death yet I shall sleep in the Lord as when I goe to sleep I hope to rise again so I trust when the resurrection shall come that my body shall waken and arise I trust in God that raiseth the dead because he raiseth the dead he can recover me if he will if not he will make this body a glorious body afterward so every way it was a strong argument with Saint Paul I trust in God that raiseth the dead The Apostle draws an argument of comfort from Gods power in raising the dead And it is a true reason a good argument he that will raise the dead body out of the grave he can raise out of miserie out of captivity the argument is strong Thus God comforts his people in Ezek. 37. in that parable of the drie bones that he put life in So the blessed Apostle St. Paul he speaks of Abraham Rom. 4. 17. He looked to God who quickneth the dead who calleth things that are not as though they were What made Abraham to trust in God that he would give him Isaac again he considered if God can raise Isaac from the dead if he please he can give me Isaac back again and though Isaac were the sonne of promise yet he trusted Gods Word more then Isaac the sonne of his love Why he knew that God could raise him from the dead though he had sacrificed him he trusted in God who quickneth the dead The resurrection then is an argument to stengthen our faith in all miseries whatsoever It strengthens our faith before death and in death I will not enter into the common place of that point concerning the resurrection it would be tedious and unjust beause it is not intended here but onely it is used as a special argument Therefore I will but touch that point God will raise us from the dead Nature is more offended at this then any other thing But St. Paul makes it cleare that it is not against nature that God should raise the dead 1 Cor. 15. To speake a little of it and then to speake of the use the Apostle made of it and of the use that we may make of it Saith the Apostle in that place speaking to witty Atheists that thought to have cavilled out the resurrection from the dead Thou fool thou speakest against nature if thou think it altogether impossible Look to the seed do we not see that God every spring raiseth things that were dead We see in the silk-worm what an alteration there is from a flie to a worm c We see what men can doe by Art they make glasses of what of Ashes We see what nature can doe which is the ordinary providence of God we see what it can do in the bowels of the earth What is gold and silver and pearle is it not water and earth excellently digested exquisitely concocted and digested That there should be such excellent things of so base a creature We see what Art and nature can do If Art and nature can do so great things why do we call in question the power of God if God have revealed his Will to do so why do we doubt of this great point of Gods raising the dead The Ancients had much adoe with the Pagans about this point they handled it excellently as they were excellent in those points which they were forced to by the adversaries and indeed they were especially sound in those points I say they were excellent and large in the handling of this but I will not stand upon that it is an Article of our Creed I believe the resurrection of the body Indeed he that believeth the first Article of the Creed he will easily believe the last he that believes in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth he will easily believe the resurrection of the body But I will rather come to shew the Use of it God will raise the dead Therefore Gods manner of working is when there is no hope in extremity as I touched before he raiseth us but it is when we are dead he doth his greatest works when there is least hope So it is in the resurrection out of troubles as in the resurrection of the body when there is no hope at all no ground in nature but it must be his power altogether that must do it then he falls to work to raise the dead Therefore our faith must follow his working he raiseth the dead he justifies a sinner but it is when he is furthest from grace a sinner despairing of all mercie then he hath the most need of justification He raiseth the dead but it is then when they are nothing but dust then it is time for him to work to raise the dead He restores but it is that which is lost God never forgets his old work this was his old manner of working at the first still every day he useth it he made all of nothing order out of confusion light out of darkness This was in the creation and the like he doth still he never forgets his old work This St. Paul being acquainted with he fastneth his hope and trust upon such a God as will raise the dead Therefore make that use of it that the Apostle doth when the Church is in any calamity which is as it were a death when it is as in that 37. of Ezekiel drie bones Comfort your selves God comforted the Church there that he would raise the Church out of Babylon as he raised those dead bones the one is as easie as the other So in the government of the Church continually he brings order out of confusion light out of darkness and life out of death that is out of extream troubles when men think themselves dead when they think the Church dead past all hope then he will quicken and raise it so that he will never forget this course till he have raised our dead bodies and then he will finish that manner of dispensation This is Gods manner of working We must answer it with our faith that is in the greatest dejection that can be to trust in God that raiseth the dead Faith if it be true it will answer the ground of it but when it is carried to God it is carried to him that raiseth the dead therefore though it be desperate every way yet notwithstanding I hope above hope I hope in him whose course is to raise the dead who at the last will raise the dead and still delights in a proportion to raise men from death out of all troubles and miseries Well this God doth and therefore carrie it along in all miseries whatsoever in soul in body or estate or in the Church c. God raiseth from the dead therefore we must feel our selves dead before we can be raised by his grace What is the reason that a Papist cannot be a good Christian he opposeth his own conversion what is conversion It is the first resurrection the resurrection of
death in our selves St. Paul dyed not now and he had the Spirit of God in him to know what he spake how doth this agree then that he had the sentence of death passed I answer St. Paul spake according to the probability of second causes according to the appearance of things and so he might pronounce of himself without danger as being no sinfull errour that indeed I am a dead man I see no hope of escaping if I look to the probabilitie of second causes all my enemies are about me I am in the Lyons mouth there is but a step between me and death He doth not look here to the decree of God but he looks to the disposing of present causes So Gods ' children are often deceived in themselves in that respect it is no great errour for it is true what they speake in regard of second causes though it be not true in regard of Gods decree The Objections being satisfied we may observe some points of doctrine And out of the first part of St. Paul's tryall which some take it to be that in Acts 19. At Ephesus Dimetrins the Smith raised up a trouble against him when they cryed out Great is Diana of the Ephesians but those are but conjectures It may be it was some great sickness it may be some other affliction the Scripture is silent in the particular what it was To come then to the points themselves In the first part this is considerable in the first place that God suffers his Children to fall into extream perils and dangers And then secondly that They are sensible of it For the first God suffers his children to fall into great extremities This is clear here we see how he riseth by degrees We were pressed above measure above strength that we even despaired of life we received the sentence of death in our selves He riseth by five steps to shew the extremity that he was in This is no new thing that God should suffer his Children thus to be exercised It is true in the head it is true in the body and it is true of every particular member of the body It is true of our head Christ Jesus himself we see to what exigences he was brought in what danger of his life oft-times he was as when they would have cast him down from the mount Luke 4. and when in apprehension of his Fathers wrath he sweat water and blood in the garden and on the Crosse cryed out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me none was ever so abased as he was he humbled himself to the death of the Crosse nay lower then the Crosse he was in captivity in the grave three dayes They thought they had had their will on him there they thought they might have trampled on Christ and no doubt but the Divel triumphed over the grave and thought he had had him where he would but we see afterward God raised him again gloriously Now as the head was abased even unto extremity So it is true of the whole body of the Church from the beginning of the world The Church in Egypt was in extremity before Moses came therefore a learned Hebrician Capne that brought Hebrew into these western parts was wont to say When the tale of brick was doubled then comes Moses that is in extremity when there was no remedy then God sent them deliverance In what a pittiful case was the poor Church and people of God in Hesters time there was but a haires breadth between them and destruction it was decreed by Haman and they had gotten the Kings decree too they were as it were between the hammer and the anvil ready to be crushed in pieces presently had not God come between And so in Babylon the Church was in extremity insomuch as that when deliverance was told them they were as men that dream as if there had been no such matter they wondred at it And so in the times of persecution God hath suffered his Church to fall into extream danger as now at this time the Church is in other parts I might draw this truth along through all Ages It is true of the whole body of the Church It is true likewise of the particular members Take the principall members of it you see Abraham before God made good his promise he was brought to a dry body and Sarah to a dead womb that they despaired of all second causes And David though God promised him a Kingdom yet he was so straitned that he thought many times he should have died I said in my haste All men are liars they tell me this and that but there is nothing so he was hunted as a Partridge in the wildernesse It was true of St. Paul we see what extremity he was brought unto as the Psalmist saith Psal. 118. I was afflicted sore but I was not delivered to death Even as we say only not killed It is and hath been so with all the members of the Church from Abel to this day sometime or other if they live any long time they shall be like Moses at the Red-Sea we see in what a strait he and his company was there there was the Egyptians behind them the Mountaines on each side of them the Red-Sea before them what escaping was here for Moses so it is with the poore Church and Children of God oft-times there are dangers behind them and perils before them and troubles on all fides God brings them so low as deaths doore sometimes by sickness as there is an instance in Psal. 107. of those that go down to the sea in ships He brings them to deaths door saith the Psalmist What is the reason that by persecution and afflictions by one grievance or another God brings his Children to such a low ebb The reasons are many The first may be he will thus trie what mettle they are made of light afflictions light crosses will not trie them throughly great ones will Jonas that slept in the Ship he fals a praying in the Whales belly he that was pettish out of trouble and fals a quarrelling with God himself in trouble he fals to praying when he was in the bottom of hell as he saith himself Little afflictions may stand with murmuring and repining but great ones trie indeed what we are what we are in great afflictions he are indeed Againe To trie the sincerity of our estate to make us to know our selves to make us known to the world and known to our selves what good we have and what ill we have A man knows not what a deal of loosness he hath in his heart what a deal of falseness till we come to the cross to extremity Whereas before I thought I had had a great deal of patience a great deal of faith and a great deal of heavenly mindedness now I see I have not that store laid up as I thought I had And somtime a man is deceived on the contrary I thought I
God The Church of God now abroad you see is in combustion if the Spirit of God in any measure and degree be in our breasts we will sympathize with the state of the Church We wish them wel it may be but wishes are one thing and prayer is another doest thou pray for the Church if we could pray for the Church it would be better we should do more good with our prayers at home then they shall do by fighting abroad as Moses did more good in the mount by prayer then they did in the valley by fighting undoubtedly it would be so We may fear the lesse successe the spirits of men are so flat and so dead this way The time hath been not long since that we have been stirred up more to pray upon the apprehension of some fears to pray with earnestnesse and feeling expressing some desire in wishing their welfare but now a man can hardly converse with any that have so deep an apprehension as they have had in former times Now therefore as we desire to have interest in the good of the Church so let us remember to present the estate of the Church to God And let us present the Church of God to him as his own as his Turtle as his Love You know when they would move Christ they tell him Him whom thou lovest is sick Lazarus whom thou lovest So Lord her whom thou lovest the Church whom thou gavest thy Son to redeem with his blood the Church to whom thou hast given thy Spirit to dwell in the Church wherein thou hast thy habitation amongst men the Church that onely glorifieth thee and in whom thou wilt be eternally glorified in heaven that Church is sick it is weak it is in distresse it is in hazard Let us make conscience of this dutie let us help the Church with our prayers Saint Paul saith I shall be delivered together with the help of your prayers Without doubt the Church should be delivered if we had the grace to help them with our prayers And God will so glorifie the blessed exercise of calling upon him that we I say shall do more good at home then they shall do abroad let us believe this it is Gods manner of dealing In the book of Judges in that story of the Benjamites concerning the wrong done to the Priests concubine the rest of the Tribes of Israel when they set on the Benjamites they asked counsell of God twice and went against them and were discomfited but the third time they come to God Judg. 20. 26. Then all the Children of Israel came to the house of the Lord and wept and sat there before the Lord and fasted that day till the evening They thought because they had a good cause they might without fasting and prayer and without seeking to the Lord prevail and therefore they went against them twice and were shamefully foiled to their great losse but when at the last they came and humbled themselves before God and fasted end enquired of God the cause of that ill after that they had a glorious victory Christ tells his Disciples that there were some kind of Divells that will not be cast out but by fasting and prayer so there are some kind of miseries some kind of calamities some kind of sins that will not be overcome and which God will not deliver the Church from but by fasting and prayer And so for private Christians they have some sins that are master-sins personall sins it is not a slight prayer and a wish that will mortifie them there must be fasting and prayer and humiliation and that way those divells are cast out I would we were perswaded of it that it is such a prevailing thing holy prayer to help our selves in sin and to help us in misery to help the Church of God Well since the prayers even of the meanest Christians are so prevailing let us learn to respect them for as they can pray so their prayers will prevail And take heed we grieve not the Spirit of God in any poor Saint that so they may pray for us with willingnesse and cheerfulnesse do but consider what a blessing it is to have a stock going to have our part in the common stock as there is a common stock of prayer in the Church every Christian can pray and pray prevailingly What a blessing is it to be a good Christian to have a portion in the prevailing prayers of others That when a man is dead and dull and unfit himself this may comfort him that others have the spirit of zeal and will supply his want it is a blessed thing Let us consider the excellency of this duty of prayer from the prevalency of it to whet us on to the exercise of it It is a happinesse to have a part in it it is a blessing whereby we can do good to others we can reach them that are many hundred miles off those that be at the farthest end of the world when we cannot reach them otherwaies we can reach them by prayer we cannot speak to them they are far off but we can speak to God for them and he can convey that good to them that we desire what a blessed condition is this But some man may say How shall I know that I can pray that I am in a state to help the Church of God and to prevail for it by my prayers I answer First of all thou shalt know it if thou be as willing to help otherwise if thou canst as well as by prayer St. James speaks in his time of certain men that would feed the poore people of God with good words Now good words are good cheap but they will do nothing they will buy nothing they will not cloath nor feed So Saint James tells them that that is but a dead faith So there are a company that will onely pray for the Church when they are able to do otherwaies when they have countenance and estate and riches and friends and place and many things that they might improve for the good of others and for the good of the Church Some will be ready to say I pray for the Church and I will pray I but art thou not able to do somewhat else St. Paul when he wishes them to pray for him he means not onely prayer but that duty implies to do all that they pray for to help their prayers or else it is a mocking of God If thou pray aright for the Church thou art willing to relieve them if thou pray for thy friend thou art willing to help him and succour him if thou pray for any thou art willing to countenance them That is one tryal which discovers many to be hypocrites if their prayers were worth any thing and the times stood in need of them it is likely they should not have them because they only give good words and nothing else Again he that is in a state of prayer he must be such
as his Word was at the first in the creation of the World it hath a creating Power he raiseth an excellent frame in the heart of a man he scatters his natural blindnesse he sets in order his natural confusion that a man becomes a new creature and an heire of a new World Let no people despair nor no person for God hath his Church in Corinth But what is become of this Church now Why alas it is under the slavery of the Turks it is under miserable captivity at this day At the first Corinth was overthrown by Numeus a Roman Captain for the abusing the Roman Ambassadors it was ruinated for the unfit carriage to the Ambassadors who would not suffer themselves to be contemned nor the Majestie of the Roman Empire But Augustus Caesar afterwards repaired it And now for neglecting of Gods Ambassadors the Preachers of the Gospel it is under another misery but Spiritual it is under the bondage I say of that Tyrant What is become of Rome that glorious City It is now the habitation of Devils a cage of unclean birds What is become of those glorious Churches which St. John wrote those Epistles to in his Revelation and which St. Paul wrote unto Alas they are gone the Gospel is now come into the Western parts And shall we think all shall be safe with us as the Jewes did crying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. No No unlesse we respect Christs blessed Gospel of Salvation except we bring forth fruits worthy of it except we maintain and defend it and think it our honour and our crown and be zealous for it if we suffer the insolent enemies of it to grow as vipers in the very bosom of the Church what is like to become of us If there were no forraign Enemies to invade us we would let slip the glorious Gospel of Salvation God will not suffer this indignity to this blessed Jewel his truth he will not suffer the Doctine of the Gospel to be so disrespected You see the fearful example of the Church of Corinth Let those whom it may concern that have any advantage and authority let them put in for Gods cause put in for the Gospel labour to propagate and to derive this blessed truth we enjoy to posterity by suppressing as much as they may the underminers of it It is an acceptable service To the Church of God at Corinth And all the Saints in Achaia COrinth was the City Achaia the country wherein Corinth was There were then Saints holy men in all Achaia And St. Paul writes to All Saints to weak Saints to strong Saints to rich Saints to poor Saints because every Saint hath somewhat that is lovely and respective in them somewhat to be respected The least grace deserves respect from the greatest Apostle And all have one head all have one hope of Glory all are redeemed with the same precious blood of Christ and so I might run on The many priviledges agree to all Therefore all should have place in our respect To all Saints that the least should not think themselves undervalued weaknesse is most of all subject to complayning if it be disrespected Therefore in heavenly wisdom and prudence the Apostle puts in All Saints In all Achaia whatsoever Besides the mother City the Metropolis of that Country which was Corinth there were Saints scattered God in heavenly wisdome scatters his Saints As seed when it is scattered in the ground it doth more good then when it is on heaps in the barn so God scatters his Saints as Jewels as the lights of the World here he will have one to shine and there another here he will have one fruitful to condemne the wicked world where they are and by their good example and their heavenly and fruitful conversation to draw out of the wicked estate of nature those with whom they are Therefore he will have them scattered here and there not onely at Corinth but Saints in all Achaia besides scattered in other places But we must know by the way that these Saints had reference to some particular Church for though it be sufficient to make a Christian to have union with Christ there is the main the head yet notwithstanding he must be a branch he must be a member of some particular Congregation therefore we have it in Act. 4. God added to the Church such as should be saved Those that are added to salvation must be added to the Church a man must be a member of some particular Church So though these were scattered they were members of some Church Gods children are as stones in some building and there is an influence of Grace comes from Christ the Head to every particular member as it is in the body God quickens not stragling members that have no reference to any particular Church that I note by the way To the Church of God at Corinth and all the Saints in Achaia Saints The Apostle calls them Saints all believers are called Saints Are they so are all in the visible Church Saints Yes say some and therefore they say that our Church is not a true visible Church because many of them are not Saints say some that went out from among us I Answer all are or should be Saints St. Paul wrote here to those that were sacramental Saints and such as by outward covenant and profession were Saints not that they were all of them inwardly so but all should be so done he calls them so to put them in mind of their duty To cleare this point a little Sometimes the Church of God in the Scripture hath its name from the commixtion of good and bad in it so it is called a field where there is a mixture of good and bad seed so it is called a house wherein there are vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour because there is such a mixture in the visible Church Sometimes the Church hath the name from the better part and so it is the Spouse of Christ the love of Christ a peculiar people a holy nation and Saints as it is here Not that all are so but it hath the denomination from the better part all should be so and the best are so and it is sufficient that the denomination of a company be from the better part As we say of Gold Oare though there be much earth mixed with it yet in regard of the better part we call it Gold we give it that name so in regard that the best are Saints and that all should be so therefore he calls them all Saints should all in the visible Church be Saints by profession and by Sacrament should all that are Baptized and receive the Communion enter into a profession of sanctity What say you then to a prophane atheistical Generation that forsooth make a shew of holinesse and therefore we must look for none of them I say all prophane persons are grosse Hypocrites why
Spirit that raised and advanced him at the lowest that very spirit there being but one spirit in the head and members in our greatest abasement shall vouchsafe us the greatest advancement that we can look for to sit at the right hand of God to reigne with Christ for if we suffer with him we shall reign with him And hence you may have a reason likewise why Christians have no more comfort they doe not studie Christ enough they consider not Christ and the neernesse wherein Christ is to them and they to Christ that both make one Christ they doe not consider how Christ hath sweetned all he hath turned God and turned all to us he hath made God our Father and in him all things favourable unto us so that now the fire is our friend the Stone and the Gout and all diseases disgrace and temptation all are at peace and league with us all is turned in the use and issue to good to the help and comfort of Gods Children All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2 Cor. 3. ult There is not the worst thing but it is at peace with us because the malignant power it hath in order to damnation is taken away now it doth not hurt us but there is a soveraigne curing power to turne it to good I confesse Gods Children are discomforted but then they wrong their principles they wrong their grounds their religion their Saviour they wrong all the comforts they have interest in because they do not improve them when occasion serves As Job is checked Hast thou forgot the consolations of the Almighty or why dost thou forget them so if we have consolations and forget them and dote and pore upon our grievance it is just with God to leave us comfortless not that we want any comfort but we flatter our grievance and forget our comfort Let us change our object and when we have looked upon our grievance and been humbled in the sight of our sins let us look upon the promises let us look upon Christ in glory and see our selves in Heaven triumphing with him What can terrifie a Soul not Death it self when it sees it self in Christ Triumphing Faith sees me as well Triumphing in Heaven and sitting at the Right Hand of God as it doth Christ for it knowes I am a Member of Christ and whatsoever is between me and that happiness that is reserved for me in Heaven I shall triumph over it Christ triumphed in his own person over death Hell sin the Grave the Devil and she will triumph in me his mysticall body what he hath done in himself he will doe in me This faith will overcome the world and the Devill and Hell and all that is between us and Heaven A Christian that sees himself sitting at the right hand of God with Christ triumphing with him he is discouraged at nothing for faith that makes things to come present it sees him conquering alreadie Let us be exhorted to joy Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce we have reason to do so if we look to our grounds but when we yield to Satan and our own flesh we robb God of his glory and our selves of comfort but we may thank our selves for it But I come to the sixth verse wherein the Apostle inlargeth himself by shewing the end of his sufferings in regard of them by setting downe both parts both affliction and comfort VERS VI. Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation IT is much in every thing how the mind is prepared to receive what is spoken the Apostle therefore to make way for himself in their hearts he removes therefore scandall from his sufferings and he shews that it was so farre that they should take offence at it that they ought to do as he did to bless God for it for as the sufferings of Christ abounded in him so his comfort abounded And because they should think themselves no way hurt by his sufferings and base usage in the world he tels them in the verse that all was for their good no man should be offended at his own good they had no reason to take scandall at that which was for their good but saith he if you think basely of me for my sufferings you think basely of your own comfort for my sufferings are for your good and my comforts are for your good whether I suffer or be comforted it is or you The crosse is a distastfull thing to us and likewise the crosse in others is a distastefull thing not onely distastfull and bitter to us but shamefull St. Paul knowing this because he would as I said work himself into their good conceit that he might prevaile with them for their good saith he you ought not to think a whit the worse of me for this for all is for you So you see the scope of the words Whether we be afflicted it is for your c. But first he speakes of affliction alone and then of comfort alone If we be afflicted it is for your good and if we be comforted it is for your good His reason is because sometimes afflictions appeare without comfort therefore he saith not If we be comforted onely it is for your good but if we be afflicted it is for your good Sometimes comfort is before our afflictions that we may indure it the better God cheares us to it Sometimes God sheds his Spirit in affliction that there is abundance of comfort in it but for the most part it comes after after we have waited but in it there is always such a measure of comfort that supports us that we sink not yet the speciall degree of comfort usually comes after therefore he speaks of affliction in the first place If I be afflicted it is for you c. The Point is easie that The afflictions of the Saints are for the good of others The afflictions of Gods Church are Gods peoples especially the afflictions of Pastors and Leaders of Gods Armie God singles out some to suffer for the good of others the good especially of consolation and salvation for these two goods How can this be that the afflictions of Gods people are for the consolation and salvation of others I answer many wayes as we shall see afterwards more particularly but onely now to make way Afflictions are for the good and comfort of others because we have their example in suffering to traine us up how to suffer Example is a forcible kinde of teaching therefore saith the Apostle our afflictions are for you to lead and teach you the way how to suffer Words are not enough especially in matter of suffering there must be some example therefore Christ from Heaven came not onely to redeem us but to teach us not onely by words but by example how to doe and suffer willingly and chearfully and stoutly in obedience to God as he
if we had eyes to see it So likewise his Ordinances are to gather this Church which he hath chosen from all the world to himselfe the Ordinances of the Ministrie and of the Sacraments the suffering of Ministers the doing and suffering of Christians all is for their good as we see in this place I suffer for your consolation and comfort Heaven and earth stands for them the Pillars of Heaven and earth would be taken asunder and all would come to a Chaos an end would be of all if the number of them were gathered that are the blessed people of God for whom al things are The doings and sufferings of Gods people we doe not know indeed that are Ministers who belong to God and who do not but our intent is to do good to those that are Gods and the issue proves so the rest God hath his end in it to harden them and bring them to confusion to take excuse from them but the reall good of all our pains and suffering is the Elects Let us examine what good we take by Ordinances of God and by the sufferings of the present Church and the sufferings of the former Church doe their examples animate and quicken and encourage us to the like courses It is a signe we are elected of God there is no greater signe of a good estate in grace then a gratious heart to draw good out of the examples of others and to draw good out of every thing that befals us because Gods end in election and his manner of providence is to guide all to their good Again we learn another thing likewise how God over-rules in his providence the projects of carnall men of the Devil and his instruments and Agents and Factors God over-rules all things that which in it self is ill and in the intendment of the inflicter is ill yet God turnes it to the good of others and the good of them that suffer too Satan intends no such matter as it is said Isa. 10. Nebuchadnezzar thinks no such thing Ashur the rod of my wrath he intends no such matter they intend not the consolation of Gods when they wrong the Saints of God and so exercise their patience and Grace No they intend their hurt and confusions It is no matter what they intend but God at the first created light out of darkness and in his providence doth great matters by small meanes in his providence over his Church he doth raise contraries out of contraries he turns the wicked proiects of men to contrary ends and makes all serviceable to his own end In state-policie he is accounted the wisest man that can make his enemies instrumentall to his owne purpose that can make others serve his own turne to work his own ends by others that are his opposites and he had need of a great reaching head that can doe so The great providence of Heaven doth thus God is the wisest Polititian in the world All other policie is but a beam from that Sun he can make instrumentall and serviceable to him his very enemies And this is the torment of Satan that God over shoots him in his own bow he over-reacheth him in his own policie where he thinks to doe most harme he doth most good in those afflictions whereby he thinks to quell the courage of the Church God doth exceeding good to them and enlargeth the bounds of the Church this way It is an ordinary speech The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Word of God is the seed of the Church how then is the blood of the Martyrs and Sufferers the seed of the Church Thus the Word of God is the seed of the Church how As it is in the Bible in the book No as it is published in preaching much more as it is published in confession and much more as it is published and sealed in Martyrdome by suffering the Word of God so laid open as not onely spoken but confessed and practised in life and not onely so but sealed by induring any thing thus it is the seed and works strongly God over-rules all inferiours though they have contrary motions in their own intent to his yet he brings them about to his end As we see the Heavens have a contrary motion to the first Heaven that carries the rest the primum mobile yet they are turned about by another motion contrary to the bent of themselves they goe one way and are carryed another As we see in the wheels of the Clock one runs one way another another all make the Clock strike all serve the intent of Clock-maker so one runns one way and another another Carnall men offer disgrace and disparagement to Gods people their intent is to overthrow all to disgrace and to trample on the cause of Religion but God useth contrary wheels to make the Clock strike all turnes in the issue to his end Therefore though we say in our common speech that the Devill is the God of this world it is the Scripture phrase and it is so in regard of the wicked that are under him yet he is a God under a God there is but one Monarch of the World he is a God that hath not power over Swine further then he is suffered It is a point of wondrous comfort that though we be thus used yet there is an active providence there is one Monarch one great King that rules all It is a ground of patience and contentment in whatsoever we suffer not to look to the next instrument but look to the over-ruling cause that will turn all in the issue to our good This Joseph comforted his Brethren with you sent me and of an ill mind too but God turned it to good It was no thank to them yet it was no matter he comforted them in this that God turned their malice to his good and to their good too for he was sent as a Steward to provide for them And it is one ground why to think more moderately in regard of anger fiercenesse against wicked men it is a ground of pittying of them for alas poore soules what do they though they intend it of malice they are but instruments and shall be over-ruled to do good contrary to their meaning as St Paul saith here Whether I be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation The worst intents and designes of the enemies of Religion was for the consolation and salvation of the Corinthians It is good to think of this before hand it is a ground of patience and not onely so but of comfort and joy which is a degree above patience God over-rules all thus Therefore we should quietly cast our selves wholly upon him willing to doe and suffer whatsoever he will have us knowing that he will direct all to the good of the Church to our comfort and his own glory Again a further use may be this to teach us to communicate our estate to others because it is for their
Good Good is diffusive saith St. Paul all that I do or suffer it is for your good to ioyn comfort and suffering together If I be comforted it is for you and if I suffer it is for you It must be by their taking notice of it and that is not all that they ought to take notice but we ought to let them take notice as much as we can Come Children and I will teach you the feare of the Lord Psal. 34. 11. Come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soule The righteous shall compasse me about saith David As when a man hath some great matter to tell there will be a ring of people about him desirous to heare what he saith so saith David the righteous shall compasse me about when David had sweet matter of experience to tell what God had done for him how he had been with him in his affliction and delivered him the righteous shall compass me about I will declare it to others For Gods children make others case their owne they comfort them as they would be comforted of them againe As they ought to do so so we should take notice of their troubles and deliverances how God sanctifies them to them these things tend to edification There is the same reason to one Saint of God as to all and God is the same to all in the like case Experiments are made much of in other things in Physick and judged cases in law and such like Tried things in all professions are good so tried truths should be valued Now when a man teacheth another his experiment it is a iudged case a tried truth It is not every truth that will stay the soule in the time of a great temptation but a truth proved a tried truth Therefore it is good for Parents and Governours for friends and for all degrees of men to make it one way to spend their time fruitfully to discourse with others of the blessed experiments they have had of Gods gracious providence in the passages of their life Abraham will teach his Children I will tell it to him therefore saith God It is a meanes for God to reveale many things sweetly to us when he knows we are of a communicative spreading disposition God gaines by that meanes his glory is spread our grace is increased the good of others is multiplyed To goe on It is for your consolation and salvation Whether we be afflicted or whether we be comforted all is for your consolation and salvation I will not trouble you here with the diverse readings of copies some Greek copies want the word salvation but the most that the translations follow have both consolation and salvation some have consolation and salvation in the first but they repeat it not in the second Whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation but because the more current have both therefore we will ioyn both it is for your consolation and salvation For huper in the Greek it hath a double force it signifies either to merit hupon to procure and merit salvation and so we doe not understand it or huper for your good a finall cause it includes either a meritorious deserving cause or a finall cause Whether I be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation not by merit and desert so Christs suffering was but to help it forward in the execution of it I speak this to cut the sinews of a Popish point as I meet it which is a cousening point of their Religion which indeed is not a point of religion but a point of Romish policie a point of cousenage as most of their religion is but a trick for the belly They have devises forsooth of the Popes treasurie he being the Treasurer of the Church hath a treasurie and what must that be filled with with the merits of Saints with the superabundance For they can deserve and procure Heaven for themselves and more then obey there is an overplus of obedience the superabundance of that is laid in a treasurie and who should have the benefit of that but the Treasurer of the Church the Pope But how shall the Church come by this abundant satisfaction and merit They must buy them by pardons and they come not to have pardons for naught but by purchasing of them and hence come Popish indulgences that is nothing but a dispencing of the satisfaction and merits of the Saints which they did say they for the Church abusing such phrases as these when they had more then their own obedience they did good to others and others had benefit by it A shamefull opinion bred in the dark night of poperie when the Scriptures were hid and when people did lye in ignorance and it was meerly to advantage their own selves for indeed the Scripture saith that Gods Children did suffer for the Church but that was not for satisfaction for the Church but for the good of the Church Onely Christs death was satisfactory Christ is the onely treasurie of the Church and the satisfaction of Christ They think they merit by their sufferings when they suffer for their merits And they think they merit not onely for themselves but for others too which is a Diabolicall sarcasme The Devill mocks them that way he makes them ignorant of themselves Alas that a silly sinfull man should think to do enough for himself and more then enough enough for others The wise Virgins had but oyle enough for themselves they had none for others but these wise Virgins have more then for themselves they have for others too It is not worth the standing on to hinder better and more comfortable things The phrase runs in this sense when it is meant of Christ Christ suffered for our satisfaction for our redemption And Leo the Pope one of the the best of their Popes and in his rank a holy man in his time he saith excellent well for this sanctorum preciosamors c. The death of the Saints is prcious but the death of no Saint is a propitiation for others their death is sanctified but not propitiatorie to others Therefore singularis singulis all the Saints their death was for themselves It is an excellent speech solus Christus c. every other besides Christ their death was singular it went not out of their own persons to do others good otherwise then by an exemplary course as St. Paul speaks here but onely Christ it is in whom all dyed in whom all are crucified in whom all are raised in whom all ascend in whom all are glorified As publique Adam his death was for all he was not considerable in his death as one man but as a second Adam who by his publique obedience as the first publique person by his disobedience infected all so he by his obedience and satisfaction by his passive obedience especially when he shut up his obedience in death all dyed in him it was as much as if all had dyed as
Christian he is now afflicted and now comforted not for his own sake onely but for the good of others and when he shall be afflicted and how long and what comfort he shall have how much he leaves it to the wisdom of God It is a blessed estate if we could think of it to be a Christian that we need to care for nothing but to serve God we need to care for nothing but study to keep a good conscience Let God alone with all our estate for God will inable us to want and to abound in our owne persons and likewise he will sanctifie our estate for the good of others And a Christian will be willling to be tossed and to be changed from vessel to vessell from state to state for the good of others If his afflictions may do good to the Church he is content that God should withdraw his blessings from him and humble him with crosses If his example may be good to others he is likewise joyfull when God gives him rest and causeth an inward comfort he knows that this is good for others he hath learned in his first entrance into Christianity self-denyall not to live to himself but for the glory of God and the good of others as much as he may We should labour therefore to content our selves in all conditions knowing that all is for the best not only to our selves and Gods glory but for the good of others God when he takes things from us and afflicts us and when he comforts us he intends the comfort of others So we should reason when we indure any thing and when we are comforted certainly God intends the good of others by this therefore I will have a speciall care in suffering to carrie it decently and exemplarily knowing that the eyes of many are upon me I wil carry my self so that God may have glory and others may have edification and comfort knowing that I am but Gods Steward to convey this to others that are of the same body with my self Therefore in our communion we have with others upon any good occasion we ought to express the blessed experience of the comfort of God upon us This is the practise of holy men in their meeting with others to shew them the comforts of God to their soules Come I will shew you what God hath done for my soule saith the Psalmist All are the better for a good man he doth good to all and therefore Solomon saith When a righteous man is advanced the Citie rejoyceth They have cause for he hath a publique mind nothing doth more characterise and is a better stamp of a true Christian then a publique mind A carnall man out of self love may grieve at his own sins and may labour to comfort himself but a Christian thinks others shall take good by me It is the mind of Christ and it is the mind of all the Members of Christ when a man thinks he hath nothing except he have it to improve for the good of others A dead sullen reserved spirit is not a Christians spirit if by nature we have such we must labour to help it with grace for grace is a diffusive communicating thing not onely in the Ministers of God but in every Christian grace will teach them to make savourie their conversation to others this way that whatsoever they are or whatsoever they can do or whatsoever they suffer they study to improve all to the good of others And marke the extent of the loving wisedom and providence of God how many things he doth at once for in the same affliction oft times he corrects some in his Children in the same affliction he tries some grace in the same affliction he witnesseth to his truth in them in the same affliction he doth good to others besides the good he doth to them In the same affliction that others inflict he hastneth the ruine of them that offer it at one time and in one action he hastneth the destruction of the one by hastning the good of the other he ripens grace in his Children making them exemplary to others and all in the same Action so large is the wise providence of God It should teach us likewise to follow that providence and to see how many wayes any thing we suffer any kind of way may extend that if one way will not comfort another may When we suffer and are grieved let us consider withall that he that doth the wrong he hastens his ruine and judgment As Pharaoh when he hastned the overthrow of the children of Israel he hastned his overthrow in the red Sea so a pit is digged for the wicked when they digg a pit for the godly And consider to comfort thy self thou hast some sinne in thee and God intends not onely to witnesse his truth but to correct some sinne in thee and thou must look to that thou hast some grace in thee and he intends the tryall of that Look to these things this shews strong heavenly mindedness when there is self-denyall Let us consider what God cals us to for God looks to many things in the same act wherefore doth God give us reason and discourse but to be able to follow him in his dealing as farre as we can reach to But I go on to the next verse VERS VII And our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the suffering so you shall be also of the consolation THis verse is nothing but a strengthning of what he said before he had told them that whatsoever he suffered it was for their comfort too and now he repeats it again and sets a seal upon it Our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings so you shall also be of the consolation In these words he shews that they shall share in the good with him as well as in the ill that the Spirit of God in them should help them to take all the good they could both by his sufferings and by his comfort For as he by the help of the spirit of God intended the publique good intended their good and comfort in all whether he were afflicted or comforted so he saith here he was assured that as they were partakers of his sufferings so they should be of his comforts likewise Here is the truth And the seal of the truth The truth That they were partakers of his sufferings and should be partakers of his consolations And the Seal is in the manner of affirming these truths Our hope of you is stedfast And in this order I will speak of them First Gods Children are partakers of the sufferings of others The Corinthians were partakers of the sufferings of S. Paul Gods Children are partakers of the sufferings of others many wayes First by way of sympathy taking to heart the estate of the Church and Children of God abroad It grieved the Corinthians to hear that S. Paul was afflicted for
even as it is in the natural body so likewise in the mystical body there is a sympathy between the members Likewise they partake of the sufferings of others by way of proportion they suffered in their kind and proportion as he suffered though perhaps not in the same very individual kind There is a portion of suffering in the Church some suffer one way and others another but all partake of sufferings in some degree or other Then again they did partake of St Pauls sufferings in preparation and disposition of mind howsoever now they did not suffer as much as he yet saith he I know as farre as the spirit of God is in you you are prepared to suffer and what we are prepared to doc that we do Christ saith we sell all for the Gospel when upon serious examination of our hearts we find we can part with it when we set our selves to examination what cannot I part with for Christ can I part with my goods Can I part with my life if we can once come to resolution it is done as Abraham is said to sacrifiee his Son because he resolved to do it and David is said to build the Temple because he intended to do it God looks upon us in our resolutions and preparations what we resolve to do that is done So saith he you are partakers of my sufferings not onely by sympathy and in proportion of sufferings but you are prepared he speaks charitably and lovingly to suffer whatsoever I suffer if God call you to it And the ground of Christians partaking of the sufferings one of another it is the communion that is between Christians they are all Members of one body if the hand suffer the head suffers the head thinks it self wronged when the hand or the foot is wronged by reason of the sympathy between the Members as I said and so it is in the mysticall body of Christ. There are these three unions which depend one upon another The union of Christ with our nature which is inseparable it is an eternali union he never laies that blessed mass of our flesh aside which he took which is the ground of all our comfort for God is now at one with us because God hath taken our nature on him and satisfied the wrath of God his Father Next the union of Christ with our nature is the union of Christ mysticall Christ and his Members when they suffer Christ suffers their sufferings are the sufferings of Christ. The third is the union of one Member with another that what one Member suffers another doth suffer therefore the Corinthians were partakers of Christ because their sufferings were the sufferings of Christ and they were partakers of St. Pauls sufferings because his sufferings were their sufferings They were partakers of Christs sufferings because of the communion between the head and the Members and they were partakers of St Pauls sufferings because of the communion of one Member with another And surely there is not a heart that was ever touched with the Spirit of God but when he heares of any calamity of the Church whether it be in the Palatinate in France in the low Countries or in any Country in the world if he heare that the Church hath a blow it strikes to the heart of any man that hath the spirit of God in them by a sympatheticall suffering It is one good signe to know whether a man be of the mysticall body or no to take to heart the grievance of the Church As good Nehemiah did he would not take comfort in the pleasures of a Court in the King of Babylons Court when it went not well with his Country when the Church was in distress he took their grievance to heart So Moses the very joyes of Pharaoh's Court could not please him when he considered the abasement of his Country-men he joyned with them and it is called the rebuke of Christ. So it is with all the people of God there is a communication of suffeings As you are partakers of the sufferings so you shall be also of the consolation Wherein two things are observable First That a necessary precedent condition of comfort is sufferings And then the consequent of this that those that suffer as they should are sure of comfort These two things unfold the meaning of the spirit of God here Before there be comfort there must be suffering for God hath established this order even as in nature there must be a night before the day and a Winter before a Summer so in the Kingdom of Christ in his ruling of the Church there is this divine policie there must be suffering before comfort God will sooner break the league and the Covenant between day and night then this league of suffering and comfort the one must be before the other it was so in our head Christ he suffered and then entred into his glory so all his Members must be comfortable to him in suffering and then enter into their glory The reasons of this are diverse First of all this method and order is first suffering and then comfort because God finds us in a corrupt estate and something must be wrought out of us before we can be vessels to receive comfort therefore there must be a purgation one way or other either by repentance or if not by repentance by affliction to help repentance there must be suffering before comfort The soule is unfit for comfort Secondly This order commends and sweetens comfort to us for fire is sweet after cold and meate is sweet after hunger so comfort is sweet after suffering God fits us to comfort by this by purging out what is contrarie to comfort And he indeares comfort by this those that have felt the cross comfort is comfort indeed to them heaven is heaven indeed to him that hath had a hell in his conscience upon earth that hath been afflicted in conscience or outwardly persecuted it set a price and value upon comfort Partly likewise to sharpen our desire of comfort for suffering breeds sence and sence that stirs up desire and desire is eager now suffering it makes comforts pretious and sets us in a wondrous strong desire after them And by this meanes likewise God comes to his own end which is that our comforts may be eternall therefore we have that which is ill in the first place Woe to us if it should be said to us as to Dives in the Gospel Son son thou hadst thy good here and now thou must have thy ill God intends not to deale so with his Children but they tast the worst wine first and better afterward because he intends eternall happiness to them he observes this method first ill and then good the best at last If this be so then why should we be offended at Gods order why should we not take it not onely gently and meekly but joyfully the afflictions that God sends to prepare and fit
us for happiness to sharpen our desire to happiness to make it pretious to us Certainly it is a ground not onely of patience and meekness but of joy and comfort in all the things we suffer Will a Patient be angrie with his Chyrurgion for searching of his wound he knows that that is the way to cure him Will any man take offence at the Gold-Smith for purging his mass they know that is the way to purifie it and fetch out the dross This is the method in nature the ground muft be plowed and prepared and then comes the harvest let us be content with this method and rejoyce in any suffering knowing it will have a blessed issue and not to think much at suffering any thing for a good cause in our selves or by way of sympathy or support with others because this is the high way to a better estate if we suffer with the Church or for the Church any kinde of way we shall be comforted with the Church It is that which sweetens the cross that we are under hope of better still Who would not indure a little grievance in the way to have honour in the end to have ill usage in an Inne and to go to a Kingdom All our discomforts and afflictions are but by the way here and crosses are necessary for Travellers and here we are but in a travelling estate It should I say incourage us not to take offence at any thing that God exerciseth us with in this world nor to take scandal at the afflictions of the Church And then it should strike terrour to those that will not indure so much as a scratch a scoff a word a chip of the cross that will indure nothing doe they know that this is Gods order do they avoid crosses in any degree and do they think to have comfort No God will not change his order for them he hath established this order and heaven and earth shall faile rather then Gods order shall not be sure If we will have comfort we must suffer if we will avoid suffering and think to go to heaven another way then God hath ordained we may take our own way but we must give him leave to take his way in comforting advancing whom hewil and that will not be us because we wil not frame our selvs to his order we must not look for hisdignitie if we wil not suffer with him we shal not reign with him The next thing observable in the order is this that Those that suffer as they should are sure of comfort There is a threefold conformity with Christ in suffering grace glory Those that are not conformable to him in suffering they cannot be conformable to him in grace and if they be not in grace they shall not in glory He took upon him our nature abased first and our nature purified and our nature glorious he hath now in heaven so our nature in us must keep this order First it must be abased as our flesh was in him and then filled with grace by little and little and then glorious as our nature is in him If we will not suffer our flesh to be abased and exercised with afflictions and let God worke his own good work as he pleaseth this way we are not conformable to Christ who was first abased and then advanced what was wrought in his blessed flesh must be wrought in his mysticall body in all his Members by little and little Therefore those that are tender and way-ward to indure any thing when God cals them to it they are enemies to their own comfort God hath set down this order if they do not partake of the sufferings of the Church they shall not partake of the comfort Oh it is a cursed estate to be out of the condition of Gods people and it is a comfortable thing to have part with those that are good yea even if it be in suffering with them It is better to have communion with Gods people in suffering then to have communion with the wicked in the world in reigning and triumphing And that is the reason that the spirit of God in the Prophet made him desire Deale with me Lord as thou usest to deale with those that feare thy name he knew he deals well enough with them visit me with the salvation of thy children he knew that was a speciall salvation so to have God deal with us as he deals with his and to visit us in mercy and love as he visits his own it is a speciall favour It is better to beare the crosse with them that we may partake with them in the comfort then to have all the comforts that the wicked have and to share with them in the misery afterward Therefore let us be content to share with Gods people in their suffering when we heare of any that suffer for a just cause though we have no sufferings of our own let us beare a part with them and with the bond of the communion of Saints help what we may And it is as true on the contrary if we partake with the wicked in their sins we shall partake with them in their punishment Therefore the Scripture saith Come out of Babylon my people lest if you partake of her sins so you partake of her punishments Now Atheisticall people think it nothing to enter into league and amity and society with prophane people that are professedly so not onely by weakness but those that are stigmatized but what saith the Scripture and the Holy Ghost doth not trifle with us Come out of Babylon my people lest you partake of her plagues which is not meant so much locally to come out of the place as in disposition to come out in respect of liking and converse and secret intimate communion Lots sons in law they thought it was but trifling they gibed as Atheists do now when they hear the Ministers incourage people to make much of religion and to set against those that are opposite they think they are inforced to it and it is upon mistake c. though it be as palpable as the light of the sun they deal as Lots sons in law when he warned them to come out of Sodome and he was pulled out they would believe nothing till fire came down from Heaven and destroyed them all it was too late then Therefore let us hearken to the counsell of the Angell let us not make this a matter of scorne a light matter but as we desire to have no part in their confusion so avoid their courses The Scripture is terrible to those that after the breaking out of the light will be such there is not more direct Scriptures against any kind of men then those that willfully cleave to Antichrist therefore we should not esteem it a light matter but think of it seriously indeed And not onely in respect of them but all wicked society were it not pitie that men should be severed from them hereafter
affliction but now he specifies what afflictions they were I would not have you ignorant of the troubles which came to us in Asia c. I would not have you ignorant of He knew it was behofull for them to know therefore to insinuate into their respect the more he tells them of it Indeed to know both together is very sweet and comfortable to know both the afflictions of Gods people and their comforts as here he tells them what ill he indured in Asia and how God delivered him to see how these are linked together in Gods people is very comfortable therefore I would not have you ignorant Now that they might not be ignorant he sets before their eyes the particular grievance that he suffered in Asia And see how he doth raise himself by degrees and represent it to them most lively First of all saith he We were pressed out of measure There is one degree we were pressed It is a metaphor we were pressed as a Cart is pressed under sheaves as a man is pressed under a burden as a Ship that is over-laden is pressed deep down with too much burden so it was with us we were pressed with afflictions afflictions are of a depressing nature they draw down the soule as comfort raiseth it up Out of measure There is the second degree they were not onely pressed but pressed out of measure Above strength Above my strength above ordinary strength And he riseth higher still the waters rise higher insomuch that we despaired of life we despaired of any escaping out of trouble at the present encounter nay we did not see how we should escape for the time to come Nay it was so great in the first place that we passed the sentence of death upon our selves It is a speech taken from malefactors that are condemned for even as they having the sentence pronounced upon them we account them dead men they esteem themselves so and so do others esteem them the sentence being passed upon them so I even passed the sentence on my self seeing no evasion or escape out of the troubles I was in the sentence of death passed upon me We had the sentence of death in our selves It was not passed by God nor by the World for they had not decreed to kill him but he passed it upon himself when he saw no way to escape He was deceived though as oft-times Gods Children are for he died not at that time And then afterwards he sets down the end why all this was a sweet end a double end That we should not trust in our selves what should we trust in then But in God that raiseth the dead First to speake of his grievance and then of the reason why God did thus follow him We would not have you ignorant He prevents all scandal by this I would not have you ignorant I am so far from caring or fearing or being ashamed that you should know of any affliction that I suffer that I would not have you ignorant of it for know this that when you know my afflictions you shall know my deliverance also St. Paul was wondrous scrupulous at this left they should take any offence at his sufferings indeed it is the state of Gods Children their worst crosse sometimes are censures upon them for the crosse the harsh censures of others in their troubles It was the last and the greatest of Job's troubles that and his wife together when his house was overthrown his Children killed his goods taken away himsef stricken with boiles then for his indiscreet friends to become miserable comforters those that should have comforted him to become censurers and judges of him as if he had been a man deserted and forsaken of God as if all had been from God as a punishment for his sins this was his grearest crosse as it was his last when his wife in his bosom she that should have comforted him most should solicit him to ill and his friends by their rash and vile censures to make his crosse heavier So it is with Gods Children in the world they cannot endure hardnesse in the World they cannot be used otherwise then their cause deserves but they must also undergo hard censures that grieves them more then the crosse it self It was the case of this blessed Apostle the Spirit of God in him therefore sets him to mention his affliction with boldnesse and confidence yea with comfort and joy I would not have you ignorant I am not of the mind of carnal men that would have it concealed nay I would not have you ignorant I pray understand it he laies it open to their view that they might be affected with it as he was for those things that we are affected with we are large in the discourse of them he shewes that the misery though it were past and were off yet he was affected with it We were pressed out of measure above strength This seems to thwart another place of scripture in 1. Cor 10. 13. God is faithful and will lay no more upon you then you shall be able to bear and yet here he saith we were afflicted above strength how can these hang together I answer God will not suffer his Children to indure any thing above strength above that they are able to bear especially in spirituall evils but for sickness and persecution or such sometimes he may lay more upon them then they have present strength to beare But put the case that St. Paul speaks of inward grievance and outward afflictions too as both usually accompany one another St. Paul's meaning is here undoubtedly We were pressed above strength that is above ordinary naturall strength that unless God had made a supply by a new supernaturall strength we had never been able to indure it therefore take it so above ordinary naturall strength for extraordinary crosses must have extraordinary strength and crosses with grievance of spirit must have more then naturall strength to beare them Again Where it is said Insomuch that we despaired of life as if he had cared much for his life this seemeth to cross another place Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ and here he seems to be very carefull in a strait lest he should die I answer We must take St. Paul in diverse considerations and respects As St. Paul hath finished his course and done his work so Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness so he thinks of nothing but life and glory he cares not for his life but take Saint Paul in the midst of his course and so he had a care to his charge Take Saint Paul as he looked to glory so he desired to be dissolved take him as he was affected to edifie the Church so he laboured to live by all meanes and so he saith he despaired of life as desiring to live to do good to the Church Again It may be Objected against the last We received the sentence of
uncharitable men judge amiss of the generation of the righteous Whereas they should set the Court in their own hearts and begin to censure there and to examine themselves they goe out and keep their Court abroad but I say passe not a harsh censure upon others or on thy selfe no not for extream dangers for God now is making way for great comfort let God go on his way without thy censuring of him Again This should teach us that we should not build overmuch confidence on earthly things on the things of this world neither on health of body or on friends or on continuance of life alas it is Gods ordinary course to strip us of all in this world we think of great reputation but saith God I will take that from you you shall learn to trust in me You think you have strong and vigorous bodies and you shall live long and therefore you will venture upon such and such courses I but God suffers his children to come to extream dangers and hazards that they think the sentence of death is passed upon them And since this is Gods course with the body and with the Members and with our head Christ himself shall we think to have immunitie and to escape and not looke to Gods order The Church is in great miserie and we are negligent in prayer we think there are many good people and there is strong munition c. As if when Gods people are in security and forget him and his blessings it were not his course to strip them of all to suffer them to fal into extream dangers have we not the Church before our eyes to teach us Let us trust therefore in nothing in this world So much for that point The second thing in the first part is this that As Gods Children are brought to this estate so they are sensible of it They are flesh and not steele they have not the strength of steele as Job saith they are men they are not stones they are Christians they are not Stoicks Therefore St. Paul as he was in extremity so he apprehended his extremity and with all his heart he would have escaped if he could he looked about to all evasions how he might escape death Gods children are sensible of their crosses especially they are sensible of death as he speaks here of himself We despaired even of life it self The word is very significant in the originall we were in such a strait that we knew not how to escape with life so that we despaired of life we would have escaped with our lives but we saw no way to escape To make this clear there are 3. things in Gods Children There is Grace Nature Corrupt nature nature with the tang of Corruption Grace that looks upward to glorie and comfort Nature looks to the present grievance nature looks not to things to come to matters revealed in the Word to supernatural comforts nature looks to the present crosse even nature without sin Corrupt nature feeles and feeles with a secret murmuring and repining and heavinesse and dulnesse as indeed corrupt nature will alway have a bout in crosses it will alway play its part first or last There are alway these three works in the Children of God in all extremities Grace works and that carries up up still trust in God it looks to heaven it looks to the end and issue that all is for good Nature it fills full of sense and pain and makes a man desire remedy and ease Corrupt nature stirs a man up to fret and say what doth God mean to do thus it stirs a man oft-times to use ill meanes indirect courses St. Paul was sensible from a right principle of nature and no doubt here was some tang of corruption with it he was sensible of the fear of death Adam in innocencie would have been affected and exquisitly sensible no doubt if his body had been wronged for the more pure the complexion the more sensible of solution as Physicians say when that which should be knit together if any thing be loosed by sicknesse or by wounds that should by nature not be hurt but continue together it breeds exquisite pain As to cut that which should not be cut to disjoyn that which should be together this is in nature The Schoolemen say and the reason is good that Christs paines were the greatest paines because his senses were not dulled and stupified with sensuality or indirect courses he had a body of an excellent temper and he was in the perfection of his years when he died therefore he received such an impression of grief in his whipping and when he was crowned with thornes that was it that made him so sensible of grief that when he sweat he sweat drops of blood and upon the crosse it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Gods Children out of a principle of nature are sensible of any grievance to this outward man of theirs to the body especially in death as we see here St. Paul And there is most patience where there is most sense it is stupidity and blockishnesse else Why are Gods Children so sensible in grief especially in death Oh there is a great cause indeed in some regards they are not afraid of it for death is an enemy to nature it is none to Grace but when I speake not of Grace and Glory but of nature hath not nature great cause to tremble at death when it is an enemy to nature even to right nature It is the King of fears as Job saith it is that Tyrant that makes all the Kings of the earth to tremble at him when death comes it is terrible why because it strips us of all the contentments of this life of all comforts whatsoever we have here Nature without â—…n is sensible of earthly comforts that God hath appointed for nature and when nature sees an end of them nature begins to give in and to grieve Again death parts the best friends we have in this world the body and the soul two old friends and they cannot be parted without exquisite grief If two friends that take contentment in each other common friends cannot part without grief how shall these bosom-friends these united friends body and soul part without grief This marriage between the soul and the body cannot be disunited without exquisite pain being old acquaintance Again nature abhors death it hinders us of all imployment it hinders of all service of God in Church and Common-wealth And so grace which is beyond nature doth a little desire the continuance of life But nature even out of no sinful principle it sees that now I can serve God no longer I can do God no more service I can do good no longer in this World and therefore it takes it to heart Our Savour saith While you have light walke the night cometh when no man is able to work the night of sicknesse and death So
it breeds discomfort and is terrible that way Again in death we leave those that cast their care upon us we leave oft times Wives and Children without Husband or Father those that had dependance upon us and this must needs work upon nature upon a right principle of nature indeed the excesse of it is with corruption alway Again in death there is great pain They say Births are with great pangs and so they are Now death is a birth the birth of immortality no wonder then if it have great pangs therefore nature fears it even for the pangs the concomitants that are joyned with it And then in death nature considers the state of the body presently after death that that goodly body that strength and vigour I enjoyed before must now be wormes-meat I must say to the worm Thou art my brother and to corruption Thou art my mother and the like as it is in Job That head that perhaps hath ruled the Common-wealth the place where I lived it must lie level with others and that body that others were inamoured with it must now be so forlorn that the sight of it will not be indured of our best friends Nature considers what the estate will be there that it shall turn to rottenesse ere long that the goodliest persons shall be turned to dust and lie rotting there till the day of the Resurrection Faith and Grace looks higher but because we have nature as long as we are men these and such like respects work upon nature and make death grievous But besides the glasse of nature and these things here in the World look upon it in the Law of God in that glasse and so nature trembles and quarrels at death Death what is it It is the wages of sin it is the end of all comfort and nature cannot see any comfort after that it is beyond nature Nature teacheth us not that there will be a Resurrection of the body nature teacheth not that the soul goes to God here must be a great deal of Grace and a great deal of Faith to convince the soul of this nature teacheth it not Now when besides this the Law of God comes and faith Death came in by sin and sin is the sting of death death is armed with sin and sin comes in with the evidences of Gods anger here unlesse there be Faith and Grace a man is either as Nabal a stone and a fot in death or as Judas and Cain swallowed up with despaire It is impossible for a man that is not a true Christian that is not a good man but that either he shouldbe as a stone or desperate in sicknesse and Death without Grace he must be one of them If he be a wise man he cannot but despair in the hour of Death For is it a matter to be dallied with or to be carried bravely out as your Roman spirits and Atheists think they account it a Glory to die bravely in a stout manner Is it the terrible of terribles so to be put off when all the comforts in this world shall end and all imployments cease when there is eternity before a man and after death hell and eternall damnation of body and soul Are these matters to be slighted it would make a man look about him if a man have not faith and Grace he must eitherr despaire or die like a stone none but a good Christian can carrie himself well in the hour of death nay a good Christian is sensible of death and till he see Gods time is come he labours to avoid it by all meanes as St. Paul doth here But St. Paul had another ground beyond nature to avoid Death He knew himself ordained for the service of the Church therefore he desired to escape that he might serve God a longer time for the good of his Church Are Gods Children sensible of Death and the danger of it and out of a principle of nature and Grace too How then should carnall wretched men look about them that have not made their accounts even with God the report of Death to them should be like the hand-writing upon the wall to Belteshazer it should make their knees beat together and make their countenance pale it should strike them with terrour and like Nabal make their hearts to die as a stone within them But it is a Use of comfort to poore deluded Christians they think alas can my estate be good I am afraid of Death I tremble and quake at the name of Death I cannot endure to hear of it but it most of all affects me to see it therefore I fear I have no Grace in me I fear I have no faith in me Be not discomforted whosoever thou art that sayest so if thou labour to strengthen thy faith and to keep a good conscience for thou mayest do thus out of a principle of nature nature trembles at Death A man may do two things from diverse principles from diverse respects both without sin For example in fasting nature without sin desireth meat or else fasting were not an afflicting of a mans body but Grace that hath another principle and that desires to hold out without sustenance to be afflicted so here is both a desire and not a desire and both good in their kind So a man in the time of sicknesse and death he may by all meanes desire to escape it and tremble at it out of a principle of nature but out of a higher principle he may triumph O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory and they that believe in Christ shall never die We are in heavenly places together with Christ we are as sure of heaven as if we were there So out of such kind of principles we may triumph over Death by Faith and Grace So let none be discouraged nature goes one way and faith and grace another a man may know when it is nature and when it is grace when grace subdues nature and subordinates it to a higher principle a man need not be much troubled Christ himself our head he was afraid of death when he looked on death as death but when he looked upon death as a service as a redemption as a sweet sacrifice to God so with a thirsting I have thirsted saith he he thirsted after death in that respect looking to his humane nature to the truth of his manhood then saith he Oh that this cup might passe from me but in another consideration he willingly gave his soul a sacrifice for sin to God The desire is as the objects are presented let heaven and happinesse be presented so death is a passage to it so death is the end of misery and the beginning of happinesse so Gods Children desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ as St. Paul did But look upon death otherwise as it is an enemy to nature as it is a stop of all imployment in this world and of all service
had gotten by his policie and malice and then God delivered his Church and confounded Haman These and the like reasons may be given to shew that God in heavenly and deep wisdom doth not presently deliver his children The proper use of it is that we should learn not to be hasty and short-spirited in Gods dealing but learn to practise that which we are often injoyned to wait on God to wait his good leasure Especially considering that which is the second point let that satisfie us that After God hath done his work he will deliver Let us wait for he will deliver at length perhaps his time is not yet that he will deliver but usually when all is desperate when he may have all the glory then he delivers He delivered the three young men but they were put into the fire first and the Furnace was made seven times hotter that he might have the glory in consuming their enemies so he delivered Hezekias in his time but it was when the enemy was even ready to seize upon the City He promised St. Paul that not one man should perish in the ship but yet they suffered shipwrack they went away onely with their lives God doth so deliver his that he doth not suffer them to perish in the danger Therefore let us stay his time and waite it may be it is not Gods time yet When shall we know that it is Gods time to deliver that we may wait with comfort God knowes his own time best but usually it is when we are brought very low and when our spirits are low when we are brought very low both in regard of humane support and in regard of our spirits when we are humble when our souls cleave to the dust help Lord for we are brought very low Help Lord for vain is the help of man When the Church can plead so it is a good plea when we are at the lowest and the malice of the enemy is at the highest when the waters swell Help Lord for the waters are come into my very soul when we are very low and the enemies very high as we see in Pharaoh And so in Herod when he was in the height of his pride when he was in all his glory God takes him there Thus God delivers his and confounds his enemies I joyn them both together for the one is not commonly without the other the annoyance of Gods Children is from their enemies therefore when he delivers the one he confounds the other When the malice of the one is at the highest and the state of the other is at the lowest and their spirits are afflicted and cast down with their estate then is the time when God will deliver Again when our hearts are inlarged to pray when we can pray from a broken heart as you see here he joynes them together God will deliver me but it must be by your prayers when we have hearts to pray and when others have hearts to pray for us that is the time of deliverance Usually there goes before deliverance an enlarged heart to pray to God as we see in Daniel Dan. 9. a little before they came out of Babylon he had a large heart to pray to God And when we can plead with God his promise Remember Lord thy promise wherein thou hast caused us to trust when we can cast our selves upon Gods mercy with prayer and plead with God to remember his promise it is a sign God means to deliver us When the heart is shut and closed up that it cannot speak to God when there is some sin or other that doth stifle the spirit that it cannot vent it self with that liberty to God it is a signe that it is not the time yet of Gods deliverance God will at the length deliver therefore from both these that he doth deferre deliverance and that he will deliver at length let us inferre this lesson of waiting let us wait therefore and wait with comfort Let us remember these principles First God hath a time as for all things so for our deliverance Secondly that Gods time is the best time he is the best discerner of opportunities Thirdly remember that this shall be when he hath wrought his work upon our souls specially when he hath made us to trust in him As here when Saint Paul had learnd to trust in God then he delivered him And why should we desire to do our bodies good or our estates good till God hath wrought his cure on our souls for God intends our souls in the first place our soules they are the whole man in a manner The welfare of the soul drawes the welfare of the body and the welfare of the estate after it the body shall do well if the soul do well Therefore we should desire rather that the Lord would let the affliction stay then that it should part without the message for which God sends it Every affliction is Gods messenger we should desire the Lord to let it stay for the answer for which he hath sent it And indeed it will never part without the answer for which God sends it till it have humbled us till it have brought us to trust in God till we be such as we should be And a Christian soul rather desires to be in the Furnace to be under the affliction to be purged better yet then to have the crosse and affliction removed and not to be a whit the better for it Therefore considering that there will be a time and that Gods time is the best time and that this time will be when he hath fitted us we should learn to waite in any crosse and not to be over hasty Again consider though the time be long yet he will deliver at length by death death will end all miseries And consider that how long soever we indure any thing yet what is that that we indure here to that that we are freed from by Christ We are freed from misery from all misery from the wrath of God from damnation And what is that that we can suffer here to the glory and joy that remaines for us in heaven What is all that we can suffer here to that that Christ hath indured for us what is all that we can indure here to that that we have deserved Considering then what we are delivered from what God hath reserved for us what Christ hath indured and what we deserve it will make us wait and wait with patience Especially considering as I said before that God is working his good worke for our good though we at the first perhaps for a while doe not see the meaning of the affliction the meaning of the cross we cannot read it perfectly yet in general we may know it is for our good God of his infinite wisdom will not suffer a hair to fall from our heads without his providence And all shall work together for the best to those that love him Rom. 8. It is
deliver me from every evill work and that is that which the Saints and Martyrs and all good people desire that God would deliver them that they may not sink in their minds that they despair not that they carry not themselves uncomely in troubles but so as is meet for the credit of the truth which they seal with their blood he hath delivered me and he will deliver me from every evill work and what saith he afterwards He shall preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom He doth not say he shall preserve me from death he knew he should die but he shall preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom So put the case that God do not deliver from death yet he delivers by death There is a partial deliverance and a total deliverance there is a deliverance from this and that trouble and there is a deliverance from all troubles God delivers us most when we think he delivers least for we think how doth he deliver his Children when we see them taken away by death and oftimes are massacreed That is one way of delivering them God by death takes them from all miseries they are out of the reach of their enemies death delivers them from all miseries of this life both inward of sin and outward of trouble all are determined in death therefore God when he doth not deliver them from death he delivers them by death and takes them to his heavenly Kingdom God oft-times delivers his by not delivering them out of trouble for when he sees us in danger of some sin he delivers us into trouble to deliver us from some corruption Of all evills Gods Children desire to avoid the delivering up to themselves and to their own lusts to their own base earthly hearts to a dead heart he delivers them into trouble therefore to deliver them from themselves God will deliver us for the time to come so that we depend upon him and humble our selves and be like our selves When God delivereth us at the first it may be we are like our selves but perhaps afterward we grow prouder and self-confident and will not do that we formerly did therefore God sometimes though he put us in hope of deliverance yet he will not deliver us because we are not prepared we are not throughly humbled As we see in Judges 20. there the Israelites were to set on the Benjamits they go the first time and had the foile they go the second time and are foiled the third time they set on them with fasting and prayer and then they had the victory What was the reason they had it not at the first time they were not humbled enough they did not flee to God with fasting and prayer It may be there is some sin some affection unmortified of revenge and anger when God hath subdued that and brought it under and brought us to fasting and prayer then God will deliver us as at the third encounter they carried away the victory When we have not made our peace with God we may come the first and second time and not be delivered but when we are throughly humbled and brought low then God will deliver us And then we must know that alway these outward promises have a reservation to Gods glory and our eternal good God hath delivered me and he doth and will deliver me if it may stand with his glory and my good and therefore the soul saith to God with that reserved speech of him in the Gospell Lord If thou wilt thou canst heal me if thou wilt thou canst deliver me if it be for thy glorie and my eternall good or for the Churches good thou wilt do it and neither the Church nor the particular members of the Church desire deliverance upon any other termes but when it may be for the glory of God and for the Churches good when they may be instrumental by long life to serve God and to serve the Church and when it is for their own advantage to gather further assurance of their salvation then he hath and doth and will deliver still This is enough to build the confidence of Gods children upon for their deliverance for the time to come God will deliver his Church and Children and he will deliver them out of all he will deliver Israel out of all his troubles he will not leave a horn or a hoof as Moses said he will not leave one trouble he will deliver us at the last out of all and advance us to his heavenly Kingdom His bowels will melt over his Church and Children he is a Father and he hath the bowels of a Mother This may serve to answer all objections that will arise in our hearts as indeed we are ready to cavil against divine truthes and comforts especially in the time of trouble and temptation our hearts are full of complaints and disputes therefore I thought good to answer this But what is the argument of the Apostle here Especially experience he hath delivered he doth deliver and he will deliver me As God will deliver his Church for the time to come so this is one maine argument that he will do it experience of former favours and deliverances This Saint Paul useth familiarly 2 Tim. 4. 18. I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon and the Lord shall deliver me from every evill work and preserve me to his Heavenly Kingdom A blessed arguing So David argues God delivered me from the Bear and the Lyon and therefore he will deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine So Jacob pleads that God would deliver him from Esau he had had experience of Gods mercy till then and therefore he trusted that God would deliver him from Esau. It is a good argument to plead experience to move God to care for us for the time to come It was used by the head of the Church By the body the Church and by every member of the Church It was used by the head Psalme 22. which is a Psalme made of Christ I was cast on thee from my Mothers wombe therefore be not far from me It was Tipycally true of David and it was true of the Son of David So the Church pleads with God in diverse places in Isay 51. 2. God calls to his people to make use of former experience Look to Abraham your Father and to Sarah that bare you c. Look to former times to the rock whence you were hewen and to the hole of the pit whence you were digged he that was your God then is your God now Look to Abraham your Father and from thence reason till now So in Isay 63. 7. I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord and the praise of the Lord according to the great goodnesse of the Lord bestowed upon us In all their afflictions he was afflicted c he speaks of former experience In love he bare them and carried them all the daies of old So in Psalme 44. Our Fathers have told
be like thy self thou thinkest I hate those that thou hatest that are my dear Children therefore Herod presumed to go on and lay hold on Peter but the Church falls a praying and God smites Herod with a fearful death he was eaten up with lice with worms bred in his body So I say it is no good argument to say I have prospered in wicked courses I do prosper and therefore I shall prosper I have gotten a great deal of goods by ill means and I have kept such ill company and though some mislike my courses yet I hope to morrow shall be as to day c. Take heed blesse not thy self Gods wrath will smoak against such Treasure not up wrath unto thy self against the day of wrath argue not so upon Gods patience It is an argument for Gods Children he hath been my God he is my God and he will be my God it is a Sophisme else for others and as the Prophet Amos saith He that hath escaped the Lyon shall fall into the hands of the Bear so the wicked that escape one danger shall fall into another at length it is no good argument for them to hope for the like of that they have had Nay rather it is the worst outward sign in this world of a man in the state of reprobation of a man hated of God to prosper and have security in ill courses God blesseth him and lets him go on in smooth courses as the streames of Jordan go on smooth and still and then enter into the dead sea so many men live and go on in smooth easy courses and we see at length they either end in despair as Judas or in deadnesse of heart as Nabal So that of all estates it is the most miserable when a man lives in a naughtie course and God interrupts him not in his course with some outward judgment It is a reason onely for the Children of God to support themselves with in a good cause wherein they walk with a good conscience then they may say truly God that hath been my God till now will be my God to the end of my dayes Is God so constant to his Children in his love and in his fatherly care providence that whom he hath delivered he doth deliver and will deliver let us be constant in our service and love back again let us return the echo back again and say I have served God I do serve God and I will serve God because he hath loved me he doth love me and he will love me he hath delivered me he doth deliver me and he will deliver me as he is constant in love to me so will I be constant in respect in reverence and obedience to him Therefore we see the Saints of God as God loves them from everlasting to everlasting being Jehovah as he never alters in his nature so not in his love to them so they never alter in their love to him therefore it is a clause in Scripture expressed by holy men To whom be praise for ever as they knew that he was their God for ever and for ever so they purposed to be his people and to praise him for ever and for ever And because they cannot live here alway themselves they desire that there may be a Generation to praise him for ever and for ever and they lay a plot and ground so much as they can that Gods Name may be known that Religion may be propagated for ever They know God is their God for ever they know he is constant in love to them and they are constant in their love to him and for his glory To whom be glory for ever See here the happinesse of a true Christian that is in Covenant with God he can say I have had my happinesse and my portion I have it and I shall have it for ever Take a worldling can he say so he cannot God will confound his insolence if he should say so I have been rich I have prospered in my course I have attained to this and that means I yet thrive and I shall thrive I is it so No thou buildest upon the sands howsoever God hath done and howsoever he doth thou canst not secure thy self for the time to come Onely the Christian that makes God his rock and his fortress his shield and strong tower of defence he may say he hath had that which is certain he enjoyes that which is immutable and constant God is his portion his eternal portion he hath been good he is good and he will be good to eternity no man else that hath a severed happinesse out of God can say so A sound Christian take him in all references of time he is a happy man if he look back God hath delivered him from Satan from hell and damnation and many dangers If he look to the present he is compassed about with a guard of Angels and with the providence of God God doth deliver him he hath a guard about him that cannot be seen but with the eye of faith The Divel sees it well enough as we see in Job Thou hast hedged him about how can I come to him He looked about to see if he could come into Job to see if the hedg had any breach but there was none Gods providence compassed him about God hath and doth deliver And if he look to the time to come he will deliver he seeth that neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate him from the love of God And this is not onely true of outward dangers but especially in spiritual God hath been gracious he hath given Christ How shall he not with him give us all things A Christian is in the favour of God now how shall he not be so for ever He hath eternity world without end to comfort himself in that God as long as he is God he hath comfort as long as he hath a soul so long Jehovah the living God will be his God both of his body and soul he is the God of Abraham therefore he will raise his body he is the God that raiseth the dead and he will for ever glorifie both body and soul in heaven Look which way he will a Christian hath cause of much comfort why should he be dismayed with any thing in the world why should he not serve God with all the encouragement that may be when he hath nothing to care for but to serve him As for matter of deliverance and protection it belongs not to us but to him let us do that that belongs to us and he will do that belongs to him if we commit our soules to him as to a faithful Creator in weldoing he hath delivered us he doth deliver us and he will deliver us and preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom VERS 11. You also helping together by prayer for us IN these words the holy Apostle sets down the subordinate means that God hath sanctified to continue
deliverance to his children He hath delivered he doth deliver and he will deliver us for the time to come Was this confidence of St Paul a presumption without the use of means he will deliver us you also helping together by prayer for us The chief cause doth not take away the subordinate but doth establish it And though God be the great deliverer and salvation belong to the Lord as the Scripture speaks salvation and deliverance it is his work yet notwithstanding he hath not for defect of power but for the multiplication and manifestation of his goodnesse ordained the subordinate means of deliverance and as he will deliver so he will deliver in his own manner and by his own means He will deliver but yet notwithstanding you must pray you also helping together by prayer for us The words have no difficulty in them you helping together that is you together joyning in prayer with me I pray for my self and you together helping me by prayer God will deliver me The points considerable in the words are these First of all that in the time of peril or in the want of any benefit the means to be delivered from the one and to convey the other it is prayer God will do this you praying The second is this that Gods children can pray for themselves The third is that notwithstanding though they can pray for themselves yet they require the joynt help of others and they need the help of others The fourth is that our own prayers and the prayers of others joyning all together is a mighty prevailing means for the conveying of all good and for the removing of any ill God will deliver me you helping by your prayers Prayer is a means to convey all good and to deliver from all ill Because God hath stablished this order Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee Psal. 50. he joyns deliverance to calling upon him So in Psal. 91. 15. a notable place besides others indeed the Psalmes are wonderous full in this kind He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him mark it He shall call upon me and I will deliver him and more then so for Gods benefits are complete he doth not onely deliver but he honours I will deliver him and advance him God doth not onely deliver his Children by prayer but he delivers them from evil works and preserves them to his heavenly Kingdom he delivers them and advanceth them together he doth not do his work by halves Psal. 34. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their cry his eyes are upon them to see their miseries and wants I but though his eyes be open his ears must be open too to hear their cry if his eyes were open to see their wants if his ears be not open to hear their cry his children might be miserable still Sometimes God delivers wicked men he preserves them but the preservation of a wicked man is but a reservation of him for future judgment to feed him for the slaughter and that deliverance is not worth the speaking of But for his children his eyes are open on them and his ears to hear their cry as they be in misery that he sees them so they must cry that he may hear them God hath stablished this order he will deliver but prayer is the means Now the reason that he hath established this order It is for his Glory our own good It is for his own glory because prayer gives him the glory of all his attributes for when we go to him do we not give him the glory of his omniscience that he knowes our hearts and knowes our wants Do we not give him the glory of his omnipotence that he can help us Do we not give him the glory of his omnipresence that he is every where do we not give him the glory of his truth that he will make good his promise which we alledge to him and presse him with what a world of glory hath God by prayer And then for our sakes he hath established this order to convey all by prayer to shew our dependance on him for we being in such a low distance under God it is good that we should know from whom we have all therefore he will have us to pray to him he commands it Prayer is an act of self-denial it makes us to look out of our selves higher Prayer acknowledgeth that we have that which we have not of our selves but from him Prayer argueth a necessary dependance upon him to whom we pray for if we had it at home we would not go abroad And then again it doth us good because as it gives God all the glory so likewise it exerciseth all the graces in a man There is not a grace but it is put into the fire it is quickned and kindled by prayer For it sets faith on work to believe the promise it sets hope on work to expect the things prayed for it sets love on work because we pray for others that are members of the Church it sets obedience on work because we do it with respect to Gods command prayer sets humility on work we prostrate our selves before God and acknowledge that there is no goodnesse or desert in us there is not a grace in the heart but it is exercised in prayer The Divel knowes it well enough and therefore of all exercises he labours to hinder the exercise of prayer for he thinkes then we fetch help against him and indeed so we do for in one prayer God is honoured the Church is benefited grace is exercised the Divel is vanquished what a world of good is by prayer So that God hath established this order upon great reasons fetched from our own comfort and good and from his glory Since God hath established this order away with idle suggestions partly carnal and partly divellish God knowes what we want and God knew before all time what we have need of and he may grant it if he will I but that God that decreed at the same time that he decreed to convey good at the same time he decreed to convey it this way by prayer therefore let us not disjoyn that which God hath joyned Christ knew that God decreed all and yet he spent whole nights in prayer and who knew Gods love more then he Yet because as he was man he was a creature because as he was man he received good from his Father to shew his dependance he continually prayed he sanctified every thing by prayer And all holy men of God from the beginning the more certain they were of any thing by promise the more eager and earnest and fervent they were in prayer it was a ground of prayer they knew that this was Gods order therefore if they had a promise they turned it into prayer presently The
by prayer to remove the cloud that hangs over our heads the sooner it passeth by many help much as many brands make a great fire and many little rivers running into a common channell they make the river swell greater so prayer is strong when it is carried by the spirits of many yea those that are not perhaps so well experienced But as I said sometimes men not only great in place but great in grace need the help of others the Spirit of prayer is not in a like measure in them sometime they are too secure sometime they are too presumptious sometime too negligent and carelesse in stirring up the Grace of God in them sometime they are prone to be lifted up too much sometime to be cast down too much If this be so what a benefit is this then to have the help of others when oft-times a man meaner in gifts may have as great a measure of the Spirit of prayer as another Prayer it is not a work of gifts but of grace it is a work of a broken heart of a believing heart And in prayer there be diverse gifts which are far more eminent in one then in another yet all excellent good in their kind some have the gift to be fluent to be large in words in explication of themselves some men have not so much in that but they have a broken heart some again have it in zeal and earnestnesse of affections so that there is something in the very action of prayer which helps in many one helps with his ability with his large gift of Speech another with his humble and broken spirit another with his zeal and ardencie to wrastle and strive with God to get a blessing Moses was a man of a stammering tongue and yet Moses was a man for prayer Aaron and Hur were silent and were fain to hold up his hands but Moses must pray and yet Moses was no man of eloquence and he pretends that for his excuse when he was to go to Pharaoh Therefore it is a matter of the heart a matter of grace of humilitie of strong faith and not a matter of words though that be a speciall gift too God will have it thus in his wise dispensation because he will have every man esteemed and because he will have no man to be proud he will humble his own to let them know that they stand in need of the prayers of the weakest Every man in the Church of God hath some gifts that none should be despised and none have all gifts that none should presume over-much and be proud In the Church of God in the Body of Christ there is no idle member in the communion of Saints there is none unprofitable every one can do good in his kind God will have this because he will have none despised It was a fault in St. Jame's time The brother of high degree did despise the brother of low degree that is the rich Christians despised the poore Christians but saith Saint James Hath not God chosen the poore in the World rich in faith Now faith is the ground of prayer It is a fault in all times men have swelling conceits against the meaner sort and undervalue them God will not have it so he will have us see that we stand in need of the meanest Christians and by this he will raise up the dejected spirit of weak Christians What a comfort is it then that I should be able to help the greatest man in the World that he should be beholding to me for that duty So it abaseth the greatest that they stand in need of the meanest and it raiseth the meanest that the greatest are helped by them and it knits all into a sweet communion For when a great Christian shall think yonder poore Christian he is gracious in the Court of heaven howsoever he be neglected in the world he may do me good by his prayers It will make him esteem and value him the more and it will make him value his friendship he will not disparage him he will not grieve the spirit of such a one whose prayer may prevail with God and draw down a blessing for him We see here the Corinthians help the Apostle by their prayers You see the reason of it that God will knit Christians together and humble them that think themselves great and that he might comfort every mean Christian. Therefore let no Christian slight his own prayers no not those that are young ones That great divine Paulus Phagius who was a great Hebrecian in his time and one that helped to restore the Gospel in England it was a good speech of him he was wont to say I wish the prayers of younger Scholars for their souls are not tainted with sin and God often hears the poore young ones that are not tainted and soiled with the sins of the World as others are sooner then others a weak Christian that hath not a politick head and a divellish spirit meaner persons that are but young ones they have more acquaintance many times with God then others despise not the prayer of any And let none despise his own prayer Shall I pray to God will some say I pray do you pray for me Why dost thou not pray for thy self I am unworthy Unworthy dost thou so basely esteem of it when God is not onely willing that thou shouldest pray for thy self but requires thee to pray for others hast thou so base an esteem of this incense Let my prayers be directed in thy sight as incense saith David God esteemes this as odour and wilt thou say I am not worthy abase not that which he hath vouchsafed so to honour God esteemes so highly of it that he will not only hear thy prayers for thy self but for others Again there is no pretence for any man to be idle in the profession of Religion Thou hast not riches thou canst not give thou hast not place thou canst not shew countenance to others but if thou be a Child of God thou hast the Spirit of prayer the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of a son in thee which enables thee to pray for thy self and others there is no Christian but he may do this you also helping together by your prayers for me The fourth and last observation out of these words is that Prayer is a prevailing course with God It prevailes for the removing of ill or for the preventing of ill or for the obtaining of good I shall be delivered I shall be continued in the state of deliverance but yet you must pray your prayers will obtain and beg this of God Prayer is a prevailing course because as I said it is obedience to Gods order he bids us call upon him and he will hear us prayer binds him with his own promise Lord thou canst not deny thy self thou canst not deny thy promise thou hast promised to be near all those that call upon thee in
truth and though with much weaknesse yet we call upon thee in truth therefore we cannot but be perswaded of thy goodnesse that thou wilt be near us so it is a prevailing course because it is obedience to Gods order And it is a prevailing course because likewise it sets God on work Faith that is in the heart and that sets prayer on work for prayer is nothing but the voyce of faith the flame of faith the fire is in the heart and spirit but the voyce the flame the expression of faith is prayer faith in the heart sets prayer on work what doth prayer that goes into heaven it pierceth heaven and that sets God on work because it brings him his promise it brings him his nature Thy nature is to be Jehovah good and gracious and merciful to thine thy promise is answerable to thy nature and thou hast made rich and precious promises As faith sets prayer on work so prayer sets God on work and when God is set on work by prayer as prayer must needs bind him bringing himself to himself bringing his word to him every man is as his work and his word is as himself God being set on work he sets all on work he sets heaven and earth on work when he is set on work by prayer therefore it is a prevailing course he sets all his attributes on work for the deliverance and rescue of his Church from danger and for the doing of any good he sets his mercy and goodnesse on work and his Love and whatsoever is in him You see then why it is a prevailing course because it is obedience to God and because it sets God on work it overcomes him which overcomes all it overcomes him that is omnipotent We see the woman of Canaan she overcame Christ by the strength that she had from Christ. And Moses he overcame God Let me alone why dost thou presse me Let me alone It offers violence to God it prevails with him and that which prevails with God prevails with all things else the prayer of faith hath the promise The prayer of a righteous man in faith it prevails much saith St. James Consider now if the prayer of one righteous man prevail much what shall the prayer of many righteous men do as St. Paul saith here my prayers and your prayers being joyned together must needs prevail For instances the Scripture is full of them how God hath vouchsafed deliverance by the help of prayer I will give but a few instances of former time and some considerations of later time For former times in Exod. 17. you see when Amaleck set upon the people Moses did more good by prayer then all the army by fighting as long as Moses hands were held up by Aaron and Hur the people of God prevailed a notable instance to shew the power of prayer In 2. Chron. 14. Asa prayed to God and presseth God with arguments and the people of God prevail In 2. Chron. 20. there you have good King Jehosaphat he prayes to God and he brings to God his former experience he presseth God with his covenant with his nature and the like arguments spoken of before and then he complaines of their necessity Lord we know not what to do our eyes are towards thee And Gods opportunity is when we are at the worst and at the lowest then he is near to help We know not what to do but our eyes are towards thee saith that blessed King and then he prevailed So the Prophet Isay and Hezechias they both joyn together in prayer to God and God heard the Prophet and the prayer of the King they spread the letter before the Lord and prayed to God when Rabshakeh rayled against God and they prevailed mightily Hester was but a woman and a good woman she was the Church was in extremity in her time she takes this course she fasted and prayed she and her people and we see what an excellent issue came of it the confusion of proud Haman and the deliverance of the Church In Act. 12. Herod having good successe in the beheading of James being flushed with the blood of James he would needs set upon Peter too the Church fearing the losse of so worthy a pillar falls to praying see the issue of it God struck him presently Wo be to the birds of prey when Gods Turtle mourns when Gods Turtle the Church mourns and prayes to God wo be to those birds that violently prey on the poor Church Wo be to Herod and all bloody persecuting Tyrants wo be to all malignant despisers of the Church when the Church begins to pray For though she direct not her prayers against them in particular yet it is enough that she prayes for her self and her self cannot be delivered without the confusion of her enemies you see these instances of old I will name but some of later times what hath not prayer done Let us not be discouraged prayer can scatter the enemies move God to command the winds and the waters and all against his enemies What cannot prayer do when the people of God have their hearts quickned and raised to pray Prayer can open heaven prayer can open the womb prayer can open the Prison and strike off the fetters it is a pick-lock We see in Act. 16. when St. Paul was cast in Prison he prayed to God at midnight and God shakes the foundations of the Prison and all flies open So St. Peter was in Prison he prayes and the Angel delivers him What cannot prayer do it is of an omnipotent power because it prevails with an omnipotent and almighty God Oh that we were perswaded of this but our hearts are so full of Atheisme naturally that we think not of it we think not that there is such efficacy in prayer but we cherish base conceits God may if he will c. and put all upon him and never serve his providence and command who commands us to call upon him and who will do things in his providence but he will do them in this order we must pray first to acknowledge our dependance upon him If we were throughly convinced of the prevailing power of prayer what good might be done by it as there hath been in former times certainly we would beg of God above all things the spirit of supplication And if we have the spirit of prayer we can never be miserable if a man have the spirit of prayer whatsoever he want he causeth it from heaven he can beg it by prayer and if he want the thing he can beg contentation he can beg patience he can beg grace and beg acquaintance with God and acquaintance with God it will put a glory upon him It is such a thing as all the world cannot take from us they cannot take God from us they cannot take prayer from us if we were convinced of this we would be much in prayer in private prayer in publick prayer for our selves for the Church of
publick meetings Severed thanksgiving is not so acceptable a thanksgiving God doth bestow all good upon us in the body as we knit our selves not onely in thanksgiving to him but in love to the Church as all things are derived from God to us in the body so let our praise return to God in the body as much as we may It shews what a hatefull thing Schisme and division is in the Church besides many other inconveniences God wants glory by it God loves to be praised by many joyning together As the Apostle saith here Thanks shall be given by many c. Many not as they are many persons but as they are many godly persons that are led by the Spirit of God Therefore if the praise of many be so acceptable it should first be an incouragement to union In John 17. saith our Saviour Christ there I pray that they may be one as we are one It was the sum of that heavenly prayer the unity of the Church to the end of the world That they may be one as we are one the Trinity should be the patern of our unity Because I say all good is in union and all that comes from us that is accepted of God it must be in peace and union God so loves peace and a quiet disposition inclinable to peace that he neglects his own service till we have made peace one with another Mat. 5. If thou have any offence with thy brother if thou have done him any wrong or he thee go and be reconciled to him and then come and bring thy offering God will stay for his own offering he is content to stay for his own service till we be at peace one with another whether it be prayer or praise if we be not at peace it is not acceptable Again this should teach us to stir up others when we praise God and others have cause as well as we that thanks may be given by many When we are in trouble call upon others and as it is the common and commendable fashion desire others to pray for us that prayer may be made by many and when we receive any favour any deliverance from any great danger acquaint others with it that thanks may be given by many It was the practice of David in Psalme 66. Come I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul. And in Psal. 34. and in Psal. 142. ult Bring my soul out of trouble that I may praise thy Name and what shall others do Then the righteous shall compasse me about for thou hast dealt bountifully with me Shewing that it is the fashion of righteous men when God hath dealt graciously with any of his Children they compasse him about to be acquainted with the passages of divine providence and Gods goodnesse towards them The righteous shall compasse me about for thou hast dealt bountifully with me Holy David in Psalme 103. he stirs up every creature to praise God even the creatures of haile of stormes and windes and every thing even the Blessed Angels as we see in the latter end of that Psalme as if thanksgiving were an imployment fit for Angells and indeed so it is and as if all his own praise were not enough except all the creatures in heaven and earth should joyn with him in that blessed Melody to praise God the Angells and all creatures praise God Let us stir up one another to this exercise How do the creatures praise God They do praise God by thy tongue although they have a kind of secret praise which God heares well enough for they do their duty in their place willinglly and chearfuly but they praise God in our tongues every creature gives us occasion of praising God That thanks may be given by many c. Many give thanks here for one Saint Paul for the Minister We see here Gods end that many should praise God not onely for themselves but for others especially for those by whom God conveys and derives good unto them whether outward or spirituall good The Apostle exhorts us to pray for all men 1 Tim. 2. For Kings yea though they were persecuting Kings at that time And surely if we ought to pray to God for all mankind we ought to praise God for all sorts of men especially for Governours and Ministers c. because God by them bestowes his greatest blessings Obey the Magistrate Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers for the powers that are are ordained of God and he is the Minister of God for thy good so the Governours and Ministers of God are for our good We ought therefore as to pray for them that they may execute their office for our good so to praise God for the good we have by them You know David stirred up the people to mourn for Saul though a Tyrant He cloathed you and your Daughters saith he with skarlet If they should praise God for a persecuting King and mourn for him when he was gone much more should we for those that are good And so likewise for Pastors we ought to praise God for them and all that have good by them will pray to God and praise God for them And undoubtedly it is a sign of a man that hath no good by them that prayes not for them and that praiseth not God by them we ought to praise God in that proportion as well as to pray to God one for another And this should stir us up to be good to many that many may praise God not onely for themselves but for us If it be our duty to pray for those that we derive good by and to praise God for them then let us labour to be such as may communicate to others Good is diffusive and good men are like the box in the Gospell that when it was opened all the house smelled of it The heathen Philosopher said that a just man a good man is a common good like a publick stream like a publick Conduit that every man hath a share in Therefore as the Wise man saith When good men are exalted the City rejoyceth many rejoyce Who would not therefore labour in this respect to be good to have a publick disposition to have a large heart to doe all the good we can That so we may not onely have more prayers to God for us but we may have more praise to God for us that God may gaine by it That thanks may be given by many on our behalf Let us take notice of our negligence in this kind and be stirred up to this blessed duty And therefore consider wherein it consists It consists in our taking notice of the favours of God to our selves and others and in valuing the good things that we praise God for to esteem them The Children of Israel they did not blesse God for the mannah they did not value it This Mannah this Mannah in scorn So in Psalme 106. They neglected Gods pleasant
sincere in the doing that which is good he will have a mind prepared to know all that is good to know the good he stands disposed to to know good and to learn by all good means therefore he hath a heart prepared with diligence to be informed in the use of means So far as a man is carelesse and negligent in coming to the means of knowledge and to be put in mind of good duties so far a man is an hypocrite and insincere Again in regard of good duties a true sincere Christian hath an universal respect to all that is good He desires to know all and when any thing is manifested to him he intends to practise all We are here in the presence of God saith Cornelius to practise all things that shall be taught us by God Act. 10. I will have respect to all thy Commandements Psal. 119. 6. one and another The ground of it is this Sincerity looks at God now God he commands one thing as well as another and therefore if a man do any thing that is good in conscience to God he must do one as well as another As S. James saith excellently to this purpose He that offends in one is guilty of all Because abstaining from one sin and doing one good for conscience he will do all for conscience if he be sincere Therefore it is true in Divinity a man that repents of one sin he repents of all if he repent of any sin as it is a sin because all sins are of one nature We must not single out what pleaseth us and leave what doth not please us this is to make our selves Gods The servant must not choose his work but take that work that his Master commands him therefore sincerity is tried in universal obedience Partial obedience is insincere obedience when a man saith This sin I must keep still Herein God be merciful to me This stands with my profit I must not leave this this sin I am affected to as we see in Saul This is insincerity it is as good as nothing to God-ward It may keep a man from shame in the world c. but to God it is nothing A man must have respect to all Gods Commandements it is not done to God else More particularly he that is sincere he will have regard of the main duties and he will have regard likewise of the lesser duties and especially of the lesser such as are not liable to the censure of men or to the censure and punishment of the Law for there a mans sincerity is most tryed In great duties there are great rewards great encouragements but for lesser duties there are lesser incouragements but if a man do them he must do them for conscience sake Therefore this is sincerity to practise good duties though they be lesser duties and though they be lesse esteemed in the world and lesse countenanced to practise them though they be discountenanced by the Devil and by great ones yet to practise them because they be good And to love good things that the World cares not for because they be good The practice of private prayer morning and evening it is a thing we are not expresly bound to but as conscience binds us therefore if a man be sincere he will make conscience of that as well as any other duty because God bids us pray alway So to fear an oath for conscience sake not to swear common or lighter oathes for I count him not worthy the name of a Christian that is an ordinary swearer but lighter oathes a Christian makes conscience of because he looks to God Now God looks to little sins as well as to great and there is no sin little indeed that toucheth the Majestie of God The practice of all duties therefore is a notable evidence of sincerity Herod did many things but he had a Herodias that spoyled all And so if thou obey in many things and not in all thou hast a Herodias a main sin alas all is to no purpose thou art an hypocrite Again for good things one that is sincere in respect to God he is uniform in his obedience that is he doth all that is good 2nd he doth it in one place as well as another and at one time as well as another he doth it not by starts Therefore there is constancy required in sincerity where sincerity is there is constancy to do it in all times in all places Or else it is but a humour it is not sincerity when a man doth it but in good moods as we say Therefore a man that is sincere he makes conscience of private duties as well as of publick of personal duties between God and his own soul as well as of the duties that the world takes notice of in one place as well as another He is holy not onely in the Church but in his closet not onely in his calling as he is a Christian but when he is about his particular businesse He considers he is in the presence of God in every place at all times Saint Paul every where laboured to have a good conversation when he was at the Bar he remembred where he was and he laboured to convert others in the prison he converted Onesimus when he had his liberty he spread the Gospel every where So in all places he was uniform like himself which shewed that he had a good conscience And therefore he doth not say I doe now and then a good action but my course of life My conversation is in sincerity So there must be sincerity in our walking our whole conversation Thus we see in good actions how to try our sincerity A sincere man in the very performance of good duties he is humble because he doth all things in the eye of God he doth it in sincerity with humility he doth all good with reverence because he doth it to God Humility and reverence it is a qualification of sincerity because whatsoever we do we do it in the eye of God therefore we are reverent in our very secret devotions in our closets We carry our selves reverently because when no eye seeth us the eye of heaven seeth us in one place as well as another A sincere Christian is a reverent and humble Christian and this reverence accompanies all his good actions And when he hath done all a sincere Christian that doth them to God he is humble and then he is thankfull for he knowes that he hath not done it by his owne strength but by God and therefore God hath the glory He is humble because they are mixed with some infirmities of his A sincere Christian is alway humble having an eye to God though to the eye of the world he hath done excellent well yet he knowes that God seeth as he seeth he seeth some defects God seeth more and that humbleth him As we see David 1. Chron. 29. 14. saith he Who am I or who is this people that
he saith We have not led our conversation according to carnal fleshly wisdome but by Grace his meaning is that a Christian when he hath heavenly wisdome he hath all graces and wisdome together There is a connexion a combination of graces as I said so he leads his life by all graces for all graces are necessary to a Christian life therefore instead of wisdome he puts the word grace Now besides these besides the favour of God accepting us in Christ And besides the working of these graces in us in and after our conversion there is another degree of grace requisite which is a particular exciting applying strengthening grace which is required to every good act to act every good work and to resist every evil and to enjoy good things as we ought to enjoy them I say there is a grace necessary to withstand temptations in all evil besides graces habitual that are wrought in us of Faith and Love and Hope c. These except they be actuated and enlivened by the continual work of the Spirit except they be brought to act and a new strength put into them they are not sufficient for a Christian life Therefore S. Paul here by Grace meanes not onely the graces of the Spirit habitual graces but the power of the Spirit acting enlivening quickening and strengthening him against every evil in particular and to every good work in particular But by the Grace of God In that the Apostle here though he principally mean wisdome yet he names Grace the next point I will observe is this That All the Wisdome that we have it comes from Grace All the wisdome we have comes from Grace meerly from Grace And this Grace is not wanting to us when we have renounced our fleshly wisdome Heavenly wisdome comes altogether from Grace To make this a little clear Whatsoever is spiritual it comes from Christ since the fall we have nothing but by especial grace God being reconciled by Jesus Christ he hath placed all fulnesse of grace in him he hath inriched our nature in him with wisdome and all graces whatsoever All the treasures of wisdome are in him and all other graces God the Father and our Saviour Christ they send the Spirit they communicate the Spirit which takes of Christ and doth enlighten and quicken and guide all those that are members of Christ. All in particular all inward things come from Grace Grace comes from the Spirit the Spirit from Christ and this is the descent of Grace and Wisdome Thereupon they are taken indefinitely in Scripture sometimes to walk wisely to walk graciously sometimes to walk in the Spirit sometimes to walk in Christ it is all one sometimes to be in Christ Whosoever is in Christ c. And to walk in the Spirit and by the Spirit to pray in the Spirit and in wisdome and in faith or to live by faith or to live by Grace or in Grace they are all one because they are subordinate For Christ is the treasure of the Church all that is Good for the Church is laid up in him Wisdome and whatsoever Of his fulnesse we receive Grace for Grace Grace answerable to the grace that is in him he vouchsafes us his Spirit Now the Spirit guides us not immediately but it works a habit in us as we call it it works somewhat in us to dispose us to that which is good And when that is wrought the Spirit guides us to every particular action These things that the Spirit works in us are called Graces because they come from out of our selves by the Spirit so wisdome is called Grace because it comes from the Spirit the Spirit comes from Christ and Christ hath grace not onely grace in himself but he infuseth Grace into us he hath not onely abundance but redundance not only Grace flowing in himself but redundant overflowing to all his members This Saint Paul meanes when he saith We have had our Conversation by the Grace of God that is by such blessed habits of Wisdome Faith Love c. as are wrought by the Spirit of God which Spirit is given us by Jesus Christ our head Hence we learn that every thing that is necessary to bring us to heaven it is a grace that is it comes from without us Adam had it within him he was trusted with his riches himself but now in Jesus Christ we have all of Grace we have all out of our selves Christ is the Sun we have all our beams from him all our light all our life from him he is the head all our motion is from him And this is not onely true of habits as we call them that is a constant work or disposition wrought in Gods Children which for the most part they carry about with them but likewise in all the particular passages of their life they have need of grace for every particular action And herein the soul is like to the ayr the ayr stands in need of light and if it be not enlightned by the Sun it is presently dark so a man is no wiser in particular actions then God will make him on the sudden put case he be a man of a wise spirit for the most part that he passeth for an understanding man and is so yet except he have the grace of Gods Spirit except he have wisdome to guide him in particular he is no wiser then God at that time will make him to be You see all motion in the body it comes from the head let the spirits in the head be obstructed never so little and there followes an apoplexy there will be no motion so all our wisdome all the direction that we have to lead our lives as becomes Christians it comes from Christ it comes from Grace not only the disposition but likewise every particular action for we need Grace continually to assist us to excite and stirre up our powers and to strengthen them against oppositions and if the opposition be strong we have need of a stronger Grace There is never a good work that we do but it is opposed from within us from without us From within us by Carnal wisdome as I said before and by carnal passions and affections From without us by Satan by the world and by men that are led with the spirit of the Devil therefore there is need of a strength above our own Besides the Grace that is in us ordinarily there needs a new particular strength and light to particular actions Doth all come from God and from his Grace Let us take heed when we have any thing of sacrilegious affections of attributing any thing to our selves to our own wisdome and let us give all presently to Grace Mark the phrase of S. Paul here Not by fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God he doth not say by any habit in my self he doth not say by any wisdome that is in me but he chooseth that which is in God Grace and favour because he would
seek the glory of God and life everlasting to have spiritual and heavenly ends to seek God in all things The grace of God in S. Paul guided him to lead his life in the simplicity and sincerity of God that is sincerity that looks to and aimes at God in all things And indeed a gracious man and onely a gracious man can look out of himself to an end above himself onely a gracious man can aime at Gods glory at the pleasing of God why because onely a gracious man knowes that he hath better things in God then in the world A worldly man makes himself his term he makes himself his last end because he knowes not better out of himself then in himself he dares not venture upon Gods â—…avour to put all upon that he knowes not whether he be his friend or no he thinks he is his enemy as he may well enough by his ill courses onely the gracious man can put himself upon God he knowes he is redeemed out of a miserable condition into a glorious-estate and if he should be denyed of all the world yet he knowes he hath more happinesse in him then he can look for here he knowes he would be Al sufficient for him he is assured of his salvation therefore he hath higher ends he is sincere in all things God when he is honoured by trusting of him when in sincerity we make him our wisdome and make his Word our rule and the happinesse that he hath promised our chief happinesse that we aime at and rest in him when we honour him so far then he makes a supply of all other things But I spake of sincerity to the full before onely I bring it now to shew how it is a note of a man that makes the Grace of God his guide he walks sincerely he seeks the glory of God Thirdly he that walks by the Grace of God and in the grace of God by it as a rule and in it as a principle he that walks in it and by it and through it you shall see it by the ability that is in him above nature by the things that he doth that other men cannot do that walk not by grace therefore you have a trial of a man that converseth by grace from hence he can crosse the common corruptions of the place and of the time he lives in he is not a slave he is not inthralled to common feares to common hopes to the common joyes and delights that the world is carried withall but as Grace is a thing that is mighty and strong and powerful of it self it is a Spirit the Spirit is like the wind as Christ tells Nicodemus it is a mighty powerful strong thing so it makes him strong it inables a mans spirit to do above himself above that which he could do if he had not grace It makes him deny himself in matter of pleasure in matter of profit it will make him crosse himself in matter of revenge as David spared Saul when he had him in his power It will make him triumph over all estates he can abound and he can want as S. Paul saith Other men are changeable with their condition they are cast down in adversity they are puffed up in prosperity they can deny themselves in nothing they are alwayes inthralled to their base pleasures and profits and honours they are alwayes swayed with some carnal end or other Grace it raiseth a man above nature he can do that which another cannot do he can indure that which another man cannot indure he can dye he can indure shame he can resist that which another man cannot resist In a word you may know Grace in a man that hath great parts of nature How shall we distinguish grace from nature in him Thus you shall have him subdue his parts unto grace and to the rules of Religion If he have a strong wit he will not make shew of the strength of it as though he would break through businesse with his wit but he will consult with conscience You may know a man that is led by grace especially where there are great parts he can deny not onely his corruptions but other things if they stand not at that time with the will of God he forbeares ostentation of learning when he sees it is hurtfull when it is rather to shew himself then to get glory to God or to win soules When a man sees that such and such courses might crush another and advance himself yet if it touch upon conscience he will not do here is a conflict between parts and the Grace of God and goodnesse now when a man in this can deny himself it is a sign that a man makes grace his guide It is not so easie in weaker dispositions for men seem sometimes to be good when it is defect of parts but in men of ability it proceeds not from defect or want of parts but it is the power of Grace onely whereby they are swayed such a man dares not do it he wants not ability or skill but he dares not offend God he dares not seek himself he dares not give scope to his wit and to his vain mind he knowes what spirit in him moves such things and he suppresseth them presently and yields to the motions of Gods blessed Spirit But yet in weaker men a man may know when such a one is ruled by grace thus when a man sees something in him that strengthens nature as Grace takes not away nature but betters it When you see a man that otherwise is simple yet he is wondrous skilful in resisting a temptation skilfull in giving advice skilful in keeping the peace of his conscience skilful in giving reproof even above himself a man may know that he hath a better Schoolmaster that the Spirit of God the Spirit of Grace is his Schoolmaster So that whether a man have strong or weak parts a man may know whether he be led by grace or no. In the weaker it raiseth him above himself in the stronger when the exercise of his parts of nature and grace cannot stand together it makes him deny himself that he may be led by the one he denies the other altogether this is gracious wisdome Again a man may know that he leads his life in gracious wisdome or by gracious wisdome when he fetcheth reasons for his actions not from things below but from Religion from conscience from spiritual things he doth not fetch the reason of his actions from this that this will profit me or I shall advantage my self thus and thus but he fetcheth the reasons and ground of his actions higher this is pleasing to God this is according to the peace of my conscience this is for the good of the Church for the good of the State I live in this is for the good of my Christian brethren The strongest reason of a Christian is that that makes for Religion and for conscience if he may gain in his
the conscience in sound principles in good courses in the faith of Christ in holy obedience things that will hold out in life and death If I were to speak to Ministers I would inlarge the point further Let us all in our Conversations labour rather to approve our selves to the consciences of men that they may acknowledge us to be honest downright faithful men rather then to please their humours and fancies for as Solomon saith he that tells a man the truth shall have more favour at the last then he that dissembleth for his conscience will witnesse that he hath dealt rightly and faithfully with him that he is an honest man and goes on in the same principles still Let us therefore first look to our own conscience and then to the conscience of others and if we cannot approve our selves to our own conscience and to the conscience of others alas what will become of us how shall we approve our selves to God and to Jesus Christ at the day of Judgment There is no man but a sound Christian that approves himself to the conscience of another man For any other man it is just with God in his Judgment to find him out first or last he may wind himself into the conscience for a time as the superstitious Papists do but first or last he is found out to be a dissembler and to bring false wares And so for Civil conversation there is none that will have place in the conscience of other men to think them and their courses good but those that are sound Christians For the most those that are not led by the grace of Gods Spirit all mens consciences condemn them they are smitten and censured there and judged there Besides their own conscience which perhaps they will not give leave to tell them somewhat in their ear that they would be loath to hear This you are this you did and this you spake amisse they will not suffer conscience to speak but drown it in sensuality and stifle it they take this course they think they are well enough and they would never be themselves A carnal man will hardly give conscience leave to speak till it will whether he will or no at the hour of death and the day of Judgment when God lets it loose upon him but let them take this course as long as they will yet in the conscience of other men they have no place for they live not as S. Paul saith here in simplicity and sincerity not by carnal wisdome but by the Grace of God This is the benefit that a good man hath in this life that howsoever he have the ill words of carnall men sometimes and their humour is against him yet notwithstanding if they be in the Church and have any illumination any judgment he hath their conscience for him Nay I say more they cannot but think reverently of a man of God of a good Christian I speak not of Ministers onely they cannot but think reverently of them and reverence them in their consciences do what they can for it is not in mens power to frame what conceits they will to frame what opinions they will of men but as there is a necessity of reason as the principles we say are so strong rhat a man cannot say they are false do what he can because the light is visible to the understanding as a man cannot say the Sun shines when it is night when it is dark because it is a sensible falshood so a man cannot deny the principles of any Art if they be principles because there is such a light of truth that over-powers him and as it were compells the inward man So it is here there is such a majestie in grace and good courses of a Christian that another man that lives a wicked life he cannot think of him what he would He may force himself to speak what he list and force odd opinions of him but when he is him sober self he must needs if he have any reliques of conscience in him if he be not altogether a sot he must needs think well in his conscience of such a mans courses This is the majestie and honour of good things that however they may have the humour and passion and fancy of men against them yet they have their conscience for them yea of wicked men when they are themselves Take the wickedest man at the hour of death if he have himself at command that his spirits be not disturbed and ask him whether he justifie the courses of such and such men he will answer Oh yes I would I had led them my self What is that that besots them Sensuality and such courses for men that are not led by the Grace of God are led with outward things which besot the judgment for a time but when that dulnesse is past when a wicked man is stripped of all and is best able to judge then he likes such courses If the worst men shall in their conscience acknowledge the best persons and the best things one day nay they do now if they will suffer themselves to be themselves then let us take such courses as our own consciences may justifie as S. Paul saith here This is my glorying the testimony of my conscience and likewise the conscience of those I live with I write no other thing but what you acknowledge in your consciences your selves And I trust you shall acknowledge to the end This word Trust doth not imply as usually it doth in common speech an uncertainty of a thing a moral conjecture I trust or hope it may be so it may be otherwise but I hope well it is not an uncertain conceit with the fear of the contrary but the word implies a gracious dependant disposition upon God I trust in God as it is so exprest in some other places Now you acknowledge me and I trust in God you shall acknowledge me to the end So here Saint Paul sets down what he resolved to be by the Grace of God and what in the issue he should be because holy resolutions are seconded with gracious assistance And likewise he sets down what they should judge of him to the end I trust as you acknowledge me now so to the end you shall have grace so to do and I shall have grace so to be I shall be as I am and have been I have led my life in simplicity and sincerity and as you have acknowledged me to be such a one so you shall have grace still to acknowledge me I hope or trust I will not enter into any common place onely I will speak that which the Text puts to me I trust you shall acknowledge to the end Here he begins with his hope of their judging of him to continue so to the end Saint Paul here takes a good conceit a good opinion of his children whom he had begotten to the faith in Corinth I hope as you are and as you do judge of
can this be a grief to the Minister and not for the damnation of their soules together And they shall find it a heavy and bitter thing to grieve the Spirit of God in others as well as they wound their own conscience both are joyned together What a happinesse is this that the more a man is interessed in the good of another man the more glory if he be a meanes of any good in him he shall have good and you shall have glory The best things in nature are communicative and diffusive the Sun gives light to the whole world so the best man is most fruitful and communicative he labours to gain all men by his acquaintance He knowes this that he is not for himself he is reedeemed for the honour of Christ And then he knows that anothers good will be my glory it will increase my glory and be the object of my glory On the contrary we see a company of wretched despicable creatures let their outward estate be as glorious as it will but I speak of them as Christian eyes judge and esteem of them that draw others on to the same course with them if they be blasphemers themselves they glory to make others so if they be given to sensuality they labour to make others sottish as themselves if they be given to filthinesse they draw others to communion with themselves Well will these people be much for their rejoycing in the day of the Lord think you what will they do when they think of others such as they have neglected altogether that God gave them charge of The very thought of them instead of making them rejoyce it will make them astonished I betrayed his soul he was my friend or my servant I let him live in such sins Good neglected will torment us hereafter But then ill infused by example and by word I poysoned him suppose I have repented my self but perhaps the person that I have drawn to communion in my sin hath not repented what a torment will this consideration be Good neglected will be matter of torment much more evil infused poyson infused When we shall see at the day of Judgment instead of a company that we have gained to God and been a meanes to further their salvation we shall see a company that we have infected with our ill example and our evil perswasions this will be in hell an increase of torment One will curse another and say You brought me hither The father will curse the sonne To get riches for you I crackt my conscience and lost my soul And the sonne shall curse the father By your riches that you lost me I lived a base and sensual life whereas perhaps I might have trusted to my good endeavours otherwise so here shall be cursing The friend shall curse his friend You might have told me of this you strengthened me in evil courses As it will be our glory when we shall see such and such as God hath used as instruments to do good unto so it will be a torment indeed to think Such and such I neglected and betrayed such and such I corrupted I beseech you therefore take heed of it And would you have matter of joy in this world that should joy you when nothing else will joy you as Saine Paul was in affliction oft what comforted Saint Paul First his own conscience that he was a good Christian an heir of heaven a good Apostle but when he wanted joy what would he do when he had no liberty but was imprisoned when he had nothing then he considered How hath Christ dignified me to do good to others this honouring of him to do this it comforted him more then all his imprisonment and abasement and reproaches could discourage him the conceit that God did use him as an honourable instrument for his honour and service to do good to others So the testimony of our Conscience that God hath used us to do good to others not onely to make me to gain heaven but to be an instrument to gain others this will comfort us in the world come what will This should stirre up those that have to deal with the soules of others not only Ministers but all others that have any committed to them that they should labour to make them good to work upon them for the good of their soules that they may have them as matter and objects of their joy at that day If they do not as I said when they are presented to them as persons whom they have neglected and betrayed negligently for want of instruction and reformation of their lives and as persons whom they have infected with their ill example which is worse alas what matter of horrour will they be They will not say of them as S. Paul saith here You are my joy and my crown and my glory but they will be matter of horrour these be they that I havs betrayed and neglected and infected and brought to hell to this cursed condition with my self It will be an increase of the torments of hell at that day all those whom we have hurt any kind of way But what shall it be then of those that have opposed goodnesse that have not only betrayed others by neglect but have maligned good where they have seen it what will become of them that are so far from making others good that they have despighted the Image of God in others and have exercised their bitternesse upon Christ in his members and Ministers To adde one thing more What! these Corinthians that had so many abuses and such weaknesses were they the matter of S. Paul's joy Yes why therefore people must take heed how they leave Churches that have corruptions in them Schisme oft-times is a greater fault then the fault upon which they pretend separation the things for which they pretend a rent are not so great a fault in the Church as the want of Charity in them to do so If Saint Paul would have taken occasion to leave them what good occasion had he alas how many corruptions had they in doctrine and in manners too but yet notwithstanding as ill as they were he saw what good was in them and looked not to the evil he knew that God would perfect the good things that were in them and saith he notwithstanding all their infirmities I see you were ready to reform when I wrote an Epistle to you therefore I doubt not but you will be our rejoycing In the day of the Lord Jesus This is the time it must be taken inclusively I am your rejoycing and you are mine to the day of the Lord Jesus and in the day of the Lord so he means here It is laid as a ground here That Jesus Christ hath a Day It is his day by way of eminency and excellency Jesus Christ hath many dayes two especially The day of his first coming and the day of his second coming The first coming of Christ was the
variety of things it argues no inconstancy if the aime be good As for example a Mariner a Sea-man he is not inconstant when one time he strikes sayl another time he hoyseth up sayl when he makes indentures and goes with a side wind he goes on his way and his aime is still to come to the Haven he is not inconstant because he changeth not his starre he alway aimes at the right starre and to his compasse and card that he sayles by He varies not from his rule he varies from the things because the winds and the Seas vary because he deals with variable objects the things vary but he doth not vary he comes to his project to the Haven and hath his direction from the North-Pole c. So the Husbandman sometimes he sowes sometimes he barrowes sometimes he reapes is he inconstant and varies No the matter about which he is varieus So in Governours sometimes they do this and sometimes that they are about variable matters yet here is no variablenesse nor lightnesse of disposition because they deal with mutable with variable objects So God in managing his Churches affaires in his dispensation in that point you see he used one dispensation before Christ and another since Christ. God changeth not but the times are changed In the Infancy of the Church one dispensation was requisite and now another Therefore it is not inconstancy for a man to change on good ground or when the things themselves change Therefore this should have made them thought well of S. Paul his affection was not changed to them but the businesse was changed as we shall see after other things let him So a good man his honest ' resolution should not change his aime to serve God and his Countrey and to deserve well of mankind this should be constant but the manner how the circumstance of time and place and ordering of these things they are variable They do not change but maintain their constancy and resolution in the variety of occasions that fall out for we cannot frame our life otherwise then it is to be unvariable When a man is guided by a certain principle though the things of this life be uncertain and he vary sometimes according to his principle and aime and end yet it is no inconstancy And it will excuse a mans conscience exceedingly when his aime is good and the rules and principles he goes by are good and honest if things fall out otherwise then he aimes at though there be a change of his course because his heart tells him his rules and his purposes were good One other main cause of lightnesse and sinful inconstancy it is irreligion casting our selves upon future things without a dependance on Divine providence An Atheistical independance when we project things to come and never call upon God to assist us and never have divine reservations as we should have but boast This I will do and sometimes negatively This I will not do I have time enough to do it as if we had future times at our command Saint James excellently taxeth such people Jam 4. 13. Go to now you that say To day and to morrow we will go to such a City and buy and sell and get gain Go to now see here how he shames them by a kind of ironical permission Go to now you will do great matters whereas saith he you know not what shall be to morrow God that hath given us the time present to repent in and to do good the time to come he hath reserved in his own power we know not what shall be to morrow Where he shewes the ground of this Atheisme and rushing upon businesse without dependance they forget the condition of this life that it is a vapour What is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Your life is inconstant God is the Lord of your purposes he is the Lord of your life and of all opportunities and circumstances Your life is but a vapour here all things fall under his providence and guidance You consider not this and therefore you project so for the time to come What is your life it is even a vapour c. Then he comes to direct them how they should entertain resolutions for the time to come Ye ought to say If the Lord will or if we live we will do this and that If the Lord will in whose power are our intentions and resolutions and affections he guides the inward man and all the things in the world to the falling of a hair from our head to the falling of a Sparrow to the ground even the least things you should say thus And he calls it vain boasting what makes God confound insolent attempts as indeed he triumphs over insolent attempts of Kings and Captains or whatsoever that set up great businesse in high conceits they will do this and that Saith S. James You rejoyce in your boasting they boast they will do this and that that makes God confound them so because they will be gods to themselves Man is a dependant creature every thing is Gods and we are dependant In him we live and move and have our being Man being a dependant creature yet he resolves to do this and that as if he had the guidance of his own thoughts and purposes this provokes God to jealousie when he makes himself a god and sets not God before him in his actions he sets upon things without dependance without prayer or reservation if God permit this because God rejoyceth to confound these bold attempts therefore they never thrive in such attempts Therefore a true Christians joynes modesty for the time to come he will attempt nothing but what he may expect to have Gods protection in he that thinks God may crosse him will do nothing ill that he feares God will crosse him in he will be modest The best Christians are the modestest they consider the uncertainty of the things of this life and the weaknesse of man in foreseeing things they see a dependance of all things on the Majestie of God even to the least things that he guides things that are most casual and that he rules even the hearts of Princes as Solomon saith as the rivers of water they are guided by him they are in his hand hereupon a wise Christian becomes modest for the time to come in his resolutions he undertakes all with a holy dependance on God if God will and if God permit he will undertake nothing for the time to come but with warrant that he may without tempting of God look for his assistance for to go to God to blesse us in ill projects is to make God the Patron of that which is bad which is contrary to his nature Therefore he learns to depend upon God for the time to come and will entertain or enter upon no businesse but such as he may safely without tempting of God â—…epend upon him for his
atheisme how can these men hope for favour from God when he hath sealed his Word with this that as he is true and truth it self his Word is true they shall never enter into heaven So again if this be true that God is true and his Word thereupon is not yea and nay it serves to comfort us many wayes When we are oppressed in the sense of sin If we confesse our sins he is merciful to forgive our sins he that is true hath said it whose Word is not yea and nay but yea trust to it If we doubt of perseverance for the time to come he that hath begun a good work will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He is yea and his Word is yea he is true and his Word is true Again hence for our judgment we learn this truth That the Word of God hath the same ground of truth as God himself therefore it is the Judge of all Controversies of all things questionable in Religion the Word of God is Judge because it is not yea and nay but yea and it is true as God is true And it is Judge of this controversie too whether it be the Word of God The question between the Papists and us is whether the Epistles and the Prophets be the Word of God or no whether is it or no I answer from Apostolical testimony S. Paul saith As God is true his Word is true the true Word of God and All Scripture is given by inspiration The Word of God therefore is the Judge of all Divine truths because it is most certain even as certain as God himself What are the properties of a chief Judge He must be true without errour authentical without appeal such as can from himself without a higher determine He must be infallible without perill of errour All these belong to Gods truth It is yea it is true without errour it is alway yea And then it is authenticall there is nothing higher but God himself whose Word it is and it hath the same authority that himself hath As God is true so it is true It is authenticall without all appeal we cannot go higher then God himself in his Word We cannot call God or Christ from heaven he hath left us his VVord and therefore it is to be credited of it self And it is infallibly true without danger of errour one depends upon another As God is true so our Word is true If God be true infallibly this issues by consequence that the Scripture is the Judge and infallibly true without danger of errour Hence we may know what to judge of that Romish assertion There are no other Judges in the world can be said to be yea alway Councels are not alway yea they are yea and nay what one Councell hath set down another hath reversed In the Councel of Basile the Pope was above the Councel In another Councel that is above the Pope So one Popes decrees thwart another The Popes are yea and nay and not yea for many hundred years they laboured to crosse and thwart one another So Councels and Popes are yea and nay and not alway yea Traditions of the Fathers are yea and nay and not alway yea they thwart themselves S. Austin the best of the Fathers to whom the Church is most chiefly beholding of all the rest he was yea and nay Doth he not retract He wrote a book of Retractations of his former opinions then he was yea and nay and yet a holy man That which is the Judge of controversies must be yea that is infallibly true authentically true that there be not a higher From all others from Fathers and Councels there may be appeal to Scripture but from Scripture to none because it is the Voice and Word of God All things else are yea and nay they are changeable and they may be so without prejudice to the being of them A Councell may be a good Councel and unconstant in many things Fathers may be holy Fathers and uncertain it is onely the prerogative of God to be infallible like himself unchangeable in his nature and his Word is like himself Hence likewise issues this That whatsoever agrees not with the Word of God which is not yea and nay is false and naught Therefore those opinions of the Church of Rome that say they cannot erre if they be not yea with this yea then they are not yea for onely the Word of God is not yea and nay but onely yea that is onely certain and true All other Religions that are not Divine are yea and nay Popery is not grounded upon the Word of God because it is yea and nay that is it is uncertain See how they crosse many wayes this Word of God that is alwayes yea and true as God himself is true Is it yea that they saw no Image of God and therefore they must make and worship no Image Nay saith the Church of Rome they have a nay for this yea they will make Images and worship them the Image of Mary and other Saints Yea saith the Scripture drink ye all of this Nay saith the Church of Rome they have a nay for this yea only the Priest must drink the wine Let the Word dwell plenteously in you is the yea of Scripture The Church of Rome hath a nay for this yea it is dangerous for the people to read the Scripture and therefore they are forbidden it VVe must pray with the understanding as well as with a good affection 1 Cor. 14. that is we must know how we pray it is proved at large excellently Nay understand or not understand so the intention be good saith Rome pray in Latine or howsoever there is their nay to this yea Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers is the yea of Gods Book therefore the soules of the Clergy and whosoever The Church of Rome hath a nay for this yea therefore their doctrine is bad for only God is true and his VVord is only not yea and nay but alway yea infallible therefore that which is contrary to it must needs be false If onely yea be true then that which is contrary to it must needs be false And likewise again if Gods VVord be not yea and nay that is not unconstant then whatsoever is unconstant and thwarts it self in contradictions is not Gods VVord Popery is full of inconstancy full of contradictions to it self First besides inconstancy and uncertainty it is full of contradictions it is yea and nay for a body to be in many places at once and yet a true body to be in a hundred in a million of places at once as they would have Christs body to be in the Sacrament here is to be and not to be a body and no body for it hath not the properties and quantity of a body for a body can be but in one place at one time here is yea and nay For Christ to be a perfect
certain they are made in him and in him they are Amen that is they are accomplished in him in him they are made and in him they are accomplished I might spend a great deal of time to shew the acception of the word Amen but it is not pertinent to my purpose Amen is here certain undoubtedly certain as it is here to make way to that which is to be understood There are three main senses of Amen It signifies that a thing is positively so and not no it is so Yea and Amen signifie that such a thing is as Let your yea be yea such a thing is But now Amen is more not onely that a thing is but it is so truly and so unchangeably it is Yea and Amen The Promises are yea they are made in Christ and then they are true in him undoubtedly eternally unchangeably true So take it in the strictest in the strongest sense you can all the Promises of God in Christ they are so true that they are invariably constantly eternally true in him they are made in him and performed in him they are Yea in him and Amen in him So the whole carriage of the Promises is onely in Christ. The truths we are to deliver out of the words are these First of all we must know That since the fall of man it hath pleased the Divine Nature the three Persons in Trinitie to stablish a Covenant of grace and so of salvation in Jesus Christ and to make him a second principle a second Adam by whom mankind is restored to a better estate then ever we had in the first Adam God now since the fall takes another course to bring us back again to him He doth not leave us as he left the Angels that fell in a state of perdition for ever but as we fell by infidelity and distrust of him so now we are recovered again by Promises and by faith in them There can be no intercourse between God and man but by some promise on his part God deales with man by Promises The reason is this How can man dare to challenge any thing of the great Majestie of God without a warrant from himself How can the conscience be satisfied The conscience looks to God it is a knowledge together with God how can conscience rest but in that it knowes comes from God Therefore for any good that I hope for from God I must have a promise For this is Gods constant dispensation while we live in this world we are alway under hope we are children of hope We are saved by hope we rejoyce in the hope of glory and hope looks to the promises whereof some part is unperformed How doth heaven and earth differ heaven is all performance here is some performance to encourage us and there is alway some promise still unperformed We are alway under some Promise and therefore the manner of our apprehending God in this world differs from heaven here it is by faith and hope there by vision vision is fit for performance faith and hope looks to the Promise alway here Therefore God rules his Church by Promises partly I say to secure the soul of man we cannot have any thing from God but by the manifestation of his own good will How can we look for any thing from God but by promise can we look for any thing from God by our own conceits that is a fooles Paradise Further God will have his Church ruled by Promises in all ages to exercise faith and hope and prayer and dependance upon God God will try of what credit he is among men whether they will depend upon his promise or no so that knowing he is true by promise it may be certain to them they shall have performance in time he gives men Promises to see if they will trust him God will have this manner of dispensation to rule his Church by Promises to arm us in this world against feares and discouragements therefore we have alway some Promise He might have done us good and have given us no promise but now having given us Promises he will try the graces that are in us and arm us against all discouragements and difficulties till the thing promised be performed For we must know that a Promise is a Divine thing better then any earthly performance Let God give a man never so much in the world if he have not a promise of better things all will come to nothing at the last Therefore God supports the soules and spirits of his Children with Promises to arm them against all temptations on the right hand and on the left that would draw them from trusting in his Promise he will have them live by faith and that hath alway relation to the Promise This is a general ground then That God now in Christ Jesus hath appointed this way to govern the Church with Promises Now what is a Promise A Promise is nothing but a manifestation of love an intendment of bestowing some good and removing some ill a manifestation of our mind in that kind is a promise of conferring of a future good or removing of a future ill therefore it comes from love in the party promising There are three degrees of loving steps whereof a promise is the last The first is inward love The second is real performance And the third is a manifestation of performance intended before it be and this I say is a degree of love For love concealed it doth not comfort in the interim in the time that is betwixt Now God who is love doth not onely love us and will not only shew his love in time but because he will have us rest sweetly in his bosome and settle our selves on his gracious Promises in the mean time he gives us rich and precious Promises He is not onely love and shewes it in deed but he expresseth it in word And we may well build on his Word as verily as if he had performed it in deed for whatsoever he saith is Yea and Amen This is the nature of a promise It is not only love and the expression of love in deed but the expression of it in word when he intends to solace and comfort and stablish and stay the mind of man till the good promised be performed Therefore even from this we see how God loves us that not onely he hath an inward love in his breast and doth good to us but he manifests it by word he would have us as I said live by faith and stablish our selves in hope Faith and hope are two graces altogether from Promises if there were no promise there could be no faith nor hope what is hope nothing but the expectation of the things that the Word saith And what is faith but a building on the Word of God Faith looks on the Word that God will give such a thing and hope looks upon the thing that the Word promiseth as the
of Christ why He hath nothing but present things with a great deale of addition of misery and his greatnesse makes him more sensible of his misery it makes him more tender and apprehensive then other men The other he wants many comforts of this life he wants the performance he is rich in bills and bonds God is bound to him he hath promised he will not forsake him but he will be his God in life to death and for everlasting he hath title to all the promises Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. Happie man he hath so much performance for the present as is usefull for his safe conduct to bring him to heaven he shall have daily bread he that will give him a Kingdom will not deny him bread he that will give him a countrey will give him safe conduct And besides that he hath here by performance he hath rich and precious promises and they are all Yea and Amen they are certain His life is uncertain his estate in the world is changeable here his life is as a vapour and the comforts of life are lesse then life when life it self the foundation of these comforts is but a vapour so uncertain what are all the comforts of life yet a Christian hath comfort here the promises are invested into him and lodged in his heart and made his owne by faith Faith hath a wondrous peculiarizing vertue it makes a man own that which is generally propounded in the Gospell Now faith making the promises his own and they are certain a Christian take him at all uncertainties he hath somewhat to build on that is Yea and Amen that is undoubtedly constant and certain that will stick by him when all things fail him I speak this to commend the estate of a believing repentant Christian to make you in love with it In all the changes and varieties in this world a Christian hath somewhat to take to And likewise in all the dangers of this life he hath a rock to go to a hiding place God hath chambers of Providence as it is Isay 26. he bids the Church come into thy Chambers God hath a hiding place and secret roomes to hide children in when it is good for them in the time of Pestilence and War in the time of publike disturbance when there is a confusion of all things Come into thy Chambers God is a resting place and a hiding place he is stiled so every where in the Psalmes Psalme 18. My Rock and my shield as if David had said I have many troubles in the world but in God is my defence for he is my Rock my Shield and all whatsoever is defensive I have it in him What a comfort is this in all dangers a Christian knowes either he shall be safe here or in heaven and therefore he doth rest He dewells in the secret of the Almighty Psalme 91. that is in the love and the protection of God Almighty and as Moses saith Psalme 90. Thou art our habitation from everlasting to everlasting that is God is a dwelling place for him that builds on his promise for God and his Word are all one Thou art our dwelling place c. He saw they dropped away in the wildernesse by the wrath of God as we do now by the Pestilence and Moses made that Psalme he took occasion to meditate of the frailty of mans life We are as grasse as a tail that is told but what is our estate in God in the promises Thou art our habitation from everlasting to everlasting We dwell not long in the world sicknesse may come and sweep us away but thou art our habitation we dwell in God when we are dead when we are out of the world we dwell in God in Christ for ever Our estate in Christ is an everlasting estate Therefore in Psalme 112. the Psalmist saith of the righteous man there That he is not troubled for ill newes He is not senselesse he is very sensible but yet notwithstanding he is not shaken from his rest from his rock and stay for no ill newes or tydings why The Psalmist gives the reason his heart is fixed upon what foundation upon the promises and providence of God God hath promised to provide for him he is his Father and therefore he is not afraid of ill tydings What a blessed estate then is it to be in Christ and to have promises in Christ to be protected and preserved here so as is for our good and to have such a state in God for him to be our habitation and hiding place from everlasting to everlasting If our hearts be fixed here let us hear of ill tydings of war of this sicknesse and contagion let it be what it will if our hearts be fixed blessed men are we But if we have nothing to take to when trouble comes we are as I said before as a man in a storme without a hiding place Now every Word of God saith the Psâ—…lmist is a tried Word as silver tryed in the fire The promises are tryed promises that we may rest on them and as we are Christians what are we but men of promise the best is behind and what is our comfort in this world God lets down his love to us in gracious promises and he gives us a taste of the performance as Children have somewhat of their inheritance in their nonage to keep them so somewhat of heaven to comfort our soules we have but the main is to come and the performance is left till then therefore we cannot too much consider of this comfortable point Consider how many promises we have in the Word the certainty of them that they are Yea and Amen and in whom they are founded in him that is Amen himself for Christ is Amen the true and faithfull witnesse Revel 1. these are comfortable considerations Are the promises of God in Christ Yea and Amen Let us divide men who may make any use of them all men they are either such as are in Christ or such as are not in Christ. All the promises being made in Christ what comfort or what good can those that are not yet in Christ have by the promises I answer till they be in Christ none at all for a man out of Christ is out of the favour of God God cannot look on such a man but as the object of his wrath and as fuell for his vengeance and therefore there is no hope for such a man till he be in Christ. All other things in the world cannot comfort such a man for alas his being in the world his being rich his being in favour with such or such what are they fading beings that fail and himself with them he stands on the Ice they slip and he slips with them What are all beings in death ifa man have not a more stable being in Jesus Christ What comfort is there then for such a man by
the foot yet all have communicated by the Spirit from Christ the head So that the third person the Holy Ghost that sanctified the humane nature of Christ that filled and enriched it with all grace and anointed Christ the same Spirit enricheth all his mystical members As there is one Spirit in Christ and that sacred body he took on him so there is in the mysticall body but one Spirit quickening and enlivening and moving the head and the members He is a head of influence as well as a head of eminence Of his fulnesse we have all grace for grace He is first anointed and then we are anointed in him We will first speak of it as it hath reference to an oyntment and then as it hath reference to the persons anointed In the first place then why are graces here called anointing I answer they are called anointing from reference to that composed oyntment in Exod. 30. where you have the composition of the holy oyl laid down But in particular you may observe these five particulars in which the relation standeth First Oyntment is a liquor supereminent it will have the highest place it will have the eminency and be above all other liquors and in that respect it is a royal liquor so the graces of Gods Spirit they are of an eminent nature Spiritual gifts are above the gifts of nature and spiritual blessings are above earthly things the grace of God is a supereminent a royall thing it will be above all even above our parts of nature if a man have by nature a strong wit grace will subdue his wit so that he shall be onely witty to salvation he shall be onely strong to defend the truth and to do nothing against it he will subjugate and subordinate his parts and whatsoever excellency he hath by nature to grace cast all at Christs feet count all as dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. And so again grace is above corrupt nature above all our corruptions it will bring them under it will subdue corruptions temptations afflictions any thing what you will that is either natural or diabolical for grace is spiritual and that which is spiritual is above all that is below Grace is of an invincible nature it will bear sway by little and little it is little in quantity but it is mighty in operation And it is above any outward excellency whatsoever if a man be a King if he have this anointing it makes him better then himself he is better in that he is a Christian that he hath this sacred anointing then for any other created excellency under heaven whatsoever yea though he were an Angel Grace hath its derivance and influence from Christ who is higher then all and will be above all and so will grace That is the first Other liquors the best of them will be beneath but oyl it will be above all It is compared to oyntment in the second place because that oyntment is sweet and delightful so was the oyntment that was poured upon our Saviour by the woman in the Gospel therefore the Spouse in Cant. 1. 3. speaking of Christ Because saith she of the savour of thy good oyntments thy Name is as an oyntment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee The graces that are in Christ are so sweet that they draw the Virgins they draw all believers after him So grace in a Christian it makes us sweet it sweetens our persons and our actions It sweetens our persons to God God delights in the smell of his own graces it makes us delectable for Christ and his holy Spirit to lodge in our soules as in a garden of Spices It makes us sweet to the Church to the communion of Saints A gracious man that hath his corruptions subdued is wondrous sweet his heart is as fine silver every thing is sweet that comes from him When the woman poured the box of oyntment upon Christ the whole house was filled with the smell thereof so the whole Church is filled with the savour of the graces of good men that either do live in the present times or have left their graces in writing to posterity A wicked man is an abomination to God and so are all his actions he that is in the flesh cannot please God a civil man that hath not this anointing all that he doth is abominable to God all things are unclean to the unclean even their best actions have a tincture of defilement from their corruption without this oyntment we are not sweet neither to God nor to others therefore the Scripture terms men in the state of nature Swine and Goats stinking creatures and so indeed they that have not this anointing they are stinking Goats and shall be set at Christs left hand except they have grace to sweeten their understandings and affections and to draw them higher then nature can Likewise grace is full of sweetnesse to a mans self it sweetneth our nature and our actions to our selves a good conscience being privy to it self of the work of grace is a continual feast the conscience of a Christian once renewed by grace inlargeth the soul and fills it with sweet peace and joy in believing Thirdly the graces of the Spirit are called anointing because anointing strengthens therefore usually Warriours and Combatants amoug the Heathen that were to encounter were first anointed so there is a Spirit of strength in all those that are true Christians which they have received from God whereby they are able to do that that worldlings cannot do they are able to deny themselves to overcome themselves in matters of revenge c. they are able to want and to abound to beare crosses to resist temptations and as the Apostle saith able to do all things nothing can stand in the way of a gracious man no not the gates of hell he that is in him Grace is stronger then he that is in the world the least measure of grace though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed is stronger then the greatest measure of opposition though strengthened with all the power of hell In the fourth place oyntment makes the joynts of the body nimble so this spiritual anointing it oyles the joynts of the soul as I may say and makes them nimble and ready to serve God in newnesse of Spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Gods people are called a willing people and a chearful people ready to every good work And there is good reason for it for they have an inward spiritual anointing that makes them active and nimble in every thing they do that Spirit that sanctifieth them that Spirit telleth them what Christ hath done for them that there is no damnation to them that God is reconciled to them that they are freed from the greatest dangers that all is theirs and so their joy and nimblenesse is from good reason and there is a spirit of love in them unto God and Christ which makes them nimble
his bowels that is in his affections he can love and joy in God and hate sin and overcome revenge c. The Spirit sheweth him Divine things by a Divine light he sees heavenly things with a heavenly light and Divine spiritual knowledge is a working knowledge of the same nature with the things known The poorest Christian in the world having this anointing sees good things with such a convincing light and evill things with such a convincing hatred that he is doing and acting whereas a Christian that hath not the Spirit he may know heavenly things by a natural light by a discoursive knowledge he may know what he should do and so perhaps he may talk but he cannot do he may talk of death but he cannot dye he may talk and discourse of suffering but when it comes he cannot suffer he may speak much of patience but he cannot act patience when occasion is A true Christian hath the knowledge of doing things And likewise he is able to speak a word in due season to reprove to admonish to comfort Every member in the communion of Saints hath some qualification in regard of knowledge when he is put to it But especially he hath received this anointing as a Priest and a King As a Priest to stand before God and to offer up prayers for himself and others Every Christian is a Favourite in heaven he hath much credit there he hath Gods ear open at all times and he improves it for the good of the Church for the good of others as well as for his own And as to pray for our selves and others so to blesse our selves and others that was one part of the Priests Office and so as the Scipture saith we are called unto blessing and therefore those that are given unto cursing are not Priests And again a Christian that hath received this anointing as a Priest he keeps himself unspotted of the world You know the Priests were to touch no unclean thing nor to defile themselves with any manner of pollution so every Christian in some measure is enabled to abstain from the common pollutions of the times to hate even the garment spotted with the flesh he is not carried with the stream of the times he will not converse amiably with those that may stain him but as his calling leads him lest he contaminate his spirit And likewise a Christian hath his heart alwayes as the Holy of Holies that so he may offer up thanks and praise to God there is a disposition in him alwayes to praise God As the fire in the Sanctuary must never go out so the fire that is kindled by the Spirit of God in the heart of a Christian it never goes out the Holy Ghost maintains it continually he is ready to praise God upon all occasions ready to offer up himself unto God as a sacrifice The sacrifices of a Christian are a broken heart and as in the Law the sacrifices for sin must first be killed and then offered so now in the Gospel it is the work of every Christian to mortifie to kill and slay those beasts those corruptions that are in him contrary to God A Christian must not offer himself to God as a sinner but he must first slay his corruptions he must mortifie his sins and then offer up himself slain to God Therefore our care must be to mortifie every corruption every faculty of the soul and every part of the body we must circumcise our eyes that they behold not vanity and our eares that they hear not and delight not in unchaste things and our thoughts and every part our wills and affections and then offer up soul and body as a living sacrifice unto God that all may be dedicated and sanctified unto him and then it is a sweet sacrifice then when a Christian hath dedicated himself to God it is an easie matter to give him his goods when he calls for them then he will be ready to let all go as the Apostle saith of the Corinthians they first gave themselves to God and then to others other sacrifices will follow when we have first given our selves to God therefore the first sacrifice is to kill our corruptions to offer our selves to God and then we shall be ready to offer our estates and to have nothing but at Gods disposing Oh Lord of thy hand I have my body and my life and my goods and all I give them unto thee if thou wilt have me to enjoy them I do but if thou wilt have them sacrificed I am a Priest I am willing to offer my self as a burnt-sacrifice to thee even to the death and all other things when thou shalt be pleased to call for them and indeed all other sacrifices of our goods and thankfulnesse in words they will easily come off when we have offered our selves as I said before What is the reason that men will not part with a penny for good uses They have not given themselves as sacrifices unto God therefore in the Scripture we are pressed to give our selves unto God first and it useth arguments to that purpose as that we are not our own but bought with a price c. And so for the Kingly office Every Christian by this anointing is made a King Rev. 1. 6. He hath loved us and washed us and made us Kings c. But how are we Kings to take away an Objection that ariseth in the hearts of carnal men Oh say they they talk that they are Kings when perhaps they have not a penny in their purse they talk they are Kings when in the mean time they are underlings in the world here are Kings indeed think prophane conceited persons Indeed all other things are but shadowes these be realities this is a Kingdome to purpose Thou livest by sense and by fancy or else if thou haddest the spiritual eye-salve if thou haddest thine eyes open to see the dignity of a Christian thou wouldest judge him to be the onely King in the world and therefore I do not enlarge the Point to set colours upon matters but indeed I rather speak under there is no excellency that we can think of in this world that riseth high enough to set out the state of a Christian he is indeed a King For I beseech you what makes a King Victory and Conquest that makes a King Is not he a Conquerour that hath that in him that conquers the world and all things else others that are not Christians they are slaves to lusts and pleasures A Christian that is chief Conquerour in the world he conquers the world in his heart and all temptations are inferiour to him he sees them as things that he hath gotten the mastery of He subdues the principal enemy a Christian fears not death he fears not Judgment he fears not the wrath of God he knowes God is reconciled in Christ and so all things are reconciled with him God being at peace all things else are at peace so
to domineer over faith because it is onely a drawing from outward inforcement to the use of means Again it is not a ruling over faith nor a base slavery when men hear the Word of God opened directly and clearly when men shall perswade others according to their own judgment that this is so and when others shall yield There is some faith that may be called in some degree implicite faith and obedience that is not sinful but good and discreet As when men by their standing in the Church and by their experience and holinesse of life are thought to be men that speak agreeable to the ground of Scripture though they have not a direct rule and place of Scripture for it other mens conscience may follow what they say I have been directed by such men at such times that by reason of their calling have opportunity to advise But this frees it from base service that it must be with reservation till it appear otherwise by some place of Scripture or till better counsel may be yielded obedience to others with reservation and counselling with others this is no domineering because it is with reserving our selves to a further discovery and a further light That the Moralists use to call the opinion of an honest man where the Law speaks not it is much to be esteemed especially an honest discreet Christian when the Law of God speaks not directly then he that speaks out of conscience and some light he may perswade another man with this reservation till further light be discovered this is no domineering over faith I might take away many things that might breed a suspition as if we domineered over the faith of others when we do not But to come to shew you this positive truth what this tyranny over the faith of others is and where it is practised Those tyrannize over the faith of others that do equalize mens Traditions some Canons of their own with the Word of God and presse them with equal violence perhaps more because they are braâ—…s of their own brain Those that will devise a voluntary worship of God and so intangle people and tell them This you must do when there is no ground for it in the Word of God it is will-worship God loves willing worship when we worship him willingly but he loves not-will-worship when it is the device of our own brain how we will serve him As if a servant or a slave must devise how his Lord will be served what impudency is this if we consider what God is They tyrannize over peoples consciences that equalize their own dotages though they account them witty devices and their own inventions with the worship of God that jumble all together as if conscience were equally bound to any device of their own as to Gods Word Again those do tyrannize over the faith of others that think they can make Articles in Religion to bind conscience Those that think to free themselves from the danger of errour as if what they said were unfallible they tyrannize over others Those that for trifles excommunicate whole Churches because they hold not correspondency with them in their errours they tyrannize over the faith of others Those that withhold the means of knowledge that so in a dark time all their fooleries may be more admired As we see masks and such like overly things they must have the commendation of some light that is not so glorious as the Sun to win admiration of men so those that would win admiration of their fooleries they shut people as much as they may in darknesse that they may have their persons and all other things in admiration this is to tyrannize over faith and to hinder them from that that is the means to reform them better But who are guilty of all this We see what Church especially is guilty of this of domineering over the faith of others that is the Church of Rome The Councell of Trent equalizeth Traditions with the Word of God they divide the Word of God into the written and unwritten and under a curse they pronounce that all must be received with the same reverence And then they have devised a will-worship of their own and follow and force their will-worship with greater violence then the worship of God and they set Gods stamp upon all their fooleries to gain authority under the name of Christs Church and the Word of God they carry all Again you know they hold the Church to be infallible they hold the judgment of the Pope the man of sin to be infalible he cannot erre and hereupon whatsoever he saith it must bind conscience because he is in his Chair and cannot erre whatsoever he saith is the scope of Gods Word infallible And this is a fundamental errour as we call it a first lie a leading lie This is moving to errour this is the mover that moves all other errours under it For where upon is all the abominations of Popery justified They are iustified by this though they seem ridiculous grosse and blasphemous they came from the Church and the Church is virtually in the Pope An absurd Position that the whole Church should be virtually in one man yet that is the Jesuitical opinion and the Church cannot erre therefore it is good because these tenents come from him whose judgment is infallible That is the errour that leadeth to and establisheth all other errours under it it is the first lie And in lies there is a leading one goes under another they never go alone so this is the leading lie of all Popery that the Pope cannot erre by this means they domineer over the faith of others and make the people even beasts indeed But to see the indignity of this that the Pope cannot erre it is the greatest errour of all and the prevention of all amendment on their side do you think that they will ever amend their opinion when they hold this that is a block in the way of all reformation that the Pope can erre for deny that and you call all the fabrick of their Religion in question and grant that it stops all reformation on their side What reformation may we hope for on their side that hold this Position that they cannot erre Hence come all their treasons and rebellions they have some dispensation from the Pope and he cannot erre though he prescribe rebellion and treason Another opinion they have that the Church is the Judge of all Controversies in which the faith of men must be resolved at last but it is the Pope that the Jesuits mean Now this is indeed to domineer over the faith to make a man of sin to be a Judge over all points of faith and faith to be resolved at last into that into the judgment of the Church The Church hath an inducing power a leading power perswading to the belief of the Scriptures and to hear what God saith in his Word but
27 28 Men are prone to presume of Gods mercy p. 26 27 28 See Presumption All Gods Attributes without mercy are terrible p. 23 Objection of a poor dejected soul against the Doctrine of Gods mercy or mercifulnesse answered p. 30 To whom Gods mercy is unlimited viz. to repentant soules not to presumptuous sinners p. 27 How to be made fit for or capable of mercy p. 36 How to improve mercy daily p. 37 Kinds of Gods mercies p. 24 25 Merit Against Merit p. 202 Minister Ministery Ministers must win by life as well as by doctrine p. 274 Ministers joyned are with Christ in acceptance and neglect p. 333 A faithful Minister is the joy of the people ibid. The Ministery is a great gift and blessing of God p. 334 346 347 348. The peoples proficiency in grace is the Ministers joy p. 336 All the good we have by Christ is conveyed by the Ministery p. 39 Consent of Ministers is a help to faith p. 391 Ministers are to be prayed for by the people See Prayer Mistake Holy men are subject to Mistakes pag. 374 See Errour N. Name MEn have oft their name and denomination in Scripture by that which they are ruled by p. 275 365 New Popery is a new Religion p. 396 397 O. Oath OAth what p. 376 515 An Oath lawful p. 516 517 Kinds of Oathes p. 376 514 515 A Christian life is a kind of Oath p. 518 Conditions of an Oath pag. 376 514 515 An Oath not good unlesse necessary p. 376 515 516 517 Qualifications of an Oath ibid. None but good men should take an Oath p. 515 Parts of an Oath ibid. An Oath to be taken onely in serious matters p. 515 517 See Swearing Occasion A good man must take all occasions to do good p. 354 Oil Ointment The Spirit with its graces compared to Oil or Ointment p. 464 c. Old Our Religion is the old Religion p. 394 395 c. Popery no old but new Religion p. 396 397 Onenesse A Christian man is one man he doth act one mans part p. 317 There is but one Faith p. 394 One Catholick Church ibid. Opinion It 's good to cherish a good Opinion of others p. 323 344 See Conceit Hope P. Partake THose that partake in other mens sins shall also partake in their sufferings p. 119 Paul St. Paul's prerogative above other Apostles pag. 2 St. Paul's modesty and humility p. 3 S. Paul had a good opinion and conceit of the Corinthians p. 322 How S. Paul could be deceived in his journey and not in his doctrine pag. 373 374 How Timothy is called S. Paul's brother p. 4 S. Paul's course to hold out in holy resolution to the end p. 324 Peace True Peace issues from Grace p. 14 Persecution They that persecute the Saints persecute Christ p. 81 See Affliction Suffering Tribulation Perseverance Resolution to persevere and hold out in a good course to the end p. 323 S. Paul's course to persevere in holy resolution to the end p. 324 Gods Children may be assured that they shall persevere and hold out to the end pag. 489 c. He that is in the state of Grace shall persevere in it to the end p. 490 Physician Physicians do ill in flattering the sick and feeding them with hopes of long life when they are at the point of death p. 136 We should open the case of our soules to our spiritual Physicians p. 535 Policy A Christian should avoid the imputation of carnal Policy p. 365 Not to subordinate Religion to State Policy p. 294 295 Pope Popery Popery crosses the Word of God p. 385 386 The Popes Treasury what p. 107 Popery founded upon Traditions p. 545 546 Popery a rotten and unsound Religion ibid. Popish Religion is full of Contradictions p. 386 Popish Religion is full of uncertainties p. 386 387 How and wherein Popish and Protestant Religin agree and differ p. 395 398 It's safer to be a Protestant then a Papist p. 397 Whether a Papist may be saved pag. 397 398 Popery to be detested because it teacheth men to trust to their own works and satisfactions p. 142 Praise God the object of Praise how p. 20 God to be praised as he is the Father of Christ p. 21 Praise follows prayer or After prayer praises are due p. 204 The praises of many are gratefull and acceptable to God ibid. How the unreasonable creatures praise God p. 206 We are to praise God for others for all sorts of men ibid. Wherein praise consists p. 207 See more in Blesse Thankfulnesse Prayer Prayer is a means to convey all good and deliver from all ill p. 188 Gods children can pray for themselves p. 190 Christians ought to help one another by prayer p. 191 People ought to pray for Ministers p. 193 200 201 What is to begg'd of God or pray'd for for Ministers ibid. Christians have not the Spirit of prayer at all times alike p. 193 Prayer is not a work of gifts but of grace p. 194 Divers gifts in prayer ibid. Prayer is a prevailing course with God and why p. 195 c. How to know whether our prayers help the Church p. 199 It 's an ill condition not to be able to pray p. 200 God will deliver the Ministers by the peoples prayers ibid. It 's a good thing to beg the prayers of others in sicknesse p. 203 The more eminent men are the more they are to be prayed for p. 215 Preach Christ is the main Object of Preaching p. 388 See Ministery Word Presence Personal presence hath a special power p. 346 Presumption Against presuming upon Gods mercy p. 27 28 See Mercy Difference between faith and presumption pag. 441 Pride Pride is a sin against all the Commandments pag. 219 Priest Christians are Priests how pag 467 468 Promise God deales with men by Promises pag. 402 Promise what p. 403 All Promises made in Christ pag. 403 All the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ p. 407 408 c. Several kinds of Promises p. 413 Till a man be in Christ he hath no good by the Promises p. 418 What right a man out of Christ hath to the Promises p. 419 Comfort from the Promises to them that are in Christ pag. 420 421 c. How to make use of the Promises and to have comfort by them pag. 424 425 c. What to do when in trouble we cannot call to mind any particular Promise p. 425 We should make the Promises familiar to us p. 428 Signes or Evidences of believing the Promises pag. 432 433 434 c. to 438 Promises are Legacies as well as promises p. 435 Gods Promises called a Testament a Will ibid. Necessity of application of the Promises to our selves p. 440 None have interest in the Promises but such as find a change in themselves p. 473 Prophets How Christians are Prophets pag. 468 Prophets and Apostles how subject to errour how not p. 374 Providence Providence what p. 177 R. Rejoyce See Joy Religion NOt to
Use. Not to set a period to our growth in Grace Triall of our estate by desire to grow Simile Doctr. Every blessing a Grace Use. To look on every bâ—…nefit as a Grace Thankfulnesse Application 〈◊〉 the Sacrament Observ. A good man must take all occasions to do good Saint Paul's Circuit Observ. A commendable custome for Christians to bring one another on their way Religion teacheth not incivility Observ. Men prone to suspition Suspition what Whence it is 1. From guilt 2. Envy Quest. Answ. How to arm against suspition 1. By Innocency 2. Patience 3. Prayer 4. Apology Quest. Answ. Suspition when evill 1. 2. 3. Doctr. Publick men to avoid the imputation of lightnesse Reason To preserve Authority Obstinacy like Constancy Grounds of lightnesse and inconstancy 1. Temper of body 2. From the disposition of the mind 1. Inconsideration 2. Passion Inconstancy mistaken Simile 5. Want of dependance on God Christians modest for the future Remedies against lightnesse 1. Deliberation 2. Suppresse passion Inconveniency of passion Dependance on God Flesh what Why so called Wicked men called the world Use. Take heed by whom we are led Observ. A Christian to avoid the imputation of carnal policy Reason It is Gods and our enemy Use. To suppresse it Observ. To purpose according to the flesh a ground of lightnesse A wicked man no sound friend Nor a good Christian. How to know we consult with the flesh We consult not according to the flesh 1. In denial of parts 2. Of opportunities 3. When we are humble in our consultations Quest. Answ. How to avoid fleshly wisdom God judgeth us not by passion but by our tenour of life Worldly men make all serve the flâ—…sh Application to the Sacrament Observ. Carnal men inconstant Not over-much to trust carnal men Observ. Carnal men vehement Simile Ground of yea and nay Falshood and dissembling Equivocation 1. If it be allowed there can be no lie 2. It hinders suffering 3. Equivocation a lie A lie what Quest. Answ. S. Paul sustained three persons Holy men are but men Not knowing things to come no sin Difference in the things delivered by Apostles as Apostles and as men Our journey to heaven certain Men prone to censure mens callings for particular actions Saint Paul's care to fence his doctrine from suspition An Oath what Kinds of oathes Conditions of an oath An oath not good unlesse necessary Qualifications of an oath What meant by the prohibition not to swear at all Observ. A matter of consequence to believe Gods Word is certain Reason We cannot else resist temptations to sin Or to despair Ground of going on in sin Use. To be thankful for means of strengthening faith in this Doctr. God is true and faithful God true out of necessity of his nature Object Answ. Promises absolute or conditional That God is and is true the prime truth Evidences of faith in us ground of it out of us The relations of God to us comfortable from his truth Use 1. Gods threatenings true Use 2. Comfort Use 3. Gods Word Judge of all Controversies Properties of a Judge No other Judge alway yea Use 4. What agrees not with Gods Word is false Popery crosseth the Word of God Popery contradicts it self Popery full of uncertainties Quest. How to know the Word to be true Answ. 1. 2. Quest. Answ. To yield obedience to Gods Word Four Points Doctr. 1. Chrise the main object of preaching Prerogatives of Christs Generation Preaching an instrument to work faith Use. To desire most to hear of Christ. How to think of Christ. Doctr. 2. All good by Christ conveyed by the Ministery Doctr. 3. Consent of Ministers a help to faith Doctr. 4. Evangelical truth is most certain Quest. How to know the doctrine of the Gospel true Answ. Office of the Church concerning Gods Word Simile Object Answ. How God speaks in the Church Quest. How to know our faith is the true ancient faith Answ. August One Faith One Catholike Church Rock what Object Answ. Papists and we have the same affirmatives Popish negatives novelties Quest. Answ. Additions in Popery dangerous Quest. Answ. Safer to be a Protestant then a Papist Quest. Answ. Whether a Papist may be saved Papists give what sense they will of Scriptures No dispensing with Gods Lâ—… Use. To get certainty of faith answerable to the certain truth Three senses of Amen God since the Fall hath made a Covenant of Grace Observ. God deals with man by Promises Reason 1. Else man dares look for nothing from God Reason 2. To exercise faith and hope Reason 3. To arm us against discouragements Quest. Answ. Promise what Three degrees of love No promise no faith nor hope Observ. 2. All Promises in Christ. Christ first beloved 1. As God 2. As Man 3. As Mediatour 4. As our Head and Husband Our nature odious to God since thn fall Gods love first in Christ and then in us in regard of execution All in Christ first Use. Ground of boldnesse to God Observ. 3. All the promises yea in Christ. Christ the first promise All types fulfilled in Christ. 1 Personal types 3. Real types 2. All promises and prophecies All good things by Christ yea Benefit to former ages by Christ. Simile Inlargment of Grace by Christs coming Christ the word how Use. A comfortable way to study Christ in promises and acplishment All other promises Amen for Christ. Pròmises yet unfulfilled Use. Direction of judgment that every man cannot be saved by his own Religion Use. To magnifie God for promises Use Direct in to go to God in Christ. Severall kinds of promises 1. Universal to all mankind 2. Concerning the Church Manner of promising 1. Absolute 2. Conditionally propounded but absolutely performed Conditional of outward things Use. To get into Christ. Object Answ. The good things wicked men enjoy are not blessings How to know blessings are snares How to know we have them in love Attend on the meanes to get into Christ. Rest in Christ. Use. The stability of the estate of a Christian. Comfort in dangers * 1625. Quest. Answ. Till a man be in Christ he hath no good by the promises Quest. Answ. Hope of wicked men while they live Object Answ. Object Answ. How the promise is made to the poor in spirit Quest. What right a man out of Christ hath to claim the premises Answ. Wilful rebellion keeps men from Christ. Comfort from the promises to them that are in Christ. Of forgivenesse In want of Grace In imperfections Object Against falling away In Troubles of this world For issue of our labours In weak performances Promise to posteritys Comfort to Parents Comfort to Children Wicked Pare cruel to poste rity How to make use of the Promises To suit the promises to our wants Look to Christ in whom they are made Look to God in Christ. God our Father God our Husband Christ our Head Christ our brother The Spirit ours What to do when we remember not particular Promises Rules touching the Promises 1. Not to