Name I will mention but three things First His Word is his Name The Gospel of Christ is his Name that expresseth to us what Christ is Christ saith that he had manifested his Father's Name unto the men whom he had given him out of the world Joh. 17. 6. that is his Fathers Truths the Doctrine of his Gospel The Lord Jesus is made known by his Gospel That doth the same thing for Christ that our Name doth for us it lets the World know whose Son Christ is what he is what he hath done and suffered for Sinners and this is to the Soul exceeding sweet as an Oil that is poured forth Secondly His Mercy is his Name All those declarations of his love and good will towards his Peoples Souls of which his Gospel is full All the Emanations of his Love When the Lord telleth Moses his Name he thus proclaimeth it The Lord The Lord merciful slow to anger As God gets him a great Name upon Pharaoh and the wicked of the Earth by executing Justice and Judgment so he gets himself a great Name amongst his Saints by shewing meâ—cy His Name is I even I am he that blotteth out transgressions for my own Names sake I will heal your backslidings and love you freely Lastly His Truth is his Name By Truth I mean his Faithfulness in fulfilling his Word Thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds saith David Psal 108. 4. David Psal 138. 2. resolveth to praise God's Name for his Loving-kindness and for his Truth Jesus Christ is much known to us by his Truth and Faithfulness to his Promises making good to his Peoples Souls what he hath said hence he is called the Amen the Faithful and the true Witness Rev. 3. 14. Pareus upon that Text saith that Christ is called the Amen for that reason which the Apostle giveth 2 Cor. 1. 19 20. because he is not Yea and Nay but he is Yea and because all the Promises of God in him are Yea and Amen Thus I have opened to you what that Name of Christ is which the Spouse compareth to an Oil or to an Ointment poured forth 2 Qu. But why to an Oil poured forth Certainly for the usefulness of it under that circumstance Ointment in the Box Oil inclosed and kept up in the Vessel is no way so useful as when it is poured out If we use it for food it must be poured out if for Medicine if for Ornament which way soever we use Oil or Ointment it must be poured out then it becomes useful to us But that which I take to be what is principally intended is Thy Name is exceedingly infinitely sweet Oil is sweet in the Vessel where it is kept it is sweet if but dropped out by drops But saith the Spouse of Christ Thy Name is as an Oil or Ointment poured forth Thou hast not only a sweetness and excellency in thy self but all the grace and mercy in thee is communicated and that not in drops or little measures but as Oil poured forth that hath scope of Air enough to diffuse it self in and by If Christ had No Name by which he could be made known to us yet there would be in him as God blessed for ever infinite goodness as well as Majesty and Glory the fulness of the God-Head would be in him he would be full of Grace and Truth but now his Name makes him to be as an Oil poured forth by that we behold his glory the glory as of the begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. When the invisible incomprehensible excellency love and grace of Christ is made known unto us either by the Gospel or by the emanations of his grace and mercy or the demonstrations of his truth and faithfulness by any of his personal names or names of Office wâ—ich are given to him then like Oil or Ointment poured out he appears to the Soul transcendently incomparably sweet This now appears both from Scripture and from experience 1. From Scripture how sweet are thy words unto my tast faith David Psal 119. 103. More to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than Honey and the Hony-comb Psal 19. 10. In his name shall the Gentiles trust Mat. 12. 21. Adam had a little of Christ made known unto him One promise we read of no more The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. It was like Oil poured forth and kept him from a deliquium in the sense of the first sin and his being turned out of Paradise Abraham heard a little of Christs name it was to him like Oil poured forth he saw my day and rejoiced saith Christ John 8. he saw the day star arise afar off he saw but the morning the dawning of the morning too of Christs day and at a great distance how sweet was it to him He saw my day saith Christ and he rejoiced I might give you very many instances of the sweetness which the Saints of God perceived upon the several discoveries of Christ made to them But what needs any further demonstration than what ariseth from the consideration of the thing and from the experience of any Child of God to whom Christ is or hath been made known how sweet must rest be to one that is weary ease to one that is heavy laden both these are promised from Christ Mat. 11. 29. how sweet must the name of a Saviour be to one that is lost and undone the name of Redeemeâ— to one that is a Captive The name of a Mediator to one that hath offended a potent adversary able to crush him every moment 2. I appeal further to the experience of every Child of God even every Soul who hath tasted any thing of Christ and who hath heard any thing of his Name when a Soul is troubled to think how often how heinously it hath offended God how sweet is the name of a Mediator when it is brought to a sense of its sin and apprehends itself lost and undone how sweet is it to remember the name of Jesus given unto Christ because he was to save his People from their sins when a Soul considereth that without Blood without a Sacrifice there is no remission of Sin how sweet then is the name of an High Priest over the House of God who offered up himself once for our Sins and having done so ascended up into Heaven and ever sitteth at the Right Hand of God to make intercession for the Sins of his People How sweet to the Soul that is afraid lest its lusts should have dominion over him is the name of Christ as a King given unto him because he is to rule in the hearts of those who are once subjected and subdued unto him How sweet are his mercy his truth his promises when at any time the latter are applied to the Soul and the former any way made known in the Soul Doth any one ask whence it is that the name of
meat the Flock shall be cut off from the sold and there shall be no Herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and I will joy in the God of my Salvation The believing Soul can rejoyce in nothing without Christ and it can rejoyce in Christ when it hath nothing more to rejoyce in Let a gracious Soul have but the sense of God's Love in Christ to his Soul he can say to all the world as Esau though not upon such a consideration said to his Brother Jacob I have enough my Brother I have enough keep what thou haft unto thy self Am I justified and regenerated have I peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ have I the pardon of my sin and a righteousness wherein I can stand before God it is enough If the Lord will not give me Bread to eat nor Children to continue my name if I die Childless so I do not die Christless it is enough If I have not Raggs to cloth me nor an Estate to leave Portions to six and also to seven yet I have said to the Lord Thou art my Portion it is enough Hence ariseth a good Christian's contentment in all Estates I have learned saith Paul in all estates to be content content to want content to abound content to have little or much as the Lord pleaseth If the Lord will take away such a man's Children Estate c. he saith with Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord. If I have my part in Christ saith he I have yet enough Omnia mea mecum porto I have my All as the Philosopher is reported to have said when his City was on fire and his Neighbours reflected on him going out and carrying nothing along with him nor concerning himself for the share of Estate he had in it If the Believer considereth his body he seeth a crazy constitution diseases growing upon him if he looks into his Family and seeth it empty of Children if into his Grounds and seeth them bring forth nothing but Weeds and Thistles if into his Stalls and seeth them empty of Cattel yet if he looks into his Soul and finds any evidences of the Love of Christ he can rejoyce in them this must be understood when he seeth himself stript naked not by his own wicked hands but as Job was by the effective Providence of God for the loss of the things of this life the good things of the common Providence of God caused by our own sinful hands and miscarriages oft-times hinder this Joy as they make it difficult to us to see the Love of God in and under them 4. And lastly This Soul rejoyceth in Christ Primarily Emphatically Supremely The Child of God is a parta ker of flesh and blood and hath a sensitive appetite which when gratified necessarily causeth a joy proportionate to the good which it receiveth hence he rejoyceth in the good things of common Providence as well as another man but not as much as another man not upon the same account that another man doth Christ is the Believer's chief Joy and as his title to the good things of this life differs from the title of another so his joy in them differeth from the joy of another All men may have a natural legal title to the good things of this life Dominion and Title is not founded in grace but it is mended by grace Another man derives from God as the Lord of the whole Earth who by his common Providence distributeth portions to the Sons of men as he pleaseth but the believer doth not only derive from God as the supreme Lord but from Christ all is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods saith the Apostle so that while he rejoiceth in the gifts of common Providence he rejoiceth in Christ because he rejoyceth in these things as coming from the hand of a Father reconciled to him by the blood of Christ he rejoiceth in the good things of this life as the loving Wife reioiceth in some present made her by her Husband not so much in the fineness or costliness of it though that may also please her humor as in the kindness and love of her Husband shewed in giving it her So the believer more rejoyceth in the goodness of God shewen to him in any dispensation of Providence then in the thing which God hath given him or her and he supremely rejoiceth in Christ whiles he rejoiceth in a lower comfort Let me shew you this in the instance of Hannah whose story you have 1 Sam. ch 1 2. She was the Wife of Elkanah she had no Children and was passionately desirous of the blessing of Children an affection common to all of that sex especially and for which there was some more special reason in that Age and Nation partly because of the promise of a numerous issue to Abraham so as the Women that were Barren lookt upon themselves as hardly the genuine Children of Abraham at least not sharers in his blessing partly because they knew the Messias was to be born of a Jewish Woman and every Child-bearing Woman might have an expectation to be his Mother Under this great affliction she applies her self to God by prayer the Key of the Womb is one of those Keys which the Jewish Doctors say God keepeth in his hand God hears her prayer she conceiveth and brings forth Samuel as in the first Chapter she names him Samuel to testify her joy in receiving him as an answer of her Prayer upon which she dedicates him to the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 28. So in the second Chapter she sings a Song of praise mark the phrase of it 1 Sam. 2. 1. Mine heart rejoyceth in the Lord my Horn is exalted in the Lord. Her Child was the next object of her joy but how doth she rejoice in him the primary object of her joy was the Lord her great joy in Samuel was as God by giving him to her shewed her his love and that he had not shut out her supplications from him She rejoyced in God Supremely in Samuel Subordinately in God Emphatically in her Child more remissly Thus doth a good Christian rejoice in Christ thus is he the singular object of a believers joy David calleth God the gladness of his joy we translate it his exceeding joy Psal 43. 4. The Prophet Isaiah faith Isaiah 29. 19. The meek shall encrease their joy in the Lord and the poor amongst men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel Yet the proximate cause was v. 20 Because the terrible one was brought to nought and the scorner consumed and all those that watched for iniquity cut off Hence Christ commandeth his Disciples not to rejoice in this that the Devils were subject to them but that their names were written in the Book of Life Doubtless the subjection of Devils to them was true matter of joy ah but it was no primary object no supreme object of their joy no
give to the Poor and if I have taken anything from any by false accusation I restore him fourfold Will he have Peter gird himself and come to him upon the waters Peter will do it immediately Doth he call Simon and Andrew from their Nets to follow him upon a promise that they shall be made Fishers of men and doth he by and by require James and Zebedee to do the like they immediately leave their Father forsake their Nets and follow him Mark 1. 16 17 18. 2. The phrase signifies as much as I will entertain him with the highest Evidences of most cordial Affection I have more than once noted that the heart lies under the left breast however the breasts are the place of love It were endless to enlarge upon those several Scriptures expressing the satisfaction of gracious Souls upon the presence of Christ with them or his returns of presence to them One or two of them shall suffice The first shall be that of David Psal 146. You will discern upon the reading of that Psalm that God had returned to his Soul in Influences of mercy testifying his gracious presence he had heard his supplication v. 1. Inclined his Ear unto him v. 2. helped him v. 6. Mark with what a satisfaction his Soul receiveth these Influences v. 2. I will call upon him as long as I live v. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul v. 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits I will take the cup of Salvation c. v. 16. Oh Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant and the Son of thy handmaid c. How welcome is the presence of God to Davids Soul Do you use to say to your friend Sir what shall I provide for you I think my self much beholden to you I am much your Servant for this kindness rejoiced to see you c. Observe if David here speaketh not much the same language The other instance shall be that of the Spouse Cant. 3. 4. when she had recovered her beloved I found him whom my Soul Loveth I held him and would not let him go untill I had brought him into my Mothers house and into the Chamber of her that canceived me The Child knoweth not how to express its love to its friend better then by bringing him or her home to its Mothers or Fathers house What need any further evidence then that exuberance of joy which is found in every gracious Soul upon any return of divine love which may evidence Christa abiding with it 3. Vehement passions will also discover a gracious Souls desires to the Enjoyment of Christ and his abidings with the Soul When they saw our Saviour weep over Lazarus his grave Joh. 11. They cry out How he loved him He that seeth a Friend mourn when his Friend is gone from him or perhaps but going the woman jealous of any whom she but suspects would draw away her husband from her falling into fits of passion whes he doth but fear such a thing will easily conclude that this friend this Wife is eagerly desirous of the presence and abiding of his friend or her husband with her and Secondly he that observes the jealousy of a gracious Soul over the Lord its Saviour and of every sin of Omission or Commission which it suspecteth as that which may probably separate betwixt his Soul and it He that observeth what slavish fear the Christian yet living in the enjoyments of God is often tormented with left he should lose his beloved presence oâ— takes notice of his weepings even till he can weep no more when he lies but under a perhaps false apprehension that he hath withdrawen himself in displeasure how his Eye oft-times consometh with grief how he makes his bed to swim and wateroth his Couch with tears must needs conclude that the abidings of Christ with the Soul are great objects of its desire And no wonder though they be so as we shall see by enquiring upon the third question Qu. 3. Whence it is that a gracious Soul is so desirous of Christ's lodgings and abidings with it To make a thing the object of a reasonable Soul's desire it is required That the understanding conceive it under the Notion of good and some good which it wanteth and may possibly obtain and according to the degree of goodness apprehended in an object proposed so is the motion of a reasonable Soul's desire more or less towards it Now that which appears to us as good appears so 1. Under the notion of profitable and advantageous Or 2. Under the notion of sweet and pleasant or under the notion of vertaous and honourable It is almost impossible to conceive but that the spiritually enlightened Soul should apprehend the abidings of Christ with it transcendently good upon all these accounts 1. Under the notion of Vertuous and Honourable What greater honour can betide a poor creature than to have the Almighty pitch his Tents in and with it for the Lord of Heaven and Earth to make his abode with a Worm the Eternal Son of God to dwell with Dust and Ashes yea and delight to dwell and continue with it Such honour have all the Saints and no wonder if they be so fond of it Doth Abigail think it an honour to be but a Servant to an Earthly David and Mephibosheth judge it an honour to be admitted to eat Bread at his Table What is it then to have the Son of God in the Arms of our Souls and to have him dwell in our hearts and make his abode there 2. Nor certainly can any thing be more sweet to a gracious Soul The joy and peace that peace which passeth all understanding which is the issue of believing ebbs and flows according to the abidings of Christ with the Soul His presence makes an Heaven and his absence makes an Hell there There are two Passions which are like overflowing Floods and drown a Soul's beauty and comfort Fear and Grief the presence of Christ with the Soul keeps them both under The Soul of the Saint cannot fear when it knows that it is He that saveth it and upholdeth it with the hand of his Righteousness and the Children of the Bride-Chamber himself told us cannot mourn while the Bridegroom is with them 3. For the advantage which accrews to the Soul by the abidings of christ with it besides that already mentioned in the quiet and holy security which it hath by his company which is infinitely above the value of all other concernments I say besides that the advantage is exceeding great I will mention but two things 1. Its enemies are still when the Captain of our Salvation is in our quarters there 's no great fear that the enemy will beat them up The tempter hath nothing to say whiles he that succours the tempted is speaking peace to the Soul God must first say to the Devil behold this Soul is in thy hands before he can meddle with it And our
him I remember what the Jews said for their Centurion He hath loved our Nation and built us a Synagogue this I am sure of Christ hath loved mankind he hath purchased salvation for some of them O my Soul if thou beest forgotten of God yet love him who would so far humble himself as to pity dust and ashes 2. Hence secondly No wonder if there be some love to Christ appearing in those who have no share nor interest in him It hath been the assertion of some that Common grace and special grace differ not specifically but gradually I think the assertion amongst understanding men but a contest of Logical terms I no way doubt of the truth of this That an unbeliever may love Christ in a sense But the Love of the Child of God vastly differs being an infused habit and of another species Whatsoever is presented to us under the Notion of good whether so really or apparently is plainly the proper object of our love Now such may Christ appear even to an unbeliever who is far from having tasted how good the Lord is hence even in a carnal man there may be desires after Christ good wishes to the interest of Christ upon the Earth yea and he may do much for the Service of Christ either from a general Notion of Christs excellency or 2dly which I should have mentioned before from a supposal that he hath as good a share and interest in Christ as any other though in this possibly he may be mistaken And this is very useful for us to consider that we may not build too great confidences from such desires which we find in our Souls or any such external actions without a due inquiry after their Principle But enough of this I come to the positive part of the Proposition 2. That there is a peculiar excellency in Christ which the believing Soul sees and savours and is not discernable to others My beloved saith the Spouse is a Cluster of Camphire unto me They said to her in 5th of this Song v. 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest amongst women what is thy beloved more then anothers beloved that thou so strictly chargest us She answers v. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand c. For the opening of this I will propound two questions 1. What are those peculiar excellencies which the believer sees in Christ more then another sees 2. How comes the believing Soul to be more eagle eyed then his neighbour To the first 1. The believer sees further into the heighths and depths of redeeming love in the general then another man doth The heighth of redeeming love is too great for a reasonable man to take the Astronomer is lost at taking the heighth of this Star we must be strengthned with might by the Spirit in the inward man Christ must dwell in our hearts by saith and we must be rooted and grounded in love before we shall be able with all Saints to comprehend what is the breadth length and depth and heighth and know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge The unbeliever living under the light of the Gospel is like the blind man whose Eyes Christ hath once touched and he seeth something of he excellency of Christ but alas he seeth men like trees Christ must touch him again before he sees things clearly the believer seeth Christ as another thing to what the unbeliever seeth 2. The believer discerns a particular respect of Christ to his Soul Ah this this is it which makes Christ as a Cluster of Camphire it is sweet to a rational Soul to see a Saviour Buâ— infinitly sweet for it to see him as its Saviour to cry out my Lord my God Propriety in a good sweetens it infinitly unto a Soul the believer sees Christ as his Christ his Saviour It is sweet to poor Creatures who are so far enlightened as to see the World lyeth in darkness to know that he is the true light enlightning all that come into the World but infinitly more sweet to the Soul when it sees that he hath enlightened it in particular A good woman to a reasonable man is pâ—etious and he loves her quatenus good and vertuous but if she becomes his Wife that strangely indears her to him and shews her a peculiar excellency in him 'T is sweet to a reasonable man that is enlightened to see that all the Sons of Adam are by nature under misery to see that Christ came to Redeem them from this misery and Curse but how sweet must it be for this Soul to apprehend that he hath redeemed it in particular from this misery I shall not need to enlarge further upon this which in so plain Doth any ask Qu. 2. Whence it is that the believing Soul seeth such a peculiar sweetness and excellency in Christ I answer 1. From that special illumination which attends regeneration There is a Common illumination and there is a special illumination the Common illumination is the work of Gods Spirit concurring with the Preaching of the Gospel inabling men to understand and give some general assent to what is there revealed but when the Lord comes to deal savingly with the Soul it opens the Eyes of the Soul to a fuller clearer and more certain sight of Gospel mysteries 1 Cor. 2. 10. God revealeth to his Saints by his Spirit those things which the Princes of the World though they heard the Gospel never knew what things Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor can it enter into the heart to conceive A Commonly enlightned Soul upon the Preaching of the Gospel may see the same things that a believer sees that Christ died c. But it sees them not so fully and clearly as upon special saving illuminations when the Spirit dealeth with the Soul as it were by demonstration and gives it to see a Christ crucified as it were before its Eyes There are two things especially which the Soul upon conversion doth doubtless see after a quite other manner then it saw them before conversion 1. The sinfulness and mischief of sin A man meerly reasonable may see the ugliness and sinfulness of some sins such as are contrary to the light of nature c. A man Commonly enlightned may see more of the sinfulness and danger both of these and of other sins but when the Spirit of God cometh savingly to work in the Soul it seeth the sinfulness and danger even of these sins after another manner sin then becomes exceeding sinful Rom. 7. 13. It then thinks it sees Hell fire before it and is dropping into it and so hath a clearer sight of the danger of it 2. The excellency of Christ is doubtless seen by it too after another manner Of this there needs no greater evidence than the Souls strange workings of affections towards him its groanings after him longings for an interest in him c. 2. This proceeds also from the Souls
diligent in the use of means to have its desires accomplished that Soul shall be made fat That Souls desires shall be accomplished tho it may see it falls short of its duty in the use of means and tho it may be God is not pleased to give the Soul the sensible manifestations of its love so that its desire is deferred and while it is so differred the heart is pained and it meets with some trouble and uneasiness through the not accomplishing of its desires to its sense yet it shall be made fat The hope of the righteous saith Solomon shall be gladness so the desire of such a Soul the diligent Soul shall be satisfaction This is according to the words of our Saviour Mat. 5. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Thus much I have thought fit to add in this place in answer to that question which we sometimes meet with Whether the desire of grace be grace A true resolution of it is of mighty use sometimes to Souls under melancholick distempers or in an hour of temptation to relieve them where they both want sensible manifestations and a just view of the sincerity of their own actions I shall shut up this discourse with a word of exhortation 1. To all to look to their desires their pretended desires after Christ and his loves That of the Apostle 1 Cor. 16. 22. is a dreadful Curse If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha accursed till the Lord come Love is the complacency of the Soul in an object the first fruit of its desire None hath a true complacency in an object but he desireth an union with it in such a degree as he is capable of Hence every one that liveth under the preaching of the Gospel and hath heard of Christ will pretend to desire him But one desires him from a knowledge by hearsay of the goodness of his loves another desires him from a knowledge of faith a setled persuasion of it wrought in his heart by the Spirit of God and some tasts and experience of it you have heard that the desires of the Soul which arise from a knowledge of report and hearsay are weak and faint and cold and lazy and will speak nothing of good for the Soul that hath them you have heard the other desires are strong and intense vehement and fervent active and diligent Nothing more relieveth a Soul sometimes than to find in itself that though it wanteth a strength to perform yet to will is present with it tho it cannot yet rejoice and delight in the apprehension of his loves yet for these are its desires Nothing more killeth and destroyeth a Soul than to trust to desires of grace as indications of it which indeed are not so O therefore look to your desires after Christ See that they proceed from knowledge and experience For experience indeed it dependeth upon Divine influence and breathing upon the Soul and the holy Spirit of God like the wind breatheth where it pleaseth But see that your knowledge of the goodness of these loves be a knowledge of faith not a meer knowledge from report and hearsay as we may know many things of which we believe nothing that is we know such things are written reported talkt of rake heed this be not all the knowledge your Souls have of the loves of Christ I have shewed you that the Knowledge of Faith is a knowledge of persuasion of the excellency of the loves of Christ in themselves for I am not now discoursing of the persuasion that you have a particular interest in them a firm setled constant persuasion of the Soul that the love of Christ is the most desirable good in Heaven or Earth better then Wine yea better than life itself This is the work of the Spirit of God in the Soul A man can by no study persuade himself of this we can by no art no words no arguments of ours persuade Souls of this All that you can do or which we can advise you to do in this case in the use of such means to the use of which God hath promised his blessing or in the use of which God ordinarily concurreth with his blessing These means are reducible to a few heads 1. His Word 2. His Sacrament 3. Prayer 4. A reformed holy life and Conversation 1. The Word is the great means he hath given you it in writing that you may exercise your selves in it by reading he hath appointed the Ordinance of Preaching that you may receive it by your ears neither reading nor hearing will beget in your Souls such a knowledge of Christs love as will be productive of this knowledge which I call the knowledge of faith but they are both means means within our own power and with the use of which God useth to concur and in the neglect of which noâ—e can expect that the holy Spirit of God should work such a knowledge of the excellency of Christ and his loves as will be productive of these desires after them The Word of God is therefore called the Word of faith not only because it containeth the substance of what we are to believe but because it is that with the use of which God ordinarily concurreth in giving the Soul a power to believe therefore the Apostle tells us That faith cometh by hearing If you would know Christ and his loves read hear the Word of God and that in a conscientious manner but I have had occasion to speak of this under a former proposition 2. The holy Sacrament is another means at least for a further knowledge of Christ and his loves I am not of their minds who think that the Lords Supper is a means for conveighing the first knowledge of faith concerning Christ and his Loves to the Soul if it had Christ doubtless would have given it in commission to his Apostles not only to go and preach to and Baptize all Nations but also to Administer the Supper to them which he did not if any will say both Sacraments are intended I shall not contend but the Apostles practice expoundeth our Saviours precept who baptized none till they believed and made a profession of their true faith in Christ the Sacrament is not a means for ignorant persons and unbelievers to come to the first knowledge of Faith but an excellent means in order to the getting a further knowledge of Faith that is a confirmation of their Faith in the love of Christ 3. A third means is Prayer He gives his holy Spirit in all the manifestations of it to those that ask him 4. The last I mentioned was a reformed holy life and Conversation None know the loves of Christ more fully and effectually then those Souls who walk with him most closely You know the promise of Christs manifestation of himself is to those that love him and keep his commandments but of these things I have before
he may go to God or no whether he hath one good Argument to use which may be of avail with God We have many words to say many Arguments to use and when it is a clear day with the Soul it can easily discern it and fill its mouth with words of several natures but in a dark day under the prevailings of Melancholy or boisterous Temptations it can find many Arguments to deter it from Addresses to God it s own vileness and unworthiness considered with God's purity and holiness the multitude of its sins its former Prayers as it fancieth lying by not answered but it cannot find one Argument to incourage it But every Christian hath at all times many Arguments if he could discern them David made his vileness and unworthiness an Argument Psal 25. Pardon mine iniquity saith he for it is great That 's an Argument all have and at all times Ah! but saith the Soul this is no other than the vilest person hath He may plead the freeness of Divine Grace The Soul that goeth to God for Free Grace can never want an Argument but still this is common and no more encouraging a Believer than another man We may plead our own misery and sad state misery is the object of Grace and Mercy but still this is common The vilest sinner may go and plead with God for mercy because his state is miserable A true Christian would have an Argument of a more special nature and such a one as in the use of he could go boldly and with confidence to the Throne of Grace Admitting this Proposition every good Christian hath such an Argument such an Argument as no unregenerate man hath such an Argument as he may go to God with with boldness and confidence God was never yet wanting to the truly hungring and thirsty Soul after his Love such an Argument as if pleaded with God and being in truth alwaies prevailed with God I shall shut up this Discourse with some few words of Exhortation 1. To all To labour to bring up their hearts to this to prize the favour of God above all other things whatsoever How you shall know whether your hearts be brought up to it or no I have before shewed you but suffer me here to give you some Directions in the case and to press it with some Arguments Until we do find that our Souls do set such an estimate upon the Loves of Christ we can never use it as an Argument with God This is therefore the first thing which we have to do to be restless till we find that we can say it in truth that we value Christ's Loves above all earthly things Nor will this ever be effectually done till the holy Spirit of God comes upon our hearts with its impressions and demonstrations all that we can do will bear no more than the notion of means in order to that blessed end Of that nature much may be directed First Let thy Soul and its immortal state with its condition referring to that state be much in thy thoughts It is one great reason why men neglect and are careless as to the Loves of Christ because they do not remember they have immortal Souls nor consider any future state or their own circumstances relating to it Men know that they have bodies and experience hunger and thirst and cold and so are very busie in taking care what they shall eat and drink and put on but they do not know at least they do not attend to their knowledge of it and have no certain knowledge and persuasion that they have immortal Souls that can no more die with the body than eat drink or sleep with it so as they take no further care than for their outward man Neither do they attend to the consideration of the condition of their Souls with respect to an eternal existence but run away with presumptuous fancies that God will not suffer them to perish for ever determining concerning their Souls according to their fancies and the dictates of their own vitiated reason not according to the revelations of the Divine Will would men think more of their Souls and consider the immortality of them would they determine concerning them according to Divine Revelation it were impossible they should so far as generally they do neglect the care of them They would quickly see that all the good things of the world could not affect the Soul with any good and therefore must needs be invaluable things compared with those things that will secure the Souls happiness both here and for ever If men believed they had immortal Souls their reason would teach them quickly to conclude that they are better than the body which is but earth and which must return to dust and consequently whatsoever is good for the Soul must be infinitely more good than what only serveth the necessities of our earthly part and that neither but for a little time But the truth is as the Fool hath said in his heart there is no God So he hath also said in his Heart I have no Soul no such immortal substance as Preachers talk of there is no such thing as Heaven or Hell most unregenerate men are in their Hearts Atheists The natural reason of all men teacheth them to look after their concerns and interests and to prefer greater before lesser interests and to value what makes for their greatest interests above what is only subservient to an interest of lesser value Mens preference of created comforts before the loves of Christ proceedeth meerly from their ignorance that they have Souls to look after or at least unbelief of it if they notionally know it their not understanding the nature and spiritual concerns of their Souls or at least their erronious fancies and conceptions of an universal Salvation of all or all at least that are baptized the first thing to be done rationally to possess Men and Women of the excellency of Christs loves above Wine above all sensual things or any sensible things is to possess men of this knowledge and to keep their Eyes waking to the consideration of it and to engage them to take their measures of these things from the revelation of the will of God in his word not from their own wild fancies and ratiocinations Secondly Possess your Souls of the impossibility of their receiving of any good any thing suited to their necessities but only from Christ There is no other name given under Heaven there is no Salvation in any other The power over all Souls is committed unto Christ The Father forgives Sins but it is for Christ's sake as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you saith the Apostle we have Redemption forgiveness of Sin through his blood In him we have righteousness peace through him we have access an entrance into the holâ—est of all the Father hath given unto him Eternal life that he should give it to whomsoever he pleaseth There is no good thing suited to a Souls
seen Secondly The Soul receiveth the savour of these good Ointments By Experience it hath tasted how good the Lord is What it bath heard of God in his Word it hath seen in the communications of his Grace There is no knowledge like to this and there is no Spiritual Virgin but hath had less or more some experience of the Lord 's good Ointments But I come to the Application In the first place this may inform us of the Excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ what an adequate Object he is for every Soul to take a delight and pleasure in It may be worth your observation how the Language of the Scripture concerning Christ is such as seems to court the humour of every Soul to a seeking after a propriety and interest in him by shewing him to have something in him suitable to it that so it might take our hearts off beguiling Objects Every Sinner naturally saith Who will shew us any good Good is the common Mistress of the World Every one courts it They only differ in their fancies and apprehensions of what is so and court shadows and Chimera's One saith Who will shew us any good That is some way to get a penny How shall we heap up Silver as the Dust and Riches as the Sand and joyn house to house and field to field until there be no room left in the Earth Come unto me saith Christ I will give you the Riches of Grace the Riches of Glory Rev. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white Rayment that thou mayest be clothed and the shame of thy nakedness may not appear What shall it profit thee saith he to gain the whole world and lose thy own Soul Another man he cares not for money but for his necessary uses but he hunts after honour that is his good he would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great person in the World he would be led about the Streets and hear men cry out Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour This man now looks upon Silver and Gold but as white and yellow Earth and Sand Idolized a little by a relative value some put upon it He snuffs up the Air and desires no more than a great Name in the world Christ to take them off this pitiful pursuit of the Wind and Chaff of the Air the empty Air of Court Favour or popular Applause tells them he hath honour for them To as many as receive him he gave a p wer to become the Sons of God And if Sons then Heirs Joynt-Heirs with Christ They shall Reign with him They shall judge the World They shall be Kings and Priests to the most High God c. There is a third sort that crys Who will shew us any good Their good is the tickling of their Senses delicious Fare and Drink for their tast fine Rayment for their touch sweet Odours for their smells Musick for their Ears c. Give them but enough of Wine and Strong Drink and Dancings and dainty Food costly Apparel Perfumes sweet Ointments for their Hair c. and a few such trifling vanities which perish with the using and they have enough let who will take Silver and Gold and Honours c. Now that the Lord might draw off these sensual Hearts he proponndeth himself as the object of Pleasure he at whose right hand is pleasure a fulness of pleasure for evermore one who hath Oils and sweet Ointments Wine c. Thus he allureth the appetite of every sinner propounding himself as an object proportioned to it In the second place This Notion will afford every one of us a Note by which we may try our interest in and acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ The Note is this If thou beest a Spouse of Christ thou hast a savour of his good Ointments Do the excelling graces of Christ make him appear pretions to thy Soul 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that believe he is pretious To an unbeliever Christ is vile every unbeliever doth not speak vilely of Christ but he hath a vile estimate of him he judgeth vilely concerning Christ he hath no esteem for him he seeth no excellency in him for which he is to be desired he can understand the value of any Gold but that which Christ calleth Gold tried in the fire Rev. 3. 18. He can fancy the value of any honour except that of being called the Sons of God he can tast any pleasure but that which ariseth from a Souls Vnion and communion with Christ By this we may try our selves what relation we have to Christ In the last place this Notion of Christs good Ointments offers me a fair opportunity to persuade Men and Women of pleasure Vain Christless careless Souls to endeavour an acquaintance with Christ There is a generation in the world whom pleasure enticeth from God and his ways their temptation lies not in their Chests they value not riches if they have mony they throw it away as dirt it lies not in honours they have no itch after great places no but it lies in the cravings of their external senses Their senses itch they must scratch them this is their undoing must be so so long as the practice of Religion lies in self-denyal and a mortification of our members They must drink Wine in Bowls and stretch themselves upon their couches of Ivory and anoint themselves with chief Ointments and chant to the sound of the Viol and invent to themselves instruments of Musick Give them but a few glasses of brisk and generous Wine and a lesson or two upon some instrument of Musick with a foolish wanton Song Give them but gay cloths and a powdered Perriwig a few patches or a little paint for their faces they regard not whether they have a peny in their Purses yea or no and verily Pleasure is the undoing of many a Soul the Woman saith the Apostle it is as true of the man that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth As there are pleasures the meer use of which is sinful so there is scarce any kind of pleasures I mean such gratifications of the outward senses as come under the name of Voluptates but expose Souls to temptations to greater sins and indispose the Soul to the greatest duties they are Snares in which the Devil catcheth many a poor Soul Now how shall these poor Souls be drawn off from this that it may not dance itself into Hell fire Certainly by no means so effectual as the discovering to it that as these pleasures are pernicious and dangerous to the Soul so there are far greater pleasures to be found with Christ Perfumes often are but like paint to a Sepulcher the body the cloaths by a little art smell sweet the mind and Soul the more noble part of man stinks it may be through sordid conditions but most certainly in the Nostrils of God
cause of any true Spiritual saving motion and so inequal vertues are as I said before ascribed to Souls of the same kind under the same circumstances and endowed with the same rational faculties Secondly They also agree That the operations of Divine Grace are no other than what may by the power of mans will be not only opposed but finally resisted so as they shall produce no effect and that drawing grace is no more then an intreating and moral suasion no such act of power as we would have it to be man comes to Christ alone he is not drawn Therein they agree with the other 3. Finally they say the converted Soul can of itself do acts of righteousness obey the Commandments of God and ordinarily needs no quickning only assisting Grace This is not to be allowed in the Latitude though there be something of truth in it there is certainly a greater power and ability to spiritual good in the converted then in the unregenerate and unconverted Soul we dare not say the Soul converted moves not acts not but as acted and is also in that state meerly passive God hath now infused a principle of life into it his Spirit dwelleth in it But we say that even the justified Soul still stands in need of a constant divine influx and that in a powerful degree and Bellarmine himself grants that as the Soul hath at all times need of Gods assisting exciting and protecting grace for Christ saith without me you can do nothing so in some hard cases and in the performance of some hard difficult duties he hath need of powerful influences of Grace So as the Jesuite himselfdurst not ascribe so much to the power of mans will though altered by grace as those bold men amongst our selves who will have man have a power not only in ordinary cases but to resist the strongest temptations It is a sign they neither ever knew what a strong temptation meant Nor what it is to resist and evercome them But this is enough to shew you the vanity of these Doctrines Secondly My discourse on this proposition will let all of us see the exceeding solly of resisting and vexing or grieving or quenching the holy Spirit of God at any time in its operations or motions you meet in Scripture with all these terms expressing the opposition which vain man maketh to the holy Spirit of God two of them resisting and vexing are applied to men wicked and unregenerate Acts 7. 51. You do always resist the Holy Ghost and thus you read of vexing the Spirit The Apostle writes to the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit 1 Thes 5. 19. and to the Ephesians Eph. 4. 30. not to grieve it As the man that is unregenerate may resist and vex so those that are renewed may quench and grieve the Holy Spirit The Proposition which I have opened to you shewing you the necessity of our being drawn by this Holy Spirit if we ever come to Christ or being come if we hold on in our way and run after him and walk with him justifies those reproofs and exhortations of the Apostles evincing it to be the greatest folly imaginable voluntarily to do any such acts by which this blessed Spirit should be resisted vexed quenched or grieved 1. This may be done by persons whose hearts are not yet changed they sit under the ministration of the Gospel which is the ministration of the Spirit and a glorious ministration and besides the suasion of the potent arguments contained in it set on by all the art of the Ministers of Christ gifted by God for this end and authorized by God to this work there is hardly any of them but find some inward impressions of the Holy Spirit shewing them a necessity of believing and obeying the Gospel if they would ever obtain Eternal life this they cannot deny but cannot through the prevalency of their passions above their reason obtain of themselves to hearken to these admonitions and yield obedience to these impressions but after the prickings of their lusts they must go they cannot deny themselves in their pleasures or profits be they never such forbidden fruit yet on the other side possibly their consciences bear so hard upon them that they cannot quiet them without promising that they will amend their ways they will turn to God they only beg a little time and cry out with the Sluggard yet a little sleep yet a little slnmber a little folding of the hands to sleep like Trades-men that know they must not spend all their time in their Beds if they do their Families must starve yet their Eyes are heavy and they cry to those that call them It is not time to rise yet an hour or two hence is time enough So these men sitting under the sound of the Gospel will grant you that if they live and die in such courses as at present they walk in their Souls must perish to all Eternity But this they intend not only it is not time yet to awake ouâ— of sle p a year or two hence is time enough let them have some lâ—tâ—sâ—â—ction in the pleasures of youth they will repeat and believe before they die and upon this presumption they at present 〈◊〉 the holv Spirit of God from time to time and vâ—x iâ— noâ— only appearing in the Ministration of the Gospel but in its more common motions and impressions This is what I would shortly shew you the vanity of from the asserted truth of this proposition Two things I would say to these Souls That whatsoever humane action is to be done naturally requireth time and place and that the Earth is the place and this life is the time for such actions for saith Solomon Eâ—â—l 9. 10. There is no work no device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goâ—st upon which he exhorts us Whatsoever thy hand fâ—â—dâ—â—h to do do it with all thy might It is only while we are upon the Earth that we are in the way with God whom we have made our adversary and whom we are concerned quickly to agree with when we die we are delivered to the Judge the Spirit returneth to God that gave it When our Dust returns to its Dust Our comp sâ—um is then dissolved and no action can be the action of the whole man When our bodies come to be covered with Earth our bodies move and act no more In the Grave none repents believeth prayeth or praiseth or any way remembreth God Thou sayest to morrow or within a few years I will amend I will repent how knowest thou in what capacity thou shalt then be what a day or a month or a year will as to thee bring forth The present time alone is thine and but a little of that neither that which as Gerard speaks dicendo praeterit currendo praeterlabitur is gone while thou speakest of it slipt away while thou thinkest of it What talkest thou of to morrow of the next week month year who
see your good works Shew me thy saith by thy works faith James Faith without works is dead It were endless to reckon up the several Texts of Scripture by which God hath directed the Government of our Tongues our Eyes our Ears our Hands our Feet In short the several Precepts for good works are all proofs of this 2. It must be so if we consider what influence the heart and will affections have upon our whole outward man commanding all the outward members out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh from the dictates of the heart the Eye looketh the hand moveth the mouth speaketh the Feet turn this or that way So that if the Tree be good the fruit must be good also the Fig-tree brings not forth thistles nor the Vine thorns A naughty tongue eye hand foot is a certain indication of a corrupt and naughty heart 3. The â—â—liever is made conformable to Christ He went up and down doing good finishing the work which his Father had given him to do glorifying his Father on Earth doing his will manifesting his name no guile was found in his mouth no iniquity in his hand No iniquity towards God no unrighteousness towards men 4. See the Patterns of holy men upon Scriptural record Abraham and David all the holy Servants of God you will find their holiness did not lye only in the obedience of their heart but of their whole external converse a strict walking with God in obedience to his will 5. Observe the promises of God they are not onely made to Faith and Love and the more inward habits of the mind but to external acts such as Prayer hearing the Word Sanctification of the Sabbath shewing mercy to the poor doing justly walking righteously 6. The descriptions of holy men also make out this They are described to be men fearing God and eschewing evil walking in the Commandments of God Working righteousness all which expressions signify that a believer must not only be internally holy but externally so also Lastly the end which they serve shews also a necessity of it they are lights to inlighten the World and therefore they must not be hid under bushels They are Salt to season the World and therefore must be exposed to their use their end is to glorify God before men which cannot be without an external as well as an internal holiness thus the first thing appeareth I have passed over these things easy enough to have been extended into a much larger discourse Because it is a point so exceeding obvious and indeed agreed by all men The 2d thing is that holiness is a believers beauty it is so in the Eyes of Christ which is here spoken of Nor is this of any thing more difficult demonstration then the other What is that which we call beauty but an amiable external appearance of a Person arising from a Symmetry of parts a due mixture and Proportion of colours in conformity to some Original Pattern or Idea A Christians Original Pattern is God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be you holy at your Heavenly Father is holy As I am holy saith the holy Writ What can be a Christians beauty but his conformity to God and that amiableness which ariseth from that All Spiritual beauty is to be measured from the symmetry of the Soul to the divine law That which makes the Soul amiable to God and to all those who are like God This is holiness But I shall sum up all in some few Words of application I shall first observe from hence two or three Corollaries for our instruction then close all with a few words of exhortation Observe then That it is not enough for one that owneth the name of a believer to glory in a good inside There goeth a good outside as well as a good inside to make up a good Christian There are 2 Sorts of hypocrites and I am at loss with my self to determine which is worst The first sort glory in appearance but not in reality The Pharisees were of this Sort they were painted Sepulchers they made clean the outside of the platter of this Sort are men that pretend much to acts of devotion praying fasting hearing and acts of righteousness toward men and perhaps charity but are without any true faith in God or love to God full of malice and envy and cruelty and covetousness these are Pharisaical Hypocrites The 2d are such as will pretend to a good inside but they have a bad outside These men bite and devour their brethren lye and cheat and defraud and oppress neglect duties of Religion c. And yet tell you they have a good heart they have faith in God Love to God c. Thou Hypocrite shew me thy faith by thy works thy pretended Love to God by thy keeping his commandments Truly of the two these are the worst they pretend to holiness but which way will you look for it What notion of holiness have these men taken up Will you look for it in their conscientious constant attendance upon duties of publick Worship there you see their places empty or if they be filled observe their behaviour they are prating or sleeping or sporting or with their Eyes compassing the whole congregation Will you look for it in their private families There it may be you may hear the voice of Cursing or Swearing or reviling but the voice of Praying of reading the Word of those that sing praise unto God is seldom or never heard in their Houses Will you look for their holiness in their behaviour toward men you shall there find neither Justice nor Charity cheating defrauding Oppression cruelty hard-hearted behaviour c. Yet they will tell you they have good hearts Either now these men have Souls not like other mens Souls that have no command of their tongues and hands c. Or else they speak falsely I say these are of all others the Vilest Hypoerites 1. Because they have nothing good the first mentioned do some good things materially good they read fast pray walk justly give alms But these wretches have nothing do nothing at all that is good There is nothing good in their lives and that assureth us there 's nothing good in their hearts 2. These men do much more hurt then others do these are they that cause the name of God to be Blaâ—â—â—emed and evil spoken of Brethren be not deceived they are fifty men that you can impose upon but you cannot impose upon that God who searcheth the heart tryeth the reins Let none be deceived by the pretences of these Hypocrites The Spouse of Christ hath beautifull Cheeks and a beautiful Neck as well as a beautiful inside her Cheeks are comely betwixt rows of Jewels She hath a Chain of gold upon her Neck The laws and instructions of her Heavenly Father are an Ornament to her head and a Chain upon her Neck She durst not before men dishonour God Let this be the first