5.14 Wherefore he says Awake thou that sleepest 2. Have you been drawn to Christ by the Cords of the Gospel Have you been brought to him as a Sanctuary for your distressed Souls as the Man shut up himself in the City of Refuge 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that Day Here is my Anchor and Safety 3. Are you begotten to a lively Hope Do you often look within the Vail and groan and long for your everlasting Hopes Do you send Spies before-hand into the Land of Promise a few Thoughts thither What hearty Groans are there and Sighs of that happy State Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also who have the First-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body Doth it quicken you and make you mend your pace whatever Difficulties you meet with Rom. 5.2 We rejoice in hope of the Glory of God Vse 2. Conviction It sheweth the hardness of their Hearts who have neither felt the Law-work nor the Gospel-work but remain like the Smith's Anvil softned neither with Hammer nor Oil neither driven by the Threatnings of the Law nor drawn with the glad Tidings of Salvation neither Iohn nor Iesus worketh on them Of such Christ speaketh Mat. 11.17 We have piped unto you and you have not danced we have mourned unto you and you have not lamented A rude and stupid People not affected with any kind of Musick In times of Rejoicing the Jews had their lighter Notes fitted for Mirth in times of Lamentation they had their Minstrels and mourning Women that had venales lachrymas beating their Breasts and crying Alas my Brother and ah Lord and ah his Glory Jer. 9.17 Consider ye and call for the mourning Women Notable movers of Passions they were It was a thing so common among them that the Boys would imitate them in the Streets To these Christ likeneth a stupid People that are moved with no kind of Doctrine neither with Judgment nor sweet offers of Grace Alas they are far from the strong Comfort here spoken of Vse 3. To perswade you to this Temper Three sorts of People usually we speak to 1. The carnally Secure 2. Those that are affected with their Condition 3. Those that esteem Christ and embrace him that own him as ready and willing to save Sinners 1. For the carnally Secure that never made their Peace with God never fled for Refuge nor took Sanctuary at the Grace of Christ. Our Work is to make them sensible of the Avenger of Blood that is at their Heels O poor Wretches will you sleep when your Damnation sleeps not Within a little while what will become of you In the ordinary Course of Nature you have but a few Years to pass over in this World but for ought you know the Wrath of God which makes Inquisition for Sinners may seize upon you a great deal sooner you may not live out half your Days that is so long as in an ordinary Providence you might expect Psal. 68.21 God shall wound the Head of his Enemies and the hairy Scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his Trespasses God may take you by the hairy Scalp while you are in your youthful Freshness before Baldness and old Age cometh and Infirmities seize upon you That which is measured by Time will soon come about Every Day you are a step nearer to Eternity O what will become of you When you are at odds with God Death way-layeth you in every place it may take you Sleeping Eating Drinking Ah poor Man what Refuge hast thou What Buckler to catch the Blow of God's angry Indignation and ward off the Strokes of his Vengeance O fly Sinners for Refuge the Lord knows how soon Destruction may seize upon you while you are yet in Health and Strength there is no other means but Christ. Surely this driving Work would prosper more if Men were not wanting to themselves to improve the Conviction of the Word When God shews you your natural Face and begins to startle and awaken you O let not Conviction die No Iron so hard as that which hath been often quenched and often healed So no Heart so hard as when it hath worn out many Convictions Make use of Remorses of Conscience and your own trembling Fears lest you are given up to a Spirit of Slumber 2. To those that are affected with their Condition to seek for Salvation in Christ alone You which are troubled about your Eternal State own Christ as a City of Refuge his Arms are always open to receive poor trembling Sinners that fly thither from the Wrath of God You do but go about while you seek else-where Jer. 31.22 How long wilt thou go about O thou back-sliding Daughter for the Lord hath created a new Thing in the Earth A Woman shall compass a Man that is when God hath set forth Christ born of a Woman why will you weary your selves to go about This City of Refuge stands open for all Corners own Christ as the only Remedy One who was long exercised with Troubles of Conscience and at length came to some establishment gave this Advice I will never look for that in the Law which is only to be found in the Gospel and I will never look for that in my self which is only to be found in Christ and I will never look for that on Earth which is only to be found in Heaven These three things are the Causes why Men are kept in Trouble You will get nothing but Weariness and Discomfort by running about and looking to Duties and legal Qualifications and therefore while you are affected with your Condition own Christ. 3. To those which are fled to Christ and owned him as the only Sanctuary for poor Souls Press onward to take hold of eternal Life Now you have fled from deserved Wrath run to take hold of undeserved Glory You are past the worst the rest is more easy The Apostle Rom. 5.11 12. puts a much more upon this Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life as if that were a more easy thing Now the worst Brunt is over And not only so but we also joy in God through the Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement When you are reconciled to God you may look to be entertained as Friends being adopted in Christ you may look for a Child's Portion If God would pardon your Sins and take you with all your Faults quicken your selves to be more diligent in the pursuit of Eternal Life and put to your best Strength You will have many ups and downs in the World but bear it with Patience Heaven will pay for all But here is a Doubt May we look to the Rewards I answer Yes else there were no room for Hope for Hope is nothing else but a longing
God It lyeth in three things 1. That God hath ordained strength 2. That this lyeth in their Mouth 3. That this strength is sufficient to still the Enemy and the Avenger 1. That there is strength in such weak Creatures Christ himself to outward appearance was a mean and despicable Person scorned scourged crucified yet made perfect through sufferings and crowned with Glory and Honour Heb. 2.9 10. But we see Iesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour that he by the grace of God should tast death for every man For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to glory to make the captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings And he hath strength enough to remove the impediments of our Salvation and doth powerfully conquer and subdue all his and our Enemies Christians are in themselves weak Creatures but there is strength ordained for them to do and suffer all things that belong to their Duty or may befal them in the way of their Duty As Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me and when I am weak then am I strong 1 Cor. 12.10 And this strength is said to be ordained or founded because it standeth upon a good foundation the Everlasting Merit of the Son of God who came out from Gods Bosom to reduce and call us to the Dignity of his Servants The Angels those glorious Creatures when they fell by Pride were never restored but are become the Enemies of God and Mankind They usurped the Honour due to God and plunged Man into their Apostacy but God hath ordained strength to recover Man out of this thraldom and vindicate his own Glory that Mankind might not be wholly lost to him Col. 2.15 having spoiled principalitiâ—s and powers that is spoiled them of their prey on his Cross. And afterwards by the power of his Grace rescueth Man Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son 2. That this strength cometh out of the Mouth that is 't is not by the power of the long Sword or by visible force and might but by the breath of his mouth that is to say 1. By the word preached Therefore 't is said That he shall consume Anti-Christ by the breath of his Mouth 2 Thess. 2.8 And Revel 19.15 Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword wherewith he should smite the nations And Isa. 11.4 He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth that is subdue and vanquish opposition by his wonderful word therefore the word is called the rod of his strength Psalm 110.2 2. By confessing his Name Rom. 10.9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made to salvation And this is one means of Conviction especially when this Confession is accompanied with self-denyal Rev. 12.11 They overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony not loving their lives to the death This bold Confession is the fruit both of the Word preached and the Spirit of Faith given to them 2 Cor. 4.13 And also of Christs actual assistance Luke 21.15 I will give you a mouth and wisdom which your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay Now that by such means the Kingdom of Sin Sathan and Antichrist should be ruined in the World this is and should be matter of Admiration and Praise 3. The effect To still the enemy and the avenger either by brideling their rage Psalm 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Or silencing their Contradiction Acts 6.10 They were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake Acts 8.13 Simon wondred beholding the signs and miracles that were done Or changing their Hearts as Pauls Acts 9.6 And making him to be Instrumental in changing others Acts 26.18 And determining Interests that the Church hath liberty and opportunity to worship God Acts 9.31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Iudea and Galilee and Samaria and were edifyed walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the holy Ghost Nay the Kingdom of Sathan and his Adherents plainly and apparently goeth to wrack The Devil that proud and rebellious Enemy of God and goodness is by this means subdued and brought down First Cast out of a great part of his Kingdom in Mens Hearts none but obdurate Sinners being left to him Iohn 12.31 32. Now is the judgment of this world now is the prince of this world cast out And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me That is the Kingdom of Sathan shall be destroyed and a great part of the World brought to believe in me And at last he shall be utterly confounded and destroyed 1 Cor. 15. from 24 to 27 verse He hath put all things under his feet All Enemies not one excepted but shall be subdued to Christ. Doctrine That victory over Sathan in our Nature is matter of great praise and thankfulness to God That the same Nature that was lately foiled should yet be victorious 1. I take this for granted that Sathan is the Enemy and Avenger for the Text speaks of an Enemy and an Enemy out of choice for so the Devil is said to be Matth. 13.39 The enemy that soweth them is the devil He is an Enemy to God and Man To God as he affected and usurped Divine Honour and for his Pride was cast out of Heaven into the Torments of Hell Falling by Pride is therefore called the Condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3.6 So Iames 3.15 Sensual earthly devilish The glorious Condition in which he was created tempted him to aspire higher than he was and all Ambition is devilish wisdom called so from his Sin Also he is an Enemy to Mankind because by his temptation came our Fall and Misery and therefore he is said to be a Murtherer from the beginning A malicious proud and bloody Murtherer of Soul and Body and still he seeketh our destruction 1 Pet. 5.8 The Devil like a roaring lyon goeth about seeking whom he may devour In the Text he is not only called the Enemy and the Avenger but thine Enemies The word thine sheweth that he is an Enemy to God and all goodness and all good Men who belong to God And the plural expression enemies noteth either the multitude of Evil Spirits who are with Sathan and are set to ruine Mankind or those their Confederate Party in the World who are also many and usually great and powerful For the conflict is not only between the Chiefs but also the Instruments on either side between Sathan on the one side the Head and
Salvation is not only privative but positive Christ doth not only deliver us from Evil from Sin from the Wrath of God the Accusations of the Law and eternal Death but positively he gives us Grace and Righteousness and everlasting Life he is not only a Saviour to defend us but a Saviour to bless us a Sun and Shield Psal. 84.11 not only a Shield to keep from Danger but a Sun who is the Fountain and Cause of Vegitation and Life it is not Preservation meerly but Preferment If Christ had only delivered us from Wrath to come and been a Saviour privatively it had been more than we could expect or if he had procured some place where we might have been unacquainted with Pain or Trouble yet then he had been a Saviour but here is not only a Ransom and Deliverance but an Inheritance an Exaltation Heaven and everlasting Glory are included in this Salvation Instead of Horror and Howlings here are everlasting Joys and we shall ever be with God praising his Grace in the midst of all his Saints The Blessing is so excellent that we cannot neglect it without great danger Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation For what can we expect but that God's Mercy and Patience abused should be turned into Wrath and Fury and we cannot despise it without a great deal of Sin and Profaneness Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any profane Person as Esau who for one morsel of Meat sold his Birthright The Birthright was a Pledg of the Blessing and a right of Priesthood and Ministration before the Lord depended upon it This was Esau's by Birth and he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a profane Man for parting with it at so low a rate and thinking so meanly of spiritual Priviledges O but what Profaneness is this to despise the great Salvation that will cause us ever to be before the Lord and minister in his Presence We count him a profane Man that is guilty of Murder Theft Adultery Perjury because those Sins bring publick Shame and Contempt and because these Sins are most destructive to human Society But he is a profane Man indeed that despiseth the Gospel because it offereth such an excellent Salvation that is Profaneness to slight God's best Provision to scorn his Bowels and when the Lord hath made the Bait an Allurement so strong to gain Man's Heart yet to turn his back upon it 2. Consider the Compleatness of the Saviour Jesus Christ is so by Merit and by Efficacy and Power and so every way fitted to do us good He doth something for us and something in us Look as in the Gospel there is the History of Salvation and there Christ doth all he is a Saviour by Merit and there is the Counsel of Salvation and there he is a Saviour by Power he helps us to do the Duty on our part We have the Merit of his Humiliation and the Power of his Exaltation for us he prevails by the Merit of his Death and in us by the Efficacy of his Spirit When Christ was to save us there were several Hinderances one on God's part and another on ours there was Hinderance put in by God's Justice and a Hinderance by our Unbelief Justice requires Merit and Unbelief Power Christ was a Saviour both ways Again there are different Enemies to our Salvation which were of several Qualities God and the Law and Sin and Death and Satan and the World Now God and the Law are to be considered in a distinct rank from Sin and Death from Satan and the World God was an Enemy that could not be overcome therefore must be reconciled The Law was an Enemy that was not to be disanulled and destroyed but to be satisfied the Precepts of it were not to be relaxed or repealed but fulfilled the Curses of it were not to fall to the ground some must be made a Curse that the Authority of it might be kept up Now Jesus Christ he is made a Curse for us and by his Merit he satisfies the Law and the Justice of God Then among the other Enemies look to Satan he is not only a Tempter but an Accuser as he is a Tempter so Christ is to overcome him by his Power as he is an Accuser so Christ is to overcome him by his Merit Certainly so far as Satan is an Enemy so far must Christ be a Saviour that the Plaister may be as broad as the Sore and therefore against the Accusations of Satan he interposeth as our Advocate by representing his Merit and by bringing his Blood unto the Mercy-Seat Once again consider that our Comfort may be full Christ saves us by Merit and by Power By his Obedience and Merit he gives us jus ad rem a Right and Title to Salvation but by his Efficacy and Power he gives us Possession jus in re he was first to buy our Peace our Comfort our Grace our Glory of God and then to see that we be possessed of it and therefore we are said to be reconciled by his Death and saved by his Life He died that we might rely on his Merit and Ransom and Blood which was a Price to reconcile us to God and he lives that we might wait for his Power and so be saved by his Life 3. Consider As the Greatness of the Salvation and the Compleatness of the Saviour so the Excellency of the Gospel how it manifests and sets out this Saviour not in Shadows and Types but with clear and express Explication God bestowed many Benefits upon the Old Church which were great Enforcements to Godliness but not so powerful and effectual because they were but Shadows of Salvation Things that grow in the Shade come not to such Perfection as Things that grow in the Sun In the Old Testament they had many Blessings but they were Typical Ones and lasted but for a while they had many Saviours that delivered them from the House of Bondage led them through the Red Sea and through the Desart into Canaan delivered them from their Enemies destroyed the Nations round about them But now these were Shadows of good Things to come the New Testament shews what is the meaning of all these that we are delivered from the Devil and led into Heaven and brought to the possession of Eternal Life by Jesus Christ. The Old Testament speaketh of calling Abraham out of Ur of the Caldees and separating his Seed as a People to God we can speak of Election that we may obtain the Adoption of Sons The Old Testament speaks of multiplying the Seed of the Iews as the Sand of the Sea The New Testament speaks of the multitude of Converts a great Number which none can number The Old Testament speaks of the bringing out of Egypt the New of bringing Sinners out of the Power of Darkness The Old Testament mentions the Red Sea the New the Grace of Baptism or Red Sea of Christ's Blood The Old Testament speaks of God's
likeness of his Resurrection Rom. 6.5 We shall be dead to Sin and alive to God The same Divine Power that kills the Old Man quickens the New Again I might argue from the Word which is our Rule for there we have not only Restraints but Precepts therefore we must not only escape from Sin but delight in Communion with God We must eschew what God forbids and practise what God commands Vse Let it press us not to rest in abstaining from Sin meerly Many are not vicious but they are not sanctified they have no feeling of the Power of the new Life The Pharisees Religion ran upon Negatives Luke 18.11 God I thank thee I am not as other Men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican To enforce this consider both are contrary to the new Nature it hates Evil and loves Good Where there is Regeneration there is a putting on and a putting off Ephes. 4.22 23 24. That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts. And be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind And that ye put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness The new Nature makes Conscience of abstaining from Sin and obeying God's Precepts And both are serviceable to the Work of Grace Grace is obstructed by Sins of Omission and Commission for Sins increase as well as unfitness for Duty The Motions of the Spirit are quenched and Lusts grow prevalent in the Soul and both are odious to God A barren Tree cumbers the Ground and is rooted up as well as the poisonous Herb. Obs. 3. We must first begin with renouncing Evil that 's the first thing Grace teacheth Since the Fall the Method is Analytical to unravel and undo that which hath been done in the Soul So it is said of Christ 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Sin is the first Occupant in the Soul and claimeth Possession six thousand Years ago it thrust out Grace which was the right owner therefore first there must be a Writ of Ejectment sealed against Sin that Grace may take the Throne Dagon must down e're the Ark be set up It cannot be otherwise it must not be otherwise there must be mortifying and subduing of Sin by Acts of Humiliation and Godly Sorrow before there will be Experience of Grace 1. It cannot be otherwise for the Devil hath a right in us as long as we remain in Sin therefore there must be a rescue from his Power Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Christ and Satan cannot reign in the same Heart nor God and the hâ—â— World Ioseph was taken out of Prison and then preferr'd to Pharaoh This is â—he Method Luke 1.73 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the Hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the Days of our lives Deliverance hath the precedence first the Thorns must be rooted out and then the Corn is sowed 2. It must not be otherwise God will have nothing to do with us till we have renounced Sin A plausible Life is but a counterfeit Varnish like gilding over a rotten Post or a moral Integrity till Sin be renounced The Prodigal left his Husks and then returned to his Father This is the Method at our first Conversion indeed afterwards there is some difference when once Grace is once planted in the Heart it hath the advantage of Corruption and worketh first Thus it is said of Iob Chap. 1.1 That Man was perfect and upright one that feared God and eschewed Evil. First fearing God then eschewing Evil. Grace having taken possession and being seated in the Heart it works first Like a Man possessed and seated in his House he seeketh to expel his Enemy So at first way is made for the Operation of Grace and then all the Work afterwards is the destruction of Sin Obs. 4. It is not enough to renounce one Sin but we must renounce all For when the Apostle speaks of denying Ungodliness he intends all Ungodliness Compare this with 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all Malice and all Guile and Hypocrisies and Iam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all Filthiness and superfluity of Naughtiness All Sins must be renounced little Sins and great Sins Great Sins as Adultery Drunkenness and the like are manifest Gal. 5.19 that is Nature doth abhor them they stink and smell rank in Nature's Nostrils even to a natural Conscience Then for little Sins Matth. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so to do shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven It is spoken of Ministers principally whoever shall give licence by the Gospel to the least Sin either break it himself or teach Men so to do shall have no place no room among Gospel-Ministers No Sin can be little that is committed against the great God Sins are not to be measured by the smallness of the Occasion or by the suddenness of the Act but by the Offence done to God to an Infinite Majesty The less the Sin the greater many times it is It argues much Malice to break with God upon every slight Occasion there is more unkindness in it and the more contempt of God and it argues the greater depravation of Nature As a little Weight will make a Stone move downward because of its natural Inclination so it is a sign we have an inclination that way when a small Matter can draw us from God Again secret Sins must be eschewed as well as Publick Isa. 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts the Thought as well as the Way is to be forsaken By Way is meant his outward course of Life by his Thoughts is meant the hidden workings of his Spirit Nothing more transient and sudden than the Thought therefore as we must not do Evil before Men so we must not think Evil before God God seeth the Thought as well as Man the Actions and infinitely more The Thoughts are visible to him and these fall under a Law as well as our Actions Again Sins of Temper to which we are more incident as well as other Sins to which we have less inclination they must be mortified Psal. 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity That Sin which we call ours should be most watched against and most hated above all others As a Man should be afraid of the Meat of which he hath once surfeited so the Sin that hath once prevailed over us we should be more cautious against It is nothing for a sordid Spirit to be less proud or a proud Man to be less covetous or a covetous Man to be less sensual or a sensual Man to be less
Sleep and Pastime II. In Meats and Drinks and the necessary Supports of Humane Life III. In Pomp and Apparel IV. In the Cares of this World I st Branch Sobriety in Recreation The first Branch of Sobriety in Recreation in Sleep and Pastime and other the Delights of Humane Life For Sleep I need say but little it is a soft Enemy that steals away half our Time and should be reckoned among our Burdens and not our Pleasures as a thing to be born with Patience rather than to be taken with Delight It is our Unhappiness that so much of our Lives should be spent and not one Act of Love and Kindness should be shewed to God The Angels that are wholly spiritual are exempted from this Necessity Night and Day they are always praising God doing his Will and hearkning to the Voice of his Word Yea we may see many other Creatures are restless in their Motions and obey the Law of their Creation without weariness The Sun in a constant unwearied Course moves from East to West and from West to East and never ceaseth When thou liest upon thy Bed in the Morning thou mayest think of it how many thousand Miles the Sun hath travelled since thou wenest to rest the last Night that he might come again this Morning to give thee Light to go about thy Labour and Exercise and yet thou liest snorting upon thy Bed and turning hither and thither as Solomon saith like a Door upon the Hinges David contended with the Sun who should be up first as the Sun to represent God to the World so he to acknowledg God in his Prayers and Supplications Psal. 119.147 I prevented the dawning of the Morning and cried But of this I will speak no more Common Prudence and the Light of Nature will give us sufficient Direction But now for Sports and other the Delights of Humane Life accept of God's Indulgence with Thankfulness and use it with Moderation Adam in Innocency was placed in a Garden of Delight and since the Fall God hath provided not only for Necessity but Pleasure Certainly in Christ we have a great Liberty but we should not use it as an Occasion to the Flesh. To the Pure all things are pure Titus 1.15 Only let us take heed that we are pure in the use of these outward Comforts and Refreshments Now we need not fear the Uncleanness of Meats and Sports but let us fear the Uncleanness of Lusts. There is a double exercise of Sobriety in our Sports and Recreations and the Delights of the Humane Life to direct us in the Choice of them and in the Use of them 1. In the Choice of them that they be lawful not the Pleasures of Sin Heb. 11.25 There is a strange Perverseness in Man's Nature those Pleasures relish best that are seasoned with Sin as if we could not do Nature Right without Wrong to God and putting an Affront upon his Laws He that breaks the Hedg a Serpent shall bite him Eccles. 10.8 Now to prevent danger in this kind and that we may not break through the Hedg and the Restraints which God hath set us and so find Remorse upon our Death-Beds Conscience must be informed Generally we may observe that we offend God more in our Recreations than in any other Affairs of Life and are more guilty of unlawful Recreations than of unlawful ways of Gain and Traffick and therefore it is good to be wary and keep at a distance from Sin And because Recreations are not among things absolutely necessary but only convenient if they be questionable or of ill Fame it is better to forbear Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are of good report c. think of these things that we may be sure not to be guilty of any contempt of God and that we may not give offence to others As for Instance a Lusory Lot in Cards or Dice is very questionable therefore better to be forborn than used especially where they give offence And again because every thing is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 therefore we should seek to understand our Liberty by the Word and venture upon nothing in this kind but what we can commend to God in Prayer and upon which we can ask a Blessing Thus Sobriety directs you in the choice of Recreations 2. In the Use. Usually we offend in such things as are for the Matter lawful there the Soul is more secure as in the Gospel the Excuse is put in the handsomest terms Luke 14.20 I have married a Wife and therefore I cannot come For the understanding of it note Christ's Parables do put the Dispositions of Mens Hearts into Words Now the Sensualist or the Man that is addicted to Pleasures is there represented and mark he doth not urge dalliance with Harlots but I have married a Wife and therefore I cannot come implying that excess in lawful Pleasures keepeth many from Christ and from the things of Grace and therefore here is the Work of Sobriety to set bounds and limits to the use and exercise of our Liberty that it may not degenerate into Licentiousness Well but what Rules shall we observe In short then we offend in Sports when they waste our Estate rob us of our Time cheat us of opportunity of Privacy and Retirement with God and when they unfit the Heart for the Duties of Religion 1. When they waste their Estates You may not do with your Estates as you please you are Stewards and are to be accountable to God at the last Day for every Penny Why should a Prodigal have a greater Liberty and Dominion over his Estate than a covetous Man I will tell you for what reason I speak it Prodigals that waste their Substance with riotous Living as he described in Luke 15.13 when they are taxed for this they say It is my own and I may do with my own as I please We are not content to take such an Answer from a rich and covetous Man when you press him to Charity if he should say It is my own and I shall give what I please as Nabal said 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my Bread and my Water and my Flesh that I have killed for my Shearers and give it unto Men whom I know not The truth is it is a mistake on both sides it is not theirs but God's he is the great Owner Therefore when Recreations are costly and waste your Estates you cannot give an account of it to God at the great Day you rob your Families at least the Poor Lust starves Charity and makes it a Beggar It is sad when a Lust can command thee to do more than the Love of God can when you can lavish away thus much upon your Pleasures and account nothing too dear for them and every Penny be begrudged that is for a Use truly good You are guilty of Sacrilege to God you rob him of his Tribute and you rob the Poor of their Support who are God's Receivers 2.
another's Wealth not his own exclusively it is not to be understood in sensu conjuncto not his own so as to neglect and exclude the Care of the Publick We are not to live as Beasts every one to shift for himself but Human Society is maintained by Communion and Converse Yea in many cases others Good is to be sought more than our own Rom. 15.3 For even Christ pleased not himself for the common good of the Elect he regards not his own Life And this Example we are to follow 1 Iohn 3.16 Hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his Life for us and we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren that is my single Life to save the Community I must promote their Spiritual Good with the loss of my Temporals my Interest must be exposed to hazard for a more publick Good 8 th Rule We must help others according to our Power This is a part of Righteousness In the Law it is said It shall be Righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God Deut. 24.13 when it speaks of the Poor's due Carnal wicked covetous Men stand upon Property 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I take my Bread and my Water and my Flesh that I have killed for my Shearers c. Thy Estate is not thy own but God's it is ours in Law but God's in Use and you are but Stewards for him This will be no Plea in the Day of Judgment to say It was my own and I did not rob others thou art a Thief before God if thou givest not He that useth not his Estate as God would have him use it is a spiritual Thief Prov. 3.27 With-hold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the Power of thy Hand to do it When the Poor are cast upon thee by God's Providence they are a kind of Owners that which thou detainest from them is theirs it is not ours when Christ calleth for it and his Members need it Ambrose saith Non qui capit aliena sed qui non dedit sua c. Though we have done no wrong yet if we have not disposed our Goods and Estate for God's Glory it is Injustice and Sin as Stewards must dispose of Goods according to the Mind of the Master Secondly What reason have we to look after this Grace of Righteousness and to be just 1. It is a piece of God's Image Ephes. 4.24 That ye put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Nothing makes us so like God as Righteousness we must be like God not only in Holiness but in Righteousness See the distinction between these two the one signifies Purity of Nature and the other Justice and Equity in our Dealing and Conversation For God is holy in all his Ways and righteous in all his Works his Essence is holy and his Administrations just So the new Man is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness be like God in both 2. It is an Evidence of the Truth of Grace to walk in all your Relations righteously amiably and justly We are bidden to bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance Luke 3.8 that is such as are meet Evidences that there is a Change wrought What are these Defraud no Man Exact no more than is appointed you ver 13. And when the Souldiers came to ask What shall we do he said Do Violence to no Man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your Wages ver 14. And that is the reason the Children of God so much stand upon their Righteousness because it is an Evidence of their Interest in Grace Iob 27.6 My Righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go Acts 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth 〈◊〉 and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him still it is made to be the Evidence that God hath taken us into his own Grace and that we are Heirs of Salvation 3. It is a delight and rejoycing to God to see his Children just and righteous in all their Dealings God exceedingly hates Iniquity in Traffick and Commerce Deut. 25.15 16. Thou shalt have a perfect and just Weight a perfect and just Measure shalt thou have that thy days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee For all that do such things and all that do unrighteously are an Abomination to the Lord thy God And it is repeated again Prov. 20.10 Divers Weights and divers Measures both of them are alike Abomination to the Lord. But now it is said Prov. 15.9 He loveth him that follows after Righteousness So Psal. 106.3 Blessed are they that keep Iudgment and he that doth Righteousness at all times 4. It is necessary for the Honour of Religion Grace teacheth us to live soberly and righteously Truants at School are a Reproach and Disgrace to the Skill of the Teacher And so carnal Professors are a Reproach to God If Men are unrighteous they never learn'd it of Grace Hypocrites usually abound in Acts of Worship and Duties of the first Table but they seldom make Conscience of Duties of the second Table here they bewray themselves What 's the Cry of the World None so unjust and unrighteous in their Dealings as those that profess Religion this brings a Reproach upon the Ways of God Neh. 5.9 It is not good that ye do Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the Reproach of the Heathen our Enemies It is high time to vindicate Religion and do it all the Right we can and make it comely Rom. 12.17 Provide things honest in the sight of all Men. The wicked World are apt to speak ill of the Gospel of God Now the Lord would have the World know that there is no such Friend to Human Society as his Grace The ancient Fathers were wont to make Challenges Dent Imperatores tales tales Consules tales Exactores fisci talem exercitum c. Let all the World shew such Emperors Princes Magistrates such Treasurers such Souldiers as the Christian Religion can But Religion is mightily made a Contempt when Men make it to be the pretence of vile Practices 5. It will be for your own Comfort whatever falls out in the World Good or Evil. Samuel could say 1 Sam. 12.3 Whose Ox have I taken or whose Ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any Bribe to blind mine Eyes therewith If Good come Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with Righteousness than great Revenues without Right And in Death you will die comfortably when you can wash your hands in Innocency 6. Consider how just some of the Heathens have been and shall Grace come short What a Disparagement is this as if Grace did teach thee to be unjust Regulus when he had pass'd his Word tho it were to endure an exquisite Torment yet he would not break it Curius Dentatus when he had been employed in the highest
all things will not fail us at last The calling of the Gentiles the rejection of the Jews the sending of the Messiah these were things as invisible and as much to come as Heaven is to us new all these things have been fulfilled and why should we not trust God to the last Experience is wont to beget Hope Rom. 5.4 And Patience Experience and Experience Hope Can God lie or Truth it self be false What need hath God to flatter thee or deceive thee If we did preach a God that needed the Creatures then you might suspect what we tell you in his Name but he hath no Interest to be gratified his vehement Longings are for your Good and Profit Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always that it may be well with them and with their Children for ever God doth not say that it may be well with me but with them Again let Reason be heard to speak how sutable it is to God's Nature Consider the Being of God is infinite and eternal and so is the Reward the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 4.17 a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory Araâ—nah gave like a King God's Gifts are like himself sutable to his infinite Mercy and eternal Duration how likely is it that God will once shew himself like himself And they are suitable to the Merit of Christ Is God at such expence for Trifles The Comforts of this World may be bought with Gold and Silver but the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold c. but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Why would God give so great a Price out of his own Treasury but to take a Debt upon himself and to oblige his Justice to be our Friend If Christ can be in the Womb and in the Grave why may not we be in Heaven It is more credible to believe that a Creature should be in Heaven than a God should be in the Grave and Christ's Abasement which is first is more than our Advancement There is not so great a distance between us and Happiness as between Christ and Misery Men naturally being made capable of an higher Condition of Mind and Affections to love and know God Godliness must have a better Recompence than is to be had in the World These are but the Offals of Providence enjoyed by God's Enemies they have the greatest Share Psal. 17.14 From Men of the World which have their Portion in this Life The wiser Men are the more they contemn these things Children are taken with Rattles Grace cannot be satisfied with the World without an higher Enjoyment of God Pleasures are common to us with the Beasts wicked Men flow in Ease and Plenty A Reward there must be it is impossible a Creature should rest in its own Action We see that natural Actions that tend to maintain Life have a Sweetness and Pleasure mingled with them that we may not neglect them or our own Preservation as Eating and Drinking and the like Therefore vertuous Actions much more such as are against the hair and bent of Nature must have a Reward a Reward better than the Work or else it would be lost Labour There is a disposition and instinct of Nature towards Eternal Happiness Man's Soul like a Spunge is thirsty and seeketh to be satisfied Psal. 4.6 Who will shew us any Good And every Good will not serve their turn Men at first take up with the Creature because it is next at hand but it satisfieth not their Sore runneth till they come to enjoy God Acts 17.27 That they should seek the Lord if haply they may feel after him and find him When we have all outward Blessings the Soul of Man is not filled up there is something wanting to our Peace and Quiet Solomon made Experiments but had no satisfaction Thus you see there is no such Reward so sutable to what is declared of God of Christ of the Nature of Man of Grace as this blessed Hope 2. Apply it Besides the Truth of the Promises look to the clearing up of your own Interest and Title It is a poor comfortless Meditation to think of a blessed Hope and the certainty of it unless we have an Interest in these things this will be but like the gaze of an hungry Man upon a Feast The Reprobates hereafter are lookers on and David speaks of a Table spread for him in the presence of his Enemies Psal. 23.5 Hope hath never a more lively Influence than when it is founded in Property and a sense of our own Interest Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth And 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudg shall give me at that Day There is not only an Heaven but for me Thus are the Saints wont to profess their Interest and assured Hope But is Hope only the fruit of Assurance I answer It is the fruit of Faith as well as of Assurance or Experience but certainly it is very comfortable when we can discern our own Interest and in some sort necessary Before we can hope for our selves our Qualification is to be supposed for that is our Evidence Therefore I shall 1 st Press you to get this Assurance 2 dly Shew what kind of Application is absolutely required that you may thus look for the blessed Hope 1 st Let me press you to get an assured Title to Heaven In a Matter of such moment would a Man be at an Uncertainty Can he be quiet and not sure of Heaven Not to look after it is a bad sign A godly Man may want it but a godly Man cannot slight it A Man may want it he may creep to Heaven some are scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 Others have an abundant Entrance 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an Entrance shall be ministred to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. For want of this you quite lose your Heaven upon Earth which consisteth in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and you lose much of the Influence of Hope Uncertain wavering Thoughts have little Efficacy But a good Man cannot slight it it is a breach of a Command which requireth Diligence It argueth spiritual Security when Men can be content to live long and yet do not know what will become of them How can you think of the Coming of Christ without Terror That which others look for and long for is your Fear as Felix trembled assoon as he heard of Judgment to come 2 dly
and at Christ too little and therefore was full of Fears and began to sink So the Disciples were afraid to perish tho Christ himself were in the Ship Mat. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith It is Mark 4.40 How is it that ye have no Faith A little Faith is as no Faith in great Trials Well then there is no way to ease our Hearts of Trouble but by exercising Faith To make this more expresly to appear to you I shall consider again what is Trouble the nature of it and what are the causes of it and then you will discern that Faith is the proper Remedy First For the nature of this Trouble It consisteth 1. In a Fear of Danger 2. Sorrow for some Disappointment in the Creature 3. A fretting dislike of God's Dispensations 1. Fear is vanquished by Faith That appeareth by that Opposition Prov. 29.25 The Fear of Man bringeth a Snare but whoso putteth his Trust in the Lord shall be safe Or as it is in the Hebrew shall be set on high There is no conquering either the Allectives or Terrors of Sense till Faith represent something greater to be feared and loved 1 Iohn 5.4 This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith It much out-weighs all Temptations What is a Prison to Hell a fiery Furnace to everlasting Burnings the Creature to God or the Threatnings of Men to the Lord's Promises Do but shut the Eye of Sense and open that of Faith and you will see that God is only worthy to be feared and trusted and then the Creature will be nothing to you we shall comfortably do our Duty and not fear what Man can do unto us We have more encouragement to be faithful to Christ than the World can present Allurements or Affrightments to the contrary If Man be our Enemy and God be our Help and Second what need we fear Psal. 16.8 I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right Hand I shall not be moved God is set before us either in a way of Reverence or in a way of Dependance either for seeing him in all our ways making him our Witness Approver and Judg so it is an Act of Holy Fear or as looking up to him as our Helper and Deliverer so it is an Act of Faith and Confidence And he that thus often looketh to God is carried through all his Fears and Cares and may easily despise all the frightful things in the World therefore why should your Hearts be troubled Believe in God and believe in Jesus Christ. It is a Fault in Christians to be immoderately fearful in times of Trouble and Danger Faith puts it self under God's special Protection upon a two-fold Perswasion of God's Power and Presence 1. His Power God is greater than the Creature and all the Terrors which Sense can present to us from the Creature Dan. 3.17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known to thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up If Men bind God can loose if they threaten to kill God can save 2. His Presence Heb. 13.5 6. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what Man shall do unto me The Lord will stand by his People and deliver them when it shall be for his Glory Now till we come to this Courage and Constancy of Mind and fearlesness of Men we never have the Generosity of Christians 2. Sorrow is vanquished by Faith 1. As it diverteth the Heart from present things to future and maketh things absent present and recompenseth Losses and Disappointments in the World with the hope of greater things in the World to come Faith sheweth better things to be enjoyed Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an indaring Substance Spoiling of your Goods is either by Violence or by Fire and Confiscation It goeth near to the Hearts of Worldlings to part with their necessary and convenient earthly Comforts But to a Believer it is more easy for Heaven is infinitely better and more precious than all the Wealth of the World If the World be our Darling or any created Comfort be overvalued it will fill our Hearts with sorrow to be deprived of it A Christian that hath Heaven in Hope and Reversion cannot be poor he is richer than all worldly Men though God's Providence hath given him little or left him little 2. The Sting of present Evils is removed by the Pardon of Sins and the Sense of God's Love You are secured from Death and Wrath and God in Christ is your Father Rom. 5.1 2 3. Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. By whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God And not only so but we glory in Tribulations also If his Love be shed abroad in the Heart it is no great matter what we feel in the Body The Venom of the Affliction is the Curse due for Sin that is gone when we have first made sure of our personal Reconciliation with God and Acceptance with him in Christ. 3. Not only is the Venom gone but every Condition is useful and hath a Blessing in it to the Godly We know this by Faith Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Psal. 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes And ver 25. I know O Lord that thy Iudgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me Our wise and faithful God would not bring it upon us if he did not know how to make a good use of it By this we may discern whether God chasten us in Anger yea or no Whether our Crosses be Curses The Cross which maketh thee better than thou wert it cometh with a Blessing and as a Blessing It is not the sharpness of the Affliction that we should look to but the Improvement If it be improved the bitter Waters are made sweet if we are more godly wise and religious All God's Dispensations to his People are good and tend to good Luther hath a saying Qui tribulantur sacras literas melius intelligunt securi fortunati eas legunt sicut Ovidii carmen Those that are in trouble understand the Scriptures better the secure and prosperous read them as a piece of Ovid. It maketh us more serious keepeth us in a relish of spiritual Things While God is striking we feel
too dear a Bargain for us to deal withal we snuff at God's terms as troublesome and fling off No we should be glad to accept of Mercy on any terms and take Heaven at God's price 1. This unbounded Resolution must be seriously made Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Mar. 13.45 46. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it 2. It must be faithfully performed You must not only renounce but overcome when it cometh to tryal subdue your Lusts run all hazards for Christ thwart Affections slight Disgraces Nick-Names and Scorns and lay all down nay Life it self at Christs feet Mar. 19.27 28 29. Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore And Iesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit Everlasting Life We must pluck out a right Eye and cut off a right Hand Matth. 5.29 30. Many will perform such duties as cross not any strong bent of their Lusts they will forbear some Sins that are not so rooted in their Natures nor grown strong by Custom nor are set on by any forcible Temptation but fail in other things of greater moment or more nearly concerning them There are four Points of great weight and moment which should ever be remembred by them that would make out their Gospel-Qualification or New-Covenant-Plea of Sincerity 1. That any allowed evil Habit of Soul or reigning Sin is inconsistent with that Faith that worketh by Love and only maketh us capable of the great Priviledges of the Gospel That appeareth by the Nature of Conversion which lyeth in three things a turning from the Creature to God from Self to Christ from Sin to Holiness Ioh. 5.44 How can ye believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only 1 John 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Mat. 6.24 No Man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon James 4.4 Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God 2. That the usual bait of reigning Sin is the World The great difficulty of Salvation lyes in a Mans addictedness to worldly Things or Temporal satisfactions when these are highest in our Esteem or dearest to our Hearts it weakneth Gods Interest and our care of Salvation and our sense of the World to come 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not 2 Pet 1.9 He that laâ—â—eth these things is blind and cannot see afar off Phil. 3.19 Whose end is destruction whose God is their Belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things The World taketh us off from the serious pursuit of Heaven Luk. 10.41 42. Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful and makes us shrink at Tryals 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present World 3. That our Inclination to worldly things is various according to the Temper and Constitution of Men. As the Channel is cast so the River runs Isa. 53.6 We have turned every one in his own way Some are carried away by Pride some by vain Glory some by Sensuality some by Worldliness Uprightness and Sincerity lyes in observing the tender part of the Soul and preserving our selves from that Sin which is most natural to us Psal. 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity 4. That many times when pretences are fair there is a secret reserve in our Hearts The Devil seeketh to deceive Men with a superficial Change and half Reformation and moveth them to take on the Profession of Religion and yet secure their Fleshly and Worldly Interest The most dangerous Cheat of our Souls is by halving it between God and Mammon Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon When we are not so mortified as to subject our selves entirely to Christ's direction upon the hopes of Eternal Life or the Happiness of the World to come and to part with all things in the World when it is necessary so to do or else we must part with this Salvation Many think they are not Worldly because they have some thoughts of Heaven and do something for it in seeking after it but the business is whether you seek it in the first place and make it your principal End and Scope to which all other things are subordinated and referred whether you can forsake all rather than miss Heaven Jesus Christ thô he prized good beginnings and would not discourage any yet admitteth none to the Priviledges of Grace that are but half converted whose Hearts are in secret League with the World though they seem to be affected with the offers of Eternal Life SERMON II. ON MARK X. 18 And Iesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good there is none Good but one that is God WE have seen the Young Man's Question here is Christ's Answer in which observe two things 1. His Expostulation with him VVhy callest thou me Good 2. His Instruction of him There is none Good but one that is God First For the Expostulation VVhy callest thou me Good He doth not simply blame him for giving this Title to him but argueth with him about it 1. To shew that he loves no Complements or fair words which proceed not from sound Faith and Love to him Christ saw that he was ignorant of his Divine Authority and foresaw that he would not take his Counsel and therefore expostulates with him VVhy callest thou me Good As elsewhere Luke 6.46 Why call you me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Cui res nomini subjecta negatur is nomine illuditur It is a mockery to give Titles to any one when we do not answer it with suitable endeavours As those that
follow Christ to any purpose Take up the Cross It is an allusion to the Punishments that were in use when Christ lived in the World the Malefactors bore their own Cross to the place of Execution and then they were nailed to it alive So let him reckon upon that he must bear his Cross. And follow me There is a twofold following of Christ Special and General 1. Special as those Disciples that were his menial Servants of his own Family train'd up for the Ministry these did follow Christ up and down because they were chosen Witnesses and were to be conscious and privy unto all his Actions that they might better give an account of them to World Acts 1.21 22. Wherefore of those which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out among us beginning from the Baptism of Iohn unto that same day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a Witness with us of his Resurrection And so follow me is Come take lot and share with me abide with me be my Disciple 2. The Phrase bears a more General Sence Ioh. 12.26 If any Man serve me let him follow me and so to follow Christ is either to take his Direction or imitate his Example 1. When we take his Direction We are said to follow Christ when we take him for our Lord and Master and live according to his Holy Doctrine As they that have such a one for their Master in any Sect of Philosophy are said to follow him so they that take Christ for their Teacher as the great Prophet of the Church herein they follow him Mar. 17. â— Hear ye him 2. We are said to follow Christ when we imitate his Example as 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ From the words thus Explained three Points of Doctrine may be gathered 1. In Order to Eternal Life it is required that a Man should not only sell all and give to the Poor but that he should follow Christ or enter himself as one of his Disciples 2. Whosoever entereth himself as one of his Disciples and gives up his Name to Christ must follow him or imitate his Example 3. All those that would follow Christ must prepare their shoulders for the Cross. 1 Doct. In order to Eternal Life it is required not only that a Man should sell all and give to the Poor but that he should follow Christ or enter himself as one of his Disciples Here I shall enquire What it is and why it is necessary 1. What it is to enter our selves as one of Christ's Disciples I shall lay no other Duty upon you than what you are engaged unto by your Baptism therefore I shall only explain what your Baptism binds you to which is a Bond upon you to enter your selves as Christ's Disciples It is a renouncing all other Lords and Masters a choosing Christ and believing in him alone for Salvation and a resigning up our selves to do his Will 1. A renouncing all other Lords and Masters which are opposite to Christ viz. The Devil the World and the Flesh. The Devil Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of Darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Before there is any entrance into the Kingdom of Christ there is a translating from the Power of Darkness that I take to be the Power of the Devil The World Gal. 6.14 The world is crucified to me and I unto the world Then for the Flesh Rom. 8.12 We are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh In our Natural State we are under the power of all these three as it is set forth Eph. 2.2 3. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Aâ—r the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom we all had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the Mind There are all the three Enemies of our Salvation that must be renounced mentioned There is the Custom and corrupt course of the world Alas the Generality of the World live a Sensual Flesh-pleasing Life that was their Rule and the Prince of the power of the Air that was their Guide and the Flesh or the bent of corrupt Nature that was their Principle While we are in our Corrupt State the Devil hath Power to Rule us and the Example and common Customs of the World doth encourage us and corrupt Nature within doth strongly urge us to Sin against God And therefore when we do indeed enter our selves the Disciples of Christ these Enemies of his and ours must be renounced that we may have another Rule another Lord and another Principle Another Rule which is the Law of God another Lord which is Jesus Christ another Principle which is the Spirit of Christ dwelling and working in us There must be first an Emptying of Heart before it can be filled with Grace There must be a dispossessing of those strong and cursed Inmates that have such hand and power over us that Christ alone may Rule and Govern us 2. There must be a Believing in Christ or a resting upon him alone for Salvation When the Eunuch offered himself to be Baptized Philip tells him If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest Acts 8.37 And he answered and said I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God Faith in the Son of God is the great Qualification necessary to Christ's Disciples that as they forsake the Devil the Pomps and Vanities of the World and the Inclinations of the Flesh so they may cleave to him alone as Lord and Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins to his People Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins 3. It is required that we resign up our selves to do his Will and walk according to his Directions if we would be Christs Disciples for otherwise we do but give him an empty Title and we may as much mock him as the Roman Soldiers did that put a Robe upon him and cry'd Hail King of the Iews When we cry him up as Lord and Saviour and do not resign up our selves to his Use and Service we mock him as they did Take three Scriptures to prove this Luk. 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Cuiâ—râ—s nomini subject a negatur is nomine illuditur Tertull. It is a mockage to give Christ a Title and deny him the Duty which belongs to it The greatest part of the Christian World live in a bare outward profession of Christ's Name without any Care and Conscience to walk answerably they seem to have renounced the Devil the World and the Flesh but their Hearts are in a secret League with them still
me ye might have peace in the World ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the World 2 Cor. 1.5 For as the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. Iacob when he slept and had an heap of Stones for his Pillow had then the Visions of God and usually when we are taken off from the Comforts of the World then we have the clearest manifestations of the Love of God Rom. 5.5 The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us It is an Honour for us to suffer with Christ and for Christ Phil. 1.29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake And all this how bitter soever it be for the present will end well Acts 14.22 We must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God After this howling Wilderness there will be a Canaan We have had our times of good and is it nothing to pass over so much of our time in Peace and Comfort Iob 2.10 Shall we receive good at the hands of God and shall we not receive evil 4 VSE If all that enter themselves Disciples of Christ must prepare for the Cross then are we indeed prepared for it You will think all this needeth not in times of Peace when Religion is under the Covert and Protection of the Laws and we are not called to the Afflictions of the Gospel yet certainly such questions as these are not to be entertained coldly and carelesly Have you prepared your shoulders for the Cross of Christ it is necessary to put it to you 1. Because of private Crosses which are incident to all such as Loss of Goods and Relations Pains of Body Sickness Reproach Contempt and the like There is none get out of the World without some Execises 1 Pet. 5.9 Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the World Heb. 6.12 That ye be not slothful but followers of them who thro Faith and Patience inherit the Promises All the Heirs of Salvation have their Conflicts before they come to enjoy their Hopes The Earth is a middle place between Heaven and Hell and partaker of both it is only evil that is in Hell and only good that is in Heaven but here our State is mixed our Afflictions are tempered with some Comforts and our Comforts seasoned with some Afflictions Earth must be Earth and Heaven must be Heaven here we must expect our Tryals Iob 2.10 Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and shall we not receive evil therefore we need to be provided there is Good that need to be tryed and Bad that need to be purged out 2. Because we should be always ready to encounter the greatest difficulties Tho' we do not always lye under Tribulations and Persecutions yet we should be alwayes prepared Preparatione Animi as Ioseph prepar'd for the Years of Scarcity in the Years of Plenty The wise Virgins had not only Oyl in their Lamps but Oyl in their Vessels we should not only have Grace for present use but against future Temptations Now have you indeed this Preparation of Heart and because a Man may crack and vaunt it before the Temptation cometh let us consider who hath this Preparation of Heart so as chearfully willingly and patiently to bear the Cross and who hath it not 1. He that is not Strict and Holy in a time of Peace will not be chearful in a time of Trouble Acts 9.31 Then had the Churches rest c. and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied When we are not called to Passive Obedience and Suffering our active Obedience should be more chearfully performed Now where is it so Our Fathers suffered more willingly for Christ than we speak for him they were not ashamed to dye for a Crucifyed Jesus they endured the Fire better than we can a Frown or Scoff 2. He that is not mortified to the World but loveth a Flesh-pleasing Life is but ripening himself for Apostacy Iames 5.5 Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God A fond and delicate Person that hath a Value for Worldly Contentments will be grieved when he cometh to part with them He that is corrupted with Prosperity will be dejected with Adversity but no Man is prepared but he that is Crucifyed to the World by the Cross of Christ that liveth in a holy Weanedness in the midst of his present Enjoyments Gal. 6.14 But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the World is crucifyed to me and I unto the World 3. He that is not abounding in Charity and willing to part with Temporal things in a way of free distribution will be loth to part with them by constraint and by way of Sacrifice and voluntary Surrender to God when he calls for them I offer this because the Churches that were free from Persecution are still charged with the Duty of Charity and it is a general Precept Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith Because he that will not part with his Superfluities willingly to God will never part with his Substance and the main of his Estate with rejoycing when it is made a Prey to the Violence of Men. It is irrational to think that he that grudgeth at a Command that requires him to part only with a little of his Temporal Conveniencies will not storm at the Violence when all is taken away Iames 5.1 Go to now ye rich Men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you There are their howling times when that Wealth which they sat abrood upon is taken away in an instant 4. He that cannot digest lighter Afflictions how will he bear greater Ier. 12.5 If thou hast run with the Foot-men and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with Horses and if in the land of peace wherein thou trustedst they wearied thee then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Iordan The Prophet was all in a Pet because the Men of his Town and Neighbourhood had conspired against him and were very troublesome to him God tells him If thou canst not bear this how wilt thou do when thou art exposed to greater Tryals There are private Persecutions therefore Father and Mother are put into the Catalogue of things to be renounced by us when we take to Christ Luke 14.26 If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple If a Frown and Disgrace and loss
Suppose these Worldly rich Men should take to the serious Profession of Religion as some of them do and so mask and varnish over a Heart wholly wedded to the World and Worldly things with some kind of form and garb of Religion and it may be the strictest too yet they can never walk worthy of it nor hold and maintain it with any power and vigour They are Enemies to the Cross of Christ and why they mind earthly things Phil. 3.18 19. Christ speaks of selling and forsaking all and they are for getting and taking all into their own hands Now it is more difficult for them that have any thing in the World to comply with Christ's Commands Surely they that live in a lower Condition have less Temptations The young Man here went away sad For he had great Possessions I shall mention a Story of a Souldier of Antigonus which is well known because it helps to set forth what we have now in hand This Person had a very loathsom Disease upon him which made his Soul desire to be divorced from his Body and then none so ready and forward to venture himself in all Battails as he and when the General admiring his Valour got him to be Cured then he that had been so prodigal of his Life before was as shy tender and wary of it as others when he had a Life worth the keeping he was loth to venture and expose it to danger I apply it to this purpose It may be when the World disappoints thee thou art ready to venture thy little All for Christianity but if any thing may make the World sweet to thee none so sparing so afraid and ashamed to own Christ as they Certainly it conduceth much to the safety of Grace to have the Temptation removed as well as to have the Lust abated Rebus in angustis facile est contemnere vitam He that hath little can soon part with it whereas Riches expose to Apostacy 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present World 4. It maketh Men apt to take up their rest here and to sit down satisfied with the World as their chiefest good without any earnest longing for or looking after a better Estate Psal. 17.14 From men of the World which have their portion in this Life small hope or desire of the Pleasures of another World they will have their Heaven here and therefore how hardly shall they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Lord will not remove us à deliciis ad delicias from Dalilah's Lap to Abraham's Bosom from carnal to spiritual Delights and the truth is they have no mind to be removed Iames 5.5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth and been wanton Here we are in a place of Exile Banishment separation from God where God doth not exhibit himself in that Latitude which he doth in the other World and yet here they seek their Felicity Luk. 6.24 Woe unto you that are rich for you have received your Consolation God requires of us Contentation and allows us a temperate use and holy delight in the Blessings of his Providence but we are not to take our whole Comfort here for that is meant by our Consolation and sit down drunk with Temporal Happiness that will make us mindless of those other things offered to us in the Gospel and kept for us in the World to come 5. They are apt to wax proud and scornful and impatient of Reproof and so grow licentious and lose the benefit of the Remedies that might reclaim them from their Errors 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this World that they be not high minded I interpret it of this sort of Pride when Men grow scornful of Admonition Licentious in sin and hate Reproof All Pride is incident to Riches but especially this Pride for as soon as a Man hath any thing about him he begins to speak higher and look higher and fare higher and to display the ensigns of his Vanity in his Apparel but chiefly his Heart is higher and so grows impatient of check and so cannot bear the means God hath appointed to warn him of his Danger and Duty They think we are too bold thus to deal with them and speak to them It is observed of Beasts that they never grow fierce but when they are in good plight so usually Men when they are full grow scornful and fierce and cannot endure to hear the mind of God powerfully and plainly set forth Great Men have great Spirits and they will not stoop to such base and mean Persons as the Messengers of Christ Ier. 5.5 I will get me to the great Men and will speak unto them c. but they have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Jer. 13.15 Hear ye and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Men are high and scornful and if they have any thing to bear them out in Contempt of the Lord's Message they set themselves to oppose Christ and his Interest and dash against the Corner-stone thô they are broken in pieces They are the great and Yokeless Men of the World that will come under no Rule and no Awe of Christianity 6. They are Wanton and Sensual and so must needs be careless of Heaven and heavenly things Partly as Sensuality brings a Brawn and Deadness upon the Heart and takes off all sense and feeling and savouriness of Spirit Hos. 4.11 Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the Heart that is infatuate Men and make them of such a base Bruitish Spirit that they are uncapable of sound reasoning or of entertaining the Doctrine of Godliness 1 Tim. 5.6 She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth A Life of Pleasure brings on a strange Deadness and Infatuation upon the Soul partly as Sensuality engrosseth the time and causeth us to waste those precious Hours in which we should make Provision for Eternity to eat drink and be merry and knit one Carnal Pleasure to another and so leaves no room for any serious sober Thoughts of God Christ and the World to come and Necessity of Regeneration and taking the way of Holiness Luk. 12.19 I will say to my Soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry And partly as Sensuality doth strengthen our Enemy The greatest Enemy we have is the Flesh and the more we please it the more we set back our Salvation Now when Men nourish their Heart and strengthen their Corruptions how can they be overcome by the Power of the Lord's Grace Iames 5.5 Ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter They add Fuel to their Lusts and make Corrupt Nature more active and stirring than otherwise it would be Now rich Men are very sensual and apt to please the Flesh yea they can hardly avoid it in the Plenty of Accommodations they enjoy as Scripture and Experience witnesseth Sodom was a pleasant and fruitful Place
proves a Snare to him 1 Ioh. 2.16 All that is in the World the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World Lust or distempered Appetite finds an answerable Diet. There are sensible Objects which to our Souls as thus Constituted prove shrewd and dangerous Temptations and Snares If we will find the Lust the Will will afford us the Object for the Lusts of the Flesh there are Pleasures and Carnal Delights to beset our Souls to inveagle and entice us from the strictness and severity of the Christian Profession for the Lusts of the Eye there are Riches and all kind of Profits for Pride of Life there are Dignities and Superiorities and popular Acclamations and all sorts of Preferments or any thing Men are naturally proud of so that a poor Creature living in the midst of so many Snares and Temptations may sadly cry out as Bernard doth O woe is me here are Sâ—â—es and Temptations and there is a sensual Nature in us that is strongly drawn forth by all that is about us It is true Riches Pleasures and Honours were not Snares in their Original Institution or God's Intention but they prove so through our Corrupt Affection God ordained them as Miserimae necessitatis solatia as Ierom tells us to be Helps and Comforts in our Mortal Condition but through the strong Affection we bear to them they prove Snares 2 Pet. 1.4 The Corruptions that are in the World through lust It is from unmortified Corruption and lustings after them Here then is that which increaseth the Difficulty these sensible Objects to which we have a great Inclination by Nature and which are continually present with us do inchant and divert the Heart from God and heavenly things so that we either sin in them or for them in the use of them or for the getting and keeping of them we offend God many times and cross the Rule that is given unto us So that besides the natural Impotency that is in us to all things spiritual the Soul is further depraved and corrupted by evil habits or particular inclinations to any of these sensible Objects this is a superadded Impediment to our Condition by Nature as a crooked stick by growing becomes more difficult to be made strait It is impossible for any meer Man to receive the things of the Spirit but much more for one that is wedded to any of these sensible things For here Christ puts the impossibility upon a Carnal rich Man because he hath so much of the World to divert his Heart from God and true Happiness There are degrees of Impossibilities as some have fewer Letts and Impediments and some have more so it is more or less impossible as they need more or less of God's special and Extraordinary Grace For let us consider any dispositions to these sensible Objects Let us consider any of the Dispositions to these sensible things be it Riches the Lusts of the Eye so he calls Covetousness or an Inclination to Riches for by the Eye the Heart is wounded and so the difficulty of Salvation is increased When once Men set up this as their scope and make it their business to be rich and great in the World They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 Or be it an Inclination to Honour either to Popularity or Esteem of the People or to Ambition or an inordinate desire of Preferment by the Magistrates and Potentates of the World Iohn 5.44 How can ye believe that receive honour one of another it makes the Impotency the greater Or if it be an Inclination to Pleasures Lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God 2 Tim. 3.4 But mostly doth our Lord here put the Difficulty upon Riches Why because that is a Complicate Temptation and that 's the Fuel of Pleasure and the means by which we get to Honours and Greatness in the World therefore here is the greater Difficulty for a rich Man in his Corrupt Estate to enter into the Kingdom of God 3. There is Inimica Oppositio if we would go to Heaven there are Enemies to Oppose The Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour And wicked Men Iohn 15.19 If ye were of the World the World would love its own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hates you And Whosoever will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 But because the great Opposition is from Satan therefore I shall insist upon Eph. 6.12 We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against the rulers of the darkness of this World against Spiritual wickedness in high places There is a more terrible and dangerous party against us than Bodily and humane Power Indeed we have Bodily Enemies and they are great Letts and great Discouragements in the way of Salvation when the Lord le ts loose their hands against us These are but Satan's Auxiliary Forces whom he stirs up and employs but the Principal part of our Conflict and wrestling is against Devils and damned Angels Enemies of great Power and Strength and Influence upon the Rulers of the darkness of this World they have a mighty Power upon the Ignorant Carnal and blind part of the World and it is with these we contend and wrestle about the things which concern the Honour of God and the Eternal Welfare of our Souls Now this terrible Opposition how soon will it bear down a poor Creature that stands meerly by his own strength Alas set Creature against Creature and Satan is too hard for us he exceeds us in the rank of Beings and so we are no match for the Devil Our Adversary is of a Spiritual Immaterial Substance and so invisible both in his Nature and Approaches and doth often reach us a deadly blow before we know it is he and in the very simplicity of our Hearts we run into the Snare And again he is so restless in his Assaults so unwearied in his Motions 1 Pet. 5.8 Your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom be may devour the best Christian will be suprized if there be not a greater than he to stand by him and for him he is either weakning our Comforts or enticing us to Sin or making us weary of the ways of God If he cannot pervert us and draw us by some gross Sin to dishonour God he ceaseth not to vex us and make our heavenly Course uncomfortable to us The Devil never ceases to pursue his Designs but observes all our Motions all the Postures of our Spirits when we are merry and when we are angry when we are laughing and when we are mourning He sees how the Tree leans and then joyns his Force to run us down And he is of great Power one that can make terrible Opposition
Power 1. Go to God for this Power when you are sensible of your Impotency In vain do we talk of Power to men that are not sensible of weakness and will not so much as essay whether they have power or no 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then am I strong When Creatures are helpless and shiftless God takes pity upon them Therefore when you have been tugging and wrestling in the business of Salvation and it doth not come on kindly but you find your weakness then you may come to God for his Power Bewail your Impotency and say as Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 Lord we have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are unto thee Or rather as Ephraim Ier. 31.18 Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned God's Chastisement revived the sense of his Duty and thinking of his Duty made him feel his Impotency and feeling his Impotency that made him groan to God and wait for his Power O it is well when practical Experienee convinceth us of our weakness and Necessities and our weakness and Necessities lead us to the Promises and the Promises to Christ in whom they are Yea and Amen and Christ to God as the Fountain of Grace and then we rest upon the Power of God And therefore since it is impossible with Man go to God and say Lord I confess the Debt I acknowledge my Impotency but thou hast forbidden me to despair therefore I come to thee give what thou Commandest and Command what thou wilt 2. If it be impossible with Men let God have all the Glory of any Saving Grace wrought in thee Mark this Because there is a deceit God must not only have some Glory but all the Glory for in the New Covenant there is no glorying but in the Lord. All will acknowledge and count it a piece of Religious Manners to speak of some help of Grace but they do not give it it 's due praise The Pharisee could say God! I thank thee I am not as other men Luke 18.11 As for Instance If a Man should say it is all from God indeed but only in a Pelagian sence as he is Author Naturae the Author of Nature as he Created us at first with a Rational Soul and gave us an Understanding and Will whereby he enableth us freely to choose that which is good Here is God's Power acknowledged Grace as Sacrilegious as they were in robbing God of his due Quod vivamus That we Live and that we had reasonable Natures that was the Gift of the Gods but quod bene vivamus that we live well that is of our selves This confounds Nature and Grace we Sacrifice the Wax to God and keep the Honey to our Selves Again we should acknowledge God not only in the Grace of External Revelation revealing the Object that God hath given us an Excellent Religion there is his Grace but in working upon the Faculty Here God is acknowledged but at too low a rate for we need not only the Sun-light but Eyes Eph. 1.18 The eyes of your understanding being opened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Or if we will go further and acknowledge Internal Grace is necessary but not absolutely necessary but only for Facilitation to do it the more easily for the Work is very difficult if meer Man were left to himself here God's Power is acknowledged but not enough Grace is absolutely necessary not as a Horse to a Journey but as Legs and Feet Again if we should acknowledge it as absolutely necessary for God to excite and move us but give the main stroke to our own Will this not praise high enough it is God inclines the Heart it is God that gives us the Will the beginning and ending of all is from him with Man it is impossible therefore God must have all the Glory 2 Doct. Those that have a deep Sense of their sinful Impotency and Carnal Distempers should seriously consider and encourage themselves by the Soveraign Power of God's Grace Of the Power of God as generally considered I shall speak by and by Now I shall speak of it as it worketh in a way of Grace to bring us into a State of Grace and to preserve us therein 1. The Scripture speaks of this Power that bringeth us into a State of Grace Eph. 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Mark there is a mighty Glorious Power that is seen in Converting a Sinner and turning him from Sin to Holiness even greater than the Power by which God made the World When God made the World as there was nothing to help so there was nothing to hinder but such is the perverseness of Man's Nature within such is the Opposition from without and so great an Enemy is Satan that nothing less than God's powerful Grace can begin such a Saving Work in them 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness There is a Divine Power that gives us Life or a gracious Spirit within and a Divine Power that helps us to walk in a Course of Godliness without So Rom. 11.23 God is able to graff them in again The Iews are of all People most obstinate and averse from God they have no Natural Goodness of Disposition in them they please not God and are contrary to all Men and shall the Iews be Converted Yes For God is able to graff them in again and bring them into a State of Grace 2. This Power of Grace is seen in preserving us in a State of Grace and carrying on this Work in despite of Men and Devils till Grace be Crowned in Glory Alas if God did never so much for us at first yet if he did not keep us we should be made a Prey and be Shipwrackt in the Havens mouth Therefore from first to last the Power of God is seen 1. In defending the Habit of Grace that is begun in the Soul When the Apostle had told us that God of his abundant mercy had begotten us again unto a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 presently he saith Verse 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation First we are begotten then kept Heaven is kept for us and we are kept for it first the Power of Grace is a quickning Power and then a preserving Power defending the Work God hath begun in us 2. God actuates and quickens our Graces in us It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 inspiring and breathing holy Motions into us Awake O North-wind come O South-wind blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow forth Cant. 4.16 And then strengthening those Graces and defending
that are in the World are held up by God's hand They do not subsist by their own Nature so much as by Divine Manutenency He upholds all things It is an allusion to a weighty Body that is held up by the hand of Man which if loosned it falls to the ground so the Creature would fall to nothing if not kept up by God Now what an Almighty grasp hath he that holds up all things He that feedeth so many mouths with the opening the hand of his Bounty Psal. 145.15 16. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thy hands and satisfiest the desire of every living thing He that sustains and guides so many Creatures that preserves the Confederacies of Nature that sets bounds to the Sea and makes Decrees for the waves to obey beyond which they shall not pass Ier. 5.22 Which have placed the sand for the bounds of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and thô the Waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail thô they roar yet can they not pass over it He that holds the Winds in his Fist is not not he mighty and strong And therefore if God should but loosen his hand the World would soon fall into Confusion and nothing Thus his sustaining and preserving all things speaks him an All-powerful God 2. His Internal Providence The Providence of God is chiefly seen in his Power over the Spirits of men that are voluntary Agents He hath such a Power over them that they are not Masters of their own Affections and Dispositions but act contrary many times to their intended purposes Prov. 21.1 The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of waters he turneth it whither soever he will Look as a Man by cutting a Channel draws the water this way or that way hither and thither so doth God move the Hearts of all men in the World nay even of Kings and Princes Prov. 16.7 When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his Enemies to be at peace with him Strange thing that God can put a Bridle upon the Spirits of men and they shall be at peace with him whom they hated their Hearts are turned many times to what formerly they resolved against Esau is an Instance he had vowed Iacob's Death and meets him with purpose to destroy him but when God brings them together Esau falls embracing of Iacob Gen. 33.4 And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him Egypt dismissed Israel with Jewels Balaam comes to curse and he falls a blessing Israel This bridling turning changing the hearts of men it is a notable discovery of God's Omnipotency Look as there is more Power seen in governing a skittish Horse than in rolling a Stone so in ruling those Beings which have a Principle of Resistance doth the Lord shew forth his Power Angels Men and Devils can do nothing but as God will and as God gives them leave The Devils are fain to ask Christ's leave to enter into the herd of Swine Mat. 8.31 and therefore how may the flock of Christ's Sheep rest secure under the Power of his Providence when those damned Spirits are held in by the irresistible Providence of God that they can do nothing but what God will As Tertullian said If the Bristles of Swine be numbred much more are the Hairs of the Saints God hath such a mighty Power that not a Creature can be troubled without his leave even by those Spirits that are most opposite to him so that his Power over the Affections and Hearts of men shews he is a great and mighty God 3. That God is Almighty appears by the strength that is in Creatures which is an effect and shadow of the Power of God All the Power that is in Creatures is from God and he wastes not by giving as we do That expression suits to this Case God took from the Spirit of Moses and put it upon the Elders and yet Moses had not the less because of their participation We cannot communicate to others but we lessen our selves but God remaineth in an Infinite fullness and therefore if he hath given Power to Creatures he hath more power himself Now there is great Power in Creatures Iob 41.8 Iob tells us of great Whales that have Bones as Brass and strong as pieces of Iron And David tells us of Angels that excell in strength Psal. â—33 20 so that one of them slew a hundâ—ed fourscore and five thousand in one night in Senacherib's Host And if there be such strength in Creatures what is there in God from whom they have it For nothing is in the Effect but what was first in the Cause Secondly Let me come to Explain this Power of God by three Distinctions 1. God's Power is twofold either Absolute or Actual 1. His Absolute Power is by which he can do that which he never will do This is spoken of Mat. 26.53 Thinkest thou not that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels Mark 3.9 God is able of these stones to raise up Children to Abraham he can do more than ever he did or will do He can do not only what Men and Angels conceive can be done but what he himself conceiveth can be done 2. His Actual Power is that by which he doth whatever he will Psal. 115.3 Our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleaseth And Psal. 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places Never shall any thing be done but what God wills and what God wills shall surely come to pass which is a notable support in all accidents 2 Distinction God's Power is Ordinary and Extraordinary 1. Ordinary is that which is according to the Course of second Causes and Law of Nature when he preserves the Creatures and works by them according to the Order which he himself hath established Psal. 119.91 They continue this day according to thine Ordinance for all are thy Servants All the Creatures Sun Moon and Stars do keep the Track and Path which God hath set unto them and God preserves the Beings of all things and keeps the Covenant of night and day as it is called in the Prophet 2. There is God's Extraordinary Power by which he can suspend the whole Course of Nature as he hath done sometimes upon eminent Occasions as when the Sun stood still in the Valley of Ajalom Iosh. 10.12 13. or when the Sun went back ten degrees on the Dyal of Ahaz 2 Kings 20.11 His interdicting the Red Sea that it should not flow Exod. 14.21 22. His causing Iron which is a heavy Body to swim upon the top of the water at the Prayer of Elisha 2 Kings 6.6 His suspending the burning of the Fire when the three Children were in the Furnace Dan. 3.27
than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased And Cant. 1.4 We will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy Loves more than VVine The choicest Contentments of the Flesh are nothing so satisfying as the Joy of his Salvation This Joy is called unspeakable and glorious as being better felt than uttered 1 Pet. 1.8 The strength of it is seen when other Comforts fail How precious are thy Thoughts unto me O God! Psal. 139.17 How great is the summ of them Sixthly The sixth Property of Faith is Victory over the World 1 Ioh. 5.4 5. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the VVorld and this is the Victory that overcometh the VVorld even our Faith who is he that overcometh the VVorld but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God I shall dispatch this briefly and shall shew you 1. What is the World that is to be overcome All worldly things whatsoever so far as they lessen our Esteem of Christ and Heavenly things or as they hinder us in our Duty to God In short the Delights and Terrors of this World for we must be Armed on both sides with the Armour of Righteousness both on the right hand and the left 2 Cor. 6.7 The Fears of this World are apt to stagger us so do Snares pervert and inveigle us Moses had Temptations of all kinds right-hand Temptations from Riches Honours Pleasures Heb. 11.24 25 26. By Faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Left-hand Temptations Ver. 27. By Faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible The Armour of the right hand is called Temperance of the left hand Patience 2 Pet. 1.6 To Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience In the Parable of the Sower sowing his seed we read that which fell on the Stony ground withered in Persecution Luk. 8.13 They on the rock are they which when they hear receive the Word with joy and these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away That which was sown in the Thorny-ground was choaked with the Cares Riches and Pleasures of the World Verse 14. And they which fell among Thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choaked with Cares and Riches and Pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection If the Terrors of Sense assault our Constancy we must set Loss against Loss Pain against Pain Fear against Fear Matth. 10.28 Fear not him that can kill the Body and do no more but fear him that can cast both Body and Soul into Hell If they threaten a Prison remember God threatens Hell If they threaten Fire God threatens everlasting Fire If they threaten loss of Estate loss of Heaven is much worse If the Delights of Sense are likely to Corrupt us to pervert or divert our Minds from better things we must look to it and remember what better things are reserved for us Persecution is opposite to Prosession without but this obstructs the very Vigour Life and Power of Godliness within Ioh. 2.15 If any Man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him And then for Pleasures 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God Heb. 12.16 Or prophane Person as Esau who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right Honours are baneful to our Faith Ioh. 5.44 How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only They eat out the Heart of it These are our daily Temptations 2. The Necessity of Overcoming the World 1. 'T is by the World that our spiritual Enemies have advantage against us The Devil seeketh to tempt or fright the fleshly Nature in us either by the Terrors or Allurements of Sense therefore Conquer the World and the Tempter is disarm'd he blindeth us as the god of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the god of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them He Vexeth as the Prince of this World and having a strong Party in the World he findeth it no great matter to entice a sensual Worldly Mind to almost any thing that is evil The Baits and Provisions of the Flesh are in the World 1 Ioh. 2.16 For all that is in the World the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World The World fits us with a Bait agreeable to every Appetite or a Dyet that suiteth with every Distemper of our Souls A proud Mind must be Honour'd and Humoured and will go nothing lower than high Place and Pomp of living a Sensual Mind must have its Pleasures and the Covetuous the Increase of Wealth and Religion is either cast off or neglected and made an Underling 2. The World is the great Lett and Impediment to our Obedience In the first Epistle of Iohn ch 5. in the Context to the Words that I am now explaining Verse the 2 d and 3 d. it is said By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandements for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous Then it followeth Verse 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the VVorld c. So Titus 2.11 12. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present VVorld The one must be done that the other may be done We shall soon be tempted to make a Breach upon Righteousness Sobriety or Godliness if we do not labour to overcome the World So Psal. 119.36 Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness 3. This Victory over the World distinguisheth the Spiritual from the Animal Life The World of Mankind is distinguished into two sorts some that live the Animal Life and some that live the Spiritual Life They that live the Animal Life are such as only behave themselves meerly as living Creatures or as a wiser sort of Beasts and the Comfort of their Life is only kept up by the good things of this World Land Heritages Honours Pleasures Riches and so Reason is subjected to Sense all their Contrivance is for the Flesh But the Spiritual and Divine Life is supported by the Comforts of the Spirit and the Foresight of Eternal Joyes in the World to come and so Reason is raised and sublimated by Faith These two Lives are distinguished Ioh. 3.6 That which is born of
Miracles and Acts of Mediation as if we had seen him in the Flesh is still the work and exercise of our Faith So the Apostle telleth the Galatians Chapter 3.1 Before whose Eyes Christ Iesus hath been evidently set forth Crucified among you That is before you he hath been convincingly declared as if he were set before your Eyes Nailed to the Cross. VVe should receive Christ as it were Crucified in the midst of us And the more lively and impressive Thoughts we have of this in the VVord and Sacraments the stronger is ones Faith VVe do so believe it and our Hearts are so warmed by it as if it were all done before our Eyes Such Evidence and Conviction should we have as to warm our Hearts 2. Present To see him so as to make him the Object of our Love and Trust. Iohn 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that he that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have Everlasting Life There is a clear sight of Christ still necessary to believing we must see him and know him Spiritually Though he be removed from us within the Curtain of the Heavens yet we must see him and such Worth and Excellency in him as may draw off our Hearts from other things see him so as to believe that he is at the Right Hand of God negotiating for us that we may trust our Selves and our All in his Hands Stephen said Acts 7.56 Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the Right Hand of God He saw the Lord Jesus as in a posture of readiness to assist and help him that was by Extraordinary Vision for it is said The Heavens opened But Faith doth the like in its degree and proportion Especially must we see him at the Right Hand of God ready to receive us when we die 3. Future We must see him that is be assured of his second Coming and thoroughly perswaded that we shall see him As Iob 19.25 26 27. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter days upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh I shall see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold him At the Resurrection we shall get this Sight and Blessed Vision of God Now Faith must over-look all Impediments to assure our selves of this 2. There are other Objects about which the Vision of Faith is exercised as the Glory and Blessedness of the World to come Faith is the Perspective of the Soul by which it can see things at a distance as present It can look beyond and above the World and draw unspeakable Joy from the Hope of Eternal Life Moses Heb. 11.26 Esteemed the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the Recompenâ—e of Reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He looked to it The Glory of the World to come is represented and set before us in the Promise we see it clearly there Heb. 6.18 That by two Immutable Things in which it was impossible for God to Lie we might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Iesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God To this we should look and see it as if it were before our Eyes that we may not be allured or terrified by the things that are before our Eyes But of this I have already spoken in the Nature of Faith See Sermons 3 d Volume on Heb. 11.1 only let me advice you now to keep the Eye of Faith clear that Christ and Heaven may be always in view The Devil seeks to shut it 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not least the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them He doth it by the World deluding and bribing the Flesh and Inchanting the Mind with worldly Felicity so that God and Heaven are forgotten and that necessary Care which we should use in preparation for it is neglected and omitted But it is opened by the Spirit Eph. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him The Eyes of your Vnderstanding being Enlightned that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints And therefore we should always pray for this Spiritual Eye-salve that we may have a due sense of the World to come fresh and strong upon our Hearts Secondly The next Effect is deep Affection or Rejoicing in Christ and all the Work of Redemption done in his Day Certainly a sight of Christ by Faith doth bring true Joy and Peace into the Soul Here I shall shew 1. That no other Affection will become Christ and the Salvation offered by him and received by Faith but great Joy This is evident by the whole drift and current of the Scriptures The Angels told the Shepherds at Christ's Birth Luke 2.10 And the Angel said unto them Fear not for behold I bring you Good Tydings of great Ioy which shall be to all People Surely Tydings of Christ the Redeemer of the World are Tydings of great Joy because then there was a way found out for our Reconciliation with God and the taking up that dreadful Controversie between us and him that Heaven and Earth may kiss each other and meet again in a Covenant of Love and Peace and Grace purchased by Christ whereby we might overcome the Devil the World and the Flesh. The great Enemies of our Salvation are defeated and a proportionable Happiness found out for Man without which he would have been as Leviathan in a little Pool So when this Grace was offered to any as to Zacheus by Christ's coming into his house and bringing Salvation with him Luke 19.6 He made haste and came down and received him joyfully Or published in the Word Acts 13.48 When the Gentiles heard these things they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed Now we are concerned as well as they The Gospel should never be as State-News to Sinners or as a Jest often told Our Necessities are the same with theirs and the Benefits are offered to us as well as them The Virgin Mary was thus affected Luke 1.47 My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour That Christ was to be born of her and was formed in her The Eunuch when Philip had preached to him Iesus and he was Baptized into this Faith Acts 8.39 He went on his way rejoycing as Men do that have met with a good Bargain and
the Commandments ver 3. and presently he speaketh of Victory over the World The World is the great Enemy of the Commandments and till it be overcome a Christian can have no Comfort but still be contesting with God as Pharaoh was and slighting every Message 3. This Contest on Pharaoh's part is managed with slightings and contempt of God on God's part with Mercy and Condescension On Pharaoh's part with slightings and contempt of God Exod. 5.2 And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Words of profane Contempt Who is the Lord as if he should say Am not I King of Egypt Who is my Peer much less my Superiour and my Lord I know not the Lord. Ere God hath done with Pharaoh he shall know him to the purpose Mark the Words I know not and then I will not Hardness is the usual effect of Blindness Errors of Mind go on to Errors of Heart I will not know I will not hear of it I care not for such a Duty nor will I weigh or consider what is God's Will concerning me The Eye affecteth the Heart Pharaoh did not consider what it was to deal with God and then doubleth the Burdens of the Israelites But now on God's part it is managed with Sweetness and Kindness God from the beginning foreknew the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart and therefore might have swept him away of a sudden but he giveth him frequent Warnings and Convictions He would have Men convinced e're they are punished Foregoing Mercy sheweth the Righteousness of ensuing Wrath. In all the progress of the Story the first Miracles were before him the next upon him And every Judgment is threatned before it be executed God telleth what he would do to warn Pharaoh In one Plague it is notable that God doth not only threaten the Judgment but sendeth a gracious Warning to bid him take his Cattle out of the Fields Exod. 9.19 Send therefore now and gather thy Cattle and all that thou hast in the Field for upon every Man and Beast which shall be found in the Field and shall not be brought home the Hail shall come down upon them and they shall die To shew that God delighteth not in the Ruine and Destruction of the Creature and to make Pharaoh the more liable to Condemnation and to spare such among the Egyptians as had some Fear of God remaining in them but chiefly to harden Pharaoh the more Exod. 10.1 And the Lord said unto Moses Go in unto Pharaoh for I have hardned his Heart and the Heart of his Servants that I might shew these my Signs before him Moses might say Lord therefore let me never go to Pharaoh but saith God Go in unto him for I have hardned his Heart God continueth the Means though he denieth Grace and the Wicked must be admonished though they will not be reformed In the hardning of Sinners God usually observeth this Course by Mercies and the Meâ—ns of Grace they are convinced and hardned at the same time there is still new matter of glorifying God and hardning the Creature 4. The first Plague on Pharaoh's Heart is Delusion Moses worketh Miracles turneth Aaron's Rod into a Serpent Rivers into Blood bringeth Frogs and the Magicians still do the same God permitteth these Magical Impostures to leave Pharaoh in his wilful Error It is probable that what the Magicians did was not real but a mere Delusion of the Senses but the Lord doth not discover the Cheat because his present Aim was not to shame Satan but to harden Pharaoh therefore he suffered the Devil to imitate the true Miracles without Discovery It is sad when Men chuse false Teachers to themselves and God suffereth them to be blinded Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone They may have some Parts plausible Elocution Gifts of Prayer there may be common Effects wrought by them these things blind Men and their Hearts are set upon Familism and Antinomianism let them alone Exod. 7.22 The Magicians of Egypt did so with their Inchantments and Pharaoh ' s Heart was hardned This was one means of hardning his Heart the Magicians wrought the same Miracles that Moses and Aaron did God suffereth Men to be hardned by their own Choice 5. God was not wanting to give Pharaoh sufficient means of Conviction The Magicians turned their Rods into Serpents but Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods Exod. 7.12 Which sheweth God's supereminent Power They could not deliver him from the Frogs though they could bring Frogs God may suffer the Devil to add to the Judgment but to relieve them is an Act of Mercy the Magicians could add to the Plagues but they could not deliver him from them the Devil can sooner bring a Plague than remove it This was warning enough there was Difficulty enough to harden them and Light enough to convince them Again the Magicians were non-plust in their Art Exod. 8.18 And the Magicians did so with their Inchantments to bring forth Lice but they could not They sought to bring forth Lice and could not being hindred by God's Will They that could bring forth Frogs could not bring forth Lice the greater the Possibility the more are the Magicians abashed this was an easy Miracle All Colour of Excuse is taken away from Pharaoh they confess This is the Finger of God Exod. 8.19 and yet Pharaoh's Heart was hardned as many will not be won to the Truth by the Confession of those that led them into the Mistake Nay afterwards the Magicians themselves were smitten with Boils Exod. 9.11 12. And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils for the Boil was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians And the Lord hardned the Heart of Pharaoh and he hearkned not unto them If the hard Heart go to Hell it is not for want of Light but Grace We may wonder as much at the Success as at the Plagues To what a Height of Obstinacy will Man come if he be let alone to Plagues for all this while Pharaoh's Heart was hardened 6. Observe in one of the Plagues Israel might have stolen away whether Pharaoh would or no Exod. 10.22 23. And Moses stretched forth his Hand towards Heaven and there was a thick Darkness in all the Land of Egypt three Days They saw not one another neither rose any from his Place for three Days but all the Children of Israel had Light in their Dwellings They were not only deprived of the Light of Heaven but of Candles and Torches the Air was condensed with thick Clouds and the Mists and Vapors so thick that they would easily have damped them and put them out again Now whilst they were under the Power of three Days Darkness the Israelites might have stolen away and have gone three Days Journey in the Wilderness before they could have made any Pursuit but God had more Miracles to be done When he
destroyed him that had the Power of Death This was a necessary means of Conquest and Christ must overcome Satan by suffering himself to be overcome visibly by him The Devil doth not conquer Christ by Death but Christ doth conquer him And still all the Temptations of the Devil are but the wounding of the Heel the Loss is not great to Christ or his Members As Dan is compared to a Serpent by the Way or an Adder in the Path that biteth the Horse-heels so that his Rider shall fall backward Gen. 49.17 Such is the Craft of Satan he doth not usually bring Temptations before our Reason but they enter in at the Back-door of Sensual Appetite but tho he bite the Heel the Life of Grace is secured Satan prevailed so far against Christ that his wicked Instruments brought him to the Cross pursued him to the Death there But 2 Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified through VVeakness yet he liveth by the Power of God Or as it is in 1 Pet. 3.18 Being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit So for Christians he may divers ways wound and afflict us in our outward Interests but the inner Man is safe 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day Nay we may be bruised in the Heel by divers Temptations and Slips into Sin yet the Vitals of Grace are not hurt there is no total Extinction of our Love to God I should come now to the fourth Branch That tho Christ was bruised in the Conflict yet it endeth in Satan's total Overthrow His Heel was bruised but Satan's Head was crushed But of that anon In the mean time by way of Use let me press you chearfully to remember and celebrate this Victory of Christ. The Duty we are engaging in is an Eucharist and we come to rejoice in God our Saviour Let me bespeak you in the Psalmist's Words Psal. 98.1 O sing unto the Lord a new Song for he hath done marvellous things his right Hand and his holy Arm have gotten him the Victory Or Psal. 118.15 16. The Voice of Rejoicing and Salvation is in the Tabernacle of the Righteous The Right Hand of the Lord doth valiantly The Right Hand of the Lord is exalted the Right Hand of the Lord doth valiantly Psal. 106.2 Who can utter the mighty Acts of the Lord who can shew forth all his Praise 1. The Conqueror is the Seed of the Woman or the Son of God incarnate O let us bless God for so great a Mercy Luke 1. from 68 to 76. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People and hath raised up an Horn of Salvation for us in the House of his Servant David as he spake by the Mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the World began That we should be saved from our Enemies and from the Hand of all that hate us to perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant The Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the Hands of our Enemies might serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the Days of our Life What shall the Son of God come from Heaven to subdue the Kingdom of Satan and to deliver Men from this Bondage and we be no more affected with it 2. The Manner of Overcoming it is by suffering a shameful painful and accursed Death Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood and made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Again Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and VVisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Rev. 5.12 And ver 9. For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation That by a Death which he deserved not he should destroy the Death which we deserved 3. Who is overcome The Devil Rev. 12.10 Now is come Salvation and Strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down who accused them before our God day and night Ver. 11. And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and the VVord of their Testimony and they loved not their Lives unto the Death Ver. 12. Therefore rejoice ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them VVo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great VVrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short Time O Christians what will raise your Hearts in Thanksgiving to God if not these three Arguments which I have plainly mentioned to you for the Matter needeth no Descants The Incarnation of the Son of God who came as the Seed of the Woman that he might free Mankind from the Power the Devil had over them by Sin Then the Merit and Satisfaction of our Saviour for he was bruised in his Heel And then the dissolution of Satan's Power and the freeing of Mankind out of his Hands either as a Tempter or a Tormentor 4. The Effects of the Victory when 't is applied to us I shall mention three 1. Our Conversion to God and the destruction of Sin in our Hearts or our actual deliverance from Satan Luke 11.21 22. VVhen a strong Man armed keepeth his Palace his Goods are in peace but when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his Armour wherein he trusted and divideth his Spoils This was our Case All was in a sinful Quiet and Peace When Wind and Tide go together no wonder if there be a Calm Satan's Suggestions and our Corruptions suted the one with the other But blessed be God that this carnal Security is disturbed that the Kingdom of God is come upon us that Christ by a sacred Rescue hath dispossessed Satan and destroyed Sin O let us give Thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.12 13. 2. Remission of Sins Acts 26.18 To open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith that is in me Col. 1.13 14. VVho hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son in whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of Sins Christ's Subjects have the Privileges of his Kingdom Now bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O
still the enemy and avenger THE scope of this Psalm is to glorifie God for the singular Dignity he hath put upon Man above all his works The expressions literally and apparently refer to Gods works of Creation and Providence about him but in a Divine and more Spiritual sense the Misteries of Redemption are intended and secretly couched under them as appeareth by the frequent quotations of this Psalm in the New Testament There is a double Honour put upon Mankind 1. That God hath ordained Man that feeble and weak Creature to subdue and conquer his Enemies 2. That God hath made him Lord of all his other Creatures Both which concerne not only Man in general but especially Jesus Christ. God made Man and therefore both are applyed to him The first when the Children welcome him with the acclamations proper to the Messiah Matth 21.15 16. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying in the Temple Hâ—sanna to the son of David they were sore displeased and said unto him hearest thou what these say and Iesus saith unto them yea have ye never read out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise The other in many places especially Heb. 2.6 7 8. But one in a certain place testified saying what is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of man that thou visitest him Thou hast made him little lower than the angels thou crownedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet For in that he put all in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him So that Man is both his Champion and his Deputy He is his Deputy verse 6. Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet His Champion in the Text Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength c. In explaining these words I shall enquire 1. Who are these Babes and Sucklings 2. Who is the Enemy and Avenger 3. What is the Miracle and Wonder that raised the Prophets admiraration and moved him to praise God for this I. Who are these Babes and Sucklings 1. Man in general who springeth from so weak and poor a beginning as that of Babes and Sucklings yet is at length advanced to such power as to grapple with and overâ—ome the Enemy and the Avenger 2. David in particular who being but a ruddy youth God used him as an Instrument to discomfit Goliah of Gath. 3. More especially our Lord Jesus Christ who assuming our Nature and all the sinless infirmities of it and submitting to the weakness of an Infant and after dying is gone in the same Nature to reign in Heaven till he hath brought all his Enemies under his feet Psalm 110.1 And 1 Cor. 15.27 For he hath put all things under his feet but when he saith he hath put all things under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him Then was our Humane Nature exalted above all other Creatures when the Son of God was made of a Woman carried in the Womb as long a time as other Infants are Luke 2.6 Sucked as a Babe and afterwards dyed and was received unto Glory 4. The Apostles who to outward appearance were despicable in a manner Children and Sucklings in comparison of the great ones of the World poor despised Creatures yet principal Instruments of Gods Service and Glory Therefore 't is notbale that when Christ glorifieth his Father for the wise and free Dispensation of his Saving Grace Matth. 11.25 He saith I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes So called from the meanness of their Condition Compare the parallel places Luke 10.21 And you shall see it was spoken when the Disciples were sent abroad and had power given them over unclean Spirits In that hour Iesus rejoyced in spirit and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes This he acknowledged to be an Act of Infinite Condescension in God 5. Those Children that cryed Hosanna to Christ make up part of the sense Matth. 2â— 16 for Christ defendeth their practice by this Scripture when he was condemned by the wisest and greatest and proudest Men in the World such as were the Scribes and Pharisees at that time he was praised and welcomed as the Messiah or Son of David by the Children 6. Not only the Apostles but all those that fight under Christs Banner and are listed into his Confederacy may be called Babes and Sucklings First Because of their Condition Secondly Their Disposition 1. Because of their Condition God is pleased often to make choice of the meanest and lowest 1 Cor. 1.27 28. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty And the base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are That is God in the Government of the World is pleased to subdue the Enemies of his Kingdom by weak and despised Instruments 2. Because of their disposition They are most humble spirited We are told Matth. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God As if he had said you strive for preheminence and worldly greatness in my Kingdom I tell you my Kingdom is a Kingdom of Babes and containeth none but the humble and such as are little in their own Eyes and are contented to be small and despised in the Eyes of others and so do not seek after great Matters in the World A young Child knoweth not what striving or state meaneth and therefore by an Emblem and visible Representation of a Child set in the midst of them Christ would take them off from the expectation of a Carnal Kingdom II. Who is the Enemy and the Avenger In the Letter Goliah in the Mistery the Devil and his Agents and Instruments He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Enemy of God and Man Matth. 13.39 The enemy that soweth them is the Devil and with him all the Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 These are Wicked Men Iohn 8.44 For ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do 1 Iohn 4.4 Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world The War is carried on between two Heads and two Seeds III. What is the Miracle and Wonder that raised the Heart of the Psalmist to praise
be vexed by Sathan for his Tryal Iob 1.12 And Paul had his Messenger of Sathan to try him to see what shift he could make with sufficient internal Grace against outward and vexatious evils 2 Cor. 12.7 8. Now it is better to undergo the fiery Tryal than the fiery Torment Tryed we are then but not destroyed Yea sometimes hurried to Death and yet we overcome Revel 12.11 Christ doth prevail upon opposition and by opposition When Sathans Instruments were killing Christians they were pulling down Sathans Throne and advancing Christs and when they were butchered and slaughtered yet they multiplyed 4. The Means and Manner of Victory is to be considered 1. Christ overcometh this Enmity by taking our Nature He might have destroyed him by his Divine Power but the Conquerer is the Seed of the Woman or the Son of God incarnate He conquered in the same Nature that was so lately foiled and thereby Sathans main design is crossed and counter-worked which was double Partly to make Man jealous of God as if he were envious of our Happiness and by this false representation to alienate our hearts and make a breach between us and him Gen. 3.5 God knoweth that in the day ye eat thereof ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil This way would he weaken the esteem of God in our Hearts but hereby we have a fuller manifestation of his love to make him the more amiable to us Rom. 5.8 But God commended his love to us that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us And Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Iohn 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins We would be as God and Christ would be as Man Partly to depress the Nature of Man which in Innocency stood so near to God that was the end of his malicious suggestion But now 't is advanced and set up far above the Angelical Nature and admitted to dwell with God in a Personal Union Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham The Nature of Man being only assumed by Christ the Angels are not concerned in it immediately Man had the benefit and honour put upon him especially in his glorified Estate Eph. 1.20 21. 2. By his Passion or Death on the Cross Heb. 2.14 For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is is the Devil Christ would not only take our Nature but also suffer in it so to frustrate and make void the Devils design which was to keep Men for ever under the power of Death wherein he had involved him He had brought Sin upon us and by Sin Death and in this Condition as the Executioner of Gods Curse he would still have held us but that Christ came to put us into a Condition of Holiness and Happiness and so make us capable of Eternal Life The Devil did not conquer Christ by Death but Christ did conquer the Devil When the Roman Soldiers were parting and spoiling his Garments he was spoiling Principalities and Powers 3. By his Resurrection and Ascension After he had been a Sacrifice for Sin by his Resurrection he overcame Death Hell and Sin and soon after he ascended into Heaven that he might triumph over the Devil and lead Captivity Captive Eph. 4.8 His Enemies were foiled upon the Cross but his Triumph over them was at his Ascension whereby he hath assured the World of his Conquest that he hath carried the day and gained an absolute and compleat Victory for our Lord in Heaven is out of the reach of Enemies as having done his work we are only left behind to scatter the Relicks of the Battle 4. By his sitting at the Right Hand of God he doth two things 1. He poureth out the Spirit endowing his Messengers with all Gifts and Graces ordinary and extraordinary to preach the Gospel to the Heathen World whereby the Old Religion by which the Devils Kingdom was supported went to wrack every where his Oracles were silenced his Superstitions suppressed No more the same Temples the same Rites the same Gods all fell before God as worshipped in Christ Iohn 16.11 The spirit shall convince the world of judgment because the prince of this world is judged 'T is true in some parts of the World Sathan yet reigneth where Christ hath not pursued him with his Gospel or withdrawn his Gospel for the ingratitude of Men but where it cometh it prevaileth mightily and the World cannot resist its convincing power 2. By his Secret and Invisible Providence he defendeth his People and stilleth the Enemy and Avenger Christ as God incarnate having the grant of a Kingdom is every way furnished with power to maintain it by Means proper to the mediatory Dispensation by his Word Spirit and Providence this last we are upon All Judgment is put into his hands Iohn 5.22 Though there be many vicissitudes and changes in the outward Condition of the Church yet by invisible wayes God doth notably defeat Sathan and his Instruments And though there be ebbings and flowings of the two Kingdoms yet we have much experience that Christ is upon the Throne by his protecting strengthning and assisting his faithful People and prospering their just endeavours for the advancing of his Kingdom Sometimes he destroyeth Enemies Isa. 27.4 Who would set the briers and thornes against me in battle I would go through them and burn them together Sometimes he infatuateth their Counsels Iob 5.12 13. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their enterprize He taketh the wise in his own craftiness and the counsel of the froward is carried head-long Sometimes he hideth his People in the secret of his Presence Psalm 31.20 Sometimes he blasts all their prosperity by an invisible Curse Iob 20.26 A fire not blown shall consume them Or else he divides them as you may read in 2 Chron. 20. Chapter 5. The Degree of the success How far is the Enemy and Avenger stilled I Answer 1. Non ratione essentiae not to take away his Life and Being No there is a Devil still and shall be when the whole work of Christs Redemption is finished for it is said of that time Revel 20.10 That the Devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and for ever So Matth. 25.41 Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels Then Eternal Judgment is executed on the
a great King As God pleadeth it when they brought a corrupt thing for a Sacrifice Mal. 1.13 No Terrors comparable to his Frowns no Comforts to his Smiles So â—sal 2 11. Serve the Lord with fear rejoice with trembling Obey him most circumspectly with all carefulness watchfulness and diligence making it your chief business to please him 5 'T is a considerable part of our work to look for our Wages or expect the endless blessedness to which we are appointed â—it 2.13 Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God Col. 3.1 2. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God Set your affection upon things above and not upon the Earth Phil. 3.20 But our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. That we may see that we have conâ—iderable Motives to do what Christ requireth of us 'T is for our Masters Honour and besides it puts life into our Work and maketh our painful Obedience comfortable and sweet to us for all this is but the way to Eternal Life 6. The Reign of Christ doth not only establish your Duty but is the ground of your safety for he is set down upon the Throne of Majesty to protect his Subjects and destroy his Enemies besides the endless reward in another World there are many evidences of his goodness and signal preservations and deliverances in this World at least peaceable opportunities of serving Him while he hath a mind to employ us He can powerfully support us against all our Enemies Isa. 33.22 The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King He will save us As a Soveraign protects his Subjects that continue loyal to Him so will Christ be our Sovereign upon this confidence must we carry on our obedience notwithstanding opposition 1 Tim. 4.10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all Men especially of those that believe 7. One part of our obedience helpeth another Sets the Soul in a right posture As in the Wheels of a Watch the whole motion is hindred by a defect in a part the less compleat you are in all the Will of God the more difficult will it be A Sermon on Luke II. 52 And Iesus increased in Wisdom and Stature and in Favour with God and Men. THese words are spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ. In them two things are observable 1. Christs Groâ—th 2. The consequent of it 1. Christs growth both as to Body and Soul He encreased in Wisdom and Stature 2. The consequent of it He attracted the Love of God and Men. The point I am to speak off is this Doct. Iesus Christ himself in respect of his Humane Nature which consisteth of Body and Soul did grow and improve 1. Let us state this growth of Christ. 2. Give you the reasons of it For stating it 1. Certain it is that there are two distinct Natures in the Person of Christ Divine and Humane The one Infinite and Uncreated The other Created and Finite For he is Emmanuel God with us Mat. 1.23 Of the Seed of David and yet declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.3 4. The Word was made Flesh Ioh. 1.14 The Man God's Fellow Zech. 13.7 A Child yet the Everlasting Father Isa. 9.6 Born at Bethlehem yet his goings forth were from Everlasting Micah 5.2 The Bud of the Lord and the Fruit of the Earth Isa. 4.2 Now according to this double Nature so must his growth be determined surely not of the Divine Nature for to the perfection of it nothing can be added an infinite thing cannot increase So his Knowledge is infinite he knew God and all things 2. In his Humane Nature there are two parts his Body and his Soul The Text saith he grew in both As to his Body and growing in Stature there is no difficulty As to his Soul the doubt is whether he grew really or in manifestation only I think really his Soul improved in Wisdom as his Body in Stature as others of his Age are wont to ripen by degrees In the same sense that he is said to increase in Stature he is said a so to increase in Wisdom for both are coupled together and he increased in Stature really in deed and in truth so that he daily became a more eminent person in the Eyes of all 3. 'T is not said he grew in Grace but in Wisdom To want degrees of Grace cannot be without sin And our High Priest was Holy Harmless Vndefiled separate from Sinners Heb. 7.26 yet his Knowledge as Man was perfected by degrees We always grow in knowledge follow on to know the Lord. He was ignorant of some things as the Day of Judgment for in Mark 13.32 'T is said But of that Day and Hour knoweth no Man no not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Son but the Father His Divine Nature was ignorant of nothing but as to his Humane he was ignorant of it Some say he knew it not to reveal it so the Father may be said not to know it as well as the Son This simple Nescience was no Sin 4 This Knowledge or Wisdom wherein Christ grew may be understood thus 1. There is the Habitual Knowledge and the actual apprehension of things Christ had the Foundation and Root of all Knowledge when conceived by the Spirit from his very Conception but the Actual Knowledge came afterwards He had the Spirit of Wisdom and promptness of understanding but the act of knowing is as occasion is offered 2. There is a Knowledge of Generals when singulars are not actually known so Christ was deceived in the Fig-Tree Mat. 21.19 And he enquireth for Lazarus Grave Ioh. 11.34 And he said Where have ye laid him 3. There is a knowledge Intensive and Extensive Intensive a clear knowledge Extensive to more objects Christ grew in both He grew as to clearness of apprehension and as he knew more objects 1. There is a knowledge infused and experimental So Christ knew more by experience 2 Cor. 5.21 Who knew no sin That is by experience in himself and Heb 5.8 He Learned Obedience by the things which he suffered 2. For Confirmation 1. By Scripture 2. By Reason 1 By Scripture Next the Text take that Isa. 7.14 15 16. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel Butter and Hony shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and chusethe good For before the hild shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings The Child spoken of should not be any fantastical appearance or meer imaginary Matter but a very Man-child fed and brought up with such food as other Children were that by growing up he may come to years of discretion He
that But so as first that which is necessary to be done by his Man-hood be done for us first the merit of his humiliation was to be interposed before we could be acquainted with the power of his exaltation God took this way partly because we were to be restored in a way contrary to that by which we fell We fell by Pride and we must be restored by humility We would be as God not in a way of blessed conformity but cursed self-sufficiency therefore to expiate this pride God must become like Man take our Nature and suffer in it Once Man in the pride of his Heart attempted to be like God and God by a Mystery of humility became like Man that he might bring Man into a nearer degree of likeness to God Partly because the honour of his justice required it Reconciliation supposeth satisfaction for we are not at peace with God till his justice be appeased And the Spirit of God had not been sent if God had not been at peace with us for this is the token of his friendship And till the Spirit be given to change both our Natures and Estate we have no title to the pardon of sin and Eternal Life Therefore the Merit of Christ's humiliation is at the bottom of all the good we expect from God Partly because he delighteth to carry on our Salvation by contraries Christ emptied himself to fill all things became poor that we might be rich brought life out of death covered his glory wherewith he would inrich the World under shame and disgrace In the same way that Christ purchased it we obtain it a Christian is tossed with Tempests and yet the peace of God preserveth his Heart He hath nothing and yet hath all things was disgraced in the World and yet approved of God There was nothing stronger than Christs seeming weakness in his lowest abasement he discovered the greatest power of his God-head He satisfied the Justice of God overcame Death and his Fathers wrath triumphed over Satan crushed his Head when he bruised his Heel The Apostle telleth us 1 Cor. 1.25 The foolishness of God is wiser than Men and the weakness of God is stronger than Men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foolish part and the weak part that which in Mans opinion hath least Wisdom or strength in it Nothing is such a glorious act of Wisdom and Power as Salvation by Christ dying Christ abased as also to bring a Christian to Heaven by Afflictions rather than to suffer him to be prosperous in the World 2 â—y way of Pattern and Example Christ that came to set open the way to Heaven would also teach us the way to Heaven not only by his Doctrine but Example Christ made himself of no reputation and therefore we should be dead to the reputation and grandeur of the World which is the great diversion and hinderance to the Heavenly Life The Apostle when he bringeth this instance he saith Let the same mind be in you that was also in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 This very thing is propounded to our imitation The Son of God had wisdom to chuse right to injoy power to procure the best condition which the World affordeth but yet he chose a mean state of life subject to many afflictions and sorrows Here I shall shew 1. The power of Christ's example in the general 2. What he teacheth us by emptying himself or making himself of no reputation 1. All example hath an alluring power or great force in moving this is the example not of an equal or inferiour but of a great person one far above us This great person is Jesus Christ our Lord the great Messenger of the God of Heaven who came to reclaim Mankind from their vain courses and to instruct them in the way 〈◊〉 Life His example is a perfect and unerring Pattern for his Life is Religion exemplified a visible Commentary on God's Word He came not only to restore us to God's favour by his merit but to set us an example 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ. Then you cannot err if you follow Christ in his imitable actions 2. It is an ingaging pattern Christs submission to a duty should make it lovely to us The Disciple is not above his Lord nor the Servant above his Master If I then you Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one anothers Feet Iohn 13.14 Shall we decline to follow such a Leader 1 Ioh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked Alexander Conqueror of the World atchieved most of his great exploits by his example when hardly beset he would make the first in every danger and desperate action when his Army grew sluggish as laden with spoils of their Enemies he commanded all his Carriages to be fired and when they saw their King devote his rich treasures to the Flame they could not murmur if their mite and pittance were consumed also If Christ had only taught us contempt of the World and not given us an instance of it his Doctrine would be less powerful 3. It is an effectual pattern The Spirit of Christ goeth along with it as well as his Doctrine 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. His steps drop fatness He hath left a blessing behind in all the way that he hath trodden before us and sanctified it to us that we may follow after him with comfort 4. It is a very incouraging pattern For he sympathizeth with us in all our difficulties having intendered his own Heart by experience Heb. 2.18 In that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 4.15 We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are He knoweth the weaknesses and reluctancies of humane Nature in our hardest duties and will pity and pardon our infirmities 5. The example of Christ will be Armour of Proof against all Temptations The Apostle saith here ver 5. Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Iesus And in 1 Pet 4.1 For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the Flesh Arm your selves also with the same mind If this mind be in you temptations will have little force upon you 2. What he teacheth us hereby 1. Patience under all the indignities we undergo for God's sake in the course of our Pilgrimage 1 Pet. 2.21 It is said Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps So Heb. 12.2 Looking to Iesus the Author and fiâ—isher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame Let us be contented to be abased for him He descended from Heaven to the Grave as low as he could for us therefore let us
because none can make a comfortable claim to this priviledge but those that are sincerely God's people He is their Habitation Others whatever indulgence they have by God's common Providence can have no certain hope or comfortable claim Psal. 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly those that fear him love him chuse him for their portion Others build Castles in the Air They do not dwell in the secret place of God that live in their sins and yet lean upon the Lord. By sin you run out of your dwelling-place and weaken your trust 1 Iohn 3.21 Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 5. Constant communion with God Iob 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee We must not run to God as we run to a Shelter with a mind to depart thence as soon as the Storm ceaseth Our Habitation is a place of constant residence So we must make use of God not when we are in streights only to serve our turn but abide and dwell in him as our habitation A Sermon on 1 TIMOTHY vi 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition IN these words we may observe 1. The Parties described They that will be rich 2. Their danger represented in two things 1. That they lye open to Temptation 2. Fall into a snare Some think it an Hendiadys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the snare of Temptation But the considerations are distinct the one being a degree of the other Temptation sheweth how the Devil taketh them captive Snare how he keepeth or holdeth them captive So he that fixeth this as his purpose doth lay himself open to the Devil yea give up himself captive to him Men are first tempted drawn to delight in or admire these things secondly snared cannot get out of the intanglings of the World Now in the Text the general nature of this Snare is represented It is lusts sinful and unlawful affections and dispositions of heart 1. The number or quantity of them many lusts 2. The quality kind and sort of them foolish and hurtful lusts 3. The result and issue of them which drown men in destruction and perdition In the main of which Paul doth not speak of what doth often fall out but what doth constantly and necessarily fall out Doct. That a will to be rich is the occasion of much mischief to those that cherish it and allow it in their own Souls The Point will be best opened by laying forth the circumstances of the Text. 1. What it is to have a will to be rich When we make it our scope and our work our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark it is not he that is rich but he that will be rich Riches in themselves are God's gift not the cause of the evils mentioned but our love and lust to them though a man be otherwise poor according to that of Peter Corruption that is in the World through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 Here it is They that will be rich that fix it as their scope that make it their business For the bent of the will is bewrayed by two things Intention and Industrious Prosecution 1. Those that fix it as their scope are wholly intent upon getting wealth that give up their hearts to find out and follow after ways of worldly increase This is to set Wealth in the place of God For that is interpretatively a Man's God which is the last end of his actions and upon which his care and thoughts and endeavours do run most whether it be belly world credit friends or whatever else Phil. 3.18 For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things And then we can never act regularly Christ and Religion will be taken up upon worldly ends and advantages All stoopeth to the chief end Religion and Conscience and all when we fix this as our intention and the designed scope of our lives It is elsewhere expressed Prov. 28.20 He that maketh haste to be rich cannot be innocent A man that fixeth this as his end will not care what means he useth leap over hedge and ditch and cannot be content to travel the long Road of Providence to come to his Journeys end There are many such that will be rich whether God will or no say what he will and almost do what he can to hinder them when their ways are shut up not only by a commandment but the hedge of God's Providence Though disappointed in their projects yet they will through if they can take Faith and a good Conscience along with them they will but if not they will be rich without them 2. Those that make it their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their work and business in the World Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich cease from thine own Wisdom Make themselves Servants of Mammon Mat. 6.24 We cannot serve God and Mammon Both Masters have work enough and their commands are contrary When two consent to employ one man in the same business and service though two men they are but one Master But to execute the wills of men that are different in their designs and have a several and full interest in our labours and actions this is as impossible as to move two contrary ways at once This is the case here Mammon and Christ have full work for us and their designs are contrary Our main work of right is to please God and serve God but our work by choice is to serve Mammon all our labour and travel is to be rich which cannot be without the prejudice and wrong of Religion which should have the preheminence Matth. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and these things shall be added Religion cannot have all because of our bodily necessities but it must have the chiefest But now when the strength of our endeavours runneth out another way our hearts are taken off from God and his service and so Hagar croweth it over Sarah That is a happy Family where Sarah rules and Hagar serves But alas usually it is otherwise the lean Kine devour the fat and Religion goeth to the wall The world ingrosseth mens time and heads and hearts that they are wholly taken off from better things and the edge of their affections is abated their time and heart diverted Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich Some translate it Weary not thy self to be rich As they that trouble their minds with it with too great eagerness they have no time nor heart for communion with God and the great
all at the last day In both these things the Angels are concerned in his conquests as Christ doth confound the wisdom of Men and Devils in maintaining and preserving his Church They are a part of Christ's Army and have a great respect to his Church Heb. 1.13 14. But to which of the Angels said he at any time Sit on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation They are some of God's Messengers that help to restore and recover Man from the power of the Devil and disdain not the Service Christ appoints them for lost sinners but have a great respect to his Church and the Assemblies of his People 1 Cor. 11.10 For this cause ought the Woman to have power on her head because of the Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee before God and the elect Angels For his Triumph with them Christ will appear at the end of the World when he hath won the Field and cometh in Triumph to confound his conquer'd Enemies 2 Thess. 1.7 The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels These things the Angels pry into so should we Secondly How 1. Accurately and Seriously Usually we content our selves with running cursory thoughts never sit and pause with our selves what manner of Saviour and Salvation this is what is required of them that would be partakers of it and so content our selves with a superficial view without an accurate inspection Slight and shallow apprehensions leave no impression on the Soul The Hen thaâ— often stragleth from her Nest suffereth her Eggs to chill We should dwell upon these things till they produce a clearer Knowledge a firmer Belief an higher Estimation a greater Admiration for this is to resemble Angels Eph 3.18 That we may comprehend with all Saints the depth and length and breadth and heighâ—h all which begets solid comforts when the mind is wholly taken up with other things the soundest Knowledge worketh not 2. Spiritually profitably practically Our business is not so much to know new truths about the Gospel as to know them in a more useful manner Let us pry into these things as the Angels do not to satisfie our curiosity with a little notional knowledge or out of pride that we may pertinently discourse of them or hold up an argument about them but that God may be glorified and admired in the Person of the Redeemer and our Souls delighted for our comfort and quickening and weaned from the vanities of the World ver 13. Wherefore gird up the Loins of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. Thirdly Why 1. Because it is an honourable imployment to look into the mysteries of Salvation and to be much conversant about them It will be a great part of our happiness and work in Heaven to behold Christ's Glory Iohn 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory All our Faith Hope and Labour tendeth to this The Queen of Sheba took a long journey to behold the Glory of Solomon which did so ravish her that her Spirit even fainted within her and yet that was but an Earthly Temporal Fading Glory But to behold the Majesty and Greatness which Christ our Redeemer hath at the Right Hand of God is the great work which we have to do to all Eternity Therefore now we should busie ourselves about these things that our Mouths may be filled with Praise and Thanksgiving 2. Because it is delightful to Gracious Hearts God findeth a delight in Christ and shall not we There is more in the Gospel than a vulgar Eye taketh notice of or our first apprehensions represent unto us shall Angels wonder at these things joy and delight in these things and shall we slight them Paul counted all things Dung in comparison of the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Phil. 3.8 and 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and Him Crucified Surely unless our thoughts are lawfully diverted or suspended we should think of no other thing Austin cast away Tully quia nomen Christi non erat ibi because the name of Christ was not in it 3. It is useful 1. That all created glory may wax dim and be more obscured in our Eyes their power is nothing their loveliness is nothing in comparison of Christ this should take up thy Soul and draw off thy observation from deluding vanities such as Riches and Honours and Pleasures As the light of a Candle is scarce seen when the Sun shineth brightly so all the tempting baits of the Flesh are nothing when the glories of Christ are considered by us See ver 13. Wherefore gird up the Loins of your Mind and be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. So for affrighting terrors what are Potentates and Powers to him All authorities and powers lawful or usurped must be subject to Christ 1 Pet. 3.22 Who is gone into Heaven and is at the right Hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him This promoteth the joy and constancy of Believers under sufferings 2. To draw out our Hearts after him Iohn 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked and he would have given thee living Water Looking after these things is in order to choice Mat. 13.45 46. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant Man seeking goodly Pearls who when he hath found one Pearl of great Price he went and sold all that he had and bought it What are all things in the World if set against Christ and his Salvation 3. That we should converse with him in holy duties with more reverence Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth Much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Now shall we scarce vouchsafe these things a serious thought The Angels are concerned in a way of duty not in a way of benefit It is their duty to worship Christ Heb. 1.6 And again when he brought his first begotten into the World he saith And let all the Angels of God Worship him but not by way of recovery and yet they desire to look into this Glorious Mystery A Sermon on GALATIANS V. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith IN the context the Apostle perswadeth the Galatians to stand fast in
commanded to use these means in order to our recovery should lye at the pool and wait for Mercy If we refuse the helps and the means our condemnation is just we even pass it upon our selves Act. 13.46 Since ye put away the Word of God from you ye judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life and become uncapable and unworthy of any benefit by the Gospel The giving of these manifold helps and means on Gods part sheweth a great hopefulness of success and such as may incourage us chearfully to perform our duty and carry it through with the expectation of a blessing But the refusal of these helps and means on our part sheweth we are untractable and disobedient and perish by our own obstinacy 7. Because common mercies are our ruine and our table a snare and our welfare a trap and the ease and prosperity of Fools slayeth them Prov. 1.32 Therefore God warneth us of the danger of the abuse of these mercies telleth us of the corruption that is in the World through Lust commandeth us and intreateth us to use them better and to remember him who giveth us comfortably and richly to injoy these things 1 Tim. 6.17 18. Sometimes taketh them out of our hands as a Father would do a sharp Knife out of the Hands of a Child Prayeth us that we will not love a perishing World and forsake our own Mercies that we will noâ— hazard eternal things for trifles And after all these warnings who is to blame 8. God doth not presently give over dealing with the despâ—sers of his Grace or those that reject or neglect his blessed offers but doth defer punishment draw out his patience towards them to the fullest length He yet tarrieth longer to see if yet they will be in a better mind 1 Pet. 3.10 The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah If after all this we be disobedient and incorrigible what place is fit for us but the Prison of Hell Vse 1. It sheweth how cross to Gods design they act who delay Repentance because God delayeth Vengeance Eccles. 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do evil Men are apt to do so partly because they measure things by present sense If it be not ill with them for the present they think to morrow shall be as yesterday Partly because they think they shall have time enough to Repent at last and so can be contented that God be longer dishonoured provided that they at length may Repent and be saved though God delayeth that you may take the season not let it slip Partly because they abuse Gods Patience to Atheism Either denying Providence saying The Lord will not do good neither will he do Evil Zeph. 1.12 As if God had forgotten the care of the World Or else think that God approveth their sin because they continue in health peace and prosperity Psal. 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence Thou thoughtest c. and so grow sensual and secure and their Hearts more hard and impenitent because God spareth them This is to turn the Grace of God into wantonness and to treasure up wrath Rom. 2.5 But though God bear long he will not bear always The Chimney long foul and not swept taketh fire at length Psal. 68.21 But he will wound the Head of his Enemies and the Hairy Scalp of every one that goeth on in sin Forbearance is not remission Sentence is past Iohn 3.18 He that believes not is condemned already though not executed Eccles. 8.11 Because Sentence is not speedily executed c. God may give sinners a long day but reckoneth with them at last Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his Wrath and to make his power known endured â—ith much long-suffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted to Destruction There suffering â—ong suffering and much long-suffering yet all this while fitted for destruction When you have but a little space given you will you frolick it away in sins and carnal pleasures God is bending his Bow whetting his Sword if they turn not He is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 12. And at length his anger will break out if they turn not Vse 2. What reason all of us have to bless God for his forbearance and long-suffering and to acknowledge it as a great Mercy For his long-suffering tendeth to Repentance either the beginning or the perfecting of it Now this mercy is the more inhanced when we consider 1. What we have done against God A good Man cannot tell how often he offendeth Psal. 19.12 Who can understand his errors Psal. 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about they are more than the hairs of my Head Gods People have cause to wonder at his patience as well as others 2. What is the desert of sin in the general Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death 3. The instances of those who have been taken away in their sins Zimri and Cosbi unloaded their Lives and their Lusts together Lots Wife in her looking back was turn'd into a Pillar of Salt Luke 17.32 Remember Lot 's Wife A lasting Monument of Rebellion against God Gehazi blasted with Leprosie Corah Dathan and Abiram the Earth swallowed them 4 With how much ease God can do the like to you 1 Sam. 24.19 If a Man find his Enemy will he let him go well away when he has a fair opportunity to satisfie his wrath God can easily do this Iob 6.9 That he would loose his Hand and cut me off With one beck of his Will he can turn us into our first nothing 5. With how much Justice and Honour he might have taken us away long since and have shut us up in Chains of Darkness for a Monument to the careless World Sometimes God maketh instances in every Table Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness In every Law both by way of omission and commission Why might not I have served for one of these instances 6. How many Mercies have been vouchsafed to you in the time of Gods long suffering The mercies of daily Providence Psal 68.19 Who loadeth us daily with his benefits Especially deliverances out of imminent dangers when you were snatched as a braâ—d out of the burning Amos 4 11. And preserved in a general destruction Lam. 3.22 It is the Lâ—â—ds mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Or when some disease hath been upon you that you thought you should have gone down to the Câ—â—mberâ— of Death Psal. 78.38 He being â—ull of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not that is He respited his vengeance It is a kind of a pardon when God remitteth some measure of the deserved punishment so far as any part of the punishment is remitted so far is the same pardoned Sometimes God seemeth to put the
are of an Heavenly Temper and Frame do often exercise their minds in Heavenly things Their Happiness lieth there and their Business tendeth thither Our Lord telleth us That where the Treasure is there the Heart will be Matth. 6.21 A Man's Treasure draweth his heart after it And therefore if his treasure be laid up in him his Heart will be there also The Mind is wholly taken up by these great things that other things are little minded by them But alas 't is otherwise with the generality of Men Our thoughts of Heavenly Blessedness are few and cold Oh that we should throng our Hearts with all manner of vanity when we have Eternity to think upon That all the day long we should be regarding this perplexing Business that Carnal vanity and delight and thoughts of Heavenly things should be such strangers to us Is this looking to things not seen We are continually thinking of what we love Worldly Men of gathering and increasing VVealth Luk. 12.17 18. Ambitious Men of Preferment and Applause Voluptuaries of Sports and Pastimes Philopoemen wherever he walked was thinking of Battels If he should be assaulted on such a piece of Ground how he would Model and Dispose his Army for his Defence A Christian should be thinking of Heaven how he may get thither and what he shall enjoy there They who do not think often earnestly and warmly of Heaven and Heavenly things surely have little expectation this way They are transported with pleasing Sensualities and have cold thoughts of the hope of the Glory of God 2. A desirous expectation Looking is often made the Act of Hope in Scripture as Titus 2.13 Looking for the Blessed hope And Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. And so to look to things unseen noteth an affectionate and desirous expectation of them A Man may believe things terrible and yet he cannot be said to look to them That is longingly to wait for them Therefore this looking hath the earnestness of hope in it as well as the firm perswasion of Faith There is a vehement longing and desire after the actual possession of these things without which Faith is a dead Opinion or a Speculative Assent Our Hope is but a few cold uneffectual thoughts or an hasty wish or a slight desire not that earnest looking which the Scripture calleth for Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above not on things on earth There must be lively Affections there must be groaning earnestly 2 Cor. 5.2 Longing and Desiring to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 Affections add a strong bent and poise to the Will 3. This looking argueth a fixing of the Mind upon these things as our Aim and Scope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That 's the word used That is our Scope which influences all our Actions when we do all things to eternal ends either nextly or ultimately That we may obtain Eternal Life that is the great drift purpose and business of a Christian. This is the end of our Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 The end of our diligence and of all our service and waiting upon God and that which sets us a work in our general and particular calling Acts 26.7 Vnto which promise our Twelve Tribes serving God Day and Night hope to come This is our great ambition the end of all our Labours 2 Cor. 5.9 Still to drive on a Trade for Heaven this is the end of our sufferings 1 Tim. 4.12 Therefore we both Labour and suffer Reproach because we trust in the Living God He had spoken of godliness having the promise of this Life and that which is to come Therefore this is our aim and scope I now come to shew you Secondly Why such have an advantage above other Men and can more easily do and suffer great things for God This appeareth 1. From the object They that look to things unseen and eternal are acquainted with greater things than those are whose thoughts and projects and designs are confined within the narrow bounds of Time Every one hath a choiceness greatness and excellency of Spirit according to the objects He most converseth withal We count them Children of mean Spirits who converse only with Pins and Points and Toys and Rattles We count those of a meaner Spirit that have only a Cow to Milk or a Field to Till or a Lute to Play upon than those that have a Common-wealth to manage or to make a little City greater So those that are gotten upon the Mount of Eternity can look upon the most serious business of the World as a meer may-game in comparison of injoying God and living for ever in delightful Communion with him they that have made eternal things their choice and scope have this advantage above other men that they are acquainted with such excellent things as will darken the Glory of all Worldly things and lessen them in their opinion estimation and affection As a Man that hath looked upon the Sun in its brightness for a while can look upon nothing else as being dazzled with the splendour and brightness of it Things Invisible whether present or future either because of nature or distance They can set God against the Creature the Terrors of God against all the Terrors of sense and the everlasting Enjoyment of God against all the Delights of Sense 1. Things Invisible because of their Essence and Nature There is an Eternal God against a poor Creature whose Breath is in his Nostrils A God who is all in all and a Creature who is nothing Nothing in opposition or contrariety to God or his People Isa. 41.11 Behold they that are incensed against thee shall be as nothing nothing in comparison with God Isa. 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing They are accounted less than nothing and vanity Dan. 4.35 The Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed before him as nothing Nothing by way of exclusion of God As the Sun beam is nothing when the Sun withdraweth or the Sound is nothing when the Musitian taketh away his Mouth from the Pipe or Instrument Thou takest away thy Breath and they die The Creature beareth a big bulk in the Eye of sense seemeth not only to be something but all things And so long as we look to things Visible what Hope or Comfort have we to fasten upon But to a Man that looketh to things Invisible the amiableness and frightfulness of the Creature vanisheth into nothing Heb. 11.27 By Faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him that is Invisible That is with loss of all attempted to bring the People out of Egypt He saw him not by the Eye of Sense but Faith And then all the Princes and Powers of the World are as nothing Alas when we see great and most enraged Enemies our Hearts fail within us but Faith by closing the Eye of Sense winketh the Creature into nothing On the other side If a
his Love mentioned in the former Verse God's Children incourage themselves with his hidden Favour though to appearance God covereth himself with wrath and frowns His present severity cannot perswade them that all his Mercy is lost and clean gone and forgotten They can see it in God's Heart though they see it not in his Hand and it be not visible to their own Sense Though they feel him as an Enemy yet they will trust him as a Friend They know he will spare them even then when he pursueth them with the strokes of his wrath For Articles of Faith are not to be laid aside because of the contradiction of Sense 2. There is some sparing even in his striking for if he bring one Evil to prevent a greater Evil to save us from Eternal Misery that is Mercy He striketh for a while that he may spare for ever 1 Cor. 11.32 For when we are judged we are Chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the World A Man would be pulled out of the deep Waters though it be by the Hair of his Head and his Arm broken in the Rescue If he take away any good thing from us to bestow some greater good we have no cause to complain for surely the greater should be preferred before the lesser and the felicity of the Soul in Grace and Glory should be preferred before the good of the Body God had neither spared nor saved any if he had not blasted their Worldly happiness Surely God doth not envy to us our Worldly Comforts but taketh them from us when they are likely to do us hurt 2. Use. To shew us the privilege of them that fear God or have a Son-like and Child-like affection to him He speaketh not here of the first Grace infused into the Penitent but of those that are already admitted into his Family Surely their Privilege is exceeding great 1. They need not be discouraged in their Duties though they be imperfect God will not call them to a strict account Christ when he Feasts with his Spouse he will eat the Honey with the Honey-comb Cant. 5.1 he accepts all heartily He that forgave all their Sins at first will excuse their infirmities They shall be tenderly dealt with all and their failings passed over as a Parent passeth over an Escape in an Obedient Son Alas if God did not spare us for our best Works and choicest Services who could stand Our Duties need a Pardon as well as those actions which are down right Sins for they are mixed with Sin 2. That he will spare us as to Afflictions and Judgments 1. Sometimes God may spare others for their sakes as he offereth to spare Sodom if there were Fifty Righteous Persons found in it Gen. 18.26 If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the City I will spare all the place for their sakes Afterwards the number was brought down to Ten vers 32. So God gave to Paul the lives of all that sailed with him in the Ship Acts 27.24 though in that Eminent danger for his sake 2. When he cometh to reckon with the Nation or the Community in which they live he many times spared them and they are not swept away in the common Judgment Isa. 3.10 Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him God will put a difference between them and others not always but when he pleaseth God may protect them in calamitous Times The Lord knows how to do it how to make Distinctions 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptation 3. If they are involved in the common Judgment as two dry Sticks may set a green on Fire they may see some Moderation and Glimpses of favour Habb 3.2 That in the midst of Wrath God remembers Mercy Either it is sanctified or they are supported under it or the Evil is mitigated 4. If the worst fall out yet they are spared because they are not cast into Hell If they are not exempted from Temporal Judgments yet they are delivered from Wrath to come and that should satisfy Christians Heb. 10.39 We believe to the saving of the Soul 1. Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the Salvation of your Souls Though the Body and its Interests be endamaged yet the Soul is saved which is our great hope 3. Use is to Instruct us in our Duty with respect to this choice Privilege 1. Let us be affected with the Love of God that he will spare us as a Man spareth his own Son If God should deal with us according to the merit of our Sins and be strict upon us what would become of the best of us Surely God seeth all our Failings Heb. 4.12 All things are naked and open unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do And doth disallow them and is displeased with them 2 Sam. 11.27 But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. If you deny the first you deny his being if you deny the second you debase his Holiness and Righteousness And his Law Condemneth them as worthy of punishnishment Gall. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Whence then cometh our safety From the New Covenant founded in Christ's Blood by which the Sentence of Condemnation is vacated Rom. 8.1 There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ. This Sentence is repealed by a new act of God's great Mercy and Favour in the New Covenant 2. Let us believe the certainty of it on the Grounds before-mentioned viz. the merciful Nature of God the design of the Gospel is to represent him Amiable to Man 1 Iohn 4.8 God is love The satisfaction of Christ 1 Iohn 4.10 God sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins His gracious Covenant Psal. 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant His Fatherly Goodness Ier. 3.4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My father thou art the guide of my youth 3. Keep your Qualification clear Besides the Ransom our Uprightness must be interpreted Iob 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down into the pit for I have found a ransom If we do not continue to fear God or abate our Reverence towards him we lose our Comfort Therefore if you would stand right in God's favour our Love and Fear must be increased towards this good God And if he will stand upon the exactness of his Law we must not stand upon our own Interests and the Gratifications of the Flesh. We should not spare any beloved Lust or Interest so we may please and glorifie God A Sermon on 2 TIM ii 19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every
Bounty but as happening to them in the ordinary course of second Causes as they rejoyce in an uncertain Good so in an uncertain Author You rejoyce in God in his best Gifts his Love and Grace 2. The Author thou hast put allowed by God wrought by him Rom. 14.17 Ioy in the Holy Ghost stirred up by his Spirit Their Joy is neither God's Allowance nor God's Work 3. The Subject and Seat Into my heart not to tickle the Senses but delight the Heart not as the morning Dew but as a soaking Shower 4. The Measure 't is more pure that is more sublime or more that is more chearing of a stronger Efficacy which not only overcometh the sense of present Infelicity but the fear of Death Hell and Judgment to come Heb. 6.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strong Consolation They dance about the brink of Hell have their secret Gripes and will you envy them as if your Condition were not much better When God hath given you the Feast will you be troubled that others should have the Scraps and Fragments of his Bounty 3. Observe from the supposition of God's abomination of their Persons and Courses that he can when he pleaseth easily ruine and destroy them which must needs infer at least an uncomfortable uncertainty in their Condition The Wicked being Objects of God's Hatred the easiness of their destruction is often asserted in Scripture Iob 5.3 I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation Psal. 37.20 But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of Lambs they shall consume into smoak they shall consume away The Fire licketh up the Fat of Lambs which is not a very solid substance but easily melted so shall their Glory vanish and be consumed in God's Wrath when he is pleased to let it out upon them Psal. 37.2 They shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb Though they seem to be in a prosperous condition for the present as Grass while 't is growing is very green yet they are soon cut down by the Sythe of Providence and then presently fade and are carried away as Grass from the place where it grew Psal. 118.12 They are quenched as the fire of thorns Though for the time it burneth and flameth extreamly yet they are soon consumed and are turned into Dust and Ashes Psal. 73.18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places And 't is notable that all these places do intimate that God can easily destroy them and usually doth when they are at their prime and that they are never nearer their Ruine than when they come to the height of their Exaltation As the Sun declineth presently when it cometh to the highest Point of the Zenith as Grass when it cometh to its full growth it beginneth to wither as the Sacrifice is first fatted and then killed before the Lord so Enemies are permitted to prosper and grow great and proud and then are cut off Or as Thorns dye and are extinguished by their own blaze so in slippery places the higher they go the nearer to their Downfal and Ruine As Men on the top of an Hill and there have no firm footing they slip and fall and by the highness of the ground are more sorely bruised And as by the Expressions of Scripture so by God's Providence it appeareth how easily he can subdue wicked Men God did not bring down Egypt by Bears and Lions and Crocadiles but Flies Frogs and Lice The Walls of Iericho fell not with force of Arms and Engines of Battery but Rams Horns Iosh. 6.6 The Tents of Midian with Trumpets and Earthen Pitchers Iudges 7.7 The City of Nesibis was freed from a long Siege only by Gnatts at the Prayers of his People when Sapores King of Persia thought to have his will upon them as Theodoret witnesseth God sent such Clouds and Swarms of them which flying into the mouths of their Elephants and Horses disturbed their whole Camp And should we envy them to whom God oweth an evil turn and can so easily ruine though nothing appeareth of it Once more observe how the Scripture representeth the uncertain condition of the Wicked with the stable condition of the Godly Prov. 11.28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall but the righteous shall flourish as a branch The one is compared to a Leaf the other to a Branch So Prov. 12.12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit Men who have no grounds in them of Piety and Godliness are for the present only and when they see the prosperity of the Wicked and how they thrive in their evil Designs taking up Men as Fishes in the Waters they are willing to get into the Net too even run with Company But the Root of the Righteous which hath its growth under ground not seen by fleshly Eyes this Root will grow up again and yield abundance 2. God will not always bear with them that are an abomination to him but hath his times of shewing his hatred of them and their evil courses for if they are an abomination to him and he never shew it they need not care and so it inferreth not only a possibility but a certainty of their Destruction Psal. 92.7 When the wicked spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever The end of all their flourishing and temporal prosperity is Perdition Yea their very Prosperity as it ferments their Lusts and hardens their Hearts and encourageth them to acts of Violence becometh one means to draw on their Ruine the sooner Psal. 73.17 I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I their end God's Vengeances are due to them and one time or other shall be inflicted Psal. 37.13 His day is coming Psal. 37.38 But the transgressor shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off Though long deferred Vengeance cometh at last to the full and cuts them off You think Providence doth not deal righteously because the Unworthy are Exalted and the Worthy Depressed Tarry but a while and you will have no cause to complain or grow weary of Godliness or to cry up a Confederacy with Evil Men. Who would envy those that climbe up the Ladder for Execution or carried to the Top of a Rock to be thrown down thence and broken in pieces or think Haman preferred because Advanced above others on a high Gallows Would you envy a man on the Gallows because he standeth above the rest of the Company 2. The state of the suffering Godly Wicked men you see are under God's displeasure which will one day break out upon them and consume all their Temporal Happiness But in what state are the Godly Consider their future Hopes and their present Enjoyments they need not envy them 1. Their future Hopes Their Possessions are not to be compar'd with your Hopes
and so are Children of the Dâ—y and not of the Night Now Deeds of Darkness will not become the broad Day-light of the Gospel that we live in He instanceth in two Sins Negligence and Voluptuousness Vers. 7. They that sleep sleep in the Night and they that are drunken are drunken in the Night Sleep is a Night-work and Drunkenness also is a Night-work He opposeth to these two Duties Watchfulness and Sobriety he opposeth to Sleep Watchfulness and as opposite to Sensuality he enforceth Sobriety Watchfulness implyeth a Carefulness and Constancy in our Duty and Sobriety an holy Moderation in all Earthly Things and more particularly a sparing use of Worldly Delights that Security may not grow upon us and the Day of the Lord surprize us unawares Unless we moderate our Affections in the pursuit and use of Earthly Things a strange benummedness seizeth on the Conscience and an Oblivion and forgetfulness of God and Heavenly Things presently followeth it Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Cares of this Life and so that Day come upon you unawares Now the Apostle doth not barely disswade them from Sleep and Sensuality as we would perswade a Man that hath an ordinary Work to do to prevent Sloth and loss of his Day-time which was made for Work but as we would deal with a Souldier that is upon his Watch to prevent danger Therefore it doth imply not only how misbecoming these things are but how baneful It is not enough to be sober but we must be armed else we cannot be safe from Temptations Our Life is a Conflict and our Graces are our Armour Rom. 13.12 The Night is far spent the Day is at hand let us cast off the Works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light Therefore it is not enough for us to be sober or to be awake but prepared for our Spiritual Warfare But let us who are of the Day be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation In the Text there is a double Exhortation 1. To keep our selves awake But let us who are of the Dâ—â— be sober the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifiâ—th both Sobriety and Watchfulness The meaning is Take heed we be not lulled asleep by Worldly Desires Cares and Pleasures 2. To put on our Armoâ—r Two pieces he commendeth to them a Breast-platâ— and an Helmâ—t Men fence the Breast for the Heart's sake and the Head is the Seat of the Sense upon whose safety dependeth principally the safety of the whole Body for the Head guideth the whole Body Wounds in either of these two paâ—ts are most dangerous Now 1. The Breast-plate consisteth of two Graces Faith and Love these two are joyned together for the one can do nothing without the other Faith without Love is but a dead Opinion and Love to God in Christ cannot be without Faith both togeâ—her enable us to do notable things for God Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by Love What can withstand Faith working by Love 2. The Hâ—lmet is the Hope of Salvation or a sure and earnest Expectation of our Eternal Reward from Christ. Keep these and you shall not only be in a blessed Condition when the Day of the Lord cometh but in all your Troubles Tryals and Temptations you are safe for the present and you shall not miscarry by the way If any say the pieces of the Spiritual Armour are otherwise reckoned up Ephes. 6. I answer 1. Metaphors may be several ways used and in these things so the matter be fitly delivered and understood it is enough 2. Here the Apostle sheweth what is necessary to watching there to fighting He that watcheth provideth for Enemies but doth not presently encounter them and therefore here a Decorum is observed Livy tells us of Paulus Emilius Vigiles novo more scatum in vigiliam ferre vetuit It is enough if he hath a Breast-plate though no Shield for his business is not presently to fight but to excite others to fight when he perceiveth the Enemy approaching A Breast-plate is enough till he call others to help him Doct. Christians are not well prepared for their Spiritual Warfare till they have put on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation 1. It is supposed that it concerneth us to arm our selves for a Conflict Partly because we have sore Enemies the Devil the World and the Flesh. The Devil is a Roaring Lyon and must be resisted 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Be sober be vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a Roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the Faith The World either vexeth us with fears or inticeth us by hopes and must be overcome 1 Iohn 5.4 5. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God But the sorest Enemy is within to wit our own Flesh which must be subdued and tamed Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts. Partly because we are constantly observed how we acquit our selves in the Conflict Now for the present there are Spectators God and his holy Angels hereafter there will be a Judge Jesus Christ. Now there are Spectators 1 Cor. 4.9 For we are made a Spectacle unto the World and to Angels and to Men. He speaketh there of the Apostles who were as it were exposed as the sorlorn hope set up in the Eye of this World but it is true of all Christians Christ maketh inspection now for we fight in his presence he seeth how his People carry themselves in their Conflicts and Temptations I know thy Works Behold I have set before thee an open Door and no Man can shut it For thou hast a little Strength and bust kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name Revel 3.8 But Christ who is now a Spectator will be hereafter a Judge 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Iudge shall give one at that Day Now he observeth then he crowneth his Combatants partly that we may throughly discharge our duty We can hardly do any good but we must fight for it but especially in the great Work of our Heavenly Calling Practical Christianity is a serious Application of the Mind and Heart to do what Christ hath required that we may obtain what he hath offered and to do it as our first work and chief business Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 3.14 I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Iesus 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore Beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him
the Creation and upon the Seventh Day he Rested So Christ will not come down till he had finished the Work of Redemption on the Sixth Day and on the Seventh he Rested in the Grave and Rose early in the Morning on the First Day of the Week to shew the Truth of his Satisfaction And the Holy-Ghost his Work is perfect all the time of his Life he continueth increasing our Graces but in the everlasting Sabbatism when Sin shall be no more his Work is brought to an end And then he shall present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Iude 24. But what were the Reasons why Christ would not give over till all was perfected 1. Love to his Father Iohn 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Christ loved the Father with unspeakable Love and was in like manner beloved by him Therefore when this Cup was put into his hands by his Father he would drink it off to the very bottom 2. Love to the Church Eph. 5.25 26. Even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word c. And Rev. 1.5 6. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood The Church was given for a Spouse to Christ but we were polluted and defiled with Sin he would not only cleanse it but make it a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 Christ loved the Church and therefore it was not grievous to him to wash it with his Blood Because Iacob loved Rachel he served seven Years for her in Heats and Frosts by Night and Day and they seemed to him but a few days for the love he had to her Gen. 29.20 So the Son of God loved the Church and therefore endured all these Indignities and grievous Passions 3. He had respect to that eminent Glory set before him Heb. 12.2 Looking to Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is now sate down at the right hand of the throne of God Though the Way was rough the Prize was excellent and so he run through all the Pain and Shame and attained the eternal Crown of Glory He endured cruel Pains in his Body and bitter Sorrows in his Soul such as never any Man did suffer never any Angel could have born as he did so dear did it cost our Saviour to make a Propitiation for our Sins That which in all this did strengthen and encourage him was the Joy set before him namely that happy and glorious Estate which followed upon his Sufferings so that his Burden was made the lighter and his Sorrows much abated Oh let us think of this 'T is not a lessening his Love to us for he needed not to put himself into this condition Herein he was our Example to teach us how to sweeten the Cross and as our Mediator he is gone to Heaven to prepare a Place for us Iohn 14.2 3. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and take you to my self that where I am there ye may be also 2. Let it raise in us a Confidence of the Benefits purchased For Christ expresseth himself as a Conqueror and in a kind of Triumph over the Devil and all the Enemies of our Salvation The Wrath of God is appeased Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The Law is satisfied Gal. 4.4 5. God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Satan is vanquished Iohn 12.31 Now is the judgment of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out Guilt is removed Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Sin is subdued Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Death is unstinged 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. Oh Death where is thy sting Oh Grave where is thy victory The sting of Death is sin and the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The Curse is removed Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Surely where Christ beginneth he will make an end We cannot have too high Thoughts of the Blood of Christ Heb. 9.13 14. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the â—lood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God cleanse your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Let us stand still now and behold the Salvation of God and Eccho to Christ's Cry It is finished it is finished What can the Law crave more than the Blood of the Son of God What will make us perfect as appertaining to the Conscience if this will not Being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him Christ hath so far obtained Pardon and Acceptance for us that he hath made an end of Sin for all that are willing to accept of his Grace upon God's Terms 3. Let it quicken us to Perseverance in our Duty notwithstanding Sufferings till all be ended that when we come to die we may be able to say Iohn 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness If Christ out of Love to us would finish the Work of our Redemption What shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8.39 4. It teacheth us how to comfort our selves in Death It finisheth all our Labours and Sorrows as Christ sheweth when he was about to give up the Ghost Isa. 57.2 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds Believers have a Joy set before them as well as Christ. The Wicked cannot say It is finished their Evils are then begun 5. Let us believe Things to come The Event sheweth that all these Things were true which the Prophets had so long before foretold The Holy-Ghost cannot be deceived nor can God lie We are certain that Things yet to come shall be fulfilled as well as these which are past Those who lived before Christ's time had not such an Experiment of God's Truth as we have We have seen the Coming of Christ let us so fix our Minds on future Things as to draw them
Meditation of it It is your Duty to study it with the deepest serious and most ponderous Thoughts you can use Ephes. 3.18 That we may comprehend the Breadth and Length and Depth and Height of it We are not to content our selves with a superficial view of God's Love in Christ but must take an accurate Inspection of it in all the Dimensions thereof upward downward on the right Hand and left Narrow Thoughts and shallow Apprehensions do little good either as to God's Glory or our solid Comfort and that earnest Constraint or Incouragement to Duty which it is wont to produce in the Heart We must neither do it slightly nor seldom Our Hearts are too narrow to understand it all at once it is so vast and boundless so rich and unsearchable yea infinite We never know so much but there remaineth more still to be known Therefore we must often renew the Meditation and continue it so long till the Heart be warmed and ready to break out into Praise and till our Wonder and Admiration be raised and we see the Object too big for the Faculty for it is beyond all created Understanding till we be swallowed and overwhelmed in this deep and bottomless Ocean and through a Penury of Thoughts cry out O the Depth of the Riches of the Mercy and Love of God! For the present I shall content my self with four Properties of this Love 1. It was a free Love I will love them freely Hos. 14.4 If he did not love us with a free Love how could he love us at all What could he foresee in us but what was the Effect of his own Grace We were neither loving nor lovely Not loving we did not prevent God To love those that love us it hath nothing singular that is the ordinary Courtesy of the World By Nature we were God's Enemies and what could an Enemy deserve Not lovely all that Grace that is wrought in us afterward is his Gift Therefore this was at first a free Love that had no Motive nor Foundation but within it self He loveth us not because he seeth any thing lovely or amiable in us but only because he will demonstrate the Absoluteness of his own Will and Self-inclination to do us good 2. It was a real Love not an empty complementing Love it rested not in good Wishes there was great Proof and Manifestation of it 1 John 4.9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins It was such a Love as made him leave the Height of his Glory and assume our Nature and die in that Nature and shed his Blood and by it wash us from our Sins There was a Benevolence in it and a Beneficence also A Man may wish Health when another is sick and Supplies when another is poor but Christ did not wish us well only but as Fire sheweth it self by Heat and by Light so Love by the real Effects of it Perhaps thou sayest to another Believe that I love thee but while this is only professed in Words he may believe it but he cannot see it But if upon occasion you do any thing for him or expose your self to Danger for his sake then he saith Now I see that thou lovest me So God to Abraham Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son from me Here is a plain Proof and signal Evidence So here Christ hath demonstrated the Reality of his Love the Man seeth it 3. It was eminent and transcendent Love Compare it with the Love of one Creature to another and in all the World you cannot find a Parallel to equal it John 15.13 Greater Love hath no Man than this that a Man lay down his Life for his Friend But where is that rare Instance of Friendship Rom. 5.6 7 8. For when we were yet without Strength in due time Christ died for the Vngodly For scarcely for a righteous Man will one die yet peradventure for a good Man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Enemies Christ died for us He died the Just for the Unjust the Judg for the Offender God for Sinners It can be resembled by no Love upon Earth therefore he himself compareth his Love to lost Sinners with the Father's Love to him Iohn 15.9 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you It is eternal incomprehensible and unchangeable 4. It was a full Love removing our Misery procuring all Blessings for us to make us compleatly happy for as it fetched us from the lowest Hell it leaveth us not till it bringeth us to Joys and Happiness in the highest Heavens 1 Thess. 5.9 10. For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him Well then if I should stop here I hope you have so much Ingenuity and Sense of your Redeemer's Affection to you as to say To him be Glory and Dominion even to him who loved us Secondly The signal Act of his Love to us He washed us from our Sins in his own Blood 1 st Observe this is put as the great Instance of his Love We cannot know the Love of God by any other Fruit and Benefit till this be done By the Bounty of his general Providence he provideth for all his Creatures and feedeth them and maintaineth them in that kind of being unto which he hath raised them out of nothing So he supplieth the young Ravens and the Beasts of the Field much more is he good to Mankind he giveth them Food and Raiment convenient for them and beareth with them notwithstanding their renewed Provocations Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without Witness in that he did Good and gave us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness The Heathen might trace God by Acts of Bounty rather than Acts of Vengeance But hereby they can have no Assurance of God's special Love to them for no Man knoweth Love or Hatred by all that is before them Eccles. 9.1 Thou canst not say God giveth me Riches therefore he loveth me or sendeth me Poverty therefore he hateth me No he may give these things to his Enemies and deny them to his Friends But you may undoubtedly conclude he loveth me for he hath washed me from my Sins Clear this once and you have a full and concluding Proof of God's special Love to you 2 dly The Value and Worth of this Benefit is exceeding great This will appear if you consider 1. The Necessity of it We were all defiled with Sin which is such a Filthiness and Stain as cannot easily be washed
with the Blessing of eternal Life His Priestly Actions after the Order of Aaron were his Consecration to his everlasting blessed Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedeck Without these Sufferings he could neither be a faithful nor a merciful high Priest nor satisfy his Father's Justice nor have a full feeling from Experience of the Creatures Misery Well then as Christ was consecrated at his Death so is a Christian who runneth Parallel with Christ in all his Offices As Christ had an Inauguration into that Priesthood he executed upon Earth at his Baptism So hath a Christian for his spiritual Priesthood as soon as washed in the Laver of Regeneration but for his everlasting Priesthood at Death 2. My next Argument is This suteth with the other Privilege of Kings We are made Kings as well as Priests Now as our Kingly Office is not perfect till we come to Heaven so neither our Priestly and therefore it mainly respecteth our Ministration in the heavenly Temple How is a poor Christian a King here unless in a Riddle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he vanquisheth the Devil the World and the Flesh As it is a Princely thing to be above inferiour things and to trample them under our Feet The Heathen could say Rex est qui metuit nihil Rex est qui cupit nihil He is a King that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World that feareth nothing and desireth nothing This is indeed in a Metaphor a Kingly Spirit to have our Hearts in Heaven and to look upon all sublunary things as beneath our Care and Affections Christ's Kingdom is not of this World neither is a Believer's Here upon Earth we reign only in a spiritual way But the Privilege cometh fully to be verified when we tread Satan under our Feet and triumph over Enemies and reign visibly and gloriously sitting upon Thrones with Christ at his Coming judging the World and Angels themselves Matth. 19.28 Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye shall also sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Psal. 49.14 The upright shall have Dominion over them in the Morning And 1 Cor. 6.2 Know ye not that we shall judg the World And ver 3. Know ye not that we shall judg Angels Neither will this Kingdom be terminated and ended at the Day of Judgment but they shall be Kings eternal in Heaven Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom 2 Tim 2.12 If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him that is in Heaven With respect to this Title Right and Interest we are said to be made Kings Now proportionably the other Privilege of being made Priests must be expounded also We are spiritual Priests upon Earth we have our Sacrifices of Prayers Praises and Alms and devoting our selves to God But this Office is not compleated till we come to Heaven and do immediately minister before the Lord. Then we have Entrance into the holiest Heb. 10.19 Having therefore Brethren Boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Iesus Not in Spirit but in Person For if the chief Part of our Kingly Office be yet behind why not the chief Part of our Priestly Office also 3. Then we are qualified and prepared Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated And when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummated and not till then Now in this World our Justification and Sanctification is imperfect we are not got above our legal Fears and Grace is very weak in us You know before we can serve the living God our Consciences must be purged from dead Works Heb. 9.14 As the High Priest was not to approach God without his Washings lest he die And we are bidden to draw nigh to God with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water Heb. 10.22 If we have the Privilege of Priests we must perform the Duties of Priests Now we are not perfect as appertaining to the Conscience nor are we fully cleansed and sanctified till the Vail of the Flesh be removed and we be presented to God without Spot and Wrinkle Somewhat is begun indeed that will tend to and end in perfect Sanctification enough to qualify us for our Ministration at this Distance from God There is enough done on Christ's Part by way of Impetration and Merit Heb. 10.14 For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified or consecrated he hath payed the Price but as to the Application that is by Degrees The Priest under the Law was seven Days in consecrating this figured all the time that interveneth before we enter upon the everlasting Sabbath Our whole Life is the time of Consecration which goeth on by Degrees and will be made compleat both for Body and Soul at the Resurrection for then shall we be made fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven In this Life our Consecration is not yet finished we cannot come so near God we are qualified indeed to come to the Throne of Grace but not qualified to come to the Throne of Glory But the Work is a-doing and in time it will be accomplished 4. We have not the full Privileges of Priests till then which is Intimacy full Communion Nearness of Access to God and Ministration before him This is the Privilege we have as Priests The Apostle telleth us Heb. 9.8 The Holy Ghost signifieth that the way to the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing How did the Holy Ghost signify this I answer by the whole Oeconomy and Frame of that Dispensation God kept State and Majesty then and his People must not come too near him The common Israelite must not come too near the Sanctuary they were not to camp or pitch their Tents round about it but only the Levites lest they die Numb 1.52 53. And the Children of Israel shall pitch their Tents every Man by his own Camp and every Man by his own Standard throughout the Host. But the Levites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testimony that there be no Wrath upon the Congregation of the Children of Israel It was a dangerous thing for the common Israelites to be too near the Symbols of God's Presence to teach us the Distance between God and Men and their Unworthiness to come near him and his holy things But though the Levites might encamp near it yet none but the Priests must
plentiful Life of Worldliâ—gs with the forfeiting of the Soul the Pleasures of Sin for a Season with the Pains of Hell 4. The fourth sort of Comparison which the Scripture directs us unto is Temporal bad things with Eternal good things and that is the Case we have now in hand Thus Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the Sufferings of this present Time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us Sufferings for the present may be very great but the Glory that is revealed to us and shall one day be revealed in us is much greater as there is no Comparison between a little Flea-biting or the prick of a Pin with eternal Ease and Rest or the trouble of entring by a strait Gate or Entry into a glorious Palace 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory The Sufferings of the present World are leves breves light and short not in themselves but in comparison with eternal Life In themselves they may be some of them very sharp and grievous and some also very long and tedious but look what a Point is to the Circumference that is Time to Eternity and what a Feather is to a Talent of Lead that are present Evils to future Glory and Blessedness All this is spoken to shew that it is better to be miserable with the People of God than happy with his Enemies and that we should not be drawn away from Christ neither by the comfortable nor troublesom things we meet with in the World 6. This Happiness which Christ hath proposed is at the general Resurrection or Christ's coming to Judgment for that is the Point which the Apostle is now discoursing of There is a distinction between the Good and the Bad at Death when the Spirits of just Men are made perfect Heb. 12.23 and the Spirits of the Wicked are sent to Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 The Soul dieth not with the Body but some go one way some another the Souls of just Men to God's Palace of Glory where they are with Christ and the Souls of the Wicked to the Prison of Hell But this Retribution is not sufficient for two Reasons because it is private and doth not openly vindicate the Justice and Holiness of God and it is but on a part the Soul and not the Body 1. Because it is private and dispensed apart to every single Person Man by Man as they die Certainly it is more for the Honour of God to bring his Judgment to Light as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 3.5 Every Morning doth he bring his Iudgment to Light Here the Love of God towards the Good and the Justice of God towards the Wicked is not brought into the clear Light nor at Death neither the Mouth of the Pit is not visibly opened nor the Glory of Heaven exposed to view But then this different Respect is more conspicuous when the Justice of God hath a publick and solemn Triumph and his Enemies are branded with Shame and Ignominy and the Faith of his Elect found to Praise and Honour and the one are publickly condemned and the other justified by the Judg sitting upon the Throne Acts 3.19 That your Sins may be blotted out when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. 2. As it is upon a part the Soul only The Bodies of the Holy and the Wicked are both now sensless and moulder into Dust in the Grave and till they be raised up and joined to their Souls can neither partake of Wo or Weal Pleasure or Pain The Soul though it be a principal Part is but a Part the Body essentially concurreth to the Constitution of the Man and it is the Body that is most gratified by Sin and the Body that is most pained by Obedience and therefore the Body which is the Soul's Sister and Coheir is to share with it in its eternal Estate whatever it be Therefore that we may not be in part punished nor in part rewarded there is a time coming when God will deal with the whole Man and that is in the Day of Christ's solemn Court and Audience when all the World shall be summoned before his Tribunal 7. The Apostle proveth this because the Righteousness of God's Government will not permit that his People should be accounted of all Men most miserable To clear this I shall shew First In what sense the Apostle saith If there were no Life to come Christians were of all Men most miserable Secondly How this will not consist with the Righteousness of God's Government First In what sense the Apostle saith If there were no Life to come Christians were of all Men most miserable I put this first Question that we may not mistake the Apostle's meaning when he pronounceth Christians to be of all Men most miserable if our Hopes in Christ were terminated with this Life Take him right and therefore 1 st Negatively 1. It is not to deny all present Providence or watchful Care over his oppressed People No. Eccles. 3.16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the Place of Iudgment that Wickedness was there and the Place of Righteousness that Iniquity was there He meaneth not in the Mountains of Prey only but in the Tribunals of Justice there was Iniquity and Wickedness I said in my Heart God shall judg the Righteous and the Wicked for there is a Time there for every Purpose and for every Work So again Eccles. 5.8 If thou seest the Oppression of the Poor and the violent perverting of Iudgment and Iustice in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they Both these Places shew that there is a Providence though God for a while permit his meek and obedient Servants to be oppressed and in the Eye of the World they seem to be forgotten and forsaken and utterly left to perish yet in due time God will exercise a righteous Judgment on them and their Enemies The like you have Psal. 58.11 So that a Man shall say Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth It is not meant of hereafter but now It is many times found that Godliness and Holiness are Matters of Benefit and Advantage in this World abstracted from all Reward in another Life The World is not governed by Chance but by a wise and a most just Providence It may be God doth not relieve the Oppressed so soon as Men would yet in due time he will not fail to shew himself the Ruler of the Affairs of Mankind So that this is not his meaning to exclude all present Providence 2. Not to deny that we have such Benefits by Christ here in this World as not to make our Condition more valuable than that of the Wicked We have Hopes by Christ of the Pardon of Sins and that is
will fret and soak in more and more 4. Use frequent Recollection and communing with your Hearts Man hath Reason and can talk with himself God that cannot err surveyed every Day 's Work and found it good Cast up your Account at the foot of every Page he that runneth in Debt and never casteth up his Accounts will sink at last A Man is insensibly hardned for want of searching and ransacking his Conscience there is no serious Repentance with it Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. God will search you if you leave the Work to him 5. Improve Afflictions It is a Means God hath appointed to shake us out of our Security We are apt to be lulled asleep with the Delights and Pleasures of Sin till we feel the sharp Rod of Afflictions 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his Distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord This is that King Ahaz They are Monsters of Nature and hopeless Wretches that are not reclaimed by Afflictions God sets a Brand on Ahaz like a dogged Servant that will not stir beat him never so much Unprofitableness under the Rod is an ill Presage In Hell Sinners are always suffering and always sinning 6. Beware of those things which are both Steps unto and Causes of hardness of Heart for one Degree is the cause of another as when Sin is committed without Remorse and swallowed without Grief 7. Beware of extenuating Sin of having less Thoughts of it and being less troubled about it At first it seemed a horrible thing a Burden too heavy for us but afterwards it grows less light and the Heart more insensible and Sin more delightful The Burden of Sin encreaseth in the Children of God as Light and Acquaintance with God increaseth that which they made nothing of at first groweth very heavy 8. Keep Grace in a constant Exercise Let the Fire be kept always in that came down from Heaven 2 Tim. 1.6 VVherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the Gift of God that is in thee 9. Frequent the Society of God's People Want of care of our Company is a great Fault for Company hardneth in Sin or humbleth The very Example of God's People will be a great help to you how tender they are how watchful what meltings of Heart they have in Prayer how they make conscience of the least Sin how they complain of themselves O what a hard Heart have I Coals lying together keep Fire This is a means to keep us tender Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called To Day lest any of you be hardned through the Deceitfulness of Sin SERMONS UPON EXODVS IV. 21 SERMON I. EXOD. IV. 21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go I Have spoken of hardness of Heart as it is proper to Man I shall now speak of that Judicial Hardness which is inflicted by God a notable Instance whereof we have in Pharaoh that was raised up that God might in him make his Power known that is he was born into the World and advanced to Royal Dignity that the World may know what God can do against an obstinate contradicting Creature And accordingly it is applied by the Apostle Rom. 9.17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same Purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my Power in thee and that my Name might be declared throughout all the Earth Therefore it is an Instance worth the viewing In this place God acquainteth Moses of it aforehand to fortify him against all Discouragements he was to deal with an obstinate Creature but it was that which God had fore-seen and fore-decreed I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go The Point or Head of Doctrine is God's hardning of Sinners You may take it in the form of a Proposition for the help of the weakest Doct. God himself hath an Hand in the hardning of obstinate Sinners About fourteen times is the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart spoken of and thrice it is said he hardned his own Heart Exod. 8.15 When Pharaoh saw that there was respite he hardned his Heart and hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said So ver 32. And Pharaoh hardned his Heart at that time also neither would he let the People go And again chap. 9.34 And when Pharaoh saw that the Rain and the Hail and the Thunders were ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his Heart he and all his Servants In all the other places it is ascribed to God himself Man hardneth and then God hardneth When God blindeth a Man he first closeth his own Eyes and when God hardneth a Man he first contracteth a Brawn and Stiffness upon his own Heart Pharaoh in hardning himself is charged with two things slighting of the Judgment chap. 7.23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his House neither did he set his Heart to this also And contempt of the Threatning chap. 8.15 He hardned his Heart and hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said And the very same thing also is said to be of God chap. 7.13 He hardned Pharaoh 's Heart that he hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said For the clearing of this I shall I. Give you some Observations from the Story II. Shew you how God hardneth III. The Causes of it I. I shall give you some general Observations from the Story for in the Story of Pharaoh we have the exact Platform of an hard Heart 1. Between the hard Heart and God there is an actual Contest who shall have the better The Parties contesting are God and Pharaoh See the first Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 506. 2. The Sin that hardned Pharaoh and put him upon this Contest was Covetousness and Interest of State Iacob's seventy Souls that he brought down to Egypt were grown to six hundred thousand fighting Men besides Children and to â—et such a Company of Men go whom they used as Slaves besides the Prey of their Herds and Flocks seemed hard to Pharaoh Which is not only an Item to Magistrates to retain nothing which God hateth out of Interest and Reason of State but also to private Christians Whatever of Gain and Advantage we may fancy in Sin it will at length prove a certain Loss If God send a Message for our right Eye we must pluck it out or for our right Hand we must cut it off It is dangerous to deny God any thing If he demand Israel and all the Flocks and Herds let them go the sweetest Interests the dearest Pleasures the most gainful Imployments if they are unlawful let them go There is an usual Contest between Interest and Duty between Pleasure and Obedience between Profit and the Command but it is better our own Faith should give the Command the Victory than God's Power 1 Joh. 5.4 This is the Victory that overcomes the World even our Faith He had before spoken of keeping