fancy then to peirce the Heart to tickle the Ear rather then wound the Conscience or save the precious the Immortal Soul At that time when we lay thus weltring in our Bloud and Vanity was the Lord pleased to Cause this star to arise and shine in our Horizon and by his light and influence to guide us to Bethlehem A time of love it was an accepted Time a Time never to be forgotten specially by those who through grace can from thence date the Aera of their sound Conversion The persuasion of Armaghs incomparable Learning the Observation of his awfull Gravity the Evidence of his Eminent and exemplary Piety all improved to the heigth by his Indefatigable Industry drew students to flock to him as Doves to the windowes It joyes us to recollect how multitudes of Scholars specially the heads of our Tribes throng'd to hear the sound of his silver Bells How much they were taken with the voice of this wise Charmer How their ears seemed as it were fastened to his lips that were like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrh How did many very many at that time Galatians-like receive this Aged Paul as an Angel of God yea even As Christ. Surely if ever t was then that the Gospel ran and was glorified in Oxon. Then then it was that the Lord seem'd to lay the foundations of his spiritual Temple there with saphires and the Corner-stones thereof with Agats Here might you have seen a Sturdy Saul changed into a submissive Paul a persecutor transformed into A preacher There A tender hearted Josiah lamenting after the Lord and with Ephraim smiting on his thigh saying what have I done Others with the penitent Jews so stabd at the Heart as that they are forced to cry out in the Bitternesse of their souls Men Brethren Fathers oh what shall we do These were some of the blessings from on high which attended These Sermons when preached to the ear oh that a like or a greater might follow them now they are printed to the eye These Notes t is true were taken by such who All had the pens of ready writers and after that compleated by A strict comparing of several distinct papers This is the Body the Bulk of these Heavenly sermons The gloss the Spirit The Energy of them was and must be wholly from Above We Trust the publishing of these Notes will not be interpreted by any in the least to reflect on the unparalleld worth of the Preacher to whose very Dust we owe A sacred Reverence If any thing seems not to speak him let it be charged not on him but the Publishers who have only this to add viz. Their fervent prayers That these sermons may find the like influence on the hearts of others in the reading that they had on their own in the hearing then will Both have Abundant Cause to bless the Lord. Thy Servants for Jesus sake Jos. Crabb Will. Ball. Tho. Lye Imprimator Edm. Calamy A PREFACE Concerning the Author and these NOTES THough I might be silent concerning either the most famous Preacher of these Sermons or these notes now published which were taken after him yet such is the high esteem I have of him and the due respect I hear to them for his sake cheifly that I could not withstand the request of divers who Importuned some Lines from me upon this occasion both concerning the one and the other First I commend unto the Reader a diligent perusal of the life and death of the most Reverend and Learned Father of our Church Dr. Jam. Usher late Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland put forth by Reverend and Learned Dr. Bernard where he shall meet with many delightfull passages concerning His Stock and pedigree Great parts Gifts and Graces Ingenious Education Admirable Proficiency Timely Conversion Rare Learning Indefatigable Industry Strict and holy Conversation Pious Government of his Family Amicable correspondence with Forreign Churches Prophetick Spirit Learned writings Comfortable Visitation Dying words never to be buryed Blessed Death Ever to be lamented Losse Fit Parallel to Samuel among the Prophets to Augustine amongst the Fathers with many other things worthy Observation and when he hath pondered these well he will the lesse wonder that his name hath filled the Christian world as much as ever did Augustine or Athanasius of old or Whitakers and Reynolds of later times Secondly I tender these spices gathered to the Embalming of this Rare Phoenix out of his own ashes holding my self engaged as much as any to cast my mite into the treasury of his blessed memory as having had my Bene esse most from him First by him I was examined and admitted into the Vniversity near Dublin in Ireland his native City and Countrey above fourty years ago Secondly whil'st I continued there which was the space of eight years he took special care of me and account of my studies there Thirdly by him I was ordained or to use the Apostles word put into the ministry and the same day admitted his Chaplain in ordinary now two and thirty years ago though then able to do him little service being called to a Congregation in another nation which call his Grace did then approve of Having given this account to the Reader I shall only mention three things Concerning him and forbear many more that might be added First to the testimonies concerning him from Spanhemius Ger. Vossius Buchartus Simplitius â—ud de dieu Paulus Testardus Blessensis Arnoldus Bootius Mr. Selden Dr. Prideaux Bp. Davenant Bertius Mr. Cambden Sir Rog. Twisden and the whole University of Oxford beside the forced testimony of his adversaries Moranez Beaumont Alias Rookwood Challoner Hen. Fitz-Symonds for all which I refer to the book aforesaid give me leave to add the testimony of Dr. William Chappel sometimes fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge and afterwards Provost of Trinity Colledge near Dublin which from such an acute man as he was may amount to the like equivalent testimony from the Universitie of Cambridge He gave me once three reasons why he thought Doctor Usher then Bishop of Meath was in his esteem the greatest Scholar in the Christian world 1. One was because of his rare natural parts the foundation of his other Learning having a quick Apprehension a prompt Wit a strong Memory a clear Understanding a piercing Judgement and a ready utterance Seldom said he shall you meet all these in an Eminent degree in the same person but in him they so concurred that it is hard to say in which he most excelled 2. Another was because few men though they had such parts were either able or willing to make so rich improvement of them by choice Libraries unwearied studying in them and searching out the Rarities of any other few mens bodies and brains he beleeved would bear it 3. The third was because he was so esteemed both in these Universities and in those beyond the seas and indeed whosoever conversed with him
of the bridegroom and as Nazianzen I thank God I have a little learning to sacrifice to Christ. such a Precedent is worth the printing Thirdly that had not this course been taken a worse might have befallen directly contrary to the will of the godly Bishop For some of these notes were in the hands of divers persons who were much taken with them and much desired and it was feared might have endeavoured a private printing of them more imperfectly then now you have them That faithfull Minister mentioned in the frontispiece whose Latine Epistle is prefixed having with much adoe got this Copy out of their hands thought as the rest who have attested it 't was much better to publish these as now you see them then to indanger the creeping out of a more surreptitious Copy The general subject of these Sermons is of Conversion and so mightily did the Lord blesse them not only to the Edificationâ— and Consolation of very many but also to the Conversion as we have good cause to judge of some I will say no more the Name of Doctor Usher by which he is more known to some and the Name of the most Reverend and Learned Father of our Church Doctor James Usher late Arch Bishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland by which he is more known to others not onely in these our Kingdomes but in forreign parts his great and good Name I say every where as oyntment poured forth prefixed before this Book though with some allay is enough to raise high Expectation of whatsoever cometh after these words and is argument enough to invite the Reader to look within and read them over and then he will find the least filing of this Master workmans Gold very precious Good Wine they say needs no bush and if this Wine was so sweet at first running I presume whosoever tasts it now though he have it but at the second or third hand will find it hath not altogether lost its strength nor will he repent his labour in reading what was taken after him if he be one that desires to profit his soul more then to please his Palat. That out of the ashes of this Phoenix the Lord would raise such successors as may by Pen Life and Doctrine do as this burning and shining Light hath done before them is the prayer but scarce the belief of him that prayeth for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem and therein hopeth to have his share in the Concurrent prayers of every Godly Reader Stanley Gower Dorchester October the third 1659. Speedy Conversion the onely means to prevent imminent Destruction Heb. 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain day saying in David to day after so long a time as it is said to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts I Have enter'd on these words in the other Vniversity on a day of Publique Humiliation as being suitable to the occasion the chief matter of them being the Doctrine of the Conversion of a sinner Forasmuch as Gods judgments are abroad upon the earth and hang over our heads the only means to prevent and remove both temporal and eternal is our speedy conversion and return unto God Else he will whet his sword bend his bow and make it ready to our destruction Psal. 7.12 God did bear a deadly hatred against sin in the time of the Psalmist and so he doth still for his nature cannot be changed If we return not we are but dead men The eternal weight of Gods wrath will be our portion both here and in the world to come if we repent not In the words there are three observable Points 1. Continuance in sin brings certain death Or For sin Gods judgments are on particular Nations and persons 2. If particular Nations or persons turn away from their evil courses no hurt shall come near them God takes no delight in the death of a sinner nor that he should despair of his mercy but would have us turn out of the broad way which leads to destruction 3. It behooves every one speedily to set about the work of conversion Nor esteem this a vain word I bring you those things whereon your life depends Obeying it you are made for ever neglecting it you are undone for ever Unless you embrace this message God will bend his bow and make ready his arrows against you Know therefore 1. That continuance in sin brings certain death There will be no way of escaping but by repentance by coming in speedily unto God The words of this Text are taken from Psal. 95. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness If when God calls us either to the doing of this or leaving that undone yet we are not moved but continue in our evil wayes What 's the reason of it It 's because we harden our hearts against him The Word of God which is the power of God to salvation and a two-edged sword to sever between the joynts and the marrow The strength of the Almighty encounters with our hard hearts and yet they remain like the stony and rocky ground whereon though the Word be plentifully sown yet it fastens no root there and though for a season it spring yet suddenly it fades and comes to nothing We may have a little motion by the Word yet there 's a rock in our souls a stone in our hearts and though we may sometimes seem to receive it with some affection and be made as it were Sermon-sick yet it holds but a while it betters us not why because it 's not received as an ingrafted word Therefore saith St. James Receive with meeknesse the ingrafted word Jam. 1.21 Let the word be ingrafted in thee one sprig of it is able to make thee grow up to everlasting life Be not content with the hearing of it but pray God it may be firmly rooted in your hearts this will cause a softning To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts against Almighty God If you do expect him also to come against you in indignation Hearken what he saith by his Prophet I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are setled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Zeph. 1.12 Mark I will search Jerusalem and punish those that are setled on their lees When a man is thus setled and resolved to go on in his sins to put the matter to the hazard come what will come there 's a kind of Atheism in the soul. For what do's he but in a manner reply when God tells him by his Minister that he is preparing the instruments of death against him do you think us such fools to believe it What does this but provoke God to swear that we shall never enter into his rest What 's the reason of this It 's because men are not shifted they have no change they
harmes and provokes the Almighty to fury God will not alwaies strive with man but his daies shall be an hundred and twenty years if he convert in that space and return well if not he shall be swept away And to this purpose is that parable Luke 13.6 A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard behold these three years I came seeking fruit on this fig-tree and find none Cut it down why combreth it the ground There is an appointed time then fore-ordained by God wherein he offers us grace Let it alone saith the dresser one year more it may be seven years or ten it may be but two hours for ought thou knowest that God may offer thee longer this space No man knowes the time and its continuance but he that hath appointed it to this purpose which is a point I thought not to speak of but now I will You hear much talk of Gods eternal everlasting election and we are too apt to rest on this that if we are elected to salvation we shall be saved and if not we shall be damned troubling our selves with Gods work of Praedestination whereas this works no change in the party elected until it come unto him in his own person What is Gods election to me that he chooses the godly and refuses the wicked It s nothing to my comfort unlesse I my self am actually elected We are to look to this actual election The other is but Gods love to sever me But what is my actual election It s that when God touches my heart and translates me from the death of sin to the life of grace Now there are certain times which God appoints for this election wherein he uses the means to work on us and of which he can say what could I do more then I have done Now if it be thus in the point of election what must we think of the point of reprobation May there not be actual rejection as well as actual election And mayst thou not fear since thou hast lived thus long under the means of grace That God hath waited these not only three but many years the dew of heaven continually falling on thee and that yet thou shouldst remain unfruitful Doest thou not fear I say that dismal sentence cut it down why combreth it the ground Gods grace is not to be dallied with as Children doe with their meats if we do thus slight him he may justly deprive us of all See a terrible place to this purpose Heb. 6.7 8. The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God but that which beareth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Consider these places God calls us where the droppings of his grace are consider then do we bring forth that fruit which is meet for the dresser answerable to those continual distillings and droppings on us If our consciences witnesse for us happy are we but when there have been these showers of grace out of Gods Word flowing down upon us and yet we have received so much grace in vain O what can we then expect but a curse in this life and eternal death in the world to come What can we look for but the fig-trees curse which was barren The tree was not cut down but withered We are near the same curse if we answer not Gods grace When we have had so long a time the Ministery of the Word and yet suffer it to be lost through our barrennesse our condition is sad and woeful we can look for nothing but withering But beloved I must hope better things of you and such as accompany salvation Labour therefore to prevent and arm your selves against this suggestion and fallacy of Satan and resolve to hear God in this acceptable time now to set to the work which if we do all will be well God will be gracious to us If otherwise we are undone for ever Till you have learned this lesson you can go no further Wherefore let not Satan possesse you with that madnesse to cause you to passe and let slip this golden opportunity through a false conceipt that you may have a more seasonable day of your own for repentance hereafter Gal. 6.3 4. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another HAving entred on the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner in that Text Heb. 4.7 upon which depends our everlasting salvation I laboured to perswade you of the necessity of taking the accepted time of embracing the proffers of Gods grace and of the necessity of doing it speedily I shewed you that there is a certain time in which God will be found and that this time was the present time I declar'd unto you the great danger that would follow if we took not God at his word but refused his day for a day of our own as if we were wiser than he If when God calls and holds out the golden Scepter we refuse to draw neer and touch it Also what danger there is of being deluded by Satan and our own hearts I shewed you farther that the work was half done if this were done if we could but learn this lesson And now all that I shall speak will be to little purpose if this be not first wrought If it be already wrought in us blessed are we Our condition were thrice happy would God now strike in and cause us to return to himself It 's not good to dally with God the time will come when it will be too late when we shall wish we had done otherwise and taken the accepted time Now I will go on to a farther point which is this When Satan cannot prevail with a sinner to say to his soul or to think with himself I will do it hereafter or I will at the day of death when he cannot prevaile with him to defer it and leave it quite undone for the present then he will give way to his doing a little to it but it shall be so superficial and on such false grounds that he had as good leave it undone For Satan makes him thus conclude with himself well since I see it is a duty so necessary I will not defer I will not put it off to an hour but yet I see no such matter required in conversion no such great need of being new moulded But now in the point of conversion there are two things to be thought on 1. First what estate the sinner is in for the present and then when he hath made search and found it to be amisse then the next thing is he must turn unto God
jealousie shall smoke against that man c. We are but now entred into the point but it would make your hearts ake throb within you if you should hear the particulars of it All that I have done is to perswade you to make a right choise to take heed of Satans delusions Why will ye die Ezek. 33. Therefore cast away your sins and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will you die Where the golden candlestick stands there Christ walks there he saith I am with you Where the word and Sacraments are there Christ is and when the woâ—d shakes thy heart take that time now choose life Why will you die Consider of the matter Moses put before the people life and death blessing and cursing We put life and death before you in a better manner He was a Minister of the letter we of the spirit Now choose life But if you will not hearken but will needs try conclusions with God therefore because you will choose your own confusions and will not hearken unto God because you will needs try conclusions with him will not obey him when he calls therefore he will turn his deaf ear unto you and when you call and cry he will not answer Prov. 1. I presse this the more to move you to make a right choise But now to turn to the other side as there is nothing but death the wages of sin and as I have shew'd you where death is so give me leave to direct you to the fountain of life There is life in our blessed Saviour if we have but an hand of faith to â—ouch him we shall draw vertue from him to raise us up from the death of sin to the liâ—e of righteousnesse 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life You have heard of a death that comes by the first Adam and sin and to that stock of original sin we had from him we have added a great heap of our own actual sins and so have treasured up unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath Now here is a great treasure of happiness on the other side in Christ have the Son and have life The question is now whether you will choose Christ and life or sin and death Consider now the Minister stands in Gods stead and beseeches you in his name he speaks not of himself but from Christ. When he draws near to thee with Christs broken body and his blood shed and thou receive Christ then as thy life and strength is preserved and encreased by these Elements so hast thou also life by Christ. If a man be kept from nourishment a while we know what death he must die If we receive not Christ we cannot have life we know that there is life to be had from Christ and he that shall by a true and lively faith receive Christ shall have life by him There is as it were a pair of Indentures drawn up between God and a mans soul there is blood shed and by it pardon of sin and life convey'd unto thee on Christs part Now if there be faith and repentance on thy part and thou accept of Christ as he is offered then thou mayst say I have the Son and as certainly as I have the bread in my hand I shall have life by him This I speak but by the way that the Sun might not set in a cloud that I might not end only in death but that I might shew that there is a way to recover out of that death to which we have all naturally praecipitated our selves ROM 6.23 The wages of sin is death THe last day I entred on the Declaration of the cursed effects and consequents of sin and in general shew'd that it is the wrath of God that where sin is there wrath must follow As the Apostle in the Epistle to the Galathians As many as are under the works of the Law are under the curse Now all that may be expected from a God highly offended is comprehended in Scripture by this term Death Wheresoever sin enters death must follow Rom. 5.2 Death passed over all men forasmuch as all had sinned If we are children of sin we must be children of wrath Eph. 1.3 We are then children of wrath even as others Now concerning death in general I shew'd you the last time that the state of an unconverted man is a dead and desperate estate He is a slave It would affright him if he did but know his own slavery and what it is that hangs over his head that there 's but a span betwixt him and death he could never breath any free aire he could never be at any rest he could never be free from fear Heb. 2.15 the Apostle saith that Christ came to deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage This bondage is a deadly bondage that when we have done all that we can doe what 's the payment of the service Death And the fear of this deadly bondage if we were once sensible if God did open our eyes and shew us as he did Belshazzar our doom written did we but see it it would make our joynts loose and our knees knock one against another Every day thou livest thou approachest nearer to this death to the accomplishment and consummation of it death without and death within death in this world and in the world to come Not onely death thus in gross and in general but in particular also Now to unfold the particulars of death and to shew you the ingredients of this bitter cup that we may be weary of our estates that we may be drawn out of this death and be made to fly to the Son that we may be free indeed Observe that Death is not here to be understood of a separation of the soul from the body only but a greater death then that the death of the soul and body We have mention made of a first resurrection Rev. 20.6 Blessed and happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power What is the first resurrection It is a rising from sin And what is the second death It is everlasting damnation The first death is a death unto sin and the first resurrection is a rising from sin And so again for all things the judgments or troubles that appertain to this death all a man suffers before It is not as fools think the last blow that fells the tree but every blow helps forward 'T is not the last blow that kills the man but every blow that goes before makes way unto it Every trouble of mind every anguish every sicknesse all these are as so many strokes that shorten our life and hasten our end and are as it were so many deaths Therefore however it is said by the Apostle It is appointed for all men once to die yet we see the Apostle to
something of the eternity of the torments of the damned but I am not able nor any one else sufficiently to express it It shall continue ten thousand thousand yeares and after that an hundred thousand times ten thousand and yet be no nearer end then at the first beginning Thou must think of it seriously thy self and pray to God to reveal it to thy soul for none else sufficiently can 2. But besides as it is everlasting so is it unabateable If a man were cast into a fire the fire coming about him would in short time blunt his senses and take away his feeling and besides the materials of the fire would soon spend and waste But it is not so here here is not the least abatement of the horror nor the least inch of torment taken away throughout all eternity It was a poor request of Dives one would think that Lazarus would dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue A cold comfort but one drop of water for the present which would soon be dried and yet that is denied him he must have no abatement of his torment Nor is there any abatement of thy feeling but thou art kept in full strength and as long as God is God shall Tophet burn and thou feel it Obj. But may some say this is preaching indeed this would affright a man and make him out of his wits this is the way to make him goe hang him self sooner then be converted Sol. True should God let loose the cord of our conscience it were the way such would be the terrours of it to make a man find another cord did not God restrain him I desire not by this to hurt you but to save you I am a messenger not sent from Abraham as Dives entreated but from the God of Abraham to forewarn you that you come not to that place of torment But now Beloved there is a way to escape this misery and that is by Jesus Christ Mat. 1.21 He was for this end called Jesus because he saves his people from their sins and consequently from wrath which how it is done I shall shew in a word and that is 1. By Christ Jesus offered for us And 2. By Christ Jesus offered to us By Christ offered for us he must die for us and if there be any death more cursed then other that death must he die if any more painful that must he suffer Thus he undertakes thy cause and suffers what for sin was due to thee And then being offered for us he is offered to us as we may see in the Sacrament where there are two acts of the Minister the one the breaking the bread the other the offering it to the people Thou hast as good warrant to take Christ offer'd as thou hast to take the bread and wine which thou art commanded to receive Thus I thought good to adde something to sweeten the rest that I might shew that there is a way to be freed from the bitter pains of eternal death PHIL. 2.5 6 7 8. Let this mind be in you which also was in Jesus Christ who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself unto the death even the death of the Cross. YOU have heretofore heard that point of Christian Doctrine which concerns the knowledge of our misery and wretched estate by nature The substance of all is That we are the Children of wrath and disobedience as well as others You see then in what state every man stands before he hath made his peace with God as long as he stands on terms of Rebellion You see what the Holy Ghost saith They are the sons of disobedience and Children of wrath as well as others This I tell you as hath often been declared not to discourage a sinner or to drive him to desperation but because it 's fit he should know his estate in which he is If they will try conclusions with God if they oppose him the Lord cometh with a Bar of Iron and will break them in pieces like a Potters vessel Those mine enemies that will not have me to raign over them bring them and slay them before me It is fit every man should know this This part is only for this end that it may awaken us otherwise to what purpose do we preach unto you Till the Law awaken us we sleep securely in our sins till the dreadfull Trumpet of mount Sinai comes with thundring and lightning as Eph. 4. Awake thou that sleepest c. Unless this awaken us in what case are we Men as sleepers that are a dreaming as the Apostle speakes Jude 8. A sleeping sinner will be a dreaming sinner he never sees things as they are in their proper shape but he thinks with the Church of Laodicea That he is rich and wants nothing when as he is poor miserable blind and naked He thinks he shall be admitted into heaven as soon as the proudest but this is a dream Isa. 29.8 As the hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but when he awakes behold he is empty or as a thirsty man that dreams he drinketh but awake and behold he is faint Thus it is with us we think we are entring upon the suburbs of heaven and yet we are but in a dream and in a sleep Now being thus awaken consider with thy self what thou hast to do when the dreadfull trumpet of the Law hath awâ—kened thee consider thy state if thou sleepest this night Hell-fire will be thy portion It were better for thee therefore to awake before the flames of hell-fire awake thee Consider likewise that thou must not be led by thy self thou must renounce thine own will Our Estates may be pleasing unto us to enjoy in a dream our hearts lusts here on earth but consider unless thou cross thy Will here it shall be crossed hereafter yea it shall be the main cross a man shall have in hell besides the eternal weight of Gods wrath that he can will or desire nothing but he shall be crossed in it not the least thing he desires but he shall have the contrary world without end Learn then what a wofull thing it is to be our own lords to follow our own lusts and pleasures see what we shall gain by it never shalt thou enjoy the least portion of thy will in the world to come if thou wouldst have but a drop of cold water thou shalt be crossed in it Nothing thou desirest but thou shalt have the opposite to it Thus having truly and plainly shewed our Sinfulness Wretchedness and Cursedness by nature I come unto the second part which I proposed to wit Our Remedy or our Redemption by Christ. And God forbid that he should create man the best of his Creature for destruction What
full strength and cry out so strongly and immediately to give up the Ghost this is a great Miracle Truly this man was the Son of God This adds unto the greatness of his torment that he had his full and perfect sense that he was six full hours thus on the Rack and the extremity of pain took not away his sense He was as strong at the last as at the first These things seriously weighed Oh! how do they aggravate the depth of his humiliation Seriously weigh them they are miserable and lamentable matters yet in these lie our comfort Through these words is there a passage open for us into the Kingdom of Heaven When he had overcome the terrors of death he opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers these were now but the out-side of his sufferings which did belong to man for his sins He suffered not only bodily sufferings but sufferings in soul and that he did in a most unknown and incomprehensible manner But now may some say Object Did Christ suffer the pains and torments of Hell Sol. No He suffered those things that such an innocent Lamb might suffer but he could not suffer the pains of Hell The reason is because one thing which makes Hell to be Hell is the gnawing worm of an accusing conscience Now Christ had no such worm He had so clear a conscience as that he could not be stung with any such evil Another great torment in Hell is Desperation arising from the appprehension of the perpetuity of their torments which makes them curse and blaspheme God and carry an inexpressible hatred against him but Christ could not do so he could not hate God God forbid that Christ should be lyable to these Passions But it is certain God the Father made an immediate impression of pains upon his soul his soul did immediately suffâ—r Look on him in the Garden he was not yet touched nor troubled by men and yet he fell in a sweat Consider the season of the year this was then when they that were within doors were glad to keep close by the fire he thus did sweat in the garden when others freez'd within this was much but to sweat blood thick blood clotted congealed blood for so the words will bear it not like that in his veins and yet it came through his garments and fell to the ground this is a thing not to be comprehended Our blessed Saviours encountring with his Father he falls a trembling is overwhelmed as it were with the wrath beseeching God intensively saying Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me thou mayst give free pardon which affections in Christ are such a thing as pussels us all we must not say Christ did forget for what he came but he did not remember these words proceeded from the seat of passion which while it is disturbed reason suspends its Acts. Christ had Passions though no impurity in them As take a clean Vial full of pure water from the fountain and shake it it may be frothy yet it will be clean water still Christ did not forget only he had the suspension of his faculties for a time As a man in a sleep thinks not what he is to do in the morning and yet he is not said properly to forget He cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He was contented to be forsaken for a time that thou mighst not be forsaken everlastingly and this was no faint prayer if you read the place in the Psalm He cryed out unto God And Heb. 5.7 It s said Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and tears He cryed to the Almighty he made Gods own heart to pity He would break Isa. 53. yet his heart is repenting and rolled together so that he sent an Angel to support and comfort him Psal. 27. those strong cries are expressed with a more forcible word My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Consider how it was with Christ before any earthly hand had touched him when he beseeched God for his life this shews the wonderfull suffering of Christ and for that point Why hast thou forsaken me Consider it was not with Christ as with the Fathers they suffered a great deal of punishment and taches and would not be delivered yet Christ was more couragious then they all He had a spirit of fortitude he was anointed above his fellows yet he quivers Our Fathers cryed unto thee they trusted in thee and were not consumed they were delivered but I am a worm and no man I can find no shadow of comfort Lord Why art thou so angry with me this speech came not from the upper part of the soul the seat of reason but from the lower part the seat of Passion My God my God these were not words of desperation He held fast to God Why hast thou forsaken me these are words of sense thus you see the price is paid and what a bitter thing sin is God will not suffer his Justice to be swallowed up by Mercy It must be satisfied and our Saviovr if he will be a Mediator must make payment to the uttermost farthing Consider what a time this was when our Saviour suffered The Sun with-draws her beams the earth shakes and trembles What aileth thee O thou Sun to be darknâ—d and thou earth to tremble was it not to shew his mourning for the death of its Maker The soul of Christ was dark within and its fit that all the world should be hung in black for the death of the King of Kings But mark when he comes to deliver up his life and to give up the Ghost the vail of the Temple rent in twain and that was the ninth hour which in the Acts is called the hour of prayer it was at three a Clock in the afternoon Hence it is said Let the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice The Priest was killing the Lamb at that time there was a vail that severed the Holy of Holies it was between the place of oblations nnd the Holy of holies which signifies the Kingdom of Heaven Assoon as Christ died the vail rent and Heaven was open the Priest saw that which was before hidden Our Saviour saith the Apostle entred through the vail of his flesh unto his Father and fit it was that the Vail should give place vvhen Christ comes to enter But vvhat becomes of Christs foul novv his soul and body vvere pul'd assunder and through the vail of his flesh as it vvere vvith blood about his ears he entred the Holy of Holies unto God saying Lord here am I in my blood and here is blood that speaks better things then the blood of Abel that cries for vengeance this for blessing and expiation of our sins FINIS JOHN 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he
hath the promise And therefore the Scripture compares it to conjunction with Christ. And as in the Sacrament we spiritually eat his flesh and drink his blood the conjunction is between Christ and his Church And therefore the Scripture compares our conjunction by faith to the mystery of wedlock What makes a marriage its consent Wilt thou have this man to be thy husband she answers I will that expression makes the marriage The knot is knit by this mutual pledging of troth all other things are but subsequents of it So God saith Wilt thou have my Sonne Thou shalt have with him all his wealth though for a time thou must go bare and fare hard yet thou shalt have a Kingdome When a man considers deliberately here is the losse I must deny my self and obey him but I shall have a Kingdome Gods blessing and peace of conscience All things considered casting the best with the worst then the resolution is this is a true saying worthy of all acceptation c. I 'le take him on any termes be they never so hard for I shall be a saver in the end when we can take Christ as it were with all his faults this is the will which God requires There is another comparison in Scripture John 6.35 it s compared to hunger and thirst Believing was exprest by coming Believing is exprest by hungring and thirsting So when I see such a will and desire after Christ that I hunger and thirst after him that a hungry man longeth not more for bread nor the Hart thirsteth more for the water-brooks than my soul doth for Christ why then there is a promise made unto us and a promise is never made unto us till we be in Christ. Matth. 5. Rev. 22. Esay 55. We finde promises in them all in Mat. 5.6 Blâ—ssed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven they shall be filled Consider here what the nature of hunger and thirst is they shall be filled which implies they were empty before but now they shall be filled Suppose now I am not fill'd with Christ What am I without him No I want him yet there 's a blessing to the hungry and thirsty and there 's no blessing without faith If we be not heires of the faith we cannot be heires of the blessing Dost thou finde in thy self an hungring and thirsting after Christ Thou art blessed this faith will save thee Now faith will say I am wonderfully pained faint and even starved that I cannot be filled with Christ yet be content man thou shalt be filled with him in the mean while thou hast him and hast blessednesse and shalt be blessed It 's said 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Sonne of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the Name of the Sonne of God Mark how the Apostle distinguishes these two things thou believest on the Name of Christ yet sayst thou though I believe I am not sure of my salvation I do not know it Why let not that much trouble thee that 's a consequent of it and that assurance will follow after therefore you should not confound it with believing These things have I written unto you that ye might know c. then there is a conclusion to be deduced from the premisses so that a man may have full hold of Christ and yet not be fully assured of his salvation So then here is the will which is the first thing But the Lord works the deed also And whereas it is said that God takes the will for the deed the place had need be well understood when we say God takes the will for the deed it is not alwayes true unlesse it be thus understood When a man hath done to the utmost of his power what he is able hath endeavoured by all means then God will take the will for the deed but if there be ability in me and I do not as much as I am able I do not my utmost endeavour then God will not take it but now God works the will and the deed when a man comes to the Throne of grace and sets forward in his journey towards God the first thing he doth is to come to the Throne of grace with Christ in his armes and then having fast hold on Christ he hastens and delayes not having hold as Joab on the horns of the Altar He hastens he sees its no time to delay he sees its now a time of need and Need as the old proverb is makes the old wife trot Is it not need to make haste when the pursuer of blood follows to the City of Refuge who would make delays and demurs and not run as fast as his legs would carry him Asson as I apprehend my need and see the golden Scepter stretched out then I come with might and main with Christ in my armes and present him to the Father and this is the approaching and drawing near in the Text to the Throne of grace But now when I am come thither what do I say there What shall I come and say nothing The prodigal soon resolved to go to his Father and say I will up and go there 's the will and say there 's his speech The believer is not like to the sonne that said to his father I will go but went not but when his father bids him come he will come he will not onely say so but will draw near and then he hath a promise He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast off But when we come thither what must we do why we must take unto our selves words according to the Prophets expression Hos. 14.2 Take unto you words and go unto the Lord and say Take away all our iniquities and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips When he comes to the Throne of grace the thing that he doth is he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding gasping dying buried and conquering death and when he presents Christ to him he opens his case and confesses his sin to the full and sayes Lord this is my case As a beggar when he comes to ask an almes of you he will make a preface and tell you his extremity Sir I am in great want I have not tasted a bit of bread in so many dayes and unless you help me by your charity I am utterly undone Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar and liberality in him of whom he begs it encourages the beggar to be importunate and he prevails you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone accent or language The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need but yet though the beggar be in great misery if he see a churlish Nabal go by him he hath no heart to beg and follows him
in the Accursednesse of it p. 384. in the shame of it p. 385. in the painfulnesse of it p. 386 Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. yet he suffered in his Soul immediately from God p. 389 Whether Christ takes away all the sins of the world p. 395. Christ's being offered for us no comfort unless he be offered to us p. 356 That Christ dyed sufficiently for all is an improper speech p. 356 To receive Christ what p. 399. Christ offered freely p. 397 402. He that hath a will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404 Christ the proper and immediate Object of justifying Faith p. 418. Christ loved and valued above all by true believers p. 427. Christ and the Cross go together in this life p. 426 Christ very compassionate p. * 368 Christ is our Peace p * 454 To be a Christian indeed is no easie matter p. 426 Civil Righteousness See Morality Men deceived by Comparing themselves with others p. 46. and with themselves p. 47 The Conditions of Faith and Obedience required hinder not the freedom of Gospel grace p. 389 416 Confession of sin necessary and why p. * 376 Carnal Confidence as to our spiritual estate dangerous the vain grounds of it discovered p. 43 c. Conscience one of the Tormenters in Hell p. 153 Peace of Conscience See Peace Conviction necessary to Conversion p. 39 80 Conviction a work of Gods Spirit p * 364 Two hindrances of Conversion p. 4 A limited time for it p. 9 10 Crucifying a Cursed Shameful Painful death p. 384. c. The manner of it p. 386. The Curse followes sin p. 98 The Curses attending an unregenerate man in this life p. 120 c. The Curses on his Soul p. 127 The Curses at his death p. 130 Custom in sin hardens the heart p. 28 D. DAy of grace limited p. 9 10 34 35. The folly and danger of neglecting it p. 16 17 Death the wages of sin p. 110. The comprehensivenesse of the word Death p. 119 Death terrible p. 112. The teriblenesse of Bodily Death set forth in three particulars p. 131 c. What the first and second Death is p. 141 The Death of Christ described p. 384 c. Death-bed-Repentance See Repentance Deferring Repentance dangerous p. 16 17. The reasons of Carnal mens Deferring Repentance p. 21 c. The vanity of them ibid. Desires after Christ may be stronger in Temporaries then in true Believers p. * 388 The Devil takes possession of those whom God leaves p. 106 107 The Reason of Christians Doubting p. * 438. E. WHat use to make of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation p. 35 Encouragements for sinners to come to Christ p. 402 Examination of a mans self See Self-Examination F FAith why required to the receiving of Christ since he is a free gift p. 398. Faith consists not in a mans being perswaded that God is his God and that his sins are pardoned p. 402.413 It 's proper and immediate object is not that forgivnesse of sins but Christ p. 418. Faith must have a ground for it out of the word p. 414. What Faith justifies p. * 384. c. Faith jusstifies not as a vertue but in respect of its object p. 419. Faith justifies not as a Habit but as an act p. * 417. The Acts of Faith p. 423. By what sins the Acts of Faith are hindred p. 417. How those obstructions are removed ibid. Faith an instrument to receive Justification not to procure it p. * 424 * 434 Why Faith chosen for an instrument of Justification rather than any other grace p. * 437. A weak Faith justifies as much as a strong p. * 435 yet a strong Faith is to be laboured for and why p * 436. How Faith alone justifies p. * 436 Faith may be certainly known p. * 407. There may be Faith where there is no feeling p. 412 425 * 373 Faith strongest when sense least p. * 451 Encouragements to Faith p. 402 Carnal Fear its sinfulness and danger p. 140 141 Men apt to Flatter themselves as to their spiritual estate 41 Five false glasses that cause this self Flattery p. 43 c. Forgivnesse of sins not a distinct thing from Imputation of righteousness p. 399 c. Forgivness is properly of sins past only p. * 403. It is one continued act p. * 414. and therfore may be prayed for by a justified person ibid. Forgivnesse frees from guilt and punishment p. * 418 419 God forsakes none till they forsake him p. 108 True beleevers forsake all for Christ p. 427 428. Free grace in bringing sinners to Christ p. 398 No Freewill to good p. 404 G TO be given up to our selves a more fearfull thing then to be given up to satan p. 108 109.128 The Gospel not seasonable nor savory till the Law hath been preached p. 80. How the Gospel differs from the Law p. 86 The fulnesse and freedome of the Grace of the Gospel not hindred by the conditions of Faith and Obedience p. 398.416 Guilt of sin taken away in Justification p. * 420. H HArdnesse of heart a hindrance to Conversion p. 2 3 4 Hell for whom provided p. 139 Hell described p. 143 c. That Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved p. 388. Christians rejoice in Hope p. * 458. The Humiliation of Christ see Christ I IMputation of Righteousnesse See Righteousnesse To be given up to Insensiblenesse a wofull thing p. 129 130 Joy in the sense of Gods love surpasseth all worldly Joy p. 430. It is attainable p. ibid. The reason why many beleevers are strangers to it p. 430 431. Some Joy may be in a Temporary p. * 393. How to try true Joy p. * 360. Means to get it p. * 462 463 Justification what it signifies p. * 396. How the Fathers used the word p. * 732 Justification one simple act of God p. * 400 How we are said to be Justified by Faith and how by Christs blood p. 420. * 422. In what sense we are Justified by Faith according to Paul and in what sense by works according to James p * 398. Impossible to be Justified but by imputed Righteousnesse p. * 402 * 410 411. In the instant of Justification no sins are remitted but those that are past p. * 411 412. A twofold Justification p. * 409 Why a justified person may and must pray for the remission of sins past p. * 413 414. Justification frees from the punishment and guilt too p. * 418 419 420. Justification confounded by the Papists with sanctification p. * 422. The difference between them p. * 423. * 429. No Justification before Faith p. * 440 How we are Justified by Faith alone p. * 439. Judgment in Scripture sometime taken for Righteousnesse inherent p. * 433 How men are deceived in Judging of their spiritual estate p. 43 K KNowledge one act of Faith p. 423 L THe use of the Law p. 79.354 * 366. It is necessary to be