that I am lesse then the least of all thy favours saith good Jacob Gen. 32. If we be lesse then the least then we must be thankful for the least Humility is alway thankful a humble man thinks himself unworthy of any thing and therefore he is thankful for any thing A proud man praiseth himself above the common rate he over-values and over-prizeth himself and therefore he thinks he never hath enough when he hath a great deal he thinks he hath lesse then he deserves and therefore he is an unthankful person And that makes a proud man so intolerable to God he is alway an unthankful person a murmuring person A humble man because he undervalues himself he thinks he hath more then he deserves and he is thankfull for every thing he knowes he deserves nothing of himself it is the meere goodness of God whatsoever he hath The best direction to thansgiving is to have a humble and low heart rherefore David 1. Chron. 29. 14. when he would exercise his heart to thankfuluesse when the people had given liberally saith he Who am I or what is this people that we should be able to offer willingly after this sort all comes of thee and all is thine own that we give What am I or what is this people that we should have hearts to give liberally to the Temple see how he abaseth himself And Abraham I am dust and ashes shall I speak to my Lord And Job I abhor my self in dust and ashes when he considered Gods excellencie and his own basenesse A humble heart is alway thankful and the way to thankfulnesse is to consider our humilitie What am I saith David he had a heart to be thankfull of thine own I give thee not onely the matter to be thankfull for but of thine owne I give thee when I give thee thanks thou givest me a thankfull heart As the Sacrifice that Abraham offered was found by God so God must find the sacrifice that we offer even a thankfull heart of thine own Lord I give thee even when I give thee thanks Therefore you may make that a meanes to have a thankfull heart to pray for a thankfull heart And when we have it blesse God for it that we may be more thankfull God must vouchsafe the portion of a thankful heart with other blessings he that gives matter to be thankful must give a heart to be thankful Again to make us more thankfull do but consider the misery of our selves if we wanted the blessings we are thankfull for and the misery of others that have them not Thou that hast health if thou wouldest be thankfull for it look abroad look into hospitalls look on thy sick friends that cannot come abroad Thou that wouldest be thankfull for the libertie of the Gospell look beyond the seas look into the Palatinate and other Countries and certainly this will make thee thankfull if any thing will If we would be thankfull for spirituall blessings consider the miserie of those that are under the bondage of Satan how there is but a little step between them and hell that they are ready to sink into it there is but the short thread of this life to be cut and they are for ever miserable If we would be thankful for any blessing let us consider the misery to be without it If we would be thankful for our wits let us consider distracted persons What an excellent Engine to all things in this life and the life to come is this spark of reason If we want reason what can we do in civill things What can we do in matters of grace Grace presupposeth nature if we would be thankfull for health for strength and for reason if we would be thankful for common favours consider the miserie of those that want these things Would we be thankful for the blessed ordinance consider but the miserie of those that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death how they are led by Satan and want the means of salvation Those that would be thankfull for the government we have let them consider those that live in Anarchie where every man lives as he lists where a man cannot enjoy his own The consideration of these things it should quicken us to thankfulnesse the consideration of our own misery if we should want them and the misery of those that do want them And let us keep a Catalogue of Gods blessings it will serve us as in regard of God to blesse him the more so in regard of our selves to establish our faith the more for God is Jehovah alway like himself whom he hath done good unto he will do good to he is constant in his love Whom he loves he loves to the end God shall have more thanks and we shall have more comfort Again to add some encouragements and motives to thankfulnesse which may be a forcible meanes to make us thankful do but consider it is Gods tribute it is Gods custom do but deny the King his custom and what will come of it deny him tribute and you forfeit all so you forfeit all for want of thankfulnesse What is the reason that God hath taken away the Gospel from countries abroad and may do from us if we be not more thankfull because they were not thankfull it is all the tribute all the impost he sets upon his blessings I will give you this but you shall glorifie me with thanksgiving It is all the honour he looks for He that praiseth me honoureth me And now O Israel what doth the Lord require of thee for all his favours but to serve him with a chearful and good heart to be thankful What is the reason that the earth denies her own to us that sometimes we have unseasonable years We deny God his own he stops the due of the creature because we stop his due When we are not thankful he is forced to make the heavens as Iron and the Earth as Brasse we force him to make the creature otherwise then it is because we deny him thankfulnesse The running of favours from heaven ceaseth when there is not a recourse back again of thankfulnesse to him For unthankfulnesse is a drying wind it dryes up the fountain of Gods favours it binds God it will not suffer him to be as good as his word If ever God give us up to publick judgments it will be because we are not thankfull to God for favours and deliverances as that in 88. by Sea and from the Gunpowder treason by land Was it not a sick State after Queen Mary when Queen Elisabeth received the Crown The Church and Common-wealth were sick Now if we be to praise God for our particular persons when we have recovered our health much more should we praise God when the State when the Church is delivered as it was at the comming in of Queen Elizabeth and afterward in 88. and of late time and continually he doth deliver us And if we
things they set light by them Hosea 8. 12. He gave them the great things of his law and they accounted them as slight as strange things not worthy to be regarded Praise consists in taking notice and not onely in taking notice but in remembring and minding them as in Psal. 103. My soul praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits And likewise in an estimation of them and likewise in expressing this thankfulnesse in words Awake my glory our tongues are our glory especially as they are instruments to praise and glorifie God we cannot use our language better then to speak the language of Canaan in praising of God Likewise praise consists in doing good which is reall praise though we say nothing Moses cryed to God though he spake not a word Evill works have a crie although they say nothing Abels blood cried against Cain and as evill works so good works have a crie though a man praise not God with his tongue his works praise God Job saith The sides of the poore blessed him What could their sides speak No but there was a reall thanksgiving to God their sides blessed God so our good works may praise God as well as our tongues and hearts The heavens and the earth they praise God though they say nothing because they stir us up to say something Let men see your good workes that they may take occasion from thence to blesse God saith Christ. Or else your praising of God is but a meer complementing with God to give him thanks with the tongue and after to dishonour him with your lives Psal. 50. What hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth sith thou hatest to be reformed what hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth either in prayer or in praise when thou hatest to be reformed High words are unseemly for a foole saith the Wise man and what higher words then praise Therefore praise for a man that lives in a blasphemous course of life in a filthy course of life praise is too high a word for a fool we must praise God in our lives or else not at all God will not accept of it It consists in these things Now some directions how to perform it for our selves and others If we would praise God for our selves or for any then let us look about us let us looke above us and beneath us let us look backward look to the present look forward every thing puts songs of praise into our mouth Have we not matter enough of our own to praise God for let us look about us to the prosperity of others let us praise God for the Ministery praise God for the Magistracy praise God for the government wherein we live There are many grievances in the best government but a Christian heart considereth what good he hath by that government what good he hath by that ordinance and doth not onely delight to feed on the blemishes as flies do upon sores it is a sign of a naughty heart to do so Although a man should not be insensible of the ills of the times for else how should we pray against them yet he is not so sensible as to forget the good he hath by them If we would praise God let us look to the good and not so much upon the ill Look up to heaven look to the earth to the sea David occasions praise from every creature every creature ministers matter of praise from the stars to the dust from heaven to earth from the Cedar to the Hisop that growes by the wall Is there not a beam of Gods goodnesse in every creature have we not use of every creature we must praise God not only for the Majesty and order that shines in them but for the use of them in respect of us And so let us look to the works of Providence as well as to the works of Creation Look to Gods work in his Church his confounding of his enemies his deliverance of his Church the Churches abroad our owne Church our owne persons our friends thus we should feed our selves that we may have matter of praising God God gives us matter every day he renewes his favours upon the place wherein we live and upon us as itis Lam. 3. It is his mercy that we are not all consumed Let us look back to the favours that we have injoyed let us look for the present what doth he do for us The Apostle saith here God doth deliver us doth he not give deliverance and favour and grace inward grace for the time to come hath he not reserved an inheritance immortall and undefiled in the heavens for us Wherefore doth he bestow things present and wherefore doth he reveal things laid up for us for the time to come but that we should praise him but that we should praise him for that which he means to do afterwards Blessed be God the Father who hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall and undefiled c. saith St. Peter God reveals good things that are to come that we are heires apparent to the Crown of glory this is revealed that we might praise him now that we might begin the imployment of heaven upon earth Let us look upward and downward let us look about us look inward look backward look to the present look forward every thing ministreth matter of praise to God Yea our very crosses happie is he whom God vouchsafeth to be angry with that he doth not give him over to a Reprobate sense to fill up his sins but that he will correct him to pull him from ill courses happie is he that God vouchsafeth to be angry with in evill courses There is a blessing hid in ill in the Crosse. In all things give thanks saith the Apostle what in afflictions I not for the affliction it self but for the issue of it There is an effect in afflictions to draw us from the world to draw us to God to make us more heavenly-minded to make us see better into these earthly things to make us in love with heavenly things In all things give thanks When we want matter in our selves let us look abroad and give thanks to God for the prosperity of others And with all in the second place when we look about us let us dwell in the meditation of the usefulnesse of these things of the goodnesse of God in them till our Hearts be warmed It is not a slight God be thanked that will serve but we must dwell upon it let our hearts dwell so long on the favours and blessings of God till there be a blessed fire kindled in us The best bone-fire of all is to have our hearts kindled with love to God in the consideration of his mercy Let us dwell so long upon it till a flame be kindled in us A slight praise is neither acceptable to God nor man And then let us consider our own unworthinesse let us dwell upon
to do this daily so when we are to comfort others we ought not onely to comfort them but to search them as much as we can what sin is in them and what miserie is upon them and acquaint them with their own estate that they are in as far as we can discerne we may judge of them partly by our selves For we must not prostitute comforts to persons that are indisposed till we see them fitted God doth comfort but it is the abject Christ heales but is the wounded spirit he came to seek but it is to those that are lost he came to ease but it is those that are heavy laden Therefore that we may comfort them to purpose we ought to shew and discover to them what estate they are in that we may force them to comfort if they be not enemies to comfort and to their own souls He is an unwise Physitian that administers cordials before he gives preparatives to carry away the noysome humours they will do little good we ought therefore to prepare them this way if we intend to do them good And then when we see what need they stand in bring them to Christ and the Covenant of Grace that is the best way to comfort them to bring them to see that God is their father when we discern some signs of grace in them For this is the maine stop in all comfort that there is none but they shall find by experience they are ready to say you teach wondrous comforts that there is an inheritance in heaven that God hath provided and on earth there is an issue of all for good and there is a presence of God in troubles this is true but how shall I know this belongs to me This is the cavil of flesh and blood that turnes the back to the most heavenly comforts that are The main and principal thing therefore in dealing with others and with our own hearts is to let them see that there are some signs and evidencies that they are in the covenant of grace that they belong to God Unlesse we see that all the comfort we can give them is to tell them that they are not yet sunk into hell and that they have space to repent But as long as men live in sinful courses that they are not in the state of Grace we can tell them no comfort except they will devise a new Scripture a new Bible if they do so they may have comfort but this word of God and God herein speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin and will do so we should labour therefore to discern some evidence that they are in the state of Grace And ofttimes those are indeed most intitled to comfort that think it furthest from them therefore we should acquaint them with the conditions of the covenant of grace that God looks to truth therefore if we discern any true broken humble spirit a hungring and a thirsting after righteousnesse and a desire of comfort Blessed are those that hunger and thirst it belongs to them we may comfort them If we see spiritual poverty that they see their wants and would be supplied blessed are the poore in spirit be of good comfort Christ calls such If they see and feel the burden of their sins we may comfort them Christ calls them Come unto me yee that are weary and heavy laden If we descern spiritual and heavenly desires to grow in grace and overcome their corruptions if we discover and descern this in their practise and obedience God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him And he accepts the will for the deed There is a desire of happinesse in nature that comforts not a man it is no sign of grace to desire to be free from hell and to be in heaven it is a naturall desire every creature wishes well to heaven but if there be a desire of the meanes that tend to heaven a desire of Grace these are evidences of grace these are the pulses that we may find grace by when they see their infirmities and groane under them and would be better and complain that they are not better and are out of love with their own hearts there is a combat in their hearts they are not friends with themselves When we see this inward conflict and a desire to better and to get victories against their corruptions though there be many corruptions and weaknesses a man may safely say they are in the state of Grace they are on the mending hand For Christ will not break the brused reed nor quench the smoaking flax And where he hath begun a good work he will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He will cherish these weak beginnings therefore we may comfort them on good ground Then besides that in our dealing with them when we have discovered by some evidence that they belong to the covenant that we see by some love to good things and to Gods Image in his Children and by other evidences then we may comfort them boldly and then to fetch from our own experience what a comfort will it be to such When we can say my estate was as yours is I found those corruptions that you groane under I allowed not my self in them as you do not when a man can say from his own experience that notwithstanding these I have evident signs of Gods spirit that I am his then he can comfort others by his own experience And what a comfort is it to go to the experiments of scripture it is an excellent way As now let a man be deserted of God David will comfort him by his experience Psal. 77. Where he saith he found God as his enemie and as Job saith the terrors of God drank up his spirit be of good comfort David would come and comfort thee if he were alive If the terror of God be against thee for sin that thy conscience is awakned be of good comfort Christ if he were on earth would shew thee by his own example that he indured that desertion on the Cross. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If thou be molested and vexed with Satan Job will comfort thee by his example his book is most of it combating and comfort and so for all other grievances go to the scriptures whatsoever is written is written for our learning Pray to God and he will heare thee as he did Elias Oh but Elias was an excellent man The scripture prevents the objection Jam. 5. he was a man subject to infirmities if God heard him he will hear thee Believe in Christ as Abraham did the Father of the faithful in the promised Messias and he will forgive thee all thy sins Oh but he had a strong faith What hath the scripture to take away this objection In Rom. 5. This was not written for Abraham onely but for those that believe with the faith of Abraham I but I am a wretched sinner there
did Again Afflictions doe good to others by ministring occasion to them to search deeper into the cause when they they see the people of God are so used they take occasion hereby to enquire what is the cause and so take occasion to be instructed deeply in matters of Religion for mans nature is inquisitive and grace takes the hint of any thing What is the matter that such and such indure such things Hereupon I say they come to be better grounded in the cause little occasions oft times are the beginnings of great matters by reason that the spirit as well as wit is of a working nature and will draw one thing from another We see what a great Tree riseth of a little seed how a little thing upon report worketh conversion Naaman the Assyrian had a Servant and she told him that there was a Prophet in Jurie that was a famous man that did great matters and if he would go to him he should be cured of his leprosie that little occasion being ministred Naaman comes to the Prophet and he was cured of a double leprosie both of soule and body and went home a good man so by way of ministring occasion of inquisition the sufferings of others doe good And then seeing the constant and resolute spirits of those that suffer it doth them good and comforts them for first it makes them conceive we of the cause certainly these men that suffer constantly and chearefully it is a good cause that they suffer for when they see the cause is such a resolution and courage in the sufferers And it makes them in love with and begin to think well of the persons when they can deny themselves surely these men care not for the pleasures and vanities of the world that can indure to suffer these So Justin Martyr saith when he saw Christians suffer he thought they were men that cared not for pleasures for if they had they would not suffer these things Besides They can gather from the presence of Gods spirit imboldening the sufferers what they may hope for themselves if they should suffer They may reason thus Is God by his spirit so full and so strong in these that are flesh and blood as we are is he so strong in women in young men in aged men that neither their yeares nor their sex nor their tenderness can any kind of way hinder them from these kind of abasements and sharp sufferings surely the same spirit of God will be as strong in me if I stand out in the same cause and carrie my self as they do and there is good reason for God is the same God the spirit is the same spirit the cause is the same cause therefore it is no false reasoning I may upon a good presumption hope for the presence and assistance of the Spirit of God to inable and strengthen me as he did them for the same Spirit of Godwill be strong in all And this is partly likewise in the intent of them that suffer There is a double intent it is the intent of God to single them out to suffer for the good of others and it is their intent to suffer that others may have good This is one reason why they are willing rather to suffer shame or bodily punishment then they will hinder others of the good they may take by their suffering So it is Gods end and their end It is for your consolation in Gods intent and in my intent and purpose and in the event it self Thus you see how afflictions suffered in good cause help for the consolation and salvation even of others the example of those that suffer flow into the mind and insinuate into the judgment and affection of the beholders many wayes And this the Factors of Antichrist know very well for if ever there be any persecution again we shall hardly have fire and fagor that they may not give example they will come to Gun-powder plots and Massacres and such violent courses to sweep away all They know if it come to matter of example once the grace of God in his children and the presence of his Spirit that shall appeare to others it is of a wondrous working force they are wise enough to know that the Devill teacheth them that wit when he hath been put by all his other shifts If it be so that the sufferings of Gods Children are for the good of others then to make some use of it Let us not take any offence at the cause of religion for suffering we ought not to have an ill conceit of a cause for suffering but rather think the better of it I speak it is in this regard we have many that will honour the Martyrs that are dead that are recorded in the book but if any suffer in the present view before their eyes they are disgracefull to them This should not be For first of all if the cause be good the end of good men by the help of the spirit of God is for thy good Was it not a cruell thing in Saul to strike at David when he played on his Harpe when he sought his good and easement To kill a Nightingale in singing it is a barbarous thing Gods Children by all that they suffer intend the good of others now to hurt and and maligne them in doing good to persecute them that indure ill for our good or that labour and do any thing for our good it is a barbarous savage thing All is for the Elect I suffer not for the Elects sake saith St. Paul in 2. Tim. so my sufferings are for you We may know we are elected of God if we take good by the sufferings of others if we take no scandall and offence and doe not add affliction to the afflicted for all is in Gods intent and in their intent for our good For instance a little to enlighten the point because it is not usually stood on and it is a notion that may help our conceits of the excellent estate of Gods Children Reprobation to go as high as we may it is for their good to shew mercy to them to set by and neglect so many and to single them out The creation of the World is for their sakes Gods providence directs all for their Good for why doth he suffer wicked men it is that they may be instruments to exercise them that are good it is by reflexion or some way for the cause of the good that the wicked are suffered to be upon the earth The administration of the world it is not for the Rebels that are in it it is for those that are Gods Children and he tosseth and tumbleth Empires and Monarchies the great men of the world they think they doe great matters but alas all this is for the exercise of the Church this is reductive to the Church by Gods providence All their attempts are for the little flock for a few that are a despised company that he meanes to save
if we had eyes to see it So likewise his Ordinances are to gather this Church which he hath chosen from all the world to himselfe the Ordinances of the Ministrie and of the Sacraments the suffering of Ministers the doing and suffering of Christians all is for their good as we see in this place I suffer for your consolation and comfort Heaven and earth stands for them the Pillars of Heaven and earth would be taken asunder and all would come to a Chaos an end would be of all if the number of them were gathered that are the blessed people of God for whom al things are The doings and sufferings of Gods people we doe not know indeed that are Ministers who belong to God and who do not but our intent is to do good to those that are Gods and the issue proves so the rest God hath his end in it to harden them and bring them to confusion to take excuse from them but the reall good of all our pains and suffering is the Elects Let us examine what good we take by Ordinances of God and by the sufferings of the present Church and the sufferings of the former Church doe their examples animate and quicken and encourage us to the like courses It is a signe we are elected of God there is no greater signe of a good estate in grace then a gratious heart to draw good out of the examples of others and to draw good out of every thing that befals us because Gods end in election and his manner of providence is to guide all to their good Again we learn another thing likewise how God over-rules in his providence the projects of carnall men of the Devil and his instruments and Agents and Factors God over-rules all things that which in it self is ill and in the intendment of the inflicter is ill yet God turnes it to the good of others and the good of them that suffer too Satan intends no such matter as it is said Isa. 10. Nebuchadnezzar thinks no such thing Ashur the rod of my wrath he intends no such matter they intend not the consolation of Gods when they wrong the Saints of God and so exercise their patience and Grace No they intend their hurt and confusions It is no matter what they intend but God at the first created light out of darkness and in his providence doth great matters by small meanes in his providence over his Church he doth raise contraries out of contraries he turns the wicked proiects of men to contrary ends and makes all serviceable to his own end In state-policie he is accounted the wisest man that can make his enemies instrumentall to his owne purpose that can make others serve his own turne to work his own ends by others that are his opposites and he had need of a great reaching head that can doe so The great providence of Heaven doth thus God is the wisest Polititian in the world All other policie is but a beam from that Sun he can make instrumentall and serviceable to him his very enemies And this is the torment of Satan that God over shoots him in his own bow he over-reacheth him in his own policie where he thinks to doe most harme he doth most good in those afflictions whereby he thinks to quell the courage of the Church God doth exceeding good to them and enlargeth the bounds of the Church this way It is an ordinary speech The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Word of God is the seed of the Church how then is the blood of the Martyrs and Sufferers the seed of the Church Thus the Word of God is the seed of the Church how As it is in the Bible in the book No as it is published in preaching much more as it is published in confession and much more as it is published and sealed in Martyrdome by suffering the Word of God so laid open as not onely spoken but confessed and practised in life and not onely so but sealed by induring any thing thus it is the seed and works strongly God over-rules all inferiours though they have contrary motions in their own intent to his yet he brings them about to his end As we see the Heavens have a contrary motion to the first Heaven that carries the rest the primum mobile yet they are turned about by another motion contrary to the bent of themselves they goe one way and are carryed another As we see in the wheels of the Clock one runs one way another another all make the Clock strike all serve the intent of Clock-maker so one runns one way and another another Carnall men offer disgrace and disparagement to Gods people their intent is to overthrow all to disgrace and to trample on the cause of Religion but God useth contrary wheels to make the Clock strike all turnes in the issue to his end Therefore though we say in our common speech that the Devill is the God of this world it is the Scripture phrase and it is so in regard of the wicked that are under him yet he is a God under a God there is but one Monarch of the World he is a God that hath not power over Swine further then he is suffered It is a point of wondrous comfort that though we be thus used yet there is an active providence there is one Monarch one great King that rules all It is a ground of patience and contentment in whatsoever we suffer not to look to the next instrument but look to the over-ruling cause that will turn all in the issue to our good This Joseph comforted his Brethren with you sent me and of an ill mind too but God turned it to good It was no thank to them yet it was no matter he comforted them in this that God turned their malice to his good and to their good too for he was sent as a Steward to provide for them And it is one ground why to think more moderately in regard of anger fiercenesse against wicked men it is a ground of pittying of them for alas poore soules what do they though they intend it of malice they are but instruments and shall be over-ruled to do good contrary to their meaning as St Paul saith here Whether I be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation The worst intents and designes of the enemies of Religion was for the consolation and salvation of the Corinthians It is good to think of this before hand it is a ground of patience and not onely so but of comfort and joy which is a degree above patience God over-rules all thus Therefore we should quietly cast our selves wholly upon him willing to doe and suffer whatsoever he will have us knowing that he will direct all to the good of the Church to our comfort and his own glory Again a further use may be this to teach us to communicate our estate to others because it is for their
the greatest excellencies are adds some imperfection to balance them Because they should not trust in themselves What is the reason that in the Church God chooseth men of meaner parts and sufficiencies the Disciples Fisher-men If they had been great men men would have said place had carried it if they had been Scholars men would have said that their learning had carried it if they had been witty men they would have said their wit had carried it it had been no marvell if they should win the world but when they saw they were mean men fisher-men sitters at the receit of custome and perhaps their parts were not great then they might attribute it to the divinenesse of the Gospel to the divinenesse of Gods truth and to Gods blessing upon it What is the reason that God suffers excellent men to fall foully sometimes St. Peter himself and David c. because they should not trust in themselves not trust in their grace not trust in any thing no not in the best things in themselves What is the reason that God goes by contraries in all the carriage of our salvation That we should not trust in our selves In our calling he calls men out of nothing He calls things that are not as if they were In Justification he justifies a sinner he that despaires of his own righteousness that no man should trust in any thing he hath or despaire if he want any perfection God justifies a sinner that despairs of himself In sanctification God sanctifies a man when he sees no goodness in himself most of all then he is a vessell fit to receive grace And he doth sanctifie him sometimes by his falls he makes him good by his slips which is a strange course to make a man better by Saith St. Austin I dare say and stand to it that it is profitable for some men to fall they grow more holy by their slips As Peter he grew stronger by his infirmitie this strange course God takes Why so That we should not trust in our selves In our calling in our justification from our sins that we should not trust in our selves nor despaire In Sanctification nay he takes a course that we shall grow better by our falls that we may be ashamed of them and be more cautelous and humble and more watchful for the time to come In glorification he will glorifie us but it shall be when we have been rotten in our graves before we must come to nothing So in every passage of salvation he goes by contraries and all to beate down confidence in our selves and that we should not distrust him in any extremity for then is the time for God to work his work most of all That we might not trust in our selves To help us further against this self-confidence let us labour to know our selves well what we are distinct from the new creature distinct from grace and glory Indeed in that respect we are something in God If we go out of our selves and see what we are in Christ we are some body for we are heires of heaven we are Kings and Rulers over all all things are subject to us hell and sinne and death we are some body there But in that wherein our nature is prone to put overmuch confidence what are we what are we as we are strong as we are rich as we are noble as we are in favour with great ones alas all is nothing because ere long it will be nothing What will all be in the houre of death when we must receive the sentence of death what will all favours do us good they will be gone What will all relations that we are stiled by this and that title what good will it do alas these end in death all earthly relations shall be laid in the dust All the honours in the earth all riches and contentments all the friends that we have what can they do nothing all shall leave us there And for us to trust in that which will faile us ere long and which being taken away we receive a great foile for he that leans to a thing if that be taken away down he falls what a shame will it be As the Heathen man said that great Emperour I have been all things and nothing doth me good now when he was to die indeed nothing could do him good Let not the rich man glorie in his riches nor the wise man glorie in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength saith the Prophet Jer. 9. 22. but let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. Consider what the best thing is that we have of inward things our wisdom wisdom if it be not spirituall it is onely a thing for the things of this life and we are oft times deceived in it It makes God to disappont us oft times to make us go out of our selves an excellent place for this we have in Isa. 50. the last verse Behold all ye that kindle a fire and compasse your selves about with sparkes walk in the light of your own fire c. It is a kind of Ironia and the sparks that you have kindled this you shall have of my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Walk in the light of your own fire walk according to your own devises and projects this ye shall have at my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow God catcheth the wise in the imagination of their own hearts he disappoints the counsel and the projects of Achitophel God takes a glory in it to shame the policies and projects of those that will be wittie in a distinct way against God the best policie is to serve God and to walk uprightly That we should not trust in our selves But in God who raiseth the dead This is the other branch what we should trust in In God all this humbling of the blessed Apostle even to deaths door that he received the sentence of death it was first to subdue carnall confidence in himself he was prone to think himself stronger then he was or that he should be upheld that something or other should keep him from death that he might subdue carnal confidence and then that he might trust in God it was all for these two ends That we might not trust in our selves or in any means but in God that raiseth the dead VVas St. Paul to learn to trust in God that had been so long a Scholar in Christs School nay a Master in Israel was he to learn to trust in God Yes doubtlesse he was it is a lesson that is hardly learned and it is a lesson that we shall be learning all our life to go out of our selves and out of the creature and to go further into God to relie more and more upon him it is a lesson that we can never learn as we ought Therefore weak Christians ought not to be discouraged when they find defects and weaknesse in their trust our hearts are false and prone to trust
a one as must relinquish in his purpose all wicked blasphemous scandalous unthrifty courses whatsoever he that purposeth to please God and to have his prayer accepted of God he must leave all For as the Psalmist saith If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer For a man to come with a petition to God with a purpose to offend him is to come to practise treason in the presence Chamber To come into the presence of God and to have a purpose to stab him with his sins Doest thou purpose to live in thy filthy courses in thy scandalous evill course of life to be a blasphemer a swearer and yet dost thou think that God will hear and regard thy prayer If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer That is another thing that thou mayest know it by whether thou be in such an estate as that thou mayest pray successefully for thy self and for others In Prov. 28. there is a third discovery He that turnes his eare from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abominable Thou mayest know it by this if thou be in such an estate as that God will regard thy prayers for thy self or for others that they may be prevailing prayers how standest thou affected to Gods Truth and Word how art thou acquainted with the reading of the Scriptures and with hearing the blessed Word of God unfolded and broken open by the blessed Ordinance of God How doest thou attend upon God Wouldest thou have him who is the great God of heaven and earth to hear thee and to regard thee when thou wilt not hear and regard him thou wouldest have him to regard thy prayers and thou regardest not him speaking by the Ministery of his Word thou despisest his ordinance which he hath left with thee he hath left thee the mysteries of his Word and thou regardest them not but spendest thy time altogether either about thy calling or about some trifling studies and neglectest the main the soul-saving truth will he hear thy prayer No saith the Wise man He that turnes his eare from hearing the Law that mans prayer shall be abominable Since prayer is so prevailing a thing so pleasing to God so helpfull to the Church and so helpfull to our selves who would be in such a case that he cannot pray or if he doth pray that his prayer should be abominable that God should turn his prayer into sin It is a miserable case that a man lives in that is in league with sin that allowes himself in any wicked course in rebellion to Gods Ordinance such men are in such a state that God doth not regard their prayers for themselves or for others Some do so exalt and lift up their pride against God that they do not regard the very Ordinance of God no not while they are hearing it but set themselves to be otherwise disposed at that very time How can such expect that God will regard them This shall be sufficient to presse that point saith Saint Paul I shall be delivered by your prayers God will deliver the Ministers by the peoples prayers God will be good to the Ministers for the prayers of the people This concerns us that are Ministers Prayer is prevailing even for us And as it is our duty to give our selves to Preaching and Prayer so it is the peoples duty to pray for us likewise and for these particulars as I named To pray for ability To pray for a willing mind to discharge that ability To pray for successe of that discharge for we must be able to Preach to the people of God and we must be willing and there must be successe It doth much discourage Gods people and those that are Ministers when they find no successe of their labours Isai. 49. saith the Prophet I have laboured in vain Elias was much discouraged in his time and Isaiah and Elias were good men yet they were much discouraged they saw little fruit of their labour Therefore let us help the Ministers with our prayers in this respect that God would enable them that God would enlarge their hearts with willingness For there are many that are of ability but they are so proud and so idle that they think themselves too good to Preach to them whom God and the Church hath called them to bestow their labours on they have ability but they want a large heart And those that have both ability and a large heart they want successe they see little fruit because the people pray not for them and they perhaps are negligent in the duty themselves their labours are not steeped in prayers Again a fourth thing that we ought to pray for for them is strength and ability of the outward man and all that fear God and have felt the benefit of the Ministery they do this and God doth answer it Likewise to pray for protection and deliverance from unreasonable men to pray for strength of spirit and likewise for protection For as St. Paul saith 2 Thess. 3. All men have not faith Pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable absurd men All have not Faith Men that believe not Gods truth that believe not Gods Word that are full of Atheisme full of contempt and scorn they are absurd men though they think themselves the witty men of the world yet they are unreasonable and absurd men pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable men Likewise from him that is the head of wicked men the Devil He sees that the Ministers they are the Standard-bearers they are the Captains of Gods Army they stand not alone and they fall not alone many others fall with them There is no calling under heaven by which God conveyes so much good as by the dispensation of his Ordinance in the Ministery therefore we should help them by our prayers There are no men better if they be good nor none more hurtfull if they be bad none worse As Christ saith They are the salt of the earth to season the unsavory world and if the salt have lost the savour it is good for nothing but to be cast on the dunghill Therefore pray that God would deliver them from the Devil who malignes them they are the Butt of his malice by his instruments There are many that come to hear the Word to carpe and to cavil and to sit as Judges to examine but how few are there that pray for the Ministers and surely because they pray not they profit not If we could pray more we should profit more I beseech you in the bowels of Christ put up your petitions to God that God would teach us that are inferiour to you in other respects setting aside our calling that we may teach you that we may instruct his people As John Baptist saith The friends of the Bride learn of the Bridegroom what to speake to the Spouse so we learn from prayer and from reading
publick meetings Severed thanksgiving is not so acceptable a thanksgiving God doth bestow all good upon us in the body as we knit our selves not onely in thanksgiving to him but in love to the Church as all things are derived from God to us in the body so let our praise return to God in the body as much as we may It shews what a hatefull thing Schisme and division is in the Church besides many other inconveniences God wants glory by it God loves to be praised by many joyning together As the Apostle saith here Thanks shall be given by many c. Many not as they are many persons but as they are many godly persons that are led by the Spirit of God Therefore if the praise of many be so acceptable it should first be an incouragement to union In John 17. saith our Saviour Christ there I pray that they may be one as we are one It was the sum of that heavenly prayer the unity of the Church to the end of the world That they may be one as we are one the Trinity should be the patern of our unity Because I say all good is in union and all that comes from us that is accepted of God it must be in peace and union God so loves peace and a quiet disposition inclinable to peace that he neglects his own service till we have made peace one with another Mat. 5. If thou have any offence with thy brother if thou have done him any wrong or he thee go and be reconciled to him and then come and bring thy offering God will stay for his own offering he is content to stay for his own service till we be at peace one with another whether it be prayer or praise if we be not at peace it is not acceptable Again this should teach us to stir up others when we praise God and others have cause as well as we that thanks may be given by many When we are in trouble call upon others and as it is the common and commendable fashion desire others to pray for us that prayer may be made by many and when we receive any favour any deliverance from any great danger acquaint others with it that thanks may be given by many It was the practice of David in Psalme 66. Come I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul. And in Psal. 34. and in Psal. 142. ult Bring my soul out of trouble that I may praise thy Name and what shall others do Then the righteous shall compasse me about for thou hast dealt bountifully with me Shewing that it is the fashion of righteous men when God hath dealt graciously with any of his Children they compasse him about to be acquainted with the passages of divine providence and Gods goodnesse towards them The righteous shall compasse me about for thou hast dealt bountifully with me Holy David in Psalme 103. he stirs up every creature to praise God even the creatures of haile of stormes and windes and every thing even the Blessed Angels as we see in the latter end of that Psalme as if thanksgiving were an imployment fit for Angells and indeed so it is and as if all his own praise were not enough except all the creatures in heaven and earth should joyn with him in that blessed Melody to praise God the Angells and all creatures praise God Let us stir up one another to this exercise How do the creatures praise God They do praise God by thy tongue although they have a kind of secret praise which God heares well enough for they do their duty in their place willinglly and chearfuly but they praise God in our tongues every creature gives us occasion of praising God That thanks may be given by many c. Many give thanks here for one Saint Paul for the Minister We see here Gods end that many should praise God not onely for themselves but for others especially for those by whom God conveys and derives good unto them whether outward or spirituall good The Apostle exhorts us to pray for all men 1 Tim. 2. For Kings yea though they were persecuting Kings at that time And surely if we ought to pray to God for all mankind we ought to praise God for all sorts of men especially for Governours and Ministers c. because God by them bestowes his greatest blessings Obey the Magistrate Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers for the powers that are are ordained of God and he is the Minister of God for thy good so the Governours and Ministers of God are for our good We ought therefore as to pray for them that they may execute their office for our good so to praise God for the good we have by them You know David stirred up the people to mourn for Saul though a Tyrant He cloathed you and your Daughters saith he with skarlet If they should praise God for a persecuting King and mourn for him when he was gone much more should we for those that are good And so likewise for Pastors we ought to praise God for them and all that have good by them will pray to God and praise God for them And undoubtedly it is a sign of a man that hath no good by them that prayes not for them and that praiseth not God by them we ought to praise God in that proportion as well as to pray to God one for another And this should stir us up to be good to many that many may praise God not onely for themselves but for us If it be our duty to pray for those that we derive good by and to praise God for them then let us labour to be such as may communicate to others Good is diffusive and good men are like the box in the Gospell that when it was opened all the house smelled of it The heathen Philosopher said that a just man a good man is a common good like a publick stream like a publick Conduit that every man hath a share in Therefore as the Wise man saith When good men are exalted the City rejoyceth many rejoyce Who would not therefore labour in this respect to be good to have a publick disposition to have a large heart to doe all the good we can That so we may not onely have more prayers to God for us but we may have more praise to God for us that God may gaine by it That thanks may be given by many on our behalf Let us take notice of our negligence in this kind and be stirred up to this blessed duty And therefore consider wherein it consists It consists in our taking notice of the favours of God to our selves and others and in valuing the good things that we praise God for to esteem them The Children of Israel they did not blesse God for the mannah they did not value it This Mannah this Mannah in scorn So in Psalme 106. They neglected Gods pleasant
look that he should deliver us not onely our persons but the State wherein we live let us pray to God that he would do so and praise God for his former deliverance Again this is another motive the praising of God for formet deliverances it invites him to bestow new blessings Upon what ground doth the Husband-man bestow more seed upon that which hath yielded most in time past Will any man sowe in the barren wildernesse where it is lost No but where he looks to reap most and hath done formerly Where he sees a soil that is fruitfull he will sowe it the more and where the heart is a barren wildernesse that it yields nothing back again he takes that away that he gave before You know there is a debt in giving there must be a returning of thanksgiving alway and kindnesse requires kindnesse there is an obligation And where benefits are taken and men are thankfull that is the way to get more to be thankfull for that we have For God minds his own glory above all things and he will especially be bountifull to those from whom he sees he hath most glory therefore alway those that have been richest in grace and in comfort they were most in thankfulnesse as we see in David a man after Gods own heart and in diverse others Let this incourage us First if we be not thankfull it stops the current of benefits Secondly if we be thankfull God will give us more mercies and deliverances when we praise him in our hearts in our lives in our bounty to others in reall thankfulnesse when we are ready to good works then he is ready to bestow new still Again to stir us up to this duty of praising God for our selves and others Consider it is the beginning of heaven upon earth what a happinesse is it that when our persons cannot go to heaven till we die till our bodies be raised yet we can send our Ambassadors we can send our prayers and thanksgivings to heaven and God accepts them as if we came in our own persons Let your conversation be in heaven saith the Apostle How is that by praising God much I pray what is the imployment of heaven of the Angells and blessed Spirits They praise God continually for the work of Creation and for the work of Redemption that is their especiall task in heaven Our duty is to be much this way in praising God Self-love forceth prayer oft-times but to praise God comes from a more heavenly affection Again do but consider that no creature in the world is unthankful but divells onely and divellish men and good men onely so far as they are corrupt and hold correspondencie with their corruptions for every creature praiseth God in his kind set the divell aside who is full of envy and pride and malice against God therefore except we will be like the Divells let us be thankfull God hath made all creatures to praise him and to serve us that we may praise him and when they praise him shall we blaspheme him May not the swearer think with himself every creature blesseth God even the senselesse creatures and shall I dishonour God by my tongue which should be my glory to glorifie him shall I blaspheme him and be like to the divel shall I be more base then the senselesse creatures What glory hath God by many men that live in the Church that blaspheme God and their whole life is a witnesse against God as the whole life of a Christian after he is in the state of Grace is a witnesse for God and a praising of him his whole life is a thanksgiving so the whole life of wicked and carelesse creatures is a dishonour of God it is a witness against God There are none but divells divellish-minded men but they praise God even the very dumbe creatures Let us labour to have a part in that blessed musick and harmonie to praise God if we do not praise God here we shall never do it in heaven But we must remember by the way that this thankfulnesse it must be a fruitful thanksgiving As for us to pray to God to blesse us and then to do nothing it is a barren prayer so to thank God and then to do nothing it is a barren thanksgiving Our deeds have words our deeds have a voyce to God they speak they pray there is a kind of prayer a kind of thanks in our works Works pray to God they have a kind of crie to God both ill works and good works and if good works have a crie to God in prayer they will have a voice in thanksgiving this fruitful this real thanks is that which God stands upon And therefore it is alway joyned with a study how to improve the things that we thank God for to the best advantage If we thank God for health and recovery and deliverance we will labour to improve it to Gods glorie if we be thankful to God for riches for peace we will improve that to grow in grace to do good to others There is never a thankful heart but it studies to improve that which it is thankful for really that God may have the Glory and it the comfort and benefit by it or else it is but a lip-labour but a lost labour Let us shame our selves and condemne our selves for our unthankfulnesse and that will be done by comparing our carriage to men with our carriage to God If so be that a man do us a little courtesie how are we confounded if we have not returned some thanks and yet notwithstanding from God we have all that we have all that we are all that we hope to have and yet how many benefits do we devoure and do not re turn God thanks This disproportion will shame the best Christian that he is not so quick in his devotion to God to be thankful there as he is sensible of small kindnesses done by men this is a good way to make us more thankful And now when we come to the Sacrament let us blesse God The Eucharist is a thanksgiving where there are many there should be thanksgiving where there is a communion there is many and thanksgiving should be especially of many met together to thank God for Christ and for the good we have by him for if many joyned together in praise for St. Paul that was but a Minister that was but an instrument to set out the praise and the Doctrine of Christ much more should we be thankfull to God for Christ himself which is the gift of all gifts and for which he gives us all other gifts if he give us him can he deny us any thing If we be thankful for the health of our bodies as indeed we should if we be thankful for the peace of our humours much more should we be thankful for the peace of our consciences when our soules are set in tune when God and we are friends when the soul by
will tell them that it is another manner of sin and that it is the fountain of all sin And so for Justification by works conscience it self if there were no Book of God would say it is a false point And then they plead for Ignorance they have blind consciences their Clergy being a subtile generation that have abused the world a long time because they would sit in the conscience where God should sit they sit in the Temple of God and would be respected above that which is due to them they would be accounted as petty gods in the world therefore they keep the people from the knowledge of the true rule and make what they speak equal with Gods word Now if the people did discern this they would not be Papists long for no man would willingly be cozened Let us labour therefore for a true rule And when we have gotten rules apply them for what are rules without application Rules are instrumental things and instruments without use are nothing If a Carpenter have a rule and hang it up by him and work by conceit what is it good for So to get a company of rules by the word of God to refine natural knowledge as much as we can and then to make no use of it in our lives it is to no purpose therefore when we have rules let us apply them In this those that have the true rule and apply it not are better then they that refuse to have the rule because as hath been said an Ignorant man that hath not the rule he cannot be good But a man that hath the rule and yet squares not his life by it yet he can bring the rule to his life there is a near converse between the heart and the brain such a man he hath the rule in his memory he hath it in his understanding and therefore there is a thousand times more hope of him that cares to know that cares to hear the word of God and cares for the meanes then of sottish persons that care not to hear because they would not do that they know and because they would not have their sleepy dull and drowsie conscience awaked there is no hope of such a one It should be our care to have right rules and in the application of them to make much of conscience that it may apply aright in directing and then in comfort If we obey it in directing it will witnesse and excuse and upon witnesse and excuse there will come a sweet Paradise to the soul of joy and peace unspeakable and glorious The last thing I observe from these words is this that The testimonie and witnesse of conscience is a ground of comfort and joy The reason of the joyning these two the witnesse of a good conscience and joy it is that which I said before in the description of conscience for conscience first admonisheth and then witnesseth and then it excuseth or accuseth and then it judgeth and executeth Now the inward execution of conscience is joy if it be good for God hath so planted it in the heart and soul that where conscience doth accuse or excuse there is alway execution there is alway joy or fear the affections of joy or fear alway follow If a mans conscience excuse him that he hath done well then conscience comes to be enlarged to be a Paradise to the soul to be a Jubile a refreshing to speak peace and comfort to a man For rewards are not kept altogether for the life to come hell is begun in an ill conscience and heaven is begun in a good conscience an ill conscience is a hell upon earth a good conscience is a heaven upon earth therefore the testimony of a good conscience breeds glorying and rejoycing Again conscience when it witnesseth it comforts because when it witnesseth it witnesseth with God and where God is there is his Spirit and where the holy Spirit is there is joy for even as heat followes the fire so joy and glorying accompany the Spirit of God The Spirit of glory Now when conscience witnesseth aright it witnesseth with God and God is alway cloathed with joy he brings joy and glory into the heart Conscience witnesseth with God that I am his And it witnesseth with my self that I have led my life thus Our rejoycing is the witnesse of our conscience It is not the witnesse of another mans conscience but my own other men may witnesse and say I am thus and thus but all is to no purpose if my own conscience tell me I am another man then they take me to be But when a man 's own conscience witnesseth for him there followes rejoycing A man cannot rejoyce with the testimony of another mans conscience because another man saith I am a good man c. unlesse there be the testimony of my own conscience Now it is a sweet benefit an excusing conscience when it witnesseth well Let us see it in all the passages of life that a good conscience in excusing breeds glorying and joy It doth breed joy in Life in Death at the day of judgement In life in all the passages of life in all estates both good and ill In good the testimonie of conscience breeds joy for it enjoyes the pleasures of this life and the comforts of it with the favour of God conscience tells the man that he hath gotten the things well that he enjoyes that he hath gotten the place and advancement that he hath well that he enjoyes the comforts of this life with a good conscience and all things are pure to the pure If he have gotten them ill conscience upbraids him alway and therefore he cannot joy in the good estate he hath If a man had all the contentments in the world if he had not the testimonie of a good conscience what were all What contentment had Adam in Paradise after once by sin he had fallen from the peace of conscience none at all A little that the righteous hath is better then great riches of the ungodly because they have not peace of conscience And so for ill estate when conscience witnesseth well it breeds rejoycing In false imputations and slanders and disgraces as here it was insinuated into the Corinthians by false teachers and those that followed them that St. Paul was so and so saith St. Paul You may say what you will of me My rejoycing is this the testimony of my conscience that I am not the man which they make me to be in your hearts by their false reports The witnesse of conscience is a good and sufficient ground of rejoycing in this case Therefore holy men have retired to their conscience in all times as Saint Paul you see doth here So Job his conscience bare him out in all the false imputations of his comfortlesse friends that were miserable comforters they laboured to take away his sincerity from him the chief cause of his joy Yeu shall not
me so you will judge of me to the end Why hath S. Paul such a trust of them as of himself Among many reasons this is one He knew that where God had begun a good work he would finish it he saw that he had begun a good work in them and therefore he knew that he would go on with it And then again God planted in him a good hope and trust of them because hope and trust stirre up indeavour to the thing hoped for Desperation doth quell all courage and cool all endeavour Now God because he would have us constant in our carriage and in the expressions of our love to other men he stirres up in us a trust that all shall be well with them Likewise S. Paul sets down his hope that God had put into his heart of them for his own comfort for it is a great comfort to a Minister or to a Christian when he is to deal with such as he trusts are good and will be good it is a heaven upon earth and therefore God doth plant good conceits of other men in us for this end partly to stirre up our endeavour to do all good to them and partly to comfort us For if the finall estate of any man were discovered to us that God had no delight in them concerning their salvation who would do any service of love for them or who would have comfort in conversing with them But when God stirs up in our hearts a good opinion of them partly it is good for them to stirre up our endeavour to do all good for them and it is good for us it is a great comfort And again it was an encouragement to them when they heard of Saint Paul's trust of them to the end that they should continue as they were For to have a good conceit and opinion of another man especially the good conceit of a Pastor it is a great encouragement And the best Christians in the world have need of it oft-times Besides the judgement of themselves which is sometimes shaken by Satan that they give a false witnesse of their own estate Oh it is comfortable that a man have the judgment of a man that looks without passion and temptation on him you have been thus and my trust and confidence is in God and the promise of God looking to your former course that you will be so to the end he gives not a false witnesse Saint Paul speaks thus to stirre up his own endeavour to do good to them and to comfort them that so great an Apostle should have so good an opinion of them Therefore let us labour I say to entertain as good a conceit of them among whom we live as their carriage will bear Two things usually are the object of our hope and trust while men are here before their estate be determined of in hell God may have mercy on them and deliver them out of the snares of Satan that hope should stirre up some endeavour to pray for them seeing their estates are not desperate they are not yet sunk into Hell Or else if we see them in the state of grace we should expresse our love in the services and offices of love because God hath already set his stamp on them There is no man living but we may trust and hope of him one way or other Those that we see no grace in as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2. we may have patience towards them seeing if at any time God will have mercy on them to deliver them out of the snare of the Devil It is not good to cast off all conceit and all hope of any man living the worst sign is when we see men malicious and oppose known truths because it comes near the sin against the Holy Ghost but because we may erre in that it is good to take the safest way But where we see evidences of grace though in never so little a measure let us entertain and cherish a good hope because it will cherish that which we are all bound to to love one another We are bound to love one another and to shew all the offices of love now that which stirres up love and all the offices of love is Hope Faith works by Hope as well as by Love Faith works by Love in all duties and it works by Hope in this duty if we hope that God will have mercy on them that will stirre up our endeavour but we are not much in this errour we are rather ready to conceit over-well then too ill of men I trust you shall acknowledge to the end Saint Paul here besides his good conceit of them to the end doth imply his own resolution and purpose to hold on in good courses to the end My trust in Gods grace is that you shall acknowledge to the end what I have written to you of mine own courses As if he had said I am Paul now and you shall find me Paul hereafter you shall find me alwaies an honest man like my self for as he whom I have trusted is yesterday to day to morrow and the same for ever so likewise by Gods grace I hope to be the same that I have been I hope I shall be like my self The grounds of S. Paul's trust that he should be so is partly the act it self together with the endeavour I trust I shall be so to the end because I trust in God to the end and God is good to them that trust in him how often is it repeated in the Psalmes He is the God of them that trust in him he is a Sun and a shield he is all that is good and he keeps away all evil All the promises are entailed to trusting in God Now because I have confidence in it that God will do so I stirre up my endeavour to shew that it is not a presumptuous trust I trust in him that will perform the conditions of the Covenant which is made to them that honour him by trusting in him Saint Paul knew what God had done he knew that he that had bestowed the first fruits he would make up the harvest he knew that he that had laid the first stone he would set up the roof he knew that God had begun a good work in him by experience and that he would finish his own work that he knew by former experience And then he knew the promises of God the promises of the Covenant Many such grounds Saint Paul had to bear him up that he should continue to the end in a course of simplicity and sincerity and in the grace of God But withall Saint Paul did adde a holy and heavenly course to come to this end together with his trust What course did Saint Paul take Saint Paul that he might hold out constantly in holy resolutions to the end First he did judiciously consider what might hinder him between that and the end of his race and course he balanced all things
hath all to do again Another man sees an end of his work but in this the Devil and corruption hath undone all again We enforce good things on people on the Lords day but within one day ill company and imployment in worldly businesse overthrowes all the Sea banks are down they must be new repaired Therefore there is a necessity laid on us of the Ordinances to our lives end till our soules be in heaven there is a necessity of repairing them We cannot be too diligent in our places And those that have the oversight of others let them make conscience of it it is needful And mark here in the next Point the language of Canaan the language of the Spirit of God that he puts the name of Grace upon every benefit especially those that concern a better life Grace usually we take to be nothing but a gracious frame of heart the new creature as we call it but indeed in the language of the Holy Ghost every free gift of God that concerns our soules any way is a grace The very Ministery is a grace It is the grace and free love of God to give us the Ministery The very heart to imbrace it and to hear it is a grace The very heart to give almes is a grace saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 9. Thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift for this unspeakable grace that you had a heart to give so that every thing that is good it is a Grace a gift of God Saint Paul conceived of his coming to them as a grace Indeed the Grace of God moved and directed S. Paul to come to them It is Grace that God directs the Preacher to speak to the people It is a grace that the Minister speaks gracious things It is a greater grace when you close with and entertain that which is spoken all is of Grace Your ready minds to do good it comes of God it is a grace your acceptance of God as well as eternal life all is of free grace The ground of it is this as Austin as I said defines Predestination well It is a destinating and ordaining to a supernatural end to everlasting salvation in the world to come and a preparing of all means to that end Why now as it is a grace that God pulls oft some men to an eternal estate of salvation in heaven to a supernatural estate that they could never attain without his especial Grace so the preparing of all means to that end it falls within the compasse of Predestination within the grace So when we have any means prepared to bring us to that end the offer of the Word and the Spirit of God disposing us to imbrace the Word this preparing of the means to that end it falls within the compasse of Predestination we may gather our Election by it when we see the Word sent in favour and have gracious hearts to receive it this is a preparation wrought to bring us to heaven a man may know his Election by it all is of grace that falls within the decree of grace When God decrees to bring a man to heaven all that helps to the main must needs be grace The Minister is a grace the Word a grace opportunities to do good a grace the communion of Saints a grace all that helps a man forward is a grace A gracious heart sees God in every thing it sees Gods love in every thing it considers of every thing that befalls it as a Grace Why From this disposition especially because with the grace there is grace to make a blessed use of and to improve every thing If this be so let us look upon every benefit that concerns salvation though it be remote even the very direction of good speeches to us account it a grace It is the grace of God that I have this opportunity especially the publick Ministery Saint Paul calls it a grace let us think of it as a grace And as we do in Clocks we go from the hammer that strikes to the wheeles and from one wheel to another and so to the weights that make it strike we go to the first weight the first wheel that moves all and leads all So when we see good done look not to the good done onely but go to the wheeles to the weights what moves it and makes it strike what sets all a going The grace and free love of God when good things are spoken when any good is done go higher to the first wheel that sets all a going to the grace and free love of God This is the language of the Scripture and of the Spirit of God thus we must speak and think to the end that God may have the glory of his grace in whatsoever good is done or offered When Abigail met David and diverted him from his bloody intention to kill Nabal and gave him counsel another way O blessed be God and blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsell So when opportunities are offered to do good and to hinder us from evil intentions O blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsel When a benefit is done if it be a benefit of this life take it as a grace coming freely from God So a poor man his almes is a grace Thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift saith S. Paul It is grace in him that hath it that God should respect him so much as to relieve him It is grace in the party that gives it that he hath a heart enlarged to do it So when any thing outward or spiritual is done that is good look on it as a grace put that respect on it and that will make you holy-minded to give God his own Our life should be a praising and blessing of God we should begin the employment of heaven while we are on earth How should we do that In all things give thanks Every good thing from God take it as a grace as a largesse not as due not as coming by chance but as a grace and this will make us improve it as a grace for the best it will make us to give God the glory and improve it to our own good when we are thankful for grace that we may have cause to account it a grace Our hearts would not be so full of Atheisme and our tongues so full of blasphemies if we had learned this lesson our lives would be a praising of God And that we may not want matter to feed a thankful spirit alway consider what good things we have are of grace we deserve not so much as a crumb of bread therefore we pray Give us this doy our daily bread Every thing is a Grace especially the things of a better life How shall I know that the Minister is a grace or a good speech from a Minister to be a grace as S. Paul saith here I intended you a second grace that is to speak gracious thing to you I shall know it if by that
the soul under God A man may keep his wisdome and understanding safe still so he keep it under and let Divine truth sway and bring all in us into captivity to it self But alas the scope of the world is contrary instead of bringing the soul into captivity to Gods truth to be led by him to have no thoughts no aimes contrary to Gods will they make Gods truth a captive and prisoner to their own base affections as S. Paul saith Rom. 1. They hold the truth they withhold it as a prisoner under base affections And whereas all should serve the main end and intend better things they make a counterfeit loving of good things to serve their carnal ends they make heaven serve earth they make God serve man the Spirit serve the flesh they invert the order of things clean which is as contrary to nature if they had wisdome to consider it as that the heaven should be under the earth and the water above the air it overturnes all in Religion when we suffer carnal wisdome to rule all to imprison that light that God hath put into the heart and conscience and the light of his Word to base affections and not to bring all into captivity to the Spirit and the Word When we come to hear Gods Word we should consider that we come not for recreation but we come to a Counsellour to that that should sway and direct all our wayes and words to that that is not onely our comfort in the time of affliction but our counsellour as David saith it was the man of his counsel So we come here to be counselled to hear that which must direct us in the way to heaven we must come with a purpose to be guided by that to be taught As Cornelius faith We are here in the presence of God to hear what shall be said to us from God Saint Paul gives this direction 1 Cor. 3. If a man will be wise in heavenly things let him be a fool first It is a strange thing Let him be a fool that is let him be content to be esteemed so let him be content to lose his reputation of wisdome that he may be wise When he knowes others to be fooles let him take a substantial course that the vain world may think him wise It is hard counsel for of all imputations in the world many and the most had rather be accounted wicked then be accounted fooles account them the veriest fools which are unfit to speak think of them in the highest degree of ill you can oh they have wit enough for that they have learning and parts for that take not away their learning and parts account them not fooles account them what you will Religion masters this base opinion Saint Paul saith Let a man be a fool if he will be wise Let no man deceive himself and think Let poor men be so and so Religion is the private mans good and let them make conscience of such things but for us that are in place and authority we must rule by policy and he knowes not how to rule that is not a Politician Let no man deceive himself there is no man great or small but if he will be wise for heaven let him be a fool let him take courses that are conscionable though he be accounted a fool for his pains Let us be jealous of our own hearts in private and publick let us take heed to our own hearts that the flesh come not in Let us labour to be acquainted with Christ that he may be our counsellour and our guide in all things Specially now when we come to the Communion we now renew out Covenant with God and our acquaintance with Christ Jesus we come to feast with him Do we think to have any good by him any benefit by his death except we make him our King and Prophet to rule and guide us except we make him our Counsellour Therefore let us think before-hand we cannot come as we ought to receive the Communion unlesse we intend before-hand to renounce the flesh Christs enemy can you be welcome guests and resolve after to be led and ruled by his enemy If you will have good by Christs death as a Priest to reconcile you to God as this Sacrament seales the benefits of his death the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine come with a purpose to be ruled and guided by this Counsellour in all things he is the great Counsellour Isai. 9. 7. that is willing to advise us by his Word and Spirit in all the particular passages of our lives and the more we enter into acquaintance with him by the Sacrament and maintain it by private prayer and by all sacred means the more ready he will be to do the office of a friend and counsellour in all the passages of our lives to advise us what is best I had occasion in verse 12. to speak at large of fleshly wisdome therefore I passe it That with me there should be yea yea and nay nay This sets down the manner of inconstancy the form of it yea yea to be on the affirmative part once and then nay nay the negative to be of one mind and peremptory in it and then to be of another mind and peremptory in that this is the issue of carnal wisdome and followes on it The things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh that with me there should be yea yea and nay nay insinuating that those that purpose things according to the flesh they are yea yea and nay nay Whence first we may observe which I touched before a little but it issues more properly hence from the dependance That Carnal men are alway inconstant men For a fleshly man led with the flesh being led with the things of the world and they being inconstant he must needs be as that which he is ruled by A man cannot stand safe upon the Ice because it self is not safe a man cannot stand in a thing that stands not that hath no consistence Now a Carnal man he hath no prop to hold him but the things below he cleaves to them and they are inconstant and variable and uncertain He that purposeth according to the flesh is yea yea nay nay Therefore his love is yea yea nay nay If he may have good by you he is yea yea he is for you but can you do him no good he is nay nay he will not own you then Therefore one way to be constant is not to be ruled according to the flesh which I spake of before for they that are are yea yea nay nay Therefore take heed how you trust carnal men in near intimate society as in marriage Or in near friendship never take a man that hath his own aimes and ends for he will respect you no more then he can advance his own ends by you Trust not the Wife of thy bosome saith the Prophet if she
When a man is without grace he goes lumpishly and heavily about the service of God he is drawen and forced to prayer and to hearing and to conference and meditation he is dead and dull and frozen to good works but when a man hath received this sweet anointing of the Spirit his heart is enlarged to all duties whatsoever he is prepared to every good work Again oyl makes chearefull so doth grace it makes chearful in adversity chearfull in death chearful in those things that dismay the spirits of other men so much grace so much joy for even as light and heat follow the fire so the spirit of joy doth follow this spiritual anointing Conscience of the interest he hath in the favour of God in Christ and the evidences of grace stamped upon his heart an assurance of a better estate in the world to come wonderfully enlarge the soul with spiritual joy that which makes a man lumpish and heavy and earthly is not the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is a Spirit of joy and it puts a gracious chearfulnesse in the heart of a Christian if there be mourning it is that it may be more chearful for light is sowen to the righteous sometimes in mourning God loves a chearful giver and a chearful thanksgiver all must be sweetened with chearfulnesse now this comes from the Spirit of God and he that is anointed with the Spirit in some measure partakes of spiritual joy and chearfulnesse Againe ointment you know is of a healing nature as Balme and other sweet ointments have a healing power and vertue the Scripture makes mention of the Balme of Gilead so grace hath a healing power repentance that is of a purging spiritual joy of a healing nature there must you know be first a cleansing and then a healing and strengthening so some graces are purgative and cleansing some againe are strengthening and healing repentance is a good purgation it carries away the malignant and evill matter but the Cordial that strengthens the soul is joy The joy of the Lord is your strength Nehem. 8. and so the grace of faith and love tend to cherrish and corroborate the soul so that I say these graces this Balme of the Spirit hath a special Soveraign power to heale us to heale us both from the guilt of sin and from the dominion and rule and filthy stain of sin it hath both a purging and a Cordial vertue Thus you see that upon good grounds the graces of Gods Spirit that he communicates to the Elect and only to them that are in Christ they are called anointing and they will have the effect of an ointment in us if we receive this anointing Let us therefore try our selves by these whether we be anointed or no what chearfulnesse is there what joy what strength what nimblenesse to that which is good what soveraignty hath grace in our hearts you have a company that professe Religion but make it serve their owne turne that make heaven to come under earth that make the service of God to stoop to other ends Beloved grace it is a superiour thing and Religion makes all subordinate Grace and Religion wheresoever it is in truth is of a ruling nature and so it is sweet and it is strong wheresoever it is it is curing and purging and cleansing wheresoever it is therefore I beseech you let us not deceive our selves I need say no more of the Point you may enlarge it in your own meditations I come to the persons As this anointing hath reference to the ointment so it hath relation to the persons that were anointed Now the persons anointed were first dedicated by anointing they were consecrated to God and separated from the world And as they were dedicated and separated so they were dignified by this anointing it raised them above the common condition And likewise with this anointing God gave them qualifications suitable You have three eminent persons that were anointed and so raised above the common condition of other men Prophets to teach the people Priests to offer sacrifice Kings to govern them Now Christ is principally all these He is the principal Prophet of his Church the Angel of the Covenant He is Logos the Word because as the inward word the mind of a man is known by the outward word so Christ is called the Word because as a Prophet he discovers his Fathers mind and makes known his Fathers will unto us And he is the great high Priest he makes atonement between God and us he stands between his Father and us And he is the great King of his Church that rescues it from all its enemies to protect and defend it But as Christ hath received this anointing primarily and above his fellows yet as I said before he hath received it for his fellows Every Christian hath his anointing from Christs anointing all our graces and all our oyatment is derived from him He saith the Appostle Rev. 1. hath loved us and washed us in his blood he loved us first which is the cause of all and then he washed us in his blood he did not onely shed his blood for us but he washed us in his blood he hath applied his blood to our souls and by applying that and sprinkling it upon our souls he hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father And indeed the great King of heaven and earth he is and will be attended upon by none but Kings and Priests he hath no servants but such as are anointed he is followed of none but eminent persons such as are separated from the world and dignified above all other people for the glory of his followers tends to his honour therefore those whom God chuseth to be his atendants he qualifies them gives them the hearts of Kings royal qualifications and the hearts of Priests and the hearts of Prophets But this in the general To shew it therefore in particulars A Christian is anointed he is a person severed from the world dedicated to God and dignified above others and that from good reason because God hath given him an inward qualification which is the foundation of all And first he is a true Prophet for he hath received the anointing of the Spirit 1 Joh. 2. whereby he is enabled to discern of things he knowes what is true honour to be the child of God he knowes what is true riches Grace he knowes what is true Nobility to be born of God what is true pleasure Peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost he can discern between seeming and reall things and onely he that hath received this anointing of the Spirit And again as a Prophet he knowes not onely the things but the doing of the things he hath with the anointing of the Spirit ability to do that which he knowes the grace of God teacheth him not onely the duty that he should live justly and soberly and godly but teacheth him to do the things for God writes his Lawes in