you live in unclean thoughts and actions all your life long and therefore this can be no prop for your hopes 3. Though David did fall into this sin yet he did not continue in it long for it was but nine moneths between Nathan the Prophets coming to David and telling and reproving him for his sin and the time that he fell into it but alas some of you it may be are Adulterers of nine years standing there are many amongst us that are old adulterers and yet never had a melting and sorrowfull heart for their sins that never wept as David did nor mourn as he mourned And so Peter he fell into a sin of denying his Lord and Master but 1. He was resolved and did verily purpose before to have confessed and not to have denyed him and yet when the Damsell came to him and told him that he was one of those that were with Christ Peter conceiving it may be that they would have put him to death and crucified him as well as Christ upon this sodaine surprise which was a very great temptation to him he denyed Christ And 2. Though he denyed him thrice yet afterwards he did confesse him as often as he denyed him for when Christ asked him Simon Peter lovest thou me he answered Christ three times Lord thou knowest that I love thee 3. Peter denyed Christ but yet afterward he went out and wept bitterly for it and therefore his obtaining mercy can be no ground for your hopes that never yet repented of any of the sins you have committed and thus you see that the falling of these three godly men into great sinnes can be no prop to bear up your hopes for heaven I shall now shew you more particularly that though the godly do fall into sinne yea even the same sinnes for the matter of them as you do yet they do not fall into them in the same manner As 1. If a godly man fall into sin it is unwittingly and unawares in Gal. 6. 1. sayes the Apostle if any man be overtaken with a fault A godly man he runs away with all the speed he can from a sin and temptation but sometimes it overtakes him against his will but now a wicked man he runs after sin and overtaketh it he sins with set purpose of heart He plots mischief upon his bed and sets himself in a way that is not good 2. A godly man fals into sin sometimes but it is with reluctancy and opposition the Spirit striveth against the flesh there is an opposing and striving against sin they are not like cowards but will fight as long as they can hold their weapon in their hands but now wicked men they commit sin with greedinesse with delight and complacency without any reluctancy at all 3. Every sinne that a godly man committeth maketh him more carefull and watchfull for the time to come thus it was with David Psal 38. the title of it compared with Psal 39. 1. The title of Psal 38. is called a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance the subject matter of this Psalme was to bring Davids sinne to his remembrance and having spent this in remembring his sins in the first words of the next Psalme sayes he I have sinned but I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not with my tongue after he had called to remembrance his sins past then he resolved with himself to strive against them in time to come A godly man never fals into a sin once but he fears to fall into the same sin ever after A godly man though he fals into sin sometimes yet he will at length get the upper hand of sin though for the present he be not able to grapple with sin yet he will overcome it at last Grace will out grow sinne and get the victory over it and thus I have shewed you the second prop that wicked men build their hopes for heaven upon we come now to a third and that is this If you beat them off from the two former then they flie to the mercies of God Oh say they God is a very mercifull God and I hope he that made me will save me and that I shall goe to heaven as well as other men and the like Now I doe not deny but the mercies of God is the chiefest prop under heaven that a man can build his hopes for heaven upon but here I shall shew you the rottennesse of this prop likewise in four or five regards and that the mercies of God in generall are no sufficient ground at all to build thy hopes for heaven upon unlesse thou canst lay claim to the mercies of God in particular for if you build your hopes upon the mercies of God in generall 1. The Devils and damned spirits may then hope as well as you 2. The common and outward mercies of God can be no good prop to build hopes for heaven upon unlesse you can lay claime to the saving and distinguishing mercies of God the common outward mercies of God wicked men may have for God is good to al and his tender mercy is over all his Workes the Devils share in the common mercies of God as well as others but these generall mercies of God are no prop to build hopes for heaven upon unlesse you can build upon the saving and distinguishing mercies of God as David prayes Shew mercy unto me O God sayes he with the mercy which thou bearest to thy own childeen it must be electing redeeming sanctifying and saving mercies that you must build your hopes for heaven upon 3. The generall mercies of God can be no ground of your hopes unlesse you have an interest in Jesus Christ for God is cloathed with greatnesse and terrour and dread and wrath out of Christ there is nothing to be looked upon but anger and wrath in God without Jesus Christ There were two lawes that God did make concerning the Mercy-seat 1. The High Priest was not upon pain of death to come to the Mercy-seat unlesse he brought incense with him now what does this signifie to us why it represents the intercession of Christ that as Aaron was not to come to the Mercy-seat without incense so neither can we goe to the Throne of Grace to beg mercy from God with any hope of audience or acceptance unlesse we carry incense with us which is the Lord Jesus Christ to plead for us 2. Aaron was to sprinkle the Mercy-seat with bloud which typifies to us that we are not to expect mercy from God but as we have an interest in the bloud of Christ 4. To you that build your hopes for heaven upon the mercies of God in generally let me tell you that God is not prodigall of his speciall mercies as to bestow them upon all the world but only upon a select number of men he will have mercy onely on them that fear him as for the wicked those that run on in their sins the Lord
in Christ you have all things though you have nothing this I touched upon before you may say with the Apostle as having nothing yet possessing all things though you may be without wealth and riches and Olive yards yet herein lies your comfort you are not without Christ and in having him you have al things though you have nothing for all things are given you in and through Christ by way of entaile as in 1 Cor. 3. 22. All things are yours and yee are Christs I shall a little explain this place to you sayes the Apostle Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas that is all the Ministers of Christ if you have an interest in Christ Christ hath given gifts to his Ministers for your sakes so that you may lay claim to all the Ministers of Christ Paul is yours and Apollos is yours they are yours because they are your lights to guide you in the way to heaven through the darke wildernesse of this world they are your Pastors to feed you with knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of Salvation they are your Shepheards to gather you into the fold of Jesus Christ they are your builders to hew and square and make you fit for Christs spirituall building they are your conâ—â—ctors or the friends of the Bridegroome to make up a compleat match between Christ and you I speak only in Scripture phrase they are your Vine-dressers to prune you and make you fit to bring forth fruit unto God Thus all the gifts of all the Ministers in the world are intended by Christ for the good of his children if there were no godly men in the World there would be no Ministers in the World and therefore these people that will heare onely one kind of Ministers such as they affect and slight all else they straighten their own priviledges for all the Ministers in the World are given by Christ for the benefit of his children But then again says the Apostle Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World all is yours you have a right to all the World not only a civil right but a religious right The meek shall inherit the earth So that if you could go to the top of an exceeding high Mountain and look over all the whole World you may say Behold I see all this is my Fathers ground and he hath given it to Christ even the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and I having an Interest in Christ am thereby a coheire and joint heire with him 3. Life is yours likewise God hath given you your lives that in that little space of time you might provide for eternity and labour to know God and worship him aright 4. Death is yours likewise death is but as it were a lanching of you forth into an Ocean of endlesse joyes and pleasures but as a trap-doore to let you into heaven if you should never dye you would bee but miserable creatures but God hath appointed death to be a means to let you into Heaven Whether wee live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord so that living or dying we are the Lords 5. Things present are yours which includes in it either present mercies or present afflictions 1. present mercies are yours as having a right to them and beholding the goodnesse of God in them and praising God for them and as serving God with them and as doing good to others by them 2. Present afflictions are yours likewise to humble your hearts to wean you from the world to quicken your desires after heaven to purge out your corruptions and exercise your graces and the like whatsoever present condition thou art in that present condition bee it what it will be shall work for thy good 6. Things to come are yours too if afflictions come or temptations come or trouble or want or famine or pestilence or imprisonments or any thing come they are all yours they are ordered by Christ to be for your good and so if mercy comes and the blessings of another world they are all yours Heaven and Happinesse and Glory Life Salvation are all yours Here then Beloved you see the first branch of a mans happinesse that hath an interest in Christ in having Christ he hath all things though hee hath nothing because he hath him that hath all things this is the first 2. That man that hath an interest in Christ his second consolation lies in this that all that Christ hath is his and oh my Beloved this is a golden mine that will afford you many pretious comforts I shall give them to you under these five or six particulars 1. If you have an interest in Christ then Christs Father is your Father 2. Christs Spirit is your Spirit 3. Christs Righteousnesse is your Righteousnesse 4. Christs Graces are your Graces 5. Christs Peace is your Peace And 6. Chr. Sufferings are your Sufferings And oh Beloved see what a large field you may here walk in 1. If you have an interest in Christ his Father is your Father as in Joh. 20. 17. saith Christ Behold I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Christs Father is a Beleevers Father 2. Christs Spirit is your Spirit in John 14. 8. sayes Christ I will pray to my Father and he shall give you another Comforter which shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not but you see him and know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 3. Christs righteousnesse is your righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. And this is the name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse So in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is made of God unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 4. His Graces are your Graces Joh. 1. 14. Christ is full of grace and truth Why That out of his fulnesse we might all receive grace for grace that is for every Grace that is in Jesus Christ according to our proportion and capacity we shall receive from him 5. His peace is your peace Joh. 14. 27. My peace sayes Christ I leave with you my peace I give unto you the peace that we enjoy is from Christ 6. Lastly Christs sufferings are your sufferings God looks upon his sufferings for you as if you in your own persons had done and suffered what he did the just hath suffered for the unjust to bring you to God the sufferings of Christ do as effectually bring you to God as if you in your own persons had suffered upon the crosse as he did nay it doth it a great deal more for our sufferings could not have done it Thus having an interest in Christ all that
Christ hath is yours 3. Take this for your comfort that all that you have is Christs I shall sum up all that I have to say concerning this under these three comprehensive particulars 1. Your sinnes are Christs to pardon them and satisfie Gods justice for them 2. Your sufferings are Christs to sanctifie them And 3. Your bodies and soules are Christs to save them 1. You that have an interest in Christ your sins are his to pardon them Esay 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all the chastisements of our peace were laid upon him and by his stripes we are healed hee bore our sins in his own body on the tree and to this purpose the Apostle hath an expression in 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was made sin for us that we might be the righteousnesse of God in him Christ was no sinner but hee was made a sinner for us he bore our sins upon him our sinnes are Christs to pardon them 2. Our sufferings are Christs sufferings to sanctifie them unto us Act. 9. Christ says to Saul Saul Saul why persecutest thou me hee lookes upon the injuries and wrongs that are done to his people as if they were done to him 3. Your bodies and soules are Christs to save them our members are Members of Christs body as in 1 Cor. 6. 15. says the Apostle shall I take the Members of Christ and make them Members of an harlot God forbid thy bodie is Christs and thy soule is Christs the Apostle hath it in so many expresse tearms in 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. What know you not says the Apostle that your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you are not your own for you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and souls which are his Thus you see what a large field of mercie al you that have an interest in Christ have here to walk in you have all things though you have nothing all things equivalently all things conditionally all things finally and all things inheritively all the Ministers of Christ are yours the whole world is yours life and death is yours things present are yours whether present afflictions or present mercies things to come are yours whether afflictions or temptations or trouble or want or any things and mercie to come is yours as life and Salvation Heaven and Happinesse all is yours all that Christ hath is yours Christs Father is your Father his Spirit is your Spirit his righteousnesse is your righteousnesse his graces are your graces his peace is your peace and his sufferings are your sufferings and all that you have is Christs your sins are Christs to pardon them and your sufferings Christs to sanctifie them and your soules and bodies Christs to save them I might here adde one head more that all your duties and services are Christs too he persumes them with the sweet odour of his merits and so presents them and makes them acceptable to God hence it is that you read in the Revelation that Christ addes his incense to the prayers of all his Saints and this is a very great consolation 4. All you that have an interest in Christ take this for your comfort that the having of Christ is that which will sweeten all the crosses and afflictions and adverse conditions that you meet withall here in this world the having of Christ will sweeten every trouble as I told you before what the tree was to the waters of Marah that Christ will be to every sad and dejected soul in every troublesome condition the waters of Marah were so exceeding bitter none could drink of them but when the tree was cast into the waters then they became sweet Why so it may be thy condition here in this world is as the waters of Marah full of bitterness and sorrow and trouble and affliction but now doe but cast this tree of life the Lord Jesus into these waters and then this will convert them from waters of Marah bitter and troublesome to be rivers of joy and streams of comfort Christ will be to thy soul as the honie in the Lions bellie was to Samson it became good for food to feed upon it may be afflictions and troubles may come in upon thee like a roaring Lion but Christ is as the hony in this Lion that sweetens all thy sorrows and makes them advantagious and comfortable for thee I might apply to this purpose what an Author observes concerning the water of the Sea it is very salt in its self but when it comes to run through the bowels of the earth it then loseth its saltnesse and becomes pleasant why so though thy condition here in the world be full of sharp and sore afflictions yet when these come to run through Christ he sweetens them all unto thee Great is your comfort in having an interest in Christ for this is that which sweetens all the crosses and troubles you meet withall here in the world and Beloved doe but seriously consider of it and let mee a little reason the case with you What though thou mayst feed upon the bread of sorrow yet how canst thou be uncomfortable when withall thou feedest upon the bread of life the Lord Jesus Christ What though thou mayest drink the water of affliction and wine of astonishment yet how canst thou be uncomfortable so long as thou dost drink drops of Christs bloud What though you have not a house to put your head in yet let this be your comfort that you have a house preserved for you a building not made with hands eternall in the heavens What though you have nothing but a stone for your pillow to lay your head upon when every night you lay your head in the bosome of Jesus Christ Thus much concerning the fourth consolation 5. All you that have a reall and well-grounded interest in Christ herein lies your comfort that in and through Christ you may look upon God that in himselfe is cloathed with dread and terriblenesse with a great deal of joy and comfort Christ makes all the attributes of God to be delightfull and comfortable to thee that though God be a consuming fire to burn up thy soul like stubble out of Christ yet in Christ you may look upon God as fire but yet so as that Christ interposeth between you and it Christ is as a skreen between the fire of Gods wrath and you thou art to look upon God not as an enemy that sets himselfe against thee but as a friend reconciled to thee not as an angry Judg that is desirous to condemne thee but as a mercifull Father that is willing to pardon thee you are not to looke upon God cloathed with dread and terrour but with mercy and compassion that God that will frown upon thee out of Christ yet bring but a Christ in thy armes and present him to God the Father and then hee
there are two sorts of people that run into very dangerous errours concerning this particular As 1. The Socinians that are of an opinion that all the Patriarchs and good men in the old Testament did none of them go to heaven till Christ came in the flesh a very uncharitable and ungodly opinion And 2. There are others that hold that living in obedience to the Morall Law of Moses is to tye the people to the Covenant of Works to be justified by it they hold the Jews did not live under a Covenant of Grace till Christ came but if it were so none of them could possibly be saved for by the workes of Law shall no flesh living be justified no man in the World can ever goe to heaven by the Covenant of Works This I doe onely mention by the way that you may see and understand that since the fal of Adam al men are saved by the Covenant of Grace the Covenant of Works was no longer in force then while Adam lived and continued in Innocency but as soon as ever he fell the Gospel was presently preached unto them as well as it is to us now only it was preached unto them more darkly and to us more clearly Christ was preached unto them as to come but he is preached unto us as come already Quest II We come now to the second question to stir you up and put you upon enquiry how you may know whether you are the people that are in Covenant with God yea or no so as that you can lay a just claim to the Covenant of Grace and to all the promises therein contained for salvation and life eternall by Christ I shall handle this Query not in the positive but in the negative part of it how you may know that you are not in the Covenant of Grace I shall give you three or four discoveries of it Answ 1 1. Thou oh man art not in Covenant with thy God that hast not yet broken the League and Covenant which thou hast made with thy lusts you that doe still keep up and maintain the League and Covenant with your lusts and corruptions you are not as yet come within the Covenant of Grace that man that makes a Covenant with death and hell cannot be under the Covenant of Grace and therefore you that have not broken off your sins by repentance and righteousnesse and your iniquities by shewing mercy you that are in a wicked course and resolve to continue so lay no claim to the Covenant of Grace you that are engaged to your lusts you have been bad and you will be so stil you have no interest in the Covenant of Grace 2. You that think to be saved by a Covenant of works cannot be under a covenant of grace You that hope to be justified by Works are faln from Grace as the Apostle says in Gal. 5 4. you are faln from Grace that is not that you are faln from the habit of Grace you are faln from the Doctrine of Grace that holds out justification by Christ that man shall never be saved by Christ that thinks he cannot be saved by Christ and therefore a Papist living and dying in this very opinion that he must be saved by a Covenant of works cannot be saved if you be not cast out of your selves so as to rely wholly and only upon Christ for life and Salvation you can lay no just claime of being under the Covenant of Grace 3. You are strangers to the Covenant of grace that do make no conscience of breaking the engagements promises you have made to God you that are careless of keeping the Covenants you have made with God this is an evident demonstration that you are not in Covenant with God those that are in Covenant with God make conscience of keeping their Covenants with God if in times of affliction trouble you can make large promises to God of better obedience and yet afterwards return with the dogge to his vomit and are as bad or worse then ever you were this argues that you have no interest at all in the Covenant of Grace Thus I have done with the second Query the discoveries of those that are not in the Covenant of Grace I have onely now the Application of the point to speak to and the Use that I shall make of it shall be Use 1. For consolation to all that are in the Covenant of Grace you have a bundle of promises to which you may have recourse and lay claim to them as your own 2. By way ofterrour to shew the misery of those that are strangers to this Covenant of Grace 1. This may be matter of great consolation to you that are under the Covenant of Grace that are in Covenant with God this should provoke you to joy and comfort in the consideration of the great happinesse you enjoy in being under the Covenant of Grace from the misery you would be exposed to did you live under a Covenant of Works And now Beloved lend me your thoughts a little while I shew you in fourteen particulars the great happinesse you are now in being in Covenant with God under a Covenant of Grace from the misery you had lain under in being only under a Covenant of Workes Doe this and live I shall but only name them to you and run over them very briefly 1. The Covenant of Works was given by God to Adam as a Creator but the Covenant of Grace is given by God to a Believer as a Father God had not this term of a Father before the fall but only of a God and Creator but being under a covenant of Grace you may look upon that God that was only a Creator to Adam as a Father to you 2. This had been your misery under a Covenant of Works for that exacts perfect obedience and does punish the offendour in case of disobedience but being under a Covenant of Grace the Lord accepts through Christ of sincere obedience though it be not perfect 3. The Covenant of Works is not contented with perfect obedience neither unlesse it be personall it must not be perfect done for thee by another but done by thy self in thy own person but now the Conant of Grace accepts of perfect obedience though it be not done by thy self but in the person of Jesus Christ God the Father doth as fully accept of Christ obeying and fulfilling his will in doing and suffering in our behalfe as if we had done and suffered what he did in our own persons and herein lies the great happinesse of a man under the Covenant of Grace 4. The Covenant of Works was made by God to Adam without a Mediator there was no third person between God and Adam but the covenant of Grace was made by God with us in the hand of a Mediator Jesus Christ You may conceive it thus suppose two men should be at discord and variance one with another and a third person a friend to both these
or speak for you Christ is a mediator to those only that are under a covenant of grace now what canst thou say for thy self oh man why thou shouldst not be condemned and damned in hell for ever for thy drunkennesse adultery sabbath-breaking prophanenesse swearing lying and thy ungodly practises thou canst have nothing to plead for thy selfe but must needs be cast out into hell fire irrecoverably but now a godly man that is under the covenant of grace he can say Lord here is Christ my mediatour that pleads with thee for the pardon of all my sins and for the obtaining of heaven and happinesse and glory for me through his obedience and merits but thou that art under the covenant of works thou canst not say I have Christ to plead for me and to be an Advocate with the Father to beg for pardon of sin and life and salvation for thee thou canst not say so for without the covenant of grace there is no Mediator Christ is the Mediator onely of the new covenant therefore what sad condition art thou in seeing as verily as thou standest here now so thou must one day stand before Gods tribunall to answer and be judged for every thing thou hast done in thy body whether it be good or evill and then thou wilt have no body to plead for thee but must inevitably be cast into everlasting burnings 4. Being out of the covenant of grace this is your misery God will in exactnesse and rigour of justice proceed against you for your sins without any mixture of mercy at all Beloved God hath no mercy without his covenant but in the covenant of grace he is a God gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse abundant in mercy and truth pardoning iniquity transgressions and sins but he is cloathed with justice and rigour to all that are without this covenant As it is in courts of judicature in point of life and death the Judge will take no notice whether the man be a sorrowfull man or no the Law is not to shew mercy but to punish the offence the Law does not enquire whether the man be penitent and sorry for what he hath done but whether the fact be done or no if it be he must dye for it there is no remedy just so it is here God doth not enquire under a covenant of works whether you are sorrowfull for breaking of his Law but he enquires whether you have broken it or no and if you have he will condemn thee and cast thee into hell fire and then the poor soul cryes out Oh Lord be mercifull to me this once it shall be a warning to me I will never sin against thee nor displease thee more but will from henceforth walk more humbly and holily and circumspectly before thee and yet all this that thou hast promised if thou wert able to perform it will not avail thee for God will hear none out of Christ and out of the covenant of grace 5. A man out of the covenant of grace he hath no true and speciall title to any of the blessings of God here in this world Gods blessings go along with his covenant and therefore it is very observable that in that chapter where God does promise the blessings of the covenant of grace in that very chapter he promiseth the blessings of this life as you may see in the 36. of Ezek. sayes God there I will powre clean water upon you and you shall be clean yea from all your filthinesses and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart will I also give you and a new spirit will I put within you and will take away the stony heart from you and will give you a heart of flesh and will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgements and doe them and you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people and I will be your God all these are the meroies of the covenant of grace now mark the next words saith God I will call for corn and will incerease it and lay no famine upon you but I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the increase of the field and so in the 10 11 ver of that chap. And I will multiply men upon you and the cities shall be inhabited and the wastes shall be builded and I will multiply upon man and beast and they shall increase and bring fruit and I will do better to you then at your beginnings and ye shall know that I am the Lord Here the Lord entails earthly blessings to the covenant of grace intimating that all that are under the covenant of grace they have a title not only to all spirituall but to temporal blessings likewise but no wicked man out of the covenant of grace hath any true title to any outward blessings they that are of the faithfull are blessed with faithfull Abraham and enjoy outward blessings as a blessing but wicked men it is true they have something allowed them but it it as to prisoners in a prison they have something to keep them alive untill their execution and so wicked men they have prison allowances till the execution day 6. Your misery that are strangers to the covenant of grace lies in this God will not give acceptance to any of your services though you may doe as much for the matter of them as any godly man doth nay thou mayst hear more Sermons and say more prayers and perform more duties then a godly man does and yet not be accepted when the others shall as you may see in Gen. 4. 4 5. Cain and Abel they both of them brought sacrifices to God one of his flock and the other of his grounds and the Apostle speaking of this sayes that by faith Abel offered a more excellent offering then Cain it was not more excellent in regard of the matter of it for in all probability and likelihood Cains sacrifice was of more value then Abels for his was but a few young lambs the firstlings of his flock but Cains was of the first fruits of his ground and yet Abels sacrifice was accepted and the others rejected because Abel was a godly man under the Covenant of Grace by which God did accept of what he did though it were lesse then Cains and so Solomon The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight a sacrifice you know is a great deal more costly then a prayer for that costs a man nothing but his breath when the other will cost a great deal of money and yet a costly sacrifice is hated by God coming from a wicked man when a pennilesse prayer coming from a godly man is accepted so that under a covenant of grace though you do less for the matter of the duty then wicked men doe
by meaning and purposing to be rich but by labouring and endeavouring after it so no man ever went to heaven by good meanings without good actions accompanying them 2. But say they we do no body any harm but pay every man his own Ans 1. Though you pay every man his own yet do you give God his own or rather do you not wrong God and do him infinite indignities 2. Though you do not do man wrong yet doe you not your own souls wrong as we use to say of free-hearted men they are enemies to no man but themselves So now do not you doe your own souls wrong by harbouring of bosome lusts and corruptions in your souls What benefit will it be to thee that you do no body else wrong when you doe your own souls wrong you are no better then the Pharisees for they were very exact in giving every man his due the proud Pharisee could boast in Luk. 18. 11. I am no extortioner nor unjust man you may mean well and give every man his own and yet be a wicked man SERMON XIV EPHES. 2. 12. Having no hope WE come now to the last prop that wicked men doe build their hopes of heaven upon which is this if you beat them off from all the former props from their small sins from the mercies of God in generall from their good duties and good meanings c. then they run to this last plea say they Have not we reason to nourish hopes for heaven for we have been present with dying men that have been as bad as wee in their life time and yet they have had very strong hopes for heaven and strong hopes in God and you know dying men will speak the truth and therefore why may not we nourish hopes for heaven as well as they This is a very strong prop wicked men build their hopes upon but I shall shew you the rottennesse and insufficiency of it in these three or four particulars 1. You must know that it is one thing to die stupidly and another thing to die hopefully and peaceably indeed the worst men in the world may die stupidly their consciences may not doe its office when they die they may have their consciences feared as it were with a hot iron and think they are going to heaven and never think otherwise till they drop down into hell but now the godly they die full of peace and comfort as in Psal 37. 37. Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esai 57. 41. There may be a fearednesse of conscience and stupidity of heart but they cannot die peaceably and in hope 2. You that make this a prop for your hope because you have seen wicked men die peaceably like Lambs let me tell you thus much that it is the greatest judgement in the world for a wicked man to die peaceably and quietly in delusions and conceits of going to heaven when they are tumbling down headlong to hell it were better for him that God did let the flashings of hell fire to flie in his face it were better for him that his conscience did tell him his danger and his doom then thus to die in a stupid manner In Job 21. 23. it is said that a wicked man dies in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet no sin troubles him nor no danger makes him afraid so in Psal 73. 4 5. they have no bands in their death but their strength is firm they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued as other men they have no trouble in their life time and no bands in their death now this is rather to be looked upon as a judgement upon them and not as a mercy 3. If this peace and quietnesse in a wicked mans conscience did arise from any grounded assurance or hope of heaven then it might be lookt upon as a blessing but when it doth arise meerly from the delusions of his own heart then it is nothing but as it were a golden dore to let him into hell it shall be with him as in Esai 29. 8. An hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty so a wicked man dreams he is going to heaven when he is falling down into hell 4. There may be great hopes of heaven exprest in a dying mans words when there is not so much peace and quietnesse in his heart as in Prov. 14. 23. In the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowfull In the midst of a wicked mans boasting there is a fear of hel 5. Though you have seen some men that have dyed with stupidity of heart depart quietly yet there are other wicked men whose consciences are awakened that die full of horror and terror and amazement When their consciences tell them they have dyed swearers or lyers or drunkards or adulterers c. they are filled with horror and terror of conscience that though he thought all his life time he should goe to heaven yet he now fears he is going down into hell And thus I have done with the third Question in shewing you the reasons why seeing the Scripture saies that a wicked man hath no hope that of all the men in the world wicked men do nourish greatest hopes for heaven in their hearts there are only two queries more to handle and then come to the fifth branch of mans misery Quest 4 4. The fourth Query in order is this that seeing the Scripture sayes a wicked man hath no hope and esteems of their false and presumptuous hope to be as good as no hope then how shall we know the difference between those well grounded hopes a godly man hath and those presumptuous and deluding hopes wicked men have Answ Ans I shall here give you six apparent differences between them 1. The hopes of a godly and regenerate man for heaven it is gotten by and grounded upon the word of God and therefore it is called the hope of the Gospell because it is gotten by the Gospell as the means and grounded upon the Gospell as the end that we sayes the Apostle through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope a godly man hath his comforts from the Scriptures Psal 119. 49. Good is the word of the Lord wherein thou hast caused thy servant to hope But now the hopes of wicked men as they are gotten they know not how so neither do they know upon what they are grounded and this is the reason why they are called presumptuous hopes for this is presumption when a man does beleeve a thing when he can have no visible nor likely means to ground or bottome his hopes upon 2. True and patient hope is bottomed upon the mercies of God and the merits of Jesus Christ and hence it is that Christ is called our hope because he is the foundation on
dying life or a living death but all tears shall be wiped from your eyes death shall be no more and you shall take the harps of God in your hands and in an holy triumph say O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory t is true we may say it yea and sing it now in hope as some birds sing in winter but then we are properly said to triumph Application To apply it now Use 1 1. Here is terrour for wicked men you may think it strange that I should draw terrour out of such a comfortable doctrine but consider Jesus Christ hath conquered death for none but those that have an interest in him others alas are under the full power of it for the present the case of wicked men is sad in death 't will be worse in hell 't will be worst of all 1 'T is sad for the present there is a bondage upon your souls not alwaies felt but soon awakened you cannot think of death and hell without torment the thought of it like Belshazzers hand-writing against the wall smiteth you with trembling in the midst of all your cups and bravery a small thing will awaken a wicked mans conscience the fingers of a mans hand upon the wall Belshazzer seemed a jolly fellow a brave spirit sets light by the Persian forces that were even at his door but God soone taketh off the edge of his bravery and then his joints trembled his knuckles smote one against another for fear if the Lord will but whist to conscience the bravest spirits are soon daunted he needeth arm nothing against you but your own thoughts certainly none but a childe of God can have a true and solid courage against death you cannot suppose it without consternation David said Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet I will fear no evill that 's a griesly sad dark place to walk in the very borders of death side by side with terrours and destruction yet there David would be confident t is otherwise with wicked men hereafter they would not live and here they would not dye 2. In death it will be worse the nearer you draw to the everlasting estate the more will conscience be opened and scourge you with horrour and remorse I confesse every wicked man doth not dye sensible some are stupid and foolhardy they may sacrifice a stout body to a stubborn minde but at last they dye uncertain doubtfull if not anxious and full of horrour As Adrian to his soul O Animula vagula blandula c. Oh poor soul whither doest thou now goe thou shall never sport it more jest it more Or as he said anxius vixi dubius morior heu quo vado I have lived doubtfully and dye uncertainly alas whither doe I go A man that leapeth in the dark near a deep gulfe knoweth not where his feet shall light and this is the case of wicked men But this is not all usually their death is full of terrour things written with the juice of a Lemmon when they are brought to the fire are plain and legible so when wicked men are within the stench and smell of hell they howl upon their beds few or none are able to look death in the face with confidence Oh consider when you come to dye sin stareth in the face of conscience and conscience remitteth you to the law and the law bindeth you over to hell and hell enlargeth her mouth to receive you what will you doe in such a case Satan insulteth your old tempter is become your new accuser nay you are at oddes with your self the body curseth the soul for an ill guide and the soul curseth the body for a wicked instrument 't is a sad parting when they can never expect to meet again but in flames and torments and therefore curse the memory of that day when ever they were joyned together A godly man can take fair leave of his body Farewell flesh goe rest in hope thou shalt one day awake out of the dust and then I shall be satisfied with Gods likenesse I have a longing desire of thy reunion we have lived together and glorified God together thus long God will not suffer thee to see corruption c. 3 In Hell t will be worst of all envie will be a part of your torment as well as despair Luk. 16. 23. 't is said of the rich man in hell he lifted up his eyes and seeth Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and saith I am tormented in this flame 't will be an additionall torment to compare the beleevers eternall happinesse with your own misery they are in the presence of God and his holy Angels you have no company but the devill death hell and the damned and are holden under the power of everlasting torments you would not live and cannot dye when you have run through many thousands of years you cannot look for one minute of rest conscience gnaweth more and more you burn but consume not Oh! t is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God mark that attribute living God we do not speak in the name of an Idol that cannot avenge his quarrell upon you or of a God that shall dye and suffer decay but in the name of a living God that liveth for ever to see vengeance executed upon his adversaries there is no hope of release as long as God is God Hell is Hell Use 2 2. It serveth to exhort us all to get an interest in this conquest of Christ every one is not fit to make use of Christs victory over death there are many things necessary to injoy the full comfort of it I shall name them 1. A care to get sinne pardoned all the power of the devill and death hangeth on sin therefore see sinne buryed ere thou art buryed or it will not be well with thee there are two deep pits wherein you may bury your sins and you shall never hear of them any more the Ocean of divine mercy and the Grave of Christ see them buryed in the Ocean of mercy Mich. 7. 18. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea there is depth enough to bury them and drown them that they may no more come into remembrance then there is the Grave of Christ the merit of Christ is a deep grave deep enough wherein to bury all the sins of the world buryed with him in Baptisme Rom. 6. 3. Otherwise if this be not done you will desire to be buryed eternally and never to rise more Let me use one metaphor more in this matter and it shall take its rise from that expression of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 3. we shall be cloathed upon saith he if so be that we shall be not found altogether naked t is the great fault of Christians when they come to die they are to seek of a shrowd and are found altogether naked 't is uncomely to see a man