of the mouth of Jesus Christ his word it hath a double yea a contrary operation being both a killing and a qâ—ickning word Both these doth the Lord in a literal sense The Lord killeth and maketh alive saith Hannah in her song 1 Sam. 2. 6. And both these doth the Lord Jesus in a Spiritual sense and that by his word So the Apostle setteth forth the two-fold property of it 2 Cor. 3. 6. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life The letter The letter of the Law which is litera occidens a killing letter in as much as it requireth part from man which in his now corrupted estate he is no wayes able to perform and so is a sword at his heart giving him a deadly wound Whence it is that is called in the verses following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministerie or Ministration of death vers 7. and in the 9 th verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministration of condemnation Because it layeth men under the sentence of eternal condemnation Such is the Ministery of the Law But now the Spirit and the Ministery thereof in the preaching of the Gospel that giveth life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it quickneth maketh alive First putting a new life into a dead soul raising it up from the death of sin to the life of holinesse to the life of grace here and glory hereafter Whence it is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of life Phil. 2. 16. And then reviving and chearing it with the sweet promises thereof Thy word hath quickned me saith David Psal. 119. 50. Thus hath the Word like a two edged sword a double and contrary operation upon the soul. And so it hath to prosecute this point yet a a little further both upon different subjects and upon the same First In different subjects or persons it hath a different opperation So it hath upon beleevers and unbeleevers Elect ones and Reprobates Working upon both but in different yea contrary waies This the same Apostle setteth forth most clearly in the chapter there foregoing 2 Cor. 2. 15 16 For we saith he speaking of himself and other Gospel Ministers are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Their service in preaching of the word is acceptable unto God through Christ though it do not produce the same effect in those that hear them but have a contrary work according as it needeth with different subjects So it followeth To the one we are a savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life Such contrary smels and savours there are in nature as Grotius notes upon it some poysonous and deadly as of those Lakes Avernus and Asphalties others again so recreating and refreshing that being put to the nose they will revive the spirits of a fainting person And of such a contrary operation is the sword in the preaching of it Meeting with persons of different dispositions it is to the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the one a sweet savour a savour of life So is it to Gods Elect to whom believing it it is made the power of God to their salvation as the same Apostle elsewhere saith of it Rom. 1. 16. A savour of life unto life quickening them up as I said before to the life of grace here and glory hereafter But on the other hand to unbelivers it becometh a savour of death unto death A deadly savour Not that the Gospel is so of it self being in its own nature as I said even now the word of life but accidentally it becometh so to them through their rejecting of it Now it is to them not onely an occasion but a cause of their just and greater condemnation Even as it is with the Proclamation of a Prince which he maketh to his rebellious subjects wherein he maketh offer not onely of pardon but of grace and favour to those that will lay down their armes and forthwith come in shewing themselves loyal and obedient but on the other hand threatneth extremity of punishment to those that shall yet stand out This Proclamation with the same breath breatheth both life and death Life to those which will hearken to it which is the proper end and intent of proclaiming it but death to those that oppose themselves against it Even so it is with the Evangelicall Proclamation the Doctrine of the Gospel it preacheth life and death after the same manner Life to penitent believers who readily accept the offers of grace and mercy there tendered Death to obstinate and rebellious sinners who reject them Thus is Iesus Christ who is the proper subject of the Gospel according to Simeons Prophesie at his Birth Luk. 2. 34. Behold saith he this childe is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Even as the same Star as our new Annotators glosseth upon it is at the same time both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both morning Star and evening Star To some the morning Star bringing the light and day to them To others the evening Star bringing darknesse and night Thus is the Lord Iesus that Star of Jacob being held forth in the Gospell to some those that believe on him he is what he calls himsel Rev. 22. 16. The bright morning Star bringing to them the light and day of Grace here and Glorie hereafter But to others such as reject him will not receive him as their Saviour and Lord as the evening Star bringing to them a night of everlasting darknesse Such is the different and contrary operation of the word upon different persons 2. And in the second place such is the operation of it in and upon the same Persons A different nay a contrary operation So it hath in and upon Gods Elect upon all true believers of whom it may be said not onely that they were dead and are alive This my sonne was dead and is alive again saith the Father of his Prodigall sonne being returned home Luke 15. 24. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins saith Paul of his believing Ephesians Eph. 2. 1. But also that they are dead and alive both at the same time So that the Apostle tels his Romanes Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God And both these they are the effects of the word Which first killeth them which it may be said to do two wayes First by showing them their naturall state which is a state of death Such effect it had in and upon the Apostle as he sets it forth Rom. 7. 9. I was alive without the Law once but when the â—ommandment came sin revived I died Whil'st he was a Pharisee he thought well and highly of himself that he was in a happy condition he apprehended himself to be in perfect health as
Take the Answere Affirmatively 1. Would wee see the face of Christ looke into the glass of the Gospel Here may we behold it both safely and clearly So may we behold the Sun which shining in his strength being excellens sensibile cannot be looked upon without indangering of the eye yet in a glass we may see it and that as I said both clearely and safely And thus behold we this Mysticall Sun the face of Iesus Christ in this glass the glass of the Gospel Here it was that Paul saith of himself and other beleevers of his time that they beheld this face 2 Cor. 3. last But we all with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord. And what Glass was this why the glass of the Gospell wherin Christians doe or may behold the glory of God shining in the face of Iesus Christ the glory of his mercy Iustice power goodness all manifested in by and through Christ And that with open face far more clearly then the Iewes did under the Lawe where this Mysterie of Christ was hid under the veile of Types and figures as the Arke was under its divers coverings And in this Glass behold we this Sun Here behold we the Mysterie of Iesus Christ as it is held forth unto us in the doctrine of the Gospel which acquaints us with his one Person two Natures three Offices His Incarnation Conception Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension sitting at the right hand of his father As also with the many and great benefits which he hath obtained for us as Redemtion Iustification Adoption Sanctification Glorification And withall shewing us the way and meanes whereby we may come to be made partakers of them so setting before us the whole mysterie of Christ which it doth most clearly and fully Insomuch that there is not a line as I may say in this face which is not here drawn forth to the life All of us then if we would have a view of the face of this Son of man looke into this Glass studie the doctrine of the Gospell the Hystorie the mysterie of it 2 Waite upon Christ in his ordinances When the Parents of our Saviour had sought him three dayes at length they found him in the Temple Luk. 2. 46. And here this Son of man sheweth his face in the midest of the Candlesticks Would we see the face of Iesus Christ seek him in his Ordinances in his publike worship and service Here is the face of Christ to be seene as I shewed you Seeke his face saith the Psalmist in that forecited Text Psal. 105. 4. Speaking of the Arke of the Covenant where God manifested his presence The like doth the Lord Iesus now in the midst of his Ordinances his Word his Sacraments There doth Christ shew his face unto his people communicating himselfe to them that seeke him in a gratious manner Here then seek we his face and that as the Psalmist there hath it Evermore Being constant in this our attendance upon the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. That so we may see him see him in his Sanctuary as David saith he did Psal. 63. 1 2. O God thou aâ—t my God early will I seeke thee My soule thirsteth for thee c. To see thy power and thy glorie so as I have seene thee in the Sanctuarie Here had David seene more of God then elswhere in his Sanctuary in his Ordinances And would we have a sight of Iesus Christ so as to see his face seeke it in his Sanctuarie in his Ordinances Where content not our selves to heare of him but labour to see him with our owne eyes Yea to feele him 2. That is the second Particular So seeke the face of Jesus Christ that we may feele it or feele of it Not contenting our selves with a bare simple intuition a mere speculative knowledg of Iesus Christ but labour also for an Experimentall knowledg of him This is that superexcellent knowledg which the Apostle speaketh of Phil. 3. 8. I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus Tò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that knowledg of Christ which is most excellent And what knowledg was that why not meerly a Contemplative but an Experimentall knowledg So he explains himselfe in the tenth verse That I may know him and the power of his resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not onely to know by what power it was that Christ was raised from the dead as Grotius there so dilately expounds it but to know it in an experimentall way to feele the power and vertue of Christs Resurrection working the like effect in and upon himselfe in raising up him from the death of sin to the life of Grace here and Glory hereafter This is the Excellent knowledg of Iesus Christ. And this let every of us looke after Not contenting our selves with the bare beholding of this Sun to see the glare and shine of it but labour to feele that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that strength that vertue wherewith it shineth To finde and feele Iesus Christ unto us unto our soules as the Sun is to the Earth To finde and feele his gratious and efficacious presence with us putting forth his power and vertue in us exercising the like Operations upon us that the Sun doth upon the Earth What those operations are I have alreadie showen you Let me now reflect upon them minding you of them againe Exhorting you to endeavour to find and feele every of them in and upon your own soules 1. The first is Illummination Inlightning This was the Alpha the first worke in the first Creation God said let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. 3. And so it is in the second the new Creation New creatures must have a new light Upon the account whereof they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sons or Children of light Luk 16. 8. 1. Thes. 5. 5. Having beene somtimes darkness now they are light in the Lord. Eph. 58. Being called out of darkness into a marveilous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. And see that every of you be such Being coâ—vinced what by nature you are not onely darke but even darkeness it selfe wholy in the darke as to what concerneth your eternall happiness seeke after a new light that you may be inlightned that you may see a light shine forth unto you This was the preparative to Peters inlargment The Angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison Act. 12. 7. And so it was to Paules Conversion There shinned round about him a light from heaven Act. 9. 3. And the like course God taketh with all those whom he hath a gratious purpose towards to set them at libertie from the Captivity of Sin and Satan and to bring them home unto himselfe he causeth a light to shine forth unto them a light from heaven I meane a supernaturall light revealing and making known to them that which
she might have seen what belonged to her peace but that day being now spent Now these things are hid from her eies 2. And as Nationall so Personall dayes The times and seasons allotted unto particular persons for their accepting the offers of grace and mercie held forth unto them these also are limited So is not onely the Common and Generall day The time of this life beyond which the tenders of mercie do not extend Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. 2. speaking as he is conceived of the time of this life This is the day of grace If this day be gone mercy is gone As for those who have here abused the patience and long sufferance of God not considering that it should have led them to repentance so fleighting the offers of Mercie let them look for nothing but Justice hereafter That rich Glutton who would not out of his abundance spare poor Lazarus a crum of bread being in hell may call and crie for a drop of water to cool his tongue with and yet go without it The Sacrifices of Grace and Mercie are onely so long as this day of grace lasteth during this life If this be gone then as the tree falleth towards heaven or hell so it lieth Death closing up the eies of impenitent sinners then are the things which belong to their peace their happinesse for ever hid from them But also Particular daies particular times and seasons and that during this life Certainly such times and seasons there are As there are appointed times for all other occasions To every thing there is a season and a time to every pupose under heaven saith the Preacher Eccl. 3. 1. So it is to things Natural however to us they may be Casual and in themselvs Contingent or it may be Voluntarie left to the will of man yet they are all determined as for other circumstances so for the time and that by God who doth by his Providence order and limit them for their begining duration ending And surely so it is in things supernatural he who hath thus bounded and limited all other things upon earth hath not left his own gracious dispensations sine die at an uncertaintie but hee hath also set down with himself a day a time for them beyond which they shall not extend so as if that be expired there is no more room for mercie The truth of this we may see in those Rebellious murmurers amongst the Israelites A long time God striveth with them Fortie years long was I grieved with this generation as the Psalmist hath it Psal. 95. 10. All that time they tempted God and proved him and saw his works as the Apostle goeth on Heb. 3. 9. So long experience they had of the gracious presence of God in the midst amongst them manifesting his power and mercie in delivering protecting of them and providing for them yet they tempted and proved him not believing what he had said unto them nor yet so considering what he had done for them as to trust in him and rest upon his Providence Thus did they err in their hearts not knowing the waies of their God as it there followeth ver 10. Now herewith the Lord was as well he might be grieved offended provoked yet bearing with them but so hee would not ever do Having born it soâ—tie years then he will bear it no longer So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest ver 11. They should never come into the earthly Canaan the land which he had promised unto Abraham as a resting place for his Posteritie Which sentence was accordingly executed upon those murmurers whose carkases fell in the wildernesse as it followeth ver 17. None of them who came out of Egypt from twentie years old and upward entering into Canaan save onely Caleb and Ioshua as you have it foretold Numb 14. 29 30. So was it with them as to the Earthly Canaan and so shall it be with all obstinate and obdurate sinners as to the Heavenly Canaan that eternal rest whereof the earthly Cannaan was a Type However God may strive with them for a time and it may be a long time yet there is a time when he will stâ—ive no more but will passe a peremptorie sentence upon them that they shall never enter into his rest so shutâ—ing the door of mercie against them Which he doth and that as I said often in this life We know how it was with Esau that profane Esau so stigmatized and branded by the Apostle Heb. 12. 16. for his so far undervaluing of that high privilege of his primogeniture his Birthright to which was annexed the Covenant as to sell it for a morsel of meat or a mess of Pottage when afterwards he came to make suit for it he was rejected So you have it in the verse following ver 17. For yee know saith the Apostle how that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Thus however before he sleightly esteemed that privilege yet being better advised upon second thoughts he seeketh it that earnestly but all in vain For he found no place for repentance viz. in his Father Isaac who had conferred that blessing upon his other Son Iacob he could not with all his tears move him to repent of what he had done so as to recall his grant and confer the blessing upon him Herein was he a Type of profane obstinate sinners who sleight and despise the grace of God when it is offered and tendered unto them Afterwards it may be when God cometh to open their eies to awaken their consciences and to convince them of what they have done and to discover to them the miserie of that state wherein they are then they seek and crie for mercie and yet go without it the Decree then as it were falling in travel and begining to bring forth as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 2. 2. the door of mercie is shut against them R. Which God doth as I sayd in his most just and righteous judgment thereby vindicating the contempt of his grace and mercy which is an attribute that God is tender of and will not indure to have â—rampled upon So as where that will not take place Iustice shall Hence is it that God shuts the door of mercie against those that have rejected iâ— when it was offered to them refusing to hear them who have refused to hear him So wisdom sets it forth in that Text which I willingly repeat Prov. 1. 24. Because I have called and ye have refused c. Therefore I will also laugh at your Calamitie I will mock when your fear cometh When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlewinde c. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shall not