you all I will onely give you a hint or two that you know somewhat what it is 1. It is such a portion as is fit for the spouse of the Lamb as is fit for the spouse of one that is to marry the Son of God the second person in Trinity 2. it is such a portion as is fit and suitable to an heire of life glory an heire of Heaven and Earth yea it is such a portion as God doth give men to this very end to declare what the infinite power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to the height of happinesse what think you this must be that I say it must therefore be done that it might declare to Angels and all creatures what the infinite power of God is able to do to raise a poor creature to happinesse glory this must be somewhat Again it must be such a one as in which God must attain unto the great designe that he had from all eternity in making of Heaven and Earth which was to magnifie the riches of his grace to a Company that he had set apart to glory it must be such a portion and guesse you what this must needs be Yea it is such a portion as must require the infinite power of God to support a creature to bear the weight of that glory and all this must be now to all eternity I remember when Esau did but hear Isaac his Father tell what a blessing he had given unto Iacob he fell a weeping O that God would so strike unto the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing but the world Thou hearest but a few words to what the Lord hath reserved to all eternitie for his Saints and compare but that with what is thy portion and thou hast cause to weep I but more cause you 'l have to weep if you consider the last thing and that is what is like to be the end of all thy portion in this world if indeed thou could'st ruffle it out in this world and enjoy thy hearts desire and there an end it were somewhat O but there is somewhat else remains afterwards as 1. O the perplexity of spirit that any worldly man will have when death comes when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world now farewell house farewell lands and farewell friends farewell acquaintance and all merry meetings and joviallities I shall never have comfort more in you as it was the speech of Pope Adrian when he was to die O thou my soul my soul whither art thou going whither art thou going thou shalt never have more jests nor be merry nor be jocund any more where art thou going so may a man that hath his portion in this world say at his death where is this poor soul of mine going I have lived here thus many years and I have had many merry meetings I have eaten with the strongest and have drunk the sweetest and gone in brave array but now my day is gone what shall become of me what peace have I now when all is gone I remember Latimer hath a story in one of his Sermons that he preached before King Edward of a rich man that when he lay upon his sick bed there came one to him and tells him that certainly by all reason they can judge he was like to be a man for another world a dead man assoon as ever he hears but these words what must I die send for a Phisitian wounds sides heart must I die wounds sides heart must I die and thus he goes on and there could be nothing got from him but wounds sides heart must I die must I die and go from all these here was all here was the end of this man that made his portion in this world Another rich man that lived not far from the place that I my self lived in heretofore when he heard his sicknesse was deadly he sends for his bags of money and hugs them in his arms O must I leave you O must I leave you And another lying upon his sickbed layed a bag of gold to his heart and then bids them take it away it will not do it will not do Another when he lay upon his sickbed his servants came to him said what lack you would you have any beer what do you want O saith he I want onely one thing peace of conscience that I would have it is not beer nor friends nor an easy pillow I want but ease of conscience O consider whether there be not like to be perplexitie in your spirits And then brethren you must be called to an account for all though as I told you before not to account for the right to use but for not right using and do but think with your selves if you now have so much as you cannot reckon how then will you be able to reckon for it if now you cannot count how will you be able to give an account at the last day especially when you have had no thoughts of this before hand There will be a dreadfull portion indeed at the day of judgement O the shame and confusion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world in that houre when they shall see their poor neighbours have their portion with Christ in glory perhaps a poor servant in the house advanced to glory and they stand on the left hand to be cast out perhaps some of these poor hospitall boyes shall be advanced to eternall glorie when as some of you that are their great masters shall be cast out eternally what an infinite shame and confusion will this be to you O now I see what it is to trust in God and not to trust in him those are happy that would trust for the future but I miserable that dar'd not trust in him The Lord will rain snares and fire and brimstones here is the portion of the ungodly at last appoint him his portion with hypocrites saith Christ where there is weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth that is the portion of hypocrites in the conclusion Now here thou seest the end of all what dost thou think then of thy portion now think but of one Text and I have done What hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained when God takes away his soul Mark there are many hypocrites that aymed to get estates in the world but cannot thrive God crosses them well but suppose thou aymest to gain and hast got all thou wouldst desire what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained though he hath grown never so rich and got all he desires when God takes away his soul this time is coming it will be ere long and it may be suddenly the portion of some that are here present and perhaps this Text of mine may then ring in their ears when they lie upon their sick beds perhaps within a month or six weeks when Gods time shall be and then conscience
so great a mercy as to make you such an instrument of his service so may I say to you that are godly hath God given you Iesus Christ hath he given you his Son hath he given you his Spirit hath he given you himself to be your portion and are you troubled that you have not more of that that beasts may have as well as your selves O be ashamed of any mournfull discontentments for want of the comforts of this world And do not envy wicked men for their outward prosperity I remember a story of a poor souldier that was condemned to die meerely fortaking a bunch of grapes from a Vine for there was a strict law that who ever should take any thing from that place they went through he should dye for it Now he had taken a bunch of grapes and was condemned to die and as he went to execution he went eating of his bunch of grapes and some came to him and said dost thou go eating thy grapes thou shouldst think of somewhat else he answers I beseech you Sir do not envy me my grapes they will cost me dear so may I say of all the men of the world we have no need to envy them of any thing they have it will cost them very dear one day Thirdly live like such as God hath not put off with the portion of this world manifest in it your conversations that you look for higher better things then what this world affoords shew they are but slight in your eyes look upon your estates as despicable be willing to improve them all for publick good yea to jeopard not estates onely but your names your liberties and your lives in a publick cause and those that shall do so however the world may look upon them in a sad condition and say O such a man is like to be undone and his life is in danger I tell you such a one that shall out of a good principle be willing to venture life and estate and appear for God that man shall be most honoured and be found the most happy man at last and indeed herein he shews himself to be a man that looks for a higher portion then these things here as those in the Hebrews By that they said and did they shewed plainly they looked for another Country so see you men that might live as comfortably in outward things as you and did their consciences give way they could be as quiet as you but conscience puts them upon it that seeing God calls them to a publick place they can be content to put all at Gods feet Now though you may think that such are in most danger they shew plainly they are men of another countrey and should be most honoured and take but this principle with you the more any one gives up his estate to God the more comfort he hath in his estate whether in the enjoyment of it or in the losse of it I expresse it thus when one resignes up all he hath his estate liberty name life to God the oftener it comes into Gods hands the better it comes when God gives it him again a carnall heart when once he hath these things he will not trust God with them but he will have them in his own keeping but a gracious heart though he hath all these from God yet every day he is willing to give up all to him and to trust God with them again though he be a rich man he is willing every day to come and beg his bread at his Fathers gate and give up all now he gives up all in the truth of his heart to God and God gives it him all again as long as in a lawfull way he enjoyes it he hath it a fresh from God now this I say the oftener any thing comes out of Gods hand the sweeter the better it is wicked mens estates come but once out of Gods hands and therefore there is not so much comfort in them but a godly mans estate comes 100. and 100. times from God for every resignation gives it to God and God gives it him again therein is comfort and O blessed are they that live so as that they declare they look for another Countrey and that their portion is not here let the men of the world think them foolish that will venture themselves so God and his Saints have declared that their portion it not here And now to you all the word of exhortation from God is that every one in this place would put on to make more sure of another portion besides the portion of this world put on I say for you are all made capable of higher and better things then the things of the world and never a one here but hath an immortall soul and is capable of Communion with Father Son and Holy Ghost and that is another manner of businesse then to eat and drink and have pleasure with the flesh here for a while God hath made your natures capable of such glory do not debase your selves to rest satisfied with husks when you may have meat enough in your Fathers house and therefore put on and let the poorest sort put on that have but a little portion here yet there is as fair way for you to have the God of Heaven and Earth to be your portion to have whatsoever Iesus Christ hath purchased by his bloud to be your portion to have eternitie and immortality to be your portion I say there is as fair a way for it as for the greatest Princes in the earth you may come to have a portion here Indeed many a poor apprentice may say my Father is dead and hath left me no portion I but you that are poor apprentices and others and the poor Hospitall boyes that live upon charitie it is possible some poor wretches there may come to have their portion in God and Christ and immortality as well as the greatest and richest of all therefore raise up your hearts here you that are the poorest and meanest know you are born for high things If I should come and tell one that is a poor boy in a blew coat now what ever you are now there is such a rich man will adopt you to be his child and make you his heire that would raise up his heart well how ever meanely you live now you may be a glorious creature hereafter if so be you have now a heart to put upon it and to seek after it for your portion But you 'le say Lord what should we do that our portion may be a higher portion then in this world the first thing I would put you upon is this let the whole course of your life be steared as it were with the fear of God have a continuall jealousy least God should put you off with the things of this life hold forth this in every action that any one may see by your conversation surely this man this woman hath some fears least
said of God himâ—elf holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holinesse were it not for his holinesse notwithstanding all the rest if it were possible to separate them his name would not be reverend Therefore when the Saints in heaven glorifie God for his chiefest excellency it is thus holy holy holy We find not in Scripture any of Gods Attributes thrice repeated Wise Wise Wise or Almighty Almighty Almighty but holy holy holy because the excellency of God consists chiefly in Holinesse the LORD only is Holy Now because where grace is in the creature resembling this holinesse of God there is that principle whereby the creature is able to act as God himself acts for that is holinesse the working of God to his own end in all things suitable to his nature So when the creature works to God as his last end and in some measure is suitable to that God with which the creature hath to doe here is the Image of God Therefore the Scripture expresseth grace by these 4. things as The Image of God The Life of God The glory of God and The Divine nature There are these 4. expressions for the work of grace The Image of God it resembles God in his excellency The life of God himself Ephes 4. alienated from the life of God that notes acting like God himself And then it is the glory of God himself and the divine nature 2. Pet. 1.3 So that there must needs be excellency in the Saints that have grace that is of this nature Certainly there is more of God in the meanest Saint in the meanest gracious man or woman there is more of the glory of God then in all the world besides then in heaven and earth Take all the creatures all the glory of God in the heavens in the Sunne Moon and Stars and put all into one Take all the glory of God in the seas those vast Oceans and put that into one take all the glory of God that appears in the earth all the riches of the earth and all arts and sciences and what you will put all into one and the meanest youth or servant that hath the least degree of grace hath more of the glory of God then all this is There is more of the shining of God in the least degree of grace in the poorest Christian in the world then there is in all these creatures If there were a quintessence of all the excellency and glory extracted and drawn and put into one yet there were not so much of God God could not see so much of himself in that one creature that should have the excellency of all creatures put together as he sees in the meanest Saint that hath the work of grace And surely then they are the excellent of the earth if there be so much of God in them The work of grace is that which hath most of God in it and wheresoever it is it is that which is the proper work of Gods eternall love it is a beam of it therefore there is a great deal of excellency in it Take all other creatures and it is possible to enjoy all the good that is in all the creatures in heaven and earth excepting this onely the grace of God through the bounty of God and the pleasure of God There is nothing that the creature hath but may be communicated as a fruit of Gods generall bounty except spirituall blessings in Christ but where ever this is though in the least degree it is of that nature that it cannot come but onely from the eternall election of God It is that which is the principle of Eternall life wheresoever it is it is that which will grow up to eternall glory All common gifts will never grow up to glory though they grow up to the height of glory but the grace of God true grace it is of the same nature with eternall glory Therefore for the kind of it it is the greatest good that ever God did or that ever he will communicate to any creature for all eternity I say where ever God hath communicated any dramme of grace that is the greatest good that ever God did or ever will communicate to all eternity to any of his creatures therefore it is exceeding excellent Onely excepting the work of God in the hypostaticall union of the two natures wherein he joyned the humane and the divine nature together in one person excepting that the work of grace in any soul is the greatest work that ever God did from all eternity or that ever he will do for the kind of it Now that which hath so much of God in it comes from the eternall election and love of God and is the greatest work that ever was done or ever shall be done and the greatest good that ever was or shall be communicated to any creature for ever truly this must needs be the greatest excellency For God made the world for that end that he might communicate his excellency and glory to the world to the creature Now that which was the greatest thing that God intended from all eternity for the communicating of all his glory it must needs make the creature excellent This is the first thing that the Saints are the excellent on earth in regard of the image of God upon them and the work of grace in them But secondly they are the excellent of the earth in regard of the separating of them for God they are those that God set his thoughts upon from all eternity that they might enjoy him The great counsels that God wrought from all eternity especially were set on work upon this great thing of separating of certain creatures for himself from the rest of the world Now when God shall set as it were to speak after the manner of men his thoughts and counsels on work from all eternity to set apart a few creatures for himself if these can be known who they are certainly we cannot but look on them as the excellent on earth Now wheresoever we see the work of grace in any we may by that know that these God hath separated for himself as setting his infinite wisedome on work from all eternity above that That was the thing he was most exercised in before the world about the work of separating such and such for himself The Psalmist saith O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing But know that the Lord hath set a part him that is Godly for himself Psalm 4.2.3 Here you see that God hath set apart the godly for himself they are those that are dedicated consecrated to God therefore there is a wonderfull excellency put upon them As you know any thing that is dedicated and consecrated though it be never so mean in it self yet being once dedicated being once made a consecrated thing there is a great deal of
of you when you apprehend your selves to be in trouble you then cry to God to be preserved but to what end wherefore would you be preserved wherefore would you live If we may judge of your ends according to your practise you would live that you may have more time to satisfie your lusts that you may have more time to dishonour God that you may have more time to do mischief in the places where you live There is this in the heart and God sees it God sees whatsoever will be after in your lives God sees before what was in your hearts when you cried to be preserved But now one that is gracious he desires therefore to be preserved O saith he that I might live to be of use in that place where God hath placed me If God should take me away now my conscience tells me that it is little service that I have done for him I have been of little use in the place where God hath set me O that I might be preserved for this end that what I am or have or have been might extend to the Saints on earth even the excellent in whom is all my delight Thus you have the scope of the words and the dependance of them And in them there are these two things observable 1. Observation First the high esteem of the Saints They are the excellent of the earth 2 Observation And secondly the sweet delight that Davids heart had in them in whom is all my delight For the first the high esteem that David had of the Saints the Saints that were on earth the Excellent The point is this that the Saints of God those that are godly are the excellent in the earth Then secondly from this that he saith in whom is all my delight Observe this that a gracious heart above all things in this world takes the most contentment in the Saints of God he is much delighted in them The first is but a preparation to the second therefore I shall passe it over briefly They are the excellent in the earth therefore my delight is in them They are the excellent in the earth Let them be what they will in regard of their outward meanness yet there is an excellency in them Iob scraping upon the dunghill and Ieremy sticking in the mire in the dungeon yet they had more glory and beauty upon them then the greatest Potentates of the earth when they sate upon their thrones Though they lie among the pots as the Psalmist saith yet are they as Doves their wings are the wings of Doves whose feathers are of gold and silver Psalm 68.13 beautifull and glorious You know the judgement that the holy Ghost passeth upon the Saints in old time that were outwardly mean enough there is as much meanness on them as the malice of the world could put the Text saith they had tryalls of mockings of scourgings of bonds and imprisonments they were sawen assunder they were tempted they wandred in sheepskins goats skins destitute afflicted tormented What kind of creatures were these surely they were some wretched men and women that were thus hunted up and down to wander in sheeps-skins and goats-skins destitute afflicted and tormented No such matter they were such of whom the world was not worthy v. 38. that is the judgement of the holy Ghost upon such the world was not worthy of them The men of the world would have thought and did think that they were such as were not worthy to live in the world but the judgement of the holy Ghost was such that the world was not worthy of them I remember Chrysostome hath this interpretation of the phrase they are such as are worth more then all the world more then many thousands of the world one of them is worth more then all the men of the world besides It is a truth so one Saint of God though never so mean one poor youth one servant that is truly gracious is worth more then all the men of the world besides that are not so All the Monarchs and Princes on earth have not that excellency in them that one poor child or servant hath that is gracious and belongs to God But the ordinary interpretation is thus they are such as have that excellency as that the world is not worthy to enjoy them they are not worthy of their presence that they should so much as live among them they are rather fit to be set as stars in heaven be before the Lord in his glory the world is not worthy of them But what is there in the Saints that makes them the excellent in the earth The Saints that are the excellent The word in the originall signifies the magnificent ones those that have magnificent spirits and are exceeding glorious There is this in them that I may briefly passe over this first They have the image of God upon them and therefore they must needs be the excellent on earth The image of God makes them to resemble God in that which the creature is able to conceive of That which is the height of Gods excellency though it be true whatsoever is in God is God himself yet we conceiving of God according to our manner of speaking there is something of God that appears most excellent and glorious And it must needs be in regard of that expression because grace is called the image of God Now when we draw the image of a thing we draw it as near as we can according to that which is the most proper excellency of that thing If I would draw the image of a man I do not draw the likenesse of a piece of flesh a beast hath that as well as a man or I do not draw feet or legs or the back parts of a man but when the image of a man is drawn his face is chiefly looked after to be drawn which is the most excellentest part of man and there we endeavour to expresse his life and spirit as much as can be for that is the most excellent part and though the spirit cannot be drawn and there can be no picture of it yet because it is shewen most in the face that is as near as we can go that is drawn there So the image of God is that wherein the creature resembles God in height of excellency and glory It is not every resemblance of God that is Gods image there are some things that set out some of the glory of God and they are but called Gods footsteps or his back parts All the resemblance of God in his creatures and the expressions of his power and wisedome the invisible things of God that we see in the creature they are all but his footsteps and back-parts they are not his image Why because they do not resemble God in that which he hath set out to us to be the height of his glory What is that The holinesse of God that is the height of his excellency Therefore it is
excellency put upon that thing As in the law if it were but a piece of wood in the Tabernacle if it were but a Badgers skin if it were but brasse or goats hair or any such thing that were meane in it self yet if it were once consecrated and made holy to God they looked upon it as having a great deal of excellency on it Now I reason thus if a piece of wood or a little hair or leather consecrated to God had an excellency in it what then hath an immortall soul that hath the graces of the spirit as so many pearls in it when that is consecrated set apart to God to the glory and praise of his grace to all eternity here must needs be much excellency and most eminent preheminences When a thing is consecrated we look on it no more according to the quality of the thing but to the consecration As I remember I read of some people in India that when they have but lost an Apes tooth that was consecrated to their god they will give an unspeakable summe of money for the redemption of it again because it was a thing that was consecrated to their god So I read of another that being raised from a mean birth he took this way to make himself to be highly esteemed of the people he had a golden bason that he used to wash his feet in he took that and made an idoll of it and consecrated it and then every one fell down and worshipped it when it was consecrated Nay saith he if this which was mean before it was set apart to this use comes so to be honoured then I that am mean by birth being set apart to the government may as well be honoured by you Thus then if the superstition and will of man having consecrated a thing thinks he puts so much excellency on it how much more when God himself and the great and speciall work of the holy Ghost that he is designed to it is a speciall work of his office to consecrate souls to God and to set them apart to himself what an excellency must this needs be that is put upon them They are the excellent of the earth That is the second Thirdly if we consider that relation that the Saints have to God they are the nearest relations that can be exprest Of children to parents they are the children of God Of a spouse to her husband they are the spouse of Iesus Christ the second person in Trinity and in that regard they are more nearly united to God then the Angels themselves are in being the spouse of the Son of God Yea the very members of his body they have a nearer relation in that respect to the divine nature to the second person in Trinity then the Angels themselves for they have not such a relation as this therefore they are the excellent of the earth Again fourthly if we consider the great priviledges that the Saints have we shal see them the excellent of the earth Not to speak of their deliverance from sin and guiltinesse and those immunities that they have from others But consider they have this priviledge that God in all his attributes and works he is continually working for their good There is this excellent prerogative of the Saints there is no attribute of God but it is continually working good to every Saint of God There is no work of Gods providence but it works and acts continually for their good It would be a mighty excellent honour put upon any man if but such an honourable assembly as the Parliament should take thought for such an one and all their purposes and plots and councels all the time they are sitting should tend to the good of such an one in particular taking notice in particular of him It is that which I said all your wisdome and power and mercy and faithfulnesse and the infinite alsufficiency of God is continually every moment working not onely for the good of those that love God in generall but for every particular Saint of God God takes speciall notice of them and sets all his attributes continually on work for their good wellbeing And the heavens continually work for them They have this priviledge that the whole world is made for them God hath given them the world they are the heirs of the world as it is said of Abraham he was the heir of the world Rom. 4. Abraham had little himself yet he had the world Now the children inherit their fathers estate if the world were Abrahams inheritance then it is the inheritance of every child of Abraham for so the children of Abraham are heirs to all that Abraham had that is as far as concerns them therefore they that are his heirs are heirs likewise of the world so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.22.23 All are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that God and the creatures are theirs here is a mighty priviledge indeed Again the priviledges that they have in all the good of the Covenant of grace Whatsoever good there is in the Covenant of grace all the rich promises in the Covenant of grace are the priviledges of the godly Saints It is admirable priviledges that the precious promises in the Scripture speak of to have interest in them all Besides not onely the promises but the immunities that come from the Covenant of grace as this that they are not to stand or fall for their eternall estate by any thing that they are able to do themselves they are freed from this their eternall estate hangs not on that which they can do Whereas others that are not saints that are not in the Covenant of grace their eternall estate hangs on their endeavours and actions God dealing with them according to the Covenant of works being in that condition though they may be such as may after come to be Saints and as God hath elected and in love may look on them as he intends towards them but for the present they are in such a condition as that they know not but that their eternall estate depends on that which they do themselves Now to be delivered from this to have this immunity that such a thing of such a consequence as our eternall estate should depend upon a sure foundation upon that which is done by Christ and done already it is an infinite priviledge Others cannot challenge to themselves this priviledge that God will accept of their endeavours do what they can yet not being in the Covenant of grace those endeavours are not accepted That it pleaseth God to accept the will for the deed it is one of the priviledges of the Saints that comes by the Covenant of grace but it belongs not to others they have not to do with this immunity and priviledge So I might name divers others but then I should go out too far Again this is a glorious priviledge of accesse to the throne of grace to come to God
in prayer God gives them the key of all his treasures to come and open them and take what they will it is a glorious priviledge that belongs to the Saints in any condition God gives them a gracious praying heart and that is the key of all the treasures of God of all the excellencies of God that they have liberty to come and take out what they will be it unto thee as thou wilt These are the excellent of the earth that have these priviledges Again they are the excellent in earth in regard of that which comes from them As the work of grace is so excellent as hath been spoken of so every gracious action that comes from a gracious heart there is a wondrous excellency in it There is not any one gracious action but it hath more excellency then heaven and earth Not onely grace it self but any action that comes from grace hath more of God in it and God more delights in it then in all other things in heaven or earth It is an expression of Luther though he were a great advancer of faith yet he was also an advancer of holinesse as well as of faith therefore speaking of any gracious work of a godly man or woman saith he preciosa c. it is more precious then heaven and earth And then he goes on with another expression I had rather be able to perform any one gracious act of the poorest woman or maid of the poorest Christian that is then to be able to do all that ever Alexander or Iulius Caesar had done The least act that comes from faith from a sanctified heart he had rather be able to do it then to get all the victories of Iulius Caesar and Alexander all their triumphs and trophies were nothing to the least breathing of the work of grace in those that are godly that which comes from them are exceeding excellent Now I reason they must needs be excellent that have such excellent things come from them As when there were such excellent things came from the body of Paul that had such virtue in them that had such virtue in them that noted that there was a great deal of excellency that God conferred upon that Apostle and a great deal of honour that was put upon him So when there comes flowing such precious liquor such precious things from the Saints as an holy action is it shews that there is a great deal of excellency in them Which by the way should teach us to abound in holy duties though our actions as they are from us corrupted we look on them as despicable yet know that God looks on them as the most glorious things in the world any breathing of a gracious heart therefore he despiseth not the broken heart nor the sighing of a contrite spirit Psalm 51.17 God can despise Monarchs and Princes of the world but God cannot despise a broken heart nor any breathings from it Though thou mayest despise it thy self and look on it as despicable the Lord cannot despise it he sees so much excellency in it though it be mixed with thy corruptions yet there is that remainder of excellency in it if there be but so much as may denominate it a gracious act it is a glorious thing in the eye of God Lastly to name no more the excellency of the Saints appears in this the great use that they are of in the world As especially this is one thing that God attains in them his great aim and end in creating the whole world Were it not for a few gracious men and women what glory should God have in all the world They are those that hold up the glory of God in the world by which God hath his glory actively for that is that God aims at It is true God can force glory in spight of mens hearts he will be glorified in spight of Devils but God hath no active glory but from gracious godly people I speak of the inferiour world it is onely the godly that God hath glory from Therefore were it not for them God in some kind had made all the world for nothing Now those that are imployed in such a great work and are of this great use in the world as to bring to God that which he made the world for the main and great end that he made heaven and earth for certainly these are principall in Gods esteem and excellent God can say I have my end in these Take any town where there are but two or three that are godly what glory hath God but of these So for other places where hath God glory but for a few contemptibile ones They are these that God glorifies in high and great services these are the lights of the world the salt of the earth they are these that are the blessings of the world wheresoever they are they are these for whom the world continueth so as it doth There is a notable expression in Isaiah In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the middest of the Land whom the Lord of hosts shall blesse saying blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance Isaiah 19.24.25 Wheresoever they are in a Kingdom or a family or a town they are a blessing in that Kingdome in that town and in that family Israel shall be a blessing in the middest of the Land These are they that are the excellent of the earth I would now willingly be over this that I may come to the other but onely there is a word or two of applicatian And that is First to shew what a vast difference there is between those that are godly those that are wicked Many things I might shew that the Scripture expresseth of wicked ones in all their glory let all the glory of the world be put upon them yet the Scripture speaks exceedingly contemptuously of them I must not spend time in those expressions onely one and that is Daniel And in his estate shall stand up a vile person to whom they shall not give the honour of the Kingdome but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the Kingdom by flatteries Daniel 11.21 It is spoken as most Interpreters carry it of Antiochus Epiphanes he is called a vile person we may observe that David doth here more fully set out the love and affection he bears towards those that feare God by the contrary effect of hatred wherewith he doth prosecute the wicked as in the 4. v. of this Psalm in the 4. vers of the foregoing Psalm the Psalmist saith In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the LORD Psalm 15.4 Of this Antiochus there are three things observed yet he is called a vile person First he was a great enemy to many sinnes Secondly when the Iews wrote to him because they feared his wrath he being a persecutor of the Iews there were
too Though Hezekiah were king of the Iews and they were enemies one to another Ierusalem and Babylon yet when God had honoured him they sent to congratulate one another then they put honour and respect one upon another upon that occasion That should teach us if the heathens when they see their God put honour on any they honour such as God honours then when you see or hear that God honours gracious godly men and women do you so too prize them let them have high esteem in your hearts You have heard this day what honour God puts upon his Saints therefore learn you to honour them And much might be said to draw the hearts of all people to the love of the people of God Somewhat for the people of God to walk as excellent ones not to defile one another And for others if they would be those here in the world that be excellent and glorious it is not the outward things of the world that hang on you as clothes and riches that make you excellent ones in the eye of God but it is grace and godlinesse By faith the fathers obtained good report Some think there is no way to get esteem but by outward bravery great livings fine clothes and the like and men think that the way to be accounted more eminent then others is to be rich and to wear fine cloaths get honours and such like but these are fading and not permanent So there are many ministers that think to get esteem if they be honoured before great ones and go brave But you know by experience that a faithfull godly minister that walks faithfully and conscionably he gets more esteem in the hearts and consciences not onely of those that are godly but of those that have enlightned consciences then a hundred of those and they vex at it that they should do so Why they go a way to work to get more esteem but they are deceived they look at excellency where it is not It is not such things but in the work of grace that prevails with the consciences of men Boniface the martyr when he was asked the question if he might have the sacrament if he would drink it in a wooden challice saith he the time was that there were wooden cups and golden priests but now there are golden cups wooden priests There was a time in the primitive times they were very mean they were content with wooden vessels but the men were gold in regard of grace and godlinesse and so they were highly esteemed but now they have golden cups that is a great deal of bravery and glory but they have wooden priests those that have no true excellency in them The heart of the wicked is little worth It may be his estate his houses his lands may be somewhat worth but what is his heart worth he hath nothing in himself to commend himself But now the excellency of Gods people is in that it is in the soul and heart It were an uncomfortable thing to any of you if suppose you have a servant along with you where you go and all the respect you have is for your servants sake if any entertain you into their house it is not out of respect to you but respect to your man they love your man and for his sake they entertain you this would deject your hearts if you should know that you have no respect for any good in your selves but for your servants sake So the men of the world they have respect but what is it for for their riches for their honour for their brave cloaths for their money all servants under them they have no respect for any thing in themselves they have no spirituall excellency especially when they are to deal with God and the consciences of men they have no respect But godly men have not so many servants to gain respect by outward things but that respect they have of Gods Saints and in the consciences of men they have it from an internall excellency But we let this go The second point follows The excellent of the earth In whom is all my delight It is but little that can be done I see though it were the point I intended most That that hath been said already makes way abundantly into the heart that if they be the excellent of the earth there is cause that we should delight in them That is the point that a gracious heart takes great delight in the Saints on earth First in their persons Or secondly in their society and communion with them Or rather thus they take delight in them severally and jointly If they look upon any one Saint of God they have deligt in him but they have more to look on all the Saints together jointly so they can say their souls delight in them there is a sweet complacency taken in them jointly And that is that which I shall speak to at this time The delight that is to be taken in the Saints jointly together There is delight in the Saints in regard of the sweetnesse of their society and communion with them For so this delight of David is to be taken in a large sence not onely in one particular because of the good that he saw in their persons but in regard of all the good he saw in them and by them in joyning with them take them altogether jointly All the good that came from them so he delighted in them There is a great deal of delight and contentment to be had in the Saints of God especially jointly If you look at one sometimes though in never so mean a condition there is a great deal of delight there As Doctor Tayler the Martyr that we read of in the book of Martyrs coming to Bradford he professed that it countervailed all his trouble in prison that he was acquainted with that Angel of God Iohn Bradford meaning him in particular And another that professed that he had rather be with Cato a heathen for his morall excellencies in prison then with Cesar in the Senate in all his pomp To be shut up with one godly man is a great deal of delight and contentment what a great deal of delight is there then in their being together and in that way wherein most of their excellencies appear such delight is in them jointly First because the most comfortable communion that possible can be is enjoyed with them and in them for First is it not a most delightfull thing to see a company of godly people together to behold the resplendent beauty and glory of the graces of Gods spirit If there were nothing else what a delightfull thing is it saith the heart The very sight of good men is pleasing and delightfull to those that look upon their faces wisdome makes their faces shine The seeing of the resplendent grace of God in them is very delightfull What is the delight of God but the seeing of the shining of his glory
a delightfull work as they are together to praise God Christ is praising him as they worship Christ is worshipping Now every Saint of God hath the spirit of Christ in him and so he delights in the society of the Saints on this ground because there is worshipping of God and God is praised solemnly among them If there be any place in the world wherein God hath solemne worship it cannot be grieve a gracious heart that he is not with them for his heart is with them he delights to be with them especially in such a work as that it grieves him that he cannot be there It is a note of an Interpreter that I have met with upon Isaiah 6. where the Angles cry Holy holy holy Lord of Hosts the Prophet cryes Woe unto me for I am undone c. saith he upon this ground because he could not joyn with those blessed creatures and so magnifie and praise and worship God that he through his sinfulnesse was not able to joyn with them he cryes Woe is me I am undone So when any gracious heart doth but hear that there is a people in the world that are precious ones the excellent on earth that joyn in the worship of God and honour God in his own way and enjoy communion with God and I cannot joyn with them woe to me that there should be any let or hinderance that I cannot come and joyn with them for my heart is there my delight is in the Saints when they are jointly together because Gods solemne worship is there But thirdly my delight is in the Saints jointly in regard of the wonderfull delight God hath in them A gracious heart must needs delight in them because God himself takes so much delight in them but especially when they are jointly together There are speciall expressions in Scripture of Gods taking delight in the Saints jointly as in Zephany Zeph. 3.17 The Lord thy God in the middest of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing What expressions are here of Gods delighting in his people The Lord thy God will rejoyce he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will love he will rest in his love and joy and joy over thee with singing And in Isaiah you shall find that the Church is called Hephzibah Gods delight Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken neither shall thy Land any more be termed Desolate but thou shalt be called Hephzi bah and thy land Beulah for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall be married Isaiah 62.4 it is a wondrous delight that God hath in his Saints There are wonderfull expressions in Scripture for the manifesting of Gods delight even to admiration especially in the Church jointly together They are such expressions as we could not think or invent as namely that he calls his people his portion his pleasant portion for the Lords portion is his people Iacob is the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32.9 God calls them his inheritance the lot of his inheritance Ier. 12.7 he calls them the dearly beloved of his soul Exod. 19.5 he calls them his peculiar treasure Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people God hath treasures in the world the creatures that are called the good treasures of the Lord Deut. 28. but his people are called his peculiar treasure there is a particularity There is another kind of excellency in the people of Gods delight then in all other creatures they are his common treasure but his people are his peculiar treasure God calls them his glory I will glorifie the house of my glory I will place salvation in Zion for my glory Isa 46.13 The crown of his glory Isa 60.7 he calls them the Throne of his glory Isa 62.3 Thou shalt be a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall diadeem in the hand of thy God In severall places that I cannot stand on His glory the House of his glory the Crown of his glory the Throne of his glory He calls them the royall Diadeem he calls them his ornament an ornament set in Majesty and glory There are the expressions and more I might name of Gods delighting in his people Therefore if God delight in them and find satisfaction much more should we Christs speaks of his Church O my sister my spouse my heart is ravished with thee It is a strange expression for Christ himself to be ravished with his people It is an expression beseeming the Church to have said so to Christ but for Christ to say to the Church it is wonderfull And again My love my dove my undefiled one Cant. 2. and at that very time when the Church was in a state of security that Christ should call her his love his dove his undefiled all to expresse the abundance of delight in his people Well if God have such delight in them much more should the Saints Again if we consider further the presence of God among his people it is another argument why the Saints of God should take so much delight in other Saints especially when they are joyned together because God is present there The Lord is here is the name of all their assemblies The Lord dwells and hath his tabernacle in Sion It is a strange expression concerning the presence of God in that he makes his people his habitation As the people of God call God their habitation so God calls his Church his habitation God dwells in Sion Psal 90. Would you not delight to keep house with God Where Gods people are God keeps house and we should long to have it our own house and not come as strangers A man may come as a stranger and take a bit and be refreshed in a family but it is not his house But now Gods people when they go to others of the Saints they see God there and they have that house for their house It is called as I told you the house of his glory that house that God desires to dwell in he hath a mighty love to that house to dwell among his people In Psalm 132. there are many great and excellent expressions For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation Psal 132.13 14. God desires Zion what is Zion but onely his Saints and people joyned together Zion was a type of the Church so now all the Saints of God together are Zion Now God hath a desire to this habitation God dwells in the high and holy place the highest heaven is God habitation but though God have such a house in heaven yet he is not as it were contented with that house but he desires another house he hath a desire to Zion to be his habitation and the house where his honour dwelleth You know a Prince may have some houses of meaner
so shall all the just they shall shine as the Sun every glorified Saint by the reflection not onely of their mind but if their ocular body upon one another by a mutuall reciprocation of their beams every one shall shine in every one The glory of the soul shall transfuse it self and redound to the body Saint Paul in effect speaks as much as it is sowen a naturall body it riseth a spirituall body As the soul here is swallowed up of the body to the body as it were shall be swallowed up of the soul in a word both soul and body shall be turned into glory and the glory shall be to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS MANS REFVGE Ieremiah 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great mighty things which thou knowest not THe Prophet Ieremiah in this the foregoing Chapter layes down sundry and eminent mercies that he intends for the good of his elect people notwithstanding their provoking of God by their severall relapses sundry backslidings though their enemies also did threaten them with utter desolation and that they should be desolate without man and without inhabitant and without beast yet the voice of joy and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the Bridegroom the voice of the Bride the voice of them that shall say praise the LORD of hosts for the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for ever this voice shall be to the inhabitants of Ierusalem But by what means shall these mercies be bestowed on then in this Text he tells them where ever they are afflicted or in any great distresse call unto me and I will answer thee And as Christ in the Gospell having the book of the Prophet Esaias delivered unto him when he was in the Synagogue read apart of it then closed the book and began his sermon to the people this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Luke 4.21 So may I say of this Text that we have out of this Prophecy read unto you Behold this day hath the Lord fullfilled this word of his in our ears before our eyes And therefore is it that we are all here this day met before the Lord that we may witness unto this his good word and promise Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not In the two last Verses of this Chapter the Lord promiseth to establish a Covenant with David and raise up a deliverance to the seed of Iacob and cause them to return out of their captivities he will have mercy on them That which he saith to his people he speaks it plainly and openly I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth The heathen Gods did speak darkly and ambiguously to their worshippers that they knew not what to make of their words but I have not done so to you saith God They would have you worship them but they cannot help you when you have so done it is not so with me Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seed of Iacob that is the Church of God the Saints You will say Why are the people of God called the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or the seed of Isaac the seed of Iacob The reasons may be these two First because that all Iacobs posterity were the Church of God all Iacobs children the Patriarchs were every one of the Church All that came from Abraham were not so Ishmael was not so All that came from Isaac were not so Esau was not But all Iacobs children were therefore speaking of the people of God of the Church that should be to the end of the world they are said here to be the seed of Iacob rather then the seed of Abraham or of Isaac Then secondly the seed of Iacòb because the Lord is here speaking of the blessing of his seed namely in the hearing of their prayers Call unto me and I will answer thee Now because Iacob was the most eminent in prayer though Abraham and Isaac no question were mighty with God in prayer yet the Scripture doth not put such an eminency either upon Abraham or Isaac for prayer as upon Iacob You have the most eminent expression for prayer that ever was spoken of any man never the like Gen. 32.28 And he said thy name shall be called no more Iacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed O how eminent was he in prayer Therefore it is rather said the seed of Iacob then of Abraham or Isaac But you will say then they should rather have been called the seed of Israel for his name of Israel was given him upon his prevailing with God We must not be too inquisitive These names are used promiscuously But this is one reason that is given and it seemeth to have probability with it In Scripture when God speaks of the Church in a low condition he puts the name of Iacob on them rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob and it follows ye men of Israel Isa 41.14 He puts them in mind of their low condition by this name rather then Israel Fear not thou worm Iacob For before Iacobs name was changed ye know what a low condition and what streights he was in So here the Lord speaking of his Churches deliverance out of distress he calls them the seed of Iacob that they might see how by their prayers they were brought from their streights as Iacob was brought from his streights by prayer When he was Iacob before he was Israel he was in great streights so shall the Church be till they seek God Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not That is first I did require it of them and my requiring did prevail with them I did not exhort them to it or require it and my words fell to the ground and they did not call unto me but what I required of them was effected in them When God speaks to a people and they do not what he requires his word may seem to be slighted there being no efficacy in his words to prevail But saith God Call unto mee and I will answer thee that is I called not on my people to call unto me and they went their own way but what I spake to them prevailed with them and in them and they did that which I required This is a blessed thing that we do that which the Lord requires of us to be done That is the first observation Secondly call unto me and I will answer thee that is I did not onely command but I did promise to answer them They calling unto me in a right manner by
have their paper offices where transaction between one State and another are kept so the Lord hath his prayer-office where he keeps all the prayers of his Saints that ever were put up to him Revel 8.3 Another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints Where were those prayers of all the Saints that he must take a censer and offer incense with God had them recorded with him and now they were to be offered to him And see what great things follow upon the offering of the prayers of the Saints vers 4. The smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And the Angel took the censer c. and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake These followed upon the prayers of the Saints It signified the time wherein all should come in remembrance before the Lord as if an Angel were offering yea Christ the Angel of the Covenant hath a time to take the prayers presented long ago and to offer them to God with his own incense They are all recorded in heaven therefore they are not in vain When a petition is taken and put upon record the petitioner petitioneth not in vain his petition is not thrown out God doth take all the petitions of the Saints and recordeth them they are all filed up in heaven Yet further there is no faithfull petition but God puts his fiat to the bottom of it at the instant that it is put up to him There is a decree in heaven issued out for mercy at the very instant that the petition is put up God dealeth not with us in this kind as men do who are counted very gracious if they please to tell us they will consider of our petition no but your petition is presently granted A petitioner when there is time taken to consider of his petition trembles and shakes for fear it should not be granted but the petitions of the Saints of God are granted presently When Daniel had been seeking God at the evening sacrifice an Angel comes to him and tells him that at the beginning of his prayer there was a decree to grant it and that he was sent to him at the beginning of his prayer Dan. 9.23 Psa 56.9 When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back this I know for God is for me Did not David cry oft and yet his enemies did not turn their backs when he cryed He cryed oft when his enemies prevailed yet he saith When I cried then mine enemies turned back and this I know why for God is for me The meaning must be this that at that instant that he cryed there was a decree in heaven the thing was done He looked on it as done even as certainly as if he had seen it with his eyes This is the reason that the Saints after they have prayed though the thing be not actually done fall to praising and blessing of God We have a notable example in Iehoshaphat of whom we read 2. Chron. 20.3 that being in a great fear bad set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah He did not seek God slightly but set himself to seek the Lord. And what his prayer was ye may see from vers 6. to 12. And Iehoshaphat said O Lord God of our fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest over all Kingdomes Mark how he pleadeth with God for the Covenant he had made vers 8. Speaking of the Sanctuary they had built for his names sake If when evil commeth upon us as the sword judgement or pestilence or famine we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and help He urgeth the promise made to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple For that prayer of Faith which Solomon made and God accepted hath the strength of a promise in it O our God saith he wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Though he profest that his enemies were so many that he knew not what to do and that they had no might to resist them yet after his prayer was done and before the battell began when he had consulted with the people he appointed singers unto the Lord that should praise the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercie endureth for ever vers 21. Mark he had not yet gotten the victory the battell was not fought yet as soon as he had ended his prayer he praised the Lord for his mercie indureth for ever He made account that the thing was done It was decreed in heaven Therefore surely the people of God are answered when they call upon him Nay it is not onely decreed but ere long God will satisfie his people fill their longing souls with goodnesse Psal 107.9 A time shall come when they shall they say their prayers are heard and that they have enough Yea the Lord giveth more sometimes then his people mention in their prayer they ask temporall blessings and he bestoweth spirituall yea he giveth them himself and that is all in all Surely then the prayers of the Saints are heard and answered But wherein lyeth the efficacy of prayer What makes prayer so powerfull with God One thing is because God delighteth in mercy and in communicating himself to the children of men He taketh more pleasure in doing good then any can in seeking it yea then any can in enjoying it from him Our hearts cannot be so strongly set to seek for any mercy from God as he is to communicate mercy to us Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 Another thing that rendreth prayer so effectuall is Gods Covenant and promise to his people It was the speech of Alchimedes Give me a place to set my Engine in and I will shake the whole earth Let prayer have a sure foundation to set foot on and it will do mighty things Now the promises are the foundation of prayer whereof we have great abundance Numb 23. You shall find abundance of promises to the Saints of God when Balaam was brought to curse the people But in Deuter. 33. there are admirable promises There is none like unto the God of Iâ—shurun who rideth upon the heaven in thy help and on the skie in his excellency The eternall God is his refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say destroy them Israel then shall