as to take the best and leave the other If she had remembered his promise to raise himself out of the grave she needed not to have doubted They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him They have taken away she instanceth none And when she had thus said she turneth her back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus The Angels hold their peace when Christ speaks and it is their place so to do But she knew not that it was Jesus in respect of her passion Her senses were held partly by the power of God partly by a kind of passion that was a Cloud between her and Jesus that she knew him not at that time What doth Jesus say to her Woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou The first words that ever Christ spake after his resurrection to them he appeared to is woman why weepest thou It is a good question after Christs Resurrection what cause of weeping when Christ is risen Our sins are forgiven because he our head and surety hath suffered death for us and if Christ be risen again why weep we If we be broken-hearted humbled sinners that have interest in his death and resurrection we have no cause to grieve It is therefore a good question to them that believe why weepest thou whom seekest thou They were questions not for satisfaction to him he knew it well enough but to draw out her mind and to draw out by confession what God had hid in her heart that he might comfort her afterwards But she supposing him to be the Gardiner said Sir if thou hast born him hence tell me c. She had a misconceit of Christ as if he had been the Gardiner Beloved so it is with a sinner especially in times of desolation of spirit and disconsolate condition they present Christ to themselves as an enemy She in passion thinks Christ the Gardiner Do not many when they be melancholy of body and troubled in mind conceive of Christ as an Austere Judge that will undoubtedly damn such wretches as they are who present Christ to themselves in that fashion that the Scripture doth not doth not he bid all that be weary and heavy laden come to him and yet they out of passion will present Christ to be an austere judge that will take them at their disadvantage observe all their wayes and will surely damn them It is a great violence that passion and opinion offers to truth and to saving truth and the hardest matter in the world for a distressed conscience to apprehend God aright and to apprehend Christ aright Secure persons apprehend God under a false notion they apprehend God as a God all of mercy and Christ as if he were not judge of the world as if he observed them not nor their sinfull courses and therefore they care not whether they serve him or no. And Satan presenteth Christ all of mercy and Satan and their hearts meeting together the mistake is dangerous It is a great art of faith and an excellent skill to apprehend Christ sutable to our condition that we are in When we be in any sin then think him a Judge then think of Moses rather then of Christ then think of Christ as one that will judge both quick and dead for their hard and wicked actions But when we be humble and broken-harted and touched with sence of sin present him as a sweet Saviour inviting and alluring all to come to him Come to me all ye c. Present him as a gentle Shepheard present him in all the sweet relations he names himself by in the Scriptures lest otherwise we do Christ dishonour and our selves wrong If thou have born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away She was a likely woman indeed to take Christ away for a weak woman to take a heavy body away But love thinks nothing impossible Faith and Love agree in this nothing is impossible Love is strong as death Neither love nor faith care for difficulties they arm the soul to break through all Tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away One would think the dead body might have frighted the woman and the heavy body might have been above her strength but she was in such an extasie of love and desire and grief for want of her desire that she considered not well what she said They be words of passion and indeed if you observe the story of Mary Magdalen she was a woman of extremity in all conditions like Jonah when he grieves he grieves exceedingly when he rejoyces his joy is wound to the highest pitch So she was full of love when she loved and full of grief when she grieved and full of joy when she joyed she had large affections all were in the highest measure and strained to the highest pin in her and that made her say If thou hast c. Jesus could not indure her longer in this perplext condition he was too mercifull and therefore saith Mary she turned to him and saith Rabboni which is to say Master And Jesus said to her Mary The words are a sweet and loving intercourse between Christ and Mary in a seasonable time when she was in all her perplexity and depth of sorrow for losse of her Lord. Christ seasonably at length as not being able to hold any longer but must needs discover himself saith to her Mary You see first of all Christ beginneth and saith Mary she answereth in the second place and saith Rabboni and till Christ begins no voice in the world can do any good The Angels they spake to her but till Christ spake nothing could comfort her Christ began and till Christ began nothing would comfort Mary Christ began himself and used but one word It is a word and but one word Nothing will comfort but the word of Christ The word that comforted her when he spake and it was but one word and yet enough therâ— was such fulness of spirit and comfort in that one word And she answered with one word again You may aske why they spake but one word Beloved he was full of affection and she was full of affection also too full to expreâ—s themselves in many words As it is in grief Grief sometimes may be so great that scarce any words are able to express it and if any words then broken words which shew fulness of affection rather then any distinct sense Christ was so full and she so full that a word discovers And indeed there was so much sense and so much love so much contained in these little words Mary and Rabboni that it is impossible to express them shorter and her passion would not stay any longer discourse it was by words and by one word Mary it was by a word which sheweth he took notice of her Christ knowes the names of the Starres he knowes
ever it is fit for him he will come If he should come sooner he would come too soon if afterward it would be too late He is the best discerner of times and seasons that can be and therefore wait his leasure If thou want comfort humble soul whatsoever thou art wait his leasure certainly he knoweth the best time and when the time is come he will come He that will come shall come there is no question of that Now as he sent her in all hast preferring it before any Complement to his own person so it is a constant love as it is a quick love that God bears to his Children so it is a constant invincible love They had dealt most unbrotherly with him for every one had forsaken him and Peter had denyed him yet go tell my Brethren One would think this water would have quenched this fire this unkind and unbrotherly dealing would have quenched this love in Christs breast It is true if it had been the meer love of man it had been something but it was the love of an infinite person that took our nature out of love and therefore it was a constant and invincible love nothing could conquer it not the thoughts of their unkind dealings no not their denying and forsaking of him But still go tell my Brethren Love is strong as death Death could not hold Christ in the grave but love held him on the Crosse When he came to the work of our Redemption love then held him on earth but when he was in the grave it brake through all there Indeed it was stronger then death in Christ Why is Christs love so constant so invincible that nothing can alter it The ground of it is it is free love He fetcheth the ground of his love from his own heart not from our worthiness or unworthiness but from his own freedom and Gods eternal purpose God hath purposed to save so many and those and no more he giveth to Christ to save And God looketh on his own purpose and Christs free love and that is the ground of all And therefore whom he loveth he loveth to the end because he looked on us in his election The Lord knoweth who are his the foundation is so sure if once we be Gods we are ever Gods For Christ looks on us in Gods election therefore if ever he sheweth his love to us once his love and for ever his love If any thing in man could hinder it it would have hindered it at our first conversion when we were at worst even enemies if nothing could hinder it then what can hinder it afterwards as the Apostle reasoneth strongly Rom. 5. 10. If we be reconciled by his death much more will he save us by his life If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son now much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life If when we had no goodness but opposition and rebellion in us we were saved by his death Christ is much more able to save us now by his life triumphing over death and being glorious in the Heavens Oh but saith the poor soul I am a poor weak Creature and ready to fall away every day I but Christs love is constant whom he loveth he loveth to the end What saith the Apostle Rom. 8. neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ and therefore be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might do not trust to your selves nor trouble your selves for things to come If thou be free from guilt of former sins never question time to come God is unchangeable in his nature unchangeable in his love He is Jehovah I am alwayes not I was or will be but I am alwayes If ever he loved thee he will love thee for ever You see the constancy of Christs love go tell my Brethren now when they had most deeply offended him they were Renegadoes having all left him and then when he had most need of their comfort being in greatest extremity and yet go tell my Brethren Beloved let us not lose the comfort of the constancy and immutability of Christs love Let us conceive that all the sweet links of salvation are held on Gods part strong not on ours the firmness is on Gods part not on ours Election is firm on Gods part not on ours We chuse indeed as he chuseth us but the firmness is of his chusing so he calleth us we answer but the firmness is of his action He justifieth we are made righteous but the firmness is of his imputation Will he forgive sins to day and bring us into Court and damn us to morrow no the firmnesse is of his action We are ready to run into new debts every day but whom he justifieth he will glorifie The whole chain so holdeth that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot break a link of it whom he calleth he will justifie and glorifie therefore never doubt of continuance for it holds firm on Gods part not thine God imbraceth us in the arms of his everlasting love not that we imbraced him first When the Child falleth not it is from the Mothers holding the Child and not from the Childs holding the Mother So it is Gods holding of us knowing of us imbracing of us and justifying of us that maketh the state firm and not ours for ours is but a reflexion and result of his which is unvariable The sight of the Sun varieth but the Sun in the Firmament keepeth alwayes his constant course so Gods love is as the Sun invariable and for ever the same I only touch it as the foundation of wonderful comfort which they undermine that hold the contrary The next point is that Christ chose Mary to go tell his Brethren and under the sweet title of Brethren to deliver this sweet message I am going to my Father and your Father to my God and your God He telleth them the sweetest words in the worst times This point differeth from the former thus The former was that Christs love is constant and alwayes the same but now Christ most sheweth his love when we are most cast down in the worst times if our casting down be with repentance He never said Brethren before but reserved the tearm of Brethren for the worst time of all The sweetest discoveries of Christ are in the worst times of all to his Children Mothers will bring out any thing to their Children that is sweet comfortable to them in their sicknesse though they frowned on them before yet the exigency of the Child requires it when there is need any thing cometh out that may please the Child The poor Disciples were not only in affliction being the scorn of the world the Shepheard being smitten and the sheep scattered but their inward grief was greater they were inwardly confounded and
Comfort in that Christ is our Brother Christ in glory owns his Churches Cause Use of exhortation by faith to labor to be one with Christ John 1. 16 Faiths usual work Christs calling his Disciples brethren adds much to our comfort Faith presents things to come as present Love teacheth what it knowes Humility will be instructed in what it knowes not Christ ascended into glory forgets not his people in debasement It is the highâ—st honor to be a member of Christ By faith in Christ both sin death and hell are overcome The freedom of a Christian The Christians dignity Satans Objection The Christians Reply Christ to be believed and not Satan Mother and brother in spirit is preferred before mother and brother in the flesh Christians are fruitful Trees of righteousnesse The world knowes not the excellency of Gods people and therefore regards them not The constancy and humility of Christ Christ speedy in comforting Object Christ takes his owâ— time to comfort the humble soul Christs love constant Question Resol Gods love is constant because grounded on his own eternall purpose Fuâ—damenta taâ—en stant inconcussâ— Syoâ—is Christ by death reconciles us by his life he saves us Obj. Answ Trusting in Christ takes off trouble The links of salvation hold firm on Gods part Gods love â—n Iterable In darkest times Christ is near to comfort Simile Note The Churches care to find her beloved Christs sweet and comfortab e spâ—ech â—o his beloved Christs high commendations of his spouâ—e Note Reason 1 Kindnesse shewed after dejection is very seasonable Reason 2. Christ deals not with us after our deserts Reason 3 Satan by laying guilt to our charge labors to carry us further fâ—om God Comfort to those that sh me themselves John 2â— 15 16 17 We are not so ready to come as Christ is to receive Well mâ— when Christ and the soul mâ—et together Presumptuous sinners The most humble Christian most subject to be discouraged Rom. 5. 20. Object Answ Jer. â— 1. Comforts against great sins Our comforts fail not because he is God and not man Note Difference between a carnal and a gratious heart Sin imputed to Christ as our surety Faith makes things absent present Saints look forward as Christ did Till we come to Heaven our desires are unsatisfied Simile Notes of our spiritual Resurrection Heavenly mindednesse Converse with the world be not defiled with the world Heaven injoyed on earth Quaere Reasons of Christs ascension Our enemies conquered and God appeased by Christs resurrection Victory triumph Heb. 9. 24 Christs blood speaks mercy and pardon The spirit hâ—râ— and Christ in Heaven here together His Resurrection ascension declares the Father to be satisfied to the utmost Rom. 10 6. 7. Christs intercession Apoc. 12. 9 Christ more skilful to save then Satan is to destroy The super excellent advantage of Gods people above the world 1 Joh. 21. Rom. 8. All Scriptures are for consolation The flighting of the Ministry is the havock of conscience Faith makes all present Fath the Christians priviledge Think on Christ as ascended with him Ephes 5. 20. 1 Joh. 2. 1. Mat. 6. 12. Go to God for pardon of sinners in the name of Christ To rely on Christ is to feed upon him God is first Christs God and Father and then our God Father How God is the Father of Christ Christ coequal with his Father Joh. 20. 28 1 Col. 20. God a Father All comfort is from God reconciled to us in Christ Mal. 3. 17. Father is a tearm of indulgence Luk. 15. 18 Gods infinite love to a sinful man Heb. 12. 6. A name of provision Luk. 12. 32 Luk 12 30 Father is a name of protection Pro. 18. 20 What we owe to God as a Father Fear God for his greatness love him for his goodness Gods wisdom and love God keeps the best things till the last Esay 49. 15 16. Psal 121. 4. Faith and prayer fetcheth all from God Mat. 7. 9. 10. Mat. 6. 8. God not a Father in Christ to the wicked The Hypocrite disposition To whom God is a Father Christs disposition The Character of a gratious Christian Quaere Solution No sin should hinder us from going to God as our Father The name of Father speaks no comfort to the malitious enemies of Christ Simile Rom. 1. 4. Heb. 1. 5. Gods unexpressible and wonderful love to mankind Psal 113. 6. Our nature advanced in Christ as high as can be God a Father to his discâ—nsolate Disciples Psal 117. 11. Job 42. 6. 8 Gods love to us is from his own bowels not from our goodnesâ— If mercy were not shewed to sinners none could be saved Comfort in afflictions Mat. 27. 46 God Christs Father in all his persecâ—tions The Law necessary to be teached Contentation in all conditions to be laboured for Humility a lesson to be learned from Brotherhood 2 Cor. 5. 16. Love to the Saints the highest mark of sincerity Notes of adoption God may be our God though we cannot alwayes make it Even sighs groans pierce through thick Clouds get to God Good things connatural to good men How to go to God in prayer Ephes 1. 3. 1 John 17 Mans insinite happiness by Christ Clay and dust taken into unity of the person of God Ephes 2 6. All we have or can expect to have must be obtained through Christ Use Blesse God for Christ as well as for our selves Luk. â— â—8 Christ as man the object of Gods love and predestination as well as we 1 Pet. 1. 4. How God is Christs God God our God in the state of grace 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. The Covenant of grace founded on Christ By vertue of Christs resurrection God is not only our Father but our God God our God in covenant with Christ Interest in God great comfort Even afflictions Satan himself conspires to make us happy Eccles 1. 2. Eccles 2. 17. Never rest till God be made our portion God our joy our comfort our Rock our all Examine our hearts what we make our God It is of eternalconcernment to make God our God Exo. 20. 2. Do all for God in obedience God gives us our being and wel being and doth all for us till we come to Heaven Humane nature nearer to Christ then the nature of the Angels Doct. What God is whâ—t he is able to do what he hath all is ours Answ Want it self is for the good of Gods people God all in all immediatly in Heaven Use Simile Pro. 18. 20 Go to God in things of extremity by faith and prayer Exo. 9. 28. The wicked outwardly make a shew to feaâ— God but hate him in their hearts A carnal man professes hiâ— own safety before the advancement of Religion Rom. 7. 8. The fearful condition of a wicked man at the hour of death Who are Gods enemiâ—t A Christian is a good man in his own particular Quest Answ The humble man more excellent then the proud Peace of conscience inward joy and comfort signs of love Mark 9. 24 Psal 73. 25. Arguments of Gods shining upon the soul Caution To call God our God when he is not so is an usurpation full of danger Psal 50. 16 17. Simile Propriety by â—itting our natures for communion with God Heb. 12. 29 Esa 33. 14 Comfort in our interest in God Particular exigencie supplyed by his all-sufficiency Religion is to know God â—nd to make use of him for good to honor him and to be thankful Sacrament seals God to be ours Man by some sins worse then the Devil Gods spirit both a severing spirit and an uniting spirit Friendship in mutual office of duty Doct. God to be apprehended as he offers himself Particular application of Christ how grounded Sacraments seal a particular faith Failings do not cut uâ— off from Christ If Christ hath satisfied for us notwithstanding our infirmities we may call God our God Heb. 12. 24. Mercy part of our mariage portion Object Answ Use Assurance Joy springs from knowledg Luk. 10. 20 Gods service must be performed with chearfulnesse No worldly comforts can satisfie the soul Assurance earnestly to be labored for 3 Col. 12. Grounds of assurance Assurance maintained to us on Gods part John 13. 1. Heb. 13. 20 Hos 2. 18. Ruleâ— to know how God is our God Simile God and Christ the Objects of faiâ—h and love Interest in God an argument against sin The flesh a Devil within us That God is our God â—nd our Father is ground of infinite comfort Assurance that God is our God wrought by the sealing of the spirit and the spirits sanctifying Conscience is a little God within us 1 Joh. 3. Respect with God preserved with much industry holiness 2 Pet. 1. 20 Psal 2. 11. The fearful condition of those that have not God to be their God The office of the Ministry is to prâ—ach life to all repentant sinners God preventeth us by his mercies God our comfort in the losse of all things 1. Glorie under hope of glory 2. Glory in affl ctions 3. Glory in God 2 Pet. 1. 10
up in believers reverence and obedience Let us sin because grace abounds is the Devils application of Christs Doctrine These and several other particulars are with much brevity spirituality and perspicuity handled in this Treatise and with that liveliness that they shew they come from one whose own heart savored what he taught to others The largest part of this Book is spent upon that sweet Doctrine viz. A Believers interest in God as a Father and the comforts that flowe from that sweet relation The foundation of our relation to God is here handled and how God is first a Father to Christ and in him to us What can be more comfortable in this earthly interest shaking disjoynting confounding age then to clear up to our souls an interest in God Tolle meum tolle Deum as he said it were better for me there were no God then that he should not be my God this will be thy comfort that when thou canst not say my state my liberty my House my Land my friend my Trade thou may'st be able to say my Father my God If therefore thou savorest the things of God this subject will be acceptable and grateful to thee and if this Treatise may be any wayes instrumental for putting thee upon study how to get it or upon practice how to improve it or in casethy soulsits in darknes how to endeare and clear thy interest the publishers shal have much of their aim and thou wilt have no cause to repent thy cost in buying or thy pains in reading We shall adde no more but this Blessed is that man or woman that hath an interest in him who is the Father of Jesus Christ by eternal Generation and of all believers in Christ by adoption and regeneration in which inheritance and portion that thou may'st have a share shall be the prayer of Thy souls and thy faiths Servants in the work of the Ministery for Jesus sake Simeon Ash James Nalton Joseph Church A heavenly Discourse between Christ and Mary after his Resurrection JOHN 20. 16. Jesus said unto her Mary she turned her self and said to him Rabboni that is to say Master And Jesus said to her touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my Brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God THe same love of Christ that drew him from Heaven to the womb of the Virgin from the womb of the Virgin to the Crosse and from the Crosse to the grave the same love of Christ moved him to discover himself after he was risen from the grave to them that he knew did intirely and wonderfully love him And therefore before he would ascend to Heaven he did vouchsafe many apparitions and discoveries of himself partly to instruct them in the certainty of his Resurrection and partly but especially to comfort them Those that he knew did love him His first apparition of all was made to Mary the woman out of whom he had cast seven Devils She was much beholding to him and therefore loved much No Sex may discourage any sinner from Christ She expresseth her love to Christ by her desire of finding him by her seeking weeping notwithstanding all impediments before she found him As she wept she stooped down and looked into the Sepulchre and there saw two Angels in white a colour of glory purity and joy because it was a time of joy they were one at the head and the other at the feet As in the Law when the Mercy-Seat was made two Cherubims were also fram'd and placed one at the one end and the other at the other end thereof with their faces looking one towards another And when Christ was risen there were two Angels one at the head another at the feet to shew that peace was to be expected in the true propitiatory Jesus Christ One at the head the other at the feet of the body of Jesus And they sate there it was a time of peace peace was made between Heaven and Earth God and man and here is a posture of peace They sate quietly In Christ Angels and we are at one God and we and all There is a recapitulation and gathering of all things in Heaven and Earth The Angels they attended on Christ in all the passages of his life death till they brought him to heaven They brought news of his birth comforted him in his agony they were at his resurrection and you see here they attend At his ascension they accompany him And as they did to the head so they will to the Members In our Infancy they take charge of our tender years in our dangers they pitch their tents about us in our deaths they carry our souls to Abrahams bosome a place of happiness At our Resurrection their Office is to gather our bodies together That service and attendance they afforded the head they afford to the Members to mysticall Christ as well as naturall Therefore let us comfort our selves in the service they did to Christ Now besides the apparition of the Angells here is the speech of the Angels Woman why weepest thou they knew she had no cause of weeping for Christ whom she sought was ris n again She answereth because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him If it had been as she supposed there had been cause enough of her weeping if her Lord had been taken away for when the Lord is taken away what remaineth that is comfortable And if the Lord be not taken away it matters not what is taken away for he is all in all Carnall people so they have their wealth and friends and comforts in the world they care not what is taken away But she is of another mind They have taken away my Lord and what comfort can I have if my Lord be taken away But it was but the speech of an opinion she did but think it And there were two things might lead her truth and probability which is the foundation of opinion Probability he is not here therefore he is taken away Truth Christ promised he would rise again therefore he would take away himself There was certain truth to ground faith and weak probability to ground opinion yet such is the nature of weak persons in distress if there be probability certain truth yet they will be sure to cleave to their probabilities Oh their 's be great sins I but there is greater mercy for faith to lay hold upon So the presumptuous sinner faith God is mercifull I but God hath excluded thee from Heaven thou art an adulterer a swearer a filthy person thy opinion is grounded scarce upon probability God is mercifull but not to such sinners as live in sins against reconciliation as thou dost Therefore when one hath but probability to ground opinion and the other certain truth to ground faith be so wise for our souls
ashamed to see Christ come to such an end they were full of unbelief though Christ had told them he would rise again they could not believe and so what with fear and what with doubt and what with grief for their using of Christ so unkindly and leaving him certainly they were in a perplexed and disconsolate condition yet now go and tell my Brethren We see then that after relapses when we be in state of grace to deal unkindly with Christ must needs be matter of grief and shame yet if we be humbled for it and cast down even then Christ hath a sweet message for us by his holy spirit Go tell my Brethren In the Canticles The Church the spouse of Christ had dealt unkindly with Christ by losing him and forsaking him Chap. 3. 5. In the third Chapter she had lost him and sought him on her bed but found him not she rose and went to the watchmen and then went through the City but found him not at length she found him whom her soul loved Then Christ speaks most sweetly and comfortably to her in the beginning of the fourth Chapter but especially in the sixth Chapter after she had dealt most unkindly with Christ He standeth at the door knocking and waiting till his locks dropt with rain in resemblance of a Lover that standeth at the door and is not suffered to come in Afterward he leaveth her for this unkindnesse yet not so but that there was some sweet relish left upon the door God alwayes leaveth something in his Children to long after him and at length after much longing Christ manifesteth himself sweetly to her Chap. 6. 4. and breaketh out Thou art beautiful O my love as Tirzah comely as Jerusalem terrible as an Army with banners turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me thy hair is as a flock of Goats c. and so goeth on my Love my Dove my undefiled one He could not satisfie himself in the commendations of his Church being as it were overcome with love And this sheweth that after we have dealt unkindly with Christ and our consciences are ashamed and abashed with it as it is fit they should yet if we will wait awhile and be content not be desperate nor yield to temptation if we stay but a while Christ will manifest himself to us and shew that he valueth and prizeth the hidden graces we cannot see he can see gold in oare He can see hidden love and hidden faith and grace that we cannot see in temptations and he will manifest all at length and shew his love when we stand most in need of it We see it in David who was deeply humbled for his folly with Bathsheba for there was not one but many fins as murder and adultery c. yet being now humbled God sent him and Bathshebah wise Solomon to succeed him in his Kingdom He forgetteth all and so you see our Saviour Christ forgetteth all their unkindness he biddeth her not go tell my Renegate Disciples that owned not me they care not for me I care not for them I am above death and all and now will use them as they did me oh no but go tell my brethren without mentioning any thing that they have done unkindly What is the reason it is sufficient to a gracious soul that it is thus It is the course of God but there be reasons to give satisfaction First the love of Christ to a poor disconsolate afflicted soul is most seasonable when they have relaps'd and dealt unkindly with Christ then Christ not only forgiveth but forgets all nay and calleth them under the tearm of Brethren which is more then forgiving and forgetting Oh now it is seasonable for there is a wonderful dejection of spirit after unkind usage of Christ in a soul that knowes what Christ means It is as a shower of rain after great drought it falleth weighty upon the soul Secondly The freedom of Christs love most appeareth then when no desert of ours can move it for is not that love free when we have dealt unkindly with him and joyned with the world and with the flesh and dealt slipperily with him that then he will speak kindly to us and make love to us Lord if I had had my due what would have become of me If he had sent them word according to their deserts he might have said go tell the Apostate base people that have dealt unworthily with me whom I will send to Hell Oh no but tell my Brethren his free love appeareth most at such times when our souls are most dejected Thirdly Satan roareth then most then he most of all sheweth his horns when we are relapsed oh saith he if thou hadst never found kindness it had been something but thou hast dealt unworthily that hast had so many favours and dost thou so requite the Lord of glory Now this love of Christ doth exceedingly confound Satan and trouble his plots he knoweth then that God leaveth men and he joyneth with a guilty conscience and a guilty conscience maketh them to fear all they have deserved shall I look God in the face Christ in the face when I have used them thus shall I receive the Sacrament and joyn with Gods people now Satan doth joyn with guilt of conscience and carrieth it further and when God seeth them dejected and humbled for this he speaketh more comfort to them then ever before There is none of us all I can except none but had need of this have we dealt so unkindly with Christ since our conversion have not we dealt proudly and unkindly and carlesly with him and if we have the love of Christ in our brests it will shame and abash us Now if we have joyned with a temptation Satan will say will you go to God and to prayer that have served God thus shall I yield to this temptation if we can shame our selves and say Lord I take all shame to my self I have dealt most unworthily with thee we shall hear a voice of comfort presently And therefore whatsoever our condition be be invited to repentance though thou hast fallen and fallen again I have dealt unkindly did not Peter so and yet go tell my Disciples and tell Peter The Pope will have him head of the Church I am sure he was head in forsaking of Christ and indeed Christ ever upbraided Peter with forsaking of him now only he biddeth him feed feed feed that he might take more notice of it but he was so kind that he never cast it into his teeth Obj. But saith the poor drooping soul if I had never tasted of mercy it had been something Answ But object not that for though Peters offence was great yet his offence was great and though thy sins be great yet if thy repentance and humiliation be answerable thou shalt have most comfort of all And therefore let no man be discouraged If we
into Christ by a spirit of adoption and have the stamp of the Father upon them The likeness of the Father and of Christ whom God begetsto his own likeness that are in a word like Christ Christ is the first Son and in him and for his sake we are Sons He is the natural Son and they may say our Father that labor to express the disposition of Christ who is the first Son See this disposition of Christ in the Gospel how marvellously patient he was under the hand of his Father obedienâ— to the death of his Crosse humbled full of love full of goodness He went about doing good Do we thâ—n walk as Christ did carry we the image of the second Adam have we the patient humble meek disposition of Christ in our measure do we love Christ in his members God in his Image do we love the Ordinances and the power of Reâ—igion this sheweth what we are and is our conversation sutable to our inward disposition do we walk in light do we shew by our conversation whose Children we are do our speeches give a Character of the inward man If this be in us though in never so small a measure with comfort we may say our Father But may not another man that is not in Christ come to God under the sweet name of our Father yea he may come to him as his Father by creation and providence or sacramentally a Father or as brought into the Church and having God to create him and to provide for him Lord thou hast shewed thy self a gracious Father thus far though I cannot from any inward perswasion say My Father Thus far as I can I say my Father strive against our spiritual infidelity believe God and cast our selves on his gracious promises in Christ God will meet us at the same time and he will send us his spirit to make us his Sons And therefore let no man that hath been a wicked liver be discouraged from going to God in the name of a Father in that wherein he is a Father Lord thou hast created me and preserved me and it is thy mercy I am not in Hell yet thou offer'st to be my Father in Christ thou hast made gracious promises and invited me and upon this when the heart yieldeth to the gracious apprehensions of God as a Father there is a spirit of faith wrought in the heart presently therefore think of the name of a Father and the very thoughts of it will bring the spirit of adoption Only it speaks no comfort to the bitter malicious satanical enemies of Christ and the power of Religion they be Children of the Devil But now poor souls that groan under the burden of sin let them think that God is a Father and of the mercies of God though they do not see they be interested in them By the very contemplation of the mercies of God in Christ and his inviting them to receive them the spirit of God will be wrought in the soul whereby they may have confidence to come to God as a Father I desire you therefore to remember this it is the first Sermon of our Saviour Christ after his Resurrection and therefore forget not to think of God as a Father and Christ as a Brother Indeed whatsoever comfort is in any relation God and Christ have taken it on them A Father is more comprehensive then any other Title Christ is Father and Husband and Spouse And God is our Rock and Shield and whatsoever is comfortable he hath taken on him and in Christ we may command him to be so And if we had ten thousand Worlds they could not be compared to the comforts that arise from hence that we can call God Father It is more to us if we could improve it in our spiritual Trade for Heaven then if we had a thousand worlds especially in dayes of affliction and in the hour of death For it improveth whatsoev er is in the bowels of God for poor distressed souls When nothing else will comfort this will comfort if we can say to God Father Though we cannot make a distinct prayer yet if we can say Father God can pick matter out of our broken Language Now Christ is ascended up to Heaven he doth us more good then he did when he was upon the earth The Sun in the Firmament yieldeth us heat and comfort but if it were nearer it would do us hurt or if further off it would not do us so much good God hath placed it being a common light of the world high to inlighten inferior bodies and to convey influence by means into them And so Christ the Son of righteousness being ascended and advanced to Heaven doth more good then on earth And therefore saith he it is for your good that I ascend It is for our good that we have Christ in Heaven to appear there for us I ascend to my Father and to your Father Father is here taken personally not essentially though it be true in that sense to my Father as the first person of the Trinity especially Christ might well say I ascend to my Father now for he was risen again and was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that is this day have I declared thee It is said of things fiunt cum pate fiunt they are done when they be open and declared to be done Christ was the Son of God when he rose again because he was discovered by his glorious Resurrection to be so indeed And therefore Christ may well say after his Resurrection I go to my Father and your Father Observe from hence That God in Christ is our Father We say Relations are Minimae entitatis they are little entities founded on others but they are maximae consequentiae of great concernment I beseech you before I leave the point give me leave to go on a little further in this to shew that wonderful mercy that admirable goodness which the tongues and hearts of all the men in the world and Angels in Heaven are not able to express that love of God which is contained in the Relation he hath taken on him in Christ to be our Father 1. Consider who and whom Who the great God that hath the Son to solace himself in he did not adopt us because he wanted Sons he had Sons of his own and Sons of his love to sollace himself in what need he have took Traitors Rebels enemies to make them his Sons Oh it is a marvellous advancement of our nature that God should in Christ become our Father It is said Psalm 113. God abaseth himself to behold things below and indeed so he doth with reverence be it spoken to his great Majesty he abaseth himself in regard of things below In regard of us worms of the earth that be enemies yea Devils by nature For
and some presumptuous persons to snatch at it when it doth not belong to them Those to whom God is a God indeed in a sweet relation of the Covenant of grace to be their God as to the Patriarks Prophets Christ the Apostles he giveth his holy spirit to witness so much to them Though the voice of the spirit is not alwayes heard in the best Children of God yet he giveth them the holy spirit that though it doth not alwayes witness yet it alwayes works something in them which may be an evidence that they are Gods 2. Now the spirit of adoption and Sonship is known by a spirit of supplication especially Whom God is a God to he vouchsafeth a spirit of prayer to go to him in all their necessities which is an issue or branch of their faith He giveth them faith to believe it and prayer to make use of it for God will not give this great priviledge without heart to make use of it which is done by faith and prayer and prayer is nothing but the frame of faith Acts 9. As soon as Paul was a good man presently after his conversion Behold he prayeth The child cryeth as soon as born and the child of God is known by his praying as soon as he is converted an intercourse is opened between God and the soul which a christian soul will never neglect If they are plac't in the worst condition they will pray to God or at least sigh and groan which is a prayer that God can make sense of Those that have any strong places of defence in trouble they will be sure to fly to that in times of war they will betake them to their Castle and place of munition And so they that be Gods in time of danger run presently to God he is their rock their refuge and place of defence repair to him by faith and prayer The name of the Lord is a Tower of defence the righteous in trouble fly thither and they are safe A man may know what his God is by his retyring in times of extremity Your carnal man if he hath any place to retire to it is to his friends to his purse to bring him out He will go to that which his instinct will specially lead him to in times of trouble As every Creature together with the nature of it hath received an instinct from God to go to the place of refuge wherein it is safe as the weakest Creature hath strongest refuge The Conies a poor weak Creature hide themselves most strongly out of instinct they have their own weakness So Gods Child being privy of his weakness and need of support and strength hath the strongest support that may be and runneth to his God Worldly men have many shifts as the wily Fox hath but a Christian hath but one but that is a great one he goeth to his God in time of need And therefore you may know who is in covenant with God in times of extremity especially by a spirit of faith a spirit of prayer In times of extremity no man but a Christian can pray with any comfort with any sweet familiarity Abba Father But they be like Pharaoh Go Moses pray to your God He had no such familiarity with God as to pray for himself And so carnal men will say pray to your God And many like Devils will have no cōmunion with God in their prosperity but their whole life is a provoking of God to emnity by swearing loose debauched irregular Carriages hateful even to moral men their hearts tell them they be even like Satan VVhat dost thou come to torment us before our time what hast thou to do with me what have they to do with God they have scarce a Bible in their Chambers If one it is for fashion sake And that they may not appear to be naught they will hold conformity in publick assemblies but for private familiarity they have nothing to do with it The shew of Religion goeth under an opprobrious name but if they would put off the shew it were nothing and not make ostentation of what they are not but they have no communion with God in prayer They will go for Gods people and own him for their God when they have no trading with him so much as by prayer Take heed we deceive not our selves I beseech you salvation dependeth upon it 3. We may further try whether our claim of God to be our God be a good claim on good grounds by our siding by our partaking for those whom God is a God to in a peculiar manner will be sure to side with God God hath two things in the world he prizes more then all the world that is his Children and Church His cause and Religion they that be Gods will be sure to side with the Church they will stand and fall with the Church and the cause of Religion they will live and die with it But a carnal Polititian that hath perhaps great parts of nature he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Grecian calleth him they be for all turns they can bring themselves to any figure like water that will receive any figure Take it put it into a Vessel that is square it will be square put it into a round Vessel it will be round How can they own God for their God when they will not seek him and they are yet to chuse their God and Religion And because they will be sure to be safe in all times they will own no Religion in any time And beloved is it possible any such should say with confidence God is their God will he own them that will not own him nor his Church nor his cause you know Jehu cried out who is on my side who cast her out And so God in doubtful times of danger cryeth out who is on my side who stand out appear if you be on my side if you be on my side own my cause if you be not on my side if you have no degree of goodness it will appear Christian wisdom is one thing carnal policy is another thing The wisdom of the flesh is emnity with God Many applaud and think themselves for some body in this kind but this wisdom is emnity it self against God When a man will be wise in a distinct kind of wisdom from God when he will have a cause severed from God will not side with God he must look that God will accompt him his enemy and make him his but especially in the hour of death and deep extremity he shall not be able to look God in the face to whom he hath been a traitor in the Church and in the cause of Religion And therefore as we will be able to own God for our God especially in doubtful and dangerous times side with the Church and side with Religion It was objected to that good Jehonadab a good man have we any thing to do with
acknowledge God to be their Father and their God And therefore answer Satan I ought not to abuse and break off and deny my interest in God as my Father and my God for any sin because the Disciples did not so and Christ hath taught how to make use of God and to acknowledge him for my comfort We cannot have a better guide then God and therefore never think of God but as our God and our Father and labor to answer all Satans temptations in that kinde from hence 3. Again this assurance that God is our God in Christ and our Father is wrought by the sealing of the spirit and sanctifying of us therefore take heed we grieve not the spirit of God Gods spirit moveth our hearts often times in hearing the word or reading or praying when we have any good motions or when we entertain them and therefore do not grieve the spirit of God whose office is to seal us to the day of redemption to assure us God is our God and our Father in Christ Grieve him not least he grieve us by reaching and tormenting our consciences and that is the way to maintain our interest Take heed of crossing the spirit especially by any sin against conscience Conscience is Gods Deputy grieve not the spirit grieve not conscience for Conscience is God Deputative it is a li ttle God within us And therefore if we will not alienate God from us to whom we have given our selves if we be true believers do nothing against his Deputy and Agent the spirit that sanctifieth us and sealeth us to the day of redemption This is the way to maintain assurance that God is our God For men may be led with a spirit of presumption and say God is my God But if Conscience telleth them they live in sin against Conscience and the motions of the spirit and suppress them and kill them as birthes that they would not have grow in their hearts then they cannot say God is my God but conscience telleth them they lie And therefore I beseech you labor for an holy life That faith that maketh this claim that God is my Father and my God is a purifying faith It is a faith quickening the soul a faith purifying a faith cleansing Faith is wonderfully operative especially having these promises what promises I will be your God and your Father Having such promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow up in all holiness in the feare of the Lord. And therefore labor for that faith that layeth hold upon this priviledge God is our Father and our God make it good by this that it be a purifying faith an operative faith that worketh by love that sheweth it self in our conversation The more we labor and grow this way the more we growe in assurance of salvation Beloved favor cannot be maintained with great persons without much industry and respect and observance of distance A man that will maintain the favor of great persons must be well read in their dispositions must know how to please them and yield them all observance and respect And shall we think then to preserve respect with God without much industry and holiness It cannot be And therefore give all diligence not a little to make your Calling and Election sure It requireth all diligence it is worth your pains We live on this that he is our God and will be our God to death and in death for ever more That God is our God to everlasting that he is of an equal extent with the soul he liveth to fill it and make it happy Our souls being of an eternal subsistance therefore it standeth us upon to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure else it will not be maintained Why do not Christians injoy the comforts of this that God is their God in Christ more then they do the reason is they be negligent to maintain intercourse between God and them We must know our distances there must be reverent cariage to God A loose Christian can never injoy the comforts of God He is so great and we so mean we ought to reverence him we ought to love him with fear and rejoyce with trembling Humble thy self to walk with thy God where there is a great deal of humility it maintaineth friendship We cannot walk with God as a friend as Abraham is said to be Gods friend We must acknowledge our selves to be dust and ashes know him in his greatness and our selves in our meanness if he will maintain this to our hearts that God is our God If we be careful to maintain this surely he that delighteth himself in the prosperity of his Servants will delight to make himself more and more known to us that we may be assured of our salvation All that hear me are such as have not yet made choice of God to be their God or have made choice Let me speak a word to both for there be many that yet have their choice to make that have other Lords and other Gods to rule over them Let them consider what a fearful state it is not to be able to say in regard of life everlasting God is my God and my Father They can say they be Gods Creatures but what a fearful condition is it` not to be able to say God is my Father will not these know whom he is not a God to in favor he will be a God to in vengeance He must be friend or enemy there is no third in God God and the Devil divide all mankind they share all If thou be not Gods and canst not say so on good titles thou art the Devils Yet God is daily pulling men out of the Kingdom of the Devil by opening their eyes to see their miserable condition yet all go under these two grand titles Gods and the Devils If thou canst not say God is thy God then the Devil is thy God and what a fearful condition is it to be under the God of the world by a worldly carnal disposition and perhaps thou maist die so if thou be not careful to get out of it If God be not our God he is our enemy and then Creatures Angels Devils are against us conscience against us word against us all against us If he be for us who is against us If he be against us who is for us a terrible condition and therefore get out of it I beseech you But how shall I doe is there mercy for such a wretch yea he offereth himself to be thy God if thou wilt come in wherefore serveth our Ministry the word of grace but to preach life to all repentent sinners He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy And therefore God hath ordained Ambassadors of peace to proclaim if you will come in And he intreateth you to come in and he chargeth and commandeth you You be Rebels not only against him but enemies