you shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Ears Close Application Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Job 5.27 Loe thus we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good And therefore as things are duly thought on so they must be closely applied These three acts of the Soul have each of them a distinct and proper Work Sound belief worketh on the clearness and certainty of the things asserted Serious Consideration on the greatness and importance of them Close Application on their pertinency and suitableness to us See all in one place 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief These are all necessary to make any truth operative Sound belief for we are not affected with what we believe not Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Therefore to awaken diligence the truth of things is pleaded 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16. Give all diligence to add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty Heb. 2.3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him The first rousing Question when Men heard any Sermon about any Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel was Is this true For Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus our Lord. Without Consideration the weightiest things lie by as if they were not Sleepy reason is as none The most important Truths have no force upon us till Consideration awakeneth us Then for Application what concerneth us not is passed over Unless we hear things with a care to apply them we shall never make use of them Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise 'T is not enough to know the Gospel to be a Doctrine of Salvation to others but we must look upon it as a Doctrine that bringeth Salvation to our own doors and leaveth it upon our choice A Plaister doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the Sore Truths are too remote till we set the edge and point of them to our own Hearts Well then by this way we Preach to our selves Day and Night by exciting our Faith in God and Christ and Glory to come and by serious Consideration stirring up all God's graces in our selves and reproving our selves for all our Sins and calling a backward Heart to all the duties required of us This is the work of Close Application 5. They prosper best in Grace that most faithfully and diligently use the means Here I shall prove two things 1. That we are to use the means For wherefore hath Christ appointed them but that we should use them His Church is not like a Statuaries Shop where the Image or Statue doth nothing but the Carver or Artificer doth all But 't is compared to a School where Christ is the Teacher to teach us our Duty and we are Disciples to learn it And to a Kingdom where Christ is the Monarch and Sovereign and we are Subjects ingaged by Covenant to Obey him and the manner of his Government 't is not meerly natural ruling us as he doth the other Creatures by a Rod of Iron or in a way of absolute power as they cannot do otherwise but Moral by Laws Promises Threatnings working Faith by preaching and Love Hope and Obedience are the ends of Faith Certainly he governeth Man as Man not by Physical Motions only but by Moral Motives to which we must attend consider and improve Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man with bands of Love Christ hath not to deal with Stones or Brick or Timber but with Men. God hath fitted the means to do their work and for these ends we must use them If he did ordinarily work without them he would never have appointed them to this end He could have done it with one powerful fiat one creating word or beck of his will but he hath set another train and order of Causes and therefore he will work by them because he worketh on all things according to their Nature and this is suitable to the nature of Man We never knew of any Man that came to Knowledge Faith or Love without means Therefore 't is presumption for us to expect it And the greatest neglecters and despisers of Means are every where the most graceless and the worst of Men Therefore it concerneth us to use them 〈◊〉 the greater diligence and care We may learn from our Adversary the Devil he sheweth his Malice to Souls in opposing the means either by depriving Men of them 2 Thess. 2.18 Wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us or keeping them from them by thraldom or filling them with prejudice Iohn 8.4.4 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him 2 Cor. 44. In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them Or from the Faithful using of them Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his Heart He watcheth them in all their Postures As soon as Men begin to be serious and to take heed what they hear he disturbeth the Work Well then the Means have an Aptitude and subservient Efficacy which we ought to regard 2. They prosper best that do most faithfully and diligently use the means I shall prove that by the double reason of the Text. 1. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again In the Allegation of this Proverbial Speech I shall observe two things 1. That there is a Law of Commerce between God and his Creatures or else how shall we know what to expect And the ordinary Rule
hope the good Spirit will convey by it a double Portion of Grace to us who are left behind Let it not affright thee Reader to hear a dead Saint speak a dead Minister preach for 't is the same Spirit of Life and Power which once breathed from the Pulpit that now breaths from the Press the same Gospel which once dropp'd from his gracious Lips flows now from his sanctified Pen. Although the serious Perusal of these spiritual Discourses will more effectually commend them to thy Acceptance than the most elaborate Recommendation of the Prefacer yet I must not betray the Truth in concealing what the observing Reader will soon discern Acquired Learning humbly waiting upon Divine Revelation great Ministerial Gifts managed by greater Grace Warm Affections guided by a solid Iudgment Fervent Love to Saints and Sinners kindled by a burning Zeal for the Interest of a Saviour and a plain Elegancy of Stile adapted to the meanest Capacity yet far above the Contempt of the highest Pretender I can sincerely aver that it 's no part of the Design of this Epistle to conciliate a Reputation to these Writings from the acknowledged Repute of their Reverend Author Divine Truths need not those vulgar Artifices they carry their own Credentials in themselves nor yet to greaten the Author by magnifying his Works Grace kept him above those Temptations when labouring at the Footstool and Glory has advanc'd him beyond their reach now triumphing at the Throne It was then his sufficient Honour to be an Earthen Vessel filled with Heavenly Treasure that he might fill and enrich others and he is now engaged to his greater Satisfaction in blessing that ever-blessed God who served his gracious Counsels of him in the honourable though despised Work of the Ministry That which I have in my Eye is to lead thee into the Admiration of our Lord Iesus Christ who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry To all he has given some to none has he given all but wisely divided to every Man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 Where he has given least they have a Competency where he has bestowed most there is no Redundancy none shall have cause to boast of his Ten Talents none reason to murmur that he has but One but that which we must ever adore and admire is that where he has bestowed most liberally Ministerial Abilities he has also bequeathed sanctifying Grace to keep them humble to secure them against Pride and preserve them in a meek Dependance upon himself That he should give them a due Proportion of Ballast to keep them steady lest they should overset with bearing too great a Sail That he should make and keep them lowly in their own Eyes who are precious in the Eyes of others and gracious in his And still further to admire his Power that has wrought such glorious things by weak Instruments saved them that believe by what the World accounts the Foolishness of Preaching dismantled the strong-holds of Sin and Satan by the gentle breathing of the Word and Spirit subdued proud broken and softned hard Hearts not by Might not by Power not by the Secular Sword but by the soft Whispers of Grace by melting bleeding tender Affections I have yet a further Reach in this Address both upon Preachers and their Hearers 1. To the former I would humbly offer that they would so Preach so Pray so Labour as they that are convinced they are all this while a dying that are passing every Moment from the Improving of to the Accounting for their Talents Dying Ministers preach living Sermons It deserves our Observation that God who honoured his Servant Ezekiel with abundance of glorious Revelations and Visions enough to have swell'd a Bubble till it broke to have lifted up a poor Worm above its measure should yet always use to him that abasing Term Son of Man warning him and in him all his faithful Ministers to fulfil their Ministry to work while it 's called To Day that whatever their Hand findeth to do they should do it with all their Might because there 's no Work nor Device nor Knowledg nor Wisdom in the Grave whither they are going Eccles. 9.10 How joyfully will a Minister receive the Summons to his Audit when a good Conscience shall afford him this Testimony I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.7 How edifying would their Preaching be could they carry these Thoughts with them into the Pulpit The Eye that now sees me shall see me no more The Ear that now hears me shall in a little while hear me no more There must be a last Time that I must speak in Christ's Name to this People and this may be that last Time O with what fervent Prayer with what Earnestness of Affection with what yearning Bowels to perishing Sinners with what Zeal for their Conversion would they engage in their Master's Service were their Souls impregnated with lively quick Apprehensions that the Graves are ready to receive them 2. Nor would it less affect the Hearers and awake their Conscience to improve the Labours of their Ministers could they maintain upon their Hearts a vigorous Sense that they are dying apace from their faithful Ministers and they from them to Repent Pray Believe work out their Salvation make their Calling and Election sure at another rate of Diligence than what is usually found amongst them Reader I will engross thee no longer to my self Be no more my Reader but the Author's there thou wilt find much better Entertainment And yet because I would not lose thy good Company First It must be a ravishing Sight to behold Divine Grace in all its Dimensions Grace working in the Heart of God towards lost Man and Grace working in the Heart of renewed Man towards God Let us therefore fix our Meditations upon Titus II. 11 12 13 14. where we shall meet with 1. The whole Duty of Man viz. The Grace of God teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World A Word sutable seasonable to our present Day wherein the Vigor of Religion runs out into Leaves when empty Notions too high for this World and too low for the next have eaten out the Life and Power of Practical Godliness when we dispute and quarrel our selves out of our Charity each to other and our Obediential Love to our God when the Name of Grace is abused to Gracelesness and Professors can believe any thing and practise nothing But Grace would teach us other Lessons as first to live soberly and temperately to our selves not pâ—rverting the Ends of Divine Bounty and Indulgence to make provision for the Flesh to be Food for devouring Lusts Fewel for the Fire of raging Corruptions but moderately to serve our Bodies that they may serve our Souls and both serve our God Secondly
not in Iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth Ver. 7. Beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Ver. 8. Charity never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be Knowledg it shall vanish away In 1 Sermon p. 995 Psal. 84.7 They go from Strength to Strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God In 1 Sermon p. 1000 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come In 1 Sermon p. 1009 Mal. 3.17 And I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him In 1 Sermon p. 1016 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that he his and let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity In 1 Sermon p. 1024 Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient Season I will call for thee In 1 Sermon p. 1031 Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace In 1 Sermon p. 1038 Prov. 10.20 The Tongue of the Iust is as choice Silver the Heart of the Wicked is little worth In 2 Sermons p. 1053 Acts 10.34 Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons Ver. 35. But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him In 1 Sermon p. 1065 Mark 4.24 And he said unto them Take heed what you hear with what Measure ye mete it shall be measured to you and unto you that bear shall more be given In 1 Sermon p. 1076 Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren In 1 Sermon p. 1083 Heb. 13.5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee In 1 Sermon p. 1093 1 Thess. 5.8 But let us who are of the Day be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation In 1 Sermon p. 1100 Prov. 14.14 The Backslider in Heart shall be filled with his own ways and a good Man shall be satisfied from himself In 1 Sermon p. 1108 John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sin of the World In 2 Sermons p. 1116 John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it In 1 Sermon p. 1131 Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do In 1 Sermon p. 1138 John 19.30 He said It is finished and he bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost In 2 Sermons p. 1149 Eccles. 7.29 But they have sought out many Inventions In 1 Sermon p. 1153 Eccles. 12.7 Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it In 1 Sermon p. 1161 Rev. 1.5 And from Iesus Christ who is the faithful Witness and the first begotten of the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Ver. 6. And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father unto him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen In 2 Sermons p. 1175 Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him In 2 Sermons p. 1195 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable In 2 Sermons p. 1209 Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life In 1 Sermon p. 1224 2 Cor. 13.14 The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen In 1 Sermon p. 1232 ADVERTISEMENT THE Publication of this Fourth Volume as also the Author 's former Works in Folio is due to the kind Incouragement of many worthy Persons both Ministers and others who from a publick Spirit and a true Sense of the real Benefit that may accrue thereby to the Church of God have readily contributed their Assistance But that it came out no sooner it must admit of this favourable Excuse from those that were concern'd in the Publication thereof that notwithstanding the hopeful Incouragement it met withal when first proposed yet many Persons that did not decline it were very backward in sending in their first Payments by means of which there could not be any Paper procured before this last Summer to begin the Work which Omission in Subscribers proves very injurious to the speedy finishing any Work of this Nature and sometimes is the Cause of their being wholly laid aside There are some also that 's very strange that were not willing to promote this Work themselves were not satisfied in that but did very industriously indeavour to hinder others by giving out that what was printed were but Scraps and not from his own Notes and that if publish'd would tend rather to the Dishonour than Credit of the Author All which savours so much of Disingenuity that it needs no more Words to refute it But let such judg if they are able by this and the Doctor 's former Works if any thing has been publish'd under Dr. Manton's Name that has not truly born his Character and there is so little need of publishing Scraps that there remains as many single Sermons under his own Hand as would make as large a Volume as this besides several whole Chapters which would make one if not more large Folio's viz. on Psalm 131. Isaiah chap. 53. Ephesians chap. 5. Philip. chap. 3. most of 2 Thess. chap. 1. most of the Chapters of the 1 st Epistle of Iohn with many others not mentioned ERRATA in the First Part. PAge 3. line 16. read no more Grace P. 17. l. ult r. Heat increaseth with Light P. 21. l. 37. f. sure r. soar P. 22. l. 29. r. we must hearken P. 25. l. 10. r. of Argument P. 28. l. 5. dele his P. 29. l. 37. f. lurking r. hucking P. 30. l. 28. f. Conversation r. Conversion l. 44. f. Case r. Care P. 32. l. 20. r. Practicals P. 34. l. 56. f. thô r. if P. 47. l. 57. f. or r. of P. 50. l. 25. r. after he is recovered P. 60. l. 3. dele l. P. 64. l. 9. f. hinged r. honied 1. 24. f. but r. and l. 34. r. a wanton l. 54. for remit r. vomit l. 55. f. Case r. Care P. 74. l. 14. r. a wanton P. 75. l. 33. f. the Sin r. seen P. 79. l. 16. r. envy it P. 83. l. 20. f. these r. there l. 26. dele his P.
God I thank thee I am not as other Men are And you confound the Covenants when you think that a Man may merit of God by his own Grace Adam under the Covenant of Works might then be said to be saved by Grace Why Because he could not persevere in the use of his own Free-will unless he had received it of God Well then Grace doth not exclude Faith nor Works not Faith as the Instrument of Justification and as the Condition of the Covenant not Works as the Fruit and Testimony of Faith There is a Concurrence of Works but not by way of Causality but Order God will first justify then sanctify then glorify and all of Grace Obedience is the Conditio 〈◊〉 quâ non the Condition without which we cannot be saved The Grace of God is the first moving Cause Christ is the meritorious procuring Cause Faith is the Instrument and Obedience is the Fruit of Faith These are subordinate not contrary III. My next Work shall be to give you some Reasons why it must be so that Grace is the Original Cause of all the Blessings we receive from God because it is most for the Glory of God and most for the Comfort of the Creature 1. It is most convenient for the Glory of God to keep up the Respects of the Creature to him in a way suitable to his Majesty Mark God would dispense Blessings in such a way as might beat down Despair and carnal Confidence at the same time Man had need of Mercy but deserveth none Despair would keep us from returning to God and carnal Confidence from ascribing all to God therefore as the Lord would not have Flesh to glory so neither to be cut off from all Hope It is of Grace that we may hope and keep up our Respect to God for there is nothing that keeps up the Devotion and Respects of the Creature to God so much as Grace The Psalmist intimates this There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal. 130.4 Mercy in God makes us fear love and respect him And it is of Grace that Flesh may not glory Ephes. 2.9 Not of Works lest any Man should boast but that God may have all the Glory of his Grace If God did not deal with us upon Terms of Grace Despair would make us let go all sense of Duty and a guilty Creature would stand at a distance and fly from the sight of God Some think that the only way to gain Men to a sense of Religion is by rubbing the Conscience and keeping it raw and sore with Terror But the Psalmist faith There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared this is the best way to keep up the Creatures Respects False Worships are meerly supported by Terror and Fear but God that hath the best Title to the Heart will gain it by Love and Grace But as Despair standeth in the way of God's Glory so doth carnal Confidence Now Grace taketh off all boasting 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Here is nothing of Pre-engagement Merit and Hire yea it is for the Glory of the Supream Majesty that he should act freely and that his Blessings should come to us not as a Thing deserved but as a Gift and that he should entertain us as a King not as an Host. He that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Isa. 55.1 Nothing can be more dishonourable to God than the Merit of the Creature for it takes off part of his Royalty and Supremacy 2. It is most for the Comfort of the Creature Grace is the original Cause of all the Good we expect and receive from God that we may seek the Favour of God with Hope and retain it with Certainty 1. That we may seek the Favour of God with Hope If we had to do with Justice there could be no Hope for Justice giveth only what is due and doth not consider what we need but what we deserve Now mark the Apostle in the behalf of God makes the Challenge Rom. 11.35 Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again Come let me see the Man that durst plead Desert with God and claim any thing of him by way of Merit Who will enter that Plea Lord give me what thou owest I desire no more than is due to me Let me not have Mercy till I deserve it Merit-mongers are best confuted by Experience Let them use the same Plea in their Prayers which they do in their Disputes and plead the Merit of their Works and say Lord give me not eternal Life and Grace and Favour till I deserve it at thy Hand Let them thus dispute with God or with their own Consciences in the Agonies of Death and under Horrors of the Lord 's Wrath. Surely those that cry up the Merit of Works are Men of little spiritual Experience and seldom look into their own Consciences Dare they thus plead with God Lord never look upon me in Mercy if I do not deserve it You shall see the best Plea that the eminentest of God's Children could make is meer Grace The Church speaks thus Hos. 14.2 Receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our Lips It is the Form that is prescribed to returning Israel If you would establish Hope with God this must be your only Plea and Claim Grace Lord Mercy Lord And David saith Psal. 13.5 I have trusted in thy Mercy There 's the ground of my Confidence And Chrysostom hath a sweet gloss upon that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If others have any thing to alledg let them plead it Ah Lord I have but one thing to say and plead and upon which to cast all my Hopes and that 's Mercy and Grace Lord I have trusted in thy Mercy Thus Ambrose when he was to die saith Etsi non sic vixi ut pudeat inter vos vivere c. Thô I have not so lived as that I should be ashamed to live I am not afraid to die Why not that I have lived well but quia bonum habeo Dominum because I have a gracious Lord and have made Grace my Confidence So we read in the Life of Bernard seeming to be cited before the Tribunal of God when Satan had spoken in his Conscience What! thou look for any Favour at God's Hand thou art not worthy He replies I confess I am not worthy nor can I by my own Deserts obtain the Kingdom of Heaven but I have a double right Haereditate Patris Merito Passionis by the Grace of my Father and by the Merit of Christ's Passion hereby I can take hold of God with both Hands by Grace and Merit not my own but Christ's Thus God's best Servants their Hopes have been established this way by casting themselves upon Mercy and Grace 2. That we may retain the Favour of God with Certainty Rom. 4.16
Ye worship ye know not what so generally do People worship they know not what Ask them what God is and whom they worship they cannot tell they are carried on by Custom and dark and blind Superstition and they mutter over their Prayers to an unknown Power such blind and wild Conceits have they of the Nature of God till they see him by the Light of his own Spirit This Ignorance is sad because it is a sign of no Grace and it is a pledg of future Judgment In these days of Gospel-Light it is a sign of no Grace Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. God hath no Child so little but he knows his Father In the days of the Gospel now it is so clearly preached it is required of the meanest sort as well as those that have the advantages of better Education And it is a Pledg of future Judgment 2 Thess. 1.8 Christ will come in flaming Fire to render Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel We have low Thoughts of the Guilt of Ignorance and think God will not be severe against such many ignorant Creatures are harmless and do no wrong but to live and die in Ignorance is a matter of sad Consequence There is Vengeance for Pagans that know not God by showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons and indeed they principally are intended Divide Men into two sorts those that have only the Light of Nature Sense and Reason to guide them and those that have the Light of the Gospel there is Vengeance for Pagans that have no other Apostles sent to them but those natural Apostles of Sun Moon and Stars They had Light shining to them in God's Works and they had Sense and Reason Eyes to see the Light and so they were bound to know the first Cause and might see God working and guiding all things in the World but there is much more Vengeance for Christians for those that have God's Word the Light of Faith and yet shut their Eyes against the Light Usually come and talk with Men they will acknowledg they are poor ignorant Creatures and God that made them will save them tho the Scripture speaks quite contrary Isa. 27.11 This is a People of no Vnderstanding therefore he that made them will not have Mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no Favour God is exceeding angry when all Advantages of Light are lost A Pagan is ignorant of God but you are worse being unteachable He that hath only Sun and Moon to teach him shall be damned for his Ignorance of God but if you do not profit by the Light of the Gospel to conceive more worthily of the Nature and Glory of God your Judgment will be greater 2. We do not honour God as the First Cause when we do not depend upon him that is Ungodliness Trust and Dependance is the ground of all Commerce between us and God and it is the greatest Homage and Respect which we yield to the Creator and First Cause Now when Men can trust any visible Creature rather than God their Estates rather than God they rob him of his peculiar Honour That there is such a Sin as trusting in the Creature excluding God is clear from Job 31.24 If I have made Gold my Hope or have said to the fine Gold Thou art my Confidence Iob to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy reckons up the usual Sins of a Hypocrite among the rest this is one to make Gold his Confidence Men are apt to think it the Staff of their Lives and Stay of their Posterity and Ground of their Welfare and Happiness and so their Hearts are diverted from God and their Trust is intercepted It is a usual Sin tho little thought of for Men to intrench themselves within a great Estate and then think they are safe and secure against all the Changes and Chances of the present Life and so God is laid aside Let God offer to intrench us within the Promises and leave his Name in pawn with us yet we are full of Fears and Doubts Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe But ver 11. The rich Man's Wealth is his strong City and as an high Wall in his own Conceit Such as think themselves safe in a great Estate do not acknowledg God as the First Cause which gives Being and sustains all things and therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry Col. 3.5 and a covetous Man is called an Idolater Ephes. 5.5 not so much because of his Love of Money as because of his Trust in it The Glutton counteth his Belly his God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their Belly he mindeth the Gratifications of his Appetite yet he doth not trust in his Belly-Chear he thinks not to be protected by it therefore he is not called an Idolater as the covetous who robbeth God of his Trust. We are all apt to make an Idol of the Creature and poor Men think if they had Wealth this were enough to make them happy they trust in those that have it which is Idolatry upon Idolatry Therefore it is said Psal. 62.9 Surely Men of low degree are Vanity and Men of high degree are a Lie To appearance Men of low degree are nothing and Men of high degree are a Lie because we are apt to trust in them But chiefly it is incident to the Rich they that have Riches are apt to trust in Riches Mark 10.23 How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God! compared with ver 24. Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Now this is a secret Sin A Man doth not think that he makes Money his Idol if he he doth not pray or offer Sacrifices to it or give it some perceivable Worship and tho he use it as familiarly as any thing in a House But this Idolatry lies within tho a Man doth not entertain his Gold with Ceremony yet there is his Trust and Confidence that he shall be safe and do well because he hath such an Estate which he depends upon and not upon God We smile at the Vanity of the Heathens that worshipped Stocks and Stones and Idols of Gold and Silver and we do worse but more Spiritually when our Trust is terminated in the Creature Though we do not say to Gold Thou art my Confidence or you shall deliver me or I will put my Trust in you or use any such gross Language yet this is the Interpretation of our Carriage A covetous Man may speak as basely of Wealth as another he may say I know Gold is but refined Earth but his Heart resteth on it as his only refuge and stay and he thinks he and his Children cannot be happy without it which is a great Sin it sets up another God chains the Heart to the World and
keeps it from good Works 3. We do not honour God as the first Cause when we do not observe his Providence either in Good or Evil either in our Crosses or Blessings The blind World sets up an Idol called Chance and Fortune and do not acknowledg God at the other End of Causes as swaying all things by his Wisdom and Power If Evil come to them they think it is by Chance and Ill-luck as the Philistines said 1 Sam. 6.9 It is not his Hand that smote us it was a Chance that happened to us So prophanely do most Men judg of Providence and of the Evil of the present Life that it is a Chance Isa. 26.11 Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see Men look to Instruments and second Causes and do not regard God If things go ill they snarl at the Stone but do not look at the Hand of him that throws it as if all this while God were but an idle Spectator and looker on and had no hand in all that befals us Iob doth better Chap. 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chrysostom hath a sweet gloss upon it he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Thief the Caldean the Sabean hath taken away but the Lord. In all Afflictions we should look beyond the Creature and not complain of ill Fortune or Chance or Stars or Constellations or altogether of Men or Instruments or any thing on this side God he is the first Cause in any Evil that befals you therefore see God's Hand in it So also in Mercies and Blessings it is Ungodliness when we do not see God in them Wicked Men receive Blessings and never look up They live upon God every moment they have Life Breath Motion Health and hourly Maintenance from him yet God is not in all their Thoughts As Swine raven upon the Acorns and never look to the Oak from whence they fall and so they may enjoy the Comfort of the Creature they are content but never look higher than the next Hand The Spouses Eyes are compared to Doves Eyes Cant. 4.1 And some make this gloss upon it which is pious though it doth not interpret the Place Doves peck and look upward When we sip and peck upon every Grain of Mercy we should look up and acknowledg God The Lord complains of this Ungodliness in his People Hos. 2.8 For she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold There cannot be a greater sign of an ungodly Spirit than this unthankful Prophaneness We all live upon the meer Alms of God have all our Comforts and Blessings from him and all that God expects is but Acknowledgment that we should take notice of him as the Author of all the Good we enjoy Other Creatures live upon God but they are not capable of knowing the first Cause but he hath given us a Mind to know him and Capacities and Abilities therefore this is the Rational Worship which he expects from us God hath Leased out the World to the Sons of Men Psal. 115.16 The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lord's but the Earth hath he given to the Children of Men But what is the Rent God hath reserved to himself Glory Praise and Acknowledgment But too usual is that Observation true Qui majores Terras possident minores Census solvunt those that hold the greatest Lands usually pay the least Rent so those that enjoy most Mercies seldomest acknowledg God their Hearts are full and at ease and they forget God Men are most led by outward Enjoyments they love their Bodies best and the Comforts of the Body most Now that we may not want Arguments to love and praise God God tries us by these worldly Enjoyments which concern the Body to see if we will acknowledg him but usually we raven upon the sweet of Comfort but look not from whence it comes This was the Trial God used to the Gentiles showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons filling their Hearts with Food and Gladness Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without a Witness in that he did Good and gave us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness Every time thou eatest and drinkest thou shouldst think of God But alas seldom do we give God the Honour of his Providence we forget God when he remembers us None more unworthy of any Good and more unthankful to God for it than Man 4. Another piece of Ungodliness is when we do not acknowledg his Dominion over all Events If he be the first Cause he will have his Government to be acknowledged How so By using and undertaking nothing in the course of our Affairs till we have asked his Leave and Blessing The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer that is by the Word we know our Liberty and in Prayer we ask God's Leave and Blessing in all things that we use To use another Man's Goods without his Leave is Robbery and so it is to use Food Physick or any Creature till we have asked God's Leave all should be sanctified by the Word and Prayer When we go about any Business or undertake a Journey or fix our aboad in the World we ought to be enquiring of God for things that seem to be most trivial and casual God hath the greatest Hand in them therefore we must still enquire at the Oracle It is a piece of religious Manners first to enquire of God and therefore they are taxed Iames 4.13 Go to now ye that say To Day or to Morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a Year and buy and sell and get Gain For that ye ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that vers 15. You forget to bid your selves Good-morrow or Good-day or Good-speed when you forget to consult and advise with God in Prayer The Heathens would begin nothing weighty but they would still consult with their Gods for their Principle was The Gods regarded greater Matters but took no notice of those of a smaller Consequence Now by this means would the Lord preserve a constant remembrance of himself in the Heart of the Creature It keeps up the Memory of God in the World to acknowledg him as one that hath an over-ruling Hand in all the Businesses and Affairs of this World Prov. 3.6 In all thy Ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy Paths The Children of God dare not resolve upon any Course till they have asked Counsel of God Thus God will be acknowledged as the first Cause and so Men are guilty of Ungodliness if they do not know him depend upon him observe his Providence and acknowledg his Dominion over all Events in the World Secondly God will be
begrudg the pains of his Service 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord for asmuch as ye know that your Labour will not be in vain in the Lord. The Children of God are wont to think they can never do enough for God that hath found out such a Reward for them in Christ. A thousand Years Service will not deserve one hour's Enjoyment of this blessed Hope much less eternal Happiness When we come to see what shall be bestowed upon us we shall be ashamed that we have done no more Work for God having so much Wages and such excellent Encouragement Mat. 25.37 the Saints are brought in there saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink being ashamed Ah Lord this is nothing What have we done At the Day of Judgment there will be the highest Exaltation of the Saints and yet the lowest Self-abasement they will wonder even to admiration of Angels There will be Christ's owning them and they disclaiming their own Services and all their Works and Christ rewarding them And therefore grudg not if you have the strictest Precepts of any Religion remember you have the noblest and highest Reward 6. It informs us what cause we have to contemn all earthly things tho they be never so great and glorious because of this blessed Hope There are two Considerations that will make us contemn the World and they are suted to the two essential Parts of Man and we should ever think of them We carry about us a mortal Body and an immortal Soul the Body lasts but for a while and the Soul survives and out-lives the Body's Happiness Now we toil our selves in gathering Sticks to our Nest when to morrow we must be gone Alas here we dwell in Houses of Clay whose Foundation is in the Dust which are crushed before the Moth Job 4.19 Our Estate in this World is represented by a Tabernacle which is a moveable Habitation but our Estate in Heaven is represented by a Temple Here it is but a Tabernacle and that of Clay that will be crumbled into Dust nay we are said to be crush'd before the Moth and a Moth is but a little enlivened Dust and so is Man The World is but a House of Potters Vessels that will be soon broken And shall we for the Conveniences of a Temporal Life prejudice and run the hazard and loss of our Eternal Hopes Shall we injure the Soul to gratify the Body that is the way to destroy both for ever Our great care should be for that Place where we live longest in the other World we have the longest Life and the most glorious Possession therefore our great Care should be for that 7. It informs us what little cause we have to envy carnal Men the Hope of your Profession is a blessed Hope This was David's Preservative he was daily in danger of his Life and his Enemies were fat and shining in the Pomp of the World and how doth he comfort himself Psal. 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness as if he had said Alas their Felicity is but a sorry thing they are filled and I shall be filled too David sums up their Happiness under two Heads Whatever here we have it is either for personal Use or for our Posterity A worldly State is only valuable upon these two Grounds what we may use for the present and what we may transmit to our Children Now what a sorry Happiness is this to what I expect 1. For personal Use ver 14. Their Bellies are filled with thy hid Treasure that is with the rarest Dishes and best Meats which God's Store-house doth afford By hidden Treasures is meant Food and other worldly Comforts therefore called hidden Treasures because it doth not lie within every one's grasp and reach they are not vulgar and common Delights The meaner sort their Hand will not attain to it Lo here is all that which God allows them for their Portion the filling of the Belly and alas this is but the Happiness of Beasts who eat with less remorse yet all their Happiness is to fill their Belly with better Food than the poorer sort which indeed is a Misery rather than a Happiness for what doth this but nourish sensual Lusts and strengthen and hearten our Enemy And gorgeous Apparel is but a Supply from Creatures beneath us it is but Stercus in volutum Dung neatly wrapp'd up here 's the Sum of all a Carnal Man's Happiness that which God allows him for his Portion But a Christian hath better Fare if he goes into the Sanctuary there 's enough but if he goes into Heaven there 's a great deal more David defeats the Temptation by this Psal. 73.16 17. When I sought to know this it was too hard for me until I went into the Sanctuary of God to enjoy God in his Ordinances and the present Glimpses of God's Face Present Communion with God is far to be preferred above all the Dainties in the World But that is not all we shall be satisfied for ever We may go into Heaven as well as into the Sanctuary and behold God's Righteousness When I awake that is out of the Dust I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness A Child of God hath his Content and Happiness to the full when he comes to die A carnal Man his Back hath been richly clothed and Belly filled but when he comes to die he hath a sad Doom Son remember thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus his evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 was said to Dives who fared deliciously every day and was clothed in Purple and fine Linen Well you have your Portion and must look for no more you give God a discharge for ought else But for God's Children then their Happiness begins they are going down to sleep in the Grave and when they awake they shall be filled they have not only God's Favour here but Eternal Felicity hereafter They that are called to a Feast will not fill themselves at home with courser Fare The rich Glutton who had his Belly full of hid Treasure here was shut out but Lazarus is carried into Abraham's Bosom and feasted there for this was their Table-gesture to lie in one another's Bosoms Christians reserve your Appetite a little you will be satisfied it is but staying a little longer for a better Meal We expect to be like Angels let others be like Beasts whose Happiness lieth in feeding 2. Then for the other part the transmission of Honour and ample Revenues to Posterity It is true Man is much carried out this way he would fain advance his House and live gloriously in his Posterity Posterity is a shadow of Eternity Children are but the Father multiplied when the Father's Thread is spun out then the Knot is knit his Name and Memory is continued in the World by his Children
the Grief and would fain shift off the Cross but when we see the End then we acknowledg it is good to be afflicted If God write his Law upon our Hearts by his Stripes upon our Backs and so light a Trouble maketh way for so great a Benefit we should not grudg at it Our Happiness doth not consist in outward Comforts Riches Health Honour civil Liberty or comfortable Relations but in our acceptance with God and injoyment of God Good is to be determined by its respect to true Happiness Affliction therefore taketh nothing from our Happiness but addeth to it as it increaseth Grace and Holiness and so we are more approved of God injoy more of God 3. Impatiency at what is past or a fretting dislike of God's Dispensations Now by Faith we are perswaded both of the Greatness and Goodness of God and so our murmuring is prevented I. Faith has an esteem of the Greatness of God God is too great to be questioned The more we see the Greatness and Majesty of God the more is our Pride checked Iob 35.5 6. Look unto the Heavens and see and behold the Clouds which are higher than thou If thou sinnest what dost thou against him Or if thy Transgressions be multiplied what dost thou unto him It is a swelling against God's Soveraignty that he should have the disposal of us at his pleasure Hab. 2.4 Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his Faith The lifting up of the Heart is opposed to living by Faith The lifting up of the Heart is a proud murmuring conceited Disposition under trouble taxing and censuring his Proceedings Such a Soul will make defection Heb. 10.38 Now the Iust shall live by Faith but if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Pride will not suffer the Heart to submit to the Will of God and so scorneth to bear the Cross of Christ. But now Faith that relieth upon God and his Promises suffereth God to take his own Way and that waiting upon God in his Way is a sure Path to a blessed Issue Pride is conceited of its own Wisdom and Power as if we could secure our selves better than by waiting upon God Pride hath no Opinion of God or his Dealings but Faith which is an high esteem of God referreth all to him 2. Of the Goodness of his Conduct Faith perswadeth us with Quietness and Security to cast our selves into God's Hands who will guide all things well Observe Christ's submission in his Trouble Matth. 26.39 He prayed saying O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt And David's 2 Sam. 15.25 26. The King said unto Zadok Carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his Habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him All Discontents come from Unbelief we do not believe God's Providence and fatherly Care but act as Gentiles nor his Love in Christ for if we did we would let him alone to bring his Children to Heaven in his own Way Many times that is best for us which we do not think best for us Peter was best pleased when upon Mount Tabor Mat. 17.4 Lord it is good for us to be here But Christ had other Work for him to do Secondly The Causes of Trouble are removed by Faith As 1. Self-Love 2. The Life of Sense And 3. Fancy or vain Conceit A Man that is governed by these and is under the Influence of these will never be free from trouble But now Faith perswading us of the Love of God in Christ cureth our Self-love 1 John 4.16 We have known and believed the Love that God hath to us And shewing us better things to come weaneth us from present Sense 2 Cor. 4.18 While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen And depending upon the Wisdom and Care of God referreth the choice of our Condition to him and the carving of our Lot and Portion as it maketh most for his Glory Phil. 1.20 Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death whether by things adverse or prosperous whether the way be fair or foul In short there are certain Propositions and Conclusions which are absolutely necessary to exempt us from Trouble and carnal Self-love the Life of Sense and Fancy or vain Conceit will never submit to them but are only granted by Faith are the Results of Faith 1. That spiritual Benefit doth abundantly recompence and make amends for the loss of temporal Interests If an healthy Soul be in a sickly Body 3 Epist. John 2. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth If the inward Man may be renewed though the outward Man perish 2 Cor. 4.16 Though the outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day That a little Faith discovered to be sound and saving is of more worth than the best Gold upon Earth 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with Fire might be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. I◠sore Trials discover Reality of Grace better undergo them than be without them and we should esteem and prize these Seasons of exercising and trying Grace more than times of the quickest and greatest Gain in the World a little 〈◊〉 in a Trial should make up all the Pain Shame and Loss that attendeth it Now Self-love Sense and Fancy will never subscribe to this 2. That God will never leave us wholly destitute or to Difficulties insupportable 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Alas many times in the Eye of Sense they are left and see no Helper 3. That all the Bitter of outward Trials is nothing to the Sweets of inward Communion which the Soul hath or may have with God thereby Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby 4. That Hope against Hope and Patience above Strength is the truest Life of Faith and never wanted a most comfortable Issue Rom. 4.18 Who against Hope believed in Hope that he might become the Father of many Nations James 5.11 Behold we count them happy which endure Ye have heard of the Patience of Job and have seen the End of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender Mercy 5. That all the
are to be pitied who are provoked to Sin yet the Provocation excuses not the Sinner Moses had led them by God's Direction to this Place and there they murmured against him when they wanted Water and to such a height that he was fain to take shelter in the Sanctuary to avoid their Fury But this doth not excuse Moses Psal. 106.32 They angred him at the Waters of Strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes Their Peevishness provoked him yet because he commanded not his Passion he was punished with an exclusion out of Canaan Aaron upon another occasion thought to excuse himself Exod. 32.22 Let not the Anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest this People that they are set on Mischief c. But Aaron's Sin was so great that God was very angry with him and thought to have destroyed him if Moses had not prayed for him as you may see Deut. 9.20 The Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time Alas these Excuses are frivolous 't is long of others and consider the great Injuries I received Every Man is to answer for his own Actions and cannot be hurt by others without his own Consent 4. Both the Persons were in publick Offices the Magistracy and the Ministry and the highest and most eminent of their Rank The one chief Governour of Israel the other High-Priest God will spare none yea the higher they are the greater are their Offences because of the influence of their Example and therefore their Lot will be the harder God will reckon with them when he passes by others If any the Duty of whose place obliges them to be eminent in Faith and Holiness miscarry the Provocation is the greater As David's Sin is aggravated by his Office I anointed thee King over Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 And the Priests are sorely threatned Mal. 2.7 8. The Priests Lips should keep Knowledg and they should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts Their Negligence and Errors are greater than others they should be Examples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5.3 2 dly The nature of the Crime 1. It was a spiritual one They did not sanctify God in obeying and depending upon his Word before the Eyes of the People We only look to outward gross Sins but spiritual Sins we take no notice of There are Sins in genere moris and in genere fidei Sins against our Moral Duty and Sins against the Rule of Faith There are Peccata majoris infamiae and peccata majoris reatus Sins of greater Infamy and more publickly hateful and Sins of greater Guilt Of the first sort are Murder Adultery Theft c. Natural Light puts a Brand upon these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5.19 The Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness These smell rank in Nature's Nostrils every one knoweth them to be great Sins and a Child of God doth hardly fall into these sensual Villanies But there are other Sins of a more spiritual Nature such as want of Love to God and Faith in Christ and hope of eternal Life or such necessary degrees of either as may enable us to honour him in the World Few take notice of these but God judgeth not as Man judgeth these may be more dangerous as being not only against our Duty but our Remedy Few think distrustful Thoughts or distracting Cares or sinful Fears or immoderate Sorrow are such grievous Distempers as they afterwards prove to be till they cherish them so long that they find the Grievousness of the Sin in the Greatness of the Punishment 2. It was a sudden occasional Passion or fit of Impatience But by that we may give place to Satan and grieve the Spirit of God Eph. 4.26 27. Let not the Sun go down on your Wrath neither give place to the Devil and ver 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Therefore we should watch against the sudden Disorders of our Passions and Affections otherwise we may do that in a moment the Effects of which will not be altogether blotted out by a long Repentance If we give way to excessive Anger we open a Door to Satan and give him an advantage to excite us to more Evil and the Work of Grace may be so darkened in us that we may long miss of Comfort If we once let the Fire be kindled it will presently send up a black Smoak whereby we dishonour our Profession and provoke God And whatever just cause of Provocation we have we are to overcome and bridle the Exorbitances of our Passions for tho we be provoked we must not provoke God 3. The Sin consisted in this that the Exemplariness of their Faith and Obedience was somewhat obscured We should look to this to have a Faith that will not only save our selves but tend to the Glory of God 2 Thess. 1.11 12. We pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this Calling and fufil all the good Pleasure of his Goodness and the Work of Faith with Power that the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him We may not be guilty of other Mens Sins We must have Grace not only for our own private Benefit that we may be saved but for a more publick Good that God may be glorified and others edified by our Example Many make an hard shift to go to Heaven they may have Grace enough for their own Salvation but yet have not Grace enough for the Honour and Exaltation of God in the World Now it is a great Fault especially in the Eminent if they neglect the glorifying of God in the Eyes of others Noah was raised up in his Age to condemn the World Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with Fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World that is of their Security and contempt of God's Warnings Thus Moses and Aaron should have condemned the Israelites by their own Faith and ready Obedience And if we do not mind this in our selves we are the more culpable before God 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good Works which they shall behold glorify God in the Day of Visitation that is in the Day when he shall please to visit them by his saving Grace Otherwise we are accountable for those Sins we draw others into And so a Man may sin after he is dead as his Example out-liveth him In short God is severe upon his scandalous Children though he may pardon their Faults as to Eternal Punishment yet they smart for it
Fathers were Idols and not Gods But how can it stand with the Providence of the true God to permit it and forsake Mankind so long Those Times of Ignorance God over-looked sent them no Means nor Messengers then but now he doth And so he teacheth them and us that it is not sufficient to follow the Religion of our Fore-fathers unless they had followed the Will of God If God over-looked them and vouchsafeth you more Grace you must not be prejudiced by the Tradition but improve the present Advantage 2. He as much as in him lieth taketh off the Prejudice of the Practice of former Times by a prudent and self-censure As also elsewhere 1 Cor. 2.8 Which none of the Princes of this World knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 3. He insinuateth that Ignorance doth not wholly excuse those that err but rather commendeth the Lord's Patience Secondly The Duty of the present Time 1. The Duty pressed is Repentance The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repentance is a returning to our Wits again We were sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish Tit. 3.3 When the Conversion of the Nations is spoken of it is said Psal. 22.27 All the ends of World shall remember and turn unto the Lord as if they were asleep distracted or out of their Wits before the Light of Christ's Gospel shined into their Hearts not making use of common Reason We never act wisely nor with a Condecency to our reasonable Nature till we return to the Love and Obedience of God 2. This is here represented not as an indifferent and arbitrary thing but as expresly and absolutely commanded God's Authority is absolute if he hath commanded any thing Contradiction must be silent Hesitation satisfied all Cavils laid aside and we must address our selves to the Work speedily and seriously without delaying or disputing or murmuring God doth not advise or intreat only but commandeth or interposeth his Authority Now to break a known Command especially of such weight and moment is very dangerous Luke 12.47 That Servant which knew his Lord's Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many Stripes James 4.17 To him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him it is Sin A Man in the dark may easily err and go astray but while we know better and what is the express Will of God concerning us we must set our selves to do it 3. As universally required all Men every where not only Iews but Gentiles and not some sort of Gentiles but all you Athenians and all the World this universally bindeth Some must turn from their Idols but all from their sinful Ways Whosoever will not repent when God calleth for Repentance they smart the more for it Impenitency under the Means is the worst sort of Impenitency I may say as Christ Luke 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish II. The Argument or Motive Which we considered 1. As propounded 2. As confirmed First As propounded Where note 1 st The Time He hath appointed a Day wherein he will judg the World 2 dly The manner in Righteousness 3 dly The Person By that Man whom he hath ordained These Circumstances must be opened and then we must consider how they make an Argument For opening the Circumstances 1 st The Time appointed but not revealed He hath appointed a Day The word Day is not taken strictly for such a space of Time as is usually signified by that Notion but it is put for a certain fixed space of Time The Work cannot well be dispatched in twenty four hours There is Iudicium discussionis Iudicium retributionis a Judgment of Search or Trial and a Judgment of Retribution Tho by the absolute Power of God they may be commanded into their everlasting Estate in an instant yet the Causes of the whole World cannot be discussed in an instant especially when God designeth the full Revelation of his Justice in all his Proceedings with Men. Therefore the Apostle calleth that Day the Day of the Revelation of the righteous Iudgment of God Rom. 2.5 When this time will be we cannot tell for God hath not revealed it Mat. 24.36 But of that day and hour knoweth no Man no not the Angels in Heaven but my Father only And therefore it is Curiosity to enquire and Rashness to determine Acts 1.7 It is not for you to know the Times or the Seasons which the Father hath put in his own Power It is enough for us to believe the thing which is not strange to Reason that God should call his Creatures to an account Natural Conscience is terrified with the hearing of it Acts 24.25 As Paul reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled And the same guilty Fears are incident to all Mankind Rom. 1.32 Knowing the Iudgment of God they know also that they who have done such things as they have done are worthy of Death That we are God's Subjects is evident to Reason because we depend upon him for Life Being and all things that we have failed in our Subjection to God in denying the Obedience due to him is evident by the universal daily and sad Experience of the whole World that Error and Sin will not take place to all Eternity but that there must be some time when the Disorders of the World shall be rectified is a Truth that easily maketh its own way into the Consciences of Men but is fully determined by the Gospel 2 dly For the manner He will judg the World in Righteousness that is then the whole World shall receive the fruit of their Doings whether they be good or evil But doth God ever judg the World otherwise than in Righteousness I cannot say that for far be it from the Iudg of all the Earth not to do right Gen. 18.25 He never doth any thing unjustly or unrighteously now but then he will fully manifest his Righteousness He now judgeth the World in Patience but then in Righteousness There is a difference between a defect of Justice and a Transgression of the Rules of Justice There is no Injustice in God's Dispensations of present Providence but yet there is a Defect or not a full measure or manifest Demonstration of his Justice shewed now on the godly or the wicked Therefore it is said Eccles. 8.14 There be just Men to whom it happeneth according to the Work of the Wicked and again there be wicked Men to whom it happeneth according to the Work of the Righteous He doth not pass this Censure upon the wise and righteous Providence of God but either speaketh according to the Judgment of Flesh and Blood which is apt to judg hardly of so strange a Distribution or according to the visible Appearance of things when evil things happen to good Men or good things to evil Men. For outward things being not absolutely good and evil are dispensed promiscuously and in the day
him that he was at first loth to consent to the Persecution but when he was once in he was more inexorable and merciless than the rest of his Companions None have done more vile things against God and the Interest of God than men accounted of a Good Nature when once the Temptation hath prevailed upon them Herod Agrippa was a sweet natur'd Popular man but he slew Iames and would have slain Peter also Acts 12.1 2. and all out of Easiness and Facility to please the People Usually none fall sooner into the Snare of Persecution and Hatred of the Saints of God than they and the Reason is Counsel is of great Advantage upon those that are of a plyant and pleasing Disposition and all their Parts and Excellencies are but like a Sword in a Cutlers Shop as ready for the Thief as the True man to purchase He is easily made a Prey to Satan and turned against God therefore do not rest in these things 2 Doct. That in some respect Christ loves those that are Orderly and Civil and do but outwardly carry themselves according to God's Commands I shall give the Reasons and then Apply it 1. The thing is Good in it self thô the resting in it makes it useless as to the Salvation of the Person that goes no further Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God These things are agreeable to the reasonable Nature and the Perfection of it lyes in them Now all Good is the Object of Love therefore if it be good Christ loves it 2. Because our Lord Christ is willing and ready to own the least Good in us that he might draw us on to more Here was a towardly Young man and Christ would not discourage him thô he was not Gracious it is said He looked upon him and loved him Mat. 12.20 A bruised Reed will he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench that is not despise and reject Weaklings When a Reed is broken we cast it away it is good for nothing but to be trampled under Feet and we are discouraged from blowing while we see no Flame but Smoke But Christ is of another Disposition he will not cast away the bruised Reed nor despise the smoaking Flax so far as there is any thing of Goodness in a Creature thô it be but Smoke Christ will own it 3. Because these things tend to the profit of Mankind and Jesus Christ his Heart is much set upon the good of Mankind His rejoycing was in the Habitable parts of the Earth before there was Hill or Mountain Prov. 8.31 Rejoycing in the habitable parts of the Earth and my delights were with the Sons of men And his Apostle doth press this that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these are good and profitable to men Titus 3.8 Christ is a great Friend and Patron of Humane Society therefore will shew his liking of it and how pleasing all things are to him that tend to maintain it as Justice Equity Temperance Prudence Moderation Fidelity Christ would put some mark of his Favour on those that excell in these things When he instructeth the Young man in the Commandments of the Second Table and he said All these have I kept from my Youth Iesus loved him VSE Now let us see what Use we may make of this 1. Negatively To shew what Use is not to be made of this Passage for men may be apt to abuse and make an ill use of Jesus his Love of these Moral Vertues 1. We cannot make this Use of it as if Christ did Love Moral Vertues as meritorious of Grace they are not such things upon which God hath bound himself necessarily to give the Grace of Conversion The Pelagians had this Axiom Facienti bomini quod in se est tenetur Deus dare ulteriorem gratiam That let a man do what in him lyes God is necessarily bound by that to give him further Grace And the Papists build upon the same ground their Doctrine of Meritum ex congruo Merit of Congruity As they hold Merit of Condignity in the Works of Renewed men so they hold Merit of Congruity in the Works of Unrenewed men as if God in Right and Equity were bound to recompence them with the Reward of Conversion But the Scripture puts Conversion upon another bottom and shews that it is not given according to the Good Works we have done but meerly of the Lord's Grace and Mercy Titus 3.4 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost The Apostle speaks there of Converting Grace wherein we have a Negative and an Affirmative Cause He could have said simply of his mercy he saved us and no more but he would disprove Works therefore he doth express it Negatively Not by works of Righteousness which we have done Or at least he might have said this Not only by works of righteousness which we have done but also of his mercy he hath saved us and so might have allowed it as a con-Con-cause as having some influence something in it to bind God O No he excludes Works altogether Not by works of righteousness Or at least if the Apostle would express it Negatively and Positively he might have said thus Not by works which we have done but of his Mercy he saved us No but he says Not by works of righteousness which we have done He describes the Works which he rejects as being a Cause of Saving Grace All our Moral Righteousness the best of our Works they have no Influence upon God to give us Grace but meerly of his Grace he hath saved us therefore do not think that God by a certain Infallible Law is bound to give Grace 2. We must not so take this as that he doth love Good Qualities so as to make them equal with Christian Vertues or the Graces of the Spirit Morality is good but we must not lift it up beyond its place There is something better and that 's Grace those things which do accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 I observe this because there are many secret Atheists that will cry up Moral Righteousness beyond its worth and the Vertues and Honesty of the Heathens to debase the Esteem of Christian Religion which the World now is grown weary of They think there was more Honesty by the Natural Institutions of the Heathens than by the Law of Christ and cry up Moral Honesty to the great detriment and prejudice of the true Religion I do confess if we compare some honest Heathens with many Christians in Name that have defiled themselves with monstrous Impieties it is not hard to determine which are the better men Loose Professors dishonour their Religion but the sound Grapes in the Cluster must not be judged of by
for Impiety all went to ruine 2. There will be some Serenity of Mind resulting from the Rectitude of your Actions Look as the Heathens when they did by Nature the things contained in the Law they had the approbation of their Consciences Thoughts excusing Rom. 2.15 3. It is some advantage to Grace it is like the Priming the Post that maketh it receptive of better Colours At least they do not aggravate their Condemnation nor encrease their Weakness nor draw upon themselves Penal Blindness and Hardness of Heart and utter Despair However it is like the Embalming a Carkass though it do not restore Life yet it keeps the Body from stinking As long as they are at work they are not given over to a Reprobate Sense They are not far from the Kingdom of God Mark 12.34 An humble Man that hath some Thoughts of God and of Eternal Life certainly is sooner Converted than an Outragious Wretch that doth swagger and out brave the Ordinances of God whereas Men that are strangers to all Goodness and of an inveterate Wickedness and Falshood that are estranged from the Womb and go astray so soon as they be born speaking lyes as the Propet expresseth it Psal. 58.3 are more hardly Cured 4. As to their Eternal Estate it will be more tolerable for such than for others Though they fall short of Heaven yet mitius punientur at least they have a cooler Hell their Account is more easie as the Scripture speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a greater Damnation Mat. 11.22 It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sydon at the day of Iudgment than for you Cato suffers less than Catiline Socrates than Nero and certainly it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those that despised the Gospel therefore a Heathen could say No such Feast as to do our Duty which God requires SERMON VI. ON MARK X. v. 21. One thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven NOW we come to Christ's Answer and there take Notice First Of the Admonition of his Defect Iesus said unto him One thing thou lackest By the Evangelist Matthew it appears that this part of the Answer was given to a Question proposed Mat. 19.20 All these things have I kept from my Youth up what lack I yet He saith confidently All these things have I kept and Christ saith one thing thou lackest Indeed take the Commandments in their full Latitude and Breadth of Interpretation he wanted all things how is it then that our Saviour saith only One thing thou lackest 1. Because it would have been tedious to convince him of all his Defects and therefore Christ would take the more Compendious way and insist but upon one thing which was enough to shew that he was not perfect as he vainly dreamt If a Man bragg that he is able to pay a hundred Pound you convince him of his Penury when you press him to pay one Penny and he cannot 2. This one thing was sure and would strike home for our Lord knew his Heart and therefore was resolved to touch his Privy-Sore and doth propose such a Precept as would cross his Darling Sin and therefore he would only come with one thing which would try him to the purpose Men that esteem too highly of themselves and yet have a secret Idol in their Hearts they shall be put upon some special Tryal that will discover their Weakness to the full 3. That one thing which he lacked was the main thing the principal thing of the Law which was Loving God above all things the summe of the Law is To Love God above all and our Neighbours as our selves Now our Lord who had Power to try his Love by any way he thought fit by this particular Injunction tryeth him in his Love to God and his Neighbour Chiefly he would convince him of want of Love to God or spiritual Idolatry making Wealth his summum bonum his chiefest good this was the main thing in which he failed and the Cause of his other Failings and yet Christ doth it in such a way as to take in the other part of the Precept the Love of our Neighbour Go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the Poor 4. Because the young Man Erred out of Ignorance Christ would not deal roughly with him or by way of sharp Reproof he doth not rate him and call him Proud Hypocrite for saying All these have I kept but he gently minds him of his Defect One thing thou lackest words of a mild Condescention to one that was tractable And while Men are facile and reachable we should not use roughness but convince them of their Errors by using all Mildness and all Condescention as we our selves would be dealt withall if we lay under the Power of Prejudice and a dark Understanding Let this suffice from that Clause only Learn from Christ's Practice here when we have to deal with such kind of Men two or three things 1. That Proud Sinners must not be soothed up in their Self-Conceit but Convinced of their Defects One thing thou lackest To flatter Men in their Presumption is very dangerous Luk. 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men but God knoweth your Hearts for that which is highly esteemed among Men is abomination in the sight of God 2. That the way to Convince them is by representing their principal and chief Faults some one sin so Christ dealt with this young Man and so he deals with the Woman of Samaria Convincing her of her Sin that though she had spent her time in Marriage with five Husbands yet after all this Commits Adultery Ioh. 4.18 Thou hast had five Husbands and he whom thou now hast is not thy Husband We are not to shoot at Rovers but Convince those we have to do with of those Sins they are most guilty of 3. The more our Failings strike deep upon the main Articles of our Obedience to God the greater our Conviction and the more sense we should have of our Condition before God To Love God above all is a Fundamental Article of the Covenant Now when we are convinced that we fail in this and want Love Trust and Faith in God we are nothing therefore such kind of Defects should make us look after our Estate better Secondly We come to Christ's Precept Command and Injunction and there First Something of particular Concernment Go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven Where observe 1. The Duty 2. The Motive 1. The Duty Go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the Poor The Precept you see is very strict and falls upon the Heart of this Young Man who was addicted to the World Go without delay sell not a part but all whatsoever thou hast and give not to thy Friends that may relieve thee when thou art in straits not
that Riches are evil in themselves but that it is hard for such Creatures as we to possess them without sinful and inordinate Affections 4. Consider who it is that speaks it Alas if it had been the saying of any private Divine or particular Minister we might tax it as rash and rigorous but the mouth of Truth it self hath spoken it even Jesus Christ whom we own as our Lord and Master He knew the way of Salvation and knew the state and danger of Souls and he hath interposed his Authority and represents the difficulty It is Jesus Christ that had so much Wisdom to judge aright of matters Jesus Christ that had so much regard to the Comfort and Happiness of Men that he would not fright them with a needless danger and therefore certainly you should take such an Admonition to Heart from the mouth of him whom you call your Lord and Master and from whom at last you expect your doom and judgment he hath said it If any wise Man hath said it from the Experience of almost all Ages and Persons you ought to have regarded it but when our Lord hath said it he who is the Amen the Faithful and true Witness why should we not believe him I pray what do you think of Christ was not he able to judge of the Case It was the saying of Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is impossible to be excellently good and eminently rich Therefore Celsus a Heathen who sought all occasions to disgrace the Gospel saith that Christ borrowed this saying of Plato but he is confuted by Origen in his Book against him This proud Heathen was sensible there was Wisdom in the speech therefore he would deprive Christ of the Honour of it But now since we believe the Doctrine of Christ and own it as the Speech of Christ who is our Lord and Master therefore it should more sink into our Hearts Thus for the Explanation of the Point from the Circumstances of the Text. II. Let us see whence this difficulty doth arise I answer Because of the sins to which a wealthy Estate doth expose us 1. Riches are apt to breed Atheism and Contempt of God They that are wholly drowned in Pleasures of Sense do not look into the Invisible World and see God which is the Father of Spirits Prov. 30.9 Lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord There is a Practical Atheism when Men forget or despise God and a Speculative Atheism when they deny God Now the Rich are apt to do both A Man that tumbles in Wealth Ease and Plenty is apt to forget and despise God But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked thou art waxen fat thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his Salvation Deut. 32.15 Nay in some sort they deny God they live as if there were no God at all none to call them to Account Men that have seen no Changes and were never humbled under God's mighty hand never think of an Invisible Power I remember the Psalmist saith Psal. 55.19 Because they have no Changes therefore they fear not God they have not an Awe or Reverence or due sense of a Divine Power upon their Hearts because they never have been acquainted with Changes the Condition they have lived in hath been a constant tenour of Worldly Happiness So Zeph. 1.12 They are settled upon their Lees that is are not tossed from Vessel to Vessel as Wine that is racked They live in an even course of Worldly Prosperity and in abundance of Worldly Comforts without a Change and this choaks and gluts the Heart that they have no sense of the Lord's Goodness Changes do more awaken us and make us look to God as the Fountain of good and evil Isne vices magis in nobis excitant sensum divinae bonitatis quà m continuus tenor faelicitatis qui nos inebriat In short The Pleasures and Thoughts of the World do so take up their Hearts that there is no place for any serious thought and solemn remembrance of God such as should beget an awe in us It is said Isa. 5.12 The Harp and the Viol and Tabret and Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands Thoughts of God are suppressed as soon as they do arise and they take no notice of the work of God's hands nor what he doth in their days to revive the sense of his Eternal Power and Godhead nor do they take their Comforts out of God's hands but look altogether to natural and to second Causes as being sufficient to themselves to live of themselves Indeed they may seem in Opinion to own a God as others do they take up the current Opinions and perform customary Worship but they do not glorifie him as God or repair to him with that life and fervency as those that stand in need of him nor consecrate their best Time and Strength and Affections to his Service It is usually the broken-hearted godly poor and those that have had frequent Experiences of the Changes of Providence that exercise themselves to Godliness and seek after God in good earnest The great Landlord of the World hath more Rent from many poor Cottages than from divers great Pallaces for they wallow in Plenty and never think of God 2. Riches keep Men from being broken-hearted and seeing their need of Christ. It is the poor needy Soul sensible of its own sin and misery that is likely to thrive in Religon and prosper in any heavenly design and pursuit Now those that are rich have so many entertainments of sense to inveagle their minds and divert their thoughts and are so besotted and inchanted with present delights and Pleasures that they have no feeling of their Condition or sense of the necessity of God's Grace therefore it is our Lord begins his description of Blessedness Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven How few of them that are rich in Estate are poor in spirit the sense of their present Ease and Welfare makes them forget all thoughts of their spiritual Condition and reconciling themselves to God by Christ. The Prodigal never thought of going to his Father 'till he began to be in want Luk. 15.17 18. While Men have any thing in the World they are senseless and secure in the midst of all their sin and â—isery and if they can live without God and apart from God they will not come at him Ier. 2.31 Wherefore say my people We are Lordâ— we will come no more unto thee As if this merry World would always last and there were no Judgment to come and God would never bring them into his Presence but they live a Life of Estrangement from God they can live upon themselves and their own supplies and things that fall to them by the Bounty of God's Providence 3.
Soul but they all agree in this both the Muck-worm and the Epicure that they trust in Riches 2. He instanceth in this Trust rather than Love of Riches not how hard is it for them that love Riches but how hard is it for them that trust in Riches because this is more and doth more express the disposition of Worldly Men. We Love many things in which we do not put our Trust but we put our Trust in nothing but what we Love A Glutton loves his Belly-chear but he doth not trust in it as thinking to be protected by it as the Covetous doth by his Estate and therefore tho' he make his Belly his God or his chief good and last end yet he doth not make it the first Cause and Fountain of his Happiness But now this gives all the Titles and Priviledges of God to Wealth Trust makes Wealth to be the first Cause the chief Good and the last End Well then for these two Reasons doth Christ instance in this one sin as being a common Disease and cause of all the rest or implying them at least This young Man who went away sorrowful from Christ thought he should be despised and grow necessitous if he should forsake all upon the Command of Christ he made his Riches to be the Fountain of his Hope and Confidence and therefore doth Christ say How hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! Doct. That rich Men are very prone and apt to put their Confidence in Riches and so thereby render themselves uncapable of the Kingdom of God In the handling this Point I shall 1. Shew there is such a Sin as Trusting in Riches 2. The Heinousness and evil of it 3. The Signs and Discoveries of it 4. The Remedies I. That there is such a Sin and that a very common sin The Scripture shews it plentifully Iob when he protested his Innocency among other sins he reckoned up he disclaims this Chap. 31.24 25. If I have made Gold my hope or said to the fine Gold thou art my Confidence If I rejoyced because my Wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Iob to Vindicate himself from Hypocrisie reckons up the usual Sins of Hypocrites and among the rest this for one making Riches our Hope and Confidence He had immediately before waved the Crime of Extortion and Oppression but he thinks not that sufficient to clear himself and therefore he further denyeth also the Crime of Carnal Confidence It is not enough that our Wealth be not gotten by Fraud Cousenage and Extortion but we must not trust to it Symachus renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Safety and Security the Cause why I am not afraid The World looketh upon Wealth as that which will help us to all we want defend us from all we fear and procure to us all we do desire as if by that we were out of the reach of all Danger and in a Capacity to live longer and happier under the Patronage and Provisions which our Money shall procure to us Another place is Prov. 18.10 11. The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe The rich man's wealth is his strong City and an high Wall in his own conceit Mark what the Name of the Lord is to the Believer that is Wealth to the Carnal rich Man in his own Conceit A godly Man never thinks himself safe 'till he can get into the Name of the Lord and be within the compass and Verge of the Covenant But a Carnal rich Man if he be walled and intrencht within his Wealth thinks himself secure against all Changes and Chances and so God is laid aside and little cared for That there is such a Sin you see but I shall prove that it is a common sin very incident to all Men and that it is a very secret sin but yet of a Pestilential Influence 1. It is very Natural to all Men yea impossible almost to be free from it Consider Man as degenerate and in that corrupted Estate in which he is as fallen from God as his chief Good and last End and so he is an Idolater and makes the Creature his God or sticketh too much to it more especially to Wealth Wealth is the great Instrument of Commerce it cannot be denyed to have a Power and Influence upon Humane Affairs Eccl. 10.19 Money answereth all things It can do much in this lower World and saveth us out of many Dangers Prov. 13.8 The ransom of a man's Life are his Riches It hath its use in this World as a Means in God's hands to sustain and preserve Life But what more common than for a Man to look to the subordinate Means and neglect altogether the first Cause as Children will thank the Taylor and think they owe their new Cloaths to his Provision rather than to their Parents Bounty So we look to the next hand and set up that instead of God Rich and Poor cannot be exempted from â—his Sin 1. The Poor and those that have not Wealth they Idolize it in Fancy and Conceit that if they had Estates this would make them happy and glorious and because they have not they trust in those which have which is Idolatry upon Idolatry see Psal. 62.9 Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye To appearance men of low Degree are nothing and can do nothing towards our Relief and so are Vanity but Men of high Degree they are aâ— Lye because they disappoint those that trust in them to the wrong of God Alas they have neither Power to help nor hurt if the Lord will not 2 Kings 6.27 If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee And therefore we need not fear the hazard of their Frowns nor of their Displeasure we need not with such restlesness court their Favour and trust in them that have Wealth 2. But chiefly this is incident to worldly Great Men to trust in what they have Their Minds are secretly enchanted by their Estates when they are encreased to them Still the Distemper grows with the encrease of worldly Accommodations Psal. 62.10 Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery If Riches increase set not your heart upon them As soon as we begin to have any thing about us from thence forward we date our Happiness and Security Many that in Want despise Wealth and live in an actual dependance upon God's Providence as soon as they have somewhat in the Creature they begin to value themselves at a higher rate as if they could live alone without God and their Hearts are altogether for encreasing their Store or keeping and retaining what they have already gotten 2. It is a very Secret Sin and found in those that are least sensible of it We seldom or never mistrust our selves of this Confidence which is so Natural and so Common and why Because we have too
the midst of Difficulties such a fickle and such a changeable Creature as Man is how can that be 1 Pet. 1. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation The Power of God is engaged for our Defence So for Temporal Difficulties when we see no means no likelihood to escape yet we are not thoughtful of this matter for our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King Dan. 3.17 In Death when we go to the Grave to moulder into dust and rottenness then to look upon the Morsels of Worms as parcels of the Resurrection what shall uphold and support our Hearts in waiting upon God for this Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able to subà ne all things unto himself The Scripture still referrs us to the mighty Power of God whereby he can subdue and cause all to fall under him The Destruction of Antichrist and Enemies of the Church who are supported by great and strongly combined Interests how can that ever be hoped for Rev. 18.8 Her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her and that is the greatest Cordial of the Soul The Life of Faith lyes in the Belief of God's Power and All-sufficiency He can raise up the Church from her low Condition and all without any means when all is dry Bones then God can put Life into his People 2. To encourage us in Obedience it is good to believe and improve the Power of God 1. That we may carry it more humbly and more dutifully 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God This is that which begets a deep awe and reverence of his Majesty Shall we not submit to that God that is able to crush us O therefore let us Study to please him in all things When you sin you bid deâ—iance to the Almighty and enter into the Lists with God and provoke him to jealousie 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he Do you know what it is to dash against God and Contest with God He that is Almighty is the most desirable Friend or the most dreadful Adversary and therefore humble your selves and carry it dutifully towards him Every one would be in with the Almighty Be sure to keep in with the Lord Deut. 10.17 For the Lord our God is a God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God a mighty and a terrible which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward Will you provoke him and dare him to his Face 2. To keep us upright in Obedience without Warping and using any Carnal shifts Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect God alone is enough to you The Reason why we so often step out of the way is because we do not believe God to be Almighty that he is more able to defend than Man to hurt Even God's own Children may warp for want of a sound belief of this Abraham saved himself by a Lye because he would not trust God with his Preservation Gen. 20.11 Moses was backward to do the Lord's Message Exod. 4.13 as if God could not bear him out before Pharaoh and before the Egyptians There was a Promise Iacob should have the Blessing but Rebecka puts him upon using indirect means to obtain it because she could not trust God's Alâ— sufficiency to bring it about He that will not trust God and rest upon his Power cannot be long faithful to him because they think there is not enough in God they will seek elsewhere All sincerity ariseth from these two things and until you get your Hearts into this Frame you never will be sincere submitting all things to God's Will and resting upon God's Power How desperate soever the Case be this will relieve you and keep you sincere and comfortable the Lord is a powerful God and knows how to provide for his Glory and for your sustentation Now to quicken you thus to believe and improve the Power of God I will offer these Considerations 1. Consider the Amplitude of God's Power which is not to be measured by our scantling and model we can do something but God can do all things we must have Matter prepar'd but God works out of nothing we do things difficultly and must have time but God can do all things in a moment he needs no Instruments or Tools no Pattern or Copy but worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will We rust with Age and our strength is dryed up but the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save Isa. 59.1 His strength is never wasted or dryed up When any thing is to be done or expected from God is it greater than making the World and God is where he was at first Our knowledge of things is by Effects but God never had an Effect adequate to his Power he hath done great things but he hath Power to do greater Mal. 2.15 And did not he make one yet had he the residue of the Spirit When he Created the World he had the residue of the Spirit he could have made more Worlds All Created Effects are finite and therefore not fully answerable to the force of the Cause Let us be still enlarging in our Thoughts of God's Power This is a Power that needeth not the Concurrence of visible means but can work without them yea opposite Power is no hinderance to God Rubbs are plain Ground to him Isa. 27.4 Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battle I would go through them I would burn them together What can Bryers and Thorns do against a devouring Flame they are fit Fuel to encrease the Fire but cannot hinder the burning God works through all Opposition Isa. 43.13 I will work and who shall lett it 2. Consider this Power is ready to be employed for our Use so far as it shall make for God's glory and our good God is ours if we be in Covenant with him and if so all that is in God is ours also Quantus quantus est as great as he is God makes over himself in Covenant I am yours therefore Almightiness is yours to be set a work for you And as Aristotle said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are common between Friends and Confederates 1 Kings 22.4 Iehoshaphat said unto the King of Israel I am as thou art my People as thy People my Horses as thy Horses Surely being in Covenant with God it is a Relation of Friendship and whatever is God's is ours and that is the reason of this Expression Eph. 6.10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might In all our Faintings and Fears we should look upon God's Almighty Power as a
better colour The Mystery of Redemption to the Carnal is but a cold Story and the Rose of Sharon but as withered Flowers and the Promises of the Gospel are as dry Chips 3. The Causes of it they are the Holy Ghost and Faith as his Instrument This Joy is stirred up by the Holy Ghost therefore often called Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thess. 1.5 For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost And the Comforts of the Spirit Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost But then Faith is the Means Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho' now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory So that it is a Fruit of Faith as well as a Work of the Holy Ghost Faith joyned with Love will bring much Love into the Heart of a Believer and will cause it to be deeply affected with Christ's Grace 3. The Nature of this Joy and Gladness Here we must distinguish 1. There is a superstitious Joy which ariseth from knowing Christ after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more which is seen in this it prizeth Christ's Name but neglects his Office pretends a fond Esteem of his Memory but despises his Benefits As the Iews would fly in the Face of any that would not count them Abraham's Children yet would not do the Works of Abraham so is the Nominal Christian's Joy This Joy venteth it self in a Carnal way by outward Theatrical Pomp and Ceremonial Observances but not in real Affection to Christ yea they are rather Enemies to his spiritual Kingdom and Cause and Servants and express their rejoycing rather as Votaries of Bacchus than as Disciples of Christ in a gross and Carnal way This Joy is a rejoycing in Christ for a day but we are to make it our daily Work an holy Festival that lasteth our whole Lives Phil. 4.4 Rejoice in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoice This is a different thing from Abraham's rejoicing He had a Prospect of Christ's day and was exceeding glad but this is a Carnal owning of the God of the Countrey and no more 2. There is an holy Rejoycing which may be considered 1. As to the lively Acts. 2. Or solid Effects 1. As to the lively Acts in solemn Duties as the Word and Meditation and Lord's Supper it doth your Hearts good to think of Christ Cant. 1.4.10 We will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy Love more than Wine Psal. 22.26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him Your Heart shall live for ever Heb. 11.13 All these dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them That is when they thought of it the time of the Gospel was a sweet time to them and so it is to all other Believers A Man cannot think of his Pelf or any petty Interest in the World without Comfort and can a Believer think of the Promises and not be affected with them In solemn Meditation and other Duties is Faith and Joy acted 2. As to its solid Effects 1. It is such a Joy as doth enlarge our Hearts in Duty and strengthen us in the way of God Nehem. 8.10 For the joy of the Lord is your strength Psal. 119.14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all riches The hardest Services are pleasant to one that delighteth in Christ. This Joy is the very life of Obedience a Christian cannot be without it 2. It sweeteneth our Calamities and Crosses 1. Common Afflictions It can never be so sad with us in the World but we have cause of rejoycing in Christ Hab. 3.17 18. Tho' the Fig-tree do not blossom c. yet I will rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation For we have better things in him than any natural Comfort which can be taken from us This should not diminish the solid satisfaction of our Souls 2. The Afflictions of the Gospel Luk. 6.23 Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for your Reward is great in Heaven for in like manner did their Fathers unto the Prophets Heb. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that in Heaven ye have a better and enduring substance They are fit Occasions to shew how much we Value Christ above all our own Interests how near and dear soever they be to us 3. It draweth us off from the vain Delights of the Flesh. Every Man must have some Oblectation for Love and Delight cannot lye idle in the Soul either it is taken up with the Joyes of Sense or with the Joyes of Faith And it is good for every Man to Observe what it is that puts gladness into his Heart where his solid Contentment and Pleasure is A bruitish Heart fetcheth all its Solaces from the World but a gracious Heart from Christ the one love Pleasures more than God but to the other Christ and his Benefits are their matter of Joy and Comfort this is that they are cheared with as they get more of Christ into their Hearts Psal. 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased As David calleth God his exceeding Ioy Psal. 43.4 They need not the Carnal Mirth without which others cannot live Psal. 4.6 Who will shew us any good VSE Well then you see Faith is not only a Sight but a Taste or a feeding on the Promises with delight Psal. 119.111 Thy Testimonies I have taken for an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart And such a Delight as draweth off our Hearts from other things as the Man that had found the true Treasure Matth. 13.44 For joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field I Observe a double Joy in Abraham 1. In Desiring He rejoiced to see my day The Spiritual desires of God's People after Christ are full of Joy There is a Joy that accompanieth seeking before we attain what we seek after Psal. 105.3 Let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Before Complacential Joy there is a Seeking Joy Better be a Seeker than a Wanderer and Delight in Christ keepeth up this seeking 2. There is a Joy after Faith hath given some satisfaction First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he rejoiced and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was glad A Man sick of a Mortal Disease when he heareth of
are slight and vanishing but deep musing maketh the Fire burn and keepeth a constant heat and flame in the Spirits not by flashes And as for Duty so for Comfort a Man that is a Stranger to Meditation is a Stranger to himself In Acts of review you enjoy your selves and you enjoy your selves with far more Comfort in these private recesses you have most experience of God and most experience of your selves Moses when he went aside to meditate had the Vision of the Fiery Bush usually God cometh in in the time of deep Meditation and an Elevated Heavenly mind is fittest to entertain the Comforts and Glory of his Presence Thus you see it is a necessary Duty Many think it is an excuse to say it doth not suit with their temper that it is a good help but for those that can use it I Answer 1. It is true there is a great deal of difference among Christians some are more serious and consistent and have a greater Command over their thoughts others are of a more slight weak Spirit and are less apt for Duties of retirement and recollection But our unfitness is usually Moral rather than Natural not so much by temper as by disuse and Moral Unfitness cannot exempt us from a Moral Duty Inky water cannot wash the hand white or a Sin exempt me from a Duty Indisposition which is a Sin in me doth not disanul my engagements to God as a Servants Drunkenness doth not excuse him from work That it is a Moral unfitness appeareth by two things 1. Disuse and Neglect is the cause of it Those that use it have a greater Command over their thoughts Men count it a great yoak but Custom would make it easie Every Duty is an help to it self and the more we meditate the more we shall It is pleasant to them that use it Psalm 1.2 His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night Fierce Creatures are tame to those that use to command them and if a Man did use to govern his thoughts he would find them more obedient 2. Want of Love Thoughts are at the Service of Love we pause and stay upon such Objects as we delight in Psal. 1.2 His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night Love naileth and fastneth the Soul to the Object or thing beloved as we see we can dwell upon Carnal Pleasures because our Heart is there As Solomon gives this reason why a Carnal Man cannot dwell upon a sad and solemn Object because his heart is in the house of Mirth Eccles. 7.4 We usually complain we want Temper and we want Matter but the truth is we want an heart David saith Psalm 119.97 Oh how love I thy law it is my Meditation all the day Delightsome Objects will engross the thoughts Therefore see if it be not a Moral Distemper 2. Suppose it be a Natural Unfitness yet while you have Reason it is not Total and Universal and therefore cannot excuse We see in other Duties some have the gift of Utterance and have a great savoryness and readiness of Expression for Prayer others are more bound up and restrained but this can be no plea for them wholly to neglect Prayer Duty must be done as we are able God will hear the breathing panting Soul as well as the rowling Tongue so it is in Meditation some are more for musing and can better melt out their Souls in Devout Retirements other can shew their Love better in Zealous Actions and Publick Engagements for the Glory of Christ yet still though there be a diversity of Gifts we are all bound to the same Duties and though we be fitter for some rather than others yet none must be neglected in their Order and Course 3. The Rank and Place that Meditation hath among the Duties Meditation is a middle sort of Duty between the Word and Prayer and hath respect to both The Word feedeth Meditation and Meditation feedeth Prayer we must hear that we be not erroneous and meditate that we be not barren These Duties must alwayes go hand in hand Meditation must follow hearing and precede Prayer 1. To hear and not to meditate is unfruitful We may hear and hear but it is like putting a thing into a bag with holes Haggai 1.6 He that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes Iames 1.23 24. He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was Bare hearing begets but Transient Thoughts and they leave but a weak impression which is rather like the glance of a Sun-beam upon a Wall there is a glaring for the present but a Man never discerneth the Beauty the Lustre and the Order of the Truths delivered till he cometh to meditate upon them then we come clearly to see into the Truth and how it concerneth us and how it falleth upon our Hearts David saith Psalm 119.99 I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation The Preacher can but deliver general Theorems and draw them down to Practical Inferences by Meditation we come to see more clearly and practically than he that preacheth We see in outward Learning they thrive best that meditate most Knowledge floateth till by deliberate thoughts it be compressed upon the Affections 2. It is dangerous to meditate and not to hear because of Errors Man will soon impose a deceit upon himself by his own thoughts Fanatick Spirits that neglect hearing pretend to Dreams and Revelations we have a Sophister and an Heretick in our own bosoms which soon deceiveth without a Stock and Treasure of some Knowledge for Men would be vain in their Imaginations were not their thoughts corrected by an External Light and Instruction Iude calleth those Fanatick Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthy dreamers Iude 8. All Practical Errors are Mens Natural Imaginations gotten up into a Valuable Opinion 3. It is rashness to pray and not to meditate What we take in by the Word we digest by Meditation and let out by Prayer These three Duties must be so ordered that one may not justle out the other Men are barren dry and sapless in their Prayers for want of exercising themselves in Holy thoughts Psalm 45.1 My heart is inditing a good matter and then it follows I will speak of the things which I have made touching the king my tongue is the pen of a ready writer The Heart yieldeth Matter to the Tongue the word signifieth boyleth and fryeth a word from Mincha their Meat-Offering the Oyl and the Flower was to be kneaded together and then fryed in a Pan and then offered to the Lord implying we must not come with raw dough-baked-offerings till we have concocted and prepared them by Mature Deliberation It is notable that often in Scripture Prayer is called by the name of
do not lose what you have wrought Isaac digged Wells and the Philistines dammed them up so when the Soul hath digged a Well of Salvation Satan will seek to damm it up therefore be watchful SERMON VI. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide Secondly I Come now to the particular Objects of Meditation First I begin with that which is the Chief End of Man a necessary Work that you may come to your selves Luke 15.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger That is when he began to consider of his Condition it put better thoughts into him Therefore that we may come to our selves it is good to consider the End why we were Created and the Errand upon which God sent us into the World to reason thus with our selves Why was I sent into the World Why do I live here to get an Estate or to get into Christ To wallow in Pleasures or to Exercise my self in Communion with God To heap up perishing things together or to make my Everlasting State more sure When the End is rightly stated Men know their Work and so live up to the purposes of their Creation But alass Many know other things but are ignorant of themselves and so pass on carelesly to their own Ruine like him that gazed on the Stars and fell into a deep Pit their Eyes are upon the ends of the Earth but they do not consider their Souls Others for want of considering the end of their Lives are so far from living as Christians that they scarce live as Men but either as Beasts or as Devils Delight in the Pleasures of the World transformeth a Man into a Beast it is their happyness to enjoy Pleasures without remorse and to gratifie the Body and delight in Sin transformeth a Man into a Devil Worldly Pleasures are not Bread and Sinful Pleasures are Poyson You that are allured by the Pleasures of the World which are lawful in themselves you lay out your Money for that which is not Bread and you to whom it is Meat to do Evil you feed upon that which is Rank Poyson the World cannot satisfie and Sin will surely destroy Thus Men beguile themselves and do not consider of the end of their Lives till their Lives be ended and then they make their moan Usually when Men lye a dying then they cry out of this World how it hath deceived them And how little they have fulfilled the end of their Creation Partly because then Conscience is awake and puts off all Disguises and partly because present things are apt to work upon us and when the Everlasting Estate is at hand the Soul is troubled that it did no more think of it Oh consider It is better to be prepared than to be surprized Think not only of your Last End but of your Chief End what should be the great aim of your Lives even before Death comes All Religion lyes in this in fixing the aim of your Life all the difference between Men and Men is in their Chief Good and Utmost End In the managing of this Meditation I shall pursue it in this Method not that I prescribe to you but that I may set some bounds to my own Discourse however I shall use such a Method as is most facile and obvious not exceeding the Capacity and Reach of the meanest The Work of such a Meditation may be divided into three parts 1. The Considering Work 2. The Plotting and Contriving Work 3. The Arguing Work First In the Considering Work you may propound these or such like things to your thoughts 1. Man was made for some End All God's Works are referred to the Service and Use of his Glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of wrath God being a wise Agent must have an End now God could have no other End but himself and his own Glory for the End must be more worthy than the Means something better and above all created things And if God made all things for himself then Man who was the visible Master-piece of the Creation the lesser World the Compendium and Summ of all Gods other Works So the Apostle Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things All things are of him as a Creator through him as a Preserver and to him or to his Glory from him as the first Cause to him as the last End Certainly God did not make such a glorious Creature as Man for any low use The whole Creation was for Mans Use and Man was for God's Glory Psalm 8.3 4. When I consider the heavens the works of thy fingers the moon and the stars that thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him He was God's Deputy and Vicegerent created to enjoy the Comfort of other Creatures and to exercise Dominion over them the whole World is his Palace arched with Heaven and floored with Earth But still that he might be faithful to his Maker and do his Homage to God and give him the Rent and Tribute of his Glory and Praise And therefore if the Heavens do declare the Glory of God and the creeping things and all Beasts in their Rank and Place much more should Man who was furnished with Higher Priviledges and with an Higher Capacity we have faculties that are especially suited to this purpose therefore it is said 1 Iohn 5.26 He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Certainly God never made such a Glorious Creature for Wealth or Pleasures but for an higher Use and Purpose even for himself If you do but look upon his Mind and Understanding you will find it to be a wrong and debasement to take it off from a Spiritual Use and put it to a Carnal 2. This End is the injoying and glorifying of God To enjoy God is Mans happyness and to glorifie God is Mans work by glorifying God he comes to enjoy him and he enjoyeth him that he may glorifie him Herein he differeth from other Creatures they were made only to glorifie him not to enjoy him but Man to glorifie him and enjoy him too 1. He was made to enjoy him for that is his happyness Domine Fecisti nos propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum donec perveniat ad te The Soul is made up of unlimited and restless desires there are such cranneys and chinks in the Soul that cannot be filled up but by the enjoyment of God we were made for him and we are not quiet till we do enjoy him Nature will teach us to groap after an Eternal good as the Sodomites did after Lots Wife in the Dark Acts 17.28 That they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him
thee pray to God for us that he take away the fiery serpents In Adversity Men will own the faithful Servants of God against whom they have murmured when all is well Moses forgetteth the injury and prayeth to God for them and God though he doth not take away the Serpents yet he provideth a Remedy unlikely in appearance a Brazen Serpent to cure the bites of Living Serpents but Divine Institution conveyeth a Blessing The word of Command is that they should look upon the brazen serpent and the word of Promise is that they should be healed Numb 21.8 Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one when he is bitten that looketh upon it shall live This is in short the History Secondly The Mistery or Typical use of the Brazen Serpent The chief things represented in it are Sin Christ and Faith the deadliness of Sin the manner of our deliverance by Christ and the Nature of Faith 1. Israelites deadly Sin and Misery occasioned the setting up of the Brazen Serpent so the occasion of Christs sending into the World was Mans Sin and Misery we being all bitten by the old Serpent and so liable to the Curse The Devil is called the old serpent Rev. 12.9 And in the appearance of a Serpent he deceived our first Parents Therefore we read that the serpent beguiled Eve 2 Cor. 11.3 Humane Nature was then stung to Death by Sathan and the Venome dispersed its self throughout the whole Race of Mankind Among the Israelites there were but a few stung here all there their Bodies here the Soul there Temporal Death followed here Eternal In the Sting of these fiery Serpents two things representeth our Misery by Sin 1. It is painful 2. Deadly 1. This Sting is painful The bitings did presently cause pains and an intolerable thirst and burning which was very grievous to them so the sting of Sin is painful not alwaies felt but soon awakened In Spiritual things we are more stupid and are not so sensible of the Maladies of the Soul as they were of the pains of the Body We are subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 Though we do not alwaies feel actual horrour There is a fire smothering in our Bosoms though it be not blown up into a Flame One of our Spiritual Diseases is a Lethargy and it is a great part of our Misery not to know our Misery If Conscience were not lulled asleep we would be more sensible Surely Sathans bites are more painful than those of these Serpents his Darts are called fiery darts Eph. 6.16 His Darts are dipt in the gall of Asps and Vipers Boiling Lusts will in time awaken raging Fears and Despair O what horrour and torment will Sin procure to us if it be not speedily cured Sin is an Evil and a Mischief whether we feel it yea or no but we shall soon feel it an Evil as the stung Israelites felt the biting of the Serpents Sin in the Life will make Hell in the Conscience it seemeth a sweet draught while we are taking it down but there is rank poison at the bottom A wounded Spirit findeth it now Prov. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can bear Horrour and anguish of Conscience is insupportable ask any Man whose Heart is well awakened and he will tell you that the sense of the guilt of Sin is more bitter to the Soul than the gall of Asps no terrour comparable to the terror and sting of an accusing Conscience Gods terrors are compared to a Fire that drinketh up the Blood and Spirits Iob 6.4 The arrows of the almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me No poison more burning than Sin in an awakened Conscience it may lie asleep till you come to dye in Sin stupid and benummed Creatures But then the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15.56 Death is made terrible by those sad horrors and apprehensions which Sin raiseth in us 2. This Sting is deadly As the biting of the Fiery Serpents could not be cured but was present Death till God found out a Remedy so this sting of Sin is deadly Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye dying thou die Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death Death Temporal Eternal Thou art a dead Man lost for ever if thou art not cured Those who were not solicitous about their Cure are a figure of the impenitent who obstinately continue in their Sins though they bring destruction upon them Not only Death Temporal which consists in the separation of the Soul from the Body but Death Spiritual which consists in an estrangement from God as Author of the Life of Grace yea Death Eternal which consists in a separation both of Body and Soul from the presence of God for evermore and is a perpetual living to deadly pain and torment This Second Death is set forth by two solemn Notions the worm that never dyeth and the fire that shall never be quenched Mark 9.44 By which is meant the Sting of Conscience and the Wrath of God Prov. 8.36 All they that hate me love death 2. Christ is set forth by the Brazen Serpent Here I shall shew you 1. The Resemblances 2. The Superexcellency of Christ above this and all the Shadows and Types of him 1. The Resemblance between Christ and the Brazen Serpent 1. The Brazen Serpent was a Remedy of Gods own prescribing out of his great Mercy So is this Remedy for lost Sinners the meer Fruit of Gods Love Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son the causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Occasion or outward moving Cause was our Misery the causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward impulsive Cause was his own love and pity to lapsed Mankind God found out the Remedy we neither plotted it nor asked it he saw the world of Mankind was perishing and involved in Eternal Ruine and because there was no Intercessor therefore his own Arm wrought out Salvation Herein the Antitype differeth from the Type The stung Israelites having Death in their bosoms go to Moses Moses goeth to God for he saw there could be no help elsewhere then God said Make thee a brazen serpent The motion came from them first but here it is quite otherwise God is the offended Party yet he maketh the first motion 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first There God found out the Remedy but here his meer love began the whole business and did set at work all the Causes that did concur to our Salvation we neither minded our Danger nor asked our Remedy 2. The conveniency of this Type to set out the low Estate and Humiliation of Christ. The form of a Serpent was chosen to shew
Deus tuus O Christian where is thy God said a Heathen to a Christian when committing Uncleanness Titus 3.10 Not purloining but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things 3. Our Peace and Safety is concerned in it Partly because the World is least irritated by a Peaceable Just and good Conversation it doth mollifie their Spirits and mitigate their fury 1 Pet. 3.13 And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good That is when he bridleth his Tongue seeketh peace and doth good And partly because God puts a conviction upon the Consciences of wicked Men 1 Sam. 24.17 And he said to David Thou art more Righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil and so wicked Men are restrained by reverence and are afraid to meddle with unstained Innocency And partly because when we do not bring trouble upon our selves by our own immoralities God taketh us into his special protection It followeth upon the Text ver 9. These things which ye have both learned and heard and seen of me do and the God of Peace shall be with you You may expect much of God's gracious presence when your conversations are so harmless and innocent and he will free you from many external vexations or give you inward tranquillity of mind 4 Because these things flow from that internal principle of Grace which is planted in our Hearts by regeneration Mat. 3.8 Bring forth fruits therefore meet for Repentance Act. 26.20 That they should Repent and turn to God and do works meet for Repentance What is Regeneration on God's part is repentance on ours Now there are certain effects proper to this change and that is the Grave Just Temperate and Holy living And certainly where those effects are not there the cause it self is wanting for how can we evidence that our Conversion and Repentance is real and sound unless we bring forth fruits answerable What evidence can we have of the new nature but by newness of conversation Or of a change of mind but by a change of life We judge of others by their external works for the Tree is known by its Fruits and we jâ—dge of our selves by the internal and external works together if within there be a Love of God Faith in Christ Hatred of Evil delight in that which is good a deep sense of the World to come and all this discovered in an holy sober and grave conversation this compleateth the evidence and maketh it more satisfying 5. All the disorders contrary to these limits and bounds by which our conversations are regulated are condemned by the Holy and Righteous Law of God which is the rule of the new creature and therefore they ought to be avoided by a good Christian who hath a tenderness upon him of offending God in the least things Psal. 119.161 My Heart standeth in awe of thy Word Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded they dare not transgress in the least things Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so to do shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven As not in their Spiritual Duties so not in Moralities Mat. 2â— 23 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay tithe of Mint and Annise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Iudgment and Mercy and Faith These things ought ye to do and not to leave the other undone Hypocrites make a business about small matters and neglect weighty duties Yet the sincere by the discharge of greater duties are not freed from the obligation to do the smallest duties both stand by the same Authority 6. These Moralities are not small things the glory of God the safety of his People the good of humane Society and the evidence of our own sincerity being concerned in them The Apostle chargeth Atheism and dis-respect of God on the neglecters of these things 1 Iob. 3.10 Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Neither he that loveth not his Brother Gal. 5.14 For all the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Vse 1. If Religion doth adopt Moralities into its frame and constitution we must not leave them out of our practice and conversations for we are the Epistle of Christ 2 Cor. 3.3 we are to hold forth the word of life Phil. 2.26 That which is just must be suitable to the rule Tit. 3.8 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men God would not have us omit any part of his Will Vse 2. Here is an answer to those that ask wherein must we be holy and shew our obedience unto God besides what concerneth the sanctification of the Hâ—art here we are told plainly what concerneth the regulating of the conversation When the Heart is once renewed then Moralities must have their place and our exact care Vse 3. That Christians should be known to be the best sort of Men in the World abstaining not only from those things which the Law of God forbiddeth but the custom of Nations that no blemish may lye upon our Profession A Sermon on Luke Xix. 14 But his Citizens hated him and sent a Message after him saying We will not have this Man to Reign over us THese words are part of a parable uttered by our Lord Jesus when he came nigh to Ierusalem where they thought he would assume the Regal Power and Reign among them in great Pomp and Glory To prevent this misconceit he puts forth this Parable wherein by the Nobleman he intendeth himself by his Servants all Believers especially the Teachers and Ministers of his Church by the pounds given to them Spiritual Gifts and Graces by his going into a far Countrey to receive a Kingdom his Ascention into Heaven and sitting down at the right hand of Majesty by his own Citizens that tumultuated during his absence the Stiff necked Jews and by consequence all other people that refuse his Government by his return his last coming to Judgment when he shall reward every one according to his works My purpose only obligeth me to insist upon that clause which expresseth the unwillingness of Men to be subject to Christ But his Citizens hated him and sent a Message after him c. In which words take notice of 1. The Crime We will not have this Man c. 2. The Persons guilty His Citizens Joh. 1.11 He came to his own and they received him not 3. The Internal moving Cause they hated him Hatred is a malicious dislike notwithstanding conviction Ioh 14.23 He that hateth me hateth my Father 〈◊〉 They did disclaim and renounce all subjection to Christ though they had enough
the meanest and most abject form of Mankind not in any glorious Estate and Majesty Survey the whole course of his Life He was born of a Poor Virgin and instead of a better place laid in an Inn which probably being taken up by Persons of great Quality he was laid in the basest place of the Inn in a Manger His Birth was revealed to Poor Shepherds not to Emperours and Kings not to Caesar at Rome Presently after his Birth he was banished together with his Mother into Egypt and exposed to the Troubles and Toils of a long Journey into a strange Countrey for refuge Afterward till he appeared in his Ministry we read little of him His supposed Father a Carpenter and he himself called so Mark 6.3 Is not this the Carpenter He made Yoaks and Ploughs saith Iustin Martyr Certainly it is probable that as he submitted to other paâ—ts of the Curse so this In the Sweat of thy Brows shalt thou eat thy Bread In the course of his Ministry he suffered many affronts and reproaches Surely his Life was a Life of Sorrows we find him begging Water when thirsty Iohn 4.9 That a Fish payed Tribute for him Mat. 17.27 He had little Money and had no certain Residence and Place of abode but lived by Contribution Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head At his Death never was Child of God under so much Misery as Christ himself His own Heavens his own Father his own Godhead did hide their Face and Consolation from him Gods wrath pressed the weight of Punishment with the full Power of Justice both upon his Soul and Body Those for whom he died despised him He himself being emptied of all things which make men respected in the World was depressed lower than any Man and was as a Worm to be trod upon He was made a matter of common talk and reproach in all Mens Mouths condemned by the ruling part of the World and set at nought by the basest of the People derided and scorned in his most holy behaviour his bitter sufferings made matter of Sport and Laughter malice feeding it self with pleasure upon his pain and misery and expressing it self with the basest signs of mocking which disdain could devise flouring at his saving doctrine and insulting over him as if he had neither been the Son of God nor an honest Man And all this was counted little enough for satisfaction of Justice exacting of him the due punishment of our sins II. That this was his own voluntary Act. He made himself of no Reputation You may read that Men set him at nought Act. 4.11 This is the Stoâ—â— which was set at nought of you Builders nay we read Heb. 2.7 Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels It was an act of God himself Yet on Christs part it was voluntary undertaken for the Glory of God and the Good of Men. It was not imposed upon him by constraint without his consent or against his Will An act of love and an act of Obedience are truely consistent A punishment is imposed upon us against our Will but here was a voluntary susception of our burden none of this was due to him upon his own account but ours It was no punishment for his self-exalting but an act of gracious condescention This appeareth in Scripâ—ure two ways 1. In that what he was to do and undergo was proposed to him and he willingly accepted of the terms and conditions When no kind of Sacrifices and Offerings were sufficient to take away sin and save sinners then he said Lo I come to do thy will Heb. 10.6 7. It was told him what it would cost him if he would deliver and save Man kind all was written down in God's Book that he must be made under the Law take upon him the form of a Servant make his Soul an offering for sin How did he like these conditions I was not saith he rebellious neither turned away back Isa. 50 5. No he refused not the terms but cheerfully submitted to them I delight to do thy Will O God He delighted in the thoughts of it long ere it came about Prov. 8.31 Rejoicing in the Habitable part of the Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. And when it was to be actually done he repented not 2. The Scripture assigneth this work unto the love and condescention of Christ himself as the next and immediate cause of his ingaging in it and performance of it Gal. 2.20 I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Eph. 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto hiâ— that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood The Apostle telleth us 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich He condescended to a poor and low condition and suffered therein for our good that we might be partakers of the riches of the Grace of God III. That this was for our sakes Christ hath a double Relation 1. As our Mediator Redeemer and Saviour 2. As the pattern and example of holiness in our Nature Both ways it was for our sakes 1. As our Mediator So he emptied himself that we might be filled with all Grace He was born of a Woman that we might be born of God Gal. 4.4 5. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He was made a Curse that we might have the blessing Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for Us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith He was forsaken for a while thâ—t we might be received for ever And to speak to the very case 2 Cor. 8.9 He was made poor for us that we through his poverty might be rich There are some things in the mediation of Christ which belong to Ministry others to Authority Those which belong to Ministry as to be in the form of a Servant and die He must be a Man for that Some things belong to Authority as to bring us back to God to make our peace with God to convey the Spirit to vanquish Satan to raise the dead to deliver us from Hell to make us everlastingly blessed he must be a God for
because none can make a comfortable claim to this priviledge but those that are sincerely God's people He is their Habitation Others whatever indulgence they have by God's common Providence can have no certain hope or comfortable claim Psal. 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly those that fear him love him chuse him for their portion Others build Castles in the Air They do not dwell in the secret place of God that live in their sins and yet lean upon the Lord. By sin you run out of your dwelling-place and weaken your trust 1 Iohn 3.21 Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 5. Constant communion with God Iob 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee We must not run to God as we run to a Shelter with a mind to depart thence as soon as the Storm ceaseth Our Habitation is a place of constant residence So we must make use of God not when we are in streights only to serve our turn but abide and dwell in him as our habitation A Sermon on 1 TIMOTHY vi 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition IN these words we may observe 1. The Parties described They that will be rich 2. Their danger represented in two things 1. That they lye open to Temptation 2. Fall into a snare Some think it an Hendiadys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the snare of Temptation But the considerations are distinct the one being a degree of the other Temptation sheweth how the Devil taketh them captive Snare how he keepeth or holdeth them captive So he that fixeth this as his purpose doth lay himself open to the Devil yea give up himself captive to him Men are first tempted drawn to delight in or admire these things secondly snared cannot get out of the intanglings of the World Now in the Text the general nature of this Snare is represented It is lusts sinful and unlawful affections and dispositions of heart 1. The number or quantity of them many lusts 2. The quality kind and sort of them foolish and hurtful lusts 3. The result and issue of them which drown men in destruction and perdition In the main of which Paul doth not speak of what doth often fall out but what doth constantly and necessarily fall out Doct. That a will to be rich is the occasion of much mischief to those that cherish it and allow it in their own Souls The Point will be best opened by laying forth the circumstances of the Text. 1. What it is to have a will to be rich When we make it our scope and our work our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark it is not he that is rich but he that will be rich Riches in themselves are God's gift not the cause of the evils mentioned but our love and lust to them though a man be otherwise poor according to that of Peter Corruption that is in the World through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 Here it is They that will be rich that fix it as their scope that make it their business For the bent of the will is bewrayed by two things Intention and Industrious Prosecution 1. Those that fix it as their scope are wholly intent upon getting wealth that give up their hearts to find out and follow after ways of worldly increase This is to set Wealth in the place of God For that is interpretatively a Man's God which is the last end of his actions and upon which his care and thoughts and endeavours do run most whether it be belly world credit friends or whatever else Phil. 3.18 For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things And then we can never act regularly Christ and Religion will be taken up upon worldly ends and advantages All stoopeth to the chief end Religion and Conscience and all when we fix this as our intention and the designed scope of our lives It is elsewhere expressed Prov. 28.20 He that maketh haste to be rich cannot be innocent A man that fixeth this as his end will not care what means he useth leap over hedge and ditch and cannot be content to travel the long Road of Providence to come to his Journeys end There are many such that will be rich whether God will or no say what he will and almost do what he can to hinder them when their ways are shut up not only by a commandment but the hedge of God's Providence Though disappointed in their projects yet they will through if they can take Faith and a good Conscience along with them they will but if not they will be rich without them 2. Those that make it their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their work and business in the World Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich cease from thine own Wisdom Make themselves Servants of Mammon Mat. 6.24 We cannot serve God and Mammon Both Masters have work enough and their commands are contrary When two consent to employ one man in the same business and service though two men they are but one Master But to execute the wills of men that are different in their designs and have a several and full interest in our labours and actions this is as impossible as to move two contrary ways at once This is the case here Mammon and Christ have full work for us and their designs are contrary Our main work of right is to please God and serve God but our work by choice is to serve Mammon all our labour and travel is to be rich which cannot be without the prejudice and wrong of Religion which should have the preheminence Matth. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and these things shall be added Religion cannot have all because of our bodily necessities but it must have the chiefest But now when the strength of our endeavours runneth out another way our hearts are taken off from God and his service and so Hagar croweth it over Sarah That is a happy Family where Sarah rules and Hagar serves But alas usually it is otherwise the lean Kine devour the fat and Religion goeth to the wall The world ingrosseth mens time and heads and hearts that they are wholly taken off from better things and the edge of their affections is abated their time and heart diverted Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich Some translate it Weary not thy self to be rich As they that trouble their minds with it with too great eagerness they have no time nor heart for communion with God and the great
Lingua Petiliani non est ventilabrum Christi It is well that every angry Christian's Tongue is not the Fan wherewith Christ will purge his Floor God considereth Men in his judgment not of this or that Party but as Righteous or Wicked II. In what sense is this denied of God For it seemeth God doth respect Persons giving more Grace to one than another though both be equal in themselves I answer First The Text speaketh of what is done by God in his Government Respect of Persons is not faulty except it be in judgment for so it is forbidden to Man that neither the Poor nor the Rich should be favoured in the judgment of their cause Levit. 19.15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the Poor nor honour the person of the Mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy Neighbour And so it is applied to God 1 Pet. 1.17 Who without respect of persons judgeth every one according to his works Therefore God may be considered two ways either as a righteous Governor of the World or as a free Lord. And the decision in short is this That God that is Arbitrary in his Gifts is not Arbitrary in his Judgments Therefore we must not exclude the free distribution of his Graces for God as a free Lord may give his benefits as he seeth meet for that is not a matter of right and wrong but of meer favour Thus God of his free mercy called the Gentiles who were further off from him than the Jews and may give the Gospel and the Grace of the Gospel to one and not to another when both are equally unworthy of it As to his Gifts he may do with his own as it pleaseth him Matth. 20.15 We can plead no right either by merit or promise On the other side if you consider God as a Governor who Governeth Mankind by a Law which hath Punishments and Rewards Punishments threatened and Rewards promised he judgeth according to that Law and as obliged by promise Compare Rom. 9.16 and 1 Cor. 9.24 In the one place It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy But in the other so run that ye may obtain How shall we reconcile these places The first place belongeth to Gods Dispensation as a Free Lord the second as a Righteous Governor All Acts of Government are dispensed according to Law and Rule but his Gifts according to his own Pleasure If you ask why he doth nor give effectual Grace to all and hinder Sin in all He is not a Debtor but a Free Lord though we are all Children of Wrath though God seeth no more in one than another yet it pleases him to shew more Mercy to one than to another He speaketh not here of the Sovereign will and good pleasure of God who taketh into favour one that is of himself as unworthy as another but his love towards the Work of Grace in whomsoever it is found He speaks of his consequent rewarding Grace in dispensing of which he looketh not to outward Prerogatives or Observances 2. In his Gifts of Grace he doth not respect Persons or Nations or outward Prerogatives but the Counsel of his own Will He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy passing by others which are nobler richer wiser He is not moved by any bye Respects to any thing in the Creatures so to do Even so father for so it pleaseth thee Matth. 11.27 III. What is the meaning of this Qualification That feareth God and worketh righteousness and the respect which each hath to the other The Answer must be given according to the several acceptions of the Words Fear and Righteousness which may be taken strictly or largely 1. Strictly So the Fear of God implyeth his Worship Deut. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to fear the Lord our God for our good always or all that Duty of Man which is immediately given to God And Righteousness is also taken for the whole Duty of the second Table as often in Scripture Now thus it maketh a good sense for all Religion consists in these two The Faithful discharging our Duty to God and Man There are two Tables and we are to take care of both that we do not give Offence to God or Men by neglecting our Duty to either Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man So Rom. 12.17 Providing things honest in the sight of all men neither offending against the Rules of Justice or Mercy but abounding in the Exercise of both 2. Both are taken largely Fear for the principle of our Obedience to God and Righteousness for the Fruits of it whether they belong to the first or second Table As 1 Iohn 3.7 He that doth righteousness is righteous So that here Peter observeth the right order he beginneth with Fear as the Root of all Duty and Worship and then proceedeth to the Fruit which is an uniform constant impartial Obedience to the whole Law Which Method is also observed in other Scriptures As Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth God and delighteth greatly in his commandments And Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to fear me and keep my precepts This sense I choose and prefer and therefore shall examine 1. Why Fear is made the Principle 2. Why working Righteousness is required as the Fruit. 1. Why Fear is made the Principle of Obedience Certainly not to exclude Faith in Christ for without him we can do nothing Iohn 15.5 At least nothing acceptably Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God And God is especially to be reverenced and adored for his Goodness in Christ Hos. 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter day Let us a little then consider 1. What is this Fear of God 2. Why is it required as the Principle of all our Actions 1. What is it Holy Fear is of two kinds the Fear of Reverence and the Fear of Caution The Fear of Reverence respects God and not our selves Fear of Reverence is grounded on the Nature of God his Majesty Holiness Goodness and Justice The Fear of Caution upon the weightiness of the Work we have to do and our own Weakness The Fear of Reverence maketh us walk strictly the Fear of Caution watchfully 1. The Fear of Reverence is necessary or an awful regard of God that we may not offend him or displease him or give him just cause of being angry with us who is of such glorious Majesty Ier. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O thou King of Nations Of such unspotted Holiness Rev. 15.4 Who would not fear thee O Lord for thou only art holy 2. The Fear of Caution is necessary to make us watchful against Temptations The Work is weighty if we miscarry we are undone for ever Heb. 4.1 Let us fear lest a promise being left us any of you should come short of it We are
ever with the Lord and ministring in his Presence have more of the Divine Nature communicated unto us 5. There is the unanimous Conjunction of all the Saints in the Praises of God or a joining in Consort without jarring or difference The Apostle biddeth us Rom. 15.6 with one Mind and with one Mouth to glorify God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. It is our Duty but never performed to the full but when we meet together in that great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Council of Souls or the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which the Apostle describeth Heb. 12.23 The Spirits of just Men made perfect or consecrated It is comfortable to join in Worship with the People of God now Moses preferred it with Afflictions before all the Riches and Honours and Pleasures he enjoyed in Egypt Heb. 4.24 Choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season But then is the Communion of Saints compleated when all are admitted to the Vision and clearest Knowledg of God and have the most perfect Adherence and Love to him Now what an happy Time will that be when we and all the holy Ones of God shall with the same enlarged Affection set about the same Work As our Groans here made but one Sound and our conjoined Tears but one Stream and our united Desires but one Prayer so all our Praises then shall make but one Melody and Harmony If it be an Happiness to live with the Saints in their Imperfection when Sin doth often imbitter their Society surely it is an Happiness to live with them for ever when they are purged and freed from Sin and fully consecrated and fitted to minister before the Lord. 6. To think of God and to rejoice in his Glory and to love and praise him will be our great Imployment There we shall be intent upon our Choice and noble Work which is praising and lauding God Psal. 84.4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they are still praising thee Praises now are a part of our Sacrifices and must be mingled with our Prayers Phil. 4.6 In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be known unto God So Rev. 5.8 The four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of the Saints Harps signify their Praises and Thanksgivings Here it cometh in by way of Mixture but there it is our sole Imployment There is no need of Prayers for there are no Sins nor Wants nor Necessities there all is Praise David calleth upon the Angels to bless the Lord Psal. 103.20 to tell us what they do And when a Multitude of them descended at Christ's Birth Luke 2.13 14. they presently fell a lauding and praising God Glory be to God in the Highest It is the Opinion of the ancient Hebrews that every Day they sing Praises to God and that in the Morning this they gather from Gen. 32.6 Let me go for the Day breaketh Which Place the Targum of Ierusalem thus explaineth Let me go for the Pillar of the Morning ascends and behold the Hour approacheth that the Angels are to sing This was their Opinion Sure we are that the Angels bless God and that in an eminent manner as appeareth by frequent Passages of Scripture where they are called upon to bless the Lord for though the Speech be in the Imperative Mood as if it were hortatory yet it is to be expounded by the Indicative as Narrative of what the Angels do Particularly we read they blessed God for his own Excellence Isa. 6.1 2 3. In the Year that King Uzzia died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple Above it stood the Seraphims each one had six Wings with twain he covered his Face and with twain he covered his Feet and with twain he did fly And one cried unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory For the Creation Iob 38.4 5 6 7. Where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast Vnderstanding Who hath laid the Measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the Line upon it Whereupon are the Foundations thereof fastned or who laid the Corner-stone thereof When the Morning-Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for Ioy. For the Nativity of Christ Luke 2.13 14. And suddenly there was with the Angel a Multitude of the heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest on Earth Peace good Will toward Men. So they blessed Christ Rev. 5.11 12. I beheld and I heard the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud Voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Though they cannot fully comprehend God yet they do it far more clearly than we They apprehend God's Excellency and Perfection in himself they know also the Excellency of his Works Creation and Providence and the Redemption of Mankind Then we shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 and understand the Faithfulness of God's Conduct in bringing us to Glory O blessed Time when we shall fall upon the Work of Angels when we shall have a sublime Understanding to know God an Heart to love him and a Mouth to praise him for evermore We shall not need any Excitement but be willing and ready to do it We have greater cause of blessing God than the Angels have It is a question whether an innocent or a penitent Person is more bound to thank God An innocent Man is bound to praise God in respect of the Greatness of the Benefit and the Continuance of it but a penitent Man in respect of the Freeness and Graciousness of it The Freeness and Graciousness is much more conspicuous towards Men. God was indeed good and bountiful to the Angels creating them out of nothing endowing them with many excellent Gifts But to Man sinful was God good indeed he loved us as Enemies when his Justice offended by Sin put a Bar to our Salvation he spared not his beloved Son but delivered him to a cursed Death in our Room and Stead Secondly To exhort us to prepare our selves for this Estate And let us labour that we may be such as may be counted meet to minister before the Lord in his Heavenly Temple To this End 1. Let us hasten the Acts which belong to our Consecration and attend upon them with more Seriousness which is the cleansing of the Soul from the Guilt and Stain of Sin From the Guilt of Sin Rom. 5.1 2. Therefore being justified by Faith we