he hath is little more than a forlorne hope let him strengthen himselfe with the graces of Gods Spirit and hee shall finde a power invincible none more need of strength than a poore Christian The more grace the more strength Whether 1. Against sin that is not satisfied with a being in but would dominiere over a Christian or what strugling with secret corruptions as wrastling with too many corruptions hard to be subdued enforcing Paul to cry out k Rom. 7.24 Oh wretch who shall deliver me from this body of death Oh the sobs and groanes teares and feares of a weak Christian when corruptions begin to discover themselves then they in apprehension the undone of all the world Amaleck fights and sometime prevails the want of strength foiles the soule the height of grace upholds the soul the more grace the more strength against sinne 2 Against suffering the Church and people of God meet with opposition contradiction persecution who more it was the Fathers appointment as the sonnes prediction l Io. 15.16 and this Apostles the great Doctor of the Gentiles oft in sacred Writ To passe by bad report hunger nakednesse prison c. 't is difficult for some not all When strongly growne in the grace of Christ Paul can conquer the Apostles with admired resolution daunt their enemies when formerly all left he Lord Jesus Christ and why they were growne in grace and more grace more strength against suffering 3. Against Temptation our Saviour would not have taught his Disciples to pray Lead us not into temptation had not he known the devill and an evill heart laid snates to tempt which of Gods choisest Jewels free Not Abraham Job David not Christ himself And canst thou expect or request to be above thy Lord Poor weak Christian thou must look to be buffeted assaulted Labor for more grace so more able to resist for by the grace of God you may stand as withstand 4. Against Desertion The more grace the more strength T is a condition Gods people sometimes meet with and complaine of A bitter expostulation My God my God why hast thou forsaken Faith and feare in a double combate Whither in reference to David the Type or the Son of David the Antitype The Lord Christ And may not your full tide ebbe Your bright moon ecclipse Your fair day cloud and your clear Sun misten Oh know ye that are dandled in the armes of an everlasting God may yet not be ever danced in Gods everlasting arms He may shoot bitter Arrows against you and his everloving smile may frown it self to a momentary indignation as bitter as death as dreadfull as hell it self Labour therefore for more grace so more strength to suffer all and endure hardship as the good souldier of Jesus Christ So that either silently with Aaron hold your peace or with David religiously Language It is the Lord let him do as seemeth him good The more grace the more strength in all against all Ergo. The more grace the more comfort Reas 3 many that regard not to live conscionably yet are desirous to spend their years in prosperity and their daies in comfortable pleasures but as without grace little conscience so without true grace little true comfort the more sin in us the more opposition the more trouble griefe and fearefull horrour to the appaling of spirit and deading of heart But let a soul reflect and in simplicity speak an increase of humility faith zeal love knowledge grace more comfort questionlesse not more rejoicing can a condemned Malefactor receive by the tender of a Princes pardon than a poor soul comfort content in the truth and growth of grace were it not for the grace of God in them of all men Christians were most miserable in the sad apprehension of many and mighty corruptions within them diverse and great troubles upon them and severall scandalous reproaches against them Whither shall the soul search for comfort To whom fly for solid consolation Can that honour that is fading that estate that is flying that name that is blasting that friend that is dying afford any Alas miserable comforters all nothing so much as the least spark of divine grace and if a little will cherish what strong consolations will the growth added to the truth of grace afford view and review the instances of Sacred Writ and you shall find where most grace there most comfort Therefore grow in grace Reas 4 This comfortable evidence the sincerity and truth of your grace shew me your faith by works a dead faith no life in works The soule is barren and unfruitfull What is a body without a soule a poor body What is a soule without grace a poor soul And what is grace without the growth thereof uncomfortable grace What advantage to have a name to live and want life What profit to have a forme and void of the power of godlinesse This will upon good ground witnesse to the world the truth of grace is in you when they see your light shine that they may glorifie your father in heaven and your light which was at first as the dawning of the day appearing as the Sun heightned to the top of the Zenith fairly discovers the truth of grace in you to men And to conscience an evidentiall sign of truth when that which flames as a fire begins to live to a never dying worm t is quenched and crashed by this my conscience bears me witnesse that I though my beginning was small yet am encreased to a second a fift a tenth talent behold oh conscience did I make bones of Curse Lye Oath Sabbath Gospell Ordinance Hypocrisie Pride Passion secret Impiety or open Enormity in times past And do I not dost not thou oh conscience oh heart hate and abhor every false way Dost not performe and delight to do what God pleaseth pressing hard to be found in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Who in my Infancy hoped to be justified by duties desires well-meaning c. whence comes my love to God and his Whence Patience Zeal Faith more then in times past Comes not my growth from my truth oh enemy be my Judge speak righteously And to God also when at the houre of Death day of Judgement summoned to appear disarmed of all hopes helps no more muse or burroughs to save or shelter This will witnesse for thee though thou hast been a poor comfortlesse one yet a true one behold Lord thy Talent hath gained multiplied t is encreased and grown though little yet good evidence the truth of grace is in thee When as on the contrary to man to conscience to God I have no more grace now then from my Infancy and day of youth This comes off with sin shame sorrow to the blacknesse of despaire it selfe Therefore being the growth of grace evidences the truth of grace good reason we should grow in grace c. According to my usuall method I proceed to the Use Learn hence The life of a
blacknesse and darknesse of sinne The forgivenesse of sinnes The forgivenesse not only by the bloud of Christ have we redemption h Col. 1.20 or sanctification i Heb. 9.14 but remission also as in the Text so k Col. 1.14 in whom we have redemption by his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes John in his Revelation l Rev. 1.5 confesses that Christ washed us from our sinnes by his bloud and to fetch the record bearing witnesse to this truth as high as heaven m Rev. 5.9 the foure and twenty Elders acknowledge Thou wert slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of every kindred tongue people and Nation Agreeing to this is that of n 1 Joh. 1.7 and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne Hath a poore soule need to be healed Christ is a Physitian to cure him doth thy soule parch and burne within thee Christ is a fountaine to refresh thee art thou laden with the unsupportable burthen of thy sinnes Christ is righteousnesse to ease thee if thou fearest the stroke of death he hath for thy poore beleeving soule the gift of eternall life and if thou walk mournfully apprehending damnation for sinne he hath redemption for thee from sinne as in the Text. The Reasons follow Christ only acceptable to God the Reas 1 heavens are not cleane in his sight he chargeth his Angels with folly the quire of Heaven and Saints in earth are not well-pleasing in his sight distinct from Christ he is the Son of his Love he the Son of his complacency of his delight in whom only he is well-pleased o Mat. 3 17. and in the verse before my Text he hath made us accepted in the beloved all the oblations Legall and offerings Ceremoniall had a redolent savour in the pure nosthrils of the Almighty as they stood in reference to Christ Without God none could please God saith Ambrose whatever is presented to the Father without the Son is said to be unprofitable and unacceptable as the High-priest offered all in the time of the Law so the Lord Jesus presents all in the time of the Gospell without him nothing is accepted therfore of him the Saints have all to and of redemption This is the first Reason the second followes Reas 2 He only able to satisfie divine justice thousands of Rammes ten thousands of rivers of oyle unsatisfactory to give the fruit of the body for the sinne of the soule and the first-borne for my transgression p Mâ—c 6.6 It will neither be pleasing to God nor satisfactory to divine justice the leaprous person was to be cleansed by the bloud of the little bird q Lev. 14.51 and the leaprous soule is to be purified and redeemed from all its sinne and uncleannesse by the bloud of Jesus Christ that bird of Paradise the coelestiall Pellican that sacrificed himselfe to death to save his to everlasting life when sinne was to be remitted it was to be put upon another none must expect a satisfaction in or from himselfe the sinnes of the people were to be put upon the Scape-Goat Thus they were delivered r Lev. 16. to teach us under the Gospell our sinnes must be put upon Christ to be the only satisfaction to Almighty justice Two things are required of such as satisfie Gods justice First he that satisfies must be free from all sinne if any man under Christ saith he have no sinne he deceives himselfe and the truth of God is not in him 1 John 1.9 Christ in every thing like us sinne only excepted his enemies being Judges he hath done all things well so he he only free from sinne can satisfie Gods justice Secondly that which satisfies must be pure only pure in the offering and such oblations sacrifices poore mortals cannot tender to their God there is iniquity in their holy things they are unprofitable and come short of grace now and must of glory for ever if the Lord be not freely gracious in accepting as bestowing Oh the wants and weaknesse in our hearing praying in our duties graces uncleane uncleane imperfect imperfect in all but Christ a pure and holy offering unto the Lord hence in the Law when the High-priest went for an atonement he only entred into the Sanctum Sanctorum in the Gospell Christ trode the wine-presse of his fathers wrath alone Å¿ Isa 63.3 and that 's the second reason Reas 3 Thirdly that the glory of our redemption may redound to the praise of God in Jesus Christ whose is the worke 't is fit theirs should be the honour Hos feci tulit alter honores is injustice rich mercy full merit is the ground worke and foundation of all our excellency The Saints good and comfort ariseth from the free grace of the Father and the full merit of the Sonne and why to man or Angell should the glory be given when Scriptures speake any thing of this spirituall blessing redemption or forgivenesse of sins there is usually annexed a doxology or blessing as t Rev. 1.5 6 So Rev. 5.9 12. Col. 1.12 14. 1 Cor. 1.30 31. with this in the Text as appeares in the third verse and thus of the third Reason That the Type might correspond Reas 4 with the Antetype the Law and the Gospell might answer one the other In the Law the bloud was sprinkled round about the Altar to intimate that nothing is of worth but by the force of Christs bloud and as without bloudshedding no remission a Heb. 9.22 so no forgivenesse of sinne but by the bloud of Christ herein is a large field but I hasten to the Uses Instruction Use instr If the bloud of the Saviour be the redemption of the Saint learne we first what an unhappy and cursed thing sinne is the forgivenesse whereof cost no lesse then Christs dearest hearts bloud it deludes us to defile us it defiles us to destroy us that our poore yet precious soules should perish for ever without remedy but for Christ in whom we have c. Sinne Dalilah-like speaks fairly acts friendly for her advantage but when opportunity serves then shall Sampson smart for it Adam bemocks himselfe to a being made immortall and doomes his selfe and posterity as low as death and deep as hell When he had faire promises to be as God high as heaven lofty as Eternity by eating the forbidden fruit fruit though pleasant in the taste bitter in the bowels as everlasting burning cursed sinne as a leaprosie and plague infects and overspreads all degrees faculties persons estates souls bodies insnaring millions to the eternall infernall tortures of devouring Tophet as impossible to avoid as intolerable to endure without the bloud of Jesus Christ in whom we c. Oh that the Lord would enlighten our understandings to see sinne in its nakednesse then we would as purity it selfe hate it with a perfect hatred Did we consider aright that Christ is so long in
and such trash in secret will overthrow the stomacke and make the wholsomest food loathsome so will sinne if we harbour with delight a close iniquity under our tongue it will nauseate all the saving truths of Jesus Christ gloriously held out in his Gospell and hinder the growth of grace Lastly conscionably use the Ordinances of God doe not as many for custome formallity but hoc age doe it in the integrity and simplicity of conscience the Law and statutes of God e Ps â—9 7 8. are beneficiall that which issues out of the Sanctuary increases f Ezek. 47.12 when pray read receive exercise your selves conscionably and your benefit will be profitably discovered to all Motives Mot. 1. The more grace the more exalt Christ 't is a soules burthen I cannot live to honour Christ for all his merit goodnesse truths and mercies labour then for more grace so speake more of his name and ye will be in life death to magnifie Christ little lower then Angels in their praises to their Maker grace brings you higher and higher to these Seraphicall spirits so you will chaunt the perpetuall Hallelujah's with the Quire of Heaven of whom Christ is to be praised as of you to be honoured 2. Grace makes the more eminent grace and fame are said to be companions as the righteous so the gracious is more excellent then his neighbour the world cleares this truth when the most debauched wretch would not but seeme gracious the strumpet luke-warme Laodicea all outwardly as the Pharisees yea the Devill else why transformed into an Angell of Light but that with more credit to act in the children of darknesse and heires of light also but grace with God and Christ a name better then of sonne or daughter 3. Time may come need of more grace these are the plundring times and exercise the faith and patience of many a precious soule though blessed be God we heare it only with our eares and see it not with our eyes nor feele it to our hearts but a time may come one grace fits not for every temptation no more then one shooe for every foot or one garment for every backe The Apostles harnesse in his Panoply g Eph. 6. from 10. to 19. that compleat sometime a Christian hath need of this grace sometime of another we know not which God will call us to exercise leave not a hoofe behind as in one grow in all and strengthen every one fearing and feeling the time bad to be worse be not unprovided consider the season and grow in grace 4. This will keep you true and stedfast to God to Christ and the principles of Religion that ye waver not in a corklike ventositie to the hazard of faith and a good conscience this will arme you against all delusions errours sinnes feares and keep you entire to Christ till you come for ever to be with him where is the Crowne of grace glory with which hee confirme you here and assure you hereafter for his owne name and glory sake Consider what I have said and the good Lord grant you a true understanding in all things that ye may grow in grace knowledge of Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever EPHES. Chap. 1. ver 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sins c. PAVL by the will of God separated to the Gospell for the Churches sake of the Gentiles renders the worke of his Ministry faithfull as to others to this Church of Ephesus which after his Apostolicall salute in the first and second verses doth magnifie the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ verse the third Amongst which precious excellencies this in the Text for the consolation of the faithfull in Christ is little inferiour to life everlasting this being the troublesome obstacle to a beleeving soule till it apprehend Jesus Christ in whom it hath redemption c. Doct. The Text contains this truth fully to redeeme from sinne cost no lesse then the bloud of Jesus Christ or the bloud of the Saviour is the redemption of the Saints That this is so why this is so and what use hereof are the three things I shall burthen your memory and patience with at this time That it is so appeares by the Text 1. In whom that is in Christ verse 3. in whom elected ver 4. predestinated unto adoption ver 5. in whom we are accepted ver 6. In whom redemption as in the Text We the Saints c. faithfull ver 1. blessed with all spirituall blessings ver 3. Select Paul elect Ephesians in Christ In whom we have redemption freedome full plentifull freedome the word in the Originall having a Preposition added speaks the perfection of the redemption To take redemption as in reference to the body or soule here body and soule hereafter no redemption but by Christ in whom full redemption Redemption is said to be fourefold First by Manumission as Lords their vassels freely discharging so Christ by his grace freely justifying a Rom. 3.24 Secondly by permutation or change as in warres so Christ himselfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the Tree b 1 Pet. 2.24 the wrath of the Father went downe in the Sonne to redeeme the Saints he suffered in his body that we might be redeemed in our soules so a redemption Thirdly by violent ablation so Abraham rcscued Lot so Christ redeemed his having spoiled Principallities and Powers blotting out the handwriting of Ordinances that was against us taking them out of the way c Col. 2.14 and through death destroyed him that had the power of death delivering them who through feare of death were all their life-time subject to bondage d Heb. 2.14 15. Fourthly by price and ransome so slaves and captives are redeemed from the thraldome of cruell Turks and the hands of barbarous enemies Thus Christ redeemeth his also captived under captivity yee are bought with a price e 1 Cor. 6.10 not with corruptible things of silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ himselfe that immaculate Lambe f 1 Pet. 1.18 19. In whom we have c. Through his bloud that is the shedding oblation of his bloud As in the Law the bloud of buls and goats sanctifyed to the purifying of the flesh so Christ by the sacrificing of his bloud obtained thorow sanctification g Heb 9.14 and eternall redemption verse the tenth In whom c. The forgivenesse of our sinnes That is Remission or as the word signifies retromission or sending backe againe from the soule to the first Originall the Father of all sinne A full remission from the defilement and destruction from the guilt and curse from the dominion and power by his bloud from the guilt of sinne and by his spirit from the power In a word from all that relates to or attends upon the