then what doth Gods Love do If there be any comfort as you have heard whilst God is afflicting us what comfort is there while he is embracing us If there be any comfort in the Valley of Tears what is there then in Paradice There is the Bed of Spices and the River of Pleasures If God can make a Prison sweet what then is Heaven If afflicting mercy be so great what is crowning mercy Did God make one of the Martyrs flames a Bed of Roses why then how sweet is it to lie in Christs bosom the Bed of Perfume The second Use is of Exhortation Use 2. If Gods Rod hath so much comfort in it to the godly then be not too much dejected and cast down in Affliction If you meet with losses if you meet with Pyrats at Sea and Hornets at Land you see God can turn all these to good Thy Rod comforts me Therefore be not too much cast down Tho' we are not to pray for Affliction for it is in it self penal neither must we despond under Affliction Oh saith one if God did love me he would not have dealt thus severely with me he hath bereaved me of such and such a dear comfort which is like plucking a Limb from the body But Christian consider that which thou callest a dear comfort that God hath taken away perhaps it was an Idol it may be thou lovedst it more than thou didst God and if thou hadst not lost this comfort thou mightest have lost thy Soul and Heaven too why then hath God in taking away this comfort done thee any wrong there is mercy in all this Maist not thou say at last Thy Rod comforts me The third Use of Tryal Use 3. Let us examine whether we have had any Honey out of the Lion any comfort out of Affliction Hath the Rod of God upon us blossomed and brought forth Almonds It 's certain we have met with Affliction in one kind or other but what benefit have we got by Affliction what advantage for our Souls Can we say indeed as David Lord thy Rod comforts me Can we say We have met with such and such a sore Tryal and it hath brought us nearer to God and weaned us from the world it hath conquered our Pride and tamed our Covetousness When Gods Rod upon us fetches Water of tears and makes us weep bitterly for our sin then it is a good Rod. In short If Gods Rod hath made us better it hath made us Reform and break off iniquity when we can say with Ephraim Hosea 14.8 What have I to do with Idols To conclude all Let it be our daily prayer to God that we may find some comfort in Affliction some Honey mingled with our Gall. David speaks of comfort in Affliction Psal. 119.50 This is my comfort in Affliction Affliction it is not joyous but grievous Oh but when the Lord doth bless and sanctifie it to us now it brings comfort with it Let us pray that we may hear the voice of the Rod and kiss the Rod and bless the hand that holds it Let 's pray unto God that we may see his hand in every Affliction and wherefore God contends with us that we may turn to him that smites and say as David doth here in the Text Oh Lord thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me SERMON III. John 16 33. These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world THESE words were spoken by our blessed Saviour not long before his suffering The Chapters foregoing are full of spiritual sweetness This blessed Sun of Righteousness did it seems shine more glorious and bright a little before his setting Our Saviour Christ he was now about to leave the world and go to his Father and therefore having endeavoured to comfort the hearts of his Apostles and Disciples he knew they would be sorrowful therefore the more he endeavours to comfort them and this is the great Cordial he gives them before his death These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace Christ foretold that Sufferings would befal his Apostles and Disciples In the world saith he ye shall have tribulation the Greek word for tribulation it is a metaphor that alludes to Grapes that are squeezed in the Wine press till the blood of the Grapes comes out So saith Christ In the world ye shall have tribulation You shall be put into the Wine-press and perhaps the blood of the Grape may be prest out Tribulation it is the Saints Diet-drink it is bitter but it is wholesom All that God doth in afflicting his Children it is but to make them better and to try them and make them white Dan. 10. v. 12. Is it not far better to swim thorow the main River the Red Sea of Affliction to Heaven than to swim thorow the perfumed Joys and Pleasures to Hell and Damnation In the world saith Christ you must look for ye shall have tribulation But Christ having told of this bitter Pill he gives them some Sugar of comfort to sweeten it and make it go down the better In these words of the Text These things I have told you that in me ye might have peace First Here is the dark side of the Cloud tribulation Secondly The bright side of the Cloud that in me ye might have peace Doct. That the Lord Iesus Christ who is our Peace-maker gives his sweet peace to all his people that in me ye might have peace That peace meant here in the Text it is spiritual and sacred it is the immediate fruit and product of our Justification Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God. This spiritual peace the Lord Jesus procures by his Blood conveys by his Spirit maintains by his Intercession First This peace Christ doth purchase and procure by his Blood it swims to us in the Blood of Christ the Justice of God being wronged by us Jesus Christ laid down his life as a price that he paid for our peace it is his blood that doth cement us and reconcile us to God the Father as it is in Col. 1.20 Having made peace thorow the Blood of Iesus Secondly Christ conveys this blessed peace by his Spirit he doth procure it by his Merit and he doth convey it by his Spirit Iohn 16.7 The Lord Jesus left this peace to us as a Legacy And the Spirit it is Christs Executor to see that his Will be made good and that we should have â—his peace And now God being at peace with us thorow Christ Conscience that 's at peace too If the Heavens be quiet and serene and no tempest there nor wind blowing then the Sea is calm So if the great God be but at peace with us and there is no tempest in his face then Conscience that is quiet and all is calm Thirdly As Christ doth procure this blessed peace by his Blood
he doth not remit the sin but it will be sad with the sinner at last a sad hour at death the Body and Soul must part and Christ and the Soul must part There is no peace to the wicked saith my God. Can they have peace that strike against the Crown and Dignity of Heaven and make War with Christ and God and Heaven A second Use is of Tryal Use 2. Let us then search and examine Have we this secret and sweet peace in our Souls flowing from the Lord Jesus You may know it these three ways and they are three sure Notes that will never fail First Such as have Christs peace in their Souls they are ingrafted into Christ they are one with Christ. Mark the words of the Text In me peace First we must be in Christ before we can have peace from Christ in me Then peace The Graft or Scien must first be inoculated into the Tree before it receives sap and influence from the Tree We must by faith be inoculated into Christ before we can receive of his fulness The wicked they may presume to have peace and that they shall have peace and yet they are not acquainted with Christ. Do they think ever to have an Interest in Christs peace that have no Interest in Christs person it cannot be A Christless Soul hath no more to do to lay claim to Christs peace than a Woman hath to do to lay claim to a Mans Estate that was never married to him In me saith Christ First in Christ and then you shall have peace from Christ sacred peace it is a Legacy that Christ bequeaths he gives this Legacy not to strangers but to his friends such as are united to him First the Pipe must be laid to the Spring before it receives Water from the Spring so we must first by faith be united to Christ laid to this Spring by faith before we can receive the sweet influences of peace from him That 's the first Secondly Where ever Christ gives peace to any Soul there he always sets up his governing Scepter to bear sway in that Soul. A pregnant Scripture for this Isa. 9.7 Of his Government and Peace shall be no end First there must be Christs Government set up in the Soul before there is peace Whenever the Lord Jesus comes with an Olive branch of peace in his mouth he always comes with a Scepter in his hand A parallel Scripture for this Zech. 6.13 It is a promise of Christ He shall Sit and Rule and he shall be a Priest upon the Throne Observe Christ as a Priest he makes peace but he will be a Priest upon the Throne that is he will bring the heart where he gives peace into a full subjection to his Laws he will be a Priest upon his Throne Now let us examine Have we given subjection to Christ Jesus do we submit to his blessed Laws does Christ Sit and Rule in our hearts as a Priest upon his Throne then all is well There are many people would have Christ to speak peace to them but they will not suffer him to bear Rule they would have his Olive branch but they will not endure his Scepter Thirdly If Christ hath given us this blessed peace then we shall know it thus then he hath made us to be of a meek quiet and peaceable disposition Where ever Christ doth give his peace he makes the heart to be peaceable Isa. 11.6 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid that is after grace is brought into a mans heart and Christ hath given him peace this man becomes of a peaceable and quiet disposition Now the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb the fierceness of the Wolf shall be turned into the meekness of the Lamb. It was a saying of Bernard that good man he was a man of a peaceable spirit and at any time when some fell out with him saith he I will be at peace with you though you go on in trouble Such turbulent spirits that are troublers of the common peace they are like the Salamander that lives in the fire of Broyls and of Contention and they love to live in this fire Surely where Christ gives this peace it makes men of a peaceable spirit it turns the Brier into a Mirtle Tree So by this we may know whether Christ hath given us this peace or no. Third Vse is Hereditary And here I will turn my self to such as are acquainted with Christ and this blessed Peace First Have you this blessed peace from Christ then be not over-much troubled about the afflictions and incumbrances that are incident to this present life It is true our lives they are full of vicissitudes and troubles it will be so He that doth not expect some trouble must go out of the world Fear and grief are the two constant companions of Mans Life You may as well separate weight from Lead or moistness from the Air as trouble from the Life of Man. Doth not the Text say In the world you shall have tribulation But here is that which may sweeten the troubles of Gods People Christ gives peace Here is an Antidote against your fears and troubles and none like a Scripture Antidote That in me saith Christ ye might have peace This is a glorious peace indeed it is a peace that will hold out in a Storm and Tempest it turns a Prison into a Paradice it turns our Mourning into Musick it turns our Sighs into Songs and Triumphs As that holy man dated his Letter thus Written from the pleasant Garden of the Lion Prison David he had Christ prepared and therefore let the times be never so stormy he would lie down in peace Psal. 4.8 I will lay me down in peace It was a very tempestuous time David was flying from his Son Absolom Now saith David I will lay me down in peace I will take a nap and sleep sweetly upon this good Pillow of Conscience I will sleep in peace David he was in danger of losing two Jewels at once but there is a third Jewel he could not lose and that was a good Conscience I read of one that had a precious Stone and it was of that brightness that it made it be like the Ark when it was tossing upon the Water Let me allude to it If Jesus Christ hath given us this peace this will give light to the Soul when the Clouds do gather and thou art tossing upon the Waters of Affliction Secondly If Christ hath given thee a well grounded peace oh be thankful for this great gift No Rhetorick no Tongue of Angels can set it forth in all its glory Peace of Soul it makes a harmony in a Christian Though there be never so many discouragements in the world yet he enjoys a harmony in his own Soul. This inward peace it is the best still Musick That you may be thankful for this peace consider how sad it is to want this peace because this is
cannot endure the wrath of the Lamb all at once they will be enduring it to all eternity So therefore here is terrour to all them that do not kiss the Son. SERMON V. Psalm 112.7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. A Word fitly spoken saith Solomon is like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver In which respect I have chosen this Scripture to treat on at this time When the Winds begin to rise and a Storm threatens it is time then to get our spiritual Tackling ready and to cast Anchor The Mariner casts his Anchor downward the Christian casts his Anchor upward within the Veil he doth in the deepest danger cast out the Sheet Anchor of Faith and is not afraid So saith the Text He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. In this Psalm you have described the character of a righteous man v. 1. He delighteth greatly in Gods Commands he doth not only keep Gods Commands but he loves them they are the joy of his heart he delighteth greatly in Gods Commands Secondly In this Psalm is set down the righteous mans happiness several ways First His Children shall be blessed verse 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth Righteousness entails mercy upon posterity Secondly His Estate shall be blessed verse 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house A man is no loser by being righteous it makes his Estate flourish Thirdly His Soul shall be blessed verse 9. It is righteousness shall endure for ever that is the joy and comfort of it endures for ever his grace shall be crowned with glory This Flower of Paradice doth not wither Fourthly The righteous mans name shall be blessed verse 6. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance that is his name shall be honoured it shall live when he is dead The righteous man he carries a good Conscience with him when he dies and leaves a good name behind him He shall be in everlasting remembrance And so I come to the Text. This righteous man shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. The Text consists of these two general parts First The righteous mans priviledge He shall not be afraid of evil tidings Secondly The ground or reason of it His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. I begin with the First of these briefly The righteous mans priviledge He shall not be afraid of evil tidings When there are rumours of evils approaching the godly man he shall not be discomposed in his mind he shall not be in a pannick fear Yet let me insert this for the right understanding of it First Not but that the righteous man is sensible of danger or else how can he humble himself under Gods mighty hand Secondly Not but that some clouds of natural fear may arise in his mind Grace tho' it doth subdue it doth not expel nature But the meaning of the Text is this He shall not be afraid of evil tidings that is first A righteous man he shall not be afraid with a distracting fear such a fear as takes him off from duty untunes him quite for Gods service Secondly He shall not be afraid of evil tidings with a fainting fear so as to have his heart die within him as it was with Saul 1 Sam. 28.20 Saul fell straightway all along upon the Earth and was sore afraid he fainted away in his fear Thirdly A righteous man shall not be afraid of evil tidings with a despairing fear he shall not so fear but that still the heart doth sweetly rest upon Gods promises It is with a godly man in time of danger as it is with a Ship as it lies at Anchor A Ship at Anchor it shakes a little upon the Water but it is fixt being at Anchor So tho' there may be some shakings and tremblings in the flesh yet a Christian is not so tossed with fear but he is like a Ship at Anchor His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Use briefly See the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked the godly man he is not afraid of evil rumours he doth not fear with a distracting or desponding fear still hope is preserved and kept alive in the Soul But the wicked when danger approaches are surprized with heart-killing fears Isa. 33.14 The sinners in Sion are afraid Fearfulness hath surprized hypocrites Guilt is the bladder of fear When Adam had stole the fruit then he began to tremble I was afraid saith he to God and hid my self Sinners fall into Convulsions of Conscience Cains mark was a shaking in the flesh And a wicked man he hath a trembling in his heart Isa. 13.8 They shall be afraid their faces shall be ashamed They shall be afraid The Hebrew word for fear signifies such a fright as casts Women into travail and makes them miscarry So sinners they shall be cast as it were into such a fright as their faces shall be ashamed What is that that is when troubles do arise their faces do wax pale So much for the first thing in the Text the righteous mans priviledge He shall not be afraid of evil tidings with a distracting or desponding fear Secondly Here is the ground or reason why a godly person shall not be afraid or amazed at evil tidings in these words His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord there is the ground This makes him as the Leviathan without fear His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. So the Observation is this Doct. It is the genius and temper of a true Saint in times of imminent danger to have his heart fixed by trusting in the Lord Iehovah His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. For the illustration of this Proposition I shall answer these three Questions First What it is to trust in God in times of danger Secondly Why we ought to trust in God Thirdly How faith doth fix the heart and makes us to trust in God I begin with the first of these I answer It is called in Scripture our casting our burden upon God the burden of our care the burden of our fear the burden of our wants the burden of our sins Psal. 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Secondly Trusting in God in Scripture is called a staying our selves upon God as a man that is ready to fall he stays himself upon some prop or pillow Thus a Christian he stays himself upon God Isa. 50 10. I shall describe trusting in God thus It is an Heroick act of Faith whereby we roll all our care and lay the stress of our Salvation only upon God. Now there is required in this trusting in God an absolute necessary 1. Knowledge 2. Acquaintance with him First Knowledge of God Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee Secondly In this trusting in God is required acquaintance with him through Christ without acquaintance there
and clean Pastures so Christs Sheep they are cleanly and sanctified holiness is the thing they pray for Psalm 51.10 Create in me a clean Heart Oh God! Tho they are not perfectly Holy yet they are perfecting holiness in the fear of God. It is a neat creature and would rather die than go thorow dirty miry places so it is with Christs sheep they will rather suffer any thing than defile their Conscience Gen. 39.9 How can I do this wickedness and sin against God The wicked in Scripture are compared to swine they wallow in Sin in their wickedness and uncleanness they are steept and purboyled in Sin I but a good Christian he breaths after sanctity a child of God he may unawares fall into Sin as David but he does not lye in Sin he recovers himself out again by repentance a Sheep may fall into the mire but it does not lye there gets out again Fourthly A Sheep it is a very useful creature not any thing that is of it but is of some use the flesh the fleece the skin so all Christs Sheep who are the Sheep of his Pasture are useful they are still doing good they are profitable to others by their Knowledge Counsel Example Prayers good Works they are useful in their places the wicked they are compared to Wood Ezek. 15.3 which is good for nought but fuel Sinners are useless their Life is scarce worth a Prayer nor their Death scarce worth a Tear they live to cumber the ground but Gods people they are useful they are called the excellent of the earth Psalm 16.3 They are blessings in the places where they come Fifthly A Sheep it is a very contented creature it will feed upon any pasture where you put it put Sheep upon the bare Common they are content they feed upon that little they pick up in the fallow ground a perfect emblem of true Saints who are the Sheep of Christ let God put them into what pasture he will they are content Phil. 4.11 They have learn'd in every state therewith to be content Saint Paul he could want or abound he could be any thing that God would have him he was content with that Portion whatever it was that Providence carved out to him you who are apt to murmur and repine at your Condition and think you have never enough think with your selves Sheep are content with their pasture surely were I one of Christs Sheep I should be content you that have the least of the World you have more than you know how to be thankful for he that has the least bit of Bread he will die in Gods debt A Sheep is a contented Creature Sixthly To name no more a Sheep it is a timorous creature it is very fearful if any danger approaches or frighted by the Wolf thus the Saints of God who are Christs Sheep they pass the time of their sojourning here in fear they are fearful of provoking God of wounding their Peace fearful of Temptation fearful they should come short of Heaven thorow sloath Heb. 4.1 It is an ear-mark of Christs Sheep they are indewed with the fear of God Gen. 42.18 This is their ear-mark men fearing God it 's true the Righteous they are as bold as a Lyon in a righteous cause but timorous and fearful of sinful fear and let me tell you happy is he that in this sence fears always holy fear is the best antidote against Temptation the way to be safe is always to fear To make some Use of this Let us all labour to be found in the number of Christs Sheep All the World is divided into two ranks Sheep or Goats if you would be glad to be found in the day of Judgment Christs Sheep and sit at his right hand be much in Prayer pray unto God that he would change your nature that he would take away your wolfish nature your fierceness your frowardness and that he would transform you into his own Image Labour to be amongst Christs Sheep to get into Christs fold only one thing excepted that you would not be like Sheep for Sheep are apt to wander sometimes from their fold take heed don't straggle into by-paths of errour and heresie it is dangerous to wander for fear the Devil that wolf should catch you don't go astray as Sheep but in other things resemble Sheep in meekness in patience in usefulness in willingness and particularly in this one thing let us labour to resemble Sheep that is when the Shepherds dog comes near all the Sheep flock together Persecution it should be like the Shepherds dog it should make all Christs Sheep run together and unite Do Papists and Formalists agree in persecuting Gods people and shall not the Saints of God agree to keep the unity of the Spirit â—n the bond of Peace Love is the ear-mark by which Christs Sheep are known Iohn 13.35 By this shall all men know ye are my Disciples if ye love one another It was the Harlot said let the child be divided it is the Jesuit that says let the Church of God be divided it is Satans great design to set his cloven foot amongst Christs people to make division and contention among the sons of Sion the Devils best Musick is discord Oh! let all Christs people his sheep flock together and associate in love those who hope to meet together in Heaven should not fall out by the way Unity it is the great Musick in Heaven Unity in Trinity and Unity among Saints would be a great blessing on Earth for Christians to unite it is their Interest and Wisdom union is their Strength union it is their Glory their Ornament this was the honour of the Primitive Churches all of one Heart Act. 2.1 There was but one Heart amongst them let the Sheep of Christ unite together when the Saints are harmoniously united then they adorn their blessed Shepherd the Lord Jesus So much for the first of these Christs Sheep Secondly To speak something of the Shepherd I am the good Shepherd a true Epithet as ever was given A good Shepherd Zach. 13.7 1 Pet. 2.25 You are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls Your Conscience it is the Diocess were none may visit but Christ Christ is call'd in the Scripture the chief Shepherd of all 1 Pet. 5.4 Ministers are but Shepherds under him to look to his flock Christ is the chief Shepherd so the Observation is this Doct. That Iesus Christ he is the blessed Shepherd of his Sheep In Scripture Christ is called the great Shepherd and the good Shepherd he is called the great Shepherd Heb. 13.20 21. and here in the Text he is called the good Shepherd Christ is the great Shepherd as he made the Sheep and he is the good Shepherd as he saves his Sheep so you see he is both the great and the good Shepherd there are many Parallels and Analogies betwixt Christ and his Sheep I will instance in some 1. A Shepherd is appointed to