not some Light ones onely but such as were very Irksome and hard to be born That is Chastening me sore First I say in this Expression we have the Frequency and Reiteration of these Chastenings even again and again This is one thing which God is pleased sometimes to do with his Children when he has Chastened them once to return to it and Chasten them a fresh and to renew his Chastenings to them When Sin is repeated Punishment is repeated likewise and when we return to our Transgressions God himself returns to his Corrections and Chastisements of us as is most requisite and Convenient for us Look as it is with Physitians in regard of the Body when the same Distemper comes again they give the same Physick to remove it and to take it away even so does the great Physitian in reference to the Soul Relapses into Sin will cause Relapses into Sickness or into any other trouble for Sin which it is a ground and occasion of The one follows upon the other in Gods most wise and prudent Dispensations Secondly Here 's the Multitude of Corrections He hath Chastened me in Chastening that is he hath sent one Affliction upon another this is another thing here observable in Gods proceedings towards the Sons of men one Deep calls to another Psal 42.7 Deep calleth unto Deep at the noise of thy water-spouts all thy Waves and thy Billowes are gone over me And so Job in Job 16.14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach he runneth upon me like a Giant Thus did the Lord with that Holy man he had Messenger upon Messenger of Evil tidings which hapned unto Him of the Chaldeans and Sabeans c. Thou renewest thy Witnesses against me and Increasest thine Indignation upon me in Job 10.17 Thirdly Here 's the Greiviousness of the Correction Repition implies Intention and so here he hath Chastened me in Chastening that is He hath Chastened me sore as our own Translation here gives it Thus God oftentimes does likewise he layes heavy Afflictions upon his People Thus the Church complains to God Psal 44.19 Thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadows of Death And Psal 80.5 Thou feedest them with the Bread of Tears and givest them Tears to drink in great measure Job The arrows of the Almighty were in him Heman His wrath lay hard upon him Paul He was Prest above measure and so of the rest And there 's very good cause for it God sees it to be necessary for us oftentimes to deal thus with us as simply to Chasten us so now and then to Chasten us sore and that especially that Patience may have its perfect work in us and that the Cure may be throughly wrought in us For strong Humours require strong Physick to purge them out Where Corruption is deeply rooted in the Heart there it is not a light or small matter which will serve the turn to work it out No but there must be a great deal of stir and adoe which is to be made with it The Use which we should make of it is therefore from hence to learn to understand the Providences of God in this particular to be satisfied in them and prepared for them we are apt to think our troubles to be such as none were ever before us see here how it is with David Chastened me sore And as I said there is cause for it that God may be clear when he Judges there are some Natures and Dispositions which a small or light Correction will doe no good upon him but they are apt to despise it and therefore God sees it necessary to deal more severely with them and to take a sharper Course to mend them And so I have done with the first General part of the Text which is the Condition it self The Lord hath Chastened me sore c. The Second is the Qualification of this Condition But he hath not given me over to Death which words are to be considered of us two manner of ways First in their Connexion with the words that went before And Secondly In their absolute Consideration as taken alone by themselves First In their Connexion and so I say they are a Qualification of those that went before and they serve to shew unto us the manner of Gods dealings with his people which is to mitigate his Afflictions of them and to Correct them still in measure he Chastens them but does not undoe them Thus 2 Cor. 6.9 As Dying but behold we live As Chastened but not kild And so 2 Cor. 4.8.9 Troubled on every side but not Distressed Perplexed but not in Dispair Persecuted but not forsaken Cast down but not destroyed And 1 Cor. 10.13 God is Faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able but will with the Temptation find a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Though he cause Grief yet will he have Compassion according to the Multitude of his Mercies Lam. 3.32 And so here now in this present Scripture Though he Chastens yet he gives not over unto Death The reason of it is this because Gods Ayme and Intent is not Destruction but Reformation which Death doth hinder and prevent the opportunities of unto us Though it is true that even in Death it self God can work much to this purpose as to the Changeing and bettering of the Heart yet for the outward Life and Conversation and the reforming of that this by Death is taken away Secondly As God does thus mitigate his Corrections in Wisdome so also in Mercy because he is a Gracious God and he continues still so to be without alteration Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords Mercies that we are not Consumed because his Compassions fail not They are new every Morning great is thy Faithfulness And Malach. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not Consumed The Lord is full of very much tenderness in this particular as it is related Concerning the Israelites that though they carried themselves perversely towards him Yet he being full of Compassion forgave them their Iniquities and destroyed them not Yea many a times turned he his Anger away and did not suffer his whole Indignation to arise for he remembred that they were but Flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Psal 78.38 39. And Psal 102.13.14 Like as a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him for he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but Dust in Psal 103.13.14 And again Esay 57.16 I will not contend for Ever neither will I be always wrath for the Spirit would fail before me and the Souls which I have made God stands very much upon this to prevent Discouragement in his Servants This should therefore First of all teach us to acknowledg Gods Goodness in this respect and to praise him for it as David Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy
That is He gave him the very particular thing which he asked and beg'd of God in prayer That which Jabez petition'd that was that which was bestowed upon him God does grant things some times in the Equalities and answers Prayer so but here he did it in the very thing it self This was a very high and large favour from God Especially if we shall consider what kind of Petitions these were for they were all such as were founded upon no more then Conditional promises and such as God with very good Credit might very well deny to his Children as having better things then these in store for them to supply them and make them up Yet notwithstanding all this was God pleased hereafter to answer Jabez's Prayer in these very particulars and to grant him what he desired Thus he is likewise pleased to do many times with other men though upon different Grounds and Occasions There are divers and sundry respects in which the Lord in his Providence does so order it as to grant men the very particular Petitions which are asked and desired by them as namely First Sometimes in a way of Anger and Judgment and Vengeance it self This is his Course commonly with his Enemyes and those whom he hates Wicked and Ungodly men They sometimes are very bold with him and in this manner they go to God in their distress and are very importunate with him and nothing will many times serve them but the very having and injoying of the things themselves which they call unto him for Now here in this case does God many times give them what they ask but not in Mercy but rather in Judgment Not hereby to accomodate them but rather so much the worser we may see it for instance in the Israelites Gods dealing with them to this purpose He still satisfied them for the most part in their Murmerings and what they call'd to him for that he commonly bestowed upon them But what were they ever a whit the better for it at last and in Conclusion Now they were a great deale the worse God gave them that which they desired but yet he made it to be a Curse unto them And that which they thought to be their Happiness it did indeed turn to their greatest Afflictions As we may see when they askt for Quayles and Mannah c. They had the Vengeance of God with them This is the Case and Condition oftentimes of many other wicked Persons in Gods dealing and Dispensations to them Yea not onely does he thus with his Enemies and wicked men but even with his Children also Especially there where they are inordinate and unreasonably importunate in their desires He gives them that which they ask with some tincture of his Displeasure and so as from thence taking occasion to withhold better things from them then those which they pitcht themselves upon Peremptory Petitions sometimes pass with God for the granting of them but to the excluding of choycer things then those which are desired in them It is a dangerous thing for us to Limit the Holy one of Israel as this Psalmist speaks We had a great deal better if we could see it trust God with the disposing of things to us and providing for us then rashly to carve out for ourselves whatsoever we have a fancy unto whereby we do exceedingly wrong and prejudice and straiten our selves It is better a great deal for us to be at Gods ordering then our own and to have Him to restrain us then for us to limit Him Secondly God does grant the particular thing which is askt and begged in Prayer sometimes in a way of Tryal and Magnanimity and Nobleness of Spirit Hereby he leaves men Vnexcusible and that they may have nothing to say for themselves Especially in such cases when they provoke him and put him to it As for Example now in matter of Vows and Promises which they make unto God upon the Condition of Granting their Requests God will give them that which they desire to try them and to see how well they will keep terms with him and that further he may so much the more work and win upon them As here now Jabez because he Vowed unto God that if God would bless him in the particulars mentioned he would thus and thus serve him therefore probably did God grant his request in part so much the rather to overcome him and to conquer him by his Gracious dealings with him and to try whether he would now be as good as his word and promise which he made unto him Thus we are to look upon many Blessings which God in his Providence does cast upon us and accordingly to make this use and improvement of them to be the more faithful to our Ingagements and Vowes wherein we have tyed our selves to God Seeing He is not wanting to us why should we be to him Thirdly God does grant the very thing which is requested many times in a way of incouragement to Hopeful and Ingenuous men and commers on to the ways of Religion That he may hearten men so much the more in the ways of Godliness and Christianity at their first entrance upon them he is pleased many times to pleasure them in the particular granting of their Requests Thus we see our Saviour in the Gospel did with many which came there unto him when they came to him for such and such Recoveries and to be healed of such Sicknesses and Diseases he was pleased to condescend unto them that so thereby he might the better intice them and draw them on to Religion it self It is in this Case with God to his People as it is with a Father towards his Children The Child that is but tender and under Age he is willing to please that in every thing and to give it where it is not hurtful for it and the very thing which it cryes for But the Son which is come to years of Discretion he refuses and puts him of in his desires with somewhat else Even so does the Lord with his He will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Young and tender Christians which are but first comming on to Goodness and New-beginner in the ways of God and but newly acquainted as it were with this Exercise of seeking to him such as these they know not well how to brook a denyal from him They would be ready to think he neglected them and rejected them if He did not hear them in the very thing therefore to such as these he grants them the very particular business which they request of Him But as for his old and well experienced servants which are better acquainted with him and more inured and accustomed to Him such as these He is pleased now and then to put off for the particular petitions and to make it up in somewhat besides Yet fourthly and lastly for explication God gives the very thing which is requested sometimes even to his choycest servants and to
portion in Him Now this is the condition of all Believers God hath made over himself unto them for theirs and whatever is His. All His Attributes they work for their Good His Wisdom to counsel them His Power to defend them His Justice to avenge them His Truth to make good all His promises of good unto them We should not take these things onely as Expressions but be perswaded that there is some Reality in them and accordingly strengthen our Hearts in the Belief and Expectation of them and dependance upon them When God does once Enter into Covenant with us and make us his People there is not onely a bare Relation betwixt us but a Relation with some Advantage As this People here of Israel after that God took them into his own propriety he made them the owners of very large Possessions Deut. 11.24 Every place whereon the soles of your Feet shall tread shall be yours from the Wilderness to the uttermost Sea c. That 's then the first Explication for God himself to be the Inheritance of his People The Second is for them to be his This is another thing which the Scripture makes mention of Psal 33.12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the People which he hath chosen for his own Inheritance So Deut. 30.9 The Lord's portion is his People Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance So Psal 28.9 Save thy people and bless thine Heritage c. For the better opening of this point unto us we must know that an Inheritance it does contain three things in it First Some good and Advantage Secondly Peculiarity and Propriety of Interest And Thirdly Succession and Derivation of it to Posterity now accordingly to all these Notions of it does God make choice of his People to be an Inheritance to Himself First As those which have some kind of Good and Usefulness in them Thus to speak strictly they have not nor they have it not of themselves any further then as he bestows it upon them which he is pleased to do He bestows Goodness upon them and then inherits that Goodness which is in them They are by Nature a barren piece of Ground fit for no use or Service at all but he does Cultivate and Manure them and thereby brings them into some good order and frame when he changes our Natures puts his Spirit into our Hearts Rules and Reigns in us he then makes us his Inheritance This is the difference betwixt Gods people and other men which are Enemies or Strangers to him they are for the most part Useless and Unprofitable having no Spiritual rellish or Savour in them but his people are Serviceable and Advantagious Secondly In an Inheritance there is Peculiarity and Propriety of Interest and so is there in God towards his People They are not onely his Treasure but his peculiar Treasure Seguleh as the Scripture still stiles them So his as no bodyes else besides Ps 135.4 The Lord hath chosen Jacob to himself and Israel for his Inheritance And Psal 114.2 When Jacob came out of Egypt Judah was his Sanctuary and Israel was his Dominion So Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works This is the Condition of the Church This therefore First of all Teaches us what we ourselves should be Namely such as are wholly devoted and consecrated to him we are not our own but Gods redeemed by him and bought with a price therefore we should Glorify God both in our Bodies and our Spirits which are his as the Apostle infers 1 Cor. 6.20 We should not now give ourselves liberty in any sinful and unwarrantable Courses considering whose we are Sin against God it is not onely Disobedience but Sacriledge and an invasion upon anothers right and so the Scripture still urges Obedience to us upon this Consideration as 1 Pet. 2.9 Ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light We are the Inheritance of God therefore we should not suffer Satan to get possession of us nor any Evil to prevail upon us Secondly Here 's matter of Comfort to the true Church and People of God that being his Inheritance he will therefore take care of them and protect them and keep them from Evil we see how careful Naboth was of his Inheritance God forbid says he that I should part with that he chose rather to part with his Life then to part with that and how tender then will God be of his Even a great deale more It is comfort to the whole Church in General And it is Comfort to the Jews in particular that God will in time again reduce them and call them home to Himself and recover his own Inheritance God hath not cast away his People which he fore-knew as the Apostle speaks to this purpose Rom. 11.2 And that is the Second Notion in an Inheritance to wit Propriety and Peculiarity of Interest The Third is Succession and Derivation of it to Posterity and so a people of Inheritance is a continued People from one time to another This is that which God takes care of to have Populum Hereditarium a People hereditary from one Age and Generation to another and it is very Comfortable where ever it is so when Religion goes in a line from the Father to the Children and so downward to Succeeding times Here Paul takes notice of the Grace in Timothy Which dwelt first in thy Grand-Mother Lois and in thy Mothers Eunice and I am perswaded that in thee also This is very sweet and pleasing whensoever it is so and is intimated here in this Text. It is that which those which are Christians should in a special manner take care of I gave you a touch of it the last Sabbath from hence forth and for ever Psal 125.2 I desire now further Brethren to inforce it and to set it home upon you as a Duty which is belonging to you to take care of it Especially we should all in our several opportunities indeavour the Continuance of the Church in succeeding time That God may have to himself a Portion and People of Inheritance even when we are in our Graves This is done first of all by being good in our own Generation Wicked and Erroneous persons which advance Errour and Lust in their time they do what they can even to Extinguish the Church of Christ and to destroy this Royal seed and to put God as it were out of the World It is those which are Good onely that preserve him and keep up the memory of him which we therefore should do Secondly By taking care of others and Educating them in his Fear I know Abraham says God that he will teach his Children after him so should we likewise do that so we may preserve unto
God a people of Inheritance As we should serve God in our own Generation so we should take care that others may likewise serve him in theirs and thereby propagate Religion in the World Thus we have seen the end of Gods delivering of his People That they might be to him a people of Inheritance Now further we may look upon it also as a Consequent and so see the Connexion of these two both together How did God bringing his People forth out of Egypt make them to be to him a people of Inheritance Namely thus far as they had now larger Opportunities for the serving of him afforded unto them while they were in Egypt they were there restrained in regard of the Idolatrous people which they were mingled withall but now being escaped they were more at liberty This therefore is the Advantage which we should still make of such opportunities That being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies we may serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of our life as it is there in Zacharys song Luk. 1. vers 74.75 And so much of the first Particular observable in this second General viz. The design it self to be c. The Second is the Amplification of it That we have in those words As ye are this day In which clause we have three things especially hinted to us concerning God First the Accomplishment of his purposes Secondly The Certainty of his promises Thirdly The Continuance of his performances The Accomplishment of his purposes God does whatsoever he decrees and propounds to himself He had propounded this to make Israel a peculiar people to himself and he had now at this day performed it and brought it to pass so that we see how there is nothing stands in his way for the hindering of what he has a mind to He spake and it was done He commanded and it stood fast Psal 33.9 Our God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever he pleaseth Psal 115. vers 3. This should satisfy us and incourage us as to our Expectations for the good of the Church that all Gods thoughts of peace towards it shall be accomplished and brought to pass and are sure as if we see them done already before our Eyes wheresoever he intends good unto them their good shall not be kept from them but shall certainly be Effected and brought to pass and all the attempts to the contrary they prove in vain As for Pharaoh and the Egyptians they were both to part with Israel and to let them go out of their Land having a desire to keep them in Bondage and Service still and they thought they dealt very wisely in so contriving as we may see in Exod. 1. vers 10.4.5 But yet for all that they mist of their mark and their aim as it appeared in the Event and as it was now at this present day with them That 's the first Accomplishment of Gods purposes The Second is the Certainty of his promises as to the performance and effecting of them also As ye are at this day We see how punctual God is with them to a day he keeps his time to a moment and as he had long ago promised that he would bring his people out of that land so he now effected it and brought it to pass All Gods promises they are Yea and Amen God is not a man that he should lye nor the Son of man that he should repent Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good as it is Numb 23.19 Therefore let us rest upon his promises where-ever he does vouchsafe them to us and comfort and incourage ourselves by them and make use of this point as to Corporal Deliverance so to Spiritual He promises for treading down Sin and Satan and Death and all the Enemies of our Salvation and bringing us out of the Thraldome and Captivity of them which he will surely do for us The third and last is the continuance of His performances As ye are this day Namely in the fruit and efficacy of it This was performed fourty years ago for the thing it self but yet Moses speaks of it as done at that day to wit in regard of the benefit which thereby did redound unto them God's mercies they are mercies of extent which do not only reach to the present times in which they were first wought but also to many succeeding Generations Now from hence will follow another point as our Duty which is here also to be observed and that is that we are accordingly to remember them and call them to our mindes and so from thence make them fresh unto us as if done at this present time It is that which Moses indeavours to make these Israelites to do here In the Text who minds them of a mercy which was done many years ago for them as if it had been done for them just at that time This is the scope of this narration and this also hath been the practise of the Saints of God in other places Thus Psal 78.1.6 Give ear O my people to my law encline your ears to the words of my mouth I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us We will not hide them from their children shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children c. Thus there 's very good ground for First Because the mercy in its own nature is still one and the same and Time does not take away from the greatness or largeness of it That which was done so many years ago is as great a Mercy as if done at this day 3dly because one Age alone is not sufficient to praise God for them therefore posterity must take notice of them for them The children must herein help the fathers to publish and set forth Gods praises for the mercies bestowed upon them This therefore should be our own particular practise as we have any occasion afforded us for it Not content our selves to take notice of those mercies which are bestowed upon us at present but which have a long time been bestowed upon one to another that have been before us or upon our selves though for many years past To conclude our Meditations on this Text we may here take notice of two things more with which I will shut up First The Inlargements of God towards his people We see here in how many particulars he expresses Himself towards them First In that He brings them out of that sad condition in which they were though in
to prevent them from Sin by his Counsell To restrain them in sin by his Admonition To Expiate their sins by his Prayers To bewail their sins in his reflexions c. So did Job here And so should every one else do besides upon the like occasion And that upon sundry Considerations First Out of respect to the Honour and Glory of God which should be near and dear unto us The more that others sin the more is God dishonoured and we are Concern'd in that Dishonour to lay it to Heart It is an Argument we bear little Affection to his Name when we are not toucht with sins against him Secondly Out of respect to the Souls of our Brethren which should be dear unto us likewise it was the prophane Question of Cain which he made to God Am I my Brothers keeper yes he was so and so is every one of us also to one another in this particular God has intrusted us with one anothers Souls for the Salvation of them Thirdly Out of respect to our selves which from hence may be in some Danger The sins of others bring Judgments oftentimes upon the places where those sins are committed and are offensive to the whole Community in regard whereof there is cause to be shy about them Therefore this justly meets with the Neglect which is in many in this particular There are many as they lay not to Heart their own Sins so much less the Sins of others but as the Cheif Priests rather to Judas when he complained and told them that he had Sinned they returned him this answer What 's that to us Look thou to that in Matth. 27. vers 4. But Secondly We may Consider Job here in his Relation considered as a Father and so as sollicitous about his Children It may be that my Sons have Sinned Where we see what was the cheifest care and thoughtfulness of this Holy man about them It was this least they should offend God upon occasion of these their meetings together with one another He did not mislike the meeting and occasion it self but he feared the Circumstances of it The meeting and occasion it self it was in it's own Nature lawful and Commendable and to very good purpose for Brethren and Sisters to come sometimes together in Love and to injoy a free use of the Creatures in a way of Joy and thankfulness there may be no hurt in that nay their may be very good use of it which God does allow But there may be sometimes according as it may fall out ill attendances and Concomitants of it And this was that which Job was affraid of when he says It may be they have Sinned We will First Observe what it was that Job did not suspect or complain of And Secondly What it was that he did First Then I say he did not find fault with the meeting it self That was rather matter of Joy and Comfort to Him to see that accord and agreement which was betwixt his Children that they were willing to meet that there was no difference nor Heart-burnings betwixt them but that they could come together Secondly He does not complain neither of the Charge or Cost which this their meeting might come unto and perhaps to Himself Some Covetous and Worldly-minded Person would have been most Sollicitous and careful about that and have been ready to grudge at it It may be my Children are too Prodigal and too Lavish in their Entertainments if they do thus while I am living what will they do when I am gone I am affraid I shall have a back Reckoning for this their meeting afterwards and my Purse will be likely to pay for it What needs all this cost He does not say so though in some Cases and according to some Persons such things might be feared yet this was not the fear of Job at this present time Thirdly He does not think much neither that Himself was not call'd or invited amongst them some man would have been ready to have said so and quarrelled at that my Sons and my Daughters they can Feast and Banquet and make much of one another but in the mean time neglect their Father and desire not his presence amongst them He complains not I say of this which perhaps might be no argument at all of disrespect in them but not so convenient for some other reasons And therefore Job being a Wise man and a Tender and Loving Father would not take much Exception at that but pass it over These were not the things that troubled him No but this was that which most disquieted Him for fear least his Children should offend and trespass upon God not so much that they should forget himself as that they should forget the Lord and not be mindful of Him in their meeting It may be my Children have sinned and have Cursed God in their Hearts This as I said is laid down two manner of ways First In the General Proposition It may be they have Sinned Secondly In the Particular Instance and have Cursed God in their Hearts Wee 'll begin with the First viz. Their Miscarriages Generally propounded It may be they have sinned Job was Sollicitous about the Sins of his Children This was that which was principally in his thoughts and care concerning them and so it is likewise in all other Godly and Religious Parents besides especially when their Children are absent and at a Distance from them for fear they should sin There are other Occasions of Fear now and then administred as to their bodies and outward man and dangers in that respect which they are exposed unto Oh but the cheif and main is their Souls least some Evil should happen unto them in regard of him Monica the Mother of St. Austin she said she travailed twice with her Children and her last was more greivous then her first wherein she was in fear of them as to the miscarriage of their Souls And so it is likewise with other good Parents as St. Paul in his ministerial Relation to the Galathians My little Children of whom I travail in Birth again c. Gal. 4.19 The reason of it is this Because this is the greatest matter of Concernment Parents that love their Children they desire to Express their love to them in those things which are of Greatest moment now such is their Spiritual welfare and the good of their Souls that they may not miscarry in that which is a Miscarriage to all Eternity And then As I said before of other men their own good or ill is wrapt up and involv'd in it Parents they oftentimes suffer for their Childrens enormities especially where they are not themselves affected as they should be with them as we may see in Eli and David and some others And therefore least my sons have sinned Therefore this justly comes home to the neglect of many Parents in this particular There 's many Parents in the world that all there care about their children is how to keep them from outward
calamities and worldly miscarriages That they may not be sickly or weakly or poor and mean and low in their outward condition but for other things they may be what they will be as wicked and impious and graceless and sinful as they please It was otherwise with this Godly and Religious Parent in the Text this Holy man Job who hath other kind of thoughts with himself I see saies he that I have many children and they are healthful and strong and towardly and likely to live in the world but this is not my greatest comfort that they are mine except also they may be God's I complain not of their carriage to me which is fair as to their outward deportment but I am afraid least they may forget him and trespass upon Him It may be my Sons have sinned And so parents in this particular they should labour to qualifie and abate the fears of them There was no question but Job had been carefull to instruct his children and as became so Godly a Father to give them good and pious education and yet for all that He was anxious and sollicitous about them It may be my sons have sinned we may therefore take notice of his fear even in this particular circumstance which may serve as an illustration Job He was afraid of his children even then when he had instructed his children and had used all good means that might be for the preventing them and keeping them from sin from whence we may observe thus much That there 's no trust to be given either to good Relations or good education consider'd alone by themselves Even the sons of Job it was possible they might sin and sin notoriously notwithstanding they had so good a father and one that was so carefull for his particular to make them good likewise It may be they have sinned The ground of it is this Because these things are no further successeful then it pleases God to vouchsafe his blessing to them which being denyed have no effect at all If God does not seal his instruction and sanctifie education to those who are made partakers of it it is all but in vain and to no purpose and comes to naught Grace it does not go either by inheritance or propagation but is oftentimes interrupted and broken off in a succession of persons though sometimes indeed upon other considerations there is a continuance and preservation of it as we see in Timothy his mother and Grandmother in 2 Tim. 1.5 The Use of this point is not to discourage any from such wayes as these are Godly education it is both a duty and likewise a Priviledge which both Parents are to be careful of for the giving it and Children to rejoyce in and to be thankful for as to the Participation But the Scope and Drift of this Observation comes to this that it be not trusted in or relyed upon by us as sufficient of it self which indeed it is not and so Job here thought who though he had been mindful of it even with Abraham to teach his children after him yet notwithstanding was not secure hereupon so as to think they were out of all danger God is pleased sometimes now and then even to frustrate the best Instructions that so we may rest wholy upon Himself and his free-Grace in the use of the means But what was that which gave occasion to Job now to Fear and thus to suspect It may be my Sons have sinned There are divers reasons and occasions for it First His Love and affection to them Love as I said in the beginning it is full of Sollicitude for the parties which it is carried unto As St. Paul expresses it to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 11.2.3 I am Jealous over you with a Godly Jealousy for I have espoused you to one Husband c. But I fear c. Secondly Their General Corruption of Nature whosoever they be that have Flesh and Corruption in them even the best that are we may fear least they have sinned because they have the Ground and matter and Foundation of sin in them Homo sum humani c. Thirdly Their Age and Condition of Life They were Persons which were now in their Youth which is an Age subject to Miscarriage as any other whatsoever From its Rashness and Fierceness and Violence and Incogitancy c. There was ground enough for Suspicion from thence especially as to Youthful lusts more then others Fourthly Their Imployment or the occasion of their present meeting which was a Feast It was Eating and Drinking And there are great Snares and Temptations here and that of divers sorts as First To Gluttony and Drunkenness and Intemperance These are too often spots in men's Feasts not to Consider what is before them but to be given to Appetite Prov. 23.1.2 Feeding themselves without fear Jude Epist vers 12. To have their Hearts over-charged with Surfeting and Drunkenness Luk. 31. vers 34. Secondly To Strife and Contentions and Brawlings and Fightings c. Prov. 23.29.30 Who hath Woe Who hath Sorrow Who hath Contentions Who hath Bablings Who hath Wounds without cause c. They that tarry long at the Wine c. Thirdly Lascivious Carriages and Speeches Thine Eyes shall behold strange Women and thine Heart shall utter perverse things Prov. 13.33 Fourthly Atheisme and forgetfulness of God and Blaspheming of his name as it follows in the Text which in its place we shall come unto Sinned and have Cursed God in their Hearts Jesurun waxed fat and kicked Deut. 32.15 And Deut. 8.10 When thou hast eaten and art full beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping of his Commandments and his Judgements and his Statutes c. These and the like are such sins as are incident to such occasions which made Job to be so fearfull of his children in these present circumstances in which they were and became him so to be And the rather which we may add hereunto because Satan is usually vigilant to improve such opportunities as these all he can for the insnaring of poor souls And Job he was not now ignorant herein of Satans devices Well if Job was thus carefull for his part we may see how carefull we had need be for ours both in our own case and others to be jealous of the Temptations of our conditions and of the circumstances in which we are from our conversation in the world And so much of the miscarriage consider'd in the General proposition It may be that my sons have sinned The Second is the Particular instance or specification And have cursed God in their hearts This will require a little opening and explicating by us in regard of the great difference and variety of Interpretations The words in the Original Text runs otherwise for there it is It may be that my sons have sinned and blest God in their hearts which is quite contrary to that which is here exprest in our English Translation as also in divers other
or wearying out of him that he should give over Hee 'l make us weary of sinning before we shall make him weary of punishing Secondly Another occasion of escape in a multitude of delinquents amongst men is their exceeding great power and strength that they prove to hard for them which should judge them and call them to an account But this will not serve the turn against God when he shall come to punish them When the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they shall all fail together as it is Isa 31.3 Thus much as it is terrible to wicked men Secondly This makes also very much for the comfort of the people of God in regard of their conflict which they sustain with great and potent Enemies and the multitudes of them They are such as prove oftentimes too hard and strong for them as the sons of Zerviah did for David but the Lord can tame them well enough whether a Nation or a man onely there 's no rescue out of his hands that he should not destroy them This was that whereby the Prophet Elisha comforted his servant in 2 King 6.16 Fear not says he for they that be with us are more than they that be with them And so Hezekiah to his Captains of war in 2 Chron. 32.7 Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be more with us then with him with him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels The Lord will one day tread all our enemies under our feet Again Further whether it be done against a Nation or against a man onely we learn another observation from this conjunction and that 's this That the sins of one Particular Person as well as of an whole Nation may provoke the Lord to the execution of judgement and punishment upon such and such places Elihu is here indifferent in his expressions whether one or to'ther That 's a true word of the Preacher That one sinner destroyes much good Eccles 9. ult Thus we see how the sin of one Achan put an whole army of Israelites to flight Josh 7.12 Thus we see how the sin of one Saul was an occasion of three years famine in the land 2 Sam. 21.1 Thus we see how the sin of one David caused a Pestilence from Dan to Beersheba 2 Sam. 24.15 Thus as he said Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi The ground of this point is taken from the filthy nature of sin it self and the odiousness therein which is so hateful and detestable to God that it makes him afflict those occasionally for it which were not immediately active in it Thus he has threatned to visit the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth Generation Look as we see amongst men the whole stock and family is tainted for the treason of one member of it even so also in the dealings of God some whole Land and Nation may be defiled and involved for the sin of one man in it Secondly Because it is hard and rare for one notorious sinner to be in a Kingdom but the whole Kingdom more or less does partake of his guilt and wickedness in some one kind or other And a participation in sinning calls for a participation in punishing Hence may God easily be provoked and in good justice proceed to scourging of a Nation with a particular reference to a man onely This serve 's first of all to excite us to search and examine our selves now that Gods judgements are abroad in the land to see whether we or no for our particulars may not be the causes of them or if not of the first inflicting them yet at least of the further continuance of them and in that height that they are now upon us we are all ready in such cases to reflect upon the general Abominations and the Miscarriages of the Land in gross or it may be of such publique States and Conditions belonging to the Lands as the Magistrates and the Ministers and the like but we are here now call'd to search and inquire into our private and personal Faylings whether there may not be somewhat arising from them Secondly We see here what cause there is when God's Judgments are at any time upon a Kingdom that those which have the Government of it should proceed to the Execution of Justice upon notorious Offenders Forasmuch as but one of these for ought any one can say to the Contrary might be an occasion of wrath upon the Land and so accordingly the punishing of such an one might divert Wrath from it we see a plain and notable instance of this in the example of Phineas of whom it is said That when he stood up and Executed Judgment the Plague stayed Psal 106.30 Thirdly By the Rule of Contraryes as the Sin of one man may bring Judgment so the Righteousness of one man also may remove it and therefore we should all be here incouraged for the rectifying and reforming of our own wayes let the Nation do what it will There is a notable and excellent place to this purpose in this Book of Job Chap. 22. vers 29.30 Speaks there to a Godly man and one that delights himself in the Almighty When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he shall save the humble Person He shall deliver the Hand of the Innocent and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands So go through Jerusalem and find me a man that executeth Judgment c. Jerem. 5.1 And so much of these words also in their Connexion there remains to speak of them in their Second reference distinctly Trouble and Peace as it relates to a Private person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SERMON XIII Job 34.29 And when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be against a Nation or against a man onely This Scripture which I have here again read unto you it carryes a verygood complyance and Correspondency with the present times and seasons which are now fallen upon us for which cause I have the rather chosen it at this time to be handled by us It makes mention of those two things which take up the greatest part of our thoughts Trouble and Quietness The one is in our thoughts to Bewayl it and the other is in our thoughts to desire it The one we have in our Experience and the other in our Expectation and both we have also here Exhibited in that reference in which our selves look up it to wit in Generall to an whole Kingdom and in Particular to every Person to a Nation and to a man onely And this double reference of it does serve to make up unto us the two particulars of the Text. In the Morning we spake to the former where we
God's Goodness in this first Dispensation of himself unto us The State and Condition of Infancy may here be a ground of Security to riper years Thus it was here to David And accordingly it should now occasionally be improved by you against all inordinate carefulness and Sollicitude and distraction of Spirit whether for your selves or those which in this relation belong unto you There are many which much perplex themselves with such thoughts what shall become of them and especially of their Infants and little ones in such sad times as these which are now upon us Of War and Slaughter and Desolation and national Ruine why consider now for this purpose who it is that makes to hope upon the breast It is not the tenderness of Condition which makes God uncapable of shewing mercy or unwilling or unable to give protection nay he gives it so much the rather in that regard in which respect we should depend upon him and though God may not always it may be shew it in that way which we may desire and expect it yet he will do it in some other way and manner which shall be altogether as profitable for us and comfortable to us And that 's the first pledge of Goodness which David draws from this Condition The Pledges of Protection and Preservation The Second is the Pledge of Provision and Sustentation God fed him upon the Breasts therefore there was good ground to hope that God would feed and sustain him still Here 's an argument now against Sollicitous and distracting care for our support here in this World which is that which does very much disquiet many an Heart What shall we Eat and what shall we Drink and wherewith shall we be Cloathed Our Saviour in this case sends us in another place to the Birds and to the Lillyes and Beasts Here now we are sent to the Babes and Sucklings and Breasts consider what God has done here in this particular and fetch an argument of Faith from hence It is a good security to us for our Sustenance and daily Bread And when we are at any time tempted to distrustfulness we should make this use of it to look back and consider how God provided for us in this Condition and reason thus He that fed me when I was a Child and unable to feed my self will he now starve me when I am a man and when I partake of more Abilities He that fed me with Milk will he not feed me with stronger Meat He that has fed me will he not feed those also which are mine and which belongs unto me Thus should we argue in these cases and consider that this Carping and Caring as it is offensive in other Considerations so it does also in particular trespass upon our experience of Gods goodness to us in our Infancy and tender Estate There is one thing more before I pass this particular which is not to be omitted by us my Mothers Breasts There is somewhat also observable in this It is not said the Breasts of the Nurse but the breasts of the Mother to signify thus much unto us that none in an ordinary way are so fit Nurses of Children as Parents Where there is a Concurrance of other Qualifications and no special hinderance and impediment that justly lyes in the way as an obstruction thereunto which must always in such cases be excepted She that is the Childs Mother is the fittest to be the Childs Nurse it 's most sutable and agreeable to Nature and that affection which God hath put into Parents for this end amongst the rest Esay 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb. Where the Son of her Womb and her sucking Child are put together as explaining one another A Woman may forget a sucking Child which is the Son of another Woman but which is the Son of her own Womb this she can hardly forget This was the Happiness of Moses when Pharach's Daughter took him up for her adopted one that she which was his Mother was his Nurse and so David here in this place he does intimate it as a blessing to be remembred that she that bore him Nurst him and that as God preserved him upon the Breasts so especially upon the breasts of his Mother This is therefore by the way a good item and admonition which is here suggested unto us as concerning Parents and Mothers of Children to be taken notice of by them that they consider upon what grounds and in what cases they devolve this work upon others which properly and naturally and orginally and in the example of Scripture hath still for the most part been an imployment belonging to themselves And that 's also the Second particular The blessings of the Breasts The Third is the blessings of the Cradle in the care of his Orphanage and Education Vpon thee was I cast from the Womb. Here is a further Expression of Gods goodness and mercy to him in his former Estate There are two manner of ways in which David was said from the Womb to be cast upon God and so consequently any other may be said to be cast upon him in the same respect likewise First By the Helplesness and Necessity of his Condition He was now a poor and destitute Creature unable to help Himself or do any thing towards his own advancement and then did God himself take a special care of him he was cast upon him that is left to his mercy Secondly By the Faith of his Parents Who in the exercise of Faith in the promises and Gods Covenant of free-Grace did commend and commit and give him up to Gods tuition First He was cast upon God from the Womb by the Helplesness and Necessity of his Condition He was so cast upon God as that he or none must now relieve him and take care of him and so he did Thus Psal 27.10 When my Father and Mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Which is true both of a forsaking of Affection and likewise of a forsaking of Presence which latter as I conceive is there chiefly and principally intended When his Father and his Mother forsook him by being removed and taken away from him so that here now we have exhibited unto us the special care which God undertakes to have of Orphans and Fatherless Children to provide for them or any other which though they have Parents yet are such as cannot help them Thou art the helper of the Fatherless Psal 10.14 And in thee the Fatherless find mercy Hose 14.3 In which places by Fatherless we may understand not onely such as are commonly and properly so called but which are in any destitute and forelorn Condition whatsoever it be Thus did God graciously provide for David and thus also for sundry others he is a faithful and careful Guardian to protect and sustain those which are most to seek of outward relief and he delights to shew himself so
so much also of the second particular here observable viz. The Amplification of the evil multitude of thoughts The Third is the Subject of this Grief and Distemper and that is David Himself My thoughts David an Holy Person a Prophet of God a man after Gods own Heart Even he was exercised and afflicted and troubled with this variety of distracting thoughts from whence observe thus much that even the Children of God themselves they are sometimes troubled with anxious and sollicitous thoughts and that also in a very great multitude and plurality of them In the multitude of my thoughts says David It were an Infinite thing to run over the several particulars and therefore we must of necessity fasten upon some General heads which we may take for orders sake these following Explications First Multitude of thoughts concerning their own Salvation and State in Grace Secondly Multitude of thoughts concerning their own Preservation and Provision and State always in the world Thirdly Multitude of thoughts concerning the publique State and Condition of the Church of God and the Common-wealth All these several Heads do make up this multitude of thoughts in the Church of God First I say They have Multitude of thoughts as concerning their own Salvation and State and Grace The Children of God themselves they have now and then very great Doubtings and Distractions and perplexities in their own minds in reference to this They are sometimes at a loss with themselves as concerning the Apprehension of Gods love and favour towards them and their own Interest in Grace and future Glory thus it was with this very person before us David himself as we may gather from his own Complaints and Requests to this purpose in many places of the Psalmes more particularly Psal 13.1 c. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for Ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I take Counsell in my Soul having Sorrow in my Heart c. And so Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul And why art thou disquieted within me c. And Psal 51.8 c. Make me to hear Joy and Gladness that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face from my Sins and blot out all mine Iniquities c. This shews us what Condition he was in and so as David Himself so likewise others together with him This was also the Condition of Job he was troubled with multitude of such thoughts too as he oftentimes complains in his Book that God hid his face from him held him as an Enemy writ bitter things against him put his feet into the Stocks and set a print upon his heeles scared him with Dreams and terrified him with Visions and many such like Expressions of disquietness as these are And so likewise that Goodly man Heman Psal 88.14.15 This was his case likewise Lord why castest thou off my Soul While I suffer thy Terrours I am Distracted Afunah Anius pendeo I am in agreat doubting and know not which way to turn me This is that which God sometimes in his providence suffers and orders so to be upon very good Ground As namely thereby to humble them and keep them low The Children of God themselves are too subject now and then to be exalted and lifted up in themselves when all goes well with them and therefore to subdue or prevent this Distemper in them does God exercise them with Spiritual Disertions and sad thoughts This we may see for an Instance in St. Paul who least he should be Exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations had therefore a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him and this as Irksome and troublesome to him as a thorn in the Flesh When the Child begins to grow wanton the Father hides his face from him that so by this means he may bring him into a better order and frame again And so does God deal with his Children in his Dispensations and Carriage towards them he has the like oeconomie likewise Some times he does it to shew his own Liberty and Prerogative as the case seems to have been with Job though more frequently this does proceed from the Miscarriages of Gods Children themselves who cause more troublesome thoughts to themselves then otherwise they need to do onely from their own Sin and default That which we may gather from this present Observation to our selves for our own Improvement is from hence to take heed of over charging and laying too hard censure and load upon those whom we see sometimes to be in such Conditions as these are giving them over as none of the Children and People of God It is that which the world is too ready and forward to do when they observe any persons to be followed with troublesome and disquieting thoughts and especially in reference to their Salvation and the assurance of Gods love unto them to conclude them in a bad Condition and not that which they ought to be but they do offend in so doing And they do offend also as David expresses it in another place Against the Generation of his Children Psal 73.15 We see here how David Himself though a man of those high Qualifications and peculiar Interest in God yet he was not freed from these troubles nor the variety and plurality of them In the multitude of my thoughts That is in this first Explication of thoughts concerning his own Salvation and State in Grace The Second is with thoughts in reference to his own Provision and Preservation and affair in the World There is a multitude of thoughts in this particular which both David and the rest of Gods people are oftentimes subject unto First For Provision What they shall Eate and what they shall Drink and what they shall put On Many thoughts of Distraction about this I say thoughts of Distraction For as for thoughts of Providence and Sober and careful contrivance they are such as are no other then sutable and agreeable to them and are very warrantable in them But I say Distracting and Perplexing thoughts these are such as are very Irregular and hurtful to them they may be very well brought within the compass of these bough-like thoughts and they are such as are in the Language of Scripture exprest and set forth unto us by the name of Thornes which Choak the word that it becometh unfruitful Matth. 13.22 These were such as our Saviour did so labour to pluck up out of the minds of his Disciples and in them of all of us Matth. 6.31 Therefore take no thought saying What shall we Eat or what shall we Drink or wherewithall shall we be Cloathed And he uses many arguments to that purpose in regard of that great proneness which is in us thereunto This proceeds from want of due considering of the providence of God himself for us and our Relation to him as may appear by the meanes whereby he labours to settle our thoughts in this particular verse 32.
of that Chap. Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things There are three or four arguments at once in those words to take us off from anxity and perplexity in this matter First From Gods Relation to us he is our Father and a Father will not be wanting to his Children in providing for them in regard of his great nearness and affection to them Children that have a Father to take care for them they take so much the less care for themselves But then Secondly Our own Necessities we stand in need of all these things A Father though he will provide for his Children yet he will not provide all kind of things for them there are many things which they may as well want as have and he will not trouble himself about them but ye have need of all these things and therefore he will not fail you Thirdly His Cognizance of our Condition that 's another Consideration A Father may be willing enough to provide for his Childrens necessities if he knew that they were in necessity indeed but this perhaps he may not do and sometimes he does not Yea but your Father knows that ye have need of all these things and he knows it before ye ask him to verse 8. of this Chap. Lastly His Ability to supply us that 's signified in the Epithet which is given him your Heavenly Father who is full of Riches and Goodness and Power and has nothing wanting to him and so will not suffer any thing to be wanting to you neither All these taken together shew the unreasonableness of these distracting thoughts which yet we are all for the most part subject unto and that 's in point of Temporal Provision So likewise Secondly in point of preservation and deliverance from any danger which at any time we are subject unto There 's a Multitude of the like thoughts here to which we are infested with all We never think our selves safe even then when we are under the safe-guard of the greatest protection David himself still to keep to the Text was thus distracted especially at that time when he was in danger from Sauls persecutions although he had but newly escaped and had been made partaker of a most eminent experience of Gods goodness to him yet he presently again thinks with himself I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Look how many dangers we are any of us capable of so many perplexing and solicitous thoughts are we likewise subject and inclinable unto occasionally from those dangers which are upon us And then thirdly As concerning our imployments and ordinary affairs what a Multitude of thoughts here does there daily increase upon us There 's none can have many businesses but they will consequently have many thoughts which those businesses will produce in them especially those whose businesses lye in their thoughts these must needs have thoughts about them if they be sensible and apprehensive of them and consider what they are and that according to the nature of the things themselves and the imployments which they are taken up in such as Davids for his particular were He that had the care of a kingdom and State and Common-wealth lying upon him he could not be without such thoughts and that a Multitude of them too which he was troubled withall Great Places and Offices they are accompanyed with great thoughts as attending upon them Thoughts how to discharge them and to perform the Duty of them and thoughts how to sustain them and how to undergo the miscarriage of them still there will be thoughts on work where there is any work at all to be done if those to whom it doth belong do well consider and advise with themselves whether in the Church or Common-wealth we see how St. Paul was affected as concerning those great businesses which lay upon himself for the Church in 2 Cor. 11.28 29. Besides those things that are without that which commeth upon me daily the care of all the Churches who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not This blessed vessel of God was even almost crackt and broken with those thoughts with were upon him And it is not otherwise in a proportion with many others besides though they may be free from troublesome thoughts otherwise yet they have enough in regard of their very work and this makes up to us the second Explication of this multitude of thoughts in the Text which the Prophet David was here troubled withall namely thoughts for his own Provision and Preservation and business in the World The Third is Thoughts as concerning the Publick state and condition of the Church and Common-wealth not onely in reference to himself and as a part of his own imployment consider'd as a Publick person but absolutely and simply in itself where himself had nothing to do for the managing of any affairs This is another property and disposition of a good man to be much affected and troubled in this respect when we once come to be Christians we come to have thoughts for more then our selves or such as belong unto us in a civil or natural Relation which call to us to have thoughts also for others namely the Church and people of God we have divers instances hereof of Godly men in Scripture and elsewhere who have had many solicitousthoughts in them in this particular Thus it was with good old Eli ye know how the case was with him It is said of him that he sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.13 He was very anxious and sollicitous in himself what would become of the Ark which was a Testimony of Gods special presence forasmuch as it was now in danger of being surprized by the Philistims and his Daughter in Law Phinehas's wife when she heard that it was taken indeed she regarded not the Birth of a Son in comparison when she consider'd the sad condition which the Church was now in And so for Nehemiah though himself was well and in a good condition being in favour and honour in the Court of Artaxerxes and no sickness upon him as the King himself took notice of him yet he looked very sad and discontented in regard of the affliction of Gods people and he had a multitude of disquiet thoughts because the City the place of his fathers Sepulchers lay waste and the gates thereof were consumed with sire as himself expresseth it Neh. 2.3 And so again it was likewise with Mordecai when he perceived what was done by Haman in conspiracy against his people the Jews he had no rest nor quiet in his spirit but was full of thoughts and care within himself how to free them from that ruine which was advised upon and consulted against them And he had brought Queen Hester likewise into the same condition and disposition with him Esth 8.6 How can I indure to see the evil that
and Consolation As the Sun it does not onely dispell Darkness but likewise brings in a Glorious light in the stead of it Who would not then by all means keep Close to such Comforts as these are and labour to have such an Interest in them as might be both Satisfactory and delightful to them in their greatest Distress Look how far short we are of Spiritual Comforts so far short also of true Pleasure and Delight And this is the first thing here observable to wit the Act. They do Delight The Second is the Object and that is my Soul We showed before know the Grief was in the mind and therefore the Comfort must be so also that the Remedy may answer the Malady Bodily-Pleasures will not satisfie for Mind-Distractions nothing will ease the Soul but such Comforts as are agreeable to it self and such are these present Comforts of God they delight the Soul and so by consequence the whole man For if that be well all will be well with it Bodily Comforts will not allay Spiritual Troubles but Spiritual Comforts will make a very great amends in Bodily Infirmities A good Heart it will do good as a Medicine as Solomon speaks and it will give Marrow and Fatness to the Bones What may we think then of those who undervalue such things as these are and will hazard the Perplexity of their Souls for the Injoyment of some few Bodily-pleasures which are no way answerable and sutable hereunto certainly such as those do not know what they do in so doing And so much also for that second particular to wit the Operation of the Physick as also the second General in the Text to wit the Remedy as also the whole Text it self Now to sum up all in a word which hath been spoken and to bring it briefly to an Head we have heard that there are many thoughts which many People are exercised withall thoughts of Perplexities and Distractions and that even to the Servants of God as concerning their own particulars as concerning the Good of the Publique and Church of God and that these are Comforts from God which do not onely satisfie but also delight in such conditions Now what remains to our selves but that we observe and take notice of these truthes and improve them to own best advantage We see here our Duty and priviledge both at once and the one following from the other Forasmuch as there is comfort from God to his Servants in their greatest uncertainties and destractions of thoughts therefore it lies upon us so to carry and to demean our selves as that we may be made partakers of this Comfort And there are two things especially which do much conduce and tend to this purpose The one is the improving and laying out our thoughts for God And the other is the referring and committing of our thoughts to Him in the practise of either of these rules and observations still we find this truth made good unto us That in the Multitude of thoughts within us his Comforts delight my soul First we must be careful to lay out our thoughts for God we must remember this as we desire to have thoughts of Comfort so we must be carefull to have thoughts of improvement which will reflect so much the more sweetly upon us Alas what are these what are we able to think of for him who of our selves can think nothing or if we could what need we to do it He is absolute and All-sufficient in himself It is true he is pleased to desire thus much from us which we should not think much to yield unto him As God has given us this advantage in our natures above all these inferiour Creatures that we are able to think and contrive so we should use and improve our thoughts for his Glory and according to the Abilities which he furnishes us withall and the opportunities which he puts into our hands The greater the Sphere is we move in the larger should be our thoughts to God as to Activity in it The more that God has done for us and the more that God has done by us the more should we still be careful to do for Him and set our thoughts on work how to be useful and servicable to Him in the place in which he sets us And that so much the rather as his thoughts are so strongly exercised about our selves whether as considered in our own Persons or in reference to the Land and Nation in which we live whereunto I may fitly apply that place of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 29.11 I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of Peace and not of Evil to give you an Expected end God has manifested these thoughts to us in a peculiar manner which should accordingly workupon us and prevail with us especially if we shall further consider them in the Circumstances of them As First In the Antiquity of them it is that which every good Christian which has the Evidence of Gods Grace in his own Heart is particular of even the thoughts of God for him from all Eternity He thought of us before we were or had any being in Nature it self Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever the Earth was formed c. And Secondly The constancy of them he always thinks upon us No Father more naturally and readily thinks of his Children then God thinks of his he thinks of us when we do not think of him nor think of his thinking of us nay sometimes when we have thoughts against him or not every way so full for him All this should perswade us and ingage us in this directing of our thoughts to him whereof we now speak and that in order to the Composing and setling of thoughts in our selves which is so much the sooner done for us Turn holy Meditations into holy Resolutions and those into holy Practises And know this to set it on further that not a thought of ours to this purpose shall be lost or fall to the Ground we have a notable instance and proof of this in King David who bearing it but in his thoughts to build God an House the Lord took it so well from him that he built an House for him 1 King 8.18 Whereas it was in thine Heart to build an House unto my Name thou didst well that it was in thine Heart Mark thou didst well that it was in thine Heart God judges of Hearty purposes and Intentions as of Practises and accordingly likewise rewards them as 2 Sam. 7.11 Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an House When we shall take care of Gods Interest he will then take care of ours and requites us in the same kind wherein we are thoughtfull or active for Him But Secondly As we settle our thoughts by laying them out for God so likewise by commiting them to him and his Comforts do delight our Souls in this Concern Thus Prov. 16.3 Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy
that is wise may be profitable unto Himself Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art Righteous or is it gain to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect No 't is none at all when we have done all we can do we are no more but unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 Unprofitable to whom why even to our Master Himself to him that imployes us and sets us on work he gets no good by us at all So Job 35.7 If thou best Righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand c. And Psal 16.2 O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my Goodness extendeth not unto thee c. In all which places and the like we see how that God himself is never the better for any Goodness which is in us No more Secondly Are men neither Ministers and Parents and Masters and Christian Friends and the like such as are faithful Monitors and Reprovers It is nothing to such as these neither simply consider'd If thou be'st wise it is for thy self and not for them every one stands upon his own Bottom and is saved by his own Faith and is accountable to his own Master and what ever good he either does or receives Himself shall be the better for it This for the right apprehending of it must be understood First Of the sinal betterment of all which is Heaven and Eternal Salvation Indeed in some respects he that is wise he shall be wise for others as well as for Himself Namely As to matter of Comfort and Incouragement of them It is a rejoyceing to Parents and Friends and Ministers when they see those which belong unto them to walk in wayes of Piety and Goodness to mind their good hereafter and the Salvation of their Souls for ever The Father of the Righteous shall greatly rejoyce and he that begetteth a wise Child shall have joy of him Thy Father and thy Mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall rejoyce says Solomon Prov. 23.24 25. Those which are wise are wise for their Parents and so likewise are they wise for their Ministers their Spiritual Parents which begets them to God Thus Paul to the Thessalonians Ye are our Glory and Joy 1 Thes 2.20 And chap. 2. vers 9. What thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God so St. John to the Elect Lady John 2.4 I rejoyced greatly that I found of thy Children walking in Truth And again to the Beloved Gaius John 3.4 I have no greater joy then to hear that my Children walk in the Truth Those which take good wayes and Courses they are as to matter of joy and Comfort profitable to other persons besides themselves But as to matter of finall Salvation here the benefit is properly their own and they are wise but for themselves Secondly When 't is said thou shalt be wise for thy self this is to be understood rather as to matter of Success then endeavour rather of what men are in the Event what is their study and Prosecution This Expression it does not exclude a labouring after the good of others but rather includes it when men begins once to be wise for themselves that is to have Grace wrought in their own Hearts they are so far forth also wise for others as to indeavour to make them partakers of the same Grace which they have themselves received The better that any are themselves the better will they labour to make others which they have to deal withall as near as they can Grace it is a flowing principle which is not easily kept and contain'd within it's own Limits but does expatiate and extend it self further to the good of many more therefore thou shalt be wise for thy self It is not to be taken in a way of Reservation as it is commonly with your men of the word in the course of their dealings who look after no body but themselves and their own particular advantage if they be rich they are rich for themselves and if they be wise they are wise for themselves no body else shall be the better for them one way or other That 's now the meaning of it neither are we so to understand it but as to the Event of it in their own Salvation Thirdly If thou be wise thou shalt be wise to thy self it holds good also as to the excluding of Ostentation and vanity of Spirit There are some that cannot be a little wiser then as they think the rest of their neighbours but all the world shall hear of it presently in their bragings and boastings of it and pretences to it Now here there 's a restratnt to this purpose as carrying Modesty and Humility with it the best badges of a godly soul But so much may suffice of the first General part of the Text which is the Argument taken from the Benefit If thou be wise thou shalt be wise to thy self The Second is taken from the Contrary inconvenience But if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Where again there are two things considerable First The Inconvenience simple Secondly The Aggravation of it The simple inconvenience is that he that scorns shall bear his scorning that is the punishment due unto him He shall be sure to smart for it The Aggravation is that he shall bear it alone and none else for him or with him First Here 's the simply Inconvenience Iâ— thou scornest thou shalt be sure to bear it There 's no mercy for such as these It is worth our observation but to consider how the Holy Ghost here sets it And that is as to matter of Scorning He does not say if thou be a foolish or a wicked which had been more opposite to wise or godly but if thou scornest he layes it there What 's the reason of this namely as we may conceive thus much To signifie this unto us that of all other wicked ones besides those are the highest in wickedness after good Counsel and Admonition which has been bestowed upon them The Scornful sinner is the worst sinner of all Therefore the Spirit of God in Scripture does so represent it to us As David Psal 1.1 when he makes mention there of wicked persons and rises up by several steps and degrees in the Description of them he puts those Scorners last as the worst of all Blessed is the man that walketh not in the Counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfull where sinners are set higher then ungodly and Scorners are set higher then sinners as carrying the greatest height and intention of wickedness with them Now Scorners that we may inquire a little into them for the opening of this passage to you are of several Ranks and Degrees there are divers kinds and sorts of them and either of them such as doe procure judgement to themselves First They are such as
to come But such Thoughts as these are also to be scattered Let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts Namely first of all as to matter of Opinion in particular about Sin about Grace about God Secondly As to matter of Contemplation He must forsake his Thoughts here also Take a Natural and Carnal man and where are all his Thoughts What is that which his mind does most run on And is most employed and exercised about Yea even then when it should be best imployed on the Lords day and such times as these Why surely it is all upon the World and the things of the World God is not in all his Thoughts as it is said of him Psal 10.4 Seldom ever thinks of Religion and Eternity and the saving of the Soul But vain and Foolish Thoughts do possess him and take up his mind and dwell with him Now such as these if ever he be right must be left and forsaken by him as in the place before cited Jer. 4.14 Thirdly As to matter of Contrivance and Design He must forsake his Thoughts here also Wicked men as they are full of Vain Meditations so they are commonly full of Sinfull Devices And they are still laying a train for future Wickedness in themselves Making provision for the flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof and studying to do all the mischief that possible they can They shut their eyes to devise froward things Prov. 16.30 They sleep not except they do mischeif and their sleep is taken away from them except they cause some to fall Prov. 4.16 Now such as these in Conversion are likewise to be forsaken by them When a man comes once to be a Christian he has other plots and designs than he had before which is to honor God in that place wherein he has set him To save his own Soul to save the Soul of others to advance and promote Religion and the Church and Truth of God in the World whereby his other evil designs are disperst and driven away from him that 's the Second thing here required of a wicked man as in reference to his Course to forsake his way So in reference to his mind to forsake his Thoughts And this for the first Branch of the Counsel as it contains in it the Act of Conversion The Second is the Act of Conversion in these words And let him return to the Lord our God This is the nature of true Repentance it is a turning from Sin to God and so it is here exhibited to us There are two things breifly which are here considerable of us in this Expression First The Motion And Secondly The Term of the Motion The Motion that 's Returning The Term of it that 's the Lord our God First For the Motion it self that 's Returning Sin it puts us out of our way It is a Deviation and departing from God And Repentance that reduces us and brings us into our way again which is that which is to be indeavoured by us This is that which does naturally and necessarily follow hereupon That upon discovery of our wandrings and mistakes we should be perswaded to return And there 's two things at once in it First That we go no farther in this present way And Secondly That we enter upon another way and contrary to the former in us First We must go no farther in this in the present evil way that 's imply'd in returning As Paul when he was passing to Damascus with Letters against the Church of Christ his journey was stopt when Christ met him by the way so it must be with every sinner that will repent of his Course of sin he must make no farther progress in it but put a stop to himself True Repentance is wholly inconsistent with any purpose of farther sinning against God But Secondly There must be also a comming back into another way Repentance it does not only put a man to a stand but it sets him in his right way As a man in a Journey that sees himself mistaken he does not only stay in the place where he is and goes no farther on but he comes back all the way he has gone hitherto and sets himself in the right path Even so it is here in these Spiritual Aberrations as Paul upon his Conversion he did not only give over persecuting the Gospel but he falls to the preaching of it and expresses himself actually for it Thus for the Motion it self which is here required of us and that is Returning Now the Second is The Term of the Motion And that we have expressed here unto us two manner of ways First In the Simple Proposition and that is the Lord God Secondly In the Emphatical Reduplication and that is The Lord our God First Take it Simply To the Lord. The Returnings of our Repentance must be to Him I will return and go to my Father says the Prodigal Child And so God himself seems to call for it from us Jer. 4.2 If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me There are many people sometimes who turn out of one false way into another who will not leave their sins or vanities which they have been guilty of but only exchange them They think to reform and to amend extreams by extreams Prodigality by Covetuousness Profaneness by Superstition Oppression by Licentiousness and so of the rest This is not to turn to God but to turn to Satan who from hence makes an advantage of them and before they are aware has his will and ends upon them But Secondly Take it in the Emphatical Reduplication so 't is to the Lord our God This has the force of an Argument with it Our God that is our God whom we have owned and taken for ours our God in Covenant I will return to my former Husband says the Church there in Hos 2.7 So here our God that is so related to us and who has done so much hitherto for us And then also we may take it as spoken upon the Prophets own experience of Gods Goodness c. So much also for the Act of Conversion Let him return to the Lord and to our God And so now I have done with the first General part of the Text which is the Counsel or Precept or invitation which is here made to Repentance and turning to God in both the Branches it it Let the wicked c. The Second is the Promise or Argument to inforce this Counsel and Invitation And that is taken from Gods readiness to the forgiveness of sin upon that Condition which is here again laid down two manner of ways First In the Absolute Proposition And Secondly In the Additional Amplication The Absolute Proposition is in these words And he will have mercy upon him The Additional Amplification is in these And he will abundantly pardon First To speak of the former viz. The Absolute Proposition And he will have mercy upon him And so there is this in it as observable from it
Christian to grow weak and so to continue to fall from his former strength and not to return to it again which is the condition of many in the world we for our parts should indeavour to be otherwise where we observe any decayes of spiritual strength in us there as soon as we can to renew it This it will neerly concern us to do upon these considerations First In point of Honour and that especially with God himself Spiritual weakness it is a disparagement especially if ye take it in the relapse and after some former degrees of strength It is no disgrace for a man to have a weak body That has no moral evil or inconvenience in it but to have a weak soul is very disgraceful For one that heretofore has been strong in spirit and in his inward man now to decline and grow weaker and continue so it is very dishonourable The excellency of dignity and the Excellency of strength they go both together and he that falls from the one he does with Reuben fall also from the other whiles he becomes as weak as water he shall not excell Gen. 49.2 Secondly As it concerns us in point of honour so likewise in point of Ease a weak Christian is so far forth a burden to himself as meeting with many difficulties which he cannot grapple withall but prove to hard for him There are many occurrences in a Christians life which do necessarily call for spiritual strength in him to the management of them which if he has not he will be sure to lye under them and to be overcome by them There are many Temptations to resist and many Afflictions to indure and many duties to perform All which are not done without strength nor without strength in some degree of it neither at least not done strongly and as they ought to be done by us weakness it will work like it self where the faculty is but indifferent the operations will be answerable thereunto it is so as in naturals so in spirituals Thirdly In point of safety there 's anothers consideration in that Those which are but spiritually weak they are exposed to sundry dangers to staggerings and fallings especially from the spiritual enemy who is still sure to apply himself to the weakest and to none more then to such as are so from any Apostasie or Declining where he can find an advantage against us here he will be sure to follow it and improve it to the utmost and that also to a further weakning of us still Besides that then we are under greater hazzards from God himself where we are weak with a weakness of imperfection weak in grace as children are weak there the Lord pitties and helps us He knows our frame and he considers what we are He relieves our infirmities for us But where we are weak with a weakness of Relapse through carelesness and neglect of our selves there the Lord doth oftentimes punish us and corrects us as being angry with us In regard therefore of the dangers which we stand in towards God it concerns us to renew our strength upon any seeming decay Lastly In point of comfort also it concerns us also for this A weak Christian will be an uncomfortable Christian he will not have so much liveliness and refreshment in his own spirit Because that Grace will not reflect with so much evidence upon him A man that hath but Grace in a weak measure though he has true Grace in him as well as he which has stronger yet he will not be able so easily to discerne it and consequently will not reap so much comfort and sweetness from it as otherwise he would Those that are but weak Christians and are content so to be it will be a very hard matter for them to discern and apprehend whether they be Christians or no and so they will be ready to go drooping and mourning all their lives long from this distemper All these things laid together should accordingly serve to work upon us and to perswade us to this duty in hand of recovering our strength there where 't is decayed in spiritual matters we see how it is with men in other matters in matters of the world If it be as to their outward man where they observe any decayes in themselves do all they can to repair them If it be in their Estates to make up their weakness there If it be in their bodies to heal their weaknesses there Men can no sooner find themselves weak and consuming in these particulars but they will use all the means possible that they can for their recovery in such conditions And why then should we not be as carefull and dilligent for our weak souls which do a great deal more nearly concern us and lye upon us then the other does Certainly it proceeds from that Atheism and Infidelity which is in our hearts and unsensibleness of these particulars But so much of the first explication Christians they are to renew their strength that is to repair it by way of recovery where it is impaired But Secondly That 's not all They are to do it also by way of increase and addition to it there where it is continued A Christian is not to content himself with any measure of strength which he has received but to labor still for more The more strength so much the better is it with us And therefore we should be carefull to improve it more and more yea we will do so if we be so as we should be as we shall now see in the point that follows So much for the Particular viz. A Christians Duty They shall renew their strength that is they ought to do it It is that which they are Commanded The Second is their Disposition They that wait upon the Lord they will renew their strength that is they will be ready and carefull so to do This is the temper of a good Christian to grow every day stronger and stronger Thus we have it in the words of Solomon Prov. 24.5 A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge increaseth in strength There ye have it in the Proposition ye may take it likewise in the example for which we can have no better an instance than the Apostle Paul and such as he was 2 Cor. 4.16 For the which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward is renewed day by day Mark It is renewed and he says it is dayly renewed he gathers every day some strength or other A good Christian has still so much good Husbandry with him as repar are deper ditum to supply that which is lost Now as every day if we be not carefull we are apt to loose some strength or other according to the variety of occasions which are offered unto us in the world so if we do indeed mind our selves we will be diligent also to repair it and make it up We may therefore from hence now take some kind of account of our selves
was this that his Servant Job was a perfect and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil and still held fast his integrity It was le-balgno chinnam To swallow him up without cause and therefore it was that he could not perswade him to it We should all endeavour that it may be so with us That though God may always find cause himself to destroy us and swallow us up yet that Satan may never find cause to provoke him and perswade him thereto from careless and uneven walking and conversing before him And that may be the first thing considerable in this expression of desire viz. Satan's restraint He was limited and confined by God whose leave must first be ask'd in this particular Secondly As here 's Satan's restraint so moreover his malice and boldness of attempt Magnis tamen excidit â—usis He ventures high Two things there are that do commonly encourage men in asking and in putting up their requests the acceptableness of the thing ask'd and the acceptableness of the person that asks it neither of these are here in Satan in asking of God his children and therefore a bold request It is not only a bare and single desire but this desire drawn out into a Prayer which is somewhat more Even Satan himself prays take notice of that So sometimes may those also which are Instruments of Satan as to the outward action and substance of the performance But what kind of prayer is it and what does it tend unto That he may have Peter and the rest of the Apostles and do what he pleaseth with them He desires of God that he would give up these his Servants into his power This was a very insolent request As if a man should ask leave of a Father that he might cut his child's throat Such was this desire here of Satan So it was also there concerning Job Thou movedst me against him Job 2.3 This I say was a very great boldness yet such as was in Satan towards God in regard of Job as here in regard of Peter and the rest One may desire that which he is loth to signify that he desires Many an one desires that which he is ashamed to ask And many an one desires that which he scorns to ask especially if he must ask it of an enemy And yet thus does Satan here of God He asks his servants of him This is a sign he has a good mind to you and it should teach us the more to look to our selves and to overcome desires with desires impudence with prayers How much more reason and encouragement have God's children to pray to God for themselves than Satan to pray against them But so much also for this Before we proceed any further we may here take notice of one thing more which is The word of attention Behold This is ordinary and frequent in Scripture by way of Preface and Introduction But here as I conceive it hath some further Emphasis with it which is to excite and awaken Peter and to make him the more look about him in his present condition And there are these things observable from it First here is implyed Peter's ignorance and present unadvisedness He was not aware of this attempt of Satan So is it likewise with many others of God's servants Satan does secretly lay siege unto their souls and they do not discern it It is a great piece of skill to know indeed when we are tempted and to be apprehensive that we are under a temptation There are a great many persons which are so which yet do not perceive it nay there are many which think the quite contrary which are very secure in this particular and so secure as that they take and interpret Satan's temptations even for the motions of God himself This is a very dangerous condition and such as these have need to be admonished and warned most of all and therefore here Behold Secondly We see here also the love of Christ who helps our ignorance in this particular and advises us where we are less regardful This as he did then by word of mouth so as I said before he does still likewise by his Spirit in our hearts if we will but hearken and listen to him in those suggestions Thirdly Here 's also as sometimes the eminency and conspicuousness of the temptation It is such as is very obnoxious and open to all mens eyes so that one may easily see and behold it if they will but give heed unto it But so much also for that It is a sign he hath a mind to you and some hope of you or else he would never do as he does To come now to the object it self of this desire To have you he hath desired this this is I say very pertinently added to make up the fulness of the sense and accordingly we may take notice of it There are two sorts of Satan's temptations and so answerably there 's a double having of them which may be here understood by us First there are temptations to sin And Secondly there are temptations for sin and both here included And so to have you two manner of ways To have you to corrupt you To have you to afflict you First To have you to corrupt you Satan has desired this To have you so to have interest in you to have influece upon you to have service from you Satan has much wish'd for this To have you that is to have you for his turn This is that which as near as he could he would obtain of the servants of Christ he would have them out of the hands of Christ in his own enjoyment and possession This is that which he would fain have if he might have what he desired It is not that he would have your estates or your liberties or your lives only No but he would have your selves and he would have your souls He would have you and the best part of you He would have you and all of you at his command You and you indefinitely that is every one of you one as well as another And you and you extensively that is you in every part of you your whole soul and body and spirit There is nothing which God has of you but Satan would have of you too He would corrupt and defile your whole man This may serve as a very good item and caution to the servants of God in regard of the temptations of Satan and their own yieldings to them to be well advised and consider of them The Devil in the baits which he lays whereby to catch and insnare poor souls he makes them often to believe as if he were very modest in his requests and demands of them only that they should do such and such actions for such a particular time and that 's all that he would ask of them Nay but that 's not all which will content him he desires to have them themselves with the whole bent and inclination of their souls
advantage of them so that where they will be troubled they shall be And where he at any time discerns any proneness or inclination in them to it he is ready as much as may be to promote it and set it on further that they may be troubled more He loves to fish in troubled waters and to add sorrow to sorrow for the greater perplexity of Gods People Hence he raises a great many fears and jealousies and suspitions in them whereby the more to afflict them Thirdly From the weakness of Grace Therefore it is that Gods Children are apt and subject now and then to be inordinately troubled in themselves because Grace is but weak in them We see how it is in the Body that those who are but of weak constitutions as Children and such as they a little matter troubles them and proves offensive unto them And so it is likewise in the Soul and Spirit and inward man Where Christians are but weak they will be disquieted and easily upon every turn put out of frame Thus it was now at this present with the Disciples of Christ They were as yet but weak Christians in regard whereof he tells them elsewhere that he forbore to speak of some things unto them This is the case also with many others They are but Children and Babes in Christ and therefore apt to be troubled Nay even those who have Grace in the greatest measure if we take it comparatively yet their Grace is but weak and slender in them here in this life as a ground of this perplexity in them Their Faith and their Love and their Heavenly-mindedness and their Zeal and their Patience all in a manner but weak and therefore are their Hearts full of fears and perplexities and disquietings in themselves as a consequent of it The use which we are to make of it is accordingly to take notice of it both in our selves and others that so we may be both humbled for it and prepared against it For it is that which the best that are they are prone to if they do not the better look to themselves It is that which we have dayly and continual experience of every moment How soon we are dejected and cast down and out of heart in our selves upon any occasion such a tenderness and moleities and softness and delicateness there is upon us as that the least thing that is it troubles us and fils us with disquietness And that 's the first thing here observable from these words viz. A Christians Disposition He is apt and subject to be troubled as appears from this Caution or Prohibition of Christ to his Disciples The Second is his Duty and that is not to be troubled or afraid Christians they should by all means shun and take heed of this trouble in themselves Let not your Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid Not troubled for the evil which is present and already upon you not afraid for the evil which is expected or looked for for time to come Here 's a Caveat both against Grief and against Fear Each of which are such Passions as in the miscarriage and exorbitancy of them have much evil and sinfulness in them We 'l joyn them both together in the handling of them as coming both to one and the same effect Where that we may rightly understand the Point we may not conceive as if our Saviour did here plead for a Stoical apathy or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a senselessness and stupidity of Disposition from whence men are altogether mindless and regardless of the condition in which they are This is so far from the mind of Christ as that he does rather exceedingly abhor it and abominate it in those it is in We see how even He himself sometimes was troubled as he consesses and acknowledges it of Himself And he did so far forth express his participation of our Humane Nature in Him Therefore it is not Trouble simply which he here prohibits but the inordinacy of it which therefore we should avoid For the better opening and prosecuting of this Point which we have now before us there are two things which we shall do with Gods assistance First shew how far we may or ought to be troubled Secondly shew how far we may not or ought not to be troubled for there is somewhat considerable as to both First then how far we may and ought There are two things which are the proper objects of Trouble which it is exercised and conversant about Sin and Misery And accordingly it is not unlawful but very requisite and warrantable for a Christian in a due manner and measure to be troubled for either of these as he hath occasion for it First A Christian may be very well troubled in point of sin yea and ought so to be That which troubles all the World as to the ground and matter of trouble as sins does it ought not to be slighted by a Christian but he is much to be affected with it Whether in himself or in other men as he does discern and observe it to be in them For himself first That which He is guilty of for his own particular it ought to go very near unto him It is that which the Servants of God in Scripture have been very much troubled for when they have considered it and reflected upon it as we may see in divers instances and examples David Psal 38.3 4 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Peter Math. 27.75 When he had deny'd his Master and remembred the words of Jesus unto him He went out and wept bitterly Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thus have the Servants of God been much troubled when they have thought of their sin First As a dishonour in reference to God and a grief unto him whose Glory is or should be very dear unto them Through breaking of the Law thou dishonourest God Rom. 2.23 And by this deed thou hast made the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 This it should go very near to a Christian Heart If I be a father where is mine honour Can we call our selves the Children of God and have no sense of the honour of God surely this is very unsuitable No it becomes us to be much troubled for sin so far forth as it is a dishonour to God as his Name is occasionally reproach'd and blasphemed by it And then not only as a dishonour to him but likewise as a grieving of him for so it is Isa 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed c. Eph. 4.30 Shall sin grieve God and shall it not grieve us
This is the scope and drift of this Text. IN the Text it self there are three general Parts considerable First a seasonable Information Secondly a rational Illustration Thirdly an additional Encouragement The Information that 's in those words In my Father's house are many mansions The Illustration in those If it were not so I would have told you The Incouragement in those I go to prepare c. We begin with the first of these Parts viz. the Seasonable Information or discovery which is here made of the future Estate In my Father's house are many mansions which is nothing else as I may so call it but a Prophesie and description of Heaven wherein there are two Particulars considerable of us First the Title and Appellation which is put upon it Secondly the Conveniences or Accommodations which are belonging unto it The Title which is put upon it that is My Fathers house The Conveniencies belonging unto it that is there are many mansions First To speak a little of the Title or Appellation which is put upon it My Fathers house They are the words of Christ in reference to God whom he calls his Father and Heaven as belonging to Him Heaven it is the House of God and so it is here denominated as being so after a more peculiar manner The whole world is Gods house in some sort as wherein he manifests his wisdom and power But the Church is so more especially and that in the full latitude and extent of it whether the Church Militant or Triumphant The Militant Church as that wherein he manifests his Grace and the Triumphant as wherein he manifests his Glory As for the former of these Houses to wit the Church Militant here upon Earth that we have spoken to very lately upon another Scripture and shewn you how Judgment begins at this house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 The latter to wit the Church Triumphant which is above in Heaven this is that which we are now to speak of at this present time and is out of the reach of any Judgment as lighting upon it This is the House of God emphatically and so to be understood by us as intended here in this Text where it is so called and it is so upon a double account First as he is the Maker of it and Secondly as he is the Possessor of it First He is the Maker of it Heaven it is the House of God so Heb. 11.10 Whose builder and maker is God And Heb. 1.10 The heavens are the work of thy hands 2 Cor. 5.1 A building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Every house that is every earthly house is builded by some man says the Apostle Heb. 3.4 but he that hath built this heavenly house is God And so his house more especially But secondly as he is the Maker so he is the Owner and Possessor of it likewise And it is so his house also Every one that builds an house does not own it nor dwell in it But Heaven it is the place of God's abode not as confined to it whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain but as manifesting his special presence and glory in it Thus Psal 11.4 The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lords Throne is in Heaven And Psal 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens c. Heaven it is the house of God but here it is exprest in the Text by the Relative Denomination My Fathers house namely with respect to Christ whose Father he is said to be not onely here but in divers other places The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ It is an ordinary expression in Scripture And likewise with respect to the Disciples and all other Believers whose Father God is also upon the account of his being the Father of Christ I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Joh. 20.17 Because God is the Father of Christ who is the Son by nature he is Father consequently of all the Members of Christ who are his sons by Grace and spiritual Adoption And so he would have them here to understand it in this expression in the Text and we are also to understand it so with them In mine and your Fathers house there are many mansions This is that which every Christian and true Believer may say of Heaven as Christ does here before him It is my Fathers house And it is very sweet and comfortable to him so to think and consider with himself When Gods Children leave the world and depart and go out of these places here below they do but go home as it were to their Fathers their being here in the world is no more but a kind of sojourning and pilgrimage and they live but as it were in the house of strangers But when they go hence they go home to their nearest and chiefest Relations As that blessed Martyr of Christ Dr. Rowland Taylor when he was drawing near to the Town of Hadley in Suffolk where he had been Minister and was now going to be burnt in Queen Maries days for the profession of the Gospel being ask'd how he did answer'd Never better for now I know that I am almost at home I lack not above two styles to go over and I am even at my Fathers house Such apprehensions have Gods Children of Heaven that they look upon it as their proper home and from hence are the more easily perswaded to leave the world when they are called so to do even upon this consideration as it was also here with Christ himself And this is that also which contents them and satisfies them whiles they are here in the world with all the ill usage and harsh dealing which they meet withall here The Children of God whiles they abide here upon earth they meet with many a coarse entertainment from earthly and worldly persons whom they are strangers as it were unto and they are willing so much the rather to put it up because they know they shall be recompenced when they come home what-ever dealings they meet withall abroad they shall have them all made up unto them when they come home to their Fathers house But so much of the first particular observable in this first General viz. the Title or Appellation which is here put upon Heaven and that is My Fathers house the house of God who is the Father of Christ and in him of all Christians The second is the Conveniencies or Accommodations belonging hereunto and that is that in it there are many mansions whiles it is said that there are many mansions in Heaven there are three things which seem to be impli'd in this exprossion First Reception Secondly Duration Thirdly Variety There 's room and place of entertainment there 's continuance and time of abode and there 's likewise choice and store of it First There 's room and place of reception and entertainment there 's opportunity of dwelling and habitation God house is large
violence and misusage But his house it is free from all these And so those also that are admitted into it and are entertained in it And so much may suffice to have been spoken of the First Branch of this ultimate promise And that is the simple Intimation in these words I will receive you to my self The Second is the Additional Amplification in these That where I am there ye may be also Wherein we have exprest both the end and effect of this Assumption The end on Christ's part as that which he aims at And the effect on our part as that which we enjoy First Here 's the end on Christ's part as that which he aims at and propounds to himself in taking us to him It is that where he is there we may be also Christ desires that he and his Members should be inseparably joyned together and continually one with another This is one thing here imply'd and it is agreeable to other places of Scripture where he expresses as much As Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am This proceeds from that extremity of affection and holy fondness which he has to them This is the nature of fondness and of love in the exuberances of it that it cannot endure to have the person that is so beloved to be out of sight but must have him always neer unto it And so is it also in a spiritual sense betwixt Christ and his Disciples Because he does so intensively love them therefore he desires to have them always with him Because he does so passionately affect them therefore he cannot endure to think of them to be out of his sight Where he is he would have them to be also out of his bowels and yearnings towards them And there are two things further which are involv'd in this The one is that so he may have the greater contentment in them And the other is that so they may have the greater benefit from him Both of which are obtained from this their mutual presence one with each other As we have it in that place before cited Rev. 3.20 I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me I will sup with him that is I will take contentment in him and he shall sup with me i.e. He shall have benefit from me likewise First That he may have more contentment in them Christ delights in the presence of his Servants as a reflexion of his own Graces which he bestows upon them And reflexions are very delightful because they are representations and as it were ingeminations of ones self Thus are the Graces of Christ in Believers which whiles he looks upon in them he beholds his own image in them And it is very pleasing to him so to do Secondly That they also may have more benefit from him The nearer that any are to Christ the more good do they receive from him And so it is here in their being taken up to him It is true that even here in the World they are not without their influences from him which they do partake of even at this distance through the impartments and communications of his Spirit But when they shall come to him and be with him and behold him and see him face to face it will then be otherwise and better with them And he desires that it should be so for this reason He desires that they may be where he is that so they may see that which he sees and partake of it with him as it is exprest in the place before alledged Joh. 17.24 That they may behold the Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundations of the World The Consideration of this Point makes much for our love again to Christ and it should enlarge our affections towards him While he has so great a defire that we may be there where he is how much more should we defire it our selves and breath and long after it Especially considering that it is not so much his interest as ours It is his in regard of his affection who is pleased so to make it But it is ours in regard of the real benefit and advantage that comes by it which should so much the more and the rather inflame our desires after it and make us in a manner restless till we attain unto it That 's the first thing here considerable The end of this Assumption on Christ's part It is that which he himself desires That there where he is there we may be also The Second is the Effect of it on our part It is that which we hereupon enjoy and partake of our selves as consequent hereupon Christ's assuming of us makes for our perpetual abode and continuance with him Those that are true Saints and Believers they shall continually be with Christ in another World Where he is they shall be likewise This is the Doctrine of this present Text and of the whole Scripture besides in sundry places Thus in the place before cited Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory And that we might not think it to be only an appearance for such a time and particular dispensation and then to cease we have it further in that other place That we shall ever be with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 This must needs be so from the consideration of those several relations wherein God's people sland unto him First of Husband and Wife of Spouse and Beloved There 's nothing more natural or suitable than that these should live and dwell together Where the Husband is there is also to be the Wife Now this is one relation which is drawn betwixt Christ and Believers He is their Husband and they are his Spouse He has espoused them and betroathed them to himself and they are contracted and married to him Now therefore it follows from hence that they should remove and abide with him Of those it is said in Rev. 14.4 That they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And upon what account do they thus follow him It is because they are the Lamb's Wife Rev. 21.9 The Lamb's Wife must be at the Lamb's disposing and be there where the Lamb himself is And thus are Believers to Christ The Second relation here considerable and as making for this purpose is of a Father and his Children Parents and children they do still best together And it is very requisite that sooner or later they should be one with another It was that which Job counted as a great priviledg to himself so long as he was partaker of it not only that the Almighty was with him but that his children also were about him Where the Father is there would also be the children Now thus are we also to Christ for the enforcing of this upon us He is our Father and we are his children Begotten by him to a lively hope and born again
Christians as they are Members one of another so they rejoyce in one anothers mutual life and preservation and count their own deliverance to be still so much the greater as it has their brethrens involved with it not only we but us And then what kind of us were they Take in secondly the Quality of persons such as were especially serviceable and useful an Apostle and the Ministers of Christ for these to be delivered from death it was to be delivered from a great death The death of none is to be slighted though never so mean The life of the poorest and simplest man in the world it is precious as the life of a man no more but so but the death of such persons as for their gifts and graces are eminent and for their places and improvements are useful this it is such as is very choice and much to be set by and such was this which the Apostle here speaks of in this present Text It was so great a death c. Sixthly A great death in regard of the proximity and neerness of the evil it self It was as it were at the very next door A great death that is indeed a great danger so some read the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De tantis periculis Though Chrysostom does not so well approve of it surely it carries the sense very well though it answers not the word for if we speak properly the Apostle was not delivered from death but from danger from that which tended and inclined to death and would have proved so if it had not been prevented This is called death both here and in other places as when 't is said by the same Apostle of himself that he was in deaths oft 2 Cor. 11.23 In deaths that is in dangers of death so here from a great death that is from a great danger of death every deliverance is so much the greate as the danger is so much the nearer Lastly A great death also in regard of the apprehensions of those which were in danger of it Conceit and apprehension it does set an aggravation upon danger and does make it to be so much the greater That which is great in our thoughts and in our opinions to us it is great And so was this here to the Apostle Paul and his Company as we may see in the Verse before the Text We had the sentence of death in our selves that is we gave our selves for dead men Men that do not see their danger they do not so easily fee their deliverance nor so much take notice of Gods goodness in vouchsafing it unto them but when they are made sensible of the one they are likewise made sensible of the other If ever we would get our hearts enlarged in thankfulness afterwards we must be apprehensive of danger before For a secure spirit in danger will be an unthankful spirit in deliverance and preservation and so for the contrary So great a death Y◠here 's now the nature of Thankfulness to extend the meroies of God and to make them as great as may be It is of an amplifing and enlarging dispostion as an humble heart puts an aggravation upon sin that it may put an enlargement upon pardon so a thankeful heart puts an aggravation upon danger that it may put an amplification upon deliverance It thinks those mercies to be great which are bestowed upon it because it 's small in its own eyes and looks upon it self as less than the least of all the morcies of God Yea and that which is also further here observable when the danger it self is past and the worst is over There are many which can see it to be a great death when 't is coming and approaching and ready to surprize them when evils are present as near unto them Oh then they are great indeed yea but when they are once gone and removed then they are small or none at all The Plague when it does not spread it was not the Plague This is commonly in mens dispositions yea but with Paul it is not so he counts it a great death even now when it was past and gone It was great to his apprehensions and so great in that regard also thus now have I done with the first Particular in this first General viz. the terms of deliverance or thing c. so great a death The second Particular is the Preservation or Deliverance it self And doth deliver c. And here again take notice of two things more First The thing it self simply and absolutely propounded Secondly The Apostles acknowledgment and manifestation of it in the reflection The thing it self That God had delivered him His acknowledgment in that he blesses God for it and makes mention of it here to the Corinthians First For the thing it self this is that which we may here observe how ready God is to deliver his people from death and from great death that which the Apostle speaks of himself and those which were with him it is appliable to many others besides it is a piece of Providence which the children of God do partake of in frequent experiences and they are able to say it of themselves as so with them It is that which David does often as Psal 57.13 Thou hast delivered my soul from death Again Psal 116.8 My soul from death mine eyes from tears my feet from falling And so likewise Psal 118.18 The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not given me over to death And so in like manner other of the Sains There are many gracious Promises to this purpose as Job 5.20 He shall redeem thy soul from death And Psal 72.14 He shall redeem their soul from violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight So Psal 116.15 it is said That precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints The Lord does not at any time cast away the lives of his servants but though he may seem now and then indifferently and promiscuously to take them away yet he does it not without special heed and regard had unto them He is very careful so far forth as may consist with their greatest advantage and the promotion of his own gracious ends and purposes and glory which it is very fitting all this should stoop unto to keep them and to deliver them from death First Out of pity and compassion towards them the Lord has bowels of tenderness towards his people And deliverance from death it is an act of mercy In Phil. 2.27 it is said concerning Epaphroditus that God had mercy on him when he brought him from the gates of death Look how much sweetness there is in life so much mercy in preservation from death which is a privation of life And God he is full and abundant in mercy as being the God and Father of it as he stiles himself and properly to those which are his children Secondly He has work for them to do and some service which he requites
ingagement to all men which are in such an estate to get out of it as soon as it is possible Secondly Here 's matter also of thankfulness to all those whom God has freed from this condition and brought into a better estate by Christ as these Romans here were they have great cause of praising and blessing God who hath dealt thus graciously with them who whiles before they were unfruitful and disgraceful and dead and lyable to destruction are now freed from all these and have the contrary qualities put upon them And as a special Testimony of our thankfulness indeed we should endeavour especially to live accordingly and to shew forth the praises or vertues of him that has call'd us out of darkness into his marvellous hight as St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. 2.9 This is the proper use which the Apostle Paul himself seems to make of it in the very next Chapter Rom. 7.5 6. When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter This is that which we should all labour after whom it hath pleased God to deal thus withal as he had here done with these Romans before us And thus I have done with the third particular inconvenience of sin and so also with this whole Text in hand What fruit had ye them in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for c. SERMON XXXIX Gal. 4.19 My little children of whom I travel in birth again till Christ be formed in you It is the manner of all those which are exact and accurate work-men not to rest themselves satisfied at any time with any thing which is done by them till they have brought it to some perfection and accomplishment but where they essay any present flawes or defects in any of their work to return to it and come ouer it again for the rectifying of it And this is that which me may here observe in the carriage of the Apostle Paul to these Galatians to whom he here writes he had taken a great deal of pains with them to convert them and to bring them to the Faith and to acquaint them with the knowledg of Christ as we may see in the former part of the Epistle but they partly through their own negligence and non-attendency partly through Satans malice and the seducement of false-teachers amongst them were much apostatized and departed from the Truth in intermingling the Gospel of Christ with the Law and Ceremonies of Moses from whence the very Characters of Christ were as it were defaced and and obliterated in them Now St. Paul in this Scripture besore us does here signifie his endeavours towards them for the reducement and recovery of them and the restoring of this Image of Christ in them My little children of whom I travel in birth again till Christ be formed in you This is the scope of the Text. IN the Text it self we have three General Parts considerable of us First The Compellation which the Apostle puts upon the Galatians and that is little children Secondly The Condition in which he stands in reference to them and that is that he travelleth in birth Thirdly The extent of this condition and that is till Christ be formed in them To begin with the first viz. The Compellation My little children Now this it hath a double notion or Emphasis which may be fastened upon it First An Emphasis of Affection And secondly an Emphasis of Diminution There 's love and disparagement both in this manner of Expression First There 's affection in it even the affection of a Father to his Children or a Mother to the fruit of her Womb which is also in a good Minister towards his People he tenders them even as his own bowels Thus did Paul these present Galatians Therefore as before in ver 12. he call'd them Brethren so here now in this 19th verse he calls them little Children The same affection does he likewise express towards some others in other places as 1 Thes 2.7 8. We were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children So being affectiontely desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only but also our own souls because ye were dear unto us So likewise the Apostle John often in his Epistles uses this phrase to Believers of little children all to express his good-will and affection towards them and that 's one thing which we may observe in it here Secondly As it has in it the Emphasis of affection as shewing the greatness of his love so it has also the Emphasis of diminution as shewing the tenderness of their growth and proficiency in Religion who were now but of a low stature and degree in Christianity Thus the word sometimes is taken also in Scripture as 1 Cor. 3.1 And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ So Heb. 5.12 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of rightenusness for he is a babe In which places and the like a weaker Christian is set forth by the name of a babe or little child And so here now in this Text before us We shall see the Resemblance made good in sundry particulars First From that which I mentioned before the smallness of their growth Little children they are but mean of stature and far short of manly perfections and so are weaker Christians and young beginners as to matter of Religion they are but infants and little children in comparison and therefore are to be perswaded to attend upon the means of growth not to stand always at a stay but to put on and to drive forward to perfection as the Apostle Paul professes of himself that he was careful to do Phil. 3.12 13. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus c. The contrary hereunto is that which is much to be bewail'd in divers Christians there are many which are well-grown and old men in reference to the world which yet are but babes and little children in Christ such as the Apostle complains of to the Hebrews chap. 5. vers 12. Who when as for the time they might have been teachers of others one had need to teach them again what be the first principles of the Oracles of God c. Nay we may go a little further than so not only which for the time may be teachers but which for the thing will be teachers and take upon them so weighty a work as that is who it they were well sifted and exawined and call'd to account would be found short in the common Articles
of Faith There are many which reckon themselves in the highest form of Divinity which are in the lowest form of Christianity as having little of the true knowledg of Christ abiding in them Secondly Weaker Christians are compared to little Children as for the smallness of their growth so for the shallowness of their understanding and the weakness and feebleness of their digestion Little children they cannot digest strong meats as is before implied no more can weaker Christians stronger or higher truths There are some Truths in Religion which weaker minds are apt to abuse and to pervert to their own perdition as the Apostle Peter tells us some did with those hard things in Pauls Epistles 2 Pet. 3.16 They are too strong and difficult for them 1 Cor. 3.1 Thirdly Little children they are froward and apt to be complaining in regard of the tenderness which is in them a small matter troubles them and so it is with weak Christians there 's a peevishness and morosity upon them from whence a little thing molests them and soon puts them out of frame Fourthly and lastly as most pertinent to the Text. Little children they are not long in a mind they quickly change and alter their opinions and so it is with weaker Christians It was so in particular with these Galatians for which the Apostle indeed does here call them little children they were soon removed from him that had called them c. chap. 14. Upon this account does the Apostle also express himself after this manner to the Ephesians That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine Take little children and ye may turn them which way ye will and that which to day they play with to morrow they are ready to cast away The same desposition is there in weaker Christians both in regard of Teachers and Doctrines those Teachers which for the time they admire within a while they have enough of them and those Doctrines which now they imbrace ere long they 'l be of a contrary mind and judgment to them But so much of the first thing here considerable which is the Title or Compellation Little children c. The second is the condition in which he stood in reference to them and that we have in these words of whom I travel in birth again Wherein two particulars more First The simple Proposition of it I travel in birth Secondly The additional Reiteration I travel in birth again For the first The simple Proposition The Apostle says he travels in birth with these Galatians where having before call'd them little children he still continues the metaphor about them by resembling and comparing himself to a travelling woman and so upon occasion he is made all things to the people of God sometimes a spokes-man to betratb them 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I might present you a chast virgin to Christ sometimes a Father to beget them 1 Cor. 4.15 For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel sometimes a Nurse to cherish them 1 Thes 2.7 We were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth c. sometimes a Mother to bear them My little children of whom I travel in birth And this latter is that which we are now to consider of at this present time Here 's that wonder which the Prophet Jeremy speaks of of a man travailing with child in Jer. 30.6 The Apostle Paul here assumes it to himself but he does not restrain it to himself he does by this expression signifie the condition of the Ministerial employment especially in the hands of those which are faithsul in it it is like the travel of a woman in child-birth of whom I travel in birth There are three things especially which are observable in a travailing woman and each of them appliable to a Minister and Pastor of souls First Sense of pain Secondly Desire of delivery Thirdly Fear of miscarriage First sense of pain There 's pain amd labour in travel so great as that other things which were painful are set forth and resembled by it in Scripture and a woman when she is in traved we say she is in labour as if there were no labour to speak of but only that Now this is also considerable of us in the work of the Ministry howsoever some may count it and others may make it yet in it self and in the conscionable discharge of it it is a laborious work And accordingly we shall find it in Scripture exprest in so many terms 1 Cor. 3.9 We are labourers together with God 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all 1 Tim. 5.17 They that labour in the word and doctrine Still the work of the Ministry is represented and exhibited to us as a business of pains and labour and so indeed it is Indeed it is so differently to a difference and variety of persons as it is in the other kind of travel and bodily child-birth some have an easier pull of it than others accordingly as it please God to be assistant to them as it is noted of the Hebrew-women Exod. 1.19 So here in this spiritual travel according to different gifts and inablements the labour is different but yet all who are that which they should be have their share in this pain and labour This as it is a good Meditation to Ministers themselves to teach them with what thoughts to enter upon so weighty an employment so it is also a good item to people how to carry themselves towards them even by knowing them that labour amongst them and admonish them and to esteem them very highly in love for their works-sake as the Apostle Paul makes that use himself of it to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.12 13. We see what cause we have to bear a tender affection to the true Ministers of Christ to pity them and to pray for them even as we would for a woman which is drawing near the time of her travel so should we for those which are understanding such a great work as this is even seek to God earnestly for them especially considering that it is for our sakes and in reference to our good that it is undertaken by them That 's one thing which is considerable in this resemblance of the work of the Ministry to travel viz. sense of pain The second is desire of delivery A travelling-woman she longs to be eased of her burden with which she goes and waits for the times of her redemption and freedom from it and she has a great desire to bring forth what she carries into the world So also had the Apostle here of doing good to these Galatians he was with child till he had wrought some what upon them and brought them into a good temper of spirit This is another thing observable in a good Minister from whence he is said to travel in child for those which are committed unto him Thus Rom. 1.11 I
the second Adam namely Christ Grace is derived unto all those that partake of him by spiritual regeneration There are three manner of ways by which Christ may be said to derive Grace to those which are his First By the benefit of his Passion Secondly By the benefit of his Intercession and thirdly by the efficacy of his Operation And this he does only to those which are Believers First By the merit of his Death and suffering Christ having offered himself a sacrifice well-pleasing to God did meritoriously purchase to his Church the favour and grace of God and all such gracious qualifications as were suitable to such persons as should be saved Now those which deny Christ and his Doctrine they have no benefit at all from this purchase Christ has merited Grace for none which do finally stand out against him and refuse to be governed by him The blood of Christ Jesus cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Vs ◠who were they namely such as appears by the Context Who walk in the light as he is in the light and maintain fellowship with him c. Secondly By the benefit of his Intercession Christ does continually pray for those which are his that they may have competent Grace bestowed upon them I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not says Christ to Simon Peter Luk. 22.32 Now those who do not by faith receive him they have not benefit neither by these prayers Christ distinguishes his Elect from others expresly in this particular Joh. 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them c. Thirdly By the efficacy of his Operation Christ conveys Grace to his servants as an Head imparts life and motion to his Members and this he does by his Spirit not only working Grace in them at first but also strengthening and increasing it where it 's wrought Ephes 4.15 16. That ye may grow up unto him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly join'd and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according tothe effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in love There are daily and continually influences of Grace from Christ to Believers whereby he enables them both to the subduing of sin and doing of duty Hence we are said of his fulness to receive all of us grace for grace answerable to grace in him for kinds grace in us And hence is God said to have blest us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Ephes 1.3 4. And this is done by the power of his Spirit working in us It 's called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.19 Grace it is a fruit of the Spirit and the Spirit it is the Spirit of Christ and so sanctifying those alone which have this Spirit of Christ in them by vertue of their Vnion to him For if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 We must rightly understand this method and order and connexion which God has set for the conveying of saving Grace unto us We have not Grace from the Spirit immediately but from the Spirit in reference to Christ The Spirit first sanctifies his Humane nature and then sanctifies us so that what we have of the Spirit in the graces of it we have it still derivatively from him As the Ointment which was upon the head of Aaron it ran down to the skirts of his garment so the Grace which is upon the head of Christ it runs down to all his Members and to them alone There are common gifts from God as a Creator and Governour of the World which common persons partake of and such as are out of Christ upon the understanding of natural abilities wit and sagacity c. and upon the will of moral qualifications temperance and sobriety and the like but no sanctifying grace but from Christ no spirit of mortification as to lusts no quickning spirit as to spiritual duties Without me i.e. separated from me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 He that hath not Christ he hath not these as not having the spirit of Christ from whence these should come into him Look as there is no beam without a Sun from whence it should irradiate not River or stream without a spring from whence it should flow and take its original so neither is there any Grace without Christ who is the only beginner and finisher of Grace in us He that has not Christ he has not God in the influences of Grace and Sanctification he has not God in him by way of residence and habitation and as taking up abode in his soul Nor he has not God with him by way of assistance and co-operation as enabling him to walk in such ways as are pleasing to God and as are suitable to a Christian conversation And so as to the Point which we now speak of to wit of gracious and sanctifying qualification He has not indeed God at all Secondly As not to the influences of Grace so neither to the influences of comfort no true comfort or peace of Conscience but from God in Christ He is our peace both in the thing it self as also in the discovery an manifestation of it The spirit of comfort it is of his sending and comes from him Comfort divided from Christ it is not comfort but security it is not assurance but fancy it is not Consolation but presumption None can perswade the heart of Gods love and favour to it but he alone that has purchased and obtained Gos love and favour for it and this is Christ alone God hath sent the spirit of his son into eur hearts crying Abba Father And it is his spirit that beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God He that hath not Christ and his Spirit he hath not God to comfort him Thirdly As to matter of Salvation not God to save him There 's no salvation out of Christ Act. 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other For there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved He that hath not the Son he hath not life i.e. eternal life 1 Joh. 5.12 But the wrath of God abides on him Joh. 3.36 Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life as who should say without me 't is not to be had in Joh. 5.40 This which we are now upon it follows from all which went before Forasmuch as out of Christ there 's no knowledg of God no access unto him no interest in him no grace from him It will necessarily ensue that he that has not Christ he has not God in point of salvation Because whosoever are saved they have all these several priviledges as antecendent belonging unto them they know God have acquaintance with him are reconciled unto him justified and sanctified by him And thus we