for nothing but the Love of God will make us deny that which is so near and pleasing to us or that Affection which grows upon the apprehension of his Grace in Christ therefore the Grace of God is said to teach us to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts Tit. 2. 12. 2. For the other Wile As Satan doth transform himself into an Angel of Light and cover his base Designs with plausible Pretences for instance Revenge shall be accounted Zeal He will difguise it so as that the very Apostles shall count it Zeal for the Glory of God when they called for Fire from Heaven to consume them even as Elias did Luke 9. 54. And Carnal Counsel shall be counted Pitty and Natural Affection Mat. 16. 22. Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord This shall not be unto thee He shall be the Devil's Agent to tempt Christ and his Carnal Counsel shall be looked upon as Pity to his Master And Licentiousness shall be Christian Liberty and our Liberty by Christ shall be used aâ— an occasion to the Flesh Gal. 5. 13. And an immoderate use of Carnal Pleasure shall be Christian Rejoicing or Christian Chearfulness Therefore as there needs Love to withstand the Potency of Temptation by the suitableness of the Bait to our own Affections so there needs the Fear of God Prov. 14. 27. The Fear of the Lord is a Fountain of Life to depart from the Snares of Death When the Devil by his Wiles is laying Snares for us Snares of Death the Fear of the Lord is a Fountain of Life A Man that is afraid to offend God and to abuse his Liberty or run into any Excess under colour of a Grace is very cautious and watchful and thereby is not so soon surprized Thus when the Soul is inflamed by the vehement heat of boyling Lusts or raging Despair Faith is necessary Luke 22. 31 32. Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Faith laying hold upon Christ's Righteousness and waiting for his Grace teaches us to overcome in such Conflicts But why should I instance in these three Graces only when we are bidden to put on the whole Armour of God Eph. 6. 11 13. If we would come off with Honour in this Conflict we must be compleatly armed no Power of the Soul or Sense of the Body must be left naked and without a Guard therefore not one saving Grace can be wanting A Christian is set forth as armed from Head to Foot There 's for the Head a Helmet of Salvation which is Hope a Breast-Plate of Righteousness the Girdle of Truth for Shoes the Gospel of Peace the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit These are the Graces necessary to resist Temptation and these we have from God A Christian hath not only Weapons Offensive but Defensive not only a Sword but also a Shiâ—ld Satan hath only Weapons Offensive as Darts he hath Darts to wound the Soul Again observe there is no piece of Armour for the Back why Because there is no Flight in this Spiritual Warfare we must stand to it Jam. 4. 7. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you But let us see what are the pieces of the Spiritual Armour The Apostle begins with the Girdle of Truth by which is meant not Truth of Doctrine for that 's the Sword of the Spirit but Sincerity or an honest Intention when a Man endeavoureth to be both to God and Man what he seems to be now it 's the Lord that must renew the right Spirit within us Satan he assaults us with Wiles but our Armour of Proof against him is the Girdle of Truth We stand against the Wiles of Satan but we must not fight against him with his own Weapons and put off Wiles with Wiles Sincerity and honest Intention that 's our Strength this is a Girdle to the Loins it gives Strength and Courage to the Soul And then there 's the Breast-Plate of Righteousness or that Grace which puts us upon a holy Conversation suitable to God's Will revealed in his Word whereby we endeavour to give God and Man their due it secures the Breast and Vital Parts the Seed of inherent Grace in the Heart an honest fixed purpose to obey God in all things The next thing the Feet must be shod we shall meet with rough Ways in our Passage to Heaven and what 's that which is Armour of Proof for our Feet The Preparation of the Gospel of Peace a Sense of our Peace and Friendship made up between God and us through Christ without this we shall never follow God in the way of Duty when we meet with Difficulties and Hardships But above all take the Shield of Faith a Shield covers the Body but that which gives Defence to all is Faith without this a Man is naked destitute of Christ's imputed Righteousness he wants his Covenant-Strength it applyeth Christ's Righteousness and engageth the Power of God on our behalf Then there 's the Helmet of Salvation which is Hope 1 Thess. 5. 8. A well-grounded hope of Salvation it makes us hold up the Head in the midst of all Waves and sore Assaults that is it is our great Motive and Encouragement in the work of Sanctification Then there 's the Sword of the Spirit which is both Offensive and Defensive it wardeth off Satan's Blows and makes him fly black from us as one wounded and ashamed These are the Graces now God gives them to us and therefore he is called The God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. Why because he requires it only No but because he giveth it also And it is called The Armour of God vers 11. God is the Author God is the Maker God is the Inventer of this Armour and he doth freely bestow it upon us The Apostle bids us Take the whole Armour of God vers 13. that is take it out of God's Hand this Armour is not of our making and procuring but made to our Hands by God himself Secondly He actuates these Graces by putting good Motions into our Hearts or sweet and gracious Thoughts whereby all the fore-mentioned Graces are drawn out When we are conflicting with Sin in an Hour of Temptation Faith is set a-work That God may fulfil all the good pleasure of his Goodness and the work of Faith with power 2 Thess. 1. 11. that is by a Divine Power and Influence quickning it into Acts. Ioseph when he was aâ—saulted by a grievous Temptation he had a gracious Motion and thought put into his Mind How can I do this Wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. Still there is a seasonable remembrance of things by the Spirit whose office it is to bring all things to remembrance Ioh. 14. 26. The Spirit doth not only teach us all things but brings thingâ— to our remembrance when we have need of any Truth to be set home upon the
Lord to whom I have entirely given up my self in a way of Subjection This is a Sign you are brought under his Government 8. None can obey his Laws but by the virtue and power of his Spirit The new Covenant it is not only a Law but the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ so it is called by the Apostle Rom. 8. 2. It is not a bare literal Command that shall urge us to Duty but it giveth strength and efficacy to the Heart Other Kings they give Laws that Men may keep them by their own Strength But now Christ he would be owned as a King not only in a way of Subjection but establish a constant Dependance He is a King not only to require but to give Repentance Acts 5. 31. not only to make a Law but to write and work a sense of this new Govenant-Gift upon the Heart Heb. 8. 10. He doth not only set up his Ordinances Laws Constitutions but there is Power goeth along with the Dispensation of this Kingdom and thereby we are fitted and enabled to love serve and please God and then are we under the Kingdom of God when we are under the spiritual Power of it It is not only necessary to obey his Laws but that we do it by virtue of his Power and Spirit The Kingdom of God stands not in Word but in Power 1 Cor. 4. 20. That we may both acknowledg his Authority and wait for his Strength This is a true Submission when we look for all from him and serve him in the strength of his own Grace 9. All those that act through the virtue and power of his Spirit they do unfeignedly seek his Glory and make Christ to be not only their Principle but their End for having a new Principle they have a new Tendency acting in the Power of the Spirit their Hearts are carried out to seek Christ's Interest and Christ's Glory when they can say with the Apostle Phil. 1. 21. To me to live is Christ when their whole Business is to set up Christ. We set up our selves in the room of Christ if he be not at the end of all 2 Thess. 1. 11 12. That God might fulfill all the good Pleasure of his Goodness and the Work of Faith with Power and that Christ may be glorified in you If you have the Power of Christ's Kingdom this will be the immediate Result and Issue of it that Christ may be honoured and set up not only as a Law-giver and Fountain of Grace but as the last End If to us to live is Christ then is the Kingdom of God come into our Heart For this we pray that the Lord would so break the Yoke and Government of Satan that we may receive the Lord Iesus into our Heart that we may come under the Awe of his Laws and in the Power of his Grace may seek his Kingdom and Glory To conclude All this Grace is offered to you if you refuse the Offer your Condition is worse than if it had never been tendred to you The Lord hath sent his Son to help you out of the Power of the Devil and bring you in Heart and Life again to himself if you refuse this then This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light John 3. 19. The Lord Jesus when he comes in flaming Fire to render Vengeance it shall be upon them that do not obey his Government 2 Thess. 1. 8. that did not acknowledg God to be their Sovereign There will be a sore Vengeance on them which had the Gospel tendred and this wonderful Provision brought home to them and left to their Choice and yet have turned their Backs upon it Secondly We beg the Continuance of it that he would maintain this Kingdom in our Heart and preserve us in this State for those which can call God Father are still to say Thy Kingdom come It is not enough to go to Christ to begin it but to carry it on and to keep and preserve us unto his heavenly Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 18. That we may not revolt to the Devil's Side after we have chosen God for our God and so our latter End be worse than our Beginning Thirdly We pray for the Increase of it that it may get ground more and more There are some Reliques of the Kingdom of Darkness yet left and there is something wanting to the Kingdom of Grace we are troubled and molested still Tho Sin doth not get the Throne tho the Regency of it is cast down yet it is not cast out in regard of Inherence Sin shall not have Dominion over you that is all we can hope for Rom. 6. 14. We cannot hope for an Extinction of Sin but only that it shall not have Dominion As the Beasts in Dan. 7. 12 tho their Dominion was taken away yet their Lives were prolonged for a season and time The Reign Power and Dominion of Sin is taken down yet it continues for our Exercise and Molestation Now we desire he might rule in us by his Grace and that of the Increase of his Government there may be no End II. For the Kingdom of Glory which in this private Consideration as it concerns each Person is to begin at Death And when we desire the coming of the Kingdom of Glory we do two things we express our Readiness for it or our Desire after it 1. Our Readiness for it at least the Kingdom of God is ready for us if we were ready for it as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4. 5. God is ready to judg but we are not ready to be judged And therefore we read of the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for us and of Men prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven It is prepared for the Saints Mat. 25. 34. A Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World And the Saints prepared for it Rom. 9. 23. Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory And this is that which the Apostle gives thanks for unto the Father which hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1. 12. Before we come to Heaven there is a Right to Heaven we are made meet more mortified and weaned from present Things often in Communion with God here and so for ever with the Lord hereafter We are still to have our Eyes to our Rest and happy State that we may be made ready for it We express our Readiness or we beg it 2. That we may express our Desires after the Enjoyment of it A Christian is to desire the Company of Christ. Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And he is to hasten the coming of the Day of God 2 Pet. 3. 12. Now because this cannot be but by our Death therefore here we may examine a Case or two Case 1. First about longing for Death Is it lawful to desire Death The Law doth not
only forbid Acts but Thoughts and Desires therefore is it lawful to long for Death Answer Yes but yet we are not anxiously to long after it till the time come not to grow weary of Life our of Desperation and Tiresomness of the Cross as Ionah did chap. 4. 3. but in order to God's Glory and Accomplishment of our Happiness See more at large Psal. 119. vers 17. pag. 104. Case 2. Secondly Do all that have an Interest in Christ desire to die Is not Death terrible Certainly Death is terrible both as a natural and a penal Evil. As in it self it is the Curse of the Covenant and as it depriveth us of Life the chiefest Blessing Yet we should train up our selves in an expectation of Death we should look and long for it that when the time is come we might be willing to give up our selves into the hands of God It is required of a Christian that he should not only be passive in his own Death to die in Peace but active How to hasten his Death No but to resign up himself willingly into the hands of God that his Soul might not be taken away but given up and commended to God We should be willing to be in the Arms of Christ to be there where he is to behold his Glory If Christ had such a good-will to Men as that he longed to be with us solacing his Heart with the thought of it before all Worlds Prov. 8. 31. He was thinking of us how he should come down and converse with Men Surely we should not be so backward to go to Christ. And therefore as Iacob's Spirit revived when he saw the Chariots Ioseph sent to carry him into Egypt so our Hearts should be more chearful and comfortable when Death approacheth Especially since Death is ours it is changed therefore we should be framing our selves to such a temper of Heart by degrees that we might be ready Vse 1. For Reproof to those that would be glad in their Hearts if Christ's Kingdom would never come As to the Kingdom of Grace in the external Administration they hate the Light and will not come to the Light lest their Deeds should be reproved Iohn 3. 20. A wicked Man is loth to be troubled God's Witnesses are the Worlds Torment Rev. 11. 10. They tormented them that dwelt on the Earth A Man that is bodily blind would have a sit Guide but these wretchedly blind Sinners nothing so troublesom and hateful to them as one that would lead them to the Kingdom of God And then as to Internal Grace when this Kingdom of Heaven breaks in upon their Hearts when any Light and Power darts in they seek to put it out they resist the Holy-Ghost Acts 7. 51. and refuse his Call And for the Kingdom of Glory they say It is good to be here and would not change their Portion here for their Portion in Paradise Vse 2. To exhort us to desire the Coming of Christ's Kingdom to our selves If you have any Love to the Lord's Glory or your own Good you should do it Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the Door and knock If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Will you not open to God that hath the best Right Will you not set open the doors to the King of Glory When Christ comes to bring entertainment to you to sup with you Again all Men will they nill they are subject to Christ either they must come and touch his Golden Scepter or feel the Bruises of his Iron Mace they must own him as King Every Knee shall bow Phil. 2. 10. Therefore be more willing to have the Kingdom of Glory come Again if God be not your King you will have a worse Master every Sin every Lust Tit. 3. 3. Serving divers Lusts and Pleasures You will be at the Beck of every Lust and carnal Motion and the Devil will be your Master to purpose for upon the refusal of Christ's Government there 's a Judicial Tradition you are given up to your own Hearts Lusts. Psal. 81. 12. Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Counsels And to Satan to be insnared by him 2 Tim. 2. 26. Taken captive by him at his Will and Pleasure Not to buffet them as Paul was but to ensnare and harden their Hearts Again if you be not subject to God you go about to make God subject to you in effect You would have the Kingdom of Glory and yet continue in your Lusts. Isa. 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy Sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities When you would have God patient hold his hand and be merciful to you and yet would continue in your Lusts then you make God serve with your Sins Again many temporal Inconveniencies will follow if we do not give way to the Kingdom of Christ to seize upon us when we make no difference between God's Service and the Service of other Lords then he gives us up to the Service of Men to a foreign Enemy to an oppressive Magistrate or breaks the Staff of Government among Men that we might know what it is to be under his Service and Government Therefore give willing Entertainment to the Kingdom of Christ. So much for the private Consideration of this Request Thy Kingdom come that is to us and our Persons both the Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory Secondly Having spoken of the Kingdom of Christ in a private now I come to speak of it in a publick Consideration And that is twofold 1. The publick visible Administration of the Kingdom of Grace 2. The publick and solemn Administration of the Kingdom of Glory at the Day of Judgment when Enemies shall have their final Doom and Saints have their Crowns set upon their Heads in the sight of all the World I shall speak of both but because the Discourse may be more fresh and lively upon other Texts 1. The publick visible Administration of the Kingdom of Grace on Psal. 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the Walls of thy Jerusalem 2. The Kingdom of Glory on Rev. 22. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Iesus For the first Tho the Church be never so afflicted Psal. 102. 14. when all is defaced as to external appearance lying in a ruinous Heap yet it is beloved and pitied by God's Servants Thy Servants take Pleasure in her Stones and favour the Dust thereof There is nothing God's People desire so much as Zion's Welfare Psal. 106. 54. That I may see the Good of thy Chosen that I may rejoyce in the Gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine Inheritance And David in this Psalm Psal. 51. 18. having prayed for himself prayeth for Mercy to the Church and State Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion build
Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way naâ—lâ—ng it to his Cross. He hath disannull'd the Law which binds to suffer the Wrath of God The Law was the Bond by which our Death was ratified 3. There is requir'd an unfeigned purpose to forsake Sin He that hath been released of his Debt must not still run into new Arrears Christ never blotted out our Debts that we might renew them and go on upon a new Score of offending God again this is to dally with God to run into the Snare when he hath broken it for us and given us an escape to plunge our selves into new Debts again In this Prayer Forgive us our Debts then presently Lead us not into Temptation Therefore we must purpose to forsake Sin otherwise we do not draw nigh to God with a true Heart Heb. 10. 22. We do but deal falsely with God in all the Confessions we make and in all the Pleas of Faith unless there be an unfeigned purpose to renounce all Sin and cast it off as a thing that will undo our Souls Thus Christians must you sue out your Release and Discharge in your Surety's Name Vse 1. The Use is first to shew us the Misery of an impenitent unpardoned Sinner he hath a vast Debt upon him that will surely undo him unless he doth in time get a Discharge He is bound over to suffer the Wrath of God for evermore and no Hand can loose him but God's Many times they think of no such matter and cry Peace Peace to themselves but it is not the Debtor which must cancel the Book but the Creditor Have you a discharge from God where 's your legal Qualification poor Creatures what will you do Many take care that they may owe nothing to any Man Oh! but what do you owe to God To live in doubt and in fear of an Arrest O what Misery is that But when Sin lieth at the Door ready to attach you every moment and hale you to the Prison of Hell that 's most dreadful Therefore think of it seriously how do Accounts stand between God and you Sinners are loth to think of it When the Lord came to reckon with his Servants Mat. 18. 24. it is said One was brought to him which ow'd him ten thousand Talents He was loth to come to an account he would fain keep out of the way but he was brought to him So we are unwilling to be call'd to account we shift and delay and will not think of our Misery but the putting off Sin will not put it away our not thinking of our Misery will not help us out and will not be a Release and Discharge 2. If Sins be Debts and an increasing Debt so that Man is ever treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath it presseth us to be more careful to get out of this Condition Saith Solomon Prov. 6. 3 4 5. If thou beest in debt flee as a swift Roe from the hand of the Hunter and as a Bird from the hand of the Fowler O it 's a sad thing to lie in our Sins If you be under this Debt Give not Sleep to thine Eyes nor Slumber to thine Eye-lids get away like the swift Roe from the hand of the Hunter c. And what I say concerning a State of Sin I say concerning daily Failings make your Peace with God betimes if you have contracted a new Debt make all even between God and your Souls that you may not sleep in your Sins 3. This should make us more cautious that we do not commit Sin Why it is a Debt that will render you obnoxious to the Wrath of God in it self it merits eternal Death O therefore sin no more do not run again into the Snare When you give way to Sin you hazard the Comfort of your Acquittance by Christ Psal. 85. 8. The Lord will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly If the Lord hath given you your Peace and some hope of your being discharged of this heavy Debt take heed of medling with forbidden Fruit and running into debt again 2. From the Subject or Persons which make this Prayer Forgive us Observe Doct. Even those that call God Father ought to beg daily and humbly Pardon of their Sins Forgive Vs who is that Vs that can say in Faith Our Father daily For this is a Patern for daily Prayer as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the former Petition noteth We need beg for Christ hath taught us here to sue out our Discharge In which begging there is an Exercise of Faith eying Christ Rom. 3. 25. God hath set forth him to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood And there is an Exercise also of Repentance as to mourning for Sin 1 Iohn 1. 9. and Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his Sin shall have Mercy and as to loathing of Sin Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out And certainly it must be humbly begged for if we seek Pardon we must seek it in God's way We do not beg God to rescind and make void his Laws and those wise Constitutions he hath appointed whereby the Creature shall receive this Grace and the manner wherein he will deal and transact this business with the offending Creature But we seek it as exercising our renewed Repentance that is mourning for Sin and loathing of Sin But of this more hereafter Now that the best of God's Children should be dealing with God about a Pardon of their Sins I shall argue it 1. From the Necessity 2. The Utility and Profit of such a Course First The Necessity of this will appear two ways 1. From the Condition of God's Children here in the World 2. From the way wherein God will give out a Pardon 1. From the Condition of God's Children here in this World The best are not so fully sanctified in this Life but there is some Sin found in them Not only they who walk with no Care but even they that set the most narrow watch over their Ways they are not so sanctified but they need daily to go to God 1. They have Original Sin which remaineth with them to the last they have the sinning Sin which the Apostle speaks of Paul complains of the body of Death Rom. 7. 23 24. Who shall deliver me from it The Hebrews were wont to propound their Wishes by way of Question as O that Salvation were come out of Sion It is in the Hebrew Who shall bring Salvation out of Zion So Who will lead me into Edom That is O that I were led into Edom that I might display the Banner there because of God's Truth So who shall deliver me from the body of this Death that is O that I were delivered Where the Reign of Sin is broken yet there it remains though it be cast down in regard of