into the Land of Canaan first the sentnece of death is put upon both these their Males are to be cutt off from Egypt and before they come into Canaan they must go into a howling wildernesse thus the sentence of death passes first upon the mercy before they do come to it And was it not thus with David David had a Kingdome promised him that he should be the King of Israel but first of all David must be thrust out of the Kingdome he must into the wildernesse he must be hunted up and down there like a partridge David must be a Traitor first before he can be a King and David must be a Rebell first in the eyes of the King before he can come to the Kigndome and to the Throne he had the mercy afterward but first the sentence of death was put upon it So Job a great and a large and a comfortable Estate that God gave unto him but first he is plundered and spoiled of all a sentence of death passes upon all his comforts And is not this Gods dealing with his People still look I pray into the 11. of the Revelation and ye shall see how the two witnesses are to fare After three days and an half at the 11. v. the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them and they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them Rev. 11. come up hither But I pray marke they are kild first at the latter end of the 7. verse He shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City which spiritually is call'd Sodome and Egypt and they of the People and Kingreds and Tongues and Nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves There is a Spirit of life enters into them afterwards I but first of all a sentence of death passes upon them this is Gods way and manner of dealing with his People with the children of Abraham with those that are true Beleevers What Reason for it This seemes somewhat strange Not a blessing or a mercy of any great importance or concernment but the sentence of death passes upon it first What Reason for this Why is God pleased to take this way with his owne people the Children of Abraham First of all Reas 1 God doth so give blessings and mercies unto his own people as That he may be most of all seene therein Beloved God doth not onely give us these outward creature-comforts for to supply our Wants but to beare up the honour of his owne greatnesse You have not fish out of the water onely to supply your wants nor fruit from the earth onely to supply your wants nor light from the Sun only to supply your wants but to beare up the honour of Gods greatnesse also When he gives unto his people he does give in such a way as may most of all bear up the honour of his own greatnesse if it were only to supply their wants then possibly the sentence of death should never come upon the second cause but now it is also to beare up his own honour the honour of his own greatnesse and that is done this way Hereby God is known to to be a living God so long as there is life in the meanes God is not so well known to be a living God but when all meanes are dead and yet the mercy comes Oh! sayes a soule now I see that God is a living God Hereby the Power of God is made known he must needs be great in power that can say to things that are not Bee and give a Resurrection unto dead things so long as there is strength and ability in the meanes men do not so much consider the power and the All-suffciency of God but when all meanes are strengthlesse and all meanes are dead and yet the mercy comes Oh! sayes a soule now I see that God is a God Almighty God All-sufficient Hereby he is made known under the name of Jehovah a Being that gives a Being unto all other Beings faithfull in fulfilling his promise so long as there is a being in the second cause and in the meanes God is not known by the name Jehovah but when there is a sentence of death put upon the second cause and yet the mercy comes Oh! now sayes a soul I see that God is Jehovah a Being that gives a Being to all other Beings Therefore God does it 2. Reas And then againe secondly God does go this way with his people with beleevers the children of Abraham That they may learne more to trust unto him to trust unto God alone You know what the Apostle sayes in the first of Timothy the fifth chapter and firth verse She that is a widdow and desolate trusteth in God We seldome trust in God till a desolation come upon the meanes A widdow that is desolate trusteth in God when desolation comes upon the meanes then we learne for to trust in God One that does learne to swimme so long as he can touch the bottome can touch the earth with his foote he does not commit himselfe unto the streame but when he can feele no bottome then he commits himselfe unto the mercy of the waters Now so long as a man can stand upon the second cause he can feele the bottom with his feete he does not commit himselfe to the streame of mercy but when once the second cause is gone and he cannot feele the bottome then he commits himselfe unto the streame of mercy And you shall see the Apostle gives you this account of it in the second of Corinths the first chapter and the ninth verse But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead This is another reason why God is pleased to go this way Againe Reas 3 Thirdly It is fit that all beleevers should be conformable to Jesus Christ It was thus with Christ we read in that second of the Philippians of our Lord and Saviour That God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every name But see first of all a sentence of death passes upon his name He was made of no reputation verse the seventh he was made of no name first And being of no reputation tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of man wherefore God hath highly exalted and given him a name which is above every name He brought salvation life to ligth he spoil'd Satan but first of all he was spoil'd himselfe and a sen tence of death passes upon him before he brought things unto life and he gives you to understand thus much himself here he holds forth himselfe for our example in the twelfth chapter of John sayes he at the
rise again how shall one know that are there no meanes to know it whether a Mercy shall rise againe when the sentence of death is upon it I shall speake but two things unto that briefly A Christian may have some perswasion of the Resurrection of his Mercy when the sentence of death is put upon it Answ 1 by the frequent visitings of the promise marke when God intends any speciall Mercy to his people he gives out a promise then comes the sentence of death but if he intends to fulfill the promise he does cause the promise frequently to visit the Soule even when the sentence of death is upon the businesse often to knock at the doore of the Soule When there is Good-will between two Young people kept from marrying by their Parents and the Young man often is at the house ye say surely if the Parents were but dead there would be a marriage quickly by the frequent visitings So now when the promise does frequently visit the Soule in the time when the sentence of death is upon the businesse it argues that the Mercy is not quite dead Moses had a promise in a vision the Bush burning and not consuming Israel in Egypt and not destroyed Moses he carries this promise along with him in his bosome indeed we do not reade of it till Moses comes to die and when Moses comes to blesse the People Deu. 33.16 The good will of him that dwelt in the Bush be with you This same promise kept Moses company all along and though the sentence of death was often put upon the businesse yet notwithstanding in that the Mercy came and visited him it argued that this promise was not quite dead So by the frequent Visitings of the same promise Job 14.9 Though the Tree be cutt down yet through the sent of those waters it shall rise again But especially in the second place A Christian may have some comfortable perswasion that the Mercy is not dead but sleepeth By the First-fruits of the promise When the Jews kept the Feast of the First-fruits they knew that the Harvest was not farre off And so when the First-fruits of a Mercy comes we may know that the Mercy or blessing is not farre off Beloved God does use to give the First-fruits of a blessing before the great blessing comes It 's a good speech of one sayes he God does with the same seale seale divers matters one Mercy is made a seale to another God does give one Mercy as a pledge of another and as a seal of another And so our Saviour Christ does in that 9. Chapter of Matthew we reade of a certain Ruler that came to him for his Daughter and he said at the 18. verse My Daughter is ever now dead but come and lay thine hand upon her and shee shall live Here was his unbeliefe that he should say Come and lay thine hand upon her Christ could have healed her without coming to her But Jesus arose and followed him And behold a woman at the 20. verse which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years came behind him and touched the hem of his garment Jesus turned him about and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole from that same houre And when Jesus came into the Rulers house and saw the Minstrels and the People making a noise He said unto them Give place for the maid is not dead but fleepeth And they laught him to scorne He did a miracle in the way as a pledge unto them that he would do this miracle also that he would raise up his daughter and by this miracle that he did in the way he did give them a seale of the miracle following of the Mercy following Thus he does many times Thus he dealt by David the Lord made David a promise of the Kingdome to give him the Kingdome bring him to the Throne David he is thrust out into the Wildernesse well when he is there Saul he persecutes him hunts him Saul comes so neare him as that Saul is on one side the hill and he on the other nearer But even there Saul is delivered into the hand of David This now this Mercy here in the Wildernesse was a pledge to him of the Kingdome afterward So now is it with you hath the Lord given you a promise of some great blessing or some great Mercy and thereupon does the sentence of death come upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it In the interim between the promise and the fulfilling does the Lord deliver you from some affliction that rises up in your way the Interim-mercy the deliverance being of the same nature with the Mercy promised is a pledge unto you that the Mercy shall rise againe though the sentence of death be now upon it And thus you should look upon things But while I am upon this 'T is enough for the Reliance of the Soule upon God A may be of Mercy I say a may be of Mercy is enough for the act of Reliance And this Doctrine alwayes hold forth this truth unto you that there is a may be because when God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing or Mercy to the children of Abraham he does first of all put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the means that do lead unto it Shall we not then waite upon him keep silence in the day of trouble I 'le give you two or three incouragements hereunto and so I will winde up all Beloved The sentence of death you say is upon the Mercy or the blessing that you do much desire If ever the Mercy rise and the grave-cloathes be taken off it shall be the choisest Mercy that ever you had in all your lives Abraham had divers sons but the jewell was Isaac the dead Mercy Hannah had divers children but who like Samuel the found Mercy Mercy once lost and then found is a choise Mercy it is the greatest Mercy First I say If ever you come to find the Mercy you have lost if ever that rise which the sentence of death is put upon it shall be the greatest Mercy Job had a good Estate but when all was plunder'd a sentence of death came upon all when he came to his comforts and his Estate againe then it was done Some have observed concerning Joseph that according to the severall links of his Affliction were the pearles in the crown of his Mercy Ther 's observed some eight or nine I shallnot have time to inlarge my self in them onely thus Joseph he is sold by his Brethren into Egypt Answerable unto that Josephs Brethren come down to Egypt and worship before him Joseph is accused for wronging his Mistrisse sad reproaches cast upon him Answerable to that a Herauld proclaimes before him This is the man whom the King honours Joseph is thrown into prison the irons enter
to Marah they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called Marah And the people murmured against Moses saying what shall we drinke and he cried unto the Lord and the Lord shewed him a tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet The speciall waters and blessings of Gods people come to them thus Againe the sentence of death may be put upon your mercy in another mans hand It was a great mercy even to Isaac that by him all the Nations of the world should be blest but the sentence of death was put upon this mercy in Abrahams hand as well as in his owne Thou comest it may be to the preaching of the word and thou art converted by such a sermon thou doest not see how the sentence of death was put upon this mercy before thou hadst it may be the sentence of death was put upon it in the Ministers hand in the Preachers hand may be he had laid aside those Doctrines and those Truths and thought to preach upon another matter may be the sentence of death was put upon thy mercy in his hand so sometimes it is in another mans hand Againe though the sentence of death be put upon a mercy before a beleever comes to it yet it is much according to the life of the mercy that is afterward If the life be great the death is great If the life be small the death is small And sometimes the sentence of death falls mostly upon the apprehension as it was with Hagar she was in the wildernesse and she thought she should die for want of water only said she I won't see my child die and there was a Well by So that now here the sentence of death lay mostly upon her own apprehension And thus you have it also with Joshua of whom you reade in the first of Ioshua the Lord makes him a great promise now therefore arise sayes he at the second verse go over this Iordan thou and all this people every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto you And at the latter and of the fift verse I will be with thee I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Now if you look into the seventh Chapter you find that Joshua had rent his clothes in the sixt verse and fell to the earth upon his face before the arke of the Lord untill even-tide and Ioshua said alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Iordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan why what 's the matter you read there went up 3 thousand men of the Israelites and thirty six men of them were smote by the men of Ai. Here was cause now of fear but no cause of such expressions as did fall from Ioshua a sentence of death passes upon the mercy but it lay mostly upon the apprehension of Ioshua Sometimes it fals more upon the apprehension and lesse upon the thing sometimes it fals more upon the thing and lesse upon the apprehension but alwayes more or lesse when God intends any great or speciall mercy to his people to the children of Abraham he does first cause the sentence of death to passe upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it You will say then Quest why does God give the promise I confesse this is true I seldome had any great mercy in all my dayes but first of all the sentence of death came upon it But one thing seemes very strange to me that the Lord should give out a promise first a promise given out and then comes the sentence of death upon the mercy and upon the meanes that do lead unto it What should be the meaning of this why does the Lord deal thus give out a promise first A promise is given out twice At the first Answ 1 before we do use the meanes to incourage us thereunto Afterwards upon some incouragements that we do meet with in the use of means When the Lord does first give out the promise a sentence of death then passes that he may shew you where the mercy lies As the mother does deale by her child showes the child where the meat stands child thou art not yet fit for it thou shalt have it in due time look here it stands Or as a father that showes the child where the money lies child time is not yet but there the money lies ther 's the bag it 's in none shall take it from thee So does God do you thinke that the Mercy lies in the second cause No sayes God here here 's the bag that it lies in Therefore he does first give out the promise that he may tell the soule where the Mercy lies show the soule where it is And then againe Answ 2 God does therefore give out the promise notwithstanding the sentence of death because he intends not to give the Mercy presently You think it may be that assoone as you have a promise set on upon your heart you shall presently injoy the Mercy Nay but God does therefore give you a promise because you shall not have it presently As for Example If I would pay a man my money down presently I would not give him a bond but my very giving him a bond argues I am not to pay him presently So the Lord he gives out a promise and you thinke now you must have it presently No sayes the Lord but because a sentence of death is to come and thou shalt not have it presently therefore I give out the promise And againe thirdly Answ 3 God does therefore give out the promise notwithstanding his sentence of death that your hearts may be borne up against all discouragements when the wombe of the second Cause shall be dead God sees that his child or servant is going to a great storme ther 's such a child of mine sayes God he is going into a great storme and his Faith will be put to a great stresse therefore I will furnish him with Cables and good Anchors I 'le throw him out a promise You thinke because God gives you a promise because God gives you Cables because God gives you Anchors therefore you shall come to land presently the Lord does therefore give you a promise because he does see that a storme is coming you mistake the way of God in his promise this is Gods way he gives out a promise and then causes the sentence of death to passe upon the businesse and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it I come unto the Application Whilst I stand upon this truth Applicat me thinkes I see matter of great and everlasting incouragement to all the Saints and people of God be not discouraged but rather keep silence waite and stay upon God when the darkest times go over your
99. 101 What good a Christian receives hence 1 Jesus Christ is made our strength Page 104 2 We are moved to love him ibid 3 To live in dependance upon him ibid 4 To walk humbly before him ibid 5 To be fruitful Page 105 Application What infinite cause have we to advance the Name of Jesus Christ Page 106 How may this be done 1 By offering up our own christ to him Page 107 2 Account it a great honour to belong unto him ibid 3 Give not the worst but alwaies the best to him Page 108 4 Despise not the choice work of Christ ibid 5 Trust alwaies in him ibid 6 So to walk that the men of the world may speak well of the waies of God Page 109 7 Own Christ Page 110 8 Be willing to stoop to any work for Jesus Christ though it lie below your condition SERMON VI John 1.16 Doct. Whatsoever grace or holiness there is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in the Saints that is answerable thereunto Page 113 Proved Reason 1 Because there is a blessed union between Christ and every Christian Page 115 Reason 2 Jesus Christ is our second Adam a common person between God and us Page 117 Reason 3 There is an incomparable love between Christ and a Christian ibid Reason 4 There is the same spirit in a Christian that is in Christ Page 119 Object How can this be Answered Page 120 Application 1 How many persons there are that live under the Gospel and have no interest in Jesus Christ Page 122 Instanced 1 In prophane people ibid 2 In meerly Civil and morral people ibid 3 In Hypocrites Page 123 Application 2 What a blessed thing it is for people to be in Christ Page 123 Quest What is our duty that flows from hence Answ 1. Be not proud of it Page 124 2. Improve it Page 125 1 By beholding it ibid 2 By imitating it ibid 1 By bearing witness to the truth ibid 2 By stooping to any work though below us ibid 3 By being much in prayer ibid 4 By not knowing our natural relations ibid 5 Having an high esteem of the Saints though never so low Page 126 6 So exercising one grace as that we may exercise another ibid 7 Being a lambe in our cause a lyon in Gods ibid 8 In sufferings 1 Not till we are called ibid 2 When we are called not to be put out of the way ibid 3 To have regard to other mens goods ibid 4 To be more sensible of Gods withdrawings than of al other pains ibid Application 3 How infinitely we are bound to God the Father for our Lord Jesus Christ Page 128 Gods two great gifts were 1 He gave the world to man 2 He gave Jesus Christ to the world ibid Application 4 Be contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all his sufferings SERMON I Romans 4.19 Text opened Page 152 Doct. 1. When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any special blessing to beleevers he doth first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the means that lead unto it Page 154 Proved Reason 1 That he may be most seen therein Page 156 Reason 2 That the Saints may learn to trust to God alone Page 157 Reason 3 That they may be conformable to Jesus Christ Page 158 Reason 4 That their comforts may be the more sure and stedfast ibid Objections answered Page 159 Cautions 1Vnderstand this concerning great and spiritual blessings Page 160 2 The sentence of death may be put upon the blessing in another mans hand Page 161 3 It is much according to the life of the mercy that come afterward Page 162 Quest Why doth God first give the promise Answ 1 To shew us where the mercy lies Page 163 2 Because he doth not intend we shall have it presently ibid 3 That our hearts may be born up against all discouragements Page 164 Application Rest upon God in the darkest times Page 164 Quest How shall I know the mercy will revive again Answ There are two acts of faith 1 Reliance 2 Assurance Accordingly there are two objects of faith 1 A may be of mercy 2 A shall be of mercy A may be of mercy causeth Reliance A shall be of mercy causeth Assurance Reliance causeth quietness Assurance causeth joy ibid Waies to know whether mercies shall rise again or not 1 By the frequent visitings of the promise Page 167 2 By the first fruits of the promise Page 168 Encouragements to wait 1 If ever it rise it will be the choicest mercy we had in all our lives Page 170 2 It will be the surest mercy ibid 3 It will be the sweetest mercy Page 171 SERMON II Rom. 4.19 Doct. When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the means that leads to it it is the duty of the sons of Abraham to trust in God and not stand poring upon the means and deadness thereof Page 174 Divided into three propofitions and cleered 1 A meer rational considering of the means and the deadness thereof is a great enemy to beleeving cleered Page 174 2 When all means fail and seem to lie dead then it is the duty of all the sons of Abraham to beleeve cleered Page 177 3 Thus to beleeve when all means fail is exceeding well pleasing and acceptable to God cleared Page 180 Application What an encouragement is here to to live above hope and under hope Page 183 Object We are afraid to beleeve when means fail because God hath commanded us to use the means Answered Page 184 1 It may be God takes away the means to try thy faith Page 185 2 God doth never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants ibid 3 If all the means fail faith is a means to a means Page 186 4 Look what way God is used to walk in towards you in that way you may boldly expect him ibid Object I should prosume if I should trust in God when means fail Answered Page 188 SERMON III Rom. 4.19 Doct. True saving faith carries the soul through all difficulties Page 192 Cleered 1 In that the wy to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties Page 193 2 True saving faith will carry a man through them all Page 195 3 Nothing but faith can do it For 1. Conviction of the good waies of God cannot Page 200 2 Resolution will not ibid 3 Morral vertues will not Page 201 4 Gifts and parts Gospel enlargments cannot ibid 4 What it is in faith that doth it 1 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 2 It tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 3 It shews a man greater excellencies in Christ than all difficulties Page 204 4 It enables the soul to leave the success and event of all to God ibid 5 It is that grace whereby a soul takes up the yoke of Christ Page 205 6 It teacheth man to pick out the love of God from under the anger
Come and let us take our fill of love Come friends come company let us go unto such a Tavern or such a place where we may be fully merry Come O my soul take thy contentment in creature fulness there is enough there This robs Christ of the glory of all His fulness To carry away the custom of my thoughts unto another Shop from Christ argues that there is not enough in Christ alone Then beloved to conclude all Are there any here as I fear there may be too many that have thus robbed Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ whose fulness I have bin now preaching to you I beseech you in the fear of God go into your Chamber and be alone awhile and fall down before the Lord and say thus unto Him or to this purpose Oh! Lord I confess it hath bin so w th me I have thought that there hath not bin a sufficient rule for the Government of the Churches and herein I have wronged Christ in His Prophetical fulness and the Lord pardon this unto me Lord I confess also I haue said many times that my fins are so great that there is no hope for mercy that there is no hope for pardon herein I have wronged the Priestly fulness of Jesus Christ now the Lord pardon this unto me I confess Lord I have stinted thee and I have limitted thee and I have said many times in my hast if this means fail then England is undone the Church undone thus I have limitted thee Lord Oh! herein I have wrong'd thee and robbed Christ in His Kingly fulness Yea Lord I do acknowledge and I do confess I have gone to creature-comforts and my heart hath taken a content and complacency as if there were enough there but now I see there is a fulness in Jesus Christ the Lord pardon me that ever I let out my heart upon any creature-comfort upon any thing but Jesus Christ You that have bin guilty fall down and humble your selves before the Lord and consider that there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and labor to draw out this fulness from Him Which that you may so do think on all these things and the Lord blesse them to you SERMON II. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Wapping Aug. 17. 1646. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance into these Words in a neighbouring Congregation and shal now desire to go on where I left there The Words hold forth Three Great Grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we do receive Thirdly That we do receive of His Fulness even Grace for Grace The former Proposition I have dispatched and desire at this time to speak unto the second All we do receive of His Fulness Of His Fulness have all we received The difficulty that lies upon the Proposition is this Who are meant here by this All Wee Some there are that conceive that by those words we are to understand all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth because 't is said before in the beginning of the Chapter That He is the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world But though the thing be true that there is no Creature either in Heaven or Earth but more or lesse is beholding to Jesus Christ for if Christ had not stept in upon the fall Gods displeasure was so great against man that he would presently have broke up house and the sin of the fall was so heavie that it would have broken the very Axel-tree of the World if Jesus Christ had not put to His shoulder according to that of the Apostle Heb. 1.3 He bears up all with the Word of His Power yet notwithstanding all the Creatures in Heaven or Earth cannot be meant here by this All Wee for all the creatures in Heaven and Earth do not receive Grace they may be said to receive of the Fulnesse of Christ but not Grace for Grace But at the 12. verse 't is said as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the Sons of God euen to them that beleeve in his Name Now in Scripture phrase those are said to receive Christ Himself that do receive His Grace and those that receive His Grace receive Christ Himself Understand therefore by this All Wee those that receive Him as ye have it in the 12. verse which is explained to be Them that beleeve in His Name And then the Observation or Doctrine lies plain before us which is this That all the Saints and People of God Doct. do pertake of the Fulness of Christ in a way of receiving It falls a sunder into Two parts Thus First That there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I shall only speak unto the former at this time There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Of His Fulness all we receive mark There is a communication of the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers He is the second Adam which the Apostle Paul speaks of in the 1 Cor. 15. Chapter and the 45. verse The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit The whole world is divided into Two great Houses As once in this Kingdom There was the House of York And the House of Lancaster So now the whole world is divided into Two great Houses The House of the First Adam And the House of the Second Adam The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit that is look as the first Adam did communicate life unto all his seed So the second Adam does communicate Spiritual life and grace unto all his people As by the first Adam sin and sorrow and death came into the world and so upon all man-kind So by the second Adam grace and life and eternal life unto all Beleevers There is a dealing out a giving out of the fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers This will appear First of all by the Union that there is between Christ 1 Reason and a Beleever there is a glorious a blessed an incomparable union between Christ and every Beleever though he be never so weak though he be never so poor There is a union between the Root and the Branches and by vertue of that union the Root sends forth life and strength into all the Branches but yet notwithstanding the Root is not in the Branches nor the Branches in the Root mutually There is a union between the Head and the Members and by vertue of that union the Head hath an influence upon all the Members but yet the Head is not in the Members nor the Members in the Head But
upon these Words in some Neighbouring Congregations in the hearing of divers of you and my desire is to finish them here Having spoken of the former part of the verse And of His Fulness have al we received I come now unto the latter Clause Even Grace for Grace The great Question is upon these words What should be the meaning of them There are no lesse then Seven or Eight Interpretations that are given by men I shal presently tel you what I apprehend to be the meaning of them Three things I conceive may be specially held forth in these words They may note An Abundance of Grace that the Saints in the New Testament have from Jesus Christ The Vniversality of Grace And an Answerableness of Grace in every Christian unto the Graces of Jesus Christ I begin with the former at this time They seem to note an Abundance of Grace Of His Fulness all we have received even Grace for Grace that is Abundance of Grace This Interpretation that I might cleer up the meaning before I come to that which I intend to press it sutes with the like phrase of Scripture Job 2.4 Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life you know the place That is a man will give all his Skins all his Cattell and Skins for their Estates in those times did lie in Cattell much he wil give al his Skins though they be never so many he will give them all for to save his life Skin for Skin though he have never so many Skin for Skin Abundance of Skins Grace for Grace and Abundance of Grace Gratia gratiis accumelata This also sutes with the word And or Even 't is not barely said thus And of His Fulnes have al we received Grace for Grace but of His Fulnes have al we received Even Grace for Grace That is in great Abundance we have not only received Grace but we have received much Grace Even Grace for Grace This also sutes with the Title the Attribute that is here given to Christ and that is Fulness When God or Christ is mentioned in Scripture they are mentioned still under such a Title as sutes with the matter that is in hand and you may know what the matter in hand is by the Title Now the Title here that is given to Christ the Attribute that is given to Christ is Fulness Answerable unto that is Fulness of Grace in us or Abundance of Grace from Him This also sutes with the Scope of the place for here the Evangelist sets Christ above Moses shows how Christ does go beyond Moses the following verse coming in as a reason of this For the Law was given by Moses John 1.17 18. but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father He hath declared Him You have much by Moses but you have more by Christ you have Abundance of Grace by Christ This also is agreeable to other Scriptures where the same matter is spoken of If you look into the 5. of the Romans you shall find that the Apostle speaking of the free gift of Grace at the 15. verse saies That it hath Abounded unto many Much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Would you have the word Received joyn'd with Abundance Look into the 17. verse and there you reade For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which Receive Abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ All these things being thus laid together they argue unto me The main and special thing that is here intended is an Abundance of Grace of whose Fulness we have all received Even Grace for Grace All the Saints and People of God under the new Testament do receive Abundance of Grace from Jesus Christ Abundance of Grace Discovered Abundance of Grace Exhibited and Communicated to all the Saints he that hath the least measure of Gospel Grace hath Abundance of Grace from Jesus Christ Abundance of Grace is now Discovered That I may make that appear First It will appear if you consider the several Advances that Grace hath made from the beginning of the world to this day upon the children of men In the begining God made man perfect and righteous after His own Image Man falling from that Estate expos'd himself and all his posterity to the wrath of God for ever Then Grace steps in and makes it's first Advance into the world Gen. 3.15 The Seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Here Christ is preach't and preached to the greatest sinners Adam and Eve that had damn'd all the world And Jesus Christ is preach't immediately by God Himself One would think now that the Lord should rather have said to Adam Adam I made thee Perfect and Righteous thou might'st have kept thee so thou would'st not trust to Me Adam thou would'st trust unto the Devil Go now now thou art fallen go mend thy self if thou canst find out a better Master Adam Or if the Lord would have shown mercy to Adam one would think that He should have staied for Adams Repentance that Adam should first a cried Him mercy No but before ever this poor prodigal stirs one step unto his Father his Father runs out to meet him to overtake him The Lord Christ is preacht the Promise is propounded the free Grace of God is revealed Here was the first Advance that ever Grace made into the world But God who is rich in Grace was not satisfied with this but as in the fourth day He does gather up all the light that was scattered abroad in the world before into one body The Sun So now He does gather up all the beams of His Grace into one body The Covenant which He does make with Abraham Gen. 12.3 Gal. 3.16 John 56. And unto Abraham He saies In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the world be blessed In thy Seed saies the Apostle He does not say Seeds but Seed meaning Christ Abraham saw so much of Christ that our Lord saies He saw His day and rejoyced in it Here the Sun was gotten higher For now though Christ was preach't to Adam the Promise was propounded yet notwithstanding it was but barely propounded to Adam it was not applied And propounded in obscure terms to Adam too and rather given Threatning-wise against Satan then Promise-wise concerning them But now the Lord does professedly come and apply the Promise unto Abraham And in thy Seed which He does not give unto Abraham as Abraham as that Person but as a Common Person for all Beleevers Here was now a Second Advance that Grace made into the world But the Lord was not yet satisfied with this but causes His Grace to Advance higher in Moses time And unto Moses He speaks expresly Deut.
twenty third verse The time is come that the Sonne of man should be glorified Well but how Verely verely I say unto you except a corne of wheat fall to the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit Thus he comes to his glory he must die first and so he must come to glory If any man serve me sayes he at the twenty sixth verse Let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be This is the way that Christ went and this way God took with Christ Love loves to be like unto Jesus Christ and Faith loves to go in the garment of Jesus Christ as with him so with the Saints And then againe fourthly Reas 4 God is pleased thus to order things in the dispensations of his grace and mercy That the comforts of his people may be the more sure and stedfast If our comforts hang at the girdle of the creature they are most uncertaine but if they be laid up in God in his promise upon his power then they are certaine He that is engag'd in the crowd must be carried too and fro in the crowd And he that is in a ship must be carryed as the ship is If a man stand upon a banke of Ice he is apt to slide but if he stand upon dry ground he stands more sure All the second causes they make but a banke of Ice and when a man stnads on them and his comforts on them he is apt to slide the only dry ground is Gods power and Gods faithfulnesse and his promise That a mans comforts therefore may not slide but may be more sure and stedfast God takes this course with his people putting a sentence of death upon the mercy and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it before he gives it out unto the soule I but you will say Object This shakes the very foundation of all my comfort for it this be true That when God intends any speciall mercy to the children of Abraham he does first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it then surely I am none of the children of Abraham I never had any skpeciall mercy yet given unto me I do not find that it hath been so with me No what then Because your experience don't speake it Answ is it not therefore true Some would have the Sunne set by their watch and not their watch set by the Sunne some measure the truth of all the doctrines that they heare by their owne experience and if their owne experience speake them true then they are true otherwise not But I say what then It may be thou art a man or woman that the Lord never gave out a promise to thee not a promise to thy soule some there are in prayer that by the strength of their memory can reach in a promise and when Art and memory reaches in a promise into prayer the sentence of death does not then passe indeed but when the Lord gives out a promise to the soule then the sentence of death passes upon the businesse upon the mercy and upon the meanes that do lead unto it I appeal unto all the Saints here Whether ever had ye any great mercy in all your life but first of all there was a sentence of death past upon it and upon all the meanes that did lead unto it And therefore thought thou saiest this shakes the foundation of thy comfort truely better a rotten foundation should be shaken then stand But you will say Quest Is it so with the Saints in regard of all their Spirirtuall blessings too Yes Answ When ever did the Lord give an Ordiance to his people in the way of a speciall mercy but first of all the sentence of death came upon the businesse and upon all the means that did lead unto it When did the Lord ever give any grace to his people but first of all the sentence of death past when ever did the Lord give any incouragement in duty to any of his children but first a sentence of death past When ever did the Lord give any great injoyment of himselfe to any of his children but first a sentence of death past When ever was a poore soule made fruitfull but first a sentence of death past Oh! never any more barren then I never any more dead then I Our Lord and Saviour Christ he promises his Disciples that he would send them the Holy-Ghost the Comforter but before the Comforter came he goes away himselfe from them and they were left and never in such a sad condition as immediately before the Comforter came And if you mind it here though Abraham had many acts of Faith yet this act of faith is singled out from all the rest of the actings of Abrahams faith wherein Abraham is held forth as a patterne for all beleevers The grace of a godly man is his soules Resurrection We are risen being risen with Christ by grace we rise Now sayes the Apostle 't is in regard of the Resurrection is with seed that is sown it first dies and then it rises The Saints and people of God they have all their graces and all their comforts in a way of Resurrection This is the way therefore God takes with his people Onely take along with you these three or foure cautionall considerations First this is to be understood concerning the great and the speciall belssings and mercies which beleevers have There are some blessings and mercies that are more common and ordinary some that are more speciall and greater I do not say that this is true concerning every common and ordinary blessing that a beleever hath that he hath no blessing no mercy but first of all a sentence of death is put upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it but I say its true concerning the great and the speciall blessings and mercies We reade of Abraham that he had other children it was not so in regard of them but Isaac was the great blessing it was so in regard of Isaac The children of Israel they had their daily bread and their water their daily provisions we do not find it in regard of them but they had Manna from heaven and they had water out of the Rock they had speciall water speciall bread so in regard of these And therefore if you look into Exod. 15. you shall find there at the last verse They came to Elim where were twelve Wels of water according to the twelve Tribes every Tribe had twelve and threescore and ten palm trees according to the number of those that went down to Egypt But now before they had these twelve Wels of water yea reade at the 22. verse that they went three dayes in the wildernesse and found no water at the 25. verse you reade of waters they had that were very sweet but before that the water was bitter it was called Marah And when they came
head when the sentence of death is put upon the Mercy and blessing which you do most desire This is Gods way when he intends any great Mercy to any of his children he puts a sentence of death first upon it Oh! when death sits upon the meanes Psal 116.11 then we conclude all 's dead the Mercy dead all 's gone and we are very apt to have despairing thoughts and to make despondent conclusions I said in my hast sayes he all men are liars Samuel sayes I shall have a Kingdome the sentence of death is put upon the businesse All men are liars Psal 31.22 So in another place I said in my hast I am cast out of thy sight shall I see the face of God nothing but death upon all the means Isai 38.11 I am cast out of thy sight So with Hezckiah I said saies he I shall be cast out of the Land of the living And so now adayes I thought indeed that we should have had a Reformation but now nothing but sad Division I thought we should have had free enjoyment of al the Ordinances but now the sentence of death put upon all I had thought I should have had Assurance and never doubted again but now death put upon it and upon all the means that do lead unto it all 's dead all 's gone Oh! we are very apt to be much discouraged to make strange conclusions when death comes upon the meanes 't is a hard thing to keep from such conclusions For the businesse comes to a Vote as it were it comes to a Vote before the Soule The question is sayth the Soule whether I shall be saved or no As many as are for the Affirmative say I I sayes the Promise As many as are for the Negative say No No sayes Threatnings and No sayes guilty Conscience No no no sayes a thousand sinnes The question is whether I shall be delivered or no I am in such an Alliction and straitnesse the question is whether I shall be delivered or no As many as are for the Affirmative say I I sayes the Promise As many as are for the Negative say No No sayes Providence No say all second Causes and all the meanes round about No no no say a thousand sinnes Now my beloved it s a hard thing for a poor Soule to give an Affirmative with the bare Promise when all else gives a Negative but the reason is because this truth that now I am upon is not by you were but this truth by you it were easy to give an Affirmative with the bare Promise when death sits upon all the meanes As for example Suppose our Army by in the field engaged with the enemy a Troupe routed a Regiment routed a Wing routed Come sayes a carnall Souldier fellow Souldiers shift for your lives for we are all undone and spoil'd Nay not so stay sayes the beleeving Souldier this is Gods way when God intends any great Mercy to his people he does first of all put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it and therefore come fall on fall on brave hearts fall on for this is Gods way ans so it proves many times Or suppose a man be in some personall straite or affliction the Devill the Tempter he comes ye see in what straite ye are ther 's no meanes at all for your deliverance you had as good take such and such an indirect course why should you waite any longer Nay sayes the Soule but I have learned otherwise when God intends any great Marcy to his children he does first of all put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it and therefore I will waite on God still I may be in Gods way this may be Gods way it may be the Lord is in a way to give me a greater Mercy then ever I had in all my dayes Oh! my Beloved that you would but gird this truth upon your thigh how might you cutt off all discouragements as they rise upon you You will say Quest How does this cutt off discouragements some things there are that die and never rise again as Beasts some things there are that die and do rise again as Men The sentence of death is upon the Mercy that I do much desire and did I know indeed that it should rise again it were a matter of great Incouragement to me but that I do not know For Answer Answ I shall onely say thus much to it A may be of Mercy is a sufficient ground for our reliance and support of the Soule upon God Marke there is two acts of Faith the Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Assurance Assurance that causes Joy Reliance that causes Quietnesse Accordingly there are two Objects of Faith A shall be of Mercy that is the Object of Assurance A may be of Mercy that is the Object of Reliance Ye shall observe therefore that when the Lord would call out his people to an act of Reliance upon him he holds out a may be of mercy to them Zeph. 2.3 Seeke the Lord ye meeke of the earth seeke righteousnesse seeke meeknesse it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger ye know the place in Zephaniah And if you looke into the 1 Samuell the 14. Chapter ye shall find that this may be was that encouraged Jonathan at the 6. verse Jonathan said to the Young man that born his Armour Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised it may be that the Lord will worke for us for there is no restraint with the Lord to save by many or by few It may be the Lord will work for us for there is no restraint with the Lord to save by many or by few This encouraged Jonathan and hereby he incourages his Armour-bearer So when a man can say thus it may be the Lord will show Mercy to me in such a work or in such a businesse there is no restraint with him it causes the Soule to rely on God Now this Doctrine it holds forth a may be to you a may be of Mercy to you though you have not an Assurance that this mercy that hath the sentence of death upon it will certainly rise againe yet notwithstanding seeing it is Gods way this is Gods way with the Children of Abraham when he intends to give a speciall Mercy he does put a sentence of death upon it This holds forth a may be unto you a may be of Mercy this Doctrine holds forth unto you Why therefore my beloved should we not relie upon God when the sentence of death is put upon the meanes upon all the meanes that does lead unto the Mercy that you most desire But you will say unto me Is there no way Quest no meanes to spy out Gods meaning in this particular Oh! that I did but know whether this Mercy that hath the sentence of death upon it shall
into his soule Answerable to that a chaine of gold is hung about his necke Joseph a poor stranger brought as low as ever man was Answerable to that he is made next in the Kingdome to Pharoah Beloved if the dead Mercy rise as your bodies when they rise they rise in glory So when the Mercy rises it will rise a glorious Mercy And as it shall be the greatest Mercy that ever you had so it shall be the surest That is most certain that is certain after uncertainty Whose assurance was like to Thomas's Oh! sayes Thomas My Lord and My God two My's My Lord and My God it came out of doubting A Tree that stands after shaking stands the most firmly Assurance after doubting is the strongest Assurance surest Assurance As 't is the greatest Mercy so I say it shall be the surest Mercy if ever the Mercy rise And then againe Lastly As the surest so it shall be the sweetest Mercy The children of Israel they had wholesome meat and water and drinke but the sweetest water was that which they had after no water water out of a rocke that was like hony And a Mercy that comes out of a rocke that comes from out of the sentence of death from under death it shall be the sweetest Mercy You know what the Father of the Prodigall sayes when his son was come home he cals his friends together Lak 15.32 Come sayes he and make merry with me for this my son was dead and is now alive Cals his friends together and speaks thus unto them So shall it be with the Soule when the Mercy lost is found when the Mercy dead is raised then the Soule shall call in his friends Come O my friends Come I le tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soule here here is a Mercy dead and 't is now alive Come make merry with me O my friends this my Assurance it was even dead and 't is now alive Oh! this Blessing this Blessing it was dead but 't is now alive Come and make merry with me O my friends for this Mercy was dead and 't is now alive Thus I say if this Mercy rise that hath the sentence of death upon it it shall be the greatest Mercy it shall be the surest and it shall be the sweetest Mercy that ever you had in all your dayes And therefore who would not waite upon the Lord who would not waite upon the Lord when the sentence of death is put upon the Mercy and upon all the manes that do lead unto it Oh! my beloved in the Lord that you would but possesse your hearts of this one Truth this Mercy how quiet would your Soules be under all the distempers and the troubles of the time Nationall distempers Personall distempers When you look upon the troubles that are abroad yet your hearts would be quiet and you would say well but yet notwithstanding we may be in the way to the greatest Mercy that ever England saw why should we be thus discouraged Oh! my Soule waite upon God this is Gods way he never gives any great Mercy to any of his people but first he does put a sentence of death upon it and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it And therefore notwithstanding all yet we may be in Gods way Therefore Oh! my Soule waite on him Thus much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words as ye heard the last day are spoken concerning Abraham Preached-at Margarets New fishstreet March 2. 1645. And they hold forth three great Truths unto us The First is this That when God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any speciall blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the sentence of death upon the blessing and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs wombe is dead when God had promised him a great seed The Second is this When God is thus pleased to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the meanes that do lead thereto Then and then especially 't is the duty and commendation of all the children of Abraham to beleeve in God and not to stand poring upon the meanes and the deadnesse thereof He considered not his own body being dead nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe The Third is this That no difficulty can stand before Faith true saving justifying Faith carries the Soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Thus it was here with Abraham he being not weak in Faith he had an eye unto Jesus Christ I have done with the First and my desire is now at this time to dispatch the Second When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing Doctr. or the meanes that do lead unto it it is the duty of the children of Abraham then to trust in God not to stand poring upon or considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Thus it was here with Abraham God made Abraham a promise that his seed should be like the sand and like the starres for multitude But Abrahams body is dead and his wives body is dead Notwithstanding Abraham considered not the deadnesse of the meanes And in all this he is held forth for our Example as you heard the last day As he did therefore so must we do The Doctrine is somewhat large I shall break it asunder into three parts and endeavour to cleare up these three Propositions unto you for the proof of the whole First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Secondly That when all means faile 't is the duty and commendation of the children of Abraham then to beleeve Thirdly That so to do is exceeding pleasing to God and most acceptable First That a meere rationall considering of the meanes the straitnesse or scantinesse narrownesse or deadnesse of the meanes is a great and a speciall enemy to the work of beleeving Abraham being not weak in Faith considered not his own body being dead If he had considered he might have been hindered in his Faith Ye reade of Zacharias that good man Father of John the Baptist that when the Angell brought him tidings of a child in way of his speciall Mercy he would not beleeve it And in the 1. of Luke and the 20. verse ye reade how he was punished for it Behold thou shalt be dumbe and not able to speak untill the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words But what hindred him what kept him off from this work of beleeving you shall find at the 18. verse too much attendance unto and considering of the meanes and the deadnesse thereof Zachary said unto the Angell Whereby shall I know
as unto a Creator that works out of nothing Page 177 D Debt see Christ Death The sentence of Death put upon blessings and the means to obtain them Page 154 The sentence of Death put upon mercies in another mans hand Page 161 The sentence of Death is according to the life of the mercy Page 162 Why God gives the promise first and puts the sentence of Death upon it afterwards Page 163 When the sentence of Death is put upon a mercy how to know whether it shall rise again Page 167 The Devil is the great hunter of souls Page 193 Difficulties The way to Jesus Christ is clogd with many Difficulties Page 193 See Faith Divisions The way to take away Divisions Page 59 Duties see Obedience E Encouragement Encouragments to come to Christ Page 88 Excellency The Excellency of beleevers Page 33 Experience Experience is many times a false rule Page 159 F Faith What are enemies to Faith Page 175 The large field of Faith Page 176 Faith must be sutable to God Page 179 Faith wears the crown of all graces Page 180 True Faith is most succesful Page 181 Faith is the means to get Faith Page 186 Faith carries a man through all difficulties Page 199 Nothing but Faith will do it Page 200 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 Faith tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 Faith opens the eyes of the soul to see the excellency of Christ Page 204 Faith enables a man to leave the success of all things to God ibid Faith picks out the love of God from his anger Page 206 How to raise ones Faith to break through all difficulties Page 208 Faith opposeth Legal terrours Page 209 How to raise Faith when it is sunk Page 201 Fear Fear in beleeving answered Page 184 Forgive We must Forgive others without their Acknowledgment Page 235 Freedom Our Freedom comes from Christ Page 50 Friendship How the Friendship between God and man was procured Page 8 Fulness Fulness the meaning of the word Page 3 There is a Fulness of pardon in Christ Page 4 Difference between a Fulness of sufficiency and a Fulness of efficiency Page 9 Fulness in Christ what it is Page 9 Fulness in Christs Prophetical office Page 10 Fulness in Christs Priestly office Page 10 Fulness in Christs Kingly office Page 10 How all creatures pertake of the Fulness of Christ Page 20 Fulness of grace in a beleever may sometimes be hid from the world Page 31 Difference between the Fulness of the world and the Fulness of Jesus Christ Page 32 The Fulness of Christ makes us firm Page 40 See Love Holiness G Gifts Great Gifts the Scripture mentions Page 128 God Gods eye is over his children Page 8 Gods people should trust God perfectly Page 14 God infinitely contented in Jesus Christ Page 99 We can do nothing without God Page 100 God will be seen in his blessings Page 156 God is the being of al beings Page 157 We may boldly expect God in his accostomed waies Page 186 God justifies the ungodly Page 228 God will be known to be God Page 229 Gods darlings Page 233 Men must labour to be like God Page 234 See Beleevers Power Trust Glory Eyeing of Christs Glory makes us glorious Page 15 Gospel Difference in holiness between the Law and the Gospel Page 6 Grace Grace the meaning of the word Page 3 Benefits arising from all Grace being in Christ Page 104 The Saints Grace is answerable to the Grace of Christ Page 122 The Infinite Treasury of Grace in Christ Page 22 Christ as Mediator received not grace for himself but for others Page 23 The grace of God may be gainsayed but it cannot be overcome Page 30 Christ is the universal cause of grace Page 31 Grace is given out by proportion Page 32 All grace comes in a way of receiving Page 46 Grace is supernatural Page 54 All is from grace Page 66 Difference between the times of the Law and the times of Grace Page 77 Grace is much opposed Page 80 See Boldness Retinue mystery Abundance advance Guilt ought not to keep a man from Christ Page 12 H Happiness The happines of a man in Christ Page 123 Hypocrits not answerable to the grace of Christ Page 123 Fulness of Holines in Christ Page 6 See Gospel How we should honor God Page 107 I Ignorance Ignorance ought not to keep a man from Christ Page 12 Incouragements Incouragements to Saints Page 164 Insufficiency see Nature K Kingdom Kingdom of Heaven what it is Page 247 Kingly Office of Christ how wronged Page 18 See Fulness L Law see Gospel A Legal spirit relisheth arguments best that are drawn from hell the wrath of God Page 247 The Lives of the Saints are very pleasant Page 65 Long-suffering Christians ought to wait upon others with Long suffering Page 235 Love There 's a fulness of love in Christ Page 4 Wherein the fulness of Christs love consists Page 5 The love of Christ draws men to him Page 40 The love between Christ christians described Page 117 Love causeth Love Page 247 Lusts God doth not give to supply our lusts but our wants Page 185 M Man Man unable to rise when he is fallen Page 50 Man cannot stand of himself Page 51 What it is that causeth men to use indirect means Page 189 Mercy The more mercy a man sins against the greater is his sin Page 87 See Death Mystery The great mystery of Grace described Page 82 Moment Conversion done in a moment Page 54 Moses see Christ N Name The Saints â—â—â—ht to lift up the Name of Christ Page 106 Names of Christ and the reason of them Page 95 Nature The Insufficiency of Nature oscerted Page 49. 92 Natural see Powers Neglect see Opportunity O Obedience Duties of Obedience are not taken away by faith Page 58 Office The Saints imitate Christ in his Offices Page 120 Opportunity Opportunities must not be neglected Page 237 Opposed see Grace P Powers All natural Powers rise against Conversion Page 81 God will have his Power seen Page 156 Pray We ought to Pray for whatsoever Grace we have Page 56 Presumption 'T is no Preshmption to take a thing when 't is given Page 188 Preparation Preparation to good comes from God Page 52 Priestly-Office How the Priestly-office of Christ is wronged Page 18 See Fulness Prophane Prophane men are not answer able to the grace of Christ Page 122 Prophetical-Office How the Prophetical Office of Christ is wronged Page 17 See Fulness Promise So much as we rest upon a promise so much of it we make our own Page 16 It is a hard thing to give the afirmative to a bare promise Page 165 We have the promise of our forefathers Page 183 See Death R Rebellious Christ received gifts for the Rebellious Page 41 Redeemed Who are the redeemed of the Lord and why Page 154 Reliance Encouragements to Reliance upon God in Christ Page 170 Remission Remission brought neer to people before they at all make after it proved Page 220 Repentance What Repentance is Page 216 Repentance both Legal and Evangelical ibid Repentance brought neer to people before they make after it Page 223 How many waies Repentance is known Page 242 What causeth Repentance ibid Repentance is a fruit of faith Page 245 Difference between Legal and Evangelical Repentance Page 248 The reason why no more men repent than do Page 252 The benefits of Evangelical Repentance Page 255 Retinue The Great Retinue of Grace Page 81 S Saints Saints must be contented in sufferings Page 129 See Christ Gospel Beleevers Fulness Scantiness see Contention Self All self-boasting is hateful to God Page 61 Sheep We are all as lost sheep Page 223 Sentence see Death Services All our services in this world are our waiting upon God Page 60 Spirit The same Spirit that was in Christ is in Christians Page 119 Sin see Mercy T Throne Christ hath a throne on earth Page 120 Treasury see Grace Trust We ought to trust in God for ever Page 236 See God V Ungodly see God Union What the union between Christ and Beleevers is Page 21 Union between Christ and men how it is taken Page 65 The union between Christ and the Saints is very glorious Page 115 Universal Universal causes seldom produce particular effects without the concurrence of particular causes Page 31 Upbraid Christ upbraids not men with sin Page 4 W Waiting see Service Way see Difficulties Want All that want should come to Christ Page 12 Wheels Fear and love are the wheels of every Motion Page 59 Willingness Christs willingness to communicate Grace to the sons of men Page 25 Our williness to receive proceeds from Christs willingness to give Page 27 Wonderful God will be known by his name Wonderful Page 187 Work No power in heaven nor earth can let Christs work Page 28 World Reason why the goods of this world satisfie not the soul of man Page 35 Who are the worlds darlings Page 233 FINIS