him it may be he doth not presently answer all our requests It may be with Paul thou and I have some thorn in the Flesh that we have sought God for the taking of it away and we begin to be impatient and to say we have waited and prayed and looked long and yet 't is not taken away we looked for peace and behold no good we looked for healing and behold trouble and we begin to fret and say as Jehoram King of Israel did when trouble began to arise and the Famine increase 2 Kings 6.33 Behold this evil is of the Lord what should we wait for the Lord any longer Ah poor soul whoever thou art I pitty thee that hast been at any time in this sad temper but stay thy self soul with this that Christ waited tell his head was wet with the Dew c. And to what end did he and doth he wait but to be gracious so he saith Is 30 18 And therefore doth the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you Note the force of that word therefore for that very end that he may be gracious Oh! how long hath he waited for you it may for some ten twenty thirty fourty years and yet he saith he will wait Therefore will the Lord wait not onely hath but will wait Oh why then should not we wait then for him I but dost thou find after all this waiting that Jesus Christ is come in thou wilt say it may be I would have Christ for my Saviour First Hast thou received him for thy Priest the Priest's under the Law were changed by reason of mortallity but this man because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood but art thou able to say thou art willing to cast thy self on him to bear away thy iniquities I tell thee he is able to bear them there is help laid on one that is mighty and he is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 And he is not one that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was tempted as we are that he might the better succour them that are tempted and because of this Priest-hood We may come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.15 Heb. 2.8 Alas we durst not have looked God in the Face had not Christ been our Priest and undertaken this but now we may come boldly and plead Christ with him Oh who shall condemn 't is Christ that dyed Rom. 8.34 Yea when he let Angels go those noble Creatures yet he condescended to take on him the Seed of Abra'm he would be a Priest for poor lost man Heb. 2.16 Yea he by this bare our iniquities into the Wilderness of forgetfulness Lev. 16.21 And truly we had need of one to bear away not only the iniquity of our transgression but to bear the iniquities of our services he is the Antitipe of Aaron the Priest to bear away the iniquity of our Holy things Exod. 28.38 When poor Believers are troubled with vain thoughts and their Spirits are wandring in Prayer or Hearing or Meditation or Reading These Worm eaten services the worms of evil thoughts will be creeping in and eating out the heart of our prayers yet Christ will bear away the iniquity of these Holy things yea when not only vain but wicked thoughts come in as in Prov. 5.14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation Yea thy very secret sins which made David cry out Cleanse me from my secret sins Psal 19.12 Yet he is a Priest to bear away all sorts of sins The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sins Now Soul try thy self art thou willing to have Christ for thy Priest do not deceive thy self 't is not so easie to take Christ for thy Priest 't is no small matter to come of from thy self Secondly Hast thou received Christ for thy Prophet to teach thee All Gods Children shall be taught of the Lord Isa 54.13 And a Prophet shall the Lord thy God raise up unto thee of thy brethren him shall ye hear in all things Acts 3.22 And this was of old Prophesied by Jacob Gen. 49.13 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and to him shall the gathering of the people be this Shiloh was Christ and this gathering of the people to hear him begun to be fulfilled Luke 19.48 For all the people were very attentive to hear him or as some margins have it they hanged on him Now art thou willing to hear him and to hang on his lip to be taught by him and none other and to hear no other Doctrine then what he Teaches dost thou indeed take him for thy Prophet and with the Apostle Gal. 1.9 Dost account him accursed that brings any other news of Salvation This is a second way we should receive Christ But I proceed to the next Thirdly Dost thou receive Christ for thy King to Rule and give thee Laws as well as teach thee Isa 33.22 The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King not only King to save us but our Law-giver to rule us He is our King and he will save us we must not think to be Kings our selves Alas what can we do but he will save us save us from sins Matth. 1.21 And he will save us from our enemies too the people of Israel did not save themselves by their own arm but by the Lords arm and by the Lords right hand Psal 44.3 so in Hos 1.7 I will have mercy on the House of Israel and will save them How by themselves by their own arm not so the Text tells you by the Lord their God and 't is Christ that is that horn of Salvation in Luke 1.69 71. That will save us from our enemies and from the hand of them that hate us and it is he in Isa 63.1 That is Mighty to save and as he will rule in the Salvation of his people so he will rule secondly in the destruction of his enemies Jam. 4.12 As he is able to save so likewise to destroy He shall Rule his enemies with a Rod of Iron Psal 2.9 Psal 110.2 God will send the Rod of his strength out of Zion and he shall rule in the midst of his enemies and Vers 6. He shall wound the heads of many Countries Though the proud ones of the World say this man shall not Reign over us yet he will bring them into subjection whether they will or no have but a little patience believer and it will come to pass but besides this Christ will be King in thy Soul to tread down Sin and Satan and art thou willing to have Christ King in thee to this end art thou willing he shall tread on the neck of every lust and corruption then dost thou receive him as King aright art thou willing he shall bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of himself 2 Cor. 10.5 Dost thou receive him
to give Laws too and art thou willing to follow the Laws of none other Lord alas when he hath given thee Laws there is no other Law for any other to make after him an excellent place to this purpose is that in Eccl. 2.12 For what can the man do that comes after the King he saith before I turned my self to behold Wisdom Madness and Folly what was that why in the latter end of the Verse even that which is already done I turned my self to behold Wisdom Wisdom in the King to act Laws for his people and when I saw the wisdom of that King I thought it was both madness and folly to think to act with more wisdom for what can the man do that comes after the King it is an interogation implying anogation what can the man do that comes after the King truly nothing who hath either wisdom or power to act after the King if it should be of the Laws of the Church why that 's already done now soul hast thou received Christ to be thy Priest Prophet and King thy Priest to offer for thee thy Prophet to Teach thee and thy King to give Laws too and Rule over thee and to deliver thee from thine enemies Spiritual and Temporal yea from Wrath to come why if so thou hast some ground to hope Jesus was Sacrificed for thee Fifthly Hast thou Faith precious Faith as Peter calls it 2 Pet. 1.1 'T is a good sign thou belongest to the Lord for that 's it I drive at in the main to give thee a little hope that thou art precious in the sight of God and art within the compass of electing love or one for whom Christ dyed faith now is a precious grace and it may be precious upon a double account 1. In respect of the giver 2. In respect of the Vertue of the Grace it self Oh what a precious God is the Giver of this gift he gives perfect gifts and what a precious grace is this when given by God 't is of an inestimable value 't is that that doth make the Saints rich rich in Faith Abrahams faith was counted to him for righteousness Rom. 4.5 And he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life John 3. last Not he may have it but he hath it already 't is made sure to him this faith is of a large extent and will do mighty things it will remove Mountains of sin and corruptions into the Sea of forgetfulness Yea what ever we ask in Faith it shall be given us Mark 11.24 And as Faith is the greatest and powerfullest grace so unbelief is the greatest sin Christ saith he will send the Spirit to reprove the World of sin and what is that sin you may be in John 16.9 Of sin because they believe not on me so they could not enter in because of unbelief Heb. 3.19 And without Faith 't is unpossible to please God Heb. 11.6 So that you see unbelief is our greatest evil but in a few words Faith will help us do these things 1. It will help us to give up our selves to God for to follow him this was that which made Abraham go up out of his own Countrey Gen. 12.4 Though he knew not whether he went as 't is repeated Heb. 11.8 Faith will do more then we can express it will carry a soul forth above fear and above reproach above good and bad report through Fire and Water how did it elevate the Spirits of those Champions for Christ in that little Book of Martyrs Heb. 11. 2. Faith will enable us to receive Christ and good things from him that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith how by Faith Eph. 3.17 And good things from him too it was by faith that Sara'h had strength to conceive Seed and to bring forth a Child and by Faith Elizabeth and Mary bare the two greatest that ever were on Earth Heb. 11.11 and the first of Luke many more of this kind might be urged but I hasten Ah soul to thee that believest all things are possible therefore if thou findest this Spirit of Faith in thee 't is a good sign Christ is Sacrificed for thee Sixthly It is a good sign thy sins are aquitted if Christ be of an inestimable value to thee he that had found this Pearl of Price sold all that he had to buy it Matth. 14.46 There are many precious in the World many precious Friends and Relations yea more then these there is that good name so much gazed after among men That is more precious then fine Gold and all other precious things Prov. 22.1 Eccl. 7.1 Yet all these and all he hath doth he not value at the rate that he value's the Pearl of Price Oh unto you that believe to you that Christ hath been Sacrificed for Christ is very precious Ah soul is Christ more precious to thee then all things hath he the highest room in thy heart higher then thy Teacher I speak to thee that dost as 't were deifie thy Minister And thou Minister if it should fall into thy hand to peruse this hath Christ a room in thy heart higher then they that sit in the highest seat in the Meeting I speak to you that are partial and have such respect to persons you that the great ones do so seat themselves about in their attendancises on the Word I tell you a man may love Christ more then sinners and yet not love him more then Saints especially them that bring you in your greatest revenues you 'l say is there any such as these If you should I would answer you by another question what meaneth your bearing with great ones great faults when you 'l rebuke the poor of the Flock sharply for a smaller faults but you will it may be say I am out of my way well to return how dost thou prize Jesus Christ above all things then 't is a good sign Christ is thine and thou art his try as thou goest along for this is indeed the only distinguishing Carracter of a Believer Enlarge it in thy Meditation Seventhly They that have Christ slain for them will not do as the multitude do neither as the multitude of oppressors nor as the very multitude of professors do Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil alas there be many very many too too many professors go on in an evil way in the neglect of many duties and in many evil ways and unwarrantable paths and have no Scripture light to guide them they take up things on trusts it may be because such and such do so but the true Believer will not do so He knows many be called but few chosen Matth. 20.16 And narrow is the Way and straight is the Gate Luke 7.13 Poor soul thou seest the great numbers of the World running after their lusts and taking their swing in ungodly ways in excessive eating and drinking and rioting I and the professing world too they are posting on as fast though in a
to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it and in Vers 13. In that day shall the fair Virgins and young Men faint for thirst Ah how many are there that are but new born Babes and Virgins and young Men in Christ how do their souls hunger and thirst and seek after some to break the Bread of Life to them and can find none their souls are ready to perish and they long to go into the Lords House into the assembly of his people Oh how do they sigh and sob and groan and Lord in thy bowels hear their cry and groanings and come down and deliver them and send them Bread without cockle of Mens inventions and mildew of Sophisticated and corrupt Doctrine but if thou art one that desirest the ordinances of God and to he in the assembly of his people 't is a sign thou art a child of God prethee soul bring thy self to a tryal 't is very sad if thou canst find no looks nor longings after any thing of God XIII 'T is a sign thou art a child of God if thou lovest the Word of God mark dost thou love the Word of God 't is a sign thou art one of the children of God Oh saith Job I have esteemed or I have hid or laid up the Word of his Mouth for so it may be read more then my necessary food or my appointed portion he esteemed it so that he hid it or laid it up in his heart oh what a soul was here that had rather be without Bread than without Gods Word so David in the Psal 119.97 wants words to express it and therefore sighingly he lifts up his voice and saith Oh how love I thy Law so Ver. 113. I have vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Yea though wicked men hate it and make it void yet then will I love it the more which is intimated in that word therefore thy Servant loveth it Vers 127. And in the Vers 140. thy Word is very pure I tryed or refined therefore thy servant loveth it because his Word was pure without Sophistication therefore David loved it Ah soul dost thou love the Word of God as 't is a naked pure word 't is a sure sign thou art Gods and therefore mayst take peace to thy soul Oh soul peace to thee so in Verse 165. Great peace have they that love thy Law note great peace have they not shall they but have they that have thy Law thou that lovest Gods Word 't is a good sign that word hath spoken peace to thee thou art Godly and God hath set thee apart for himself Psal 4.3 Examine as thou goest along soul and take comfort as thou find'st it in thy poor soul Oh if God by his Word will but speak peace to thee it will be that that passeth understanding XIV 'T is a sign thou art one for whom Christ is Sacrificed if thou canst venture to follow Christ which way soever he goes Rev. 14.4 These are they that follow the Lamb whethersoever he goes and 't is said these are Virgins chast Virgins Spouses of Christ are not only willing to follow Christ into Paradise but whithersoever he goeth into the Desert or into the Wilderness whithersoever he goeth XV. 'T is a good sign thou art a friend of Christ if thou canst cordially pray for thy enemies this too many is a searching one this I am afraid is a hard saying who can bear it thou dost not come up to thy Lords order if thou dost it not If thy enemy hunger give him Meat and if he thirst give him Drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his Head Rom. 12. last The meaning is those good things done to him will be like fire that is heaped upon mettal to melt it down that is shall be even disolved into another nature it will melt the heart Mat. 5.44 Pray for them for whom for them them that are our friends them that pray for us no for thy enemies them that despightfully used you this ever and anon Christ hint's at Forgive them that trespass against you I say some we will forgive them but we 'll swear we will never forget them take heed that 's of the flesh but to forgive thy enemy is not only to be Christ's but to be like Christ Phil. 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Ah how happy a soul art thou that can do this but do not mistake soul I do not say make him thy friend no I should be loath to make my mortal enemy my bosom friend or my familiar friend as David speaks Psal 41.9 Yet notwithstanding this we should pray for them and that will be pleasing to God and if we please God as certainly we shall in thus doing who can tell but God may at least make our enemies to be at peace with us Porv. 16.7 Oh soul try thy self canst thou pray for thy enemies 't is a good evidence thou art one for whom Christ is sacrificed XVI Canst thou trust and wait on Christ I put these together for the one is as it were the evidence of the other for he that wait's on God surely doth trust him else why doth he wait on him Psal 84.12 Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee Blessed is he he is in a state of grace that trusteth God for soul and too 't is no better then hypocrisie to say we trust God with our souls and cannot trust him with our bodies Paul could trust God with his life In whom we trust he will yet deliver us 2 Cor. 1.10 Oh then trust in the Lord and wait on him too And blessed are all they that wait for him Art thou in any distress and God doth not yet deliver thee wait on him he will come this was the temper of good Jehosaphat when he was in distress 2 Chron. 20.12 When he knew not what to do but saith he our eyes are upon thee Ah I 'le wait on thee however this was a good sign it is well with a soul multitudes of Scripture witnesseth this XVII Canst thou rejoice in the grace of God in others this is sad to tell some seem to have grace themselves and yet do not love to see grace in others at least they cannot abide others should exceed or outshine their grace they hate to see others come up to any degree of grace more then they I am apt to suspect the truth of their grace that thus envie others grace but sure I am 't is a sign of a good soul that loves to see and rejoyce in the sight of the grace of God in others take one clear Text for this Acts 11.23 Barnabas when he came to Antioch where the Disciples were first called Christians when he had seen the grace of God was glad Oh soul dost thou see any thing of the grace of God in others of the Image of Christ in others and art thou glad and rejoycest to
pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 Ah soul I know not so well what thou hast as I know what I have but I have mine iniquity and I do fear so hast thou few that ever I met with but had one beloved above all other this is that David kept himself from Psal 18.23 I kept my self from mine iniquity Oh take head that thine iniquity do not draw thee back but follow the Lord and keep on his way not only begin but follow on Hes 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord there is the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ before but take heed and look forward for if thou look back there is Hell behind at thy heels if thou draw back it will be to perdition Oh that we may never draw back for if we do the fault will be ours for God if he hath begun a good work will go on to perform it or as it may be read finish it Phill. 1.6 Let us then go on after Christ and not draw back from him but Thirdly And lastly to the Saints live as it becometh those that are called by him and make profession of him hath he loved thee with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness hath he drawn thee Jer. 31.3 And wilt thou not answer his love by thy Life Oh soul wilt thou not stand for him and own him in bad days wilt thou not plead his cause against all enemies that plead's thy cause with the Father hath God given thee a gift oh improve it for Christ thy Lord he hath dyed for thee and wilt not thou live to him doth he appear before God for thee and wilt not thou appear before Men for his Name sake 't is sad to see how men sneak away and diseart Christ's cause under fine specious pretences 't is not prudence to do things say they when Authority would not have it so and so they have a pretence to cover themselves with that pretence this kind of Spirit was found in some of old in Holy Philpots time said he some persons make themselves a Clock to keep of the Rain with pretence of obeying Magistrates whom we ought to obey though they be evil and wicked but saith he such must learn to give Caesar his and God his due and with Peter obey the higher powers in the Lord c. this he speaks by reason of the cowardness of their Spirits in their Masters cause but oh soul that I could prevail with thee and my own soul to stand to Christs cause Oh I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day bear witness all ye that see or hear of this that I call upon you to plead Christ caused and hold fast his Name and not run away and leave Christ oh live as those that become the Gospel in this very thing oh sad 't is to tell there be some that in this respect have cause the very adversary to speak reproach fully and to blaspheme and as these are cowardly in Christs cause so there are others very debauched in their practices would to God there were no cause to say professors keep loose company many there are that keep a Club with vain Fellows I and I am afraid many times drink to excess oh take shame to your selves who are guilty this is loathsom in the sight of the truly Godly and I tell you you give them just occasion to judge you Hypocritical and rotten at the heart and to spare no rank let me be plain with you who take it upon you to be the Lords Watchmen you of the Ministry 't is sad that you that should be reproevers should fall justly under reproof or rather for I am on exhortation now you that should exhort others should need be exhorted and yet what lives do some of you lead I am ashamed to say debauched of you Oh insteed of a holy self denying life how many of you live an Earthly flesh pleasing life and how are your Families trained up insteed of the School of Christ it may be in a Dancing-School or at the Musick is this a life that becometh Professors but by this time I think I hear some of you begin to say is not it lawful to recreate our selves I am not minded here to answer all the cavils that the flesh will raise but this I 'le said Paul said indeed All things were lawful that is as I conceive with respect to conscience of his own but not expedient that is with respect to conscience of anothers and to my knowledge there are some hardened by your practices Oh how sad is it to see Ministers Wives Children and Families as well as other Professors come into the Congregation and insteed of being patterns of piety are patterns of Pride that insteed of having it said of them they were Modest and adorned with meekness and humility in modest apparel shameful it might be said they were proud high-minded and clad in gaudy Robes like pictures set to sell but I leave you to dispute it with one that will nonplusse you in all your disputations and silence all your objections but Saint thou that art truly such what ever others do though they Eclipse and darken the Glory of God and Religion yet do thou let thy light so shine that others may see thy good works and glorifie God Oh soul have a shinning conversation so saith the Apostle Phill. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel Art thou Christ's live as one that wouldst honour Christ it will be an honour to Christian profession it will be a comfort to those that were instrumental in begetting thee to God they will be able to stand up one day and say behold here I am and the Children that thou hast given me Heb. 2.13 Oh I call upon professors now to adorn Religion when the wicked scorn it do you adorn it and you that are members of Churches I do not say of Christ for it doth not appear by you how do you honour Christ when there is no order nor government in your Families no Justice no pitty or if any but a meer carcase insteed of having the Master in the Family at even when the duty of his particular calling is over he is in the Coffee-house which may justly be called the Night Exchange not so much to Traffick as to quaffe it insteed of an exhortation to thy Family and Servants it may be thou sit telling or else hearing a merry jest among thy Company or at best insteed of thy Bible in thy hands asking thy Children and Servants what 's God or Christ or the Holy Ghost it may be thou sittest with Cards in thy hands asking who deals who leads the Table or what 's Trump Sirs take it how you will I speak not groundlesly is this to honour Christ and the profession of Religion Oh let it not be told in Gath nor published in Askelon Oh never wrong Religion so much as to take the