and you and your Hearts be together you sin against God Job 21.13 They spend their Days in Wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave It is dangerous to employ your whole Time in Mirth and in Visits and in Company that should be spent in examining your Hearts humbling your Souls and seeking the Face of God so that your Hearts grow dead and barren Helps to Sobriety are two to consider the Preciousness of Time and the Vileness and Danger of Pleasure First The Preciousness of Time that will appear in sundry Considerations 1. Time is short We have a great deal of Work to do and but little Time therefore we should redeem it from Pleasure and rather incroach upon our Recreation and spend it in Matters that most concern us All complain of the shortness of Time and yet every one hath more Time than he useth well We should rather complain of the Loss of Time than of the Shortness of Time as Seneca said Non accepimus brevem vitam sed fecimus nec inopes Temporis sed prodigi sumus We make our Lives far more short than otherwise they would be and we do not want Time but waste it We spend it freely upon Mirth and vain Pleasures as if we had more than we could well tell what to do withal Life is short and yet we throw it away as if we had not such great work to do as to mortify Corruptions and to make our Peace with God as if that Eternity which cannot be exhausted in our Thoughts did not depend upon this Moment When Men are writing of a Sermon and have but little Paper left they write close O consider our Work lies upon our Hands and therefore the Acts of Duty should be more close and thick The Sun is even going down we know not how soon Day may be over 2. Too much Time hath been spent already so will all the Godly-wise judg 1 Pet. 4.3 For the Time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles Rom. 13.12 The Night is far spent the Day is at hand And there 's but little left to express your Love and Thankfulness in glorifying God Our Infancy was spent in Ease and Youth in Sin and Age in Business Certainly that part of your Lives was merely lost which was spent in an unregenerate Condition Saith Austin Perdit quod vivit qui te non diligit He loseth that Time which he lives that doth not love the Lord. Properly we are not said to live till we live in Christ. A Man may be long at Sea tossed to and fro upon the Waves and yet be but little from his Port and cannot be said to have made a long Voyage so a Man may abide long in the World but cannot be said to live long if he doth not live in Christ. Reflect this Truth upon thy Heart Alas my Life hitherto hath been a Death rather than a Life useless and lost to all spiritual Purposes and shall I still waste my Time and spend my Days in Ease and Idleness Travellers that have tarried long in their Inn mend their Pace and ride as much in an Hour as before they did in many so we have staid too long O let us now mend our Pace Say I have lived thus long vainly sinfully carnally in an earthly manner I have little thought of God and treasuring up for Heaven or providing for my latter End O how rich might I have been if I had been a good Merchant for my Soul How am I now outâ—tripp'd by many my Equals my Youngers in Age but Seniors in Grace They are in Christ before me O why doth God spare me but to recover that which is lost 3. Consider it is uncertain how long thou shalt enjoy the Season the present time is always best and shall we waste it vainly We have not a Lease of our Lives Ludovicus Capellus tells of a Rabbin that being asked When was the fittest time for a Man to repent he answered him One day before he dies meaning presently for this may be your last day We know not how soon God may call us to himself In an Orchard some Fruits are pluck'd green few are left to rot upon the Tree Mariners that have not the Wind in a Bottle are ready to tackle the first Gale We shall never have a better opportunity to consider our ways in Youth we want Wisdom and Zeal and in Age Strength in the midst of Business we want Leisure and in the midst of Leisure we want a Heart There is not more Efficacy in the latter season than in the former Do not think that Sickness and old Age will help you more in the work of Repentance than Youth Moral Arguments work not without Evangelical Grace The bad Thief had one foot in Hell and yet he blasphemed There will be more Difficulty in old Age but no Help Sickness and Age needs a Cordial and not Work and therefore no Season like the present 4. They that have lost Time know the worth of it O if they might have the happiness to live again that are now in Hell would they waste their precious hours so wantonly and lavishly as you do Dying Men that are afrighted in Conscience discover to us the Passions of the Damned they would give all the World for one Year or one Month to repent He that so passionately begged for a drop to cool his Tongue how would he have indented with God for a Year's Respite from Torment In the day of Death all the Wealth of the World will not purchase one day longer We never know what we lose in losing Time till it be too late It is better to be sensible of the worth of Time in Earth than in Hell Knowledg of things that are evil and bitter is more easily gained by Teaching than by Experience and Feeling But we do not lay these things to Heart Christ mourned over Ierusalem because she lost her day Luke 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes 5. We must give an account for Time and therefore let not Pleasure engross and take up too much of it Whenever God comes to reckon with his People the great thing for which he calls them to an account is their Time he keeps an exact reckoning of the Years of his Patience Psal. 95.10 Forty Years long was I grieved with this Generation I have given them thirty forty fifty Years Respite to think of their Sins and apply their Hearts to be wise for Eternity So of the Times and Seasons of Grace and Methods and Dispensations of Mercy Luke 13.7 Behold these three Years came I seeking Fruit of this Fig-tree and find none by which is meant the three Years of Christ's Ministry with the Jews for he was then entring on his last half-year When the Scripture speaks in a round number there 's
earnestly Micah 7.3 It is the difference between us and civil Men but unregenerate they are like Cypress Trees fair and tall but fruitless of a comely Life but none of these good Works are to be found in them It is the difference between us and Hypocrites A Hypocrite like a Carbuncle seems to be all on a fire but when you touch it it is quite cold so they pretend to Religion talk much but have no true regular Zeal no spiritual Warmth It is notable our Lord himself proves his Divine Original by his Works Iohn 10.38 Tho ye believe not me believe the VVorks that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him So is this the sensible Evidence you are in Christ and Christ in you Graces are not always evident in feeling but in Fruit the Effects cannot be hid Then they are Signs and Evidences to God himself the Lord will look upon them as Marks and Evidences of his People Look as the destroying Angel was to be guided by a Sign Exod. 12.12 13. by the sprinkling of the Door-posts not that he needed it but because God would have it to be so So the Lord sutes his Dispensations and guides them by a Sign It is true God in his Gifts is arbitrary but in his Judgments he proceeds by Rule according to our Works At the last Day God will judg you not by your Profession but by your Practice what you have done he will not say You have prophesied in my Name you have eaten and drunk in my Presence but you have fed me clothed me visited me That the Faith of the Elect might be found to Praise and Honour he will have Works produced Not that God wants Evidences of our Sincerity but he will have all the World know we have not been unfruitful A Man that expecteth to be posed is preparing to answer and would give somethink to know the Questions aforehand Christ hath told us what are the Questions upon which we shall be examined and taxed at the Day of Judgment he will say Have you fed and clothed my People have you ministred to their Necessities have you relieved them with spiritual Counsel and Admonition have you been good holy and just Therefore let us provide to give an Answer that we might not be ashamed at the last Day Thus this Zeal for good Works hath the place and room of a Witness to God as the Rule and Measure of his Process to our selves as the ground of our Assurance and to the World as the great vindication of the Honour of our Profession 2. It is a Fruit of Christ's Death partly by way of Obligation for certainly God hath not been at all this cost and labour for nothing he did not project the sending of Christ and Jesus Christ did not so give up himself in the Work of Redemption for nothing but to inflame us to a great height of Piety They that live at a low rate of Holiness cross and disgrace the whole Design of the Gospel they are not apprehensive of the Love of God in giving Christ nor the Love of Christ in giving himself Our Redemption was carried on in such a way not only that the Comfort but also the Duty of the Creature might be raised to the highest Partly again as Christ hath purchased the Gift of the Spirit to fit us for good Works yea to make us zealous in them Titus 3.5 6. According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour Now the Spirit dwelleth in our Hearts to set our Graces a working Iohn 4.14 The Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of VVater springing up into everlasting Life So Iohn 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture saith out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living VVater This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him shall receive The Spirit is not a Fountain sealed up but flowing forth The Spirit of God is a mighty Spirit and comes in upon the Soul not only as a gentle Blast but as a mighty rushing Wind he comes not only in the appearance of a Dove but of cloven Tongues of Fire Acts 2. He comes as a Spirit of Power to quicken and awaken the Soul to great heights and fervours in Obedience Look as Men acted by Satan the unclean Spirit are restless in Evil and carried headlong as the Herd of Swine into the Sea so those that are acted by the Spirit of God are much more carried on with great Earnestness in the Ways of God The Devil hath not such Advantages to work upon his Instruments as the Spirit of God hath upon us The Devil works and operates in all the Children of Disobedience Ephes. 2.3 The Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience But the Devil cannot work but by Man's Consent neither can he work immediately upon the Soul but only by the Senses and by the Fancy but the Spirit of God can work immediately upon them in whom he acts Therefore being acted by him they must needs be zealous and earnest for the Spirit of God nescit tarda molimina knows no slow Motions The Soul in it self is dead and slothful and apt to yield to Laziness and Delays but when we are acted and quickened by the mighty Spirit then draw us and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 When the Spirit puts forth its Force upon the Soul such as are drawn by the Holy Ghost they are not in jest as carnal Men are but in earnest they do not dally with Religion but make it their great business to surprize Heaven and carry on constant Communion with God Matth. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by force Vse 1. Information 1. That Grace is no Enemy to good Works Libertinism is ancient and natural Christ died to improve Piety not to lessen it but to raise it to the highest to make us zealous of good Works that we might be carried on to Heaven with full Sails Therefore he that grows looser less watchful against Sin less diligent in the exercise of Holiness less frequent in Communion with God less humble and penitent after committing of Sin offers the greatest Abuse to Grace that may be and perverts its natural Use. There is no freezing by the Fire we may freeze indeed by painted Fire that may make us contract Chilliness and Drowsiness but true Grace is a Fire that warms and inflames our Affections Christ came to make us more chearful and lively but not slack careless and cold 2. It informs us what little Reason the World hath to cry out upon Zealots for Christ died to make us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zealous of good VVorks Men that are only contented with a brain Religion speculative Notions they cannot endure Heats and Fervors they would have
sense of Sin and their Defection from God Satan's Condemnation is our Salvation He did the first Mischief therefore the crushing of his Head giveth hope of our Deliverance out of that State of Misery into which he hath plunged us The Words are dark in comparison of the larger Explications of the Grace of God by Jesus Christ which were after delivered to the Church Who would look for a great Tree in a little Seed Yet the seminal Virtue doth afterward diffuse and dilate it self into all those stately and lofty Branches in which the Fowls of the Air do take up their Lodging and Shelter So do these few Words contain all the Articles and Mysteries of the Christian Faith which are the Fountains of our solid Peace and Consolation In the Seed of the Woman is contained all the Doctrine concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God in the bruising of his Heel his Death and Sufferings in the crushing of the Serpent's Head his glorious Victory and Conquest As obscure as the Words are an Eagle-eyed and discerning Faith could pick a great deal of Comfort out of them The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elders mentioned Heb. 11.2 the Antidiluvian Fathers so famous throughout all Ages for their Faith and Confidence in God had no other Gospel to live upon Abel that offered a better Sacrifice than Cain Enoch that walked with God Noah that prepared the Ark did all that they did in the Strength and upon the Incouragement of this Promise The Words are considerable 1. For the Person who speaketh them the Lord God himself who was the first Preacher of the Gospel in Paradise The Draught and Plot was in his Bosom long before but now it cometh out of his Mouth 2. For the Occasion when they were spoken When God hath been but newly provoked and offended by Sin and Man from his Creature and Subject was become his Enemy and Rebel the offended God comes with a Promise in his Mouth Adam could look for nothing but that God should repeat to him the whole Beadroll of Curses wherein he had involved himself but God maketh known the great Design of his Grace Once more the Lord God was now cursing the Serpent and in the midst of the Curses promiseth the great Blessing of the Messiah Thus doth God in Wrath remember Mercy Hab. 3.2 Yea Man's Sentence was not yet pronounced The Lord God had examined him ver 8 9 10. but before the Doom there breaketh out a Promise of Mercy Thus Mercy gets the start of Justice and triumpheth and rejoiceth over it in our behalf James 2.13 Mercy rejoiceth against Iudgment 3. They are considerable for their Matter for they intimate a Victory over Satan and that in the Nature which was foiled so lately Man by Sin had not only incurred God's Wrath but put himself under the Power of the Devil who had a â—egal Power over fallen Man such as the Executioner hath from the Judg over the condemned Person And a tyrannical Power by Conquest Man being seduced by him from God Therefore it is good News to hear of a Victory over Satan and that his Power shall be destroyed In the former part of the Verse you have the Combate in the Text the Success 1. The Conflict and Combate And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed It cannot be understood of the Hatred and Antipathy between Men and Serpents though that be alluded unto To what end should God thunder Curses and Condemnation upon the Serpent a brute Creature that understood them not Therefore it is meant of the War between the Devil and Mankind Satan and his Instruments for wicked Men are called his Seed Iohn 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil And Ignatius calleth Menander and Basilides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spawn of the old Serpent And on the other side the Seed of the Woman by way of Eminency Christ and his Confederates But I shall not consider the Conflict now as carried on between the two Seeds but between the two Heads Christ the Prince of Life and the Devil who hath the Power of Death Heb. 2.14 It was begun between the Serpent and the Woman it is carried on between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent but the Conflict is ended by the Destruction of one of the Heads the Prince of Death is destroyed by the Prince of Life 2. The Success and Issue of the Combate Where observe 1. What the Seed of the Woman doth against the Serpent He shall bruise thy Head 2. What the Serpent doth against the Seed of the Woman Thou shalt bruise his Heel 1. There is something common to both for the word bruised is used promiscuously both of the Serpent and the Seed of the Woman In this War as usually in all others there are Wounds given on both sides The Devil bruiseth Christ and Christ bruiseth Satan 2. There is a Disparity of the Event He shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Where there is a plain Allusion to treading upon a Serpent Wounds on the Head are deadly to Serpents but Wounds in the Body are not so grievous and dangerous And a Serpent trod upon seeketh to do all the Mischief it can to the Foot by which it is crushed The Wound given to the Head is mortal but the Wound given to the Heel may be healed The Seed of the Woman may be cured but Satan's Power cannot be restored The Devil cannot reach to the Head but the Heel only which is far from any vital Part. 1. For the first Clause It shall bruise thy Head The Seed of the Woman crushed the Serpent's Head whereby is meant the Overthrow and Destruction of his Power and Works John 12.31 Now shall the Prince of this World be cast out 1 John 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil The Head being bruised Strength and Life is perished His Kingdom and Strength is his Head that is gone that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Power of Death Heb. 2.14 the Power to deceive and detain captive Souls Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness 2. For the other Clause Thou shalt bruise his Heel Where 1. Note the Intention of the Serpent who would destroy the Kingdom of the Redeemer if he could but he can only reach the Heel not the Head 2. The Greatness of Christ's Sufferings his Heel was bruised as he endured the painful shameful accursed Death of the Cross. Doct. That Iesus Christ the Seed of the Woman is at enmity with Satan and hath entred the Lists with him and though bruised in the Conflict yet he finally overcometh him and subverteth his Kingdom 1. That Jesus Christ is the Seed of the Woman That he is one of her Seed is past doubt since he was born of the Virgin a Daughter of Eve That he is The Seed the most
1 John 3.8 The Devil sinneth from the beginning Therefore he is not so destroyed as if he did no more desire the Ruine and Destruction of Men. He is as malicious as ever The Devil is always at the old Trade of destroying Souls and watcheth all Advantages and observeth our Motions and Inclinations to make use of them 2. Affirmatively it remaineth that it is ratione Potentiae in regard of his Power But the Question returneth How far is his Power destroyed For he still governeth the Wicked and possesseth a great part of the World Therefore the Devils are called Ephes. 6.12 the Rulers of the Darkness of this World He molesteth the Godly whether considered singly and apart or in their Communities and Societies Singly and apart he may sometimes trouble them and sorely shake them as Wheat is winnowed in a Sive Luke 22.31 Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat And in their Communities and Societies Psal. 129.1 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my Youth may Israel now say Many a time have they afflicted me from my Youth Answ. Though he may afflict and molest the People of God yet he cannot totally prevail over them 1. There is enough done by way of Merit to break the Power of Satan or that whole Kingdom of Darkness which is united under one Head called the Devil The Price and Ransom is fully paid for captive Souls The Lamb of God taketh away the Sin of the World John 1.29 There need no more to be done by way of Merit and Satisfaction to bruise the Serpent's Head and to dissolve that woful Work which he hath introduced into the World Now not only the Comfort of particular Believers is ascribed to the Death of Christ but the Success of the Gospel over false Religions as 1 Pet. 1.18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious Blood of Christ. He purchased the Power of recovering Souls out of their Apostacy at a dear rate Therefore though the Superstitions of the World were entailed on People by a long Descent yet when we go forth to preach the Gospel in the Virtue and Value of the Blood of Christ that will work mighty Wonders for the Destruction of the Kingdom of the Devil 2. Christ is upon the Throne and we are under his Protection therefore the Devil cannot totally prevail as to those who have Interest in him As to single Believers Iohn 10.28 None is able to pluck them out of my Hand Or as to their Communities and Societies Matth. 16.18 Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it The Gates of Hell signify the Power and Policy of Hell for there was their Armoury and their Counsel Christ expecteth their most subtile and furious Assaults but all should be but as the dashing of Waves against a Rock end in Foam and Shame to the Aggressors and Assailants So that besides his Merit on the Cross there is his Power in Heaven as now sitting upon the Throne 3. The Victory is carried on so as that our Duty and Trials may not be excluded 1 st Though Satan's Head be crushed yet still there is room for our Duty that we may use the Means for our Safety as good Souldiers of Christ and live as in a continual Fight These are set down 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Be sober and vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the Faith 1. Sobriety or an holy Moderation as to the Comforts and Delights of the present Life The Devil the Flesh and the World are in Conspiracy By the Baits of the World he inticeth our Flesh to a neglect of God and heavenly things therefore we must use the World as if we used it not lest our Hearts be burdened and depressed and disabled from seeking after our great End and Happiness 2. Vigilancy and Watchfulness is necessary that we may stand upon our Guard avoiding Snares and forecasting Hazards lest we fall as a ready Prey into the Mouth of the Tempter 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit your selves like Men be strong The first Point of a Christian Souldier is to watch Conscience must stand Porter at the Door examining what cometh in and what goeth out The Devil watcheth all Advantages against us that he may spy where we are weakest and if the Enemy watch and we sleep we cannot be safe 3. Stedfast Resistance in the Faith When we are yielding Satan gets ground but when we believingly and stedfastly resist he is discouraged This stedfast Resistance in the Faith is first Adhering to the Privileges of the Gospel as our Happiness secondly Persevering in the Duties thereof as our Work resolving not to let go our hold but by patient Continuance in Well-doing to wait for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal Life Now if Christ should so destroy the Devil as to exempt from this Duty the whole Gospel would be in vain and the Promises and Precepts of it to no purpose and all the Furniture of Grace which Christ hath purchased for us and promised to us be lost and useless Surely Christ hath not so crushed the Serpent's Head but that we need to be sober and watchful and stedfast in the Faith otherwise we were not his Souldiers but his Enemies 2 dly Not to exempt us from Trials of our Sincerity God will have all Obedience to be tried and honoured by Opposition and sometimes by sharp and grievous Opposition Rev. 2.10 The Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that you may be tried Thus Iob was remitted to Satan for his Trial chap. 1.12 And the Lord said unto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thy Power And Paul had his Messenger of Satan for his Trial to see what shift he could make with sufficient internal Grace under outward and vexatious Evils 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9 10. Now better undergo the fiery Trial than the fiery Torment Tried we are then but not destroyed God may let loose the Wolf to drive us into the Fold and exercise us with Temptations but not suffer us to be overwhelmed 4. In the external Management of the Mediatorial Kingdom there are many Vicissitudes and Interchanges of the outward Condition of the Church Sometimes God doth notably defeat Satan and his Instruments and the Devil's Kingdom visibly goeth to wrack As at the first Promulgation of the Gospel though the World was captivated under Satan rooted in former Superstitions yet Christ prevailed and got ground by the Rod of his Strength and the Word of his Kingdom Tho Satan every-where had his Temples wherein he was worshipped and his Oracles were resorted to with great Reverence Till the Hebrew Child silenced him he are the Fat
or Iustice what it is 81 Vid. Justice Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Working Righteousness what it is 1071 Why this is required of us as the Principle of our Actions ibid. Righteousness of Faith what it is 928 956 What is the Hope built on this Righteousness of Faith 930 What is the Work of the Spirit in this Business ibid. S SAcraments relate to Christ's Death 1009 Preparation to the Sacrament necessary 621 What Thoughts are preparative to it ibid. Vid. Meditation Sacrifice What Sacrifices did import 830 Christ's Death had the true Notion and Virtue of a Sacrifice 829 The New Covenant is confirmed by virtue of this Sacrifice 830 Salvation what it is 17 That it is free to all that will accept of it 23 Who are they that contemn Salvation 20 That it is a difficult thing to be saved 397 Vid. Difficult In Christ there is not only Refuge but Salvation 231 What we should do to attain Salvation 21 Vid. Saviour Sanctification meritorious applicative and practical what 1090 How Christ sanctifies 1092 Who are the Sanctified 1089 Why the Relation of Children is reckoned only to the Sanctified 1090 Sanctification hath Influence on our Comfort and Peace 1072 Sanctifying God what it is 267 Satisfaction What Satisfaction a good Man hath 1114 Why he shall have it ibid. Satisfaction of Christ the Compleatness of it proved 1151 The Comfort of this to poor Sinners 1152 Saviour Christ is a Saviour 153 How many ways Christ is a Saviour 887 Why Christ is a Saviour both by Merit and by Power ibid. Christ's great End and Business is to be a Saviour 888 How we shall do to have Christ our Saviour 154 Directions to receive Christ as our Saviour 892 Motives to accept Christ as a Saviour 891 Thankfulness to Christ as a Saviour a Christian Duty 893 Scriptures proved to be the Word of God 721 Sensible Confirmations of the Divine Authority of Scriptures 674 Secret of the Lord with the Righteous what it signifies 1049 Seed Christ the Seed of the Woman 534 Vid. Incarnation Seeking What Christ's seeking those that are lost implies 885 The Necessity of this seeking 886 Seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality what it is 1226 Sell all thou hast explained vindicated and applied 332 333 Vid. Forsake all Self-denial included in the Nature of Faith 441 Sensuality what it is 57 Arguments against it 58 The Evil and Danger of it 373 Shewing forth the Lord's Death what it signifies 1013 The Properties of shewing forth Christ's Death 1014 Why we should shew forth Christ's Death 1015 Motives to shew forth Christ's Death 1016 Sight of Christ past present and to come opened 477 Sight of Faith The objects the Sight of Faith are exercised about 478 Sin the Nature of it 646 Sin a Wrong to Father Son and Holy Ghost 163 The Deceitfulness of Sin 505 The Effects of Sin 650 The Aggravations of Sin 652 The Sins of God's People most provoking to him and the Reasons of it 271 The Sinfulness of Sin opened 646 682 General Observations about the Sinfulness of Sin 643 The Sinfulness of Sin to be meditated on ibid. Sins against Conscience the Mischief that comes by them 530 The Power of Sin how Christ takes it away 541 The Guilt of Sin how Christ takes it away 542 The Being of Sin how and when Christ takes it away ibid. Sin to be avoided and why 168 Not one Sin but all must be renounced Vid. Renouncing Why God corrects his People for their Sins in this World 272 Sleep Sobriety to be used in it 66 Sloth spiritual Directions how to shake it off 616 Sobriety what it is 65 The particular Branches of it Vid. Sleep Recreations Meat and Drink Apparel Care of the World The Necessity of Sobriety 63 Objections against preaching Sobriety answered 64 Solisidians condemned 729 Sorrow vanquished by Faith 242 Soul The Nature of the Soul 1166 The Soul immediately created by God 1163 The Immortality of the Soul proved 1162 1164 1173 The Evil of not believing the Immortality of the Soul 1172 Sparing God's sparing his People what it signifies 1017 This is a choice Privilege ibid. The Reasons why God spares his Children 1019 Who they are whom God spares 1021 How God's sparing is consistent with afflicting his People 1022 1023 Staggering at the Promise opened 487 Strength It is the Privilege and Duty of God's Servants to go from Strength to Strength 1003 Why God's Servants should go from Strength to Strength ibid. Motives to go from Strength to Strength 1006 They that go from Strength to Strength shall at last appear before God in Sion 1008 Sufferings of Christ. Prophecies and Types of Christ were fulfilled in his Sufferings 1149 1150 Sufferings of Christ a Copy and Pattern to us 1150 T TAking away Sin How Christ takes away the Sin of the World 1126 1127 Taking away Sin the great End of Christ's coming into the World and why 1128 What we should do to have Sin taken away Vid. Sin 1129 Temporal good things why God gives them to carnal Men 987 Vid. Good Things Temptations how to be prepared against them Vid. Devil 710 Thanksgiving for Benefits a Debt we owe to God 421 Graces acted and promoted in Thanksgiving 422 Sins prevented by Thanksgiving ibid. Reasons for Thanksgiving 423 In Thanksgiving spiritual Blessings are especially to be owned 424 We are to give Thanks for spiritual Blessings not only for our selves but others 426 We are not thankful for Mercies when the Heart is lifted up 700 Time the Preciousness of it 69 Tongue of the Just what is meant by it 1053 1058 In what Sense the Tongue of the Just is as choice Silver 1055 Sins of the Tongue 1053 Our Tongues to be used for edifying and why 1056 Directions hereunto 1058 Trembling at God's Word what it is 1033 Difference between it and holy Fear ibid. How it doth or may come to nothing 1036 Trinity How much Believers are ingaged to all the Persons of the Trinity 125 How all the Persons in the Trinity concur to the Salvation of Believers 1233 Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost 1233 1234 How Love Grace and Communion concur to our Salvation 1235 Trouble of Heart what it is and wherein it consists 235 237 The Causes of this Trouble of Heart 236 Why Christians should not let their Hearts be troubled 238 Directions to prevent this Trouble of Heart 239 Faith a Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble 241 Trust. Considerations to quicken us to improve our Trust 255 Encouragements to be faithful to our Trust 256 Trust in God a Duty in dark Times 814 The Profit of trusting in God then 815 There is much in the Name of God to incourage Trust ibid. They that fear God and obey him are most incouraged to trust in him 816 Trusting in Riches that there is such a Sin proved 377 The Evil of it 378 The Signs and Discoveries of it 383 The Evil
Effects of it 379 The Remedy of it 383 Truth of Speech and Action what 841 Trials Various Sorts of Trials 361 Trials do manifest what Men are ibid. Why God will manifest Men by Trials 361 Types the several Kinds of them 746 Types of the Law why to be considered ibid. V UNgodliness what it is 31 The Negative Part of Ungodliness 33 The Positive Part of it 40 What it is to deny Ungodliness 32 Means to deny Ungodliness 40 Motives to deny Ungodliness ib. Ungodliness and worldly Lusts coupled 42 Victory of Christ over the Devil the Effects of it 540 How far Satan was destroyed hereby 543 Vid. Devil Power of Satan The Nature of Christ's Victory for Believers 546 W WAiting on God an Effect of Faith 457 War against Satan Motives to ingage in it 547 Washing us from our Sins the Fruit and Evidence of Christ's Love 1129 The Value and Worth of this Benefit 1180 Well-doing what it is 1227 Continuance in Well-doing what it is 1228 Patient Continuance in Well-doing what 1229 Wicked Men who are so 1059 When they shall have enough of Sin 1113 Why wicked Men shall have their Fill of Sin 1114 Will of God How God wills that none shall perish but all come to Repentance 937 Willingness of Christ to suffer how demonstrated 155 Objections answered 158 The Grounds and Reasons of this Willingness Vid. Giving 157 Winking How God winked at the times of Heathen Ignorance 276 Word of God threefold of Promise Blessing and Power 463 The Power and Certainty of God's Word 196 On what Grounds the Word of God is more conducible to Repentance than if one came from the Dead 672 949 The Relation of the Word to Faith 444 The Acts of Faith about the Word 446 The Effects of Faith thus exercised 447 How we may discern the Strength of Faith from hence 449 Work of the Devil what it is 538 How Christ destroys the Work of the Devil Vid. Victory ibid. Works good the Requisites to them 184 The Kinds of them 181 Zeal for good Works Vid. Zeal World The whole World lies under Sin and Wrath 1125 What is meant by Christ taking away the Sin of the World 1124 Vid. Taking away Sin What there is in the World that is to be overcome 445 The Necessity of overcoming the World ibid. Faith overcomes the World and how 456 Worldly Desires Arguments to moderate them 1099 Worldly Lusts. Vid. Lusts. Worldly Men are sorry when they cannot go to Heaven in their own way 365 Worldliness incident to great Persons ibid. Y YOung Man in the Gospel What was commendable in him The Question he puts 285 The Quality of his Person 286 The Manner how he puts it 289 Wherein he was defective ibid. Christ's Answer to the young Man opened 293 Why Christ refers him to the Commandments 303 Why the Commandments of the second Table are only mentioned 305 His Plea that he had kept all the Commandments how far true and how far false 315 What is meant by Christ's loving him 321 Why Christ tells him that he only lacked one thing 330 Young Men why they should apply themselves to Religion 287 313 Z WHAT it is to be zealous of good Works 184 Zeal in good Works a Note of God's People 185 Zeal in good Works the Fruit of Christ's Death 187 Motives to Zeal 188 A TABLE of Scriptures besides the Texts of the several Sermons explained in this Fourth Volume GEN. 2. 15. Pag. 1080 Â 3. 4. 90 Â Â 15. 789 Â 9. 26 27. 835 Â 10. 21. ib. Â 15. 2 3. 483 Â 20. 16. 329 1197 Â 22. 18. 475 Â 33. 5. 833 Exodus 5. 2. 520 Â 24. 4 to 11. 828 Â 34. 6. 1019 Numbers 33. 4. 1121 2 Samuel 7. 3. 817 Â 13. 22. 1195 Â 16. 4. 905 2 Kings 3. 22. 661 Iob 10. 13. 1022 Â 31. 24 25. 377 Psalms 4. 6 7. 1047 Â 14. 1. 647 Â 16. 8. 242 Â 17. 14 15. 128 Â 19. 7. 17 Â 31. 20. 898 Â 37. 28. 1095 Â 40. 7 8. 156 Â 45. 1. 606 Â 49. 11. 378 Â Â 13. 1112 Â Â 14. 142 Â 62. 9. 378 Â 84. 11. 483 967 Â 90. 11. 611 Â 91. 9. 901 Â 103. 5. 1003 Â 111. 4 5. 1118 Â 116. 11. 201 Â 138. 2. 445 Â 140. 3. 747 Â 141. 5. 1197 Â 145. 10. 869 Proverbs 8. 31. P. 156 Â 11. 4. 218 383 Â Â 31. 269 Â 14. 13. 71 642 Â 16. 7. 805 Â 18. 10 11. 377 Â 20. 9. 297 Â Â 12. 662 Â 25. 12. 1198 Â 27. 5 6. 1196 Â 31. 4 5. 73 Ecclesiast 2. 2. 71 Â 3. 11. 614 Â Â 21. 1169 Â 12. 1. 870 Canticles 7. 8. 627 Â 8. 14. 131 Isaiah 7. 14 15 16. 856 Â 10. 6 7. 667 Â 27. 5. 149 Â Â 13. 891 Â 41. 2. 488 Â 43. 3 4. 178 Â Â 25. 142 Â 53. 3. 862 Â Â 9. 1116 Â 54. 11 12. 260 Â 55. 5. 174 Â Â 7. 28 Â Â 8 9. 199 Ieremiah 2. 9 10 11 12. 798 Â 34. 18. 825 Â 50. 5. 94 Ezekiel 20. 37. 826 Â 21. 21. 669 Â 23. 19. 614 Daniel 6. 11. 182 Ionah 2. 8. 1159 Micah 7. 20. 1026 Habakkuk 3. 9. 201 Zephaniah 3. 10. 772 Zechariah 2. 5. 897 Malachi 1. 10. 1217 Matthew 5. 24. P. 85 Â 6. 13. 416 1184 Â 7. 14. 397 Â 10. 41 42. 258 Â 11. 5. 215 397 Â Â 11. 11 Â Â 12. 188 Â Â 17. 233 Â Â 28 29. 224 Â 12. 31. 1141 Â 16. 23. 157 Â Â 24. 386 Â 20. 23. 1137 Â 24. 30 31. 139 Â 25. 31. 141 Â 26. 41. 708 Â 28. 10. 1088 Luke 2. 52. 349 Â 8. 15. 1229 Â 12. 50. 156 Â 13. 7. 70 1005 Â 14. 20. 67 Â 16. 8. 606 639 Â Â 23 24. 1114 Â 21. 28. 134 Â 22. 15. 156 Â Â 24. 395 Iohn 1. 17. 11 Â 4. 34. 156 Â 5. 17. 666 Â 10. 16. 885 Â 13. 27. 157 Â 14. 6. 968 Â 16. 8 9 10 11. 543 Â 19. 36. 1117 Acts 3. 19. 134 Â 4. 32. 84 333 Â 5. 32. 930 Â 6. 10. 500 Â 7. 51. ib. Â 10. 10. 625 Â 13. 46. 7 Â 16. 20. 281 Â 17. 30.31 P. 174 452 Â 18. 10. 886 Â 19. 33. comp with 1 Tim. 1.19.654 Â 24. 22. 1031 Â Â 23 24. 1032 Â 26. 9. 735 Romans 1. 18. 31 Â 2. 22. 96 Â 5. 6. 31 Â 6. 19. 189 Â Â 20. 8 Â 7. 9. 17 Â 8. 2. ib. Â Â 3. 308 Â Â 16. 1135 Â Â 23. 134 Â 9. 16. com with 1 Cor. 9.24 1069 Â Â 30 31 32. 943 Â 10. 14 15. 444 Â 11. 36. 637 Â 14. 22. 954 1 Corinth 1. 30. 968 Â 2. 6. 632 Â Â 9. 659
to live righteously towards all Men giving to all their Due in all Relations Superiours Inferiours and Equals owing nothing to any Man but Love a Debt which we must always pay and always owe That we may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things ver 10. This is that which recommends Religion to the Sons of Men 't is this Well-doing which puts to silence the Ignorance of foolish Men 1 Pet. 2.15 For Men are not much concern'd what we are to God if we be unjust false treacherous unfaithful and over-reaching towards our Neighbour And thirdly that we demean our selves in all the Turnings of our Conversation holily towards God Let our conscientious discharge of First-Table-Duties be the Test of our Uprightness in those of the Second Let our Honesty and Sincerity in those of the Second evidence our Holiness in those of the First 2. Come we now to that pleasing View of the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Where we find a twofold Design of Christ in his Death and Sufferings 1. He had a noble Design for us he dealt with God gave himself for us to him 2. He had a Design upon us too that he might purify us to himself He redeems us from this present World as well as from Wrath to come Gal. 1.4 Redeems us from our selves as well as from Sin and Satan Takes us not only out of the Hands of the Law and Iustice but out of our own That they who live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 Secondly Because Faith is a Grace that has always the labouring Oar a Grace that bears the Heat and Burden of the Day that has the World and the evil One to overcome and that it may be victorious over those must first learn to lay hold on God's own Strength and overcome him too And because this Grace unites us to Christ and then draws Virtue from Christ to maintain that Union and support the spiritual Life and because it ventures far flies high and runs great Risques and has therefore great need of good Security let us again read our Author 's glorious Discourses upon Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us A Word from a God that cannot lie is a sufficient Security for Faith to rest upon Upon this single Security we might safely venture the Weight of all our Souls the stress of all our Concerns 'T is upon this alone the Apostle Titus 1.1 2. encourages us to lay the Hope of eternal Life even upon the Promise of him that cannot lie But our gracious God knowing the weakness of our Faith the Fears and Iealousies of guilty Souls has added his Oath to his Word that from such double Security we might have strong Consolation O happy Souls for whose sakes God will vouchsafe to swear O miserable Sinners who will not give credence to a swearing God! a God that swears by Himself because he has no greater thing to swear by Had he sworn by the Heavens and Earth they shall perish and with them the Security had perish'd but he swears by Himself As I live saith the Lord And Faith having got this Ground to place its Engine upon is able to overturn the World What has it not been able to suffer when Divine Truth is its Warrant What has it not been able to do when the same Truth is its Security It has subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouths of Lions quenched the Violence of Fire escaped the Edg of the Sword grew strong out of Weakness waxed valiant in Fight and turned to flight the Armies of Aliens Heb. 11.33 34. I will add it has routed Legions of Devils triumph'd over Death the Grave and Hell challeng'd the whole World to come in and lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect for it has a God to justify the believing Sinner a Christ that died for the Sinner once and lives for ever at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for him Rom. 8.33 34. Now then let Faith know its Security The Oath of Man when yet every Man is a Liar puts an end to all Controversies amongst Men Let the Oath of God who can no more lâ—e than he can die put an end to our slavish Fears perplexing Doubts all our suspicious of God and his Word and let the Soul return to its Rest for God has dealt graciously with it But I have forgot my self and wrong'd thee too Christian Reader whilst we wander and lose our selves in these pleasing Anticipations For more abundant Satisfaction in these and many important Truths I refer thee to the following Discourses only have Patience to be advertised of two or three smaller Matters 1. Rest fully assured that though these Pieces are Posthumous Births they are not Spurious but the Legitimate and Genuine Offspring of the same Father with those that were first born They carry the Lineaments the Signature the Image of their Elder Brother and have been compared Line by Line Word by Word with the Author's Manuscripts by an unquestionable Voucher 2. Let it not offend thee that the same Truths and perhaps in the same Words are repeated which frequently happens in the Course of any Man's Ministry when the same Subject has been formerly handled and yet Care has been taken as much as could possibly be to prevent all Nauseousness yet sometimes it could not be done without disjointing and mangling the Sermons 3. Be so just as not to impute the Crimes of the Printer to the Author or Publisher which yet are such as an ordinary Charity may pardon or a small Ingenuity correct The rest is only to commit thee Reader and these Discourses to the Blessing of our gracious God with whom remember Thy unworthy Servant in the Service of the Gospel VIN ALSOP Jan. 17. 169â— Books wrote by Dr. Manton and printed since his Death THE first Volume of Sermons on the 119 th Psalm The second Volume of Sermons on Matthew the 25 th Iohn the 17 th Romans the 6 th and the 8 th and the 5 th of the second Epistle to the Corinthians The third Volume of Sermons on the 11 th of the Hebrews with a Treatise of Self-denial and several Sermons on the Sacrament and other Occasions Twenty select Sermons in quarto An Exposition on the Lord's Prayer in 80. Several Sermons on the Rise Growth and Fall of Antichrist on 2 Thess. 2. Several Discourses tending to promote Peace and Holiness among Christians Sermons on Christ's Temptations and Transfiguration Wâ—th Christ's Eternal Existency and the Dignity of his Person asserted against the Socinians Most of the Author's Works are to
God I thank thee I am not as other Men are And you confound the Covenants when you think that a Man may merit of God by his own Grace Adam under the Covenant of Works might then be said to be saved by Grace Why Because he could not persevere in the use of his own Free-will unless he had received it of God Well then Grace doth not exclude Faith nor Works not Faith as the Instrument of Justification and as the Condition of the Covenant not Works as the Fruit and Testimony of Faith There is a Concurrence of Works but not by way of Causality but Order God will first justify then sanctify then glorify and all of Grace Obedience is the Conditio 〈◊〉 quâ non the Condition without which we cannot be saved The Grace of God is the first moving Cause Christ is the meritorious procuring Cause Faith is the Instrument and Obedience is the Fruit of Faith These are subordinate not contrary III. My next Work shall be to give you some Reasons why it must be so that Grace is the Original Cause of all the Blessings we receive from God because it is most for the Glory of God and most for the Comfort of the Creature 1. It is most convenient for the Glory of God to keep up the Respects of the Creature to him in a way suitable to his Majesty Mark God would dispense Blessings in such a way as might beat down Despair and carnal Confidence at the same time Man had need of Mercy but deserveth none Despair would keep us from returning to God and carnal Confidence from ascribing all to God therefore as the Lord would not have Flesh to glory so neither to be cut off from all Hope It is of Grace that we may hope and keep up our Respect to God for there is nothing that keeps up the Devotion and Respects of the Creature to God so much as Grace The Psalmist intimates this There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal. 130.4 Mercy in God makes us fear love and respect him And it is of Grace that Flesh may not glory Ephes. 2.9 Not of Works lest any Man should boast but that God may have all the Glory of his Grace If God did not deal with us upon Terms of Grace Despair would make us let go all sense of Duty and a guilty Creature would stand at a distance and fly from the sight of God Some think that the only way to gain Men to a sense of Religion is by rubbing the Conscience and keeping it raw and sore with Terror But the Psalmist faith There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared this is the best way to keep up the Creatures Respects False Worships are meerly supported by Terror and Fear but God that hath the best Title to the Heart will gain it by Love and Grace But as Despair standeth in the way of God's Glory so doth carnal Confidence Now Grace taketh off all boasting 1 Cor. 1.31 He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Here is nothing of Pre-engagement Merit and Hire yea it is for the Glory of the Supream Majesty that he should act freely and that his Blessings should come to us not as a Thing deserved but as a Gift and that he should entertain us as a King not as an Host. He that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Isa. 55.1 Nothing can be more dishonourable to God than the Merit of the Creature for it takes off part of his Royalty and Supremacy 2. It is most for the Comfort of the Creature Grace is the original Cause of all the Good we expect and receive from God that we may seek the Favour of God with Hope and retain it with Certainty 1. That we may seek the Favour of God with Hope If we had to do with Justice there could be no Hope for Justice giveth only what is due and doth not consider what we need but what we deserve Now mark the Apostle in the behalf of God makes the Challenge Rom. 11.35 Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again Come let me see the Man that durst plead Desert with God and claim any thing of him by way of Merit Who will enter that Plea Lord give me what thou owest I desire no more than is due to me Let me not have Mercy till I deserve it Merit-mongers are best confuted by Experience Let them use the same Plea in their Prayers which they do in their Disputes and plead the Merit of their Works and say Lord give me not eternal Life and Grace and Favour till I deserve it at thy Hand Let them thus dispute with God or with their own Consciences in the Agonies of Death and under Horrors of the Lord 's Wrath. Surely those that cry up the Merit of Works are Men of little spiritual Experience and seldom look into their own Consciences Dare they thus plead with God Lord never look upon me in Mercy if I do not deserve it You shall see the best Plea that the eminentest of God's Children could make is meer Grace The Church speaks thus Hos. 14.2 Receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our Lips It is the Form that is prescribed to returning Israel If you would establish Hope with God this must be your only Plea and Claim Grace Lord Mercy Lord And David saith Psal. 13.5 I have trusted in thy Mercy There 's the ground of my Confidence And Chrysostom hath a sweet gloss upon that place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If others have any thing to alledg let them plead it Ah Lord I have but one thing to say and plead and upon which to cast all my Hopes and that 's Mercy and Grace Lord I have trusted in thy Mercy Thus Ambrose when he was to die saith Etsi non sic vixi ut pudeat inter vos vivere c. Thô I have not so lived as that I should be ashamed to live I am not afraid to die Why not that I have lived well but quia bonum habeo Dominum because I have a gracious Lord and have made Grace my Confidence So we read in the Life of Bernard seeming to be cited before the Tribunal of God when Satan had spoken in his Conscience What! thou look for any Favour at God's Hand thou art not worthy He replies I confess I am not worthy nor can I by my own Deserts obtain the Kingdom of Heaven but I have a double right Haereditate Patris Merito Passionis by the Grace of my Father and by the Merit of Christ's Passion hereby I can take hold of God with both Hands by Grace and Merit not my own but Christ's Thus God's best Servants their Hopes have been established this way by casting themselves upon Mercy and Grace 2. That we may retain the Favour of God with Certainty Rom. 4.16
the Heart for Duties of Religion SERMON VIII TITUS II. 12 We might live soberly c. II d Branch Sobriety in Meats and Drinks IF you ask which is worst Excess in Meat or Drink Gluttony or Drunkenness I answer Drukenness is more odious and doth more sensibly deprive a Man of the use of Reason and put him upon Actions unseemly and is the cause of more Diseases and Disorders in the Body but then Gluttony is very dangerous partly because it is not of such a great Disreputation among Men as Drunkenness and Shame is one of the Restraints of Sin partly because it insensibly creeps upon us as Austin complained Ebrietas longe à me est crapula autem nonnunquam surrepit servo tuo Lord I abhor Drunkenness but Gluttony creeps unawares upon me If it be required again which Sin is worst he that is immoderate in the use of Pleasure or he that is immoderate in Worldly Cares I answer gross Intemperance brings more Dishonour to God and Worldly Cares more spiritual Disadvantage to our Souls A Worldling doth not dishonour God openly so much as a Drunkard but then he is more uncapable of Conviction and of heavenly things and by distracting his Heart with Cares he shrewdly endangereth his Salvation As for Drunkards and Sensualists their Face declareth their Shame and their Crime is written in their Foreheads and so they have less of Defence against the Stroaks of the Word Therefore our Saviour saith Mat. 21.31 That the Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you These things premised I come to speak of Sobriety in the use of Meats and Drinks I join them both together because Grace is exercised in the Restraint of both Christians as we are your Remembrancers to God so we must be God's Remembrancers to you and every part of Conversation falls under some Rule of Religion The Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.15 As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation in every Point and every Affair of Life and therefore eating and drinking being one part of human Conversation it is necessary to give you some Directions It is very familiar with Men to miscarry by Appetite more familiar with Man than with Beasts There is no Beast but Swine will over-eat themselves they know their stint and measure But Lord how far is Man fallen Nature is not only blind in point of Worship but weak in point of Appetite The Relicks of Inordinacy are in the Regenerate The holiest Men had need of Caution as Christ saith to his Disciples Take heed and beware that your Hearts be not over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness Luke 21.34 And the Apostle bids Timothy to flee youthful Lusts to be chaste and pure as he was 2 Tim. 2.22 Flee also youthful Lusts but follow after Righteousness Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Lord with a pure Heart Yea those that are wisest and most accomplish'd many times are swallowed up in this Gulf. Who would have thought that Adam and Eve endowed with the Image of God should have miscarried by Appetite by eating or that Solomon who had such large Gifts and Knowledg from the Cedar to the Hyssop should miscarry by Women and that Persons of excellent Abilities are many times of a riotous Conversation Certainly we are weakest where we think our selves strong When the upper part of the Soul is sufficiently fortified with Counsel and Knowledg the Devil dare not assault us in point of Error but then he draws us away by Appetite and the Baits of the Flesh and therefore we had need speak of Sobriety in Meats and Drinks Now Sobriety becomes all Persons especially Magistrates Ministers Women and Youth Magistrates and Ministers because of the Dignity of their Office Women because of the Imbecility of their Sex and Youth because of the slipperiness of their Age. 1. For Magistrates Prov. 31.4 5. It is not for Kings O Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink Wine nor for Princes strong Drink Give strong Drink to him that is ready to perish It is an Allusion to the Custom among the Iews if a Man were condemned to die it was their Courtesy to give him spiced Wine to attenuate and thin the Blood that it might sooner pass out of the Body and to inebriate the Senses that he might be less sensible of his Paâ—n Now it is not for Kings to drink Wine not for the Judg but for the condemned Person So Eccles. 10.16 17. Wo unto thee O Land when thy Princes eat in the Morning Blessed art thou O Land when thy Princes eat in due season for Strength and not for Drunkenness Magistrates cannot be good or bad alone when they are given to sensual Delights â—t is more odious in them for it unfits and diverts them from publick Business when they spend their time in Excess they are totally indisposed for Counsel and wise Debates and weighty Affairs therefore the Carthaginians forbad Wine to Magistrates during the time of their Magistracy And by Solon's Law a drunken Prince was to be slain 2. For Ministers their Work lies with God therefore they had need live in constant Sobriety Under Pain of Death neither Aaron nor his Sons the Priests were to drink Wine or strong Drink when they went into the Tabernacle of the Congregation Levit. 10.9 Do not drink Wine nor strong Drink thou nor thy Sons with thee when ye go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation lest ye die It shall be a Statute for ever throughout your Generations It is probable Nadab and Abihu their Miscarriage in offering strange Fire was occasioned by Fumes of strong Drink for presently God makes that Law for Aaron and his Sons So the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.3 A Bishop must be sober not given to Wine because of the Excellency of his Ministration which requires Meditation and Freedom of Contemplation which is hindred by the Fumes of Wine and strong Drink 3. For Women because of the Weakness and Modesty of their Sex In some Nations it was Death for Women to be intemperate because by this means they make Shipwrack of that Modesty which is the Ornament of that feeble Sex and therefore Excess in them is more filthy and shameful 4. For Youth they need chiefly to be press'd to this Sobriety because of the Slipperiness of their Age their Judgments are weak and green and their Affections are violent Nature is strong in them and Satan is diligent to seduce them he prizeth young Affections and they are but newly come to the Use of their Reason from living the Life of Sense and the natural Heat of the Stomach that is found in Youth is a great Provocation Though all need to be fortified yet especially these But what is this Sobriety that is required I answer You may know it by the Sin that is contrary to it and we sin against Sobriety when we offend by Quantity Quality and in the manner of Usage 1. There
and reflected upon the Soul there is the more Service and Care to glorify God and to do him Respect and Honour Thus Faith the radical Grace is necessary for this temper and frame of Heart which is called Godliness and inclineth us to worship and glorify God 2. Fear and Love are likewise necessary I join them together because they do best mix'd Love with Fear that it may not be servile and Fear with Love that it may not be careless and secure both are Gospel-Graces In the Old Testament when God's Dispensations were more legal and God is represented as a Judg Fear is more spoken of but in the New Testament where more of Grace is discovered Love is more spoken of but both are necessary Fear and Love are indeed essential Respects of the Creature to God therefore both continue in Heaven and they are of great Use in the spiritual Life to maintain Piety Fear is necessary that we may keep God always in our Eye and Love that we may keep him always in our Hearts Fear restrains from Offence and Love urgeth to Work and Service Fear thinks of God's Eye and represents him as a Looker on and Love remembers God's Kindness Fear makes us cautious and watchful and stirs up awful Thoughts that we may not offend God and grieve his Spirit and Love works a Desire to injoy him and a Care to glorify him wherein indeed true Godliness consists for Godliness in its proper Notion importeth a Tendency of the Heart towards God either to injoy him which is our Happiness or to glorify him which is our Work and Duty And therefore Love is of great Use it stirs up Desires to injoy God and Fear which stirs up Care to glorify God Fear makes us upright because of God's Eye and Love makes us diligent and earnest because we are about God's Work who hath been gracious to us in Christ the one makes us serious the other active so that they are both of great Use to constitute that frame and temper of Heart wherein Piety consists Well then he is godly that feareth God for he would not offend him and he is godly that loves God because all his Care and Desire is to serve him and injoy him Secondly The Ordinances about which Godliness is conversant Because Particulars are most effective let me speak a Word of each The Ordinances which manifest which nourish which increase Godliness are these Reading Hearing Meditating Prayer the Use of the Seals and keeping of the Sabbath 1. Reading the Word The Words of Scripture have a proper Efficacy The Holy Ghost is the best Preacher therefore it is good now and then to go to the Fountain our selves and not only to have the Word brought to us by others but to read it our selves As the Eunuch Acts 8.28 when he returned from publick Worship he was reading the Scripture and God owned it by sending him an Interpreter Every Ordinance hath its proper Blessing and when we use it out of Conscience God will not be wanting He that sent Philip to the Eunuch will send his own Spirit to help thee therefore read the Word Daniel the Prophet that had the highest Visions from God yet he studies other Prophecies those of Ieremiah Dan. 9.2 I Daniel understood by Books the Number of the Years whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet Mark the Study of the Scripture is a Duty that lies upon those that are most gifted and most eminent for Parts Nay the Prophets and holy Men of God read over again and studied their own Prophecies 1 Pet. 1.10 Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you And if they that were guided by an infallible Spirit immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost if they thought fit to read and read again and again their own Prophecies and inquire diligently into the Salvation they spoke of much more is it our Duty to read the Word None is above the Ordinance of Reading That 's one Ordinance which nourisheth Godliness 2. Hearing One Institution must not justle out another It is not enough to read at home but you must also hear and attend upon publick Preaching Rom. 10.14 How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard It is God's Ordinance Seldom is Grace got by Reading We have our Confirmation by Reading but usually Conversion is by Hearing therefore do not reason against this Duty and say you can provide your selves with Books you are not wiser than God his Will should be Reason enough though the Institution should be never so mean and despicable 1 Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe All God's Institutions are full of Wisdom and full of Reason There is some Help certainly in Hearing there 's a Ministerial Excitation which is of some Use. Look as warm'd Milk is fitter to nourish than that which is cold so the Word of God delivered by a lively Voice hath a greater Congruity and Sutableness to the Work of Grace As the Ear was the Door by which Death got into the Soul by hearkning to the Temptation so God would have the Ear to be the Sense of Grace and the Door of Life and Peace In the Church Hearing is exercised as in Heaven Seeing Our Happiness in Heaven is express'd by Vision and Sight but in the Church Hearing is our Duty and our Benefits and Advantages come in by attending upon the Word therefore it is good to take all Occasions and to be swift to hear James 1.19 Though we know a great deal already and have never so great Parts yet we need a Monitor to represent the things of God to us and to awaken our Consideration and lay them before our Eyes and though we know many things we are forgetful and do not think of them It is good to come to this Duty that we may be put in Remembrance 3. Meditation a neglected thing but it falleth under the Care of Godliness as well as others It is not enough to exercise the Eyes and the Ears but the Thoughts God deserves the best Use and the Flower and Strength of our Reason and the things of God deserve Consideration being so difficult and so excellent Especially should we meditate upon the Word we hear for then there 's matter to work upon and somewhat whereby to fix the Thought Psal. 62.10 God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That which God speaks we should go over again and again in our Thoughts As when a Man hath been hearing of Bells the Sound hovereth in the Brain when the Bells cease Thus and thus hath God spoken to day and what shall I say to these things This is like grinding of the Corn it prepares and makes it fit Nourishment for the Soul So meditate upon what you read Iosh. 1.8 The Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy Mouth but thou shalt
I shall I. Draw forth the Force of the Expression II. Give you the Reasons of it I. The Force of the Expression In this present World It implies three things timely Beginning zealous Discharge and final Perseverance Whatever we are to do upon the teaching of Grace we are to do it speedily earnestly constantly Speedily now or never take hold of the present Occasion Earnestly it is the Work of our Lives wherefore we are sent into the World and Constantly that is all the time of our living here 1. Speedily Now or never must it be done We must set upon this Work speedily upon two Grounds because time to come is uncertain and it is not fit to neglect it 1. Time to come is uncertain We have nothing to command but this Instant that which is to come is not in our Power One being invited to a Feast the next Day made Answer Ego à multis annis crastinum non habui For these many Years I never had a to Morrow The present Time is put into thy Hands thou hast no Security for the next Day but thy own Word and how is he the better assured that is Security to himself When you promise your selves many Years you are liberal upon another Man's Goods and it is the Fashion of Mad-men to reckon other Mens Estates to be theirs The Father hath reserved Times and Seasons in his own Power and taken them into his own Hands We are not Masters of a Day therefore now or never must we set upon this Work of living soberly righteously godly O how sad is it to be surprized and Death to find us unprovided 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore Beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in Peace This is the great Business of our Lives to be found in a Condition pleasing to God A Man should live every Day as he would be found of God for usually Death comes by way of Surprize it finds us before we look for it and steals upon us e're we are aware 2. Because it is not fit to neglect it till Death and to provide Work for that time when we need Cordials the Infirmities of Age and Sickness need Supports and not Work O how sad is this that many times we are going out of the World before we begin to think why we came into it Our great Business here is to save our Souls and when Time is gone then we begin to think of it He is a foolish Traveller that would set out at Night and begin his Journey when the Sun is setting and the Darkness of the Night is coming on so when Time appointed is gone then to think of saving our Souls It is too late to be sparing when we have spent all upon Prodigality The foolish Virgins came to buy Oil too late Who would expect to conquer then when his Enemy is strongest and himself weakest or purposely delay it till such a time If you do not presently set about the Work you do but provide Grief and Sorrow for your last Age when you are least able to bear it 2. Earnestly It is the Reason why we are sent into the present World It is the Work of our Lives We were not put into the World as Leviathan was put into the Sea to take our fill of Pleasure but we were sent into the World for our Trial and for our Exercise For this End was Life given us not to get Wealth and Honour and great Estates or only to eat drink and sleep and so live as if we were never to die and then die as if we were never to live more such lose the End of their Lives God hath appointed a Time for every thing under the Sun and the Time of Life is appointed to work out our Salvation and therefore it is but reason that our best Business should have the greatest Share of our Time and Strength and that this Work should go forward according to our Years still should you increase and be bettering your selves in the great Business of your Lives It is some Work of Grace to raise the Soul to desire Things within the Vail it is more to hope for them it is more to seize upon them as our Right and Portion and lay hold of eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.19 This is the great Work of our Lives first to raise up the Soul and carry it within the Vail to be always increasing our Assurance of Heaven and looking after a better Life Iohn 9.4 I must work the Works of him that sent me while it is Day the Night cometh when no Man can work Hereafter there is no Prophecy nor Labour nor Faith nor Repentance We have a little Time and a great deal of Work and a great many Temptations It 's a great Work to get out of a State of Nature into a State of Grace to fit our selves for a better World Now because we have no long Continuance here we should be doing it with all our Might Therefore let us not forget the main thing that which is the Business and Imployment of our Lives let not your Time pass unfruitfully for the Night cometh wherein no Man can work 3. Constantly It is in the present World as long as we are here without any Limitation and therefore it hints final Perseverance without which as good we had never begun It is notable that under the Law the Nazarite if he had made a Vow he should touch no Wine or any thing that was forbidden for so many Days or Months but if he had defiled himself before the Days of his Purification were accomplished he was to begin again Numb 6.12 The Days that were before shall be lost because his Separation was defiled So when we have renounced the Vanities and Delights of the World and given our selves to God all is lost when we turn Apostates and go off from a Course of Godliness Ezek. 18.24 But when the Righteous turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity and doth according to all the Abominations that the wicked Man doth shall he live all his Righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his Trespass that he hath trespassed and in his Sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die As good never have begun if we fall off and tire before we come to the End nay in some respect it would have been better if we had never begun than not to have continued for it is said the latter End is worse with them than the beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 A Malefactor who hath made an Escape out of Prison if he be taken again he is loaded with Chains and Irons So when any have made some shew of Escape out of the Devil's Clutches by keeping a constant Course of Duty and Communion with God and then turns and breaks off again none in such Bondage and Slavery as they Nay and this Apostacy is a mighty Dishonour to Christ as well as a
but a small matter in comparison of what God hath provided for you A Christian's Blessings are future his Crosses are present therefore we need some Support Now Hope is of great use in Affliction and Temptation this appears by the Comparisons that are used it is called an Anchor in the stormy Gusts of Temptations and a Helmet in all Spiritual Conflicts There are Fightings without and Fears within here is an Helmet here is an Anchor Hope is the Anchor of the Soul and the Apostle reckons up all the Properties of a good Anchor it must be firm sharp and enter into good Ground so saith he Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail here is a sure hold-fast upon good Ground it is a weighty Anchor which will not bow nor break Mariners when they have cast out a good Anchor which is fastned to the Ship with a strong Cable they sleep quietly tho the Winds blow and the Storms and Tempests arise they know the Anchor will keep them from floating and dashing upon the Rocks So Hope is a good Anchor Then it is an Helmet Ephes. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation that is Hope 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation The Apostle reckons up all the pieces of the Spiritual Armour Faith that is a Shield for the Body but Hope that is an Helmet for the Head as long as we can lift up our Heads and look up to Heaven we are safe whatever befals us it will hold out in the midst of all the fiery Darts that are cast at us 6. This looking for the blessed Hope is of use to resist Temptations Sin makes many Promises and so prevaileth by Carnal Hopes Balaam was moved to curse God's People against his Conscience but when he boggled and stuck at it Come saith Balac I will give thee Gold and Silver this puts quickening into him The Fool in the Gospel promised himself long Life Luke 12.19 Soul Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many Years take thine Ease eat drink and be merry So Ier. 44.17 We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no Evil. And so the Devil comes to Christ and makes the Temptation as strong as he can Mat. 4.8 9. He sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me And Babylon's Fornication was presented in a Golden Cup there are Baits of Honour and Preferment to draw them to Popery and Heresy Now Faith sets Promise against Promise and Heaven against Earth and the Pleasure at God's Right-hand against Carnal Delight As one Nail drives out another so one Hope and one Promise drives out another Carnal Motions are defeated by Spiritual Promises and those Motions that are presented to the Soul SERMON XIII TITUS II. 13 Looking for c. Vse 1. INformation 1. It informs us that we may look for the Reward Those Men would be wiser than God that deny us a Liberty to make use of the Spirit 's Motives they begrudg God's Bounty To what end should God propound Rewards but that we should close with them by Faith Graces may be exercised about their proper Objects without Sin It requireth some Faith to aim at things not seen The World is drowned in Sense and present Satisfactions they are Mercenaries that must have Pay in hand their Souls droop if they do not meet with Credit Applause and Profit they make Man their Pay-master They have the Spirit of a Servant that prizes present Wages above the Inheritance but it is the Work of Grace to look for the blessed Hope and a great help to us in our Work It was the Comfort of Christ's Human Soul Heb. 12.2 Who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame Christ as Man was to have rational Comforts and human Encouragements Nothing is sinful but coveting the Reward whilst we neglect the Work when we will be Mercenarii but not Operarii we would receive the Reward but not do our Work We are all born Libertines we would sever the Reward from the Duty Hosea 10.11 Ephraim is an Heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the Corn but not to break the Clods in treading out the Corn there was Pleasure and Profit but in breaking the Clods Pain and Labour Or else we sin in having a carnal Notion of Heaven our looking for Heaven is like their looking for Christ as the Consolation of Israel Some of the Jews look for a carnal Messiah so do many Christians for a carnal Heaven for base Pleasures fleshly Delights such Hopes debase the Heart it is the Priviledg of our Profession that we have a sublime Hope Or else we sin in looking for the Reward as the Fruit of Merit if we expect it as Wages for Work done we are Mercenaries Sin and Death are as Work and Wages Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is a Donative What is the reason of this Difference because wicked Men stand upon their own bottom but Christ hath obtained this Priviledg for us Wicked Works are ours meerly evil but the Good we do is by God's Grace as a Servant tradeth with his Master's Estate I am bound to do Good and am forbidden to sin when I do that which is forbidden I deserve Punishment but when I do that which is commanded I do not deserve a Reward because I am bound to do it Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life It is Mercy that we are called Mercy that we are glorified neither before Conversion nor after Conversion do we deserve any thing We serve a good Master he hath provided Comforts for us not only against our Misery but our Unworthiness we have not only Glory as a Reward but Mercy as the cause of it Glory out of the hands of Mercy Thus must you look for the Reward and build your Hopes of it As you pray so must you expect now you will not pray Lord give me Heaven for I deserve it natural Conscience would blush at the Immodesty of such a Request Who would not have the Title of Inheritance rather than of Hire Again our own Happiness must not be our ultimate End Man was made for a twofold End to glorify God and enjoy him for ever they must both go together we must desire the Enjoyment of God that we may glorify God to all Eternity otherwise Interest swayeth us more than Duty First we love God out of
therefore Men would live in their Posterity and have their Families great But this is a sad Exchange to forfeit Heaven that our Children may enjoy the World as many times it falls out that the Father goes to Hell for getting an Estate and the Son goes to Hell for spending it Tho they have an ample Patrimony yet they know not who shall enjoy it Who knows whether he shall be a wise Man or a Fool Eccles. 2.19 A Man hath no knowledg of future Events nor no power of them So that you see still we have no cause to envy worldly Men even in this Happiness We are better provided for having a Covenant-Interest that countervails all I am thy God and the God of thy Seed Tho we cannot leave them Gold Land and ample Estate yet you leave them a God in Covenant who hath undertaken for you and yours And many times they have Temporal Blessings for their Father's sake the Blessings of Ishmael if not of Isaac Vse 2. Direction that we may not seek Blessedness elsewhere Some seek it in a wrong way Carnal Men think that there is no such Happiness as in letting loose the Reins to carnal Lusts and living as they list This is the basest Bondage that can be 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption for of whom a Man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage The Work is Drudgery and the Reward is Death they are intangled in Snares and held in Chains and is this an happy Life This doth but increase our Misery and make way for more Shame Yet carnal Men are much taken with this kind of Life they wonder how Men can abjure the Pleasure and Contentment which they fancy 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of Riot They think themselves very wise in following the Counsels of their own Hearts and doing as others do that are like themselves You do but make your selves more responsible to God's Justice Worldly Comforts cannot make us happy it appeareth by our many Inventions Eccles. 7.29 God made Man upright but he hath sought out many Inventions Every Sinner hath his wandrings Man being off from God never cometh on again of himself but wandreth infinitely and beats out himself with his own Inventions As a way-faring Man who hath once lost his Directions turneth up and down and knoweth not where to pitch so are all Endeavours fruitless till God direct us We are to follow God's Counsel not the Counsel of the Ungodly Psal. 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and after receive me to Glory As a Clock runs at random when the Ballance is once out The Lord is willing to direct us Psal. 25.8 Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach Sinners in the way He is too wise to be deceived and too good to deceive O Sinners learn the upright Way When we are weary of wandring and willing to be directed such as submit themselves to God shall never want a Guide Creatures cannot make us happy such is the Restlesness of the Soul that we must have shift and change Envying one another sheweth the narrowness of our Comforts Gripes of Conscience spoil all as Belshazzar in his Cups was afrighted with an Hand-writing upon the Wall Says the young Man in the Gospel Mat. 19.16 Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal Life What lack I yet saith the Moralist In false Worship Men are unsatisfied Micah 6.6 Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God It is not a loose Profession of the Gospel that will make us happy Mat. 11.29 Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart and ye shall find Rest for your Souls Nothing can make us happy but what is a full Relief from Sin and Misery Here is Rest for our Souls the Foundation is laid in Justification and Sanctification Here is our Reconciliation with God hereafter is our Advancement Vse 3. It is an Invitation to the Practice of Holiness Blessedness is a great Motive David begins the Book of Psalms with it and Christ his Sermons there is enough in it to allay the Sorrows of the present Life and fill up the Desires of the Life to come All would be blessed and happy but we must take the right course say as Christ's Hearers Iohn 6.34 Lord evermore give us this Bread As Balaam Numb 23.10 Let me die the Death of the Righteous and let my last End be like his Be not content as Balaam with a Vision of Iacob's happy Seats Numb 24.5 How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel As the Noble-man that saw the Plenty of Israel but did not eat thereof 2 Kings 7.20 And so it fell out unto him for the People trod upon him in the Gate and he died The Damned at the last Day are Lookers on but not Partakers of the Blessedness of the Righteous Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and your your selves thrust out Vse 4. Exhortation to those that have an Interest in this blessed Hope Behave your selves as those that are called thereunto think of it often discourse of it often and live sutable to it 1. Often meditate of the Happiness that is laid up for you and warm your selves with the thoughts of it The Mind ruminateth on Happiness Your Minds should be there Col. 3.2 Set your Affections on Things above not on Things on the Earth 2. Confer of it often 1 Thess. 4.18 Comfort one another with these Words against all the Changes and Dangers of this Life Alas how carnal and flat is our Discourse He that is of the Earth is earthy and speaketh of the Earth Joh. 3.31 3. Live more sutable to it 1 Thess. 2.11 12. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Make Eternity your Scope 2 Cor. 4.18 Looking not to the Things that are seen but to the Things that are not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There should be a greater proportion between your Hopes and your Lives Behave your selves as those that are interested in this blessed Hope be not dejected with every Cross nor overcome with every Bait and Temptation nor live in a base and low manner this is not becoming your Hopes Show your Interest herein by the Heavenliness and Courage of your Spirits SERMON XVI TITUS II. 13 And the glorious Appearing c. IN the Encouragement to the Duty of our Heavenly Calling we have the Substance of our Hopes and the Seasons when we shall come to enjoy them to the full 1 st The Substance of our Hopes Looking
the Smiters you must be tempted by the Devil hunted and baited by Men to be responsible to my just Wrath. The Decree is past a Body is prepared you must take it and go down to the Sons of Men you are the Sinner in the Law if you take this Body These were the Demands of God to Christ. Now saith Christ Lo I come to do thy Will Father I am willing to stand in their stead to accept of all to be responsible to thy Justice So when Christ was come in the Flesh Iohn 4.34 My Meat is to do the VVill of him that sent me and to finish his VVork What was the Work for which God sent Christ Sad Work to make Reconciliation for Sinners to die in their stead and yet saith Christ this is my Meat Look as a hungry Man prizeth his Food so doth the Lord Christ value and prize his Work nay infinitely more Christ himself was then hungry and had sent to the Market to buy Provision but he had now met with other Meat to eat he was dealing with a poor lost Soul Nay we have not yet the Full of the Expression for Christ seems to speak there by way of Excellency this was his choice Dish the Diet that suted with his Appetite God hath vouchsafed us great store of Creatures but some Meats we relish better than others as Isaac loved his Venison that was Meat for his Tooth And when we come to a Feast every one saith of the Dish he most affects This is my Meat So Christ seems to speak my Meat by way of Eminency that is the Dish I affect that my Soul longs to taste of it is to do my Father's Work and to be employed for the Salvation of Sinners Nay yet further Christ seems to speak by way of Appropriation my Meat that is mine alone he alone tasted of this Cup. At this Table none eat but he none was to taste of his Father's Wrath but he none was to drink of this bitter Cup but he Again Luke 12.50 I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished The Baptism Christ speaks of there was the Baptism of Blood to make a Laver of his own Blood He was about to make a Bath for Sinners to wash our Garments white and he thought he never could soon enough empty his Veins and go to the last Work wherewith our Redemption was to be accomplished to close up all with his Death I am straitned and troubled in Spirit till the time come Another emphatical Expression we have Luke 22.15 VVith desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer Why was Christ so earnest to eat that Passover Because it was the last it was a Passover that was sauced with Gall and Vinegar much more sharp than that which the Jews offered him upon the Cross it was the immediate Forerunner of his Agonies and bitter Sorrows in the Garden yet with desire have I desired it it is a Hebraism O my Soul vehemently and earnestly hath longed for this time Another Expression we have Mat. 16.22 23. Peter had disswaded Christ from suffering Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Christ rebuked him Get thee behind me Satan compared with Mark 4.10 with the same Indignation that he rebukes the Devil tempting him to Idolatry he rebukes Peter disswading him from Suffering His Heart was set upon the Work of our Redemption therefore Peter is thus rebuked Another Expression of his willingness is his bidding Iudas hasten his Work Iohn 13.27 VVhat thou dost do quickly Certainly it was not out of an Approbation of his Sin but a Testimony of his Love the sooner the better Christ when he considered that poor Creatures had Souls to save and all was not finished thought the Traitor was too slow for he desired to get his Body upon the Cross and finish all his Work for our Salvation Again his Behaviour at his Death shewed his willingness Christ had the command of Legions of Angels but would not suffer one Disciple to draw his Sword He might have prevented all and have withdrawn himself from their Fury for he foreknew what would befal him He had been discoursing with his Disciples and encouraging them to bear the Trial patiently yet doth not forsake the place of his usual resort he goes to the Garden where he knew Iudas would betray him being willing to dispatch all One Expression more we have which gives you an account of his Patience in Suffering Isa. 53.7 He was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his Mouth he was brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he openeth not his Mouth The poor Sheep when under the Shearers hands is meek and dumb and the Lamb goes to the Slaughter without howling and crying so doth the Lord Christ go to the Altar quietly without strugling II. For the Grounds of this Willingness They are his own Love and his Obedience to his Father 's Will. Sometimes it is said that Christ gave himself and sometimes it is said that God the Father gave Christ. Christ gave himself Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our Sins God the Father is said to give him Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son In some places it is made an Act of his own personal Love Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me And Ephes. 5.25 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it At other times it is made to be an Act of Obedience Phil. 2.8 He became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross. And Iohn 10.18 This Commandment I received of my Father Indeed there was a concurrence of both of Love in Christ and Obedience to his Father 1. There was a Love to us Christ was drawn to this Work with no other Cords but his own Bowels It was Love that brought him out of Heaven and Love nailed him to the Cross and Love laid him in the Grave and made him free among the Dead If you ask Upon what Errand came the Son of God out of the Bosom of the Father I answer Upon a Design of Love Of what Sickness he died I answer Of Love not by Constraint certainly though he died a violent Death it was meerly by Consent Iohn 10.18 No Man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Rev. 1.5 To him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood 2. There was his Obedience to God As Jesus Christ was God so by one and the same Will doth the Father give Christ and the Son give himself for the Father's Will is his Will they are one in Essence therefore one in Will and one in Operation and what the Father doth the Son doth because of the Unity of Essence Iohn 5.19 What things soever the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise But this is not all
Giving and the Persons to whom 1. The Giver and that is Jesus Christ who is God over all blessed for ever Usually Men make a Market of their Courtesies they give to them that can give again and make them Recompence but he is that blessed Lord to whom nothing could accrue from us In short the Father gave him and he gave himself There is infinite Love in that God the Father gave him Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son It tells you not how but leaves you to wonder and admire at it I would represent it a little to you and therefore let us measure it by created Affections The Affections of the Virgin Mary to Christ is the fittest Glass I can represent it by From her he took his Substance that had the Interest of an earthly Mother Now how was she troubled What Commotion was in her Bowels The Holy Ghost expresseth it Luke 2.35 Yea a Sword shall pierce thrô thy own Soul also that the Thoughts of many Hearts may be revealed She was like one wounded to the Heart when she saw Christ hung upon the Cross yet he took but his humane Body from her If there was such a Commotion in the Bowels of the Virgin Mary the Mother of the Lord what then was it for God the Father to give up his only Son His Love was Infinite yet he gave up Christ. We read of some Fathers who have much denied themselves Abraham offereth Isaac Ieptha offereth his Daughter Lot would have given his Daughters to save his Guests These are but obscure Shadows of the Father's giving up of Christ in whom he took infinite Complacency and Contentment And then bless God for this willing Condescension of the Lord Christ that his Heart was so taken with the Motion the Father makes to him Son you must be responsible to my Justice and take a Body Christ replied Lo I come And Isa. 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied To bring Sons to Glory cost the Lord Christ much travel of Soul but he saith all this is well enough if he shall see the Fruit of it it is enough I am satisfied this is enough for all the Temptations in the Wilderness enough for all the Agonies in the Garden enough for all the Sorrows on the Cross if a few Creatures might be saved and brought to God And consider the Father's Giving and the Son 's Giving they are not contrary and do not destroy one another The Father's Love doth not lessen Christ's but commend it that he hath the same good-will to us as the Father had Jesus Christ as Mediator is the Servant of God's Decrees Many times the Servant hath not the same Affection to the Work as the Master hath But it is otherwise here God's Heart and Christ's Heart is set upon the Work God sets him a-part to be a Mediator and Christ sets himself a-part to see what he can do to save Creatures O bless the Lord. Thus for the Giver 2. The Gift He gave himself not an Angel Among all the Treasures of Heaven and Earth there was nothing more excellent and precious than the Lord Christ He doth not give Gold and Silver but himself to die for us 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold c. but with the precious Blood of Christ. And how doth he give himself Certainly his whole Self Body and Soul his Godhead was engaged in this Work tho that could not suffer He shall make his Soul an Offering for Sin Isa. 53.10 Christ's Soul was to stand in our Souls stead His Soul was heavy to the Death as well as his Body abused mangled with Whips and exposed to Sufferings And the Godhead it self assisted all was interested in it So that look as when the Sun shines upon a Tree tho you cut the Tree you do not cut the Sun so the Godhead stood by but suffered nothing Christ suffered not only Death but Desertion The Soul 's forsaking of the Body at Death was nothing so heavy as God's forsaking of the Soul when he cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 Many forsook him his Disciples left him they all fled but Christ complains not of this but there was the suspension of the wonted Joys of the Godhead and that troubled him This was the Passion of his Passion The Moon loseth no Brightness when it suffereth an Eclipse by the Interposition of the Earth but shines as bright as ever so the Lord Christ lost nothing but only there was an Eclipse of God's Countenance and this was the Terror and Anguish of his Soul 3. Consider the Manner of giving it was free and voluntary without reluctancy which was the great Argument of his Love freely and willingly he gave up himself Gal. 2.20 The Life that I live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Faith pitcheth upon this Circumstance Who loved me and gave himself for me to urge us to the spiritual Life 4. Consider for what End it was Ephes. 5.2 He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour The Sacrifice that was offered for the whole Congregation was to be killed without the Camp and the Blood to be brought with sweet Perfume to the Mercy-Seat So the Lord Christ comes out of Heaven to be killed on Earth and then is gone to Heaven to represent his Sacrifice to God as a sweet Perfume He gave himself to be a Ransom for us to die a shameful and accursed Death on the Cross he gave himself to be substituted in our room and stead The sadness of every Loss is according to the measure of Enjoyment Life died Righteousness was made Sin O blessed Exchange 5. Consider for whom he doth it The Apostle saith it was for us not for Angels Tho they did far exceed Man in Excellency of Nature yet God would not treat with the lost Angels they were never recovered but he gave himself for us Men. Nay not only for us that were his Creatures but that were his Enemies vile and unworthy Sinners Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us A Man would even die for a good Man tho there be but a few such Persons in the World but here the Just dies for the Unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins the Iust for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God Now this commends his Love indeed in that it was for us vile Miscreants Dust and Ashes Adam sold us for a thing of nought an Apple and so the Lord might have condemned us cast us off and created another World of nobler Creatures than the present Race of Men or might have redeemed us at a cheaper rate Let all this
Judgment and Hell are a part of our Bondage But now what cause have we to bless God Rom. 8.1 There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Then to be under the Power of Sin is a woful Bondage to be at the beck of every Lust and carnal Suggestion Men rejoice in their Bondage they think there is no such Life as to live at large and to do as we list but the more liberty we take in Sin the greater Slavery the Work is Drudgery and the Reward is Death Sin hath reigned unto Death Rom. 5.21 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption for of whom a Man is overcome of the same is he brought into Bondage It is the saddest Judgment to be given up to our own Will to be given up to Satan to be given up to Self What a Slavery is this when we see Mischief and know not how to avoid it Conscience is held a Prisoner we cannot see a Vanity but the Heart lingereth after it and groweth sick as Ahab for Naboth's Vineyard Duties of Godliness are esteemed an heavy Task the Law of God is impelling to Duty and the Law of Sin impelling to Evil. What Thanks is due to God for delivering us from so great a Bondage Vse 2. To press us to avoid Sin Mortify the Lust and prevent the Action let it not reign in the Heart nor be discovered in the Life and Conversation Christ died that the Body of Sin might be destroyed Rom. 6.6 And he died to redeem us from our vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Consider when Sin remains in its Power and while you serve Sin what Dishonour you do to God and what Disadvantage it is to your selves 1. The Dishonour you do to God to all the Persons in the Godhead To the Father by making void the whole Plot of Redemption This was the eternal Project and Design as it were of God the Father the wise Counsel his Wisdom found out to remedy the Fall of Man Jesus Christ was ordained before all Worlds to redeem us from our vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World The Lord projected this way of Restitution from all Eternity that this Course should be taken to destroy Sin Now will you go about to make all this void Then you wrong God the Son and that many ways You disparage the worth of his Price as if it was not sufficient to purchase Grace and so seek to put your Redeemer to shame Nay you disparage the Purity of his Person for you were redeemed with the Blood of Christ as a Lamb without spot and blemish Nay you disparage the Greatness and Extremity of his Sufferings It cost him dear to purchase Grace and Deliverance from Sin and you slight it and make nothing of it Then you rob him of the Greatness of his Purchase he bought us with this great Price that we might not be our own and live to our Lusts. Such as are bought with Money are theirs who bought them 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a Price therefore glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are his Did Christ pay our Debts and shall we like desperate Prodigals do nothing but encrease them by our Sin Then you disparage the Holy Ghost the Spirit whom Christ doth shed abroad to accomplish his Work 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty The great Work of the Holy Ghost is to free us from the Bondage of Sin Have you the Assistance of such a Spirit and can you not resist carnal Motions And are you taken with every vain Delight a Fashion a sensual Bait Thus consider what a dishonour it is to God to let Sin live if Christ died to redeem us You do as much as in you lieth to defeat the Project of God the Father the Purchase of the Son and the Work of the Spirit 2. It is a Disadvantage to your selves You cut off your own Claim and declare you have no Interest and Share in Christ if Sin live for he came to redeem us from Iniquity We cannot have an Interest in any part of Christ's Redemption till this be for all these go together God's Anger is not appeased the Devil's Power is not restrained the Law 's Curse is still in force as long as Sin lives You can have no Comfort if you be not freed from Sin the Wrath of God is against you and Hell is your Portion nay if you are not redeemed from all Sin for he redeems us from all Iniquity A Bird that is tied by the Leg may make a shew of escape but it is fast enough So though many may abstain from gross Sins for they that commit such shew plainly they are acted by the Spirit of the Devil yet if one Sin remains unmortified it enthralleth as well as many but if it reigns in the Soul you have no Interest in Christ. Object You will say Why should we mortify what should we trouble our selves about this Christ hath done all this Answ. No Christ hath redeemed us from all Iniquity but his Redemption doth not make void but oblige our Endeavours for he undertook as God's Surety that Sin should be destroyed and as our Surety that we should not serve Sin Rom. 6.6 Our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin There 's a Work on God's part he undertook for the pouring out of Grace and on our part that we should be watchful and strive against Sin and watch against all Occasions of it And he hath given us encouragement so to do Non pugna sublata est sed Victoria It is not the Conflict against Sin that is taken away by Christ but the Victory of Sin Look as when the Israelites had a Promise that God would give their Enemies into their Hands the meaning was not that they should not strike a Stroke but they were to fight the Battels of the Lord So when Christ hath redeemed us from Iniquity yet we are to use all spiritual means of Mortification to subdue the Lusts and to prevent the Act of Sin It will be our great Condemnation when we have so much help that still Sin should remain Certainly he is very lazy that will not ply the Oar that hath both Wind and Tide on his side And when the Lord Christ hath purchased Grace and the Spirit yet we will not endeavour against Sin Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again in the Yoke of Bondage Gal. 5.1 Vse 3. Direction When-ever you are troubled with your Sins and Lusts are too hard for you go to Christ. It is his Office to redeem you from your Iniquity and the Tyranny of Sin Therefore when you feel any Corruption stir go and complain to him as Paul did I cannot do the things
therefore cast your selves upon God 3. Carry your selves as a peculiar People to him Wherein 1. You must not be contented with common Mercies Every distinct Society have distinct Privileges Now the Elect are a peculiar People and therefore should look after peculiar Privileges A Man may have outward things and here is nothing peculiar no Argument of God's special Love Cast-aways may have these things Psal. 119.132 Look then upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto them that love thy Name Look not upon me as thou usest to do on the World in general but as thou dost on thy own People You must have renewing Mercies and sanctifying Mercies a holy Heart be kept from Sin and conformed to God Other Mercies a Man may have and go to Hell therefore be not satisfied with them Luther protested to God he would not be put off with Estate and the Favour of the World and with increase of Honour and Esteem Alas the multitude may have these things it is their Happiness Psal. 4.6 There be many that say Who will shew us any Good Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us 2. Be not contented with common Graces Thus far a Man may go and not be saved As for instance There are moral Inclinations in Heathens and they make Conscience of gross Sins It is not enough to keep from Theft Drunkenness Adultery a Heathen would discover those Sins by the Light of Nature and by such Arguments and Reasons as Nature suggests would avoid them And then Hypocrites may have flashes of Comfort Glances Wishes and good Moods though they have no constant Delight in Communion with God yet they have superficial Hopes and are much taken with Evangelical Strains and Tenders of the Gospel they have a desire to keep their Consciences quiet and peaceable but you should labour for Uprightness and special Graces Carnal Men desire to be secure rather than sincere that they may have some Delectations and superficial Tastes but you are to look after things that accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that have Salvation in them you should be contented with no Grace but that which is an undoubted Pledg and Evidence of Heaven not a loose Hope of the Gospel 3. Be not satisfied with a common Conversation How is that Partly thus You must not live according to ordinary Privileges and ordinary Hopes You must discover Self-denial as one trained up in the School of Christ. It is an Accusation the Apostle brings against the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.3 Are ye not Carnal and walk as Men When Men pretend to be God's peculiar People and have nothing singular but are given to worldly Cares vile Passions and corrupt Affections as other Men are this hardens carnal Men. A Christian should live like a Wonder in his place by discovering much Self-denial and Mortification in his Conversation Mat. 5.4 For if ye love them which love you what Reward have you do not the Publicans the same It is the greatest Hypocrisy that can be in the World to profess to be a peculiar People and to deny your selves in nothing but do as others do we should live at another rate and be more Holy more Charitable more Heavenly 4. Do not live according to ordinary Examples We may not frame and fashion our selves to the Guise of the World because we are the Lord 's peculiar People Deut. 14.1 2. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God ye shall not cut your selves nor make any baldness between your Eyes for the Dead For thou art an holy People unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar People unto himself above all the Nations that are upon the Earth Dead Fishes swim with the Stream A Christian should live in a Counter-motion to the World You cannot do as others do for you profess your selves to be distinct Especially we should consider this in times of general Defection not to run away from God Mich. 4.5 For all People will walk every one in the Name of his God and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever When every Man sets up a distinct Religion that is the meaning of it then the peculiar People of God should hold together and shew forth special Zeal and special Strictness in the Ways of God in times of Coldness Indifferency and Neutrality in Religion Josh. 24.15 And if it seem Evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this Day whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the Flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. SERMON XXII TITUS II. 14 Zealous of Good Works I Come to the last Circumstance the outward Manifestation of Christ's Puririfying that he might make us zealous of good Works I shall consider it partly as the Note of Evidence of God's peculiar People and partly as it falls under the Aim of Christ's Death Doct. Zeal for or in good Works is a Note of God's People and a Fruit of Christ's Purchase Here I shall enquire I. What good Works are II. What it is to be zealous of good Works III. In what Respect and Place we are to put this Zeal or how it stands in order to the Death of Christ. 1. What good Works are I shall shew the Kinds of them and the Requisites to them First The Kinds of good Works Good Works for the Matter of them may be distributed into four Sorts or Ranks Opera Cultûs Acts of Worship Opera Vocationis Works of our own particular Function and Calling Opera Iustitiae Works of Righteousness Opera Charitatis Works of Mercy 1. Opera Cultûs Acts of Worship both Internal and External External to Pray Hear Read Meditate to be much in Communion with God So for Internal Acts as Faith and Repentance and Love All these are good Works and fitly placed in the first Rank of these we must be chiefly zealous because our Happiness lies in Communion with God It is notable Daniel would not omit Prayer for one Day though he was forbidden by the King and in danger of Death Dan. 6.11 Now when Daniel knew that the Writing was signed he went to his House and his Windows being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his Knees three times a Day and prayed and gave Thanks before his God as he did afore-time Certainly they have little Zeal in them that care not to be frequent in Communion with God and call not upon his Name These are the chiefest parts of those good Works we must press and exhort you to where we are to be the more punctual because the Offence is immediately done to God If we do not Works of Mercy and Justice there the Offence is done to Men but neglecting the Works of Piety
Labour and Charge the more Resistance the more Glory God's Children are glad that they may not serve God with that which cost them nothing as David professeth 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer a Burnt-offering unto the Lord my God of that which did cost me nothing Certainly Men are not zealous and their Hearts are not set upon the Ways of God when every slight Excuse will serve the turn and every little Profit draws them away and every petty Business doth hinder them and break off Communion with God and every slender Temptation doth interrupt and break off all their Purposes and Resolutions to Duty and Obedience be it Prayer Charity or Acts of Righteousness We must be resolute for Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing 3. To be zealous of good Works imports Diligence and Earnestness to advance Piety to the highest pitch when we are not contented with any low degrees of Obedience but would fain carry out a godly Conversation to the uttermost to do it with all our Heart Is he zealous that is contented with a little Charity with a little Worship only Sloth and Idleness will not stand with Zeal Rom. 12.11 Not slothful in Business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Thus it will be when we are seething hot in Spirit as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies A large Affection cannot be contented with mean things and low degrees of Holiness nor lay a dead Child in the room of a living one This the Apostle calls being rich in good VVorks 1 Tim. 6.18 One or two Acts will not serve the turn Thus Dorcas is said to be full of good VVorks Acts 9.36 How full It is not an Allusion to the fulness of a Vessel that is full of Water or a Chest full of Clothes but to the fulness of a Tree loaden with Fruit James 3.17 Full of Mercy and good VVorks Those that are planted into this noble Vine Jesus Christ are full of good Works 4. To be zealous of good Works is to be constant to the End The Fire on the Altar never went out but it was always maintained and kept in so we must never let the Fire of Zeal go out Zeal is not like Fire in Straw Alas sudden Fervours are soon spent they are but Freewill-Pangs the Birth of an unrenewed Will but it is like Fire in Wood that casts a lasting Heat Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected always Not at first only for a Fit or Pang that doth not come from Sanctification therefore you should keep up your Fervour Watch against all Decays especially in Age. The Motions of Youth are very vehement for Youth is full of eager Spirits and seems to be all on fire but many times these Motions are not so sincere but the Actions of Age are more solid tho many times they want Vigour and Heat Therefore strive to keep up your Zeal Gal. 5.7 Ye did run well who did hinder you Carnal Men when their first Heats are spent give over they grow cold careless and indifferent in Matters of Religion But shall all these Heats and Desires of Reformation be in vain and shall we give over at length In worldly things we will not give over when we have been at great cost but shall all that is past in Religion be in vain Gal. 3.4 Have you suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain His meaning is It is not like to be in vain it will but tend to your greater Condemnation An Adulteress is punished more than an Harlot It is more Dishonour and Ingratitude to God to tire at length III. The Respect and Place of Zeal in good Works it is a Note of God's People and a Fruit of Christ's Death 1. It is a Note of God's People Vnumquodque operatur secundum suam formam There is in the New Creature a Propensity and Inclination to good Works As all Creatures are created with an inclination to their proper Operations such a willing tendency is there in the New Creature to those Actions which are Heavenly As Sparks fly upwards and a Stone moves downward so the New Creature is carried to Obedience and Holiness from a free Principle within The Nature of every thing is the Principle of its Motion Faith will discover it self therefore we read of God's fulfilling the VVork of Faith with Power 2 Thess. 1.11 Hope is called lively from the Effect 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath begotten us to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the Dead Love constraineth 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us Good Works are a Note of the New Creature We are the Workmanship of God created in Christ Iesus unto good VVorks Ephes. 2.10 As an Artificer sets a Mark upon his Workmanship that he might know it so God sets a visible Mark upon his Servants he doth not make a new Creature for old Works Good Works are Christianae Fidei quasi testes Witnesses that you can bring to evidence the Truth and Power of Grace Luther saith Good VVorks are Faith incarnate that is Faith is manifested by them as the Son of God was manifested in the Flesh. They are Witnesses to the World to your selves and unto God that you are his They are Signs and Witnesses to the World This is the Badg by which God would have his peculiar Children known not by Pomp and worldly Splendor not by any outward Excellency Riches Greatness and Estate but by Zeal to good Works There are no barren Trees in Christ's Garden it is not for the Honour of God for our heavenly Father would be glorified in his Servants bringing forth much Fruit John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples God standeth much upon his Honour Now it is for the Honour of God that all which are planted and grafted into Christ should be full of good Works And they are Testimonies to our selves 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Some Copies add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make your Calling and Election sure by good VVorks certainly it may be collected from the Context he bids them ver 5. add to their Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledg c. and so they might come to make their Calling and Election sure Graces are not discerned by their Habits but by their Acts and Exercise Look as in a Tree the Sap and Life is hid but the Fruit and Apples do appear so Zeal of good Works is that which appears and so it manifests and clears up your Condition This is the great Note of Difference between us and the Prophane they are zealous for the Devil's Kingdom Factors for Hell Iohn 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father you will do They are known by their Works they are earnest for Satan zealous for the Devil follow Sin with earnestness and do Evil with both hands
a Religion to talk of but not to live by therefore they are cold and indifferent and when the Children of God offer a holy Violence to the Kingdom of Heaven they become a Matter of Scorn and Opposition to them And besides formal Men cannot endure to be outstripp'd and therefore malign what they will not imitate as those that are at the Bottom of the Hill fret at those that are at the Top and Men of a lazy and slow Pace envy them that are more zealous strict and holy but they have little Cause to envy them for Christ died to make us zealous of good Works 3. It informs us if we would expect any Benefit by Christ's Death we must be zealous of good Works and more warm in the Service of God A cold Christian will have but cold Comfort For whom did Christ die for those that are zealous of good Works Matth. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by Force It is an Allusion to Exod. 19.23 24. where there was a Rail about the Mount of God that the People might not break through but when Iohn the Baptist began to discover the Grace of God and pointed to the Lamb of God then the Kingdom of God suffered Violence Men began to break through and press upon God there is a free Access to God and Men are earnest and will not be denied Entrance Matth. 5.20 Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no Case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It is not cold Prayers and yawning Devotions and drowzy Wishes when Men are half asleep that will serve in this Case Heaven is gotten by Force and surprized by On-set and Storm it signifies breaking through the Rail and all Restraints that are set to keep us off from God Vse 2. To stir us up to this Zeal of good Works In a dead and drowzy Age we need an Alarum Knowledg hath now devoured Practice in these decaying times Seneca complains Men are altogether studious for filling their Brains not warming their Hearts And when once Men became more learned they were less good The World is altogether for storing the Head with Notions empty and airy Strains so that if Christ should come amongst us he would find few zealous but a Company of lazy Christians that live at a low cheap Rate of Christianity High-flown we are indeed in our Fancies in Notions and Pretences but low and flat in Practice and Conversation Usually thus it is in the time of the Church's Prosperity like a River it loseth in Depth what it gains in Breadth then it hath many Friends but their Love is not so strong nor so hot as at other times Salvian complains Multiplicatis fidei populis fides diminuta est crescentibus filiis mater aegrotat c. When Professors were multiplied their Faith was lessened and as a Mother grows the weaker the more Children she bears so doth Religion grow weaker and weaker when every one takes up a cold Profession they learn Formality one of another And he goes on Quantum copiae accessit tantum disciplinae recessit as a large Body is less active In audito genere processus recessus crescens simul decrescens When the Church increaseth in Multitude and decreaseth in Vigour and Strength it loseth in Spirit what it injoyeth in temporal Felicity Thus it often falls out with the Church of God that when Religion is fair many take up the Profession but alas it is but weak and spiritless without any Life and Vigor Therefore in such a drowzy Age and dead times we need Alarms and quickning Excitations to awaken our Zeal again for solid Piety for those good Works that are commended to us in the Scripture Therefore let us inquire what kind of Enforcements and Considerations are likely to be most operative to press us to this Zeal and Care of good Works 1. Consider how violent and earnest carnal Men are in the Ways of Sin and shall they serve Satan better than you serve God O consider you have a better Master better Work and better Wages their Master is the Devil their Work is the basest Drudgery being Slaves to their own Lusts and their Wages are sutable their Reward is everlasting Damnation and a Separation from the Presence of the Lord. How active are wicked Men for the Kingdom of Darkness How zealous and earnest to ruine themselves as if they could not be damned soon enough Isa. 5.19 They draw Iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope The meaning is they would sin though it cost them a great deal of Pains and Sorrow and though they could not sin at a cheap rate The Prophet doth not say they were drawn into Sin as into a Gin and Snare but they themselves did draw on Sin it is horrid Work yet they delight in it toiling and tiring themselves as Beasts at a Plough they were sinful though it cost them Sorrow and Pain There is no Corruption but it puts you to some Self-denial Luxury is costly and he that loves Wine and Oil saith Solomon will be poor Pride we say will endure the cold and Vain-glory will expose a Man to Danger and Ruine Worldliness incroacheth upon Pleasantness and the Comforts of Life a Worldling will rise early sit up late and eat the Bread of Sorrows Psal. 127.2 With what Earnestness and unwearied Diligence do carnal Men pursue after a few Trifles How do they lay out all their Wisdom and all their Sagacity about worldly things Luke 16.8 The Children of this World are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light As Children are busy about Toys and Puppets so they cumber themselves about much Serving and all their Life is but Care and Disquiet and a constant Self-denial Psal. 39.6 Surely every Man walketh in a vain Shew surely they disquiet themselves in vain They make a great deal of Stir and Bustle and many times when all is got what is it A sorry Comfort and that which must be left on this side the Grave Thus wicked Men are active and restless in their way So for Idolatry with what Cost and Diligence do Men promote false Worship and compass Sea and Land to make a Proselyte they will give Rivers of Oil and thousands of Rams they do not stand at Pains and Cost God bids the Prophet look upon this Sight as indeed it is worthy of a Christian Consideration Ier. 7.17 18. Seest thou what they do in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem The Children gather Wood and the Fathers kindle the Fire and the Women kneed the Dough to make Cakes to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink-Offerings unto other Gods What a busy Diligence is here to promote their false Worship Fathers Children Husbands Wives they all put their helping Hands to the Work and find some Imployment or other Where will you have a Family
and neglected It is very sad when God is provoked to swear to the Damnation of any Creature Who are the Persons that may stand in dread of this Oath why they that believe not Heb. 3.18 To whom swear he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not It is the Sin of Unbelief after many tenders and offers of Mercy which provokes God to this Indignation Here is Oath against Oath the one to drive us the other to draw us and pull in the Heart to God If you continue in this course you shall have neither Part nor Portioâ— in Christ nor in the Land of Promise It is better to be satisfied with God's Oath in Mercy than to run the hazard of his Oath in Judgment Therefore speak to Conscience Do I come up to this Certainty and Confidence Is the Controversy ended between God and me Are all Suspicions laid aside Obj. But you will say I do not doubt of the Truth of the Gospel but of my own â—nterest I doubt that I am the Person to whom God hath sworn The Truth of God is sure but my Interest is not clear Sol. In Answer to this consider 1. It doth but seem so that all Doubts are about our own Interestâ— but it is not so indeed If once you were heartily perswaded of God's good Affection in Christ Doubts and Scruples about our own Estate would soon vanish Look as the Fire when it is well kindled bursts out of its own accord into a Flame so if Faith were once well laid in the Soul if Men could rest upon these two immutable things Consolation would not be so far from them if there were a firm Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel there would not be so many Buts if you did firmly believe his Mercy in Christ it would soon end in a stedfast Confidence This appeareth from the nature of the thing All Uncertainty ariseth either from a Neglect of the great Salvation or else from Trouble of Conscience Now carnal Men neglect it because they are not perswaded of the Worth and Excellency of it and Men under Horrors of Conscience distrust it they are such Sinners they dare not apply it and are so full of Doubts and Scruples because they are not perswaded of the Truth of the Gospel See how the Apostle proposeth the Gospel 1 Tim. 1. â—5 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief If negligent and carnal Men would but look upon it as worthy of all Acceptation and troubled Conscience look upon it as a faithful Saying there would be more regular Actings and Effects found in their Hearts and Lives the Negligent would give more Diligence and the Contrite would rise up into a greater Hope and Confidence If Men did believe the Worth of Salvation they would not run after lying Vanities If they did believe the Truth of Salvation for Sinners there would not be so many Scruples and Fears It is notable that the Scriptures very seldom do press Assurance of the Subject but Assurance of the Object in very many places to believe the Doctrine it self for there is the greatest Difficulty and in the Word of God we have no Precedent of any that were troubled about their own Interest If an Earthly King should proclaim a general Pardon and an Act of Grace to all Persons in Rebellion only on terms of Submission and laying down their Hostility and returning to their Duty and Allegiance the Doubt would not be of their own Interest but of the truth of his Intention to shew them such Grace and Mercy So it is with God he hath proclaimed Terms of Grace in the Gospel provided we will lay down the Weapons of our Defiance and return to the Duty of our Allegiance now that which we suspect is the Heart of God and the Gospel in the general whether there be Mercy for such kind of Sinners as we are 2. Because we cannot perswade Men to a Certainty against their Consciences what should hinder but that now you should establish your Interest and that you now make your Plea and Claim according to God's Word and Oath for Joy must arise from a Sense of it Your complaining is not the way to ease your Conscience but Obedience It is an Advantage to find our selves in an ill Condition not a Discouragement As the Woman in the Gospel made an Argument of that that she was a Dog Mat. 15.27 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table As when the Man-slayer saw the Avenger of Blood at his Heels this made him mend his pace and fly for Refuge so when we see we are under the Wrath of God this should make us more earnest to look after Christ and Salvation in and by him The Cities of Refuge under the Law stood open for every Comer and there was free Admission till their Cause was heard So Christ is the Sanctuary of a pursued Soul and whosoever comes shall be received Iohn 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out God excludeth none but those that exclude themselves No Sin is excepted but the Sin against the Holy Ghost Therefore make your Claim till your Cause be heard The great Affront we put upon God's Oath is not so much doubting of our Condition but not running to Christ for Refuge If we still stand complaining of our lost Estate and do not attempt the Work of Faith we put an Affront upon God's Oath If the Lord had bid thee do some great thing I allude to the Speech of Naaman's Servants wouldst thou not have done it to be freed from Death and Hell How much rather when he saith unto thee Only come fly as for thy Life and see if I will cast thee out Take up a Resolution to try God and see if he will not be as good as his Word and Oath Say Lord thou hast given two immutable Grounds of Hope here I come I will wait to see what thou wilt do for me in Christ. 3. I answer Do but see whether thy Interest in Christ be not established or no Here is the lowest Qualification of an Heir of Promise and yet the highest and most solemn way of Assurance Here are two immutable Grounds and yet what 's the Description we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before 〈◊〉 Here is a driving Work that belongs to the Law implied in these words We fly 〈◊〉 Refuge then a drawing Work which belongs to the Gospel in these words To lay hold on the Hope set before us The Law begins and works preparatively as Moses brought the Children of Israel to the Borders then Ioshua led them into the Land of Canaan The Law shews us our Bondage and makes us fly for Refuge but then the Gospel pulls in the Heart to God There is a necessity of the preparing
expectation of Blessedness to come Sure those think themselves wiser than God that deny us the use of the Spirit 's Motives why else doth God set these things before us It requireth some Faith to aim at things not seen The World is drowned in Sense and present Satisfaction it is a great help to us to look upward Christ made use of it Heb. 12.2 For the Ioy that was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the Shame As Man he was supported with humane Encouragements Our Flesh is weak and our Task is difficult and therefore we need all Helps But yet we are not so to covet the Reward as to fever it from Duty and neglect our Work SERMONS UPON St. IOHN XIV 1 SERMON I. JOHN XIV 1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me THE Disciples had heard our Lord Jesus discoursing of his Death and Departure and the great Trials which they were to undergo and that one Disciple should betray him another eminent among them deny him and all take offence and leave him therefore Fear and Trouble seized upon them Our Lord perceiving this Distemper growing upon them seeketh to relieve and ease them He had Sorrow and Agonies of his own to think upon but he is so taken up with comforting his Disciples that he seemeth to forget himself and his own approaching Death and wholly applieth himself to them Let not your Heart be troubled c. In these Words we have 1. An Evil dissuaded Let not your Heart be troubled 2. A Cure prescribed and that is the Exercise of Faith set forth by its double Object God and Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me In God as the supream Fountain of all Blessing in Christ as Mediator or the only Way to come to God In God as the Creator and Preserver of all things in Christ as the Redeemer to whom the Care and Conservation of the Church belongeth They did believe in God they were trained up in that as Jews but they had not hitherto so clear so distinct so strong a Faith in Christ as they should have their Faith was but dark and weak as to the Dignity of his Person Therefore he presseth them to believe not only in God as Iews but in himself as Christians that was the Point the Faith of which would be now assaulted by his ignominious Death and Sufferings There are two Points First That Christians should carefully guard themselves against Heart-trouble Secondly The proper Cure of Heart-trouble is Faith Doct. 1. That Christians should carefully guard themselves against Heart-trouble 1. What is this Trouble of Heart that is here spoken of There is a twofold Evil Natural Evil which is Misery and Moral Evil and that is Sin The one we act of our own accord the other we suffer against our Wills The one ariseth from something within the other from something without This Text speaketh not of Troubles for Sin but of Troubles in the Flesh which being many and grievous to be born it cannot be supposed but that the Heart will be touched with them 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side Yet let not your Heart be troubled A â—ense of them 〈◊〉 not only laâ—ful but necessary The two Extreams must be both aâ—â—â—ded Slighting and Faiâ—ting Heb. 12.5 My Son despiâ—e not thâ—u the chasteâ—â—ng of the Lord nor faint â—hen thou art rebuked of â—im Without 〈◊〉 sense of them they cannot be improved neither do we shew that Reverence that is due to our Father's Anger as not to be afflicted and humbled under his mighty Hand Numb 12.14 If her Father had spiâ— in her Face should she not be ashamed seven days Some kind of Spirits are stupid and sensless neither affected with Sin nor Misery Not with Sin tho they provoâ—e God to his very Face with their continual brutish Practices yet they never lay their Condition to heart Conscience is feared or at least benummed they are past feeling Eph. 4.19 Shall we say to these Let not your Hearts be troubled No these usurp a Peace and Exemption from Trouble as if Joy and Comfort were their Portion The only way for such is to be troubled that their Trouble may prepare them for Comfort Christ came to save Sinners but they are penitent and broken-hearted Sinners that are weary and heavy-laden under the Burden of Sin Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you Rest. Not the Heart that is whole but the Heart that is wounded These he calleth and calleth to Repentance Mat. 9.13 I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Not with Misery neither with their Fathers Anger nor their Brethrens Misery Jer. 5.3 O Lord are not thine Eyes upon the Truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction they have made their Faces harder than a Rock they have refused to return Amos 6.3 Ye that put far away the evil Day and cause the Seat of Violence to come near Fall out what will they set their Hearts for Ease and Pleasure and carnal Delights and are given altogether to Mirth and â—ollity Riot and Revelling and all manner of Vanity Should we say to these Let not your Hearts be troubled and lull them more asleep in carnal Security by tincturing their Sensuality with Religion and adding a Dram of spiritual Comfort to make their carnal Potion more effectual No Christ speaketh not to such kind of Persons as mind neither his Presence nor Absence and regard not whether he do Good or Evil. No to such we must rather say Be afflicted and weep and mourn let your Laughter be turned to Mourning and your Ioy to Heaviness James 4.9 We call not upon them to rejoice but to howl for the Misery that is coming upon them A Sense there must be Q. What is then dissuaded Answ. A perplexing oppressing Trouble about sensible and worldly things Here I shall shew you First The Causes of this Trouble Secondly The Nature of it First The Causes of this Trouble which are 1. Carnal Self-love which is all for bodily Ease and Welfare or the Pleasures and Honours or Profits of the World They that are under the power of it seek great things here and the disappointment of their carnal Expectations breedeth Trouble Solomon telleth us what was the result of his accurate and deep search into all worldly and humane Affairs Eccles. 1.14 I have seen all the Works that are done under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit He found all worldly things not only vain and ineffectual to confer Happiness but which is worse apt to bring much Trouble and Affliction upon the Hearts of those who are too earnestly conversant about them Therefore the best way to be free from Trouble is to look for no great Matters here in the World 2. The Life of Sense which
the Law that I might live unto God Sometimes Repentance is described by one term called Repentance from dead works Heb. 6.1 where by dead works are meant Sins which render us liable to Death And often by the other called a Turning or Returning to God Zach. 1.3 Turn ye unto me saith the Lord. Acts 26.18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God From him we fell to him we return and so it includeth an acknowledgment of our Sins with grief of Heart and a resolution to forsake them that we may live unto God both of which if they be hearty and sincere will be evidenced by newness of Life Rom. 6.4 or doing works meet for Repentance Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance The sum of what he preached was reduced to three Heads the two first by way of Foundation the third by way of Superstructure The two first imply an Internal Change the third the Outward discovery of it By Repentance is meant there a bethinking our selves or considering our ways after we have gone wrong with a broken hearted sense and acknowledgment of the misery into which we have plunged our selves by Sin By turning to God our seeking happiness in God by Christ and giving up our selves to him to do his Will And by works meet for repentance a suitable and thankful Life All practical Divinity may be reduced to these three Heads a sense of our misery by Nature a flying to God by Christ for a Remedy and the Life of Love and Praise which becometh Christs reconciled and redeemed ones This is Repentance Secondly What the Gospel doth to Promote it 1. It requireth it indispensibly of all grown Persons In the Text he commandeth all men every where to repent And our Lord telleth us that the great end of his Commission was to call Sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the Righteous but Sinners to repentance The Gospel findeth us not innocent but in a lapsed estate under the power of Sin intangled in the Love of the World and the snares of the Devil and obnoxious to the Wrath of God Now Christ came to recover us from the Devil the World and the Flesh unto God that we may love him again and be happy in his Love So that they quite mistake the Nature of our recovery who dream of a meer exemption from Wrath without an healing our Natures or restoring and putting poor Creatures in joynt again which were disordered by the Fall or that we can live in the Love of God before we are changed both in Heart and Life No Christ took another course to call us not only to Pardon and Eternal Glory but to Repentance or strictly to enjoyn this Duty upon us that by his Grace we might recover a disposition of Heart which in some measure might incline and enable us to love please and obey God and that under pain of his displeasure we might break off our Sins and live unto God For he came not to give liberty to any to live in Sin 2. By its Promises for it offereth Pardon and Life to the Penitent Believer and to them only None can enjoy the Priviledges of the New Covenant but those that are willing to return to the Duty which they owe to the Creator This is Gospel Luke 24.47 That repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in his Name compared with Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned God and Christ are agreed that Salvation should be dispensed upon these terms and no other We are not within the reach of the Blessing and Comfort of the Promise till we repent 3. By its Ordinances or the Sacraments and Seals of the Covenant As Baptism which serves for this use Mat. 3.11 I baptize you with water unto repentance And Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Sins This is the initial Ordinance which is our first covenanting with God and therein we bind our selves to forsake all known Sin and to live unto God And from that time forward we must reckon our selves as under such a Vow Bond Debt and Obligation Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves also to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. What! doth our Mortification or Vivification depend on our esteem or conceit Will that kill Sin or quicken Holiness The meaning is Count your selves obliged to dye to Sin and to persevere in Holiness by your Baptismal Vow and Covenant In the Lord's Supper one great Benefit offered and sealed to us is the remission of Sins Mat. 26.28 For this is my Blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of Sins that is supposing we make Conscience of our Baptismal Vow and renew our resolutions against Sin lest we grow cold and remiss in them Thirdly How convenient and Necessary this is for our recovery to God 1. For the Honour of God Surely Christ communicateth the effects of his Grace in a way becoming the Wisdom of God as well as his Justice Now as the Justice of God required that his Wrath should be appeased so his Wisdom required that Man should be converted and turned to God because God in dispensing Pardon will still preserve the Honour of his Law and Government As he doth it in the Impetration so in the Application As to the Impetration that was not without Satisfaction so to the Application that is not without Repentance or a consent to live according to the Will of God Now this would fall to the ground if we should be pardoned without Submission without Confession of past Sin or resolution of future Obedience For till then we neither know our true misery nor are we willing to come out of it For they that securely continue in their Sins they despise both the Curse of the Law and the Grace of the Gospel 2. The Duty of the Creature is secured when we are so solemnly bound to future Obedience Our first hearty consent to live in the Love and Service of our Creator with a detestation of our former ways is made in a solemn Covenant manner called therefore the Bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant So Numb 30.2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord and swear an Oath to bind his Soul with a bond he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And besides it is made in our anguish when we drink of the bitter waters and feel the smart of Sin Acts 9.6 And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do And so the fittest time to induce an hatred of Sin and also love to God and Holiness as having then the sweetest and freshest sense of his
as the only Saviour to bring us to God VSE This may humble us that we go not so far and to caution us that we do not rest here First To humble us Alas most men go not so far as this young rich man that comes thus seriously to Christ about a Question of Eternal Life It is a saying of Athanasius Vtinam omnes essent Hypocritae Would to God all men would go so far as Hypocrites He means it not as to Dissimulation but partial Obedience It were a blessed thing for the World if all men went so far as this Young man so as 1. To have their Thoughts taken up about Eternal Life The most part of the World never consider whence they are nor whither they goe nor what shall become of them to all Eternity We busie our Thoughts about our Temporal Interests and are carking how we may live in the World and maintain our selves but never take care how we shall live for ever If you go from house to house you will find this Question very rare What shall I do to obtain Eternal Life Go up and down among People every where and you meet with no such Language as this go to Young and Old Poor and Rich Great and Small We have many thoughts in us how to dispose of our present Affairs but few think of the World to come Should a mans thoughts be taken up about furnishing his Inn where he tarries but a Night and neglect his Home Thus we busie our selves about the Affairs of this Life when to morrow we must be gone and mind not the World to come where we must abide for Ever not once a Year doth such a thought run in our Minds we never ask or speak about it nor will we suffer any to do so so far are we from being diligent and Earnest to get it resolved This is the least part of our care 2. To be sensible it is no slight matter to have an Interest in the World to come Most men think they shall do well enough for Heaven a small matter will serve the turn for that and there needs not such great solicitude about it This was a moral man no debauched Person yet he is troubled and makes enquiry after Eternal Life Many think a slight saying God have Mercy upon me or a little overly trust upon the Mercy of God will serve the turn 3. To have such a sense as to choose fit Means He had heard the Pharisees long but was not satisfied their Doctrine was cold without any spirit and life and their Zeal was all for Externals and Bodily Exercise that was of little Profit Eternal Life was a thing sparingly spoken of by them but more plentifully by Christ therefore he goes not to the Scribes and Pharisees and chief Priests who arrogated to themselves the Knowledge of Mysteries Many heap up Teachers to please their own Lusts. 4. To be so concerned as to be Earnest in the Means This man ran after Christ when he missed him in the house and they will not come to the Congregations of the Faithful where this great Question is discussed What they shall do to inherit Eternal Life Eccl. 5.1 Be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of Fools And Iames 1.19 Be swift to hear but we are cold slack and negligent Many are even ready to thrust the Means from them and say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the Knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 Those Means that should do them good are tedious and irksome therefore this should humble us that we go not so far as this Pharisee Secondly To Caution us do not rest in a Common work 1. In a desire of Heaven as your only Happiness Alas this is a Common thing both to Regenerate and Unregenerate Ioâ— 6.34 Lord evermore give us of this Bread Is any Man such an Enemy to himself as not to wish it Numb 23.10 Let me dye the death of the Righteous and let my latter end he like his A Natural Man may discern that true Happiness lyes not in outward things but in Eternal Life as this Man did and accordingly may have a desire as he had 2. Do not rest barely in a Desire that moveth us to the use of some means unless it bring us to a perfect Resignation to God This Man had a good mind to Heaven he cheapens it but is not willing to go thorow with the price Many have good Desires and Intentions but will not sell all for the Pearl of price Matth. 13.44 They will not come up to Christs terms namely to lay every Affection and Lust at Christs feet and wholly resign themselves to be guided by him in his own way to Happiness and so they may go to Hell notwithstanding all their Desires 3. If we would not rest in a Common work then two things we must take care of which are opposite to the double defect of this Young Man Brokenness of Heart and unbounded Resignation of our selves to the Will of God bring your selves to that and the thing is done 1. Brokenness of Heart this Young Man hath a great Opinion and Conceit of his own Righteousness Being full of his own Righteousness he came to be approved by Christ rather than be directed Here lay his great Fault he enquires the way to Heaven but yet believes himself to be in the way already yea far gone in that way holy in his own estimation therefore you must cherish an humble sense of your own nothingness for Christ bid him do that 2. Resignation of your selves to God's Will Have a care of the Love of Riches or any Carnal Affection If you be wedded to any Temporal thing it will be your bane and destroy all Religion and make you go away sorrowful after many fair offers and many good meanings It is difficult for the Rich but even the Poor have their difficulties too He that starves as well as he that surfeits hath his difficulties in the way to Heaven Every Man hath a tender part of Soul some carnal Affection that he doth allow reserve and is loth should be touched therefore till there be an unbounded resignation and we fully throw our selves at Christs feet it is impossible ever we should come to the Kingdom of Heaven The Soul is never right with God whilst we stand hagling and dodging with God no give up your selves to him without Reservation to be guided and ordered by him at his Will and Pleasure as Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do They that are sincere do not dispense with themselves in any thing and say Thus far they will go and the Lord be merciful to me in this But they absolutely follow Christ see Luke 9.59 to the end Herod did many things this Young Man had a forwardness and urgent desire Thus it is with many Heaven must fall into our Lap or we will have none of it if it put us to pains or cost it is
but Gods They were in an high pang of Zeâ—l when they offered so freely to the Service of the House of God but David prayes 2 Chron. 29.28 Oh Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our fathers keep this for ever in the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their hearts to seek thee Our Motions are fleeting and vanishing God must preserve in us these Resolutions of consecrating our selves and all that is ours to him SERMON III. GENESIS xxvi 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide IV. MY Work now is to handle the Letts or Hindrances of Meditation together with the helps and means that may quicken you to the performance of it The Letts may be sooner discovered then remedyed as the Nature of many Diseases is better known than the Cures and therefore they are called Opprobria Medicorum the Disgrace of the Physitians skill So these remain as Marks and Memorials of the Fall Intire and uninterrupted Visions are the Priviledges of Heaven we must be contented with our broken and imperfect Measures it is enough that we have Doves Eyes Cant. 4.1 That we can peck and look upward and enjoy some temperate glances on the Glory of our Hopes though we be not transported with the ravishments of a constant and steady Vision We cannot expect to be absolute we shall still have cause to be humbled it is enough if we can be encouraged against despair for many find themselves so unfit that they have not hopes enough to attempt the Duty To these I shall speak chiefly in this Discourse I had thought to have handled the Letts severally and then the helps but I think it would be better to suit each discouragement with its proper helps The Letts and Hindrances are of several sorts some common to this with other Duties and others more peculiar to the Duty of Meditation First I begin with the first sort such Hindrances as are common to other Duties and they are Four Sloath Love of Pleasure a Guilty Conscience and an unwieldy Mind 1. There is a Spiritual Sloathfulness Men lye upon the Bed of Ease and are loath in good earnest to apply themselves to what is painful and difficult If Grace would drop to them out of the Clouds or God would be contented with some faint lazy wishes or some cold and yawning Expressions of a drowsie Devotion they would be Religious but where Duties must cost labour and self-denyal and put them to pains Men withdraw the Shoulder and hang off Therefore Solomon saith Prov. 21.25 The desire of the sloathful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour They would fain have Grace and performe what God requires but are loath to take pains Now as this is a Prejudice against all other Duties so especially against the Duty of Meditation partly because of all Duties it is most difficult and tedious to the Flesh it is a Duty lying within the Soul we cannot so easily command our own thoughts now inward Duties are the most difficult because we cannot alwayes exercise a Dominion over our own Spirits Partly because it is a Private Duty to which God alone is conscious In Publick Duties Secular Interests and Ends have a great constraint and therefore we excite the Heart to be more intent and serious We see by-ends make Men deny themselves but where there is not this to prompt them they either omit the Work or turn it into a slight and idle practice How shall we do to shake off this Spiritual Sloath I Answer 1. You must consider that a lazy Spirit is most unfit for Christianity The whole Christian Life is carryed on with much Labour and Diligence you were as good never look after Christ and Heaven as refuse Labour There is nothing required in the whole compass of Religion but what will cost you a great deal of pains Faith is a work Iohn 6.29 That is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent It is not a barren idle speculation nor a naked apprehension but a matter of difficulty and diligence to bring Christ and the Soul together and to lodge the Soul in the bosom of Christ. Love is Labour Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love It is not a Naked Profession but there is Labour in it take it either for Love to God or Men for Love to God that is not a fellow-like familiarity but a laying out our selves in his Service or for Love to Men that doth not consist in a few good words Debts are not paid with a noise of Money you do not satisfie the Commandment by saying Depart in peace be ye warmed be ye filled if you give them not those things which are needful to the body Iames 2.16 So for Obedience it is expressed by a constant course of Work and Labâ—ur 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast and unmovable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Religion is but a constant Exercise there are no Loyterers in Heaven Gods Work must not be followed with a faint wish and a slack hand Men mistake Religion if they think it a broad and easie way where Men may live at large no the Gate is narrow and the Path is streight and few there be that find it it is a Work not a Sport and Play and Men had as good lay all thoughts of God and Christ aside as to resolve upon an easie course and flatter themselves with an expectation that they shall go to Heaven with a lazy wish and fancy such a short cut and passage to Heaven as will cost no pains 2. It is better to take pains than to suffer pains and to be bound with the Cords of Duty than with the Chains of Darkness The Bonds of Duty are not Gives but Ornaments for Duty is the greatest Freedom Psal. 119.45 I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts You will never be more free then when you once make Experience of Gods Service How sad is it to see Men prejudiced against such pains as yield Freedom and Comfort for the present and Glory for the future and take pains for that for which they shall suffer Eternal pains Isa. 5.18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart ropes They moyl and toyl in the work of Satan as a Horse in a Mill and labour for their own destruction Consider the Devils Work is Drudgery and his Reward is Death yet such is the wretchedness of Man that he accounteth nothing toilsome but God's Work and nothing pleasant but the Accomplishment of his own Lusts to be Lusts Vassal and Prides Slave and to be at the command of every Covetous and Unclean Desire How do Men toyl in the World go to Bed late rise early eat the Bread of Sorrows exhaust and waste their Strength
It is a pleasure to see things by Picture though we know the Person so though we have an Image of Christ in the Word and may know his Person there yet it is a great relief to us to see Christ in the Supper by these outward Symbols where Sense may teach Faith what strength of Grace and what sweetness of Comfort to expect from Christ. These thoughts through the blessing of God will raise the Soul into a frame of Religion that when you come to this Ordinance you will not be so dry and barren 2. Wandring when the Heart is prepared and set towards God how shall we do to keep it from roving and prevent those excursions which are apt to carry away the Heart 1. Get an Awe and Dread of God Labour to have the deepest Apprehensions of the Presence of God as possibly may be Strong Affections especially Fear lock up the Mind and do not suffer it to flit abroad Now Fear is not unseasonable to this Duty but rather proper because of the Excellent Mysteries by which God condescendeth and approacheth us Chrysostome calls it terribilis mystica mensa the dreadful Mysterious Table and therefore now our Apprehensions should be most awful When Iacob had a sight of God saies he Gen. 28.17 How dreadful is this place And the Psalmist saith Psal. 68 35. Oh God! thou art terrible out of thy holy places Mixt Affections do best in the sweetest Worship Psalm 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Hosea 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes Here we are to have distinct thoughts of his Holyness and Goodness and therefore we should fear before him lest we forget our selves to be poor guilty Creatures and Fear confineth the Soul and will not suffer it to run abroad 2. Chide the Heart for your vain Excursions Christians might have more command over their Hearts if they would but hold the Reins a little straiter and check their Souls they are not so sadly sensible of the idle roving of the brain which do not so directly carry them after the evil as when they make them to neglect the good Take up your selves as David doth about his lumpishness Psalm 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted in me Did I come hither to think of any thing but Christ and Heaven Did I come to think of News Vanity Business and Lust My work is to discerne the Lords Body not to think of Worldly Toyes Is this to remember and fruitfully to insist upon his Death Look as Christ did chide his Disciples Matth. 26.40 What! could ye not watch with me one hour So chide your Heart cannot I keep my Heart free for God a little while In Heaven Duty will be my constant work and if my Heart wander now How shall I be able to hold it for ever In the Supper God tyes my Soul by outward Rites least my Eyes should carry away my Heart God would exercise my Eyes Certainly if you would chide your Souls the Heart would not steal so many glances But usually our Hearts do not steal away we dismiss them and let them go God gave Reason a command of your Thoughts at first and we might exercise it more than we do 3. Stupidness Many times the Soul is surprized with deadness and amazement it neither actually thinks of Evil nor of Good but is at a dead pawse and stay For this I shall urge a double help 1. By earnest Ejaculations call in the help of the Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O north-wind and come thou south blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out Desire God to breathe upon the Soul with a fresh gale and excitement that he would take a Coal from his own Altar that the perfume might burn bright Censers must not be kindled with strange Fire Oh raise and quicken this dead Soul Remember the first Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 2. Call upon your own Hearts It is a mistake of Christians to think they are only to call upon God you are also to call upon your selves and to deal with your own Souls by way of quickning Psalm 57.8 Awake my glory awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early Charge your Souls awake to the consideration of Heavenly Mysteries Speak to your own Hearts as David layes a charge upon himself Psalm 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name The Children of God are brought in speaking to themselves Oh my drousie blockish Heart How coldly dost thou think of Christ This dead Heart will not become the Service of the Living God 4. A lazy Formality Either we cannot get the Soul to this Worship or we performe it slightly We content our selves with a few careless glances and lazy baren thoughts To remedy this consider in so sweet a Duty God doth not only require Affection but height of Affection an Holy ardor earnestness and raisedness of Spirit Cant. 4.6 Vntil the day break and the shadows flee away I will get me to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense an allusion to the Censers used in the Levitical Worship God requires such thoughts as will comfort revive and quicken our Souls Such thoughts as end in Affection Leave not off till you can say as the Spouse Cant. 2.5 Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love Do not leave meditating of Christ till you can bring your Souls to a Holy ravishment and your Hearts are wounded with impatient Desires after Communion with Christ. No thoughts will work but those that are serious Secondly I will propound some cases which shall not only concern the Duty of the Lords Supper but some of them the Duty of Meditation in general 1. Case How can we do because of variety of Matter that is to be meditated upon that plenty makes us barren And in such streights of time how can we run through all I shall answer to this in three Propositions 1. The Mind of Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working and much may be done by thoughts in a short time The Minds motion is not so slow as that of the Body which is burdened with a mass and clod of flesh and therefore must have time for its Action but the Soul is quick There are two sorts of Meditations in the Supper as indeed in all other Matters pregnant Apprehensions and enforcing Reasons 1. Pregnant Apprehensions sutable to each Circumstance of the Duty Now these are absolutely necessary as in blessing the Elements and setting them aside for this use think of the Eternal Decrees of God by which Christ was separated to the Office of Mediator In breaking the Bread your Thoughts must act afresh on the Sorrows of Christ's Cross and those bruises wherewith he was broken for our Iniquities Thus it is good
comparison with Babes and Novices Therefore it is good with Mary to sit at the feet of Iesus and not presently with the Spouse to beg the kisses of his mouth but to go on by degrees 2. Though we must contrive a Method and Course yet there must be a liberty left for Things for all Seasons and Occasions As in the World though a Man hath disposed his business yet he reserveth a liberty for incidental and unthought of occasions so in these Spiritual Matters and in the course of Religious Exercises you must not bind up your selves from these occasions I shall name Four 1. Working and Forcible Sermons It is not good to lose the heat that we have gotten at the Word but to go home and chew the Cud. In the word there is Ingestion in Meditation you turn it into nourishment There must be a time for Concoction and when the Seed is scattered it must be covered 2. For present Impulses keep your selves free that you may not lose the advantage of such impulses Many times Christ cometh leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills Cant. 2.8 He impelleth our Hearts on a sudden and unlookt for by causing Holy Thoughts to shoot into our Minds by representing our Unworthyness Coldness and Deadness of Life or else he inflameth us by representing the Beauty and Loveliness of Grace Then it is good those thoughts should take the next turn and our Method must give way to Gods Dispensation As general Nature altereth its course in some great particular Exigencies fire descendeth and Water ascendeth so in this case the general work must be interrupted It is a kind of resisting God not to entertain these Motions I do not mean when they come upon you in the necessary work of your Callings but only that they may have the next turn 3. For remarkable Providences when God casteth us upon such Objects as stir up special Veneration and Reverence as some Marvellous Events or Creatures that discover his Wisdom and Glory or sudden Death of one near us It is of Excellent Use while such Experiences are warm to go home and consider of them As Waldo a Rich Merchant of Lyons was conversing with a Friend and he fell down dead and presently he went home and thought of the uncertainty of Life and the necessity of providing for a Future State and God blessed these Thoughts for his Conversion Or else the end falls of a Person Eminent for Religion when we see some Glorious Star fall like Lightning from Heaven these are Accidents that must not be passed over without some Mark and Consideration and then God doth as it were call you off from your usual thoughts 4. The present Exigence of the Spirit Choose that which is seasonable and what suits with your own Case a Sermon works more forcibly when it is seasonable Thus David Psalm 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul He means his sad Thoughts it was an advantage to him then to solace himself with those Comforts God had provided The Scripture useth this Similitude of Rain upon New Mowen Grass Rain when it comes seasonably refresheth the Grass and causes it to spring up which otherwise would be burnt up with the Drought and Heat of the Season so the Soul would be parched with a Temptation if it be not watered with seasonable Thoughts But I have spoken to this point before But you will say What is the Method that we should use Answ. Though I cannot exactly prescribe it yet give me leave to advise 1. For those that are wholly to begin this Duty it is best first to meditate about Meditation the Nature Use and Excellency of it and how they may carry it on with success It is a good preparative to the whole Work I do direct you to this course because this is that which the Soul standeth in need of this will lay a Charge and Necessity upon the Soul As to Pray is a good preparative to Prayer so to Meditate on Meditation is a good preparative to Meditation To quicken you consider the Motives alledged and when you have done all say Oh Soul Do but go and try Oh Lord help me and keep this up in the Thoughts of thy Servant 2. For the general Method it is good to keep the Method of the Spirit The Method of Meditation should follow that of Gods Dispensation Iohn 16.8 When the spirit is come he shall reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment First begin with Sin which is more easie and familiar to the Understanding it is good to lay the Foundation of all in the mortifying and purgative way and then go to Righteousness and after the Extermination of Sin we shall be fitter to entertain the Love of God and then go to Judgment Take another Method First consider the great End of Man that you may come to your selves then the Evil of Sin that you may bemoan and avoid it then the Miseries of the World or the Vanity of the Creature that you may contemn it then the Horrors of Death the Severity of Judgment the Torment of Hell that you may prevent it then the Excellencies of Christ the Priviledges of the Godly the Rare Contrivance of the Gospel then of Providence of Heaven of God and his Attributes his Power his Wisdom his Eternity c. with suitable Scriptures for each of these 2. For the manner how you must work upon these Objects 1. There must be pregnant Thoughts and Apprehensions Deep Consideration begins the Work you must set your Hearts to consider the Subject for when the Heart is once set these Thoughts through the Blessing of God will come in freely It is often spoken in Scripture of setting our Hearts to seek the Lord when the Heart is set for Prayer God comes in with a great enlargement so when the Heart is set to consider you will have serious and solemn thoughts If vain thoughts trouble you and interpose yet still set the Heart and go on as a Man in a Journey though dogs come out and bark upon him he rideth on to run after every Cur would be a great hindrance and diversion so if you stand quarrelling with every vain thought you lose your purpose and so the Devil will gain that by a Reflexed Act which you seek to reject in a Direct Act as Cryers in a Court in calling for Silence many times make the greatest noise Mr. Greenham was wont to lift up his Heart in a short Ejaculation and so go on 2. There are Serious Inforcements and Rational Inculcations Things barely propounded do not work it is by Lively Reasons they are whetted upon the Soul Look as it is in going to Sea those that only mind passage do not stay upon the Ocean and therefore do not fetch up the Treasures of the great Deep but those that go to fish cast out the Net again and again so must you you must cast
this Emnity is mutual God hates us and we hate God on Mans part it is driven on with fury he doth so hate God that he seeks the destruction of his Being as he that hates another seeketh the destruction of his Goods Life and Honour so he that hates God seeks to un-God him the Sinner wishes there were no such Being as a God in the World Psal. 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God The Heart is the Seat of desires these are the Fools wishes it is a sweet pleasing thought to him though he cannot get rid of these Impressions of a Godhead yet he wishes he could a Man that would live at liberty could wish there was no Judge to call him to an account he could let loose the Reins of vile Affections if there were no God were it not for this restraint he could live as he list Nay they deny God in their lives Tit. 1.16 They profess that they know God but in works they deny him Sin in effect doth lay God aside and to put the greater affront upon him it sets up something base in his stead it sets up the Belly for God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their belly the choicest respects of the Soul run out upon the sensual part Or it sets up a little Wealth for God Or if Sin cannot take away the Being of God yet it strikes at his Honour and would make him to be an unjust or an evil God Sin deprives God of the Honour of all his Attributes of his Omnisciency for though we are ashamed to sin before a Man yet though God seeth all things we do not blush if we can carry on a wicked design under the vail of Darkness and dig deep to hide our Counsels from the Lord doth such a Sinner think God is all-seeing and all-knowing Ier. 2.26 A Thief is ashamed when he is found when the Eye of Man hath surprized him but alass we are alwaies found of God It robs him of his Omnipotency and Power as if he were Impotent and Weak as if we could make our Party good with him The Apostle useth a smart Question 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he As if he had said Man Consider what thou dost by sinning thou dost enter into the lists with God and art thou able to deal with him It is a contest with God as if we could arm our Lusts against his Mighty Angels will you contend Gith him that can command Legions of Angels When you go about to sin you do as it were wage War with Heaven and enter into Combate with God That is the Reason the Lord by the Prophet asketh Sinners What do you think Is there such a thought in thee as if thou wast able to deal with me Ezek. 22.14 Can thy heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee Are you able to grapple with my Omnipotent Arm and snatch Judgment out of my Hands and oppose my Mighty Angels Can thy Heart endure when my Almighty Hand shall seize upon thee and Divine Displeasure shall break out against thy Soul The angel when contending with the devil durst not bring a railing accusation Iude 9. He knew the Mighty God would avenge him therefore he durst not be malitious yet we dare enter the Lists with Heaven Thus is Sin an enmity against God it would either have no God or an Impotent Unjust Unwise God Nay there is an enmity in Sin against every Person in the Holy Trinity Against God the Son when Christ came into the World his great work was to dissolve the Works of Satan 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil that he might unravel all those Webs which Satan had been weaving and you strive as much as in you lyes to set it up and make his Death of none effect Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing You make a low thing of it tread it under foot it is an allusion to the sprinkling of the Lintels of the Door but they sprinkled it on the Threshold And it puts an affront upon the Holy Ghost it grieveth and vexeth the Spirit of God it is a setting up lust against lust and a direct thwartting of his motions and impulses Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh You do as it were reproach him and say He shall do no good upon your Hearts this shall not gain upon you Moses when he speaks of a presumptuous Sinner saith Numb 15.30 The soul that doth ought presumptuously the same reproacheth the Lord when you do thus deliberately sin you do as it were reproach the Spirit of God Likewise on Gods part he hateth us too and though he be full of kindness yet he cannot give Sin a good look Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity God loveth all his Creatures and loveth to look upon them but he hateth that which is properly Mans Creature and that is Sin there is no Antipathy greater than between two Natures You may sooner reconcile Fire and Water Light and Darkness Cold and Heat then God and Sin The Enmity of all Creatures is as their Beings are finite and limited but Gods Being is infinite his whole Nature sets him against sin therefore there is no comparison which serves to set out the Indignation the Lord hath against Sin there is no Antipathy like it 3. Sin is a Transgression of the Law Do but consider what a disgrace Sin puts upon the Law that forbiddeth it it doth in effect condemn the Law as if it were not good and useful and righteous as if it were an idle restraint There is a notable Expression Iames 4.11 He that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law that is he puts this affront upon the law as if it were injurious as if God were not righteous in making such a Law against Passion and evil speaking Therefore Nathan comes to rowse up Davids Conscience and tells him his Sin 2 Sam. 12.9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight In every Sin there are some implicit thoughts by which the Law is disvalued and disapproved we secretly tax it of Envy Folly and Rigour as if God had dealt harshly with his Creature they look upon it as a weak and simple Law Ezek. 18.26 Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal The Devil when he inspired the first Sin would suggest to our first Parents as if God had envied the perfection of Man by prescribing a Law to him Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the
with straits and pinched for maintenance of your Families consider there is a Providence The World is Gods great Common and he doth not over-stock his own Common All things wait upon God how do the Beasts live but upon Providence Psal. 104.27 These all wait upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season Who is it that feeds the Ravens Psal. 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry And Psal. 145.16 Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Compare it with verse 19. He shall fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them Urge your hearts herewith to Patience under Miseries Not a Sparrow falls to the ground without a Providence therefore certainly your Crosses fall under the wise dispensation of God Psalm 39.6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain Again urge your hearts to thankfulness for Mercies look upon the first cause and acknowledge the Providence of God in all that you enjoy 2. Consider the Providences of God to your selves in particular for thou art a little World Consider how the Providence of God watched over thee in the Womb when he took thee out from thence how he provided two Bottles to sustain thee how he hath borne thee up from the Womb hitherto especially how he took care of thee when thou hast been in distress Oh it is sweet when we can cry as David Psalm 34.6 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles I have been in these and these distresses yet the Lord hath heard and delivered me especially if he hath blessed thee from small beginnings and increased thy substance urge thy heart to trust in him for the future 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all thy care upon him for he careth for thee Fifthly The next Object of Meditation is the Excellency and Happyness of our Estate in Heaven See this Subject treated on in a Sermon on Tit. 2.13 Looking for that blessed Hope A Fourth Volume OF SERMONS ON Several Texts of Scripture BY THE Late Reverend and Learned Thomas Manton D.D. PART the Second Containing LXXVI Sermons WITH AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE To the Whole LONDON Printed by I. D. and are to be sold by Ionathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIII Place this Title immediately before Page 671. TO THE Lady BAWDON MADAM IT needs no Apology that I have prefixed your Ladiship 's Name to this Part of the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton's Works since the Memory of the Author is so precious with you by whom you and your Children were baptized into the Christian Faith under whose Ministry you were brought up in the Knowledg of the Mysteries of the Gospel and whose Works published both before and since his Death have been so highly valued by you But your Ladiship has a more especial Title to these Sermons because a great part of them being committed to my Care to publish the preparing them for the Press was performed in a great measure under your Ladiship 's Roof when the Providence of God called me there in my Attendance on your Honoured Mother the Lady Wharton in the last Scene of her Life The Duty I owe to the Memory of that Great Person obliges me to testify to the World what I as well as others who had the Honour of knowing her observed in her She was one whom God had indowed with more than common Gifts and Graces one of a piercing Judgment quick Apprehension great Presence of Mind useful in all her Relations But that which adorned all was her eminent Godliness which was visible in the whole Course of her Conversation She had a great understanding of the Mysteries of the Gospel and though she abounded in good Works yet she knew how to account all things Loss and Dung for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus her Lord. She was often in the Admiration of the Riches and Freeness of God's Grace in Jesus Christ and all her Hopes Trust and Confidence were in his Merits and Righteousness She had a very high Valuation and Esteem of the Ordinances of God and when her long Sickness had for some time hindred her from a publick Attendance on the Worship of God she would often complain of it That she was as a Leper shut out from the Sanctuary of God She was of a noble generous and charitable Frame of Spirit and her Charity was dispensed with great Prudence I cannot but mention one Branch of it viz. The relieving of sick Persons especially providing and giving Medicines to the Poor who had no Money to buy them and God did wonderfully own her with great Success herein In her latter Days God was pleased to exercise her with great Trials her Sickness was long and tedious her Pains great and sharp but under all her steady Adherence to God shewed the Strength of her Faith and the Truth of her Patience I have often heard her say this one thing silenced all Complaints It is God who hath done it All the Breaches God made upon her made no Breach between God and her Soul In her languishing Hours when her Strength failed her she expressed the inward Tranquillity and Repose of her Mind it being almost the last Words she said All is well all is well Thus she lived and thus she died and is now joined to that Great Assembly of Glorified Saints who are always praising blessing and adoring God where she is always beholding the Face of her God in Glory and fully understands the meaning of all the dark Providences of God towards her in the latter part of her Life I mention not these things to renew your Ladiship 's Grief for so great a Loss and to make your Wounds bleed afresh but to provoke you to a holy Imitation of so great a Pattern and to be a Follower of her as she was of Christ. Good Examples have a powerful Influence upon us for we are led more by Pattern than by Precept especially the Examples of those we love for such we are prone to imitate but more especially of those who are in nearest Relation to us for there Nature sides with Grace And what an Advantage your Ladiship has had in having such a Precedent before your Eyes appears by the fair Transcript you have been of so fair a Copy Madam God hath been pleased to exercise your Ladiship also with great Trials but you have had your Comforts and Supports God hath taken away some of your nearest Relations but he hath continued others to you What a Blessing hath God bestowed upon you in those excellent Daughters that have sprung from you But alas we are too apt to pore on our Losses and overlook our Enjoyments to make our Afflictions the Grave of our Mercies God hath given your Ladiship a better Frame of Spirit and taught you how
of our discharge but as he dyed for our offences so he rose again for our justification Rom. 4.25 As having perfectly done his work As the Eather delivered him to Death so he brought him back again from the Dead The Apostle layes a great weight upon this Rom. 8.34 Yea rather that is risen from the dead There is some special thing in Christ's Resurrection comparatively above his Death which hath influence on our Justification Was not Christs Death enough to free us from Sin Yes but the visible evidence was by his Resurrection It is as it were an acquittance from those Debts of ours which he undertook to pay As Simeon was dismissed when the Conditions were performed and Ioseph satisfied with the sight of his Brother Gen. 43.23 He brought Simeon out unto them 2. Christs Office is allowed so that he is the great shepherd of the sheep that is the Blessed Saviour into whose hands God hath put his Flock to be justified sanctified and saved and from whom we may expect all that comfort which a flock hath from a good and faithful Pastor We are put into his hands as he is Mediator not by way of alienation for they are in the Fathers hands still Iohn 10.29 My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand But oppignoration laid at pledge in his hands A Shepherd is not Lord of the Flock but as a Servant to take care of them They are not his as Mediator by way of Original Interest and Dominion but in point of trust and charge He hath an Office about them and giveth an account of them at the last day He is sometimes called simply without any addition The shepherd 1 Pet. 2.25 Ye are returned unto the shepherd and bishop of our souls Sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good shepherd as Iohn 10.11 And here The great shepherd and the chief shepherd 1 Pet. 5.4 because of the Dignity of his Person and Office And surely if we put our selves into the hands of this Shepherd we can lack nothing Psalm 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want We may look for all manner of supplies from Christ. 3. God is so far appeased that there is a new Covenant procured and constituted called here the everlasting covenant partly because it shall never be repealed and continueth unalterable and the called obtain by it the title and possession of an Eternal Inheritance Heb. 9.15 They which are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance And partly because Christs Blood is the foundation of this Covenant and the vertue of it never ceaseth therefore this Covenant is Everlasting also and made effectual and able to obtain its ends which is the Eternal Salvation of sinful Man once converted and reconciled to God This Covenant also is called the Covenant of Gods Peace because it is a publick Demonstration that God is pacified Isa. 54.10 But my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed Ezek. 37.26 I will make a covenant of peace with them Partly because in this Covenant this Peace and Reconciliation is published and offered to us that Man may not stand aloof from God as a condemning God So it is said Eph. 2.17 Christ came to preach peace to those that are near and to those that are afar off Acts 10.36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel preaching peace by Christ he is Lord of all Partly because in this Covenant the terms of this Peace between us and God are stated God bindeth himself to sinful Man to give him Remission of Sins and Eternal Life begun by the Spirit and perfected in Heaven upon the Conditions of Faith Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God and Repentance Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out as our Entrance and new Obedience as to continuance Heb. 5.9 He became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him IV. How we come to be Interested in this Peace and Reconciliation or the conveyance of it to us For this Peace may be considered as to the Impetration and Application of it 1. As to the Impetration and laying down of the price that was done by Christ on the cross Therefore it is said 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Then was God propitiated and the Merit and Ransom interposed by vertue of which we are pardoned and reconciled 2. As to Application when God is actually reconciled with us and we enter into his Peace and are restored unto his Favour This may be considered either as to the first gift God is never actually reconciled to us nor we to him till he give us the regenerating Spirit that is our receiving the atonement Rom. 5.11 It was made on the Cross but received at our Conversion and Regeneration Or else it may be considered as to the further measure of his sanctifying Grace called here perfecting us for every good work and working in us that which is pleasing in his sight This is given with respect to our reconciled Estate as we are actually at Peace and in Covenant with God 2 Cor. 5.17 18. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ. The summ is this At the Death of Christ there was such a foundation laid that we need no other ransom nor propitiation He hath so far satisfied Divine Justice that he hath obtained the New Covenant The first Grace is given us meerly with respect to the Merit of his Sacrifice for Christ purchased the Mercies promised and power to performe the conditions Farther Grace is given us because we are already reconciled unto God which is a ground of the greater Joy and Confidence For our actual Reconciliation giveth us a title to all consequent acts of Friendship which can be expected or received For in Gods way we shall have further Sanctification and after that Salvation V. The Reasons why all increase of Grace comes from God as the God of Peace 1. From the Giver God will not set us up with a new Stock of Grace till satisfaction be made for the breach of his Law We must not look upon him as pars offensa the Offended Party but as Rector Mundi the Governour of the World Private Persons may forgive offences as they please but the Governour and Judge of the World would not pass by the offence of Man till the ends of Government be secured or that the Law fall not to the ground which it doth not whilst God standeth upon the satisfaction of Christ and the submission of the Sinner The right of passing by a wrong and the right of releasing a punishment are different things Because punishment is a common Interest
and is referred to the common good to preserve Order and for an Example to others Certainly Punishment doth not belong to the wronged party as such then every one would have a right to punish and so invade the Power of the Magistrate A private Person hath a right of seeking Restitution or Compensation for the wrong done to him unless higher reasons of Charity forbid him but not a Power to compel them to punishment unless satisfaction be given But the case is different here God punisheth non qua laesus sed qua Rector not as the Offended Party but as a Governour Now the Government of the World requires Gods Holyness should be demonstrated and his Laws vindicated and a brand put upon Sin 2. From the Gift which is the sanctifying Spirit which being the gift of his Love must needs be the fruit of his Peace and Reconciliation with us Rom. 5.5 Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Other things may be given us during his Anger for God sheweth himself placable in the whole course of his Providence Yea they may be given in Anger But the Regenerating Spirit is never given us during his Anger or in Anger Sanctifying Grace doth evidence his special Favour Look as the payment of the Ransom was testified by the visible pouring out the Spirit Acts 2. so is our particular Reconciliation by the gift of the Spirit to us 1. VSE is of Instruction 1. How we are to look upon God in our Prayers as the God of Peace reconciled to us by Jesus Christ. When we pray to him we look upon him as a God of Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 But the God of all Grace who hath called us c. This sheweth his propension and inclination to communicate his Grace freely to Unworthy Sinners we also pray to him as the God of Power Rom. 16.15 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel But here we are directed to look upon him as the God of Peace as pacified in Christ which is a greater ground of confidence If a Socinian were to pray to him he could only use the plea of Benhadad to Ahab we have heard the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings So we have heard the God of Israel is a merciful God If the Papist would pray with confidence he thinketh he must appease God by himself by his poenal satisfactions and costly Offerings As Iacob would appease Esau by sending gifts to him Gen. 32.20 But the Penitent Believer is reconciled to God by Christ Rom. 5.1 2. Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith c. He cometh to God in his Name and no other Iohn 16.23 24. In that day ye shall ask me nothing verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Hitherto you have asked nothing in my Name ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full He runneth to the Horns of the Altar accepteth of the Peace published in the Gospel devoteth himself to God and rests upon Christ's Mediatorial Sacrifice as sufficient Here is his hope and confidence 2. How careful we should be that no breach fall out between us and God least we stop grace at the Fountain head Continued Sanctification cometh from the God of Peace as well as the first Renovation of the Heart The giving the Spirit is a sign of Gods Love and the with-holding of the Spirit is a sign of his Anger and Displeasure the one is the greatest Mercy the other the greatest Misery In his Internal Government the one is the highest Reward the other the greatest punishment As a Reward it is spoken of Prov. 1.23 Turn you at my reproof Behold I will pour my spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you As a punishment Psalm 51.10 11 12. Create in me a clean heart O God! and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit The one is to be sought Luke 11.13 How much more will your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him the other to be deprecated Take not thy holy spirit from me Psalm 51.11 Therefore take heed the Spirit be not grieved but obeyed 3. What ground of thankfulness to Christ. 1. That he hath made our peace with God at so dear a rate All your Repentings if you had wept out your Eyes for Sin would not have made your peace with God nor have satisfied his Justice nor procured Pardon and Life for you Now God is appeased Christ having slain the enmity by his cross Eph. 2.16 2. That the New Covenant is procured wherein Pardon and Salvation is offered to you as sealed by the Blood of Christ who hath payed our Debts Luke 22.20 This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you There had been else no place for your Repentance Faith Prayer or Hopes 3. That such free and easie conditions of Mercy with Power to performe them are propounded in the Gospel Lord Thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Isa. 26.12 4. That he should call us and have such favourable thoughts to us who for a long time were dead in Sin and in Hostility against him Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life A SERMON Preached on a DAY of Publick Thanksgiving II. CHRONICLES xxxii 25 But Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore wrath was upon him and upon Iudah and Ierusalem THAT I may not detain you in a Preface let me tell you the Words hold forth 1. A Sin But Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him 2. The Proof and Argument of it for his heart was lifted up 3. The sad Effects and Punishment of it both as to his own Person and the People under his Government Let me Explain these Branches and then come to observe something in order to the work of the day I know Christians you look not for things luscious but savoury 1. In the Sin there was a benefit done unto him and Hezekiah's fault is that he rendred not accordingly The Benefit done him implyeth a Complication of Mercies not only his Miraculous Recovery out of Sickness and Fifteen years added more to his Life but also the destruction of his Enemies the Assyrians Mercies which fell out near about the same time though I dare not say with the Iewish Writers that three dayes before the slaughter of the Assyrians this Sickness and Recovery fell out yet certainly they were near together as appeareth
also that he was the Altar whereupon this sacrifice was offered For as the Altar doth sanctifie the gift Matth. 23.11 So doth his Godhead add an infinite value to his sufferings Act. 20.28 Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood 2. It hath the full vertue of a sacrifice For sacrifices had a three-fold respect To God to Sin and to Man God is pacified Sin expiated and Man delivered and freed All these concur in Christ. 1. As to God who in the Mystery of redemption is considered as the Supream and Universal Judge He is Pacifyed and Satisfied by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as the party offended So he pittyed Man found out a ransom and sacrifice for our attonement As the Supream Law-giver and Judge of mankind so he is to receive the Ransom Sacrifice and Satisfaction or else to punish us as we have deserved For before this Supream Judge man standeth guilty and lyable to Death But Christ made his Soul an offering for sin Isai. 53.10 He undertook the penalty due to us for sin And therefore he is said to give himself for us as a Propitiation 1. John 2 2. And he is the propitiation for our sins And God intended him as such Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 1 John 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved Goâ— but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins Now propitiation implyeth his being pacifiâ—d and appeased so as to become propitious and merciful for ever to sinful man submitting to the to the terms of his Covenant 2. As to sin So he is said to expiate abolish and purge it Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high As God would not be appeased without a Sacrifice or Satisfaction So sin could not be purged without bearing the Punishment When the Sacrifice was offered and made on the behalf of sinful man then was Sin purged or expiated or made removeable upon certain terms determined by God our Supream Judge and Law-giver The Blood of Christ hath done that which will remove the Guilt and Pollution of it when rightly applyed 3. As to the Sinner he is delivered and freed from Sin That is the sinning party making use of Gods Remedy is reconciled to God Col. 1.21 22. And you who were sometimes alienated and Enemies in your Mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the Body of his Flesh through Death The Sin is not reconciled to God but the Sinner is and being reconciled is pardoned Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of Sins And also sanctified Heb. 13.12 Wherefore Iesus that he might sanctifie the People with his own Blood suffered without the Gate That is there is enough done to sanctifie the Party and consecrate him to God Yea perfected Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified There needeth no other Sacrifice no other satisfaction for by this Sacrifice he hath obtained all things necessary to Salvation There needeth no more to satisfie Justice or to procure Salvation for his People in the way of a Sacrifice 2. That the New Covenant is made and confirmed by vertue of this Sacrifice and without it there is no Admission to the Grace of it 1. By it Christ is authorized to offer the terms and dispense the Benefits of it Heb. 13.20 The God of Peace that brought again from the dead the Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant That Blood of the Everlasting Covenant hath a double reference there to the God of Peace which is the Title of God God's wrath was appeased and his Justice satisfied by the full recompence which was made for our offences through the Blood of the Covenant So he is the God of Peace And also to his bringing back Christ again from the dead as having done his work and satisfied to the uttermost farthing and so God investeth him with his Office as being the great Shepherd of the Sheep That is a Power of saving that which was lost or recovering the Poor stray Sheep out of the Power of the Wolf that they may be brought again into the Pasture and injoy the Priviledges of Gods flock 2. By this Sacrifice the Benefits of the New Covenant are sealed ratified and conveyed to us As is evident from the words of our Saviour in the Institution of the Lords Supper This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Luk. 22.20 Or This is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins Mat. 26.28 Wherefore we have the New Covenant the Blood confirming this New Covenant which is the Blood of Christ shed for the Remission of Sins as the principal Blessing of the New Covenant which promise had been in vain if Christs Blood had not been shed to satisfie Divine Justice So that this is the firm and immutable basis upon which this Covenant is fixed otherwise a Covenant between God and sinful man had not been stable So in other places Zach. 9.11 By the Blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy Prisoners out of the Pit in which is no water All our deliverance cometh by the Covenant and by the Blood of the Covenant not only as a promised but as a purchased Blessing It is by the Blood of the Covenant that we are pardoned by the Blood of the Covenant that we are sanctified by the Blood of the Covenant that we are perfected for ever 3. That our manner of entering or renewing Covenant with God is by the same Moral Acts by which they were conversant about the Sacrifices To understand this let us see what the Sacrifices did import 1. They were glasses to represent their Misery and the debt contracted by Sin And therefore the Apostle calleth them The hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and was contrary to us Colos. 2.14 For by the killing of the beast it was testified that they deserved to dye themselves Their Sacrifices were a publick Testification of their Guilt an acknowledgment of the Debt rather than an Acquittance So Heb. 10.3 In those Sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of Sins every Year And that is the Reason why it is said Psal. 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken Heart Every one that offered Sacrifice was in a broken-hearted manner to profess and acknowledge that he was worthy to die for his Sins And doth not the same Obligation lye upon us if we would make a Covenant with God by vertue of the great Sacrifice of Atonement offered to God for the whole Congregation of God's people Surely the curse of the Law bindeth us over to Eternal wrath And this must be assented unto and subscribed by every mans Conscience with
and are helped by them Yea the Courts of God are such a kindly soil that they bring forth fruit in old age so moistned by the dews of Heaven and Fountain of the Gardens which is the Spirit The decay of the outward Man shall not hinder the renewing of the inward Man but the last Work 's better than the first Their Bodies when ruinous are yet the Temples of the Holy Ghost then are they kept fresh and lively and shall have great delight in God and be fertile to the last So Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright A Man that is sincere and upright with God the more he walketh with God the more incouragement he hath more peace of Conscience more freedom from Sin greater readiness and ability for God's Service there is a Power that increaseth with every Duty as the more a Man swimmeth or writeth or playeth on an Instrument the facility is increased Many are ready to faint and think they shall never hold out in the midst of the difficulties they meet with in the valley of Baca but every new difficulty bringeth new strength with it these promises serve to incourage us to continue with patience in well-doing there shall constantly be a renewed supply of Grace and Strength 2. It is their Duty to go on from Strength to Strength That as a River the further it runneth the broader and deeper it groweth it doth not lose but get by a further accession of Waters the Fountain is small as to the head and first Rise in comparison of the Stream So a Christian is to go on from one degree of Righteousness unto another and still grow stronger in the Graces of the Spirit Ioh. 4.14 Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life And abound more in all Holy Actions Paul's instance Phil. 3.13 14. Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth to the things that are before I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus As a Runner in a Race doth not say there is so much of the way already past now I may slacken my pace but there is so much yet to come and therefore run still So a Christian says there are so many Sins to be mortified so many Graces to be attained such difficulties to be incounter'd still I must hold on my course or else I shall come short of the Goale Reasons why we must go on I. That we may recover what we have lost We have lost in Adam compleat and perfect Innocency and surely we should not cease till it be made up in Christ He is more able to Save than Adam to Destroy Rom. 5.17 For if by one man's 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 Iesus Christ. Adam was a publick Person by Institution Christ was not only Instituted but had an Intrinsick value he was God-man 2. To preserve what we have If we do not grow better we grow worse Heb. 6.1 Let us go on to perfection and then presently he treateth of Apostacy vers 4. c. So 2 Peter 3.17 18. Seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the Wicked fall from your own stedfastness But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. We cannot keep that which we have received if we do not labour to increase it Matth. 25.29 Unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath They that row against the Stream or he that goeth up a Sandy Hill if they do not go forward they go backward We are either Ascending or Descending continually in motion When a Tree leaveth off to grow it decayeth Man goeth backward in his Estate if he have constant Expences and no gettings If we would maintain that measure of Grace which we have we must go forward 3. That we may attain to what is promised God hath promised absolute holiness 1 Thess. 5.23 24. The very God of peace Sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it When he had prayed he groundeth his confidence on God's faithfulness Eph. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinklke or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Christ died to bring us to a state of perfection and being told so we expect it We do not put off all our filthy Garments at once but there is a body of Sin cleaveth to the best and therefore this work is done by degrees So Col. 1.22 To present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight Jude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory c. This work is undertaken by Christ and he is to carry it on from one degree to another till it be compleated at death These Expressions would be in vain if there were not a going on from strength to strength and a constant increase Corn doth not grow in the Barn but in the Field 4. That we may perform what is required The Law of God is perfect and alloweth no Sin or Sinful weakness therefore we should allow none The perfection of the Law is so far still in force 1. as that we should be ashamed of our defects in holiness and mourn over them Rom. 7.14 The Law is Spiritual but I am Carnal sold under Sin Alas poor Captive I cannot do what I would 2. We should be unsatisfied with our present measure of Holiness and still be longing and striving after more Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after it that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Iesus The perfection of the Law is of this use that we may be kept humble and aspire after further growth and make further progress every day Perfection in holiness is not attainable in this Life yet we are to aim at no less Christ took hold of us in effectual calling for this end and we are not sincere with God if it be not so 5. That we may answer the Patterns set before us The Saints in Scripture are all set forth for an Example Abraham in Faith 4 Rom. 20. Iob in Patience Iames 5.11 Timothy in Sobriety Paul in Zeal and Diligence We are to take the Prophets for an Example And Paul biddeth us follow him as he followed Christ 1 Cor.
toward thee for all that thou hast done Our Faith a thankful acceptance of Christ and all his Benefits our Obedience a thankful Obedience not out of fear of Hell but Gratitude all our Duties but the thankful Returns of Christ's Redeemed ones for the great Love he hath shewed to us So for all works of Charity our giving anâ— imitation of Christ who loved us and gave himself for us 2 Cor. 8.9 Tho' he was rich yet for your sakes became poor that ye through his power might become rich Forgiving so it is said Eph. 4.32 Forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Our works of Piety Worshipping God Love should bring us into his Presence and his Mercies to us in Christ should be continual matter of Praise and Thanksgiving Our Preaching Love to God should sweeten the labours of it Oh had we a deeper sense of this great Love that provided such a remedy for us we would feel the constraining influence of it in every thing that our hand findeth to do for God! 2. The next thing is the outward occasion or procuring Cause which is our Misery by reason of Sin He came to propitiate God offended by Man's Sin Sin was the cause of Enmity between God and Man and did set us at such an infinite distance from him that our peace could be made no other way but by Christ's making his Soul an offering for Sin Isai. 53.10 and becoming a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Therefore when we remember the Agonies and Death of Christ we should remember the odiousness of Sin To make light of Sin is to make light of the sufferings of Christ. The Scripture often shews the greatness of Sin by the greatness of the price that was given to redeem us from it 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation but with the precious blood of Christ. And this both in order to Caution and Humiliation Caution ver 17. pass the time of your sojourning here in fear And Humiliation Zach. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look on Him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first born Before God would be propitious to Sinners the Son of God must be made Man and suffer and dye to expiate our offences Well then Is Sin nothing that sowed the Seeds of that woful Discord between God and us that he will have no communion with us till the Blood of Christ be shed to purge us from our Sins Generally we have slight and superficial apprehensions of Sin therefore we are not much troubled for what is past nor careful to avoid it for the time to come Ye are not deeply affected with what our Mediator hath done to deliver us from it Oh Christians Without these bitter Herbs due thoughts of Sin Christ our Passover will not relish with us Do but consider what you conceive of wrongs done to you how they provoke and stir your passions so that there is much ado to get you pacified What hainousness must there be in your offences against God both as to the quality of their nature and their multiplicity both as to number and kind It is true God is free from passion and is not troubled as your Spirits are But such is the provoking nature of Sin that it cryeth for Vengeance and bringeth you under the dreadful Sentence of Divine wrath which would fall upon you with all its weight if Christ had not interposed and catched the Blow In short the Sinner is in a dreadful and damnable condition by reason of Sin but Christ bore our Sins in his own Body on the Tree which should increase our Thankfulness for woe be to us if we bear our own Sin and heighten our Repentance that we may not provoke God for the future For you see satisfaction cannot be easily made for the injury of Sin The ignorance of God's Majesty and Holiness hath tempted the World to fancy some lesser expiations of Sin and satisfaction to God by sacrifices of Beasts or Penances or such a number of Prayers or costly Alms But the Gospel teacheth us there is no purgation of Sin but only by the death of Jesus Christ. 3. The effects and fruits are Pardon and Life I. Pardon For God's Justice being satisfied by Christ he hath granted a new Covenant wherein Pardon is assured to the penitent Believer We are told in what way and method Sin is pardoned upon the account of Christ's death If we in a broken-hearted manner confess it before God 1 Ioh 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness So Luke 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations Now this is no small mercy to have sin pardon'd II. The other benefit is Life begun in us by the Spirit and perfected in Heaven Consider it as begun in us by the Spirit in Regeneration We have have it by virtue of Christ's death Tit. 3.5 6. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost whicsh he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Lord. Or as perfected in Heaven it is still the fruit of Christ's death Heb. 5.9 Being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Now these benefits should be considered by us because they are the matter of our Faith and Trust. As God's Love calleth for Thankfulness and the hainousness of Sin for Repentance so the benefits of Christ's death for Faith and Affiance God solemnly reacheth out to us the benefits contained in the promises of the Gospel as by a Deed and Instrument and we by Faith accept them and by Affiance depend on God for the performance of them In short that Christ may give us the Favour and Image of God and all the consequent priviledges free access to God for the present and the full fruition of him in Bliss and Glory for the future Thus for the Object Secondly The Act is Annunciation or Shewing forth This may be considered with respect to the parties to whom we annunciate it Or with respect to the Properties or manner how it is to be annunciated 1. With respect to the Parties We annunciate and shew forth Christ's death with respect to our selves that we may anew believe and exercise our Faith With respect to others that we may solemnly profess this Faith in the Crucified Saviour with a kind of Glorying and rejoycing With respect to God that we may plead the merit of his Sacrifice with Humility and Affiance I. With
judged by this Law the holiest and the humblest the most penitent and believing Soul and the Soul that most loveth God cannot abide the Tryal and were it not for this promise and its Fellows what could we look for but Eternal Ruine 2. As to the Sanction the Law saith The Soul that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.4 Now this being the Sentence of God delivered in a Righteous Law how shall we escape it Surely it cannot fall to the Ground Unless some Provision be made it will eternally take place This should the more affect us because it is often verified in the course of God's Providence Rom. 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Heb. 2.2 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward Now when others are punished and we are spared surely we ought to be affected with his Severity towards them but towards us Goodness 3. Our incapacity of appearing before God by reason of the multitude of our Sins There are none of God's Children but have a great and vast Debt upon them and if God should call them to an account and should not spare not one of them could stand or appear in Court Psal. 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared There is not a Man to be found who hath not some fault and failing which would render him uncapable of God's favour If he should proceed in just severity against us who could stand Not who among the Wicked but who among the Regenerate or the People of God So many are the Frailties and slips of their Lives And Psal. 143.2 Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified It is impossible for such a frail sinful imperfect Creature as Man is to appear before God's exact Tribunal with any comfort and hope But he will not charge them on us with Severity but spare us with Mercy 4. The sense which Conscience hath of these Sins 1. Consider it in its old natural Bondage somewhat of which yet remaineth while Sin remaineth so Conscience accuseth of the Sins that are committed Rom. 2.15 Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another And fears the Death threatned Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the Iudgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death Now can it be appeased unless the Lord spare or set up some way of Grace which alloweth pardon for our failings And if the Lord spare it should be as welcome to us as a Pardon to a Condemned Man 2. Consider it as it is inlightned and renewed by the Holy Spirit It is true it doth not produce such a fear of Wrath as before but a greater apprehension of the Evil of Sin because of the increase of light and love both which intender the Heart As their light and love increase so doth their trouble about sin Rom. 7.9 For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed and verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death They are ashamed of that folly and filthiness and unkindness that is in Sin and are grieved for the relicks of Corruption Ezek. 16.6 And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live So Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Therefore if God will spare and not impute their trespasses to them they are more apprehensive of this mercy than possibly others can be None fee so many Sins and none see such hainousness in Sin and are more deeply affected with it In a clear Glass of Water the least Mote is espied They have a greater dread of God's Holiness a more sincere respect to his Law a greater reverence for the sentence of it a more firm belief of his threatnings a more earnest desire to please him and so a a greater grief for offending him Therefore if he will pardon and pass by their infirmities they are the more apprehensive of the privilege III. The grounds and reasons of this indulgence or sparing which God useth towards them 1. God's merciful nature which inclineth him to pass by the infirmities of his Saints This appeareth by the description of God given to Moses when the Lord proclaimed his name Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth Since this is the description which God giveth of himself therefore it deserveth to be weighed by us The first notion is Merciful whereby God's Nature inclineth him to succour those that are in Misery by reason of Sin The next is Gracious which implieth his self-inclination to do good to his Creatures without any precedent obligation on their parts The third is Long Suffering or slowness to Anger he is not hasty to revenge the wrongs done him by the Creature He often pitieth wicked Men so far as to prevent the Temporal punishment and spareth them long when he might destroy them The Last is Abundant in goodness and truth that is expressing his kindness and bounteous nature many ways not at one time and in one sort only but upon all occasions and in all ways wherein we stand in need of his help and therefore will deal tenderly with his people Micah 7.8 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy If we had a due sense of the nature of God we should have much relief against the Evil Merit of Sin and a greater hope that he will deal in a Fatherly manner with us He had told them of great things God would do for them now in the apprehension of the sensible Sinner it is Sin chiefly which standeth in the way of their Mercies Therefore God will pardon Sin in his people in such a wonderful way as shall exceed all their thoughts He will not call them to a strict account for them and though he beginneth to reckon with them yet he will spare them and moderate his Anger and be reconciled to them It shall not go on to Eternal Wrath nor over long Temporal Evils and all because of the pleasure which he taketh in shewing acts of Mercy rather than acts of Vengeance 2. The satisfaction of Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his
God in token whereof he hath set him forth in the Gospel as a propitiation for Sin Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood And in the Text he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Lamb but the Lamb that Lamb of God which is said partly by way of dignity and distinction to put a difference between him and the Typical Lamb and partly by way of Ostension and Demonstration that Lamb figured in the Sacrifices and spoken of by the Prophets this is he the Lamb of God indeed Now Lambs were often used in Sacrifices In the Purification of Women Levit. 12.6 She shall bring a Lamb of the first Year for a Burnt-Offering In the Cleansing of the Leper Levit. 14.10 On the eighth day he shall bring two He-Lambs without blemish and one Ewe-Lamb without blemish both which figured the Cleansing of our defiled Natures by Christ and the doing away the Defilement and Leprosie of Sin But the most frequent and constant use of the Lamb was in the daily Sacrifice Exod. 29.38 39. Now this is that thou shalt offer upon the Altar two Lambs of the first year day by day continually the one Lamb thou shalt offer in the Morning and the other Lamb thou shalt offer at Even which was to be done with Meal and Wine the two great supports of the Natural Life all which figured Christ. God is every day pleased and propitiated for our Sins and by vertue of his daily Mediation we and all our actions are accepted of the Lord. The Lord Jesus is our daily Lamb which must be represented to God's justice as the only means of our atonement every Morning and every Evening we need it as much as they and are more obliged than they because all is clear and open to us Now upon the Sabbath Day this Offering was double Numb 28.9.10 And on the Sabbath day two Lambs of the first year without spot and two tenth deals of Flower for a Meat-offering mingled with Oyl and the Drink-offering thereof This is the burnt-offering of every Sabbath beside the continual burnt-offering and his drink-offering Then God requireth a more solemn remembrance of Christ our Lamb slain for us Thirdly But the most solemn Figure and Type of Christ was the Paschal Lamb and most frequently interpreted of him in the New Testament 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us And Iohn 19.36 A bone of him shall not be broken This was originally spoken of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12.46 Neither shall ye break a bone thereof Now the Evangelist bringeth this as a Prophecy this which was ordained concerning the Paschal Lamb is said to be fulfilled in Christ it is brought as a reason why the Divine Providence permitted not his Legs to be broken This is the Type to which Iohn here alludeth and saith Behold the Lamb of God Therefore here my Work must be fixed to state the resemblance between the Paschal Lamb and Jesus Christ. Certainly the use of that Ordinance was Typical as well as Historical it was ordained not only as a Memorial of their redemption from Aegypt but as a figure of our redemption by Christ. To the first Use it is supposed David hath respect when he said Psal. 111.4 5. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred the Lord is gracieus and full of compassion He hath given meat to them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant The Meat there mentioned is supposed to respect the Paschal Lamb when they were to remember the Works of God But the chief use was to Type out Christ who hath so taken away Sin that he hath freed us from eternal Death He was the Truth and Substance of that Type and the true Passover sacrificed for us in whose Person and in whose Sufferings and Benefits all that is really to be found which is pointed out and Typified by that Shadow That this may more clearly appear to you I shall shew you that the Paschal Lamb figured 1. The Person of Christ. 2. His Death on the Cross. 3. The Fruits of his Death 4. The manner how we are made Partakers of them I. The Paschal Lamb figured the Person of Christ. The Prophets and Apostles do often set forth the Person of Christ under the Notion of a Lamb. Isaiah calleth him a Lamb Isa. 53.7 He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter And Philip instructing the Eunuch applyeth that Prophecy to Christ Acts 8.35 And among the Apostles Peter telleth you That we are redeemed with the precious â—lood of Christ as of a Lamb without spot and blemish 1 Pet. 1.19 And Iohn the Evangelist calleth him often The Lamb that was slain Rev. 5.6 9. And here Iohn the Baptist who was Fibula legis Evangelii in the middle between the Prophets and Apostles calleth him The Lamb of God in the Text and Ver. 36. Behold the Lamb of God And fitly for Christ was a Lamb in regard of his Meekness Patience and humble Innocence For his Meekness he was a Lamb for he saith Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 And for his Innocency for there was no guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 But chiefly for his Patience for as a Lamb before the shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Acts 8.32 He did not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets Isa. 42.2 Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2.23 Not that he wanted Strength and Power for all Power was given him both in Heaven and Earth and if he would have made use of them he had more than twelve Legions of Angels at his command Matth. 26.53 Thinkest thou not that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give more than twelve legions of Angels One of which was able enough easily to dissipate and destroy all his Enemies But he came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many Matth. 20.28 And therefore he humbled himself being made obedient to death even the death of the Cross Phill. 2.8 Thus the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah by a strange Metamorphosis of a Lion was made a Lamb that out of the Eater might come forth Meat and out of the Strong might come forth Sweetness for this Lamb feedeth us with his Flesh and giveth us to drink of his Blood Iohn 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed No Dish so savoury as that to an hungry Conscience no Draught to comfortable to a thirsty Soul And besides this he cloatheth us with the Fleece of his own Righteousness and therefore we are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.29 As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord
Act of the Jewish Malice Psal. 69.21 They gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink Here was Light enough or Conviction sufficient for any but those who resolved to shut their Eyes 4. He said I thirst he had spent much time in watching lost much Blood his Body was tortured with extream Pain and his Soul scorched with a sense of God's Wrath and therefore well might he cry out I thirst It is notable that Christ would not declare his Thirst till he knew that all Things were accomplished that is every sad Accident except his Death Certainly if we consider the Agonies of the Garden where he excerned Blood in stead of Sweat his Scourging his being buffeted with the Soldiers his bearing the Cross all this might make him thirst before but when Wine mingled with Myrrhe a stupifying Potion was tendred to him before he reâ—used it Mark 15.23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrhe but he received it not But now when all was accomplished he saith I thirst He would take no natural Refreshment till he had born all our Griefs and Sorrows and every sad Passage by which he might promote our Comfort was accomplished He was so mindful of us that he forgat himself he saith that it was Meat to him to do his Father's Will Iohn 4.34 My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Though the Cross-work was sad Work yet that was as Drink to Christ. After he had swelter'd under the Torment of so many hours drowth he crieth out I thirst Christ would make his Sufferings as full of Merit as possible he could and therefore would not receive the least draught of Comfort till he had paid our whole Debt We do evil with both hands earnestly Micah 7.3 and fill our Actions with as much Disobedience and Rebellion as we can possibly put into them Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Ier. 3.5 Sin hath not been cheap to us we have bought the Pleasure of it at a dear rate with much Loss and Self-denial And therefore Christ's Sufferings were made as high and extream as possibly they could be Let us now see what they did to Christ when he had declared the extremity of his Thirst Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar and they filled a spunge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to his mouth Vers 29. This Fact of theirs is diversly construed some say they did it out of kindness and that it was usual to provide a Vessel of Vinegar and to have it at hand under the Cross of those that were Executed this is probable Others think it an act of Spight and Malice partly because it is made an Exaggeration of Calamity Psal. 69.21 In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink And partly because their Courtesie to the Dying was to give Wine and Myrrhe and therefore it is said Prov. â—1 6 It is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink and Vers. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of an heavy heart That is to say it is not for the Judge but the Condemned and they mingled it with Myrrhe and hot Spices partly to attenuate the Blood and so to dispatch them the sooner and partly to cause Giddiness that their Senses might be the sooner gone But now in stead of Wine and Myrrhe they gave Christ Vinegar and Gall to increase his Misery and they prepared it in readiness in case he called for the usual Refreshment And the Conjecture of the Carthâ—sian is not amiss who imputeth it to the Malice of the Soldiers to change the Wine prepared by the charitable Women into Vinegar for the greater Spight and Mockage And it is said They filled a spunge with vinegar and put it upon â—yssop The other Evangelists say They put it upon a reed and it is hard to conceive then how they could put it upon Hyssop It is probable that Hyssop in these Countries was tall as Mustard-Seed is said to grow up into a Tree and Pliny saith they made Stayes of Mallows in Arabia which with us is but a slender Herb but Hyssop is put for a Shrub Salomon wrote of all Herbs from the Cedar to the Hyssop but that is Wall-Hyssop which is dwarfish and tender as ours is Observe when Christ stood in our stead no Comfort was granted to him but what was devised to augment his Grief When his Strength was dried up like a Potiheard and his Tongue cleaved to his Jaws They gave him Vinegar to drink when he was providing for us a Cup of Blessings a Torrent and a River of Pleasure of which we might drink Vers. 30. When he had received the Vinegar he said It is finished and he bowed the head and gave up the ghost When he had received it that is tasted it for they put it into his Mouth with a Spunge on the top of a Reed then he said It is finished That is as much as was necessary for his Humiliation God's Glory and Man's Salvation as much as was decreed as much as was foretold And he saith It is finished because he was now upon the last work Death which was coming upon him and therefore foldeth it in the Expression with what is past It is finished because the last Act was at hand Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed that is which is about to be shed Iohn 17.4 I have finished the work thou gavest me to do All the Sufferings were now compleated at Death which he was to suffer for our Sins Doctr. Christ closed not his Sufferings till all was finished which he had to do for us 1. In what sense it is said All things are finished 2. The Evidences and Reasons thereof 3. What Comfort this is to the Faithful I. In what sense it is said It is finished 1. All the Scripture Prophesies which spake of Christ's Death and Sufferings were now fulfilled and accomplished As that he should make his entrance into Ierusalem upon an Ass in all humility this was Prophesied of the Messiah Zech. 9.9 Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the fole of an ass And fulfilled by Christ Matth. 21.4 5. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold the King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an ass and a colt the foal of an ass That he should be betrayed by one of his Familiars his own Disciple Psal. 55.12 13. It was not an enemy that reproched me then I could have borne it neither was it he that hated me that did magnifie himself against me But it was thou a man mine equal my guide and my acquaintance So Psal. 41.9 Yea
the Creation and upon the Seventh Day he Rested So Christ will not come down till he had finished the Work of Redemption on the Sixth Day and on the Seventh he Rested in the Grave and Rose early in the Morning on the First Day of the Week to shew the Truth of his Satisfaction And the Holy-Ghost his Work is perfect all the time of his Life he continueth increasing our Graces but in the everlasting Sabbatism when Sin shall be no more his Work is brought to an end And then he shall present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Iude 24. But what were the Reasons why Christ would not give over till all was perfected 1. Love to his Father Iohn 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Christ loved the Father with unspeakable Love and was in like manner beloved by him Therefore when this Cup was put into his hands by his Father he would drink it off to the very bottom 2. Love to the Church Eph. 5.25 26. Even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word c. And Rev. 1.5 6. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood The Church was given for a Spouse to Christ but we were polluted and defiled with Sin he would not only cleanse it but make it a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 Christ loved the Church and therefore it was not grievous to him to wash it with his Blood Because Iacob loved Rachel he served seven Years for her in Heats and Frosts by Night and Day and they seemed to him but a few days for the love he had to her Gen. 29.20 So the Son of God loved the Church and therefore endured all these Indignities and grievous Passions 3. He had respect to that eminent Glory set before him Heb. 12.2 Looking to Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is now sate down at the right hand of the throne of God Though the Way was rough the Prize was excellent and so he run through all the Pain and Shame and attained the eternal Crown of Glory He endured cruel Pains in his Body and bitter Sorrows in his Soul such as never any Man did suffer never any Angel could have born as he did so dear did it cost our Saviour to make a Propitiation for our Sins That which in all this did strengthen and encourage him was the Joy set before him namely that happy and glorious Estate which followed upon his Sufferings so that his Burden was made the lighter and his Sorrows much abated Oh let us think of this 'T is not a lessening his Love to us for he needed not to put himself into this condition Herein he was our Example to teach us how to sweeten the Cross and as our Mediator he is gone to Heaven to prepare a Place for us Iohn 14.2 3. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and take you to my self that where I am there ye may be also 2. Let it raise in us a Confidence of the Benefits purchased For Christ expresseth himself as a Conqueror and in a kind of Triumph over the Devil and all the Enemies of our Salvation The Wrath of God is appeased Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The Law is satisfied Gal. 4.4 5. God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Satan is vanquished Iohn 12.31 Now is the judgment of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out Guilt is removed Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Sin is subdued Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Death is unstinged 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. Oh Death where is thy sting Oh Grave where is thy victory The sting of Death is sin and the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The Curse is removed Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Surely where Christ beginneth he will make an end We cannot have too high Thoughts of the Blood of Christ Heb. 9.13 14. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the â—lood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Let us stand still now and behold the Salvation of God and Eccho to Christ's Cry It is finished it is finished What can the Law crave more than the Blood of the Son of God What will make us perfect as appertaining to the Conscience if this will not Being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him Christ hath so far obtained Pardon and Acceptance for us that he hath made an end of Sin for all that are willing to accept of his Grace upon God's Terms 3. Let it quicken us to Perseverance in our Duty notwithstanding Sufferings till all be ended that when we come to die we may be able to say Iohn 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness If Christ out of Love to us would finish the Work of our Redemption What shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8.39 4. It teacheth us how to comfort our selves in Death It finisheth all our Labours and Sorrows as Christ sheweth when he was about to give up the Ghost Isa. 57.2 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds Believers have a Joy set before them as well as Christ. The Wicked cannot say It is finished their Evils are then begun 5. Let us believe Things to come The Event sheweth that all these Things were true which the Prophets had so long before foretold The Holy-Ghost cannot be deceived nor can God lie We are certain that Things yet to come shall be fulfilled as well as these which are past Those who lived before Christ's time had not such an Experiment of God's Truth as we have We have seen the Coming of Christ let us so fix our Minds on future Things as to draw them
all forgiven it is all expiated by my Merit 2 Use. This affords much comfort to humbled Sinners Take Christ as freely as he freely offereth himself for you he resigned up himself to Death and will not you resign up your selves by Faith He poured out his Soul to Death and will not you pour out your Souls into his Bosom Consider all the Persons of the Trinity are willing and wiâ—l not you The Father gave him Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Christ gave himself Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me The Spirit is willing he is grieved with your neglect and refusal Mat. 23.37 How often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but ye would not Oh! pour out your Souls in Faith and Prayer as Christ did his upon the Cross. 3 Use. Let us learn to imitate Christ at the close of his Life he said It is finished and so bowed the Head and gave up the Ghost Believers have a Joy set before them as well as Christ it is not so with wicked Men they cannot say that with them it is begun their Heaven endeth when they come to die but God's People should take Death chearfully if they can say as Christ Iohn 17.4 Father I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work that thou gavâ—st me to do Let the Death be violent or natural it is aâ—l one whether we are a Peace-Offering or a Burnt-Offering there is more of Man's Maâ—ice in a vioâ—ent Death but it cannot hurt us But alas Men generally do not live as if they did look to die and therefore they do not die as if they did look to live and so here they would not dâ—e and there they would not live A SERMON UPON ECCLES VII 29 But they sought out many Inventions THERE are two things in this Scripture 1. The Righteousness of God in his Work about Men God made Man upright 2. Man's perverse Subtilty in inventing Ways of Backsliding and Apostacy from God But they sought out many Inventions From this latter part observe Doct. That Man fell from the Integrity of his first Estate and is ever since full of evil and fruitless Inventions I. I shall speak to this Point as it is represented in the Text. II. Give some Considerations as to the general Case 1. The Persons they the Expression was singular before God made Adam upright but now plural not only to include both our first Parents but all their Posterity Adam had his Invention and all his Posterity theirs The Devil inspired Adam with a sad and doleful Invention to go about to find out another Happiness than God had appointed Adam could not content himself with this kind of Happiness but fancied to himself an higher Perfection and yielded to follow these new-devised Ways of Blessedness which Satan and his own deceived Heart did suggest to him And this Invention hath invented and found out all the Sin and Misery under which the World groaneth As Adam had his Invention so all his Posterity theirs We are inventing still to make our selves more miserable The least Ebolitions of Sin are expressed in the Old Testament by Imaginations in the New by Lusts. In the Old Testament by Imaginations Jer. 18.12 And they said There is no Hope but we will walk after our own Devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his evil Heart Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the Wickedness of Man was great in the Earth and that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually In the New by Lusts James 1.14 But every Man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own Lust and enticed Titus 3.3 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers Lusts. Not only the desiring but the understanding Faculty is corrupt Therefore 't is said Prov. 1.31 They shall eat the Fruit of their own Way and be filled with their own Devices Jer. 6.19 Behold I will bring upon this People even the Fruit of their Thoughts Meaning the Evil which their own Devices and Practices had procured to themselves Every one of us have our Devices Ways and Haunts of Sin whereby we make our selves more wretched and sinful 2. Their Act They sought out that sheweth the Voluntariness and Studiousness of Man's Defection it is their own Act and Deed and their Hearts are set upon it It is said Ionah 2.8 They that observe lying Vanities forsake their own Mercies They set their Minds a-work prostitute their Reason to their Senses All Mens Projects what do they tend to but the Satisfaction of their own Lusts to cater for the Body and gratify the Animal Life Making Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Taking thought what they shall eat or what they shall drink Mat. 6.25 Their Care is about the base and brutish Part more than about the Soul how to adorn the Body and gratify the Body and for this the Soul must be made a Slave There is a perverse Diligence in Men to corrupt themselves 3. The Object with its Number Many Inventions There is some difference in the Translations Ludovicâ—â— de Dieâ— because the Word for many signifieth also great and mighty rendreth it Ipsi autem quâ—siverunt cogitationes magnatum meaning by the Mighty the Angels who were not contented with their own Station but forsook it Iude v. 6. Certain it is the Devil's first Temptation was Gen. 3.5 Ye shall be as Gods that is advance into a more honourable and noble Condition than now you are in These Thoughts being suggested by Satan they ambitiously entertained them The Vulgar readeth it Se infinâ—tis miscuit quaestionibus Adam at first out of Curiosity would know Good and Evil and ever since we have been sick of Questions questioning this and questioning that and have no clear Light to guide us The Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they sought out many Ratiocinations We grope in a maze of Uncertainties and so intangle our selves the more Our Heavenly Wisdom is lost by our Sin and Rebellion and instead thereof we have gotten a false Carnal Wisdom which is Enmity to God Rom. 8.7 and only inclineth us to a false Happiness Iames 3.15 to the Pleasures Honours and Profits of the present World and so are given up to an injudicious Mind and are left in the Hands of our own Counsel which is the heaviest Plague that can light upon a reasonable Creature Psal. 81.11 12. But my People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me so I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Counsels For our own Wisdom is an ill Guide and Counsellor and will never guide us aright in the Way to true Happiness but lead us into â—ogs and Pits and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts. But keeping more closely to
God and that my Fear is not in thee Sure it will be Bitterness in the end to forsake the Lord and walk in the Inventions and Imaginations of thine own Heart You are posting to your eternal Misery where a Reflection upon your evil Choice will be the greatest part of your Misery Isa. 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a Fire that compass your selves about with Sparks walk in the Light of your Fire and the Sparks which ye have kindled this shall ye have of my Hand ye shall lie down in Sorrow The Allusion is not to such a Fire as burneth and consumeth but such as doth warm and cherish Those Stakes which wicked Worldlings rely upon for Succour will in time prove their greatest Calamities and those Tufts and Fuzes which they promised the greatest Comfort to themselves from will occasion the greatest Sorrow the Brands which they heaped together will afford them little Heat and Light but Smoke to vex and choak them He that will warm himself by his own Sparks can expect no other Issue from his own rash Folly and God's righteous Vengeance Vse 2. To exhort us not only to lament it but to come out of this Condition And here to this End 1. Renounce that crooked carnal Wisdom which is Man's undoing Man at first seeking to be wise became a Fool Now he must be a Fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 A Fool to the Flesh and the World that he may be wise to God 2. Give up your selves to God in Covenant as your Lord and Felicity A Man is never in his Wits till he cometh to this Psal. 22.27 All the Ends of the Earth shall remember and turn to the Lord. Our Misery is in departing from him so our Happiness is in putting our selves into his Hands again Now you must give up your selves to him as your supreme Lord and chief Felicity or Happiness depending upon him as your Happiness obeying him as your Lord. Obey his Counsel though against your own Reason and stick to his Ways though they seem to be against your present Happiness Remember that Duty is Safety that cleaving to God with Loss is better than departing from him with seeming Gain and God that out-wits the subtile Designer doth take care of and preserve the plain and simple Person that avowedly adhereth to him when all the Contrivances of foolish and worldly-minded Men prove vain and unprosperous Your Obedience will be your Safety Dependance and Obedience do mutually cherish one another the more we depend the more we obey and the more we obey the more we depend and so they discover one another Let us shew our Dependance on God that in all the Changes of this Life by a firm fast Adherence and Resolution we stick fast to God whatever comes on it using no Means but what he allows and counting his Favour our Happiness They that depend not on him are left to their own Inventions 3. Your great Design must be to approve your selves to God 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of the Lord. Vse 3. It sheweth what need we have to give up our selves to the Conduct of God's Word and Spirit Man is so full of his own Inventions that none can be safe but they that depend upon God for Direction Iam. 1.5 If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God Such a fallible Creature as Man is in point of Truth such an impotent Creature is he in point of Power such an indigent Creature in point of Happiness and Self-sufficiencies such a sinful corrupt Creature so full of Imaginations and Lusts so many crooked Dispositions in his Heart so many Wiles to justify his irregular Choice so many Temptations and they represented with such Sophistry that he should be willing to accept of Direction Yea the People of God themselves have need of the Direction of the Word in regard of the Weakness of their Understandings and the Perverseness of their Affections 1. Our Understandings are so weak that we are ignorant of many things necessary to be known for we know but in part If we know something in general we fail in particular Application both in general and in particular if we know things habitually we do not actually consider them being hindred by Multitude of Business or the Violence of Temptations or lulled asleep by the Pleasures of the Flesh Eccles. 5.1 They consider not that they do Evil. 2. Our Affections are perverse and so addicted rather to be led by Sense than right Reason that there is great Danger lest seeing and approving that which is better we follow what is worse contrary to our Knowledg and Conscience Rom. 2.18 And knowest his Will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law And therefore the best had need to pray with David Psal. 143.10 Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness A SERMON UPON ECCLES XII 7 Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God that gave it IN the Beginning of this Chapter Solomon presseth us to remember our Creator while yet young many have been too late acquainted with God but never any too soon His Arguments are 1. From the wearisome Evils of old Age very Rhetorically described in ver 2 3 4 5 6. While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened nor the Clouds return after the Rain In the Day when the Keepers of the House shall tremble and the strong Men shall bow themselves and the Grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the Windows be darkened and the Doors shall be shut in the Streets when the Sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the Voice of the Bird and all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and Fear shall be in the way and the Almond-Tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a Burden and Desire shall fail because Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Streets or ever the silver Cord be loosed or the golden Bowl be broken or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain or the Wheel broken at the Cistern That is a time of Expense and needeth Cordials rather than Work and Service Therefore while the Prints of God's creating Bounty are fresh upon us it is best to exercise our selves to Godliness 2. From the certain Approach of Death as the final Issue of the present Life therefore we should prepare for this Change think of God betimes and secure a better Life before this come to the last Period This Argument is in the Text Then shall the Dust return to the Earth c. Man consists of a Body and a Soul the Text telleth you what shall become of both
And more and more interest our selves in his cleansing 5. Because the Application is a difficult Work Besides the Purchase of the Gift of the Spirit Christ hath instituted the Help of the Word and Sacraments to bring us into Possession of this Benefit Ephes. 5.26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of VVater by the VVord The Merit of his Death falleth upon these means that we may use them with the more Confidence Iohn 15.3 Now are ye clean through the VVord which I have spoken unto you The Word is the Glass wherein to see Corruption which sets a-work to seek Purging By that our Sense of our natural Impurity is revived the Means and Causes of our cleansing set down that we may with deep Humiliation confess our Sin humbly sue out the Grace offered and wait for it in the conscionable Use of all the means of Grace And for the Sacraments As the Word containeth the Charter and Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to those that will receive him so this is the Seal of the Grant Rom. 4.11 He received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith whereby we are more confirmed in waiting for the Spirit and excited to look for this Benefit from Christ. Well then we must still lie at the Pool of the Word and Sacraments And now you have my second Argument Why Jesus Christ should be honoured lauded and praised by all the Saints because he hath done so great an Office of Love and procured so great a Benefit for us as the washing away of our Sins in his Blood that we might be admitted to Communion with God III. The Fruits and Benefits that we have thereby He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and to his Father This doth oblige us the more to ascribe and give Glory and Dominion to him for ever and ever since he hath brought us into Communion with God and set us apart as consecrated Persons such as Kings and Priests were of old to perform daily Service to God In this third Thing 1 st Observe the Order We must be washed from our Sins before we can be Kings and Priests or minister before the Lord. Aaron and his Sons though they were formerly designed to be Priests yet they could not officiate and act as Priests before they were consecrated So must we be consecrated and made Priests to God and that by the Blood of Christ. They were seven days in consecrating This whole Life is the time of our Consecration which goeth on by degrees and will be made compleat both for Body and Soul upon the Resurrection when we shall be fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven For this Life though our Consecration be not finished yet here we are stiled an Holy Priesthood to minister before the Throne of Grace though not before the Throne of Glory Now if we be washed from our Sins in the Laver of Regeneration we may draw near to God as the Priests under the Law were washed in the Laver and then came to the Altar It holdeth good both in this Life and in the Life to come that none but the Washed can come so near to God either before the Throne of Grace or Throne of Glory The Throne of Grace Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water So Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God In the State of Glory Rev. 7.14 15. These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in his Temple The persecuted Saints who came out of great Tribulation they first washed their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb before they were admitted as Priests to stand before the Throne of God to serve him Day and Night in his Temple Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummate And then we shall have a full Communion with our God a clear Vision of his eternal Beauty and as great a Fruition of his Godhead as we shall be capable of in a State of full Contentment Joy and Blessedness 2 dly The Privileges are exceeding great to be consecrated to so high a Dignity That we should be consecrated or set apart for God to be Objects of his special Grace and Instruments of his Glory and Service Much more that we should be advanced to so great a Dignity as to be Kings and Priests to God We share in Christ's own Dignity He was a King and a Priest so are we He had an Unction so have we He was Christ we are Christians By virtue of our Union with him we are Partakers of his Kingdom and Priesthood The Church of Israel was called a Kingdom of Priests Exod. 19.6 And Believers in the New-Testament are called a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Not to disturb Civil Kings or the Order God hath instituted in the Church for it is Kings and Priests to God not to the World Let us consider these Privileges asunder 1. Kings King is a Name of Honour Power and ample Possession 1. Here we reign spiritually as we vanquish the Devil the World and the Flesh in any measure It is a Princely Thing to be above these inferiour Things and to trample them under our Feet in an holy and heavenly Pride An Heathen could say Rex est qui metuit nihil Rex est qui cupit nihil He is a King that fears nothing and desires nothing He that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World he that hath his Heart in Heaven and is above temporal Accidents the ups and downs of the World the World is beneath his Heart and Affections this Man is of a Kingly Spirit Christ's Kingdom is not of this World neither is a Believer's Rev. 5.10 Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth viz. in a Spiritual Way It is a beastly thing to serve our Lusts but kingly to have our Conversations in Heaven and vanquish the World 1 Iohn 5.4 5. Whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God To live up to our Faith and Love with a Noble Royal Spirit 2. Hereafter we shall reign visibly and gloriously when we shall sit upon Thrones with Christ at his last coming to judg the World and Angels themselves Matth. 19.28 Verily I
have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. By whom also we have Access by Faith unto this Grace wherein we stand and rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God Comfortable Access to God here in the World depends upon our Justification the more clear that is the more we are fitted to come before the Lord. From the Stain of Sin Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God Though all see enough of God to Satisfaction these see more than others do Therefore the more we cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit the more of God shall we see and the sooner shall we be admitted into his blessed Presence It was an old Observation even among the Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he whom God loveth dieth young Not that all that die young are beloved of God But ordinary Observation will teach you this that let a Man more than ordinarily improve in Purity of Heart though God may lend him to the World for an Example for some time yet they are taken to God sooner than others or if they are continued in the World they are continued under more Weaknesses and do with more Earnestness expect their Translation to the everlasting Priesthood 2. Let us begin our Sacrifices and discharge our Priestly Office now and perform all the Duties which belong to our Ministration with more Fidelity Some of our Duties are proper only to the present State as consecrating our selves to God and using our selves for God that is out of date then for our Consecration is over before we come there It is undeniable that the blessed Spirits all live to God Luke 20.38 He is not a God of the Dead but of the Living for all live unto him But there is no need of giving up our selves to God for then we possess God Mercy is useless in an Estate where Misery cannot approach therefore now it must be exercised None are Priests in Heaven but those that have acted the Priests part upon Earth But Praise holds good now and then too Psal. 107.22 Let us sacrifice the Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare his Works with rejoicing This is to tune our Instruments and to be fitting our selves for our everlasting Work 3. Let us be more frequent and often with God For the Throne of Grace is the very Porch of Heaven by it we pass to the Throne of Glory Surely that Life upon Earth is best which is likest to the Life of Heaven Psal. 84.10 For a Day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness Prayer giveth us the nearest Familiarity which a Man in Flesh can have with God and is the best Preparation for our Entrance upon our everlasting Priesthood A Man acquainted with a God before-hand is not to seek for a God to pray to when he cometh to die nor for a Mediator to intercede for him nor for a Spirit of Adoption to fly to God as a reconciled Father Having been frequently entertained and accepted by God he can the better resign his Spirit into his Hands and with more Confidence wait for this nearer Attendance Alas to go out of the World into unknown and unseen Regions where we are wholly Strangers how sad is that Who will venture into the Ocean who hath not learned to swim in the shallow Brooks and Streams Communion with God in a way of Grace is the way to Communion with him in a way of Glory We go to see him Face to Face whom we have seen by the Eye of Faith to live with him in Heaven with whom we have lived upon Earth Species non laetificat in Patria quem fides non consolatur in via Sight will not be joyful to him in Heaven whom Faith hath not comforted upon Earth He that hath often heard and accepted us will not reject us Thirdly Let us be more apprehensive of the Greatness of the Privilege of drawing nigh to God that we may improve it accordingly The Priests were sanctified to draw nearer to God than the common People and imployed in his holy Service yea Nearness of Ministration before the Lord is the Felicity of the Glorified How must we improve it 1. Partly to be ashamed of our Lothness to draw nigh to God and our Weariness of his special Service O let us not shun God as an Enemy and be loth to come into his special Presence or backward to converse with him 2. To Thankfulness to our Redeemer It was purchased by the Blood of Jesus Heb. 10.19 Having therefore Brethren Boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Iesus We may be the more confident of drawing nigh to him in a way of Grace for he hath purchased also our Entrance into Glory Ephes. 3.12 In whom we have Boldness and Access with Confidence by the Faith of him Vse 3. Comfort 1. Against present Weaknesses in Duty There will be a Time when we shall more perfectly express our Thanksgiving to God 2. Against Troubles and Sufferings It must be so now that we may be conformed to our Head but no Molestation should be an Impediment in our Work 3. Against Death It should make us willing to die that we may minister before the Lord. If David so longed for the Injoyment of God in the earthly Temple Psal. 63.1 2. O God! thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is to see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary How much more Cause have we to long for the time when we shall be made Priests to him for ever SERMONS UPON LEVITICVS XIX 17 SERMON I. LEVIT XIX 17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him I Am to speak to you at this time concerning Christian and Brotherly Reproof Our first Care should be that we are not Sinners our selves Our next that we partake not of the Sins of others which may not only be by counselling and abetting their evil Actions but also by a faulty Connivance and Silence when the Glory of God and Love to our Neighbours Souls do loudly call upon us to mind them of their Duty and warn them of their Danger To this End I have made choice of this Scripture Thou shalt not hate c. Where take notice First Of the Removal of the Impediment Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart Secondly An earnest Excitement of the Duty of Reproof Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour Thirdly A Reason to enforce it Thou shalt not suffer Sin upon him or that thou bear not Sin for him First A Removal of the Impediment or Hindrance Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart Hatred is forbidden when Rebuke or
11 12. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto Death and those that are ready to be slain If thou sayest Behold we knew it not doth not he that pondreth the Heart consider it and he that keepeth thy Soul doth not he know it and shall not be render to every Man according to his Works Here is a Work of Charity delivering the Innocent from temporal Death the Sin is a Sin of Omission every Man is bound to do what he can to save his Neighbour from imminent Destruction It is our Duty not to be silent and see him perish with a safe Conscience we cannot do so it is against the Light of Nature and all Honesty to use Tergiversation in this Case when we have Probability to help it and will not this hold good in the Case of Brotherly Reproof when thou seest thy Neighbour likely to perish and be undone for ever The same Charity that bindeth us to deliver him from Temporal Death will much more bind us to deliver him from Eternal Death Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the living God Not only in you your selves but in any of you as will be clear in the Remedy prescribed But exhort one another daily while it is called To Day lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin This is a Work of Christian Charity which we owe to one another as Christian Brethren But see how God answereth the Excuse If thou sayest Behold we knew it not They knew not the Danger or Innocency of the Person Can you answer so to God Doth not he that pondereth the Heart consider c. He will be Judg whether you love your Brother yea or no whether this Pretence be Cowardice or mere Ignorance 2. How far the Obligation reacheth extensively It bindeth all For 1. All are to be able Col. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another And Rom. 15.14 I am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye also are full of Goodness filled with all Knowledg able also to admonish one another There are several Relations between Christians but all are bound to reprove some are Superiours some are Inferiours Superiours are bound in point of Justice Inferiours in point of Charity Superiours that have Charge of Souls are much more bound to reprove than others God 's Threatnings against them are more grievous if they neglect this Duty of Love The Watchman must not spare Yea they are bound though it be with the Danger of their Lives as Matth. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves Iohn the Baptist reproved Herod though it cost him his Life Mark 6.27 And the Reason is they have a double Tie and Bond upon them as their Office and Relation besides the common Bond of Charity But now whether Inferiours are bound to reprove those that are over them Yes certainly for David a King did receive with Meekness a Reproof not only from Nathan a Prophet but from Abigail a Woman 1 Sam. 25.32 33. And Iob produceth it as a Proof of his Integrity that he despised not the Cause of his Man-servant or of his Maid-servant when they contended with him Job 31.13 Certainly we owe this Duty to Superiours as their Danger is greater To save a private Person is not so much as to do good to one that shineth in a higher Sphere Well then we are bound to reprove all whom we are bound to love whether Superiours or Inferiours But then to Superiours we are to use great Modesty 1 Tim. 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder but intreat him as a Father and the younger Men as Brethren It should be rather an Exhortation and Intreaty than a Reproof So Princes and Magistrates who are subject to Errors and Miscarriages may with Humility and Wisdom be admonished as Naaman's Servant 2 Kings 5.13 My Father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it how much rather then when he saith Wash and be clean Dan. 4.27 Wherefore O King let my Counsel be acceptable to thee And Col. 4.17 Say to Archippus take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfil it But yet this is still a Generality If every one be bound to reprove all and all every one when shall we know that this Duty is to be put in Act Answer The Admonisher should have a Calling to it through some Relation between him and the Offender So we may find it in all kind of Relations A Minister or Prophet as Nathan reproved David 2 Sam. 12.1 As a Counsellor Ioab reproveth him 2 Sam. 19.5 6. Thou hast shamed this Day the Faces of all thy Servants which have saved thy Life A Yoke-fellow as the Husband the Wife Iob 2.10 Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh The Wife the Husband as Abigail to Nabal 1 Sam. 25.37 And it came to pass in the Morning when the Wine was gone out of his Head and his Wife had told him these things his Heart died within him and he became as a Stone A Son as Ionathan to Saul 1 Sam. 19.4 And Jonathan spake good of David to Saul his Father and said unto him Let not the King sin against his Servant against David because he hath not sinned against thee A Servant admonisheth a Prince 2 Kings 5.13 A Subject so Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.27 A Friend to his Friend Prov. 27.6 Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend Yea a Stranger travelling by the way and seeing his Fellow-Traveller sin or sitting at the same Table it is a Call because he is then in his Company and there is the Sin committed For so Christ proveth the Samaritan was a Neighbour to the Iew when he lighted upon him Luke 10.29 So that the Duty though it universally obligeth yet it is not unpracticable there is something giveth us the Occasion 4 thly It is recommended When besides the Precept there is a Commendation it sheweth the Value of a Duty Now God not only commandeth but commendeth to us both the giving and taking a Reproof and that upon the highest and most pressing Motives 1. Let us see how the giving a Reproof is recommended to us as a Means to increase Knowledg Prov. 19.25 Reprove one that hath Vnderstanding and he will understand Knowledg that is profit in the Fear of the Lord. Yea as a Means to convey Life Prov. 6.23 And Reproofs of Instruction are the way of Life They are a means to reduce Men to God and eternal Happiness and it is called saving a Soul from Death Iam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the Truth and one convert him let him know that he that converteth a Sinner from the Error of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of Sins So Prov. 24.25 But to them that
Directions to attain Purification 173 Q QUalities good there may be such in unregenerate Men 322 Whence they proceed ibid. Amiable Qualities not to be rested in 325 Those to be reproved that are without amiable Qualities â—24 Questions about Salvation of greatest Importance 285 R RAptures whether now to be expected 625 Reap Every one shall reap the Fruit of their own Doings 1108 1113 Receiving Christ Objections against it answered 486 Recompences Future Recompences at the Resurrection 1212 Recreations and Sports how Sobriety is to be exercised about them 66 When we offend in Sports and Recreations 67 What time is to be spent in Recreations 68 Helps to Sobriety in Recreations 69 Redemption the Nature of it opened 163 Vid. Captives How we are redeemed from Iniquity 166 What of the Mystery of Redemption we should look into 924 How we should look into it 926 Why we should look into it ibid. Trial whether we are redeemed 169 Refuge Christ a Believer's City of Refuge 227 Flying for Refuge what it is 229 The Term from which we fly for Refuge 228 The Term to which we fly for Refuge 229 Who are to fly for Refuge to Christ 233 It is the Property of Believers to fly to Christ for Refuge 228 Rejoicing in Christ the Nature of it opened 481 The Reasons of it 479 The Effects of it 481 Rejoicing in God what it is 757 Carnal Rejoicing and spiritual Rejoicing â—ow distinguished ibid. Our rejoicing in God must be constant and perpetual 759 770 Outward Afflictions and the Sense of them and rejoicing in God consistent 759 764 Mourning for Sin and rejoicing in God not inconsistent 765 Reasons why we should rejoice in God always 762 767 The Necessity of rejoicing evermore 767 The Profit of it 768 Directions to perform this Duty 769 What God hath done to raise this Joy in us 762 All the Graces of a Christian have an Influence on this Rejoicing 763 All Duties and Ordinances influence this Rejoicing ibid. Religion That is the best Religion that doth best provide for the Peace and Rest of our Souls 946 The Christian Religion doth abundantly provide for these ibid. Remember Remembrance of Mercies habitual and actual 807 Directions to remember God's Mercies 808 Whether we are bound to recollect all the Mercies of God 807 Render What it is to render Praise to God 697 What it is to render according to God's Mercies 699 Renounce Not one Sin but all Sins must be renounced 28 Trial whether all Sin be renounced 30 Repentance what it is 281 677 785 936 The Kinds of Repentance 785 Repentance the way of our Recovery ibid. The Necessity of it in order to our Recovery to God 282 Arguments and Motives to quicken us to Repentance 681 786 God wills the Repentance of all Men 937 Repentance is God's End in continuing the World 936 What Incouragement from the Long-suffering of God to Repentance 938 Death of Christ an Argument to press Repentance 681 714 The great Design of the Gospel is to invite Men to Repentance 280 What the Gospel doth to promote Repentance 281 What the Scriptures offer to perswade us to Repentance 680 How to improve Scripture to Repentance 684 The Sutableness of Repentance to the Grace of the New Covenant 786 Directions for Repentance 283 786 Reproof What Reproof is 1204 Several Kinds of Reproof 1199 Who are to reprove 1202 Whether Inferiors should reprove Superiors ibid. Whom we are to reprove 1197 Whether we are to reprove an Infidel or one of a false Religion ibid. When we are to reprove or not to reprove 1204 How we are to reprove 1198 Reasons for Reproof 1199 1200 Not to reprove Sin a Sign of Hatred 1195 Resisting the Spirit How far the Spirit may be resisted 500 Respect of Persons what it is 1067 How God is no Respecter of Persons 1069 Restitution to be made if Wrongs be done 84 Revenge We are not to revenge Injuries done us 85 Arguments against it 1143 Whether it be lawful to pray for Revenge 1145 Reward We may look for the Reward 110 234 Riches are God's Blessings 986 Whether the bare having Riches be hurtful 368 The Vse of Riches 914 More required of rich Men than others 391 Not the Vse of Riches but the Abuse of them is condemned 986 The Danger of Riches 900 986 Vid. Temporal good things The Sins to which rich Men are exposed 371 375 Rich Men have need of much Grace 375 The Difficulty of rich Mens Salvation 368 386 Wherein the Difficulty of it lies 371 That this Difficulty is to be pressed and seriously thought of 391 Directions to them from the Difficulty of their Salvation 393 What it is to have a Will to be rich 908 The Danger of this 909 Arguments against the inordinate Desire of Riches 914 Directions against this inordinate Desire of Riches ibid. Trial of this immoderate Desire of Riches 918 Whether we may pray for and desire Riches 911 Trusting in Riches Vid. Trusting Right Whether we are always to demand our own Right 86 Vid. Due Property Righteousness or Iustice what it is 81 Vid. Justice Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Working Righteousness what it is 1071 Why this is required of us as the Principle of our Actions ibid. Righteousness of Faith what it is 928 956 What is the Hope built on this Righteousness of Faith 930 What is the Work of the Spirit in this Business ibid. S SAcraments relate to Christ's Death 1009 Preparation to the Sacrament necessary 621 What Thoughts are preparative to it ibid. Vid. Meditation Sacrifice What Sacrifices did import 830 Christ's Death had the true Notion and Virtue of a Sacrifice 829 The New Covenant is confirmed by virtue of this Sacrifice 830 Salvation what it is 17 That it is free to all that will accept of it 23 Who are they that contemn Salvation 20 That it is a difficult thing to be saved 397 Vid. Difficult In Christ there is not only Refuge but Salvation 231 What we should do to attain Salvation 21 Vid. Saviour Sanctification meritorious applicative and practical what 1090 How Christ sanctifies 1092 Who are the Sanctified 1089 Why the Relation of Children is reckoned only to the Sanctified 1090 Sanctification hath Influence on our Comfort and Peace 1072 Sanctifying God what it is 267 Satisfaction What Satisfaction a good Man hath 1114 Why he shall have it ibid. Satisfaction of Christ the Compleatness of it proved 1151 The Comfort of this to poor Sinners 1152 Saviour Christ is a Saviour 153 How many ways Christ is a Saviour 887 Why Christ is a Saviour both by Merit and by Power ibid. Christ's great End and Business is to be a Saviour 888 How we shall do to have Christ our Saviour 154 Directions to receive Christ as our Saviour 892 Motives to accept Christ as a Saviour 891 Thankfulness to Christ as a Saviour a Christian Duty 893 Scriptures proved to be the Word of God 721 Sensible Confirmations of the Divine Authority
the Devil Vid. Victory ibid. Works good the Requisites to them 184 The Kinds of them 181 Zeal for good Works Vid. Zeal World The whole World lies under Sin and Wrath 1125 What is meant by Christ taking away the Sin of the World 1124 Vid. Taking away Sin What there is in the World that is to be overcome 445 The Necessity of overcoming the World ibid. Faith overcomeâ— the World and how 456 Worldly Desires Arguments to moderate them 1099 Worldly Lusts. Vid. Lusts. Worldly Men are sorry when they cannot go to Heaven in their own way 365 Worldliness incident to great Persons ibid. Y YOung Man in the Gospel What was commendable in him The Question he puts 285 The Quality of his Person 286 The Manner how he puts it 289 Wherein he was defective ibid. Christ's Answer to the young Man opened 293 Why Christ refers him to the Commandments 303 Why the Commandments of the second Table are only mentioned 305 His Plea that he had kept all the Commandments how far true and how far false 315 What is meant by Christ's loving him 321 Why Christ tells him that he only lacked one thing 330 Young Men why they should apply themselves to Religion 287 313 Z WHAT it is to be zealous of good Works 184 Zeal in good Works a Note of God's People 185 Zeal in good Works the Fruit of Christ's Death 187 Motives to Zeal 188 A TABLE of Scriptures besides the Texts of the several Sermons explained in this Fourth Volume GEN. 2. 15. Pag. 1080  3. 4. 90   15. 789  9. 26 27. 835  10. 21. ib.  15. 2 3. 483  20. 16. 329 1197  22. 18. 475  33. 5. 833 Exodus 5. 2. 520  24. 4 to 11. 828  34. 6. 1019 Numbers 33. 4. 1121 2 Samuel 7. 3. 817  13. 22. 1195  16. 4. 905 2 Kings 3. 22. 661 Iob 10. 13. 1022  31. 24 25. 377 Psalms 4. 6 7. 1047  14. 1. 647  16. 8. 242  17. 14 15. 128  19. 7. 17  31. 20. 898  37. 28. 1095  40. 7 8. 156  45. 1. 606  49. 11. 378   13. 1112   14. 142  62. 9. 378  84. 11. 483 967  90. 11. 611  91. 9. 901  103. 5. 1003  111. 4 5. 1118  116. 11. 201  138. 2. 445  140. 3. 747  141. 5. 1197  145. 10. 869 Proverbs 8. 31. P. 156  11. 4. 218 383   31. 269  14. 13. 71 642  16. 7. 805  18. 10 11. 377  20. 9. 297   12. 662  25. 12. 1198  27. 5 6. 1196  31. 4 5. 73 Ecclesiast 2. 2. 71  3. 11. 614   21. 1169  12. 1. 870 Canticles 7. 8. 627  8. 14. 131 Isaiah 7. 14 15 16. 856  10. 6 7. 667  27. 5. 149   13. 891  41. 2. 488  43. 3 4. 178   25. 142  53. 3. 862   9. 1116  54. 11 12. 260  55. 5. 174   7. 28   8 9. 199 Ieremiah 2. 9 10 11 12. 798  34. 18. 825  50. 5. 94 Ezekiel 20. 37. 826  21. 21. 669  23. 19. 614 Daniel 6. 11. 182 Ionah 2. 8. 1159 Micah 7. 20. 1026 Habakkuk 3. 9. 201 Zephaniah 3. 10. 772 Zechariah 2. 5. 897 Malachi 1. 10. 1217 Matthew 5. 24. P. 85  6. 13. 416 1184  7. 14. 397  10. 41 42. 258  11. 5. 215 397   11. 11   12. 188   17. 233   28 29. 224  12. 31. 1141  16. 23. 157   24. 386  20. 23. 1137  24. 30 31. 139  25. 31. 141  26. 41. 708  28. 10. 1088 Luke 2. 52. 349  8. 15. 1229  12. 50. 156  13. 7. 70 1005  14. 20. 67  16. 8. 606 639   23 24. 1114  21. 28. 134  22. 15. 156   24. 395 Iohn 1. 17. 11  4. 34. 156  5. 17. 666  10. 16. 885  13. 27. 157  14. 6. 968  16. 8 9 10 11. 543  19. 36. 1117 Acts 3. 19. 134  4. 32. 84 333  5. 32. 930  6. 10. 500  7. 51. â—0  10. 10. 625  13. 46. 7  16. 20. 281  17. 30.31 P. 174 452  18. 10. 886  19. 33. comp with 1 Tim. 1.19.654  24. 22. 1031   23 24. 1032  26. 9. 735 Romans 1. 18. 31  2. 22. 96  5. 6. 31  6. 19. 189   20. 8  7. 9. 17  8. 2. ib.   3. 308   16. 1135   23. 134  9. 16. com with 1 Cor. 9.24 1069   30 31 32. 943  10. 14 15. 444  11. 36. 637  14. 22. 954 1 Corinth 1. 30. 968  2. 6. 632   9. 659  5. 8. 761  7. 14. 835  10. 24. 87  11. 10. 78   14 16. 77  13. 3. 343  15. 24. 144 2 Corinth 12. 7. P. 708 Galatians 3. 19. 309   22. 308  5. 2 3. 310  6. 1. 1198 Ephesians 2. 2 3. 342   4. 7  3. 10. 921   17. 1122   18. 923  4. 27. 709  6. 12. 406 Philippians 2. 10 11. 142  4. 6 7. 778 Colossians 1. 24. 353  2. 9. 1151  3. 11. 23 1 Thessal 1. 3. 105 1105 1 Timothy 1. 13. 83   15. 208  2. 2. 80  4. 4 5 6. 74 742  6. 11. 89   17. 288   19. 1025 2 Timothy 1. 7. 1105   10. 198  2. 16 17. 672  4. 2. 1199 Titus 2. 12. 1228  3. 4. 326 Hebrews 1. 3. 413  2. 14 15 537 1186  2. 18. P. 709  5. 9. 1185  6. 19. 110  10. 25. 954   2â— 648 1089  11. 7. 929  12. 11. 236   16. 18   24. 1146  13. 20. 830 1152 Iames 2. 23. 226  4. 6. 531 1 Peter 1. 2. 1233   9. 1164   12. 614 657  2. 10. 174  3. 6. comp with Gen. 18.17 328   15. 955   19. 100   21. 22 2 Peter 1. 5 6. 63  2. 4. 547  3. 10 11 12 89 144 1 Iohn 2. 16. 44 406  3. 20 21 22. 1073  5. 14. 820 Iude  6. 709   20 21. 1106 Revelat. 1. 10. 625  2. 17. 215  6. 2. 543  22. 20. 131 ERRATA in the First Part. PAge 3. line 16. read no more Grace P. 17. l. ult r. Heat increaseth with Light P. 21. l. 37. f. sure r. soar P. 22. l. 29. r. we must hearken P. 25.
anon with joy receiveth it Yet hath he not Root in himself but dureth for a while for when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended 4. It is so far required that your Punishment is more grievous Potentes potenter cruciabuntur Great Men shall be mightily destroyed Rich Men and of great Power and Abilities have the hotter Hell Greater Mercies the greater Sin and the greater shall be the Judgment 5. Righteousness doth consist in a Proportion And it holdeth good both for our Duty and God's Judgment for our Duty that we should be fruitful according to our Means Opportunities and Helps and for God's Judgment for it is said God will lay Iudgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet Isa. 28.17 observes an exact Proportion Precise Justice shall be to the Wicked The only Exception is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lenity of the Gospel 1. That a Man who hath been unfruitful heretofore do change his course and for the future live unto God For the Gospel admitteth of Repentance and grants a Pardon to the Negligent or Unfaithful if they will be Faithful afterward and break off their Sins by after Righteousness Diligence and Fidelity The Gospel looketh forward to the time to come Rom. 6.6 That henceforth we should not serve Sin 1 Pet. 4.2 3. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God For the time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles when we walked in Lasciviousness Lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries It respecteth not what penitent Believers have been before their Conversion and turning to God Many have been long serving their base Lusts and vile Affections eminent in Wickedness but they should double their Diligence for the future We should be the more diligent and serious to restore to the Lord his Honour 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all He saith there he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one born out of due time ver 8. and that he persecuted the Church of God ver 9. 2. Where a Man is faithful for the main though he be culpably defective in not making such exact Returns according to his Receipts yet he is not rejected for the Gospel pardoneth manifold Failings and Escapes Psal. 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared But the negligent Christian that is right for the Main meeteth with many Troubles in this Life and in the Life to come loseth some degrees of Glory 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully God rewardeth in proportion to the several degrees of our Charity and Fidelity 3. Ability is considered and that is a return of much when we do our best Look as there may be a Summer's Day in Winter and a Winter's Day in Summer for the proportion so much may be little and little much according to the Estate or Ability of the Giver Luke 21.4 All these have of their Abundance cast in unto the Offerings of God but she of her Penury hath cast in all the Living that she had Though she had scarce enough for her self yet out of that little she had been liberal Some do twice as much good with a little as others with a great deal for Love will not be backward Mark there Christ sits by the Treasury to observe what Returns several Persons made he approveth the two Mites of the Widow before the larger Offerings of the rich Pharisees So the Apostle saith of the poor Saints of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.2 Their deep Poverty abounded to the Riches of their Liberality because in the depth of their Poverty they expressed a great Bounty to others though they gave less than the Church of Corinth 4. Opportunity in doing good is considered Where Opportunity is wanting God taketh notice of Affection God considereth what is in our Hearts 1 Kings 8.18 VVhereas it was in thy Heart to build an House unto my Name thou didst well that it was in thine Heart He approved David's Purpose though Opportunity served not as yet So the Apostle excuses the Defect of the Philippians by lack of Opportunity Phil. 4.10 Ye were also careful but ye lacked Opportunity The want of Opportunity not through our Default doth justify for a time the forbearance of positive Duties But then we must take heed 1. That it be not want of good Will but of Opportunity 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing Mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath and not according to what he hath not If he doth according to his Ability that which he is not able to do shall not be expected of him 2. That we do not lose the Opportunity by giving way to every Discouragement 1 Cor. 16.9 A great Door and effectual is opened to me and there are many Adversaries The Apostle would stay at Ephesus for there was great hope of doing much good by propagating the Gospel in those Parts though there were many which did oppose the Truth 5. Whether we do much or little for the Quantity God chiefly looketh to the Affection Affectus pretium rebus imponit Affection gives a Price to things without this pompous Services are rejected 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing If it be not out of Love to God's Glory and aiming at others Good it is not Fruit abounding to our account On the other side Whosoever shall give to Drink to one of these little Ones a Cup of cold Water in the Name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his Reward Mat. 10.42 God doth respect the Heart of the Giver Many poor Christians have a large Heart but can do little God loveth not copiosum sed hilarem Datorem not a large but a chearful Giver where Ability and Opportunity will afford it A liberal and open Heart will not be defective in Quantity they think nothing too much for God but all seemeth too little 1 Chron. 22.14 Now behold in my Trouble or in my Poverty have I prepared for the House of the Lord an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and a thousand thousand Talents of Silver and of Brass and Iron without weight 6. In imploying our Gifts our Faithfulness is measured and judged by our Endeavour not by the Success Isa. 49.4 I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought and in vain yet surely my Iudgment is with the Lord and my Work is with my God Though there be little Fruit and Effect in Men yet it is not the less regarded and rewarded by God We read of a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 and of a Crown
of fruitfulness Rev. 2.10 Be thou Faithful to the Death and I will give â—hee a Crown of Life 1 Thess. 2.19 What is our Hope or Ioy or Crown of Rejoicing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Vse 1. Let this asswage the Envy and Trouble of the meanest If thy Gifts be mean thy Account will be so much the easier Alas it is no easy thing to stand in the Judgment How much have others to account for 2. To perswade those who have received greater Gifts than others to do so much the more good with them That which God will accept from others he will not accept from you You will be deeper in the state of Condemnation if your Fruit be not proportionable The Rich in this World must be rich in good Works 1 Tim. 6.18 That they do good that they be rich in good VVorks ready to distribute willing to communicate Those that have more Helps than ordinary should have the more Grace He fenced it and gathered out the Stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine c. and looked that it should bring forth Grapes Isa. 5.2 Heb. 6.7 8. The Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth sorth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned So for them that have more Grace Others have common Mercies but you have the great and special Mercies and should not you abound in Love and Holiness You are made partakers of a Divine Nature and therefore you should be somewhat more than ordinary Men. You have the Spirit and will you not walk in the Spirit and mortify the Flesh by it Surely God expecteth more from you for he hath given you more and will do more for you As there is a great difference between Heaven and Hell so should there be between your Lives and theirs that shall perish for ever A SERMON UPON DEUT. XXXII 51 Because ye trespassed against me among the Children of Israel at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel I Shall give you some Strictures or short Notes on this Scripture The Words contain a Reason why Moses and Aaron were shut out of Canaan Because of their Sin at Meribah-Kadesh or the Waters of Strife Their Sin is doubly expressed here 1. Ye trespassed against me 2. Ye sanctified me not The one Expression seemeth to imply a Sin of Commission Ye trespassed against me that is disobeyed God The other a Sin of Omission Ye sanctified me not in the Eyes of the Children of Israel Or rather the one is a more general Expression it was a Trespass The other more particular shewing what sort of Trespass it was Not sanctifying God For the first This Sin is called Numb 27.14 A Rebellion against the Commandment of the Lord. In the Text a Trespass or a Transgression For the second More particularly Not sanctifying God is a Transgression with a Scandal annexed to it To sanctify God is to carry our selves to him as to a God of such Glory and Power to fear him above all and to love him and trust him above all In short to do that which God commandeth depending upon his Word and Promise by which we ascribe to him the Glory of his Truth Goodness and Power as counting him worthy to be feared and trusted whatever Temptations we have to the contrary Thus Isa. 8.13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread 1 Pet. 3.15 Sanctify the Lord God in your Hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you with meekness and fear There was a Scandal annexed for it is said in the Text Among the Children of Israel and in the midst of the Children of Israel And elsewhere in the Eyes of the Children of Israel They publickly dishonoured God before all the People Moses used like words of Unbelief when the People lusted for Flesh at Taberah as now he did at Meribah when they murmured for want of Water Numb 11.21 22. And Moses said The People among whom I am are six hundred thousand Footmen and thou hast said I will give them Flesh that they may eat a whole Month. Shall the Flocks and the Herds be slain for them to suffice them Or shall all the Fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lord's Hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my Word shall come to pass to thee or not Unbelief will be always urging Difficulties against God's Promises But there was no threatning then that Unbelief was only professed in Secret only before the Lord but this was before all Israel And both Moses and Aaron are charged with this Sin and being both Partners in the Transgression they are both concerned in the Chastisement both are shut out of Canaan and died the one at Mount Hor the other at Mount Nebo Doct. That the Sins even of God's Children may cost them dear here in this World I. I shall reflect on the Instance in the Text. II. Give you general Reasons I. To give you some Reflections on the Instance in the Text. The History of it you have Numb 20. The People when the Water failed gather together against Moses and Aaron to chide ver 3. that is to resist or speak with bitter and reproachful words They menaced and therefore Moses and Aaron withdrew for fear of them and because of their Outrages and fell upon their Faces praying in the Door of the Sanctuary ver 6. and it is said the Glory of the Lord appeared to them that is in the Cloud as a sign that he heard their Prayer and would save them And the Lord biddeth Moses ver 8. to take his Rod and he and Aaron to speak to the Rock to give out Water enough for all Israel for them and their Beasts And this speaking to the Rock was to be done in the sight and hearing of all the People Upon this Moses and Aaron gather all the Congregation together before the Rock ver 10 11. and then he said Hear now ye Rebels must we fetch Water for you out of this Rock And he lift up his Hand and with his Rod smote the Rock twice and Water came out abundantly and the Congregation drank and their Beasts also This is the account of the History The Question now is Wherein was Moses his Sin in all this Some think in that Moses smote the Rock and spake to the People It is not said that he spake to the Rock as he is commanded by God he should only have spoken to the Rock not have smitten it But when God biddeth him take his Rod
who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother And wherefore slew he him because his own Works were evil and his Brother 's righteous Now the Nature of Christ is quite contrary It is the Devil's Work to do all the Hurt that he can to the Bodies and Souls of Men and it is Christ's Work to do good and only good Acts 10.38 God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed with the Devil for God was with him Christ did nothing by way of Malice and Revenge he used not the Power that he had to make Men blind or lame or to kill any no not his worst Enemies when he could easily do it and justly might have done it No he went up and down giving Sight to the Blind Limbs to the Lame Health to the Sick Life to the Dead He rebuked his Disciples when they tempted him to destroy some for their Contempt by calling for Fire from Heaven telling them they knew not what manner of Spirit they were of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy Mens Lives but to save them Luke 9.55 56. It was unlike his Spirit and Design All his Miracles were Acts of Relief and Favour not pompous not destructive bating only two the blasting the unfruitful Fig-tree which was an Emblematical Warning to the Jews and suffering the Devil to enter into the Herd of Swine which was a necessary Demonstration of the Devil's Malice and destructive Cruelty who if he could not afflict and destroy Men would enter into the Herd of Swine that the poor Creatures might perish in the Sea Thus there was a perfect Contrariety of Nature between Christ and Satan 2. An Enmity proper to his Office and Design For he came to destroy the Works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 And was set up to dissolve that Sin and Misery which he had brought upon the World The Devil sought the Misery and Destruction of Mankind but Christ sought our Salvation Satan is the great Destroyer of the Creation and Christ is the Repairer of it Now Salvation and Destruction are diametrically opposite so are the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdom of Satan the Function and Office of Christ as a Saviour and the Purpose and Design of the Devil as Abaddon the Destroyer And therefore Christ proveth that he had not the least Confederacy with Satan for then his Kingdom would be divided against it self and how could it stand Mat. 12.25 26. It was impossible the Saviour could befriend the Destroyer or the Destroyer the Saviour no their Ends and Designs are perfectly opposite Now as there is such an Enmity between Christ and Satan so there is between the rest of the Confederates on either side 1. An Enmity or Contrariety of Nature The Seed of the Serpent inherits his venemous Qualities For as these are an Estate opposite to God so they are to the People of God and seek their Destruction by all cruel and bloody Means All People of a false Religion whether Infidels Idolaters or Hereticks are of bloody and desperate Principles their Minds being efferated by their false Religion and the Influence of their great Guide and Leader who is the Devil Iude 11. They have gone in the way of Cain Let me instance in Antichrist and his Abettors and Adherents who is the Devil 's eldest Son Witness their bloody Practices that have been acted on the Stage of Christendom for so many Years What a deal of Blood hath been sucked by these Leaches in England in Queen Mary's Days in Germany France and the Netherlands Witness of late their horrible Slaughters in Ireland Piedmont and the Hellish Powder-Plot the Deliverance from which we commemorate this Day this was a Flash of their Malice by which they would have blown up the whole State at once On the other side Christ conveyeth his holy meek and Lamb-like Nature to his sincere Worshippers and Followers There is indeed a Contrariety of Nature to the Carnal so as they do not run with them into the same excess of Riot so as their righteous Souls are vexed with the impure Conversation of the Wicked so as they are grieved to see People go by Droves to Hell and list themselves in the Devil's Service But there is no destructive Enmity If they hate the Wicked it is with an Hatred opposite to the Love of Complacency but not with an Hatred opposite to the Love of Good-will There is an Enmity to Satan and his Works yet a Pity to the Persons inveigled and deceived by him The Wicked hate that holy Disposition which is in the Hearts of God's People and therefore malign and persecute them But on the other side there is a Contrariety of Disposition Prov. 29.27 An unjust Man is an Abomination to the Iust and he that is upright in the Way is Abomination to the VVicked There is Odium Offensionis but not Inimicitiae an Hatred of Offence but not of Enmity They bear with them with Patience pursue their Recovery strive to rescue poor Captives out of the Snares of the Devil but aim not at their Destruction 2 Tim. 2.25 26. In Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth and that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his VVill. 2. There is an Enmity of Design As Christ actually imployeth any as Souldiers to fight under his Banner so they participate of the Enmity of his Design and Office Every private Christian is one of Christ's Souldiers for we give up our Faculties and Powers as Weapons Rom. 6.13 Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments or Weapons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Righteousness unto God And the Graces of the Spirit are called Armour of Light Rom. 13.12 Let us cast off the Works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light And we are bidden to put on the whole Armour of God because we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this VVorld against spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6.11 12. The Ministers and those in a publick Station are Leaders under Christ the General and are by Office and Imployment engaged in this Warfare against the Kingdom of the Devil And therefore the Apostle biddeth Timothy to endure Hardness as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 And the Apostle says 2 Cor. 10.4 The VVeapons of our VVarfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of Strong-holds They must set themselves against the Devil and his Kingdom 2 dly The Enmity being such between the Seeds Christ sets upon his business to destroy Satan's Power and Works 1. His Power Satan hath a twofold Power over fallen Man Legal and Usurped 1. The Legal Power
is that which the Apostle calleth the Power of Death and the Terrors which follow upon it Heb. 2.14 15. That through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to Bondage The Devil hath no Power as a Judg to condemn Sinners He is not Dominus Mortis the Lord of Death but Minister Mortis the Minister of Death For being condemned of God the poor Sinner is put into his Hand that he may either terrify or stupify him and so more and more involve him in the Curse of God's broken Law and also he may hasten his Death and everlasting Destruction 2. Satan hath a Tyrannical Usurped Power So the Devils are called Rulers of the Darkness of this VVorld Ephes. 6.12 the blind idolatrous superstitious World And Satan is called the Prince of this VVorld John 14.30 And the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 God made him an Executioner but we make him a Prince a Ruler and a God Now Christ as a Priest disannulleth his legal Power by his Death and the Merit of his Sacrifice And Christ as the true King and Head both of Men and Angels pulls down Satan as an Usurper delivers the poor captive Souls out of his Power And as a Prophet he discovereth his Cheats and Delusions 2. His Works There is a twofold Work of Satan the Work of the Devil without us or the Work of the Devil within us 1. The Work of the Devil without us is a false Religion or those Idolatries and Superstitions by which Satan's Reign and Empire is upheld in the World This is destroyed by the Doctrine of the Gospel accompanied with the all-powerful Spirit of God And therefore when the Gospel was first preach'd by Christ's Messengers the Devil fell from that great and unlimited Power which he had before in the World Luke 10.18 I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven 'T is an Allusion to his first Fall as Lightning flasheth and vanisheth and never recollecteth it self again So Iohn 12.31 Now shall the Prince of this VVorld be cast out When Christ did first set upon the Redemption of Mankind the Apostles went abroad to beat the Devil and hunt him out of his Territories and they did it with great Effect Therefore this is made one Argument by which the Spirit doth convince us of the Truth of the Gospel John 16.11 He shall convince the VVorld of Iudgment because the Prince of this VVorld is judged The silencing of his Oracles the suppressing of his Superstitions the destroying of the Kingdom of Wickedness and Darkness was an apparent Evidence of the Truth of the Gospel The old Religion by which the Devil's Kingdom was supported every-where went to wrack no more the same Temples the same Rites the same Gods all was made to stoop and bow before God as worshipped in Christ. 2. There is the Work of the Devil within us This concerneth the recovering particular Persons out of the Snare of the Devil who were taken captive by him at his Will and Pleasure Here we must distinguish between the Purchase and Application The Purchase was made when Christ died Col. 2.15 Having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a Shew of them openly triumphing over them in it that is on his Cross. Christ's Death was Satan's Overthrow then was the deadly Blow given to his Power and Kingdom This was the Price given for our Ransom and the great means of disannulling all that Power Satan had before The Application is begun in our Conversion for then we are said to be turned from Satan unto God Acts 26.18 To open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Then we are rescued out of the Devil's Clutches and adopted into God's Family that being made Children we may have a Child's Portion III. That in this Conflict his Heel was wounded bitten or bruised by the Serpent 1. Certain it is that Christ was bruised in the Enterprize Which sheweth how much we should value our Salvation since it costs so dear as the precious Blood of the Son of God incarnate 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold c. but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot He thought not his whole Humiliation from first to last too much for the overthrowing of the Devil's Kingdom nor any Price too dear to redeem poor captive Souls 2. But how was he bruised by the Serpent Certainly on the one hand Christ's Sufferings were the Effects of Man's Sin and God's Hatred against Sin and his governing Justice for it is said Isa. 53.10 It pleased the Father to bruise him Unless it had pleased the Lord to bruise him Satan could never have bruised him On the other side they were also the Effects of the Malice and Rage of the Devil and his Instruments who was now with the Sword's-point and closing Stroke with Christ and doing the worst he could against him In his whole Life he indured many outward Troubles from Satan's Instruments for all his Life long he was a Man of Sorrows wounded and bruised by Satan and his Instruments Iohn 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth because there is no Truth in him But the closing Stroke was at last then did the Serpent most eminently bruise his Heel When Iudas contrived the Plot it is said the Devil entred into him Luke 22.3 Then entred Satan into Judas Iscariot being one of the Twelve When the High Priest's Servants come to take him he telleth them Luke 22.53 This is your Hour and the Power of Darkness The Power of Darkness at length did prevail so far as to cause his shameful Death This was their Day 3. It was only his Heel that was bruised It could go no further for tho his bodily Life was taken away yet his Head and Mediatory Power was not touched Acts 2.36 This same Iesus whom ye have crucified God hath made both Lord and Christ. Again his bodily Life was taken away but for a while God would not leave his Soul in the Grave Psal. 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see Corruption The Counsel and Purpose of God concerning Man's Redemption had then been wholly frustrated For if Christ be not risen your Faith is vain ye are yet in your Sins 1 Cor. 15.17 Once more tho Christ was bruised yet he was not conquered When the Jews and Roman Souldiers were spoiling him and parting his Garments then was he spoiling Principalities and Powers And when Satan and his Instruments were triumphing over the Son of God then was he triumphing over all the Devils in Hell for by Death he