Barn and God feedeth them The Raven is a Bird of Providence Psal. 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his Food and to the young Ravens which cry The Raven assoon as it is hatched it is left to Prayer for the Crying of the Ravens is their Prayer Now ask the Beasts if there be not a Providence Job 12.7 But ask now the Beasts and they will teach thee and the Fowls of the Air and they shall tell thee These Creatures have no ordinary Means they neither sow nor reap nor gather into Barns the Lilies spin not and yet God feedeth and clotheth them And shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little Faith Mat. 6.30 3. Consider the fruitlesness of our Care unless God add a Blessing Ver. 27. Which of you by taking thought can add one Cubit to his Stature A Man never gets any thing of God by not trusting him He that will not take God's Word must look elsewhere The way to obtain earthly things is to be less careful and distracted about them 4. Consider it is for them to distrust who know no Providence or no particular Providence Ver. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek Distrust and carking becometh none but those that will not grant a Providence Shall our Profession be Christian and our Practice Heathen 5. Set your Minds on a higher Interest Ver. 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you You then promote both Cares at once Christianity is a compendious way the Body followeth the State of the Soul Man was made to contemplate and enjoy better things and when he doth so these things shall be given in over and above SERMON IX TITUS II. 12 Righteously c. I Now come to the second Branch wherein the Duty of Man is express'd and that is Iustice or Righteousness which implies the Duties of our Publick Capacity and Relation to others Tho the Discourse be moral yet it may conduce to spiritual Ends. Therefore let us see what may be spoken concerning Justice and Righteousness Justice is a Grace by which we are enclined to perform our Duty to our Neighbour There are many Distinctions usual in this Matter which I shall omit and only deliver you the Nature of this Grace in some general Rules and then shew you how much it concerns us to look after this Grace to be just and righteous in the Course of our Conversation First To give you the Nature of this Grace in some general Rules and they are such as these To give every Man his own to do Injury to no Man to make Restitution to bear the Injuries of others with Patience in many cases not to demand our own extreme Right to do as we would be done unto Publick Good to be preferred before Private and that according to our power we must be useful to others 1 st To give every Man his own This is laid down Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour This Due ariseth either by virtue of the Law of God or by virtue of a Bargain and Contract or by virtue of a voluntary Promise 1. There is a Due that ariseth by virtue of the Law of God such things cannot be dispensed with therefore the Obligation cannot be made void as for instance A Child is to honour his Parents by the Law of God and a Father cannot discharge his Child from Obedience as we may remit a Duty or thing that is due by Bargain and Contract because we have greater power over ... There is a Due to every one as Reverence to Parents Obedience and Tribute to Magistrates double Honour to Ministers and the Guides of the Church It 〈◊〉 Injustice to deny Parents a Respect it is Theft and Robbery to defraud Magistraâ—es of their Tribute or Ministers of their Maintenance it is not a Gift but a Deâ—◠〈◊〉 â—he Scripture saith they are worthy of double Honour 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elaâ—â—â—â—hat rule well be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Wâ—rd and Doctrine And it is not in a begging way as a Contribution but as an honorary Stipend Things that are due by natural Duty cannot be dispensed with as things due by Bargain and Contract because the Obligation cannot be made void 2. There is a Due that ariseth by way of Bargain and Contract Rom. 13.8 Owe no Man any thing but to love one another If Mony be borrowed but not restored it is Theft and Injustice If you bargain with another the full Bargain is due to him 1 Thess. 4.6 Let no Man go beyond or defraud his Brother in any Matter because that the Lord is the Avenger of all such as we also have forewarned you and testified He is to enjoy his full Bargain The Apostle saw a need of enforcing this Doctrine in the Church to prevent the Iniquity of Traffick The Seller is not to work upon the Simplicity of the Buyer nor the Buyer upon the Necessity of the Seller but all things must be done equally else God will be offended But chiefly is this Iniquity committed and that it is in an high degree when the Reward you are to give is not bought with Money but earned with Labour Defrauding the Hireling and Servants of their Wages is a very crying Sin the greatest height of Iniquity it cries in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts Iames 5.4 Behold the Hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the Cries of them which have reaped are entred into the Ears of the Lord of Sabaoth God is their Patron This is a grievous Sin because it is their Life and their Support and Solace Deut. 24.14 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired Servant that is poor and needy whether he be of thy Brethren or of the Strangers that are in thy Land within thy Gates At his Day thou shalt give him his Hire neither shall the Sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his Heart upon it lest he cry against thee unto the Lord and it be Sin unto thee It is often spoken of in Scripture There is a greater and more pressing Inconvenience to defraud the Labourer than to defraud others 3. Again there 's a Due ariseth by voluntary Promise We make our selves Debtors and it is part of Justice to make good our Promise though it be to our own hurt and loss Psal. 15.4 He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not All Promises must be kept but those that are evil and those are void in making Why because they are Bonds of Iniquity so they must be broken and not kept and again because they are contrary to the former Promise we have made to God to obey his Laws it is evil to make a sinful Promise and it is a
Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof This is the greatest Ungodliness that can be they will not own his Authority in their Hearts nor suffer him to have any Dominion in their Conscience nor own him without in their Actions before Men. The Heart is his Chair of State and Chamber of Presence but Hypocrites and wicked Men rob God of his Dominion over the Conscience therefore Hypocrisy is practical Blasphemy Rev. 2.9 I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Iews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Men pretend to obey God yet blaspheme him in their Heart and refuse the Power of that to which they pretend And the Life must be conformed to God's Laws God will be honoured in our Conversation as well as have his Throne set up in the Conscience his Laws must be visibly obeyed in the Sight of Men. It is the Glory of a Commander to be obeyed Matth. 8.9 I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say to one Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to my Servant Do this and he doth it So God will have all the World know that he hath his Servants at a beck If he bids them deny and abstain the Flesh O they durst not meddle with it or if he bids them practise Holiness they must do it his Honour is much promoted by your Lives God will have all the World see that he hath called you to his Foot and that he hath an absolute Authority and Power over the Sons of Men they are a People formed for his Praise he looks for Glory in this kind Fourthly God will be honoured as the last and utmost End and so in all Acts natural moral and spiritual If we do not aim at God's Glory we are guilty of Ungodliness This is the proper Work of Godliness to refer all we do to the Glory of God and this is the Distinction between Godliness and Holiness Holiness minds the Law of God and implies only a Conformity to the Law Godliness minds the Glory of God and is the Aim of the Soul to exalt God 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought we to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness You see Godliness is distinguished from Holiness Godliness refers all we do to God's Glory But more particularly 1. In natural Acts we must have a supernatural Aim 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God If we are to take a Meal to sustain the Body and refresh Nature it is that we may be more serviceable to God And he that eats and drinks to himself to his own Pleasure to satisfy his own Appetite and hath no Respect to God he doth but offer a Meat-Offering and a Drink-Offering to an Idol And he that traffiques for himself meerly to get Wealth and doth not aim at Usefulness and Serviceableness to God he is a Priest consecrated to Mammon his eating is Idolatry Phil. 3.19 VVhose God is his Belly and his trading is Idolatry Matth. 6.24 Ye cannot serve God and Mammon 2. In your moral Actions Ephes. 6. where all moral Duties are reciprocally set down as Duties of Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants Parents and Children the Apostle presseth them to do all as in and to the Lord not merely that they may live together in Contentment and Peace but they must walk in their Relations so as God may have Honour A Christian by an excellent Art turns his second table-Table-Duties into first Table-Duties and makes his civil Commerce a kind of Religious Worship 3. So in all spiritual Acts The whole Ordination of the spiritual Life must be to God I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Gal. 2.19 All the Motions and Tendencies of the Soul are to advance God and glorify God In the very spiritual internal Actions and Reachings forth of the Soul after God why do I desire to have Grace and Pardon That God may be glorified that must be the last End Our Desires can never be regular in asking Grace till they suit with God's End in giving Grace Now what are God's Ends in giving Grace Eph. 1.6 To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved All that God aims at is to make Grace glorious and that Grace may carry away all the Praise So in your Desires of Pardon Heaven and Salvation you are to desire them that God may be glorified in your Salvation and in the Pardon of your Sins So in our external Actions Prayer Worship Preaching whatever we do In sacred things it is dangerous to look asquint and to serve our selves our own Lusts our Covetousness or Pride upon the Worship of God this is to put Dung in God's own Cup. It were a mighty Affront to a King to fill his Cup full of Excrements Nothing alienates the Heart from God so much as Self-respect God hath given us many things but he hath reserved the Glory of all to himself as Pharaoh said to Ioseph Gen. 41.40 Thou shalt be over my House and according unto thy VVord shall all my People be ruled only in the Throne will I be greater than thou This is the first Branch of Ungodliness the Negative Part when we deny God his due Honour II. For the Positive Part. Positive Ungodliness is more gross when we put an actual Contempt and Scorn upon God We are guilty of this when we slight his Providence and disobey his Laws 1 st When we slight his Providence Heb. 12.5 My Son despise not thou the Chastening of the Lord. Men harden themselves against Corrections and count light of them Men cannot indure to have their Anger despised When the three Children despised Nebuchadnezzar's Threatnings it is said Dan. 3.19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of Fury and the Form of his Visage was changed against Shadrach Meshech and Abednego therefore he spake and commanded that they should heat the Furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat It is a mighty Affront to God and a Contempt of him when we provoke him while we are under his afflicting Hand if in Despite of God we break out into Sin when he hedgeth up our way with Thorns 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his Distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz 2 dly When we are disobedient to his Laws Open Irreligion is a Despite to God when we cast off his Yoke This is Ungodliness in the Height when God is not only neglected but rejected Ier. 2.31 VVe are Lords we will come no more unto thee We would be absolute Masters of our own Wills This was the first Bait Gen 3.5 Ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. This endeth in open Prophaneness which groweth upon Men by Degrees as Lactantius said of Lucian Nec
in Prayer or in any holy Exercise is to be frequent Rest breeds many Distempers which are prevented by Exercise The Right Arm is bigger and stronger than the Left and fuller of Spirits Why because it is most agitated and in exercise so the oftner you are with God the more full of Life Strength and spiritual Enlargement The Field of the Sluggard is overgrown with Thistles You grow barren raw sapless and lose the choiceness of your Spirits and the savouriness of your Thoughts when you are seldom with God The soul runs out of repair when you pray but now and then And therefore a Christian indeed cannot be long out of God's Company there is a strong bent in his Heart towards God Can a Man love God and be a stranger to him is it possible Briefly there are so many Necessities so many frequent Impulses and Excitations of Grace that it cannot be imaginable that a Man be a Christian and neglect Worship Certainly if we did not want a Heart we could never want an Occasion to come to God either for our selves Children Friends or Relations God hath left the more Wants upon the Creature that he may the oftner hear from him The Throne of Grace was erected for a time of need Heb. 4.16 Many Needs are left upon us that we may have continual recourse to God many Doubts to be resolved many Graces to be strengthened many Corruptions to be mortified A Christian in good earnest will be sensible of these things It is true it is not expresly set down in Scripture how often we should pray meditate read or perform other Duties In these Days of the Gospel God trusts Love which is a Grace that is wont to keep the Heart open and free We are left to our liberty more than those under the Law not that we may come short of them but that we may do more However there is no gap opened to Looseness because the Terms wherein Duty is enjoined are very large and comprehensive 1 Thess. 5.17 Pray without ceasing Ephes. 6.18 Praying always that is upon all occasions And we have high Patterns we are referred to the Angels that are never weary David had his seven times a day Psal. 119.164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous Iudgments And Daniel thrice chap. 6.10 He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Certainly it must be done every day for Christ saith Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our daily Bread Every day we stand in need of the Blessings of Providence and it must be sought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day Every day we live as it were a new Life it is but the lesser Circle of Time and it should not pass without some Worship From the Morning and Evening-Sacrifice we may plead for Morning and Evening-Prayer Numb 28.4 The one Lamb shalt thou offer in the Morning and the other Lamb shalt thou offer at Even This is expounded Psal. 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my Hands as the Evening-Sacrifice there is the Exposition of the Sacrifice Certainly there is a standing occasion who dares venture on the Temptations of the Day without Prayer or the dangers of the Night In the Morning we are to beg Direction in the Evening Protection Can God's Children go to Bed without leaving their Hearts with him over Night or awake without God in the Morning It is an ill sign when Men wrangle and dispute away Duties rather than practise them Secondly There is Godliness in Conversation In all you do Godliness must bear sway Even in the Actions of the Civil Life they must be done from God to God and for God with a sense of his Eye a dependance upon his Strength and an aim at his Glory All such Actions as proceed from Self-love and tend only to Self-welfare they cannot be godly for Godliness comes from God and brings to God it hath another Alpha and Omega than Nature hath 1. In the course of our Conversation there must be a sense of God's Eye The World is a great Stage Men are the Actors God and Angels are the Spectators and Lookers on therefore all must be done in God's presence All Actions and Duties which lie between Man and Man must be done in and to the Lord You must love your Neighbour for God's sake The swaying reason of all your Actions must be the Love and Fear of God by this means you make your Commerce to be a kind of Worship and turn Duties of the second Table into Duties of the first Table Ephes. 5.19 Submitting your selves one to another in the fear of God Remember he seeth thee it is done to him Submission is the usual effect of fear of Man When Men have power they cast off the Yoke This is the fairest Bond and Tie So to Servants Ephes. 6.5 Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the Flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of Heart as to Christ. What would you do to God and Christ if they were present Use your self thus often to think of God for this is to walk with God to keep always in his Eye and Presence 2. Dependance upon his Strength It is notable when the Apostle had laid down reciprocal Duties of Relations between Children and Parents Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants he concludes all Ephes. 6.10 Finally Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might It is an Error to think that the Supplies of Grace are only necessary for Duties of Worship they are necessary also for Duties of your Civil Relation We are like a Glass without a bottom when it comes to stand of it self it is broken in pieces so we shall surely miscarry and walk unworthy of our Relation if God do not help us but we be left to our selves It is a good part of Godliness to look to God and wait upon him all the day for Counsel and Strength You give him the Honour of a God when you acknowledg him in all your Ways Prov. 3.6 In all thy Ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy Paths By a constant dependance you acknowledg him most and this preserves a constant Intercourse between us and God when we lift up the Heart that we may receive Grace and Strength to walk in all our Relations to his Glory 3. An Aim at God's Glory that must be the supream End of all our Actions be they of never so small a consequence 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Whatever we do Eating Drinking Trading all must be done that God may be honoured by our selves and others This is to make every Meal an Act of Worship your Trading a solemn Praise It is God's design that all our Life-time we may do him Service this must be
are not given to all in the same Measure For in the Text there is intimated a Difference in the Distribution some have much others have little This is a thing often inculcated in Scripture as worthy to be taken notice of and seriously improved by us Therefore I shall give you I. Some Observations concerning it II. The Reasons of it III. The Uses I. Observations 1. That every one hath some Gift or other to be improved for God Some Relation some Opportunity and Advantage whereby he may glorify his Father which is in Heaven honour the Gospel and be useful to others In the Parable of the Talents one had five Talents another two another one he that had least had one Mat. 25.15 Some have publick Offices and move in an higher Sphere Others are in a private Condition where they may glorify God as Masters or as Servants as Parents or Children Husbands or Wives by performing the Duty of their Places Fidelity in the meanest piece of Service is acceptable to God and tendeth to his Glory and Honour Ephes. 6.8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be Bond or Free He taketh notice of the poor Bond-servant who serveth God in his Calling as well as of the Free-men and Masters for God looketh not to the splendor and greatness of the Work but the honesty and sincerity of the Doer how mean soever he be And this tendeth to God's Honour Titus 2.10 Shewing all good Fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Religion is commended and well spoken of by means of the good carriage of a poor Servant Dent Imperatores tales tales Exactores fisci c. It is very notable that every one offered to the use of the Tabernable in Moses his time Gold or Silver or Brass or Chittim Wood or Goats-Hair or Badgers Skins some that which was more expensive others that which was more cheap and common but every one according to his several Ability So when Christ went to Ierusalem some strewed the way with Garments others cast down Branches some cried Hosannah that was all they could do The meanest Service hath its use and is not without a Reward Mat. 10.41 42. He that receiveth a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's Reward and he that receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Man's Reward And whosoever shall give to one of these little ones a Cup of cold Water only in the Name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his Reward That is he that doth support and enable a Prophet to do the Work of him that sent him shall receive the same Reward that he should if he had been sent to prophesy yea the same as if he had received him that sent him even Christ that sent the Apostles or God that sent Christ For he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me ver 40. And for the other Branch He that receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Man's Reward an holy Man sent to plant Holiness among them or recommend Holiness to them by his Doctrine or Practice shall receive the Benediction of a righteous Man the having a righteous Man in one's House maketh you partake in his Blessing Nay a Cup of cold Water given to another because he is a Disciple of Christ that is the least Service or good turn done to a Member of Christ shall not be forgotten As the least Injury is taken notice of as the putting forth of the Finger by way of mocking Isa. 58.9 The Lord would have none of those Upbraidings So that I observe two things here One is the difference To enable a Prophet is more than to entertain a righteous Man to entertain a righteous Man is more than a slight good turn The other is that the smalness or meanness of the Benefit whereby any of Christ's Followers are helped and refreshed shall not diminish Christ's Estimation of the Man 's good Affection 2. That there is great diversity in the Talents themselves Christ doth not give all to all nor to all alike The kinds of Gifts are various some are more earthly and bodily as Strength Wealth and Honour These are Gifts and to be imployed for God bodily Strength for the Labours of the Gospel As God helped the Levites that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 15.26 by discharging bodily Lassitude and Weakness So for the defence of his Church He giveth sometimes notable Strength and Valour to exercise it as to Sampson and David's Worthies or mighty Men 1 Chron. 11.10 Wealth that we may honour God with our Substance Prov. 3.9 and make Friends of the Mammon of Vnrighteousness Luke 16.9 and occasion others to bless God for us So for Honour and Dignity that we may protect and shelter God's People As it is taken notice that Christ's Grave was with the Rich and Honourable Isa. 53.9 meaning Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus John 19.38 39. these eminent Men thought it their Duty to own Christ in his lowest Abasement So it is taken notice of Acts 17.4 A great multitude of the Greeks believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the chief Women not a few So would God put some Worldly Authority and Respect upon his Gospel lest it should seem only a Frenzy of the People But others are of a more spiritual nature as Gifts of the Mind Wisdom Knowledg Faith Love Hope With these especially God expecteth to be glorified For when he hath given us all things necessary to Life and Godliness he trusteth his Honour in our Hands that we may do some worthy thing for him in the World and quit our selves above the ordinary rate of Mankind either for the Glory of God or the Benefit of others Now among these Gifts some are common as Knowledg Utterance c. others saving and such as do accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 as Faith and Love c. The common Gifts are several For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word of Knowledg by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gifts of Healing by the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.8 9. Some are able to explain Truths soundly others to apply it closely Some have the Gift of Prayer and Utterance others are good to inform the Judgment Some to convince Gain-sayers others to stir up lively Affections It was observed in the three Ministers of â—eneva Vireto nemo docuit dulciùs Farello nemo tenuit fortiùs nemo doctiùs locâ—tus est Calvino No Man taught more sweetly than Viretus no Man held an Argument more strongly than Farellus no Man spoke more learnedly than Calvin Among Hearers some have more Wisdom some more Knowledg some more
wonderfully reconcile the heart to God and make our thoughts of him sweet and acceptable when we come to Pray to him Christ will not be strange to his own flesh as we are bidden Not to hide our selves from our own flesh Isai. 58.7 3. His bountiful providence His former kindness to David is mentioned all along the Chapter both by the Lord himself and also by David God that hath been good will be good for he wasteth not by giving but is where he was Iam. 1.5 If any lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him As the Fountain remaineth as full as ever tho it overflow and sendeth forth its streams God delighteth that former mercies should be improved to future trust 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us And to Prayer Phil. 4 6. In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Promises should not lye by us as a dead stock Psal. 116.2 Because he hath inclined his ear to me therefore will I call upon him as long as I Live Deus promittendo et donando debet God is a Debtor both by his Promises and by his Gifts He loveth to crown his own mercies and to follow gift with gift For he is not weary of giving 4. His Promises The Promises to incourage Prayer are very large 1. There are indefinite promises of Audience Psal. 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Job 22.27 Thou shalt make thy Prayer unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shalt pay thy Vows So Isai. 45.19 I said not to the Seed of Jacob Seek me in vain Now these are mighty incouragements and shew us that 〈◊〉 is not labour in vain to seek God So that if there be not a commandment in our way to stop our requests we have all the ingagements in the World to come and acquaint God with all our desires griefs fears wants requests We may find in our hearts to be dealing with him upon these incouragements For what cannot God do And what will not Prayer do with a good God who is readily inclined to his People and able to do what he pleaseth and hath promised to do what we desire 2. There are promises of general universal concernment that God will not only hear Prayer but do all that we desire of him As John 14.14 If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it And Matth. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive Psal. 37.4 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart And many such expressions Not that men have a lawless liberty allowed them to ask what they will and Gods power shall lackey after their vain fancies and appetites No these large and universal offers admit of a limitation propounded in Scripture and that then when these universal particles are mentioned these limitations are to be regarded that you may not make promises to your selves and set God a task by your self-conceitedness and vain fancies and think him ingaged beyond what he is pleased to bind himself unto But what are the Limitations 1. That we ask righteously according to the matter So you have the limitation 1 John 5.14 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of him All the business is what is the meaning of these words According to his Will Ans. With Conformity to his Revealed Will and with Submission to his Secret Will Surely with Conformity to his Revealed or Commanding Will that we ask nothing unjust or sinful and seek to bring God to our hire as Balaam when he built Altars and sought to God for leave to Curse his People And that we ask nothing but what is agreeable to his Secret Will Many things are lawful yea and commanded as for Parents to ask the Conversion of their Children and it is our Duty to use the means in order to it but we must refer the success to God God must be judge what shall be most for his Glory In short we must ask according to his Commanding Will with due respect to his decreeing Will Ioh. 14.13 Whatever ye ask the Father in my Name I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son Whatever belongeth to our Duty and the Glory of God we must do but for the event how God will be glorified by either we must submit it to God So for lawful things Gâ—ace puts a restraint upon the Will of a renewed man that he seeketh nothing but what may be for the Glory of God and his Good If he asketh other things and to other ends he is prompted thereunto by his Flesh which maketh him Lust after Vain Empty Carnal Satisfactions to please his flesh 2. The next Limitation is to the manner If we ask them fervently and with that Life and Seriousness which finding a Prayer in the Heart doth require So Mat. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Prayers are not answered if the Spirit of Prayer be wanting or that liveliness which is necessary to make it Prayer though the form and fashion of it be kept up Men may pray but that Life which their Necessity calleth for may be far to seek When we set our Face to seek the Lord God with Prayer and Supplication Dan. 9.3 I set my Face unto the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplications Jer. 29.13 Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your Heart This sets the Spirit of Prayer a work 3. The next Qualification is of the Person as in the Text Thy Servant so in other places 1 Ioh. 3.22 And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight That is we are as certain we shall receive as if we had it already If Prayer should be performed with the greatest Earnestness and the greatest Faith and Confidence yet if the Consciences of men reprove them of any looseness and lightness of Spirit or that they have served God by halves and are off and on with him in their Practice and look for good things from God while they neglect their own Duty and what is required of them they cannot think that God should do it for them they cannot look that God should be ingaged any further than he hath ingaged himself So Ioh. 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto
certainly than others who are not of such a light and unsettled Mind It is said Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced Which implieth a steady consideration otherwise we are in danger to go as we came There is not that lively Commemoration of Christ. You come full of other Cares Desires and Delights and therefore return empty of all solid and true Refreshment 2. It must be Applicative Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave himself for me This great Love which God hath manifested in Christ is not only sounded in our Ears and represented to our Eyes but is brought home to us and shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us Rom. 5.5 The Spirit accompanieth Christ's Institutions and the diligent serious hungry Soul is not left destitute Christ and his Benefits are no where so particularly offered applied and sealed to us as in this Duty Christ's Messengers offer him to us in particular with a Charge and Command that we should receive him take and eat for our own Comfort and Use. What is particularly applied to us and made ours as Food that is turned into our Substance should awaken in us greater Thoughts and Care about our own Interest 3. Practical The Effects must more sensibly appear Two ways is that done 1. When we are made Partakers of his Benefits when we are justified and sanctified 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 The Annunciation inferreth this Then it is Practical when it assureth our Confidence Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things And we are incouraged to wait for the accomplishing of these ends and instating us in these Priviledges 2. When we express more likeness to Christ in dying to Sin and to the World or suffering for Righteousness Dying to Sin and the World Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ. Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Or suffering for Righteousness Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death For as Christ came to destroy the Desires of the Carnal Life so to wean us from the Interests of the Animal Life Sacraments bind us to this Matth. 20.22 Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with II. Confirmation or Reasons why the Lord's Supper is a Commemoration of Christ's Death 1. To supply the room of his Bodily Presence 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory And in the Text Ye shew forth the Lord's death till he come Christ is not bodily present in the Church till the last Judgment And we are to continue this holy Festival till the time that we shall have no need of these Memorials because then he cometh in Person 2. It is a lively Objective Means to affect our Hearts Both in regard of what is represented Christ is as it were evidently set forth Crucified before our Eyes Gal. 3.1 And also in regard of what is required to be done on our parts that we should return to our Duty and devote our selves to God's Service Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Use. To press you to the Duty of the Text To shew forth Christ's death 1. It is the strongest support to Faith When we apprehend the Greatness and Heinousness of Sin the Righteousness of God and Purity of his Holiness what shall compensate that infinite Wrong which is done to his Majesty If it seem easie to us we do not know what Sin is and what God is Not what Sin is which is a depreciation of God and a contempt of his Majesty There is no petty Creature above another but he is jealous of his Honour and will vindicate himself from Contempt Nor what God is God is of pure Holiness his Nature ingageth him to loath Sin his Justice to punish it It is a difficult case questionless how to get Sin expiated but this wonderful Condescention will make this Difficulty cease the Person is great and Way wonderful Consider what a Person hath undertaken this and what he hath done he hath died for us which at once sheweth God's willingness to Pardon and an answerable Ransom that such an one should undertake for us so beloved of God so equal to God Phil. 2.6 7. Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men This will settle and calm the Heart that such an one should come about such a Work 2. It is the greatest Incentive to Love That Christ loved us and gave himself for us a sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 Those innumerable Angels that left their Station and were once in Dignity above us have not such glad Tydings to impart to one another or to shew forth in their Societies not such a word to comfort themselves withal They cannot annunciate the Death of Christ and say Lo there is our Confidence and Hope the Propitiation for our Sins 3. It is a powerful Perswasive to Obedience Shall we deny our selves to him that gave himself to and for us Or seek to frustrate him of his End This was his great End 1 Pet. 2.21 For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps He hath purchased Grace to mortifie Sin and to quicken us to the fruits of Holiness shall we be alive to Sin and dead to Rightousness A Sermon on MAL. iii. 17 And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him THese Words are part of the Promise which God maketh to them that fear him or to those who are good in evil Times In them take notice of 1. The Blessing promised that God will spare them 2. The manner of this Indulgence amplified and set forth by the Carriage of a Father to his Son wherein a double Reason of this Indulgence is intimated 1. Propriety his own Son 2. Towardliness or Obedience his Son that serveth him Parents are not severe to any of their Children especially the dutiful 1. Propriety his own Son A faulty Child is a Child still and therefore not so easily turned out of the Family as a Servant We often forget the Duty of Children but God doth not forget the Mercy of a
Father A Prodigal Child hath some Encouragement from his Relation though his Manners be not answerable Luke 15.18 I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants And he arose and came to his Father But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him A Father will not be â—evere to a returning Prodigal as God is not to penitent Sinners 2. But this is not all it is not a prodigal Son a rebellious Son that is here considered who by Moses's Law might be turned out of Doors and stoned Deut. 21.18 19 20 21. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son that will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and when they have chastened him will not hearken to them then shall his father and mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the elders of his City and unto the gate of his place and they shall say unto the elders of his City This our son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a gluton and a drunkard And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he shall die Such a Law did God make against Disobedience to Parents And if Children put off all respect of natural Duty Parents were to put off all Bowels and Compassion towards them But this is not the case here It is a good Child that is here spoken of His own Son that serveth him When a Son is dutiful for the main a Parent will not be harsh and severe to him upon every failing What ever Men are to Slaves or to the Children of others who serve them yet they cannot so divest themselves of the Heart of a Parent as to be inexorable to their own Children and correct them severely for a lesser fault This is the Expression that God useth to set forth his Indulgence and Compassion towards them that fear him Doct. That God's sparing his Children notwithstanding their manifold Infirmities is one of the Choice Priviledges of them that fear him I shall discuss this Point in this method 1. I will shew you what it is to spare 2. That this is a choice Priviledge 3. The Grounds and Reasons of this Indulgence or Sparing that he useth towards them 4. The Qualification of the Persons I. What it is to spare them It is seen on two occasions when he cometh to accept them and when he cometh to afflict them In accepting their imperfect Services and not correcting them at all or correcting them in Measure and in Mercy 1. Sometimes Sparing is spoken of in Scripture with respect to some Judgment to be inflicted and so it is an Act flowing from Mercy withdrawing or moderating deserved Judgments For we by Sin deserve the sharpest Dispensations of God's Anger and Wrath and so God is said to spare as with-holding or withdrawing the Judgment Ioel 2.17 Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach Sometimes as Moderating when he doth not stir up all his Wrath As it is sweet to find Mercy remembred in Wrath and that he will moderate the Judgment to us and make it more sufferable Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us less than our Iniquities deserve 2. At other times Sparing is spoken of with respect to a Duty to be accepted We need to be spared in our best Actions they being defective and defiled Nehemiah prayeth Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God! concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy He speaketh this when he had procured God's holy Ordinances to be duly observed he pleadeth no Merit before God but desireth rather to be spared and forgiven for he was conscious to his own many Failings Well then God spareth when he forgiveth our Sins and pardoneth the manifold Imperfections of our Services II. That this is a choice Priviledge So it will appear to be if we consider 1. The holy Nature of God 2. The strictness and purity of his Law both as to the Precept and Sanction 3. Our incapacity of appearing in the Judgment 4. The sense which Conscience hath of Sin All these must be considered because usually Men heal their Wounds slightly and afterwards they fester into a more dangerous Sore And again we are not affected with God's pardoning Mercy because we do not see with what difficulty it is brought about 1. The holy Nature and Justice of God His Nature inclineth him to hate Sin and his Justice to punish it Ioshua 24.19 Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins This he speaketh not to discourage them but that they might not have slight thoughts of God and his Service as if he would be put off with any thing and would lightly and easily pardon their Errors Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity That is without taking Vengeance of it The least Sin is an Offence to God so pure and holy 1 Sam. 6.20 Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God That is this God who is so jealous of his Institutions All this is mentioned to shew that God doth not make little reckoning of Sin and that which lesseneth the benefit of Pardon in our thoughts is usually some abasing of the Nature of God It is not from magnifying his Mercy as it is discovered in Christ and the New Covenant but from some wrong conceit of God as if he were not so Just and Holy as he is represented to be Psal. 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thy self Because he doth not always inflict Punishment they think Sin is no such great matter and not so hateful to God as indeed it is Oh no! God that is so willing to spare his People notwithstanding their Infirmities doth not cease to be Holy nor his Law leave off to be Righteous Therefore this is the means to heighten this Priviledge 2. The Purity and Strictness of his Law both as to the Precept and Sanction 1. The Precept which reacheth to the Soul and the Operations of every Faculty Thoughts Purposes and Desires as well as Words and Actions Therefore when David had admired the Purity of the Law he adds Psal. 19.12 Who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from sâ—cret faults Oh the multitude of our Errors that we know And the multitude of them we know not But God knoweth them How imperfect is our Obedience How many times have we transgressed this holy Law of God Many Failings we do not observe and those which we do observe we are not able to enumerate If we were to be
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
scandalize others and not right himself In taking Wrong we suffer Evil in returning Wrong we do Evil the one is our Affliction the other is our Sin It will be no Excuse for you to say you were wronged first See how the Spirit of God takes off these Pleas Prov. 24.29 Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will render to the Man according to his Work This is but a continuance and reciprocation of Justice So Prov. 20.29 Say not thou I will recompense Evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save thee I remember Lactantius hath a pretty saying in this Case Qui par pari referre nititur ipsum à quo laesus est imitatur Revenge and Injury differ only in Order he that begins the Injury goeth before in Mischief and he that requites it comes as fast after as he can he doth but delight to follow that which he saw go before him If you judg it evil in others why do you fall into the like your selves What care hath he of Justice and Goodness that imitateth that which he acknowledgeth to be evil It is no Excuse to say he began his doing Wrong to thee doth not dissolve the Obligation of God's Law or the binding Power it hath upon thy Conscience Nay the return of Injuries argues you to be the more malicious because it is a more willing a more knowing Act. 5 th Rule We must be so far from wronging any Man that in many cases we must not demand our own extream Right Phil. 4.5 Let your Moderation be known unto all Men the Lord is at hand your Moderation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies the mitigating of the extremity of Justice James 3.17 The Wisdom that is from above is peaceable and gentle Extream right is but an Injury when you do not all you may do by the Letter of the Law out of Lenity and Christian Forbearance Power stretched to the utmost is but Tyranny and when the words of the Law are urged contrary to the end the Law is made a Pattern of Sin and unjust dealing In short this Equity and Moderation lieth in not interpreting things doubtful to the worst sense Eccles. 7.16 Be not righteous overmuch When we do not interpret things rigorously that are receptive and capable of more plausible Interpretations when we depart from our own Right for just and convenient Reasons Psal. 69.4 I restored that which I took not way For Peace sake much may be done that we may not dishonour God nor vex others for every Trifle the good of others is to be considered that we may not undo them tho it be our Right Thus Paul departed from his own Right to cut off occasion from them that desire occasion 2 Cor. 11.12 He would labour with his Hands rather than lose an opportunity of spreading the Gospel 2 Thess. 3.8 Neither did we eat any Man's Bread for nought but wrought with Labour and Travel night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you Paul took no Maintenance the spiritual things we sow are above your best carnal things considering our Labour and Pains the Bread we eat is bought at the dearest rate We have a Right but for God's Glory and not to lay a stumbling-Block in the way of young Converts we recede from it You are not to exact all your Labours Isa. 58.3 When you hold poor Men to a Bargain that is burdensome it is Injustice And thus our Lord Christ himself paid Tribute to avoid Scandal 6 th Rule Do as you would be done unto Mat. 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you do ye even so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets this is the scope of Scriptures This saying the Roman Emperor Severus much admired and wrote it upon many places of his Palace for it is a Rule serves in all cases If we would do as we would be done unto what Lives might we lead We are very tender of our own Interest give a favourable Sentence in our own case and are very sensible of the Wrong done to us we would not be circumvented by a fraudulent Bargain we would not be detracted in our own Names we would have our Infirmities hidden and not divulged we would be succoured in such Distresses now do so to them If in all cases we would do aright and judg aright let us change the Persons and suppose our selves in another's case would I have others thus do with me But how is this Law to be understood Some lay violent hands upon themselves others desire things sinful as to be drunk and to commit Adultery I answer it is meant of what we wish to our selves by a regular Self-love and a free and unperverted Will. Again it holdeth not in Duties of Relations it is not just that the Father should do that to the Children which he would have the Children do to him as to give Honour and Reverence and the like So in all Relations between Inferiors and Superiors it is to be understood if we were in their place and in the like condition as if I were a Son or if I were a Servant still take the Person of him with whom thou dealest upon thy self that Right which you would have others do to you as you would be kindly dealt with in buying and selling in pardoning Injuries forgiving unadvised Wrongs do you the same to others This will help us to keep a good Conscience in all our dealings 7 th Rule Publick Good is to be sought as well as private and in many cases to be preferred before it No Man is born for himself and therefore it is Injustice when Men mind only their own things and are wholly taken up with fulfilling their own Wills and Desires God hath commanded us to love one another he hath devolved upon one Man the Respects of all the World in effect for all Men are bound to love thee and seek thy Good What 's the reason of this but to engage and oblige us the more to seek the good one of another Rom. 12.5 We are all Members one of another the Members seek the good of the Body The Stomach receives Meat not for it self but to disperse it for the use of the whole Body When Men are of a narrow private Spirit and do not seek the Welfare of others they sin against Nature and Grace Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable Creature if he could live by himself then he might live to himself Human Society is founded upon Communion and Commerce and therefore we are bound to seek the good one of another There is a great Body to which all the Members must have respect As in a Clock all the Wheels move one another and each part receiveth help one from another so every one should mind the common Good and be sensible of the common Evil 1 Cor. 10.24 Let no Man seek his own but every Man
whenever we have to do with him Our Affections should be mix'd as Christ's Titles are It is said of the Church Acts 9.31 They walked in the Fear of the Lord and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost This doth well together fear God and rejoice in God Do not dally with a Saviour and please your selves in cherishing a loose Comfort when you neglect Duty and are touched with no Awe of God and then do not indulge a legal Dejection the great God whom you dread and reverence is your Saviour Therefore are the Titles of Christ mix'd to beget a sweet Temperature of Fear and Love So much for the conjunct Consideration of the Words II. Let us come to handle them apart particularly but briefly First of the Stile of his Power The Great God Here is a pregnant Testimony of the Deity of Christ. Doct. That Iesus Christ together with the Father and the Holy Ghost is the Great God He is called the great God partly in opposition to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are only called Gods the Vanities of the Gentiles there are many that are called Gods 1 Cor. 8.5 6. For though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be Gods many and Lords many but to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him And partly in opposition to the Gods of Man's making so the Devil is gotten to be a God The God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 So we read of those whose God is their Belly Phil. 3.19 As the Strength of Mens Desires run out so they set up many Gods either Mammon or Bacchus And partly in Opposition to those representative Gods Magistrates who are called Gods Psal. 82.6 I said ye are Gods They resemble God in their Power and Soveraignty and Administration of Justice and large Opportunity of doing Good But the chief Reason why Christ is called the great God is to shew that he is not inferiour to the Father to remove the Scandal of his Abasement He is not a God by Courtesy or Grant but by Nature equal in Power and Majesty and Glory to God the Father To confirm this I shall prove First That considering his Work he ought to be God no inferiour Mediator could serve the turn Secondly That he is God and able to perform this Work First Consider his Work and so he ought to be God The Work of the Mediator could be dispatched by no inferiour Agent Consider the Mediator in all his Offices as Prophet Priest and King 1. For his Prophetical Office As a Prophet he was to be greater than all Prophets and Apostles It is above Man's Capacity to be the greaâ— Doctor of the Church In regard of his outward Work the Discovery of the Gospel and of the Riches of God's Grace it could be made by none but he that was in the Bosom of the Father Iohn 1.18 No Man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the Bosom of the Father he hath declared him None could tell us what Bowels what Affections what Purposes of Grace the Father had concerning Sinners but Christ that was in his Bosom Mat. 11.27 No Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him As an external Law-giver in the Gospel Christ the great Doctor of the Church ought to be Authentick a Law-giver from whose Sentence there is no Appeal a Lord in his own House Heb. 3.4 5 6. For every House is builded by some Man but he that built all things is God And Moses verily was faithful in all his House as a Servant for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a Son over his own House Moses was but a Servant who received the external Law from Christ upon Mount Sinai it was Christ whose Voice shook the Mount Heb. 12.26 But chiefly in regard of his inward Work as he is to be a Fountain of Wisdom to all the Elect 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Men may teach the Ear but Christ must teach the Heart Blind Men cannot see the Sun though it shine never so clearly Light is come into the World but Darkness comprehends it not we must have Eyes as well as Light now it is only Divine Power can open the Eye of our Understanding and give us spiritual Illumination 2. As for his Kingly Office a finite Power would never suffice for that Christ is to break the Force of Enemies to raise the Dead to pour out the Spirit to bestow Grace and Glory all these are Christ's Donatives as King of the Church As a King he is to be an Original Fountain of Life to all the Elect As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me John 6.57 All these things are the Glory of God which he will not give to another and they cannot be performed by any but God The Creatures are limited they have not such a Vastness in them that out of their Fulness we might receive Grace for Grace as we do from Christ Iohn 1.16 Of his Fulness have we all received and Grace for Grace 3. For his Priestly Office this shews he ought to be God Of this there be two Acts his Oblation and Intercession 1. For his Oblation and Sacrifice he must offer up himself one for all and that but once and that to expiate Sin and procure the Favour of God for ever now who could do this but God And he must offer up himself he must be Priest as well as Sacrifice therefore must have a Power over his own Life to lay it down and take it up and that no Creature hath for whether we live or die we are the Lord 's And thus had Jesus Christ an absolute Power of Life and Death over that Nature he assumed therefore it is said Heb. 9.14 Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God Then one must be offered for all 2 Cor. 5.14 If one died for all then were all dead Therefore that Person which suffered was to be virtually all those for whom he suffered that is infinitely as good and better than all Look as they said to David Thou art better than ten thousand of us so Jesus Christ that was given one for all must be such a Person as is better than all Men. A General given in Ransom will redeem thousands of private Souldiers so the Worth of Christ's Person made him equivalent in Dignity to the Worâ—h of all those whose Persons he sustained In all Ages his Death is a standing Remedy God had more Satisfaction than if Angels and Men had been made a Sacrifice And mark it was done but
in this World 3 dly The kind of the Punishment It was not exclusion out of Heaven but out of Canaan they might not go into the Promised Land This Chastisement was grievous to Moses he looked upon it as a notable Inconvenience and besought the Lord that he might go over Deut. 3.23 25. I besought the Lord at that time saying I pray thee let me go over and see that good Land that is beyond Jordan that goodly Mountain and Lebanon But ver 26. The Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me and said unto me Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this Matter Nay Deut. 4.21 The Lord was angry with me for your sakes and sware that I should not go over Jordan and that I should not go in unto that good Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an Inheritance Thus you see with all his Prayer and Intreaty Moses could not get the Sentence reversed all the Favour he could obtain was to get it mitigated He was permitted to get to the top of Pisgah and see it with his Eyes Deut. 3.27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah and lift up thine Eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and behold it with thine Eyes but thou shalt not go over this Jordan This was not vouchsafed to Aaron for he died at Mount Hor. But Moses brought the People to the very Borders and thence had a prospect of the Land of Canaan on every side Thus God may wear away an unthankful Generation by sundry Calamities and some good Men that live among them may be also taken off before God produce and bring forth his beautiful Work which is the sum of all their Hopes and the fruit of their Pain and Sorrow Only they have the Privilege of Believers to see the Promises afar off and to be perswaded of them and embrace them Heb. 11.13 which was some comfort to Moses II. The general Reasons The Sins of the professing or really Godly are most provoking 1. They sin against a nearer Relation which is more than if a Stranger did these things As David heightens the Injuries done to him Psal. 55.12 13. It was not an Enemy that reproached me then I could have born it neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me then I could have hid my self from him But it was thou a Man mine Equal my Guide and mine Acquaintance So 2 Sam. 12.11 I will raise up Evil against thee out of thine own House By proportion we may judg in this Case for our Relation is urged to quicken our Duty 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance And if we do otherwise to increase our Punishment Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you for all your Iniquities They were his peculiar and chosen People and though he would not altogether spare others yet he will certainly and more severely chastise them So Deut. 32.19 And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his Sons and of his Daughters that is those that were his Children by a gracious Calling 2. They sin against greater Helps and Advantages than others do Such as have more knowledg of their Duty Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is Sin Experience of the Evil of Sin they have tasted of the bitter Waters and felt more of the Sting of Sin in the conviction of their Consciences and are scarce yet whole of the old Wounds Josh. 22.17 Is the Iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day though there was a Plague in the Congregation of the Lord Once more they sin against a Principle of Life within and so offer Violence not only to the Law of God but their own new Nature 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him neither can he sin because he is born of God 3. They sin against greater Obligations Partly from the Mercies of God and so there is more Unkindness and Ingratitude in their Sins Iohn 6.67 Will ye go away also If the rotten Multitude do desert him yet will his Disciples be prejudiced and weaken the Confidence of others The more Proofs of God's Love we have received he taketh it the worse at our Hands So also there is an Obligation partly from their own profession of a strict Obedience Ephes. 5.8 Ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of Light God hath distinguished them from others and therefore they should distinguish themselves by Eminence of Holiness and Obedience Nehem. 5.9 Ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our God because of the Reproach of the Heathen our Enemies Partly there is a special Obligation from their Covenant-Vow Now a People in Covenant with God are faster bound to him than others therefore their Transgressions are the more hainous As Adultery is a greater Crime than single Fornication because of the Marriage-Covenant and Sacrilege than Theft because it is a devouring what is Holy or alienating what is dedicated to God Now God will avenge the Quarrel of his Covenant Levit. 26.25 I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarel of my Covenant 4. Because of the Effects of their Sins 1. Partly as they dishonour God more than others 2 Sam. 12.14 Howbeit because by this Deed thou hast given great Occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely die though God had pardoned his Sin The scandalous Sins of Professors give great Advantage to the Enemies of the Truth who will be sure to make a wicked and evil use thereof Therefore we should walk the more circumspectly and holily lest through our Sides our Profession it self be wounded as well as our Souls and the Lord 's Holy Name be blasphemed The Honour of God is not so much concerned in the Actions of the Ungodly as it is in the Example of great Men or of those that are eminently godly 2. As they harden and justify the Wicked Ezek. 16.51 Neither hath Samariah committed half of thy Sins but thou hast multiplied thine Abominations more than they and hast justified thy Sisters in all thine Abominations which thou hast done They do with the more pretence live in their Sins when they see the Lapses and Falls of the Godly themselves 5. There are special Reasons why God should correct them for their Sins here in the World 1. To keep up the Honour of his Government lest he should by forbearance seem to approve their Sin who are so near to him and dignified with so many Privileges God is the impartial Judg of the World therefore he will do right the Disorders of his People are not passed
too dear a Bargain for us to deal withal we snuff at God's terms as troublesome and fling off No we should be glad to accept of Mercy on any terms and take Heaven at God's price 1. This unbounded Resolution must be seriously made Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Mar. 13.45 46. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it 2. It must be faithfully performed You must not only renounce but overcome when it cometh to tryal subdue your Lusts run all hazards for Christ thwart Affections slight Disgraces Nick-Names and Scorns and lay all down nay Life it self at Christs feet Mar. 19.27 28 29. Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore And Iesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit Everlasting Life We must pluck out a right Eye and cut off a right Hand Matth. 5.29 30. Many will perform such duties as cross not any strong bent of their Lusts they will forbear some Sins that are not so rooted in their Natures nor grown strong by Custom nor are set on by any forcible Temptation but fail in other things of greater moment or more nearly concerning them There are four Points of great weight and moment which should ever be remembred by them that would make out their Gospel-Qualification or New-Covenant-Plea of Sincerity 1. That any allowed evil Habit of Soul or reigning Sin is inconsistent with that Faith that worketh by Love and only maketh us capable of the great Priviledges of the Gospel That appeareth by the Nature of Conversion which lyeth in three things a turning from the Creature to God from Self to Christ from Sin to Holiness Ioh. 5.44 How can ye believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only 1 John 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Mat. 6.24 No Man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon James 4.4 Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God 2. That the usual bait of reigning Sin is the World The great difficulty of Salvation lyes in a Mans addictedness to worldly Things or Temporal satisfactions when these are highest in our Esteem or dearest to our Hearts it weakneth Gods Interest and our care of Salvation and our sense of the World to come 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not 2 Pet 1.9 He that laâ—â—eth these things is blind and cannot see afar off Phil. 3.19 Whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things The World taketh us off from the serious pursuit of Heaven Luk. 10.41 42. Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful and makes us shrink at Tryals 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present World 3. That our Inclination to worldly things is various according to the Temper and Constitution of Men. As the Channel is cast so the River runs Isa. 53.6 We have turned every one in his own way Some are carried away by Pride some by vain Glory some by Sensuality some by Worldliness Uprightness and Sincerity lyes in observing the tender part of the Soul and preserving our selves from that Sin which is most natural to us Psal. 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity 4. That many times when pretences are fair there is a secret reserve in our Hearts The Devil seeketh to deceive Men with a superficial Change and half Reformation and moveth them to take on the Profession of Religion and yet secure their Fleshly and Worldly Interest The most dangerous Cheat of our Souls is by halving it between God and Mammon Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon When we are not so mortified as to subject our selves entirely to Christ's direction upon the hopes of Eternal Life or the Happiness of the World to come and to part with all things in the World when it is necessary so to do or else we must part with this Salvation Many think they are not Worldly because they have some thoughts of Heaven and do something for it in seeking after it but the business is whether you seek it in the first place and make it your principal End and Scope to which all other things are subordinated and referred whether you can forsake all rather than miss Heaven Jesus Christ thô he prized good beginnings and would not discourage any yet admitteth none to the Priviledges of Grace that are but half converted whose Hearts are in secret League with the World though they seem to be affected with the offers of Eternal Life SERMON II. ON MARK X. 18 And Iesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good there is none Good but one that is God WE have seen the Young Man's Question here is Christ's Answer in which observe two things 1. His Expostulation with him VVhy callest thou me Good 2. His Instruction of him There is none Good but one that is God First For the Expostulation VVhy callest thou me Good He doth not simply blame him for giving this Title to him but argueth with him about it 1. To shew that he loves no Complements or fair words which proceed not from sound Faith and Love to him Christ saw that he was ignorant of his Divine Authority and foresaw that he would not take his Counsel and therefore expostulates with him VVhy callest thou me Good As elsewhere Luke 6.46 Why call you me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Cui res nomini subjecta negatur is nomine illuditur It is a mockery to give Titles to any one when we do not answer it with suitable endeavours As those that
cause them to see their Misery and Impotency by the Law To Evidence this I will shew 1. What is the Covenant of Works 2. I will prove that all Men by Nature are under this Covenant 3. This is that Covenant which Natural Conscience sticks to 4. This Covenant rightly understood is the most ready way to convince a Iusticiary or to prepare Men for Christ. First What is the Covenant of Works I Answer It is the Covenant made with Adam in Innocency in which life was promised under the Condition of perfect Obedience to be performed by a man by his own Natural strength The Parties contracting in this Covenant are God on the one side and Man Created in the Perfection of Nature on the other side God and Adam with all his Posterity And the terms of this Covenant are perfect and unsinning Obedience and this perfect Obedience to be performed by us by our own strength Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them That is the Law Covenant only promiseth Life to him that observeth what the Law prescribes and so hath perfect inherent Righteousness of his own it offers Life upon no easier terms than constant universal perfect Obedience Now the Sanction and Confirmation of this Covenant is by a terrible Curse explained by the Apostle Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them The Law pronounceth a Curse upon every Man who fulfills it not in every Tittle and every jot of it and who continues not so to do from the first minute of his Life to the hour of his Death which fallen Man can never do And therefore as long as he is under this Covenant he remains under God's Curse and Wrath. If he omit any thing that is required or commit any thing that is forbidden so that thô he should but once Sin he is under the Curse Secondly I shall prove that all Men by Nature are under this Covenant till they be reconciled to God by Christ. This Covenant concerns all Adam's Children untill they have a new Claim in the Second Adam for God contracted with Adam as a publick Person representing all his Posterity and so it concerns not him only but all his Heirs Take them in their Infancy they are under this Covenant therefore they are said to be by Nature Children of wrath as well as others Eph 2.3 All Men are under the deserved Curse of the Law by reason of Sin Or take them in their grown Estate Iohn 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God that is because he is not freed from the Covenant of Works and the Curse of the Law by the Son of God Every Unbeliever is condemned already by the Sentence of the Law which they lye still under before they lay hold upon Christ the only Remedy for their deliverance The Sentence of the Law stands in force till you get it repeal'd by Christ. And some men will find that this Covenant is in force against them at the Day of Judgment â—or then there will be proceedings against them according to it All the World are judged according to one of these two Covenants Iames 2.12 13. Some shall be judged according to the law of liberty others shall have Iudgment without mercy Impotency doth not free any of Adam's Sons from this Covenant because this Impotency was contracted by our own Sin and doth not make void God's right as a Creditor doth not lose his Right by the Debtors Inability to pay him If a Man bind himself and his 〈◊〉 to pay such a summ of Money and he will vainly spend his Patrimony and so render himself unable to pay it he and his Heirs are still liable to a Process as long as the Debt remaineth unpaid or unremitted We and all ours are bound to perfect Obedience for the future and to make satisfaction for Sin past which we that are poor Creatures sold under Sin are never able to do Therefore this Covenant doth absolutely put us into such a State as that there is no Remedy for us but by flying to Jesus Christ. Thirdly This Covenant is that which Natural Conscience worketh on and seemeth most so to do so that when we urge Men with this Covenant we do but beat them with their own Weapons When the Covenant of Works was made with Adam all Mankind were then in his Loyns it was made with him in their Name and therefore Men by Nature do still retain a deep Impression of this Covenant as appeareth in that as soon as Conscience is awakened it judgeth Men according to this Covenant As Rom. 1.32 The Apostle speaks of the Heathens Who knowing the Iudgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death The benummed Consciences of Heathens when they came to themselves they were afraid of Judgment according to the tenor of this Covenant And the same is seen in the endeavour of a Natural Conscience to do something that may make a shew of Good Works and a tolerable plea by this Covenant as in that Pharisees Plea Luke 18.11 12. I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican Christ speaks it of those that trusted in their own Righteousness the Pharisee brings a little Trash a few inconsiderable things I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I possess and this is his Righteousness Again That Natural Conscience works towards this Covenant seems plain by the strange Affectation of the Righteousness of Works which is in all Mens Hearts and unwillingness to hear of any other Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of God's Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God A Man would fain have a Personal inherent Righteousness in himself he is loth to be beholden to any other He would patch up any Righteousness of his own and is prone to trust in it a proud Creature will not submit Nay even the Regenerate God's own Children thô they are well instructed in the Righteousness of Faith and sufficiently see the Impossibility of a Righteousness of Works thô they have been under brokenness of Heart yet they are ever lingring after this Covenant with a Natural Desire of it and to rest in their own Duties And that was the Reason of that Expression of Luther Every one of us hath a Pope in his own Belly something that pleads there for the Merit of Works Fourthly This is the most ready way to convince a Iusticiary and to prepare Men for Christ by a sight and sence of their own Sin and Misery and Impotency by this Covenant and this for several Reasons 1 Reason Because every Man is apt to flatter
cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul He heareth not as to Deliverance but yet he heareth as to Support 5. Because the Saints are wont to train up themselves for these difficulties by proposing hard Cases to themselves As Psal. 3.6 I will not be afraid of Ten Thousands of People that have set themselves against me round about Psal. 27.3 Though an Host should Encamp against me my Heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this I will be confident Psal. 46.1 2. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea Presumption is a Coward and a Run-away from all thoughts of danger but Faith meeteth its Enemy in open Field it supposeth the worst that the Heart may be fortified aforehand against whatever may fall out They much inure their Thoughts to God and dwell in and with the Almighty and reckon upon the Changes of a Reeling World and so are prepared to be Martyrs and suffer the worst for God VSE You have heard this Faith opened to you labour to get such a Wrestling Faith in expecting the Benefits of the Messiah you may have your difficulties 1. About your Spiritual Estate and Acceptance with God in Christ. You would have the Devil cast out of your Souls you beg it of God but he seemeth not to hear you you are to wait not to give over the matter as hopeless and in despondency to throw up all at first The Lord is Righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandment Lam. 1.18 He hath called and you would not hear and therefore noâ— God may delay It may be you have doubts whether ever God will hear you and you question your Election then consider God's Mercy and your Necessity Christ hath taught us how to pray for the Spirit Luke 11.8 Though he will not rise and give him because he is his Friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him You continue praying and it is with you as before iâ— may be worse Rom. 7.9 But when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died A Bullock is most â—nruly at first yoking Fire at first kindling casteth forth much Smoke What then Should you give over seeking to Christ That is to shut the Door upon your selves God seemeth to shut you out and you are discouraged with a deep sence of your own unworthiness will he look upon such a dead Dog as I am In such cases you should creep in at the Back door of the Promise as Paul doth 1 Tim. 1.15 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 Christ came to save Sinners I am Sinner enough for Christ to save or as the Woman here Dogs lick up the Crumbs 2. In some prevailing Carnal Distempers that you have long wrestled with to get rid of and you desire the Physician of Souls should Cure you follow the Means lay open before him the Plague and Sore of your own Heart You do not presently find Success will you therefore give over the Business as hopeless and go still with a Wound or Thorn in your Conscience No consider 1. It must be Cured 2. If ever it be Cured it must be by Christ. 3. Use all his Healing Methods 4. And beg a Blessing upon all by Prayer Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Matth. 8.2 5. Believe his Grace to be sufficient for thee Be earnest and importunate we scratch the Face of Sin but we do not seek to root it out If you are resolved you will take no Nay In a little time and after some â—erious wrestling with God you will be eminent in the contrary Grace 3. In great streights and pressures you seek to God plead his Covenant and yet no answer cometh Will you turn Atheist and say It is in vain to pray to God No He that believeth will not make haste Isa. 28.16 Or will you faint and give over the Suit Where then is the Exercise of your Faith and Patience It may be God sheweth himself strange to you in your Troubles as Ionah 2.4 I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple Let Faith look to Heaven and the Covenant made with Christ. Will you give way to the Temptation till you are bribed by sence No look again and again Let Faith triumph over Difficulties and the Issue will be comfortable 4. For the Church as God's Children preferr Zion above their chief Joy You pray for the welfare of it and God giveth no comfortable Answer what then Will you neglect your Duty or abate of your Love It may be the Clouds are thickned dangers greater what Will you swell against Providence Hab. 2.4 Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the Iust shall live by his Faith No it is Importunity Humility resolved Confidence will do you good at the last Follow the Suit still and say For Zion 's sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalem 's sake I will not rest until the Righteousness thereof go forth as Brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth Isa. â—2 1 There should be an unwearied Solicitation of God for the Churches Restitution Christ is the Churches Advocate we are her Solicitors This is an Example not to gaze upon but to imitate A SERMON ON JOHN VIII v. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad THE next Instance and Pattern of a strong Faith we find in Abraham We must consider his Faith in two things 1. His clear Sight of things to come before the Exhibition of Christ or his coming in the Flesh. 2. His over-looking the difficulties which seemed to obstruct the accomplishment of the Promise A Believer hath two great Works to do to open the Eye of Faith and shut that of Sense In both Abraham was Eminent His opening the Eye of Faith is spoken of here He saw my Day His shutting the Eye of Sense in Rom. 4.13 And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was about an Hundred Year old neither yet the deadness of Sarah 's Womb. The former falleth under our Consideration now Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad The Iews were always cracking and boasting that they were Children of Abraham Christ disproveth their Claim because they did not his Works Iohn 8.39 If ye were Abraham 's Children ye would do the Works of Abraham And in particular because they imitated not his Faith with respect to Christ they despised what Abraham made great account of Abraham rejoiced to see what you see but they rejoiced not in him and the Priviledges of the Gospel
hath to do with a hard Heart he will not steal out of the Field but go away with Honour and Triumph This was to be a publick Instance and for Intimation to the World 1 Sam. 6.6 Wherefore then do ye harden your Hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardned their Hearts when he had wrought wonderfully among them did they not let the People go and they departed The Philistines took warning by it and it will be our Condemnation if we do not 7. In all these Plagues I observe that Pharaoh now and then had his devout Pangs In an hard Heart there may be some Relentings but no true Repentance We have him confessing Exod. 9.27 I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my People are wicked And chap. 10.16 17. I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you Now therefore forgive I pray thee my Sin only this once and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this Death only So chap. 12.32 Be gone and bless me also Hardned Sinners may have their Gripes and sensible Touches and so some faint Purposes of Reformation But that which was defective and sheweth it was not true Repentance was 1. Because it was only extorted by present Horror Job 27.10 Will he always call upon God A Still will send forth Water as well as a Fountain but it is by Drops and by Force Prov. 5.11 12 13. And thou mourn at last when thy Flesh and thy Body are consumed and say How have I hated Instruction and my Heart despised Reproof and have not obeyed the Voice of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me The Leacher hath his penitent Moods A Malefactor on the Rack will confess freely Vows of Men are very frequent O that Men would be such when they are well as they promised to be when they were sick 2. Because the Aim of all was Ease and Safety Pharaoh's Cry is not Take away Iniquity but Take away this Plague Offers of Nature after Ease are found in Hypocrites Esau sought the Privileges of the Birth-right with Tears quia perdiderat non quia vendiderat not because he sold it but because he had lost it Nature may be sensible of present Evil. 3. Because it was vanishing The good Motions of an hard Heart are of no long continuance they pass through and are gone like a Flash of Lightning Pharaoh his Remorse for the Frogs and Grashoppers was as a Cloud soon blown over Till there be sound Repentance Remorse must needs be short for it is an unpleasing Penance Water heated is the colder afterwards because it is rarified after it hath thawed a little it will freeze the harder Pharaoh after every Respite was hardned anew it is the Temper of those that are doomed to Destruction 4. Because his Purposes came so short and lame of what God expected An hard Heart when it cannot prevail against God would fain compound with him First he gave leave Exod. 8.25 Go ye sacrifice to God in the Land Then ver 28. I will let ye go that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the Wilderness only ye shall not go very far away Then chap. 10.11 Go now ye that are Men and serve the Lord. Their Children were to remain for Hostages Then ver 24. Go ye serve the Lord only let your Flocks and your Herds be stayed let your little ones also go with you Their Cattle were to remain for a Pawn and their Flocks and their Herds for a Forfeiture if they returned not and a Recompence for the Damage of Egypt But God would not abate him a Hoof. An hard Heart yieldeth to God by halves Pharaoh hucketh with him first they might sacrifice in the Land then go a little way three Days Journey then he would keep their Children then their Flocks and Herds An hard Heart never yieldeth to God his whole Demand the Devil is loth to let go his hold How do Men huck with God in Duties contrary to their Affections or prejudicial to their Interests 2 Kings 5.18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the House of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my Hand and I bow my self in the House of Rimmon when I bow my self in the House of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing They have their Reservations and in this and that thing they will be excused These are but deceitful Pangs Pharaoh doth often eat his Words and retract every Grant 8. In process of Time his Hardness is improved into Rage and downright Malice Exod. 10.28 Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my Face no more for in the Day thou seest my Face thou shalt die Vessels when they come to the Lees they grow sowre and tart so Pharaoh began to run Dregs Or as Beasts by long baiting grow mad and furious so it was with Pharaoh Men first slight the Truth and then are hardned against it and then come to persecute it A River when it hath been long kept up swelleth and beareth down the Bank and Rampire so do wicked Men rage when their Consciences cannot withstand the Light and their Hearts will not yield to it 9. At length Pharaoh is willing to let them go After much ado God may get something from a hard Heart but it is no sooner given but retracted like Fire struck out of a Flint it is hardly got and quickly gone Hosea 6.4 Your Goodness is as a Morning Cloud and as the early Dew it goeth away Many may have some shew of Goodness at least at some times who yet are little the better and their Condition nothing the better it proveth a great Snare and Neckâ—break to them its Unfoundness is presently seen in its Unconstancy 10. The last News that we hear of hardning Pharaoh's Heart was a little before his Destruction Exod. 14.8 And the Lord hardned the Heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt and he pursued after the Children of Israel Pharaoh begrudgeth his own Grant as if he had yielded too far Hardness of Heart will not leave us till it hath wrought our full and final Destruction God always besotteth when he meaneth to destroy Never any were hardned but to their own Ruine As God that loveth his own loveth them to the end so God that hateth those that are hardned hateth them to the end Pharaoh is first plagued and then destroyed This is the upshot of all Iob 9.4 Who hath hardned himself against him and prospered The Beginning is Imposture and Delusion the Middle Obstinacy and the End Ruine II. How God hardneth It is a Point that needeth Explication God is not and cannot be the Author of Sin if God should cause it Man should sin of necessity and then his Punishment would not be just he being under Force God hath not brought upon any a necessity of sinning and God that is Good cannot be the cause of Evil
holds his Hand and cuts you short in spiritual Blessings which otherwise he would plentifully dispense unto his People Partly they exceedingly weaken the Work of Grace which is wrought upon their Hearts their Faith is more dead their Love is more cold than it was Hope is languid the spiritual Life is interrupted and at a stand tho the Seed of God remains yet it cannot put forth it self with such Vigor and Efficacy Yea they may never recover such a Portion of the Spirit as they had before 2 Chron. 17.3 Jehoshaphat walked in the first Ways of his Father David as having some note of blemish on his latter Ways These Sins in short as a Wound in the Body let out our Blood and Strength As a Prodigal that hath once broken after he hath been set up is not trusted with a like Stock again so God's Children may not recover that largeness of Spirit and fulness of inward Strength and Comfort which they had before as many after a great Disease do not regain that pitch of Health which formerly they had but may carry the Fruits of their Disease with them to their Graves Partly because Acts are intermitted when the Soul is distempered it is unfit for Action Either Duties are omitted or else done in such an overly manner as doth increase our Distemper and harden us the more In what a sorry Fashion did David worship till God awakned his Conscience by Nathan Prayer is interrupted 1 Pet. 3.7 As Heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindred 2. Grieving the Spirit Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the Day of Redemption All Sin is a Grief to the Spirit especially Filthiness and Bitterness Compare this with Ver. 29 31. Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but that which is good to the use of ediâ—ying that it may minister Grace unto the Hearers Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour and evil Speaking be put away from you with all Malice Now the gâ—ieving of the Spirit makes a great Breach in our Grace and Comfort as the Spirit is our Sanctifier and Comforter To speak only of the last When the Spirit is grieved we have not such a sense of God's Love For the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given 〈…〉 Rom. 5.5 We have not that Liberty and Confidence in Prayer we once had 1 John 5 21. Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God Nor those lively Hopes of Glory and final Redemption in that Text Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the Day of Redemption Nor that Comfort in Reproaches nor Courage in Afflictions nor Strength to resist Sin nor that Readiness and Chearfulness in Obedience that once they had So that a Christian is like Sampson when his Locks are gone all delightful Communion with God is suspended and a Christian doth not act like a Servant that is in his Master's Favour 3. Carnal Liberty When a Man giveth too much Contentment to the Flesh the Spirit or better Part is in Bonds Psal. 119.37 Turn away mine Eyes from beholding Vanity and quicken thou me in thy Way A Man that lets loose the Reins to worldly Vanity will soon find Hardness coming on his Heart and see a need to ask quickning Grace Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Cares of this Life Worldly Comforts over-affected or immoderately used clog and enslave the Heart and so we are more unperswadible and disobedient to the Motions of his Spirit and the Counsels of his Grace Therefore if we will take heed that our Hearts be not hardned let them not out too freely to worldly things lest they be withdrawn from God but rejoice here as if you rejoiced not that you may keep up your Liberty to God 4. Pride and Self-sufficiency 2 Chron. 32.31 Howbeit in the Business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire of the Wonder that was done in the Land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his Heart Paul was permitted to be buffered that he might be kept humble 2 Cor. 12.7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations there was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure When you trust to your selves God leaveth you to your selves and then we are as a Glass without a bottom broken as soon as out of hand Iam. 4.6 God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the Humble It is not so much understood of a moral Humility or a lowly Carriage towards Men as of an Evangelical Humility which consists in brokenness of Heart or a sense of our Unworthiness and Weakness these are influenced by Grace but others are left to fall and miscarry by their own presumptuous Confidence And therefore if we would not incur any Degree of this Judgment we must take heed of Pride and spiritual Security Those that feel the daily and hourly necessity of Grace have more of the Supplies of the Spirit they are oftner waiting upon God Psal. 25.5 On thee do I wait all the day Christ hath taught us to beg daily Bread daily Pardon and daily Strength against Temptations that he might engage us to be often with God and keep in a constant dependance on him that the Heart might be kept more awful tender and serious 5. Carelesness and spiritual Sloth When we carelesly entertain the Motions of his Spirit and lie upon the Bed of Ease he is gone Cant. 5.2 3. I sleep but my Heart waketh it is the Voice of my Beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled for my Head is filled with Dew and my Locks with the Drops of the Night I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my Feet how shall I desile them And ver 6. I rose up to open to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone God's Children may stifle many a pressing Conviction and Motion in their Souls hang off from the Throne of Grace and other good Duties and upon every frivolous Pretence keep away from God This unkind and ungracious Dealing will cost them dear Neglect of the Means of Grace quencheth the Spirit 1 Thess. 5.19 20. Quench not the Spirit Despise not Prophesyings Therefore we should be more diligent in the use of Means Mark 4.24 Vnto you that hear shall more be given We must more carefully obey the sanctifying Motions of the Spirit if we mean to avoid hardness of Heart 2 dly The Means to cure it 1. Bewail the Evil and complain of it before God who alone can help us We complain of
without some Remark and Observation Isaac goeth to meet with God and he meeteth with God and Rebekah too Godliness hath the promises of this Life and that which is to come there is nothing lost by Duty and Acts of Piety and Worship Seneca said The Iews were an unhappy People because they lost the Seventh part of their Lives meaning the time spent in the Sabbath This is the Sense of Nature to think all lost that is bestowed on God Flesh and Blood snuffeth and cryeth What a weariness is it And what need all this waste Oh let me tell you by serving God you drive on two cares at once Worldly Interests many times are cast into the way of Religion and besides the main design these things are added to us Wonderful are the Providences of God in and about Duties of Worship some have gone aside to pray and escaped such as lay in wait to destroy them and Luther tells a story of one that balked a Duty and fell into a danger passed by a Sermon and was presently surprized by Thieves Others there are that thought of nothing but meeting God in his Worship and God hath made their Duties an occasion of advancing their outward Comforts Certainly it is good to obey all impulses of the Spirit there may be somewhat of Providence as well as Grace in it Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide and he lift up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming In the Words you have several Circumstances The Person Isaac his Work he went out to meditate the Place in the Field the Time at even-tide 1. For the Person Isaac I need not say much because I would not digress He was Abraham's Son and God said of Abraham Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Good Education leaveth a Savour and Tincture upon the Spirit at least an Awe and a Care of Duties and Exercises of Religion and therefore it is no wonder to hear of Abrahams Son that had been trained up in the way of the Lord to go out to meditate it is a Seal of the Blessing of Education Again Isaac was now in his Youth certainly he could not be very old Sarah was Ninety years old when the Promise was first made to her of a Son Gen. 17.17 Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old And shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear Now Sarah was but One Hundred Twenty Seven old years when she dyed Gen. 23.1 And this Match was immediately after her Death for just as he received Rebekah he left off his Mourning for Sarah Gen. 24.67 And Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarahs tent and took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her And Isaac was comforted after his mothers death Probably Isaac now was a little above Thirty Isaac a Young Man that was now entring into the World goeth out to meditate Usually we make Religious Exercises the Work of Gray Hairs and after we have spent the heat and flower of our Spirits in the vanities of the World we hope to make amends for all by a Severe and Devout Retirement Young and Green Heads look upon Meditation as a dull melancholly work fit only for the phlegme and decay of Old Age vigorous and eager Spirits are more for Action than Thoughts and their Work lyeth so much with others that they have no time to descend into themselves But the Elder World was more Innocent the Exercises of Isaacs Youth were pious he went out into the Fields to meditate 2. To open his Work to you to meditate or as it is in the Margin to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word used in the Original is indifferent to both Senses it properly signifies muttering or an imperfect and suppressed sound the Septuagint sometimes renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sing but here they render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to exercise himself and most properly a Sportive Exercise as if his going abroad had been only to sport and recreate himself after the toyl of the day But that is not so probable the Holy Ghost would not put such a Mark upon such a Circumstance Therefore I suppose the Septuagints word must be taken more largely to comprise also a Religious Exercise But how is it To Pray or Meditate I would not recede from our own Translation without weighty Cause most other Translations look that way Symachus renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discourse as with others that is with God and his own Soul and so it suiteth with the force of the Original Word which properly signifies to mutter or such a speaking as is between Thoughts and Words So that the meaning is he went aside privately to discourse of God and the Promises and of Heavenly Things 3. The Place in the field Partly for Privacy deep Thoughts require a Retirement Many of Davids Psalms were penned in the Wilderness He that would have the Company of God and his own Thoughts had need go aside from other Company and be alone that he may not be alone that the Mind being sequestred from all Distractions may solace it self the more freely in these Heavenly Thoughts Exod. 3.1 Moses led the flock to the back-side of the desert and came to the mountain of God even to Horeb. He goeth aside from the other Shepherds that he might converse with the Great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls and there he seeth the Vision of the burning Bush. When God would communicate his Loves to the Church he inviteth her into the Wilderness Hosea 2.14 Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her The most familiar and intimate Converses between God and the Church are in private So the Spouse inviteth the Bridegroom Cant. 7.11 Come my beloved let us go forth into the field let us lodge in the villages In these Solitary and Heavenly Retirements to which no Eyes are conscious and privy we have most Experience of God and of our selves Duties done in Company are more easie by ends and Mans Eye and Observance may have an influence upon our Worship and therefore Meditation is difficult and tedious because it is a work of Retirement that hath approbation from none but our Father that seeth in Secret Partly because the Field is an help to Meditation fancy and invention being elevated and raised by the sweetness variety and pleasure of it there being on every side so many Objects and lively Memorials of God However in this sense the Circumstance is not binding some do better in a Closet than in a
and plenty of Revelations So we read of Peter's Rapture while he was praying Acts 10.10 He fell into a trance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a trance fell upon him noting that those Raptures are things of Dispensation rather than Choice and Duty they fall upon us we do not work our selves into them So we read of Paul's Rapture 2 Cor. 12.2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven Whether these things were framed by way of Representation to the Soul or whether the Soul were for a time separated from the Body and was transported into Heaven Paul himself was at a loss and could not determine and resolve the Case 2. These Dispensations may still be though not in the same height and manner which the Apostles enjoyed God may do it still for he is left to the Liberty and Soveraignty of his own Dispensations and though Sight and the Beatifical Vision and Contemplation be the Happyness of the next World yet in some measure God may begin it here that his Children may enter into their Inheritance by Degrees and may be before-hand led into the Suburbs of Heaven As a Father gives the Child not only a part of the Estate but sometimes the Liberty of the whole House so God may give us here in this World not only those more Temperate Enjoyments of Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and the first Fruits of the Spirit but he may lead us into the Suburbs of Heaven and put us above the Clouds into the Glory of the World to come Though there may be such a Dispensation yet not in the same manner that the Apostles enjoyed it for that was peculiar to them and therefore when the Apostle Paul had reported his Rapture he pleaded that he had the Sign of an Apostle 2 Cor. 12.12 Truely the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds With these Raptures there was a Concomitant Revelation of the Will of God And they were for other ends these Raptures were not so much Excesses of Religion but Revelations for the great ends of the Gospel Iohn's Rapture was to receive the Visions of God for the Comfort of the Churches Peter's to go to the Gentiles Paul's that he might have Commission for the Apostleship and the Mark and Sign of an Apostle Therefore though God may use some such dispensation for we know not what he may do out of Soveraignty yet not in the same way and for the same end Those Raptures and Transportations which the Children of God now feel sometimes proceed from strong Pangs and Extasies of Love which for a while do suspend and forbid the distinct use of Reason and cast the Soul into a quiet silent gaze Observe that Love where it is moderate venteth it self in thoughts and words and it is a great help to make the inward sense more acute and sharp but where it is vehement and strong it is contented with it self and satisfied with its own Heat Ardor and Intenseness therefore there is not such a distinct actual Discourse As when a Man huggeth and embraceth a Friend the closer he huggeth him the less distinctly doth he behold and take a view of him so in the embraces of Love when the Soul falleth into the Arms of Christ and claspeth about Christ with the Arms of its own Love it hindreth the distinct Exercise of Reason and those Offices of Discourse by which the Soul would otherwise reflect upon him A Man that desireth a Precious Jewel at first he vieweth it with greediness and delight but afterwards he layeth it up in his Bosom and wholly pleaseth himself in the possession of it so the Soul that thirsts after Christ pleaseth it self in the consideration of his Beauty and Perfection and dwells upon it with Religious thoughts but afterwards Love growing very strong and being heightned unto the utmost degree shutteth the Eyes of our Souls and we only please our selves in a more intimate feeling and in the sweetness of our embraces Great and high Affections must needs hinder the use of Reason because all our strength and vigour runneth out into one faculty and then such a poor limited Creature as Man is cannot attend other Offices and Employments of the Soul It is very notable in the whole Life of Christ that he had no Extasie Propter maximam capacitatem supernaturalem animae because of the extraordinary perfection of his Person and the large Capacity of his Soul he had a Transfiguration yet all the while in the midst of that he had a temperate use of Reason Matth. 17. The Disciples were indeed suprised by those glimpses and emissions of his Glory they were overwhelmed so that they fell on their faces and were sore afraid verse 6. Poor Man being of a lesser Capacity cannot suffer such a feeling and high tyde of Affection without some Transportation and Ravishment beyond the support of Reason for the strength and vigour of his Soul is melted out to Christ in Love Now the Soul being of a limited Power and Capacity the more strongly it attendeth one Office and Function the less can it serve others Look as a Flame when it ascendeth endeth in a point and groweth narrower and thinner so such high Flames and such glorious Ascents of Affection usually mind but one thing and do not permit the Soul any variety of discourse but fix it in one thought and in one study and deliberate gaze 4. Usually such experiences of Gods Children are given in to them in the most Social Duties As in the time of Prayer Peter's trances fell upon him in Prayer Ordinary Extasies carry some proportion with that which is Extraordinary and usually the Soul flames out to God and breaks forth in Religious Ascents in the time of Prayer And so such strong Affection over-sets the Soul in the time of the Lords Supper Cant. 5.1 Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Be drunk with Loves that whole Song concerneth our Communion with Christ in Heaven and in the Ordinances above all in the Ordinance of the Supper which is the pledge of Heaven So also in the height of Meditation when the Soul hath been spent and much exercised it self in that work after the labour of Meditation God giveth in this silence and rest in the steady Contemplation of his Love and Glory and the mind being inflamed and heightened with Spiritual Thoughts and Exercises suffereth a kind of Transportation It is very notable that those Ravishments that were between Christ and the Spouse were in the Palm-tree Cant. 7.8 I said I will go up to the palm-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine and the smell of thy nose like apples There Christ would satisfie himself with the Churches
Breasts and there she should be satisfied with his Love The Palm-tree hath a long naked bark and carryeth all its Leaves Branches and Fruits upwards it noteth the Religious Ascent of the Soul in Spiritual Exercises when the thoughts do not run out in under-wood and lower branches in Earthly Thoughts and Carnal Distractions Well then in the top of the Palm-tree there we taste the sweetness of Christ and the Soul is ravished and spiritually made drunk with the Clusters of his Grapes 5. These Experiences where God seeth fit to give them are given to Persons of much Holyness and Religion Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Those bright and clear Souls are more fit to enjoy the sight of God when by constant and dayly Exercise the Heart hath been subdued to a Religious frame the Lord may then give in those ravishing sweets and those gazes upon his Beauty and Glory There are degrees in the sense of Gods Love Hypocrites have but a taste and a little sip as the Merchant that selleth Wine will give a taste to those that do but cheapen it Christians whose Spirits are not defecated or cleared from the Clouds of Passion or purged from the dreggs of Carnal Interests seldom meet with those sweet and rich Experiences to such an intimate discerning the Senses had need be exercised The Lute had need be rightly strung and tuned that maketh a ravishing Melody easy lazy and gross Hearts feel none of these rapt motions and strong qualms of Affection God usually gives them to those that are purged and purified 6. These rich Experiences are very fleeting and vanishing and but now and then bestowed We have not such high Experiences under Lock and Key and at the Command of our own Endeavours God gives them when he seeth fit and when he pleaseth they pass away again If they were constant and God should continually pour in the Vessel would break and the Soul could not sustain it self under the burden of it The Disciples in the Transfiguration were astonished and fell down for fear they could not bear the Glory though but for a little while Matth. 17.6 And when the disciples heard it they fell on their faces and were sore afraid Our present State is not capable of these Transports long the Soul is not extended and enlarged to such a Capacity and Fitness neither is the Body qualified We are in the Animal State now the deliberate Contemplation is our Portion in Heaven when Sin and Weakness is done away and when we have that which the Apostle calls a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15.44 That is a Body fit for those high Communications and for the continual Presence of God This is an extraordinary Indulgence which if continued would destroy and abrogate the Oeconomy and Dispensation of Grace This pause of Reason upon the Majesty of God and the Glory of Heaven is somewhat like the Suns standing still in Ioshua's time which if it were so alwayes would burn up the frame of Nature therefore God hath ordained that it should rowl hither and thither Motion and Change is fitter for this State to which God hath subjected us 7. Such ravishing Experiences are not to be sought for but referred to the good pleasure of God We cannot pray for them in Faith having no promise of them and we must not be too hasty to eat of the Fruits of Paradise before our time It is enough for us to go to Heaven in the usual Road-way and not like Elijah in a Fiery Chariot Look as in outward things we are not to desire Riches but a Competency if God casteth them in upon our Endeavours we should be thankful so in Meditation we must mind those Enjoyments which are more Temperate and leave other things to God It is good to content our selves with Grace and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost though we have not those Transports and high Extasies of Love and Affection We must not tempt God with immodest Requests and Expectations but sit down humbly and quietly and if the Master of the Feast bid us to sit higher and call us to a more choice Dispensation well and good These Experiences are not to be ranked among Duties but among Enjoyments we shall not be called to an account for the want of them for we are not obliged to pursue them they are Acts of Gods Magnificence and Indulgence to the Soul Many times Christians oppress their Souls by their indiscreet aims it is good to keep an even hand that we may not vex our selves with the disappointment of a rash and foolish Trust. Some are altogether careless and content themselves with any frame of Spirit in Worship others are not satisfied but with extatick and rapt Motions Look as it is with a Lute-string if it be too slack it doth not sound at all if it be too high stretched it is hoarse and screeking so it is with our Souls in Duty when we are careless there is no Melody made to God but if we be too high strained then the Soul is oppressed with its own Aimes and with a pursuit of things above our reach the temperate middle way should be our aim 8. Upon all such Experiences we should be careful and watch our Hearts because many times herein we delude our selves we call that a Rapture which is but the suppositions of a troubled Fancy or some Fanatick Delusions by which Satan abuseth an over-credulous and superstitious Soul Dotage many times passeth under the pretence of Vision and the Extravagancies of a wild Zeal seemeth Rapture Alwaies observe their End and Scope if they end in Pride and prove a Temptation they are from the Devil and not from God Experiences from God enlarge our Hearts for Service and make us more humble as the highest flames tremble most These Souls that are called to the highest enjoyments are most humble It is true we are apt to be pufft up with a Revelation from God as Paul was pufft up with the abundance of Revelations but there was a subsequent Dispensation some cross to humble him 2 Cor. 12.7 And least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me least I should be exalted above measure This is through the Corruption of our Nature which God preventeth in his Children by such Dispensations But if it tendeth to make us neglect Piety and to be above Duties it is against the Nature of Religion which presseth us to wait upon God with the more encouragement because we have already discerned his Beauty and Glory Psal. 63.2 To see thy power and glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary Thus I have done with this Case in which I have been in the high Mountains I shall come to the Valleys which as they are more easie of ascent so usually they are more fruitful What follows will be more plain
SERMON V. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide 4. Case WHEN must we Meditate 1. In the General something should be done every day seldom Converse begetteth a strangeness to God and an unfitness for the Duty It is a Description of Gods Servant Psalm 1.2 His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night At least we should take all convenient occasions It is an usual way of Natural Men to make Conscience of Duties after a long neglect they performe Duties to pacifie a Natural Conscience and use them as a Man would use a sleepy Potiori or Strong Waters they are good at a pinch not for constant Drink Alass we lose by such wide gaps and distances between performance and performance it is as if we had never done it before 2. For the particular time of the day when you should meditate that is Arbitrary I told you before you may do it either in the silence of the Night when God hath drawn a Curtain of Darkness between you and the things of the World or in the freshness of the Morning or in the Evening when the Wildness and Vanity of the Mind is spent in Worldly Business 3. There are some special solemne times when the Duty is most in season As 1. After a working Sermon after the Word hath fallen upon you with a full stroak it is good to follow the blow and when God hath cast Seed into the Heart let not the Fowls peck it away Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart Ruminate on the Word chew the Cud many a Sermon is lost because it is not whet upon the Thoughts Iames 1.23 24. He is like a man that beholdeth his Natural face in a glass For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was Matth. 22.22 When they heard these things they marvelled and left him and went their way You should rowl the word in your thoughts and deeply consider of it 2. Before some solemn Duties as before the Lords Supper and before special times of deep Humiliation or before the Sabbath Meditation is as it were the breathing of the Soul that it may the better hold out in Religious Exercises it is a good preparative to raise the Spirits into a frame of Piety and Religion When the Harp is fitted and tuned it doth the better make Musick so when the Heart is fixed and setled by a preparative Meditation it is the fitter to make Melody to God in Worship 3. When God doth specially revive and enable the Spirit It is good to take advantage of the Spirits gales so fresh a Wind should make us hoise up our Sails Do not lose the Spirits Seasons the Spirits Impulses are good significations from God that now is an acceptable time 5. Case What time is to be spent in the Duty I Answer That is left to Spiritual Discretion Suck the Teat as long as Milk cometh Duties must not be spun out to an unnecessary length You must neither yield to laziness nor occasion Spiritual wearyness the Devil hath advantage upon you both wayes when you rack and torture your Spirits after they have been spent it makes the Work of God a Bondage And therefore come not off tiâ—l you find profit and do not press too hard upon the Soul nor oppress it with an indiscreet Zeal It is Satans Policy to make you out of Love with Meditation by spinning it out to a tediousness and an unnecessary length 6. Case Whether should the time be set and constant I Answer It is good to bind the Heart to somewhat and yet leave it to such a liberty as becomes the Gospel Bind it to somewhat every day that the Heart may not be loose and arbitrary we see that necessity quickneth and urgeth and when the Soul is engaged it goes to work the more throughly Therefore the Lord asks Ier. 20.21 Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me It is good to lay a tye upon the Heart and yet I advise not to a set stinted Hour lest we create a snare to our selves Though a Man should resist Distractions and Distempers yet some business is unavoidable and some Distempers are invincible I have observed this that even Religious Persons are more sensible of their own Vowes then of Gods Commands when Men have bound up themselves in Chains of their own making their Consciences fall upon them and dogg them with restless Accusations when they cannot accomplish so much Duty as they have set and prescribed to themselves And besides when Hours are customary and set the Heart groweth formal and superstitious 7. Case Are all bound to meditate Are the Ignorant Are Men of an unquiet Nature Are Servants Are Ministers 1. Are the Ignorant and Men of barren Minds that have not a good stock of Knowledge I answer Yes they are bound to this as well as other Duties though they cannot do it well it is their Duty to strive that the Word of God may dwell richly in them It is a mark of a Godly Man every Man is bound to be skilful in the Scriptures Ier. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. God hath no Child so little but he knows his Father therefore all are bound in some measure to be able to discourse of God and of the things of God 2. But some are of an unquiet Nature fit for Publick Duties but not for Private Exercises are they bound as well as those of softer Spirits and fitter for Meditation I answer This is not Temper but Distemper the unquiet Spirit must not totaliter cessare wholly discontinue this work They are to mind wherein they may serve God most but not totally desist from a work so necessary and of such great importance 3. Are Servants bound to it whose time is not their own I Answer They should do what they can God is more merciful to them but those that are in bondage to others may find some leisure for God 4. Are Ministers obliged Their whole work is a Study their Imployment is a continual Meditation I Answer There is a difference between Meditation and Study In Study we mind the good of others in Meditation the good of our own Souls Things work with us according to our end and the aims that we propose to our selves Things work with us according to our end and the aims that we propose to our selves Publick Teaching is no such Tryal of our Hearts there is a Natural Pride in us to urge us to teach others and that makes so many intrude into the Ministry there is some kind of Authority in it that we exercise over others but we are to mind the good of our own Souls and to regard
wisely ordered and guided by Reason Sound Conviction by Gods Blessing doth the work or else they rest in generals they are not serious particular practical Discourses brought home to their own case against the Sin they are strugling with Lusts take the Throne by turns and that our thoughts may fall with the greatest sense and feeling upon our Souls it is good to bend the strength of our Thoughts against our Iniquity It is good to be particular to fetch the aggravations of Sin out of thine own Heart or else Men soar high and in affected Strains To draw an Arrow alwaies to the head breaketh the Bow Sin Christ Heaven and Hell admit of an Hyperbole but yet a Man may strain too much that a Soul may be discouraged by it and much hurt may be done Men look upon Matters of Religion as abstracted Ideas and high strains and matters of Fancy certainly the more Simple and Natural your Thoughts are the more working Forced high flown Arguments if they raise the Affections it is but like fire in stubble that flashes for the present not like a Fire furnished with fit Materials that yields a constant heat Modest Arguments fitted to our present State do better I will bring it to the matter in hand Men usually overlash while they should set out Sin as exceeding heinous and forget those Material and Natural Arguments that should work the Soul into an hatred of it That saying of Anselm is justly censured by Mr. Fox Si hic peccati pudorem illic inferni horrorem c. If here were the filthyness of Sin and there were the horrors of Hell I had rather be in Hell without Sin than in Heaven with it These Expressions do not come from a Modest Vertue but the over-daring of Fancy and besides they leave a Snare and Temptation upon weak Christians God doth not put us to that Tryal to choose Hell or Sin and as Mr. Fox urgeth God in the Gospel will bring Sinners though sanctified to Glory Or else if they use solid Reasons and Arguments they rest in their own Discourse and Reason and then it is said Iob 6.25 What doth your arguing reprove II. Having promised these Observations I will give you a few Arguments whereby you may come to understand a little of that evil that there is in sin And they shall be drawn 1. From the Nature of Sin 2. From the Effects of Sin 3. From the Circumstances and Aggravations wherewith Sin may be cloathed 1. From the Nature of Sin and so it may be considered as to God and as to our selves 1. Consider the Nature of Sin as to God 1. It is an aversion from God a turning from the chiefest good to the chiefest evil The very Nature of Sin is Punishment enough to it self it is Misery enough to depart from God the Center of Rest and the Fountain of Life and Blessing It is a dishonour to God and a disadvantage to our selves A dishonour to God to prefer carnal sweets and the satisfaction of Sin before the comforts of his Presence and yet this is the root of every Sin 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God Every Natural Man loves the pleasure of Sin more than Communion with God You are angry at Iudas for betraying Christ and at the Iews for preferring Barabbas before Christ a Murderer before a Saviour and yet you do the same almost every day Iob 15.11 What doth thine heart carry thee away and what do thine eyes wink at You forfeit the best things for the basest as Children part with a Pearl for an Apple or a Nut. Nay I may go higher it is a preferring the Devil before God Sins are called his Lusts Iohn 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father you will do and Duty is enforced by Gods Law and will you gratifie the Devil and displease God you will find him to be an ill Master at length He that now tempts will hereafter accuse and that for this very thing that you were so easie to be intreated to leave God and follow him as Austin brings him in pleading against us to God Though thou didst try him by thy Grace and divert him by thy Law though thy Son did dye for him yet he would not be thine and therefore let him be mine I never dyed and shed my Blood for him I could not promise him Heaven and Glory I only brought him the bait and temptation and he easily hearkned unto me when the Tempter shall thus become an Accuser you will know what it is to turn from God and to prefer the Devil before a Saviour Then it is a great disadvantage to your selves you turn your back upon your own happyness Sin will make you shy of Gods Presence and it will make you hated of God that he will not endure your Presence he will have no Communion with you nor you with him It is the Comfort of Gods Children whatever befals them in the World that they can go in secret and their Eyes can pour out Tears to God but now God will turn away from you God who is the Center of your Rest the God of your Mercies and then to whom will you unbosome your selves Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear They set you at a distance from God and God at a distance from you Oh reason thus with your selves shall I commit that which will cause me not to endure God nor God to endure me That I shall not care to have to do with him nor he with me Sin has alwaies been attended with a casting out from God it cast the Angels out of Heaven where God is present in a glorious manner it cast Adam out of Paradise where God was present by his owe Image and it cast Cain out of the Church where God was present in his Ordinances and Worship and it will make God cast you out as an abominable branch If you are not sensible of this at present yet you will be sensible hereafter when God shall say Depart ye cursed 2. It is enmity against God It is not only a turning from God but an opposition to and turning against God Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be The more the Heart is set upon Sin the more it hateth God formally or virtually The Soul hates God as a Lawgiver though not as a Creator because he comes in with a restraint between us and our Carnal Desires Col 1.21 You were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by your mind in wicked works because your minds were set upon wicked works you were vexed God should restrain your desires for we cannot endure one should restrain the Exercise of our Carnal Affections Now
hanging upon a Tree We should look upon Christ crucified as if the thing were now a doing before our Eyes Gal. 3.1 Before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified before you Though it be past long ago it is present to Faith For he is lifted up that by the Eye of Faith we should look to him and see not only the thing but the end use and vertue of this Mistery The Brazen Serpent was a sufficient Remedy for the stung Israelites none that looked towards it perished the Cure never failed and Jesus Christ lifted up and being eyed is sufficient to cure the guilt of Sin and pain of Conscience through Sin and to heal our Diseased Souls and free them from the power of Corruption For being made a Curse for us the Blessing cometh freely upon the believing Gentiles even the gift of the Spirit Isa. 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 2. The Superexcellency of Christ above this and all the Shadows and Types of him The Type doth express the thing signified but yet the Truth doth much exceed the Shadow The Brazen Serpent was but a Sign of Salvation so called in the Book of Wisdom chap. 16.6 But Christ is the Author of Salvation Heb. 5.9 The Serpent benefitted only the Israelites but Christ all Nations both Iew and Gentile Isa. 11.10 In that day there shall be a root of Iesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious It freed them from present Death but yet so that they might dye by other means but Christ hath freed us not only from the Death of the Body but of the Soul and this for ever as in the Text That they should not perish but have everlasting life So Iohn 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye There Natural Life is preferred but for a while here Eternal Life obtained This benefit might last for a day or two but Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Christ ever retaineth his healing Vertue This was but a piece of Brass while they lodged it in the Temple but Christ is a Mediator to all Eternity It was a great wickedness to worship the Brazen Serpent therefore Hezekiah broke it in pieces when once he understood the People to be guilty of that Idolatry 2 Kings 18.4 He brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made for unto those dayes the children of Israel did burn incense to it and he called it Neâ—ushâ—an or a piece of Brass but it is our Duty to worship Christ All men must honour the Son as they honour the Father Iohn 5.23 And Heb. 1.6 Let all the angels of God worship him Phil. 2.9 10. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow When the Israelites worshipped the Brazen Serpent it was broken in pieces but they shall be broken in pieces themselves that deny Christ his due Worship Psalm 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel Dan. 2.44 And in the dayes of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and shall stand for ever The Kingdom that will not submit to him shall be broken in pieces Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Thus it sets forth Christ. 3. Faith is set forth or the Way and Means how we come to have benefit by Christ. It is not enough to look to what Christ hath done but what we must do that we may be partaâ—ers of him The way of Cure was by a look so it is believing in him that bringeth home the Blessing to our Souls From this Type we learn 1. The necessity of Faith None had benefit by the Brazen Serpent but those that looked on it The Promise was made to those that observed the Command Numb 21.8 Every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live If a Man turned away his Eyes and refused Gods Remedy the biting was Mortal to him As there is a necessity Christ should die so there is a necessity you should believe for besides Impetration there must be Application and the work of the Spirit is as necessary to apply Grace as the work of the Mediator to obtain Grace for us A deep well will do you no good without a Bucket nor the purchase of Salvation unless you apply it 2. An Incouragement of Faith 1. To broken-hearted Sinners if you are stung with Sin you may look to Christ. It was ground enough for any bitten Israelite to look to this Brazen Serpent because he had need he found himself bitten and thirsted for cure by this appointed means A felt Sense of Sin is warrant enough to look to Christ as the offered remedy Look not altogether to your soar to your sins but to Christ as the means of healing Indeed there must be a feeling and a sense of Sin or else there is no work for Christ to do what should an hail Israelite do with the Brazen Serpent Their looking began in a sense of pain none troubled their Thoughts about it till they were stung Compunction goeth before Faith The Israelites cryed out Oh! What shall we do for these fiery Serpents So Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do An impoisoned dagger was flung into their Souls and then What shall we do The Goaler came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs what must I do to be saved Acts 16.29 30. And they said verse 31. Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Only look upon the Serpent A Sinner must first feel himself a Sinner before he will or can come to Christ but then come The son of man is lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Some that know not themselves believers have been welcome to Christ but never any that know not themselves Sinners 2. To lapsed Believers The Serpents were left to sting the Israelites while they were in that place only the Brazen Serpent was lifted up God did not presently take away the Serpents only he gave a Remedy for such as were bitten Sin is not abolished but whilest we are in this Station the Remedy is still offered we are never so cured but we may be bitten again The disobedient Israelites needed this Motive and Chastisement to keep them in
doth not only overtake them but they had waited long for a change of condition 3. When we are perplexed and imbrangled in our troubles and miss the true way of support under them We are said to walk in darkness when we want either the light of direction or consolation I. The Light of Direction And this will respect either to the understanding of our outward and common affairs or with respect to our Duty towards God under such Afflictions 1. As to the understanding or right management of our common affairs being troubled and amazed we are not able to take any good counsel and advice Isa. 59.10 We grope for the Wall like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes we stumble at Noon-day as in the Night So Job 5.14 They met with darkness in the day time and grope in the Noon-day as in the Night It is a great judgment of God upon a People when counsel is perished from them and they have not the judgment of ordinary Men. It is threatned as a punishment on the disobedient Deut. 28.29 Thou shalt grope at Noon days as the blind gropeth in darkness and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways and thou shalt only be oppressed and spoiled evermore and none shall save thee Now thus it often befalleth the People of God for their disobedience they know not what course to take for their common safety 2. The next is a greater evil when we understand not our Duty towards God and the reason of our troubles It is some comfort to a Child of God when he knoweth his Duty under such a condition a speaking rod though it be smart is more comfortable than a dumb rod Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest him out of thy Law Our advantage cometh not by being Afflicted but by being instructed in our Afflictions when the rod maketh us tractable and pliable to Gods counsel Job 36.10 He openeth their ears to discipline and 15. He openeth their ears in oppression It is the property of beasts to feel the smart of the rod but men Especially Good men should know the use of the rod. Our condition is not altogether dark when God hath humbled and instructed his People under his chastnings that they may get good by their chastnings but when they are still in the dark as to the reason and end of their troubles it is the more grievous II. When we want the light of consolation And that two ways either by present Experience of Gods Love or Hopes of future Deliverance 1. As to present experience of Gods Love Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in Tribulation also knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope And Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us It is promised to the upright that Light shall arise to them in obscurity Psal. 112 4 Vnto the upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness Now it 's very sad and afflicting to them when they cannot get a comfortable and satisfactory sight of Gods Love to them or Presence with them or Mindfulness of them in their Afflictions but he hideth himself from them This is the bitterest ingredient in their Sorrows that God hideth his face from them they should not else resent so much other Sorrows The favour of God is the Godly mans choice Psal. 4.6 7 Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine increased And their Life Psal. 30.5 In his favour is Life And therefore they cannot but be most affected with the sense of the want of it This is the trouble of their trouble and maketh their darkness to become thick darkness 2. As to future deliverance when they cannot look through the cloud of present trouble with any hope of relief or have not any probable appearance of any good Issue Psal. 74.9 We see not our Signs there is no more any Prophet neither is theâ—e among us any that knoweth how long This is very sad Troubles that have an end are the better born but when we are altogether puzled when we think of a remedy and an escape then we are overwhelmed like a man ship-wracked and swimming for Life in the vast Ocean and sees no banks or land near II. The Reasons why this may befall the People of God There are reasons on Man's part and on God's part First On Man's part 1. The astonishing power of sore troubles Psal. 60.3 Thou hast shewed thy People hard things thou hast made us to drink of the Wine of astonishment They are amazed with afflictions like unto a Man that hath drank some intoxicatiâ—g drink which had put him besides himself They are in the dark about Gods mind in such dispensations and wonder why God suffereth his People whom he hath Chosen and Loved to go to ruine especially by the malignity of instruments more wicked than themselves When the wicked devoureth the Man â—hat is mâ—re righteous than he Hab. 2.13 2. From that weakness bondage and legal dejection which yet remaineth upon their Spirits so that they are not able to look beyond their present condition and if it be evil they make it worse by their own apprehensions and diffidence It is dark now and therefore they think it will never be day they see not God for the present and therefore they conclude they shall not see him As in prosperity Gods Children are apt to promise themselves too great a stability and continuance Psal 30.6 In my Prosperity I said I shall never be moved So in Adversity they are no less ready to heighten their trouble by fearful apprehensions of the perpetuity thereof Psal. 77.7 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgot to be gracious Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Trouble of our own making breedeth the greatest dejectâ—on They mistake Gods dispensation and make their present condition sadder and worse than indeed it is It would ease us of our greatest pressures if we would look off a little from the present and consider how God can work contrary to our probabilities and fears Contrary to our probabilities Zech. 8.6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this People in these days should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of Hosts And contrary to our fears Isa. 51.12 13. I even I am he that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Son of man which shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth And hast feared
blessings indeed by an holy Education Oh it will be a great happiness to be Parents to such as shall be Heirs of Glory As Children ought to be looked upon as a great mercy so also as a great trust which as it is managed may occasion much joy or much grief If Parents doat upon them they make them Idols not servants of the Lord If they neglect Education they will surely prove crosses and curses to them or if they taint them by their example Young ones are very apt to follow the example of those they see or converse with or are related to them Those Forty two Children 2 Kings 2.23 24. That were devoured of two She-Bears and cryed Bald pate to the Prophet of the Lord were Children of Bethel which was a nest of Idolatry Therefore Parents had need see what example they give or suffer to be given to their Children in contemning the Servants of the Lord or in any other kind of sin 3. Reproof to Children born of Godly Parents and notwithstanding dedication and education break out into unseemly and wicked courses For Children born in a godly Family to be naught is the greatest degeneration that can be Ungodly Children of godly Parents these wrest themselves out of the Arms of mercy and instead of a blessing become a burden and a curse They cast off their Fathers God Prov. 27.10 Thine own Friend and thy Fathers Friend forsake not But what shall be said of them that forsake their Fathers God They break off and interrupt the course of the Blessing Jer. 2.12 13. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my People hath committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living water and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that will hold no water He would have the Sun to look pale the spheres to cast out their stars Wilt thou be a Traytor to thy Fathers God Solomon continued allyance with Hyram because he had been a Friend to David And wilt thou break off the Grace of the Covenant Cain excomunicated himself Gen 4.16 Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. Ishmael for scoffing malignity against the power of godliness was cast out of Abrahams Family Gen 21.9 Esau for sensual prophaneness Heb. 12.15 Despising Spiritual priviledges for sensual satisfactions The Jews were cast off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for unbelief Rom. 11.20 or positive rejection of the Gospel Christ made them the first offer 2. Vse To exhort Parents to bring up their Children for God For if they be an heritage from the Lord they must be an heritage to the Lord give them up to Him again as you had them from Him at first For whatever is from Him must be improved for Him Dedicate them to God and Educate them for God and he will take possession of them in due time Hannah though her Son were a Levite born and her eldest Son yet she Solemnly Dedicateth him to God 2 Sam. 1.27 28. I Prayed for this Child and the Lord hath given me my Petition which I asked of him therefore I have lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. Give God his portion Now if the Dedication be sound it will ingage you to a serious Education God dealeth with us as Pharaoh's Daughter did with Moses his Mother Exod. 2.9 Take this Child away and Nurse it for me Motives 1. The express charge of God who hath made it your Duty Ephes. 6.4 Fathers bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Deut. 6.7 These words shalt thou teach diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Now we should make Conscience of these commands as we will answer it to God another day 2. The example of the Saints who have been carefull to discharge this trust God presumeth it of Abraham Gen 18.19 For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Observe God reckoneth upon it and disappointment is the worst vexation And it is a means to obtain the Promise and the blessing 2 Tim. 3.15 And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures How by his Grandmother Lois and Mother Eunice as is expressed elsewhere Surely they are unworthy to have Children that do not take care that Christ may have an interest in them 3. The importance of this Duty Next to the preaching of the Word the Education of Children is one of the greatest Duties in the World For the service of Christ and of the Church and State dependeth upon it Families are the Seminaries of Church and Common-Wealth Religion dwelt first in Families and as they grew into numerous Societies they grew into Churches As Religion was first hatched there so there the Devil seeketh to Crush it The Families of the Patriarchs were all the Churches God had in the World And therefore when Cain went out of Adam's Family he is said to go out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4 16. If the Devil can subvert Families other Societies and Communities will not long flourish Towns and Nations are made up of families A fault in the first Concoction is not easily mended in the second Here is the first making or marring And Solomon telleth us Prov. 20.11 That even a Child is known by his doings 4. To countermine Satan who hath ever envyed the succession of Churches and the growth and progress of Christs Kingdom and therefore seeketh to crush it in the Egg by seeking to pervert Persons while they are young and like wax capable of any form and impression As Pharaoh would destroy the Israelites by killing their Young ones So Satan who hath a great spight at the Kingdom of Christ knoweth there is no such compendious way to subvert and overcome it as by perverting Youth and supplanting Family Duties He knoweth that this is a blow at the root Therefore what care should Parents take to season Children with holy Principles that they may overcome the wicked one by the word of God abiding in them 1 John 2.14 I have written unto you Young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one And cleanse their Hearts by a regard to Scripture direction Psal. 119.9 Wherewithal shall a Young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word They are defiled already not as Vessels taken out of the Potters shop but as Vessels tainted and polluted 5. To make good
worldy Spirit we are not fit for Christ 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit of God So much as the Spirit of the World is deadned in us so far doth Christ prevail upon us So for the Flesh Men are given up to their own Hearts Lusts till God changeth them and care not for God nor Christ and his Salvation bruitish Appetite and Sense governeth them But what will be the issue of these things see Rom. 8 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die Well then to bring us back again to God that we may totally resign up our selves to him you see what a power is necessary to vanquish the Devil and save us from the World and change our own Flesh by his Spirit 4. It informeth us of the reason why so many Nations shut the Door against Christ or else grow weary of him you see frequently Men can bear any Religion rather than Christianity in its power sottish superstitions such as were practised and in vogue among the Gentiles Popery which is palliated Atheism or Gentilism trick'd up in a Christian dress and form half Christianity the form not the power priviledges not the duties The World disputeth it with Christ by inches what 's the reason His Spiritual Kingdom which is not calculated for the interest of the Carnal World and altogether draweth us to an Heavenly Life and State those that submit to it or would speak of it exasperate the World against them as upbraiding their course of Life 5. It informeth us how ill they deal with Christ who have only notional opinions about his Authority but never practically submit to it Many will say we must receive Christ as a King as well as a Priest and Prophet but do we live accordingly Luke 6.46 why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Professed opinions unless followed with suitable actions are but a mockage of Christ and a cheat and fallacy that we put upon our selves A mockage of Christ Cui res nomini subjecta negatur is nomine illuditur He that wants the thing signified by the name is deceived by the name They did little honour to Christ who Buffeted Him and Spit upon him and all the while cried Hail King of the Iews so whilest we call him Lord and King but make little Conscience of his Precepts we deny him the honour in deeds which in words we ascribe to him So that a practical sense of Christs Authority and Right to Govern should be deeply impressed upon our Hearts When is it practical when it breedeâ—h an awe upon us and checketh sin As the Rechabites were afraid to transgress the commandment of their Father Ier. 35.6 They said We will Drink no Wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying Ye shall Drink no Wine neither ye nor your Sons for ever So Ioseph Gen. 39.9 when Tempted by his Mistress to lye with Her he repels the Temptation saying How can I do this great Wickedness and Sin against God So all that have a reverence of their supream Lord you shall find that it works upon all occasions if tempted to Fleshly Lusts do this to please thy Flesh They answer as the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.12 We are debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh. If they be assaulted by the Persecutions of the World still they have the authority of the Great Lord If threatned for speaking in his Name and commanded not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus as the Apostles Peter and Iohn answered Acts 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God Iudge ye so I dare not obey the Wills of Men or the Inclinations of the Flesh but my Great Lord. If Satan would draw you to any Inconvenience answer as Christ Himself did to Peter dissuading Him from suffering Mat. 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. When there is something that doth constrain within us and urgeth us to a constant obedience For Christ that requireth us to die unto sin doth also require us to live unto Righteousness When the sense of this becomes as an Habit or new Nature in us or the principle of our course of living it puts the Soul upon obedience it constraineth us most powerfully to live in him and to him Col. 2.6 and 10. verse the 6th As ye have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walk ye in him ver 10. ye are compleat in Him and Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Vse 2. is Exhortation If we would distinguish our selves from the Carnal World let us resolve upon a thorough course of Christianity owning Christs authority in all things 1. If we be to begin and have hitherto stood against Christ Oh let us repent and reform and return to our Obedience Mâ—t. 18.3 Except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 2. Remember that Faith is a great part of your works from first to last Iohn 6.27 Iesus answered and said unto them This is the Work of God that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent All the Grace and Mercy of the new Covenant it is begun kept up and carried on by Faith we are sincerely to believe on Him before we can rightly obey him 3. Your obedience must be delightful and such as cometh from love 1 Ioh. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments Believers are not called to the Obedience of Slaves nor to be acted only by the fear of Hell but to the Obedience of Sons and Children that you may obey with love and delight Forced motives endure not long fears will abate and then your duty be neglected Love should be as a new Nature and the habitual constitution of our Souls and you should act not as driven to Obedience but as inclined to it and delighted in it Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy Will O God for this is a Soveraignty not forced upon us â—ut consented unto 4. Your Obedience must be very circumspect and accurate Heb. 12.28 Having received a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have Grace that we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear A Kingdom may be received either by a King to Govern or Subjects to be Governed a King to Govern Luke 19.12 A certain Nobleman went into a far Country to receive a Kingdom Or Subjects to be governed when we submit to the Sovereign to injoy the priviledges which belong to that Kingdom So we must serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear For boldness in Sinning and coldness in Duty is a depreciation of his Majesty He is
all at the last day In both these things the Angels are concerned in his conquests as Christ doth confound the wisdom of Men and Devils in maintaining and preserving his Church They are a part of Christ's Army and have a great respect to his Church Heb. 1.13 14. But to which of the Angels said he at any time Sit on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation They are some of God's Messengers that help to restore and recover Man from the power of the Devil and disdain not the Service Christ appoints them for lost sinners but have a great respect to his Church and the Assemblies of his People 1 Cor. 11.10 For this cause ought the Woman to have power on her head because of the Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee before God and the elect Angels For his Triumph with them Christ will appear at the end of the World when he hath won the Field and cometh in Triumph to confound his conquer'd Enemies 2 Thess. 1.7 The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels These things the Angels pry into so should we Secondly How 1. Accurately and Seriously Usually we content our selves with running cursory thoughts never sit and pause with our selves what manner of Saviour and Salvation this is what is required of them that would be partakers of it and so content our selves with a superficial view without an accurate inspection Slight and shallow apprehensions leave no impression on the Soul The Hen thaâ— often stragleth from her Nest suffereth her Eggs to chill We should dwell upon these things till they produce a clearer Knowledge a firmer Belief an higher Estimation a greater Admiration for this is to resemble Angels Eph 3.18 That we may comprehend with all Saints the depth and length and breadth and heighâ—h all which begets solid comforts when the mind is wholly taken up with other things the soundest Knowledge worketh not 2. Spiritually profitably practically Our business is not so much to know new truths about the Gospel as to know them in a more useful manner Let us pry into these things as the Angels do not to satisfie our curiosity with a little notional knowledge or out of pride that we may pertinently discourse of them or hold up an argument about them but that God may be glorified and admired in the Person of the Redeemer and our Souls delighted for our comfort and quickening and weaned from the vanities of the World ver 13. Wherefore gird up the Loins of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. Thirdly Why 1. Because it is an honourable imployment to look into the mysteries of Salvation and to be much conversant about them It will be a great part of our happiness and work in Heaven to behold Christ's Glory Iohn 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory All our Faith Hope and Labour tendeth to this The Queen of Sheba took a long journey to behold the Glory of Solomon which did so ravish her that her Spirit even fainted within her and yet that was but an Earthly Temporal Fading Glory But to behold the Majesty and Greatness which Christ our Redeemer hath at the Right Hand of God is the great work which we have to do to all Eternity Therefore now we should busie ourselves about these things that our Mouths may be filled with Praise and Thanksgiving 2. Because it is delightful to Gracious Hearts God findeth a delight in Christ and shall not we There is more in the Gospel than a vulgar Eye taketh notice of or our first apprehensions represent unto us shall Angels wonder at these things joy and delight in these things and shall we slight them Paul counted all things Dung in comparison of the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Phil. 3.8 and 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and Him Crucified Surely unless our thoughts are lawfully diverted or suspended we should think of no other thing Austin cast away Tully quia nomen Christi non erat ibi because the name of Christ was not in it 3. It is useful 1. That all created glory may wax dim and be more obscured in our Eyes their power is nothing their loveliness is nothing in comparison of Christ this should take up thy Soul and draw off thy observation from deluding vanities such as Riches and Honours and Pleasures As the light of a Candle is scarce seen when the Sun shineth brightly so all the tempting baits of the Flesh are nothing when the glories of Christ are considered by us See ver 13. Wherefore gird up the Loins of your Mind and be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. So for affrighting terrors what are Potentates and Powers to him All authorities and powers lawful or usurped must be subject to Christ 1 Pet. 3.22 Who is gone into Heaven and is at the right Hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him This promoteth the joy and constancy of Believers under sufferings 2. To draw out our Hearts after him Iohn 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked and he would have given thee living Water Looking after these things is in order to choice Mat. 13.45 46. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant Man seeking goodly Pearls who when he hath found one Pearl of great Price he went and sold all that he had and bought it What are all things in the World if set against Christ and his Salvation 3. That we should converse with him in holy duties with more reverence Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth Much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Now shall we scarce vouchsafe these things a serious thought The Angels are concerned in a way of duty not in a way of benefit It is their duty to worship Christ Heb. 1.6 And again when he brought his first begotten into the World he saith And let all the Angels of God Worship him but not by way of recovery and yet they desire to look into this Glorious Mystery A Sermon on GALATIANS V. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith IN the context the Apostle perswadeth the Galatians to stand fast in
of recovery for ever 2. God provideth great helps and means of Repentance for them For he hath sent his Messengers into all parts of the Earth and commanded every one to Repent and prepare for the judgment Act. 17.30 And the times of their ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to Repent because he hath appointed a day c. So that the World now perisheth for rejecting the means tending to recover them The sins of the Nations were not so great till God sent them the means When the Lord giveth any people the means to Repent their sin is the more aggravated and their judgment is the greater for the rejection of the means is a sin not only against our duty but our remedy and a vile ingratitude and obstinacy which hath no cloak and colour of excuse For though Men have an impotency of Nature and cannot convert themselves without the internal efficacy and power of the Holy Ghost yet the impotency of nature doth not necessitate men to wallow in a course of sin against the light of Conscience and to put away the means by which they might be reformed III. What encouragement there is from Gods long-suffering to induce Men to Repentance And 1. Gods forbearance and continuing of some Grace to us possesseth all Mens Minds with this apprehension that he is gracious merciful willing to be reconciled if we will but accept of terms agreeable to his glory and our good Therefore it is said that the goodness of God leadeth to Repentance Rom. 2.4 For wherefore should he defer vengeance and forbear so long to punish thy sinful course but only that thou mayest bethink thy self and make thy peace He could destroy thee in an instant and why doth he not but to see if thou wilt yet repent and love him and serve him If a Man were under a sentence of Death and the execution were delayed and put off from day to day would not he think it were a fit time to interpose by supplication and obtain his pardon Surely we should gather the like conclusion and make supplication to our Judge 2. The incouragement is the greater that we have not only time and life but many mercies forfeited mercies continued to us Such as food raiment friends house liberties health peace What do all these do but invite us to God For whosoever hath the Heart of a Man would be thankful to his benefactour Yea the very Beasts express a gratitude in their kind to them that feed them Isa. 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib The duâ—lest of the Bruit Beasts will take notice of such as feed them and make much of them And shall not we take notice of God and be obsequious to him from whom we have received all our supplies our Lord and Owner who hath fed us and most kindly intreated us Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man the Bands of love Unless we renounce humanity we cannot but look upon our selves as having strong bands upon us obliging us to duty and mindfulness of God 3. These mercies do not harden in their own nature but meerly by the sinners abuse of them For in their own nature they have a fitness and tendency to recover Men to the Love and Service of God but through our abuse they become snares and intangle us in the service of the Flesh. In the Creature there is something good to lead us up to God who is the first and chief good something imperfect uncertain and unsatisfactory to drive us off from it â—elf Is there any thing comfortable in the creature Whence came it Who put it there Common Mercies point to their Author if we would recollect our selves and receive them with thanksgiving Is there vanity and vexation in it Why is it but that the Creatures may not detain us from God that we may not sit on the Threshold when we may come before the Throne Our great fault is loving the Creature above the Creator Now the Creature is imbittered and is an occasion of so much vexation and trouble that we may not rest in it self All the good that is in the Creature is an image of that perfect good which is in God Now who would leave the substance to follow the Shadow As if a Virgin wooed should fall in love with the Messengers of a great King and despise the person himself There is a sweetness in these things mixed with imperfection the sweetness to draw us to God the imperfection to drive us off from the Creatures to make us look â—igher They do as it were say to us We cannot satisfie you you must seek for happiness in that God that made us and you Now Men are inexcusable if after all this they forsake God for the Creature Ier. 2.13 My People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no Water 4. God hath provided a remedy for us by Christ. Whereby he would astonishingly oblige Man to seek after his own Salvation Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life There is love to the World in it there is man-kindness in it Tit. 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward Man appeared A propitiation for the whole World 1 Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World Here is a sufficient foundation for this truth that whosoever believeth shall be saved If after all this Man shall be negligent vain careless unmindful of his misery or remedy his own Conscience will bear witness against him that the cause of his sin and the hinderance of his recovery is from himself and from his own obstinacy and impenitency Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy hope God is not to be blamed for our destruction it is of our own procuring There was help in God but they would not accept it 5. Affected scruples whether this be intended to us are a sin and do not disoblige us from our duty They are a sin because secret things do not belong to us but the open declarations of God concerning our duty Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong unto the Lord but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our Children Let us perform our duty and the secret purposes of God will be no bar and hinderance to us To betray a known duty by a scruple is the part of an erring and deceitful Heart God may do what he pleaseth but we must do what he hath commanded This is the only true principle that will inable us to carry our work through to the last 6. God hath appointed means which during the time of his patience are liberally vouchsafed to us and we being
righteousness for the remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3.25 In him God will satisfie his justice and accept of the believing Penitent He spared not his Son that he might spare us Rom. 8.32 He that spareth not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Isa. 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand In the same verse Christ's Bruises and our Salvation are called the pleasure of the Lord. The Lord was willing of both and well content with both 3. His gracious Covenant which may be considered 1. As to the terms or conditions it requires 2. As to the Penalties which God hath reserved a Liberty to inflict 1. As to the Terms or Conditions propounded it requireth Perfection and accepteth of Sincerity It requires Perfection Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect Surely the Covenant of Grace requireth Perfection for the righteous Law is Adopted into the frame of it as the rule of our duty otherwise our defects were no Sins and otherwise allowed failings were consistent with sincerity and where shall we then stop otherwise we were not obliged to strive after perfection for it were only a work of Supererrogation not of necessary Duty to press towards the mark Therefore certainly it doth invite us to the highest degree of Goodness and maketh Perfection it self our Duty And there is Mercy in it that our Duty and Happiness may agree and we may not have liberty to be bad and miserable but ever bound to our own felicity which consisteth in an exact Conformity to God and the most perfect subjection to him But yet it accepteth of Sincerity If our Hearts be upright with God and set to obey please and glorify him and we make it our main work so to do God will not enter into judgments with his Servants nor be strict to his Children nor condemn those that Love and Fear him 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his Heart to seek God the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary And the Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the people Therefore he taketh not advantage of our infirmities to ruine us Indeed as the Covenant commandeth Perfection it noteth our infirmities to humble us in order to our cure but as it accepteth of Sincerity Christ looketh not to our Infirmities as a Judge but as a tender Physician to rid us of them and free us from them more and more 2. As to the Afflictions and Penalties which God hath reserved a liberty to inflict notwithstanding the new Covenant they all infer his sparing of us for they are but Temporal Evils when we have deserved Eternal and the Temporal Evil is sent to prevent Eternal It is true they are merited by our Sin but yet they turn to our good They are in themselves the effects of God's displeasure and parts of our Misery but by them he speaketh to the Conscience of a Sinner and sealeth Instruction to our Hearts that we no longer deal perversly for the rod hath a voice Micah 6.9 Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it In short they are in themselves and in their own nature Evils of punishment but there property is changed and so they are acts of God's Faithfulness Psal. 119.75 I know O Lord that thy Iudgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me and they are sent to us as a needful Medicine Isa. 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his Sin And are profitable acts of God's Fatherly Discipline Heb. 12.10 For they verily for a few days chastned us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness Mercy turneth them to our benefit 'T is our part to seek after the benefit it is God's part to give it and to remove the affliction and that is his sparing Hic ure hic seca modo in Aeternum parcas or Burn me or Cut me or do what thou wilt with me here so thou spare me as to Eternal punishment said one of the Ancients 4. From his comfortable relation to us He is our Father and a Father will not be severe to his Children partly out of Instinct of Nature which inclineth the Bruits to their Young ones till they can shift for themselves and partly from Reason which should guide Men they being our own Flesh Blood and Bone a New and Second self the Child is the Father Multiplied and the Father Continued And partly out of Conscience of God's Command who hath injoyned this Duty on Parents to be tender of their Children Now if God be our Father and will take the relation upon himself he will do whatever this relation implieth Psal. 103.13 Like as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth thosâ— that fâ—ar him Yea whatever is in the Creature is ascribed to God per modum Eminentiae By way of Eminency Tam Pater nemo No one is so much a Father as God Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good Gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him So in the present case 1. There is sparing as to acceptance A Father if there be any blemish in his Child he will pity it and cover it He accepteth in good part the willingness of his Son to serve him though he through weakness fail in the exact manner of performance So our Heavenly Father accepteth of a willing and honest Heart though we come short of that perfection required in the Law His choice Servants have had their blemishes yet their merciful Father giveth them this commendation that they have have walked before him with a perfect Heart So doth God to David Asa and Iehosaphat 1 King 15.5 David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing which he commanded him save only in the matter of Uriah The brand of that wilful sin sticketh upon him but other things are passed by 2. There is God's sparing as to Punishment and Correction It is true that God hath reserved a liberty to scourge his Children but still he doth it as a Father Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth To spare the Rod is to spoil the Child but still he useth it as a Father which is seen partly because he cometh to it unwillingly There are Tears in his Eyes as it were when the Rod is in his hand Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men And partly because he doth it in measure and with great Moderation In chastising his people he dealeth otherwise with his People than
others to whom he hath not the like respect or relation He debateth with them in measure or with much moderation meting out their sufferings in a due proportion Isai. 27.8 In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth the rough wind in the day of the east wind He dealeth with them as a Father with others as a Judge with the one out of love with the other out of vindictive wrath Ier. 10.24 O Lord correct me but with Iudgment not in thine Anger lest thou bring me to nothing With his people not according to the strict rule of Law and Justice but according to his Wisdom and Love And Lastly because he soon relenteth Ier. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. What! is my dear Son my darling Child in such a sad condition Are these the Moanings of Ephraim Surely I am mindful of him my Bowels are towards him as those of a Mother towards her tender Child Thus God sheweth himself a Father IV. The qualification of the persons to whom God maketh this promise in the context They that feared the Lord and thought upon his name Those whom God owneth for his peculiar people See the same qualification Psal. 103.13 Like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth those that fear him 1. It is necessary for them For the best need to be spared as a Father spareth his own Son that serveth him or else what would become of them If they were not under such a pardoning Covenant How could they maintain any peace in their own Souls being guilty of so many daily failings which they resent more tenderly than others do fouler faults And that they are also more sensible of the effects of his Anger in his Providence for they dare not despise the chastening of the Lord but have a greater reverence for their Fathers Anger than the rest of the world have and therefore the Lord expresseth his Indulgence for their comfort and satisfaction Those that walk most closely with God and exactly according to Rule need Peace and Mercy Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God We still stand in need of Mercy free and undeserved Mercy that our failings may be pardoned our Persons and Duties accepted our Afflictions moderated and we may be accepted and go to Heaven at last 2. It is peculiar to them There is a conditional offer of Pardon to the wicked if they will repent but Fatherly dealing and Indulgence is assured to those who are admitted into God's Family He hath a paternal affection towards them and they have filial dispositions towards him And though he doth express his common Goodness and Bounty to all his Creatures yet his Special and Fatherly Love is to his Saints to whom he hath given a new Being and an Holy Nature The whole Commerce that is between God and them on God's part is Fatherly on their part Child-like on God's part in a way of Grace and Love pardoning their Sins and Frailties and their carriage is loving and obedient unto God Love is at the bottom of God's Dispensations towards them and at the bottom of their Duty unto God He loveth them as a Father and they love him as dear Children Fatherly benefits are fullest sweetest and surest and filial Duty is the choicest Now those that are not Children cannot look for a Child's portion Certainly the obstinate and impenitent are excluded Deut. 29.20 The Lord will not spare him but the Anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him But if any fear him and serve him they may hope for his Mercy Psal. 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy They that live in a constant Obedience to his Commands and an Holy Trust and Affiance in him not by any tenure of Merit in themselves but free and undeserved Mercy in him they are spared they are accepted yea they are Blessed and God delights in their welfare 3. It is congruous proper and suitable For this is God's end in sparing that he may be reverenced and feared Psal. 130.4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared He intended forgiveness as a new foundation of Obedience Love and Thankfulness that we should love him more because forgiven Be the more Holy because pardoned as she loved much because much was forgiven her Luke 7.47 Contempt and commonness of Spirit in dealing with God is the worst use we can make of it Therefore if there be no love to God nor reverence of him nor delight in him if you take the more liberty to Sin upon an hope that God will spare you and not be so severe to you though you indulge your selves in pleasig the Flesh These abuse his Grace and turn it into wantonness some more openly others more secretly as they are leavened with this Teint they draw incouragements from it to Sin and Folly whereas the true temper is to fear the Lord and his goodness Hos. 3.4 To have a deeper Reverence of God because of his Goodness in the new Covenant and his pardoning Mercy should be the great ingagement to Gospel-obedience 1. Use Is Caution and Warning to the People of God that they do not entertain jealousies of God as one that watcheth all opportunities and advantages against us to punish us as if he seemed to be glad at our halting No this is a Blasphemy against his Holy and Gracious Nature and a flat contradiction to the discoveries and expressions of his Love in his Covenant Yet such Thoughts are wont to haunt us Iob's words import little less Iob 4.16 17. For now thou numbrest my steps Dost thou not watch over my sin My transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sewest up mine iniquity He speaketh as if God severely marked and would strictly call his people to an account for all their sins This apprehension of God's severe dealing is very natural to us in our sore Affliction For Iob so speaketh as if God had strictly marked all his Sin and kept the Record sealed up in a Bag to make out his Process against him Obj. But what other Thoughts can we have when Troubles come thick and threefold and God seemeth to be reckoning with us for our Transgressions Answ. 1. God's sparing Mercy may sometimes be concealed and not alway visibly expressed to the Sense of the Believer and Faith should see Mercy in God's Heart when his Hand is heavy and smart upon us Iob 10.13 These things hast thou hid in thine heart I know that this is with thee What things Life and Favour and Gracious Supports and Visits of
every particular Circumstance 2. As he taketh notice of them so it is with Love Delight and approbation verba notitiae connotant affectus He embraceth them with special love delighteth in them as his peculiar people and approveth of them Knowing beareth this sense for approving as Pas. 1.6 The Lord knoweth the way of the Righteous but the way of the Ungodly shall perish So Matth. 7.23 I never knew you depart from me ye workers of Iniquity that is I do not approve you The Lord seeth and beholdeth them with Mercy and according to the gracious Tenor of the Evangelical Covenant he approveth and rewardeth all the good purposes and performances of the Godly Here the Lord rests in his Love Zeph. 3.17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty He will save thee He will rejoyce over thee with joy He will rest in his love He will joy over thee with singing as his peculiar people 3. Knowledge is put for the communication of saving Benefits Gal. 4.9 Now after ye have known God or rather are known of God Sinners in an unconverted estate are such of whom God taketh no notice and knowledge to wit so as to be familiar with them and to communicate saving Blessings to them But thus God knoweth his People that he will not suffer them to be taken out of his Hands 2. The Impression that suiteth with our part or our Duty in the Covenant Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity Where take notice 1. Of the description of the Parties concerned Whoso nameth the name of Christ That is maketh profession of being a Christian As the Wife is called by the name of her Husband Isa. 4.1 Only let us be called by thy name The Father's name is put on the Children Gen. 48.16 Let my name be named on them so every one that nameth the name of Christ that is so as to intitle himself to him to be one of his Disciples and Followers 2. The Duty required Let him depart from Iniquity Where note 1. That there is a Duty required of those that would possess those Blessed Priviledges Those that presume of their Election and cast away all care of Salvation and let loose the Reins to all Carnal Liberty they have no Title nor right to these Comforts No it belongeth to them who live in a Conscionable Obedience and careful endeavour to please God in all things No man immediately Knoweth his Election but by Holiness 1 Thess. 1.4 5. Knowing Brethren Beloved Your Election of God For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost We understand Things by their effects God carrieth on the Business of Salvation in such a manner that he will have his People co-operate by the power they have received from Him taking heed of all Things which are contrary thereunto both in Life and Doctrine Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure And 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure God's Counsel is fulfilled by means and we can have no knowledge but by the effect 2. How his Duty is Expressed Let him depart from Iniquity Not only retain the Faith and Profession of Jesus Christ but depart from all manner of Sin 1. The Thing quitted is Sin It is an Indefinite expression which implyeth all Sin not only Sensual Lusts as Voluptuous Living but Pride Ambition Contention Animosity Vain-Glory See Verses 21. and 22. of this Chapter If a Man therefore purge Himself from these he shall be a vessel unto Honour sanctified and 〈◊〉 for the masters use and prepared unto every good Work flee also Youthful Lusts but folâ—ow aftâ—r Righteousness Faith Charity Peace In short our Duty is to keep close to God and the departing from Iniquity is by sound Repentance at First and by 〈◊〉 Holiness of Life afterwards which are as the Gate and the Way 2. Though it belongeth to our Care yet God affecteth and worketh this Obedience in the Hearts of the Elect or his peculiar People they must attend upon this work but all is done by the Grace and Power of the Holy Ghost Heâ— 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Ieâ—â—â— that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Use. We learn hence two things 1. A comfortable dependance upon God till our Salvation be accomplished 2. The necessity of all holy Care and Diligence notwithstanding God's Undertaking in the Covenant 1. A comfortable dependance upon God till our Salvation be accomplished 1. You are his Psal. 119.94 I am thine save me 2. He knoweth you and will make a distinction between you and others Iohn 13.18 I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished 3. He that knoweth you is the Lord and what is too hard for the Lord His Divine Power can give you all things 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness And 2 Cor. 9.8 God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work 4. It is the Seal of his Foundation therefore he will unchangeably pursue what shall be for our good Isa. 14.27 The Lord of Hosts hath purposed and who shall disanul it Psal. 46.10 My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Iacob are not consumed We often complain as Israel of old My way is â—idden from the Lord and my judgment passed over by my God Isa. 40.27 He hath forgotten us in the throng of Business that is upon his Hands and taketh no notice of us But here is sufficient Encouragement for a dependance upon God The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth those that are his 2. We learn the necessity of all holy Care and Diligence notwithstanding God's Undertaking in the Covenant Qui fecit te sine te c. God that made thee without thee will not save thee without thee God that decreed the End decreeth also the Means 1. If you name the name of Christ there must be Holiness joyned with Profession otherwise you are a dishonour to him and make him the Minister of Sin Gal. 2.17 But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the minister of sin God forbid
want he thought of returning to his Father Luke 15.17 18 19. if our Ears be opened to Discipline we can own God in the humbling though not the comfortable way Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son Many that were never serious before are brought to bethink themselves in their Afflictions 1 King 8.47 48. Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives and repent and make supplications unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives saying We have sinned and have done perversly we have committed wickedness And so return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul. The Doors of God's Family are always open to believing Penitents and it is a Fatherly Providence at last Secondly What an advantage is it to Patience and submission to God 1. God's Fatherly Relation sheweth his Love to us and so we know that by all his Chastisements he doth but seek our spiritual and eternal Good Heb. 12.9 10. We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Children though they take it ill to be beaten by others yet they take it patiently when beaten for their faults by their Parents who under God are the cause of their Being and Maintenance and ever in correcting seek their good much more should we submit to our Heavenly Father Earthly Parents may err wanting Wisdom or being blinded with Passion and so their Chastisements are arbitrary and irregular But there is more of Compassion than Passion in God's Rod all cometh from purest Love and is regulated by perfect Wisdom and tendeth to the highest End even our Holiness and Happiness 2. It inferreth great Love from us to God again No owning of God is allowed but the Practical owning of him and therefore none own God as a Father but those that love him as a Father Now love God once and nothing that he doth will be grievous to us for as Love sweetneth Duties so it sweetneth Providences It cometh from my Father that doth not only bespeak Reverence or Submission Numb 12.14 If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days but welcom any thing should be well taken at his hand III. It well becometh his People to endure willingly whatever God calleth them unto 1. From God His Sovereignty and Power He is too great to be questioned Iob 9.12 Behold he taketh away who can hinder him Who will say unto him What dost thou His Justice He is too just to do us wrong Iob 34.23 For he will not lay upon man more than is right that he should enter into judgment with God There is Guilt enough in every one to silence us Psal. 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgments His Goodness He is too good to do us harm he knoweth how to recompense us Psal. 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted Nothing but Good can come from him who is Goodness and Love it self His Wisdom and Faithfulness he will afflict us no more than need requireth or will exceed our strength 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 2. With respect to Christ whose Example should be of force to us both for Suffering and patience in Suffering For Suffering there is a certain measure of Affliction fitted and prepared for Christ and all his Followers the bitter Cup goeth round from hand to hand the whole Wave dashed upon Christ some Drops light upon us Col. 1.24 Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake which is the Church And for patience in Suffering Heb. 12.2 3. Looking unto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despised the shame and is sate down at the right hand of the throne of God For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself least ye be wearied and faint in your minds 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps And Vers. 23. Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously He hath trod the way before us and his steps drop fatness Matth. 20.23 Ye shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father There are two things if any would be nearer in Dignity to Christ than others it is not in reigning but in suffering with Christ in drinking Christ's Cup but for Preferment in another World and to have a larger measure of Honour that is given to those for whom it is appointed We are to prepare for the Cross. The other is the New Covenant engageth us hereunto for there is an Allusion to the Sacraments Therefore Christ useth these Notions 1 Use Sheweth what Provision the Christian Religion maketh for Patience Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope This Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures is a higher thing than what is learnt by the Institutions of Philosophy Tam in ipsis falsa erat patientia quà m falsa sapientia Cypr. Both their Patience and their Wisdom is false The Grounds of Patience from the Christian Religion are particular Providence Adoption the Example of Christ the Assistance of the Spirit the Desert of Sin the Fruit of Afflictions both as to the refining of Grace and preparing us for Glory Heb. 12.11 Now no chastening for the presâ—nt seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby 2 Vse To exhort us to bear whatsoever God shall lay upon us 1. Seek this Grace of God both the Wisdom and the Power to calm the Spirit Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask it of God Man's
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