pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God. He did not commissionate Angels to be his Legates their presence would confound and terrifie us but Men cast into the same mould with your selves who may say to you as Elihu said to Iob Iob 33. 6 7. Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay Behold my terrour shall not make thee afraid neither shall my Hand be heavy upon thee Upon these Commission Officers of Christ he poured forth excellent gifts in great diversity and useful variety to fit the capacities and various dispositions of Mens Souls When he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto Men this Ministerial Office is by him established in the Church Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4. 11 12 13. Unto these his Ministers he gives the highest encouragements to quicken them to their labour if one do but one part of the work and another the other one soweth and another reapeth he tells them both He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice togther John 4. 36. He tells them that every Soul they win to him shall be as a Jewel in their Crown of glory Dan. 12. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever What is Christs intention in all these incouragements to his Ministers Surely it is as if he should say to his Servants Study hard Pray earnestly Plead with sinners affectionately every Soul you win to me shall make an addition to your glory in Heaven Weigh now the force of this second Demonstration from the Life of Christ will you have a proof of Christs earnest suit to gain the Hearts of sinners his whole Life upon Earth was a great proof of it his Doctrin so full of pathetical invitations proves it the Joy of his Heart at the success of the Gospel his Tears and Sorrows for the obstinacy of unbelievers his Labours and Travels to gather sinners to him his admirable Encouragements put into general invitations his dreadful Threatnings to all that reject his motions his commissionating and qualifying continuing and encouraging his Ministers to carry on this suit in his Name All these things make up a full Demonstration that Jesus Christ is an earnest suiter for union and communion with the Soul of sinners which was the thing to be proved Thirdly The Death of Christ is the fullest Demonstration that ever was or can be given of his love to sinners and desire after union and communion with him His Doctrin and Life discovered much but his Death and Sufferings abundantly more in his Doctrin he spent his Breath but upon the Cross he spent his Blood. Here he comes a suiting to the Souls of sinners in his Scarlet robes his Red garments garments dipt in his own Blood You may now propound the same admiring question the Church propounded Isa. 63. 1 2. Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah This that is glorious in his apparel travelling in the greatness of his strength Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat Wilt thou know sinner why he cometh to thee in Red garments It is to give thee such a Demonstration of his love as may draw forth all the love of thy Heart to him by this Blood he hath bought and purchased thy Soul for a Spouse for himself Acts 20. 28. Now there are two things in the Death of Christ evidential of the fervency of his desires after us 1. The greatness of the sufferings which he endured 2. The Use and End to which they were designed Both these shew how the Heart of Christ is heated with the vehemency of his own desires after union with our poor Souls 1. The greatness of the sufferings of Christ discover the ardency of his affection Christs sufferings are two-fold 1. External in his Body 2. Internal in his Soul. Both together making up the fulness of his Sufferings When you shall hear what Christ hath endured in both kinds to purchase you to himself then you may guess what value he put upon you what desire he hath after you Now 1. as to the external Sufferings of Christ in his Body they were exceeding great for the Death he died was not a Natural but a Violent Death indeed he could not dye a Natural Death for there was no sin in his Nature to open a door to Death that way His Body was intended for a Sacrifice to God and as a Sacrifice it dyed therefore it is said 1 Pet. 3. 18. He was put to Death in the Flesh his Soul and Body were violently rent asunder in the fulness and perfection of his strength and vigour and this violent Death was also a cursed Death He was made a Curse for us For it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal. 3. 13. A ceremonial Curse was affixed to the Death of the Cross He that is hanged is accursed of God saith the Law The intention of that Death was to shew the person that dyed to be so vile that he was not worthy to touch Heaven or Earth and therefore was hanged betwixt both Moreover this violent Death Christ dyed was a most painful Death full of Torture and very Slow and Lingering the Cross was a Rack to the Body of Christ I may tell all my bones saith he they look and stare upon me Psal. 22. 17. But yet 2. the Sufferings of his Body were but the Body of his Sufferings it were the Sufferings of his Soul that were the very Soul of his Sufferings These inward Sufferings of Christ may likewise be considered two ways 1. In his bitter propassions in the Garden O what Agonies and Conflicts what sharp Encounters and Distresses did his Soul there meet with from the Wrath of God there endured for your sakes Once and again he cried out Abba Father all things are possible let this Cup pass Father if it be possible let this Cup pass thrice he returned to the same place rowling himself on the ground The Sufferings of his Soul cast his blessed Body into a bloody Agony His sweat was as it were great drops of Blood falling to the ground Luke 22. 43 44. 2. In the fulness of his Passions on the Cross there was his blessed Soul for a time deserted of the Father as to any sensible communications of Joy and Comfort from him which occasioned that bitter out-cry Matth. 27. 46. My God my God why hast thou for saken me Never was there such a cry heard since the Heavens were spread over the Earth never had Christ seen one frown in his
amidst such Hosts of potent and enraged Enemies If Christ were not among them they had certainly been swallowed up long ago 'T is he that holds the Stars in his right hand Rev. 2. 1. His walks among the seven golden Candlesticks is their best security The burning bush Exod. 3. 3. is a rare emblem to open this Mystery the bush burned with fire but was not consumed The bush was a resemblance of the Church of God in Egypt the flames upon it was their terrible Persecution the wonder that no ashes appeared as the effects of those terrible flames the reason thereof was God was in the bush Jesus Christ was in the midst of his people By vertue of this Presence we are here this day in the enjoyment of Gospel Liberties no Society of Men in the World have such security as the Church hath upon this account The mightiest Monarchies have been over-turned no Policies nor humane Power could preserve them but the Church and Ordinances are still preserved and shall ever be by vertue of that gracious Promise Ier. 30. 11. For I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee The Babilonian Persian Grecian Monarchies have destroyed and ruined one another Sic Medus ademit Assyrio Syroque tulit moderamina Perses c. but still the Church of Christ lifts up its Head and beholds their ruins Secondly This Presence of Christ in and with his Ordinances is undeniably evinced from their Supernatural effects upon the Souls of Men 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 'T is the Spirit of Christ that gives them their success and efficacy The Sword of the Gospel hath its point and edge but it is impossible the Heart of a stupid hardned sinner should ever be prickt or wounded by it if the Spirit of Christ did not manage it When sinners fall down convinced under the authority of the Word they feel and readily acknowledge that God is in it of a truth I Cor. 14. 25. Ruffinus reports that at the Council of Nice a godly man of no great learning was the instrument of converting a learned Philosopher whom the Bishops with all their Arguments could not perswade of which the Philosopher himself gave this remarkable account Whilst you reasoned with me said he against words I opposed words and what was spoken I overthrew by the art of speaking but when in stead of words power came out of the mouth of the speaker words could no longer withstand truth nor Man resist the power of God. And this indeed is the true and just account of all those marvellous and gracious changes made upon the Souls of Men by the Preaching of the Gospel Can the vanishing breath of a dying Man think you inspire Spiritual and Eternal Life into the Souls of other Men Can he search the Conscience break the Heart and bow the Will at this rate No no this is the Power and Operation of Christ and of that Presence we must say saith a Reverend Author as Martha did to her Saviour concerning the Death of her Brother Lazarus John 11. 21. Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not dyed So say I if that Presence and Power of Christ were felt by all which hath been certainly experienced and felt by many they had not remained in the state of Spiritual Death as they do But though there be thousands under Ordinances that never felt this Power of Christ upon them yet blessed be God there are also multitudes of Witnesses and Evidences of this Truth that there is a Real Spiritual Energetical Presence of Christ in his own appointments which was the first thing to be evinced Secondly The second thing requiring Explication is the Uses and Ends which makes such a Presence of Christ necessary And they are 1. To Preserve and Support his Ministers and Churches amidst such Hosts of potent and enraged Enemies This Presence of Christ is as a wall of Fire round about them It was the Divine Presence with Ieremiah that was as a Life-Guard to him against the rage of the Princes and Nobles of Israel Jer. 15. 20 21. I will make thee unto this People a fenced brazen Wall and they shall fight against thee but they shall not prevail against thee for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee saith the Lord And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible It was easier for the Roman Army to scale the Walls and batter down the Towers of Ierusalem than for all the Enemies in Ierusalem to destroy this Prophet of God thus immur'd by the Divine Presence Athanasius and Luther had the Power of the Empire ingaged against them yet the Presence of Christ was their security The Witnesses could not be slain till they had finished their Testimony Rev. 11. 7. To this Presence alone the faithful Witnesses of Christ owe their marvellous preservation at this day had not Christ said Lo I am with you you had not said at this day behold our Ministers are still with us Secondly The Presence of Christ is necessary to assist and enable his Ministers in their Work for it is a Work quite above their own strength it is well we are Workers-together with God else we should soon faint under our Labours When Moses objected I am not eloquent the Lord told him I will be with thy Mouth Exod. 4. 10. When God guides the Tongue how powerful and persuasive must the Language be When the Apostles illiterate men were sent out to convert the World Christ promised to give them a Mouth and Wisdom Luke 21. 15. a Mouth to speak and Wisdom to guide that Mouth and then their words were demonstrations all their adversaries could not resist that Spirit and Power by which they spake Empires and Kingdoms full of Enemies received the Gospel but the reason of this wonderful success is given us in Mark 16. 20. They went out and Preached every where the Lord working with them 'T is sweet and prosperous working in fellowship with Christ The Spirit of Christ gives a manifold assistance to his Ministers in their Work 't is he that guides and directs their minds in the choice of those Subjects wherein they labour with such success to their Hearers He dictates the Matter influences their Affections guides their Lips follows home their Doctrine with success and this is a special Use and End of Christs Presence with his Ministers and Ordinances Thirdly The Spiritual Presence of Christ is necessary for the preparation and opening of the peoples Hearts to receive and embrace the Gospel to Salvation not an Heart will open to receive Christ till the Spirit of Christ unlock them Paul and Timothy were extraordinarily called to Preach
mutual desires after communion betwixt Christ and his people in this World then certainly there is such a thing as real communion between them or else both must live a very restless and dissatisfied life Sixthly The mutual complaints that are found on both sides of the interruption of communion plainly proves there is such a thing If God complain of his people for their estrangements from him and the Saints complain to God about his silence to them and the hidings of his face from them Surely then there must be a communion between them or else there could be no ground of complaints for the interruptions of it But it is manifest God doth complain of his people for their estrangments from him Ier. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth and the love of thy espousals What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me As if he should say You and I have been better acquainted in days past what cause have I given for your estrangments from me And thus Christ in like manner complains of the Church of Ephesus after he had commended many things in her yet one thing grieves and troubles him Rev. 2. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love And then on the other side when the Lord hids his face and seems to estrange himself from his people what sad laments and moans do they make about it As an affliction they know not how to bear Thus Heman Psal. 88. 14. Lord why castests thou off my Soul Why hidest thou thy face from me So Psal. 27. 9. Hide not thy face from me put not thy servant away in anger This is what they cannot bear Seventhly The reality of communion with God is made visible to others in the sensible effects of it upon the Saints that enjoy it There are visible signs and tokens of it appearing to the conviction of others Thus that marvelous change that appeared upon the very countenance of Hannah after she had poured her heart in prayer and the Lord had answered her it is noted 1 Sam. 1. 18. She went away and her countenance was no more sad You might have read in her face that God had spoken peace and satisfaction to her heart Thus when the Disciples had been with Christ the mark of communion with him was visible to others Acts 4. 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John they marvelled and took knowledg of them that they had been with Iesus 'T is sweet Christian when the heavenly cheariness and spirituality of thy converses with men shall convince others that thou hast been with Jesus Eighthly We may prove the reality of communion with God from the impossibility of sustaining those troubles the Saints do without it If prayers did not go up and answers come down there were no living for a Christian in this World. Prayer is the out-let of the Saints sorrows and the in-let of their supports and comforts Rom. 8. 26. Say not other men have their troubles as well as the Saints and yet they make a shift to bear them without the help of communion with God. 'T is true carnal men have their troubles and those troubles are often too heavy for them The sorrows of the world work death but carnal men have no such troubles as the Saints have for they have their inward Spiritual troubles as well as their outward troubles And inward troubles are the sinking troubles but this way the strength of God comes in to succor them and except they had a God to go to and fetch comfort from they could never bear them Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless â— had believed Paul had sunk under the buffetings of Satan unless he had gone once and again to his God and received this answer My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12. 9. Ninthly We conclude the reality of communion with God from the end of the Saints vocation We read frequently in Scripture of effectual calling now what is that to which God calls his people out of the state of nature but unto fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his son Iesus Christ our Lord. They are called you see in to a life of communion with Christ therefore certainly there is such a communion else the Saints are called to the enjoyment of a fancy instead of a privilege which is the greatest reproach that can be cast upon the faithful God that called them Lastly In a word the characters and descriptions given to the Saints in Scripture evidently prove their life of communion with God. The Men of this World are manifestly distinguished from the people of God in Scripture they are called The Children of this World the Saints The Children of light Luke 16. 8. They are said to be after the flesh Saints to be after the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. they mind earthly things but the Saints conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. By all which it undeniably appears that there is a reality in the Doctrin of communion betwixt Christ and his people We are not imposed upon 't is no cunningly devised fable but a thing whose foundation is as sure as its nature is sweet Thirdly In the last place I shall shew you the transcendent excellency of this life of communion with God it is the life of our Life the joy of our Hearts a Heaven upon Earth as will appear by the Twenty Excellencies thereof following I. Excellency It is the Assimilating instrument whereby the Soul is moulded and fashioned after the image of God. This is the Excellency of communion with God to make the Soul like him There is a twofold assimilation or conformity of the Soul to God the one perfect and compleat the other inchoate and in part Perfect assimilation is the privilege of the perfect state resulting from the immediate vision and perfect communion the Soul hath with God in glory 1 Iohn 3 2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Perfect vision produceth perfect assimilation but the Souls assimilation or imperfect conformity to God in this World is wrought and gradually carried on by dayly communion with him And as our communion with God here grows up more and more into spirituality and power so in an answerable degree doth our conformity to him advance 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. All sorts of communion among men have an assimilating efficacy he that walks in vain company is made vainer than he was before and he that walks in spiritual heavenly company will be ordinarily more serious than he was before but nothing so transforms the Spirit
a Witness within them and it was also revealed to them by the Instances and Examples of strokes and punishments of Sin in all Ages by the immediate hand of a justly incensed God. They came not by chance but Divine direction therefore it 's added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Heave◠or from God in Heaven 2. Here is the Object or impulsive Cause of this revealed and inflicted Wrath 't is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ungodliness comprizeth all sins against the first Table the irreligious lives and practices of Men living in the neglect of the Duties of Religion The other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousness comprizeth all sins against the second Table acts of Fraud Uncleanness c. against Men And because these two general comprehensive words are branched out into many particulars therefore he saith the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness There is not one of the many sins into which ungodliness and unrighteousness are branched out but incenseth the Lords Wrath and though he only mentions the Sins in the Abstract we are to understand the Abstract put here for the Concrete the sins for the sinners that commit them or Gods punishing these sins upon the persons of the Sinners 3. Lastly We have here before us the special aggravation of these sins or that which made them much more provoking to God than otherwise they had been And it was this that whilst they committed these Sins or omitted those Duties they held the truth in unrighteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to detain stop hinder or put a Remora in the way of that Truth of God or those common Notions they had of his Being Power Goodness Truth c. as also of his Worship and the difference between Good and Evil. These Truths struggled in their Consciences as the Child in the Womb to come to the Birth Conscience instigated them to Duty and laboured to restrain them from Sin but all in vain they overbare their own Consciences and kept those Sentiments and Convictions Prisoners though they struggled for Liberty to break forth into Practice and Obedience Their Convictions were kept down under the Dominion and Power of Corruptions as a Prisoner is shut up by his Keeper Their Lusts were too hard for their Light. Thus you have both the Scope and Sense of the Text. The Point from it is this DOCTRINE That the wrath of God is dreadfully incensed against all those that live in any course of Sin against the light and dictates of their own Consciences Sins of Ignorance provoke the Wrath of God yet are they not of so heinous a nature as sins against light and Conviction are nor shall they be punished so severely Luk. 12. 47. That servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes It excuses a tanto in some measure when a man can say Lord had I known this to be a sin I would not have done it but when the Conscience is convinced and strives to keep us from such an act or course of sinful actions and we stop our Ears against its Voice and Warnings here is an high and horrid Contempt of God and his Law and gives the sin a Scarlet Dye or Tincture Sins of Ignorance cannot compare with such sins as these Ioh. 3. 19. Ioh. 15. 22. To open this Point let me 1. Shew you what Conscience is 2. What the Light of Conscience is and what its kinds are 3. How this Light binds the Conscience and makes it strive in us 4. Then instance in some Cases wherein it doth so 5. And Lastly how and why the imprisoning of these Convictions so dreadfully incenseth the Wrath of God. 1. 'T will be needful to speak a little to the nature of Conscience in general Conscience as our Divines well expresse it is the judgment of a man upon himself as he is Subject to the judgement of God. A Judgment it is and a practical Judgment too it belongs to the understanding faculty 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves c. this self-judgment is the proper Office of the Conscience and to enable it for this its work and office there are as is generally observed three things belonging to every mans Conscience 1 A Knowledge of the Rule or Law according to which it is to judge called the Synteresis which is a treasury of Rules and Principles without which Conscience can no more do its work than an Artificer that wants his Square or Level can do his 2 Knowledge of the Facts or Matters to be judged called the Syneidesis The Conscience of every man keeps a Register of his Actions Thoughts and the very Secrets of the Heart 3 An Ability and delegated Authority to pass Judgment on our selves and Actions according to the Rule and Law of God called Crisis Judgment Here it sits upon the Bench as Gods Vicegerent Absolving or Condemning as it finds the Sincerity or Hypocrisie of the heart upon Tryal 1 Ioh. 3. 20 21. Conscience therefore is an High and Aweful Power it is solo Deo minor next and immediately under God our Judge riding as Ioseph did in the second Chariot and concerning Conscience he saith to every man as he once did to Moses with respect to Pharaoh See I have made thee a god to Pharaoh Exod. 7. 1. The Voice of Conscience is the Voice of God. What it bindeth or looseth on Earth Clave non errante is accordingly bound or loosed in Heaven 1 Ioh. 3. 21. the greatest deference and precise Obedience is due to its Commands Its Consolations are of all the most sweet and its Condemnations only excepting those by the mouth of Christ in the last Judgment most terrible Zuinglius spake not without ground when he said What Death would I not rather chuse what Punishment would I not rather bear yea into what profound Abyss of Hell would I not rather enter than to witness against my Conscience 'T is like he had felt the Terrors of it to be more bitter than Death How many have chosen strangling rather than life under the Terrors of Conscience Wherever you go Conscience accompanies you VVhatever you say do or but think it Registers and Records in order to the Day of Account VVhen all Friends forsake thee yea when thy Soul forsakes thy Body Conscience will not cannot forsake thee When thy Body is weakest and dullest thy Conscience is most vigorous and active Never more life in the Conscience than when Death makes its nearest approach to the Body when it smiles chears acquits and comforts O what an Heaven doth it create within a Man And when it frowns condemns and terrifies how doth it becloud yea benight all the Pleasures Joyes and Delights of this World. O Conscience how glad would the damned be to have taken their