unto ye like unto me hear ye him And now here in this 17. of Matthew at the transfiguration Moses and Elias appeared which they did not in the 3. of Matthew First Consider that the Emphasis may lie upon the word Hear and not upon the word Him only This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hear ye him His face did shine as the Sun and his rayment was white as the light And Christ appeared in great glory and they stood looking upon him Nay saies the Lord from Heaven do not make it a gazing matter but Hear him don't stand looking upon him but Hear him He don't appear in such a glory in the 3. of Matthew when he was baptized and therefore those words are not added there But again Here now in the 17. Chapter of Matthew at the Transfiguration appears Moses and Elias Behold at the 3. verse There appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him Moses that gave the Law Elias that restored it Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord 't is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here Three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Peter and so the rest of the Disciples began for to equallize Moses to Jesus Christ One for Moses and one for Elias and one for Jesus Christ no more for Christ than for Moses Now the Lord takes Peter off from all his mistakings Your eye is upon Moses saith he but I saith the Lord God Almighty am wel pleased in my Son This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I am well pleased with you and with your Duties through this my Son and not through Moses and therefore Hear Christ and not Moses He laies this in upon it that therefore they should be Evangelical and hear Jesus Christ because the Lord Christ gives acceptance unto all and by him God is well pleased with them Again further The more glory Christ does appear in the greater reason there is why we should hear him Now here the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in glory his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light In the 3. of Matthew he was there baptized and he did not appear in glory but now here he appears in glory and therefore saies the Lord now Hear him this is your glorious Saviour Hear him Beloved what greater glory can Jesus Christ appear to your souls in than this the glory of his love he takes every one of your Duties and your Prayers and he carries them in to the bosome of God the Father and by him you have acceptance Oh! what a glorious Saviour have ye therefore Hear him This is that if any thing will make ye very Obedient to Christ more than to Moses to be Evangelical in all your Duties Yet further The more a man can rejoyce in spiritual priviledges with humility and the more humble a man is and yet can rejoyce in his spiritual priviledges the more holy he is there goes a great deal of Holiness to it to joyn these two together for a man to rejoyce in his spiritual priviledges and yet to be humble and to walk very humbly Some there are that look upon ther spiritual priviledges and rejoyce much but they don't walk humbly Some labour to walk humbly and are much troubled in the consideration of their own evil but they don't rejoyce in their spiritual priviledges Give me a Christian that doth both and he is a blessed man The study of this Truth that is now before you will teach you to do both to do both together For what a great priviledge is this not a figh not a groane not a duty but the Lord Christ takes it and carries it in and presents it to God the Father for me whereby I have acceptance Considering this here is matter of much joy and rejoycing I but It is Christ that does it there is no such worthiness in mine own duty it were lost and cast away if Jesus Christ did not take it in his hand and carry it into the bosome of God the Father and therefore why should I not walk humbly I conclude all with this If that the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest offers up all our Gifts unto God the Father whereby we have acceptance What infinite cause have we all to be Thankful to God for Christ and to love Jesus Christ for ever Suppose one of you had been among the Disciples when the Lord Christ wash't his Disciples feet and he should have come and wash't your feet and have done it would not your heart have glowed with love to Jesus Christ Yet when the Lord Jesus Christ wash't his Disciples feet it was in the daies of his flesh when he was here on the earth but now he is in glory and yet for all this he takes your dirty prayers and does as it were wash the feet of your prayers that he may present them to God the Father he washes your tears over again in his bloud and presents them to God the Father he takes all your Duties and perfumes them with his intercessions and so presents them unto God the Father Oh! what cause have we to love Jesus Christ Oh! you that never loved Christ love him now and you that have loved him before love him much more you that fear the lord love the Lord and let us all even go away with our hearts warmed with this love blessing and praising the Name of the Lord. And thus I have led you into a Third work of our great Hight Priest which is this To offer up the Gifts of the people unto God the Father A Fourth follows c. SERMON IV. HEBREWES 2.17 18. Wherefore in all thing it behoved him Preached at Stepney May. 16. 1647. to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that He himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succou them that are tempted IT hath been opened and applied that the work of the High-Priest was and is To satisfie for the sins of the people to make Intercession for them and to offer up their Gifts unto God the Father all which Christ doth for us I shall speak of one work more of our great High-Priest and that is To bless the people We reade in the Old-Testament of two sorts of High-Priests One according to the order of Aaron the Levitical High-Priest as I may so speak and his work was for to Bless the People as we may reade in the 6. Chapter of Numbers the 23. verse Speak unto Aaron and unto his Sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them c. There was another High-Priest not according to this order of Aaron and that was Melchisedec and he also did Blesse Abraham And the Apostle speaking of him
look into the first Chapter and you shall see that those several Titles wherewith he cloaths Himself when he speaks unto the Churches severally are all summed up together at the 16. verse And he had in his right hand seven stars There 's his Title unto the Church of Ephesus And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword There 's his Title unto the Church of Pergamus And at the 18. verse I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for ever more There 's another Title that he useth when he speaketh unto the Church of Smyrna But in the 13. vers is opened the fountain of all these streams In the midst of the seven candlesticks I saw me like unto the Son of man cloathed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle This was then the robe and attyre of the High Priest Whose garment came down unto his feet and he was girt about with a golden girdle So that all these other Attributes and Titles of Christ they have their rise here here is the spring-head of all those consolations even the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ Usually Those Excellencies and Attributes of Christ are most beneficial unto the Saints that are most opposed by the world What Title Attribute or Excellency of Christ is there that is more invaded by the world than the Priestly office of Jesus Christ What is the whole body of Anti-christianisme but an invasion upon this Priestly Office of Christ What is the Popish Masse that unbloody sacrifice but a derogation from the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ once upon the Crosse and so a derogation from his Priestly Office What are all those Popish Penances and satisfactions injoyn'd but a derogation unto the satisfaction of Jesus Christ and so unto the Priestly Office of Christ What is all their praying to Saints and Angels but a derogation unto the Intercession of Jesus Christ and so unto the Priestly Office of Christ What does the Pope call himself He cals himself the High Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Title that our Lord and Saviour takes unto himself So that the whole body of Anti-christianisme is a great invasion upon the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ Now that which is usually opposed most by the men of the world that Excellency and that Attribute of Christ is of all other the most comfortable and beneficial unto Gods people The truth is This Priestly Office of Jesus Christ is an Office of meer love and tender compassion erected and set up on purpose for the reliefe of poor distressed sinners and there is no mixture of terrour with it there is a mixture of terrour with the other Offices of Christ The Lord Christ he is King and he hath a Kingly Office and by his Kingly Office he rules over the Churches and rules over all the world But all do not obtain mercy that he rules over As for those mine Enemies that will not submit will not have mee to Reign over them bring them and slay them before mee The Prophetical office of Jesus-Christ it extendeth unto many that shall never be saved Light shines in darkness and darknesse comprehendeth it not He came unto his own and his own received him not But now where over the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ is let forth upon an soul that soul shall certainly be saved for ever What was the great relief amongst the Jewes against their sins The Jewes you shall observe they had many reliefs when they were in the wilderness and were stung with the fiery serpents then they had a brasen-serpent for to look upon as a reliefe against that distresse When they wanted water they had the water out of the Rock as a reliefe against that distresse When they wanted Bread they had Manna from Heaven as a reliefe against that distress But when they sinned whither did they go Then they took a sacrifice and went unto the Priest and he was to offer for them So that the Priestly Office then was the only relief they had against sin And so now the Priestly Office of the Lord Jesus Christ it is that great succour and relief which Christians have against all Temptations under Heaven You will say unto me Quest But generall things affect not let us see it in some Particulars wherein this Priestly Office of Christ is the great Magazin and Storehouse of all our grace and comfort For Answer Ans hereunto I will begin this exercise with one Particular of the Priestly Office of Christ in shewing what a relief and succour it is unto a Christian against all Temptations and what a bottome of comfort and special means of Grace and Holiness The text saies That the work of the High Priest is To make reconciliation for the sins of the people In the times of the old Testament the High Priest made an Atonement for the people in case any man had finned he brought a sacrifice and his sins were laid upon the head of the sacrifice Once every yeer the High Priest did enter into the holy of holiest and with the blood of the Sacrifice did sprinkle the Mercy-Seat and laid the sins of the people upon the head of the scape-goat and so made an atonement for the people All which will cleerly appear in that 16. of Liviticus at the 14. verse He shall take of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the Mercy-Seat east-ward and before the Mercy-Seat shall be sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times And at the 21. verse And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins putting them upon the head of the goat and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness and so he shall make an atonement as in that Chapter This was the work of the High Priest in case any had finned to make an atonement and satisfaction by way of Type for the sins of the people Now for the better proof of this great Gospel-Truth that I have propounded I shall insist on these Five things First That when the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the Crosse he did offer up Himself a sacrifice unto God the Father Secondly That when this sacrifice was upon the Altar then the sins of all beleevers past present and to come were all laid upon Jesus Christ Thirdly That when these sins were thus laid upon Christ he did thereby give full satisfaction unto God the Father unto Divine Justice Fourthly That all this he did as our great High-Priest and in a more Transcendent and Eminent manner then ever any High Priest did before him Fifthly How all this doth conduce to our Comfort and to our Holiness First When our Lord Jesus Christ died upon the Cross He did offer up himself a sacrifice unto God
have been and I am a great transgressor but I come unto God by Christ I am one of the coming-transgressors I have been a transgressor but I am a coming-transgressor I come unto God by Christ Stand you by also this Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ it belongs unto you And let me tell thee for thy comfort poor soul whatsoever thou hast been that comest unto the Lord by Christ the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he is gone to Heaven to intercede for thy soul But you will say Obj. There is one thing that makes me afraid he will not intercede for me I have been so great a transgressor for I have been a transgressor against Jesus Christ this High-Priest Oh! I have sinned against this great High-Priest Jesus Christ and therefore I am afraid he will not intercede for me For answer to this I shall only desire you to turn to the 16. Chapter of Numbers the 41. verse and consider it duely Answ we reade there that all the Congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron Aaron was the High-Priest And saies the text all the Congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord. They had murmured against Moses and Aaron Then at the 46. verse Moses said unto Aaron Take a Censer put fire therein from off the Altar put on incense go quickly unto the Congregation and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun And see what Aaron did And Aaron took as Moses commanded and ran into the midst of the Congregation and behold the plague was begun among the people and he put on incense and made an atonement for the people And he stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stayed They had sinned against Aaron the High-Priest and yet Aaron but the Typical High-Priest he was but a Type of Christ he ran in although they had sinned against him and he stood betwen the dead and the living and made an atonement for them Oh! if there was so much bowels and compassions in the Type in Aaron when they had sinned against him as to go and intercede for them How much more is there in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Typified High-Priest to poor souls to intercede for them But now this may be more fully made out to us if we do but take in the Third thing and that is The Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely willing to intercede for us We have seen who those are unto whom the Intercession of Christ belongs namely Such as have had any fellowship with God the Father or with Christ Such as do beleeve or shall hereafter beleeve And all those poor transgressors that come unto God the Father by Christ Now observe how infinitely willing the Lord Jesus Christ is to intercede for us that are thus That will appear thus First He must needs be willing to do that which he hath received his anointing for It is said of Aaron that he was anointed and that ointment ran down upon his beard and unto the skirts of all his garment not a piece of Aarons garment but was perfumed with the ointment that Aaron was anointed with Surely there is not a skirt of the garment of Jesus Christ but the anointment wherewithal He our High-Priest was anointed does run down upon him He is the Messiah the anointment So he is called in the 10. of Isaiah The anointment He was anointed with the oyle of gladness above all his fellows above all the High-Priests that ever were before him And he was anointed for this very end That he might do the work of the High-Priest which is to Intercede for the sins of the people And therefore in that place in John 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ Christ signifies Anointed If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father But who is that He is Jesus that signifies your Saviour and so he is willing to intercede I but it may be he is not able to do it it may be he hath not received the anointing to do it Yes He is called Christ If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ or if you will Saviour Anointing So that he is anointed for this end and purpose to be your Advocate Now if a man do receive money for to lay out for the benefit of others poor Orphans or the like if a man be faithful certainly he will lay out the money for them according to the intention of him that did trust him with the money The Lord Jesus Christ he hath received the Anointing he is anointed as our great High-Priest to do the work of the Priestly Office and this is one work to Intercede and therefore he must needs be very willing to do it Again The more any thing is the work of a mans Relation wherewithal he is clothed the more if he be faithful is he willing to do the work And I pray mind it a little When men are exalted and come to Greatnesse or Honor then they give down the comforts of their Relation unto those that depend upon them If a father come to any great preferment the comfort of the Relation of a father then fals down upon the children runs down then upon the fruit of his loynes And so if one friend do come unto preferment the comfort of the Relation or friendship fals down Now the Lord Jesus Christ he is our High-Priest and he is now exalted he is gone to Heaven and therefore all the comforts of all the Relations that he stands in towards us do now fall upon us And therefore he is willing he is very willing because this is the work of his Relation And further It is the work of his Office What a man does by office that he does willingly what a man does by office he does industriously he does not do it by the bye what a man does by office he does it readily according unto a mans place or office so will his interpretation be Suppose now a Child that hath very good parts come before three men of three several professions A Lawyer a Minister and a Merchant The Child having very good parts the Merchant saies He will make a very good Merchant the Lawyer saies He will make a very good Lawyer and the Minister saies He wil make a very good Scholar according to their three Relations or Places or Office or work their interpretation is So now if three men of three several Trades whose work lies about wood come and behold a fine green-tree One man saies It is good for this And another saies It is good for that and the third saies It is good for another use according to his Place and Calling will his interpretation be So now when a poor soul comes before God Moses the Law looks upon him And the
so taking all together as one presents it unto God the Father for our acceptance And this he does now as our High-Priest for if we look into this book of the Hebrews we shall find That the Apostle speaking of the High Priest relating unto Jesus Christ saies in the 5. Chapter and the 1. verse That it was his work to offer Gifts That he may offer both Gifts and sacrifices And so in the 8. Chapter and the 3. vers Every High-Prist is ordained to offer Gifts and Sacrifices Thus we have another great work of our great High-Priest which is To offer up all our Prayers our Duties our Gifts unto God the Father which if ye will we may call another part of Christs Intercession but I handle it distinct Now that I may open cleer this great Gospel-Mystery I shall endeavour to discover First What Jesus Christ our High-Prist doth when be does offer up our Gifts unto God the Father Secondly What abundance of favour and acceptance this our great High-Priest himself hath in Heaven Thirdly That he doth improve all that his own acceptance for our acceptance planting all our Duties upon his own acceptance upon that acceptance that he hath with the Father Fourthly What abundance of acceptance therefore we have in all our Duties by him Fiftly How this doth conduce to our Grace and to our Comfort First Quest 1 What doth our Lord and Saviour Christ our great High-Priest when he offers up our Gifts unto God the Father First Answ 1 He doth take our persons and carries them in unto God the Father in a most unperceivable way to us He knows that if our Person be not first accepted our Duty cannot be accepted Love me and love my Duty love me love my Service hate me and hate my Service In the Covenant of Works God did first accept of the work and then of the Person the Person for the work But in the Covenant of Grace God doth first accept of the Person and then the Work Now therefore that our Work and our Duty may be accepted with God the Father The Lord Christ our High-Priest doth first take our Person and our Name and carries them into the presence of God the Father This was plainly shadowed out unto us by that of the High-Prest Who went into the Holy of Holiest with the Names of all the Tribes upon his breast Which the Apostle speaks out plainly Eph. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom we have accesse with boldness The word Accesse as some observe is Manuduction Hand-leading In whom we have an Hand-leading or by whom we are led by the Hand unto God the Father As a child having run away from his Father is taken by the hand of a friend or of his Elder brother and brought again into the presence of his father So all we having run away from God are taken and led again into the presence of the Father by the hand of Jesus Christ He is that ladder that Jacob saw upon whom we do ascend into the bosome of God and go into Heaven Our High-Priest Jesus Christ doth first take our Persons and lead us into the presence of God the Father That is the first Secondly As he doth take our Persons and lead and carry us into the presence of God the Father So when we do perform any Duty he doth observe what evil or failing there is in that Duty and draws it out takes it away before he presents the Duty-unto God the Father A Child that would present his father with a Nose-gay or Posie goes into the garden and he gathers flowers and weeds together but coming to his mother she takes them and picks out the weeds and binds up the flowers by themselves and so it is presented to the father Thus it is with us We go to Duty and we gather weeds flowers together But the Lord Jesus Christ he comes and picks out the weeds and then he presents nothing but flowers unto God the Father And this we have plainly set forth unto us by that of the High-Priest taking away the iniquities of the Holy things of Gods people in the 28. Chapter of Exodus Thou shalt make a plat-form of pure gold at the 36. verse and grave upon it like the ingravings of a signet HOLINES UNTO THE LORD And thou shalt put it on a blue lace that it may be upon the Mytre upon the forefront of the Mytre it shall be Then at the 38. verse And it shall be on Aarons forehead that is the High-Priest that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the Children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy guifts and it shall be alwaies upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Thus taking away the iniquity of their holy things So it is said concerning our Saviour Christ in the 3. Chapter of Malachy the 2 3 4. verses Who may abide the day of his coming plainly understood of Christ as appears by the first vers Then at the 3. He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as gold and selver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the dayes of old Then shall their offerings be pleasant When when he hath purg'd their sacrifices and their offerings This in the daies of his flesh and now much more This is the Second thing that the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth in offering up our Gifts unto God the Father He takes out the weeds Thirdly As he takes away the iniquity of our holy things So he observes what good there is in any of our Duties or Performances and with that he mingles his own Prayers and Intercessions his own Intense and presents all as one work mingled together unto God the Father This we have so fully in the 8. Chapter of the Revelation that I need name no other place Another Angel at the 3. verse stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne And the smoke at the 4. verse of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This must needs be understood of Christ for no Angel does intercede but Christ who is called The Angel of the Covenant 'T is said here He stood at the Altar having a golden Censer Which none of the High-Priests had and there was given unto him much incense and this he offered with the prayers of all the Saints and the smoake of the incense came with the prayers of the Saints and ascended up before the Lord. He alludes unto the way and custome of the Jewes and the High-Priest shewing that the Lord Jesus Christ doth
temptations be never so great he cannot fail totally because he is built upon a rock In the 13. of Matthew ye know it is made the property of the false ground that in the time of temptation it fell away Now if the good ground a regenerate man should fall away in the time of temptation what difference were there between the false ground the good ground Plainly therefore the Scripture holds forth this truth unto us That a regenerate man a Beleever though his faith may fail much yet it does not fail totally in time of temptation And thus Peters faith failed and thus it failed not In regard of the Exercise and Acting of his faith it did fail but in regard of the grace it self faith it self so it failed not and so it is and may be with others of the Saints also Secondly Quest 2 If the faith of a beleever do only fail in regard of the Acting Exercise and Working thereof What great inconvenience is there or evil in the failing of his faith Much my beloved very much Answ For though that faith fail only in regard of the Acting Exercise and working he does lose an opportunity of glorifying God 'T is said of Abraham That he beleeved and gave glory to God Faith gives glory to God it glorifies his Power his Mercy his Faithfulness and his Wisdom not faith in the Habit but faith in the Exercise of it glorifies God and so much as a mans faith doth fail in the Acting Working and Exercise of it so much he loseth an opportunity of glorifying God Moreover He loses his own Comfort Faith is a Comforting grace Being justified by faith we have peace with God And in the 15. to the Romans and the 13. verse ye find That Joy and Peace grows upon faith Now the God of hope fill ye with all Joy and Peace in beleeving So much as a man does beleeve so much Joy and Peace if a man fail in the Exercise of his faith he does lose his Comfort Yea hereby also he does lose his present prize A Christan hath a prize in this life he hath a two-fold crown A crown of glory in the world to come and a present crown And therefore saies the Lord unto the Church of Philadelphia Hold fast that which thou hast lest another take thy crown Now if a man do fail in the Exercise of his faith he does lose much of his present prize Ye know how it was with Moses and Aron ye reade of it in the 20. chapter of Numbers and the 12. verse And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye beleeve me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have promised them They were shut out of the land of Canaan for not beleeving But Moses Araon did not lose the grace of faith it was only failing in the Exercise of faith their failing was not in the grace it self but only they failed in the Exercise of their faith and they were shut out of Canaan for it And Moses besought the Lord earnestly in prayer that he would reverse this threatning and it might not be he was shut out of Canaan meerly for failing in the Exercise of his faith Oh! what an evil thing is it then for a Christian to fail in his faith though it be no more than in the Exercise of his faith Further In this failing of ones faith though but in the Exercise of it A Christian does lose much of the benefit and sweetness of the mercy promised Look as it is with a wicked man in regard of the judgment threatned So with a godly man in regard of the mercy promised Now take a wicked man and let the threatning of God be fulfilled before him upon others upon himself he profits not by Gods judgments Why because that he don't exercise faith concerning the threatning and so when the judgment comes he profits not by Gods dealing by Gods judgments he loses the benefit of Gods dispensations that way So I say with a godly man let the promise be fulfilled and possibly he does not find the sweetness or the benefit of the mercy promised when the promise is fulfilled Why because he don't exercise faith in the promise it self When as the Lord gave Manna Moses had the seetness of it why because he exercised faith about it But the children of Israel they make a tush of it a light matter of it why because they look't upon it in a way of sence did not take it in a way of beleeving and so they lost the benefit and sweetness of the mercy promised Beloved it is no small matter this for to lose the benefit and sweetnesse of the mercy promised that a Christian loses by failing in his faith in regard of the Exercise of it and therefore certainly it is a very evil thing though their faith fail not in regard of the grace it self yet if it fail in regard of the work and the exercise of it it is a very evil thing and much inconvenience comes unto the Saints thereby Thirdly Quest 3 Whereby may it appear that Satans great design is upon our faith in the time of temptation He does tempt most unto that sin which is the greatesi and the sin against the Gospel is the greatest sin Answ Satans great design is to hinder the work of Christ the kingdom of Christ in the hearts of the Saint to counter-work the Spirit of God Satan does tempt that he may tempt and the greatest temptation usually comes in the reare comes at the last Satan does tempt a man to break the Law but he hath a further reach in that for he tempts a man to break the Law that so he may tempt him afterwards to sin against the Gospel he lies in ambush in one temptation for to draw to another When Satan tempted our first parents Adam and Eve he tempted like a serpent in form of a serpent and so now too he comes and he winds about us in his temptation but his sting is in the taile and at the latter end And thus ye see it was in the temptation of our Saviour Christ his great design was upon Christs faith in the 4. of mathhew ye know he hath Three temptations there and saies he in the two first temptations If thou be the Son of God and If thou be the Son of God And in the Last temptation All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He tempted him to Blasphemy and Atheisme and what greater unbeleef So 't is with the Saints also Satan he comes and tempts them to sowrenesse frowardnesse and passion in their families but he hath a further reach upon that distemper for saies he I will tempt this man or woman to passion and frowardness and when he hath been froward and passionate then I will tempt him to be doubting whether he be the child
kept ibid 4 That their graces may encrease Page 105 5 That it may be discovered to themselves and others what their sins and graces are ibid 6 That they may be the more fit to receive Christ as a Saviour ibid 7 That they may be made like to Christ ibid 8Vpon the same reasons that God suffered the children of Israel to suffer under the Egyptians 1 That his power might appear Page 106 2 That they might not learn their manners ibid 3 That they might be provoked against them to cut them off Page 106 4 That they might long for the Land of Rest Page 107 5 That they might not return back to Egypt ibid Objection Answered Page 108 Application Do not question the love of God because of temptations Page 109 Object How shall I order my heart in temptations Answ 1 Take heed you do not yeeld to any part of a temptation that you may be delivered from Page 113 2 Do not carry the guilt of your old condition into a new condition ibid 3 Note what sutableness there is in your condition to the temptation and take away that Page 114 4 Turn your thoughts to another object Page 115 5 Take the Shield of Faith ibid 6 Doe not feare too much Do not fear too little Page 116 7 If you overcome be thankful if you be overcome hold up still Page 117 8 Make good improvement of it ibid Sermon 2. Heb. 2.18 Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ is a succouring Christ to tempted souls Page 220 Proved Page 221 Opened 1 Christ is able to do it Page 222 2 He is willing to do it 1 It is Gods will and he delights to do the will of God Page 224 2 He was willing to suffer it therefore to do ibid 3 He is much troubled if it be not done Page 225 3 He is faithfull in doing it Page 226 4 How Christ succours in temptation 1 Before temptation 1 By manifestation of him self Page 227 2 By laying in Gospel-principles ibid 3 By filling the heart with the Holy Ghost Page 228 2Vnder Temptation 1 By opening their eyes to see it is but a temptation Page 228 2 By letting fall some glimps of his love ibid 3 He doth succour from temptation by temptation Page 229 4 By casting in some promise ibid 5 By keeping the heart and the temptation assunder ibid 3 After temptation by filling the heart with unspeakable joy ibid Application 1 A gracious invitation to poore tempted souls to come to Christ Page 229 Object Why then are men damned Answered Page 230 Other objections answered ibid Object My temptation is mixed with corruption Answered 1 He succours sinners most when they are most tempted Page 231 2 When they cannot succour themselves Page 232 3 Notwithstanding all their failings ibid Application 2 Here is strong consolation to all Saints Page 233 Application 3 Let us be succouring Christians Page 235 Application 4 Why should we yeeld to temptations though never so violent Page 236 Application 5 Let us labour to answer Christ in this work 1 Observe his succours and lay them up against a rainy day ibid 2 Labour to keep the sence of his love upon your hearts Page 237 3 Look up to Christ ibid 4 Give thy soul up into his hands Page 238 5 Rest on him ibid 6 Do not rest upon means because great nor despise them because smal ibid 7 Do not live upon the letter of a promise Page 239 8 If you have the worst be humbled If the better improve your victory ibid SERMON III Luke 22.31 32. Text opened Page 241 Doct. Christ gives leave to Satan sometimes to tempt his own and best Disciples Page 242 Opened 1 What great power Satan hath to tempt and molest the children of men 1 He is an Angel Page 242 2 He is a Spirit Page 243 3 He is able to suggest what he pleaseth ibid 4 He knows what bait will soonest take ibid 5 He is able to follow his suggestions ibid 6 He is able to bemire the fancy ibid 7 To hold down a mans mind to that particular thing Page 244 8 The same words which are given to God for good are given to the Devil for evil ibid Wherein the Devil fals short of God ibid 2 He puts forth this power especially upon the best of Saints Page 245 Object Why doth Satan lie so heavy upon the Saints seeing he knows they shall be saved Answ 1 His envy Page 246 2 That they may be stumbling blocks to others ibid 3 He loves to molest them Page 247 3 How he comes by this power Page 248 4 Why God gives Satan leave to tempt his own children 1 To wean them from that sin they fall into Page 249 2 The manifestation of his own power wisdom faithfulness and free-grace Page 250 Application Why should any man doubt of his sonship Page 251 Object Mine is no temptation of Satan but the corruption of my own heart Answered 1 It is usual for Saints to charge all Satans temptations upon their own hearts Page 254 2 The Saints never fall into any great sin but Satan hath a special hand in it Page 255 3 It is the disposition of the Saints to be grieved for their sins as if all were from themselves and nothing from Satan ibid 4 The difference between Satans temptations and our corruptions Page 256 Object What comfort can we have in this condition 1 Nothing befals you but what may befal a child of God Page 257 2 Whilst thou art tempted Christ is praying for thee ibid 3 The enemy is overcome before he strikes ibid 4 He hath no more power than God gives him Page 258 5 Thou hast something cannot be taken from thee ibid Object 2 What shall I do that I may not not yeeld to temptation Answered Page 258 Object What shall I do that I may avoid temptation 1 Do not stand playing upon the borders of any sin Page 260 2 Get your hearts mortified to the objects of love and fear ibid 3 Take your temptation and dip it in the blood of Christ Page 261 SERMON IIII Luke 22.31 32. Doct. The great design of Satan is upon the faith of the Saints Page 263 Opened 1 What it is to fail in faith Page 264 2 What evil is in failing in faith Page 266 He loseth 1 An opportunity of glorifying God ibid 2 His joy and peace ibid 3 His present prize Page 267 4 The sweetness of his mercy ibid 3 That Satans great design in Temptation is upon our faith Page 268 Why it is so Page 269 4 How Satan weakens our faith Page 270 1 Our faith of Reliance ibid 1 By hiding our former experiences ibid How to bear off that blow 1 Take heed you never rest upon a promise barely because of experience Page 271 2 Take heed ye never mourn so for sin as to be unthankfull for mercies Page 272 2 By severing our souls from the promise How shall we bear of that blow 1 God commands
by the blood of Jesus Christ The people might not enter into the Holiest in the time of the Jewes But our great High-Priest hath improved his favour for us thus far that every man may come into the Holy of Holiest Now If our great High-Priest in this respect go beyond all the High-Priests that ever were before him and they did improve their interest and their favour and their acceptance for the people much more doth the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest improve the favour interest and acceptance that he hath in heaven for our acceptance and and the acceptance of all our Duties And that is a Third Particular But Quest 4 If that it be so then surely we have great acceptance in all our Duties but have we so Yes Answ very great in and through the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest And therefore if we look into the 14. of John our Lord and Saviour saith Whatsoever ye aske in my Name at the 13. verse that will I do I but may we be sure of this He repeats it again in the 14. verse If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it Yea that ye may see what great acceptance we have now through him in all those Duties that we offer up to God the Father saith he in the 16. Chap. and the 26. vers At that day ye shall aske in my name and I say not unto ye that I will pray the father for you for the father himself loves you It is a mighty high speech I don't say That I will pray for you Ye shall have so much favour and love in Heaven from the Father imediately that he will hear you presently I but is not all upon Christs account Yes and therefore saith he at the 13. verse of the 14. chapter Whatsoever ye shall aske in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son So that all is upon Christs account Great was the testimony of Christs acceptance which he had from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Now if we look into the Scripture we shall find that the same words are given unto the Saints Is the Lord Jesus Christ called the Son of God My beloved Son So are Beleevers too As many as receive him have power to be called the Sons of God Is he called The Beloved Son of God This is my beloved Son So are the Saints also In the 31. chapter of Jeremy at the 20. verse Ephraim my deer Son a pleasant child Ephraim that is Israel my deer Son a pleasant child Well Is it said In whom I am well pleased my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The same word also is given to men When our Lord and Saviour Christ was born into the world the Angels they came and sung at his birth and they sung Good will towards men So we reade it but it is the same word that is used concerning Christ himself My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased So that whatsoever word there is in all this speech This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased whatsoever word there is in that sentence concerning Christ 't is given also unto the Saints unto Beleevers so greatly does he improve his own favour acceptance for our acceptance and so great acceptance have we through Christ Yea As the Lord Jesus Christ is said to be made sin for us in the Abstract So are we said to be made Righteousnesses by him in the Abstract too As we have it in the 1. of the Canticles the 3. vers Therefore do the Virgins love thee so we reade it in our english translation But in the Hebrew it is Therefore do the Righteousnesses love thee The Saints and Beleevers through Christ are called Righteousnesses in the Abstract So that here is the great acceptance that the Saints and Beleevers do find through this acceptation of Jesus Christ our High-Priest But Quest Suppose a man be very poor and lives in some mean cottage which hath but one room to lie dine and sup in and that a smoky dark room too and this poor creature comes and prayes unto God Will the Great and Glorious God of Heaven and Earth take notice of such a prayer from such a worme as this and shall he find acceptance with God the Father For answer to that Answ look into the 2. of the Canticles and the 14. verse O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance they are the words of Christ let me hear thy voice Why for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely But I pray where now is the Church In the clefts of the rock and in the secret places of the staires in a hole under the staires as it were in a poor distressed place an hidden place now saies he here thy voice is sweet and thy tountenance comely Well Quest But suppose that a Duty or service be performed by one that is weak weak in Grace or weak in parts and Gifts for this is my case will some say I am one of very weak parts and Gifts and I have little Memory or Ability of speech there are some men indeed that are of great Parts and Graces and when they pray I make no question but their prayers do find acceptance but as for me I am one of very mean Abilities Oh! can there be any acceptance of such prayers as mine are through Jesus Christ Will God answer such stammerings lispings halfe-words broken imperfect petitions Yes Answ We know that the paire of Turtles were accepted in the time of the Law by those that could offer no more Surely much more now will a poor Turtle be accepted in the time of the Gospel those that could but bring Goats-haire towards the making of the Tabernacle they were welcome and shall it not be so now much more in the times of the Gospel That which is little in regard of Quantity it may be great in regard of Proportion as the widdows mite was The Sun fals we know with a common influence upon all the Herbs and Plants but there is a several sweetness and flowers that are of a several and different growth There is the Rose and there is the Violet The Violet is not so Tall as the Rose the Violet lies on the ground but though the Violet be not so tall as the Rose the Violet hath its sweetnesse and it may say to the Rose Though I be not so tall yet I have my sweetness as well as thou hast So now there is a common influence from Jesus Christ upon all the Saints and they have their several sweetness one as the Rose and the other as the Violet It may be here lies a poor Christian upon the ground like the Violet and is not so tall in Gifts and Parts as the other is but yet notwithstanding he hath his sweetness Christ
there of the Disciples That they should wait for the promise of the Father Christ commaded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father What is that We know what it was and is that which befel afterward it was the giving out of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost fell upon them this is called THE promise of the Father That as in the times of the Old Testament the promise was the giving of the Son and coming of the Second Person So after Christ came the great promise was the coming of the Third Person and the giving of the holy Ghost When I am gone saith Christ I 'le send ye another Comforter He that beleeveth out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This he spake concerning the Spirit which was not yet given in those extraordinary emanations of gists and graces because he was not yet glorisied So then the great Blessing that was to be given unto the children of men the great Gospel-blessing was the giving out of the holy Ghost this is a Gospel-blessing indeed Well Ques But what doth Christ do when he doth Bless It 's observable Answ 1 that when any Superiour did Blesse a father did blesse his child or the like he did observe what was the choice mercy and good in those times and he did wish that unto his child or unto his inferiour And so in Isaac and Jacobs time the choice good it was The dew of Heaven and when they did blesse their children they wish't unto them the dew of Heaven So now when our Iord Jesus our great High-Priest doth blesse any man observing that the choice mercy of the Gospel is the injoyment of God in Christ the favour and love of God and the giving out of the holy Ghost into a mans heart he doth wis all this good unto him and he saies unto God the Father Lord let this poor soul have thy favour Oh! cause thy face to shine upon this poor soul and give out the holy Ghost unto it that it may walk after the spirit In the Second place It 's observable That when the Priests did Blesse the people they did not barely wish good unto them but they did Authoratatively pronounce them blessed Numb 6.27 They shall put my name upon them saith the Lord when they bless So when the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth Blesse a man he does not barely wish him good The Lord cause his face for to shine upon that soul in a way of wishing but the Lord Christ being a High-Priest when he blesseth he doth authoratatively pronounce such a soul to be Blessed Thirdly When the Priest Blessed he did not only pronounce the people Blessed but in the Blessing of the Priest there was a kind of Binding-power it had the power force and efficacy of an Absolution And therefore as Christ saies unto his Disciples Go and whosoever sins ye remit they shall be remitted I 'le stand by you in it So saith the Lord in that same place the 6. of Numbers On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee and at the 27. verse They shall put my Name upon the children of Israel and I will blessethem I 'le stand by them in this So when the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest doth Blesse he doth not only pronounce a man to be Blessed but he doth Absolve him from all his sins saith he by authority that is given to me from my father the Keyes that are put into my hand I do Bind this blessing upon this poor soul Further The Priest when he blessed indeed he could wish well and he could pronounce a man blessed and he might Absolve but he could go no further he could not confer the Blessing he could not bestow the Blessing But our Lord Christ being an High-Priest beyond all the High-Priests that ever were before him in this respect too where he doth Blesse he bestoweth the Blessing being God and man he bestoweth the Blessing In the Fifth place This our great High-Priest being God and Man look how God Blesseth so doth he Blesse In the Scripture ye shall find That when God the Father Blessed he said unto those things that he blest Increase and Multiply still when he blest Increase and Multiply So the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Preist when he comes to blesse he doth not barely wish good unto a poor soul or pronounce him blessed or beslow a good thing upon him but saith he O soul Multiply in this good the Lord increase thy Graces and thy Gifts and thy Comforts poor soul Increase and Multiply herein This the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth Thus it 's cleer what the Blssing of the Gospel is wherein it consists and what our High-Priest doth when he doth blesse the people But Secondly Quest 2 Does this Blessing properly or specially belong unto Jesus Christ Yes Answ For he was made a curse for sin he and none else made a curse for sin and therefore it belongs unto him above all the world for to blesse For look what evil Jesus Christ endured the contrary good he merited for the children of men a power to bestow that good Now he above all was cursed hung upon the Crosse and died a cursed death he was made a curse therefore it belongs unto him above all for to give the blessing for to blesse poor sinners Primum in quolibet genere c. The first in every kind is the cause of the rest The Sun is the cause of all the light we have here below and 't is the first light body And the Lord Jesus Christ he is the first blessing Therefore hath they God blest thee for ever There are Three that we reade of in Scripture especially that did blesse The Father the King and the Priest The Father did blesse his Children the King blest his Subjects and the Priest blest the People Now the Lord Jesus Christ He is our Father The Everlasting Father He is our King I will set my King upon my holy hill And he is our great High-Priest and therefore all these relations meeting in him it belongs unto him above all for to blesse the people But is the Lord Jesus Christ Willing for to Blesse poor sinners Quest 3 and inclin'd unto it Yes Answ He is very Willing this blessing of the people it is a work whereunto he is much inclin'd and wherein he is most delighted Ye shall observe therefore what abundance of blessings Christ scattered among the people when he was here upon the earth Ye don't reade that ever he cursed any man formally cursed him Once indeed he pronounced a Curse but it fell upon a barren fig-tree not upon a man But take your Bibles and turne over from leaf to leaf and see how frequent he was in blessing and consider whether you do reade in al the Bible of any Preacher or Prophet
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies such a Succouring as brings in help unto those that cry out to come in and run in with help upon ones crying out In the 12. of the Revelation it is said Woe to the inhabitants of the earth for the Devil is come down with great wrath for he knows that his time is short There is a Woe in it where the Devil comes down with great wrath Now he looks upon all the Saints as having their time but short and he comes down upon them in great wrath with his temptations and there is a Woe in it although the temptation takes not And for ought I know upon this account the new-Testament may so promiscuously use the word Temptation both for Affliction and Satans Suggestions even because seldom any Affliction comes but it does bring Temptation with it never any Temptation but brings Affliction alwaies something of a Suffering in every Temptation even at that very time when it does least prevail This is the First thing Secondly Doth God suffer his own children thus to Suffer Quest 2 Yes And many times the best most tempted Answ the best men meet with the worst temptations those that are most eminently Godly are most fouly assaulted David Job Peter Paul and Christ himself was Yea God doth not only suffer Satan to come and present evil objects before his servants but suffers him to go so far as to solicite to press to follow on his temptation And therefore it is said concerning David That Satan stood up and provoked him to Number the people He did not only present an evil object to him but he followed his temptation he solicited he stood up and provoked David to Number the people Yea God doth not only suffer this but at that very time when the Saints have had most of God then they have suffered by the hand of temptation when Paul had been taken up into the third Heaven then a messenger Satan was sent to buffet him And when Jesus Christ had heard the voice This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Then saies the text in the 4. of Matthew 1. was he led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil And so with the Saints now when they have been as it were in the third Heaven with God when they have had most of him when they have heard the Lord saying This is my beloved child after special manifestations of his love then most tempted Oh! who would be secure after manifestations of Gods love Further God doth not only suffer it thus far but sometimes he suffers his children to be so far tempted as they seem to have the worser Satan the better Satan taking the wall of them the upper hand In the 3. of Zachary it is said concerning Joshua That Satan stood at his right hand Satan took the wall of him took the upper hand of him Lastly God suffers this to be and to continue a long time with some of his children Paul saith he had prayed thrice that is often and all the answer he could get was this My grace is sufficient for thee Paul I don't say I will deliver thee but thou shalt have grace enough to uphold thee My grace shall be sufficient Thus God suffers his own dear children to Suffer under the hand of temptation And would you know the Reason Reas 1 Good Authors say That God suffers his own dear children to be tempted that they may be more inlightened Temptation inlightens the tempted there by they are more experienced and so more inlightened God is pleased to answer them by this secret of thunder God suffers his children thus to be tempted Reas 2 That they may be cleansed This is Gods usual way he does wash us from our own filth by the dung and excrement of these unclean spirits and scowres of the rust from his chosen vessels by the messengers of Satan these are Gods scullions to make his golden pots of the Sanctuary the brighter God suffers his own children to be tempted Reas 3 That they may be conserved or kept He preserves them from one sin by being tempted to another And Paul saies That he received that messenger of Satan twice that he might not be exalted Reas 4 God suffers his children to be tempted That their graces may be increased As the fire is blown up by the wind of the bellows and the strength of an Argument draws out the strength of the Answerer So does these temptations draw out the strength of the tempted God suffers his Children to be tempted Reas 5 That they may be discovered to themselves and others what their sins graces are You don't know what the liquor is till the vessel be bored then you know it And the word that is used here for Temptation Originally signifies to bore as a vessel is bored 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The love of a woman is never more known than when her husband is from home and she is solicited to folly then her love is tryed to her husband God suffers his children to be tempted Reas 6 That occasionally they may be made more fit to receive the fulness of Christ as a Saviour A man not tempted may receive the fulness of Christ as the head but unlesse a man be tempted not fit to receive the fulness of Christ as a Saviour Hereby they are made like unto Jesus Christ Reas 7 Christ was made like to us that he might be tempted and we are tempted that we may be made like to him He was made like to us that he might be tempted and so become our High-Priest and we are tempted that we may be made like to him and receive of the mercy of that office He was made like to us and tempted that he might have communion with us in the evil of our temptation and we are made like to him and tempted as he was that we might have communion with him in the benefit of his temptations For these and other reasons God suffers his children to be tempted But my design is not to fall upon the argument of Temptation at large only to speak of the Suffering part of it For in that he suffered being once tempted he is able to succour those that are temped And upon the same reason or account that God suffered the children of Israel to be Vexed and to suffer by the hands of the Egyptians he doth suffer his own dear children to be stung and vexed by these temptations Give me leave a little in that God suffered the Isralites to be vexed to suffer much by the hands of the Egyptians That so be might make his glorious power the more to appear for them and in them For when men saw that the Isralites increased and prospered the more they were oppressed and the more that the Egyptians laboured to cut them off then who would not say Oh! what power and what mercy is here So now when as men shall
see that the graces of the Saints increase the more by temptation and by spiritual oppression who would not say Oh! what mercy and what power is here God suffered the Isralites to be vexed by the Egyptians That the Isralites might not learn their manners and their Superstitions They were very apt to drink-in their manners to imitate to follow them Notwithstanding all the ill usage that the Israelites had at the hand of the Egyptians they were very apt to learn their manners had they had better usage how would they have drunk them in much more then Beloved God would not have us to learn the manners of Satan we are apt to drink them in too much notwithstanding all the hard dealing that we have from our temptations that do come from Satan had we better entertainment how should our souls mingle and incorporate with those temptations God suffered the Israelites to be vexed by the Egyptians That so they might be provoked against them to cut them off and destroy them utterly We never cut off an Enemy and destroy him utterly till we be provoked and we are provoked by the ill usage that we have at their hands God would have Satan destroyed for this cause was Christ manifested in the flesh that he might destroy the works of Satan And what Christ did for us he doth work in us and we will not destroy him till we be provoked and therefore God is pleased to let us have such hard dealing and suffering work from the hand of temptation that we may be the more provoked against him God suffered the Israelites to be vexed by the Egyptians That so they might long for Canaan the land of rest And why doth God suffer his people to suffer thus by their temptations but that they might cry out for help and for the land of rest as David Oh! that I had wings like a dove for then would I fly away and be at rest If the children of Israel had not suffered thus from the hands of the Egyptians in all likelihood they would have returned to Egypt much more than they did They made them a Captain to return again notwithstanding all the hardness that they underwent in Egypt but had the children of Israel had good usage in Egypt how would they have returned again thither Beloved we are apt to return again to folly you that are the servants of God too apt to return to folly notwithstanding all the hard usage that you have from the hand of your temptation how apt and ready are you to retturn to folly now God loves you and would not have you to return again and therefore that you might not return to your garlike onyons and fleshpots again he suffers this Spiritual Phatoah thus to follow you and lie hard upon you in these temptations And thus you see what a glorious design of love God hath even in the suffering part of his childrens temptations Gods own children do suffer thus by the hand of a Temptation But you will say Object In the Third place to answer the Objection If Gods own people his dearest children be sorely tempted yea suffer under the hand of a temptation how is that true which you have in the 1 Epistle of John the 5. chapter and the 18. verse Whosoever is born of God sins not he that is begotten of God keeps himself and that wicked one toucheth him not the Devil toucheth him not and if the Devil does not so much as touch him how can this be true that he suffers thus by the hand of his temptation For answer hereunto ye must know Answ that this word Touching in Scripture phrase besides the litteral sense sometimes notes an Hurting or Harming of one So in the 105. Psalm and the 15. verse Touch not mine anointed Which is explained in the following words and do my Prophets no harm We reade of Christs Touching and the Devils Touching Christ touching those that were sick and he cured them with his touch it was an healing curing touch the touch of Christ And we reade of the Devils touching So he speaks unto God that he would touch Job that is that he would break him and break all his Estate Christ touch is an healing touch curing touch but Satans touch is a destroying touch a breaking touch Now though God suffers his own children to be tempted yea and to suffer by the hand of a temptation yet notwithstanding the evil one touches him not so as to harm him to hurt him But in the conclusion so as to heal and to cure him which is no touching Again This same word Touching in Scripture Phrase sometimes notes Fellowship and Communion and so when the Apostle forbids the Corinthians fellowship and communion with Idolaters saith he Be ye Separate and touch no unclean thing Touching there noting Communion and Fellowship with them in their Worship don't in the least measure have any communion with them So now although it pleases God to suffer Satan thus to vex his children with temptation yet notwithstanding they have not fellowship or Communion with him Satan knocks at their door but they don't frequently and ordinarily open and let him in so as to sup with them Christ stands at their door and knocks and they open and he comes in and sups with them and they with him they have fellowship with the Father and they have fellowship with Jesus Christ but they have not fellowship with the Devil they don't delight in him they don't converse with him they have not this fellowship with him and therefore though they meet with temptation yea and though they suffer under temptation yet in this respect the evil one touches not but suffer they do And so I have cleared the Point God suffers his own dear children to be sorely tempted yea and to suffer under the hand of a temptation I come to the Application If this be so Applyca Then why do you that are the Servants of God question Gods love to you and call your own condition into question because of your temptations or because of the hard things that you meet withall from the hand of your temptation Oh! saies one if God loved me I should never be thus tempted I should never suffer such hard things by temptation as now I do was there ever any of Gods Children tempted thus Surely this cannot stand with grace But was not Jesus Christ tempted Yes But I am tempted many times to doubt of my Child-ship whether I be the Child of God Son of God I or no. And was not Christ thus There were Two special times of Christs temptation Once when he entered upon the Ministry Once when he went out of the world and you shall see how at both these times he was followed with this temptation In the 4. of Matthew there you reade of the first and in the combate twice If thou be the Son of God saies the Devil putting an If upon his Sonship and again If thou be
God Page 95 Blessings Blessings of the Gospel what they are Page 77 Gods Blessings are sutable to the times of the Gospel Page 78 See Comfort Blessed How to know whether Christ hath blessed us or no Page 90 Benefits see Temptation Brother see Christ C Childship Man ought not to doubt of his childship in time of temptation Page 251 Christ Christ called our father and why Page 2 Christ called our brother and why ibid All our comfort in God comes through Christ Page 3 Why Christ was made like to us Page 2 Christs satisfaction for man engageth man to Christ Page 20 Christ prayes and intercedes for his people Page 25 Christs willingness to intercede Page 44 Christ was tempted in the same manner the Saints are Page 109 Christ succours in Temptation Page 220 Christ is troubled when we will not be succoured Page 225 How to answer Christ in succouring us Page 237 What causeth Christ indulgence to his people Page 294 See Priestly Sacrifice Sins Transcendent Anointed High-Priest Intercession Temptations Faithfulnesse Duties Prayers Blessings Love willingness Mercy Church The Church is most pure under Persecution Page 309 Comfort What Comforts arise by Christs offering up of our duties Page 64 What Comforts arise by Christs blessing us Page 89 How to find Comfort in temptation Page 257 Call The not-minding of our Call leads us into temptation Page 114 Conscience Why beleevers have their sins charged on their conscience Page 13 Condition No condition so bad but there is some good in it Page 306 Corruption see Temptation Covenant The New Covenant is founded upon the blood of Christ Page 19 Difference between the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace Page 55 Curse Christ was made a curse for sin Page 82 All the Saints curses are turned into blessings Page 89 D Damned The reason why men are damned Page 230 Dealing Christs Dealing with his Disciples was a pattern of his dealing with all Saints Page 293 Devil see Power Directions see Faith Disciple Marks of a true Disciple Page 290 Disposition We have a Disposition in us sutable to the Temptation Page 114 Duty Christ presents our duties to God Page 52 Christ draws the evil out of our Duties Page 55 The great acceptance our duties have in Christ Page 60 How to know whether Christ offer up our duties Page 67 See Weak Comfort E Egypt Why the Children of Israel suffered in Egypt Page 106 Enjoyment After our greatest enjoyment of God follows our greatest temptations Page 241 Errours Comfort against Errours Page 311 Falings Our Failings are passed by in Christ Page 64 The hurts of failing in faith Page 260 Difference between failing in faith and failing in heart Page 298 Failing in faith how it is known ibid Faith Faith being strengthened strengthens all graces Page 19 Faith is our Anchor by sea our Shield by land Page 116 Satan aimes at the faith of man Page 264 What it is to fail in faith Page 265 How Satan weakens our faith and how to resist him Page 271 Directions how to walk that our faith may not fail Page 280 Fall The fall of one Saint is a siumbling block to others Page 246 Father see Christ G God Gods inclination to hear Christ Page 32 God alwaies hears Christ Page 57 Gods people ought not to question Gods love Page 109 See Christ Promise love Godly Godly men lay all their sins upon their own hearts Page 254 Gospel see Blessing Grace Grace is larger under the Gospel than under the Law Page 68 See Covenant H Heart see Faith High-Priest Christ as High-Priest cannot refuse a poor sinner Page 20 Difference between Christ and other High-Priests Page 223 See Office Holy Ghost The holy Ghost dwels in the hearts of beleevers Page 79 Humility Spiritual joy causeth Humility Page 74 I Indulgence see Christ Incouragement Incouragements to poor sinners to come to Christ Page 48 Intercede Christ intercedes for all sins that against the holy Ghost excepted Page 39 See Christ Intercession Wherein the intercession of Christ consists Page 27 The prevalency of Christs Intercession Page 31 It is no presumption to bear our selves upon Christs intercession Page 41 See transcendancy Invite Tempted souls invited to come to Christ Page 230 Invitation Invitations to come to Christ Page 93 Joy see humility K Keyes The keyes of Heaven and Hell are in the hands of Christ Page 58 Kingly office The Kingly office of Christ is not so full of comfort as his Priestly Page 5 L Liberty We have liberty to go to the mercy-seat of God Page 66 Love Christs Love described Page 98 Gods Love doth not free a man from temptations Page 109 Wherein Christs Love to his people in temptations doth consist Page 286 M Magazine There is a Magazine of Mercy set open and how it came to pass Page 16 Mercy When Christs Mercy is most at work for his Disciples Page 286 Mercy-Seat see Liberty N Nakednesse Christ cloaths our Nakednesse Page 60 O Obedience The Obedience of Christ what it was Page 10 Office The Office of the High-Priest was to blesse the people Page 76 See Priestly P Power What great power the Devil hath Page 242 Praise What matter of praise we have in Temptation Page 312 Prayer Our duties are mixed with Christ prayer Page 56 Presumption see Intercession Priest The work of the High Priest was to make reconciliation Page 6 See Anointed High Christ Priestly The Priestly office of Christ is the magazine of all our comforts Page 4 The Priestly office of Christ is extended to none but such as shall be saved Page 5 The Priestly office of Christ is our only releef against sin Page 6 See Antichrist Prophetical The Prophetical office of Christ is extended to such as shall not be saved Page 5 Promise Christs promises run Indefinitely Page 17 Relying on a Promise makes it our own ibid Prosperity see Thankfulnesse R Resist see Satan Righteousnesse see Christ Robbed The Saints have something they cannot be Robbed of Page 258 S Sacrifice When Christ died he offered up himself a Sacrifice for man Page 8 Saints The Saints are not alone in temptations Page 295 Sanctifie see temptations Satan Satan tempts Gods dearest children Page 245 Satan is very envious Page 246 Satan loves to divide between friends Page 247 Satan hath leave from God to tempt and why he hath Page 248 Satan hath a hand in all great sins Page 255 Satans subtilty described Page 268 See Faith Satisfaction Christ hath made full satisfaction for all our sins Page 9 School The school of temptations is a great school Page 289 Sin All the sins of beleevers past present and to come are laid upon Christ Page 9 See conscience Sour see Sweet Storehouse see Magazine Stumbling see Fall Succour How Christ succours those that are tempted Page 227 We ought to be succouring Christians Page 235 See temptations Suffer Why God lets his people suffer Page 105 Suffering see ability T Tempt Tempt the signification of the word Page 99 The best men are worst tempted Page 103 Comfort for tempted souls Page 233 See Invite Satan Temptation The Benefit of Christs temptations Page 35 Temptations are corroding though they do not prevail Page 101 How to walk under temptation Page 113 We ought to look up to Christ in temptations Page 237 Temptations considered two waies Page 253 Difference between temptations and corruptions of our own heart Page 254 Temptations are the greatest Afflictions of Saints Page 256 How to stand out against temptations Page 258 How to avoid temptations Page 260 We must be thankful when we overcome temptations Page 262 Temptations are easy to be discerned Page 287 The time of our temptations is appointed by Christ Page 288 Temptations are sanctified to Beleevers Page 288 How it may appear that Christ succours most in time of temptations Page 292 Benefits that arise from Christs Succouring in temtations Page 301 See Call Disposition Christ Enjoyment Love School Saints Praise Comfort Termes The termes Christ was admitted into heaven upon Page 34 Thankful Special things we should be thankful for Page 316 Means to help us to be thankful Page 314 Thankfulness Thankfulnesse is required in every condition Page 305 Encouragements to thankfulness Page 320 Thanks Thanks must be given in adversity as well as in prosperity Page 305 Touching Touching how the word is taken in Scripture Page 108 Transcendency The Transcendency of Christs offering Page 14 The Transcendency of Christs intercession Page 35 Trust The great trust God reposed in Christ Page 58 U Victory Christ gives us victory over temptations Page 287 W Walk see temptation Weak Weak Duties are accepted in Christ Page 62 Wicked Wicked men lay all their sins upon the Devil Page 254 Willingness The willingness of Christ to succour tempted souls Page 224 Work What the Work of a High-Priest was Page 6 See grace Y Yeild We must not yeild to little sins Page 13 FINIS