth Him good That that 's here spoken of Ely we may find mentioned by divers of the Servants of God in Scripture I 'll give you but only two Scriptures for it and those are concerning David In this Book of Sam. 15. 25. If I shall flnd favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it that is the Ark and the City and his Habitation but if he should say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him So you see how David he looks up to God here If I find favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and if he say I have no delight in thee behold here I am let Him do what seemeth good unto him And in the 39th Psal ver 9. I was dumb I opened not my Mouth because thou diddest it It was the sight of the Lord in it that made him Dumb and not open his Mouth And you know what He did in the case of Shimei when He Curst him The Lord hath bid him saith he Now this Point is very large I shall briefly propound unto you the several Considerations from the Hand of God in an Affliction for to quiet the Heart and to help the Heart to sanctifie his Name As first â—â—us It is the Lord It is he that is infinitely above me above us all and therefore He must be submitted to It is the Great and Blessed God that is infinitely above Angels and above all Creatures that hath done it and therefore He must be submitted to It may may be you could not tell how to bear a
out again You would be loath to see your Child held over the Water by another little Child or over a Fire but if a strong Man hath your Child in his Arms and holds it over the Water and you know him to be your loving Friend it troubles you not at all Why Because you know he hath strength enough to keep your Child from the Danger Why It 's the Lord that though He holds his Children over Fire or Water and brings them into Fear and Afflictions yet He hath Power enough not only to preserve them but to bring a great deal of Good out of all and therefore let Him do what seemeth Him good Tenthly It is the Lord therefore submit to Him for His Counsel must stand and His Work must go on there 's no striving with the Almighty Are we greater than He No Instead of striving let there be submitting and yielding Eleventhly Yea and further It is the Lord and therefore He is worthy that His Designs should be brought about though we should be ruined There is such infinite Excellency in this God as I say He is worthy to have his own Designs brought about and his own Will fulfilled though it be to our Ruins Doth God think man so excellent a Creature as that He shall give thousands of other Creatures for to help him with the loss of their own Lives And shall not we think the Lord to be Infinitely worthy if He have use of our Lives or Liberties or Names or any thing that He should not have all to bring about his Designs withal O he is worthy and therefore let Him do what seemeth Him good If so be he will raise up any building of his in our ruins we should be willing to be serviceable to God in it we should be willing to lie down and let all that we have go that may be any way serviceable to God in his designs for the Lord is worthy These Considerations may be very useful to help you in the day of Affliction to meditate of God and so to work your hearts to an humble submission but especially if you add this one more Twelfthly When you do not onely see him to be Jehovah the Lord but if you can see that you have any interest in him as that he is the Lord your God this is of mighty power to quiet the heart as if he be your God why then he is in Covenant with you and if he be in Covenant with you then he hath engaged all his Wisdom and all his Power and all his Mercy for to be working eternally for your good and that 's more than a meer consideration that it is the Lord and that he is above us and just and holy and that it is in vain not to submit unto Him But it is the Lord that is in Covenant with me and in that Covenant he hath engaged all his Power and Wisdom and Mercy and Goodness for me Did we but understand what the Covenant of God in Jesus Christ was that he hath taken his Servants into O then this thought It is the Lord in Covenant with me would be enough to enable us to resign up our selves wholly to his dispose Thirteenthly Yea 'T is the Lord that is our Father You know what Christ saith Shall I not drink the Cup that my Father giveth me to drink That was the Argument of Christ O that this were in all our thoughts at all times when any thing though it be never so grievous befals us Shall I not drink the Cup that my Father giveth me to drink Whatsoever it be if it comes out of a Fathers hand why let Him do what seemeth him good You know when Christ came to the Disciples walking upon the waters and the Disciples were afraid Be not afraid 't is I saith Christ They were troubled at it and thought that one came as an Enemy to do them hurt but be not afraid 't is I saith Christ So my Brethren we should look in all afflictions to see who it is that comes we apprehend an Enemy coming but now those that are godly they may look upon him that comes as God Be not afraid saith the Lord it is I It 's I that am reconcil'd to you in my Son Upon this the soul may with abundance of sweetness and comfort go to God in Prayer and open it self to God having an interest in him You know If a great Dog should come with full mouth upon one why indeed if so be that he that comes to a house be a thief he hath cause to fear but if he be a Child he can call to his Father the Master of the house Take off your Dog So when afflictions come to the wicked they come with open devouring mouth and they have cause to be afraid but those that have interest in God may go with freedom unto God in prayer and cry to the Lord to take off the dog the affliction to keep it that it should do them no hurt at least It is the Lord. Object I but you will say That though it be the Lord yet it 's this indeed that rather makes my affliction the greater to consider it comes from God The thought that it's God in it strikes terror because I am conscious of sin against God It is an affliction that comes for my sin and therefore I see the displeasure of God in it and this makes it more grievous I would rather bear any thing from a creature than to bear the displeasure of God in a creature that 's that that is the greatest stick of all and therefore every time I think it is the Lord it rather adds to mine affliction Answ To that I answer First It 's true many men that think that all is well between God and them in the time of their health and prosperity yet when affliction comes God appears to them and they look upon God as an Enemy this is dreadful It 's a fearful thing when God is a terror to a man in the day of Calamity You know what Jeremy saith Jer. 17. 17. Be not thou a terror to me O Lord for thou art my hope in the day of evil If the soul may have God to be the hope of it in the day of evil there 's no evil terrible but if God be a terror then too and write bitter things against the soul in the time of affliction that 's dreadful But yet suppose thou seest God even as an Enemy coming against thee yet the consideration that it is the Lord should make thee submit at least For it is time for thee then to submit if so be that God as an Enemy appears against thee It 's time for thee to make haste to make thy peace with God yea and thou hast the more cause to bless God that he hath not destroyed thee What dost thou apprehend God as an Enemy O then it 's infinite Mercy thou art not destroyed Certainly if He be an Enemy
that you are not troubled How came you by that peace which you have had for these many years You have gone on quietly and the Terms between God and your Souls have not troubled you But I this day in the Name of God demand of you How came you to have this Peace How came God and your Souls to be Friends This I can tell you That there was a time that every one of you were Enemies to God If God hath Revealed any Truth in this Book this is a certain Truth That every one in this place was an Enemy to God Now then how you have made up your peace your had need look to it Certainly it must come by the Gospel or else it is a Delusion If so be that the Treaties between God and your Souls were not the Treaties of the Gospel that is the Gospel Revealing the great Counsels of God unto you about this and the Terms upon which He would be Reconciled and then your Souls sending up your Answer to God how you would be willing to accept of those Conditions that are propounded in the Gospel I put this to your Souls What Treaties hath there been between God and you Have you found the Ministry of the Gospel to be powerful upon you and to bring this Peace into you If it hath not come in this way I say it is but a Delusion and the great Work of Reconciliation between God and your Souls is to make up at this day But thus much for this First Point But Secondly Your Peace shall rest upon it Shall rest that is Whosoever Entertains it they shall not only have some sudden Apprehensions of those Excellent things that you bring unto them they shall not only have some flashie Comforts in those things and feel some present Sweetness in them but the good and the Blessing of that blessed Doctrine of peace it shall abide with them all the days of their lives and to all Eternity That 's the meaning Your Peace shall rest upon them So that this is our Point now That such as do Entertain the Gospel Now what the Entertainment is that is what it is to be a Son of Peace That was a great part of our Work the last Lords Day But if you be such Sons of Peace as was Opened to you I say the Lord will not only grant you present Apprehensions of the Glorious things of the Gospel and some present Sweetness but He will Cause the Blessing of it and the good things of it to abide upon your Spirits to continue there for your Eternal good Many upon the first Hearing of the Message of the Gospel upon the first Opening of that Blessed Doctrine have their Hearts taken and begin presently to be stirr'd and affected but we find by Experience that many times all is but a meer flash it all vanishes again The good of the Gospel they did apprehend doth not abide upon them As the stony ground in Mat. 13. 20 21. But he that received the Seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the Word and anon with joy receiveth it Yet hath he not root in himself but endureth for a while He doth but continue a while he received it in a little way and that with joy He hath some present taste of the Sweetness of the Word he takes it in with joy but it doth not rest upon him it doth not abide in him The Seed doth not lie there so long as to Fructifie as to bring forth Fruit but comes to nothing as the Ears of Corn upon the House top they quickly are blasted and come to nothing Thus it is with many Hearers There were some that were the High-way ground and they were your ordinary Ignorant and prophane People the Word took no Impression upon them but it was presently taken away by the Fowls of the Air. But there were others that did seem to be affected with the Word of the Gospel to have it enter a little into their hearts their Spirits were taken with sudden Joy O it is a blessed Gospel that we hear this is a blessed Ministry indeed that we enjoy But mark it was but for a while The Seed of the Word it did but abide a little while it did not rest in them So in Luke 14. There upon the Preaching of Christ the Text saith in ver 15. That when one of them that sat at Meat with him heard these things he said unto him Blessed is he that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of God When Christ had been Preaching unto them about the things of the Kingdom of God Mark There were some of His Auditors that were taken with His Preaching O blessed is he that shall have Communion with these things And yet you may observe by the very Words that follow after the Parable that Christ uses that even those that were thus affected and taken were such as prized their Oxen and Farms and other things above the Gospel and have that Doom pronounc'd upon them That those men that were bidden should not taste of the Supper And so in John 5. 35. It is spoken concerning John He was a burning and a shining Light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his Light Mark John was an admirable Preacher he came as the Fore-runner of Christ and Preached Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand John did open the Kingdom of Heaven unto his Hearers and they were mightily taken with him But now Mark what the Text saith For a little time they did rejoyce in the Light but they did not continue And in John 8. There you have a notable place concerning Christs Preaching unto the Jews and Christ did Preach so as did take their Heart in some measure the Text saith that some of them did believe in ver 13. As He spake those words many believed on Him But Mark what Christ saith in ver 31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him If ye continue in my Word then are ye My Disciples indeed Mark Christ would not own them to be His Disciples though their Hearts were taken with what He Preached but upon these Terms If you continue in my Word Which is all one If the Word abide in you and you abide in the Word then are you my Disciples I beseech you observe it Christ doth not own a Man or Woman to be His Disciple meerly because of some sudden flashes of Affection because they are taken with the Word and perhaps are Convinced by the Word and stirred for a time I say Christ doth not own them to be Disciples except that His Word abide in them and they abide in the Word And in Gal. 4. you have a most excellent Text for this purpose The Apostle shews there that the Galatians were mightily taken with the Ministry of the Gospel at first when Paul came among them but it seems in great part it Vanished from them ver 15. saith Paul Where is
then the Blessedness you spake of For I bear you record that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own Eyes and have given them to me The meaning is this When the Gospel came at first to be Preached among them generally they cried out O this Blessed Gospel O the Blessedness O these blessed Truths that is come among us such Truths as we were not acquainted withal O they are blessed Truths indeed Mark They were thus taken with the Truths of the Gospel when they were first Preached But now saith Paul Where is the Blessedness ye spake of Your Hearts are not now so taken with the Gospel as they were at first now you seem to be taken off from it Where is the Blessedness you spake of I make no Question but many Ministers in many Congregations have Cause to make Use of these words of the Apostle when God sent them at first The Hearts of People were taken with the Ministry of the Gospel but within a while they are off again And well may their Ministers say Where is the Blessedness you spake of The Peace of the Gospel it doth not abide upon them but one thing or other takes it off from them So in Heb. 6. There you read of some that yet were not Sav'd by the Gospel or were not in a Condition at least for the present to be Sav'd yet they had a taste of the Heavenly Gift They did not only hear the Word and understand it but they Had a taste of the good Word of God O they said It was the good Word of God And Mark Of the Powers of the World to come That is of those powerful Truths of those Truths that do concern the World to come that were powerful Truths For so certainly my Brethren the Truths that do concern the World to come as powerful Truths they have a mighty deal of Power to work upon the Heart And these had not only the Apprehensions but a taste of the Powers of the World to come and yet it appears that they had not those things that did accompany Salvation Many other Scriptures might be shewed that there are many that are Affected with the Gospel yea they are Convinc'd and they have some taste of it and their Spirits taken yea almost perswaded with him that we read of almost perswaded to become a Christian and yet for all this this Mercy that is here promised to the Sons of Peace is not their Portion the peace of the Gospel doth not rest upon their Spirits It is a Blessing beyond that which any Hypocrite in the World hath to have this peace of the Gospel to rest and abide upon his Spirit That is First To be set up as a constant Light before the Soul not to come as a meer flash of Lightning suddenly come and suddenly gone but then it may be said to rest when the Lord sets up those glorious Truths of the Gospel as a constant Light before the Soul And Secondly When as the Lord works those Truths by Meditation upon the Heart the Lord causes those Truths to follow the Thoughts of the Mind and so to work them upon the Heart yea into the Heart of the Thoughts of the Mind when the Lord gives a constant real Taste of those Truths and Savour of them that though they be not alwayes Hearing of them yet the Savour and Relish doth abide in a constant way upon their Hearts when the Lord causes those Truths of the Gospel to spread all over the Faculties of their Souls that it is as the Holy Ghost compares it in Scripture to Leven The Kingdom of God is like unto Leven which in a little time doth Leven the whole Lump So when the Lord causes the Truths of the Gospel not only to be in the Mind in the Understanding in the Conscience but to get into the Heart to get into the Affections and as it were to Leven in a good sense the whole Soul by the Sweetness and the Goodness and the Excellency of those Truths Yea when the Lord shall cause those Truths to be dearly Rooted in the Heart to take such Root as Temptations and Deducements any Provocations without shall never be able to take out those Truths which are upon the Heart When the Lord shall cause them to stick so fast to sinck so deep into the Heart let there come what will to take off the Heart from them or take them out of the Heart yet they shall never be able to take them out of the Heart As a Martyr said saith he You may take my Heart out of my Body but you shall never take the Belief of these things out of my Heart O the Blessing and the Truths of the Gospel did so rest upon his Soul and they had gotten so near into his Heart that nothing in the World could take it off Many People that are a little stirr'd upon the Hearing of the Gospel and they think it is good and the Truths are Blessed Truths and they had good Resolutions but perhaps when they come Home from Hearing of the Word they shall have a Fellow-servant Jearing of them or the Father or Mother Speaking against them or the Husband the Wife or the Wife the Husband and so perhaps they come to lose all those Truths which formerly they were so taken with But those that are the Sons of Peace they have the Peace of the Gospel resting upon them as hath been Opened to you and this is a very great Blessing of God O this is a Mercy indeed for the Lord to grant the Truths of the Gospel and the Good of it thus to rest upon the Heart that the Heart doth keep it as a Treasure within it it is a great Mercy First Because it is a special Fruit of the Covenant of Grace according to that Text in Jer. 31. where God promises as the Fruit of the Covenant that he will Write His Law in their Inwards parts Now certainly by the Law it is not meant the Letter of the Ten Commandments But when He saith I will Write my Law that is My Will The great Counsels of my Will And the saving Truths of God are there meant by the Law For when David Expresses his love to the Law he means also the Soul-saving Truths that are Revealed in the Word of God and certainly there because it was in the time under the Law the Language of the Holy Ghost was suitable to the Time But certainly It is meant in a more especial manner the Truths of the Gospel That look as the Law was Written in Adams Heart at first so now those that are received into the Covenant have the Law of the Gospel and the Truths of that Written in their Hearts That is When ever they shall come to hear the Truths of the Gospel Opened to them they shall find as it were a Counterpain of the blessed Truths of the Gospel in their Hearts Yea further To have the Word of
take hold of this may be saved from sinking into the bottomless Gulf of Eternal Horror and Despair and there is no way to save any sinking Soul but only this Now if men slight and disregard this and put it off is it not just that men should sink down this that I speak will eb foundgood one day the Lord forbid that any one Soul in this Place should find this similitude made good upon them that is to sink into the bottomless Gulf and there to consider with himself had not I a line cast to me for the Saving of me and had I catch'd hold of it as others did might not I have been Saved as well as they This I say the Lord will make good one day But now because much may be said As doth not God call at the Eleventh hour and the like And grant God may call at the eleventh hour I but it is not said God will call eleven times That is God may let Men and Women go a long time and at length call them but what have you in Scripture after Rejection of Calls to Call again do not mistake me I do not say but that God may call eleven score times I but it is more than such a one may expect the Lord calls at the Eleventh hour but you do not hear if they refuse then what he will do afterwards So you say That the Theef on the Cross was called at the last hour but who knows whether ever he did hear of Jesus Christ before that time therefore your case is not his though it 's true he was Saved at the last I but it may be he did never reject Christ in his life and it was the first time that ever Jesus Christ was made known to him for ought any can tell and do you so though you be old sinners yet upon the offer of the Gospel if you shall presently come in then you may be received but what may be after the offer of the Gospel I cannot tell You will say That we find by Experience that God doth Convert those that lives a long time under Meanes It 's true he may be patient towards them I but it is more than they can expect that it should be so and mark it you must not venture upon Gods patience with another to think that he will be patient so long with thee I will give you a notable Scripture for that the Example is in Manasses in 2 Chron. 33. 1. there you have the Story of Manasses how wicked a man he was and Manasses did Reign Fifty five Years though he were a very Wicked man yet the Lord suffered him to Reign Fifty five Years and it is like most of this time was in his Wickedness but now comes his Son Amon after him v. 21. and perhaps Amon he might think thus Why may not I do as my Father did The Lord was patient with my Father many Years and why may not I venture as he did and so he did venture to live in the Wickedness that his Father had lived in but mark God was quick with him though he spared Manasses the Father yet he was quick with Amon the Son in vers 24. God spared him but Two Years for he died Wickedly as the Story shews you afterwards so that you must know Gods patience is his own God may be patient with one perhaps Twenty or thirty Years and he will not with another so many moneths Wherefore then by way of Application thus much First Hence Ministers may see cause when they come to Preach Jesus Christ to a People to come with trembling hearts and the truth is though it be that that their Souls desire above all and they account themselves or should do in their Element when they are opening Jesus Christ unto you yet upon the Consideration of this Point they cannot Preach Christ unto you without trembling Hearts for they have these thoughts whatsoever you have Lord I am now going to Preach Christ and open the Mysteries of Grace to this People I but if they should reject it how quick will the Lord Deal with them the Ministry of my Word How soon may it be to cut them down and to send them to their own places Therefore those that know what they do cannot but come with Trembling Hearts Secondly From hence Let all those that have liv'd under the Gospel and yet the Lord hath been patient towards them for a long time O let them learn to Bless the Name of God I perhaps was Born of Godly Parents and they instill'd good Principles into me and they were careful to set me under good Preaching yea and I not only had the outward Offer of Grace but God knows how often Gods Spirit came offered Christ to my Soul and yet I went on stubbornly and stoutly a long time O the rich Mercy of God that he did not wholly give me up and cut me off Rich Mercy And what hath God yet come and strove with me again for all this Rejection O the Riches of the Grace of God towards me more than towards others Thou hast cause to magnifie God for it is not an ordnary thing for God to deal so with People as he hath dealt with thee Thirdly Let all those that do come to hear the Ministry of the Gospel to hear the Word of the Gospel and yet their Consciences tell them that they are Opposers of it and secret Contemners of it and are resolved to go on in their wayes let there be said what will be yet they resolve to go on and to continue as Vile as formerly O that the Lord would strike some such bold Sinner this Day by this Word By this Point that hath been thus Preached unto thee the Lord strike thy Heart thou bold Sinner that darest be bold even against the face of the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ that darest be bold to kick as it were God in his Bowels If the Lord hath any purpose to do good unto thee he will strike thy Heart and humble thee before him in that that thou hast gone on thus against so much rich Grace as thou hast done as Jehu said in another case What hast thou to do with Peace get thee behind me So is God a Merciful God and the Preacher Preaches Mercy howsoever thou wilt live in the face of the Mercy of God in thy wicked wayes What hast thou to do with Mercy Now if this be so Hearken to the Exhortation in the Second Psalm Kiss the Son lest he be angry there indeed lies the Emphasis Kiss the Son saith the Psalmist What shall the Son of God that is Jesus Christ come to be Preached to you and do you reject him No take heed what you do Kiss him and that expression it is a sign of Obedience for so it was used in those times they came and Kiss'd the Prince as a sign of their Subjection to him Kiss the Son Obey the Gospel submit